Chapter One

[Quantum Rain]

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----Intro post shall arrive later----

[Quantum Rain]

"Glory, kid. That's all it was ever about. There is no glory to be found in a sandwich." One of the soldiers remarked, overhearing Lae's comment. Lara spoke her order, also an orange soda like Lae, only smaller in size. She just smiled at him as she sipped at it.

[Wynn]

"Glory, kid. That's all it was ever about. There is no glory to be found in a sandwich." One of the soldiers remarked, overhearing Lae's comment. Lara spoke her order, also an orange soda like Lae, only smaller in size. She just smiled at him as she sipped at it.

Lae just took another sip of the soda. "So," he said after a drink. He set the cup down. "What am I going to be doing exactally? Being an assassin? Paid to kill others?"

[Quantum Rain]

"We soldiers don't have pay, but we do get everything we need and some things we want for free." She replied instinctively, taking another sip. "Sometimes you won't always be an assassin, and unfortunately, the jobs will vary too." She seemed a bit reluctant to say the last bit, but the slightest tinge of sorrow in her voice soon gave way to peppiness again.

[Wynn]

"We soldiers don't have pay, but we do get everything we need and some things we want for free." She replied instinctively, taking another sip. "Sometimes you won't always be an assassin, and unfortunately, the jobs will vary too." She seemed a bit reluctant to say the last bit, but the slightest tinge of sorrow in her voice soon gave way to peppiness again.

"...When is that? When do I get my equipment?" Lae said in response, as he took another sip of the soda.

[Quantum Rain]

"As soon as Reeds gives you your equipment. He is the one in charge of local supplies." Lara returned to Lae. He finished the soda and placed it back on the table, which responded by it by disassembling the container in the same manner it was built.

[Wynn]

"As soon as Reeds gives you your equipment. He is the one in charge of local supplies." Lara returned to Lae. He finished the soda and placed it back on the table, which responded by it by disassembling the container in the same manner it was built.

Lae just sat there for a moment. "Well, maybe i want my weapons now." He replied with a semi-sarcastic tone, but she could tell he was serious in that regard.

[Quantum Rain]

Lara just smiled at Lae, amused. The soldier nearby piped up again, laughing, "Good luck getting them out of that demon's hands." The soldier stood up, nodded at Lara and Lae then walked off, obviously back to his shift. He was followed by several other soldiers, as the mess hall became even more empty than before.

[Wynn]

Lara just smiled at Lae, amused. The soldier nearby piped up again, laughing, "Good luck getting them out of that demon's hands." The soldier stood up, nodded at Lara and Lae then walked off, obviously back to his shift. He was followed by several other soldiers, as the mess hall became even more empty than before.

Lae stood up. "I'm gonna go make him eat his words." He said with a mischievious grin. He walked away and began walking through the halls, looking for Reeds.

[Fore Admiral Disayle]

--Hiigara--

*Karan surreptitiously warms up Sajuuk's FTL drive and slaves the entire fleet's drives to her. Her intimate connection with the massive Progenitor ship allows her to interpret all the data and react with lightning speed. She also charges up its weapons and primes its drones again.* Karan: Steady...steady...

*The entire planet seems to hold its breath, waiting for the Primitus to reappear. During the lull, thousands more Hiigaran vessels arrive.*

--The World of New Song--

*Soban's eyes bulge and his jaw falls completely slack at the sight before him.*

Soban: You...have got...to be [censored] kidding me. HOW THE [censored] DO WE FIGHT THAT?!

Sensors Officer: Sir! The new hostiles are keeping their distance and not closing--it's their strikecraft that are bearing down on us!

Soban: Could we conceivably retreat?

Sensors Officer: No, sir! Something warped the fabric of space-time itself and now trying to get out of here would result in complete destruction of the ship!

