NationStates Jolt Archive

Phayron Sector – Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) – Outer Colony Ring
The colony had been a thorn in the Imperial Council's side for far too long by this point. It started small, with transfers of resources being delayed by days. Then weeks. Then months. It had now been almost a year and a half since anyone had heard from the colony and all hails went unanswered. No shipments had arrived from Phayron in an even longer time.

The ISS Anthem, an Enforcer class cruiser, had been dispatched to deal with the renegade colony. If it was a matter of corruption in the Imperial Palace, then a simple infilitration and replacement of the governor would be all that was needed. If it was a full scale rebellion, the Anthem was to return to the nearest military station and leave the matter to the Imperial Police. It was happening more and more these days, and the Ataster central colonies had been increasing the degree of action they instigated against rebel colonies. It was only a matter of time before full scale civil war broke out. So far the mere presence of a Gaia-Class Battleship was usually enough to deter and prevent full scale armed rebellion on a colony. Hopefully that would be all that was needed this time.

Captain Johnston of the Anthem stared out at the swirling blue of Slipspace. It was not the best method of Superluminal travel, finer maneuvres were difficult, but it was quick. In less than ten minutes his ship would pull in orbit over the colony. The Orbital Defences would be shut down by a command override from on board the Anthem. They would not be a problem. Johnston merely had to contact the local Governor and see exactly what the situation was.

“Captain, we're pulling out of Slipspace now.”

Johnston nodded and returned to his command console. As the craft slipped back into regular space, Johnston received a message from the Orbital Centre.

“Station Override is in effect. No danger from that quarter, sir.”

“Pull us into Geostationary orbit over the Governor's Palace. Let's see if we can scare an answer out of him.”

The Anthem slowly moved into position and broadcast a message to the Governor.

“Governer Banden, this is Captain Johnston of the ISS Anthem. We demand to know why you are 17 months late on your tithes.”

A few minutes went by before...

”Captain Johnston, this is Banden. We regret to inform you that we are no longer willing to submit to the rule of the Inner colonies. We have been abandoned by you and feel that we no longer should waste our precious resources on a government that cares not for our well being”

It was the same argument heard many times before, just from different lips.

“Comms deck, transmit Banden's confession to High Command and maintain shields at 50%. Let's see what High Command wants us to do.”

Phayron Sector – Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) – Outer Colony Ring
Johnston's suspicions had been proven correct. This colony was using the exact same argument as had Letran and Jadestone. Something was definitely going on, and High Command wanted to know before any more colonies cut off contact. Letran and Jadestone both had Gaia-Class Battleships and a full Imperial Police contingent preventing the renegade colonies from intiating military moves against the Inner colonies. The Anthem was to remain in orbit until the arrival of the Gaia Class, Aegis. It would be arriving in twelve hours.

Johnston knew that the Council hated exercising such totalitarian measures on heir colonies. The Ataster way was of peace, freedom and unity. But at the same time, until these colonies were evacuated of all loyalists, an evacuation currently ongoing on Jadestone and Letran, they had to be kept under control by any means necessary. Already talks were ongoing to allow these rebels more freedom, though the Council was also loath to let go of colonies that it needed for supplies. Sometimes, war could not be avoided.

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Colonial Ring
Phayron Governer's Palace
Governor Banden was visibly unnerved. The arrival of a cruiser in orbit meant that the Inner Colonies were already aware of Banden's intentions. They had reacted far quicker than he had expected. With the Orbital stations no longer under his control, Banden's plans began were already coming undone.

And so Banden had begun fortifying the Governor's Palace. Two hundred armed guardsmen, loyal to him over the Empire, were garrisoning various strategic points throughout the massive complex. But if a Colonial Police battalion attacked, his guards would be about as effective at stopping them as a pebble is at stopping the sea. He needed help.

Ordering a broadwave comms burst to be prepared, Banden recorded a message calling for aid from anyone who was listening. The disadvantage of a Comms Burst was that anyone could pick them up, and they were impossible to direct. The message could shoot out into the void of space undetected for hundreds of years. But on the upside, they were also impossible to jam by anything short of a full scale Jamming array, something that Enforcer cruisers did not have.

"This is Governor Takis Banden, of the Phayron Independent State. We are currently seeking freedom from the neglectful empire of Ataster, who have ignored us for far too long, seeing us as second rate citizens. We are asking for aid in taking that freedom."

//////////
ISS Anthem
"Captain! Commsburst from the planet!"

Johnston jumped, but before he was on his feet he knew there was nothing to be done. Commsbursts were not transmissions. They were prepacketed recordings, explosively sent out on a short, but dense carrier stream. If they had detected the burst, then it was already out in the open.

"Play it, now!"

Before the recording was finished, Johnston had his own message broadcast. By latching onto the trace waves left of the Commsburst, Johnston could be sure that anyone who picked up Banden's message, would also get his.

"This is Captain Johnston of the Ataster Imperial Armada. It seems only fair that any who wish to involve themselves in this should hear both sides of the story.

Governor Banden is an egomaniac. He does not seek freedom for his people, but his own personal power. He is rebelling because our Inquisition has discovered acts of massive depravity and cruelty are being carried out by himself on his people, and t is only a matter of time until we have enough evidence to act on. If he were to be freed from the Empire, then the citizens under his charge would suffer horrendously. It is therefore imperative that you do not aid this monster in escaping the justice he deserves."

Sveta sat in her chair looking outside waiting for Dimitri to come home when she heard the governors voice and new at that moment he was not comeing back but going to aid the governor.

Captain Su'Sellay was quietly going over reports in her office when one of her younger officers burst through the doors, breathing heavily and bending over, hands on his knees and face red. He was one of the more determined of the officers, but despite that he had always been a little bit heavier, and less fit than the rest. Some said that it was due to a medical condition, but regardless, it was a source of amusement for almost everyone except 2nd Liuetenant Czio'Las. As he caught his breath, Su'Sellay sat up, smiling kindly at the man. What he said, though, tore the smile from her face in moments.

"Ma'am! The system we're headed to, 291 Beta? There was just a jump to that sector, and it's a warship. We just caught it as we portaled to the very outer reaches of the system for threat assessment, and were about to head inward. All stealth systems were active when it happened, so we don't think they know we're here, but it's a fully-sized warbird, ma'am, nothing we can even hope to take on!"

