The Ascension of the Imperium IC (All Tech, TG for interest)

by **Visoran** » Sat May 02, 2020 12:07 pm

Imperial-Octavia wrote:
Hello Visoran allies. The Imperium would like you to watch the United Government at our border. We sing wish for you to monitor them. Hail to the Imperium!

Octavian Space

The message is received. These assets are relocating.

The five ships received the information, and simply moved- No trail of energy to indicate a warp-jump, no flare of energy from the ships to even indicate they had moved. Well, expect for the ships shifting position from one system, to another- And the ships quickly spreading out into a diamond formation. A single ship forming each point, as some part of the Hivemind flicked a reading of the distant ship around. Heavily armed and armored, with some notable capacity for PDVA style countermeasures. Slightly troubling, but nothing the Hivemind hadn't dealt with in the past- One of the ships flaring to reconfigure it's non-conventional armament for something far more traditional- Missile launchers and swarm-drone deployment racks instantly finishing construction, as one of the other ships flicked it's own internal complement about to the vast fighter swarms the Hivemind was already recommending for this probable engagement. Others mirroring these changes, as the swarms of strike-craft The ships held at range, even as the message from the distant United Government ship repeated- And then the Hivemind ships moved again. In their usual, silent, method, they arrived at the very edge of the 15 million kilometer exclusion zone. Shadowing that precise distance down to a nano-meter as the five ships simply sat and waited for any hostile response from the distant space-craft.

001 Shifted a portion of his attention to watch the scene more closely, as that alert went through the system. Unusual. A more closely coordinated effort might be needed with the Octavians and allies if this was an indication of the foe the Octavians had managed to attract, there were sure to be other issues in the future, that the Hivemind alone would not spend assets fighting in something that might be undone rather dramatically. It was a simple matter to send another message-

Hello, Octavia.
The Visoran wishes to establish a more reliable line of communication with your military and coordination centers. Inform this line of where such a communicative asset could be located, and it shall be done.

And then the message was sent off, as 001 shunted the Octavian on-goings into a lesser processor for the moment. Another conflict was grappling for attention.

by **The-International Space Organization** » Sat May 02, 2020 1:06 pm

Imperial-Octavia wrote:
The 14th Octavian fleet was newly fabricated as to help the expansion of Octavian space. As they made their way to the latest system system they were meant to conquer they can across something unexpected. 1 massive ship would be standing in wait and sent them a message speaking of some United Government and a 15 million kilometer exclusion radius. Luckily for the fleet they were outside that radius, but unluckily it would be take extra time to advance without violating that limit. The incident was transmitted to Octavian high command as the fleet began calculating a alternative route...

Visoran wrote:
Octavian Space

The message is received. These assets are relocating.
The five ships received the information, and simply moved- No trail of energy to indicate a warp-jump, no flare of energy from the ships to even indicate they had moved. Well, expect for the ships shifting position from one system, to another- And the ships quickly spreading out into a diamond formation. A single ship forming each point, as some part of the Hivemind flicked a reading of the distant ship around. Heavily armed and armored, with some notable capacity for PDVA style countermeasures. Slightly troubling, but nothing the Hivemind hadn't dealt with in the past- One of the ships flaring to reconfigure it's non-conventional armament for something far more traditional- Missile launchers and swarm-drone deployment racks instantly finishing construction, as one of the other ships flicked it's own internal complement about to the vast fighter swarms the Hivemind was already recommending for this probable engagement. Others mirroring these changes, as the swarms of strike-craft The ships held at range, even as the message from the distant United Government ship repeated- And then the Hivemind ships moved again. In their usual, silent, method, they arrived at the very edge of the 15 million kilometer exclusion zone. Shadowing that precise distance down to a nano-meter as the five ships simply sat and waited for any hostile response from the distant space-craft.

THE EDGE OF OCTAVIAN SPACE - BRIDGE OF THE ERVAN CRUISER 'STARFURY'

"They're holding at exactly range 15, Captain." The sensor officer rattled off. "Five ships, size rating five-zero-zero-zero, holding diamond. They've got signs of reality manipulation technology- Sensors are telling me that's how they're moving."

Bulwark took a breath. This was not the allies the report stated the Octavians had- What had changed, so rapidly? "Get the array operators on tracing the exact control channels. Gunnery and counter-measures will need details on how exactly they operate. Prepare for message relay up to high command- Forward that line to my personal communications suite. Helm, swing us to face our broadside to those ships. Fighter command, deploy our Vipers and Raptors- We'll use them as extra armor if it comes down to it- And have a squadron of Raptors shadow those Octavians vessels. If they get close to a planet with organic life on it, take them out. No Octavian survivors, even if it means placing our ship into combat against those unknown vessels. Orders clear?"

The bridge responded with a rousing 'Sir yes sir!', as the crew lept into life. The Cruiser swinging it's broadside about to face the unknown Octavian allied ships, even as vast swarms of fighter craft were deployed- Along with heavier interception craft, which turned on an angle, the squadron of eight Raptors drawing an escort of eight vipers with it, as they raced away on an intercept course for the Octavian vessels, the QAPAI coordinating as they began to close the distance with the 14th Fleet, at full speed...

ISO FLEET ANCHORAGE 'LAST CHANCE', FINITY'S END

Grayson paced nervously in the bridge of his command carrier, the Ark Royal, as the last preperations were being finished. Tugboats now swarming the four monstrous ships, as workers rushed around performing the final things needed to cast them off- Detatching fueling lines, turning on running lights, the last-second rush of zero-G before the heavy gravity generators kicked in.

"Captain!" Came the call from an aide. "Dockside just called up. The Yamato just disconnected from her moorings. Bismarck will be set free in about five minutes, and the Iowa is already proceeding to our initial rally point. We've got tugs coming alongside now to pull us free of our docking port." Grayson nodded, and then felt the 'thud' of the tugs attaching their clamps to the side of the ship.

"Are we free from dockside moorings?"

"Aye aye, captain."

"Good. Tell engineering to prepare for cruising speed, and get communications to pull the fleet into standard convoy formations. Make it so crew, we've got a long patrol ahead of us."

The crew of the ISO vessel leapt into life, even as the tugs put power to full- Dragging it out of the huge tangle that formed the fleet anchorage, and around other ships being moved in and out. The tugs, once the Ark Royal had cleared the safe-point, detatched, darting off to fullfill another roll as the Ark Royal's monstrous impulse engines roared to life- Accelerating the ship ahead rapidly, as it's manuevering thrusters flared, turning it to face the initial rally point where another ship was already waiting. From here the squadron, designated 'Mossflower', would soon depart for the Stationhouse- And then outwards, towards Octavian Territory, to strike forward...

by **Synne Industries** » Sat May 02, 2020 4:01 pm

R.S.S. Fabel⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Galactic Mist, Incorporeal Extraspace

[⭍ ] [✉] [ 1 ]
| Bel Class VCBM guidance ship | Scouting Division One |

"Oi oi oi, lookit! Right there!" exclaimed Munoz. Captain Maldonado of the RSS Pohl realigned his face with the communications feed's visual input. "What it be laddie?". "Right there, six little pinpricks of interference, LB says they swelled just a moment ago," responded the other captain, staring at one of his cerebral station's many interfaces. Maldonado smirked. "Looks fine ta' me, let's get movin' then!" The video feed between the two ships cut as their Vector drives accelerated the vessels to impossible speeds.

[ ⛭ ]
Outskirts of Octavian Space

If there had been a medium for sound waves to travel, the immediate arrest from Vectorspeeds to zero would have been thunderous. Still behind the veil of their protective channels of Extraspace, the Fabel and Pohl found themselves on the perimeter of a staredown. Both missile guidance frigate and dimensional survey ship remained fixed in their observing positions as the latter ship began a quick-scan with its superior sensor suite.

The captain of the Pohl pressed a button and redirected his attention to the now re-established video feed. "Sendin' the details over now, tell me if ye' got em'." "They're sent, and looks to me tha..." Munoz's response quickly degraded and quieted into incoherent mumbling as he analyzed the sensor read. "A fleet in the distance, Mr. clunky with a fighter screen, and five boxes. Last two don't look like they run on Initiative tech and don't act like it either... The propulsion is 'warm' though, that's probably what we picked up earlier," Munoz moved his eyes from the data to his main screen. "Maldy, do the bricks match up with anything in our databank?"

"Already checked, nothin', or at least nothin' I'm cleared to be seein'."

"How bout' the one measuring 1.5 klicks with the flat nose?"

"Still nothin', bloody administration don't let us scout cap'ns know anythin' these days."

Discontent, Munoz relocated Maldonado's face to a smaller monitor before opening his own ship's live LB display on the main screen. "Fine, if the executives aren't even gonna let a scout division know what they're scouting for then I'm gonna go and poking at these ships myself!" "Don't go overboard Munoz, if ye' screw this up Cal's gon' be pissed, then Estrada's gonna be pissed and we'll lose our jobs," warned Maldonado. "Yeah yeah, I'll keep my trigger finger offa' the VCBMs so long as they don't shoot first," replied Munoz. The other captain burst into laughter. "And whadda ye' expectin' to do withhat 20 mil n' yer thousand somethin' canisters? If they start shootin' you'll be haulin' [Expletive redacted] back ta' me n' the Pohl's autoloaders ya' nitwit!" "Whatever," retorted Munoz, annoyed. "Either way you're gonna be in range, so if anything starts lobbing missiles, hit or miss you reduce that [Expletive redacted] to slag." As he disconnected from video comms, the captain ordered a gentle Vector glide towards the grey ship with crimson markings.

15,000,000 klicks. 14,000,000 klicks. 12,000,000 klicks. 8,000,000 klicks. Despite being in a non-planetary glide, the Fabel was picking up speed as it approached the vessel. 4,000,000 klicks. Nearing 3,000,000... just before the Bel class was about to make contact with the ship's fighter screen a soft but distinct beeping could be heard from one of the Fabel's bridge computers. "Captain Munoz, I'm getting an elevated background response, we may be within coherent sensor range," the LB officer exclaimed. "Any closer and they might be able to pinpoint our location." The captain closed his eyes and simulated exhalation. "Move us to four mil but make sure we've still got a clear view of the ship. Stay put and get a clearer read on it, internals and all. It'll be a lot harder to scan if it's shooting or being shot at, now get on with it!" The order was promptly followed by a bridge-wide "Aye aye, sir!" as were most orders.

The Fabel snapped its nose from what had been its 12-o-clock to its 6 instantly, killing all relative velocity in the process. Now mere hundreds of kilometers away from the fighter craft, the Initiative ship darted away as fast as it had approached like a yo-yo being pulled back to its owner's hand. From the safety of its new spatial perch, the Fabel could see the vast panorama of its surroundings. Interplanetary space dotted with light capital craft as the single cruiser maintained its standoff with the five slabs over twice its size. If there was to be a battle, it would undoubtedly be a wild ride.

by **Gladian Imperium** » Sat May 02, 2020 4:33 pm

Intergalactic Space, Linnaeris-Milky Way Transit Corridor

At several lightyear-intervals, flashes of light punctuated the darkness of space. Vast, skeletal structures alongside more compact spheres began appearing in the void, tracing a line between the Linnaeris Phase Gate and the Octavian Milky Way. This was a Transit Corridor, numerous like it existed back in the Federation, extending throughout the local group to allow countless vessels to move across galaxies within seconds. This, however, was a much simpler network. Twelve Sentinel Arrays and Catapult Relays, covering the multi-million light year expanse. Each of them would cooperate via subspace networking to create a viable route for the six Warminds accompanying the Gladians, and also calculate routes for any other Cutter Drive-wielding vessels to travel by.

