Depths of Space: The Uncertain Future (IC, Open)

[Caraani]

The Bassinol - Ollis-Telanor System
"Commander, it seems they are gonna hit us, and with something quite big. At this rate, if we don't move, we will be erased." telepathically said the Pilot to Oraya, who told him in a brusque but calm manner to get the f**k out of there as soon as possible in that case. "Also, they are still on the comline, want me to patch you through or...?" "Doctor?" Monos had just arrived, but he had heard the message of this race from his comline station in his lab. "Heavily aggressive race. Proud. Probably won a war or two worth mentioning. Won't back down. Want a challenge. Answer will only cause more rage. More aggression. In the end, they attack, we die. Only solution. -pause- Leave now." Everything was said rapidly, with small, if any, pauses between his short sentences. Monos was always like this, a weird lad, but one of the best doctors in the Potentate. "You heard the doc. Virid, get us out of this system. The next time a Caraani ship will fly through here, this race will say its last prayers."

The Bassinol engaged 85% speed of their FTL drive core, meaning, they would stay 1-2 seconds in their place, while to the eye it would seem that the ship would get longer, like a rubber band, and then would disappear. Would they be able to escape, the Bassinol will stop a short way into their "jump" as it is called, and engage stealth systems, as it would pass by some Rygor ships (they were identified due to the similar shape of the ships on the radar).

"The Rygor" - 4, Uxanor Occupation Zone, Ollis-Telanor System (Under Occupation)

A dimmed flash ruptured the fabric of space-time as the nimble Caraani vessel propelled out of Ollis-Telanor. Ryztar pursed his lips, moving back and forth about the bridge of the Rzhar-Zzrak, called Overseer's Watch by the Rygor as a honorific title.

"As I expected. They would turn tail and run. Although some part of me wished they would stand and fight, these cowards truly do fear the might of the Rygor."

After 3 cycles later, an incoming transmission, a request for a report by the Aristocracy now drew the attention of Ryztar.

"It's Chief Squire Lutorvar of The Royal House, Sir. He insists it's urgent."

"Put him through." Ryztar bemoaned, unprepared to deal with his superiors and above all the bureaucracy.

"Lord-General Ryztar, the Rygorls want a full report of your actions in the Ussian Occupation Zone. Word spreads fast Lord-General, and news about your handling of the Ussian processing operation, but most importantly that incident regarding the xeno has spread to Rygor Divine and beyond." The thin, scrawny Squire stared wide-eyed at Ryztar through the holoscreen.

"Yes, Chief Squire. I intended to address the Aristocracy personally after this encounter. I wasn't aware that it had already caught wind back home. I hope I handled the situation to the best of my ability. Sorarth-tor Rygor (Long live the Rygor)" Ryztar proclaimed, bowing down low to the point where it looked as if he was kneeling.

"The Aristocracy is rather...disappointed in you, Lord-General." Lutorvar squinted through the screen. "They order you to return to Rygor at once. I am not allowed to disclose any further information, but what I can give you, is that you have just dug your own grave, Ryztar." Lutorvar now said, addressing him in his plain name.

"Power comes at a price, Ryztar. Be careful not to upset the wrong people. I can only hope the man that takes your place doesn't meet the same fate."

The holoscreen went black again.

"No." Ryztar howled. "No. No. NO!" He began to smash the holodisplay with his fists. It shattered into smithereens.

"The Ussians - 1", Orbiting Gas Giant Kilsaror, Outskirts of Erranos Kilsar System

"How's the jump drive?" Sherok yelled.

"43% and dropping. We're gonna lose it soon." Dalor responded, bashing a Rygor's tooth in, while snatching his spear-gun.

"What's the status of the rest? Did they follow us?" Dalor quipped, aiming the spear-gun at a pouncing Rygor and subsequently dismembering his head with it.

"Unsure. Wait-307, 675, and 927 made it out. But I'm afraid 109 was lost in the fight with the Pillagers. They disabled their engines."

"Oh God, what is to become of them I would never imagine. Have you did it?"

"Nah, that's Merkor's job. He went tinkering with the weapon guidance systems. This Rygor tech is real old. Now if only he could stop this drive from fucking overloading that'd be great."

The 4 ships then received an obscure signal from behind the gas giant. Transport 510 (the transport they were in) was the first to pick it up.

"Enemy neutralized. That's all of them. Now, what's going on?" Dalor asked.

"The sensors are picking some kind of signal, from behind the gas giant. You sure you configured it correctly?" Sherok replied.

"Yes. I made it pick up Ussian and non-Rygor frequencies. I even disabled positioning and anything that would give away our location. The Rygor can't trace us; and even if they did, they never go that far out anyway. If anything we need to be afraid of pirates."

The 4 ships floated erratically in the void of space. With propulsion drives on 307, 675, and 927 now down, only 510 had the capability to maneuver, and even then it showed signs of giving way. All the ships were badly damaged, with gaping holes visible on the hull, some of them only crudely patched up.

"We have to at least check this out." Keila vocalized from under the ship controls, diagnosing a problem.

"Alright. I'll inform the rest. Be warned though, if this is pirates, or god forbid, Rygor..."

Soon 510 slowly climbed upward towards the gas giant, trying hard to overcome its gravitational pull. As they went up more, the louder the signal pinged at them. They then realized it came from an asteroid belt in the system, within a dwarf planet visible from their vantage point.

"There!" Sherok pointed, zooming in on the object with his cybernetic lens, relaying it back to the rest. He analyzed the signal in more detail by overclocking the transport's sensors, plugging his neural-interface implants into the control ports. "This signal...it's Ussian!" He exploded with joy.

"I should've-no we should've known - there is a base here! The system is mostly empty but there is a research station built here to test antimatter applications. It was never evacuated. We may have found our destination, guys."

The creaking yet still moving ship edged closer to the asteroid belt, but Sherok finally cut its engines for now, to inform the fleet. He used the time to try and repair the drive, and gathering the other 489 Ussians onboard. Little did he know that there was a small, foreign vessel hovering above him, hidden from view, but close enough to observe their movements, when he made this statement, not done before for fear of attracting unwanted attention:

"Research base. Research base. This is Transport 510, with an additional 3 ships full of Ussian prisoners who have escaped from the Rygor enslavement program. Anybody out there willing to help, we are stricken and our systems failing. Request emergency assistance immediately. Please. You're our only hope."

[The NAR]

-SOLIS ALLIANCE-

---

---

Sierra System

---

The Alliance Fleets were forced to fall back to tighter defensive positions around Washington, but they still maintained a good fight. The Atlas ships on the Front Line had suffered few casualties, and eventually pulled back behind Alliance lines to prepare for another attack. The 800 Atlas ships had done substantial damage to the Covenant Fleet before they too came under fire, and were forced to warp to Washington. On the planet's surface, the approaching Covenant ships were torn apart by Planetary Defense Cannons numbering in the thousands, while the evacuation had already allowed more than a million civilians to escape the colony. Backed into a corner, the Alliance ordered Atlas to open up a new attack on the Covenant's weakest point - their best strategy. The thousands of Atlas ships would go FTL and vanish out of the system, before returning in two separate attack groups that began to tear through the exposed parts of the Covenant lines and cause chaos for the ships approaching Washington.

