Darkened Thought [RP/FT/Private/IC]

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Erzadmiral Elza von Hohenlohe
Osmium-Verschweiger Class "Leichentuch"
Voidjumping into a new System

She could feel that something was wrong this time. So often had she already voidjumped into a system on the orders of the ZZ Reichskommandant, so often felt the familiar sensation and yet something was off this time. And her feelings did not betray her. When the fleet finally appeared not in space again, the sound of creaking, overstrained metal echoed through the ship before it was rocked by several explosions. Lights started to flicker and several interfaces and monitors shut down or restarted themselves. It was pure chaos on her bridge as officers and crewmen who had been violently thrown onto the ground when the explosions shook the massive ship tried to get back up onto their feet, retrieve their documents and resume with their duties.

Elza von Hohenlohe, sitting in her almost throne like command chair on an elevated position in the centre of the bridge watched the efforts of her underlings as they hectically tried to go back to work. They looked a lot like ants she thought. Finally, someone seemed to have some form of report for her, as an officer in the fully white uniform of the Exilvanian Space Navy stepped before her and saluted:

"Heil, Mylady! Waffenoberraummeister Fegek reporting! Due to unknown reasons the Nerocyte reactor has been destabilized, causing an overload in the energy supply. We are still assessing the damage but it is difficult as some of the sections' systems are fried and won't respond. However, it seems that the explosions were caused in the Silencer section by some of the more unstable means of communication blocking. The energy overload probably destabilized them and led to these eplosions. Or that's atleast what we believe since that section went dark and doesn't respond anymore."

Well, looks like the godesses were not looking down favourably upon this particular raid. If there had been explosions in that sector, than that meant that probably most of the intricate equipment in that section had been destroyed, robbing her flagship of it's primary use, that being the jamming off all communications. Well, guess it would have to be towed into a position perfect for invading and then stay there as stationary orbital defense platform to protect the troops down below from orbital harassment.

"We're missing the tools and supplies to repair those instruments so send a battalion there to salvage whatever can still be of use, even if it is just raw materials. You, Waffenoberraummeister, will now be personally put in charge of reestablishing communications across the ship. We need to find out if the targetting computers for our batteries are still functioning. I want this ship back in action as quickly as possible. You!"

, she shouted at an officer in the uniform of the much dreaded ZZ.

"Establish a connection with your Oberstrategieführer. He's got a lot of explaining to do..."

Meanwhile, a comms officer had managed to reestablish comm links with the other ships of the fleet, immediately noticeable by a flood of voices crackling out of loudspeakers, desperately asking for the "Leichentuch" to come in. With a sigh Elza von Hohenlohe took a microphone from her throne and brought it to her mouth before calming down her Admirals with her cold and emotionless voice:

"Osmium Verschweiger Class Leichentuch reporting in. There has been a temporary power failure over here. Several systems are down and the jamming equipment is as well. This changes the plan, as now staying further away from local planets and jamming communications is not possible anymore. The Leichentuch will now instead accompany the fleet towards the first planet's orbit where it will remain stationary and provide support against attacking orbital forces and serve as orbital defense platform to protect a base that shall be erected below."

The ensuing silence in the loudspeakers was then broken by a loudspeaker to her left. A quick look confirmed that it was the Titan Class Carrierdreadnought Todverbreiter and the voice told her pretty well who was on the other end of the line. ZZ Oberstrategieführer Karel Vanneck.

"Negative. We are lawless space with possible lawless forces all around us. Towing the Leichentuch would rob us of mobility and maneuverability which is badly needed should we be engaged by hostiles. I suggest..."

But Elza interrupted him with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice:

"I suggest that the XI Army's Support Fleet will take over the job of towing our flagship into position. The remaining forces of the III Terror Fleet are to provide cover against possible interception by lawless forces. Stay vigilant, strike viciously! Erzadmiral Elza von Hohenlohe out."