Scowling, she nodded, and gestured for the man to sit down on a bench. "Rest there for a moment, then meet me at the bridge. We're not here for war, but I'm assuming this isn't one of the natives' warbirds, is it?" She didn't have to see his nod before she started jogging toward the bridge. It was not quite half a kilometer, and most of the crew could do it without breaking a sweat. When she finally arrived aboard the bridge, most of the scans had been done, and she was looking at what appeared to be a message they were trying to pick up from residual communications over unencrypted channels. It seemed the two parties were not acting in a particularly friendly manner toward each other.

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
ISS Anthem
"Do we know if anyone picked up the transmission?"

"Not yet, Captain. Probably won't know until somebody either responds or jumps in system."

Johnston was a little more than unnerved, but he was confident in the shielding abilities of the Enforcer craft. Ataster weaponry left a little to be desired, but their defensive measures were second to none.

"Shields up. Full power, and see if we can block as many transmissions from that planet as possible. I don't want Banden using his skills at rhetoric to turn newcomers against us. He is the criminal here, not us."

The decks across the ship began flashing orange as the ship went into combat ready status. Shields were pushed to 100%, and weapons were loaded ready to slide out of their shielding ports and into action at a moments notice.

Meanwhile, the Gaia Class Battleship was a mere four hours away.

Dimitri ran as fast as he could toward his house after receiving word from the governor to grab what ever weapons he had. When Sveta heard the door open she spun around to see Dimitri standing in the doorway seemingly out of breath.
Dear God you scared the shit out of me!

What's the mater hun?

I thought you would be with the governor, saving him and stuff.

What i cant come home and say hi to my beautiful wife.

Don't call me that!

What its only a month away.

Still.

Ok ok do you want to come help me round up the gang?

Hell ya I was hoping you'd ask me.

Than lets go!

Dimitri's so called gang had 5 members him,his (wife),Victoria,and Vladimir.

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
ISS Anthem
Johnston stood nervous staring out the window of his private quarters. Well...not really a window. More an LCD screen which projected the view shown by a camera mounted outside the hull. Couldn't risk armour integrity.

The captain of the Gaia-Class had just contacted Johnston. 4 hours away, the Gaia would arrive far too late to help in any combat fight. Johnston juts hoped anyone who jumped in-system would be friendy. His crew were well trained, but it had been a long time since there had been any foreign engagement in the Empire, and so he feared they would be rusty at adapting to unknown tactics.

With the few Corpsmen on board ready for boarding actions, and shield full powered, Johnston could do little than wait. Corpsmen were, however, little more than security guards (though a little heavier armed). Compared to full Marines (the soldiers of the Empire), Legionnaires (Special Forces) and Imperial Police (Internal Security), Corpsmen were laughable. Nontheless, Johnston was glad to have them on board.

Further attempts at contacting the Governor had been less than helpful. And so Johnston waited for either the arrival of foreigners, or of the Gaia.

A small but large grope had been standing outside for over an hour waiting for the governor to make a statement about what to do and it seamed that he was ready at last. OOC: say what ever you want your the governor.

OOC: I wasn't aware you were based on the planet. Probably should have made that clearer. :P

Banden stood up to the podium. Before him stood a small group of volunteers ready to aid in defending their colony. Banden was surprised anyone had shown up at all. It was a well known fact that he wasn't the kindest Governor, which was the main reason the Inner Colonies were preparing to remove him from power. All the same, they were here, and he would make use of them.

"Brothers, today is a grim day. It is unknown if any foreign powers are comin to aid in the defence of our freedom and so we need you. You brave few will be crucial in defending our homeland.

In a few minutes, a shuttle will be arriving to take you to our defensive platform command. Our engineers will soon have gotten rid of the Imperialist's control over our systems. Until such a time, you must defend the platform from attack.

May Luck be with you."

"Ma'am, it looks like they're gearing up for war. We're seeing power fluctuations on the defensive systems, and the warship is holding at full shields. It's a powderkeg, ma'am."

Glancing back at her captain, the tactical officer seemed concerned. "We have the forces to take one of those platforms, ma'am. Striking on the peripheral puts us out of the main engagement, and our stealth systems may be able to keep us out of scanners for long enough to board the station during the engagement."

After a moment, the captain nodded, leaning forward. "Get a shock team together, be ready to raid it only. We don't want to capture. Get on board, plant explosives, and get out. We're looking for information, technology, and anything you can find on either ship specifications and weaknesses or standard tactics. Get me historical battles if you can." With a nod, the tactical officer returned to her console, ready the preparations. All could feel the ship accelerating as the lights dimmed to a dull brown, signifying combat readiness. The static tinge signified the shields charging to full as the small recon vessel moved quietly along the flank, under the protection of stealth systems and being out of the direct line of fire of either side, as they stared dangerously down their guns at each other.

Either side could scatter the small ship to the stars if only they knew, and the captain quietly wiped her brow, sweating, as the ship slipped through space, in search of that precious information. "Keep her quiet, crew. Initial scans indicate they won't notice us, but we're not so far out that it's impossible for them to see us. Try to get around under those stations, where they have less guns. We'll have to move fast."

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
ISS Anthem
"Captain, update from the Gaia. They've encountered an ion storm. They're going to be delayed by anywhere between two to four hours depending on the size."

Johnston furrowed his brow before turning to his Security Officer.

"Okay, we need to buy ourselves time. If those platforms come online before the Gaia gets here we could be in trouble. Get a contingent of Corpsmen ready to board they leave in ten minutes."

//////////
Boarding Vessel 01-A
"Okay boys! We're going in! Stick close, watch each others backs. We don't know how much of the stations defenses they have online. With much luck the corridor turrets will either be shut down or at best on our side. Stay safe."

The twenty Corpsmen checked their weaponry before strapping themselves into their seats. After a fifteen second countdown, the Boarding Craft was thrust from the Anthem towards the Control Station of the Orbital Defences. Slipping at phenomenal speeds, the craft was a mere thirty seconds from the station when Corpsman Harold's eye was caught by something.

"What is that thing?"

"Harold! What's so fascinating out there?"

"I don't know, sir. I thought I saw a ship...not one of ours. Heading close to the station."

"Don't be stupid boy. It's just us and the rebels out here. Brace!"

