NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC:

Participation in this diplomatic RP is strictly limited to GPI and myself, nobody else. If you wish to follow along and observe, that's fine, but kindly do not interfere.

IC:

HMS Nauvoo, an Imperial Federated Systems Navy heavy cruiser, cut on silently through immense, seemingly endless blackness. She was brand new, sleek, fast, and lethal, having literally finished shakedown trials just two short months ago. Normally such a ship would have been assigned to a battle squadron, in a Fleet somewhere, but not this ship. No, there had been a special assignment meant for this ship before she was even out of the slipways in the Pine Island Shipyards three months before. Her first CO, Captain Dawn Tipton had her first mission orders in her hands before she had even boarded. They were sealed in an Intelligence folder, and she had orders not to open it before she was underway.

Needless to say, Tipton’s hands broke that folder’s seal the moment she was able, and she had been shocked by what she had read on the papers inside.

Admiralty Command

Captain D. S. Tipton,
Cmdg. HMS Nauvoo, Main Harbor, Pine Island

Captain: So soon as the Imperial Federated Systems Navy warship which you have been appointed to command shall be in all respects ready for space transit, you will proceed immediately to the Naara System, touching en route at such ports as you may believe necessary.

Tipton had paused at that. Naara, known to the Empire as Malthus was in Initiative hands last time she checked. Was she participating in an attack?

During your presence in Naara, you shall operate on terms of cease fire with those Initiative forces willing to observe such conditions, and support, in any way you are able, non-violent efforts to secure the release of POWs in GPI possession. A list of said POWs has been provided you, in addition to these orders. You shall return from this cruise only upon receiving specific directions from the offices of this Command.

Tipton rifled through the papers, found that list, and gave it a quick look. Some of the IDs it contained she recognized, Michi Iseki for one, and others she did not. All the same they had become her objective, her mission. They were to be set free. They would all be going home, if she had to carry them there in her own arms.

Commending you and your ship’s company to the protection of Divine Providence, and bidding you a safe return to your families and friends, I am,

Respectfully,
Admiral Marian Alston, CO, 7th Fleet

It was thus acting on these orders that Captain Tipton and the Nauvoo had set sail, quietly intent on succeeding. Within a week, they were on final approach to Naara. As they came in, they were broadcasting a message.

Forces of the Genetic Purification Initiative, hear me. I am Captain Dawn Tipton, here to represent my leaders to you. I come on the Empress’s authority and with her voice.

I request peaceful transit to the planet of Naara to meet with local government officials in residence there and secure certain diplomatic objectives. We desire no conflict.

I await a reply.

The message reached a mostly empty palace as legate Cassandra had went away for an actual victory parade of all things. Actually celebrating her victory over her predecessor meanwhile the defenses of Alvara and Griios were finally broken and their planets already flying allied flags. Cassandra didn’t bother to leave orders that the deserters from the initiative were to be arrested, just merely restricted to Naara as she went off on her parade. Though there was one actually there to hear the message, a former assistant to the governor who without knowing what to do fell back on protocol and simply barged into lady Lastra’s room.

“What the hell?”

Lastra announced with a weak voice sitting up to face the male bowing at her.

“Lady lastra. There is an imperial cruiser outside wanting to open up a dialogue. Since lady Kireas and cassandra’s departures you are the sole authority here.”

The rabbit sighed softly, leaning back, burbon and brandy coming from almost every pore she had, plus the fact that she hadn’t left her room in a week did nothing for the smell of the room not the rabbit. Though that didn’t matter, the only thing that did matter was the fact that she could get back at Kireas, get back at her and get away at the same time.

The reply read

#I am Lastra Eunoch and there are no other officials here, everyone mostly deserted or left with a madwoman. I am prepared to sign whatever you wish, to give your government whatever it desires from us so long as I may secure a release for myself and several remaining key people.#

HMS Nauvoo – Captain’s Ready Room

“Is that all there is to the message?”

Captain Dawn Tipton stood with her back to the occupants of the room facing the images laid onto the opaque bulkhead by projectors, showing the planet beyond. For a planet that had now served as an enemy’s stronghold for four years, Malthus, known to the Initiative leaders as Naara, seemed quiet.

“Yes, ma’am,” was the reply from Commander Selina Armengol, her XO. “Basically, she is offering herself, unconditionally, into custody so long as we get her and some people in her company away from this planet. That’s how we perceive the message, anyway.”

“Let’s hope we’re not wrong,” said Tipton. “Lieutenant Bruce, just who is this person?”

Lieutenant Robert Bruce, the ship’s Intelligence Officer, looked down at his datapad then looked back up at his captain.

“Lastra Eunoch: rabbit anthromorph, Blue Class Initiative citizen, which means she is the level of GPI society that handles education, scholarly work, produces the clergy, and such like, for the Initiative. It is believed she is the sometime sexual partner of Kireas, who has lately been acting as Governor of Naara.”

"Wait a minute," Tipton asked. "Kireas is a woman, isn't she? So that means they're les-”

"Actually, sir, Lastra is believed to have…dual plumbing."

Bruce’s remark was met by a round of blank stares from everybody in the room.

“So,” began Armengol. “That means she…ah, he…she is-”

“Her body is mostly feminine, sir,” Bruce supplied. “She is identified as a female.”

“Okay,” said Tipton. “Let’s keep moving. If she’s the Governor’s partner, why would she leave the Initiative? Kireas is a fairly powerful, well placed lady.”

