"I hereby give myself up to be judged by a man of good standing in your nation. For if I can't take my own life, I hope you can."
The security officer, looked off to one side and nodded at the marines. Two moved in, while the other pair kept their weapons ready. The one that stated his honesty, snatched the pistol out of his hand and yanked his arms behind his bank, to be cuffed.
"You're lucky bitch," the marine whispered in his ear.
With that they lead Captain Braesk to the ship's brig, with he officer following after.
Liala blinked into existence on one of the screens, "Detour boys. Take him to see the Captain, he wants to talk."
The obvious faces of disgust and annoyance filled the marines' faces, but the officer simply nodded.
"Yes ma'am."
* * *
"Lieutenant, we're getting an open message from Field Marshall Taranis," Ty reported.
"Nikoli... I... I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I have to say this. Captain, I give... I give myself up to your ship, and confess to my war crimes. But... I'm not leaving him... here... Captain, if this is my last act, so be it, but you will get your Commander."
"Briten, are we picking up that shuttle?" Lt. Naiti inquired.
"Yes, but...it's on autopilot...in the middle of a shooting match. Need I say more?" Briten responded.
"Don't worry, I'm on it," Liala stated, as he she reached out into the cyberware, her grasp aiming for the shuttle. "Got it. Taking manual control. Also, might want to get some medics to the Flight deck."
* * *
Captain Nikoli sat in his bed, and the door opened to the admittance of Catain Braesk and his marine escort.
"Outside gentlemen. He sure as hell won't kill me, if he can't kill himself," the Captain said, and his escorts complied.
"Captain Braesk, I here you are surrendering yourself to our custody. Good job. We'll be transporting you directly to Terra for a trial and probably interrogation," Nikoli said, as his eyes stayed on the wall display. "However, before I throw you away in the brig, you will do something for me."
Nikoli manipulated the display controls and showed Breask the battle that was waging outside.
"I've just been informed that Ascrith is incapable of command, and you seem to be the next in line of seniority. Get the Bismarck to surrender, and withdraw. I will not board the ship. I will not take it in tow. I have little time and patience, and that usually entails that the ship be scuttled, but that's neither here nor there. Enough lives have been lost today. Make them surrender and withdraw Captain," Captain Nikoli demanded.
* * *
"Shuttle almost near," Briten stated. "And there seems to be something going on with the Hand. They are changing course...for the Bismarck!"
Just at that moment, Communications Officer Ty picked up the transmission from the diplomatic ship.
"All ships, this is the War-AI Aelya, presently in control of the Hand of Terel. There's fighing going on in the bridge and hangar, the HRA are slaughtering unarmed civilian crewmembers and now they're coming for me. I know we stuck our noses in your business, but we saw it as our duty to prevent a war... to prevent more death and destruction. Instead, the HRA have attacked us... even though we tried to help their wounded. I don't know what you lot think of us, and I don't particularly care any more. I just want you lot to remember what's about to happen next... we are Terelains. We are the Last Elder Race of Aerin. We fight to the last and though we love peace we always prepare for war. We did not wish it to come to this... we did not start this war... but by the gods we will see it end, even if it means our very destruction. Teklem Eshet. Until Eternity."
"Oh hell!" Chief Tactical Officer Nai'ti exclaimed, as she nearly jumped out her seat. "Tell the Bismarck and Hand to heave to and withdraw. Notify the Bismarck, that both of their Commanding Officers are submitting themselves to our custody, and they should follow example. Surrender and withdraw!"
Ty nodded, "I don't think they'll listen. We've stated that how many times? Seems like out all out war now."
Communications Officer Ty was right, but still...
"Helm, move us back into position to the Time Dancer. If either of them do look like they'll explode, we'll need to grapple onto the Dancer and tow her out the vicinity of the blasts," Nai'ti ordered.
The security officer, looked off to one side and nodded at the marines. Two moved in, while the other pair kept their weapons ready. The one that stated his honesty, snatched the pistol out of his hand and yanked his arms behind his bank, to be cuffed.
"You're lucky bitch," the marine whispered in his ear.
With that they lead Captain Braesk to the ship's brig, with he officer following after.
Liala blinked into existence on one of the screens, "Detour boys. Take him to see the Captain, he wants to talk."
The obvious faces of disgust and annoyance filled the marines' faces, but the officer simply nodded.
"Yes ma'am."
* * *
"Lieutenant, we're getting an open message from Field Marshall Taranis," Ty reported.
"Nikoli... I... I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I have to say this. Captain, I give... I give myself up to your ship, and confess to my war crimes. But... I'm not leaving him... here... Captain, if this is my last act, so be it, but you will get your Commander."
"Briten, are we picking up that shuttle?" Lt. Naiti inquired.
"Yes, but...it's on autopilot...in the middle of a shooting match. Need I say more?" Briten responded.
"Don't worry, I'm on it," Liala stated, as he she reached out into the cyberware, her grasp aiming for the shuttle. "Got it. Taking manual control. Also, might want to get some medics to the Flight deck."
* * *
Captain Nikoli sat in his bed, and the door opened to the admittance of Catain Braesk and his marine escort.
"Outside gentlemen. He sure as hell won't kill me, if he can't kill himself," the Captain said, and his escorts complied.
"Captain Braesk, I here you are surrendering yourself to our custody. Good job. We'll be transporting you directly to Terra for a trial and probably interrogation," Nikoli said, as his eyes stayed on the wall display. "However, before I throw you away in the brig, you will do something for me."
Nikoli manipulated the display controls and showed Breask the battle that was waging outside.
"I've just been informed that Ascrith is incapable of command, and you seem to be the next in line of seniority. Get the Bismarck to surrender, and withdraw. I will not board the ship. I will not take it in tow. I have little time and patience, and that usually entails that the ship be scuttled, but that's neither here nor there. Enough lives have been lost today. Make them surrender and withdraw Captain," Captain Nikoli demanded.
* * *
"Shuttle almost near," Briten stated. "And there seems to be something going on with the Hand. They are changing course...for the Bismarck!"
Just at that moment, Communications Officer Ty picked up the transmission from the diplomatic ship.
"All ships, this is the War-AI Aelya, presently in control of the Hand of Terel. There's fighing going on in the bridge and hangar, the HRA are slaughtering unarmed civilian crewmembers and now they're coming for me. I know we stuck our noses in your business, but we saw it as our duty to prevent a war... to prevent more death and destruction. Instead, the HRA have attacked us... even though we tried to help their wounded. I don't know what you lot think of us, and I don't particularly care any more. I just want you lot to remember what's about to happen next... we are Terelains. We are the Last Elder Race of Aerin. We fight to the last and though we love peace we always prepare for war. We did not wish it to come to this... we did not start this war... but by the gods we will see it end, even if it means our very destruction. Teklem Eshet. Until Eternity."
"Oh hell!" Chief Tactical Officer Nai'ti exclaimed, as she nearly jumped out her seat. "Tell the Bismarck and Hand to heave to and withdraw. Notify the Bismarck, that both of their Commanding Officers are submitting themselves to our custody, and they should follow example. Surrender and withdraw!"
Ty nodded, "I don't think they'll listen. We've stated that how many times? Seems like out all out war now."
Communications Officer Ty was right, but still...
"Helm, move us back into position to the Time Dancer. If either of them do look like they'll explode, we'll need to grapple onto the Dancer and tow her out the vicinity of the blasts," Nai'ti ordered.
"Captain, I cannot make them surrender. Captain Robbins and Captain Lysander would be in charge now. One or the other, and since they're both on the Hand, the one in Terminator armor is in charge. But I will make them withdraw," Braesk said, bowing his head towards the floor. If the Emperor heard of this, Bismarck might be decommissioned. Well, this ship, anyways. They had a new Bismarck in construction.
****
"LYSANDER! THEY'RE COMING FOR US!" The 1st Lieutenant shouted, and ran from the bridge. They were taken by surprise. The gunmen couldn't move that fast at all. As soon as the ship turned towards them, it was already too close.
Escape pods fired off, but only a few. And those were half the generals, and a few officers and men. All of them aimed towards the Valhalla. As soon as Lysander heard of this, he grabbed Robbins, and ordered his men out now. Lysander ripped open the side of the ship, and jumped into cold space, kicking himself outwards. Over 50 people of the HRA military were now in space, moving slowly towards the Gunships.
The Gunships saw the men, and moved closer, opening their bay doors. Lysander and the rest of his men got in, and after all 50 people got inside the gunships, they closed their doors.
"Open the window shields! I want to see what's happening!" Lysander ordered, and set Robbins down. Instantly, medics began trying to fix him, working on his wounds and such. But they needed more help. Not just field medics.
Lysander could see the Bismarck, but it wasn't good. She was hit right... In... The middle. That meant the shield generators, the ammunition, and the reactor. Dear god, they had to move. The ship ripped through the Bismarck's shields, tearing apart its armor, and hitting dead center in the middle.
The 60 inch guns exploded, tearing great holes alongside her hull. The reactors overloaded, spewing flames hotter than the sun. Metal melted and shattered, glass vaporized, and people burned. Already the death toll was extremely high, but there would be more.
Then the Nova Cannon's ammunition exploded. The entire ship ripped apart as flames taller than a high rise shot out of the sides. The gunship lurched, moving away and shaking from the shockwave. Ascrith probably was lost.
****
"NO!!!" Braesk shouted, staring at the explosion on the screen. His eyes showed sorrow as the fires died down. Only a burnt out, dead husk of a ship remained. He had tears in his eyes now, real tears of pain. Loosing that ship was like loosing a son. And Ascrith? He was like a brother to him. "Can... Can you do anything to save someone? Please!"
****
"LYSANDER! THEY'RE COMING FOR US!" The 1st Lieutenant shouted, and ran from the bridge. They were taken by surprise. The gunmen couldn't move that fast at all. As soon as the ship turned towards them, it was already too close.
Escape pods fired off, but only a few. And those were half the generals, and a few officers and men. All of them aimed towards the Valhalla. As soon as Lysander heard of this, he grabbed Robbins, and ordered his men out now. Lysander ripped open the side of the ship, and jumped into cold space, kicking himself outwards. Over 50 people of the HRA military were now in space, moving slowly towards the Gunships.
