Chapter Two

[Quantum Rain]

First topic message reminder :

As the forum auto-splits topics every 50 pages, the next topics will be named further chapters accordingly. This is chapter two, guys, KEEP IT UP!

Post.
POST.
POST!

---

Reeds just kept on whistling as guards and crew cleared out of his path. Eventually, he stopped at a door, the label addressing it as 'Science Lab 2A.' He smiled as he opened the door and Lae saw that the science lab was not small by any means. It was massive, in fact, taking up at least five rooms and two floors entirely on its own. It also seemed to host a massive range of equipment, some of which were entirely foreign to him. With all of the technology, equipment, and stores here, one could only wonder what Reeds' intention was with this lab.

He rolled the cart up next to two others and then proceeded to rummage around for a datapad. "Sit down, my fine lab rat." He said friendly still as he finally found his desired object, turning it own and turning toward Lae, a mischievous grin on his face.

[Fore Admiral Disayle]

--Aves, Bladnir Station--

*After a moment, Ackbar lowers his foot with a nod.* Ackbar: Yes. *He looks at Hallia.* Thank you, Administrator, you've done very well. I'll take it from here.

Hallia: Yes, sir! *She flies out of the room to attend to her duties elsewhere on the station, and the door irises shut behind her.*

Ackbar: Now, where was I...? Yes. I've been expecting you. I knew you were coming, but little else. Where are you from?

--Hiigara--

Karan: Yeah, yeah, thank you for coming and asking our permission and I'm very honored, yadda yadda yadda. *She becomes more serious again.* Just don't forget about the Primitus, Admiral.

*A few weeks later, the Hiigaran embassy on Verusia Prime gives the VID government a message stating that Kiith Nirala, whose territory marks the Hiigarans' northern borders, has agreed to allow the Verusians to use its space as a staging ground. Additionally, the Hiigarans begin a subtle buildup of fortifications in their northern and eastern regions as well as mobilizing fleets and armies.*

--The Child Constellation, Demon Cluster, Fey System--

Yes, marooned Tribe. We see you.

*An hour later, a violet-colored, avian-shaped vessel with malachite-green highlights swoops down toward the crash site and hovers above it. A holographic emblem shaped like a golden phoenix adorns both of its wings.*

*After a moment, smaller vessels detach from its superstructure and fly down towards the disabled SRI ship. Flying with them are beings in armor that would resemble the crows of Aves but for their enormous size--tall enough to look a regular human in the eye--and their multiple pairs of limbs. A more superstitious person might believe that dragons are flying down towards him.*

--Gothis--

*The Rachni drones join the rest of the strikeforce and offload their troops as well. There is some tension between the two races who were formerly at war, but it is soon forgotten in the urgency of the moment. Meanwhile, the Balmorra's attack generates a swift but confused response. The facility's kinetic barriers come online and block the Federation ship's tangible (energy-based ones slam into the dome), and it retaliates with underwater fighters and disruptor torpedoes. However, those inside seem to be unaware of what's really going.*

*The allies quickly locate the prisoners, subdue the guards, and free them. However, one of the guards manages to sound the alarm before she is knocked unconscious.* Praetorius: [censored]. Okay, back to the ships, people! We're on borrowed time here!! MOVE IT!

*The prisoners move surprisingly quickly, given their confinement, but these are Hierarchy soldiers who will do what needs to be done. Everything appears to go smoothly until, just before they reach the lab, a massive explosion throws almost everyone off their feet. When the smoke clears, the allies and their charges find their way blocked by a massive wall of debris.* Praetorius: (Cough) Someone give (cough) me a damn (cough) report!!

Nihlus: We can't get back to the lab, sir! And we don't have the equipment to clear away or blast through this rubble!

Praetorius: Marduk, could your people dig through there?

Marduk: We will. *The Rachni scurry over to the rubble pile.*

Praetorius: Everyone else, find a weapon if you can and get behind something--we're going to have company!! And remember, don't kill them!

