RP [OPERATION FIREPLACE] Ostarae os malos

YSS Resurgence

"Sakuko, is that nursery ready?" Poppy called on the ship network, only to find that Hachirobei had been taken from her task by Chiasa and was piloting a shuttle. Sakuko then explained it was for some Norian VIP, but Poppy was pissed her orders had been disregarded for some field trip that hadn't been authorized by the captain, but instead requested by a Santo Hei alone. That just didn't make sense. Then Sakuko explained it was on Vec's orders. "Oh," Poppy said, with a heavy sigh. She had been outranked.

She called Aoba and explained she needed someone help to set up the nursery, and he sent Wong Caihong and Plum to help Kawa Euikoshi do it. Miyagawa Taro and Miriam Norita helped provide supervision for the hundreds of children now filling the ship's passageways, rec room, and science lab area, while the medical lab and dojo were reserved for the injured. The two anthros, Gabriela and Benna, went back and got the last of the orphans and soon they were ready to bring them to Pisces Station. At that point, Pidole did a last call for anyone who needed to get back aboard the YSS Resurgence before she disconnected the docking tube.

"Hmm, did you happen to see Sanda?" Cassie asked, fading into view as she deactivated her active camouflage.

"No," Pidole shook her head.

"Hmm..." Cassie pondered, and then tried calling Sanda.

Near the YSS Resurgence Docking Tube​

Hurry up and wait was a military adage for a reason. Ohara hadn’t left too long ago and checking in on her might come off as nagging. Taking stock of the situation, he realized he’d lost track of the Counselor. It wasn’t a warzone, but she should’ve wandered off without taking a battle buddy or at least telling him. He kicked himself for the oversight. He opened a comm channel to Thia to ask her where she’d gotten off to when he heard Henitot’s static-filled last call.

“The fuck?” he muttered before chinning his helmet comm, “Be advised, there are still personnel in the field.” He could only assume as much, since nobody had checked in, and apparently the Captain was picking up stakes without checking in either. The irate doctor turned, striding back down the corridor towards the airlock, hoping he’d at least be able to talk to somebody face to face. The Resurgence was already casting off. Muttering another string of profanity, he opened the team comm, hoping to punch through the growing interference, “Bravo team, stragglers, report in? Thia, you there?”

Docking Tube

When Vec reached the docking tube he saw Pidole waiting with a Molecure dispenser and a large wrench, waiting.

Cassie was also there, "The kids from this section are aboard, sir," Cassie reported to Vec. "I'm trying to call Sanda now."

Poppy joined Vec as well. "I'm here sir," the pink-haired field medic said, touching his back with her hand briefly. "We're just waiting on Chiasa to get back with the Norian medical wizard, right?" she asked him.

YSS Resurgence

Aoba replied to Vec and explained, "There is starship combat situation and I want the ship free to maneuver as needed so we can put our rail guns on the target. Can you give us an estimated time needed to get those medical patients aboard?" the captain asked Vec. "The teams appear to have lost some cohesion," he added with obvious displeasure.

"Captain, I just made a special emergency request to Moth~ er, Motoyoshi-Taishō for any intelligence she has about this ship. She's closer to Norian issues than anyone else I know of. Awaiting response." Tachiko blushed at her slip as she prepared the Resurgence's communications system to go into EWAR mode for a ship-to-ship combat scenario.

Near the YSS Resurgence Docking Tube​

​

A flood of relief, managed to tamp down Vec’s annoyance. “‘Sall good, sir,” he said over the command frequency as he shot Poppy a thumbs up, “I can’t give a good ETA until Ohara’s back, the hospital here is locked down and I sent her to ‘grab the key’ from some big wig on Beta. If the Res needs to go shoot stuff in space, have fun and pick us up later. I’ll have the team and the rest of the refugees back here formed up and ready to board with alacrity when you get back.” He almost added that a little heads up would be nice next time, but thought better of it. Best to save that for the after action report.

Turning to his NCO, Vec said, “Hey, Pink, who all’s still out? Medical team, I know, but did you see anybody else?”

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Alpha​

Port Hope​

Rin had not thought a lot about her plans for the future, as orchestrated as the woman usually was she drew a blank as her niece spoke. Something was going on though, Alpha's death song had grown quieter, and the background had begun to fade. It was disorienting, the strange feeling that came over Rin made her respond with merely a drop of her jaw and a rush of air, "Ughnaaa..." she groaned. Her form collapsed beneath the hand which Arina had cast upon her shoulder. She hit the deck rather hard, her head smacked against the glossy black flesh of the floor with a dull thud and the sound of bones quaking in adjustment. Her sensory pathways and access to her vesper faded into a nightmarish state as she felt the grueling agony in Alpha felt. It was good much of the refugees upon her had been evacuated, the end was near and now Alpha prepared to cast her final stones into that tranquil quiet sea that was space. The gift it had promised.

The gift, YSS Resurgence​

As the YSS Resurgence would retract its docking column, it would feel the shudder of Alpha as the leviathan shifted within space. The dorsal pole of the Leviathan opened like the blossom of a fleshy flower and deposited a strange orb-like structure that gleamed like polished amethyst and gold. The orb would have a living nature to it, a newly born mindhive with a defined purpose like no other.

Alpha had several from the Lorath Enclave within loads of refugees that had been offloaded and over time the mighty Leviathan had learned of where they had come from and what had happened. This gift to the Yamataians, to those of the Kikyo Sector, would be a single-use solution, that came with instructions for its deployment - A solution for Project Checkout which had wounded space within this region of the Kagami Galaxy.

The sea squirt-esque structure with tiny nipple-like gleaming gold structures containing biosensory nodes and equipment would move towards the YSS Resurgence. A gift that was promised was now delivered from the dying Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Alpha.

