ST:TTV627 | "Revelations Pt. I"
Stardate 98278.1
All is not as it seems for the crew when they attempt to use the Heart of War and finally end the Horde threat once and for all. Betrayal from within may threaten everything. Mia notices the crew behaving strangely, almost like they were Horde thralls...
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The Architect@anncaris FX | After waking and being debriefed on the situation, Keelah visits the control station as the telepaths prepare to execute the plan. As she beams down, she sees the extended Trident, not - The Architect@anncaris - quite as large as it was in Poseidon's tower, but significantly expanded and reaching up to the ceiling of the station. Its bottom appears to be plugged into an opening that the VF's teams had - The Architect@anncaris - created for it, with some bits of machinery connecting the Trident to the Iconian technology visible between the gaps The Architect@anncaris is beside the Trident, along with Sin, Eva and Luthril Keelah@crystyl looks on respectfully of the team's achievement. Smiling as she approaches, "Impressive work" The Architect@anncaris | Kelly follows Keelah over, "It wasn't easy, especially with Lycas still recovering, but everything is looking good now." The Architect@anncaris turns, "It is good to see you well, Captain. We are ready to proceed." The Architect@anncaris is wearing the jumpsuit he was first found in, rather than the robes he had replicated for himself on the Valley Forge Keelah@crystyl:"So I understand" she looks him up and down, "Formal dress for the occasion? I must have missed the memo" The Architect@anncaris:"Not quite. This suit is specifically designed to fit as a second skin. It minimizes distraction for efforts that require great focus." Keelah@crystyl:"Pulling out all the stops I see" she chuckles, looking to the ladies, "You didn't feel like following suit?" she teases The Architect@anncaris | Eva chuckles, "We didn't exactly have something similar on hand. Besides, I'm used to the uniform. It doesn't distract me." Keelah@crystyl:"Alright then, well just consider me a curious bystander. I'll stay out of your way" she steps back, allowing them to resume their work The Architect@anncaris looks to Sin and the others, "Are we ready?" Keelah@crystyl | Sin nods, "Far as I can tell" The Architect@anncaris | Eva and Luthril nod as well The Architect@anncaris sets his hand on the side of the now expanded Trident, "Let us begin, then." The Architect@anncaris | Kelly heads over to a nearby console as the process begins. Machinery across the room begin to light up and Iconian consoles flicker with data... The Architect@anncaris | Kelly: "The omeg- energy sources are being transferred into the control station. Currently at 10% capacity..." Keelah@crystyl taps her combadge, "Se'Lai to Valley Forge. We are now charging. Stand by action stations and I want close monitoring of the control facility" The Architect@anncaris <C - Vrolmacht> Understood, Captain. We are detecting the significant energy buildup in the control station from here The Architect@anncaris | Kelly: "Forty percent..." The Architect@anncaris | A few minutes later, Kelly announces, "Power at 100% capacity. We are ready to begin broadcasting." Keelah@crystyl | Sin cracks her knuckles, "Let's do this!" The Architect@anncaris | As they begin to send the signal, Sin feels her will being overwhelmed by a sudden force. She feels the signal being broadcast, but it isn't a self-destruct command. It appears to be an 'Obey' - The Architect@anncaris:- command... Keelah@crystyl | Sin frowns, "What... is this...?" The Architect@anncaris | She finds herself unable to move, her hand almost stuck to the Trident. However, she can still speak... The Architect@anncaris:"Change of plans. I apologize for keeping you in the dark. I suspected this variation of the Design would have been more...palatable.” Keelah@crystyl | Sin: "Captain!" Keelah@crystyl looks to Kelly and approaches the group, "What is this, what's going on?" The Architect@anncaris | Kelly tilts her head, looking over her console, "The Sphere's been configured to continually generate omega...and continually power the signal." The Architect@anncaris:"This is the only way. The Horde cannot be allowed to continue their indiscriminate rampage...but their complete destruction will be just as disastrous." Keelah@crystyl:"Architect? What are you talking about? This is not what we have set out to do. Disengage the weapon at once!" The Architect@anncaris:"You yourself voiced concerns about what will happen to the Coalition once the Horde threat is gone. What will become of the Guardians, who have spent their entire existence hating their ancient - The Architect@anncaris:- foe. Whether the Lupan will return to their raiding ways for good now that the threat they were built to destroy is gone. Unchecked, the Horde will devour everything. But under my direction, it - The Architect@anncaris:- will become the unifying force the galaxy needs." Keelah@crystyl draws her phaser, training it on him, "I won't ask again. Don't make me do this" Keelah@crystyl:"The future is not your personal playground. Maybe things will last, maybe they won't. But that is too much for any one person to assume control over. Despite what the Lupan think, you are /not/ a - Keelah@crystyl:- God. Now step away and abort the weapon!" The Architect@anncaris:"You know I am right, Captain. The Federation, the Alliance, the Coalition, it was all founded to combat a common threat. I thought the Horde was a mistake, an unintended byproduct of my creation - The Architect@anncaris:- which resulted from the civil discord among our people. But now I see that it is a necessary evil, the very solution to that discord. If I must take on the darkness so my Children will see light, - The Architect@anncaris:- then I will do so. Return to the Coalition. They have rallied around you. Do what you are best at, and leave me to check the Horde's threat so they are just dangerous enough for others to - The Architect@anncaris:- continue to rally to you. Be the light you have always been- do not make me force you to join the darkness." Keelah@crystyl:"Eva, Sin, Luthril, fight his intentions. I know you can control this! Architect, I'm sorry but I can not allow this" she fires at him The Architect@anncaris | Keelah finds herself unable to fire her phaser. Her fingers simply won't obey her, like in that dream when she was on Horde-occupied Earth... Keelah@crystyl:"What... no... Kelly, anyone...? I can't... move..." The Architect@anncaris | Kelly: "Me neither...Captain...how is this happening?" Keelah@crystyl:"Eva, Sin... you have to do something" The Architect@anncaris sighs, "You give me no choices. Your implants protect you from outside control, from the Horde. You gave me the exact same implant, set to the exact same frequency. Do not worry, I will not make - The Architect@anncaris:- you into thralls. You will keep your minds, and perhaps one day, when you see the world I am building for yourselves, you will join me. But I cannot allow you to interfere." The Architect@anncaris FX | Fade to black... The Architect@anncaris FX | https://youtu.be/zKvx_wFJLTI --- T'Lana@anncaris FX | On the Latenter, they have received reports from the VF about discovering the Sphere, however, there has been no report of a supposed Horde takeover of Starbase 375... T'Lana@anncaris | On one uneventful day, Mischa is called to the bridge Mischa@crystyl wanders onto the bridge, "Lana" T'Lana@anncaris stands, "Commander. We have detected an interesting phenomenon." Mischa@crystyl 's eyes narrow slightly, "Define 'interesting'. Because that tends to translate to 'problematic'..." T'Lana@anncaris:"We are not certain if it is problematic yet," she steps over to one of the consoles Mischa@crystyl follows curiously T'Lana@anncaris taps on the console, bringing up a scan of an unspectacular, lifeless planet T'Lana@anncaris:"This world appeared to be barren at first glance. However, our sensors were precise enough to detect traces of elements on the edge of their atmosphere, specifically, ones corresponding to signs - T'Lana@anncaris:- of complex life. These emissions should not exist on this planet." Mischa@crystyl:"Well that is indeed... interesting. Any signs of activity in the region?" T'Lana@anncaris shakes her head, "No warp signatures, no energy readings, nothing that we can detect. It is possible, albeit unlikely, that the Horde have set this up to conceal their activities. There is no - T'Lana@anncaris:- possible benefit from complete isolation of a group of thralls, and if they are working on some form of secret project, they will still need to interact with the rest of the Horde. I believe the - T'Lana@anncaris:- most likely conclusion is that this was set up by a civilization attempting to conceal themselves from the Horde. The Horde would of course still sense their presence, but either they were not - T'Lana@anncaris:- aware of that capability, or they have managed to solve it like we have with our implants." Mischa@crystyl:"Like how the Valley Forge crew shielded that one pre-warp planet from the Horde?" T'Lana@anncaris:"Similar, yes, though this planet is clearly not phase-shifted. I suspect some form of advanced damping technology, though it is difficult to tell from orbital readings alone, or rather, lack of - T'Lana@anncaris:- readings." Mischa@crystyl:"Assuming you are correct, that would mean they are both aware of the Horde and capable of standing against them" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "Assuming I am correct. The possibility that this was set up by the Horde, albeit one I find unlikely, is still possible. In either case, it would be beneficial to learn just what is - T'Lana@anncaris:- on this planet." Mischa@crystyl:"So what I'm hearing is... you feel like getting some fresh air?" T'Lana@anncaris:"I imagine you would as well, after all this time of scouting behind enemy lines." Mischa@crystyl grins, "You know me so well. Let's go investigate" T'Lana@anncaris:"We will have to take a shuttlecraft. Transporters will not be safe to use through the damping field, as we cannot be certain what we see is indeed what is on the planet." Mischa@crystyl:"Very well. Let's gear up and head down to the hangar" T'Lana@anncaris nods and heads towards the turbolift Mischa@crystyl heads off as well to gear up T'Lana@anncaris | Not long after, Mischa and T'Lana step into a shuttle with Hassan, Buena and Daurant behind them. T'Lana heads over and takes the science station Mischa@crystyl makes herself comfortable at a disused rear station T'Lana@anncaris | Hassan takes the helm and lifts off, exiting the Latenter's hangar. They turn towards the planet, which would look like a fairly ordinary rocky world if not for the presence of bodies of water T'Lana@anncaris | There is clearly not as much water as Earth, but more than enough to make it completely habitable Mischa@crystyl:"So Lana, if this turns to actually be just a lifeless rock in space... what should we have you do? I'm thinking... a song and dance show for the crew maybe?" T'Lana@anncaris:"I find the possibility of this planet being completely uninhabited to be extremely low." T'Lana@anncaris | Hassan: "That mean you'll take on the bet?" Mischa@crystyl smirks T'Lana@anncaris:"There is the possibility that the world is currently uninhabited, but whoever set up the damping device did indeed fall to the Horde, who for some reason decided to abandon the world. However, the - T'Lana@anncaris:- chances of the Horde simply abandoning a world still capable of sustaining life is sufficiently low that I shall agree." Mischa@crystyl:"Well... now almost hope this does end up being a dead end" she chuckles T'Lana@anncaris | Hassan chuckles as well, "We'll find out soon enough. Approaching the atmosphere in thirty seconds." T'Lana@anncaris | The windows flare up as the shuttle passes through the atmosphere... T'Lana@anncaris:"As I expected. I am picking up lifesigns. Only local fauna at the moment, but this planet is certainly-" T'Lana@anncaris FX | The shuttle rocks slightly T'Lana@anncaris | Hassan: "We've been caught in a tractor beam!" Mischa@crystyl:"So much for the song and dance... Any signs of life or are we dealing with automation?" T'Lana@anncaris:"Checking now. The source of the tractor beam is somewhere on the surface. It is pulling us down, but in a smooth, guided manner." Mischa@crystyl:"Landing guides?" T'Lana@anncaris | Daurant shakes his head, "The lock's too strong for that. It's guiding us down smoothly, but I suspect whoever grabbed us also doesn't want us leaving." T'Lana@anncaris | Hassan: "Should we let it touch us down, Commander?" Mischa@crystyl:"Well unless you can break us free, I see no choice at present other than to let it do its job" T'Lana@anncaris | Daurant: "We could try polarizing the hull. I don't know if it'll work against this tractor beam, but it helps shake off conventional tractor locks." Mischa@crystyl:"Worth a shot" she nods T'Lana@anncaris | Daurant nods and taps his console. The shuttle rocks again, this time the turbulence continuing for a few seconds before things stabilize again T'Lana@anncaris | Daurant: "It's modified itself and retained its lock." Mischa@crystyl:"I guess we're landing then..." T'Lana@anncaris:"Commander, I am picking up distinctly Lupan lifesigns." Mischa@crystyl:"This seems highly advanced technology for them. Could be survivors from another ship that was pulled down perhaps?" T'Lana@anncaris:"It is possible. They appear to be congregating near the source of the tractor beam. It is also possible