Authors note: Alright and away we go! More Desolas, more techy stuff, and a number of names we should all know and love/hate.
Enjoy!
(maybe i should start naming chapters)
Desolas Arterius Stepped out of the office of General Tathid Arcrus, a datapad in his claw, informing him of his demotion.
The Turian hierarchy prided itself on those of ranks having the skills to do the job. If someone was promoted and was unable to do the job, they were rarely if ever blamed for this, and the fault instead lay with the one who awarded them their promotion.
Direct demotion however was a different story. When a Turian failed his or her job or role so spectacularly that others could only see it as their fault. Desolas Considered himself a good Turian who followed the rules and always did what he considered was best while obeying them. he could not however, just accept the fact that he was to blame for what happened, he could not accept that he was being demoted so severely, or that his demotion was also applying to his crew, people whom he had earned trust and respect from, people who looked up to him.
The entire situation simply disgusted him, and he was showing it as he stormed down the halls toward the room where his crew was awaiting him.
He had been demoted from the captain of a Turian cruiser, to nothing more than the captain of a ground force platoon. His men, brave and good people who did their jobs, had been demoted alongside him, down to nothing more than the common foot soldiers that they all had started out as.
The reason for the mass demotion was very simply explained as the loss of the Hunters pride. His ship was supposed to reinforce the position, so when it was destroyed before he arrived, the blame was shifted to him. The information he brought back from sifting through the wreckage earned neither him, nor his crew anything, and all of them suffered for something they had no control over.
What made the situation truly terrible though was the fact that Desolas had been shown the Hunters Pride's crew roster while being told of his demotion, and of the new situation. A Tarus Arcrus sat on the list, right beside an Enelia Remus. General Tathid's son, and Primarch Fedorian's daughter.
The general told him that he and his crew would be joining the ground assault on the yet unfound Alien world responsible for the destruction of the Hunters pride, that they would be found, subdued and made into a client race of the hierarchy to join the galactic community. He said it was for their own good, but the name of his son and Fedorians daughter on the Hunters pride Crew Roster made one thing brutally clear to Desolas.
The general and Primarch were not pushing this for the good of the galaxy, the good of the hierarchy, or for the safety of all council species. They were pushing this for revenge!
Revenge was not something unfamiliar to the Turian people, but it was left out of military actions and choices as it blurred the ability to rationalize and make sound decisions, yet here were two of the highest ranked Turians in the Hierarchy, preparing for full scale war because of that one very same thing.
It infuriated Desolas more than he thought possible.
As Desolas opened the door to the room where his crew was, he could see them all anxiously waiting for their new orders. Orders that he had to pass them. Orders that would destroy their careers for years. Orders he was responsible for.
"Ah, captain, have our new orders arrived?" A Female Turian officer named Orinia asked, making many follow suit and look to Desolas for the answer.
It was an answer he did not want to give.
"The orders are-" Deslas stopped midsentence as he looked again at his crew, looking at him expectantly. They had thought they had done well, going so far to as even being back all the pieces of wreckage of the Hunters Pride. "I have failed you." Desolas eventually said in a final tone as he passed Orinia the datapad he held limply in his claws.
Orinia took it and looked it over, others looking over her shoulders to read it alongside her. All there mandibles spread in surprise as they blinked and likely read it again, unable to believe what they were reading. The datapad was then silently passed around so that every crew member could see it, and once it came back to Orinia after nearly a half hour of being passed around, she held it out to Desolas.
Desolas took the datapad and sighed. "This is my fault. I take full responsibility for it. You all may think of me however you like."
In response every member of Desolas's crew formed lines of rank before him and stood at perfect attention. Once ready, Orinia, who acted as their ships Executive officer, saluted to Desolas, and every member of his crew mirrored the action, their eyes showing they were filled with conviction, not dread.
"Sir," Orinia began to say as she took a step forward. "You have been our captain, and have been nothing but fair and honest with each and every one of us. We respect and do not blame you for anything. In fact we look forward to continuing to serve alongside you, be it in a ship, or on the ground!"
Every Turian stamped a clawed foot to the ground as if to amplify Orinia's words.
