Vokun
Empire of Kurak
A shuttle detaches from CS Tamerlane, and follows instructions down to the landing site. Waiting there is an honor guard of ceremional, halberd armed troops, Vice Governor the Duke Varian, a few aides, and a number of curious onlookers held back by the police. Several mage cloaked Imperial shadows (elite troops, Royal guard, eyes and ears, etc) prowl the area, while other troops stand guard around the area. They are armed with what looks to be a suit of metal, but extremely bendable, and are carrying metal staves, and wrist blasters. To the Duke's eyes, the shuttle looks large enough to land a platoon of troops, though only a quartet of mechanical beings step out of the side hatch. Each is armed with sheathed sword, and an unobtrusive 3mm Thunderhead Lance in the right arm. They carefully scan the area around the shuttle. The Duke, mistaking them for the envoy, steps forward, bows, and introduces himself. He offers to escort them to the nearby castle where the Gov and others are waiting.
The androids stand there silently, until a human female with blonde hair steps out of the shuttle. She wears a dark blue dress with gold piping. At her side is sword, elaborately bound to its scabbard with a cord. "Don't pay any attention to those, the Mobile Dolls aren't capable of speech. I am an Avatar of Joyeuse."
One of the aides, wearing a small pin signifying that he was a very high ranking adept mage, spoke quietly in the Lt. Gov's ear. Something's off about her, though I don't know what. The governor took a second look at the woman, his eyes widening. He shook it off, and bowed again. "I have been asked to escort you and your party to the castle right next door. In order to meet with the Governor and his staff." he pointed out the castle towering above the landing pad.
"I hope you don't mind if these guards come with," Joyeuse asks.
"No problem, it is standard First Contact procedure that guards be allowed." he shrugged, "Of course on the same hand their will be Guards of our own in the room as well."
"Naturally, of course."
"Shall we go?" he led the way to the castle. Joyeuse could just see the street outside being watched by several armed levitating vehicles.
"Of course", she replied, and followed.
--
He led them to the doors, were they were let in by very highly polished cermonial troops, in what looked like full plate armor, with halbereds and swords. He led them to a large conference room, where Several people waited, the governor in the lead. Joyeuse looked at the people in the conference room. "I am an Avatar of Joyeuse, and a representative of the entity known as the Collective."
An elderly man stepped forth, bowing. "I am Earl James, the governor of this planet. I welcome you to Vokun." he gestured to the table in the center of the room. "Come take a seat, we probaly have much to discuss."
Joyeuse reached towards her scabbard, unhooked it from her dress, and placed it on the table, hilt away from her, before she sat down. Earl James sat down as well, gesturing to the stewards to bring drinks. "As far as we can tell, non of these drinks should harm you."
"Interesting that you would be able to tell what should and should not harm me, considering you've never met someone from whence I come," Joyeuse commented.
Earl James cocked his head to one side, smiling slightly. "A basic low level anti-poison scan spell he said. It compares the biology of one target to see if it would be harmed by anything in the other target."
"It's exceedingly unlikely that anything in your realm could poison me, in fact."
"Anyway to get on to business, what would you like to discuess as you are the ones who contacted us."
"I come with a warning, and a hope for a better future."
Earl James sat back in his chair sipping from his drink. "And what is this warning you wish to give us?"
"You have recently been contacted by a group that calls themselves the Raveners. They are quite possibly the group most dangerous to the peace of the cluster. They are not to be trusted."
Earl James looked down at the table for a long moment. "We are aware of that, but we have no choice." He pointed at the window. "You saw a how crowded this planet is." he sighed, "Our Empire's Space is sadly mostly made up of planets that are unliviable and can't be teraformed. We only have three planets, and our people need more room. They offered us a fourth pretty open planet."
"You say you have no choice. Everyone has a choice. There offer is a death sentence for you and your people, if you give them time. But there is always an alternative. You could fight. With some help, the Raveners could be defeated, and the threat they pose reduced. You could get an offer for another planet from another group. For example," Joyeuse paused, as she pulled out a small device, seemingly from thin air. It activated, and began displaying scenes from a lush forest world in the air. "We have a planet that is completely uninhabited, though it is hospitable. There is merely a need to neutralize some of the more dangerous animals. "As she spoke the last sentence. a large snake like creature slithered quickly into view, and then over the camera. "There are always choices."
"Oh, aye, there are choices, and we could fight." He said standing and walking over to the window. "The problem is the simple fact that we are massively outnumbered. We had to summon every patrol fleet, just to have half their numbers when they came calling. We would be willing to aid in taking them down, but we would need help."
Joyeuse reminisces, "A long time ago, there was a religious group. Their ideology was such that they had to make war against all that they saw, eventually, if not immediately. And those they considered heretics were put to the sword. They wiped out the our creators, and left only ash. The Raveners are their heirs, if not in a literal sense, but in a spiritual sense."
The earl cocked his head, before sighing. "Excuse me," he said. He walked out of the room, and the fleet admiral walked up rubbing his head. "Sorry 'bout that, someone got a little excited with a mage-message. The Emporer is calling. I am Admiral Saul, System Defense Admiral." he was wearing a full dress grey uniform, with a pin showing he was ranked as an eldar mage.
The Governor walked back in with a look of shock on is face.
"I just recieved some rather startling news from the Emporer. Sorry Admiral Saul, I know you wanted to discuss some anti-tech stratergys. I am to agree to giving you covert aid, and to give you this." he handed over a data crystal. "That crystal contains the location of our homeworld." He sat down heavily in a chair. "it is very rare for that to be given to an outsider." He sighed, "We will help you against the Raveners, but only covertly for now."
"You hand me this, and expect that I have a clue what to do with it. Your help is appreciated in dealing with the Raveners. We hope to gain additional allies for the coming fight. If you have a star map, I could give the location of the world I spoke of, Serenity, it was named, once upon a time."
"Here he said." Taking the crystal he pressed down a point on the base, showing her where. Above the crystal a holographic star chart appeared showing the location of the three Kurak worlds, and the general area of space surronding them. "I'm not sure if we have any star charts that are compatible with technology based equipment." The governor said. "All of our stuff is magical in nature."
"As I surmised, from the utter lack of technological devices." She pauses to think, picks up the holoprojector, walks to one of the androids, and pulls out a thin wire from the android. She plugs said wire into the projector, then taps a button on it. "This will allow you to locate the world, Serenity."
"Thank you!" a mage exclaimed. Several Mages, of various ranks, moved in and created an info crysal copy of the starchart. "Do you have anything else you wish to discuss with us?" asked Earl James.
"In the vicinity of Serenity, there are others, already inhabited. Trade with them is permissible, but there are restrictions on doing so. Active interference with them with not be tolerated."
"That would be fine with us, we prefer to let other races do what they want. Unless they contact us, or attack us."
(ooc: written in cooperation with Oseng, which is why it took so damn long to get this up)
STGOD2k6 Main Thread
Moderator: Thanas
-
Thirdfain
- The Player of Games
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: 2003-02-13 09:24pm
- Location: Never underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State.
Rally Point Prime
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
For almost two centuries, New Crobuzon had expanded it's Empire ruthlessly through a wide variety of means. Treaties, economic integration, and more than a little colonization and conquest had brought vast stretches of space under the mandate of the City of New Crobuzon. There had been checks to that growth- native uprisings, the constant pressure from Tesh, even the infamous Cautious Mutiny, but through it all, the maniacal drive for profit exhibited by the exploitation and exploration concerns had conquered at every turn.
The successes had all been held up by the promise made by the Imperial Navy- no concern would go unproteced against any sort of foreign interference. Behind every economic victory had been the might of the Imperial Navy, whose flying columns of Marine transports and fast cruisers had ensured that any local threat could be neutralized through judicious application of superior firepower. More than one treaty ceding vast tracts of land had been signed under the balefull, still-hot muzzles of a Navy gunboat. Never the less, the enemies had always been weak- primitives, at most fielding simple thermonuclear devices and primitive spacecraft. True piracy at space had been rare, to say the least.
With the collapse of the Teshite Witchocracy and the sudden and unexpected expansion of the Parliamentary Empire into that dead polity's own territories, piracy at space had exploded. Hundreds of ships, ranging from independent avancbarques to vitriol-dromonds of the wall bristling with flayguns and soulcannon, had turned to piracy with the collapse of their absurd matriarch-shamanistic government. The Empire of Crobuzon had found itself forced once more to deal with fast raiders across it's occupied marches and even deep in Gross Crobuzona itself. The battlecruisers and protected cruisers of the Imperial Navy had learned, slowly, how to accomplish tasks besides gunship diplomacy and battlefleet escort as they operated independently. A new breed of officer had formed, favouring speed, maneuverability, and flexibility over the armoured phalanx of the Iron Fleet's old guard. This jeune école had won a major victory recently, with the importance of cruiser scouts becoming obvious as the Kreshayan conflicy unfolded. The latest run of warships to come out of Steelshatter and Crobuzon Ironworks had included four gorgeous new battlecruisers of an obscenely powerful class- a victory for those young and ambitious men and women in the jeune école.
Commodore Kassius Whitherspoon was one of those men, and that victory had been a personal one for him. It had led to him standing on the bridge of the Imperial Crobuzon Navy Ship Battle of Castervanae Bight, nameship of it's class. She was sleek and powerful, built like an armoured dolphin. Her slender form was granted a utilitarian and vicious air by the ugly, pustule-like gun turrets that closely studded her hull. Eight massive high-velocity naval rifles granted the Castervanae Bight her real striking power, capable of placing six volleys of c-fractional 360cm shells on target in a single minute.
In fact, the Castervanae Bight weighed as much as one of the old Oligarch or St. Jabbar's Writ pre-dreadnought battleships, and would be counted a ship of the wall in any other navy had she not skimped heavily in armour to achieve her astonishing speed and maneuverability. Officers like Kassius argued that with gun-launched guided missiles and powerful batteries of guided rockets, such a ship as this could destroy even a ship of the wall by keeping out of gun range and initiating a bombardment with tracking projectiles.
However, the day was not one for such dangerous exercises. The Castervanae Bight's first deployment, along with the escorting destroyers Abercrombie and Q. Ferris, would be far more businesslike. Military liasoning with a friendly alien power and open combat with barbarian raiders- it was any officer's dream, and something well out of the scope of some poor line captain.
"Captain, the Faloon naval detachment is incoming."
Commodore Whitherspoon smiled broadly. It was going to be a very interesting month.
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
For almost two centuries, New Crobuzon had expanded it's Empire ruthlessly through a wide variety of means. Treaties, economic integration, and more than a little colonization and conquest had brought vast stretches of space under the mandate of the City of New Crobuzon. There had been checks to that growth- native uprisings, the constant pressure from Tesh, even the infamous Cautious Mutiny, but through it all, the maniacal drive for profit exhibited by the exploitation and exploration concerns had conquered at every turn.