The Gunships saw the men, and moved closer, opening their bay doors. Lysander and the rest of his men got in, and after all 50 people got inside the gunships, they closed their doors.
"Open the window shields! I want to see what's happening!" Lysander ordered, and set Robbins down. Instantly, medics began trying to fix him, working on his wounds and such. But they needed more help. Not just field medics.
Lysander could see the Bismarck, but it wasn't good. She was hit right... In... The middle. That meant the shield generators, the ammunition, and the reactor. Dear god, they had to move. The ship ripped through the Bismarck's shields, tearing apart its armor, and hitting dead center in the middle.
The 60 inch guns exploded, tearing great holes alongside her hull. The reactors overloaded, spewing flames hotter than the sun. Metal melted and shattered, glass vaporized, and people burned. Already the death toll was extremely high, but there would be more.
Then the Nova Cannon's ammunition exploded. The entire ship ripped apart as flames taller than a high rise shot out of the sides. The gunship lurched, moving away and shaking from the shockwave. Ascrith probably was lost.
****
"NO!!!" Braesk shouted, staring at the explosion on the screen. His eyes showed sorrow as the fires died down. Only a burnt out, dead husk of a ship remained. He had tears in his eyes now, real tears of pain. Loosing that ship was like loosing a son. And Ascrith? He was like a brother to him. "Can... Can you do anything to save someone? Please!"
"The Bismarck is launching escape pods and they are heading toward us," Briten reported on the intracoms, after having went back to the Intelligence Area, down below. "
"Christ! Latch onto the Time Dancer and get who ever is the closest from the Bismarck!" ordered Lieutenant Nai'ti, as she activated the shock frame on the command chair. "Helm, get us away from, here maximum speed. All hands, brace for impact!"
* * *
"NO!!! Can... Can you do anything to save someone? Please!"
Captain Nikoli and Braesk watched the destruction of the two warring alien ships. Nikoli threw the datapad he had into the wall and yelled.
"This is exactly what I was hoping to avoid!"
He managed to calm himself, and was about to call up the bridge when their came an alert.
"All hands, brace for impact!"
Captain Nikoli let loose a few Russian curses, before looking toward Braesk. "Brace yourself god dammit!"
* * *
"Shockwave impact in 3...2...1..."
Though space was a vacuum and a horrible medium, the Valhalla was still affected by the burst of energy from the resulting explosions of both vessels. Due to her being close, and the elements which were present in the formation of the explosion, the shockwave was able to propagate some distance, slamming into the Coalition vessel, before dissipating.
It wasn't one of their worst, but it wasn't the softest bump either.
"Status report," called out Lt. Nai'ti, as she released the shockframe, and massaged her aching shoulder.
"Shields held Ma'm," called out a tactical officer. "Structural damage negligible. The Time Dancer seems to be alright."
Nai'ti nodded, "And what about the small craft from the Bismarck?"
"A few were caught in the blast and destroyed. Some are heavily damage, and are sure to be facing systems failures soon" stated the tactical officer.
"Alright, let's-"
Captain Nikoli blinked to existence on the viewscreen, interrupting Lieutenant Nai'ti.
"Captain, sir," the Lieutenant said, surprised. "I am glad to see you are alright, Sir."
"Thank you Chief," the Captain nodded. "Seems we've a situation on our hands."
"Yes sir," the Chief Tactical Officer agreed. "The Bismarck and the Hand of Terel have both been destroyed; assured mutual destruction. We are detecting multiple small craft from the Bismarck, though none yet from the Hand. I was just about to order a SAR mission to those heavily damaged and with severely wounded."
Captain Nikoli nodded with a growl. "Good work Lieutenant. Also, see if you can find a Captain Robbins or Captain Lysander, and have them brought aboard immediately. With an escort. Unfortunate to say, but I don't trust none of them to not try and take over my ship, even if offering assistance. And Ty begin preparations to inventory the requisite amount of supplies, for long term duration planetside."
"Captain?" Nai'ti asked, with curiosity.
"We don't have the space to carry everyone Lieutenant. So, we'll send them off to the nearest habitable planet, which is Calypso, for a temporary stay until we can get some transports out here to ship them off to wherever they crawled from," the Captain answered. "And yes I know. The irony is blatantly obvious."
With that the link closed and the Lieutenant turned to Communication Officer Ty.
"The irony...that has to be an understatement," Lieutenant Nai'ti quipped.
"I think Commander Cigol would say something more along the lines of, "Actually Lieutenant, understatement, is a far lighter term, than what I was think of,"" Liala said, and they all shared warm weary smiles.
"I'm sure he would Liala," Nai'ti said, basking in those few precious seconds of remember the Commander. "Well, in any event, we've work to do. Ty you're the head of Operations, best get to operatin'. Start get a lock on those craft that are damaged and with wounded, and find out where those Captains are. Guess we'll leave the inventory stuff until after we get a final count of heads. Oh, and lets see about getting an extraction team over to the Time Dancer to get Lt. Colonel Follox and the engineers off. I am quite sure, he's going to blow up, when he hear the action he's missed."
Ty smiled and nodded. "Aye aye."
With that, though it was obvious something or rather someone was missing, the normalcy of operations on the Valhalla, seemed to once again return to normal, after the few harrowing days that passed. Chef tactical and Security Officer Nai'ti sat down in the command chair, to the chagrin of Navigator Liala.
"The Commander's shuttle is in the dock. A medical team has taken the Field Marshall to the Main Infirmary, and the Commander's body is being taken to the morgue for preservation. They are trying to ascertain, which send off he gets; the Coalition, the Kitt'ane or the Ykkins version."
"It should be in his files," Lt. Nai'ti said.
"Should be, but they were destroyed remember," Liala noted. "I'll try and work with the analysts later when things are less hectic to see if we can find something. If that fails, we can look to what his wife, might've sanctioned."
Lt. Nai'ti nodded, "Sounds fair. Though for some reason I think, that honestly he'll be fine with whatever the Captain chooses as the form of his send off."
"Agreed," Liala simply said, before disappearing and leaving the Lieutenant to her thoughts.
"Christ! Latch onto the Time Dancer and get who ever is the closest from the Bismarck!" ordered Lieutenant Nai'ti, as she activated the shock frame on the command chair. "Helm, get us away from, here maximum speed. All hands, brace for impact!"
* * *
"NO!!! Can... Can you do anything to save someone? Please!"
Captain Nikoli and Braesk watched the destruction of the two warring alien ships. Nikoli threw the datapad he had into the wall and yelled.
"This is exactly what I was hoping to avoid!"
He managed to calm himself, and was about to call up the bridge when their came an alert.
"All hands, brace for impact!"
Captain Nikoli let loose a few Russian curses, before looking toward Braesk. "Brace yourself god dammit!"
* * *
"Shockwave impact in 3...2...1..."
Though space was a vacuum and a horrible medium, the Valhalla was still affected by the burst of energy from the resulting explosions of both vessels. Due to her being close, and the elements which were present in the formation of the explosion, the shockwave was able to propagate some distance, slamming into the Coalition vessel, before dissipating.
It wasn't one of their worst, but it wasn't the softest bump either.
"Status report," called out Lt. Nai'ti, as she released the shockframe, and massaged her aching shoulder.
"Shields held Ma'm," called out a tactical officer. "Structural damage negligible. The Time Dancer seems to be alright."
Nai'ti nodded, "And what about the small craft from the Bismarck?"
"A few were caught in the blast and destroyed. Some are heavily damage, and are sure to be facing systems failures soon" stated the tactical officer.
"Alright, let's-"
Captain Nikoli blinked to existence on the viewscreen, interrupting Lieutenant Nai'ti.
"Captain, sir," the Lieutenant said, surprised. "I am glad to see you are alright, Sir."
"Thank you Chief," the Captain nodded. "Seems we've a situation on our hands."
"Yes sir," the Chief Tactical Officer agreed. "The Bismarck and the Hand of Terel have both been destroyed; assured mutual destruction. We are detecting multiple small craft from the Bismarck, though none yet from the Hand. I was just about to order a SAR mission to those heavily damaged and with severely wounded."
Captain Nikoli nodded with a growl. "Good work Lieutenant. Also, see if you can find a Captain Robbins or Captain Lysander, and have them brought aboard immediately. With an escort. Unfortunate to say, but I don't trust none of them to not try and take over my ship, even if offering assistance. And Ty begin preparations to inventory the requisite amount of supplies, for long term duration planetside."
"Captain?" Nai'ti asked, with curiosity.
"We don't have the space to carry everyone Lieutenant. So, we'll send them off to the nearest habitable planet, which is Calypso, for a temporary stay until we can get some transports out here to ship them off to wherever they crawled from," the Captain answered. "And yes I know. The irony is blatantly obvious."
With that the link closed and the Lieutenant turned to Communication Officer Ty.
"The irony...that has to be an understatement," Lieutenant Nai'ti quipped.
"I think Commander Cigol would say something more along the lines of, "Actually Lieutenant, understatement, is a far lighter term, than what I was think of,"" Liala said, and they all shared warm weary smiles.
"I'm sure he would Liala," Nai'ti said, basking in those few precious seconds of remember the Commander. "Well, in any event, we've work to do. Ty you're the head of Operations, best get to operatin'. Start get a lock on those craft that are damaged and with wounded, and find out where those Captains are. Guess we'll leave the inventory stuff until after we get a final count of heads. Oh, and lets see about getting an extraction team over to the Time Dancer to get Lt. Colonel Follox and the engineers off. I am quite sure, he's going to blow up, when he hear the action he's missed."
Ty smiled and nodded. "Aye aye."
With that, though it was obvious something or rather someone was missing, the normalcy of operations on the Valhalla, seemed to once again return to normal, after the few harrowing days that passed. Chef tactical and Security Officer Nai'ti sat down in the command chair, to the chagrin of Navigator Liala.
"The Commander's shuttle is in the dock. A medical team has taken the Field Marshall to the Main Infirmary, and the Commander's body is being taken to the morgue for preservation. They are trying to ascertain, which send off he gets; the Coalition, the Kitt'ane or the Ykkins version."
