NationStates Jolt Archive

The flight of Sirocco destroyers skimmed through the atmosphere of the gargantuan planet. It was nearly half-again the size of Orboros, with a primarily hydro atmosphere. Toxic, but manageable once fusion candles were erected. And the planet would hold more than any other Orboran world thus far. The Council would most certainly approve... The Siroccos skipped through the atmosphere for a few more hours, continuing to collect data and samples, then rapidly departed, wisps of reddish gas trailing through their wormholes.


_________
Two days later
Newly-Christened Ch!Rhaawk System

With a colossal roar, the Orboran colonial fleet emerged from their wormholes, slamming directly into the atmosphere of the gas giant. The ships descended quickly, stopping at habitable depth. Swarms of Orborans flitted out from the transports, bringing with them fabber-drones and portable fusion reactors. The task of constructing the first fusion candle had begun. Within two short generations, the planet would be habitable to the Orboran Confederation, and the real work would begin...

Assault Shuttle XT-1, Assigned ADV Ferrous-Tieron High Orbit
"This is XT-1, entering high orbit. Approach vector, 17 descent."

The lithe assault shuttle, from the Pinnacle-class Cruiser Ferrous, angled down into the gas giant Tieron, out in the Ring Worlds. The planets outside the massive Shroud that enveloped Dominion space were certainly less colonized, and less known, requiring such flights and missions as the Ferrous was now on to investigate. A strange reading had been picked up near the giant, though had been all but muffled by the planet's naturally thick atmosphere.

"Closing in. Readings growing stronger. Shields up."

The Assault Shuttle raised shields and armed weapons systems, the red and orange clouds shooting by as it descended lower and lower.

"Pressure at level 7 and increasing. No visual yet. Hang on...picking up something. Closing to VID range."
"Copy, XT-1. We have a squad of Retributions inbound to cover you."
"Thanks, command."

The twelve sleek interceptors dove behind the shuttle, maintaining their distance as the shuttle closed towards the readings. Out of the blue, the shuttle careened into a swarm of Orborans, quickly pulling up.

"Class one! We have unknown organics on scope!"

Manuevering around, the shuttle pulled up, trying to get away, as the fighters escorted it out of the cloud bank.

"Recommend we bring in more forces to investigate, command."
"Copy. Pinging...done. High Command informed, pending further review."

The flock of Orborans scattered, hard-shelled fliers diving to get out of the way of the oncoming craft, beams of light playing across its surface as the locals monitored its flightpath. One of them apparently had some sort of communication device, as a trio of daggerlike shapes, each a bit over seventy five meters in length, rocketted up from the depths.

The dagger-craft moved to surround the unexpected visitors, what were quite obviously weapons blisters tracking the shuttle and its escorts. A blast of wide spectrum noise pelted them, flooding any comm channels it had open. If someone managed to notice the repeating pattern to the noise, and properly formatted it, it would most likely sound something like the following...

!Crik t!chahk mmmriwk vwawrk ! B'raawk t'cchka!SHRIIT vrooowaiwk Oor!oor'n !

"Er...we're picking up something odd. Could just be background radiance."
"What is it?"
"Some sort of continued noise stream. No idea what it means."
"Anything else?"
"Not on the noise...we have three unidentified contacts coming on visuals, attempting to move around us."
"Can you hold your ascent?"
"Affirmative, for now. Requesting backup."
"Copy. Can do, two gunship squadrons will be in the area to defend against aggression. Maintain current heading, we'll send down a corvette or light frigate to investigate once we get ya'll back."
"Copy, command."

The assault shuttle and interceptor squadron continued to move up to space, aware of the dagger ships and ignoring the noise blasts. Eight gunships moved down into a line around the shuttles, veering up and away to move out of the encumbering dagger ships, but maintaining weapons range.
In space, the Ferrous maintained its orbit, awaiting for its support craft to regroup.