The Age of Terran Imperialism [FT|IC|SEMICLOSED SEE OOC]

[The New Earth Federation]

February 15th, 2457
Polaris Station, Sol System
NEF Brismarck


After docking with the Polaris station and viewing the might of the Empire, Captain Julius stepped on to the station with his two guards, veteran Troopers in full combat gear, however only armed with pistols. Roller where the standard infantry of the New Earth Federation, their armor was interesting as they had a flecktarn camoflague, full body armor and a gas mask like rebreather. The trio marched down the corridor, the soft thuds of the Troopers combat boots alomg side the movement of metal and gear, nothing was really said as the trio met the guards on the other side of the corridor.

"I'm Captain Julius of the NEF Brismarck, Im here to met your representative." Finally spoke Julius

Aboard the Brismarck

"Let's hope that this doesnt turn into a shit show with us in the middle" spoke a grizzled sergeant as she inspected her rifle, the M83A7 Valkyrie Pulse Assault Rifle. The Valkyrie was the common rifle of the NEF, what it lacked in range it made up in firepower and accuracy, this was largely due to the oversized 9.80mm round that was used for the rifle. It also helped that the rifle used two linear electromagnetic rails to help speed up the bullet to increase velocity and penetration. So calling it a pulse rifle while somewhat correct is not the best way to describe it, it would be better described as a micro railgun if you are being generous. But, there was a downside, it lacked range and rate of fire that most weapons had today the rifle was also slightly bulky. However; the Troopers loved the accuracy and stopping power that these rifle had and came up with some very interesting nicknames for them like "Widow Maker" "Box Rifle" "The Hiss" (Due to its hissing noise when you ran out of bullets in your magazine and ejecting the empty magazine).

"Agreed, the amount of firepower they have here is overwhelming. That huge warship they have here would destroy the Brismarck in one volley" replied another Trooper cleaning his chest pate, while Trooper armor was well designed and tough it was basically an exoskeleton with armor plates attached to it. It required regular maintenance (cleaning the plates, inspecting the armor itself, checking on the power supply, and repairs) like with any armor in service in any military.

"Agreed, by my calculations our odds of survival are next to none, further more the station seemed to also be heavily defended. It has what appears to be several gun emplacements around the station, however I'm not familiar with the design and layout of the station so take my analysis with a grain of sugar" interjected BD-78 "Jeff" one of the newer Battle Driods that the Federation had been experimenting with in order to fill certain roles on the battlefield, this one in particular was one of only a hundred prototypes assigned to ships and certain battalions to see how Troopers would interact with these droids. The Troopers in the barracks chucked as BD-78 finished, not knowing with they where laughing at the droid looked at them blankly "Did I say something funny?"

"Salt, it's a grain of salt Jeff" replied a Trooper as she stowed his gear away in her foot locker

"Oh....I see, I guess that is quite amusing" replied Jeff as he picked a set of cards "Poker anyone? I'll deal"

[Ella2 6]

Because the terror is right here

Federation Frontier Space
FED-7966 Voyager
Commander Yuki Kazuko Yamamoto

The ranks of the new recruits greeted Yuki and her accompanying guard, Rosemary and four of her most accomplished marines, with rigid salutes. Their polished armour glistened intensely under the glare of floodlights. Blaster rifles slung orderly across their back. They stood in formation, with shorter units in the front rows and taller units in the back. A rainbow of colours ranging from bright red to dull brown with everything in between decorated the scalps of the soldiers. Having spent years working with the clone armies of the Dominion, Rosemary was dismayed by the lack of uniform stature in the ranks but said nothing of it. Yuki, on the other hand, took her time to appreciate the four files of troops and noted, with some amusement, the soldier in the rearmost row tended to carry with him the large rotary blaster cannon, marking his place as the gunner of the group.

The Commander of the 3rd Imperial Marines was a much older man, likely in his mid-thirties, by the name Ramiro. He was a large man with heavy set features. His hair was a dull blond in comparison, however, and his eyes were a slightly brighter shade of the dusty yellow which could only be described as chartreuse. He stepped forward now from before the ranks, a hearty smile lit up his deep features. "Yuki, Rosemary, it's nice to see you two again."

"It's been a while, Ramiro," she replied, bowing her head slightly as a gesture of greeting, "how have you been?"

"Not half bad, not half bad at all. Yuki, this is the Captain of Razor Company; Gilberto Ruiz. Gilbert, this is Commander Yamamoto." The young captain bobbed his head enthusiastically and extended his hand in greeting. Yuki accepted his hand and was surprised by the firmness of his grasp. His hot pink hair was much brighter than those Yuki had ever encountered previously, she suspected that he dyed his hair. His orange eyes were much more natural in that sense and they sparkled with curiosity and mischief. To use the word handsome for this man was not entirely inappropriate, and he was very much a well-mannered individual. He then went on to greeting Rosemary and Yuki largely ignored their exchange.

She did notice, however, that there was a third person present; a young lady, not much older than the Captain, who waited quietly behind the grizzled Commander of the 3rd Marines. The girl was fairly tall and slim, with long, red hair which contrasted starkly against the icy blue of her eyes, giving her gaze a strange, otherworldly quality that could be suitably described as slightly uncanny. Her armour was a cross between the functional combat gear and the lady's ceremonial armour, with the top half of her attired remaining as the same armoured breastplate and shoulder pauldrons and the bottom half was a short, tight skirt that ended a little more than halfway down the thigh. Greaves, knee guards and sabaton boots bridged on from where the skirt left off and she had traded in her gauntlets for a pair of long, white gloves. Yuki gestured towards her politely, directing a question to Ramiro. "And... Uh... Who's this?"

It was Gilberto who replied, however. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ma'am. This is Feya, my aide. Feya, this is the esteemed Commander Yamamoto." Yuki's eyebrow rose slightly in response. Personal aides were a thing reserved for high ranking officers that reside in luxurious headquarters builds, directing the war effort from the comfort of their couches. Even an officer of her rank didn't have a secretary as such, much less a Captain. The fact that Gilberto had with him an aide of sorts was concerning, to say the least.

"Pleased to meet you, Commander. I'm Feya, Gilberto's aide...." As she spoke, Yuki 's mind wandered briefly. The aide's uniform, now that she realised it was a secretary's uniform, did, in fact, seem familiar. Clearly, however, that the Captain had connections, perhaps by blood or marriage, to one of the higher-ups. It wasn't impossible, after all, and for the time being, she declared this the most likely. She realised that the lady spoke now and she hurriedly snapped her thoughts back to the present.

"Pleased to meet you too, Lieutenant Feya," Yuki replied sweetly. They shook hands briefly and Feya bowed slightly before resuming her position behind Gilberto.

"Shall we begin with the training?" Ramiro asked softly, "The day doesn't get any brighter from here."

"But of course," Yuki agreed with a small nod and the two officers departed to organise their troops.

Rosemary approached her commanding officer and murmured a small notice to her. "Gilberto," she began uncertainly, "He's the nephew of Lieutenant General Greene of the 4th Imperial Army and therefore the son-in-law of Grand Marshall von Anselm. Be careful around him, he's got kinship directly to the King-Emperor." It suddenly dawned on Yuki the nature of the young Captain. She thanked her friend with a discreet nod and they proceeded to inspect the troops of Razor Company. Nobility or not, they had a job to do.

---

In this room

Federation Frontier Space
FED-5311 Hummingbird
Admiral Ima Lutgardis

The Imperial Star Scouts met elements of the Imperial Star Guards at their given coordinates about seven hours after the Gish Liberation Front failed their hostage crisis and genocide run on Sauria V, an operation known as Operation: Intention's Edge. The two great defence fleets of the Federation set up a series of interception nets in and around the specified retreat routes of the Gish terrorists. The sleek, grey-black vessels of the Imperial Navy waited patiently in the emptiest parts of the void for their prey, with little to no light to cast even a shadow onto their polished hulls.

Ima became keenly aware of a jabbing sensation in the small of her back. She shifted about her commander chair to find a more comfortable position and gave up when she found none. Sighing in resignation, she stood erect, massaging the base of her spine as she paced around the bridge.

There was very little activity in most departments. When outside of combat, the tactical and engineering departments sat mostly idle, with the role of guiding the ship and her valiant crew placed in the hands of the other departments. The flight department was a hive of activity, however, as the co-pilot monitored the craft's trajectory and speed, making minor adjustments to the course of the vessel with the help of the flight control officer. The signals officer re-routed and relayed signals down the line and fed relevant messages to the ship's AI as various sectors continuously reported all clear.

The navigation department was also busy, with a new helmsman taking over the helm and the tired pilot returned to his quarters to rest. The observer kept his keen eyes peel and directed his array of telescopes this way and that, trying to detect any anomalies in the area. So far, there had been none. Meanwhile, the astrometry officer busied himself with updating star charts of the sector as scanner brought in rough data about nearby systems. Altogether, it was a rather uneventful patrol, but the crew had endured many in the past and one more would never hurt their resolve.

Sensors came up with a flash and he spun around in his chair, a look of urgency on his face. "Ma'am, our satellites are picking up movement in sector 122140. It looks like the Gish, and it looks big. Orders?" Ima turned around at that, wasting no time to direct flight control to plot a course towards the sector. The array of lights above the Venator-Class warship flashed in semi-sequential patterns as the vessel realigned with its new heading. Within an instant, the vessels sped off into the void on an interception course with the Gish.

---

The Gish warships were rather large constructs with an ugly grey-green hue to their hulls. cannons bristled from their prowl, angled slightly off to the sides like whiskers of some large predator. Their broadsides were punctured with torpedo tubes and the occasional turret lined the corners of their missile arrays above. On the topside of the hull, behind the bridge, a pair of massive solar shielding generators could be seen. The entire vessel was easily identified as a retrofitted Morimpan vessel. And with all Morimpan vessels, there was a weakness at the bottom of the hull where there were no armaments, a weakness that the Ellian Starforce were experts at exposing.

Several other fleets of Imperial warships exited warp around them, converging on the single target that was the Gish vessels. Before an ultimatum was sent through the wires, the Gish opened fire upon the Federation Navy. Volleys of missiles and armour piercing shells slammed into the Ellian energy shields roughly a minute or two after they were fired. This length of time decreased exponentially as the two sides closed in upon each other. The armoured spearhead of Ima's fleet bore the most of the enemy's fire as it approached, shielding the more vulnerable elements of the Ellian formation from enemy fire.

Gish volleys slammed into the Ellian formation at significant fractions of the speed of light. This proved problematic for the defending point-defence arrays of plasma and laser alike mounted on the bow and extending all the way down the broadsides of the wedge-shaped craft. However, as they passed through the massive energy shields projected around the starships, the powerful shielding robbed the kinetic energy of the various munitions, slowing them to more manageable speeds for the ship's defence systems to subsequently counter. Volleys of Ellian munitions were fired from the collection of torpedo tubes assembled on the prow of the audacity-class vessels following behind the boar's snout of larger, more protected vessels. These too were easily countered by Morimpan deflector shields, perfected over the centuries to become the masters of this type of combat.

However, as the Ellian vessels closed, the Federation gained the edge over the Morimpan vessels, for despite the centuries of perfecting their engineering for long range combat, the Morimpans were never as comfortable in close quarters as the Ellians were. As soon as the Ellian guns came into effective firing range, the massive howitzers opened fire, their ammunition - massive bolts of superheated plasma - closed the distance between the two forces within seconds of firing. The tight, controlled formation of the Ellian line parted and all hell broke loose upon the Gish warships. The agile craft, previously shielded by its heavier brethren, now sped from behind the shield wall and raced into the gaps between Gish vessels, while the heavy craft that made up the shields wall wedged themselves underneath the enemy vessels, where the armour was the weakest and there were no defensive weapons installed.

And with the time-honoured Ellian warcry, "Bottom's up, gents! Let's give it to 'em!" the massive turbo blaster batteries mounted upon all Ellian capital warships elevated their cannons vertically up and fired into the unprotected underbellies of the Morimpan vessels. The Morimpan shields, not designed to handle fluid projectiles which clung to its surface and sapped away at its strength failed spectacularly, shattered inwards like broken glass, leaving a gaping hole for the keen Ellian gunners to exploit.

However, the Gish had one last trick up their sleeves. Having bought the Morimpan vessels from the imperialistic fish-peoples, they have since removed the spinally mounted mass drivers - the most powerful weapon aboard Morimpan cruisers of all classes - and have used the spinal cavity as hangers for starfighters. Now, swarms of fighters poured out from the cavities in the vessel's bow and at various points along the somewhat cylindrical hull, encircling the Ellian vessels wrecking havoc upon their capital vessels. The cannons mounted aboard the fighter craft and the occasional torpedo stung like a mass of wasps. Ellian point-defense responded in equal kind, the extensive batteries of small-calibre lasers and blaster cannons lining the hulls of the Ellian warships came to life, bringing down fighters with practised ease.

At the same time, the lights at the signals and communications officer's workstation flashed with an alarming red and admitted the passionate cries of starsailors on the bridge - the shouting or orders and relaying of information down the ranks of men within the raised tower that was the ship's bridge - Marcus Burns, the ship's comms officer, dragged Ima to his workstation, alerting her to the incoming message from the route they were just patrolling twenty minutes ago.

The Gish had broken through the original route which the captured plans had informed the Federation Navy of. With the significantly weakened garrison defending the route crumbling away to what was, in the end, the real bulk of the Gish Liberation Front's Navy. Ima cursed at her carelessness, having been so keen to stop the Gish right here and right now, that she drew away from the vast majority of her fleets to attack what was really the decoy. The slippery fiends have outplayed her again.

She rushed to the helmsman's station, wide-eyed and, for a moment, speechless. "Helm, can you get up out of this mess? We've been tricked."

Her heart sank at the apologetic reply of the pilot. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but if we try to warp now, we'll slam right into these starfighters circling us." Realising the implications of the issue, Ima walked back to the centre of the room and slumped down into her command chair.

"Get a message up to Navy High Command, tell them that the Gish got away."

---

Offical Communique

From the FED Office of Foreign Affairs

---

Greetings, Most esteemed emperor of the Glorious Terran Empire, Your Gracefulness Tiberius Maximus I,

It is with great disappointment that I must apologetically inform you that a group of armed terrorists identifying themselves as members of the Gish Liberation Front has bypassed our national security forces and have crossed over to your borders. They are now moving through Terran territory on several routes and according to captured documents detailing their withdrawal from this galactic sector, their plans are to escape into uncharted space very close to your territorial borders. Should they venture out into unknown space, it may be of strenuous difficulty to track them down again.

We are requesting your assistance in bringing these criminals to justice before the intergalactic community and face punishment for their extensive list of crimes that I am certain you would not be interested in reviewing. This organisation is well known within your nation for their actions, and I hope you would not give up the chance to see its members punished for their hideous offences against sovereign states throughout the quadrant.

Should you allow our own peacekeepers to cross your borders and aid your security forces in detaining these criminals, we would be very grateful for it and we offer to repay this favour in full should your Empire ever be in need in the future. Below, I have taken the liberty of attaching a copy of the Gish withdrawal plans as well as excerpts from our national databases regarding the Gish Liberation Front as well as any knowledge of the vessels being used by its members. We hope these can be of some use to you.

Most sincere regards,
Joyce Barton, FED Minister of Foreign Affairs
With full endorsement from the Sir-Minister of the Federation of Ellian Doradus, Lamprecht Cass Polley and the King-Emperor of the Federation of Ellian Doradus, Audamar Touthmosis Kita.

[Glorious Terran Empire]

February 16th, 2457
Polaris Station, Orbit of Terra, Sol

"Captain Julius, you will be brought before the Emperor himself to discuss the meaning of your arrival here, as with all who have met him, your guards will not draw a weapon unwarranted, first signs of hostility will result in lethal response. Now, please, enter." The door guard spoke before the foreign Captain, half expecting a witty response as the door opened to reveal the Emperor at the end of a meeting table, flanked by four guards on either end. This string of meetings was becoming too routine for comfort.

"Greetings, Captain. I am Emperor Tiberius Maximus, Emperor of Terra and Eternal Guardian of the Empire beyond. Speak, and I will listen."

February 16th, 2457
Fort Bok'Thu, Chur'Mok, Kingdom of Zei'Am

"All units, commence assault!" Squad 7, like all others, ran forth after encircling the position. Jenkins's head was blown off by an enemy sniper position at the top of one of the towers. Alice returned fire, putting a few holes in the nest as the other two moved forward. "Walter, grappling spikes!" Bart yelled through the smoke and the fire. The two of them stood feet shoulder-length apart as their belts fired two barbed spikes, tungsten tipped with a carbon-fiber cord. the small winches rocketed them up to the wall's midpoint as they began to clamor up the side using the adhesive glove and boot settings. As soon as they got up, Squad 9 had made their way up near one of the corners. Bart and Walter provided cover fire for their flank, so that Alice and Squad 12 scaled the wall. The Zei'Ari 44th Elite Rifle Regiment fought fiercely, Forcing the scaling of the walls to take nearly 10 minutes longer than accounted for. "Walt!" Cried Alice as an armor piercing round struck his chest, going through his heart and knocking him off the side of the wall. "God dammit Alice, just shoot them! He's already dead!" Bart yelled back at the greenhorn. 'Of all the times to get a squad of rookie sentimental bastards, they pick the first invasion of the Zei'Ari worlds to give me some fresh...'

His thoughts were interrupted by Squad 10's Rockets screaming down towards the enemy railguns, followed by Squad 15, and then by Squad 34. Within minutes the railguns were nothing but rubble, and then the mortar divisions got in position. From the walls, Sergeant Bartholomew Montgomery watched the explosions race around the facility, the guns were hit again, followed by the barracks, then the medical tents, then the ammo stores. Fire engulfed the fortress as the first wave of tanks were transported down. The city now belonged to the empire. "Alice, in this line of work, don't worry about the dead. If you can't save them, you only have freedom to give a damn about their passing once the Xeno bastards stop shooting you. Now come on, let's go report this mess to the Lieutenant.