( Akelost Alpha's Gift )

Hospital​

Endri just smiled and lifted Rekel up and placed her on the hospital bed. He was a moment as he slipped from his tactical armor and then slipped into the bed behind her. The air was growing very stale, so the weariness had truly set in. He let out a deep sigh as he whispered, "Help will come soon, be it in the form of our kin and new friends or the hand of the builders themselves, we've done our part - more than our part." The lights flickered in the isolated hospital and the doctors and nurses began to panic as well, they struggled to keep the equipment online while connections to mindhive dependant systems failed as Alpha slipped ever closer to death.

Church of The Builders​

Eku smiled from ear to ear as Thia explained how it was not a trick. She would trust in that, at least for now. The other children called out for attention, but Eku remained wrapped around Thia's body like a Koala clinging to a tree trunk and refused to let go. When asked about how she knew she tasted like worms, she got a very serious look on her face and whispered in Thia's ear, "...I know because when Zakepha ate my parents, she didn't want me. She left me alive, despite the starvation within her eyes," That little whisper, that tidbit of horror was a similar story that the other orphans gathered there would have.

The YSS Resurgence crew had successfully evacuated the babies, there were still more to be taken though. They clung around Thia, waiting for their turn. The crystalline lighting sources would flicker as Alpha rumbled lowly, a deep agonizing groan emptying deep within the sphere's core.

Shurista Fleet & The Music Bug​

Alpha whispered to the bug again, its voice modulated over the stream of quantum communications. It was filled with interference and static, "Yes, it is me. Alpha, my time is little. Please play for me your song again, stay here and let me hear your creation. I've given my gift, and I can wait not much longer. It is my time little bug, you've been so kind, your song will be remembered and played over and over by my kind for all of eternity, across stars that you will never even know the names of. I am part of a whole, a part of the great orchestra of the universe. Your names will be known..." the voice trailed off, from that moment on there was only silence and interruptions of massive quantum interference as exotic radiations continued to breach from Alpha's core into the night.

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Beta​

Landing Bay, YSS Resurgence Shuttle​

Aunaera returned to Chiasa just in time to catch the question about lattes. Perhaps it was best that the Yamataian had not noticed her absence? She had taken a liberty that maybe was not the best choice when it came to policies - even if it was the best choice in terms of logic. The Norian crooked a brow and looked at the steaming cups, "Is it tea? What is a latte?" she asked, ready to experience this new treat her recently acquired friend made. They had work to do but surely that could wait a minute. Readings from the shuttle's sensors would show that, unlike Alpha, Beta was mostly intact and had adjusted its internal environment to Yamatai standard.

Bridge​

"Mazumi? Oh well, it is nice to meet you Mazumi. I have an unfortunate favor to ask, I just want you to forget anything you hear in the next few minutes," Katara said as she adjusted her ponytail and lowered herself into the throne-like command chair. "I have complete faith in the fact Yamatai will destroy that gunship, in fact, I don't even question it, especially when this woman over here is the one giving the orders," she said, and her eyes centered on Akina, the illusions fell like the walls of oppression after a revolution as she locked onto her.

Katara looked at Akina and said quietly, "That's because is it like home, kind of. Some secrets though, have to be kept in teddy bears. Obviously, another me found it..." she said, the veil dropped. She switched the visual scan to the image of the YSS Battle of Elysia as it prepared.

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Gamma​

Cargo Area​

When Zeck dragged the MERN solider over he gave a look at him of oddity and strangeness, he shook his head, "I'm not a scientist or a doctor but I have a feeling that might not be a good plan. Not to mention, you'd need consent from the Leviathan itself. It is a person with rights. You could always ask, but who knows what that bacterial would do if it got into the Leviathan...might make a bad time the worst time," the soldiers suggested.

Cheol waited for Captain Lenna in the cargo area along with an escort of three of his MERN soldiers. The sounds of the protesting civilians grew louder and louder and he knew his soldiers would not be able to hold them back long. He reopened the communications channel to the Sobek III, "I hate to rush you Captain, but we have some civilian unrest over here, the arrival of food and assistance might help us quell it, but we risk things getting out of control," he stated to give her a true warning of what she was getting into.

MERN Aiathogu​

Bridge​

Aphelion was in a quick burn, volumetric images and scans filtered over the Operations table, she was literally firing on all cylinders and was grateful when Enandra joined her. She transferred the monitoring communications on the other Arks over to her, "Keep an ear open," she said as she transferred control to the Ensign.

Click to expand...

( @Enandra )

"The MERN Ithond has been cleansed, Taisho," Admiral Aphelion returned to active communication with the YSS Battle of Elysia, "Thankfully our newer assets have defense systems to prevent incursions from the Asune Dimension, older ships like that gunship do not. It seems to be headed towards Alpha, but I would watch it carefully, while these creatures may seem mindless at first glance, they are part of a much larger whole, one that even the mighty should be weary of," she said over the secure communications channel.

"I am dispatching a group of MERN Marines for insertion onto the Ithond, do you have an infantry unit with you? They could use a hand if you do," the Admiral added. ( Opportunity for you @demibear )

Bridge Aside​

Uaeso looked to Naika, her sage words had fallen just right. The communication that Aphelion sent the YSS Battle of Elysia was really what it was. She probably knew what he was going to say, but he said it anyway, "I should be the one leading that team, this is our mess." The Crowned Prince was ready to get out of the backseat as it were. "How do you feel about putting on some tactical gear again, love?" he questioned. His symbiote was already connected to his Sylph. He began to send signals to wake the allied monstrosity from her slumber so that they could be of some use.

MERN Hinthathae​

The wreckless maneuvers, the change in course, even the first run at the MERN Aiathogu; it was all intentional. The gunship never had a chance to overcome the overwhelming firepower of the Star Army's fleet. The tainted knew that when they boarded the ship, they knew their sacrifice would eventually lead to that one moment. The trans-universal buoy launched from the aft section of the gunship. The impacts of the First Expeditionary Fleet's fire knocked the gunship into a death spiral. The ship flying apart spewing its debris across the open space between the military and civilian ships.

A tiny wound in space was left where the buoy had made its jump.

