NationStates Jolt Archive

System 2XXBeta39, also known as the Ripple system...
There is a bright flash of light and a ship appears. This is the XIW (Xiscapian Imperial Warship) Inescapable, a Annihilator class Destroyer. (http://www.sealiesoftware.com/starblazers/6.jpg) Following close behind are two Guild class Cargo ships. (http://www.intotheblack.ca/files/images/SamsaraTop.jpg) The Ripple system is sparse, with only a single planet and moon orbiting a red giant star many AU away. The planet is what interests the Xiscapians, as a scout ship has reported that the ground is rich in power crystals, or Guilda crystals as the kitsune call them. Previously the crystals were thought to only grow on Xiscapia and it's first moon, Kel, but apparently there are other sources. The little fleet is close to the planet, and the Inescapable hangs back, sliding into orbit as the Cargo ships power forward towards the planet. As they go a drop ship containing a platoon of Marines comes out of the Inescapable's hangers and escorts them down to the planet.

the NKS Empress Keiko was the newest ship in the exploration fleet. She was identical to other Pioneer class starships but her commander Captain Megumi Ito assisted by her XO Commander Sakura Abe were taking her out on her first cruise.

It was expected to be a standard surveying mission but that all changed when a Xiscapian ship was detected in the system.

They were friendly with the Xiscapians so with the cloaking device dropped Captain Ito hailed the Inescapable on visual. She was a typical fleet officer looking like an anime babe just like the rest of her crew and just as small and lightly built.

"Greetings Starship Inescapable. This is Captain Megumi Ito commanding the NKS Empress Keiko. We send our greetings and can offer our assistance with your mission if you want it."

The message had been sent by visual and now they had to wait on reply.

"Captain, unidentified ship is entering system."
The Captain was a tall kitsune, six foot three, with the common orange fur for his tail and top ears. His hair was the color of mahogany wood, combed and styled into a short, conservative braid down the back of his neck, the rest hidden underneth his black cap. Dark, tanned skin was mostly covered by the black uniform, which was crisp and startched. He stood on the bridge with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out into the void. Half-lidded, lazy eyes with sun-colored pupils didn't move from the blackness as he spoke.
"Run scans on it, alert our ground teams."
The X.O., a short female, spoke again, a note of relief in her voice. "Ship identifies itself as the NKS Empress Keiko. Request pending a visual transmission."
"Accept and open."
In front of the main window a holoprojecter whined and cast the image of Captain Megumi Ito onto it. The Captain smiled and bowed at a fourty-five degree angle before straightening up.
"Captain, it is an unexpected pleasure. I am Captain Winterfire of the XIW Inescapable. Our probes in this systems indicate that the planet below us is mineral-rich, so this is our expidition to mine precious resources. What brings you to this system?"

Megumi rose from her command chair to return the bow and said "Captain Winterfire we were in the general area on our ships shakedown cruise and this star system appeared interesting.

We also picked up your small fleet from long range and decided to take a look. If its not too much trouble I'd like to run a planetary survey so my science team can gain experience.

We might also be able to assist your mission as well as offering some of our hospitality."

With already getting on well it was important to maintain good relations with friendly space powers. That was why she'd asked permission for the survey.

Captain Winterfire nodded. "Of course, you may land. Our own teams and troops are down there now, offloading equipment and preparing for the digging for the mines. Hospitality would be welcome, on-planet our soldiers and technicians have only meager shelter, tents and collapsable buildings and the like until we can erect real structures. I am pleased to hear of allies in the same system as we."
Ground...
The Cargo and Drop ships had landed and were beginning to unload. Thirty Marines formed a permiter, scouting for any hidden dangers. In the center the brown-yellowed uniformed technicians and gray armored spacers were moving equipment and supplies to the ground. They had landed in a natural clearing, with sparse forest to the north, west, and east, and rolling plains to the south. The temperature was about sixty-three degrees, plesantly cool with a slight breeze. This would be the base of operations for the miners and soldiers as they searched for a proper location to begin their mining.

"thank you Captain. I'll send a science team down in a shuttle under my XO's command and they can survey the planet.

I can also supply you with some of our food replicator technology. My engineers could adapt a few of these to run of your own power sources so your people on the ground can at least get meals" Megumi replied.

She would launch that engineering team on another shuttle. Three replicators was all they could spare but it would still be better than nothing.

The XO Commander Abe was setting these plans in motion and soon the two teams would be leaving the ship to land on the surface.

There was a flash of light nearby and a ship dropped out of Warp nearby. The Xiscapians would recognise the triple engine configuration and the pointed bows as well as the rows of turrets along either side and the torpedo tubes nestled just below the main Bridge. The ship was an A-Class Destroyer of the Alversian People's Navy. The black writing alongside her bridge identified her as the warship AND-10394c with the name APS Armorai.

She also bore a black eagle on her hull which placed her within a fleet. All Alversian warships bore these marks and this one was from the Alversian Deep Space Fleet. The Fleet that was responsible for exploration and diplomacy outside Alversia's immediate borders. This particular mission was one of exploration. She was as she had identified a large number of Guilda Crystals and, having been told that Xiscapia was the only area they would be found, had been curious to take a look.

Captain Denison sighed as he peered from his position on the bridge over at the planet and saw the other vessels already in orbit. It seemed the Xiscapians had already found the crystals themselves and were starting to dig them up. Denison was more interested in the planet itself. Even though he was technically a Naval Captain, his real passion in life was exploration. He also enjoyed maps and would spend hours of his spare time making the most detailed maps he could with anything he could. They made him a good bit of money on the side to compliment his Captain's Salary.

He had been in the Navy man and boy, having signed up as soon as possible at the age of 18. He had not trained as an Officer, never having the money to pay for the Officer's Colleges, but had demonstrated remarkable talent in the field and was soon promoted to Ensign, the APN paying for his Education. After the SASM war and the destruction of the old Deep Space Fleet, His ship had amongst the lucky one's chosen to help rebuild it.

He turned to his first officer, a short Xiscapian female by the name of Rose who stood just behind his left shoulder,
"Are there significant crystals or just a faint glimmer?"

"Not sure yet, Sir, but it must be promising if the Xiscapians are here"

Denison nodded and turned back to face the planet. Rose was a Xiscapian by birth and thus bore the tail, ears and eyes of a fox like her brethren. However, she had moved to Alversia when she was young and had studied at the University of Illesia. Under the Alversian Citizenship Act of ten years ago, Rose technically bore duel citizenship of both Xiscapia and Alversia and was liable to serve in either's Armed Forces. However, as she and her family lived on Alversia, she had chosen the APN. They made an odd pair, Denison had the minimal of education that the State provided while Rose was as educated as one could hope to be. This contributed to her sometimes cockiness and arrogance with superiors but she was a loyal Officer and Denison knew he could trust her with his life.

"What have we got?" He asked. He let Rose walk over to the Scanner Station and lean over the Ensign who was sitting down manning it. He waited patiently as she pointed at a number of items on the screen and the Ensign answered in a hushed voice. After a few more moments, she returned to Denison with the answer he wanted.

"Three Xiscapian vessels, Sir, one warship, an Annihilator Class Destroyer and two Guild Class Cargo Ships. There is also a Kirisuban Pioneer-Class ship nearby"

"Really?" Denison was surprised by their presence but not overly shocked. They were here on exploration so why couldn't anyone else, "Send a message to both ships, visual link"

The Ensign that stood at the Communications Console nodded, then typed a few buttons and raised a thumb to show the link was open. On Alversian warships, the entire Bridge crew were always the lowest Officer rank, Ensign. Officers could be anything from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander, but the First Officer was almost always the rank of Commander and he had the obvious rank of Captain.

"To all Xiscapian and Kirisuban vessels. This is the Alversian People's Starship Armorai wondering if we may join you on the surface?" The link was open and he was waiting to see if anyone would appear on the screen lowered from the roof to meet him.

"Replicators would be most useful to our kitsune down there, until we can hunt the local game and bring down the bulk of the supplies. You are most generous, a thousand thanks." Captain Winterfire inclined his head.
Ground...
The clang of hammers and hiss of welding sounded over the camp as structures were put up and basic defenses initinated. Technicians, Marines, Spacers and droids alike hurried about their duties. The Hauler droids were putting together a mobile bunker, to be the center of the camp. The Marines were erecting a low, defensive four-foot-high wall, with gates to the south and east. The Spacers were putting up collapsable "scoop" tents, green or brown colored hardened plastic dome shelters. Each "scoop" accomodated two kitsune, Spacers or Technicians. The Marines quarters were all in the underground barracks in the bunker. Six pilots were also being shuttled down, to fly the ships that were to be placed in the hanger/motor pool, once the structure was built. They had only just landed, at about five o'clock local time, and the camp, now dubbed "Base Camp Foxtrot", was already half completed. The hanger, mess hall and storage buildings still needed to be built, but the scoops, bunker and wall were finished. The Drop ship and Cargo haulers had already gone back to the Inescapable, for more supplies.
Inescapable, Bridge...
Winterfire looked over the map (http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc317/Xiscapia/?action=view&current=BaseCampFoxtrot.jpg) of Base Camp Foxtrot, the projected finished look from the air, as well as a few basic vehicle and personnal statistics. His X.O. turned around from the screen she was leaning over. "Captain, a Alversian A-1 Class Destroyer, named the Armorai has entered the system and is hailing us."
Winterfire nodded. "Put them though."
The screen lit up once again and this time displayed the image of a Alversian with the insignia of Captain appeared.
"To all Xiscapian and Kirisuban vessels. This is the Alversian People's Starship Armorai wondering if we may join you on the surface?"
"Ah, Captain," Winterfire gave a respectful bow. "You, too, are on a mission of exploration? We have located positive energy signitures akin to those of Guilda crystals on this planet and we are putting together a mining operation for transport of the crystals to the Empire. You are welcome to join us on the surface, and I beleive our allies the Neo Kirisubo are coming as well."

Denison gave a returning bow, although he had always felt the gesture awkward and there was nothing better to him than a good handshake. But it was Xiscapians custom and Rose would have hounded him for weeks if he had not returned it,
"I am glad to see we are not alone in this area of space," He replied to the Captain, "We have also detected Guilda crystals on the surface, hence our reason for being here. We would be delighted to join you on the surface"

Denison could be luxurious when picking who to send down. Like all Alversian warships, the Armorai carried a small exploration team but as this was an exploration vessel, he had five times more than an average warship. His vessel normally carried a crew of 500, but his contained over 650. The result was an immense strain on living space and that made things uncomfortable sometimes. Denison would have preferred a D-Class Cruiser for this, the workhorses of the APN.

He turned to Rose,
"You will lead the away team. Pick a good selection then head to one of the shuttles. I would prefer to have a ship on the ground in case it is needed."

Rose nodded, saluted and departed from the bridge.

"We've another subspace message coming through" the Lt. at comms said before spliting the screen so Captain Denison could be seen.

"Captain Denison, I'm Captain Ito commanding the Empress Keiko. Its good to have you here" she replied to him.

Turning her attention to the other half of the screen she added "Captain Winterfire, I'll send down some of my engineers in a shuttlecraft right away along with camping gear. I'm not sure how long this job will take."

The order would go to engineering and they'd launch shortly.

###

Lt Ari Susato was the engineering officer leading her team of 3 women all wearing the warmer away team jackets with their skirt uniforms. One tent would be enough for them as they loaded up the replicators into a shuttle along with the tools, emergency power packs,clothes and camping supplies they'd need themselves.

The first winged shuttle left the ship unfolding its wings before and descending to to the planet. The wings would retract again when they landed as they would be shortly.

###

Commander Abe was also assembling her science team with a few left on board to look over the readings they took on the surface. Four crew including herself would be going so that meant two tents and camping supplies for them. Once ready they would launch and also head to the surface.

ooc Xiscapia you may want to fix you map link to go only to the map

Captain Winterfire nodded to both the Alversian and Neo Kirisubo Captains. "My crew will see yours on the surface, then."
There was a bing noise as a message patched itself directly to Winterfire's personal communicator. On it was the face of a male kitsune. He appeared old, in his early forties, with naturally silver/gray hair, a slightly wrinkled, weathered face and sky blue eyes. Despite his age the overall effect was actually quite handsome. He nodded to Winterfire. "Captain."
Winterfire nodded back. "First Lieutenant Sanderson. I trust our operations are going smoothly?"
First Lieutenant Sanderson was the commander of the Marine detachment of Base Camp Foxtrot, and general leader of the entire Camp.
"They are. Our construction is fifty percent completed. Are we expecting guests?"
Winterfire hid a smile. Always straight to the point.
"We are, First Lieutenant. An Alversian away team and I'd estimate a dozen Neo Kirisubon scientists and engineers. If they come by you, do make an effort to be polite and accommodate them, will you?"

"My crew members will be arriving shortly. I'm sure we'll get a chance to talk better later on.

I would like to invite you both to dinner if you have the time as well" Megumi gently asked both fellow Captains on her viewscreen.

So as the ship commanders talked to each other the engineers were landing in the base area.

The wings folded upwards as they touched down and four women came out. Lt Susato had also been the pilot and her crew started to unpack. Now all they needed was a welcoming committee to show them where the replicators were to go and where they could pitch a four woman tent.

###

Commander Abe's team was next to leave and they used smaller tents.

They would be landing a few minutes later and Commander Abe would be the highest ranking of the eight women on the surface.

OOC: TG, Xis

An Alversian shuttle landed on the surface not long after the message had been sent. It was a large enough thing and held quite a few people. It can down and landed on a spot of flat ground not far from the camp, as the Hangar had yet to be completed. First out was Commander Rose, her katana at her side and her blood-red Naval uniform in pristine condition. Following her were a dozen Alversian Marines who were here to police the Alversian contingent more than anything else, and help out with manual labour when it was needed.
Then came another dozen scientists. The Xiscapians were here to dig for crystals, the Alversians here to have a look about the planet and see if they could find anything interesting about it. They probably wouldn't but it never hurt to have a look.

Rose headed to the Xiscapian whom she supposed was in charge if merely for his veteran appearance,
"I am Commander Rose of the Armorai" She said as she offered a low bow, "I suppose you've been expecting us?

Winterfire smiled wanly. "I would be delighted, Captain. How about you?" he asked Alversian Captain Denison.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
The "welcoming committe" consisted of a single female kitsune Technician. She bowed slightly upon the approach of the engineers. "Welcome to Base Camp Foxtrot. I've you would follow me, I'll show you where you can store your devices and where you can pitch your tent."
Base Camp Foxtrot, opposite side...
First Lieutenant gave a bow back. "We have. First Lieutenant Sanderson, ma'am. You're men," he nodded to the Marines and scientists, "will have to pitch up as best they can among us if they're staying."
Behind him the two Guild class Cargo ships landed again, unloading more supplies and raw materials. These were received by Hauler droids and Spacer, which immediatly took them to new building sites.
OOC@Paddy: Replied
OOC2@Isa: What's wrong with it? From my end it only displays the map.

OOC my end i have home ,join now ,find stuf tads and all the other kind of links you can use and you need help i can spare some

OOC: Replied,

Rose nodded, "I'm glad to meet you Lieutenant Commander," She was uncomfortably aware that she stuck out amongst the more human-like Alversians than normal in the bright red Uniform. She cursed the uniform designers for choosing red when the Marine uniform was dark blue under their armour.
"We can bring our own accommodation down if we need it, what have you and your men been up to?" She asked.

Sanderson waved his hand airely, encoumpassing the entire camp. "Construction, mostly, so we can have a proper base of operations to scout from. Quite frankly this is going to be a boring mission. Stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, helping a bunch of rockheads dig, while all the action is going on up there," He pointed to the sky.
The storage facilities were going up now, the huge, twenty-foot tall Hauler droids hammering in the foundation and delecatly placing metal overlapping over metal. They would impliment the basic foundation, walls and rough, leaving the more percise and technical aspects, like windows, doors, various rooms and such to the kitsune. A plot had been cleared for the hanger, and Spacers had chopped down some nearby trees to begin building the wooden mess hall.

Rose nodded glumly at his words and indicated back to the Scientists,
"They want to have a look around and that means we might be here for weeks, even months"

That thought appalled her. Her Captain was an explorer and she liked to think of herself as an Artist and a Historian but in reality all this diplomacy and exploration bored her. She had a friend who was serving on a Dreadnought fighting rebels out of system. She was the lucky one, although she was not of as high a rank as Rose,

"Regulations say we have to stay with them and provide escort, it will be rather tedious I imagine" She sighed again and looked at him, "Lieutenant Commander...what service?"

Rose was smart, but she wasn't aware of the ranks within the Xiscapian Armed Forces. This Kitsune could have been part of the Xiscapian Army providing protection or from the Destroyer above on the same mission.