Soban: [censored] pieces of [censored]...we have to destroy the ones here while we can. Fire the Phased Cannon Array again, launch all drones, and prepare the point defence cannons! HURRY! And get me a line to Tokhta, the Hierarchy, and the Free Peoples! (When the line is open) Morru'Qu'aan. Admiral. Hierarchy vessels. I'll tell what I told my crew. Our data shows the new enemies are not closing to engage, but their strikecraft will be all over us soon. We have to destroy these Primitus ships here and now before dealing with these new ones. I request you divert any remaining strikecraft and point defences to handling the incoming drones. And retreat is not an option--they've made it impossible. So we must fight. They may take us down yet, but we'll make them for every ship they destroy.

Tokhta: I will warn the oncoming Tribes of this. It would be helpful if we could somehow disable this field that blocks FTL travel...or perhaps bypass it.

Soban: That may just be for another time, if we survive this.

Toktha: Yes. Arm point lancers and divert all drones to this swarm! We have a surprise for them.

*The Hierarchy vessels aquiesce as well, and the Morrigi fleet launches several more energy spheres, this time into the drone swarm, that detonate in huge explosions and destroy thousands of them. And thus the three fleets keep on hammering away at the smaller Primitus group, even as the drone swarm reaches them and dozens of ships explode each second under the terrible pounding. Several Morrigi cruisers succumb, even, as does one of their proud and monolithic dreadnoughts. But they fight on, responding to the Primitus weapons in kind with Progenitor weapons, lancer beams, disruptor torpedoes, Mass Accelerator rounds, Thanix Cannons, plasma cannons, ion-beam weapons, and missiles. Their various point defences--ranging from pinpoint plasma beams to micro-lancers to GARDIAN arrays--begin methodically shooting down the drones, and the Dreadnought and the Morrigi ships also launch their drones to counter the swarm. Finally, the Travelers release several more energy spheres to surround the compound shield and then implode upon it, causing even more devastating damage.*

--Aves--

*Shouts of alarm turn to cries of elation as all across the planet, the invaders turn to dust. But at Aves City, things are not looking good.*

Ironbeak: Ackbar!!

Ackbar: I see it! *His mind races.* Navigation, microjump us right below the planetary shield! Engineering, get reactors to 150% and then when we're below the shield, expand our shields over the entire city! *He overrules any objections.* DO IT.

*In a nanosecond, the entire ship drops down several thousand meters, reappearing just below Aves City's shield, and then as the massive storm of weaponry nears, the Spirit of Aves's shields spread outward from the ship itself, until they encompass the entire city.*

*And then the storm hits. The city's shield manages to hold for a few sickening seconds, and then violently gives way, leaving nothing but the ship's shields between it and the millions of avians below.*

*The ship's interior groans as the storm smashes against its extended shield. Its point defences shoot down whatever weapons fire phases through the shield, and what gets past those is then shot down by the defences in the city.*

Engineering: Sir, the reactors can't keep this up for much longer!

Ackbar: They'll have to!

*The seconds slip by, and then the impacts finally stop. Ackbar sighs with relief...but that relief is short-lived.*

Ironbeak: Ackbar, we've detected the final Primitus ship in orbit.

Ackbar: Noted. We still have unfinished business--return our shields to normal dimensions, bring reactors to nominal operation, charge weapons...microjump us one last time into orbit.*

*About 30 seconds later, the Spirit materializes between the capital ship and the planet, its weapons within seconds of firing. At the same time, a curious phenomenon is observed in Aves's sun.*

Ackbar: This is it, you [censored] murderer. Just you now...and after you, your makers will pay for everything they've done. Fire when ready!

[Roach]

The Litany's Replicators had been hard at work and its missile stock pile had been resupplied thousands of missiles of different yields and damage types launched from the Litany this fallowed by an overwhelming torrent of flak from the free peoples fleet and pinpoint laser fire from its point defense systems spreads of Quantum and Photon torpedoes detonated in the great swarm destroying hundreds of drones but the massive volley of thousands of missiles from the great Flag ship of the Free peoples was far more destructive thousands of drones were engulfed in multicolored explosions as the heaviest missiles detonated within the cloud more were destroyed as lighter missiles struck home. Thousands of free peoples fighter craft with some of the galaxies most well rained pilots and most potent craft launched in the thousands from free peoples carriers the raced into battle bolstered by roach's battle meditation they knew the response the Primitus drones would make before they made them and the cut a swathe through the drones as the battle continued to rage.