"It should be in his files," Lt. Nai'ti said.
"Should be, but they were destroyed remember," Liala noted. "I'll try and work with the analysts later when things are less hectic to see if we can find something. If that fails, we can look to what his wife, might've sanctioned."
Lt. Nai'ti nodded, "Sounds fair. Though for some reason I think, that honestly he'll be fine with whatever the Captain chooses as the form of his send off."
"Agreed," Liala simply said, before disappearing and leaving the Lieutenant to her thoughts.
Aelya's warning jerked Nathaniel out of his 'die with honour' mode. The ship was going to ram the Bismarck. They'd all be vapourised. No body to burn or bury, nothing to return to the crypt of his ancestors beneath the Great Temple in Oberoth. He was a Tynian damn it! A king, son of kings, a lord of the Taemiri Line. He'd go down fighting for his last breath, not waiting docilely for Tara-Menil to arrive to bring his soul before her sisters.
He was up and moving, heedless of the pain of his injuries, before Aelya was done speaking. He charged through the weaponsfire and the tainted air, heedless of the slight burn in his lungs as the last remnants of the Mustard Gas lingered in the atmopshere as the life support systems desperately scrubbed the toxins from the air.
Seconds later he'd lifted his wife of twenty three thousand years up and carried her bodily towards the door of the room. The marines had also heard Aelya's warning and saw him trying to escape, and so they did what they were trained to do. They threw themselves between Nathaniel and Robbins to stop any attempts by the human to stop them.
Nathaniel hurried quickly to the nearest escape pod, "Aelya! Open all of the escape pods... jetison everything with people in it." He ordered.
"Yes Elder. I hope you make it sir." The AI responded.
"Me too." He muttered as he reached the nearest hatch for an escape pod, which was only a few feet from the bridge, it might have even been Tolarim's pod... not that the Elder cared any more.
Nathaniel entered the pod and the hatch shut almost the instant he was through and the pod shot out from the dying ship with a shudder that threw him from his feet. It seemed as if Aelya was trying to be helpful.
"ETA to impact eight minutes, Elder. Good luck." Aelya said over the shot-range ship-to-ship comms as the pod, a thin silver almost javelin shaped craft, shot away from the Hand of Terel. The pod, like almost all Terelain tech, was built to withstand punishment. Its hull was made of the same material that warship hulls were made from, its shields were as powerful as could be fitted onto such a tiny ship and its engines were similarly as fast as possible.
The blast when the two vessels exploded was immense and it tossed the small ship end-over-end, the shields overloaded and the engines cut out to prevent an explosion. Eventually the tiny craft's manouevering thrusters activated to stop the tumbling, but the main engines were damaged and she was left to drift.
Both Nariel and Nathaniel were unconcious, Nathaniel having hit his head on one of the walls when the ship began spinning. The emergency beacon activated, emmitting a constant signal detailing the fact that it was a life-pod of the Envoy class Diplomatic Cruiser Hand of Terel affiliated with the Third Kingdom of Terel, also known as the Terelain Star Kingdom, with two lifeforms aboard in need of urgent medical attention and that the pod itself had sustained damage to its shielding and propulsion systems, though its life support systems remained intact.
Elsewhere, the remaining fighters and bombers from the Hand had fled the explosion and were regrouping further away from the wreckage, they detected the signal from the pod and the surviving thirteen bombers and nineteen interceptors went to guard the pod... the only one they'd been able to detect as having escaped from the Hand. The pilots knew their religious duties... and they each sang the elegy songs for the crew of the Hand and for their fellow pilots.
(Aboard the Modified Isaia Class Carrier RNV Aldareth)
Captain Sera Kalari was sat on her chair, listening to the grim message they'd just recived from the Hand of Terel, as well as waiting for her technicians to activate the back-up copy of the ship's AI that had been sent along with it.
"This is the Envoy class Diplomatic Cruiser Hand of Terel to any and all Terelain assets within communications range. We have come under attack by hostile forces of the HRA Empire, the Revered Elders Tynian and Amaar are aboard this ship and are wounded, defensive measure are failing. We are being boarded. I repeat, this is the Hand of Terel, we are being boarded by HRA hostiles. We are preparing for... for initiation of Gilau Protocol. If no further communications are recieved from this vessel assume successful initiation of Gilau Protocol. May the Younger Gods have mercy... we are at war. Teklem Eshet."
"Comms, open a channel, leave it open so the enemy can hear this too." She ordered.
"Aye sir." Her comms officer replied.
"This is Captain Sera Kalari of the Isaia class Carrier RNV Aldareth. We have recieved your distress signal and are enroute to assist. Do not initiate Gilau Protocol. I repeat do not initiate Gilau Protocol. The Jeria Eagles will assist you." She paused and then said, "To any and all vessels attacking the Hand of Terel, cease hostilities immediately and allow the ship to withdraw or I will blast you so hard you'll reach the Void in atom-sized pieces."
The captain turned to her helmsman, "ETA to signal origin point?"
"Thirty minutes if we stress the drives to their limit, captain." He reported.
"Get us there in twenty." She ordered, before activating the ship's internal comms, "All pilots prepare for combat launch on realspace re-entry. Prepare for possible immediate hostile action." She then turned to her tactical officer, "Have every gun on this ship ready to fire as soon as we arrive, I want the shields at full strength the instant we get there."
"What if we're too late and the Hand's already been captured or destroyed?" Her XO asked worriedly.
"Then we blast every Toren damned one of them to the Void and back." She growled, "I'm not letting a single damn cur live if the Elders are dead."
He was up and moving, heedless of the pain of his injuries, before Aelya was done speaking. He charged through the weaponsfire and the tainted air, heedless of the slight burn in his lungs as the last remnants of the Mustard Gas lingered in the atmopshere as the life support systems desperately scrubbed the toxins from the air.
Seconds later he'd lifted his wife of twenty three thousand years up and carried her bodily towards the door of the room. The marines had also heard Aelya's warning and saw him trying to escape, and so they did what they were trained to do. They threw themselves between Nathaniel and Robbins to stop any attempts by the human to stop them.
Nathaniel hurried quickly to the nearest escape pod, "Aelya! Open all of the escape pods... jetison everything with people in it." He ordered.
"Yes Elder. I hope you make it sir." The AI responded.
"Me too." He muttered as he reached the nearest hatch for an escape pod, which was only a few feet from the bridge, it might have even been Tolarim's pod... not that the Elder cared any more.
Nathaniel entered the pod and the hatch shut almost the instant he was through and the pod shot out from the dying ship with a shudder that threw him from his feet. It seemed as if Aelya was trying to be helpful.
"ETA to impact eight minutes, Elder. Good luck." Aelya said over the shot-range ship-to-ship comms as the pod, a thin silver almost javelin shaped craft, shot away from the Hand of Terel. The pod, like almost all Terelain tech, was built to withstand punishment. Its hull was made of the same material that warship hulls were made from, its shields were as powerful as could be fitted onto such a tiny ship and its engines were similarly as fast as possible.
The blast when the two vessels exploded was immense and it tossed the small ship end-over-end, the shields overloaded and the engines cut out to prevent an explosion. Eventually the tiny craft's manouevering thrusters activated to stop the tumbling, but the main engines were damaged and she was left to drift.
Both Nariel and Nathaniel were unconcious, Nathaniel having hit his head on one of the walls when the ship began spinning. The emergency beacon activated, emmitting a constant signal detailing the fact that it was a life-pod of the Envoy class Diplomatic Cruiser Hand of Terel affiliated with the Third Kingdom of Terel, also known as the Terelain Star Kingdom, with two lifeforms aboard in need of urgent medical attention and that the pod itself had sustained damage to its shielding and propulsion systems, though its life support systems remained intact.
Elsewhere, the remaining fighters and bombers from the Hand had fled the explosion and were regrouping further away from the wreckage, they detected the signal from the pod and the surviving thirteen bombers and nineteen interceptors went to guard the pod... the only one they'd been able to detect as having escaped from the Hand. The pilots knew their religious duties... and they each sang the elegy songs for the crew of the Hand and for their fellow pilots.
(Aboard the Modified Isaia Class Carrier RNV Aldareth)
Captain Sera Kalari was sat on her chair, listening to the grim message they'd just recived from the Hand of Terel, as well as waiting for her technicians to activate the back-up copy of the ship's AI that had been sent along with it.
"This is the Envoy class Diplomatic Cruiser Hand of Terel to any and all Terelain assets within communications range. We have come under attack by hostile forces of the HRA Empire, the Revered Elders Tynian and Amaar are aboard this ship and are wounded, defensive measure are failing. We are being boarded. I repeat, this is the Hand of Terel, we are being boarded by HRA hostiles. We are preparing for... for initiation of Gilau Protocol. If no further communications are recieved from this vessel assume successful initiation of Gilau Protocol. May the Younger Gods have mercy... we are at war. Teklem Eshet."
"Comms, open a channel, leave it open so the enemy can hear this too." She ordered.
"Aye sir." Her comms officer replied.
"This is Captain Sera Kalari of the Isaia class Carrier RNV Aldareth. We have recieved your distress signal and are enroute to assist. Do not initiate Gilau Protocol. I repeat do not initiate Gilau Protocol. The Jeria Eagles will assist you." She paused and then said, "To any and all vessels attacking the Hand of Terel, cease hostilities immediately and allow the ship to withdraw or I will blast you so hard you'll reach the Void in atom-sized pieces."
The captain turned to her helmsman, "ETA to signal origin point?"
"Thirty minutes if we stress the drives to their limit, captain." He reported.
"Get us there in twenty." She ordered, before activating the ship's internal comms, "All pilots prepare for combat launch on realspace re-entry. Prepare for possible immediate hostile action." She then turned to her tactical officer, "Have every gun on this ship ready to fire as soon as we arrive, I want the shields at full strength the instant we get there."
"What if we're too late and the Hand's already been captured or destroyed?" Her XO asked worriedly.
"Then we blast every Toren damned one of them to the Void and back." She growled, "I'm not letting a single damn cur live if the Elders are dead."