As the two made their way to the command post that had been established, they saw roughly 14 captured Zei'Ari. As the slave collars were being affixed, one of the Zei'Ari jumped forward to attack, before being perforated by nearly 40 bullets in the second it took for him to fall backwards. Another tried to run in the confusion, but his collar drove a metal rod through his brain. "Typical." Bart said, stepping over a pile of rubble in his way. "They never take the easy way. I can respect that." It was only a mile now until they reached the base, and already, armored battalions were landing. "Either way, this planet'll be ours in a week tops."

---

Imperial Writ of Response
From the Desk of the Ministry of Xenological Relations

To the concerned parties in the government henceforth referred to as the FED,

The tribulations of your own ineptitudes have brought you to this, and here we are. Truly, these are dark times if Xenos are permitted by our neighbors to fly straight into our space unhindered. Rest assured that our own operatives are dealing with the situation, and though it was, as was admitted, the incompetencies of officers in the FED that led to this conundrum, we have room to cooperate.

If the FED seeks to operate in Imperial Space to deal with these illegal fugitives, the acting representative must formally agree to the terms outlined in this document:

Firstly, no single force numbering more than 50 combat-ready vessels may be allowed into Imperial Space during the length of this agreement, and of those vessels, none may be of the mass and volume greater than the Imperial designation of 'Battle-Cruiser.' Failure to comply will result in expulsion of the infracting vessel(s) from the Empire, with variable degree of force as needed for the infraction.
Secondly, no Imperial Citizens may be detained or persecuted by the operatives. Failure to comply will result in violent expulsion from the Empire. If the enforcers sent by the FED wish to label an Imperial citizen as an accomplice to this anarchist problem, report them to the nearest Imperial Magistrate for audit.
Thirdly, there will be an Imperial Task Force monitoring your activities. Attempting to hinder their duties will be seen as a foreign attempt at clandestine hostilities. They will cooperate with FED forces as they see fit in the detaining of these fugitives, but will not be expected to comply as though any FED officers were of higher rank, regardless of internal rank in the FED.

Following acceptance of these terms, the FED peacekeeping forces will be allowed entry into the Empire, to operate as they see fit, keeping in mind the terms of the agreement.

~Pax et Praestantia,
Charles Webb, Imperial Minister of Xenological Relations

[The New Earth Federation]

Feburary 16, 2457
Polaris Station, Earth, Sol System


"As you wish" replied Captain Julius, his guards they moved in first and stood on opposite sides of the doorway in an at ease position. As he entered the room he moved his cap from one hand to the other as he walked up to the table. He saluted Emperor Tiberius Maximus then sat down at the table and placed his hat on his right side. "Emperor, I come as a representative of the New Earth Federation, I was instructed to investigate the Sol system as one of our deep space arrays picked up a massive increase in transmissions." He paused "It seems that Earth has been colonized and is doing well. Do you have any questions for me?"

Feburary 16th, 2457
NEF Defiance, Loki class Corvette
Unknown space


The NEF Defiance, a Loki class Corvette dropped out of FTL I to unknown space, Loki class corvettes are small and lightly armored scout ships that where mostly used for scouting by larger fleets, surveying, etc. they operated with less then a hundred crew members and had a detachment of about twenty to twenty five troopers on board. Nevertheless the Defiance slowly cut through the quietness of space.

[Ella2 6]

Crossing the Line

Imperial-Federation Borders
FED-134893 Faithful of Doradus
Admiral Ima Lutgardis

Ima was not altogether pleased with this arrangement. As the executive officer of the failed operation of stopping the Gish Liberation Front, she naturally took the blame for moving her forces out of position. The vanguard of her fleet took heavy casualties as well, with most of them severely damaged and are now confined to starports for repairs. It was only fitting that she headed the operation to make amends for the damage caused.

But the Terrans were a strange kettle of fish. When Ima was first forwarded the memo that she was not allowed to bring vessels larger than the Terran classification of 'battlecruiser' she assumed that would equate to her flagship, the Venator II-Class Heavy Cruiser. Afterwards, however, she had been informed that the Terran classification of battlecruiser equated to the Zeus-Class Destroyers, much to her amusement. Even a cursory glance at the Ellian destroyer would reveal that it was by no means a long range warship. To use solely destroyers and corvettes for a foreign operation was near-suicidal.

Unfortunately for her, she had little choice in the matter; refusing to go was equally unhealthy for her career, if not her life. As a result, she had scrambled as much corvette and destroyer squadrons she could muster and stripped her fleet of its supporting vessels, creating a make-shift fleet for the operation. On top of this, Yuki and her Cable Company were redeployed elsewhere, helping with the training of the 3rd Imperial Marines. As a result, she was also low on suitable manpower necessary for boarding actions which were a staple of security sweeps which would be necessary for this operation.

The fact of the matter was, quite simply, the operation was the equivalent of a death sentence. And everyone from High Command down to the greenest starsailor freshly drafted into the ship knew it. Ima only wished that Yuki was here, but then again it was not exactly a bad thing that the young commander was absent.

The unfamiliar voice of Captain Rodgers brought Ima's mind back to the present. "Ma'am," she reported stiffly, "our men have found Gish terrorists being smuggled aboard the vessel. They put up a small fight and one of our men have been injured, I've taken the liberty to put him into the medical bay. We've made two arrests. We've also interrogated the Captain of the vessel. We understand that he is an Imperial citizen and his vessel is legally licenced. We also know that he has accepted a sum of around nine hundred credits to smuggle them into a nearby starport. Orders?"

Ima considered the conundrum. The Terrans have explicitly stated that they would handle their citizens that were found associating with the Gish, a request that was not at all unreasonable. "I'll ask our Terran supervisors if they're willing to take over with the law enforcement of their peoples. Just get me his details and wait for further orders." The marine captain saluted in acknowledgement and turned to leave. Ima watched her make her way to the bridge with a smile. Funny how the leaders of her marine detachment was always a lady. In a way, she found it fitting and directed her attention back to the issue at hand. "Comms, prepare a message for the Terrans."

Code: Select all

To: Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]
From: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'

Respected Rear-Admiral of our allied forces,

Our most recent security sweep has produced an Imperial citizen allegedly smuggling Gish terrorists for a commission of around nine hundred credits. We are forwarding this issue to your department so that your justice system may process this case. We shall rest assured that your system will deliver justice by all means. For now, we are simply concerned with how we ought to proceed from here. We assume the accused will be taken into custody by your security personnel and detained upon your vessel.

Below, I have taken the liberty of attaching documents regarding the accused and the accused's vessel for identification purposes. The documents are plain text files which should be compatible with all text processors. It is our recommendation that the vessel is also detained and it is advisable to interrogate other crew members of the vessel. Such actions, however, shall be left to your discretion.

Regards,
Admiral I. Lutgardis, FED Navy

Attachments (2):
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[Glorious Terran Empire]

February 16th, 2457
Polaris Station, Orbit of Terra, Sol

Questions? Hmm... Perhaps... The Emperor mused to himself. "What is the extent of the rest of mankind's power in the Milky Way? I have been absent far too long for comfort, and I must know. And while we're at it, how far does Velutaria's influence spread? We've heard reports that the entire galactic arm is either theirs or under the thumb of a puppet-state. As for my last question, how did so many of our species survive the first burning of Earth?" The Emperor thought it best to know how mankind continued so profusely following his departure. He committed a terrible thing that day, but thankfully, not terrible enough to shatter the rest of humanity.

February 19th, 2457
Fort Majoris, Libertas IV (Chur'Mok), Occupied Zei'Ari Space

"Alright soldiers, listen up! We're taking the last stronghold on this world that still bears the Zei'Ari crest on its gates! I expect an Imperial Flag over that citadel by sunrise tomorrow! 10th Cohort will be dropping in behind the walls while 1st through 5th Cohorts assault the walls, 8th Cohort will suppress the gatehouse as 9th Cohort drives straight trough the gate! Destroy the damn thing if that's what'll get it open. The Imperial Navy Airforce will provide cover, we've got the Reapers of the Skies overhead, so there is no need to worry about the enemy's air-power. Once the outer walls are taken, we'll be advancing into the heart of the citadel. Remember your training, and don't be predictable in your approach! 1st Legion, LEAD THE WAY!" The Legate gave his orders, it was comforting to Bart that air supremacy was assured.

His drop was rough, the pod struck the ceiling of the Zei'Ari barracks in the citadel. The doors didn't even open for the first five seconds, half to give him time to ready his weapon, and half to fire at hostile signatures around it before releasing the soldiers inside to the dangers outside. Bart's door launched off, and he immediately began firing at the Zei'Ari coming through the doorway in front of him. His squad had been merged with another, and the additional help was appreciated. The four of them moved swiftly out of the barracks once hostiles stopped trying to enter. That drop was rough, almost dangerously rough, how many did we lose in the charge up to this place? Bart thought to himself as the announcement came, stating that the outer perimeter had been secured. It was time to assault the keep.

The Legion encircled the keep, using the Outer Walls of the citadel as artillery positions. Before the mass-bombardment of the keep, the Provincial Commander, Lord Ak'Tho, issued a decree of surrender, in exchange for his soldiers and families to be allowed to leave Chur'Mok without pursuit. After an hour of consideration, the Legate accepted the terms, and the Zei'Ari soldiers were escorted to the nearest spaceport that still had working shuttles. The Flag of the Empire flew over every city by the end of the day, and only 400,000 Zei'Ari were still free to escape with Ak'Tho. By the end of the day, a total of 5 Million Zei'Ari soldiers were displaced and put to servitude as punishment for attacking the Empire. The civilians were labelled as the lowest non-slave caste of society, with many government programs ignoring their needs and rights. Chur'Mok was then rechristened "Conquest," as Lord-Governor Arnold Weiss was placed under command, with a full force of a million Planetary Guardsmen were diverted to the occupied territory, to keep the peace until local regiments can be recruited.

February 23rd, 2457
Planetary Orbit of Mai'Djok, Zei'Ari Space

After summarily executing Jok'Zan'Push, High King Zog'Do'Huri had announced that Admiral Rin'Ze'Porr would be sent to deal with the Human menace. "No more will we lose ground!" The King said, to little applause. This left the precarious position of the border with Velutaria. Admiral Yari, having survived his encounter in Malutaron, had launched a full-scale assault on Zei'Ari space, eager to prove himself. The first clash was intense, but the Zei'Ari held fast. They counteracted the technological superiority by having greater maneuverability. Zei'Ari ships would constantly warp around the battlespace, being difficult to hit, always flanking and getting out before hostile guns could turn to fire on them. It took nearly twelve hours and the loss of over 40 Zei'Ari cruisers, but the Velutarians had retreated to the cover of the system's outer asteroid clouds.

The High King was to give his victory speech, before he heard the terrible news. The news which broke his warrior's spirit and filled him with nothing but despair and rage.

February 23rd, 2457
Planetary Airspace, Zei'Am Prime

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The warp-tugs swiftly brought the Albatross class bombers into orbit of the planet. From there, the bombers detached and cloaked, gently floating down into the stratosphere. The tugs quickly warped to the 'bounce' coordinates and stayed until the next notable time-stamp. Commander Kuril waited until the bombers were over the Zei'Ari capital. The air raid warnings had yet to be delivered, meaning that the insertion went off without a hitch. "All bombers, drop cloak and open bomb bay doors, begin your run on my mark." At once, the glistening formation of bombers, nearly a quarter thousand, all revealed themselves and opened bomb bay doors.

"All units, strike now!" The Commander yelled, and the bombs began falling. Small-scale tactical payloads focusing on either fuel-air or bunker-busting blasts were deployed on key military and industrial targets. The final bomb for each bomber, was, however, the same. A large missile was launched from each bomber near the end of the run, to fly off in the direction of either military complexes, other cities, or space ports. The Commander's great weapon was to strike directly at the Palace structure overlooking the city. As the bombers pulled up and fired afterburners to get back up to escape velocity, the warp-tugs arrived at the rendezvous point. Commander Kuril took this moment to watch the Palace become ash under the mushroom cloud he had created. The 1-megaton warhead had struck its target well. The Kuril Raid would be remembered throughout Zei'Ari history as the most boldfaced and terrifying Terran bomber attack in living memory. Cities turned to dust, an entire hemisphere scorched and irradiated enough to increase cancer rates by 20% in affected cities for centuries.

Commander Kuril would learn later that day that the Zei'Ari King was leading the navy against a Velutarian Fleet a mere system away. Regardless, the Queen, two Princesses, and the Crown Prince were killed in the raid. Kuril had earned the nickname 'Crown-Breaker' that day. The death toll had numbered nearly 120,000,000 to the sound of a tenth of the Zei'Ari annual GDP in repair and clean up.

February 24th, 2457
ITN Balaur, Sepia System, Exteriores Sector

Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz had been bored out of her mind, sitting around in a reservist division while most of her best friends from the Academy were sent to the front lines for combat. Truly, truly, bored. She thought that volunteering to lead the Joint-Task-Force would break the monotony, but it merely added a backdrop to it. She'd hoped that the foreigners would be allowed a grand fleet, and that she'd be at the helm of a mighty strike group. Instead, she was stuck with a fleet barely able to patrol a system effectively, whilst tagging alongside a motley group of small Ellian warships. The whole thing was a publicity stunt, and Imperial Foreign Affairs had made her the easily-written-off stunt woman. She could smell the bullshit that High-Command gave her over the countless light-years between her and Terra itself.

She was reading over reports from other systems. And it was all bad, tracking down the Gish infiltrators that tried to blend in was easy. Most aliens knew better than to try blending into Terran society without a citizenship identification chip in their brains. The hard part was finding the veritable needle that was the main fleet in the haystack that was Imperial Space. The other strike groups, real ones with dozens of battleships, had only been able to engage standoff forces, diversionary efforts, repurposed civilian craft bearing Gish warriors. Meanwhile, there were raiding parties that would essentially perform fly-by raids on civilian cargo ships at known trader junctions. Meaning more ships would have to be placed at these junctions to ensure that the civvies dropping out of warp could safely re-align their trajectory before warping off to deliver or pick up. To add salt to the wound, many of these raids were reportedly done with hulls of Zei'Ari design bearing recorded Gish insignia. This meant that the Zei'Ari caught wind of it and found a way into the black market to not only supply the Gish, but even give them the training to use these ships. The reason to use Zei'Ari designs has two reasons that the Empire could see, one to terrify the populace into believing there's an invasion, and the other to employ the quicker spooling-time of Zei'Ari warp drives. The Empire had 'faster' FTL at full throttle, but the Zei'Ari could get to warp much quicker.

"Lady-Admiral! Incoming Message!" Her comms officer reported to her, breaking the silence that loomed over the Dreadnought, Balaur.

Code: Select all

To: Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur
From: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'

Respected Rear-Admiral of our allied forces,

Our most recent security sweep has produced an Imperial citizen allegedly smuggling Gish terrorists for a commission of around nine hundred credits. We are forwarding this issue to your department so that your justice system may process this case. We shall rest assured that your system will deliver justice by all means. For now, we are simply concerned with how we ought to proceed from here. We assume the accused will be taken into custody by your security personnel and detained upon your vessel.

Below, I have taken the liberty of attaching documents regarding the accused and the accused's vessel for identification purposes. The documents are plain text files which should be compatible with all text processors. It is our recommendation that the vessel is also detained and it is advisable to interrogate other crew members of the vessel. Such actions, however, shall b left to your discretion.

Regards,
Admiral I. Lutgardis, FED Navy

Attachments (2):
kristopher_andrews_profile.plntxt
sml_frieghter_358496.plntxt

Bad news atop bad news. "Mobilize the Gorynych. Tell them to take as many prisoners as possible. While you're at it, inform the Titania to deploy transports to carry the prisoners in. I want every one of those terrorists in a slave collar and the traitors in this ship's brig immediately." She gave the orders before swiftly typing out a response. The ITN Gorynych warped to the target vessel and remotely disabled the civilian ship's warp core. From there, the Marines had it. There were heavy casualties, but the Traitor captain and over half his crew surrendered without a fight once the marines boarded. The other half, they were discretely incinerated following the gunfight. Thankfully the traitor was using a Terran civilian vessel, the military could simply send a command through a programmed backdoor and disable key functions.

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To: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'
From Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]

To the Ellian Admiral of this Joint Task Force,

We have received your message loud and clear. A response force has been detached, and a formal notice will be sent to local and Imperial law enforcement detachments under this jurisdiction. We thank you for your cooperation in lieu of the circumstances, and are pleased that the treaty is upheld. We have recently received intelligence reports that armed warships of Zei'Ari design have been sighted bearing Gish markings. Below we have attached a detailed structural layout of these designs including known structural defects and tactics known to have at least a 90% effective rate of success when employed against such craft, as well as detailed fleet formations observed by our operatives.

As to hasten future correspondence, we have attached with this message a text processor which automatically encrypts information, so as to not only reduce file sizes, but to make these transmissions more difficult to intercept; in addition, we have a basic reader which converts information from complex graphical files such as the Zei'Ari warship details down to plain text information, as well as a graphical file reader. We have translated the raw code from these programs into plain text, that you may convert it appropriately.

Gloria et Victoria,
Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, Imperial Terran Navy

Attachments (9):
zdesfile.gvi
zcrufile.gvi
zdesfile_nogui_description.plntxt
zcrufile_nogui_description.plntxt
i_o_gishfleet_24022457.plntxt
shroud_exe.plntxt
spectrumimager_exe.plntxt
enigma_exe.plntxt
vega_programminglanguage.plntxt

[The New Earth Federation]

Feburary 16th, 2457
Polaris Station, Orbit of Terra, Sol


"After the War, we fled to moon then to mars where we mined the planet for resources to build some primitive deep space ships and warp drives. My accounts a little more then 12 percent of the population survived and split into several different factions, the New Earth Federation is the current version of the survivors of England, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, and Iceland. Once we reached the Arcadia system we built up our empire and expanded outward, we kept to ourselves as for the other human nations we don't know much other then a few survived......and the Velutarians have started to push up on our borders.....several border incidents have sprung up....we have also been dealing with another empire known as the People's Republic of New Asia. Survivors from Asia who have embraced communism." Replied the Captain in a grave tone as he moved to a parade rest stance. Then he looked toward the Emperor "Im not a diplomat sir but I'm guessing the Federation would like to open up a diplomatic channel to help you deal with the Velutarians."