The successes had all been held up by the promise made by the Imperial Navy- no concern would go unproteced against any sort of foreign interference. Behind every economic victory had been the might of the Imperial Navy, whose flying columns of Marine transports and fast cruisers had ensured that any local threat could be neutralized through judicious application of superior firepower. More than one treaty ceding vast tracts of land had been signed under the balefull, still-hot muzzles of a Navy gunboat. Never the less, the enemies had always been weak- primitives, at most fielding simple thermonuclear devices and primitive spacecraft. True piracy at space had been rare, to say the least.
With the collapse of the Teshite Witchocracy and the sudden and unexpected expansion of the Parliamentary Empire into that dead polity's own territories, piracy at space had exploded. Hundreds of ships, ranging from independent avancbarques to vitriol-dromonds of the wall bristling with flayguns and soulcannon, had turned to piracy with the collapse of their absurd matriarch-shamanistic government. The Empire of Crobuzon had found itself forced once more to deal with fast raiders across it's occupied marches and even deep in Gross Crobuzona itself. The battlecruisers and protected cruisers of the Imperial Navy had learned, slowly, how to accomplish tasks besides gunship diplomacy and battlefleet escort as they operated independently. A new breed of officer had formed, favouring speed, maneuverability, and flexibility over the armoured phalanx of the Iron Fleet's old guard. This jeune école had won a major victory recently, with the importance of cruiser scouts becoming obvious as the Kreshayan conflicy unfolded. The latest run of warships to come out of Steelshatter and Crobuzon Ironworks had included four gorgeous new battlecruisers of an obscenely powerful class- a victory for those young and ambitious men and women in the jeune école.
Commodore Kassius Whitherspoon was one of those men, and that victory had been a personal one for him. It had led to him standing on the bridge of the Imperial Crobuzon Navy Ship Battle of Castervanae Bight, nameship of it's class. She was sleek and powerful, built like an armoured dolphin. Her slender form was granted a utilitarian and vicious air by the ugly, pustule-like gun turrets that closely studded her hull. Eight massive high-velocity naval rifles granted the Castervanae Bight her real striking power, capable of placing six volleys of c-fractional 360cm shells on target in a single minute.
In fact, the Castervanae Bight weighed as much as one of the old Oligarch or St. Jabbar's Writ pre-dreadnought battleships, and would be counted a ship of the wall in any other navy had she not skimped heavily in armour to achieve her astonishing speed and maneuverability. Officers like Kassius argued that with gun-launched guided missiles and powerful batteries of guided rockets, such a ship as this could destroy even a ship of the wall by keeping out of gun range and initiating a bombardment with tracking projectiles.
However, the day was not one for such dangerous exercises. The Castervanae Bight's first deployment, along with the escorting destroyers Abercrombie and Q. Ferris, would be far more businesslike. Military liasoning with a friendly alien power and open combat with barbarian raiders- it was any officer's dream, and something well out of the scope of some poor line captain.
"Captain, the Faloon naval detachment is incoming."
Commodore Whitherspoon smiled broadly. It was going to be a very interesting month.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )
-
Dahak
- Emperor's Hand
- Posts: 7292
- Joined: 2002-10-29 12:08pm
- Location: Admiralty House, Landing, Manticore
- Contact:
Rally Point Prime
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
The Heavy Battlecruiser Demonstration of Defiance and her accompanying ships, 2 Voracity-Class Battlecruisers, 3 Deltrau'aun-Class Heavy Air Cruisers, 2 Erebus-Class Light Air Cruisers, and 10 Renaya-Class Destroyers slithered elegantly out of Netherspace at the rally point agreed upon with Crobuzon military.
The flag ship of the little task force, the Falau'un Council Joint Houses Air Force (Space) Ship Demonstration of Defiance, was one of the newer constructions of the Demonstration of Will-Class Heavy Battlecruisers. Most navies would have called her a full battleship, but she still performed in a battlecruiser role. And everyone who once had found himself at the opposite sides of her guns had truly regretted it.
Grand Air-Mage Enwyn Frwen, House Frwen sat on the flag bridge of his ship and gazed into the morphing glass sculpture that shifted before him. A smile crept on his youthful face. No one, ever, would mistake Falau'un for Crobuzon ships, so much was certain. THe Crobuzon ships looked so, well, complex, intricate, playful. Falau'un ships were, if anything, simplistic. They were ellipsoids, only varying in dimensions. Their hulls were configured to the normal mirror-like surface. They looked like someone had dropped them into quicksilver. No crack, no opening, no obvious disturbance could be seen, only a line of Falau'un writing marred the perfect surface on the ships left forward flank.
The escorts fell swiftly into formation around their flagship.
"Very well then," Grand Air-Mage Frwen said to his communications officer. hail them, please."
The young officer slightly winced. No one really liked to use 'normal' communication systems. But it was not likely the Crobuzon would like to be visuaported without them knowing. When he nodded, he spoke into a glassy spike snaking up from his seat.
"This is Grand Air-Mage Enwyn Frwen, House Frwen of the Falau'un Council Joint Houses Air Force. I hope our co-operation will be a fruitful one. Before we begin the operation, I would like to invite you on board for a dinner, and a subsequent briefing about our intended objectives. You can transfer at your earliest convenience." He made it sound almost, but not quite, like an order. But this was hardly unnatural for him. it came with the family.
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
The Heavy Battlecruiser Demonstration of Defiance and her accompanying ships, 2 Voracity-Class Battlecruisers, 3 Deltrau'aun-Class Heavy Air Cruisers, 2 Erebus-Class Light Air Cruisers, and 10 Renaya-Class Destroyers slithered elegantly out of Netherspace at the rally point agreed upon with Crobuzon military.
The flag ship of the little task force, the Falau'un Council Joint Houses Air Force (Space) Ship Demonstration of Defiance, was one of the newer constructions of the Demonstration of Will-Class Heavy Battlecruisers. Most navies would have called her a full battleship, but she still performed in a battlecruiser role. And everyone who once had found himself at the opposite sides of her guns had truly regretted it.
Grand Air-Mage Enwyn Frwen, House Frwen sat on the flag bridge of his ship and gazed into the morphing glass sculpture that shifted before him. A smile crept on his youthful face. No one, ever, would mistake Falau'un for Crobuzon ships, so much was certain. THe Crobuzon ships looked so, well, complex, intricate, playful. Falau'un ships were, if anything, simplistic. They were ellipsoids, only varying in dimensions. Their hulls were configured to the normal mirror-like surface. They looked like someone had dropped them into quicksilver. No crack, no opening, no obvious disturbance could be seen, only a line of Falau'un writing marred the perfect surface on the ships left forward flank.
The escorts fell swiftly into formation around their flagship.
"Very well then," Grand Air-Mage Frwen said to his communications officer. hail them, please."
The young officer slightly winced. No one really liked to use 'normal' communication systems. But it was not likely the Crobuzon would like to be visuaported without them knowing. When he nodded, he spoke into a glassy spike snaking up from his seat.
"This is Grand Air-Mage Enwyn Frwen, House Frwen of the Falau'un Council Joint Houses Air Force. I hope our co-operation will be a fruitful one. Before we begin the operation, I would like to invite you on board for a dinner, and a subsequent briefing about our intended objectives. You can transfer at your earliest convenience." He made it sound almost, but not quite, like an order. But this was hardly unnatural for him. it came with the family.
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC
GALE Force Euro Wimp
Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
-
Spyder
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4465
- Joined: 2002-09-03 03:23am
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
- Contact:
The Lesser Library
"Attention Mekidar forces. Hostilities between the Crobuzon and the Silver Flame have ended. Please be advised that we cannot endorse any actions you wish to take against the Crobuzon Empire at this time."
Away from the mic...
"Looks like they're not getting their 50%."
"Meh, word on the street is that command was going to stiff them anyway."
"Attention Mekidar forces. Hostilities between the Crobuzon and the Silver Flame have ended. Please be advised that we cannot endorse any actions you wish to take against the Crobuzon Empire at this time."
Away from the mic...
"Looks like they're not getting their 50%."
"Meh, word on the street is that command was going to stiff them anyway."
-
Thirdfain
- The Player of Games
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: 2003-02-13 09:24pm
- Location: Never underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State.
The Silver Flame,
"Kreshastan"
The city of Talon's skyline was marred by pillars of rancid smoke, tarry fingers stabbing towards the sky from the stacks of the landed freighter transports. Even the trio of diplomatic courier birds, decorated in ivory white and gold-plated scrolling each sent it's own plume of effluvia into the planet's gorgeous sky. Inside a government office, some Lord Senator Suchandsuch, Civil and Imperial Ambassador, was speaking at great length to local officials as to the future of Crobuzoner and Kreshayan relations. His twenty-man honor guard stood lined up neatly in two rows outside the building, nervously watched by Talon Guard soldiers as well as government security. From the suddenly seized Crobuzonder basing area, over the horizon, the boom and roar of unfamiliar engines could be heard as bizarre men and absurd machines began to flood the plain, clearing ground and felling trees with coughing, smoking devices. Already, the bones of prefabricated buildings were accumulating canvas and plastic skins, like decay in reverse. The shielding abjurations of the landing craft had extended their reach, covering the entirety of the laning site with a pale blue glow.
The quelectin had not been surprised to see the fighting machines and rank after rank of what were obviously soldiers, weilding strange and inscrutable weapons. Armoured vehicles, low-slung and rumbling, clanked down ramps as the base garrison set up camp and got to work on fortifications, as soldiers had been doing since classical days. Some of the tasks were clear- the digging of trenches, the assemblage of rammed-earth bunkers, the fortified power stations. Others were arcane and inscrutable, like the gallows hung at regular intervals, or the herd of cattle being carefully penned. The area, fifty square miles to a side, was large enough that some regions defied direct observation- the base had a no-fly zone of significant width surrounding it.
Over the Lesser Library, Civil Marines had filled the orbiting gun-fortress, that ancient war-machine divested of it's engines and turned into a bastion of quelectin civilization. Engineers in space-armour examined the structure in detail, guarded by a rather large detachment of Marine guards in clanking exoskeletons.
In high orbit over Talon, the quelectin defense force still labored under the menacing guns of the Imperial armada, rank after rank of broadside-cannon aimed in mute threat at the quelectin warships. As news of the sudden Mekidar arrival hit the main fleet's C-3 network, an immediate query lanced from one of the cutters over the Lesser Library towards the Mekidar battlefleet.
<<The sudden transit of your fleet un-announced into the local space of a Civil and Imperial military facility constitutes an act of extreme aggression against against the Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon. Your vessels are to hold position and await boarding and examination. Failure to comply immediately will be met with deadly force.>>
The craft matched the battlefleet scout which had buzzed the primary Crobuzon formation earlier, a fact which had not been missed. This time, Grossadmiral Vandermere did not intend on being so forgiving.
The protected cruiser ICNS Basilaerus peeled off of it's picket duty at the system's edge, aimed directly towards the Mekidar fleet over the Lesser Library.