*Some of the prisoners recover weapons from fallen guards, while the Blackwatch soldiers give others their backup weapons. The allies are able to improvise cover out of pieces of rubble and duck as shots impact against their shelters from the corridor's other end. They return fire, but putting up a good defense proves difficult due to Praetorius's strict orders not to kill the other turians.*

[Roach]

Gothis---

Roach: Blasters on stun marines take cover and provide covering fire.


The Balmorra destroys the incoming torpedoes with its Phasers and disables the incoming fighters with blasts of Ion flak.

[Jediluigi]

Bladnir Station - Berth A, Planet B22 "Aves" Orbit, System Beta 02, Beta Galactic Outer Rim:

The Ambassador made a small clicking noise before speaking. "We come from beyond the Rim, Fore Admiral. Near a star cluster, is where we call our home, Anjia Prime. Out of sight of the galaxy at large, we know little of the places here. So we send a trading fleet, to meet new people..." The hulking machine spoke through its translator, steam hissing from a neck valve for a second.

Humbarine, Humbarine System, Alpha Galaxy Core Worlds:

//Message Received....

=< "Thank you again, Commander Remmer. This is Captain Seitfrieg of the Marzeron Imperial Navy. I'll send you a current map of our territories in exchange. Perhaps we can discuss some business if you aren't busy?" >=

//Message End...

Captain Seitfrieg sighed, sipping some coffee as he sat on the bridge. It's going to be a busy day, perhaps.

[Quantum Rain]

/Unknown|Unknown Systems|Unknown Regions\

"Agreed, ma'am. Though if I may suggest, perhaps we should set up a couple of forward scouts and a sweeper behind us to ensure we don't get caught with our pants down?" Leon suggested, keeping pace with the Lieutenant.

---

--Gothis, Ocean Dome, Prison Block--

Some of the IS troopers give the Turian prisoners some of their sidearms to help defend the position. They deployed light barrier shields ahead of them to provide better cover, but they seldom fired back. IS weapons larger than sidearms were not very efficient at stunning. Instead, the troopers targeted legs and feet, deigning to stop them without causing too much damage for the medics in the ships to repair.

What the allies would notice, however, were several armored humans amongst the Turians, using the Turians as cover and firing accurate stun shots on the allies. Likely, these were the Collective soldiers.

And as if to answer that thought, a loud whining noise and a voice bellowed to those underneath the ocean and some of those in orbit. (The Federation ship would not receive this message. The Rachni would due to their hive-mind.) Only the IS troops and those capable of blocking the 'noise' either through implants or telepathy would still be capable of fighting effectively. (Sorry for the GM, just fits the circumstances though.)

--Gothis, Orbit--

Greetings, and welcome to Gothis my brethren. We are the chosen of Vires, and we will you to relinquish your arms or face the consequences of this transgression. Sphyros said, as the Collective fleet moved out from behind the planet. It would sadden us for you to lose your lives in this misunderstood conflict of desires.

The IS ships moved immediately. "Collective vessels, you are in direct violation of the Galactic Astrumian Demilitarization Treaty. Surrender or perish in a hellfire." They hailed the fleet, still cloaked. However, to any bystanders, it was obvious that they were outnumbered and potentially outgunned by the size of the Collective fleet and their Hive Ship.

What some may notice in the fleet were a number of Turian ships, rebel ones to be precise, amongst the six Collective cruisers. In total, there were at least thirteen vessels, including the Hive Ship.

---

--Hiigara--

Three armadas depart from VID space headed for the northern territories of the Hiigarans. One helped construct the fortifications with their energy-matter conversion tech, and constructed some sensor and repair stations, unarmed to avoid rousing an uproar, and also useable to the Hiigarans. The other two were placed strategically behind the front lines, setting up their own command posts in empty space and notifying the Hiigarans of the exact locations for these posts and what was being built. This was to avoid utilizing the Hiigarans likely needed supplies. As well, the Hiigarans would receive supplies from the VID to aid in the construction of their ships. Two admirals alongside Leonid were assigned to this task.

