Frozen Soul, and other works

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Chapter 102 - Meeting the Locals

(Abandoned Edocite Quarry, Nuevo Edo)

Two officials were waiting in the early afternoon sun, surrounded by a dozen troopers of the Nuevo Edo Peace Force. The Premier and her top general were having a spirited discussion about whether the top official on the entire planet should be risking herself on this first contact meeting.

“Premier Fukuya, I must protest you meeting this… this man in the open like this. We have no idea what his plans are, and they came through the Demon Gate!”

“And what would you have me do, General Akagi? That man, as you call him, is in control of a fleet of ships larger than anything we have ever seen before, even in the last Demon War, and you yourself said that if they had wished to attack us, they could have wiped out our space-based defenses before we ever knew their strike force was there.”

“But that is no reason to trust them completely! And certainly no reason to risk you out in the open like this, where we could have you waiting in the bunker where you wouldn’t be as exposed to enemy action. Minister Takahara could have come to represent the civilian side of the government, if we needed to meet out here.”

“And lose face appearing to be afraid of this man, and his ships? Someone who may know how to contact Earth after all this time? We need to project strength, and confidence, so we can get the best deals possible. You know this, Hikari.”

The General sighed as her old friend patted her on the shoulder. “Fine, but just let it be known that I was the voice of pragmatism and caution, while you were the one rushing off into the unknown.”

The Premier chuckled. “Yes, yes. Quite the departure from normal.”

One of the troopers spoke into their comm unit in her helmet, and then turned to face the two officials. “Madam, General, report from the bunker. Sensors are tracking one inbound ship, with what they believe are fighter escorts. The… visitors identify it as the owner’s personal transport, a light freighter called the BSS Starlight Raven, with Ghosts One through Four as escorts.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Looking back to the general, Fukuya chuckled. “So their leader moves about in a freighter, but takes fighter escorts with him. An odd duality.”

From the comm unit concealed in the Premier’s clothes Minister Takahara’s voice whispered softly. The Minister of Internal Security sounded amused. “He’s probably playing the same games you are, Madam Premier. You noticed he does not appear to be Japanese, but he bowed to precisely the proper angle for the occasion? Or the way that his ships revealed themselves to us on purpose the moment he began speaking to us? He has an eye for theater.”

“Then all the more reason we must be at the top of our game, it seems.”

General Akagi nodded. “Indeed, Madam Premier.”

(BSS Starlight Raven, approaching abandoned quarry)

“Boss, we have two military transports. Looks like APCs. Probable anti-air capability, but we haven’t been locked up by any sensors.”

I was alone in the Raven’s cockpit. Shearah was with her engines, Cali and Jaynie were in the turrets, and the others were prepping for our meeting with the Premier. “Roger that, Ghost Leader. Probably the rides those troopers came out here in. I’m counting a dozen troopers in what looks like unpowered armor with weapons present but in parade rest. Not expecting trouble, but capable of responding in case of threat. Raven, you confirm?

“Confirmed. No targeting sensors, though there was a sharp uptick in sensor radiation after we launched from Shinokage. I believe that they’ve tasked almost every sensor system in this region to tracking us and analyzing our ships.”

“Well, that is why we brought the Raven, instead one of the larger ships. And the tac-teams for the Shinokage and Assassins are standing by, with the Marines behind them in case this turns ugly. But we’re hoping for a first contact, not a war.”

“But we’re preparing for a war, anyways, just in case.”

“Right in one, Ghost Leader. No sense going and getting lazy since none of these people have any reason to hate us that we know about. Plus, it seems they’ve been having some kind of problems around here. You noticed how they called the Gateway the ‘Demon Gate’, and were surprised humans were using it?”

Raven answered instead of Parca. “Indeed. Between that and the defense satellites in orbit, I calculate a 78.6 percent chance that Nuevo Edo has faced enemy forces from the Gateway. Based on the tech level of the colony, I believe the chances that the ‘Demons’ they’ve faced are the X’thari are approximately one in ten.”

“Meaning we may have a new player that has access to Gateways we don’t know yet. We need to make access to the records that this explorer guy mentioned a priority, even if we only get Raven in there for a few minutes.” After all, if Raven got her drone body in there, she could record everything so we could decode it at our leisure.

If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.

“All right, we’re coming up on the landing zone. Ghost Leader, how you feel about giving the locals a show?”

“Pilots are always ready to show off for the locals. That’s how we get all the ladies.”

“All right, the Raven will go in and hover, before landing in the center of the quarry. Call a formation, burst as we come into a hover, and then land next to the Raven. Stay with your birds, just in case someone gets stupid. People we’re meeting might be on the level, but there’s always someone who thinks that they can force a play.”

“Roger that, Starlight Raven.”

Switching channels, I said, “Carissa, Sheila, Shearah. You ladies arm up with the rest, but you’re staying with the ship in case people decide hostage taking is a valid form of negotiation, or try to do something else stupid like sneaking spy tech on our ships. Raven, Cali, and Jaynie, you’re going to be with me in the meeting. Raven, keep a record of the conversation and pipe it to the rest of the group, as well as the Shinokage, so if we need to call in the cavalry, they’ll already be mounting up.”

(Abandoned Edocite Quarry, Nuevo Edo)

The four sleek black fighters peeled off in perfect synchronization, flying four different but identically timed routes (some in defiance of puny forces like gravity) to land a spread formation next to the Starlight Raven, all four of them noiselessly touching down on gravitic drives.

Then the cargo ramp on the arrowhead-shaped freighter soundlessly lowered, revealing the first glimpse Nuevo Edoans got of the brightly lit cargo bay of a Black Star ship, and seven figures standing there. Six of them were obviously female, and dressed in what looked like very high tech armor, carrying weapons in a ‘parade rest’ like the Edoan troopers who were all now at attention. The seventh figure was quite clearly a male, which made him one of the few that any from Nuevo Edo had seen in, well, a long time.

One of the armor-clad troopers from the freighter remained behind, at the top of the cargo ramp, and two others peeled off at the bottom of the ramp, taking up positions to support eachother in case anyone was foolish enough to try and steal the ship while that fleet was in orbit. But it was better to put the cookie jar out of reach than to rely on slapping hands after the fact.

The man and his three escorts walked up to Premier Fukuya, and the man bowed once more, before saying, “Madame Premiere, it is good to meet you in person. With permission, I will have my people set up an area where we can speak, under view of both sets of guards so your military companion does not get too uncomfortable.”