One Atlas Frigate, the ASV Ray, was outfitted with advanced cyber warfare systems (like most Atlas ships) and would target the Covenant Flagship - the Dreadnought. After a few minutes of breaking through firewall after firewall, all computers onboard the enemy ship would show the Atlas symbol, before shutting off entirely and temporarily disabling all major systems - including shields. With their shields down, the Alliance's heavy vessels unleashed a hail of fire that they hoped would critically damage, if not destroy, the enemy Flagship.

---

Lucan System

---

The fighting on the Covenant Dreadnought began heating up as more Covenant Marines condensed around the Alliance Forces approaching the Bridge. This would, however, expose other areas of the ship, allowing more and more Alliance Marines to drop in. Power Armored Infantry units, using high-powered Plasma Weapons, began to drop into the fold, especially near the enemy Bridge. In theory, Power Armored soldiers filled the boots of ten normal soldiers - providing the fire of a tank, while keeping the mobility of an Infantry soldier. They would be the asset that the Alliance needed to get to the Bridge, as most weapons did little damage to their advanced, shielded armor. On other parts of the ship, Alliance Marines went to work, targeting and destroying many of the ship's vital systems. Armories were destroyed, the Life Support Systems were blown up, and Alliance forces were preparing the eliminate the shields and engines.

Maxson hardly expected the Cho'Dosan to be so quick. Only seconds after kicking her in the face, he took a foot in the crotch, and despite having padding around that region, it still hurt like a bitch. He stumbled backwards, hitting the wall, but dropped to the ground just as a spray of Plasma flew towards him. He unclipped his pistol, aiming it at her head, and fired five accurate shots.

---

Explored System 389B
USS Lincoln

---

"I believe so" answered Commissioner Jeremy Pilli, wearing his Dress Whites. Over the feed, he began to type something, then looked back at the man who identified himself as Operative Diamond Sparrow. "You're clear to board this vessel, Operative. I expect everything to be on the up-and-up, yes?". Commissioner Pilli didn't expect the Tagali to know the old Earth saying, so he simply waited for him to board.

[The Sol Capital Territories]

The Bassinol - Rygor System Belt (RSB)

"Research base. Research base. This is Transport 510, with an additional 3 ships full of Ussian prisoners who have escaped from the Rygor enslavement program. Anybody out there willing to help, we are stricken and our systems failing. Request emergency assistance immediately. Please. You're our only hope."
Virid looked at Oraya, purple colored UV lights (indicating that they are intrigued) being emitted from both him and Oraya, which soon changed his UV lights to yellow - he smiled. "DAISA, pick up the signal from that...those ships, and secure a channel just for us and them, got it?" "Understood Commander. The channels have now been secured. You may initialize contact whenever you wish. " answered the AI. "Attention, 510. This is 212, I repeat, this is unit 212. We are part of a secret Ussian operation. I'm afraid I cannot disclose anymore info. However we may assist you and your crew. My ship is just above yours. We have engaged our stealth system, and we will maintain it, due to security issues I believe you comprehend. However, if you hear this message, 510, answer back and confirm that you are ready to allow us entry on your ship. Upon confirmation I will proceed to get near your ship, and board it." Oraya's message ended, at least for now. Virid looked back at the commander, emitting the same purple UVs. "Commander, are you sure this is not a trap?" "We will see if it is. If it is indeed, me and my crew will have some target practice today. However I don't think it is. They have not pursued us, and we have completely lost them. We must assume some risks, however, Virid, if this is a trap, get ready to pull our assess out of that ship and get out of here ASAP." Said the commander, in his classical monotone manner, with his voice that is quite rough, even for a male Caraani. "Yeah yeah, just like always, right?"

"The Ussians - 2", Orbiting Gas Giant Kilsaror, Outskirts of Erranos Kilsar System

The Ussians soon found themselves dumbfounded as an unknown channel opened in their ships. Despite using outdated Rygor technology, by Ussian standards, they could still comprehend a mix of utter nonsense and a little of what amounted to their "language". (Ussians don't usually talk the way humans do, rather they use gestures and a mix of "consensual telepathy". But in electronic communication they use scripts.)

"What is this incomprehensible trash that's filtering into the external comm receivers - are we being hacked?" Sherok said.

"Seems to be a poor attempt at mimicking our electronic transmissions." A more senior Ussian abruptly walked in from behind, clearly understanding the links within the seemingly random data.

Before anybody could react, the elder, more knowledgeable in the field, conveyed to everyone telepathically again. "'They' if 'they' are actually out there, moreover even exist, seem to say they are one of us...if I am putting it correctly. Then it's some gibberish I couldn't make sense of and a '212' thing."

"'212'? What is that, a code for something? A riddle or a puzzle? This concerns me. I think everyone should prepare for defensive maneuvers. We can't be sure these 'beings' that probably don't exist, even want to help us." Dalor said, rather pessimistically. He knew that taking chances like this could jeopardize the lives of all 2397 Ussians on the four ships. They had already lost 547 too many.

This all felt unreal and very discomforting for the people receiving the transmission. They knew these were not Ussians; they didn't communicate like them nor even looked like them. It was then decided after a vote, that an attempt would be conducted to try and contact these beings if they exist, whether sentient or not, and try to uncover their intentions.

The message would be broadcasted on that same channel the beings had set up, and the Ussians would utilize their cutting-edge translation matrix, perfected after millennia, or more aptly a million years of hard work, to get a mutual understanding between both parties. They would say, in the most neutral terms possible:

"To any life-forms on this channel responsible for this transmission; we recognize your attempt to communicate with us, but cannot comprehend fully your meaning. A better translator would be preferred. We are refugees from a war and require assistance, furthermore we are currently on a mission, although any attempt at a first contact would be appreciated, as we are a peace-loving species. I, Kabar Sherok, represent all 2397 Ussians, which is the name of our species, and hope this goodwill can be shared by your civilization as well."

[Caraani]

The Bassinol - Rygor System Belt (RSB)

"Research base. Research base. This is Transport 510, with an additional 3 ships full of Ussian prisoners who have escaped from the Rygor enslavement program. Anybody out there willing to help, we are stricken and our systems failing. Request emergency assistance immediately. Please. You're our only hope."
Virid looked at Oraya, purple colored UV lights (indicating that they are intrigued) being emitted from both him and Oraya, which soon changed his UV lights to yellow - he smiled. "DAISA, pick up the signal from that...those ships, and secure a channel just for us and them, got it?" "Understood Commander. The channels have now been secured. You may initialize contact whenever you wish. " answered the AI. "Attention, 510. This is 212, I repeat, this is unit 212. We are part of a secret Ussian operation. I'm afraid I cannot disclose anymore info. However we may assist you and your crew. My ship is just above yours. We have engaged our stealth system, and we will maintain it, due to security issues I believe you comprehend. However, if you hear this message, 510, answer back and confirm that you are ready to allow us entry on your ship. Upon confirmation I will proceed to get near your ship, and board it." Oraya's message ended, at least for now. Virid looked back at the commander, emitting the same purple UVs. "Commander, are you sure this is not a trap?" "We will see if it is. If it is indeed, me and my crew will have some target practice today. However I don't think it is. They have not pursued us, and we have completely lost them. We must assume some risks, however, Virid, if this is a trap, get ready to pull our assess out of that ship and get out of here ASAP." Said the commander, in his classical monotone manner, with his voice that is quite rough, even for a male Caraani. "Yeah yeah, just like always, right?"