"Marine Corps," Sanderson took out a ciggerrate and stuck it in his mouth, lighting it up and offering her one. It was a most un-kitsune display, as most hate smoking, but it just went to show that military types will inevitably be smokers, no matter what species. "Baby-sitting a bunch of damned intillectual types, poking around it the dust...our tax dollars at work." He sighed.

Rose shook her head in horror,
"No, thank you, I don't smoke" She replied. Even though she lived on Alversia there were still some Xiscapian ideals that she still stuck to and that was one, although she had picked up an addiction to coffee that she had taken from her Captain. She looked around at the miners,
"What have we got in terms of quantity, do you know?" She asked, The Marines were remaining behind Rose but the Scientists, bored with the soldier talk, moved away and started to take photographs of the jungle and surrounding shrubbery,
"Fascinating!" One said aloud from behind a tree, perhaps louder than he would have liked, "This pillar looks remarkably Xiscapian in origin!"

"What?" Rose turned and walked through the brush quickly, followed by Sanderson "What do you mean?"

"I've seen this style of pillar before in Xiscapia, Rio Casa to be exact" He explained.

Rose just stared at the pillar in amazement. It was tall and made of faded marble, although it was surrounded by vines as thick as rope. But there was no doubting it had been Xiscapian at some point.

Ooc: Tg

OOC: Replied

Base Camp Foxtrot...
The "welcoming committe" consisted of a single female kitsune Technician. She bowed slightly upon the approach of the engineers. "Welcome to Base Camp Foxtrot. I've you would follow me, I'll show you where you can store your devices and where you can pitch your tent."

Ari bowed and introduced herself to the kitsune technician. She was wearing the red field jacket over her red tunic and black knee length skirt and boots as well as a dagger and a hand phaser on her left hip.

"I'm Lt Ari Susato and this is my engineering team. They'll bring the replicators and can set them up when you show them where they're needed.

Have you power sources they could tap into?" she asked as she followed the technician as her women carried what they'd need on the first run.

bump for interest-

Sanderson frowned at the pillar. It was cracked with age and leaning far to the left, about fifteen feet tall, but there was no doubt as to it's origin. A comm call later and a kitsune scientist hurried up, gasping at the sight and running his hands over the surface. "This is definitly Xiscapian..." he muttered. "Remarkably so. This is almost an exact replica of the pillars in the Palace in Rio Casa. But it's impossible!" he exclaimed, turning to them. Sanderson shook his head. "Mysterious pillars showing up outta nowhere...I don't like it. What do you think?" He asked Rose. Spacers jogged up, unsheathing their swords to hack away at the shrubs and vines scaling the pillar.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
"Have you power sources they could tap into?"
In answer the kitsune silently produced a blue colored crystal from her pocket. It was about the size of a beer bottle, and shaped like a traditional crystal should, all sides. Handing it to her, the technician spoke. "My name's Jennifer, by the way. This is a Guilda crystal, used to power everything from lights to starship engines. It will be used as a power source for your replicators."

Rose, a History Major from the University of Illesia, had absolutely no idea how the pillars could have gotten here. It seemed a mystery. Her own Scientists were muttering to each other excitedly and one of them came up to Rose and whispered in her ear. Rose nodded and turned to the Xiscapian Scientist,
"Do you know if your people were ever here? For any length of time? Or perhaps for no reason at all?" The last question had been hers but she was still non-plussed about the discovery. The few small markings on the pillar weren't in any language she recognised.

Commander Sakura Abe was next to arrive with her team of scientists as their shuttle landed beside engineers shuttles.

Commander Abe also piloted the shuttle and these scientists were traveling light wearing the field jacket over the red and black trouser uniform.

They'd taken readings on the way down as they tried to make a start on a planetary map. Already they'd picked up the guilda crystal deposits which according to their computer banks was a major source of power for the Xiscapians.

No wonder this was a major operation and it was only beginning.

"Lets go ladies" Sakura cheerfully said as the door opened and her team filed out with what they would need. A small bag each with a change of uniform, extra underwear and socks, ration bars and what looked like a palm top computer each. That as well as the hand held tri-corder that was nestling in their belt pouches.

###

Ari smiled and pocketed the crystal. When they reached the mess area they started to get to work leaving each replicator on the same table.

They'd need to adapt the replicators slightly to function from the crystal but she was sure this wouldn't take long.

"Jennifer, I'm sure these will be functioning before too long" she warmly replied as her team went back to get the other engineering supplies they needed.

The plan was to run all three from the same crystal so they'd need nano-fibre cabling to connect these to a crystal mount.

"They're mostly set for our dishes for now but tea and coffee have already been programmed into them. Once ones activated I can show you how to add your own meals into it" she added.

"Do you know if your people were ever here? For any length of time? Or perhaps for no reason at all?"
The scientist shook his head mournfully. "No one is sure of where we stopped on our voyage to our new home, or even sure of the route we took. This easily could be the only planet we stopped at, or one of thousands. So far the pillar supports the hypothosis that we were here before, and is further backed up by the presence of Guilda crystals. Previously the only place our unique power crystals could be found was on Xiscapia and Old Xiscapia. But the pillar," he stepped forward, running his hands over the cracked but smooth surface, "if it is here, then there must have been something it was supporting-" The scientist vanished abruptly. The assembled party of Alversian Marines, Sanderson, Rose, scientists and Xiscapian Spacers stared at the spot where he had disappeared. Then everyone sprang into action, running forward. Rose was in front of Sanderson when her foot caught on an unexpected edge, causing her to trip. Sanderson banged into her and they both fell forward, arms out to stop their decent-
-and they both seemingly fell though the floor.
For them, there was only blackness and the sense of floating. Then both hit what seemed to be a kind of cushion, bouncing slightly. They lay their, hearts pounding, stunned. Sanderson heard movement in the darkness and yanked his pistol out of his holster, fingers struggling to find the buttons. "Who's there? Show yourself-" He found the flashlight attatched to the blaster and the Xiscapian scientist was illuminated in the bright light, his arms over his face to protect his eyes after the darkness. They all heard the hiss of blades far above and there was suddenly a square of light far above them. Concerned human and kitsune faces leaned in, looking around. Ten feet below the hole the Lt. Commander, Executive Officer and scientist were staring up. "You alright? There was a bunch of plants covering the hole, which explains why we couldn't see it!" As if to accent the speakers point a peice of shrubbery floated softly down.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
"They're mostly set for our dishes for now but tea and coffee have already been programmed into them. Once ones activated I can show you how to add your own meals into it"
Jennifer nodded as they reached the newly constructed first storage room. A bunch of scientists and Marines ran past, towards the other end of the camp. Jennifer frowned. "Wonder where they're going? Must have found something. Anyway, show me how, and I will teach others. This really is facinating technology. How does it work?"

"Uh...Commander?" The head of an Alversian Marine Sergeant appeared over the hole.

"Sergeant," Rose got up and brushed herself off before pulling out a pistol and attaching a small torch to the end of the barrel, the result was a powerful beam in all direction, "Looks like you're in command until I get out. Please inform Captain Denison of what has happened so far"

"Yes, Ma'am," The Sergeant replied wondering how on earth he was meant to explain this, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, get the men shelters from the shuttle and set them up somewhere out of the way, work with the Xiscapians on this" She sighed as she realised how ridiculous their plight was. A Lieutenant Commander, a Commander and a Scientist had fallen down a hole hidden by a bush. It hadn't moved for millenia ,they were the stupid ones that had walked into it.

"Right then" She started to scan the walls with her pistol-torch, "might as well have a look around while we're here"

Her torch beam continued to creep along the wall, highlighting drawings, crude portraits and language scribbled all along the wall. Then it occurred to her that they actually in a tunnel. It had been dug, then strengthened with a stone roof and floor.

She gasped at what she saw next. It was like a small television screen dug into the wall. She relaxed, the technology was old as space-faring itself and this was only a primitive model. A small series of nano-bot that would change colour in a set time to show what appeared to be moving images, that was not what had shocked her, it was the images themselves that had made her gasp out loud.

The first image showed two creatures, one taller than the other. In the background was a brilliant sunset and what looked like an old temple, but new and modern in the picture instead of dilapidated now. She took a closer look at the two figures with Sanderson and the Scientist,

One creature, to her surprise, was a Xiscapian. It was impossible to tell from his upper-body as his head was surrounded by a large, silver Corinthian helmet (http://www.medieval-fightclub.com/images/helmet_corinthian_fullplume.jpg) that obstructed all but his eyes and a small part of his nose. A brilliant while plume radiated from the top of the helmet. But there was no mistaking the fox's tail flicking behind the warrior. He was carrying a large, circular, silver hoplon shield (http://www.rlqm.com/hoplon01.jpg) that covered almost his entire torso. He was also carrying a sword that looked similar to the modern Xiscapian katana, except it had been shorted and was only a one handed weapon.

His opponent, looked formidable. He was surrounded in Segmented armour (http://www.swordsandarmor.com/images/Lorica%20Segmentata-2.JPG) under which he wore a red tunic. The figure appeared human, except that it was nearly 7 feet tall and was hammering down on the Xiscapian shield with a halberd (http://www.imperialweapons.com/polearms/1076-gtc.JPG) on a long pole that was bouncing off the Xiscapian's shield as he knelt slightly and sheltered behind it. The figure also had a long kopis by his side, tucked into his belt.

As he rose to take another blow, the Xiscapian lunged forward from his cover with the shorter katana. Then the images simply reset, it did not show the results of the Xiscapian's attack.

Rose just stared around at the other two in disbelief,
"Yikes," She said softly, "What was this all about?"

OCC: Sorry, hope you don't mind if I took a few creative liberties as to what Xiscapians would have looked and fought like a few centuries ago :D

Meanwhile on the surface Commander Abe and her team were getting round to setting up their tents where they were shown to.

Before long they could start their survey but they estimated they only had a few hours of day light left.

###

"Its matter-energy conversion technology similiar to the principles involved in transporter beams.

In a food replicator you're turning energy into edible and drinkable matter. Our ships still have a chef aboard even with this since you sometimes need to prepare special meals the old fashioned way" Ari explained to Jennifer as her engineers returned.

So they connected the cables to each replicator mains source and soon Ari was ready to demonstrate.

"One nk one bar" she said asking for a standard ration bar. This had all the minerals and vitamins as well giving energy. It also tasted and looked a bit like a chocolate bar.

"nk one bars are the usual snack bars we use on board ship if you're too busy to eat a proper meal and the backbone of survival rations for us" she added handing Jennifer the paper wrapped bar that had just been replicated for her to sample.

###

Back in orbit the dinner had been arranged in principle and all Captain Ito needed to know was when. Her chef always had a few ideas handy anyway.

It would be a while until the science team had things to report so they orbited the planet for now gathering scans and creating a basic map of the planet.

Sanderson stared at the image as it replayed several times over. "If I didn't know better, I'd say this is a training video. If you're under attack by this guy," he pointed to the one with the spear, "then this," his finger followed the kitsune as he lunged. "is what you should do." He shrugged. The scientist looked excited. "An ancient video screen! And armor and weapons besides! Do you think that temple is anywhere near here? The landscape looks similar." He looked at the other two. Sanderson spat, rubbing his lips. "Lost my damn cig falling..." he muttered, then looked down the rest of the tunnel. "Don't know. Unless you two want to spend the night here, we need to keep moving. We've only got three hours at most before nightfall."
Base Camp Foxtrot...
Jennifer bit into the bar and made a face. "Not unlike our Gleb rations," she observed.

OOC: TG Xis

"Maybe it was an ode to a battle?" Rose replied to Sanderson as she stared at the video of the Xiscapian endlessly lunging forward with the sword. Had it worked? If he had missed, his enemy could have easily severed his head. She shuddered at the thought, bayonets seemed much more human beside this sort of weapon.

"I suggest we press forward" Rose said after some thought. She was staring at the image of the Xiscapian warrior,
"The Corinthian Helmet and the hoplon would suggest that the ancient Xiscapians would have fought in phalanx formation at some point" Rose brought up the knowledge of what she had learned while at university, "But I saw no evidence of a spear and Hoplites were notoriously bad at hand to hand because of the helmet. I think we would have been better adapted due to reflexes and sight but even so," She sighed, "Imagining the long lines of terrible pikes and long spears clashing together in a tangle of blood and gore.

She was still scanning the walls and roof with her torch beam,
"No point dallying, let's go" She insisted.

Ari chuckled slightly seeing Jenifer's reaction.

"You get used to them but the rice based dishes are quite nice. Our diet is mostly rice, fish and vegetables.

All your people have to do is ask for what they want assuming its programmed into the replicator" she gently said before plugging in an engineering tri-corder into the back of the first replicator.

She scrolled down a pictorial menu which appeared on the tiny screen so she could see what was on there already. It was mostly Japanese style food with fish and vegetable dishes along with noodles.

"We just need a sample of the food so we can scan it with the tri-corders and it'll create the recipe in the replicators" she added.

OOC: Replied
OOC2: BTW...
"I think you would have been better adapted due to reflexes..."
Don't forget, Rose is an Xiscapian too, so "you" should probably be replaced with "we".
IC:
Sanderson nodded as they walked away, drawing upon his teachings of ancient military history. "The phalanx was an incredibly effective battle formation against a charging enemy. The phalanx relied on the courage of the men in the formation, not to back down and to hold steady at the charge. Normally the enemy, if the phalanx was not defeated, would be forced to retreat from the formation, upon which the phalanx army would send light calvary or speedly troops to chase the enemy from the field."
The two flashlights lit the way down the tunnel, Rose and Sanderson out in front with the scientist behind.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
Jennifer nodded and went to the back of the storage building. A few moments later she emerged, tugging a large crate. Bashing the lid off with a hammer, she threw it aside to reveal a number of packaged foodstuffs. "There's the samples. There's quite a lot of it, can the replicator hold it all?" In the crate there was over fifty different types of food and drink, everything from meat to crackers to chocolate, including beer, soda and water.

OOC: Think Greek Phalanx, and thanks for the edit, it's been changed.

Rose nodded,
"The phalanx was devastatingly effective at both defense and frontal assault, it was when they got around the sides or rear that it was in trouble. Judging from that image, it seems like our ancestors and their enemies just closed as a mass of pikes and duked it out until one side broke and ran"
She was looking about now, then she glanced down at the katana at her side,
"See the small katana the warrior had? No sign of a pike. Why not? Phalanxes were useless without the," She shrugged at the mystery, what was even more mysterious was the fact they hadn't found any evidence of a blaster or an attack

OOC: Greek...they're the most famous for it, no?
IC:
Sanderson nodded again as they walked along the dim but remarkably dry tunnel. "If you can drive off the supporting troops and bombard the phalanx soldiers with missiles, like spears and arrows, they would be helpless. They were largly a static formation when locked in combat with the enemy, which meant they could be surronded and destroyed from the flanks. It has it's uses, of course, but tactics and technology," he patted his blaster, causing the beam emitting from the flashlight to shake, "win the day against any strategy you can possibly form. Although I am told the phalanx formation was implimented for centuries before a way to defeat it other then a head-on charge could be developed."
Behind them the scientist sighed to himself as he looked at the walls. The mud had bricks under it, which were deteriorting due to time. Strangly shaped figures adorned the brick every so often, inticrite designs painted or carved by long dead writers.

A Imitator seeker fleet made up of 1 scavenger and 3 shredder frigates was passing by as they detected the area of activity.

OCC: TG me for anything speacial Xscapia, i need some info.

Snip

OOC: Yep, used nothing else, neither did the Egyptians, or the Macedonians, or the Thracians, or the Selecuids or the Pontans, or the Parthians or the Carthaginians...I could go on but you get the point :p

Rose was also staring at the walls, sweeping away cobwebs every so often. She was staring at the words written on the wall and frowning,
"Do they make any sense to you?" She asked, She knew Xiscapian as well as the next Kitsune but this language was positively alien to her a weird series of straight lines and squiggles.

Base Camp Foxtrot...
Jennifer nodded and went to the back of the storage building. A few moments later she emerged, tugging a large crate. Bashing the lid off with a hammer, she threw it aside to reveal a number of packaged foodstuffs. "There's the samples. There's quite a lot of it, can the replicator hold it all?" In the crate there was over fifty different types of food and drink, everything from meat to crackers to chocolate, including beer, soda and water.

"It can hold it all Jennifer. Don't worry" as Ari handed out samples to the engineers to scan and upload into their replicators.

Each engineer was working on a single replicator so Ari kept passing the items down for scanning without them being opened. They'd be replicated in their original packaging.

As the little assembly line continued each replicator was being updated with the same things so no hungry kitsune or human would be without what they needed. It would take at least two hours to encode 50 items although.

###

Commander Abe's team lifted off in their shuttle again to start the mapping mission. They also liaised with the Empress Keiko which was co-ordinating the mission and receiving the shuttles data.