NEF Military outpost
Alpha Sector, NEF/Velutarian border


On the fourth planet in the system there was a giant military space station. It's decks glistened with heavy Kinetic cannons and other fine weaponry. The station itself house thousands of Troopers and staff, while not as big as he military stations in the Arcadia system or others in the core world sector, it was still a mighty fine station.

[Ella2 6]

Sepia System, Exteriores Sector
FED-134893 Faithful of Doradus
Admiral Ima Lutgardis

The speed and force of the Terran response to Ima's message was a comforting reminder of the Empire's competence. She watched now as a sleek grey hull bearing the Terran crest jumped in beside them and nosed its way in between the Ellian vessel and the smuggler's freighter and proceeded to dock with them. She could only assume that the Terrans would handle the criminals like how the Navy would; that is placing them in shackles and hauling them off the vessel in a fashion that most would deem 'excessive.' As she later found out from the marine captain which was taking over in Yuki's absence, her assumption was mostly correct.

One of their runner-class corvettes which had delivered the marines onto the smuggler's ships broke away from the two and made its way back to the rear of the Ellian formation. As it passed, Ima glanced briefly at the clusters of guns mounted on either side of the bridge and sighed. If only she had vessels carrying larger calibres with her today. She had the vague suspicion that the Terrans were pulling off some sort of gunboat diplomacy nonsense and she felt somewhat obliged to respond in kind.

"Ma'am, the Terrans have wired us a reply," the signals officer reported, "I'm patching it through to the main screen." The massive glass main screen which dominated most of the front section of the bridge faded into existence as its opacity was raised to maximum and the Terran's message summoned itself onto the display.

Code: Select all

To: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'
From Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]

To the Ellian Admiral of this Joint Task Force,

We have received your message loud and clear. A response force has been detached, and a formal notice will be sent to local and Imperial law enforcement detachments under this jurisdiction. We thank you for your cooperation in lieu of the circumstances, and are pleased that the treaty is upheld. We have recently received intelligence reports that armed warships of Zei'Ari design have been sighted bearing Gish markings. Below we have attached a detailed structural layout of these designs including known structural defects and tactics known to have at least a 90% effective rate of success when employed against such craft, as well as detailed fleet formations observed by our operatives.

As to hasten future correspondence, we have attached with this message a text processor which automatically encrypts information, so as to not only reduce file sizes, but to make these transmissions more difficult to intercept; in addition, we have a basic reader which converts information from complex graphical files such as the Zei'Ari warship details down to plain text information, as well as a graphical file reader. We have translated the raw code from these programs into plain text, that you may convert it appropriately.

Gloria et Victoria,
Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, Imperial Terran Navy

Attachments (9):
zdesfile.gvi
zcrufile.gvi
zdesfile_nogui_description.plntxt
zcrufile_nogui_description.plntxt
i_o_gishfleet_24022457.plntxt
shroud_exe.plntxt
spectrumimager_exe.plntxt
enigma_exe.plntxt
vega_programminglanguage.plntxt

Ima read quickly, raising an eyebrow as she came across the section denoting the involvement of the Zei'Ari with the Gish. It does not take a simpleton to realise the only way the terrorists could have laid their slimy digits onto a military vessel and got away with it was if that vessel was not in fact stolen, rather given to them by the consent of the government. She also knew that some heads higher up in the Imperial Navy would take great interest in such news, and she was not going to disappoint them. She summoned the ship's AI with the press of a button on the arm of her chair and greeted the automation.

"Morning, Shane. Forward the last data package we received from the Terrans to Navy High Command for me, please. While you're at it, send a message of thanks to the Terrans for me"

As you wish.

The AI's avatar bowed before disappearing. A few moments later the words "messages dispatched" appeared on the main screen. Ima nodded to herself in satisfaction and waved the screen off. The glass screen faded away, back into its transparent form, and Ima was once more left with her thoughts.

---

Offical Communique

From the FED Office of Foreign Affairs

---

To the Zei'Ari administration this may concern,

Recent joint counter-terrorism operations with the Terran Empire have produced reports of the Gish operating military warships of Zei'Ari origin. Furthermore, our intelligence operatives have uncovered evidence that the Kingdom of Zei'Ari are willfully supplying the Gish with these vessels. We request that your Kingdom's government reconsiders their stance on the matter of supplying the Gish.

We understand that your state security forces may have difficulty dealing with the Gish insurgents and that could possibly be the cause of your government's deflection to their cause. If that is indeed the case then we are offering our assistance in both protecting your nation's borders from these subversives and offering aid to help your people recover from the trauma of these attacks. However, if your nation is purposefully partaking in supporting the Gish Liberation Front and supplying them with weapons and supplies to that end, we will not simply stand by and look on.

If the Kingdom of Zei'Ari continues to support terrorists such as the Gish, you will henceforth be treated as such by our security forces.

This is your only warning,
Joyce Barton, FED Minister of Foreign Affairs
With full endorsement from the Sir-Minister of the Federation of Ellian Doradus, Lamprecht Cass Polley and the King-Emperor of the Federation of Ellian Doradus, His Gracefulness Audamar Touthmosis Kita

---

Irakusne Star System, Sector 307
FED-736911 Dragon Barracuda
Commodore Borredan Acosto

Turboblaster batteries mounted on the port-side of the flagship locked on to the lonely corvette, mostly as a safety precaution. The other vessels of the small patrol fleet followed suit, ready to tear the unidentified vessel apart at a moment's notice should something be afoot. One of the runner-class corvettes broke off from the main force and approached the NEF vessel slowly, the marines aboard ready to board the ship at a moment's notice should the need arise.

"All vessels in positions, Sir," The signals officer reported promptly, "all units report they are standing back."

Commodore Acosto nodded in response. "Sigs, hail them notify all vessels to keep a close lookout for warp signatures."

"Aye, aye, Captain. Relaying orders as requested. The message has been sent, five minute's grace time starts now."

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To: Unidentified Vessel
From: Imperial Star Guard Security Forces

Unidentified vessel,

You have entered the sovereign space of the Federation of Ellian Doradus. Please identify yourself, stating name, allegiance, purpose and intentions. You have a grace time of five minutes, after which you will be ejected out of Federation Space if our demands are not met satisfactorily, via force if necessary.

[Glorious Terran Empire]

Oh, but did I EVER get writer's block on this one.

February 16th, 2457
Polaris Station, Orbit of Terra, Sol

"I see..." The Emperor mused, over 6 Billion souls lost by his hand, and from there, survivors were cut by the departure. It would explain how such little reconstruction was finished, and how, of all continents, South America was the most developed upon the Emperor's return to Terra. The thought of the Asian survivors re-embracing communism for what must be the third or fourth time was an interesting note. The way that the Captain spoke on the subject made it plainly obvious that his nation was opposed to them. The Captain's explanation also satisfied the Emperor's curiosity with the structures and partial exploitation of the Martian surface preceding his return to Terra. The Empire had expanded on their work to create great ship foundries were ship parts were being produced faster than any external shipyard that the Empire knows of. The NEF was only just now beginning to oppose them? Hm, perhaps they were a real challenge to the Velutarians, it would explain why they hadn't been attacked already.

"Well, help against the Velutarians is always appreciated, as you can tell. A bunch of vile, despicable, child-eating tyrants of our astropolitical neighborhood. Tell me, Captain Julius; have you met their 'Grand High Empress' for yourself?" He paused for but a moment. "I have. She would have led a fleet straight to Terra to take it had we not chosen that precarious day to make our return trip. We entered system as her fleet was probing the Kuiper belt. Before you return to the NEF, I would show you the scale of what we're up against. What our last fight was, the last time we were known as the Federal Republic. What turned us to the way of life that is the Empire." He put forth the offer, as his conscious whispered to him. 'What I have to remind myself of every day.'

February 25th, 2457
Ruk'Ja'Tho System, Zei'Ari space

"Engage, all units, follow strike pattern Delta-Seven. Leave none alive." Admiral Sicilius ordered coldly. It was at this point that the fleet warped to the harbor station, where intelligence reported Admiral Rin'Ze'Porr had docked his fleet. The carriers in Sicilius's fleet had already launched fighter-bombers in attack formation, the small craft trailing closely around other, larger entities, and hitching a ride into the battle space under the large warp field emitted by the fleet as a whole. The dreadnoughts had their guns preheated, the Archangel battleships in fleet were getting up to relative speed inside the warp field, burning towards the nose of the fleet from the rear, allowing them to already be harder to hit from the second they drop into system.

The warp field crashed into real-space at full force, a vibrant flash heralding the fleet's arrival as they dropped under lightspeed. The Zei'Ari fleet was indeed at the harbor, but they had finished their resupply, and the Zei'Ari fleet turned from their swift-travel formation, to the recognizable spider formation. They would try to encircle his fleet by field warping around him. He gave the order. "All units, ahead full! When they encircle us, punch through and sweep back around, Strike Group Terror and Hammer will lead the maneuver, listen to target designations from the Michael and the Azrael! All dreadnoughts and carriers, prepare for citadel maneuvers on my mark." The citadel maneuver; all warp drive, engine, and jump drive power is taken and pumped into the shields, damage control subsystems, and weapon systems. It is said that an Ares-class dreadnought in citadel could take a full broadside for 10 other dreadnoughts and still maintain shield power.

His hunch was correct. "NOW! CITADEL!" He cried as his dreadnought's shields glowed so bright as to cascade the external video feed in a sky blue sheen. The combined fire of the enemy fleet was upon his flagship, and he knew that this was the only way his flagship could survive. The rest of the 1st Fleet did its work as the dreadnoughts and carriers exchanged fire with the station itself. The main body of the fleet forced its way into the enemy formation, blasting anything in front of it before fanning out after breaching the enemy formation. The fight was turning to Admiral Sicilius's favor.

February 25th, 2457
Palace Ruins, Kuril Raid Ground Zero, Former Capital, Zei'Am Prime

Zog'Do'Huri waltzed somberly into his home, gates warped and in pieces. Kuril has almost directly struck the Palace's energy shielding, the only thing keeping his home standing, though bleached white and caved in by the bomb. The radiation meter on his suit read out almost 4 Brahk (~200 mSV/h), but as he got into the foyer, it dropped to under a Brahk. He looked around, not for survivors, but for heirlooms, keepsakes. Record of his family now lost. He sifted through the rubble and debris for hours, before finding the black imprint of a small Zei'Ari, and two others that looked as if they were in the middle of a stride. He looked down to find a small diamond, one that he remembered giving to his youngest daughter as a departing gift not a full 3 days ago. The king fell to his knees and wept inside his suit. An hour later, he left the Palace, and after a radiation scrub, he was addressed by his -now provisional- Chancellor.

"My King, messengers from Ellian Doradus bring sour tones. A shall let you take these in yourself." The raspy voice said calmly.

"Respond. Zei'Am will not be bullied by these weakling kings in our hour of despair."

Gal'Makkan Zo'Dosh'Likku
(Grand Words from Warriors and Prophets)

---

To the miserable wretch, Joyce Barton,

Your actions of aiding those putrid beasts and their so-called 'Empire' will not be ignored. We will take blood for blood from the Empire, no matter how. If our people see fit to do business with the Gish, we will not stop them. The Empire burns our homes and enslaves our people. They have turned this border dispute into a full-scale occupation, and your weakness and desire to appease them does naught but enable them to slaughter us wholesale. The Terran Empire is just as horrible as the Velutarians, and our righteous crusade will not be deterred. If you wish to give us empty promises of aid, then strike at the Empire and prove yourselves as truly helpful to the galaxy at large. It will take more than the empty promise of aid to persuade the Mighty Interstellar Kingdom of Zei'Am.

If you continue to threaten the Zei'Ari, you will be impaled upon our horns as the Empire will be.

May your bones rot from the inside for your insults,

Chancellor Kol'Huk'Zo, of the Mighty Interstellar Kingdom of Zei'Am
On order from the High King Zog'Do'Huri, forever grieving against the Tyranny of Mankind

February 26th, 2457
ITN Balaur, Sepia System, Exteriores Sector

The day was as boring as any other. Rear-Admiral Gantz was sipping at her recaff, pondering the reports as they came in. Here in Sepia, the only thing that was noteworthy would be the junction point that cargo ships and trade fleets would be forced to stop at. The station constructed to cater to the weary merchants was almost constantly filled by Imperial sailors during times of leave. The station itself was small, incapable of holding the combined weight of either military fleet, but the sailors spending their credits at the station was welcome, to the station's reigning Lord. It was funny to Bridgette, the Lord of the station was of a lower social rank then her, and yet to save face in front of the FED, she was ordered to be very accommodating and proper to the Lord of the station, as if he was of equal rank. This publicity stunt was proving to be quite rigid, and so far, the fleet has only fired small arms against the smuggler and his illicit cargo.

-Earlier that day-

"Lady-Admiral, the Gorynych has completed the prisoner transfer to the Balaur. Brig staff are awaiting instructions." Her communications officer reported. "Torture him until we get all necessary information, then sever the neural connections associated with the procedure. Afterwards, send him to the Occultus to be processed." She ordered the crews to begin immediately. Hopefully, he would crack within the hour. "Communications Officer Mordin, inform Admiral Lutgardis that we will remain close to the station near the junction point. Let her know that we will not be able to provide expedient assistance outside of 12 light-years, and even then, it'll take over an hour if they're outside of the Sepia system."

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To: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'
From Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]

To the Ellian Admiral of this Joint Task Force,

We would like to inform you that the Fleet will be resupplying at the nearby starbase, whilst defending the trade junction. As such, it would be optimal that you remain either within the Sepia system or in any of the 3 closest systems adjacent to Sepia. Beyond a 12-ly radius, we cannot provide expedient (Under an hour's response time) support to your operations. Should you choose to leave Sepia, we request you allow our Hera class Carrier to join your formation.
It is at this time that we would also invite you to join us at the starbase, should you require a resupply. We can make the arrangements with your government if it is needed to maintain any armaments, personnel, etc.

Attached below is the daily intelligence report, as well as a template for crew passports if you wish to moor at Sepia station.

Gloria et Victoria,
Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, Imperial Terran Navy

Attachments (2):
i_o_gishfleet_25022457.enig
sepiastation_foreignerpassport.enig

[Ella2 6]

Orchestrated Escalation

The Battlesphere, The Crystalline City of Dorni
Doradus Delta, Doradus System
Sir Lamprecht Cass Polley

The Sir-Minister of the FED skimmed over the Zei'Ari communique quickly. The language was vile and the words unsavoury, he did not bear to reside on one section for too long. Beneath the hostile statements and poisonous paragraphs lingered a sense of viciousness, but not just viciousness... Lamprecht's practised eye, trained by long years of politicking and diplomacy picked up subtle hints of fear and dread buried deep beneath the syntax. There was a concealed, underlying tone which spoke of warding threats mixed with anger and hatred. He sensed that the writer felt like a cornered animal; terrified and hysterical, ready to lash out at a moment's notice. After a period of silence, Lamprecht sat back and sighed, rubbing his eyes, apparently tired of scanning over the foul text.

"I take it that the Zei'Ari's reply was unsatisfactory," the figure sitting oppose of the Sir-Minister of the FED said quietly, bringing a cup to his lips and sipping lightly on its contents. A frown came over his features and with a flick of the wrist, he tossed the contents of the cup into the fire bowl beside the table. The flames flickered briefly and the coals which fed them hissed in complaint. "You've been staring at that message for so long the tea's cold."

"Let's just say they're not the most diplomatic of folk," Lamprecht agreed, tossing his own cup of the substance into the fire. A servant approached the table and refilled the cups with fresh liquid, before retreating to his position by the door. "It's an insult. It's an insult to me, it's an insult to you, Grover, and it's an insult to the Federation. And they made no move to hide it. Bold words they used, but I do detect traces of fear."

Grover nodded sympathetically and smiled, picking up his teacup once more as he did so, noting with satisfaction that he could feel the warmth of the ceramic this time, "I believe you did not summon me from my work simply to drink some tea and discuss this outrageous accusation."

"Aye, my friend," Lamprecht began and leant forward, taking hold of the handle of his own cup and feeling the ornate patterns carved meticulously into its handle and sides. "His Majesty has requested that I make an effort and ensure the Zei'Ari understands who they're addressing. As you understand, we're still currently more or less neutral towards each other. That has to be changed."

"Of course," Grover agreed and cocked his head to one side, a quizzical smile lit up his handsome features, "I'll see to it that it is done. This would be a long campaign once it does get off the ground, however."

"Aye, Sir. Ima's found us some pretty tough customers," Lamprecht mused, carefully setting down the delicate container upon the decorated tray. He scratched his chin thoughtfully for a brief moment and nodded quietly to himself. "I think it's about time we brought her back, have someone else sent up to replace her."

"Certainly..." He quickly scribbled a note. "Jo, dear, would you mind forwarding this memo to Navy High Command later for me?"

"But of course, Sir Grover." The aide bowed her head tentatively and appealed a smile to the Sir-Minister, "will that be all, Sir?"

"For now." Grover waved his personal away before leaning forward. "So, Lamprecht, what's our next course of action?"

"Simple, we upset the delicate balance that we have arranged between our two parties. We need to force their hand and make it look like they fired the first shot. His Majesty wants a legitimate reason for an invasion of the Zei'Ari territories."

The Sir-General of the FED smiled. "Tell his Majesty that it shall be done. Now, more tea?"

"Aye to that, my friend," Lamprecht chuckled and raised his cup in a toast. "Glory to the Federation!"

---

Sepia System, Exteriores Sector
FED-134893 Faithful of Doradus
Admiral Ima Lutgardis

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To: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'
From Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]

To the Ellian Admiral of this Joint Task Force,

We would like to inform you that the Fleet will be resupplying at the nearby starbase, whilst defending the trade junction. As such, it would be optimal that you remain either within the Sepia system or in any of the 3 closest systems adjacent to Sepia. Beyond a 12-ly radius, we cannot provide expedient (Under an hour's response time) support to your operations. Should you choose to leave Sepia, we request you allow our Hera class Carrier to join your formation.
It is at this time that we would also invite you to join us at the starbase, should you require a resupply. We can make the arrangements with your government if it is needed to maintain any armaments, personnel, etc.

Attached below is the daily intelligence report, as well as a template for crew passports if you wish to moor at Sepia station.

