Retribution [IC/AXIOM ONLY]

[Solocon]

R E T R I B U T I O N

AN AXIOM SUPERCLUSTER RP

---

In the sea of twinkling stars known as Axiom, there is one region of space completely devoid of light. The infinite black veil between the worlds of the Solonian Superstate and farthest reaches of a once great empire is inhabited only by countless stellar remnants, skeletons of military spacecraft, and thick clouds of dust and rock from the annihilation of many worlds. The remains of a great war unparalleled in its ruination lay to rest in the desolate weightlessness of space.

Centuries ago, this black void was the site of a conflict unparalleled in history. Entire star systems were obliterated in an interstellar battle between The Solons and a force they refer to only as the enemy. Both sides rendered each other nearly incapable of combat, resorting to desperate measures to end the war. In the end, Soloconian forces triumphed through one final, overwhelming offensive against their adversaries-- but not without a cost. Before its collapse, the enemy unleashed a cyberweapon of unseen magnitude upon Soloconian civilization, leveling it and nearly rendering The Solons extinct.

Solocon, however, has persisted, and after ages of relentless reconstruction, it has rebuilt the advanced civilization it once was. After the fall of interstellar Soloconian order, numerous other civilizations have taken up the power vacuum, and Solocon is looking to reclaim the power it once had. The time has come for retribution. Its military sufficiently rebuilt, Solocon is set to expand its influence throughout the cosmos. The silent interstellar space of the Axiom Supercluster will soon be inundated with new interstellar contentions and violence. The fate of many worlds hangs in the balance. A critical decision now faces the civilizations of Axiom: will they assist the Solons in reclaiming their hegemony, or rebel against the rising Soloconian authority?

IC THREAD
OOC | RULES | MAP

MUST BE REGISTERED ROLEPLAYER IN AXIOM SUPERCLUSTER/ON REGIONAL MAP TO PARTICIPATE
OP: Solocon
STATUS: OPEN

[Jubaal]

JIBUL
ÏZËL'KA

---

The massive spire emerged from the rocky surface of Jibul like a plant taking its first sips of air during the spring. At the top of the massive spire, there was a large pod. That pod was called the Ïzël'ka by the Jubaali, and just The Chamber by everyone else. It was the place where the Ïzël decided on interstellar issues, such as diplomatic ties, wars, domestic troubles and more. In one of the smaller rooms of the pod sat the three highest-ranking Ïzël of Jubaal. Every one of them had their lower pair of arms in a praying position, in order to symbolize the significance of this decision they were going to make. They had their traditional carpets rolled out on the metallic floor, sitting on them. They were talking slowly and methodical. Suddenly one of the Ïzël signaled, with his upper hands, to keep the other quiet. He raised up in, what seemed to be one connecting movement. He began speaking:

Ïzël Karal: What shall we do against the apparent coming crisis? Lautern has forever been and will forever be an enemy towards the holy No'bnik. I say, we take up arms against Lautern and fight for what we think is right. I say, we join our xeno brothers in the Solon system, or face the full rage of the No'bnik because of our ignorance. Let our fleets depart tomorrow!

The others started nodding, one by one. Karal sat down on his carpet again. Most of them knew what the Lautern could do to unnoticing species. Many billions of potentially sentient beings had been wiped out in what was called the Starless Sea and they were determined to not let the Jubaali become a victim of the unending death list of the Lautern 'death sqauds'. The following message was sent to the Solon government:



-- ÏZËL'KA DREZN'K --

This is an official message to the Solon government from the Jubaali Ïzël

We, the Jubaali people aim to help you, the Solons, towards our common goal, stopping, and removing,
 Lautern influence over the Axiom Supercluster and reclaiming your old hegemony. 
Regards, the Ïzël council of Jibul, representatives of the No'bnik and the Jubaali people.

[Solocon]

SOLIS
PLANET SOLON, SOLOCON

---

The monolithic, geometric tower of SolIntelSect formed a massive, dark silhouette over the superstructures of Solis, contrasting with the vibrant red hue of the Solonian sun as it dipped below the horizon of the megacity. The passageways of the Government headquarters were filled with a quiet commotion as hundreds of Officials from SolIntelSect, SolDefSect, and other sectors walked through a wide hall into a vast chamber at the very top of the massive structure. The dim expanse was illuminated only by the deep red hues filtering in through the transparent ceiling and the immense, bright-blue holograms which floated in the air.

Cyron gazed up at the largest of the three-dimensional displays, which depicted an interstellar model of the enemy: Lautern. Three large spheres symbolized the worlds inhabited by the perpetrators of The Event, a catastrophe which nearly ended Solon civilization. Cyron's bionic limbs hummed as he studied the information with his red synthetic eyes-- permanent artifacts from the disasters of The Event's aftermath.

At the far end of the chamber, a SolIntelSect official was speaking of The Recovery and Solocon's progress in rebuilding after The Event. Massive holographic Solonian letters floated above him:

AEK'HIS I'CCHIRON

INITIATIVE: RETRIBUTION.

Several solar ticks earlier, Cyron had authorized a new government order that would ensure the likes of The Event would never happen again. SolAutoSect's efficient industries were already churning out Soloconian military spacecraft, and plans were being made to bring about the annihilation of the enemy-- this time, for good. Cyron was about walk through the crowd of Solons to speak when a SolComSect official, identifiable by the markings on his nanosuit, caught his attention.

"EK'TX ARCH SOLIX T'ZCHE'TCH J'BAAL," said the official, informing Cyron of an incoming transmission from the Jublai system.

After conferring with other SolIntelSect officials, Cyron authorized a reply to their new consorts-- likely, Solocon would need them. Translated by SolComSect's AI into rough Jub'li, an official transmission from the Government was processed by the communications arrays over Solon and shot towards the Jublai system. A couple solar ticks later, a small SolDefSect military fleet consisting of a massive Command Ship and 100 type-two and three warships accelerated out of the Solon System at FTL speeds towards the same location.

- - - / / / S O L C O M S E C T 0 1 4 7 6 6 / / / - - -

> SOLOCON GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZE JUBAALI ITS NEW COMRADES
> SUGGEST CONFERENCE ON ANNIHILATION OF ENEMY
> DISPATCH SOLDEFSECT PROTECTIVE FLEET AND DELEGATES TO JIBUL

- - / / / END / / / - -

[Maldurich]

Credit: http://orig04.deviantart.net/6cb5/f/201 ... 9dy40v.jpg

A young Malduri in a white and blue work suit leapt from the rear ribs of the vestige of a corvette to the rear thruster, a long orange cord trailing from behind the small of his back like a tail. He landed smoothly, grabbing on to the lip of the dead thruster to avoid being catapulted off again. Pressing a silver button on his wrist, he activated his laser cutter and manipulated it accordingly to cut a panel off of the area between the thrusters, a little behind the cockpit, to access the hyperdrive. Grinning with satisfaction, he carefully slipped his fingers between the wires that connected it to the rest of the ship and lifted it out, half-hugging it to cut the cables restraining it. Scavengers like him valued hyperdrives like these, even if they were slightly outdated, and this was a lucky find since they were here for metal, not parts. Perhaps the second most expensive component in the spacecraft, working or slightly damaged hyperdrives could be sold for enough to feed a family for a month. His was in desperate need of such a boon. Leaping off the corvette onto the hangar deck, he shaded his eyes as a bright light suddenly entered his field of vision. He would never make it home.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Some 8 months prior, the Government of Maldurich had issued permits to scavengers after an act had been passed decreeing that a long-disputed region of the Starless Sea over which Maldurich held claim over was finally open to salvaging. Private salvaging companies had long pressed for the Council to pass the act, but a dispute with the Interplanetary Superstate of Solocon had warded off any such attempts. The bill had only finally been passed because a braver Councilwoman had been elected, who had proposed that a military presence in the region would have safeguarded it enough to ward off any retaliation from Solocon. Now, Ezana Torres, Elector Supreme of the Maldurich Council, shook his head in disgust. He never should have had listened to that woman. A hologram streamed live updates of the region, while another hologram on the wall was playing a news report.
"... devastating story of Jethro Turin, a young scavenger, and those of many others on the abandoned SolDefSect Terminal 014, continues to devastate families and friends across the nation. Space Defense authorities are saying that a Solon patrol fleet had jumped out of FTL into the disputed region T6, and had opened fire. Two unnamed weapons were fired simultaneously upon the base, annihilating all sixty-four people on board. The Rhea-class cruiser on guard duty was soon overtaken as well."
Ezana shut off the report. He stood for a while, facing the skyline, watching Maldur's two moons contrast the rising sun. Making up his mind, he spun around rapidly. As he exited, he called for his assistant and told her to call a meeting with the Council.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ten minutes later, the Council and the leaders of the Malduri Space Defense were present in a hexagonal chamber, its white walls spotless and shining. As Elector Supreme, Ezana had begun by bringing up the matter of the attack, with several opinions of the next course of action. A Space Def general had laid out the facts. "It's obvious that they opened fire because of our presence on T014; but the question is, would they have attacked if we were salvaging elsewhere? It's not a matter of diplomacy anymore, but of what military retaliation we're issuing. They may be more advanced, but I believe such a small offence should not have resulted in mortalities. I say we launch an offensive on the Eccha system, since it would take the least resources and our troops would have direct access to support and reinforcements."
"Don't forget that it's exactly because they're more advanced that they had the nerve to attack. If we had been another system at the same level, I'm confident that they would have had second thoughts before opening fire. I say we let this go and continue operations," countered a Council member. Suddenly, a message flashed on his HUD:
Solocon has issued an annihilation protocol on Lautern, Jubaal as allies
Ezana replied simply. Fingers flying, he typed out: Dispatch to Lautern. We are allies.
0.63 seconds later, a Tachyonic Messaging System (TaMS) signal was sent to Lautern.

