Starfall Tears (Combine, Open)

February 8th, OE 102
2:30 PM DST
L2-Luna Space Corridor
Albatross Class "Abraham"


"...and so, as you can see Director Khatri, our people are merely humble refugees."

It had been a rushed, impromptu meeting, thought the Director. Formal looking decor had hurriedly been thrown about their best quarters to receive the "Guests", with no idea of what they could expect.

What could you expect from "First Contact", really?

Across from him say Meyven Madin, the alien medals on his chest gleaming in the light almost as brightly as his smile. From what he had gathered so far, the man would normally look quite different but... The aliens had some kind of technology that reconfigured their bodies to communicate with other organisms en route to their planet? Absolutely astounding - and if he didn't have the proof before him, he never would have believed it.

A Sikh man of middle age with a thick-set jaw, stocky in stature and long in beard, he blinked skeptically from behind his glasses as he scratched away at his paper. Some would have preferred the digital accoutrements, but he was a traditionalist - even surrounded as the two were by countless holographic charts, images and the like. He raised his pen airily, jabbing at a diagram of the Uyudaro Class ship that was home to the aformentioned refugees, frozen in cryo-stasis.

"Is that, Mister Meyven, why your ship has a massive cannon on the front of it?" He asked, uncertainly.

The Meyven nodded, having expected this question.

"...We didn't have the liberty of choice, Director." He said with a shake of his head.

"I believe the Earth expression is "Any port in a storm?" ...The weapon system can be disabled if we are required to do so."

He sighed. Although it was a concession he had been warned not to make, as it was well known there were powerful pockets of anti-Alien sentiment among the local populace... If it would ensure peace, he would take accountability.

"All we seek is for our people to be resettled. To give our children lives of peace, much like your own." He pressed; "We have much to share with you..."

The Meyven extended a hand, solemnly.

"...If you are willing to take my hand in friendship."

It hung there in the air, regarded quietly by Khatri. Clearing his throat, the Director rose, gathering his notepad, giving Madin a glance as he did, saying:

"I must first verify with my superiors, but..."

Ah. Perhaps he had been presumptuous. Still, Madin felt a lump in his throat momentarily, as disappointment began to set in-

But was surprised to feel the warmth of a palm against his own, as Khatri met his grip. His own features were warm and genuine, as he said firmly:

"We shall do what we can."

Madin could barely hear his own thoughts over the din of chattering cameras, and the sudden clamor of the assembled press fell upon him like the most triumphant roar.

---

Hiryu Kai Main Bridge

"Sounds like negotiations are going well."

Captain Harris reclined in her - now official Captain's chair, picking happily away at her lunchbox. Life was good, she thought - despite running full tilt into the Directory main fleet, somehow nobody had managed to get hurt. Both their own fleet, comprised of the Uyudaro Class and the Hiryu, and the Directory's six Albatross Class battleships were comfortably side by side, and all was quiet. Even better, Director Khatri had apologized for the earlier matter with Admiral Benton - and as a sign of good faith, had placed her in charge of cleaning up the Directory's Space Forces, placing her formally in command of the Hiryu.

"Can you believe this, Mister Cicero?"

"Hmph."

The blonde Colonist looked upon the scenery with a little more skepticism than the Captain, his own thoughts elsewhere as he ran a hand across his waves of blonde hair, causing her shoulder to sink in disappointment.

As an Agent of the Circle, this was what he had worked to lay the groundwork for. Of course, he thought, despite some... unexpected interruptions from the Lamalice and those terrorists from the "other side", all things considered it had gone off without a hitch. Now, he wondered...

What was to become of him, now that his purpose, his function, was complete?

Would he meet the same end as others who knew more than they needed to?

To be decommissioned...?

"Ack."

He gave a small yelp as a pair of chopsticks jabbed into his side, Harris glaring up at him irritably.

"Hey. If you want to be a killjoy, go do it somewhere else. After everything we've been through, a little peace is what we all need."

Cicero only gave her a sad, strange smile as he turned to leave, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yes." He said quietly, the elevator doors closing behind to leave him peace as he watched his own reflection.

"I suppose it is."

Inside the Hiryu Kai's hangar a new face was participating in the festivities, and while among the humans she was not one herself. Granted such a thing was not something one was able to tell with the naked eye as her form was sculpted into the image of humanity by the pod from which she awoke. Something she was slightly frustrated at, not the looking like humanity part that is.

But instead it was the shift in hair color, the last outing the native hair colors were much more interesting and technicolor it made an interesting spectrum of sights. It was a shame to not be able to look at a group and see a veritable tide of color anymore. Humanity still had some of that sure but well. Notably less so. She would cope however, because humanity exceeded her last outing in one notable way. At least in her mind, and to those watching her as she was busy making a collection of samples on a plate she had collected from the celebrations. Held at a near if not fully perfect ninety degree angle with one hand as she sipped the provided drink with the other.

Given her clothing was very much in line with that of the Circle's forces instead of the resident humans, she stood out quite a lot. But that was fine, because even if she didn't the machine she had brought in for refueling sitting off to the side, the 'Getviewm', most certainly was. Its almost demonic form lurking to the side, standing quite sharply in contrast to the other designs the Circle had showcased during their interference in the defense of L4. Now of course.. That was something she had more genuine frustrations over. Apparently she had only been unfrozen after first contact, which didn't make her glad as she had yet to see any real combat since she was picked up. Something made adequately clear by the medals, or rather lack thereof, on her form. There was but one reflective surface that was not automatically part of her clothing. A badge on her hat, indicating her as a Lance Corporal, what could adequately be called the lowest ranking of the Circle's military forces.

But in spite of all those woes- this was adequate recompense, she loved meeting new peoples from across the stars and a gathering of this size practically made her giddy. A whole new planet with culture and history to learn from, she internally thought, what things could there be to learn about its past. So taking a swig of the cheap drink provided, even if she didn't know how cheap it truly was, her eyes passed over the conversations and discussions, seeing where she could enter one or where someone not in one stood. She was going to make the most of this day one way or another.
For which the pods were quite useful, to get a grasp of the human tongue without having spoken it. So picking up one piece of food from her plate with her pinky and ring finger then bringing it up to her mouth carefully to not spill her drink, she set off to find herself a conversation partner.

Uyudaro Class "Tantra"
B-4 Dock (Under Construction)
1:30 PM

Cold water slashed across her face, causing Eris Pseudea to awaken with a start. It was dark, with just a handful of emergency lights filling a large, dark hangar. The freezing, biting chill of the place immediately set in - but as her eyes adjusted, she became aware of the thick, ropy cable-like cords lashed about her wrists and ankles. She stared at them for a moment, wild eyed, as panic began to set in-

Movement in the dark. She flattened herself against the wall, every breath sending out a puff of white into the frigid gloom. The sound of footsteps as someone drew close-

And at length, a child came into view. Eris could only stare, dumbfounded at the girl with long, wavey orange-blonde hair, clutching her red backpack tightly in one hand, who looked back at her with... an expression, she thought, that was both childish and yet something else entirely.

"Who are you?" "She asked, fighting the chattering of teeth; "What do you want with me? Where's Vulyn-"

She didn't get to finish as the girl approached, bending over and swaying back and forth, as she examined her from head to toe.

"Ooooohhh. Now I get it." She drawled, dragging out each syllable.
"We thought you were dead, Nona. Guess you were too useless to even die properly."
"Nona...?!"

That name again. Just the sound of it sent a shudder down her spine - but, did this child know her? She raised an eyebrow, as if amused, continuing coyly:

"Papa Brain fixed you... Put you in that spare body from the Ur-Human days. You know? The traitor?"

"I... what?" - Eris blinked slowly against the light, and shook her head. "I've never betrayed anyone in my life. I have no idea what you're talking about-"

"You were supposed to deal with the Record Backup on Deimos, but you screwed that one up too."

"Deimos?"

It was like someone had knocked all the breath out of her. She remembered the wandering across the red planet, clear as day - wondering who she was, why she was here. Knowing nothing, not even her name - only how to fight. That, at least, she had always been good at. Then, she had come to Earth, met Yuri, tried to live out her days without that nagging sense that where she came from, what had happened during that time, had completely disappeared.

"Was that dream... Where I bled poison... Was that real?" The Mercenary gasped, desperately swallowing her fear for a moment.

She had to know. She had to know for certain what had happened that day, if this child knew-

But she only interrupted, clapping her hands together in delight with a half-moon smirk. Something in her backpack seemed to... move, giving a short, jerky movement that pulled ineffectually at her grip - but she held it fast.

"Which must mean... Right now, you must be that leftover body! Kyahahahaha! What a LOSER! Tossed into the garbage and left to ROT!"

Her shrill laughter pierced Eris' ears, as she could only stare in disbelief. Treachery? Thrown in the garbage...? It couldn't be true. It just... Couldn't...

"Oh, but don't worry. Big-Sis Decima will take care of you."

The cheeriness of the girl's tone took on a newer, crueler edge as she opened the backpack's top, and reached in-

And Eris, in that moment, felt a low wail escape her lips, as all the color drained from her features.