"The Ussians - 1", Orbiting Gas Giant Kilsaror, Outskirts of Erranos Kilsar System

The Ussians soon found themselves dumbfounded as an unknown channel opened in their ships. Despite using outdated Rygor technology, by Ussian standards, they could still comprehend a mix of utter nonsense and a little of what amounted to their "language". (Ussians don't usually talk the way humans do, rather they use gestures and a mix of "consensual telepathy". But in electronic communication they use scripts.)

"What is this incomprehensible trash that's filtering into the external comm receivers - are we being hacked?" Sherok said.

"Seems to be a poor attempt at mimicking our electronic transmissions." A more senior Ussian abruptly walked in from behind, clearly understanding the links within the seemingly random data.

Before anybody could react, the elder, more knowledgeable in the field, conveyed to everyone telepathically again. "'They' if 'they' are actually out there, moreover even exist, seem to say they are one of us...if I am putting it correctly. Then it's some gibberish I couldn't make sense of and a '212' thing."

"'212'? What is that, a code for something? A riddle or a puzzle? This concerns me. I think everyone should prepare for defensive maneuvers. We can't be sure these 'beings' that probably don't exist, even want to help us." Dalor said, rather pessimistically. He knew that taking chances like this could jeopardize the lives of all 2397 Ussians on the four ships. They had already lost 547 too many.

This all felt unreal and very discomforting for the people receiving the transmission. They knew these were not Ussians; they didn't communicate like them nor even looked like them. It was then decided after a vote, that an attempt would be conducted to try and contact these beings if they exist, whether sentient or not, and try to uncover their intentions.

The message would be broadcasted on that same channel the beings had set up, and the Ussians would utilize their cutting-edge translation matrix, perfected after millennia, or more aptly a million years of hard work, to get a mutual understanding between both parties. They would say, in the most neutral terms possible:

"To any life-forms on this channel responsible for this transmission; we recognize your attempt to communicate with us, but cannot comprehend fully your meaning. A better translator would be preferred. We are refugees from a war and require assistance, furthermore we are currently on a mission, although any attempt at a first contact would be appreciated, as we are a peace-loving species. I, Kabar Sherok, represent all 2397 Ussians, which is the name of our species, and hope this goodwill can be shared by your civilization as well."

The Commander stood there, emitting yellow UVs (smiling), in a very defensive and authoritative composure. He was annoyed at these aliens, but he knew that they could be useful in their Bid Liter against the Rygors. "Do.You.Confirm.Boarding.Procedures.510?" He said it in an annoyed way, if it is even possible for a Caraani that lacks the variety of sound-making via mouth that other species have. He said it slowly, plainly, so that these creatures may understand. Either way, even if he wouldn't be allow, he signaled Draen, one of his two top lieutenants, to prepare the team. At this point, he understood that these creatures had at least contacted, if they weren't in a war with, the Rygor, and that he could extract vital information. He wouldn't let them go. Now, it was up to them.

[Spindle]

CIC
HES Serendipity
Colma Space

With muted, impotent fury, Lance watched as the alien ships slowly grew in size on the canvas of his mind. Damnit! This was going to hurt...badly. Infrared images resolved down to smaller and smaller details: the gargantuan ship and its Escorts, then the individual Escorts, then their powering-up weapons systems as they neared effective combat ranges. The seconds ticked by with agonising slowness as the two sides seemed to inch slowly towards each other.

Then they hit combat range and everything devolved into a flurry of chaotic actions and reactions which even Lance's computer-aided brain couldn't fully resolve. He was, for lack of a better word, operating on instinct. Particle beams tore savagely at the Squadron, the Learnean detonating almost the instant the combat was joined. As pieces of her infrastructure spiralled out into the void, a shot punched cleanly through the Serendipity's CIC, tearing the additional interlinkers away and flooding Lance's mind with the raw data for the entire ship even as the Resolute fell apart. Hurtling onwards through space, with her pilot's mind being ravaged by the sheer mass of data being exposed to, Serendipity was cold and silent.

---

Unknown Facility
Unknown Location
Unknown System

From the moment the lights went on, Slade had been frozen in fear. It was too unreal...it couldn't be happening. The scalding coffee elicited a movement out of him, a small keening and a jerk backwards, almost tipping over his chair. Frantically shaking the burning liquid from his face, he blinked up at the man before him. His muscles felt paralysed, he could barely breathe. This wasn't how this was meant to go...not at all. His breathing came faster and shallower, but he still felt starved of oxygen.

His eyes widened to an almost unhealthy degree when he saw Squire...or what had once been Squire, at any rate. If that was the fate this man had in store for him...he tried to speak but his jaw felt as if it had been clamped shut with a vice. This had to be some kind of nightmare...and then the 'lawyer' arrived. Slade's eyes flitted desperately between the new and old Squire, trying to reconcile the two. He didn't understand anything anymore. He didn't understand anything.

His breathing slowed and his body calmed a small portion as he read the new contract. Something he could understand. Politically, it was even more damaging but right now he was looking out for numero uno and the rest of the galaxy could take a trip off of a cliff for all he cared. Silently, not trusting his own mouth to betray him, he signed the data-slate and looked fearfully around. Was this another trap?

[The Dark Brotherhood of Deros]

Colma space
Fighters rained down death upon the battered alien ships, and corvettes attempted to get along side the fleeing ships. Greshtha wasn't breathing now as she watched the two sides engage in brutal space combat. Pieces of the Learnean struck corvettes and they lost power as the shrapnel penetrated their hulls.

Fighters were now trying to finish the job as they dived downward at the oncoming ships, willing to give up their lives to destroy these filthy Soft-Skins.

[Spindle]

CIC
HES Serendipity
Colma Space

Somewhere in the wave of data swamping his mind, Lance was aware of the wreckage of his squadron being systematically pounded into scrap. Lances of charged particles sundered what had formerly been superstructure and sliced into structural supports, shattering them into pieces. Something struck the Serendipity's hulk, spinning her. Lance wasn't really sure what: it could have been anything. His mental image was still obscured by the other data his mind was being forced to process.

