ST:SoD106 | "The Long Sleep"

Stardate 98856.9

The Valley Forge investigates a scavenger fleet's report of a seemingly derelict ship that appeared from a rift with temporal properties.

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Keliaya@anncaris FX | The camera begins in the middle of deep space, with stars in the background Keliaya@anncaris | A slightly garbled voice is heard, with sounds of static mixed in which makes it obvious that we are hearing it over comms Keliaya@anncaris | Voice: "...private scavenger fleet under att- ...by multiple pirate vessels. To any ships in range... will offer suitable compensation for any assistance provided. We are... -ood standing with - Keliaya@anncaris - the Carran Trade Co-... Please hurry, all bu- ...of our escort vessels have been disabled and we cannot outrun them for long." Keliaya@anncaris FX | As the distress call plays, the saucer of the Valley Forge slowly comes into frame. The camera pans to angle itself so the name and registry of the ship can be read clearly as the saucer - Keliaya@anncaris - passes by Keliaya@anncaris | The camera continues to move, zooming in on the bridge and then through it to reveal the activity inside Keliaya@anncaris is seated in the command chair, while the rest of the bridge crew are busy at work on their consoles Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "I've located the origin of the signal. It's in the middle of deep space, bearing 116 mark 29. Sending it to the helm now." Keliaya@anncaris looks over to the science station, "Anything on long-range sensors there?" Keliaya@anncaris | Gwi: "Aye Commander. Nine ships at high warp, one group of five and another group of four. There's a further three ships currently stationary some distance behind them. We're a little far to - Keliaya@anncaris - pick up weapon signatures, but it definitely looks like a chase to me." Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Helm, plot a course, maximum warp. Analysis on the pursuing ships?" Keliaya@anncaris | The ensign on helm taps away on his console Keliaya@anncaris | Vusal: "One cruiser, one destroyer and three light attack ships. The attack ships seem to be Clenduros in origin, but I cannot identify the designs of the cruiser and destroyer, which are also - Keliaya@anncaris - distinct from one another." Keliaya@anncaris:"A motley pirate band. We can deal with them. Eva, tell the QanwI' and Aethon to follow us as closely as they can at these speeds." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods, tapping her console to send the instructions Keliaya@anncaris FX | The turbolift door opens and Keelah arrives on the bridge Keelah@crystyl steps over, "What have we got?" Keliaya@anncaris stands to relinquish the seat for Keelah, "Distress call, Captain. Scavengers under attack by five pirate ships." Keelah@crystyl:"Do we have ID's on either party?" Keliaya@anncaris:"Three of the pirate ships are of Clenduros design, but we can't identify the other two. The scavengers have broadcast credentials with the distress signal." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "They're part of the Cerigonn Crows, a private scavenging fleet licensed by Carran Trade Commission and the New World." Keelah@crystyl sits, "Time to intercept?" Keelah@crystyl:"QanwI' and Aethon holding on us?" Keliaya@anncaris | Tactical: "They're just a few thousand kilometres behind us." Keelah@crystyl:"Very good. Hail the pursuing vessels as soon as we are in range" Keliaya@anncaris | A few minutes pass at warp as they move towards the chase, then... Keliaya@anncaris | Gwi: "Additional contact on long-range sensors, moving at transwarp speeds." Keliaya@anncaris | Vusal: "It's Borg, Captain." Keelah@crystyl:"Out here? Could it be our friendly collective?" Keliaya@anncaris | Vusal: "It is likely, but at this range I am still unable to obtain any distinguishing details. All I can discern is that its size and shape corresponds to a Sphere." Keelah@crystyl:"How long until they exit transwarp?" Keliaya@anncaris | Tactical: "It's headed for the pirates, exactly like we are. At these speeds it'll intercept just a few seconds before we arrive." Keelah@crystyl:"Increase speed to put us there first then" Keliaya@anncaris | Helm: "Aye Captain, increasing speed." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Entering comms range now. Hailing the- and the Borg have opened a general hail. It's directed at the pursuing ships, but I can patch us in." Keelah@crystyl nods, "Thank you Eva, please do" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods and taps her console Keliaya@anncaris | Borg: "Attacking vessels. We are the Borg. Lower your shields and disarm your weapons. If you do not comply, you will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." Keelah@crystyl:"Using assimilation as a threat to thwart piracy. Well, that's... new" Keliaya@anncaris | Tactical: "The pursuers are breaking off and turning around. The Borg are dropping speed, but have corrected course to pursue. I...think they're trying to drive the pirates off." Keelah@crystyl:"Maintain course and speed. We will intercept the fleeing vessels and escort them. Signal the Borg and update them on our activity" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods, tapping on her console to update the Borg Keliaya@anncaris | Helm: "Fleeing vessels have lowered speed as well. New intercept time in one minute." Keelah@crystyl:"Once the Borg are up to speed, open a channel to the scavengers" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods, "Aye Captain." She taps a few more times before announcing, "Channel open." Keliaya@anncaris | An alien woman appears on the viewscreen, "Thank you so much for driving off these pirates. We are in your debt." Keelah@crystyl smiles, "I never thought I would actually have cause to say this, but you owe your thanks to the Borg" Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "That's the other ship chasing them away now?" Keelah@crystyl:"Yes. They are allied Borg though, and we are continuing to monitor the situation. I am Captain Se'Lai of the Valley Forge, we are moving to form up with your convoy so as deter further threats - Keelah@crystyl:- until the situation is diffused. Do you require aid or assistance to any of your vessels?" Keliaya@anncaris | The alien widens her eyes, "Valley Forge. You're that ship that spearheaded the Coalition's war against the Horde?" Keelah@crystyl nods, "Yes, that was the Valley Forge" Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "Well, our three escorts took some damage trying to fend off the pirates, but we're scavengers and currently loaded up with salvage, so we can handle our own repairs as long as - Keliaya@anncaris - the pirates don't return. We'll just have to double back and grab them." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "The Borg are also conducting salvage in this region and state they will be remaining in the vicinity if the pirates try to come back." Keelah@crystyl glances to Eva and back, "Did you hear that? We can remain in support as you see fit" Keliaya@anncaris | The alien smiles, "I think we'll be fine with that Sphere sticking around. Is there anything we can offer you? I know it was those Borg who drove the pirates off, but your presence - Keliaya@anncaris - probably helped add to the intimidation, and we promised to reward anyone who answered our call." Keelah@crystyl:"I would not feel right eating into your profits, and we require nothing in compensation. If you see fit though, we would be grateful for any knowledge you can share on the region ahead. We have not- Keelah@crystyl:- yet explored this sector in detail and so would benefit greatly from astrogation data and any political information you may know of" Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "There's not much political information here. We're still in former Horde space. It's all one big wasteland. I hear the Coalition's trying to secure this region and resettle people - Keliaya@anncaris - who were displaced by the Horde. Is that right?" Keelah@crystyl:"Yes, that is exactly right. Do you know anything about the former residents of this region? Perhaps in your salvage you have come across information which could help" Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "We've mostly been collecting wreckage from when the Horde all suddenly destroyed themselves, but we might have a few scraps of information that can help. We'll send them your - Keliaya@anncaris - way. There's one thing in particular that I think you might want to check out, though." Keelah@crystyl:"And what might that be?" Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "We were scavenging the remains of a Horde production planet. Just got there and barely began operation when this vortex opened up in high orbit of the planet, sending chroniton - Keliaya@anncaris - readings everywhere. Out popped this badly damaged ship. It had some real shiny tech, but nobody recognized who it might belong to. We couldn't pick up any lifesigns on board, but maybe - Keliaya@anncaris - there were drones inside, or the entire ship could be an AI like a Nuhar. Well, the whole thing felt way above our paygrade, so we made the call to pack up and get the fumes out of the system." Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "The ship's in a bad state, but it's still intact and in stable orbit by the time we left. Thought the Coalition might want to check it out." Keelah@crystyl:"It does indeed sound worth it. Please send us the coordinates of the planet and any scan data you have on the ship. We will investigate" Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "I've attached it to the other info we're sending you." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "We've received the information package, Captain." Keelah@crystyl:"Thank you. If you are certain then that you require no further assistance or defense while the Borg are monitoring things, we will backtrack and investigate this sighting" Keliaya@anncaris | Scavenger: "I think we're good for now. Thanks for responding to our call for help." Keelah@crystyl:"Safe travels to you then" she smiles Keliaya@anncaris | The scavenger smiles back, "And to you too, Valley Forge." Keliaya@anncaris gives Eva a nod and steps over to the science console Keelah@crystyl:"Set course for the scavengers’ planet, warp 6" she moves to join Kelly, "Well, what do we know?" Keliaya@anncaris | The helm officer nods, tapping on the console and setting the course Keliaya@anncaris brings up the data from the scavengers, "They've got scans of the ship and the vortex. Not as detailed as our own sensors would've gotten, but that's definitely a temporal vortex, or a vortex - Keliaya@anncaris - with some temporal properties." Keelah@crystyl:"What about the vessel itself?" Keliaya@anncaris taps the console, bringing up the scan of the vessel on the centre of the display, "No matches in our database, unsurprisingly. There's extensive damage- the ship's crippled; not beyond repair - Keliaya@anncaris - but it's going to take a lot of work to get it fully operational again. If one of ours was in this state, Starfleet would decommission it in favour of building a new one from scratch." Keelah@crystyl:"Unless it got into such a state so far from home that it couldn't return to wherever - or whenever - that shipyard would be" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Most of it is weapons damage, but nothing distinctive there. I'm seeing signs of at least two torpedo impacts and multiple energy weapons signature types. It could be cumulative damage - Keliaya@anncaris - over a long trip or an attack by a very diverse group of ships, like those pirates we just drove off, or the Horde." Keelah@crystyl:"Both distinct possibilities" she glances back to the front, "How long until we are in sensor range of the planet?" Keliaya@anncaris | Helm: "At current speed, it'll take about two days, Captain. At regular cruising speeds, just a little over one." Keelah@crystyl:"Increase to cruising then, and send QanwI' ahead. I don't want to waste time searching if the ship is already gone" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods, "Sending instructions to QanwI' now." Keliaya@anncaris:"Unless that ship can regenerate like the Borg can, I doubt it'll be going anywhere soon. We'll study what we have at the moment in more depth. The scavengers are right, there's some interesting - Keliaya@anncaris - technology on board." Keelah@crystyl:"Then I shall leave you to your work for now" she smiles, pausing as she turns, "Try not to have