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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 14:03:53 GMT
Tau Volaris: Tau Secundus, under heavy allied siege
In the bowels of the besieged Tau Secundus, a lone man stood in a room full of displays. On each display was a different view of the gruesome warzone that surrounded their final bastion on the planet. Their last opportunity to fight off the diligent allies so eager to purge those who dared to rebel.
His grey greatcoat draped smoothly to his ankles, forming on his torso rather snug. The base color was complemented by a crimson red trim, reflecting on the color of his eyes. His chest was laden with reward ribbons and badges of distant times. The man was none other than the Minevan officer, Commandant Petrov. In the light of the screens, his white hair shined. His eyes were steel and his arms were crossed behind his back; he knew what was to come, but when it was, he did not know.
"How does it feel, Minevan dog?"
Petrov snapped his head at the female voice. He was certain he was alone in the room, and no one had entered. What lie in front of him was a face he was sure he'd never see again.
"To be hunted to the ends of the galaxy by your very kinsmen?" She continued.
Standing in front of him was a human brunette, clad in rigid black armors from neck to toe. Her stature or presence wasn't that imposing, but her tone was certainly enthralling.
"Freya..." Petrov's deep, grizzled voice didn't waver, even with his surprise. He dropped his arms and turned around, squaring his old, bulky frame towards her. "Why are you here?"
"Reiko and I aren't finished," Freya stepped forward, heels echoing in the spacious chamber. She stopped a mere foot from him, face to face with her old enemy, "But that's beside the point."
She looked up at the older-looking man. In all actuality, they were nearly the same age, but an outsider wouldn't be able to tell. Petrov, laden with wrinkles and stress marks from many a battle and a beard that screamed renegade, contrasted the young, flawless features of the younger woman. Her expression was somber. "I need you. You don't have to die here, Minevan."
Petrov's look met hers, shaking his head, "If I am to meet my end here, it shall be."
"I can get you out of here, Commandant. I need you to help me stop Reiko," Her tone rose, in a desperate manner. "Petrov, please."
He brought his hands up to look at them, formulating his reply. "My men are all dead, save for the seven. If I am to die here, it would do much more irreparable damage to the Unitary State of Mineva than I could ever dream of doing with my own hands." To this, Freya remained silent, her mouth falling slight agape. She knew he was right.
"The seven Commissars that are left," Petrov paused, furrowing his brow, "Their death would be meaningless here. You must take them."
There was a long silence. Freya reluctantly nodded, but still stood her ground. She brought her hands to his, slowly grasping onto the calloused, strong hands. "You Minevans are all damned fools," She stated, without a shred of hostility in her tone. Petrov's hand slowly rose to her cheek, a gesture of affection she wouldn't dare let any other mortal in existence make.
"Don't let it be in vain, Freya," Commandant Petrov frowned, which in turn caused her to mirror his expression. She nodded, as a strange aura began to form around her feet. From her lower body, snaking its way slowly upwards, the matter making up her body and apparel began to turn into streaks of dim particles, and, in moments, nothingness. His hand on her cheek was now wavering in empty air.
He closed his eyes, looked down, and sighed. These rebel commanders were all here for a number of reasons, but all fought in kind. It seemed they were all going to die the same, as it was. If they were all to die, he would make it worth it. He left the displays running, taking a last look of the relentless ground forces charging forth in their tanks and vehicles, infantry of various nations banded together and diving into trenches, storming buildings and streets. He saw Hellions storming the skies, valiantly weaving around anti-air fire and working in tandem with Tenebreans to dismantle the siege weapons defending the city. He watched as the cultist rabble, militiamen, and Capitol soldiers were getting dominated in the spearhead attack, be it by Union or Carnaithian armor or artillery and air support. At this rate, they would be lucky to last longer than a couple days. Petrov knew the end was near.
Petrov grabbed his family's blade by the scabbard that was propped against the counter; this very blade that he'd saved his country with, the very blade that had tasted the blood of many Falknians of a century past. With it, he walked towards the room's exit, the hatches automatically parting for him into a massive atrium that hosted the last of the rebel's command.
Tyrand made his way through the various levels of the command structure through the large elevator. The sounds of very heavy gunfire even making their way through the large superstructure. Around him stood several Hydra Guard, all carried weapons and armour however he himself was in command attire. His superior officer Raxis had fled the planet after dealing heavy blows to the enemy forces and left Tyrand to die. In truth he had hoped Raxis would be the first to die to the allies while Tyrand had merely waited on the ground to destroy the remnants of the allied forces. However Raxis had always watched his subordinates and had positioned Tyrand into a position which led only to death. And here he was, a last stand on a world with what forces he had left alongside the rest here... He frowned. Inara would come, this world was too strategically important to ignore, he was sure reinforcements would come it was a matter of when. The elevator stopped at the command atrium and the doors retracted to reveal the massive room, along with several people already inside it... Commander Petrov... He had hated the man however was forced to work alongside him. Marching into the large chamber he looked around at the various other figures here. He was sure to not die here this was Capitols time afterall.
Petrov's weary eyes scanned the atrium, filled with many personnel; mostly capitol and local commander collaborating in the failing defense of their fortress. There was only one here like him. He needed to find Commissar Brandt and tell him what was to happen of them. His search stopped on a moment's notice as Tyrand advanced to him, resting his scabbard on the deck.
"So, how much time is there left, human?" The timer was already counting down, and they both had to know it. Tyrand sneered "Long enough. We can still hold out against whatever they throw at us, we will pay for every inch they take in blood" He spat, looking and glancing at various read outs from the front, each one showing a very stark reality to Tyrands hopes, the allies were slowly breaking through and very soon they would be into the city itself. That's where the real hard combat would be fought.
as the commanders spoke, a screen in the atrium flickered with interference from the outside. the readouts displayed on it spiking or falling to flat levels as the distortions got worse. An odd Sound, not unlike Heavy radio interference issuing from the the speakers near it. The Technician, a Carnaithian getting up and stepping back from the console that commanded the screen quickly, almost reflexively. "Commanders!" He said. "We have a signal incoming from a source on the edge of the systems orbital disk." He said in a somewhat shaky voice. "The code is unknown."
Tyrands face seemed to light up slightly, could it be? Inaras reinforcements? If it was then they were saved and the allies would surely pay for their actions here. But then why would it be unknown? He was somewhat puzzled as he replied "Put it on screen I want to see what it is" He crossed his arms, not caring of Petrovs wishes as he did so.
By the handle, Petrov clicked the scabbard off the deck. His long stare travelled towards the main display, not even bothering to acknowledge the Carnaithian himself. After all; was he really still a commander without his army?
The carnaithian technition looked at the two of them. His hands wringing slightly. "But sirs" He said. "i've never seen this kind of coding before. it's.... Beyond what i can understand."
Tyrand looked at Petrov then back to the technician "Just put it on screen man gods be damned we are in a warzone here it could be reinforcements!"
Just one signal wouldn't be nearly enough to pull them out of the proverbial frying pan. Let alone a ship at the edge of the system. It'd be a while before it could even close the gaps by any means. Petrov grunted, stare not leaving the main display. "Just put it on screen, son. See what you can get from it."
The technition looked at them, then back at the console before nodding his head resolutely and reaching out to give the commands to the system to put the signal on the main screen in the atium. "Yes sirs." He said. Before his hand could even get near the console however. the console seemed to give the order by itself, an arc of electricity jumping from its surface and shocking the technician. sending him flying back at the commanders feet. Spazeming from the blast. as this occurred, even as they watched. the Console seemed to act on its own. Opening up the link on the main screen. The screen itself going black and interspaced on its edges with heavy interference. The odd interference issuing from multiple speakers around the room at once. it would seem as if it was nothing but interference, but anything they checked would have told them that the link was in fact stable. Tyrand looked down at the spazming man, blood coming from the corner of his mouth as he convulsed, frowning Tyrand drew his side arm and in one crack shot put the poor technician out of his pain. He then turned to various members in the room "Sort this out! We cant have our systems down at this time! The link is stable... Hmmm, someone do something to clean up this mess too..." He stared at the main screen like Petrov "Hello? Is this the relief fleet?"