Something hideous writhed wetly in the young girl's grasp. A mass of fleshy wires, tubes, and bulbous, yellow pustules that bled a dark, rich liquid onto the floor. At its heart was a sphere of ragged flesh, at the center of which was an ochre, gelatinous eye that roved about blindly, desperately thrashing against the fingers which held it. Whatever it was filled Eris with a new kind of fear, one that gripped her very soul as she shrinked back, unable to even cry out in terror.

"I'm gonna need you to be useless for me..." Whispered Decima, as she lowered the abomination towards her "sister's" face.

"One more time..."

Eris felt the cold, wet tentacles curl about her neck , forcing themselves into her mouth, prying it open, the acrid stink of the nightmare overpowering all her senses as it reached down, down, grasping for something, pushing itself deeper, as her thoughts screamed for the only person in the world she needed more than anything else:

Kathryn's hair would make her stick out like a teal beacon in the crowd of more.. normal hair colours, and while she'd been forced to dress 'normally' for the occasion, that didn't mean she wasn't trying to be as provocative as possible with her choice of outfit. But despite her rather bright getup, for now she'd mostly been drifting through the crowd. All of this rubbed her the wrong way.

They'd gone from outright revolution to alien invasion to peace in a matter of weeks. She'd literally been responsible for the death of an enemy ace four days ago! Something stank - and it wasn't the food. But for now she was willing to make nice - and see about trying to make a few out-of-system friends. Even if they did turn out to be of the backstabbing flavour, maybe getting to know her would make them hesitate. One stood out - Human like, but in a combine uniform. She didn't have rank memorised, but didn't really care.

"Ooh. That's military.. I thought all you had was bioroids and bureaucrats."

Remedy would find herself uncomfortably close to a smiling Kath before long even if she wasn't actively seeking the woman out, reaching in to pluck one of the snacks off her plate at random and eating it herself.

"How's the local food treating you? No weird digestive stuff?"

Things should have been looking up. Madin's meeting with Earth officials had gone...well? No, that wasn't it. As much as Elhirut had gained somewhat of an appreciation for the Meyven, the conference had clearly been a rushed affair. To the Circle Psychodriver, it'd been a miracle that he'd been ordered to sortie as an escort instead of a defense, and the situation only deepened in absurdity when he was told to accompany his leader aboard the Abraham. Even now, with the Org-Valu nestled away safely within the battleship's hangar, the silver-haired man could only pay attention to how poorly it fit in amongst the mobile weapons surrounding it. If it weren't for the reassuring presence of Madin's own Zeidram, the nagging sense of isolation in the back of his mind would have had far more to work with.

It'd all been a dizzying blur, and one that Elhirut found completely unreasonable. In spite of his reprogramming, the man still found the exact nature of Terran customs a befuddling mess. His superior, on the other hand, managed decently enough. However, whatever earnestness the fleet leader possessed had completely failed to transfer to Elhirut, and he'd simply been content to stand off to the side, basking in the gentle warmth of peace. In a way, he was glad that the pair would return to the Tantra soon enough; then, he'd finally have some time to simply relax.

But the enveloping reassurance of blooming tranquility didn't last.

Now, a vile aftertaste was beginning to rise in his mouth. The psychic imprints of the festivities around him were beginning to feel like barriers of cotton, dampening his senses and blinding his vision to some lurking presence. The open space of the hangar surged inwards, walls warping and curling into bile-raising waterfalls of visceral wrong. The walkways and halls of the Abraham became a cloying, suffocating prison, phantom tendrils of imminent sin beginning to worm their way through the hermetic plating that wrapped around the vessel's exterior.

"No, no, no, no, no!" A desperate incantation burst free from Elhirut, unbidden. He hadn't even realized that he'd been speaking until he'd already reached a fever pitch, screaming out over the machinery and subtle din of the hangar's operations.

"Not now! Not again! Please!"

Elhirut collapsed forwards as his legs failed, only just managing to catch himself on a nearby railing. He forced the rising tide back down with a gasp, crushing his sensitivity to the barest minimum like a vise crumpling junked steel. The realization hit only moments later: this whole time, he'd been scanning, psychically scouring his surroundings for malign presences even when the situation seemed safe. Those things, those horrid, bloated monstrosities; he'd been on edge ever since they'd first appeared to him, wrenching themselves through gaps in what seemed like space itself. The Meyven's ignorance to Decima's unnerving episodes had only worsened his paranoia... and today, not even the apparent lull of present events were enough to reassure his subconscious.

He wavered, stumbling wildly as he struggled to find his balance.

What in the world had his mind latched on to?

For the past few days there had been something of a spectacle working its way across the lane from L2 to Luna. Like some ancient, peculiar game from the dawn of the computing era, there was a giant slow-moving cube moving inexorably in a largely linear path. Occasionally it made a very, very slow course correction, but usually made its way back again in time. A likely explanation was the string of shapes trailing behind it. Many were equally cubic, or at least quadrilateral. And those that weren't were still, upon closer inspection, strange conglomerations of smaller cubes in varying configurations.

As the great line of building blocks made its way from colony to colony to ship to outpost to colony to (well you get the idea), it let off members of its convoy at their destinations. Or rather, in the direction of their destinations, leaving it to the personnel on the receiving end to... 'accommodate' the inbound, ballistically propelled package delivery. Somehow most had managed to avoid a major incident, as much as one can when a passing train cuts one of its boxcars loose along your general trajectory.

Block by block the cruising snake shed portions of its length, always with a cheery figurative wave in its wake. A smile and a detailed manifest was always transmitted to the supervisor of the colony dock hurriedly scrambling its worker pods. Or the captain of the ship who was having to quickly alter course to intercept the bundle about to shoot across the front bow. On this day, there was still a delivery slated for a site on the moon, but... given the uh, difficulties that seemed to be going on there, the driver opted to just forward it from her second-to-last destination.

That is to say, as the master cube rendezvoused with the Hiryu Kai and the surrounding fleet, it abruptly elevated out of the way of the remaining cars, letting them sail past on their own momentum, and then ignited their boosters to send them hurtling the rest of the way to the moon's orbit. Granted, there was only enough fuel remaining to get them to outer Lunar orbit, but by her calculations the residual inertia combined with the moon's gravitational pull should slingshot them the rest of the way toward the lunar capital, and being as full of super scientists as it was they'd surely see it coming and handle the reception. Surely!

More pertinently, the manner of the lead cube's elevation was a simple and direct one. It just shot a couple of magnetic anchors to clamp onto the ventral surface of the Hiryu Kai and haul itself up. Which left the passing cargo to sail out from under her bow toward the moon like an intercontinental ballistic Jenga tower.

It took some time after that for the cube to unwind itself from the runabout it was lashed to. With all the intricacy of a Rubik's Cube solving itself (that is, if it did so by unfolding and refolding itself rather than simply rotating its panels, so really not anything like a Rubik's Cube at all), the pile of polyhedrons erected into a moving figure. It then worked its way by precise bursts of thrusters and verniers around the larger ship's silhouette to its dorsal elevator entrance, leaving Utsuromaru (and the handful of cuboids symmetrically arranged along its wings) to literally hang out below decks.

Thus it was that, amid the festivities inside the hangar, the warning lights around the mobile unit airlock started to rotate. Someone was merciful enough to mute the klaxons at least. In due course, the doors slowly slid open, and a figure of nigh 60 meters finally set foot inside. Despite it occupying the same sort of space as the Valsion had, it was clearly not painted bright red or accented by numerous spiky fins. It was just a walking pile of boxes, which in short order dissolved into familiar 20+ meter figure and its many. Many. Many. Shopping Shipping crates.

Once the VangRay had stashed its cargo in any and all otherwise unoccupied berths at immediate hand, it finally fit itself into an alcove. And only then did the pilot finally emerge - the same manic pixie swordgirl that so often frequented their hold, the gradient-pink edges of her otherwise dye-blue bob fluttering as she descended.

Upon reaching the floor she kicked off from it, and proceeded to float through the festive congregation on a series of such skips and bounces. Gravity? No gravity? It didn't seem to make a lot of difference to her, only deciding the length of time and space between her prancing steps. Her eyes wide and glittery, her gaze darted from shiny thing to shiny thing, serving platter to serving platter. Waving ebulliently to groups of people as she passed, the pairing of Remedy and Kathryn but one among them, she made her way merrily to partake of the bounty.

Uyudaro Class "Tantra"
B-4 Dock (Under Construction)
2:00 PM

It was time.

A rusted groaning of metal rattled into the hangar, as the small form of Decima tore free the corroded maintenance hatch as easily as if it were styrofoam. She glanced down into the deep, dark depths of the vessel's heart... and smirked in the gloom.

Taking the contents of her backpack, she tipped it upside down, shaking it irritably until a cluster of wet, spherical shapes tumbled from its interior. All around her, there was movement, as more of the writhing, tentacled orbs came out of the darkness, flowing about her feet, following their brethren, like a cascade of cockroaches. By the time any of them detected something amiss... It would already be too late.

"Get to work!"

Her mission now effectively accomplished, she turned back to the crouched form of her own machine, the Teugatail's curious owl-like frame having been easily smuggled in due to its small size. It wouldn't be long now. Giving a girlish titter in anticipation of the bloodbath to come, she skipped merrily towards its waiting palm, already eager to begin.

---

2:40 PM
Albatross Class "Abraham" Hangar

"Elhirut?"

A reassuring arm was placed on the young man's shoulder, and he would subsequently find himself gently being hoisted upright - not unkindly.