too much fun" continuing out with a little smirk --- Keliaya@anncaris | When Rianni's shift begins, she is called down to one of the engineering labs Rianni@crystyl strolls in, looking around curiously, "Commander? I'm... not sure, but I think there was maybe a mixup on today's duty roster?" Keliaya@anncaris looks up from the table console and smiles, "No, I wanted you to come here and see this." She motions for Rianni to join her at the table, where the image of a ship of unknown configuration is - Keliaya@anncaris - being displayed Rianni@crystyl heads over, "Oh? Ooh..." she eyes the image, "Well that's new" Keliaya@anncaris:"Have you heard about our current destination yet?" Rianni@crystyl:"I understand we met a scavenger crew under attack from pirates, but the Borg intervened and combat was avoided. Now we are following up on information shared by the scavengers. I assumed it was a - Rianni@crystyl:- point of interest, presumably to do with identifying former occupants of the region to aid the resettlement efforts. But I'm guessing this is part of it now..." she looks back to the display Keliaya@anncaris nods, "This ship suddenly appeared when the scavengers were working on the planet. It came out of a vortex with temporal properties. The scavengers decided to leave and salvage elsewhere and - Keliaya@anncaris - gave us the scans they made of the vessel before they set off. Neither us nor the scavengers have been able to ID it." Rianni@crystyl:"It is certainly nothing I or the Observer recognize" Keliaya@anncaris:"I thought as much. I didn't call you here just for you and the Observer's memories though, but it would've been nice if you did recognize it." She chuckles, "Look at the ship's tactical systems. - Keliaya@anncaris - It's armed even more heavily than a Klingon ship of its size." Rianni@crystyl:"Well that in itself is our first clue as to their nature" she notes, studying the image more closely Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/7/6925/Ravager1.jpg Rianni@crystyl moves around the display, studying the image, "Well this is interesting" Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "I thought you'd want to study this." Rianni@crystyl:"This is a very unusual weapon array configuration" she taps and highlights a section showing an undamaged array, "See here, these resemble torpedo hatches. but they incorporate directed energy - Rianni@crystyl:- emitters too. The only place I've seen this format before is from the Kratt. Though those were isokinetic cannons, which these are definitely not" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "They might be built to be capable of alternating between torpedo and energy weapon use, but it seems very ineffective. As heavily armed as this ship is, it's not /so/ covered in weaponry - Keliaya@anncaris - that it's out of room on its hull for dedicated emitters. That means they must be fusion weapons of some sort like the isokinetic cannons." Rianni@crystyl:"Possibly..." she nods, "what do you know about coilgun technology Commander?" Keliaya@anncaris:"Mostly what's used in Colonial Fleet weaponry. It's not commonly employed by any other militaries that I know of, at least." Rianni@crystyl:"Indeed. but that /could/ be what we're looking at here. Or something that resembles it. I'm seeing similarities in these exposed mechanisms to Colonial Fleet designs. Assuming the comparison is - Rianni@crystyl:- valid, these would likely fire torpedo sized projectiles, or rapid fire torpedoes" Keliaya@anncaris leans over the table, "I think I see the resemblance, now that you mention it. But Colonial Fleet coilguns are separate from their energy weapon systems." Rianni@crystyl:"Yes, that is getting into the realms of theoretical design which is not my strong suit" Rianni@crystyl:"But while technological theory is not my thing, this I recognize from the Romulan Imperial Navy Manual!" she points and refocuses the view, "These energy weapons are disruptor based" Keliaya@anncaris:"Disruptor technology and so many weapon emitters...this is starting to look like a rather militaristic group. Their armouring's burned away entirely, but from what I'm able to tell from the damage - Keliaya@anncaris - pattern, it does seem like this ship was equipped with ablative plating- the sort that Starfleet began using with the Defiant class, meant for ships that see extensive combat." Rianni@crystyl:"It... feels like a combat vessel" she nods, "This raised rear section, look at the clustering of arrays and viewports. It's the heart and brain of the vessel, it's the bridge. I have only seen - Rianni@crystyl:- combat orientated vessels to place it's bridge high at the rear to overlook a battle. And this opening in the central hull looks like a hangar entrance. A vertical launch entrance of this - Rianni@crystyl:- proportionate size would favour rapid deployment of multiple support craft" Keliaya@anncaris:"That's a good observation." She taps on the console, zooming in on the launch area. "There's a lot of room in there, it does seem to be a hangar, but the scans don't show any signs of fighter or - Keliaya@anncaris - even shuttlecraft, only a lot of what seem to be probes. Maybe this one was specially converted to serve as a scout ship?" Rianni@crystyl:"Possible. Early Earth space travel used repurposed nuclear warheads. Given the aged appearance, perhaps it is a completely repurposed former warship used for exploration, though I can't tell if - Rianni@crystyl:- there's any sign of retrofit propulsion to support the theory" Keliaya@anncaris:"You're not the only one. The propulsion systems are very heavily damaged after whatever this ship went through. But it didn't appear from regular warp- it came out of a vortex with heavy chroniton - Keliaya@anncaris - and tachyon elements. There's one system in particular on this ship I still can't discern the exact purpose of, but there was heavy residual chroniton particles in its central reactor and - Keliaya@anncaris - connecting conduits. If I had to take a guess, I'd say it was responsible for generating the vortex and that could be its primary method of travel- like the Observer's wormholes." Rianni@crystyl:"This ship does not strike me as something built for time travel. Is it possible that they were experimenting with a new propulsion system and inadvertently created a vortex with temporal properties?” Keliaya@anncaris:"It's certainly possible. Even the Observer's ship accidentally caused a temporal incursion on that one mission to the black hole." Rianni@crystyl:"Ok, I have a theory, but I don't know if I like it..." Keliaya@anncaris:"Let's hear it- every thought might be useful, you never know," she smiles Rianni@crystyl:"From what we can discern about the damage, it's sporadic and inconsistent. Couple that with the visual style and implied evolution of the ship's design. What if... it belonged to the civilization - Rianni@crystyl:- that once called that planet home. Many who faced the Horde lasted some time before the main forces hit their homeworlds - long enough to adapt and develop their defense technology - and long - Rianni@crystyl:- enough to grow sufficiently desperate to try experimenting with dangerous technology. So what if then, this ship was being deployed in an effort to save this world but vanished into a temporal - Rianni@crystyl:- vortex. They have just reappeared in orbit of their home to find it in ruins" Keliaya@anncaris:"That would explain the militaristic nature. But there weren't any lifesigns detected on the ship when it appeared. Either its crew died in the process of travel, or as the scavengers suggested, it - Keliaya@anncaris:- might not even have an organic crew. Especially if it was meant to fight against the Horde, maybe these people never developed a defense and relied on war machines like the Sorobeth." Rianni@crystyl:"Perhaps. This vessel could have been adapted from one originally used for organics to house synthetics. Perhaps they have a defense which hides their biosignatures to help protect their ships from - Rianni@crystyl:- the Horde. There are far too many variables, but if even a small portion of our guesswork turns out to be close to the truth this could be a potentially volatile first contact. Whoever they are - Rianni@crystyl:- if there is even anyone there - they are likely lost and scared and alone. That's a recipe for itchy trigger fingers" Keliaya@anncaris:"Agreed, especially if they were expecting to fight the Horde, since any ship could be a Horde ship. I'll advise the Captain to be careful." Rianni@crystyl:"I don't suppose there's sufficient data from the planet itself to determine any commonality with the ship?" Keliaya@anncaris shakes her head, "The scavengers did send us their data of the planet, but like every other former Horde planet, it's a mess of ruins from the Horde's own takeover and their self-destruction. - Keliaya@anncaris:- The recent ruins on the surface seem to be all Horde structures, and the ruins of the civilization itself is buried deep enough to suggest they've been gone for tens of thousands of years. Other - Keliaya@anncaris - than that, we're going to need more in-depth scans than the scavengers conducted to tell. They weren't exactly performing an archaeological survey." Rianni@crystyl:"It was a lot to hope for" she chuckles Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "We're fortunate to have these scans to begin with. The rest we'll just have to find out for ourselves when we get there." Rianni@crystyl:"How long until we arrive at the system now?" Keliaya@anncaris:"About sixteen hours. Take a shift off after this one, but we're going to need you on the bridge when we get there." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Understood. I'll be ready Commander" --- Keliaya@anncaris | Sixteen hours later, the VF nears the planet where the mysterious ship was spotted... Keliaya@anncaris | Ann: "Five minutes till system entry, Cap'n." Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "They're still there alright" Rianni@crystyl:"I have the QanwI' holding under cloak at the system's edge" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Stand by on comms, and conduct full passive scans as soon as we approach" Keliaya@anncaris | Before long, the VF drops out of warp near their destination planet. It clearly still retains an atmosphere and cloud activity can be seen, but almost the entirety of the planet seems to be - Keliaya@anncaris - covered in a barren, rocky terrain not unlike Vulcan Keliaya@anncaris steps over beside Lennie to view the scan results as they come in Rianni@crystyl | Lennie looks to her, "Typical Horde mess down there" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Anything our sensors can pick up that might tell us more about the ship?" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie shakes her head, "Nadda! Gonna have t'go pokin' an' proddin' with th'archaeologists t'get any real answers" Keliaya@anncaris:"Thought as much...looks like the residual chroniton's much lower now, but likely due to normal dispersal. Most of what we're still detecting comes from inside the ship's systems." Rianni@crystyl meanwhile, works on gathering data on the ship itself Rianni@crystyl:"Still no lifesigns from the ship, but I can see active life support and gravity. It is unlikely that it was at least intended for synthetic use. Power levels are otherwise minimal" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah nods, turning the other way, "Anything on comms?" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva shakes her head, "Their comm system is down, though, so someone could be on board- they just have no way to talk to us." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "No sign of reaction to our presence?" Keliaya@anncaris shakes her head, "Not that I can see. Some of their sensors still seem to be functioning, but it's hard to tell from what degree. Assuming anything is even alive in there to see the data..." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Begin a steady approach to a synchronous orbit beside them" Keliaya@anncaris | Ann nods, "Aye Cap'n." Keliaya@anncaris | The mysterious heavily damaged ship draws closer on the viewscreen as the VF settles in orbit beside it Rianni@crystyl monitors for any change Rianni@crystyl shakes her head, "Still no reaction" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah looks around, "Thoughts?" Keliaya@anncaris:"It looks like it's been disabled. It's not impossible that it's a trap, but out here the only people that would set traps are pirates. And I've never heard of pirates opening up chroniton vortices." Rianni@crystyl:"Someone or something put the ship there, even if they aren't with it now" Keliaya@anncaris:"But it might not be intentional. Like you theorized, this could be the result of an accident." Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Nothin' to suggest a crew in stasis, 'less it's somethin' we can't recognize" Keliaya@anncaris looks to Lennie, "Any signs of organic material at all?" Rianni@crystyl nods, pointing to the viewscreen, "We could send out the squadron. The drones could enter there and conduct an initial survey" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie shakes her head, "Just a whole lotta nothin'..." Keliaya@anncaris:"That's a good idea, Lieutenant. If it seems to be safe, we could beam over an away team to explore it more closely.” Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Let's send in the drones first, get a lay of the land. Kelly, have your team standing ready" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "On it." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Squadron reports ready Captain" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Let them loose" Rianni@crystyl smiles, tapping away to initiate launch protocols Keliaya@anncaris | The squadron launches from the VF, making the short journey to the mystery ship nearby. They circle around the vessel first, sending in some additional readings before they begin to enter its - Keliaya@anncaris - hangar bay. The viewscreen shifts to show a feed from one of the Nuhar fighters as it slowly maneuvers its way through the hangar. It looks deserted, with probes and crates scattered all about - Keliaya@anncaris - in a mess, some still intact, some of them broken Rianni@crystyl:"That layout looks distinctly combat orientated. But there's nothing there that looks like a launchable support craft" Keliaya@anncaris:"Just these probes, which were all the scavengers' scans detected as well." Keliaya@anncaris | The Nuhar fighter slows, taking in some images of alien runes written along the hangar walls and floors, as well as on the probes and crates Rianni@crystyl | Lennie perks up, quickly getting to work on the language Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Goddess... this's like... a common ancestor to th'whole region or somethin'! I'm-a seein' links t'several Guardian species, Riders, even Lupan" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Applying translation matrix to the datafeed" Rianni@crystyl looks up to see the mysterious text turn into a generic hangar safety sign Keliaya@anncaris looks over too, "Well, that's not very helpful. But at least we know whoever they were, these people are- or were, connected in this region." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Allow the drones to complete their survey as far as they are able, then it's down to the away team" Keliaya@anncaris | The drones explore through the hangar, going as far as they are able. As expected, their size constrains them from entering the hallways and they are not able to go much further, but they - Keliaya@anncaris - conduct what scans they are able from within the ship, sending it back to the VF before they make their way back out. From the scans, the inside of the ship looks to be safe and clear Rianni@crystyl | Keelah turns to Kelly, "You're up then Commander" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Mind if I steal Lieutenant Tierno? She's studied the ship with me too, and she can provide extra security without looking too intimidating." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah nods, "Your team, your call" Keliaya@anncaris looks to Rianni, "You're with me, then." Rianni@crystyl taps her console and summons Sin to take her place before nodding to Kelly and heading over, "Do we want a security escort too?" Keliaya@anncaris shakes her head, "I'm also calling Mia and Sayu along. Between you and Sayu, I think we've got things covered," she smiles Rianni@crystyl:"Absolutely! And Mia should be more than capable of handling any interface issues, especially now Lendaria has isolated a translation matrix" Keliaya@anncaris nods, heading into the turbolift, "Not to mention the case that we might be dealing with synthetic life. I can't think of anyone better than Mia to communicate with them." Rianni@crystyl:"What about psionics? Should we have someone with suitable senses?" Keliaya@anncaris:"If something psionically powerful is involved, Sin should be able to sense it from here. Though I don't think we're dealing with anything like that." Rianni@crystyl:"Good point!" --- Keliaya@anncaris FX | The away team beams down into an empty hallway with flickering lights. Kelly activates her flashlight, shining it around to illuminate their surroundings. The hall is extremely spartan, the - Keliaya@anncaris - walls and floor all cold shades of grey Rianni@crystyl pulls out her tricorder and begins scanning the area Rianni@crystyl:"Nothing unexpected and still no lifesigns or energy readings" Keliaya@anncaris nods, looking around, "It's less industrial than Lupan design, but still all very functional. Reminds me of Regulator ships, actually, but a little larger." Rianni@crystyl:"Mia, can you scan far enough to accurately map this area of the ship?" Rianni@crystyl | Mia smiles and nods, "Working now Ms. Rianni!" she continues briefly before Miadrone projects a holographic map for them Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "Thanks, Mia." She looks over the map closely, pointing out a tube, "That looks like it goes further up, and the bridge is on that raised platform." Rianni@crystyl:"That would be our best bet to get a better understanding of this ship" she nods Keliaya@anncaris:"Let's do some climbing, then. Unless the lifts are operational, but I doubt it with the rest of the ship in this state." Rianni@crystyl:"Even if they technically are, it may be better to play it safe to start with" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Agreed. To the tubes, then." Rianni@crystyl:"Sayu, take point please and show us the way" Keliaya@anncaris | Sayu nods, darting ahead and leading the way Rianni@crystyl climbs in behind the others while Mia ripples out of view and hovers along with them, shining a light on the path ahead Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "Thanks, Sayu and Mia." Rianni@crystyl | They both chirp happily Keliaya@anncaris | After a little bit of climbing (and flying), the group arrives on the bridge, which is just as grand as the rest of the ship. Transparent aluminum lines the front and sides of it and are - Keliaya@anncaris - clearly intended as windows, though thick shutters have closed over them, obscuring the view outside the ship save for one section where the shutters have been blasted off Keliaya@anncaris | All the consoles across the bridge are completely dark Rianni@crystyl looks around curiously and cautiously, "This definitely feels like the command deck of a grand carrier" Keliaya@anncaris:"Except there's no sign of fighters or people anywhere," she steps up to a console, giving it a scan. "These are operational, just powered down. Doesn't look like our power cells are compatible." Keliaya@anncaris glances to Mia, "Check the area, see if they have any emergency power supplies around." Rianni@crystyl | Mia nods and begins surveying while Sayu patrols Rianni@crystyl wanders around, exploring the bridge and mostly just imagining what the people were like and such Keliaya@anncaris | Rianni sees from the design of the consoles that the people were fairly big- taller than the average Starfleet species, but not quite as tall as the Lodzki or fully upright Lupan Keliaya@anncaris | Meanwhile, Mia does indeed manage to locate a few backup power packs stored in a wall panel Rianni@crystyl sits in what she figures is the command chair, swinging her feet, "Guess we still have to wait to find that elusive midget race..." Rianni@crystyl | Mia: "Commander, we have located backup power cells!" Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "Good work, Mia! Hand me one and I should get this console working." Keliaya@anncaris | Meanwhile as Rianni enjoys the command chair, she finds an openable compartment in the armrest... Rianni@crystyl | Mia carefully opens the panel and retrieves one which she delivers to Kelly Rianni@crystyl hrms, easing it open gently Keliaya@anncaris:"Thanks," she gets to work on repowering the console Keliaya@anncaris | The compartment opens to reveal a hollow armrest with something neatly slotted within... Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/43e0820a709ba571ed7923faa32938d115ebd12e-Copy.jpg Rianni@crystyl:"Um... Commander, I am growing increasingly confident in my theory that these were not peaceful explorers..." Keliaya@anncaris glances up from the console, "What did you find?" Rianni@crystyl cautiously raises the weapon to show her Keliaya@anncaris | On the other side of Rianni from Kelly, Sayu gives a chirp before tapping something on the wall with one of his appendages. A wall panel slides back like the emergency compartment where Mia - Keliaya@anncaris - found the power packs, except this compartment is larger, holding a rack with several rifles on the top, and on the bottom... Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Warhammer-40K-Chaos-Chainaxe-H1.jpg Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Those definitely do not look peaceful." Rianni@crystyl joins Sayu to investigate, "All these weapons are up there with bat'leths for their viciousness. And they seem to favour a preference for melee combat, also a trait of warmongering species even - Rianni@crystyl:- those who are warp capable. We should be especially cautious with their computers. If they are halfway intelligent, they could have all sorts of internal defense systems set to trigger" Keliaya@anncaris:"Good advice. Though it doesn't seem like we have much to worry about on the bridge." She motions at the console she activated, which displays a few lines of glyphs reading: "BRIDGE TERMINALS - Keliaya@anncaris:- DISABLED. CONTROL REROUTED TO CENTRAL COMPUTER. ACCESS COMPUTER MAINFRAME FOR OVERRIDE." Keliaya@anncaris:"They've shut down the bridge. That lends credence to the theory that the ship was being run by the computer, and there probably wasn't a crew on board." Rianni@crystyl:"So the question remains then as to whether that was an AI or just an automated test?" Keliaya@anncaris:"We'll have to find out at the computer mainframe." She takes out a PADD, tapping on it and bringing up an image of the ship. "Which according to our scans should be here," she points out a part of - Keliaya@anncaris - the ship further down." Rianni@crystyl:"Back the way we came then?" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Back the way we came. Mia, would you lead the way again and find us a path to this section?" Rianni@crystyl | Mia nods, "Of course Ms. Kelly, follow us!" Rianni@crystyl:"Well, at least I'll get my cardio workout for the day" Keliaya@anncaris:"I'd call for transport, but you bring up a good warning about security systems. It's probably safer to make our way through the ship. If we trigger any defenses, we'll have more time to react." Rianni@crystyl:"I suspect if there is anything, we won't see a reaction unless the computer is powered up. But yes, this would be dangerous enough on a typical vessel. With evidence like we're seeing..." Rianni@crystyl doesn't need to finish the sentence for the unsaid to be clear Keliaya@anncaris | The group make their way back down through the tube, eventually taking a different turn than before. As Mia and Sayu hovers ahead, they find a deactivated drone, collapsed in the middle of the - Keliaya@anncaris:- maintenance hall they are crawling through Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/0/05/Probe_Droid_SWB.png/revision/latest?cb=20151115014524 Rianni@crystyl stops and takes a detailed scan of it, "Stars! Even the drones here look mean..." Rianni@crystyl | Miadrone gives a slightly scared sounding woooo. While saying almost seems to huff dismissively of the notion Rianni@crystyl:"Curious though. No sign of damage, looks like it just... ran out of juice" Keliaya@anncaris:"Let's...just leave it offline for now." Rianni@crystyl nods, standing to resume, "No arguments from me" Keliaya@anncaris | They continue crawling, leaving the drone lying deactivated behind them Keliaya@anncaris | After a bit more climbing, the team make their way into the computer core, where they find two more drones collapsed on the floor Keliaya@anncaris takes out a tricorder, scanning before turning to Mia Keliaya@anncaris:"There's four defensive turrets inside the bulkhead above," she points upward. "Think you and Sayu can take them out of commission before we start the core, just in case?" Rianni@crystyl | Mia looks up and nods, "We believe so, yes!" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Thanks, Mia. I'll take a look at the core. Let me know when you're done." Rianni@crystyl stays close to Kelly while the drones do their thing Keliaya@anncaris steps over to the console by the computer core, plugging in the power pack from the bridge Keliaya@anncaris | The console lights up, this time with an actual interface and a number of alien runes, instead of the single error message. Kelly begins tapping away Rianni@crystyl watches curiously as Kelly works, glancing back as the drones return Keliaya@anncaris:"There's not enough power remaining in the ship to power up the computer core for any extended period of time, even if I draw everything from life support and gravity." Keliaya@anncaris taps her combadge, "Kelly to Valley Forge." Rianni@crystyl:<C-Keelah> "What's the situation over there?" Keliaya@anncaris:<C> "We believe this ship came from a militaristic civilization, but there's no one on board. The controls have all been locked and rerouted to the central computer. We're in the computer mainframe - Keliaya@anncaris - now and I have access to ship systems, but the ship doesn't have the power to get the computer back up for long." Rianni@crystyl:<C-Keelah> "Do you want to perform a power transfer?" Keliaya@anncaris taps a few buttons, <C> "The shield generators are completely fried and only two of the weapons are even remotely functional. I don't think this ship is going to be any threat to the Valley - Keliaya@anncaris - Forge, so it should be safe to transfer a little power to it." Rianni@crystyl:<C-Keelah> "Very well Commander, we're setting up now" Keliaya@anncaris:<C> "Thank you, Captain. Standing by for power transfer." Keliaya@anncaris | As they wait for the power transfer, Rianni gets a chance to check out the weapons systems from the controls here... Rianni@crystyl can't resist investigating Rianni@crystyl:"Huh... so that's why they have those unusual weapon ports" Keliaya@anncaris looks to Rianni, "Hm?" Rianni@crystyl:"The combined energy and projectile array is set up to use the energy beam like a guidance system for the projectiles. It means they could focus fire on a facing shield to tear it down and - Rianni@crystyl:- immediately take advantage by pummelling the hull with torpedoes or even ballistic projectiles. Looks like independent operation is within the capability, but the configuration allows for all - Rianni@crystyl:- variables. Outdated tech by our standards, but ruthlessly efficient and dangerous even to a modern Starfleet vessel like the Forge" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Our ablative armour should be able to help, but if these weapons punch a hole in the armour, they'll be able to take advantage of it and send torpedoes or projectiles right into the hull - Keliaya@anncaris - with pinpoint accuracy. Better than losing an entire shield facing, but I'm glad there's only two weapons active. Only one of them with both the energy weapon and launcher components intact." Rianni@crystyl nods, "All the more reason it's better that we tend to this rather than scavengers. Or worse, pirates" Keliaya@anncaris:"Agreed. Like you said, the tech's not that special, but the incorporation is. All they need is a scan to get some ideas, and we might be dealing with some very dangerous pirates." She looks to the - Keliaya@anncaris - console, "Power transfer is incoming. Receiving it through this vessel's deflector array now. Time to see what's inside this computer." Rianni@crystyl:"Mia, please closely monitor activity from the ship's systems. Sayu, stay alert" Rianni@crystyl | Both drones give affirmative beeps Keliaya@anncaris | On the console, the computer reboot status quickly ticks up to full, and then suddenly the interface flickers and disappears, replaced with a single line of runes. An alien voice plays - Keliaya@anncaris - alongside it, but it is not yet understandable as the UT only has the written and not phonetic data. The runes translate, though: "WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE HOME WORLD?" Keliaya@anncaris | A keyboard of runes appears under the console to allow typing an answer Rianni@crystyl:"What do you think Commander?" Keliaya@anncaris:"The controls are gone. Maybe the computer core is an AI that's overriding us now," she glances to Mia Rianni@crystyl | Mia: "We do not detect any indicators of an intelligence at work, it is a simple logical interface. It is however locking access to all ship functions through a hardcoded response algorithm" Rianni@crystyl:"So we can't even interrogate it to figure out what it's homeworld is..." Keliaya@anncaris | The question flickers and disappears, replaced by another, "WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE HORDE?" Rianni@crystyl:"Maybe it's not so simple after all" she smiles Rianni@crystyl | Mia: "Likely a time-delayed switch to account for circumstances not unlike that which the ship is in now, where the answer to the first question is an unknown" Keliaya@anncaris:"That one we can answer, at least. Do you think answering will get us access to the core?" Rianni@crystyl | Mia: "It is possible. Though we can not say for certain without progressing, it may also trigger a more detailed line of inquiry" Rianni@crystyl:"I guess there's only one way to find out" Keliaya@anncaris nods, tapping her PADD to translate before tapping at the runes to spell out a word which translates to: "DESTROYED." Keliaya@anncaris | The question disappears and the computer seems to process for a second before a much shorter line appears: "ENTIRELY?" Rianni@crystyl:"Whoever programmed it would seem to know of the Horde's tenacity" Rianni@crystyl | Mia: "The program is accessing sensor arrays. It is scanning the planet" Keliaya@anncaris:"I have a feeling your theory on this ship being used to fight the Horde was right." Rianni@crystyl:"That would explain the vicious nature of the weaponry, we know that melee combat was particularly efficient against them" Keliaya@anncaris:"And the warlike configuration of the ship. Though it's not impossible that the species was always warlike before." Keliaya@anncaris types 'YES' into the PADD, which highlights a single rune that Kelly hits Keliaya@anncaris | The computer processes for another moment before the controls return Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "It seems satisfied by our answer." Rianni@crystyl | Mia: "It is now accessing the subspace relay and transmitting a signal" Rianni@crystyl:"That... might not be so good" Keliaya@anncaris:"This ship might be all that remains of its creators. For all we know, it might be trying to contact an extinct civilization." She looks over to Mia, "Where's the signal directed at?" Rianni@crystyl | Mia: "Unable to track. The target seems to be within subspace" Keliaya@anncaris:"Okay, that definitely doesn't sound good..." Rianni@crystyl taps her combadge, "Tierno to Valley Forge. Activation has triggered an automated message into subspace. Recommend yellow alert" --- Keliaya@anncaris | Meanwhile on the VF bridge, Keelah receives Rianni's message Rianni@crystyl | Keelah nods over to Sin who raises the alert status Rianni@crystyl | <C-Keelah> "Thank you Lieutenant. We're monitoring for activity, keep us updated on any changes there" Keliaya@anncaris | A few seconds of quiet pass, then Lennie picks up a buildup of tachyon particles, getting bigger and bigger. It's not unlike what she sees when Carran ships exit subspace corridors, but many, - Keliaya@anncaris - many magnitudes stronger... Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Cap'n, we got incomin'. Looks like subspace corridors openin', but off th'charts!" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Thank you Commander. Let us hold our calm and greet these arrivals like any other first contact situation" Keliaya@anncaris | On the viewscreen, a vortex opens, looking not unlike a Junayd wormhole aperture at first, but growing wider and wider. It transforms into a huge maw of swirling energy, more akin to the - Keliaya@anncaris - Bajoran wormhole instead. Then, ships begin to appear, first one, then three, then five, then ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred, and the numbers tick up... Keliaya@anncaris | All the ships seem to have similar design aesthetics to the heavily damaged one they found (like how most Starfleet ships have the saucer-nacelle style) but there are significant variation, at - Keliaya@anncaris - least a dozen distinct classes observed in the fleet so far, and more are emerging from the vortex still Rianni@crystyl | Sin: "Better hope they're friendly, else we are fu-" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah cuts her off, "Fortunate that we mature enough not to panic in such situations, right Ensign?" Rianni@crystyl | Sin twists her lip and quietly refocuses on her console Keliaya@anncaris | The ships all move in towards the planet in a slow, steady fashion, and soon the viewscreen is filled with them Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://i.imgur.com/F2KadE6.png Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Cap'n, I'm-a seein' lifesigns - counts, well, what ya'd expect for all them ships. But they'se all faint, if they ain't all on the verge o'dyin' then they'se likely all in stasis. Most - Rianni@crystyl - likely th'stasis" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Any signs of reaction to our presence, or communications from the new arrivals?" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva shakes her head, "No comms. If they're in stasis, they're probably not awake yet, or just waking up." Keliaya@anncaris | There is a break in ships, and it seems like their arrival is complete...when suddenly an entire spacedock no smaller than a Federation starbase emerges from the vortex, filled with a - Keliaya@anncaris - mega-city's worth of lifesigns Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://i.imgur.com/T5Z2Dlg.jpg Rianni@crystyl | Even Keelah's eyes widen some at the sight of the last arrival Rianni@crystyl | Sin: "That's a lot of sleeping people..." Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Looks like occupants of th'first ship're wakin' up. An' they look like Riders... not exactly th'same as wha' we know, but definitely look like distant cousins" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah turns, "Like Vulcans and Romulans?" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie nods, "Exactly, yeah!" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva looks back to Lennie, "Rider language was one of the ones the runes had similarities to, wasn't it?" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah perks a brow, looking back to the viewscreen, "Curious. Didn't the Riders say that their civilization was lost too?" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie nods to both, "Yes an' yes!" Keliaya@anncaris | Ann looks back to Keelah, "Ya think this could be..." Rianni@crystyl:"Th'language weren't just in them runes, it were one of th'dominant ones in it all" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "It is certainly a distinct possibility from what we are seeing" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "More of th'fleets wakin' up" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Begin open broadcast of a general greeting. Make clear that we are allies in the fight against the Horde, and here to welcome them home" Keliaya@anncaris | A few more ships continue out behind the station and soon the vortex snaps closed. The total count of ships is up to 700 of varying sizes, plus the station Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Aye Captain. Broadcasting the greeting to them now." Keliaya@anncaris | Vusal: "Power levels rising in the first ships out of the vortex." Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "I'm seeing increased movement too, looks like they'se gettin' outta bed" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Continue monitoring, we can't afford to make ourselves seem like a threat" Keliaya@anncaris | A few minutes tick by quietly as the fleet slowly settles into orbit around the planet. Then, ten of the earlier ships that arrived break off, turning towards the VF... Ann Carter@anncaris | As the ten alien ships slowly move towards the VF... Ann Carter@anncaris <C - Kelly> "Away team to Valley Forge. We have full control of the damaged ship, or what's left of it to control, that is. Do you want us to remain on board?" Keelah@crystyl:<C> “Stay put Kelly, we've got movement from the new arrivals” Ann Carter@anncaris <C - Kelly> "Understood." Keelah@crystyl:"Open a direct channel to the lead vessel on approach" Ann Carter@anncaris | Eva nods, tapping her console, "Channel open, Captain." Ann Carter@anncaris | A horned alien bearing clear resemblance to the Riders appears on the viewscreen Ann Carter@anncaris FX | https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/shaniverse/images/e/e5/Proxima.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20210218041135 Keelah@crystyl presents her best diplomatic smile, "Greetings, I am Captain Se'Lai of the Valley Forge. On behalf of the Galactic Coalition, I bid you welcome - or rather... welcome back, as I suspect is more apt" Ann Carter@anncaris | Alien: "I am Admiral Valgard Aldas-Feld, in command of Fleet Stronghold of the Drenn Ecclesiarchy. We have received and translated your message. You claim to have fought against the Horde?" Keelah@crystyl:"Destroyed them, actually yes" Ann Carter@anncaris | Valgard: "So the scout ship reports. How were you able to eradicate the Hated Enemy? How have you succeeded where our great empire failed?" Keelah@crystyl:"That would be quite the long story, Admiral. We detect that you and your people have just awakened from stasis-" she smiles, "-I don't know about you, but that tends to leave me with quite the - Keelah@crystyl:- appetite. So perhaps you and your delegation could join us on the Valley Forge and allow us to present you a welcoming feast over which we can discuss things more amicably?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Valgard nods, "I would like to hear the story of your victory. But first, let us wait for the Jarls and the Ecclesiarchs to awaken so I may extend your offer to them. Prepare your feast- we - Ann Carter@anncaris - shall be along shortly." Keelah@crystyl:"I look forward to greeting you in person Admiral. One more thing first though, our team are currently on board your scout ship from our initial survey. It is they who restored power and triggered - Keelah@crystyl:- the transmission. Do you need them to remain there and monitor the ship until your people are caught up and able to take it back over, or can I bring them straight back?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Valgard: "We have scanned the vessel and noticed their presence. You are welcome to vacate the ship freely. Under normal circumstances, we do not allow outsiders to access our vessels and - Ann Carter@anncaris - their secrets, but these are not normal circumstances. We would not be here without you, in more ways than one." Keelah@crystyl:"I understand and appreciate your consideration. We will transport them back ready to join us. Welcome back to the galaxy Admiral, we will see you soon" Ann Carter@anncaris | Valgard nods, "Thank you, Captain." The comm cuts Keelah@crystyl stands, "Inform Kelly that she and her team can now return. And tell chef we have company for dinner" heading out to make preparations --- Keliaya@anncaris rings the ready room doorbell upon her return Keelah@crystyl:"Come in" Keliaya@anncaris steps inside, approaching Keelah Keelah@crystyl turns, "Quite the turn of events" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "I don't like this, Keelah." Keelah@crystyl:"Speak your mind Kelly. You've seen these people closer than I, after all" Keliaya@anncaris:"The computer core of that ship relinquished control once its work was done. Mia and I got access to their systems. They're the remnants of an empire called the Drenn Ecclesiarchy. At the height of - Keliaya@anncaris - their power, they were conquerors and one of the great factions in this part of the galaxy. They seem to be playing nice now, and maybe they'll be friendly with the Coalition for some time to - Keliaya@anncaris - come because we defeated the Horde. But it feels like the Voyager awakening the Vaadwaur, and we all know how that turned out." Keelah@crystyl:"I understand your trepidation, and I share it. But they are here regardless, and if we did not activate their signal then someone less prepared could have. Perhaps they were once a conquering - Keelah@crystyl:- empire, but so were the Iconians. All we can do now is make them welcome" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "There's something else about them, too." Keelah@crystyl:"What is that?" Keliaya@anncaris:"I won't go into the details of their history for now- I didn't exactly get a chance to sit down and read it all in detail myself, either. In short, the Ecclesiarchy as it is now was founded by a - Keliaya@anncaris - powerful psionic who gained his powers as a result of making contact with the galactic barrier. Before that, their society was quite similar to what the Klingons were once like- a collection - Keliaya@anncaris - of warring subfactions led by nobles, these Jarls. The psionic united all the clans and became worshipped as a god. The Living God, they call him." Keelah@crystyl:"I'll make sure to take Sin with me then. If they still have such a psionic leader, hopefully her presence will further dissuade them from doing anything stupid. And if not, I'm sure her bravado will - Keelah@crystyl:- appeal to their warrior spirit" she smiles Keliaya@anncaris:"If they still have a psionic leader. That's the thing..." She steps over to the window, pointing out the largest ship in the centre of the Drenn fleet. It is still much smaller than the station of - Keliaya@anncaris - course, but it is a massive vessel around the size of the fearsome Lodzki dreadnoughts. Its design is also clearly distinct from the rest, and possesses a pure black-painted hull Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/6/6a/Eternal_Fleet_flagship.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20200525190600 Keliaya@anncaris:"The files say the Living God is on that ship. But Eva can't sense anyone with significant psionic potential there." Keelah@crystyl looks back out, following Kelly's gaze, "Perhaps they remain in stasis while the military secure their presence?" Keliaya@anncaris:"I don't know how much of the file is reliable and how much is propaganda, but the Drenn themselves at least believe that the Living God is immortal. It's possible things are exaggerated - Keliaya@anncaris - and he does need stasis, but there was a thousand years between the founding of the Ecclesiarchy and when they encountered the Horde. The Drenn have an average lifespan of..." she takes out - Keliaya@anncaris - her PADD, tapping on it, "117 years, according to their own files. Jarls usually live longer, but none live far past 200." Keelah@crystyl:"It is also possible then that there is no psionic in charge anymore, perhaps knowingly or not. It could be maintained as an honorary title of leadership, or as an intentional ploy to maintain order" Keliaya@anncaris:"That, or he's become so powerful he can hide his presence from other psionics. I guess we'll have to see." Keelah@crystyl:"Possible, and worth considering. Though I doubt one could mask their presence from the likes of Eva or Sin" Keliaya@anncaris:"Exactly why I'm concerned. If he /is/ capable of it, who can say what else he's capable of?" Keelah@crystyl:"All the more reason to establish these people as friends" Keliaya@anncaris:"And one last thing you might want to know- that ship we boarded is a timeship. It wasn't built to be, but they refitted it. It's task was to jump forward in time and locate if there was a time - Keliaya@anncaris - when the Horde was defeated. There's no AI, it ran on a sophisticated program, but the ship itself isn't sentient. The damage was inflicted by Horde ships it encountered when it didn't jump - Keliaya@anncaris - far enough into the future. As far as we can tell, none of the other ships in their fleet have temporal technology, but if they can refit one ship with it, they could probably manage it again. - Keliaya@anncaris:- If we needed more reason not to get on their bad side." Keelah@crystyl:"Noted, thank you" Keliaya@anncaris:"That's all I have so far. I'll upload everything we learned into the computers for you to review the details when you like, Captain." Keelah@crystyl:"I'll brush up on what I can in preparation to welcome them aboard" --- NPC@annpc#557 | As the representatives from the Ecclesiarchy arrive, Keelah waits in the room where the feast is set to greet them Keelah@crystyl checks over everything, making sure it is all just right NPC@annpc#557 | Kazra: "I've checked over all the food with the biological data Kelly took from their ship's computer. Everything here should be edible to them." Keelah@crystyl smiles, "And hopefully at least something is familiar too thanks to our local additions to the database" NPC@annpc#557 | Crewman: "A few of those are foods commonly served on Rider worlds, that they're known to enjoy. With the similarities, their palette might be comparable too." Keelah@crystyl:"Thank you crewman, you have all done wonderfully at short notice. As always" NPC@annpc#557 | The door slides open and two security officers walk in first, followed by the representatives- Admiral Valgard from earlier, accompanied by two males of similar appearance. One is roughly her - NPC@annpc#557 - age, perhaps a few years older and a little taller, while the other is shorter than her and looks notably older Keelah@crystyl turns towards the arrivals, "Welcome" NPC@annpc#557 | Valgard: "Thank you for hosting us, Captain. We have already met on comms earlier- I am here representing the Imperial military. This," she nods towards the younger of the two males, "is Jarl - NPC@annpc#557:- Liefnir Grinn-Varr, representing the Council of Jarls and," she nods to the older male, "Ecclesiarch Sigis, representing the Conclave of Ecclesiarchs." NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "Together, these are the three great pillars of the Drenn Ecclesiarchy which govern all aspects of our society." Keelah@crystyl:"Thank you all for joining us. Please help yourselves too food and refreshment, I am hopeful that our time in this region of space has afforded us sufficient knowledge in preparing at least - Keelah@crystyl:- something familiar to you. If not familiar, then at least palatable" NPC@annpc#557 | The three settle around the table, and Jarl Liefnir speaks, "We have been away for a long time. But that said, some of these do indeed seem familiar. Traditions passed on by the people under - NPC@annpc#557 - our domain who had fled the Horde attack, perhaps?" Keelah@crystyl sits as well, "Quite possibly. In our initial efforts to understand your written language as found on the scout ship, we encountered commonality with several species we are familiar with. Most - Keelah@crystyl:- notably among them being those known to us simply as 'Riders' who we suspect to be descendents of your kin. Do you know how long it has been since you went into stasis?" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "Over ten thousand years, according to our chronometers. You must wonder how we are all still here- stasis pods fail over time, and even ships will degrade after so long without proper - NPC@annpc#557 - care. The hulls will be preserved in vacuum, yes, but surely the systems would fail?" Keelah@crystyl:"Unless you bypass the constraints of linear time by locating those ships in a layer of subspace" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis smiles, "Precisely! Our divine protector, the glorious Living God Among Us, identified this layer within which we could take refuge." Keelah@crystyl tilts her head a little, "I'm sorry, the Living God Among You?" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "Our unifier, leader and saviour. He was the one who conquered the warring clans of the Drenn and formed the Ecclesiarchy. We owe all that we are to Him." Keelah@crystyl:"I see, thank you for clarifying. So is our assumption correct in that this system was the homeworld you herald from?" NPC@annpc#557 | Liefnir: "No, but it is understandable that you would make this mistake. Our homeworld was lost to the Horde- well, it has all been lost to the Hated Enemy now, but our home was lost earlier. - NPC@annpc#557 - This is Stronghold." Keelah@crystyl:"More of a... last outpost then? The place where you consolidated all you could of your society ready for long term preservation?" NPC@annpc#557 | Valgard nods, "That's precisely the case. Stronghold was not always meant to be so, but it was also a military bastion. This was the site where we prepared for Contingency 47, the Long Sleep. - NPC@annpc#557 - When it became clear that we could not fight the Horde, we retreated here. The Horde did not battle us in any conventional fashion, but I am sure you are aware of their tactics if you fought - NPC@annpc#557 - and prevailed against them. By the time the homeworld had fallen, we had two options: flee and attempt to rebuild elsewhere, Contingency 25, and Contingency 47." Keelah@crystyl:"Many species have opted for a contingency 25. Countless more did not manage either option, or anything in between" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "It was divine will which determined that Contingency 47 was the best course for our bastion here at Stronghold to take." Keelah@crystyl:"The... Living God?" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "That is correct." NPC@annpc#557 | Liefnir: "But almost all the ships that gathered here at Stronghold were military, and even then not all ships made it. Some may have enacted Contingency 25 on their own, and many non-Drenn of - NPC@annpc#557 - our empire has likely done the same," he takes a bite off a drumstick, gesturing around the table with the bone. "Something of them have clearly survived." Keelah@crystyl:"Yes, indeed. It is fortuitous that we found your scout ship when we did too. Since the Horde has been destroyed now, everyone is working to reclaim and sanitize their former territory" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "And that is what we hope to do as well." Keelah@crystyl:"Understandably. And the timing means that you should be able to reclaim your former home - be it Stronghold, or that which was lost prior. Had we not found and activated your scout ship, it is - Keelah@crystyl:- possible that the unidentified worlds would have been resettled by refugees from other civilizations in your absence" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "Yes. The Living God, in His infinite wisdom, foresaw that should a time come when the Horde was eradicated, there would be many who would exploit this opportunity to claim their - NPC@annpc#557 - former worlds." Keelah@crystyl:"Exploit is not the word I would use. The Coalition is leading a dedicated effort to rehouse those who lost homes, and identify owners of the homes they find which had been claimed by the Horde" NPC@annpc#557 | Valgard: "This Coalition of yours, it was your work, destroying the Horde?" Keelah@crystyl | nods, "Yes. It is still in it's relative infancy as an organization. But has already come a long way and brought together allies who have been fighting the Horde since it's very inception at the - Keelah@crystyl:- hands of the Progenitors. The Coalition is established at the Heart of Unity - formerly known as the Heart of War - where the final battle took place" NPC@annpc#557 | Liefnir: "Heart of Unity, is that a planet, a star system?" Keelah@crystyl nods over to one of the stewards who activates a display screen, "An Iconian sphere - the largest known to exist. It was their contingency plan 100,000 years ago. But they were never able to use it- Keelah@crystyl:- in time" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "We have heard of the Iconians, but we never found such a facility before. I assume it was this that allowed you to destroy the Horde in its entirety?" Keelah@crystyl:"Yes, it allowed us to use the psionic signal that united them all to make them self destruct. In fact-" she looks to her side, "-Sin here was the one who took down the Architect - the Progenitor - Keelah@crystyl:- who created all of our species, and the Horde - in order to achieve this" Keelah@crystyl | Sin pauses, mid-bite of a drumstick and looks around NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "So you are the one we have to thank for our ability to return." Keelah@crystyl | Sin: "I did my part, just like everyone else did. Just so happens that meant doing mind-battle with the head of the Horde" she shrugs NPC@annpc#557 | Valgard: "The Horde had a head?" Keelah@crystyl:"The Architect - their creator. He was not in play when you last walked the galaxy, but came back a few years ago. He initially seconded the Heart of War and used it to strengthen and refocus the - Keelah@crystyl:- Horde's control signal, making them far more intelligent than they were prior. In the end, he was the real threat" NPC@annpc#557 | Liefnir: "He seconded the Heart of War? You mean the creator of the Horde worked with your Coalition?" Keelah@crystyl:"We did not know his true nature at first and he deceived us all, working with us to build technology to beat the Horde. But it was all a rouse to get to the Heart, yes" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "A devious one, as devious as the Horde itself, if not even more so. The Hated Enemy did not strike at us immediately, but split us, causing many Drenn to stray from the righteous path - NPC@annpc#557 - and believe in the old gods. These apostates gave us no end of trouble and wasted precious time which we could have used to prepare for the true enemy." Keelah@crystyl:"Yes, it was a typical tactic they used with many civilizations. We have spent the last few years countering these effects where possible" NPC@annpc#557 | Valgard: "And now you have destroyed the Hated Enemy completely. An impressive feat." Keelah@crystyl:"One that would never have come to fruition were it not for the Coalition. I say this because it's existence is a byproduct of all the Children species learning to stand together as one" NPC@annpc#557 | Liefnir nods, "That alone is quite an impressive feat." Keelah@crystyl:"Which is why everyone is working so eagerly to make it last now. Honestly, the last few centuries have been relentless turmoil for so many people; but now for the first time, everyone is holding - Keelah@crystyl:- their heads high and proud. For the first in a long time, it is an optimistic galaxy. Of course, that is not just because of the Horde disappearing, but the unintended consequence of that action" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "The unintended consequence?" Keelah@crystyl:"Do you know of the Q Continuum?" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "We have records of them, yes, though we know little of their true nature or intentions." Keelah@crystyl:"Even those who have dealt with them directly don't know much of that either" she smiles. "What we do know now, is that the Architect declared war on them when he created the Horde, and the Children- Keelah@crystyl:- races even. After he determined that the Progenitors had reached their peak evolution, and it fell short of equalling the Q let alone surpassing them, the Children were seeded so that evolution - Keelah@crystyl:- continue and create what the Progenitors could not engineer. Namely, those like Sin who wield powerful psionic abilities. The great barrier which surrounds our galaxy was the Q's response to the - Keelah@crystyl:- Horde threat; a means by which to contain the Progenitors experiment and protect the outside universe from it" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "So that is why the barrier exists. Now that the Horde are no longer a threat, does that mean..." Keelah@crystyl nods, "Yes. Like all forms of energy, psionic power does not simply manifest from nothing and nor did the barrier. Our scientists have theorized that as a dual approach to the problem, the Q drew - Keelah@crystyl:- on the psionic potential of the evolving Children to form the barrier; an entire galaxy's worth of suppressed psionic power. When the Horde was wiped out, the barrier was no longer needed and so - Keelah@crystyl:- that psionic energy has been restored to the Children whom it naturally belonged to. All across the galaxy now, people - both existing psionics and not - are experiencing an evolutionary jump. Not- Keelah@crystyl:- all individuals mind, we don't know an exact proportion yet but it is significant to say the least. Sin" she glances over for a demonstration Keelah@crystyl | Sin obliges, setting down her drumstick before throwing her head back to reveal the barriered eyes NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis widens his eyes, "So there are many others, undergoing the same evolution that the Living God had undergone?" Keelah@crystyl:"Some to more degrees than others" she nods. "Sin here is one of the more extreme cases, given that she was more powerful than most before the dispersal, and at it's epicentre when it occurred. So... - Keelah@crystyl:- the Living God must have travelled to the barrier and come into contact with it, yes?" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "Yes, that is how he first obtained his powers. If the rest of the galaxy is beginning to evolve similarly...I am unsure whether that is a good thing or not." Keelah@crystyl:"Everybody is unsure at the moment. That is why news of your Living God is of great interest, since they are one of but a few known to have lived in this state for any length of time. Their - Keelah@crystyl:- insights could be invaluable to others now" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "I am afraid the Living God has spoken to none outside the Conclave for a long time now. He has evolved beyond His mortal form. Some do not even believe He exists entirely within - NPC@annpc#557 - this layer of space-time anymore." Keelah@crystyl | Sin: "He ascended. There are still means to communicate with such beings, we did so recently in fact at the Heart's temple" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "He communes with us still. We would not be here without His advice. It is simply given at His choosing, rather than our own." Keelah@crystyl | Sin: "As is generally the way. That is why the temple ritual is used, when the mortal will is the deciding factor, not the immortal whim" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "The Ecclesiarchy was shaped by the will of the Living God. We would not be here without Him. Even through the trials of the Horde, His light still showed enough of us the way for us to - NPC@annpc#557 - return now and rebuild. We do not seek to call upon Him. He is a god. We exist at His whim, because we are HIs people. And so far He has not led us astray." Keelah@crystyl:"I understand, and nobody would question that of you. Perhaps... it will be His will to see that you are returned, and to share his wisdom with a wider audience. Whether or not we are here to see - Keelah@crystyl:- that day, we shall have to wait and see" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "Perhaps. If it is His will to speak with you, then you can be assured we will inform you. For now, we must focus on the rebuilding of our empire, for that is what He bid us - NPC@annpc#557 - perform upon our return." Keelah@crystyl:"Of course. And though I have no doubt that you are fully prepared for the task, I would be remiss not to offer the services of the Coalition should there be anything that could be done to assist - Keelah@crystyl:- your efforts here, even if just a case of get reacclimated to the galaxy as it is now" NPC@annpc#557 | Liefnir: "We have brought what we need to rebuild, though I expect the galaxy has changed much in our absence. What your people know could be of use to the Ecclesiarchy." NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "There is also the matter of claiming worlds as you mentioned earlier, but the Conclave must first discuss this among ourselves." NPC@annpc#557 | Liefnir: "Yes, let us save the business for after the feast! Now is a time to celebrate our return, not mire ourselves in negotiations and calculations." Keelah@crystyl:"I have some cursory information that I can leave with you regarding current population centres and resettlement zones to work into your plans. We must soon depart and continue on our mission, but I- Keelah@crystyl:- will first ensure that a suitable representative is sent out here to continue" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "We will begin the reclamation of Stronghold and await your representative here." Keelah@crystyl:"But as you rightly say, all in good time. For now-" she raises her glass, "-it is a day of celebration" NPC@annpc#557 | The three Drenn smile, raising their glasses in turn --- NPC@annpc#557 | After the feast, the Valley Forge prepares to set off once again as the Drenn begin clearing debris before they resettle the planet NPC@annpc#557 | Keelah works away in the ready room when her combadge sounds Keelah@crystyl taps, "Se'Lai" NPC@annpc#557 | <C - Eva> "Captain. I've been communicating with the Aethon and both Elder Yaseni and Idate of the Guardians says they've heard of the Drenn Ecclesiarchy to some degree. They're willing to - NPC@annpc#557 - share what information they have. Should I have them come on board?" Keelah@crystyl:"By all means, yes go ahead and have them shown to my ready room on arrival" NPC@annpc#557 <C - Eva> "On it, Captain." NPC@annpc#557 | Several minutes later, the ready room doorbell sounds Keelah@crystyl:"Come in" NPC@annpc#557 | The Sanctuary Elder Yaseni steps in first, followed by the female Renlore Idate who had worked with both the Valley Forge and Latenter previously and now assigned to Aethon to represent the - NPC@annpc#557 - the Guardians there Keelah@crystyl:"Ladies, thank you both for offering to share what you know. Please, join me - I am eager to hear your insights" NPC@annpc#557 | Idate takes a seat, while Yaseni sits in the kneeling manner that all Lupan do NPC@annpc#557 | Idate: "The name 'Drenn Ecclesiarchy' is known in our memories. The current incarnation of the Guardians- the one that relies on the World Tree for our immunity against the Horde that is, - NPC@annpc#557 - did exist during that time. I'm sure you are wondering why we did not recognize the damaged ship, or never warned the Drenn of the Horde threat." Keelah@crystyl:"There are many curiosities surrounding these people" NPC@annpc#557 | Idate nods, "Yes, that there are. The Guardians only encountered the odd ship from the Ecclesiarchy, most of them non-military and during the first half of their history. The designs they use - NPC@annpc#557 - here are unfamiliar to us. As for why they were never warned of the Horde...that was our failing. Over ten thousand years ago, the Guardian Chapter here had grown too complacent. There had not - NPC@annpc#557 - been a significant push in the region for many generations at the time. We were reclaiming worlds the Horde had taken, one of the rare opportunities we were able to push back rather than play - NPC@annpc#557 - defensive. As a result, we were focusing rimward, rather than retreating corewards and warning civilizations as we went." Keelah@crystyl:"The history of the Guardians has been a commentary of difficult decisions. You can't have been expected to service the needs of every civilization out there at the exact time they needed it" NPC@annpc#557 | Idate nods, "Indeed. When the Horde finally made their push on this front, they decimated the chapter, pushing right through our forces. It was one of the great Horde advances in this region, - NPC@annpc#557 - and there was no chance to warn the Drenn and several other smaller civilizations in their path. By the time we had finally rallied and began to thin down their fleet, the Ecclesiarchy was - NPC@annpc#557 - already lost. We assumed their leadership, including this Living God if he truly exists, had fallen to the Horde, though we knew the descendants of those who escaped eventually became the - NPC@annpc#557 - Riders. In that way, the Drenn too contributed to our victory here, for Commander Skormir was one of their descendants." Keelah@crystyl:"A very good point. Hopefully this will encourage their active association with the Coalition" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "I hope so. Though we have heard troubling things about this Ecclesiarchy. You recall that we send out scouting expeditions every few years from our Sanctuary to gather information about - NPC@annpc#557 - the region around us." Keelah@crystyl:"Of course" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "Our scout ships never made direct contact with the Ecclesiarchy, but we heard many things about them over the years. For the millennia they were active, the Ecclesiarchy was the dominant - NPC@annpc#557 - power of the region. There were other contenders, but all of them were eventually crushed and absorbed by it. They were no less warlike than our own people. Not only warlike, but as arrogant - NPC@annpc#557 - as the Sisterhood was during the worst times of our history. From the information they gathered, they did not seem to believe themselves inherently superior to other species in any way, unlike - NPC@annpc#557 - the Lupan in more recent years. They simply believed that the expansion of their people and the conquering of others was the best path for their people, according to their deified leader." Keelah@crystyl:"We suspect this leader may still exist after all. From their descriptions, it sounds like they could now be an Ascended" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "If he is ascended, then he is a troublesome one. The reign of the Ecclesiarchy was a brutal one by outside accounts. They killed entire populations who defied them, regularly held - NPC@annpc#557 - public executions. Some of these accounts may have been biased as they were told to our scouts by populations that had fled their conquests or were currently at war with the Drenn, but we had - NPC@annpc#557 - also come across entire worlds, bombarded to utter ruination, which seems to support these claims. And when the Horde finally consumed them, we found that there was no pity for them among the - NPC@annpc#557 - civilizations who had survived." Keelah@crystyl:"Many civilizations we now consider friends have been viewed in such a way historically, and justly so. The Drenn will simply need to find their place in the modern galaxy" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni nods, "It will not be an easy path for them. Their descendants have already found their place and are settled across the region, having long forgotten what they once were. But for them, - NPC@annpc#557 - the Ecclesiarchy and their methods are still fresh. Habits do not die easily. They may become a vital member of the Coalition in the future, but expect trouble from them before then. They walk - NPC@annpc#557 - a similar path to my own people, and I know we caused no small amount of issue for you before we joined, and some even after." Keelah@crystyl smiles, "You weren't the first, and the Drenn won't be the last" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "We will do our best to help them along. Though I would not suggest sending a Lupan as the representative now. Despite the similarities we share, many of my people had already become - NPC@annpc#557 - raiders by that point in our history. It will not be a friendly sight for them. While they respected our combat prowess, the Ecclesiarchy were not particularly fond of us." Keelah@crystyl:"I understand. Coalition HQ is aware of the situation and preparing a suitable party to come out here. We could have Aethon remain here to monitor until they arrive if you feel it prudent, and any - Keelah@crystyl:- of you wishing to remain and work with the Drenn can switch to the new arrival" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni nods, "I have been tasked with scouting and negotiating with the Kratt, but I will speak to the rest of the crew on the matter. There may be some who believe their talents would be best - NPC@annpc#557 - used here." Keelah@crystyl:"As you see fit. There is no rush, but we should be ready to depart by the time everything is settled" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "We will not take long," she stands and Idate follows suit Keelah@crystyl:"Thank you both for sharing your counsel" she smiles NPC@annpc#557 | The two nod and smile back before turning to head out --- NPC@annpc#557 | As Sin relaxes in her quarters after accompanying Keelah to the feast, her combadge sounds Sin@crystyl taps, "It wasn't me, I swear!" NPC@annpc#557 <C - Eva> "You might as well just pre-record that as a message whenever someone comms you," she chuckles Sin@crystyl:"Better yet, reprogram my badge to just recite it. What's up Eva?" NPC@annpc#557 <C - Eva> "The Drenn want to meet with you before we set out." Sin@crystyl:"Eugh, more fan clubs? Although, hrm... Yeah, why not! Do they want to come here or am I being summoned again?" NPC@annpc#557 <C - Eva> "I'm afraid you're being summoned again. They want to see you on their...flagship? No, I don't think it counts as a flagship, but the biggest ship in their fleet. The Divine Protector." Sin@crystyl:"The one where their Ascended supposedly lives?" NPC@annpc#557 <C - Eva> "Yes, or that's what they claim at least. We're ready to beam you over, whenever you're ready to head down for transport." Sin@crystyl:"No worries, I'll head down there now" she stands and heads for the door, turning back and nabbing the second half of her sandwich and a glass of juice from the table that she takes with her NPC@annpc#557 | Katie works away in the transporter room, looking up as Sin arrives with a smile, "Hey Ensign. Here to beam over to the Drenn ship?" Sin@crystyl nods, finishing her drink and leaving the empty glass on top of Katie's console, "No rest for the wicked" NPC@annpc#557 | Katie: "I guess not," she glances at the drink with a slight frown. "You could've stopped by a replicator to get that recycled..." Sin@crystyl shrugs innocently as she heads for the pad, "Duty calls!" NPC@annpc#557 | Katie: "You know I could materialize you without your clothes or something, right?" Sin@crystyl:"Ooh, saucy. I like it! Who knew you had this fun side, when I get back, we should talk" she winks NPC@annpc#557 | Katie sighs, tapping her console and beaming Sin away NPC@annpc#557 | Sin materializes in a different transporter room. Unlike the scout ship Kelly's team was on, this one is not very spartan-looking, but instead quite ornate. There is a distinctive - NPC@annpc#557 - architectural style that seems almost pre-warp in design, but built clearly out of modern materials and painted to give a much more rustic appearance Sin@crystyl steps off the pad, looking around NPC@annpc#557 | Ecclesiarch Sigis steps into the transporter room, "Welcome, Sin, was it?" Sin@crystyl nods, "I am Sin, yes. You wanted to see me?" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis nods, "Yes. We wished to inquire more on the nature of your abilities. Come with me," he turns to lead the way Sin@crystyl steps over and follows NPC@annpc#557 | The Ecclesiarch leads the way out of the transporter room and through the halls of the ship, which are similarly decorated. The combination of grand scale and ornate design reminds Sin of - NPC@annpc#557 - Lodzki ships. As they walk, she also notices guards, some standing by doors and others patrolling through the ship. They are hard to miss, dressed in armour of shining gold, each plate - NPC@annpc#557 - with either some form of image motif or runes carved into them. They wear golden helmets that cover their heads but not their horns, which are decorated with golden ring piercings, and all of - NPC@annpc#557 - them carry long weapons of some description. The ones standing guard are as rigid as statues, while the ones on patrol march with visible discipline, their march so well-practiced it seems - NPC@annpc#557 - almost robotic Sin@crystyl:"Your guards are very disciplined. Reminds me of my old palace guard" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis gives Sin a curious glance, "Your old palace guard?" Sin@crystyl:"Yes, back when I was Empress of Belyia" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "You ruled your own empire once, like the Living God?" Sin@crystyl:"Yes, it was a... different type of society. But with it's own unique appeal" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "What made you give it up to serve with the ship you are on now?" Sin@crystyl:"I was already with them when we found the world. In the end, there was no real choice to remain and the Horde still had to be dealt with" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "Well, we are fortunate you were here to fight the Horde, then." Sin@crystyl:"Yeah... I get that a lot" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "Playing such a key role in defeating the Hated Enemy must have earned you no small amount of recognition, hasn't it?" Sin@crystyl:"I'm still discovering just how much recognition" she nods NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "I am no telepath nor an expert on reading alien expressions, but your tone makes it quite clear you don't enjoy this attention." Sin@crystyl:"I wouldn't say I don't enjoy it. I'm just... undecided on what to do with it" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "As in whether or not to take advantage of it to rally followers, as the Living God did?" Sin@crystyl:"Pretty much I guess. It gets complicated because I should have ascended after the final battle too, but so far I have restrained myself and resisted" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "Interesting..." He doesn't inquire further, quietly leading the way onward Sin@crystyl says nothing more either for now, quietly observing him and their surroundings NPC@annpc#557 | After a bit more walking, Sigis leads Sin to a door. He taps a panel beside it and the door slides open, revealing an office inside Sin@crystyl follows him inside, "Cosy" NPC@annpc#557 | Behind the table sits another female Drenn, a little younger than Sigis but still older than Valgard NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "This is Ecclesiarch Torrild. Torrild, Sin." Sin@crystyl offers a casual wave NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild motions towards the chairs in front of her desk, "Welcome to the Divine Protector, Sin. Have a seat." Sin@crystyl takes a seat, "This feels like an interview" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis joins Sin, taking a seat beside her, "We merely have a few questions for you. Torrild especially." Sin@crystyl looks across to Torrild, "And why you especially?" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "Because we have differing areas of focus. We are all Ecclesiarchs, but each member of the Conclave has a specific field which we cover, unlike the Jarls and military leaders, who - NPC@annpc#557 - simply each lead a system or sector or the fleets and armies within." Sin@crystyl:"And what exactly is your area of focus then?" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild smiles, "Let's just say it concerns the Living God, His abilities, His gifts and their benefits on the people. I am sure that is enough for you to see why I am interested." Sin@crystyl:"Sure. So how can I help?" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "This psionic...awakening you spoke of to Sigis. You had your powers already before it occurred, I assume?" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "She had to defeat the Hated Enemy /before/ the barrier was lowered, after all." Sin@crystyl:"Yes, it is a state of natural evolution for my people when we venture out from the restrictions of our homeworld" she turns to Sigis with a little surprise, "Don't worry, it's not like this is an - Sin@crystyl:- interrogation with you as my advocate" she chuckles, slowly fading, "it's not... right?" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "No. We are merely...curious. And he is not your advocate, he is here because he heard this information from you and your captain firsthand." NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "This awakening, did it affect you at all? You demonstrated your eyes glowing when you were speaking of this, I recall." Sin@crystyl:"Yes, the glowing eyes is a new thing. Kind of neat too! My abilities have grown exponentially in strength since the awakening" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "And who else has it affected? It happened throughout the galaxy, correct?" Sin@crystyl:"That's right. As far as we know still, the effect is - for all intents and purposes - random. Those who already possessed psionic ability are likely enhanced and those who didn't before but do now,- Sin@crystyl:- likely had the potential for it. Or in other words, those who should have always had it if not for the Q siphoning the energy from them to uphold the barrier" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "What of the effect on our people, then? As of yet, none we know of have began developing abilities. Perhaps there is a delay. Or perhaps, because we were removed from this layer of - NPC@annpc#557 - space during our sleep, we would not be affected at all?" Sin@crystyl:"That would be my guess" she nods, "Your people were likely impervious to the effect because you weren't in the galaxy when it occurred. Perhaps though it is something that will now manifest in the- Sin@crystyl:- next generation of offspring, since they would be born here after the awakening and so not siphoned. But this is all just guesswork" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild nods, "I thought you would not know for certain. What of the magnitude of ability? Does that seem to be random as well? Does someone who previously demonstrated no ability have a - NPC@annpc#557 - chance to become as powerful as you are now, or will only those who were already powerful before be capable of achieving your power?" Sin@crystyl:"Certainly odds on favouring those who already had power are generally the stronger since. But that is just as likely to be down to training and comprehension, since someone who never worked - Sin@crystyl:- with psionic abilities before would not strictly know how to best use them now. But I see no reason why such a person could not become more powerful given the right circumstances, no different to- Sin@crystyl:- before really" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild nods, in thought, "I see." NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "Our people, are there any who did not sleep and survived?" Sin@crystyl:"Yes, there are! They are... scattered and nomadic now. I don't think memory of who they once were lasted through the generations. We know them now simply as 'Riders'" NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "As we feared would happen. But they would have been affected by the psionic awakening, yes?" Sin@crystyl:"At least as exposed to it as the rest of the galaxy. As Keelah said, not everyone in the galaxy has developed powers but a proportion of Children species. You do seem very... eager to find more of - Sin@crystyl:- your kin with psionic ability" NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "I...would not say eager. More concerned. If one were to rise up and challenge the Living God as the one to lead our Ecclesiarchy. You understand why we must be cautious with such - NPC@annpc#557 - people." Sin senses Torrild is not being entirely honest in her response Sin@crystyl:"That is an... interesting stance, given your peoples clear natural dominance. Everything about you screams with superiority, rulership. And yet... your words suggest a preference for your people to Sin@crystyl:- be withdrawn, held back... inferior, even..." NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "That is /not/ our intention. We simply seek to prevent power struggles. Such things plagued our people before the Living God united us. We did not preserve the Ecclesiarchy for so - NPC@annpc#557:- long only for it to be divided back into warring clans once again." Sin@crystyl:"Ahh of course, the historical context does clear up the confusion. Thank you" she smiles innocently NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild smiles back, "And thank you, for satisfying our curiosity." NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis: "As well as your instrumental role in defeating the Hated Enemy, of course." NPC@annpc#557 | Torrild: "That is all the questions I had. You may return to your ship." Sin@crystyl:"Fair enough. Just call if you have any more questions, or if your Living God does" she smiles, standing NPC@annpc#557 | Sigis smiles back, "We will be certain to do so should that occur. Until then, farewell, Sin." Sin@crystyl:"Until then!" she waves again, heading back out NPC@annpc#557 | As she leaves, she still gets a lingering sense that the Ecclesiarchs were hiding something... --- Sin@crystyl | After returning to the ship, Sin tracks down the witch and loiters in a familiar manner outside the turbolift the witch is travelling down Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Witch steps out of the turbolift in her usual calm and reserved manner, the hood drawn up Sin@crystyl:"Well, fancy seeing you here" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Witch lowers her hood, looking over to Sin with a smile, "Trying to mimic my mannerisms now? And here I thought you wanted to hold off being an ascended." Sin@crystyl steps out from the corner, chuckling, "Couldn't resist. Besides, you've been uncharacteristically aloof since this whole latest misadventure began" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "You think I should be concerned about this Living God they speak of." Sin@crystyl:"I doubt it would concern you, but I can't believe you are not at least curious" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Witch smiles again, "Time is not linear for me, remember? I exist both before and after my birth. Perhaps I have already met this Living God, and know all there is to know about him." Sin@crystyl:"Good, then you won't have to go out of your way to tell me what it is they are hiding" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "I could...but that would deny you the experience of learning it for yourself. What fun is a mystery when you can just ask for the answer, after all?" Sin@crystyl:"I never much cared for mysteries, life's too short when you can just cut to the chase" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "Then you will enjoy being an Ascended. You can simply choose to fast forward the universe, see how things end." Sin@crystyl:"There's nothing stopping an Ascended from revisiting their former mortal self, right?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "As in talking to yourself, or inhabiting your own body to relive an experience?" Sin@crystyl:"Talking to yourself" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "Only if you remember such an experience during your mortal lifetime. Otherwise, you will create an alternate timeline. There's nothing stopping you from doing that, as long as you are - Evanne Dra@annpc#557 - careful. Otherwise the Continuum may not be very pleased with you." Sin@crystyl looks around the corridor for a moment, "...oh well, guess ascended me has better things to do. That, or she knows that you will tell me what I need here and so doesn't have to bother" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Witch nods, "That is what I am here for, after all. Or perhaps an ascended you appears in another timeline to reveal the mystery." Sin@crystyl:"Well none has appeared here in this timeline, so this must be one of those where you spill what you know" she grins Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Witch grins back, "Or perhaps it is the one where you find out for yourself. The old-fashioned, mortal way." Sin@crystyl studies her with a tilted gaze, "You don't know anything do you!" she smirks Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "If that satisfies you into not pestering me for answers, you are welcome to believe it," she smiles. "But I am curious to hear what you think." Sin@crystyl:"Well I just got interrogated by a couple of them, and they are scared by the whole psionic evolution" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "As are many across the galaxy. Why does that mean they are hiding something?" Sin@crystyl:"I felt their deception. I know they are hiding something, and it is to do with this 'Living God' figure" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "God-Kings are never what they are made out to be, after all. The question is what exactly this one is." Sin@crystyl:"Non-existent. Or at best, a figurehead playing the role. That's my theory" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "And why do you think that?" Sin@crystyl:"The way they seem to feel threatened by the concept of a Rider appearing with psionic abilities to challenge their almighty leader and revealing the sham they have been running this whole time" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Witch smiles, "It is a good theory. Keelah will be proud. Have you presented it to her yet, or were you hoping to confirm with me first?" Sin@crystyl:"I wanted to get your thoughts on it. After all, with this whole guidance role of yours here I figured that would make for a sound testing board for the theory. Since leading Keelah down such a line- Sin@crystyl:- of thinking could prove irreparably bad for everything, your role as guide would require you to steer me away from that unless it was correct" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Witch: "I can tell you that sharing your theory with Keelah will not irrevocably change history or shatter the Coalition. It is only a theory, after all. As for whether it will remain only a - Evanne Dra@annpc#557 - theory, well...I don't know anything, remember?" She smirks and begins to walk off Sin@crystyl watches her leave from the corner of her eye, muttering to herself, "Yeah... not a thing"