(Command posts consist of one large station with construction and supply bays and the likes, and several smaller defense stations forming a perimeter.)

[Sir Noret]

/Yaga System|Prefsbelt Sector|Braxant Oversector\

Captain Orto excuses himself and reboards the shuttle for a few minutes, he returns looking slightly shocked. Regardless, he quickly regains his measured composure and responds "I have received a change in orders, the exclusion zone has been lifted by order of the Supreme Commander, you are free to proceed into Yaga Minor so long as you don't cause any more ruckus. As for the matter of convoys, head to Naval Headquaters on Bastion to make a formal inquiry, you may want to wait a week or two thought."

/Georgia\

Karl mutters something about the wrong way in German before turning in for the night.

/Humbarine|Humbarine System|Humbarine Sector|Imperial Core Worlds\

The line goes silent for several minutes, during which a short battle appears to erupt between two portions of the orbiting fleet. The smaller portion clearly far outmatched manages to jump out of the system before interdectors could be brought online. A brief time later the rest of the fleet jumps out, evidently to chase the first group. "Uhm, minor internal squabble, we apologize for the inconvenience; regardless, we appreciate the exchange of information. I suppose we could attempt business, but as you may have noticed it's a little confusing at the moment," Commander Remmer responds, audibly shaken.

/Unknown World|Unknown System|Unknown Regions\

"Good idea, Sergeant," Lieutenant Engel responds and then issues a command for three men to fan out a few dozen meters in front and for three more to fan out in the rear. The remaining three: Engel, Leon, and the team medic stay together to carry what they managed to salvage in the form of supplies and equipment.

[Roach]

Slavik: Thank you we will proceed it was a pleasure speaking with you.

[Quantum Rain]

/Unknown World|Unknown System|Unknown Regions\

Leon walked along calmly, but was obviously attentive despite the baggage on his back and the guards scouting the area. I hope we get out of this alive. He thought to himself, a slight tinge of doubt attempting to dampen his spirits. This doubt would be crushed in a matter of minutes as discipline came into play and he focused again on his surroundings.

---

/Yaga System|Prefsbelt Sector|Braxant Oversector\

Siber was getting immensely impatient at this point, and for Slavik, such was like a nagging sensation in the back of one's mind. "What's taking them so long?" He said a little spitefully to himself. Then he noticed the shuttle depart the ship. "... I hope that's a good sign."

[Roach]

---Yaga minor--

Slavik: They have lifted their lock out we are free to proceed.

[Quantum Rain]

/Yaga System|Prefsbelt Sector|Braxant Oversector\

Uh, finally... I thought you guys were having some tea party or watching sports. He replied sarcastically and a little bitter. I'm ready to detach as soon as we near the planet. Hopefully, they won't notice me and will focus on you instead. Siber replied, obviously anxious to get moving.

[Fore Admiral Disayle]

--Bladnir Station--

Ackbar: I see. If you don't mind my asking, why are you wearing those suits?

--Gothis--

*The turians writhe in pain from the force of the assault.* Praetorius: AAAHHH! [censored] YOU AND GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!

Marduk: Queen Tara, our Songs are assaulted by a monstrous demon!

Tara: We will shield you!

*The Rachni ships and the Queen onboard step in to block the mental attack, lessening it enough for the turians to resume fighting.*

Praetorius: Praetorius to ships--what the [censored] is going on up there?!

Commander Dario: New ships have just appeared and are approaching on attack vectors! There are rebel vessels among them, and the Sovereign ships are moving to intercept them! Orders, sir?

Praetorius: Engage, but you're likely complete outclassed by the new ships--use hit-and-run attacks and focus on the rebel ships!!

Commander Dario: Yes, Major!

Tara: We will help fight these tainted claws!