With a shudderthe craft impacted with the Station's hull. Laser cutters sliced open the hull while the craft latched onto the outside of the vessel using couplings. It was clean, quiet and efficient. The Corpsmen filed out and quickly established a perimeter.

"Okay boys! We head for the bridge. We need to disable all weapons on this base."

While his men readied themselves, Captain Stephens stepped aside and transmitted a quick message back to the Anthem.

//////////
ISS Anthem
"Anthem, this is Captain Stephens of the boarding party."

"Go ahead Captain."

"One of my men said he saw a ship. Definitely not one of ours or a rebel ship. It's heading for the platforms he said. Possibly the command station. I told him it was probably nothing, but thought you should know."

Johnston nodded and the link was cut. This changed everything. Broadcasting a full spectrum message for any and all to pick up, Johnston hoped to lure any foreigners into the open. Just to be safe.

"This is Captain Johnston if the ISS Anthem. If there is anybody out there, please make yourselves known. You are within Ataster territory without permission. The Ataster Empire is not loking for war, but we will defend our territory. If you come into the open, we can begin talks."

"Ma'am! I think we've been spotted! I've got a message coming through!" Without waiting for the woman to respond, the comm officer flipped a switch, putting the message on speakers.

"- ISS Anthem. If there is anybody out there, please make yourselves known. You are within Ataster territory without permission. The Ataster Empire is not looking for war, but we will defend our territory. If you come into the open, we can begin talks."

Glowering, the captain shook her head. "Did that come directly to us?" The man shook his head, and she nodded. "Alright. Standard stealth carrier, bounce it off a few of the platforms here. Give them something to toy with for a while. Meanwhile, target of opportunity. Move us into that main platform's shadow, and latch us onto that boarding craft. Their marines are offboard, we'll snatch and grab, and leave the hulk for the rest."

Affirmatives came around, and the captain kicked on her headset, transmitting her own message, bounced around the defense grid before it reached the warship.

"If you're not looking for war, you're going about it the wrong way. We'll start talks when you can show this planet is actually part of your empire."

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
ISS Anthem
What at first seemed like an easy to fulfill request quickly became more complicated to Johnston. The fact was that this was an Ataster colony and planet. The entire infrastructure, agri-fields and defences were erected by the Imperial Council. Three seperate pirate raids and one full scale invasion had been repelled by the combined Armada and Marines of the Inner Colonies-whose strength and resources were vastly superior due to their age as opposed to leaching off the Outer Ring. Johnston had no doubt that a large number of the civilians on the planet were still loyal to the Imperial Council, but he also knew that Banden would be hunting Loyalists down like dogs. He couldn't rely on loyalists to let the newcomers know whose planet it was. They'd be fearing for their own safety.

Johnston could compare the construction and design of his ship with the Defense Stations, but that could also mean that Phayron had simply bought designs from the Ataster Military or copied their aesthetic apearance. Quite simply, Johnston was at a loss...except that he had an override control for all Military systems on and around the planet. A failsafe to ensure that in the case of enemy attack (or in this case, rebellion) they weapons on the planet could not be turned against Ataster forces.

"You are fair in requesting proof of our ownership of this planet. Or at least our stake in it. This planet was colonised and built by our Empire. It has been defended from invasion, rebuilt from natural disasters and saved from plague by our Empire's governing body. But a corrupt governor has led to rebellion.

I know that so long as he holds the planet in his grip, loyalists-of which I am sure there are many-will be too afraid to speak on behalf of the Ataster Imperial Council. As such, I will prove that, at the very least, the defenses of this planet were built and maintained by us. Military doctrine demands an override for all orbital and planetary weaponry, to prevent our own weapons being turned on our fleet during invasion or rebellion. The mere fact that we have not been fired at yet by the orbital stations should prove this. As final proof..."

Johnston gave the nod and a quick encoded beacon was sent to the planet. A few short seconds later, several ground-to-orbit missiles were seen to erupt from the clouds, exploding just outside the atmosphere.

"Those missiles were fired using this override. If you require more proof we can gladly show you. Alas, there is not much we can do so long as Banden's dictatorial and murderous regime remains in power."

For a short time after the missiles were fired, the invisible voice responded, bounced off of every unused platform from the previous transmission. "Controlling the weapons and defenses of the system is, indeed, remarkable, but it is not proof. My own ship has the capability of commandeering such faculties, and yours, being a design I do not know, may as well. Additionally, while most weapons systems of these orbital platforms appear to be aimed at extra-orbital targets, there are weapons pointed toward the surface as well, making it possible that your own empire constructed these, not as defenses, but as a weapon of pacification. Clearly, due to your boarding action, you have lost control of this installation, whatever the reason. This is the only proof I currently have. And fear is as much a weapon as the greatest cannon. Your presence here shows you have the power to attack this planet. I will say that I cannot stop this act, but I will observe. And I will learn. Know now, friend, that the actions of yourself, and those below, are being observed. Furthermore, I must apologize."

The transmission cut, and the ship turned belly-up toward the boarding craft used to assault the station, as small pods were fired upward toward the boarding vessel. The pods were designed to pierce the hull, depositing the waiting marines within into the hull of the target vessel, in a live-fire boarding action of their own. They were few, but wore powered armor, and were well-equipped. They were soldiers of the Huerdaen empire, battle-hardened, skilled, and not the conscripts of the foe they were about to face, assuming their enemy decided on conflict without surrendering the vessel.

The comm-net remained dark as the Huerdaen recon vessel waited to see what defenses would meet them.

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
Aboard the Orbital Command Station Serenity
"Automated defences are down. Just as we expected. Keep close, we don't know how many of the station crew are still loyal and how many serve Banden. I don't want any casualties."

Stephens and his men moved forward slowly, using what cover they could find. Assault Rifles remained raised. There was movement ahead.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

A flurry of activity and two of Stephens' men had the newcomer pinned.

"Name and Registration! Now!"

"Engineer John Trayven! Engineering Class Alpha-Gamma-Four. I'm the one who shut down the automated defenses."

The Corpsemen let the man to his feet. Stephens nodded and stepped forward.

"What's going on here John?"

"It's General Barbossa, sir. He's loyal to Banden, got himself about ten Security Officers and three Corpstroops under his command. He through everybody else in cells and shot the soldiers who didn't side with him. Myself and another Engineer, Kate Goodbody, we managed to lock him out of the system to protect the override. He'll get in soon though."