[Solocon]

SOLIS
SOLON, SOLOCON

---

The towering superstructures of Solis receded into the distance as Cyron's automated hovercraft ascended into the atmosphere. Below him, the megacity thinned out and gave way to lush, blue-green flora. The gathering at SolIntelSect was complete, and Solocon's government sectors were now hard at work implementing The Retribution. Mere solar ticks ago, SolDefSect had requested his presence, informing him that a Government patrol had annihilated a band of Maldurians trespassing on a disused DefSect terminal.

As the bright cyan sunset reduced to a blue ethereal glow, an array of massive cuboids appeared on the horizon: SolDefSect headquarters. The hovercraft descended, weaving its way through the communications antennae which extended far above the Solonian vegetation, and finally lowered into the bright lights of an open hangar. Abruptly, the engines of the hovercraft went silent, and the rear end opened. Cyron's limbs whirred quietly as he stepped out of the transport, followed by a few SolIntelSect officials. His synthetic eyes lowered their brightness settings in response to the uncomfortable, intense illumination within the hangar. A high-ranking SolDefSect administrator, clad in a military nanosuit, greeted them.

"ACT'X SOLIX CYYR'ON."

The administrator guided them towards an automated lift which transported them through the wide, sleek corridors of the military headquarters. The cuboidal structures of SolDefSect were connected by a vast network of similarly-sized structures underground. The lift took them deep into the depths of the facility, and after a long wait, Cyron and the other Solons arrived at a secure area of the facility. A set of thick security doors scanned and verified their identities before opening into a large, dim chamber lit by holograms: the SolDefSect Command Center. In the center of the room, a massive obsidian sphere etched with glowing circuitry was suspended in the air by smaller levitating platforms which extended up into the darkness.

"ACT'X SOLIX," said the sphere in an automated voice, greeting them as they entered the room. The sphere served as the main database of Paladin, one of Solocon's three sentient AI who was tasked with executing military strategies and advising SolDefSect. Followed by his IntelSect officers, Cyron walked with several SolDefSect administrators towards a raised platform directly below her. One of the DefSect administrators informed them that he believed they had overestimated the technological prowess of Lautern following new data from SolSciSect.

A wave of silent relief passed through the room. At this moment, Paladin interjected into the discussion. With this new information, the AI now recommended a new plan of action-- Paladin's probability fields placed a spectral average of an 82% chance of success.

"ARX SOLIX ERAR'TCH AURCHON'M OR'RIUM JUA'AL..."

The SolDefSect administrators sat silently and listened to Paladin's recommendation. Cyron thought silently with them, considering the dilemma that now lay before him. The AI went on about Jubaal's limited military capacity and reduced systematic defenses. With control of the Fereon Belt, virtual simulations predicted an almost certain victory for the Interplanetary Superstate against the Lautern and the Maldurians. After deliberation and debate, Cyron decided to authorize the new recommendation. New instructions were sent encrypted to the fleet heading towards Jubaal. The Solons were willing to go to whatever measures it would take to ensure the Retribution was successful.

[The Adrelos Spinrim Cluster]

Mayaztokh-Upratzie Yaron-point 3

---

The new telescope was finally done. It had been a difficult decision to divert funding from the Stoyas resupply mission to build a telescope halfway across the system, but it had been worth it. The interplanetary Yaron-comms were now revealing the results of the stellar survey to the highest people in the government, now consisting of 10 members due- Plenty of possibly-habitable worlds so far… some even nearby. The blue stars would provide a nice resonance to allow a larger fleet’s arrival, but none of them seemed to have habitable worlds. One of the planets, though, seemed to have… something about it. It was a bit warm, had ridiculous temperature variation all throughout, and had far too much atmospheric carbon, but it definitely had some signs of civilization…

It was quietly bookmarked as a planet of interest, yet still forgotten. A hundred years later, the telescope received a great update. It could recognize features on worlds twelve light-years away, if only barely. Slowly, it was pointed at a few worlds of interest. The first one, the warm world orbiting a blue star, revealed results. That uninhabitable world had cities!

---

A frenzy of activity swept the R&D division. They HAD to discover a better method for resolving Yaron points, and quick. Otherwise, the mission would be delayed- and that wouldn’t go well with the government. Within a month, despite the fact that whenever a worker got any skill they were switched out to another project, they had it. Now, the mission could proceed.

The “mission” was as thus: To arrive at the target system, analyze their capabilities, and serve as a remote arm of the government. In effect, just like the original mission to Upratzie, they wouldn’t have any regular contact with home, although contact could be established every twelve years. In the minds of the leader of the mission, Mission Governor (Nezan) Morli Yaad, and his crew; that gulf was the same as the Upratzie mission’s million light-year gap.

Morli’s fleet was as large and prestigious as any planetary fleet. A single modified Zulinyi, the ALEK Digva, for power projection and general command; 12 Krenyas for any fighting that could ensue, of course 36 Rashuvs for their jack-of-all-trades quality, and- onboard the ships- 2 Haweys, 24 Wazhes, and, of course, 462 Drughens. Surely that’d be more than any civilization?

---

Solon Yaron-point 4

But, Morli reflected, it certainly wasn’t. Staring through the onboard telescope, he saw a huge vessel- three times the size of his own. Even as he watched, its engines flared and it began to turn. He adjusted his tie. Time to get ready.

[Maldurich]

SolDefSect Terminal 014

A young Malduri in a white and blue work suit leapt from the rear ribs of the vestige of a corvette to the rear thruster, a long orange cord trailing from behind the small of his back like a tail. He landed smoothly, grabbing on to the lip of the dead thruster to avoid being catapulted off again. Pressing a silver button on his wrist, he activated his laser cutter and manipulated it accordingly to cut a panel off of the area between the thrusters, a little behind the cockpit, to access the hyperdrive. Grinning with satisfaction, he carefully slipped his fingers between the wires that connected it to the rest of the ship and lifted it out, half-hugging it to cut the cables restraining it. Scavengers like him valued hyperdrives like these, even if they were slightly outdated, and this was a lucky find since they were here for metal, not parts. Perhaps the second most expensive component in the spacecraft, working or slightly damaged hyperdrives could be sold for enough to feed a family for a month. His was in desperate need of such a boon. Leaping off the corvette onto the hangar deck, he shaded his eyes as a bright light suddenly entered his field of vision. He would never make it home.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Maldurich City, Maldur

Some 8 months prior, the Government of Maldurich had issued permits to scavengers after an act had been passed decreeing that a long-disputed region of the Starless Sea over which Maldurich held claim over was finally open to salvaging. Private salvaging companies had long pressed for the Council to pass the act, but a dispute with the Interplanetary Superstate of Solocon had warded off any such attempts. The bill had only finally been passed because a braver Councilwoman had been elected, who had proposed that a military presence in the region would have safeguarded it enough to ward off any retaliation from Solocon. Now, Ezana Torres, Elector Supreme of the Maldurich Council, shook his head in disgust. He never should have had listened to that woman. A hologram streamed live updates of the region, while another hologram on the wall was playing a news report.
"... devastating story of Jethro Turin, a young scavenger, and those of many others on the abandoned SolDefSect Terminal 014, continues to devastate families and friends across the nation. Space Defense authorities are saying that a Solon patrol fleet had jumped out of FTL into the disputed region T6, and had opened fire. Two unnamed weapons systems were fired simultaneously upon the base, annihilating all sixty-four people on board. The Rhea-class cruiser on guard duty was soon overtaken as well."
Ezana shut off the report. He stood for a while, facing the skyline, watching Maldur's twin moons contrast the rising sun. Making up his mind, he spun around rapidly. As he exited, he called for his assistant and told her to call a meeting with the Council.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Othlikkore, Othlikk