Slowly but surely a map was being made of the area outside the camp and they were also picking up the tunnels under the ground. Another interesting feature which would have to be checked out later.

They were unaware although this was already being done.

Both Sanderson and the scientist shook their heads. "It's all...uh, Danaversian to me." Sanderson shrugged. The scientist ran his fingers along one of the markings, a carving. "I've never seen anything like it before. Some kind of forgotten language. In fact, if I was a Priest, I could swear this was Forgotten Tounge...but it's too different." The "Forgotten Tounge" was what the Xiscapian Ancient Texts were written in, several books containing thousands of years of Xiscapian history, including the formation of the first Xiscapian World Government, their odyssey from their homeworld and the first meeting with the Korr.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
Jennifer left and as the fading light cast tall shadows on the walls and lit the camp orange and red a Ambassador came in. Clad in black and purple robes, the Ambassador was a dark colored kitsune female, with ebony hair and fur, about five foot two, with a snow white katana at her side. She bowed as she entered, directing to Ari. "Greetings."
Destroyer Inescapable...
"Captain!"
Winterfire turned from his Captain's Chair, swiviling to look at his X.O. "What is it?"
The X.O. looked alarmed. "Four ships are passing though the system in scanning range, Captain. They are running silent and have not hailed us, but our scannings identify them as AIW in origin. Three frigate classes and a Battleship class."
Winterfire paled visibly. "Alert our allies and put the ship under red alert."
All across the Destroyer alarms blared and lights flashed red, signifying an enemy attack or enemy presence. The X.O.s voice rang out, in all quarters and decks:
"Red alert! Red alert! Four AIW vessals have been spotted in the system! This is not a drill! All crew to battle stations! Repeat, this is not a drill, four hostile craft have been spotted in system, all crew to battle stations!"
A message went out to the NKS Empress Keiko and the APS Armorai:
Allies, four hostile craft have been detected in the system at points 30052638. They belong to the Alliance of Imitated worlds, three frigate class ships and one Battleship class vessal. Prepare for battle.
To the Base Camp Foxtrot:
Base Camp Foxtrot, enemy vessals have entered the system. Initiate lockdown protocal immediatly and get all non-combatants to cover. This is not a drill.
OOC: NC has my permission to be here, and NC, you have a TG.

Rose shook her head as they moved forwards through the dusty and dirty tunnels. They seemed to be heading deeper and deeper into the complex as opposed to out of it, but Rose didn't care. She was exploring her past in these tunnels and a race rarely got that chance they had now.
She was running her hand along the wall when suddenly she disappeared from view. It was a few seconds before she reappeared, dusting herself off,
"Ahem, sorry for that" She said embarrassed. She pointed her blaster at the ground so that she could see what she had tripped on. She gasped in shock as a ribcage appeared, still wearing a dull silver armour. She gulped, lifted her pistol and had a quick scan along the horizon.

The tunnel had opened into some form of long, narrow, tall hallway. The walls were coated with cobwebs same as the tunnel. What was different was the inhabitants. There were skeletons everywhere, some leaning against the wall, others flat on their backs or stomachs. Some had broken bones, severed bones and all were covered in cobwebs. Rose took a deep breath and looked at the nearest skeleton. The skull peered up at her, coated in a Corinthian helmet that someone had put a massive dent into.

Space

The Armorai was ready for battle within moments and she dashed to the side of the Xiscapians. She was merely a Destroyer, not designed for fleet action. Frigates, she could handle. Battleships were another matter altogether. Her shields were raised, her phasers, missiles and turbo-lasers armed. She was ready for anything.

The seeker fleet now began to scan the enemy vessles and the planet, ignoring the Alversian, Xscapian, and NKS vessles. A terrassimilator deployed from the Scavenger and scanned the world as well, indicating lifeforms, this is what they wanted...this is what they needed.

Space

"Red alert. Raise shields and warm up all weapons as well as the cloaking device. Helm bring us within range of our allies" Captain Ito ordered as the message came through from the Xiscapians.

She also warned Commander Abe on the surface as their mapping mission was still continuing on the shuttle.

They may have been facing a battlecruiser but the Empress Keiko had all the usual Neo Kirisuban refinements. A cloaking device, supreme agility and more firepower than its size suggested.

###

Surface

Ari and her team were just finished as the sun set on the planet and bowed respectfully to the Xiscapian Ambassador.

"I'm Lt Ari Susato at your service" she replied just as her comm badge chirped.

"Lt we've got hostiles in orbit. Arm yourself and your engineers. The camps on lockdown and high alert now. I'm returning as we speak" Commander Abe's voice said in English as it came from the the Lt's comm badge.

"Hai Commander" Ari replied touching the badge. For Ari and this mainly young crew it was the first time they'd be facing combat but they were not afraid.

###

Setting a course for home aka the camp Commander Abe flew as fast as he dared. AIW ships was bad news since they wanted people and she hoped the fort could protect them.

Like on the Inescapable, alarms screamed a deep hrrooooning noise, and kitsune ran every which way. Scientists and Technicians were being herded into the bunker, where they would be safe underground, behind walls and forcefields. The Spacers had sidearms, light pistols and were well armored, but they were not regular soldiers, like the Marines. They would guard the bunker and general camp area, twenty of them, with the thirty Marines spread out along the wall. The scientists and others had returned from the foray outside the camp. But three were missing: A scientists, the First Officer from the Armorai, and the First Lieutenant. The Second Lieutenant was trying to raise them on the comm channels, but he got nothing but static. Technicians confirmed that the missing were probably too far underground for the standered military communicators to penetrate. They couldn't spare anyone to search for them now, and all the Second Lieutenant, now the acting Commander for the camp, could do was grimly pray to Qonn for their safty. Those inside, the soldiers and spacers, were joined by the Alversian Marines and NK engineering team, boosting the defenses from fifty kitsune to fifty kitsune, a dozen Alversians and four NK, a total of sixty six defenders for the camp. The Second Lieutenant, now fully clad in Marine armor complete with the helmet, waved the next highest ranking Alversian and Ari over to him. "We suspect the Imitators are going to try landing a force, and we have been unable to raise the three missing on our communicators. We need to prepare for a potential Imitator attack. Postion your men," he thought for a second, "and women," he nodded to Ari, "in the way you think best."
Inescapable...
"The Empress Keiko and the Armorai have formed up with us," the X.O. reported. Elsewhere on the bridge a Bridge Officer, the one in charge of sensors, called out. "We're being scanned. A terrassimilator has deployed from the battleship class." Winterfire nodded. Then it was as he suspected. the Imitators probably wanted this world for their own, and a couple thousand Alversians, Xiscapians and Neo Kirisubon soldiers and scientists would make a fine boon. Two Destroyers and a Cruiser were up against three frigates and a battleship. The incoming fight would depend on three things: Tactics, the effectiveness of the crews on all ships, and the will of both sides to fight. For now there was nothing to do but wait for their attack. He signaled the Empress Keiko.
Looks like those dinner plans will have to wait.
Tunnels...
Sanderson put his hand up to the deep dent in the helmet, feeling. "The skull has been bashed in on itself," he muttered. Rusting, ancient weapons were discarded all over the floor. Turning the skeleton around, Sanderson sighed. Extending from the tail bone was, yes, a tail, but it was only bone, white and yellowed. An Xiscapian. "What happened here?" inquired the scientist, looking around at the displayed skeletons.

Foxtrot

The man, a Marine Lieutenant nodded, His men were already dashing for the walls to aid the Xiscapians in the defence of the base. The dozen Marines were battle-hardened veterans from the Danaversian Wars and they knew their business. The only disadvantage was a lack of either armour or artillery, neither of which were really needed in ship vs ship action. The Marines were soon on the wall and now waited with their Xiscapian counterparts. The three missing Xiscapians were on their own.

Tunnels

Rose shrugged and started to move along, looking at the all the skeletons. There were some larger ones in the tangle of bones but the majority seemed to be wearing Corinthian helmets or silver armour.

"A battle," She answered the Scientist grimly, bending down to look at a skeleton that had had it's ribcage shattered, "and we lost"

There were more Xiscapians, definitely more Xiscapians. One was pinned to the wall by a vicious looking piked blade, the same as the one in the video. Then another was laying on the floor, his skull a good four yards from the rest if his body. Another was missing his arm, the sliced cleanly in two.

Then she staggered as she was hit by something, something unnatural. Her head was filled with the ringing of blades clashing, the sound of yells and screams and a voice,
"HOLD THEM!"

Ari nodded. Until Commander Abe got back she was in charge of her people.

"Arm yourself with phaser rifles and as many power packs as we have in the shuttle. We might be here for a while" she said in her own language.

They headed back to the shuttlecraft to obtain the phaser rifles and one for her as well the long straight swords which most Neo Kirisubans wore into battle.

Ari climbed up on some scaffolding to get an idea of the surrounding area. At least there was no blind spots round them and they could snipe from high up in the base with the extra range a phaser rifle gave them. The best place they could help defend the base from.

###

In space the remaining 52 crew of the Empress Keiko armed themselves regardless of the job they did on ship. Even the chef got out her hand phaser ready to defend her kitchen.

With phasers and various blades strapped on they were ready to repel boarders and to board in return. The 10 security women were all samurai so were always prepared for battle as they strapped on their red kevlar helmets and chest body armour.

As well as having phaser rifles they also had the twin swords and fanned out in pairs to guard the essential junctions of the corridors over all 10 decks. Other teams were held in reserve near the transporter room ready to use intraship beaming to move as required.

This was the first battle for many of them but they were unafraid. Not even death frightened them.

Signalling back to Captain Winterfire she said "I guess dinner will have to wait until the battle is over. Good hunting Captain."

Then she waited for the enemy to make their move.

The attack could come from anywhere. The Imitators could land at any point outside the camp, or even inside of it. Should they choose to land via drop ship the Camp was relying on the starships above to destroy the incoming landing craft, but more likely the Imitators would simply beam their troops in. It was true that there was no cover outside the camp, the ground was flat. To the south the ground was steep slightly downward, to the plains, and sparse forest was to all the other sides. The biggest threat to the camp would be a attack assisted by enemy vehicles. The Marines had stocked a few missile lauchers, but they were of an anti-personnal varient, not anti-vehicular. The Marines were hunched up against the protecting wall, rifles pointing over the sides, breathing steadly. The attack would not be long in coming.
Tunnels...
The scientist and Sanderson were hit moments later by a vision as vivid as life. They were suddenly surronded by kitsune in silver armor, shuffling and clanging together. Some thirty of them were standing at various positions in the tunnel, forming a line ten kitsune long and three ranks deep. Long pikes extended to point down the tunnel, in the direction they had just came from. There was a terrible yell and suddenly dozens of soldiers came rushing up the tunnel, screaming and brandishing swords and spears. The kitsune stiffined and they braced for the impact. It came seconds later, men (or at least Sanderson thought they were men, for they were huge) charging the line of Xiscapians. Sanderson recognized the segmented armor with the blood red tunic underneth, the same class of men as from the video. They skewered themselves upon the pikes, finally bypassing these and clanging together against the large silver shields of the Xiscapians. The noise was incredible as armor and swords smashed into each other, men and kitsune screamed in pain and blood lust and pikes snapped, often while still lodged into a soldier.

The Alversians patrolled around the centre of the Camp, when the imitators attacked, they would run to the walls and add their blasters to the fire of the defenders. They would start on semi-auto mode, then full auto as the attackers got closer. If needed, they would even use Setting 3, the blast would be devastating, even from just a dozen Marines.

Tunnels

Rose looked around in panic and shock. The dust and debris had vanished on the walls and mighty pillars. Instead, they blazed a fierce white as the sun caught them. That was the other thing that struck her, they were no longer underground but actually resting on the ground in what looked like a desert. There were other buildings nearby but all her attention was focused on the mass in the room with her.

The combat was spilling all around her. She was surrounded by the tall figures and the Xiscapian Hoplites, then the call came again, desperately,
"HOLD THEM!!"

In front of her a Xiscapian lunged forward with his shorted katana, gave a grunt as he was knocked to the ground and a scream as the enemy warrior drove the blade into his torso, piercing the armour as though it wasn't there. Another Xiscapian was thrown against the wall and punched in the face with such strength that he simply went limp.

Rose looked around in shock, a Xiscapian was just slitting the throat of an enemy when another one sunk his blade into the Warrior's back. It was wild chaotic fighting from the pits of hell.

Ari and her engineers made their perches higher above the camp so they could also serve as spotters for the others.

They all had phaser rifles which had hadn't great range (about 300 yards) but they would keep an enemy down when they hit.

Ari also had a set of field glasses round her neck which was part of the survival kit as well the shuttle first aid kit with them.

They had three extra power packs each and Commander Abe called her on the comm badge.

"We'll be with you shortly. ETA 2 minutes" she said by means of update. These shuttles were also armed with twin phaser cannons so this gave the allies two fighters in effect once they had pilots.

One would be Commander Abe and it looked the the Neo Kirisuban scientists would man the second shuttle as well.

The battle was horrible, a slaughter. Even as the Xiscapians would kill one of the enemy, he would be killed in turn. Sanderson watched as a Xiscapian and enemy warrior battled, only to have the warrior stabbed though the back out his chest by another Hoplite. The Xiscapian roared in triumph, even as blood sprayed him as his comrade's head was taken from his shoulders by a red-tuniced warrior. The warrior slashed at his foe and the fight started again. Corpses were scattered across the floor, and Sanderson grimly noted most of them were dead kitsune Hoplites. Whoever the enemy was, they were decimating the Xiscapians.

Tunnels

Now Rose could see the Xiscapians starting to flee. One of them managed to push his opponent back with his shield but as soon as he turned, the warrior lunged forward with his pike and caught the Xiscapian square in the back. He thrashed and twitched on the ground as blood flowed from his wound like a hose. The Xiscapians had almost broke off entirely now and where fleeing up another tunnel at the end of the hallway. One of the last Xiscapians twisted in time to see a pike swinging down on his head. The blow did not shatter the helmet but instead made a deep dent and forced the Xiscapian to the ground. The Warrior did not hesitate but drove it deep into his stomach. The Hoplite jerked for a second. Then was still.

Then Rose gasped. She was back in the dark, dank tunnel, surrounded by skeletons. One of which had been the Xiscapian she had seen seconds earlier with the massive dent in his helmet. She was sweating fiercely as she turned to the other two,

"W-what happened?" She asked shakily.

The scientist was on the ground, arms of his head, cowering at the battle he could no longer see or hear. Sanderson looked as shaken as Rose, panting heavily and leaning against the wall. After a few moments he managed to regain his breath. "We..." he panted. "lost. Whoever they were, they beat us. Some kind of defense, someone kept yelling to hold them. It seemed to me," he looked at her directly now, "that we attempted a phalanx formation, but they broke it. Our soldiers fought, but were killed, and the survivors ran for it. What I don't understand," he waved his hand as he bent to haul the trembling scientist to his feet, "is what the hell that was. Some kind of look into the past?"

Rose shivered violently as the images flooded back through her mind. Those Kitsune must have died at least two millenia ago and yet she could still see their deaths, clear as day. She could see them fighting for survival and she could see them being beaten.
She looked around suddenly realised she had dropped her blaster, the torch on front of the pistol created a small cone of light so she could locate it and pick it up again,
"The Alversians," She tried to explain, "Have a condition in which they can see into the past of a loved one. It happens completely out of control but when it happens, no matter long ago it happened, they will see everything" She remembered Denison explaining that it had frequently happened to his Uncle when he was younger and she had been fascinated by it. Not any more.

"We have to press on" Her voice was filled with a determination she wasn't exactly feeling in her heart.

Sanderson frowned and his brow furrowed as they made their way deeper into the ruins, past the sprawled skeletons, half tugging the scientist along with him. "But this is an Alversian trait, and unless you are much older then you look, we didn't even know anyone in that battle! How could we have seen it?" Behind him the scientist made a strangled, half sob half laugh. "Reverse foresight, the ability to see far into the past in a given area by select individuals. Any number of factors could influence us to allow us to see this."

"What? Like what?"

Rose asked, turning to the Scientist and scanning his face with her torch. She was shaken from the vision as much as he was but pride would not let her show it. She was in the Navy, they did their fighting from ships. If she was in the Marines or the Army, that savagery would be common, but she fought from the comfort of a chair in battle, not with a blaster.
Even in the tunnel they were heading down now, there appeared to be skeletons scattered about, a mix of Hoplite and enemy armour decorated each one to show who had lost a soldier in each spot.

ORBIT

The seeker fleet's terrassimilator raored down to one of the planets oceans, and was seeking to position itself within a cloud, to effectivly infect the planets wildlife. The Scavenger and three shredders had there attention draw by the coaltion in there way.

" We are the Alliance, lower your shields and surrender your ships, life as you and your companions know it will be adapted within us, defiance will be met with violence."

Alliance Marines were getting ready for boarding and ground attack.