Meanwhile, six heavy-duty Sentinel Arrays would be constructed above and below the region of the galactic plane Octavia resided in. While only around 160 star systems, it could never hurt to monitor them thoroughly to make sure that there weren't any...unwanted surprises. Within minutes, six different Subspace Impositions, each one tailored with different variables, albeit with rather low "Resolution" at the moment, were being transmitted back to Alliance Space, where they were extensively monitored by various strategic AIs, tacticians, and Fleetminds in order to determine a series of tactics.

by **Il Passione** » Sat May 02, 2020 9:51 pm

Imperial-Octavia wrote:[spoiler=Zravvisk]
The Zravvisk wrote:
[spoiler=Passione]

The warden nearby heard the name, her eyes widening at the prospect of the name.
"Polpo? You're wishing to see him?" The woman said, bemused. "Well... it's been a while since anyone's seen him who isn't that Doppio kid." She sighed, as two nearby officers opened a door before one put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll have to temporarily possess any items you have for the visit, since we're not going to allow any contraband into Polpo's cell. You are not to give or receive anything from him, and any requests to enter Polpo's cell
will be denied." The warden stated, and after a few items were safekept in a box nearby, the guards opened a door into a quiet hall. If it weren't for the mass that was Polpo's room, Luigi would consider it an empty waste of space... and he could already tell Polpo got a few luxuries due to his status, a Leonid Afremov's "Italy, Verona" blatantly hanging on his wall.

Suddenly, from somehow out of nowhere, a mass of yellow managed to transform into what was a gigantic, morbidly obese pale man in a red hat, with a nose like a spearhead and eyes with black scleras.
"Luigi Ricci, correct? Bucciarati told me a fair bit about you... a man who seemed to suddenly appear from the shadows of Venezia, never heard of before." Polpo stated, casually looking at him with a calm, eloquent look. "Those very slight markings on your hand are definitely shaped like a pistol, but the model... I've never seen before. And the look in your eyes... everything about you is so unusual... I'm excited to know exactly who you are and why you're here." Polpo said, the painting next to him opening to show a safe, which Polpo used his massive hands to unlock as he produced two wine glasses and a bottle.

"Ahh...the San Felice '97 Il Grigio Gran Selezione Chianti Classico. A wonderful afternoon drink for moments like these. If you want some, I'll be happy to provide. Just hand the warden a good amount of money, and she'll look the other way. You'll be surprised at the difference between what people say, and what they do." He chuckled, pouring the wine into a bottle and having a sip of it. Despite being an obese monster and a gangster, it seems Polpo possessed the gentlemanly, verbose class that many view high-ranking mafia members as in a stereotypical manner. "So... Mr. Luigi, you truly desire to join Passione? Or is there something else?"

by **Hobbes Dystopia** » Sun May 03, 2020 2:21 am

H'Krell took some time to inspect the city of their soon to be ally and found it to be visually pleasing in a way, he could expect no less from a city managed from an AI. Perhaps in time this planet could be of good use to the Imperium in the times to come. When H'Krell was done sightseeing he moved to see the Central Mind and upon finding it he would place the USB stick that the Octavian technology was located in in front of the Central Mind. "If you would go over the information in here you'll find that the technology should be to your liking. I can see you have quite the number of organics in your cabinet... I assume they are up to the task of management, though I'm sure they could be aided with assimlaton, but then again couldn't all organics?" The Grand Mechanator chuckled at his comment for a moment "Asides that I can be assured that our alliance is secure correct?"

The Shard, Central Computing Room
"You can rest assured of it, Grand Mechanator. I have already sent orders to the strategic and law enforcement Minds to begin an indoctrination campaign about the benefits of this Alliance and to seize all those who dare to defy the Alliance."- The Central Mind's voice reverberated in the walls. "As for the technology, my organic and synthetic scientists have all begun an in-depth examination of your priceless technology, soon I will be able to use it in whichever way benefits our Alliance the most." Then, the Central Mind turned off all cameras in the room before saying in a slightly altered tone "About the assimilation, maybe I can provide you with certain test subjects, so as to serve as my personal embassadors to the great Octavian Empire. I hope you liked your stay here, Grand Mechanator, please transmit to the Paramount our complete devotion to this alliance."

by **The Zravvisk** » Sun May 03, 2020 5:00 am

Outside Imperium space
The Solemn Dagger lurked outside the Imperium boarders. It was an elegant, golden, and pristine. If it wasn’t for the Zravvisk Dragon shown proudly on the port and starboard sides, one would never guess it belonged to the Armada of the Zravvisk. Widely considered to be the zravvisk’s last allies’ last gift, it’s been in service for centuries. Though its age was rarely a problem as its designers were often centuries ahead of the rest of the galaxy.

The stealth cruiser went over final checks for itself and its scout contingent while making sure they were a decent way away from the boarder. They were some of the few zravvisk that knew how to be subtle, so they knew better than to risk a long-range scanner detecting them. The Dagger’s graviton cannons were green, the torpedo tubes were armed and loaded, and the flux armor was de and rematerializing fine. Finally, the scouts were deployed from the hanger to check the sensors and the sheath shield.

The scouts surrounded the cruiser, making sure that there was another directly opposite of it. Then the stealth shield was activated. The cruiser vanished from sight and the scouts checked their sensors to make sure the shield was bending them correctly to avoid suspicious sensor shadows. Each pair able to see each other perfectly and not the cruiser moved onto the next test. They checked the gravitational instruments to make sure the Dagger was using artificial gravity to interfere and cancel its own gravitational waves. Nothing, the cruiser had removed its gravity from the galaxy. Smiling, the scout pilots ducked back inside the shield and landed. The mission could now begin.

Fully cloaked the cruiser moved to cross the border with all speed. Its target was a primitive world just inside the Imperium’s boarders that was rumored to have been gassed. If the rumors were false it would move on to the next conquered primitive and the next until either all were investigated, or it found that one rumored atrocity was true. In that case it would report back, and the Armada would go to war. Though they doubted that the Council would complain if they blew up a few targets on the way back.

Defiance
Vice Admiral Jackson was siting back in his office pouring a shot of whiskey. He rarely drank but now was a good time. The transports had set off loaded with weapons and armor, and he wondered if anyone would find out they came from the Armada. The infantry equipment and tanks were impossible to trace back as the Armada had no standards for them. The anti-ship weapons were zravvisk modifications, but the zravvisk also sold them to civilians, making them very easy for arms dealers to get their hands on. The only concrete evidence was the insignia on the ships, having both the Zravvisk Dragon and the insignia of the Xenibar Navy. The Dragon wasn’t much of a problem since everyone forged it. The Xenibar one, however, was a problem the ships under his command were the only ones who used it and no one was interested in forged symbols from dead nations.

While he wondered if anyone would be dumb enough to take pictures of the insignia and let them fall into Imperial hands, the computer interrupted him. “Vice Admiral, several priority transmissions from the zravvisk ships. Should I patch them though?”

Jackson sighed and said, “And there are the zravvisk wanting to know why so many cargo transports peeled off my fleet. Patch them though.”

by **Visoran** » Sun May 03, 2020 10:00 am

The-International Space Organization wrote:
The Cruiser swinging it's broadside about to face the unknown Octavian allied ships, even as vast swarms of fighter craft were deployed- Along with heavier interception craft, which turned on an angle, the squadron of eight Raptors drawing an escort of eight vipers with it, as they raced away on an intercept course for the Octavian vessels, the QAPAI coordinating as they began to close the distance with the 14th Fleet, at full speed...

Octavian Space

The Hivemind twisted as new variables came into play rapidly- Predicting the course of the strike-craft darting off in all directions even as the United Government fighter wall sttled into place. The two reconfigured carriers which had recently changing position in the formation, dumping vast numbers of strike-craft into the void, overwhelming sensors with sheer number, as they fell into perfect formation as guided by the Hivemind. Each one held at that precise fifteen million kilometer mark, even as the distant cruiser fell into a broadside to face the five ships, and the millions of strike-craft now suddenly darting about to fill a role designated by the Hivemind. However, as this was happening, a sensor suite on each vessel picked up a series of disturbances...

Synne Industries wrote:
The Fabel snapped its nose from what had been its 12-o-clock to its 6 instantly, killing all relative velocity in the process. Now mere hundreds of kilometers away from the fighter craft, the Initiative ship darted away as fast as it had approached like a yo-yo being pulled back to its owner's hand. From the safety of its new spatial perch, the Fabel could see the vast panorama of its surroundings. Interplanetary space dotted with light capital craft as the single cruiser maintained its standoff with the five slabs over twice its size. If there was to be a battle, it would undoubtedly be a wild ride.

The five ships each picked movement in a non-realspace zone. More paratech? Well, the Hivemind simply 'shrugged'. 001 taking notice as it's own vast data-banks were scrubbed for information. More manipulation technology, but not in a matter conventional to most empires. How concerning- More measures might have to be taken in the near future is they turned out to be hostile to the Octavians. For now, however, the Hivemind shunted the relevant sensor processes to a lower level of relevance, even as the battle against the 'United Government' cruiser seemed to loom large.

by **The Auraverse** » Sun May 03, 2020 10:46 am

|⬡|MAGNUS Computing Grid, Deep Foldspace|⬡|
|Near-Surface Aux-Processing Layer|

The Corde moved with an air of purpose.

How exactly such a thing could be discerned from a multi-million-kilometer disk of condensed mathematics was a mystery, especially given that there were no observers present to make the distinction - even if there were, they wouldn't last long here. And they'd be highly unlikely to actually see the damn thing - blue on blue didn't tend to show up very well. But the Corde cared not for such things. It was on a schedule.

Truth be told, it didn't even really move in the traditional sense - distance was rather conceptually alien to a place like this. But it was shifted along whatever computing metrics allowed for its continued existence, into an arrangement whereby it was better suited to monitoring and interacting with one very particular tract of realspace. As with most computing centers employed by the Syndicate, its primary purpose was the continued proliferation of the endless, sophont-incomprehensible sequence of calculations and data-vertices the Director thought pertinent to his "great work" - true to form, the overwhelming majority of the processing power at its disposal was currently occupied in so doing. But there was... a fraction. A tiny sliver of a partition, which was now pointed more directly towards the world outside its private planar bubble.

The Corde was, in itself, a fragment of MAGNUS. Which meant that it was a direct extension of the Director. A relay neuron, if one were inclined to equate human neurobiology to something infinitely more complex. And the Director was beginning to vest interest in this one particular corner of the omniverse. Which meant that somewhere, however detached from the primary decision-making core it was, some component of the Director was responding to his central whim. The Corde was a messenger, a transmitter of that response. And the message it carried didn't take long to make itself apparent.

|✧|Outskirts of Octavian Space|✧|
|Conceptual vicinity of the 'Starfury'|

There was not a great deal of commotion, on the whole. A wholly unassuming, and nigh-arbitrarily-chosen, section of void was warped, for the briefest moment - black made that selfsame haunting, vibrant blue. A hole in space, somehow infinitely more vacuous than the vacuum it had sprung up in place of. And then the hole was plugged with a conveniently-shaped hunk of matter.

It was only around five meters in height - towering to the average modosophont humanoid, but functionally a speck in comparison to the armored behemoth of a vessel it now cast its gaze towards. It had no eyes, per se, and yet whatever served a parallel purpose in their place was focused resolutely onto the blocky hull. Lanky, clawed arms, and legs tipped in blunted nubs of subtly-glowing smart-matter in lieu of feet. Something resembling a head - a tiny sphere atop a monolithic torso. An Eidolon - not that these peculiar proxy-constructs were particularly notorious or well-known outside the ranks of SynSec. In this instance, it would serve as an observer - nothing more, nothing less. Until, of course, the occasion would call for more.

For now, it would idle - hanging immobile in its chosen patch of vacuum, it took note of the assembled fleets. Here, too, there would be happenings. It remained to be seen whether they would necessitate involvement, or merely observation.

by **The-International Space Organization** » Sun May 03, 2020 11:19 am

Visoran wrote:
Octavian Space
The Hivemind twisted as new variables came into play rapidly- Predicting the course of the strike-craft darting off in all directions even as the United Government fighter wall sttled into place. The two reconfigured carriers which had recently changing position in the formation, dumping vast numbers of strike-craft into the void, overwhelming sensors with sheer number, as they fell into perfect formation as guided by the Hivemind. Each one held at that precise fifteen million kilometer mark, even as the distant cruiser fell into a broadside to face the five ships, and the millions of strike-craft now suddenly darting about to fill a role designated by the Hivemind.

