The Hunt for The Black Talon [Maintenance|FT|CLOSED]

by **Auracexia** » Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:03 am

THE HUNT FOR THE BLACK TALON [MAINTENANCE|FT|CLOSED]

Qahr Vu Nash-tar, Khansva-met 5, 18508 01:42 Aoraqet'ya Dévno Coordinated Time (ADCT)
Sunday, October 7, 2300 00:42:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

Ouroboros Molecular Cloud, Aoraqet'yari Star Cluster, A.S.H.A. Space.
A light warship, bearing the name The Black Talon sped through the dense region of giant molecular clouds that marked the transition from the semi-open space of the star cluster, to the more dangerous and very life-threatening outer regions of the Aoraqet'yari Star Cluster, beyond this rather hazardous, and barely charted region lay open space, and The Black Talon was doing everything in its power to lose their pursuers.

The Black Talon's captain, "Fearless" Adalyn Shaw sweating profusely barked orders to her crew. "Can we pick up any more speed?!? We have a dreadnaught and a pair of cruisers. On. Our. Ass! And we haven't been able to shake them since we entered the magnetic field!" Liam "Devil's Smile" Finch, the First Mate of The Black Talon looked up, stubbing his cigarette out on a bulkhead. "I'm at a loss to explain it, Captain, they just keep coming! We —barely— made it through..." bringing his thumb and forefinger together, until a mere sliver of space remained between them, "Albeit with some of our systems going a little wonky once we got deeper into the field... but those bastards are acting like it isn't even affecting them!"

Captain Adalyn Shaw, picked up a bottle wedged between the left arm, and the back cushion of the captain's chair, held the bottle tight in her left hand and using her right thumb pressed and pulled her thumb to the right, causing the cap to spin off with a hiss. She brought the bottle to her lips and took a couple of gulps, growling as the alcohol began to burn her throat and tongue. "Da-yumn, where did we get this stuff?!, if we make it through this, we're going to need more" Liam piped in with his usual charm, "I'm sure it wasn't Liu Xiu, but we were definitely in Gamma when we picked up supplies for this 'favour' we're doing for our... benefactor." She brought the bottle to her lips again and took two long chugs. "Oh yeah... our marvelous benefactor, the spineless moron who couldn't do it himself, and decided it best to send US on a suicide mission. The fucking bastard. This whole run has been a fucking debacle..."

She looked over to her crew member running the sensor arrays, "Are they still behind us?" Sphinx, she had no other name looked up from the console, "That's an affirmative, captain." she said solemnly. Adalyn cursed to no one in particular. "And we can't jump, because thanks to the beating we took in that magnetic storm back there, we've been having to rely on purely VFR... so we don't know what the fuck lays ahead of us... this is just fucking perfect. Luckily, all we have to do is keep avoiding their fire, and keep a wide margin between them and us... at least until we're clear of this bullshit... once we hit open space..." She looked over to Blitz, "Blitz, once we're into open space, I want you to have this ship ready to make a jump. That's the ONLY chance we have of outrunning these fuckers, got it?" Blitz nodded as she began plotting the coordinates on the holographic screen. "As soon as we exit... here... we should be able to execute a jump to here, we'll be something like ten parsecs on the far side of Loseida well inside Beta Quadrant." Behind The Black Talon, some distance behind was all fifteen kilometers of the Eclipse, flanked by two Aoraqet'yari cruisers, the Crimson Corona and the Nightshade.

AHV Eclipse — Approaching the Periphery of the Aoraqet'yari Star Cluster.
Captain of the Eclipse, Niitarya Kéminis'ya sat on the edge of her seat, her hands in a white-knuckle grip on the arms of her seat. She had initiated the long-running pursuit of The Black Talon, mentally plotting her next move as the tiny pirate warship ahead of the cruisers under her command weaved every time she ordered the Crimson Corona or the Nightshade to take a shot. "Damn it!" Niitarya cursed aloud. She ordered her Combat Systems Officer, Cmdr. Záélerra Váélyrrh'ya with a low but menacing tone, her teeth a wide grin between her red lips. "I'm not losing those pirate fucks now, stay on them! As soon as we're close enough, launch a pair of Vexthorns, once those attach and disable their propulsion, we'll have these basta—." Navigational Officer Lt. D'Sinda T'Dháirra cut her revelry short. "Captain, we've just left Hegemonic space!"

Bridge of The Black Talon — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches.
Blitz looked up from her screen to Captain Shaw, "We should be entering open space in 3... 2... 1!" Adalyn smiled. "Fortune must be showing us some favour..." She leaped out of her chair and kissed Blitz on the forehead. "I don't know how Blitz, as soon as the coordinates are locked, make the jump!"

Bridge of the AHV Eclipse — Exiting Hegemonic Space.
Ráénÿsa "Rain" Páérphÿna, Captain of the Crimson Corona and Sáélynn'a Aesumyrrha of the Nightshade flashed on the screen of the Eclipse, each in their own tile. "Captain, we have to disable them now, what are your orders?" Niitarya looked over to her Combat Systems Officer, "Záélerra, Prepare to fire!"

Bridge of The Black Talon — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches.
Blitz hurriedly typed as fast as her fingers could, each jab eliciting a hard click. She looked over briefly to Adalyn. "The nav system is still plotting the smoothest, straight-shot route to the coordinates I entered... we still have something to the tune of fifteen seconds before it will finalize everything needed for the jump. Until then, may I suggest we make a short jump to get on the other side of the OB Association ahead of us? We barely made it out of that nightmare-scape back there, I don't want to risk us traversing another clusterfuck on steroids... luckily our nav systems have identified a route through that is nearly a straight shot, with some slight curves... if we allow the nav system to correct for the slight curves we should—" Adalyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "We've made it this far taking the biggest risk of our lives, I'm trusting this to you and the nav system, Blitz. Do it."

Blitz nodded, and pecked away at a few more keys, giving the last one a sharp jab. "See ya, fuckers!" She grabbed for a few seconds and found the straps on her seat and quickly buckled herself in. "Considering the impromptu nature of this jump, I'd suggest you let everyone know they should strap in, or hang on to something," Adalyn smirked. "Open comms." There was a slight hiss, some light static, and then a low hum... "Everyone on board, we're about to make a sublight jump, you are advised to strap in or find something to brace yourselves against. Captain Shaw, out." The ship's propulsion began spinning up until the whine was nearly deafening. Adalyn, already strapped in, leaned against the straps, having to yell above the sound. "Blitz! How. Long. Be-fore. We—" The propulsion emitted a large "SHOOM!" and Adalyn felt the force pushing her back into the seat with what felt like a punch to the chest at thirty-two kilometers per hour, knocking the wind out of her. She looked up as everything around the ship appeared to just streak past them. Blitz not taking her eyes off the nav screen barked out to the captain. "We should be coming out of the jump in about ten seconds... in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1! Brace for deceleration!"

Bridge of the AHV Eclipse — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches.
Cmdr. Záélerra Váélyrrh'ya awaited the signal that she had a lock, the tracking reticle of the fire control system had gone from red to yellow and was just seconds from going green... then the Black Talon's engines grew bright, and then a flash and The Black Talon was gone. "Captain! The pirates... they've jumped. We've lost them." Niitarya went apoplectic. "What?!? we were right on them... how... Motherfuckers! Do we know where they jumped to?" Navigational Officer Lt. D'Sinda T'Dháirra nodded. "Our systems have triangulated their exit point to be almost equidistant from Deneb, Aldebaran, and Sol." Niitarya grimaced... "We're taking a huge risk here... punch in coordinates for a safe distance from their exit point... and D'Sinda? Make the jump as soon as the nav gives us the green light. We're not losing them." D'Sind'a nodded, as she entered the coordinates into the nav system, "Checking... Re-checking... Finalizing coordinates..." The main propulsion systems of the Eclipse were brought down to minimal, as the forward thrusters of the massive ship began a smooth deceleration, reorienting the ship while the nav systems continued finalizing the coordinates, all the while, the hyperdrive systems were being prepared for the jump. What began as a low hum could be heard as the ship's main engines reached full power, the hum turning into a loud droning roar, as the ship's forward thrusters were powered down. D'Sinda barked out, "In 5.. 4... 3... 2.. 1!" The roar was replaced with what sounded like a large cannon opened fire, and the Eclipse left the Crimson Corona and Nightshade behind in a burst of light.

Minutes later, the Eclipse exited it's jump, with Niitarya shooting a look at D'Sinda, "Where are our coordinates?" D'Sinda checked the nav systems, "We're approximately twenty-five parsecs and about... thirty-five light-years from Sol." Niitarya looked over to Information Officer Cmdr. D'Sáérra Káérdóvryn'ya, "D'Sáérra, as soon as you're able, execute a wide scan, active, passive, thermoptics, I don't care... find them." D'Sáérra tried in vain to coax the sensors to pick up something... anything resembling The Black Talon, but the ship was just nowhere to be found. "Captain, we lost them. They must have jumped from this general vicinity while we were preparing to make our jump."

Niitarya fell back in her chair with a thump, cursing under her breath. "Damnit... we almost had them. Lt. D'Tarlauna, send this message back home, 'We have pursued The Black Talon, however, they have eluded apprehension and have presumably escaped into the Beta Quadrant. I am issuing a bounty of 500,000 Kurav'i to whomever successfully apprehends The Black Talon and her crew.' Have the bounty circulated forthwith upon the approval of the Prime Archon." D'Siénya complied, compiling the missive before sending it.

Niitarya didn't have to wait long for an answer, as D'Siénya received notification within minutes. She quickly decrypted the response, and gave a smile to Niitarya, "Apparently, the Prime Archon likes your idea, she's officially doubled it to 1,000,000 Kurav'i." Niitarya smirked. "I wish it'd have been us that caught them, but with that bounty on their heads, it won't be long... transmit the notice of the bounty to the GalNet. D'Sinda, plot us a route home."

by **Lady Scylla** » Tue Jun 23, 2020 1:40 am

Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

There was a momentary disturbance of starlight that bent the many specks abruptly into long rays around a sphere. Only a few seconds had transpired before these long, arcing rays snapped back to their original shape like a rubberband having been released of its tension, but the sphere had been replaced by a vessel. This ship, peculiar to this region, unexpectedly vanished in another disturbance. But it would not come alone.

Another vessel followed as it exited its jump and was unceremoniously dumped into space. This ship was unlike the first and dwarfed its predecessor and anything that was local to this region. Large enough to exert its own gravitation, albeit nothing compared to that of a celestial body, its arrival came like the crash of a hammer in a sea of oil. The ripples from the jump would not go unnoticed, and indeed, neither ship had gone unnoticed in the Martian Expeditionary Perimeter. The patrol zone of the United Republic.

Janus, the bureaucratic AI for Transit Authority had been watching her favourite show, I love Suzy. It was an old Earthling programme from the 20th century, a sitcom the humans called it, and a damned good one in Janus' opinion. In her own virtual room, she had background processes in the shape of indecipherable numbers and letters that ran around her persona managing the day-to-day workings of state -- at least in regards to travel, which was her jurisdiction.

One of these processes began to flash and change colour to a vibrant red, alerting the AI. ''What's this?'' She paused her programme and picked up the process to expand its data across the walls of her room. A number of buoys had gone off in the Ulaanbaatar Sector, and the information they had pulled from their catalyst was nothing less than alarming. Tens of thousands of these sensor buoys had been laid across the MEP in the Reaches over the last few years, allowing the UR to keep track of every ship coming into the region. And over a dozen of these pieces of equipment had sounded an alarm.

Code: Select all: //Unidentified Vessel// Beam: 3.78km Length: 15km Displacement: 56.7[sup]3[/sup] Dry Mass Est: 200-270 Gigatons Class: No Data Manufacturer: No Data Origin: No Data Type: Warship Armament Detected Egress Zulu Romeo 3401 - Ulaanbaatar 47 by 15 degrees Checking Naval Registry... No Data Elevating Permisisons Checking Classified Naval Registry No Data

Four AIs had gathered inside a virtual room around a small table and were playing a game of poker. There was Athena, the warmind responsible for Defence; Hermes, who managed communications; Minerva of Intelligence; and Icarus of National Research. Together, these AI, alongside Janus, who was not currently present, made up the Hierarchy. They were the Supreme AI that handled the UR's bureaucratic machine and held authority over lesser AI. The four of them had been playing the game for a few hours now, with most of the chips having piled up with Athena who tendered a cigarette in her mouth as she laid down a card. ''Shit,'' Hermes exclaimed as another stack of chips was pulled to Athena with a sly grin.

''Not my fault you're terrible at this game, Hermes, should get those processors checked. Me thinks your computations are lagging. Tsk, tsk,'' Athena chuckled, flicking ashes onto the floor that vanished into the void. One could ask what an AI could possibly have as collateral in such a poker match, and it was a simple answer -- stations. AI were allowed to run businesses and make money, and for many of them, being able to observe the humans and other sacks of meat was an interest that made it worthwhile. So naturally, having a side-business they could run while performing their bureaucratic duties was a must.

''C'mon, Athena. This is my last casino, you've already got the Diamond and Chateau from Icarus during the last game,'' Hermes complained, but Athena was having none of it. She played another two cards and the table sighed in exasperation. Athena cackled and gathered their chips to her side of the table as they all laid their cards down.

''Sorry, boys. I'm just too good,'' she said, materialising a glass of wine for her to drink. ''How about another round? Tell ya what, I'll put my mining operation on the line if you drop your spaceliner business, Icarus.''