The true battle was just about to begin...​

(More to come, there will be a second post following this one in a few minutes. Please standby)​

Of the Nightmare Deceptions Breed​

Elysium Universe​

On Route to the Ayenee System - 2nd U'rstholloshan Imperial War Fleet​

Sclauth Achakega Leviathan​

"Aw. Look they're giving each other gifts. Such a moment was captured in time. The sweet escapees of celestial justice and the all-powerful catgirls unite. See Bothosar, good still exists in the real space. A little bit of spice just entwined them even closer," Minjun's lips puckered mockingly just momentarily, "Like fattening pigs, another harvest for the taking. Just a shame that other things have to come first." The Prince let out a sigh as his legs dangled over the left arm of the throne-like command chair. His fingers plucked at a hard light presentation of a single dark blossom, the symbol of his dearest mother who was home with his father on the K'ctha-Zoth Imperial Prime World.

Minjun Kiri Darbane, Prince and Grand Admiral of the 2nd U'rstholloshan Imperial War Fleet was about to make that fated jump to follow in his parent's footsteps; sure he had led plenty of wars beneath his father but this was different. He had time to marinade or fester in the teachings of his mother. For far too long their hold on Eastern Ayenee had been stagnant. After all, he had to live up to the name, to that cultivation of his mother's genius violence and his father's mastery of war strategy itself. They already had the symbol, the sword of Ayenee leaned against the throne, the ancient relic propped against the command throne carelessly as a broom leaning against the wall. It probably made fools like Varsinax soil their pants to know who had it now.

It was not a member of his crew, nor one of his many officers that manned the control stations on the multiplatform bridge of Sclauth Achakega. It was something else, a glowing dark sphere centered on the massive aperture-like screen at the very front of the bridge cathedral. Sclauth Achakega was not like the Norian Levaithans though, the ancient Leviathan was true of its kind, not born in a lab and certainly not sleeping like some of the other Umarian Legion Arms that had been absorbed after the war. This thing on the screen though, this sphere was something else though, and although it was not there it still presented this sickly thick vile feeling in the air as its abomination filled the aperture, the full monstrosity of its form hidden like this was somehow its more docile pet form. It was one of the prime, a wicked planetary-like entity that whispered its vile secrets across the threshold of the Asune Dimension. Minjun wasn't its slave, he wasn't tainted but rather born into it, blessed by his mother's dark half of his being he was its humanoid master. It all had come to a head, the fall of the Norian states, and of course, the simple fact remained that - All War is based upon deception.

The low groan-like distortions that made up the lingual portion of the noises that came from Bothosar were filtered through the internal communications of the bridge chamber, of course, they had to be cleansed upon a level that could be manageable, the raw acoustics of an entity like that could blow the ear drums or worse, translate into vibrations that would cause the excretions needed to cause madness. There was a delay between reception and gurgled translation, "My stolen hearts made a desperate plea, their sacrifice remembered -- I feel the decadent energies of their pain transmitted within that call... I find myself in need, a great unfathomable need. I starve oh Prince, I starve for their molecules, for the return upon investment. I volunteer, even if it is in sacrifice Liege...I volunteer to deliver a gift as well your majesty..." the gurgled low chords of discord unveiled themselves in the return transmission.

"Let me be the first dawn of reclamation in this harvest..."

The hard light image of the blossom broke down. The petals dissolved like sand and fell downwards but never hit that untarnished black of Minjun's U'rstholloshan Navy Uniform. His slightly narrow gauge Norian facade bloomed its own smile, he grinned widely as the Leviathan begged him. He slipped the black glove from his hand finger by finger and tossed it upon the arm of the throne as he straightened and then lifted himself from within it, "Go Bothosar, feed that desire of yours indulge it for me. I will see you at Ayenee when you are done. Please assimilate one of these new toys for me, I wish to see one undone...broken upon my lap, a puppet that will become a morsel on the table at a future victory piece...I have a little message though for you to deliver."

Operation Fireplace​

The arrival of Bothosar...​

The Yamataian Star Army Fleet, along with the gathered Leviathas and Tsenlan would now come to witness a rare and dangerous event. That tiny rip in space left through the activations of an Asune Dimensional Device spread quickly, a strait rift-like pattern that extended coreward in the cubic block of measured space. It festered another opening of its own. Every sensor system on their palettes would detect it, there was nothing stealth about it. Their aetheric sensors however would see the most even if they were not attuned to the Asune Dimensional frequency. The Duke of Twisted Nightmares Bothosar Othacharulia was classified as one of the more elder Devourers, a player in the interconnected game of what was a web of confusing and ancient entities. It would share similarities to the scanned Leviathans of the Norian fleet, and then that would be where the similarities would end. Its sheer size was something likely not encountered before. As it arrived through the trans-universal conduit rift, its mass (although confusing) and dimensions would be translated upon their screens as a sphere just slightly larger than their homeworld of Yamatai.

The first effect that would be given would be the sudden change in realspace. Suddenly a mass the size of a planet would have gravity upon it. It would create a ripple of significant gravity that would spread outwards from its arrival point. It was not a weapon - merely a consequence of its arrival. Then from beneath its tentacles reached thousands of kilometers in length, blade-like ends formed of some crystalline structure that was closely related to a Leviathan husk, each blade-like form had a pit within it where asune plasma gathered upon prong-like spines ready to be fired. The size of this thing was far from manageable. An eye-like orifice opened upon the sphere like a verticle taco, which formed a dimensional gate blistered with subspace distortions and pockets of superheated asune plasma. Part of its main weapon, of course, the Star Army would detect micro fissures within forming, space being ruptured as if space-time was being manipulated, similar to how a wormhole works. A monstrosity of a weapon, a mouth, it did the job of both.

Swarms of squid-like creatures built-in miniature to the large entity swarmed into space, like bees from a beehive, already they took potshots at the armors which clouded the Norian Leviathans and the Star Army Fleet, almost as if they were taunting them with those encased asune plasma discharges.