"Not if we have anything to say about it. Jansen, Chris, take this man back to the boarding craft, we'll move on ahead and get to the control center. Where's Goodbody?"

"Hiding. She's at a remote access panel in one of the ducts. She'll make sure the doors stay open between here and the control center."

"Okay. Let's move!"

The Huerdaen soldiers found themselves blasted into the interior of an empty vessel, and as they deployed, two of the six moved to cover the entrance with their heavy weapons, mounting a large, multi-barreled weapon on a bipod on the floor, the second taking position with a larger bore weapon, the grip of which was obviously designed for a shoulder mount. The others checked the location quickly, and as they cleared it, all but one went to the door, moving the assault pods in front of the door and jamming them there, allowing them to build a small barricade as the last one worked. Quietly, he jacked into the computer, letting the cybersystems engage the ships computerized defenses as he sorted through information. It was only a few seconds before the hall was rounded by the engineer and his escort, and the guards at the barricade flipped off their safeties, the hot whine signifying the weapons were ready to perform their dedicated work. A call went up, and all weapons were quickly trained on the three.

"Hostiles! Get on the ground and push your weapons toward us! We open up in two!"

Dimitri and Vladimir were blown off there feet as the missile platform next to them started firing. The man who was trying to override the system was freaking out. "what the hell is going on" screamed Vladimir. "I dont know" yelled the man visibly shakein by what happend. Ill go see if Sveta and Victoria are ok you stay hear. said Dimitri. Vladimir shook his and Dimitri was off.

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
Orbital Command Station Serenity
"Hold your fire! We have a civilian!"

The sudden yell from the boarding craft was a surprise to all Ataster parties, and the Corpsmen had no choice. Not wanting to risk the death of the engineer, they dropped their weapons and kicked them over to the hostile soldiers, secure in the knowledge that the weapons in built security would not allow them to be turned upon them or the Empire in a later conflict.

"This is Engineer Trayven. He's a loyalist from on board the station. We were escorting him back to our craft to get him to safety before the rebels got to him."

The second soldier spoke next, "Who are you? You're clearly not rebels."

Trayven, meanwhile, was panicking. Even though the men on either side of him were conscripts, Ataster training was tough and effective. Even in the face of a new enemy, the soldiers reacted calmly. The fact that they only had two years forced service, and only roughly six months left probably contributed to their willingness to play safe. Trayven, however, was not well trained. His heart was hammering in his chest and he could feel his lungs straining. Asthma, the lungs of a smoker and an adrenaline rush were not good for a 40 year old man. But he didn't reach for his medication, he didn't want to get shot if the newcomers thought he was going for a weapon.

So he just breathed as best he could, emitting an audible wheeze as sweat poured from his brow. How he wanted to get out of his alive.

The sergeant was relieved to see the men comply, and after waiting a moment, the soldiers on the boarding craft began to pack up their heavy weapons. One at a time, every few seconds, they filtered away, until only the sergeant remained, bulky powered armor and sleek energy weapon trained down the hall. With his eyes on them, he simply nodded, lowering his weapons. "We're checking the claims we've heard. Wait here another minute, and then you may enter the craft." Turning, he moved toward where the others had exited, moving into the airlock, where the squad jettisoned into space.

Outside, the Huerdaen recon vessel waited, and was quick to recover the soldiers. This time, they did not need stealth, and the systems shut down, just as a singularity was opened before the craft, pulling the vessel inside, while a twin opened at the edge of the system.

From the boarding craft, the troopers had gotten their confirmation, and a message was broadcast to the Huerdaen's allies.

"We have located what appear to be a colony of the Ataster colony, known as Phayron. A medium warship holds orbit above, and there appears to be an incident. Be advised, all orbital weaponry appears to be disabled. We are transmitting video files and confirmation now." At the edge of the system, the ship waited patiently, considering her options, calmly observing the goings-on at the planet.

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
Command Station Serenity
As the foreigners left the craft, the two soldiers slowly moved forward, picking back up their weapons. Trayven shuffled along behind, his injector in his hand. With a push, a surge of healing chemicals quickly returned his breathing to normal. The soldiers were stunned.

"What the hell did they take?"

////////
Unknown Sector
"Has the signal been verified?"

"Yes, sir. Command checked it over itself. We have orders to take your wing to the location."

"Excellent. We'll have to be quick, we don't want to risk engaging that Battleship they have en route. ETA?"

"Our Superluminal is more advanced than theirs. We should be arriving within the hour."

"Then engage the Inertialess Drive."

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
Johnston stood, his leg nervously bouncing up and down. He had made the tough decision not to fire on the craft when it launched its assault against the Command Station, in an effort to avoid conflict. He had, apparently, made the right one. Nobody had been hurt as far as he could tell and the foreign craft had left without firing a shot. He had heard back from Stephens, and the Orbital Defences would soon be under their complete control. Half hour, Stephens had said. By that time the Gaia Battlsehip Aegis would be in orbit and moves could be made against Banden and his rebels. Things were looking up.

"Captain! Unidentified vessel just pulled in."

"What do you mean pulled in? Any Slipspace signatures, any sign of Hyperspace windows or wormholes?!"

"No, sir. It's as if they just decellerated..."

How is that possible? An Inertialess Drive maybe....but they were deemed fantastical thinking by our best scientists! thought Johnston.

"Open a channel. Let the newcomers know the situation and advise them to maintain a decent distance from us. Scan for known structural techniques. I want to know if we've seen these guys before. And get..."

A massive shockwave travelled through the ship, knocking several people to the floor while Johnston grabbed hold of his seat to steady himself.

"MISSILE FIRE!"

"They just opened up, Missile wave, Kinetic missiles!"

"SHIELDS HOLDING! 98%!"

Johnston took his seat and began hurriedly giving orders.

"Full evasive maneuvres! I want all missile and cannon batteries trained on that ship!"

Another shockwave. The Anthem turned to face the newcomer and unleashed a flurry of missiles. Side bays opened as Kinetic Mass Drivers and Railguns were readied for combat. Accelerating to full combat velocity, the Anthem powered towards the new foe.

"They're moving sir!"

"By the Emperor they're fast!"