Slowly he shut down the dataflows that were completely extraneous. Engines were gone: he cut that. Weapons systems likewise. The damage reports were the among the heap of linkages he destroyed and he was now able to see clearly. There was nothing left of his squadron now, not even a data beacon transmitting and yet the aliens were still firing as if attempting to remove the fact that the ships had ever existed. Another shot almost tore the Serendipity in half, her spine broken and her armour ripped open.

A single linkage flared and Lance's heart jumped. He'd reached the hyper limit and, thanks to some miracle of luck (or possibly just the design of the ship) the b-space drive was still active and connected into the system. The universe folded for a moment and the Serendipity disappeared from the universe without any indication she had ever been there except for the trail of wreckage that marked her journey across the system.

[The Dark Brotherhood of Deros]

Colma Space
"We've... Lost them mam." The Comm officer reluctantly said. Greshtha roared for the third time. "Send a probe along that trail. And contact the council! Inform them of our discovery of Soft-Skins!" She ordered before storming out of the Command center in anger. The Comm officer followed her orders, deploying a scout probe to follow the nearly destroyed ship.

[Spindle]

CIC
HES Eleos
Cerateal Orbit

Tareus idly played with the linkages in the Eleos' computing systems. He knew it wouldn't get him more than three percent efficiency savings, but he was bored. Orbit Guard was never an exiting posting, generally used as an unofficial off-duty for those coming off of fully duty. The Eleos has just come off of a three-month piracy patrol and so had been assigned to the border settlement of Cerateal. And it was the most boring duty he'd ever been on.

The planet itself was perfectly fine: the implanted ecosystem had taken within a month of deployment and the planet now had a fully functional city in place, even if the air was a little thin. But hanging in orbit for days at a time just waiting for something to happen was boring and he couldn't even disconnect from the interlink without sending alarms to the ground control. So he sat and waited for the endless eternity to pass.

A burst of gamma rays appeared, followed by a misshapen lump of semi-molten metal and ceramic. A moment later the data beacon's signal reached the Eleos, identifying the twisted, rickety hulk as HES Serendipity...or rather, the remains of the Serendipity. How she'd managed to survive the b-space translation was beyond Tareus. Still, there was a distinct protocol to follow in this situation. Several comm LASERs played over the mangled wreckage, yet no reply was forthcoming.

"Cerateal ground control, this is Eleos. Serendipity observed at the edge of the system: uncommunicative. We're moving in to investigate. Over."

"Roger Eleos. You are greenlighted."

Engines roared into life, pushing the Frigate out towards the distant form of the Serendipity. What the Eleos hadn't noticed was the small, unmanned craft exiting FTL in the system. Slowly, the ship approached the mangled wreck that had appeared so suddenly in the system.

[The Greater Gambia]

Explored System 389B
USS Lincoln

---

"I believe so" answered Commissioner Jeremy Pilli, wearing his Dress Whites. Over the feed, he began to type something, then looked back at the man who identified himself as Operative Diamond Sparrow. "You're clear to board this vessel, Operative. I expect everything to be on the up-and-up, yes?". Commissioner Pilli didn't expect the Tagali to know the old Earth saying, so he simply waited for him to board.

"Of course. If the Federation wanted to pull the wool over your eyes, you would only be seeing the repercussions of our actions. I will be on board shortly." A drop ship departed for the Alliance Frigate. Once in the Hangar, Ross Turing, or his code name, Daimond Sparrow, stepped off of the Federation Drop ship. It was apparent by most of the faces crewmen working in the hangar that they weren't expecting a human just like them.

It would also appear that he left for a foreign ship alone, but anyone who knew about the standard Federation security detail would know better. Two cloaked Operatives followed Turing off of the drop ship, invisible to the Alliance crew members. Turing waited patiently for the representative to greet him. It was their planets burning, not his.

[The NAR]

Explored System 389B
USS Lincoln

---

"I believe so" answered Commissioner Jeremy Pilli, wearing his Dress Whites. Over the feed, he began to type something, then looked back at the man who identified himself as Operative Diamond Sparrow. "You're clear to board this vessel, Operative. I expect everything to be on the up-and-up, yes?". Commissioner Pilli didn't expect the Tagali to know the old Earth saying, so he simply waited for him to board.

"Of course. If the Federation wanted to pull the wool over your eyes, you would only be seeing the repercussions of our actions. I will be on board shortly." A drop ship departed for the Alliance Frigate. Once in the Hangar, Ross Turing, or his code name, Daimond Sparrow, stepped off of the Federation Drop ship. It was apparent by most of the faces crewmen working in the hangar that they weren't expecting a human just like them.

It would also appear that he left for a foreign ship alone, but anyone who knew about the standard Federation security detail would know better. Two cloaked Operatives followed Turing off of the drop ship, invisible to the Alliance crew members. Turing waited patiently for the representative to greet him. It was their planets burning, not his.

Alliance Marines in Powered Infantry Armor would lead the man, whom they were surprised was Human, to the Command room, which was filled with computers and other devices, but it was empty. A hologram would appear of Commissioner Pilli, pacing back and forth with a cigar in his mouth. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it in person. There are more... pressing matters, at the moment, so you'll excuse me if I couldn't make the trip myself". Pilli took a drag from his cigar. "I am Commissioner Pilli, head of the Alliance Intelligence Agency. The FIS mentioned some sort of deal, regarding our mutual enemy: Covenant. Would you like to explain what that deal is?"

[The Dark Brotherhood of Deros]

[u]Colma Prime[/]
News about the encounter with the Soft-Skinned race soon reached the council, so naturally they were bickering on what to do next. “A full scale invasion is simply unnecessary, why not just send 2 Hives and be done with it? We don’t need 10!” Ralthgath insisted, however Skralk laughed. “Oh, and would you rather we risk sending in less ships, only to discover that we need far more? I’m not asking for the whole fleet Ralthgath, I just want 10 Hives!” He exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table.

Ralthgath chuckled. “Oh come on, they’re Soft-Skins! How much firepower could we possibly need?” He asked. “Don’t you remember the Vrali? We went into that conflict with the same mindset, and look what happened! We found ourselves in a war that lasted 100 years!” Sutha countered, crossing her four arms in protest. Ralthgath laughed. “We’ve advanced in our technology since then. I’m sure we’ll-“He was cut off by Solmu, the Crathama delegate, and oldest member of the council. “Why don’t you take the advice of an old Crathama who actually served in the Vrali war?” He asked.

Ralthgath sighed. “Soft-skins are inferior only in genetics. When it comes to warfare, I’ve found that they are quite effective.” Solmu continued. After several more minutes of arguing, it was decided that Skralks plan would be put down a notch, and 7 Hives were dispatched to follow the trail left by the Serendipity.

[The Greater Gambia]

Alliance Marines in Powered Infantry Armor would lead the man, whom they were surprised was Human, to the Command room, which was filled with computers and other devices, but it was empty. A hologram would appear of Commissioner Pilli, pacing back and forth with a cigar in his mouth. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it in person. There are more... pressing matters, at the moment, so you'll excuse me if I couldn't make the trip myself". Pilli took a drag from his cigar. "I am Commissioner Pilli, head of the Alliance Intelligence Agency. The FIS mentioned some sort of deal, regarding our mutual enemy: Covenant. Would you like to explain what that deal is?"

