ic Incursion: Meaning in Destruction

[Tiffany Korta]

Sitara activated her comms as Myothizar stepped away to help the evacuations.

 

“Make sure to keep in communications at all time. And try not to take to long if you can, I can’t help but feel that we might need you help pretty soon.â€

 

That done she turned her attention back to the guide that had been assigned to aid them checking out these vaults

 

“I’ve never had a problem with confined space myself, especially as I’ve spent some time in stasis tubes of one kind of another. Please lead one we’ll follow you lead on this.â€

[Avenger Assembled]

Climbing down into the Ossuary was indeed a claustrophobic experience - the tunnel, its walls braced by spaceship scrap, was small enough that Kavorkin and his escorts had to crawl on hands and knees for a few yards. The tunnel's walls were dry and there was no sign of underground insects or other life - further proof that only the long-gone remnants of advanced terraforming had kept this planet habitable. "Captain hersself dug thesse tunnelss. Yearss ago," commented Kavorkin as they headed through the darkened passageway. Just when the rudely-built walls were indeed looking dangerously close around everyone's heads, they finally reached an opening. "Here we are. Turn on torchess if you have them, becausse thiss placce is...WHAT?!" Their serpentine escort, who had crawled out ahead of them, gave a startled cry as they all emerged - in particular as Sitara did so, because suddenly the lights came on. 

 

"Thiss hass never happened before!" 

 

The illuminated vault revealed a grim scene - they were in a room layered with that glassy dust like what lay on the surface and row after row of humanoid skeletons! The dust was thick down here, and complex with the burnt remnants of other things - and on the walls lay long, long, long dead computer banks - that were slowly beginning to come back to life! 

 

-

 

The pirate village was a scene of riot as Moon-Moth started his work, but Hunger was everywhere - barking orders and shouting, physically shoving and driving her people into position, even at one point grabbing a particularly large male and biting his throat until the grey-furred wolfman whimpered and took up a position inside Moon-Moth's construct. "There, the first fifty!" she called when a motley group of cubs, wolf-creatures of her still-unnamed species, and environmental-suited humanoids. "Test with these! If it works, the rest will come!" 

 

In other parts of the settlement, there were fights going on and near-riots, and Moon-Moth was almost certain he'd observed at least one mating ritual down a particular alley, but Hunger and her allies didn't seem bothered by the chaos around them. "If not, I eat your face!" she called in a serious, almost dry warning. 

[Exaccus]

Moon-Moth gives a distracted "Uh-huh" to hunger as he finishes up the construct and projects the cone of prismatic light out  to form an oddly blocky projection over the 50 or so youths for a few moments before suddenly retracting back into a plane between his fingers almost too fast for the eyes to see as it pulled those within with it, reducing there volume as it goes, Moon-moth adjusting the size of his fingers and adjusting the now flat plane's size to about that of a 15 inch or so wide plane of what looks to glass through which the still cowering and perhaps slightly distressed but unharmed canines and humanoids can be plainly seen.

 

gently grasping the edges of his dimensional ark he regards it quite fondly before holding it out to hunger "Theres we are, Break glass to release when you landings....believes i should be ables to push myself and packs up the rest in one big swoops." he half boasts "oh uh second question; Does you believes in magic?" he adds wryly before casting a second cone, this one much larger than the first and proceeding to engulf the remaining beings before him, bathing them in a soft, translucent prismatic cone and pulling them in, though this time no plane appears between his "Aim Frame", these swept up beings simply popping into view on the plane of transparent matter hunger holds between her hands.

 

"Theres we goes, Space wolves packed and ready for long haul evacuation," he gives a slight bow that turns into him resting his hands on his knees to support himself as he breathes heavily for a few moments "Myoth shall be goings to his friends now he has caughting his breathings, with me lor-friend!" he squeaks as he gestures and scurries off towards the direction he saw the reptillian being leading them, it would be irresponsible of him to just teleport away and leave his new ally dangling in the winds like delicious fruit.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Exaccus

[Tiffany Korta]

Sitara wasn’t particularly bother about the skeletons, she had fond memories of visiting her ancestors back on her home planet long ago -  something that tended to disturb more civilized peoples. But something about the whole situation made her nervous, and she hadn’t lived this long without trusting her instincts.

 

“Okay something feels wrong arm up.†there was a soft humming noise as her two cylindrical blaster powered up “But remember a Praetorian never shoots first, but we always shoot last.â€

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid looked around the vault, careful not to disturb the skeletons. He found this sort of display disturbing, better to consign the honored dead to glorious fire, than to leave bodies lying here in the cold. 