That which was on the surfaces was just the beginning. A projected communication would come, an image of Minjun would fill those starship screens.

The Message​

Pre-recorded

"A whole fleet against one little ship. Is this another Norian War Romance?" Minjun's voice filled the comms, his form stretched across the command chair with his legs hanging over the side arm as he had been before. "Understand Airwin, fellow somewhat related family. This isn't personal. It is just the truth behind the veil and that is, well in war there eventually has to be a victor, the deception sadly is just the package in which it was sent," he said. "The rest of your people are safe if you were wondering. I'm not a monster you know, well...not yet anyway. " He paused and stared into the screen his soft glowing magenta eyes were glistening with glossy captivating as his Norian-like body seemed so leisurely in its pose.

"Oh Yamatai, just a burning question. Have you heard from your Fort on Ayenee lately?" the Prince laughed, the hard light blossom he played with earlier had reappeared and he began to absent-mindedly pluck away at its petals. "Well in the spirit of gift giving, I give you a very hungry gift. I think it might tell a different story than a lone gunship versus a whole fleet, maybe you can build a nice memorial for those you will lose today. Put it in a park outside one of my future estates in Ayenee's Capital. Do enjoy my gift, a little pet you know - not entirely housebroken..." he said then the communication ended.

More power, wider bands, different methods. "Resurgence, shuttles, away teams, all hands red alert!' Tachiko had engaged the Type 31 Electronic Warfare Suite from the communications console, and did her best to punch through. "Switch to priority mutilayer encryption, multiband, multimodal. Everyone, hurry up and get aboard so we can engage the stealth systems! Ganbatte-yo!" There was a quiver of desperation in Tachiko's voice as she gave the final bit of encouragement. "We have incoming on intercept with imminent encounter, super-capital and small... uh, craft, swarm." A small timer went out in a wireless message to the digital minds or assistive equivalents of all members of their crew, as well as their armors and vehicles. "We don't have long to be shields up, stealth up, engines and weapons hot!"

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Alpha
Inside dying part of ship

Sanda tried her coms again and all she got back was static. Maldita interferencia she murmured. Time was against them and she knew what she had to do. She chuckled humorously to herself as she realized this was one of the few times in her carrier that she wished she had PA. The Nepleslian ranger helped Ellroher to his feet and moved him away from the door. She also had the missing child stay close to him so she wouldn't be tempted to wonder off again. Sanda approached the door and ran a hand along it. She was unfamiliar with the material, but it seemed pretty sturdy. She tapped the door with her knuckles. An inch thick at least, maybe more.

Sanda pulled from her boot another blade. It looked identical to her beloved Straight Silver blade but this one had a built in Aether generator. The power supply was small though, only about a minuet of continuous use. It was mostly used within a Power Armor were the suit could provide unlimited power to it. The power pack was supposed to be used in emergency situations where something needed to be cut and cut fast. There were dangers of using Aether weapons outside of PA. Sanda knew that. Radiation, heat, it wouldn't take long to start doing damage. But there were people trapped here and she was the only one who was in a position to help.

Sanda activated the Aether blade and stabbed it into the door. It went through with little resistance. A stab was one thing, but to cut a hole big enough for people to fit through was something else. The lighting tattooed woman began moving the blade through the door. She couldn't go to quick or it wouldn't cut. She also needed to keep her blade pointed down so that melted bits of the door didn't fall onto her hand or fall and reseal the cut. She kept the blade in her cybernetic right hand. It was the only she could stand the heat radiating off the blade.

Although she was quick, it still took her over a minuet make the cut. Once she finished she gave the door a jarring kick and a circle fell through. Almost instantly a Norian female moved nimbly through the hole, avoided the still hot edges. She moved straight towards Ellroher with concern and placed her forehead against his. Ellroher just smiled and they spoke so quickly in their own language that Sanda didn't quite catch all that was said. The two looked identical. Although on closer inspection, it was easy to see that Ellroher's face was rougher, as if he had been through quite a few fights and the woman's face was far fairer. But Sanda had little time to make any observations as she helped the other half dozen Norian adults through the opening.

Once they were all though, Sanda turned and was a little surprised to see Ellroher on his feet being supported by the woman. "Sanda, this is my twin sister Elemmire." Elemmire bowed to Sanda and said, "I can't thank you enough for saving my brother. He's an idiot, trying to come here and safe us when he knows our enemies are most likely closing in on us, but he's still my brother and I would feel lost without him." Sanda smiled but she was beginning to feel very tired. They needed to get back to the Res quickly. "We need to move. Is this everyone?" Elemmire nodded. "All that we could save from this part of the ship. The rest had been evacuated, we were doing a last sweep to make sure none had been missed when the ship began to die." "Then we need to move."

Sanda led the way. It was slow going. The Norian weren't in the best of health and Ellroher was even weaker from blood loss. They also had other problems. Not all the doors separating passageways had closed when the ship died. Some had remained open but others had slowly been closing. They found a door closed that had been opened when Sanda had last passed through. She had to stop and cut another hole in the door. She was halfway through the cut when the battery in her blade gave out. Quickly, Sanda removed a cord under the synthetic skin of her arm and plugged her blade into the power source of her cybernetics. It would drain her cybernetics, but it was the only way.

Sanda moved ahead to the last door as the rest of the Norian were getting through the second hole. It was the door that Sanda had held up earlier to allow the children to escape. She knew the Res was on the other side of that door. Coms were still unreliable, but bits and pieces were getting through. Sanda was beginning to feel nauseous. The Aether radiation couldn't be good but there was no other way. Steeling herself, Sanda began making the last cut into the final door that stood between them and help. This one took longer as Sanda's strength was rapidly being used up.

But at last, she cut through and pushed into the next room. "Resurgence, this is Thunder. I need immediate aid. I've got..." She had to stop talking and yanked at her mask as she began to violently vomit. Ellroher and Elemmire grabbed Sanda by her arms and carried her towards the Res crew. "Help! We need a doctor quick! This soldier needs medical attention right away." "He does too." Elemmire added, indecating her brother's amputated arm.