*The two dozen Blackwatch ships jump to FTL. Seconds later, they appear behind the combined rebel-Collective battlegroup, blast one of the rebel ships, and jump to FTL again before they can retaliate. The Rachni ships move to attack the hostiles as well, though their attack power is decreased due to focusing on shielding the ground team.*

*Meanwhile, as the battle in the dome rages, Marduk looks back from digging and sees the Collective soldiers. His eyes narrow in anger and he steps away from the rubble pile. Nihlus, taking cover nearby, jams a magazine into his assault rifle and looks up.*

Nihlus: Marduk? What are you-- *He is cut off as dark energy hums around the Rachni Brood Warrior and Marduk launches himself like a missile at one of the armored humans, bowling him over and tearing at him with his massive claws. Even as he mauls his opponent, Marduk whips a tentacle toward another Collective soldier. Another hum fills the air and lightning arcs from the tendril into the armored figure, lighting up the whole room in a blaze of electricity.*

--Hiigaran Territory--

*The buildup continues apace. However, Karan takes a mysterious "leave of absence".*

[Roach]

Yaga minor--

The Lazarus docks with one of the Yaga minor ship yards and begins undergoing mock repairs.


--Gothis--

Tirian: Admiral the situation up here just got hot. What are your orders?

Roach: Engage the enemy and send for our reinforcements.

Roach drops to the floor in a meditative position he focuses his mind he calms the mind of the Turians blocking the mental assault and effectively freeing up the Rachni to focus on combat.

Roach speaks to Praetorius in his mind. "Remind me to supply your troops with federation neural inhibitor implants."

The Balmorra maneuvers with the Turian vessels providing their strikes with a bit more knock out punch


Less than a minuet later 25 federation ships enter the system.

Captain Snow: This is captain Snow if the 14th scout line some one call for the Calvary?



(14th scout line)
2x Zaitzev class artilery cruisers
3x Victory-class II Star Defender (Heavy cruisers)
5x EF-80 Nebulon-B Frigates
5x Assault Frigate Mk III
5x Stingray corvettes
5x Warrior Gunships
-----------------------------------------------------
The federation ships take up an attack formation With the corvette screen providing cover to the Zaitzevs while they hurl their massive long range fire power at the enemy ships.

[darthme]

~Alba~

The fleet is attended to and the diplomats are given an escort to their landing site on Alba.

~Lune, Fey~

Viljelm, along with Tärö and Asla, awaits the arrival of his strange saviours.

[Quantum Rain]

"This is why you will go in first, and the other will head for the leader directly." Rain stated factually. "So you needn't worry about having a walking siren following you around."

Lae crossed his arms. "Going in first ALONE?" He asked. "If you want me to help, I have to do the infiltration alone. That's my deal, take it or leave it." He was sticking to his guns in this argument. He refused to take a partner along for the stealth portion of the mission.

---

--Anima Prime--

"No, this is not a deal. This is not a debate!" Rain says, slamming his hands onto the desktop, a sudden gust of wind appearing to reveal his impatience. "The longer your mission takes, the more people that die for it, the more people we can use for a later battle. I will not settle with that kind of a price, and you should expect different as long as you're serving under my command, Lone Wolf. We do this my way, not yours. Now get ready for combat and make sure you're ready to deal with the situation. Otherwise, we'll both die in this engagement." He states bitterly, sitting back down, glaring at Lae. He has said his piece. "These are my orders, Lone Wolf, they're not up for discussion. I know the risks involved."

---

--Gothis, Orbit, Axis Front--

The rebel ships that the others were targeting would suddenly disappear, and move at speeds close to that of lightspeed. Unlike any other craft that the Collective should even have. These rebel ships were using the same ftl technique against them on the approaching Rachni ships, as the main collective force was using a bubble-shield of some sort deployed by the Hive Ship, while the rest diverted all of their power to weapons and engines. This, coupled with their formation of a half-circle, keeping the planet behind them, made them capable of retaliating to the Turian and Federation attacks far more effectively.

