Post by Gigachad on Dec 30, 2021 16:17:45 GMT
Chyrix-Austral Expanse
Uq'eik walked down the halls of the palace,nervous beyond belief. He had an appointment with Ka'thog,The new supreme ruler of the Collective,and that terrified him to say the least. After witnessing him in the battle of Xion IV,he was certain that he could not be a mere creature of flesh of blood,but more akin to a force of nature,The Almighty made manifest.
Alas,he entered the throne room,its confines illuminated only by occasional sparks as the scythe like blades of Ka'thogs second pair of arms grinded against one another. That did not last however,as a flick of the monarch's fingers manifested a microscopic star near the chamber's ceiling,diminutive,yet more than enough to make the room brighter than most planetary days.
"Welcome,my child. I take it you have fulfilled my request?" He inquired,sizing up the pitiful speck before him.
"Yes,my lord. I have compiled a comprehensive report of all that should interest you on the galactic stage" Uq'eik waved his hand,producing a slate of glowing energy with clear writing on it.
With a motion of his own,Ka'thog pulled the thing to him,expanding it to better fit his massive scale before analyzing it with an eyeless visage. The thing soon began to "scroll down" with great rapidity,showing both Uq'eiks thoroughness in compiling this document alongside the Lord's freakishly fast understanding of the scripture.
"I see the formation of ACOM and the Uvul Conglomerate went through without issue,that is good to know,another step on the path to project Cuniculum. Yet….what is this 'ICA' you spoke of?"
"A-ah,that would be a power block founded by the Zetyan Clanholds and Isoterran Empire. It is clearly a reactionary sentiment to ACOM,I suggest you pay it little mind"
"They're copying us? Very wise,yet equally disheartening. Zetyan Clanholds…..we're they not the ones Kriqno faced during a mining operation gone wrong?"
"Yes,lord Ka'thog,they were beaten back"
"And this Isoterran Empire,its entry into regional matters displeases me….
I suppose it cannot be helped,be sure to extend an invitation to the Sadashi for ACOM,just to be safe"
Uq'eik nodded,making a mental note of the request.
"Now then…..what is this about a 'Dark Hegemony'?"
"A large pirate fleet,my lord. They primarily operate in the Invilis Corridor. Like most of their kind,they've intensified their operations recently. There are some facts of particular interest however….
First,they are well known for being employed by governments. Furthermore,their recent raids have been exclusively carried on ancerium harvesters leaving Garren's Clarity"
"So somebody may be paying them to get fuel. Now that is truly intriguing. Alas,we cannot have such things happening in our zone of control,if would interfere with our plans."
"Should I assemble a fleet? Intensify patrols?"
"No,we need to strike the problem at its source and I know exactly how. Your report says they do not only plunder ancerium and acquire the harvesters,but also the crews,likely to sell off at slave ports. I say we engineer a batch of humanlike infiltrators,disseminate them amongst harvester crews and let the pirates capture them. From there,we can track their psionic signature back to whatever flea markets they stop at and hit them while they're docked. We get to deal a blow to the Hegemony,show them we mean business and drive them out,seize whatever slave ports they operate at and perhaps even get them to tell us what government hired them. They would certainly be in need of discipline"
"That is…...ingenious actually. I'll ensure that we proceed immediately!"
"It is all about seeing things from a different perspective"
"Now then,let us continue" Ka'thog said,continuing to sift through the document's contents.
"Yes,well,another topic would be the Union of Worlds entering the magnetic monopole market"
The creature's face shot up from his reading
"The Union of Worlds?! But how is that possible? They do not operate in the Boreal Zone and we certainly don't service them"
"That is correct. The details are still hazy,but we do know that the Union recently finished its 'Far Reach' project,a massive Alcubierre catapult meant to transport vessels somewhere in the outer halo. I believe they may have found an alternative source there"
"An alternative source……
We won't stand it,we must act while we still have the larger share. I want the prices lowered to cause a collapse,we'll see how they fare on the receiving end of economic manipulation. Have our analysts come up with some excuse to disperse suspicion,but do inform the Free State of the true reason,we can use more favor with them"
"It shall be done. Perhaps we should also address another issue,that being the galactic breakdown in telecommunications"
"Elaborate"
"The lack of ancerium has resulted in an inability to facilitate transfer of data in bulk. The ancnet has suffered serious impediments or downright outages,the northern Invilis Corridor is no different. We swore that ACOM would provide prosperity to its members,thus bringing back service could strengthen our cause both with those already inside and otherwise."