In the battle formation and listening to this message Captain Megumi Ito scoffed.

Surrrender was not the Neo Kirisuban way and they'd have to take her ship deck by deck. Even then she'd self destruct taking as many of them with her as she could.

It was a pity although. This was a ship she barely knew but sacrifices had to be made.

###

On the surface Commander Abe dusted down and two of her scientists crewed the other shuttle.

Now they had airpower as they dusted off again and Commander Abe flew round the general area looking for signs of their enemy. One who would try and take them alive and then change them into something worse than somebody without honour. She'd die rather than let that happen.

The other shuttle circled above the base giving fire support for when the fight did come.

In response to the terrassimilator's move, the Armorai also ducked down to lower atmosphere and sent a message to the machine. It wasn't difficult to detect the thing and soon, all weapons were pointing at it,

Break off your attack or we will be forced to open fire

What Denison would have liked was a Dreadnought to back him up on this, but his own Destroyer was maneuverable and powerful enough to keep this baby busy. He was an explorer by choice but when he had to fight, by god would he fight.

25 Alliance marines were beamed outside the xscipian weapons, they raised there weapons and began to fire, the Imitators were trying to find correct positioning to begin beaming down infantry within the base.

SEA

The assimilator ignored them and began to spray infector cells into the atmosphere, hopefully it wouldnt be taken out before it could get enough to give the imitators a good chance of planet conversion.

Orbit

Missle launches would be detected as the three frigates and the scavenger opend up with plasma-charged nukes and plasma torpedoes. Plasma-rays were soon being fire in semi-automatic mode towards them, the Scavenger had its sights on the Alversian ship, while the the shredders focused there fire on the remaining vessles, this worked by one frigate firing upon the xscipian ship and the other firing on the NK ship, the last frigate split its fire, firing both at the NK and Xscipian vessle.

Commander Abe smiled now the enemy had arrived. She figured this was a scouting party so all the better to make sure they couldn't send a report back.

Clipped commands in Kirisuban went to the the other shuttle crew as they flew on to flank the scouting party.

A strafing run followed as the twin phaser cannons ripped into the marines as she flew at a low level towards and then over them. Her companion shuttle would repeat this move in just a few seconds.

###

Ari and her people didn't want to be drawn out just yet. Snipers worked best when they had a good target and the element of surprise. So she watched through her field glasses for now observing their foe.

###

So the battle had begun. Megumi knew her shields could take a nuke hit but the radiation would play havoc with her crew. So all the better to not be hit by one. She took the first two weapon hits before they attacked back.

The agile NK cruiser broke formation and fired both forward phaser banks and its forward photon torpedos at their attacker. Then they cloaked and moved ready to hunt their prey more efficently.

Orbit

The bridges of two shredders shook at the hits of the phasers, which caused minor damage. They counterd the torpedoes with AA plasma batterys, but one shredder was struck by one and the shredder shook vilolently, its shields knocked down to 75%. They continued firing plasma torpedoes, five nukes, and there main Plasma-ray disks. They ceased fire when the enemy ship went into cloak, one shredder went into cloak as well.

The Armorai lost all patience and fired all weapons at the Terra-assimilator
At that precise point, 18 heavy torpedoes, 8 turbolasers and 4 phaser banks fired at maximum strength onto the Assimiliator. If anything would destroy it, these would. The crews that fired them were trained professionals and targeted weak points as well as any weapons and propulsion systems.

The Assimilators proccess was cut off as the weapons impacted, the impact making the assimilator look like a large grenade going off, chrome debry sliced through the air and skidded across water.

oCC: Alversia Alliance marines firing onto your position.

Satisfied that the Assimilator had been defeated, the Armorai climbed back into where the rest of the warships were orbiting. They would add their firepower to the other two warships and try to fight off the Alliance, such as it was.

Denison even toyed with the idea of calling for backup but dismissed it immediately. The fight would be long over before any major Alversian Capital Ship could be called. The Xiscapians were closer but still quite a distance away. This fight would be between those who floated in space.

OOC: Ah, although no where in your post did you say you were firing at my Marines.

One of the Marines twisted and fell as he was hit by fire, the rest scrambled for cover. As soon as they had found it, they switched their weapons to the more accurate Semi-mode and started to return fire at the Imitators who had remained in the open, where the Alversian's extensive target-training would make short work of them.

The Alliance marines hit the deck as the strafing run showed up, seven of them were mowed down, and two were wounded. A swarmite(insect race:member of the alliance: hefted a plasma all purpose rocket launcher, his body shook as the rocket thudded out of the launcher and flew out to meet the flying pest. The other marines, continued there plasma-ray fire at the enemy barricade.

Satisfied that the Assimilator had been defeated, the Armorai climbed back into where the rest of the warships were orbiting. They would add their firepower to the other two warships and try to fight off the Alliance, such as it was.

Denison even toyed with the idea of calling for backup but dismissed it immediately. The fight would be long over before any major Alversian Capital Ship could be called. The Xiscapians were closer but still quite a distance away. This fight would be between those who floated in space.

OOC: Ah, although no where in your post did you say you were firing at my Marines.

One of the Marines twisted and fell as he was hit by fire, the rest scrambled for cover. As soon as they had found it, they switched their weapons to the more accurate Semi-mode and started to return fire at the Imitators who had remained in the open, where the Alversian's extensive target-training would make short work of them.

The Alliance marines firing was made silent by Alversian blasters, the ground was layed with the first wave of marines, yet they were just a test for the imitators. Physco battle Tanks and Battle cars were readying for deployment in the beaming area. The next beaming party was brought down this time holding 50 Alliance marines and 1 Aquarian Black Insurgent who was in stealth mode.

OCC: when the Alliance changed from automatic plasma-ray to semi-auto firing if someone is hit by the weapon they would probably be vaporized.

As soon as the beaming began, the Alversians formed into three ranks of four each and the Lieutenant standing beside it.
"Marines! Volley! Setting Three!"

He called and waited patiently for the Marines to click their rifles into the super-powerful blaster that could shred up to four people with a single bolt, no matter how durable they were. The disadvantage was that it took three seconds for the barrel to cool down after the shot and that was when they were vulnerable.
"Marines! FIRE!!"

He bellowed and watched as his small formation vanished behind a cloud of smoke. He had no idea what had been done but he knew he had hit them dead on as soon as they had materialized. Now his guns would have cooled down and so he gave more commands,

"Marines! Fire by Rank! Front Rank! FIRE!" The first four blasters spewed smoke, as the bolts left the barrels at speeds that were ridiculous even for a blaster. The front rank lowered their weapons to cool while the second raised theirs in anticipation of the next call.

"Second rank! FIRE!!" The same happened, the second rank was hidden by smoke as the third rank aimed at the mass of enemies,

"Third Rank! FIRE!!" The third rank did the same as the other two, tearing into the Imitators. All ranks had now fired but now the first rank were ready again,

"Front Rank! FIRE!!" And so it went on, constant clockwork that ensured the imitators had no rest from the relentless and powerful fire. It had pierced four bigger and more durable enemies than these in it's day. The Imitators would fall.

As soon as the beaming began, the Alversians formed into three ranks of four each and the Lieutenant standing beside it.
"Marines! Volley! Setting Three!"

He called and waited patiently for the Marines to click their rifles into the super-powerful blaster that could shred up to four people with a single bolt, no matter how durable they were. The disadvantage was that it took three seconds for the barrel to cool down after the shot and that was when they were vulnerable.
"Marines! FIRE!!"

He bellowed and watched as his small formation vanished behind a cloud of smoke. He had no idea what had been done but he knew he had hit them dead on as soon as they had materialized. Now his guns would have cooled down and so he gave more commands,

"Marines! Fire by Rank! Front Rank! FIRE!" The first four blasters spewed smoke, as the bolts left the barrels at speeds that were ridiculous even for a blaster. The front rank lowered their weapons to cool while the second raised theirs in anticipation of the next call.

"Second rank! FIRE!!" The same happened, the second rank was hidden by smoke as the third rank aimed at the mass of enemies,

"Third Rank! FIRE!!" The third rank did the same as the other two, tearing into the Imitators. All ranks had now fired but now the first rank were ready again,

"Front Rank! FIRE!!" And so it went on, constant clockwork that ensured the imitators had no rest from the relentless and powerful fire. It had pierced four bigger and more durable enemies than these in it's day. The Imitators would fall.

Indeed a couple fell, but many exploded, the party was mowed down as well as the first group, even more effectivley for that manner, there was now a small graveyard of imitators, the "Black insurgent" was beamed fifty yards from his comrades and was in stealth mode he began to run towards the enemy lines staying slow, he was the elite of the Alliance, the imitators knew it once they assimilated them. The Aquarian(Black insurgent) moved with deadly silence, bringing out a double edged slightly curved dagger, he was also armed with a freeze gun that when it was fired into an enemy it slowed down his molecules to point of freezing, refrigerating whoever it hit.

OCC: Are you using the same tactic from that movie "ZULU?

Staying in the formation they were standing was useless once used effectively. So as soon as the last smoke had cleared and the last enemy killed. The Alversians split up and ran back to cover. They always fought in pairs so that one could always look out for the other, an effective system.

OOC: That's the inspiration, yes. :p It was also a real tactic though

The insurgent climbed over the barricade seeing two Alversian together he came up behind one of them and using the Aquarians method of silent killing, sliced through the back of the neck and through the spinal cord, the Alversian simply nodded his head downwards over his rifle. The insurgent spun around and fired his freeze gun towards his partner, no doubt he would be killed, but first he would give the enemy a good reason to stay alert.

While that pair had been immobilized, the pair next to them now saw the movement of the Imitator though their highly sensitive helmets. They turned to face the threat and fired on Semi-auto at the Imitator, one Marine was dead, and another was frozen to the point of death.

The Insurgent spun to avoid the blast, but was hit at the hips and was blown in half, his cloak turned off and the enemy could see the shark like face of the Aquarian. His armor was as always designed by the imitators to suit a paticular race, the Xscipian imitator would wear a chrome samuri style suit, the Calaverian and all humans had there own, the Aquarian wore a almost skin tight chrome armor, it had small scales just like a shark wood. This enabled him to use his body as a weapon when punching. His headgear was shaped like his head and blue glowing lens were infront of his eyes, still on, and still relaying information back to the imitators.

OOC: Should we not slow this down and let Xis catch up? His men make up the bulk of the defence.

The Alversians crept forward, blasters fixed on the dead Imitator. They put a bolt between his eyes, destroying his cameras and making sure he was dead. Their dead comrade, they left for now while the other was handed over to a Xiscapian Medic to see what could be done for him. The pair then returned to their positions.

OCC: okay, so we just stop here?

OCC: okay, so we just stop here?

OOC: That would suit everyone nicely

OCC: okay, i guess im used to playing the unwavering enemy against the few brave, maybe i can make a situation the opposite, i want to see how a few imitators could do the same thing. but that would be for later. waiting for Xscapia...

OOC: You're the evil Xenophobic destroyers of life :p You don't get to be brave

OOC: You're the evil Xenophobic destroyers of life :p You don't get to be brave

OCC: could i make an OCC for this.

OCC: could i make an OCC for this.

OOC: If you want, I'm not gonna stop you

OOC: Thanks for allowing me time to catch up. I was seriously P.O.'d the last time someone attacked me and I had to read three pages of posts about other people attacking the guy who attacked me. :p Oh well, it's good to have others to watch my back.
OOC: You're the evil Xenophobic destroyers of life :p You don't get to be brave
LOL! So true.
IC:
The Xiscapians joined with their Alversian comrades in blasting away at the Imitators from the saftly of their fortifications. Unlike the Alversians, the standered issue Xiscapian Marine only had two modes: Single shot, and full auto, also affectionatly referred to as "death mode" and "painful death mode." The attacking waves that threw themselves upon Allied fire like waves breaking against rocks made short work for the Marines on fully automatic mode. Three kitsune were hit, one dead and two seriously wounded by Imitator fire. Though his field glasses built into his helmet the Second Lieutenant could see two tanks of similar design to the Xiscapian "Hellstone" assault tanks, now rendered nearly obsolete by the evolution of mecha as walking tanks. Their turrets pointed sinisterly at the Xiscapian camp as their crews prepared them for battle. Two battlecars were also approaching, sloped metal hovercrafts with missile lauchers pointing at the sky. Curling his lip, the Lieutenant called upon the Neo Kirisubo shuttles providing air support. "Allied shuttle, we have four hostile vehicles approaching from Charlie's deployment point, we do not have the heavy weapons to destroy them, calling in an airstrike on those vehicle, do you copy?" At the wall the wounded were being carried away and the sound of blasters rang as soldiers took potshots at the Imitator soldiers.
Space...
The Inescapable barely shuddered as the blasts struck it, the frigate's weapons splashing against the shields. "Shields holding at ninety six percent," said one of the Bridge Officers calmly. "Missiles being deployed and are on course for this craft."
"Fire point defenses." said Winterfire in an equally calm voice.
As the nuclear weapons and plasma torpedos approached the Destroyer at a rapid clip, the point defenses designed specifically to protect the capital from fighter, missile and boarding party attacks came to life. Automated AS guns spat long line of red lasers, spraying across space and causing many of the missiles to detonate prematurely. As it was two plasma torpedos made it though and impacted, shaking the ship in ernest this time and causing the shields to drop to eighty eight percent. Locking onto the frigate assigned to it, the Inescapable's guns roared, or would have it there was sound in space. Nine lasers blazed outward, followed by twelve consecutive ion blasts and two MAC shells. The lasers fired in beams, taking a cycle of thirteen seconds in between blasts. The ion cannons took two, and the MAC cannons needed seven seconds in between shots to load and compromise for any movement the target might have made.
Tunnels...
The scientists shrugged helplessly, squinting under the intense light. "It's not my area, but I am told by fellow professional colluges that species, bloodline, sense of heightened alertness, emotional affects on subjects in the given area and pure will all factor into the potential and to what amount this "reverse foresight" can have. We all are, of course, kitsune, so that evens the odds. It is possible one of us may be distantly related to one of the warriors here, perhaps an ancestor born elsewhere to a widow of a soldier who was killed in battle. Our senses were heightened by the fall and thrill of discovery, and our emotions stirred and antagonized by the sight of dead fellow Xiscapians. As to will, I cannot say. But all things considered, we are very likely canadites for this event."

The cloaked shredder put engines to full and headed to slam into the Xscapian ship, it began beaming all military personal to the planet, the base was surrounded from all side, from about 500 Alliance marines in all, they stayed just outside of Xscapian and Alversian fire. These were also supported by an additional three hundred Alliance marines from the Scavenger and Shredder frigates in orbit.

Scavenger ship

The bridge shook as the weapons impacted brining down the sheilds to 85%, it replyed with plasma-rays and a barrage of three plasma torpedoes and two plasma charged nukes, it was diverting non-essential systems to shields and weapons evenly.

The Marine Lieutenant approached the Xiscapian Commander and saluted,
"I think it's time to withdraw, do you not? We can't hold against that many troops"


---

Rose shrugged and continued forward, pointing the beam ahead. She was still shaken by what she had seen and, more by what she had heard from the Scientist. Even now the cries of the dead still echoed through her head as she moved deeper into the tunnels.

Then she was in a room, a vast empty room. She gasped at it. The ornately carved roof. The tall, marble pillars and the statues that seemed to be embedded into the wall between each pillar. In the centre was a large stone altar on top a flight of steps. As they entered the room, they passed another collection of skeletons, surrounding a series of metal grates.

"Looks like a gate was breached" Rose stated as she stepped over another Hoplite Body. She looked around the room again, "This is incredible"

As the Lieutenant Commander stowed his comm unit he looked grim. Hundreds of Imitator Marines had surronded their little camp, intent on taking it for themselves. And no matter how hard they fought, some seventy soldiers couldn't hope to defend as base from seven hundred enemy soldiers.
Space...
"We've detected an energy signiture matching that of a AIW frigate moving towards us at a high rate of speed." said the X.O.
Winterfire nodded. "Divert all fire to that ship. I want it destroyed before it can ram us."
The shields dropped to eighty one percent, and though the point defenses once again took out the missiles long before they reached the Inescapable, the plasma was continuing to smack against the shields. The grand total of twenty three guns rotated and fired, all directed at the suicidally charging frigate ship. The combined firepower was more then enough to wipe the ship from existance, making it only so many floating atoms.

A Alversian Alliance marine in armor but without his helemt approached the base walking towards it.

The Frigate exploded and its debry flew and hit the Xsacpian frigate, probably dealing minor damage. The Scavenger continued pounding the ship with plasma, the remaining shredder also focused its torpdeos, rays, and nukes onto the Alversian ship.