Gloria et Victoria,
Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, Imperial Terran Navy

Attachments (2):
i_o_gishfleet_25022457.enig
sepiastation_foreignerpassport.enig

Code: Select all

To: Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]
From: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'

Respected Rear-Admiral of our allied forces,

Your invitation to allow us to join you in your starbase for resupply is much appreciated. Our vessels will be docking with the starbase and we would require replenishing of our basic supplies there. We'll forward our completed crew passports to Sepia Station upon arrival.

Kind Regards,
Admiral I. Lutgardis, FED Navy

---

It was very considerate of the Terrans to notify them that there was a chance to resupply at an allied space station, Ima thought so at least. That was until she saw the starbase and realised that it was too small to hold their combined fleet at once. She quickly made a mental note to organise a roster, giving priority to the ships that required the most attention time in resupply. Certainly, they've not spent much of their munitions and she doubted that the Imperial starbase had any weaponry that was remotely compatible with their own. She did realise, however, that their vessels likely needed refuelling and it was equally unlikely that the Imperial starbase did not have anything that a fusion reactor can burn.

The docking sequence was unnoteworthy, though she did give the Terrans credit for managing to moor more vessels than she had accounted for. At this rate, she estimated that her original approximations of taking several hours to fully resupply were cut down to only a few hours or so. She rose from her chair to stretched her legs and turned to her crew. "We've got an hour's break time, spend it well," she declared.

Those assembled sighed collectively in relief. Those close to her muttered their gratitude. The officers on the bridge not associated with the engineering, personnel or medical departments departed, some headed for their quarters to rest, others heading out with other members of the crew for the starbase's entertainment facilities. Ima recalled that she probably owed someone a drink but neglected to capitalise on it this time. Instead, she made her way to her quarters to catch up on some sleep.

---

Jia'Tei'Kait, Hea'Keiv System
H62 Heaven's Touch

The Heaven's Touch, a large Federation hospital ship, rested off of the Zei'Ari planet of Jia'Tei'Kait, docked in one the few multinational starports the stranger race had on offer. Moored close by her side were two other Federation warships tasked with escorting the vulnerable vessel. Their hulls dulled greyed by the relentless barrage of alien suns compared to her snowy white chroma and their faded red stripes complemented only by her bright red crosses. Beyond them, the planet rotated slowly in some blissful state, seemingly unalarmed by the presence of two armed warships docked just beyond its grasp on the edge of Zei'Ari space.

Unknown to any of them, a fourth Federation vessel was also present in the system, her hull a glossy, reflective black bore no markings of allegiance nor pennants of nationality. Her angular surface specifically designed to disperse and confuse radars into reading empty space. She was hidden away within the system's small asteroid belt, where the presence of an object clipping the light of a distant star was far from alarming. Indeed, she was hidden well, and her radios and comms were all but silent.

She lay there in the darkness, watching keenly as a small vessel detached from her side and made its way slowly to the starport in question. Unlike her hostess, this vessel was plainly marked as a humble merchant ship, one of no significant size nor noticeable marking. A small crest on her bow marked her as an Independant; a large faction of rogue star traders hailing from all nations and all races that have banded together to escape oppression. The Independents recognised no government nor laws, but they were always a welcome addition to many nation's trade hubs. Their disregard for any laws attempting to be imposed on them means that they are able to supply anyone willing to pay for illicit goods, vital resources and critical artefacts, electronics and records that would otherwise be off-bounds or unobtainable due to faction politics, embargoes and blockades.

This Independent vessel approached the starport now and was welcomed with an instantaneous permission to dock. She did so and the Captain was immediately overwhelmed with enthusiastic merchants looking to purchase the exotic goods stored in her hold. And in the rush to find the best deals, no one noticed a small section of the crew detach themselves from the rest of the sailors and make their way around the facility to where several Zei'Ari warships were docked.

The Zei'Ari star ducked quietly behind the planet and the immense shadow of Jia'Tei'Kait washed away the gleam of starlight on the polished hull of the starbase. The station's great docking bays lit up instantly, helping to guide in approaching vessels and illuminate the gloom for those arriving and departing. The serenity of the night was broken when the broadsides of a Zei'Ari warship lit up, delivering a powerful punch straight into the sides of the Heaven's Touch. The hospital ship was sent reeling and broke away from its anchorage by the starport, careening dangerously into the void before the crew could steady the craft.

Her two escorts immediately raised their own anchors and detached themselves from the space station, their great turrets swinging around to lock onto their targets. The reply volley from the Federation warships struck the assailant square in the stern, and in an instant, she engulfed in flames. Other Zei'Ari warships moored in the port joined the fray, desperate to defend their countrymen. The combined firepower of their batteries was enough to force the Federation vessels to retreat, one of the escorts billowing smoke from her tail.

But the tough little ship fired back in defiance, retaliating fiercely until a second volley of Zei'Ari munitions put her permanently out of action. The second escorting craft was in no better shape, her bow twisted and bent by shots which had penetrated her armour plating. Like her sister, she fought valiantly until she was silenced for good. The two hulks momentarily blocked the sights of the Zei'Ari starcraft from the Heaven's Touch, but it was not long before the white hull polka dotted with bright red crosses peeked out from behind the drifting wreckages.

The Zei'Ari gunners, driven to a frenzied bloodlust by the loss of one of their own, gave her no mercy and in an instant, she was reduced to a smouldering frame. The small skirmish lasted barely five minutes and the shattered skeletons of four ships lay adrift in the void. The Heaven's Touch was no more, and her two escorts destroyed. With them, they took down the Zei'Ari vessel that had first attacked them and as the smoke from the fires of their wrecks cleared, not a single soul aboard these four ships were recovered.

During the confrontation, the other vessels in the starport had quickly fled the scene, and in their haste, no one had noticed the peculiar asteroid which the Independent vessel had docked with. The stealth vessel turned around slowly and quietly slipped out the system, leaving no trace of its presence behind. In the aftermath of the encounter, the FED declared a state of war against the Kingdom of Zei'Am, and while neither side admitted to being the party which shot first on that fateful day, they both agreed that this war would not be over until one of them was forced onto their knees and apologised dearly for their actions.

[The New Earth Federation]

Polaris Station, Terra

"Emperor, we would be willing to assist you in your fight against the Velutarians. As for High Empress I have not met her but I have fought a few of their 'soldiers' a worthless lot they are no discipline, no honor, no respect....they are barabarians thst need to be shown what an effective military should and would look like. As soon as I'm back on my ship I will relay that you will accept our support in the war effort and maybe we can finally castrate these arseholes" Capitan Julius was very much determined and quite pissed in his tone. He understood that the NEF was a multispeices nation and al, of the non human species had either voted in or had been conquered into the fold however this was different, this Velutarians had attack the other Human nations before and now it was the NEF's time to be prepared for the upcoming war.....a war that would be deadly on both sides.

Unkown, NEF Defiance

No response was received form the ship however a weak message was sent out on all frequencies

>Critcal damage
>>90% crew fatality
>>>Need of Assistance

Meanwhile on board the ship there was a small gun fight that had resulted near the Capitans quarters it seemed a group of crew had been infected with some sort of brain parasite and had begun to attack the rest of the crew spreading it. However it was quickly squashed but the paranoid of the parasite had spread across the crew and they begun to fight each other.....after all this was largely a private corvette with a small detachment of Troopers to guard it. And corvettes where largely used for reconnaissance and planetary survey.

[Glorious Terran Empire]

February 16th, 2457
Polaris Station, Orbit of Terra, Sol

"I am glad to hear this. At your leisure, I would show you one last piece of history. The reason why we fight the Velutarians. If you have the time, I request you meet with the Imperial Fleet towards the Kuiper Belt. I do not hold it against you, should you be too busy." Tiberius saw fit to justify his war, and show his newfound ally why the war was called. In the Kuiper belt, far along the edge of the Sol System, there was a grim reminder of Terran resolve. Over four thousand wrecked Terran and Velutarian hulls littered the space surrounding the Dwarf Planet Eris. A gigantic graveyard for an invasion force which may have conquered the still-rebuilding Terra in a day, and a monument to the thousands of Terran Sailors who died driving off the cruel monstrosities.

"And before you go, I would say this. Upon my first communication with their Grand High Empress, she simply remarked that our people's children would 'scream beautifully' as she devoured them. Make note to your supervisors that they shouldn't be given mercy nor rights. Their offers of surrender are false and they have been known to strap torpedoes to escape pods and crash them into rescue ships. If you surrender a force in battle, they will be enslaved, raped, or eaten alive, perhaps a combination of the three. Give no quarter and if you mean to truly fight them then fight to the bitter end."

February 28th, 2457
Nova Constantinople, Balkan Sector, Terra, Sol

Senator Kyle Scribner meandered slowly through the halls, taking his time to observe each sculpture as he made his way out of the Restored Hagia Sophia. The church-turned-mosque-turned-museum had been expanded and further sorted. He made his way past the section on Classical Rome to the one on Byzantine Rome, then to the Ottoman Sultanate. Upon reaching the time of turmoil, the shattering of nations, and then the postwar sections, he began to wonder what befell the old world. Upon reaching the section on Imperial Rule, the current age, he met his contacts. The first of which was an Asian woman, barely taller than his youngest son. Consul Ma Xuegang. The second was a Ridori female in royal garb. Vassal-Senator and Princess of the Ridori Duchy, Remarian Vossa. And the third was the Minister of Trade Himself, Usaama al-Shafi.

"We must make this meeting brief." Consul Xuegang said, scanning the room. "We have precious little time to speak, we are here, Vassal-Senator, what do you wish to say in regards to the recent laws passed on Ridoria?"

The young Ridori spoke. "Know that I had nothing to do with my Father's new tariffs. Though I understand how the Empire would suffer under the weight of another increase in tungsten prices. I have a proposal."
This caught the ear of Minister al-Shafi.

"So, you seek to bring forth a veto on these tariffs to the senate? If that is so, why call a minster here? You know that the Ministry Council deals only with the concerns of the Emperor and the Empire at large. The Senate has no-"
"Let her speak." Kyle spoke up, tired of being downwind of this minister's smug aura.

"Thank you, Senator Scribner. Now, the reason I have you here, is because I know this makes it harder for you, and my brother would oppose me directly in the senate. I've already got the support of the other Vassal-Senators, and I would like to remind you that I'm only Second in line to inherit at the moment. Should that change, Father would be willing to listen to me."

"So, you wish to dispose of-" The Consul began again.

"No, I am merely stating fact, if something were to happen to my brother, especially in the week before I put forth a repeal to the voting floor, not only would his seat need to remain vacant for it, but my Father could not oppose me without calling into question our dynasty's legitimacy. And even if I go unopposed, he may lose face and need to abdicate."

"That doesn't explain why Minister al-Shafi is here..." Kyle said, gesturing to the man stroking his beard.

"Consider the funding for this enterprise granted, my own coffers will not suffer the weight of this. It is good to have Velutarian slaves, you know. Makes for a good scapegoat, especially since they aren't tagged." He said snidely. "Oh, and your highness?" He said to the Ridori.
"A shame about your late brother, though I offer congratulations on being named heir apparent. I will make sure to say great things to the Emperor when he finally ordains you to sit upon your father's throne."

"So what am I here for?" Kyle asked the Princess.

"You must run distraction in the Imperial court. You have ties to many business owners on Terra itself, I need you to fabricate a scandal that will draw public attention away from our plan."

"Understood, I'll find a descendant of some old-world king to crop up a media fiasco about. Make a few slanderous remarks tat can't be totally disproved, bribe some folks to make stories. Poor sod may be executed, but after I get him to bend a knee or two the scandal should die down. Hopefully it'll be long enough for the plan to go off without a hitch. What's in it for me?" The Ridori looked him in the eye in response.

"Tariff-free shipping on all convoys to the Duchy..." As Kyle yawned, she continued. "As well as full advertising rights and a 15% equity on all Vossa Family products."

"Twenty." Kyle immediately countered.

"Twenty percent then."

"Consider it handled."

February 25th, 2457
Ruk'Ja'Tho System, Zei'Ari space

<"All batteries, fire on the lead ship!"> Rin'Ze'Porr ordered. <"Signal the Kal'Massa to begin Emergency Plan Four! Phase One! Bring the hospital ships in front of us, the Terrans won't fire as long as they broadcast that they are carrying wounded. Make sure the marines on board are prepared to board the Terran battleships!"> The High King would be furious if word got out of this pitiable strategy, but Rin'Ze'Porr cared little for honor when victory was on the line. In fact, the one thing he didn't tell his subordinate officers was the nuclear payload on board their ships, designed to scuttle and vaporize deserters. Soon, the hospital ships began flying forwards, toward the Terran battle fleet.

"Tell those hospital ships I don't give a damn if they're carrying wounded, one more kilometer towards this fleet and I'll order a free-fire upon them!" Sicilius was in no mood for this. If this battle was won, the Empire could launch an invasion of the Zei'Ari heartlands. Half of the Kingdom's navy was in this system. "Get the Vassal-Fleets in system as well, we need all hands on-deck for this one. Hell, call Admiral Maximilian if he's in range. In the meantime, have the destroyers move into position between those hospital ships and ours. Have Strike Group Snare ready to catch stragglers, and hold the main force in this system. Launch the interdiction field emitters, I don't care if it stops us from warping out too." On his order, the cruiser detachments fired heavy probes into the center of the formation, emitting a field that jammed all warp drive frequencies within five lightseconds. The battlefield was decided, and it wouldn't change now, without the Zei'Ari having a pre-existing strategy, Sicilius was shooting fish in a barrel. Pride among the Zei'Ari leadership made it difficult for them to reinforce and act as a cohesive unit, and the intelligence advantage went to the Empire, as the Zei'Ari were incapable of hiding from Terran spy vessels, and blind to the stealthier, high-tech designs.

"Hospital ship Kal'Massa! Port side, has breached the fleet's exclusion zone." The tactical officer reported. "Give them the order, get rid of it, and any other ship that approaches this fleet. We've already got fighters trying kamikaze attacks, we don't need the risk of perfidy." The Ensign looked at him for a moment, hesitating on the order. "Sir, I-" He was cut off by Sicilius. "I'll take full responsibility if this is found as a war crime, Ensign Leopold, order the attack." The thunder of guns was deafening to the Destroyer captains, and the fireball coupled with the sudden ECM burst meant that the Admiral's suspicions were indeed correct. The vessels had been carrying a nuclear payload, which would be lethal if unleashed at close range, underneath the protection of the shields. "Kill them all." The Admiral ordered, and so it was done.

After four hours and the loss of nearly a quarter of the 1st Fleet, Admiral Rin'Ze'Porr had been killed by a barrage from the Battlecruiser Phoenix. The acting commander issued an unconditional and complete surrender of all Zei'Ari forces in system, extending this command to the Count of Rok'Zu'Nar, the planet below. Sicilius brought the Legion in to quell uprisings and resistance, merely taking the Station himself for a resupply. The four-hundred captured Zei'Ari ships were transported one by one to various stations within the Empire, to be examined for further weak points. In fact, following the Federation of Ellian Doradus declaring war on Zei'Am, a shipment of three vessels for all ship classes were transported to the FED border, as a 'gift' ordered by the Emperor himself.

Admiral Sicilius, in the meanwhile, had prepared a defensive strategy for the system, with the subject fleets and the 9th Carrier Task Force arriving in system. This would be his most cunning plan yet. After the resupply, all Imperial ships were moored on the dark side of the nearby moon. A reconnaissance probe was orbitally tethered to the harbor, and would wait until the enemy fleet had fully occupied it to send two signals: One to blow the station, and the other to signal the Carriers to launch fighter-bombers, which would fly into the battle with their anti-ship missiles. From there, the battlecruiser forces would skirt around the edge of the area, using data from the fighters to provide fire support.

February 27th, 2457
Zei'Ari Provisional Capital, Zei'Am Prime

"A thousand poxes on the family of Rin'Ze'Porr." The High King said in a brooding tone. He now had to redirect all of the Kingdom's resources to fighting the Humans and Ellians, lest Zei'Am itself fall. With the system of Ruk'Ja'Tho under Imperial rule, the enemy could now launch attacks on Zei'Am whenever they wanted. Thankfully, news of Velutarian attention being drawn away gave him a reprieve, meaning that he could finally devote his efforts to the Human threat. "I will name my Chancellor as acting regent. I must go to liberate the front line, before it crumbles on top of us."

He made his way towards his Royal Flagship later that day, marching proudly towrads the only fleet in his arsenal that could match the Terran vessels. A stolen Velutarian Dreadnought, the Im'Ko'Tu. The vessel was almost two kilometers long and had guns capable of breaking through Terran shields. It had been modified with Zei'Ari warp technology, which limited its quick-deployment range, but quickened response time inside of that range. "Now is the time. We will launch towards the Terran Fleets first, and after taking back Ruk'Ja'Tho, we will circle around to drive out the Ellians. Chancellor." He called out.
"Yes, your Majesty?"
"If I perish in the coming battle, Send an offer of surrender on the condition that my son is allowed to rule over what lands we have left. Save for that one condition, we will lay down our arms. If I do not win here, then mercy for our people is all we can hope for. Following this, resign and take your personal fleet to the Gish. I know you are the one supplying them. Keep fighting the Empire. Take my son with you should the enemy refuse our offer."
"Yes, your Majesty."

Within the hour, the remaining thousand ships that the Zei'Ari had mothballed were manned with emergency conscripts and ill-trained commanders. The fleet made way to Ruk'Ja'Tho, blissfully unaware of the Imperial scouting ship shadowing his fleet's every move. A call went out to allied command, and not only was the 1st Fleet warned, but the FED was given a rather trite message stating that if they wished to gain anything in this war, they would have to do it within the week. Many border-worlds were suggested as an invasion route, and the Ellians had many choices. They were even told of an IFF frequency that would be read differently than the Zei-Ari, should the seek to join the battle. Even if the King left to meet them, it would buy the Empire time. In the meanwhile, the 13th Legion was mobilized to Zei'Am Prime, to start the invasion immediately after the second Battle of Ruk'Ja'Tho began.