She put the microphone back down and looked at several holographic displays that dominated the center of the bridge, furrowing her white brows in thought. The holographic images currently showcased the might of the III Terror Fleet as it's warships slowly moved into position to continue their journey. She sighed at the sight, honestly, with the destruction of the vital jamming devices, she would have to request reinforcements or atleast technicians with spare parts and the technological know-how to get that part of her ship fixed. Being incapable of isolating planets complete made this task much harder and turned it into a lot more than just a separate and exterminate mission. She might be facing an extensive military campaign and all of that just because fate decided that this time something should go wrong.

Well, nothing she could do about that now, was there? She had the holographic images of the fleet closed and instead a map of the galaxy they had just entered was projected into the air before her. She had heard that Intelligence had not deemed this galaxy worth a careful infiltration and thorough reconnaissance so she was all the more impressed with the amount of data they had gathered nonetheless. If the map she was shown was correct, they had entered this galaxy in a sector going by the number 0404. This specific sector appeared to be the most populated, atleast judging by the number of installations within it. 5 inhabited installations to take care off, so much more than everywhere else. Elza's eyes hushed across the map as she counted the installations she'd have to take care of. 21 was the number she got and to her dissatisfaction many of the remaining ones were not nearby but would require her to cross the entirety of the galaxy just to reach them. Atleast she'd get the biggest and toughest piece done right at the beginning. She could probably also park her flagship in the orbit of one of the local planets or moons and start the construction of a base below. Considering that this would most likely take a while, it was wise to do so to secure their entry into the galaxy and provide a logistical hub for their efforts against the remaining planets and installations.

Well, atleast Intelligence suggested that resistance would be petty at best. The Galaxy was supposedly occupied by a smuggling ring. Criminals, she thought with disdain. Low lives without principles or spine. They would break in every engagement and become easy prey. And she would be incapable of bathing in their screams of terror and pain, being stuck up in space and most likely having to deal with tiny, shoddy smuggling vessels that would prove to be no match for the power of the Nerocite Artillery employed by them.

It truly seemed like this campaign was going to be a long and unsatisfactory slog for her.

[Doppio Giudici]

Xanthem (Planet), 0101
Escrios System
Thora Psi (Sector)
Two Years After "False Start"

Over what was the last remaining enemy stronghold, the last enemy plateau, buildings and tanks burned still. This little war had been waged for longer then the Prole Confederation forces had been involved, and yet to them at least, it felt like a long, brutal war of attrition. Some of the mercenary and pirate allies had been scattered to the wind, to disappear inside the sandstorms or perhaps the endless voids of space above the little world. Horrible storms wiped out entire advancing or retreating columns of forces, temperatures became brutal during the day and another kind of brutal at night, and the safe plateaus themselves were only safe for buildings if people took the time to build concrete foundations.. Which many did not do. Vehicles that carried infantry were easy to sink into the sand, hit with a rocket from the side, or disable with the soldiers inside trapped; and so many soldiers just road on top or clamped onto moving vehicles... or they just walked. The lands were covered in burning tanks, burning rocket-quads, burning trikes and gun-trucks, burning mobile heavy mortars, and burning anti-tank missile systems. The wind, dust, and sky were not kind to aircraft, and so both sides had trusted on the longest range weapons they could field; the mobile heavy mortars. When such things started to shell base defenses on a plateau, or wipe out entire platoons of infantry in just a few shots, badly damage sensors on various tanks; it was time for the armor columns to push forward at all cost, or for missile-quads to flank and take out the horrible lobbers of death.

The resources to fund the operation came from the sand themselves, previous ruins, rare spices, rare plants, rare animals, and various artifacts. Sometimes the sand was a special color, blue, or yellow, black, or even white; and so these things were sucked up and carted up into space for profit. Smugglers that were impossible to blockade or stop, moved vehicles, armor, and weapons in by the tens of thousands; and lifted up greater value in precious rarities. The fighting had been equal, but the Proles had watched as a third of their collection of allies, proxies, and converts had faded away, and so those who remained; the hardened converts and the remaining mercenaries; had to fight and die that much harder. The push and the tempo waxed and waned, but they dashed themselves against the enemy just like the enemy dashed themselves against the Prole's converts and mercenaries. Stockpiles of resources were used up, and so it was time to push forward towards the enemy and take their resources, take the ruins by their bases. The final blow had been when the heavy Prole Armor was lowered down to the world, the smugglers moved medium tanks in great numbers, and hoards of freshly processed "Black Hand" advanced onto the last few enemy strongholds; after the "Thermobaric Missile Strikes" softened them up.