Johnston watched in awe and concern as the unidentified craft pulled a seemingly impossible turn and rocketed away at a close to 90 degree angle to the Anthem. It was too fast for a ship that size.

"Sir! Nothing on the Database. These are a new encounter!"

"Fantastic. Monitor their vessel. Tactical Report! NOW!"

Another wave of missiles impacted with the Anthem. Shields were at 87%.

"Estimated as a Cruiser or Destroyer Level vehicle. Equivalent to our Enforcers, possible just above in combat efficiency.

We've got 32 Missile Bays, 26 Railguns and one unidentified weapon. Shields are lesser to ours from what I can see here, but their weaponry is easily better than ours. Countermeasures appear efficient, dealing with roughly 57% of all our fire. Their missiles are 2.4 times ours in speed and an estimated 5.8 times the force. Railguns unknown, they've not fired. Ship velocity and maneuvrability...uncanny. It shouldn't be possible."

"They could have some kind of Inertia shield. It would explain how we didn't pick them up until it was too late. The speeds above Light would have rendered them near undetectable to scanners, and no FTL signatures. They would have essentially been travelling reallyreally quickly. How Inertia didn;t tear their vessel apart I don't..."

"THIS IS FASCINATING! But I want that ship destroyed! NOW! Have Stephens step up his advance. We need those Orbitals online now! They're too fast to hit with anything other than a 65% accuracy, and they outgun us easily." roared Johnston as another explosion tore into the vessel. Shields at 76%.

The Anthem chased after the opposing vessel, attempting to get within range with its Railguns and Mass Drivers. But the Unknown (as was the required name for unidentified attackers) was simply too quick. And every time they got a lock it turned, preventing Railgun locks. Too fast, too agile and far more powerful weaponry..the crew of the Anthem could only hope their shields held until the Aegis arrived.

"Sir, we got a Lock!"

"FIRE EVERYTHING!"

An unholy barrage of fire erupted from the Anthem as Railguns opened under a heavy blanket of Missile fire.

"Impacts! Minimal structural damage to the Unknown, but its shields have to be weakened."

"They're pulling back!"

Johnston smirked. But underneath he knew he had gotten lucky.

"Can we hit them?"

"No, sir. Inside of thirty seconds they'll be out of range."

"They outrange us though, we have to try..." suggested a nearby XO.

"Sir, Stephens has the Command Station..."

A stroke of good fortune. Johnston ordered the Anthem back to the safety of the Orbital Guns and pulled up a battle report. Structural Damage was light, but one of the canteens had been hit. Six dead and tenty eight wounded. Shields held at 71%. Their powerful defenses had kept them alive.

"Recharge the shields. It's all we've got over them. Hold until the Aegis gets here..."

"SIR! Inbound projectile!"

Johnston pulled up a screen view of the projectile. It was moving fast. Too fast to avoid. The range should have been too large for accurate targeting...

"Will it reach us?"

"Don't know, sir. Impact time is 46 seconds. Unidentified weapon fired it."

Johnston marveled at its beauty. It glowed an intense purple/blue and sparked with what could only be described as purple lightning. But Ataster shielding was next to zero. They had withstood direct meteorite hits with no damage.

"Shields?"

"Recharged to 78% sir."

Johnston smiled and sat back. They would hold, even if it reached them.

//////////

It did reach them. And they didn't hold.

The explosion was small at first, tearing into the shielding, sending arcs of electrical discharge everywhere. Then there was a blinding white flash and a disc of white fire and purple energy erupted from the epicentre. The disc passed through the middle of the the Anthem and three of the Orbital Platforms. There was a moment of dread silence as the affected constructs tore in half, apparently just carved up as though with a knife. Then one by one the exploded with such massive force as to be worthy of being called weapons in their own right.

All that was left was debris.

//////////

Stephens gaped in abject horror at the force exhibited by the weapon. Sparks of electricity still jumped between the debris. That such power could come from something just a little bit larger than an Enforcer class...

"Arm the guns."

He turned to the rebels tied up and cowering in the corner of the command room.

"NOW!"

"Uh..Captain..."

Stephens turned to the Tac-Screen and dropped his rifle, falling to his knees. The Unknown was advancing towards the station...and it wasn't alone. Two more ships of equal size and one three times its size has just appeared from nowhere on the scanners.

The were all going to die.

"Ma'am, new signatures, just dro-They opened fire!"

"On us?"

"No ma'am, the Ataster warship. Doesn't look like she'll last, she's a lumbering beast, but she's got a strong back. If they pull out now, they'll have enough time to get out of system and wait for reinforcements. Looks like they're going to fight, though, Ma'am."

"Dark. Go dark now and 'hole our asses nearby. Drop us on the other side of the planet and see if we can get back around to that installation. We need information and what these people know, and if we can save some lives, they'll be willing to help us out. Keep it quiet, use the planet to mask our approach. If it looks like we're putting ourselves in the line of fire, then hold. We'll see who makes it out alive."

"System's dark, Ma'am. Opening the 'hole. We're through in 3, 2, 1. Jump."

The sleek recon vessel slipped through the wormhole, depositing itself safely outside of the planet's orbit on the far side, close enough to be near the stations, and immediately dove toward the atmosphere. Skimming in low orbit, the engines blew a trail across the ozone that could possibly give away the ship's position, but the Huerdaen vessel was using stealth only as a shield, to keep the systems from easily locking onto the weak vessel.

"What are we looking at, Czio'Las? I want an analysis now."

"Yes Ma'am. We've got a skirmish between a pair of light warships, apparently an ambush. Seems that some more are incoming, but haven't arrived yet. We don't know if they know we're still in-system. The pattern of the ships suggests Rethan, as does their weaponry, but we can't be sure. No communication has come from them, and they seem content to keep it that way. They're highly mobile, slightly beyond our own capabilities, but by appearances, their shielding is mildly inferior. They seem uninterested in stealth, or incapable of it, and they bear high yield weapons. The Ataster ship is-" Just then, the ship detonated, the blast rocking the Huerdean vessel and causing an immediate call to battle stations for the crew, who leapt to enthusiastically. "The Ataster ship was outmatched in firepower and speed, but her shields and armor were solid. Better than our own shields by leaps and bounds. Her real strength seemed to come from the railgun batteries, but they were sluggish in getting into range, and did only minor damage to their enemy. I'd say the crew wasn't very experienced. Additional assault forces have arrived, Ma'am, what are your orders?"