Yayoi
Yayoi had managed to get the kids into the ship, and turned to look back into the tunnels where Sanda had gone. She pondered going back out for a dot of a second. “She’d gone back to retriev a missing kid” she replied to the others, before she swore as she heard the report. She focused herself, and calmed her mind and heart. She wasn’t sure she liked what she was hearing, and wondered just what had followed the Norians before she heard Sanda finally speaking. “I heard Sanda, she appears to need medical attention!! I’ll go to her!” She said as she got off the transport and hurried back another effect of the resistance, they never left an operative behind.
She’d arrived at the wall, and her eyes picked up on Sanda’s activities”forgive me, Leviathan” she said and she tried to help and get through to them on the other side. She’d used her weapons to cut a hole through before spotting the group. “Ok, folk’s time to go!” she said after making the whole big enough. She’d stuck her hands through to help pull them all through. Yayoi continued to keep herself calm.

---

Mazumi
Mazumi blushed deep red as Akina commented on her beauty. “I.. I’m sorry captain, while I do not mind walking with you, and serving as an escort, and gaining insight, you are mistaken about me being the cutest one. My big sister, Minato the avatar of your ship is far cuter than I, as well as many of the personnel on board.” She said to her captain, before turning her attention to the queen as she spoke to her.
She did blink her eyes as she was asked to forget what she might hear. She soon understood there was secrets someone of her rank shouldn’t hear. Her attention went to the screen, and saw the Battle of Yamatai began its attack.

The cargo hold of the Sobek
Lenna pulls out her com pad as she got word of a message and then looks around she was already at the opening of her ship and the ark. Spotting the Norain that appeared to her she moved over asking "Admiral Cheol? I am here were do we need to set up so we can start to get this food out to the people?"

The Device in her hands starts to speak "Lenna there is a massive disruption forming near where the gunship was taken out, planetary sized and some weird energy is coming forth from it." The massive gravity waves hit the ark and the AI went on "according to my oldest databanks this thing is an elder devourer, And its launching swarms of smaller selfs already taking shots at the assembled ships and arks. "

Lenna looks over to the Norain's and says "I have a feeling that we need to get the food off my ship right away. It is more than a cargo vessel it was once a gunship that had the ability to carry troops for boarding. I ripped out the barracks for the cargo hold, but still have the weapons systems. I should be able to hold off the smaller craft from swarming the ark. But I'll need to be mobile to do so.


On the bridge of the Sobek
Nikicon spots the gunship explodes and moves to aim the torpedo's at the gunship, seeing something fall away from the craft she curses unable to get a lock as there were too many ships between her and the thing, nor has Del gotten back to her yet. "Sobek can we bounce a tracking signal off a ship? We need to destroy what just fell off that gunship!!"

"It is too late Nikicon that device is already active and massive readings are coming through." Sobek's AI says as the massive rift forms and then the massive planet? no it had readings like the arks and other Leviathans of the Norian fleet.

Nikicon whimpers and then move to open coms to Lenna, but is interrupted by Sobek "I have already contacted the captain and told Lenna about it." "Fuck that thing is massive I hope the Yamatai's can handle it." A flash nearby as the Sobeks shields flash taking a potshot from one of the smaller crafts. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck" Nikicon whimpers "Sobek can we go full power to the outboard shields, that nearly got through?"

Gamma arks docking bay
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttttt zap zap zap zap zap zap zap zap brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt, several Gatling turrets, and energy turrets start to fire at incoming projectiles from the smaller craft that would be landing on the Sobek or nearby on the ark.

Lenna looks out at Sobek and then back to Cheol "I hope that is Sobek trying to take down incoming weapons fire and not incoming craft." Then stepping away as she yells at the crew to start moving the cargo containers out of her ship and placing them along the hull and unlocking them so the MERN soldiers can get into them.

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Beta
Landing Bay

Even with the comms fuzzy and unreliable, it didn’t take long for Chiasa to realize that something was wrong.

“A latte is…” The tiny Nekvalkyrja’s words trailed off as she processed the incoming reports coming in from the Resurgence and from her CMO. She made short work of her latte, before setting the cup aside in order to attend to the updates. “Resurgence is going red alert, Hachirobei-Hei.” Chiasa spoke up once more, her voice going serious. “We’ll try and make this quick.” She added.

Simultaneously, Chiasa flashed a transmission to her CMO on a loop, intending to keep him abreast of her status in case something was wrong.

Approaching Hybrid Ark Beta. We should be landing shortly, Chui.

Click to expand...

“Lieutenant, are you ready? I’ll be right behind you.” Chiasa took a deep breath as the shuttle touched down in an alien landing bay, the ramp opening to allow her to disembark. The tiny medical specialist did so almost immediately. However, as she took her first steps inside the unfamiliar, alien vessel, she found that her digital mind recognized little of the Leviathan’s interior and navigating it eluded her entirely.

She turned to Aunaera with a soft, yet nervous smile marking her features, implicitly placing her trust in the Lieutenant to lead the way to the doctor.

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Alpha​

Port Hope​

Arina heard herself gasp, her attention had been between the arc and her aunt, "RIN!", Her composure more than shaken, how she felt about the family outcast was made clear enough as she her knees thundered to the deck, and she turned her over on her lap, brushing hair across the impact point of her head to assess how bad it was. The vile pit of sadness felt as if it had an event horizon: pulling all light into it from where it began with the war, how big it became with the death of her mother, and if the death of a leviathan was not bad enough, she didn't even think to stand in front of Rin or move her.

"Wake up! Rin? Rin!?", She kept trying to rouse her telepathically after that, "I'll drag you off myself, if I have to. I'm not losing anyone else!"