"Of course," Turing said in a Halusian Australian accent.

"It's no secret that there is a ...."intense rivalry" between the Tagali Federation and the Cho'Dosan Covenant. People across the Galaxy dreaded the day that our two nations would be at each others throats. That was the plan, until Atlas decided to move forward with their plans and bring the Alliance down the same road to Hell with them. Now, an opportunity has shown itself that can be to the benefit for both of our nations.

The Federation would like to extend a deal to your Alliance. We'll lend our supplies and resources to your war effort. Of course, you'll only be receiving our standard equipment, but from what I've seen of Alliance firearms, your equipment pales in comparison."

[The NAR]

Alliance Marines in Powered Infantry Armor would lead the man, whom they were surprised was Human, to the Command room, which was filled with computers and other devices, but it was empty. A hologram would appear of Commissioner Pilli, pacing back and forth with a cigar in his mouth. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it in person. There are more... pressing matters, at the moment, so you'll excuse me if I couldn't make the trip myself". Pilli took a drag from his cigar. "I am Commissioner Pilli, head of the Alliance Intelligence Agency. The FIS mentioned some sort of deal, regarding our mutual enemy: Covenant. Would you like to explain what that deal is?"

"Of course," Turing said in a Halusian Australian accent.

"It's no secret that there is a ...."intense rivalry" between the Tagali Federation and the Cho'Dosan Covenant. People across the Galaxy dreaded the day that our two nations would be at each others throats. That was the plan, until Atlas decided to move forward with their plans and bring the Alliance down the same road to Hell with them. Now, an opportunity has shown itself that can be to the benefit for both of our nations.

The Federation would like to extend a deal to your Alliance. We'll lend our supplies and resources to your war effort. Of course, you'll only be receiving our standard equipment, but from what I've seen of Alliance firearms, your equipment pales in comparison."

"Alliance firearms are efficient enough" said Pilli, crossing his holographic arms. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it, am I right?". He paused for a minute, continuing to pace, before continuing to speak. "The Alliance Industry is shifting away from the front, so ship production is still possible. What else can you offer?"

[The Greater Gambia]

"Of course," Turing said in a Halusian Australian accent.

"It's no secret that there is a ...."intense rivalry" between the Tagali Federation and the Cho'Dosan Covenant. People across the Galaxy dreaded the day that our two nations would be at each others throats. That was the plan, until Atlas decided to move forward with their plans and bring the Alliance down the same road to Hell with them. Now, an opportunity has shown itself that can be to the benefit for both of our nations.

The Federation would like to extend a deal to your Alliance. We'll lend our supplies and resources to your war effort. Of course, you'll only be receiving our standard equipment, but from what I've seen of Alliance firearms, your equipment pales in comparison."

"Alliance firearms are efficient enough" said Pilli, crossing his holographic arms. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it, am I right?". He paused for a minute, continuing to pace, before continuing to speak. "The Alliance Industry is shifting away from the front, so ship production is still possible. What else can you offer?"

"Intelligence. The Federation has been preparing for a final showdown with the Covenant for years. Instead of letting all of that intelligence go to waste, we'll allow you access. Fleet deployments, patrol routes, Supply depots, you name it. We will be commencing covert operations within Covenant Space ourselves. This brings me to your terms of this agreement. For these operations, we'll need an Alliance Fleet to be able to do some real damage that far behind enemy lines."

[The NAR]

"Alliance firearms are efficient enough" said Pilli, crossing his holographic arms. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it, am I right?". He paused for a minute, continuing to pace, before continuing to speak. "The Alliance Industry is shifting away from the front, so ship production is still possible. What else can you offer?"

"Intelligence. The Federation has been preparing for a final showdown with the Covenant for years. Instead of letting all of that intelligence go to waste, we'll allow you access. Fleet deployments, patrol routes, Supply depots, you name it. We will be commencing covert operations within Covenant Space ourselves. This brings me to your terms of this agreement. For these operations, we'll need an Alliance Fleet to be able to do some real damage that far behind enemy lines."

Pilli seemed slightly tensed by the request for an Alliance Fleet, but maintained a calm demeanor. "With all due respect, all current Alliance fleets are fighting or preparing to fight. We simply have nothing to spare - especially with Earth in so much danger. The Covenant has taken Alpha Centurii, which means they're only 4 lighyears from the Sol System. It's only a matter of time before the Blues attack"

[The Orson Empire]

Sierra System

The Covenant continued to advance, continuing to force the Alliance fleets into tighter defensive positions. The three groups the Covenant fleets had been divided into slowly coalesced back into one giant armada, and they would soon encircle all of the Alliance fleets. With the civilians now evacuated, some of the Covenant ships began to open fire on hundreds of planetary defense cannons. A hail of metal and energy rained down on the surface of Washington as the cannons were struck and destroyed. Even as Atlas attempted to flank the Covenant fleets, the Covenant held firm, determined to win the day. There were so many Covenant ships in the system that a significant portion had to be destroyed before Mar even considered retreat. But Mar knew that victory was close.

Then, suddenly, the ASV Ray targeted Mar's dreadnought with a cyber attack. The Atlas symbol was displayed on all computers before the electrical system went down. This sent the bridge crew into a frenzy, as all weaponry and the shields on the dreadnought were now disabled. Immediately, the Alliance had taken advantage of the situation, opening fire on the Covenant dreadnought. Minutes later, the bridge crew managed to get the power system back online, and Mar immediately ordered the dreadnought to move backwards. The dreadnought had experienced some minor damage, but it would take a major bombardment of hundreds of Alliance ships in order to bring it down.

Lucan System

As more and more Alliance marines flooded Trov's dreadnought, other Covenant ships began to deploy their marines onto the dreadnought in order to provide assistance. Transports would land in the hangars of the dreadnought, and hundreds of marines would begin heading to the upper decks in order to stop the Alliance threat. Even though the Alliance had deployed their Power Armored Infantry, there were still tens of thousands of marines and armed personnel surrounding them on all sides, determined to not let them escape the ship alive.

As Maxson was thrown backwards, Kyla would move quickly, grabbing her shotgun. She took her battery pack out of the gun, as it had been drained of energy, and just as she was loading in another one, Maxson fired five shots at her head. A round would hit Kyla's helmet, forcing her to jump. Three other shots landed in areas across her body, while the last shot hit a wall. Her helmet and armor managed to absorb three of the pistol rounds, but one round managed to break through a weak point in the armor and pierce Kyla's skin. Kyla was in shock as she began to bleed heavily from the wound. Covenant marines rushed in, firing on Maxson, while some other marines dragged Kyla away.

