Samateus broke the uneasy silence following the revelation and request for opinion on their predicament, to give the others a bit of relief.
"The planet is still stable enough that they should have some years yet, before we have to step in to save lives, so think on it and let us know, nothing needs immediate attention." Almost as though a cloud had been lifted, the rest relaxed, Xerxes smiling lightly at how easily Samateus had diffused a potentially volatile discussion, through her explanation and her last comment.
"My people fractured a long time ago, only those who are ship-side know the majority of things as we do, though more have become aware of the newest developments and Khilseith let me know first thing this morning that an influx of interest in learning Galactic Common had come from the populace of the World ship, both planetside and ship-side. Only a few are able to teach it, including the two who were with me on my research trip. I am very happy to see some are willing to adapt, even among my own people, though worry what will happen in the future. For now, however, is there anything we may not have addressed anyone has questions about?" Xerxes furthered, watching with a smile as Pyrus tried some of the red-tinged mealworms, smirking at a memory that surfaced in the young Prince where Graveheart had tried some lichen mixed with stores of fireweed, the spicy plant having an adverse reaction in the Rockian. Zera smirked at Pyrus' face, his eyebrows rising up almost to the edge of his flame, her expression turned to shock when he took a small handful and sat back, munching on them as a snack, Samateus chuckling lightly and warning her that it's spicy but not excessive, though would not be surprised if she had a reaction to the spice. Thinking better than making a fool of herself on the off chance it was more spicy than she could handle, Zera tried instead some of the honeyed ones, antennae curling in pleasure at the sweetness.
"I did have a question, What is the significance of the different colours of your ships on the wireframes we saw? Is the one world ship that showed as Blue the one we're on now?" Jade asked, Graveheart smirking that she never stepped away from her command position, as much as she wanted to, or he wanted her to. Xerxes met his gaze, quipping in his head that Jade had been the perfect candidate to take over after Mantle, the militaristic society of Rock perfectly tuned to her mannerisms and thoughts, which Graveheart had not really taken a step back to view himself. There would be more conversations later, of course, and Xerxes would gladly help in any way they would need him to, even if Jade turns up pregnant, which Xerxes grinned lightly at Graveheart for his blush.
"Yes, the one that had been coloured Blue is the one we are on now. The other five were all yellow as, surprisingly, one was used for my people, which you know already what is going on there, and the other four are more agricultural worlds, smaller populations of Ahr'aht or Taalrulthians, much less technology to avoid anything impacting wildlife on them, though most of it is native species from the home world of the Makers. Samateus brought her cats from one, she found she couldn't part with them."
"Nope, they're too much like my children. Though thankfully wont fly off to make their own families on me." Samateus happily cuddled Gabriel who purred and let out a happy squeak. Zera raised a brow, antennae curling upward curiously, Samateus smirked and shook her head. "I do have some children of my own, though as they are not genetically mine, I don't feel the same connection to them as your Father does you, for example. Sairyllia is one such, she's more my surrogate daughter, we banter like old sisters, which weirds out most of the Ahr'aht." Samateus then grinned at Xerxes who smirked himself.
"Yes well, how you two treat each other is more akin to how you and I interact, which wouldn't be the case with a mother and child. Though, it has been a long time and most are accustomed to your mannerisms with her, there was, admittedly, a lot of confusion about it." Xerxes added, the rest offering nods of understanding, Femur and Sternum sharing a glance and Femur offering a chuckle as he shook his head lightly. Samateus and Xerxes both looked to him, Femur grinning sheepishly as Sternum sighed.
"Our obvious differences made our father accuse our mother of adultry, until the genetics test made him almost eat his own shoe. Mother throwing it at him had a little to do with it however." Sternum smirked, Pelvus grinning lightly at the imagery.
"Understandably. I-" Xerxes paused when an alert tone sounded in the room, Jade quickly standing up and fishing a handheld from a pocket. Her brows knit together as she read over the report, Graveheart swiftly on his feet and reading over her shoulder. Jade's frown deepened, the grinding of her teeth visible by the tensing of the muscles of her jaw let Xerxes and Samateus know something was up. "Jade?" Xerxes prompted, the Empress jumping slightly and only brought out of her thoughts by Graveheart laying a hand on her arm closest to him.
"Beast drones, in the capital. They've been taken out, but I'm not convinced that's the last of them." Jade frowned, Samateus quickly scooping up Gabriel and whistling for Tessa before going to her room and shooing both inside before returning to the rest. Xerxes stood also, cautiously to make certain he was in good enough condition to do so, gently picking up the case Samateus had left on the table and hiding it away in a pocket on his hip armour. He leaned over and tapped the screen above the couch where he had been sitting, quickly navigating through a series of screens to bring up a live scan of planet Rock, the Capital highlighted by a large upright hammer, mimicking the outward appearance of the Rockian Palace. Three red blips appeared before being marked as green with smaller highlighted text the rest could not read after a brief moment.