With the armor she was heavier than Arina had expected, but she got enough help to get the other woman laid out across her shoulders, using one leg and one arm to keep her steady atop her. "Ghn. We'll. Make it." The younger Norian huffed, and looked to the only officer she could see nearby, he was far higher ranking than she was, though. "C-continue according to her directions. I'll get her to safety." The snowy-haired Norian appreciated that her aunt's presence would no longer help anyone. She planned it out. The other officer nodded and turned back to part of the remaining crew. She hoped her service aboard the Ark helped more than being on the safety of one of the MERN vessels, it was obvious to her that Rin had done more than her part.

The pair made their way to one of the waiting ships, and Arina finally got a little help after being waved to from an Elysian in a Star Army uniform with light blue paneling. She felt sick, but thought one last thing to the seizing leviathan.

Sal o thys aelaeseirol, shi'jh tor o. [Thank you for everything, we'll miss you.]

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Beta​

Bridge​

"I know she'll keep all of it to herself." Akina reassured the Queen, displaying her faith in her subordinate despite just having met her, the way she appeared to her had given her at least some insight of what she was like. "I will debrief her when this is all over, personally." What started as a nice squeeze of the Caretaker's shoulder ended up feeling as if she were steadying herself the more that Katara revealed.

"...how did this happen?", And what a time to find out she thought to herself as heat poured into her cheeks. With how much damage being apart from each other had cost the Katsuko that stayed in the sector had inflicted upon her, it begged the imagination to wonder what a Norian version of her wife had endured all alone. Without hesitating she embraced the Queen tightly and kissed the side of her neck, murmuring, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. This feeling is not alien to me either." Not only had she died, but there was the soul obliterating time she was assumed KIA while under the distinct care of the SMX.

"Hells." Came from her next. "We'll talk about this if we survive." The link exploded with readings and data from arrival of the massive horror from beyond the stars. She looked to the status of the evacuation.

"How many people are on the bridge? If we can't make it out we can do something deeply unpleasant to get out." Just in case, one of her many orders going to the Mazu was to prepare power armors with enhanced teleportation modules. Just in case. Shockwaves would be better than dying if something went wrong. More wrong.

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Beta​

YSS Eyra - Hospital Deck

"We can't do anything about that now! We are as close to capacity as we'll get before offloading more." Ayano and the XO of the ship were communicating to each other as she helped a Norian medic seal and dress a laceration.

"We have new orders, we're sealing and pulling away. By the Empress!", The XO cut the link after sending a packet to let the doctor know what was going on. She disseminated that as best she could to her staff.

Along Ark Beta, Task Force 48 ships that were not already going between the giant life form and Pisces Station were getting everyone they could near their airlocks on board, launching as quickly as possible to get their charges to the star base, though fleet command already ordered to any ships with civilians on board to get out of the gravity well and jump to Yamatai if the safety of the Norian refugees was at risk.

"Ayano-sensei! Over here please!" A medic shouted from two beds over, causing the short Nekovalkryja to nod to the medic, and go rushing to the next case while disenfecting herself once more.

"Fuckfuckfuck."

Battle Group AO

Fleet Readiness: 1-Bravo

Aboard a Plumeria that already offloaded their Norians to the Piceses, a Nekovalkryja with her hair put up to get out of the way sealed herself bare into her Mindy. The rest of the 100 or so armored soldiers were coming on line in the launch bay of the gunship as their ship neared the impending battle at flank speed. The Chusa waited for everyone to be all green, "Show no mercy. Watch how they fight and adapt. Good hunting. For the Empire!"

All they had to do was wait for-

Deploy!

Before she knew it she was back in space, preparing herself for a fight she had not seen since Nataria. More armor added under her command launched with them from other ships, and they began moving to screen the mass of death coming their way.

Battle Group AO

"A mission of healing, and helping they said." Miu huffed from the captain's chair of the Sharie that she had been called back to command with one other volunteer for the duration of the efforts to aid the Norians. While they were still transferring the rest of the command staff, the reservist sighed and looked to her XO, wondering how she ended up with a pop star on the bridge. At least she was not rusty.

"Launch armor teams in waves. Fire at the closest threats first, and use the main array on that planet." She ordered.

Miyako's ears perked as she called, "Wing one through four launch immediately. Maneuvering to fire. All other guns acquire and fire at well, aye!" To the bridge, though her orders had gone out through her SPINE even before she started to speak.

The Edge of Bothosar's Gravity Well​

At the edge of the terror zone, the blue flash of ships joining the fray shocked against the backdrop of the void. The massive shape of the YSS Tokyo and her folded out together, with the Yamato shielding the signature of the smaller escort vessels arraying themselves out as they powered into battle with the rest of the ships in sudden combat state. A swarm of Yamatai's own making began to streak from launch bays, hundreds of thousands strong like the coming of a great wave.

On board the Tokyo, Taisa Motoyoshi-Shimizu Akiko was in command. Her commanding officer, Ayano was posted the fleet bridge, actioning orders coming from the Taisho to the rest of the fleet, and keeping as much efficient coordination between all combatants as possible.

"Fire for effect, weapons free. I want us getting their ire, if we can't stop it we can make time for others to jump out once they get clear of the well."

Space practically shuddered alive against the encroaching abyssal monster. The Tokyo Battlegroup joined the closer ships in firing directly into the swarm of smaller enemies that bore themselves on vectors towards them, but right in front of Bothosar. Everything from the massive shock arrays of the Izanagi to the mass drivers were unleashed, beginning their battle in earnest.

The YSS Mazu pulled away from Ark Beta, escorting the group of ships and shuttles currently full to Pisces, if they had the opportunity they would take it, otherwise their orders were to get out and get safe, then return to the fight, sans the logistics and medical ships that were clearing out with it.

"Show them they aren't wanted in this universe."

Resurgence Remaining Away Team
Bits and pieces of messages managed to break through the static on the team comm. Asakura and Hoshi were still out there and so was Thia. Ohara was still on about her task. His path was clear. “Safe hunting Resurgence,” he said over the command frequency, “We’ve still got people unaccounted for here.”

