MoonMan
Inactive Member
Of the many notable tenacious habits that Nepleslian culture exhibited in their time, none were as uniquely subtle as their methods for architecture. Nepleslia Core, the heart of their empire, was a planet of sprawling cities that covered nearly the entire surface. Covered in enormous mega-cities that stretched on and over all terrain, these urban limits never truly ending; merely thinning out before eventually reaching the next towering, multi-tiered example of Nepleslia's infatuation with themselves. Nepleslia Core had less than .01% of its natural vegetation left, as it had been for many, many years, the expanses of forests and plains harvested and cleared to pave the way for housing, businesses and centers of vice aplenty. Many of the central Nepleslian worlds were like this, either at this stage already or rapidly approaching it. It was simply Nepleslia's way; natural flora and fauna either adapted to Nepleslians and their tendencies quickly or were handily made scarce, all in the name of progress and profit.
One needs to understand such tendencies for Nepleslian cities to grow to truly understand why Rok'Veru, a lush, high-temperature and humid terrestrial world, had not reached the level of colonization that Nepleslia Core and its sister worlds enjoyed. Despite being the first recorded settlement for the very first Nepleslians who set leather boot onto firm soil before the records ended, Rok'Veru only enjoyed a handful of large, industrialized cities along the surface, mostly based along the ocean shores. The reason for this exception to Nepleslia's natural need for expansion rested amongst the sprawling, thick jungles and rain forests that covered nearly the entire planet.
Where Nepleslia Core's flora and fauna was more than content to simply lay down and disappear under Nepleslia's heavy-footed march, unable to react to their aggressors, Rok'Veru stood in their path and let its thorns point skyward. Natural Rok'Veru vegetation was thick, resilient, aggressive, and went where it wanted; remarkably fast-growing roots of proguta bulbs glided through soil, concrete and steel foundations with the ease of a knife through water, probing through the smallest structural weakness and quickly forcing them apart. Young saplings of Rok'Veru yusap trees grew to heights and thicknesses that rivaled Nepleslian skyscrapers themselves for space amongst the clouds, thick-leafed branches blanketing kilometers of ground in shade, growth limited only by the thinning mixtures of airborne elements in the skies above. The particularly bothersome vivendocus serratus-fungus, dotted the landscape, staving off most voracious herbivores with an exterior covered in sharp, thin razor-like half-circles outside of the hardened leathery flesh... only to burst and expel billions upon billions of hazardous spores should a more persistent predator make it past its defenses.
Colonists couldn't cut the trees to expand their cities; they grew back just as quickly, either through the dirt or the structural skeletons laid out by colonial construction crews. Nepleslia couldn't shoot trees, as fun as the prospect sounded, and contained-area detonations were risky and met with the same surge of regrowth encountered when clear cutting; Rok'Veru's vibrant flora seemed to almost sense these areas cleared by logging crews, growing into them as though they were actively competing for the newly-opened space. Crews couldn't burn the forests down; a combination of universally fire-resilient barks and skins, as well as the natural humidity and moisture of Rok'Veru made using fire slow and nearly worthless. One type of rather dangerous carnivorous plant was known to actually thrive in areas devastated by forest fire, ashes and fibrous carbons being quickly dissolved into the soil and absorbed by the roots.
Nepleslia didn't quit, nor did they particularly enjoy squandering their opportunities. The major Nepleslian cities of Rok'Veru were built along the several oceans, abusing the thinning vegetation near shorelines and carefully exploiting every inch of space to their structural advantage. With some clever changes in architecture, dedication to hourly overgrowth control on the fringes of the settlement, and a little luck, Bal'Sharok grew to become Rok'Veru's capital city. Life amongst such aggressive plant life caused Nepleslia to adapt instead, and they did it well; well enough to grow bold enough to form other major cities along the expansive shorelines.