February 27th, 2457
ITN Balaur, Sepia System, Exteriores Sector

"What?" Rear-Admiral Gantz said, upon the news of the FED's declaration of war. "So now we're both fighting the exact same enemy and we're still stuck with these restrictions and we're still not allowed to engage the Zei'Ari? Damn it all." She cursed at this missed opportunity. With the harbor world of Rok'Zu'Nar under imperial control, the Gish supply of Zei'Ari vessels was made finite. Almost hourly, she would receive reports of Gish attacks on merchant vessels, only to find that the Ellian Fleet and her own Vanguard could handle the fight. Not once did the Balaur have to declare general quarters. This was the most absurdly lackluster position. Bridgette believed that this PR-stunt had gone on long enough, it was time for the FED to be given their big guns, and for both fleets to fly straight to Zei'Am Prime and show their idiot king what outer space feels like without the suit.

Beyond that, Bridgette wholeheartedly believed that the FED was engaging the wrong threat. The Zei'Ari were a speed-bump compared to Velutaria. In fact, the Empire had been trouncing the Zei'Ari consistently, regardless of Ellian interference. If she was allowed to say such things to the FED officially, she would likely devolve into giving them headaches with all of the flaws she saw in this move. Perhaps it was a land-grab? A power-play? Something to boost approval ratings on the home-front after the diplomatic insults? Regardless of the reason, the Zei'Ari were brutish thugs who lacked empathy while pretending to carry honor, but the Velutarians were downright evil. In fact, they embraced it, and even reveled in some of the most barbaric acts imaginable. How the Zei'Ari of all creatures were seen as the real threat was beyond her. Sadly, it was also beyond her position to question.

"Begin message." She ordered.

Code: Select all

To: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'
From Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]

To the Ellian Admiral of this Joint Task Force,

As protocol dictates, attached is the daily intelligence report. No noticeable deviations from yesterday's report, is there anything to report on your end?

As for our operations, we have fully resupplied at Sepia Station and are prepared to leave system should the area of operations need to be changed. Furthermore, we have expressed concerns as to whether your Government wishes to withdraw from this joint operation for the duration of your conflict with the Zei'Ari. In the meantime, however, we are ready to assist your formation in any way that we can.

Gloria et Victoria,
Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, Imperial Terran Navy

Attachment :
i_o_gishfleet_27022457.enig

[Ella2 6]

Doradus on the March

Romi Military Base, Orbital City-State of Lucra
Bacia, Doradus
Admiral Harduwich Ludovicus

The delicate mug sat untouched on his desk, its contents long since cold. A heavily adorned ceremonial sword lay on the table beside the meticulously embellish container. A large, perfect jade stone was embedded in the centre of the golden crosspiece, symbolising the status of the holder as an Imperial Knight Champion. A powerful hand seized the ornate blade from its resting position on the tabletop and clipped it to his belt, which too was emblazoned with small jade studs fixed in the dark leather at regular intervals. Golden embroidery weaved its way around the studs like a winding serpent. The rest of his attire pursued the same aesthetic with gold trimmings on the cuffs and collars of his crisp white coat and golden tassels hanging off buttons and pockets.

Sat upon command chair of his prized flagship, the Swift Scion, the Imperial Knight Champion of the Order of the Valiant Circle sifted through pages of reports detailing the brass' plans for the invasion of the Kingdom of Zei'Am. His forehead creased ever more slightly into a frown as he forged onward through the haphazard directions Navy High Command had given them. Finally, he stood up, apparently done with analysing the orders. But he was only just getting started.

"Admiral Ludovicus," His Chief Officer called, seeing her superior rise from his seat, "are you finished with High Command's instructions? What do they want us to do?" Harduwich regarded the brunette with an inquisitive gaze but said nothing. Instead, he stepped out from behind his large workstation and moved towards the massive glass screen which dominated the centre of the bridge. Upon his command, the great device transformed from its previously translucent state to opaque. A faint, light blue tint coloured the touch sensitive display and an autonomous voice with a distinctly feminine tone made itself known.

Admiral Harduwich, the AI greeted, summoning its avatar - a young lady in her early twenties with red hair and chartreuse eyes dressed in the Imperial Navy's officer uniform - into the bottom left corner of the screen, performing a deep bow as it did so.

"Marion, get Vice Admiral Barnes and Rear Admiral Wilkins on the line for me. And while you're at it, get me a map of Zei'Ari space, double quick. " The AI's avatar bowed at the mention of its unofficial nickname and swiftly retrieved a map of known space from its vast database. The screen blinked once and the expansive star chart appeared before being automatically zoomed-in to the Zei'Ari sector with the FED border highlighted in red. Meanwhile, the AI phoned the two junior admirals of the Third Star Fleet. "Commander Watts, come here for a second."

The Chief Officer came quickly at his beckoning, giving an informal salute as she came to his side. "Yes, Sir?"

"How goes the assembly of the fleet?" In preparation of the declaration of war upon the Zei'Ari, the FED has been secretly mobilising the 2nd Imperial Star Fleet, albeit much slower than a usual, activating only small, insignificant portions of the fleet at a time to keep foreign spies assuming it was simply an increased number of military patrols. By now, almost half of Admiral Harduwich Ludovicus' 2nd Imperial Star Fleet was active and ready to move. With the formal declaration of war and the open mobilisation of the 2nd and 3rd Imperial Star Fleets, Admiral Ludovicus was awaiting the remainder of his fleet to gather.

"All is well," the First Mate duly reported, "our men are were already pre-prepared and we are ahead of schedule by almost a full day." He nodded as he digested the information. "Is that all, Sir?"

He shook his head. "What of the other fleets?"

"The Third Fleet is also proceeding on schedule and will be ready in two days. The First Fleet is still awaiting the return of Admiral Lutgardis from the Terran Empire, but all its constituent units have reported ready and are on standby."

He nodded once more. "How much of our fleet is ready to move at this moment?"

"Only a few cruiser strike forces and one deep space space strike force in addition to the command core."

A soft buzz was emitted from the sets of large speakers on either side of the screen and the rugged face of the Vice Admiral appeared before him. The two flag officers saluted each other quickly. "What do you need, Sir?" The Vice Admiral asked, wasting no time on pleasantries, "My combat group is almost ready for action."

Before the Admiral could respond, the trim figure of Rear Admiral Wilkins greeted him with a bow. "Apologies to the late arrival, Sir. I'm overseeing the final preparations of my squadron."

"Very good," Harduwich said to no one in particular, simply pleased that the most vital sections of his fleet were marshalled. With a wave of the hand, the two portraits slid to the left edge of the massive screen, and the great map faded into view. "I'll get straight into business then, ladies and gentlemen," he began, "This is the Ruk'Ja'Tho System." The map automatically zoomed-in to the local cluster of stars in the area, the specified system highlighted in red. "The latest battle between the Zei'Ari and our Terran allies has been in this system. This particular system is of uttermost importance in this campaign as it allows our Terran allies to launch a direct assault on the Zei'Ari core worlds. Keeping this route open is one of our primary objectives." He paused briefly, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "But of course, the entire offensive will not be purely defensive in nature. Admiral Lutgardis' 1st Star Fleet will be holding Ruk'Ja'Tho whilst the 2nd and 3rd Starfleets launch an attack on Zei'Am Prime with the Terran fleet behind us. The combined weight of our forces should be able to capture the enemy capital and thus force them to surrender."

Jamie glanced over the map quickly, her large, intelligent eyes, bright blue, scanning the chart for possible routes and picking out those most efficient. At last, she stepped forward, arms crossed, pursing her lips in thought. "If I may, Admiral," she began, uncertainly. Harduwich waved her on. "There is an issue with getting to the battlefield. If we detour through Terran space, it can take up to a week, and by then the war would be over with the number of forces the Terrans have recently committed."

Harduwich nodded in approval. "Well observed, Commander." He swiped the map towards the galactic centre and rotated the angle of the three-dimensional model. Pointing along the FED-Zei-Ari border, he continued, "We can attack through these corridors, striking at either Tau'Fou or Hai'Vale and then continuing on to Ruk'Ja'Tho that way. High Command has neglected to specify how they want this operation to be conducted, so we have a lot of liberty here." He switched the map to simulation mode and the still image of plain circles connected by warp lanes came to life as naval battle groups manifested themselves into their respective positions. "My plan is as follows..."

---

Interplanetary Space, Tau'Fou System
FED-1343 Ethereal Black
Vice Admiral Hughes Barnes

Tau'Fou was conquered a few hours later. Its defence fleets decimated and its planets glassed in a statement made by the Federation to all civilisations advanced enough to see the war unfold. The message was simple: Do not oppose the FED.

Hughes sat idly upon his command chair, reflecting upon the apparent success of Admiral Ludovicus' plan. The first part of it was an absolute success. Elements of the 2nd Imperial Star Fleet that was mobile was sent immediately to the front in a surprise offensive on the Zei'Ari border, cleaving their way through the enemy's unprepared defences. As far as the Zei'Ari knew, the Ellian still needed another three days to prepare their forces. The 2nd Starfleet pushed its way deep into Zei'Ari space, annihilating any all fleets that opposed them with minimal losses of their own, only stopping now that they have exhausted their supplies.

Falling back to Tau'Fou to wait for the remaining elements of the fleet to catch up, the advance attack force was tasked with performing raids on nearby systems and diverting enemy action towards them. Once the 3rd Star Fleet was fully marshalled, it was to strike at Hai'Vale, as opposed to reinforcing the 2nd Star Fleet like standard Ellian doctrine demanded. This would allow the two fleets to make simultaneously strike at Cao'Hi'Jah from two opposite directions, clearing the way to Ruk'Ja'Tho.

The 1st Starfleet may arrive at any point during the operation and once the route to Ruk'Ja'Tho was open, Admiral Lutgardis would be able to hold the system until further notice. Harduwich would then backtrack to Cao'Hi'Jah with the 2nd Imperial Star Fleet where they may launch a three-pronged assault on Zei'Am Prime with the Terrans striking from Ruk'Ja'Tho and Ima's 1st Fleet would act as a reserve force that can join the assault on the Zei'Ari Capital if the need arises.

The plan was ingenious, Hughes thought, not for the first time. However, every time he went over the details, he arrived at the strange conclusion that something was off. Something was amiss, his intuition was saying, but he did not know what.

Suddenly, the Chief Tactical Officer stood up from his work station and pointed to some location in the distance. "Warp signatures detected," he announced loudly, jarring Hughes from his thoughts, "unknown allegiance, but it's similar to the descriptions of the Zei'Ari provided by the Terrans."

The Vice Admiral's head snapped around to the direction the starsailor pointed at and recognised the distinctive ripples caused by the warping of space-time. "General quarters," he yelled, "Sound the alarm."

---

Elegy for a Touch of Paradise

Interplanetary Space, Hea'Keiv System
FED-135743 Mythical Hunter
Rear Admiral Cindy Wilkins

The pointed bow of the Mythical Hunter cut through the solar winds like a knife, parting the onslaught of plasma to either side. The destroyer's powerful energy shields redirecting much of the radiation made by the sullen star. The red giant, swelling in its age, released a flare at the Ellian starship, disturbed by her presence. The massive tsunami of ions swept harmlessly over the FED warship and into a group of smouldering hulks that used to be the local garrison of the system Zei'Ari system. The burning wrecks bents and twisted in the wake of the solar flare, no longer able to fend off the star's relentless barrage.

Cindy stood grimly before the canopy of the bridge, the officers of the vessel fanning out on either side of her. They were gazing steadily at a graveyard of men and ships off the orbit of Jia'Tei'Kait, their arms raised to their foreheads in salute. In the background, the military memorial song of the Ellian Dominion played over the speakers, its sorrowful, mournful tone resonating deeply through every corridor of the ship. One of the wrecks slowly rolled over, revealing a whitewashed frame blackened and punctured in several locations. Upon one of the more intact surfaces, a bright red cross, untouched by the fires of its destruction, gleamed in the sunlight.

The moody soundtrack reached the end. Cindy lowered her hand and turned to the rest of her bridge staff assembled behind her. "It's time to get going. The others are waiting for us." Some of the officers nodded despondently, others gave no indication that they had heard her, apart from slowly making their way back to their workstations, their faces a puzzle of grief and heartache. Cindy sat down heavily on the cushioned command chair, her own features knotted into a vacant frown. "Send our comrades our respects."

A stone tablet, lovingly engraved with bold Ellian characters was ejected into the void, fired at a speed and velocity calculated by the onboard the AI to remain in orbit with the wreckages of the Zei'Ari space station for a thousand years. The Ellian destroyer turned around and in the blink of an eye, it was gone, hurtling through the void faster than sight could see to rendezvous with the rest of the fleet, leaving behind the burning planet and the graveyard of empires.

The gravestone entered the orbit of Jia'Tei'Kait, the ruined world rotating slowly below it. Once a lively world, the planet has since been rendered unusable by vengeful orbital bombardment, and now, fire rakes the desolation that was its surface. The rays of starlight fell on the deep engravings on the stone. For a moment, it was readable in the light cast upon its written face.

HERE LIES THE HEAVEN'S TOUCH

MAY SHE AND HER CREW BE REMEMBERED FOREVERMORE
VICTIMS OF A REGIME OF TERROR AND EVIL

---

Sepia System, Exteriores Sector
FED-134893 Faithful of Doradus
Admiral Ima Lutgardis

Ima yawned, having just woken up from her nap a few minutes ago. Her limbs ached slightly from the rapid transition between wakefulness and slumber, and now back to wakefulness. Yet she was back on the bridge once more and she knew from experience this weariness would remain for some time. One could never have too much sleep, she reflected and yawned again, stretching her limbs as she sat down in the padded command chair.

"Welcome back, Admiral," Shane, the ship's central AI greeted, "the Terrans have messaged you while you were gone."

"I'll take a look," Ima sighed. The transmission appeared on the glass screen before her and the read through it quickly, raising an eyebrow at the mention of the newly founded state of conflict between the FED and the Zei-Ari. She was never made aware of such occurrences. But before she was able to compose a reply, the AI beeped an alert.

"Incoming transmission from Navy High Command," Shane chirped. Ima waved him on and stood up, smoothing out the ripples in her crisp white jacket. The portrait of the Lord-Admiral faded onto the screen and greeted her with a cold smile that was undoubtedly forced. Ima saluted the senior officer who returned the gesture mechanically. Inwardly, she grinned bitterly as she recalled how previously she was addressed by the King-Emperor himself. Funny how quickly the attitudes of one's superiors changed as an acknowledgement of success or failure. Clearly, she reflected, I'm no longer worth the trouble. However, she had no time to dwell on the fact as the Lord-Admiral dived directly into the matter at hand.

"Glad to see you again, Ima, I hope you've been well in the past few days." He spoke politely, though his tone indicated that he was neither glad to see her again nor had he hoped that she was fairing well since when they last spoke. "We need you to return to Doradus at once to lead the Imperial Star Scouts."

"What about our operations here, Sir? The Terrans would think we're abandoning them."

"We've recently dispatched a communique to the Terrans informing them of our withdrawal. They shall receive it momentarily," He explained, "Return as soon as you can. Your fleet is awaiting your return."

"Yes, Sir. I'll be on my way." The Lord-Admiral nodded as if satisfied and his image faded from view. Ima plopped back down onto her command chair with a sigh, rubbing her forehead wearily. "Damn it all," she muttered under her breath. She shook her head free of the bitter thoughts and settled down to compose a reply to the Terran Rear Admiral.

Code: Select all

To: Rear-Admiral Bridgette Gantz, ITN Balaur [ITN-199827]
From: Admiral Ima Lutgardis FED-134893 'Faithful of Doradus'

Respected Rear-Admiral of our allied forces,

There have been no further incidents on our end concerning this operation.

As you have guessed, our government have recalled our forces in the light of the dispute between our state and the Zei'Ari. I am required to lead the 1st Star Fleet in the coming conflict and my presence has been requested as soon as possible by my superiors.

It has been an honour serving shoulder-to-shoulder with you to combat a threat to the peace and security of our two nations. I sincerely hope that we may meet again in the future under similar circumstances.

Kind Regards,
Admiral I. Lutgardis, FED Navy


---

Irakusne Star System, Sector 307
FED-736911 Dragon Barracuda
Commodore Borredan Acosto

>Critcal damage
>>90% crew fatality
>>>Need of Assistance

"They didn't get our message," the signals officer sighed.

"Apparently not," Borredan agreed, glancing out of the window at the damaged corvette, "regardless, this seems urgent. Have one of our vessels dock with it and board it with marines. Forward a sitrep up to High Command to let them know what's going on."

"Aye aye, Sir!"

The was a brief lag as the order was relaid down all the relevant stations. The runner which had originally broken off from the rest of the patrol pulled up alongside the damaged NEF vessel and engaged the docking sequence. A simple message was broadcasted in galactic standard.

Code: Select all

Unidentified vessel,

You are being boarded by FED security forces. Any resistance will be regarded as an offence against the state and will incur criminal penalties.

[Talhiron]

60 years since the glassing, the Velutarians have started attacking Talhiron again. The planetary defence system of Talhiron is said to be impregnable so there was no worry that the planet would be captured, but it was beginning to wear. The constant attacks were annoying the people and they wanted an end to it.
"Let's go make some new friends." Valkorion said to no one in particular. The warship he was in started to turn in preparation for a jump to a new system. As the ships trajectory was lined up Valkorion gave the order to make the jump. As the ship began to jump it appeared to melt away into a black fog and then dissipated into nothingness.
Outside the Terran space station the ship began to warp in. The stars seemed to start to disappear, and what could only be described as a wall of nothingness rose up next to the station. Then in an instant it was gone, and a dreadnought sized warship was in its place. The ship then broadcasted the message,"I would like to speak with someone about dealing with these pesky Velutarians once and for all."

[The New Earth Federation]

Polaris Station
Orbit of Earth
Sol



The Capitan looked at the Emperor as he talked about the horrid tactics of the Velutarians, he was astonished that the NEF hasn't really gone to war with them over the basic principles of prisoner of war epics and treatment. However he understood very clearly that the Emperor had experienced this type of warfare and treatment of his troops before. So strongly and humbly he replied

"Emperor, there is one thing that all Troopers and soldiers of the Federation are to acknowledge and respect during the times of war and that is Prisoner of war ethics and treatment. We are to treat each prisoner of war as they would treat our POWs, given that these savages don't know how to treat POWs we shall offer them no quarter. Except the quarter that we give them from a barrel of a rifle, any that we do capture we will swiftly execute by hasty firing squad. It's not that we are xenophobic it's just that we take battlefield honor and conduct very seriously." He paused for a few moments catching his breath, he was infuriated by these slavers, having no respect for their prisoners. "Also Emperor why do you need a lone Frigate? What can a lone NEF Frigate accomplish on the battlefield? Unless that is no what you want us to do.....the 9th fleet is on standby and is approximately three jumps away....should I give you the compliment?"

Unkown
NEF Corvette
DATA RETRACTED!!
-Docking Port
As the marines entered the hallway a sent of death clung to the air, the hallway was covered in debris and full of bullet holes and casings, lights flickered on and off. Along the hall several corpses littered the floor some had began to rot away and others had a been covered on a organic biomass that seemed to be consuming them. For a moment only the sound of their footsteps could be heard then their was another source of noise, and then another and then another, until soon their was multiple sounds of footsteps. Out of the light came a figure, covered in boils and their flesh torn or shredded, the figure looked at the marines then screeched at them. After that it ran at them followed by more figures who looked similar or fresh. Their is one thing to know about this corvette, it was more of a science corvette and a few weeks ago that picked up some thing that would change them forever.

-Armory
"Sir, we have company." Replied one of the Troopers looking at the screen of the console, the senior Sergeant of the Trooper squad walked over and looked before sighing.

"Fuck, get me a fire team and have them prepped in five minutes" he said checking his pistol "Try to get a line of communication down to them while I'm away!"

"Yes sir"

The Senior Sergeant then walked away, after a few minutes of gearing up the five Troopers walked out into the hallway and then to he sound of gunfire.

NEF Sensor Station
Edge of NEF Space

It was a quite morning on the sensor post 106, the crew had begun to wake up from their sleep. While most stations where operated by five or seven people this was a bit more remote them the rest and only offered a crew of three. It was all normal until a few readings came over the projections about large class objects, the crew noted them down and passed them up the line to the main sensor station a few systems over. They certain hoped that this wasn't an invasion fleet form Velutaria.

[Anshari]

Mai'Djok - Kingdom of Zei'Am

Fleet of Particular Revelation - 2nd Mylith Vasir Battlegroup

As young offspring, Anshari are preached that the void of which Mya¹ birth'd life is vast and unending, and that the odds of encountering similar experiences, or similar individuals, are unlikely. Many Anshari follow these teachings as opportunities to encounter unique experiences, and new individuals. Others follow the teachings as a pessimistic feeling of solitary, where chances of finding those unlike yourself are slim, unlikely, astronomically impossible. The leaders of the Anshari's lesser governments, the Vasirs, choose to defy all odds while embracing the teachings of those who came before them. Each Vasir dedicates a fleet to exploring beyond the Imperial realm, enforcing the teachings of the Imperial culture to those they determine as worthy (or in some cases, as unworthy). The Fleet of Particular Revelation, is one such fleet. It's not a particularly large fleet, with only a handful of support ships and a singular battleship leading the bandwagon. As the fleet overtakes the celestial body that holds their orbit, the stellar orb shines against the armor. White hexagonal plating dress the vessels, with terrestrial green lighting glimmering out of the various windows and energy conductors. The support ships huddle around the cortex of the fleet like moths to an open flame, safeguarding the treasure within, and within the 3 kilometer long treasure holds the heart and soul of the fleet.

Within the observation section of the flagship, the Shield of Xylis, Fleet Conductor Tau Mentos Vas'Mylith observes the surroundings of his fleet. The space around his battleship is clear to him, as if the battleship itself was his very body. Holographic controls bristle in green and tealish light as they encircle him, he raises his hand to the north most console, his four digits fiddle around the controls as his 360 degree view of his fleet vanishes in an instant. He is greeted by a empty white room with greenish-teal decals stretched across the floor and walls, and a figure greeting him by the only door off the deck.

"Sire, we have received a message from the 2nd Battlegroup Operations Conductor, she requests an update on the scouting mission." The figure speaks in a moderate, yet echo'd tone. Tau would turn to face his subordinate and smile, bowing modestly, almost finding the request amusing. "I would hardly call this mission a simple patrol." He responded, emitting a deeper, yet echoing tone, while letting out a small chuckle. "More likely, I would find our directives to be a gross misapplication of Vasir resources. But who am I to question the will of the Mylith Aeon Council. For it is Mya's given directives for us to enforce her doctrine, to enforce the doctrine of our Covenant." As he walks towards the exit, he would rest his hand upon his subordinate's shoulder. "Inform the Battlegroup Coordinator of our findings, and that we shall be departing for New Xylis within the next solar cycle."

Code: Select all

To: Battle Union Mistress Erii Orto Vas'Mylith
From: Fleet Conductor Tau Mentos Vas'Mylith

Our investigations of the star system the primitives christened, Mai'Djok, have revealed nothing of concern, nor value. There is no sacrilege committed against our sacred Construct, or Mya's Will.
We will continue our last round of scans of the system's celestial bodies before committing to our return trip back to New Xylis.

Blessings upon you, Erii Orto Vas'Mylith
Tau Mentos Vas'Mylith
Vasir Mylith, 2nd Battlegroup

^[1]Mya is the Anshari's goddess of creation, worshiped by the Anshari majority.

[Glorious Terran Empire]

February 16th, 2457
Polaris Station, Orbit of Terra, Sol

"You misunderstand, this is no battle movement. I seek to show you what you should expect from the Velutarians. There is a ship graveyard in the Kuiper Belt. I ask that you visit that graveyard on your way out of system, and see just how hard you need to fight to achieve victory." It was not the first time he was misinterpreted as commanding another. In his youth, his voice was just as imperious, and more brazen with the fire of inspiration. "There is a detachment of the Navy there, they will not attack you if you wish to see the graveyard."

February 26th, 2457

The Station was once again made the seat of diplomatic talks. This time, it was a large vessel that caused the Imperator Calamitatis to be prepped with its main weapon at the ready. The diplomatic shuttles were dispatched and the Emperor once again welcomed the new arrivals to speak with him at the Station. The large vessel seemed almost out of place here, but then again, so did the Imperator. "At the very least," The Emperor told his advisers, "They're honest about their intentions."

February 28th, 2457
ITN Balaur, Sepia System, Exteriores Sector

"Messages received, they're withdrawing." The communications officer noted. It had been a harrowing 10 minutes before word was received. Her suspicions were confirmed.

Bridgette read through both messages that had been sent to her by Ellian channels.
"Dammit. It figures that once we have a common foe in the Zei'Ari, I'm stuck here to deal with the Gish." The Rear Admiral lamented.
"Actually, Lady-Admiral, the Occultus Iudicum have relieved you of duty, and they will be handling the Gish threat from this point forward. You have been reassigned to the staging system of Ruk'Ja'Tho, in preparation for the invasion of Zei'Am Prime. You'll be answering to Grand Admiral Gaius Sicilius."

"What?" Bridgette hesitated. "THE Gaius Sicilius? The Fist of the Empire? What are we waiting for?"
She had always looked forward to working with the man responsible for nearly all of modern Imperial tactics. Quite literally, Gaius Sicilius had written the books that she'd studied in officer's school. His teachings were based heavily on the Art of War, and had inspired her to become an officer. This was, essentially, giving Bridgette an excuse to meet her hero.

February 28th, 2457
Ruk'Ja'Tho System, Occupied Zei'Ari space

Gaius Sicilius had prepared for all possible outcomes. He had a network of Q-COMM buoys and relay stations positioned around the system. He had a battleship division ready to warp at any of three most likely entry points. He had assembled all Admirals that were in the Zei'Ari theater of battle.

"Admirals August Cato, Marcus Gottfried, and Rear Admiral Bridgette Gantz are to come in behind the Zei'Ari and focus fire on all large vessels. Following this, the Vassal Fleets will chase any stragglers down whilst the main force makes a push to Zei'Am Prime. The 13th are readying themselves at Libertas for the advance. We've already received word that the Ellians have attacked them on their unguarded flanks and have made swift progress into Zei'Ari space. Should the Ellians arrive at any point during the siege of Zei'Am Prime, they are to be considered neutral elements in the war and cannot be fired upon unless violating the space surrounding the fleet. Talks are to be started on the partition of Zei'Ari territory following the capture of Zei'Am Prime."

In total, a third of the Imperial Navy had been assembled to destroy the Zei'Ari fleet. And it was upon the arrival of all battle fleet elements that the Zei'Ari fleet arrived. A thousand vessels dropped into relative space towards the 30th Relay buoy. Gaius gave the call, and all battle elements warped into range, to begin the battle in earnest. "Sink that ship!" He declared, designating the vessel in the Zei'Ari fleet that was nearly the size of an Imperial dreadnought.

<"My King, they are firing upon us!"> Zog'Do'Huri's Tactical Officer bleated. <"Now to enable the Kossa network. Do it now!"> In response, the shields were made nearly-solid against the combined might of the Terran Fleet. The Kossa Network was a tool developed by the Velutarians prior to the resurgence of Terra, it caused most of the fleet using it to lose access to most of their power while the lead ship siphoned energy from them into its shields. By doing this, the energy field was constantly well-above a fully-charged state, allowing it to withstand many times more than it could normally, and preserving the capital ship utilizing the network The Terrans would have to deal with the escorts before attacking the Im'Ko'Tu.

"Now, second wave, come in and seal the cage!" Sicilius ordered his reinforcements to join the fight. The smaller Terran force had encircled the Zei'Ari once again, and began to fire rapidly into the ball of Zei'Ari ships still in formation. The Zei'Ari Flagship had fired a volley at a Terran battleship, immediately puncturing the shields and damaging the superstructure. Yet the Terran fleet held fast, warping to different, equidistant points around the Zei'Ari, constantly using other ship's tactical data to keep coordinates accurate to within a meter. Picking off nearly 30 Zei'Ari ships every 5 seconds, taking light casualties as a result of the defensive tactics adopted by Sicilius. The Zei'Ari Flagship continued to pick off larger targets as the rest of the Zei'Ari struggled to land a hit on anything that could penetrate the shields.

<"This is where we decide our fate! Make them suffer! Gore them upon our mighty horns!"> The King bellowed. He would not die a coward. The Im'Ko'Tu turned its mighty guns against an enemy dreadnought, the Kossa Network kept it comparable to the technologically superior, much larger dreadnought. Its cannons were unable to break the large ships shields, causing the King to realize his flagship was not capable of destroying the dreadnought alone. <"Target that ship!"> He ordered. As the rest of the fleet opened fire, the Terrans had deployed something that nearly cost the King his life, and served as a reminder that Velutaria did not use the weapon against the Terrans for a reason.

Zog'Do'Huri felt fear as the shield buffer suddenly dropped. The fleet elements that had energy siphoned from them were all targeted and destroyed in one precise moment. This was followed by a full salvo from the largest vessels in the Imperial fleet. His shields were broken and his vessel had at least a dozen 10 meter deep gashes in the hull. <"Attack plan 4!"> He had ordered. The Zei'Ari ships that had taken damage but not been destroyed outright began to spool their warp cores, and as they warped as close as they could to the Terran vessels, their warp cores exploded with the fury of a megaton-scale nuclear blast. The dilation of the Terran ships' warping around the field meant that fewer losses were taken than Zog'Do'Huri wanted, but more than Sicilius was pleased with. As the battle tactics changed, so did the targets prioritized by the Empire.

Where the Empire had been attacking single-ship, it now focused no less than three ships on any given one. Fighter-Bomber squadrons warped into the Zei'Ari formation and swarmed about a ship like flies before moving to the next. It was organized madness. At this point, all of Sicilius' fleet had been committed, and now he required the help of the vassal-fleets. At once, the combined subject-fleets of the non-human member states had arrived. They barely numbered below 200, but were just as inferior as the Zei'Ari were, technologically speaking. Sicilius tasked them with defending Terran ships from the Zei'Ari fighters and attempting to screen the vessels that had been desperately trying to get close enough to detonate their warp cores. The tide of battle turned once again in the favor of man, but Zog'do'Huri had one last ace in the hole.

<"Im'Ko'Tu to all units. Flee. Go with the Chancellor. We have taken too much damage. We will die honorably, in a blaze of righteous fury, to incinerate the bastard who has caused this. FOR THE PRIDE OF ZEI'AM! I, ZOG'DO'HURI, SHALL KNOCK THE EAGLE FROM ITS PERCH!"> Zog'Do'Huri said, ordering his decimated fleet to disperse, of the 1000 he had, only 185 survived. The Im'Ko'Tu warped one last time, to the largest ship in the Imperial Fleet. Sicilius' Flagship, the Dea Mortis.
<"I'll see you in hell, son of a-"> The flash and heat cut off the High King.
"Brace!" Sicilius ordered.

The total Terran Casualties numbered around 200 ships of both Human and Non-Human Design. Thousands of sailors dead.
The Zei'Ari lost 816 ships. Nearly a hundred-thousand sailors and marines dead.

Sicilius had no time. He called for reinforcements from Terra, and immediately ordered all ships still combat-capable warp to Zei'Am Prime and begin the invasion. The Dea Mortis was drifting, its shields had held on for a precious few seconds and only resulted in the melting of its 2 outermost hulls. However, it was incapable of launching fighters from 6 of its 7 launch bays and had to stay behind to land and resupply the fighters that survived the battle. Of its engines, only 2 of 6 remained operational. It was trailing coolant from its 3rd engine and there were still molten bits of hull dripping off, but it slowly began to spool its warp core. It needed to return to port. Sicilius had won the battle, but it nearly cost him his life, and a good chunk of his combined fleet. He gave command to Admiral Marcus Gottfried, and told Marcus that he'd return to the field within the week. In a different ship, but he would return nonetheless.

February 28th, 2457
Imperial Palace, Velutaria Prime, Velutarian Empire

It was on this auspicious day, that the slave races guilty of rebellion were defeated. The Velutarian Empire had remained, and the court was pleased, keeping the more powerful courtiers satisgied in continuing the war against humanity. Many of their losses were recuperated, but the technological disparity persisted. In the time that was spent reconquering lands in the uprisings elsewhere, the Zei'Ari had been defeated by two of their neighbors. There was rumors of another bit of humanity creeping out from the shadows to strike at Velutaria. In addition, there was talk of the Anshari poking around Velutarian space for the first time in an era. The Grand High Empress needed to pull out all stops. The Terrans were rallying more and more allies, taking more ground, and there was as of yet nothing to be done about it. She thus commissioned a gargantuan vessel, like the one that yet confounded her. A behemoth to rival that tool that the Terrans use to remain unconquered, the Imperator Calamitatis. She would call for the construction of no less than 12 vessels of such size to fight the Terrans. In the same motion, a full thousand dreadnoughts were ordered to be produced. The Imperial treasury was, in less than four hours, reduced to less than a percent of its previous balance. The surplus funds had been nearly exhausted, and the Empress had married off four of her cousins in exchange for more war funds.

Grand High Empress Japra Fenn was not going to let Velutaria cower beneath the waves, and would finally start the war in earnest. She would reclaim the glory that Vohk had lost in his vain attempts. She would not rest until she sank her teeth into the flesh of the last Terran child. The navy was mobilized. All systems bordering the "Human Petty-Kingdoms," a region comprised of Velutaria's borders with human nation-states, were turned into staging grounds. The fleet would launch swiftly into human systems, smashing through as many defenses as possible, before the armies would deploy into the planets below, invasion forces comprised of millions of slaves and true-born Velutarians alike. Meanwhile, favors from other nations and tributary states were being called in. Countless ships and slaves to crew them were bought overnight. The Gish were contacted, and offered a large sum of resources and capital to harass the Terrans even more. It would be a glorious war. A war to end them all.

[Talhiron]

Valkorion was fairly happy as he was being led into the space station, because he had realised his arrival wasn't the most diplomatic and peaceful, and he hadn't been shot down. He was thinking maybe he could at least have told them he was coming. As he was walking through the station he noticed a ship out there with the others. His gaze glossed over the giant flagship and fell on the smaller one near it. He could tell it was different from all the rest and he was intrigued. He was gonna have to get a closer look.

[Shield of Baal]

The room was silent as the Empress made her way onto the stage. Her footfalls echoed throughout the hall as the elegantly dressed and beautiful looking woman came to the podium at the front of the stage. In front of her stage a company of Community soldiers wearing their blue power armour large on the shoulders to allow the suit to hold the large rifle that was used by Baalian soldiers. The Marines looked up at their Empress and then saluted they were her honour guard the most elite soldiers of the 10,000 strong Communal Army. The Empress began to speak now, "My people, sons and daughters of Baal, we have come to a turbulent time in our history. The wars of my childhood are over, the fight to unify our system has been won." The crowd in the room cheered. The cameras in front of the Empress zoomed in as she held up a hand for silence. "Our scans indicate we are not alone in this universe, as most of us have known for a long time. Our war for unification has not gone un-noticed the many alien races out there now bare their wicked teeth as they begin to descend upon us. I have mobilised our army and our small fleet has prepared itself to defend our space. If they come they will find themselves meeting a foe who will not stop, we will not go quietly into the night, we will not give our final breath till the foe is gone or dead. We will fight! I know this planet has made us give up much, our humanity is but a glimmer of memory held in the faces of our upper classes and the royalty, such as myself. But I beg you my people who now wear the mask of the majority, who wear the rebreather of the worker, who are subjected to the stigma of being lower than others by your look that you now let your sons and daughters give their lives to defend this great planet, we will fight!" The Crowd in the room cheered once more the Empress was unsure if her speech would have given such a response in her nations people.

The Empresses broadcast was sent up to the fleet of two combat ships and the many troop transports who began to send the footage out into space. As a warning or a message was unknown.

[Talhiron]

As Valkorion was walking through the station to meet the emporer his second in command sent him a transmission that was being broadcasted throughout space to all ships. Once he was done listening to it a smile came to his face. "Get me the location from where the signal broadcasted from. I think it would be rude of we didn't introduce ourselves, don't you think." After that he continued walking until he reached the chambers in which he found were empty, so he sat down ready to wait however long need be.

[Anshari]

Rok’Kar, Kar Providence, Anshari Prime

Grand Archive of Rok’Kar

Within the entombed cavity of the Grand Archive, a pale Anshari strides from left to right, from edge to edge, pacing with his thoughts. His solitude would soon be interrupted by the hissing of the light bridge activating behind him. He would turn to face the visitors, his teal eyes glowing as they stare at the visitors violating his sanctum. Three Anshari would stride towards him, two of them would be adorned in heavy ceremonial armor, each wielding a long ax who’s blades hiss as their searing energy cuts against the very air itself. Flanked by the seamlessly symmetrical warriors would be a shorter figure, adorned with simple fabrics and a cape dressed in golden decals, but the shorter figure almost matches in height to the warriors who protect him as he hovers effortlessly above the ground.

“Beholder of the throne, I have been sent by the Imperial Court to procure you, the High Aeons await your deciding judgment.” the figure would bow towards the man who he just interrupted, unhindering his ability to defy gravity.

“I see, forgive me mon, for I required meditation. The Gods have provided us with a vast, untapped faucet of knowledge and wisdom, and it is their wisdom that I seek today.”

The shorter Anshari bows again, this time with a rather disgruntled look. “I understand, Vas’Regent. We will await for you beyond the gates.” The Anshari and his guards proceed to leave the Vas’Regent to meditate alone. He would proceed to approach towards the central monolith within the room, an empty space occupies between the central console and the monolith itself. As he walks closer to the monolith holographic displays begin to appear along the console, each adorned in glyphs that the Vas’Regent would not recognize. “Ancient ones, I seek answers for the growing crisis at hand. Bless me with your infinite wisdom, oh great destroyer Vziir.” He would reach his hand towards the center most holographic display, the glyphs swirl around, flooding towards the middle, forming a circle that encompasses where his hand will lay. As he touches the center console, the display of light turns completely solid, concaving with the force of his handprint. A slight vibration would encompass the chamber as the monolith comes to life, teal and green lights engulf the construct as a solid sphere of green light is formed in the void between the monolith and the central console.

Vasir Imperial Court House

The Courthouse of the Vasir Imperial Court is archaic compared to the rest of Rok’Kar, the building lacks the modern amenities of an average Anshari building such as anti-grav seating, or internal gardens. The building more or less resembles a stone and marble temple. The central chambers contains several marble pillars that support the building, the space between each pillar accompanies a bust commemorating a leader of the ancient Anshari people. A spherical table rests within the cortex of the chamber. The table and the seating, is the most modern thing about the temple as the table and seats each float above the ground, supported by an anti-grav generator implanted into the marble floor. Ten Anshari, each adorned in unique ceremonial attire, occupy the seats. The chamber is silent, disturbingly still, an uneasy atmosphere disturbed by the sudden bang. Massive golden doors are opened quickly as the Vas’Regent enters the chamber, flanked by two honor guard warriors.

“Gyshiir, next time you require my attention, do not send a mere peasant to procure me.” the Vas’Regent announced, disappointment and disgust speaks volumes, more so then the statement itself. “I am insulted that I must be associated with a Mylith plebeian.” One of the Anshari would rise from his seat, his attire is adorned in similar decals and markings as the mon who had been sent to retrieve the Vas’Regent. “The Mylith do not have to tolerate such disrespect--” “Gyshiir, he speaks of your ‘disciple’, not the Mylith as a whole. He is but a peasant, a homeless reject.” another Anshari interrupts Gyshiir’s defense. “It doesn’t matter, we did not convene this meeting to discuss the Kvasir family disputes. My Vasir has called for this meeting to discuss the ever growing instability on the galactic forefront.” another Anshari speaks up, his voice is higher in pitch then the rest of his companions. “Observers have been overseeing the warzone that engulfs the Orion Spur. The Velutarians are being challenged by a sovereignty we have yet to witness. Militaries across the sector are mobilizing, we may be witness to a war this galaxy has never seen.” Another Anshari Aeon speaks up. “Velutaria has always been a threat to the Construct, and yet we have never done anything about it. We continue to disregard the sacred laws that bind our Covenant. This conflict cannot stand, for the sake of equilibrium.” As the High Aeons bicker, Gyshiir remains silent, taking note of the arguments made between the various High Aeons. Some of the High Aeons, such as the high pitched leader of the Vasir Kar, argue that the Anshari must intervene in order to preserve the primitive lifeforms threatened by the reckless conflict. While the others argue that equilibrium is a constant, and it always will find itself, regardless of Anshari involvement. The Vas’Regent is also silent, observing the argument from his throne chair that rests between Gyshiir and the High Aeon of the Vzar. Several minutes go by with no results, the Vas’Regent rises from his throne. “Enough! Our senseless bickering will get us no where. We shall take a solar cycle to meditate upon the arguments made by both sides, and by the turn of dawn we shall put to this matter to vote. May the Gods shine kindly upon us, this court is adjourned.”

Mai’Djok – Kingdom of Zei’Am

Fleet of Particular Revelation, 2nd Mylith Battlegroup

The fleet continues to hold its position several AU away from the nearest populated planet. Tau Mentos stands at the helm of the Shield of Xylis’ combat information center skimming through reports coming in from a holographic display. The battleship had deployed several small scouting drones several days prior to observe the system’s inhabitants and beyond. All of the eight drones that were deployed had returned safely to the battleship. As he’s skimming through the observation reports compiled by the ship’s scryers, he’s looking for not military fleet movements, nor is he looking to observe civil life of the Zei’Ari. No, he’s looking for any sort of sign of conflict, anything that would threatened the serenity of Mai’Djok. After some time, he would disengage his display, a satisfied look would encompass his face. “Supreme Flight Conductor, I would like you to prepare three more drones for intersystem travel.” He would walk over to a circular table, the table would engage a holographic projector, outlining the nearby systems. “Where would you like to deploy the drones, Sire?” He would look at the map and point to three systems. “Two outlying Zei’Ari systems, our shipboard subspace sensors can’t reach them. The third drone should be sent to the Zei’Ari home system, ensure the drone maintains a safe distance from Zei’Am Prime’s orbital defenses, I am certain they’ll have the means of detecting the drone.” The Flight Conductor bowed and proceeded to launch the drones. Soon, the three drones would leave sensor range of the Shield of Xylis. They were off.

[The New Earth Federation]

Polaris Station
Terra
NEF Bismarck

"Im sorry for the misunderstanding" he said "We will vist this graveyard as per your suggestion, we shall respect it and learn from it." He saluted and walked out, the Troopers that where with him soon followed him out and back to the ship. The captain relayed their findings to High Command which astonished High Command as well as the chancellor and prompt them to send a true diplomatic envoy to the Sol system. For hundreds of years the NEF thought that Sol was lost after the planet was engulfed in warfare and destruction. With that out of the way their orders where to investigate the graveyard then return to the 9th Fleet something was brewing on a the tiny sliver of space that bordered both the NEF and the Velutaria. The ship arrived on the edge of the system and they where greeted by a heart-sinking amount of wreckage, as far as they could see there was wreckage from both sides, ships of all classes. The captain then contacted the naval detachment there.

NEF sensor post

"Sir, we have received confirmation about the pings from our probes." Replied the first officer, thirty minutes ago they sent out probes to get visual conformation about the pings and after a few minutes in FTL they dropped out and took pictures/ footage of the vessels, the first officer handed the captain a data pad. Sighing as he looked over the data it was an 80% match that these ships where Velutarian, however the data was inconsistent about what classifications these ships where they could be just cargo ships he looked back at the officer.

"Send this data to the nearby colony and tell them to ready themselves, I want their threat level Rasheed to Alpha Yellow. Also get me a nearby patrol fleet"

"Yes sir" the officer saluted and walked off leaving the captain to think about the situation, while not violating their national borders they had the balls to come close to their border. Velutarian culture was relatively unknown to the NEF as their was little to no interaction between the two empires, however from captured transmissions and the report from the sol system the NEF had a slightly larger understanding of their military culture and to them it was quite barabaric and dishonorable by NEF standards. Nevertheless they shouldn't underestimate their opponents.

Helios Point, nearby colony

It was a slightly gloomy day on the planet of Helios Point, the time was right around 0700 in the morning. While the weather was slightly depressing people where up and moving around either going to work or other business. While everything seemed fine on the surface in the political and military works things where a bit more complex with the new data that just arrived from the outpost most of the border worlds had been put on a higher alert but not to the point where armies where preparing for an invasion right now. They simply countined with their daily business however they where prepared for and invasion, but they also hoped that an invasion would not come to their planet.

In orbit sat the 12th patol fleet, while smaller then a regular NEF fleet this fleet was largely made up of cruisers and destroyers. The fleet composition included, 2 battleships, 16 cruisers, 20 destroyers and 4 carriers, while regular fleets would be much larger and support a few dreadnoughts this was a patrol fleet after all, they didn't expect anything more then radiers or pirates.

[Glorious Terran Empire]

February 26th, 2457
Polaris Station, Orbit of Terra, Sol

It wasn't long that the foreign ruler was made to wait. A masked representative came into the room. She stood just shy of 2 meters, wore conservative and dark clothes, adorned with a reflective chrome mask. The representative made a curtsy before speaking.

"His Imperial Majesty, Tiberius Maximus, is prepared to speak with you. I will take you to him."

Her voice was monotone and devoid of any emotion or inflection. In truth, she trained to do this from her youth. A xenological relations officer was well versed in hiding their thoughts, and the featureless mask provided a bank slate to hide behind. Her main purpose was to ascertain the foreign emissary's demeanor and, in a more morbid sense, act as the Emperor's first line of defense, should this be a disguised assault. The masked individual led them down a twisting network of tunnels to the chamber where talks were held with so many foreign groups, before the Emperor himself.

He was sat upon a throne opposite of the door. He was flanked by two of his Honor Guard, standing over 2 meters tall wearing jet-black powered armor with gilded highlights. Their weapons were just as decorated, but entirely functional. Chrome-plated rail guns with gilded handheld MASERs at their hips, beside their ceremonial sabers. The Emperor himself wore powered armor from the neck down, showing his face as a sign of trust in the foreign ruler.

"Greetings to you, honored dignitaries. I am Emperor Tiberius Maximus, Emperor of Terra and Eternal Guardian of the Empire beyond. You say you wish to take the fight to Velutaria?"

March 1st, 2457
Nova Constantinople, Balkan Sector, Terra, Sol

The night was quiet as Crown Prince Siliopor Vossa observed from the balcony overlooking the Sea of Marmara. He had always thought Terra was overly urbanized. Not enough was left to the planet's non-human nature. But he was Ridori, a Vassal-Senator of the Imperial Senate and heir apparent to the Ridori Duchy, but it was not his place to rule over humanity. Siliopor looked longingly towards the stars. He was far from home, here on his sister's request more than anything. She was always quick to throw her morals to the wind for the Human Empire, and cared little for Ridori tradition, the Duke, their father, had often stated that she was raised Terran more than she was Ridori. Still, she was kin, and under Ridori customs, kin stick together. Ever since the Ridori were mere herd creatures travelling in numbers to avoid predators, they understood that kin can be trusted and helped when needed.

The Prince had yet to be told of what his sister truly needed. He was told that it was imperative he come to Terra to meet with her, and that the issue is liable to put the Duchy at peril if he remained home. He heard his apartment door open, and his guards had failed to inform him on why.

"Sili." He heard her familiar voice approaching him.

"Ah, Sister of My Blood, why have you called me here?" He asked, still wondering why he was brought to the rock of the humans on such a whim.

"I urge you to make Father change his mind on these new trade tariffs. If we-" Remarian spoke, only to be cut off by her brother.

"You made me fly here at such haste from Ridoria... To have me oppose Father's tax on the monkeys ripping or worlds apart for war machines?" He was confounded. She, his sibling of blood, had called him across vast distances to talk of trade tariffs. It spat in the face of dynastic tradition.

"If you don't, there are parties that have vowed vengeance for it upon me. I would not call you here if it wasn't important. I wanted to let you know that I have to start a vote of repeal for it, and I need your support. father has already told me that my word won't sway him. Sili, please." She tugged at his heartstrings so.

"Remarian, I cannot. Voting so weakens the people's perception of our house. Father's power would wane, and our position in Ridoria's politics could fall. Let it be known that if you start this vote, I am sworn to Father's wishes."

"I... I see..." She was clearly distraught. Threats had been made against her, and he refused to help her, no he would help, but in his way.

"Sister, I will give you my guards for the night. Nobody can strike at House Vossa after so foolishly taunting us. Sleep well, and no more talks of undermining Father." She seemed satisfied with this, and turned to leave.

Later That Night

Siliopor had sat down for the night when a knock at his door roused him. He opened the door only to see four Velutarians carrying pistols. "Let's talk, your highness."

He was found in his apartment in critical condition, he was in a coma by the time he was rushed to the hospital, all perpetrators were found and killed, no identification. Princess Remarian claimed she and her brother had vowed to undo the tariffs placed upon the tungsten trade, and the senate voted to repeal. Immediately, the Vossa line of succession was called into question on the home front, but the media had little chance to spin the story, as a new noble had been found on Terra, and caused quite a stir when he claimed to be royalty. It all went according to plan. A rare deviation from the typical political atmosphere, and for an Alien on Terra no less.

As the group met the following morning, the greeting was, "Long live the Princess." Remarian was ecstatic. She had finally learned to play the game of Terran politics. And while Siliopor suffered, he was still alive and expected to recover with some conveniently invalidating long term effects for rulership. He may need to learn to read and write again. Maybe even learn to talk again. But he was alive, and she got what she wanted.

March 1st, 2457
ITN Balaur, Zei'Am System

The Balaur jumped into system as soon as the fleet hierarchy was established. With Sicilius out of commission for three days and the invasion to start as soon as orbital dominance was secured, Bridgette was itching for a fight. The fleet encountered some resistance upon entering the system. There were stragglers from yesterday's battle alongside the local system defense force. Intel claimed there was an Ellian offensive taking place in a nearby system, which helped in thinning Zei'Ari numbers. There was barely a cohesive force left in Zei'Ari space that wasn't a ground army. The blockade was established and defensive structures were bombed from high orbit. Gottfried began drawing strategies and assigning command. The Balaur was assigned to the outer layer of the blockade. The first layer of defense from a relief force.

The Imperial Navy was immediately hailed with an offer of surrender, Admiral Gottfried had it broadcast to the entire fleet to raise morale.

Code: Select all

TERRAN ATTACK FLEET.
THIS IS CHANCELLOR KOL'HUK'ZO, ACTING REGENT OF THE PRINCE ROZU'DO'HURI.
WE OFFER YOU OUR IMMEDIATE AND FORMAL SURRENDER IF YOUR EMPEROR AGREES TO HOLD TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
1. THE TERRAN EMPIRE WILL NOT DEVOUR OUR CHILDREN.
2. THE ZEI'ARI SPECIES WILL NOT BE EXTERMINATED.
3. THE CROWN OF ZEI'AM WILL NOT BE DISSOLVED.
4. PRINCE ROZU'DO'HURI WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE KING OF ZEI'AM PRIME AND RIGHTFUL HOLDER OF THE CROWN OF ZEI'AM.
5. THE DO'HURI FAMILY WILL REMAIN AS ROYALTY AND BE RECOGNIZED AS LORDS OF ZEI'AM PRIME.
6. ZEI'AM WILL BE ALLOWED SOME DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AND SELF GOVERNANCE IN THE EVENT OF ANNEXATION.
7. THE MILITARY FORCES OF ZEI'AM WILL BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE AFTER THE CONQUEST IF THEY WISH TO, THIS TERM HOLDING EFFECT UNTIL THE HUNDREDTH ZEI'ARI DAY OF THE TREATY.
8. FREE ZEI'ARI PEOPLES WILL NOT BE ENSLAVED UPON THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY.
9. ALL ZEI'ARI PRISONERS OF WAR IN TERRAN SPACE WILL BE RELEASED.
10. ALL INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE NUCLEAR RAID ON ZEI'AM PRIME WILL BE BROUGHT TO ZEI'AM PRIME FOR EXECUTION.
11. THE TERRAN EMPIRE WILL RESOLVE THE WAR WITH THE FEDERATION OF ELLIAN DORADUS WITHOUT ALLOWING FOR THE ENSLAVEMENT OR EXTERMINATION OF THE FREE ZEI'ARI.

It was a quick and succinct offer. But the Chancellor had called for an imperial decree on the matter, and accepting would be a matter of sovereignty or annexation instead of simple occupation. Which meant that it would take almost a day to receive word from Terra. The Admiralty chose to take the option of delaying the response whilst they ordered troops to make planetfall and contact the ambassador to the FED.
It fell to Bridgette to hold the blockade of the planet from external threats. She was rather worried when an unidentified object arrived in system, fast approaching the fleet. The warning frequency from her ship cannons were the first warning. It essentially turned the laser batteries into giant spotlights to warn that they were noticed. She then sent the broadcast. If they didn't turn around quickly, the fleet's turrets would turn from glorified spotlights to deadly gamma rays, and a new battle might begin. Bridgette sent word to Admiral Gottfried of an unknown contact, and was swiftly ordered to do as protocol dictates.

Code: Select all

Unidentified Vessel, you approach the Imperial Fleet's Open Space Restricted Perimeter. Turn back and stay a minimum of 3 lightsecond's distance. Following this, you will identify. You have 15 seconds at your current vector to begin course corrections or you will be destroyed.

March 1st, 2457
Ruk'Ja'Tho System, Occupied Zei'Ari space

Sicilius paced in frustration around the dockyard. The Dea Mortis was gutted to replace the melted hull layers. The amount of names he had to send to now-grieving families tired him. His fleet was given to lesser men due to the same mistake. 'Why didn't I think he was that deranged? It only figures that after a goddamn week of nuke-happy goats that their King would take that to heart.' He rubbed his temples as ship after ship arrived and left to join the blockade over Zei'Am Prime. Hundreds of vessels, vessels he had asked for for nearly a month without receiving. This meant that the Admiralty at large had deigned the home front safe, or the newest production line finally got off the block.

Eventually, he would note the gargantuan vessel arriving out of the harbor. He recognized the Imperator Calamitatis when he saw it. No doubt this was the victory lap. And he would be waiting for a replacement ship while the Empire moved on. "Grand Admiral Sicilius, you've been summoned to the station's C Block, 9th Pier." An ensign piped up from behind him. "Under whose-?" He started. "No time, Grand Admiral. It was urgent." The boy said before leaving. Sicilius walked his way to C-9, flanked by his personal guard detail. By the time he'd arrived, he'd bent the knee.

"Your Majesty, I-"

"Come with me, Sicilius. You should return to your duties soon, and aid our people. Your talents are wasted in this station."

He was led to the shuttle, and arrived not on the Imperator, but on another vessel entirely.
"Your Majesty?" Sicilius asked aloud, wondering what this was.

"This is the Atlas. One of two Gaia Class Titans to follow me into the breach years ago. It was recently restored, but its commander is gone, and has been for quite some time. Traditionally, a Grand Admiral was head of the fleet in a titan of their own. It was a sign of immeasurable power and a sign that your voice carried the weight of the Terran people almost as much as mine. This vessel and its crew dwarf most stations and outposts. In and of itself, it could be considered a fief to be granted unto you. At the moment, you rule over a desolate planet, with a small station as your throne. That could be replaced with the throne room of the Atlas, and an Imperial Edict would give you a higher place than your feudal lord, naming you as my very Will. Would you accept this gift as a token of my gratitude for the years of service to the people of Terra?"

"Of course, your Majesty, I'll-"

"-Go to Doradus with a small escort group and transmit this message." The Emperor said flatly, passing Sicilius a small data storage device¹. "And tell them the Empire seeks to negotiate. Tell them that the author of this surrender offer is trapped on Zei'Am Prime and that if we work together, we can give him to them. Tell them that we've discovered said author is responsible for the arming of the Gish and by proxy the insult to Ellian honor. Tell them that the Empire welcomes the Federation to discuss terms with the Zei'Ari, and that we will watch over the little brothers of humanity and help them in any way possible. But when discussing how to handle the treaty, which, you will do upon their acceptation, let them understand that we take Zei'Am Prime, and thus, the Lion's Share of the territory. We need enough Zei'Ari space to buffer between our borders and Velutaria. We need to bring order to the chaos that will ensue. We need to get our footing before we attempt to plunge the knife into Japra Fenn's disgusting, blue throat.

March 1st, 2457
Imperial Palace, Velutaria Prime, Velutarian Empire

The time was now. All preparation had finished. The Grand High Empress had made a terrible gambit on this plan. But it had to work. She had replenished the losses of the last invasion by calling in countless lower houses, buying innumerable mercenaries and conscripting hundreds of slaves for the fleet. She had heard of the mewling monkeys drawing alliances against her, all under that sickening banner of the Eagle. She would tear its wings asunder, and eat its eggs while it yet watched. The Zei'Ari had exhausted themselves on a two-front war with the humans and their ilk. One Petty-King had offended another Petty-King and lost his Petty-Kingdom as a consequence. Such was the life of a primitive. Perhaps when the Grand High Empress gave humanity its reckoning, these neo-humans would be wise and bow. Yet they fought alongside the Toy-Emperor to strike at lawfully Velutarian property. She would send a messenger to them. An offer of mercy if they surrender and turn on the Empire.

"Tell all battle fleets to launch their invasion. Have the home guard armada fly to the Anshari borderlands, we can't let them attack us while our guard is down. We will strike the lands of the Ape along our borders, and strangle their precious home world of resources. We will take the Blue Jewel of Terra, and I will cut out their Toy-Emperor's heart while he draws breath and eat it while he watches. Velutaria will be strong as we devour all of these pitiful monkeys that dare to spit at us. We will butcher them at their homes, and rape their lands until nothing can again grow to threaten us. Then, we purge all races that dared to raise arms against the beauty that is our law. After all of this, we will take this galaxy that is our birthright. All of these worthless wretches will bow before us and surrender their lives to us, or we will take them and butcher them like these Apes."

Of course, the first truly-human place that would be struck was Helios Point², a colonial backwater of the New Earth Federation, a broken piece of border on a star map. The 98th Reaver Squadron would strike there, a mixed unit of slaves and mercenaries commanded from a dreadnought formation of five ships. The Squadron itself numbered just over a hundred. It was their job to lash out and remove orbital threats. Make way for the invasion force that was embarking from the staging system. They were ordered to warp in and begin their burning of the place

Imperial Velutarian Communique
On the Orders of Her Imperial Eminence
To the King Audamar of the Federation of Ellian Doradus,

By order of Her Imperial Eminence, Japra Fenn, Grand High Empress of the Galactic Velutarian Empire, Forty-Eighth Ruler of Velutaria and Rightful Heir to the Galaxy, we offer you a merciful proposition. Your children will not be taken, your lands will not be violated, your fleets will not be destroyed, and your people will be allowed freedom as second class citizens of the Empire, your Kingdom will be recognized as a lawful subject of the Galactic Empire and will be allowed to rule over itself, should you accept.

The terms are simple. You are attacking a subject of the Galactic Velutarian Empire. Admittedly, they are in open revolt, so you may be forgiven, and all their lands can be made yours. But you must attack the Delusional Toy-Empire of Terra. Do this, and we will spare you, give you lands and privileges, titles and gifts of gratitude. Allow our invasion fleets to use your space as a jumping point, and the Grand High Empress is willing to forgive all of your people's sins. Help us bring the galaxy to heel, and we will make you very, very prosperous. Your people will come to love you for it. And you will be given not only all formerly-Zei'Ari lands, but you will be allowed some of the most fertile worlds the Terrans yet hold. What have they ever done for you? Stolen your rightful place as the superior race between you both, muscled their way into your politics, invaded your neighbor and make aggressive attempts to keep you weak? Join us, and become part of the winning side. This is the only chance we can give to you for mercy. Be the wise King, and be of use to something far greater than even your wildest dreams of glory.

~Princess Loqora Fenn, Mistress and Cousin of Her Imperial Eminence, The Lady of Seventy-Eight Stars, and Mistress of Diplomacy
With the authority of Her Imperial Eminence, Japra Fenn, Grand High Empress of the Galactic Velutarian Empire, Forty-Eighth Ruler of Velutaria and Rightful Heir to the Galaxy, Enslaver of a Thousand Species, Devourer of False Heirs, Lady of the Cosmos, Embraced by the Nineteen Divine Presences, Lady of Four-Hundred-and-Seventy-Seven Stars, and Breaker of False-Gods

¹ The message on the device has the Zei'Ari offer of surrender as well as a Terran revision with more favorable terms, these terms will be revealed through TG if requested, or otherwise revealed in-thread after a response from Ella.
² This can be changed if this isn't what you meant, NEF. Just thought I'd let you start off the Velutarian conflicts

[The New Earth Federation]

Helios Point
Alpha Sector
New Earth Federation
March 1st-2nd 2457

The patrol fleet was now in orbit above Helios Point undergoing the final preparations i.e. refueling, armament, and other supplies. Sailors where returning to their ships after a bit of shore leave to the planet below it would a few hours until they where all ready to break off the station and head back on their patrol, as their was an increase in Velutraian presence along the border which had some of the local governors and marshals a bit in edge and with the latest report from the sensor station showed a rather large fleet of ships near the border. On the flagship of the patrol fleet the Senior Captain walked to his chair and sat down he looked around and was about give the order to jump when a officer walked over to him and handed him a data pad showing what appeared to be several jump signatures near the edge of the system, he took the pad and looked over it his eyes widened when a new report came in form the sensor post. Velutarian ships had entered the system their numbers easily in the over a dozen but less then two hundred. He lifted his head and began to shout orders

"Alright maggots we got some bastards who want to take this planet prepare for combat! Warm up the railguns and contact the nearby Fleet tell them we are engaging the Velutarians and require support. Also get a message to the surface and tell them to prepare for combat! Comms and Nav enact the Clean-Slate protocol if we are captured I don't any of those barbarians getting their hands on our data understand!"

"Yes sir!" Yelled two officers as they turned around in their chairs. The bridge was soon in a fury of communication and movement as crew members moved to their positions and carried out their orders. They knew that they where outgunned by a long shot but they would give it their all as that was what the NEF was known for fighting against impossible odds. On the nearby defense station the massive Railguns and plasma turrets warmed up and crew began to ready themselves for the incoming battle, those on the station knew that if the patrol fleet failed to hold them off they where next and their grave would be the cold vacuum of space. As for the space port they begun their procedure of locking down the station and deleting all nav data and logs to keep them from falling into enemy hands.

The fleet slowed their speed and began to wait excepted for four destroyers which would act as scouts, their main job was to gather intel about weapons and actual numbers about the incoming fleet since the NEF knew little about the Velutarian ships this was going to be the first time they seen fleet action with them. While the four destroyers moved on the High Capitan ordered that all ships to launch fighters and same with the stations soon hundreds of fighters where floating around the fleet. He ordered them to hide around the opposite side of the moon away from the direction that the fleet would be coming from in order for them to hit them from behind.

Surface

On the surface the nearby Legion Garrison had already begun to set up anti personnel defesnes defenses around the more military strategic locations i.e. Factories, military bases, etc. it was unsure that if they Velutarians knew that what they where about to get into on the ground as NEF was know two the few human remanat nations around them for their exellent ground forces. In the HQ of the legion stationed their the Marshal looked at the holomap of the planetary defenses and deployed units then he pointed to the northern most location near several mountain ranges.

"If our lines crumble I want all forces to pull back to here, where we will hold the mountain ranges their are only a few passes to get into the area not to mention most of the time it's freezing and or in the middle of a blizzard. In the meantime I want what ever civilian populations to be evacuated to here well the ones that haven't already got to or heading to the evac ships."

"Sir at that point we will be fighting with our backs against the wall"

"I know, it's a tough choice....it's either here or fighting in a open area where we can be attacked from multiple sides and surrounded. At lease with this location we can funnel them in and use their numbers aganist them, my senior staff will me moving there as per my orders this will function as a more frontline HQ."

"Sir?"

"I will be fighting alongside the Troopers"

"But sir, if you do they then their is a possibility that you could be captured in combat and tortured to reveal our plans! We can not allow this to happen I suggest you move with your staff to the mountain bunkers."

"They won't know who I am as I will not be using my rank insignias and if I do get captured I have taken the necessary precautions to kill myself if need be."

"Sir, I dint like this"

"You don't have to but it's still happening"

March 3rd

On the surface of the planet the NEF was doing as well as they could however they where slowly loosing ground to the Velutarians and their slave armies each time the a unit was pushed back they would destroy their defensive lines and blow up anything that could be used, so farms to factories, the highway systems to simple country roads where mined as they fell back; if one had to describe the fighting it would be hellish and almost like a mix of Operation Barbarosa and WWI. As for the fighting itself most of the battles had been occurring inside cities with a few open field battles here and there, the most recent city battle was taking place miles away from the capital this city was the second most populous city on the planet once a place known through out the planet as a industrial power house now the factories sit unused and destroyed; chemicals, raw minerals, half finished products and other materials littered the factory sector. There was a thick blanket of smog covered the area reducing visibility significantly a Trooper squad moved through the rubble of the factories their visors helped cut through the smog significantly however it was still slightly hindered due to some of the chemicals and metals in the smog. The lead Trooper held up her fist and the squad stopped she then slowly lowered it pointing forward then moved her hand in a horizontal motion, the squad then fanned out and forward as they approached a intersection they grabbed some cover. They scanned the area then moved to the nearby destroyed factory where they held up after a scan reveal several squads of slave infantry, the squad took up position and prepared to engage them.

Soon the area was lit up as NEF PARs and other weaponry went off the first rank or so where cut down as the massive 9.80mm HEAP rounds tore through them and detonated sending chunks of flesh and body parts around the engagement area, the High Sergeant ducked back into cover and dropped out the empathy magazine. As she slid in the new one she thought about these slave infantry she noted that they where lightly armored and armed also that they where quite undisciplined by NEF standards but a lot more fanatical then they expected. She pulled back the charging handle and lifted the rifle up as she did so a slave jumped right on tip of her, knocked to the ground she blocked the most of the punches and wrestled with the slave she managed to free one of her hands and pulled out her pistol. She placed it against the side of the slave's head and pulled the trigger brain matter, bone, and other flesh parts exploded to the side as the bullet passed through and exploded. The body slumped on top of her and she pushed it off blood streaking across her chest plate, getting up she grabbed her rifle and got back into combat, however they had lost the element of surprise and now the enemy was bearing down on them. It was time to fall back and ad hey did so the radio Trooper began to radio for some Hawk Gunship support.

[Anshari]

Maj’Djok – Kingdom of Zei’Am

Fleet of Particular Revelation, 2nd Mylith Battlegroup

Mentos is shifting through the various holographic displays that illuminate before him. Each display, bristling in a tealish light, showing an endless stream of information, sensor logs, and video recordings. One video recording, however, catches his attention. He observes the video closely, as it shows the emptiness of space, and a sudden blast of energy courses past the camera. Attached to the video is a stream of information. Mentos quickly reads over the information and turns to his subordinates. “Supreme Flight Conductor, remind me, did the Zei’Ari possess the technological means to utilize energy weapons?” The flight conductor turns to Mentos, bowing. “I do not believe so, sire. They’re rise to space fairing and colonization was only so recent, it is unlikely that they even understand the concept of such pristine technology.” Mentos examines the video footage further, before suddenly the video is interrupted, the stream of information ceases. “Flight Conductor?” Mentos inquires. “Sire, we’ve lost contact with Scryer Drone 7, the drone was desecrated by a high energy burst.” Mentos would rise from his chair and ponder. According to Imperial intelligence, the Zei’Ari shouldn’t be anywhere close to developing such sophisticated direct energy weapons. The Velutarians are the only possible nation who would be close to developing technology that would directly rival the Imperial realm. But even then, their technological sophistication only goes so far, as they’re decades behind the Anshari. “Navigator, signal the fleet and prepare to jump to Zei’Am. We will hold just beyond the outer rim of the star system and observe. Have any surviving drones regroup at our exit point.” The navigator bowed and proceeded to plot in warp coordinates into the holographic terminal before him. “Communique Overseer, inform 2nd Battlegroup Operations Conductor of our findings and our response. We must be prepared for any hostile response taken by the Zei’Am.”

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To: Battlegroup Operations Conductor Erii Orto Vas’Mylith
From: Fleet Conductor Tau Mentos Vas’Mylith

Greetings sire Orto Vas’Mylith,

It brings me ill to inform you that the inferiors that reside within the Zei’Am star system have destroyed one of our observation drones. My communique overseer has also delivered with this message the visual recordings and sensor logs of the drone prior to its demolition. With your grace, my fleet will enact the Divine Protocol to ensure that the knowledge of Mya’s children does not fall into the desolate hands of primitives. We had underestimated the technological sophistication of the Zei’Ari, and we will continue to ensure that their evolution is unhindered by outside stimuli.

Blessings upon you, Erii Orto Vas’Mylith
Tau Mentos Vas’Mylith
Vasir Mylith, 2nd Battlegroup

Rin’Veer Forward Operations Post – Dusk Veil Nebula

Fleet of Unyielding Intervention, 4th Kar Battlegroup

Masked behind a haze of helium and hydrogen, a structure, nearly the length of a small town, hides within plain sight. A starfish like structure, with massive docking clamps serving as its appendages, rays of cyan energy caress the ships that hide within the station’s sanctuary. Forward Operations Posts like the Rin’Veer populate the massive region between the Anshari border and the Velutarians, serving as listening posts, and traps for unsuspecting visitors. Just beyond the Rin’Veer, but still within visual sight of the station, a spherical object floats harmlessly. The sphere compacts and implodes as its plating retracts, turning the construct into more of a floating circle then a sphere. Five ships suddenly ripple into existence, the force of their warp bubbles pushing away the nebular dust like an annoyance. Three of these vessels serve as the Anshari’s Legion class destroyers, sharp vessels that are rather large for their class, outfitted with an impressive array of energy weapon systems. The lead vessel, the Vasir Kar’s prized jewel, a marvel of Anshari engineering, the Radiant class, a three kilometer sleek masterpiece of blood and steel. But the fifth vessel, not even the Anshari leadership of the Fleet of Unyielding Intervention is aware of its design, or its purpose.

Force of Perseverance – Fleet of Unyielding Intervention

The tone within the CIC of the Force of Perseverance is relaxed, the Anshari crew men and women of the battleship have been rehearsing their roles for several decades and for some, even a century. Among the command crew of the Force of Perseverance there was one who remains the most confident, and most prepared for their mission. An elder among even the most veteran of crew. Fleet Conductor Gau Moros Vas’Kar overlooks the holographic displays, taking inventory of the fleet count and order of battle before proceeding. “Fleet Conductor, sire.” shouts the communique officer. “We’re receiving a message from the Fleet of Untold Convictions.” Gau would pace towards the front most section of the CIC, overlooking the officer’s workspace. “Patch it through, I’m sure Fleet Conductor Daukiir has something enlightening for us.”

Mal’Uk’To – Kingdom of Zei’Am

Fleet of Untold Convictions, 4th Kar Battlegroup

Two days prior to the Velutarian attack on Helios Point

The vast rings of Romahn'Sha remain conformed to the counter-rotational orbit of their parent. Nestled between the asteroid’s orderly field lies a Zei’Ari mining outpost, operating with solidarity and efficiency. A sole mining barge of the Kingdom of Zei’Am, cradled within the arms of the station, watches over the conforming asteroids. The order is quickly disrupted dust and stone knocked aside, violently thrown into the orbiting gas giant. Vessels of varying degrees in sizes enter the physical realm. As seventy ships enter the visible spectrum they conglomerate, smaller vessels engulfing the larger warships, forming a physical shield from outside debris. Several minutes pass by, the fleet continues to hold their stature over the Zei’Ari installation, but soon, one by one the ships vanish, until only twenty remain.

The vessels would emerge near an orbiting moon, the core battleships of the fleet would open their underside hangers, revealing dropships and transports of varying designs. Those ships would move towards the surface of the planet as they attempt to establish some sort of beachhead. As they would land, beams of light would crash against the surface, equipment and structures transported to the surface, material phasing into existence along the barren celestial floor.

((EDIT: Forgot to format lol))