Paul stood amongst the ruins and looked over the table set before him, stainless steel, with a simple map on it held down by rocks.

"0202, Danassa, should be out next point of movement. This is where we will find the local hegemony and put an end to them."

He pressed his fingers into the map again and again as he said this, or he, he pressed his gloves with his fingers inside of them, into the map again and again.

"Sir, I have a suggestion."

His advisor was speaking up, it seemed.

"What is your proposal? I am listening."

"We recently have been seeing serious distortions, over here at 0404, where it seems something large, or several large things just moved in. Wouldn't it not be easier to just have the local hegemony deal with this issue, and we move in while they are distracted?"

There was a deep sigh and then the turning of Paul to look at his advisor, two dead eyes looked out at this man.

"It would seem we are on the clock then. We wait for this intruder to make their move, and then we must make our move, and make it quickly. Either the locals will smash this new thing easily, or it will smash them. Either way, the clock will be ticking... Even moreso if the two things decide to work together, Enlightened One forbid."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Erzadmiral Elza von Hohenlohe
Osmium-Verschweiger Class "Leichentuch"
Approaching "Zeri", System 0404

The Exilvanian advance through space was a slow one, slowed primarily due to the fact that their speed and maneuverability were greatly hindered by the Leichentuch's engine damage and inability to move by itself. Not to mention that they had to be on guard just in case an actual spaceborne threat appeared to attack.

Many would press for a faster campaign at all costs but the Exilvanians were not among these many. It was either quick and thorough with them or slow and very thoroughly and since their option to do things quickly and thoroughly had been removed by sheer bad luck, they would take the slow route. Afterall, they had the time to do things slowly. There were no reports or indicators of any major threat within this new Galaxy nor was there anything indicating that the inhabitants of this galaxy were aligned with major outside powers. Granted, it had been a long time since Intelligence had visited this area so perhaps things had changed but most things should've stayed the same and these did not warrant any haste.

So was the Erzadmiral's train of thought as she continued going through the data she had on her hands, collected by the Exilvanian ZZ and handed over to her for her mission. If the intel was correct then she was in great luck. Three planets capable of sustaining life though only 2 of them were actually habitable with the third showing signs of having been inhabited once. Their names were "Zeri", the planet they were currently heading for, "Iur Gargie" and "Andiana Ayale". Those were of relatively minor concern or importance. What was important was the existance of an Asteroid belt, labelled "Dison" in the reports as well as a Refueling Base labelled "Leighton 6". Both of these would be of great importance, the former to fuel the Exilvanian's Orbital Bombardments and the latter to help with the repair of the Leichtentuch. True, it was just a refueling station but it had the necessary docking facilities to safely dock the massive exilvanian capital ship and with some upgrades could surely be turned into a major, repair, maintenance and refuelling station for exilvanian forces in the system.

Alas "Zeri" was first on their path. Considering that Nerocyte was precious and they didn't have any informations about Nerocyte Sources in this Galaxy, the Erzadmiral had to operate under the assumption that she would not be able to refuel anytime soon so flight paths had to be carefully calculated and waste of Nerocyte avoided. So they would make a stop over "Zeri" and wipe that planet out first before continuing to "Leighton 6".

Elza looked through the reports again. A vast planet with a great variety of biomes. A breathable atmosphere. Advanced civilisation of...Chimpanzees? Space, Elza thought and shook her head before continuing. Highly advanced cities built into the sides of canyons, floating in oceans or in the middle of deserts. Space Travel was thought possible but appeared to not be pursued due to a lack of ressources or more or a dislike of pooling ressources. Aha, different nations, Elza remarked in her head, remembering the final Battalion Wars where they had established themselves as the dominant and only remaining nation on their planet. How fitting that such lowly monkeys were incapable of achieving this. What else was there on the planet? Hm, a human minority population...and of course ample bases and stations to sustain a good, long ground campaign. Well, this was promising.