Braesk tried to grab something, but he couldn't really. He fell over, landing against the wall, and hitting his head. God, that hurt. He could feel a little bit of blood running down the side of his face, but not too much. And he knew that there wasn't going to be too many survivors from the Bismarck. There never could be.
"Captain... There's only around 60 survivors... from a crew of over 2 million," Braesk said in realization. There was just so many deaths today, more than anyone expected. And of course, there was going to be war. They would remember the Bismarck and the Yorktown, and avenge both.
****
Robbins was nearly dead as they pulled in to the hanger. He was bleeding from so many deep gashes, and had plasma burns on his skin from the enemy. Small boils had erupted from the places the gas got into, and he was just in horrible shape. Lysander, though, wasn't. He tore his helmet off, watching only 100 survivors walk out of their escape pods.
"Dear god... In the name of the Emperor, avenge these men," Lysander whispered to himself. Then he caught something. Someone broadcasted a help signal. Not just any signal, a long range one. That meant that the nearest ships would hear it. Dear god, this was not going to end well.
"Captain... There's only around 60 survivors... from a crew of over 2 million," Braesk said in realization. There was just so many deaths today, more than anyone expected. And of course, there was going to be war. They would remember the Bismarck and the Yorktown, and avenge both.
****
Robbins was nearly dead as they pulled in to the hanger. He was bleeding from so many deep gashes, and had plasma burns on his skin from the enemy. Small boils had erupted from the places the gas got into, and he was just in horrible shape. Lysander, though, wasn't. He tore his helmet off, watching only 100 survivors walk out of their escape pods.
"Dear god... In the name of the Emperor, avenge these men," Lysander whispered to himself. Then he caught something. Someone broadcasted a help signal. Not just any signal, a long range one. That meant that the nearest ships would hear it. Dear god, this was not going to end well.
"Captain Lysander!" A ship officer yelled, before finally getting a lock on him. "Ah, Captain Lysander, I am to escort you to the Captain. Please relinquish all of your weapons and armor, and follow me."
A marine detail similar to that of Captain Braesk arrived, and escorted Lysander to the Captain's medical ward.
* * *
"My decision for what to do with them is still the same Captain Braesk," Captain Alexei Nikoli declared. "If you haven't noticed, your ship smashed mine up and we just can't strain our resources at the moment."
There was a knock on the door, before it opened to the admittance of another ship officer and Lysander. The officer motioned for Lysander to step in, before leaving the three alone to themselves.
"Hello Captain Lysander, your people will get adequate treatment, but I'm dropping you on the planet you scorched," Captain Nikoli said bluntly and curt.
* * *
"Lieutenant, EM interference is clearing up and...yup...picking up distress signals from the Hand's lifepods," reported Briten. "And I'm picking up an unknown FTL signature on LRS, about 15 minutes out.
Lieutenant Nai'ti sighed and sagged her shoulders. "Our SAR mission duration surely just doubled. Get some craft out there, same orders. And send a standard greeting on all open channels. Ask for their identification, intentions, and let them known we've jurisdiction here."
Communication Officer Ty noted and got to work. "And you're right Nai'ti, be about several hours total, to sift through the wreckage and pick up the lifepods, before taking them off to Calypso."
"Ugh, going to be a long several hours," Nai'ti shook her head. "I wonder though. There seems to be some larger then normal small craft out there from the Bismarck. Let's see if they are capable of FTL jumps. Can probably cut down on recovery and transport time."
Ty nodded once again, eyes locked on his screen.
A marine detail similar to that of Captain Braesk arrived, and escorted Lysander to the Captain's medical ward.
* * *
"My decision for what to do with them is still the same Captain Braesk," Captain Alexei Nikoli declared. "If you haven't noticed, your ship smashed mine up and we just can't strain our resources at the moment."
There was a knock on the door, before it opened to the admittance of another ship officer and Lysander. The officer motioned for Lysander to step in, before leaving the three alone to themselves.
"Hello Captain Lysander, your people will get adequate treatment, but I'm dropping you on the planet you scorched," Captain Nikoli said bluntly and curt.
* * *
"Lieutenant, EM interference is clearing up and...yup...picking up distress signals from the Hand's lifepods," reported Briten. "And I'm picking up an unknown FTL signature on LRS, about 15 minutes out.
Lieutenant Nai'ti sighed and sagged her shoulders. "Our SAR mission duration surely just doubled. Get some craft out there, same orders. And send a standard greeting on all open channels. Ask for their identification, intentions, and let them known we've jurisdiction here."
Communication Officer Ty noted and got to work. "And you're right Nai'ti, be about several hours total, to sift through the wreckage and pick up the lifepods, before taking them off to Calypso."
"Ugh, going to be a long several hours," Nai'ti shook her head. "I wonder though. There seems to be some larger then normal small craft out there from the Bismarck. Let's see if they are capable of FTL jumps. Can probably cut down on recovery and transport time."
Ty nodded once again, eyes locked on his screen.
Isaia-class Carrier Royal Naval Vessel Aldareth
Service Date: 2338 AD-? [10389A, 3E by the reckoning of the ship’s crew]
Role: Capital-class Carier
Length: 6985 m
Height: 1460 m
Width: 2720 m
Class: Isaia-class
Decks: 35
Crew Complement: 5,000 Organics [156 Air-wing, 3200 Enlisted, 1000 Marines, 644 Officers] and two Artificial Intelligences (Ship’s original, plus Aelya).
Available Small Craft Squadrons:
72x Type VII Fang Class Interceptors (Six squadrons of twelve craft)
12x Chimera Prototype Multi-Role Fighters (One squadron of twelve)
36x Aetherhawk Class Heavy Bombers (Three squadrons of twelve)
Auxiliary Craft:
30x Shuttles
Defensive Capabilities:
500x Automated Point-Defence Turret Clusters (Even mixture of ballistic and energy weaponry per cluster)
Mark VII Adaptive Shield Matrix
Mark VI Emergency Plasma Shield
Mark V Ablative Armour
Offensive Capabilities:
5x Twin Plasma Projectile Cannons
12x Railgun Turrets
4x Dark Energy Projectors
1x Experimental ‘Cataclysm’ Railgun
Power Planet:
10x Cold Fusion Reactors
6x Type IV Mana Crystal Cores
Propulsion:
20x Sublight Ion Engines
142x Manoeuvring Thrusters
Aetheric FTL Jump Drive
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Constructed in the Great Shipyards of Harkesh in orbit of the great industrial world of the Star Kingdom in the Terelain home-system, Aera, the RNV Aldareth is named for a Terelain city in the west of the Terel’Liren region of their homeworld, the ancestral homeland of the Terelains. Based upon the iconic ‘Outspread Wings’ class of carrier from the Second Great War, the Isaia class retains the sleek aesthetic of a bird of prey in flight, being reminiscent of a hunting Aetherhawk, a bird of prey from the Terelain homeworld most closely resembling a Terran peregrine falcon.
Home to the famed Jeria Eagles; the Aldareth has a couple of experimental prototype fighters and weapons that are several years away from fleet-wide deployment. Some of the kinks have yet to be worked out in these prototypes, but for her class the vessel and her fighters are more than a match for anything of their size.
(I'll draw a picture of I can... but I don't think I can manage it the way I want it to go)
With a ripple of light and a bending of the laws of physics, the RNV Aldareth exited Aether-space a couple of hundred kilometers from the other vessels, immediately she began launching her fighters and bombers, her shields and weapons activate and ready for combat.
"Sir, detecting debris... a hell of a lot of debris... and two unknown starships in the area. The... the radiation patterns and composition the wreckage match the Hand and possibly another vessel as well... a very large vessel." The sensor officer reported solemnly
There was silence on the bridge for a moment as horror set in. There had been fifteen hundred men and women on that crew. It was the single largest loss of Terelain life since the Second Great War.
"Sir, picking up numerous small craft, looks to be search and rescue operations... as well as a beacon from a damaged life-pod from the Hand. A large number of small craft, fighters and bombers of ours, have taken up position around it." The sensor officer said.
"Order three squadrons to link up with the remnants of the Hand's escorts. Send a shuttle to tow the life-pod to the hangar... let's bring the survivors home." Captain Sera Kalari ordered, "open a channel with the fighters, I want a sit-rep."
"Sir, recieving communications from one of the unknown craft, heavily damaged. It is requesting identification sir. They identify as the Valhalla under some Coalition... they claim jurisdiction in this volume." The comms officer reported.
"Open a channel, visual and audio." She commanded, standing up, "This is Captain Sera Kalari of the Isaia class Carrier RNV Aldareth of the Third Kingdom of Terel we have recieved a distress signal from our diplomatic vessel and have come to assist... and now we find that we are too late and that they activated Gilau Protocol." There was cold anger bubbling in her voice, "I want to know who the hell attacked a neutral diplomatic ship... These... HRA..." She shook her head in disgust, "I want to know why they attacked a civilian ship. If I don't like the answer..." She growled low in her throat, "I'll make every one of them pay."
Service Date: 2338 AD-? [10389A, 3E by the reckoning of the ship’s crew]
Role: Capital-class Carier
Length: 6985 m
Height: 1460 m
Width: 2720 m
Class: Isaia-class
Decks: 35
Crew Complement: 5,000 Organics [156 Air-wing, 3200 Enlisted, 1000 Marines, 644 Officers] and two Artificial Intelligences (Ship’s original, plus Aelya).