[The Greater Gambia]

"Intelligence. The Federation has been preparing for a final showdown with the Covenant for years. Instead of letting all of that intelligence go to waste, we'll allow you access. Fleet deployments, patrol routes, Supply depots, you name it. We will be commencing covert operations within Covenant Space ourselves. This brings me to your terms of this agreement. For these operations, we'll need an Alliance Fleet to be able to do some real damage that far behind enemy lines."

Pilli seemed slightly tensed by the request for an Alliance Fleet, but maintained a calm demeanor. "With all due respect, all current Alliance fleets are fighting or preparing to fight. We simply have nothing to spare - especially with Earth in so much danger. The Covenant has taken Alpha Centurii, which means they're only 4 lighyears from the Sol System. It's only a matter of time before the Blues attack"

"My Terran Friend, the Federation is one step ahead of you. How familiar are you with history, Commisioner Pilli? During the 20th Century, volunteers from all over the world flocked to Spain to fight in their civil war, receiving arms and supplies from their various home nations, yet they still stayed out of official belligerency. That is what the Federation proposes. A Intergalactic task force made up of volunteers from around the Galaxy. Officially, they'd be under the command of the Solis Alliance, but in reality, they'd be receiving orders from the Federation, taking part in raids and offensives behind enemy lines."


Damascus System
Damascus II
Aminadad


-Thanks to the warning that the fleet was able to get out, the militia was able to evacuate most of the civilians to shelters.
-Tsveri fighters destroy most of what little AA defenses there are on the planet.
- Temir, one of the Operatives that was on the High Breed Away team, and now Commander of the Damascus Militia, rallies the Militia to fight off the slavers.
-A Tsveri Drop ship lands close to the shelter where Temir's wife, Kiiva, and their kid are. Kiiva leads the group of Militia soldiers guarding the shelter, using her psionics to fight off the slavers.
-A Maug-Lai fleet of 15 ships enters the system on their regular patrol. When they receive no response from the settlements on the colony. The Maug-Lai grow suspicious and send out a group of fighters to investigate.

[The NAR]

-SOLIS ALLIANCE-

---

---

Sierra System

---

The Alliance Fleets had been backed into a corner, and the Atlas attacks were virtually ineffective. The defense was falling apart, the planetary cannons were being destroyed one by one, and Lieutenant Admiral's ship was now crippled from constant attack. All at once, the Atlas 1st Fleet abandoned the Sierra System, leaving the Alliance to fend for themselves. Frederick's engines had failed, his Dreadnought was suffering heavy damage, and his fleets were falling apart. Onboard the Bridge, the lights were flickering as the ship shook from barrage, and Frederick would struggle to stand as he worked his way to the comms. Over the fleet-wide comms, he relayed a message. "All Alliance Forces, retreat to the Sol System. I repeat, retreat to the Sol System". Frederick shut off the comms, sighing, and ordered all weapons on his Dreadnought to be shut down and a surrender code be sent to the Covenant. In clusters, the other Alliance ships went into FTL and abandoned the system, while Frederick lit a cigar and took a seat in the Captain's chair. He crossed his legs and hailed the Admiral Mar.

"Covenant Fleet, you are clear to board my ship. But please, for the love of God, don't hurt my men. They've suffered enough today... we all have"

---

Lucan System

---

The Alliance had taken a beating, but they eventually began coordinating themselves and reuniting their fleet, while still shattering the Covenant Fleets. The combined force would launch a counter-attack and begin to drive the Covenant back, away from Noveria and it's moon. Onboard the Covenant Flagship, the Alliance Marines found themselves facing more and more resistance, but held out and continued to push towards the Bridge. Casualties were mounting on both sides, but the Alliance fought on as they knew the Covenant would not stop until they were all dead. There was no mercy with the blues.

The female Cho'Dosan was dragged away, replaced by a squad of Covenant Marines who opened fire. Daniel ducked as globs of plasma smacked into the wall, one grazing past his left shoulder and singing off the cloth, but would make it into the other room. He grabbed a grenade from his belt, pulled the pin, and tossed it into the room, and after fire shot out of the doorway, he charged in. He cut down three nearby Covenant Marines and rejoined the main force in the hallway, finding himself at the front, and led the advance towards the Bridge. Marines shouted "OOHRAH" and "DIE MONKIES" as they advanced, and Daniel soon noticed that the Covenant lines were thinning. He dove into cover, reloading his Assault Rifle, and made a cross over his chest - an old religious tradition that few these days follow. After taking a deep breath, he hopped over the barricade and joined his fellow Marines in the last drive towards the Bridge, which would shatter the Covenant lines...

---

Explored System 389B
USS Lincoln

---

Commissioner Pilli would cross his arms, shifting his wait, and think of the offer made. It was a good deal, yes, and the Alliance could sure use the support. They'd take anything and everything they could get to win this damn war. He would nodded, straightening his posture, then take a drag from his cigar. "I'd be honored to help organize such a task force, though I cannot stress enough that it will be commanded by Alliance Personnel and will also be under order of the Alliance Military"

[The Sol Capital Territories]

The Commander stood there, emitting yellow UVs (smiling), in a very defensive and authoritative composure. He was annoyed at these aliens, but he knew that they could be useful in their Bid Liter against the Rygors. "Do.You.Confirm.Boarding.Procedures.510?" He said it in an annoyed way, if it is even possible for a Caraani that lacks the variety of sound-making via mouth that other species have. He said it slowly, plainly, so that these creatures may understand. Either way, even if he wouldn't be allow, he signaled Draen, one of his two top lieutenants, to prepare the team. At this point, he understood that these creatures had at least contacted, if they weren't in a war with, the Rygor, and that he could extract vital information. He wouldn't let them go. Now, it was up to them.

"The Ussians - 3", Orbiting Gas Giant Kilsaror, Outskirts of Erranos Kilsar System

The whole Ussian fleet was shocked. They froze as the message, in a quite frankly demanding and authoritative tone parsed through, now clear as the light of day.

"I guess the translator worked!" Keila was the first to break the ice.

But now they were faced with another dilemma. Obviously these beings out there in contact want to enter the ship.

"They want to board us?!" Dalor and Merkor, now in the same room, looking at the comm-receivers yelled in unison. "No WAY!"

Meanwhile a bunch of military engineers with experience in stealth systems decided to chip in. The 6 of them, all onboard Prison Transport 307 transmitted to 510.

"510, this is Azor Eleka and my team from 307. We specialize in designing experimental stealth systems, like the one this alien craft is using to conceal themselves from. We know they are stealthed from observing gravitational and visual irregularities around our immediate area. Using our specialized augmentations and expertise, we have managed to pinpoint the location of the craft at this coordinate. Sending now." The data was then received by all the other ships, thereby updating their sensors with the new information. A reboot of the sensor and nav systems onboard all ships was required to display the new information.

"By God, it's massive!" Sherok exclaimed, his expression shared by virtually every Ussian onboard the 4 ship fleet. The re-vamped Rygor sensor systems and the Ussian gravity analyzer/spectrometers/photon-capture devices have managed to fully visualize the alien ship in front of their eyes, after updating their external sensory augmentations, of course.