they have taken control of the technology here for their own advantage." Mischa@crystyl:"Try hailing them" T'Lana@anncaris:"No response yet." T'Lana@anncaris | Hassan: "Touchdown in 10 seconds. I think we're about to find out why they're here soon..." --- NPC@annpc#557:| Sin wakes in a field of grass. Her memory is hazy...she recalls something- a Trident? And battles with the Horde she had been hearing so much about, but she can't remember specifics... NPC@annpc#557:| She notices that the grass around her had been flattened like a crop circle, and as her senses come back to her, she hears something or someone moving through the grasses... Sin@crystyl:searches around the source of the sound NPC@annpc#557:| The source soon becomes apparent as two heads and shoulders can be seen. They soon move completely into view, revealing themselves to be a man and a woman, the man armed with a club while the - NPC@annpc#557:- woman holds a pitchfork. Both of them immediately let go of their weapons and drop to the ground, kneeling before Sin Sin@crystyl:watches, confused for the lack of context, "Um... hi?" NPC@annpc#557:| Man: "You've returned to us, my lady. Please...come with us, we'll provide you with what abode we can. We will make sure the word of your return spreads, and you get a proper royal welcome." Sin@crystyl:"A royal welcome you say? Well who am I argue to with that" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "Come with us. Our home is this way." She stands, grabbing the pitchfork and promptly leading the way Sin@crystyl:follows, clueless but satisfied NPC@annpc#557:| The two lead Sin through the field, coming across a very small, clearly pre-warp housing complex... NPC@annpc#557:FX | https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1f/b3/28/1fb328cb26b4f16376ecec13c93d7ea3.jpg NPC@annpc#557:| Sin recognizes the architecture from Belyia... Sin@crystyl:"Of course" she smiles to herself, "We... may have to discuss your take on 'royal welcome' here..." NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "We will make sure your arrival is known, but for now, our humble home is yours. It is not much, I know, but better than sleeping out in the fields and forests." Sin@crystyl:"You are... certain of that, yes?" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "Of course, my lady. Please, help yourself to anything you wish." Sin@crystyl:"I suppose I should be glad that my reputation precedes me; lest you mistake me for some... wildling or something" NPC@annpc#557:| Man: "Of course not! All of us know who you are, my lady. Come, my wife will get you anything you need, while I make sure news of your return spreads." NPC@annpc#557:| The woman sets the pitchfork against the wall and leads Sin inside. The interior is exactly what she would have expected of a typical peasant house, but it does give shelter from the elements Sin@crystyl:"Thanks. I suppose a little context might help... you say my return so... how long have I been away?" NPC@annpc#557:| Man: "It has been over a dozen years, but the stories of you are still told all across the land. We never stopped believing that you would return to reclaim your place in the royal courts." Sin@crystyl:"Naturally. I knew I'd taken a little time out to, um, walk the world and commune with the spirits and all. Guess I lost track of time..." NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "Whatever the reason, we're glad you have returned to us. Come, let me make you some food while my husband spreads the news." Sin@crystyl:smiles, "Your kindness will not be forgotten once I return to the court" NPC@annpc#557:| The woman pulls up a small stool beside the simple wooden table while she goes off to prepare the food. The man bows before making his exit NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "Thank you. We are but simple farmers. but there have been problems with bandits in the region of late. It would be helpful if more soldiers were sent here to ensure they are dealt with." Sin@crystyl:"I'm sure that can be arranged" NPC@annpc#557:| As Sin sits at the table while the woman prepares the food, she suddenly gets a flash of herself, Eva, Luthril and the Architect sitting around VF's conference table, but it quickly fades away... Sin@crystyl:blinkblinks, shaking the daydream from her head NPC@annpc#557:| Before long, the woman returns with a bowl of rice and a chicken leg and egg atop it, "Here, this is the best food we have, my Lady." Sin@crystyl:"You are most kind" she looks at the rest of the table, "Are you not eating as well?" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "Oh, nothing quite as fancy as yours," she clears the rest of the rice into her own bowl, "May I sit as well, my lady?" Sin@crystyl:"Only if you share this with me properly" she smiles, splitting the leg and setting half on top of the woman's rice bowl NPC@annpc#557:| The woman widens her eyes, "Thank you, my lady. You are most generous." Sin@crystyl:"Says the one who served up this fine meal" she chuckles. "Now come, sit. Tell me about yourselves" NPC@annpc#557:| The woman sits down, "Well, we are farmers, on the outskirts of the village of Mengxian. This is usually a quiet place, though a group of bandits have taken up residence in the forest recently - NPC@annpc#557:- and been causing trouble. We mostly grow rice and millet here, and most of us keep chickens." Sin@crystyl:tries to recall the village name while she eats and listens NPC@annpc#557:| The village name is not familiar to her, though it does sound like a Fen or Jiaton Guo village. The region is quite large and despite the time spent here, Sin is still far from knowing every - NPC@annpc#557:- little hamlet Sin@crystyl:"So... know anything about these bandits?" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "Not much. They are the same people as us, most likely a collection of people from nearby villages who turned to raiding after being down on their fortunes. There's ten or so of them, we - NPC@annpc#557:- think. They don't have any real armour and a few of them have proper swords and spears, but most of them just use clubs and axes." Sin@crystyl:"Sounds almost like you drive them off with that" she looks to the farmer's pitchfork stood by the door NPC@annpc#557:| The woman nods, "We're organizing patrols around the village, to stop them from coming in and taking what they want, but we don't go too deep into the forest. They might get the upper hand on us - NPC@annpc#557:- there if they set some traps. They're not dangerous enough to attack the village or anything, but they are a nuisance." Sin@crystyl:"Setting traps is smart. Maybe you should think about that" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "True. We'll have to get some from the trapmaker when we're next in town.” Sin@crystyl:"You can probably make some decent traps of our your own you know" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "We only know how to make ones for small critters- rodents and such. I've never made one for a person before..." Sin@crystyl:"Same principle. Just got to think a bit bigger. Unless of course any of you use magic" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "We are not as talented as you, my lady." Sin@crystyl:briefly wonders if she still holds the power she remembers holding, "Yeah... Well you know, maybe one day if the Spirits smile on you" NPC@annpc#557:| There is a clatter outside, and a few moments later the man stumbles in, "Four of them...they're right behind me! I gave one of them a good whack but ran when I saw the rest of them...they've - NPC@annpc#557:- chased me all the way back here!" Sin@crystyl:jumps from her seat and spins around, figuring she asked for this by wondering about her latent abilities NPC@annpc#557:| The man quickly moves away from the door as one of the bandits steps in, looking very much like a stereotypical bandit with an unkempt, unshaven beard, rough, dirt-covered clothes and holding a - NPC@annpc#557:- woodcutter's axe in hand Sin@crystyl:acts on instinct and thrusts out with her hand to send him flying back out of the day NPC@annpc#557:| The bandit does indeed fly out, slamming into his buddy behind him and sending both tumbling to the ground. It seems Sin very much still has the abilities she remembers from Belyia! Sin@crystyl:forms a wicked grin as she steps into the doorway after them, "Not only do screw with my people... but you interrupted my gods. damned. meal. you sick f-... people" NPC@annpc#557:| The two fallen bandits try to scramble to their feet, while the other two immediately turns and begins to run Sin@crystyl:reaches out, seeking to grasp all but one of them and prevent them from running NPC@annpc#557:| She easily manages to grab them, and the one she stopped mid-run shouts for his friend to help him. His friend glances back, and more horrified, turns and keeps running Sin@crystyl:callously squeezes her hand shut, crushing the grasped bandits heads as their friend watches NPC@annpc#557:| Their friend bolts for the forest as the two farmers watch and kneel down behind her again. As she uses her power however, he gets a vision of herself standing in an unfamiliar alien chamber with - NPC@annpc#557:- Eva, Luthril and the Architect, all of them with one arm stretched towards some central pillar... NPC@annpc#557:| The vision quickly fades away Sin@crystyl:shakes the strange thought from her mind again, rubbing at her brow. She returns calmly to sit back at the table, "Now you have more weapons for your patrols. Though I doubt those bandits will return” NPC@annpc#557:| The man nods, "Th--thank you, my lady. They will surely avoid our village now for fear of you, but we will ensure the weapons are put to good use should we see them again." Sin@crystyl:"Someone may have to clean that mess up out there too. Sorry about that..." she looks around with a bright smile, "I don't suppose you have tea?" NPC@annpc#557:| Woman: "Don't worry, we can deal with them now that they are dead. And yes, we have tea. I will have some ready for you." Sin@crystyl:smiles, "So kind" NPC@annpc#557:| The man smiles back, "Come inside. We'll take care of the bodies. You finish your meal and have your tea, my lady." --- T'Lana@anncaris:| The shuttle comes to a landing and T'Lana announces, "Lupan lifesigns are waiting for us outside, Commander." Mischa@crystyl:"The welcoming committee. Stay sharp" she heads out T'Lana@anncaris:| Outside, she finds seven Lupan, six of them with rifles pointed at the shuttle exit, while the seventh has a halberd-like weapon in hand standing in the centre of the group. The Lupan with the - T'Lana@anncaris:- melee weapon speaks, "Identify yourself." Mischa@crystyl:"Commander Leveson-Scott of the Latenter. And you are?" T'Lana@anncaris:| Lupan: "I am Arvalan, Captain of the Guard. Step closer, Commander Leveson-Scott of the Latenter." Mischa@crystyl:does so, not phased by the Lupan's bulk or numbers T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan gestures towards one of the other Lupan with his head. The Lupan lowers his rifle and steps up to Mischa, taking out a scanner and running it over her, "She is clear." T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "There are others in your craft. Have them disembark as well." Mischa@crystyl:"Clear of what exactly?" T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "Clear of enemy control. Surely you are aware of them if you have travelled out here." Mischa@crystyl:"You mean the Horde I take it. We have developed our own countermeasure to it, feel free to verify with scans of my colleagues" Mischa@crystyl:waves the rest out of the shuttle T'Lana@anncaris:steps out with the rest of the team, and the Lupan proceeds to scan them as well before giving their leader a nod T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "Good. How did you find this place?" Mischa@crystyl:"By having a good right hand who doesn't miss a trick" she smiles, nodding towards TL as she steps off the shuttle T'Lana@anncaris:"We noticed traces of bio-emissions on the edges of your atmosphere which was not obscured by your damping field." T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "Ah. Your sensors must be very precise, then." Mischa@crystyl:"You could say that" T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "And what brings you out into this region?" Mischa@crystyl:"Technically a babysitting job" T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "Babysitting?" Mischa@crystyl:chirps, "Exactly!" dodging the question. "So what about you folks? Not exactly Sisterhood domain here?" T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "/This/ is the Sisterhood. Not those pretenders you have met among the rest of our people." Mischa@crystyl:"Is that so? I assume you are - of course - aware of current events outside of your little bubble here. With those 'pretenders' as you call them rallying the loose tribes back together and turning - Mischa@crystyl:- your people back to their intended purpose of combating the Horde" T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "Is that so? I find that difficult to believe. They have long steered our people away from our purpose." Mischa@crystyl:"Aah, so you're not aware? huh. Well, it is true. They are not alone either. We would be more than happy to fill you in, but-" she looks around, "-over the barrel of a rifle is hardly the most - Mischa@crystyl:- accommodating you can manage, I'm sure" T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan: "Come with me. I will take you to the Sisters," he waves his hand and the Lupan lower their rifles Mischa@crystyl:glances to