"Yeah, that's all. Thanks for that," Amelia completed her business with Trent and his weapons stockpile. She'd picked up a couple Slag 9s, a Strike Torpedo V launcher, a pair of Jetstream Phaze guns, a Devil 4 (a Nomad-technology Erradicator weapon, which was incredibly powerful) and a Nomadkiller 4 turret, an Erradicator Electron weapon - it shot charged beams to neutralize shields and power systems, and also tracked the enemy to an extent.
Not only that she purchased a Ripper mine and a Wasp Cruise Disruptor to replace her old one, which was pretty beaten up after the recent encounters.
Her mission had been postponed because of the meeting as well.
---
"Unknown vessel! If you understand this message, please state your designation!" Orillion pronounced clearly into the speaker. He set the range to one kay, and all the ships in the area moved in to pick up the frequency.
"I ap... My communicat... were hit... on my w...re. Take me to... and I wi...ain everything," the vessel responded. It formed up on the closest ship and its battered engines began to come alive as the phalanx of ships began moving towards the battleship.
Once on the ship, engineers began not only repairing but also exploring the new ship. Orillion had the loot from the Behemoth taken into the research depots while they waited for the pilot of the vessel to exit their ship.
Indeed, it was a thick turquoise colour, with several engines and six black guns strapped to the prongs, three on each side. Its right prong had been blown off, and three engines were missing.
Soon enough, the ship's pilot stepped out of the cockpit and, after handing the design blueprints over to the Order mechanics to repair the ship, it joined Amelia's group of flying pogies; Orillion, Bravo, the Order wing leader who'd been introduced as Hunter, herself, Trent and Jun'ko.
"Greetings," it said.
The creature was hardly different to a human except for several things. For a start its skin pigment was dark blue, and its head was adorned with a crest that extended over its back. A pair of bony ridges lined the back of its spine, and met at the ribcage. Apart from that, however, it was almost exactly human.
A few nods and "hello"'s were its reply.
"I am Leta Ye, of the Daun Cavasche. I've come to bring you a message," the blue humanoid spoke.
"OK, but this is not the place to convey the message. I will call for a meeting at exactly oh-six-hundred, which is only a short while. We will give you priority clearance and your own private quarters until then," Orillion spoke.
"We, the Daun Cavasche, do know human tendencies and customs, so I understand most of what you say, apart from some colloquial language."
"That's excellent, we'll be able to communicate easily. Just have some R&R for a few hours and then meet us in Meeting Room Three. If there's any hiccups, we will tell you."
"Hiccups?"
"Problems."
"Oh."
---
That was three hours ago, and it was nearly time to head to the meeting. Amelia, after mounting her weapons, walked with Trent to the meeting hall.
"So, Trent... you've been on that new Cryer drug, yes?""Yeah. Why?"
"You're much older than you look, right?"
"Uhh... why are we having this conversation?"
"Because I'm only 21, and by the looks and sounds of things everyone here
should have false teeth, no hair and severe arthritis."
"True. Actually, that's what they all want you to think."
"Yeah?"
"The Nomad Wars did more than just overthrow three governments, give rise to
the Erradicators and put Sirius in a golden age. It... changed things, and
it seems all who had contact with a nomad in one form or another has
something messed up with their metabolism. So, technically I am old in years
but not in bodily functions. It's really stupid, but Quintaine says that's
what's going on."
"So... I fiddled around with my Slag weapons and the reactor core, so some
creepy Nomad metabolism-changing thingy has made my life five times longer?
I can live with that."
"Yeah... like the Cardamine does to the Outcasts."
"Really? Sounds interesting."
"Yes."
Soon they were out the front of the meeting room. A chime indicated that it was 6:00 AM, so they forwarded in. The D.C. messenger was already inside and was conversing with Orillion.
Several officials from each of the States, some other major faction reps, as well as Amelia, Bravo, Hunter, Jun'ko Zane, Trent and a couple high-ranking freelancers crowded into the room.
"Welcome, everyone, and I'd like to thank you all for coming," Orillion announced as he stood up to address the committee. "If you are not already familiar, we have the Vice President of the Liberty Government, Mister Bonderille." He gestured to an older man sitting in the third chair from the opposite end on the right side of the table. Nods of approval were his cue to continue.
"The Queen's Daughter herself, Michelle Carina, the Chancellor of Rheinland's chief advisor, Herr Bismark, Shogun Tekashi of Kusari, Don Fernandez of Hispania, Don Cortez of the Outcasts, Chief Elder DeJesus of the Corsairs, the President of Bowex, Mister McInnes, the head of the Erradicators, Jun'ko Zane, top freelancers Trent, Psychotic, Zachary Hedlin and Rock, as well as Order Commander Hunter and Erradicator Leftenant, Bravo. As well as those, we have Professor of the Cambridge University, Kendra Sinclair and next to me is Amelia Oxedis. To the right is a special guest of ours," he continued, only pausing once for a breath and gesturing to each as he spoke. Leta Ye stood and made his way to the front of the room.