''Oh you're on.''

''Fine,'' complained Hermes.

Janus suddenly appeared in the Virtual Room as the chips were redistributed out and the cards were quickly passed out among the lot. ''Well,'' Athena passed a wry glance at the Transit Authority AI, ''Look who decided to show up to the Hive. Down for a game?''

''I can't. We've got a situation, Athena.''

''The warship in Ulaanbaatar,'' the warmind answered as she played a card and sipped her glass.

''Wait, did you backdoor my servers?''

''I backdoor everything, Janus. That shouldn't be surprising. My job is to keep tabs on anything relevant to our benefactors' defence,'' she answered mockingly. ''I was wondering when you'd show up, took you a good two milliseconds to come here.''

''I had to check the registry.''

Athena sat her cards down and stretched out her hands which were almost translucent. She let out a small groan at the exercise before finally looking up at Janus. ''It is a problem. I've already notified the Security Council. Seems work is calling boys, no mining for you. I will take these,'' the warmind said as she stood and picked up the access codes to a number of businesses she'd won from their game. She gave Hermes a piercing gaze for a moment, ''I better not find any hooks in this so you can weasel in access still or mess with my operation. Remember what happened last time. C'mon Janus.''

Laconia City, Capital of the United Republic
Southern Martian Administrative Zone, Mars, Sol

The Secretary-General, Ewan Roth, had been lounging in his chair with his face resting on his index and middle finger as he listened to the cabinet discuss the budget. The Treasury Secretary was going over a new potential infrastructure expansion in the Martian Delta that they could introduce to the National Assembly during the next budget debate. Overall, it was very dry conversation for Roth, who looked as though he was half-asleep. He was brought out of this stupor by the cyber-call from his personal secretary, Mathis. He brought the virtual screen up in his field-of-vision and through cybercommunication asked Mathis what the matter was.

''Ladies and gentlemen,'' Roth interrupted the Treasury Secretary. They all turned in their chairs to look at the Secretary-General, who had stood and was buttoning up his suit-jacket. ''I apologise for the disturbance, but I've a matter I must attend to. I trust you will have a final report on my desk by the morning, thank you,'' he said in his typical smooth tone. He departed them and met up with Mathis who was patiently waiting outside in the hall, out of breath from having sprinted there. The two briskly began to walk, passing by other staff of the Capitol as Mathis began to debrief him.

After less than an hour, Roth and Mathis were soon joined by the Security Council and Joint Chiefs of Staff inside the situation room, three storeys under the capitol.They had huddled around a table and were staring at a number of screens depicting data such as telemetry and scans of the unidentified vessel that had breached the MEP. Roth had just put down the phone and looked over the room full of professional, but nervous officials.

''I've been in contact with the Menelmacari Consulate, the Ascendancy has permitted the suspension of Article II of the Sol Mutual Security Treaty,'' there was both a sigh of relief and also renewed palpable tension among the assembled. ''We are now officially moving to DEFCON 2. I'm using my emergency powers to convene the National Assembly for an urgent closed-door session. I want a draft proposal put together for a declaration of war that can be submitted to the National Assembly within the hour,'' he stated to his executive staff, who hurriedly departed the room and began making calls in a chaotic scene of chatter.

Roth looked to the Marshal of the Navy, ''Alex, I'm going to go with your suggestion. We'll deploy a small task group of warships to investigate and shadow this vessel. We'll need to conceal our true strength until we know what we're dealing with, and maybe we can learn about where it came from and what its doing here. I'm going to need you to work with Marshal R'Sava of STRATCOM to determine the best use of our orbital platforms and Apophis. If this thing is hostile, we may need to be pre-emptive.''

''Understood, sir,'' Alex stated.

''I want to make myself clear to all of you. If we have to deploy Apophis or our interstellar warheads, we cannot -- and I cannot stress this enough -- we cannot give the Menelmacari any reason to fire on us. The suspension covers only the targeting of this warship. Any deviation of that will risk an interstellar conflict with the Ascendancy that we will lose. Understood?'' Roth bellowed.

Spire ULN 351, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Across the Ulaanbaatar and adjacent sectors of the MEP, large obelisk like stations measuring just a couple kilometres in length manned by the Martian navy had laid dormant for sometime. These monolithic spires were a part of a robust defence network, known as Apophis, that served as the nation's first line defence against an invasion. When the order came down from the Secretary-General that Apophis was to be activated, the warmind Athena quickly began to elevate her permissions to gain complete authority of the network with the SG's parameters. The nation's warmind had been unleashed.

Janus and Athena sat in a new virtual room as the warmind worked to awaken the beast. ''Apophis is online,'' a metallic voice announced, ''Activating stations 271 through 351. Running Diagnostics. Initialising Target Coordinates. Preparing for Manoeuvres.'' Lights appeared across the spire's face, with thrusters igniting along its axis to rotate it slowly in the direction of its target. There was a massive power surge as the reactors aboard the station came alive and the wormhole generator at the centre of the station began to whirr.

''Activating wormhole connections to siphons,'' the voice announced. A map that Janus could see depicted a number of warships strategically placed near a number of neutron stars elsewhere in the galaxy, these ships were known as wormholers, a type of autonomous barge designed to siphon stellar matter. Slowly but surely, these ships turned green on the screen, and a series of lines ran from them to their corresponding spires on the map.

''We're live,'' Athena stated.

The spires began to open up like the jaws of a monster with long, thin mandibles and a massive, bottomless pit in the centre. Energy arced across the mandibles as the wormhole grew larger and shielding around these jaws was quickly deployed. Behind the metaphorical barrel of this machine were the rapidly unfolding panels of the radiators to help deflect and dissipate the heat from the weapon away from its core internals. Beyond this wormhole was a barge, having parked itself into a position where it could deploy its large electromagnetic siphons to pull neutron matter from the star's surface. Surrounding the barge was a giant flower-like radiator to protect the drone-ship and a radially mounted series of gravity generators directed towards the wormhole of the vessel to help it siphon.

Trident Defence Platform
Outer Planetary Space, Past Neptune
Sol

A team of workers had rushed into the tight, narrow corridors and channels of the defence platform to get to the launch bay. Using cranes and machinery they quickly loaded in the first of four MK-V Starfire Interstellar Ballistic Missiles. These rockets were basically modified corvettes of the Martian Navy, dedicated to carrying a large series of warheads, and capable of travelling out to a good distance from Sol.

Originally developed as a weapon against the Menelmacari during the Interplanetary Cold War, they had undergone a number of upgrades in recent years, re-purposing them as a potential deterrent against invaders. Now they were being primed for launch against an unknown warship way out in the Ulaanbaatar Sector. With Trident now active as well, Athena had full control of its targeting and adjusted the platforms to their proper position, undoubtedly under the scrutiny of the Menelmacari who were likely arming up weapons of their own in case the UR dared violate their agreement. The nation was now holding its breath.

Ulaanbaatar Anchorage, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Two battlecruisers, some destroyers, and a number of frigates slowly pulled away from Temujin Station as their crews toiled away at preparing the vessels for travel. Once the tugs had gotten the ships into the thrust-zone, the engine bells of these warships began to glow a brilliant blue as they accelerated away under their own power. Temujin with its opulent white paint and lights slowly faded into obscurity as they headed towards their jump points. Fusion torches around the radial aft of the warships had been ignited to bring them to c-frac speeds towards the edge of the system. Once they arrived, the frameshift drives aboard the warships were activated and the entire task group vanished abruptly.

When these forces re-appeared, it was many lightyears away from home, in the void of space. Under the command of Rear Admiral Michael Romero, the group moved towards their staging point. It was just another jump now, and they would be within range of the leviathan. The ships vanished again and finally appeared within a few AU of the Eclipse. The showdown had begun.

Quickly, the frigates with their heavily armoured bows formed a line in front of the destroyers and battlecruisers. Their rapid-firing weapons had already been warmed up and were ready to unleash a volley of fire down range if needed. The destroyers formed a secondary line, activating their signature spinal cannons and loading in large tungsten shells. The two battlecruisers sat staggered among the destroyers, with their point-defence systems alive and monitoring the volume surrounding the task group. The munition belts of the battlecruisers dropped missiles into their launch bays loaded with antimatter warheads, and began to feed rounds to the 20'' railguns mounted on the sides of the vessels.

Scans were performed with LIDAR and other instruments of the Eclipse which was compiled by the ships' AIs and dumped onto their holographic planning rooms. The Martians were taken aback by the sheer size of the alien vessel. R. Admiral Romero stood over the central table of the planning room staring at the specs of the vessel with some curiosity. ''Am I reading this right? We're talking two-hundred gigatons of dry mass?'' the Admiral asked as he turned to his intelligence officer, a short, red-haired woman named Brex.

''Aye, sir,'' she answered. The Eclipse was a monster of two-hundred million tons of dry mass compared to the battlecruiser directly under Romero's command, the URSC Roosevelt's, humble one-hundred and fifty thousand tons. The Martian battlecruiser was only a few hundred meters long whereas the Eclipse measured itself in kilometres. The only thing comparable in size were the Martian citadel stations used to pacify planets.

''Time to introduce ourselves then,'' Romero stated with a grin as he wrapped his arms behind him and walked up the steps onto the bridge where the other officers were seated. ''Navigation. Keep our heading and speed, I don't think we need to flip-and-burn if things get heated. Weapons, sitrep?''

''Railguns are online, as are the AMAT warheads, and the point-defence system, Admiral,'' Lt. Furvani answered from his console.

''Intelligence, sitrep, please.'' Romero took a seat at his station as he pulled up a number of screens and began to look them over. He closed them quickly afterward and spun in his chair and stood back up to peak over Intel's chair. Brex pulled up a hologram of the Eclipse for the centre of the bridge.

''It looks like its armed with railguns, a lot of them. It's got secondary armaments as well throughout the hull. None of it looks streamlined, I think it's a conversion. Maybe was a freighter once? It does have what looks to be a number of very large bays, so it probably has a complement of fighters and other ships at its disposal.'' Brex manipulated the hologram to show the hangar bays as Romero inspected them.

''Alright, that'll be the first things we target with the AMAT warheads. I'll need the frigates to overwhelm their secondaries and maybe we can cripple their drives and some of these railguns with our own to deliver a knockout punch to those bays. Have the AI run a simulation on that for me Brex.''

''Aye, sir.''

''Communications, launch a blitz. I'll record a transmission. Surely they're on a frequency we know,'' the admiral stated with a sigh as he sat back in his chair and began to mull things over.

''Attention unidentified vessel. This is Rear Admiral Michael Romero of the United Republic of Mars and Martian Colonies' Federal Navy. You have breached the Martian Expeditionary Perimeter within the Solarian Reaches. Identify yourselves and your intent. Be aware that any action deemed hostile will be met with force.''

by **Auracexia** » Tue Jun 23, 2020 4:28 am

Abx Qura Xeza-tar, Khansva-met 6, 18508 03:31:15 ADCT
Monday, October 8, 2300 02:31:15 UTC

Bridge of the AHV Eclipse — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.
Captain of the Eclipse Niitarya Kéminis’ya was in a dour mood, "Seorsya, we can't return home to Auracexia Prime with empty hands, this whole thing has been a bust, we went from our original assignment of surveying systems in the Föergan Sector, and then we got put on this goose chase!" Cmdr. Seórsya Káétÿráéla, XO of the Eclipse stood by the large viewport looking down the wide channel along the center separating the ship almost completely in half lengthwise towards the bow, out at the beautiful surroundings when she was interrupted as Sensors Officer LtCmdr. D'Sáérra Káérdóvryn'ya and Intelligence Officer Lt3G Shandäráéla Kháénéssar'ya approached her, D'Sáérra spoke first. "Commander, we have a slight issue, almost immediately after we arrived here in pursuit of The Black Talon we were scanned at least a dozen times, and that isn't the sum of it..." Seórsya turned around, leaning against the viewport. "Alright, you have my undivided attention. What else?" Shan'dar'ael'a nodded, "Not long after we were scanned, several structures were located on our scans distant from us, that just became active."

As they continued the conversation, just a few AU in front of the Eclipse a decent sized ship arrived, then another... and seconds later more. Seórsya nodded, "Alright, I'm guessing there's more than what you've just told me." D'Sáérra's eyes went wide. Seórsya gave her a confused look. "What?". D'Sáérra slowly raised her arm and pointed just over Seórsya's left shoulder. "I was going to tell you that we are going to be having company... but... they're already here." Seórsya slowly turned around, quickly counting the number of vessels in front of them. "You two, get back to your stations and thank you for the update, you're dismissed." She quickly crossed the distance from the viewport and made her way over to the Captian's Quarters.

AHV Eclipse — Captain's Quarters
Cmdr. Káétÿráéla quickly opened the door to Niitarya's quarters, not even bothering to knock or open a Secure Link over Holographic Comms Visor to inform her she was coming in. "Captain, there's been a development, your presence is needed on the bridge. Immediately." in a tone that suggested it was a demand and not a request. Niitarya sat on her bed, still cursing herself out, and Seórsya couldn't stand it anymore. She brought her right hand back, before swinging it down striking Niitarya across the face. "Niitarya! Get. Your. Ass. To. The. Fucking. Bridge. NOW! We have a problem, and we need you! We have about a dozen and a half ships out there, and they don't look like they've arrived to welcome us to the fucking neighborhood!. So, if you're done feeling like a failure, maybe you can get off of your ass, get to the bridge... and I don't know... act like you're the damned captain, Captain!" she threw a quick salute, turned and walked out of her quarters.