"send word to admiral Janeway to stop before they hit the rift at transwarp these distortions would tear the fleet apart." Roach thought to Dawson

[Quantum Rain]

Reeds was pushing a rather large, and clearly heavy, cart of various tools and experiments that he was told to collect. What they did and where they were going were a mystery, but Reeds kept walking on, everyone clearing out of his way as he came along, the whistling of his giving away who he was. I suppose one would have to wonder if he did that on purpose or not...

[Wynn]

Reeds was pushing a rather large, and clearly heavy, cart of various tools and experiments that he was told to collect. What they did and where they were going were a mystery, but Reeds kept walking on, everyone clearing out of his way as he came along, the whistling of his giving away who he was. I suppose one would have to wonder if he did that on purpose or not...

Lae carefully walked beside him and took a calm and even tone. "So... Doctor..." He paused for a moment. "Reeds! Umm, i was wondering if i could get my equipment and just get right to work." He didnt make any hostile movements, trying to stay as friendly as possible.

[Quantum Rain]

Reeds stopped, slowly turning his head as the whistling died down to silence. Then he smiled at Lae rather oddly, then he spoke... "Well sure, that is if you want your equipment to be that of a soldier rather than an ASSASSIN. But of course, I'm sure heavy armor and large machine guns suite you quite well!" He said in such a friendly, light tone it made one question whether he was actually being serious. "Or would you like this anti-matter projector I made here?" He said, handing Lae a rather large, unwieldy device with several different colored and labeled buttons. "It runs a 82% chance of randomly exploding when in use!" He said again in that friendly, light tone of voice, still no hint of sarcasm to be seen.

[Wynn]

Reeds stopped, slowly turning his head as the whistling died down to silence. Then he smiled at Lae rather oddly, then he spoke... "Well sure, that is if you want your equipment to be that of a soldier rather than an ASSASSIN. But of course, I'm sure heavy armor and large machine guns suite you quite well!" He said in such a friendly, light tone it made one question whether he was actually being serious. "Or would you like this anti-matter projector I made here?" He said, handing Lae a rather large, unwieldy device with several different colored and labeled buttons. "It runs a 82% chance of randomly exploding when in use!" He said again in that friendly, light tone of voice, still no hint of sarcasm to be seen.

Lae's expression changed to a slight frown. "I was only asking a simple question..." He seemed rather insulted. "You could have simply said 'not at this time'." He looked at the device for a moment and thought to be a smart [censored] right back. He saw the button to activate the machine. He then spoke in a voice of that of an excited kid. "Ooh! What's this button do!?" and reached for said button.

[Quantum Rain]

Reeds took the device back and replaced it in the exact position it was in before, and then looked back at Lae. "Brilliance requires patience, Lae." He said pushing the cart forward. "It also requires test subjects, so you better be following!" He yelled back at him, proceeding to whistle once more, that unfamiliar tune echoing in the hallways, also quite oddly.

[Wynn]

Reeds took the device back and replaced it in the exact position it was in before, and then looked back at Lae. "Brilliance requires patience, Lae." He said pushing the cart forward. "It also requires test subjects, so you better be following!" He yelled back at him, proceeding to whistle once more, that unfamiliar tune echoing in the hallways, also quite oddly.

"oh great," he muttered to himself. "is it a toxic concoction or a poisonous ray intended to give one super powers?" He followed Reeds reluctantly.

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https://gathering.rpg-board.net/viewtopic.forum?t=800

[Quantum Rain]

For Q.

//Coruscant\\
"Well if you hadn't blown it up, there might be some.
Anyways, if we're staying here do either of you have any more underground contacts, preferably
ones we won't kill in the first minute, as you may have guessed, black market
vendors tend not to advertise themselves quite as much as corporate whores do,
let alone put up their stock list?"

--Coruscant--

“I’m certain I can find some by peering into the minds of others.” Siber announced from his little section of wall. “That is if you can find anyone worth ‘questioning’.” He continued, putting down his commlink after talking with his AI.

--Coruscant--
"My friend Ray runs a black market tech shop if he does not have what we are looking for he can point us in the right direction."

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