her team and follows T'Lana@anncaris:and the rest of the team follows along as well T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan leads the way and before long, they come across a sizable settlement. Most of the buildings are quite low, though it is clear that they are not low on technology and simply an - T'Lana@anncaris:- architectural choice. There is a distinct rough warrior aesthetic that makes the settlement look almost Klingon and it does appear quite in line with Lupan constructions, though there has never - T'Lana@anncaris:- been any permanent Lupan settlements that the Latenter is aware of... Mischa@crystyl:takes in all the details as usual while they pass through the settlement T'Lana@anncaris:| As they enter the settlement, they note a ship on the edge, about the size of a small escort or a large raptor. Its design is clearly distinct from that of known Lupan vessels, however Mischa@crystyl:makes sure TL gets a good look at it too so they can compare notes later T'Lana@anncaris:does indeed examine the ship closely as they pass before entering the settlement itself. Many of the Lupan stop to look at them curiously as they pass by, and they see a number of Lupan of all - T'Lana@anncaris:- ages, including pups, which are usually a very rare sight Mischa@crystyl:begins to wonder if this is the actual homeworld of the Lupan T'Lana@anncaris:| Arvalan leads the way silently, not providing any explanation. The locals meanwhile seem to be speaking quite excitedly to one another, with a large number of Lupan watching as they pass by, some - T'Lana@anncaris:- having climbed to their rooftops to do so T'Lana@anncaris | As they enter a large round central building, Arvalan glances back at them, "Wait here. I will inform them of your arrival." T'Lana@anncaris | The six other Lupan with him wait as well while Arvalan steps on ahead T'Lana@anncaris looks to Mischa as they stop, "Curious. I have never heard of permanent Lupan towns before. The closest I am aware of is their Holy City, which was both mobile and not originally of Lupan - T'Lana@anncaris - construction." Mischa@crystyl nods, "There is a lot of generational development here that I noticed. Do you think it is possible this could be their origin world?" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "That is a possibility I have been considering as well. Some of the technology here also appears to have a heavier basis in Progenitor technology than what we have seen in the Lupan - T'Lana@anncaris - elsewhere. It would stand to reason that much of their technology may still remain on the Lupan homeworld to be studied." Mischa@crystyl:"And that one ship..." T'Lana@anncaris:"That vessel looks more Progenitor than Lupan." Mischa@crystyl looks to Lana, "You have a basis for comparison with either of those?" T'Lana@anncaris:"Only from an architectural stylistic basis. However, I am certain we are likely to find Progenitor alloys if we scanned these buildings," she looks to the Lupan guards, who gives a nod and she - T'Lana@anncaris:- takes out her tricorder, scanning before showing it to Mischa. Indeed, the alloys do seem to be close to that seen in Progenitor ruins Mischa@crystyl:"It's as good a theory as any at the moment. Now we just have to figure out why these Lupan are separated from the rest" T'Lana@anncaris:"Perhaps they will be willing to explain. They are no doubt also curious of our knowledge of outside events, and an exchange would only be logical." Mischa@crystyl:"Let us only hope then that they share your penchant for logic" she smiles T'Lana@anncaris:"The Lupan here seem less...aggressive, or perhaps it is only because we are observing them during their daily lives, and not during a hunt or battle. However, the Sisters we know are often more - T'Lana@anncaris:- reasonable than most other Lupan. I hope it will be the case with these Sisters here as well." Mischa@crystyl:"We can but hope" T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan appears again, stepping up to the away team, "The Sisters are ready." Mischa@crystyl nods, "Lead on then" T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan turns and leads the way through the building... --- NPC@annpc#557:| Sin stays at the farmers' homestead for the night and on the next day, as the farmers go about their business, she hears hoofbeats approaching... Sin@crystyl:heads outside to see what's going on NPC@annpc#557:| Stepping outside, Sin sees a group riding towards the farmstead on the back of the steeds of Belyia she had gotten familiar with in her time here. It is difficult to tell who they are from this - NPC@annpc#557:- distance, but one of them raises a banner, indicating official capacity of some sort Sin@crystyl:closes her eyes, focusing her mind on the banner to try and get a better picture of it in her head NPC@annpc#557:| Sin manages to enhance the banner and sees that it bears the emblem of the Ying family, who fought with her during her time on Belyia Sin@crystyl:"Well that didn't take long" NPC@annpc#557:| The man steps up beside Sin with a smile, "As I said, news of your return will spread fast. We have all been waiting eagerly for this day." Sin@crystyl:"Well, it is cause for celebration I suppose" NPC@annpc#557:| As the horses come closer, Sin recognizes General Ying Ren, the daughter of Lord Ying and one of her companions on her adventures, riding at the forefront of the group Sin@crystyl:smiles at recognizing the familiar face, "General Ying Ren. Don't tell me you have nothing better to do now than trapse out here on my account. Do I need to come up with new ways to keep you busy?" Sin@crystyl:greets with a familiar tease, by the tone of it NPC@annpc#557:| The General stops her steed in front of Sin and smiles, "I happened to be in the area tracking down a beast that had burned half a village not far from here. It's good to see you as well, Sin." NPC@annpc#557:| As General Ying says her name, Sin hears a distant voice echoing, "Sin... you have to do something..." Sin@crystyl:frowns, looking around but brushing it off as distant farmer chatter. She smiles back, raising her hands defensively, "I swear, I had nothing to do with that village burning" NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying smiles, "I know, we found and dealt with the creature responsible. As my men were celebrating, we heard rumours of your return, so I rode here with a group of, well, those who can - NPC@annpc#557:- still ride after the celebrations," she chuckles Sin@crystyl:"Sounds like quite the party. Sorry I missed it" NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying: "I'm sure the celebration for your return will be many times greater when we reach the capital, and they will certainly wait for you to arrive before that." Sin@crystyl:claps her hands together, "Excellent! I've been away longer than I expected, so am eager to get back home" NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying: "And we've been waiting for you. Come, I bought an extra steed for you." She motions and one of the soldiers rides up with an unoccupied steed beside his own, and he hands the reins - NPC@annpc#557:- to Sin, "She is all yours, my lady." Sin@crystyl:smiles, greeting the steed and hopping up like it was as natural as clipping on her combadge normally Sin@crystyl:trots over to the farmers who took her in, "Your service and goodwill will not be forgotten. You have my thanks" she looks back to Ying, "These people deserve our gratitude, will you see to it that - Sin@crystyl:- they receive whatever they require?" NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying nods, "I will ensure that they do." NPC@annpc#557:| Man: "You've repaid us more than enough by dealing with these bandits, my lady. We are honoured to have served you." Sin@crystyl:"Your village could still benefit from a contingent of soldiers to deal with the remaining bandits, yes?" NPC@annpc#557:| The man nods, "Yes, that will be very helpful indeed, my lady." Sin@crystyl:turns to Ying again, "And this nearby village had a recent beast problem. It seems to me that it would be sensible for us to maintain security in the area as there may be more threats" NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying: "I will see to it that sufficient troops are deployed to this area to keep it safe." Sin@crystyl:nods, "Then let us be off" NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying nods back, "Come, let us get you back to the capital!" She turns her horse around, the rest of the soldiers following suit Sin@crystyl:turns with her, looking back with a final wave to the farmers NPC@annpc#557:| The farmers bow as she waves --- T'Lana@anncaris | Following Arvalan, the team arrives at a central round chamber. Two Lupan wielding the same halberd-like weapon are seen standing guard at the entrance while inside, a number of males with more - T'Lana@anncaris - varied weapons stand along the outside circumference of the chamber. Around the middle is a long table in the shape of half a circle, behind which sit a number of females in the typical Lupan - T'Lana@anncaris - kneeling pose. Above them are various observation balconies, where they can see other Lupan, both male and female, watching on T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan: "Approach." Mischa@crystyl steps forward T'Lana@anncaris | The female at the centre of the table, who is visibly old with fur that had greyed to the point of silver on the edge of white, says in a raspy voice, "Speak. Who are you and what are your - T'Lana@anncaris - intentions?" Mischa@crystyl:"My name is Commander Leveson-Scott. We act in support of the Coalition in preparing the quadrant to stand against the Horde threat" Mischa@crystyl:"We approached your world because we detected anomalous sensor readings indicating the possibility of a shielded civilization and had to ensure it was not a Horde stronghold" T'Lana@anncaris | A slightly younger female, still with greying fur, asks, "There is a Coalition against the Horde now?" Mischa@crystyl turns to the speaking one and nods, "Yes. It has grown over the last couple of years now and has already pushed back a number of Horde advances, including the largest Horde fleet in Guardian records” T'Lana@anncaris | A third female, this one appearing the youngest of the three central ones, nods, "Impressive. I am Elder Yaseni. This is Elder Hateen" she gestures to the central female with almost-white fur, - T'Lana@anncaris:- "and Elder Canez," she gestures to the grey Lupan that spoke earlier. "Welcome to the Sanctuary." Mischa@crystyl:"I get the impression this is a Sanctuary from the Horde. Given how your presence is obscured, and the way we were scanned on arrival?" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "Not only from the Horde, but from our own kin as well. There are- or at least were, those who would destroy all we have preserved." Mischa@crystyl:"The impression is that your kin have fallen far from their once proud standing as noble defenders against the Horde. Before, the Sisterhood we know already was referred to as 'pretenders'. I take - Mischa@crystyl:- that to mean you consider yourself a more... true to form Sisterhood, yes?" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "Of course. We are the true Sisterhood. The ones who call themselves Sisters now have corrupted the meaning of the word." T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "Dear Yaseni, you are too harsh. Our scouting expeditions indicate that the current Sisterhood are well-intentioned at their core, though...misdirected." Mischa@crystyl:"That was the impression I was given" she nods, "I mean no disrespect to your people in my reference to them of course. They are simply the only central authority of your people we have known until - Mischa@crystyl:- now." she glances to Hateen's comment, "You are correct. They are at least... trying to reunite the wild tribes of Lupan raiders now, many of whom do answer the call and stand as part of the - Mischa@crystyl:- Coalition. It all came about when what they called the Holy City was destroyed in the first major Horde push into the region" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "The old Progenitor station is lost, then?" Mischa@crystyl nods, "It is, sadly. However you may be curious to know that the Coalition were able to recover a living Progenitor from it" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "You did /what/?!" Mischa@crystyl raises a hand, "/We/ did nothing. We were not present for those events. I am simply informing you what we know as we... keep a close eye on front line events. When the Horde attacked the Holy City,- Mischa@crystyl:- it was destroyed. The destruction released a stasis chamber of sorts, which contained a living Progenitor" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "And those that call themselves Sisters now among the Lupan, they did not recognize who he was?" Mischa@crystyl:"I can not speak for the minds of others. I /believe/ they recognize him as a Progenitor. Perhaps not by name, but I am certain they understand he is a member of the race they credit with evolution" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "The fools. They-" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "It is not their fault that they do not possess the knowledge we hide here." T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "It is their fault they forced our ancestors into hiding!" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "Stay calm, Yaseni. This was always meant to happen." T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "I do not trust this Continuum." T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "Dear Sisters, this is not the time for debate." Mischa@crystyl listens curiously, "It almost sounds like you speak of... prophecy of a sort?" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "We don't use such words here. We're not a group of lost pups looking for enlightenment in superstition." Mischa@crystyl:"Then what word would you use?" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "A test. A judgement." T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "Let us stay on topic here. This Progenitor...where is he now?" Mischa@crystyl:"I believe he is with the Valley Forge. The flagship of the Coalition which is searching in this region for the Heart of War as a means to stop the Horde" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "Then your Coalition is in danger. Grave danger." Mischa@crystyl:"I think I have been quite forthcoming in answering your questions. Perhaps it is time to reciprocate and tell us what you seem to know about this" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "Come with us." T'Lana@anncaris | The Elders stand and make their way out of the chamber, leading the way Mischa@crystyl follows with a disconcerting glance to TL T'Lana@anncaris glances back before filing in behind Mischa T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "I assume your culture has stories on an archenemy of the gods. Once a god himself or such, but fallen from grace and turned to evil and imprisoned to return at the end of days?" Mischa@crystyl:"It does. We have found this to be a common theme in the mythology of many Children species. Some more directly associated with their origin, others with the interference of a third party 'God' - Mischa@crystyl:- species known to have intervened with many undeveloped civilizations" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "There is a reason it is so common. While we do not subscribe to superstition, many myths and legends are often rooted in truth. Our shared creators, the Progenitors, told these - T'Lana@anncaris:- tales to your ancestors as a warning. They predicted that one day, he would find his way out of his prison, and wished to prepare you for that day." Mischa@crystyl:"'He' as in, the Architect. and the 'prison' as in the station your other Sisterhood called it's Holy City?" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "Yes, though the station itself was merely the key. The Subspace Seal in which he was encased was the prison." T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "One part of the key, precisely, for the Progenitors' own genetics is also necessary." Mischa@crystyl:"Then if nothing, you should be grateful that our people intervened. I believe at the time the Sisterhood there was /trying/ to release him as a sort of... second coming of one their considered God" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "If he still walks among your people, he is a danger. He extended his life at the expense of others. He and his team built the backdoor into the Children in secret from the rest - T'Lana@anncaris:- of his people. Do not think he is incapable of deceiving your Coalition." Mischa@crystyl:"I don't doubt it for a moment. I just consider it fortunate that he was retrieved by someone with a bit of common sense of balanced perspective" T'Lana@anncaris | They arrive at a room with a number of devices of visible Progenitor origin. Sister Canez steps up to one, taking out a scanner and tapping it. The scanner begins to emit a series of noises, - T'Lana@anncaris:- and the hologram of a Progenitor forms above the device T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "Here is the truth behind your legend." T'Lana@anncaris | The hologram begins to speak: "I am the Keeper of Histories. This is a record of the sentencing and imprisonment of the Architect of Life, as per Year 3249 of the Twelfth Drelan Cycle." Mischa@crystyl steps over, paying close attention T'Lana@anncaris | Keeper: "The Architect that assumed the role in the Late Third Drelan Cycle had developed a procedure for transferring their own consciousness into other bodies. Instead of transferring the - T'Lana@anncaris:- memories of the Architect into the next being to step into the role, this Architect had been performing this procedure to transfer his entire consciousness and overtake the body of every - T'Lana@anncaris:- subsequent Architect. As a result, we are dealing with the very same individual who had held this position since the Third Cycle. This Architect is hereby guilty of the murder of each Architect - T'Lana@anncaris:- after him, up to the current Year." T'Lana@anncaris raises a brow, "This must be the origins of the method he utilized to save Lieutenant Dra on the Valley Forge." Mischa@crystyl:"Could well be" T'Lana@anncaris | The hologram continues: "More heinous however, is the programming of a backdoor into the genetic coding of the Children, allowing this procedure to be used near-effortlessly to overtake the - T'Lana@anncaris:- mind of any member of a Children species. This backdoor has been meticulously concealed from the Elder Council by the Architect and his followers, whom we now refer to as the Fallen." T'Lana@anncaris | Keeper: "For his role in this plan, the Architect has been sentenced to eternity in a Subspace Seal. It is not our way to execute prisoners, regardless of the degree of their crimes, and the - T'Lana@anncaris:- Elder Council is unsure whether the Architect can even be killed with his ability to separate his consciousness from his physical body. Many of his followers have evaded apprehension and are - T'Lana@anncaris:- using the Architect’s procedure to possess the minds of our Children, turning them against us. The procedure was not designed for such uses, and this appears to have twisted the consciousness of - T'Lana@anncaris:- the Fallen. It is difficult to say what is in control of the Horde they have created- the Fallen, or the tortured minds of the Possessed. All we know is that they rampage endlessly against us - T'Lana@anncaris:- and our other Children, a rampage we cannot halt." Mischa@crystyl:"Dear Lord..." T'Lana@anncaris | Keeper: "The knowledge held by the Architect may still be of use against the Horde. The Fallen have long since discarded their original bodies to prevent capture and as such, the Portal to - T'Lana@anncaris:- open the Seal can only be triggered by our genetics to ensure that the Fallen, or anyone else, will not be able to access the Architect. It is imperative that we do not release the Architect - T'Lana@anncaris:- unless we feel all other means are exhausted, and take great care should we do so, for his awakening may present him with an opportunity to usher in his new era of domination over the Children." T'Lana@anncaris FX | The hologram stops T'Lana@anncaris:"Commander, this appears to be an intact version of one of the fragmentary records the Lupan found in the Holy City." Mischa@crystyl nods, "It would appear so" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "As we suspected, they were working with incomplete data. Perhaps the ones who betrayed us long ago were ill-intentioned, but the Sisterhood you know simply follows a - T'Lana@anncaris:- misinterpretation of the truth." Mischa@crystyl:"I believe so, yes. They have been trying to piece together their lost past with little more than a heavily fragmented version of this recording for guidance. Regrettably, that has led to reverence - Mischa@crystyl:- of the Architect and an eagerness to bring back this 'Fallen'" Mischa@crystyl:"What I find more troubling is that from the last reports, our people are very close to finding the Heart of War, and they have the Architect on board" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "Your people may have given the Architect access to the Heart of War?" She shakes her head, "This gets better and better..." T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "That is troubling indeed." Mischa@crystyl:"We should depart immediately and intervene before they can proceed" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "We will send one of our scouting vessels with you. We have hidden long enough.” T'Lana@anncaris | Yaseni looks to Hateen, and seems to open her jaw in surprise when Hateen actually nods T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Hateen: "Yes. The Architect is a threat to the Children. It is time we relinquished our role as Protectors." Mischa@crystyl:"What is the maximum speed of your scouting ship?" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Canez: "I am unfamiliar with what measurements you utilize, but our vessels are just slow enough to avoid breaking into the point of infinite velocity and causing unpredictable side - T'Lana@anncaris:- effects. Unless your vessel uses quantum slipstream technology, it will keep up." Mischa@crystyl:"Quantum slipstream is a thing in limited capacity, but generally... no. Standard warp travel, and for the record; that infinite velocity point is - on the current universal measure - regarded as - Mischa@crystyl:- warp 10" Mischa@crystyl:"But we should not dally. Prepare your scout ship and meet us in orbit as soon as you are ready to depart" T'Lana@anncaris | Elder Yaseni: "We will have Captain Arvalan prepare his team and ship with haste." --- NPC@annpc#557:| Some time later, Sin enters the capital city of Feng with General Ying and her soldiers. It is a bright sunny day and the streets are lined with crowds, all celebrating happily. However, - NPC@annpc#557:- there is the nagging feeling that something is off, and as Sin rides through the city, she gets flashes of a strange place where the buildings and entire atmosphere appear to be on the inside of - NPC@annpc#557:- a planet rather than the surface... Sin@crystyl:keeps trying to push the strange thoughts from her mind and revel in her dominion NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying looks at her as they ride, "Everything alright, Sin?" NPC@annpc#557:| In the back of her mind, she once again hears a voice, "Eva, Sin, Luthril, fight...I know you can control this!" Sin@crystyl:frowns a little, rubbing her brow, "I can't shake this... feeling. Like a voice in the back of my head telling me I should be doing something right now..." NPC@annpc#557:| General Ying: "Strange. We've dealt with the Kai Order. There's still small problems, bandits and monsters and such, but nothing major. Come, we are almost at the palace." Sin@crystyl:"Yeah, I'm sure I'm just tired from my travels. Must be it..." NPC@annpc#557:| They dismount outside the palace, and General Ying alone accompanies Sin inside while the soldiers stay outside NPC@annpc#557 | General Ying leads her through the palace, and as they enter the large grand hall where all the officials are waiting, Sin suddenly gets another flash of a very different room, one with a - NPC@annpc#557:- much more alien and high-technology aesthetic. She seems unusually drawn to the pillars that hold up the room... Sin@crystyl wanders off from Ying, distracted by the confusing visions... NPC@annpc#557 | She has a vision of herself with a hand outstretched, touching some strange pillar again... Sin@crystyl feels drawn to mirror the action from the vision, reaching forwards in the same manner towards the pillar NPC@annpc#557 | As she touches the pillar, she gets a clear view, not a hazy vision, of herself as she is, touching the central pillar, which seems to be a huge trident, in the midst of an alien room with - NPC@annpc#557:- Eva, Luthril and the Architect around it doing the same. Her memories come flashing back to her- the Iconian sphere, the control room, the Architect's ritual and Keelah telling her to fight it NPC@annpc#557 | There is a flash and her sight quickly returns to the Feng palace and its pillar NPC@annpc#557 | General Ying: "Sin? What are you doing?" Sin@crystyl leans against the pillar, "No... this is not right... I must... fight..." NPC@annpc#557 | Lord Ying, now older and with a longer and more grey beard, steps up to Sin, "Fight what? You are back, Sin. You have everything you need here. You have power here." Sin@crystyl stands still with her eyes closed, "Power... I have power... I have to fight with it..." NPC@annpc#557 | Lord Ying: "Stay here, my lady. Do not leave us again, please. We can give you anything you want." Sin@crystyl:"But I... I have to fight..." NPC@annpc#557 | Lord Ying: "No, your work is done. Stay here, Sin. Let us do the rest." Sin@crystyl:"If my work is done, why... why do I need to keep fighting...?" NPC@annpc#557 | Lord Ying: "You don't, Sin. Let go. Let me take control. Let me finish what we have started." Sin@crystyl snaps around to him with a scowl, "Give up control?! I. Don't. Give up... control!" she snaps, lashing out wildly with her mind. Wanting in that moment for everyone to just go away NPC@annpc#557 | A wave emanates outward from Sin, seeming to erase everyone and everything around her save for Lord Ying. Except 'Lord Ying' now has the figure of the Architect as the two stand in the midst - NPC@annpc#557:- of a dark void... NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "You are strong, Sin. Join me in this task, and I can make you stronger. Stronger than you even were on Belyia." Sin@crystyl looks back and forth, focusing on him, "What the hell is this? What have you done?" NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "What must be done. I thought your Captain would be wise enough to see the truth, but alas, she was not. You and I however, we are kindred spirits. Once I was much like