OE 102
January 19th
L4 Cluster Space
"Looks like we made it just in time."
A flash of crimson in the void - the recently rechristened, refurbished Hiryu Kai class Shinryu cut through the blackness of space, an arrow cast from a hero's bow. Trailing behind it in a row, like little comets themselves, were the blocky, angular forms of a trio of Peregrine class cruisers - hastily drafted into their ragtag resistance force. In the distance, the forms of the Colonies were visible - small explosions already visible in the distance as what security forces remained began to engage the encroaching enemy.
...the enemy...
On the Hiryu's main monitor, there was... what could only be described as a writhing, teeming mass, one that took up the vast majority of the screen. It was roiling and rippling, like a swarm of hornets - only, its composition was far, far more malevolent than any simple-minded insect of the Earth. Its scope was... jaw-dropping, and even those on the bridge found themselves stunned into silence, as attempts to estimate the size of it met with only garbled readouts, even with the Shinryu's advanced instruments.
Lamalice - hundreds, possibly thousands of them, descending in a foul cloud... preparing to do to L4 what they had done to L5 in a matter of minutes: Reduce it and its inhabitants to lifeless husks.
Standing before her command chair, and flanked by none other than her unlikely ally in this act of rebellion, the ship's Captain found her words, slowly.
"There's... So many of them..." She murmured, worry and awe mingling in her voice as she spoke.
"This would be a poor time for us to lose our nerve, Captain Harris."
Harris turned on her heel to regard the owner of the voice. Alan Cicero, clad in his usual white, immaculately pressed suit, regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
"...We can't afford to back out now." She responded, folding her arms as she did.
"If there was a hill to die on, well... This is it."
Cicero clapped his hands approvingly, saying as he did:
"Well said."
With that, he motioned to leave, the Captain calling out after him:
"You're not staying?"
"I have some last minute adjustments to make on the Brasta..." He called back as he reached the doorway, barely even turning his head to acknowledge her: "The VX is proving more temperamental than expected."
And just like that, he was gone. Harris turned her attention back to the map of the battlefield that was forming overhead, as the Lamalice began to converge upon the Colony structures. Despite the severity of the situation... the reality of the potential aftermath was already picking at her mind.
...That man. She mused; No corporatist would ever stick his neck out so far - and for free, at that.
What are you up to, Alan Cicero?
Setting aside her sense of unease for the moment, she cleared her throat, and thrust a hand outward toward the swarm. No dramatic speech was needed - they had waited long enough, and every single one of their crew knew what had to be done.
Alan Cicero traveled along the halls of the Shinryu, one hand grasped around a wall-mounted handle that whisked him along the corridor, while the other adjusted his tie as he went, deep in thought.
He wasn't thinking too much about the oncoming battle, surprisingly. If his understanding of what, exactly he had uncovered was anywhere close to correct... Then the cost of awakening "it" would be more than paid back by the ensuing dividends. Perhaps, he thought mildly, he had judged Bertram and his bizarre obsessions a bit too harshly... After all, now that one of the devices the Institute desperately sought had managed to roll onto his lap, as it were... well, far be it from he to relinquish it.
Of course, he added with a smirk, he would also take considerable enjoyment in rubbing it in the man's smug face at the next conference.
...That is, he thought glumly as he rounded a corner, if he could prompt it into action. Failing that, well...
At least the monstrosities wouldn't leave anyone alive to mock him for it.
So it was that he went to see the infamous Captain Luna. There was a quaint saying among the Terrans, something to the effect of "Everything happens for a reason" - nothing more than a folksy axiom that helped them feel like there was some kind of guiding hand to the universe - a way of relieving the anxiety born from what was perceived as meaningless chaos.
If only any of them had any idea, he thought as he finally reached the hangar, of just how right they were.
Allied Force Composition:
Shinryu
Ganonia (Ed)
Peregrine Class x3:
Athos
4x Cosmolion
1x Leonisis
Porthos
4x Cosmolion
1x Leonisis
Aramis
4x Cosmolion
1x Leonisis
Enemy Force Composition:
Lamalice x ???