The rugged horizon of the asteroid, the heart of Othlikk, glowed with the rising sun. Supreme Electorate Ezana Torres glanced quickly at his hologram. He had schedules the Council meeting and arrived in the Electoral Space Transport, a Vulcan Class Gunship that had been refitted for him and his family. The Othlikkore was where all the treaties and arguments had been made which allowed for the Othlikk system to exist as a whole; it was the political heart of the system, the Rock upon which their government stood and would stand for ages to come. It was really just an extremely large asteroid - almost a dwarf planet, really - that orbited Othlikk's star, but the jagged beauty and glassy tree-like structures lured politicians to work here. Torres' holo flashed on, reminding him to make his way down the burnished platinum stairs down into the heart of the asteroid, where the Chamber rested. When he got there, he took his seat on the Platform, and as the Members of the Council spilled in, the conversation got louder and louder. Such was the way of Maldurii democracy - they argued quietly, making individual points before presenting them before the Council and conversing with one another. The session had begun.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Torres exited the Council Chamber, ears weary but heart even wearier. They had discussed the issue of the casualties of Terminal 014, some arguing that the Solons were not to blame for their retaliatory action, while even more argued that Maldur, and Othlikk as a whole, had to put their foot down. Commander Tazus had confirmed that the Space Fleet was ready, and that they could retaliate at a moment's notice, but Torres had hoped military action would not have been necessary. They had reached a compromise, the hot-headed members willing to back down enough to allow the Solons to apologize, but mid-way through the confirmation vote, an aide of his had rushed in. She had whispered into his ear the two issues, but, judging the faces of those closest to him, his reaction to the news had given away enough. A re-hearing had been called, and the new issue was not about Maldur's personal feelings, but now rather of Soloconian expansionism and the standing of Jubaal on the atrocity. With more or less equivalent tech, the Maldurii military could, with no doubt, handle the threat presented to them, but the war would be expensive and they had to consider all the factors. A moment of silence had overtaken the crowd at that time, and it was then when an older member of the Council, perhaps thirty years of experience, spoke up. It was a good plan, no doubt - and a blockade, even an offensive, on the Eccha colony would no doubt have the desired effect on Solocon's ability to wage a mega war. Much of the nanites on which Solocon's army relied on were produced there, and a blockade would prevent resupplies to the military, but again, it would be expensive. Why does everything revolve around dakhrs, Torres mused, frustrated both because the Malduri Space Defense would be incredibly held up by such a large operation, and because he would not be able to discuss peace once this had taken place. But alas, democracy must have its way, and the command had been passed. Of course, the other issue remained, and Torres made sure that, though they had gotten into the war, they must come out victorious. Jubaal, the theocracy that sat nearby, had opted to ally with Maldur, and it had to be ensured that they would support Othlikk in its crusade all the way to the end. That was the second command Space Defense was passing today - a fleet of Military-Diplomacy ships had been sent to Jubaal, and a Tachyonic Messaging Signal had been sent ahead of them. Torres would not sleep well tonight, but he wouldn't do so until Solocon and it allies were put in check. They had no other option.

[Isestrel]

---

KEF Fleet CX617, SolDefSect Terminal 014

---

The first transmissions should have been a clear indicator for the state of interstellar politics: calls to arms, the formation of military alliances, and requests for arms, ships, equipment, and fuel. Yet, the Alliance Council, as well as the majority of the populace, simply refused to believe that Solocon would enter yet another debilitating war with the Lautern Empire; both sides had suffered greatly, and for many, it seemed impossible that either side would ever want to confront the other in such a short period of time. Unfortunately, such fantasies simply never came to fruition; they could not be further from the truth.

Fleet CX617 of the Kaesi Extraplanetary Force, tasked with the monitoring of interstellar operations as agents of Kelmari Regional Intelligence, was residing next to Terminal 014 of SolDefSect, once believed to be completely abandoned with little to no value outside of that of the wreckage within. The Coordinator of the fleet, C-Jølerai Bezis, had little to no knowledge of the recent transmissions intercepted from Soloconian communications, cut off from both Kaesi delocalised transmissions and Kaesi tachyon flux beacons by gravitational negation plasma shields and EM deflection cloaking systems during the operation. The task of fleet CX617 was simple; to monitor Malduri scrapping operations to ascertain economic conditions in Maldurich; needless to say, the directive was rather suddenly interrupted by a sudden catastrophe.

When Soloconian forces arrived, Malduri salvage crews were caught completely off-guard. Plasma weaponry tore through the flimsy hulls of purpose-built civilian craft, incinerating the contents- biological, mechanical, or otherwise; a complete and utter slaughter of a kind unseen by Kaesi since the Great Genocide of the Fifth Aelif-Isestrel War. Shocked by such a senseless display of disregard for civilian life, fleet CX617, composed of seven Isenkestrel cruisers and 47 Häel interceptors, dispelled its cloaking plasma fields and opened fire on the marauding Soloconian ships, 3.19 hours after the elimination of the last Malduri ship in the sector. While Kaesi directed thermonuclear emission [DTE] weapons were able to disable an unexpectedly large number of Soloconian ships, fleet CX617 was forced to retreat; despite the near-complete immunity of Kaesi ships to Soloconian plasma fire due to powerful magnetic deflection systems, the outdated thermonuclear reactors of the Isenkestrel cruisers could not reliably sustain such demanding power requirements any longer without imminent failure. The signs could not be ignored; Isestrel was stuck in the midst of an interstellar war. There was but one question on the minds of Kaesi everywhere: what side would the Alliance choose?

---

National Assembly Building of the Representative Alliance, Kesasel
Isel, Astra system

---

When word reached the Alliance Council of the event, one thing was made certain: Isestrel was to either take action, or to perish in the ensuing crossfire between empires. Tens of thousands of Kaesi demonstrated in the streets the day afterwards, accompanied by the occasional Great War-era tank provided by an overenthusiastic clan leader- if the Council did not make a decision within the next twenty-four hours, they would most certainly be crushed to death under a barrage of rusty artillery shells, worn tank tracks, and booted feet, so swift action was taken to ensure a quick, well-informed decision. Hallways were filled with Kaesi rushing around with data pads and stationery, punctuated with the occasional lab coat; The Council was quick to realise that this was not a situation to let idle. Plans were set in motion to re-establish the neutrality Isestrel had maintained prior to the outbreak of the skirmish at SolDefSect Terminal 014 with an official apology (in combination with a rather hefty debt agreement), but more action was needed to ensure the survival of the Alliance, and the Council knew it.

The Astra system was located extremely close to Soloconian space, while almost completely cut-off from the Lautern Empire and its allies. Neutrality may have been a valid option at this point, but another Event-like catastrophe would have wiped out almost all Kaesi presence in interstellar space; such a presence would have taken decades to rebuild, factoring in the destruction of unshielded Kaesi infrastructure and production facilities- such a loss would be unacceptable in the face of the conditions that would arise in the midst of the Lauternian victory that would coincide with it. The decision, although quite obvious in the current position, was unanimous in almost all levels of Alliance government; the Alliance would pledge support to Solocon in all possible matters within Alliance jurisdiction. On the 112th cycle of 267 FI, Alliance beacons broadcasted a delocalised wormhole message to the Interplanetary Superstate of Solocon.