"It was my words, my orders that brought us here!" Desolas argued in shock, silently amazed and proud that his crew, his people, could act so in front of him when he was responsible for the situation.
"Sir, if I may, you are not responsible for the situation. Captain Virek and General Tathid are, sir!" Orinia stated, no one moving to argue her words.
Orinia's words made Desolas realize that all of them understood the situation and had come to the same conclusion he had. "You all believe he and the Primarch are more motivated by revenge then?" He asked, for the first time in years, vocally downplaying a superior officer.
"YES SIR!" Everyone in the room replied at once, making Desolas shake in surprise.
Desolas Smiled. "You all do me a service I cannot ever repay, but I swear to you, while we move forward and serve the hierarchy, we will also find a way to make the general suffers for his abuse of power! This I swear to you by the spirits and the name of Palaven!"
"Sir, thank you sir. But we should begin preparations." Orinia said seriously.
"You are right. " Desolas agreed. "You have all seen our orders. Prepare yourselves and meet at the docks in four hours. Then we shall be folded into the third ground battalion. Dismissed!"
Desolas watched as his crew, his people, the men and woman who respected and still trusted him left the room to prepare for their next assignment, their joining of the future assault on the unknown alien species. He however had his mind on other things
How to fix the situation.
How to survive against these new aliens.
And how to make General Tathid pay for doing this to his crew!
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General Williams walked down a street of Xi'an, Shanxi's Capitol City, with hawk like eyes, judging and surveying everything that he saw. General Williams was an imposing man, built like a truck and unwilling to waver. He respected and trusted his people though, and many loved him as their superior for his honest and equal treating of all people. Those who didn't know this however were leery of him due to the large scar that ran from his forehead down across his right eye to the base of his chin. The first 'gift' he got from his wife when they first met.
Shanxi was to become a warzone. This information was common knowledge now, and it was clear, both in the way Williams held himself, and in the surroundings of Xi'an. Being informed of the oncoming offensives and the support that would arrive first was enlightening, and he cities defences were being organized both according to his own, and to Operative Hinanai's directives.
Williams had never met Tenshi Hinnanai, known to most simply as the Eldest Daughter of the Celestials, before the information about the offensive had been given to him. Within a half day of the information being received she had contacted him. The Audio only conversation had been brief but enlightening, and had partially decided upon how Shanxi's defences would be organized.
Outlying Towns and smaller cities spaces around Shanxi would fortify and hold themselves. In the case of destruction they would either willingly surrender to cause havoc within enemy camps, or travel secretly to Xi'an to reinforce it.
Xi'an was to be the main focus of all combat. Built into the side of a mountain range, the city was highly defensible. The Town hall was designed to double as a fortress that could look out over the whole city and was defended by dozens of anti-air beam emitter batteries to protect it and the mid-sized landing platform that had once been a mountain top that sat behind it.
Coming out of the Town hall, the city was designed in circles. Circles that were now being fortified, closed off, blocked, altered and shaped to suit the future battlefield. The city, while it had numerous entrances, was being reshaped to make only three pathways to the town hall. There were to be three defensive layers to it, and if one layer fell it would retreat and reinforce the one behind it. With only three pathways on the ground, alien forces would be forced to move directly into their lines of fire, and the traps that Xi'an's citizens were setting up all across the city.
If the aliens did come, they would have to work for every inch of ground and speck of dirt they stepped upon! Each step would put them under fire, and each meter they took would end more of their lives. The city was being turned into a meat grinder for alien flesh!
"General Williams, sir!"
Williams turned to find a man he respected standing before him, Captain David Anderson, a Magician with the alliance who was stationed to Shanxi. He was young man, but skilled with the magic he knew and understanding of his own limitations.
"Anderson, what do you need?" Williams asked calmly as he turned his body to Anderson.
"I'm here to give you this." David said as he handed Williams a couple of papers. "Details on the defence preparation situation. It's going well for the most part, though some areas are behind.
"That was expected." Williams said as he flipped the pages, quickly looking them over with a neutral gaze that told nothing of his inner thoughts. "This is good, thank you. What are you doing at the moment?"