"That's one way of putting it..." A voice replied from behind Tyrand.
The screen seemed to shift, a dim bluish lavender light appearing in its center. like a lantern in a black expanse. An unsettling thing, that. To the men in the room, seemed to be a pupil in the center of a vast black eye. for every one of them that looked at it. it would seem to stare back at them.
Tyrand shook his head with confusion "What the hell is this? This isn't the relief force I ordered" He turned to the voice that had come before him seeing the form of Hain standing at the entrance to the command chamber "Hain" Tyrand acknowledged, albeit not happily but doing so all the same. Somewhat surprised the Drake had come here.
The drake stood in his human form. a tall, pale, thin young man, seemingly in his early 20's, with crowned golden blond hair and wearing a large, armored greatcoat. Hain replied.
"No, we are not the relief force you so desired. How very observant of you, Tyrand..."
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 14:04:06 GMT
Tau Volaris: Tau Secundus under heavy seige
The link on the screen would have remained silent as the drake spoke. another technician in the room. a carnaithian like the one manning the console when the link had arrived stood and spoke, speculating what he was thinking. "Thats... Thats it!" He said, looking at the screen and listening to the interference. "Thats the thing that destroyed our city. Thats attacking the northern sections of This city."
" You are correct!" Hain exclaimed enthusiastically to the carnathian. "Isnt it a masterpiece? A real work of art?" He said as he approached the screen, arms outstretched.
Petrov looked down at the Carnaithian tossed like a ragdoll, noticing one of his compatriots rushing to his aid. He pivoted towards the blonde, dragging the tip of the scabbard across the deck with a raking sound filling the pause. "Hm.." The Minevan cocked a brow, "Not that I was expecting one anyways. We've really been tossed to the hounds this time. I don't suppose you came for the confab, either?"
"Correct, yet again" Hain replied. "You are all on a role today. Kudos"
"This command center has already resigned themselves" a hollow sounding collection of voices said from the speakers. "It is of insult to the Architects that their halls are filled with such beings."
Tyrand looked up from Hain to the moniter "What the hell is going on? We are still fighting a siege might I add, from these reports the allies will be within the walls within the hour. If this isn't the Capitol relief force, and its the same thing that attacked the Carnaithian rebel dome what the hell is it?"
"We are The Architects of this world. Keeper of this planet and its systems.... The Allies are of no consequence. It is us that shall need to ask you... who are you? And why do you squat among the grounds of our nexus? What you call, your city..." The voices asked, from the speaker.
"That, Tyrand, is a good friend of mine. you've probably heard of it before," Hain smiled. "Meet the Abberation..."
"I am commander Tyrand Acronis of the Grand Empire of Capitol. I am here to support those which requested our help against the allies, I stand in these halls to respect my Empress alligences and to fight back tyranny" Tyrand heard Hain and his face seemed to darken somewhat, his frown becoming larger "So that's the Aberration... Why is it trying to destroy our forces?" He asked.
“They are intruding on a world that is not theirs. their units Were simply unfortunate to be in our way, and made the decision to open fire." the entity group responded.
"So this ship in system... belongs to you?" Tyrand gestured at the window towards the storm wracked sky.
"Yes. It is our Vassel. This system was claimed by the Architects before your races worlds formed from the birth of your suns. our objective is to reclaim it." The screen responded.
"So you just want to remove all of our prescences from the face of this world?" Tyrand replied, it was starting to dawn on him that the forces of this planet had never intended to hold or win against the allies, but had rather had a far more sinister plan.
"If we are to perish, then it is of no consequence," Petrov calmly spoke, "But the real question is why you've joined us today, outsider. It surely isn't your intention to perish as well." His voice was a multilayered mystery, being near impossible to tell if it was laden with sincerity, sarcasm, wiseness, hostility, or anything of the sort.
"And in strange eons even death, may die. Commander..." The entity on the screen said over the speakers in the room. "Tell us, what options do we have? If you were to wake up yourself one day and find that invaders had colonized your worlds as you slept. Would you sit idle? it's is a question for you, but for us. it is an obligation..... This world must be Reclaimed.... WILL, be reclaimed...." The pupil turned towards the drake standing before the screen. "is that not right hain? Our General?"
"Most definitely, my friend" Hain replied nodding his head in agreement and smiling. "justice and my god demand all wrongs be righted. and this is a most heinous wrong indeed."
"That's, uh... 'Commandant'," Petrov rose his hand and cleared his throat, "There's an 'A-N-T' at the end. Don't worry, I get that sometimes."
Still grasping the handle of his sheathed blade, Petrov brought his hands up to fix his uniform's collar. "We were called here to combat and stall the development of the pan-galactic coalitions. The one who invited us to this drab planet has long-since abandoned us," The Minevan began pacing to the side, getting a bit of distance from the Capitol officer, "Perhaps it was purposefully set up." His hints were strong and his implication was obvious. Maybe Hain had lured the rebels to this world to die in the first place.
"To each race its own, Commandant" The entity said with its voices. the pronunciation of commandant notably prolonged. "But as you desire."
The eye on the screen never moved from where it focused on the drake before it. but there was a sense that it was following petrovs every move as he paced away from the capitol officer. When it spoke again. its voice had a sense of amusement to it. "you give yourself far too much credit. While even we were surprised at the odds against such a meeting. Save for the cultists. You are all here of your own designs, you and the minevan rebels, Capitol, Union, Tenebreans, Carnaithains... But you are fortunate in that sense."
"The more the merrier, I say, Abby." Hain responded.
Tyrand looked visibly angry, now knowing he was most likely going to die here in an inglorious death for his people. Only to be 'saved' by a story told to scare children at night which was entire real and was here, as Tyrand suspected. To remove everyones precence from the planet by any means nessecary. "This was your plan all along, you never truly needed help or reinforcing if only just to hold out long enough for.... this" He said pointing at the screen "To arrive, good men and women of my people have died for this" He said biting back curses.
"And nothing of any true importance was lost..."Hain smiled and laughed "Well, if it makes you feel any better, they didnt die for nothing...Jormudgand gets rather hungry after all.
"My people did not die for some god of yours. Neither did they die for your cause" Tyrand spat "If you intend to kill me and my people we will not go quietly" He said, slowly moving his hand towards his sword. If this had been the cultists plan all along he wouldn't die a coward, he would go down fighting. Betrayal was something Tyrand despised, especially from those who he was supposed to fight alongside.
"No, they died following yours and your superiors' orders. Our gods only took the opportunity which you predictably provided them. Isnt free will a bitch?" Hain replied with a wide, toothy smile stretching from ear to ear, revealing his jagged animal like fangs behind his still normal human looking teeth. his eyes glanced at Tyrand's hand as he reached for his blade. "everything has gone according to plan, however. with or without your peoples' deaths."
Upon noticing the Capitol Commander's hand twitch, Petrov took it upon himself.
In an obvious, deliberate, and lightning fast motion, he snatched the scabbard itself in his offhand and lowered his figured. There was an audible set of clicks from the blade inside of its housing. "As Saint Mineva taught, there are no gods; only those who desire to be so. We would not mind if you wished to die here with us."
"On the contrary." Hain replied. " you think that possibility never occured to us? BAH!" He spit. "Your saint was a fool and you know nothing of the draconian or my people." He said as he growled. "We have a long and dark history with these deities, who have proven time and time again of their might." Hain scowled. "they are not demons! not angels! not even simply powerful entities!" He exclaimed "It was a painful truth at first. realizing the monsters of your peoples' nightmares were your one true salvation from oblivion..." Hain smiled once more. "But hey, the truth hurts....and I have no intention of dying among lowly dogs." a red mark materialised over his face in the shape of an arch, going over his forehead and meeting the sides of his mouth.
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 14:04:17 GMT
Tau Volaris: Tau Secundus, under heavy allied siege
The faintest glimmer of a smirk formed on the corner of Petrov's lips. "Just as Mineva taught your kind would say."
His thumb pushed an inch of the katana out of its scabbard with a click.