THE EDGE OF OCTAVIAN SPACE - BRIDGE OF THE ERVAN CRUISER 'STARFURY'

"They've deployed strike-craft, captain. No sign of them diverting anything to intercept our number heading for the Octavian fleet. They outnumber us rather heavily in the fighter battle- I'm estimating about 70 million of those swarmers, captain." The sensor officer rattled off.

Bulwark found himself wishing he wasn't such a high stature of rank. "Have we identified the channels they are using for movement? Can we block it during combat, Array?"

"Yes and no, sir." The lead array operator replied- One of the few non-ervans on the vessel. "We've ID'd all the channels they're using- It's about twenty, just for movement. I have three or four arrays, depending on how you want our defenses, and could likely manage to block nine or twelve of those channels depending on the array setup. Most of that would be the fighters, however."

Bulwark took a moment to look at the tactical profile flashing up on his visor, before making his choice- "Set three of those arrays to combat mode. Fourth one to defense, and await the attacks. Helm, hold us steady at this range, and in broadside. Gunnery, I want you to prepare for a probable first strike, give me anything over 9.5 G-"

Synne Industries wrote:
15,000,000 klicks. 14,000,000 klicks. 12,000,000 klicks. 8,000,000 klicks. Despite being in a non-planetary glide, the Fabel was picking up speed as it approached the vessel. 4,000,000 klicks. Nearing 3,000,000... just before the Bel class was about to make contact with the ship's fighter screen a soft but distinct beeping could be heard from one of the Fabel's bridge computers. "Captain Munoz, I'm getting an elevated background response, we may be within coherent sensor range," the LB officer exclaimed. "Any closer and they might be able to pinpoint our location." The captain closed his eyes and simulated exhalation. "Move us to four mil but make sure we've still got a clear view of the ship. Stay put and get a clearer read on it, internals and all. It'll be a lot harder to scan if it's shooting or being shot at, now get on with it!" The order was promptly followed by a bridge-wide "Aye aye, sir!" as were most orders.

He was interrupted by the sensor officer- "Unknown multi-dimensional signature, just flared beyond the fighter line! Does not match movement profiles of the unknown hostile we are currently staring down- It's a third party. I couldn't get an accurate reading, but it's retreated beyond the range of our fighter screen. Orders?"

Bulwark growled- "Hold off. We're focusing on those five box-slabs at the moment. If it doesn't match the movement profiles of the slabs or the assimilating squids, we aren't concerned about it until it fires a shot. Are we all clear on this?"

The bridge responded with a short, 'Aye aye', as they turned back into motion.

"Now, gunnery, I was interrupted- I want 9.5 Gs loaded in all missile tubes, both anti-ship and anti-fighter..."

THE EDGE OF OCTAVIAN SPACE - RAPTOR-99-R8H39ZVLLZPN - CLOSING DISTANCE WITH OCTAVIAN FLEET 14

The eight Raptors and eight Vipers had closed the distance rapidly- Sure, the speed difference was only about .29 C, but the strike-fleet was nimble, and had more than enough excess engine power to make the difference up. The QAPAI aboard each Raptor quickly began to work- Picking targets, as the fleet was divided equally among all eight Raptors, heavy missiles synthesizing themselves on hardpoints, as the small strike-fleet crossed the 4 million Milometer mark to the Octavian fleet- Just another half million Kilometers, and the fleet would be in targeting range...

by **The Rapture Republic** » Sun May 03, 2020 1:25 pm

Skyhooked wrote:
Jose didn't like some facts even a bit - "So ya' had to hurt innocents just to discredit our foe. Was that necessary? I mean, there are many ways to discredit someone without involvin' innocents. But what's done is done, there ain't no way to go back in time. And expendables? Dude, I know, that for you, there ain't no honor in war, but don't ya' stab us in the back, okay? Alright, now to question part.

Here, what might happen, if we do try to pull this off, so ya' can think about this: We grab dakkas and choppas, go wroom wroom to his manor, make funny dudes full of holes, loot the place, but Shadow mayor ran out through some secret underground tunnel. Or perhaps, we stab him at the night, but we actually killed someone else, who looks just like him. Or... we did killed this shadow guy in fancy suit, but he was just a mafia's lil' pawn, like one of your expendable and this is all a honeypot sort of trap, and hey, we're banjaxed, hey, we're screwed.

But those are just my drunken crackpot theories. So how do we pull your plan off? Do ya' prefere lound messages with guns and bullets? Or it would be better to make him... disappear? Like he decided to wear fancy concrete shoes to fishin' trip and fell outta his boat? We are a small warband of road warriors, so we are better at raidin', but we can also do sneaky stuff. And if we raid, how will we share the loot? Cuz, we Skyhookers don't let fancy things to rot without owners. And we also don't kill innocents, cuz we swore to protect them, so remember this."

“Do keep yourself moralizing to yourself. The world is not in black and white, and my actions were effective, and served to benefit us in the long run. There will be a lot more innocents harmed in this gang war, and that is just the reality of the situation. You can’t win a war without some so-called ‘innocents’ getting caught in the crosshairs. You can try, agent, but you can’t save everyone while taking out a greater threat has caused this, at the same time.” Reaper spoke angrily at the good two shoe agent. His phone ringed, he answered. “This is Reaper. Yes, I see, so they are, and two targets, interesting. Keep up the show, and don’t do anything that would get yourself caught, if do. Well, you know the price.” Reaper closed the call, and chuckled some.” We have two targets, closest one is a man named Sogliola Lopez in San Dona di Piave, and there’s another guy, simply called Polpo at the Prison Secondigliano on Shadilay Street in Naples. Heard something about privileges, which could be good for us, so I shall be going after Polpo, you can follow or go after the another guy, which would be good idea. In case something goes wrong. I’m going in hot, I’m curious to see, what the reaction will be.” Reaper said, snapping his hands, and walking through a portal that manifested in the room, opening right at the prison gates. “One of my man shall give you my number.” He added, halfway through the portal, and then suddenly he was gone with portal starting to close rapidly.

At the Prison, Reaper, stretched his hands together, and cracked his neck. “Let’s see what your made of, Polpo.” He muttered. Reaper began his assault by entering the prison, and before anyone could take notice of this plague masked figure, his body would radiate an aura of intense heat, and then igniting it into a destructive explosion with his intention and concentration with this spell to bring forth enough devastating force to erase the prison complex. He had no intention to kill his target, he simply estimated. If the enemy was viewed as a major threat to the Syndicate, they could be able to take an explosion as large as the one he manifested.

Imperial-Octavia wrote:
The Paramount held back a groan. Though Octavian-Aquarian relations had cooled down it did not stop him from absolutely despising Mercer for his previous jabs at Octavia. Though mostly verbal having someone insult the paradise you had tried to build was highly annoying. For the sake of peace he had held back his distaste of Mercer and spoke, "This is just a small expansion of the Imperial borders is all, nothing should come of it unless we are otherwise provoked."

“I’ll take this that we both desire to stay out of each other’s way as ideally. I would like to overlook our past disagreements, and better our relations. If possible, otherwise, if an incident occurred that could undermine peace between our great nations. I hope that we can find a diplomatic resolution, and keep the option of declaration off the table.” Mercer replied to Paramount over the phone. He having nothing to say, concluded with, “Overall, thank you for quieting my nerves, and I wish you the best in your conquests.” John wouldn’t close the call just yet as that would be an insult to hand up on a national leader, and to avoid such an insult. He only close the call, once Paramount gave his finishing statement.

by **Sildorian Empire** » Sun May 03, 2020 1:41 pm

Valarr Outpost, Valarr System

It wasn't common that the Xenomorphs' Guild handed over research on a detected Menace to another guild, but a few rotations after naming whatever it was that had been patched through from Ziamon, it had become obvious that investigating this, especially without any tangible evidence to go by, was beyond the Guild's abilities. It was with a heavy heart that Kreemak cur'Banaw, one of the most awarded researchers in the Xenomorphs' Guild handed over all information the Guild had on the Delta Menace -embarrassingly little as it was- to his good friend Regolid cur'Padarn on one particularly boring outing in the Sila Outpost's Cafe. Regolid, a chief scientist on a small but well-staffed research station on the Sildorian Outpost in Valarr system, farthest edges of Sildorian Space in the trajectory of the Anomaly in Ziamon, loaded the dossier on his main screen in his silo, and then promptly forgot about the whole thing. While Uncharted Space was, well, uncharted, it was only expected that life forms exist in the unknown and that they fight with each other. It wasn't until much later that it was brought back to his attention. To be perfectly fair, it’s only expected when energy spikes -the original cause of the anomaly- suddenly become targeted, suggesting a major battle. When Regolid noticed it, he immediately thought ‘Fallen Empire’.

“Is that-” Major Hanvark vur'Grelka, who had just been called over, asked in confusion. “A War in Heaven? So it seems, sir.” the scientist confirmed. “Well, then it is no concern of ours.” Hanvark commented. He was, of course, right. Whatever these spikes were coming from, they outmatched the Silda by entire centuries, if not more.

“I’ve studied and restudied the trajectory of the spikes coming from that general area, sir.” His pesky scientist refuted, “if my calculations are correct -and they probably are- at least one of the sources of the anomaly -presumably, this Delta Menace, though not necessarily- will eventually make it our business.”

“Hmpf” Hanvark grumbled as he rolled his eyes. “And is there anything we can do about this business?”

“General Military strategy is not my field of expertise, sir. Nor is it even close to my pay grade. I would, however, recommend notifying the Utaris Complex, sir. If we start early, we might -just might- get close to filling the gap by the time whoever’s done with that Battle sets his sights on the Empire.”

by **Imperial-Octavia** » Sun May 03, 2020 4:00 pm

Outskirts of Imperial Space

The situation in the outskirts had quickly escalated to something that the 14th fleet, much less the Imperium had wanted to see. A scan of the area had found that multiple vessels had began monitoring the fleet and furthermore that a few were tailing the 14th fleet. This was bad and every ship AI in the fleet knew it. There were a few messages that had to be sent and for the sake of the fleet they'd have to be sent over fast.

To: The ships closing in on the 14th fleet
The Octavian 14th fleet would request that you cease your pursuit of our naval assets and return to the nation of your origin. We will fire at you if you don't comply.

The 14th fleet would prepare a FTL jump in many seperate directions if the fighters didn't stop their pursuit so they could reform later. Hopefully that would be enough to escape the fighters that were tailing them.

The Zravvisk wrote:Outside Imperium space
The Solemn Dagger lurked outside the Imperium boarders. It was an elegant, golden, and pristine. If it wasn’t for the Zravvisk Dragon shown proudly on the port and starboard sides, one would never guess it belonged to the Armada of the Zravvisk. Widely considered to be the zravvisk’s last allies’ last gift, it’s been in service for centuries. Though its age was rarely a problem as its designers were often centuries ahead of the rest of the galaxy.

The stealth cruiser went over final checks for itself and its scout contingent while making sure they were a decent way away from the boarder. They were some of the few zravvisk that knew how to be subtle, so they knew better than to risk a long-range scanner detecting them. The Dagger’s graviton cannons were green, the torpedo tubes were armed and loaded, and the flux armor was de and rematerializing fine. Finally, the scouts were deployed from the hanger to check the sensors and the sheath shield.

The scouts surrounded the cruiser, making sure that there was another directly opposite of it. Then the stealth shield was activated. The cruiser vanished from sight and the scouts checked their sensors to make sure the shield was bending them correctly to avoid suspicious sensor shadows. Each pair able to see each other perfectly and not the cruiser moved onto the next test. They checked the gravitational instruments to make sure the Dagger was using artificial gravity to interfere and cancel its own gravitational waves. Nothing, the cruiser had removed its gravity from the galaxy. Smiling, the scout pilots ducked back inside the shield and landed. The mission could now begin.

