RP: The Silent Horizon [UNI-Open] From the Depths of Nightmares

[Andrew]

RP Date

YE 46.9

RP Location

Noria, Yirune Arm: Chrystalis Unvorsum

Craethel Occupied Noria​

Vaalor City​

Noria, Yirune Arm
Chrystalis Unvorsum

Most of Vaalor lingered in darkness, the Craethel only permitted power to the sections of the city that they now controlled. Unlike during the first war however, they were not alone. There appeared to be several species, some of which were yet to have names to those that were caught there. These other species seemed more interested in subjugation and control than the Craethel had before. It was a bad sign the Morg'gho's regime had obviously evolved into something different. The shock of seeing Sylix with him had worn off quickly, and there was now only two divisions of people on the planet, those trying to resist and those who never had the chance to.

The invasion had been completely unexpected, and no one had ever suspected anyone but Vaelaris was a swine beside Sylix. They all shared a common thread, fear. The resistance forces were doing what they could, recruiting and moving around through the city's underground that had yet to be infested, but they knew that wouldn't last long as some groups had already started to venture into the dense forests of the planet with plans to settle there while everything was under siege. The captured marched in long single file parades, the Craethel exo-armors stood watch, and their new apparently senior arrivals stood watch, most of them wearing dark robes or other concealing uniforms that had yet to show their face. Some that had been spotted looked like something that had been famished with dark wiry bodies, and weirdly placed orfus. As if that were not enough, void gates had already been accessed and void-born monstrosities once more roamed the surface on the hunt. It appeared that two of Noria's greatest enemies had joined hands for this unfortunate turn of events.

Craethel and other ship designs that they had never encountered delivered an almost continual stream of forces to the surface of the planet. The scale of which brought tears to the eyes of those who watched as their world descended into ruin once again. The desperate, jammed cries for help had stopped when it became obvious that the Craethel had found a way to block them. Unharnessed Leviathans that could raced away from the system, sometimes chased by their now enslaved brethren. Most resistance factions had taken up more primitive forms of archaic radio and other signals to communicate with each other as they scattered. It was the bitter, unfathomable truth that they no longer had an advantage.

Jilae Eitan stood on the shore of Nactlote Lake and looked toward the north, where the lights of the districts of Vaalor City that had power restored blazed like a fire above the trees. A short distance behind her, was a fire of their own. A group she had managed to assemble before the UNN's main star port fell to the onslaught. She couldn't help but wonder who was alive still, she suddenly missed the group of Iron Company that she had been with during the operation on Cheojin, it would be handy if they could find some of the mercenary group that had been trapped on Noria now with them. She idly tapped the length of her PWR Artemesia against her leg, just wishing she had left with her family. Her mother had removed her from the registry following the brief return to Noria after the UNN Seojun's action in the Battle of Becurn. If only she had not been stubborn and went to Solitude. If only she had been so abrasive to her mother and Atae before it all came undone.

The tents sat beneath the twilight of a still familiar sky, yet Jilae knew she wouldn't sleep. She wouldn't be alone as many sought to hide the best they could, terrified of every sound in the darkness.

 

[GingerGlitch]

Zhi'larra Akhai walked up next to Jilae, coming to a stop off the Eitan's right side. A quiet sigh left her lips as she looked upon Vaalor. Tears of rage welled up in the corners of her white eyes as she took in all that the Craethel had done to her home. With great reverence she raised her right arm, closed her eyes, touched her fingers to her forehead and chest before lowering her arm. What she would not give to sink a round or five from her pistol into anyone of those creatures that not held many of her own ysi captive.

After all that had happened over the last few days there was zero chance that sleep would find her that night. It was likely that she would resolve herself to doing a patrol of some kind. Well, at least as much of one as she could without exposing those now in hiding. Zhi'larra cast a side long glance towards Jilae wondering what was going through her mind. She did not know the woman well, only that she was an Eitan. Given the Akhai ysi's allegiance to Jilae's ysi she had decided to carry that through to their newfound situation in hiding.

 

[Andrew]

Jilae acknowledged Zhi’s salute with a curt nod, her expression calm but heavy with thought. The distant crackle of embers and the soft lapping of water at the lake’s edge filled the silence between them. The Utaru (Captain) was one of the rare few who had climbed the ranks without relying on the accelerated Imperial chain of command. That path had never appealed to her; her mother had explicitly advised against it.

“You’re not tired?” Jilae asked, her voice low but tinged with curiosity.

Zhi’s steady composure spoke volumes, but Jilae’s gaze remained fixed on the dark waters of Nactlote Lake. Memories tugged at her as she looked out over the shimmering surface. Her parents had owned a lodge on the far side of the lake, a place of warmth and quiet joy. She had brought the group here for more than the strategic distance it offered from the city—they needed both space and solace. Still, the other side of the lake was too close to the city to risk staying overnight.

Breaking the reflective quiet, Jilae voiced her concerns. “Those Craethel didn’t act like they used to, did you notice?” She glanced at Zhi, her sharp gaze searching for agreement. “They seemed...interested. In prisoners. In territory.” Her voice dropped slightly, tinged with unease. “That’s not like them. During the first war, all they wanted was to annihilate us ~ there was no talk of subjugation, no interest in annexing anything.”

She paused, exhaling a light sigh as if to expel the weight of her thoughts. “I caught a glimpse of something with them. Unnatural. Probably void-born.” Her words lingered, heavy in the night air.

The lake stretched before them, a silent witness to their plight. The safety of their position was relative, but Jilae had chosen this spot carefully. They needed time to regroup and make sense of what they had seen ~ and perhaps to understand what they were truly up against.