Crux Fleet

Yellow alert, yellow alert! All hands to battle stations!

[After a somewhat peaceful rest, the fleet spooled up its FTL engines and jumped. But moments later, they were dragged out of subspace and the fleet found itself in between two other fleets! Relatively, in front of the fleet was a new planet, mostly brown and arid in appearance.

On the one side was an extremely large number of ships that seemed to be made of a beehive like material. The armor looked cheap and judging from the debris, it might be a good assessment.

On the other side was another fleet. Smaller but looking all the more ferocious with it's purple and red paint scheme. Massively over-sized guns bristled from almost every available port, leaving no uncovered surface. Despite the raggedy appearance of the other fleet, a few ships from this portion seemed out of commission to.

Both fleets paused at entrance of the new intruder and firing ceased.

Shortly after, an open message was played across all frequencies. It was voice only but it was bubbly and difficult to understand completely.]

Saviors, please rescue us from those that wish to destroy our way of life!

[Almost instantly in response was a gruff voice.]

What is there to rescue? All that is here belongs to Palguda Confederation.

[Then a third voice decided to interrupt here too with an odd tinge that sounded almost mechanical but close enough to organic to be weird.]

The Archive formally disagrees. That which lies here has belonged to our people for longer than both of your races have existed.

[The arguing continues, escalating before it cuts off, replaced by an image of the Fleet Admiral rubbing his face. The crisis seemed big enough that he would have to take charge.]

I don't think we can leave these people alone. But before we can do anything, we're going to need intel and a solid line of communication without this....bickering. Who's up to the task?

[For all intents and purposes, for today, all members of AFLAK can't be found. Even when contact with them was attempted, there were no answers.

It took a while for the scientists to notice but when they did, the Science Captain immediately sent a message.]

I don't know if it can be stopped but you have to-

[In mid-sentence, the power across the Teuberg goes out. It takes moment for auxiliaries to kick in but most of the lights are out. Another moment later, as connection re-establishes, the Science Captain continues his message.]

...you have to be prepared. There's a reason we hid this tech. If you have access to weapons, get them ready. If you don't, find someone who does. You won't need mysterious powers, just what you can keep on hand to face what's coming.

But don't try to reason with these creatures because it won't work. Shoot first, ask later. Shit...

[He regrets ever inventing this but he can't go back in time and change this.]

...there's only one way to stop this. Once you're prepared, some of you need to enter it...the rip in space that just appeared inside the Teuberg. Go inside and find a large red crystal. Once you do, destroy it and get the hell out of there.

The layout is going to be the same as the ship, just in a different dimension. You'll find the crystal where the main engines will be so don't screw around while you're in there.

I don't know what those AFLAK guys were up to but....just do this. We'll think about that later.

Good luck.

Who: High Priest of Kore, Prime Minister Ezo, and their four volunteers
Where: Kore, capital city of planet Miscun
When: June 26, around noon
Warnings: Crazy aliens!

The High Priest of Kore - no one gives a name for them, referring to them only by title - greets the four Fleet citizens with a solemn bow. They are dressed similarly to the lower priests and the monks in the Temple: in long, heavy robes that appear to be made of dozens of strips of cloth, sown together at odd angles, with a variety of mismatched adornments. The jagged pattern compliments the chaotic, pointy architecture of the Temple, although it isn't necessarily pleasing to look at.

The tall alien leans forward, eyes gleaming. They seem to be attempting a friendly demeanor, but something about it makes it feel predatory instead.

"Friends, your presence here honors me. When we detected your Fleet passing through our solar system, we suspected that you might be on board. It is fortunate that Prime Minister Ezo was able to contact your leader."

The Prime Minister in question stands at the edge of the gathering, nodding to each of the Fleet members repeatedly. They are clearly an old Miscun, with an unusually wrinkled face, and it makes them seem regal and imposing. The rapid nodding does dispel those notions, though, since it looks rather silly, sort of like a bobblehead. When the High Priest motions to Ezo, they step forward, the nodding becoming even more frantic before tapering off as they begin to speak.

"This may be sudden for you," they say, "but we have made all possible arrangements down here for you. There are rooms ready, and you may have anything you wish. All you have to do is remain with us, in this most sacred space. Where you belong."

Ezo's face stretches into a smile. It looks almost painful on that wide mouth.

"We are certain that your leader will understand how important this is for us. And surely your presence will allow us to prosper under the Chaotic One..."