[Maldurich]

The Dragonheart, Eccha System

The gargantuan Atlas class flagship glided effortlessly into orbit even as fighters zipped on and off of it. Its black finish seemed to suck light in, and it was eerily silent for a vessel of its magnitude. From a fighter, multiple protrusions would be visible on its surface, folded up and stowed away until needed - laser and projectile armaments, of course, along with the relatively new fusion cannons that could be deployed at a moment's notice. Three separate thanurium shields had been installed on the ship, to overlap the most vital parts - mainly the thrusters, the bridge, and the hangars. Her name was the Dragonheart, and her commander, Alexa Therani, was proud to lead her. Thousands of crewmen bustled in the command bridge, itself the size of a thunderball field, and holo screens flashed in harmony with the regular beeps of status lights and alerts. Of course, the vessel was an addition to the significant blockade that had recently arrived around the Eccha system, which consisted of several hundred vessels in addition to the forty-odd present on the Dragonheart. An assortment of spacecraft had boarded the flagship - several cruisers tailed her, a squadron of Vulcan gunships were in the hold, and multiple squads of Poseidon class fighters were on board in the hangars - and, Therani theorized, many more would follow. An admiral approached her. He saluted, and spoke.
"Ma'am, the five hundred-thirty-seven vessels we previously detected in the Solon system remains in position. We slightly outnumber them, but only just - though we have the technological upper hand."
"Thank you," she replied, without shifting her gaze. She continued staring at their destination, their target. The Nyx class space station was visible even from here, its moon-sized diameter casting long shadows on Eccha's clouds.
"Full speed ahead."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Therani was in the middle of a meeting with the council, her form represented as a hologram on Othlikkore and theirs the same as hers here on the ship.
"It won't work, I'm telling you!" a red faced councilman from one of the outer planets roared. "That fleet from Hell knows where shows up at Solocon with five hundred-odd ships and you say they aren't coming to aid the Solons? I've never heard of a more ridiculous notion! Of course they're going to ally. And this new news of Isestrel's standing - one second they're defending our scavengers and the next they're aligned with Solocon!"
As he was drawing breath to continue, a dark-skinned councilman spoke up.
"It's not about them! Their numbers are already superior, and we know that. But numbers aren't everything. Jubaal has promised aid -"
"Which has not come! I have not seen a single scrap of communication from Jubaal, and you and I know something's going on!"
Supreme Electorate Torres stopped the argument there. "That's enough. We need to work on a strategy to even the odds, not shout one another to death. If no one has a better idea, then we might as well vote on Councilwoman Alraan's suggestion."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They had come to a compromise where the blockade would be assembled with a particular concentration of vessels in a position to meet the expecting oncoming forces from the Solon system, as all of their enemies were towards the galactic north relative to Eccha. The blockade would continue, and Maldur would continue to send aid as necessary. It was a desperate fight without Jubaal's efforts, and Therani knew they wouldn't last long if things continued as they were.

[Isestrel]

Qëstal Valley, near Delski
Isel, Astra System

---

The floor of the vehicle shook, kicking up bits of dust and detritus with every jolt as it slowly rumbled through the mountain valleys among towering spires of ice and stone that jutted into the sky like huge, fanged teeth. Delski itself lay hidden deep under the mountain, but the entrance to KEF Central was nestled at the surface, standing strong against the blistering winds that ravaged the landscape; winds of such strength that one typically required an armoured vehicle in order to survive them on the journey to the facility; of course, this did not necessarily mean that it needed to be recently developed. Despite being almost as old as the Alliance itself, the grizzled IGF MV-87 that was recquisitioned by KEF Central was well-suited to the task of ferrying passengers to and from the facility, if somewhat uncomfortable during the long rides through the mountains.

Fleet Coordinator Delir Heløsäl was seated on a small, padded bench inside the tank while she nibbled away at a loaf of lichen bread, furiously typing on a small device on her lap; while the transport had suffered several delays due to a recent breakdown, there was simply no excuse to miss the meeting in this day and age, especially under these circumstances. News had arrived from Kelmari intelligence units stationed in the Eccha system of a sudden Malduri blockade, and while the Alliance was completely unprepared to face their immense fleets, time had to be bought for Isestrel to properly mobilise before the Astra system itself was attacked; while Solocon would be busy attempting to lift the blockade or initiate a counterattack, the Alliance, completely unprepared for an interstellar invasion, might fall to even the smallest of Malduri fleets if action was not taken.

All too aware of the gravity of the situation, Delir quickly opened up an audio channel to the meeting room for the latest information. Here were representatives from all of Isestrel; the Council of Kysätel stood at the head of the room as leaders of the nation with the most prominent presence in interstellar space, flanked by the representatives of the Councils of the other two nations of the Alliance, Lavitia and Kelmar. While all wished nothing but the best for the future of the Kaesi, the room was flooded with arguments and accusations alike - a certain scratchy voice being one of the largest contributors to said events.
"Advisor Taalis- If Lavitia had any say in the matter, we would have kept ourselves out of this mess instead of putting Isestrel at the mercy of immense interstellar superpowers! While the Council of Kelmar may have agreed to send an alliance proposal to Solocon, they wouldn't have known that they would doom themselves; only Kysätel could have known that Maldurich had the capability to blockade an entire Solon system, and you betrayed us!"
"Rakës, you know full well that what is done is done, and there is no way to -"
"That's where you may be incorrect, Advisor - we could still have a chance to back out of this. If we've made arbitrary decisions in the past without consequence, we may be able to pull it off once again."

"Comrade Stekovis, Rakës, Advisor Taalis - I must inform you that even if we do attempt to pull back into neutrality, we are within closest striking distance to Solocon's largest fleets, and cannot risk earning their ire - our siding with Solocon has likely already earned the hate of most, if not all the opposing factions, and the CX617 incident has put us in a position where separating from the Solon alliance may result in the prompt use of glassing procedures on our planets - they possess several powerful installations within striking range of such theoretical weapons that they may yet possess. Yet, we may not survive the coming war given the current Malduri blockade of Eccha; with Solocon likely busy trying to defend their own territories, we may lose ours to an auxiliary strike. Isestrel must attempt a preemptive strike to allow time for us to prepare for the coming war."
"Rakës; it is clear through this that leaving the Solon alliance is out of the question, and you must know by now that if we are to stay to our word, we must defend ourselves in case Solocon cannot do it for us. Do you accept Coordinator Delir's proposal?"
"It seems we indeed have no choice... And you, Comrade Stekovis?
"I too, declare the continued loyalty of Kelmar to this cause. I will proceed to register fleets KR-Q-F028, KR-Q-F011, and KR-C-F031 into direct KEF control."
"The Triumvirate Council has settled upon a decision. The meeting is concluded until a referendum is called."

---

Rendezvous P/C-M665, Geostationary Orbit Over USR-00-02
Dunel, Astra System

---

Shrouded in the white glow of the dust clouds of Dunel, an armada of ships began to coalesce in geostationary orbit, arriving in small, individual fleets before they joined the rest in a single coordinated group. While formidable, the new fleet was but a small speck in comparison to those of the great navies of other civilisations - they were doomed to fail. Still, the fleets of the Alliance proudly served as the hammers and anvils of the KEF; they would push and persevere, and their spirits would live on in Isestrel until the Alliance's dying breath upon their eventual destruction. The rest would be left behind to defend the homeland; in times like these, there is little one can do but to prepare for the worst.

Cycle 130 of 267 FI, 18:50, Fleet C/A-F001 formation confirmed. Census: Isenkestrels: 45, Häel Interceptors: 250, Kesaselars: 30, Tesekis SOVs: 55
Cycle 131 of 267 FI, 03:00, Fleet C/A-F001 adjusts bearing and sets course for Othlikk.
Cycle 131 of 267 FI, 21:00, Fleet C/A-F001 initiates SDD vacuum flux generation.
Cycle 132 of 267 FI, 00:00, KEF Central initiates Operation Kessløt.

[Jubaal]

JIVA PLANETOID
SECTOR 2

---

SILENCE, TOTAL SILENCE


The thick and seemingly moist silence coming from Jubaal, which was a truly terrifying silence, was interrupted by a large coughing thundering sound. The Jiva planetoid seemed like nothing compared to the massive shadow floating past it. It came from the Jubaali moon and settlement of Jibul. The shadow was moving slowly surrounded by what seemed like dots. The Jubaali miners in their atmospherical suits expressed a face of surprise while looking at it, the large shadow. The shadow was, in fact, the newly built, Crusader-Class Cruiser, and those dots where space fighters acting as close-defence, even though the Crusader-Class was very capable of protecting itself against hostile spacefighters. Yet, the Ïzël wasn't known to be of the risk-taking kind.

By law, every Jubaali spacecraft, was to be powered by lightcraft, so it had three huge lightthrust generators fitted to the flat back of the craft. It was some sort of a conical craft, and the rounded top was interrupted by, what looked like a pipe. The pipe was in fact a large particle cannon, capable of disintegrating a hostile spaceship within seconds. Besides the particle cannon, it had been euipped with numerous small laser-turrets who also acted as a close-defence, who were fitted in rotating positions along the hull of the craft.

The crusader was headed to Solon. To fight the Solons. But, of course, the cruiser wasn't going to fight alone. Mere light seconds away were the majority of the Jubaali space flotilla. Ready to assist their Maldurian brethren from the Solon scum.