The light in the center of the screen seemed to glow a little brighter, The interference on its edges intensifying as small arcs of a blueish energy jumped across its surface. some of them mingling with the drakes form. When the entity spoke, it did so addressing the Two commanders standing in the center of the atrium. "Such words. Where have we heard their utterance before? Was it among the navies of the VehRah? or within the armies of the Azernexians? The Temporian, the Nakai, the flux? you all think so alike, seeking a high moral ground. Yes, your men died. but our commander speaks the truth. They died following the orders of you and yours... It was simply a convenience that we benefited from it."
The Entity paused then, As if cut off from its train of thought. The light flaring for a single second on the screen as the static did as well. It growled, or rather. it seemed to growl. it certainly sounded like it. a deep rumble like the crackle of sick lightning. Small arcs of the lavender energy arcing from its surface as if agitated. Before it smoothed out again. Something clearly having occurred, but not apparent on the screen itself.
Tyrand listened and seemed to laugh slightly, strange for such a situation before he then shook his head and replied "Moral high ground... My people haven't had the moral high ground before. It is nice to know for once we do what must be done in our name. However we will not bend to benefit you anymore, whatever you are, I serve Capitol and no other!"
"And serving the Capitol is exactly what brought you here, you ignorant savages!" Hain snapped at Tyrand. "We never asked or ordered you be sent here, and we have not manipulated your actions while you were present. your kind are just that predictable." He gave an animal-like growl which quickly turned into a laugh. "But that's just blind loyalty for you." Hain stopped to pull his left sleave back, checking a thin metal watch attached to his wrist and smiling.
A 'crack' sounded from the ceiling, and a massive grate came plummeting down in the space between Hain and the rebel leaders. A young voice could be heard for a moment, "Holy sh-!"
It hit the deck with a massive crash, sending up plumes of dust and smoke in every direction and even managing to put a notable dent in the floor of the atrium. Everything in the chamber seemed to freeze, until a force parted the debris cloud. Standing in the center was another uniformed Minevan, clad in light armor plating and sporting a rugged Mohawk. His features were young and unscathed, albeit dirty. His feet were firmly planted in the ground, arms reaching out to his sides with open hands. Once the concealment began to dissipate, he brought his arms back closer to his body.
"All clear!" He called up, before taking a real look around. His eyes stopped on a bewildered Petrov and Tyrandis, before drinking in that he'd landed right in the middle of -the- command center. All eyes were on him. "... Sort of."
He glanced behind him to see Hain, confirming his prior assumption and relaying to his comrade up above, "I told you I sensed them!"
Another figure seemed to drop from the rafters, clad in mightnight black power armour clearly of Union design somewhat the figure oozed darkness and carried what seemed to be a red Katana. His faceplate didn't reveal his features as he slowly stood up readying into a battle pose he was tall, and well built an aura of death surrounded his form as he replied to "Indeed Maru. However we are in a difficult situation I recommend you ready yourself" The figure replied in a very clipped voice. Tyrandis merely stared not really knowing what was happening.
"Exactly my armored friends." Hain spoke to the intruders. "And you are right on time. If there's one thing I can appreciate about mortals it's that you are seldomly late to a party." He grinned. "I must admit, you're more heavily armed than expected" He said as he scanned the darker figure. "but this changes little."
“Change little? Oh we shall have to see about that” Maru said slowly getting into a more combat ready pose, he observed the Drake carefully, Hain would surely be a formidable opponent which both Maru and Jarral would have to take down together, he scanned the other figures in the room command staff… Along with their target Commander Petrov… the Filthy rebel, and a Capitol commander. Plus whatever the hell the thing on the screen was. He eyed up the Capitol commander, Jarral was closer to Petrov and although he wanted to kill the traitor himself Jarral could be on him quicker while Maru garrotted the Capitol commander.
Jarral on the other hand eyed the room, quickly taking in its surroundings and stared at Pretov, then Hain then the rest. He had his Katana ready, Petrov also holding his sabre in response. There was a moment of tension in the room before Jarral broke the silence “By the powers given to me. I sentence you all to death” It was then Jarral lunged at Pretov and Maru charged the Capitol Commander.
Hain turned to the screen. "Inform the recruits that their rite is over, congratulate them if you wish, I do not care. Our work here is done."
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 14:04:29 GMT
Tau Volaris: Tau Secundus, under heavy allied siege
the glowing point on the screen flared. the eldrich energy pulsing across its surface in a growing swell. It's position never moved, but to those in the room, it would have appeared to have turned its direction towards the figure of hain that stood in front of it. it might have been at that point that the commanders in the room would have noticed the silence that was coming from the darkness from its side of the atrium that seemed to rim the screen. Of the technicians and lesser commanders that had stood there, there was no sign nor sound. as if the crackling darkness had swallowed them up.
"Done." it said, in a tone that might have been final. "They know... we have passed the message, we are here, thier contacts, here as well..." It said to the drake, its voice now seeming to emanate from the air rather then ride it.
Now, the glowing point on the screen did move, sliding upwards under the glass to follow the movement as jarral began his lunge.
"Death.... in strange eons, it itself dies.... " it said in a cold tone, the air suddenly heavy, almost still.
Tyrand had already drawn his pistol and had fired 3 shots as Maru impacted him, the shells bouncing or missing as the White hand grabbed the Capitol commanders arm and neck, breaking his arm and crushing down on his throat. Tyrand roared, gargled by the neck grip he fired his pistol at point blank, the rounds causing Maru to merely flinch before breaking Tyrands neck, the Capitol commander dying with the look of fear and humiliation in his eyes. He had hoped to win here, to get back to his wife. But it was all for a fools errand. Petrov however was more lucky. His sword already drawn Petrov took the blow of Jarral and even though he faltered due to the force was lucky enough to parry the sudden lightning strike which followed, shadows engulfed the Minevan commander, and a barrage of blows from the pitch black katana kept up. He knew he was going to die here, but he would be damned if he did as easily as the Capitol dog. It was then Maru turned to Hain “Your next” The white hand said pointing at the Drake
Hain put on a faux expression of surprise. "Am I?! Oh, whatever shall I do?!" He grinned a wide, toothy grin as he put his arms around his back casually, maintaining a straight, upright stance. "well..." electricity arced along his body and into the darkness of the room around them. "there's this..."
The screen seemed to flare for a moment. "Our dear general... our troops are ready..." The hollow, dead sounding voice said from its glassy surface. There was a deep bass crackling as the terminals that lined the atrium walls engulfed in the darkness began to conduct the arcane lavender hued energy that emanated from and around the main screen. arcing across the area, illuminating the area in short flashes of bluish light. the ground there was littered with bodies. oddly misshapen in the flickering light of the arcs of energy. the staff had apparently gone down silently, stealthily almost. none of them had uttered a sound as they had died.
The energy flickered as it mingled with the electricity from the drakes body. Striking the bodies that lay on the ground and illuminating them as it conducted and ran through the fallen forms. There were snaps and the sound that could have been akined to tearing wet cloth as the bodies rose from where they lay. animated by whatever was watching them through the screen, crystalline components and growths over their forms already glowing with the lavender blue glow. digitigrade Skeletal frames over dead human, minevan and carnaithian forms Like some sort of macabre armor. glowing eyes staring from hollow sockets within curiously drake shaped skulls.
"Lets not forget this either." it said a moment later, referring to something else in the room that stirred.
"Meet the dracolich!" Hain said happily to the few living things in the room.. " for these are but a glimpse at the corruption that is to come..."
Petrov grunted as he fought Jarral, he knew he was going to die but he fought all the same. He used his sword lightning fast “I will die knowing the people of Mineva stand behind my ideologies! You may kill me but my idea will never die! Down with Reiko down with the government!” He roared as Jarral put the Katana through Petrovs stomarch. The commander grabbed the katana, using his other arm to punch the Spectra legionare in the face, causing Jarral to flinch before pulling the swore through slicing him half apart. Petrov fell to the floor spitting at his enemy with the sword in his hand “I will never die… Down… With Reiko…” He managed as he slipped away. Jarral already watching the things around him like a hawk readying his katana and surging with more energy. “Maru. It appears the enemy wish to test us” Maru grunted not turning “Indeed” He still stood staring at Hain as the creatures animated around him “You know, I was hoping to relax today” He said surging with power, taking a strike stance as an aura glowed around him and a corona of blue energy danced about his hands
"Well, you made my day easier." Hain answered with a smirk and looking at the two fresh bodies laying on the ground. "honestly, I was about to kill them myself."