Ussian technology was to the point where they could actually resolve the alien crew onboard their ship. There was a humanoid-resembling figure, appearing yellow in color, emitting ultra-violet radiation which permeates the entirety of their ship. But beyond that, nothing else can be discerned from that visual.

After the initial shock and awe, followed by fear and apprehension had subsided, the appointed crew of 510 was given the full authority to respond to these aliens. They really didn't want a conflict to erupt, but they despised letting an alien being on their ships even more, drawing from experience with the Rygor.

"We would appreciate it if your men didn't board our ships; we have become weary after our encounters with the Rygor, in which more than 500 of our own have been senselessly slaughtered. I hope you understand. Please, tell me about your species, and what are your intentions on following us?"

[The Orson Empire]

Sierra System

The Covenant had once again won the day. Atlas's counterattack wasn't enough to stop the Covenant advance, and most of the planetary cannons had been taken out, allowing more of the Covenant fleets to focus their fire on the enemy fleets. Frederick finally sounded the retreat- Atlas had retreated first, followed by the remnants of the Alliance fleets. Mar had planned to trap them using his ships equipped with gravity well generators, but he decided to let them leave the system, as he had already done enough damage to the fleets. The engines on Frederick's dreadnought failed, as his dreadnought was so heavily damaged that he could not escape. Frederick sent a message to the Covenant fleet, stating that they were clear to board his ship.

The ship crews cheered, as the Covenant had won its second battle in Alliance space. Mar was relieved that everything had went to plan as well. He would reply to Frederick's message, saying "Everyone on board your ship is to disarm themselves, and all weapons aboard the ship are to be confiscated by Covenant forces. You are to present yourself in one of your ship's docking bays, where you will be taken as a prisoner of war. Everyone else aboard the dreadnought will taken as a prisoner of war."

Mar then gave an order to the rest of the armada to send transports to Frederick's dreadnought to detain Frederick and everyone else on board, and that the prisoners were to be treated with respect and not harmed.

Lucan System

The Alliance managed to regroup their forces and launch a massive counter-attack. While the Covenant forces outnumbered the Alliance, they were in disarray. Trov had left the lower admirals to coordinate their own fleets, and the battle soon became a mess as the Covenant was driven away from Noveria and its moon. On Trov's dreadnought, the Alliance marines continued to face stiff resistance. More and more Covenant marines continued to arrive on the upper decks, and the Alliance marines were surrounded on all sides and under heavy fire. Nevertheless, the Alliance marines were close, as they had reached the hallways closest to the bridge.

Captain Kyla had been taken to an infirmary, where there were dozens of wounded Cho'Dosans and humans. The explosion of a grenade could be heard in the distance, and the blast shook the room and caused the lights to flicker. As the thick metal door closed behind the marines, Kyla was placed on one of the beds, and a medic immediately tended to her. The medic took off her helmet and the armor around her chest, and saw that the bullet had penetrated near her stomach. Kyla began to cough up blood and struggled to stay conscious, and she was going to bleed to death if she wasn't tended to immediately. The medic sprayed a gel on her wound, which would immediately stop the bleeding, and then injected a liquid into an area close to the wound. The liquid contained nanobots, which would rush to the wound and begin repairing it any any other damage in the body.

On the bridge, dozens of marines had arrived and began setting up defenses as the Alliance marines advanced. The bridge crew had armed themselves as well, and had assisted in barricaded the thick metal doors that served as entrances to the bridge with any furniture they could find, and they also helped construct barricades that could serve as cover. High Admiral Trov had dressed himself in body armor and was armed with a magneto cannon. Trov was prepared to fight to the death to save his dreadnought.

[Caraani]

The Commander stood there, emitting yellow UVs (smiling), in a very defensive and authoritative composure. He was annoyed at these aliens, but he knew that they could be useful in their Bid Liter against the Rygors. "Do.You.Confirm.Boarding.Procedures.510?" He said it in an annoyed way, if it is even possible for a Caraani that lacks the variety of sound-making via mouth that other species have. He said it slowly, plainly, so that these creatures may understand. Either way, even if he wouldn't be allow, he signaled Draen, one of his two top lieutenants, to prepare the team. At this point, he understood that these creatures had at least contacted, if they weren't in a war with, the Rygor, and that he could extract vital information. He wouldn't let them go. Now, it was up to them.

The whole Ussian fleet was shocked. They froze as the message, in a quite frankly demanding and authoritative tone parsed through, now clear as the light of day.

"I guess the translator worked!" Keila was the first to break the ice.

But now they were faced with another dilemma. Obviously these beings out there in contact want to enter the ship.

"They want to board us?!" Dalor and Merkor, now in the same room, looking at the comm-receivers yelled in unison. "No WAY!"

Meanwhile a bunch of military engineers with experience in stealth systems decided to chip in. The 6 of them, all onboard Prison Transport 307 transmitted to 510.

"510, this is Azor Eleka and my team from 307. We specialize in designing experimental stealth systems, like the one this alien craft is using to conceal themselves from. We know they are stealthed from observing gravitational and visual irregularities around our immediate area. Using our specialized augmentations and expertise, we tried to pinpoint the location of the ship. However it seems that they have some kind of AI blocking us. It blocked our interference channels when we tried to pinpoint it and flooded our system with junk files weighting about 500 or so Exabytes. At the moment we are actively countering it's attempt to hack into our system. Whatever, and wherever it is, this ship has very advanced technology."

After the initial shock and awe, followed by fear and apprehension had subsided, the appointed crew of 510 was given the full authority to respond to these aliens. They really didn't want a conflict to erupt, but they despised letting an alien being on their ships even more, drawing from experience with the Rygor.

"We would appreciate it if your men didn't board our ships; we have become weary after our encounters with the Rygor, in which more than 500 of our own have been senselessly slaughtered. I hope you understand. Please, tell me about your species, and what are your intentions on following us?"

The Bassinol - Rygor System Belt (RSB)

(I modified your app to be in accordance with my app. Sorry mate, but it ain't that easy to hack into the Bassinol. Read this post to understand why.)

Meanwhile, on the Bassinol, while the engineering team attempted to hack into the Bassinol's system to pinpoint it:

"Oraya Commander, warning, unknown alien entity trying to get access to our ship." DEISA said in her monotone usual tone. "Oh, what do we have here? It seems they have the same intentions we do: to know each other better." Said Oraya, not at all bothered by this attempt. He knew the Bassinol was a State-of-the-Art Government ship that possessed the latest Caraani tech, and whose stealth System could only be hacked by the most advanced of Ussians ships, and that too would take minutes if not hours thanks to DEISA, the semi-shackled AI of the ship. Surely one random Ussian ship, even if it had the best of engineers, couldn't EVER hope to actually successfully hack into our system to pinpoint our location. "Commander, I have successfully blocked this Ussian attempt. I have also begun flooding their system with junk files that will allow me to get access to their ship. This shouldn't take more than 2 to 3 minutes. I suggest you keep them talking, so that I may successfully infiltrate their system. From there, I can penetrate into the entire local network of ships, upon which I will effectively be capable to allow the Bassinol access to ship 510."
"Very good DEISA, you've done great." As the Commander congratulated the AI, a message came in: "We would appreciate it if your men didn't board our ships; we have become weary after our encounters with the Rygor, in which more than 500 of our own have been senselessly slaughtered. I hope you understand. Please, tell me about your species, and what are your intentions on following us?"