[The Adrelos Spinrim Cluster]

S119b Yaron-Point 4

It was refreshing to see real starlight after 6 years of travel, Nezan Kuzhe Sahal thought. The orange light coruscated once it hit his numerous ships, and it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. The strange, disturbing orange light would've broken his suspension of disbelief had he been anywhere else, but no- it was real. Soon, his ships would finish scooping- he could see a small Hawey attached to a tank almost bigger than it maneuver, then slot the tank into one of the Krenyas- and then it'd be just another month until they reached Target 2- and the most recent comms pickups from there, from 1.5 Huyunnes out, seemed to say its name was Othlikk. Hopefully, the other first contact fleet had arrived well...

[Solocon]

SOLIS
SOLON, SOLOCON

---

The twilight skies over Solis are illuminated with rays of intense cyan hues as the blue sun steadily rises from the distant horizon. Morning. The deep, undulating, technological hum of the megacity grows as levitating, automated transportation convoys fill the network of rails threading through the city. Overhead, an orbiting Terminal hangs in the sky, its metallic surfaces distantly glistening with the sun's light. Few Solons can be found walking outside the towering buildings, and the faint sound of their conversational clicking mixes in with the warm, humid air. Suddenly, however, the sound of clicking increases. Streaming out of their superstructures, crowds of Solons amass on the ground level and elevated walkways of the city, gazing up in surprise. Pairs of milky-white eyes can be seen pressed up to the blackened windows of Solis's numerous buildings. All of them are looking up at the sky, where the giant cube and surrounding rectangular prisms of the Terminal float miles above the city. But they are not gazing at the Terminal. The eyes of Solis are focused approximately thirty degrees north, where a geometric array of glittering objects twinkle like stars in the midst of the morning sun's light, having just appeared mere moments ago.

. . .

The SolIntelSect hovercraft raced into the cyan sunrise at maximum speed, the megacity of Solis visible in the distance. Cyron stared at the floor uneasily with his synthetic eyes, looking up again through the black windows to glance at the formation of artificial stars that twinkled down forebodingly. It had been a long time since Solocon had to establish first contact, and the Solons nearly went extinct the last time it did. Abruptly, the blue-green flora below Cyron turned into black, reflective, metallic structures: the outskirts of Solis. An event alert appeared in his field of vision from SolDefSect.

-.] ICC'T AE XUM ARX M'LLDURR'C EC'CHA;
-:] > SOLIXDEF .-:: IEDUM AC'TX I'CHIS'SREL -:. IC < ;
-:.] > AC'TX; JU'AAL AC'TX SOLON ETT'C -:: IC < ;
-::] I'CHIS'SREL AC'TC SOLIX, AR'CC'ON EC

Cyron ground his mandibles together apprehensively. Enemy fleets had mobilized faster than SolDefSect predicted, and now two systems were under attack. Solocon's military was only newly rebuilt and under-prepared for war, and without SolAutoSect in Eccha, Nanite reserves would dwindle. The hovercraft's interior darkened as it flew through the central division of the city and landed within an opening on the side of the colossal SolIntelSect, known informally as the Core. Cyron exited the hovercraft and made his way through to corridors of the building to the large chamber at the top. The Core had filled with government personnel from multiple sectors in the wake of the recent happenings.

Officials' bright markings whisked by as they attended to various tasks, filling the chamber with silent echoes of commotion. A plethora of massive holograms now levitated from the high ceiling, watched intently by nervous Solons on the ground. Cyron walked through the crowds and into the center of the chamber. Waiting for him were the Heads of SolDefSect, SolAutoSect, SolSocSect and a SolComSect official. Cyron gave the signal for the committee to begin their briefing. The HeadDefSect, clad in red markings which ran down the length of his body and nanosuit, hastily stepped forward to initiate the discussion.

"ICT'C ETC IC O'A," he clicked, "ARCH'CTS SOLIXI'NT M'LLDURR'C ECC'A AC'CT OC'HM..."

He briefly described the events of the past few solar ticks and was quick to request an authorization of force against the Jubaali and Maldurian fleets, which Cyron granted. Cyron briefed the committee on SolIntelSect's latest information, as well as the recommendations of Solocon's AIs. His official recommendation was for Solocon to align itself with the Kaesi and for SolSciSect to begin research on the potential weaknesses of its enemies, with the creation of a superweapon as the ultimate goal. The SolSocSect and SolAutoSect heads proceeded to request an immediate retaliation against the blockade on Eccha, which the committee authorized.

SolDefSect bases on Solon and elsewhere filled with commotion as fleets of DefSect vessels lifted off into the air, ready to incapacitate Solocon's enemies with synthetic accuracy...


TERMINAL 007
ORBITING OVER SOLIS, PLANET SOLON

---

The enormous docking branches of the Terminal extended radially out into the silence of space, drifting slowly over the blue-red glow of the megacity miles below it. Icceon looked on through his reflective, metallic faceplate, as he and the other SolSciSect officials pondered the situation at hand. Beyond the ambient lights of Solis, a distant collection of bright, strangely-shaped objects levitated in space, keeping exact pace with the Terminal as it orbited the homeworld. They served as an ominous reminder of the problem at hand: SolSciSect needed to communicate to the alien fleets that they had to move to a safe location away from Solon in the next few solar ticks, before the Jubaali invading fleets opened their attack.

The warm rays of the blue sun filtered quietly into the small chamber as the Solons sat anxiously, thinking. Their faceplates hummed, assisting them in developing different communication methods. It didn't take them long to arrive at a solution. Icceon hastily contacted a SolComSect official, who broadcasted Solocon's first transmission from the Terminal to the alien space fleet. The transmission contained the first ten Solonian numerical figures, followed by two numbered coordinates which used planet Solon's gravitational center as their origin. The first coordinate pair described the alien fleet's current location, while the second described a landing site on the Solonian moon. Data from gravitational wave sensors indicating the Jubaali fleets' impending arrival accompanied the main message.

In addition, another unrelated transmission was wired to the Kaesi in Isestrel.

- - - / / / S O L C O M S E C T 0 1 4 7 6 7 / / / - - -
/ SOLCOM > XXXX /

- -. -: -:. -:: -::. -::: -:::. -:::: -::::. .-

-. [::-:.-:::-:. , :::.-::.-.-:.]

-: [:::-::.-:::.-::.-:::.-::. , :::.-:.-.-::::.-::.-:]

- - / / / END / / / - -

- - - / / / S O L C O M S E C T 0 1 4 7 6 8 / / / - - -
/ SOLCOM > I'CHIS'SREL /

> SOLOCON GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS KAAE'SI REPARATIONS ;
> REQUESTS I'CHIS'SREL ASSIST REPEL JU'AAL ; M'LLDURR'C ;
> PROPOSES KAAE'SI - SOLON ALIGNMENT ; OFFER PROTECTION

- - / / / END / / / - -

[The Adrelos Spinrim Cluster]

Low Orbit, Solon's primary moon

...Well, it hadn't been a suit-and-tie event, thank god for that. Now, though, he'd had to get his fleet moving. It was a bit of a pain to get all the Haweys and Krenyas and Drughens sequestered together. Presumably, in orbit and on the ground of the primary moon, the fleet was safe from whatever the hell they were warning him about. The ship's telescopes studied the planet below- a dirty gem of blues, teals, grey cities, brown clouds... It was pretty, in a way, against the bright blue-white of the star so like his home's. The little contingent of starships he'd left in orbit were just appearing over the horizon now, and if he steered the telescopes the right way he could see the shiny orange-white-red pattern of their paint, the "smokestack" and "mast" concentrating radiators with their black tops glowing, the turrets... Beautiful ships, all of them. Orbiting with his ship were a few more, mostly the Krenyas that couldn't head down to the surface, but those weren't important. The ships orbiting the planet- now those were important. He tried to avoid thinking as his mind came up with innumerable prophecies of doom, and he consoled himself by remembering that- those ships were the most armored, they were ready to jump if necessary, and their crews had signed up for the mission anyway. Probably, though, it was time to sleep.

...Those were nice pictures he was taking, though.

[Isestrel]

KEF Mission Control, The Labyrinth
Isel, Astra System

---

Violent, frozen winds blasted through ancient tunnels deep beneath the surface. Feral Ioyad stones slowly rolled over the worn paths, crawling against the massive currents with its feet of ice, constantly melding itself to the floor and leaving behind a smooth trail that their former masters once valued above all else. Every now and then they stopped at a patch of glowing stone, opened a single slot in the groove that spanned their vertical circumference, and continued on, leaving the patch ever so slightly dimmer than it was before. The Ioyad stones are the only ones that remain of those who crafted the Labyrinth– creatures that made possible the extensive trade routes that brought together the might of the First Empire. Now, they simply wander the forgotten paths and graze upon the crusted biofilms that take in the radon that seeps from the tunnel walls. While the Labyrinth is very much a relic of the past, it is also the heart of something much newer– KEF Mission Control, the foundation of the Alliance's presence among the stars.