Out loud he said, “Pink, let’s get our people back.” Before he finished speaking, he was turning and dashing down the corridor. A wave of his hand, his VCMAD was clanking along behind him. Signals were patchy, but he had to try to reestablish contact with the team. First, he checked the last location each of the missing personnel had managed to connect to the team channels. They were displayed as blinking red dots on the fragmentary map they’d been able to compile with scans of the dying Leviathan. Identifying Hoshi’s, he began heading in that direction. Thia hadn’t reported in yet, but he had a confirmed casualty and that was priority. As he ran he recorded a message and set it to repeat every three minutes and drop a location pin. “Come in, this is CMO Wilson, report your condition and if possible move to my pin,” he spoke clearly without a trace of his usual joking bravado. Addressing his VCMAD he said, “Kōchō, start scanning for signs of Hoshi.”

The big dog-like drone bounded ahead and took them on a path that mostly lined up with where Hoshi’s blip was on his map. He could see Asakura’s blip closing on hers. Eventually they rounded one more corner to see the Neko Ranger attempting to cut through a door. He could see Hoshi being carried by a pair of Norians who looked to be in about as bad shape.

“Good job, we’ll take it from here,” the former Rescue Jumper said in a gentle voice, patting Asakura on the shoulder. The intense heat radiating from a discarded aether knife gave some clues to Hoshi’s injuries. The Ranger had succumbed to radiation poisoning trying to save lives. Ballsy shit. Quickly, he scooped it up and powered it off. Unsure what to do with the still sizzling blade he dropped it and continued about his grim work as a field medic. His body went into autopilot as he triaged their injuries. He affixed a Smart Tourniquet to the male Norian’s stump, and guided him and Hoshi both to ride on Kōchō’s back. Fishing sublingual anti-radiation tabs out of his primary medical bag, he proffered the medicine. “Hey, Thunder, stay with me ok? I need you to hold this under your tongue, it’ll dissolve pretty quickly,” he spoke with a seemingly uncharacteristic sincerity. The radiation seemed to be the majority of her injuries, so he gave her a drinking bulb full of water and turned his attention to the Norians. He dressed their wounds with sterile gauze and surgical tape. He would have liked to give them painkillers or used MedicaGel, but for all he knew about their alien physiology, they were nanomachine resistant or an over the counter drug like acetaminophen might be poison. The need to keep the important juice on the inside was pretty universal though.

Adding to his recorded broadcast, Vec sent out another message on the team Comm, “Thia, report in. Ohara, we might need that shuttle for a medevac of our own.”

MERN Aiathogu​

Bridge​

Enandra kept her focus on the communications and what was happening around her. When she noticed the main communications console free, she shifted everything from where she was working to it. As she moved across the bridge, and she was told to take over monitoring the communications from the arks she didn’t speak she responded with just a nod before she began working on the main console. She kept her focus as she noted everything happening around her, she couldn’t offer the same level of help in other stations as she could with communications so that is where most of her focus remained. She paused as the deep tone filled the bridge and she turned her attention from the console for a few moments before she blinked and turned her attention back to the task at hand. She heard the admiral’s command to destroy the ship over the comms followed then overpowered by the screams coming from the internal comms of the Ithond. She could hear their screams and shifted a few things around on the console so that she was the only one who had to listen to them. It wasn’t something others need to worry about right now. So, she set her jaw and listened to the coms and began flittering the coms she was receiving, casting aside any irrelevant chatter focusing on the more important things.



As she worked, she paid close attention to the Arks. She was listening to the conversations on the bridge when something caught her attention, so she turned and focused on it before she realized just what the sound was, and that is when she realized it was the Alpha’s dying song it was something she had thought to hear it later. She turned around and spoke “I hear it the Alpha’s dying song it has very little time left It would be unwise for anyone to board anything heading for the Alpha at this time” she finished speaking and turned her attention back to the console before she began working to get those closest to Alpha to hear the song so they would know how little time is left. She kept working as she worked, her mind focused as she moved her hands over the console.



She continued to monitor the communications happening though she was missing bits and pieces as they overlapped, but she was doing what she could. That is when a voice filled the bridge that didn’t belong, she lifted her head and looked at the screen and she blinked before she looked back to her console working trying to find out in the man on the screen was here. She continued working, listening to the orders she had access she as she worked only to find that the message was a recording. She shook her head and went back to focusing on the communications she knew with what she saw that communications were about become chaos and she needed to stay on top of them or they were going to miss something important.

MERN Aiathogu​

Bridge Aside​

Naika listened to Uaeso's words, to which she agreed with most. However, if he thought she'd leave his side when there was something she could do to help he had another thing coming. Her symbiote was connected, but she had not been able to reach out to her Sylph since she was placed in stasis. She began to send signals to her old friend to wake him, "Hey big guy, you up for a little chaos?" she inquired via connection hoping he would respond. Her eyes lit up with his response that her husband hopefully did not notice. Uaeso's question caused a slight grin to grace her lips with pointed ears twitching with excitment. Emphatically she nodded in assent, "We are ready," she said with a barely discernible mischievous grin, indicating she had already prepared her Sylph. Whether or not he would figure out she had intended to go with him even if he hadn't asked was an entirely different matter.

A familiar voice echoing across the comms, her face instantly becoming an unreadable stone. Unlike a certain sister-in-law might, she did not find any good thoughts or enjoyment about Minjun's appearance on the screen. She bit her tongue to stifle the unseemly words that begged to burst from her lips. Her eyes flicked back to her husband once the communication ended waiting to see what his reaction to this little visit was.

Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Ark Alpha
Resurgence Remaining Away Team

Sanda was fading in and out of consciousness. She felt so sick. She just managed to get the tablet underneath her tong as Vec instructed but had to clench her teeth to keep from vomiting again. She tried to control her breathing with quick inhales through her nose and slow releases. Her body spasmed a few times but it seemed to be coming back under control. Unconsciously, Sanda had drawn her other blade and held it close to her like a scared child might hold a doll for support. It wasn't the Aether powered one. This one had an engraving of a dragon on the blade.