Available Small Craft Squadrons:
72x Type VII Fang Class Interceptors (Six squadrons of twelve craft)
12x Chimera Prototype Multi-Role Fighters (One squadron of twelve)
36x Aetherhawk Class Heavy Bombers (Three squadrons of twelve)
Auxiliary Craft:
30x Shuttles
Defensive Capabilities:
500x Automated Point-Defence Turret Clusters (Even mixture of ballistic and energy weaponry per cluster)
Mark VII Adaptive Shield Matrix
Mark VI Emergency Plasma Shield
Mark V Ablative Armour
Offensive Capabilities:
5x Twin Plasma Projectile Cannons
12x Railgun Turrets
4x Dark Energy Projectors
1x Experimental ‘Cataclysm’ Railgun
Power Planet:
10x Cold Fusion Reactors
6x Type IV Mana Crystal Cores
Propulsion:
20x Sublight Ion Engines
142x Manoeuvring Thrusters
Aetheric FTL Jump Drive
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Constructed in the Great Shipyards of Harkesh in orbit of the great industrial world of the Star Kingdom in the Terelain home-system, Aera, the RNV Aldareth is named for a Terelain city in the west of the Terel’Liren region of their homeworld, the ancestral homeland of the Terelains. Based upon the iconic ‘Outspread Wings’ class of carrier from the Second Great War, the Isaia class retains the sleek aesthetic of a bird of prey in flight, being reminiscent of a hunting Aetherhawk, a bird of prey from the Terelain homeworld most closely resembling a Terran peregrine falcon.
Home to the famed Jeria Eagles; the Aldareth has a couple of experimental prototype fighters and weapons that are several years away from fleet-wide deployment. Some of the kinks have yet to be worked out in these prototypes, but for her class the vessel and her fighters are more than a match for anything of their size.
(I'll draw a picture of I can... but I don't think I can manage it the way I want it to go)
With a ripple of light and a bending of the laws of physics, the RNV Aldareth exited Aether-space a couple of hundred kilometers from the other vessels, immediately she began launching her fighters and bombers, her shields and weapons activate and ready for combat.
"Sir, detecting debris... a hell of a lot of debris... and two unknown starships in the area. The... the radiation patterns and composition the wreckage match the Hand and possibly another vessel as well... a very large vessel." The sensor officer reported solemnly
There was silence on the bridge for a moment as horror set in. There had been fifteen hundred men and women on that crew. It was the single largest loss of Terelain life since the Second Great War.
"Sir, picking up numerous small craft, looks to be search and rescue operations... as well as a beacon from a damaged life-pod from the Hand. A large number of small craft, fighters and bombers of ours, have taken up position around it." The sensor officer said.
"Order three squadrons to link up with the remnants of the Hand's escorts. Send a shuttle to tow the life-pod to the hangar... let's bring the survivors home." Captain Sera Kalari ordered, "open a channel with the fighters, I want a sit-rep."
"Sir, recieving communications from one of the unknown craft, heavily damaged. It is requesting identification sir. They identify as the Valhalla under some Coalition... they claim jurisdiction in this volume." The comms officer reported.
"Open a channel, visual and audio." She commanded, standing up, "This is Captain Sera Kalari of the Isaia class Carrier RNV Aldareth of the Third Kingdom of Terel we have recieved a distress signal from our diplomatic vessel and have come to assist... and now we find that we are too late and that they activated Gilau Protocol." There was cold anger bubbling in her voice, "I want to know who the hell attacked a neutral diplomatic ship... These... HRA..." She shook her head in disgust, "I want to know why they attacked a civilian ship. If I don't like the answer..." She growled low in her throat, "I'll make every one of them pay."
"Well, do you have any communications ability at all? I can't just let this go unnoticed! The nearest fleet MUST know! I fear that it's the only way both of us will get out of the place," Braesk said, and pointed towards the new carrier coming into view. Now he was worried beyond belief. With very little time on his hands, and almost no resources to spare, there wasn't much they would be able to do.
****
"Take my weapons, fine. I honestly don't care. Unfortunatly, Armour is something that might be just a tad too hard to take off, friend," Lysander spoke the truth. That armor took ten minutes to get on, and twenty to get off, and it required machinery that was on the Bismarck, not here. But he did follow him. "Can you help Robbins?"
****
Lysander walked in, and heard what he said. Of course they were going down there. That, or the gunships, which did in fact had FTL drives in them. Primitive ones, yes, but FTL jumps nonetheless. Perhaps better than these people's.
"Fine, but if you must know, we can sustain ourselves within our gunships. We have FTL drives, you know. Primitive, yes, but still, FTL drives."
****
"Take my weapons, fine. I honestly don't care. Unfortunatly, Armour is something that might be just a tad too hard to take off, friend," Lysander spoke the truth. That armor took ten minutes to get on, and twenty to get off, and it required machinery that was on the Bismarck, not here. But he did follow him. "Can you help Robbins?"
****
Lysander walked in, and heard what he said. Of course they were going down there. That, or the gunships, which did in fact had FTL drives in them. Primitive ones, yes, but FTL jumps nonetheless. Perhaps better than these people's.
"Fine, but if you must know, we can sustain ourselves within our gunships. We have FTL drives, you know. Primitive, yes, but still, FTL drives."
"You're going on the planet Captain and that's final!" Captain Nikoli barked. "I'm not going to haul your asses and waste resources WE need to make it to a repair dock. We've already sent a report to my superiors and a notification to get some support ships out here, but at the moment, with the communications lag, my decision is final. If anything, you can give us somewhere to shoot a message, but itll still be a while."
Captain Nikoli looked at the new vessel on the screen. "As far as these guests, you worry about your people and I'll worry about them. See about getting those jump capable ships ready to transport able bodied personal to the planet and set up, before we follow along."
* * *
"New contact," announced Briten, though they were already anticipating their arrival. "Picking up a massive launch of fighters and they just activated energy shielding. Trying to sift through the data, but its construction looks similar to those on the Hand and her tonnage puts her in the carrier class."
Lt. Nai'ti sighed, "Great. A hot headed idiot."
"Incoming message..."
"This is Captain Sera Kalari of the Isaia class Carrier RNV Aldareth of the Third Kingdom of Terel we have recieved a distress signal from our diplomatic vessel and have come to assist... and now we find that we are too late and that they activated Gilau Protocol." There was cold anger bubbling in her voice, "I want to know who the hell attacked a neutral diplomatic ship... These... HRA...I want to know why they attacked a civilian ship. If I don't like the answer..." She growled low in her throat, "I'll make every one of them pay."
Everyone on the deck saw the visual and they held their gasps. No wonder the crew on the Hand acted so uppity, they looked and seemed to be just like the Kitt'ane Dynasty!
Nai'ti was jut about to respond, when the Captain appeared, splitting the screen.
"Lieutenant, update?"
"We just got a message from a carrier class vessel of the Third Kingdom of Terel, demanding to know what happened to their ship," Nai'ti explained.
Captain Nikoli growled. This is exactly, the type of underhandedness, that caused the unnecessary destruction of the Hand in the first place.
"Patch me to them," the Captain ordered.
It took only a few seconds, before Captain Nikoli saw the visual link and he too had the same reaction.
They look and act like those damn Kitt'ane, no wonder, he thought.
"This is Captain Nikoli of the Coalition Alliance Vessel Valhalla," Nikoli announced. "Look Captain, I'm going to be short with you, as I have little care to explain, an unnecessary tragedy the Hand, brought upon itself. They involved themselves in a war dispute between the Coalition and HRA Empire, and failing to comply with with an order to withdraw from the battlefield. I am sorry, but they brought it upon themselves. We will transmit the logs of everything that's occurred and you can sort it out for yourself. We were commencing Search and Rescue operations of your people, but we will hand that over to you and tend to our own recover. You will not, I repeat not attempt recovery of any other craft, other than your own. And when you are finished, you will withdraw from the area."
Captain Nikoli paused to let all that settle in. he then gave a cold glance off screen, before returning his eyes back to the display.
"As far as avenging them Captain. Stand in line, because you are not the only one," Nikoli said coldly. "Should you require anything else within reason, you may contact us. Valhalla out."
Ty cut the link and the display of Captain Kalari disappeared.
"They look awfully like the Kitt'ane," Liala said, stating the obvious.
"Indeed, which makes me think, we will have to handle them either with a heavy hand or tip toe. Either way, continue with the SAR missions, set up the HRAs jump capable vessels with supplies so they can go on ahead and start ferrying missions and keep a sharp eye on them. Condition Two," the Captain stated.
"Aye aye," Nai'ti acknowledged.
The Captain was about to cut the link, when he remembered something.
"Oh before I forget, commendations and promotions have been sent in with the last report to High Command. I don't know if they will approve, but I recommended a few of your for battlefield promotions. Liala, despite your..."unique" situation, you've proven yourself very reliant and capable as an officer. I hereby promote you to the rank of Commander, and Executive Officer of the ship. Lieutenants Nai'ti, Briten, and Ty, I know its overdue, but I can't stress the brilliant work you've all done. You're all promoted to Lieutenant Commander. I wish the circumstances were better, and those lost were here to see it, but congratulations nonetheless."
"Thank you sir," they all stated, before he disappeared from the screen.
There was some congrats from the crew, but there was an eerie type of silence on the deck. It wasn't long before someone broke it.
"Wait...that means I can go cyber jaunting anymore!" Liala exclaimed.
Laughter and smiles, broke out on the deck, as Lieutenant Nai'ti shook her head.
"I guess not Commander," she quipped. "Meaning back to your body and your turn to take the big chair."
"Totally not fair," Liala quipped back.
"As Commander Cigol would say, "Navigator, fairness is merely randomness in a pattern we wish. However for me, I think it wholeheartedly fair I get to stretch my legs a bit,"" Ty chimed in.
More laughter filled the deck, and Liala, merely gave glares as she stood with her arms crossed.
"Alright you lot, back to work or I'm dishing out reprimands!"
Captain Nikoli looked at the new vessel on the screen. "As far as these guests, you worry about your people and I'll worry about them. See about getting those jump capable ships ready to transport able bodied personal to the planet and set up, before we follow along."
* * *
"New contact," announced Briten, though they were already anticipating their arrival. "Picking up a massive launch of fighters and they just activated energy shielding. Trying to sift through the data, but its construction looks similar to those on the Hand and her tonnage puts her in the carrier class."
Lt. Nai'ti sighed, "Great. A hot headed idiot."
"Incoming message..."
"This is Captain Sera Kalari of the Isaia class Carrier RNV Aldareth of the Third Kingdom of Terel we have recieved a distress signal from our diplomatic vessel and have come to assist... and now we find that we are too late and that they activated Gilau Protocol." There was cold anger bubbling in her voice, "I want to know who the hell attacked a neutral diplomatic ship... These... HRA...I want to know why they attacked a civilian ship. If I don't like the answer..." She growled low in her throat, "I'll make every one of them pay."
