BZPB REBORN

< Firgate #3, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy >
[Five days after the assassination of President Yui]

As Dreis moved toward the bulkhead, the explosive thrown by the guard detonated, sending shards of twisted hot metal spinning through the air toward the mercenary. Money for Nothing materialized an instant before they cut through Dreis, catching most of the shards with it's twin blades. One shard eluded the flurry of slashes, however, and tore into Dreis' calf. The Merc yelped then growled, dropping to one leg as blood sprayed from the deep wound. He tore the metal out, applying a hypospray to the gash. It would stop the bleeding, and begin the healing process, but Dries had no doubts he'd need reconstructive surgery after this shit-stain of a mission was complete. He touched the throat mic once again, trying to raise Lincoln, but the line was dead; the explosion had acted to wipe out the delicate electronics in the gadget. Dreis swore foully before struggling to his feet, limping off down the corridor.

------------

< The Sundowner Expanse>
[Current Time]

The Stairway accelerated, Breaker endeavouring to lose the missiles pursuing the ship in the rubble of the battle. However, the missiles stuck close, weaving in and out of debris, leaving stark contrails of smoke in the dark expanse of space. Breaker flicked a switch on the contol panel, and a row of panels opened along the front of the Stairway, dropping hundreds of dumbfire rockets into the space around the ship. Breaker flicked another switch, and the dumbfire rockets detonated, taking out the pursuing Tanari missiles, and one of their vessels. Breaker pulled the Stairway sharply upwards, shooting from the smoke of the blast like a silver eagle.

On the bridge, Dallas nodded to the Dogs around the room. The group moved out, heading toward the small dropbay of the Stairway.

-----------

OOS: to be completed maybe later

<The Divine Providence, Reactor Hall>

Veras simply swung their sword backward, a gust of wind blowing Ra'an straight to the floor before he can even get his bearings.  "How pitiful, Dempsey.  Shadow-walking is an art I know much of.  You were far too obvious about it!"  They draw a rune in the air, yet again, and it began to twist and divide, til every wall was inscribed wit the same glowing rune.  "Arwe." they uttered again, and each rune flared white, shooting a massive barrage of energy blasts, all aimed at Ra'an and the space around him.  Veras swung their sword, a massive gust of wind conjured up to slam him against the wall, rendering him helpless before the magical assault.

---

<The Craft of Laigula, a week after Yuy's assassination>

Ophelia glared.  "I will have you know I do not make empty promises.  If you require the substance  up front, I'll match Mr. Silver's offer.  And a cache of Zero-morphs.  As you know, those are rather valuable substances, the only know source of which," she emphatically added, "is on Malchior VI."

---

<Malchior IV, Magpie's Hideout>

Aria nodded.  "A pleasure.  But come on, I didn't bring you here for small talk."  She flicked a switch.  The house was modest, seeming a cozy and quaint summer home more than anything else.  The slightly tacky furnishings and poofy cloths on every surface possible brought to mind a little old lady, not a powerful revolutionary.  "I know it isn't much, but it pays to look like you're not a threat when you're in my business."

She pressed a hidden switch behind one of the draperies, and a secret passage opened in the floor.  She beckoned the trio to follow her in.  "There is another guest here I would like you to meet."

---

<Bridge of the Cethlenn>

Fergus grinned.  "Ozar's a bastard, ain't he.  Got some word through the grapevine that he's gathering merks for some operation.  Apparently, it was a Tanari cruiser that came by him right before he started hiring.  Damn suspicious, if you ask me."  He growled.  "I'm not much for politics, but apparently the new president's been doing a lot of shit, consolidating power, having leaders assassinated.  You know, political bullshit.  If Ozar's got a powerful patron like that, It's bad news for us.  His cruiser's been spotted near the Pi'lar system most recently."  The orc's mouth twisted back into that bloodthirsty grin.  "Want to crash the bastard's party?"

<Firgate #3, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy>

As he sees the in coming fire, Lincoln spins his staff, intercepting the majority of the shots, but two clip his shoulder, making him wince and ripping his suit. "Well, I'm afraid y'all have a dilemma now."

With a hard kick to the sternum after a striding leap, Lincolns knocks out the first of the two. Twisting mid fall, he hooks the second by the legs, flipping him on his head. With one last push, he impales the last of the group. "...Because now in addition to beating you, I'm taking your money to repair the suit."

Minutes later, he catches up with Dreis and his opponent, "Oi! Shove off or die. The place is rigged and I'm not afraid to go with it."

<Malchior IV, Klak’s City, Five days After Yuy's Assassination>

Klak's eyes widened as he saw the terror unfold before him. He glared at Zoe and Zorn, and grit his teeth.

Klak: I'm going to stop it.

Suddenly, Coro leaped from atop of the nearby building, his blue eyes glaring in righteous fury. He stared down Zoe and Zorn, startling Klak.

Coro: "Do not just stand there, Simurgh, run!"

Klak nodded and used his augmentations to speed throughout the city, aiding all those harmed by the projectiles. In less than a minute, he returned, and stood alongside Coro.

Klak: You're not going anywhere. You're under arrest.

Coro fired a blast of blue energy at Zorn, while Klak accelerated towards Zoe, his fist speeding towards her face.

---

<Pi'lar frigate #1, five days after Yuy's assassination>

The ninja star sliced through the drone, immediately destroying it. The other drones were shot down by Regina and Lalli.

Lalli: "That was ea-"

Suddenly, they heard a large crashing noise, and the frigate shook/

Regina: "What the hell was that?"

Lalli: "Sounds like it was coming from the docking bay. Let's go!"

They went back to where they came from, but stopped near the entrance, noticing an entire squadron of Pi'Lari soldiers all crowded around the wreckage where Gene was lying.

Pi'lari Sargent: "This fellow didn't fly so good!"

Pi'lari Soldier 3: "Uhh, sir? I believe it's 'didn't fly so well'. What should we do?"

Pi'lari Sargent: "I didn't expect anyone alive in this wreckage, soldier. Take him to the medbay. We'll interrogate him after. Stay on guard! We might be under attack!"

The soldiers knelt down and grabbed Gene, putting him on a stretcher. Lalli Cain turned to Ashton and Regina.

Lalli Cain: "Should we fight them? Gene might become their prisoner. We can either go in guns blazing, or come up with a different plan. I like guns blazing, to be honest."

Regina looked at Ashton and shrugged.

Regina: "Could be a bonus. I think he's one of Ozar's crew members."

---

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy (Frigate #2), Same Time>

Fourteen grinned.

Fourteen: "It's gonna be a good day."

Fourteen placed a mine on a nearby wall, and led the group to the crew quarters.

Fourteen: "Sruban, help Raigen grab what he need. After that, you can just screw this ship up. I'll find the cargo."

He winked at Sruban, signalling that he would speak telepathically to him.

Fourteen: "Watch this guy, just in case."

The pirate left, making his way around the ship. Five soldiers ran at him, firing their rifles towards him. Fourteen fired his rifle, killing one of the soldiers. Using his telepathy, he launched a mental attack that made two of the other soldiers feel as though they were dreaming. He charged at the remaining two, leaping in the air and avoiding their fire and biting both of them. The soldiers fell unconscious as they bled in the silence that followed.

He silently dashed down the hallway, arriving at a sign labelled "Cargo Hold."

Fourteen: "Hmm."

He attempted to open the door.

---

<Frigate #3, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, same time

The remaining guard twisted around, seeing Lincoln arrive. He emptied what remained of his rifle's magazine, hoping to kill Lincoln with it. He did not notice Dreis approaching with his Stand following him.

Suddenly, an onslaught of about five drones approached Dreis and Money for Nothing, shooting at them both.

---


<The Craft of Laigula, a week after Yuy's assassination>

"Nonsense!" Silver laughed. "Somehow I doubt you've got anything, ma'am. My bid is 11 billion, and one vial of teral poison. A substance most vile, and most importantly, most rare and as of yet, impossible to synthesise. Virtually priceless. I'm sure you can find a use for it."

Figlio looked at both Silver and Ophelia, his visage taking a curious expression.

Figlio: "Ma'am, you make a compelling offer. Zero-morphs are a rare, raw substance found on Malchior VI, and extremely useful. Some say its one of the contributing factors to the military prowess of Malchior IV, though I'd say there's more than just that. But there's one slight problem. Only Malchiorian companies have access to the mines, because it's one of the few industries the government is extremely protectionist about."

He chuckled.

Figlio: "The hypocrites. Anyway, you probably have a few of the miners bribed. They go through enough hell on that inhospitable world for such a crappy wage! However, perhaps you are unaware of the fact that if any planet is found with something developed from zero-morph without a proper trade deal, they will instantly have an intergalactic diplomatic incident with Malchior IV. It's not within my best interest to put my father through that. Even if, by some miracle, we beat them in a war and destroy their military, we'd have to deal with a citizenry that is fully armed and ready to defend their homeland. Tough people to bend into shape, those Malchiorians. It'd take a god to rule them without consent. But....some things can change. Oh, and on a side note, I've probably now can make an educated guess as to who you're representing, given that there's only a handful of people who have the guts to make such a bid with access to zero-morph, and only one was actually contacted by proxy."

Figlio smiled, and nodded at Ophelia, still unaware of who she truly was.

Figlio: "Tell her I'm glad to see that she's interested. Anyway, I liked the poison, so I'm afraid the Craft of Laigula has been.....SOLD! To the Tanari Confederation!"

A Vongolan soldier walked up to Figlio and handed him a touchpad.

Figlio: "Wire the money to the account number I sent you, or you won't get anything. Thanks for playing, everyone!"

The holograms disappeared as Figlio cut off communication with all those attempting to bid on the Craft of Laigula. The Dachori looked to one of the crewmen near him.

Figlio: "Remember those coordinates I told you about? Have the second side of the wormhole open there. It's over a sun, so it'll make sure Allman's enemies actually die instead of appearing three parsecs away from his fleet."

---

<Krustallos, Same Time>

The receptionist's supervisor approached Julio with a smile. She clasped her four arms together and bowed.

Supervisor: "I apologize, sir, but Mr. Gable is extremely busy with company business, so I'm afraid I will have to help you with any concerns you may have."

Julio: "Well, you relay a message for him. We are shocked, shocked that you would provide refuge for King Louis Agnes Oncé in this establishment!"

Supervisor: "I'm...sorry?"

Julio: "Part of our preliminary security sweep requires a check of the guest list. We found out that Oncé, the man that oppressed our people for decades, has been staying at this resort since he was deposed!"

The supervisor widened her eyes, and began checking the list on the front desk's systems. Sure enough, Oncé was registered as a guest a day after Uteriach came to power. This, of course, was a lie. A group of hackers had edited the records and added the King's name overnight. In actuality, Oncé had been dead for more than a week. No one outside of Uteriach's inner circle, which was composed of mostly generals and soldiers that were unquestioningly loyal to the revolution, knew about this. The rest of the universe believed that he had been exiled, and was in hiding. Now, they would believe that Gable Resorts And Enterprises, specifically their Krustallos resort, were providing him refuge.

Julio: "The Vongolan People's Republic demands to see Mr. Gable at once! Generalissimo Uteriach di Armechio wishes to speak with him. He's just as busy, and you've insulted him and our people."

The supervisor's face turned pale, and she nervously walked away with the receptionist (who also trembled in fear). Soon, Mr. Gable himself emerged, a mustache adorning his face. He nodded at Julio, and pointed towards a nearby conference room. They both entered, Gable sitting down and shaking his head.

Mr. Gable: "Sir, first off I would like to humbly and deeply apologize for such a grievous error. We were previously unaware that King Oncé was staying here."

Julio: "Heh, it's not me you're apologizing to, gorgeous. It's the Generalissimo."

Julio dropped a small device on the table, and left the room. The device emitted a hologram of Uteriach, who was standing and glaring at Mr. Gable.

Mr. Gable: "Generalissimo, great to finally meet you! First, I would like to apolo-"

Uteriach: "Apology accepted, but there's still compensation. You have committed a sin against the revolution, and although I forgive you, my people likely will not, unless there is compensation. It's a principle on Vongola, and it was a principle in the religion of my people, the Dachori...or Riders as you call them. So, using joint funding from money retrieved through the seizure of Oncé's assets, from my personal wealth, and funds from the VPR's budget, we've bought plenty of shares in your company. A few of the gentry were kind enough to purchase more shares, while others had to be persuaded through other means. In short, 51% of Gable Resorts and Enterprises is now property of the Vongolan People's Republic. We own a portion of the profits, and are allowed to use Krustallos as a training ground. Other than that and a few other stipulations, you will keep business as usual. Understood?"

Mr. Gable's jaw dropped as he gazed at Uteriach in complete shock. He shivered and stuttered, eventually uttering a 'yes'. Uteriach smiled.

Uteriach: "Glad you could stand united with us. Good day, Mr. Gable. Julio and the others will continue the security sweep."

The hologram disappeared.

---

<The Sundowner Expanse, After The Annexation of Pi'lar>

Perseus nodded.

Perseus: "Mobilize the fighters, and prepare our ion cannons. TANARI! Give us a diagram of the targets before we hit someone we weren't supposed to!"

A squadron of Malchiorian fighters emerged from the Xīng Zhànshì. They went straight towards the Stairway to Heaven, firing at its cockpit.

<Tanar, Evander's Apartment>
The two weeks after Evander's phone call with Allman had left the gryphon exhausted and frustrated at times with the amount of military data and reports he had to keep up with and keep out of the presses, but, as he looked at the front headline of the newspaper unceremoniously flopped on his porch earlier that morning, there was a feeling of extreme satisfaction with his work. As he opened the front door to his apartment, he couldn't help but glance up at the clock he had hanging over the T.V. Midnight.... he thought, before waltzing across the room to the phone. A few turns of the dial later and he was ringing the Executive Mansion.

"Good evening, Edward...." Evander said, after being patched through to the President by a rather annoyed operator. He knew better than to call the President this late, even with good news like this, but the gryphon considered it a little payback for the call at three in the morning that started the whole affair, "have you read the Sunday paper yet?"

OOS: kon pls post

<Tanar, Executive Mansion>

Edward yawned deeply as he picked up the phone, and then sighed as he listened to Evander. "Evander," he said calmly. "it's midnight. Do you really think I've read anything in the last few hours?"

-----

<The Divine Providence, Bridge>

Canaan and Israel might just have heard the low hum of the door opening over the sound of Eva talking, but it was too late to react. Just as she finished her sentence, a bolt of shadow energy struck Canaan, throwing him across the room.

Edward Allman smirked at Canaan's crumpled body lying in a corner, and promptly fired another bolt at Israel before he could open fire on him.

"Am I bothering you three?" he asked in a low, dark voice.

-----

<The Sundowner Expanse>

"Well, um," some Tanari said over the radio, sounding unflappable right up until the point when he didn't. "have you considered the GIANT FUCKING MECHA currently sitting on our flagship as a target?"

The Xīng Zhànshì's comms officer then received a number of helpful pictures of the mecha, as well as of several other ship classes used by the attacking mercs.

---

The reaction of the Tanari flagship's bridge officers was a resounding "OH SHIT", followed by a rush to the lift to get to the backup, battle bridge.

Perhaps for this reason, but also because the battle was taking place in space, Vance didn't hear anything resembling a response from the Tanari. If the battle had been taking place somewhere where sound waves could travel, though, he might have heard it: a metallic creaking noise coming from behind the mecha, as several hull plates moved aside to reveal a sizable cannon, which promptly fired into the mecha's back.

-----

<Pi'lar frigate #1, five days after Yuy's assassination>

"Even if he's dead, Ozar might throw in a little extra for bringing back the corpse... I like to think he's a sentimental type." Ashton said. "All guns blazing, then?" he asked rhetorically, pulling out his pistol to stress his point.

-----

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy (Frigate #2), Same Time>

The cargo hold door didn't open, as Professor Komolovsky had locked it. However, believing the soldier had returned, he quickly pulled the tarp over Amy's cryochamber, ran up to the door, and opened it.

"What do you neel, Col-wait a minute..." Komolovsky said, as he slowly realised he was face-to-face with a Liquid-Metalliconite and not a cigar-chewing Pi'lari colonel. He suddenly ran across the room as fast as his legs would carry him, slammed the emergency alarm button and started yelling into the radio. "This is Professor Komolovsky, I need help!" he said, panting. "Intruder alert in the cargo hold!"

-----

<Malchior IV, Magpie's Hideout>

Jones, Aster, and Richard all exchanged mildly concerned looks, wondering if this was actually a Tanari trap. After all, this enigmatic stranger was now inviting them, out of the blue, into what appeared to be her basement. The three stepped into the hidden passage, fully expecting to find a torture chamber and restraints within.

-----

<The Craft of Laigula, a week after Yuy's assassination>

Silver Eachan was about to express his delight at his victory, only to be cut off. Mildly annoyed by Figlio's rudeness, he nevertheless ordered an aide to contact the Ministry of Finance, so that they could pay for the Craft. No doubt they would be most displeased at the sum he had promised, but since Allman wanted the Craft for his future conquests, they would just have to deal with it.

Eachan shut down his computer, put on his coat, and finally left the office to go see... someone who missed him very much.

< The Sundowner Expanse >

The RX-AU reeled away from the explosion, smoke trailing from its battered hull. Its explosion shortly after might have marked Vance's demise, if not for the fact that he had not been in it; he had ejected immediately before the cannon's firing, and stood, arms folded, in the clearing debris field of the first shot. He grinned, an outstretched hand pointing directly down the barrel of the cannon.

"You may have defeated my mech, but ultimately it shall be my Animus, The Midas Touch, who will decide the outcome of this battle."

At that, The Midas Touch materialized behind him; a towering figure in spite of everything lower than its torso trailing off like wisp of smoke, giving it a genie-like appearance. Its form suggested the Egyptian god Anubis, with a Jackal's head and long, pointed ears, and the Animus's entire body was rendered in glowing gold, save for its glowing blue eyes and the bands on its head-dress. The Animus threw its head back in a fierce, beastial roar, before shooting towards the cannon, passing through it as it embodied the weapon, its surface turning gold. Vance shot down, planting his feet firmly against the hull as he grabbed the cannon by the muzzle, and pulled upwards with all his strength.

(cue)

The cannon, and the area of the hull around it had had been converted by The Midas Touch's power, tore away from the hull as Vance raised it above his head, transforming the mass of metal into the shape of a massive claymore, nearly as long as the ship below him. He flew upwards, drawing the sword down and across the hull of the ship, cutting a deep gorge into it; he followed this up with a perpendicular slash, tearing a cross-shaped scar into the ship. Confident he had taken it out of action, he turned towards the Divine Providence. He jumped onto the tip of the blade, standing with his arms crossed, as it shot towards the hull of the dreadnought.

---

< The Divine Providence, Reactor Hall >

The impact of Veras's attack flooded the hall with light, as Ra'an fell away from the blast of the impact, his body charred and blackened by the attack. As he fell into the chasm below, his right arm missing, a shit-eating grin formed on his face. He looked up at Veras, and spat.

"Pretty Boy."

With his remaining arm he pulled a detonator from his waist, and held it to his chest. I only wonder if those explosives will work, he thought, thumbing the trigger. An explosion not dissimilar to that of Veras's attack filled the reactor chamber above him, as the C5 charges planted on the underside of the bridge Veras had been standing on ignited, taking out the entire walkway. Ra'an grinned, turning round as the floor at the base of the chasm rose up to meet him. A massive golden sword cut through the interior of the chamber, and Ra'an felt a hand take hold of the back of his armor as he was pulled along with the weapon, which quickly cleared the expanse and cut through the opposite wall, and out into the void of space beyond.