"Leta Ye, a messenger from the Daun Cavasche," Orillion finished.
Leta Ye, by then, was at the front of the room. His soft, clear voice filled the room.
"Greetings, all," he started. Nods and whispers were what he got in response.
"I bring disturbing news from the Daun Cavasche and the system you call Omicron Unknown." A hush filled the room as he continued, for the lights dimmed and the screen behind him illuminated.
"As you are aware, fifty years ago, Edison Trent acrivated the Hyper Gates to rid Sirius of their menace. However, this did not work as you had planned. Not only did they find a solid foothold in the system they were sent to, but they also found a whole string of systems, one leading to the far side of Omicron Unknown. They knew you'd eventually find the system and exploit its rich resources. So they constructed a second, smaller Dyson Sphere and fabricated an incredible hologram projector to make it look like a planet. Within this planet they began to construct a giant fleet and a superweapon."
"Superweapon?" Orillion asked.
"Yes, a superweapon. I believe you, Miss Oxedis, and your escorts aw a new
Nomad ship in the system you call Omicron Minor," Leta said, and a nod from
Bravo, Hunter, Orillion and Amelia was his cue to continue. "Well, that was
one thing that the Nomads created within the sphere. Did any of you get hit
by its weapons or mines?" Leta paused again, and shaking of heads told him
to continue again. "Those weapons, had they hit you, would have killed you.
That behemoth you saw was a battleship killer. In fact, the reactor core you
found inside it will help both us and you to create a counter-battleship"
Trent turned to his right and saw Psychotic.
"Yo, Psy, you think this will push us into another war?" Trent whispered.
"It probably will," came Psychotic's reply. He was Spanish and gave up pirating with the Corsairs for freelancing.
"I have heard that you, Amelia, are going on a patrol into Omicron Unknown, correct?"
"Yes... why?"
"It would seem I have done the patrol for you. And this is what I managed to get pictures of while in that system."
Several pictures began flicking on and off the screen. The first was a jump hole, which was, in a way, spazzing out. The second showed six turquoise ships, which meant seven Daun Cavasche ships were in the system at the time. Both were taken within a deep orange-red cloud around a strange jump hole.
The third came up, this time showing hundreds of nomads pouring out of the jump hole, and the fourth showed the ships engaging them. It was obvious that the Nomads had either rebelled from their masters or they were never created by the Daun Cavasche in the first place.
The fifth was later on, with four damaged fighters limping away from the fight scene with nomads on their rear ends.
The sixth flickered onto the screen, and showed the Battleship Cairo in view and ten Order ships attacking the Nomads. This time the three remaining ships were attacking the Nomads again and Leta Ye's damaged cockpit.
The seventh shot was the most horrendous yet. It was a picture of a planet exploding and an incredible beam of energy decimating the Battleship Cairo.
The eighth and final one was worse. This time it was from the edge of another nebula, this time one of a bloody red. It showed a mass of purple swarming the remains of the planet and the remains of the Battleship Cairo - a piece of charred metal.
Awe was all that the representatives, freelancers and random blow-ins could see. Three people were standing at the door while a further dozen or so were standing at the back of the room. These guys and girls had strolled in accidentally but stayed to watch the slide show.
Several minutes of silence followed.
Leta broke the silence. "There's more. I managed to retrieve the manifest, seeing as it somehow remained intact."
Although he didn't seem to be wearing anything, he put his hand in what seemed like a pocket and pulled out a small disc.
Orillion took the disc and placed it into his datapad, which he then hooked up to the sound system. He selected "Recordings" and selected the time and "Bridge" from the menu on his pad.
"...that. I've got multiple incoming contacts. Not Order, Nomad or otherwise... they are cloaked, but have actual pilots, as shown by our initial scans. They're carrying very odd weapons..." That was a woman's voice.
"Do not engage yet. Look..." This time it was an older man's voice, one that Orillion confirmed belonged to a commander called Syhoi.
"Launch two wings of Order fighters to assist them. If the unknown vessels attack, launch another to destroy them." That was Syhoi again.
Background noise including a klaxon and shouting followed before Syhoi spoke a third time.
"Unknown craft, this is The Order Battleship Cairo. Please state your designation."
Next was a garbled message, which Leta Ye said was his own to the battleship.
"I ... Leta Ye, ... Daun Cav... Nomads have attack... my communications are dama... I need to dock..."
"Enhance that." Syhoi again.
The message repeated itself but much clearer.
"I am Leta Ye, an emissary of the Daun Cavasche. The nomads have attacked us, and my communications are damaged. I need to dock for repairs..."