The Premier chuckled. “Well, Mollen-san?” After the man nodded that this was an appropriate way to address him, she continued, “You certainly have a flair for the dramatic. But while your people are setting up a meeting place, let me introduce you to General Akagi Mayumi, leader of our planetary defenses. And I believe you would make her very much more at ease if you would perhaps tell us how you came to Nuevo Edo through the Demon Gate?”

The man looked at one of his faceless armored companions, who nodded shortly, before he turned back to look at the premier. Even as he began speaking, the Edoans could see four floating… containers? Whatever they were, moving off the ship without anyone pushing them or directing them. “Certainly, the fact that you call the Gateway a ‘Demon Gate’ is of particular interest to us, since we’re new to the area, as you might say.”

The containers began opening up, and small robots emerged, quickly going to work spreading their building materials from the first three containers. As they watched, a squat grey slab ‘grew’ into a seamless bunker-style building with a single formed entrance in just under two minutes. The fourth container contained a table and chairs, which the robots had placed on the slab before the building grew around it (which was a good thing, since there was no way that table was fitting through the door).

“What you call the Demon Gate we call Gateways. There are sixteen gateways in what is generally called ‘Known Space’. The closest to Earth, coincidentally, is located in the Alpha Centauri system, and was discovered during the early colonization efforts by the Francis Drake, though since they were only using Alpha Centauri to slingshot to another star, it took another four years before their broadcasts made it back to Earth, by which time I believe the Ponce de Leon had already launched.”

The man chuckled at what must have been stunned looks on our faces, and said, “We’ve made a few new discoveries along the way, especially after we found actual aliens. Anyways, there are sixteen known Gates. The one in this system makes seventeen. And we only know about it because someone from this side came through one of the Known Gates.”

As the robots finished up and loaded the containers back onto the freighter, the man led the way to the newly constructed bunker. At the doorway, he stood a side, and offered to let the Premier’s security detail pass by him and check the place out. When the ‘all clear’ was given, everyone walked into the room. It was a drab, grey, concrete building, or at least that is what it looked like, but the way it had been built was far too fast for concrete. The man took a seat at one part of the table, purposefully putting his back to the door in a rather brazen show of confidence, and his guards sat flanking him. There were fourteen more chairs at the large round table, enough for everyone present to sit if they wished. Once they were seated, the man’s guardians removed their helmets and set them on the table in front of them.

The Premier sat, and the General only grumbled slightly as she motioned for the other guards to sit and follow the outsiders’ lead. Looking across the table at the man, Fukuya said, “Is Oscar Espina, the so-called ‘explorer’ with your group, Mollen-san? There are people who would dearly like to speak with him about his sudden departure, starting with his mother, the former Premier.”

The man sighed, and shook his head. “Alas, Espina is dead. When he exited the Gateway, his shuttle was discovered by pirates who happily sold the ship for scrap and enslaved Espina to work as part of their crew. The pirates were later captured and themselves enslaved, but most of them died when a plague engulfed the planet they were on, Espina included. However, the data recorder of the Juan Ponce de Leon survived, and was recovered by individuals working for Black Star. When we figured out what it was, and what it could mean, we began putting together the expeditionary fleet you saw on your scanners.”

Premier Fukuya nodded simply, accepting the man’s death, though it was clear it was not the most desired outcome. General Akagi leaned forward, and asked, “Enslaved? Have humans fallen back on such barbarism in the time that has passed since the Ponce de Leon left?”

The man did not seem perturbed by the accusatory tone in Akagi’s voice, and said, simply, “There was a great deal of instability, unfortunately, after the early colonial years, and when mankind first developed Faster Than Light drives. The ability to get from Earth to Alpha Centauri in a month instead of years was groundbreaking, and there was a push by Earth to bring some of the old colonies back into the fold, while using the new technology to colonize other worlds that had not been thought viable before. Suffice to say that out of the chaos, the Terran Empire was formed. Then we met aliens, and things got more complicated. The Empire copied a practice of judicial slavery some of the aliens practiced, though they took it further than some, which caused several wars to break out between different interstellar governments.”

“If you like, I can have a basic primer on galactic history since your departure rom Earth downloaded to your systems so you can read it at your leisure. But I must say, I would love to hear how the Ponce de Leon ended up all the way out here. Did you know that you are over twenty-five THOUSAND light-years off course? Ever since we charted where this gate was, how you got here has been the talk of the fleet.” He shrugged. “That’s what I get for bringing scientists along, I guess. “

The Premier chuckled good naturedly, while the General simply nodded in understanding. Scientists could be a headache, at the best of times. When they had a puzzle they couldn’t solve, they were a damn nightmare.

Akagi started, “Well, according to the histories…”

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Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB
Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Chapter 101 - Nuevo Edo

(BSN Shinokage, Unknown Space)

I was standing on the ‘Flag Bridge’ of the Shinokage. Well, that’s what people called it, since it was the backup control center for the ship, and I was out of the Captain’s hair here. It also allowed me to look at the strategic situation without stepping on the Captain’s toes tactically.

Looking at the status of my fleet, I smiled. The Nightforge and the other ships were hanging back, well-protected with the flotilla of gunboats in place, and fighters ready to launch from my carrier. Shinokage, my four Assassins, and two squadrons of Raptor stealth fighters led the way to the super-Earth planet that seemed to be where the colony ship Juan Ponce de Leon had wound up. How it ended up damn near to the galactic core, in another arm of the galaxy, was something many of us were very eager to find out.

First, though, we had to deal with the defenses around the world, and find some way to introduce ourselves without either getting blown up or wiping out their defenses. Since they had taken the trouble to put that many weapon satellites in orbit, something told me that the defenses were very much necessary. Blowing them to hell would not put us on good terms with the locals, and I would feel rotten if we left them defenseless against some other attackers.

“Raven, what do we have?”

“The satellite network is used for communications, but it seems the primary purpose of the network is for planetary defense. Comparing passive scan data to historical weapons systems, I believe we’re looking at two types of weapons on these platforms. Primary standoff weapons look to be ballistic in nature, along the same idea as the main weapon on Shinokage and the Assassins, but not nearly as powerful. However, they are likely able to fire more rapidly than we are, giving them the ability to ‘shotgun’ an area of space with weapons fire. Secondary weapons are missile launchers equivalent to mid-22^nd century space-based nuclear missile launchers. Unless they have improved the warheads considerably, it would take two, maybe three hits to destroy an Assassin. Once inside the ballistic envelope and into their own weapons range, the Nightforge would be safe from anything the defense network could throw at them before destroying the platforms.”

