This is a fan made tale in the game Fragged Empires, the author does not own any of the rights in any fashion and is simply an avid fan.
Man created the Archon inherited their vast empire, but the children of the man sought not to explore the galaxy the way humanity had. Instead they sought to find perfection through genetics. In their quest for perfection, there were many failed attempts.
One of their first attempts were the Twilinger. A race created to channel raw electrical energy through themselves, storing and redistributing that energy to serve the Archon purpose. Due to their inability to control the storage or transfer of power, they were deemed imperfect and repurposed as servants. Many lost their lives to blowout; a dangerous event not only for the Twilinger who died, but anyone around who might be hit with the energy unleashed in the process.
Years after the Twilinger were discarded the Archon finally found perfection, or so they thought at first. The Xion. The problem with a self entitled race like the Archon is they are subject to shifting whims and flights of fancy. When the time came to discard the Xion, they were not ready to be cast aside and waged a war against their former masters.
The Archons proved superior chasing the last of the Xion into unknown space, content that any resistance would be quickly whipped out. The years passed and the Xion returned with their own children, the Nephilim. An armada of beastial creatures of all shapes and sizes to wage a war of annihilation against the Archon.
The war quickly turned against the Archon as Xion and their Nephilim conquered world after world. Soon the Archon turned to their long discarded creations to protect themselves. The Ursai betrayed their Archon masters and joined the fleets of the Nephilim.
The Twilinger being a people of duty and logic were drafted into support roles within the Archon forces. Old Archon vessels were retrofitted. Ships like The Rising Sun, previously a terraforming ship was outfitted with minor shields and weapons. It's primary purpose was to act as a frontline defense and transfer power from the Twilinger crew to the Archon vessels. The Archon saw it as better that the Twilinger kill themselves aboard their own ships than risk losing Archon lives when the stress of battle caused blowout.
This is the story of the Rising Sun, the Twilinger faction named after it's first captain, and the birth of a race known as the Twi-Far.
One hundred ships assembled around the Archon battlecruiser Hades, it was evacuating Archon scientists from a research station when the alarm sounded;
"Captain, sensors are picking up multiple targets on long range scans. They will be exiting lay space in five minutes." The tactical officer Cornelius Drake responded. He had served the captain for three years now and knew him to be a man of calculation.
The XO nodded, "Alright everybody, this isn't our first fight. You know what to do." Fox was a younger man eager to prove himself. He had served with the captain for years now, they had fought in the first Xion war and he was hoping this would prove to the captain as well as the Archon that he was ready to command his own ship.
The red alert blared as the ship's sensors picked up what the bridge was seeing on screen. An event horizon larger than most of the Archon ships, behind it multiple ships exiting, from the reaction of the communications officer, they weren't Archon vessels.
The Captain gripped the armrest of his chair, this was going to be much different battle than he had envision, "How many incoming?"
The Tactical officer spoke, "Sensors are picking up at least a thousand sir."
The XO rubbed his eyes, "Repeat that tactical?"
"One thousand, six hundred, and twenty-seven sir. Three command ships…" The tactical officer continued the break down the fleet compliment as the Archon general's voice came booming over the ships comms.
"All Twilinger vessels, this is a Priority One Directive. All ships are to take a defensive position and hold until the planet has been evacuated. Do not brake formation, prepare for emergency power redistribution to Archon command ships." The Archon vessels moved to the rear of the fleet, as had become their custom.
Phoenix's gripped tighten, "It seems the reports were not exaggerated, Xion wasn't alone." But how powerful could this new enemy be? There were no Ursai ships to contend with and the Archon would provide cover fire. He looked at the faces of his bridge crew, would this be the battle that killed them?
No, he couldn't afford to think like that, he had something to live for, his wife and unborn child. They would make it out of this alive, no matter what. Phoenix stood walking forward so he could be seen by the whole of The Rising Sun's bridge crew, "Patch me through to the ship."
The communication officer plugged away on her console, "Communication ship-wide captain."
