NationStates Jolt Archive

What makes a warrior dangerous? Is it his skill with the blade or his quick cunning on the battlefield? Is it the pride he has in his heart knowing that he fights for the greatest nation in the universe and the highest honor would be to die for it? Perhaps it is none of these and what really matters is what you have to live for. Someone who has nothing left to live for but to kill as much of the enemy as possible before being brought down can strike fear into the stoutest of men's hearts. Win or lose, you have nothing to go back home to so why not kill as many of them as possible. Send as many souls to the abyss as possible and let your name be whispered out of fear. Fear that if your name was spoken too loud, you would magically appear and strike down all those close to the speaker.

Yes, a soldier with nothing left to live for would be far greater individually than a draftee who was simply collecting a paycheck. The one willing to die alone and in the dark without renown or fanfare was the one that caused the most harm, killed the most, and struck fear into an enemy's heart better than anyone could possibly. But, this only applies if you are not waging war against an AI who has no concept of fear and simply exists.

Imagine if you will, a tiny pebble rolled down a snow covered hill. As it rolls down, it continues to grow as more and more snow is piled on until the ball is so huge that it has lost its point of origin in the chaos. The Symphonic Fleet had been assembling in such a manner for a few days now. Ships off the line as well as those having been in use for some time now, gathered enmass in the D'Haran system. It had finally reached its pinnacle with the desired magnitude that Dusanyu had envisioned all those years ago. Now it was time to put it to use and see if all the effort and resources were worth it. Below the multitude of ships and all the space traffic, sat D'Hara itself in all of its peace and serenity. A gathering of great significance was taking place that would still the hearts of many that were present.

In the marbled walls of the People's Palace, resided the great Senatorial chamber where the nobles and lords of D'Hara could gather and discuss matters of internal importance while Lord Rahl presided over them all. However this day was a different day and the many seats were not filled with the schemers and naysayers that often came with politicians. This day, the cold, hard seats were graced with the pressence of the some of the finest men and women that the human side of Star Forces could provide. Most of them were Rangers that had been assembled for more than two decades along with some of the more accomplished military officers.

A dias had been erected for Richard and a few of his companions. He sat there with jaw set firm and steele eyes gazing from face to face of all those sitting before him. The seat to his right was vacant while the one to his left was occupied by a woman with a long blond braid and outfitted in red, skintight leather. Her blue eyes were set straight ahead to the floor infront of them. Next to her was seated General Meiffert who had been the general of the First Phial since Richard became Lord Rahl. Lastly at the opposite end of the table sat Chase, a boundry guardian. Other chairs had been assembled with them as well for Admiral Nomura of the New Dornalian fleet that had arrived.

As the admiral was being escorted to the main chamber, musical instruments were lifted. Most of them were of the stringed sort ranging from the violen to a cello. Bows pulled across the strings to start it all with a slow and steady pace until a flute joined the ranks giving it more of a cheery mood. Then a woman's angelic voice rose above rythm of the instruments as she swayed while singing:

The way that you, embrace me with your strong and powerful arms
Your haunting words keep me close to everything about you;
Romantic in ways, in ways that almost tear apart my heart
Can't let you go, don't you know.

A vocal team of soft yet firm voices of a male choir rose with Kahlan's as they reached the chorus.

Eo sono prejanero

A captive of your gentle hands
A prisoner of your soulful eyes, your special smile
We'll never part;

If the morning should free
It wouldn't really let me go;
I'd still be caught in your side your love
Can't rise above, the chains of your heart.

Her voice trailled off at the end to complete silence in the room. Throughout the room, men and women that had come to love one another couldn't help but smile as some rested a head on the shoulder of their man or a gentleman gently squeezing the hand of his lover. Applause replaced the silence in the room as Kahlan took the empty seat next to her husband, Richard. Servers came around with goblets filled with red wine for each and every individual there. Admiral Nomura had been shown to his seat while Kahlan had been singing and was given a glass as well. Richard stood and raised his glass. In unison, the rest of the congregation stood and raised their glasses. His voice was commanding as it rang throughout the stone walls with authority. "A toast to the battle to come for we embark upon a dark crusade that will shape the fortunes of us all. We have been set upon a path that we can no longer change but simply accept for good or evil. Here and now we will meet our doom with every race present in the Abh Empire. We are being joined by Abhs, humans, elves, Shadows, and even our dragon companion as we disembark on the greatest attack in years. May God be between you and harm in all the dark places that you must walk." Everyone raised their glasses a bit more then drank heartily from their goblets.

(OOC Link: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=500491)

Nomura drank as well. He couldn't remember when he had wine like this--or for that matter, had an occasion of this sort to drink it at. The mood was deadly serious, which suited Nomura just fine--he was known for being cantankerous, and no-nonsense. But he had a keen sense of his own mortality at that moment. Perhaps it was the music. That music, which had a way of moving his otherwise tough exterior to reaction.

He then put that out of his mind. He had a job to do. Like his comrades in the Abh Empire, the Workers State had been amassing for battle. Always had been, for a long time now. The recent narrow victory at Mirfak, the defeat of Azaha, and the tenuous balance at the moment in Kendari proved that New Dornalia had what it took. The war was expensive in blood and toil, but it was a necessary one--a defensive conflict that needed to be won, lest New Dornalia's socialist experiment become somebody's toy.

He then sat back, and observed events. Planning the New Dornalian portion of this effort was tough. Party to the plan, he knew his expected contribution, but still, planning was tough. The survivors from Mirfak, some 150-160 altogether, were to be scraped together, and augmented with new vessels and reserves that could be spared as well. A fleet of some ships was planned, though most were the infamous Deng Xiaopengs, dubbed "Widowmakers" in the wake of their big losses. This he hated. He was always opposed to the Dengs. The Dengs would be fielded in mass, he knew this. Mainly automated, and equipped with tons of antimatter and meant to provide mass assholitude. Then he'd have a core of Mao Zedongs and Lin Biaos, mainly drawn from veterans of the Azaha Campaign but augmented with Mirfak Veterans and newbies, fresh out of Home Guard.

He'd also be given one of those Drama Casserole Supercarriers and some of the Prochkhorovkas, and perhaps even a couple of Ghengis Tron Mobile Production Bases, to ease the supply situation. And, he'd have access to not only the People's Hammers, but also, the bigger Mark 2 models, which were beginning to enter production en masse in selected Military Reservations. The ships were assembling, though how quickly was debated. All he knew was that they were getting ready to go at a moment's notice.

Not a bad plan. Of course, if he was planning the war, he'd have done this straight away. Then again, he always found a reason to make fun of MacIntyre...

Amusement.

Scything blasts of red energy caught the New Realm ship as it tried to escape, ripping apart choice pieces of armour, generators, and then systems at the Maker-Mind's leisure. O'niis was easily defended. The rifts within O'niis, like the rest of the Old Realm, made it easy to get to, and easy to defend. Not even the most devasting of energy weapons would pierce the shields of a Maker-Made craft near such a massive rift, and many kinetic weapons would be hard pressed to do so, as well. It made the systems utterly defensible, which was, in a way, why the Maker-Mind was amused.

Recent extrapolation had given it some interesting data. Data it was prepared to act upon. The New Realm's probable location was an interesting piece of data, but.. it would take more time. Logic said that the New Realm had allies. The GFFA. The Maker-Mind had attacked them. Of course, the Maker-Mind had not suddenly expected an attack. The Maker-Mind was always expecting an attack, from everyone.

When you acted the way the Maker-Mind did, it was a logical assumption to make. Paranoia went hand-in-hand with madness, and only a pre-emptive combination of the two made the Maker-Mind the way it did. So fleets were prepared - as they always were. Fortresses were reinforced - as happened always.

To the casual observer, it appeared as if nothing had changed. Only one thing had. The fleets of the Maker-Mind ceased their genocidal campaign away from home - those in Yukatania, of course, did not. Those in the Old Realm, and the surrounding sectors, were brought home. There weren't many ships in those fleets - a scarce few thousand fighters, and a few hundred Warspheres - not even a tenth of the defensive fleets.

The threat in the sector had been negated anyway, and the attack on the New Realm would take time to prepare for. It would be a simple end of the campaign waged so many decades ago - a finishing of the last true threat that remained to the Maker-Mind. Other species were.. setbacks, the New Realm was a possible destroyer, with their knowledge. And it was time that only setbacks remained..

The soft thud of glasses hitting tables in the room broke the silence. Their breif lapse was over and it was time to start issuing their walking orders. "Listen up. The dropships are outside the main gate waiting to load you up and take you all to the marine dropships. Each of you will be placed in charge of a squadron to lead on the ground. Ike, Titania, Griel, Boyd, and Marcus will be leading squads 1 thru 5. Parn, Deedlit, and Ashram will command squads 6 and 7 while Agradulous will lead squadron 8. General Meiffert will lead our D'Harans with the Shadowlords as your reserve."

Rangers assigned to a ground squadron rose from the chairs and exited out the same door the admiral arrived thru. The rest filed out other exits as they headed out to a shuttle that would take them to their own ships leaving Meiffert, Kahlan, Cara, Richard and Admiral Nomura alone for a moment before they were scheduled to depart.

"Dad!" Little Cypher came running as fast as he could right up the dias and wrapped his arms around Richard's waist. He had a wooden sword hanging at his hip from his latest lesson.

Richard smiled then bent down and picked him up. "You are supposed to be in bed. What good is Rikka if she can't keep her eye on a Rahl?"

"You're leaving and I wanted to see you before you go. When will you come home?"

He sighed slightly knowing that he might not come home. "Soon, son. But until then you're the leader of D'Hara and have to protect our home and you mom. Got it?"

"Got it."

Kahlan came over and took Cypher from Richard's arms. They stood their for a moment in silence just looking into each other's eyes until Richard bent down and kissed her. "I'll be back for both of you as soon as I can."

A tear fell from Kahlan's eye as she pulled away. There was no goodbye, only an "I love you" for their parting. Richard stood their watching them go until they were out of sight. His fingers glided over the wooden table next him. Fingering the grain and running them with the flow. "I believe it's time for us to go. We've been over the plan Admiral and I believe we're as ready as we'll ever be. It's time to take the fight to the enemy."

Nomura replied, reality hitting home as he saw Rahl part with his family: "Indeed...it is time to go. After all, what's a good fight without friends..." He sort of wished his family was here to see him off. Then again, he did that when he was given this job, back on Earth. He knew that Rahl's family had to have felt the same emotions his son and his second wife felt--though they hid it behind the usual pomp of Socialism.

He then added, his cantankerous wit never failing as he said with gallows humor and a smile, looking at Rahl: "...and I didn't want to die alone anyway."

He then called his ship, and said, "Get ready to move. Have Marshal Torusumi join our D'Haran comrades, prepare the Marines and Army units for battle. And I want an inventory on those packages--don't leave me hanging."

He then hung up and bowed, saying, "To our ships..." as he made arrangements to get moving.

It was the first laugh he had had since planning this invasion with the admiral as Richard slapped him on the back. "I agree and what fine company we will be in if we do go down." Those that remained followed behind the two leaders as they exited the room and out into the cool night. A gentle breeze lifted his golden cape slightly and rustled his hair. The once empty plains of D'Hara were now full of marine transport ships as thousands of marines began boarding and taking off for the rest of the fleet. One transport stood out in the night, if you could see it, pitch black and pulling the light into it. Organic and simply creeped the hell out of most people in the area.

Richard's shuttle was stationed just outside the gates waiting to take him to the flagship of the fleet. In a few short moments he was docked and moving to his seat on the bridge of the Spirit. Laying across the seat was his sword in its sheath. Gilded letters glinted off the handle as he picked it up to examine once more. The word "TRUTH" stuck out in stark contrast to the black grip. He slung the baldrice over his shoulder and took his seat. Cara took her usual position standing next to him. "Relay orders to the entire fleet. All ships, jump to Hyperspace."

An orbiting jump gate went active as lights began flashing in sequence down the great pylons until they collapsed on themselves opening a swirling vortex to Hyperspace. Ships began pouring in seemingly unending as the fleet went through followed by marine transports then by a multitude of supply ships. One after another until the gate finally closed. Shadows and flashes of light were the norm in Hyperspace and it always seemed to be colder as well. "Communications chief, tell the Dornalians that we'll see them on the other side."

"Yes my lord."

The Dornalians got their message, even as they too began assembling, ready to move to action. Nomura's call had revealed the ships were ready already, to his delight; all that needed to occur was him beaming aboard the St. Kalashnikov and taking command of the naval aspect of New Dornalia's intervention. This was done quickly.

Aboard the various vessels, Haywood class Dropships and Cargo Teleporters of all kinds stood by, ready to begin deploying men with the right go-code. New Dornalia had become used to teleportation, it didn't use shuttles to ferry men and loads like it used to, but when it came to big mothers, like the Artillery mechs and the Mobile Suits, these were delivered by dropship. The men in the meantime, waited in the ships, anxious about the coming storm.

Nomura's teleport was successful, as he beamed aboard the flagship, he could only be slightly freaked out at the ship Rahl took to get into orbit.

He then walked up to the helm, and said, "Helm, take us into Bosun Jump, and meet up with the Abh on the other side."

The helmsman replied, "Aye, Comrade-Admiral."

Nomura then sassed back, "It's just Admiral, okay?" as he sat back down in his captains' chair, and the fleet went into jump.....

"I want our artillery ships loaded before we exit Hyperspace and ready to aquire targets."

"Loading ships now my Lord."

Projectiles started materializing as they were carried down an assembly line and loaded into multiple tubes. Once loaded, the line switched to load the other half of the ship. Doors slammed down behind once loading procedures were finished then outter bay doors opened until the artillery ships looked like swiss cheese with all the holes.

"Artillery ships loaded and ready Lord Rahl."

"Good bring targeting systems on line and redirect their figuration to my control panel. Senior Aviator, how long until we reach our destination."

"Approaching jump point now."

"Artillery ships take up the rear. Urbanuss class ships take to the flanks with Dissith and Exiled class ships bringing up the middle. I want the Paryunu's with me. Alright, bring us in."

Light tentacles stretched out around the darkness of space then pulled back in on itself to rip open a viel back to normal space just in time for the Abh attack fleet to exit. Before them lay the planet Argoria that had been designated as a factory world. Abh scanners went to maximum checking for any enemy ships in the area or energy distortions. Other ships began moving towards the planet below for the location of factories as well as anything that may be useful orbiting the planet.

"Keep your eyes open and finger on the trigger. They're out there somewhere. Maintain contact with the rest of the fleet and our ace in the hole."

Nomura's forces, meanwhile, came close to their objective. Fantalin was another factory world, ascertained by intelligence sent to ISB, which was sent to the military to deal with. So Nomura was here.

The helmsman on the St. Kalashnikov said, "Sir, we are approaching Fantalin."

Nomura replied, sternly and businesslike: "Drop out of Bosun Jump. Have the Deng Xiaopings ready their packages for deployment, and the moment we get out, those ships with the Firefox kits that the vultures down at Karl Liebknecht didn't steal go into cloak. I want passive and active scans of the area, I don't want to fight blind--but keep the active pings to a minimum. I want the Dengs to go into the rear, Claw Shape Stance, the Maos and other heavies will be in front and center to take the hits."

The ships thus exited Bosun Jump near the nearest Maker Mind controlled world, and assembled into formation, the Dengs forming what looked like a massive candy crane claw, given there were 600 of them, while the heavier vessels assembled in the middle of the claw, the ships with cloak (mainly half of the Maos and Lins) going into cloak.

Scans both active and passive were then eminated from the Kalashnikov and several other vessels, both on Amethyst microwave band (to detect cloaked vessels) and on conventional sensors, looking for any enemy ships and to see what was of value--and what was to be killed--on the planet below. They then began approaching the planet, slowly, and cautiously....

They dare?!

The outrage was palpable within the Maker-Mind. Argoria had been violated by enemy forces. Whirling through the lattice, the Maker-Mind itself moved, storms of anger-born energy developing, rifts torn like holes in cloth throughout reality.

They will die. They will all die

Only a few forces were stationed at Argoria - a few hundred Warspheres, hardly a force to inspire awe. Then again, nor was it a weak force. Fantalin had sufficient forces to defend against a force as had been 'felt', for lack of a better word. It was one of the great strengths, and great weaknesses, of the Maker-Mind. It could 'feel' ships, and acted accordingly. Of course, it had no ability to differentiate between friend and foe - only Maker-Made, and non-Maker-Made.

A few thousand Battlespheres, and a few thousand Blades of Battle.. a significant force. However, given the nature of the fleet they were facing.. it was doubtful that the fleet could hold the area. A simplistic call for aid went out, and ships began swarming towards the area.. if they could just hold on, well, that would be enough.


- - - - - -
Fantalin -
Obviously, some communication had been made with the New Realm. Hardly a superpower, or even a power, in such a galaxy, the Realm nonetheless knew what it needed. And, at this time, the destruction, or at least impotency of the Maker-Mind was vital to their survival.

Shimmering portals of blue were opened briefly, ships slipping between the boundary of Truespace, and space. The Captain aboard the ship smiled. "Appears the Maker-Mind's got some Federation company. Why don't we go have ourselves a tea party, now, boys?"

Sixty frigates, and twenty cruisers - designs improved upon from those of the Old Realm, ships that may not have been the most combat elite designs in existence, but ships that were well-prepared for battle with the Maker-Mind. The largest military force ever sent by the New Realm into battle for what was probably centuries, a force devoted to the cleansing of the Old Realm - a force that was about to open a channel with the New Dornalian forces.

"Well, hello there, boys. Appears we've got a common goal in mind. I expect we're going to be turning those pretty little silver worlds down there into pretty little lumps of glass?"



A few hundred Warspheres; a few thousand Battlespheres, and Blades of Battle.. the majority of the fleet at home was in the lattice, preparing for battle. Of course, the battle they were to enter was different to the one they had been expecting.

Fascinating. I believe it is time to begin.

Ships within the lattice swirled, navigating their way through the endless, deadly storms within the lattice, and the sheer corruptive nature of the dimension itself. The two systems would be reinforced quickly - this farce of a war had to be ended, and, it seemed, that the farce had reached even the Maker-Mind.

- - - - - -

Notes: Given a closer look at my fleets abroad, it seems that I've only really sent half abroad, (Another quarter was originally bound for Yukatania, but he hasn't posted), thus, I still have a significant defensive force.

Blade of Battle(Drone) - 67,000
Scythe of War(Fighter) - 25,770
Whirling Death(Frigate) - 1,625
Battlesphere(Fighter) - 11,200
Warsphere(Frigate) - 1,975
Instrument of Cleansing (Cruiser) - 72

A wee brief guide to my forces at home. Of course, they're distributed not only to these inner systems, but to my outlying systems (the Maker-Mind tends to distribute its worlds evenly across sectors, this is the only real clump of worlds in existence), but that's the entire force I have defending my systems at present.