“She is,” said Bruce. “At least, so far as we know, but that could have changed recently, a lot of things have for the GPI lately, or maybe they had a falling out and Lastra believes it is time to get away, possibly because Kireas may seek revenge soon.”

“Do we know anything else about her?” Armengol asked.

“Well,” Bruce said, looking at the ‘pad. “She is a skilled physician, by GPI standards, and it is believed she is a powerful psionic, as well as being a geneticist.”

“A psionic?” Armengol asked. “Couldn’t’ bringing her aboard be dangerous? We are still largely defenseless against strong offensive psionics.”

“We’ll bring her,” said Tipton, in a voice which said she would have no dissent. “She fits right in the parameters of the profile I was given.”

“…What profile, Captain?” asked Bruce.

“Well, Lieutenant, since you are cleared to know, and there is no way to keep you from at least finding out the basics, I will tell you.”

Captain Tipton then explained what had occurred when she had reported in to advise they had successfully made it to Naara without incident. Once she had cut the link, a signal the inbox for personal messages was receiving a transmission popped up. She had opened the incoming message, and to her shock, found a secret transmission from Naval Intelligence.

In the message, she was instructed to seek out any GPI officials who could be of use to an IFSR research project, and who were willing to defect. All she found were to be extracted immediately, along with the POWs she had been sent to rescue. Based on that ONI record her Lieutenant Bruce had just read, this Lastra sounded perfect.

“Very well,” she said. “We’ll send a reply.”

"Lastra Eunoch, this is Captain Tipton. If you are willing to come with us, we have no problem taking you along, and these key people you mention. We are here for something else as well. We have come to secure the release of some Imperial personnel captured some time ago by Initiative forces. Can you help us to find them?"

-the rabbit sighed as she got the message, even though she should be happy, the rest of the initiative wouldn't be. She would be branded a traitor forever and the punishment for that was death. On the other hand there was total destruction if she followed the broken minded thing parading in the remaining systems. She looked at the aide sighing softly-

"I know you know what this message is talking about. I don't care what protocols there are just assemble all the captives we have in the capitol on the roof in one hour. Have all the captives on planet brought here and on the roof in two."

-the aide fearfully did as he was told without question, soon every imperial captive on the was on a line transferring to the capitol city and then soon there was a gathering on the rooftop of nearly two thousand naked, ragged captives and more that were simply kept in the stairwell because there was not enough space. All of them were ready for one thing. Their freedom.-

The message back read

#I hope the captives you are looking for are among these few. I will soon provide a list of those I intend for you to secure. Whether they want to be secured or not.#

There was no time for petty arguments and loyalties, she would drag them off the planet kicking and screaming if she had to. The list read as follows.

#Delan Maiko (Chief Admiral of the navy)

Lutron Mayers (Naval Captain)

Una Of Souill (Naval Captain)

Bisseni (Chief account officer)

Lisenii (Top Chef)

Inaraa Klion (Chief Financial representative)#

HMS Nauvoo

Captain Tipton quickly surveyed the list of people this…Lastra had requested she extract, identifying a few names she had seen before in data files, and seeing others which she did not recognize. When she was finished, she gave the list to Lieutenant Bruce.

“Lieutenant, compile all data we have on these people at once, paying special attention to imagery. When the Marines make landing I’d like for them to know who they are seeking if at all possible. Make that your first priority for now.”

“I’m on it, Captain,” Bruce replied as he took the ‘pad. Within thirty minutes he collected into one file every picture the ONI had of every person Lastra named. With that task done he turned to data, collecting any information that he felt was pertinent. Within 30 minutes he had collected enough to satisfy Captain Tipton, and she ordered in the Marines.

For this she called on Major Charles Nestor, the Shipboard Marine Detachment CO. Such intensive work was usually not entrusted to less than a battalion, but Nestor’s force held a little bit less than that, quite a bit less actually. He had two under-strength rifle companies in his barracks, provisionally organized, seventy Marines in each, plus his command team he would use to coordinate his combat forces. Heavy support would come from the ship’s heavy onboard weapons systems. Normally he would have had a reinforced company and heavy support, but Nauvoo had been forced to depart before they could all be brought.

Nestor thought about the missions and decided he would task one company with rescuing his fellow Romandeosians, and the second with seizing the Initiative personnel. Each unit had been given its specific orders, down to the platoon level by the time the Marines were loaded into the assault dropships. First Company would drop on and around the place that had been determined to be holding the POWs, secure the location and an LZ then manage loading operations alongside the dropship crews.

Meanwhile, the Marines of Second Company would drop in the same area, but then move into the surrounding buildings, to the most likely locations of the people on the list Lastra had provided, secure them, by force if necessary, then return to the landing area.

Naara – LZ

First Lieutenant Michael Hahn, Imperial Marines, First Company CO surged out from the heavily armored dropship, the otherwise loud thud of his boots upon the rooftop drowned into obscurity by the roaring engines. His seventy Marines, a command squad of ten, with his remaining sixty divided into three rifle platoons, spread out across the roof, securing a large portion of it in just seconds. One platoon moved down into the stairwells, securing a lot of the lower levels within just a few minutes. He smiled as this happened. At this pace he would have the POWs moving into orbit in a few minutes.