"Estimated time of arrival in Zeri's orbit?"

, she asked into the bridge and promptly received an answer from one of her officers.

"Approximately 4 hours, 23 minutes and 54 seconds Erzadmiral!"

"Good. I want all the information on the planetary infrastructure and defenses as well as the factions to be sent to Feldkommandant Züzekler so he can form a strategy on how to wipe this planet clean. Attach the following notes from me.

• I suggest the deployment of firebombs against the vast forests. Burning them down to the ground will cut down the amount of work we need to spend on them and will deny planetary defenders any means of hiding within them.
• Due to the difficulty of assaulting the oceanic cities, I suggest planetary bombardment to either directly strike the cities or create a monster wave.
• I suggest contacting the human minority. I'm lacking data on their treatment but perhaps we can enlist them to our cause.

That would be all. Send thtat to the Feldkommandant."

[Vadia]

OOC: Still me, just posting with my NPC nation.

"Zeri", System 0404

A 200 meter cargo vessel lifted up from one of the poles, as far away from the orbiting fleet as possible. A number of hovercraft rose up from the surface of the world, before loading themselves onto this small cargo ship. All along the surface of the planet, dozens of specific locations, bearing the same markings were all set ablaze, with some of those inside killed by random chance and the rest dumped out on the streets naked. Across the surface of the world, hundreds of "Bio-Borg Chimps" had been cut down and killed, their bodies laid across the parks of several settlements. According to easily interceptable radio traffic, it had appeared that the organization that made the attacks, was using an elite crack team of zealots to ravage the world with fear, and do a complete purge of infidels. The "Zeri Ecolgists", the faction that previously governed the world in a loose confederation, had it's leadership assassinated or made to submit; by the harsh iron fist of "Physical Light". For weeks now, the "terrorists" had many called them in secret, had been attacking points as they saw fit, while large fleets of harvesters cut and processed huge swaths of lumber, stone, ore, and other resources. The planet wasn't being entirely canibalized, as it was much larger than the areas being harvested, but there appeared to have been plans to increase the size of the harvesting operations threefold.

The cargo ship managed to somehow disappear after hitting the outer atmosphere, either by cloaking or hitting lightspeed. Such a vessel of that size would be able to carry hundreds of trained killers, blend in easily, and turn on a dime compared to much larger vessels. The humans of the world below had been able to live in harmony with the wildlife and even in some cases "uplift" the creatures, but they were gripped in fear after so many people of note were just killed in the dead of night. The bodies of what had been the planet's defense network, Bio-Borg Chimps, with sharp claws, titanium teeth, an addiction to the blood of humans and the like, cybernetic organs, chemical pumps, and genetically engineered bodies; such bodies were left to rot and people were afraid to touch them. The planet appeared to still have a minor headquarters and a major headquarters to the "Physical Light" organization, and it was likely that smuggler ship had left to warn the others about what had happened. Perhaps reinforcements would arrive very soon.

[Doppio Giudici]

Xanthem (Planet), 0101
Escrios System
Thora Psi (Sector)

"So you are telling me...That Physical Light... Has a hundredth or less of our numbers, population, and wealth; but is more advanced then us?"

Paul was not amused with this information he was now learning, which was clear in how he watched the informant that was in his tent.

"Quite so. The number of grav-tanks they have is excessive, perhaps enough to force you to actually move a solid portion of your military forces to this sector to deal with them."

Paul turned his chair to face way from this other person, while crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. Of all the things to happen after getting flipped, this had to be one of them. Waking up every single day knowing you're a monster, and then you have to deal with the knowledge that any move you make can result in millions of your own people being killed. People... His own people... Paul pressed his lips together under his helmet. Paul couldn't remember if before he had been able to accept himself as one of these others... Not after what he had done... He remembered the first few weeks after being flipped...It was like waking up for the first time in his entire life...and someone had spent decades on end fucking up his entire lifetime... He remembered how completely he would lose it, and then come back, and then lose it again. He was the worst of them, the absolute worse. Cold, calculating, inhuman, destructive, self-destructive as well. Now... He was too busy losing his shit all the time to be focused and plotting as he used to be... This was the nature of things...Going from one type of broken to another... The silence after the informant had spoken was considerable, but they had said nothing to break it.

