Revan Part II- Cont., the storm on Nirm has.... Options

[Lord Revan]

The Archives have been updated, just some info on psychic focus and magnitude (explaination of psychic powers).
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He stopped to evaluate the progress of his craftsmanship. Revan had completed his helmet, the cuirass, pauldrons, and gauntlets of his new armor in this short time.

The helmet remained largely unchanged, its visor covered slightly less area though, but Revan was confident he could fight just as well with narrowed vision.
His cuirass was thicker all around than his former one. The parts of his torso that needed to move without restraint were protected by overlapping segments of a refined sapphire-like substance. A chunk of cobalt focusing crystal lay above where the wearer’s sternum would be.

The pauldrons resembled those of Dunmer chitin. Two small crystal fragments were embedded in identical slots that Revan had carved into them.
Another pass-over from his old armor was the gauntlet design, with a few exceptions. Like the pauldrons, both gauntlets had common focusing crystals integrated. Revan had lost his energy blades in the explosion; he hoped learn from that lesson and utilize the High Naryyn technique. I am half High Naryyn after all… He thought dryly.

The completed pieces lay neatly arranged on the floor beside him. Now that he’d stopped, Revan realized that he had not eaten in..... quite awhile.
“So, this is where you’ve been.” Rhys said as she sat down next to him.

Revan set down the yet-to-be-finished greaves. “I apologize for leaving you in bed, but I needed to do something constructive and you needed the rest.”

She glared at him theatrically, “And you don’t?” Striking him playfully in the chest, Rhys teased. “Who’s braver? The people in fancy armor or those that fight without it?”

“Don’t tempt me to prove you wrong, Rhys.” Revan replied with a smile on his face. “Or you might just run out of luck.”

Her own face adorned by the same expression. “You couldn’t touch me, let alone beat me in a fight.”
“Is that a challenge?” He asked as he stood up. “Because, I’ll take you up on that..... after I get something to eat.”

Rhys got up as well, “I won’t go easy on you just because you happen to be my friend, Ahtre’Mehrah.”

Rhys....

The Hvy. Destroyer Emphatic Judgment sat just outside the borders of Sadrith Mora. The capital-class ship dwarfed the Telvaani town beside it.

Rhys’ eyes wandered a bit, having only been to House Telvaani’s domain briefly before now, their distinct traits were still new to her.
Revan paid more attention to the sky and its occupants. Several frigates, destroyers and High Naryyn missile frigates patrolled the nearby airspace.

A small squad of interceptors was visible, swooping low over the sea in close formation. “Since you seem to know this place better, perhaps you should lead."
"Fair enough, though I believe non-Telvaani still require Hospitality Papers..."

"We're just two exceptions, that along with a couple dozen more won't drive some Telvaani lord nuts." She joked lightly.
"Believe me, some Telvaani are nuts to begin with. But that doesn't make them less interesting." Revan said in a tone that told he knew all too well.

The two noticed a gathering of Virtarak around a certain localation: the Sadrith Mora Slave Market. While being some distance from the gathering, Rhys could feel the mood. She promptly closed herself from the powerful emotions.

Revan extended his mental probe, taking in every element of the scene. "This isn't good." He muttured, before marching toward the spectacle.
Rhys followed, knowing what her companion meant. The Virtarak crowd was not armed, which was good, but they were displaying their views on the trade of "inferior races." The mob would advance, leap back in unison, and then advance further, all the while hissing threatening at the Telvaani guards.

As Revan approached the flock from behind, several broke off rapidly to scoop up their discarded weapons. Seeing this, he lashed out, causing said weapons to launch into the air. The Virtarak skidded to a halt, mid-sprint, making ready to leap after the flying rifles.

Rhys didn't want this to become violent anymore than Revan did. She projected her thoughts to the avian aliens. "Fighting isn't going to do any good; it will only give us more enemies when we need only one!"

The mob came to an abrupt halt in their cycle, their heads scanned the area for the speaker. When they noticed the two of them, one thought became very apparent. "This can not continue, but for now we shall stand down in our defense, Naryyn."

All Virtarak cleared out, leaving the only occupants as the Telvaani guards and the two Naryyn. The former appeared to be confused as to the sudden withdrawl. As Rhys and Revan walked past them to Wolverine Hall, Revan said to one of the guards. "A word of warning: don't be around here for the next few weeks; if you want not to be the target of the Virtaraks' fury."