“So their tech hasn’t improved any from when the Ponce de Leon left. Interesting. The historical records show that they at least had an industrial plant to start the colony with, but I suppose whatever brought them all this way out here may have left them with limited options.”

I shook my head. That was a question that could wait for answers once we were talking to the people on the ground. “You’ve detected communications, yes? Have you been able to break the encryption and discern the local language?”

“Communications have been decrypted, yes. They are using encryption that is very advanced compared to what was available when they left Earth, but is still a thousand years out of date for us. Ironically, if we had not been supplied with older encryption codes from the historical database, the method of encryption would likely have been too primitive for the advanced decryption algorithms to make sense of.”

I chuckled at that. “A thrown rock, properly aimed, can make you just as dead as a modern rifle with all the bells and whistles. Make a note that all communications officers, tactical officers, and assault teams are to familiarize themselves with period codes, weapons, and tactics. If they can outwit our algorithms by using old tricks they don’t know to look for with their communications, they can do it in other ways, too. Now, what about their language?”

“That is trickier, Commodore. The Juan Ponce de Leon was funded by business interests from South America following the Quito earthquake of 2135. While many of the colonists were from the local Spanish-speaking population, the financiers and leaders of the expedition, along with about 25% of the colony population, was Japanese or of Japanese descent, due to corporate involvement in the area. It appears that, during the trip, a fusion of the two languages was born amongst the general populace. Translation software for all personnel has been set to adaptive rotating language, but we will likely miss a good deal of context from the different syntaxes combining in unusual ways.”

I blinked, a little stunned. “They went and did WHAT now? Ugh, that has a damn politician’s fingerprints all over it, no doubt. Probably a whole committee of the fuckers. This is why you don’t let committees handle basic things like this. No sane person would think that combining those two languages was a good idea!”

“It takes a certain level of insanity to launch oneself from star to star at sublight speeds, knowing only your grandchildren might live to see the destination. Or to go through an energy vortex you don’t understand the workings of to a place you only hope will be on the other side.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fair point, I guess.”

Raven cocked her head to the side, and said, “We are receiving a message from the planet, Commodore.”

“We as in Shinokage, or we as in the fleet?” There were certain ramifications he didn’t appreciate if they had found Shinokage and determined it was the command ship for his fleet, after all.

“Sorry, sir. Communication is old-style broadcast radio. Seems to be directed at the Nightforge, which makes sense as she is the least stealthy ship in the fleet, and the largest. The fighters patrolling the area are also based more on tactical superiority than stealth.”

“Understood. Message contents?”

“A mathematical series of pulses, sir. It matches one of the old ‘first contact’ packages that used to be used before humans discovered actual alien life forms in 2212.”

“So, they’ve spotted us, but our ships aren’t like anything they’ve seen before. We haven’t come in guns blazing, so they’re trying to talk. Good, that gives us some hope we can have an actual relationship with these people.”

I considered for a moment, and then said, “Route communications through the Nightforge. No need to tell them about Shinokage just yet. Send the next string of the replies, and then the final string of the package. Then text, in English, Japanese, and Spanish, asking for technical details on data transmission, video capability, and so on, so we can talk more effectively. If possible, get them to send along proper translation guides for their language. Also, I want you to add this…”

(Command Bunker)

“You are certain of this?”

“Yes, Captain. The vessel answered the mathematical series, and then skipped ahead to the last line of each series that we would have used in our first contact package, in the exact order we are supposed to run the series. They have to have come in contact with Humans before.”

“And they must have had some kind of contact with them that didn’t involve gunfire and whatever those damn Demons do to the poor souls they capture.”

“Captain, more transmissions from the unknown ship. Message is text-based, instead of pulse tones. Does not appear to be encrypted… Computer suggests that they are using a language called ‘English’ from the historical records. Message now repeating in Japanese, and in Spanish. They are asking for technical data, and local language translations. They… Captain, I think these might actually be humans!”

“What makes you say that, Lieutenant?”

“The message ends each time with the following: Hello Cousins. Nice to see the Children of the Juan Ponce de Leon weren’t lost as had been thought.”

“By the kami, that bastard did it.”

“Captain?”

“That ‘explorer’ Espina, who stole a shuttle and ran through the Demon Gate. He always said that the Gateways could be used to get in touch with Earth again, but no one believed him. He stole the recording device that the Founders brought with them on the colony ship. If they know we are of the Juan Ponce de Leon, then Espina must have found someone on that side, and they had enough contact with Earth that they knew who they were looking for.”

The captain considered, and said, “On my authority, send the technical specifications they asked for. They want to talk, lets make sure we can talk. And send them a primer on Nihon-Espanol. And make sure the computers are set up to translate the languages they used. I want us to be ready to talk when they return contact.”

With that, the Captain walked into the office they used as commander of the bunker where deep space transmissions were monitored, and picked up a secure comm device that worked via landline. “Switchboard, get me the Premier. Highest possible urgency. Codeword: Kikyo.”

(BSN Shinokage, Unknown Space)

Captain Inatumal looked up as I entered the bridge with Raven at my heels. I nodded to her, and took up a position next to her chair, “Status, Captain?”

“We have received confirmation from the Nightforge, Master. The government of the planet is somewhat excited to meet with us. As you commanded, we’ve given them enough hints to let them know that we at least have communication with Earth. They just transmitted their reception capability, so we can send video transmissions when you are ready.”

“Excellent. Time until their next transmission?”

“Approximately two minutes, Master. They are supposed to be getting the leader of their planet to the secure station where they’ve been broadcasting to us from.” The captain looked confused at that part.

“They’re being cautious, Captain. If we turn out to be evil aliens bent on world domination, then following the source of the signal will give us a location…” I paused and looked at the map, “about twenty kilometers from the nearest civilian settlement, instead of the center of their government. And if something goes wrong with the first meeting, then they can sweep it under the rug instead of having it blow up in the media. It will be just like the old UFO conspiracies on Earth.”

“Weren’t most of those proved to be true, though?”

“Oh certainly. Just not for several centuries after their existence had been relegated to the stuff of conspiracy theories and myth, along with outright hoaxes like crop circles. By the time people found out the truth, the truth didn’t matter any more to the organizations involved. Humans had already met ACTUAL aliens, so the stories of aliens from centuries ago didn’t interest them.”

The comms officer coughed to get our attention, and said, “Captain, Commodore, incoming transmission from the surface, full video. I believe it is their Premier this time.”