Fully cloaked the cruiser moved to cross the border with all speed. Its target was a primitive world just inside the Imperium’s boarders that was rumored to have been gassed. If the rumors were false it would move on to the next conquered primitive and the next until either all were investigated, or it found that one rumored atrocity was true. In that case it would report back, and the Armada would go to war. Though they doubted that the Council would complain if they blew up a few targets on the way back.

Defiance
Vice Admiral Jackson was siting back in his office pouring a shot of whiskey. He rarely drank but now was a good time. The transports had set off loaded with weapons and armor, and he wondered if anyone would find out they came from the Armada. The infantry equipment and tanks were impossible to trace back as the Armada had no standards for them. The anti-ship weapons were zravvisk modifications, but the zravvisk also sold them to civilians, making them very easy for arms dealers to get their hands on. The only concrete evidence was the insignia on the ships, having both the Zravvisk Dragon and the insignia of the Xenibar Navy. The Dragon wasn’t much of a problem since everyone forged it. The Xenibar one, however, was a problem the ships under his command were the only ones who used it and no one was interested in forged symbols from dead nations.

While he wondered if anyone would be dumb enough to take pictures of the insignia and let them fall into Imperial hands, the computer interrupted him. “Vice Admiral, several priority transmissions from the zravvisk ships. Should I patch them though?”

Jackson sighed and said, “And there are the zravvisk wanting to know why so many cargo transports peeled off my fleet. Patch them though.”

A Conquest in Progress

Tal'Talen sat watching the invasion of this primitive planet from the Sword of The Imperium polishing the metal tips of her fingers. She had thought they wouldn't be able to last too long, but surprisingly they had managed to give resistance for longer than a day. Even after a few hours of orbital bombardment they held on and fought the MK2s that attacked their planet valiantly. Soon enough an AI presented Talen a message from the defending planet, "Ah, their surrender I assume? Honestly, I must commend them on lasti-" These organics had sent Talen...a image of a middle finger. For Talen, the matter was settled. From the bottom of the Sword of the Imperium a pod would be launched, entering the atmosphere of the planet and within a few moments a green color began spreading throughout the atmosphere of the planet. On the planet's surface those who were once fighting the Octavian invaders had their lungs filled with poisonous gas destroying their ability to cognate and quickly finding themselves dead and all in sight of the Zravvisk scout craft.

Il Passione wrote:

[/quote]
The warden nearby heard the name, her eyes widening at the prospect of the name.
"Polpo? You're wishing to see him?" The woman said, bemused. "Well... it's been a while since anyone's seen him who isn't that Doppio kid." She sighed, as two nearby officers opened a door before one put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll have to temporarily possess any items you have for the visit, since we're not going to allow any contraband into Polpo's cell. You are not to give or receive anything from him, and any requests to enter Polpo's cell
will be denied." The warden stated, and after a few items were safekept in a box nearby, the guards opened a door into a quiet hall. If it weren't for the mass that was Polpo's room, Luigi would consider it an empty waste of space... and he could already tell Polpo got a few luxuries due to his status, a Leonid Afremov's "Italy, Verona" blatantly hanging on his wall.

Suddenly, from somehow out of nowhere, a mass of yellow managed to transform into what was a gigantic, morbidly obese pale man in a red hat, with a nose like a spearhead and eyes with black scleras.
"Luigi Ricci, correct? Bucciarati told me a fair bit about you... a man who seemed to suddenly appear from the shadows of Venezia, never heard of before." Polpo stated, casually looking at him with a calm, eloquent look. "Those very slight markings on your hand are definitely shaped like a pistol, but the model... I've never seen before. And the look in your eyes... everything about you is so unusual... I'm excited to know exactly who you are and why you're here." Polpo said, the painting next to him opening to show a safe, which Polpo used his massive hands to unlock as he produced two wine glasses and a bottle.

"Ahh...the San Felice '97 Il Grigio Gran Selezione Chianti Classico. A wonderful afternoon drink for moments like these. If you want some, I'll be happy to provide. Just hand the warden a good amount of money, and she'll look the other way. You'll be surprised at the difference between what people say, and what they do." He chuckled, pouring the wine into a bottle and having a sip of it. Despite being an obese monster and a gangster, it seems Polpo possessed the gentlemanly, verbose class that many view high-ranking mafia members as in a stereotypical manner. "So... Mr. Luigi, you truly desire to join Passione? Or is there something else?"[/quote]

The Rapture Republic wrote:
Skyhooked wrote:
Jose didn't like some facts even a bit - "So ya' had to hurt innocents just to discredit our foe. Was that necessary? I mean, there are many ways to discredit someone without involvin' innocents. But what's done is done, there ain't no way to go back in time. And expendables? Dude, I know, that for you, there ain't no honor in war, but don't ya' stab us in the back, okay? Alright, now to question part.

Here, what might happen, if we do try to pull this off, so ya' can think about this: We grab dakkas and choppas, go wroom wroom to his manor, make funny dudes full of holes, loot the place, but Shadow mayor ran out through some secret underground tunnel. Or perhaps, we stab him at the night, but we actually killed someone else, who looks just like him. Or... we did killed this shadow guy in fancy suit, but he was just a mafia's lil' pawn, like one of your expendable and this is all a honeypot sort of trap, and hey, we're banjaxed, hey, we're screwed.

But those are just my drunken crackpot theories. So how do we pull your plan off? Do ya' prefere lound messages with guns and bullets? Or it would be better to make him... disappear? Like he decided to wear fancy concrete shoes to fishin' trip and fell outta his boat? We are a small warband of road warriors, so we are better at raidin', but we can also do sneaky stuff. And if we raid, how will we share the loot? Cuz, we Skyhookers don't let fancy things to rot without owners. And we also don't kill innocents, cuz we swore to protect them, so remember this."

“Do keep yourself moralizing to yourself. The world is not in black and white, and my actions were effective, and served to benefit us in the long run. There will be a lot more innocents harmed in this gang war, and that is just the reality of the situation. You can’t win a war without some so-called ‘innocents’ getting caught in the crosshairs. You can try, agent, but you can’t save everyone while taking out a greater threat has caused this, at the same time.” Reaper spoke angrily at the good two shoe agent. His phone ringed, he answered. “This is Reaper. Yes, I see, so they are, and two targets, interesting. Keep up the show, and don’t do anything that would get yourself caught, if do. Well, you know the price.” Reaper closed the call, and chuckled some.” We have two targets, closest one is a man named Sogliola Lopez in San Dona di Piave, and there’s another guy, simply called Polpo at the Prison Secondigliano on Shadilay Street in Naples. Heard something about privileges, which could be good for us, so I shall be going after Polpo, you can follow or go after the another guy, which would be good idea. In case something goes wrong. I’m going in hot, I’m curious to see, what the reaction will be.” Reaper said, snapping his hands, and walking through a portal that manifested in the room, opening right at the prison gates. “One of my man shall give you my number.” He added, halfway through the portal, and then suddenly he was gone with portal starting to close rapidly.

At the Prison, Reaper, stretched his hands together, and cracked his neck. “Let’s see what your made of, Polpo.” He muttered. Reaper began his assault by entering the prison, and before anyone could take notice of this plague masked figure, his body would radiate an aura of intense heat, and then igniting it into a destructive explosion with his intention and concentration with this spell to bring forth enough devastating force to erase the prison complex. He had no intention to kill his target, he simply estimated. If the enemy was viewed as a major threat to the Syndicate, they could be able to take an explosion as large as the one he manifested.
Imperial-Octavia wrote:
The Paramount held back a groan. Though Octavian-Aquarian relations had cooled down it did not stop him from absolutely despising Mercer for his previous jabs at Octavia. Though mostly verbal having someone insult the paradise you had tried to build was highly annoying. For the sake of peace he had held back his distaste of Mercer and spoke, "This is just a small expansion of the Imperial borders is all, nothing should come of it unless we are otherwise provoked."

“I’ll take this that we both desire to stay out of each other’s way as ideally. I would like to overlook our past disagreements, and better our relations. If possible, otherwise, if an incident occurred that could undermine peace between our great nations. I hope that we can find a diplomatic resolution, and keep the option of declaration off the table.” Mercer replied to Paramount over the phone. He having nothing to say, concluded with, “Overall, thank you for quieting my nerves, and I wish you the best in your conquests.” John wouldn’t close the call just yet as that would be an insult to hand up on a national leader, and to avoid such an insult. He only close the call, once Paramount gave his finishing statement.

Italian Infiltration

J'eil was surprised that such a rotund organic could move itself, let alone be in the higher levels of a criminal empire, regardless he would answer Polpo's questions trying not to reveal his identity to the Cappo. "I do want to join Passione, I just gotta tell your boss something important. Someone I worked with has something that could help your organization a lot, especially with the war brewing against those Aquarians folk. Before we parted ways he told me to get the message to you guys, after that I'll be able to settle down in Passione and help around here."

J'eil's sensors quickly began noticing the rapid increase in heat inside the prison, almost like something was going to explode! He had to warn this Polpo for admission into the gang, but he couldn't reveal himself to him and yet at the same time he couldn't protect his ticket into the gang without raising suspicion. Before the heat reached a critical level the face of Luigi Ricci would fill with panic and pulled apart the bars of the prison cell "WATCH OUT!" With that J'eil would lunge towards Polpo, not trying to move him out of the way, but instead use his body to block any shrapnel from whatever type of bomb this was covering Polpo's heart, lungs, and other organs with his body and trying to cover his brain with his hands while straddling the man's thick body with his legs. As the fires expanded J'eil slowly realized that this wasn't any type of bomb that he had heard of. J'eil prepared for the worst...

The Diplomatic Approach

H'Krell nodded at the Central Mind's words, "It is good to see that the Imperium has such a devoted ally. I will tell The Paramount about the events of this meeting." H'Krell left the building satisfied with the loyalty of the Central Mind and as he entered the Voidscreamer hoped to see them properly assimlated. His craft began the trek towards the fleet with the Sword of the Imperium

The Paramount's Palace

"Yes, yes, you too Mercer." The Paramount hung up. He would have asked for Mercer to drop the planetary shields, but The Paramount doubted anyone would be so stupid as to raise their planetary shields in a time like this. Moving to the Holo-board showing the movements of the fleet The Paramount could see that there were a few problems. The Infiltrator on Earth was caught in some kind of firebombing, the 14th fleet was being pursued by ships reminding The Paramount of the ISO and the Cymopolia debacle (The Rantar Reforms still rung in The Paramount's processors), The Visoran were asking for better communication, and the language of some fox organics had been discovered. The first two situations seemed to be resolving themselves, but the last two would require his attention. To the Visoran, The Paramount would issue a direct Aether link to The Paramount.

To: The Visoran
The Visoran Empire is allowed to have a direct Aether link to The Paramount. Connect to encoded Aether account #0001 to link with The Paramount.

After that The Paramount found that AI had decoded an organic language and he had to give a message to their leadership

Hello, Sildorians. We are The Paramount of the Octavian Imperium. We are undergoing a period of expansion at the moment. If you interfere you will be part of out newly acquired terriotory.

by **The-International Space Organization** » Sun May 03, 2020 4:54 pm

Imperial-Octavia wrote:
To: The ships closing in on the 14th fleet
The Octavian 14th fleet would request that you cease your pursuit of our naval assets and return to the nation of your origin. We will fire at you if you don't comply.

The 14th fleet would prepare a FTL jump in many seperate directions if the fighters didn't stop their pursuit so they could reform later. Hopefully that would be enough to escape the fighters that were tailing them.

THE EDGE OF OCTAVIAN SPACE - RAPTOR-99-R8H39ZVLLZPN - WITHIN COMBAT DISTANCE OF OCTAVIAN FLEET 14

The message hit the receptors on the Raptor squadron just as they hit the edge of combat range- Precisely 3.5 million kilometers, as the systems punched the missiles out of their holding slots into the open void of space. A single Raptor carried about 2048 missiles, on all it's hardpoints and slots- Which, in hindsight of the QAPAI manning Raptor R8H39Z, would have more than likely been enough to remove the hostile fleet in a single pass, but the orders had been to ensure nothing survived.