"That is a great observation. Our psionic communications require no such fuel,what if we were to provide service by exporting it?"
"And how would we do that,great one?"
"That would be a question for the wisest among us,yet they may require assistance for such a project."
The great beast brought a hand up to its chin,thinking. It suddenly snapped its needle tipped fingers,having just experienced a stroke of revelation.
"The Nishibashi Corporation! Their combined knowledge of biology and technology could help us bridge the gap. We are actively dealing with them,are we not?"
"Yes,yet perhaps we should include more players? This undertaking is nothing to scoff at"
"Yes….you may be right. Let us see"
He easily another information slate with his other hand,this one containing various faction profiles built on the current knowledge of the Collective
"Gotha Organotechnik…..I believe this is a perfect addition. We will need to clone plenty of biomass for this"
"Agreed. I will ensure proper envoys are sent to both polities. Now may I interest you in the last subject of my report"
"Proceed"
"A faction going by the designation 'Echoes' has released an offer to the wider galaxy. They wish to sell off a portion of territory,located in the Palar Rift."
"I believe we had a contact there?"
"Yes,a large producer of capitolite armaments."
"Hmmm,we may benefit from a presence there,seeing as one can find areas of interest there. Furthermore,this may be the beginning of a prosperous relationship with these 'Echotians'. Send them a response,we will offer a generous quantity of ancerium for it,they'll be poised to accept given the current circumstances"
The beast chuckled slightly,noting how the wheel of fate was seemingly turning towards them in that regard,at least for now.
"Consider it done"
"Speaking of our current circumstances,we have yet to get to the bottom of it all. Yog'Narr,general of the Meat Drinker,bane of the entire galaxy at this time. I have communed with Naz'kid,felt the encounter the three of you had with the mind of this vegetative force."
"What are you implying lord Ka'thog?"
"The flashes of information you experienced,they intrigue me to no end. And unlike you,my contact was not so easy to fade. Even now,I feel this beast's malice,it is the one thing that still drives it,were it to have thought at one point. I believe growing more familiar with this may allow me to pinpoint its location,perhaps more than just that. But to do that we must rummage through the carcass that is the Drinker's mind,and for that we need its flesh and blood"
"I see,then you mean for us to seek its corpse?"
"Yes,what little we captured in the aftermath of Zarathustra was not nearly enough. To familiarize myself,we must go where this great mind once tread. Our first destination is the 'Carrion Worlds' as our neighbours call them. There should still be imprints on the psion there,precious packets of information I can extract. You will send word of this and muster a fleet."
"I understand,master Ka'thog. Rest assured,I am faithful that this expedition will prove fruitful."
"That is not all. You failed to mention that conflict has befallen the Umon system,why is that?"
"I….must have overlooked. How may I rectify this?"
"You will lead a task force there. While you raise it,I will notify your second in command at Eatov to expect your arrival,you'll find him quite capable in the trial to come. As for your objective there,support FUA and,if victorious,try to coerce them into joining ACOM,their manufacturing abilities are imperative. That is all,you have all my orders,now see to it that they are carried out"
"Yes great one,your will is law"
Uq'eik quickly scurried away,feeling relieved that his incompetence hadn't been punished. Still,going by the mental laundry list he had compiled,he'd be very busy.
Ka'thog meanwhile,snuffed the source of illumination in the room,causing it to return to darkness once more. All alone,his mind began toiling once more. If the ordeal had taught him anything,it was that their center of interest was moving away from the AustralExpanse and into the galaxy proper. Perhaps so too should their center of operations. Yes,he could certainly use a new fortress,a grander one,a capital to awe not just his stubborn rivals here in the Collective,but his enemies abroad. Many would oppose it,moving focus away from Chyrix would be viewed as blasphemous,but it didn't matter,for his word was law and that was that. A grin formed over his visage,he would have to ramp up production for this not so little project of his…
Uq'eik walked down the halls of the palace,nervous beyond belief. He had an appointment with Ka'thog,The new supreme ruler of the Collective,and that terrified him to say the least. After witnessing him in the battle of Xion IV,he was certain that he could not be a mere creature of flesh of blood,but more akin to a force of nature,The Almighty made manifest.