Sure enough, the form of the Meyven came into view, his features... Full of concern. Clasped under his right arm was a thick volume of data-slates, papers, and other such materials from the meetings, but they were of completely secondary concern to him at present.

He had, at the very least, noticed that there was something,.. off about Elhirut, but those same instincts were what made him trustworthy. Hidden agendas were nothing new to him, nor was the bane of politics, and as such he needed every ally he could get.

"Are you alright?"

---

2:42 PM
Hiryu Kai Class "Shinryu" Hangar

Cicero drifted into the hangar's zero-gravity as Sayuri arrived, brows furrowed in concern, trailed by an apologetic looking woman in a spacesuit.

"You're telling me the Terminus Engine was transferred to the Tantra...?" He said, waving a tablet irritably.

"On whose authority?"

His scowl only deepened as it was met with a shrug. He'd gone to great lengths to preserve that particular item they'd retrieved from the Garmraid... A true perpetual energy engine? It seemed too good to be true. Now due to some bureaucratic mishap, it seemed like he would have to wait a while longer for the chance to examine it. The arrival of the Vangray interrupted his thoughts, sending his tie fluttering as it entered the hangar.

"Ah, capital. The shipment."

Finally, some good news.

"Figure it out." He grumbled, sending the tablet tumbling back towards its owner as he kicked off from the catwalk, floating his way down to the prancing pixie below. She certainly knew how to make an entrance that one, he thought mildly - and considering all they'd been through in the past few weeks, he'd been grateful for her protection and assistance. Finding good mercenaries, especially ones that were willing to take on the questionable work of guarding alien dignitaries was as hard as it sounded.

"Miss Shimizu.", the Colonist called out, reaching into his breast pocket as he did so-

And subsequently, something crimson and gleaming went tumbling through the vacuum in her direction. Were she not to catch it in time, for whatever, it would have harmlessly pomf'd off her forehead - but upon examination, it would have been a bright red "card" of some kind... Albeit, one laced with what appeared to be ultra-thin strips of crystal. A simple payment card, the kind used by those who wished not to be easily traced back - but of all the ones she had likely seen in her career... It was among the most exotic.

"Your bonus, as promised." Said Cicero, coming to a stop near the Vangray as crews hurried to start unloading its various crates, odds and ends. He acknowledged the other two with a nod, glancing over their heads nosily at the collection of food - and, characteristically, turned his nose up at it.

"I apologize for the processing time." He continued hurriedly, "Things have been rather, ah... Hectic. I wanted to make sure our currency, at least, would remain unchanged."

---

2:42 PM
Abraham Airspace

A jet-black form cut through the darkness of space, leaving a white trail behind it. Faster than any Gespenst, or Huckebein for that matter, the Medius Locus pulled up, thrusters fluttering as it reoriented itself... and waited, one relaxed hand on the imposing form its Divided Rifle, slung across its rear skirt armor. The other... clutching something else, what looked like a large, boxy, mechanical object covered in free-floating connectors and cables. Occasionally, it sent a thin bolt of orange or purple energy up the black machine's arm - but it seemed to pay them little attention, turning its gaze on the Albatross Class below.

"You there, identify yourself!"

Converging from its right came four Mass Production Type Huckebeins, their blue-on-white coloring typical of the Directory Space Forces, each brandishing a Photon Rifle. From her left, a trio of formidable Circle Liege Geios, their spiny forms bristling with firepower, similarly were on the approach. At the sight of them, the Medius lazily turned its head back to the Huckebeins, even as they continued to bark orders.

"This is a restricted airspace! Surrender and disarm immediately!"

Within the cockpit, Nona just smiled. The Medius, unhurried, simply tapped its fingers along its prize, patiently.

One of the Liege Geios' heads gave a sudden twitch, as a spasm rocked its form unbidden, eyes flickering momentarily as the twin cannons on its shoulders snapped down. For a moment, they hovered over the Medius... but as energy began to build along the railguns length, they swerved in another direction-

"Wha-"

The girl in front of her, even if she was notably taller, stood out from the rest if only by appearance. Her gaze went up as the one she was gunning for among this crowd spoke up. She swallowed her snack before responding, in this culture speaking while your mouth was full was considered improper she acknowledged.
"Indeed, we're not all bioroids or politicians." she replied with a smile and a nod as the girl stole one of the snacks off her plate, causing a slight furrowing of the brow but nothing was said.

"And so far it's not disagreed with me. In fact its tasted rather well so far." But that might just be the defrosting, eating real food manually for the first time in over half a decade was always pleasant she noted to herself. So it was the question if human food could keep up on a consistent basis rather than taste nice at a random party. It was to be expected really that food for luxury was to taste nice.

As the large box entered a second figure stood out from the crowd, once more a woman with hair color beyond the normal spectrum that happily skipped through the hangar the wave was replied to with a nod and a slight wave from the Lance Corporal before she resumed her conversation. The opportunity taken to balance the drink on her plate.
"A pleasure to meet you, Remedy Otzer De Bougher." she said, extending her hand for a shake. A regular custom within the earth sphere that now came as habitual for introductions. While she omitted her rank due to the informal setting of the meeting and attitude by her conversation partner.

---

Location: ???, ???
Time: ???

A pair of brown eyes looked down at a device, passing the time in mild boredom. Clicking her tongue as she put the device aside. She had drawn the short end of the stick this one and had to wait in contrast to getting to join the festivities nearby. She closed her eyes she could almost feel the sweetness of a luxury food upon her lips as she did so. It was understandable why she had to remain here, but that didn't make her happy about it as she was basically the only de-frosted person aboard now. So she was bored here on her own, but still if people sa-

There was a pause as she looked up, her eyes panning to the wall in an almost unnatural way. She thought she heard something... Felt something? It was unclear, but maybe if she paid attention-
Her stomach twisted, it sounded like the wall was writhing, that couldn't be true?

She pushed her chair back as her eyes went wide, wider than any human's would pupils nearly enveloping her full eyes before she blinked and they shifted back to manageable sizes. What was going on? Was she going mad?

---

Remedy paused for a second, pressing the back of her hand over her lips slightly. In an instant the food had lost its appeal and she couldn't tell why. She shuffled around a bit, nudging herself closer to the distant machine she came in on without leaving the conversation. Giving Cicero a nod back as her hand left her face.
Something was wrong, but she couldn't tell how or why or when or where. Was it the food, no that reaction would have been to quick for any allergy and a high grade poison should have been noticeable to her taste buds, so that wasn't it in all likelyhood.

As she composed herself once more she blinked rapidly, pupils adjusting with each blink to a seemingly random size.
"Excuse me I don't know what came over me." She said, straightening herself. "Perhaps some weird digestive stuff then, I am not sure." She amended.

---

Nearby...

"Captain look."
Upon a holographic screen on the bridge a reading came up, one signalling danger to those aboard as well as the presence of them.

A bespectacled man looked over the image from the Captain's chair, as the others were busy this was currently his seat. Not exactly by choice but by necessity, luckily his cog in the wheel could be done far away from home. His gaze pierced the image, a frown.
"Engage forward motion. Are you seeing this commander?" Radio silence was finally broken after a small eternity of surveying the conference.


Standing atop the exterior of the ship was a lone unit, lurking amidst the cannons and gazing out to space. The man within calmly answered the inquiry, it was finally time to jump into action.
"I am, ready ASRS for immediate interception if need be, we can't let it fire its main weapon upon those present. Prepare Typhon in case of 'Mother' attacking." Secrecy was out of the window in this case, not with them doing something of this magnitude. And he, he didn't expect this to be all. There had to be more. A mechanical eye panned to the side, in all likelihood the other spectator had acknowledged the situation now too.



"Acknowledged."
The ship began to accelerate, a course plotted over the Abraham and directly at the Tantra.
They had seen this song and dance before, and an intrusion would arrive upon comms channels. For the Directory's side a code had been 'acquired' for these broadcasts while they simply knew the emergency codes used by the Circle. While not ringing through the hangar with its deafened klaxon it was important to be heard by those in charge.
"This is not a drill: The Uyudaro Class ship has been compromised, be wary of any attacks against Albatross Class ships performed by unknowns."

Last time, Duminass had appeared to down a Trilobyte, one fourth of his men gone in an instant. He would not suffer the same mistake.
This was a fight to preserve life, not waste it. Genocides and tragedies invoked ire and hatred, while adequate building blocks for chaos they were a rocky foundation for a future.

That, is why they preferred precise assassinations.

The peace made today would not last, atrocity or not. They had already succeeded there, the fear of the 'other' permeating the citizens and soldiers of earth would handle the rest, for now and the coming generations a lasting peace was far flung with the Chairman dead.
So now, it was a race to save human lives and xenos lives both.

Laura tensed the moment that alarm started beeping, especially once she checked where it was. It was either Lamalice or them, and she didn't think Lamalice would be capable of appearing inside a ship. The horned head of her Autowarlock turned to the side, unknowingly meeting eyes with her superior. They surely had begun to move the moment they had seen the sign. Her whim to come to witness this historic moment in person had been worth it. Well, it was time for her to make her entrance as well. Sadly, Vermilion Protector did not have ASRS - a flaw she really ought to get fixed. Well, nothing to it, she had a Dogma for it. Laura frowned as she focused on the Dogma, a red glow surrounding the Autowarlock as half her mind focused on a barrier and the other on mobility. And then she was gone from her location, a red energy tail the only sign she had been there.