The AIW Marine was being tracked by over four dozens weapons, but no one fired. The Xiscapians allowed him within twenty feet before a blaster shot turned the grass in front of him to blackened soot. From behind the wall the Lieutenant Commander called out. "What do you want?" He prayed for the NK shuttle attack to come quickly.
Space...
The debries disintigrated against the shields, bringing them down to seventy five percent efficincy along with the plasma fire. The Destroyer (not a frigate) again focused it's fire on the Scavenger, all weapons firing to impact the bow.

The Marine Lieutenant approached the Xiscapian Commander and saluted,
"I think it's time to withdraw, do you not? We can't hold against that many troops"


---

Rose shrugged and continued forward, pointing the beam ahead. She was still shaken by what she had seen and, more by what she had heard from the Scientist. Even now the cries of the dead still echoed through her head as she moved deeper into the tunnels.

Then she was in a room, a vast empty room. She gasped at it. The ornately carved roof. The tall, marble pillars and the statues that seemed to be embedded into the wall between each pillar. In the centre was a large stone altar on top a flight of steps. As they entered the room, they passed another collection of skeletons, surrounding a series of metal grates.

"Looks like a gate was breached" Rose stated as she stepped over another Hoplite Body. She looked around the room again, "This is incredible"

OOC: Maybe this was missed?

The Alliance Marine called out " We ask for yourself to stop ending your existance and come into unity, with unity comes harmony, you will surely be killed or forcefuly taken if not, im open to alternate suggestions."

"How about this for an alternate suggestion?" An Alversian Marine called out, "We put a blaster bolt through the side of your head then you frig off to wherever it is you all come from?"
The the Alversians, the man facing them was already dead, they just had to put the finishing touch to his demise.

"I think it's time to withdraw, do you not? We can't hold against that many troops"
"We will hold for as long as possible to give the non-combatants a chance to escape. The Inescapable must get into the correct orbit for beaming. It cannot beam while engaged in combat." Came his reply. Then, "wait."
The Imitator approached the camp.
"What do you want?"
"We ask for yourself to stop ending your existance and come into unity, with unity comes harmony, you will surely be killed or forcefuly taken if not, im open to alternate suggestions."
"Well I've got one," he shouted, "why don't you go fuck yourselves!"
Room...
"Shock and awe," Sanderson growled. The scientist's face lit up like his birthday had come early.

The Alliance Marine nodded " Why I hail from Alversia my brother" he said as he slowly began to walk back to Alliance lines.

Wall

The Marine spat over the wall so that his spittle landed on the ground below him,
"You are no son of Alversia!" He said in disgust, "I look forward to killing you and freeing you from misery"

Camp
"That told him" The Lieutenant stated grimly, "now what about the Lieutenant Commanders?" He asked, concerned that his own Commander was still trapped, "Are we going to abandon them?" He asked.

At the same time, the Alversian Marines began to file onto the wall. They were would hold the a small section of the wall where they could concentrate formidable Setting 3 fire onto any Imitator who dared to attack directly in front of them. If not, they could pick off the enemy on semi-mode or just mow them down on full auto when they got close enough.

OOC: Got to go, don't let this get too far ahead, Please?

The Battle car mortored a volley of five rockets over the basecamp, as the Imitators began to walk towards the base in spread out formation.

"Are we going to abandon them?"
The Second Lieutenant shook his head. "We must somehow dispatch a search party to escort them to a site where they can be beamed. At the moment, however, we are completly surronded by enemy forces. Anyone we sent over the wall would be killed by the Imitators."
As he spoke someone screamed. "INCOMING!"
A series of explosions and screams sounded as a volly of missiles destroyed the partially built storage building and detonated among the kitsune. Five Spacers were killed, thrown into the air as the blasts struck near them. The sounds of jackboots marching in perfect lockstep was heard as the Imitators approached.

The Lieutenant turned and dashed to the wall to be with his men.

The Marines on the wall flicked their weapons into Semi-auto and took careful aim with their weapons. They started to fire at individual targets, training their guns quickly to shoot at every soldier in the rank as they advanced.

Room

"What?" Rose asked, stepping over a skeleton, "What are you on about?" He asked in amazement.

Hearing the call for air support against enemy vehicles Commander Abe signalled back "I can pick them up. We'll be right back."

Phaser cannons were heavier weapons and could destroy a vehicle.

Her shields also shuddered as the shot hit her during a strafing run.

"Thats too close Fujiko" she said to her scientist now a gunner in a war.

###

When they flew back after dealing with the enemy they found the camp surrounded and about to be attacked.

"You know what to do ladies" she signalled in her own language and they strafed the formation of marching marines with raking and deadly heavy weapons fire. Some that should make the enemy sit up and take notice.

###

Ari and her people had also opened up on their vantage point picking of enemy troops and finding it was impossible to miss. The problem was that they really needed to be evacuated but they had to wait.

Her people could live with evacuating but surrender wasn't an option as they kept blazing away with their phaser rifles.

###

In space Megumi had another AIW frigate in mind as they decloaked close to them and let loose with all their forward weapons into the engines.

"De-cloak and execute manoever Alpha-Kappa-four" she ordered and the ship having let its volley loose turned under cloak and headed away slightly before just as agily moving to the front of the enemy ship where the bridge should be.

Taking out the engines wound reduce the power the frigate had to fight with and if you overloaded the engines it was probable the ship could implode as well.

First they had to take down the shields although.

As the Imitators approached they were met with a vicious wall of fire. Alversian and Xiscapian Marines blazed away with their rifles and chucked grenades, entire lines of enemy soldiers going down with blaster burns or shrapnel embedded in their flesh. The NK snipers helped as well, blasting the marching soldiers, usually in the head, spinning them back to drop into gory puddles. Finally the shuttle's laser cannons strafed the Imitators, dealing the largest amount of damage as they cut a swath though the enemy Marines. The Second Lieutenant saw a gap open in the enemy lines, and knew this was their only chance. A Spacer had already prepared a speeder bike, which was armed with a blaster cannon slung under the nose and could carry a maximum of two people. He motored forward and signaled for an Alversian Marine to jump onto the back. Once one did he gunned the engine and they shot though the hole, the bike hovering inches over the grass as they vanished into the forest. The Spacer and Marine would be tasked with finding the enterence to the tunnel system, locating the three missing kitsune, and escorting them to a site where they could be beamed up.
Room...
Sanderson shook his head. "This has all been here for thousands of years, and we never knew." He bent and picked up a rusting sword, watching emotionlessly as it crumbled to dust in his hand. The scientist winced at the destruction but said nothing, returning to studying the statues in the wall.

The Alversians cheered as their comrade cleared the enemy before going back to the battle in hand.

Temple

"I know" Rose shook her head in wonder, "How could all this have existed without so much as a mention in our history?"
She walked down the steps from the entrance, then up the dust covered steps to the altar. She looked around at the Hoplite skeletons that seemed to surround it. Then she noticed that one was leaning over something on the Altar's surface. Frowning, she nudged him off it, most of his body simply falling to dust, before turning back to the item,

"Professor!" She called over to the Scientist, "Come and look at this!"

It was a book, written on pages of gold and silver, it looked so delicate yet when she tried to flick a page, nothing happened. It was jammed shut with some kind of lock. The lock itself was like a three sided pyramid with the triangular base facing up. It too was gold but would not be budged no matter how hard she tried.

Bodys flew into the air, being ripped apart by Alversian and Xscapian blasters. The airstrike sent thirty Alliance Marines to the ground motionless as the shutte flew over. The bases incoming fire had mowed down one hundred and fifty of them at this point. The marines were in full sprint towards the base now, the Battle car unleashed nine more rockets, while the batte tank brought its ray cannn to bear onto the a section of the wall and fired. Marines were readying Bio-nades to be thrown over the wall. Two more rockets were sent up at the shutte from a Swarmite and Calaverian. The airstrike against the Tank was deflected by there atmosphere shieds, however it brought down the shield.

ORBIT

The shredder was taken by suprise from the cloaked attack. It was taken apart and broke into two sections. The remaining ships that were left were the second shredder and Scavenger vessle. The scavenger had sufferd shied damage down t 70% and the shredder was at 50%, both continuing to pound enemy shields.

bump

The rockets exploded around the camp, throwing dirt into the air and flinging peices of building like a bad-tempered child. Three RPGs, standered issue to some Xiscapian Marines, swerved unpredictibly towards the battle car. Even as they did the tank blew away a seven foot section of wall, killing five Marines in the process. The fire against the now fully charging AIW Marines continued, a panicked comm calls up to the shuttle told the NK to take out the tank, and fast. As the Imitators approached the Xiscapians put their hands on the hilts of their katanas. If the Imitators got to the wall, so be it. They would fall to kitsune blades.
Forest...
The Spacer dodged though trees at insane speeds, branches and rocks whipping past with a whoosh. The Spacer didn't know what he was looking for: A building, a arch, an oddly shaped rock? There was no chance to talk to the Alversian hanging onto the back, but the Spacer hoped he was watching too.
Temple...
The scientist hurried over, shortly followed by Sanderson. Taking the book from her, the kitsune turned it over in his hands, muttering. "We need to find the key," he finally announced. Sanderson rolled his eyes. "No shit, Sherlock..." The scientists glared but said nothing to him, continuing to speak. "I think I recognize the text. It is in Old Tounge, and I beleive I can decipher it and unlock whatever secrets this book holds."
Orbit...
"Shields dropping to sixty percent."
Captain Winterfire surveyed the ground battle from cameras around the camp, and decided it was time. "Break off the attack and begin beaming our people up. They won't last much longer down there."
The X.O. nodded. "Yes Captain."
The Inescapable stopped firing and manuvered into orbit over the planet, turret-like beamers pointing downwards.
The beamers were focused and the scientists and technicians in the bunker suddenly vanished. The soldiers cheered, for they knew they would be next.

Another one hundred marines fell to xscipian and alversian weapons, the battlecare blew apart as two rpg's hit it. The running Alliance jumped onto the walls and ran into the base from the hole made by the tank. Five Bio-nades flew over the wall and had a three second delay. The ground was littered with Alliance marines, the dead being beamed back up, the wounded lay in the open screaming there alien tounges as there combat mode manidbles squirmed. There were no medics in the Alliance.


Orbit

The scavenger and shredder stopped firing upon the beaming Xscapian vessle.

As the Imitators swarmed over the wall the Marines backed away almost as one, continually firing. Two unlucky Marines, having gone in for close quarters combat, were caught in one of the Bio-grenade's blasts, changing them to Imitators. However, they had all been forewarned with the knowledge of what Imitator cells could do, and the two infected were shot on the spot, tumbling down as the bolts penetrated their armor. The Marines were retreating to any cover they could find, mainly buildings, and continued to fire on the Imitators as they poured though the hole with blasters, grenades and RPGs.

The Alversians dashed off the wall and formed up behind it in their traditional three ranks. As they did so, they automatically clicked their weapons to Setting 3,
"Fire by Rank! Front Rank! FIRE!!"

So the machine like fire began, the wall with covered with smoke as volley after volley of blaster bolts tore through the Imitator ranks.

Space

"Captain! The Inescapable is breaking off and heading for the surface!" An Ensign reported from the bridge of the Armorai
"Cover their withdrawal!" Denison snapped as he watched the battle unfold. As soon as the Xiscapian Destroyer withdrew, it find it's place taken by the Alversian one, firing missiles like crazy as well as phaser rounds.

Temple

"Hold on" Rose was not looking at the lock but instead at the skeleton she had moved aside. She noticed the blade of his small katana was triangular, the same as the lock! She grabbed it and rammed it into the smooth surface of the lock. It sprung away and left the book open for all to read. The writing was not solid but seemed to sliding up and down the page like narrow, black snakes.

Then Rose shuddered violently and turned to look at the others. Her eyes were no longer alive with fire but dead and cold, like a winter's morning,
"Why are you here?" She asked in a deep booming man's voice that echoed off the walls.

The Scavenger beamed an additional two hundred troops down on the same spot where the others had been beamed, they began a jog to the overwhelmed complex. The Alliance marines that were left inside and outside te complex before reinforcements numberd seventy. Fifteen of those were puffed out of existance do to Alversian ranking fire. Bio-nades were there favorite in taking buildings, they were thrown in windows, while they pulled and the pin and waited so that the grenade would go off before a Alversian or Xscapian could throw it back, another remarkable thing about this grenade was that it didnt matter if it was thrown back, it could do no damage to a imitator. The Alliance marines were now taking cover as well, finding it much more effective than the plains that they were being slaughterd on.

Orbit

The scavenger and shredder had been using this time to lower supplies, they had already sent out a distress signal, hopefully to bring in a couple re-inforcements. They were more concerd about the world than they were with xscapian or alversian ships in orbit. They took the Alversian blasts, lowering there sheilds, but the reinforcements were on there way, the Alliance was busy with preparing for a Galactic war and couldnt spare many ships, the three Nova class warships Unforgiveable, Medusa, Insanity were on there way, they also were escorted with fifty contact fighters and 20 solar bombers, they also had three Terrassimilators to make up for the one destroyed by the Alversians.

OOC: NC Edited my last post, you might wanna respond

OCC: did ^^

OOC: Don't forget Alversians shredding wall with Volley Fire

OCC:yes, responded to volley fire as well, edited.

OOC: Then we shall wait for Xis.

"Fire by Rank! Front Rank! FIRE!!"
The lasers of the Alversians spat towards a group of Imitators. Bio-grenades arched though the air towards their position, landed, and exploded.
But there was no longer anything there for them to infect.
The Alversians suddenly found themselves in the hanger bay of the Inescapable, along with half of Base Camp Foxtrot's garrison. Room was already being made for more to be beamed up.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
A good ten Spacers and a dozen Marines still remained, scattered about the camp. The Imitators were everywhere, but this only made for a target rich enviornment. A AIW soldier would be taken down by blaster bolts, and the return fire would hit only air, the Xiscapian soldier having already moved on. Ten kitsune had locked themselves in the bunker, with force fields up, and were waiting for beaming. The other dozen were spread out, in buildings or outside the camp, among the trees. They knew now that the AIW had not brought a simple scout party. No, this was an invasion force.
Temple...
Sanderson frowned and blinked. "Hello? We're-"
The scientist hit Sanderson on the arm. "Shut up, you fool!" he hissed. "She's obviously not herself!" Turning to Rose, he bowed deeply. "It is us, Children of your Brothers. We have stumbled across your temple, oh holy one, and we seek enlightment as to the events that came to pass here."

The Marines looked about them in surprise. Four of them were still kneeling in position and the Lieutenant's mouth was open, ready to give a command to fire.
Instead, they stood and holstered their weapons. They then stood in ranks and waited for commands from their officer.

Temple

"Children?" The Rose asked in amusement, "There are no children of this temple. Only death, only destruction. We have been disturbed. The dead desire rest. Why do you disturb us?" Rose asked in the same deep voice.

Orbit

The Unforgiveable, Insanity, and Medusa exited out of hyperspace and took position with the scavenger and shredder, they to disregarded Xscapian and Alversian space presence and began beaming down more supplies and troops. The three Terrassimilators cloaked and headed back down to continue there assimilation of the world.

Basecamp Foxtrot

The bunker was surrounded from all sides by Alliance marines who were waiting for them to come out. Six marines had fallen in mere seconds as the quick xscapians fired on them, but to many eyes were upon the xscapians to hide, Plasma-ray rifles were now set to stun and to capture any xscapian hit, they needed information. A Physco battle tank was hovering towards the entrance of the bunker, two more battlecars that had been brought down searched the skys for bogeys. The screaming of contact fighters flying in formation with solar bombers could be heard overhead.

"Honored one," said the scientist, nodding his head to the floor in tiny hurried bows, "we seek to learn the history of this place, this temple, this world. We come to find out what occured here, and why. Doing so will unlock more secrets to the mysteries of the kitsune long voyage."
Base Camp Foxtrot...
The kitsune in the bunker vanished, and so did the rest of the Xiscapian forces. Except for one unfortunate. Running, the Spacer shot a Swarmite in it's insect head, dodging away as it exploded in a burst of green goo. Trying to get away, he went for the forest, only to be struck in his right leg by a stunner. He fell, his rifle clattering away from his grip. Dragging himself over the ground, he strained to get to the trees, but he heard boots crunching the dirt behind him. Refusing to be a captive, he unholstered his blaster, intending to commet suicide before they could reach him, but a alien foot came down on his hand and crushed the blaster, sharp peices peircing the Xiscapian's skin. He gasped in pain and looked into the grinning face of a Aquamarine, a Black Insurgent.

Temple

Rose turned to look at Sanderson, it was now obvious that her eyes were silver, dull and dead,
"The Dead have been disturbed. Our souls cannot rest. Why have we been disturbed!?"

The walls and roof started to shake, dust and small parts of debris fell to the ground. A crack also appeared in the floor and extended up the steps to the altar. Rose was now floating six inched from the ground.

The Insurgent grabbed the Xscapian by the neck and lifted him up till his feet were back on the ground. He was shot again in the ribs by a stun shot while a swarmite cuffed him with plasma cuffs, clicking his mandibles as he left to other dutys. The Xscapian was basically paradeing through the Imitator ranks, every thing was quiet, only the sound of foots moving and weapons being picked up, Alversian and Xscapian uniforms being removed for future use. Masses of eyes behind different heads up displays stared at him without emotion.

The scientist began to speak again, flinching as the walls cracked and rumbled. "My Lord-" Sanderson snarled and shoved the scientist out of the way. "Run, you fool!" He grabbed Rose even as she levitated and attempted to pull her from the air to carry her away from this place.
Inescapable...
"Captain, all personnal except for the Commanders and their search party have been beamed aboard." The X.O. nodded.
"Captain!" A different voice. "Captain, Imitator reinforcements are incoming! Terraassimilaters are in the atmosphere, and three warships are assisting the enemy!"
Winterfire shook his head. "This battle is lost. There's nothing we can do for those left on-planet. Signal our allies and prepare for withdrawl."
The bitterness in his voice was evident. This had been Winterfire's first mission, aside from route patrols. His first mission, designed to be a simple mining operation, which had suddenly blown out of control. He had failed. Against impossible odds, yes, no one could blame him for his defeat. But the feeling of anger and sorrow remained.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
Just over a dozen Xiscapians, thirteen, had died, shot and killed by the Imitators during the battle. The kitsune captive was barely concious, head lolling, tail drooping. His yellow eyes, almost entirely closed, numbly watched the Imitators as he was half marched half dragged though their ranks.

Over two of the worlds oceans and one lake, the terrassimilater were free to take the world, they sprayed there infected cargo into the planets water supply, see as they had the oppurtunity of using three assimilators the job would be done faster, the entire population of the world would be imitated in a little less than one year, by using natures most basic source of life....water.

Bascamp Foxtrot.

A military base was already being built where the base once stood. The xscapian was brought over to a chrome supplie box and put on it, they took the cuffs off of the Xscapian and returned to there normal dutys. In unison they replyed to him through telepathy "Do not worry, you will not be harmed, you will live among us and experience unity through your own indipendant eyes." Soldiers were marching back and forward. The Alversian commander of the invasion walked up to him and handed him a chrome samuri style suit " Put this on, my names Patterson, commander Patterson the 52nd Alliance marine division." he took a seat next to the Xscapian.

Rose grabbed the Xiscapian by the collar and lifted him into the air,
"This is MY world!" She snarled, "MY world! You have no power here!"
She snarled again but this time she shuddered and dropped to the floor. When she stood up, she looked around in bewilderment,
"What happened?" She asked, confused and slightly scared.

At the same time, the Stone statues that surrounded the room suddenly came alive, stretching and pulling at the clasps that held them to the ground. Within seconds, the 8ft tall Hoplites had hit the ground and were looking about, snarling.

Orbit

The Armorai remained where she was. Denison was waiting and praying, he was hoping against hope that Rose would be able to get off the planet. He refused to abandon her, not the young History Student from Illesia. Not a piece of it. He would stay for months if he had to. He would fight every Imitator that had ever existed if it meant getting her back.
But the situation meant that he couldn't put 500 of his crew at risk. He was forced to withdraw. It was the hardest thing he had ever done. Would ever do again.

The Xiscapian looked in disgust at the suit of armor and scooted away from the Imitated Alversian, thoughts still muddled and reflexes still slow from the stunners. "I ain't puttin' that thing on. Get away from me, ya freak."
Temple...
Sanderson dropped to the floor from her grasp, rubbing himself as he stood. "You got possessed-" He heard a yelp and spun as the scientist ran from the statue Hopolites. They were surronded. Sanderson picked up his blaster and waved it around, looking in all directions as the scientist cowered behind them, trying not to attract Rose's attention for fear of the thing that had inhabited her.
Inescapable...
Captain Winterfire called up Captain Denison from his ship as they moved away from the planet. "Captain," he said, his voice thick with sorrow. A world of pain and loss communicated in a single word.

Rose just looked around in shock at the Hoplites and made the word 'possessed' with her mouth but without saying a word. She ducked underneath one of the statues and started to run back up the tunnel,
"Time to go!" She shouted, pulling her pistol out as she ran.
The Statues started to pull katanas from their belts. Even through they were still the single handed version, they were still the length of a man's arm and they looked sharp enough.

Space

Denison could not even muster the words to reply to the Captain but simply made a gesture of despair with his hand. His crew was quiet and sedated as well. No one seemed to have any life now that their young, energetic First-Officer was gone.

The Xiscapian looked in disgust at the suit of armor and scooted away from the Imitated Alversian, thoughts still muddled and reflexes still slow from the stunners. "I ain't puttin' that thing on. Get away from me, ya freak."
Temple...
Sanderson dropped to the floor from her grasp, rubbing himself as he stood. "You got possessed-" He heard a yelp and spun as the scientist ran from the statue Hopolites. They were surronded. Sanderson picked up his blaster and waved it around, looking in all directions as the scientist cowered behind them, trying not to attract Rose's attention for fear of the thing that had inhabited her.
Inescapable...
Captain Winterfire called up Captain Denison from his ship as they moved away from the planet. "Captain," he said, his voice thick with sorrow. A world of pain and loss communicated in a single word.

Patterson scooted closer " What do you want us to do, let you go, your comrades would surely shoot you on sight."

ORBIT

The fleet sat quietly, still bringing down supplies and building materials.

Sanderson blasted apart one of the statue's hands, rock smashing to the floor. As it reared up to struck he tugged the scientist under and they ran for it.
Base Camp Foxtrot...
The Spacer, who's name was Katan, snorted. "There's ways of detecting whether someone is an Imitator or not. If I approached my people in a calm, non threatening manner and allowed them to scan me, I would be accepted. But I am stuck here, now. No doubt we will infect me, and I will cease to exist. Unity, hah."
Inescapable...
Winterfire mourned for the loss of his First Lieutenant and Science Officer. Sanderson was a good man, experienced and tough, he would be difficult to replace. Still he had to speak, had to say something. "Captain, we will go back for them. If they can just hold out and hide until we can return, with reinforcements, they can still be rescued..." he trailed off, knowing it was hopeless even as he said it. With the SASM war leaving the Alversian's short on ships, and the Rebellion eating up Xiscapian's resources, not to mention the Greal situation, no reinforcements would be coming for a long time.

Patterson patted Katan's back and smiled " Your safe, unless you wish to join us right away, if not, then you will ive amongst us as a equal, think of it as wakling in the enemys shoes for a while, we will even return you to Xscapian forces afterwards."

The Statues turned and chased the three Kitsune down the tunnels again, running with a miraculous swiftness for something made of stone, in fact, if anything, they were gaining on the Xiscapians.
"Keep running!" Rose shouted from the front as the walls and roof started to collapse. There was one thing that one would notice. Rose had nicked the book off the altar.

Space

Denison nodded,
"I always intended to go back, Captain" He replied solemnly, "Rose will find a way to contact us, she always does" He didn't look hopeful and the mention of reinforcements did not lighten his mood. The People's Navy was stretched enough as it was without something like this.

The fleet was succefully blockading the planet and squadrons of fighters and bombers were sweeping the world, scanning as well. Patrols were also orderd to search around.

"I'll take your word for it," muttered Katan, shifting away from the Imitator again. Xiscapian field guides regarding the Imitators said they were not to be trusted. Ever.
Tunnels...
Sanderson took a few wild shots behind him with his blaster, wishing he had some grenades, or even better, a portable blast cannon. These things were gaining on them!
Inescapable...
"We will come back to take this planet, in the end," said Winterfire. "That many Guilda crystals are too valuable to the Empire to waste. We just need to hope they can hide for long enough, or that they can commander a transport and escape."

Patterson nodded with a smiled " You don't need to trust anyone Katan, you will see with your own eyes, please get up, we got some work to do, and by the way" he grinned " Rank and serial number?"

The battle to take the base had been short and sweet. The bio-grenades had done their job and the exposed Neo-Kirisuban engineers were infected.

However they weren't going to be assimilated. They were clear about that.

Ari quickly shot her own team in the head as the enemy marines approached. Better dead than joining the enemy. However she finished her own infected people off but didn't get a chance to kill herself before the stunner hit her and her world went dark. Lt Ari Susato lived but she was dishonoured.

###

In space Commander Abe and her shuttles docked with the Empress Keiko now having left the planet behind for now. they had received the withdrawal signal an even she knew this was a hopeless fight. Having to withdraw under the pressure of much greater numbers was no disgrace.

They had left four of the crew behind and under cloak joined up with the allied fleet. They had also taken out a shredder frigate but it wasn't enough.

"We're still alive and kicking Captain" Megumi signalled to Captain Winterfire having stood down from red alert and now on yellow alert. There was still danger but now they had to figure out what to do next as they decloaked safely away from the AIW fleet.

She was saddened about losing four of her crew. She knew they were dead since NK's didn't surrender. They'd commit suicide even before that thought crossed their minds. Their deaths would have been honourable.

Along the tunnel they ran, Rose was also firing shots over her shoulder but the pistols blasts weren't even slowing the things down, she was know in full flight and running so fast her feet were barely touching the ground.

They were coming up to a speck of light, the end of the tunnel, they weren't far.

Camp Foxtrot

A loud low moan echoed across the camp, sounding from every corner and filling the ears of every animal. The moan was joined by shrieks of panic from the planet's wildlife. The ground trembled and out smashed several large marble column, each thirty feet in height. They were laced with gold and showed images of Kitsune Hoplites and other holy images. They were arranged in a series of lines heading for the hangar.

The Hangar disintegrated as a massive stone building laced with silver and gold rose in it's place. The square, stone steps looked cold and uninviting. At it's very peak, a massive diamond glittered in the sun.

Armorai

Denison nodded, then he frowned at something off screen,
"Our sensors have just gone mad, Captain. Something's happening on the surface and we have no idea what"

Alliance marines were quickly running to clear from the rising arcitechure(sp), Patterson grabbed Katan and began walking with him at a fast pace. LT.Ari was also grabbed and prodded towards a barracks made by the enginners that had be beamed down about an hour ago. Guns were already aimed in there direction, the Imitators were not scared, just bewilderd at what was happening. Fighter/Bomber formations flew overhead the massive building that had rosen from rock and earth.

SEA an Lakes

The wild life was becoming imitated at a very rapid pace, each organism that reacted with the cells made contact with other animals, spreading fast. It would need a life cycle before completeing its conquest of the world's life. Summer,Winter,Spring,Fall would need to pass for everything on this planet to become unified.

Ari was a confused young woman as she stumbled along still feeling the weapon stun. She was only 18 years old and this was her first mission. She wore the red wrap over tunic, black trousers and short boots uniform along with a warm red hooded field jacket.

She had been completely disarmed and didn't even have an honour blade on her now. A marine behind her was carrying her phaser rifle, long sword and dagger. She also knew she was infected and couldn't go back to her ship even if she was able to. Her comm badge and her teams engineering equipment was also in enemy hands.

She also knew she couldn't return because she was a dishonoured prisoner and knew what she had to do. She couldn't see them let her kill herself although or wanting to kill her.

It seemed she was being moved to some kind of barracks but right now she couldn't be sure of anything especially the future that was in store for her. She could see an unlucky Xiscapian being moved here as well.

"Rank and serial number?"
"Private First Class, Seriel number 438-" Katan was interrupted by the building suddenly erupting from the ground, destroying the newly built hanger. He gaped as the pillars burst from the ground, throwing dirt and any equipment or Imitators that were unlucky enough to have been in the way flying. With this going on he only barely noticed the young NK engineer, but something clicked in the back of his mind.
I am not alone.
Tunnels...
Even down in the darkness they could hear the rumbles from the camp. At first Sanderson thought with hope that it was weapons fire, but realised it was all wrong for it. More like something falling...or rising. Sanderson and Rose, what with their good physical condition and military training, were quickly pulling ahead of the scientist, who was fueled by fear and panic. Sanderson grabbed him by the hand and yanked him along, eyes fixed on the glowing bright spot so close, but yet so far.
Inescapable...
"We're still alive and kicking Captain."
"It gladens me that you have escaped destruction, but it is with a heavy heart that I apologize for the loss of your team on the surface. They did not register to our scanners, and we didn't know-"
He was interrupted by simultanious reports from his Scanning Bridge Officer and Captain Denison.
"Our sensors have just gone mad, Captain. Something's happening on the surface and we have no idea what."
"Captain, some kind of terra disturbance is occuring on the surface in the Base Camp."
Winterfire looked at the scanners from across the bridge. "Magnify times 200x." he commanded.
The XIW Inescapable, NKS Empress Keiko and APS Armorai were roughly half an AU from the planet, and at that range the Xiscapian scanners could focus down to the details of a coin on the surface. Enlarging and scanning, the cameras showed the Base Camp Foxtrot, and the sudden appearance of the structures bursting out of the ground. Winterfire merely raised his eyebrows. "It seems our Imitator friends have triggered something. Didn't the away team say the Commanders were investigating some ruins they'd found?" he asked Captain Denison.

As soon as the temple had settled, it would be revealed that the Camp was, in fact, in a small corner of the temple. Vast walls dwarfed those that the Xiscapians had built and threw most of the camp into shadow. A loud voice echoed across the whole complex

"Why have we been disturbed!"

Tunnels

To Rose's amazement, the Statue things had slowed to a stop and let them burst through the exit into the sunlight of the jungle surface.
"What was..." Rose asked, panting until she saw the diamond at the top of the nearby camp. Her pupils dilated to nothing and her expression changed to one of anger,

"We have been disturbed!" She screamed in a deep, booming voice at Sanderson and the Scientist.

Orbit

Denison shook his head,
"Our Marines did say something about Lieutenant Commander Rose falling into an old tunnel of some sort. Whatever they've done, they've disturbed someone. I've never seen anything like it"

Ari glanced back hopefully at the Xiscapian spacer thinking the same thing. She wasn't alone either. That gave her a little bit of hope.

Then the ruins came out of the ground shaking her up. She wasn't a scientist but she filed this away for future reference since she'd need to think later on. Just what was going on with this planet?

###

"Thank you for your sympathy Captain but they wouldn't have let themselves be captured. We'd rather kill ourselves than be captured so they had a good death in battle regardless" Megumi replied over the visual signal.

She had her viewscreen split into two now as she talked with both Captain Winterfire and Captain Denison. The ruins under the surface was news to her since Commander Abe never got to do a proper survey.

"Whats the story Captain Denison?" she gently asked having the feeling this could be an important matter.

Ari and Katan brought into a clear area, and were beamed up to the Unforgiveable warship in orbit. Patterson also came with them, as they were in the cold, dim, blue-lighting of the bridge. They were offerd Imitator style race suits. Patterson stared at them " I would suggest puting them on, unless you want to die cold." The Samuri suit was presented to Katan again, and Ari was handed a human design.

The imitators didnt really have an answer to the strange voice, as they couldnt locate it. The building was already surrounded by many Alliance marines and vehicles, addiotianlly with the squadrons of fighters and bombing running by. Plasma-ray disks were set in place to fight off orbitally enemy's, AA plama-rays were also set up for fighter control, the only thing left to do was establish a larger, permanent base of operations.

Feeling the familiar tug of a transporter beam Ari knew her old life was over for sure. She was being transformed as time passed.

Even with wearing a field jacket she still felt bitterly cold and without further ado sullenly changed into the offered race suit.

She even looked resigned as she did this her old uniform and boots now just a pile on the floor. At least now she felt warmer.

"Whats going to happen to us now?" she then asked Patterson.

ooc: Ari was infected by a bio grenade. whats the process of change likely to be like for her.

OCC: She wont even be able to tell shes being taken over from the inside until basically someone knew is born, its like her brains being erased and replaced at the same time, but she's fine at the moment. and she will start hearing all the imitators voices in her head.

The NK suit was designed quickly after the dead NK were scanned, and it glitterd with chrome plating. Patterson smiled as he noticed she was hit by a bio-nade " You will come into unity within us, you will become one, soon...soon."

"Then it seems my old life is over for good" she gently replied thinking about the family and ship mates she'd never see again.

They would presume her dead anyway. She'd told Commander Abe to leave them once the bio-grenade exploded near them.

Her gaze dropped to the ground as she spoke. The dejection was complete and there was no way back for this young woman.

Like with every new specias the imitators took over, the proccess would be slow at first, Ari could take days before being completed assimilated from within herself. Patterson let Katan free to run around the ship, while he kept talking to Ari. " Your already coming to join us, whether you chose to or not, do you accept unity and join the Alliance?"

"I don't have any choice" she replied gently looking at Patterson.

"People like you stripped away my honour when when I was captured. The old Ari Susato died then."

Then she heard the first whispers in her head and the first signs of the changes that would bring her into unity with the others on this ship.

The first voices were shatterd and quiet. " Welcome sister...we are the alliance...you are the alliance.."

Patterson patted her back " What is your name rank and serial number" he said as a swarmite approached him carrying a plasma-ray pistol.

The whispers sounded comforting to this young and beautiful asian woman and she would belong somewhere again.

"Ari Susato, Lt in the Neo Kirisuban exploration fleet, Susato-00432" she replied in that gentle voice.

Patterson clicked the chrome pistol to her hip and replyed to her. " Ari Susato, Lt in the Alliance of Imitated Worlds, 52nd Alliance Marines, Susato-00432" he nodded to her " You can use that weapon to kill yourself right now if you really want to." he added.

Ari pondered this question.

She could blow her brains out but what would that accomplish? As far as everyone she knew and loved was aware she had died on the surface during the attack.

That grenade had stopped her team evacuating and her life had effectively ended at that point.

"Why should I? I effectively died when the grenade infected me. Its why I killed my own team so they wouldn't go through whats going to happen to me. Honour demanded it" she replied.

She wasn't sure if Patterson would understand the NK principles of honour and sacrifice and why they fought to the death.

Patterson began to start walking down a corridor walking with her " Ari, your life has just been switched, but since we are trying to find better ways to cope with the enemy, this includes your brothers and sisters, were going to have your brain memorys downloaded into the ships computer and once you are born anew, we will put them back into you. Be aware that the next time you set foot on the battlefield your weapon might be pointed towards your former allys." He stopped and brought her into a dome shaped room wih two swarmite security gaurds and a chair in the middle, it had a head attachtment to it as well.

The comforting but incomplete whispers could still be heard by Ari as she entered the room where here memories would be taken from her and presumably returned later.

So figured she had to sit in the chair she said "I may not end up on another battlefield. I'm a better engineer than a soldier."

She knew what she was good at and although she had helped defend the base and killed quite a few Alliance marines she still seen herself as more of an engineer. A builder and maintainer of things rather than as a destroyer of them.

Patterson understood " Very well" they strapped her into the seat, and after about ten minutes her brain was successfully downloaded and would be returned later after she was completely assimilated. " You say you are an engineer right? Well, im gonna give you squad. Four swarmites entered the room and filed infont of her " These will be your brothers in arms,sister." They saluted her and each gave them there names in order of rank.

Private slag

Private Riz

Corporal Merker

Sgt. Zorg

They saluted her.

Ari felt her memories leave her but her personality remained.

The Alliance now knew most of what made a Pioneer class starship tick including the cloaking device. What she had known they now knew and she could have fixed anything on the Empress Keiko.

Ari returned a salute but it felt strange to her. She was more used to bowing instead but now she had a team to look after and a purpose. She committed the names and ranks to memory and gently said "Sgt Zorg why don't you show me round? I'd like to see what we'll be fixing together."

The glance to her team mates showed she also included them in the 'we'. She had cared for the people under her command before and would do the same again here.

OCC: eventually i will let you have complete control of her squad, but for information purposes i will give there reactions.

Patterson returned to Katan.

OCC: you just need to look at my factbook to see what a swarmite looks like, think of a wasp.

Sgt.Zorg's mandibles clicked as did his wings and signaled his men to follow, his voice had a buzz to it " Mam Lt. We will operate on board the Scavenger "Revinate" in repairs after the conflict with NK,Xscapian, and Alversian forces in orbit, it has sufferd considerable hull damge and must be repaired immediatly, after this is complete we will be beamed down to the base that's being built, there we will help with building and defense of the base." he said as they walked through the corridors, telling her about the virtual reality room, which wasnt used for training, as Alliance marines and with all Alliance personal, they were trained on actual planets and eviroments for better combat training. Zorg showed her the armory, filled with shiny weapons, then she was shown the bunk rooms and free-time areas. " Do you have any questions mam Lt?

Although having no memories of repairing a hull before her training had been in every aspect of ship maintenance and repair.

"I do have a question Zorg san" she replied as she was shown other parts of the ship including the armoury and presumably where she'd sleep and relax.

"Is the scavanger Revinate open to space and will we need space suits to complete the task" she asked needing to know just how bad the damage was.

A hull section that was open to space needed to be sealed with a forcefield or if that wasn't available they needed life support suits to effect the repairs.

Zorg clicked again " Mam Lt. The Revinate shields are covering it from space, we will have oxygen to breath, no suits required, except for the one your wearing, all Alliance race suits are classified as E.B.S. Eviromental Battle Suit, giving you all the neccesary for survival, except for shields, those are being held for the Black Insurgents." They approached the beaming area of the ship.

That was what she needed to know and she felt ready to effect the repairs.

"Then theres no time like the present to get started. I'll need a tool kit, welding gear and enough hull plating to complete the task. I assume that will be waiting for us" she replied.

She looked ready to tackle to the job as well as more energetic and purposeful.

Zorg and the team were beamed to the Revinate, it was then that Zorg answerd her question. " Yes mam Lt. all resources will be at our disposal for the operation, its rather boring but well worth it for the Alliance."

"Thats good Zorg" she replied and they did find what they needed to repair the hull breaches.

As the boring task continued the sections of hull plating were securely welded into place with Ari working just as hard as her team. She felt like she had a purpose again even with missing her old memories.

Right now she could only remember her name and nothing of what had happened to her prior to the conversation with Patterson. New memories were forming all the time although as she still retained her skills.

The swarmite squad she had under her control worked frequently, there were also other repair squads as well. The patch job was looking very good, they would be done in another thirty minutes or so.

So half an hour later as the combined repair effort continued the hull breach was finally repaired.

Using a comm panel in that corridor Ari signalled the bridge to tell them the task was completed.

Once that was done she warmly said to Zorg and her team "thats one job done guys but now we're needed on the surface. Please call me Ari although."

Her boundless energy and focus remained but this engineering team was like family to her now.

There were quickly beamed to the surface, hundreds of Marines and other personall were still scrambling around, other enginners were building up the chrome architechure of the imitators. Zorg turned to his Lt " Mam Lt. We are needed in building up this bases anti-aircraft defensive cabablitys." Air would find it much easier to build Alliance equipment as she was fed step by step from her brothers and sisters. The parts of AA Plasma-ray disks were ready for building, Slag,Riz, and Merker had already began construction.

Ari carefully inspected the parts first before she started to learn from her team how they went together.

Zorg and her team still called her by her rank but she supposed old habits died hard.

So she asked questions as the weapon systems were assembled so she'd be quicker at building these right first time later on. The questions were also directed at Slag, Riz and Merker so she could involve them. Team building worked better when everybody felt valued by their leader.

Zorg looked at the first AA gun as it was completed, they moved onto the next, they were almost machine like in there proccess, he turned to Ari " Mam Lt. It might not come to suprise you that the enemy might very well bring reinforcements to take this planet, if so we will be expected to engage hostile forces."

OCC: reply and we will stop and give Xscapia time to catch up, we already have gone very far.

"I suppose thats why we have sidearms for Zorg. We still make better engineers than marines although" she gently replied as the assembly line continued.

Another gun was taking shape as she spoke with her team making sure it looked like it was supposed to on the plans at each stage of the building process.

Again she worked as hard as her team did.

ooc: ok.

Occ:bump Yay Xscapia!!!!!

The scientist made to break away but Sanderson grabbed him and held him back even as Rose shouted in that terrible voice again. "We didn't disturb you, goddamn it, they did!" he pointed in the direction of Base Camp Foxtrot.
Unforgiveable...
When Patterson returned to Katana he would find the kitsune had not put the armor on, and sat down on a supply crate, blowing on his hands to keep warm, freezing his tail off. As the Imitator entered Katana glared at him with hatred. "What did you do to her? Where is she?"

patterson sat by Katan " She has joined the Alliance, she believes that she is dead of her past, she is working with a team of enginneers on the planet, setting up defensive weapon emplacements, how are you feeling, oh your cold." A Balderian walked up handing him a blue blanket with his scaly hand, then going back to normal duty's.

Katan threw the blanket across the room, the blue sheet fluttering as it fell. "You bastards!" he screamed, angry, terrified and dispairing all at once. His only ally was gone. "You convinced her she was no longer human, now she's one of you! There's no choice, only slavery!"
Tears were rolling down his face and he was shaking, patrially from cold but also from fear and fury. But worst of all was the raw, aching hopeless dispair gnawing at his heart. The only other individual in thousands of miles had been converted, and he was a prisoner, surronded by the enemy, unlikely to ever see his home planet, or even another of his own kind, again.
I am alone.

Patterson took his tears away with his hand, or at least attempted to, hopefully he wasnt stupid enough to bite his hand. " Your going to Celestis my freind.."

Katan's eyes widened in horror and he scrambled back, making animal noises of fear. "Oh no, not there. Please not there..." Celestis was a world of horror stories to the kitsune, of gruesome dissections and sentiant non-humans driven mad by pain and fear and isolation. Celestis was the old North Calaveran homeworld, and there was where one found just what kind of evil lurked in the hearts of men...
OOC: TG, NC.

Katana threw the blanket across the room, the blue sheet fluttering as it fell. "You bastards!" he screamed, angry, terrified and dispairing all at once. His only ally was gone. "You convinced her she was no longer human, now she's one of you! There's no choice, only slavery!"
Tears were rolling down his face and he was shaking, patrially from cold but also from fear and fury. But worst of all was the raw, aching hopeless dispair gnawing at his heart. The only other individual in thousands of miles had been converted, and he was a prisoner, surronded by the enemy, unlikely to ever see his home planet, or even another of his own kind, again.
I am alone.

lol katana

Patterson's head leaned to the right " The people there will be very freindly, there is no xenophobic destroyers there, however i can give you an alternate planet, or you may stay at the barracks down on the planet."

OCC:i didnt get a TG

OCC: nevermind, yes it sounds cool.

OOC: Fixed his name. And I only just sent you the TG. BTW, I'm singing off for tonight.
IC:
Katan moaned. "Just let me go. I want to go back to my people, I don't want to be here. I'm not a scientist, I'm not interested in the Imitators, just let me be free!" he screamed this last part, backed away into a corner as far away as he could get from the Imitator.
OOC: May I suggest capturing the scientist on planet? He wouldn't like the AIW any more then this guy, but he'd take it as an oppertunity to learn more.

Patterson nodded " Very well, Katan you were never a prisoner, had you asked earlier we would have let you go..." he smiled right into Katan's eyes and he was beamed into a clearing about seven miles from the camp. Air patrols had spotted the scientists and patrols were closing in.

The work continued to build up the anti-aircraft defences with Ari being a quick learner.

She could see the waves of friendly fighters fly overhead as she worked with her swarmite team. The work going very smoothly even with them having to answer her questions.

The way she thought hadn't changed. She still prefered to build rather than destroy. However if Zorg thought he might have to bear arms she was inclined to take what he said seriously.

These guns might see action sooner rather than later.

She was feeling warm as she worked and slipped of her chrome wrap over top. She still had a black undersuit on underneath this to preserve her modesty and as her suit was a chrome duplicate of her old uniform it would look familiar to people who seen it.

Rose stared at Sanderson and Scientist with dead, emotionless eyes,
"We have been disturbed my brothers. They have returned," Her voice made the very ground beneath then echo, "kill all of them" She boomed across the jungle.

Base Foxtrot

The diamond at the top of the temple suddenly beamed a brilliant flash and scattered beams in every direction for miles and miles through the air. On the ground, holes suddenly appeared beneath some the Imitators and snatched them below the surface before the holes closed themselves up again and appeared elsewhere, doing the same thing. The air was filled with terrible shrieks and cried of pain.

The sight of seeing people vanish into the ground would shock most people but Ari was cool under pressure.

Making an quick decision of her own bat she slipped her wrap over top back on again and said in her command voice "Sgt Zorg get your team out of here and take me with you. We're sitting ducks on the ground."

She looked up to the roof of the barracks which looked like the safest place right now. She couldn't fly but they could.

She also still lived by the old command code that she was taught. Things are replaceable, people are not and she cared for her team.

Zorg and his team were on the roof rather quickly. That was the last straw for the Invasion force, Physco battle tanks, battle cars, and Alliance Marines opened up on the structure, full bore. Ray's flew through the air at the structure. The bombers/fighter formations flew over head and now came down, they shrieked as they came down and began to fire fully automatic plamsa-rays kicking up dirt until they reached the structure, the bombers made passes dropping plasma bombs.


OCC: Almost everything is chrome in the Alliance, except for the black under armor-like suit under your main one.

Ari was glad to be on the roof to see this rather than being on the ground.

With all the chaos going on she couldn't see if any other engineering teams had made it and she didn't have the full mind link yet.

Alliance forces were hitting the new building with everything they had including air power and and all she could do was watch the fireworks.

The squadrons broke off the assault, and people were being beamed up rapidly, so was some of the equipment to be saved. The Barracks and remaining structures that were to large would be destroyed by whatever this thing was. The mind link sent an alarm of retreat to the Alliance forces.

Still more and more of the Imitators were sucked down under the surface to some grisly fate. The holes were growing big enough to draw down entire tanks or groups of Marines all the while, the same booming voice cried out,
"We have been disturbed!"

The beaming continued as the entire fleet in orbit focused on there people. Air was taken up immediatly along with her squad. The alliance had lost three hudnred people and twenty tanks to the holes.

Feeling the transporter beam whisk her away to an orbiting ship Ari felt relief.

Only seconds before a beam had left a pretty big hole only a few feet behind them on the roof they had landed on.

If it had hit them they all would have been toast.

She did sense the retreat signal although and right now she wasn't bothered about which ship she was on. At least her team and herself was safe.

"what the hell was that Zorg?" she asked the Sergeant voicing the question she was sure her team was also asking themselves.

Zorg, Ari, and the rest of her team were back on the Unforgiveable, they were taken to the bridge to see what was happening in orbit, the cold dimly blue-light bridge had a teal holographic panel which created a holographic image of the battle field, troops and supplies were still being beamed back. Patterson strode back and forth with his helmet at his side " I dont know what that could be down there, we will stay in orbit and run scans."

OOC: Hold on guys, should we not wait a little for Xis? This is his thread and he's already seriously behind here

OCC: okay, he came back last night and only posted once.

Ari nodded to Patterson as she fixed her jacket again. It was more sensible to get their answers from orbit after all.

At least they were safe here and her team was still alive but she looked at the screens to get an overview of the situation. She may have been an engineer but she was curious about what could have caused damage on that scale. She was sure it was tied up to the temple in some fashion.

She furrowed her brow as she considered this.

ooc: lets pause.

Sanderson heard the whine of patrols approaching, then abruptly break off as as great rumbling was heard from the camp, followed by screams and explosions and blaster fire. The Xiscapian stared at Rose. The last time he had tried to intervene she had picked him up off his feet by his neck. So now, as much as he hated to do it, he kicked out, seeking to bring his leg under to knock her on her butt. Maybe that would stop this strange, possessing voice.
Clearing...
Katan heard the shakings and screams but moved away from the camp, not wishing to engage with the Imitators anymore. He was stranded here, as far as he knew, so he had to make his own way. The Spacer did not know how to fly a fighter, but he did know how to drive a vehicle. If he could threaten someone into flying him out of here, it might work.
Forest...
The Xiscapian who had taken the speeder bike watched though his helmet binoculars with morbid satisfaction as the Imitators were swallowed by the holes and the survivors retreated, leaving only trashed equipment and stirred up dirt in their wake. The speeder bike hovered patiently behind him and the Alversian was standing beside him, also watching the destruction of the occupiers. Suddenly everything was silent, so abrupt it was like a new noise. The Xiscapian's hair prickled with unease and he looked around wearly.

OOC: TG Xis

Although her legs shot from under her, Rose simply hovered in midair as she had done before. This time she levitated up to the tops of the Jungle Trees and spread her arms wide. She began to speak in a strange tongue that none of them had heard. Immediately, several large columns of mud were thrown high into the air and a series of 8ft tall Hoplites began to emerge from the ground.

--

The Marine was watching the camp and shaking his head,
"Never in all my years" He whistled and watched as an Imitator vanished into the ground, "Looks like we've dodged a bullet..."
He noticed something to his right and, nudging the Xiscapian on the shoulder, he pointed to several large columns of mud being thrown into the air,
"Looks like our missing Officers" He stated grimly

A Battlecar that had escaped the torturing holes and temple had noticed the Xscapian scientist and other through infer-red screens, The Battlecar had four Calaverian Soldiers sitting on the side, riding towards them.

At that point, a vast hole suddenly appeared in front of the battlecar. It had no choice to swerve and no hope of stopping before it reached the yawning chasm.

The four Calaverian Alliance marines ditched off the side of the Battlecar, the Balderian in the vehicle hissed as his vehicle and himself were engulfed, the four Alliance marines began to take cover behind trees.

There was a rustling in the trees before a javelin shot out from the bushes. It was aimed for an Imitator and the gap between the Imitator and the bush was so close there was no way of avoiding it. At the same time, another three Javelins were fired out towards the other Imitators.

A plasma-ray rifle could be heard dropping as a Imitator was pinned to the the tree, he held his gut as he took his helmet off breathing heavily and sweating, his eyes darted around as he started to fade. Another Alliiance marine fell as the blade passed through his throat, the other two marines ducked and began to fire fully automatic.

on the bridge of the Unforgiveable..

On the bridge Ari continued to see the scene play out as she could see the beam ups of alliance forces and equipment continue.

Then something else caught her sharp eye.

"There Patterson" she said pointing at an area away from the temple. Another hole had swallowed up a battlecar but the marines had company.

"Can we determine the species of the others?" she asked her finger still pointing at the spot on the display.

A swarmite turned in his chair " Mam Lt. they are Xscapian and it seems Alversian as way." Patterson pointed at the spot " Do you think we can get an airstrike in, bio-bombs?" " Commander Sir I believe we can, we are routing bombers Zulu and Macy to the destination as we speak."

The Imitator fire flew into the bushes for a few moments. Then more of the 8ft tall Hoplites charged out from the bushes and surged forward, their short katanas drawn above their heads. The blaster fire seemed to be having no effect on them, passing through the gaps in their rotted flesh and simply bouncing off the bone. They closed the gap in a remarkably short time and swiped down on the two Imitators.

One Imitator's head was split down the middle at the charge he shook for a minute then fell to the ground. The other Imitator's mouth split and claws and spines shot out of his armor, he slammed a fist into the face of one of the hoplites.

Not so long ago Ari Susato had been a starship engineer. Now she was finding a chance as an Alliance officer to put her sharp mind to a problem.

It was hard to see what was going on so she asked "can this be magnified?"

It was obvious there was survivors from the initial attack and it was a reasonable assumption they were fighting the Alliance marines. It was also a chance to infect them and round them up.

Something the bombers could hopefully do.

Indeed it was magnified and they had a clear view of the battle, on another screen that showed almost a red outline of the planet and two blue dots that were closing in on the position. Patterson saw the hoplites " Whare those?..." he said to himself quietly.

The Marine nodded. "Let's get them, then." He climbed on the speeder bike, waited for the Alversian to mount it, and they sped off towards Rose, Sanderson and the scientist.
Clearing...
Sanderson almost fell as the leg sweep did not have the desired effect. The Hopolites rose from the ground and he brandished his blaster, for all the good it would do. Then a last minute, do-or-die idea struck him. He switched the setting to "Stun" and fired it at Rose, hoping that if it worked he could catch her before she hit the ground.
Forest...
Katan watched the clearing as the strange, dead stone Xiscapians in armor appeared. He had no weapons excepting for his sword, and charging them would be suicidal. Yet he had to do something. So even as Sanderson fired his Stunner Katan stepped out of cover and waved his hands, trying to draw attention. "Hey! You great stupid gits! Over here!"

Ari looked closely and replied "I've never seen anything like them. They're barely registering and I can't pick up a species from them."

She could see the marines life signs fade out as they died but one was still in the fight.

"They're bigger than anything we've seen before but why are they leaving the others alone?" she added indicating the Alversians and Xiscapians.

The Marine leapt onto the back of the speeder and clung on as they flew towards the three Kitsune.

Clearing

Rose took the shot and jerked. She gave a gasp of surprise and fell to the ground. The Hoplites ignored the attack and continued to rise from the ground, drawing their swords as they did so.

Imitator Location

The Hoplite took the punch to the face and stopped for a moment. Then he opened his own mouth, it opened three feet and he slammed down on the Imitator's head, biting deep into the back of his skull at the process. He jerked upwards, pulling the Imitator's head from his body.

Katan's Location

One of the dead Kitsune Hoplites turned to look at Katan and began to run after him, soon it had reached the speed of an Olympic sprinter within seconds and was fast approaching him.

Patterson added " Possible allys?" he added as he tried to look closer

FOREST

The marine that was pinned to the tree began to radio but he could barely get anything out of it " lifeforms....primitive and dead-like.."

"Perhaps" Ari replied "but they don't look like troops the enemy would have. So they must have already been here."

She pursed her lips as another marines life sign faded.

"Hopefully the bombers can tell us more when they get there" she added as the radio signal finally got through.

lifeforms....primitive and dead-like.. could be heard from the speakers on the bridge.

Petterson nodded " Well find out in about ten seconds..." the bombers closed in.

Zorg turned to Ari " They could be native, but they resemble Xscapians, perhaps an experiment?"

Sanderson caught Rose in his arms, but the Hoplites kept coming. He pointed his pistol at the closest one when he heard the distinctive whine of a speeder bike engine. Turning, he was just in time to see a speeder bike halt next to them and two Marines, one Xiscapian, one Alversian, climb off. The Xiscapian pointed to the bike even as he unleashed with his rifle into the closest Hoplite. "Take the bike and get to a clear area! We'll catch up with you!" Sanderson dumped Rose on the back of the bike, mounted it, and took off.
Katan held his sword straight out as the Hoplite charged, and lunged forward at the runner, sword outward, intending to impale the thing on his blade. The modern katana was longer then the Hoplites, requiring more strength to swing it but giving it far more reach at it's three and a half foot length.
The scientist had since ran for it, though the trees, panting as he went, katana banging uselessly at his side. The Hoplites had not seen him go, and for now it seemed he was safe. I'm not cut out for combat! he cried silently to himself. I can't fight, so I'll just have to back out and hope I can find them later.

They did look like Xiscapians. Very big ones in fact and it tied up with the radio message the marine had sent.

"They could be Zorg" she replied needing more information. Either way this was a situation the approaching bombers could deal with and shed light on.

A Xiscapian looked like they were escaping through the forest as well as one of these new contacts was fighting another Xiscapian.

The bombs were dropped they flew down to the earth gaining speed, they would spray the area within 200 yards.

Patterson heard te report through the mind link as did Ari " We have engage the targets, returning home"

Ari could sense a stronger link now and heard the pilots voices.

What did you see? she thought back to them trying to send a question back to the returning pilots.

A question Patterson might be able to even hear as well. A look of concentration was on her young face as she did this.

The pilot's voice was ruff and deep " We dropped our ordanenance and got a better look, they are Xscapians, they look as thought they have been badly decompsed and are using primative melle weaponary in the form of javelines, a living subject seems to be controlling them, we should have hit them with the bombs."

The Marine dropped to one knee and fired on automatic setting. The blaster fire tore into the nearest Hoplite but did not even seem to slow him down. The Marine gave a yelp as a mighty fist threw him into one of the trees nearby. There wasn't a sigh from his as his broken body fell to the ground.

Katan's blade slide into the Hoplite's dead flesh but simply jammed. The Hoplite looked down at the katana and raised his own in preparation for a mighty blow.

At the same time, the beams from the temple swept forward into the Imitator Bomber.

Armorai

"God al-bloody-mighty!" Denison swore as he stared at the enhanced image of a dead Xiscapian gutting one of his Marines, "What in the name of hell is happening on that planet?" He asked his crew in disbelief.

"that can't be helped. Return home as planned" Ari replied as she heard the reply.

The order had been to bomb that area and hadn't been changed. She kept her sharp eye on the map and was tracking the contacts. Some heading away at speed, another on foot in the forest and one she wasn't sure about.

Bomber unit Macy was taken down, his signature disappeared, the other returned safely.

Patterson nodded " We sending in some marines, we will be able to beam you out at any time, but we need to get some info, Ari your squad is going, report to the armory there you will meet up with squads Red and Blue." Zorg and his men stood behind Ari.

"I understand Patterson" Ari said bowing in the NK way rather than saluting.

"Zorg, you and your guys will better tool up at the armoury" she said as she swept out of the bridge.

Her pistol would do her. If she had to fight it would be a bad state of affairs but her purpose was to acquire information. She'd need a scanner rather than a bigger gun.

So they headed to the armoury to meet up with the other marines.

Alliance Marines were slapping on weapons Red and Blue squad consisted of the following

Red Squad(rifleman)

Three Calaverians and two Balderians(Plasma-ray rifles, grenades, one Plasma-rocket launcher, Balderian Scimitars.)

Blue Squad(Rifleman/Heavy weapons)

Two Calaverians, one swarmite, one Terranian(Plasma-ray rifles, Plasma rocket launcher, grenades, Plasma-ray heavy machine gun: used by Terranian(large gorilla-like brutes, also equiped with War Tomahawks)

Patterson used the mind link " You are in command of Red and Blue as well."

Ari clearly heard the order on her own mind link and thought back Understood. I'll try not to be to long

She acquired a scanner and then headed back out with the away team which was armed to hunt bear. It looked like they might need all that firepower as well.

"We're not staying any longer than we have to down there. We'll go as soon as I gather information" she told them as they made their way to a transporter room.

Now she had marines to worry about as well. She'd try her best to get them all back alive as well.

They were beamed several miles away from Pyramid as they were beamed down, the squads atuomatically hit the dead, some on there knees scanning the treeline for hostiles, Zorg and the team did the same, they were enginneers but they were "combat" engineers. A Calaverian named Maker said to Ari " Mam Lt. tree line is clear we should proceed with caution."

Patterson linked again " You could be down there for a day or two, it all depends, tread lightly and engage forces only if they fire at you.

A rumbling voice sounded throughout the Imitator's position,
"You have disturbed the dead"
The voice was deep, so deep it made the very ground tremble,
"Why do you disturb the dead? Have you no honour?"

Maker tryed to respond to the voice using his telapathy " We are the Alliance, honor has no meaning, it is only a action of incredible physical and mental demands."

I understand. We'll be careful she thought back already knowing just how hostile this planet was even without holes opening in the ground above your feet.

That temple and its firepower was the main problem so far.

"I'll be careful Maker" she gently said also ducking down. Being a small woman she was already a hard target for enemy firepower.

Then she heard the voice as well. So much for being unnoticed and subtle. She set her scanner to record all that happened here so there'd be a record to take back.

"You disturb the dead" The voice beckoned again, this deep in a threatening manner,
"Why do you disturb the dead?"
There was rumbling from the trees around them, rustling branches like a breeze was blowing through the area

Zorg asked Ari " Mam Lt. I think it would be adviseable as to procceed no further, we should stay where we are for the time being and prepare ourselfs, it seems this being wishes us harm." The Terranian already threw down his heavy plasma-ray gun and set it up. Maker added to her " Mam Lt. I am requesting defensive barriars, they should be beamed in around us shortly."

Ari knew she now had to intervene to try and get answers.

"I command this Alliance away team" she called out.

"When we arrived we didn't know we were disturbing the dead but we could come to some arrangement which suits the both of us" she called back in the direction of the voice.

They didn't even need to set foot on the planet. Within a year this would be an Imitated world regardless of what happened in the future.

"Make your request for barriers" she said in a whisper. Zorg looked like he could be right but she'd wait to see what the outcome to her words were first.

"You disturb the dead. You will leave this place" The voice commanded in a solemn statement, "You will leave the dead to their rest. For this planet, their blood was spilled, by their sacrifice it is kept safe. You will leave this place."

Maker called out " What about the Xscapians here, and the Alversians, what deal do they bear with you?"

"You will leave," The voice repeated, "Or join the ranks of those who have fallen for their people. We have been disturbed."

"If that is your wish I'm sure we could honour that" Ari called back.

This operation had cost them dearly already and she figured doing what was asked of them was the best way out.

"We could be leaving quickly Maker" she whispered to him. "We don't need to be here to change this world. Its happening as we speak and they want their peace.

We can both get what we want."

Maker made the call to the Unforgiveable they would be beamed up in five minutes, he turned back to Ari " As long as we controll this world we will leave."

"We can control it from orbit and the others get their rest.

Then the Xiscapians and Alversians will have to deal with them and not us" she whispered with a smile on their face.

"We are leaving you in peace in a few minutes" she called out. Her scanner had been recording all of this including the little bit of diplomacy.

Maker nodded " Alright, well be up in three minutes, we can blockade the planet."

Ari returned a nod to Maker. The fine details of a blockade could be worked out later but they would get what they wanted.

The others would have to deal with the restless dead now.

They were beamed up to the bridge, Red and Blue squads left to there normal duty's on board, Patterson saluted her " It seems this is as far as we can go."

Ari returned a salute but was still finding it strange given her ingrained habits.

"We can't do much else. This world will be changed regardless. They want their peace and we can't afford a losing fight.

If the Xiscapians or Alversians want this worlds crystals let them deal with them but we can keep control from orbit" she said handing him the scanner which had the full events recorded on it.

Patterson smiled " You just need to salute in your own fashion" he laughed " We all understand it." he said as he pointed to a Calaverian(humans) saluted a Terranian who would reply with a salute by slamming his fist to his chest.

Ari smiled and gently replied "then I'll continue to bow in that case.

Those starships are still out there and they'll be back for their people still on the surface.

Can we afford to let the enemy still on the surface get away or can we leave them to the restless spirits down there?"

She posed the the question knowing they could capture them by transporter beam before a rescue could be effected and shared this thought with Patterson.

Patterson added, we zeroing in on them as we speak, but we got to go into orbit to beam them, seeing as they dont have our equipment.

The ship began to descend.

OOC: Maybe you'se should stop here. Any more action will need Xis' co-operation.

Ari nodded, smiled and headed back to the holographic map.

All higher life forms above animals were plotted now and being kept track off. It was only a matter of time until the Alversians and Xiscapians still on the surface were picked up.

They could run but they couldn't hide.

ooc: and paused again

bump-

The Xiscapian Marine met a similar fate as his comrade. Firing fully auto into a Hoplite, the huge thing slashed the kitsune in two with his sword, blood spurting as the Marine fell, mouth working without sound, rifle lying in the dirt several yards away. Katan stumbled away as the Hoplite slashed at him, turning and running for it.

The Hoplite chose not to follow Katan but instead moved back into the bush nearby.

Onboard the speeder meanwhile, Rose awoke with a start,
"W-what? What's going on? Where am I?" She looked about in surprise.

Katan did not looked back, he just kept running. Panting though the trees, he looked up in time to see a flash of something white and smelled kitsune and then he was on the ground with a pain in his head and tail. Looking up, he saw he had run into another kitsune, a scientist. Even as they stared at each other in astonishment the scientist vanished abruptly and Katan scrambled backwards will a startled yelp, climbing to his feet and stumbling away into the forest again.
Plains...
Sanderson shouted above the rushing wind and whine of the engine. "You're on a speeder bike! We're safe for now, but strange shit is going down!" The bike slid to a halt smoothly from going over a hundred miles and hour, and Sanderson climbed off, looking out over the flat plains to the forest far away.
Unforgivable...
There was a flash of light and the scientist appeared on the ship, sitting down with his legs bent out in front of him. He looked around wildly. "Wha-" he croaked.

Rose slid off the back of the speeder bike and looked around bewildered,
"I never got on a bike" She said slowly, then her face lit up as she realised what had happened, her eyes were suddenly filled with fear,
"It happened again didn't it?" She asked, a hint of dread creeping into her voice.

on the Unforgiveable

Ari heard the voices in her head say We've got one of them.

She smiled having also seen the blip vanish on the holographic map but there was also another Kitsune in the forest now and two together on the plain.

This was mainly Commander Patterson's baby but if the united mind of the Alliance needed her involvement she'd be ready to help out.

Swarmite security were already dealing with their latest prisoner so everything was in hand.

On the Empress Keiko

Their sensors could see what was going on at the planet and while Captain Ito was in conference with the other ships commanders Commander Abe was trying to piece together what was happening.

The temple has rose, it had been firing energy beams from a tower at Alliance targets and now it was here to stay. The pictures although a bit fuzzy for now showed a partial Alliance base now wrecked and no enemy prescence on the planet.

They still controlled the planet from orbit and their fleet was growing all the time.

Patterson was walking to the bridge where the Kitsune was being held by two swarmite guards, they draged the kitsune by his arms and dropped him in front of Patterson. This new member seemed to be a scientist, Patterson stood leaning to one side with his arms crossed " name rank and serial number, quickly."

As she studied the map she found the Kitsune being brought to the bridge after all.

Commander Patterson was dealing with the matter in hand so she kept an eye on developments on the surface. If she was needed she would assist.

Anik walked in and grabbd Ari's shoulder in a sign of salute " Mam Lt. please follow me to Virtual reality room." He said as he began walking, he stopped " bring the young ones."

Ari nodded and followed. Arik outranked her and the swarmites were already bringing the four young ones in.

They had been transformed and were now wearing the chrome race suits which were identical to their old trouser and jacket uniform in style.

They did look at peace and their internal battles were over now they were in unity with their brothers and sisters.