"We're heading home." said Vance, standing on the top of the blade, which arced around the battle, heading towards the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Ra'an climbed up onto it, digging his feet in for grip.

"What?"

"We've bought enough time for the Diamond Dogs to get aboard. There's no point sticking around any longer." replied Vance, as the golden sword lined up with the main runway of the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. It dissolved into a mass of liquid gold, rushing into the hangar bay like a tidal wave, with Ra'an and Vance riding atop it. Vance jumped up, pulling himself up onto a walkway hanging over the newly-formed ocean of gold, and raised a finger to his earpiece.

"Hayley. Get us out of here."

---

< The Divine Providence, Bridge >

Eva turned to face Allman, sneering. Her hand reached for Claiomh Solais, before stopping halfway.

"Edward... Allman."

She crossed her arms, staring him down.

"The target's been destroyed. That means this ship is now the property of the AKD." she said, turning her head upwards. "That also means you're currently trespassing. Unless you want the wrath of Emperor Ascheron himself brought down upon you, I'd suggest you leave. Immediately."

---

< The Divine Providence, Reactor Control Room >

The nearby explosion in the primary reactor hall shook the entirety of the ship, and Lilith struggled to keep her footing, grabbing onto a nearby railing for support. As the aftereffects subsided, she stormed up to the main entrance to the control room, kicking the door down and aiming her rifle at the sole ASF mechanic present in the room.

"How do I overload the reactors?" shouted Lilith, pointing her rifle at the unaware mechanic. He turned, confused.

"What? No! Never! It will cause a massive explosion! Are you insane?"

"That's what I want and you will tell me, or I'll make you die. Very fucking slowly."

"Alright! Alright! Please stop! I will do this! I will do this!" he replied, turning to the computer interface and loading up the login screen. "No." he said, having a change of heart. "I won't do that. I can't be responsible for this. Kill me!"

Lilith knocked him out with a blow to the back of his head. "Useless piece of shit." she said, stepping over his unconscious body and walking to the computer. "What is this fucking code?" she asked, staring at the screen.

<Tanar, Evander's Apartment>
Evander only chuckled at the President's claim of not having read anything in the last few hours...

"Oh, aside from raunchy lingerie magazines, probably not..." the gryphon insinuated, with the a playful grin across his beak, "I also wanted to remind you that we have a poker game with some representatives from the Atlas Corporation next week."

<Tanar, Executive Mansion>

Edward shook his head. "Well, no, okay, I did read an intelligence report just before I went to bed." he said. "It had a very interesting photo of you and some dear old deer. What was her name again?" He smiled, waiting for Evander's reaction.

-----

<The Divine Providence, Bridge>

"The target's been destroyed..." Allman repeated to himself. "And yet, here you are, talking to Shinsengumi, trying to make sure that the Takemikazuchi don't get the blame. No, little lady, if you're going to break the deal, than so am I." He took a step forward towards Eva, as if to taunt her. Eva could make out a faint black aura forming around Allman.

"Maybe I'll just tell your father one of the Shinsengumi killed you. No need for him to know his daughter's final act was an attempt at betraying him." he said, charging a shadow bolt.

-----

OOS: Somebody's gotta do it.

<Pi'lar frigate #1, five days after Yuy's assassination>

Lalli Cain: "This is why we're friends, Ashton."

Lalli Cain and Regina Ashton charged, firing their weapons at the soldiers trying to take Gene away. Several of them are instantly killed, while the others get into formation and fire back at them. Two drones fly straight towards Ashton as one of the soldiers fires at him.

---

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy (Frigate #2), Same Time>

Fourteen: "Comms are down, humie!"

Fourteen fired his gun at Komolovsky, and attempted to use his telepathy to take over his mind. The Liquid Metalliconite intended to force him to stop attempting to alert the guards, and to release Amy.

--

Meanwhile, Sruban leaned on the wall while looking at Raigen, and pulled out a flask.

Sruban: "Better hurry, we don't want to lag here for too long. We still have to find your friend."

He drank from the flask.

---

<The Craft of Laigula, a week after Yuy's assassination>

The Vongolan soldiers continued preparing everything on the ship for its transfer to the Tanari Confederation.

Figlio: "*to the agent with a sheet of paper and a pencil* Is it done?"

???: "Yes, sir. I have all the numbers down. Nommesh has assembled a team that will attempt to decipher them. I recommend that you offer your recommendations in a future briefing."

Figlio: "Thank you, Cassandra. I'm glad you could take time from the purges to accompany me."

Cassandra Cromwell: "It is a pleasure to serve the revolution in any way possible, even if it means a sudden schedule change."

Figlio grinned, and nodded.

Figlio: "Trust me, this is just the beginning. Major Rahksha recommended you when I told him of the mission the Generalissimo and I had in mind with the Craft. That's why you were reassigned the moment your mission on Burjua had ended. Phase 1 is just paperwork. I think you'll find Phase 2 to be much more satisfying."

---

<The Sundowner Expanse, The Xīng Zhànshì, a few days after the attempted annexation of Pi'lar>

Perseus smiled as he stood up from his chair as the specs came in.

Perseus: "Oh yeah."

He tells the nearest commanding officer to take control and leaves the bridge. A mech flies out of The Xīng Zhànshì along with more fighters. The latter continue attacking the mercenary ships, while the flagship aimed its cannons at Dirty Deeds Done Cheap

Perseus' mech flied up to Dirty Deeds Done Cheap, and fired its gatling guns at its docking bay.

Perseus: "Let's dance!"


OOS: Waiting on Red, Clay, Ynot, Mally, and Zev for the rest.

[ Location:  Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy ]
[ Date:         Five Days After Yuy's Assassination ]

Raigen burst into the cargo hold, aiming his dual Takashi pistols and armed with several grenades, with Sruban following closely behind him, now hefting an Atlas Nova-3 grenade launcher, courtesy of the mercenary wolf's weapon stash.

"Dr. Komolovsky." Raigen smirked as he confidently stepped towards the scientist. "You have info that my employers are dying to get their hands on."

-------

[ Location:  Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy ]
[ Date:         Five Days After Yuy's Assassination ]

The first thing Gene noticed as he regains consciousness is the particular feeling of motion commonly associated with being carried. As his mind replayed the series of events leading up to his current state, quickly managing to connect the dots, the lizard's eyes shot open in realization. Drawing a hidden UMK 'Viper' Mk IV machine pistol from his jacket, Gene fires off a couple of quick bursts towards the two soldiers carrying his stretcher before rolling away and sprinting towards the nearest form of cover, a piece of debris from the earlier crashed shuttle, as bullets from the rest of the soldiers whizzed past his head.

-------

[ Location: 10km from the planet Tanar, Tanari Confederation Space ]

The luminescent hyperspace bubble around the ship dissipated and its speed started to rapid decrease as the Atlas Covert Ops Frigate Hades' Ultimatum dropped out of warp FTL and transitioned back to normal-space. On the bridge of the ship, amongst the hustle and bustle of the bridge crew, a lone gryphon gazed at the view of the planet before him, his mind still contemplating recent events.

"It's not fair, damn it! I was just following orders. Why the hell am I the only one getting shit for doing what I was told to do?" Ralek growled to himself bitterly. "It's not like it was my idea or anything! And of course they'd send me to the fucking capital of the nation that'd most likely want blood if they knew the truth. Fuck my life..."

"Sir, we have just completed warp exit." the ship's navigations officer reported in, briefly interrupting the gryphon's thoughts. "All systems green and cruising speed is locked to 50%, pending further orders."

"Alright then. Set a course for the orbital docking facilities and request docking permission." Ralek relayed the orders coolly, having hastily composed himself. "And prep a shuttle and a security team for planetary landing."

"And would someone please go to our 'Esteemed representative''s room and tell her we're already here. She's locked herself up in there the whole trip doing who knows what." the gryphon added after some thought as the crew scrambled to comply with his orders. Ralek grinned at that the thought of that particular VIP he'd been stuck with. That almost makes up for this crappy assignment he'd been 'volunteered' for. She is pretty easy on the eyes, even though she seems like a complete killjoy.

< The Sundowner Expanse, Divine Providence >

Eva raised her sword to block the attack. The shadow energy fanned out across it, dissipating at the edges as the runes running the length of the sword absorbed its power. She clenched her teeth as she was pushed back by the force of the attack, but held her ground nonetheless. She turned, drawing the point of her blade towards Allman, and discharging a blast of energy towards him in turn.

---

< The Sundowner Expanse, Space >

Explosions rippled across the surface of the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap as the sleek craft turned about, warping away from the battle zone with the rest of its fleet.

<The Cethlenn, a week after President Yuy's assassination>

Ophelia sighed, closing her communicator. "Unfortunate," she said. "Allman is a coward and a fool, and a small-minded tyrant like himself having access to the Craft is far too dangerous to our mutual mistress's plans."

A low, rumbling voice spoke from the captain's chair beside the vampire. "Which is where I come in." Fergus mac Aodhan grinned bestially, baring his sharp teeth. "Alright, Valentine, same as standard, right? Half now, and half upon delivery of the ship, right?" He frowned. "Still seems a damn waste to spend thirty whole crates of zero-forms just for one damn ship."

"The ship is essential to our Lady's plans. Just do your job, Aodhan, and you will see yourself handsomely rewarded. I repeat, do not fail."

With that, Ophelia beamed off the ship. Fergus let out a sigh. "Never liked that woman. Can practically feel the temperature lower the moment she enters the room. Also, she knows she keeps staring at our necks, I swear she's doing it on purpose." He stood up. "Whatever. Bring us to warpspace 3, alongside the Craft of Laigula. The ship'll be well-guarded, and any alert is like to bring the full wrath of the Tanari military upon us, so we gotta be fast."

The officers around him nodded, and he grinned. "Then let us go! There's loot to be had, and glory to be won!" He pushed a button on his command console, and the Cethlenn, accompanied by six smaller ships, jumped to warpspace.

---

<Malchior IV, Blackwing Hideout>

Aria led the two men down a long, winding staircase that flattened out into a passageway. "Sorry about this," she said. "If Allman finds out about this place, we're toast - and it'd be suicide to put my secret underground base directly below my house."

They came to a shut steel door with a keypad on the side. Swiftly, Aria entered a combination, and a scanner appeared, looking over Aria's face. It retracted, and beeped twice. "The black wing rises upon a shattered world," she said, and the door unlocked, swinging open.

Beyond the door was what could only be called a marvel. Rows upon rows of machines, each one identical, save for size, color, and equipment, to the robot who had greeted Jones. It had to be a hundred, nay, perhaps even a thousand machines, standing inert, awaiting their master's call.

"Revolutionary work is damn hard - can't trust anyone who you haven't confirmed, but you still need a damn army of people to work all the little jobs that need doing, from reconnaissance to insurgency." She threw her arms up dramatically, grinning. "So I created one."

Aria stepped forward, patting one of the machines. "Of course, most of them haven't been activated yet. I can't just charge in guns blazing - we need to wait for the right moment to unleash them." She waved them forward, towards massive computer displays and consoles, each being worked on by some of Aria's robots. "But this was not why I brought you here. There is someone I would like you to meet."

Out of the shadows stepped Azrael, his black wings folded against his back. "Hello, Nashton. I have the data you requested," he said, holding up a shadowed copy of the flash drive he'd taken from Allman's operation. "Hopefully it'll prove of use to us." His eyes flicked to the newcomers. "I wasn't expecting guests. Who are they?"

Aria nodded. "These are Jones, Aster, and Richard. Here to join the Blackwing. This is Azrael, our spy within Allman's own operation. Unfortunately, machines can only do so much for me, and we do need some living agents. Luckily, more and more've been coming to me since Allman's grip tightened around Tanar."

---

<The Divine Providence>

Veras waved their own hand, muttering an incantation, teleporting away before the explosion ripped through the ship.

< Pi'lar IV Frigate  #3>
[ Five Days After the Assassination of President Yuy ]

Dries shoved Lincoln hard, diving in the opposite direction as the rounds fired from the drones tore into the grates that made up the corridor's flooring. Money for Nothing de-materialised, flickering out of existence, the drone's motion sensors winding down. The Anima re-materialised a foot behind the drones, tearing through three with one slice. The remaining two swivelled, churning out rounds at an astounding rate. The remaining Pi'lar guard was caught in the hail of lead, his body shredded by the projectiles.His remains dropped to the grate flooring, smoke curling as his wounds burnt. Money for Nothing stabbed one of the drones, swinging it like a mace into the last drone, which exploded, the belts of its chainguns going off like Chinese firecrackers. Dreis looked across the corridor at Lincoln, and nodded exhaustedly, before running off back toward the hangar, motioning for Lincoln to follow.


----------------

<  The Sundowner Expanse, Space between The Stairway to Heaven and The Divine Providence >
[ Current Time]


From a series of hatches along The Stairway's hull, a group of humanoid figures jettisoned. Cloaked in large cloth tarpaulins, the AKD Prototype AMX-94 TIGER, AMX-95 RHINO and two AMX-94AT JAGDTIGERs unfurled their limbs, huge thrusters on their calves and skirts flaring up, propelling the five mecha toward the Divine Providence. Point Defence cannons rotated, hurling slugs at the mechs, which twisted and turned, their pilots avoiding the lines of tracers fire. The RHINO brought a rocket launcher to bear, firing off a salvo of grenades from the belt fed weapon. Explosions rippled along the ship's hull, the defences, for now, neutralised.

----------------

< The Bridge of The Typa Gypsy >
[ Five Days after the Assassination of President Yuy ]

Ciro grinned back at the face on her viewscreen, winking knowingly before cutting the feed. Ciro swivelled in her chair, addressing the bridge in front of her. "Batten the hatches you filthy dogs! We've prey to hunt, and this time, we have competition!"

Moments later, the Gypsy leapt to warpspeed, followed promptly by Fergus' deadly fleet.

<The Divine Providence, Bridge>

Edward grinned as the blast of energy hurtled towards him, and did nothing to avoid it. It would take a lot of his energy, but he wanted to show Eva that she was outclassed.

The blast struck him in the chest, tearing across his skin and into his organs. Allman fell in an exaggerated, theatrical manner, clutching his wound. He let Eva think he was defeated for a moment, and then suddenly stood up, his apparently grievous wound now almost entirely healed within a matter of seconds.

"Good luck, then." he said, before letting loose another bolt of shadow energy in her direction.

-----

<Pi'lar frigate #1, five days after Yuy's assassination>

Ashton rolled out of the way of the soldier's fire, and threw the disc at one of the drones. The disc sliced it clean in half, ricocheted off the wall behind it, and flew towards the soldier's neck. He then pulled out his gun, and fired twice at the other drone.

-----
OOS: All of Professor Komolovsky's lines should be read out in Tommy Wiseau's voice

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy (Frigate #2), Same Time>

Komolovsky suddenly stepped away from the comm, and started slowly walking towards Amy's cryochamber, much like a zombie. He was about to pull away the tarp when Raigen stepped in.

Hearing his own name brought Komolovsky back to reality, and he immediately retook control of his mind. Instead of pulling away the tarp, he suddenly pulled a gun out of nowhere and pointed it at Fourteen, not quite realising that Raigen was holding a grenade launcher... or just preferring to die making a desperate last stand than to give in to pirates.

"Get away or I shoot!" he yelled in his strange Slavic accent.

Fourteen cursed loudly in Liquid-Metalliconian, and fired at Komolovsky again. He missed, instead hitting the cryochamber, which swung open with a loud hissing noise.

Amy suddenly opened her eyes, and tried to figure out where she was. The last thing she could remember was being in some laboratory, being given some sort of sedative. She stood up, and saw Komolovsky, Fourteen, and Raigen, all gaping at her. Once she saw Komolovsky, all the memories of what he'd done to her against her will came flooding back, and in a single moment of pure rage, she grabbed a metal bar off the ground and smacked Komolovsky with it. He fell to the ground, knocked out cold, and Amy then grabbed his gun.

"OK, you people better tell me who you are right now!" Amy yelled.

-----

<Malchior IV, Blackwing Hideout>

Jones looked around the hideout, taking in the sight. "Marvellous!" he cried. "You set all this up in just a few months?" As a result, he initially didn't notice Azrael until Aster poked him.

"Oh, yes. Senator David Jones, at your service." he said, shaking Azrael's hand. "I must say, I was... not aware that people like you lived in the Confederation." Aster rolled her eyes at that comment. "When did Allman hire you?"

< The Divine Providence, Bridge >

Eva raised the blade to block the attack as before, and managed to block the brunt of the blast before her grip on the blade faltered. The remainder of the blast caught her in the chest, sending her flying backwards and into the main viewscreen, which shattered. She fell to the ground before it, yet pulled herself up with her sword, her posture unsteady. Blood trickled from the charred remains of her body armor, with smoke rising from the impact point on her chest. Her breathing was heavy, but her gaze was as fierce as ever.

She's used up over 80% of her energy blocking just those two attacks, thought Canaan, climbing to his feet. The shadow energy from Allman's attack had spread throughout his body, and weakened him such that standing was about all he could do. He slumped against the wall, observing the battle.  Allman's in a whole different league compared to her. It's no surprise he was able to defeat Sefer so easily.

"You're... pretty good." she said, grinning. Then, she fell forwards, coughing up a pool of blood over the grated floor below. She looked upwards through her bloodstained fringe at Allman's mocking gaze, before collapsing.

Israel walked up to her body, drawing Claiomh Solais out from underneath her and readying it. He assumed a calm posture before her, facing Allman. Unlike Canaan, his body did not seem to be as affected by the shadow energy.

"Leave, Allman. You have no need to kill her, nor do you have any strength left with which to fight me." he said, his grip shifting as he adjusted to the weight of the blade. "Eva'll be tried as a war criminal back in Shangri-La. She'll be as good as dead to the outside world. Tell Ascheron what you will. But... go."

---

< The Divine Providence, Reactor Control Room >

Lilith slammed her fist against the computer display as the self-destruct code failed, and then shot back as the entire room fell into darkness, materializing a lightning blade in her sword arm. The emergency lights shot on as she turned, catching sight of a mysterious figure standing across the room from her. She ground her teeth, sinking into a blade stance.

"Imagine, if you can, my surprise when I awoke to discover this intrigue occurring. Loyalties changing, allegiances failing, and a healthy dose of good-old fashioned betrayal to boot. It's not often I get to sample such rich entertainment."

"Malak... Al-Maut..."

"So you do remember me, Miss Heyerdahl. I'm sorry for interrupting your little scheme here, but Allman's script is just too fascinating to not let it run to fruition. Not to mention that it serves as a hindrance to Sefer Yetzirah. Speaking of which, are you two still... a thing?"

She nodded curtly. Malak shrugged.

"Well, if it makes you happy."

"There's no need for you to be here, Naju."

"That's where you're wrong. There's every need. My masters are dissatisfied with Sefer's progress towards her assigned script. To be truthful, it's more accurate to say that they feel betrayed by her, as opposed to merely failed by her. We did not give her the Fruit of Life to fulfill her own interpretation of Ascendancy. We gave it to fulfill ours."

"So you're helping Allman to get back at her?" replied Lilith, smirking. "That's pretty pathetic, even for you."

"No. I'm helping Allman to force you into a corner. It's cruel, I'll admit, but ultimately this scenario involves the minimum possible loss of life - for all parties involved. You see, we want the Fruit of Life... back. I'm prepared to offer you a trade; retrieve it from Guf, where we cannot go, and I will personally ensure Sefer's freedom." he replied, smiling wryly.

<Pi'Lar Frigate #3>

Brushing himself off Lincoln follows dries down the hall

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

Sruban widened his eyes and pointed his grenade launcher at Amy. The woman pointed her gun at Sruban, then at Fourteen, who was closest to her.

Fourteen: "Takashi, Atlas, and Zibendov. Just kidding, call me Fourteen. We're here to get you out of this place. You can believe me since I shot your cryochamber. Also, these men are being paid. Now, step away from Dr. Komolovsky, and put the gun down. Our wolf friend would like to have a word with him."

Amy looked suspiciously at Fourteen, her mind calculating the various possibilities. If she tried fighting her supposed "rescuers", she probably would not be fast enough to counteract the one with a grenade launcher. If she did nothing, she would have to stay in whatever hellish location she had previously been imprisoned in. For now, she would have to take her chances. Amy lowered her weapon, and nodded at Rainn.

Fourteen smiled, and handed her his rifle. He nodded at Raigen.

Fourteen: "You're on, Raigen. Sruban, keep watch on the hallways, I'll speak to our new friend about an-"

He froze as a chill ran down his spine. Someone else was here.

Near the convoy, a Malchiorian Destroyer with a strange insignia emerged from hyperspace. The crew's captain broadcasted the following to all convoy ships with functioning communication, as well as to the communicators of any individual mercenaries who had compatible devices.

"ATTENTION: THIS IS DESIGNATE ALPHA OF MALCHIORIAN INTELLIGENCE. YOU KILLED OUR AGENT. PREPARE FOR EXTERMINATION," she said.

The crewmen at one of the Pi'lari ships untouched by communications disruptions were baffled. They pleaded the Malchiorians not to do anything. The two ships' captains began to argue, as the Pi'laris claimed that they had no idea what was going on. They also started to notice that some of the other members of the convoy were all observing radio silence....at the same time.

But the Malchiorians are known for their gumption. A minute spaceship, only a few meters bigger than a 20-man spacepod, jettisoned out of the Malchiorian Destroyer's docking bay. Inside of it was an entire squadron of Malchiorian Special Forces, some of the most elite soldiers in their entire galaxy, and experts at black ops. They were prepared to do what was necessary.

---

<Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

The drones were immediately destroyed by Ashton's attacks as Lalli Cain killed two Pi'lari soldiers with his rifle, and knocked out another with his fist. Regina Faral efficiently dispatched several guards with her gun, taking cover behind the debris from Gene's vehicle. She pulled out a small ball from her pocket, and flung it at a nearby group of soldiers. They mocked the device until it revealed itself to be a spider-like robot. This little creature tased the guards, taking them down. Meanwhile, Regina hoped she could find her lizard comrade before it was too late.

Regina Faral: "Gene! GENE!"

Suddenly, the Malchiorian pod flew into the docking bay, slamming into the nearest wall. The ship attached itself to this surface and opened its containers, releasing the 20-man boarding party. The firefight in the bay quickly halted as every side found themselves aiming their guns at each other. A Malchiorian soldier pointed his gun at Regina, while the rest of his squadron was aiming at the Pi'lari soldiers. Some of the Pi'lari guards were aiming at Ashton and Lalli, who were both pointing their own weapons back at them. One of these soldiers ran towards Gene and pointed his gun at him. It was a "Mexican standoff".

Malchiorian Commander: "Where is he? Where is Agent 1721's body?"

Pi'lari Soldier #3: "What agent?"

The Malchiorian Commander looked around, realizing that they had just interrupted a firefight between the Pi'lari soldiers and a group of unidentified individuals. He communicated this fact to his superior officers, asking what his next step should be. Everyone else was silent. Tension gripped the room.

Fourteen contacted all the mercenaries telepathically.

Fourteen: "The Malchiorians are here, damn it. We can't let 'em know we're 'ere. We need some kind of plan, a way to destroy the remaining Pi'lar ships without getting on them. Maybe we can turn them against each other some how, keep them distracted? At least one ship can survive as our getaway. Lalli just told me Gene crashed..."

Regina: (tp) "They've raided our ship. We're stuck in a standoff, but I think Gene is alive. How the hell do we get out of this?"

Lalli: (tp, but only to the mercs on Frigate #1) "Gene's sacrifice will be remembered. Right now, we need to save our skins by fighting our way out of here."

Regina: (tp) "Are you kidding? He might be still alive, and we both know we never leave a man behind. Besides, the Pirate Lord will have our heads if we don't rescue him."

Lalli (tp) "How the hell will we save him?"

Regina: "I've an idea, but it involves smoke grenades and telepathy. We reunite at the escape pods, and get out of here before detonating our bombs."

Lalli Cain: "Seems like once again you're the tiebreaker, Ash. What do we do? If you have a better plan, I'm all ears."

---

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

Fourteen hissed and slammed his fist on the wall.

Fourteen: "Anyone have any bright ideas? The Malchiorians have us surrounded, and the moment they find out that pirates are the problem, not the Pi'lari, we're dead."

His eyes widened as he realized he mentioned the "p" word (pirate) in front of Amy.

((Don't worry, I'll explain all this craziness later.))

---

< Pi'lar IV Frigate #3, Five Days After the Assassination of President Yuy>

One of the surviving soldiers prepared a poison grenade as he heard Lincoln and Dreis approach them. He knew a lot about the ship's schematics, and would likely be a valuable asset, even if it was derelict.

The presence of the Malchiorians meant that Dreis and Lincoln had to be savvy. Their new mission was to find a way to destroy the other Pi'lari ships, this one included, while at the same time avoiding the Malchiorians and taking some method of transport to rendezvous with the other mercenaries.

---

<The Craft of Laigula, Ortmoq Ship Graveyard, a week after President Yuy's assassination>

Cassandra Cromwell had left somewhere. Figlio di Armechio simply stood and smirked as he awaited the arrival of the Tanari. The guessing game surrounding the mysterious numbers hidden in the ship's operating system would begin, but for now, he would enjoy this financial and strategic victory. The 2020s would be a good decade after all for the AD calendar.

Figlio: "The revolution continues. Prepare yourselves, everyone. We will be leaving on the transport once the Tanari arrive. Remember, soldiers: when we stand united, nothing will go wrong."

Tempting fate was a past time of many di Armechios, and this case was no exception. The Cethlenn, Fergus mac Aodhan's ship, would soon be approaching.

---

< The Sundowner Expanse, Sometime after the Near-Annexation of Pi'lar>[/b]

Perseus cursed to himself as The Dirty Deeds escaped from his grasp. He turned his mech around, and flew towards The Stairway To Heaven.

Malchiorian Pilot *through comms*: "Sir, some of our fighters took a beating from those AMXs, we're going to need backup to regroup! They're ripping into The Divine Providence!"

Perseus: "On it."

The mech aimed its targeting systems at the AKD Prototype AMX-94 TIGER, firing a volley of missiles at it.

OOS: Start remembering what you read.

Meanwhile, on the bridge of The Xīng Zhànshì, the commander looked over to Perseus's chair, noticing that a small book had fallen on the floor, its pages made visible as it was lying on its spine. He walked over to it, realizing that it was the journal that the captain had carried for nearly 20 years. The book had been written in a mixture of Perseus' native language and English, likely to keep its information secret. The commander could barely make out the contents of the visible pages, only recognizing a drawing of a crook with a question mark near it, and the word "Mazkertis" underlined several times. He knew that if he continued peering he would face the fury of the captain, deciding to set it on his chair and go about his business.

OOS: I know I was supposed to have the Vongolan People's Republic take over yet another planet in this post, but I'll do that next time instead.

< Sundowner Expanse >

A beam shot engulfed the missile barrage headed towards the AKD Prototypes, lighting up the divide between the mechs and Perseus's pursuing force. When it cleared, all that was left was a dissipating trail of beam particles leading upwards to the barrel of a large anti-fleet gun, held by a mech half as tall as it was long, yet comparable in size to the AKD prototypes. Twin cooling blades rotated away from the barrel as a second shot was chambered, giving the rifle the appearance of some giant crossbow.

"So, the Takemikazuchi dogs deign to show themselves at the opening battle of our great war, and the mercenaries that arrived in their stead have already fled? This shall be some maiden conflict for our glorious alliance, Allman."  remarked Ascheron, grinning within the cockpit of the AMX-117 William Tell. High above him sat the Assault Shadow, from which various forces emerged, spreading out across the battlefield. Two AMX-94TK Jadgtiger Kais descended, taking up positions either side of Ascheron as he turned, aiming the William Tell's twin-linked driver buster cannon at the AKD protoypes. "And whilst mopping up survivors is hardly a task fit for a ruler, punishing those so bold and so foolish as to defy us is the noblest responsibility that I must perform. Curse fate that you were not born subjects to our great empire, profligates, for God is already on our side, and little else will help you now."

---

< The Divine Providence, Reactor Control Room >

"Oh? So now Ascheron's arrived. The plot thickens." said Malak, a quizzical look taking hold on his face. "Regardless, you have had more than enough time to mull over my offer, Heyerdahl."

Lilith crossed her arms. "You know what, Malak? I'm not really a good person." she said, Malak's eyes lighting up somewhat at the prospect of her accepting his offer. "Nothing in this universe matters to me more than Sefer does. That's the most simple and obvious fact of my existence. There's little I wouldn't do to ensure her safety. In such a situation, morality and ethics aren't even a concern. So if you had asked me to do literally anything else, even if it meant losing my own life... I would have done it."

Confusion set in on Malak's face. Lilith turned away from him, gazing out over the destroyed ruin of the reactor hall where she had been only a few minutes ago.

"But the fact is, whilst nothing means more to me than Sefer, I don't warrant the same level of importance to her. There is one thing in this universe she values more highly than me."

Malak frowned. "Her script."

Lilith nodded. "It's something of a hard truth to accept. But I love her, so I do." she said, turning back to Malak, somewhat teary-eyed. "What that means for you, Malak, is that I won't help you betray her. And now that you've announced your intention to interfere with her plans... I won't even allow you to continue existing."

"You filthy dog!" roared Malak, folding his arms as seven bolts of daemonic energy warped into existence around him, aimed towards Lilith. "I'll burn you from the very annals of time itself!"

Lilith frowned, shooting her right fist forwards. Ice-blue lines ran under her skin, culminating in a circular sigil on the palm of her hand, revealed as she threw her hand open, a pinpoint of ice blue light hovering before it. She grabbed her wrist with her left hand, settling downwards into a stance as she unleashed the attack.

"Dictaeon Andron-!"

At that, the ball collapsed inwards, forming something resembling a black hole from which an overwhelming torrent of blue electrical energy emerged, surging towards Malak in a focused beam. His eyes widened. A seventh-tier ancient magick technique? That should take hours of incantations, he thought, the seven daemonic bolts surging into his body, boosting his reflexes as he attempted to circle around, away from the beam. The realization hit him then; as a seventh-tier magickal technique of the electrical elemental archetype, its power would be boosted such that the component elements would exceed the speed of light, resulting in an attack powerful enough to break causality and hit before even fully cast.

But then, only Veras should be able to do that.

The beam hit the wall behind Malak, destroying it instantly; a massive conical crater formed in the side of the Divine Providence as the beam cut through it instantly, slamming into the side of one of SR2GG's moons. The crater left by it was instantly visible, even through the vast distance between the moon and the fleet battling above the planet.

"That's an impressive technique, girl. But I'd wager you just used up your entire mana reserv-

"Dictaeon-! ANDRON-!"

"Motherf-"

The blast caught Malak head-on, pushing him clean out of the ship and into the cold expanse of the battlefield beyond. As the attack subsided he stood, hovering in the cold abyss, his body charred beyond recognition, his clothing completely destroyed, and his forearms - which he had used to absorb the brunt of the attack - completely disintegrated. He smirked, his body regenerating as daemonic energy ran over it.

"Very well, girl. I had originally intended to keep my interference in Allman's script to as minimal an extent as possible, but the satisfaction I shall gain from wiping you from existence shall more than compensate me for the expenditure of effort required."

He held his sword arm out before him, materializing his weapon of choice in a glow of daemonic energy. The scimitar that appeared was perfect beyond comparison; a wickedly sharp blade cut from a dark red metal, covered with a subtle tesselating pattern of blood red lines, with the entire weapon so innately destructive as to be wholly opposed to the metaphysical concept of life itself, causing blinding pain to all living beings who observed it. The weapon possessed three other smaller, dagger-length blades; one extending from the pommel of the weapon, and two forming a v-shaped crossguard just above the grip, which itself was twisted and buckled into a form antithetical to any conventional understanding of ergonomic theory. The blade possessed an innate aura like that of a black hole, blocking any light from passing through the space around it save for that generated by the blood red lightning which crackled along the blade.

"Saif Ullah Al-masloul: The Drawn Sword of God. It is the most treasured item I count amongst my possessions, and the single most powerful weapon in the universe." he said, throwing his head back with a roar of laughter. "Rejoice, girl. No human in history has experienced a death as noble as yours will be. Consider this my final courtesy to the first opponent ever able to draw my blood." he said, raising the blade high above him.

"Go to hell." replied Lilith, her mana entirely depleted.

"Rend.", he whispered, drawing the blade downwards in a single, swift motion. At that, the Divine Providence broke clean in half, as the space between the two segments was unwritten from reality itself.

<The Divine Providence, Bridge>

"Fight you?" Allman said, coughing quietly. "You couldn't put up a fight. Not after that. But you're right; I have no need to continue this. Do what you will with her; surely she's already learned her lesson."

He then proceeded to turn around and move to leave the bridge, only to be knocked to the ground as the entire craft shook, having just been cut clean in two.

"What the hell?" he shouted, trying to get to his feet.

-----

<Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

""And how do you intend to fight your way out of this, Lalli? Have you noticed how many guns are pointed at us? The second one of us fires, everyone will. I didn't sign up for certain death at the hands of Malchiorian intelligence." Ashton replied. "I have a plan. The only way we all come out of this alive is if the Malchiorians focus on the Pi'lari."

He felt a sudden tinge of excitement, but tried not to show it. "Regina, I need you to drop a smoke grenade. Then, I'll grab a Pi'lari's gun and shoot one of the Malcs. Lalli, you're closest to Gene, so you grab him, and we run like hell for the escape pods. How's that for a plan?"

-----

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

"So you're pirates then." Amy sighed. "Clearly we all get the rescue we deserve," she thought.

Amy made a quick mental calculation. While she wasn't at all happy about being 'rescued' by pirates, they were preferable to the Pi'lari or the Malchiorians, and probably more easily outsmarted.

And so, she made a snap decision, of the kind she usually ended up regretting but never seemed to learn. "I have a plan." she said, a smirk forming on her face. "And if you're interested in surviving the next hour, you're going to follow it to the letter. Got it?"

-----

< The Outer Rim >

The Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap emerged from hyperspace, accompanied by the remnants of the battered mercenary fleet. Plasma was venting from its right side, but otherwise the ship was in a stable condition. Onboard, mechanics ran about, repairing the vessel, whilst Vance and Ra'an stormed through the hallways to the vault at the center of the ancient vessel.

"I can't believe the nerve of that bastard Dalton." muttered Ra'an, slamming his fist into a nearby bulkhead as he passed it. "Pulling away from the fleet to try and claim our prize for himself... if I ever see that prettyboy twat again, I'll break his fucking neck."

"Sheesh, really?" replied Vance, humored by Ra'an's uncharacteristic loss of his cool. "Don't worry about getting revenge on Dallas. I've got a little friend stored away here who'll take care of that problem for us."

The two reached the vault door, which was a giant metal disc with no apparent means of passing through. Vance reached out his hand, turning the disk to liquid gold, which him and Ra'an were capable of walking through. The interior of the vault was massive - nearly as big as the Divine Providence's reactor hall, and filled to the brim with treasures and gold, forming great valleys and hills. The two passed into the middle, where an obelisk of gold stood in the middle of a clearing on the vault's floor.

"Now, you know how before you, Lucy was my bodyguard?" asked Vance, who had somehow, in the mess that was the vault, found a bag of pretzels to eat noisily from. Ra'an nodded. "Well, before Lucy, there was... this guy. He's a completely loyal fanatic, and one of the big, important guys in the early ASF. During the time he served as my bodyguard, he became extremely powerful - acquiring not only an Animus, but Vampiric powers. Eventually, he got so obsessed with serving me that he asked me to turn him to gold, reviving him only when needed, so that he can prolong his lifespan and, by extension, the amount of service he can offer me."

"But... he's a Vampire. We... We don't age."

Vance sighed. "I know. I tried explaining it to him, but... well, the guys who work for me don't tend to be the brightest types, now, do they?"

Ra'an shrugged. "I suppose that's an observable trend."

Vance held out his hand, and the obelisk melted. The liquid gold flowed into a small pool underneath it, and a human figure emerged from the gold, turning into flesh as the pool beneath him hardened, creating a solid platform for him to stand on. The man before them stood slightly shorter than Ra'an, with dark blue skin and long, crimson hair running to the small of his back. He was fiercely muscular, a trait amplified by his lack of clothing, save for an armored loincloth and boots. Two slender, black horns rose from his hairline, though these were not very long. His eyes, as well as his lipstick, nails and eyeshadow, were a pronounced lime green.

The man smiled at the sight of his master, and bowed.

"Vance Vangelis. I live to serve you, my master."

"Deep House. There's someone I need you to kill. His name is Dallas Dalton - the leader of an organiza-"

"DALLAS-! DALTON-!" roared Deep House, throwing his arms up in the air. A golden book appeared above him, its pages fluttering about momentarily before Deep House stabbed into it with his vampiric claws, tearing it apart as the tattered remnants burned in the air. He turned back to Vance, and tutted. "Tsk. Vance, as you know, my Animus House Every Weekend allows me to kill anyone simply by uttering their name, provided it is the weekend."

"It's not the weekend."

"Shit. I guess I'll have to go find him, then."

Vance nodded, offering a thumbs up.

"He should still be in the, uh, Sundowner expanse." said Ra'an. "Just find a shuttle - it'll have the co-ordinates programmed in."

Deep House nodded. "Very well. I shall return by the weekend, with Dallas's head in tow."

"You don't have to, uh, bring his hea-"

"Goodbye, my master." said Deep House, flying upwards and escaping through a chute in the vault roof. Ra'an stood in confusion.

"Couldn't he just wait until it is the weekend, and then-?"

"Don't question it." replied Vance, sighing. "Let's go find something to eat."

The two turned to leave, the door to the vault turning back into iron behind them.

---

< The Sundowner Expanse >

Lilith opened her eyes, surprised to find she was still alive. The two halves of the Divine Providence hung in space either side of her, gently drifting apart, leaving a field of debris between them. She looked up to Malak, but found a figure hovering in the space before her, her back turned, and her sword drawn in a defensive posture towards Malak. Malak smirked, dematerializing his blade and sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Didn't I just knock you out?" asked Lilith, confused.

"Yeah, and I've already forgiven you." replied Lucy, sheathing her blade in kind. "So it looks like it's your lucky day, scrub."

"What are you doing here, Lucy?" asked Malak, turning his head upwards.

"I could ask the same of you. You don't think you've somewhat hindered Allman's plan by destroying the ship?"

"Not at all. The man is nothing if not a shrewd political operator - I'm sure he'll have no issue working around this little complication."

She smirked. "And you think Blair's going to see it that way?"

Malak twitched, materializing Saif Ullah Al-masoul and pointing it at her. "Watch your tongue, girl. Even if we share the same blood, I shall not hesitate to cut down anyone who disrespects-"

"Give it a rest." she interrupted, folding her arms. "We both know you can't fire that thing twice in such quick succession. Leave. You've nothing to accomplish by staying here."

Frowning, Malak dematerialized his blade. "...Very well." he replied, before looking to Lilith. "I'll return to finish you and your pathetic Empire, provided Allman does not do so before me. You best hope he does, for he shall be far more merciful than I."

At that, he disappeared in a flash of gold. Lucy sighed, losing her composure and turning to Lilith. "That's probably the most serious conversation I've ever ha-"

Lilith threw her fist into the side of her face.

"I'm still mad about you kidnapping my sister. But... thanks for saving me."

Lucy rubbed the side of her jaw, frowning. "...Don't mention it, scrub."

The two turned and flew towards the rear half of the ship and, once inside, began a sprint towards the hangar bay. By now the internal systems had begun to collapse as explosions rippled through both halves of the ship. They turned a corner into the hangar bay, and found a single long-range bomber still inside, the mechanical crew the Lurians had held hostage safely inside. They ran inside, the door slamming shut behind them as the engines warmed up. Selena was sat in the cockpit, beginning the pre-flight procedures, when she turned to see Lilith and Lucy standing behind her.

"Long Story?" asked Selena. Lilith nodded, and took the copilot's seat. The bomber lifted up from the floor of the hangar bay and shot out, soaring through the debris-laden space around the ship, narrowly missing gunfire from a nearby dogfight.

---

< Bridge >

As explosions rocked through the ship, Israel took the advantage, picking up Eva and pulling her across his back. Canaan climbed to his feet as the duo headed out of an emergency exit located at the fore of the bridge, arriving at a bank of escape pods. By now the emergency sirens were blaring loudly and the doors on the escape pods had already opened, so Israel was able to gently lay Eva down on one of the rows of seats as Canaan limped over to the control chair, readying the pod's systems. Israel looked at him, almost mournfully, before stepping back out of the pod, locking the hatch behind him. Canaan span in his chair as he head the hiss of the environmental seals activating, and looked at his comrade in confusion.

"Israel? What are you doing?"

A faint smile appeared on the other man's face. "Canaan. I'm sorry. But... our journey ends here."

Canaan shot up from his seat, slamming against the hatch in a desperate attempt to open it. "No! What are you doing?"

"That man back there... Allman... is a threat to everything I have ever held dear. To the Empire, to Sefer... to you. If I allow him to escape, and to start his war, millions will die. Even if it means throwing my life away, It's my duty as a soldier of the Takemikazuchi Empire to try and destroy him."

"BULLSHIT!" roared Canaan, slamming harder against the hatch. "Come on, let me out! We'll kill him together!"

"You need to take Eva, and get her to safety. That's your duty as a soldier of the Empire. Through her, you might find a new peace with the AKD."

"Peace? I don't care about peace!"

"Then... witness the final actions of a man who does."

"ISRAEL! OPEN THIS FUCKING HATCH, OR I'LL-"

Israel slammed against the escape pod's control panel, and it ejected, shooting away from the ship. He turned, re-entering the bridge, and drawing his combat knife. With his free hand, he reached inside the grenade pouch on his chest armor, pulling the pins free and throwing them away. Readying the knife in both hands, he charged towards Allman, as explosions tore through the bridge.

"You die here, Allman! Burn, along with your tainted ideals, and let the universe never speak of you or I again!"

He jumped, raising his dagger high above him, drawing it down towards the back of Allman's neck.

"FOR THE EMPEROR!"

---

< Dark Olympus >

Malak reappeared within the ancient temple. The aspect he currently found himself in - the throne room, at the highest peak- resembled, to no small extent, the ancient Acropolis if rendered in black, opaque stone. It hung in the vast expanse of dark space, beyond the Milky Way galaxy, which was visible in the distance. Bowing his head in respect, he walked to the tremendous, hexagonal obelisk present at the far end, and knelt before it. Slowly, it turned, the ancient engines within it filling the temple with a low, arcane hum. As its occupant came into view it was revealed to be a throne, immaculate in its creation, carved from the obelisk which it first appeared to be. A black silhouette was seated upon it, their hands steepled, and their legs crossed.

"My Lord." said Malak, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground before him. "Allman's script shall proceed as he intended. He shall make a worthy inheritor of Sefer's role as the instrument of your will."

"Do you think I need you to tell me that?"

Malak shuddered. "O-Of course not, Lord Blair. Please - take no offense."

Blair rose from his throne. A chill crept down Malak's spine as he passed him, slowly walking to the edge of the temple, gazing out at the visage beyond, his arms now folded.

"I have long since come to the realization that the inhabitants of this galaxy are incapable of ruling themselves. As such, I am loath to place any amount of faith in Allman's ability to progress any further than his predecessor did. No, Malak-"

Blair turned, his eyes meeting Malak's. It was the first time he had seen them. The demon shuddered, his body freezing in place. He had felt fear before... but never terror. Never such gut-wrenching terror.

"-The final door shall open. And I shall be the one to open it."

[Ocean, Malchior IV]
It had been a week since the arrival of Nif and Flesh-Eater to Malchior IV. The sudden death of the planet's President Yuy complicated things for the two. Flesh-Eater now had to wait, as the ruckus caused by the assassination made tracking his target harder. Nif was unable to get in through immigrations legally, so he created the false persona of Lao Olokun, named after the Old World Philosopher Laozi, founder of Taoism, and Olokun, the Yoruban Deity of the Ocean. Of course, here in this bizarre amalgamation of time and cultures, no one would notice such an obvious moniker.

The two met-up on a regular basis in the living ship they had arrived in. Nif had no purpose in life now, but has decided to help with some of the locals with criminal situations(to him, that is). There had been one siting of an "Ocean Man saving a drowning human," but otherwise none.

Today was just another meet-up of the two. Nif arrived in the ship, and Flesh-Eater was waiting, as usual. The two used this time to exchange information on the world, and Flesh-Eater helped Nif play catch-up with the universe he was in now, and Nif helped Flesh-Eater understand the culture of humans.

"Nif...I will need your help...at this point." Flesh-Eater's speaking apparatus was still primitive, but Nif did not know of a way to help fix this.

"Oh?" he inquired, "And what would that be?"

"My target...the leads are in...but she was much protection..." Their rasping decreased, they were obviously straining their artificial vocal cords.

"She? And who would your target be?"

"The criminal...Cagnazzo" Nif knew the name. A prominent warlord figure, he was rumored to be working with others in the underworld. Underworld figures such as him were easy killings to Nif before. So, of course, he will help.

"Of course. What do you need help with?" he asked.

"Find his hideout...call for me with your powers...and we shall take the whole place." Flesh-Eater's appendages were hardened, and Nif's aura very clearly detected the killing intent they had.

"Copy that." Nif waved goodbye to Flesh-Eater and then left the ship, going back to Dootville, a major coastal city on Malchior IV, and a place to start getting answers.

OOS: Waiting on Clay, Zev, Ynot, Mally, and Red for the rest. PLEASE SEE MY PREVIOUS POST

<Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

Regina smiled, nodding at Ashton's brilliant plan. With great speed, she reached for her side and flicked a smoke grenade onto the floor. Before the soldiers on either side could react, plumes of smoke burst from the canister and filled most of the surrounding area, effectively blinding the Pi'lari for the next few minutes. The Malchiorians were unable to see as well, but some of them began to switch to thermal vision goggles on their helmets. This meant that the mercenaries had only seconds to make their getaway.

Lalli Cain darted towards Gene, pushing several guards out of the way. Their guns fired left and right as they felt something hitting them. The Malchiorians tensed up, some raising their weapons, fingers itching to pull the trigger and put down the apparent threat. Lalli slide to where Gene was, and nodded at him.

Lalli Cain: "Let's go."

-----

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

Fourteen grit his teeth and glared at Amy.

Fourteen: "Last I checked, I'm not getting paid to take orders from you. You're cargo."

Mick Sruban: "Hold on, Fourteen. *hic*"

Sruban stumbled a bit while moving over to them both. He put his arms on Fourteen and Amy's shoulders.

Sruban: "People ain't cargo, and she might just have a good plan. If she fails, just shoot 'er. We don't need to bring her to the boss alive, right?"

Fourteen: "Whatever. I'll play along. Raigen, how's it coming along?! You done with your family reunion?"

---

<[Dootville, Malchior IV, A week after Yuy's Assassination ]>

On one of Dootville's many prominent beaches, an insectoid silently pondered his place in the universe. He was tall, and was much like a mosquito, using two of his legs to stand up and the rest of his appendages as arms. He was tan in colour, and his reptillian eyes were as golden as the sands beneath him. The mosquito man was referred to as Tayne. He was spending his off-day with his friends Barry Bavi and Lon.

Barry was a shapeshifter, often believed to truly be a humanoid avian given his affinity for transforming into birds (in his words, 'Birds are quite important, my friends'). However, his supposed base form was that of a young Middle Eastern man, and he easily passed off as a native Malchiorian (though doubt abounded as to whether or not he was). Lon was a Terugan, and claimed to be the son of Yon. Lon decided he would follow in his supposed father's footsteps by living as a trouble-maker, often getting into fights with the Coogs, a notorious band.

Bavi: "Tayne?! What's that over there?!"

Tayne noticed a strange creature making their way towards them from the ocean. It looked like a crustacean, but the mosquito man decided to investigate. He flew towards Nif, and crossed both pairs of arms.

Tayne: "Who are you?!"

---

<Sundowner Expanse, Some time after the Pilari Annexation Attempt>

Perseus: "So, the rumors are true: the famous Gabriel Ascheron is working with Edward Allman. Alright boys, stand down, AKDs are friendlies. Standby for further orde-"

Suddenly, The Divine Providence was cleaved in half. Perseus's eyes widened inside of his mech's cockpit.

Perseus: "CRAP! All fighters and Xīng Zhànshì, stand by for further orders!!"

Perseus was conflicted. He had to make sure that President Allman was alive. Sure, he was a manipulative authoritarian who tried to annex a planet, but the mission required that the Tanari be protected, as their survival was vital to mutual diplomactic and strategic interests. However, Perseus' other affiliation had a widely divergent opinion of the President.

Oh, to hell with it, he thought. Perseus flew over to the wreckage, hoping to find Allman somewhere.

---

<The Vongolan People's Republic, Uteriach's Palace, Roughly Around The Same Time>

Uteriach's shoulders were, for the first time in months, relaxed. From the planning of the revolution, to the reorganization of government and the planning of the execution of various initiatives, di Armechio was constantly busy, spending many sleepless nights debating with his fellow generals and coaxing dissidents in less than ethical ways. Not that it devastated the Rider; his species had been genetically modified to withstand the horrors of war and to live beyond the average Dachori lifespan. However, it did make him tense. The last time he remembered relaxing was when he called Allman and 'Empress' Yetzirah while drinking whiskey.

Now, Uteriach was dining with Rahksha, his loyal Major and good friend. Their conversations were largely affable, with political dialogue interspersed throughout. They had finished eating and were enjoying a bottle of fine Vongolan wine.

Rahksha: "I must say, we had quite the victory on Tuvar'quóth. The Tuvar-nloq successfully pressured their oh so benevolent dictators to begin parliamentary elections and resign once they came to pass. History moves on."

Uteriach: "Yes. My analysts are projecting that they will join us, as they are admirers of our ideology. They even copied our chant."

Both of them chuckled.

Uteriach: "But you see, it is foolish to claim victory and say that history has rolled in our favor. Let me explain myself. You have heard of the day, hundreds of years ago, when the human colonists discovered Vongola, yes?"

Rahksha: "Of course. Vongolan Foundation Day. Worst day in my people's history."

Despite the expression of his anger towards the very existence of this holiday, Rahksha did feel some sort of awe. Uteriach already centuries old on that day, likely living his life on another world, unaware of the fact that he would soon rule the soil that the human colonizers stepped on for the first time.

Uteriach: "One of the colonists recalled seeing a black bird in his dream leading him to wondrous pastures. Legends say that this creature was quite similar to a species native to this planet, and that the colonist was having a premonition. The monarchy made this creature their symbol half a century later, and it carried a spear in both its talons as it rose unto the horizon. It was foolish of them to assume that the military, symbolized by the ancient spear, was the only way to exercise true power. The repressive state apparatus, as noted by a human philosopher, must be coupled with something else: ideology. Captivate the thought of the masses and they will gladly be arrested by the power of the spear."

Uteriach took a sip of wine, and moved his glass to make a point.

Uteriach: "That's how the fascists operate, and we must use this tactic to prevent them from ever returning. The pendulum will swing against us in time, Rahksha, and it is our job to safeguard against it by all means necessary. Every victory in thought is coupled with one in force, and vice versa. Hard power, and soft power. Our revolution and our justice shall be improved thus, and we will progress to a better eternity."

Meanwhile, Joshua Kozín was walking down the nearest hall to the palace's large dining room. He had just spent the hour having a 'creative discussion' with the Minister of Finance (a brilliant general with the equivalents of PH.Ds in economics and finance and strategic sense to boot) over how to manage newly nationalized companies. Kozin knew that the Minister would likely have his name on a list, as he was known for his take-no-prisoners attitude when it came to accomplishing his goals. The Minister had already pressured many members of parliament into accepting his plans (all approved by the Generalissimo, of course), reminding them that the recent fire was a punishment for insolence; anyone who didn't budge would be watched and be "encouraged" to cooperate. Joshua knew that his time with the Vongolan People's Republic was limited, and he needed to provide as much information to Thomas P. Kane as possible.

As he passed by, he overheard Uteriach speaking of a massive financial aid plan that would loan credits to many planets in dire situations after the Vrai Wars. Joshua pursed his lips, and as he made his way to his sleeping quarters, he typed a message to "TPK", telling him that the time was ripe for his plot to undermine the Vongolan People's Republic to move forward.

OOS: Waiting on Zev, Mally, Ynot, Clay, and Red for the rest

< Executive Mansion, Tanari Homeworld; 3 Days after the incident on The Divine Providence >

At an ungodly hour in the morning, Allman was harried to answer a message of "the utmost urgency." His staff all seemed quite nervous, and rightly so: on the display of the message were a pair of very imposing figures, their "biology" comprised of a very dark red muscular structure which glinted with orange-yellow circuitry, encased by reddish plates of a metallic carapace.

The dominate figure of the pair was a regal menace with a sort of horned headdress positioned atop its three-eyed but otherwise featureless protuberance of a head, those eyes nothing more than an inverted triangle of unblinking yellow-orange circles surrounded by five smaller pinpricks. The small interpreter beside this commandant had antennae atop its hunched back, reminiscent of tube worms one might find around a volcanic vent at the bottom of Earth's ocean. The frilled feelers on top gave a shudder at the leader's sudden gesticulation, and a harsh, tinny voice scraped out a message in multiple languages, until it found one those who listened could understand:

In light of recent struggles which have caught our attention, the interpreter relayed its master's message in guttural, slightly stuttering fashion, the Argge Hordes extend to the Tanari Confederation the terms of our prospective alliance. In return for military support levied to the future campaigns of the Tanari Confederation, the Argge Hordes would ask a fee be paid in the equipment of conquered foes, in measures which will be determined following an alliance. Do you accept or refuse these terms?

~ ~ ~

< Backwater Planet of Sugnulf >

A planet of somewhat unpredictable tides and huge forested mountain ranges, Sugnulf saw human habitation in the form of elevated cities positioned above the unpredictable tides below. The sandstone and alabaster walls extended huge avenues supported by faintly-ornamented archways, although most designs were weathered beyond recognition by wind and waves.

Most of their cities were built up from the remains of the ships on which they had emigrated from Earth or other human colonies, with the native sapient species of crustaceans helping them to set up their homestead population. These crustaceans could often be seen smoking pipes held in their mandibles, hauling goods to and from their workshops with muscular pincers, or prehensile antennae which grew in clusters of three or four from either side of their faces.

Visitors to this planet were rare, and usually only as a quick pit stop to collect provisions before moving on to one of three other planets within a reasonable distance from them: those being Mlüyuw, Cabrepas, and Sojourn III. There were also native populations of mlüyuw (the cephalopod/piscine race which had given their home world the same name as themselves) and of cabrepasites (ruminant quadrupeds with four pudgy fingers on each hand, which extended from where their thick necks met their broad shoulders), each adding one cultural element or another to the mix.

This diversity was nothing new to Star-Song, a dark-skinned young woman with her long, slightly mussed black hair tied back loosely by seashell-strung mesh binders. Garbed in a white sundress with marigold orange print over her blue jeans (with frayed edges indicating they had been retroactively cut just below the knee), she wore a variety of sea shell and coral beads on bracelets and necklaces. She had a woven basket carried under one arm, laden with vegetables and soup cans. Star-Song was prone to taking a route home by the huge, airy docking yards, where she could see all the numerous spacecraft from off-world in their brief stops to refuel and restock.

On this occasion, however, her eye was drawn to a particular individual sat beside a bulky ship with some kind of strange metal strip arcing over to its aft. Sat on a pile of discarded leather and fabrics which had been abandoned since Star-Song watched a mlüyuw tailor dump them there four days ago, the figure had their head bowed as they jotted down notes in a leather-bound ring journal. The figure had metal plates all over their body, dented and nicked from a very visible history of travels, clothed over top with a dusty beige mantle and pouch-laden belts.

What was most fascinating to Star-Song, however, was the aura which compelled her closer. It was not so much a visible note, as much as a reverberation in her gut. This person's soul thrummed with a certain magnitude that Star-Song knew better than to ignore, but it ended up drawing her closer until she was startled to find the figure looking up. Their mostly featureless face had slight cracks on the top of its domed helmet, but what struck Star-Song most were the five luminous yellow eyes, which protruded out on metal rings that spun with faint little whirrs.

An awkward silence followed, as Star-Song's two hazel eyes stared into the five luminous optics of the individual across from her. She gasped, then, as a female voice with a faint electronic tinge emanated from the inscrutable mask: "Vagrant." Confused, Star-Song realized that the...Woman, was giving her name. Though her tongue was too snared by surprise to respond properly, 'Vagrant' had more to say anyways. "You sense something about me?" Star-Song nodded slowly, put in a bit of a daze. "Same here. I'll be hanging around a while, if you're not afraid of a little mystery." The challenge was very obviously-posed, but despite herself, Star-Song smirked.

"I'll bite," she responded, at last having found her voice. "I need to put some stew on for the evening. Once it starts to simmer, I'll be back for some answers. You'd better not leave without some explanation, now that you've got me interested!" Reassured despite the flippant way Vagrant raised her hand, Star-Song briskly set off for home to begin making her dinner.

<The Craft of Laigula, Ortmoq Ship Graveyard, a week after President Yuy's assassination>

Six jump-gates opened, without warning, around the Craft of Laigula, and six ships bearing the standard of the verdant fang emerged, bristling with weapons - they had the ship surrounded.

From directly above the ship came a seventh portal, and the great flagship of the Dragon-Scarred fleet, the Cethlenn descended upon the Craft of Laigula.

The scarred face of Fergus mac Aodhan, feared across at least four sectors, appeared on the screen.  "Why hello.  Figlio di Armechio, was it?  Well, Armechio, I think it's fairly obvious why I've come."  His lips curled up into a predatory grin.  "Let it be known that I am not a dishonorable man, and I promise to allow you and your full crew safe passage through - if, of course, you give me the Craft of Laigula.  If not..."  A warning shot ran across the Craft's bow, its surge of power causing the ship to shake.  Those weapons were damn powerful.  "Well, Armechio?"

--------

<Malchior IV, Blackwing Hideout>

Azrael grinned at Jones's comment.  "I am not a local of Tanar, no.  I'm, well, you could call me an exile.  As for how long I've been working for Allman, it's not been too long - as such, my mission is a very delicate. Hopefully, it won't be necessary for me to stand in his rancid company for too long." He grinned. "Now, Jones, was it? A pleasure - and lucky for you to escape from that monster's assassins."

Aria cleared her throat meaningfully, and Azrael ceased his conversation. "Anyway, there is a reason I sought out you in particular, when I'd heard through the grapevine that you'd survived. Armies of machines and secret double agents are all well and good, but it is in the hearts and minds of the people that revolutions truly are won. So, Jones, that is why I need you. I lack the charisma to inspire the masses to rise up, and the Raven here is an utter outsider. You, however, have the ability - and in attempting to murder you, Allman has provided a unique opportunity. After all, who would be better to rally behind than Allman's opponent, a man who he tried to silence, yet could not - a man of dignity, integrity, you know, the works." Her face twisted into a malicious grin. "And if you manage to make the masses rise up, perhaps I can finally personally enact my vengeance on the man who murdered my father. Well, Jones? How about it?"

------

<Divine Providence, Bridge>

Israel raised his dagger in anger, yet found his arm blocked by a magical barrier.

"My apologies for my lateness, Allman. I was busy expunging the rats from the area." Veras lifted their blade, a gust of wind slamming Israel against the wall and keeping him pinned there. "It seems you could use a bit of help."

< Executive Mansion, Tanari Homeworld; 3 Days after the incident on The Divine Providence >

A visibly tired Edward looked at the bizarre alien apparently trying to form an alliance with him. He'd never seen a species like this before, and he briefly wondered if this was some sort of prank.

"Argge Hordes... yes. Yes, I accept the terms." he finally said. "That said, I would appreciate it if you introduced yourself. Not your species, you."

-----

<The Divine Providence, Bridge>

"Help? No, no, I don't need any help." Edward said, visibly annoyed. If only he could have dealt with Sefer's fucking girlfriend with such efficiency, he thought.

He picked Israel's dagger off the ground, and walked over to him. "Was dying alone part of your plan?" he hissed, before suddenly planting the dagger between Israel's ribs. As the Shinsengumi slumped to the ground and expired, Allman took out his radio. "Allman to nearest cruiser. Get us out of here before something else happens." he said. Both he and Veras were immediately teleported off the Divine Providence and to another Tanari ship, just as the grenades Israel had hidden on his person exploded, tearing the bridge apart.

-----

<Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

The second the smoke grenade went off, Ashton suddenly turned around and punched the Pi'lari guard next to him in the gut, and grabbed his gun when he dropped it. He fired it at what he hoped would be a Malchiorian soldier. The figure gasped and fell to the ground, and Ashton immediately ran away, heading for the nearest escape pod, dodging random fire from both Malchiorians and Pi'lari as he did.

-----

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

"Oh, thank you so much for the support, mate." Amy moaned. "Fine. Wolf, let's go. We need to take the bridge before we can do anything else."

-----

<Malchior IV, Blackwing Hideout>

"Vengeance, Aria, will get us nowhere. I will have no part of revenge." Jones said. "But I will oppose Allman to whatever end."

"To whatever end." Aster and Richard repeated, if only to remind everyone that they were here.

-----

<The Vongolan People's Republic, Once City Main Bank>

"Come on, get moving!" the Lieutenant yelled at the soldiers behind her, dragging a trolley full of containers filled with a silver liquid behind them towards a waiting armoured van. "We're already behind schedule, they're waiting for this at the space port."

The two soldiers, urged on by their superior, quickened their steps slightly - as much as they could while dragging the heavy trolley behind them. It was filled with liquid argentium, a highly valuable material which was used as currency backing by some species. Uteriach planned to send several tonnes of it to some planet he hoped could be coaxed over to their side, as part of his 'financial aid programme'.

Just as the soldiers had finally pushed the trolley into the van, a portal suddenly opened just above it. The soldiers immediately aimed their rifles at it.

Three anonymous figures in heavy combat armour soon dropped out of the portal, bouncing off the roof of the van and landing on the ground. Before the soldiers could react, the figures opened fire, dispatching the soldiers with ease.

Thomas P. Kane removed his helmet, and breathed in deeply. "Take that, Uteriach." he hissed. "Take it in!" he yelled at the portal. A large electromagnet dropped out of the portal and attached itself to the van, slowly dragging it into the swirling vortex.

-----

<The Craft of Laigula, Ortmoq Ship Graveyard, a week after President Yuy's assassination>

Suddenly, three more jump-gates opened behind the Craft, and three Tanari Confederation battleships emerged, armed to the teeth and broadcasting a message.

"This sector is under temporary Tanari Confederation authority." it said. "All unwanted ships will depart."

< Executive Mansion, Tanari Homeworld; 3 Days after the incident on The Divine Providence >

The two rings of eyes on the larger Argge spun counter to each other, as it mulled over its response. It seemed to be measuring how it wanted to answer Edward's request for an introduction, as if it had some details of its identity it were eschewing for convenience's sake. Perhaps with a touch of agitation that he had asked included with it, given the very low, quiet growls which were barely audible, it was ready with a response in just over a minute. Then, with a nudge to its interpreter to alert them that their services were again required, it began to elaborate on itself.

Dahagg verg-Skurmhelt, the Argge answered in that awful, gravelly voice. Petty General in the 217th Horde, local commandant of the Argge outpost on Büitua. My most noteworthy accomplishment was overcoming the military of this planet, particularly in a battle where my forces of soldiers 4,000 strong and I surrounded and crushed a force of 20,000 locals; it is for that victory I was awarded my current rank, appointed by my predecessor to replace them as they handed over the reins. It very visibly was taking restraint for 'Dahagg' to not go into extensive detail of its military accomplishments, but it managed to avoid it, mercifully.

Dahagg went on to explain, We Argge are well-versed in the arts of warfare, have a potent industrial regimen, and each of our 718 hordes is host to 1 million individuals, and 10 million subsapient members of our society. We are not often in the business of forging alliances, but unique circumstances have made this necessary, and your accomplishments 3 solar cycles ago have proven your merit to us. Thus, for the purposes of negotiating on what terms our alliance is to be made, the Argge invite the Tanari to determine a third-party planet where we may discuss our objectives and provisions. Is this satisfactory?

~ ~ ~

< Backwater Planet of Sugnulf >

Star-Song briskly walked to where she lived: a slum about the foot of the cliffs where the rest of the city lived, half-comprised of wood and clay shacks, with the rest fashioned out of the remains of the space ships on which humans had emigrated to this place. Here is where less well-off humans like Star-Song lived, alongside most of the local non-human community. Atop their spindly stilt-like legs which found purchase deep beneath the churning water, sugnulfates could be seen fishing while the tide was at its lowest, using the noon day sun to help aim the wood-and-bone harpoons which were manipulated by the pair of spade-shaped digits on the end of either pedipalp-like mandible, strung through loose cloth loops up on their leather harnesses.

On the way to her own slightly outlying house, Star-Song met with other locals, such as a mlüyuw angler she was acquainted with. Short and slightly pudgy on his trunk legs like all mlüyuw were, he had a particularly elongated head which sagged back at the top, and russet red lips which matched markings on his brow. He had a number of curly barbels which constantly twitched in thought, like right now, as he deliberated over what to purchase at a food stall. She was aware that his wife was very preoccupied with rearing her brood, so as he massaged his temples with the knobby little protuberances which served as digits along flexible pads on the end of a mlüyuw's six tentacles, Star-Song slid a can of soup out of her grocery basket, and into his own leather satchel with two of his own. With a short greeting to break him out of his reverie and wish him well, Star-Song made her way home, on the outskirts of town.

Her home was made of clay bricks supported by wooden beams, with a thatched roof over its three rooms, and a rusty metal chimney which was bent in two places so it jutted out before finishing almost perfectly upright. Where she slept was a pile of cushions by the table, which could be moved around for visitors to sit upon. There was also a well-insulated fireplace, with a cast iron pot hung over it where Star-Song could begin to stir her soup together, after she had prepared the ingredients on a wooden slab stored in a sheet metal shelf nearby. It was short work to get the stew ready, a mixture of leeks and carrots and two cans of fish soup. After using her nearly-dead lighter to get a low fire set under the pot, Star-Song decided to get ready to return to the stranger while her stew slowly simmered.

In a side-room with a wood-framed opening to the sun and air outside, Star-Song grew a number of small plants, and stored items like a mortar and pestle. From a small wooden rack atop a sort of altar, she reverently picked up one of two staves, weighing it in her hand. Its haft was made out of a long branch of coral, still quite vibrantly pinkish-red thanks to preservative techniques, and with three branches on top which snaked around in waves to occasionally intersect on their way to five terminating ends. Slung below the head and through the branches were loops of brightly-colored beads, which served to hang a leather pouch with decorations of an abalone-like sea shell and shimmering scales, in addition to a sealed sphere of vividly-striped clay with a large tassel on the underside.

After retrieving a staff with similar adornments, although instead made with lime-green tinged silvery wood and with a shepherd's crook-like head on top, Star-Song proceeded to fill a leather satchel with items she might need in the event of leaving the planet. Mortar and pestle, glass vials, various herbs, and the like were stuffed inside, before the satchel was slung over Star-Song's shoulder. The strap had two vaguely conical hoops of leather on the back, into which Star-Song slid her staves so they could be carried easier. After a little shudder of excitement, Star-Song scurried out of her hut to return to the stranger's ship at the docks.

< The Sundowner Expanse >

Explosions rippled along the hull of the Divine Providence as the ship began to collapse in on itself, its systems overloading. The Long-Range Bomber carrying Lilith and Co shot away from it, having slowed to pick up Canaan's escape pod. As it warped out of the system, the Dreadnought finally gave way, collapsing into a tremendous thermonuclear explosion, flooding the entire expanse with golden light. Were it not for the vast distance that had accrued between it and the Tanari fleet, Allman's forces would have been obliterated, but were instead merely had their hulls scorched by the immense shockwave that had spread out from the explosion.

Operation Prodigal Dawn had been, though not in the way its conspirators had intended, been a success. Allman now had the Casus Belli he needed, as well as Sefer - his rival and apparent nemesis - as his prisoner. His forces had suffered minimal damage in the battle, whilst having destroyed the keystone of the Takemikazuchi's fleet re-armament project, and inflicted heavy damage on the freelance mercenary forces of Vance Vangelis.

The battle in the Sundowner Expanse was over. But the Year of Upheaval had only just begun.

---

< Shangri-La, Two Weeks Later >

"I know that my redeemer lives.
And that, in the end, he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh,
I will see God.
I, myself, will see Him, with my own eyes.
I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me.
Amen."

As the priest closed his bible, Israel's coffin slid into the crematory chamber. Unbeknownst to most of the attendees, the coffin was empty - Israel's body has been destroyed in the explosion of the Divine Providence, an incident the Imperial Government was trying its hardest to conceal. As such, many were here under the belief that he had died during a freak training accident.

Clenching his fist, Canaan filed out of the church with the rest of the Attendees. Eva - who, though officially a prisoner of the Takemikazuchi, was allowed free rein of Shangri-La after Canaan explained her actions to Shortman - paced after him, following him around the corner of the church. He stood, leaning against the wall, trying to light a cigarette - in vain, as the rain kept extinguishing whatever flame he had established.

"Are you okay?" asked Eva, pulling annoyedly at her tie. As a soldier she was used to loose-fitting fatigues and uncomfortable body armor, and as a princess she was used to even more uncomfortable dresses, but a suit and tie was an entirely new experience for her. They had gone out of fashion in Kyloren many decades before she was born.

"No." replied Canaan, frowning. "As a soldier I've had friends die before, but no-one like Israel. To say he was like a brother to me would be an understatement. I thought I knew him better than I knew myself."

"Thought?"

"Yeah, thought. What I can't understand is why he'd risk his life to kill Allman, yet also risk his life to protect you." he said, looking to her. His hateful glare sent a shiver down her spine.

"Are you saying I'm the same as Allman?"

"Not at all, Ma'am. I'm saying you're worse."

Eva folded her arms. "So I guess you wish I was the one in the coffin, and Israel was the one talking to you now."

"I don't think dogs like you are even worthy of the dignity of a funeral. You - and your wretched father - should be hung outside the chambers of the galactic council, as a warning to any dictators who would follow in your stead."

"'Who would follow in my stead?'" she replied, angered. "Tell me, Canaan, what exactly does that entail? Bringing peace and prosperity to an entire region of the galaxy once thought beyond any hope of redemption? Uniting a thousand disparate, warring tribes under one banner of unity and order? Or is it protecting the lives and livelihoods of billions of innocent, hardworking people? Which one of those should a leader not aspire to?"

"The peace of the AKD is a false one, paid for with the blood of those you consider inferior."

"And how are you any different? Any society, beyond a certain scale, stratifies itself according to the ideals of its culture - the peace of a capitalist society is paid for by the blood of the poor, and the peace of a collectivist society is paid for by the blood of individualists - but because the AKD is organized along a racial hierarchy, we're somehow inherently evil?"

"Yes." replied Canaan. "Even if a society cannot satisfy the entirety of its populace and must settle for serving the majority, any resultant stratification should be the result of meritocratic ideals."

Eva laughed. "Meritocracy is the single most dangerous meme ever transmitted. It's nothing more than the collective delusions of those too idealistic to understand the inherent futility in attempting to apply equality to the inequal. The poor and the weak use it as an excuse to ignore their own failures, and blame the misfortune of their circumstances on those who rule over them. As such, it's come to be the fuel of every revolution since the twentieth century. The truth is that there are those fit to rule, and those fit to serve. When legitimate rulers are displaced by an enraged proletariat, the burden of leadership is passed onto those unfit to carry it. As such, an errors in the previous administration are amplified tenfold, sparking yet further disarray. In their desire for a better tomorrow, they fastened the executioner's noose themselves. Those truly fit to rule are enraged by this constant cycle of pointless violence, and withdraw from society, becoming recluses. Meritocracy is the cancer of nations."

"So to draw attention away from the failures and oppression of your society, you blame it on the weak? You use racism and nationalism to divert attention from the flaws and weaknesses of your system?"

Ascheron nodded. "The desire to improve oneself, to be better than one's peers, is present not only in humans, but practically every sentient species in the galaxy. On Earth, it gave rise to the dangerous, egoistic memes which dominated the politics of the 21st and 22nd centuries - Individualism, Meritocracy, and Democracy. Hypocritically, the humans of the past believed that all humans were inherently equal, yet also that they should strive to be superior to one another. The AKD corrects this error, and makes no such foolish pretense. Every man, woman and child may look beneath them and see those inferior to them - those weaker, those less intelligent, those incapable of noble character. They feel no need to climb higher, and are satisfied with their position in society. There are no revolutions, and no civil unrest. Everyone is content, even if the stability with which they are content with is an illusion."

"And those at the very bottom?"

"Are sacrifices to ensure the stability of the kingdom. The absolute lowest tier of our society is the only exception to the order ensured by our stratification, as it may not look below itself and find something to feel superior to. However, by virtue of being a voiceless, powerless minority, this is of little concern to the stability of the empire."

Canaan grit his teeth, his hand twitching as if reaching for his gun. "How... how can you talk about people's lives like that? How can you talk about people in such a cold, artificial manner?"

"Because when I've done all I can to save the largest number of people possible, those I cannot save only serve as a reminder of those I have. The most basic rule of life is that you can't save everyone."

"Bullshit. Fuck you and your fascist doublespeak, Eva." he said, pulling out his Thompson Contender and pressing it to her forehead. "I contemplated doing this before, but now that I know you're simply a vessel for the tainted ideals of Luria, I'm certain this is what needs to be done. If I kill you, then the evil of the AKD ends with your father."

"And with that evil gone, the entire AKD sinks back into the wasteland of the galaxy, becoming a lawless hellscape where no man, woman or child is safe. You'd condemn billions to that?"

"So you think that because you've found a half-workable solution, you can just give up? That's pathetic. 'You can't save everyone'... you wear that phrase like a badge of honor, as if it excuses you for not trying in the first place!" he said, turning and pushing her against the wall of the church, still holding the gun to her head. "If you truly cared about justice, you'd never rest easy whilst there was even one person who needed saving."

Eva's eyes shot open. His words hit home harder than any bullet could've. Is that what you meant, Dallas? she thought, her mind drifting back to her fight with him at Outer Seven. His words echoed in her head. 'Try fighting for what you believe some time'.

You don't understand, Dallas. I don't believe in anything. I'm simply a vessel for the ideals of Luria. A tainted grail which happens to bleed.

So... maybe I'll fight for what someone else believes in, instead.

"Then... help me." she replied. "We'll do it together."

Confusion took hold of Canaan's face, as he lowered his gun. "Do what?"

"Save everyone."

---

(OOS: Eva's ideals in no way represent my own)

[The Sundowner Expanse]

The explosions ripped along the hull of the Providence like a series of rapidly growing fungi, great plumes of neon coloured gas jetting into the void of space around it. Dallas thumbed a few controls on the console of the AKD prototype, and a rhythmic bing played through the cockpit's speakers, before a feminine voice cut in in Galactic Common. "Ceramifoam Protection System Engaged. Prepare for Operator Conservation Procedure in 5...4...3...2...1." Dallas watched the viewscreen cloud over as ceramic foam coated the exterior of the mech, protecting it from the vast explosion and crippling radiation that spilled from the wreckage of the Providence. The cockpit began to flood with liquid oxygen. Dallas squirmed uncomfortably as it reached above his head, holding his breath for a few moments before forcing himself to take a "breath" of the liquid. He coughed and spluttered, and then the oxygen filled his lungs, relieving him of his spasm. The viewscreen was completely dark; he tried cross-comms, but he couldn't get a signal on any wavelength or frequency. He felt outwards tentatively with his mind: he could detect all of his men in local space. The Prototype suddenly juddered and was tossed about as the explosion from the providence reached them. Dallas lay back into the grav couch and awaited rescue at the hands of Buster Breaker.


------------------------------------------------

[Pi'lar Transport #3]

Dreis sent Money For Nothing ahead to scout out the corridor while he and Lincoln hobbled after it. The guard, upon seeing the spectral Animus, threw his grenade in panic, before rushing it with a combat knife. Dreis dematerialised the animus and the man stumbled against the wall, his charge fruitless. Dreis kicked him hard in the jaw, sending him sprawling.

"You know this ship. Where's the bridge?"


-------------------------------------------------

OOS: next post will hopefully introduce the fall // sorry for the haitus

[Malchior IV, Dootville, 1 week after Yuy's assassination]
Nif didn't question the collection of vaguely familiar people who seemed to have found him so easily on the coast. But he did stand out, with his crustacean and coral armor of sea colors. Nif extended his hand to the skinny mosquito man, for a handshake. He then spoke in a more normal voice to pass easily; "The name is Laozi Olokun. I'm looking for information on the criminal Cagnazzo."
Lon opened his cyclopean eye and stared at Laozi. "And what would you want with him?"
Nif's eyes slitted under the mask, the temperature dropped a few degrees, and the mood changed drastically as his aura went over the three. "His death."
All three began to shiver from his aura. Barry did not recover quickly, and neither did Tayne. Lon was going to respond, but was still in shock. Nif's cold breath rose from under the mask. "Do you know, or are you working with him?"
Lon spoke slowly. "No...I mean...We don't work for him." Lon returned to his normal voice as Nif's aura went down. "We'll help. We want him dead too."
"Oh?" Nif inquired. "Then do you know where his base is?"
"We know where some of his hideouts are," responded Barry. "We'll have to ask others for what they know."
"A reminder, Mr. Olokun," interjected Lon, "Don't EVER do that again. Not on us, at least."
Nif was confused, but he remembered that people here aren't normally exposed to Kø. He could've caused them to have a nervous breakdown right then and there. "Ok."
The four of them headed towards downtown Dootville, with Barry taking a lead. Nif could only help but wonder if he had met them before, or at least alternate versions. His memories were very jambled after being teleported across the universe. Infact, he's slowly losing his identity and memories of his past self, being exposed to this foreign world, transforming into Malchior IV's lifeforms. Speaking of, Nif began shifting into a more normal appearance to blend in. His camouflage of cephalopods allowed him to easily change color and shape, blending himself in as a normal, generic citizen of Malchior IV.

< The Kingdom of Osdurandt, a Pseudo-Vassal State of the Takemikazuchi Empire, 1.3 Parsecs from Shangri-La >
< A few days after the battle in the Sundowner Expanse >

King Petrus gasped for air as his kidnappers pulled the burlap sack from his head. He struggled against his restraints as he inspected his surroundings; a small church, somewhere in the vast expanse of the desert which made up most of the planet's surface. A group of menacing-looking mercenaries stood about him, wearing body armor and carrying high-powered rifles. The doors at the end of the church flung open, and a figure entered, dressed in a dark grey suit under a long, cream duster coat, with red leather gloves and a matching red beret. They held the beret to their head with one hand as they paced down the aisle towards Petrus, conveniently covering their face until, arriving at the altar, they knelt, coming face-to-face with the king.

"You cannot kill me here, you damned foreign mercenaries." replied the king, who looked somewhat like an aged Youssou N'Dour. "This is a house of God!"

Danger smirked, lowering her hand from her beret and drawing a Thompson Contender from her coat with it. Locking back the hammer, she pointed it towards the man's chest. Fearful, he slid backwards against the altar, as if the few extra millimeters of distance he had put between him and it would save him from the .308 round loaded inside.

"There are many Gods, my friend, and they do not all get along."

"Who are you working for?"

"It's not a case of who, but rather what. An idea. And I'm sure you've figured out by now..." she said, running the muzzle of her gun under his neck, "...which one that is."

"A meme?"

"That's right, my friend." replied Danger, grinning. She stood up, gesturing with her hands held out either side of her. "All we're saying is that this galaxy would be a much better place... if we all just stood united."

King Petrus sighed. "I knew this day would come. First King Oncé, now myself... tell me, who will be next? Primarch Seranov? Kar Ta'harix? What about Emperor Yetzirah?"

"Oh, I like the sounds of all of those. But don't get ahead of yourself, my friend. We're not here to kill you... instead, we merely mean to present you with a proposal." she said, reaching into her pocket and retrieving a folded up letter, which she gave to the cowering man. He took it, cautiously unfolding it. “You know as well as any of us here that your authority on this world has been slipping over the past few decades. The masses have become dissatisfied with such systems of government as monarchies and dictatorships, and with Uteriach’s wave of communism spreading across the galaxy like wildfire, your reign wouldn’t have seen it to the end of the year. My organization is willing to help you end it on peaceful terms, whilst safeguarding you and your family, provided you comply with us fully.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then we end it on not-so peaceful terms.”

“Threatening me at gunpoint… this is hardly proper diplomacy.”

“‘Political power grows from the barrel of a gun’, my friend. You should know that better than anyone.”

One of the mercenaries interrupted in a thick South African accent. “Ma’am. Royalist APCs have tripped our perimeter scanners. They’re closing in on our location.”

Danger frowned. “You have your options, Petrus. Choose now, and choose quickly. This church doesn’t have to become yet another battlefield.”

King Petrus looked up at her, scornfully. And nodded his head.

---

< The People’s Republic of Osdurandt >
< Present Day >

William Douglas Reed sat across from the newly appointed Preisdent of the Osdurant’s People’s Republic, a dark-skinned man by the name of Ron Don Volante. The two were in the office of the former King, which had been repurposed for use by the leader of the new government. Looking out the window, one could see the aftermath of the riots that had ensued following the abdication of King Petrus; fortunately, they had been quickly put down by a contingent of Takemikazuchi Marines.

“Again, I must convey my people’s gratitude for the help your nation has rendered.” said President Volante, pouring another glass of whiskey for the visiting dignitary. “Now our primary challenge is remaining free of Uteriach’s influence. Our populace has been inspired by his words, no doubt, and I am in agreement with a lot of his ideology. But we cannot become a satellite state of the VPR.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” replied Reed, taking a sip of the whiskey Volante had poured for him. “I doubt Imperial High Command is going to sit idly by whilst a VPR satellite state forms on our border.”

President Volante laughed. “Yes, I suppose there’s always that failsafe. Now, as for the reason you’re here - I’ve decided to grant all your requests.”

“Oh?”

Volante nodded. “I understand my predecessor took a hard line against stationing Takemikazuchi forces on the planetary surface. But this administration views the Empire as a friend, and will comply with any requests your High Command may have. After all - if Allman’s forces try and take the planet, I don’t want to have to fight them alone!” he added, laughing. Reed nodded in approval.

“It’s a wise idea. I appreciated Petrus’s desire to keep his people safe from the coming conflict, but the simple fact is that Osdurandt’s proximity to Shangri-La - as well as its location directly between the Tanari and the Takemikazuchi - makes it an ideal staging ground for any assaults on the Empire. Now that we have forces stationed here, Allman might think twice before launching an invasion.”

Volante grinned. “I’m glad you and I are on the same page, Mr. Reed.” he said, raising his glass for a toast. “Let’s hope this is the beginning of a long and prosperous partnership. We stand united!”

“We stand united.” replied Reed, tapping his glass against Volante’s.

High above the planet’s surface, the cruisers Dark Trinity and Strike Impulse emerged from hyperspace, carrying one of the Takemikazuchi Navy’s immense carrier-sized anti-fleet railguns in tow. They released it, as it fell into a geosynchronous orbit alongside the rest of the military fortifications the Takemikazuchi Empire had prepared in the past 48 hours.

The Empire was preparing for war, and it was taking no chances.

---

< The Tanari Homeworld >

Sefer awoke.

She jerked upwards, her hand shooting towards her mouth as a rush of blood shot out, spraying from between her fingers. She doubled over, coughing profusely. If the withdrawal symptoms are this bad, then I must've been out for at least a week, she thought. She raised her head, the coughing fit subsiding, and inspected her surroundings. She was in an advanced holding cell - a glass cylinder positioned in the center of a fortified room. Standing up, she realized quickly the extent of the psycho-suppressive field which had been erected in the room; she felt practically blinded by it, being unable to sense any life signatures other than her own.

“Fuckin’ A.” she muttered, folding her arms. She walked over to one of the walls of the holding cell, leaning against it. She had no doubt that Allman would soon arrive. She needed to collect her strength - between the residual aftereffects of Allman’s shadow attacks, and the withdrawal symptoms she was currently experiencing, she could barely summon the strength to stay awake. After all, If Allman caught her in such a drunken state, she doubted that she’d ever be able to live it down.

[ Location: Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy ]
[ Date: Five Days After Yuy's Assassination ]

"Ah well. No use drawing this out, I guess." Raigen replies as he sticks a device on the unconscious Professor Komolovsky, its activation switch primed in his right hand.

"Off you go, doc." The merc cheerfully remarks as he activates the device, surrounding and trapping the Professor in a glowing bubble of energy which implodes brightly before vanishing, leaving no trace whatsoever of Komolovsky. As the words 'Bounty Delivered' appears in the lower right corner of his vision, thanks to the psionic connection he made with his phone, Raigen couldn't help but let out a satisfied grin.

-------

[ Location: Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy ]
[ Date: Five Days After Yuy's Assassination ]

Gene did not need further encouragement from Lalli as he too started sprinting towards the escape pods as well, firing his machine pistol wildly at both the Pi'lari and Malchiorian forces as he did so.

-------

[ Location: Civilian Spaceport, Tanar Outskirts, Tanari Confederation Homeworld ]
[ Date: A Week After The Divine Providence Incident ]

"Estimated time of arrival: 60 seconds. All passengers prepare for landing." A synthesized female voice sounded over the craft's intercom.

A soft hum could be heard from the inconspicuous civilian shuttle's antigravity generators as it smoothly touched down on a designated landing zone in the more discrete section of the spaceport. As the doors opened, six armoured figures fanned out, their automatic carbines sweeping around cautiously as they scanned the surroundings with practiced ease. As the squad held a protective stance around the shuttle entrance, one of the troops reported in through his comms.

"Area secure."

First out of the shuttle was Ralek, the gryphon surveying the secluded landing zone, keeping his eyes out for any potential threats. Stepping into place next to him was a female gryphon smartly dressed in Atlas corporate attire, complementing her pure white coat feathers and piercing blue eyes, who was looking around at the scenery with a seemingly disinterested air. Last to emerge were a couple of armoured saurian-like figures, who swiftly took positions on either side of the Atlas VIPs, their large stature and menacing appearance lending an aura of intimidation.

<Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

Regina followed Ashton Carney, firing blindly in the smoke at either side. The Malchiorians and the Pi'lari were as confused as could be, and fired at each other as though they were mortal enemies. She leaped through the entrance to the hangar, slamming onto the floor. She silently hoped that Cain would come through with Gene, so that they would all leave the ship alive.

Gene burst through the smoke, and soon Lalli Cain came forward, both firing at various troopers. Malchiorian and Pi'lari alike died because of the mercenaries. Cain through a grenade in the midst of the chaos, and slammed a button on a nearby panel, closing the door dividing the hallway and the hangar. He looked at Regina Faral, and laughed.

Lalli Cain: "Girls, bullets, grenades? Damn, I love my job."

Regina rolled her eyes, and left with the others to the escape pods.

Suddenly, a man materialized out of thin air in front of Ashton. He was wearing a black jumpsuit that appeared to have some sort of cloaking ability. The ninja-like trooper threw a dagger at Ashton.

---

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

Fourteen grinned when he saw Raigen smile. They shared a morbid sense of humor.

Fourteen: "Alright, let's go. Lock and load, lads."

Sruban prepared his weapons, looked outside, and slowly made his way down the hall. Fourteen followed him.

Several soldiers that were stationed nearby noticed them, and started firing. Sruban shot one of them in the head, killing them. He raised a thumb, but was nearly killed by the Pi'lari counterattack. Most of the fire came from a higher-ranking officer on the ship, who as cradling a laser shotgun.

???: "Do you have any idea who you're stealing from? You and your little friends are dead!"

Fourteen tackled him and took cover.

---

<Pi'lar Transport #3>

((Decide what to do quickly lads, the ninjas are coming ))

---

<The Craft of Laigula, Ortmoq Ship Graveyard, a week after President Yuy's assassination>

The Vongolan Special Forces were intimidated, some cowering at the display while others rushing around to prepare for battle. Figlio grit his teeth in rage. He did not plan for this. Still, he had room to improvise. He smirked, and stared up at the infamous pirate's display.

Figlio: "Whomever you are, I must give you credit for your bravery. You threatened the guy with one of the greatest weapons of mass destruction in history, and strategically surrounded him, making it harder, though not impossible, for us to fight back. I also have to point out that you're a damn good gambler, threatening to destroy the thing you desire the most, all just to drive your point across. Bold, sir, quite bold. Anyway, you're in luck. I'm not in the mood to play chicken. I'm leaving. This ship is the Tanari's anyway. You want to steal from them? Fine. You'll have to deal with them. If they find you of course, which I'm sure you're astute enough to make su-"

The Tanari fleet arrived, interrupting Figlio and causing the Rider to burst into laughter.

Figlio: "Spoke too soon! Good luck!"

The Vongolans continued their preparations. They would soon be boarding a smaller transport ship that had stationed itself below the Craft of Laigula during the sale.

---

<Dootville, Malchior IV, Same Time>

A group of Coog allies were hanging out in the city. One of them, K'jaa K'jaa, had some sort of sensitivity to Kø, and could see that Nif had morphed himself into an average Malchiorian citizen. He grinned and pointed at him, summoning his cronies.

Barry Bavi, Tayne, Nif and Lon were surrounded.

K'jaa K'jaa: "By the way, you and being a Malchiorian aren't related."

Barry Bavi: "Huh! Don't ever say that again!"

Barry shapeshifted into a bird. Tayne prepared to fight, and Lon pulled out a pistol.

Tayne: "Don't try it!"

One of the cronies ran at Nif, carrying a knife.

---

<Control City, Same Planet, That Night>

Klak sat down to relax that night, deciding to play some video games. He was still in his late 20s, meaning that he had an excuse to enjoy such pleasantries. He did here of several people on Earth who engaged in what was called the "NEET lifestyle" who did nothing but play video games all day.

The Norman walked in and shook her head.

The Norman: "Are you playing those video games again?!"

She threw a stuffed cube at him, but accidentally hit Malak al-Maut, who was secretly observing them. Everyone stared at each other awkwardly, and Malak disappeared. Everyone decided to never speak of this incident again.

---

<The Sundowner Expanse, Some Time After The Annexation of Pi'lari>

Perseus was lucky to be a Sha'lythe. His people were blessed with various talents, and some of them could see a few minutes into the future when faced with incredible danger. Of course, this keen sense of peril was limited, and surprisingly failed to work when a Sha'lythe was destined to die. Still, it was not Perseus' time, and he received a vision of a massive explosion ripping through the Sundowner Expanse.

He panicked, and turned his mech around, flying it at maximum speeds towards the Xīng Zhànshì. The Providence collapsed in on itself, bursting with radiation throughout the expanse. Perseus was nearly killed, but he flew into the Zhànshì's hangar in the nick of time. That was close.

He made his way to the ship's bridge, and sent a communique to the Tanari fleet, hoping that it would reach them despite the present circumstances.

Perseus: "President Allman, it was a pleasure aiding you. I'm sure we're even. We're still gonna get your ass for the Pi'lari annexation in the Galactic Council though."

The Xīng Zhànshì left the expanse.

---

<Xīng Zhànshì, Hours Later>

Perseus locked the doors of his quarters, and turned on a small cloaking device to prevent any surveillance of what he was about to do. His loyalty was to the Malchiorian government, but he had an affinity to the goals of the Sha'lythe. Perseus had left his species' organization to join the Malchiorians, and fought in the Vrai Wars, losing his eye for his adopted home world (however, later events made him rejoin the Sha'lythe). This time, though the Malchiorian government did not know it, the goals of the two factions were aligned.

A hologram of The Norman appeared in the room. She, Paul "Pa" Vell, and Perseus had all met during the Vrai Wars, and were good friends.

Perseus: "Hello, Norman. You're looking quite well. How have you been?"

The Norman: "Fine, for the most part, aside from the obvious. Damn terrorists."

Perseus: "Aye, the situation is dire on Malchior, and across the galaxy. All these revolutions and brewing wars, all this ambition. The situation is precarious. We might be seeing a major systemic war after this clash of interests and survival instincts."

Perseus' stark, almost harsh form of realism had been strengthened by the horrors of war.

The Norman: "Right. We must keep watch and help our governments prepare for it."

Perseus: "But we didn't contact each other to just discuss politics."

The Norman nodded somberly.

The Norman: "They found the Craft and ran into a creature called the 'Nish'Gek' that nearly killed them. It's on the loose, but I fear that something worse will be unleashed if he ever finds out."

Perseus: "Of course. Has Klak changed in any way?"

The Norman: "His augmentations have been...evolving. Plus, he's been pushing their limits, even while on sabbatical. Then there's the metal behemoth that's been following him around since the incident with the Craft."

Perseus: "Oh?"

The Norman: "He, and a couple of shapeshifters Klak met, seem to have an interest in the situation. Too much of an interest."

Perseus: "Feed them small hints, but they cannot know too much. If they do, then they might exploit him, drive him insane."

The Norman: "Alright. What will you do on your end?"

Perseus: "I might come by to visit sometime, maybe I'll talk to one of his new friends. Otherwise, I'll just be preparing reports on the battle."

They discussed the conflict at the Sundowner Expanse, and engaged in mild chit-chat before the call was over.

---

<Malchior IV, Presidential estate, Hours Later>

The President's Chief of Staff entered, and placed a report he received from Defense. It was based on a communique from Perseus himself, detailing the recent battle. The Chief shook her head, and sighed.

President Howard: "Thank you. What's wrong?"

???: "Sir, the entire situation has been worrisome. It's been the month from hell so far."

President Howard: "Oh, of course. Yuy's dead, Allman comes to power and starts declaring war on everybody, Ascheron is acting up, the Takemikazuchi are as shady as ever, Liquid Metalliconite pirates are starting to sell illegal substances on our planet, the Vongolans are undergoing a radical takeover and threaten half the universe while selling weapons to the highest bidder, revolutions are toppling governments left and right, the Pi'lari kill our soldiers, Coridan has hadrium, Cassandra Thorne is still alive, and heaven knows just what the Xaldari or the Fall or the Argge or the Pantheon are up to. And don't even get me started on the economy, immigration, and all the other countless problems we have. Worst way to start a damn term!"

The President slammed his fist on his desk, and sighed. He placed his hand on his Bible, and looked outside. This was only the beginning of what would be a year of upheaval.

President Howard: "I pray that we are guided through what is to come."

---

<The Vongolan People's Republic, Once City Main Bank, Hours After The Robbery (A Day After the Sundowner Battle)>

A canid-like inspector, accompanied by a platoon of soldiers, was investigating the area. He shook his head and nodded at a Sergeant, confirming the latter's worst fears.

Sergeant: "Uteriach's not going to like this. Thank you, Lycos."

The Sergeant was right. When he had heard of the robbery, Uteriach was furious. He assigned Lycos to continue investigating, with assistance from Julio. They were ordered to find the person behind this, and make them pay with their life.

---

<Malchior IV, Control City, Same Time>

Crikey a green and yellow-skinned nonhuman Malchiorian criminal, grinned as he downed another beer in the shady tavern. He had made a lot of money selling some of the new narcotic that the bought off of the Liquid Metalliconites and the Red Queen, and was boasting about his affluence in front of his other friends. He could do this, of course, because the bartender didn't care and avoided reporting things to law enforcement (to cover up his own criminal affiliations, for the tavern was known as a meeting place between all kinds of gangs and cutthroat organizations, a place where rivals could relax and drink to celebrate their villainy).

Crikey: "Yeah, that's right, I'mma move to Earth and run for president! Crikey Shqwertiyul 2030! Hahaha!"

Suddenly, Klak burst through the door and ran towards a gelatinous blob that was lounging next to Crikey. The amorphous creature fired a weapon that it had lodged in its 'arm', hitting Crikey by accident and killing him. Klak fired back, but the gelatinous monster oozed out of the tavern quickly, and emerged through the back door in an alleyway. The Malchiorian officer followed the creature, and cornered it using his augmented speed. No matter where it went, Klak would catch up to it.

Klak: You're under arrest.

Finally, after weeks of searching, he had found the thieving gelatinous blob. It was notorious for several serial acts of larceny in Adar Sadiel and Control City alike. Klak had been frustrated with the search and knew that he would probably shoot the creature before he would let it get out of his grasp.

It seemed however, that luck was not in his favor, as Klak underwent yet another blackout. He had been experiencing such events for years, usually waking up to find out that either nothing had happened, or that several things in his room were re-arranged. The doctors said it was due to stress, but it had never occurred on his job...until now.

When Klak came to, he saw that the blob was gone. He cursed loudly, and communicated with his fellow officers, telling them that it had escaped yet again. What he had failed to notice was that pieces of the now deceased creature were scattered throughout the alley amongst the trash. Something, or someone, had blown it up.

---

<All Across The Galaxy, Two Days After the Battle of the Sundowner Expanse>

Malchiorian burial customs for figures of state usually allowed for there to be a period of mourning of about a week prior to the funeral (during which the dead would lie in state in one of the houses of parliament for all the mourners to see). However, due to several delays (one of them being a desire to find Former President Yuy's murderer before the funeral, but it was for naught), the funeral ended up taking place two and a half weeks after Yuy's assassination.

-

The preparations were finally set, and the event materialized. Yuy's family was outside of a large Malchiorian cathedral in the planet's capital city, greeting various dignitaries, politicians, diplomats, and celebrities from all over the planet and the galaxy all attending to pay their respects. The late president's wife and oldest son both wept the hardest that day. President Howard and his family stood next to them, greeting attendees and comforting the Yuy's. Both families had grown close during the campaign and presidency.

Uteriach di Armechio, Generalissimo of the Vongolan People's Republic, and Nefer-la Dunn, Foreign Secretary of the VPR, were both in attendance. Armechio was wearing a blend of traditional Vongolan funeral dress--a black suit, black tie, and white shirt--with traditional Dachori dress--a dark purple robe covering the sides of the body with various black runic markings and a lilac scarf. The scarf usually was meant to describe the family of the dead, but Uteriach was wearing it to commemorate his own arrival (of course, anyone who asked about the scarf would be told that it was a sign of love towards the late President). The Vongolans gave their condolences to family of the deceased, and engaged in diplomatic pleasantries with everyone else.

Uteriach di Armechio: "President Howard, it's a pleasure."

President Howard: "Generalissimo Armechio, great to finally meet you."

He lied.

Howard: "How are you?"

Uteriach: "Fine."

Uteriach di Armechio also lied. Between planning a new state and economy, forging various alliances, and dealing with both a robbery of important materials and a possible government-in-exile, Uteriach di Armechio had a busy week, and he was annoyed that he was spending time mourning a man he had barely met. Still, it was good PR, and an opportunity to discuss diplomacy in person with many important intragalactic figures. He especially wanted to speak with Edward Allman about Osdurandt.

Minister Dunn and Secretary Krieger stood next to each other, and nodded.

Minister Dunn: "Krieger."

Sec. Krieger: "Dunn."

OOS: Bring out your dignitaries and representatives. No weapons allowed.

< Ascheron Kingdom Demesnes, Outer Reaches >
< AKD Navy Brynhildr-class Battlecruiser Valkyria >

Captain Andrzej Nazwisko (Christoph Waltz) sat on the bridge of the Valkyria, a concerned look on his face as he surveyed the bridge before him. Half a dozen raw ensigns sat about the criminally understaffed bridge of the destroyer, hurriedly alternating between various radar positions as they attempted to scan the area of space before them for any incoming Takemikazuchi forces. Andrzej sighed; the situation was a sorry affair. The Captain was a former military officer of the now-defunct Democratic Republic of Wojtek, a small and peaceful nation which had acquired the nickname of "Space Poland" due to the large number of people who had emigrated there from the ancient earth country of Poland. Two years ago, Andrzej had fought against the AKD forces as they invaded his homeworld in an attempt to annex it into their rapidly expanding empire. He and his forces fought valiantly, but the Captain quickly realized they had no chance of surviving a prolonged war with the overwhelming military might of the AKD, and in the closing days of the conflict staged a coup in which he assassinated his close friend, President Soup. He immediately surrendered Wojtek to the AKD’s forces, which earned him the scorn of the populace, some of whom burnt his house down, killing his wife and newborn son. However, he had Asved billions of lives, as the surrender came days before the AKD was set to launch a deadly nuclear bombing campaign.

Out of respect to the Captain, he and his men were allowed to continue their service as soldiers, though now fighting for their former enemy. Many of those soldiers under his command had refused, deserting the army, some of them joining the growing resistance movement in their homeland. However, most of them stood with their Captain - some because they agreed with his actions, but most because they didn’t want to endure the trials of trying to find income in the battered economy of post-war Wojtek. The newly-christened AKD 57th Fleet had been outfitted with previously mothballed Brynhildr-class Battlecruisers, and tasked with dangerous outer rim patrols not deemed suitable for “high-born” AKD natives. It was unsurprising, then, that the 57th, composed of (literal) second-class citizens, had continual difficulty in acquiring crew replacements and logistical support, resulting in its four ships being run by skeleton crews lacking even basic discipline.

“Commander!” shouted one of the female ensigns on the bridge, turning to him. “We have an unidentified contact closing in fast! 5,000Km out!”

“Battlestations!” replied Captain Andrzej, as the bridge rushed into action. “Arm hive missile banks and lock cannons onto projected exit poi-”

Before Andrzej could finish giving his orders, the sleek hull of the Perfect Order emerged from hyperspace. The warship hung in the space before the Valkyria like a vast, predatory bird poised to attack. His heart pounded in his chest as he awaited the Takemikazuchi’s first move, knowing full well that their single ship could outgun his entire fleet.

“They’re... hailing us, sir.” said the female ensign, her voice quaking with fear. Andrzej was edcuated enough to know the truth about the Takemikazuchi; that they were a fiercely isolationist, socialist empire who mainly kept to their own corner of the galaxy. However, many of the men and women under him were not privy to such knowledge; propaganda had them believing that the Takemikazuchi were reavers and rapists who took no prisoners and gave no quarter; who attacked without warning and without mercy. They were the only enemy Ascheron truly feared; that tiny speck of civilization lurking on the corner of the galaxy which could put down the entire AKD in an instant, if it were so inclined. Andrzej doubted that any of his men even knew that the Takemikazuchi were just as human as them.

But they weren’t beholden to the Vatican Treaty. They were beyond the judgment and reach of the Galactic Council and their resolutions - even the Ta’har, who Andrzej had fought for over a year, hadn’t had that privilege. They were an entirely alien force - one which could wipe out the 57th in cold blood and suffer no ill consequences for it. They were above diplomacy - how fortunate, then, that they were seemingly inviting Andrzej to a game of it.

“Patch them through.”

Lilith appeared on the viewscreen. A chill ran down Andrzej’s spine as she regarded him coldly. He recognized her, vaguely, from a classified communique he had been given after the Sundowner incident, though her appearance was somewhat different; the dark circles under her eyes gave her a menacing, emotionless appearance.

Andrzej stood up. “This is captain Andrzej Nazwisko, of the Lurian Battlecruiser Valkyria. You are trespassing in our territory. Leave immediately, or we will-”

“We do not recognize the sovereignty of the AKD.” replied Lilith, coldly. Afterwards, she let out a faint sigh. “However, I did not come here to discuss Realpolitik. I have someone in my custody who would be very interested in speaking with you, Captain Nazwisko.”

“With me?”

Lilith nodded. “You, in particular."

---

< Malchior IV >
< Cathedral >

Ascheron had arrived at the funeral, dressed in a crimson doublet trimmed with gold, over which was fastened a matching cape, the Lurian eagle emblazoned on the back. Malak accompanied him, dressed in a black-and-gold thawb with a matching keffiyeh. Two bodyguards flanked them, wearing dress uniform. The group had attracted a wealth of scornful glares from the gathered delegates, a few of whom had been escorted off the premises by Lurian agents posing as Malchiorians.

"Did you know him?" asked Malak, before being interrupted by an attendant offering him a glass of wine. He nodded, and the attendant raised one from a tray to offer him, before being stopped by Malak waving his hand. He materialized the Holy Grail in that hand, and held it out to him. "Oh no, It's fine, I brought my own."

Confused, the attendant warily emptied the contents of one of the glasses into Malak's cup, before awkwardly shuffling away. Ascheron looked at him, scornfully.

"Where did you even find that thing?"

"Oh, this?" replied Malak, taking a sippy-sip. "I traded for it."

"Traded?"

"Yes. You ever heard of a phrase 'A deal with the devil'? Well... I am that devil. My treasury contains all the profits of all the tens of thousands of deals I've made over the millennia."

"So, what did you trade for that?"

Malak frowned. "'Memes'." he said, confusedly. "King Arthur was a weird bloke."

The two continued through the funeral gathering, making small-talk with the gathered delegates. As they closed in on the Generalissimo, Malak whispered into Ascheron's ear, dismissing himself, before vanishing into thin air. Ascheron closed in on Uteriach, extending a hand.

"Generalissimo! It's good to finally meet you in person." he boomed, grinning

---

Malak materialized at the top of the Cathedral spire, looking down on the city below. He folded his arms, a concerned look taking hold of his face.

Klak.

The mysterious man he had seen was here, on Malchior IV. He interested him more than Ascheron had, yet Malak knew not why. He possessed a certain pressure; that was all Malak could ascertain for sure.

Holding out his hand, he materialized his Baetylus - a collection of small stones resembling shards of obsidian, which he threw up in the air. They began to hover, before shooting out over the city in all directions, scanning for Klak - or, rather, whatever secret it was that Klak was keeping. As they shot out of view, a smirk fell across Malak's face. He hadn't felt this excited in a long time.

< President Yuy's Funeral & Jamboree >

Out of all those who were showing up, two in particular were causing some...Issues with the staff. They were an unusually tall and gangly woman, whose spindly build was more than made up for by the voluminous coat she wore: layered with dark magenta fur, plus mauve plumes which faded to pale pink tips flared about her collar and cuffs. Underneath she wore a crisp, buttoned-up Hawaiian shirt, a leisurely pair of pants with wavy lines down the outside of either leg, and sandals. As if the attire were not inappropriate enough, she was nothing but smiles, with her red-tinted sunglasses in their sharp white frames and beyond-90's comic books levels of feathered platinum blonde hair, hanging down just past her jaw.

Two bodyguards accompanied her, though they stayed back and out of view as she strode forward with long strides, chuckling as she looked around. "Ol' YuYu kicks the bucket, and nobody tells me about it until I'm forced to rush here in my leisure attire," she imitated lament in her authoritative contralto; "Oh, well. Loathe as I am to admit it, he deserves I pay respects in death where I could never be asked to feign respect for him in life." Anyone who was particularly close to Yuy in life seemed unnerved, perplexed, perhaps even infuriated by this woman's sudden appearance; in no way dampened by how she decided to hover like a buzzard near Ascheron, standing apart from him as she watched with a menacing kind of fascination. She'd yet to become a problem, although more than one whispered request passed someone's lips to have security keep eyes on her and her guards at all times.

[Dootville, Malchior IV]
Lon shot his pistol as fast as he pulled it out, like a western gunslinger in his speed and accuracy. Three of the Coog Cronies who were rushing at Tayne were now down on the ground.

Barry's bird form sent him up into the air for a bit, and his talons sliced the throats of some of the Coogs. One of them survived the quick aerial slice, and picked up a rusted metal pipe. He went after Barry, and then jumped up and knocked him to the ground, with a swift swing.

As K'jaa K'jaa rushed for Olokun, he proceeded to create tentacles from his back and swiped the opposition around him. K'jaa jumped over the tentacle swings(his brethern were not so lucky), and stabbed Olokun in the chest. He didn't flinch, and proceeded to lift up K'jaa by his tentacles, and pulled the knife out, tossing it aside.

The other three easily dispatched the rest of the Coog's Crew, and Olokun threw K'jaa to the ground. He walked up to him as he was crawling away. He morphed his face into an abomination, then told him: "Now, you're going to answer my questions." The look of fear on K'jaa's face as he stared into Nif, under his slowly morphing persona of Olokun, approached him with tentacles and crustacean pincers growing out of him.

<Dootville, Malchior IV, A Week After The Assassination>

Barry Bavi rubbed the back of his head, and shapeshifted back to his "regular" form. He sneered at K'jaa K'jaa. Some of the members of the Coog's Crew got up, observing Olokun and his frightening appearance. They looked at each other and gasped.

Member 1: "He's...."

Member 2: "War tans!"

Those conscious got up and ran away, while Lon yelled at them and laughed.

K'jaa K'jaa: "Ok! Ok! I'll talk! What do you want to know?!"

---

<Malchior IV, Control City, A Day After The Battle of Sundowner Expanse>

After many long hours, Klak's beat was over. He hoped to unwind by grabbing a quick drink and relaxing at his favorite pub a few blocks from his house.

While waiting, he noticed someone waving at him from across the establishment. It was none other than Yolanda Sara Demosthenes, an old friend of his from high school. They had grown apart since they both went to college on opposite sides of the planet. Last he heard, she had joined the Intergalactic Peace Corps and was helping the impoverished.

Klak: Yolanda! It's been so long!

Yolanda: "Klak! Oh my gosh, I missed you! How have you been?"

They embraced and engaged in idle chatter. She explained that she had come back to Control City right when her tour ended because she was missing home. What Klak did not notice was that Yolanda was still on the other side of the planet. The person he was speaking to, disguised as Yolanda, was none other than Cassandra Cromwell, agent of the Vongolan People's Republic. She had been sent by Figlio di Armechio to monitor Klak after the incident in the temple under the Bengadore Plains. Anyone smart enough to figure out the location of the Craft, and brave enough to fight both a Rider and the Nish'gek itself, deserved to be on the VPR's list.

It did not take long for her to track him down. Cassandra was able to put on both a mask and a wig to pass through the Malchiorian spaceports without alerting any suspicion (she hoped to avoid any awkward questions as to why a notorious Vongolan operative was running around in a spaceport not long after the assassination of the president), and continued her research on Klak Vell. She assumed the identity of Yolanda Demosthenes, one of his known friends, spending nearly an entire week observing her while posing as a woman refugee. Cromwell had her mannerisms and accent down to a science, and adeptly imitated Yolanda. They decided that they would call each other to make plans, and both went their separate ways.

Cassandra Cromwell paid her food in cash, and disappeared into the night.

---

<Malchior IV, Cathederal, Day of Yuy's Funeral

Uteriach smiled and nodded at Ascheron. He reached forward, giving the Lurian leader a firm handshake.

Uteriach: "Likewise, Emperor. Finally, a real face beyond those holographic transmissions. How is everything? Have you seen Allman?"

The gangly woman showed up, and the Rider turned to face her, raising his eyebrow in annoyance. Normally, the annoyed gaze of a 7 foot tall member of an ancient race of genetically enhanced super-warriors would intimidate a person. Would she react the same way?

Meanwhile, Nefer-la Dunn whispered to Secretary Krieger.

Minister Dunn: "I'd hate to bring up business, but..."

Sec. Krieger: "Sheesh, Dunn, at my President's funeral?"

Dunn: "The Ostdurant situation, it puts us in an awkward position."

Krieger: "Not exactly Malchior IV's problem."

Dunn: "We have reason to believe the Takemikazuchi will be friendly towards them, but if there's war between Sefer and Allman..."

Krieger: "Then you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Listen, the Sundowner ship was a favor to the Tanari. Giving them an ice pack before we punch them in the face in the Galactic Council, so to speak, for what happened with the Pi'lari. We aren't allies, we aren't enemies. You and Tuvar'quóth can figure out your place in the conflict without alienating us or the tin trade. My advice? Fix this problem before it's the Vrai Wars all over again."

Dunn: "Don't play neutral with me. You know you have trade routes near critical junctures that would flare up in any war, so you have as much interest as I do in seeing this play out favorably."

Krieger: "Right, Nefer-la. Fix it, so wedon't have to. I'm not even sure what side the President would pick anyway. Let's talk about this later."

Dunn sighed and nodded, smiling at another dignitary who walked up and greeted them both.

--

Next to Malak appeared Coro, floating a few inches from the spire. He looked at al-Maut with barely any emotion on his face.

Coro: "Fear not, my name is Coro. I am a guardian of the Craft of Laigula, and friend of the one called Klak. My abilities allow me to detect the thoughts about a topic within a certain radius, and today Klak is of interest to me. Your search can be shortened, for I know the answer. Klak is to be The Simurgh, the legendary figure who fights against the One who will restore the Dachori Empire, and will slay the Nish'Gek."

OOS: Is he right, or wrong? We shall see

---

<Control City, Same Time>

Klak was walking down the street near his house with a boy, having ended his beat. The boy's name was Mazkeret R. Curtis, often simply called "Curtis" due to his non-English first name (his mother was Israeli). Klak had volunteered to coach the local football team, and Curtis was a member of said team. Despite their vast age difference, the two had gotten along like brothers.

Curtis: "Have you texted her yet?"

Klak: Not yet, but I will.

Curtis: "Talk to her before Yolanda starts going for you, bro."

Klak laughed, and said goodbye, entering his house. He greeted his family, who were watching a news broadcast of Yuy's funeral. Klak sat down and joined them in viewing it.

OOS: Waiting on Mally, Red, Clay, and DRJ for the rest.

< Malchior Cathedral >

"Hoooooouuuu~?" replied Malak, smirking. "I haven't heard that one before. Very well then, Coro. We shall see if there is any truth to your words."

At that, one of the Baetylus stones stopped, hovering above Klak's house. The other stones, which had spread out over the whole city by now, shot towards this stone, forming a ring of stones which began to spin in place. A column of dark lightning descended onto the house, spreading out within. Ma and Pa Vell began to scream as evil energy filled the house, and it was just enough for Klak to contain the evil pressure surging through him as the electronic items in the house went haywire, especially the TV. It had been possessed by Malak's evil magic and was displaying different horrifying images; Norma recoiled in horror at the sight of hundreds of terrorists appearing on the screen, and Pa Vell slid backwards into the sofa so far as to disappear when he saw a big guy for him. However, what Klak saw was more like an Altered Memory (btw that should be the name of one of the arcs) of his first meeting with Caiaphus. As he had seen before, the ghostly mass smashed into one of the coffins lining the walls of the temple, possessing its inhabitant... but what emerged wasn't the avian creature he had seen before. It was himself.

Spoiler:

Malak grinned, withdrawing the current of evilness, the Baetylus stones disappearing to the depths of his treasury. As Klak's family recovered from the traumatic experience, they would discover a burning smell... up in Klak's room, a message had been burnt into his bed (the best place to leave a message).

'Here's 2 U.'

Malak turned to Coro, and nodded. "Very well. I suspect we shall be meeting again." he said, smirking, and disappearing in a blast of shadow.

---

< The Valkyria >

Nazwisko took another swig from his flask, still dumbstruck by the entire situation.

"So if you're not dead... we're all being played by some great conspiracy between Allman and Ascher- err, your father?"

Eva nodded, still undressing from the disguise she had been wearing; she had snuck onboard as one of the marines escorting Lilith to a meeting with Captain Nazwisko. Lilith sat across from Nazwisko's desk, her legs folded.

"The attack in the Sundowner expanse was a false flag operation. I was... ordered to see it through." said Eva, regarding Lilith nervously. Even though Eva had been compliant with the Takemikazuchi's desires to seek peace with the rest of the galaxy, the fact that Eva had actively participated in an espionage operation against them was still a touchy issue between the two.  "It was our intention to target a small, uninhabited area of S2RXA - but we never even ended up firing the main cannon. The planet was destroyed."

"By whom?"

"I don't know. None of us brought anything capable of that, and even Ascheron wouldn't be so overzealous as to risk a war with Allman by straight up destroying one of his worlds..."

"So it was Allman, right?" asked Lucy. Canaan elbowed her in the ribs.

"Well, no." replied Nazwisko, smilling cheerfully, like a teacher about to educate a student on a subject of personal interest. "The Sundowner Expanse is the closest Tanari-held system to Shangri-La. In the event of a Tanari-Takemikazuchi war, the most logical place to establish a Forward Operating Base would've been on S2RXA... No amount of Casus Belli can makeup for the immense strategic loss Allman has sustained. Evidence for war can be fabricated; planets can not."

"So it was an outside party." said Lilith. "Well, the ASF aren't in the business of destroying planets, and neither is The Pantheon. Malchior has nothing to gain, even if it was assisting the Tanari in the battle. Even if it would start a war, the Artorians would never do something as helpful to our interests as destroying one of Allman's prize planets."

"The Amun Collective has nothing to gain, either." said Canaan, folding his arms. "And we know it's not Malak - he can't destroy planets in such a fashion."

"Vongola?" asked Lucy.

Nazwisko shook his head. "The VPR's on a campaign of cultural conquest, not millitary domination. Destroying border worlds just makes their job that much more difficult - like a virus cutting off one of its own transmission vectors." he said, folding his arms. "No, it's obvious whoever destroyed that world was someone who wanted this war to commence. But if it wasn't someone part of the Three Empires Alliance..."

"Then we're dealing with an entirely new threat." replied Lilith. Nazwisko stood up, assuming a dramatic pose as he gazed out of his cabin window.

"When you have survived a nuclear war, like I have, or fight for freedom, like you say you do, then you understand the value of peace. I am loyal to the AKD, but not to Ascheron. As such... I'll help you in anyway I can, if it means avoiding this pointless war."

Lilith nodded. "Thank you. In that case, we need some information from you."

"Ask anything."

Lilith sighed. "Where's Allman keeping Sefer?"

---

< Malchior Funeral >

Ascheron frowned, slightly annoyed that Uteriach was obviously more interested in Allman than him.

"I haven't." he said, curtly. "Last I heard, he was having some trouble with a little rebellion on Tanari Prime." he said, lying through his teeth - even if Allman was, Ascheron had heard no such thing. "Personally, I think he's too liberal. Rebellions need to be squashed quickly, and with the maximum amount of force. Otherwise, innocent lives might be endangered. And that's terrible."

< Executive Mansion, Tanari Homeworld; 3 Days after the incident on The Divine Providence >

"A third-party planet? No, no. That won't do. Why don't you come to this planet, Dahagg verg-Skurmhelt?" Edward said, struggling with the Argge's name. "I'm sure we'll both be more comfortable here than on some rocky, hastily-converted wasteland world."

-----

<Tanari Homeworld, Secret Military Base>

All of a sudden, a bright light flashed on, illuminating the whole room, and a thick metal door slowly opened. Edward Allman walked into the room, and smiled at his new prisoner.

"Good morning, Sefer." he hissed. "Enjoying the view from your new home?"

-----

<Civilian Spaceport, Tanar Outskirts, Tanari Confederation Homeworld>

Suddenly, several armoured Tanari soldiers stepped out of a hangar next to the Xaldari ship. One of them, whose armour was distinctly more colourful than that of the others and who appeared to be their leader, stepped forward and awkwardly greeted the Atlas representatives.

"Greetings, I'm Colonel Johnson. President Allman and his cabinet send their regards. Please come with us, we'll take you to the Executive Mansion." he said, as an armoured hovercraft pulled up alongside them.

-----

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

As the officer opened fire, Amy suddenly dashed forward with superhuman speed, grabbing the tackled officer's shotgun off the ground. She slowed down enough so that she could aim properly, and fired at another one of the soldiers.

-----

<Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

"Oh, what the fu-?" Ashton thought as the soldier materialised in front of him. He tried to run around him, which allowed him to just narrowly avoid the dagger.

-----

<The Craft of Laigula, Ortmoq Ship Graveyard, a week after President Yuy's assassination>

Several Tanari officers and soldiers suddenly teleported onto the Craft's bridge. Their commander saluted Figlio. "We're here to take over the ship." he said.

-----

<Yuy's funeral>

Allman and his foreign minister, Silver Eachan, were also in attendance. Silver noticed Uteriach and Ascheron speaking across the cathedral, and walked over to them. Allman followed him, but was stopped short when a woman dressed in  grey bumped into him.

"Oh, I'm so-" she began, before suddenly stopping and looking Edward in the eye. Allman couldn't help but notice the absolute hatred in her eyes. "Excuse me." she said, and hastily walked away.

"Gentlemen." Silver said, shaking hands with both Uteriach and Ascheron. "Silver Eachan, Tanari foreign affairs minister. The President is here too, he's just taking a minute..." Eachan looked behind him. "Ah, there he comes!"

"Uteriach and Ascheron! How nice to see you." said Allman.

-----

< Malchior >

Ascheron frowned, annoyed that his ploy had failed.

"Good afternoon, Allman. How are things faring for you?"

---

< Secret Millitary Base >

Sefer frowned, sliding her hands into her pockets.

"Not as much as you are, I'd imagine." she said, casually looking around the room, diverting her gaze from Allman. "I'd like to know what you think you've accomplished here. I'll admit, getting caught wasn't part of my plan, but if your intention was to harm the Takemikazuchi Empire, then you've failed utterly." she said, smirking. "I try to dispel it as much as possible, but the fact remains that my people have an almost fanatical obsession with me. In my absence, they'll gladly accept Lilith as a substitute due to her proximity to me, and if they find out you're the one responsible for my disappearance... You'll have the entirety of Shangri-La clamouring for your blood."

< President Yuy Funeral & Jamboree, Cathedral Lawn >

Rather impressively, the towering woman shrugged off the attempt at intimidation, just to stroll closer. If she was human then she was cut from a rare cloth indeed, for she was almost a head taller than Uteriach whilst almost comically slouched; if she stood up straight, she'd be around ten feet in height. "A pleasure, I'm sure," she remarked flippantly, bowing with a flourish. "My name is Kitri, woman of art, woman of business. Enchante." With that done, she helped herself to a glass of wine offered by a wary member of the staff. After quietly draining half of the glass, Kitri asked of Uteriach, "Out of curiosity, in what way did you make Yuy's acquaintance?" When Uteriach’s attention was immediately drawn to Allman instead, she gave playful ‘hmph!’ of annoyance. “Blown off at a funeral,” she cackled quietly, failing to even pretend to be offended; “Oh, well. I should take care of this empty stomach before the proceedings get underway.” Thusly disengaged, Kitri swaggered off to hunt some hors d’oeuvres.

Meanwhile, Kitri's bodyguards were quietly bickering from their vantage spot in the shade of a tree. One had tanned skin, glasses with comically thick rectangular frames, and light brown hair pulled back tight into a Manchurian queue-style braid which hung down her back from the nape of her neck, silken bindings flaring out between each near-perfectly round segment. Her lips seemed to naturally protrude away from her large, unusually straight teeth, which had transparent plastic braces securing them in place with black metallic bits resulting in an appearance similar to piano keys. She wore bulky orange headphones marked by designs of flowers with some kind of characters or symbols in the centers, plus a bright red shirt with thick white cuffs fastened with bar-shaped silver clasps across the front, and jade green pants which hugged her waist and upper legs but flared out with scalloped edges at the ends.

Her partner maintained a stoic impassiveness despite the urgent arguments leveled against her, aided by a metal mask with vertical green-and-white stripes and two rows of four horizontal slits on the front. Long, wavy blonde hair billowed back from under the mask, and she had a very gangly, awkward build. She wore a blue-and-white t-shirt with what appeared to be some kind of numbers on the chest underneath a sleeveless denim vest, as well as leather pants with tassels down the back of either pantleg. To top off the rather ridiculous image, she had a box of vegetable-flavor baked sticks in one hand, whilst the other was used to feed them through her mask. She only ever responded to any arguments with curt, one-sentence answers, increasingly aggravating her fellow bodyguard.

~ ~ ~

< Executive Mansion, Tanari Homeworld, 3 Days After the Incident on the Divine Providence >

Dahagg gave a guttural hiss, as the strange interpreter conveyed Allman’s response to him. “Very well,” the argge commander replied. “We shall leave this channel open for you to send over specification documents concerning when, where, and how we are to convene. We shall meet you at the designated time and location as such. I look forward to our meeting, Tanari leader.” With that, Dahagg paced away, leaving the interpreter to record the aforementioned specifications.

<Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

The soldier swung again, and was about to stab Ashton, when Lalli Cain shot him in the heart, killing him.

Lalli Cain: "That was too easy."

Several more ninja-like Pi'lari officers came in from behind them, each brandishing several weapons. Behind them came some Malchiorian forces, which appeared to be negotiating a temporary team up to take on the mercenaries.

Lalli Cain: "Let's get out of here!"

Regina jumped into an escape pod, and Lalli Cain did the same, squeezing in with her.

Lalli Cain: "Squeeze in with Gene, Ashton!"

---

<Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy, Five Days After Yuy's Assassination>

The soldier was knocked back by the laser shotgun, but the high-ranking officer got up and attempted to roundhouse kick Amy. Suddenly, he was knocked down by Sruban, who shot him in the leg. The remaining enemies were dispatched by Fourteen's guns.

Fourteen: "Hurry!"

Everyone made their way up to the bridge of the Blockade Runner, and stopped outside of its entrance.

Fourteen: "Raigen, what can we expect in there? We need an attack plan to take control."

---

<Pi'lar Transport #3, Same Time>

Lincoln: "Never mind that, I've got a plan. At a certain level in this here transport, there's a neat little turret. It's got power, so it's prob'ly swarmin' with soldiers with enough oxygen near it. We kill em all, take control of the turret..."

He raised a finger gun and pointed at a nearby wall.

Lincoln: "...Bang. Blow the other ships to hell. It'll be tough, but it's worth a shot."

Dreis sighed, then smiled.

Dreis: "Well, as long as we're getting payed enough. Let's go."

Dreis and Lincoln took a lift and arrived on the highest floor of the frigate. The well-lit hallway beckoned them, but they could not step very far, as a platoon of soldiers rushed towards them. Before Dreis could shoot, Lincoln threw a grenade and shut the elevator doors. A strange, high-pitched boom came from the other side.

Dreis: "What did you do?"

Lincoln: "Special kind of sonic grenade."

The doors opened, and all of the soldiers on the floor were knocked out. They made their way down the corridor until they reached a ladder with the words "TURRET" in red letters next to it.

Dreis: "Here we are."

Behind them opened a door, and 10 ninja-like soldiers poured out. They all threw daggers at Lincoln and Dreis, who leaped into an empty room directly in front of the ladder.

---

<The Craft of Laigula, Ortmoq Ship Graveyard, a week after President Yuy's assassination>

Figlio hailed them in return.

Figlio: "Good, we were just leaving. Commander, I advise that you do not, under any circumstance, use the weapon today. Why waste it on a pirate? I'd save it up for something else. That said, we have everything we need."

The Vongolan soldiers began making their way off of the bridge and towards the docking bay, where a couple of Vongolan transport ships were waiting for them.

OOS: If you want Fergus to board, it's up to you.

---

<Malchior Cathedral, President Yuy's Funeral>

Coro sighed in disdain, and disappeared.

Uteriach looked at Ascheron, and was about to react to his comment, when Kitri introduced herself. He was about to respond when Allman and Eachan arrived. At least this interruption was something would lead to something he was looking forward to. He smiled and his voice boomed as he shook their hands.

Uteriach: "Wonderful to see you. Allman was saying how much he likes what you've done with the Confederation. It's great that the three of us are here, together!"

He gripped both Allman and Ascheron's shoulders, and smiled.

Uteriach: "How unfortunate President Hershel Yuy could not be with us today. He was a man who favored peace, and would have overjoyed to see this sight."

President Howard: "True, true. Hello, Mr. President ((to Allman)), Your Excellency ((to Ascheron)). Thank you for coming. The Yuy family, and all of Malchior IV, appreciates it. You did offer your condolences to them, right?"

The President shouted Kitri's name, hoping to get her to come on over. Most everyone was on high alert, and some guards eagerly waited for the order to arrest her, but Pres. Howard was determined to let things go smoothly. It was the least he could do for the Yuy family.

Nefer-la Dunn walked up to Silver Eachan and pulled him aside. She greeted in a hushed tone, and seemed to hesitate. Yet another person she would be doing business with at a funeral.

Nefer-la Dunn: "I know it's taboo, but we have to solve something. If you're going to kill the Takemikazuchi, please, for the love of all that is diplomatic, do not attack Ostdurant."

Minister Krieger rolled his eyes from afar.

Minister Krieger: "There's no respect for the dead for that woman. No respect."

Two Malchiorian guards approached Kitri's bodyguards, and nodded at them.

???: "Everything in order?"

-

Meanwhile, Klak stood up in rage.

Paul "Pa" Vell: "Who could have done this?"

Klak: Someone with terrible humor.

Klak tried calling Aster....

OOS: If I'm missing anything, or anyone, I'll edit it in later.

[ Location: Blockade Runner Transport, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy ]
[ Date: Five Days After Yuy's Assassination ]

"Well, I guess they'd already have a kill zone set up guarding the door. They probably expect us to just burst in through the entrance and then try to pin us down with concentrated fire, you know? Standard anti-boarding tactics." Raigen replied with casual shrug before pulling out a remote charge and tossing it onto the wall furthest right from the bridge entrance, electromagnetic clamps ensuring the device attaches itself firmly to the surface.

"So I say we just make our own entrance." The wolf grinned, arming the detonator.

-------

[ Location: Frigate #1, Pi'lar IV Transport Convoy ]
[ Date: Five Days After Yuy's Assassination ]

"Well, shit. What are we still doing here?! Let's just go already!" Gene growled as he pulled Ashton into the escape pod, wanting to be away as quickly as possible.

-------

[ Location: Tanar Executive Mansion, Tanari Confederation Homeworld ]
[ Date: A Week After The Divine Providence Incident ]

Two gryphons emerged from the Tanari armoured hovercraft which came to a halt in front of the Executive Mansion's main entrance, followed closely by a pair of very visible Satakar guards, the rest of the Atlas security team going on standby at the designated landing zone after the all-clear was sounded out.

"Nice place." Ralek commented, letting out a low whistle at the sight of the Executive Mansion which, while not the most opulent by far as galactic VIP residences go, does have its own aesthetic appeal.

His female companion, meanwhile, merely responds by leveling a pointed glare at him, hoping to remind the brash gryphon not to offend their hosts and screw up this important meeting.

-------

[ Location: Malchior Grand Cathedral, Malchior IV ]
[ Date: The Day of Yuy's Funeral ]

Out of all the various types of political functions and gatherings he ever had to attend in his career, funerals had always been the least favourite of Edan Soulon's. The mood is always so dreary, so depressing. Perpetuated by people who would much rather grieve for the end of one's journey in life, rather than reflect in gratitude the stops and achievements one has made during said journey. To say nothing of the legions of parasites whose only sole goal during such solemn affairs is to advance their own interests, their intentions hidden behind false sympathies and concerns. Ah, but such is the way of politics.

That is not say, however, that Edan hated funerals. No, the Xaldari politician understood that different people have different ways of coping with loss, and the importance of paying proper respect to those who have honourably passed. And such an honourable death did the former Malchiorian President have, in his opinion. A good man who lives to serve his people, doing so until his last breath. Such a shame to lose one with such potential, but it is no use dwelling on it. The best thing to do is honour his memory and look to the future.

Taking a moment to adjust his elegant robes, having attended the funeral unarmed and unguarded as a mark of respect, the Xaldari Satakar headed off to formally introduce himself to the new Malchiorian President.

< Osdurandt, Southern Continent >

Holding her wide-brimmed hat to her head, Danger stepped out of rear of the truck, into the baking desert heat outside. Sighing, she walked to the fore of the convoy, where a group of Takemikazuchi marines were negotating with a group of Osdurandtian police officers who were stopping the convoy from leaving the town, as well a mass congregation of the town's population who had gathered to support the officers. Lowering the brim of her hat, she pushed through her subordinates, interupting their conversation with the police.

"What appears to be the issue?" she asked, staring down the police sergeant responsible for the roadblock.

"'What appears to be the issue?'!" he replied, incredulous, though his words were barely legible behind his thick south African accent. "You're taking all the kids from the village, that's the fokken issue!"

"It's an evacuation, officer. If the Tanari decided to nuke the gun emplacement at Mount Mbele, this town could be caught in the blast radius. We're taking the children to a secure bunker facility in Mombasa."

"They're taking the children to lead them away from the path of Islam!" cried out one of the villagers, tears streaming down his face. "It's just like the cultural reformists all over again!" he added, followed by a cheer from the crowd behind him.

"Settle down!" roared the officer, before turning back to Danger. "I'll need some proof that all this is authorized by military command. You tic-tacs may be welcome on our planet thanks to President Volante, but you still have to abide by our laws."

"Such a lust for paperwork." replied Danger, sighing. She turned, whispering into one of the Marine's ears. He nodded, walking off and climbing into the cabin of the first truck. He returned with a large binder, which he handed to the officer. He read it, nodding.

"...Very well. Everything's in order." he said, waving to the officers manning the roadblock. "Let them through, you fokken mompies!"

The crowd roared in anger. Many of the townspeople could be heard to cry "Allahu Akbar", though more resorted to throwing stones at the trucks as they drove past. Some ran up to the trucks in an attempt to board them, but were quickly knocked to the ground by the Takemikazuchi marines hanging off the sides. Nodding her head in approval towards the officer, Danger held out her hand, catching hold of the last truck as it drove past and climbing up into the back of it. She sat down inside, looking across the rows of evacuee children sitting in the rear. One of them caught her eye; a fair-skinned, blonde-haired boy, of extraordinary personal beauty, who stood out like a sore thumb against a row of dark, Osdurandtian faces. She stood up again, and walked over to him, perplexed; she knelt down before him, waving a hand to draw his attention away from the floor beneath his feet.

"Afrikaans?"

He shook his head. "Pas assez bien." he replied, nonchalantly.

"Ah, Français. Ton nom?"

He looked up, coldly gazing into her eyes. "Pourquoi veux tu savoir?"

Danger smiled wryly. "Curiosité."

He looked away from her. "Jean."

"Jean...?"

"C'est tout."

"Ah. Bien, Jean. Vous êtes un spectacle inhabituel ici. Blanc et blond... êtes-vous Osdurandt?"

"Non."

"Alors, où?"

"Shangri-La." he replied, frowning. Danger's eyes widened, as she stood up.

"...So just how the bloody hell did you get out here?"

Meanwhile, the convoy of trucks drove off the main road leading to Mombasa, heading up a small dirt track into the mountainous highlands which bordered the Islamic sector of the southern continent. Beyond the mountains lay the Shinsengumi cruiser Midnight of Solipsism, which decloaked as the convoy approached, its loading bays opening as the trucks closed in.

---

< Funeral >

"Yes." said Ascheron, bowing his head in respect. "It's no secret that Yuy and I had differences in opinion as to how nations should be run... nonetheless, he embodied the very best his system of government had to offer. His legacy emboldens all of us that seek to peacefully lead our people to a better tomorrow... Hell, even that whore Yetzirah could learn a few lessons from him." he said, some of the gathered delegates taken aback with his poor choice of language. He was, however, too blunt to realize this.