Everyone on the deck saw the visual and they held their gasps. No wonder the crew on the Hand acted so uppity, they looked and seemed to be just like the Kitt'ane Dynasty!
Nai'ti was jut about to respond, when the Captain appeared, splitting the screen.
"Lieutenant, update?"
"We just got a message from a carrier class vessel of the Third Kingdom of Terel, demanding to know what happened to their ship," Nai'ti explained.
Captain Nikoli growled. This is exactly, the type of underhandedness, that caused the unnecessary destruction of the Hand in the first place.
"Patch me to them," the Captain ordered.
It took only a few seconds, before Captain Nikoli saw the visual link and he too had the same reaction.
They look and act like those damn Kitt'ane, no wonder, he thought.
"This is Captain Nikoli of the Coalition Alliance Vessel Valhalla," Nikoli announced. "Look Captain, I'm going to be short with you, as I have little care to explain, an unnecessary tragedy the Hand, brought upon itself. They involved themselves in a war dispute between the Coalition and HRA Empire, and failing to comply with with an order to withdraw from the battlefield. I am sorry, but they brought it upon themselves. We will transmit the logs of everything that's occurred and you can sort it out for yourself. We were commencing Search and Rescue operations of your people, but we will hand that over to you and tend to our own recover. You will not, I repeat not attempt recovery of any other craft, other than your own. And when you are finished, you will withdraw from the area."
Captain Nikoli paused to let all that settle in. he then gave a cold glance off screen, before returning his eyes back to the display.
"As far as avenging them Captain. Stand in line, because you are not the only one," Nikoli said coldly. "Should you require anything else within reason, you may contact us. Valhalla out."
Ty cut the link and the display of Captain Kalari disappeared.
"They look awfully like the Kitt'ane," Liala said, stating the obvious.
"Indeed, which makes me think, we will have to handle them either with a heavy hand or tip toe. Either way, continue with the SAR missions, set up the HRAs jump capable vessels with supplies so they can go on ahead and start ferrying missions and keep a sharp eye on them. Condition Two," the Captain stated.
"Aye aye," Nai'ti acknowledged.
The Captain was about to cut the link, when he remembered something.
"Oh before I forget, commendations and promotions have been sent in with the last report to High Command. I don't know if they will approve, but I recommended a few of your for battlefield promotions. Liala, despite your..."unique" situation, you've proven yourself very reliant and capable as an officer. I hereby promote you to the rank of Commander, and Executive Officer of the ship. Lieutenants Nai'ti, Briten, and Ty, I know its overdue, but I can't stress the brilliant work you've all done. You're all promoted to Lieutenant Commander. I wish the circumstances were better, and those lost were here to see it, but congratulations nonetheless."
"Thank you sir," they all stated, before he disappeared from the screen.
There was some congrats from the crew, but there was an eerie type of silence on the deck. It wasn't long before someone broke it.
"Wait...that means I can go cyber jaunting anymore!" Liala exclaimed.
Laughter and smiles, broke out on the deck, as Lieutenant Nai'ti shook her head.
"I guess not Commander," she quipped. "Meaning back to your body and your turn to take the big chair."
"Totally not fair," Liala quipped back.
"As Commander Cigol would say, "Navigator, fairness is merely randomness in a pattern we wish. However for me, I think it wholeheartedly fair I get to stretch my legs a bit,"" Ty chimed in.
More laughter filled the deck, and Liala, merely gave glares as she stood with her arms crossed.
"Alright you lot, back to work or I'm dishing out reprimands!"
System Restart
Cognitive Matrices re-initialising
"Oh my aching matrices..." Aelya moaned, "I hate squeezing myself into a comms-packet. I always feel like I've been put through the Trial of The Blade"
"Welcome back, Chief, it's good to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances." The Aldareth's AI said.
Information exploded into Aelya's cognitive Matrix as the rest of her systems came online, there was a momentary disorientation, she felt almost dizzy and the virtual equivalent of stars bursting in front of her eyes was not helping what amounted to a massive migraine, "Euthyra? That you? How've you been Tac-Com?"
"Not too bad... better than you it seems." The other AI replied, a smirk evident in her perception of him, but then he took on a saddened 'expression', "The Hand of Terel was destroyed, Gilau Protocol successful. The enemy vessel identified as Bismarck by your memory logs is destroyed, estimated at near 100% fatalities. Survivors from the Hand are the pilots of the strike craft you launched and the Elders. They're being treated in the medical bay right now."
"Terenen shield us... I had hoped..." Aelya 'sighed', "Understood. What now?"
"We just recieved a transmission from the Valhalla. It should be through the comms system soon and the captain will hear it. She'll probably want to review the situation. You need to be debriefed." He replied.
"I'll download all the security recordings from the Hand. She can make her own mind up about Robbins and the HRA. Damn me but if Nariel hadn't been stupid enough to threaten war on them if they didn't stop... for a Revered Elder she can be gods-damned stupid when she gets angry." Aelya 'sighed' again, "This could have been avoided... if Nariel hadn't lost it... if that Robbins idiot hadn't over-reacted and started killing people..."
"Unless you have a timeship handy, there's not much we can do about it... and no one's bothered to test out the theories. The gods know we don't want anyone mucking about with our timeline." He said, "I'll hand over the files to the captain... you just... rest up, okay?"
"Thank you... Thyr. Shall I take that as an order, sir?" She replied with a weary 'smile'.
"You still outrank me Chief, just take it as a friendly suggestion." he said.
"This is Captain Nikoli of the Coalition Alliance Vessel Valhalla," Nikoli announced. "Look Captain, I'm going to be short with you, as I have little care to explain, an unnecessary tragedy the Hand, brought upon itself. They involved themselves in a war dispute between the Coalition and HRA Empire, and failing to comply with with an order to withdraw from the battlefield. I am sorry, but they brought it upon themselves. We will transmit the logs of everything that's occurred and you can sort it out for yourself. We were commencing Search and Rescue operations of your people, but we will hand that over to you and tend to our own recover. You will not, I repeat not attempt recovery of any other craft, other than your own. And when you are finished, you will withdraw from the area. As far as avenging them Captain. Stand in line, because you are not the only one," Nikoli said coldly. "Should you require anything else within reason, you may contact us. Valhalla out."
Captain Sera brought up he logs that Nikoli had transmitted, as well as the logs from the Hand of Terel that the newly re-activated AI had sent to her and looked over them. Her expression grew darker the more she read the transcripts and watched the security footage, "Sweet Mother Tara... what have they done?" She whispered to herself in mounting horror, "War... another war... all because one man got over-confident and stupid and one woman got angry."
She deactivated the holographic displays and then turned to her comms officer, "Call the Valhalla again." She said quietly, once the channel was established she said, "Captain Nikoli, this is Sera Kalari." She seemed less angry now and just... drained by what she had seen and read, "Father Terel help me because I don't know what the hell to do. I... I'm sending a couple of log files over from the Hand. Robbins' interview with the Elders as well as what happened on the bridge... and the aftermath throughout the ship. I think we can both agree that what happened here did not need to happen. My people... we... we have seen war, captain, as your kind no doubt has... we have seen terrible things, things... things that do not bear repeating. We have long seen it as our duty to try to prevent wars... to stop other species making our mistakes. We sponsored an organisation called the Interstellar Senate back in our region of space because of this. Here... here the Hand attempted to open diplomatic dialogue and recieved wounded from the Bismarck, just as they would have taken on your own wounded, and then attempt to mediate the conflict. Even when they knew they had failed, they withdrew from the area and contacted Robbins so that he could explain the actions of his people, and when your ship almost rammed the Hand Elder Amaar grew... angry. Irrationally so. More than anyone alive today she and her husband suffered terribly because of war. This led to her threatening, bluffing, against Robbins to try and force some end to the fighting so that some kind of peace settlement could be reached. Instead Robbins attacked her... and it resulted in... subsequent events."
Captain Kalari spread her hands, "Both sides are at fault, that much I admit. My leaders should not have lost their tempers, they should not have done anything to provoke the HRA... but the HRA themselves over-reacted to their provocation. They slaughtered unarmed civilians, they used mustard gas and flamethrowers. For such crimes... you must understand that I cannot allow Robbins and this... Captain Lysander to go unpunished for it. For these war-crimes, I would ask that you hand these two men into my custody for trial for crimes against my people... they will be returned to you for your own trials if that is what you wish." She shook her head, "I don't know what other course to take, Captain. My people will demand that I take some action. I cannot return to Aerin without something to show for this."
Cognitive Matrices re-initialising
"Oh my aching matrices..." Aelya moaned, "I hate squeezing myself into a comms-packet. I always feel like I've been put through the Trial of The Blade"
"Welcome back, Chief, it's good to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances." The Aldareth's AI said.
Information exploded into Aelya's cognitive Matrix as the rest of her systems came online, there was a momentary disorientation, she felt almost dizzy and the virtual equivalent of stars bursting in front of her eyes was not helping what amounted to a massive migraine, "Euthyra? That you? How've you been Tac-Com?"
"Not too bad... better than you it seems." The other AI replied, a smirk evident in her perception of him, but then he took on a saddened 'expression', "The Hand of Terel was destroyed, Gilau Protocol successful. The enemy vessel identified as Bismarck by your memory logs is destroyed, estimated at near 100% fatalities. Survivors from the Hand are the pilots of the strike craft you launched and the Elders. They're being treated in the medical bay right now."
"Terenen shield us... I had hoped..." Aelya 'sighed', "Understood. What now?"
"We just recieved a transmission from the Valhalla. It should be through the comms system soon and the captain will hear it. She'll probably want to review the situation. You need to be debriefed." He replied.
"I'll download all the security recordings from the Hand. She can make her own mind up about Robbins and the HRA. Damn me but if Nariel hadn't been stupid enough to threaten war on them if they didn't stop... for a Revered Elder she can be gods-damned stupid when she gets angry." Aelya 'sighed' again, "This could have been avoided... if Nariel hadn't lost it... if that Robbins idiot hadn't over-reacted and started killing people..."
