Fiction:War of Puppeteers/Picking the Giant’s Bones

=Picking the Giant’s Bones=

Act 1: A Friendly Dispute
Abandoned Aoshanti world, Concord Way, 14,584 PR

Aoshtai. A galaxy of ancients and fallen empires, of gods and heroic stories. Aoshtai is now a stellar scape of conflict and supremacy. Some try to avoid this great game, while others actively take part. The Continuum or the Aleei were a conundrum to this spectrum. At times, they provoked the giants of the galaxy, and at times they alleviated similar provocations. This time, the giant was simply known as “The Ascendancy”.

The isolated planet sat cold and forlorn, its sun reduced to a cloud of astral dust in the ancient war that brought the Aoshanti down from their throne. Remnants of what once was lost, great towers of precursorial technology rising into the atmosphere, could be seen from near-orbit, the strange, almost geometric shapes of the planet’s numerous dead cities and alien formations shining in the faint light of the white dwarf they orbited.

High General Unduli looked over the forgotten world from his stance on the bridge of his battleship, only discovered by seeming happenstance. A lackey of his, Admiral Indeki, reported to him that a scouting party was descending to the Aoshanti world below, to which Unduli would nod to, ordering him to keep the fleet patrolling the surrounding world, before walking out of the bridge, to his personal quarters.

There, after his entrance, he closed the door behind hm, assuring that its locks had been sealed. The Aleei then let out a short sigh, crouching down to grab a large hologram projector from under his bed. Quickly, it hummed to life, and a white orb, illuminated in the blue light of the projector, appeared before the High General, who bowed at the image of the Core.

”Your assumed coordinates of the system were correct, sir,” Unduli reported, “We have found the planet, and are sending expeditionary forces to examine it further.”

”Excellent,” Tendentious Mind responded, its voice fluctuating in modulation with every syllable, as its form pulsed along,”And the fleet as a whole still believes this to be a random incident?”

”I assure you, Core Mind, my forces know nothing of your astrographical stores. They are simply ecstatic to find such a rarity among this route,” Unduli informed his master quickly, both to resume the mission assigned, and to end his distraction to the Mind, “We will continue research of the technology planetside, and allow the Continuum to implement what it can.”

”Affirmitive,” Tendentious Mind acknoledged, “You are dismissed.” With its dismissal, the holographic image faded, and the amphibious biped slid it back where he had found it, slipping out of his room, keycard kept safely with him as the door locked, and returned to his place on the bridge, where unexpected, and unwanted, surprises awaited him.

—

Shipmaster Iratus was unhappy. Even more so than normal, and that was unusual. 094 had the utmost confidence: No one knew where this Goddess-forsaken place was. And yet, glaring mockingly at him from his bridge’s display, were 10 blips. Aleei warships. His tactical officer, wilting under Iratus’ roars, informed him that the ship had no tracking devices, nor had anyone sliced their systems.

”Then how in Tyvus’ damned name did they get here first?!”, roared the hulking Lorem. ”Shipmaster, the Aleei are hailing us.” The tactical officer was shaking slightly. ”Fine, a few laughable words from these vermin ought to cheer me up. Open the channel.”

“This is High General Unduli of the Continuum of the Aleei,” the deep, gurgling rumble of the enemy’s voice stated through the transmission, “I regret to inform that, under martial circumstances, this planet, and as an extension, the surrounding system, are currently under the jurisdiction of the Continuum, and will be off-limits until stated otherwise. We will give you three hours for your fleet to depart, or deadly force will be applied. We hope that you are willing to understand and comply with our terms.”

An Ascendancy officer reported worriedly to the Shipmaster. ”Sir, they outnumber us two to one.” The Lorem laughed, shaking his hovering command chair, which was almost thronelike. ”’High General,’ I believe you are confused. I am Shipmaster Iratus of the Ascendancy of the Broken Ring, and you are trespassing. You have 3 *minutes* to withdraw, or we will be forced to defend our claim.” He subtley gestured to his weapons officer to charge weapons just below detectable margins.