"That's certainly handy, are your scanners able to penetrate through the planet's world engine too?" Sternum asked, his underlying concern at just how much the Ahr'aht were able to see of their worlds at any given time a bit unsettling.
"Yes, though you have nothing to hide, no need to be concerned. It's not as accurate as to discern anyone's exact whereabouts, not on long range. If on a smaller ship say parallel atmosphere, we could pinpoint individuals within the world engine, if needed. It seems-" Xerxes explained, stopping when another alert and larger group of red blips appeared on the screen, Samateus' eyes narrowing and right ear flat back. Xerxes zooming in on the red blips which showed them in a further area near the capital, Jade and Graveheart both frowning.
"That's the military barracks, but there are civilians in the barracks with their Quarriors. Can you-" Jade explained, pausing and looking at Xerxes for an answer to why Samateus simply teleported away without a word before she could even ask for their group to be teleported down there. Her half confused and half furious look to Xerxes made him laugh lightly.
"You mentioned civilians, she's already on her way."
The alarm klaxons sounding had every able-bodied Quarrior on their feet and heading to suit up, some unaware and walking right out of their doors into a warzone. Null energy bolts were fired with deadly accuracy from beast drones so different from their old forms that some of the Rockians thought they were looking at nightmares brought to life. Those that managed to reach the armoury were uncertain where to aim at their assailants, as the containment crescents were hidden lower on the Beast drones, and some even on the backs of the more monstrous looking drones.
One family, who had been caught outside and directed to huddle in place by the Father of the family during the initial contacts, huddled behind some supply crates in an alleyway and watched as their brave fellows ran to fight the old yet oddly new threat. The family's small female child, barely three years old, let out a scream that could be heard across the compound and above. A trumpeting roar of response from above made the Beast drone that slowly approached the huddling family look up frantically almost in fear before a flash of brilliant light dropped down and impacted the containment crescent on its back, and it crumpled, the null energy fading away harmlessly.
Samateus, having absolutely no love for the Beast and its tactics, had gone on ahead of the rest of the leaders, teleporting to the upper bluffs over the Rockian military base and shifted back to her birth form, increasing her size as she surveyed the happenings below. Spotting the one family caught outside in this mid-day catastrophe, Samateus fired a bolt down to destroy the Drone approaching them, then launched skyward, armour activating as she allowed her light to shine through. She could tell, even from her vantage point higher up, that several Quarriors had been killed, and the Beast drones were trying to stay up out of the line of sight of the remainder.
Trumpeting another challenge to the Beast, she dove down swiftly, breaking out of her headlong dive only at the last second, gliding over the rooftops of the Barracks and slapping off several of the drones hiding atop them. One knocked pointedly out into the open muster area to collapse and evaporate as its containment crescent was shattered by her strike. The Quarriors saw this, and Samateus smiled as she overheard some yelling to call for air support, the Arrowheads on the base having been destroyed first before the rest of the attack had commenced.
Realising that they had been thwarted, the Beast drones made one last effort to do as much damage as possible, two turning their fire on one of the towering pillars nearby, causing it to begin to wobble and collapse. Too late though, the drones were destroyed by Samateus and the Quarriors started yelling for evacuation, directing everyone from the eastern barracks, the small family the only civilians in that area, quickly moving to run for safety on the other side of the base. The youngest, who had seen the Beast drone behind them and alerted Samateus to it, had trouble keeping up, and caught Samateus' eye as being right in the path of the collapse. She trumpeted another alarm and raced down along the collapsing pillar, attempting to blast it apart and even throwing her side into it in an attempt to push it further back to the eastern wall that bracketed the Military base.
Realising almost too late that the damage she inflicted would not be enough, Samateus darted down under the pillar and covered the small family with her body as it came crashing down upon her.
Teleporting in only moments later, Xerxes, Jade and Graveheart were the first to see the massive downed pillar, and the clearing dust from its fall upon the Eastern half of the Barracks. The lieutenant here, a younger male Rockian with brilliant crimson stone hair and streaks, running forward and offering a quick salute. Jade motioned to him, nodding acknowledgement of his salute before he spoke. Pyrus, Blaze, Femur, Sternum, Pelvus, Cryos and Zera, with Capacitor and Tekla hiding behind the group, gaped at the collapsed pillar, and how much damage had been done by its fall.