Fantalin -
Obviously, some communication had been made with the New Realm. Hardly a superpower, or even a power, in such a galaxy, the Realm nonetheless knew what it needed. And, at this time, the destruction, or at least impotency of the Maker-Mind was vital to their survival.

Shimmering portals of blue were opened briefly, ships slipping between the boundary of Truespace, and space. The Captain aboard the ship smiled. "Appears the Maker-Mind's got some Federation company. Why don't we go have ourselves a tea party, now, boys?"

Sixty frigates, and twenty cruisers - designs improved upon from those of the Old Realm, ships that may not have been the most combat elite designs in existence, but ships that were well-prepared for battle with the Maker-Mind. The largest military force ever sent by the New Realm into battle for what was probably centuries, a force devoted to the cleansing of the Old Realm - a force that was about to open a channel with the New Dornalian forces.

"Well, hello there, boys. Appears we've got a common goal in mind. I expect we're going to be turning those pretty little silver worlds down there into pretty little lumps of glass?"



A few hundred Warspheres; a few thousand Battlespheres, and Blades of Battle.. the majority of the fleet at home was in the lattice, preparing for battle. Of course, the battle they were to enter was different to the one they had been expecting.

Fascinating. I believe it is time to begin.

Ships within the lattice swirled, navigating their way through the endless, deadly storms within the lattice, and the sheer corruptive nature of the dimension itself. The two systems would be reinforced quickly - this farce of a war had to be ended, and, it seemed, that the farce had reached even the Maker-Mind.

- - - - - -


The helm replied, "Sir, its the New Realm forces. They're hailing us."

Their message flashing, Nomura replied, wryly and slipping into his cantankerous style again, replying on a secure channel: "No, we're going to be delivering pepperoni pizzas to them with hot sauce."

He then paused, and chuckled, still keeping his slightly snarky tone: "Yes, we're going to bomb the snot out of those factories below. We're then going mine the area around the planet, and make it difficult for that poorly-named oppressive AI that runs this place to reinforce it. If you can, join the party. We'd need the help."

The tactical officer then said, "We have vessels in-system. Ships of frigate displacement, and lots of fighters and what seem to be automated units. Nothing too large."

Nomura replied, "Keep on watch, shields up and weapons charged. Monitor them. Our goal is the destruction of those production facilities below, and to mine the hell out of the surrounding area. Get in close, sow mines, set IFF to recognize New Dornalians and Abh and New Realm as friendly, but not Maker Mind forces, and bomb the shit out of that planet."

Weapons replied, "Aye, sir."

The ships then moved closer to the targeted planet, and the mines were prepared. The Dengs moved to cover the Maos in a cupola of sorts, as in the meantime, shots were fired at the planet below.

Hot Warp Energy from the Demolisher Guns and the occasional conventional torpedo shot were fired rapidly at the industrial facilities below from some of the Mao Zedongs and the St. Kalashnikov, while the Lin Biaos began moving quickly around the planet to sow the mines, which were part of the job....the mines were self-replicating, gauranteeing that as they were sowed, the replicators onboard each one made a couple of copies of their host mine, and so on and so forth...the ships had entered geosynchronous orbit, and began moving slowly around the planet to try and do as much damage as possible.

OOC: To make it easier to read, I'll seperate my New Realm/Maker-Mind posts with a line-thingamajig.

IC: "Well, then, there's certainly no time to waste. Previous analysis of our attacks indicates that the initial group of reinforcements will be inbound within minutes, and only a quick strike here will net us a victory."

The captain tapped on a datapad, and a holographic display of the system came up.

"We're going to bring our fleet about, and launch an attack on the nearby rift. Significant amounts of energy pitted against a rift will disrupt it temporarily, slowing the speed by which reinforcements arrive. Although the rift itself is the size of several worlds, we've learnt to disrupt rift travel thus. Thirty-five frigates will go with you. I advise assaulting the four worlds on this side of the sun; I believe your goal is to cause maximum casualties?"

He stopped speaking, and smiled, turning off the communicator to speak to himself. "Allright, you sonovabitch. My children, my wife, my parents.. there will be a reckoning. And trust me, you're going to know my name before the end. And there will be an end".


The ships 'blinked', wisps of blue leaving them near the rift. The cruisers, and five frigates began firing wildly, randomly, into the rift. Truespace energies were inimical to those of the rift, but normal energy would disrupt one to all hell, given enough power.
- - - -
The Maker-Mind saw. The planet was lost. It simply did not have.. enough forces to counteract both attacks. It could feel the enemy forces there, and, although it was gathering its might, Fantalin would not hold - at least not for long. There was truly only one choice to make.

The Warspheres blinked across, much in the same way that the New Realm craft did. Hundreds of them, suddenly scattered between the Dornalian craft. Fighters, and drones, thousands of them, surrounding the enemy. At the very least, a delaying action could be undertook.

And, considering the size of the craft that served the Maker-Mind, the enemy would have quite the difficult time defeating them. Red lightning flickered from one craft to another, bolts of the lightning licking towards ships, towards mines, towards fighters. The planet was lost. The shapes of the factories were lost in the ravaging fire upon the world, metal-spiders crushed with ease. It was not a comforting sight for the Maker-Mind.

Nonetheless, for now, they had the initiative. Fighters, drones, and frigate-equivalents, all attacking, all surrounding the enemy fleet. They might be outgunned, but the enemy could not shoot their larger weapons, for fear of hitting one another. That, at least, would be an advantage..

- - - -
The Maker-Mind saw. The planet was lost. It simply did not have.. enough forces to counteract both attacks. It could feel the enemy forces there, and, although it was gathering its might, Fantalin would not hold - at least not for long. There was truly only one choice to make.

The Warspheres blinked across, much in the same way that the New Realm craft did. Hundreds of them, suddenly scattered between the Dornalian craft. Fighters, and drones, thousands of them, surrounding the enemy. At the very least, a delaying action could be undertook.

And, considering the size of the craft that served the Maker-Mind, the enemy would have quite the difficult time defeating them. Red lightning flickered from one craft to another, bolts of the lightning licking towards ships, towards mines, towards fighters. The planet was lost. The shapes of the factories were lost in the ravaging fire upon the world, metal-spiders crushed with ease. It was not a comforting sight for the Maker-Mind.

Nonetheless, for now, they had the initiative. Fighters, drones, and frigate-equivalents, all attacking, all surrounding the enemy fleet. They might be outgunned, but the enemy could not shoot their larger weapons, for fear of hitting one another. That, at least, would be an advantage..

The sudden warping-in took Nomura by surprise, and he found his ships sustaining damage, especially the Deng Xiaopings. They got the worst of it, some of their ranks getting damage to systems and minor damage to engines from all the fire. The mines were damaged as well, a number of them taken out in the first wave, and the explosions doing some splash damage, though not as much as expected, since some were still in the arming or replicating process....

Nomura then said, eyebrows wide: "Hell of a strategy. Fire Gauss Miniguns at them, and use those new Earth Dragon and Steel Dragon submunitions, make them know they're unwelcome. Oh and move those Dengs into evasive manuevers as best as you can, but keep them firing. As a matter of fact, keep all ships firing, fire Demolisher Guns at the frigates. And those Lin Biaos that were out sowing mines can come back and help us."

The orders were carried out. The Dengs entered evasive action, parting their cupola and moving in two opposite directions. Meanwhile, the New Dornalian point defenses lit up, targeting the new drones and fighters with a vengance with both gauss fire and what was in essence, ship-level shotgun fire and nanites programmed to eat whatever enemy they could touch.

The Demolisher Guns fired at the frigates, targeting them with more of that hot warp energy....

Meanwhile, the Lin Biaos that had been on mine duty moved to aid their comrades, though more than likely they were facing their own enemies (and thus sparing whatever fire and point defenses they could against them), firing more Demolisher Guns upon the frigates. Torpedo fire continued upon the planet below, covering those factory areas that had not been hit by the initial wave of bombardment.

Nanites. Possibly the worst thing to use against a Maker-Mind craft. Before they could even reach the craft itself, they dissipated harmlessly against the seething shields, their tiny forms wracked by the energies of the rift. Indeed, Maker-Mind craft being made up of 'silver goo' in many places, even had it reached the armor, it would truly not have had much of an effect.

Then again, the buckshot was useful. Small enough not to hurt the enemy ships significantly in the case of a misfire, and large enough to rip apart drones. They died in the tens. Not in the hundreds, but in a hundred. The fighters fared better; creating weapons that travelled fast enough to tear a Battlesphere apart would often hurt larger craft when they missed, and hit another - it was one of the few advantages offered by the tactical decision that they had made.

The Maker-Mind smiled inwardly. Every loss was but a piece sacrificed to bring about a queening, a piece lost to bring about a final victory. Then again, revealing all the pieces on one's board too early was a foolish mistake to make. But never revealing them all was even more foolish..

Tell me, pitiful mortals. Tell me how it feels to have your impending death rushing towards you, your life wavering like a candle flame, about to be.. snuffed out. *laughter*

The psychic emanations from the craft were enough to send the message into the minds of those around them. There were hardly enough craft to break the minds of the enemy into snivelling little heaps, but there were enough to make the enemy afraid. Of course, fear in such a situation was probably an appropriate emotion.

Red flickers of lightning grew to larger and larger strikes, licking out at lightspeed, eating away at shields and armor alike; the larger guns, so to speak, were put away, for now. Neither side could use such weaponry, at such close range, without fear of damaging their own ships. And, considering the Maker-Mind was outgunned in such a situation, this was a good thing.

The red lightning seemed to be the only attack the craft made, as it was effective, for the most part, and easily summoned up. The Maker-Mind intended to inflict as many casualties as possible; to slow the enemy here, so that they would gain elsewhere. It was amusing, in its own way. After all, if there was no challenge, where was the game?

Nanites. Possibly the worst thing to use against a Maker-Mind craft. Before they could even reach the craft itself, they dissipated harmlessly against the seething shields, their tiny forms wracked by the energies of the rift. Indeed, Maker-Mind craft being made up of 'silver goo' in many places, even had it reached the armor, it would truly not have had much of an effect.

Then again, the buckshot was useful. Small enough not to hurt the enemy ships significantly in the case of a misfire, and large enough to rip apart drones. They died in the tens. Not in the hundreds, but in a hundred. The fighters fared better; creating weapons that travelled fast enough to tear a Battlesphere apart would often hurt larger craft when they missed, and hit another - it was one of the few advantages offered by the tactical decision that they had made.

The Maker-Mind smiled inwardly. Every loss was but a piece sacrificed to bring about a queening, a piece lost to bring about a final victory. Then again, revealing all the pieces on one's board too early was a foolish mistake to make. But never revealing them all was even more foolish..

Tell me, pitiful mortals. Tell me how it feels to have your impending death rushing towards you, your life wavering like a candle flame, about to be.. snuffed out. *laughter*

The psychic emanations from the craft were enough to send the message into the minds of those around them. There were hardly enough craft to break the minds of the enemy into snivelling little heaps, but there were enough to make the enemy afraid. Of course, fear in such a situation was probably an appropriate emotion.

Red flickers of lightning grew to larger and larger strikes, licking out at lightspeed, eating away at shields and armor alike; the larger guns, so to speak, were put away, for now. Neither side could use such weaponry, at such close range, without fear of damaging their own ships. And, considering the Maker-Mind was outgunned in such a situation, this was a good thing.

The red lightning seemed to be the only attack the craft made, as it was effective, for the most part, and easily summoned up. The Maker-Mind intended to inflict as many casualties as possible; to slow the enemy here, so that they would gain elsewhere. It was amusing, in its own way. After all, if there was no challenge, where was the game?

Nomura heard the voice, he rolled his eyes and went, "Great. Just great. Now it's become a Wes Craven flick." Nomura did feel a little scared, but being the obnoxious, stubborn personality he was, he wasn't one to let that melt his cold exterior.

His other crewmen were not so smug, quivering slightly out of fear. Nomura then said, "Oh, get over it. Get back to work, and nevermind that asshole, we have a job to do."

The helm reported, "Sir, SITREP coming in, they're firing again, the Dengs are reporting damage to hulls and shields. Also, Steel Dragon shots register no effect."

Nomura then replied, "So they want me to sit here and take it? Hell no. Begin evasive manuevers, Dengs scatter in groups of five and find better positions, and fire upon them with all the Gauss Miniguns and Earth Dragon shots everybody can muster. Target the bigger vessels with Ion Cannons and Demolisher Guns, plus spreads of 60 torpedoes each. Oh and deploy ECM. See what happens."

The orders were carried out, as a massive ECM field was immediately deployed in the immediate area and the Dengs broke ranks, moving out in groups of five to try and weave around their opponents and dish out some more damage at them, as the heavier vessels also loosened their lines and began firing back, all ND ships using the ordered weapons on the foe. Being battlecruiser size, the Dengs were of incredible speed, and thus could pull this off...

They dare?!

The outrage was palpable within the Maker-Mind. Argoria had been violated by enemy forces. Whirling through the lattice, the Maker-Mind itself moved, storms of anger-born energy developing, rifts torn like holes in cloth throughout reality.

They will die. They will all die

Only a few forces were stationed at Argoria - a few hundred Warspheres, hardly a force to inspire awe. Then again, nor was it a weak force.

"Lord, we've picked up several Maker-Mind ships in the area. Judging from our last encounter with them, ship type matches that of Warspheres."

"Show me."

The floor changed from its plain grey steel tone to a holographic tactical display map showing the layout of Richard's fleet as well as that of the enemy fleet. "Let's hit them hard and fast. Dissith Cruisers begin space fusion then break and engage the enemy. Urbanuss Flankers bank and watch our sides. Exiled Destroyers provide heavy fire support. Artillery ships are staying back while the rest of us are here for heavy bombardment."

The bulk of the center force sped ahead of the main fleet just as thin film circled around them and disappeared. Heavy turrets swivelled to lock on to enemy vessels while torpedoe tubes opened and aquired a lock on. Yellow tracers ripped through space as Graviton shells raced towards their target folloed by a volley red fire torpedoes. After the first wall of lead passed, new shells were loaded into the tubes and began to spin preparing for the next launch.

OOC: Keep in mind that my frigate-equivalents, Warspheres, are fifty metres in diameter, so they're not really big shiny targets to hit.

IC:

"I must admit, your amusement is frightening, even to me. Perhaps you'd be better served to simply destroy them, and move on? Fathoming your mind was impossible, from the very beginning.."

The unique madness the Maker-Mind suffered was a sickness. The sickness being other minds. It absorbed them by the billion, information streaming through the Maker-Mind's subconscious, as it thought about the destruction it was to wreak. Sometimes.. sometimes the stronger personalities talked to it. It didn't listen, of course.

The fighters of the Maker-Mind were hardly tough. They were built to give damage, not take it. The bursts of red lightning were intensifying, sparking from ship to ship, crackling as it moved, unhindered by the jamming that had taken place. If the Maker-Mind used lightspeed sensors, the jamming would've done well. Of course, it didn't.

However, the enemy ships became more inaccurate. Shots missed more often, less fighters, and less drones died. Slugs of metal slammed into Warspheres, making their fragile forms quiver, then resolving once more into the solid, deadly spheres that they were known for being.

It was truly a scene to behold, the Maker-Mind knew. The tiny, agile, and yet deadly craft of the Maker-Mind spinning around the larger enemy craft, seemingly unscratched, apart from when one was shattered into its component atoms by enemy fire, the silvery particles which made up the craft consuming themself in the vacuum of space.

Not a Warsphere consumed as of yet, although Battlespheres, and the Blades of Battle died readily enough. The dance of battle was one that no longer thrilled the Maker-Mind, as it had in the early days of its life. But it was one that could only lead to one end. A mind of incalculable intelligence gave instructions, ships dancing around enemy ships, ships ripping apart enemy torpedoes. Despite the precision of the calculations, however, the Maker-Mind knew that the battle would end in defeat. But that was hardly a problem.

Thousands of Warspheres, of Whirling-Death blades, of the blades, the spheres, the writhing, myriad shapes that served the Maker-Mind, would serve to annihilate the annoyance. And, if it came to defeat, the Maker-Mind itself would stir, and there would be an end to it..

Ships would arrive, soon enough. It merely had to hold out in the first system, and bring the full strength of every ship it could muster to the second. A simplistic task, and one that occupied a mere fraction of the mind. After all, there were more.. pressing problems to work on..

Commodore's Suite, KHGV Target Drone, Interstellar Space;



Something wasn't right - this, the vixen's subconscious mind knew, but through the veil of sleep it was a foggy awareness, reality slowly resolving around the strangely familiar sound.

'Wha...? The Comm. Oh.'


A golden-furred hand slipping from the sheets silenced the repeating tone; muzzle pressing into pillow one last time as she bid sleep a premature farewell, a reluctant sigh escaping as a familiar voice filled the darkened room.

"Ma'am? Commander Zachary here."

Something that may have been, 'Report?' came back in reply as she disentangled limbs and sheets, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep.


"Sorry to disturb you, Commodore," the voice continued, "But NavInt's routing us a distress call; Federation forces are on the offencive, and the Maker-Mind is requesting assistance. The Union is under attack."


Commodore Ch'cye swore inwardly, instantly on her feet and across the room, pulling on the undergarments of her armoured uniform; "Rig for immediate combat insertion and contact the 'Maker-Mind'," the vixen paused, frowned, then pushed the thought away - sometimes it was best to ignore the nature of their allies, "Request a situation report and their plan of battle - I'll be up momentarily."

Abh Front, Argoria

The losses were greater than had been anticipated. Four Warspheres were downed in the initial volley. It had been a brief second of interruption, one the Maker-Mind had not prepared itself to deal with at that exact time - the Kanuckistani call. A brief surge of anger shimmered across the surface of the Maker-Mind, incinerating thousands of subpersonalities as it did so.

It was an annoyance, true. But few Battlespheres had been lost, and even fewer Blades of Battle. But the loss itself changed the odds subtly. The Maker-Mind decided to go with a simpler strategy. The factory-worlds, although valuable, were mere setbacks on a campaign to victory. It had many such, and could build more at whim, the construction of its forces was not what was going to win this war. Having forces available, however, would.

Move the fleet out. We're going to let them burn Argoria. I believe we have units inbound as it is, we'll simply link up with them, and devastate their fleet from there.

The clipped, precise tones of a long-dead general were the ones it used to command. A giggle of energy swept down through the Maker-Mind, and the forces in Argoria began to retreat towards the progidous rift within it. A few skip-jumps, and they'd be well-defended near the rift.

And then it spoke. Hello, Kanuckistani ESUS-allies. We are [here] , and require assistance. The Federation has, it appears, decided to launch a counterattack. A few of your mammoth capital ships would hardly go astray in such a battle, no? Jolly good, then. It'd be capital if you could send one, or a few, of those capitals over here, I must admit. Tally-ho!

It was the unfortunate nature of the Maker-Mind to adopt a personality whilst giving orders, the billions of sub-personalities within it allowed it to think clearly, as the single personality it used to 'speak' with guarded the inner sanctum of its mind. It gave the Maker-Mind the appearance of complete randomity, but, of course, it was far more efficient than random, uncontrolled destruction.