"Kahlee, Jack and Eva are helping to fortify and trap the outer east barricades. I was going to head over and help them."
Williams smirked a bit at the names. Names of people he knew were skilled, and were personal friends of Williams.
Like Anderson, Jack harper was a human magician of great skill and prowess, and one of David's best friends. Unlike David, Jack had an unbridled rage that he could tap that allowed him to cast seemingly nonstop, though it was difficult for him to manage. It was considered an asset given to him by his youkai grandfather, though he himself was not considered a half youkai as both his parents had been human.
Eva Core was a youkai who was close to jack. A Gorgon who was intelligent and quick on the uptake, able to react to events around her often faster than others, though her reaction themselves could lean toward the extreme, as could her inclination to melee combat.
Lastly Kahlee sanders, a long-time friend of David. A girl of human and Lunarian parents, she was calm, careful, and very capable of beating anyone around her in reflexes and accuracy with any firearm. Her appearance was normal, but her personality was a food foil to David, and an excellent mirror to Jack and Eva.
If the four of them were in one place together, chances were that shit was going to get done, and get done right and quick.
"Alright, please do. That barricade has been the slowest to get constructed and we do not truly know how much time we have to prepare. Just be careful if we get attacked. I don't want you all getting stuck behind enemy lines or captured, understand?"
"Yes sir!" David replied as he bowed to Williams before tuning and running off down the street.
"You quiet like him, don't you?"
"Yes, he is skilled, and in a way he reminds me of my younger self." Williams replied as he turned to the voices owner.
Standing before him was a youkai woman with short ruffled green hair. She carried an umbrella open over her shoulder, and was wearing a muted Red plaid one piece dress that, despite her large pregnant stomach, still looked amazing on her. She was one of the most powerful Youkai on Shanxi, and Williams's wife, Yuuka Kazami and looked at him with Red eyes that were filled with power.
"Not always a bad thing. He certainly is full of energy though." Yuuka said with a smile as she walked up to Williams side.
"It's good to be so full of energy. But what about you?"
Yuuka suddenly gripped Williams shoulder, pulling him down with one hand until his head was level with her stomach. "Roger, I told you to not worry. I am fine, she is fine, and she is not a difficulty. I'd hardly be able to be considered a rank S Youkai if a little thing like pregnancy was able to keep me down!"
"R-Right, sorry." Williams said with an embarrassed look painting his face as Yuuka let go, allowing him to stand again. "There's a lot on my mind."
"Yes there is. So you should be happy to know that I've finished my little project."
"You are?"
"Yes, our intelligence shall be far greater, and the Aliens will have many surprises waiting for them!"
"That's good to know. One less thing to worry about." Williams said with a heavy sigh.
"What is worrying you the most? Besides imminent alien invasion and the potential loss of infrastructure, and life of course."
Williams let out a sigh. "Lady Hinnanai's eventual arrival, and the Preparation Lady Kamishirasawa and Scarlet are doing." Williams admitted. "I was about to head over to the Scarlet residence to see how it was going actually."
"I see. Then I shall accompany you. I am curious considering Keine and Flandre are working together."
"It's to protect the Cities children and give them a sense or normalcy I have been told." Williams said as he and Yuuka walked down the street his gaze drifting upwards. "I just hope we get some more information before it all goes to hell."
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A Black and Purple tinted Hole Spread open beside a Holocomm Unit in an empty room, and a second late Yukari Yakumo stepped out of it her Sukima, or Gap as many people called them, it closing behind her. Stepping up to the HoloComm unit she tapped it lightly, and the forms of Hackett and Kaguya appeared around the unit, both of them looking like they had been having a conversation until her arrival.
"I hope I am not intruding, or made you wait too long." Yukari said softly. "There was some minor business I had to take care of before this."
"It is no trouble, we did not wait long." Hackett said quickly with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"We were merely discussing the situation with each other." Kaguya added with a smirk. "Maybe now that you are here we can decide upon things."
Yukari ignored Kaguya's jab and nodded. "I agree. Has R&D been able to look over the information Operative Cirno acquired yet?"