"Kreshastan"
The city of Talon's skyline was marred by pillars of rancid smoke, tarry fingers stabbing towards the sky from the stacks of the landed freighter transports. Even the trio of diplomatic courier birds, decorated in ivory white and gold-plated scrolling each sent it's own plume of effluvia into the planet's gorgeous sky. Inside a government office, some Lord Senator Suchandsuch, Civil and Imperial Ambassador, was speaking at great length to local officials as to the future of Crobuzoner and Kreshayan relations. His twenty-man honor guard stood lined up neatly in two rows outside the building, nervously watched by Talon Guard soldiers as well as government security. From the suddenly seized Crobuzonder basing area, over the horizon, the boom and roar of unfamiliar engines could be heard as bizarre men and absurd machines began to flood the plain, clearing ground and felling trees with coughing, smoking devices. Already, the bones of prefabricated buildings were accumulating canvas and plastic skins, like decay in reverse. The shielding abjurations of the landing craft had extended their reach, covering the entirety of the laning site with a pale blue glow.
The quelectin had not been surprised to see the fighting machines and rank after rank of what were obviously soldiers, weilding strange and inscrutable weapons. Armoured vehicles, low-slung and rumbling, clanked down ramps as the base garrison set up camp and got to work on fortifications, as soldiers had been doing since classical days. Some of the tasks were clear- the digging of trenches, the assemblage of rammed-earth bunkers, the fortified power stations. Others were arcane and inscrutable, like the gallows hung at regular intervals, or the herd of cattle being carefully penned. The area, fifty square miles to a side, was large enough that some regions defied direct observation- the base had a no-fly zone of significant width surrounding it.
Over the Lesser Library, Civil Marines had filled the orbiting gun-fortress, that ancient war-machine divested of it's engines and turned into a bastion of quelectin civilization. Engineers in space-armour examined the structure in detail, guarded by a rather large detachment of Marine guards in clanking exoskeletons.
In high orbit over Talon, the quelectin defense force still labored under the menacing guns of the Imperial armada, rank after rank of broadside-cannon aimed in mute threat at the quelectin warships. As news of the sudden Mekidar arrival hit the main fleet's C-3 network, an immediate query lanced from one of the cutters over the Lesser Library towards the Mekidar battlefleet.
<<The sudden transit of your fleet un-announced into the local space of a Civil and Imperial military facility constitutes an act of extreme aggression against against the Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon. Your vessels are to hold position and await boarding and examination. Failure to comply immediately will be met with deadly force.>>
The craft matched the battlefleet scout which had buzzed the primary Crobuzon formation earlier, a fact which had not been missed. This time, Grossadmiral Vandermere did not intend on being so forgiving.
The protected cruiser ICNS Basilaerus peeled off of it's picket duty at the system's edge, aimed directly towards the Mekidar fleet over the Lesser Library.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )
"Would not House Da'shu and Ley'yan lose face with either...ahh. Nevermind then." A brief look of confusion crossed the faces of those around him, but they gave the equivalent of a shrug and carried on.Dahak wrote:Mage Tr'ahan wrinkled her forehead, as if someone had asked a very, very stupid question.
"Why would we use such things as technology? It's clearly inferior. And anyways, if they used machinery, wouldn't mean they'd be better. That the specialists are allowed to do it that way, and we let them, is more a matter of tradition and politics than capability. If we wanted, we could do it in a heartbeat, as I told you. But the political backlash would be tremendous, no matter how you did it. This operation is headed by House Da'shu, the constructors are headed by House Ley'yan. The problems should be obivous..."
Trade-Captain Farchaval immediately dismissed the fabrics from his mind. As far as he could discern from the images presented, they were simple cloths. He glanced through the jewelry, noting the variations in style. Many of the lines presented were (by Avalonian standards) extremely gaudy, but there was a fair amount of rather elegant pieces. Some of the substances also caught his eye; resembleing some of the more "unusual" products of Avalonian material science and engineering; formations and structures that by all rights should not be able to exist. He marked which items were of interest, then turned to his hosts. "I wish to know more of these items."Inside the main complex, a comfortable office waited for them. He offered them seats and sat inside his floating chair.
"So, what would you be interested in return for your fabrics and luxuries? We have a variety of possibilites."
Suddenly, life-like images sprung into being next to the trade crew and hovered in the air. Falau'un fabrics, delicate jewelry, raw materials, complex chemicals and other things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OOC: Explorator force to the Custodians
Force Dec:
Eversor [200][+100 vs Warships][Capital] (Accompanied by 100 Corvettes [1][N/A][Fighter])
Conservator [20][N/A][Cruiser] (Accompanied by 10 Corvettes [1][N/A][Fighter])
Tutelator [20][N/A][Cruiser] (Accompanied by 10 Corvettes [1][N/A][Fighter])
IC:
With the relatively recent burst of activity throughout the stellar cluster, the noticable lack of activity from the League's next-door neighbor was a source of concern. An Explorator task force was drawn up and dispatched to investigate, and arrived on the outskirts of Custodian space only a few hours after assembling at Clarush. While the vessels made no motion to hide themselves, they also did nothing to notify anyone of their presence.
Last edited by Lancer on 2006-05-09 12:21pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Adrian Laguna
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: 2005-05-18 01:31am
The news of the Flame's surrender was met with a raised eyebrow by Asdvadz. Until he saw the terms of surrender. With a sigh of disapointment, the Vice-Grand Admiral gave a few orders. "Group Beta withdraw from system. I'm going to sleep. Somebody wake me up if the Arisians start shooting."
"Extreme aggression was the original idea, but there's been a change of plans." The voice was calm, measured, and diplomatic. "The Republic does not sacrifice for those unwilling to sacrifice for themselves. Since the Silver Flame will not fight, neither will we. It probably is for the best, we thought you were annexing them, a look at the terms of surrender reveals otherwise. Our fleet is now exiting the system, and will hold outside it until our government confirms the nullification of the operation and authorizes full withdrawal. As for bording our ships..."
There was a pause. Then the voice came back indignant. "These warships belong to a sovereign nation and will not subject themselves to boarding by any non-authorized personnel. Standard procedure is to repeal all boarders with force and reply to all successful boardings with the scuttling of the vessel. You will not board." The voice calmed down, but still had a hard edge to it. "Two non-allied war fleets facing each other are just one shot, or misunderstanding, away from full scale war. In an attempt to defuse the situation, our fleet is leaving. It is no longer our intention to fight with you."
The voice returned to the calm diplomatic demeanor of the first part of the message. "If you wish to speak with the Mekidar Republic in an official capacity, we have diplomats available. They are on a ship in the system where most of your fleet is holding, if you haven't detected it, send a query in all directons and it should respond. If you wish, a meeting point may be designated, or you may wait several hours for one of our civilian freighters."
The entire fleet seemed to become blurry and streched for an instant, then it disapeared.
Fleet Group Beta continued to power-up their Fold Drives and enter position to jump out of system, it was a few seconds before a reply came from somewhere in the fleet.Blue Meanies wrote:<<The sudden transit of your fleet un-announced into the local space of a Civil and Imperial military facility constitutes an act of extreme aggression against against the Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon. Your vessels are to hold position and await boarding and examination. Failure to comply immediately will be met with deadly force.>>
"Extreme aggression was the original idea, but there's been a change of plans." The voice was calm, measured, and diplomatic. "The Republic does not sacrifice for those unwilling to sacrifice for themselves. Since the Silver Flame will not fight, neither will we. It probably is for the best, we thought you were annexing them, a look at the terms of surrender reveals otherwise. Our fleet is now exiting the system, and will hold outside it until our government confirms the nullification of the operation and authorizes full withdrawal. As for bording our ships..."
There was a pause. Then the voice came back indignant. "These warships belong to a sovereign nation and will not subject themselves to boarding by any non-authorized personnel. Standard procedure is to repeal all boarders with force and reply to all successful boardings with the scuttling of the vessel. You will not board." The voice calmed down, but still had a hard edge to it. "Two non-allied war fleets facing each other are just one shot, or misunderstanding, away from full scale war. In an attempt to defuse the situation, our fleet is leaving. It is no longer our intention to fight with you."
The voice returned to the calm diplomatic demeanor of the first part of the message. "If you wish to speak with the Mekidar Republic in an official capacity, we have diplomats available. They are on a ship in the system where most of your fleet is holding, if you haven't detected it, send a query in all directons and it should respond. If you wish, a meeting point may be designated, or you may wait several hours for one of our civilian freighters."
The entire fleet seemed to become blurry and streched for an instant, then it disapeared.
Last edited by Adrian Laguna on 2006-05-10 04:42pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Thirdfain
- The Player of Games
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: 2003-02-13 09:24pm
- Location: Never underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State.
2-part post, 1st part for Beowulf, 2nd for Dahak.
Perdido Street Station
New Crobuzon
Bas-Lag
Gross Crobuzona
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
Perdido Street Station- countless megatons of brick, plaster, steel, iron, and industrial ceramic, a man-made mountain from which the mighty railroads extended, like the legs of some vast, world-eating spider. The oldest parts of the building were nearly a millenia old, and still, one could see the organic bloom of new construction. Skeletal girders clutched frantically at the base of the Militia's Spike. Thick bars of smoke billowed to the sky from a million stacks, and the hoot and clatter of engines never ceased, and hadn't in centuries.
Deep inside the building, far from the busy commercial thoroughfares and the fortified Militia sectors, lay an area of sun-kissed brick courtyards and fine tile roofing. Clean, simple hallways, patrolled by men and women in the neat grab of clerks and accountants, were lined with dozens of large wooden doors. Antique brass furnishings gleamed in soft elyctric lighting, each door flanked by a small plaque engraved with a few lines of script: "The Honorable J.L. Finnigan, City-Republic of Cobsea," or "The Honorable K. Mkradassi, Concord of the Brothers." There were other cooridors, on lower levels- the humming of huge pump-apparatus and the slosh of liquid could be heard from behind the sealed metal doors marked " The Honorable S.R.B. Klkakgust, Cray Commonwealth of Salkrikaltor," and the door marked cryptically "H.I.M, A. o. H." was bolted seven times from the outside, chained, and was faintly warm to the touch.
Most of the embassies were a joke. While the Cray Commonwealth of Salkrikaltor was technically an independent nation, it's populace paid Imperial taxes and voted (when it was welthy enough) representatives to the Imperial Parliament. The 'Honorable' ambassadors were largely jokes, disgraced political nobodies not important enough to eliminate, sent by powerless rump governments in a half-hearted attempt to maintain a legal fiction. In fact, most of the offices were empty, and S.R.B. Klkakgust had been the Ambassador of the Cray Commonwealth for the last fifty years of his waning life.
However, changes had started in the quiet halls of the Embassy Wing. For the first time in decades, there had been new construction. Busy work-crews had gutted old offices, and new furnishings had been installed. Strange beings in obscure dress had been seen walking down those dusty halls, alongside Senators and Captains of Industry, men and women who, a year before, would never dream of visiting such a useless place (except for those rare and extreme circumstances where someone opened the seven-bolted door, but no-one had dreamed of attempting official karcism in years.)
It was in one of those rooms that Joyeuse, representative of the Collective, sat. Across from her, watching her over the carved weirwood table, sat Mayor Thadeus van der Grimnebulin, the most powerful man in five hundred lightyears, reclining in a luxurious chair of red velvet that would have easily fit two "lesser" men. Between his muttonchops and massive ruddy cheeks, a pair of tiny, inscrutable black eyes glinted.