Alas,he entered the throne room,its confines illuminated only by occasional sparks as the scythe like blades of Ka'thogs second pair of arms grinded against one another. That did not last however,as a flick of the monarch's fingers manifested a microscopic star near the chamber's ceiling,diminutive,yet more than enough to make the room brighter than most planetary days.
"Welcome,my child. I take it you have fulfilled my request?" He inquired,sizing up the pitiful speck before him.
"Yes,my lord. I have compiled a comprehensive report of all that should interest you on the galactic stage" Uq'eik waved his hand,producing a slate of glowing energy with clear writing on it.
With a motion of his own,Ka'thog pulled the thing to him,expanding it to better fit his massive scale before analyzing it with an eyeless visage. The thing soon began to "scroll down" with great rapidity,showing both Uq'eiks thoroughness in compiling this document alongside the Lord's freakishly fast understanding of the scripture.
"I see the formation of ACOM and the Uvul Conglomerate went through without issue,that is good to know,another step on the path to project Cuniculum. Yet….what is this 'ICA' you spoke of?"
"A-ah,that would be a power block founded by the Zetyan Clanholds and Isoterran Empire. It is clearly a reactionary sentiment to ACOM,I suggest you pay it little mind"
"They're copying us? Very wise,yet equally disheartening. Zetyan Clanholds…..we're they not the ones Kriqno faced during a mining operation gone wrong?"
"Yes,lord Ka'thog,they were beaten back"
"And this Isoterran Empire,its entry into regional matters displeases me….
I suppose it cannot be helped,be sure to extend an invitation to the Sadashi for ACOM,just to be safe"
Uq'eik nodded,making a mental note of the request.
"Now then…..what is this about a 'Dark Hegemony'?"
"A large pirate fleet,my lord. They primarily operate in the Invilis Corridor. Like most of their kind,they've intensified their operations recently. There are some facts of particular interest however….
First,they are well known for being employed by governments. Furthermore,their recent raids have been exclusively carried on ancerium harvesters leaving Garren's Clarity"
"So somebody may be paying them to get fuel. Now that is truly intriguing. Alas,we cannot have such things happening in our zone of control,if would interfere with our plans."
"Should I assemble a fleet? Intensify patrols?"
"No,we need to strike the problem at its source and I know exactly how. Your report says they do not only plunder ancerium and acquire the harvesters,but also the crews,likely to sell off at slave ports. I say we engineer a batch of humanlike infiltrators,disseminate them amongst harvester crews and let the pirates capture them. From there,we can track their psionic signature back to whatever flea markets they stop at and hit them while they're docked. We get to deal a blow to the Hegemony,show them we mean business and drive them out,seize whatever slave ports they operate at and perhaps even get them to tell us what government hired them. They would certainly be in need of discipline"
"That is…...ingenious actually. I'll ensure that we proceed immediately!"
"It is all about seeing things from a different perspective"
"Now then,let us continue" Ka'thog said,continuing to sift through the document's contents.
"Yes,well,another topic would be the Union of Worlds entering the magnetic monopole market"
The creature's face shot up from his reading
"The Union of Worlds?! But how is that possible? They do not operate in the Boreal Zone and we certainly don't service them"
"That is correct. The details are still hazy,but we do know that the Union recently finished its 'Far Reach' project,a massive Alcubierre catapult meant to transport vessels somewhere in the outer halo. I believe they may have found an alternative source there"
"An alternative source……
We won't stand it,we must act while we still have the larger share. I want the prices lowered to cause a collapse,we'll see how they fare on the receiving end of economic manipulation. Have our analysts come up with some excuse to disperse suspicion,but do inform the Free State of the true reason,we can use more favor with them"
"It shall be done. Perhaps we should also address another issue,that being the galactic breakdown in telecommunications"
"Elaborate"
"The lack of ancerium has resulted in an inability to facilitate transfer of data in bulk. The ancnet has suffered serious impediments or downright outages,the northern Invilis Corridor is no different. We swore that ACOM would provide prosperity to its members,thus bringing back service could strengthen our cause both with those already inside and otherwise."