To further worsen the situation, the rebel ships seemed to be outfitted with stronger beam-like weaponry and more powerful shielding, making them capable of taking plenty more damage than a normal Turian vessel.

To further worsen the situation even more, it could be detected that even more Collective vessels were on approach to the planet, and their numbers were even greater than that of the ships' present.

-Allied Front-

Victoria watched as the rebel ships and the Collective ships make their first move in retaliation for the pre-emptive strike that the others had caused. She thought patiently as to how to crack the shell around the Hive Ship. "Rachni vessels, do you think you're capable of cracking the shell around that Hive Ship if we can provide you with enough cover fire?" Victoria asks as the IS ships move towards the Rachni vessels, decloaking and providing covering fire. While not totally effective against the upgraded Turian vessels, they do alleviate some of the fire as the rebel vessels are also targeting them now. It would seem that these Turian vessels were upgraded by another party... the Collective doesn't have this kind of technology. Victoria thought to herself, as she watched the battle unfold.

--Planetside--

Marduk would soon find himself thrust back by a telekinetic force unlike anything he's ever seen. While his victims lay dead, Sphyros could be seen walking towards Marduk, with a glowing symbol on his right hand as well. "Hm. What do we have here?" He says, his presence further amplifying the telepathic attack. "Insects and pests, I see. And only one of them may be worth my time." More Collective soldiers and now Turian civilians show up at both ends of the hallway in question, as if teleported there, the same as how Sphyros himself appeared.
(The symbol on his hand is that for the True Fire Rune.)

---

--Alba--

A fleet of Sovereignty ships exits ftl near the planet, shields raised but weapons unpowered. They do not immediately hail the planet at first, but instead seem to be taking a look around.

"Well now, what does the sensors tell us about these people's defensive capabilities, officer?" Jonas Reinhardt asks, the officer replying by handing Jonas a detailed list of what they know of the Gal'Gai's military capabilities. "Hmm, not good at all if the AI decided to annex them..." Karaed looked over Jonas' shoulder, reading the report. "Indeed, quite unfortunate the news we must relay to them now." He stated rather plainly. Jonas had to agree with many others when they said that Karaed was somewhat of a bore. Of all the people to stick me with, they gave me the dull cat-man. Oh well, I'll have to cause some chaos with command when I return to compensate.

[Jediluigi]

]Bladnir Station - Berth A, Planet B22 "Aves" Orbit, System Beta 02, Beta Galactic Outer Rim:

The Ambassador makes a few more clicking noises, turning his head a bit. "Many reasons. Mostly our.... Faith. Cannot be seen, high heresy. Methane breathers as well." It speaks, appearing unsure if the translator is working as it wanted.

Humbarine, Humbarine System, Alpha Galaxy Core Worlds:

//Message Received....

=< "Understoof, Commander Remmer. Gott mit uns, and keep safe. We need to talk one day." >=

//Message End...

The ship turned, ready to leave, hyper drive warming up.

[Wynn]

"This is why you will go in first, and the other will head for the leader directly." Rain stated factually. "So you needn't worry about having a walking siren following you around."

Lae crossed his arms. "Going in first ALONE?" He asked. "If you want me to help, I have to do the infiltration alone. That's my deal, take it or leave it." He was sticking to his guns in this argument. He refused to take a partner along for the stealth portion of the mission.

---

--Anima Prime--

"No, this is not a deal. This is not a debate!" Rain says, slamming his hands onto the desktop, a sudden gust of wind appearing to reveal his impatience. "The longer your mission takes, the more people that die for it, the more people we can use for a later battle. I will not settle with that kind of a price, and you should expect different as long as you're serving under my command, Lone Wolf. We do this my way, not yours. Now get ready for combat and make sure you're ready to deal with the situation. Otherwise, we'll both die in this engagement." He states bitterly, sitting back down, glaring at Lae. He has said his piece. "These are my orders, Lone Wolf, they're not up for discussion. I know the risks involved."