"Let me get this straight, Mm. Joyeuse. These 'protectorates,' of yours, you allow no shipments of weapons or military technology to befoul their primitive state?"
The elegant woman-thing (for Grimnebulin was quite certain she had never passed through a womb- it was obvious to someone with his training that she had no soul-) inclined her head slightly and smiled.
"Befoul is a fine word to describe what we wish to avoid. You may buy what you will from our charges, and sell them what you will presuming it has no military value."
" Ah," said the Mayor of the City and Empire, "but we require something from those worlds, something which would require our landing and exploring, and the establishment of semipermanent facilities on the ground. Something which is of some small importance to the economic health of my constituents."
"And what would that be, Mr. Mayor?"
"Rockmilk, Madam, rockmilk- thaumaturgical fuel. It must be extracted and refined on the spot, which requires advanced facilities only we can construct and operate."
"Tariffs will be levied, and land will not be cheap."
Grimnebulin's smile was more like a grimace.
"But of course. Ostward Expansions Limited will be handling the specifics. I'm simply explaining our interests."
The collective ambassador nodded.
"But of course. A pleasure, Mr. Mayor."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demonstration of Defiance
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
The Marines came first, steamarmour painted in dress white and gold. Each carried a fully-functional weapon, motorguns oiled to a fine sheen, thaum-bolters humming faintly with elyctrical puissance. They jackknifed easily out of the zero-g boarding cooridor, thousand pound forms moving like dancers with a hiss of of pistons. They assumed positions of attention flanking the airlock.
Commodore Kassius Whitherspoon, flotilla commander and jeune ecole proponent, followed immediately. The whippet-thin officer's blonde mustachios were oiled to points and trimmed to perfection, and he looked quite dashing in navy with red piping. A peaked cap sat neatly on his head, adorned with brazen scrollwork. He was followed by a half dozen other officers, including the commanders of the Q. Ferris and the Abercrombie. A further two officers wore coloured armbands, each one emblazoned with a strange symbol, a bolt of lightning shot througha stylized machine gear or cog.
"Welcome aboard the Demonstration of Defiance, Commodore. Dinner is right this way."
------------------------------------------------------------
Perdido Street Station
New Crobuzon
Bas-Lag
Gross Crobuzona
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
Perdido Street Station- countless megatons of brick, plaster, steel, iron, and industrial ceramic, a man-made mountain from which the mighty railroads extended, like the legs of some vast, world-eating spider. The oldest parts of the building were nearly a millenia old, and still, one could see the organic bloom of new construction. Skeletal girders clutched frantically at the base of the Militia's Spike. Thick bars of smoke billowed to the sky from a million stacks, and the hoot and clatter of engines never ceased, and hadn't in centuries.
Deep inside the building, far from the busy commercial thoroughfares and the fortified Militia sectors, lay an area of sun-kissed brick courtyards and fine tile roofing. Clean, simple hallways, patrolled by men and women in the neat grab of clerks and accountants, were lined with dozens of large wooden doors. Antique brass furnishings gleamed in soft elyctric lighting, each door flanked by a small plaque engraved with a few lines of script: "The Honorable J.L. Finnigan, City-Republic of Cobsea," or "The Honorable K. Mkradassi, Concord of the Brothers." There were other cooridors, on lower levels- the humming of huge pump-apparatus and the slosh of liquid could be heard from behind the sealed metal doors marked " The Honorable S.R.B. Klkakgust, Cray Commonwealth of Salkrikaltor," and the door marked cryptically "H.I.M, A. o. H." was bolted seven times from the outside, chained, and was faintly warm to the touch.
Most of the embassies were a joke. While the Cray Commonwealth of Salkrikaltor was technically an independent nation, it's populace paid Imperial taxes and voted (when it was welthy enough) representatives to the Imperial Parliament. The 'Honorable' ambassadors were largely jokes, disgraced political nobodies not important enough to eliminate, sent by powerless rump governments in a half-hearted attempt to maintain a legal fiction. In fact, most of the offices were empty, and S.R.B. Klkakgust had been the Ambassador of the Cray Commonwealth for the last fifty years of his waning life.
However, changes had started in the quiet halls of the Embassy Wing. For the first time in decades, there had been new construction. Busy work-crews had gutted old offices, and new furnishings had been installed. Strange beings in obscure dress had been seen walking down those dusty halls, alongside Senators and Captains of Industry, men and women who, a year before, would never dream of visiting such a useless place (except for those rare and extreme circumstances where someone opened the seven-bolted door, but no-one had dreamed of attempting official karcism in years.)
It was in one of those rooms that Joyeuse, representative of the Collective, sat. Across from her, watching her over the carved weirwood table, sat Mayor Thadeus van der Grimnebulin, the most powerful man in five hundred lightyears, reclining in a luxurious chair of red velvet that would have easily fit two "lesser" men. Between his muttonchops and massive ruddy cheeks, a pair of tiny, inscrutable black eyes glinted.
"Let me get this straight, Mm. Joyeuse. These 'protectorates,' of yours, you allow no shipments of weapons or military technology to befoul their primitive state?"
The elegant woman-thing (for Grimnebulin was quite certain she had never passed through a womb- it was obvious to someone with his training that she had no soul-) inclined her head slightly and smiled.
"Befoul is a fine word to describe what we wish to avoid. You may buy what you will from our charges, and sell them what you will presuming it has no military value."
" Ah," said the Mayor of the City and Empire, "but we require something from those worlds, something which would require our landing and exploring, and the establishment of semipermanent facilities on the ground. Something which is of some small importance to the economic health of my constituents."
"And what would that be, Mr. Mayor?"
"Rockmilk, Madam, rockmilk- thaumaturgical fuel. It must be extracted and refined on the spot, which requires advanced facilities only we can construct and operate."
"Tariffs will be levied, and land will not be cheap."
Grimnebulin's smile was more like a grimace.
"But of course. Ostward Expansions Limited will be handling the specifics. I'm simply explaining our interests."
The collective ambassador nodded.
"But of course. A pleasure, Mr. Mayor."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demonstration of Defiance
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
The Marines came first, steamarmour painted in dress white and gold. Each carried a fully-functional weapon, motorguns oiled to a fine sheen, thaum-bolters humming faintly with elyctrical puissance. They jackknifed easily out of the zero-g boarding cooridor, thousand pound forms moving like dancers with a hiss of of pistons. They assumed positions of attention flanking the airlock.
Commodore Kassius Whitherspoon, flotilla commander and jeune ecole proponent, followed immediately. The whippet-thin officer's blonde mustachios were oiled to points and trimmed to perfection, and he looked quite dashing in navy with red piping. A peaked cap sat neatly on his head, adorned with brazen scrollwork. He was followed by a half dozen other officers, including the commanders of the Q. Ferris and the Abercrombie. A further two officers wore coloured armbands, each one emblazoned with a strange symbol, a bolt of lightning shot througha stylized machine gear or cog.
"Welcome aboard the Demonstration of Defiance, Commodore. Dinner is right this way."
------------------------------------------------------------
Last edited by Thirdfain on 2006-05-10 08:53am, edited 1 time in total.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )
Collective Space
Brightly lit room
"Renewed contact with the cluster brings dangers," said the redhead.
"We cannot allow the Decimation to occur again," replied the blonde woman. "We may not survive another."
The men spoke, "We have developed a plan. If we dispatch ships out of the cluster, they will be safe from any enemies we may make here."
"But what if we generate new enemies out there."
"Then we run again."
"Any objections?" asked the dark haired woman.
Silence. "Proceed. This shall be called: Operation Outbound Flight."
Brightly lit room
"Renewed contact with the cluster brings dangers," said the redhead.
"We cannot allow the Decimation to occur again," replied the blonde woman. "We may not survive another."
The men spoke, "We have developed a plan. If we dispatch ships out of the cluster, they will be safe from any enemies we may make here."
"But what if we generate new enemies out there."
"Then we run again."
"Any objections?" asked the dark haired woman.
Silence. "Proceed. This shall be called: Operation Outbound Flight."
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
-
Spyder
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4465
- Joined: 2002-09-03 03:23am
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
- Contact:
Concord Assembly
Some point at the influence of the myriad guilds as to why national barriers within this region of space seemed to break down. It was an interstellar society that, like a vapour, lacked solid form and seemed free to expand at drift wherever the currents carried it. Others pointed to the influence of Concord, the solid form that drew its strength from the vaporous society and acted as both its guardian and its enforcer.
That’s the problem: Concord shouldn’t work. There is no other documented case where a single organisation has acted as both military and police for the people that they’re sworn to protect and not become rogue. Granted, civil and military matters are separated into different branches but ultimately fall under the scrutiny of the Concord Assembly, who in turn answers to the council of Guild leaders who report to the Administration who has responsibilities to various state regulators throughout the region as well as relationships with various organisations which aren’t completely understood. The end result is a complex web of oversight that seems to keep everything in guild in balance.
Why do Concord put up with this instead of using their power to become the undisputed rulers of the sector? That is the question.
The numbers in the Concord Assembly varied considerably. Each individual represented a level, operation, position or liaison with a particular political body. Facilities were present across the region in cities, space stations, aboard star ships. The Assembly itself, much like the majority of Concord’s infrastructure could be virtually anywhere.
The vessel’s solid construction kept out the background hum of the engines providing dead silence when no one was speaking. The well lit shipboard facilities were fairly similar to more terrestrial versions; expensive looking chairs, large round table, document readers, ceiling displays, name plates, water dispensers and central presentation display in the middle of the table. It was an appropriate place to discuss policy, strategy and anything else on the Assembly’s agenda.
“The reports from the Artemis are conclusive. Hostilities within the region in question appear to have quelled, although at the last report there is still a signification Crobuzon presence in at least one of the systems. Secondary evaluation of the initial contact site concludes that they did fire on our craft.”
“Intelligence has gathered evidence from a number of sources within the spacing community sighting Falau’un ships within the quadrant. Whether they are involved in these events is unknown, as is their relationship with the Crobuzon. Falau’un activity is becoming increasingly suspicious, particularly since the incident with the Centaur.”
“What is clear is that the intelligence we have is growing insufficient. We need to start becoming more pro-active. If we are looking at a belligerent power bloc then we need to know about it and prepare for it.”
“Some of the guild leaders are looking at sending envoys to the various nations. It is my understanding that one has already been sent to the Mekidar capital. We should consider forming one of our own to discuss mutual security concerns and potential issues with our neighbors.”
“We can liaise with Mekidar authorities through the new Guild Union Embassy.”
“That’s a start, I was thinking we should contact the Hekartes.”
“Why them?”
“The guilds have been able to conduct business through Hekartes trade stations for years without incident and they have shown us no ill will. They could be valuable allies.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll contact the Hekartes and discuss alliance terms.”
“Now is the time to make preparations for the worst case scenario. We will reposition the fleet and prepare for war.”
Some point at the influence of the myriad guilds as to why national barriers within this region of space seemed to break down. It was an interstellar society that, like a vapour, lacked solid form and seemed free to expand at drift wherever the currents carried it. Others pointed to the influence of Concord, the solid form that drew its strength from the vaporous society and acted as both its guardian and its enforcer.
