Gaia

“Sire, alien fleet approaching!”

Lord Tigris narrowed his crystalline eye at the display. Images of the Taiyou vessels shimmered across the projection, and the prince quickly took stock of the situation. They were outnumbered by the hundreds.

He sneered and tapped at his console.

“Full power to shields, finish charging the star javelins, and target locations for spatial bombardments. Do not fear, my loyal subjects. As Alphanius wrote, a thousand shall flee from one, and ten shall pursue a hundred thousand. We again stand upon the ramparts of Arim’arotz, overlooking the great desert and facing an overwhelming flood of pagan heathens. Ha’Ari will be our shield, and His flame will be our sword. I will, however, extend His everlasting mercy and offer an olive branch. Hail them.”

“Hailing on all known frequencies, Your Highness.”

“Attention, Taiyou warriors.” Lord Tigris spoke, his voice gravelly yet bearing the practiced flow of nobility. “I am Prince Tigris Ironclaw, son of Priest-King Sheodin Shadowslayer the Great, and Admiral of the Khroniktan Alliance fleet. I seek honorable parley, as one warrior to another. Your forces threaten colonized territory of the Alliance and the well-being of numerous primitive civilizations, who by divine decree have been brought under our banner as protectorates. You seek justice and deliverance of your kin. This is righteous and honorable. Allow us to mediate, and bring restitution, with minimal collateral damage to innocent third parties.”

Meanwhile, deep in the crystalline structures of the Khroniktan ships, enormous energy crystals overflowed with cosmic power. Siphoned from the first gasping breaths of Creation, the first heartbeats of the Multiverse, primal energy poured into the ships like air into a roaring furnace. Shimmering light materialized across their hulls while light pulsated like a tide just beneath the surface.

They continued to appear, one after another, they were beginning to number in the thousands, aligned in a neat grid like formation that spanned nearly a hundred thousand kilometers, a proverbial wall of ships that spanned almost as far as the eye could see.

"We are being hailed!"

Ayako considered the words that were spoken, though the translation software muddled a few of the words, the intent was clear, energy readings were off the charts, but if they were going to throw their lives in service to the Emperor, they would do so, here. They would return home victorious, or not at all. This was the founding principal of the Taiyou Empire. Better to die with honor, than live with shame.

Picking up the receiver, she transmitted an audio message over a wide-band modulated frequency.

"I am Rear Admiral Katamura Ayako, of the Imperial Taiyou Navy's Twenty third Glorious Armada. The time for peaceful parlay has passed, the civilizations you claim protect have grievously injured our heads of state, sent agents of mayhem to our home worlds, and hold several key members of our government hostage. There is no restitution, no mediation you can provide that would satisfy our objective, these savages must be burned like the cancer they have displayed themselves to be."

There was a brief pause as Ayako considered her next words.

"There will be no further discussion until the hostages are freed." Ayako said cooly.


"Preliminary analysis is in, these warships are superior to our own, while we hold numerical superiority, preliminary analysis does not look good." One of the tactical officers reported.

"We have our orders from the Emperor himself. We must not dishonor him, or our stations."

She focused her attention on a large high-resolution map of Iskjerne bay, looking down to several promising landing spots.

"Any attempts to land on the planet will be thwarted by the fact technology seems to malfunction here."

Katamura nodded, she was simply here to burn the continent once the Princess had been rescued. "General Hama has not begun his operation yet." She commented

Picking up the receiver once more, she called out. "All carriers, prepare to launch Machine Calibers, and Cosmo Falcons on my command!"

Last chance. Tigris thought to himself as he watched the energy readouts across the fleet. Then all will see the might of Ha’Ari and His chosen people…

“Then allow us a gesture of goodwill.” Lord Tigris replied. “Our technology is not hampered by the planet’s magical field, so allow us to send elite agents to retrieve your persons of interest. If Ha’Ari wills it, we will cleanse the land of wickedness and redeem any innocent blood that was spilled. According to our laws, anyone who protects and harbors those who shed innocent blood shall receive the same reckoning - even if an entire city must be put to the sword. You may send a detachment of your own forces to accompany our Inquisitor, if you desire. A choice lies before you, Admiral Ayako. You can either make a friend or a foe this day. May Ha’Ari, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, grant you wisdom… and mercy.”

“Your Highness," the first officer spoke once the reply was sent, "targets have been acquired. Star javelins are almost powered.”

“Excellent. Ensure shields are at full power. If they attack, activate spatial bombardment. Target their capital ships with the javelins. Break the dogs’ spines and rip out their teeth.”

Atargatis has arrived, coming from Skygem.

Atargatis appeared on the displays of all vessels, a stoic blue face. He interfered reads of the planet and the Children of Gaia, everything below and everything around, rendering the read technology of all vessels relatively useless.


Meanwhile, Eras stirred faintly at the presence of so much disruption. He grew disgruntled as Atargatis blocked most of the channels. However there was still a bit of power he could gleam, he was sure of it. If only he could find an in...
Far below Artrea advanced on his blessing, as did a few of the other Colossi. The disruptions of the invasive energies allowed him to prod through again.

Though his light didn't illuminate anything at all, Eras did begin to glow slightly stronger.
Atargatis frowned. He cared little for the makings of mortals, and did less everyday which passed. Threats to Gaia beyond a certain scale also threatened his own mass. Not to mention, Skygem would surely be impacted if the gravitational force around which she revolved...changed.