"They appear to be retreating." Cara stepped forward and looked down at the tactical display to varify his assesment. "So it would seem."

Richard stroked his chin as he thought over this latest turn of events. It was true that this was only one factory world but he still expected more of a fight than this. "Bring the fleet over the planet and reposition our remotes so that they are closest to the planet. Spread the fleet out and keep your sensors at full power. I don't want to get caught by surprise. All ships, launch fighters and prepare for ground bombarment. Level the planet."

As the Abh fleet moved into its new position, swarms of fighters poured out from ships and began making their way down towards the planet. They were locking onto any artificial structure in the area with the intention of leveling it with all their ordinances. Thousands streamed over head as they entered the atmosphere.

"Communications, contact the Dornalians for me. Tell them that we have begun bombardment of the planet."

"Yes Lord."

Admiral Nomura,
Enemy forces have retreated from the field of battle. We are now commencing with bombardment of all factories on the planet below. Once finish we will link up with you to aid your front.

KHGV Target Drone, Interstellar Space;


The subdued sounds an active bridge filled the lift as it's doors parted, the vixen stepping into the heart of her ancient command, a mug of hot cocoa between her hands.

"Report," she queried, approaching her Commander by the central holotank, a finger killing the mug's anti-spill forcefield as she tasted the warm beverage.

"Ma'am," Zachary replied, snapping a smart salute - the only to do so, formalities relaxed in times of war, "All stations report combat ready; the Maker-Mind was extremely vague, but we do have a destination. Destination is within our jump envelope; displacers and Forerunners are standing by."

Ch'cye offered a thoughtful nod, eyeing their destination on the holo; "Not even a sensor feed?"

"No Ma'am."

The vixen sighed, "Drop a standard array fifteen lightseconds above the planet then, and a small below to cover the shadow," her neural lace keying it's zip com to add map-markers as she spoke, "we'll plot our insertion point then and jump in with Forerunners as usual."

Zachary nodded, issuing orders as she partook of her cocoa.

-----------------------




Abh Front, Argoria;




Above the planet, like below, some fifteen light seconds distant each, several hundred small objects suddenly appeared; a half-moment of distorted probability the only sign.

No larger than a child's fist, the majority came to be above the planet; spread over a half a cubic lightsecond in a classic Very Large Array, active sensors both FTL and not probed outward with surprising power - the lower array, one-tenth in size, doing likewise.


A dozen seconds passed before a third incursion of Forerunner drones, well clear of anything; half a light minute away and two light seconds across. And a second later, a fourth; this time a single object, three kilometers of gleaming silver, a mountain studded with weapon blisters, sheathed in barrier fields and rolling drones - thickening the cloud already about it.

The KHGV Target Drone had arrived, and within moments, vanished behind a cloud of jamming and decoys; Asymmetric FTLi racing outward a half-Cee toward a roughly fifteen lightsecond radius.

Admiral Nomura,
Enemy forces have retreated from the field of battle. We are now commencing with bombardment of all factories on the planet below. Once finish we will link up with you to aid your front.


The message came through for the Admiral, who said, somewhat skeptically, "Can't be...the Maker-Mind's too ornery to give up systems. It's gotta be a feint."

He then said to Rahl, "Acknowledged. But watch yourself."

Sirens sounded throughout the fleet with incursion of another enemy fleet. It drew the attention of most of the fleet for a brief moment before settling back down. "Cara?"

Cara was over at the consul of the communication's officer looking out the readouts. "We've picked up a large amount of small objects that have just appeared in our northern and southern quadrants. Analysis crystal is computing probability of possible targets. Either mines, probes, or drones."

"Distance?"

"They're far but the enemy has also put up an inhibitor field limiting some of our options."

Richard sat drumming his fingers on the armrest mulling over the situation. "What's the status of the bomb attack?"

"Fighters are beginning their attack now."

"Then we will just buy them time until they're finished. The targets are too small so switch to point defenses. Have the fleet spread out alittle. Let them make the first move. This planet isn't important enough to get tangled up in an all out brawl."

"Yes my Lord."

Great panels slid open as laser turrets, rail guns, and intercepter added to the arsenal display along the hull of every ship. Energy disks flared to life on the Urbanuss Flankers as the fleet settled into a nice loose position around the planet.

OOC: Keep in mind that my frigate-equivalents, Warspheres, are fifty metres in diameter, so they're not really big shiny targets to hit.


Nomura was pissed off now...he said, "Fuck this shit. We fragged the damn planet already. Turn off the ECM, its counterproductive, and focus on the damn Warspheres with all you have. Then, if they're still alive, we break for the next planet. We don't have time to dawdle."

The fleet then complied. They immediately turned off the useless ECM, and then resumed their fire, this time, focusing on the Warspheres, leading them with their shots and in the case of the Dengs, following them with their exceptional speed as they fired hails of torpedoes, and even some Mark 1 Antimatter torpedoes (the 160kg suckers) at them. Bosun Jump drives were prepared, in case the enemy did not fall as expected.

Ch'cye frowned as she eyed the plot, neither sign of Maker-Mind forces nor of attack; "Abh" forces, so CIC believed them, had dispersed, and were believed to be readying weapons, but nothing more.

"Think they're looking to avoid a fight?" her first officer offered.

"Doesn't really matter," the vixen considered, "I doubt they'll abandon the planet willingly. Still.."


Mug abandoned at the holo, three strides found her seated, "Guns, standard spread, all tubes; five rounds rapid. Standby to fire. Commo, I want to record a message."


---------------

From both 'polar' drone groups it came, the third twice distant, behind FTLi and thus unused; a transmission broadcast by most common methods, including analog radio as a last resort.

Audio and visual, the scene resolved; a golden furred vixen of light frame and youthful appearance, attractive if not for the stubborn telltales of bed-fur, her features set with piercing gaze, an air of seasoned authority, and command; light powered armour encasing her form, a polished Naval White hung with the markings of rank and position.

"Federation forces," she began, tones deadpan; the scene beyond her chair an inscrutable blurr, "I am Commodore Ch'cye of the Kanuckistani High Guard Vessel Target Drone, and I give you this one warning; Withdraw. You have forty five seconds until my missiles reach orbit - unless you fancy your odds against a Superfortress, do not be there when they arrive. Ch'cye out."

And like clockwork, as soon as the lightspeed transmissions finished, 720 missiles erupted from the jamming haze; their own swiftly forming as they arrayed themselves, drones spread liberally about.







-----------------
OOC: See OOC thread for swarm composition.

Abh Front

I am newborn. Avatar of the Maker-Mind. I am Manifest. It appears that we did not.. give you specific instructions as to the enemy's whereabouts, and I am bitterly ashamed. Perhaps we shall make restitution to you through the destruction of the enemy, no?

Maker-Mind ships shimmered into existence behind the Superfortress, outside the range of FTL interdiction. Kanucki FTLi was one of the few potent enough to block all but the most determined of lattice-travellers, and, although it could not close an open rift, it would be most detrimental to reinforcement efforts.

However, I must request that you allow us to pass through your interdiction fields. [Maker-Mind riftdata]. If you are able to modulate them as such, we would be most relieved.

We will be here momentarily. Two hundred Warspheres, in total, to be exact. I suspect that we will have sufficient firepower to deal with the enemy in their totality. *amusement*. Let me inform you. The Yukatania campaign is no more. They have been removed from the war, suffice to say. If we may delay the enemy, perhaps through means of your puissant interdiction, the entire might of the Maker-Mind may descend upon them, crushing them, and their desire to attack their betters twofold.

Two hundred Warspheres, and.. no Battlespheres, no Blades of Battle. The tinier craft were conspiciously absent. Nonetheless, the amount of craft that had been gathered were certainly enough to, at the very least, counter the Abh craft that stood here. And more were yet to come.

The entire navy of the Maker-Mind, like a massive hammer, was slowly descending towards the enemy..

Down below on the planet, bombing commenced as fighters unleashed enough ordinance to level every factory around twice. The sites had been thoroughly glassed in other words and the pilots were swinging around and heading back to the ships waiting for them.


"My Lord, there is a message from the enemy fleet."

Richard waved his hand in the air. "Ignore it. We both know that neither one of us is moving. No need for formalities. Keep our ships steady until the fighters return. What's our status?"

"They're jamming our sensors so it won't be as easy to bring down anything they lob at us."

"I see. Go to manual and have the computer begin to plot possible courses. If it can't target the missles, at least it can help us."

"We've got incoming."

His chest rose and fell easily with a gentle sigh. "All ships take evasive action. We've got one minute until all fighters breach the atmosphere and we won't leave them behind."

Richard anticipated the artillery missle bombardment thus ordering the fleet to spread out making it less likely to get overwhelmed. Railguns flared with shrapnel in all directions along with constant streams of laser fire and interceptors sending out flak to put a good wall up. Other ships went independent navigating around not giving the missels much to work with an allowing the planet's gravity to pull the missles down.

"It seems they are a number of ships being afflicted by drones of some sort."

"Interesting. Have some of the ships reroute their power from the EA fields to the shielding systems. That should incinerate anything trying to hitch a ride."

"I'm on it."

"Engineering, bring the jump engines online. I want out of here once the fighters return."

Ch'cye once again stood befor the central holotank, frown forming as her mind's eye reviewed CIC's reports; little damage inflicted, so far as they could tell, and now it looked like the Abh were getting ready to leave?

The vixen mentally cursed; maintenance costs be damned - "FTLi to one lightminute - guns, heavy spread, all tubes, deca-salvo; target their flagship, and follow up with a few boarding torpedoes. Helm, close to fifteen lightseconds at point-five lightspeed."

Ayes sounded as officers and ratings went to work, and she set to appraising their ally.


---------------------


"Maker-Mind, we are unable to generate exceptions for your reinforcements. Furthermore, out drones above the poles indicate that the Abh forces are preparing to withdraw once they've recovered their strikecraft, forcing me to extend our FTLi - I've restricted the radius to one light minute so as to minimise the impedance to your inbound forces. Additionally, with the apparent destruction of the planetary infrastructure, would you be opposed to devastating the planet's crust in the upcoming skirmish?"


--------------------



Meanwhile, tubes salvoed; 1440 weapons streaking out at one-third lightspeed, accelerating further, aligning, releasing drones and activating countermeasures as this latest swarm formed up, synchronised, and adapted itself - a half dozen heavily stealthed 'boarding torpedoes' following off to the side, inertialess drives allowing them to nimbly slip into any hull breaches soon to be created, or failing that, windows, hatches, or other opportunistic locations spotted by the drones that followed the first wave; surprisingly compact, they carried not marines, but an active slipgate.

Behind the missiles, the Target Drone herself followed; she would halve her distance to the planet, and the Abh that circled it, stoping just within maximum range of her heaviest guns - not that she could expect to hit a maneuvering target at anything near that range, but the Abh were sure to set upon her now, and closing too fast wouldn't be prudent.

Light, sound, and energy all came together in glorious explosions as interceptors made contact with missles and missles contacted against the hulls of ships on the frontlines. Damage and destruction became less severe as the missles traveled further into Abh lines encountering more and more flak and defense systems. The drones that were not discovered, found their easiest targets on the frontline where most of the damage was done. Any drones unlucky enough to attack to a Shadow Destroyer or Rambird would have the unfortunate result of either being consumed by the bio-armor and thus turned "to the dark side" or just consumed into the ship.

"Frontline is reporting heavy damage and casualties. Flanks are holding as well as the rest of the fleet. Fighters are returning to their appropriate docking bays."

A few lights had flickered out on the tactical map in the floor. Others, their colored changed to show the extent of the damage. "Give the order for the Dissith line to change out. Have the rear replace the front, that should provide a fresh enough supply."

"Yes sir."

Ships began falling back and switching places all the while continuing supportive fire. A second volley was underway as some of cracking into the armor of Rahl's ship. "It seems they're getting fisety. How far is the main ship?"

"They have closed half the distance, why?"

"Well we can no longer leave with the extended inhibitor, now we will make them regret that decision. Give me a visual of the main target and magnify it."

"Yes sir."

An image of a three kilometer vessel was brought up on the holographic screen behind a cloud of drones and other incoming projectiles. It was slightly smaller than the three destroyers flanking the Spirit but it had enough weapon ports to spare. Richard pulled up his own personal glass data screen. It slid from the side of his armrest and turned to face him. Even with sensors being jammed, their was still enough data to plot a probable attack field. "Engineering, I am sending you coordinants that the enemy's main ship will be approaching judging from it's current location. I want this information sent to our artillery ships. Friend-from-foe is still active so our ships will be fine. I want a full volley to hit that sector."

"Yes sir. On it now."

"Communications, relay the same information to the rest of the fleet. I want a concentrated firing solution at these points. Fire everything they got."

"Yes Lord."

From the very back of the fleet, a massive wave of torpedoes ripped out almost as if a solid wall had just appeared. It remained solid until it approached the first allied ship then split horizontally in half going over and under the Abh fleet. The torpedoes themselves were smaller and more agile than the bigger anti-matter mines that many ships supported but they still packed a big enoug punch especially when they numbered in the thousands. The torpedoe swarm kept its seperated formation which would leave a significant hole if it had not been filled by the fire from ships. Graviton shells and torpedoes put stabilizers into overdrive as they filled the gap sending a wall of lead out into the enemy drones, missles and mother ship.

A pity. Nevertheless, we can reach an appreciable fraction of lightspeed if needed. My scions will engage the Abh. Do not worry about... collateral damage.

Maker-Mind forces ponderously moved on through the FTLi field; engaging the Abh forces would take them more than a minute. And at such speeds, they'd hardly reach them before the Kanucki barrages. They were hardly slow, but compared to constant in-system jumps, sublight speeds were agonising for the Maker-Mind to fit into its battle plan.

Hmm. It appears the development of Maker-wrought craft-permissible FTLi seems to be a valuable one. It may take some time, however. However, given the data I have on interdiction fields, construction of such fields is only possible at the third factory-world in the Old Realm holdings. [information]

Kanucki forces, we are diverting a major portion of our defensive inbound strikeforce to Morealis, in order to allow for the construction of *interdiction*. We still have some two hundred Warspheres, and some eight thousand Blades of Battle, and four thousand Battlespheres inbound, a force that should suffice to cripple the enemy force.

As the battlegroup sped towards the Abh, a few hundred assorted Warspheres, firing crackles of red energy, pitiful compared to the Superfortress's output of firepower, but, then again, they truly only fought well in close quarters. As they moved towards the Abh, a single rift opened - behind the Abh.

It was, of course, outside the interdiction field. It could hardly be otherwise. But the sudden appearance of two hundred Warspheres, followed by streams of lesser fighter and drone-equivalents, in their thousands.. there did not appear to be much escape for the Abh. Up, down, left, right, forward, backwards... It appeared that the majority of their escape routes were blocked off. Then again, they were not crippled - but it was only a matter of time. The ships the Maker-Mind had sent were simply those built to perform a delaying action. The ships it would send were myriad in number, to the point of being in their thousands.

Very few would burn a Maker-Mind world, and escape unscathed. Even fewer would escape without terrible vengeance being taken upon their worlds, their people, and their nation.. And it sufficed to say that the Abh were not an exception in this case.

Manifest thought, and the thoughts were transmitted to the forces it had. Of course, gloating, even sharing your gloating with Kanucki allies was in extremely bad form. And thus, it didn't. Just because you planned to exterminate all life didn't mean you had to be rude about it.

Well, well, well. It appears that the little rats are trapped. Mm. I wish I had some space-capable forces on that planet.. *wistfulness*. Well, in any case. They're not going to escape. However.. Nevermind. It's time to go killing...

Windows, hatches, hull breaches, these were targets of the four surviving Boarding Torpedoes as their secondary reactionless drives took over from the primary inertialess, matching 'actual' velocities and nudging them the last few meters; already active slipgates opening as the pedals of a flower.

Half a galaxy away, KAG transports docked with the simple metal cans that held each slipgate's opposite.

Smart Grenades doubling as recon drones were the first through, and where windows and hatches obstructed entry, the first marines to follow carried Molecular Suppressors - a weapon that melted with a specialised damper field rather than heat, likened by many to flame throwers nevertheless, and would allow for those slipgates to be moved inside the enemy flagship, where they would be less vulnerable.

In squads of six most came in, marines of the Kanuckistani Adventurers' Guild ,seemingly rag-tag, most heavily armed, many heavily armoured, and readily outnumbered by their weaponised recon drones.

Many would split off, in squads or alone, seeking confrontation - the ease with which walls became doors, by 'suppressor or Blaster Bomb, making them hard to predict or contain, and serving to cover the more organised Clans, who typically possessed the best gear, not the least being suit-mounted wall penetrating sensors, like the much beloved GRIDAR.

------------------

Ch'cye eyed the holotank as the enemy let loose, tracking plots showing the expected time to intercept; EW station adjusting their jamming and countermeasures as CIC's reports came in.

"Guns, give 'em another deca-salvo," the vixen ordered in casual tones, 'lace indicating the three "Paryunu Destroyers" to be the priority target this time, "And warm up the heavies; target the planet, I want to shower the orbitals with ejecta."



Once more missiles streaked out, equal in number and composition to the last, as the twenty of two dozen 'heavy' cannon that could bear upon the planet did so; tonnes of iridium cooled to near absolute zero, taking on wave-like properties, lased into a coherent beam...



The Abh ordinance arrived then, lessons taught by the KAGV Indefatigable reinforced as, after weathering the storm of defencive fire, they slammed into a holographic decoy some hundred thousand kilometers from the actual, near invisible ship - her own batteries and tubes then joining the cloud's as the confused ordinance was picked apart for the cost of a few hundred widely dispersed drones, quickly replaced.


It was, however, not something likely to happen twice, as capacitors discharged cataclysmic energies, and twenty lances of blinding sapphire streaked past the Target Drone's own missiles and descended upon the Abh fifteen seconds later.


The range, however, was long in the extreme; only the most sluggish target could be reliably hit, and the Kanuckistani gunnery officer didn't even try.


As one, twenty of the second largest particle lances ever built in Kanuckistani yards fell upon Argoria(?), the atmosphere instantly alight, twenty rings of incandescent nuclear fire spreading out as supersonic speeds, fountains of energetic plasma erupting from their near-vacuum center as each lance drills into the world's mantle, carrying countless tonnes of molten rock and pulverised planetary crust into space - mountain ranges like buckshot at the Abh rear as the crust is rent apart, half a world reduced to blood-red magma seas in the span of seconds, entire atmosphere alight, and as a whole, now significantly lighter.

It was an object lesson in the Kanuckistani distaste for fighting near inhabited planets.

OOC: I suppose this clears up the part about the planet being in HT's way.