"Get me on the Comline Virid." "Understood Commander. You're on".

"Attention, 510. We have had an attempted infiltration of our system. I repeat, I am part of a secret Ussian mission deep into Rygor Occupied Territory, that is why you couldn't possibly know about my existence. We also have an advanced ship, that is why you couldn't pinpoint us, or get access to our ships. But I repeat, we are not enemies. We are the same race, you and I, and we can provide help and rescue you, since that is technically, in a very technical, narrow point of seeing our mission, part of the mission. I will discuss more with you about this when we get access to board your ship, which I hope you will understand, is for your good, since we have come here to also rescue you. I repeat, we are Ussians that can rescue you. Allow us on your ship."
The commander knew they might not bite at this act of his, but he tried anyway, since DEISA needed time to get access to their ships. Were they to bite, they would get to board the ship and establish Contact, a thing his team - The Bassinol Contact Team - was literally assembled for, or DEISA, by the time they would get to think about it and answer no, would have already infiltrated their network, and Oraya would get to board their ship anyway.

[The NAR]

-SOLIS ALLIANCE-

---

---

Lucan System

---

The Alliance Fleets continued to drive the Covenant back, away from Noveria, and it wasn't long before the enemy fleets had fallen into complete disarray. While they'd lost many vessels and even more lives, and the Covenant had undoubtedly suffered more, and it was surely climbing. Though, from the fight the Covenant was putting up, the battle wasn't over yet. On the Covenant Dreadnought, the advance led by Sergeant Maxson was successful - breaking the Covenant lines and enabling the Alliance Marines to drive towards the Bridge. Other units of Marines had captured a nearby hanger and were holding onto off waves of enemy troopers, waiting to evacuate the rest.

Sergeant Maxson came to a halt at the door to the Bridge, which had been sealed. Other Marines had taken up positions by the door, but Maxson wasn't about to run in guns blazing. He was well aware that as soon as they opened up the door, they'd be hit with a wall of fire. "Place the door jammer" Maxson ordered, and a Marine would place a device on the door controls, then step back into cover. Smoke canisters were set off in front of the door, blocking view of the Alliance Marines. When the door slid open, and Covenant troops opened fire, dozens of gas canisters flew into the room, along with dozens of grenades.

---

Sierra System

---

Across the Dreadnought, Alliance Forces laid down their weapons as ordered, but Lieutenant-Admiral Frederick decided to remain on the Bridge and have a glass of Whisky and a Cigar. A simple act of disobedience to show the Covenant that we would not be subject to their rule.

[The Sol Capital Territories]

"Get me on the Comline Virid." "Understood Commander. You're on".

"Attention, 510. We have had an attempted infiltration of our system. I repeat, I am part of a secret Ussian mission deep into Rygor Occupied Territory, that is why you couldn't possibly know about my existence. We also have an advanced ship, that is why you couldn't pinpoint us, or get access to our ships. But I repeat, we are not enemies. We are the same race, you and I, and we can provide help and rescue you, since that is technically, in a very technical, narrow point of seeing our mission, part of the mission. I will discuss more with you about this when we get access to board your ship, which I hope you will understand, is for your good, since we have come here to also rescue you. I repeat, we are Ussians that can rescue you. Allow us on your ship."
The commander knew they might not bite at this act of his, but he tried anyway, since DEISA needed time to get access to their ships. Were they to bite, they would get to board the ship and establish Contact, a thing his team - The Bassinol Contact Team - was literally assembled for, or DEISA, by the time they would get to think about it and answer no, would have already infiltrated their network, and Oraya would get to board their ship anyway.

"The Ussians - 4", In Contact With Un-identified Alien, Outskirts of Erranos Kilsar System

"We're getting attacked!" Keila, the person responsible for hardware maintenance said. "Our systems are infested with junk packets from an unknown source. Sensor systems and weapon guidance are scrambled. We are losing control of critical subsystems."

"Incoming from 927. They report a malicious interference with their systems. They have temporarily disabled all sensitive electronics for the time being. Only their life-support systems are in running order." Merkor chimed, getting a message through an encrypted frequency on his neural-interface implants.

Merkor lunged towards the ship's controls, desperately connecting his cybernetics to the ship's systems. "Initiating emergency override procedures. Grant me root privileges. And...done."

Then came another attempt to communicate by these aliens. An unannounced, frankly inappropriate time, as the Ussians had already have reason to suspect them of perpetrating the hack.

"I'm directing the spam to one specific port - then, I will terminate all connections to it - effectively isolating the intrusion." Merkor said, multi-tasking using all his appendages. "Sending in a flood of custom-made diagnose-bots. They'll detect the problem - and how to fix it."

As the ship's comms were also hit by the hack attempt, Sherok and Keila had to make do with what came out of it, which was garbled and unclear.

"Are you hacking into our systems?" Keila inquired into the comm-broadcast. "We are still unconvinced by your declaration as one of our own. Please note that lying is not the best way to start an introduction. Why do you insist on boarding our vessels? We may be refugees but that doesn't mean we won't resist any untoward behavior towards our interests. Also, if you were one of our own, present proof so we can verify it."

At that moment a squad of 300 Ussians with some military training had formed next to the entry locks on Transport 510. They were using Ussian and captured Rygor tech, modified to suit their own preferences. They were instructed to be vigilant, but calm and professional when the aliens ever decide to board. It was agreed that shooting was a last resort. Instead, they aimed to peacefully, and diplomatically diffuse the situation.

[The Greater Gambia]

Explored System 389B
USS Lincoln

---

Commissioner Pilli would cross his arms, shifting his wait, and think of the offer made. It was a good deal, yes, and the Alliance could sure use the support. They'd take anything and everything they could get to win this damn war. He would nodded, straightening his posture, then take a drag from his cigar. "I'd be honored to help organize such a task force, though I cannot stress enough that it will be commanded by Alliance Personnel and will also be under order of the Alliance Military"

Turing was growing irritated with the Commissioner, but tried not to let it show. He had already gave him the terms, yet he still insisted on the Alliance sticking its nose where it didn't belong. It was that sort of Terran demand of oversight that forced many humans out of the safety of Sol and out into the galaxy.

"I believe I've already made myself clear, the Federation does not like leaving their work in the hands of others. On paper, they would be taking orders from you, but this task group would be receiving orders from sources in the Federation. I suppose, that the Federation could allow Alliance Officers to work along side Federation Officers. It would be highly suspect if the Task Force had no sign of oversight from the people their fighting for."