From eight raptors, leapt forth 16,384 cluster missiles missiles- Of which eighty four had just been assigned to hit whatever might not be hit in the opening volley. One hundred and sixty three missiles lanced out for each ship in the darked black of space- And when they were about a quarter million kilometers away, each cluster missile spiraled open, it's exterior shell breaking apart as hundreds of thousands of tiny impulse thrusters fired from each cluster-missile, seperating the micro-missiles from the main And each micro-misile was worth ten gigatons of raw nuclear shaped-charge power. And from there, the simplest math in the universe took over- Raw speed pushed each micro-missile forward, and sensors waiting for the perfect moment. Of course, defense systems shot down inbound missiles- That was inevitable... But not enough to stop the other inevitability of this fight.

When the first micro-missile struck a trailing Octavian destroyer, it was all over. The first of many explosions turned the dark void into a supernova, as missile after missile slammed into the Octavian fleet, turning metal first into bent and warped slag- Then turning slag into particles, and particles into nothing. The eight raptors, still escorted by the vipers, peeling off from the fleet to rush back to the safety of the fighter-web, just incase the box-slabs in the distance decided to route their own fighters to intercept now...

THE EDGE OF OCTAVIAN SPACE - BRIDGE OF THE ERVAN CRUISER 'STARFURY'

"Octavian fleet is eliminated, captain. Eight raptors, and eight vipers now returning to combat line."

"Good." Bulwark stated- That was one threat dealt with, in an extremely quick manner... "Now, keep us focused on those slabs. If they even twitch another millimeter over that line, condition red. Engage if there's a surge in their non-movement channels, and then begin to draw us back into the Kepplar thresh-hold."

The bridge leapt into life again, even as the ship continued to stare down the five distant bricks, as the fighter screen ebbed and flowed again, changing to accomodate the new arrivals into the skirmishing line...

BRIDGE OF THE ARK-ROYAL, UNDER-WAY

Grayson sighed as he looked at the mission briefing the United Government had passed along- Territory estimates. Ball-park ship tonnage estimates, some of which apparently came from a recent engagement. It was all, in his opinion, rather useless for his goal. His fleet had been assigned for commerce raiding- Not occupation. There was a key difference, after-all... "When we arrive, get some of our scout probes out. I need to know tradelanes, industrial planets, frontier planets, fleetbases... All the standard. I want our initial target to be a major industrial world- We're going to teach these squid-faced robots the meaning of warfare. Start rigging all our bombers for orbit to atmosphere, and heavy H-Palm load-outs. We're going to turn those damn robots into industrial grade slag, and then harvest it for some low-grade armor..." He paused, as one of his aides gave him a look. "... Present robotic company excluded, of course. Now, let's get preparing. I want this first attack to be a shock n' awe like no other."

The bridge of the Ark Royal lept into life, as the crews rushed about, new orders flying through the chain of command. It was going to be a very busy few days until the fleet arrived, it seemed...

by **Il Passione** » Sun May 03, 2020 5:18 pm

Imperial-Octavia wrote:
Italian Infiltration

J'eil was surprised that such a rotund organic could move itself, let alone be in the higher levels of a criminal empire, regardless he would answer Polpo's questions trying not to reveal his identity to the Cappo. "I do want to join Passione, I just gotta tell your boss something important. Someone I worked with has something that could help your organization a lot, especially with the war brewing against those Aquarians folk. Before we parted ways he told me to get the message to you guys, after that I'll be able to settle down in Passione and help around here."

J'eil's sensors quickly began noticing the rapid increase in heat inside the prison, almost like something was going to explode! He had to warn this Polpo for admission into the gang, but he couldn't reveal himself to him and yet at the same time he couldn't protect his ticket into the gang without raising suspicion. Before the heat reached a critical level the face of Luigi Ricci would fill with panic and pulled apart the bars of the prison cell "WATCH OUT!" With that J'eil would lunge towards Polpo, not trying to move him out of the way, but instead use his body to block any shrapnel from whatever type of bomb this was covering Polpo's heart, lungs, and other organs with his body and trying to cover his brain with his hands while straddling the man's thick body with his legs. As the fires expanded J'eil slowly realized that this wasn't any type of bomb that he had heard of. J'eil prepared for the worst...

The Rapture Republic wrote:At the Prison, Reaper, stretched his hands together, and cracked his neck. “Let’s see what your made of, Polpo.” He muttered. Reaper began his assault by entering the prison, and before anyone could take notice of this plague masked figure, his body would radiate an aura of intense heat, and then igniting it into a destructive explosion with his intention and concentration with this spell to bring forth enough devastating force to erase the prison complex. He had no intention to kill his target, he simply estimated. If the enemy was viewed as a major threat to the Syndicate, they could be able to take an explosion as large as the one he manifested.

As the man attempted to protect Polpo, the man at first was oddly confused. A guard nearby had briefly taken notice of Reaper, going to draw his pistol before suddenly an explosion rang out, cells and walls collapsing in a magical fire and the nearby guards and inmates being decimated. The only thign cushioning him from the blast was the density of the bulletproof glass, which managed to cut his thick legs as well as bruise several parts of his body, though luckily J'eil managed to warn him.

"Ahhnnn..." The gigantic creature moaned. "...this is truly an unexpected event. I was about to accuse you of setting everything up, but... you truly are selfless, aren't you?" He said, before looking to the man nearby, seeing that the sun was setting behind a large building on the complex, creating a large shadow.

"Though this poor man had picked the wrong time to deal with the likes of me... and very well so." He then looed up at J'eil, letting out a sigh with a look in his eyes. "If you want to prove your worth to this gang, and let them know that I, Polpo, have formally considered you innocent under this attack, then do one last thing for me... in that blastproof safe, there are three objects. One is a map leading to my treasure in Roanapur, Thailand. The second is my will, to dictate who will take my place in the event I die, but you must not reveal it unless I am dead, which you will know verily if I am. And the third... is the arrow I was tasked to keep.

You must find Bucciarati and his team. Tell them to arrive back at the site, be prepared, and get these items to them urgently, and to them alone! Do not let any of the other teams receive them, and especially do not let the terrorist get to them! If I die, Doppio shall take my will and the Boss will gather the gang for a funeral. Now, go!" Polpo ordered quietly to J'eil, before shuffling his fat body to face him.

"I may be immobile and vulnerable, but that does not mean I am unable to fight." Polpo said, before summoning a creature which looked like some monster of a medieval Venetian aesthetic behind Victor in the shadows.

"BLACK SABBATH!"

The creature shouted as it lunged its' arms into Reaper's back, opening its' mouth to reveal a pistol and then attempting to drag out his soul.

"Using the Arrow on you would be an idiotic move. But whatever the object, if it is in Black Sabbath's mouth, it can interact with your soul nonetheless." Polpo declared.

by **The Rapture Republic** » Sun May 03, 2020 6:02 pm

“Define soul. I know you humans have them but what of a Vonstein? Do we have them? I do not know, and perhaps never know. I have fallen so many times yet still stand up, and continue plaguing this world with my existence as hell not heaven will accept me into their houses. Nevertheless, it is night, and you have this creature giving me massage. How nice, and perhaps foolish but I am not a man to judge my foes. Despite their awful taste in fashion.” Reaper replied, and then chuckled. His next play would be weakness magic, allowing Reaper to analyze his opponent like a computer, and find out their weaknesses. He giggled, finding it, and with that. A massive machine-like creation manifested, towering over the town, and was covered in many arms with massive stadium lights that covered the area with a blinding gaze.

Laying only but few shadows present, though for Reaper’s shadow, there wouldn’t be one evident like at all, and if anyone payed special attention to Reaper. You would realize that even without him using his magic abilities, never casted a shadow. After this cast, Reaper lifted his arm and pointed to Poplo. He spoke. “Deadlock.” And by these words, a pentagram with the iconic violet V that symbolized an ancient enemy that was thought to have been put to rest, though the reasons how they were defeated have since been lost to history. Nevertheless, the pentagram started to glow furiously, and turned the ground beneath the fatso’s feet into a glue-like substance that would pull down into the earth. “There is another part of this, but I much prefer having a chat. I would hate to make a city disappear. If I get too full of myself.” Reaper said, suppressing a laugh as he spoke, when he approached, and squatted in front of Polpo.

by **Il Passione** » Sun May 03, 2020 6:14 pm

The Rapture Republic wrote:
“Define soul. I know you humans have them but what of a Vonstein? Do we have them? I do not know, and perhaps never know. I have fallen so many times yet still stand up, and continue plaguing this world with my existence as hell not heaven will accept me into their houses. Nevertheless, it is night, and you have this creature giving me massage. How nice, and perhaps foolish but I am not a man to judge my foes. Despite their awful taste in fashion.” Reaper replied, and then chuckled. His next play would be weakness magic, allowing Reaper to analyze his opponent like a computer, and find out their weaknesses. He giggled, finding it, and with that. A massive machine-like creation manifested, towering over the town, and was covered in many arms with massive stadium lights that covered the area with a blinding gaze.

Laying only but few shadows present, though for Reaper’s shadow, there wouldn’t be one evident like at all, and if anyone payed special attention to Reaper. You would realize that even without him using his magic abilities, never casted a shadow. After this cast, Reaper lifted his arm and pointed to Poplo. He spoke. “Deadlock.” And by these words, a pentagram with the iconic violet V that symbolized an ancient enemy that was thought to have been put to rest, though the reasons how they were defeated have since been lost to history. Nevertheless, the pentagram started to glow furiously, and turned the ground beneath the fatso’s feet into a glue-like substance that would pull down into the earth. “There is another part of this, but I much prefer having a chat. I would hate to make a city disappear. If I get too full of myself.” Reaper said, suppressing a laugh as he spoke, when he approached, and squatted in front of Polpo.

As the gigantic, fat man was sunken into the ground after his stand was pained, the stand dropping the body and fading back, he gasped out as his body was lowered down, looking up at him with a face of despair at first, but then it transformed to one of malice.
"Well, I find conversation isn't viable once one makes an aggressive move. But if you wish for us to chat..." He said, as he remotely made Black Sabbath appear in a shadow-ridden area inside a still-standing building nearby behind the Vonstein before the pistol that was in its' mouth went to fire at his head several times. It then ducked down, travelling over to another shadow and remaining hidden for the moment.

"Then we can always schedule a time for it when we're in hell." Polpo stated.

by **Ignis States** » Sun May 03, 2020 6:51 pm

Wherever the hell the Paramount is right now....

"Paramount. I hope I am not interrupting anything."
Seemingly out of nothing, a few feet away from the man in question, a bubbling speck of vantablack energy forms, quickly coalescing and expanding as a strange...presence enters the room.
A presence that feels strangely ominous, strangely...dangerous. That ominous presence is only amplified as full physical form is taken: A pitch black silhouette of what looks to be something humanoid, standing at about 6 feet, 2 inches. Pinpricks of green light gaze into Paramount's eyes, as if trying to leech into his souls and figure out how they tick. Folded on his back are bat wings, the edges lined with a silvery glow.

"I hope you don't mind me barging in like this, but it was the quickest way to get your attention. I am willing to aid you. I've taken an...interest in you, so to speak. You have potential to go further than you are, potential to..."
The figure almost looks amused, though it's hard to tell with a lack of a face.

"I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm willing to aid you, that's my point."

Meanwhile, in the Draksesa Castle...

"Mark, what do you make of all this? Should we take action with the Paramount and Octavia yet..?"
The Princeps Senatus stands on top of the castle, her eyes focused firmly towards the stars, towards the brewing conflict that's ensuing. By her side is her sword, held tightly in her grip.
Mark Draksesa, meanwhile, simply adjusts the hilt of a navy blue Roman spatha at his side, the blade crackling with an indigo flame. His piercing gaze is focused firmly on a hovering mirror about 2 meters tall and 3 meters wide, located a few feet to his right. Around the edges, nine spheres of energy levitate: White, Golden, Orange, Pink, Fuschia, Violet, Purple, Black...and finally, a swirling sphere of every color imaginable. The mirror itself is a view of the currently transpiring events.