It was less then a microsecond after the drake had spoken when a new creature from amidst the enemy's forces struck out. it was the original, still with scorch marks on his skin, still with a bullet hole on his forehead from his "mercy" killing.
its eyes flickered open, revealing the glow of the entity shining deep within.
It sat bolt upright with a speed that could have been described as monstrous. the new structures that made it up having silently grown under its uniform and within its body, whipping its arm forward, a blade of black stone-like material tearing from within its forearm. the strike making contact with the closer of the two, maru. the infernui blade cleaving cleanly through the warriors lateral and medial muscles in his leg.
Maru grunted in pain, whipping around with his fists each one sheathed in bright blue energy, he punched whatever it was cleanly in the face with monumental force, discharging the enemy he had charged himself with in one massive blast directed at his sudden foe. His leg was bleeding, starting to clot and heal due to his physiology but he raised his fists and entered a fighting stance ready for whatever came next. Jarral however stepped out of sight, appearing next to the closest creature, slicing with his otherworldly katana, the blade glimmering in the air, not wholly within this reality he struck like lightning ready for any riposte the enemy might muster, the spectra operative being fast on his feet.
the corpse entity that had slashed Maru, the first of them. reeled back as the white hand spun and launched the energy blast at its body. sending its sitting form skidding backwards across the floor of the atrium. Its flesh, only now beginning to show signs of digression and tearing set alight in blue flames. its Skin falling away from the structures growing beneath like parchment. Revealing the interior structures of crystal and black stone that had developed rapidly. The creature was sleeker, much more advanced, then the others in the room had been.
It turned back to face maru. its skull structure being encompassed by the familiar crystalline drake skull. Flipping backwards over its head as its skidded. Landing on what remained of the boots the technician had been wearing.
The Targeted creature moved Surprisingly fast. merely moving its arm up in a deflecting gesture that looked almost casual. The blade would have contacted, and sliced cleanly through the skin and bone of the tenebrean rebel the creature had been formed from. Before catching abruptly on the bizarre understructure of black stone encompassing its form, stopping the swing suddenly. the ancient material ringing as the blade stopped short after cutting a fraction of the way through it.
"This one exhibits impressive speed and hypereuclidian abilities... impressed would the architects be to observe its abilities." it said.
The Dracolich responded almost impossibly fast. Lashing out with its free arm and blade, While making a sweep at the spectra operatives legs with its segmented Crystal and black stone tail coming from the opposite direction. others around them beginning to move in attack stances towards the Spectra.
"Most impressed indeed, dear friend." Hain replied to the talking dracolich. "this is but a mere glimpse at the glorious creations our alliance is capable of...a glimpse at what my people are capable of..." Hain raised his hand sky-ward, shifting his form as he did into that of his true drake form. a golden furred lightning drake with silver antlers, much taller than the others in the room, with a single crystal upon his forehead. streaks of electricity coursed through his fur. a red moon shaped mark materialised over his dog-like head in a fashion similar to war paint. His clothing had changed with him, becoming charged with energy, it glowed with yellow markings on black leather, more armor formed around the drake's torso like fingers clenching around his body. In his open hand erupted a shower of sparks and spray of electricity. as the flash of energy quickly died down, a large one handed axe was revealed in his grasp which visibly generated energy that shot randomly to the ground around him in thin bolts like lightning. Hain brought the axe down, sending a shockwave through the floor, as well as a current of energy which brought life back into the facility as the lights flickered back on and computers returned to their normal business as though they had never been shut down. this was but a brief respite from the darkness as every computer and every light and electronic device in the building exploded in a shower of sparks, all except for the one; the screen which housed that ethereal blue eye that was the abberation remained untouched.
Maru leapt up, managing to dodge the shockwave and the auto reactive lenses of the helmet he wore stopping the barrage of flashes from the sparks. As he entered the air he triggered his jump back, propelling himself back towards Jarral, impacting the ground between him and a few of the creatures, and pulling out his retractable mono filament blade, the surface shining a pure white as it powered up its distortion field, charging two of the creatures near Jarral in a flurry of lightning fast blows, his armour also discharging high velocity fletchets in all directions. Jarral on the other hand, managed to pull his blade free, able to parry one of the attacks by the creature before the shockwave hit, sending them flying. Rather than catching him off he spun in mid air, slicing again at the creatures body, and its core. Its tail attack catching him in the side and drawing blood causing him to roar, shooing a bolt of unlight at the creatures face with the fury of a thunderbolt.
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 14:04:44 GMT
Tau Volaris: Tau Secundus allied forces under attack from unknown forces and withdrawing
The Dracolitch constructs in the atrium seemed to weather the pulse far better than Maru and Jarral did. Many of them almost simultaneously assuming a rough form of bracing position as the drakes blast wave tore through the room. Some were caught off guard, either in reaction to the two soldier’s movement, or still changing their positioning, and were momentarily knocked off balance, the agility of the creatures making itself apparent by how many of them regained their balance with quick, smooth movements, the discharge of energy seeming to course through their forms.
The one that had been combatting Jarral snapped its head backwards and sideways as the blast of unlight struck the side of its head squarely. The Dracolitch turning its head back to look at him a split second later. Revealing the damage that had been done. Half of the crystalline drake skull had been destroyed, arcs of energy jumping from the damage. While its inner head. Human in origin. Was half charred and cooked. A sickly smell, vaguely reminiscent of sweet pork overwhelming the air around it. The construct responded to his movements. Merely parrying the spectrums blows with the material of its arm. Before lashing out at him again with a blade of the same obsidian like material that slid cleanly from its forearms length, slicing at him with silent, coordinated movements.
The constructs that Maru were facing were much more direct. The fletchetts that impacted them either sinking into or tearing through the muscle beneath the odd material with shredding or splitting sounds. Or rebounding off of it with audible pings and twangs, prompting them to take unsteady steps back. The dracolich's moving in coordination as they parried and deflected the blows of his mono filament blade, their own blades forming in much the same way, arcing the strange energy that had mutated all that had been in the atrium, one of them lashing out at him with the bladed end of its tail, giving an angry echoing call, much like the first had struck out at Jarral. The discharges as the blades collided arcing outwards and searing surfaces around them.
"This one is back to full mobility." The entity within the screen said, addressing the drake with its cold flickering eye. “Speed, and speed of regenerative functions are a notable factor, to be taken into account.” it went on.
"Yes, quite impressive, Abby...make sure to continue to monitor the situation, I would like every detail and the time it took to finish" Hain said as he picked up the body of Tyrand by the throat while he moved over to grab Petrov's remains by the leg. "Impressive work to the lot of you, gentleman. Not quite as good as a public beheading, but I commend you for trying. Still, fresh meat is a terrible thing to waste" large golden feathered wings sprouted from the drake's back and stretched open. "But alas, my time here is through. No more fun for me this day...until next time...." with a smile and a bright flash, Hain was gone, the bodies along with him.
Jarral cursed silently as he watched Hain merely disappear... while their charge had escaped Jarral swore they would face again, and they still had a job to do. Destroy these things and ensure that the rebel forces on Tau Volaris had no discernable command structure. Turning his attention back to the thing currently attacking him, he side stepped one of the blows but knew he could not avoid the second. Bracing himself he used the blow hitting him in the side to launch himself at another one of the creatures. Pain speared up his side as the obsidian blade impacted and cut, but he was in motion towards one of the constructs, quickly looking over it he put his own pitch black blade into a stabbing position and aimed directly for the creature’s chest letting off a bow wave of energy in order to keep it off balance.