---

--Gothis, Orbit, Axis Front--

The rebel ships that the others were targeting would suddenly disappear, and move at speeds close to that of lightspeed. Unlike any other craft that the Collective should even have. These rebel ships were using the same ftl technique against them on the approaching Rachni ships, as the main collective force was using a bubble-shield of some sort deployed by the Hive Ship, while the rest diverted all of their power to weapons and engines. This, coupled with their formation of a half-circle, keeping the planet behind them, made them capable of retaliating to the Turian and Federation attacks far more effectively.

To further worsen the situation, the rebel ships seemed to be outfitted with stronger beam-like weaponry and more powerful shielding, making them capable of taking plenty more damage than a normal Turian vessel.

To further worsen the situation even more, it could be detected that even more Collective vessels were on approach to the planet, and their numbers were even greater than that of the ships' present.

-Allied Front-

Victoria watched as the rebel ships and the Collective ships make their first move in retaliation for the pre-emptive strike that the others had caused. She thought patiently as to how to crack the shell around the Hive Ship. "Rachni vessels, do you think you're capable of cracking the shell around that Hive Ship if we can provide you with enough cover fire?" Victoria asks as the IS ships move towards the Rachni vessels, decloaking and providing covering fire. While not totally effective against the upgraded Turian vessels, they do alleviate some of the fire as the rebel vessels are also targeting them now. It would seem that these Turian vessels were upgraded by another party... the Collective doesn't have this kind of technology. Victoria thought to herself, as she watched the battle unfold.

--Planetside--

Marduk would soon find himself thrust back by a telekinetic force unlike anything he's ever seen. While his victims lay dead, Sphyros could be seen walking towards Marduk, with a glowing symbol on his right hand as well. "Hm. What do we have here?" He says, his presence further amplifying the telepathic attack. "Insects and pests, I see. And only one of them may be worth my time." More Collective soldiers and now Turian civilians show up at both ends of the hallway in question, as if teleported there, the same as how Sphyros himself appeared.
(The symbol on his hand is that for the True Fire Rune.)

---

--Alba--

A fleet of Sovereignty ships exits ftl near the planet, shields raised but weapons unpowered. They do not immediately hail the planet at first, but instead seem to be taking a look around.

"Well now, what does the sensors tell us about these people's defensive capabilities, officer?" Jonas Reinhardt asks, the officer replying by handing Jonas a detailed list of what they know of the Gal'Gai's military capabilities. "Hmm, not good at all if the AI decided to annex them..." Karaed looked over Jonas' shoulder, reading the report. "Indeed, quite unfortunate the news we must relay to them now." He stated rather plainly. Jonas had to agree with many others when they said that Karaed was somewhat of a bore. Of all the people to stick me with, they gave me the dull cat-man. Oh well, I'll have to cause some chaos with command when I return to compensate.

Lae glared at him, standing still even at the gust of wind. He sighed and began walking out. "Fine, but dont expect whatever [censored] you send with me to come back alive." He said. "I'm not saving his [censored] WHEN he gets spotted."

[Fore Admiral Disayle]

--Gothis, Orbit--

Tara: We will try, War-Song Leader Victoria!

*With the rebel ships off their back, the Rachni vessels launch an all-out assault on the bubble shield, hammering it with acid blasts, pulse-beams, and organic antimatter torpedoes. They launch swarms of drones to attack the shield as well. Additionally, the living ships use their biotic powers to create multiple fluctuating micro-singularities on the shield, straining it further.*

*Meanwhile, the Blackwatch ships withdraw momentarily. However, as the Rachni's micro-singularities tear at the shield, the hostile battlegroup suddenly gets hit from behind--from Gothis's low orbit--and is engulfed in a massive resonance explosion: a turian warp bomb. The explosion's force is magnified considerably by the micro-singularities. As suddenly as they hit, the Blackwatch ships blast into FTL again.*