Seórsya's slap snapped her back to reality, she quickly grabbed her jacket, pulling it on quickly, threading her tactile organs through the openings in the back, before buttoning it up, she strode out of her quarters, swiping the sensor on the frame to close the door behind her. Making her way to the bridge, she strode up to Seórsya "We'll have a talk about that slap later, but thank you." she said in a low tone. "Now, what have we got here?" Seórsya gestured towards D'Sáérra. "Magnify on the screen." The screen on the viewport quickly enhanced the ships, showing them perfectly. Seórsya jumped in quickly "So far, there's a pair of large ships, I can only assume to be battlecruisers, five destroyers, and at last count nine frigates. They haven't done anything hostile yet, so I suggest we await contact." Niitarya nodded. "Alright." She didn't have to wait long before the computer before Lt2G. D'Siénya D'Tarlauna received a notice with a trio of loud chirps. "Captain, they're sent a burst transmission. It reads as follows 'Attention unidentified vessel. This is Rear Admiral Michael Romero of the United Republic of Mars and Martian Colonies' Federal Navy. You have breached the Martian Expeditionary Perimeter within the Solarian Reaches. Identify yourselves and your intent. Be aware that any action deemed hostile will be met with force.'.

Niitarya sighed. "GalStan... there's one bit of good news to come out of this... they speak GalStan. Alright, D'Siénya prepare this message and send it forthwith. 'This is Hegemonic Space Defense Forces Captain Niitarya Kéminis’ya of the Auracexian Hegemonic Vessel, the dreadnaught Eclipse. We are of the Ascendant Syndicated Hegemony of Auracexia. We humbly apologize for the intrusion, we were on assignment in pursuit of The Black Talon, which had led our ship here to the approximate coordinates of where they had jumped to. However, by the time of our arrival, they had already eluded capture. We can only assume they made a jump further into the Beta Quadrant. In terms of our intentions, we guarantee that we have no hostile intentions. I repeat, no hostile intentions. My crew has been appraised of the situation, and have been ordered to stand down. We await your reply.'"

As soon as D'Siénya finished composing the message, she sent it as a burst transmission. "Message sent, I decided to make sure all of them received the message, just to be on the safe side." Niitarya smiled. "Now we wait."

by **Lady Scylla** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:14 am

URSC Roosevelt, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

The Roosevelt's bridge listened to the transmission from the Aurcexian vessel, with Brex rapidly typing away and searching every known database for any mention of the civilisation. A drop of sweat rolled down the greyish-brown brow of the Rear Admiral as he resolutely stood in the centre of the different stations. Holographic screens had been brought up around the commander, depicting the other commanding officers of the Martian fleet awaiting Romero's orders.

As the transmission ended, there was a deafening silence that swept the small chamber. The group of Martian warships were still moving at a steady pace towards the Aurecexian vessel, though their trajectory would not take them directly to the ship but beneath it. A fore-placed clock counted down the time before the ships would be in range to use their railguns, though the Eclipse was already well within missile and spinal range. Romero swallowed and looked to Brex for answers, but her face when she glanced up at the Rear Admiral said all he needed to know.

''Intel -- open up a channel with the Security Council,'' Romero ordered as he briskly walked and positioned himself in the centre of the bridge for his projection. After a moment, the room of the Security Council with the Secretary-General and his staff materialised around the Admiral. It seemed they had all been eagerly awaiting an answer to the situation, whether the United Republic had a new foe, or something else entirely.

Ewan Roth leaned back in his chair as he clasped his fingers and stared at the Rear Admiral's projection, ''Admiral, I'm glad to see you're still in one piece. What's the situation?'' The Joint Chiefs all leaned in towards the projection as a cabinet secretary in the back of the room quickly typed things down. The rest of the room stood near the back, behind the Secretary-General, as if what news Romero had would somehow cut them all down right then and there.

Romero gave a slight nod, ''Sir, we've made contact with the alien vessel. The information the alert system collected was correct -- we are dealing with a warship far beyond our scope. Conventionally, at least. According to those aboard, they're called 'Aurecexians', hailing from an astropolity that to date we have no charts or data on.'' Roth leaned forwards again and looked at the Marshal of the Navy, who gave the Secretary-General subtle nod.

''Are they hostile?''

''At a cursory glance, it doesn't seem so, sir. Allegedly they entered the MEP by accident chasing an apparent pirate. They've been careful not to provoke us as far as we can tell, I have my forces in a combat pattern, however. We wouldn't be able to sustain a fight with them, but we could deliver a few critical blows and make a run for it. Might slow them down,'' Romero spoke.

''Or piss them off,'' Alex spoke up as he leaned back in his chair. The Navy Marshal continued, ''Sir, we have Apophis online as well as Trident. We can hit them with a neutron lance and ISBMs. They've essentially walked a WMD on our doorstep. Chasing a pirate with such a large vessel -- that's probably the greatest bullshit story I've ever heard.''

Roth scratched his chin for a moment, ''Pull up Athena, please.''

After a moment, the projection of the warmind appeared next to the Rear Admiral. She was donning a blue dress with golden trim, and had her hair tied up in a wavy bun that had a few strands of hair hang freely from it. She gave a polite bow to the assembly before looking to the Secretary-General. ''Athena, what can you tell me about this ship?''

Athena stepped forward and pulled up a hologram of the Eclipse. ''It is an advanced design for a warship, but I concur with Lieutenant Brex's earlier findings -- it's very likely a retrofit from something civilian in nature. They've fitted a number of large calibre railguns that outclass the Roosevelt and Agatha. It's also fitted with a large complement of point-defence weaponry giving it a wide field of fire overall with little need to concern itself from incoming projectiles. A number of extremely large hangar bays have been detected along the sides, large enough to fit our battlecruisers within them. Speculatively, the ship matches something of a trojan horse for an invasion, sir.''

The faces of the Security Council turned sour at the report, though Roth's remained unchanged. ''How can we take it out? Technically, please,'' he asked, with Romero stepping aside to listen to the warmind's insight. She rotated the hologram of the ship towards the aft-engine cluster and highlighted it and several other key points along the hull of the vessel.

''My analysis of the ship leads me to believe that much of our conventional arsenal would be ineffective at even disabling the vessel. While we don't have any advanced scans of the interior, using a number of different heuristic analyses based on typical ship architecture and design of most civilisations in our naval database, I'm positive that much of the vessel is compartmentalised with wide-open spaces separated by reinforced bulkheads. The probability of our railguns striking anything critical is slim, HEAT and thermobaric rounds from secondaries would be ineffective. Missiles have the same outcome. That's assuming these projectiles could get past the the point-defence fire to begin with.''

Given its size and construction, direct energy weapons would be ineffective as the vessel is simply too large to overheat and would simply radiate the heat into space. The best solution we have is the Apophis Defence Array. A neutron lance would have enough energy on contact to critically disable the vessel, and if we could somehow manage to punch a hole to the interior, a lance within would be catastrophic probably resulting in detonation. However, it would require keeping the ship within the area until the lance has arrived. It'd inevitably mean the loss of the fleet. Together, the weapons of the fleet could overcome some of the vessel's defences to achieve that goal, but I put this probably at fifty percent.''

''Sir, with all due respect. We may need to think preemptively about this. If we let this ship get any closer to Sol, we could be facing an invasion on our doorstep. I suggest you authorise a strike,'' Alex said as he leaned in towards the Secretary-General, though Roth seemed unconvinced.

''Marshal, Sol has defences that I'm confident could dispatch this ship and any invasion forces it may be harbouring. Secondly, while I am the Commander-in-Chief, the legality of me authorising a preemptive strike even on the basis that I do so out of national defence is dubious. You know that, I can deploy our forces defensively, Alex. That's the limit of my authority. I'd be impeached and imprisoned.''

''Sir, we can deal with the fallout of that after we have dealt with the threat. I think the National Assembly would be lenient considering what we know about this warship. Can you imagine the public fallout if the legislature moved to impeach, knowing that if it wasn't for your actions, we could have had a massive invasion force on Sol's border?''

The Marine Marshal, Julie Wu, had been quiet for much of the conversation. She didn't really have a ball in the court, given much of what was being discussed was navy related. Though, Alex' suggestions about launching a preemptive strike had drawn her attention. ''Sir, what if we deploy a surgical strike team aboard the vessel?'' The Navy Marshal and Secretary-General looked at her.

''Absolutely not,'' the Navy Marshal bellowed, ''They'd get cut down like nothing just trying to get a shuttle there. The fleet isn't even in range to launch breaching pods, and the moment we do, they'd immediately fire on the fleet. What then?''

''If I may,'' spoke up Romero, ''I'm not exactly comfortable with either option. It's an immense risk, Master Secretary, it'd mean the death of thousands of men and women. However, I am still at your command, Sir. If I had to choose one of the options though, it'd be the strike teams. There may be a way we could be covert just long enough to take control of the vessel, but it'd require a rapid infiltration team. I do have OSIRIS units aboard the Agatha.''

Alex grimaced, ''Sir, we also don't know if this ship isn't just the vanguard. I've no doubt Sol's defences could handle this lone ship but given that this civilisation has managed to construct such a thing, wouldn't it be logical to assume that they have more? Could Sol, even with all the might of the Old Powers, stand up against such an immense force? Billions could die.''

''All the more reason to use a strike team. If we could get ahold of their bridge, maybe we can get some vital intel off them and determine what our next moves are,'' Wu responded, flashing the Navy Marshal a glare.

''We're also talking about risking a war. God dammit!'' Roth abruptly exploded as he stood up, it seemed the Secretary-General's calm demeanour had finally evaporated.He rubbed his chin in thought as he paced behind his chair.

''The clock is ticking, sir,'' Romero reminded them.

''What is the likelihood that they are telling the truth,'' Roth reasoned as he rested on the back of his chair, digging his fingers into the leather. ''What is the likelihood that they were just chasing a pirate and got lost?''

''What if they are the pirate,'' Alex chuckled.

''Not likely, this construction is far too advanced and meticulously built to be from any pirate organisation. It was professionally constructed by another civilisation,'' Athena quipped, drawing the Navy Marshal's ire.

''We could offer a meeting with their commanding officers,'' Wu suggested. ''Take them hostage and enforce demands of the warship.''

''That's suicide. And they'd likely just fire on the fleet anyway,'' Romero countered. ''The best way to do that would be to send a shuttle with OSIRIS to them under the auspices that we are going to hold a meeting. We could surprise them and rapidly take control of the situation.''

''Look, we're arguing in circles, ladies and gentlemen. We've got a fucking massive alien ship that is built to invade a god damn planet just lightyears from our home-system and you all want to argue and debate politics. We need a decision, and we need it fast,'' Alex laid back in his chair, content with his little speech as he eyed the Secretary-General. Roth looked at them all in the room for a moment.

''Master Secretary, they did mention another ship,'' Romero spoke as he stepped back towards the centre of the room. ''I'm sure our buoys picked it up as well, what if we provided that information and also prepared for a contingency. It could avoid an international incident and a war.''

''Athena,'' Roth said.

''A light warship did enter the region the Aurcexians jumped to, and then quickly departed afterward. From what I can gather from the data we have, it likely jumped towards Beta like they said. I have the drive signature, and given that the Hermes Starway runs out that way, I could cross-analyse that data with the buoys along the starway. Ah -- so a similar drive-signature did appear crossing the starway in Beta.''

''Alright. Alex, I want Apophis ready to strike that warship on my command if they try anything. I'm keeping options open, but I know how we can move forward.''

***

A dozen OSIRIS marines slipped into their EVO suits and checked their suit systems while their teammates jerked and pulled on equipment to ensure it was attached and fitted properly. Not a single one said a word as they geared up, grabbing their weapons and equipment and quickly filing into a prepared shuttle inside the Agatha's hangar bay. Not much was known about OSIRIS, and many stories surrounded them in Martian society. They were depicted as 'super-soldiers', genetically altered and grotesque to the point that they were no longer human and incapable of being able to empathise.

The United Republic had long deployed them to great effect, often sending them onto hostile worlds by themselves for months or even years at a time. Their mission was simple: infiltrate, sabotage, and cripple enemy defences, communications, and society. Their unconventional methods and tactics earned them a notoriety in both the military and civilian life, though the full details of what OSIRIS did remains classified. The training program takes years to complete, and supposedly not everyone survives the program.

Commander Arkhan, of the Agatha, stepped onto the shuttle after OSIRIS with a small deployment of regular marines and took their seats. The entire vehicle was empty to the surprise of the grunts with Arkhan. Romero had decided that it'd be best if she was the envoy to meet with the Aurecexians. And so the request had been made.

''Attention Eclipse, this is Rear Admiral Romero. We have logged and compiled data about the vessel you were pursuing and would like to offer it to you as an olive branch -- a gesture of good will -- we are going to dispatch a shuttle to you with Commander Arkhan to discuss the matter further and hopefully reach a diplomatic and cooperative arrangement benefiting both our nations. If this is acceptable, then we shall launch her your way shortly.''

With the message sent, the Admiral looked to Brex. ''Are they in position?''

She nodded.

by **Auracexia** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:39 am

Bridge of the AHV Eclipse — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

The wait was a short one. Lt2G. D'Siénya D'Tarlauna received another notice with a trio of loud chirps. "Captain, we've received another burst transmission. It reads as follows 'Attention Eclipse, this is Rear Admiral Romero. We have logged and compiled data about the vessel you were pursuing and would like to offer it to you as an olive branch -- a gesture of goodwill -- we are going to dispatch a shuttle to you with Commander Arkhan to discuss the matter further and hopefully reach a diplomatic and cooperative arrangement benefiting both our nations. If this is acceptable, then we shall launch her your way shortly.'"

Niitarya gave a comforted sigh. "D'Siénya, prepare this message and send it forthwith. 'This is Captain Niitarya Kéminis'ya, we are gratefully humbled that our chance meeting has proven the benefits of diplomacy. We humbly accept your offer regarding the apprehension and extradition of The Black Talon and her crew. As a token of good faith, we will extend an olive branch of our own in giving you a gift. I am sure with the data we will provide, that hopefully, this will help build an understanding between us, our history, culture, and our worlds. We eagerly await our meeting with Commander Arkhan, have the shuttle dock in EXAT Bay 6. I will have our Diplomatic Envoy, Cmdr. Généssya D'Thiváél’ya await your arrival with the security team.'" As soon as D'Siénya finished composing the message, she sent it as a burst transmission. "Message sent, Captain."

Niitarya nodded with a slight smile, before walking over to Data Collections & Management Officer: Lt1G Qámárra Ráévässäl'ya, "Qámárra, I need you to compile a data package, I want you to provide the complete astrography in a 250 light-year radius of the A.S.H.A. collected from our astrographic arrays, but instead of the basic data package we gave the United Star Commonwealth, give them the complete data package; our history, people, culture, systems, worlds, and their environs. Everything save for anything that relates to Hegemonic Space Defense Forces and any classified material that would present a risk to the Hegemony." Qámárra worked fast, compiling all of the requested data into a single packet, and ensured it would be sent on the same frequency as a UHD¹ data burst transmission. Qámárra looked over to Niitarya, "The compilation of the data packet is complete, Captain." Niitarya nodded. "Send it forthwith."

She turned to everyone on the bridge, "No need for fanfare, but we're about to have guests. Cmdr. Káétÿráéla, assemble a security team of no more than a platoon, no less than a squad. You and your security team are to accompany Cmdr. D'Thiváél'ya as our diplomatic envoy and her security detail. Maintain proper protocol and we should get through this without issue." She opened an SL² over HCV³ to Force Commander Aélórra Dáérrén'ya, "Commander, we're about to have guests. So far, everything appears to be going well, but on the slim chance things go south, I need you to assemble no less than one platoon, no more than two platoons of Hegemonic Guards. In the event anything goes sideways, I'll give you the go-ahead, until then, I want you to have them on standby, understood?" Aélórra nodded and gave a quick salute. "Understood, Captain." Niitarya closed the SL and took a deep breath. "I sincerely hope this goes well."

1: Ultra High Density.
2: Secure Link.
3: Holographic Comms Visor.

by **Lady Scylla** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 4:59 am

URSC Agatha, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Crews evacuated from the hangar bay that weren't already in their own EVO suits as the klaxon sounded and an automated message began to play. ''Attention. Bay doors opening. Commencing de-pressurisation.'' The atmosphere within the bay was vented just before the bay doors slid open and exposed the heavily starlit background of space. Crews at the release panel unlocked the magnetic clamps which sent a vibration through the rusty, charred floor of the bay. Inside the shuttle, the heavily armed marines and the commander felt a shutter as the vehicle was freed. Its engines powered up at first with a deafening whirr and then a low hum. Bright blue light behind the shuttle's engine cluster told the crews that everything was okay, and the Agatha cleared it for departure.

Some of the marines accompanying Commander Arkhan began to chatter. ''Where could they have gone? There was twelve!'' The inside of the vehicle was cramped with just two rows of seats to sit eight people, and barely any arm or leg room. So the question lingered on their minds. The craft itself was automated and so lacked a pilot, and while there were compartments for equipment above their heads, they couldn't fit a grown man.

''Knock it off,'' Arkhan said as she tilted her head back towards the gossip. ''I need you all to be on your shit. We don't know what we're dealing with here,'' she sternly added. Unbeknown to them all, the Security Council was watching the video feeds of their helmets in real-time. Valkyrie, their combat AI, was keeping tabs on their vitals and other information at the behest of Athena, who was busy calibrating and coordinating the larger fleet operations.

URSC Mars, Flagship of the Solarian Defence Fleet
Angel's Reach Sector, Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 107LY from Sol

A large black ship gently traversed the field of stars as a dozen engines burned bright behind it. Trenches ran across its sleek armoured hull illuminated by dim yellow lights, hiding the armoured domes of the ship's railguns. Deep inside the hull of this leviathan was the nerve centre of hundreds of officers and staff hard at work across two separate bridges as they coordinated with the largest naval force at the United Republic's disposal. A woman stood among them, in a dark blue uniform that almost looked black. Grand Admiral Nerys Harlow.

This battleship was not alone. Flanked on all sides were hundreds of battleships, carriers, battlecruisers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and patrol boats. Other ships were also with them such as tugs, refuelers, troopships, engineer vessels, and more. Fast moving lights filled the volume between these ships, as innumerable combat drones assembled into their formations.

The domes of the Mars retracted, as elevators lifted the railguns out of the trenches, and angled neck armour locked in place beneath them to protect their internals. A complex conveyor system from deep within the ship began to quickly dispense munitions to the point-defence cannons, the secondaries, the railguns, and missile batteries. Other ships around the Mars followed suit.

''We are in position, Master Secretary,'' Harlow announced over comms to the Security Council. They had their coordinates locked in, and the fleet began to get up to speed with their fusion torches as their frameshift drives warmed up for a jump.

The 1.3 kilometre long battleship slowly drifted towards the back of the formation as the ships closely assembled themselves into a strike pattern. The Mars' seventy-one inch railguns could fire a car-sized tungsten slug at impressive speed and range with a suite of sophisticated AI-driven targeting systems that removed the human element entirely. A spinal weapon running the length of the ship was the first of its kind in the Martian Navy, designed to fire magnetically accelerated molten metal at targets. A complement of hundreds of point-defence cannons, lateral facing secondary railguns, laser turrets, and missile batteries gave the ship a good defence against incoming projectiles and smaller craft.

The new Mars was the brainchild of Harlow herself. Having commissioned the Yavanna Naval Yards to construct the ship, as she re-envisioned the purpose of a battleship. The Mars was designed to cripple stations, citadels, and planetary fortifications. At over four-thousand crew and six-hundred and eight thousand tons, she was the most sophisticated and expensive ship ever constructed for the Martian Navy. And the only one of her type in existence.

URSC Roosevelt, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Brex called over Romero as the Eclipse delivered its payload. For a moment, the older battlecruiser was overwhelmed but Athena quickly disseminated the data across the fleet. ''Was that the data they were talking about?'' the Admiral asked. Brex nodded and began to pull up information about the species. A starchart was converted to hologram and displayed in the centre of the bridge.

Athena quickly pinpointed the region in the galaxy. ''So that's where they are,'' Romero commented to himself. He swiftly turned and looked to Brex who had dozens of virtual screens hovering around her workstation in a mess. ''Lieutenant. Lieutenant!'' Brex stopped and looked at the Admiral, ''We have what we need, please. Notify the Security Council of this data, have it forwarded to the Grand Admiral.'' He swiped the screens away with his hand.

''Sir, if this goes bad...''

''It won't. Lieutenant. And if it does, we'll give them one hell of a good fight,'' he reassured her. He sat back down at his own station and pulled up a screen of the shuttle which was now preparing to dock with the Eclipse. ''Godspeed, Arkhan,'' he mumbled.

by **Auracexia** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 6:08 am

AHV Eclipse, EXAT Bay 6 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Cmdr. Généssya D'Thiváél’ya waited as Cmdr. Káétÿráéla barked out orders to the crew operating Exo-Atmospheric Bay 6, "Sáélynna, get the magnetic shield up so we can open the bay doors. Sólyäna, check and double-check, make sure the emergency airlocks are closed. Dáéphÿrrha, I need you to ensure that we have proper air and gravity before we open those doors." Everyone rushed off to complete their tasks only afterward giving a loud "Check, Commander!" Seórsya nodded and gave the signal to Kiiäuna at the controls for the bay doors. "You're set to open the doors, Kiiäuna" She nodded, and initiated the locks securing the bay doors, and the subsequent mechanisms causing the large doors to part vertically, and slide open revealing the vastness of space beyond the magnetic shield with a slight blue tinge as a result of the shield. "It is quite beautiful, isn't it. This is as close as well ever get to being out there without a Neg-suit." Seórsya said aloud. As the bay doors finished opening completely, the second set of locking mechanisms locked the doors in place with a hiss as the bolts slid into place, followed by a loud clang. She could spot the shuttle as it neared. She turned to Cmdr. Généssya D'Thiváél’ya, "Alright, it's your show now, I and the security detail are merely here to provide security."

Seórsya took her position with the security detail in formation behind Gen'ess'ya and waited for the shuttle to enter and touch down.

by **Lady Scylla** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:30 am

Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

The shuttle passed through the shield unimpeded and carefully manoeuvred itself into position for a landing. As it touched down, the crew inside felt the vessel jolt as the engines powered down. Arkhan looked at the video feed connecting her to the outside world and saw that they had been given a welcoming party. The front of the shuttle opened suddenly with a hiss as the pressure equalised. Commander Arkhan and her team of marines emerged and proceeded down the small ramp to Gen'ess'ya. As the security detail exited, one of the marines stopped for just a moment and looked at a grate on the floor beneath their seats of the shuttle which wasn't closed entirely.

''Commander Gen'ess'ya, I am Commander Arkhan of the URSC Agatha,'' the Martian gave a polite bow. ''We welcome you,'' she said, standing upright, which got confused glances from the security detail of the Martian Commander. A dozen OSIRIS operatives suddenly uncloaked behind the Aurecexians with guns drawn. The resulting scuffle was swift. IR smoke grenades exploded around them, dumping chaff into the air followed by a white haze that cut visibility down to nothing. For OSIRIS, their HRV's SONAR guided them.

As the smoke cleared, Arkhan had her weapon drawn and pressed firmly against the back of Commander Gen'ess'ya's head with her arm twisted around her back and the Martian Commander's boot pressed into the curve of it. Most of the Aurecexian security detail laid unconscious on the floor with the others in bolas fired from OSIRIS' gauntlets or being held at gunpoint themselves. So'ers'ya was among them.

''Any moves by your men, and I will put a bullet through your head. We need answers about this warship and what the fuck its doing here. And don't sell me 'We were chasing pirates' bullcrap. What is your mission, and are there more warships coming? If you value your life or the life of everyone aboard this tub, I'd start talking. Now,'' she said as she pressed the gun harder into Gen'ess'ya's neck.

by **Auracexia** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 9:16 am

AHV Eclipse, EXAT Bay 6 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Captain Niitarya cursed out loud. "Motherfuckers. Some olive branch." She opened an SL to Cmdr. Aélórra Dáérrén'ya. "Things just got tense, I'm not giving the go-ahead just yet, I want your two platoons ready, those fuckers came with an extra dozen people using optical camouflage, I want you to make sure that if I give you the go-ahead your soldiers are equipped with multispectral optics visors, we won't be falling for that shit again. Oh, and if I do give the go-ahead, initiate the emergency override on the bay doors, drop the gravity, and kill the lights." Niitarya looked over to D'Siénya, "Get Captain Ráénÿsa Páérphÿna of the Crimson Corona and Captain Sáélynna Aésumyrrha of the Nightshade on comms, now. Appraise them of the situation and have them relay back to Auracexia Prime what has transpired. I am going to attempt to defuse this situation, if I can't, well..." She turned to LtCmdr. D'Sinda T'Dháirra, "How quickly could you turn this ship around and execute a jump?" D'Sinda looked up at her, "What about the Martians?" Niitarya snorted. "Right now, I am not so sure. I'm weighing my options. If we pulled that bullshit, taking hostages during the initiation of a diplomatic overture, they'd have killed us already. We'd lose some good friends and crewmates, but I have to think about the larger picture, and that would mean getting us out of here alive. Sure, they'll know everything about us, where we are, and our location in the galaxy... but if they think that this ship is one of a kind, they're wrong."

Niitarya glanced at D'Sinda, "Get me on the holographic display in EXAT Bay 6." D'Sinda hurriedly executed the commands, and within seconds, Niitarya appeared in holographic form in EXAT Bay 6. "Seórsya, stand down. If they want answers, we'll give them answers." She turned to Commander Arkhan. "So, you're Commander Arkhan? I like you already. I can understand the caution, but I'm a cautious person myself. You see, just past that door are two platoons of Hegemonic Guards, and they're equipped with multispectral optics visors, so that little stunt with the optical camouflage won't work a second time." Niitarya walked over to where Seórsya stood. "Seórsya, I thought you were trained enough to at least have someone run active and passive multispectral optic scans... they made you guys look like none of you received any training whatsoever." Seórsya grit her teeth at Niitarya "Oh Shut... Up. Won't you?" Niitarya smirked. "Make me."

Niitarya turned and walked back towards Commander Arkhan, stopping inches from her. "Do you guys always start off diplomatic ventures by taking hostages? You see, as the captain of this ship, I have to think about the bigger picture here, despite whatever reservations you have about us, I'm more concerned about the lives of my crew. I could give the command to my Force Commander beyond that door over there, initiate the emergency override on the bay doors, lock this bay down, drop the gravity, and kill the lights. I don't know about you guys, but our eyesight is perfectly unimpeded in low or zero light, and considering you have my Diplomatic Envoy and my XO held at gunpoint, my good faith is starting to run out. I could raise our shields, turn this ship around, and the next time you'd see any light, let alone daylight would be when this ship returns to port in Auracexia Prime."

Niitarya leaned in until she was less than three inches from Commander Arkhan's face. "The United Republic of Mars are not the first civilization we've encountered. The last time, fairly recently even, this very ship under my command came into contact with the United Star Commonwealth, and they didn't react in the same manner as you guys have. With the blessing of the Prime Archon herself, she gave the U.S.C. a system within our space to colonize, even." Niitarya stood there in the same spot, still inches from her. "So, how about we start over? That is unless you'd prefer to make an unintended visit to our nation... I have to ask, Commander, do you have a first name?"

by **Lady Scylla** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 6:08 am

Laconia City, Capital of the United Republic
Southern Martian Administrative Zone, Mars, Sol

''Who authorised that?'' Roth stood abruptly. The Security Council had been watching the events unfold in real time on the monitors at the end of the room. There was some nervous fidgeting and coughing in the room among the staff. Roth's face slowly turned red at the silence before shoving the chair back and throwing some pens at the table. ''It was simple, get aboard the ship. Negotiate. If they appear hostile, then we move forward on our options!'' Roth rubbed his face then leaned on his chair and sighed heavily. The Marine Marshal took a sip of her water and adjusted in her seat to face the Secretary-General.

''Sir, I believe it was Commander Arkhan,'' she hesitantly spoke up. Roth rested his eyes on her with such a look that it could have boiled metal. The situation had quickly escalated, and as it stood, he was now not in control of the situation. None of them were. The actions of the commander threatened possible conflict with the Aurecexian, a race they knew little about beyond what they could build, a potential threat to Sol.

The Naval Marshal, Alex Rembrandt, had been idly tapping his pen on the desk as he lounged in his chair, it may well have been a casual gathering for a picnic to the 73 year old. He cleared his throat and with an almost smug look that shook the man's jowls offered a new solution. ''Master Secretary, the situation has evolved now, that can't be helped. We need to get a handle on this situation and quickly. I have the Grand Admiral in Angel's Reach on standby as you requested. We can send in the SDF and deploy an Asimov Exclusion Field.''

Roth heaved another sigh. It wasn't election year, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes and calmly walked back his anger. Undoubtedly, questions would need to be asked and answered after all of this. ''Alex, give the order. I want her excellency to be ready for a fight if this goes any more south. Hopefully, by pinning them against a wall, they'll be willing to talk. Wu, I need someone, anyone, I don't care if it's the fucking janitor to get ahold of the task force and get Ms. Arkhan to stand the fuck down.''

Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Arkhan didn't move as Nii'tar'ya projected herself via hologram unto the deck. There was a crass exchange between the Aurecexians before the officer approached the commander herself. She came close enough that her face glowed off the black visor of Arkhan's helmet. ''You have to think about the bigger picture. I've got a warship,'' Arkhan said, giving Gen'ess'ya's arm a bit of a twist, ''that looks more like the vanguard for an invasion than something designed to pursue bloody pirates. Arktuoa Nil Saearnakra.''

A loud clang came from around the group as the Martians enabled their magnetic boots, cementing themselves to the floor. Arkhan grinned at turning the lights off, though her expression couldn't be seen through the visor. Fighting in zero gravity was not an issue for them, neither was doing it in the dark. They didn't need the light. Her finger applied just a little more pressure to the trigger of her sidearm as she stood taller and pressed Gen'ess'ya down further into the floor. The Martians weren't much shorter than the Aurecexians, Arkhan figured they averaged about seven feet compared to the Martian six-and-a-half. Likely a race accustomed to a lower gravity environment as well.

Outside the Eclipse, space was suddenly torn open and spewed forth the Martian armada. The once speckled sea of obsidian became white and torrential as ships poured through the wormhole like a wave. At long last, the URSC Mars exited and the wormhole suddenly closed behind it. The fleet spread out quickly, breaking up into dozens of different seemingly chaotic formations with their weapons targeting the Eclipse. The flagship of the fleet began to glow as its spinal charged and took aim at the Aurecexian dreadnought, keeping the ship firmly locked in its sights.

There was a momentary flash from several of the cruisers in the fleet as the ships drew closer and then came the burst transmission. ''Attention Eclipse, this is Grand Admiral Nerys Harlow of the Solarian Defence Fleet. Power down your systems immediately or be met with force. You have a minute to comply.'' Nerys stepped off her raised platform on the bridge of the Mars and briskly navigated the steps to the centre of the room.

''C'mon people, I need info now, lets go!''

''Weapons are online. Asimov Deployed. Thrust is nominal. LIDAR normal.'' The stations surrounding the bridge continued to rattle off information as Harlow pulled up a number of holograms and quickly sorted through them. They were filled with data about the warship, the information the Aurecexians had delivered to them earlier, and data about her fleet. She swatted them away and stepped forward, bringing up a chart of the region surrounding them.

''Open a direct line to the dreadnought. Run interference, and launch a deep scan. Hopefully, we can get a better picture of whats inside the tin can,'' she said. The Grand Admiral exited the bridge and entered the communications room which was sound proof to the incessant chatter of her officers. There she stood, regal as ever, and waited for the Aurecexians to respond to her hail.

Back aboard the Eclipse, ''Alright. Let's talk, but make any move and I'll blow your XO and Envoy's brains across the floor. You can shoot me and my men afterwards all you like, least the janitor will get his worth. Marines aren't afraid to die,'' Arkhan said with unwavering conviction as she kept a hold on Gen'ess'ya. ''R'tua, R'tua Arkhan.'' It wasn't her real first name, but it sufficed. Even if she wasn't Nalari herself.

''I'll start. Why are you chasing a pirate in a dreadnought?''

by **Auracexia** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:33 am

AHV Eclipse, EXAT Bay 6 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Niitarya stood in the bridge, the holographic connection still open, as the computer in front of Lt2G. D'Siénya D'Tarlauna gave a trio of loud chirps, Niitarya at this point didn't care if those in EXAT Bay 6 could hear, as D'Siénya gave a wave to Niitarya. "We've received another burst transmission, it reads as follows 'Attention Eclipse, this is Grand Admiral Nerys Harlow of the Solarian Defence Fleet. Power down your systems immediately or be met with force. You have a minute to comply.'" Niitarya sighed in frustration, "What the hell do they think we've been doing this whole fucking time? We haven't had one weapon trained on them since the start of this whole encounter." Taking a step back from Commander Arkhan. "Alright, R'tua..." she opened an SL to Cmdr. Aélórra Dáérrén'ya. "Aélórra, stand down. Stand down, retain position though." after closing the SL, she opened another, "Engineering, bring us down to minimal power." Niitarya glanced at D'Siénya, "Send this message forthwith, 'Greetings, Grand Admiral. I have ordered the Eclipse to be brought down to minimal power, per request. Just for full disclosure, we haven't had a single weapon trained on any of your ships since this encounter began." She gave a nod to D'Siénya to send. She quickly typed and hit send. "Message sent." Niitarya's frustration had begun to show, her eyes, normally a shade of maroon had begun to intensify in color until it seemed as if her irises were rings of heated metal.

She looked over to Commander Arkhan, "For full disclosure, R'tua... This ship was en route to the Föergan Sector, our original assignment being the delivery of a crew of scientists, surveyors, and their supplies and equipment to assess the Tÿr Rivïtha and Kámÿdanïór Systems within the Föergan Sector for re-colonization, and then..." Her eyes changed in color, going from nearly orange to blood red, and back again. "We get a transmission from HSDF, when we were nearing the Acturaeon System" Niitarya brought up a screen in EXAT Bay 6, a complete digital recording of HSDF Admiral Aésyrrha Välärryna issuing the orders to her. "Captain Kéminis’ya, an unknown ship has been spotted in the Xü Théantï System, we're not sure of the origin or how it escaped detection, but it appears as though they have looted one or more of the planets in the Xü Théantï system. We initially dispatched a trio of frigates to the system, but it appears as if this unknown ship has eluded them, and as of the last sighting, said ship will be nearing your location. You are hereby ordered to intercept and capture this ship, we do not know exactly what they have stolen, but we want it back. I don't need to tell you, Captain, the completion of this assignment will definitely help your chances in getting promoted." Niitarya stood, her smile still dripping with sarcasm. "I get to chase down a teeny little pirate ship... with this huge fucker... and because we'd emptied our EXAT Bays save for what was necessary to get the aforementioned scientists, surveyors, and their supplies and equipment down to the planets in the Tÿr Rivïtha and Kámÿdanïór Systems, we didn't have one fighter... out of our entire complement of fighter craft."

Niitarya looked over to her Operations Officer, Cmdr. Siláérren Váélmáér'ya, standing idly by in the bridge, "Go into my quarters, retrieve my bottle of Octarine Kalya extract, and bring it to me. I need a drink." It took Siláérren a few minutes before she returned and placed said bottle into Niitarya's right hand. She looked at the bottle, slightly annoyed. "What, no glass?" Siláérren turned to retrieve it before Niitarya stopped her. "Forget it. We're recording all of this right?" Siláérren nodded. She twisted the lid off the bottle, placing it inside the right pocket of her jacket, and took a healthy gulp of the sweet citrine flavored liquid. Letting out a soothed sigh, she ran her left hand through her dark, practically black hair. "I don't know why I didn't have this with me, this whole time... It's not hard ardakaar, but it will do." She stole a glance at Cmdr. Arkhan before taking another drink from the bottle. "I guess, we're just waiting for word from your Grand Admiral now. I'll keep this line open." As she strode over to her seat, sitting with a thump.

by **Menelmacar** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:54 am

Consulate of the Eternal Ascendancy of Menelmacar
Laconia, United Republic, Mars
35 Lairë 31935

The Menelmacari consulate was a grand structure, but not an especially large one, for much the same reason it was not an embassy; the Tercáno was not usually in residence. Usually the only inhabitants of the structure were drones for maintenance and security, and a subsophont expert system whose holographic avatar assisted visitors with day-to-day consular business. It did, however, have a fine office for Lady Oreldis nos Fithurin, which nonetheless saw little use as she normally worked out of Caras Carnil unless the Martian Forum was in session. With the abundance of star-states out there, assigning each a dedicated ambassador was not plausible, and Oreldis instead had been given responsibility for diplomacy as pertaining to Mars generally. In practice that meant she spent most of her non-Forum time keeping an eye on the UR, as most of the other nations of Mars either kept to themselves or caused few if any headaches. Today she was here, though, because she'd requested an urgent meeting with the UR State Department regarding the.... incident.

The UR State Department had received the summons by the Menelmacari, they may have pretended to be unaware what it was about but they knew. Ambassador Suoa N'sai was dispatched to humor them. She arrived at the Menelmacari Consulate by car.

After her arrival, Ambassador N'sai was shown to Lady Oreldis' office, which was an expansive but comfortable wood-paneled space lined with bookshelves, and a large window overlooking Laconia. Oreldis looked up from the flexi she was reading with a smile. "Ah, Ambassador, welcome. Elen sila lumenn’omentielvo. Would you like some wine?" She stood up to offer a handshake, then gestured to one of the chairs opposite the desk.

N'sai gave a respectful bow and shook Oreldis' hand. She smiled at the offer, "Wine sounds excellent, Lus Aruanakura." Unlike most Nalari, N'sai had underwent cyberisation so she wouldn't need her water suit. She had beautiful purplish-blue skin. She slid into a chair and crossed her legs as she made herself comfortable.

Oreldis sat, and drew two crystalline wine glasses from a drawer in the credenza behind her, along with a bottle of red wine, which she opened, and poured. "This one, I believe, is from Vinyarda," she explained, "The vineyards in the foothills of the northern mountains have a unique terroir that produces some excellent vintages." She slid one of the glasses across the desk with her fingertips, then eased back in her seat, swirling her glass for a moment. "I won't insult your intelligence by presuming you don't already know why you're here."

N'sai took the glass and gave it a swish before taking a sip. It had a gentle flavor that was palatable to the Nalari. She listened to the Menelmacari and rested the glass on her thigh, "Oh yes. It would seem that things became a bit... complex."

"Please, go on," Oreldis answered. She took a sip herself, before setting the glass down, steepling her fingers.

"I suspect you know most of the details. It'd be easier if you ask so I can fill in any blanks," N'sai stated plainly.

"Quite so," Oreldis answered. "When you asked for a suspension of the arms treaty you left us the impression that it was approaching Sol, and your intent was to monitor the vessel and that you needed the dispensation to target it if it turned out to be hostile. What you did not tell me is that you actually intended to deploy eighteen ships and posture as if said space belonged to you."

"We have tens of thousands of buoys across the Reaches in the Expeditionary Perimeter. We log hundreds of thousands of ships every year, from hundreds of nations, most who are patrons of the trade corridors that run through the region. Sol is old, and traffic is typical. A 13 kilometer dreadnought is anything but typical," the ambassador said, then added, "A 13-kilometer dreadnought from a nation unknown to the United Republic, is extraordinary entirely."

Oreldis leaned back in her chair. "Did you inquire with us as to whether the nation in question was known to us? Additionally, what explanation did they give for their presence?"

"They were chasing a pirate," N'sai said with a flick of her wrist.

"That seems an entirely legitimate reason to be operating a warship in international space," Oreldis answered, lofting one eyebrow and taking another drink of her wine.

"I don't disagree," the Nalari replied. "Though, bringing in a dreadnought on the heels of a pirate frigate several hundred million tons smaller — that's unlikely. I'd venture further as irrational."

Oreldis smiled serenely. She said nothing for the moment, opening a drawer and drawing out a printed report; on paper, not flexi -- the Menelmacari were quite assiduous about not sharing technology -- and passed it across to N'sai. "We detected their initial jump. More to the point, we detected a previous series of jumps by a smaller vessel that was running like they stole something. Now we're not certain it's pirates, but they're definitely chasing someone. The trail leads off antispinward. They were never approaching Sol."

''This seems to be the assumption of my government as well,'' N'sai said as she picked up and quickly thumbed through the papers. Her eyes settled on the Menelmacari as she held the report within her delicate grip. ''The events that transpired were unfortunate, but rarely is anything so simple,'' she said.

"It seems simple enough to me. If you knew they were not approaching Sol, why did you pounce on them with a fleet and preemptively target them with strategic weapons?"

''It'd be inappropriate to draw any conclusion at the time based off of a coincidence,'' the Nalari sat the report down on the desk and crossed her legs the other way. ''The Ascendancy's intelligence is correct that the first vessel departed towards the Beta Quadrant. The second vessel made no such maneuver upon entering the Ulaanbaatar sector. The circumstance was extraordinary, it'd be a mockery of foreign policy to merely pretend that such an event could not have been considered suspicious at first.''

"We are less concerned about this specific incident than the precedent it sets," Lady Oreldis answered, annoyed. "Do you know how many stars are in the thirty-five-light-year-radius sphere centered on Sol?" she asked. "Well over a thousand. Over a hundred of them are inhabited. That ship could have been traveling to or from any one of them, as far as you were aware. It is the policy of the Ascendancy that all space beyond the heliopause of a star is international and freely open for navigation by any state. Now you may not give a fig what Ascendancy policy is about much of anything, Ambassador, but neither the Ascendancy nor any other nation in this system, or any of the other systems in this 'expeditionary perimeter', have any obligation to inform or clear with you regarding visitors they may be expecting that could be considered 'unusual'. And if any vessel bound for, or departing, any Menelmacari holding is accosted in this manner, we will consider it an act of piracy. Do I make myself clear?"

N'sai clasped her fingers together and leaned forward, there was the faintest smirk that tugged ever so gently at the ends of her lips. It was, perhaps, the first time anyone had seen Oreldis even remotely annoyed, ''The United Republic is bound by its mutual prosperity initiative to help promote the flow of trade through the Reaches, and combat both piracy and slavery in the region to the mutual benefit of the international community. I doubt the Ascendancy would have anything to fear.''

"Good," Oreldis answered, calming to her usual dispassionate exterior, "I trust, then, that we shall never hear again of a similar incident without an extremely compelling reason for it happening. Your relations with the Auracexians, I leave to you to repair."

''Well, if there's nothing more to discuss,'' N'sai said, setting her glass on the desk.

"I think that about covers it." Oreldis smiled. She placed the cork back in the bottle and passed it across to N'sai. "You can keep the rest of this, if you like. You seemed to enjoy it."

N'sai wrapped her fingers around the bottle and lifted it to get a better look. ''At least the Menelmacari have taste, I can't say the same for Martians,'' she smiled and gave a polite bow. ''Farewell, Tercáno.''

"On that we agree completely. Namárië, Ambassador." Oreldis smiled, and gave her a nod.

by **Lady Scylla** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:05 am

URSC Mars, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

''Admiral, they've powered down their system. No sign of them arming any weapons or trying to jump,'' Santiago said, the intelligence officer had been moving between stations on the bridge. He was a short man, originally from the Martian Delta. Hypatia City, if Nerys remembered correctly. Nonetheless, he was a hard worker and the admiral appreciated that. The Auracexians had complied, and the former Empress could feel her eyes resisting the urge to roll back into her head over the whole situation. Even though the navy was modernising since the Great War, there was still that hardliner mentality among some of the junior officers that hadn't been stamped out yet. Commander Arkhan seemed to be one.

''Eclipse, this is the URSC Mars. We appreciate your cooperation,'' Nerys was handed a report of the Mars' deep scan of the dreadnought. Lo and behold, it was mostly empty as the Auracexians said it was. She couldn't fault the Agatha or Roosevelt, they didn't have the equipment since they were pre-war cruisers. Even still, the actions of certain officers had jeopardised Mars' foreign policy. Irritation in the woman's reticent tone could not have been more out of place when she spoke again.

''Eclipse, we are standing down. Expect to be boarded by myself so we may sort this out, I'm coming alone as a manner of parlay,'' she didn't really know if they understood that term, but nevertheless, any high ranking officer so willing to risk her well-being boarding a foreign vessel in the middle of an international quagmire had to suggest some form of respect, or at the very least, acknowledgement of the fuck-up they were in.

Nerys headed for her shuttle, taking a moment to deliver one final order. She slid into the pod, and the ship jettisoned from the side of the Mars and headed towards the Eclipse.

Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Nii'tar'ya's words made sense, even Arkhan couldn't deny it. But she remained sceptical, either out of absolute duty to her country -- something many would probably consider an ignorant affair at this point, or because she was now in a situation of her making that had far exceeded her. It didn't matter though. She let out an unexpected yelp as her body arched back painfully. She dropped her sidearm and fell to the floor. The OSIRIS operatives took their weapons off the Auracexians and aimed them at the Commander and her marines, who put down their weapons carefully.

''Oh god it hurts! I can't see!'' Arkhan shouted in pain as two of the OSIRIS operatives carefully approached.

''Commander Arkhan, your hereby under arrest by order of Grand Admiral Nerys Harlow for violation of Section 15 and 201 of the UCMJ. Insubordination and causing an international incident,'' one of the operatives spoke, to the surprise of the Martians. The voice wasn't a voice, but more of deep robotic speech through the crackle of a radio. Undoubtedly scrambled to protect the person inside the suit. One of the operatives moved to restrain the commander as she spasmed on the floor, while the other stopped whatever cyberattack they had done to bring her down.

by **Auracexia** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:24 am

AHV Eclipse, EXAT Bay 6 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Niitarya remained sitting in her seat, by now the 1000mL bottle of Octarine Kalya extract was slightly more than half empty, her eyes having returned to their usual maroon color. The computer in front of D'Siénya chirped again, "Captain, we have another burst transmission, it reads as follows 'Eclipse, this is the URSC Mars. We appreciate your cooperation.'" As she finished reading off that message, it was followed by another. D'Siénya quickly decrypted that one. "The second one reads 'Eclipse, we are standing down. Expect to be boarded by myself so we may sort this out, I'm coming alone as a manner of parlay.'" Niitarya dug in her right jacket pocket, fishing out the lid to the bottle and replaced it at the top of the bottle, before twisting it shut and depositing the bottle on the small light-mag table to the right of her seat. Giving a relaxed sigh, "Alright, D'Siénya send this message forthwith. 'Thank you for your understanding, Grand Admiral. I will personally meet you as well. You are cleared for EXAT Bay 6." She nodded at D'Siénya. "Sending now, Captain."

She kept the holographic connection active, and made her way down the nine decks via maglift, and upon exiting strode at a brisk pace to where Cmdr. Aélórra stood with the two platoons of Hegemonic Guards just outside the main entry to EXAT Bay 6. She drew her hands up and directed them to part to either side of the corridor. Cmdr. Aélórra nodded. "First Platoon to this side! Second Platoon to this side!" Niitarya waited until the way to the main entry was clear, with the holographic connection still active, she turned to the OSIRIS operatives. "I'm coming in, I've instructed the Hegemonic Guards outside the main entry to stand down, they will still remain outside until I give them the order to depart and return to their duties." She keyed the sensor to open the doors, and stepped through, keying the sensor again to close the door behind her. Her holographic projection vanished as she stepped through. "As you already know, I am Captain Niitarya Kéminis’ya of the Eclipse. As she strode across the platform to the maglift and descended to the deck. "Are you alright, Généssya?" She gave a quiet nod. "And you, Seórsya?" Seórsya gave her a slightly annoyed look. "What took you so long?" Niitarya nodded. "I had to defuse and de-escalate the situation, I am glad that you're safe though." Niitarya gave Seórsya a warm smile.

She didn't have to wait long for the shuttle carrying the Grand Admiral to arrive. As the shuttle arrived and touched down in the bay, she waited for the Grand Admiral to depart her shuttle and gave a slight bow as a show of respect. "I, Captain Niitarya Kéminis’ya would like to welcome you to the Eclipse." Niitarya glanced down at Cmdr. Arkhan, "Such a shame. I wasn't being untruthful when I said I like you."

by **Lady Scylla** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:07 pm

Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Nerys held onto the handles inside of her pod-shuttle as it accelerated across the vacuum towards the Eclipse. The craft rattled and shook making the ride anything but comfortable, not including the g-forces with the acceleration. The Admiral was forty this year, having originally come up as a Marine, she wasn't new to this but she wasn't exactly young anymore either. She felt the straps around her tighten to help keep blood flow maintained while her suit checked her vitals and adjusted itself accordingly. Nanogel was dispensed by the suit to keep her from passing out as it regulated the blood pressure and increased blood flow to the brain and other organs.

Halfway across the gap, her shuttle cut its engine, fired the RCS thrusters and used its gyro to flip around and begin a deceleration burn. By now, Nerys' veins could be seen in her face as the ship neared the Eclipse. The shuttle delicately moved into the bay and touched down on the deck. The landing thrusters were cut. Nerys took several quick breaths as she exhaustively unstrapped herself. The way the pod was situated, her back was facing the floor which took a bit of effort after the ride to climb out of. She fitted her helmet on, had her suit check for any contaminants and opened the door of the pod.

She took a final deep breath to regain her composure and elegantly stepped out of the pod. Nerys was an athletically built woman that stood a bit shorter than most Martian females, but her very stature and the way she moved carried authority and a mastery of military stoicism that was practically unrivalled in the Martian Admiralty. She had served under the Conglomerate and the United Republic for a total of thirty years and it showed.

She stopped just a meter from Nii'tar'ya and placed her right fist over her heart and gave a polite bow, as was custom for the Martians. She didn't even acknowledge Arkhan's existence on the floor beside them, which to Arkhan could not have been more humiliating. The moment Nerys arrived, the Commander's face had lit up, even while being restrained. The Grand Admiral was a national hero and the very embodiment of Martian power and a symbol to the armed forces, but now she wouldn't even grant Arkhan so much of an audience.

''It's a pleasure, Captain. I do wish it was under better circumstances. According to our intel, the ship you're after crossed the Hermes Starway in the Beta Quadrant not long after you arrived. It's a trade route run by the Republic. While I'm not certain where its gone after that, we have patrols in that area that we can inquiry. Undoubtedly someone has seen it. Given the incident here, I'd like to offer you our assistance. I can't imagine this... warship,'' Nerys looked around the bay, her keen eye could tell just from the inside that it was a conversion. Had Arkhan spent more time being observant and not trying to relive some old glory about Martian supremacy, she may have noticed it too. ''I imagine you've been having trouble keeping up with the pirate frigate,'' she said tactfully.

Arkhan didn't say much as she looked up at the alien and gritted her teeth. It was then that Nerys finally peered down at the commander, causing her to heel in response, and probably preventing the commander from insulting Martian hospitality further by spitting at them or something else equally uncivil. ''I apologise about my team,'' Harlow gestured towards OSIRIS. ''I hope they didn't do too much harm, they were following orders, as misguided as they were...'' She gave Arkhan a dispassionate glance.

''Go ahead and take her back to the shuttle. Commander Arkhan,'' the admiral spoke as they yanked her up, ''You're going to be facing a court martial for what you did here. Your actions today not only endangered your crew, but the lives of mine, and impacted the UR's good standing with its neighbours. Martians do not needlessly endanger their own, and by Mars, I hoped you of all people would know that as an officer,'' she said disapprovingly. That remark alone probably cut the commander down more than any bullet could as she hung her head.

by **Auracexia** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:53 pm

AHV Eclipse, EXAT Bay 6 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Niitarya nodded with a slight smile. "I wish it was under better circumstances as well, Grand Admiral. Thank you for the intel on The Black Talon, I haven't appraised my Admiral about what they stole, she isn't quite sure what those pirates took, but growing up on Xienna in the Apüs Kémïthëa System, we recovered a few of them when the first batch of settlers from Auracexia Prime settled Xienna. What they took from the Xü Théantï System are Lyr'Davni terraforming devices, and they are in possession of three." Niitarya stole a glance down at Arkhan and watched as she was hoisted to her feet, and was on her way to the shuttle. Niitarya turned to Nerys and said in a low voice, hoping she was out of earshot. "I would like to make an offer, in regards to Cmdr. Arkhan. While I don't know what fate you have in store for her beyond the court-martial, I could use someone of her caliber to help improve the training of the Hegemonic Guard detachment on this ship, as while they performed their duties admirably, the fact remains they were disarmed and defeated. I feel that suitable training would help them become a more formidable force. And having someone", Niitarya nodded over in Arkhan's direction, "Like her, she could act as a liaison and help ease the establishment of relations between the United Republic of Mars and the Auracexian Hegemony."

Niitarya opened an SL to Cmdr. Aélórra, "Aélórra, 'Sheathe the sword. I repeat. Sheathe the sword.' The situation has been resolved, we have guests, show them the same courtesy as you would if we had been visited by the Admiralty." Aélórra nodded. Niitarya closed the SL. Just beyond the main entry to EXAT Bay 6, Aélórra could be heard barking the order to parade stance. "So, Grand Admiral. This way to the conference room." she gestured as the main entrance opened. She shot another glance over to Arkhan. "Such a shame," she said in a low voice.

by **Lady Scylla** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:11 pm

Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Nerys held up a hand and called for the two operatives taking Arkhan to wait. The pair stopped and brought the disgraced commander around. Nerys tapped her helmet, causing the once opaque glass to turn entirely transparent so that the Auracexians could see her face. She looked at Arkhan and the two operatives and waved them over. ''Since I can do with you as I please, Commander Arkhan, you have been assigned a new station,'' she gestured at the two OSIRIS operatives to release her.

''Effective immediately, you'll be an acting liaison for the Auracexians to serve your country and Mars to the best of your ability. Failure to perform this esteemed civil duty to your nation will result in your immediate court-martial where we will revisit this incident, and where I am positive you will be found guilty in front of the tribunal and summarily executed. Have I made myself clear?'' the Grand Admiral said in a terrifyingly assertive voice.

Arkhan's face went white, though none could see it. She was going to have to work with the aliens. If her pride was any more steadfast she may have opted for the bullet and the continued disapproval of her idol, but it wavered at the venom masquerading as a promotion. Liaisons were held in high esteem, but the assignment's implications were not lost on the commander. Her shoulders slouched at the order as silence followed for a moment before she also cleared her visor so that they could clearly see her face. Beneath the glass was brownish-blonde eyebrows and pale blue eyes.

She stood upright and gave a formidable salute to the Grand Admiral. ''Aye, ma'am,'' she stuttered as the whites of her eyes moistened slightly. The Grand Admiral accepted Nii'tar'ya's invitation to meet in the conference room and walked away from the commander without another word. Arkhan dropped her salute and took a breath looking at the aliens in a dreadful silence.

As Nerys and Nii'tar'ya walked towards the door, the admiral leaned in and spoke softly, ''She'll be fine.''

by **Auracexia** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:51 pm

Ti Xorsuenn Zi-tar, Khansva-met 8, 18508 18:20:45 Aoraqet'ya Dévno Coordinated Time (ADCT)
Wednesday, October 10, 2300 17:20:45 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

AHV Eclipse, EXAT Bay 6 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Upon hearing that her request for Arkhan to remain aboard the Eclipse was approved, Niitarya leaned over to Arkhan and whispered in a low voice. "Since you're now the acting liaison to Auracexia for the United Republic of Mars, you'll be serving me directly both personally and professionally. Don't worry though, while you're with us on the Eclipse, you'll be fine." Niitarya gave her a warm smile. She motioned over two of the Hegemonic Guards, "I want you to take Cmdr. Arkhan to the Officer's Deck, assign one of the empty Officer's Quarters to her, and get her a uniform with insignia befitting her rank. After she's changed into her new attire, escort her to the conference room. She is after all, an officer."

Niitarya strode off with the Grand Admiral, "She's beautiful, you're quite gorgeous yourself. This way." She led the way through the main entrance from EXAT Bay 6, through the Hegemonic Guards standing at attention as they passed, "Niitarya saluted as she passed Aélórra, "Remain here after we're done with this meeting, and the Martians have left, you are free to return to your duties." Aélórra nodded and gave a salute. She continued on escorting the Grand Admiral to the maglift along with the pair of Hegemonic Guards and Cmdr. Arkhan in tow. The maglift stopped at the Officer's Deck, with the Hegemonic Guards and the Commander exiting the elevator, a light blush visible on her face. As the lift re-sealed and rose to the Bridge, she politely bowed and led the way to the conference room. "This way, Grand Admiral."

AHV Eclipse, Bridge Conference Room 1 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.
She keyed the door to the conference room and waited until the Grand Admiral was inside before she entered. "Sit wherever you'd like, Grand Admiral. Would you like anything to drink? I can have my Operations Officer bring up some Octarine Kalya extract, the burn is tolerable, but the citrus flavour and the sweetness of the Kalya make up for it." She turned and signaled her Operations Officer, Cmdr. Siláérren Váélmáér'ya "Send down for two bottles of Octarine Kalya extract from my private storage, and have them brought up to Conference Room 1." Siláérren opened an SL to one of her subordinates and gave the order. It will be delivered within minutes, Captain." Niitarya nodded and gave her a salute. "The second bottle is just in case the Grand Admiral likes it. Then again, I don't know who wouldn't." She took her seat in the conference room opposite the Grand Admiral. "So, where should we begin?"

by **Lady Scylla** » Sun Jun 28, 2020 3:24 am

[blocktext]Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Nerys followed Nii'tar'ya into the conference room, having not responded to the captain's remarks about her beauty. A thing perhaps foreign to the Grand Admiral who was a career soldier. In truth, the woman had never even dated, having spent all of her time in the Marines and then the Navy with seemingly little interest in the matter. When they arrived in the conference room, the Admiral declined to have a seat and chose to instead stand beside the table.

While not wanting to insult her hosts, she respectfully declined to drink but wasn't against accepting a bottle for later. The recent passing of the Biosecurity Act and the tightening of regulations by the republic's government prevented her from partaking in any potentially risky behaviour with an unknown or not routinely in-contact species, and so she remained even in her environmental suit. Regardless, the bottle would need to be carefully brought back to the ship and stored in a chamber for it to undergo analysis by the Federal Biosecurity Authority later. This was besides the fact that the Admiral didn't drink.

Nerys stepped forward and laid down a small puck on the table. The object lit up and projected a hologram of the local region. Nerys manipulated the display to show the UR's Hermes Starway, connecting Sol with its Delta territory. ''We've laid out tens of thousands of buoys across our major corridors and within the Reaches to identify potential pirates. The ship you're after, this Black Talon, jumped into this sector here,'' she pointed and then swiped over the map directly to a point in the Starway inside Beta labelled the Midas Sector. ''And was again detected here.''

''That region of space is probably one of the more heavily patrolled because of its proximity to the Nicean Federation, a nation we've had unsteady relations with for decades. It's likely one of our naval craft could have spotted your goose from that point,'' she stated, not taking the time to explain that the buoys beyond the Midas Sector were still being repaired. Last she needed was to expose a gap in the UR's intelligence.

by **Auracexia** » Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:19 am

AHV Eclipse, Bridge Conference Room 1 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Niitarya watched the holographic display intently, "Truthfully, Grand Admiral, this is the farthest I've ever been from the A.S.H.A. —and considering just how much of an issue it nearly caused— I could only imagine how many more issues this ship of mine would cause if we did decide to venture into Beta Quadrant in pursuit of The Black Talon. With no doubt, you are probably in contact with your government, with my Diplomatic Envoy present, I would like to ask if it would be possible for our two civilizations to establish diplomatic relations, so that we may work towards the possibility of becoming allies."

As Niitarya began to broach the subject, HSDF Admiral Aésyrrha Välärryna flashed on a screen in the conference room, and barely taking notice of the fact that there were a pair of strangers in the room, "Captain Kéminis’ya, what is the status of your assignment?" Niitarya looked over to the screen and back at Grand Admiral Harlow and Cmdr. Arkhan, she signaled for them to wait. "One moment, please." She pushed back from the table, her expression one of pure frustration. "Admiral, as of the current moment, the assignment is a no-go. The Eclipse along with my escorts, the cruisers Crimson Corona and Nightshade gave pursuit, as we passed the periphery of the A.S.H.A., I instructed the Crimson Corona and Nightshade to remain at the periphery. I continued the pursuit, to approximately 35 light-years from the Sol System, where The Black Talon managed to elude capture, escaping into the Beta Quadrant."

Upon receiving word that Cpt. Kéminis’ya had failed. "And you didn't continue the pursuit?! Is there anything else you would like to add?" Niitarya shot a glance over her left shoulder at the two standing in the conference room. "During our pursuit, my ship was stopped. After a tense stand-off, I managed to defuse and de-escalate the situation after some members of my crew were held at gunpoint in one of the EXAT Bays for two-and-a-half days." Admiral Välärryna gave a cursory glance to the two foreigners. "And you did nothing?" Niitarya could feel her blood boil. She turned to the table, picked up an already opened bottle of Octarine Kalya extract, poured a healthy amount into her glass, and quickly downed it before filling it again. "Admiral, you're completely missing something here. After we arrived in our present location, The Eclipse was not stopped by just one ship, but approximately a dozen and a half ships, which had obviously thought we were a threat to them."

Adm. Välärryna shot the one still wearing armor a glance. "If it were me as the captain of the Eclipse, I would have fired upon them the moment the opportunity presented itself." Niitarya looked down at the drink in her right hand, with a slight frown. "I guess I should be glad then, that you are not the captain of my ship. Because, you would have gotten yourself, and everyone else on board this ship killed. Are you still not comprehending the fact that the Eclipse is still currently outnumbered by approximately nineteen to one?! Despite the size of my ship..." she downed the glass in her right hand in a single gulp and poured another, her expression of frustration turning into one of contempt. "Despite the size of my ship, I highly doubt it would be able to withstand a full assault from nineteen heavily armed warships."

She looked over to Grand Admiral Harlowe, "This is why I cannot stand politicians, I come from a family of them on my planet, but this", she gestured at the screen, not even paying any attention to Adm. Välärryna. "I don't know about you Grand Admiral, but this politician has taken to turning the HSDF into a tool for her own Public Relations campaign —effectively willing to sacrifice the lives of thousands if it would help to further her own career— which goes against every mandate that the Hegemonic Space Defense Forces was founded on. We protect the A.S.H.A., we serve the A.S.H.A... At the same time, I have a duty to protect my crew. It seems the Admiral here has forgotten that." Adm. Välärryna interjected. "I am not going to tolerate this, first your failure, and now your disrespect. I'll have your rank for this, Captain." Niitarya raised her drink to the screen and downed it in a gulp. "And I'll have yours, Admiral." as she terminated the transmission.

She stood there, and exhaled slowly, before looking over at Grand Admiral Harlowe. "I know I'm right about this. That whole transmission was recorded in its entirety. She will lose her rank as Admiral, and I'll most likely be promoted to replace her." She brushed her black hair out of her face and sat back down. "Now, how about we get back to the business at hand before we were so rudely interrupted?"

by **Lady Scylla** » Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:38 am

Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

Nerys listened to her as she spoke, typically the Security Council would need to be the ones to make such a decision, at the discretion of the Secretary-General. However, being a Grand Admiral had its perks, notably that Nerys wielded a little known power called imperium ex legato et ex magistratu - pro re publica, a relic of the Conglomerate. She could act as an ambassador and make limited agreements with foreign parties on behalf of the republic, provided it wasn't detrimental to the Republic or its citizens, didn't run counter to national security, and was only a temporary arrangement with a specific goal in mind.

Nerys was about to speak when they were interrupted by her foreign hosts' admiral, and opted for silence while the two bickered. It wasn't very professional, but the situation by itself was extraordinary in the literal sense. Normalcy had abandoned them long ago. Vaal'aar'ryn'a's words about firing on the Martians drew, perhaps the slightest tug at the edges of Nerys' mouth.

''I can spare some of my forces to assist you with the pirate. The United Republic is dedicated to rooting out piracy in this region of space, so we have a common goal for the moment. Considering the vessel you're chasing, it'd be more appropriate to dispatch some of my lighter warships. Probably a cruiser, a destroyer, and couple of frigates will suffice,'' Nerys spoke.

Laconia City, Capital of the United Republic
Southern Martian Administrative Zone, Mars, Sol

The Security Council was still getting briefed of the ongoing situation as the officials awaited a response from Harlow herself. Admiral Romero had been filling them in where he could, but there was no intel coming out of the Eclipse regarding whatever meeting the Grand Admiral was having. The good news was, at least for now, there wasn't any shooting and while the situation remained precarious, seemed to be under control. Soon enough, Roth's personal secretary notified the room of an incoming call, but it wasn't the Grand Admiral.

''Master Secretary.''

''Madam President.''

''Care to explain why the Solarian Defence Forces and a task group have moved into the Ulaanbaatar sector, on what, from what I understand, is a foreign vessel? What is going on?'' the female on the other line of the conference call sounded agitated, and Roth visibly grew sour. It was the UR's president, Cora Rowland, who headed the National Assembly.

''Madame President,I—'' he was interrupted by her, drawing silence among the room as she continued.

''Master Secretary, I needn't inform you that your powers as Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces is strictly limited to the national defence, and only the national defence without prior authorisation by the assembly. Anything else breaches our constitutional arrangement and not only endangers the lives of our service members, but harms the credibility of the republic, risks an act of war, and, need I remind you can result in grounds for impeachment and prison for such a violation!''

Roth looked at the Joint-Chiefs and the others gathered in the room. He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table, ''Madame President, may I—'' Another interruption.

''I got word from the State Department that the Menelmacari of all people had personally summoned an ambassador to their foreign office for a discussion on the matter. How is it that the fucking elves know more about this situation right now than our own government? Why has the assembly not been briefed, Master Secretary? Ambassador N'sai thankfully is a master at keeping our heads off the chopping block for now but do you understand the literal diplomatic shitstorm we are in right now? I've got the elves breathing down my neck with questions, an assembly wondering just what in the hell you are doing, and reports of a god-damn standoff with some alien power in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, and you're at the centre of shit-creek, Master Secretary.''

If it was ever possible to be more silent than silence itself, the room with the Security Council had managed it. It was so heavy and deafening that Roth could hear the blood pumping through the arteries in his head. ''Madame President, I can assure you that the situation is under control. We have Grand Admiral Harlow defusing the situation, it would appear that an overzealous officer is responsible for the incident. Because of the severity and urgency, I did not have time to formally brief the assembly on the situation, but was considering an official debriefing after the fact,'' he spoke calmly.

''The fuck you will, Roth. You assured me that if you got elected that you wouldn't pull us through the mud. So for the life of me, unfuck this situation and immediately dispatch a report of the matter to the assembly for review. And find someone to pin this shit too before it gets any worse. I hope I've made myself clear, Roth. Goodbye.'' The line went dead, and the Secretary-General glanced around at the room as he fidgeted with the buttons of his suit-jacket and heaved a sigh.

''Do we have any intel on Harlow?''

''Not yet, Master Secretary,'' the Navy Marshal answered as she organised some papers. Roth stared up at the clock on the wall.

by **Auracexia** » Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:48 am

AHV Eclipse, Bridge Conference Room 1 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Niitarya had calmed down considerably since essentially telling Adm. Välärryna to fuck off. "I will admit, that was probably not one of the finest displays of professionalism. You wouldn't know this, but that woman has had it out for me ever since I arrived at the HSDF Academy. I've been passed over for promotion twice because of her, and while I have refused two promotions if anybody else had become an HSDF Admiral instead of her, I would be an Admiral by now. I have the favor of another HSDF Admiral, she inspired me to join the HSDF in the first place, otherwise, I would be just another politician like the rest of my family. About what Adm. Aésyrrha Välärryna said. She may have her own opinion, but that opinion does not speak for all of Auracexia."

Niitarya nodded. "As for the pirates, I'm glad we have one commonality, I don't like pirates either. The only condition I have is that the crew of the The Black Talon is turned over to me along with what they stole. I need to know who hired them to steal those terraforming devices, and how that person knew of them. I am still trying to determine how those pirates were able to get as far into A.S.H.A. space as they did without detection. Usually, our systems would alert the HSDF to anything foreign that enters the star cluster. However, there were no alerts, the only alert that was raised was after they'd successfully raided the planets of the Xü Théantï System. With how close the Xü Théantï System is to the Core Systems of the A.S.H.A., that should have been impossible."

Niitarya looked over at Nerys, "Forgive me, Grand Admiral, one of my main concerns since I was tasked with the apprehension of The Black Talon, is what those pirates stole, and the hope that they haven't made it somewhere and have successfully sold those devices. Were one of those to be used against a populated planet, Auracexia would be tangentially responsible for what happened."

She gave a warm smile, "Considering what forces are present right now, I do have to say, I feel a small measure of pity for those pirate bastards. I am quite serious about the prospect of an alliance between the A.S.H.A. and the United Republic. If I have to, I will use what connections I have, so that you may speak with the Prime Archon herself, so that you may be put at ease that what Adm. Välärryna said earlier does not represent the opinions of the A.S.H.A. as a whole."

by **Lady Scylla** » Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:14 am

[blocktext]Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol

''They're not UR citizens, so there's no reason for us to keep them, so they can remain in your jurisdiction. I have it under my authority to be able to arrange temporary agreements with foreign powers, so it looks like our first stop will be the starway in Beta, and I'll have my Intel see if they can track down any patrols in the area that may have detected the Talon.''

Laconia City, Capital of the United Republic
Southern Martian Administrative Zone, Mars, Sol

''Here you are ma'am,'' the energetic, young assistant said as she deposited a folder on the desk. Rowland picked it up and excused her assistant, thanking her for bringing it, and, once alone, flipped it open. It was the report compiled by Roth's own personal secretary. The President flicked through papers, it included information about scans, some of the minutes, and other data relevant to this ASHA astropolity.

''Dianna,'' Rowland called her assistant, there was a moment of silence before she responded, ''Is the assembly in session?''

''Yes, ma'am. Just enough for quorum,'' Diana answered. Rowland closed the folder she had and stood, taking a moment to stretch before depositing the report in a locked suitcase.

''Have them pull my car around, please, Diana,'' she said as she stepped out of her office and closed the door. Using her SHARD, the door locked and she briskly left.

Bundesrathaus, Legislature Complex
Laconia City, Capital of the United Republic
Southern Martian Administrative Zone, Mars, Sol

The President's car arrived on the eastern entrance of the Bundesrathaus, the large stone structure was an oddity of gothic-inspired architecture. It had become the new legislature complex after the Senatehall fire many years ago. At one point, it was merely the town hall of Laconia, but had been expanded on considerably in recent years to house the legislature. As Rowland stepped out and pulled an umbrella, she stared up at the structure which reminded her of the Palace of Westminster, its source for inspiration.

Her heels clacked on the marbled floor inside as she was guided by her security to the forum, where the assembly had gathered. The doors were pulled open, and a large room of semi-circular seating was revealed to her. Opposite of the assembly's delegates was her station, with seats for her ministers, and a large Martian flag hanging above them on the wall. The lighting inside the forum always seemed soft and comfortable, which made it a pleasant room to be in as the President felt the coming of a migraine.

The members stood as the Sergeant-at-Arms announced the President's arrival, and then seated themselves afterwards once she had found her seat. At her arrival, any idle chatter and conversation had also ceased, and the forum fell silent. The President picked up her gavel and struck the block three times before speaking, ''Thank you to the honourable delegates that could attend this closed-door emergency assembly of the National Assembly of the United Republic of Mars and Martian Colonies called by the President of the Assembly, Cora Rowland. As of now, this assembly will come to order.'' It felt odd to have to address herself in the third person during openings, but it was for the minutes being taken by the Assembly Archivist.

''I trust that each and every one of you has received the agenda of the day. I understand that these are extraordinary circumstances, and normally I would reserve this for the assembly's National Security Council, however, I have been overridden on that call, as we have a rapidly developing situation within the Solarian Reaches, and the assembly is already present for this legislative cycle. I will present the first orders on the agenda. Firstly, the Secretary-General has submitted his briefing on the situation at the request of the Office of the President of the Assembly, secondly, the Secretary-General has submitted a draft for a Declaration of War against the Ascendant Syndicated Hegemony of Auracexia, and finally, the National Security Council and the Committee of Executive Ethics have submitted a call for the investigation and review of the Secretary-General's actions relating to the developing situation. We shall begin, and thus move on the first order for debate, the draft Declaration of War.''

by **Auracexia** » Fri Jul 03, 2020 10:05 am

AHV Eclipse, Bridge Conference Room 1 — Perseus Segment of the Trinity Passage, Solarian Reaches. Approx. 35LY from Sol.

Niitarya nodded. "Thank you, that would be much appreciated. All I am trying to do is prevent the kind of crisis that could be caused if those terraforming devices fell into the wrong hands." She smiled warmly at the Grand Admiral, "I'm going to enjoy interrogating these pirates once they're captured, for all of the trouble they've caused me, I believe I have all of the justification I need." She knew that she couldn't kill these pirates, as the A.S.H.A. has laws, and one of these is a law that explicitly forbids the taking of a life. However, there were other ways she could punish them for their crimes, and she started to consider some really creative punishments. While deep in thought, she received an alert from HSDF Admiral Adriáéla Khärphÿrrha on a Secure Link. She took a second before answering, "I'm sorry Grand Admiral, I have to answer this." She opened the SL in her HCV to find the HSDF Admiral, and her expression said all she needed to know, and Niitarya quickly saluted. "Captain Kéminis’ya, am I to understand that a conversation occurred wherein you insulted Adm. Välärryna, and told her that you would have her rank?"

Niitarya fought the urge to smile. "Yes, Admiral, said conversation did in fact take place, however, some details seem to have been left out. Adm. Välärryna advocated the initiation of hostilities with another civilization, saying if she were the captain of the Eclipse she would have opened fire against the United Republic of Mars... and this is after a brief misunderstanding, of which I had the situation de-escalated by the time she opened a transmission to me, while two representatives of the United Republic were present in one of the Eclipse's conference rooms when she said this." Adm. Khärphÿrrha nodded in silence, "I see. Tell me, how did these representatives of the United Republic of Mars react to her opinion?" Niitarya exhaled. "Suffice it to say, they weren't exactly thrilled, as expected. I had to reassure them that her opinion did not represent the will or opinion of the A.S.H.A. as a whole. Admiral, she is beginning to act like a politician, were she the captain of the Eclipse, what she had suggested would have been suicide. The Eclipse was met with approximately nineteen warships belonging to the United Republic, and they were more than ready to fire upon us if we so much as sneezed." Adm. Khärphÿrrha nodded. "So, you're saying by your actions alone, you have averted a war between the A.S.H.A. and this United Republic of Mars?" Niitarya nodded. "I wouldn't go so far as to take the sole credit, several of my officers were quite instrumental in assisting me in de-escalating the situation."

Adm. Khärphÿrrha nodded, "This will all be reflected in the report, and you are right." Niitarya blinked, "About what?" Adm. Khärphÿrrha smiled. "Adm. Välärryna is turning into a politician, and the HSDF has no place for politicians, we leave the politics to Parliament. Even I find it bizarre that you were tasked with this assignment, first having you transfer your entire complement of fighters to the A'maat'aer'asu, and then having the Eclipse transporting surveyors and equipment to the Tÿr Rivïtha and Kámÿdanïór Systems, despite the fact that there are freighters that are more equipped for this job than a warship. Another thing I find bizarre is that Adm. Välärryna tasked you to intercept the pirate ship... knowing, that all you could do is pursue them, as you didn't have anything beyond just the EXATs." Niitarya nodded. "Agreed. This whole assignment has been quite chaotic for me thus far."

Niitarya figured since she was in contact with Adm. Khärphÿrrha, she might as well bring up what has been nagging her this whole time. "Admiral, I need to ask you a favor, this whole thing seems rather weird, pirates in our space?! How could we have not known, according to the intel I've seen presented at the time I was given the orders to pursue The Black Talon, there were no alerts, whatsoever about a foreign ship inside A.S.H.A. space, until after they already looted the planets of the Xü Théantï System. I have a strong feeling that something is not right with all of this, and being that I am well outside the A.S.H.A right now, I am in no position to do this myself, can you contact DHI Director Sáélynna Aéráéskana and have her investigate this matter, the more I think about this whole situation, the more questions I have."

Adm. Khärphÿrrha nodded, "You do bring an interesting point, I will speak with the DHI Director personally after the completion of this transmission." Niitarya nodded. "Thank you, Admiral, the sooner we can get some answers about these pirates, the better." Adm. Khärphÿrrha nodded. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, you were right about another thing. When you said that you would have her rank, I am going to personally see to it that you are duly promoted upon your return to Auracexia Prime, I have done some digging on Adm. Välärryna, by any chance would the name Adalyn Shaw mean anything to you?" Niitarya stood there, perplexed. "I've never heard of that name, Admiral." Adm. Khärphÿrrha nodded. "Alright, Captain, I have all of the information I need. I will contact you as soon as I can regarding the DHI investigation." Niitarya smiled, as she gave a salute. "Thank you." Adm. Khärphÿrrha smiled "No, Captain, thank you." She returned the salute and terminated the transmission.

Niitarya set the holographic display to inactive. "Sorry about that, this just keeps getting better and better."

by **Lady Scylla** » Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:35 am

Eclipse, Ulaanbaatar Sector
Martian Expeditionary Perimeter
Solarian Reaches, Approx. 35LY from Sol
Nerys crossed her arms behind her as she listened to Nii'tar'ya speak, and then, when they were given another interruption, the Grand Admiral stepped aside to let them have their moment. She pulled up her cybercom interface and selected Rear Admiral Romero. This was all done through her augments, allowing her to have a private conversation without having to actually speak.

''Grand Admiral!''

''Admiral, I'm giving you an update on the situation. These Auracexians are non-hostile, I have the situation under control for the time being, I expect that we'll be working together with them to hunt down this ship of theirs,'' Nerys said.

There was a momentary pause, before Romero responded, ''What of Commander Arkhan? Has she —''

''Arkhan is in custody of the Auracexians. I've released her to them,'' Nerys interrupted.

''Your excellency, with all due respect, why?''

''It's a bargaining chip, Admiral. Notify the Security Council for me, provide them an update about the situation. Let them know that I plan on dispatching ships under your command to assist them, since I will be unable given my duties in the Reaches. Let them know that this vessel the Auracexians were chasing has apparently gotten its hands on some terraforming equipment,'' she said.

''Terraforming?''

''Do you remember Project 709, Admiral?''

''I see what you mean, alright, I'll notify the Security Council immediately.''

The connection terminated and Nerys stepped forward as the conversation her counterpart was having had also ended. ''I'll be dispatching my forces under the command of Rear Admiral Romero, he'll assist you in retrieving these devices, and capturing the vessel you're after. I cannot go, as you understand, I have prior arrangements I need to attend to in the Reaches.''

The Hunt for The Black Talon [Maintenance|FT|CLOSED]

The Hunt for The Black Talon [Maintenance|FT|CLOSED]

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