Instead of following a pattern of parry and riposte, Maru utilized the tactic of disengagement and dispersion. Considering his foe outnumbered him, if he were to be overwhelmed it would be over. With a flash of blue energy, he propelled himself backwards, continuing to bound overhead one of the dastardly constructs. Once he'd gotten a fair distance, Maru smoothly sheathed his weapon, instead choosing to channel his potential into more natural mediums; his hands. The vibrant, shapeless aura formed around his fists.
For a moment, he tried to interdict Hain's movements; too late. Once the monumental presence had departed from his senses, he was able to focus on his immediate foe more.
"It seems the mission was a bust, Jarral," Maru compressed energy into thick planes, forming weapons and barriers he controlled via his psychokineses at unnatural speeds, "We must stick out for the allies!"
The Dracolich Corpse entities maintained their movements as the drake took his leave of the room. Responding to the sudden changes in their individual engagements with a maintained silence, and smooth almost impercievably monstrous speed to their motions. Their muscular systems glowing from within as the entities presence in the bodies became more solidified. Their coordination becoming more pronounced as the drake took his leave. The entity on the main screen, its singular glowing point seeming to float in a void of blackness. Never seemed to change or shift its gaze. Seeming to look at everything, and yet focusing on nothing.
"These Allies are Invasion, Corruption on the Architects creation. They, like your empires, will be repelled, the architects will walk this world again… Your objective has come and gone, ours has reached its progressive stage."
The Construct that Jarral had attacked shifted its stance as the spectra launched himself at it, raising its head with a smooth, blurring motion. So that for the briefest of micro seconds. It was staring the super soldier directly in the eyes as he loomed over its form. Its gaze was, cold. Indifferent to seemingly everything that was happening around it. It staggered, falling back slightly as Jarrals bow wave of force struck it. Throwing off its reaction by a micro second. But still a micro second too late. The blade piercing the crystalline core within its defined obsidian ribcage. The archaic power that animated it discharging it arcs across its length and the floor as it first cracked, then shattered within its form.
In the next instant, the now dying construct had brought up its arms. The speed notably slower as its core became unstable. Grasping over the spectra’s hands by the wrists as they gripped the blades handle, applying pressure as their combined momentum dragged the two of them backwards and into the ground.
The dracolich did not wait for their prey to make the first move. Six broke away from the group and began to approach Maru at a steady but aggressive pace, two of those however rushed ahead of the group, one low to the ground, one upright and looking Maru square in the eyes with its own hollow glowing blue sockets. Both of them had their claws and blades bared, leaving Maru less than a second to react as the one on the ground slashed wide horizontally, towards Maru's knees, leaving its partner to swing its own blade down vertically, aimed right between Maru's eyes.
Jarral grunted as the dying construct pulled him down onto the floor, knowing he would be surrounded in moments and that it would almost be a death sentence he pushed down onto the being with his hands, using acrobatics to not only flip over it onto his feet but also kicking towards another construct, aiming at its head. As he flipped he growled the thing still had pressure on his hands and surely without his armour his wrists would of been broken, the pain still very real as he completed his move twisting out of the grasp and into a stance ready to try and take any hits from constructs which tried to take advantage of his opening.
Maru grunted realizing the incoming attacks, with such little time to react he managed to leap up somewhat, only just dodging the sweep for his legs, bringing his blue glowing arms up to deflect the shot aimed high at him, the blade still impacting his arm and biting through the armour to inflict a deep gash across his arm. He roared in the pain as his mental training pushed it back to the deep of his mind, his body attempting to try and heal it as best it could. He hit the deck again, going to grab the things arm, while pushing his hand out towards the second attacker, a wave of force attempting to push it away at least.
The dying construct fell back as Jarral pulled out of its grasp. The construct hitting the floor with a sound of mixed stone meeting metal and a sound of meat hitting a hard surface. An almost sickening, but short report that emitted from it as the last of the light that came from the shattered crystal core within its ribcage and emitted from its pairs of hollow sockets flickered out.
For perhaps several seconds. There was nothing from the corpse. Then there was a thick bubbling sound that came from within. Geysers of near black congealed blood and other vile smelling pus-like fluids seeping from the organic form encompassed by the crystal construct as the body within it began to liquefy and collapse. The fluids catching an almost blue flame, while the black obsidian that formed the drake skeleton that surrounded it began to incinerate and crumble in a similar manner.
“A waste of an existence, such is it that your empire demands here. The only ones that waste life is you…” the entity on the screen said in its hollow, emotionless voice.
Within seconds, the construct was near totally destroyed by the spectacle, only the blackened bones. Carnaithain in origin. Lying smoking on the scorched floor. These too even, starting to go to black ash.
As the event happened. The other construct that had been around Jarral had reacted to his sudden movement of kicking one of their number in the head, knocking the construct into a short stumble. The others not waiting for it to recover as three made their silent moves at the soldier. Extending blades in smooth offensive movements. One going for the legio warrior in a pincer like movement. Its forearm blades closing inwards towards his ribcage as it moved at him directly. While another moved at him simultaneously bringing it blade upward towards his head with a backhanded swing as it ran parallel and past him.
A third was the most dynamic, as it used its digitigrade jointed legs to take a smooth, machine previsioned jump from the atrium floor towards the wall, then using its legs to rebound off of it in an arc towards him, its blades in a stabbing position, aimed to stab into his chest through points in his shoulders.
The dracolich was bent backwards on its spine, however its claws had anchored it firmly to the ground. With the creaking of bone it began to raise up on its upper torso and recover. One of the other dracolich's had broken from the group and took its recovering comrade’s place in the meantime, taking a swipe at Maru's gut. the other dracolich struck back at Maru's attempt to grab its arm with one of the bone-like blades on its wrist, aimed at Maru's open palm in a slashing motion, with the intent and force necessary for severing fingers while its long whip-like tail struck from behind, its spear shaped sting ready to pierce Maru's back. The group of dracolich continued to bear down upon him at a consistent pace, driving him to a wall.
Jarral was caught off guard by the leaping arc, the creatures’ blade going through his armour and into his shoulder, warning signs blaring on his HUD as he roared in pain. Energy seethed through him as his rage constituted into power. Bunching his fist into a burning ball of blackness he punched full force into the things chest, a powerful discharge of energy exploding outwards as he brought his injured arm up with the katana in a downward strike, somewhat hindered but still enough to try slice the things blade off its body.
Maru managed to bring back his hand in time, however grunted as he took a slice to the side his armour saving the most of it. The stab to the back however caught him and pierced his back to cause him to roar like Jarral, spinning round to punch the creature that had hit him straight in the face, his fist a burning blue flame covered meteor. At the same time he twisted to strike his other fist into the second creature, not as hard but to keep it off guard.
"I have spent my whole life destroying abominations like you... I will not stop now!" Maru shouted in reply
The Dracolich that had jump assaulted the Legio spectra operative snapped nearly its entire upper torso backwards as the sphere of darkness exploded on impact with its chest. It spine bent almost backwards at a right angle. Its spinal segments creaking as the one earlier had. Damage had clearly been taken by it as the front of its semi armored ribcage smoked and gave off small discharges of the arcane source of power that maintained it. Its distraction with the assault leaving its arm open for Jarrals swing. But, like the first. The blade would only manage to cut partially through the limb and the black material that supported its structure, severing altered flesh, and crystalized bone with spurts of the vile near black ichor bleeding from in between. The swing managed to halfway sever the arm its blade was attached to, before it pulled itself back upright, glaring at the spectra with a growl that sounded as hollow as the voice of the thing on the screen, the structure of its ribcage destroyed by the assault, its exposed geode-like crystal core raging with the energy of whatever the entity still watching was.
"Nothing, such as what the two of you have ever faced was ever like us..." the screen said in its hollow voice. The ground beneath them suddenly rumbling slightly with a light tremor. Its source seemingly from deep below the command chamber.
The other dracolich around the engaged spectra and creature did not wait, converging on the spectra as he dealt with the one that had assaulted him. The two that had made the initial assault on Jarral, continuing their attack with the same undeterred determination.