---

And now, immediately after Shadow Mirror made their entrance she made herself known to everyone as a red comet flew into sight of everyone present. Once in the soon-to-be battlefield it began to slow down, the tail shortening until eventually the red energy dissipated in its entirety, revealing the winged Autowarlock underneath. Its posture straightened as Vermilion Protector's wings were spread out and unfurled completely, the circuits and pathways that ran through them already green, proof of the energy coursing through them.

The Spirits were agitated, she could feel it from the link between them. Even more agitated than they had been by the horde of Lamalice that had assaulted the colony. But why? Had they grasped and understood her assumption somehow - or more likely, were they sensing something invisible to her with their remaining base senses? She did not know.

Either way, Vermilion Protector did not attack, merely hovering in place.

"Things are likely going to get from bad to worse, those of you still waking from an afternoon nap may want to wake themselves pronto. Those who already were wary may give themselves a pat on the back - as a consolation prize for likely being horribly right. If you've any confessions to make, be they love or otherwise, it is best to get them out of the way while both of you are still alive." She spoke with false cheer to an open frequency.

"And please don't shoot me, it would be a sad end for the better half of Deucalion Duet - an excellent mercenary company, I heartily recommend hiring us in the future!"

"Kathryn. But call me Kath, all my friends do~"

Kath winked as she shook the offered hand vigorously, doing her best to give a positive first impression. She seemed nice! Her smile vanished for a second when her eyes started to change, to be quickly replaced with a confused stare. Talk about an abrupt reminder that she wasn't dealing with another human.

"Uh.. maybe it's just a normal allergy? I've never seen someone do that with their eyes before though-"

Her attempt to explain it - to herself more than anyone else - fell flat as the ship was rocked by... something. She didn't know enough to identify what was going on outside, but the threat of danger made her suddenly feel rather naked. Why were parents always right about these sorts of things?

"...Hell. Dad said I had to wear armor in case something like this happened.. uh.. be right back!"

Kath seemed to look around in a panic before vanishing into the crowd, heading for her quarters on the Hiryu. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but.. better safe than sorry. Especially with a piece of equipment built for exactly this scenario. The worst part was that she'd have to admit he was right. Bah.

Elhirut's eyes were wild, breaths paced to the uneven beat of an inexperienced sprinter. Despite the Meyven's attempt at a reassuring gesture, Madin's presence did little to assuage the repulsive aftertaste squirming within the back of the psychic's mind, and Elhirut's face concealed nothing. Still, he gradually allowed himself to be coaxed into at least a pale imitation of relaxed calm, and he cautiously retracted his mental bulkheads to probe at the surroundings once more. That exploratory search only confirmed his fears: pinpricks of alarm lit up the space around the Albatross, and the overall mood of the scenario was rapidly turning from one of calm to the humming fire of dull panic. The fact that he couldn't seem to pinpoint the source of his previous outburst certainly didn't help matters.

Finally, he gathered his breath and banished his fears from his voice.

"...No. I felt something again. I - " His hastily constructed veneer of professionalism fractured briefly as his thoughts wandered to his intended subjects, and the young man visibly struggled with his words, wildly gesticulating to the unseen horrors apparently developing outside. For a moment, it appeared as if he would shatter again, meaningless words and shapeless images pouring from his tongue, but much to his own relief, his following remarks were lucid.

"I believe we are compromised. Some presence, like those malign bags. It's an attack. From whom, I don't know. But we have to be ready to scramble."

A worried glance followed, directed towards his own unit. For a moment, his eyes lingered on a patch of plating on the Org-Valu's chest, an indistinguishable replacement for the damage wrought by that mad sorcerer. Was he responsible for this? Or had it been... her?

No use worrying. Don't panic.

Don't let them overwhelm you.

Just listen. Just feel.

Forget the hole in your heart. Forget what you've lost. Forget what was taken from you. Forget those arching wings. Forget the fires.

"...The Tantra isn't safe. We aren't safe. None of us are, Terrans or otherwise. We have to go."

It wasn't even just because she was a manic pixie hedonist that she skipped so merrily, but that after so long a ride stuck in a cockpit her body felt like some poor forgotten ventriloquist dummy stuck in its case for a few decades too long. Her muscles thrilled to be pumping with blood again, to feel the embrace of gravity and the possibilities of wide-open space. How queer it was that a place called Space was so often defined by a lack of it. Granted it was called outer space, and the 'space' part was always outside.

Outside was where her ship was now, its systems still passively monitoring its surroundings. Picking up what was going on across the way, it quietly nudged her that something might be going on. Something might be amiss in a way that could make itself her problem eventually. She blithely ignored the alert, banishing it to the back of her mind and trousers alike. Because come on, man, she only just got out. The air on her neck and across her midriff, the firmness of the bulkhead underfoot. The distinct lack of first- through fifth-walls within ten meters of her person or the well-warmed seat cushion glued to her frame?

Right at the moment, she was perfectly content to survey the offerings on hand. Passing by one table, she didn't find anything that struck her as particularly new or exotic, but plenty that was pleasant or pleasing nonetheless. And there were yet more chances for new things to experience further down the line!

So busy was she in her reverie, in fact, bent forward and wiggling her hips in anticipation of delights to sample, that it might have come as a surprise to any attentive bystanders when her hand abruptly shot back and up in one fluid motion. Putting both her keen spatial awareness and almost unnerving flexibility on display, she snatched the card between her fingers just a breath shy of hitting the back of her head. For a moment her arm looked as if she'd smoothly dislocated all its major joints. But then she righted it just as smoothly and quickly, so maybe it was just a trick of the light.

Her eyes still lit up once she saw it, her lips pursing as she cooed "Pretttty~" in that breezy, vapid tone. It was at that point she finally glanced back at him, letting her attention linger to the end of his sentence. And then, with a smile and a curt nod, it bounced back to the culinary spread.

"Uh-huh!" she cheerily replied without looking, "Current of currently currant currency keeps current, we're coralapus~ <3"

Albatross Class "Abraham" Bridge

"Director Khatri, Sir."

With a sigh, Khatri placed his glasses back on his nose as he made his way onto the Albatross Class's bridge, coming to a halt at the sight that presented itself to him on the screen. It appeared, for all in the world, to be a ship with a tremendous drill affixed to its front. The day, he thought, just kept getting stranger. Finally, he overcame his initial shock to address the one who had called him, seated in his command chair.

"What is it, Captain Burke?"

The vessel's commander, an elderly gentleman of thin composition and Caribbean descent, nodded carefully.

"You should hear this."

He thumbed a panel on his chair, and the strange message repeated itself, causing Khatri's brow to furrow in concern as he listened closely.

"One of ours?" Asked the Director, anxiously.

"It's a friendly frequency. Checks out."

"But isn't that a Space Noah Class? I thought they were all in dry dock-"

"They are. It's on a rapid-intercept course for the Tantra as we speak."

Khatri paused, closing his eyes as he stroked his beard, thoughtfully. It was entirely possible, he thought, that it could be the rebels - that Terra Sentinel - looking to disrupt the negotiations. But, how could they possibly have known what was going on? There were too many unanswered questions, but he needed to make a decision.

"What do you think, sir?" Said Burke, clearly aware that politicians were not quite the snap decision makers as soldiers.

"Has there been any word from the Tantra?"

"None, sir."

Strange, thought the Director - but he didn't have long to contemplate his response, as the room's lighting suddenly turned a low red. Shouts were beginning to rise down the adjacent stairwell and across the bridge as operators jostled to be heard, and the Director could only watch open-mouthed as chunks of the map's monitor were turning from green, to red.

"The Tantra is powering up its weapon systems!"
"We're getting reports of the Circle Mobile Weapons opening fire-"
"-Unknown Personal Trooper has entered the battlefield-"

As the monitors continued to fill with markers indicating points of conflict, and even the backdrop view of space started to filled with the lights of battle, part of the Director realized what was a stake. If he failed here - if they failed - a war unlike any other that came before it would break out. Whoever these people were, friend or foe, whether what they said was true or not - they were in terrible danger. If he allowed a ship full of Terrans to be cut down here-

"We can't allow this to turn into an international incident." He said gruffly to Captain Burke.

"After that ship!"

---

Tantra Airspace / Kurogane Projected Flight Path

The pointed form of the Space Noah Class acquired by Shadow Mirror hurtled through the void, engines blazing brightly. Given the breakneck velocity it was traveling, and complete and utter disregard for its own safety, they would soon be upon the monstrous Tantra.

And... monstrous indeed, it seemed. As they looked, it seemed to almost be as if the grey armor plates that covered its surface were starting to ripple somehow, as though some great force was being channeled through it, running a dark finger across its insides. The sheer vastness of it as well was now fully pronounced as their headlong charge continued, at once both incredibly fast and yet, if one were to glance out at the passing of the stars, feeling inexorably slow.

The enormous cannon at the heart of the vessel was beginning to come to life, massive amounts of energy sending shocks and crackles of pinks and purples across its surface as it began to prepare its single most powerful asset, the light before them starting to build in the barrel with every passing second.