 

He stepped backward as the computer systems began to start up, how could something this old still be powered and functional, but he caught something out of the corner of his eye on went on the defensive, baring his teeth. He held up a hand to signal Traveler and Kavorkin to stop. "This isn't right" he snarled, as he saw a skeleton shimmering and changing, putting on a layer of grey-skin flesh and black hair. "Are these things dead or what?"

[Tiffany Korta]

Sitara stood looking in awe at the ancient bones wondering if they were aware that the end was coming all those millions of years ago. Did they stand here watching there star as it turned into a deadly supernova and beautiful but deadly things. She had at least had the sense to set her vision to record they map and transmit it back to the Kavaca, it would analyze and transmit the data through space to their temporary home, allowing the rest of the Praetorians to see what they had discovered.

 

Lost in her own thoughts it took her a few seconds to realise what Dragonid was saying turning to see what he was talking about. Starting again in fascination at what was happening before them both.

 

“I think it’s all been waiting for something to happen, voices from a million years ago. It would be rude not to listen to what they have to say. Though let’s look out for trouble just in case.â€

[Avenger Assembled]

Kavorkin was doing his duty, blaster in hand and pressed flat against the far wall, but it was hard to tell if it was terror that had frozen him to the spot or simple conviction. After all, going down into that narrow tunnel would leave him at the mercy of whatever was waking here! The computers kept flashing in some mad pattern that no one in the room could follow, repeating speech in a dead language as the galaxy against the wall glowed more brightly - one of the indicated six spots on the map glowing with particular intensity. As it did so, suddenly the grey-skinned figure on the platform that Dragonid had noted sat bolt upright! He looked around at first like a man awakening from a dream - and at the sight of so many skeletons laid out alongside him, he screamed! 

 

The sound was a deafening cry that battered the room, sending bones flying everywhere and battering at the eardrums and bodies of all the Praetorians present! Slamming his helmet shut against the noise, for his part Kavorkin broke for the tunnels at this!

[Tiffany Korta]

With instincts from centuries in various activities and conflicts Sitara reacted before she even realised what was going on temporarily disabling  her suits audio sensors. It happened so fast she didn’t have time to warn anyone else all she could do was hope they reacted as quickly as she did.

 

Once she knew she was for now that she was relatively safe she turned her attention to the grey creature. They were probably the only creatures right now that could understand exactly what he was going through now, her especially so she hadn’t reacted... well when she had woken up the first time.

 

“Please you have to calm down.â€

[Exaccus]

<I wonder what lantern is like now...> Myoth ponders to himself as it occurs to him that he is jogging through the glittery dusted remains of a civilization of beings who were at least technologically equal to the Delzatri now in utter shambles, Inadvertently upsetting himself just a little and letting some of the issues that he'd so neatly packed away slip out and into the forefront of his mind, distracting him to the point he doesn't even see the reptilian in the hazard suit till after he's already sent spinning by his shoulder as he barges past.

 

"Watching where your leavings, handbag!" the embittered lanternian calls after him before storming off down into the tunnel, his somewhat foul mood preventing him from even pondering what he might've been bolting from so naturaly he is quite taken off guard when he walks into a rather dusty room with icky bones scattered about it and a highly distressed looking Grey humanoid sitting on some sort of slab.

 

"huh."

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid gasped at the sudden noise, attempting to cover his head but taking the full force of the scream. His hearing rung loudly, but he thought he could still make out the sounds around him, Sitara's calming voice, Kavorkin running in terror. And Hunger had said his men were not weak, Dragonid's opinion on pirates was confirmed.

He remained tense, that may have been an attack, or it might have been instinctual reaction, but he struggled to keep his mouth closed to hide his teeth.

[Avenger Assembled]

The man fell silent as he took in the effects his cry had had on the other beings in the room - even clapping a hand briefly over his mouth. He stared at them all, Moon-Moth, Dragonid, and the Traveler, but seemed to reserve the attention of his black and white eyes for the latter in particular. Slowly he slid off the slab, his black boots crunching slightly against the sand-covered Earth. He spoke in a low whisper, obviously trying not to hurt them any more, but it was still in a language no one spoke. "Lelak," he finally said after a moment, pointing to himself. "Lelak." He pointed to his mouth and spread his six fingers in a gesture that seemed to call for more communication. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Before the system went on the fritz again she  had spent some time working on the suits translations sytem so she understood a little of idea of how these things works. Lelak needed samples of Galstandard so he could communicate with them, she took a risk and retracted her helmet so he could see her face and lips as she formed the words.