January 19th
L4 Cluster Space
"Looks like we made it just in time."
A flash of crimson in the void - the recently rechristened, refurbished Hiryu Kai class Shinryu cut through the blackness of space, an arrow cast from a hero's bow. Trailing behind it in a row, like little comets themselves, were the blocky, angular forms of a trio of Peregrine class cruisers - hastily drafted into their ragtag resistance force. In the distance, the forms of the Colonies were visible - small explosions already visible in the distance as what security forces remained began to engage the encroaching enemy.
...the enemy...
On the Hiryu's main monitor, there was... what could only be described as a writhing, teeming mass, one that took up the vast majority of the screen. It was roiling and rippling, like a swarm of hornets - only, its composition was far, far more malevolent than any simple-minded insect of the Earth. Its scope was... jaw-dropping, and even those on the bridge found themselves stunned into silence, as attempts to estimate the size of it met with only garbled readouts, even with the Shinryu's advanced instruments.
Lamalice - hundreds, possibly thousands of them, descending in a foul cloud... preparing to do to L4 what they had done to L5 in a matter of minutes: Reduce it and its inhabitants to lifeless husks.
Standing before her command chair, and flanked by none other than her unlikely ally in this act of rebellion, the ship's Captain found her words, slowly.
"There's... So many of them..." She murmured, worry and awe mingling in her voice as she spoke.
"This would be a poor time for us to lose our nerve, Captain Harris."
Harris turned on her heel to regard the owner of the voice. Alan Cicero, clad in his usual white, immaculately pressed suit, regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
"...We can't afford to back out now." She responded, folding her arms as she did.
"If there was a hill to die on, well... This is it."
Cicero clapped his hands approvingly, saying as he did:
"Well said."
With that, he motioned to leave, the Captain calling out after him:
"You're not staying?"
"I have some last minute adjustments to make on the Brasta..." He called back as he reached the doorway, barely even turning his head to acknowledge her: "The VX is proving more temperamental than expected."
And just like that, he was gone. Harris turned her attention back to the map of the battlefield that was forming overhead, as the Lamalice began to converge upon the Colony structures. Despite the severity of the situation... the reality of the potential aftermath was already picking at her mind.
...That man. She mused; No corporatist would ever stick his neck out so far - and for free, at that.
What are you up to, Alan Cicero?
Setting aside her sense of unease for the moment, she cleared her throat, and thrust a hand outward toward the swarm. No dramatic speech was needed - they had waited long enough, and every single one of their crew knew what had to be done.
"All hands, battle stations! Exterminate the Lamalice!"
Alan Cicero traveled along the halls of the Shinryu, one hand grasped around a wall-mounted handle that whisked him along the corridor, while the other adjusted his tie as he went, deep in thought.
He wasn't thinking too much about the oncoming battle, surprisingly. If his understanding of what, exactly he had uncovered was anywhere close to correct... Then the cost of awakening "it" would be more than paid back by the ensuing dividends. Perhaps, he thought mildly, he had judged Bertram and his bizarre obsessions a bit too harshly... After all, now that one of the devices the Institute desperately sought had managed to roll onto his lap, as it were... well, far be it from he to relinquish it.
Of course, he added with a smirk, he would also take considerable enjoyment in rubbing it in the man's smug face at the next conference.
...That is, he thought glumly as he rounded a corner, if he could prompt it into action. Failing that, well...
At least the monstrosities wouldn't leave anyone alive to mock him for it.
So it was that he went to see the infamous Captain Luna. There was a quaint saying among the Terrans, something to the effect of "Everything happens for a reason" - nothing more than a folksy axiom that helped them feel like there was some kind of guiding hand to the universe - a way of relieving the anxiety born from what was perceived as meaningless chaos.
If only any of them had any idea, he thought as he finally reached the hangar, of just how right they were.
Allied Force Composition:
Shinryu
Ganonia (Ed)
Peregrine Class x3:
Athos
4x Cosmolion
1x Leonisis
Porthos
4x Cosmolion
1x Leonisis
Aramis
4x Cosmolion
1x Leonisis
Enemy Force Composition:
Lamalice x ???