Ellroher stood nearby watching Sanda with a mix of concern and curiosity as the Yamatai medic bandaged his arm. He winced a little bit as the bandages Sanda had wrapped his arm with were removed and fresh ones were being applied by Vec. "Thank you for your aid to my people." He said to Vec. "We have lost many on our journey to your system, but we would have lost all had it not been for your help."

Now that she had her helmet off, Ellroher could see Sanda's lighting tattoo that streaked down the left side of her face. He was very curious as to the significance of that. He wanted to ask, but that didn't seem very polite, or even prudent given their current situation. Hopefully he'd have an opportunity later to ask about it. Ellroher glanced over at his sister, Elemmire, who was helping getting the rest of his people comfterble until they would be able to board the rescue ship. He realized just how close he had come to losing both his sister and his own life had it not been for Sanda Hoshi. That was a debt he would not soon forget.

Deep Space Near Xylar
Conclave Aerospace Fleet Forces, 1st patrol Fleet

As the wound in space grew to discharge its monstrous charge and the tentacles of the Asune creature began to spread out through space, the gravitational ripple revealed something which had gone previously unnoticed by the Yamatians and Norians. Gravitational sheathes rippled around a collection of ships lurking in the Rosenthal Nebula's outskirts, collapsing gravitic shrouds. Tens, no, close to three hundred IFF signals began to appear on the sensors of the allied ships present. Far from being enemies, however, these ships were flying the digital flags of the New Dusk Conclave. As the black-and-red ships of the Duskerians began to respond to their stealth being broken, signals officers began to scramble to relay a message to the flagships of the allied fleets present.

After a few moments, allied flagships would receive a message in video, audio and holographic formats, the better to suit whatever method of display was available. What appeared to be a young-ish man with grey-ish skin appeared on screens and projectors, wearing a Duskerian officer's uniform. "To those listening to this transmission, I appreciate that this may be somewhat of an awkward situation. Suffice it to say, I am Rear Admiral Lane Maddison and my fleet stands ready to help repel this new threat."

True to the Rear Admiral's word the Duskerian fleet, nearly three hundred vessels all told including fifty capital ships and a large number of cruisers and frigates, began to move into battle formations and advance towards the new threat assailing the Yamataian and Norian vessels. Ships began to disgorge their complement of fighters and frames, the remotely manned craft flooding the void in the thousands.

Amidst the radio chatter between pilots, one conversation was of note as the Duskerians made for firing distance. "We didn't even come here for this," one pilot said, "This was a routine long-range patrol for the fleet up until those living ships showed up, but even then, we were only meant to observe."

"Not much of a choice now," another replied, "Whatever that thing that just showed up is, it caused a gravity pulse big enough to knock out the gravitic shrouds on our ships. No way to avoid a fight after we got our stealth broken."

The Duskerian fighters and frames began to defend the fleet against the swarming enemies, skirmishing halfway between the fleet and heart of the battle, and nearly a full Light-Minute away, the wormhole generators of the fleet's cruisers began to power up. One hundred ships fired their spinal weapons, the rounds entering the wormholes and emerging from a cloud of wormholes generated all around the target.

The allied ships were sent a notification that the Duskerians were opening fire, but there was no vector included in the message, no line of fire to clear. The Asune creature was large enough to generate its own small hill sphere, but at the velocities of spinal mass drivers and against such a large target, a mere 1,400,000 kilometers of extra distance to the target wasn't enough to cause an issue. One hundred 170-ton shells sped towards the creature at .9c, each with an antimatter charge contained within.

YSS Resurgence

"Defend that...offspring or lifeboat object that launched from the Ark," Aoba ordered his bridge crew, looking at the pink and yellow 'gift' from Ark Alpha as it approached his ship. "Target the obvious evil thing with all weapons and fire. Double check firing solutions to ensure there's no friendlies in the way including the NDC ships. The Resurgence's impressive weapons were joined by over ten thousand other ships from the Star Army fleet, creating a zone of obliteration where surely nothing could survive. "Standby to tow the pink object if needed."

Ark Alpha

Cassie shadowed Vec and Poppy like a bodyguard. Poppy grabbed some of her grav gurneys and lowered them so that Sanda and the Norian she'd rescued could lay down on them and be easily carried around. "I'm going to start giving you some hemosynth supplements, they are going to mimic your blood and give you a temporary healing factor that will repair your cells," she explained, grabbing a large bag of the blood-like liquid from her medical kit. "It will probably work on your Norian friend too considering it works on Yamataian elves and humans."

Shuristans were known for instinctive bravery. Turassieli for strength of character and reason. But as this monstrosity erupted from space and time, both Flotillas found themselves trapped, unable to maneuver and jump away.

There was only one option, then.

"All vessels, link up with Yamataian ships, drive this thing back so we can maneuver!" The song of Shurista erupted into a scream of rage and pain as the gravity twisted her ancient hull, masses of uranium being fed into great reactors, particle accelerators that stripped the electron shells, spun the nuclear core plasma up to so very close to the speed of light that it took on almost half again its own mass, then lensed that plasma into an impossibly dense beam, lancing from the hulls of the cruisers and the very tree at Shurista's heart towards the incoming mass.

Turassiel's reactors flared and lit, slowly charging the same great and terrible mining beams that could cut ugly scars in worlds, chew asteroids and protoplanets for processing and mining, or be used to defend themselves. Tug boats becan their frantic race to tow the remaining Norian ships clear of the firing solutions, cruisers thundering across space as clouds of debris were used as shields or projected as kinetic weapons to hold back the tentacles.

"Turassiel calling, we're deploying tugs to pull Shurista out of the AO. Please cover us. She's too close to maneuver, if we don't act now, she will crash into that thing."

Like sand falling from the golden expanse, the tugboats burned hard, unable to jump in this creature's gravity well as they sought to pull their mighty sister free.