"I hear you. Dock, and my mechanics will do what we can for your ship. You'll have to decloak first though." Syhoi spoke once more.
"My ship is decloaked, but it gives no readings to regular sensors. It... No, my communications have died --" Leta spoke again.
"I was still a ways out then, but this is when the planet exploded," Leta explained to the committee.
Then, almost all at the same time,
"Shit, that planet just exploded"
"Ack, what was that sound"
"Communications are down"
"Evacuate the battleship"
"Incoming"
"Hull breach"
"The reactor just exploded"
"All pilots get out of the ship at once"
"This is Commander Syh--"
Static was all that followed.
Again, silence followed. This time, though, Orillion was the one to break it.
"So, if your pictures and the manifest have told a true story... then we are
up against a much larger threat than we first anticipated.
"Any comments or questions?"
All raised their hands.
Bonderille was first to get the floor.
"Does this mean that we are on the brink of a second war"
"I'm afraid so, sir," Orillion responded.
Most of those in the room lowered their hands.
Amelia spoke next.
"So... how are we supposed to fight such a menace? I'm sure that the houses will need people to protect their own turf as well as the criminals doing the same," Amelia nodded at the Corsair and Outcast representatives.
"We do not pirate any longer, that is why we are here," the Don spoke, obviously high on Cardamine. His words were slurred and his eyes bloodshot.
Bravo rose from his seat. Being an Erradicator and therefore acknowledged by all, he hoped to talk the differences out of the parties within the room.
"With all due respect to all here, I'd request that you lay down your differences and take up arms against the nomads."
"We might be able to. In fact, the Outcasts and Corsairs are allied to several criminal factions including the Rogues and Hackers. They should be able to convince them to assist," Rock suggested. He had hardly been noticed all through the meeting, so the small team jumped slightly at his suggestion.
"Good point. Also, I've got a good reputation with the Xenos and, strange as it seems, the Kusari criminals and the Mollys. I can try to get their support," Psychotic added.
"Excellent. Kendra, how is the research on the Nomad Reactor going?" Orillion asked.
"It is a tough nut to crack but we're making progress," Sinclair replied promptly.
Bravo turned to Leta Ye. "Leta, can you get to your home system by yourself?"
"I can, but I'm sure the elders would like to meet you. Most of the Daun Cavasche know how to speak your tongue, so things will not be difficult in terms of communication. Orillion, I would like you, Miss Oxedis, Miss Zane and Mister Trent to accompany me back to our home world. We will not be going via the Unknown system, instead we will go through the High Omegas and then into the Zeta systems. Although going through the Unknown system is faster and takes us to Zeta-47, the nomads do not know of the long way around to our home system."
"Alright, fine," Trent agreed.
"Done," Jun'ko was unusually quiet.
"Yeah, I'll help out," Amelia said, and Orillion simply nodded.
"Do you guys mind if myself, Bravo and Hunter go with you?" Psychotic asked
Leta Ye, nodding at the two high-rankers.
"You may, if you wish. I was intending to ask Bravo and his wing of fighters to help anyway, because there's been a lot of Nomad activity in systems that they originally should have had no idea they existed, based on their patrol routes.
Leta Ye walked out the door, and his company slowly followed him to the docking bay.
Soon enough, Bravo's new wing of six Firefeeders and three Demons were out in open space awaiting the arrival of Hunter's wing of six Ra fighters, Orillion, Amelia, Trent, Jun'ko and Psychotic to undock. The two docking bays opened again and three Order fighters came from each, followed by several souped-up fighters of Firefeeder, Ra and Albatross decent. To be specific, Trent, Amelia, Jun'ko, Bravo and most of his wing were piloting the Firefeeders, Orillion, Hunter and his wing piloting Ra fighters, and Psychotic being a rebel with the Eagle-on-steroids, the Albatross. Last to undock was the Daun Cavasche, Leta Ye.
All twenty-one ships departed from Omicron Major in the southern Jump Hole to Omega-45.
Leta Ye was on the point of the formation, and all were just conversing with each other. No complications overshadowed their journey through Omegas 43 and 45, and then the successful jump into Zeta-47 - a neutral system which was not supposed to be known about by the Nomads according to Ye's intel.
The twenty-one ships all appeared in the system, and twenty pilots looked around in awe.
The sky was a pitch black, except for the few specks of stars dotting the starscape. What was amazing, though, was the ring of ominous blue and green surrounding them, and what looked like a whirlwind of grey cloud into the black hole at the far side of the system.
It was a strangely eerie but incredibly beautiful at the same time.
"The Zeta systems are full of sights like this," Leta Ye broke the silence and punched in co-ordinates to the jump hole to Zeta-77.
"The next system is full of Nomads but they won't bother us until we're in open space," he said, engaging cruise to the next destination.
Or would have, had an entire nomad fleet not decloaked in front of him.