Who: The Sub-Fleet, Pirates
Where: The Domed City of Terabel
When: Afternoon, Majo 11th
Warnings: Space Violence

It takes a certain kind of someone to volunteer to defend a people they don't know, in a city they've never seen. Brave souls or perhaps just lovers of violence. Either way, the shuttles containing both the security forces to fight off the pirates and the science teams land safely, escorted by a few starfighters.

Fortunately, the people of Terabel breathe oxygen. Unfortunately, their entire city is designed for a race with wings. Large doors and open walls don't offer much cover, stairways or ladders are practically non-existent, and elevators just plain don't exist. Thankfully, the Fleet comes prepared for such situations. Everyone, even the Cybertronians, are issued jetpacks to get around comfortably, and grapnel guns for emergency purposes.

When they get a good view of the city, it's clear that the space pirates have already gotten started on their raid. Smoke can be seen cropping up as the looters burn whatever they can't use. From the sounds of things, they're being rather liberal with their explosives. The defenders will have to act quick if they want the Domed City to still resemble a city before the day is done! It's possible that some of the unthawed natives are still alive, but with every second that ticks by, that possibility diminishes.

For the science team, with or without the aid of the natives, their mission is to take stock of the workings of the city to find anything at all that could help with halting the city's solar swan dive.

Who: Wadjit, the Fleet, Plot Participants
Where: Space, The Teuberg
When: Evening, Aprilo 1st
Warnings: None

The peaceful day is shattered by warnings and sirens sounding all through the Fleet, including the city. There's no surface safe, even the personal communicators are letting out alerts. Finally, after a good five seconds, an alarmed voice shouts out. "HEAT SIGNATURES DETECTED! Counting at least seven destroyers, three frigates, and five War Serpents, possibly more, angling for attack vectors! Estimating fifteen minutes until combat range!"

There's a thirty-second wait, and then the communicators of the new arrivals start receiving messages. Civilians are directed to go to shelters, the military recruits are ordered to ship-board battle stations and repair areas, medical volunteers are directed to clinics and hospitals, and the militia has orders to take up defensive positions both in space and aboard the Teuberg, just in case.

The Wadjit fleet incoming is a boiling mass of capital ships, from frigate sized up to cruisers, all of them massive, ovoid, and covered in painted faces, huge fanged maws that actually curl back to launch fighters, mobile suits, and probes as they bore in towards the Fleet. There are at least 17 ships dancing in the void, with hundreds of assorted secondary assault units shedding from them like sporing fungus. The longest of them, armored with serpentine scales, are obviously the War Serpents. Their hideous maws actually open up while a cylindrical core slides out, spewing fighters and mobile armors out in a brilliant cloud of light. Those who have studied the enemy's vessels might recall that the 'cores' act as repair and resupply vessels in the battle, protected by their still-active 'skins' until it's time to retreat.

New stars flare in the darkness, in great circular blasts as the initial wave of defensive and offensive missiles slam into one another, and into energy shields, creating a huge tableau of warfare in its most silent and beautiful. The Fleet's responders are quick, spewing out hundreds of fighters and mobile armors like a dandelion spreading its seeds. They maneuver into positions, filling in three-dimensional formations and walls to defend against the oncoming wave of attackers.

After the initial spherical blasts, the Wadjit fighters, like great spiked claws, and the mobile suits, resembling hunched raptors, hurtle towards the fleet in an expanding mass of death promises. The only question now is how the stalwart defenders react.

[This is the Space Combat portion. Later, we will have the Virus drop in, and that will be a separate thread within this post tomorrow. This event will last for ONE WEEK, after which it will continue with backtags. Of course, once the virus drops, the effects will not be limited to this post.]

Who: Everyone who signed up for it!
Where: The Eye of Sharef space trading hub
When: 24th of Februaro

( Read more... )

[Okay, and cut to the action! A few dozen space bikers have just slammed through the walls of the station and have taken over! Auto-repair systems will keep the station from becoming a vacuum, but on-station security can't handle these horrible hellions!

How screwed are you? Are you more than screwed? Are you even capable of fighting back? We don't mind if you take control of some of the NPCs now. Protect some, party with the bikers, fight, whatever. But keep in mind that some of them may be mod controlled! If you've got a specific thread you want mod-controlled NPCs to barge on in, please make a note of it. Likewise if you've got something in mind and don't want us to ruin your carefully-laid out plans.]