That’s the problem: Concord shouldn’t work. There is no other documented case where a single organisation has acted as both military and police for the people that they’re sworn to protect and not become rogue. Granted, civil and military matters are separated into different branches but ultimately fall under the scrutiny of the Concord Assembly, who in turn answers to the council of Guild leaders who report to the Administration who has responsibilities to various state regulators throughout the region as well as relationships with various organisations which aren’t completely understood. The end result is a complex web of oversight that seems to keep everything in guild in balance.
Why do Concord put up with this instead of using their power to become the undisputed rulers of the sector? That is the question.
The numbers in the Concord Assembly varied considerably. Each individual represented a level, operation, position or liaison with a particular political body. Facilities were present across the region in cities, space stations, aboard star ships. The Assembly itself, much like the majority of Concord’s infrastructure could be virtually anywhere.
The vessel’s solid construction kept out the background hum of the engines providing dead silence when no one was speaking. The well lit shipboard facilities were fairly similar to more terrestrial versions; expensive looking chairs, large round table, document readers, ceiling displays, name plates, water dispensers and central presentation display in the middle of the table. It was an appropriate place to discuss policy, strategy and anything else on the Assembly’s agenda.
“The reports from the Artemis are conclusive. Hostilities within the region in question appear to have quelled, although at the last report there is still a signification Crobuzon presence in at least one of the systems. Secondary evaluation of the initial contact site concludes that they did fire on our craft.”
“Intelligence has gathered evidence from a number of sources within the spacing community sighting Falau’un ships within the quadrant. Whether they are involved in these events is unknown, as is their relationship with the Crobuzon. Falau’un activity is becoming increasingly suspicious, particularly since the incident with the Centaur.”
“What is clear is that the intelligence we have is growing insufficient. We need to start becoming more pro-active. If we are looking at a belligerent power bloc then we need to know about it and prepare for it.”
“Some of the guild leaders are looking at sending envoys to the various nations. It is my understanding that one has already been sent to the Mekidar capital. We should consider forming one of our own to discuss mutual security concerns and potential issues with our neighbors.”
“We can liaise with Mekidar authorities through the new Guild Union Embassy.”
“That’s a start, I was thinking we should contact the Hekartes.”
“Why them?”
“The guilds have been able to conduct business through Hekartes trade stations for years without incident and they have shown us no ill will. They could be valuable allies.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll contact the Hekartes and discuss alliance terms.”
“Now is the time to make preparations for the worst case scenario. We will reposition the fleet and prepare for war.”
-
Dahak
- Emperor's Hand
- Posts: 7292
- Joined: 2002-10-29 12:08pm
- Location: Admiralty House, Landing, Manticore
- Contact:
The Crobuzon were escorted through the interior of the Demonstration of Defiance. Like the exterior, its interior was very simplistic. The hallways were of a silvery, dark metal, that seemed to be moving when one looked closely. The floor was of a dark blue material, which seemed to be a very soft carpet, but looked like a metal of sorts.Thirdfain wrote: Demonstration of Defiance
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
The Marines came first, steamarmour painted in dress white and gold. Each carried a fully-functional weapon, motorguns oiled to a fine sheen, thaum-bolters humming faintly with elyctrical puissance. They jackknifed easily out of the zero-g boarding cooridor, thousand pound forms moving like dancers with a hiss of of pistons. They assumed positions of attention flanking the airlock.
Commodore Kassius Whitherspoon, flotilla commander and jeune ecole proponent, followed immediately. The whippet-thin officer's blonde mustachios were oiled to points and trimmed to perfection, and he looked quite dashing in navy with red piping. A peaked cap sat neatly on his head, adorned with brazen scrollwork. He was followed by a half dozen other officers, including the commanders of the Q. Ferris and the Abercrombie. A further two officers wore coloured armbands, each one emblazoned with a strange symbol, a bolt of lightning shot througha stylized machine gear or cog.
"Welcome aboard the Demonstration of Defiance, Commodore. Dinner is right this way."
The dining chamber was a very large room, and dominated by a rectangular thin plate of Mountain Glitter, a very expensive gemstone, hovering in air. All around it, Falau'un stood at attention. A rather large, youthful looking Falau'un waited as the Crobuzon entered.
"Welcome," he said affable. "I hope you have had a pleasant journey so far. I am sorry for not meeting you directly, but I was unfortunately busy." He extended his hand towards the table. "But be seated. I think you will enjoy it."
The Crobuzon seated themselves and as they were, the first course.
***
The dinner so far had been quite pleasant, the officers chatting with themselves, and the Falau'un warming up to their guests, something which usually took a bit time given their introverted kind.
After the deserts had been carried off, Grand Air-Mage Enwyn Frwen, House Frwen cleared his throat. Out of the midst of the table, hundreds of glassy fibres snaked into the air, forming a complex representation of the local space.
"Now that the entertaining part is over, I would like to give our Crobuzon guests the details of our mission," Frwen said. The glass sculpture morphed into a particular system. "This is the system our freighters have been ambushed and destroyed. We estimate that the space-shatter is now cooling down and at level 5 or 6, so we should at least be able to get within half a light year of its origin." He looked at Commodore Kassius Whitherspoon. "By the way, I would advise your people to keep safe distance to that particular system until the space-shatter has finally healed." He cleared his throat again. "Anyway, we will begin our search at that system and work our way from their. The destroyers will scout ahead. We have identified several areas that have a higher probability of having a pirate presence. And if you would like to appoint a direct liason with us, please give the name, so we can arrange quarters." He fell silent for a short while, then he spoke again and suddenly his voice got icy. "I will be frank with you. Our mission is to find these pirates. When we find them, we will try to arrest them. Then they will be interrogated for information, and then executed. If they resist, we will destroy them. We will find their families and friends and they will be exterminated, as well. Anyone giving them shelter or assisting them, will be punished. The extent of the punishment will depend on the level of involvement." He looked again directly at the Commodore. "This will show any pirate that attacking us is not something he will survive. Though the Council has agreed to hand over any pirates of Crobuzon nationality, should they exist, to your jurisdiction. Now, do you have any questions, observations you would like to discuss?"
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC
GALE Force Euro Wimp
Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
-
consequences
- Homicidal Maniac
- Posts: 6964
- Joined: 2002-07-07 03:06pm
Edge of the Khar Imperium
"Detection values approaching worst case projections for stealthed drives boss"
"Very well, punch it"
Similar scenes were played out in five different groups of ships along the Northern an Eastern sides of the Imperium as engines were brought to full overdrive, and stealth abandoned. In two cases, the flotillas punched straight through the Great Rift to arrive at their relatively unimportant targets, colony worlds and outposts. While they had a good idea of the general operations in the area, the specifics in the here and now would be unknown until their arrival.
The hyper wakes from the badly tuned engines washed over multi-parsec areas along the groups' arrival paths, causing the sensory equivalent of strobing pulses of white noise.
Force Declaration:
1 Ambusher[10][+2W]
3 Swatters [5][+2F]
3 Hyenas[3][+1W]
5 Gnats[1] per group
1 Informant in close proximity( a couple of light minutes) on near-silent running, 1 Informant a light month back from the system also on full emissions control.
Edit: that force declaration is for each group. me=(DE^2)^3
"Detection values approaching worst case projections for stealthed drives boss"
"Very well, punch it"
Similar scenes were played out in five different groups of ships along the Northern an Eastern sides of the Imperium as engines were brought to full overdrive, and stealth abandoned. In two cases, the flotillas punched straight through the Great Rift to arrive at their relatively unimportant targets, colony worlds and outposts. While they had a good idea of the general operations in the area, the specifics in the here and now would be unknown until their arrival.
The hyper wakes from the badly tuned engines washed over multi-parsec areas along the groups' arrival paths, causing the sensory equivalent of strobing pulses of white noise.
Force Declaration:
1 Ambusher[10][+2W]
3 Swatters [5][+2F]
3 Hyenas[3][+1W]
5 Gnats[1] per group
1 Informant in close proximity( a couple of light minutes) on near-silent running, 1 Informant a light month back from the system also on full emissions control.
Edit: that force declaration is for each group. me=(DE^2)^3
Last edited by consequences on 2006-05-12 08:08pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dahak
- Emperor's Hand
- Posts: 7292
- Joined: 2002-10-29 12:08pm
- Location: Admiralty House, Landing, Manticore
- Contact:
Hekartes Space
The destroyer Ulh'gwhan slithered out of Netherspace and came to rest on the outskirts of the major Hekartes system.
Just seconds later, a group of large freighters reverted into realspace.
Together, they slowly accelerated in-system. The system, so much was clear from the scanners, was a busy place, so the hopes were to make contacts here.
A message was sent out on all channels. "This is ambassador Yu'uran Welchan, representing the Falau'un Council. We would like to officially start diplomatic communications between our nations. We are quite close to one another, so the Council would hope we could begin a prosperous relationship. For which we also escorted a group of freighters and would be interested in the beginning of economic relations, as well."
They slowly moved in-system, waiting for a reply.
The destroyer Ulh'gwhan slithered out of Netherspace and came to rest on the outskirts of the major Hekartes system.
Just seconds later, a group of large freighters reverted into realspace.
Together, they slowly accelerated in-system. The system, so much was clear from the scanners, was a busy place, so the hopes were to make contacts here.
A message was sent out on all channels. "This is ambassador Yu'uran Welchan, representing the Falau'un Council. We would like to officially start diplomatic communications between our nations. We are quite close to one another, so the Council would hope we could begin a prosperous relationship. For which we also escorted a group of freighters and would be interested in the beginning of economic relations, as well."
They slowly moved in-system, waiting for a reply.
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC
GALE Force Euro Wimp
Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
-
Thirdfain
- The Player of Games
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: 2003-02-13 09:24pm
- Location: Never underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State.
"Kreshastan"
The Silver Flame
At what cost prosperity? Must blood be spilled for the enrichment of a society? Is it even possible to enrich a society, or does economic success accumulate in the hands of a patrician few? Was the purpose of the Parliamentary Empire, the aims for which it's vast machinery was set in motion, worth the lives which ended, snuffed and crushed by those horrific gears?
These thoughts were a million miles away from Johan der Vandermere's balding head. Personal glory, hardened arrogance, even a few whisps of duty and patriotism were the driving forces behind the unpleasant man perched like some sort of horrible spider on the command throne on the Mayor's Imperial Crobuzon Navy Ship Sovereign of Rohag. A second before, the craefter-lieutenants had stirred, shaping and illuminating new figures over the basin of the waterwatch. Their bugged amphibian eyes stared stupidly from beneath their uniform berets and the skull implants which piped information directly from the logic engines, reflecting the brilliant new rubies which had lept into existence.
Multiple enemy warships- a veritable fleet, detected by the scouting elements dispatched to watch the Lesser Library. Even more worrying was the presence of the single fast craft which had entered the Talon system.
Curt orders had already been dispatched. The Sovereign of Rohag's commandatorium was fed long strands of information, psonar and divination readings enumerated and transmitted, along with other, more mundane sources. The fleet pickets tracked the distant vessel, well outside of gun range, and waited orders.