IC:

D'Harans are kind of quirky about protecting their Lord Rahl so boarding the flagship wasn't going to be an easy job for the invaders. Many marines were already stationed aboard the ship as guards for this sort of thing and once reports came in from intruders, they reacted with cold fierceness having little regard for the well being of any enemy. They came on with rifle and heavy arms fire. It was a little late to worry about the interior decorating of the ship though the nanosteel would hold against the explosions that followed up with detonators. Some wielded marine rifles while the more advanced guards carried swords of various exotic ores that withstood lightsabers and some carried hand axes with energy blades. The further the enemy marines got into the heart of the ship, the more resistance they would encounter especially around the reactors and getting to the bridge would be near suicide especially with one very pissed off Mord-Sith waiting.

Two shapes shimmered and appeared next to Richard's seat. The jet black creatures informed him of the situation happening in the ship. Richard slammed his fist down on a control panel on his armrest. "Docking bay. Open all bay doors. Launch the fighters and clean our hull off of breaching pods. They won't be hard to find. Just look for a bump."

He turned to the two Shadowlords near him. "Go and kill whoever get in the way." The beings simply shimmered and disappeared to find their first victims.

"Relay the order to the rest of the fleet. I want fighters rearmed with tactical nukes and launched outside. Tell them to pick up visual scanning since we're still being jammed."

"Yes sir."

A random rock clunked against the ship being incinerated by the shield system but nudging it around nevertheless. "Now what?"

"Enemy ship has just rendered the planet below unihabitable."

"Well at least they could have informed us that they were going to do that before we launched a massive airstrike. It would have saved us all a lot of time."

"Yes but we've also lost a few remotes from sporadic debris. The explosion has taken out a line of destroyers, damaged two of the Paryunus, us, and hit the rear of the cruiser groups."

"Alright, we've overstayed our welcome. We're getting out of this system and onto the next target as soon as we get past that blasted mother drone ship. What was the status of our torpedoe volley?"

"Ineffective."

"What? That's impossible." Richard rerouted his communication link to engineering. "You have the blasted origin of fire. There is no excuse not to hit that target. Reconfigure your targeting system and bring the HT cannon online. We'll give them something nice to deal with."

He flipped the com switch off and turned to communications. "Alert the fleet. Mission objective met here. We're going to leave the range of the inhibitors so engage sublight engines. Dissith Cruisers are to take up the rear and watch out for Maker-mind forces. Exiles will fall in behind the larger destroyer groups and I want the Shadow Destroyers flanking the flagship with the Paryunu's behind them."

He looked over at Cara. "Do we have the lifepods?"

"Most of them my lord. Others have either been compromised or we haven't reached yet."

"I see. Once the fighters launch, I want them to keep an eye out for any lifepods they see. Now, I want the fleet to move out. First, we blow a hole thru the enemy."

No ship ever attempted to dodge the energy barrage. It crackled on a massive field and absorbed into other ship systems with most choosing to rerout the extra power to boost shielding. Fleet formations were beginning to change just as more missles arrived from the front tracking them as they moved in encountering thicker defensive fire as the fleet contracted for a brief moment. Once in place, gunnry officers used the newly configured location of the enemy ship that now traced back the origins of enemy fire and launched a round Graviton shells from the entire fleet. The range might have been great, but it would send a signal up just as their engines went to full power and accelerated to sublight speeds closing the distance.

OOC: It's a bit confused, but it's involving my second 'personality' within the Maker-Mind, another character I intend to keep as a permanent one.

Why... why do they not flee? Our/our planet has been shattered against them, surely they know their doom approaches. Nonetheless, I/I cannot fault them for their courage. Merely for their tainted life.

The Maker-Mind ships swarmed in closer, ever-closer, tantalizingly moving in towards the enemy. The destruction of much of the planet had made them wary - they did not know whether the enemy was harmed.

Ah. My/my sight was clouded by the inhibition that the Kanucki had raised, but now I/I see. They seek to flee. And I/I see. Yet we cannot stop them, as of yet. Nonetheless, it will take them, at the very least, several minutes to leave the inhibition field using their sublight drives.

Easily sliding from the space around the inhibition field, more forces materialised. Their goal was not to destroy the enemy force - even with all the forces the Maker-Mind could muster within the minutes it had had, they were merely going to serve as a delaying force. Red flickers of lightning were sent into the field, shimmering towards the enemy, but, in truth, they were designed to make the enemy show caution.

Nonetheless, the Maker-Mind intended that the enemy would die. With the firepower arrayed where they were, there was little doubt that they outgunned the enemy. However... tactical considerations meant that a clever maneuver on the part of the Abh forces would see the ESUS forces outgunned, and, as such, it would take the greatest of skill, and the deftest of hands, to see a concise victory here.

Manifest thought for a moment, entire galaxies passing beneath its eyes, as it calculated, and extrapolated, trying to fit what had happened to what it could use. After all, no matter the speed at which one calculated, only the most precise of data would yield the best results.

And then it spoke, after almost half a second of silence. The Kanucki forces needed to be informed, and, despite the fact that they were living, and, as such, were to be purged, they, too, would be vital to the success of the Maker-Mind.

The Abh forces appear to be escaping. I/I have closed off all of the windows of oppurtunity; however, I/I do not possess enough force to truly stop them escaping. Advise: Move Superfortress, and, with it, the FTLi field, further towards Abh forces. Escape at this point: negligible losses to in-system forces, increased losses in totality.

Its thoughts strayed to the Dornalian Fleet, and the forces it had arrayed there...

Manifest! We/I/myriad have taken damage! The pain is one that strikes at the heart of our existence, and only through destruction can we purge the enemy! I request aid to my/my forces!

Ah. It appears you've taken heavier losses than I had expected, Lessermind. No matter. You are merely a partition, after all. I advise that you focus your forces on those lesser shipbeings - the 'Dengs'. I have arranged to defend other vital systems, but it is doubtful that you can hold there. The losses you have taken are not prohibitive, but.. ah. I see. The fourth volley will fell a considerable portion of your forces. Continue fighting. The planet is lost, and every second you buy with your underminds is another second we can use to reinforce the vital systems.

Lessermind, a creation from inside the Maker-Mind, was another manifestation of the Maker-Mind's imagination. Or, in this case, the Manifest's imagination. Nonetheless, its role was that of an admiral, or such equivalent. It commanded ships, and did so well, but the strategical thinking it had been gifted with was far less than that of Manifest.

Ships were falling - perhaps not left and right, but it was easy to see that the forces of the Maker-Mind, outnumbered, and outgunned, were taking more damage than their enemy counterparts.

I have two-thirds of my original force left. I can continue fighting for some minutes - those torpedoes they just launched at me have proved useful for replenishing the small-rifts, although they have destroyed a few Blades of Battle. I am inflicting approximately half as much damage upon the enemy as they are onto me, but I am condensing my damage onto the Dengs as you have instructed me. I am hoping to cause considerable casualties, or 'mission kills', in order to ease the defense of the vitalworlds.

Yes. I know. I do not require this information, Lessermind. You may continue your work. Flee to *nub* when you are eradicated from your ships.

The Maker-Mind ships were falling, however, they were now concentrating their fire on the Dengs, the faster, smaller ships. Those were the ships that proved to be the greatest liability to the Maker-Mind ships; in such tight quarters, the larger enemy ships could not fire for fear of crippling their own ships, however, the smaller ships were under no such apprehension. As such, the majority of casualties inflicted were from the smaller ships.

Lessermind directed the ships, to kill the smaller ships, and to avoid the larger ships, although still keeping in close quarters where possible. Loss here was inevitable, it knew. It did not have to deal with politics, like human admirals, however, any flaw in its creation would result in the removal of the independence it found so sweet.

Another ship died, sparks of silver flickering from the corpse as it did so. The losses it was taking were acceptable. After all, so long as it crippled the smaller ships, it would accomplish its mission..

Its thoughts strayed to the Dornalian Fleet, and the forces it had arrayed there...

Manifest! We/I/myriad have taken damage! The pain is one that strikes at the heart of our existence, and only through destruction can we purge the enemy! I request aid to my/my forces!

Ah. It appears you've taken heavier losses than I had expected, Lessermind. No matter. You are merely a partition, after all. I advise that you focus your forces on those lesser shipbeings - the 'Dengs'. I have arranged to defend other vital systems, but it is doubtful that you can hold there. The losses you have taken are not prohibitive, but.. ah. I see. The fourth volley will fell a considerable portion of your forces. Continue fighting. The planet is lost, and every second you buy with your underminds is another second we can use to reinforce the vital systems.

Lessermind, a creation from inside the Maker-Mind, was another manifestation of the Maker-Mind's imagination. Or, in this case, the Manifest's imagination. Nonetheless, its role was that of an admiral, or such equivalent. It commanded ships, and did so well, but the strategical thinking it had been gifted with was far less than that of Manifest.

Ships were falling - perhaps not left and right, but it was easy to see that the forces of the Maker-Mind, outnumbered, and outgunned, were taking more damage than their enemy counterparts.

I have two-thirds of my original force left. I can continue fighting for some minutes - those torpedoes they just launched at me have proved useful for replenishing the small-rifts, although they have destroyed a few Blades of Battle. I am inflicting approximately half as much damage upon the enemy as they are onto me, but I am condensing my damage onto the Dengs as you have instructed me. I am hoping to cause considerable casualties, or 'mission kills', in order to ease the defense of the vitalworlds.

Yes. I know. I do not require this information, Lessermind. You may continue your work. Flee to *nub* when you are eradicated from your ships.

The Maker-Mind ships were falling, however, they were now concentrating their fire on the Dengs, the faster, smaller ships. Those were the ships that proved to be the greatest liability to the Maker-Mind ships; in such tight quarters, the larger enemy ships could not fire for fear of crippling their own ships, however, the smaller ships were under no such apprehension. As such, the majority of casualties inflicted were from the smaller ships.

Lessermind directed the ships, to kill the smaller ships, and to avoid the larger ships, although still keeping in close quarters where possible. Loss here was inevitable, it knew. It did not have to deal with politics, like human admirals, however, any flaw in its creation would result in the removal of the independence it found so sweet.

Another ship died, sparks of silver flickering from the corpse as it did so. The losses it was taking were acceptable. After all, so long as it crippled the smaller ships, it would accomplish its mission..

Admiral Nomura was pleasantly surprised that the enemy had taken that much damage from the Deng Xiaopings. Perhaps there was a future for them after all. But that was the future, and the present found him faced with a depserate enemy that was retaliating against the Deng Xiaopings with all the fury it could muster, moving in close.

He then said, smiling, "Let's piss them off. All ships jump to the next planet. Lay mines before you do so."

The New Dornalians then expelled one last great volley of self replicating mines all around them, using site-site teleportation and conventional launch tubes, before Bosun Jumping out of there to the next planet in the Fantalin system....the mines then proceeded to begin replicating themselves, and targeted the nearest enemy....

Mines. How absolutely pitiable. Then again.. I see. They could be used. Let the Dornalians escape to another planet. We have mines to herd.

Unlike Kython infection, Maker-Mind infection is subtle, and is used mainly to take over what needs to be taken over - the majority of the infected being is left intact, for further use. And mines, unguarded, and without sufficient sensors to delay the tiniest of nanobeings.. were, of course, a perfect target.

Tiny streams of silver spewed forth from the ships, each touching lightly on a mine, going inwards, inwards, and inwards, corrupting computer systems, sensors, and the controlling of the detonator. Tiny neurons infected the mines, changing them from deadly enemies, to mines that served the Maker-Mind.

Such a method was not usually employed; against ships, it tended to be inefficient. Against humans, it tended to fall against the intelligence of such beings, provided they had the tools to combat the nanominds. But now.. enemies with no thought, and with merely the desire to replicate themselves.. they would serve as a trap.

If Kython infection was bacterial, Maker-Mind infection was viral. Kythons destroyed the enemy, and used their components to recreate themselves. The Maker-Mind merely altered the composition of the 'cell', in this case, the mine. The self-replicating mine. Of course, such things only lasted while they had matter still to use. But, for now, the mines would not explode. Not, at least, until the enemy reached them.

No doubt the enemy would seek their mines out, to find out why they had failed. If they did, the changes it had wrought would slaughter them. If not, they would not know the capabilities it had - and that, too, would prove useful.

Satisfied with the changes it had made, Lessermind prepared its forces. The next planet was lost. Then again, they were mere factory-worlds, existing only to turn the matter of the universe into non-rift-wrought beings, beings that could survive with far more fortitude than the wispy beings that were Maker-Made.

Lessermind. They are attacking. Command: Remove forces. Retreat to other worlds. Temoralin, Morealis, Zegenthis, and O'niis, all require defense. All other worlds may burn. I/I do not care. Those four are vital to MY/MY defense! If the Incarnation must be summoned to deal with this.. infestation, we will all suffer for it. And I/I doubt you would survive the coming storm.

Understood, Manifest. We leave

With no further ado, Lessermind's forces simply left. Brief flickers of red showed their passing, and their exit was far from dramatic. The mines continued replicating, each infected with Maker-Mind instructions, each hiding a deadly secret..

Lessermind. They are attacking. Command: Remove forces. Retreat to other worlds. Temoralin, Morealis, Zegenthis, and O'niis, all require defense. All other worlds may burn. I/I do not care. Those four are vital to MY/MY defense! If the Incarnation must be summoned to deal with this.. infestation, we will all suffer for it. And I/I doubt you would survive the coming storm.

Understood, Manifest. We leave

With no further ado, Lessermind's forces simply left. Brief flickers of red showed their passing, and their exit was far from dramatic. The mines continued replicating, each infected with Maker-Mind instructions, each hiding a deadly secret..

The planet below the New Dornalians was burned like the other one. Bombarded with a steady array of Demolisher Gun and torpedo shot, before a Mark 2 antimatter bomb was fired onto the planet to render it very useless....

They then sowed more self replicating mines with the same settings, and proceeded on to the next world, and the next, repeating the same action....

All the while, the Weapons Officer reported, "Admiral, something's with the mines we laid on the first planet. They did not explode. In fact, we lost contact with their IFF and battle systems."

Nomura replied, angrily, "Something's not right. Send a probe back there."

A remote probe was sent back to the area they had raided before, to check out things. Scanning the field, it immediately detected something was wrong...

The mines, subtly infected, their systems not truly destroyed - merely altered, thousands of self-aware nanites changing that which they deemed useless, jetted towards the probe.

With their original propulsion systems, they'd attack, with the exact same efficiency, and power, that they had before. Nothing else had been changed. It was time to see if New Dornalian technology stood up to none other than New Dornalian technology...

Manifest. We are enroute to O'niis as we speak. I do not understand your directives regarding *forbiddenknowledge*, however. The secret of rift travel is one that is impossible to master, unless they found the records we have preserved there. Why do we leave them?

It is simple, in its totality. A trap. We risk the Maker-Mind itself, to hunt down the Realm. They do not know what they have. It is vital that we destroy them, else we risk destruction ourselves. It merely lessens the odds. However.. we know where they are now. A New Realm fleet continues to fight with the Abh. There is little more

Fantalin was lost. Manifest accepted that. However, a New Realm observer brought ill news. As was their custom, singular, cloaked probes were sent into each system. Luckily, they'd got a scan of the enemy before the interdiction field had gone up. Before the Maker-Mind had easily usurped their identity, slowly insuanating itself as the ESUS member they once were, the Kanucki had been their allies.

A message went to the Dornalian fleet, as quickly as it came from the probe. "Got some bad news. From what we've seen, there's a Kanucki Superfortress attacking the Abh. This thing could quite easily smash five or six hundred capital ships, and, with Maker-Mind support.. I think the Abh might be looking at some serious trouble. I'll transmit the situation"

[Kanucki ASPEW (FTLi) up. Very few/no drives can circumvent it. The Abh drives are not among those that can.]
[Superfortess appears to superior sublight speed, although we can't be sure. The Abh could scatter, but, either way, we're looking at some heavy casualties.]
[Two-three hundred Warspheres are there. The Abh are most likely outgunned.]

The New Realm captain spoke again. "Burn those worlds quickly. We've burnt them before; they're like weeds, they regrow. But it can take months or years. I have a feeling we're either going to need to run some help, or a distraction.."

Abh Flagship;

If the Abh expected to crush a few squads of light infantry, the KAG would prove a horrifying surprise; in weaponry, most rifles had their own fusion plant if not an out-right conversion reactor, anti-armour materiel was prolific, heavily employed, while smart grenades, auto-turrets, portable force-field generators added to the mix - even the least had old-style firearms loaded with micro-encapsulated anti-matter ammunition.

Anti-matter; use sparingly in bullets, grenades smart and not, less so in demolition, mines, and thermopticly cloaked "blaster bombs," - a small, smart, guided 'missile', effectively a small tac nuke. Who the hell used nukes in a boarding operation?

Few Kanuckistani bothered with blades, answering any Abh to try with automatic fire and high explosives; those that did, however, often sprung for Wafer Blades - subatomic particle lattice, thinner than an atom, impossibly sharp, yet equally strong; energy blades would be readily turned, and many manifested molecular and nuclear suppression fields to further enhance their bite.

In armour, the grade varied, from unpowered NBC carapace to energy shielded heavy battlesuits of impossible agility - more than a few heavily augmented troopers running about in their clothes alone, their armoured flesh an unwelcome surprise.

In numbers, more came every seconds, pouring through the open gates, loaded for bear; hundreds through already, remotely coordinated and entanglement-datalinked.

In information, sensors suit and stationary peered through walls, scanning the ship; watching troop movements and mapping layouts, ECM likewise mounted jamming, spoofing, attempting to blind and confuse the enemy - hackers AI and cyborg alike tying into what computers and data-lines they could reach, listening, learning, disrupting.



Those clan heads in effective command conferenced and observed as the situation developed, the slipgates pulled in further away from the hull to better protect them from fighters as the growing tide of combatants secured more area - those ranging out targeting not engineering or the bridge, but power transfer lines and communications internal and out.


------------------


KHGV Target Drone;


Damage assessment of the Abh was discouraging to say the least, the tactic highly unconventional, but Cy'che had hopped for more.

And now it appeared the Abh had a bead on them, guided 'shells' closing on the holo plot; there was no reason to evade them, however, and perhaps even cause to not, for here was a measure in which reality would not disappoint.


As before counter-missiles raced out, followed by point defence both ship and platform based, while decoys and countermeasures suckered many a shell off course.

This time, however, the surviving swarm struck neither holograph nor shop nor conventional shield, for as they closed the last dozen kilometers the very fundiments of reality were wrought back upon itself; the Inversion Field, a ninety degree arc of steerable invulnerability, into which the graviton shells plunged, only to slam headlong into themselves, each and every one.

"Guns, give them another deca-salvo; focus fire on their lighter ships to ablate their point defence. Also, ready intermediate batteries for long range boxing fire. Helm, spin up the inertialess drives; allow them to close to seven light seconds then maintain seperation."


-------------------


The Abh forces appear to be escaping. I/I have closed off all of the windows of oppurtunity; however, I/I do not possess enough force to truly stop them escaping. Advise: Move Superfortress, and, with it, the FTLi field, further towards Abh forces. Escape at this point: negligible losses to in-system forces, increased losses in totality.