--Prison Dome--

*Marduk staggers, but quickly shakes off the effect and does not deign to respond to Sphyros. Instead, he feints, and then leaps straight over the man, landing in the midst of the turians and the Collective soldiers. In the space of a heartbeat, he knocks a fair number of them off their feet with his tentacles and biotically charges into Sphyros with the force of a freight train. Massive amounts of electricity discharge into the man at the impact. The Rachni Brood Warrior's actions take some of the pressure off the defenders as his fellows work frantically to dig through the rubble.*

--The Child Constellation, Demon Cluster, Fey System--

*The creature flies down and lands in front of the Gal'Gai. After a moment, the plates of its head armor fold back into its neck, revealing a face very similar to a raven's, with dark glossy feathers and a sharp, pointed beak. However, its large red eyes glitter with intelligence, and when it opens its beak to speak, the lower half separates into two sections.*

Teahcoatl (Basic): Greetings. I am Zo'Qu'aan Teahcoatl of Tribe StarRunners. What Tribe are you?

[darthme]

~Alba~

(I thought you aid I had good defenses when you first assessed me)

The fleet would see a space station. Several warships, mostly battleships, emerge from behind it. They show no sign of powering up their weapons, but hail the Sovereignty ships nonetheless. Annafkiffs, vinnsemmlegast naf þik! Eff Thau sagen ekki þein naf, vi villen aug thjur Kiffs i Sjussen!. ( Unidentified ships, please identify yourselves! If you do not, we will be forced to shoot you!)

~Lune, Fey~

Viljelm is stunned by the avian, so Asla replies. "We are Gal'Gai, all from the planet Alba. We are the crew of our ship, the Lucky One.

[Roach]

--Gothis orbit--


The federation ships open fire on the shield, turbolasers ion cannons cruise missiles photon and quantum torpedoes along with high caliber howitzer shells and Maser blats pepper the shield but the most powerful or the Zaitsev's 7200mm siege howitzers with their powerful EMP rounds witch further destabilize the shield.

--Underwater dome--

Roach shunts the part of his mind that is shielding his allies into an in animate object some were near by effectively turning it into a shield generator.

Roach teleports just a foot or so from Sphyros arms crossed as if annoyed. "forgetting some one?"
And with a powerful blast of the force sends him flying across the room in a similar fashion as he had done to Marduk.

[Fore Admiral Disayle]

--Fey System--

*The creature nods.* Teahcoatl: How came your Tribe to be stranded here?

*The Albans can note that the being appears to be listening very intently to their reply.*

[darthme]

--Fey System--

*The creature nods.* Teahcoatl: How came your Tribe to be stranded here?

*The Albans can note that the being appears to be listening very intently to their reply.*

"We, erm. Well we forgot to refuel on Fey because we needed to escape a certain bounty hunter who was on our trail." Asla replies, picking up on the avian's obvious intent on hearing their answer. "We realized that once we ran out of fuel." Pipes Täron. He then continues with, "We drifted to the moon, and then we started the distress calls."

[Fore Admiral Disayle]

--Lune, Fey--

*The creature is visibly disappointed by his answer.* Teahcoatl (sigh): That was foolish of you. Very soon, a 'bounty hunter' may well be the least of your worries. *He pauses.* We will stay for one rotation of this moon, and then we will leave.

*Even as he says this, the ship hovering in the sky above swoops down again, to land next to the crashed SRI ship. Several more ships of similar configuration come down from orbit and land as well. More beings like Teahcoatl emerge from them and provide the Gal'Gai with supplies. The being himself turns back to the Albans.* Teahcoatl: We are Morrigi. In your speech, the Travellers.

[darthme]

"Will you take us with you?" asks Viljelm. "We might be of service. If not, why are you leaving?"