"Psonar reports, one light combatant. Aggression-tones are faint but definite on every band. Timbre and physickal readings paint her as the same Mekidar battlefleet scout sighted at Rally Point Tertius."
Vandermere nodded. There was a full enemy battlefleet of unknown composition and effectiveness not fifteen minute's tear from his position. Detailed information about his fleet deployment, especially considering that his transports were currently vulnerable planetside, would grant his opponent a significant advantage.
It could not be tolerated, cowshit about "sovereign vessels" and "aborted missions" besides. The Mekidar had lied before to gain tactical advantage when they'd slipped by the Sanguine Straights.
"Convince our little friend to vacate the premises. Kjadis's division is closest. He's to have the Ambitious launch, guided weapons at this range only. CAS is to move to intercept and cripple the target. The Basilaerus is to inform the enemy fleet that they are to maintain position. Open channel to the Mekidar scout, Mr. deGranigut."
<<Mekidar vessel, you are to kill reactor immediately. This is your final warning.>>
Points of light winked in space. Billowing plumes of oily flame enveloped the bow of the Ambitious as she put a dozen seeker birds into space. Golem-minds supplemented by the frantically calculating engines of the fleet's command network would guide the projectiles to their target even over great distances. Unless rendered impotent by a last-minute command from the fleet, they'd bring shapeless death to the Mekidar ship in the form of their colourbomb warheads.
A dozen gunboats peeled off of their picket, storming towards the Mekidar light vessel.
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-edit, a short message to 3rd Impact, hopefully to be followed by a larger, more specific post to be negotiated via PMs.-
<<Greetings! Fellow sentients of the Lah-wan Provisional Government, Nova Kergudter Packages LTD. greets you on behalf of the Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon and provides you with an offer of great, great interest. Dispatch if you please permission for meetings with representatives of Nova Kergudter Packages, the Falau'un government, and your own government at the (following co-ordinates.) Interest in trade and mutual benefit as well as long-term reconstruction efforts in the region is very high.
Welcome!>>
The Silver Flame
At what cost prosperity? Must blood be spilled for the enrichment of a society? Is it even possible to enrich a society, or does economic success accumulate in the hands of a patrician few? Was the purpose of the Parliamentary Empire, the aims for which it's vast machinery was set in motion, worth the lives which ended, snuffed and crushed by those horrific gears?
These thoughts were a million miles away from Johan der Vandermere's balding head. Personal glory, hardened arrogance, even a few whisps of duty and patriotism were the driving forces behind the unpleasant man perched like some sort of horrible spider on the command throne on the Mayor's Imperial Crobuzon Navy Ship Sovereign of Rohag. A second before, the craefter-lieutenants had stirred, shaping and illuminating new figures over the basin of the waterwatch. Their bugged amphibian eyes stared stupidly from beneath their uniform berets and the skull implants which piped information directly from the logic engines, reflecting the brilliant new rubies which had lept into existence.
Multiple enemy warships- a veritable fleet, detected by the scouting elements dispatched to watch the Lesser Library. Even more worrying was the presence of the single fast craft which had entered the Talon system.
Curt orders had already been dispatched. The Sovereign of Rohag's commandatorium was fed long strands of information, psonar and divination readings enumerated and transmitted, along with other, more mundane sources. The fleet pickets tracked the distant vessel, well outside of gun range, and waited orders.
"Psonar reports, one light combatant. Aggression-tones are faint but definite on every band. Timbre and physickal readings paint her as the same Mekidar battlefleet scout sighted at Rally Point Tertius."
Vandermere nodded. There was a full enemy battlefleet of unknown composition and effectiveness not fifteen minute's tear from his position. Detailed information about his fleet deployment, especially considering that his transports were currently vulnerable planetside, would grant his opponent a significant advantage.
It could not be tolerated, cowshit about "sovereign vessels" and "aborted missions" besides. The Mekidar had lied before to gain tactical advantage when they'd slipped by the Sanguine Straights.
"Convince our little friend to vacate the premises. Kjadis's division is closest. He's to have the Ambitious launch, guided weapons at this range only. CAS is to move to intercept and cripple the target. The Basilaerus is to inform the enemy fleet that they are to maintain position. Open channel to the Mekidar scout, Mr. deGranigut."
<<Mekidar vessel, you are to kill reactor immediately. This is your final warning.>>
Points of light winked in space. Billowing plumes of oily flame enveloped the bow of the Ambitious as she put a dozen seeker birds into space. Golem-minds supplemented by the frantically calculating engines of the fleet's command network would guide the projectiles to their target even over great distances. Unless rendered impotent by a last-minute command from the fleet, they'd bring shapeless death to the Mekidar ship in the form of their colourbomb warheads.
A dozen gunboats peeled off of their picket, storming towards the Mekidar light vessel.
-----------------------------------------------
-edit, a short message to 3rd Impact, hopefully to be followed by a larger, more specific post to be negotiated via PMs.-
<<Greetings! Fellow sentients of the Lah-wan Provisional Government, Nova Kergudter Packages LTD. greets you on behalf of the Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon and provides you with an offer of great, great interest. Dispatch if you please permission for meetings with representatives of Nova Kergudter Packages, the Falau'un government, and your own government at the (following co-ordinates.) Interest in trade and mutual benefit as well as long-term reconstruction efforts in the region is very high.
Welcome!>>
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )
The primary minerals processing platform ground up another small asteroid while the lines readied the next several for “consumption”. Another load was ready for delivery to the construction site, a short burn on several small engines, using waste materials as thrust mass, countered the firing of the mobile platforms mass drivers. The package was primary processed metals and other useful common elements needed for building of the Diem section of the trading station.
At the receiving end, an earlier shipment was being taken in. Carefully placed artificial-gravity units slowed the package with minimal energy used, and a physical net caught it and pulled it into the factory. Rolls of metal sheeting as well as piping, wires and machinery came out the other end and were gently placed at the needed spots on the frameworks attached to the asteroid the Mekidar were working on. Completed structures were already getting a coating of ablative foam and the insides of the Diem part of the main station was almost completed.
The corvette, Hull 16, kept a close but bored eye on the operations which were running fine on automatic without input from itself or any individual Diem-noiy (which there were none of in the system). Warnings of piracy and possible tense relations between the Mekidar and a human empire were heeded and a few warships were near the system, either in low power mode waiting or sitting in overs-pace ready to drop at less than a seconds notice.
The station, at least the Diem part of it, was basic. A block, anchored by the asteroid, 600 meters at its greatest dimension. Most of this was divided between bulk storage and internal docking for small craft. Large booms would be attached later for additional external storage should it be needed. Two meters of ablative foam, a dull gray colored stuff, covered all the outside areas where it would not get in the way to protect the structure from wear due to dust collisions. A very small part of this area was living space for a single Diem should one decide to inhabit the place. The living area was surrounded by water tanks and a thicker layer of materials as an addition to the radiation screens.
One of the systems two stars had another construction project going. The star-tap and attached manufacturing center had been moved into the system mostly completed and was soon going to be moved into an orbit close enough to the star to power its exotic matter processing plant, which would manufacture fuel for many of the ships that would use the facilities being built.
Hull 16 turned its focus (not that it wasn't fully aware of everything it could detect at all times) towards the Mekidar's actions. Mobile vehicles that were fully manned were used to move materials and attach them to the Mekidar structure. The method seemed sloppy and haphazard, there were delays and pile-ups resulting in hundreds of seconds in projected lost time.
If it had been human, Hull 16 would have sighed with boredom. Except for an unexpected orbit correction on the part of one of the Mekidar warships nothing unexpected had happened. After centuries in low power mode while its ship was in storage, this was not a welcome assignment.
The Mekidar part of the station was large, much too large for the small volume of trade expected from the Diem. And that is not even counting the fleet base being built on another asteroid nearby. Either the Mekidar were optimists, or they had grander plans in mind for the station. Machines drilled through the asteroid, and Mekidar workers in gargantuan exo-suits moved support girders and wall siding with ease. The pieces bolted into place by tools at the end of the suit's various arms. The rock's hollowed-out interior contained living quarters, a couple of trade forums, and warehouses. Meanwhile, landing pads, docking booms, and a few hangars were sprouting out of the the pale exterior.
At the receiving end, an earlier shipment was being taken in. Carefully placed artificial-gravity units slowed the package with minimal energy used, and a physical net caught it and pulled it into the factory. Rolls of metal sheeting as well as piping, wires and machinery came out the other end and were gently placed at the needed spots on the frameworks attached to the asteroid the Mekidar were working on. Completed structures were already getting a coating of ablative foam and the insides of the Diem part of the main station was almost completed.
The corvette, Hull 16, kept a close but bored eye on the operations which were running fine on automatic without input from itself or any individual Diem-noiy (which there were none of in the system). Warnings of piracy and possible tense relations between the Mekidar and a human empire were heeded and a few warships were near the system, either in low power mode waiting or sitting in overs-pace ready to drop at less than a seconds notice.
The station, at least the Diem part of it, was basic. A block, anchored by the asteroid, 600 meters at its greatest dimension. Most of this was divided between bulk storage and internal docking for small craft. Large booms would be attached later for additional external storage should it be needed. Two meters of ablative foam, a dull gray colored stuff, covered all the outside areas where it would not get in the way to protect the structure from wear due to dust collisions. A very small part of this area was living space for a single Diem should one decide to inhabit the place. The living area was surrounded by water tanks and a thicker layer of materials as an addition to the radiation screens.
One of the systems two stars had another construction project going. The star-tap and attached manufacturing center had been moved into the system mostly completed and was soon going to be moved into an orbit close enough to the star to power its exotic matter processing plant, which would manufacture fuel for many of the ships that would use the facilities being built.
Hull 16 turned its focus (not that it wasn't fully aware of everything it could detect at all times) towards the Mekidar's actions. Mobile vehicles that were fully manned were used to move materials and attach them to the Mekidar structure. The method seemed sloppy and haphazard, there were delays and pile-ups resulting in hundreds of seconds in projected lost time.
If it had been human, Hull 16 would have sighed with boredom. Except for an unexpected orbit correction on the part of one of the Mekidar warships nothing unexpected had happened. After centuries in low power mode while its ship was in storage, this was not a welcome assignment.
The Mekidar part of the station was large, much too large for the small volume of trade expected from the Diem. And that is not even counting the fleet base being built on another asteroid nearby. Either the Mekidar were optimists, or they had grander plans in mind for the station. Machines drilled through the asteroid, and Mekidar workers in gargantuan exo-suits moved support girders and wall siding with ease. The pieces bolted into place by tools at the end of the suit's various arms. The rock's hollowed-out interior contained living quarters, a couple of trade forums, and warehouses. Meanwhile, landing pads, docking booms, and a few hangars were sprouting out of the the pale exterior.
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Spyder
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4465
- Joined: 2002-09-03 03:23am
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
- Contact:
The station lay within the navigational nightmare that was Hekartes space, affectionately reffered to by Spacing Guilders as 'The Soup'.
It was the same station that the Avalonians had been to not long before. A busy port of call for almost all privateer activity in the region. The Hekartes weren't into ceremonious welcomes, their visitors knew them at least that well.