"You're going to hate me for this, but we should wait some more. I doubt Octavia's stupid enough to directly threaten us until later. For now, just get ready for if shit goes fanwards."
With that succinctly put, the Ausar flicks his palm, shrinking the mirror down so it's 6 inches wide. He then catches it midair, walking back to the inside of the castle.
"I'll let you know if things get worse. You know what to do if they do."

"Right!" With that, the wolf goes back to observing the skies, as if making sure nothing's going to swoop down.

by **Gladian Imperium** » Sun May 03, 2020 7:00 pm

Sentinel Array Alpha-3, Octavian-Milky Way, 300ly above Galactic Disk
Alpha-3's AI, Calypso Ordogassi, had been operating alongside her newfound peers for several virtual months now, while not only a day had passed in reality. During a routine Imposition Sweep of Octavian space, she had improved the resolution on the infrared and gravitic filters to where general fleet movements and combat exchanges could be detected, and something...popped up, on the outer edge of Octavian space. A spike of energy, and then nothing. Calypso alerted her team members, and after a brief debate, she was permitted to realign and investigate.

In realspace, the Sentinel Array shifted, breaking the distributed formation to rotate towards the general area of space the surge had happened in, before realigning its sensors. Large, skeletal segments shifted, bending inward on joints as the numerous dishes twisted and swiveled, focusing the beam of the Array's sight onto the explosion.

A few seconds later, images came in. Calypso processed them, refined them, cut out unnecessary space, and narrowing the zone down to a single star system for maximum resolution...
And she found a United Government Planet-Class Cruiser. Facing down almost seventy million strike craft. The United Government was allied with the ISO, meaning that they were most likely not far behind. This imposition was rapidly relayed through the Transit Corridor back to the Phase Gate, where Strategic Minds pored over the information, contemplating how to adapt their tactics to this development. Alpha-3 soon after returned to its previous orientation, aiding the other five Arrays in monitoring Octavian Space.

Antechamber of the IWS Wall of Iron, Phase Gate
"That concludes the report from Alpha-3, Warmaster." Ol' Reliable's holographic Avatar said, standing before Lutherus' Command Throne. "So, the ISO and United Government are also involved in this, and have initiated Hostilities. Interesting, recommendations from the Minds?" The Warmaster asked, gazing ponderously at the ghostly gunslinger.
"The Big-Brains recommend your fleets advance to Jump Point Six, while my Taskforce advances to Jump Point Ten. We will initiate contact with the United Government when time permits. Currently, they're debating whether or not your Swarms or a concentrated barrage of VES Strikes will make for a sufficient opening for Onslaught. I suspect this will be resolved very soon, however, so keep both hot." Ol' Reliable replied. "Understood, I'll mobilize the fleet. Godspeed, Ol' Reliable." Lutherus replied, straightening. "Godspeed, Warmaster." Ol' Reliable finished before vanishing in a blink. A few seconds later, the six Warminds vanished, leaping to the tenth point in the Transit Corridor in a matter of milliseconds.

Bridge of the IWS Wall of Iron
"ATTENTION ALL CREW, PREPARE FOR WORMHOLE TRANSIT TO JUMP-POINT SIX. I REPEAT, PREPARE FOR WORMHOLE TRANSIT TO JUMP-POINT SIX." The comms blared. A similar message was played throughout the fleet, as everyone came into position, the entire fleet resembling a long, stretched ovoid in formation.

On the bridge of the Wall of Iron, Lights had gone out, replaced by a vast holographic targeting screen, depicting the sensor outputs of the wormhole generation array.
"Wormhole Terminus Generated, determining viability." an operator called out, readying their left arm on a large lever.
"Wormhole is viable, generating Egress."
"Egress Generated, determining viability."
"Egress is viable, I repeat, Egress is viable."
"Inflating in 3...2...1"
The Gladian suddenly yanked the lever back with all their might, before the section of space in front of the fleet twisted and distorted as the Wormhole formed, giving them a view of the Sentinel-Catapult Duo constituting Jump Point Six. Suddenly, the entire fleet accelerated through the wormhole at relativistic speeds before it collapsed, barely after the final Swarm Ships cleared the Egress' event horizon.

by **Visoran** » Sun May 03, 2020 7:09 pm

This post was co-written by the International Space Organization

The-International Space Organization wrote:
THE EDGE OF OCTAVIAN SPACE - RAPTOR-99-R8H39ZVLLZPN - WITHIN COMBAT DISTANCE OF OCTAVIAN FLEET 14
The message hit the receptors on the Raptor squadron just as they hit the edge of combat range- Precisely 3.5 million kilometers, as the systems punched the missiles out of their holding slots into the open void of space. A single Raptor carried about 2048 missiles, on all it's hardpoints and slots- Which, in hindsight of the QAPAI manning Raptor R8H39Z, would have more than likely been enough to remove the hostile fleet in a single pass, but the orders had been to ensure nothing survived.

From eight raptors, leapt forth 16,384 cluster missiles missiles- Of which eighty four had just been assigned to hit whatever might not be hit in the opening volley. One hundred and sixty three missiles lanced out for each ship in the darked black of space- And when they were about a quarter million kilometers away, each cluster missile spiraled open, it's exterior shell breaking apart as hundreds of thousands of tiny impulse thrusters fired from each cluster-missile, seperating the micro-missiles from the main And each micro-misile was worth ten gigatons of raw nuclear shaped-charge power. And from there, the simplest math in the universe took over- Raw speed pushed each micro-missile forward, and sensors waiting for the perfect moment. Of course, defense systems shot down inbound missiles- That was inevitable... But not enough to stop the other inevitability of this fight.

When the first micro-missile struck a trailing Octavian destroyer, it was all over. The first of many explosions turned the dark void into a supernova, as missile after missile slammed into the Octavian fleet, turning metal first into bent and warped slag- Then turning slag into particles, and particles into nothing. The eight raptors, still escorted by the vipers, peeling off from the fleet to rush back to the safety of the fighter-web, just incase the box-slabs in the distance decided to route their own fighters to intercept now...
THE EDGE OF OCTAVIAN SPACE - BRIDGE OF THE ERVAN CRUISER 'STARFURY'
"Octavian fleet is eliminated, captain. Eight raptors, and eight vipers now returning to combat line."

"Good." Bulwark stated- That was one threat dealt with, in an extremely quick manner... "Now, keep us focused on those slabs. If they even twitch another millimeter over that line, condition red. Engage if there's a surge in their non-movement channels, and then begin to draw us back into the Kepplar thresh-hold."

The bridge leapt into life again, even as the ship continued to stare down the five distant bricks, as the fighter screen ebbed and flowed again, changing to accomodate the new arrivals into the skirmishing line...

Octavian Space

The Hivemind watched in fascinated dis-interest as the fighters raced across the distance, and then with a minor sense of dawning realization as billions of Gigatons were thrown about casually, the octavian fleet ceasing existence in seconds. The situation had just changed. 001 paused for a trillionth of a second, feeling like millennium to the constantly active hivemind, as the decision was weighed. This single cruiser's estimation rapidly shifting...

And then the decision was made, in an instant. The strike-craft swarmed across the line, as the guns on the five ships opened up- Millions of shots composed of non-descript energies racing across the void of space at light-speed, even as the distant cruiser slammed into defensive maneuvers, the line of strike-craft racing forward to engage their opposites on all sides. Missiles streaking into the void from every single craft that had them, on all sides, painting the void in energy trails and chaos as suddenly, the Hivemind lost control of some of it's fighter forces. Either slowing to a stop instantly, continuing on a course with it's pre-set velocity, or any other unusual thing as the Hivemind scrambled to regain control, forcing against a sudden blockade- Giving the distant cruiser femtoseconds to take advantage, as a line of fighters suddenly came blasting in to wipe out the line of fighters that had lost control. Missiles measuring in gigatons being thrown about like party-poppers, and wiping out entire formations in single hits as other strike craft came swinging in behind, weapons blaring. Hundreds of Vipers and Raptors being taken out, even as the Hivemind's carriers rushed to replace the combat losses which had been sustained, dropping more and more strike-craft into the system in an instant.

Then the Hivemind's ships threw themselves into another volley, as the first shots raced closer, the Cruiser flaring it's vast array of defensive measures. Nullifying shots with manipulation technology, as the ship's own defenses began engaging the Hivemind's swarm fighters. Harsh maneuvers throwing the rest off, or fighter-craft kamikazeing themselves truly nullifying the volley. The Hivemind's own defensive systems roaring into life, as the mid-field between the cruiser and the five slabs became a roaring battlefield, explosions filling the void and disrupting sensors as the amount of explosives being thrown about quickly began to rise. And then the secondary attack efforts kicked in- Another swarm of fighter-craft rushing out of the Hivemind carriers, racing forward to rush through the blossoming cloud of explosions to close distance with the distant United Government cruiser. And then the United Government cruiser turned tail, engines roaring as it raced... For the sun? The strike-craft following it peeling off of pursuit, as automated systems kicked in to keep the strike-craft intact. The cruiser vanishing from sensors in raw heat, solar masses, and anti-sensor measures flaring into life. The Hivemind was stunned- Digging through dozens of reference files, theories- This was the first time a foe had displayed an ability anywhere along this line...! The remaining Visoran strike-craft turned to deal with the United Government strike-craft left over, raw numbers and widely organized tactics quickly overwhelming the remaining United Government craft with ease.

And then one of the carriers detonated, a broadside volley from inside the sun tearing it apart instantly. The Hivemind spreading it's remaining fleet out instantly, and throwing them into maneuvers as the Hivemind raced to find a counter-measure to the ship- Or to even refind the ship, as it's usual methods were quickly counter-acted in seemingly every step. The Hivemind turning other sensors against the scene- And there! A blip. Too metallic to be the unrefined material of a sun. The remaining ships sent a volley of fire at the blip of the cruiser within the sun, the strike-craft swarming forward as-well. Missiles lancing out in both directions, counter-measures and interception missiles dueling in the void of space, even as strike-craft tried to get a strike into the cruiser, but kept getting torn to shreds as heavy missiles, defensive fire, and the blazing heat of the sun. The inbound shots from the four remaining ships either missing or getting intercepted as the cruiser vanished from sensors again, it's composition seeming to change again, as the Hivemind rushed to find it again. How was this one cruiser so succinctly avoiding everything?

Another ship suddenly detonated, another multi-billion-gigaton explosion flaring, as the Hivemind traced that broadside angling backwards... And there it was again. The three remaining ships sending a volley inwards at that precise point- And finally gaining a results, as energy flared. The United Government cruiser was finally hit- Leaping out of the sun, and on the opposite side of the solar system. The entire port broadside scarred, and burning, as systems leapt into life- Seemingly warped and melted by the burning heat of the sun, a critical strike having slipped through. The remaining strike-craft rushing out, even as the remaining three ships shared information. Coordinating, communicating, and planning. At range, the three remaining ships were clearly highly outmatched- But what about something else? The Hivemind scrambled to pull together a strategy, and then execute it.

The three ships flared movement channels at the same time, as the Hivemind turned a portion of it's electronic warfare capabilities against the cruiser- More shots ringing out, as the cruiser suddenly took hits on it's starboard. The hivemind noting that they were simply shredded against a shield which certainly had not been there previously, but sending more orders for more shots to ring through the void. A vast difference in electronic warfare capabilities revealing themselves as the cruiser was now forced to turn tail, and begin to flee as more shots cut through the void of space. The cruiser now receiving hit after hit against it's shield, as suddenly, a turn revealed a flaring port broadside, all guns roaring- And then it was gone.

A single trail of quantum energy revealing what had happened, as a third and final ship was torn apart by the sheer firepower thrown at it, as the remaining two ships instantly added distance from another- Was it going to come back? Had that retreat been the end of this fight? The Hivemind waited one minute, than another. A half-hour, feeling like entire multiverses of time having passed to the hivemind, passing as they waited. More and more strike-craft taking to the field, incase that damned cruiser returned- Before, eventually, as the half-hour passed, the Visoran fleet recalled it's strike-craft, and left the system, to gather some reinforcements...

