Footsteps permeate the corridor as a man travels it's length briskly before reaching a door, the man waves his hand across a small sensor adjacent to it which responds by releasing a sound shortly before sliding open. Upon entering the room various technologies came to life illuminating the chamber as the man came to a stop at the center of the room, a device beneath the man's feet revealed itself with a circular blue glow.

The man looked down as he cast his attention to his left wrist where a device was strapped; raising his right hand to the device it projected a holographic panel in a parallel position above it. Once the man had started to configure the holographic controls of the device several smaller circular panels activated around him one by one, within each the holographic representation of an individual formed. Lowering his hands caused the holographic controls to deactivate as the mans attention was now focused solely on the individuals now present before him.

"Greetings council members," he said as he welcomed some of the most important figures of the entire Alteran civilization as fragmented as it had now become.

"Greetings commander Thorin," the female of the group replied as she nodded in respect to the commander, "Have you reached a decision?"

Thorin paused for a moment as he considered the words he was about to utter, for the implications would have wide spread effect on the future of their race. "Indeed" he added, "Will you stand with us?" the council woman asked as she glanced to the other members surrounding her. Displaying the confidence and certainty of a leader, Thorin voiced his answer with resolute determination, "We will not go to war against those that wish to remain of free mind and spirit, we must allow our brothers and sisters the choice to believe in what they will."

"The brothers and sisters you speak of believe we are an affront to them, what they cannot control with forced indoctrination they wipe from the face of existence," the council woman added with a hint of frustration in her voice. "To oppose them would be to deny them the most basic right of sentience, a destiny of ones own making," Thorin added.

The logic behind these words was not lost on all the council members, for the elder man realized the simple truth, "You posit that to resist their beliefs is an affront to their will and is no better than the fate they force upon us," the man clarified as he glanced to the others. Thorin forced a brief smile acknowledging the elders interpretation of his understanding before being interrupted by the council womans rebuttal.

"Whilst your logic is of sound mind Thorin, as a civilization we cannot continue down the path we now tread, their patience lessens just as their aggressiveness heightens." elaborating on the council womans words the youngest of the council members continues, "They grow bold in their attacks on the outer colonies ... and in absorbing remaining resources have amassed a fleet of vessels imbued with an aggression beyond our ability to defend."

"We are in agreement," Thorin stated plainly.

"How then do you intend to defend your colony?" the elder member questioned curiously.

"We do not intend to defend ourselves ... for we will not have reason to."

Thorin once again reached to his wrist device which hummed with pulses of sound and on building enough power projected a large holographic image above his head. The council members looked to each other before casting their eyes back towards the image as they looked upon the virtual form of a very large vessel.

"Unity, the pinnacle of our technological prowess and large enough to carry our entire colony."

"It's construction is complete?" the council woman asked not averting her eyes from Unity, "Recent events have hastened our progress ... we leave within the day," Thorin stated as he deactivated the hologram.

"Why did you not inform the council of the existence of such technology?" the council woman interjected, clearly rattled by the revelation. "For the same reason I was not informed of the existence of technology designed to alter ones beliefs."

"How did you learn of the Ark commander," the younger council member questioned angrily.

The council woman raised a hand towards the angered councilor to point out the insignificance of the fact, "By this action you force our hand Thorin, without the support of Astria we cannot quell the advance of the Ori ... a contradiction of your logic."

"By this action we endure, do not speak to me of contradiction when you walk the same path as those who seek our extinction ... as for the Ark, the arrogance displayed in such a creation is incomprehensible!" he shouted now visibly angry and passionate. "Your fate now rests solely in your own hands!" he added before abruptly terminating the link with the council, not moving his eyes he brought the wrist device closer to his mouth as he spoke with finality.

"It is time."

With that the commander turned to exit the room heading towards the door which opened as he neared it, the panels where the council members resided deactivated as if sensing they were no longer required, the doors closed behind him as the entire room went dark.

Astria was founded several thousand years ago as the first colony beyond the Alteran star system and has flourished ever since, aptly named as the shining star of the empire. The cityscape was no different, a beautiful vibrant mega city composed of sterile white towers and large circular domed buildings, glowing in the magnificent orange light of the twin suns.

A transport ship was making it way towards the cityscape having cleared the nearby mountains and headed down towards the buildings on the outskirts of the city, it's engines hummed as it flew in-between towers and buildings before it turned out towards a larger opening. There in the center of the cityscape resided the great city ship Astria, a symbol of a humble beginning and heart of the colony. For in the beginning the planet was a newly formed world fraught with un-breathable gases, immense weather conditions and an unstable surface. Over the thousands of years that followed the scientific minds of the colony helped to forge the world into what it was, a serene and tranquil life bearing planet, a home away from home.