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Native Rok'Veru citizens, having already survived the gauntlet of Mother Nature, couldn't truly be prepared for the NMX invasion as it descended upon them. The Nepleslians had weapons and soldiers stationed, they had ships, orbital defense platforms. They were simply overwhelmed by numbers, NMX carriers and gunships lining the sky while ground forces landed amongst the cities and surrounding jungles in seemingly endless waves. Only the lucky ones were able to evacuate away from the major metropolises, fleeing to unmarked settlements and outposts dotting the rainforest; the rest of the citizens were either captured and detained, or hid themselves amongst the ruins of Bal'Sharok, waiting for death or salvation.
Salvation came to the patient. Not soon after the initial invasion force breached the defense line between NMX territory and Rok'Veru, the 1st Defense Fleet and a small support wing of 1st Assault Fleet vessels were quick to respond. The fleets exchanged blows between the invading Mishhu, who turned out to be ill-prepared to engage in orbit above the planet. Both ends received casualties, but the NMX invasion force was quickly forced into a retreat via hyperspace fold, leaving their planetary forces behind to continue whatever it was they had come to Rok'Veru to do.
The 1st Defense Fleet held position in close orbit, opening the way for their own reclamation forces from additional ships as well as their own, sending shuttles and transports to the surface to end the invasion that was, supposedly, over before it started. However, the NMX forces were able to unload a disproportionate amount of infantry and ordinance onto Rok'Veru in the small window of time they had stolen; initial pushes into the fortified city structures stalled Nepleslian armored infantry, preventing further entry into the heart of the city.
It wasn't until several hours after the NMX ships pulled back did the 1st Defense Fleet realize what the NMX ground forces were fighting so ferociously for. Several of the 1st DF's carriers and battleships, in close orbit over each Rok'Veru city to act as a waypoint and tactical resupply for their ground forces, were caught off-guard and unprepared by a simultaneous, planned attack from within the hearts of each city amongst the smouldering towers of steel. In the lull between combat, several powerful communication scrambling elements became active, debilitating both ground communication and starship sensors. At the same time, anti-ship ftl-capable torpedoes and thin beams of aetheric energy burst from the cities confines onto single ships at a time, overwhelming ship defenses with their concentrated precision before moving on to another target. Several 1st DF capital ships, including the fleets flagship, the NSS Grand Rose, were torn apart in low orbit before the remaining vessels were able to retreat farther away.
Soldiers on the ground only had to look skyward to see the results of the sudden attack. Fiery debris rained from the sky, breaking through the darkening clouds in bright orange streaks. They were countless, their slow descent from the atmosphere lighting up the night sky, heralding the coming conflict that stood before them.
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Liganda District of city Bal'Sharok, Planet Rok'Veru
The encrypted short-range message called out to all Nepleslian soldiers capable of receiving it, the range centering around the point of interest itself from within the city. The capital city of Bal'Sharok had seen better days; the growing night made the fires all the more prominent, their glow only serving to illuminate the structural damage that had caused the fire in the first place. The city wasn't leveled, to be sure; buildings still stood tall and streets, aside from the clutter, remained solid. The occasional, distant sounds of combat could be heard echoing around the streets mixed with the natural sounds of Rok'Verus vibrant wildlife coming from the all-encompassing rainforests around the city.
The entrance to the Liganda District subway station mentioned in the broadcast was located in a major street intersection, several lanes of road forming a cross with the large set of downward stairs sitting against the corner beneath an awning of empty iron framework. The glass had been shattered, most likely from a previous explosion or stray bullet, the shards laying along the stairs as they descended into the station itself, obscured from the hazy twilight of night. From the shroud covering the sky, figures would begin to make careful approach upon the subway station's entrance.