Imperial-Octavia wrote: To the Visoran, The Paramount would issue a direct Aether link to The Paramount.
To: The Visoran
The Visoran Empire is allowed to have a direct Aether link to The Paramount. Connect to encoded Aether account #0001 to link with The Paramount.

It didn't take long for the Hivemind to estblish a link to the account, and pass it through to the necesarry processor- Where it was soon 'enveloped' into the vast intelligence, as 001 turned a processor to keeping an eye on it, sending a simple message through, as a test-

"You have gathered many strong enemies, Paramount."

by **Imperial-Octavia** » Sun May 03, 2020 8:08 pm

Italy

J'eil was surprised at the speed that situation escalated, but didn't hesitate to pick up Polpo's things and ran. With his robotic legs he was able to run faster than anyone in the area. In his rush J'eil's finger accidentally scraped against the arrow, which quote strangely went straight through the synthetic skin, flesh, and bone directly to his mechanical insides. J'eil didn't have the time to notice though as giant stadium lights rose from the ground while J'eil was already a distance from the prison.

A while later

As J'eil ran he felt weird and not how he usually felt weird condemning other synthetics to death, no this was different it was almost like he was...sick? Though that shouldn't be possible he could feel his reactor's power fluctuate while no issue existed, his sensors were being very slow especially when he had just given them a upgrade to processing power, and strangely some of his limbs were lethargic. Most strangely he began seeing wisps of some humanoid being floating around in his sensors which really began to concern J'eil. Granted he was still physically above many organics, but it felt as if his legs were made of cement and his arms shackled to the ground; he had made the appropriate adjustments to his persona of Luigi making his face red and causing some extreme sweating in the body, but if the thing that attacked Polpo came after him now he wasn't sure if he would be able to survive. Eventually he made it to the location of Bucciarati both looking and feeling like crap. He banged on the door and prayed he'd be let in "Bucciarati! I think Polpo might be dead and I think the arrow thing he gave me had some disease on it! I feel like shit and I'm seeing thing right now, you really gotta let me in man! It's crazy out here!"

Ignis States wrote:Wherever the hell the Paramount is right now....

"Paramount. I hope I am not interrupting anything."
Seemingly out of nothing, a few feet away from the man in question, a bubbling speck of vantablack energy forms, quickly coalescing and expanding as a strange...presence enters the room.
A presence that feels strangely ominous, strangely...dangerous. That ominous presence is only amplified as full physical form is taken: A pitch black silhouette of what looks to be something humanoid, standing at about 6 feet, 2 inches. Pinpricks of green light gaze into Paramount's eyes, as if trying to leech into his souls and figure out how they tick. Folded on his back are bat wings, the edges lined with a silvery glow.

"I hope you don't mind me barging in like this, but it was the quickest way to get your attention. I am willing to aid you. I've taken an...interest in you, so to speak. You have potential to go further than you are, potential to..."
The figure almost looks amused, though it's hard to tell with a lack of a face.

"I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm willing to aid you, that's my point."

Meanwhile, in the Draksesa Castle...

"Mark, what do you make of all this? Should we take action with the Paramount and Octavia yet..?"
The Princeps Senatus stands on top of the castle, her eyes focused firmly towards the stars, towards the brewing conflict that's ensuing. By her side is her sword, held tightly in her grip.
Mark Draksesa, meanwhile, simply adjusts the hilt of a navy blue Roman spatha at his side, the blade crackling with an indigo flame. His piercing gaze is focused firmly on a hovering mirror about 2 meters tall and 3 meters wide, located a few feet to his right. Around the edges, nine spheres of energy levitate: White, Golden, Orange, Pink, Fuschia, Violet, Purple, Black...and finally, a swirling sphere of every color imaginable. The mirror itself is a view of the currently transpiring events.

"You're going to hate me for this, but we should wait some more. I doubt Octavia's stupid enough to directly threaten us until later. For now, just get ready for if shit goes fanwards."
With that succinctly put, the Ausar flicks his palm, shrinking the mirror down so it's 6 inches wide. He then catches it midair, walking back to the inside of the castle.
"I'll let you know if things get worse. You know what to do if they do."

"Right!" With that, the wolf goes back to observing the skies, as if making sure nothing's going to swoop down.

The Paramount's Palace

A entire fleet gone in less than a moment...The Paramount now realized the situation had truly deteriorated and not soon after he got this message from 001

"You have gathered many strong enemies, Paramount."

The Paramount replied very quickly, hoping to plug the hole in his plan early

"I hope that we have also gathered many strong allies. Please stop whatever did that to our fleets if you can."

Once again The Paramount found another matter demanding his attention, this time literally. The Paramount attempted to scan the thing in front of him and was given no answer from his database. Well then this had just become interesting, "And who are you exactly? We don't think that we are going to be willing to trust any ghost appearing in our palace."

by **The Rapture Republic** » Sun May 03, 2020 8:47 pm

Via Roma Verso Scampia

Reaper quickly reacted to hearing the gunshot by using time magic to slow everything around him in order to successfully dodge the bullet fire from the creature. To Polpo it would appear like Reaper teleported out of the way, and would be standing to his side. Reaper would just silently look at the fat man. “Deadlock initiated.” Reaper coldly said, breaking the silence, and then turned and walked from Polpo, waving an eerie good bye. As a several miles above Polpo a series of glyphs, circles, and squares manifested above the planet, directing over Polpo’s exact location, and unleashed a highly concentrated magical beam shooting right through Polpo’s body vaporizing him with only burnt blood and a thousand mile pilar-sized hole being left behind.

After Polpo’s execution. Reaper moved to track down that individual that attempted to save the fat man from his inevitable demise. Doing so, he sent out some texts to have the Syndicate gear up and be ready for the greatest street brawl in Earth’s history.

by **Visoran** » Sun May 03, 2020 9:06 pm

Imperial-Octavia wrote:
"I hope that we have also gathered many strong allies. Please stop whatever did that to our fleets if you can."

Hub 00

That was the plan. Until the United Government asset showed it was easily worth all five ships dispatched in a brawl. Three ships destroyed for some vague damage is not an efficient trade, Paramount. Heavier forces shall be arriving, but committing them to such a fight might be lacking if they cannot be supported. I cannot leave such heavy military assets unsupported."

001 sent in simple reply, turning to other important tasks. That cruiser punched far above any reasonable weight class, and the Hivemind would have to dissect it.

by **Synne Industries** » Sun May 03, 2020 9:12 pm

R.S.S. Fabel⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Octavian Space, Incorporeal Extraspace

[⭍ ] [✉] [ 1 ]
| Bel Class VCBM guidance ship | Scouting Division One |

The-International Space Organization wrote:
The message hit the receptors on the Raptor squadron just as they hit the edge of combat range- Precisely 3.5 million kilometers, as the systems punched the missiles out of their holding slots into the open void of space. A single Raptor carried about 2048 missiles, on all it's hardpoints and slots- Which, in hindsight of the QAPAI manning Raptor R8H39Z, would have more than likely been enough to remove the hostile fleet in a single pass, but the orders had been to ensure nothing survived.

From eight raptors, leapt forth 16,384 cluster missiles missiles- Of which eighty four had just been assigned to hit whatever might not be hit in the opening volley. One hundred and sixty three missiles lanced out for each ship in the darked black of space- And when they were about a quarter million kilometers away, each cluster missile spiraled open, it's exterior shell breaking apart as hundreds of thousands of tiny impulse thrusters fired from each cluster-missile, seperating the micro-missiles from the main And each micro-misile was worth ten gigatons of raw nuclear shaped-charge power. And from there, the simplest math in the universe took over- Raw speed pushed each micro-missile forward, and sensors waiting for the perfect moment. Of course, defense systems shot down inbound missiles- That was inevitable... But not enough to stop the other inevitability of this fight.

When the first micro-missile struck a trailing Octavian destroyer, it was all over. The first of many explosions turned the dark void into a supernova, as missile after missile slammed into the Octavian fleet, turning metal first into bent and warped slag- Then turning slag into particles, and particles into nothing. The eight raptors, still escorted by the vipers, peeling off from the fleet to rush back to the safety of the fighter-web, just incase the box-slabs in the distance decided to route their own fighters to intercept now...

"Captain, projectile barrage detected from fighters! Shall we move closer or continue with the scan?"
"Keep the scan going, but pull up LB in the surrounding area. Project to bridge screens two through six and eight through twelve. Oh, and tell fabrication to get us some popcorn," responded Munoz to the sensors officer. Staying in its Extradimensional hidey-hole behind the cruiser, the Fabel broadcasted its acquisition command towards the fighters. In less than a second, the LB relay and response nodes hidden in their crannies of Extraspace shifted from neutral to being commandeered by the guidance ship. In less than a second, live visual footage and simulated audio was transmitted to the bridge of the Fabel, just in time for the bridge crew to witness the fusillade of cluster submunitions reduce the Octavian fleet to slag, and that slag to nuclear ash. A tad late, but a cinematic experience nonetheless.

After the display had subsided, the crew of the Fabel broke out in applause and cheering. No VCBM broadsides or galaxy-sized battlecruisers being torn across dimensions but it was a spectacle infinitely more captivating and exciting than anything else that could be witnessed on standard patrol. If the Fabel wasn't allowed to shoot, it would just watch others do it instead. "Cap," squawked the sensors officer, facing Munoz who now had the widest damn grin he could manifest plastered on his nanite cloud face. "Internal scan complete, we're cleared to withdr...

Visoran wrote:
This post was co-written by the International Space Organization
Octavian Space
The Hivemind watched in fascinated dis-interest as the fighters raced across the distance, and then with a minor sense of dawning realization as billions of Gigatons were thrown about casually, the octavian fleet ceasing existence in seconds. The situation had just changed. 001 paused for a trillionth of a second, feeling like millennium to the constantly active hivemind, as the decision was weighed. This single cruiser's estimation rapidly shifting...

And then the decision was made, in an instant. The strike-craft swarmed across the line, as the guns on the five ships opened up- Millions of shots composed of non-descript energies racing across the void of space at light-speed, even as the distant cruiser slammed into defensive maneuvers, the line of strike-craft racing forward to engage their opposites on all sides. Missiles streaking into the void from every single craft that had them, on all sides, painting the void in energy trails and chaos as suddenly, the Hivemind lost control of some of it's fighter forces. Either slowing to a stop instantly, continuing on a course with it's pre-set velocity, or any other unusual thing as the Hivemind scrambled to regain control, forcing against a sudden blockade- Giving the distant cruiser femtoseconds to take advantage, as a line of fighters suddenly came blasting in to wipe out the line of fighters that had lost control. Missiles measuring in gigatons being thrown about like party-poppers, and wiping out entire formations in single hits as other strike craft came swinging in behind, weapons blaring. Hundreds of Vipers and Raptors being taken out, even as the Hivemind's carriers rushed to replace the combat losses which had been sustained, dropping more and more strike-craft into the system in an instant.

Then the Hivemind's ships threw themselves into another volley, as the first shots raced closer, the Cruiser flaring it's vast array of defensive measures. Nullifying shots with manipulation technology, as the ship's own defenses began engaging the Hivemind's swarm fighters. Harsh maneuvers throwing the rest off, or fighter-craft kamikazeing themselves truly nullifying the volley. The Hivemind's own defensive systems roaring into life, as the mid-field between the cruiser and the five slabs became a roaring battlefield, explosions filling the void and disrupting sensors as the amount of explosives being thrown about quickly began to rise. And then the secondary attack efforts kicked in- Another swarm of fighter-craft rushing out of the Hivemind carriers, racing forward to rush through the blossoming cloud of explosions to close distance with the distant United Government cruiser. And then the United Government cruiser turned tail, engines roaring as it raced... For the sun? The strike-craft following it peeling off of pursuit, as automated systems kicked in to keep the strike-craft intact. The cruiser vanishing from sensors in raw heat, solar masses, and anti-sensor measures flaring into life. The Hivemind was stunned- Digging through dozens of reference files, theories- This was the first time a foe had displayed an ability anywhere along this line...! The remaining Visoran strike-craft turned to deal with the United Government strike-craft left over, raw numbers and widely organized tactics quickly overwhelming the remaining United Government craft with ease.