"Yes. I have them on a side line if we'd like to hear the information directly from them. Otherwise I have the information in short form with me." Kaguya explained.
"Connect them then. I'd prefer the full spectrum of information. Nothing good comes when you lazily leave bits of information out." Hackett said simply, not meaning any insult to Kaguya with his words or tone.
A second later, the form of Nitori Kawashiro appeared, looking very nervous and fiddling with what appeared to be a wrench. She also did not appear to realize she was connected to the call immediately as she continued to fiddle with the wrench absently.
" . . . . Nitori." Yukari said after a few moments, causing Nitori to look up and see them.
She instantly panicked, dropping her wrench, picking it up and stowing it away hastily. "Ah, I- I apologize I mean, I um-"
"Deep breaths. Calm down and then speak." Yukari said with a smile.
Nitori did as Yukari suggested for a few seconds and then sighed. "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for." Hackett said simply. "You would not be the first to get flustered from speaking with us directly."
"Indeed. But business." Kaguya said with a smirk. "Your group were the ones to look over the interceptor's data, and I know you had sent me a simplified version, but please tell us what you have discovered about the aliens technologies."
"Of course." Nitori said with a slight bow as she tapped her console, bringing up a holographic image of the enemy ship that Cirno had engaged two days before. "The enemy ship that Cirno engaged appeared to be a mid-weight ship, a cruiser we believe, that topped out at almost 450meters in length. When Cirno engaged it the system noticed two primary weapon systems aboard it. A large main gun that was unable to target Cirno due to the interceptors speed, and numerous Small turreted laser weapons that targeted her, or tried to."
"Optical lasers? Like ours then?" Hackett quickly asked.
"No, not quite. These lasers were ultraviolet, not visible, and are a far lower output frequency and power than our own combat grade lasers. We at R&D believe that these lasers are meant to form a network to protect against fighter craft by melting and damaging enemy fighters, forcing them to break off the attack."
"And how much damage did they do to the interceptor?"
"Minimal. They seared some plating, but that was it. The interceptor's ability to quickly change direction, and the amount of fire it was losing at the alien's cruiser made it difficult for the enemy laser turrets to get an accurate lock on the interceptor. We believe that against their own style of ships, or ships that use similar technology to their own however that they would be effective."
"Technology similar to their own." Yukari said with a smile. "So how different is our own technology then?"
"Very. The alien's ships plating was, average I guess, but what is most interesting is their main gun and their shielding. Their shielding was more a barrier than a shield. It blocked the interceptors beam weapons and Cirno's icicle machine gun, but did not stop the lasers. It only blocked the occasional pulse due to the magnetic field unravelling prematurely."
"So they block kinetic weaponry but not energy?" Kaguya asked with a smirk. "I thought our beam weapons utilized energy as well though?"
"They do." Nitori answered quickly. "However beam weapons were designed specifically for anti-armour purposes without using heat. They push high energy particle matter in a constant stream to cut through whatever they strike, and have a substantial kinetic value because of this."
"This is good information to know." Hackett mused as he tapped the hologram, spinning it a bit. "So our beams were blocked by their barrier then. How powerful was their barrier? Do we know how easily we can punch through them?"
"Cirno managed to break their barrier before initiating her kamikaze attack that pushed her into the enemy's ship core. R&D Believes that a sustained barrage from any weapons with kinetic value should break them easily enough. Higher level magic with kinetic values could break them far faster, potentially."
"Ah, that's right; a lot of magic has kinetic value. Hmmm, will the mage fleet still be a good option then?" Hackett wondered aloud.
"It will be fine." Yukari said with a causal wave of her hand as she leaned forward and looked at the hologram, it now showing where Cirno had flown her ship to. "What is this sphere in the enemy ship?"
"The basis for the ships travel technology. Our scans of it were limited due to damage to the interceptor. But it matches earlier energy scans and appears to be a massive core for utilizing element zero gravity fields."
"Element zero . . . . " You mean the element we found in the Prothean vault?" Hackett asked carefully.