Of more immediate concern, all across the vessel's flanks, glassy-eye like protrusions jutted out of grooves and holes in its armor, glinting briefly in the sunlight as data from the central computer flowed into their targeting matrices. In mere moments, the alien anti-aircraft array opened fire, sending a cascade of beams curving out across the hull, easily over forty in number, surging towards the approaching craft.

"[PATTERN, LOAD. SELECT.]"



To further add to the difficulty, the Liege Geios that had assembled themselves outside of the vessel had affixed the incoming vessel in their own Bioroid targeting arrays. As one, over twenty of the heavy-set machines let loose with their Linear Cannons in a chorus of railgun fire that sent manic shadows dancing across the Tantra's surface with every flare of every silver muzzle. While ordinarily, they couldn't have hoped to intercept the vessel before it was too late - collectively, their massed fire and relentless precision ensured at least some of the high-tech slugs would find their mark.

Lastly, and of no immediate threat to the three of them concerning the alien warship, the two lower horn-like protrusions on the craft - evidently from their construction, weapons themselves, were also gathering energy specks of light already visible in their barrels.

In the rearview mirror as it were was the form of the Albatross, its own four massive boosters flaring as it took off - and followed in their wake. There was no way they could catch them in time, that much was certain - but no gunfire issued forth from the green warship's turrets, nor from its four devastating main batteries. If they had sent a transmission in turn, at the current speeds it would have been doubtlessly lost. Nevertheless it followed determinedly, in a fashion not unlike a charging metal rhinoceros.

---

Albatross Class "Abraham" Hangar

"No. No, no no no..."

Madin, the color rapidly draining from his features looked at Elhirut as his lips moved gently, only able to mouth the word over and over in a ghostly whisper.

The young man's powers, he knew were the real thing. He could not deny his words, no matter how badly he wished. His people, the Circle - their policy towards his kind, towards "tainted" ones, had always been that of zero tolerance. But... There had also been stories. Ones he had heard when he was little himself, of when great Gods wrought of gold and silver had reigned among the stars. Of the great Allfather, who had watched over them, linking their hearts as one until the disparate races united against him-

And shattered him to the cosmos, forever splitting their hearts apart.

Yet, here was one of them - the "chosen", or the "gifted" of legend, one whose heart could reach across the bounds of space and time itself to touch that of others, to the very foundation of existence itself. He had taken it to mean that his cause was indeed righteous, that it was blessed, that it meant their salvation was guaranteed...

He'd been a fool.

"That can't be. It just- It isn't..."

His voice trailed off, the strain evident in his tone, the way his throat muscles pulled taut. The alien leader breathed deeply for a moment, trying to keep his own calm. Madin drew a hand up to his features... and slowly, opened his eyes. There was a different look in them now than from what Elhirut would have known. The joviality, the optimism was gone, replaced with a cold hardness, like gleaming stones at the bottom of a dark, racing river.

"We'll stop them." The Meyven said, as firmly as he could manage. His hands tightened into fists as he began to run towards the Zeidram, only adding under his breath as he ran, almost to himself-

"We have to."

Not even moments later, the bulky form of the Zeidram was rocketing forth from the hangar, charging blindly into the terrifying unknown that awaited them...

---

Hiryu Kai Class "Shinryu" Hangar

For a brief moment, the poker-faced Colonist's features gave a noticeable start as Sayuri snatched the card from the air. He became aware, at that moment, that he had stopped breathing without even noticing it. Mercenaries with augmentations weren't anything new - in fact, his company had designed many themselves. Cyborgs, androids, bioroids... he thought he'd seen it all, whether it be at trade shows, illicit night-fights, or the private broadcasts sometimes intercepted from the Moon.

But he'd never seen anything move like that before. Not in his entire life.

His own senses, as an observational type Bioroid, had been enhanced - and yet even he hadn't been able to follow the movement that occurred. It was as though a glitch had occurred, a subtle twitch of reality, as if the damn whole of existence had paused to wink coyly at him.

...This woman. Alan Cicero thought, a bead of cold sweat running down the back of his neck, Who in the world is she?

"Yes, uh, well. Quite." He said hurriedly, clearing his throat as he tried to hurry to the next, and final order of business.

"Regarding the matter of that artifact you requested... I had it transferred to the coordinates specified the other day."

At this, he presented a small, holographic square, projected from a band on his wrist. Displayed in the air between the two of them, its bright blue lettering carefully masked from other onlookers, were what amounted to a receipt of transit, or sorts. Here, he paused a moment.

He'd acquired his fair share of smuggled EOT from the surface of Luna. Indeed, his vaults were full of highly valuable artifacts that would remain exactly where they were, if only to keep them out of the hands of others. But, what this woman had asked for? ...He couldn't make sense of it. Not even after subjecting it to every kind of analysis possible, had he been able to make out the meaning of its curious, frozen, mercury-like mass.

"...I am quite curious what you expect to do with-"

Gggrrrrk-kkk...

A sudden rattling and shaking filled the air, the sound of a distant impact. For a moment, there was silence - before warning sirens began to wail within the hangar, the built in speakers crackling to life.

Cries of dismay from the assembled were quickly silenced as another impact rattled through the Hiryu's floor - and the assembled staff scattered in all directions, the festive mood now as cold as a winter night. Cicero himself was... quiet. Contemplative.

Perhaps, he thought, fate had smiled upon him after all... for better or worse.

"...On second thought, it's nothing. Best of luck." He concluded to the mercenary dryly, kicking away towards the distant, hulking ogre-like form of the Ganonia Augar at the rear of the hangar.

...And yet, for Sayuri, there was one more thing. A kind of... tinnitus, almost, a ringing in the ear that she couldn't quite shake, audible only to her. There was only one other person alive that she knew, who had experienced something similar. At the time, her partner in crime, halfway to the bottom of the glass, had said something about... "synaptic ES window transmission feedback" while waving her painted nails in the air. The validity of such a vague and buzzword-riddled explanation, and why they were the only two who ever experienced it, was always questionable... Until now.


A whisper by her ear - yet, no-one was near. The voice... was unmistakable, however. Eris Pseudea's words would have registered to her senses, as though her warm breath were on the back of her neck.


Outside, chaos was unfolding swiftly and terribly, Liege Geios and Huckebeins locked in vicious dances in the void, thrusters leaving curving trails like chalk-dust phantoms on the blackboard of space. At the heart of maelstrom, yet untouched by the carnage, the Medius Locus waited. Within the cockpit, Nona's eyes were half lidded, her features curled back in a thin, girlish smile - like a child that had found a new favorite game.

<"Come out, come out..."> She whispered playfully, slowly letting each word fall from her lips. Her hands were extended out, as though in some kind of trance, reaching for the distant Hiryu - and she let her new body's fingers curl sensuously, the sensation alone sending shivers up her spine.

She was alive, again... and every breath in her lungs was like the sweetest of scents, after the horror of the sensory-deprived darkness she had endured for so long.

She could feel again.

And she wanted to feel so, so much more.

As the ship shook and the alarm rung Remedy finally looked away from Kathryn, the woman's words still registering but now more important things were happening as she heard something nearly unbelievable- The Circle, attacking? Impossible, with rapid pace she moved towards her unit, the plate of pastries and other delicious foods left to clatter against the floor as time was of the essence, the metal floor of the Hagane's hangar now colored in kaleidoscopic colors.

Due to its recent addition to the hangar the machine was far far in the front, making it among the first to be able to deploy, something helped by the fact that the machine itself seemed already fully ready to launch by the time its pilot arrived.
Clambering up and into the cockpit she was looking at dull red lighting, a deep breath followed as she closed her eyes momentarily
[4503 Unreported errors during runtime, attempting to contact administrative officer please wait...]
She pressed her hands against the controls of the red and black machine, causing it to rise into action immediately. Her eyes scanned the screens shifting between them in an inhuman fashion, except this time with no one to see it it might as well not have happened to begin with.
[Unable to contact administrative officer 00]
"All systems green." The Getviewm, moved to launch through the way it had come in.

"This is De Bougher, launching to defend the Hiryu Kai."
[Anomalies detected in area, recommended course is full eradication of all anomalous entities]
As the so called "Enigma Machine" returned to the vast void of space, once again refueled and ready to perform the task it had declared it would Remedy watched the spectacle of battle unfold in front of her eyes. This, this would be the first time she would fight properly since her reawakening. Since she was found.
Weirdly enough she wasn't scared, she wasn't afraid. In fact this felt rather comfortable, sitting in the Getviewm preparing for battle. But now was not the time to be idle, the menacing looking machine kept on the move crossing its arms as it loomed over the Hiryu, it extended an arm forward, a white crystal like construction forming out of energy and shooting forwards towards the nearest group of Leige Geios.

An energy grenade aimed to strike as many as possible and it, like nearly all of the Enigma Machine's weapons had a surprise in store, for it would home in on its foe even were they to dodge.
Remedy's eyes however momentarily went to something, something that passed over the battlefield and noted its target. A furrow of the brow as she realized what was to come.

---

As the Kurogane sped forward and activated its ASRS a smaller, yet not at all small, machine trailed to its side. It, like the ship it was next to, was not supposed to exist within this world, a prototype that was never realized. 'Project: Chou Masouki' a Directory black project was supposed to have produced this and theoretically a blueprint did exist, but no one had put it together. Not on this side.

But, on their side. It had been fully realized, the "Duraxyll".