Nodding quickly, Captain Su'Sellay glanced at the station, on the underside of which was the boarding craft. "Get me in contact with that station, secure line. Fast, Lieutenant!"

"Yes Ma'am, broadcasting!"

"This is Captain Su'Sellay of the I.M.S. Screamer. Our analysis of your enemies shows that your forces will not last through the conflict. We are on station to evacuate all who wish to avoid this fate, but cannot stay on station longer than 70 seconds. Get as many survivors aboard the boarding craft and disengage by this time. If the craft does not disengage by that time, we cannot remain."

Turning to her bridge crew, Captain Su'Sellay looked at her Second, a small, pale man who had seen more years than the ship itself had, but was shrewd and capable. "So'Liyes, I need you on Stealth. We'll be playing hot and fast with this one, and need to pick up a ship and 'hole while dark. We're not a ghost, and if those guys see us, we're in for a hell of a ride. The station can take some of it off us, but we won't last. Keep us out of sight."

The man nodded, and would have shoved the less experienced crewman out of the way if the crewman hadn't already nearly thrown himself from his chair, as the older officer slipped into place. As reports of the station's weapons warming and firing came in, the small Screamer sat nervously beneath, waiting anxiously for the boarding craft to detach, or for any people to leave the station in any way.

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
Unidentified Command Cruiser
"Lock all weapons on that station's shielding and weapon defences. I want it captured in one piece."

"Yes, Captain."

"And contact the Huerdae. We've left them guessing far too long. Inform them of our goals. What they do is their business."

"Message already sent Captain."

//////////

Command Centre Serenity
"Do we listen to them?"

Stephens was caught at an impasse. These were the foreigners who had attacked them first...but they hadn't wiped out three hundred lives plus.

"Order an evacuation. Anybody who wants to stay behind and fire on those craft are fully welcome. I won't order you one way or the other."

A few nervous glances from loyalists and rebels alike and the men began filing out.

"Transmit to them. We will board one of our shuttles and jettison in sixty seconds. MOVE PEOPLE!"

Outside, the Unknown Vessels closed to within firing range...

The Captain nodded, and as the craft Jettisoned, she motioned for her crew to move. Jumping forward, the small vessel swallowed the boarding craft almost as soon as it disconnected from the station, the docking bay only barely large enough to fit the boarding vessel. As soon as the ship was within the bay, the doors started closing, allowing the inertial compensators to keep the boarding vessel from slamming into the docking bay bulkheads. The doors were closing and the ship shot like a lance out from the satellite cluster, diving into a 'hole that took them to the far side of the Rethan fleet.

"This is the I.M.S. Screamer, we're clear. All those who remain on the station are to be considered hostiles. Good hunting, friends."

With the message sent, the ship barreled out of the 'hole, spinning in the way that was characteristic of a high-speed jump. Quickly, it got back under control, and a security detail gathered up around Senior Officer So'Liyes as he left the command deck, headed for the bay. It wasn't a particularly huge ship, most of the space taken up by scanning and steal systems, but the walk took a few minutes, leaving the escapees locked in the hangar until the doors opened, armed men leading in flat black powered armor before a single man in uniform stepped through.

The cloth was black, but gold was used to conservatively accent it in a ring around the top of the peaked cap the man was fitting to his head, along the edge of his belt, and in a line along the hem of his smartly pressed pants, and the cuff of his sleeve. He bore no medals, and had at his side a sidearm of dull gray, held in a holster mid-height on his thigh.

"Welcome to the Screamer. For our own purposes, we need to know your names, ranks, and loyalties before we can permit you to remain aboard. As of now, you are officially welcomed in asylum amongst the Huerdaen Empire, any who do not wish this may freely board, and when we are finished, may then leave. Form up at the boarding ramp, we'll get to each of you in turn."

dimitri and vladimir held there guns under there coats while sveta and victoria whena out side the small craft to see how many of the people had guns. They were not going to let any harm come to the governor.

(OoC: I'm assuming, Happy Acres, that you're some of those aboard the recon craft? If so, then there's very little you can do now. You would have had a better chance staying on the station, it is far better armed and armored. Either way, I'd like a little clarification.)

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
Unidentified Command Cruiser
"This is the I.M.S. Screamer, we're clear. All those who remain on the station are to be considered hostiles. Good hunting, friends."

The Captain smiled.

"Begin the ground assault."

//////////
OOC: For clarity, Happy Acres, the Governor is still on the planet. Where your men are is up to you. Seeing as the stations have been destroyed, and your are far outnumbered on Huerdae's ship, I recommend you remain on the planet with Banden. Before I go any further beyond this post (and affect either the Governor's Palace or orbital station) I'll wait for your response.

Phayron Capital City (Garlan) - Industrial District
"What the hell is that?"

"By the Emperor, there's hundreds of them!"

Moments prior, the immensely bright flash of the unknown weapon obliterating the Anthem had been seen, even though it was broad daylight. Now the citizens of Phayron were worried about something else. The sight of hundreds of dropships descending upon their city.

"RUN!"

Panic ensued as machinegun and heavy artillery fire erupted upon the civilians, killing loyalist and rebel, armed and unarmed alike. The Colonial Guard, little more than an armed police force loyal to Banden took up defensive positions. But these invaders were not stupid. They were no mere police force. The heavily armed Dropship strafed each landing site, eliminating any and all caught in the area. Troops, clad in black armour and carrying sinister looking Assault Rifles slid down ropes while their dropships kept up covering fire.

They suffered two casualties across the whole city during the landing.

Inside of five minutes, they had complete secured the Industrial Estate. Civlians were captured and forced on board dropships to be taken to the orbiting vessels. The death toll of Ataster lives was already in the hundreds as the attacker killed soldier and civilian, man, woman and child alike in their unrelenting genocide.

Within ten minutes the entire landing force had been unloaded, supported with a newly arrived and incredibly advanced and lightning quick air force. Hover tanks stalked the streets.

As one, the invaders moved on the Palace.

15 minutes after landing, the Unknowns had suffered sixteen injuries and five death. The Ataster had suffered 234 deaths.

OOC: i was hopeing that the so called gang of mine would at least try to disrupt somthing on the ship that there on and there is still 1 unnamed person on the planet in the gang. All dimitri whants to do is get off the ship and go to a planet thats frouned opon and the ship whould not go there so there a little despreat.