"Yes, the very same. Element zero can be charger electrically to produce gravity fields that can make things lighter than they should be. We believe that is how these aliens achieve space travel, by making their ships lighter to travel faster. It's also the basis behind the ships man gun, a Railgun augmented by such a gravity field to achieve higher velocity and kinetic striking power."
"So they are using railgun technology for their ships main guns then. They simply move a bit faster due to being lighter." Hackett said with a shake of his head. "What a waste of resources."
"I agree." Kaguya said as she looked back to Nitori. "How likely is it that their infantry forces and ground based armor use a similar or same technology?"
"Cirno reported that the aliens fired on her with weapons that fired sand sized bits of metal, surrounded by blue fields. We believe it's the exact same principle, but smaller. Until we acquire a weapon of the aliens though we won't be able to say exactly how thy work, just that they do fire kinetic rounds by acceleration by gravity fields."
"The aliens ship core. What would happen if it was punctured?" Yukari suddenly asked, noting how close Cirno's ship was to it.
Nitori seemed to notice this as she answered. "It would be explosive if it was directly pierced. The interceptor grazed it while landing and that led to it destabilizing over time. If the interceptor's reactor had not been pushed critical, it likely would have exploded on its own and possibly ripped the ship in half. These, gravity cores, are less powerful than our own MAGTECH Reactors though, and the interceptor's reactor removed the majority of the ship from existence when it blew. We believe that these gravity cores would simply rip a ship in half, messily."
"This is good information. Though I doubt many of our spells or beams could pierce to them in a couple hits, a long term focused beam might be able to reach them then. Something to consider for a tactic." Hackett mused.
"Perhaps but we believe that while Cirno was able to break the enemy barrier, they may be able to cycle and recharge themselves as our Graze Shielding can*. A better tactic might just be to overwhelm them with volume of fire, or crippling external systems like their main gun and engines."
"They would still have their core though."
"Yes, but it appears that that is used only for long distance travel and sustaining their gravity field we believe. The ship has external engines similar, though weaker than our own, that is propelled by some other element. Our scans picked up Helium three stored on the ship near the engines, so we think they use it as fuel." Nitori explained as calmly as she could.
"So, you are saying their ships use one system for short range movement, and another for long range movement, and that these methods are completely separate?" Yukari asked.
"Yes. They use their engines to move Subluminally, and their Gravity core to move Superluminally. The ship is however always surrounded by a Gravity field that make it lighter than it would appear to be. We might be able to use that to our advantage."
"How so?" Hackett asked with interest.
"Their field encompasses the whole ship like a bubble. If their barrier is punctured then our kinetic attacks can hit them, but the gravity field is still there. Anything that enters the field has its mass decreased, and kinetic rounds in transit that lose mass often increase in speed. We confirmed this when Cirno's icicle machine gun managed to slip though and struck its hull and turrets with such force that they pierced right though them far deeper than they normally would."
"So kinetic attacks will hit them slightly harder because of their own field?" Hackett asked in surprise.
"It is possible." Nitori answered as she zoomed the hologram in on the back loading by where Cirno had crashed. "The real potential is kinetic damage. The interceptor was deigned to take more punishment than a regular fighter. When it entered the field while firing its weapons, its weight was decreased and its speed increased by roughly seventy three percent for a half second. This sudden speed increase is what allowed it to break through so many levels of the ship and eventually embed in the ships gravity core room. To put it simply, kamikaze attacks or another ship ramming it, should prove far more dangerous and surprising than they expect as their field will grant our own ships increased speed right before impact."
"Interesting. Do you know why they would allow such a thing?" Kaguya asked.
"I don't think they realize it. If all ships in their culture use railguns as weapons, they likely rarely if ever get in range to use such tactics."
"More things to consider then." Hackett said with a grin as he looked it over and realized something. "If kinetic rounds hit harder, will the gravity field affect other weapons as well?"
"To an extent. We discovered that lasers and beams are unaffected by it. Pulse cannons however were affected. The magnetic containment was unravelled a couple times, making them explode prematurely. It only happened with twenty percent of Cirno's shots, but it's still a good amount. Also, it would probably mess with a significant number of magic attacks. It is possible that the change of gravity would affect their cohesion, making them impact with less power, or drift, making them less accurate in the last few seconds."