I nodded, and said, “Take transmission from Shinokage directly instead of bouncing off Nightforge, but repeat to the entire fleet so people have a record of this meeting. Decloak the stealth ships and fighters as we begin transmitting. Tactical, do be kind enough to let me know if they start targeting us, yes?” I winked at Inatumal, and said, “A bit of theater, Captain, to set the tone for future negotiations.”

There was a flurry of activity, and then everything was ready, as I stood in the center of Shinokage’s bridge, the main screen came on, showing a group of three women, one of whom was in a military-type uniform, the other two looked to be civilians. The civilian in the center was a bit older looking, more statuesque than beautiful, like a tempered blade. I offered a slight bow, as one leader might make to another in Japanese culture, and said, “I am Commodore Mirikon Mollen of the Black Star Navy, and owner of the Black Star Company. Who am I addressing?”

The woman was exotic looking, to be sure, as one might expect with a mix of Hispanic and Japanese blood. She returned the bow, and said, “I am Premier Fukuya Talia of Nuevo Edo, the colony founded by the Juan Ponce de Leon. We have long hoped for contact from Earth, but how is it you came through the Demon Gate?” There was a pause as someone whispered something to the military woman, who stiffened, and then whispered to the premier.

Decent response time on detecting our ships. I looked to the tactical officer off screen, who shook his head slightly. No weapon locks. A good sign.

Premier Fukuya looked back to the screen, and said, “Am I correct in assuming that the ships that just appeared on our scanners are yours, Commodore?”

“You are, Premier. Given that you have a network of defense satellites in place, we decided on a more cautious approach until we found out how itchy your trigger fingers were.”

“A test on first contact, Commodore?” She sounded a mix of amused and put out.

“Indeed. In my experience, having a weapon is fine, especially for those who expect to be in a position where they might be required to use that weapon. But those who react to surprises by reaching for their weapon first are not the kind of people I wish to associate myself too closely with. Simple misunderstandings can become hazardous to one’s health at that point.”

“And are we people you would like to associate with, Commodore?”

“Oh, from what I’ve seen so far, there are definitely possibilities. But perhaps it would be good to meet in person and speak? My scanners indicate that there is a large quarry approximately two kilometers south of the bunker you’re currently transmitting from that is not currently in use. Since I doubt you have proper spaceport facilities, and you may feel allowing ships to land nearer to your primary settlements an unnecessary risk at this early stage, it would be a suitable location to begin discussions, no?”

“Hmph. It would seem you’ve been doing a good bit of thought on this, Commodore.”

“I just happen to remember how… touchy humans can be when encountering the unknown. This way, we both get some security, and neither of us lose face. It is the best way to begin a conversation, I believe.”

“Well, you might not be that alien to us after all, Commodore. Welcome to Nuevo Edo.”

Friday, May 11, 2018

Prologue - Trade Chat

(NERV Game Site – Official DAtS Offline Forums)

Number5Alive, Golddigger, BurtBacharach, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, l33tpally, Bennie, SEA-TAC_Sweetie, Requiesce-in-Pace, MacD, HaveGunsWillTravel, Guardian, GunKitty, Chummer, Inquisitor, SemiSolidSnake, ElfMama, Not_the_Face!, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous9, AggregatorOfSorrows, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, Dolcett, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, Hullu_Kapteeni, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, Queen’s_Bitch, BackDat@55Up, DoYouEvenDPS?, MajorTom, Parca, and DarkAngel are in the chat.

GrimDark: *sigh*

Knocker: What’s wrong, Grim?

GrimDark: Just sad that the war is over already. No one else seems to be gearing up, and the Imperials are too busy recovering.

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Well, I wouldn’t say everything is peaceful. Confederates are shifting resources to try and deal with Imperial refugees, and increased raiding activity all across their space.

MarcoPolo: I can tell you that the Gauz Consortium is up to all kinds of tricks, just not the kinds you want, Grim. Looks like most of the crafting-focused players went to the Consortium, and they got inspired by the Black Star fleet. There’s been a lot of interesting developments out here. A lot of explosions too.

ElfMama: Explosions?

MarcoPolo: Sometimes great advances in science only come after great setbacks. Like having your lab turned into a smoking crater after you learn that some substances REALLY don’t react well to certain conditions.

Backlog: LMFAO!

DoYouEvenDPS?: There’s a couple guilds… sorry, companies out here in the Free Worlds Alliance that have started putting together a merchant fleet. Well, the each have only a couple ships, but they’re hoping to grow.

SEA-TAC_Sweetie: Trying to take the spot of top earning company from Black Star?

DoYouEvenDPS?: Maybe eventually. That bastard just got too big a head start, having his first ship come to him free.

M.Mollen: If you want to be technical, with the rest of the money my ‘friend’ earned in that card game, Lord_Kickass basically paid her to give his ship to me.

BurtBacharach: You’ve been damn lucky.

M.Mollen: Some luck. But most of it was cheating. Oh, not hacking the game or anything like that. But reading minds is very useful in card games, or when you’re trying to make an arena fight look good.

M.Mollen: The rest was just taking advantage of the opportunities I made for myself. Finding Shadowdancer was the big break, since her capabilities make her ideal for a quick strike force.

BackDat@55Up: So, what is this I hear about your company going on some kind of expedition?

ElfMama: Ooh, yes! That expedition has been the talk of Dimiya ever since you started building up for it!

GrimDark: Is there another war on that I don’t know about?

M.Mollen: Well, no war just yet. We’ll see about the future, but yes, I can confirm that most of my fleet has left Dimiya, and Confederation space altogether.

GoldDigger: Where did you go?

DoYouEvenLyft?: He was tracked as far as the Desolace System, but that is deep in Confederate space, and he hasn’t been spotted at any of the gateways since.

M.Mollen: Any of the KNOWN Gateways.

l33tpally: What the actual fuck? There aren’t any unknown gates!

MarcoPolo: Actually, the are. There have to be. The X’thari wouldn’t be able to do their hit and run attacks if there wasn’t at least one Gate we didn’t have an address for.

l33tpally: Then why haven’t we tried random numbers to find them?

GoldDigger: Because you can’t just dial up and ask if the X’thari can come out and play. There’s literally millions of potential addresses.

M.Mollen: 127,512,000 potential addresses. 16 of which are in Known Space.

GoldDigger: Right, so you can’t just dial the gate and see what happens. Mainly because the only way to tell a good address from a bad one is to go through the gate.

l33tpally: What happens if you hit a bad address?

GoldDigger: No one knows.

l33tpally: C’mon, seriously though.