But, to those watching this second machine would not be that which grabbed attention. No it was the ship moving at more than full speed. The whirring of its drill, or 'Ultra-Large Rotating Ram' to use the official term, lost to the void of space. As lines of Leige Geios set up to fire at them the Kurogane's primary method of defense outside its massive bulk revealed itself, a E-Field rising to the defense of the ship as beams collided on nearly all sides, still it wasn't an omnidirectional barrier so still the bridge rocked as the bulky plating of the ship became scorched with blasts.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" The temporary captain of the ship exclaimed "Exit ASRS! Prepare for phase two of assault!"

On this side, the Kurogane was nothing more than a concept, a half rusted carcass lacking even as much as its primary weapon. But on their side, it fulfilled one unique role. For it was no contest which ship of the Space Noah class would fare best against a monster such as a Uyuudaro class, the Shirogane and Hagane both preferred long range with their beam cannons. But this- this originally subterranean ship... It was the only one of the three that could take out the ships main cannon before it could even think of retaliation.

This picture, the Kurogane gazing into the gaping jaw of such a monstrosity had happened before. History repeats, especially theirs and now they were living these vital days from their home on fast forward.

"Ready!"

Were it not for the void of space there would have been a sickening crunch as, while exiting ASRS right before collision had helped, there was no great loss of momentum in space. The ships frame held tight, preventing it from folding up like a accordion on collision, such was the point of it. It was bulky, sturdy, and would break before bending. And now, the Titanic Drill was right in the barrel of the Tantra. Like a modern depiction of David standing against Goliath, all you needed was one well placed rock. Or in this case, raw hunk or iron.

The Drill was already spinning, the Kurogane in its more than beat up state more than capable of function and it knew exactly where to be to destruct one key part of the Tantra, for after that blow, it would not be firing its main gun in the coming future.
The crew of the Kurogane set themselves straight from the blow, recovering from the sheer impact as they saw the Titanic Drill eviscerate the main cannon. Before they could celebrate however, "Quick! Phase two!"

"Right!"

From the sudden stop the thrusters on the front of the ship activated, pulling the drill out of the hole it made inside its foe and the Kurogane out of this situation, it needed to move and fast before the Liege Geios sought to capitalize on the damage it had taken already.
And for that purpose, their companion had already embarked.
"Taó̱s Tail!"

Suddenly the 'coat' worn by the second machine that had arrived would shoot outwards, a segment of it remaining to hover around its parent machine while ten of the remote machines moved outwards at incredibly quick paces, surrounding the Liege Geios that dared attack the Kurogane and assaulting them from all angles with green beams at a rapid pace.
The Duraxyll for its part turned slightly to gaze at the Albatross and the chaos in the area. There was one unknown in the distance, but no sign of 'Mother' yet. Nevertheless that would not distract him. Within the confines of the green machine hovering in the vastness of space Prometheus surveyed the battle, he needed to know where the refugees were located and for that he needed to find the actual commander, or anyone from the Circle who wasn't stuck inside the monstrous buildup of Negative Energy.

---

[Anomalous entities confirmed within Tantra]
No, she was not going mad. That was reality, in one swift movement she grabbed her pistol from the table she had been seated at. She needed to be fast, speed was of the essence. Opening the door to the halls she pressed through, courtesy of the extended rest she had there was a innate knowledge about the layout of the ship, the optimal path to get to each section as quickly as she needed to laying itself bare in her mind. Suddenly however her mind caused her to turn to the 'front' and brace herself.

Impact, what had impacted the area was unclear and the sheer size of the vessel she was in had soaked most of the recoil but it was clear that outside, things were happening at a rapid pace and so she too could not delay. The bridge, the bridge. She needed to head to the bridge, full controls for the ship were there meaning that there she would be able to save everyone in and outside.
[Suggested course of action: Eliminate cause of anomalies]
There was no time to delay, she needed to run but still, the thought of finding who was responsible for this was inside her. Eliminating them before they caused more trouble was a option.. No, not now not the time. Saving lives in the present was the way to go meaning a mix of speed and subtlety was needed as she could not waste time with the culprit or whatever else might stand in her way.

A wistful smile rose unbidden to Laura as she almost lazily floated towards Kurogane. She had been but a child when the Circle's rule over Earth was overthrown, but she remembered the joyous celebration clearly, the air filled by laughter and the smell of an exquisite feast, the resulting child boom. One particular moment had been elevated among all others in that war for freedom. It was a scene that everyone in her generation and the precious last generations younger than her could see clearly.

Of Space Noah Class Kurogane ship ramming an Uyudaro Suppression Battleship, neutralizing its greatest tool before it could be used. It became an icon of human ingenuity, stubbornness and sheer force of will great enough to overtake Circle's, an empire far greater than the entire Earth, shackles of oppression. Even after Earth devolved back into conflicts both old and new it remained a source of pride and motivation that recreational media monkeyed countless times. All the while everyone pointed fingers at one another but never at themselves.

And now it was recreated once more, in another star with completely different circumstances. Still as inspiring as always.

"Maybe I'm getting so old my eyesight is failing me but I'm pretty sure that that is, as a matter of fact, a drill." Laura giggled, voice as lighthearted as a mischievous child in a playground. Nothing had attacked or even taken notice of her yet. A mistake, but an understandable one.

"Hey, Fake Drill Guy whoever you are! Interested in hiring yours truly as a part timer? Ah but guess you'd need a demonstration to know what you're paying for right?" Vermilion Protector pointed haphazardly at one of the Leige Geios' closest to it. "Eenie meenie miney moe, which one should be destroyed?" The pointing hand stopped right between the two Leige Geioses closest to her. It would have to be both then.


At this distance there was only one Dogma that was certain to hit. Vermilion Protector straightened its wings, the energy currents running through them picking up pace. Inside the cockpit, Laura closed her eyes as she began to cast two Thrikes, a single cast of it had been the strongest Dogma cast by Maake's elite Autowarlock pilots. Outlines of two magic circles, both roughly half the size of Vermilion Protector, faded into the space in front of her, one clearly on each side. The magic circles were largely dominated by three dots that formed a triangle inside the circles. Each dot was different in color, one blue, one red and one yellow, the colors bleeding into the rest of the circle, largely overwriting the orange-red color of the rest of the structure.

In carbon copies of the way the first pair of circles had appeared, three more appeared on both sides, but on both sides two of the three were larger than Laura's pair. Then vortexes formed around each dot in each circle as they sucked the rest of the circle inside them as fuel, only leaving two pairs of four triangles made by three, brightly glowing dots in the space.

And then the dots launched in triads of colored beams of destruction, easily dwarfing Vermilion Protector in size. The beams were rotating at high speeds as well as they initially arced away from one another on their way to the two Leige Geioses, before the arc inevitably brought all of them closer to one another once again as the two groups of Dogmas bombarded the areas surrounding the Leige Geioses. The triads converged, just barely missing one another before beginning to once more spread out for a short while before finally dissipating.

While the arcing beams were aimed at the two Leige Geioses closest to Laura, they would just as surely destroy anything unfortunate enough to come in their way, be it on the way, around or behind the two Leige Geioses.

"You're paying me for that by the by. Though a discount on the...inspiring charge will be given." Laura sighed dreamily. "Ramming always lifts my spirits. It is the pinnacle of battleship combat."

Fantastic. Fantastic.

Of all the times to skip out.. Kath had only barely finished suiting up when the alarm went out, the visor clicking into place - bringing with it an onslaught of information. Friendly fire, Bioroids gone rogue, a mutated battleship, and to top it all off a bunch of unknown units...
Okay, not entirely unknown. She'd recognise that voice anywhere.

"Alex. Get the red one marked as an ally. And please tell me they finished the weapons pack before this all kicked off."

"Striker pack installation is complete. Aurora's engineering team had been finalising tests when the party was interrupted."

"Too much to hope that she got caught on the Tantra, then."

"I will be omitting that remark from the records. But no, she is on currently on the Hiryu."

---

"Valsione Striker, Launching!"

While they'd originally eschewed the outer Valsion plating to avoid provoking the Directory forces stationed, the resulting changes were of an entirely different nature. Previous data gathering on the Valsione had proved profitable, but they wanted to see just what she'd do with a greater array of weapon systems.



Beam cannons of all sizes adorned various points on the Valsione's body, with a few melee weapons secreted away just in case something got too close. But the most striking change was the hair. For no apparent reason, it had been restyled - no longer hanging down freely, but held up into pigtails by a pair of metal clips.

"Overriding targeting safeties... failure. I am unable to calculate targeting data for the rogue bioroids."

"Bah! Is there anything I can shoot?"

"Unknown unit sighted fighting directory Huckebeins. Locked and tracking."

Both girl and machine turned to face the Medius, with the Valsione itself leaning forward to try to pick the machine out from the melee. Once it was locked the smaller shoulder cannon rotated into position, firing in its general direction to try to draw its attention. The message was clear.

Fight me!

As unnerving as his taste of their apparent enemy had been, Elhirut wasted no time in following the Meyven's lead. The Org-Valu blasted out from the Abraham's bays at nearly full thrust, its pilot white-knuckling the controls as he readied the unit's arsenal. The paired set of cannons atop the exiting machine's shoulders hummed to life as it flew, slugs locking into place deep within their monolithic barrels.