Negative, Maker-Mind. Abh forces are already closing on our position - I will instead be maintaining a seperation of seven lightseconds to allow for long range energy bombardment with the Intermediate Batteries. Additionally, I would request that you refrain from engaging the enemy flagship - we have landed a signifigant boarding force and are in the process of reinforcing it via sli-, via wormhole.

Ah. Your interdiction has clouded my sight, it seems. No matter. We are, at present, attempting to reinforce this position. We will send our forces into the interdiction field. Agreed?

The Maker-Mind's forces began spinning into the field, edging their way towards the Abh forces. After all, they certainly didn't want to sustain any collateral damage from Kanucki fire. On the other hand.. no matter how powerful a Superfortress was, it was doubtful it could hold off the sustained firepower of a fleet forever.

No fire emitted from them - the Abh would be forced back to using lightspeed sensors, and so fire would merely pinpoint their position. They'd creep in, and hopefully take the Abh from behind with overwhelming force. It was a simple plan, but it was hoped that it'd work. After all, an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure, was it not? Of course, the enemy were already here. So perhaps two or three pounds of cure were needed..

The mines, subtly infected, their systems not truly destroyed - merely altered, thousands of self-aware nanites changing that which they deemed useless, jetted towards the probe.

With their original propulsion systems, they'd attack, with the exact same efficiency, and power, that they had before. Nothing else had been changed. It was time to see if New Dornalian technology stood up to none other than New Dornalian technology...

Manifest. We are enroute to O'niis as we speak. I do not understand your directives regarding *forbiddenknowledge*, however. The secret of rift travel is one that is impossible to master, unless they found the records we have preserved there. Why do we leave them?

It is simple, in its totality. A trap. We risk the Maker-Mind itself, to hunt down the Realm. They do not know what they have. It is vital that we destroy them, else we risk destruction ourselves. It merely lessens the odds. However.. we know where they are now. A New Realm fleet continues to fight with the Abh. There is little more

Fantalin was lost. Manifest accepted that. However, a New Realm observer brought ill news. As was their custom, singular, cloaked probes were sent into each system. Luckily, they'd got a scan of the enemy before the interdiction field had gone up. Before the Maker-Mind had easily usurped their identity, slowly insuanating itself as the ESUS member they once were, the Kanucki had been their allies.

A message went to the Dornalian fleet, as quickly as it came from the probe. "Got some bad news. From what we've seen, there's a Kanucki Superfortress attacking the Abh. This thing could quite easily smash five or six hundred capital ships, and, with Maker-Mind support.. I think the Abh might be looking at some serious trouble. I'll transmit the situation"

[Kanucki ASPEW (FTLi) up. Very few/no drives can circumvent it. The Abh drives are not among those that can.]
[Superfortess appears to superior sublight speed, although we can't be sure. The Abh could scatter, but, either way, we're looking at some heavy casualties.]
[Two-three hundred Warspheres are there. The Abh are most likely outgunned.]

The New Realm captain spoke again. "Burn those worlds quickly. We've burnt them before; they're like weeds, they regrow. But it can take months or years. I have a feeling we're either going to need to run some help, or a distraction.."

The probe was summarily manuevered back and forth, to lure more mines towards it and to get as many of them to be wiped out in splash damage as possible. This was done with the realization that given the way the mines greeted the New Dornalians not as friend but as foe, the enemy had not only survived, but reprogrammed them in some fashion to turn on their former masters and most likely, their allies.

Thus, Nomura had the failsafes, remote and automatic, on the recent minefields doublechecked, to ensure that the moment anything tried to usurp the mines, the mines would go off. They would not fall into that trap again.

The Fantalin business finished (OOC: using fluid time to speed up the fragging of all those hostile factory worlds), Nomura then said, studying the situation, "So they have FTLi, faster and more ships, and help? So what? Let's go in."

Thus, they Bosun Jumped out of the Fantalin system. Navigation locked in the coordinates, but it would be a while before full materialization was achieved.

OOC:....yeah. Something tells me that these systems *are* fairly far away, and there will be some travel time, if for navigational calculations, at the very least..

The majority of the ship's weapons had already been retracted leaving the hull smooth for the most part and lessening the fighter pilots work. They scanned over every inch of the hull looking for anything out of the ordinary giving off excesive energy signatures.

Several halls had been given to the enemy though they didn't go unchecked with many marines setting up barricades to hault further advances. Those hacking into internal data links would find very little useful there with a boarding force already on the ship, the ship communication network would be the last thing to be utilized with the ships analysis crystal already working on dealing with the problem and repulsing hackers. Communication was done through personal communication links.

Fire cannons were eventually brought in where enemy numbers appeared to be the worst unleashing mixtures of plasma and napalm filling the halls with the deadly substance trying to wash away the enemy. Other halls encountered fierce fighting with the D'Harans proving incredibly stubborn while buying time for other marines to head down to the armory and break-out the heavier weapons from chainguns to BFGs.

Soldiers that actually found themselves close enough to actually cross blades with one of the D'Haran commanders would find themselves pitting off against an adept in the arts and with no short supply of weapons.

The silent terror came next as they moved from one corner of the ship to the next. Hunting like a pack of wolves, they chose to single out soldiers that were off alone or in a small group. They descended out of seemingly nowhere and everywhere lashing out at their prey.

Richard's fleet continued its advance along with powering up the engines to approach near light speed. Unfortunatly this was all taking too long allowing the enemy another volley from their weapon's ports. "How much longer until we reach .5 light speed?"

The engineering officer went through a few calculations before turning back around. "One minute, we just passed .3 lightspeed and the engines are almost at full power. It won't be much longer and we should be able get past their inhibitor field."

Reports kept coming in from the fighting that had broken out within the ship. Richard looked up at Cara when the last report came in over his clyuno. She looked back down and shook her head. "Don't you even think about going down there. If you try, you'll wake up tomorrow with one brutal headache."

"Fine, but get more help down there."

"They are doing the best they can with what they have at the moment. Heavier weapons are already being brought up from the armory which should level the playing field slightly."

"Keep me updated. If the problem isn't resolved by the time we leave, I'll have the issue handled myself."

Jackson swore, ducking back as the corridor was filled with fire; shields shimmering as they shed incindenary, another nearby Guildsman in mere carapace cursing as he frantically tried to douse the flames.

Dropping two smart grenades in sentry mode, he doubled back, entering a room adjacent to the Abh marines' position, then took aim at the far wall and launched a pair of 'nades from the Ripper Gun's drone rack.

The first anti-matter warhead detonated on impact, momentarily blinding his battlesuit's optics, taxing his shields as it carved out a man-sized hole and filled the room with plasma, showing the enemy's flank with shrapnel and superheated gas - the second smart grenade detonating amongst their ranks an instant later.

Others saw and followed immediately, some idiot waving a sword and a plasma-thrower leading the charge.


------------------


Samantha laughed as the thunder of anti-matter laced explosives reverberated throughout the hall, spreading a dollop of AM-laced foaming explosive just behind a corner as several Abh marines vanished from her HUD, added a motion-detecting detonator, and took off, chucking a smart grenade down the next corridor, programed to hit the rear of an Abh squad trying to cut her off.

Yes, she thought, laying another mine, a handful of poisoned subatonic-edged caltrops, then stringing invisibly-thin SAPL wire across the hall to bisect pursuing troops, Suicide run or not, this teleoperated frame was definitely worth the cost.

Pity it's almost over, the Guildsman mused, blasting through to the next deck down to avoid the closing, GRIDAR-plotted Abh, setting a quick trap before taking off again, I'm almost out of explosives!


--------------


David cursed as his last squadmate slipped, losing his weapon, a pursuing Abh rounding the corner as the Guildsman lept to his feet, only to have his light armour perforated by Abh fire, falling again, managing to draw and fire his last PSG Carronade Pistol before going down - the one-shot anti-armour weapon loosing it's overpowered laser pulse, explosively vaporising flesh, tearing the Abh apart and painting the walls.

All this happened in a moment, David off again, now alone - despite GRIDAR tracking, the enemy had been too fast, and they hadn't been able to reach their chosen terrain, much less fortify it.

Now, well, he wasn't as close to the engines as he'd like, but plenty far from friendly forces, and wasn't going to get much further.

Abh ahead and behind, both squads about to round the corner, a female voice proclaimed in monotone;

"Conversion Bomb Armed; Three-Point-Four Megatons, Dead-Man's Switch."

He spun about as the rear closed first, weapon leveled as the first Abh rounded the corner, ran into a burst 4mm anti-matter-laced HE from his SMG, and showered his buddies with crimson shrapnel - a storm of Abh fire ripping into his back a moment latter, and world went black.


Sitting up with a start, David sighed, removing the non-invasive neural interface from around his neck, and looked to the nearest member of his 'dead' squad, "Did it go off?"

The wolf laughed, pointing to the far wall of the living room, now displaying extrapolations of available KAG sensor feeds; the answer, and damage, was obvious.


-------------------


Such scenes continued to play out, and would only grow more violent as more KAG came through, more ordinance, and even a few small mini-tanks.


The Commodore, meanwhile, had ordered another missile salvo launched, again targeted at the Abh's light elements with an aim of reducing their point defence.

Marines began to fall back and more until there was suddenly a lull in the defense. Lockers and ammo stores from all over and had been emptied in one mad grab. What soon followed were heavily armed teams of hunters moving through the lower levels starting with the engine rooms. Crazed D'Harans poured out from hatches laying down walls of lead as chainguns spun seemingly endlessly with bullet after bullet. Guild soldiers were varitablly cut in half from the excess amount of lead spewed out. The ship rocked every time a fire cannon ignited spewing forth more of the flamable substance which seemed to be the only weapon that the lightly armored marines possesed that actually worked well. Rockets launched carrying small tactical heads into the new ordinances coming on board and any armor the enemy might be rolling in. BFGs fired filling the hallways with massive pulsating orbs from the nuclear round within the gun casting out radiation in the direction of the Guild leaving carcasses in a rather gruesome state.

Pursuits were given up in favor of holding their ground and not letting the enemy through. Their main objective was holding the Guild at bay while hunter units mopped up the rest and secured levels. Five heavy guards were placed outside the engine room to keep it secure. Systematically floor by floor, they moved with sentry bots to clear the way and scanning behind and through walls to ensure that none would double back or come through the wall on their flanks.

Shadows darted from one wall to the next teasing a solo marine until they dove down on him and began devouring his insides. From the outside, it would appear that the soldier was simply convulging since there were no signs of an entry wound. They ate and ate until there was nothing left inside. A human morsel for that would lead to more as they moved throughout the ship even among heated pitched battles. They cared not to simply grab one by the leg and drag him off down a corner and throw them down turbo lift shafts.

"Frontline encountering another wave of fire."

"Got to half lightspeed. Urbanuss Flankers take the front of the fleet. We go by this thing and we'll only get one pass before we make the last dash for the edge of the field."

Energy discs ignited on the sides of the flankers and extended to their full lengths ready to dive down on the superfortress once it was close enough in range.

OOC:
No reason further boarding action posts have to wait for HT.


IC:
There were not, amongst the Kanuckistani ranks, very many hunams, and so it was almost inevitable that the ebon form of a Shadow Lord found Jackie Lawless as she led the Abh 'hunters' on a merry chase - also one of those few, brave, suicidal fools to be neither a distributed sentience or use a teleoperated frame.

Unlike those before her, however, she saw it coming; the battlespace so blanketed by sensors that a hostile anomaly would soon gain the attention of combat managers and spectators alike - and, indeed, there were many spectators; pay-per-view web-casts were a common source of supplementary income for Guildies, and most feeds cost a mere dollar to anyone with access to the ZipNet.

Not that it did her much good, faster than she'd expected she hardly got off a shot before being slammed into the ground, insides rent asunder - neural lace suppressing pain to keep her conscious, her last act the remote detonation of all the remaining munitions on her person - some fifteen kilotons worth.


-----------


Arnold grinned, half a galaxy away - his urban-combat mini-tank wasting no space on a pilot, plasma-casters incinerating Abh marines as his armoured platoon spearheaded the Clan's breakout, overrunning enemy positions in a wall of plasma - an aggravated grunt sounding as he rounds a corner only to catch a rocket, shields heavily taxed, defence laser incinerating another as he sets into the uppity infantry with dual heavy repeaters, relativistic kinetics vapourising Abh and punching through numerous bulkheads as the air itself was turned to plasma.


------------


A hundred meters away, Jack Thompson ducked behind his SAPL Assault Shield as a fire cannon's breath washed over him, flames licking at his heavy armour as a Ripper Gun punched fist-sized holes through the ceiling, tearing into the Abh ranks and silencing the fire-breather in a plasmarific orgy; Jack raising his laser carbine to the protected firing notch, and ionising the air and punching holes in the far bulkhead as his conversion-fed weapon raked the momentarily confused Abh position with devastating fire.


------------


At one of the other three 'beachheads', Sam Taylor, vulpine Maverick, examined the tac plot - the recently revealed heavy weapons momentarily dampening the KAG offencive, only to illicit an even more violent response - the thunder of smart 'nades, blaster bombs, and even the occasional, distant 'nuke', now a constant rumble, as Guildsmen regularly turned walls and decks into passageways, or simply fired through them, consistently outflanking the Abh, who had to have figured out by now that the KAG could track their every move. The atmosphere in many areas was lethally hot, so often was it flashed to plasma; the KAG were more than prepared for this, but the flagship's environmental systems had to be straining, and internal structures had been so thoroughly smashed that isolating any affected area would be impossible.


Others, meanwhile, had broken off, with several groups, some rather large, managing to fortify fighting positions, others playing tag with 'hunter' teams, while more than a few played evasive, trying to get near engines, power transfer lines, and the ilk, and damage or destroy them with conversion bombs powerful enough to cut through numerous decks with ease - they'd only have to get close enough.


Sam, however, now set out with a different objective, personal displacers moving her behind the Abh lines, her shoulder-mounted ripper gun's under-slung Bolo-launcher bisecting a group of surprised Abh reinforcements, even as she shimmered from view as her battlesuit's high-end stealth systems came online.

Setting out, hovering above the deck, she made her way toward the ship's bridge, her plan simple - avoid engagement wherever possible and kidnap the enemy admiral.

Or, atleast, his head. The rest of his body could be regenerated later, so long as his brain was more-or-less intact.

Jackie Lawless's last effort detonation was sufficient to wipe the Shadow Lord from existance sending out a telepathic screen throughout the ship as energy pulsed and covered the ship until it finished its race out into the darkness. This left only one shadow being left still on the hunt but slightly angered now that one of its kind had been killed. Whoever said he had to only eat humans as well? Not only it, but the hundreds of his kind that were still in Hyperspace waiting to be unleashed.

Much of the ship's environment was only holding in one place, the bridge. The rest of the oxygen supply had already been cut off from the rest of the ship leaving them to their life support units. Some areas, airlocks had been deliberatly opened to flush the enemy out into the vaccum of space.

Hunter units knew they were being monitored everywhere they went which is what they were hoping for. With the attention on them, Guild members wouldn't necessarily be aware of the many fire cannons waiting for them once they came into view.

Rockets whistled out all through halls accompanied by radioactive globs. Grenades went out with every attack to soften up Guild attacks. Many squads took up circular positions to cover themselves from all forms of attacks that may come from any direction.

Armored units started rolling through causing many marines to fall back. "Bridge! Armored units rolling through sector 17 requesting a bit of help down here."

The appropriate response came in the form of the artificial gravity in that grid being completely shut down hopefully turning them into massive spinning paperwieghts. Also making them easier targets for rockes and BFGs.

The Incarnation must not be awoken! Lessermind, I leave you this battle. Direct it as you will. If you fail, so be it. I prefer the possibility of living to the certainly of death.

<INFORMATION!> <Existence! Knowledge! Power! Strategy!>

*euphoria* I.. I am to take command? Very well. I understand. Perhaps I will not fight with the cutting perfection you have displayed, Manifest, but I.. will try. The filth have violated the sanctity which belongs to the Incarnation, after all.

The ships that were near the Abh accelerated, bursts of lightning flying from them, towards the Abh. It was dangerous. If they managed to leave the interdiction field, their hand.. could be forced. And despite the fact that the Incarnation would no doubt win, the victory would be at a price. A price which included Lessermind.

It transmitted a brief message to the Kanucki Superfortress. Abh forces are accelerating. Great sublight speed. Suggestion: adjust speed to match. We do not have enough force to shatter them right now. But we are gathering. Three nodes have been called, and that should be enough to allow us victory.

It cut off, accelerating the spheres under its command further. Their fragile frames quivered, the sheer energy they were expending to move so far incredible. They had to catch the Abh. If they did not, they would be facing an escape of the enemy, and that would mean that the Maker-Mind would be facing more losses. And, considering that nigh-on half of their forces had been sent to conquer Kendari.. it was not desirable.

Report!

The recollection of information was simple. Stored in nodes of ships, it allowed instant access to each individual piece of information without any trouble whatsoever.

Morealis: <Major buildup of force in Morealis. Heavily defended. Initial FTLi system under construction.>

Temoralin: <Temoralin metal-spiders evacuated into the rift. Analysis: Worthless>

O'niis: <Nodes Fire and Ice are stationed in O'niis. Contigencies prepared for>

Aegar: <Major rifts. FTL travel - near-impossibility. System worthless in strategical terms. Stripped of forces.>

Gaemis: <FTLi system active. Defenses = More than adequate.>

Zegenthis: <Enemy attack = Suicide. Amusement>

The worlds that remained within the Domain of the Incarnation, or the Old Realm were all accounted for. It would be a cunning enemy that could lay them low, it believed. Strategical thinking was gifted to it, now. The plans it could lay were myriad, and the traps it had set were likewise.. it did not expect to win this battle. No matter. The enemy had a hundred paths to take, and each led to the same end....

OOC: Shabump. Bumpitty, bormp, bimp. Get a move on, Federation boys.

OOC:
Sorry this took so long. Between RL and Jolt...

Only time for a quickie, but it's something.



IC:
SLDS drives already spun up, the Target Drone leapt into motion as the Abh closed to nine light seconds, non-real velocities building impossibly fast as inertialess drives kicked in - the Superfortress running "up" rather than "back", out of the line of the Abh advance, buying time as the enemy accelerated faster than expected.

Six hundred heavy anti-capitalship particle beams, all of her Intermediate Battery that could bear, shifted within their carapaced turrets, tracking distant targets; brimming with cataclysmic energies as the distance dipped below seven light seconds, and then, as one, loosed themselves upon the enemy.

Targeting the least maneuverable of the enemy, carefully avoiding their flagship, a torrent of sapphire descended upon the Abh at the slimmest hair below lightspeed - it would take seven seconds to fall upon the Abh, but with inhibitors retarding FTL sensors, they would have but a fraction of a second's warning.