Requiesce-in-Pace: He’s right, though. No one knows. And even if nomads can return from death, no one is willing to invest in 127 million shuttles to send them through to random destinations and only lose most of them, if you’re lucky.

MacD: So how did M.Mollen find a 17th gate address?

M.Mollen: I was stealing things for a client, and while I was in the fancy part of the vaults, I looked around for anything fun that I could take for myself.

SemiSolidSnake: Hey, is anyone else on Earth right now?

Blaze: I’m in the Sicilian Enclosure, why?

SemiSolidSnake: Then you might want to let them know that there’s some crazy bastard driving from Berlin to Sicily.

Blaze: Wait, driving? All the vehicles should be gone by now!

SemiSolidSnake: Oh yeah, everything more complicated than a steam engine is gone all right, but this fucker made himself a steam engine. After he made himself a smoker to make jerky as ‘travel rations’ for himself and his ‘pet’.

M.Mollen: How are things behind the lines, Snake?

SemiSolidSnake: About as you’d expect. Never thought I’d use those survival classes in a video game, but there you go.

Blaze: So what’s up with this guy that I need to warn people about? Other than the fact that he can apparently make tech from scratch?

SemiSolidSnake: Well, his ‘jerky’ is made from the bodies of people who had too much tech in their heads, and he basically has a Gauz girl chained to him whenever he goes out.

M.Mollen: Real piece of work, then.

Blaze: I’ll let them know about the incoming. How long do you expect?

SemiSolidSnake: Well, they’re basically going about the same speed as a horse. Give it a month?

Blaze: All right, I can work with that.

MacD: So where did the new gate address take you, M.Mollen?

M.Mollen: Oh, I’m pretty close to the galactic core right now.

Requiesce-in-Pace: Haha. That’ll definitely make it difficult for future assassins to find you.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Chapter 146 - Chained Princess

“Aaaaahn! No, not there!”

Even after allowing Sachiel to leave for the temple where she would learn her new place in the world, the dungeon under LIthaes was not empty. On the contrary, there were several people here, who had either earned my displeasure, or needed a sufficient education in obedience. They weren’t just my slaves, of course, since the dungeon was open to the guild, but several were mine, including several ladies that had been captured during the war.

The guild Catspaw had been a small Traveler guild from the human kingdom of Bruca that had joined the army as a chance to spread their fame, and gain some levels. Instead, they’d been captured and enslaved, their guild broken up as they were given to different masters. They’d been raffled off like door prizes, to be honest. I almost felt bad for the little catgirl that Ashed of the Disavowed won, since the Ogre was doing his best to add Catsplitter to his titles when he took her for a test run in the middle of the gathering. I’d only kept one of the Travelers for myself, because her specific type of perversion amused me. And that perversion would be useful in breaking the proud princess of Ograin.

Helen Glendower

High Human Female

Level 80 Weapon Mistress (Fighter) / Blade Dancer (Battledancer)

Titles: Manslayer, Courtesan, Proud One, Slave, Fallen Princess

Jen Taboo

Human Female

Level 40 Monster Tamer (Beast Tamer) / Ranger

Titles: Pervert, Beastlayer, Breeder, Monsterlayer, Lichloved, Slave

Princess Helen cursed and moaned, but was helpless to resist despite being a high level warrior, as she was strapped to a table, her naked breasts pressed firmly against the wood. The table was a solid oaken table, well polished and firm, and it was set in a spotlight of white magical light, bright enough to keep the shadowy area outside its circle hidden from the Princess’s eyes. Because of the bright light and the sounds coming from elsewhere in the dungeon, she had found sleeping the night before a difficult proposition, especially when slaves came by to torment her from time to time.

Struggling against her bonds, Helen moaned again as another wave of pleasure passed through her. She was only bound to the table by her legs, which were kept spred behind her, but her hands had been chained behind her back, keeping her from mounting any resistance to what was happening to her. No, she was pressing her chest against the polished wood in a desperate, yet futile, attempt to escape my other slave.

At the moment, my perverted Traveler was doing her best to earn the reward I had promised her, kneeling behind Helen, and using her tongue to thoroughly explore the fallen princess’s holes, and to prepare her for what was to come. Her eagerness to earn that reward was actually pretty impressive, and translated into a zeal with her tongue that would rival those of many a devotee of Sappho.

From the darkness, I said, “Ah, Princess. Such a terrible fate for one so beautiful, to be kept chained in a dungeon like this. Or perhaps this is what you wanted, but were always too prideful to ask for? Are you enjoying the tender caress of your sister slave, Slut?”

Helen reacted like I’d slapped her at my words, and glared into the darkness in the general area of where I was standing. The effect was somewhat ruined when Jen nibbled on the little button between her legs, causing a moan of pleasure to be ripped from her lips once again. “You honorless bastard! Sneak attacks and trickery! You would have fallen like wheat before the scythe in true battle!”

“Oh, that was a true battle, my naïve little slut. A true battle, a true war, means that everything is on the table, nothing is forbidden, because in the end all that matters at the end of the day is whether you won or lost, and what the cost for that outcome was. Your pitiful army lost because you were not prepared for the true horrors of war. And like a foolish little girl, you thought that you would be executed if you did not yield, and you would not have to live with your failure, and the humiliation of being forced to walk naked back to Duskhaven with your men. I’m sure that they would have taken VERY good care of you along the road.”

“Laugh while you can, monster. Aahn! Your comeuppance will be swift and merciless when my fiancé comes to rescue me!”

“Ah yes, Sir Harry of Potterston? He arrived just before dark last night with two friends. Brave souls, but they perhaps should have thought twice about a night assault against a castle guarded by Vampires, Werewolves, and Drow. Not that attacking in the day would have given them a better chance at success.”

I smiled as the Princess tried to hide her panic. “Oh yes, I am afraid that Sir Harry, Sir Ronald, and Dame Hermione were quite unsuccessful in their attempt to free you. Sir Ronald ran afoul of the leader of my Werewolves, a Werewarg of considerable strength, and when the change finishes, he shall be a fine member of the pack, once she’s properly tamed him. And Dame Hermione was picked up by my vampires, and they showed her pleasures one could just die from, and so she did, but she will rise tonight to join them once more.”

Princess Helen grit her teeth in fear and anger (and to bite back another moaning gasp of pleasure), before saying “And Sir Harry? Does he still live?”

“Ah, Sir Harry. Tell me, Slut, did the sausage and meatballs you were served for breakfast this morning taste familiar? Dear Cookie was testing out a new recipie, which Sir—no, sorry, Dame Harry helped her with the ingredients. Once that was done, however, poor Harry was so distraught that he slipped and fell back onto a spit that had been prepared for the night’s roast. Cookie could not help but be moved by his dedication to helping in the kitchen, and so she agreed to allow Dame Harry to star as the night’s main course.”

She sobbed this time, clearly distraught, and perhaps more than a little upset with her body’s betrayal, if I was any judge of the shudders running through her, and the spray of juices on Jen’s face. I decided that it was time to advance this game a bit, and said, “So now, what ever shall I do with you, Slut? I am sure that Zephara wouldn’t mind some company to share the work of being the Village Whore, and you have some level of dancing skill, I’ve been told. Perhaps you could give shows, dancing upon men’s poles? Does that thought excite you?”

“DAMN YOU TO HELL, YOU BASTARD! I HOPE THAT YOU DIE A THOUSAND TIMES FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!”

“Ah good, you still have some spirit. That will make this all the better. Jen, you may get up, you’ve earned your reward.” At my words, the human girl jumped up, and practically bounced across the room to where I was standing. “Ah-ah-ah. First, we must bring one of your special friends here to keep the Princess entertained.” I stepped into the light then, revealing my naked form to the Princess. “Now, Princess, I’m going to offer you a choice, since I think it would be a shame for such beauty to not be passed down to the next generation. Will you bear my child?”

She tried to spit at me, but couldn’t get the range to reach more than the stones at my feet. “I would rather die!”

I sighed in fake regret. “Ah, that is unfortunate. Too bad. Well, then before I reward Jen for her work, allow me to do this. [Fruitful Passion].” I stepped forward and touched the princess on the head as I cast the spell, and then turned to look at Jen. “I believe the Slutty Princess needs a playmate. Do you think Gardiax will enjoy her?”

The perverted wench giggled, and said, “Oh, yes, Master!” She reached over to where her discarded clothes and gear were set, and pulled out a Capture Ball, a device used by Beast Tamers to hold their tamed creatures temporarily so they did not have a menagerie following them through the streets (to name but one example). “[Gardiax, I choose you!]” At those words, a red light shone from the Capture Ball, and a ten-foot-tall monster filled the space in front of Helen’s table.

Gardiax

Minotaur Lord Male

Level 60 Battle Raper (Barbarian) / Labrynth Lord (Ranger)

Titles: Sadist, Sexecutioner, Ladykiller, Gnome Splitter, Dwarf Splitter, Pixie Splitter, Stud Horse, Tamed Monster

I simply nodded to Jen, who looked at Gardiax. The naked minotaur lord, at the sight of two naked women, was already getting hard. Jen smiled at Gardiax, and said, “Gardiax, fuck this whore as hard as you can!”

The minotaur laughed as it circled around behind the now panicking Princess Helen. “Wait! No, you can’t do this to me! I’m a Princess!” She was squirming desperately as she felt one of the minotaur’s monstrous hands fall upon her waist, and screamed, “NO! WAIT! I’M SORRY! I’LL BEAR YOUR CHILD! I’ll DO ANYTHING! JUST KEEP THIS MONSTER AWAY FROM AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Her scream of panic became one of pain as the minotaur lord forced a rod that put even my exaggerated tool to shame inside the Princess’s pussy, bottoming out within her in a single stroke, and still only halfway in.

Now I stood in front of the Princess, with Jen standing in front of me, her rear pressed against me as she licked her lips in desire at the scene in front of her, and anticipation at what was to come. Chuckling, I said, “I’m sure our princess will appreciate the healing function of the bindings on her wrists. Otherwise I’m not certain whether she would live to tire out your pet. Now, I believe I promised you a reward.” Without another word, I shifted into my drake form, and grabbed the little human’s waist with my clawed hands, lifting her up bodily into the air, only to drop her upon my dragon cock, her own weight forcing her all the way down in an instant.

A lesser pervert would have screamed at such abuse. Perhaps they would have even been torn up inside, causing them to spit up blood as a rod too large for the typical human female to take without injury (to say nothing of their pleasure or comfort) was forced inside her so suddenly, and with only her own arousal at the promise of this treatment to lubricate her. A lesser pervert would be regretting their choices at this moment, but Jen Taboo was no lesser pervert!

As a Beast Tamer, and later a Monster Tamer, Jen was expected to go out and find powerful monsters that she could capture, and then command in battle, summoning reinforcements to the field as needed. But that was not what Jen took the class for. As a girl in the real world, she had been introduced to… forbidden pleasures by her elder sister, in defiance of their too strictly religious parents, and had gotten a taste for them. But the real world did not afford her the chance to explore her fantasies nearly as much as she would wish, and so she had come to virtual reality to scratch that itch.

Which is why she was now moaning happily in pleasure as I fucked her with all of my draconic might, thrusting deep inside her as her face went to a classic ahegao while the princess looked on in pain and horror. She could not escape the sight of my cock thrusting into the perverted human’s pussy only a foot away from her face, not while a minotaur lord was doing his best to destroy her pussy and womb utterly. In a surprise to no one, the pervert on my cock was the first to reach her climax, and she showered Princess Helen in golden liquid even as her eyes rolled up into her head with the first of what would be many orgasms for the night.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Epilogue - Patch Notes 10.X

(Virtual Control Room, NERV Headquarters)

“All right, that should be it. We’ve worked with the main game AI, and the final patches are coded and going through debugging now.”

Isaac nodded, smiling along with the techs. It had been a flurry of virtual activity in the control room since the Emperor and his mad AI had escaped the attack on Sol by ‘respawning’. Arranging for an ‘in game’ way to deal with and limit the fallout of those events had been a major headache, and the source of many late night ‘discussions’ (some would call a few of them screaming matches) between Isaac, the techs, the corporate types, and the game AI.

They had deserved a little celebration, no doubt. But there was no rest for the weary, or the wicked. “OK, OK. We’ve got the patch ready and going through debugging. Now, I want a check of hotspots with players in the game, so maybe we can head off problems like this in the future. If we had caught the cult thing early, and stamped it out, we might have been able to avoid going to such extreme lengths. We all know how many plotlines the ‘green Earth’ even screwed up, to say nothing of the civil war.”

When everyone had settled down, Isaac continued, “Might as well start at the top. The Empire?”

“Stabilizing. Should be moving back to normal soon, though the new Empress is making a play to try and change the Imperial stance on slavery, specifically the part about nonhumans becoming slaves when they enter the Empire.”

“Makes sense. They need to replace a lot of manpower, and the human only thing makes them unpopular with a lot of groups.”

“Rebuilding efforts are underway already across the Empire, focusing on the shipping and logistics side of things. Morale is in the shitter across the Empire, so they’re trying to get people’s confidence back before they start replacing lost hulls.”

Isaac nodded. “Good. Confederacy?”

“No major changes there. Economy is still strong, and the military is on alert, though they’re more interested in keeping the ‘Seed Ships’ out of their space as much as possible, and focusing on Imperials or Jagloth refugees turned raiders and pirates than preparing for war against the Empire. They’re taking a wait and see approach with them for now.”

Isaac scowled at the mention of that place. “The Bastard Who Shall Not Be Named still contained?”

“Affirmative. Since the ‘care package’ that wiped the planet, we’ve been maintaining a close watch on him. He’s been killed so much that normally by now the AI would have offered him some method of spontaneous adaptation to survive on the surface of the planet, but according to the agreement we made, it concurs that such an action isn’t warranted until the bastard shows some form of contrition, which, if the latest diatribe on the forums and the twenty-seven connection attempts with duplicate accounts are any indication, he has shown no sign of so far. The idiot keeps trying new names and card numbers, a couple of which even got past our subscription AI, but he probably never read the part of the EULA where the AI matches person to character based on brainwaves, and his pattern is red flagged.”

“Well, that was buried on page twenty-seven, so I’m not surprised he might have missed it. I know what’s in the thing, and reading it makes my head spin sometimes. The lawyers earned their paychecks on that one, let me tell you.”

Isaac continued the meeting. “The Alliance? Anything new going on there?”

“Nothing much. More than a few groups of players are starting companies, trying to get some in game trade going. They hope to rival Black Star for profits, but they’ve got a long way to go, since most of the groups are still trying to pay off their first ship, but the Magellan Group is making a good run of it. They’re already up to three freighters hauling cargo across the Alliance.”

“Consortium?”

“Some interesting things going on there, actually. The revelations of some of the Empire’s dealings, and the crazy stuff people have been able to do with nano, not to mention the Black Star ships, have inspired the crafter players to all kinds of ingenious methods. Or mad science, depending on who you ask. We’re keeping an eye on them, to keep another Jagloth from happening, but so far I expet the Consortium to be bringing out some cool new innovations before long.”

“Ihm? What are the lizards doing?”

“Still not much player penetration of the Imperium, unfortunately, but the ones who are there are going whole hog on things. We have several players who have worked their way up to mid-level command posts in the Ihm military, thanks to their combat prowess. And one of the female players was actually named regional governor for a continent on the Ihm homeworld.”

“Find out who she is, and see if we can feature her in a promo. Send the info to Morgan when you get it.”

“Will do.”

“OK, anything else we need to talk about, or can we start the celebration for a patch well done?”

“There’s the Norma Galactic Arm situation, sir.”

“The what in the where now?”

“The Norma Arm of the Milky Way, close to the Galactic core.”

“Who do we have that has managed to get close to the galactic core?”

“Black Star Company. They were following up on a lead they’d gotten from raiding the Governor’s safe in orbit of Jagloth, remember?”

“Ah yeah, that expedition they were putting together. I haven’t had as much time to watch that guy recently. So, they went through one of the Gateways, and ended up in Norma?”

“Yeah, if they do a proper job of exploring the system, this could kick off a whole wave of colonization and expansion in the game.”

“So what’s the problem? They get on the locals’ bad side?”

“No, they still haven’t made contact with the locals. They’re using outdated sensor tech against stealth ships. Only reason they know anyone’s out there is because one of the Black Star ships, a retired cruise liner, blocked the Gate’s light for a moment, which people using visual scanners saw.”

“So where’s the problem?”

“Well, they woke something up…”

“Oh. Oh no.”

Monday, May 7, 2018

Chapter 100 - Spatium Incognita

(BSN Shadowdancer, Unknown Space)

Blasting through the Gateway at a speed of almost a quarter of the speed of light and still accelerating, the Shadowdancer moved like a bat out of hell, hoping to avoid any initial barrage that static defenses may have had in place. The gate had been active for less than a second when they dove through, so hopefully they would be moving quickly enough that even computerized defenders would take a few moments to lock on to them. That was the trick to doing a hostile gate dive, of course. If you could time it right, then it was possible for a single ship to slip through if they were light and quick. Most ships like that, however, would be beyond useless behind enemy lines, so the tactic was rarely used.

Captain Thelynn tried to keep a calm demeanor for her crew. The Shadowdancer was not like other ships of her size, after all. She was literally designed for behind the lines work, savaging enemy shipping and the like. Her ship, her crew, had proven themselves beyond all doubt during the civil war, but if they saw their captain getting nervous, then they would be nervous, and that might lead to them making mistakes. They could not afford any mistakes on this run, so she played it calm and cool as she looked over the data coming off the sensors.

So far, things were looking good. No missiles or energy weapons came flying their way, and the helmsman didn’t need to make emergency maneuvers to avoid any inconveniently placed starships or space stations. In fact, there wasn’t anything around the gateway at all. No defenses, no guard ships, none of the things she would expect to be in place around a Gateway.

“Secure from battle stations. Reduce speed, bring us around to all stop by the Gate. Sensors, once you have the gate’s symbol, pass it on to comms, and work on getting a map of the system. Comms, once you have the address, open the Gate to Desolace, so we can let the Master know it is safe, for the moment.”

Over the next few minutes they began to map out the system as sensor data came in. It was a fairly standard Class G star, but the rest of the system was, to put it simply, strange. A single ‘super-earth’ was the focal point of the system. Running the numbers quickly, Nyna frowned to herself. It was like someone had taken the material of Mercury, Venus, and Earth and compressed them all into a single planet. There was also a large asteroid belt which suggested that there had been at least one, maybe two more planets that were destroyed sometime in the system’s past, as well as some (thankfully) normal gas giants further out.

Considering that the super-earth might have life on it, Nyna turned to the comms officer. “Scan for any transmissions in the system. Search the historical data we have on the Juan Ponce de Leon and focus on the frequencies their equipment used. We have a few hours until the light from the Gateway reaches the main planet, and I’d prefer to know if someone was out there before they find out about us.”

(BSN Thunderfury, Unknown Space)

Captain Am’Rrica’s tail twitched in excitement as she considered their current assignment. This was the kind of work that anyone who lived and worked in the darkness between the stars dreamed about, being the first to explore Unknown Space, flying into the void where no one knew what wonders and dangers they would find. It was both exhilarating and terrifying to the extreme. When the Shadowdancer reported the all clear, the rest of the Expeditionary Force went through the Gateway in turn, including her Thunderfury.

As she stood on the bridge of the Thunderfury, the blast doors opened, revealing the Nomad Major in charge of the Marine detachment. “Major Khan, excellent. As you can see, we’ve made it through the gate. No sign of system defenses yet, but if they only made a single attempt to go through the gate, then they may not have had reason to place guards at the Gateway.”

“Well, that’s good, at least. I was checking the sensor feed, and saw the writeup on that super-earth. Could you get the Engineering department to adjust the local gravity and atmosphere on the Marine decks for ‘sea level’ on that planet? If we’re going to be engaged in surface operations, I’d like to have my people start acclimating now, rather than spending extra time on the surface.”

Am’Rica nodded. “That should not be a problem at all. Those sections were originally designed to have variable atmosphere and gravity from the rest of the ship for that reason.”

“Any sign of habitation in the system? If the colony ship made it here intact, they’d definitely have a solid resource base for space-based industry.”

The Captain’s tailed stilled momentarily. “Yes, if they made it here in one piece. I am not certain what could have happened to them, to be honest. The stellar cartographers are comparing the local starfield with our maps, and their conclusions are… astounding.”

“Oh?”

“Well, we’re currently in the Norma arm of the Galaxy, as you humans call it. How in the infinite singular abyss did a ship get from the Orion arm practically to the galactic core in so short a time if they were only going at sublight speeds? Even our most advanced military drives would take over forty-seven years of continuous warp to get this far! Even if they somehow managed to accelerate to lightspeed, they should have taken almost thirty thousand years to make the trip!”

Major Khan whistled appreciatively. “Well that would certainly explain why no one ever found out where they went to. My gods, another arm of the galaxy? Maybe the found a wormhole, or slipstream, or some other phenomenon that threw them this far out?”

“It would be comforting if they did find some kind of natural phenomenon that threw them out here, to be honest. The alternatives are… unsettling.”

“You mean the ones where they either found some artifact of lost tech and managed to turn it on, or a race of beings we haven’t met yet decided to throw them so off course?”

“Pretty much. If it was a piece of Lost Tech, then what happened to them that made it so they couldn’t bring word of their success back to Earth? And if it was a group of unknown aliens, why have we never seen them, and what will they do if they find us in their back yard?”

“Great, I needed more reasons not to sleep at night.”

Captain Am’Rica sighed. “We know SOMEONE survived the trip, because they sent a shuttle to try and find help. But what kind of condition would they be in after all this time? How much time has actually passed for them, for that matter? And how badly damaged was their ship when they came out of the… wormhole, we’ll call it.”

Major Khan paused, and then clapped one hand on the Ihm female’s shoulder. “That’s a question for the science types, Captain. Don’t worry about it. The boss will find the locals, and we’ll go down to see the sights and make sure they want to play nice. And if super-advanced aliens show up, then we’ll be in so far over our heads that there really isn’t any point worrying about it. Just remember that even the most advanced warships can be destroyed by something as simple as throwing a rock fast enough. The Assassins proved that in the war. We might be underdogs, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get a couple bites in first. Maybe enough to make them talk before they try and kill us.”

(Elsewhere)

“Sir! The satellite just detected the light of the Demon Gate!”

“What? It is still five years too early!”

“Checking… Confirmed! The Demon Gate is open! No sign of enemy ships.”

“Hmm. Better report it anyway. Have the skytrackers keep watch on that sector any way, just in case. The demons have never done something like this before, but—”

“Captain! There may be enemy ships by the Demon Gate! Unconfirmed readings!”

“What do you mean, unconfirmed? Are they there or not?”

“Hard to say, Captain. We only had a momentary glimpse of something as it eclipsed the Demon Gate. I have the computer running light differentials now… Several anomalies, too small for automatic detection to alert us. Multiple anomalies, too many for a single vessel. Something is moving between us and the surrounding stars, Captain. We’re only getting hints about their presence due to the light masking. They are invisible to visual scanners!”

“Damn. It must be some kind of stealth technology. But why would the Demons use stealth? They’ve never seemed to care about such things before?”

“What if they aren’t demons?”

“What do you mean, they came through the Demon Gate, only the demons do that!”

“But what if Espina was right? What if the glyphs in the Museum of the Ancients were other places the Demon Gate could go to? The place he went was supposed to be a great storehouse of ancient weapons, after all.”

“ESPINA WAS A COWARD WHO ABANDONED HIS POST DURING THE LAST DEMON WAR, AND STOLE THE FOUNDERS’ LEGACY!”

(BSN Shinokage, Unknown Space)

“Confirmed, Captain. There is no sign of communications from the target planet, but all signs point to it supporting life. We will have to get closer to be sure, but I believe we have spotted what looks like a crude defensive array. A series of satellites are in orbit. No weapon signatures detected from this far out, but they are spaced evenly across the planet, including over the oceans, making it unlikely that they are a communication network.”

Captain Inatumal nodded to the sensor officer. Turning to look to the man in charge, “Your orders, Master?”

Mirikon considered, and said, “Have the fleet move towards the planet. Standard approach protocols. Assassins and Shinokage to the front, gunboats hang back to protect the larger craft. They’ve all been painted, but the nonmilitary ships we picked up for the civilians and mining operations are not Black Star-made ships. They’re stealthy enough at a distance, but they’ll be spotted first. Let the stealth ships scout the area beforehand, instead of risking the civvies.”

“Understood, Master.” The Captain nodded to her owner, and then turned to address the crew. “Transmit orders to the fleet. Assassins are to form up around Shinokage. Other ships are to hold back and advance together with the gunboats acting as screening elements.”

Mirikon spoke again. “Captain, give the order for the Vicious Return and the Dykhaniye Smerti to launch Raptors as additional screens for the forward elements. The Smerti is to launch one squadron of Thunderbirds as a CAP, all other squadrons to standby, ready to scramble if there is trouble.”

“You heard the Master, Comms, get the orders out. If this goes to hell, I want the Raptors giving us some advance warning of what we are about to receive.”

Captain Inatumal looked over to her master, and asked, “Something worrying you, Master?”

He shook his head. “No, not yet. But it would be better to be prepared, I think.”

(Elsewhere)

In a section of space remarkable only for how empty it was, the light of the Gateway found receptors designed to register just such an event. In the cold dark of space, a small black form began to move, like waking from an ancient slumber.

Slowly, the probe spread its black wings, and began taking in everything that it could about those who had just disturbed its rest.