The second Dracolich did not flinch at the strike, instead, it opened its jaws in anticipation for Maru's fist to get close enough to snap them shut over it. The first dracolich's head bent back momentarily but its body continued its motions, with its tail still in Maru's back it threw him into the wall, the very wall they all were leading him to. the group of dracolich did not back down, they quickly closed off all routes of escape and continued to bear down on Maru, letting the current attackers do their own work while they readied themselves to strike.
Jarral deflected another strike with lightning speed to catch Maru being thrown at the wall. The Spectra slicing a sword down into one of the Dracolichs faces before disappearing. Darkness enveloping the area where he stood. He appeared next to Maru in a flash of unlight, dark tendrils grasping at his surroundings for a brief moment. Maru had already self-righted himself and was up, both were bleeding and hurt.
"We should withdraw soon. And destroy this site with end game weapons" Jarral said short and to the point.
"And I was about to have fun..." Maru grunted as if not caring about his wounds. As the Dracolich which were on Maru made their way forward Jarral seemed to shimmer. And Maru began to glow a bright blue "Lets take these bastards" Jarral leapt forward first, lunging at two, his fist concentrating the same energy he had used to kill the last one as his sword slashed out at the second. However straight on his heels Maru bounded forwards, both fists summoning blue swords of crackling energy, both aimed for the Dracolichs cores, as Jarral forced them to block or dodge, Maru would finish them both.
The Dracolich slashed by Jarral didn’t stagger as the others did, rather its head and neck bobbed down violently as its skull was slashed by the Spectras sword, the movement unnervingly isolated from the rest of its body. The sound of cracking vertebrae, much like cracking ice announcing the strength of the impact. The crystal of its skull cracking with a much deeper report. Small arcs of the corruptive energy that powered them jumping across skull as it turned towards the Spectra as he reappeared with the minivan with a hollow growl.
Meanwhile, the two dracolich that the spectra had targeted made their reactions as they suddenly saw the assault aimed towards them. The first, apparently too slow to avoid the assault, took the impact of the spectra to its crystal reinforced ribcage. The structure shattering as the spectra’s fist impacted it, its core breaking under the impact, While the other, seemingly falling into the trap as the spectra had expected, made a move to dodge the strike with the sword.
It was there however, that the plan began to derail. As the constructs reacted immediately after. The first, the one impaled on the spectra’s fist, suddenly reaching up with its arms to grab the spectras forearm with a monstrous grip. Letting its legs fall out from under it, going down to its knees. while the second, immediately after dodging the spectra’s assault, spun around the spectras slash and retaliated instead, lashing out at Jarral with its claws as he charged into it.
The pack of Dracolich had gone into a frenzy in front of them as the soldiers initiated their final assault. as one dracolich attacked Jarral, a pair had broken from the group and went after Maru as he struck their incapacitated allies, one used the dracolich in front of it as a distraction, striking head on in an upward slash while its partner went for Maru's exposed side, slashing at his ribcage and lower abdomen with bestial ferocity and blinding speed. in the background, with the rest of the pack, the beast's jaws and claws began to glow as energy, blue flames burning with intense rage, charged, readying to fire an as of yet unseen weapon at this new enemy's disposal. Only Six dracolich stayed behind to prepare this horrific execution by firing squad while their brothers made their crippling blows directly, not including those currently in their death throws by the soldier's strikes. As the assault carried on there was the sound of glass shattering and stone breaking. The soldiers could only catching a glimpse as the form of one of the creatures slithered and crawled into the open air of the battleground that is Tau Volaris, free of its host's tomb.
Jarral roared as he took another hit, watching Maru take another series of wounds too. They had to leave, disappearing in shadow Jarral leapt next to Maru out of nowhere, severing the arms of the creature that attacked Maru with his sword. The White Hand grunting in approval as Jarral turned to him, Maru punching another swing out the way and retaliating.
"We have to withdraw. Right now" Jarral said in his monotone voice, seemingly uncaring of his wounds.
"Then let’s go, we have just the thing for these bastards" Marun growled, he disappeared in a flash of blue light while Jarral stayed a moment longer, as the creatures leapt at him he disappeared in shadow again. A small smile on his lips. Leaving the room empty, yet covered in blood. Consoles shattered and bodies left steaming, not much was left of the command room that had played host to the defense of Tau Secundus just 30 minutes earlier.
Meanwhile in orbit the allied fleet held station. Coms reports had come in of a mass fall back from Tau Secundus under attack from unknown forces. The allies were retreating to a safe distance, requests for orbital support were coming in. With the allied fleet somewhat reluctant to fire barrages onto the surface for fear of corrupted targeting arrays their systems were suddenly flooded with pin point accurate co-ordinates with the small message attached.
"Burn everything"
As one the Tenebrae, Carnaithian, Union, USM and IRS fleets powered their weapon bays, launching nuclear and destructive munitions in one massive salvo, precision locked onto Tau Secundus the shield had been brought down by the months of combat here. As the allied forces on the ground watched in the distance the glowing streaks of orbital fire descended from the heavens and with a light brighter than a star the city was hit. Fire engulfed the surrounding area and for a few minute the clouds above the city, the roiling storms, recoiled and stopped. The explosive force knocking down many who stood watching the finale. As the cloud rolled up into the heavens many soldiers cheered, the enemy had been destroyed. And Tau Volaris was theirs.
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Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 17, 2017 14:04:59 GMT
The battle of Telestus in which the forces of the Union of Worlds fought and E Pluribus Axioma fought together against an incursion from paradox "Bullhead" was also ironically the first time that the Union directly and publicly contacted Axiomatic presence in both the Ancerious galaxy and its history (though certain historians will argue that the ancient confrontation with A110 was equivalent). It was one of the shortest and most intense operational-scale planetary battles in the galaxy, resulting in -within a day- the almost complete destruction of all infrastructure in the planet, the destruction of all three prototype Blinkers, the loss of more than 8 armies on both sides and the anihilation of superparadoxal asymptote "n0x".
The planet of Telestus was one of the first points of contention between the Union of Worlds and the Syntagma's human followers, E Pluribus Axioma (EPA). While the latter laid claim to it on the basis of several thriving urban settlements, EPA laid claim to the world because of earlier exploration by survey vessels and the planet's religious significance: the presence of a yet-uundiscovered holy relic of the Son of Man, EPA's historical deity. Relations between the Union locals and the masses of pilgrims kept smooth enough that five years later the treaty of Mizvina, signed on the capital of Telestus, declared shared administration of the world.
Divided between three crescent-shaped concentric continents and separated by shallow saline seas, the human population of the high-oxygen, high-density terrestrial planet of Telestus quickly prospered in one of the many interwar economic booms, exploiting its surface's ample (if primitive) biomass and its large mineral reserves of helium to establish a large information, technology and precision manufacturing sector in the two-government capital of Mizvina and the other two continental capitals that either faction ruled on its own. By the treaty's fifth anniversary, population had swollen to 500 million. Economic stimulation from both interstellar factions kept unemployment to a minimum and high economic indicators, making the planet valued enough to be defended by a permanent military protection. Answering to a shared command, 8 armies consisting of more than 120 mechanized, air defense and armored divisions largely overtook PDF duties, liberating more of the population to work in productive sectors and injected more currency into its system as the defending armies purchased goods and services from the locals. Two veterans of the Draken War acted as supreme commanders of this large military presence, commander Seymon Janucovic of the Union of Worlds' Army Core and Front Director Jzhnzhh now aligned with the EPA military. A large orbital presence of passing fleets kept guard over the system's heliosphere.
Bad omens were kept secret by the EPA archdirectorate in fear that they might hurt relations with the Union: the church's diplomatic, theological and scientific datalinks with Axiom Hjelmsdeläar were starting to fade or receive more and more interference. The feasts celebrated in distant planets between Syntagmist human worshippers and the eminent Demiorganic Airborne in honor of ancient legends had become fewer as the Axiomatic atendees gradually stopped arriving. EPA's most experienced informaticians and theologists began working on the problem, hoping to find a solution before it became public.