"We have our orders, our ship will begin channeling emergency power to all archon vessels. Medical prepare incoming, engineering I want those engines shielded from blow out." His stern look masked his own fear. His wife was slotted to be on energy backup today. He'd lost his brother to blow out only the week prior. The Archons were using them as batteries, but it was their duty to serve.
The red alert blared as the first wave of Nephilim fighters breached the redline and the flak solution began. "XO status report."
"All systems are green. Evacuations have began, it seems the fighters are targeting the Archon vessels." Fox took point barking orders to the fighters along with the Captain of the Air Patrol. "Deploy our fighters and move us away from the planet, power our ion cannons and target the command ships."
The Rising Sun rocked as it was blasted. "Tactical!" The XO barked.
"Ship shields are holding, no radiological alarms, it grazed us sir." He went about redirecting power to compensate for the reduction of shields on their star bird side.
"What are your fighters doing CAP?" The XO looked sternly.
"There are bound to be a few that get through, there are just to many ships to contend with." The CAP barked back. "Blue Squadron, keep those missiles off of us!"
Just as the words left his mouth the ship's lights flashed as the damage alert went red. "Commander, the ship has a hall breach on decks seven through twelve. Violent decompression likely." The communication officer responded.
Before his XO had a chance, Captain Phoenix ordered, "Seal the bulk heads and vent those levels. Where is our flak solution!" He growled as the viewing screen flashed again as the Neptune's engines exploded beside them.
"XO, what is the health of the fleet?" There would be hell to pay for the loss of an Archon vessel.
"The Archon vessels are having trouble getting their crews off the planets surface, there is to much going on to safely transport them up. Thirty percent of fleet ships in critical condition." He leaned forward at the tactical computer terminal as it exploded killing the officer and sending the XO to the floor.
"Comm, take over tactical. I need a doctor in here now!" Captain Phoenix ordered.
The XO climbed to his feet, "I'm fine Captain. CAP where the hell are your fighters?"
"They are doing the best they can sir, the Archon vessels are not providing suppression fire." The CAP glared at the XO.
As the battle raged around them another Archon announcement blared, "Twilinger vessels, more power is required, divert from primary and secondary shielding."
For a moment the bridge crew of the Rising Sun paused in disbelief, "Did they just order us to commit suicide?" The CAP asked.
"Our duty is to serve the Archon, don't stand their gawking, follow the order." The XO had his own disbelief at the order, but it wasn't like they had a choice. If the archon vessels started firing on them, they were dead anyway.
Phoenix watched on screen as one by one the Twilinger vessels were being picked off, his own ship would soon fall victim. "Patch me through to the Archon lead ship." A full minute passed and the communication officer was still clicking away at her console, "XO, what's taking so long."
The young twilinger communication officer replied, the anger and fear in her voice, "Captain I'm trying. Their communication relay has been damaged and they are not replying."
Phoenix watched the enlisted codes turn red across his data pad as Twilinger lost their lives to burnout. "Tactical, plot a jump out of this mess, we're leaving."
"Captain we have a priority one directive to remain in formation, and as you've said we have a duty to the Archon." Fox didn't want to die, but he wasn't about to commit treason either.
"Tactical you heard my order, carry it out." Phoenix took his seat. "Patch me through to the ship."
Fox snarled, "Sargent of the guard, arrest the captain for treason against the Archon." The ship rocked again as another powerful blast tore through the ship.
Phoenix felt the tear roll down his cheek; Fox was like a son to him. They had served together for years now. He knew in his heart that the boy was only following what he, himself had taught him, but he wouldn't risk his wife or the life of this unborn child for the Archon and he couldn't risk anyone taking that away from him. He watched as his service pistol flashed and the blood of his XO splattered across the viewing screen.
"Tactical, execute jump!"
The ships archon drive roared as the stress of the jump pushed it beyond normal limits. Once the jump was complete, it was clear from the swirling cloud of ionized gas that they had completed the jump.
Phoenix slumped down in his chair. His wife's name had faded to red. He had lost her anyway…