News of the transmission from Solocon spread like wildfire. While it was very much cause for relief, the war had only just begun– it was a time for the Alliance to step up and take action. Isestrel was mobilising, and whispers were in the air of a new system so powerful that it could rend a ship into infinitesimal pieces and scatter them across time and space, leaving nothing but a radioactive cloud. The Kaesi would protect their homeland no matter the cost... But for all of this to happen, they needed to buy time– time that the KEF was happy to provide. Thousands of Kaesi in the vast cavern of KEF Mission Control's main room could be seen organising documents, logging events, and sorting out logistics for Fleet C/A-F001, the spearhead of the Alliance Effort. It was only a matter of time before the fleet arrived, and it would have to be made sure that their sacrifice would not be in vain; the KEF had to land a crippling blow on Othlikk. In the midst of the commotion, a single Kaesi in a black lab coat could be seen dashing towards Tactical Initiative.

"Greetings, Mekat. What could possibly be so important as to drag you out of your experiments, other than to meet your old comrade?"

"Ah, it's you, isn't it! Well this is a wonderful opportunity– You are currently overseeing Tactical Initiative, am I correct?"
"I've brought over something that just might cave in the entire Malduri war effort; it's absolutely perfect! Wonderful! Genius! Praise the Flying Bread Mon..."

"Ahem."

"Oh, I'm getting off track again- I'll just get right to it then."

Mekat, a scientist working on PSR, poured out an experimental liquid data tablet on a nearby desk (which was promptly followed by a slew of muffled curses) that, once having flickered on, projected an image of the newly implemented Tesekis-class phase corvettes. He then zoomed in on the Astedøs cores mounted within the craft, a series of spheres coated in Vantablack and surrounded by a multitude of vacuum flux compensators– the only things keeping the mechanism from falling into a feedback loop of progressively worsening gravitational distortion before being ripped apart by the sheer gradient of spacetime (after which it would stabilise itself due to the lack of power, creating a null space).

"So is this supposedly useful in any particular way to me or my compatriots that we haven't already learned about, or is there a problem?"

"There is something new that I'd like to show you. Something that may give us an edge, even with a flux weapon this small."
"Just a moment- I'll show just what happens."

The data tablet flickered once again, this time to a map of what appeared to be orbital debris. A single dot sharply expanded, catching a great deal of others, multiplying the cloud in such a way as would be seen in an instance of Kessler Syndrome. Several dots lagged behind or jumped ahead somewhat, then suddenly resumed their original velocity.

"Now you see, the Astedøs cores occasionally makes small disruptions that act like spatial displacement drives, even by accident. Say we initiate such a phenomenon strong enough to displace a fraction of a random piece of debris so that it lags a certain distance behind or ahead in the orbit, we can make it so that instead of simply ripping apart into a debris cloud a a single point, it stretches it a bit more, just enough so that we can accelerate the Kessler event or create random elliptical trajectories slightly different from the original."
"It's not foolproof, but PSR is remarkably sure that it will certainly at least increase the unpredictability of the debris cloud, and we can accelerate the catastrophe. If there's nothing to blow up, we can supply our own debris and do the same thing, only with more control. The phenomenon also affects anything that enters the disrupted area, so it quickly adds up. This makes weaponised Kessler events much more controllable."
"Would you consider using this tactic against the Maldurii on Othlikk? It may be untested, but it may just be the key to ensuring our complete mobilisation."

"... It looks as though we may not have a choice– we have been given orders to try anything and everything to ensure maximum damage, and although I am troubled with a Kessler Event's potential to butcher innocent civilians, we must simply try our best to give ample warning before it takes full effect."
"I accept your proposal, old friend; we can only hope that we do not doom to many in the hell that is war. I am glad I was able to meet with you, but there are things I must attend to; farewell, Mekat."

"I bid the same to you."

The black-clad scientist stepped back, stood still for a moment, then after apologising to the communications officer whose desk he had used, began to gather up his data tablet with a small vacuum cleaner, then proceeded to hunt down the small droplets that had splattered elsewhere in the facility; obviously, improvements were needed. The one who oversaw Tactical Initiative, namely the former Council Representative of Kelmar, (demoted after the previous conference for spouting 'irresponsible diplomatic suggestions',) turned back and hurried back to the group to bring news of the new concept. Isestrel may have been far from capable of fielding weapons capable of simply overwhelming the enemy, but the Kaesi have always searched for unconventional solutions; perhaps this one may work out after all. Work was still going on elsewhere, however– one must first warm up the gears of war before running the military machine.

---

Orbital Conduit H-81X, Geostationary Orbit Over Kesasel
Isel, Astra System

---

From up close, the surface of Isel is a cold, harsh, and unforgiving wasteland of endless rock and ice. From afar, however, it glows a pale blue, gently illuminating spacecraft riding high above the howling winds– a beautiful sight for some, and a painful reminder of their insignificance among the cosmos for others. For Advisor Taalis of the Kysäteli Council, however, Orbital Conduit H-81X is an excellent spot to survey the construction and restoration of KEF vessels, as well as small demonstrations of their capabilities. The Advisor, like many other Delskians, possessed the peculiar habit of always having a small stash of lichen bread on hand no matter the circumstance, and was contently nibbling away at her own as she observed nearby orbital factories lighting up one by one as components were loaded in from mineral freighters. Soon, with just a few calibrations, they would begin churning out ships, electronics, weapon systems, and yet more factory components. War was at hand; the Gatherer was to be awakened.

From several of the factories, drones were already pouring out at rates that would be extremely alarming to anyone who had any trouble trusting artificial intelligence. Salvage collectors were already powered up and were hard at work collecting debris deflected by the orbital conduit's shielding, and several asteroids previously towed into orbit were now being picked clean by orbital drones. There was nothing like it on such a scale anywhere else that the Kaesi knew of; the Gatherer was an interplanetary AI tasked with the retrieval, production, and processing of resources. It was only deactivated when several sections of the beginning of a Dyson cloud were having catastrophic effects on Dunel and Farina's environments, and it was set to deactivate having never learned anything beyond the simple management of resources. With its return, however, Kaesi productivity would once again reach almost unparalleled levels, and would be able to support a war effort on a truly massive scale.

It was only a matter of time until new asteroids and comets would be brought in from around the Astra system and beyond, and the laser concentrators would soon activate to drive the great supernova forges that were only theoretical until recently, producing nuclear fuel at record speeds and efficiencies. Soon, heavy metal production would soar, and work would finally begin on Dunel to construct a potent, yet extremely unstable and dangerous weapon: the Nanoreplicator– a weaponised grey goo that was outlawed decades ago in the treaty that ended the Avorai Cold War. It would not be long until the Alliance would fully mobilise; and when it did, it would be a powerful force to be reckoned with.

---

Fleet C/A-F001, Galactic West of Othlikk
Interstellar Space

---

The light of the Othlikk system drew close to the crew of Fleet C/A-F001. It was mere light months away, just far away enough so that the gravitational shielding of the ships were effective, hidden as they were within the system's outer dust belt. The crew sat nervously, in wait for the final order; everything was on minimum power, and the projection systems had shaped the ships' coolant into something akin to an asteroid; although notwithstanding of close inspection, it was effective enough for the fleet to act as a sleeper cell. They could not hide out forever, however; it was only a matter of time until their warp gravitational signature finally reached Maldurich's sensor posts. The command was coming soon, however– everyone knew this. For now, however, Fleet C/A-F001 lay in wait, biding its time until just the right opportunity. They were doomed from the start, but the Alliance needed time; and the KEF would provide that time, no matter what method they used.

---

All translations brought to you by the Kaesi Interstellar Relations Linguistic Department

[Maldurich]

The Dragonheart, Eccha System

"Ma'am! Sensory equipment is picking up a fleet coming in from FTL. It bears similar structure to the fleet we detected at Solon." Commander Therani acknowledged his message and walked briskly to the Comm Hub, flicking on her wrist tablet and gesturing through the holodisplay until she reached the Council. In a flash, the central display at the Comm Hub and at the Council chamber lit up simultaneously, and Therani called her lieutenant commanders in to the room. Taking a seat, they awaited the Council beacon to reach the members.