The distance would close further, nearing six lightseconds before stabilizing, then increasing again to the ordered seven - inertialess drives allowing the behemoth to simply swing around, not bound by inertia and Newtonian motion, and become the pursuer, as another deca-salvo of bomb-pumped lasers was launched upon the enemy's escorts.


--------------


The KAG, meanwhile, was well prepared for zero gravity operations; something of a inevitibility given the ordinance they so readily threw around - infantry with reactionless jump packs, magnetic/molecular dual bonding pads on boot and glove; the minitanks certified spacecraft, more agile than ever thus unbound by gravitation. Vacuum, likewise, was no impediment - for many a blessing, as air flashed to plasma by their weapons fire was no longer a hazard.

Shadow Lord, isolated from his kind by FTLi, would find itself a hunted being, now that it had been located - hunted by those that could see through it's stealth, carrying enough firepower to quickly bring it down.

Hunter units expecting the Guild to walk blindly into fire cannons would likewise be disappointed, for GRIDAR could see anything that interacted with gravity. And while some met their demise this way, clan CIC tracking these, too.

Rockets relatively effective against infantry, BFG's more so against tanks in light of their point defence - still, few lived to fire twice, for as losses mounted, heavy weapons were increasingly fired at the enemy directly through bulkheads. Those taking up circular positions would in turn find the Guild could move through floors almost as easily as through walls, while grenades were answered in kind and quantity.



Sam, meanwhile, continued her careful advance toward the enemy bridge.

The Symphonic Fleet was little concerned about energy being pumped into their ships. Particle beams fell against a indigo bubble around the fleet. Energy was syphoned off and fed through individual ships and to their generators storing and reusing its power. The extra power could have been put into a heavy energy barrage onto the Target Drone had it not been behind them or put into engine output to accel them past light speed except there was an FTL at the moment. Now the added power went to boosting the shielding output or creating new shields that had been brought down on other ships. Automatic repairs were kicked into overdrive and laser turrets for point defense systems had a new founded fury as they fired off onto the incoming salvos.
-----------------------

"Lord, I must insist that we cut our losses now. There is a substantial amount of the enemy too far within the ship that they have much of a chance. You must initiate the final protocol."

"We still have marines down there fighting for their lives and to protect this ship. You can't ask me to abandon them now."

Cara wasn't backing down one bit. "If you die, then they died for nothing. You are their Lord Rahl and they gladly give their lives up for you. Now do the right thing and give them meaning."

Richard plopped down in his chair. His clyuno activated as it got closer to his mouth. "Engineering? I am authorizing Final Protocol procedures. We still control the inner ring of the Spirit but our marines are being beaten back. You have thirty seconds."

"I understand my Lord. It has been my honor to serve you. May you live long and rule D'Hara well as you always have. Engineering out."

Richard looked back up to Cara with a sullen expression. "Have the guards outside to stay alert and hold their positions no matter what. Once we're ready, we'll bring them in."

"Thank you."

Marines kept fighting throughout the ship. Surprising many of the marines by coming through walls was becoming less and less of a problem through the simple fact that there weren't that many walls left. Now it was a more straight up fight with hiding behind rubble and trying to keep a unified front up and down all levels to prevent any enemy troops to come from above or below. Heavy rockets and BFGs were brought up to the front to deal with amounts of infantry and armor while chainguns supported the effort followed by rifle fire from others firing on individuals.

Nomura's fleet got out of Bosun Jump, and was greeted by being thrown out of it by the FTLi.

Nomura then said, "What the hell just happened?"

The helm said, "FTLi's up, sir. We want to go on, we'll have to hoof it."

Nomura replied, shaking his head, "Don't have to fuckin' tell me that twice. How are the Abh?"

Helm then said, "Bad. Scans on the subspace and other bands indicate they're under major attack from the Kanucki forces."

Nomura replied, "Try hailing the Abh, use as many different frequencies as you can to get to them and get a SITREP. Be prepared for anything. Join in a laager. I do not want to run in blind."

"Aye" was the reply. The orders were carried out, and the ND forces arranged themselves in defensive formations. Meanwhile, a hail was sent out, asking the Abh for a situation report if at all possible.

The Commodore swore inwardly as CIC reported, an enemy shield of some kind neutering the particle beam salvo, apparently feeding power into their other defences.

Tempting tho it was to try and hammer it down, to unleash the raw brutality at her command and smite the enemy, caution forestalled her hand - the nature of that field was unknown, the consequences of continuing to pour energy into it likewise, and potentially very, very bad.

Missiles, however, had been proven effective, and her magazines were in no danger of running dry just yet; there would be plenty of wreckage to comb through later, but in the mean time, another deca-salvo would be loosed, and particle beam fire would stop - Target Drone was more than capable of maintaining a chase distance of seven light seconds, carrying her FTLi with her.

The Abh weren't going anywhere.

-----------------------


As damage mounted, bulkheads reduced, sight lines opened up and it became evident that the KAG were actually fortifying their positions - interlocking panels of ship-grade armour brought in and assembled around their slipgates, four prefabricated fortresses assembling within the heart of the enemy command ship, as additional gates were brought in to increase the tide.


The opening of the ship's interior had other effects, as well, the average firefight occurring at much longer distances, numerous small skirmishes growing together into larger battles; minitanks dying faster, while at the same time, new gates allowed larger craft through - heavy grav tanks amongst the next offencive, an armoured spearhead pushing toward engineering in an impressive, if rather unorthodox display of combined arms, as secondary offensives were launched immediately afterward, moving to cut control and power lines.



Sam, meanwhile, thusfar unopposed, had finally reached the bridge; displacers moving her through the last bulkhead, the invisible, soundless, scentless Maverick, hidden by ASPEW from psionics, the force, and other 'supernatural' elements, hovered over the deck as she approached her quarry, nevertheless alert to her surroundings, and prepared to remove his head...

The rest of the enemy Admiral could be regenerated later, provided his brain remained intact.

Their desperate run for the end seemed for naught as the Kanuck fortress had accelerated and managed to keep pace. All ships were thus ordered to stop and make a stand. Richard was furious that the EA field was still malfunctioning. "What the bloody hell just happened?"

"My Lord, there was a malfunction in spreading the field."

"Yes I can see that so how did it happen?"

"One of the Paryunus had their circuits crossed so instead of spreading an EA field, their power was rerouted to ship shielding thus boosting everyone's shields for a brief moment and incinerating the tiny particles from the cannons. However our standard shields have been weakened but the good news is that the EA field is finally working in its appropriate parameters."

"Just in time to. Here comes another volley from their missles."
----------------

Throughout the ship, fighting continued as usual but no marine was pushing their position or budging under attacks. They continued to fire with whatever they had even if it was just handgun fire.
-----------------

Cara stepped up next to Richard. "Engineering reports final preparations are completed."

Richard grimly nodded telling her that they may proceed. The guards on the outside doors were brought inside. Cara brought her own clyuno up to contact the engineer. "Engineering?"

Gunfire sounded in the back ground. "Yes Mistress?"

"We're ready up here."

"You're lucky. A few more minutes and we wouldn't have been able to hold. . .It was an honor m'Lady."

The transmission went silent leaving Cara and the rest of the crew on the bridge waiting including the one shadow lord left that had run for it's life once the KAGs figured out how to track it. All along the flagship, small explosions were taking place that would have hardly been noticeable to the intense fight carrying out through the rest of the ship. A small saucer that was the bridge was being detached leaving the rest of the crew behind which was intended. The engineering staff geared the engines to maximum at the last proxemic of the enemy's fortress. Engines were driven to near light speed along with its Tap core sent to critical to kill everyone remaining on board and hopefully do some damage to the main enemy vessel. In one last effort to deal as much damage as possible, the Abh fleet emitted their own bit of jamming on the carcass of the Spirit eliminating communications.
------------------------

A brief loss in gravity was experienced on the bridge until the artificial gravity kicked in. "Head for the second Paryunu destroyer. We'll command the fleet from there."

Three small engines propelled the small makeshift shuttle two one of the larger destroyers.
----------------------

The transmission from the Dornalians was received though not by Lord Rahl. General Meiffert answered the call. "Captain Nomura, this is General Meiffert of the D'Haran elites. I regret to inform you that the Abh attack fleet commanded by Richard Rahl is trapped within an FTLi field and they are surrounded by both Kanuckistan and Maker-Mind forces."

Commodore Ch'cye frowned as the latest missile volley spent itself to little effect, but was not particularly worried, for while listening to CIC's report over the intercom, her neural lace enjoyed that rarest of military advantages - a secret, real time feed from the very heart of the enemy command center, all thanks to one now very stranded Maverick.

"Guns, reset laserheads to detonate inside their fleet shield, then ready another deca-salvo and charge the heavies; target their flagship but hold fire," she ordered, eyeing the shifting holoplot, knowing it would take time for the enemy vessel to overcome it's inertia befor it could try and ram, "we'll give the Guildies a chance to try and evacuate. In the mean, salvo the intermediate batteries, same fireplan as befor - I have a feeling they'll be a little more effective this time. Helm, maintain distance from the main enemy fleet; let their flagship close."


Enemy ECM was an unexpected development so late in the battle, but all things considered, it was only one platform, while Ch'cye had thousands in her drone arrays, diverse sensors, and enough active wattage to strip the paint off a ship's hull from a light second away - to say nothing of telemetry from guild sensors actually on[/io] the Spirit. Combined with the sheer volume of fire available to her, it was not anticipated to be an undue impediment.

But still she took precautions.


-----------------


As the pursuing Superfortress cut loose with kinetic fury and sapphire light, the scene aboard the Spirit had suddenly changed; those noticing the ship's change spreading rumors at first, befor the words of a Maverick carried through the assembled battlenets - their battlefield was now on a suicide run.

Within seconds, thousands of marines made their choice; most falling back toward the gates under the cover of heavy suppressing fire and smart-grenade spam, while many of those with expandable frames, or judging themselves unable to make it out in time, instead rallying for one final, suicidal offencive - cries of [i]"Death and Glory!" reverberating through entanglement comms and open broadcasts as they set into the enemy amidst an orgy of nuclear fire.


Meanwhile, half a galaxy away, the myriad of Guild vessels arrayed to unload troops and materiel began backing away from those slipgate stations connected to the Spirit, those still docked retrieving what they could manage, while others opened hatches for shipless troopers, and many simply withdrew.

The gates themselves were one-sided, mounted in cheap 'tincan' stations - little more than metal boxes - and pointed into deep space, away from the approach lanes, each other, or even the small docking and assembly areas of their own tincan; it was, you see, rather expected that most of the gates would be destroyed - hence the recent development of unmanned boarding torpedoes, and of the miniature slipgates themselves to mount inside - and tho such would naturally close the gateway, something of the blast usually get through first.




-------------------


Onboard the Abh "command shuttle", Sam had found an out of the way corner to observe from, finally having reached the Superfortress' commander and requesting boarding pods upon the Paryunu destroyer the shuttle was now heading for, while patching a live feed to the Commodore in return - Contextual Thermal Entanglement was, she reflected, a wonderful thing.

Her self-appointed mission, meanwhile, would have to wait - she was confident she could take her target and escape, but under the circumstances suspected a space walk to be ill advised, and that left her momentarily without an exfiltration option.

She didn't know when, or even if, the Commodore would get boarding pods aboard, but that just made life more interesting, but in the mean time, she was enjoying a rare view of the battle - the intelligence value alone would be significant.

Explosions now detonated within the EA field bringing the projectiles in closer to the point defense systems. Still, high powered laser beams crashed against shielding systems of the Abh ships. Fireballs briefly lit up the darkness of space while others were damaged severly and more held.

The remainder of the shuttle ferrying Richard to one of the destroyers finally docked. "Communications, notify the fleet. It's time for a little hide and seek."

"Yes my Lord."

-----------------------------------
Ships throughout the entire Abh fleet shimmered and began disappearing. Though they were no longer visible or detectable on scanners, they were still within the system. Now they all fired off in different directions. Some took off faster with interialess drives while others took some time getting up to maximum speed.
-----------------------------------

Now the charades were over. A void and distortion tugged on his senses ever since the shuttle had broken away from the larger flagship. Richard knew who ever he was was behind him. He flagged over the two guards with BFGs and they took over positions on either side of him. Cara crossed her arms and stood near Richard while he remained sitting. "Now, whoever you are, why don't you stop pretending and tell us who you are. I'm guessing you're one of the infantry members that snuck on board."
------------------------------------

The Spirit waited until it closed as far as it could without encountering too many hits from the superfortress. Then, it detonated with a shockwave of several thousand kilometers diameter.

Ch'cye was patient, but not foolhardy - those same heavy cannon that so eviscerated the planet firing into the Spirit while still lightseconds-distant. Closing, unevasive, it was doubtful she would get anywhere near the Target Drone, especially given her heavily compromised internals. If not, other measures stood ready.

Now, tho, the Abh icons changed within the holoplot, datacodes reading them as stealthed, diverging; contextual inferometers tracking those ships still watching the Superfortress with passive sensors, unable to plot more than location, direction and speed. Still, past readings weren't forgotten, and so identities weren't lost.

So, too, were read other details, and firing solutions plotted, befor Ch'cye gave the word to hold fire and bring the ship to a full stop - the Abh were scattering, and with but one ship, she couldn't hope to do serious damage.

More valuable would be denying the Abh knowledge that she could still detect them while cloaked.


-------------------


Sam frowned, her target sharper than most, but it was an eventuality not wholly unexpected. Weapons and displacers at the ready, she quickly decided on a response.


To Richard, the distortion of ASPEW would split in three, one stationary while the others circled one third of the way around the room in oposite directions. At the same time, freespace holographics gave rise to a dozen images; a short, rather attractive, and casually dressed vulpine woman, each casting an emotionless gaze upon the enemy admiral.

"I," they began, and truely did each speak, "Am carrying enough antimatter to split your little battlecruiser here like a ripe melon, and teleoperating these assets from the other side of the galaxy. Surrender yourself and noone will be harmed, and you yourself shall be returned home upon the conclusion of hostilities. You have my word."

We/we are facing manyenemies. They will escape. If we should retreat now, they will not understand the extent of our capabilities.

The system's worlds were boiling seas of lava, the Maker-wrought factories upon them seared out of existence. That alone gave the enemy an operative victory. No, now, the Maker-Mind had retreated to the remaining, more defensible worlds, those systems in which the enemy would pay a bloody price for each world they burnt.

Complete your business with the enemy ship. If you require succour, we may give it to you. If not, there are other battlefields to find. Other enemies to destroy.

The message cut off. The Maker-Mind ships were already dispersing. The enemy would prove too hard to catch, and, as it had said, there were other battlefields to find. It would wait for the Kanuckistani reply, it decided. For as long as it could.

Ships hit their maximum burn shortly after going stealth and cloaking themselves. They raced off in various directions to escape the inhibitor field and preparing their jump engines to exit the system once they were cleared.
-------------------------

The holographics were not a problem for Richard as they were ways of seeing through illusions. Three different distortions were a little harder to get around but there could only be one person on board the ship, Richard was sure of that.

A smile spread on his lips. "Your antimatter and teleoperating are not much of a concern for me. Right now you are in what remains of the Spirit and I must say that I am quite annoyed at that. That flagship was built with the name given to a small wood carving I gave to my wife. It matters not, more can be built in short order. The only thing you can send back is perhaps your location along with what I and the crew on the bridge look like. Other than that your information would most likely be useless. I doubt anyone from your nation knows the language of Baronh. It took me a few years to learn it myself. A complex language indeed. As for your antimatter, well this docking bay is well shielded allowing the destroyer to continue on its journay with only a few minor casualties in the docking crew along with myself. I am only one man despite what hopes you had of capturing or killing me. This entire fleet can run without me and the Abh Empire will not be at a great loss if I am gone. Their is an entire race ready to be promoted should I die. Your threats mean little to me."

Richard twirled a finger lazily in the air in front of his body while he talked but no one around him made a move, preferring to let these two talk it out. "So if I understand you correctly, my options are to surrender and go back with you to wherever it is you have in stored for a prisoner of war. Possibly use my to gather information on the Abh. Not to mention I'm taking the word of an enemy that does not even have the descency to meet me face-to-face. You got any better options?"

"Yes," the holograms mused, "I normally would perfer to Op in person - unfortunatly, your failure to call ahead rather limited my options. Rather inconsiderate of you, of I do say so."

"Regardless, you either accept my offer, which has the backing of the Admiralty, and noone else dies here, or you fight, and I continue with my mission - maybe I'll take your still-living head home, or maybe you'll die here, but either way, so will a great many of those under your command, shielded bay or no," her dopplegangers' eyes narrowing, gazes growing cold, "It would be... unwise to underestimate the lethality of a Maverick, unless you are prepared to sacrifice everyone on this ship for your little unimportant self..."


-------------------


"The battle here is all but finished," came the Commodore's reply, "If you don't intend to hold the system, there remains only a little hostage negotiation with the enemy commander - one of the Guild's Mavericks managed to insert herself into his presence, along with, it would seem, a substantial quantity of antimatter. We will support her until it's conclusion. In the mean, you'll find records and feeds avalible on the Union Battlenet, if you're so inclined."



OOC:
Really sorry this took so long.

Jump points finally began opening up on the verges of the inhibitor field. Whether or not a Maker-Mind vessel was in the way, they were leaving. Ships poured through their holes and back into Hyperspace to head home. Perhaps it wasn't all of the Abh fleet, but a good majority of it was leaving along with many of the heavier ships.
----------------------------------------

Richard threw his hands up and then down. "So we are both at fault for rudeness, at least that puts us on even footing for manners."

He walked over to look at one of the holograms and looked it up and down. He studied the image for a good portion of time either impressed with the figure or the thoroughness of the holograph, then returned back to his chair. "I prefer my current surroundings. Besides it has been a long time since I've had a conversation of this magnitude that didn't have to necessarily resort in a battle. I've fought enough of those in my time. Instead it would be rahter enjoyable to a decent conversation with a human being."

Cara walked over to his side just as Richard plopped back down into his chair. Richard scratched his chin for a moment. "So as that what you really look like or is it a show?"

Nomura then recieved a signal to head home, apparently some kind of emergency occured, and he left too with his ships...

OOC: Wanted to end Nomura's involvement here on a definitive note. Apologies for gravedigging.

The holograms frowned.

"I'm not human. And as much as I'd prefer conversation to slaughter - assuming y'all ain't sadistic bastards," a brief hint of humour warming her tones, "- I'm afraid I've never been one for small talk."


-----------------------



The Commodore sighed, watching the enemy depart, eyeing those vessels to remain behind, believing themselves invisible. It was, she supposed, somehow fitting, given the failure of the Maverick infiltrator's stealth - now, in all probability, beyond reach.

Ch'cye wasn't worried.


She did, however, suspect the reason the Abh had yet to fully leave - Search and Rescue. It was an end that she fully intended to beat them to.


"Put in a request for salvage and SAR. And launch fighters; police the wreckage and start looking for survivors - and adjust their transponders appropriately, so our friends out there don't get the wrong idea."