"Unless you have a timeship handy, there's not much we can do about it... and no one's bothered to test out the theories. The gods know we don't want anyone mucking about with our timeline." He said, "I'll hand over the files to the captain... you just... rest up, okay?"
"Thank you... Thyr. Shall I take that as an order, sir?" She replied with a weary 'smile'.
"You still outrank me Chief, just take it as a friendly suggestion." he said.
***
"This is Captain Nikoli of the Coalition Alliance Vessel Valhalla," Nikoli announced. "Look Captain, I'm going to be short with you, as I have little care to explain, an unnecessary tragedy the Hand, brought upon itself. They involved themselves in a war dispute between the Coalition and HRA Empire, and failing to comply with with an order to withdraw from the battlefield. I am sorry, but they brought it upon themselves. We will transmit the logs of everything that's occurred and you can sort it out for yourself. We were commencing Search and Rescue operations of your people, but we will hand that over to you and tend to our own recover. You will not, I repeat not attempt recovery of any other craft, other than your own. And when you are finished, you will withdraw from the area. As far as avenging them Captain. Stand in line, because you are not the only one," Nikoli said coldly. "Should you require anything else within reason, you may contact us. Valhalla out."
Captain Sera brought up he logs that Nikoli had transmitted, as well as the logs from the Hand of Terel that the newly re-activated AI had sent to her and looked over them. Her expression grew darker the more she read the transcripts and watched the security footage, "Sweet Mother Tara... what have they done?" She whispered to herself in mounting horror, "War... another war... all because one man got over-confident and stupid and one woman got angry."
She deactivated the holographic displays and then turned to her comms officer, "Call the Valhalla again." She said quietly, once the channel was established she said, "Captain Nikoli, this is Sera Kalari." She seemed less angry now and just... drained by what she had seen and read, "Father Terel help me because I don't know what the hell to do. I... I'm sending a couple of log files over from the Hand. Robbins' interview with the Elders as well as what happened on the bridge... and the aftermath throughout the ship. I think we can both agree that what happened here did not need to happen. My people... we... we have seen war, captain, as your kind no doubt has... we have seen terrible things, things... things that do not bear repeating. We have long seen it as our duty to try to prevent wars... to stop other species making our mistakes. We sponsored an organisation called the Interstellar Senate back in our region of space because of this. Here... here the Hand attempted to open diplomatic dialogue and recieved wounded from the Bismarck, just as they would have taken on your own wounded, and then attempt to mediate the conflict. Even when they knew they had failed, they withdrew from the area and contacted Robbins so that he could explain the actions of his people, and when your ship almost rammed the Hand Elder Amaar grew... angry. Irrationally so. More than anyone alive today she and her husband suffered terribly because of war. This led to her threatening, bluffing, against Robbins to try and force some end to the fighting so that some kind of peace settlement could be reached. Instead Robbins attacked her... and it resulted in... subsequent events."
Captain Kalari spread her hands, "Both sides are at fault, that much I admit. My leaders should not have lost their tempers, they should not have done anything to provoke the HRA... but the HRA themselves over-reacted to their provocation. They slaughtered unarmed civilians, they used mustard gas and flamethrowers. For such crimes... you must understand that I cannot allow Robbins and this... Captain Lysander to go unpunished for it. For these war-crimes, I would ask that you hand these two men into my custody for trial for crimes against my people... they will be returned to you for your own trials if that is what you wish." She shook her head, "I don't know what other course to take, Captain. My people will demand that I take some action. I cannot return to Aerin without something to show for this."
"And they are calling again," Ty noted.
Navigator Liala, shook her head. "I thought the Captain was pretty clear on everything..."
"Seems not," Ty said. "Patching it through."
"Captain Nikoli, this is Sera Kalari. Father Terel help me because I don't know what the hell to do. I... I'm sending a couple of log files over from the Hand. Robbins' interview with the Elders as well as what happened on the bridge... and the aftermath throughout the ship. I think we can both agree that what happened here did not need to happen. My people... we... we have seen war, captain, as your kind no doubt has... we have seen terrible things, things... things that do not bear repeating. We have long seen it as our duty to try to prevent wars... to stop other species making our mistakes. We sponsored an organisation called the Interstellar Senate back in our region of space because of this. Here... here the Hand attempted to open diplomatic dialogue and recieved wounded from the Bismarck, just as they would have taken on your own wounded, and then attempt to mediate the conflict. Even when they knew they had failed, they withdrew from the area and contacted Robbins so that he could explain the actions of his people, and when your ship almost rammed the Hand Elder Amaar grew... angry. Irrationally so. More than anyone alive today she and her husband suffered terribly because of war. This led to her threatening, bluffing, against Robbins to try and force some end to the fighting so that some kind of peace settlement could be reached. Instead Robbins attacked her... and it resulted in... subsequent events. Both sides are at fault, that much I admit. My leaders should not have lost their tempers, they should not have done anything to provoke the HRA... but the HRA themselves over-reacted to their provocation. They slaughtered unarmed civilians, they used mustard gas and flamethrowers. For such crimes... you must understand that I cannot allow Robbins and this... Captain Lysander to go unpunished for it. For these war-crimes, I would ask that you hand these two men into my custody for trial for crimes against my people... they will be returned to you for your own trials if that is what you wish." She shook her head, "I don't know what other course to take, Captain. My people will demand that I take some action. I cannot return to Aerin without something to show for this."
"Why am I not surprised. Of course they'll want someone to hang," said Liala as she, sighed and rubbed her temples.
"We said similar to the Elder on the Hand. Can't blame them," newly promoted Lt. Commander Nai'ti interjected. "However, I doubt the Captain will allow it."
"Yup, you're damn right," Liala agreed. "Ty, channel for response and let the Captain aware of whats up too."
Ty nodded and Commander Liala, put on her best command face. Which was seemed very casual and annoyed.
"Captain, Commander Liala, Executive Officer her," Liala announced. "We were aware of the..."complications" the Hand were experiencing, however they refused any of our attempts at mediation and assistance. Just as the Captain mentioned however, the Hand, furthered their involvement unnecessarily after their assistance was denied. Your people's logs further prove that they put themselves in a position which inevitable lead to their destruction."
Commander Liala paused, her eyes locked on the screen and face sadden.
"I am sorry Captain, but your request is denied. We have jurisdiction here. They transgressed upon a Coalition colony full of civilians and completely eradicated it. No, they need to see justice in the courts of the Coalition and charged accordingly. Until then, since they willing surrendered themselves to us, they are under our protective custody, until handed off. You may if you wish, wait until a dispatch is received from the government and you can send your protest."
Liala clicked off the link and slumped into the command chair.
"They are totally not going to like that response."
"Not much we can do. Orders are orders, and we've to follow them just the same," said Ty.
Ugh, still..." Liala said, as she crossed her legs. "We can't afford, nor can we moderately hope to combat against them should they try to take them by force."
"Then it would kind of make them hypocritical don't you think? And, pretty much place us back at square one," Lt. Nai'ti chimed. "Either way, if they are like the Kitt'ane, they'll probably try to bully their way to what they want, with the "I'm older than you" card."
"Pfft, well they have a surprise in for them," Liala said ending that conversation. "How's the SARs?"
"Slowly but surely," reported Ty. "They actually do have a few jump ships, so we're getting them loaded up now. And I do believe we are almost finished scanning for pods."
"Good work everyone," praised the new Commander.
Navigator Liala, shook her head. "I thought the Captain was pretty clear on everything..."
"Seems not," Ty said. "Patching it through."
"Captain Nikoli, this is Sera Kalari. Father Terel help me because I don't know what the hell to do. I... I'm sending a couple of log files over from the Hand. Robbins' interview with the Elders as well as what happened on the bridge... and the aftermath throughout the ship. I think we can both agree that what happened here did not need to happen. My people... we... we have seen war, captain, as your kind no doubt has... we have seen terrible things, things... things that do not bear repeating. We have long seen it as our duty to try to prevent wars... to stop other species making our mistakes. We sponsored an organisation called the Interstellar Senate back in our region of space because of this. Here... here the Hand attempted to open diplomatic dialogue and recieved wounded from the Bismarck, just as they would have taken on your own wounded, and then attempt to mediate the conflict. Even when they knew they had failed, they withdrew from the area and contacted Robbins so that he could explain the actions of his people, and when your ship almost rammed the Hand Elder Amaar grew... angry. Irrationally so. More than anyone alive today she and her husband suffered terribly because of war. This led to her threatening, bluffing, against Robbins to try and force some end to the fighting so that some kind of peace settlement could be reached. Instead Robbins attacked her... and it resulted in... subsequent events. Both sides are at fault, that much I admit. My leaders should not have lost their tempers, they should not have done anything to provoke the HRA... but the HRA themselves over-reacted to their provocation. They slaughtered unarmed civilians, they used mustard gas and flamethrowers. For such crimes... you must understand that I cannot allow Robbins and this... Captain Lysander to go unpunished for it. For these war-crimes, I would ask that you hand these two men into my custody for trial for crimes against my people... they will be returned to you for your own trials if that is what you wish." She shook her head, "I don't know what other course to take, Captain. My people will demand that I take some action. I cannot return to Aerin without something to show for this."
"Why am I not surprised. Of course they'll want someone to hang," said Liala as she, sighed and rubbed her temples.
"We said similar to the Elder on the Hand. Can't blame them," newly promoted Lt. Commander Nai'ti interjected. "However, I doubt the Captain will allow it."
"Yup, you're damn right," Liala agreed. "Ty, channel for response and let the Captain aware of whats up too."
Ty nodded and Commander Liala, put on her best command face. Which was seemed very casual and annoyed.
"Captain, Commander Liala, Executive Officer her," Liala announced. "We were aware of the..."complications" the Hand were experiencing, however they refused any of our attempts at mediation and assistance. Just as the Captain mentioned however, the Hand, furthered their involvement unnecessarily after their assistance was denied. Your people's logs further prove that they put themselves in a position which inevitable lead to their destruction."
Commander Liala paused, her eyes locked on the screen and face sadden.