A long walkway connecting to the city ship is filled with hundreds of colonists travelling it's length carrying belongings and equipment on anti-gravity platforms, their faces full of sorrow as they abandon their homes for the refuge of the city ship. Individuals looked towards the sky in response to a shadow being cast over them as the transport flew overhead, it's engines dying down to a light roar as it came to rest upon one of the cities protruding struts. Resuming their journey the colonists continued down the walkway leading them to a new destiny, one they did not wish for but now had little choice but to endure.

A woman with long dark hair wearing bright white clothing exited the conference hall and approached the control center where other colonists busily rushed around carrying out various tasks.

"Are we ready?" she asked out to those present.

"Commander Kaelus, final transports have arrived," a technician said reacting to a ping on his display at sensor control.

"It is fortunate we are not taking the city, for the star drive would surely fail under the strain," she was not one for humor in such times but felt it would ease the tension felt in the room, they were finally taking action after decades of planning and discussion of this most controversial and debated topic; although the humor was lost on one particular technician at supplemental control.

"Actually commander with the mass dissipation technology we could easily escape the atmos" interrupted by a telling look from the commander he realized it was intended as humor, "But that statement was in jest and I should continue to observe these readouts."

Other technicians in the area sniggered at the young apprentice technician briefly before noticing the commander's chastising look, the room suddenly became serious again as work was resumed, punctuated by the noise of many voices.

As another technician observed this reaction to her authority his attention was brought back to the sensor display panels as they revealed something new. He smiled as he walked around the panels to stand by the commander and upon her reaction he nodded his head towards the windows at the front of the command center directing her attention out onto the cityscape.

There in the distance masked by the light of the twin suns and the partial eclipse of Astria's second moon a large vessel was on approach, slowing as it moved closer it began to cast a shadow as it travelled, blanketing the area in front of the city ship in darkness. The sheer size of the darkness now covering the ground had aroused the attention of many who had not yet reached the city. As the vessel came to a complete stop above the central tower the ships size in comparison was evident standing at just over a third larger than the city ship beneath, the single largest vessel in the Alteran domain and a colossal feat of engineering.

Commander Kaelus and the technician shared a smile before she raised her wrist device and activated internal communications.

"People of Astria, it is time to shed ourselves of this conflict forever. Our salvation has arrived and stands ready to take us on our journey to a new destiny."

Commander Kaelus nodded towards the technician at primary control as he set various controls, a ping sounded off from the device in confirmation of his actions before he moved to a nearby console.

"Unity ... all systems are active and under your control ... you may begin," the technician said over communications.

The entire lower deck had been retrofitted with row after row of side by side transporter pods, a great many colonists gathered in sections organized by color coded areas and began to enter them in small groups. Once a group had entered the doors closed shut and the technology sprung to life with an orange glow, the doors opening shortly after to reveal an empty space where the occupants once were.

Commander Kaelus stood on a walkway leaning on the barrier looking down on the evacuation, hundreds were present and thousands more remained before the journey could begin. Further down the walkway the holographic form of a woman began to appear, her features were not detailed but the visage of a woman walked to the Commander's side before looking down over the walkway.

"Do not worry commander, for I will keep them safe," the hologram reassuringly commented.

"You are the most advanced virtual construct we have crafted yet, but you cannot tell how the hands of time will turn, what makes you so sure?" the commander questioned as she walked away from the hologram, knowing that the answer would elude it.

The hologram gazed at her for several moments and casted a glance to the crowds below, her face turned almost solemn before her holographic form slowly deteriorated into nothing.

Kaelus ascended the stairs towards the control center and as she did so noticed most had already left and only the control crew now remained in the central tower.

On reaching the top level a technician approached. "The evacuation will be complete in several hours commander, all is going to plan," he said as he walked with her. "Good ... once the final preparations are complete take your places by the transport chamber," the commander ordered.

The technician nodded and moved at a faster pace for a moment before turning back, "Are you sure this is the right decision commander? ... Abandoning our home?".

"Rather that than face extinction at the hands of our own kind ... Let us leave the politics to Commander Thorin, a task to which he is better suited than I," the commander stated in reply.

She approached the barrier at the edge of the deck and looked out the large window as a look of regret formed on her face, the thought of all they had built and now had to leave behind left the commander with a feeling of sorrow. Survival was the driving force behind these actions but she could not help but feel regret for leaving her brothers and sisters to the wrath of the Ori.

She turned upon hearing a door open to see the remaining technicians stood by the transport chamber. Smiling to them she took one last look out onto the cityscape before heading to the others, as she walked she ran her hands across the various panels nearby while deep in thought and memory. As they moved inside the chamber the doors closed shut and the hum of technology spiked as the occupants were sent on their way, the room went silent and dark as lights and control panels drifted to sleep without the presence of their masters.