"Ma'am, Admiralty reports salvage and SAR ships already enroute; Admiral Vitch say, and I swear this is an exact quote, 'you always were a messy eater'."


Ch'cye shot the comm officer a look, the bridge suddenly very, very quiet; the human Lieutenant suddenly pale for one impossibly long moment.


"He did, did he?" the vixen mused, icily, muzzle forming a small, wry smirk; her muted chuff of amusement loud in the still air, "I'll have to remember that."

The look of relief on the young officer's face was priceless.




Meanwhile, two and a half thousand small, unmanned fighters poured from armoured bays - a swarm of sensor drones following as they vectored toward the most promising candidate hulks of formerly proud Abh warships. Their transponders, however, were clear as day - Search and Rescue.

Walking back over to his chair, Richard plopped down into the seat. "Since we do have the time until we get back home, we should find something to talk about and make ourselves slightly more comfortable."
---------

Those that were able to make it out on time headed home back to D'Hara where they would make repairs where needed. There was also the matter of preparing a proper defense in case they were followed back home. But there was time for planning once they arrived. Now it was just a sigh of relief and looking forward to seeing D'Hara again for much of the crews.

Meanwhile, other ships continued their cloaking jobs and continued to fan out and head towards the end of the inhibitor field while enemy fighters scanned the wreckage of downed ships. There really many lifepods to even locate. If something could be said about Star Forces, its that they didn't leave their people behind for the enemy to find. Bad history and such kinda made them paranoid about certain things. Even computer systems were wired so that they could not be used for evil purposes. For all extensive purposes, Star Forces appeared paranoid about letting some things fall into the wrong hands.

Debris was everywhere from ships. Some were little more than space particles floating around. One ship looked like swiss cheese but amazingly stayed intact despite the numerous holes. The rest, pieces were strewn everywhere along with the dead bodies. For them, unfortunatly there was not enough time to collect all the dead.

The horde of holograms gave Richard a curious look, a small chuff of amusement echoing as they crossed arms and canted heads, "Alright; why don't we start with the terms of your surrender?"

"Unless, of course," her gaze shifting to the assorted bridge crew, "you'd rather I kill everyone on this ship, and probably capture you regardless."





Fighters, meanwhile, continued to sweep the wreckage, cataloging escape pods and debris for the salvage, SAR, and hospital ships to come.

its his skill with his blade that makes hgim dangerous-durr:headbang:


OOC Thread: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=500491


Non-RP posts go there.

Laughing slightly, Richard stole a quick glance at Cara. "You kill everyone on this ship? I find that amusing as well as your idea of capturing me. I was thinking more along the lines of you telling me a little bit about your home and what you do when you're not...being a nuissance."



A few bits and pieces of weapon debris floated about, but nothing that would be a quick fix to replicate. Some fighters were left intact in the hull of one ship as the dock shielded them from the blasts.

The holograms sighed, a blinding flash and thunderous CRACK immediately following as a pair of powerful femto-second laser pulses rip incandescent across the room - the mere fraction of their power taken by dust and gas turning the very air to plasma, radiant energy so intense as to set flammable materials alight and cause serious burns within a foot of the beam.

The two BFG-toting guards never really had a chance; the laser itself never penetrating more than a millimeter, the protective material they wore sublimating, explosively, dumping radiant energies into a plasmic fireball, cooking them alive even as the shockwave tore them apart.

The effect was instantaneous - the two guards detonating, cooked meat and bone ripping through the bridge like shrapnel to the accompaniment of twin grenade-like shockwaves, sonic booms echoing off the walls of a suddenly much hotter room.


Somehow, while others were not so lucky, very little of the destruction crossed Richard's path, the Maverick an artist with her tools - twin trails of smouldering floor, however, did rather give her position behind Richard away, and so the two other ASPEW fields swept around to merge with her's, and then separate, returning to their original positions befor rotating a sixth of the way around the enemy commander. Thus once more concealing her true location.


"I do regret that," her photonic doppelgangers winced, "I'm sure they were good men, with good, loving families, but you rather... forced, my hand, and I must insist on your surrender. I only hope their... sacrifice," she frowned at this, distaste evident, "will convince you to comply with my demands, so I can spare the rest of your people."



-----------------


The fighters, meanwhile, continued their sweep, as they would until the other ships arrived - Displacer Drives may be instantaneous, after all, but jump range was finite and cycle time likewise.

Richard turned a glare towards the new position of the ASPEW fields that had switched locations. "Cara. Leave us."

"Lord Rahl I must protest. You should not go along with this crazed maniacs demands."

"Your protest is duly noted. Now get out."

The blond haired woman looked as if she was about to protest further but stormed out of the 'shuttle' without a further word. A hard thing for a Mord-sith to accomplish, leaving her Lord Rahl behind. The pressurized door slammed shut behind her as she left leaving only the two in the room.

Richard finished watching her leave and then turned his raptor gaze back to the woman. "Have your ship lower it's inhibitor field so my ship can re-enter this sector of space and drop off a shuttle."

Just beyond the edge of the Superfortress' FTLi, and reasonably far from any remaining Abh ships(?), first drones - the ubiquitous Forerunners - and then ships, began to appear.

They started small, a pair of missmatched destroyers, one sleek, dagger-like, the other visibly... 'aged' would have been too kind. In their wake, first an obviously retrofitted missile cruiser, and then a bizarre hodge-podge of an escort carrier - complete with a nine-hole golf course and diner atop it's dorsal hull.

There was a pause, then, as the missile ship rolled drones, and active sensors illuminated space - some protocols were best always observed, afterall, even if only out of habit, as they already knew the area was clear, along with a direct feed from Target Drone.

Fifteen seconds passed befor the next ship arrived, and thoroughly dwarfed them all - four and a quarter kilometers long, the imposing bulk and lethal lines of the ancient Fell Warden-class Battle Dreadnought was a chilling sight despite her total lack of armament - the enormous hospital ship clearly painted, white and red, save the emerald glow of dome parkland; her name as intimidating as her now-absent weapon mounts of old. KCS Catheter had arrived.


The six ships to follow were, if anything, anti-climatic - a half dozen mere freighters of various makes, averaging two kilometers in length, a pair clearly retrofitted for salvage or search and rescue - two closely related trades when practiced amidst ruined starcraft.


Crossing into the zone of interdiction as they formed up, their drones likewise, they would tarry some few million kilometers, waiting, as specialised drones rallied to sweep the debris with a thoroughness unmatchable by the fighters - the first manned recovery craft departing for lifepods already identified.


------


"Thank you," the holograms sighed, "The Commodore, however, has instructed that you should be taken aboard the hospital ship that has so conveniently just arrived, along with a small task force, to carry out Search and Rescue operations. They're waiting just inside the inhibitor field, so there's no reason to alter it's radius."

They paused then, frowning, befor continuing in more somber tones, "I've also been instructed to ask your wishes for the fallen. They could be shipped home or, well, whatever your custom is..."

Now thoroughly pissed off, his mood for conversation had greatly soured. Answers would come in short and to the point. "Any bodies that you recover, should be sent back to the Empire. Of course, you would have to contact the Abh for that arrangement."

The holograms nod, "Of course."

Sam wasn't sure if it was the mention of his dead, or not being able to surrender to the enemy commander, which had soured his mood - probably both, she reckoned; he seemed like the 'Honour!!1' type - but wasn't about to press the issue.

She had what she wanted - or would, atleast, once they arrived on the hospital ship - and further aggravation might just prompt him to rash action.


Besides, under the circumstances, it seemed to her that he was perfectly entitled to being pissed off.

With the matter taken care of, Richard lifted his right hand slightly. The green jewel resting on top a cloth glove began to glow slightly. "Cara. Report back down to the docking bay. I have further instructions for you."

He let his hand fall back down to the arm rest and looked at one of the distortions he could still see. "This will only take a moment."

The holograms nodded, waiting silently.

It took a few moments for the Mord-sith to return. She had previously been up on the bridge of the ship discussing the circumstance with the captain and crew. To say the least, no one was satisfied with Lord Rahl's decision.

Her skin tight leather outfit groaned as she walked, suddenly stopping just within the doorway. "Yes m'Lord?"

Richard stood up from his chair and walked over to Cara. Lifting the baldrice over his shoulder, he checked the blade one last time. He absently fingered the hilt were the word "TRUTH" was gilded. "Give this to my wife and tell her not to worry. I'll be home soon."

Cara's expression soured. "The Mother Confessor will not be pleased."

"No. I suspect not but tell her anyways. Tell her she has to take care of Cypher for the both of us until I return. Have her tell him that I am on vacation or something. She'll know what to say."

"As you wish. Is there anything else my Lord?"

"No. Inform the captain that I will be in contact with him. He is to inform me as soon as the inhibitor field is dropped."

Cara thumped a fist between her breasts and bowed before exiting the shuttle. Richard in turn returned to his seat and plopped back down. "As far as the radius of the FTLi is concerned, I'm afraid I must insist. I will not have this ship enter into the system where an inhibitor field is still activated. The battle is over, there is no need to maintain its presence."

bumped for kanuck

Sam's holographic doubles blinked, eyeing Richard with a mix of suspicion and disbelief, "Half the reason to have an inhibitor is to limit FTL ambushes, you have to know that - hell, High Guard capital ships maintain an active field in peace time. You can't seriously expect them to expose a Superfortress like that at the request of an enemy officer surrendering under duress."

"If you're worried about your destroyer being trapped, just jump in a few lightminutes from the field's edge and they'll be gone befor the FTLi could possibly reach them. I'm sure we could even have the hospital ship meet you out there, if you're willing to delay their rescue operations."

Unwavering in his stance against the FTLi, "You once asked me to take your word for something. The word of an agressor that wishes me and my crew harm. I would say that is a bit of a stretch itself. You want me to trust you, then you must trust me. Lower the FTLi and you have my word that no ship will fire on your ship."

"Unfortunately, that's not my call; I'm KAG, not High Guard, " the vixen sighs, then blinks, continuing with a look of mild surprise, "Although Commodore Ch'cye has just offered to withdraw the Superfortress, if give your word that Abh forces will refrain from, in her words, 'contesting the system'."

"Yes. That will suffice as long as the FTLi goes with it."

Drives long charged and cycled, the Commodore selected a perfectly unremarkable slice of interstellar space, and called in forerunner drones from a distant Displacer Platform to insure it was vacant. The jump NavCom and inhibitor deactivation were, meanwhile, synchronised. This easily took less than thirty seconds.

Ch'cye then waited several minutes, intentionally skewing any numbers the Abh might draw on her ship's performance, befor giving the order.

To an observed, it would be impossible to tell if the ship, or it's FTLi, had vanished first.


Meanwhile, search and rescue operations proceeded apace, now faster for the lack of FTLi. The first escape pods already enroute to the hospital ship, carefully towed by unmanned craft, while drones continued to comb the wreckage for signs of life or pressurised compartments.

Richard's clyuno flashed to life as a woman's voice came through the link. "Lord Rahl? The captain has detected that the inhibitor field has been lowered."

"Very good. Inform the other ships that they may come out of hiding now and inform the captain to prepare to jump."

"Lord Rahl, are you sure about this? We can-"

"Cara. It will be alright. I've been in worse situations before. Tell Kahlan I love her and that I'll see her again." Richard let his hand fall back to the armrest on the chair.

"Yes m'Lord."

Ships all around the system had stopped their mad dash towards the end of the inhibitor field and decloaked. The circlement was wide and vast but they all stood there in confidence as if waiting. Instead of a jump point forming and letting the heavy destroyer back into the system, Richard's vessel simply shimmered back into existance as if it had never left near the wreckage.

Pressing a few buttons, now that they had decloaked, the shuttle bay door in the destroyer opened wide. Richard simply navigated the shuttle out into space and waited. The destroyer on the other hand pivotted around to bring the bow to bear on the lone shuttle. With a sort of naval salute from the shuttle, it turned once again and formed a jump point along with every remaining ship in the system. Someone would have to break the bad news to Kahlan.

Richard sat there in his chair, with his head resting on a fist. "As I said, you had my word. Now, which ship is the one we are reporting to?"

"The big white one with the 'red cross' markings and 'Hospital Ship' IFF tag," Sam's holoselves replied, "KCV Catheter, I belive. Ex-Dreadnought - you can't miss it. You should start receiving a feed from their flight control when we're within a few MSK, er, million kilometers - we're already cleared, so you can just follow it in."

A moment later; "Oh, and mind the ASPEW; I figure that's how you first spotted me, so it'll probably affect you. I'd guess Cathy's extends a few hundred meters past the hull - that'd be typical for her size."

Richard simply nodded as he rose from his own command chair and moved to the pilot's station. The controlls were programmed into the ship's computer for targeting the hospital ship. A glove control slid out from the right side of the chair at which Richard promptly inserted his hand. Without much flare or spunk, the ship started moving in the direction of the targeted vessel.

The trip would pass in uneventful silence, their destination indeed transmitting approach instructions that would direct the shuttle towards the rear of the former battlewagon, under an arch of thickly wrought armour protecting the cavernous upper hangar that was their destination from direct fire, even with the heavy doors gaping open.

The hangar itself was a massive space, nearly half a square kilometer in area and dozens of meters high, prepping smallcraft in their hundreds parked in neat rows, maintaince, rescue, and medical equipment everywhere, while multispecies teams of doctors, nurses, and power armoured security assembled near empty landing grids with the tools of their trade, hubs of personnel and equipment to attend multiple incoming craft - a similar scene awaiting near their own designated landing zone, identical save for the presence of a uniformed officer.

And, it seemed, their arrival would closely coincide with that of the first Abh escape pods. Hopefully it wouldn't involve any shooting.

Richard navigated the shuttle through the open archway and touched it down neatly in a clearing. He ran through the controls of stabilizing the engine and powering off other systems. Standing, he turned to face to control sector of the ship where the holographic screens tended to be. "Computer."

Online.

"Initiate self-destruct mode."

...Voice identification recognized. Beginning self-destruct sequence. In accordance with Star Forces military regulations you are to disclose no more information. I wish you a safe journey. The computerized eyes that had formed on the screen, now slowly closed as the order was carried out.

Richard walked over, minding the ASPEW fields, and waved his hand over the door crest. Pressure equalized and slid open followed by a small ramp closing the rest of the distance to the floor. His golden cape gently lifted as he moved. Richard's gaze roamed around the room. "Coming?"

The air seemed to bend, appearing to physically disgorge an armoured form that was nowhere near where Richard would have expected - the reality-permeating effects of ASPEW having blinded him to her location before they even landed.

Five foot nought of deepest black, a thing of angular plate and complex curves, the soft glow of runes and script sparingly engraved, frame stout yet lithe, elegant, the teardrop helm a faceless mask, fused to the torso without neck.

The armament dominated by a massive multicannon two-thirds her height in length, fed by armoured belt, it's shell an echo of it's mount. The shoulder-cannon stowed near-vertical against her left back, overshadowing the omni-launcher's segmented bulge on her right, while the occasional glint within the recesses of overlapping plate hinted at an arsenal concealed.

The carbine at her side, meanwhile, a stark contrast, it's blue-toned surface a shifting mirror, sculpted frame one of elegant brutality, accentuating the form of functionality.

"After you," the reply came in pleasant tones, from the armour now, digitigrade legs still hovering above the deck - the holographic dopplegangers fewer with each blink or gaze away, carefully timed, while the two thimble-sized drones that were her decoys unsheathed from their cloaks, silently gliding for the armoured folds of her battlesuit.

OOC:
Really sorry this took so long; between RL and writers'(RPers'?) block, well, you get the picture. :(

OOC: It's quite alright. You've been very dependable when it comes to RPing so I don't mind the wait.

IC:

A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Interesting." Richard was a complete opposite of the weapon. He had no weapon that anyone could tell and his sleeveless black shirt, black pants, and leather wrist bands were all that separated his body from any incoming shrapnel.

Harden soles thudded on the iron decking as he descended the small ramp and headed out into the docking bay of this foreign ship. "Well this is your show now. What did you have planned after this?"

"What I have planned?" the armoured figure mused with a relaxed chuckle as she set foot upon the hangar's polycrete deck, digitigrade boots silent on the high-traction surface.

"I'm going to catch a gate to one of the after-parties and enjoy myself. The person you should really be asking," she motioned toward the approaching officer, "is over there."


OOC:
Before I continue, I'd like to know what's publicly knowable about your character; I suppose I should have asked earlier - Naval Intelligence would have been working on identifying their prize as soon as they had a name and face, and the officer about to meet him would have been briefed. Sorry.

I don't need an IC response(tho feel free to stick one in there if you want); just a little info so I can finish my post.

"Well you are about as much help as you have been from the start. I suppose I should not have expected too much from you. In any case this has been an...educational experience for me. Perhaps next time you'll have more time for an actual conversation and you will do me the courtesy of appearing in person instead of behind your smoke and mirrors."

OOC: Hmm..well... knowledge about Richard in the Abh military would be that he is one of the seven main admirals for Star Forces and the Rahl family has only recently been given the opportunity to compete for title of emperor (first and last human family to ever get this chance). He is also emperor of the planet D'Hara.

For the common joe in the Abh Empire...landers might know that he is the Emperor of D'Hara, has a wife named Kahlan who is also the Mother Confessor, and they have a son named Cypher who would be about...ten when this started. There might be rumors about him concerning some military matters like secret facilities for ship construction along with military research. Though the truth is unknown to them either way.

Don't know if this really helps any but I can always send you the history of this guy in a TG or post it on the OOC thread. Up to you if you were looking for something more.

"A good soldier's always a pragmatist, I'm afraid," the vixen mused, the molecular bonding pads on an open palm lifting the ebon helm with the wet pop of the armour's gel lining separating under a slight pressure differential, revealing a vulpine head not unlike her holographic dopplegangers; nose twitching as she tastes the perhaps surprisingly fresh shipboard air, with the faintest hints of fields, forest, and water. "Besides, this is the end of my jurisdiction; I wouldn't want to step on the Commander's toes. I'm nice like that."


It was then that the officer in question arrived, alone and unarmed, the Naval White slimline armour that was his duty uniform a sharp, well tailored affair, smartly appointed with rank and emblem that would mean nothing to Richard.

Hunam, like a mere tenth of his countrymen, the man offered the pair a crisp salute before speaking, "Ma'am. Admiral," he nodded to each in turn, Sam returning the gesture. Facing Richard, he continued, "Or do you prefer Emperor? I am Commander Ashford, First Officer, KCV Catheter. Welcome to Kanuckistan."





In the background, meanwhile, the first Abh lifeboats were being brought in, SAR craft setting them down on the armoured polycrete deck as medical and security personnel stood by.


OOC:
I only need what my people would know; they'd probably not have much of an intelligence network in your country, so I'd only expect public knowledge.

"Richard will be just fine if you please, Commander."

He took in his surroundings and noticed that the first pods were being brought on board. His gaze barely lingered as he moved on to take in everything else. "So you've caught me, now what did you have in mind?"