(OoC: Well, you're facing about 10 power-armored soldiers with maybe a handful of militia. Most likely outcome, considering Huerdaen tactics, is you bring down one or two of the soldiers, then everyone not in a Huerdaen uniform is gunned down or jettisoned into space. Just thought I'd mention it.)

OOC: thanks of that little look into the ways of the Huerdaen. than my forces will only fire if fired at.

The Huerdaen officer waited with extreme patience while the people before him formed up into a small grouping two deep, showing no more than twenty people who had made it off the station. Unperturbed, the man spoke into the comm bead hanging near his mouth, to those outside the door.

"Alright, you're cleared to come in."

A small team of men approached, wearing dark red uniforms the color of blood. Moving quickly, they began sorting through those who had formed up. They seemed to have little regard for personal space or modesty, demanding that those assembled strip down to skin to be checked for possible injuries or signs of illness. Blood samples were taken. One woman refused, and two of the soldiers grabbed her, one arm for each, dragging her back toward the ship, where they left her clearly within sight of Dmitri and Vladimir, who they simply ignored. They were jettisoning the ship after those who wished to come aboard were taken, and as promised, those still aboard may do as they wished. As they worked, the officer continued to speak.

"This ship is a member of the Huerdaen Empire's astral navy, the spaceborn arm of the Empire's military might. As such, your access to the vessel will be limited. You will be given a unique card that will allow you access to some parts of the ship, as well as your own room only. You will be gathered into groups and placed in rooms with four others, and will abide by our laws. You are permitted weapons, but these may be seized by the Huerdaen military for research purposes if it is deemed necessary. Any not following Huerdaen laws will be shot, we can afford no lack of discipline aboard this ship. Any questions?"

Phayron Sector - Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
Capital City Garlan - Governors Palace
The palace guard stood a better chance than the Colonial Guard in the city, but it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed by the superior weaponry and skill of the Unknowns. Banden sat quaking at his desk as the gunfire stopped....all his private guard were dead. As the doors to his chambers opened, he stood to await his capture.

The bullet tore through his skull before he was even halfway up. In the sky, several orange flashes were seen behind the retreating dropships as the last of the Orbital Stations wers destroyed...

//////////

In Orbit - Gaia Class Battleship 'Aegis'
The Aegis erupted from Slipspace in a blast of brilliant white. Slowing to cruising speed, Captain Marie Silvoya sat unworried in her chair.

"Prepare for deployment of ground forces. Send word to the Anth..."

She paused as she read her display, a eery silence descending on the bridge as all aboard saw what lay before their ship. Utter destruction. The Orbital Platforms, gone, the Anthem mere dust among the stars. And in orbit over Phayron, four vessels appeared to be collecting a retreating ground force. The last few Dropships from the planets surface disappeared behind the bulk of the largest of the four ships, evidently a Carrier. The others were the size of Cruisers, but preliminary scans indicated they had weaponry matching a Destroyer class Ataster vessel.

"Shields up! Do not let them get away!"

The Aegis accelerated to combat velocity and armed its weaponry. Its guns were vastly superior to the Enforcer Cruiser that had obviously been destroyed. Now it was time to test the Unknowns. Silvoya steadied herself as a wave of missiles and kinetic shells impacted against the Aegis, but shields were still easily at 97%. The Unknowns outranged them, and their firepower was considerable, but Gaia Battleships were second to only the mighty Mundus Class Titans in the Ataster Armada and were fully capable of taking on a small fleet of Cruisers and a Carrier.

Apparently the Unknowns were well aware of this, as two of the Cruisers and a Carrier broke orbit and turned away from the Aegis. But they were fast...far faster than ships of that size and with that weapon load had any right to be.

"Ignore them! Let the cowards flee, concentrate on the remaining Cruiser!"

The Aegis finally pulled within range and opened fire. The enemy cruiser suffered minimal damage, but pulled out of orbit. But only after firing two unrecognisable projectiles at the planets surface. Silvoya could do nothing but watch in horror as the projectiles hit the colony and exploded.

"Captain! The other ships are turning about! They're hitting us in a pincer!"

The crew member's information was proven correct seconds later as a number of blasts erupted across the rear of the Aegis.

"About face! NOW! Concentrate fire on the Carrier, it's probably the leader of the vessels. Cut off the head of the snake!"

An exchange of fire began between the Aegis and the Unknowns.

"The cruisers are flanking!"

Sure enough, the two Cruisers were pulling up along both sides of the Aegis. They would be caught in a cross fire.

"Gun the engines! Get us out of the Crossfire!"

"The third cruiser! It's making a run for it!"

"Good...one less to worry..."

"No, ma'am! It's heading inwards! Current trajectory will take it right into the Inner Colony Ring!"

The Aegis about faced, chasing after the third Cruiser. But they were too late. A massive burst of energy was detected coming from the engines and in a second the vessel was gone. Silvoya could do nought but gape. That kind of acceleration...near instantaneous to Superluminal should be impossible without some kind of Hyperpsace or Slipspace window, or a Warp Drive...none of which had been detected on the Cruiser.

But it was gone. The remaining enemies, their distraction complete, pulled away from the Aegis. The lumbering Battleship only just turned around in time to watch them disappear in a similar manner. They had gone...and there was no idea where. Silvoya slumped in her chair.

"Alert Command. Three vessels have retreated, one Cruiser/Destroyer has fled to the inner core. Plot its last known trajectory, I want to know all the colonies on its flight line."

"Captain..."

Silvoya looked to where the XO was pointing. The planet, specifically the part of the planet where the Colony had been, was black. A smoking crater...The colony was gone.

For the first time in her career...Silvoya cried.

Phayron Sector - Former Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
IAS Aegis
"Ma'am. There's a beacon. Encoded. Someone....someone managed to get a recording."

Silvoya just waved, unable to say anything. The beacon began to play. Silvoya recognised Banden's voice and lifted her head.

"They're good. They're a goddamn army! We never stood a chance.

They don't want to leave any trace. We managed to knockout a few of them, but they've got some kind of incendiary self destruct devices in their armour. Everytime they're dead for more thn a minute, they burn up in seconds. Weapons are harvested as they're dropped.