A moment of silence came from the Aleei, before a response. “Hostilities are not required, Shipmaster. Your empire’s borders, based on our hexagraphs, are far before this system, thousands of light years away. If anything is to be a trespasser between our fleets, it is yours. Retract within the minute,” he ordered sharply, “Or you will be boarded and forced to leave. Noncompliance will result in immediate discharge of weapons. I do not want to fight, and you do not want to lose such valuable vessels, I would assume. You do not have to, if you simply retreat.”

Iratus grinned, in the strange way a Lorem does, then barked for the channel to be closed. ”Focus on priority targets and fire at will. Angel fighters, keep those boarding craft away from us at all costs!” the Shipmaster gleefully ordered. Through the dark of space, several dozen dull orange bolts leaped nearly instantaneously towards the Aleei ships, brightly flashing against the shields. A support ship’s flashed and broke, a drone bay’s doors destroyed.

The Aleei vessels quickly mobilized, two cruisers moving to close the gap as the few automated drone fighters that could be activated began to fly from the damaged support ship, looking to close the gap between the ships to reduce the advantage the Ascendant forces had over the Continuum’s. Unduli ordered his battleship to charge its spinal cannon as its smaller plasma cannons spat volleys of heated vengeance towards one of the smaller Ascendant ships. The remaining ships held their defensive systems, maintaining most of their power into their shields and point-defense weapons as they advanced slowly towards the five enemy fleet.

Angel fighters streaked towards the approaching drones with extreme speed, firing their long range hardlight beams into the swarm, switching to a lower-velocity minigun-esque barrage of bolts as they drew nearer. They soon cycled back to the safety of the fleet’s point defenses as the drone quantity was evident. The noncommand Saber and two Gladius’ took point, forming an arrowhead to focus fire on the enemy fleet. In this early act of the battle, the Ascendancy range advantage was evident.

“Sir,” the tactical officer said, “the lead Aleei ship is displaying low amounts of aggressive fire and a rising energy signature, we believe they are charging a spinal gun that could cripple an unshielded cruiser.”

”It is of no concern, all of our shields are intact. Focus on wearing down their heavy hitters and fending off those accursed drones!” barked the Shipmaster.

“Aye aye, sir...”

The two Adelphi-class Cruisers which first skimmed quickly towards the fleet now slowed, their weapons able to fire effectively on the Ascendant ships, firing with light plasma turrets and weak ion pulses. These weapons would do little to the enemy ships, but their proximity and larger, still unused particle beams made them a serious and immediate threat to the fleet.

The Shipmaster laughed. “Do those cruisers seek death? Then we shall give it to them!”

”They have failed to raise their weapons enough towards the cruisers, sir!” An officer informed his High General, who let out a throaty laugh, “Perfect. Order both to fire their particle arrays on the lead ship and watch their lines crumble in stead!”

Slowly, the large, deck-mounted cannons turned to the leading Saber-class vessel, before letting loose a series of incandescent beams of light, sending shockwaves through the Ascendant ship’s energy shields, before they would be near crippled by the end of the bombardment. Slowy, the Indir-class Battleship of High General Unduli lurched its front towards the de-shielded vessel, energy signatures recorded from it rising rapidly, as the plan of Unduli began to show its final steps.

“SHIPMASTER!” The tactical officer cried in alarm, indicating the massive energy spike within the enemy battleship. ”By the gods...” the shipmaster awed. “those bastards!”

The Aleei cruisers were taking an extreme beating, the Gladius’ weapons having switched to a lower range, heavy hitting mode resembling turbolasers. But it was too late. The shipmaster began retreat preparations, only enough Angel fighters to repel boarders remaining.