"I am sorry Captain, but your request is denied. We have jurisdiction here. They transgressed upon a Coalition colony full of civilians and completely eradicated it. No, they need to see justice in the courts of the Coalition and charged accordingly. Until then, since they willing surrendered themselves to us, they are under our protective custody, until handed off. You may if you wish, wait until a dispatch is received from the government and you can send your protest."
Liala clicked off the link and slumped into the command chair.
"They are totally not going to like that response."
"Not much we can do. Orders are orders, and we've to follow them just the same," said Ty.
Ugh, still..." Liala said, as she crossed her legs. "We can't afford, nor can we moderately hope to combat against them should they try to take them by force."
"Then it would kind of make them hypocritical don't you think? And, pretty much place us back at square one," Lt. Nai'ti chimed. "Either way, if they are like the Kitt'ane, they'll probably try to bully their way to what they want, with the "I'm older than you" card."
"Pfft, well they have a surprise in for them," Liala said ending that conversation. "How's the SARs?"
"Slowly but surely," reported Ty. "They actually do have a few jump ships, so we're getting them loaded up now. And I do believe we are almost finished scanning for pods."
"Good work everyone," praised the new Commander.
"Captain, Commander Liala, Executive Officer her," Liala announced. "We were aware of the..."complications" the Hand were experiencing, however they refused any of our attempts at mediation and assistance. Just as the Captain mentioned however, the Hand, furthered their involvement unnecessarily after their assistance was denied. Your people's logs further prove that they put themselves in a position which inevitable lead to their destruction. I am sorry Captain, but your request is denied. We have jurisdiction here. They transgressed upon a Coalition colony full of civilians and completely eradicated it. No, they need to see justice in the courts of the Coalition and charged accordingly. Until then, since they willing surrendered themselves to us, they are under our protective custody, until handed off. You may if you wish, wait until a dispatch is received from the government and you can send your protest."
The holographicview-screen lickered out of existence as the link terminated and Captain Kalari sighed, sitting in her chair, slumping into it, "I expected as much." She said to no one in particular, "Well, I made overtures, the government is just going to be happy with that. I'm not going to go in heavy-handed and makes demands of these people... we lost one ship and fifteen hundred lives. They lost an entire colony, and probably many more people than we did."
"Sir, the King is not going to be happy about any of this." Her Executive Officer, Commander Esen Ilendi said, "Shouldn't we at least say something in response to this?"
"On what grounds? The Hand brought it upon themselves andd the HRa crimes against the Coalition Alliance outweigh ours... besides, we're in their territory. Their laws apply here, not ours... and they aren't members of the Senate so we can't drawupon its authority here anyway." She replied, "Just make sure we've retrieved everything we can from the Hand and recall the strike craft. We've got no hostiles here... and lower the weapons... keep the shields though, I don't have a habit of lowering my shields."
Her XO gave her a disapproving look but nodded, "Aye sir."
"You don't have to like it, Esen. You just have to follow orders." She told him bluntly, "I'm not treading on anyone's toes here. I think one internation inciden and diplomatic disaster is enough for one day, don't you?"
He nodded, "Aye sir... but you shouldn't allow them to order us about. We're the oldest extant civilisation int eh known galaxy for the love of the Ancestors. We deseve more respect."
"In the Known Galaxy." She reminded him, "We're out in the deep Frontier here, there's very little known about the regions beyond Senate Space. For all we know this coalition Alliance might predate us somehow. Besides, just because we've been around for a couple of thousand years doesn't make us suddenly the masters of the galaxy."
She turned to her comms officer, "Signal the Valhalla, inform them hat we acknowledge their jurisdiction and their primacy in this incident... we will not attempt to retrieve the HRA men. Let's not let them think that every Terelain is a pompous arrogant busybody with a streak of vainglory a parsec wide." She sighed, "Then contact Aerin, tell them the situation, give them all the files we have, the sensor logs of the wreckage, the Hand's footage and sensor logs of the Bismarck and its capabilities. Everything. Heavy encryption, cycle it through Ancient Terelain, bounce it off a few of the military comms relays. Let's not let anyone listen in, and don't lt any of these Coalition or HRA people trace it to Aerin. Let's not give them a straight path back home if we can help it."
"Aye sir." Her comms officer replied.
In the medbay, Elder Nathaniel Tynian cracked his eyes open slowly, a groan of pain slipping from him as he tried to sit up slowly. His entire body felt like it was on-fire, a med-tech rushed over, "Revered Elder! Don't try to move, you've been hurt pretty badly."
"My wife?" He asked hoarsely, "Nariel... is she okay?"
"I'm hre, Dearheart." She said softly from the bed near him, a weak smile on her face, "They got the bullets out of me... I'm not in as bad a shape as you are... the... the Hand is gone."
He slumped back on the bed, tired, in pain, "I know."
There were tears in Elder Nariel Amaar-Tynian's eyes, "What have I done, Dear One? Ancestors forgive me... what have I done?"
"War... that's what you've done... war with these... these HRA." He told her, "And if today was any indication... it shall be a Third Great War."
"You shouldn't have saved me, Beloved. I should be before Ilaris, answering for this." she said with a sob, "I've brought us to war! After everything we suffered... after losing my father, your parents... our children to war and... I've led us to it again."
"It is done." He said firmly, "You could not have known that Robbins would have reacted as he did. The Kingdom is at war again, but we have seen it before. We will endure it... as we have endued every other tribulation these past twenty three millennia."
"But it's still my fault... I shouldn't have theatend him." She said, "I'm a diplomat for the love of the Three Sisters... I knew it whilst I was saying it... some part of me just knew."
"We can't change what is and what was, Dearheart... only what will be. Perhaps there will still be time to stop this... but if not, we will still fight to protect our people." He told her, "It is your duty."
The holographicview-screen lickered out of existence as the link terminated and Captain Kalari sighed, sitting in her chair, slumping into it, "I expected as much." She said to no one in particular, "Well, I made overtures, the government is just going to be happy with that. I'm not going to go in heavy-handed and makes demands of these people... we lost one ship and fifteen hundred lives. They lost an entire colony, and probably many more people than we did."
"Sir, the King is not going to be happy about any of this." Her Executive Officer, Commander Esen Ilendi said, "Shouldn't we at least say something in response to this?"
"On what grounds? The Hand brought it upon themselves andd the HRa crimes against the Coalition Alliance outweigh ours... besides, we're in their territory. Their laws apply here, not ours... and they aren't members of the Senate so we can't drawupon its authority here anyway." She replied, "Just make sure we've retrieved everything we can from the Hand and recall the strike craft. We've got no hostiles here... and lower the weapons... keep the shields though, I don't have a habit of lowering my shields."
Her XO gave her a disapproving look but nodded, "Aye sir."
"You don't have to like it, Esen. You just have to follow orders." She told him bluntly, "I'm not treading on anyone's toes here. I think one internation inciden and diplomatic disaster is enough for one day, don't you?"
He nodded, "Aye sir... but you shouldn't allow them to order us about. We're the oldest extant civilisation int eh known galaxy for the love of the Ancestors. We deseve more respect."
"In the Known Galaxy." She reminded him, "We're out in the deep Frontier here, there's very little known about the regions beyond Senate Space. For all we know this coalition Alliance might predate us somehow. Besides, just because we've been around for a couple of thousand years doesn't make us suddenly the masters of the galaxy."
She turned to her comms officer, "Signal the Valhalla, inform them hat we acknowledge their jurisdiction and their primacy in this incident... we will not attempt to retrieve the HRA men. Let's not let them think that every Terelain is a pompous arrogant busybody with a streak of vainglory a parsec wide." She sighed, "Then contact Aerin, tell them the situation, give them all the files we have, the sensor logs of the wreckage, the Hand's footage and sensor logs of the Bismarck and its capabilities. Everything. Heavy encryption, cycle it through Ancient Terelain, bounce it off a few of the military comms relays. Let's not let anyone listen in, and don't lt any of these Coalition or HRA people trace it to Aerin. Let's not give them a straight path back home if we can help it."
"Aye sir." Her comms officer replied.
In the medbay, Elder Nathaniel Tynian cracked his eyes open slowly, a groan of pain slipping from him as he tried to sit up slowly. His entire body felt like it was on-fire, a med-tech rushed over, "Revered Elder! Don't try to move, you've been hurt pretty badly."
"My wife?" He asked hoarsely, "Nariel... is she okay?"
"I'm hre, Dearheart." She said softly from the bed near him, a weak smile on her face, "They got the bullets out of me... I'm not in as bad a shape as you are... the... the Hand is gone."
He slumped back on the bed, tired, in pain, "I know."
There were tears in Elder Nariel Amaar-Tynian's eyes, "What have I done, Dear One? Ancestors forgive me... what have I done?"
"War... that's what you've done... war with these... these HRA." He told her, "And if today was any indication... it shall be a Third Great War."
"You shouldn't have saved me, Beloved. I should be before Ilaris, answering for this." she said with a sob, "I've brought us to war! After everything we suffered... after losing my father, your parents... our children to war and... I've led us to it again."
"It is done." He said firmly, "You could not have known that Robbins would have reacted as he did. The Kingdom is at war again, but we have seen it before. We will endure it... as we have endued every other tribulation these past twenty three millennia."
"But it's still my fault... I shouldn't have theatend him." She said, "I'm a diplomat for the love of the Three Sisters... I knew it whilst I was saying it... some part of me just knew."
"We can't change what is and what was, Dearheart... only what will be. Perhaps there will still be time to stop this... but if not, we will still fight to protect our people." He told her, "It is your duty."
((And this concludes this first trump in Interstellar Wayfarers! Thank for everyone who participated, as I surely had fun.
In the coming hours, a new thread will pop up and though the "main arc" seems to be coming of war, remember anyone can still partake and join in on the fun.
Thanks guys!
Stay tune for "Interstellar Wayfarers: War March Unto Darkness"))
In the coming hours, a new thread will pop up and though the "main arc" seems to be coming of war, remember anyone can still partake and join in on the fun.
Thanks guys!
Stay tune for "Interstellar Wayfarers: War March Unto Darkness"))
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