"It is very good that we were able to husband our resources so far, and that one of the other fronts has calmed down enough. The fight against the parasites and watching the general darkness of our home sector is quite a chore, needs two or three great leaders to oversee it."

He turned his chair around on it's wheels and looked over at the informant, watching them with his hands in his lap.

"I think it's time that we ask for the Emperor of Vadia, and his "Hate Killers". We need that fleet busy, and this front could very easily get very ugly very fast. I'll have to send for Josha as well, perhaps "The Kinful" will know what to do... Sees the whole universe is blooming with trade, blooming with war...So it goes...So it goes."

The informant watched and seemed a fair bit nervous, but they kept their hands behind their back and stood up straight.

"I'll inform the rest of Hard Light to lay low and wait. Perhaps we will be free to practice again soon."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Erzadmiral Elza von Hohenlohe
Osmium-Verschweiger Class "Leichentuch"
Entering "Zeri"'s Orbit, System 0404

"Erzadmiral, scanners just picked up a ship, about 200 metres in length! It left the planet's orbit and appears to have cloaked itself. Should we activate high intensity scanners?"

, Elza dismissed the officer with by simply waving her hand, stating dryly:

"With that length it is no threat to us. Most likely just running off to warn their friends otherwhere about our presence. It will be too much of a hassle to try and stop every one of those attempts, especcially since word might've already gotten out."

She then concentrated on the holographic projection of the planet in front of her again. She and Feldkommandant Züzekler had spoken long with each other and worked out where and how to attack. The specific spots on the map were marked nicely in front of her. Great, green, lush forests according to their intelligence. Normally places that would lead to months or even years of prolonged fighting and be a great defensive boon to defenders. But for Von Hohenlohe and Züzekler they were an opportunity.

Erzadmiral Elza von Hohenlohe picked up her microphone and changed the frequency so she got onto contact with all other Titan Class vessels. Then she simply stated:

"Operation "Himmelsfeuer" begins...now."

---

One by one the Titan Classes' hangar bays would slide open, revealing the hangar decks that lay below them. Exilvanian engineers and other maintenance personnel were just leaving the aircraft, putting the finishing touches on the atmospheric strike force that was about to assault the planet below them.

From those hangars launched the Zornier Skyhammers, Bombers capable of travelling in both space and inside a planet's atsmosphere but with their flight specifications clearly favouring flight inside the atmosphere. They were Strategic Atmospheric Bombers, each of them equipped with 30 tonnes worth of bombs and they had one dastardly task. To strike the forests with the 30 tonnes of incendiary bombs each of them carried. At the same time more and faster craft were launched from the hangers, these were smaller and far more nimble though still appearing to move rather sluggishly in space. These were Atmospheric Interceptors/Fighters, designed to be deployed from spacecraft and then deal with atmospheric aircraft, engaging them in dogfights and clearing the skies so the atmospheric strategic bombers could do their jobs in relative peace.

Once they had all formed up in their respective formations, they flew off towards the planet's surface, leaving behind the grey-ish blobs in the darkness of space that were the massie Exilvanian capital ships. Red trails were left behind by their engines as they roared towards the planet. They were heading for the largest forest the maps had provided command with.

They came, silent and deadly, their form and materials making their presence hard but not impossible to detect. The Fighters did what one would expect them to do, escort the bombers. If A threat presented itself, some would veer off to deal with it but there would always remain a sizeable amount of fighters with the bomber squadrons. Then, upon reaching their destination, the bombers would start dropping their deadly cargo. Loads upon loads of incendiary bombs would drop upon the forest and set it all ablaze. The bombers would make a curve, drop their remaining bombs and then head back to the Capital Ships for refueling and re-equipping, leaving the inferno raging below them behind.

And it was an inferno. 2.700 tonnes worth of incendiary bombs had been dropped onto a forest. And all for one reason. To destroy, to eliminate, to wipe out. Exilvanian Command did not care about the wildlife or the defensive capabilities of a forest. They were genocidal invaders. The forest was a ripe target. Setting it ablaze would destroy any fortifications or settlements within it and kill all who walked its paths for what would not be consumed by flame and heat would soon succumb to the lack of air. And once the fires died down it would leave behind a great waste of ash, flat and without cover, easy to overlook or to build in. Perfect for a nearly unopposed Exilvanian landing and base camp.

[Doppio Giudici]

Xanthem (Planet), 0101
Escrios System
Thora Psi (Sector)

Paul breathed in slowly, and then breathed out just as slowly, remaining completely in control. Palms rested on the hard ground, along with his calves, as he was leaned forward.

"We're not going to send the Kinful."

"Where would the required numbers come from?"

He replied to the voice as clearly as he heard it, trying to maintain his concentration.

---

The Sector

50 Billion Trade Units of rare earth elements and metal alloys was shipped from Aleksandr territory back in The Sector, to overcrowded but stable Mabuinerth in another galaxy via wormhole. 62.5 billion Trade Units of 1980 and 1990s computer parts were moved back to our current galaxy, to be provided to Ghara. Ghara was still tooling up with it's half a billion people, to provide enough for roughly 8 billion people a day, so a mixture of promises and food supplies from other sources were moved back to Mabuinerth. 78.125 billion in food supplies and promises, with 25% being provided in physical supplies; was flipped and cashed in for labor. A person needed around 8.73 trade units for a balanced diet of potatoes or rice, vegetables, and farm-fish, people could easily be hired for as little as 20 trade units a day or 100 for 40 hours of work. Labor was 3.73 times more expensive in most other available hiring areas, which allowed 78.125 billion Trade Units to be stretched pretty far. Another 80 billion trade units of rare earth elements and metal alloys was brought in, which was mixed with all of the labor, transpiration, and availability that 78.125 billion Trade Units buys on Mabuinerth. Roughly 200 billion in various cheap manufactured goods was produced, and sold to tens of billions of Mega-Power citizens based in Nidus.

This process started with 130 billion injected in, and 200 billion pulled out, daily. Current projected profit a day was 70 billion. This was a complicated and expensive endeavor, that scoped up most of the free and available labor on three separate planets, and only worked because it relied on surplus, prepaid goods, and the lack of friction keeping distance from seriously affecting shipping costs.

---

Xanthem (Planet), 0101
Escrios System
Thora Psi (Sector)

"We reached an agreement with all of the Great Powers, and Aleksandr."

"And the result?"

"We're able to sift through a population of 150 billion for Level Three and Four Treasonists."

"How M..."

"One hundred fifty thousand, as a starting point."

"You're going to flip all of them?"

"Too many to flip. We're going to use flippage as the one and only major punishment for not following orders."

"So you are conscripting them, but not flipping them?"

"After the conflict is over, those who weren't flipped will be provided a hospitable and comfortable prison colony, with second world conditions, a stable and balanced diet, and strong access to an education."

"If they survive."

"They most likely will, you will be the commanding officer for this operation, and I know you intend to watch over them as if they were your own."

"They most certainly are not, my own are flips, I am a flip."

"Then you can flip them as you please."

"How long will you take to train them."

"We already gave them thirteen weeks."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"It's such a major operation, I am frankly surprised you didn't find out. This is a huge manpower draw."

"What was this even meant to be for?"

"Use within The Sector, we're either waging two wars at once or three."

"How are these not penal divisions?"

"They're trained, fed, equipped, and organized by Prole Confederation standards, everything has been paid for in advance with trade network money. Beta's new blossoming trade networks and our intergalactic connections are causing massive flow of resources, manpower, and capitol. It's like watching a body being sewn back together and put back to life."

"And supplies?"

"We save forty five thousand Trade Units a man, and so we are in a position to have very strong supply lines."

"What about transport?"

"We're sending them over with what is part of a fleet, their own in fact."

"What about..."

"Along with the Hate Killers, who will need a few days to arrive. Your forces are being sent over now, fully contained. Mercs will be considered after we know what this threat in your area is."