[Fore Admiral Disayle]

Teahcoatl: No. We will give you supplies and repair your ship. Then we must all flee. *When pressed on what to flee from, he remains tight-beaked. The Morrigi finish setting up camp and take some odd precautions, like powering down their ships completely. Even landing them on the planet in the first place is strange, but this is something else entirely. If the Albans start to feel on edge, they would not be insane to do so.*

[darthme]

The Gal'Gal begin to converse quietly in Alska.

"De maken mjer Sjiverinne i hafen." sagt Tärö. "Ennur, de mäen ossure fligt i bein." replirt Viljelm. "Okk de tharren Avians i bein. Sih dem!"
"Heftu þire makkinne gesið? De er julur mer þan oss byfirgænur." sagt Asla.

[Quantum Rain]

~Alba~

(I thought you aid I had good defenses when you first assessed me)

The fleet would see a space station. Several warships, mostly battleships, emerge from behind it. They show no sign of powering up their weapons, but hail the Sovereignty ships nonetheless. Annafkiffs, vinnsemmlegast naf þik! Eff Thau sagen ekki þein naf, vi villen aug thjur Kiffs i Sjussen!. ( Unidentified ships, please identify yourselves! If you do not, we will be forced to shoot you!)

(Oh just go with the flow will you...)

Jonas sat there, uncertain. "... I didn't understand a single word of that, did you catman?" Karaed looked down at Jonas' all too serious face and scowled somewhat at the name. "They're asking us to identify ourselves." He said a little bitterly. "Oh, of course they are..." He nodded at the comm officer and a hail went out. "This is Jonas Reinhardt of the Imperial Sovereignty escorting one Karaed of the Imperial State Department to initiate a meeting. I hope this isn't a bad time, but I would have to stress the urgency of the matter."

---

--Gothis, Orbit--

The shield somehow stood up to the barrage, though the surprise attack from behind them did the most damage due to shunting most of the power to the frontal half of the shield. The Hive Ship was surprisingly sturdy, but it was only a matter of time. The Collective fleet was firing at will, a constant volley of plasmatic-detonation missiles and anti-matter beams.

But what came next was the most surprising. An increasingly powerful energy reading grew within the Hive Ship and then a humanoid, as far as the sensors could tell, launched from the side. Several humanoids, actually.

Victoria watched the screens as they highlighted on the indistinct figures. "... What are they up to...?" She asked rhetorically, trying to figure out what those were. But it wasn't until they transformed into larger constructs that she figured it out. "[censored]! Peacemaker units. Everyone, turn off your viewscreens immediately and avoid mental contact, anyone that looks at them directly will live to regret it! Keep firing on the damn shield, we'll continue cover fire, Rachni. Federation ships, get rid of those Peacemakers before they rip us apart!"

To punctuate the lethality, the Peacemakers opened fire and were manuevering like strikecraft despite their massive size. Their weapons seemed to be extremely condensed lasers, capable of leaking through several types of shields due to their high-power and volatile nature. Their secondary weapon seemed to be tracking plasma-beams of the same nature, targeting the other strikecraft instead of the ships though.

---

--Gothis, Dome--

Sphyros smiled as he shunted the force blast directly at Marduk, launching him instead. The mental attack by the Collective had ceased, but for it, Sphyros almost radiated with power. "Forgot you? Oh no, I didn't do that." He said smugly, as an inferno grew within the cramped spaces, larger and more volatile, sending out shockwaves every now and then. Sphyros cast his own powerful blast at Roach, of the mystic variety as he actually started to glow a greenish shield-like aura. He cast a whip of flames over at Marduk, as the Collective and Turian soldiers backed off.

The enemies behind the front line began advancing, firing on the IS, Turian, and Federation soldiers alike. The IS had no spare barrier projectors, so they utilized the shields on their armor as cover and began firing relentlessly back, covering the Turians with themselves.

---

--Anima Prime--

"Oh, don't worry about that." Rain said plainly. Although it wasn't direct, it was, in Rain's mind, time for Lae to leave the room.

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