The planet thus remained oblivious to the tumultous signs coming from Hjelmseläar's territories and were caught completely by surprise by the hypervelocity approach of three hitherto unknown and never again seen vessels: Prototype Blinkers 081, 082 and 083. Appearing from above the orbital plane of the system, the vessels had teleported in with an enormous ammount of inertia that is now believed to have come from them performing a final slingshot around the black hole Freemen Deceased in Axiomatic territory. Moving at almost a tenth of the speed of light, the three hours that the Blinkers took to approach Telestus' gravitational well left almost no time for the local Union fleet to respond, only managing to intercept them in a last ditch course. Unresponsive to calls and with the Union command being uncertain about what procedure should be followed when dealing with Axiomatic aircraft, one of the three blinkers accelerated and broke formation with the other two, lining itself with a multitude of ships that only realized what it was doing when Blinker 082 destructively overloaded its engines and doubled its speed before hitting Union Dart-class dreadnought Klein's Eleven in a hypervelocity collision that caused both ships to pulverize into relativistic shrapnel that racked the fleet. The billions of created contacts had obscured what 082 had launched before hitting the Dart and soon enough nuclear detonations had thrown the fleet into disarray while the other two Blinkers zoomed past.
The forced deorbiting of Union defensive station Magnapolis marked the cataclysmic start of the battle. Originally orbiting the planet in a high geocentric orbit, it is said Magnapolis continued firing all the way through its atmospheric reentry following its destruction by concentrated pion accelerator beams from 081 and 082. Damaging the latter beyond recovery, Magnapolis and the escort that poured fire onto the two Blinkers quickly overwhelmed the second vessel, which broke apart on its own by spinning beyond its G-limit to shower the fleet and planet with its destroyed hull as well as countless re-entry pods that marked the first arrival of Bullhead forces to the system. 081 discarded its own re-entry pods but bypassed the planet, adjusting its orbit to strike it again.
The combined impact of the hypervelocity blinker, its own nuclear arsenal and the remains of space station Magnapolis ravaged the eastern hemisphere's equator under a rain of metallic meteors and nuclear devices which detonated indiscriminately against civilian infrastructure when not finding military targets to hit. In a moment it is estimated that more than a fifth of the population perished including most of the military chain of command. Vast firestorms spread around the impact sites while the land forces completed several aerobraking orbits to slow themselves down. Splitting into two large groups they landed near the north pole of the outermost continent, hiding beneath the horizon of the innermost continent's and Mizvina's surviving anti-orbital defenses. The beleaguered soldiers and civilians believed themselves at first to be witnessing the arrival of Axiomatic reaction forces but soon found the cause of the fading datalinks by themselves: a fully-capable paradox had evolved in Hjelmsdeläar's territories and it had not been able to contain one of its incursions.
The causes of Axiomatic logic Bullhead's paradoxing remain so far unknown, though what has been gathered appears to point to Bullhead being a parasympathetic information-compression logic (known as Systemas) that lost contact with its Axiom around the same time military logic Shifting Mirrors began restructuring. Despite being a supersentient intelligence Bullhead was by design only meant to feed information permutations to its parent Axiom and the separation caused it to be caught in a feedback loop where it fed itself its own information ad infinitum. It is estimated that most of Bullhead was immediately corrupted but a portion of it managed to restructure itself into a self-sustaining emergency military logic that sought at all costs to become an Axiom. Beinf formerly meant for record- and memory-keeping, the Bullhead had immediate access to the prototype stock of the then-nascent Blinkers, with which it escaped from Hjelmsdeläar's territory in its attack. This emergency AI mode was known as n0x, and for its own survival it remained autonomous from the rest of Bullhead's shattered mind. n0x needed resources to sustain the enormous ammount of computing that its new function required and thus began extending itself in a course that eventually had its vanguard reach Telestus.
In the first hour most garrisons of the outermost continent had either been destroyed, bypassed or cut off from each other by a furious avalanche of nuclear weapons with which the Bullhead's fast-moving airmobile forces heralded themselves. One of the few high-profile survivors of the initial onslaught was Union commander Janucovic, who miraculously survived and was able to join Jzhnnzh's command in Qsaän, the EPA administrative capital and the only planetary logistical node that separated the forces of the Bullhead from Mizvirna following the fall of Union administrative capital of Gavantown. The two commanders, however, soon chose to move their headquarters to the front after long-range ballistic strikes made it hard to keep close tabs on the regrouping armies. Units in the direct line of contact were rendered irresponsive and useless by the rapid movements of the search-and-destroy groupings that the Bullhead used, moving in formations not bigger than a platoon to make enemy superior numbers a viability from the extensively applied, fast and unpredictable tactical nuclear strikes. However, units more to the rear were able to eventually gain cohesion by the seventh hour, their morale boosted by Jzhnnzh and Janucovic's arrival, showing themselves as brothers in arms.
The defenders were never really able to regain their footing but the amphibious crossing of the narrow sea by Bullhead forces allowed for reorganization of the defense. Gradually a clearer picture of the unknown attackers had surfaced: they were very few compared to the defenders but moved rapidly, most impressively concealing their movements by simply carpeting the area of operations with nuclear detonations. EPA and Union forces to the south of the outermost continent had managed to regroup and began to thrust upwards, hastening the seaborne evacuation of Bullhead forces from one continent to the other under heavy air support.
By the twentieth hour the Bullhead forces made landfall again in the middle continent their small-unit organization was mirrored by EPA and the Union, who went from large combined-arms units to an extensive minefield of platoon- and company-sized units that awaited in ambush and bogged down the lightning thrust of the paradoxal forces. Waiting to be as close as possible before ambushing, the defenders engaged the superhumanly armored and equipped Paradoxal Line Troopers in violent close-quarters confrontations in the equatorial coast of the continent where Bullhead struck. While individually the soldiers were almost helplessly cut down by the towering and deceptively agile armored juggernauts and their heavy support, they forced the paradox to dismount over and over again and move more slowly, making it possible for fast-moving armor and mechanized units of the Union and EPA to intercept them rather than just being bypassed. The brutal, almost hand-to-hand fighting that the entrenched defenders forced in towns, mountains and swamps was a massacre on both sides but only one could take it: Bullhead's numbers began to thin out, its warriors dying on piles of fallen enemmies without making it any closer to Mizvina or the defender's headquarters in an enormous canyon cathedral. One such unit was E Pluribus Axioma's 496th Armored Battalion company C, which supported by the Union's 1778th light infantry managed to destroy an entire search-and-destroy airmechanized unit of the Bullhead from their vantage positions, causing such grievous losses that the paradox was eventually forced to redirect its air support to silence the small unit. Only two soldiers of the unit made it out alive in the last remaining tank: EPA Subcommander Lyn Mnshh and Union sergeant Marvin Johnson.
By the 24th hour Bullhead datalink activity began decreasing and for a moment it seemed that its advance had stalled, giving the battered defenders precious time for medevac and R&R and their commanders enough time to contact the remaining cities, finding that many had found themselves ravaged by biological weapons ballistically fired all the way around the planet but reported no presence of paradoxal land forces. New units were called to assemble a quick counterattack slated to depart in three hours to overwhelm the now-landlocked Bullhead forces from all sides. Despite Lynn and Johnson having just barely survived contact with the Bullhead shock forces they were immediately called up for the counterattack, their commanders decreeing their newly-acquired veterancy to be vital in leading the fear-stricken troops that would be comitted in the counterattack.
A schism rapidly appeared in the supreme command when FTL comms was able to be reestablished and the EPA archdirectorate revealed its secrets: now that Bullhead had disengaged Hjelmsdeläar to rampage across unclaimed or human territory the EPA comms choirs were able to reestablish contact with Hjelmsdeläar, who indicated the presence of an arcane Syntagmist relic: The Son of Man's Sword. An obscure artifact even for Axioms, cryptolegend told of a weapon crafted by the Son of Man itself as part of one of its many miracles. Said to be deeply antiparadoxal in nature, the sword was somewhere in the ravaged planet. While Jzhnnzh argued for the immediate recovery of the sword with all available special forces assets and heavy air support, Janucovic instead pressured to commit everything available to the counterattack to break the back of the paradoxal forces and deny them the capability of reaching Mizvirna. A heated discussion spread amongst the highest echelons around the furious disagreement between the two former brothers in arms. Only the pressure of time allowed for a compromise: a detachment of special forces and experienced troops would be sent to recover the sword; in exchange Jzhnnzh himself along with all of his personal unit and Janucovic's draken war veterans would participate alongside all conventional forces in the counterattack. The two men saluted each other for one last time, the EPA commander ceded his command to his XO and took to battle, towering as an impressive mechanized figure almost one and a half times the height of the tallest soldiers and bristling with sensors, active defense and comms equipment over his cybernetic body.