Perhaps surprising, his mood did not show any signs of hostility or resentment but simply indifference or perhaps amusement.

"Very well, Richard," the twenty-something caucasian officer replied in neutral tones, "As for your agenda, Naval Intelligence will probably be by later today to conduct an interview, and the doctors will be need to examine you to establish a medical baseline. Otherwise, as the highest ranking Abh officer on board, you will be expected to see to your personnel, keep them in line, things like that."

"The details can wait, however. Unless you have any pressing needs, we'd like you to meet your embarking personnel to insure things go as smoothly as possible," his sapphire gaze shifting past the Abh officer as Ashford looked to the lifepods, equipment and personnel of a dozen species assembling around the nearest group a hundred meters away - the commander motioning towards them with one hand.

"I'm sure you can understand how some of our patients can be somewhat reluctant to stand down after the heat of battle; we've had firefights break out in the past, and we'd appreciate your help in forestalling any potential hostilities."

"Of course. This shall only take a moment."

Without another word, Richard walked passed the commander and made his way over to his crew coming off the lifepods. He checked them all out himself. None seem to have any major injuries which gave the Lord Rahl some relief. Many of the faces assembled he knew while others must have signed on late. Almost as one, each D'Haran soldier thumped a fist to their heart and bowed. Richard returned the bow with a smile. "Ajax, how is the leg?"

A man with a bloodied bandage wrapped around his thigh stood tall and resolute as his lord signalled him out. "Never better my Lord. Pain is a fact of a soldier's life and therefore irrelevant as to whether or not I can continue the fight."

Richard nodded and went down the line. "Samuel. Glad to see you made it out all in one piece. I had feared the worst when I saw your ship fall."

"It'll take more than a long range bombardment to kill me Lord Rahl."

One young soldier did not obviously share the same enthusiasm as the rest of his comrades as his demeanor was somewhat downcast. "Don't worry Alex. We'll be home soon son."

Finished with his assesment, everyone seemed to be in fine condition. "Gather around men and take a knee if you can."

The throng of armored soldiers gathered around Richard and the vast majority of them took a knee even though the pain was staggering. The rest just couldn't see Richard if they went down on a knee so they opted to stand. Richard knelt down on both knees as his eyes fell over every man around him until a small smile crossed his face. "Sons of D'Hara, brave countrymen, brothers all. I can say nothing more than how proud I am of you all for the job you have done here this day. You have all become part of the pride and prestige with which our navy was founded. In all the years that the Abh have ruled their part of the galaxy, no foe has ever invaded their territory and succeeded. This nation, this machine, we came here to attack dared to try and scar that empire and what is our home. They were driven back and delivered a beating that would surly make any of us wince here today. Now, after that conflict was resolved, we have struck back at them to show the cost of invading Abh space. Our retalliation has already begun and likely has been completed. By now, the Abh strike force has already attacked the heart of the enemy and destroyed it. Our mission is complete my brothers and we have upheld the glorious name of the Star Forces while we stayed here and distracted the enemy. Many of the Abh have wondered about the wisdom of creating a division of the Star Forces where humans were allowed to command and navigate our own military vessels. They've wondered whether or not we were capable of such things. Today we have shown them that we are more than capable and that we can fight just as hard as the Abh. That trust was placed in me by the royal family and I have extended that trust to you. You have made me proud. You should all be proud. D'Hara has been kept safe by your actions."

Richard rose up from his knees to stand before his men. "Now that our job is done, I would suggest taking this opportunity as a vacation. Remember, the pamphlet said 'Explore the universe and meet new races'. Look at this as a means of filling that promise. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll be able to see what the local women look like and decide if they compare to D'Haran women."

The last remark brought a loud "Hoo-ah" from all the soldiers as Richard made his way back to the commander. "I think that should settle any future hostilities. Was there anything else you needed or may my men and I find a place to rest? It's been a long trip."

OOC:
I live!

Frak, can't believe it's been a month - uh, sorry about that. o.o

IC:

"Thank you," Ashford replied, gaze slipping past the Admiral, where SAR craft prepared across the cavernous hangar, "But with any luck, I expect we'll be recovering survivors for most of the day - really depends on how tough your bulkheads are," the Commander allowing a small chuckle as his eyes returned to Richard, "So I'd appreciate it if you could assign some of your uninjured officers to meet them."

"As for the rest, we've set up quarters and facilities - kitchen, mess hall, rec rooms, all fairly standard stuff - where they'll be escorted after our staff have a chance to look them over. They'll be confined there, for the most part, for the duration of your stay, where your injured comrades will join you after they've recovered."

The doctors were already seeing to the Abh survivors, the melange of species directing individuals toward scanners and other equipment, while the injured were helped onto gurneys; the power armoured security, apparently unarmed, watching from a distance.

"You'll be watched, of course, and any weapons or dangerous materials will be confiscated for the duration of your stay, but you will otherwise have fairly free reign in administering yourselves, and recreational materials will be provided. Mail is also possible, but that's mainly up to your government, and will of course be monitored."

"Now, unless you have any questions, we might as well let the Docs have a look at you so you can see to your men."

OOC: Heh, it's alright. Though hopefully when I ask for these prisoners back some day, I won't have to wait a month for a response:p

IC:

Richard gave a shrill whistle, getting the attention of his men that were already milling about. "Samuel, Davidson, and Warner; I want you three to handle anybody else that comes aboard."

"It will be done my Lord."

Satisfied, Richard turned back to the commander. "As far as a doctor goes, I hardly need one. I was not injured by any of your attacks. I will simply see to the placement of my men and meet with the officers after a time."

"Very well," Ashford gave a small shrug, "Although they'll be taking a look at everyone, yourself included, before too long. As I said before, they'll want to establish a baseline profile - it's not like we have access to your medical records, afterall, and I'm afraid it's procedure."

"Now, if you'll gather your uninjured men, we've set up some displacer gates," the commander indicating a pair of steel-grey objects three meters a side, near the doctors and equipment set up to deal with nearby arrivals; each containing an open double-door marked 'Enter' or 'Exit Only' in green or red, English and Pictogram, with arrows on the floor indicating direction of travel - each opening into a small white room, not much smaller inside than out. An electronic display across the top reading 'To: Dorsal Hanger, Hub Temp-1'. The muted *crack* of a sudden vacuum collapsing, or the *pop* of displaced air, heralding the occasional arrival or departure.

"Think of them as one-way teleport boxes; this one'll take us to the gate leading to your quarters."

About two-thirds of Richard's men moved in line behind their Lord Rahl. Wanting to put their minds at ease, Richard moved thruogh the teleporter first and singalled for his men to follow suit. Very few of them were use to such technology, Richard only experience instant personnel travel in a different form.

Having the rest of the men in through the other side, Richard turned and waited for Ashford.

The hub, as the Abh soon discovered, consisted of several dozen of the paired boxes arrayed in a circle, most fairly identical, with the occasional pair of larger cargo gates. Traffic here was light, but brisk, and security present in some force.

It was one of these armoured figures that met Richard and his men, her throaty, resonant voice politely directing them off to the side while their peers came through.

Ashford arrived a moment later, dismissing the guard with a thank-you, and motioned to a gate some third of the circle's perimeter away.

"And that is out destination," a flat line of green light snapping into existence a meter off the deck as he spoke, directing the group to the specific gate, "We'll arrive at a hub just outside your quarters."

And indeed they would, a half dozen of the gate-pairs built into a good sized room of burnished silver and black glass-like displays.

The other gates closed, a pair of security would meet them astride tall double doors, one with digitigrade legs while the other possibly hunam under their armoured carapaces.

When Ashford arrived after the last of the group, those doors would part into foot-thick walls and reveal a corridor fifteen meters across and ten high, with a twenty three meter wide door directly opposite the hub.

The soft glow of what might be forcefields cut the corridor off a dozen meters in either direction, while the blast door opposite would slowly lower as the group stepped onto the corridor's polycrete floor, becoming flush with the deck.

That door was four meters thick, with four meters overlap of the equally thick bulkhead it sealed, and opened into a two hundred meter length of that over-sized corridor; smaller five meter wide corridors branching off, along with double doors and flush windows that suggested a two-floor setup.

Richard took stock in the amount of armor that was covering the area. It seemed slightly excessive but he supposed that past experiences gave them good reason for such heavy siding. To him, there was enough metal here to arm the entire First File along with their horses. He began to wonder how little of his gift would be required to burn a hole through one of the walls.

A silent tick in his mind assured him that he was not alone even if there was no one around. It was a small reassuring thought even though Richard felt that there would be no need for such measures in either case. If they really wanted to kill him, he would have torn the ship assunder from the inside out before letting matters come to that. It would have been better than to see what his wife would do after receiving word of his death.

Richard continued following the directions signalled by the guiding lights waiting to see where it would all lead him next. "It seems your people have much different tastes than the Abh when it comes to their ships. Far less decorated and...home-like it seems."

OOC:
Um, what gift? 'cause he's standing in the middle of a fairly high-end ASPEW field. Phenomenal Cosmic Powers™ dun work there.

Also, I screwed up - that bulkhead should have been upwards of ten times thicker. Aw well, I'll just pretend it was part of the secondary compartmentalization rather than the primary.

IC:
What Richard didn't realise was that that bulkhead had very little to do with his people, dating back to the former dreadnought's days as a front-line warship. Now, it merely served to discourage violent discontent. And stop anti-capitalship weapons, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

"We're a front-line Hospital Ship," Ashford replied, moving to join Richard from behind the assembled Abh, "So the Captain and owners opted for a more neutral, profession aesthetic. It works well, but crew areas aren't quite so... sterile."

"On that note, these will be your quarters for the duration of your stay; internal walls are fairly modular, easy to reconfigure and made from a smart composite - colour and transparency are programmable, so you can move the windows and whatnot. Berthing, kitchens, storage, mess and rec halls are all set up and stocks, along with some workshops, computers, and decent software selection."

"Maps and manuals can be accessed anywhere," he continued, pulling a sheet of 'paper' from his pocket; with the touch of an icon it unfolded, creasless, becoming rigid and in places translucent as a computer display appeared.

"...computers, walls, midair. But you'll probably want a flexi at first," the Commander continued, offering the electronic paper to the Abh leader - and indeed, it felt exactly like paper, albeit far more resilient.

OOC: Ah, now that would be a rather lengthy discussion on that topic. Needless to say, I would never use it unless discussed with people first. Or if out of nowhere someone just tried to kill him. So no worries about any of that.

IC:

Richard nodded as he walked around the room taking it "all" in. Indeed there was very little to the entire place. "Well I suppose that would be better for them. I will just have to put my men to work in the shops to try and spruce this area up slightly barring that your shops will accomodate masonry, carpentry, and some painting."

The Lord Rahl of the D'Harans walked around the room making mental notes of its layout. As a side note, he looked back to Ashford. "What is in the rec rooms?"

OOC: Well, he probably wouldn't have access to it in the first place, but as it shouldn't be an issue, yeah, let's just bypass that little matter for now.

Also, the area allocated them, while fairly undecorated and plain, is large enough to easily house thousands - 'main street' itself is 200 meters long, afterall.

IC:
"Balls, nets, practice blades, protective wear, holographics, projectors, computers. Alot. The shops are pretty extensive - even have a few molyfabbers - so you should be able to fabricate or customise whatever you need. So long as you don't do anything that would make us question our trust, you should be able to make what ever you want within reason."

"We only expect you'll be here for two or three weeks, however, before we turn you over to a naval facility deep in the Home Cluster, so you might want to hold off on the more extensive redecorating. But you should be able to take anything you can carry."

OOC: Ah, so there is a little more than a room here...

IC:

Richard was now simply thinking out loud. "Three or four weeks...enough time for a few games to keep the men focus....shops so they can send gifts back home....."

It was going to be a short enough trip with plenty of time for the men to explore the vastness of this area of the ship. Plus he was going to need time to explain a few things to Kahlan about all this. Hopefully she would understand.

Turning back to Ashford, "Alright, I deem this area suitable enough as a prison for my men and I. I will see to their housing as my men arrive. Is there anything else?"

"Nothing for now," the Kanuckistani replied with an amused tone, "Your injured men should be escorted back in groups, starting in an hour or so, along with new arrivals. A few doctors should be by before then to give the rest of you a quick once-over, and Naval Intelligence will probably be by sometime later today to talk to you."

"Now, unless you have any more questions...?" he offered one final time, and if there were none, would take his leave.

----

The injured and healthy new arrivals, meanwhile, were escorted, after any immediate needs were attended, in groups as they arrived, much as Richard had been, through standing slipgates to a medical complex's gate hub - those with potentially life-threatening injuries absent, rushed away upon arrival.

The waiting room they found themselves in opened into a spacious treatment center, intended to alleviate fears foreigners may have of being in alien care, with many of the beds and equipment visible to all, as well as some large, rather ominous tanks sitting in three meter deep depressions in the deck. Oddly, the antiseptic smell typical of hospitals was totally absent, replaced with subtle, natural scents.

Their needs already assessed, staff began directing or, where necessary, wheeling a number of injured to the appropriate stations, the worst heading toward the tanks - doctors and nurses all the while explaining what was about to happen.

The unharmed, meanwhile, were asked to wait, as they'd be given a simple checkup once the more seriously injured were attended to.


Scattered around the waiting room, stacks of flexi's, much like Ashford had shown Richard, took the place of magazines, with a number of books, movies, games, and publications in numerous languages available to all, sourced from Kanuckistan and various international locations - most seemed to originate from Earth, or the ESUS, but an effort had been made to locate what Abh media could be found. Each flexi also provided perfect sound, with a toggle in the options menu to project an unobtrusive, tightly focused 'bubble' of audio around the user by default, so as not to bother the other patrons even at ear-splitting volumes.

Perhaps more interesting than the media, however, were the Patent's Guide software displayed by default on each, offering basic details on the medical equipment and procedures about to be applied to their peers; from scanners to entropy-based soft-tissue healing devices to those big BIMENS Tanks - a nanite suspension tank filled with a breathable liquid, an extremely fast and powerful healing tool; goggles and a respirator were even available to the patient, when it wouldn't interfere with treatment, and while clothing was optional - the liquid would evaporate from them in no more than a few minutes - and the tanks sat in depressions for easy entry, their normally transparent faces could be polarised with the flip of a switch for privacy.

That, and the temporary structures on and around the patient could unnerve the unaccustomed.


Even Species-Reassignment(which would not be taking place) could usually be completed within an hour - treating even the worst injury presented to them would be swifter affair, although not necessarily by much.


----


Outside, meanwhile, amongst the ongoing SAR operations, those salvage craft unsuited to helping began their task, collecting hulks and other wreckage into massive debris fields, where it would be sorted and loaded onto ships for transport once the bodies, destined for return to their families, were collected, and inspectors had deemed it safe to transport.

Richard shook his head. "No. No further questions."

Once Ashford was gone, Richard signaled his commanding officers closest to walk beside him. They walked down the great walkways looking at the quarters in turn.

"I want the men to stay active which means physical training to keep their minds focus and sharp. Too much down time and we could run the risk of getting some agitated soldiers. Remember, most of these boys coming in aren't all that thrilled about advanced technology so keep it as simple as you can for them. Most of this technology is still magic to a lot of them. Look over the workshops ans start putting some of the soldiers to work, preferably the more nervous of the lot.

Set aside the biggest area for Ja'la games, that should help with venting any supressed emotions. Also, map out a location of this place. Note anything of importance. Visible cameras, garbage chutes, entrances, exits, air ducts, anything you think is important. Afterwards, bring what men are here to me so I can talk to them. We'll all talk in the Ja'la arena."

One of his officers looked skeptical. "Pardon me Lord Rahl, but won't the enemy hear anything you have to say?"

Richard smiled slightly. "I imagine that they are probably listening to us even now. Besides, small rooms would be no more secure than the wide open expanse. At least this way nothing will look suspicious. Now see to it."

Both his officers thumped their fists to their hearts and went off to their duties.

------------------

There were more than a few soldiers that were not receptive to the idea of any Kanuckistani healing devices. Frankly downright hostile to the machines more than they were to any medics trying to administer the treatments. However, with the officers Richard left in charge they were eventually calmed down. Under control, medics could effectively begin treatments. With soldiers now calm, operations went as smooth as could be expected.

Still that didn't mean that soldiers were knocking down the racks for any of the videos or games the hosts had to offer. Even Abh media wasn't looked at.

There were no visible cameras, garbage chutes, or exits leading outside the complex, and what few air ducts were found merely lead from the depth of the larger 'buildings' to open areas. Even plumbing - easily traced once one figured out how to spot and remove the quick-access panels - failed to lead outside.

The questions thus raised would be answered with the discovery of pocket-sized solid-state electro-chemical catalyst CO2->O2 converters in most rooms, often appearing as a unobtrusively placed ceiling vent, and powered by a CTE node with battery backup, while a dozen or so general purpose scrubbers were scattered about in closet-sized nooks, insuring air quality.

Garbage, meanwhile, was dealt with in a building near the gaping exit, it's doors boasting atmospheric shields and the building a triply redundant array of scrubbers. As well as a plasma smelter, equipped to deal with solid and liquid waste of all forms, sorting material into elements and isotopes and preprocessing them for reuse. To the Abh soldiers, even this place would never smell bad - it was pleasant, even, much like the rest of the ship.

-------------

The medical personnel, meanwhile, were visibly taken aback by the apparent technophobia, for while the phenomenon was hardly unknown, "Space-Luddites", flying advanced interstellar warships, was simply not something anyone had considered, for obvious reasons.

The intervention of Abh officers, however, was quickly accepted, the Kanuckistani personnel readily willing to work with them in insuring the health of the men.

After things had settled down, one of the doctors took a free moment to ask the senior Abh officer present about it.

After a time, Richard's men came back reporting that there was nothing really of value in the area. They weren't looking for a means of escape, but simply to better understand their surroundings and familiarize themselves with it all. Some of his more advanced officers that had taken time in studying Abh technology as well as foreign tech had the most useful information.

"There appear to be no air vents in this area. From what I could see, the air is simply converted right here instead of in a remote location. This entire sector seems to be well contained without any way in or out for now. On the up side, the trash recycling service seems to be quite advanced. I would even recommend implementing it elsewhere if could study it more."

Richard smiled as the man walked with him. "Very good. Thank you for the report. Go see to the Ja'la games and make sure everything is set up properly."

The young man thumped a fist to his heart and ran off.
---------------------

Samuel sighed as he finally got one young recruit to settle down even taking his hand to reassure the man that the machine wouldn't suck his life out. As he finished up, one of the doctors stole his attention.

"That is a rather long story you are asking me to retell. Let me just say that the people of D'Hara are not as advanced as you or the Abh when our planet was first discovered. Some people are still uneasy about technology but they are loyal and follow their Lord Rahl no matter where he goes while the rest of us are more comfortable and have actually gone through the standard Star Forces training. The ones that are hostile towards your technology were stationed as defense against any boarding actions plus anything from your people is seen as a threat."