Othlikkore, Othlikk

Supreme Electorate Torres rushed down the hall and quickly made his way out of his residence, into the waiting transport in the driveway. As he approached, the transport's doors seemingly melted away, turning into suspended gas, which reverted back to their solid state upon his entry. The transport already knew his destination - he had entered it with a touch of his finger - and it sped away down the commuter railgun before being launched into the air. Unfolding its retro jets, the transport slowed and landed precisely at the Chamber's transport landing bay - all of which had occurred in the space of forty seconds. Torres stepped out and into the hangar, making his way to the platinum stairs he recognized. An aide approached him and informed him of everything they knew, and the two entered the Chamber and took their places - Torres at the head of the Platform and his aid remaining at the door. It appeared Torres was close to last, with only a few governors missing. Once they were present he began the meeting.
Commander Therani's hologram - and that of her lieutenant commanders - were present on the central display, describing the situation. Maldurii sensors had detected anomalies in their space as well, but Torres would wait until she was finished.
"A fleet from the system Astra, belonging to the Isestrel Alliance, has come out of FTL and approached the Eccha system a few solar ticks ago, and we've just detected a fleet come out from FTL headed your way. We couldn't make out the numbers but it appears similar to the fleet docked on Solon's moon. We've just detected a Jubaali fleet pass within two lightyears of us, and the blockade is continuing as planned."
"Excellent," Torres replied. "We will discuss this information. In other news, Jubaal has confirmed their intentions to aid us. Dismissed."
The hologram shut off and quiet chatter ensued. The Council members had begun to debate once more, Torres just as involved as the person next to him.
"We must me sure of Jubaal's dedication and commitment," Councilman Benh-azre stated to Torres.
"They are committed. I am most concerned about the action Solocon will take towards the blockade."
"Well, they can't operate at max efficiency without the Eccha system... it's a cycle," Benh-azre reflected. "If we just take out Eccha, that's a quarter or so of their military at least. Plus nanite production will be completely destroyed. The longer we wait though, the larger their nanite stockpile will be."
"What you're saying... you want us to take preemptive action? Do you know what kind of damage that would do to any future peace attempts!?" Torres was mad, yes, but he was contemplating. Here was an aggressive man with drastic measures, but certainly nothing uncalled for with how the situation was going at the moment. Whether he wanted to face it or not, the odds were stacked against them and Jubaal, and they had to take action lest the enemy did so first.
"It's not as outrageous as it sounds; think about it," Benh-azre persuaded, echoing Torres' thoughts. "We won't win this war unless we do something about it."
"Wars are never won." Torres countered gravely. "You only lose, lose more, and lose everything. It's not irrational, your idea, I'll grant you that. But it's not a pretty one."
"Wars never were pretty."

The Council had decided, and Torres had informed Commanders Alexa Therani and Solomon Sorrd, the two in charge of the blockade. Orders had been passed to conduct raids, bombings, and fortify the perimeter in general, preparing for retaliation from Solocon. It was not known how the allied forces would react, but one could only hope for the best. Jubaal had gone on towards Solocon, and Commander Gideon Tusk was given charge over the Solocon system, its purpose to reinforce Jubaal's fleet with the 15 Atlas class flagships, 25 Helios cruisers, 50 Hyperion cruisers, and a large number of Vulcan, Hades, and Rhea cruisers, the latter three totalling to 180. A sweep of the Othlikk system and its surroundings had also revealed the fleet that Therani had spoken of, mining fuel from a belt nearby. Torres had entertained the notion that they had come to negotiate peace, but it seemed highly unlikely with the situation as it was. The Council had opted to retain current status with the fleet until further changes, a divisive vote that had erupted into a systemic controversy. No chances should be taken - no chances could be taken - but democracy had to have its voice. Torres just hoped that he had made the right decisions, to ensure they would see another rotation.

[Solocon]

Following the collapse of the Jubaali government, its scientists and military turn to Maldurich for guidance. The Maldurii gain access to the entirety of the Jubaali military and technological achievements.

TERMINAL 0012
ORBITING OVER ECCHA, SOLOCON

---

The Terminal's central command chamber lurched violently, tossing Aeium across the room. A thunderous roar filled the air around him, drowning out the low drone of its emergency alarms. On one side of him, a SolDefSect commander lost his balance and fell backwards, while on the other side another hunched over and retched onto the floor. Aeium reached out and steadied himself against the wall as the trembles ceased. His implant informed him that the Terminal's structural integrity had decreased by seven percent, with a new vulnerable embrasure on its exterior plating on the side facing the Maldurii blockade. Instantly, an array of holograms appeared above the DefSect personnel, all of them displaying information pertinent to one specific warning.

> > ACT'X ARCC X'IC'AX ECC'HA < <
[ECCHA INVASION IMMINENT]

For Aeium and the other DefSect officers, there was a moment of surprise as SolComSect channels poured in reports from various sectors detailing an advance of Maldurii vessels towards the surface. Quickly, however, it passed, and SolDefSect's Eccha division prepared for mobilization. Aeium pulled up a Terminal command prompt and told it to begin undocking all SolDefSect vessels, proceeding to issue an official SolDefSect attack command to Paladin and all of Eccha's command ships. While they had severely miscalculated the timing of the Maldurii invasion, Eccha's defense forces had time to become battle-ready in the ticks following the beginning of the blockade. Within minutes, 175 command ships, 250 class II warships, and 1,325 class III warships-- whole of Eccha's defense-- were deployed into orbit, ready to take on the Maldurii invading fleet.

SOLIS
SOLON, SOLOCON

---

The blue rays of the Solonian sun shifted violet as evening approached over the megacity. The deep hum of the city was interrupted periodically by the sound of spacecraft accelerating into the atmosphere. SolDefSect's Solon Divison was in the process of deploying Solon's defenses into orbit, preparing to defend the homeworld from the approaching invaders. Within the corridors of the Core, Cyron conversed with the other government sector heads, plotting Solocon's next move. Following SolIntelSect reports of Maldurii-Kaesi conflict, they decided it was time to reach out to what could be a indispensable ally in reversing the Maldurii offensive.

As the group of government sector heads proceeded up to the communications chamber of the Core, SolComSect communications arrays orbiting Solon broadcast a heavily-encrypted live communications link towards Isel, along with an official communique.

- - - / / / S O L C O M S E C T 0 1 4 7 6 9 / / / - - -
/ SOLCOM > I'CHIS'REL /

> CONSIDERING OF CURRENT ALIGNED OPPOSITION TO M'LL'DURR'C;
> SOLOCON GOVERNMENT REQUEST IMMEDIATE COMMUNICATIONS WITH K'SEI AUTHORITY;
> PROPOSE COOPERATIVE OPERATIONS IN DEFENSE OF SOLON-K'SEI INTERESTS

- - / / / END / / / - -

[Catalonua]

A fascist monarchy is set up in Catalonua and the Hallconian galaxy, akin to Imperial Japan.

Ultima Olympia, Hallconia
A message from the divine emperor of Olympia and the Hallconian Galaxy

---

DISCLAIMER: I do not support Nazism or its act of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. This is for Roleplay purposes, but may reflect real-life atrocities that might be offensive. You have been warned.

Hello citizens and future subjects of the universe, I am the Emperor of Catalonua, or Olympia. As you might know we have established a imperishable bulwark of a dictatoral government which will lead our universe to peace and prosperity. We will first establish a living space for our superior Olympian race, by all means possible. Those who refuse to be subjugated into this shall be eradicated from the universe and shall never return once and for all! We will annex neighboring galaxies to achieve this primary cause. We will also work towards to cooperation with other races for the creation of a universal co-prosperity sphere. This shall bring all realms and beings together into one community, working for prosperity for all! I hereby beg for your cooperation. Long live the Empire!

[The Adrelos Spinrim Cluster]

Orbital "Kaiad Houzash", High Korokoros Orbit, about 6 years ago

"I've got sight of them, sir! Should I call the fleet?"

"No, let them leave. They'll get what wildcatters deserve."

"I'd call you in, but they seem to be going for a jump."

And with that second-long decision, the rebels who had stolen a fifth of the fleet were allowed to shoot through the Korokoros-Upratzie Y2 point and disappear, shooting through the void until they reached an F-star they named Fanhdob.

Fanhdob-Vroluo Y4 point, now

The crew of the Xin-Kjallurst had finally arrived, and they- like everyone else- had known it from the moment the shifting blue-purple-black of Zoyako faded, then shifted to the black of space. From here, they'd just need to find the best world in the system...

In the sky of the vast habitat loomed the 3 other habitats, 3 asteroid-worlds, and the 4 Zulinyi they'd grabbed- but more important were the bright, white star and... was that a companion? No, it was a relatively near blue giant. The same star transmitting something in a human tongue, though it was a strange one, something interspersed with a word they found almost familiar- the word Hallconia.