The Taiyou fleet held position as Ayako considered her next move.

"Very well, you have three hours to deliver the hostages to our custody." She replied, mostly so that she could buy time to gather additional data on this alien fleet, but something was interfering with her ship's sensors, and there were reports of this kind of interference that was spreading throughout the fleet.

No one could get any sort of viable targeting solution on the planet.

Ayako growled, before she turned to her tactical officer.

"How soon can we get one of the hybrid ships here?"

The Tactical officer began to crunch the numbers, before another strange signal flickered into existence from nothing. This vessel was a stark contrast to the Taiyou ships that had assembled in the void. This vessel was organic in nature, appearing to be ornately grown from wood. This strange vessel radiated hyperdimensional energy that would likely be unlike anything the Kroniktans have encountered before.

Powered by a second generation royal tree, the Ryu-oh was a Taiyou ship grown from a Mt'kee royal tree, and bound for life with it's partner, Princess Aeka Takayama. Channeling hyperdimensional energy from the Choushin Goddess Tsunami, these Hybrid ships, as the Taiyou called them, were a force to be reckoned with.

Aeka stood up from inside the tree that acted as the nerve center of the entire ship, Mountains, forest, streams, lakes, and rivers surrounded her, as the interior of the Hybrid ships were more a pocket-dimension than an actual interior, and it afforded a vista unlike anything that could be crafted by human hands. Superimposed in the skies above the world that Aeka stood in was targeting data, and large projections of the Taiyou and Kroniktan fleet.

The Ryu-oh resisted against the influence of both Eras, and Atargatis, defiant like an old oak, it would be inexplicably immune to their influence.

So far no hails came fourth from this new, alien vessel.

Mafsha Sandrunner vanishes into nothingness, but you get the feeling they are heading somewhere else.

Lord Tigris nodded and turned to his first officer. “Dispatch an inquisitor and a team of chosen to the site of the incident. If the heathens prove… uncooperative... then they have full authority to dispense justice and enact the L’takasa Protocols.”

“Yes, my lord. Sending requisition now.”

“Have them arrive a little early.” Tigris continued. “It’ll give us some extra insurance. In the meantime, contact the home fleet and have them on standby in case we require reinforcements.”

The admiral narrowed his eyes as the new alien ship entered the area. He tapped on his console, sending orders to the ship’s team of magi to begin scrying.

“If they attack, we will surround them like wolves.”

Admiral Katamura checked her watch, the time continued to count down, seconds ticked by on the LCD face of the watch, the numerals changing with each passing moment.

There was a flicker of light, a sleek, yet angular shaped vessel winked in from the ether behind the formation of Taiyou ships, this vessel was distinct, in contrast to the brightly colored Taiyou warships, this vessel was dark in color, almost an iridescent gunmetal gray.

Six more strange vessels winked in formation around the alien vessel. These vessels each bore a rather large power signature, obscured by the flickering curtain of light that was their shields. The first vessel could be identified as an Aschen Vigiles class fast attack cruiser, while the six other vessels were identified as Aschen Empire Aegis class defense cruisers.

Commander Soban examined the readout carefully, leaning on the command console. "Aegis cruisers to assume defense formation around the Taiyou fleet, we'll provide rearguard support should this turn nasty."


Working in unison, the crew of the Ifriit began to execute the orders they had been given, as Clea leaned back up from where she was leaning.

"Ad Victoriam!" She called out.

Anquietas numerals counted down on a holographic interface in front of Commander Soban.

Lord Tigris ended the transmission from the Inquisitor and cupped his scraggly furred cheek in his pawed hand. He watched the Aschen ships carefully and pondered the situation. The Alliance had favorable relations with them in the past, but only Ha’Ari knew what state their political theater was in. How likely was it that this was the same empire they knew?

“Open a channel to the Taiyou.” He commanded.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Admiral Ayako.” He began. “As a courtesy, I am obliged to give you a status update on the operation. Our team of specialists, led by an elite Inquisitor, has made contact with the survivors of your countrymen - including the princess - and have neutralized the threat. I was informed that they are attempting to recover some sort of artifact for Her Highness. Presumably, you would know of what she speaks.”

Some time Later...

Slowly rising from the clouds, the Mizuho could now be seen on Taiyou scanners, it was readily apparent to Admiral Katamura, that the efforts of the Kroniktan Alliance had been successful, as only Princess Yukiko was capable of controlling that vessel.

A few transmissions were flitted back, and fourth.

The Mizuho was the first to vanish, shooting off into the limitless blackness of space.

The Kaze no Tani slowly began to bank as well, transmitting a message to the KA Fleet.

"We thank you for rescuing our Princess, when our Emperor returns, we will discuss further contact."

Once the Kaze no Tani finished it's banking, a window opened up in front of it, and it shot fourth into the ether, the Taiyou fleet leaving one by one, shooting off into the blackness of space.

Goffre Alvisson arrives, coming from Ellaria.

Goffre Alvisson has left the area, heading up towards Skygem.

Goffre Alvisson arrives, coming from Skygem.

Goffre Alvisson ascends towards Sirius.

"Freyja" appears from nothing, through a wrinkle in spacetime.