And then one of the carriers detonated, a broadside volley from inside the sun tearing it apart instantly. The Hivemind spreading it's remaining fleet out instantly, and throwing them into maneuvers as the Hivemind raced to find a counter-measure to the ship- Or to even refind the ship, as it's usual methods were quickly counter-acted in seemingly every step. The Hivemind turning other sensors against the scene- And there! A blip. Too metallic to be the unrefined material of a sun. The remaining ships sent a volley of fire at the blip of the cruiser within the sun, the strike-craft swarming forward as-well. Missiles lancing out in both directions, counter-measures and interception missiles dueling in the void of space, even as strike-craft tried to get a strike into the cruiser, but kept getting torn to shreds as heavy missiles, defensive fire, and the blazing heat of the sun. The inbound shots from the four remaining ships either missing or getting intercepted as the cruiser vanished from sensors again, it's composition seeming to change again, as the Hivemind rushed to find it again. How was this one cruiser so succinctly avoiding everything?

Another ship suddenly detonated, another multi-billion-gigaton explosion flaring, as the Hivemind traced that broadside angling backwards... And there it was again. The three remaining ships sending a volley inwards at that precise point- And finally gaining a results, as energy flared. The United Government cruiser was finally hit- Leaping out of the sun, and on the opposite side of the solar system. The entire port broadside scarred, and burning, as systems leapt into life- Seemingly warped and melted by the burning heat of the sun, a critical strike having slipped through. The remaining strike-craft rushing out, even as the remaining three ships shared information. Coordinating, communicating, and planning. At range, the three remaining ships were clearly highly outmatched- But what about something else? The Hivemind scrambled to pull together a strategy, and then execute it.

The three ships flared movement channels at the same time, as the Hivemind turned a portion of it's electronic warfare capabilities against the cruiser- More shots ringing out, as the cruiser suddenly took hits on it's starboard. The hivemind noting that they were simply shredded against a shield which certainly had not been there previously, but sending more orders for more shots to ring through the void. A vast difference in electronic warfare capabilities revealing themselves as the cruiser was now forced to turn tail, and begin to flee as more shots cut through the void of space. The cruiser now receiving hit after hit against it's shield, as suddenly, a turn revealed a flaring port broadside, all guns roaring- And then it was gone.

A single trail of quantum energy revealing what had happened, as a third and final ship was torn apart by the sheer firepower thrown at it, as the remaining two ships instantly added distance from another- Was it going to come back? Had that retreat been the end of this fight? The Hivemind waited one minute, than another. A half-hour, feeling like entire multiverses of time having passed to the hivemind, passing as they waited. More and more strike-craft taking to the field, incase that damned cruiser returned- Before, eventually, as the half-hour passed, the Visoran fleet recalled it's strike-craft, and left the system, to gather some reinforcements...

A flash appeared on the Fabel's own visual LB sensors. In an instant, the ship's bridge was illuminated by what appeared to be cosmic strobe lights as the incoming barrage of missiles and energy pulses flew past the ship's relative location in Realspace. "Agh! Turn that damn thing off!" barked the captain as his photon receptors were temporarily overloaded. After some panicked buttonmashing from a nearby computer station, the Fabel's bridge screens switched from photon-sensitive to mass-detection. "Holy Jesus," murmured Munoz. The recovering captain raised his voice. "What was that?" "What the [Expletive redacted] was that!?" yelled Munoz, now standing to observe the silent but equally shocked bridge crew. "Collective projectile discharge from five unidentified vessels sir!" responded the same sensors officer that had changed the screens. "Cruiser now appears to be engaging in evasive maneuvers with Extraspatial interference flaring. Shall we attempt to shadow?" Munoz sat back down, regaining his senses before responding. "Maintain a distance of four million klicks, shift sensors to simulated photon read, dampen spikes, set cap to 300 lumens, I don't want a repeat of earlier." Followed by the same bloody "Aye aye, sir!" as always, the captain's commands were carried out swiftly and efficiently. Sensor settings altered, internal Vector drives flaring to life, and on-board computers working to match the cruiser's movement.

The Fabel would continue to loom over the warship as it zipped about space, intercepting enemy fighters and utilizing its countermeasures. For every Realspace movement and shift in Extraspatial "current", the guidance ship would adjust its location to be as close as possible without being detected. Without warning, the cruiser rotated and shot off, making a beeline for a nearby star. As the Fabel set off in pursuit, a bridge commander made note of the "target" ship's unusual heading. "Sir, the vessel appears to be moving towards the system's sun, shall we break off?" Munoz snapped his head towards the commander. "Is the star at our depth? Are we not suited for solar diving? Pick up the pace and keep going damnit!"

As the cruiser crossed the boundary between space and solar plasma the Fabel would continue to trail it. Right before the Initiative ship could do the same, its computer systems halted all Vector thrust as the vessel had reached the pre-set four million kilometer exclusion radius, quite a ways away from the star's surface. This was met with audible cries of disappointment among the bridge crew, there would be no solar diving today. The bridge would remain in silence as the five rectangular ships swept through the rest of the cruiser’s strike craft, yet there would be no report of fire from the warship itself, now engulfed in the mass of the star.

Suddenly, there was a breach in the sun’s surface as a broadside of explosives emerged, impacting one of the five brick ships and causing its insides to spill into open space. Deafening cheering echoed throughout the Fabel as it’s crew realized the battle was far from over. More laughter and excitement as the four remaining warships funneled their strike craft into the star only for them to be shredded by interception fire or vaporized by the scorching heat. Another capital ship exploded as the cruiser returned fire, money changed hands and freshly synthesized snacks flew across the Fabel’s bridge. Even as the cruiser took a hit it was still obvious to the Initiative crew who was winning. Two ships down at the cost of minor damage, the slab ships were gruesomely outmatched.

A final wave of laughter, cheering, and applause drowned out even the noise of battle as the Fabel’s crew observed the cruiser letting off a final broadside, detonating it’s final target before fleeing from the system. Munoz and his crew had seen enough action, for now...

by **Il Passione** » Sun May 03, 2020 10:50 pm

Imperial-Octavia wrote:
Italy

As J'eil ran he felt weird and not how he usually felt weird condemning other synthetics to death, no this was different it was almost like he was...sick? Though that shouldn't be possible he could feel his reactor's power fluctuate while no issue existed, his sensors were being very slow especially when he had just given them a upgrade to processing power, and strangely some of his limbs were lethargic. Most strangely he began seeing wisps of some humanoid being floating around in his sensors which really began to concern J'eil. Granted he was still physically above many organics, but it felt as if his legs were made of cement and his arms shackled to the ground; he had made the appropriate adjustments to his persona of Luigi making his face red and causing some extreme sweating in the body, but if the thing that attacked Polpo came after him now he wasn't sure if he would be able to survive. Eventually he made it to the location of Bucciarati both looking and feeling like crap. He banged on the door and prayed he'd be let in "Bucciarati! I think Polpo might be dead and I think the arrow thing he gave me had some disease on it! I feel like shit and I'm seeing thing right now, you really gotta let me in man! It's crazy out here!"

Bucciarati opened the door reluctantly, holding his ehad as he gave a concerned look.
"What the... you did meet Polpo?" He said, surprised before looking down at the items and taking them out of his hands and dragging his hand, bringing him into a room with 3 other people, one who wore a green suit with holes in it, another who looked like a young tomboyish girl that was actually a boy, and the last being a man in a blue-and-white crop top and a hat inspecting a short snub revolver.

Bucciarati laid down the items on the table before looking at the crew like a high-ranking general to his troops. "Abbacchio, get a cold glass of water for this man! Fugo, Narancia, prepare yourselves incase things get iffy." He commanded inspecting them as he slumped forward with a face of concern. "Polpo... has apparently been slain."

Narancia scoffed, sipping some orange juice. "Honestly, that fat fuck had it comin'. I guess that's just another funeral for us to gather in, right?"

"That won't be the priority, Narancia." Bucciarati said, looking at J'eil. "What we need to figure out now is who the being was that killed Polpo."

"How aren't you sure Mr. Pinstripe here isn't the guy who assassinated him and is just covering his tracks like the sly rat he is?" Abbacchio insisted, before the TV went to a braking news broadcast detailing footaged of the light going down and blowing the mile-wide hole into the ground where the prison was.

"Ground zero was at...Prison Secondigliano? Th-that was where Polpo was held!" Mista exclaimed. "And I don't recall Bucciarati telling us anyone else was going to visit Polpo today, did I?"

"Mista, Abbacchio, come to your senses now. After all, I recall when Luigi first saw us, he was unaware to the fact that I had a stand, since I didn't enable him to see it due to the face he clearly wasn't a stand user." Bucciarati stated sternly.

"Then who could have done if it wasn't Luigi? You think there's a rival gang of Stand Users out there?" Narancia asked.

"You think Cannolo's got anything on this, Bucciarati?" Fugo asked. "He's watching over everything, surely he's got something planned."

"Plus, Leaky-Eye Luca's not far from here. He'll probably have witnessed something." Abbacchio mentioned, getting a pillow out for him.

"Well, whatever the cause is, we need to investigate." Bucciarati said, before gathering the items and using his stand to put a zipper in his arm to contain them carefully. "Mista, escort Luigi to the hospital and get Cannolo on the line, see what he knows. Everyone else, on me."

"We can investigate later! That guy could still be out there, and we don't now what he's capable of!" Abbacchio said. "We need to approach this with caution, Bucciarati. We can't just go guns blazing on a man who can decimate a mile's worth without even trying!"

"I know it sounds risky, but if Polpo gave any commands before his death, you need to uncover them. We're not after the man who killed Polpo yet... Cannolo will let us know the answer to that." Bucciarati commanded, heading out as Mista got Luigi on his feet. "Let's move out!"

Locobarrocco Avenue
As Leaky-Eye Luca was busy batrollying an alleyway with a shovel, he staggered back as he caught a glimpse of the massive beam from the distance. A young boy, no older than 12, had just walked out after paying him for a bag of heroin, but he stopped as well to watch the spectacle

"Woah... what the hell?" Luca said, stunned by the event as he saw Victor nearby, shuffling back quickly to hide from the man, hoping he didn't see

Morioh, S-City, M Prefecture, Japan
As Jolyne was busy watching Crayon Shin-Chan on the TV while holding onto a dolphin plushie, Jotaro Kujo sat back and watched the news unfolding before him. Apparently, there was a massive incident in Italy and the Speedwagon Foundation is racing to investigate who the culprit was and what his powers are. Jotaro was left pondering if a stand user was responsible, but he couldn't leave this man on a trail of destruction. He picked up the phone as he lifted it to his ear, awaiting an answer.

"Old man. It's me, your grandson. You're seeing what's happening in Italy right now?" He asked.

"I get you, Jotaro. It's blowing up everywhere... pardon the joke, but still... I can't help but feel like this guy is a danger to the entire world, even." The voice on the phone responded. "This isn't gonna be like anything either of us have faced before. My bout with Kars and the Pillar Men could very well pale in the face of this guy. But if we don't do something, everyone's gonna be in danger and that'll put an end to the righteous Joestar saga."

"I wouldn't want to intervene, but unfortunately, for the good of all people... get Josuke and the pthers and tell them to meet me at the airport. I'm leaving Jolyne and Shizuka with Suzi Q until further notice. We need to organise an intervention here." Jotaro stated, before putting down the phone and looking at an old picture of him and... a few old friends.

"Our time has come again."

The Ascension of the Imperium IC (All Tech, TG for interest)

The Ascension of the Imperium IC (All Techs, TG for interes)

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