It was then, as the Ascendancy’s seemingly impregnable naval forces began to route, did the slowly encroaching Aleei fleet divert nearly all that it had once put into shielding into every weapons system they had. Dozens of beams of plasma skirted through the void of space, striking against the Ascendant ships, as from Unduli’s battleship came a single, massive particle beam, giving no heed to the Saber-class in its way, singing right through it as it continued through, causing the ship to burst into dozens of concussive explosions, sending subsonic-speeded shrapnel flying into the surrounding fleet.

The High General smirked as he ordered his fleet to pull back. Their message had been sent, and most definitely received.

The Ascendant ships withdrew their shields, charging their hyperdrives as fast as they could, but not before sending a small volley of hardlight blasts at one of the unshielded cruisers to remember them by.

“Vermin. They shall pay for their inevitable befouling of the world.” the shipmaster growled. ”S-sir, if I may, it may be prudent to observe seemingly aimless tactics in the fu-“ Iratus cut him off, seizing the smaller Lorem’s throat. Bones cracked. The rest of the bridge stared in stunned silence as Iratus stormed off to the private communications room, and kneeled. A hologram of a benevolently styled man appeared, although his keen eyes betrayed his true attitude.

”Iratus,” 094 said, ignoring the shipmaster’s title. “I believe you know why I am calling?” The proud Lorem growler under his breath for a moment, before replying “Esteemed Advisor, we were outnumbered, and their tactics-“ 094 interrupted him. ”I would expect you of all people to understand the high technological advantages our ships compared to those... usurpers. And I viewed the battlelog.” Iratus winced, his face hidden by his kneeling posture. ”You displayed clear disregard of your tactical officer, as well as of an obvious tactic that broke your fleet’s composure.” ”I... I understand, your excellency.” Iratus replied, defeated. ”As such, you are reassigned to pirate hunting in the Imperium of Gawrn.” 094 ordered, with a hint of anger unlike him. ”BU- ... I understand.” he grudgingly replied. The comm channel closed, and the man disappeared.

In the Imperium, 094’s monitorial avatar sat in the Ascendant Saber, on emergency speed away from Pascentium to Orbitritum. His escort ships were missing, the Saber damaged. He was deep in worried thought, and not just concerning the Continuum.

”Most unfortunate.”

—

“Most Pleasing, High General!” Tendentious Mind praised his follower, “Success in routing such as the Ascendancy is to be noted. Further discussion of what praise and allowance of virtue you will be give will be added in the next meeting of the Congregation.”

”I thank you, Core Mind. However, I request the assistance of additional vessels and the construction of a Shift-gate. The Ascendancy, in its size and bravado, will not take a defeat as an end to this. Their desire for the technology of the ancients is almost as tenacious as our own.”

”I concur. I will order High General’s Henli and Kepshal to send the fleet’s of Admirals Nala-shal and Oros to your ai-“ The Tendentious Mind, in its converse, was interrupted by High General Unduli.

”I am most sorry to interrupt, but is Nala-shal the Anaklo-shir admiral known for ordering a cruiser to... ram an Rok’shai command vessel as they overloaded their reactors?”

”That is correct. I am to assume that, under your watchful eyes, Nala-shal will be a nonissue,” The Core Mind responded emotionlessly, “Do keep in mind the importance of this world. Do you remember what this world holds somewhere in its frozen labyrinths”

How could Unduli forget? “The schematics for... for an artificial hyper-intelligence... like yourself.”

”I see you remember,” the mind spoke, “Do not disappoint me after what your fleet has just accomplished, High General. I, and the Continuum as a whole body, is dependent on what your forces find here.”

”I understand sir, and I shall not let you down...I hate to ask unnecessary questions, but what is-or was- this world callled by the fallen kingdom?” Unduli asked, a bit worried of how much he had spoken out of line in front of his master.

”Cviinus, World of Forgotten Innovation,” Tendentious Mind informed, before his holographic figure dissipated away like the wind.

Act 2: The Frigid Depths
To be continued...

This is a collaboration between users MadmanLava and InfestedThunder, and the first war and collab in the Aoshtai Galaxy.