 

“I’m The Traveller and this is Dragonid.†she gestured to each of them as she talked, she wasn’t a big fan of her title but her Sanskrit name might confuse things at this moment

 

“We are members of an organisation called the Praetorians we come seeking help against a group called the Communions that might devastate this entire sector of the galaxy.â€

[Avenger Assembled]

"Lelak. I am Lelak, First of..." He shot a quick glance at the others, but seemed to dismiss them. He looked around at the scene of apocalypse all around them, his grey face grim, and worked a few hidden switches on the computers along the far wall, transforming the flickering monitors into a clear, steady image of that grey-skinned face speaking against a background of the galaxy. On closer inspection, that was _his_ face on the monitor - his black brows furrowed with stress in contrast to the look of barely-restrained grief on his high-cheekboned, grey-skinned face that made him look unsettlingly like a Terran corpse. His command of Galstandard was improving by the moment."the last. Hello, The Traveler-child. How long?" Standing amid the long-dead bones of his people, he didn't clarify his intent. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Despite her best efforts Sitara couldn’t  think of an easy way to break the news to Lelak, all she could do was try to give him some comfort with a sense of kindredship, all the Praetorians had lost almost as much as he had. She took a deep breath to calm and center herself before answering his question.

“To be honest we do not know how long exactly. I have lived for five thousand years and when I left my home to go into space your people were already a fairy tale. The best we can tell is when you star die, which was around a million years ago.â€

Edited November 21, 2014 by TiffanyKorta

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid tried to keep quiet. He did not want to confused Lelak with too many voices so he should let Sitara carry the conversation, but he had to express his impatience. "We do not know how much time we have. The Communion are on their way. Can he help us?"

 

The thought of a race from a million years ago was even harder to imagine than the idea that they themselves had lost 5000 years in the Curator's ship. He would like to talk to this creature, but destruction on a galactic scale was on its way, priorities had to be kept.

[Exaccus]

"surely there is some time for some greiving now, brother Dragonid, i recall we did not fair so weil with our own unpleasant surprises." moon-moth says reproachfuly as he moves more fully into the room giving a slight bow to Lelak before continuing

 

"We knows something of such great loss, friend lelak, we ourselves awoke not long ago to a galaxy 2000 years further along than we left it. with only the knowledge our former emprie had fallen, our species had scattered and our great foe was moving once more upon the galaxy at large leaving a wake of destruction as it passes through the modern universes powers nigh unopposed." he admits grimly antenna drooping as his words register with himself.

 

"We lack the numbers and support to repulse them again, so we're on a desperates race to gather allies and means to take the battle too them and avenge what we cannot save." his features becoming fierce and determined as a moths can be "and to release the communions drones from there tormented existance...they have displayed marked interest in this planet, would you have any ideas why? mayhaps some resource of which they may be deprived if not some thing they feel threatened by?" he asks tentatively, feeling pretty bad about asking a man whoms lost so much to give even more, as in the name of rightness it may be, it was not a nice thing to do.

 

"Pleases?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Whatever translation effect was allowing them to understand the living Lalek applied to his monitors as well - gradually the speech there was becoming comprehensible. "Now we go again to reclaim the birthright that is ours - the Great Work will begin again, with us!"

 

Lalek staggered briefly under the news. "A million! We thought to sleep for a thousand years, perhaps two, until our enemies had squabbled amongst themselves and could be driven from our home. Fear not, Traveler-child," he told the long-lived adventurer with an almost paternal air. "I will do what I can to save you and all our lost children. I owe you a life-debt of my own - and if I am the last of the Masters that yet live, then so do my people - and the universe!" 

 

"The galaxy will be redeemed from savagery and want! We will send our children out to find their lost cousins and bring civilization, order, and prosperity to the Lowly."

 

He cocked his head and appeared to scan the ceiling, but after a moment went on - "The One Planet is dead. Our enemies, those who feared the hope and progress we brought to the galaxy, must have united indeed to destroy even the Star of Life." They were evidently getting a direct translation of what his people called themselves - and their homeworld and their star. "But now they are gone. Tell me," he asked them seriously, "was your empire centered on Terra?" He was working at the computer now, calling up a projected version of that galactic map emblazoned on the wall. And sure enough, as he zoomed in on one of those glowing dots seen earlier, it was the Traveler's own long-past homeworld! "You have certainly advanced _far_ beyond the lowlies that inhabited Terra when our probes first visited - they could hardly live fifty of their years, much less five thousand. But a million years..." He sighed, and despite everything else the agony was clear behind his eyes. "...is a long time. Even for the Masters." 

[Tiffany Korta]

Sitara was lost for a few second staring at the little dot that represented her long, that she had thought lost long ago. Luckily her suit was still linked to the ship so it now knew where to find her homeworld again. Maybe after all this was over she go back there to see how much had changed since she left.