"That is a great observation. Our psionic communications require no such fuel,what if we were to provide service by exporting it?"
"And how would we do that,great one?"
"That would be a question for the wisest among us,yet they may require assistance for such a project."
The great beast brought a hand up to its chin,thinking. It suddenly snapped its needle tipped fingers,having just experienced a stroke of revelation.
"The Nishibashi Corporation! Their combined knowledge of biology and technology could help us bridge the gap. We are actively dealing with them,are we not?"
"Yes,yet perhaps we should include more players? This undertaking is nothing to scoff at"
"Yes….you may be right. Let us see"
He easily another information slate with his other hand,this one containing various faction profiles built on the current knowledge of the Collective
"Gotha Organotechnik…..I believe this is a perfect addition. We will need to clone plenty of biomass for this"
"Agreed. I will ensure proper envoys are sent to both polities. Now may I interest you in the last subject of my report"
"Proceed"
"A faction going by the designation 'Echoes' has released an offer to the wider galaxy. They wish to sell off a portion of territory,located in the Palar Rift."
"I believe we had a contact there?"
"Yes,a large producer of capitolite armaments."
"Hmmm,we may benefit from a presence there,seeing as one can find areas of interest there. Furthermore,this may be the beginning of a prosperous relationship with these 'Echotians'. Send them a response,we will offer a generous quantity of ancerium for it,they'll be poised to accept given the current circumstances"
The beast chuckled slightly,noting how the wheel of fate was seemingly turning towards them in that regard,at least for now.
"Consider it done"
"Speaking of our current circumstances,we have yet to get to the bottom of it all. Yog'Narr,general of the Meat Drinker,bane of the entire galaxy at this time. I have communed with Naz'kid,felt the encounter the three of you had with the mind of this vegetative force."
"What are you implying lord Ka'thog?"
"The flashes of information you experienced,they intrigue me to no end. And unlike you,my contact was not so easy to fade. Even now,I feel this beast's malice,it is the one thing that still drives it,were it to have thought at one point. I believe growing more familiar with this may allow me to pinpoint its location,perhaps more than just that. But to do that we must rummage through the carcass that is the Drinker's mind,and for that we need its flesh and blood"
"I see,then you mean for us to seek its corpse?"
"Yes,what little we captured in the aftermath of Zarathustra was not nearly enough. To familiarize myself,we must go where this great mind once tread. Our first destination is the 'Carrion Worlds' as our neighbours call them. There should still be imprints on the psion there,precious packets of information I can extract. You will send word of this and muster a fleet."
"I understand,master Ka'thog. Rest assured,I am faithful that this expedition will prove fruitful."
"That is not all. You failed to mention that conflict has befallen the Umon system,why is that?"
"I….must have overlooked. How may I rectify this?"
"You will lead a task force there. While you raise it,I will notify your second in command at Eatov to expect your arrival,you'll find him quite capable in the trial to come. As for your objective there,support FUA and,if victorious,try to coerce them into joining ACOM,their manufacturing abilities are imperative. That is all,you have all my orders,now see to it that they are carried out"
"Yes great one,your will is law"
Uq'eik quickly scurried away,feeling relieved that his incompetence hadn't been punished. Still,going by the mental laundry list he had compiled,he'd be very busy.
Ka'thog meanwhile,snuffed the source of illumination in the room,causing it to return to darkness once more. All alone,his mind began toiling once more. If the ordeal had taught him anything,it was that their center of interest was moving away from the AustralExpanse and into the galaxy proper. Perhaps so too should their center of operations. Yes,he could certainly use a new fortress,a grander one,a capital to awe not just his stubborn rivals here in the Collective,but his enemies abroad. Many would oppose it,moving focus away from Chyrix would be viewed as blasphemous,but it didn't matter,for his word was law and that was that. A grin formed over his visage,he would have to ramp up production for this not so little project of his…