Columns of refugees from the destroyed cities surprised the assembled defenders a few hours before the counterattack. Escorted by units thought to be lost, they came as a great source of relief and hope to the frightened soldiers to whom death was almost assured but not for long.
Civilian shuttles bristling with refugees burst into suicidal nuclear strikes, submerging the forward lines of troops in fire. The civilians rushed the defenders in a human wave covered by intense gunfire, coming close enough to the surviving troops for them to realize in horror that these civilians were all mutilated by fatal wounds, disfigured by traumatic injuries from which their brains spilled or had their skins completely burnt off. The Union survivors fired upon their peers from once-destroyed vehicles, widows fought husbands and soldiers fought families reanimated by the unnatural influences the Axiomatic creature exerted upon reality upon taking the field. n0x had arrived, a monstrous, giant cojointed figure fusing two humans of opposite genders in a huge yet massless sealed suit of armor. Two humanoid creatures with long blades protruding from their faces flanked n0x, invisibly puppeteering the undead army.
The collapse of the counterattack was almost immediate and would have been complete were it not for the ferocious resistance of the Draken War veterans who were experienced with dealing with such masses of enemmies and brought blade and weapon through the unprotected and bleeding flesh of an enemy much grimmer than the animalistic beasts that they had once fought to the indifferent gaze of the Axiomatic commander who floated above the maneuvering ex-Union and EPA units. Heavy weapons were destroyed by the intervention of Bullhead's own deadly gunships, denying the force multipliers of the defenders one by one to allow the waves of suicidal troops to run them through. The gates of the bombed-out canyon-cathedral were eventually reached and trenches carved onto the kilometric stairs fell one by one under the combined infantry, artillery and air assault the undead brought. Standing on the forwardmost bastion, surrounded on all sides remained Jzhnnzh and his men cutting through the crowd, bashing ribcages open with the barrels of overheated autocannons and stomping through phosphorus-blinded enemmies when the ammunition ran dry. A traffic jam of destroyed assault vehicles was buried under mountains of bodies that became so deep that they absorbed most of the shrapnel from incessant mortar strikes that besieged the last stand. The Axiomatic creature slowly floated over the slow-trudging river of blood that the marble and the intense gunfire, oblivious to the fire it sustained itself, making it look as if bullets and shrapnel that came into contact with it got gradually slowed down and lost in an event horizon. Under itself the undead crowd split or simply fell dead, opening a corridor between itself and the four EPA survivors that immediately charged it with a battle cry that drowned out the explosions and made it seem to the rearmost gate defenders that the smoke itself was growling.
n0x extended its arm, materializing a scythe and gently bringing it up, offering it right before Jzhnnzh's explosive blade made contact. Jzhnnzh's face contorted in a scream of horror at finding himself dropping his own weapon in favor of it and quickly split his last surviving men in two in a sweep so fast the ram air friction almost completely destroyed his wielding arm. n0x had linked with him, shown him Axiomatic madness so potent it was like his mind was pushed out of his body. From then on the blade was brought down upon the defenders side-by-side with the undead and paradoxal shock troopers, and only Janucovic remained before the gates, fighting for their lives with all non-combat personnel and his own staff to defend the cathedral of the Axiomatic god from its corrupted lookalike alongside the spectral Skia. The forces of the Bullhead itself bypassed the busied defenders and converged in Mizvirna, thrusting in one final attack.
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Lying at the core of the Syntagma's system of values is a concept that in human science is more closely associated with chaos theory and the butterfly effect. A starving God adopted by a languid mother had begged on indifferent streets for sustenance, fighting disease and the elements. A good samaritan had offered them her school lunch after a day of troubled truancy and for her deed she had been rewarded with a limbo-like immortality, forever waiting in the bed of the hospital where a viral disease had ended her life a few months later. She was free from disease and mortality but free from her former life as well, left to ponder the purpose of her floating mindspace and whether this was even a reward and not a punishment. Sofia, she'd been called by those who had long died of age while she remained in the empty yet faithful memory of her city, brought back to her hospital bed after every 24 hour cycle. Like the Son of Man or n0x her physical body was now devoid of locality, she incarnated, grew old and faded away throughout many bodies, all of them vegetative since childhood and the last one having been born in Telestus.
Entering the ruins of the hospital after a fierce fight that had alerted the puppeteers and n0x itself to the presence of the artifact, the handful of survivors from the commando force only had to be in the same room as her in the demolished hospital to be forced into her mindspace. In her many oneiral lives since her first death she had never been able to talk to anything more clear than the blurred memories that pullulated the hospital and the city. Who were they, who talked about a war involving three factions she had no idea of, asking for her help? The demanding nature of the first human contact she had made in centuries was frightening, threatening.
There was no use to what Lynn and Johnson offered her; she would still be trapped when they went away, she couldn't do anything with money, fame or gratitude offered to her by a world that was completely disconnected to her. What were they if not a different layer of the eternally repeating dream she would spend the rest of her life in? The tension of the moment and her tears only came to a halt when Lynn recalled her role in the Syntagma: she had saved one, the Son of Man, now the Son of Man gave her the opportunity to save millions.
Sofia Himinlös, born in Telestus and interned in the Qsäan general hospital following her brain death at 6 was never recovered from the rubble and her parents and identity remained a complete mistery to the ravaged records of the planet. The Son of Man's sword was brought down upon n0x, finishing off the Bullhead's sanity and plunging it into a vortex of consciousness destruction along which it dragged down its entire planetary army in Telestus in a last ditch attempt to stabilize itself, tearing the apart the minds and software of its troops and vehicles into little more than animals.
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Blinker 081 slingshotted out of the system after having its mind shattered and is said to have been intercepted later on by serial-production Blinkers Esophagealis and Femoral, which later joined Union reinforcements in finishing off the lobotomized remains of n0x's army and silencing the few pockets of resistance that had escaped insanity and remained operational. This marked the first and so far only joint operation between Union, EPA and Axiomatic forces ever conducted.
Mass death, enormous evacuations and the mmounts of nuclear fallout eventually reduced the population to a meager 20 million now centered around Mizvirna and a new city built around the ruins of the canyon-cathedral following the dephasing of Qsäan by the sword. Efforts were made to rebuild the planet to its former glory including a recovery fund largely provided by the Axiom in one of its many efforts to compensate the Union and the families of the deceased for failing to stop the attack. Increasing war expenditures by the Union and the sudden and unexpected decomposition of Hjelmsdeläar have reduced the funding for Telestus' recovery as newly-incumbent Axiom Shifting Mirrors (see Battle of Histrion) suspended all compensation payments. The involvement of Johnson and Lynn, the only two survivors, is kept low-profile to avoid theologic upheavals in troubled times.
No further organized presence has been found of the Bullhead's troops, but bands of surviving soldiers endure in inhospitable and isolated worlds too far away to have been heavily affected. These garrisons have largely reverted to tribalism and cannot be considered paradoxal forces, though they keep some of their advanced equipment. Of the Bullhead itself no trace has been found, though rumors in the darkest, most overbuilt slums of the city and Lost Star speak of insanity-ravaged bands of paranoid schizophrenic savages congregating in the sewers in mysterious clans. Finding no relief in conventional psychiatric treatment or lacking the resources for it, these heavily-tattoed and scantily-clad packs of men and women are said to be directed by shared, sentient hallucinations that momentarily take their mental torments away: the fragments of the Bullhead.
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