After approaching the appropriate person, the visitor quietly introduces himself, "Concord salutes the noble tribesman of the Hekartes. We have important matters to discuss." The visitor identifies himself discretely, not wishing to attract attention from the wrong individuals.
It was the same station that the Avalonians had been to not long before. A busy port of call for almost all privateer activity in the region. The Hekartes weren't into ceremonious welcomes, their visitors knew them at least that well.
After approaching the appropriate person, the visitor quietly introduces himself, "Concord salutes the noble tribesman of the Hekartes. We have important matters to discuss." The visitor identifies himself discretely, not wishing to attract attention from the wrong individuals.
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Adrian Laguna
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: 2005-05-18 01:31am
Boulder is quite distant from the Iron Fleet. Even at full burn, a fast ship with very long-ranged weaponry would be hard-pressed to to put a shot anywhere near it. That is, if Boulder ran away.Blue Meanies wrote:<<Mekidar vessel, you are to kill reactor immediately. This is your final warning.>>
Points of light winked in space. Billowing plumes of oily flame enveloped the bow of the Ambitious as she put a dozen seeker birds into space. Golem-minds supplemented by the frantically calculating engines of the fleet's command network would guide the projectiles to their target even over great distances. Unless rendered impotent by a last-minute command from the fleet, they'd bring shapeless death to the Mekidar ship in the form of their colourbomb warheads.
Deep inside the dimly lit corridors of the Mekidar warship lies the Command Center, also known as the Bridge. Inside, various officers are plugged into the ship, directly interfacing with it. The bridge is dead silent, but the closed-cirquit comms are not.
"They've fired a volley of missles! Call it... about a dozen of them." The sensors officer's voice rings in the Captain's mind, and an image appers before him. "There also appear to be a few strike-craft heading our way," the same voice calls again.
"The missles are no worry, we can shoot down the few that stay on target. Tough call on the strike-craft. I'd say better than even odds if we let loose with all the missle batteries," says the First Officer.
"That would require active sensors, and combat manouvers. Not to mention unleashing a lot of ammunition," the Captain says. "We don't want to start a war, or get shot again for that matter."
The vessel mantains its position, apparently unmoved by the incoming threats.
<<Aren't you supposed to shoot us after we ignore your warning? Anyway, we can't shut down the reactor now, power is needed to deal with the incoming missles. We won't shoot anything else, and will power down the primary reactor after they've been dealt with. Alternatively, this ship can leave and we'll talk at whatever co-ordinates you desire.>>
Hardbeam turrents on the warship's exterior swing to target the missles, and at the same time the faster-than-light systems begin to warm-up. Screens are at full strength, as they have been for quite some time. Active sensors remain silent, as does ECM, and the dozens of missle tubes stay closed.
"Open fire when they enter range," orders the Captain.
Last edited by Adrian Laguna on 2006-05-14 03:41pm, edited 1 time in total.
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consequences
- Homicidal Maniac
- Posts: 6964
- Joined: 2002-07-07 03:06pm
Annefidiz System, Clan Ilosytch Fief World
Khar Imperium
With no warning at all, the dozen ships dropped out of hyper at medium range from the oupost, the cruiser's interdictors snapping on as it arrived, trapping everything nearby under the guns of its consorts.
The command went out over the Hypercoms to the little Khar vessels scuttling about: "Surrender immediately! Heave To, and Prepare to be Boarded!"
When the Khar vessels didn't obey, this was followed by precisely one warning shot, and a series of tightly clustered salvos to the engines and control systems of the targets a moment later.
"Targets are still not surrendering, Sir," Lieutenenant Toutnan reported.
"Make an example of one of them, then," Captain Anders replied.
Another volley lashed out from one of the escorts, chewing through the hull of its chosen victim effortlessly. Atmosphere and bodies spilled out from its mangled sides.
"Incoming Transmission, Boss," Lietenant Toutnan announced.
The Khar that appeared on the screen was bloody and mangled, the self-sealing sections of his pressure suit clearly being the only things still keeping him alive. He glared at the screen.
"For... Clan and Emperor..." he spat out, and the transmision dissolved into static. The vessel dissappeared in a boil of light.
"Lieutenant, I wanted you to injure it, not destroy," said the Captain.
The Lieutenant checked his screens again. "We didn't cause that, sir. It must have just... blown itself up."
Captain Anders' eyebrows rose. "Kill the crews, keep the ships as intact as possible, and then get to work cutting up the station. See if you can stop them from following that ship's example. Commendably brave, but so very, very stupid."
Another round of fire lashed out from the raiders, punching through their targets hulls, and superheating atmosphere sections. A volatile cargo erupted, annihilating one, and two more successfully self-immolated, but soon enough, all activity had ceased. A series of shuttles sprang forth from the raiders' hangars, rapidly docking with their disabled targets. A minute passed, as the twelve ships methodically carved up the orbital station like a roast, when one of the 'disabled' vessels suddenly exploded, taking all the boarders with it.
"Ah, some of them have brains to go with their balls. This may at least be slightly interesting," thought Captain Anders.
More shuttles were sent out, securing vessels and station fragments. Where possible, they reactivated systems to get them underway, but this was only possible in two cases. The rest were simply dragged behind the flotilla as the laboriously attempted to get clear of the gravity well, and up to safe speed for hyper insertion.
The Raiders left as quietly as they entered, leaving behind only wreckage, emptied hulls, and a distress signal meandering its way through Hyperspace towards the Khar Imperial Navy.
Khar Imperium
With no warning at all, the dozen ships dropped out of hyper at medium range from the oupost, the cruiser's interdictors snapping on as it arrived, trapping everything nearby under the guns of its consorts.
The command went out over the Hypercoms to the little Khar vessels scuttling about: "Surrender immediately! Heave To, and Prepare to be Boarded!"
When the Khar vessels didn't obey, this was followed by precisely one warning shot, and a series of tightly clustered salvos to the engines and control systems of the targets a moment later.
"Targets are still not surrendering, Sir," Lieutenenant Toutnan reported.
"Make an example of one of them, then," Captain Anders replied.
Another volley lashed out from one of the escorts, chewing through the hull of its chosen victim effortlessly. Atmosphere and bodies spilled out from its mangled sides.
"Incoming Transmission, Boss," Lietenant Toutnan announced.
The Khar that appeared on the screen was bloody and mangled, the self-sealing sections of his pressure suit clearly being the only things still keeping him alive. He glared at the screen.
"For... Clan and Emperor..." he spat out, and the transmision dissolved into static. The vessel dissappeared in a boil of light.
"Lieutenant, I wanted you to injure it, not destroy," said the Captain.
The Lieutenant checked his screens again. "We didn't cause that, sir. It must have just... blown itself up."
Captain Anders' eyebrows rose. "Kill the crews, keep the ships as intact as possible, and then get to work cutting up the station. See if you can stop them from following that ship's example. Commendably brave, but so very, very stupid."
Another round of fire lashed out from the raiders, punching through their targets hulls, and superheating atmosphere sections. A volatile cargo erupted, annihilating one, and two more successfully self-immolated, but soon enough, all activity had ceased. A series of shuttles sprang forth from the raiders' hangars, rapidly docking with their disabled targets. A minute passed, as the twelve ships methodically carved up the orbital station like a roast, when one of the 'disabled' vessels suddenly exploded, taking all the boarders with it.
"Ah, some of them have brains to go with their balls. This may at least be slightly interesting," thought Captain Anders.
More shuttles were sent out, securing vessels and station fragments. Where possible, they reactivated systems to get them underway, but this was only possible in two cases. The rest were simply dragged behind the flotilla as the laboriously attempted to get clear of the gravity well, and up to safe speed for hyper insertion.
The Raiders left as quietly as they entered, leaving behind only wreckage, emptied hulls, and a distress signal meandering its way through Hyperspace towards the Khar Imperial Navy.
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Thirdfain
- The Player of Games
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: 2003-02-13 09:24pm
- Location: Never underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State.
<<The rounds will abort the second that reactor dies, you nefarious infidel. Surrender immediately.>>
The warheads hit the edge of aquisition range, and their powerful seeker heads activated. Golem-minds infused with the aurae of furious wolves locked their senses on the Mekidar cruiser.
The warheads hit the edge of aquisition range, and their powerful seeker heads activated. Golem-minds infused with the aurae of furious wolves locked their senses on the Mekidar cruiser.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )
Collective Weapons Test Area
"Test simulations show this to be a fairly effective weapon. It has a shorter unguided range than a Hellbore, but remarkably greater end target effect. It uses a mass lightener to provide a greater final velocity, since the actual impact energy is not what provides the actual damage mechanism. Also, the planned final ammo has limited lateral manuevering capability. We plan to equip the Basrogh class battleships with this weapon."
"Well then, show me."
A spindly barrel traversed out of the test facility. It centered on a distant asteroid. Powerful electromagnets accelerated the shell down the barrel, while a mass lightening system reduced the required energy to accelerate it to the final velocity. It covered the distance to the target in the blink of an eye. A fraction of a millisecond before it impacted the target, strong gravitational waves compressed the hydrogen fuel in the shell to several billion degrees and the size of a thimble. This started a fusion reaction, with enough power to turn the asteroid into a floating cloud of dust.
Without the barrel having moved, the cannon coughed a second time, the shell making a close pass by a second asteroid, when it too detonated, decimating that one as well.
"Demonstration acceptable. You may proceed with production."
"Test simulations show this to be a fairly effective weapon. It has a shorter unguided range than a Hellbore, but remarkably greater end target effect. It uses a mass lightener to provide a greater final velocity, since the actual impact energy is not what provides the actual damage mechanism. Also, the planned final ammo has limited lateral manuevering capability. We plan to equip the Basrogh class battleships with this weapon."
"Well then, show me."
A spindly barrel traversed out of the test facility. It centered on a distant asteroid. Powerful electromagnets accelerated the shell down the barrel, while a mass lightening system reduced the required energy to accelerate it to the final velocity. It covered the distance to the target in the blink of an eye. A fraction of a millisecond before it impacted the target, strong gravitational waves compressed the hydrogen fuel in the shell to several billion degrees and the size of a thimble. This started a fusion reaction, with enough power to turn the asteroid into a floating cloud of dust.
Without the barrel having moved, the cannon coughed a second time, the shell making a close pass by a second asteroid, when it too detonated, decimating that one as well.
"Demonstration acceptable. You may proceed with production."
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
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Adrian Laguna
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: 2005-05-18 01:31am
Boulder activates its Fold Drive.Blue Meanies wrote:<<The rounds will abort the second that reactor dies, you nefarious infidel. Surrender immediately.>>
The warheads hit the edge of aquisition range, and their powerful seeker heads activated. Golem-minds infused with the aurae of furious wolves locked their senses on the Mekidar cruiser.
<<I'm sorry, surrender isn't in the list of actions we're allowed to take. And while I would trust you to send the signal after we kill the power, I do not trust missle-abort systems.>>
As the Drive finishes gaining power, and prepares to evelop the fabric of space-time around the Light Missle Cruiser, twelve warheads bear down on the motionless warship.