One needs to understand such tendencies for Nepleslian cities to grow to truly understand why Rok'Veru, a lush, high-temperature and humid terrestrial world, had not reached the level of colonization that Nepleslia Core and its sister worlds enjoyed. Despite being the first recorded settlement for the very first Nepleslians who set leather boot onto firm soil before the records ended, Rok'Veru only enjoyed a handful of large, industrialized cities along the surface, mostly based along the ocean shores. The reason for this exception to Nepleslia's natural need for expansion rested amongst the sprawling, thick jungles and rain forests that covered nearly the entire planet.
Where Nepleslia Core's flora and fauna was more than content to simply lay down and disappear under Nepleslia's heavy-footed march, unable to react to their aggressors, Rok'Veru stood in their path and let its thorns point skyward. Natural Rok'Veru vegetation was thick, resilient, aggressive, and went where it wanted; remarkably fast-growing roots of proguta bulbs glided through soil, concrete and steel foundations with the ease of a knife through water, probing through the smallest structural weakness and quickly forcing them apart. Young saplings of Rok'Veru yusap trees grew to heights and thicknesses that rivaled Nepleslian skyscrapers themselves for space amongst the clouds, thick-leafed branches blanketing kilometers of ground in shade, growth limited only by the thinning mixtures of airborne elements in the skies above. The particularly bothersome vivendocus serratus-fungus, dotted the landscape, staving off most voracious herbivores with an exterior covered in sharp, thin razor-like half-circles outside of the hardened leathery flesh... only to burst and expel billions upon billions of hazardous spores should a more persistent predator make it past its defenses.
Colonists couldn't cut the trees to expand their cities; they grew back just as quickly, either through the dirt or the structural skeletons laid out by colonial construction crews. Nepleslia couldn't shoot trees, as fun as the prospect sounded, and contained-area detonations were risky and met with the same surge of regrowth encountered when clear cutting; Rok'Veru's vibrant flora seemed to almost sense these areas cleared by logging crews, growing into them as though they were actively competing for the newly-opened space. Crews couldn't burn the forests down; a combination of universally fire-resilient barks and skins, as well as the natural humidity and moisture of Rok'Veru made using fire slow and nearly worthless. One type of rather dangerous carnivorous plant was known to actually thrive in areas devastated by forest fire, ashes and fibrous carbons being quickly dissolved into the soil and absorbed by the roots.
Nepleslia didn't quit, nor did they particularly enjoy squandering their opportunities. The major Nepleslian cities of Rok'Veru were built along the several oceans, abusing the thinning vegetation near shorelines and carefully exploiting every inch of space to their structural advantage. With some clever changes in architecture, dedication to hourly overgrowth control on the fringes of the settlement, and a little luck, Bal'Sharok grew to become Rok'Veru's capital city. Life amongst such aggressive plant life caused Nepleslia to adapt instead, and they did it well; well enough to grow bold enough to form other major cities along the expansive shorelines.
---
Native Rok'Veru citizens, having already survived the gauntlet of Mother Nature, couldn't truly be prepared for the NMX invasion as it descended upon them. The Nepleslians had weapons and soldiers stationed, they had ships, orbital defense platforms. They were simply overwhelmed by numbers, NMX carriers and gunships lining the sky while ground forces landed amongst the cities and surrounding jungles in seemingly endless waves. Only the lucky ones were able to evacuate away from the major metropolises, fleeing to unmarked settlements and outposts dotting the rainforest; the rest of the citizens were either captured and detained, or hid themselves amongst the ruins of Bal'Sharok, waiting for death or salvation.
Salvation came to the patient. Not soon after the initial invasion force breached the defense line between NMX territory and Rok'Veru, the 1st Defense Fleet and a small support wing of 1st Assault Fleet vessels were quick to respond. The fleets exchanged blows between the invading Mishhu, who turned out to be ill-prepared to engage in orbit above the planet. Both ends received casualties, but the NMX invasion force was quickly forced into a retreat via hyperspace fold, leaving their planetary forces behind to continue whatever it was they had come to Rok'Veru to do.
The 1st Defense Fleet held position in close orbit, opening the way for their own reclamation forces from additional ships as well as their own, sending shuttles and transports to the surface to end the invasion that was, supposedly, over before it started. However, the NMX forces were able to unload a disproportionate amount of infantry and ordinance onto Rok'Veru in the small window of time they had stolen; initial pushes into the fortified city structures stalled Nepleslian armored infantry, preventing further entry into the heart of the city.
It wasn't until several hours after the NMX ships pulled back did the 1st Defense Fleet realize what the NMX ground forces were fighting so ferociously for. Several of the 1st DF's carriers and battleships, in close orbit over each Rok'Veru city to act as a waypoint and tactical resupply for their ground forces, were caught off-guard and unprepared by a simultaneous, planned attack from within the hearts of each city amongst the smouldering towers of steel. In the lull between combat, several powerful communication scrambling elements became active, debilitating both ground communication and starship sensors. At the same time, anti-ship ftl-capable torpedoes and thin beams of aetheric energy burst from the cities confines onto single ships at a time, overwhelming ship defenses with their concentrated precision before moving on to another target. Several 1st DF capital ships, including the fleets flagship, the NSS Grand Rose, were torn apart in low orbit before the remaining vessels were able to retreat farther away.
Soldiers on the ground only had to look skyward to see the results of the sudden attack. Fiery debris rained from the sky, breaking through the darkening clouds in bright orange streaks. They were countless, their slow descent from the atmosphere lighting up the night sky, heralding the coming conflict that stood before them.
-----
Liganda District of city Bal'Sharok, Planet Rok'Veru
Code:
"This is a short range broadcast, calling all Nepleslian military forces in the general area. Recent developments in the conflict have made the use of long-range communication impossible. NMX forces holding positions ES-56 to ES-109 have begun pushing outward on the eastern encampment outside of Bal'Sharok spacesport on Eastern Zebulba and 10th Street. Infantry in that area have been advised to fall back to Epsilon and wait for orders."
"All receiving this broadcast, however, are ordered to move to regroup at the underground subway station in Liganda District of Bal'Sharok, on 5th Street near the central transport hub. The area still contains scattered enemy presence; be cautious in your approach and avoid drawing attention to the subway station regroup point. Repeat. This is a short range-"
The encrypted short-range message called out to all Nepleslian soldiers capable of receiving it, the range centering around the point of interest itself from within the city. The capital city of Bal'Sharok had seen better days; the growing night made the fires all the more prominent, their glow only serving to illuminate the structural damage that had caused the fire in the first place. The city wasn't leveled, to be sure; buildings still stood tall and streets, aside from the clutter, remained solid. The occasional, distant sounds of combat could be heard echoing around the streets mixed with the natural sounds of Rok'Verus vibrant wildlife coming from the all-encompassing rainforests around the city.
The entrance to the Liganda District subway station mentioned in the broadcast was located in a major street intersection, several lanes of road forming a cross with the large set of downward stairs sitting against the corner beneath an awning of empty iron framework. The glass had been shattered, most likely from a previous explosion or stray bullet, the shards laying along the stairs as they descended into the station itself, obscured from the hazy twilight of night. From the shroud covering the sky, figures would begin to make careful approach upon the subway station's entrance.
1st Response said:Soldiers from the initial reclamation force have been on Rok'Veru for a little over a day, in constant combat. Their supplies and ammunition are low, and moral is wavering after seeing the better part of the 1st DF blown out of the sky. These 1st response soldiers are weary and waning, but they still have their guns and gear in working condition and they know what to expect as they push into the city.
Survivors said:Some escape pods from the few unlucky ships targeted by the NMX were able to avoid the disastrous attack. A little shaken from the close call, these survivor soldiers are more or less rested and ready to go, with fresh powered armorsuits. However, armory access was limited in the ensuing chaos, providing them with only the armor-grade sidearms as a means of defense. Pods are limited to a single armored soldier; these survivors will have to regroup with more Nepleslian military if they hope to keep surviving.