you. I - NPC@annpc#557:- desired power. To push the boundaries of life and existence. I can give you these things- and more. Power /and/ purpose. Who else can offer such a thing?" Sin@crystyl relaxes her stance a little as she listens, "...why?" she asks with narrowed eyes NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "This is the only way. I am not longer the man I once was. I know now what it means to be a father. This role I take upon myself is an unenviable one, but it is a necessary one. My - NPC@annpc#557:- Children need an enemy, or you will turn on yourselves until nothing is left. My people have already branded me as a criminal. If I must embrace this role so my Children will survive, then it is - NPC@annpc#557:- a sacrifice I am willing to make." Sin@crystyl:"No. I mean... why suddenly decide to share this power and control with me?" NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "I do not do this out of a selfish desire for power any longer, and I do not wish to fight you. You are one of my greatest Children- what I had hoped to create." Sin@crystyl:"You didn't answer my question" Sin@crystyl:"Or is that your answer 'because you don't want to fight me'?" NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "You have potential. More than the limited power I possess in the confines of this body. You, my Child, were one of the successes among the Children. The next stage in evolution. - NPC@annpc#557:- One day, if I am destroyed, you will be able to succeed me. Be more than I ever was, as any father would wish for their child." Sin@crystyl:"See now. /I/ think if that were true in your heart, then you would have offered this in the first place. Made me an ally to help secure this little plan of yours. Instead, you /tried/ *cough* and - Sin@crystyl:- failed *cough* to trap me in a delusion like the others. So I think now you're scared. Scared of losing this little game of yours. Scared of me" NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "Scared? Yes, but not of losing. I do not want to destroy you, and if you fight me now, you will not win. You are strong, but the power of the other two are still mine." Sin@crystyl:"Yet they are still enthralled by your fantasies. Say what you will, but I know better. I am stronger than all of you, and you know it. If you'd just admit it, then we could move past all this - Sin@crystyl:- messiness and onto the part where we divvy up all this power and control you speak of" NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "One day you will become stronger than all of us. I will help you achieve that, if you join me." Sin@crystyl:"That one day is today. Just admit it" NPC@annpc#557 | Architect: "You cannot defeat me yet, Sin, let alone while I still have control over the other two. Fight me now, and you will be destroyed. Do not force my hand, Child." Sin@crystyl:"Well see, now we have a problem. Because I do so /love/ power and control. But if there's one thing you should have learned from that little delusion you tried to trap me in; it's that I. Don't. - Sin@crystyl:- Give up. Control!" she repeats as she did to the Ying illusion, once again lashing out at him. This time drawing off the shared connection with the others that she's been focusing on and - Sin@crystyl:- channeling in her mind since this conversation started, in the hopes of usurping his grasp on them NPC@annpc#557 | Sin blasts apart the Architect illusion, but the real Architect's grasp is indeed stronger than Sin's. She cannot rip his hold entirely, but she is able to make use of the shared connection to - NPC@annpc#557:- enter their illusions, where she may be able to get them free with their own help... --- T'Lana@anncaris FX | Mischa and the team promptly return to the Latenter, exiting the shuttle and entering a turbolift up to the bridge T'Lana@anncaris looks to Mischa as the lift moves, "We are still several days away from the Valley Forge's location. Though we may be able to expedite our journey at maximum speed, there is still the - T'Lana@anncaris - possibility that the Architect may have already enacted his plans, whatever they may be." Mischa@crystyl:"A troubling thought, I know. We will have to break our comms blackout and attempt to reach them" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "Indeed. Let us arrive at their location first and ascertain what the situation is." Mischa@crystyl:"You think it is worth leaving them without warning for another week when they are so close?" T'Lana@anncaris:"Perhaps the Lupan scout vessel can send a warning. It may be beneficial to conceal our presence, should we arrive to find the Sphere already under the Architect's control." Mischa@crystyl:"Good point. We could splice them into the Starfleet comm buoys if needed and bounce a signal back along our monitoring path" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "I will have Victoria working on it once the Lupan vessel has launched." T'Lana@anncaris FX | The doors open to the bridge Mischa@crystyl nods, heading out onto the bridge T'Lana@anncaris steps out onto the bridge as well, going to her usual console Mischa@crystyl moves to take her seat, "Helm, prepare to break orbit and lay in an intercept course for the Valley Forge" T'Lana@anncaris | Nethay: "Aye Commander. Making preparations now." T'Lana@anncaris | T'Fel: "I am detecting a ship emerging from the planet's atmosphere." T'Lana@anncaris:"The scout vessel," she taps her console, "As I suspected, its hull is comprised of Progenitor alloys and uses a significant amount of their technology." Mischa@crystyl:"Inform them to form up and match our course. We will depart as soon as they confirm ready" T'Lana@anncaris | Victoria nods and sends the message, "They're forming up now." Mischa@crystyl:"Take us and engage at maximum warp" T'Lana@anncaris | Nethay nods and taps his console, the stars on the viewscreen turning to streaks T'Lana@anncaris:"The Lupan vessel is keeping pace." Mischa@crystyl:"Alright, now we can catch up with them. Open a channel" T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan appears on the viewscreen with the backdrop of a bridge that has clear Progenitor aesthetics, "Commander Leveson-Scott. I presume you know the way to the Heart of War, as your people - T'Lana@anncaris:- have rediscovered it?" Mischa@crystyl:"That is our heading" she nods, "It will still take considerable time for us to catch up to them, even pushing this speed as hard as we can" T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan: "We will follow your lead. Do you seek to send a subspace message first to inform them of what you have learned?" Mischa@crystyl smiles faintly, "Indeed. But I must ask for your help in that" T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan: "You wish us to send the message, because we have the recordings and more evidence of the Architect's identity?" Mischa@crystyl:"That. And it would be of strategic advantage for us to withhold knowledge of our presence unless absolutely necessary. We can patch you in to our comms network and provide the correct frequency" T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan nods, "Give us the frequency and we shall send the message." Mischa@crystyl nods over to Victoria to proceed T'Lana@anncaris | Victoria taps her console, "They should be patched in now." T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan: "We will inform your people and follow you in how to proceed." Mischa@crystyl:"We will monitor the comm and maintain a discrete ship to ship comm with you to provide guidance" T'Lana@anncaris | Arvalan nods, "Let us begin formulating the message, then." --- NPC@annpc#557 | Sin finds herself on the island where Luthril first took her to see the Lonesome One... NPC@annpc#557 | Though Sin knows it is an illusion, the island looks completely real, with every detail exactly as she remembered it, at least from what she saw during her brief visit Sin@crystyl looks around and sighs, "So we're doing this now. Alright this has to be Luthril's head..." she looks around and cals out, "Luthril?" NPC@annpc#557 | There is no answer, but she sees a tall figure in white robes further along the beach Sin@crystyl makes her way over, still calling out to her NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril speaks as Sin approaches her, "I know you're here, Sin." Sin@crystyl:"Thank the stars. This will save some time! We have to get out of here" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "I have taught you all I know, Sin. You do not need my guidance any longer. You must find your own way on the final path to ascension. It is not something I have experienced, and not - NPC@annpc#557:- something I am able to aid you with." Sin@crystyl facepalms, "Not this... Luthril, we are not reliving this memory. You have to snap out of it!" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril turns to Sin with a confused look, "Snap out of it. Snap out of...what?" Sin@crystyl gestures around them, "Of... this! This is a delusion. Remember, we are at the Heart of War and we were using the Trident to stop the Horde" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "The...Heart of War. That sounds...familiar, yes. The Horde...I've taught you all I know. It was always your role to stop them, and mine merely to guide you." Sin@crystyl:"And that's exactly what we are doing right now!" she steps forward, holding out her hand with her palm facing Luthril, "Just... focus. Try to remember" she nods to the hand, encouraging Luthril to - Sin@crystyl:- meet it with hers NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril nods, "Very well. I'll indulge you." She holds out her palm and touches Sin's Sin@crystyl:"Remember; the Trident. We were focusing our minds..." she tries to jog Luthril into flashes of memory like she experienced NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "I remember. I went with you...to help you focus the Trident..." Sin@crystyl:"Yes that's it. We are there right now, but the Architect is fighting us. You need to fight back!" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "Yes...the Architect. He deceived us, had a different plan in mind..." NPC@annpc#557 FX | The Lonesome One hovers down into view from atop a nearby rock... Sin@crystyl:"Yes! He's trying to enact that plan right now. He is deceiving you with this illusion" she looks, "That's him!" NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "Do not interfere, Luthril. This was the plan all along." NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "No, if you were truly him, you would know that Sin was the one who needed to destroy the Horde." NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "I never said 'destroy.' I said defeat. And they have been." Sin@crystyl:"No they haven't!" Sin@crystyl:"They will only be defeated if we break this illusion and-" she mutter-grumbles, "-I can't do it alone..." NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "The Architect controls them now, as was meant to be. He is their creator, and they are his Children, just as we are. Under his command, the Horde will no longer be a threat. He - NPC@annpc#557:- will maintain the balance between the two sides." NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "To do what? Create everlasting war? How does that benefit anyone?" Sin@crystyl:"It doesn't! This is his delusion, let him rot in it Luthril! We can still do what we always planned to do in the real world!" NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "It will not be everlasting. There will be long periods of peace and rest, but when the unity begins to crumble, the Horde will strike, only as much as it is needed. You know our - NPC@annpc#557:- people will be divided without a unifying force. There is no Trinity without the Forli, as there is no Coalition without the Horde. Under my control, the Horde can unite the entire galaxy." Sin@crystyl:"He's getting desperate. That's the only reason he's appearing to try and persuade you now. Because he knows we're fighting back. He knows we will defeat him and the Horde if we continue" NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "This is for your sake. You must realize that destroying the Horde will cause all the factions Captain Keelah has united to fracture and eventually destroy themselves. And the - NPC@annpc#557:- same will happen everywhere else." NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "Maybe your plan has some semblance of sense. But why the deception? Why not convince us, if it is so reasonable?" Sin@crystyl:"Exactly! He told me he was disappointed Keelah didn't share his wisdom. If he truly expected us to understand, why play out this deception? Because he knows he is wrong and we will put him right!" NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "I knew your morality would not permit you to agree. But this is the only way." Sin@crystyl:"There, see! He /knows/ what he's doing is immoral! Are you just going to stand here in this illusion and let him carry on, knowing that?" NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "Morality is a set of laws imposed to maintain order for those within the confines of society. We decide the fates of societies. We are beyond such rules. Yes, many will die in - NPC@annpc#557:- the Horde's attacks to come, but many more lives will be saved. Your civilizations will be saved from annihilation." NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "Perhaps you believe that what you are doing is right. But have you thought that perhaps your Children should be left to their own devices? That you should just allow us to destroy the - NPC@annpc#557:- Horde and deal with the aftermath ourselves?" NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "When it is all too clear what this aftermath will be? Look at your own histories. I cannot allow that to happen." Sin@crystyl:"Exactly! You said yourself before that you consider yourself to be our Father. Well part of being a parent is letting your children grow up" NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "And how will you grow, if you tear yourself apart before you have a chance to? No, this is the only way." NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "Or perhaps you are simply too blind to see alternatives." Sin@crystyl:"How will civilizations grow if you police them to your own predeterminations all the way?!" Sin@crystyl:"Luthril, I appreciate the attempt to make him see sense. But he's lived with these delusions for countless millennia, do you truly believe he can see the error of his ways now?" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "You are right, Sin. We cannot allow him to proceed." NPC@annpc#557 | Lonesome One: "Do not do this, Luthril. Together, we can usher in a new era of-" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril raises her arm and the 'Lonesome One' is slammed back into the rock, dissipating into sand which crumbles onto the beach NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "He was starting to get annoying." Sin@crystyl:"/Starting/ to... How do you think I feel? This is already round two for me!" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril: "You broke out of it on your own? Your powers are becoming quite impressive indeed..." Sin@crystyl smiles, "I am impressive, aren't I!" chuckling. "But we can't afford to waste time here. We still need to snap Eva back to reality too" Sin@crystyl:"Until then, we're not only facing him but both of them as he's channeling her strength as well as his own" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril nods, "I'm ready when you are, Sin." Sin@crystyl extends her hand, "We can find her if we focus our thoughts together" NPC@annpc#557 | Luthril extends her hand as well Sin@crystyl takes Luthril's hands and focuses on finding Eva... --- NPC@annpc#557 | Meanwhile back on the Valley Forge, Keelah and most of the team have returned to the ship. Mia goes about her usual administrative duties, though she notices the crew being strangely quieter... Mia@crystyl goes about her day, figuring they are just feeling reflective given all that has transpired NPC@annpc#557 | As she works, she notices that the VF had received an incoming message earlier that seems to have been erased Mia@crystyl finds it a little suspect so delves into the comms array to investigate NPC@annpc#557 | Mia finds that it came from the comm buoy network VF has deployed, and with her skill is able to recover the message Mia@crystyl reviews it NPC@annpc#557 | Mia finds the message from the Lupan scout ship warning them of the Architect, complete with a copy of the ancient Progenitor recording! Mia@crystyl accesses the main computer to verify the current department orders NPC@annpc#557 | The orders all appear to have been unchanged from when the team was on the control station to prepare for the Architect's plan Mia@crystyl revisits the comm logs to see who erased the message NPC@annpc#557 | Apparently, it was done when the console was logged in to TQ Mia@crystyl checks for TQ's current location NPC@annpc#557 | TQ is in her quarters Mia@crystyl makes her way down to that deck, disappearing into jeffries tubes and access hatches until she finds herself hovering inside the crawlspace in the wall along TQ's quarters where she scans TQ NPC@annpc#557 | Mia's scan indicates nothing at first, but upon closer inspection, she notices strange neural readings similar to Horde influence Mia@crystyl with growing concern, checks Keelah's location and proceeds for an equally covert scan NPC@annpc#557 | Keelah shows the same! Mia@crystyl decides she has put the contingency plan into action and sends an encoded message to her brother, Relay, and the Nuhar support drones NPC@annpc#557 | Mia manages to get the message through and her fellow drones respond! Mia@crystyl despatches the support drones to bypass all critical systems and put a command function lockout in place Mia@crystyl sends Relay & Sayu to access the comms array directly and respond to the message, while she goes to confront Keelah NPC@annpc#557 | She finds Keelah in her ready room, looking out the window, "Come in." Mia@crystyl walks in, "Captain. How are things?" NPC@annpc#557 | Keelah turns, "Mia. Things are going well. Come to report on the completed tasks off today's list?" Mia@crystyl:"No, actually. Mon Capitaine is great sadness that we must inform you of a breach in shipboard security" NPC@annpc#557 | Keelah: "A breach in security? Have you informed Silvestrie yet?" Mia@crystyl:"It is not that kind of breach..." NPC@annpc#557 | Keelah narrows her eyes, "What do you mean?" Mia@crystyl:"We have detected suspected influence in the Command personnel of this ship. Therefore, your standing order to circumvent the command hierarchy and safeguard the ship has been put into effect" NPC@annpc#557 | Keelah: "Ah. Nothing escapes your notice, does it, Mia?" Mia@crystyl:"Let it be entered into the ship's log that on stardate 98256.2 we have relieved Capitaine Keelah of command, per standing orders, and assumed full automated control of the Valley Forge. Capitaine - Mia@crystyl:- Keelah, please report to the EMH in sickbay 1" NPC@annpc#557 | Keelah suddenly smiles, "/You/ have assumed full automated control? Is that the case?" NPC@annpc#557 | Mia suddenly disappears into a transporter beam... NPC@annpc#557 | ...and finds herself materializing in a brig cell with Sayu beside her Mia@crystyl turns to Sayu with a sigh, "It is regrettable that they think this will actually make a difference..." NPC@annpc#557 | Nishaa steps up to the force field, "We are in a massive facility built using joint Iconian and Nuhar technology, and I have access to your Captain's memories now. Nuhar support drones are not - NPC@annpc#557 - as sophisticated as you, and I was able to override them. I assure you, I am still very much in control of this ship. Unfortunately, I was unable to stop whatever communications you have just - NPC@annpc#557 - sent, but that is inconsequential. With the newly acquired knowledge of subspace tunnels, the Horde will arrive long before any of your reinforcements." NPC@annpc#557 | Sayu: [I am unable to activate my beam. There is an energy damping field in place.] Mia@crystyl:"You may have retained the illusion of control. But we assure you, our encrypted command overrides are not so easily dispatched. This is why you have not attempted to shut down either of us; because- Mia@crystyl:- you know you need us to regain any real control of this ship" Mia@crystyl:[We expect them to be at least that prudent. We would also expect that they are dampening our communications] NPC@annpc#557 | Sayu: [That is most likely.] NPC@annpc#557 | Nishaa: "And you cannot exert control from here. So it seems we are at a stand still, though I do still have control over the crew themselves. I do not wish to harm them, otherwise I would - NPC@annpc#557:- have already. But if I must, I could threaten you with them. You too do not wish to see harm come to them, do you?" Mia@crystyl:"Of course not! But our orders are quite clear, and every single person on this ship is willing to sacrifice themselves if it means stopping a monster like you!" NPC@annpc#557 | Nishaa: "I am only a monster because I have to be. It matters not- with the knowledge of this crew, I will override what you have done in time. And if not...one ship will not make much of a - NPC@annpc#557:- difference now that I have control over the Horde. I do not imagine there is any way I can persuade you to join me, is there?" Mia@crystyl:"We have talked long enough already. We will be here should you wish to have a civilized discussion" she turns sharply with a 'hrmph' before rippling out of view NPC@annpc#557 | Nishaa: "Such a loyal little drone. Very well. A standstill it is." Mia@crystyl | Miadrone blows a droney raspberry at the indoctrinated Nishaa as she walks away Mia@crystyl:[Brother. We must escape this cell...] --- T'Lana@anncaris | Some time later as the Latenter proceeds towards the VF's location, Mischa's doorbell rings Mischa@crystyl:"Come in" T'Lana@anncaris steps inside with a PADD in hand, "We've picked up a reply to the Lupans' warning message." T'Lana@anncaris hands the PADD to Mischa Mischa@crystyl:"About time. I was started to worry that they were beyond reach already" T'Lana@anncaris | The PADD contains the message Sayu was able to get out before he was beamed into the brig with Mia Mischa@crystyl face drops as she reads, "Oh..." T'Lana@anncaris nods, "How do you suggest we proceed, Commander?" Mischa@crystyl:"That is a very good question. Have we been able to establish two-way communication with them?" T'Lana@anncaris shakes her head, "We have only received the single message. It is possible that was all they were able to send." Mischa@crystyl:"I know Mia is capable and resourceful. But what likelihood do you give for her to take and hold the ship against her entire crew?" T'Lana@anncaris:"That depends on precisely how this occurred. If the Architect was capable of circumventing the implants entirely, the possibility is extremely low. However, if he had managed to control the crew - T'Lana@anncaris:- simply due to the fact that he possesses an implant on the same frequency as theirs, then it should be possible to free them from his control by altering the frequency of their implants. The - T'Lana@anncaris:- systems the drones possess themselves will not suffice, but it could be possible for them to free the crew if they managed to acquire the right equipment." Mischa@crystyl:"Possible, perhaps. But likely?" T'Lana@anncaris:"The odds are against them. I predict a fifteen to twenty-five percent chance of success, depending on their exact circumstances. They do have the advantage of being nimble and extremely familiar - T'Lana@anncaris:- with the ship, but if the Architect has taken control of the crew, we must also suppose that he had equal knowledge of the ship at his disposal." Mischa@crystyl:"And with those odds, we can not afford to give them the benefit of the doubt. Which means we must consider the Valley Forge to be compromised and under enemy control" Mischa@crystyl leans back with a heavy sigh, "What about this method of control. You mentioned implant frequencies?" T'Lana@anncaris:"As the implants have protected well from telepathic reading and control from all our observations, we must only assume that the Architect was able to achieve this because the crew of the Valley - T'Lana@anncaris:- Forge also provided him with an implant set to the same frequency. The implants block outside access, but as those of the Valley Forge and QanwI' are set to the same frequency, telepaths are - T'Lana@anncaris:- still able to utilize their abilities within the crew as their implant provides their mind with the same cipher used to lock the minds of the others." T'Lana@anncaris:"It is also possible that the Architect has some other means of telepathy that can overwhelm or circumvent the implants, but I find the former more likely to be the case, especially as he was the - T'Lana@anncaris:- creator of the backdoor and the very process the Horde now use to take control of others, and the implants have proven effective against Horde control so far." Mischa@crystyl:"Then the QanwI' is also a potential threat, damn..." Mischa@crystyl:"What about our implants then? If what you suggest is even just a possibility, we should have ours reconfigured to a new frequency" T'Lana@anncaris:"We do not yet know the state of the QanwI's crew, but it is likely they have also fallen under his control. Fortunately, Commander, our implants were never on the same frequency. We may have - T'Lana@anncaris:- co-developed the technology with the Regulators, but we never shared the specific frequencies we were using for security purposes, and it is not known by either the Regulators nor the Valley - T'Lana@anncaris:- Forge, so they utilized a different frequency. Buena and I elected to keep our original frequency for the added benefit that their telepaths would not sense our presence if we ventured - T'Lana@anncaris:- too close, as the cloak does not conceal us from their abilities." Mischa@crystyl smiles, "That's some good news at least. Well then, I think all we can do for now is continue on course and be prepared for a stealth approach when we get into range. Unless we hear otherwise, we - Mischa@crystyl:- must assume that both the Valley Forge and QanwI' are under enemy control. So we should device a boarding plan for a hostile environment" T'Lana@anncaris:"I will also have our teams working on a method to free them from control. The implants were designed to be capable of interfacing with our medical technology for adjustments and regular checking - T'Lana@anncaris:- without requiring a surgical procedure. It should be possible to create devices to set the implants to a different frequency from a short distance away." Mischa@crystyl:"If that is possible, we may be able to devise a method of interfacing it with a ship's internal systems in order to cleanse everyone simultaneously" T'Lana@anncaris nod, "That is what I am hoping for. I will look into it immediately." Mischa@crystyl:"Need a hand? I could do with a little good old fashioned busy work right now I think" she smiles, getting to her feet T'Lana@anncaris:"Your assistance is always appreciated, Commander." Mischa@crystyl chuckles, "Let's get to it then!" --- Evanne Dra@annpc#557 FX | Sin and Luthril find themselves on the bridge of the Valley Forge, with all the usual officers they would expect at their stations. On the viewscreen, the Valley Forge follows an unknown - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- ship at impulse Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Fisher: "ETA ten minutes to their homeworld, but we should be approaching comms range, Captain." Sin@crystyl glances to Luthril, "Oh great, she's surrounded by familiar faces. This won't be easy will it..." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "No, I suspect this will not..." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Keelah: "Keep pace with them, Mr. Fisher. It won't be polite to rush ahead. Eva, try to hail the planet when we're in range." Sin@crystyl takes a deep breath and heads over to Eva, "Heyyy Eva. How's it going...?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 nods, "Hailing now. I don't think they have subspace-" she turns, "Sin? Luthril? What brings you two to the bridge?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Keelah looks over her shoulder, "Do you two sense something?" Sin@crystyl:"This- she glances to Keelah and back, "Yes. Yes we do! Eva, we need your help" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"With...what?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Keelah: "We're in the middle of a first contact here, Ensign. This better be important." Sin@crystyl:"Can't you sense it? Focus Eva. Think and focus on me and Luthril" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"I...yes, I do sense...something unusual. I'm not quite sure what, though." Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"Give me a moment, I'll call Tee up to take the comm station. If you'll excuse me, Captain?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Keelah nods, "Do what you need to do, ladies." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 taps her console before stepping away, "What's this about, Sin?" Sin@crystyl:"We should talk somewhere without distraction. Let's use Keelah's ready room" Sin@crystyl helps herself without giving so much as a second though to the illusion keelah sat on the bridge Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Keelah: "Ensign!" she sighs and gets back to work as TQ arrives on the bridge Evanne Dra@annpc#557 and Luthril follow inside Sin@crystyl:"Alright Eva, that's better" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"So what's this you're pulling me off my duty shift and into Keelah's ready room for?" Sin@crystyl:"I need you to wake up from this delusion and remember where you are" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 gives the two a confused look, "This...delusion?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "This is an illusion created by the Architect." Sin@crystyl:"I know you don't want to believe it, but try to remember. The three of us were at the Heart of War with the Architect. We were using the Trident to stop the Horde" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"And...why would I not want to believe it? I remember all that." Sin@crystyl:"Wait... you do? So then you know that this now is just an illusion meant to placate you" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"Of course I remember. How can I forget? But how is this relevant now? That was months ago." Sin@crystyl:"No Eva, that's the delusion! It was not months ago, it is /now/. We are all actually standing at that Trident right now. That is what you felt before, the tinge of reality" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"I have been getting flashes of that day, but I thought it was just the impact of everything. We used our abilities to send a signal through the whole quadrant to destroy the Horde, after all." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "How exactly do you remember it?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"Exactly as you described, without all this...illusion talk. We used the Trident at the Heart of War and ended the Horde's threat for good." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "He's getting more clever with his illusions. Perhaps he knows we can see through them to an extent and obtain these flashes." Sin@crystyl:"Actually that's what we are trying to do right now. But the Architect betrayed us. He is trying to exert control over the Horde instead, and he is using you to do it" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"Betrayed us? Why would the Architect betray us?" Sin@crystyl:"Because he wants to use the Horde to keep the galaxy in a perpetual state of war" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"What? That's ridiculous! How do I know you haven't been influenced by something? We got rid of our implants after destroying the Horde, and we did use the Trident. Maybe this is some trick that - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- Witch you encountered is playing on us." Sin@crystyl:"Eva, you sensed it when I first said to you before. Just focus and you will see for yourself" she offers her palm forward as she did with Luthril to encourage Eva to mimic her real life pose of - Sin@crystyl:- touching the Trident Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Eva skeptically raises her palm as well Sin@crystyl presses her hand to Eva's, "Remember the Trident. Remember us standing there like this" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 nods, "I can see it. It really is as clear as if it were happening now, but...this has all happened already." Sin@crystyl:"Don't think about what you think you remember. Just focus on that image and think through those events" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"I remember Keelah...telling us to do something...telling us to fight?" Sin@crystyl:"Yes that's right! She's beside us right now calling out to us, trying to help us wake up and fight the Architect!" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 yanks her hand away, "How can I be sure these memories aren't being planted into my head, and what I remember isn't the real version as you say?" Sin@crystyl:"Just think it through. Focus on the details of what you think actually happened. I'll bet something just doesn't quite sit right about these last few months you remember. Everything just a little - Sin@crystyl:- too fuzzy..." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 nods, "You're right. I can't seem to remember everything. Just a few memorable events, but when I try to remember what happened in between...the days where nothing of note happen often have a - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- tendency to blur together, but I can't even remember what happened earlier this week. My memory is never that bad." Sin@crystyl:"You see! I know how much you want this to be real - we all do - but it's not there yet, and it won't be unless you snap out of it too" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"So this is why the Architect always kept his mind so closely guarded. He never allowed me to read him and always said because he didn't have the Failsafe built into him, it wouldn't help me - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- practice using it. But he was hiding his intentions from us all this time..." Sin@crystyl:"It would seem so. He deceived us all" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"How do we stop him?" Sin@crystyl:"We have weakened his grasp by waking ourselves from his illusions. Although..." she looks to Luthril, "...isn't it a bit strange that he hasn't tried to fight for Eva like he did for us?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril nods, "Maybe he knows he won't be able to convince us to join him." Sin@crystyl:"Maybe... but I had figured that with all three of us properly aware again that we'd be able to wake up" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"Could we have to work together? Like we did with the Trident, but this time to break free from it and the Architect?" Sin@crystyl:"Maybe. Or maybe we can use this connection against him. We know he is still connected to us as he tried to intervene each time we tried to wake up. So maybe now with our combined strength, we reach- Sin@crystyl:- into his mind and force him out!" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 nods, "Let's try it." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 reaches out her hands towards Sin and Luthril Sin@crystyl stands in a trinity formation with the other two, taking their hands Evanne Dra@annpc#557 and Luthril close their eyes and begin to concentrate... Sin@crystyl follows suit, channeling everything she can muster and drawing on the collective strength of the others with her. Knowing that they are joined by the Trident to amplify her ability exponentially Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Sin soon finds the Architect's presence in their minds. His grasp is too strong for any one of them, but together using the Trident's amplification, they have enough power to push him out... Sin@crystyl concentrates their collective will to do so Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | She feels the Architect resisting, but his hold is pushed out with their combined power. She feels their minds clearing and the illusions fading away as reality sets in... --- T'Lana@anncaris leads Mischa into the sickbay office, giving Buena a nod as she moves over to the console to draw up the schematics of the implants Mischa@crystyl joins her at the console T'Lana@anncaris:"The implants are specifically programmed to accept signals from our medical beds, and its receiving range is extremely short as a precaution against being hacked. However, if we can manage to have - T'Lana@anncaris:- the signals permeate through the entire ship, the implants should be able to pick up on them." Mischa@crystyl:"We have a few available options, depending on the mechanism we use" T'Lana@anncaris:"That is where the complication arises. The implant is also configured to be unable to receive subspace signals, as another countermeasure against hacking. The signals used to reconfigure the - T'Lana@anncaris:- implants are electromagnetic, making use of the EM radiation emitted by biobeds for scanning for communication with the implant. Such radiation, if simply increased to amounts that will cover the - T'Lana@anncaris:- entire vessel, will be lethal to most lifeforms." Mischa@crystyl:"That would be... counterproductive. What about utilizing the EPS grid? It already has shipwide EM emissions for keeping portable devices energized" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "That will suffice to cover the entire vessel. However, we must both somehow ensure a minute enough amount not to cause harm, while still managing to reach most, if not all implants on the - T'Lana@anncaris:- ship. While the EPS grid is ship-wide, the implant only has an effective receiving range under one metre, so the signal must be strong enough to reach within a metre of every crewmember." Mischa@crystyl:"So let's start with a schematic of the Valley Forge and find our maximum possible distance needed" T'Lana@anncaris taps on the console, bringing up a schematic of the ship. A few moments later, the EPS grid lights up over the schematic, highlighting every aspect of it on the ship Mischa@crystyl:"Alright. So the largest open areas from memory are likely the hangar bays or arboretum. So what is the most distant EPS point there?" T'Lana@anncaris taps the console again, highlighting the EPS points in those areas specifically, "If we dispatch personnel to the shuttles and activate them to produce the same signal, it should rectify the - T'Lana@anncaris:- hangar bay. The arboretum may be more problematic." Mischa@crystyl:"Then our best bet may be either trigger a lockdown of that area, or transport any personnel into confinement" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "It is unlikely the Architect will be positioning a large number of personnel in such an area of the vessel. It should not be difficult to contain the personnel within and reconfigure - T'Lana@anncaris:- their implants separately." Mischa@crystyl:"The question is how best to achieve that however. If Mia still has the ship in lockdown, we will be unable to utilize internal systems to lock it down" Mischa@crystyl:"And if she has lost control, then they will have defenses in place to prevent transport as well" T'Lana@anncaris:"If Mia has the ship in lockdown, then perhaps we will be able to locate Mia and obtain her assistance. If she has lost control, transporting past their defenses will be a problem. Even without - T'Lana@anncaris:- defense in place, it will be risky to transport past their new hull alloy without assistance from a transporter pad inside the ship." Mischa@crystyl:"Don't forget they have also retrofitted the ship with transport scattering fields" Mischa@crystyl:"We may need approach by shuttle and cut through a hardseal" T'Lana@anncaris:"A shuttle approach will quickly be detected. However, I may have the second-best option." She taps the console again, bringing up a scan of the Lupan scout ship T'Lana@anncaris:"One of the systems on board not of Progenitor origins is a cloaking device. A highly advanced cloaking device, more akin to those utilized by Romulans than those we typically see in the hands of - T'Lana@anncaris:- raiders in this region of space." Mischa@crystyl:"Ok. So we use their scout ship to close in?" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "It is much smaller and nimbler than our own. The QanwI' would be a superior option, but it is likely they too are under the Architect's control. The raptor is significantly smaller and - T'Lana@anncaris:- does not possess the larger open spaces of the Valley Forge, so the same plan to free the crew will be even more effective there. However, we will also need to devise a way to board them." Mischa@crystyl:"Captain Vix will not make that easy..." T'Lana@anncaris:"Indeed. I believe our chances of success will be greater if we free the Valley Forge first. The QanwI' is most likely cloaked, and revealing them with anti-cloaking sweeps will likely alert the - T'Lana@anncaris:- Architect to our presence. By the time the Architect realizes we are on the Valley Forge, we may have already made significant process in freeing the crew and we will have three ships on our side - T'Lana@anncaris:- to deal with the QanwI', not to mention that if Mia's lockdown is still in effect, the Valley Forge will offer less resistance." Mischa@crystyl:"Agreed. So we use the Lupan's ship, cut into the Valley Forge. Then I suspect we will need to find Mia in order to expedite our efforts on board, whatever the situation" T'Lana@anncaris:"We should be able to install bio-dampeners onto the EV suits to decrease our chances of detection when we are on board." T'Lana@anncaris:"They will most likely still detect that we are cutting in, but if we act quickly, they will have to search for us visually." Mischa@crystyl:"Wait... EV suits?" T'Lana@anncaris:"If the Architect has control of the Valley Forge, the Lupan scout ship will likely not survive its escape should it be revealed. It would be safer to cross the final distance manually, using a - T'Lana@anncaris:- specially configured cutting tool, rather than cutting into the ship and docking with the Lupan ship manually. While the vessel does have impressive technology, unlike most Lupan craft, it is - T'Lana@anncaris:- configured more for stealth than for combat. It does complicate the mission, but will ensure the survival of the Lupan." Mischa@crystyl:"Alright, that makes sense" T'Lana@anncaris:"Our team will launch from an airlock on the Lupan vessel in close proximity to the Valley Forge. I will instruct Daurant to work on a cutting tool of sufficient power to breach a hardseal." Mischa@crystyl:"Shouldn't be problematic unless they have that armour in place" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "They should have no reason to deploy their armour, even if Mia's lockouts have been overridden, if they do not see us coming." Mischa@crystyl:"So once we're on board, we need to find Mia" T'Lana@anncaris:"That will certainly be our priority. Shall we bring a full away team on this mission, or undertake it with limited personnel to decrease our chances of being discovered on board?" Mischa@crystyl:"I think less is more in this instance" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "Agreed. I will have the crew working on preparations, then." Mischa@crystyl:"Seems we have a plan. This will be... interesting" T'Lana@anncaris:"This is not a mission I had expected we would carry out. I shall do all I can to ensure that it is successful." Mischa@crystyl:"'Behind enemy lines' operations are all well and good. But I must confess this is a first even for me; for those enemy lines to be a Starfleet vessel" Mischa@crystyl:"This should however give us a significant advantage" T'Lana@anncaris:"Our information on the Valley Forge's schematics and familiarity with its technology will go a long way in helping us remain undetected on the vessel." Mischa@crystyl:"Trust me, compared to other operations this is an absolute blessing in terms of information" T'Lana@anncaris:"I will make sure we make the best use of it." --- Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | As Sin, Eva and Luthril snap back to reality, their legs suddenly buckle under them and all three fall to the ground. The ache suggests that they must have been standing for a very long time... Sin@crystyl tries to get her bearings Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Looking around, there is no sign of Keelah or any of the other crew, only the Architect, still standing with a hand on the Trident Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"What happened? Where is everyone?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "Back on the ship. Do not worry, they are unharmed." Sin@crystyl tries to stand and face him Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Sin manages to stand, though her legs are still wobbly and weak. Luthril and Eva begin to slowly get up as well Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "Stop this at once, Architect." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "I already have control of the Horde. Did you truly think I would let you interfere? The illusions were to keep you restrained long enough. I did not expect to be able to pacify you - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- forever, especially Sin." Sin@crystyl:"Well... now we're not pacified, so time to give it up!" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "That is not an option. If you do not wish to take my offer of this power, then return to the ship and serve the meagre role of working with the Coalition on the other side...for as - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- long as your biological lifespan allows you. I would beam you back, but the drones are interfering with my control of the ship systems. However, I have rerouted an automated Nuhar transport drone - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- to take you back." Sin@crystyl grins, "So the drones are fighting back still. Thanks for the heads up" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "Please, do not struggle against my Design." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "If we can break away from him together, we can overwhelm him together." Sin@crystyl:"And he knows it. Why else try so eagerly to usher us back to the ship. And speaking of the ship... where's the Captain? I thought for sure I'd see her here after the image of her calling out to me..." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "That was quite some time ago. She too has been returned to the ship." Sin@crystyl:"They just... went back. Leaving the three of us here under your control. Why do I find that difficult to believe..." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "Unfortunately, they were also unwilling to cooperate. I had to command them back." Sin@crystyl:"So you've enthralled them?!" she facepalms, "After all your talk of grand plans, you just go ahead and become the Horde as it is. Idiot" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "They are not thralls. They can be released with their memories and personalities intact, should they come to see light. But I could not allow them to interfere here." Sin@crystyl taps at her belt trying to find her phaser Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | She does find her phaser there Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Architect sighs as the Trident shrinks until it can be held like a Trident in his arms, "If we must do things this way..." Sin@crystyl:"You leave me no choice. Now hand over the Trident and give this up!" she says, training her weapon on him Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "Do not do this. I will not warn you again." Sin@crystyl fires. She already gave her warning Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Architect simply holds out a hand. Some invisible barrier seem to stop the phaser before it reaches him, and the Trident pulses slightly as the beam is absorbed Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "Unlike you, I have studied and learned to unlock the full power of this device." Sin@crystyl relaxes her stance, "Be honest. You'd be disappointed if I didn't at least try" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Architect: "I expected as much." Sin@crystyl:"Well it's a good thing we don't need weapons to take you down" she looks to the others, "We beat his mind once together. We can do it again" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril nods, stepping over, "We will lend you out strength." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 joins her, offering a hand to Sin Sin@crystyl holsters her phaser and takes their hands once more, focusing with everything she's got Evanne Dra@annpc#557 and Luthril close their eyes and focus as well. The Architect with the power of the Trident is strong, but the three of them combined are able to at least momentarily break his connection, - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- perhaps long enough to get a shot in... Sin@crystyl doesn't even open her eyes. Simply drawing the phaser without giving it any conscious thought and fires, letting her thoughts guide her aim rather than her eyes Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The Architect drops the Trident and staggers back from the shot. He drops to one knee but keeps on to consciousness as he reaches for the Trident... Sin@crystyl quickly fires again, flicking up to the kill setting Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The next shot hits the Architect through the chest, and he drops to the ground Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "Quickly, we have to grab the Trident and do this as we were supposed to." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 moves for the Trident, "Already on it!" Sin@crystyl:"Go! I'll cover you" she cautiously follows Eva, keeping her weapon trained on the Architect ready to fire at the slightest twitch Evanne Dra@annpc#557 is halfway there when she suddenly cries out and drops to her knees Sin@crystyl:"Eva!" she fires again at the Architect regardless of how he looks Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril pauses going for the Trident, rushing over to Eva instead, "Eva! Are you alright?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The second shot burns another hole through the Architect as Eva drops to the ground, convulsing for a moment before she curls up Sin@crystyl:"Luthril, what's going on with her?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Luthril: "I don't know. I sense..." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 moves her mouth, struggling to speak a few times before she finally manages a single word Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"...run." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 stretches out her hand and the Trident flies into her grasp. Without warning she turns onto her back and thrusts the points straight through Luthril's abdomen, then in one fluid motion, extends - Evanne Dra@annpc#557:- her other hand, sending the Chlasi Esoteric flying across the room where she hits a wall and drops motionless to the ground Sin@crystyl:"Luthril!” Evanne Dra@annpc#557 takes her time slowly getting back to her feet as she turns to Sin with a scowl, "Did you really think destroying my physical body would stop me? Transcending death was the first feat I achieved." Sin@crystyl turns her weapon on Eva, "Eva, you have to fight him! I know you're still in there" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"I did not only seed her kind, I designed this body. As strong as she is, /I/ am in control of this form. Now you stand alone against me, Sin. I told you this was not a good idea." Sin@crystyl:"Well I mean, I gave you plenty of chances to come to your senses. Don't blame me if you won't listen..." Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"And what will you do against me now? You cannot overwhelm me alone. Even if you could, you will what- kill your friend? Keep killing until you have slaughtered the entire crew of the Valley Forge?" Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"You cannot win, Sin." Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Once again, Sin hears a strange echoing voice, this one saying, "Run!" Sin@crystyl:"What other choice is there?! Besides, maybe I don't have to kill you..." she says, discretely setting it back to stun before firing at Eva. If nothing else, buying herself time to escape Evanne Dra@annpc#557 holds out the Trident, the invisible field absorbing the shot again Sin@crystyl starts to cautiously back away, "Come on Eva. Fight him!" Sin@crystyl meanwhile looks for environmental hazards that will be better at slowing her down Evanne Dra@annpc#557 simply slowly but menacingly steps towards Sin Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | Sin does spot those consoles around the room that seemed to release plasma beams... Sin@crystyl:"Dammit Eva, you're better than this! I know you're in there!" keeps going, waiting for the perfect moment Evanne Dra@annpc#557 continues stepping forward slowly Sin@crystyl fires at the console aiming to blow the plasma directly in Eva's path so she can turn and bolt Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | The energy glances the front of the invisible barrier and Eva jumps back, staring at Sin for a moment past the fiery jet but stopping her advance Evanne Dra@annpc#557 turns back to the centre of the room, plunging the Trident into it, which begins to expand again Evanne Dra@annpc#557:"I have been interrupted long enough." Sin@crystyl takes her chance to retreat further into the facility and regroup... Evanne Dra@annpc#557 | TO BE CONTINUED...