If the cruiser were not to engage the missles, the chances of it escaping without damage are about the same as the chances of being damaged. Furthermore, the chances of the damage being fatal are about the same as the chances of the damage beign non-fatal. In other words, the chances of escape, damage, and destruction are about 50-25-25. There is a reason why compulsive gamblers rarely make it into the officer corps.
The point defense turrents are already aiming at the incoming threats. Six of the missles have been plotted to be on an impact course, a further four will miss the ship but can cause damage should they proximity detonate. The last two have flown entirely off target.
As soon as they enter range, the PD batteries open-up on the missles. Invisible energy lances out, and the c-speed hardbeams burn and bore their way through them. A couple of warheads detonate, forming miniature suns of incredible brilliance. The rest simply disappear under the invisible barrage.
Some moments later, Boulder becomes blurry and streched, then is gone.
<<We have come to the conclusion that the presence of a military ship in the vicinity of your fleet has made you uncomfortable.>>
The hyperwave transmission comes from the other side of system. The Mekidar warship is now outside the effective range of all known weaponry in the cluster.
<<Since we would like to avoid further shooting, this vessel will now leave this system entirely. The Mekidar Republic will send an official delegation to you shortly. They will arrive in an unarmed civilian transport. You may want to call home, so your leadership can make whatever arrangements it feels are necessary. Boulder, out.>>
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Spyder
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4465
- Joined: 2002-09-03 03:23am
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
- Contact:
Mekidar Capital
The Guilders had wasted no time in moving into their new premises as preparations for the Union Embassy were completed. The team consisted of a handful of different creatures, encounter suited humans and their staff, representing the various factions within the Guilds and Concord.
The liason, someone the guilds had chosen, was going to be someone that could survive in the Mekidar atmosphere without the aid of an environment suit. They felt that this might make communication easier.
It was time for the first order of business. The meeting was arranged with a representative from the Mekidar government. The meeting was held in one of the Mekidar areas, impossible for human survivable. A few aliens were present, one a silver skinned humanoid, another whose features were industinguishable behind the reflective visor of its environment suit.
The Ambassador entered, much to the curiosity of the Mekidar this man looked like a human in his early thirties. He wore a very smart grey suit and didn't have one hair out of place on his head, his face was clean shaven with no sign of the afternoon shadow that most male humans tend to sport. He was a little too perfect, impossibly human. More likely a replicant of some kind.
"Thank you for attending." He spoke to the Mekidar in monotone, "What can you tell us about the Crobuzon?" He asked, clearly not one for extended pleasantries.
The Guilders had wasted no time in moving into their new premises as preparations for the Union Embassy were completed. The team consisted of a handful of different creatures, encounter suited humans and their staff, representing the various factions within the Guilds and Concord.
The liason, someone the guilds had chosen, was going to be someone that could survive in the Mekidar atmosphere without the aid of an environment suit. They felt that this might make communication easier.
It was time for the first order of business. The meeting was arranged with a representative from the Mekidar government. The meeting was held in one of the Mekidar areas, impossible for human survivable. A few aliens were present, one a silver skinned humanoid, another whose features were industinguishable behind the reflective visor of its environment suit.
The Ambassador entered, much to the curiosity of the Mekidar this man looked like a human in his early thirties. He wore a very smart grey suit and didn't have one hair out of place on his head, his face was clean shaven with no sign of the afternoon shadow that most male humans tend to sport. He was a little too perfect, impossibly human. More likely a replicant of some kind.
"Thank you for attending." He spoke to the Mekidar in monotone, "What can you tell us about the Crobuzon?" He asked, clearly not one for extended pleasantries.
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Thirdfain
- The Player of Games
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: 2003-02-13 09:24pm
- Location: Never underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State.
der Vandermere sighed. It seemed that the Silver Flame had had some sort of protector. The press northeast of the Empire would not come without further resistance from these "Mekidar."
The battlefleet remained on alert: It would remain in the Silver Flame until construction was complete on the new bases. Already, requests had been sent back to the Empire proper. There would be transports, on Bas-Lag and Argentia Croix, and other worlds, loaded with equipment and materiel. There would representatives, traders, and businessmen, making use of the fact that Crobuzoner economic traffic was to be completely free within the Silver Flame. There would be a great deal of profit to be made.
The battlefleet remained on alert: It would remain in the Silver Flame until construction was complete on the new bases. Already, requests had been sent back to the Empire proper. There would be transports, on Bas-Lag and Argentia Croix, and other worlds, loaded with equipment and materiel. There would representatives, traders, and businessmen, making use of the fact that Crobuzoner economic traffic was to be completely free within the Silver Flame. There would be a great deal of profit to be made.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )
Tertnul Raud Yesurk Ilosytch, Clan Ilosytch Clanworld
Khar Imperial Empire
"Rezurk... you better have a look at this," said Kedridil Ileq'Nadjiz. The Kedridil motioned to his superior officer over to the screen of the hypercomms.
"Emperor's Ancestors..." swore the Commander.
"File a report to Command, Priority Beta Plus. Dictate: Heavily Armed Pirates Within Annefidiz Attacking Orbital Facilities, Possibly More," he said.
"Sent, Rezurknepak. Emperor with them." said the NCO. "Emperor with us, too," he added after a moment's pause.
--------------------------
Space. Cool, quiet. Lonely. It was lonlier than usual at Annefidiz, observed Niyalt Obnepak Ileq'Rysulo grimly.
The occupants, other than his fleet, were all dead. Only bits of charred wreckage and slowly cooling globules of metal marked what once was a glorious interstellar monument to merchant trade. Well, that was slightly exaggerating. But the point was that there used to be life inside what was left of the system's non-land infrastructure.
"Tracking Hyperspace Spoor, Obnepak," reported the Navigations Officer.
There was a pause of several minutes. Each crewman reported with terse, quiet messages. Little was said. What was there to be said except that they would find the murderers and bring them the holy justice of the energy beam?
"Obnepak, we have the IKN Qeduteq-Onizi reporting that they have the Hyperspace Signal of the raiders. It was faint because of the time lag in getting here."
"Pursue on my command." The Niyalt Obnepak, the Highcaptain of the Ship, paused to speak.
"Men!" he said. "The day of vengeance and reckoning is upon us. Death to all who oppose the Emperor!"
"Death to the Alien! Eternal Death to them all!" came the traditional cry of the men.
"We shall never forgive or forget," replied the Obnepak.
The moment hung heavy.
"Pursue."
The stars were washed out in the blue light of hyperspace, just as the sins of the pirate would be washed out by the blue of energy lances. Let the universe tremble.
-------
Force Deploment:
Points: 53
I. Kadah Zertnev Fleet [Clan Ilosytch]
CO: Niyalt Obnepak Ileq'Rysulo
==Flagship: IKN CC-12 Syilor Tirotkiv (Attack Cruiser) [12][+4 vs. Warships]
=Escorts: 4 Patrol Destroyers [5] x4
=Escorts: 7 Point Defense Frigates [3][+1 vs. Fighters] x7
[Some Names Omitted For Space Reasons]
Khar Imperial Empire
"Rezurk... you better have a look at this," said Kedridil Ileq'Nadjiz. The Kedridil motioned to his superior officer over to the screen of the hypercomms.
"Emperor's Ancestors..." swore the Commander.
The Commander was jarred into action by the soft thump in the background of the recording, the burst of static, and then the awful silence."The Station Is Under Attack! They already took the merchantmen! Please, for the love of the Emperor, help! H-"TAG: Distress
LOCATION: Ilosytch Fief Annefidiz
DETAILS: Piracy
"File a report to Command, Priority Beta Plus. Dictate: Heavily Armed Pirates Within Annefidiz Attacking Orbital Facilities, Possibly More," he said.
"Sent, Rezurknepak. Emperor with them." said the NCO. "Emperor with us, too," he added after a moment's pause.
--------------------------
Space. Cool, quiet. Lonely. It was lonlier than usual at Annefidiz, observed Niyalt Obnepak Ileq'Rysulo grimly.
The occupants, other than his fleet, were all dead. Only bits of charred wreckage and slowly cooling globules of metal marked what once was a glorious interstellar monument to merchant trade. Well, that was slightly exaggerating. But the point was that there used to be life inside what was left of the system's non-land infrastructure.
"Tracking Hyperspace Spoor, Obnepak," reported the Navigations Officer.
There was a pause of several minutes. Each crewman reported with terse, quiet messages. Little was said. What was there to be said except that they would find the murderers and bring them the holy justice of the energy beam?
"Obnepak, we have the IKN Qeduteq-Onizi reporting that they have the Hyperspace Signal of the raiders. It was faint because of the time lag in getting here."
"Pursue on my command." The Niyalt Obnepak, the Highcaptain of the Ship, paused to speak.
"Men!" he said. "The day of vengeance and reckoning is upon us. Death to all who oppose the Emperor!"
"Death to the Alien! Eternal Death to them all!" came the traditional cry of the men.
"We shall never forgive or forget," replied the Obnepak.
The moment hung heavy.
"Pursue."
The stars were washed out in the blue light of hyperspace, just as the sins of the pirate would be washed out by the blue of energy lances. Let the universe tremble.
-------
Force Deploment:
Points: 53
I. Kadah Zertnev Fleet [Clan Ilosytch]
CO: Niyalt Obnepak Ileq'Rysulo
==Flagship: IKN CC-12 Syilor Tirotkiv (Attack Cruiser) [12][+4 vs. Warships]
=Escorts: 4 Patrol Destroyers [5] x4
=Escorts: 7 Point Defense Frigates [3][+1 vs. Fighters] x7
[Some Names Omitted For Space Reasons]
-
Thirdfain
- The Player of Games
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: 2003-02-13 09:24pm
- Location: Never underestimate the staggering drawing power of the Garden State.
Demonstration of Defiance
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
Whitherspoon nodded. "Most just, indeed. A simple heads-up: we've dispatched an aetherclipper to the distrubance, some simple surveying and evaluation, is all- such storms are marvelous for the natural philosophers to get their instruments on."
"Anyways, the Battle of Castervanae Bight stands ready to assist you. My squadron are all new birds, fresh out of Steelshatter. I eagerly await a little action."
An orderly entered the dining hall and whispered in the Commodore's ear.
"Ah, Enwyn, perhaps you've heard as well- the Luwaan have agreed to the Trans-Sphere Line plan! I presume this means we may be enjoying an even longer deployment once the corporate construction crews get out here."
Deep Space
Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
Whitherspoon nodded. "Most just, indeed. A simple heads-up: we've dispatched an aetherclipper to the distrubance, some simple surveying and evaluation, is all- such storms are marvelous for the natural philosophers to get their instruments on."
"Anyways, the Battle of Castervanae Bight stands ready to assist you. My squadron are all new birds, fresh out of Steelshatter. I eagerly await a little action."
An orderly entered the dining hall and whispered in the Commodore's ear.
"Ah, Enwyn, perhaps you've heard as well- the Luwaan have agreed to the Trans-Sphere Line plan! I presume this means we may be enjoying an even longer deployment once the corporate construction crews get out here."
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )