So I've been having an inkling to write a novel based on the Sins lore and universe. And so far, it's been coming along pretty well. The idea of this fan-fic novel is it takes place a certain time prior to the thirty-year war, and before the expansions start taking place. Each chapter introduces a sub-chapter that transitions to intertwined events between all three character's experiences of these events, allowing the reader to see these events from all three perspectives. The first chapter will introduce all three characters to the reader before finally beginning the events of the war in all three unique perspectives. So, to get ideas of how well this idea will sit with the fans of the game, here is the first completed sub-chapter of Chapter One. Read, enjoy, and critique if you have an inkling to do so, for it will be well-appreciated!
Rise of A Solar Empire: A Sins of a Solar Empire
Fan-Fiction Novel
Introduction
To the many fans of the 2008-2012 hit game series, "Sins of a Solar Empire," we all know the story; 10 millennia prior to the game's current events, the Vasari Empire had dissolved from within by a seemingly unstoppable enemy; 1 millennia prior to the game's lore, the ancient Trader ancestors discovered a lost people on a remote desert world, in orbit of a dying red giant, whose religious practices were taboo by the Trade Order, resulting in their forced exile from the planet; That same millennia, the Traders enjoy 1,000 years of peace, expansion, and economic prosperity.
This fan-fiction novel takes place in the beginning of the war, with three characters who are part of the three empires engaged in this war, and will span the entirety of the war- all 30 years- from Sins of a Solar Empire, to Entrenchment, to Diplomacy, and finally to Rebellion.
This novel is NOT intended, by any means, to infringe on Ironclad Games and Stardock Entertainment's copyrights to the Sins of a Solar Empire franchise, in any way nor is it meant to establish a timeline of specific events within the Sins of a Solar Empire fictional universe. This novel was meant for the enjoyment of the author and the readers who may or may not be fans of the aforementioned product.
Reader's Notice: Because the novel focuses on three characters, who are involved with the three factions within the Sins of a Solar Empire universe, each chapter will have three sub-chapters, not numbered, to transition between each character's perspective.
Chapter One
The Fleet and The Void
ENCRYPTION REQUIRED... CONTINUE- Y/N?
-YES
PLEASE INPUT YOUR ENCRYPTION...
-Vaskara_Ñallaaskava
PROCESSING, ONE MOMENT... ENCRYPTION ACCEPTED
WELCOME, ADJUDICATOR LAZZARAKK_VALLAKAVA
NOW ACCESSING: Lazzaraak_Vallakava_Personal_Journal.VFE-E
Stardate 10,001: 76-34-10M01
Adjudicator Lazzaraak Vallakava of the Kortul Devastator vessel, "Larr'Tull"
Today marks the first day and galactic standard year since we left our home space... on the run for ten thousand years. Our stores of resources are beginning to dwindle once again; This timing is not unusual- other vessels throughout the Exodus Fleet have reported in the same turn of events as the Evacuator flagships, my vessel included.
Our Jikara Navigators have scoured the surrounding sectors of space, and have thus far sent back intriguing reports. System scans indicated, from at least three of our Navigators, that there is an interstellar empire that has long colonized this unfamiliar expanse of space.
The relevant data our vessels have received from the Navigators has effectively allowed our intelligence operatives and cartographers to map out how large their territory expands. Needless to say, our path to a new future lies directly inside the largest expanse of territories they control, and there are no other paths to go around them. But there is another stream of data we have received from the Navigators that will make passing through this expanse much easier for the Fleet; the ruling species has no effective planetary defenses, nor do they have noticeable dedicated warships, as reported by the Navigator, the "Larakuus." The results have since been sent to the ruling Emperor of the Exodus Fleet for his decision to tread through this expanse of possibly resource-rich systems. Even a new source of slave labor we could utilize for new warships and technologies, before we move on.
ERROR: FORCED ENTRY INTERRUPTION
AUTHORITY: EMPEROR LAZKARUSK JESTULLS
DECODING MESSAGE...
A message to all Adjudicators:
By Imperial Decree of Emperor Lazkarusk Jestulls, the data received by our Jikara Navigators has been accepted as fruitful grounds for Imperial assault on the ruling species within this sector. As such, by recommendation of the Emperor's most senior Military Strategic Adviser, the Exodus Fleet will be split into three Imperial Fleets: The Exodus Heavy Assault Fleet, the Exodus Planetary Siege Fleet, and the Exodus Imperial Fleet. The Exodus Imperial Fleet will be headed by Fleet Adjudicant Kallarask Llaskava; The Exodus Planetary Siege Fleet will be headed by Fleet Adjudicant Siltaraask Vaskra; And finally, the Exodus Heavy Assault Fleet will be headed by newly-promoted Lazzaraak Vallakava.
My three hearts sank deep into my bowels, as I read the last line of the message from the Imperial Edifice from the Jarrasul Evacuator, the "Lazkarusk." I looked on at the communication panel to see another line from the holographic panel.
ERROR: SECONDARY FORCED INTERRUPTION
Adjudicant Lazzaraak, it has been requested of you to come aboard the Lazkarusk, effective immediately.
-Emperor Lazkarusk Jestulls, Personally
My eyes then widened at the personal message that Lazkarusk sent to me. I immediately saved what I had of my personal journal entry and headed my way to the Larr'Tull's hangar bays. Constantly guarded by seven Imperial guards, I boarded the Imperial Transport- each vessel has in the fleet has at least one for use by their respective Adjudicants, save for the smaller vessels, such as the Navigators, those initially ARE the Adjudicant's Imperial Transports, given their minute size. I sat in the glowing transport passenger hold, with the full view of our fleet all around me, each vessel equally as impressive in their grandeur as the last. As I looked in front of the transport, I could see the eclipse of the vessel that is the Lazkarusk, a Jarrasul Evacuator that, for obvious reasons, was a handful of Ravastra Skirmishers larger than the other surrounding Jarrasul Evacuators. The transport slipped past the dreadnought's Pressurization Shield Array into an immense city-based civilian transport network. My transport's pilot skillfully navigated through the many civilian transports within the vessel to the Central Imperial Tower.
The civilian, military and naval hubs stretched from the noticeable exterior of the vessel down to its bottom of the hull, each level designed to shut all pathways down, in the event of outer hull failure in a heated battle. It is largely due to the immense size of the hull and the civilian populations they carry that they rarely ever do see the front lines.
My transport finally arrived at my transport's designated dock, which related to my vessel's history; the Larr'Tull Kortul Devastator was the very first vessel of its class that was ever built by the Vasari Imperial Navy. Now, almost as a respect to its history, my vessel spearheads the Vasari Exodus Fleet, just as I spearhead its crew. I arrive at the doors of the lift to the Emperor's Chambers. The Imperial Viszer makes sure that those who have the clearance from the Emperor may enter, and those who do not have such clearance don't. I stop in front of him. "Identification?" "Vaskara Nallaaskava." "Verification confirmed; The Emperor is expecting you, Adjudicant Lazzaraak." "As am I expecting this meeting, Viszer." "Indeed." Me and my seven Imperial Guards stepped onto the lift platform, and slowly at first, the platform lifted us upwards, and then faster did it go than it felt before, almost every ten seconds it got three times as fast as it was going previously. It took no less than a minute that we arrived at a hallway, leading to the doors of the Imperial Chambers that houses- and protects- the Emperor.
Emperor Lazkarusk Jestulls is the direct descendant of the son of the former- and long-dead- Emperor who died on the Vasari homeworld, whose aforementioned son was on the fugitive and last Vasari colony at the time of the Fall of the Empire. Effectively, the long line of Imperialty did not need to debate what needed to be done, for it was Lazkarusk's great ancestor who ordered the last of the Vasari populace on the planet to cannibalize all the colony's remaining infrastructure to build more ships to use to escape the system, leaving the system with very little resources left over. We were extremely lucky that all research done in the military and civilian areas of research had been archived when they prepared the flight from the system. We've been building up and expanding our Exodus Fleet ever since. As the lift came to a halt, we started walking down the large, almost-ceremonial, imposing passageway, towards the large doors that open up into the Emperor's Chambers. Despite the fact that the Chambers are actually on the upper exterior of the vessels' hull, it is strategically surrounded by an enclosure of vessel naval quarters and control systems that need to look on the exterior of the hull for incoming anomalies that may pose a threat to the Fleet, or the vessel itself.
As we approached the Chamber doors, I could hear loud voices on the other side, indicative of an opposed Adjudicant to the Emperor's personal request, maybe his Senior Strategist. "This is an undeniable outrage! An inexperienced Adjudicant, receiving the title of Fleet Adjudicant, while only having been an Adjudicant of the Larr'Tull for a mere thirty standard galactic years?! Lazzaraak is too inexperienced to head a full fleet, let alone the oldest vessel in the entire Exodus Fleet!" The Emperor grabbed his senior strategist by the collar of his ceremonious robing- at this, I was surprised. "You forget, easily, I might add, that it was his great ancestor who led the Fleet out of the doomed system to begin with! Not to mention his strategies rival that of even the oldest recorded Fleet Adjudicant in the entirety of Imperial History! So when you question him, you question ME. Understood?!" He then threw him to the floor using the collar. "Understood." The adviser then got up and walked past me, hitting my shoulder with his. "With respect, Emperor, why is he always politicking everything that involves our Fleet? As soon as he hears that our ships need to replenish their resource stores, he states the exact opposite, claiming we have enough for another thousand years. And when we do replenish, and all our ships are reporting full, he claims we don't have enough. And knowing him since you gave me command of the Larr'Tull, he wasn't always like that... What happened to the adviser we both used to know?" The Emperor just shook his head. "I don't know, now that you mention it... We've never had any signs of insidious groups wanting to usurp the structure of the Fleet... We all knew the risks when we left that far-off system... But it strikes me odd, though... Why now, would anyone start uprising? What's gotten to them?" "If I were to have an answer, sire, it would be three words: I don't know." The Emperor chuckled slightly. "There's an honest answer I can trust. I understand that you came in response to my request, since you're here?"
I nodded noticeably to him. "Very well. Then you must also understand why I made you Fleet Adjudicant of the Exodus Heavy Assault Fleet?" I shook my head no. "Very well, then. I made you Fleet Adjudicant for three reasons: one, because your strategies in coordinating fire with the surrounding ships near the Larr'Tull are second to none; two, because your family led that very ship for many millennia and generations; and three, because I wanted to keep my enemies closer where I can... 'take care of them,' if the need ever calls for it." I nodded intuitively at his response. "In that case, sire, what are my orders?" The Emperor already sat on his throne, surrounded by the same glowing panels as were in my personal Imperial Transport, allowing him full view of the entire Exodus Fleet. "I want you to take your Heavy Assault Fleet and begin laying waste to the closest system from our position. Once that is done, you are to call in the Planetary Siege Fleet to prepare the Imperial Fleet for resource extraction operations and fleet construction. Once we have completed our operations there, we can move on to the next system, and so on and so forth." I bowed myself in front of him. "I shall see to it your orders are fulfilled, sire." "Good." And I left the chambers, and the Lazkarusk.
As my transport left the tower, I was being pinged on my communications panel only to see the Emperor's Senior Strategist. "I take it you're here to continue your grievance, Imperial Adviser?" I said, annoyed. "Well, at least it is good to know you still hold your respect for higher authority. No, I did not ping you to pertain to my grievances. I tried to keep you away from these systems for a reason. There's a feeling I have about this species we found, they're not... they don't seem to be... what we think... At least that's what I believe... Once we've attacked them, who knows what they'll do when they find out?" At first, I disregarded his concerns. "The Vasari have always triumphed- Always." And I closed him out before he could respond. But he did make me think about what he said. This newly and discovered empire may not have a viable armada or planetary defenses now,but what will happen after we attack them?
From the time he contacted me to when I was finally on my vessel and in the vessel's command center, that thought plagued me. And I couldn't leave it alone. I sat in my Adjudicant's Seat in the command center, and opened up the Quantum Communications panel. From it, I heard the Emperor's Senior Strategist's voice. "Following the Emperor's decree, all assigned Fleets, report in." "Fleet Adjudicant Kallarask Llaskava, Exodus Imperial Fleet, reporting!" "Fleet Adjudicant Siltaraask Vaskra, Exodus Planetary Siege Fleet, reporting!" I sighed, and responded, "Fleet Adjudicant Lazzaraak Vallakava, Exodus Heavy Assault Fleet, reporting!" I then heard the voice of the Senior Strategist again. "All fleets reporting in, sire." The voice then changed to the Emperor's immediately afterwards. "This is the Emperor. All fleets that have reported in, we are about to encroach upon a potential enemy's territory. Vigilance, caution, and pride should be in the back of your minds as we take the full might of the Exodus Fleet against them! All those who join our conquest, say with me, here and now!" And I replied with him, as did everyone else, "For the Honor of the Empire!!"
I then received a private Quantum Communications request by one of the Fleet Adjudicants. It was Fleet Adjudicant Siltaraask Vaskra of the Exodus Planetary Siege Fleet. I immediately accepted. "Just so that you're aware; if ever you need my assistance, my communications channel is always open to you. Your father was a great friend of mine, and my crew has taken great pride in knowing him as well." "Thank you, Siltaraask. That means much to me." "Good luck to you. Siltaraask Vaskra, out." I closed the channel after that. a new quantum communication channel was then made available, and after seeing its permissions, it gives me accessive communications to my entire assigned Fleet. I then opened it. "All vessels assigned to the Exodus Heavy Assault Fleet, assemble with the Larr'Tull at the designated coordinates sent to you- effective immediately once received." Every vessel Adjudicant immediately responded, "Understood," and my Fleet gathered around the Kortul Devastator from what I could see in the surrounding glowing Exterior-View Panels in the Command Center.
Every vessel from the Ravastra Skirmishers to the Junsurak Sentinels, from the Lassurak Transporters to the Skarovas Enforcers, and from the Kortul Devastators to the Antorak Marauders joined all around my vessel. The Jarrasul Evacuators and the Vulkoras Desolators were left to their own respective fleets and assortion of frigates and cruisers. Once all vessels had joined around the Larr'Tull, I then gave the order to jump. "All vessels, prepare your Phase Drives and jump on my command." An orange-hued wormhole opened in front of my vessel. Once I saw all vessels were ready, I gave the order. "Jump." And we were all now subject to Phase Space.
In lieu of there being a lack of interest lately, I ask that everyone who reads what I have so far to please give me critique. I need to know what seems iffy with those of you who read this project so that I know how it'll go... Thank you.
If you guys have any critiques about my introductory sub-chapter, feel free to let me know!
Very nice, no critiques at all.
Thanks! I am currently working on the Trader side of the story. That
sub-chapter will take place at exactly the same length of time from when Lazzaraak was writing in his entry to when he gave the order to jump, so spoiler, the second character will experience the Heavy Assault Fleet jumping into the system where he has his ship docked.
Nice to see someone else take up lore writing for Sins!!! This is from someone with others did years ago!!! Great start!!!
Thanks much!
I had to go back to see the last lore post I did. Was way back in 2011!!! https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/372058/get;3022167
Nice!
In lieu of me being in college and doing the required work, I will make note that the time from when I announced the next sub-chapter to when it will be posted will be a while; I will still try and take the time to work on it as much as I can. Also, I have a work study so again, will try to work on the next sub-chapter when I have time.
After a very long while of being away from here, I now have the latest Second Addition to this project up on https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/sins-of-a-solar-empire-fanfic-novel-project.427784/#post-33793414 ! Of which, I shall also post here!
It has been three hours since we had commenced the attack. Siltaraask Vaskra's Planetary Siege Fleet came in and swiftly dealt with the orbital structures, taking them down in almost no time at all. That was when I called in the Imperial Exodus Fleet to the system. I then received a message from Lazkarusk Jestulls.
"Imperial Hands! Rear Adjudicant has the command!" "For the Honor of the Empire!" I then made my way to my imperial transport. "Take me to these coordinates, effective immediately, pilot." My pilot nodded and I watched on the holo-panels as we left the Larr'Tull. We passed through the planet's atmosphere and I looked over the planet as I saw civilian structures not of our own architecture. "Astounding..." were the words that would come out of my mouth. We finally landed in what appeared to be a central government structure with a platform in front of the entrance. The planet governor was begging the Emperor for mercy. I came up next to him, as did the other Adjudicants who arrived alongside me."Please, PLEASE don't do this! We... We'll give you whatever you want, just... just keep my people alive!"The Emperor stared him down. "In that case... we will keep you alive... but you will show your worth." "Oh, thank good-" "AS SLAVES." The expression on the alien's face was wrought with terror. The troops then took him away, along with the billions of other aliens they rounded up. Lazkarusk then stood in front of what appeared to be quantum entanglement communications drones... "Citizens of this planet... Members of your species... We are the Vasari. For ten thousand years we have been on the run... And our exodus brought us here. Surrender to us... Or be annihilated." The drones were then shot down by the guards, and he turned towards us. "A successful conquest, Adjudicants! A celebration would be in order but we've no time to slack off, Adjudicants; Our enemy still follows behind us. We must gather as many resources as we can and head off to the other sectors. For now, the Imperial Fleet will wait here. Lazzaraak will take care of the possible defenses in the alien's interior worlds. He will then have to call in Siltaraask's fleet to secure the planet, and begin forced control of the planet. Eventually, our fleets will have to be split once again, depending how far their empire is spread..."I nodded at this, and proposed an idea. "May I suggest that our Rear Adjudicants be considered for this second splitting of our fleets, should the need arise?" The Senior Military Strategist thought about it, and nodded, oddly agreeing with me. "I concur, Emperor. Lazzaraak does have a point; if our fleets are to be split, the new fleets will need to be led by Adjudicants who have the closest experience to our current Fleet Adjudicants." The Emperor stood still in deep thought, listening to us. Finally, he nodded. "Yes... Yes. That will most definitely work! Lazzaraak, that is an excellent idea!" I bowed my head in response. "I'm only doing my duty to the continuation of the Empire." "And your dedication is highly commendable..." The Emperor continued speaking, yet I found myself looking at the aliens. It was surprising. How could nature create a species that was so fascinating, yet so ordinary at the same time? What planet did they evolve from? My thoughts were interrupted when the Emperor mentioned towards me. "What do you think, Lazzaraak?" "Yes, my Liege? I apologize on my part... I was lost in thought." He tilted his head at me. "And just what were you thinking about that was more important than what I had just spoke, Lazzaraak?" I stood like a statue, motionless. "Nothing that would be of any value to you asking such a question, sire." He then nodded. "Honesty. Very much appreciated. I said earlier that there is no doubt about the potential richness of the other nearby systems that this empire controls... And we will need all of them if we are to continue to ensure our survival." I nodded at the Emperor. "I, too, agree wholeheartedly. Our fleet will need to not only be split, but we will also need to expand the fleet if we are to continue splitting our fleet." Vaskraa came up by my side as well. "Lazzaraak is right, my lord. If we are to continue splitting the fleet, not only will we need more Fleet Adjudicants but we will also need more ships."Right then, the Senior Civics & Imperial Affairs Adviser came up to Lazkarusk. "Even then, Vaskraa, we still need viable population to even man our new ships! How are we going to expand our fleet without depleting our current manpower?" Everyone nodded, knowing full well the cost of that plan. "I don't believe any of us contemplated that, Vaskraa..." The Emperor said. Right then, one of the corralled aliens attempted to escape Imperial Processing to Imperial Labor. Fortunately for us, he had been quickly taken down before managing to do any damage to our operations. "Strange how these ones try so desperately to live for anything but labor..." I noted. Taking what I said into account, the Senior Civics & Imperial Affairs Adviser had our troops scavenge for any possible technologies, but the improvements they made were far beyond us. Improvement on the most basic technologies that our ancestors once mastered practically fourteen thousand years ago were truly nowhere close to how they thought then; it was only "find what works, throw away the rest." We've only just now started the process of improving our technologies due to there being no other avenues in our current stems of research... At least not for what all we have already researched... I looked up, seeing the distant lights in what is now the late-evening sky, leave the system. "They know we're here... And they will return..." I then returned to my duties.
My crew managed to escape in the Colonizers, landing where me, the planetary council and the Tondam Corporation Board of Directors happened to be before the aliens landed, taking us out of the system and deeper into the expanse of Trader Space, to the Capital Core World. I looked around for Ensign Jacobs. "Does anyone here know where Ensign Jacobs is? PSIDAR Officer Jacobs?" I looked around, my crew members shaking their heads. "Sir... Jacobs was still on the bridge when everyone else abandoned ship..." Taken aback by this news, I nearly felt a heart attack in my chest, and I began to hyperventilate.I then felt something in the pocket of my captain's jacket. It was his Info-Badge. I took my Holo-Pad and put the badge in the slot on top of it, making a "click" sound. His face appeared on the screen. "Please... leave the room..." I asked of my crew. I locked the door and played the recording. "Is this... Is it on?" I heard his voice and saw his face. "Is it? Ah, great! Good. Ahem..." He stood to attention. "Captain James McGavock, my name is Marcus A. Jacobs. You. uh... I don't know how to put this respectfully to you... But you should know what my middle initial is... You heard it before, not just in the Bible... but also from my mother... The 'A' in my name? It's Absalom." My heart sank heavily. Half my life spent sailing the stars, an alien invasion the likes of which no man has ever seen before, and now I lose the son I never knew I had?! But things only went worse from there, as it continued playing. "Ch... yeah... Surprise! Happy birthday, Dad. I also don't want to be something of the bearer of bad news, but... when my mom, Laura Absalom, gave birth to me... her immune system was compromised. She only lived for ten years after my birth. I still remember the lullaby she sang for me..."As it turned out, he had a salvaged recording of her voice. The song went as follows:"Hush, my little baby, don't you cry.There are wonders all around you- the earth, the moon and sky.Hush, my little baby, don't you cry.I will always be there for you, all the while.We will be where the sun never sets,We will be together forevermore,A world of wonder, A world of joy.We will be together forevermore,We will be where the sun never sets...So hush, my little baby, don't you cry.I know in my heart that we will see each other,And will be together once again~..."Hearing Laura's voice... I lost it. I bawled for what felt like three hours... And I regained the strength to play the recording further. Jacobs was also crying, and I no longer felt alone. "Yeah, Dad... I miss her too... I figured.. rather than trying to sing that lullaby myself, you'd rather hear it from Mom... She had a beautiful voice... I just wish we both could see her again..." He let himself pause, maybe to let me say something. "I wish that too, Son... I do, too..." He smiled, as if he heard me. "Yeah, Dad..." And the program turned itself off, and Jacobs was standing in the doorway, somehow having managed to unlock my door, and my heart was elated. He then said, "I do, too." Laughing in relief, I came up and hugged him tightly. "Jacobs... What... How did you?" No words could describe the feelings that rushed through my body at that moment. He shrugged. "Right as I sent the last few pieces of information, I made my way to the escape pods. However, when the ship exploded, I was knocked out, unable to launch the pod. What made it weird, however, was 1- it should never have launched, and 2- I found myself waking up in the medical bay on this Colonizer... So here I am." I smiled at him. "Well, what matters now if that you're here, Son, and alive. To me, that is more important... Why didn't you tell me you were my son when you had the chance?" He shook his head. "I wanted to tell you as a surprise, since your birthday was today." The whole crew was then present outside my room's door, holding the age-old birthday cake. "Even in the darkest hours... we can still find joy. Let's celebrate!" The crew cheered- not out of obligation, but out of accepted fear of a new enemy.I made sure the celebration of my birthday lasted the whole voyage to the Trader Capital. "Happy birthday to you (James McGavock!), Happy birthday to you (James McGavock!), Happy birthday James McGavock (More beer!), Happy birthday to you (Captain James!)" The crew brought my cake with forty-three candles atop it, and it was a sizeable cake as well. "Make a wish, Dad." Jacobs smiled, and I smiled back. I made my birthday wish: In the name of my love, Laura Absalom, we will defeat this new enemy and restore our trade empire so that we may never be caught off-guard ever again. I then blew out the candles.It was one final hour that we spent sharing our life stories up to the present, I even shared my own life story... Abridged, of course, but specifically for the sake of myself, my son, and my crew. The death of Laura would only bring back the fear of the alien onslaught and right now, that is something no one wants to hear. They need the joy, the euphoria of the moment, the adrenaline. "So I was basically a criminal... ran with the wrong crowd, of course. However, my navigational skills proved too exceptional to have voluntarily joined with them." One of my crew members was talking about his experience. "What did you do?" Asked a listener. "I surrendered. I let them arrest me and I found myself in front of the captain who sits here with us now..." He was one of those who ran with Hendrix. "Unfortunately, I was offered something by Hendrix... He somehow knew of my criminal past..." The crewman turned pale, and that sentence caught my attention. "What do you mean 'he knew' of your past?" I asked him, now worried. He only shook his head. "He... he made me an offer I... I couldn't refuse... I was unable nor allowed to, now that I think about it... His eyes... they glowed an envious green color..." He shuddered and shivered at the description he gave, and I knew what he meant. "Were they cybernetic in appearance?" He looked up at me. "Y-yes... They were horrifying..." "Son... You were talking to Captain Jameson Hendrix..." The crew murmured around me. "Jameson Hendrix?" I sighed and nodded. "Yes... He's the notorious pirate brigand and pirate lord that we've been paying off for centuries... How he managed to slip onto my ship as one of my officers, I do not know... I should have known better when I heard his name... His eyes did not glow the green you spoke of, however... But if he was able to infiltrate my ship... Who's to say how many other pirates were ordered to do the same, and throughout the Trade Order?"I sighed heavily at this thought, and the computer notified us that we had arrived at Earth, the Trader Capital, now an ecumenopolis, the oceans hitting solid and sturdy metal shores. "Everyone, back to your stations and prepare to make port for possible ship transfer." Everyone did as they were told, leaving me and Jacobs alone in the room. "Hendrix... he's the pirate lord? How did you not catch him?" I shook my head. "I do not know... which is odd... He hid himself very well, and in plain sight, too... That is until you came on board.... Now he knows that he let himself slip in the heat of that moment, though I do not know if he managed to slip from the escorting guards when we docked at Sigma Centaurus, or even if he still lives after the invasion... But if he does... He knows, now, to be much more careful than ever..."We finally arrived at Earth's main starport, and my crew filed out from the other twenty Evacuation Colonizers, numbering my crew at the same seven hundred and thirty-three as before. The Trade Order Council Representative of the Tondam Corporation met with me and the Tondam Corporation Board of Directors after our colonizers made dock. "What the hell happened? Where is the Lazarus?" "The Lazarus was destroyed." The shock on his face was more than apparent. "Why? What's wrong?" "Then it's true..." "What is?" He took out his Holo-Pad. "There has been widespread panic and terror in the Council over a recently-received quantum communications transmission from Sigma Centaurus." He played the transmission, the face of an alien appeared in front of the Tondam Corporation governmental building; I could only assume he was the emperor of the species. His message went as follows: "Citizens of this planet... Members of your species... We are the Vasari. For ten thousand years we've been on the run, and our Exodus brought us here. Surrender to us, or be annihilated." The transmission cut off and then went to static.I noticed something before the transmission cut off. "Wait, go back and pause immediately before he says 'Vasari'..." The Representative did so, and the shape of one of their vessels was seen patrolling the planet's airspace. "There. That's one of the ships in their fleet... It looks like a cruiser... A main assault cruiser, by the looks of it..." He nodded with me. "When is the Council supposed to convene?" "Every Central World Representative has arrived in light of this attack to deliberate a possibility of a central government reorganization- there have been reports of even more attacks on the colonies nearest Sigma Centaurus, but there are also reports of Phase Space Echoes from the Order's Northern colonies as well- we sent explorers to investigate those echoes, but the Council will take too long to deliberate this and will likely refute the intelligence gathered by the explorers we sent. The Council will also take too long to deliberate the reorganization.... I need you on the floor to help facilitate this reorganization; they won't do it if you don't tell them what you saw." My heart sank again. "Are you sure?" He nodded. "Nobody knows the dangers of this new enemy we all face, and no one else from Sigma Centaurus arrived as refugees- you and your crew members are the only ones who made it off that planet. You saw what they're like, what they're capable of. They need the guidance otherwise confusion and panic will slow them down." "What are you asking of me?" He sighed heavily. "Assurance, James." I also gave a heavy sigh. "Very well... Jacobs, you're in command of my crew until I return. Make sure they know of your command." I gave him my Recommendation Badge, smiled, and made my way to the Representative's shuttle.It took an hour until we finally arrived at the Trade Order Council Center in what was once known as Washington D.C., and still commonly remains known as such, though the creation of the Aluxian Empire and the Aluxide Dynasty had the city permanently renamed Araluxiall, and there has since been many petitions by the Trade Order's citizens to change the name back.We entered the main Council Chambers, and the Council was already in session. "My colleagues, fellow representatives of the Trade Order... I bring with me Captain James McGavock of the Tondam Corporation's Akkan-Class Super Colony Ship, the Lazarus." "Why is he here?!" Yelled one representative. "He is a witness to the destruction of Sigma Centaurus, the Lazarus, a high-ranking official of the Corporation and a co-founder, as well as owner of more stock in the corporation than the current Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer combined! You question him, you question me, his family and his crew!" The Council Chambers roared with murmurs from all the representatives. The President of the Council motioned me forward. "Tell us, Captain James McGavock... What did you see?" "Yes, tell us how a band of squabbling pirates drove out the amazing and 'well-established' Tondam Corporation." The man laughed, along with several other representatives. I took out my own badge, and set it on my holopad until I heard a "click." I accessed my files, found, accessed and brought up the recording, and flicked the top of my pad in the direction of the Holomegatron, creating multiple screens in a circle for all of the representatives to see. "I thought you'd say that, Representative Harkin. To ensure that doubt was cast down, I made sure that all members of the Tondam Corporation, upon its founding, wore at all times a badge; this badge records high-quality, high-definition video and audio at all times, 24/7. This video was recorded by my own badge at the time of the invasion. Note, Harkin, I did not say 'pirate attack,' I said invasion."The President of the Council looked begrudgingly over to Harkin, and he nervously sat back down. He nodded back to me, and I played the recording. The looks on the representatives' faces were all noticeable with fear and shock at the sight that ensued. The sight of the bombardment lasers, then the alien troop dropships, and the rounding up of our civilians; it was more than enough evidence than was needed. "Does this need any further explanation?" I asked the Council. The President shook his head. "There does not need to be any further explanation for this... atrocity... Thank you, Captain. You may leave, now." I nodded and made my way to the shuttle that took me back to Earth's starport. I finally found where my crew was situated and I came by Jacobs' side. "How is the crew doing?" "Worry has already spread, Captain. They just watched you provide the Council with the video from your badge. Right now the Council roars with upset voices trying to figure out what to do. But one thing is noticeable: A vast majority of the representatives are calling for reorganization- Harkin now included." That was a shock. I nodded back to Jacobs. "Well, all we can do now is wait." I then received a Holo Message from the President of the Council saying that my crew and myself are asked to stay for the time being in one of the luxury towers. I gave the announcement about this to my crew. "May I have everyone's attention, please? In light of our return as refugees from Sigma Centaurus, the President of the Council has ordered that we all stay in the luxury tower for the time being. The name of the tower and its location has been uploaded to your holo pads and badges. Dismissed." And everyone excitedly made their way to the taxi shuttles coming to and from the starport, myself included.As I get on the taxi shuttle, I continued to watch the Council deliberate for the next four and a half hours. The President looked wearied and tired, as did the other representatives. "Has the Trader Council reached a verdict?" "Nay, Mr. President; the Council has failed to reach the verdict. We recommend deliberation continue in two day's time." He gave a long sigh. "Very well. The Council will meet and deliberate the second day from today. This meeting is adjourned." And the scene slowly returned to the journalists who still operate what used to be the original, and ancient, Fox News headquarters building. I gave a long sigh as I sat on the bed. "If they don't reach a verdict soon, it will already be too late..." I said to myself, as I looked out to the stary night sky of Washington D.C., pulled the covers over myself, and slept.
Is this... Is this on? Oh, good. Dear Diary... These recent years have been... interesting, to say the least. We've exhausted all available resources and scouting nearby systems for more, but... to a large extent... they already have been colonized by those damned Traders... But something in the Void has been stirring... I can feel it all around me... The fight with a ferocious, fear-driven vigor... And they're ancient... Ten thousand years... wait... Ten thousand years? Horus and Isis help us... And there's something else... An enemy they face... Not the Traders... but far, far worse... And they've been running for ten millennia? I can't see their enemy any more... It's almost as if... they themselves don't know... But they know... what it is? This is too paradoxical... I'm sorry... I must rest..."Computer... End journal entry..." There was a sound of confirmation that the computer ended the recording of my entry. "This new information... it's..." I held my hand up to my forehead, massaging myself gently. The latest information I saw was too much to process or comprehend. I let out a long and heavy sigh of exhaustion, resting on my bed in the Quarters of the Oracle. It was no less than two hours later that Acolyte Hela contacted me. "Oracle Nephthys." "Yes, Hela?" I answered. "Coalescent Pakhet has called for your presence." With that, I immediately awoke and made my way to my Command Post. "Take us to the Coalescent Ecumene." My Psi-Adepts did as I'd commanded them and already awaited the order to jump to Phase Space. "Jump." With that, we left the station we had docked with.While waiting for the ship to arrive out of Phase Space, I reached out into the Void once again, and also tapped my fingers of my right hand on the arm of my seat, quietly awaiting our arrival. Just dust and echoes were all I could see in the void. Dust and echoes. I then attempted to reach out further and deeper into the Void, but the harder I concentrated to reach, the less clearer the images and the information became. I then saw a Council... Similar to to the Coalescent Ecumene Council, a number of stranded crew... A captain and his son... A ship exploding... and the strange beings I saw from before... a war is ensuing... I immediately opened my eyes from my concentration, now taking the time to process this newly-acquired information. I rested my head in my right hand, my elbow on the arm and my left hand tapping the other arm of my seat. "So many unknowns... Too many possibilities..." I said to myself. Hela came by my side. "M'lady, shall I get you something?" "Water should suffice for now, Hela... Thank you." She bowed her head and went on her way, while I pondered my outreach's information acquisition. The more I thought on what I saw, the clearer the information began to become. The strange beings were attacking the Traders... And these beings did so out of necessity... Because they were, again, running... The question still remains, however: What are they running from?I pondered more on the image of their invading ships, looking at the effectiveness of the beings' weaponry... Needless to say, their weapons sent a terrifying chill down my spine. The wave-shaped blasts of energy... Their missiles equipped with what appears to be tiny colonies of nano-scale drones... Their pulsing lances of pure energy, all in a sickly yellow-green hue... All of this sent constant shivers down my spine to a point of where it became uncontrollable. Hela came by my side once again with my water goblet in hand, I reached out for it and she gave it to me, allowing me to drink it slowly. "Thank you, Acolyte.." "My pleasure, m'lady." She did not notice my shivers... Personally, I wished that she had... the images are too cold to think about again... very cold...We had finally arrived at our capital, Yakutia, another desert world we found in our exile one thousand years ago. The ship docked at the starport that also serves as an orbital space elevator connection to the land-based starport. With my Paladin Guard following behind me, I took the elevator down to the surface, arriving to see the Coalescent Acolyte awaiting my arrival. "Coalescent Pakhet is awaiting you, Oracle Nephthys." "So she is, Acolyte Mara. So she is." I took my seat on the shuttle, and we were headed to the Coalescent Ecumene Council Center. The travel took no less than twenty minutes, and I had already stepped out of the shuttle. Coalescent Pakhet was already waiting for me. We both bowed our heads out of respect for both our titles. "Oracle Nephthys." "Coalescent Pakhet." We both walked slowly, side by side. "It is a good thing that the Council of the Coalescents saw fit to make you an Oracle. Your Psionic reach has been shown to far exceed that of the late Oracle Aphrodite. May she rest in peace..." "May Oracle Aphrodite rest in peace... M'lady... I have seen things... far too chilling and worrisome..." Pakhet turned to me, her eyes glowing the bright blue of all Coalescents in the Council."Worrisome? Nephthys, revenge is upon us. What could possibly be worrisome this late in the age?" I bowed my head. "Then shall I at least relay to you what I saw?" She nodded. "Of course, Nephthys." I sighed. "Prior to you requesting my presence, I reached out to the Void... and I saw strange beings... Ancient beings... Already attacking the Traders who banished us... Ancient because they had been running for ten millennia..." The shock on Pakhet's face was noticeable, even without her real eyes. "Ten thousand years?" I nodded. "Yes, m'lady. And that's not all. The enemy they run from... it still seeks to consume them. I could not see it, for the vision was black as the void itself... almost as if they don't know what it looks like, but they know what it is... Which is almost near-paradoxical... And what came after was the sight of a stranded crew, Traders most likely, their captain and his son, a council deliberating on something, a ship that exploded, and the same strange beings I saw previously. That was from my second outreach, but I had to delve further into the Void to see it..." Pakhet was when worried. "Nephthys... Remember that Oracle Aphrodite died trying to reach further into the Void... For my sake and as your sister, please do not make the same mistake she made... Promise me you won't..." I held her hand in mine. "I promise, sister."
Once again, critique is well-appreciated!
I'm beginning to worry about the lack of interest... I need critique if possible, please. Otherwise I don't know how the next additions are going to go with everyone else...
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