"Hmm, so small amounts of magic may be blocked or miss, but large volumes will likely not notice a difference." Yukari said with a smile.
"That is correct." Nitori said as she changed the hologram to a video feed from the interceptor. it showed the inside of the room that Cirno had crashed inside. As she climbed out, aliens came into view, right before being frozen on reflex by Cirno. Nitori paused and back up the video, giving a clear image of the aliens in question. "Next then, is the aliens themselves."
"They look strange. Are they coved in plates?" Hackett asked in worry.
"No. after Cirno froze them the interceptor was able to scan them, though it was difficult due to the layers of ice. What we have currently is simple, but still interesting. They are bipedal with double joint digitigrade legs making them appear either avian or reptilian in nature. Their hands and feet are both tipped with claws, and their skin has trace amounts of Thulium in their skin. We believe this might be an evolution for radiation protection, but cannot say for sure."
"What of those, horns on the backs of their heads?" Kaguya asked as she poked at the hologram.
"We are not entirely sure honestly. They could be a form of ears, or simply what is left of horns from evolution. It is possible it is simply like our hair, and serves no survival function anymore."
"So, in short, we have an avian or possibly reptilian species of warmongering aliens from a world with high radiation, and who utilize prothean technology like it's going out of style." Kaguya said with a giggle, muffled as she put a sleeve in front of her mouth. "Oh Eirin will love this."
"Yes. There is one last thing though." Nitori said as she played the recording to the point where Cirno was covered in ice and smashed through the door. It was difficult to see, but out the door they could see two of the aliens, surrounded by faint blue fields, just before Cinro's ice sliced and bludgeoned through them. "It appears these aliens have some form of their kinetic barriers for personal as well. However velocity seems to play a key role in weather or not something can be blocked by it, as Cirno's strike bypassed it without slowing."
"So melee combat will not be an issue. good." Hackett said finally.
"Agreed. If that is everything you have to report Nitori, who from R&D will be going to Shanxi with our forces?"
"Sanae has volunteered to go as our armour expert, Rinnosuke as our weapons expert."
"Eirin has also expressed interest in going, so she will be joining them as a biologist." Kaguya added.
Yukari nodded as a beeping from her console drew her gaze for a moment, Turing her smile to a frown.
"What is it?" Hackett asked quickly.
"Nothing. That is all Nitori, thank you." Yukari said as she forcibly closed Nitori's line and looked to Hackett. "How is the preparation of our forces going?"
"All forces are prepped on New Eden and preparing to embark. Kirisame's dreadnought still has not arrived but is expected to within the hour. Embarking all of our troops will take roughly half a day. Then it is another half day to Shanxi by boundary slip and likely another half day to unload over the planet. Why?"
"Because, I just got a report from a Fairy light cruiser scouting for the aliens; they were discovered almost immediately by an alien's cruiser when they left a relay and then were destroyed. The Aliens likely now know which way they need to go to find us. They will be arriving at Shanxi soon!"
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Codex –
Graze Shield - Graze shielding is a starship technology that protects ships from attacks. Pressing close to the ships shape itself, graze shielding can block attacks that his almost directly, and attacks that hit at a higher angle are simply deflected away. This means shots must be more numerous, or more accurate to damage the shielding and punch through. Graze shielding is segmental, meaning it is divided into groups or segments across the ship. Shielding loss on one spot of the ship does not mean it is necessarily lost on others, though some damage to the shields will travel across segments to mitigate its total damage.
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Bio – Nitori
Name: Nitori Kawashiro
Race: Youkai – Kappa
Gender: Female
Age: exact age unknown. Appears early twenties. confirmed over 160 years old.
Power rank: D
Powers: Ability to control water.
Capabilities/skills: high level technical and mechanical skills.
Bio: a Kappa who has pursued the mechanical and technological since before the breaking of the boundary, Nitori as highly skilled at making and understanding machinery. She had managed to make a complete electrical system, a nuclear power plant, and other technological marvels from outside Gensokyo without any assistance.
Nitori does not work as an operative, preferring to keep her job as a mechanic in the alliance R&D.