[Catalonua]

Orbital "Kaiad Houzash", High Korokoros Orbit, about 6 years ago

"I've got sight of them, sir! Should I call the fleet?"

"No, let them leave. They'll get what wildcatters deserve."

"I'd call you in, but they seem to be going for a jump."

And with that second-long decision, the rebels who had stolen a fifth of the fleet were allowed to shoot through the Korokoros-Upratzie Y2 point and disappear, shooting through the void until they reached an F-star they named Fanhdob.

Fanhdob-Vroluo Y4 point, now

The crew of the Xin-Kjallurst had finally arrived, and they- like everyone else- had known it from the moment the shifting blue-purple-black of Zoyako faded, then shifted to the black of space. From here, they'd just need to find the best world in the system...

In the sky of the vast habitat loomed the 3 other habitats, 3 asteroid-worlds, and the 4 Zulinyi they'd grabbed- but more important were the bright, white star and... was that a companion? No, it was a relatively near blue giant. The same star transmitting something in a human tongue, though it was a strange one, something interspersed with a word they found almost familiar- the word Hallconia.

Kasmeneia Planetary Space Dock, Outer Hallconia

"Is the fleet ready?"

"Yes, we have prepared the biggest fleet of Olympian history. The Grytonians don't stand a chance. Their technology is inferior, hardly maintaining their own system."

"I reckon we are helping separatists and collaborators?"

"Yes, they are ready. They are currently sabotaging critical Gryptonian infrastructure, we will start a campaign which will last no longer that 3 weeks. Then a puppet will be established then we can start the exploitation."

"I will be visiting the fleet later on."

"Yes, sir! I salute you and the Empire."

With this, the invasion of the Gryptonian system is commenced. The Gryptonians are a secluded, primitive tribe, not long after it established a system-wide rule. Some outer planets are willing to set their government under the Empire. The Imperial Forces mobilize their 4th Fleet, with the main ship TES (The Emperor's Ship) Eppesos, and another 1,250 ships participating. Some of the force will break apart to also colonize the Yeulenians, just left to the Gryptonians. The ships are authorized to shoot on sight.

---

Trebizonde, Outer Hallconia, Olympia

A ship, which is presumed to be Adreli, is approaching the Imperial system.

"This is the Imperial Navy. Please identify yourself."

[The Adrelos Spinrim Cluster]

Fanhdob-Vroluo Y4 point, now

"Alright, normal scouting-colonization plan EI," announced Perzerah Yolkih Yonwen, the first-among-equals of the new Svosyehui. Noting reports of 'suspicious lights' on some planets, he added- "And, uh, Contact plan V."

To avoid the annoyingly informal habits of the Perzerah, here's the explanation:

- Disperse the fleet in such a way as to provide strength even in scouting, in case of enemy attack

- Prepare all Yaron-Skipper ships for skipping

- Use fleet tugs to acquire asteroids, if hostile encounter occurs use these to disperse or damage hostile fleets

- When possible and safe, land an orbital on the most suitable world

- Send small squadrons of lighter-than-Krenya ships to neighboring systems

- If intelligent life is encountered, attempt to convert them to our cause

- If life is hostile, destroy without damaging infrastructure of vessels/planets if possible (radguns, dispersal weapons)

In short, without knowing it, the Svosyehui were prepared for the incoming Olympian attack.

[Griptonia]

Fanhdob-Vroluo Y4 point, now

"Alright, normal scouting-colonization plan EI," announced Perzerah Yolkih Yonwen, the first-among-equals of the new Svosyehui. Noting reports of 'suspicious lights' on some planets, he added- "And, uh, Contact plan V."

To avoid the annoyingly informal habits of the Perzerah, here's the explanation:

- Disperse the fleet in such a way as to provide strength even in scouting, in case of enemy attack

- Prepare all Yaron-Skipper ships for skipping

- Use fleet tugs to acquire asteroids, if hostile encounter occurs use these to disperse or damage hostile fleets

- When possible and safe, land an orbital on the most suitable world

- Send small squadrons of lighter-than-Krenya ships to neighboring systems

- If intelligent life is encountered, attempt to convert them to our cause

- If life is hostile, destroy without damaging infrastructure of vessels/planets if possible (radguns, dispersal weapons)

In short, without knowing it, the Svosyehui were prepared for the incoming Olympian attack.

Llangollen, Inner Gryptonia

The failing Gryptonian government is in confusion, as well as their inhabitants. As the presence is seen by many others, crowds have amassed in squares and places where the hi-tech ships are present and visible.

---

"What is happening? Why is there huge ships visible?"

"We aren't sure, we have requested the orbital stations to survey, but they aren't responding. Most likely destroyed or rebel commanded."

"Prepare all surface-to-atmospheric defences, and prepare the gunships."

"Sir, local generals have rebelled and have access to 43 percent of the defences."

"Then, send an envoy to the ship. Now."

"Uhh, but there are no people who understand their language"

*sighs*

[The Adrelos Spinrim Cluster]

Llangollen, Inner Gryptonia

The failing Gryptonian government is in confusion, as well as their inhabitants. As the presence is seen by many others, crowds have amassed in squares and places where the hi-tech ships are present and visible.

---

"What is happening? Why is there huge ships visible?"

"We aren't sure, we have requested the orbital stations to survey, but they aren't responding. Most likely destroyed or rebel commanded."

"Prepare all surface-to-atmospheric defences, and prepare the gunships."

"Sir, local generals have rebelled and have access to 43 percent of the defences."

"Then, send an envoy to the ship. Now."

"Uhh, but there are no people who understand their language"

*sighs*

The starships, all gleaming red-white-orange, hang in the skies of Llangollen.

As the people below watch, one of the smaller ships lights up- like a projector.
A section of the sky fills with white, then fades back to blue, and then slowly lights in an easily-recognized image of a handshake.

Two images are sent to Gryptonian military headquarters, given that their messaging protocol, if not their language, has been decoded already- one is a planet-by-planet image of the Gryptonia system, and the other is another image of a handshake.

With bated breath, the ships above desperately hope that handshakes are for greetings and agreements on Gryptonia.

[The 3 Suns]

=====
A High Frequenced radio ping would zoom through the supercluster at 2x the speed of light =====

Radio/TVs pick up a video and audio signal



Static Starts to clear an image starts to clear from the static


It appears to be Galactic Coordinates directing spacecraft to a star named Sunsa in the south west quadrant of the galaxy.

A message would play after

"01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00100000 01110000 01100101 01101111 01110000 01101100 01100101 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01000001 01111000 01101001 01101111 01101101 00100000 01100011 01101100 01110101 01110011 01110100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110111 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110000 01100101 01101111 01110000 01101100 01100101 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01010011 01110101 01101110 01110011 01100001 00100000 01110111 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100 00100000 01101100 01101001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110010 01100101 01110001 01110101 01100101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01110011 01100101 01110010 01110110 01101001 01100011 01100101 01110011 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100111 01101001 01100110 01110100 00100000 01110101 01110011 00100000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01101001 01101110 01110100 01100101 01110010 01100111 01100001 01101100 01100001 01100011 01110100 01101001 01100011 00100000 01101101 01100001 01110000 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110010 01100101 01110100 01110101 01110010 01101110 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01101011 01101110 01101111 01110111 01101100 01100101 01100100 01100111 01100101 00100000 01101111 01101110 00100000 01101000 01101111 01110111 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110101 01110011 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101111 01110010 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110100 01100101 01110011 00100000 "

[Griptonia]

The starships, all gleaming red-white-orange, hang in the skies of Llangollen.

As the people below watch, one of the smaller ships lights up- like a projector.
A section of the sky fills with white, then fades back to blue, and then slowly lights in an easily-recognized image of a handshake.

Two images are sent to Gryptonian military headquarters, given that their messaging protocol, if not their language, has been decoded already- one is a planet-by-planet image of the Gryptonia system, and the other is another image of a handshake.

With bated breath, the ships above desperately hope that handshakes are for greetings and agreements on Gryptonia.

Gryptonian High Command, Ergoden

---

"Sir, sir! A message from the ship!"

"Let's see here..."

The message is live broadcast from Llangolen to Ergoden, Gryptonia's capital and where the high command is present. the high command views this message. Unfortunately, this means a greeting, but a greeting to a lower class from a higher class, in the Gryptonian caste system. The opinions of the high command are ixed, some claiming it is a provocation and some claiming that cultural barriers exist in the vast unierse. The former had more supporters; and it was official-Gryptonians have chosen to go to war against the Svoyeshui ships. They knew they would die, but they would die fighting. The Olympian forces are almost arriving, just 1,200 miles to the nearest planet, Llangolen.