But following the cold conviction with which Madin had exploded into space wouldn't win any battles. A despairing groan left the Psychodriver's mouth the moment he witnessed the situation unfolding outside, his display overflowing with over two dozen data points. The Tantra had indeed been compromised, as he'd feared. An entire Bioroid contingent had gone with the titanic craft, presumably inducted by whatever he'd grasped into its malign designs. Most worrying of all, several unknown mobile weapons danced through space, signatures flitting to and fro between bursts of space-muted conflict.

"How many...?"

The reality of the situation cut through Elhirut's brief bout of panic like an icy shard of black glass. He'd already failed, in a way. There was no place for hesitation here. The enemy were Liege Geios, not the Tantra's less advanced machines. He was acutely aware of what would happen if even a few of the bioroid-operated units managed to pin him in place. His very own mobile weapon had been developed based on their design, after all - the electromagnetic cannons mounted on the Org-Valu's shoulders was proof of that engineered ancestry. It was uncanny, no, bitterly unfair. Those machines were meant to protect.

And now, in droves, they were turning against Terrans and Circle alike.

With that thought, the crawling, constricting sensation returned.

"...Why?"

"Why now?"

"What do you want?"

The Org-Valu accelerated with another burst from its thrusters, weaving towards the chaos ahead. A dual set of launchers on its abdomen flared to life, and their missile payloads were loosed wildly towards a clustered group of Liege Geios like a curtain of miniature meteoroids. Immediately afterwards, its cannons swivelled into place, aiming forwards. A barrage of eight shots were released, aim snapped onto a quartet of hostile machines with rushed inputs. The Liege Geios were imposing, heavy platforms, but in a strict sense, they were not agile. The Org-Valu far outmatched them in that respect, and Elhirut was more than willing to leverage that advantage - jinking his machine in tight loops, locking on to individual opponents for just long enough to get off a roughly aimed shot.

It was still nerve-wracking. If Bioroids weren't necessarily the fastest to learn, they made up for it in relentlessness and faux resolve. Any fire directed at the Org-Valu in response would still force a reaction, and with enough fire, anything could be hammered into scrap. This wouldn't last long.

And what to do about the Tantra?

And just like that the party was over. Everyone was booking it to their machines if they had them, and to their posts if they didn't. Mechanics were busily hauling normal suits out of lockers and set about clearing the flight deck for combat operations. Officers were scurrying for the lift to make for their stations across a dozen different decks. And the hapless culinary staff, having aught else to do, were hurriedly either retrieving containers to box up the salvageable food, disposal bins to dump the remainder into, or pulling down and folding up the tables before the deck officer could get cross at them.

Amidst this tumult, Sayuri calmly plucked a handy container or two to sort her plate and assorted items of at least passable interest into. Nabbing a belt compartment of a passing normal suit, she palmed a roll of sealing tape and wrapped just enough around each filled and lidded container to keep them so. Given the harried nature of the efforts, anyone who didn't look close might think she was just an extra helping out. And she made sure to play to that perception, deftly weaving from table to table accumulating doggie bags in tune with the flow of the pack-up efforts.

She hummed as she worked, the voice ringing in her ears. It was peculiar, sure. It actually felt more like a crank call if she was being honest. But dammit all, existential dilemmas could wait a minute, she'd been stuck in that cockpit for an age and a half, and dangit she was going to make as much of this chance as she could. Besides, from all the noise it wasn't like there weren't already plenty of estrogenic stalwarts taking the field to save the day.

At the last table, her eyes finally found something to truly make them go wide - and in a nice tidy package nearly ready for transport too! It just took fitting the lid over the decorative spindle and she had desserts for a week. Or six hours. Maybe. Tucking it atop her stack, she made off when no one was looking. When no one was looking, she absconded with forty cupcakes. She took forty cupcakes! That's almost four tins! And that's terrible.

But then again, with all that was going on at once, a colorful woman carrying a stack of containers headed for the mail truck surrounded by its stacks of containers wasn't strange enough to warrant interruption. And presently enough she was reluctantly back in her prison cell, tucking her contraband into one of the handy compartments for later. All save the cupcake tree, that one she was handy as due compensation for the inconvenience!

She managed to sneak one out while her machine booted up, munching on it at a leisurely pace while the connections to Utsuromaru were made, and the data one what exactly was happening outside came in. A cursory input of instructions and some of the nearby crates opened, sub-arms extending from within to slap ordnance onto her hardpoints. Missiles and more missiles! Vast tracts of missiles! Missles for days! Missiles everywhere! Or at least on the shoulders, back, and calves. Her dear little runabout had more than enough pods of additional ballistics in the multiple 20+ meter crates still stuck to it to make up the difference.

Only once she was good and ready and savoring the aftertaste of the last crumbs of her cupcake did she finally coax the VangRay from its alcove, providing ample time for any others to head out ahead of her. A slow ride through the launch system later, she and her black gunbunny buddy were floating down to rejoin the runabout. The better to take in the view of the fireworks, and pick out a hole in need of confectionery filling.

It was like something out of a movie.

That was all the crew of the Albatross could think as they watched, open-mouthed, as the Kurogane plunged into the maw of the alien warship. Anti-air fire burst all around it in kaleidoscopic rays, and the goliath-like drill's momentum alone swept a handful of Liege Geios into its snapping blades, their chassis vanishing into the whirling metal as it tossed them aside. With every passing moment, the glowing arrays of the Tantra grew bright and larger on the crew's monitors, a race against time.

Three! Two! One! Contact!

With a shudder that sent vibrations all through the ship, the titanic drill smashed into the fragile heart of the cannon, causing its surface to sputter, lights dancing all across the "mouth" of the vessel as it groaned treacherously, the noise of the tearing metal alone like the cry of a wounded beast. The bit dug deep, biting greedily at the innards of the vessel - and while a surface wound, given its size, it was enough. Great gouts of black smoke and electrical fire blossomed all across the vessel's surface, smothering the front of the vessel in darkness.

As Prometheus surveyed his handiwork, Taos Tails forming criss-crossing rays of fire that mowed down anything that drew close to the ship, however-

"STOP!"

A warning shot - a sunburst of plasma - erupted right beside the hulking Duraxyll as a voice crackled to life over his intercom. Approaching from the rear at breakneck speed was none other than the squat, blocky form of the Zeidram, twin-plasma cannon brandished threateningly in his direction. At the controls, Meyvin Madin's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed into a scowl as he locked eyes on the intruders.

"There are innocent people aboard that ship! I won't allow you to harm them!"

Elhirut, following close behind - spat death from the shoulders of the Org-Valau, the railguns finding the disoriented Lieg Geios easy prey as the accelerated rounds plowed into their chassis, sending a half-dozen explosions roaring into the void, with the remaining two hurriedly falling back towards their ship in full retreat - yet the distant glimmer of thrusters igniting at ports across the Tantra indicated they were far from done. There were easily enough of the heavy artillery machines to bury them all alive aboard the vessel - and time was not on their side.

Yet-

As the Kurogane's drill began to whine once again, pushing itself into reverse as the ship groaned, attempting to dislodge itself, there was a sudden noise that roared all through the vessel, issuing forth from the buried end.

THWAM!

BAM!

A violent pounding, of metal on metal - and only moments later, a terrible grinding and whining of warning lights, as the enormous flywheel, saw-like in appearance behind the vessel, went still. The shape of its surface, as it ground to a halt, was terribly mangled - as though it had been violently wrenched out of shape, indentations across its shape like the pounding of some great hammer clearly visible.

"Leaving? So soon?"

A childlike voice giggled over the ship's communications line, as a thick, brown and hold arm reached over the top of the now defunct drill, pulling itself into full view of the ship's bridge. It was a shape none of them would ever have wanted to see again, not even in their nightmares.

Not after "back then".

The hulking, owl-like form of the Pater, the diminutive Teugatail on its shoulder, kicking its legs whimsically, lurched onto the deck of the Space Noah class, its small, blood-red eyes staring in absolute, unbending hatred of all things small and squishy. Within the cockpit, Decima grinned from ear to ear. At last, she thought:

Her toys had come back to play.

Meanwhile above, the bridge of the Albatross Class was in a panic. Gun barrels across its surface flared, picking off what Liege Geios units remained - but it was already becoming clear it was too dangerous to follow any further after the Kurogane. The Dogmas issued from the Vermillion Protector lanced out across its line of fire, smashing apart a horde of the pointed, silver machines, causing a collective gasp of relief to go up on the bridge.

Director Khatri, having slipped into his normal suit, held fast to the command chair as Captain Burke continued issuing orders left and right - but leaned close, tapping the side of his helmet, feeling the sweat off his brow already floating about in his helmet.

"Quickly, get word back to L1 as fast as you can." He said hurriedly,

"Someone is trying to sabotage the negotiations. We need to support the refugees as best as-"

"C-Captain!"

He managed to look up just in time, as two glints of light materialized in the distance-

...

History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.

Perhaps that thought might have occurred to Prometheus as he saw the twin beams of light puncture the heart of the Albatross in the distance, lighting up its form very briefly, as though it were the world's biggest roman candle. There was the silent, mournful glimmering as its form began to collapse, of fuel tanks catching aflame, as it was briefly suspended between life and death -

And then it was gone, a silent supernova in the stars, sending a tidal wave of debris, dust, and smoke in every direction. Chunks of its lime green hull spiraled across the battlefield, swatting the occasional unwary Liege Geios or Huckebein aside as they ducked and ran for cover.