"Empress, we aren't certain how, but a group of Beast drones the likes of which we've never seen before just appeared out of thin air earlier, took out our Arrowheads on base before we could intercept. A second group had been up on the rooftops, didn't see them at first until the flyer showed up and alerted us. She tried to save a family that were in the line of the collapsing pillar..." His explanation had Xerxes moving swiftly to the line of Quarriors trying to move heavy boulders aside to free the trapped family. He trilled hurriedly and loudly, almost collapsing when a muffled response from the debris let them know Samateus was alive.
"Thank you Lieutenant Russel, casualties?" Jade asked, almost afraid of the response.
"Twenty three dead, direct hits from null energy. Four others injured from the exploding Arrowheads, hopefully that family is all alright..." Said the young male, Graveheart moving to stand with Xerxes just out of the way of the line of working Quarriors. Xerxes' anxiety was almost tangible, Graveheart almost able to feel it himself, both stiffening as another presence briefly wafted over them, Xerxes shuddering visibly. About to remark on it, Graveheart was interrupted by the Quarriors quickly exclaiming to move and all leapt off the debris as the centermost portion rose, Samateus pushing a large boulder up and out of the way. Jade gaped, Samateus shaking her head and neck and straightening up briefly before moving to gently help the mother with two of her children out, Samateus looking to Graveheart and the others before she saw Jade next to him and motioned her to come over with a quick head movement.
Not thinking before acting, Jade rushed over and quickly clambered up the rocks as Samateus wordlessly told her the smallest child was stuck under her wing and was unable to move. Graveheart made move to follow, Xerxes quickly stopping him as the others approached, some waiting but visibly anxious to help in any way.
"There's a small child trapped under her wing and the rock penning her in. If she moves even a tiny bit, the child will be crushed..." Xerxes explained simply, concern and his own anxiety faintly tinging his speech with dread. Jade disappeared from view, Samateus' head ducking down behind her as Jade spotted the small girl easily enough, Samateus' armour lighting illuminating the childs blue dress. Quickly moving to a crouch and then cautiously forward on her belly, Jade reached out and smiled at the little girl.
"It's alright, Can you move?" She asked, the girl sniffling once and pointedly wiggled her toes and attempted to pull her left arm toward her, finding she was stuck, and looked frightened as she shook her head and looked back to Jade. Jade shifted to look back at Samateus, who visibly frowned before she strained a bit to lift her wing ever so slightly, a metallic whine and grinding bone could be heard from her wing as the little girl pulled herself free, quickly crawling toward Jade who backed up with her and helped her stand. Jade quickly looking over the little one and happy that only a few cuts and bruises were all she had to show for her near death experience, Jade put on her best face to hide her own concern.
"You are the luckiest and bravest little girl I've met, but don't you tell anyone." Her slight admonishment got a smile out of the shy little girl, who stiffened and stared at Samateus who appeared to relax slightly, seeing that Jade and she were clear of being under her wings. "This is Samateus, she's a friend. I beleive you let her know your family was in trouble, a very brave thing to do, even if it was just a scream. Don't worry, I wont tell the Quarriors if you wont." Jade smiled more genuinely, the little girl moving to give her a quick hug and then did the same to one of Samateus' forelegs, the helm of the Taalrulthian melting away so she could gently nuzzle her hair, a similar green to Jade's own.
"Let's get you back to your mom." Jade then stood cautiously, moving to gently grasp the little girl around her chest under her arms and hoisted her up to a higher sturdy stone where another Quarrior quickly appeared and reached down to help the little girl up. Cheers sounded as Samateus motioned for Jade to follow as Xerxes moved closer, easily moving around the rocks on his four-toed reptilian feet and using his back-hands as extra support. Samateus sighed, shaking her head at an unspoken question from him.
"You're stuck pretty good... Might take us a bit but we can get some equipment to break up these boulders in no time." Jade mused, Xerxes also sighing but offered a smile to Jade. Samateus winced once visibly, alerting Jade to a problem, the Rockian putting her hands on her hips and frowning.
"The wing she was under is broken, I can get free, but that would mean doing something else I don't like doing." Samateus' right ear was flat back, entire body shaking lightly from straining to stay in place and not attempt to pull her left wing in. Xerxes shuddered when the presence from earlier returned, Jade noticing the shadows around her and under Samateus deepened, to an almost unsettling black void that reminded her involuntarily of the Foundation Chamber.
**Well you could always have asked me.** A voice, male and causing all around to stiffen and stare toward Samateus, broadcast to those in the area, Xerxes' feathers going flat.