Naara – Second Company

First Lieutenant Davina Goodwin, Imperial Marines, Second Company CO, huffed as she ran along what she guessed from its appearance was a pedestrian walk path. Behind, sixty heavily armored, heavily armed Marines ran along following Goodwin’s command squad in a loose urban combat formation. Normally, one platoon would be ahead of the leader’s unit, but this situation was a bit unusual. Besides which, Nauvoo was keeping a sharp eye in orbit. If anything popped up which might threaten Goodwin’s Marines they would spot it and send the alert. They were doing the same for Hahn’s mob.

Upon reaching a preselected point, her First Platoon broke off, heading for its objective to retrieve it. The destinations had been determined by many sources, including the list from Lastra, information about where each person’s post would likely place them and guessing it half-blind by Lieutenant Bruce.

First Platoon would seize Delan Makio and Lutron Mayers.

Second Platoon would seize Una of Souill and Bisseni.

Third Platoon would seize Lisenii and Inaraa Klion.

Lieutenant Goodwin and her own command squad would retrieve Lastra Eunoch.

Parties of armed ship’s crew, specially trained to back up the Marines if necessary waited in the dropship bays, just in case they were needed.

There was no resistance in the palace. Even the walls which in their glory days sported twice the invading platoon were now unmanned and the gate was unlocked, open and unguarded. Everyone simply moved aside as the captives were free as was Lastra’s decree.

Maiko was one of the few furs locked up in the lower cells of the palace. The fox was reading a book, peacefully waiting for the legate’s return so he could be promptly released by the insane rabbit’s handlers.

Lutron was in her private quarters kneeling in prayer to the goddess as she usually spent her days and most of her nights, covered in heavy robes not exposing much aside her eyes and her long hair.

Una had left as her governor had left, going away in a vain attempt to find and serve her lady. The financial officer was busy arranging accounts, withdrawing the massive amount of credits that had been given by the Eunoch family as Brenna had left specific instructions that they were to be used only by governor Kireas in support of this war.

The chef was in the kitchen cooking some form of chicken, and beef though leaving the beef extra rare as Maiko liked his meat somewhat undercooked. Meanwhile Inaara was infront of a viewscreen trying desperately to explain to the elder rabbit that everything was under control. That all assets were being moved away from this place as they spoke, even though the ursine forgot to mention the million credits that had somehow wound up inside his bank account.

First Company

Imperial Marines were uniformly trained to be fast and efficient when carrying out a task. It was thus taking a surprisingly short time for the Marines of First Company to manage a hideously complex loading operation sorting through captured personnel and making sure it all went smoothly. Special attention was afforded those in severe conditions such as the ill, the badly wounded and the very few pregnant females. As each POW was processed a list of names was checked to see if they were officially listed as missing, or captured, and in turn each name was checked off, listing the person as being recovered.

Meanwhile…

First Platoon, Second Company

“First Squad, move up! Second Squad, Third Squad, hold back on the flanks!”

First Squad, First Platoon, Second Company stacked up on the entrance to the stockade as Lieutenant (2nd) Nora Priest looked on in anxious silence. Her orders were simple. First, a leading GPI Navy Admiral was to be secured, followed by a Captain in the same service.

Priest’s mind pondered briefly on the fact that this admiral was in a prison right when this invading bandit nation most needed all the commanders it could get, but then dismissed it in the face of the simple fact that the reason was not important right now. She had located him, and now, she had to extract him.

Her HUD flashed a blinking green light, the signal the explosives charge was laid and the insertion was ready. With a simple hand gesture, she set the strike into motion.

WHAM!!!

The concussive blast from the explosion stunned even the Marines, who were wearing the helmet-mounted dampers issued to all combat soldiers. The moment was gone as quick as it had come, however, and the Marines stormed inside.

“Nobody move!” the point man bellowed as he moved inside, his rifle leveled at anybody he could see, moving back and forth between targets, as did the five others in his squad as his fellows moved in behind him. Within moments, the stockade was secured. Priest left a rifle squad outside as security as she entered the target area.

“Search the cells!” she ordered. “Delan Makio is supposed to be here somewhere. Mayers might be here as well, so keep an eye out, people.”

Second Platoon, Second Company

Lieutenant Rhea Silverstone walked silently down the corridor, towards the offices where locals questioned by the Marines (these GPI citizens defined broken) claimed the account management official was located. Why this Lastra person wanted this…Bisseni mystified her, but like Priest, she did not really care about that. Finding the target location had been moderately difficult, but now, they were closing in on this accountant who was so critical in some way to this mission. They had failed to locate Una, their first target.

“Lieutenant,” the point squad leader’s voice came through her headset. “We’ve found the location. The entrance does not seem to be secured in any way – Over.”

“Understood,” she said as she picked up her pace. “Prepare to make entry – Over.”

Minutes later, she stood behind the point squad as they were “stacked up” by the entrance into Bisseni’s office. At her signal, the Marine in the lead swung into position and blasted in the door with a single burst from his assault rifle. He stormed in even as the smoke was in the process of clearing, his five squad mates close behind him.

“Well now,” Silverstone said in flawless Latin to the room’s few occupants as she walked inside. “What do we have here?”

Third Platoon, Second Company

Lieutenant Michael West ran through the doorway into the kitchen where Lisenni, a cook if he understood correctly, was supposed to be located.

“Don’t move!” he heard the pointman shouting. “I’ll shoot the first person who moves!”

Command Squad, Second Company

First Lieutenant Goodwin moved cautiously down the hallway towards Lastra’s room, the nine Marines of her command squad strung out behind. She had no idea what to expect as her own combat experience against the Initiative was somewhat limited, but what she had learned from intelligence led her to believe people such as Lastra Eunoch could be quite a handful in a fight, to say the least.

‘If this giant bunny changes her mind,’ she thought as she approached. ‘We’re screwed.’

“Lastra Eunoch!” she called out in accented Latin. “This is Lieutenant Goodwin, Imperial Marines. Are you in there?”

There was nothing in the holding cells aside a few scared guards, though Maiko only looked up from his book with passive interest. He'd heard english before but he didn't speak a word of it so he kept silent as he didn't know his liberation was at hand. Lutron would not be in the holding cells as they thought nor would she be disturbed from her silent prayer, no one as devout as she would really. Besides, who knew what crazy orders Cassandra gave in her abscence. Maybe she did order a 'fire drill' or something.

Bisseni looked up at priest clearing his throat, the ferret sighed before leaning back in his chair thinking his end had come.

"So. The human comes to deliver me to the goddess. Well... Can I just transfer these last accounts before you do?"

He now lazily fiddled around with a datapad as he asked the question intending to fulfill his duty to the last gasp.

The canine cook moved only to turn off his oven and inched over to turn off the boiling pot of... Whatever was before him, with a little more cooking it would be a good cabbage stew but now it was just an undercooked mess. He too didn't understand his captors but he did understand the rifles, their suits and their tone.

"Ah good, someone who speaks latin... I am here and ready to go."

Lastra replied, coming in one of her more casual outfits, a simple tunic with an equally simple set of shorts completed with a set of casual loafers. The bunny practically jumped for joy when she saw the suited marines having taken a shower, scrubbed her teeth to get rid of the booze smell and spent nearly all her time getting presentable for the marines. Even though the smell of molded fur and booze polluted the room.

The rabbit looked directly at lieutenant goodwin for a few moments before whispering.

~"We need to check on second and third platoons in person... They requested help with their targets."~

She really did want to check on her financial advisors and realized that she could do that without mental trickery. But she didn't want these marines to know about their true objective, about the surprise she had for mother and all.

First Company

By now, Lieutenant Hahn was starting to have just a few problems, thankfully not the big hostile welcoming committee he had been expecting, but, problems nonetheless. He came in expecting to rescue some captured Imperial personnel. That was happening, but he also had begun netting increasingly large groups of Initiative personnel who, rather than doing his forces harm or trying to run away, were throwing up their hands at the first shout from his Marines. According to Imperial battle doctrine, the moment they surrendered they had legal rights to proper, humane treatment and had to be seen to by Hahn’s Marines.

In accordance with standard procedures, he had communicated with Nauvoo and apprised his superiors of his circumstances. Captain Tipton had set the crew to work cleaning out a large amount of space, as much as could be spared to house all these people, and had then informed her operational superiors.

First Platoon, Second Company

“We’ll be taking those, I think,” said a Marine as he stripped one of the guards of weapon load. Most of his fellows were searching the cells, closely examining every face.

Before long…

“I’ve got him!” one of the Marines called, halted before one of the holding cells.

Lieutenant Priest walked quickly to the cell and looked inside. Sure enough, there he was, in the cell, a perfect match for the pictures Intelligence had provided for them.

“Admiral,” she said, in badly accented but recognizable Latin. “We have come to take you into custody and remove you from this place. Give us a moment to open this cell.”

As she said this, two Marines were busy attempting to negotiate the lock. If that failed the Marine in charge had an explosives pack.

Second Platoon, Second Company

Lieutenant Silverstone looked at the accountant for a moment.

“I don’t think you should do that, sir,” she said. “We are not here to kill you, but if you get uncooperative, we might just hurt you.”

Third Platoon, Second Company

“I said do not move!” the Marine on point roared, and he cut loose with a short burst to illustrate his point, blasting the pot from the countertop.

Lieutenant West stepped forward, wishing his Latin was as good as Rhea’s.

“Sir,” he began, taking it slowly. “I am afraid you must come with us.”

Command Squad, Second Company

Lieutenant Goodwin glanced up at Lastra blankly for a moment. The Lapin was 5’11, and Davina was only 5’5. After just a moment she blinked and shook her head.

“Alright,” she said firmly. “We need to go check on Second and Third Platoons. They are requesting assistance with securing their objectives.”

“Ma’am?” the Company First Sergeant asked, puzzled.

“Let’s go, First Sergeant,” Goodwin ordered, making her way to the exit.

“Sure,” said another Marine. “Why not? It smells like hot ass and cheese puffs in here anyway.”

His remarked earned him a slap to the back of his helmet from the CFS, but no objections.

-Lastra grinned as she got closer and closer to second platoon's position, a moment before they actually linked up with the marines she altered their minds making them see only a white flash. The young lieutenant was right to say the mission would be unsuccessful if she changed her mind. though she left bisenii be. She needed his mind intact for the moment. The male looked up at his former master not bound in any way. She took a pistol from one of his stunned guards.-

"You know what I want... Give it to me and you can retire to a nice little trading post somewhere."

The accountant shook his head.

"I don't need your powers to tell that's a lie Lastra. Though you might be able to tell that you don't need to kill me."

"We'll see. Get the data pad with your current account information and we'll go from there."

-The ferret brought up his current account, labeling the transfer of three million credits back to the family account. Lastra didn't order him to transfer the money to his own account but to make the datapad worth the amount in 'solid' credits after all that would be nessicary to transfer the money to whatever form of currency the imperials had.

The rabbit sighed softly turning one of the stunned marines towards the ferret. She didn't want to do this but the key to her success would be mother not being aware of anything she was doing until it was too late to stop it-

"I'm sorry. I do need to kill you. Mother will find out what she want's to know, eventually. I have to do this. It's for the best. It's better than you going to some private torture chamber."

-Lastra hated every time she said 'it's for the best', in her profession it usually meant euthanizing a patient or diagnosing that she had to send someone through the painful process of regeneration. Though it was appropreate here. It was best that there were no live witnesses. That's what she allowed the marines here for in the first place. She returned her weapon to the marine she stole it from, though not in his holster, in his hand. Imperial weapons were strange to her indeed but not to him, all she needed to do was to replace the white with something the man couldn't resist firing at. Like Bisennii with a loaded pistol already discharged rather than nothing but air.-

-The psychic took a position behind the command squad, letting the absolute white fade away letting the marines resume their tasks, and making sure the poor corporal she set up actually did shoot her accountant. Four times. Center mass making sure he was dead.-

-Underground the fox smiled as the lock gave way. Even he could have picked it with his claws but why bother. he was going to be pardoned after all but now he was going to be pardoned in a different way.-

"So you aren't here to kill me. Wow. I expected you to. So. What am I to do then? Wash windows?"

-He exited the cell into Priest's company once her men got the cell door open. he looked at the female commander for a moment-

"Though before I do get to washing we need to get someone else. A captain who is very dear to me. Lutron Mayers. Have you heard of her?"

Meanwhile in the kitchen the cook just nodded fiercely at the man with the gun, he had the gun and he was in charge, yes, yes, yes...

First Platoon, Second Company

“I neither know, nor care what you are to do once you pass beyond my custody Admiral,” Priest said. “My business with you lasts until we have reached the shuttle bays of my ship in orbit, and then, you are somebody else’s concern completely.”

Having let the Admiral know where she and he stood with each other, Priest looked about herself, taking in how many prisoners she now had to deal with.

“Sergeant, get these people all together, hands on heads, noise discipline. They’re coming home with us, I’m afraid.”

“We can’t just shoot them, Lieutenant?” asked one Marine. “Nobody would know.”

“We are not them, Corporal,” Priest said coldly. “We treat prisoners decently.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” said the now chastened Marine. Priest turned back to the GPI admiral.

“Sir,” she said. “We know of Captain Mayers. She is on the list of people we were sent to retrieve before we depart this system. Do you know where she is right now? Also, do you have any personal items you wish to collect before we leave?”

Command Squad/Second Platoon, Second Company

“What the fuck!?! Stand down! STAND DOWN!”

Corporal Reyna Gibson lowered the smoking pistol, a stunned expression on her face and hands starting to tremble. Her faceplate started to fog up from the sudden heavy breathing in response to the situation, and the inboard compensators activated.

Lieutenant Goodwin looked around in the silence, apparently calm and then spoke quietly into the silence.

“Could somebody tell me what the Hell just happened?”

“I…” Reyna’s voice caught. “I thought…I thought he had a gun, Lieutenant.”

“Private,” Silverstone directed one of her platoon. “Search him, now.”

Bewildered, the Marine did as directed, then looked up from the body.

“Clean, boss. He’s unarmed.”

“Stow that weapon, Marine,” Goodwin ordered Gibson. “It must have been the light. This is a dark room here.”

Gibson slid the pistol back into its holster, not saying a word.

“Alright,” said Goodwin. “Now let’s go see to Third Platoon.”

Everybody started moving out. As they did so, Goodwin quietly moved next to Lastra.

“I don’t know what you just did,” she whispered, grabbing the Lapin’s arm roughly. “But I have a damn good idea. I’d appreciate it if that did not happen again.”

Third Platoon, Second Company

“Get him ready to move,” West ordered, and two Marines went and collected the cook.

“Listen carefully to me,” West said to the cook, speaking Latin again. “We do not want to hurt you, but if you make trouble we will. You are coming with us now. Do you have any kind of personal possessions you wish to collect before we leave?”

-The vulpine scratched his chin as he was asked. GLad that he was still a 'sir' in this conversation rather than the dog this armored marine might have thought he was.-

"I don't need anything... Though if lutron is anywhere she's in her room praying. Not for me. She as well as the rest of the palace was expecting my release... No she's probably locked herself in her room as she usually does and prays until she falls asleep. We might even wake her up if she's been at it since last night."

-Back in the upper levels of the palace Lastra calmly looked back on the lieutenant whispering in the same tone-

"Kind lieutenant, if I wanted all of you would be driven mad. Reflecting on the individual horrors in your pasts yet I have no intention towards this. I respect your men and know they are not assassins. I respect your command though you must not know what you do... Or why you were all called here."

-She grinned a wide grin at Goodwin, leaning in closer.-

"Besides. Don't tell me none of these people here would bawk at the chance to kill some... Furry fucks... As they're so called." ~"I just need one more kind lieutenant. One more chance. Then you'll be free..."~

The last words came out but only in whisper, for the psychic planned on doing it again when they finally got to the other financial adviser. Still in mid arguement with the house martriach.

The cook willingly went along with the marines who captured him. Not wanting the same death that had met his stew...

First Platoon, Second Company

Lieutenant Priest nodded as Makio spoke. Now she had an idea where the objective could likely be located. Now all that remained was to find Captain Mayers, and hope she was as non-violent, and cooperative as Admiral Makio.

“Very well, sir,” she said. “Marines, let’s move out!”

Minutes later, the forces of Marines, clad in fully contained assault armor, shepherding an increasingly large band of prisoners arrived outside the room of Lutron Mayers. Priest got her Marines in position to storm the area, but before she gave the order, she had a thought regarding a possible alternative. Mayers and Makio were, evidently good friends. Perhaps it would be possible to use that?

“Sir?” she said, motioning the Admiral to move up. The prisoner/evacuee’s Marine guard nudged him a bit, making it plain he was to move forward. “If you and Lutron are close, a helpful suggestion might be for you to talk her into coming out here. If we have to go in it is possible she could get hurt accidentally. Can you help us out?”

Meanwhile…

Lieutenant Goodwin had now linked up with Third Platoon as well and they had the cook in their possession as they moved to secure Inaraa Klion, the final target. Along the path a lot of people were spotted being herded by Marines to the main palace complex.

“It’s going to get a bit crowded aboard ship,” Silverstone observed.

“The boss will manage,” Goodwin answered. “We have more pressing concerns.”

“Sure, Lieutenant,” Silverstone replied. “Looks like we’re here.”

Moments later, a squad was set up to force entry in to the room where the accountant was locked in an audible discussion with somebody. At the signal from Goodwin, they blasted in the door, and stormed into the room. Goodwin almost smiled at the shocked expression in evidence on the face of the person on the display screen, but instead she raised her rifle in one motion and put a burst of 4.6x30mm ultrahigh velocity rounds into the screen. No use letting the folks back home figure out what was happening too early.

“Good morning,” she said as the noise died. “We have some business here.”

-The fox stood before the door to Lutron's room. Gently knocking on it. Silence hung in the air for several seconds before a reply came.-

"I am praying. Leave me alone."

-Maiko pushed out a soft sigh before knocking once more.-

"Luii? It's Maiko... I need to talk to you. It's very important."

-There was silence once more before the door slowly, carefully pried open to the robed female. her facial expression was hidden but one might be able to tell she was utterly stunned by what she saw. Possibly even moreso when she would see the reason why Maiko was standing before her.-

"This is a dream... Right?"

-She asked going to look around the corners-

"It's no dream Luii and the best part is. We're free. Free from all of this."

-Maiko hoped he was right, that the marines to his left and right were indeed setting him and his staff free instead of leading them out to some mass killing field somewhere quiet.-

-Meanwhile in the office. Lastra worked her magic on the bear's mind. she didn't need to talk to him in any reguard, she just needed him to disappear. To him all the marines seemed like monsters, monsters with claws and teeth worse than his imagination. They were drawing closer and closer but a way opened behind him, his window had magically turned into a path out, away from all this.

In reality the bear would turn into a screaming panicking mess as the marines went to capture him. Even the words said to him would come out in angry feral growls and grunts. He would squirm up against his balcony window open it fearfully and then simply run off the edge. Dropping several stories, and hitting several other palace balconies on the way down. Lastra would pretend to be astonished as the rest of the marines but her real objective was a small data pad on his desk where he was 'borrowing' all of the matriarch's money. It was in 'solid' credit form too. Bringing Lastra's total net worth up to four point six million interdimiensional credits.-

First Platoon, Second Company

Lieutenant Priest looked at Captain Mayers for a moment before speaking.

“Captain, we need to extract you and the Admiral immediately. If you wish, please take a moment to pack some personal items, and then we need to leave.”

Meanwhile…

Lieutenant Goodwin was irritated. She could guess that something odd had happened and like as not, Lastra Eunoch had done whatever it was. As such, the Marine seemed unusual in her calmness, compared to the evident and real shock in most of her unit.

“Well,” she said coolly. “I’d say we are done here. Ms. Eunoch, if that is all, let us depart immediately. We’ll be linking up with First Platoon before long. It seems the only person listed we failed to find was…Una, as I recall. She could not be found at all.”

“We couldn’t find her, anyway,” said Lieutenant Silverstone.

“Let’s be going, then. We surely alerted somebody when we interrupted the conversation he was having.”

With that, the increasingly large party set out.

When the marines left the palace was virtually desolate. The POW cages and breeding pens were empty, not one imperial prisoner was left on the planet. Everything was gone and everyone of minor importance was gone. Now only the mindless and the ignorant were to fight Cassandra's bloody war, a war they could not hope to win.

It was a week into the voyage of HMS Nauvoo back to Imperial space, and she was still a heavily over-burdened ship. She was regularly meeting with replenishment ships to take a load of supplies aboard. The release of any refugees was strictly forbidden, at least until a kind of plan was decided on by higher authorities.

In the meantime Captain Tipton decided it was time to break the ice between the Imperial Navy crew and the refugees they were hosting. To that end, she sent a uniformed rating to Lastra’s temporary quarters with a written message in both English and Latin.

Lady Lastra Eunoch, late of the Initiative,

You are hereby invited to join Captain Dawn Tipton and her company for dinner tonight in the #1 Officer’s Mess, at the Captain’s table at 1800 hours.

Makio received a similarly worded invitation, as did Lutron.

The three senior officers were in Lasta’s private room, the robed cheetah looking outside, starring at space, at the sheer nothingness out there, nothing absolutely nothing having already contemplated a reason not to go to the dinner event. Meanwhile Maiko was busy undoing a week of nothing but drink and lazing around on Lastra’s fur while trying not to ogle her bust too hard as he did. Lastra meanwhile was reluctantly fishing out some nice clothes for the event already having exhausted all of the excuses not to go in contrast to all the good advice she’d receive from her two wisest companions. She didn’t mind Maiko touching her even though they weren’t especially close, in fact she didn’t mind most anyone touching her in a state of undress


“Ugh… I don’t like dinner parties. Never have and never will… I’ll give this one a chance, that’s all just one chance.”


Maiko grinned in his efforts not to look at a partially nude rabbit while picking bits of lint and partially stuck ration bits off of her fur because the shower didn’t do much good. Sure a slave could do this but this is how the duo found her at two o clock in the afternoon. Though the rabbit should be happy, happy since she gets to eat and drink, even though she doesn’t know what to do with herself and hasn’t in the week she’s been in space.

“Now if I could only get our priestess to go.”

“No, you know I don’t do ‘peace’ or ‘dinners’ well.”

“This isn’t peace Luii. This is a dinner. A political dinner it is the direct opposite of peace as for not doing dinners well. You don’t have to say or do anything aside get the food in your face.”

The cheetah rolled her eyes at the male.

“No, and you can’t make me go.”

Maiko could but he just sighed nodding continuing to get lastra’s fur to perfection as she sighted a perfect little dress for herself.

“Someday you’re going to have to leave that desert behind… you’re beautiful why hide under all that armor?”

No response was given to the former admiral’s comment. Lastra looked at the fox and with a simple shake of her head the argument was stopped. Lutron was just there because this could potentially be the last time she would talk to them both since to her the dinner could be a rigged execution or something of that nature. That’s all she was there for, to stare at space and see how the dressing was going from behind.

Only two of the three guests showed up before the number one officer’s mess at 17:50 willing to wait for the event to start. Lastra in a nice little black dress that showed a bit of her still toned figure and Maiko in full uniform, he really had nothing else that would fit the occasion since all he’d found were simple variations of basic clothing. though despite their best efforts the rabbit still smelled like the empress best rum.

“Well, Captain, just a few minutes are left until your…date.”

Captain Tipton adjusted the epaulettes on her shoulders once more, and cast a glare to the incessantly grinning, too smug XO.

“First of all, Selina,” she began. “This is a formal dinner, a business of courtesy not some kind of attempt at a one night stand.”

“With how you keep fussing,” Armengol said. “You could’ve had me fooled.”

“What?” Tipton glared.

“That must be the twentieth time you’ve adjusted some nonexistent flaw on your uniform in the mirror,” Armengol replied. “You and I both know you are one of those people who have a natural ability to look good without trying. I’m insanely jealous, by the way.”

“So?” Tipton protested. “I’m trying to look good while doing my job!”

“Dawn,” Armengol said. “Most times when something this important needs doing, you’re in your quarters just long enough to dress, take one glance in the mirror, and roll out. You haven’t behaved like this since the last time you had a date.”

“What are you saying?” Tipton asked, looking worried now.

“Relax,” was the reply. “She has that affect on everybody. I think it’s the close quarters, a lot of it. We are at three times rated capacity. She has that affect on everybody.”

“I’m not doing anything unusual,” Tipton said in continued protest. “Besides which she is my enemy.”

“She was the enemy, really,” Armengol said. “Really the Initiative is dead now, and those masses of refugees packing the corridors and everywhere are just frightened people trying hard to stay alive in a world that has fallen apart about them. Just imagine what life is like right now for Lastra Eunoch, or Delan Makio, or any of the others.”

“We’re stuck here just like they are,” Tipton said.

“Yes, but we are the ship’s crew. We have work to keep us busy. All they have is alcohol, maybe a little sex and whatever they can come up with in idle moments. Two days before I went into the cargo holds to investigate a disturbance, and found a bunch of the refugees in there, apparently having a wrestling tournament amongst themselves.”

“Well,” Tipton said. “That’s all the more reason to spend more time on preparation. Then it seems to them they have our attention.”

“If that is the Captain’s story…” Armengol intoned in a very serious voice.

“It is,” Tipton replied dryly. “Anyway, second of all…you are coming too.”

“I know,” said Armengol, looking un-phased. “You will notice I’m ready.”

Tipton just snorted, looked at her image once more, checked her watch and turned to face her XO and long-time friend.

“Well,” she said. “The others will be waiting. Let’s get going.”

Both women kept silent as they walked from the Captain’s quarters down the hall to a lift in order to get to the deck with the mess halls. Minutes later, they arrived, right on time, a highly practiced entrance.

“Her Majesty’s Ship Nauvoo – Arriving!” The Chief Steward’s voice rang out as always. It had been done like that aboard Romandeosian ships for as long as any recalled. When a high-ranked person entered in to any room, they were always announced.

“Lady Lastra, Admiral Makio,” the Captain began. “Fellow officers,” she continued with a nod to the line of Department Heads standing along both sides of the table. “I seems we have all managed to make it on time, except for one. I am sure your other friend had good reason for being absent, Lady Lastra.”

“Yes errrr… Prayers to mother are… Tasking. Yes? Too tasking for either of us but Captain Mayers has love for this. That love comes back of course.”