It was just like "that day".

The one they could never forget.

Even the voice was the same, that tempered, clinical tone filling his ears as it spoke without a mouth.

---

Hiryu Bridge

"T-The Abraham..."

Captain Harris could only watch in open-mouthed horror as the flagship detonated on the deck of the Hiryu. Hurriedly, she cast her gaze about. Every eye in the room was on her now.

"Any word from the rest of the fleet?" She managed to stammer,

"They're preparing MAPWs for deployment, ma'am."

"That... can't-"

Her thoughts were interrupted as the bridge rumbled underfoot, causing her to flop back into her seat. So much, she thought, for an easy retirement.

Now what?

---

Hiryu Airspace

"AI1... This is what you want, isn't it?" She cooed, running her hands across the console as she flicked every switch, turning green lights red, the light of the monitor casting her visage a haunting crimson.

Mother was going to be so pleased with her, she thought. But first, she had to make sure this "child" would grow up to be big and strong. How cruel, she thought, of them to restrain it like this. How little they understood how badly it needed to be fed, to be realized. Her fingers danced across the controls like ballerinas in the thrall of an intoxicated twirl, sowing chaos and the whine of warning claxons with every touch. At last, they paused, hovering over the very last safeguard.



"Go, then. Feast to your heart's content." Whispered Nona,

"And show me... What you can really do!"


With that, the Medius raised its arm, the one clutching the blistering sphere - the Terminus Engine - and with sudden horrifying swiftness, smashed it violently into its chest.

But instead of compacting, the surface of the Medius it hit was... soft. Like a twisted 3D picture that warped before the eyes, the body of the black Personal Trooper flowed over its acquisition, pulling it into its heart as the rest of its body began to pulse and bubble, limbs bloating and stretching like putty. Veins and musculature tore free from under armored plates, new, chitinous surfaces flowing like magma into being as it expanded.

The heat from the Terminus Engine - the pure, unlimited power of the Four Elements, the searing heat that scorched all of creation, melted the Medius surface and reshaped it at the same time, as though its entire being was caught in a molten furnace, glowing so brightly, so white that it hurt the eyes as bladed protrusions burst from its back, giving the impression of a hulking, bladed insect melded with an armored giant, as two eyes widened, glowing as they came to life, the reborn Medius Locus body covered with steam as it looked hungrily upon the approaching pilots of the Hiryu.

By the time Kath had begun her approach, she would have gotten a front row seat to the machine's violent metamorphosis - and as it sloughed free the last vestiges of its old shell, her cannonfire lashed out-

And splashed harmlessly against a radiant shell of some kind - a barrier, a glowing, burning sphere that seemed to envelop the Medius' form. That was not to say she was entirely unsuccessful - the fire bounced away and cored another Liege Geios that had drawn too close, sending it spiraling away into the void, as Nona fixed her eyes on the Valsione.

"Such a pretty doll." She giggled.

"I wonder if it's as pretty when I peel off all it's skin?"

It was like an explosion.

That was the only way to fairly describe how the thing seemed to move, as though a pile of dynamite had fired directly out of its thruster arrays as it suddenly lurched forward at breakneck speeds. From the Super Robot's arms, rows of long, keen claws burst into being, each easily wide and sharp enough to cleave a lesser machine in twain. Spiraling with surprising grace, the Medius swept one arm out across Kath's chest, easily keeping pace with the more nimble Valsione - and followed it immediately with a kick from its right leg overhead, aiming to smash into the machine's head and send it crashing down and away.

As it did so, it focused on the distant form of Sayuri's machine, catching Nona's eyes on the scanner.

"Looking at you..." She hissed through gritted teeth, bringing a hand up to gnaw on the edge of her knuckle, so tightly that it sent droplets of crimson running down her palm, as her eyes dilated into tiny pinpricks.

"...Gives me a headache!"

As if responding to the raw emotion of its wielder, the Medius' chest glowed, pulsing with Terminus Energy as it lit up with enough power to alert every machine in the area - and sent forth a torrent of power, the Terminus Blaster a violent, unfocused blast of pure energy that aimed to swallow the VangRay whole.

Swarms of Liege Geios moved to intercept the pair - but the arrival of the Getviewm, accompanied by the anti-air fire of the Hiryu, kept them at bay. Fire from Remedy's weapon smashed into the core of the closest machine, catching it off guard and causing it to explode in a shower of sparks. Three more emerged from the smoke to takes its place however, thrusters flaring as they bore down on the ship and her alike, railguns firing sporadically in an attempt to catch the nimble machine in a hail of death.

As the Liege Geios were intercepted by Getviewm two other units had gone for the thing that had appeared on her radar prior. Meaning it was Remedy's task to clean up and then reinforce them, had the foes any soul within them perhaps they could count themselves lucky that they only had to contest with the Getviewm instead of all three who were within the Hiryu's hanger. But surely such thoughts as 'fortune' and 'misfortune' wouldn't have come to a base Bioroid to begin with let alone in their current state.

She felt disgusted, perhaps not unlike her prior moment during the party. Abhorred, resulting in anger finding a comfortable home within her facial features the continued comfort of the Getviewm soothed her but a cold, silent fury yet remained. As the Leige Geios retaliated her response was swift, almost rehearsed. Twin Beam Swords ignited as the almost demon-like machine dashed forwards.

With the Hiryu at her back she was not alone, its AA fire providing her the much needed avenues of approach. With the numbers disadvantage held and the already inbound hail of fire approach was critical and while the Liege Geios lacked any obvious and damning flaws the majority of their weaponry were centered around long to medium range use. A factor she could abuse as within the immediate range of several Liege Geios she would be able to deny them their long range shots.

Yet as she came closer and closer perhaps one could see her movements were as if rehearsed a thousand thousand times much like a dancer taking the stage for a show after rehearsing for years every moment was exact to an eerie degree, railgun fire passing by her previous locations while firmly remaining too close for comfort as the Enigma Machine burst forward, the woman within couldn't help but wish she had some more help on this side of the battlefield. A doubt to dwell but not be voiced as she arrived in front of the three foes, one horizontal swipe with the right arm of the Getviewm immediately followed by a downward slash with the left as she engaged the middle foe.

The first swipe was to force the Leige Geios' own laser blades to catch it, the second a killing blow.

---

Rapid footsteps through the halls, listening for additional movement. None yet, silent fury within at who had done this but no oxygen to supplement it with words of anger. She knew the layout, had memorized it after having seen it and walked it. So far the route had been easy. Suddenly, the entire ship shook as if an earthquake was occurring. Something was happening, no time to consider. The need to press on was greater and nothing so far had changed the situation. Not to her knowledge anyways.

The bridge was yet the key, hopefully the halls hadn't been warped out of their usual path.

---

Within the Duraxyll the arrival and announcement of the Vermillion Protector was met with a slight smile, for whatever flaws were held by her its pilot yet knew the 'roles' she played here and there, for herself and for them. "Consider yourself hired," Came the reply, even as he spoke the Taó̱s Tails kept moving, safeguarding, area control was their primary use and none better then 3D space would provide them with it.

Of course 'hiring' the Sorceress was put on hold by the interruption provided by the new voice, that his intel said belonged to the current leader of the Circle. He never had the pleasure of meeting him on the other side, but his words indicated a different outset then the one he had exchanged words with there.
"It is not my intention to harm them Meyven." The use of the title was sure to arouse suspicion but for the time being it provided a key note of information that he wanted the man to know. "But if that had fired many more would have been under threat."

Today's interruptions were not done yet however as a familiar presence made herself known, 'Owl'.

Within the Kurogane there was a moment of baited breath, as they looked in awe at the being from their nightmares returned. They had expected it to be here, but not to be 'here' and now they were held in place. A silent dread at one of those responsible for the death of their home and how many more. Until.
"Ready the missiles!" Came the yell through the command room, "I want Owl's guardian to reel from the quantity of fire it will suffer!" Within an instant commands were relayed, directed and operation resumed. "Evacuate the front of the ship, put all pressure doors in the exchangeable bow section on full lock once it is evacuated. If we need to, be ready to release the drill to get us out if it doesn't let go!" The ship was in motion, missiles being readied to be fired as the AA guns were directed forward, the ship's main cannons adjusting their aim with them but not preparing to fire.

Bullets began to pepper the face of "Pater" a simple purpose to force it to let go as the backwards thrusters sped up, exerting more and more strength to contest the guardian of "Owl".

Before he had the chance to respond to the appearance of Owl, the form of the Albatross turned ablaze. Within the cockpit Prometheus looked upon the sight, he had attempted to warn them but they failed to heed his warning. Now he knew exactly who was coming.
The voice was but confirmation, immediately the Duraxyll placed itself between the machines present and the pink blob. The entity responsible for how many world's lost, the one they need to eliminate for their plan to work.

"Duminass."

There 'she' was, as expected. Prometheus couldn't help but wonder who was trapped here, he or her. Nevertheless with Typhon present and active, there was no alternative but to settle this here and now. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. No more running. No more hiding. The battle to avenge a dead star would unfold here and now. This time, he yet had stars as his witnesses.

Nor was he alone.

However....