They've kidnapped hundreds of citizens. Emperor knows why. And now they're coming for me. I just hope...I hope no other colony, Loyalist or not suffers this kind of massacre."

There was a gunshot and the recording ended. Looked like Banden hadn't been lucky enough to be only captured. Or maybe he had been lucky.

Silvoya shrugged.

"I want High Command informed of the situation. We have a genocide and one colony totally obliterated. No evidence of the attackers remain. And one of them is loose somewhere in the Inner Ring. We wait for orders."

The Senior Officer was quick and efficient, as were his men. Some were thrown back onto the boarding vessel, some were dragged on, those who submitted were left as they were. Within moments, they were given simple gray uniforms, poorly fitted, and an access card. Guards guided them to their quarters, where they remained outside, leaving only those in the shuttle, the officer, and the remaining half-dozen guards.

The Senior officer stepped forward, gesturing to the ship. "This vessel is yours. We hold no rights to it, and demand none. We don't know the capabilities, but as you refused asylum within the Empire, then your way is your own. As soon as we are clear, the bay doors will open, and you'll be returned to where we found you."

Turning, he led his guards out the door, leaving the boarding craft in the empty bay, where slowly, the doors opened. When they were fully opened, the fields fell, and the craft hurtled into space, as well as some of the clothes that had been left from those who wished the hospitality of the empire.

Screamer moved slowly, considering her options. Without great concern, the small vessel shut off the stealth systems, allowing the Aegis a glimpse of the fly on the wall before it was dragged into a 'hole, out of the system, leaving behind only the small, nearly-helpless boarding craft and a quick message.

"I.M.S. Screamer leaving the system. A ship lacking FTL drives has been evacuated from the defense installations before the attack. Locate on our last coordinates."

And once more, space was silent and empty.

Phayron Sector - Former Ataster Colony 0016 (Phayron) - Outer Ring
"Ma'am. Just picked up something. It was short and quick, only a blip. Whatever it was, it's gone now."

Silvoya looked up from her hands to see a blinking red light on her console. A message was recieved.

"I.M.S. Screamer leaving the system. A ship lacking FTL drives has been evacuated from the defense installations before the attack. Locate on our last coordinates."

Survivors...

"Find that ship! NOW! Get a broadcast to command, we have confirmed survivors. Will locate and secure them before heading back to base."

The Aegis moved towards the expected location slowly and surely, scanning all the while. A shuttle would be a mere speck on their scanners. But sure enough it was there.

The massive docking bay of the Aegis opened, and the Shuttle moved in slowly. Once inside and secured in a docking bay, the doors closed once more. There was a flurry of activity within the hanger as the few survivors were tended to. Most seemed in good enough shape, but a few had suffered panic attacks-to be expected in the face of almost certain death. There was no differentiation between loyalist and rebel here. They were all just survivors.

Silvoya forced her way through the crowd until she found someone who looked like they knew something.

"Name! Rank!"

"Captain Stephens, Ma'am. I was lead of a boarding party sent to capture the Orbital Centre."

"Did you see what happened, Stephens?"

"Yes...yes ma'am. They...they blew up the Aegis. It was a weapon unlike any I've ever seen. Like..like a missile, wreathed in lightning. It made no sense! The Aegis' shields were well over 50%, but this weapon cut the ship in half, along with three Gunnery Platforms. Then...then it came for us. These other foreigners took us aboard their vessel. But they didn't seem so friendly once we were on board. A few elected to stay, but the rest were just left in space. I assume the Unknowns are gone?"

"Yes, Captain. But we're not out of the woods yet. One Cruiser managed to break free of our engagement and headed inward. Trajectory takes it to the Nurain Sector."

"That's just a monitoring post, isn't it?"

"Indeed, but their method of FTL is unseen and I would have believed impossible. No noticeable Hyperpsace windows, Slipspace gates. No space fractures of any kind, no Warp signatures. Near instantaneous acceleration. We have no way of tracking where it's going or how long it will take to get their."

"My god... What about Banden? Did he call them in to aid his rebellion?"

Silvoya shivered here...unwilling to answer. Stephens raised his voice.

"I had friends! Family! On the Anthem! I want to know if Banden's to blame! I say we go down to that colony and gather up all his rebel sheep and..."

"The colony's gone, Stephens," interrupted Silvoya and Stephens went white.

"All...all of..."

"All of it. Thirty thousand lives, extinguished in one shot."

The survivors were silent, some began to weep, some lost their strength. Most just stared unbelieving.

"It gets worse. Scans indicate the weapon which anihilated the Anthem and the colony was only present on one of the Cruisers...the one which broke off towards the Inner Colonies."

The Screamer was quick and easy, and moved toward the one place where outsiders were known to be permitted, the station between the Huerdaen Empire and the Rethan. The construction was built into two major sections, With a single pathway between them connecting each side. The two sides each have their own defensive weaponry, systems, and power sources. It was built specifically to allow each side to survive without the other, in the case of hostility.

As it docked, the newcomers were greeted fairly, though not with any great circumstance. They were given rooms, and were provided with a time the next morning when they would need to meet in the medical bay on the Huerdaen side of the structure. Surprisingly, they were kept away from the Rethan side, with everyone acting as if they were residents of the Huerdaen empire, as opposed to new immigrants. There were few, no more than 15 in total, and in the coming morning, they were sedated, and cybernetic components added to their bodies, allowing them to be tracked, allowing them access to the specific areas they are permitted. They are then left on their own, given food and a place to live, but nothing but an empty steel room and a bed, with the expectation that they'll be finding a job of their own to do. Their lives are left alone for some time, and certain parts of the Huerdaen culture are quick to make themselves apparent.

The Huerdaen are a highly militant society, with two levels of citizenship. Residents, who are permitted most things, and permitted to live their lives in peace, have not served in the military. Citizens are permitted almost all things, including the right to vote in the yearly voting periods where civil issues are decided, from local leadership to tariffs coming in to the area through trade. Surprisingly, the Empire provides food and lodging for all, to a very minimal extent, but only for those who work, and the rest are often moved to other locations, and if that fails, sent to work camps or conscripted, depending on the reasons. Work is not hard to find, as money is used for surprisingly little other than luxuries and there is little need to be paid. It seems that despite the genocide, the Huerdaen intend to remain quiet during the conflict.