 

“Aye when I left home it you were lucky to reach forty. But my homeworld was not where I was made into a soldier. I was recruited by the mArttik Avata. They were great thinker and such wonderful architects and builders. There cities were such beautiful things to behold...†for a moment she was lost in the memory of the soaring towers of their cities, now all lost to time

 

“But whilst they knew of war they would not, could not fight, and then like now the galaxy faced a threat from those wishing to destroy it all. So they choose from those who would fight and altered them to be there warriors. Of which I’m the last surviving.â€

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid watched Lalek with suspicion, promises of order and prosperity were common among conquerors. Disturbing to hear them from someone who thought themselves powerful enough to spread it through the whole galaxy. Dragonid had thought he had left masters behind. He hope his suspicions were not true and this creature could be a valuable ally.

 

"What of these 'Lost Cousins' your recording speaks of?", asked Dragonid, "Could they still be out there in some form? Some other remains of you Masters. More to help us against the Communion?"

[Exaccus]

Moon-moth finds his eyes drawn to the maps and bends down over the one that represents lor-van where it was in millenia past. "This world has already succumbed to the communions advance...they created a Rifthole in its center."  not too keen to tip his hand with magic at the moment whilst Lelak Casually ignored beings dissimilar to himself,hoping it was just because travellers similar shape to him was more comforting than his and dragonids rather diffrent morphologies "Its beens something of a silvery tide of devastations and atrocities." he informs him dourly "they're heading here next as we said...then probably to these other worlds indicated on this map." he says pointing them out one at a time.

 

"it is strange they seem to be focusing there efforts for these locations; I assumes they is of some Import."

[Avenger Assembled]

"They have come to take what is ours. The work of our greatest minds, the very gateways of the Great Work. Miserable curs," said Lelak, grief and fury written large on his grey-skinned face. On the map a green shape was pulsing on the map; a shape vaguely like one of Lelak's hands, fingers reaching out to 'touch' each planet, with the thumb itself touching Kestevan. "Just as those creatures above did. But we will drive them away, just as you did them." 

 

"...hang on, those creatures above?" asked a curious Solar Sentinel. "You mean you can see them?" 

 

Solar Sentinel's question made the grey-skinned paragon spin around, his eyes as wide as they'd been upon his awakening. "You...what?" He stared at them, all of them, as if seeing them for the first time. "Now I understand," he said, pointing to the Traveler accusingly. "You said we were legends to your people, and your Lowlies, they are ignorant even of the most basic matters of the Great Work! And you, Terran, you know nothing of our most trivial abilities! You...you have FORGOTTEN!" His shout was enough to make the ground shake. "The Masters, the Great Work, the God-Children...all dust!" He looked around the room. "Like my mates. My children. All...all the dust of ages!" He stared at them and said as if pronouncing a sentence, "You came here looking for help with some...some gutter tribal war. Not for us. Not for my people." 

[Tiffany Korta]

Whilst Sitara was glad she had learned about her home it did not blind her to Lelaks flaws, despite his age and knowledge she’d rather stand beside her fellow Praetorians. She sent a message through their internal comm system.

 

Don't worry I'm not charmed by his little gifts of knowledge. I’m sorry for what he's saying but we have to endure his ideas for now.

 

She turned her attention back to Lelak, his little outburst we’re frustrating but understandable considering the circumstances.

 

“If the Communion get here they will take what they want and all that you people created will be lost forever. If you help us there is a chance to go back out among the star and help civilize a whole galaxy. If an intellect such as your is up to the task...â€

Edited November 24, 2014 by TiffanyKorta

[Avenger Assembled]

"If the other relays protecting the gateways are intact," said Lelak with great care, like the rumble of a simmering volcano. "it will be possible for me to remove this planet from this star system. Your enemies will be denied our technology - and the grave of my people will not be profaned by their touch. With your cooperation, the work can be done more quickly, before your enemies arrive. The technology is very simple; it should be within the grasp even of..." His teeth grated - was he simply a bad liar, or did the Masters not have _reason_ to temper their words before. ""Your species. Will you assist me?" 

[Tiffany Korta]

She had seen her share of jumped up leaders who had some advanced technology and used  it to lord it over others. Lelak was much the same except what he could do was probably as powerful as he claimed.

 

For now there goal were in line but there was a good chance that it could change in the near future. But for now he gave them a potential ally against the Communion. But she wouldn’t ignore old oaths of fealty swore against the very same foes.

 

“Aye we can help, but it’s not just my decisions. I want to see if my fellow Praetorians agree to help you.â€

Edited November 25, 2014 by TiffanyKorta

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"I do not know, I may be too simple for his mighty machines." hissed Dragonid. "but it would truly be a shame if his great works were destroyed in some gutter tribal war." The arrogance of this creature continued to grate on the Praetorian's nerves. He was tempted to melt the great works himself and leave Lelak to sulk, but that would not save the innocents on the surface or help the galaxy as a whole.

 

"Where will the planet be moved to?" he asked, "We have more work to do to fight the Communion than just this one planet and I do not want to see the Communion simply find it again and return."