Lastra explained in less than perfect English. Maiko laughed softly at the rabbit not bothering to learn quite yet. His excuse was that he had the rest of his natural life to try to conjugate such a confusing language. He bowed and the rabbit simply curtsied as they waited to be seated. Lastra sighed upon seeing the officer corps, as usual she saw nothing but brutish males. Not going into their minds to see if she was correct, this was a ‘have to’ for her. Nothing more than a granting of Delan’s wishes. Though as they were seated something caught her eye, a woman, a woman that wasn’t the captain nor the XO, a woman that she had to find out more about. The rabbit tried to play it off as she took her seat at her head of the table, clearing her throat and deliberately trying not to look but she couldn’t help herself.


It was the booze; the thing does wonders for the libido as one might know. That and this one had a kind face, she didn’t know the female’s profession yet but she would, most likely gleaning the profession from the idle chatter that would spawn from the good food and good drink that was about to happen. The rabbit thought of stifling her natural emotions for a moment but thinking on the robed one protesting against this simple dinner and the fact that she could indeed claim drunkenness if this went wrong she decided not to. Simply keeping her eyes on her host and her somewhat better arranged XO, her smell changed to something heavenly though well to those that were really paying attention.


Maiko nodded at the officers, he respected his enemies, well aside the ones that cost him so much. Though Lastra understood his deep hatred since losing not a best friend but a part of yourself, one could never heal completely from that.


One could never tell that from how the admiral acted of course, immediately going to start the dinner conversation in latin. Not really caring that there wasn’t a translator, he had one sitting at the head of the table if he truly needed one.


(“So. Here’s something I never thought would happen. Us at a table drinking and eating peacefully instead of on opposite sides of an imaginary line, scheming on how to blow up each other’s ‘metal safety boxes’…”)

He laughed as lastra chuckled with him, true one could never really imagine something like this happening.

(“You know, we never thought we’d actually lose in this galaxy either. In fact I’m supposed to be sitting on the barren surface of new earth wondering which broken stone of the former presidential building to urinate on first. Though I’m also supposed to be in a jail cell too. Maybe Lord Sarin will teach me how he can be in two places at once so no one gets too angry with me eh?”)

(“Oh just instantly become a god. Then you’ll be able to manage something like that easily…”)

Lastra joined in, leaning forward glancing at ‘the kind face’ across from her for a moment, then eyeing the officer’s reactions.

“Ah,” said Tipton. “She is in prayer, then? We had best not disturb her, then. We take the religions of our friends, and neighbors very seriously here, you see. Anyway, it seems we have all made it otherwise, so, everybody please be seated, and let’s begin, shall we?”

Ensign Stephanie Jackson had to resist the urge to slide a finger between her neck and the high collar line of her dress white uniforms jacket. Normally she would not have been the Engineering Department’s representative here, but Lieutenant Patterson had gone and got himself sick, or drunk. It didn’t matter, really, as whatever it was, he was not here and she had to take his damn place. Of all the things she had done since joining the Navy, this had likely been the most trying cruise of them all. Less than a month before she couldn’t have imagined she would be sitting down to a meal with Initiative representatives. She had this idea the GPI was a rogue nation on the fringes of the Empire, not unlike the pirates whom her parents had fought back when they were in the Navy, to be dealt with as pirates.

You did not share a meal with pirates. This was odd.

It did not help in the slightest that one of the two guests, Lastra something, kept staring at her, throwing glances her way. She was given to understand the rabbit anthromorph was a heavy hitter, before the GPI on Naara had collapsed, so, why was she staring at an Ensign in an enemy nation’s navy? Surely she had met Navy officers before?

And what the devil was that smell? Stealing glances around the table, Jackson noticed the unusual scent was affecting others as well. Captain Tipton was a bit red in the face, and at least one or two others seemed to have caught the scent as well. Jackson glanced at Lastra in puzzlement. Was she doing something to cause this happening?

The rabbit smiled at the blush at the other side of the table which in turn made her release more pheromones in the air. The rabbit intentionally leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, a smirk over her face as she eyed the rest of the officer corps. She sipped her drink first, politely eying the captain before putting it down and clearing her throat trying to find the words for what she wanted to say.

“Please, excuse my male friend… Errr… English is not easy for both of us… Especially not easy for admiral Maiko.”

She grinned at the ensign again enjoying her wondering whatever she was looking at her for. She would have decided against this move if she were completely sober but the wine presented before her was indeed good wine. Good tasting and of course having good alcohol content.

~’Of course I don’t mention how lazy he is, especially when he’s not shooting at his ‘metal safety boxes’.’~

She spoke perfect English in the ensign’s mind but when she spoke it came out broken and in half sentences. Even a psychic cannot learn a language instantaneously. She chuckled to herself as she watched everyone appearing to be happy, jovial as Maiko went on about his surprise at being in this ship at this table and not being swamped with questions, in fact not being asked one question about the war or his tactics or anything.

(“I am certain that if I wrote a book on my tactics that not only would no one buy it but it wouldn’t be added to your version of the library archives. Not even a minor library. So much for over a decade of service hmmm?”)

Lastra just laughed at her fellow guest, more politely than anything else, he knew he was just putting on a show to hide his nerves. That and he could talk freely as opposed to worrying about if ‘the body’ would hear his discontent.

~’So… Why am I so interested in you? Well because I think you’re cute. I don’t think anyone would disagree with me either. Though we’re pirates? We never claimed the desire for money or raided your shipping or anything like that… Why are we pirates then, because we don’t have democracy?’~