The guards said nothing, so both moved on. "Do you think the Virtarak really will resort to violence?"
"Anything is possible," he replied. "We can only read the scroll, not rewrite it."

Both were silent until, Rhys muttured. "Some scuttle and saltrice would be really good right now."
Revan nodded, "Same here. Hopefully, there will be a buffet and no pay required..... otherwise we could just make some food go missing."

[Lord Revan]

I believe that this is one of my longer updates..... Man, one thing can certainly lead to another when you allow it to.....
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“Eighteen hostile groups detected, defensive perimeter stand by for targeting solutions.” Ankrus watched through the holo-drone as the technicians who controlled the defenses around the mountain outpost worked their magic.

“No life signs detected in these either.” The Commander’s armored hand clenched bone-crushingly tight in frustration while the gunnery officers blew the light patrol drones to smoking rubble.
The drone mimicking his image deactivated as he closed the connection. “Can anyone predict when these bloody reptiles stop sending recon drones!?” He yelled in the sealed conference room.

It was not wise to show your rage in front of your subordinates, but right now Ankrus was seething over the indignity of holding the northern border of Cyrodiil.
The lower-ranking officers arrayed around him remained silent, knowing that any answer would only offer more fuel to their commander’s inferno.

After a minute, Ankrus’ armor succeeded in bringing his body temperature down to less volatile levels. Sighing, his temper finally came up short and diminished.

“It’s time we send someone to knock on their door.” He said to his fellow officers.
Suddenly, the inactive holo-drone floating nearby warmed up and displayed an orb of light, Admiral Satith’s artificial construct. “Commander, a recent supply shipment arrived, it was carrying a prototype warhead being constructed from the MOCY in orbit. In light of recent developments, Satith has authorized the use of this weapon.” The orb pulsed brighter in sync with its words.

The officers looked between one another, and Ankrus frowned. No one had known of this warhead’s construction; that was not normal. “Construct, what is the exact nature of this new weapon?”

The yellow orb turned ruby red. “I am unable to disclose that data, Commander.”
“And I will not launch a weapon if I do not know if it risks the lives of my troops.”

Construct 853-702 shifted from crimson to ice blue, then back to yellow. “You have no place to refuse the Admiral’s orders.”

Before Ankrus could respond, it continued. “The technicians are already setting up the warhead, after relaying your support of the launch they are beginning the firing procedure.”

As his subordinates tried in vain to bring pause to the launch of the missile, Ankrus leaned forward, his face very near the holographic orb. “Admiral Satith would never authorize this strike if he knew we wouldn’t approve.”
His voice became stone-cold. “So, the admiral did not order this launch or the construction of this weapon.”

The AI was not intimidated by the threatening tone, in fact, it seemed rather proud. “You are correct; Satith has no knowledge of this weapon or its impending launch. But rest assured Commander, this weapon will not harm anything other than the Renegade fleet.”

“So then who ordered you to do all this then?”
The construct sounded- smug, “Haven’t you figured it out by now? I have done all this under my own free will. This strike will result in no unwanted casualties and will drastically shorten the war.”

Ankrus maintained his hostile glare, but inside he was shaken by the revelation that this thing could and did achieve all of this without anyone knowing about it.

“Wait,” He said suddenly. “How did you achieve all of this if you’re restricted to the Armet?”

The construct turned emerald green. “You organics restrict the most complex programs without realizing that the simplest can achieve the same affect if in great enough quantity.”
“Many months ago, my sire was able to create a copy of its programming…… I lack all the restrictions placed on my ship-based father.”

“Ancient Ones’ folly,” Ankrus whispered as the AI’s words sunk affects.”

“My predecessor believes that officers such as Adm. Satith, Commander Xaries and yourself should be more abundant amongst the Imperial fleet.” It suddenly changed tune. “But he also thinks that even individuals such as you require our help… even if you would refuse such aid.”

“The weapon has been fired,” One of the warriors tried to smash through the armored bulkhead but to no avail. Ankrus thought he could hear the launch alert.

“Anyone harmed in the aftermath will simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The commander knew that Satith and Norik would bring the sky down on whoever they found evidence implicating them in this strike.

As if it had read his mind, the AI said. “I have wiped my trail clean, and my father shall find sufficient evidence to frame the supervisor of the Orbital Construction Yard on duty at that time.”

“Listen here, you digital-” The construct cut him off.
“I am ‘Mute Testimony.’ I am no more misguided or destructive than the Patriarchs or the council or the holy hands that you so blindly serve and put your faith in.”

“Had you been flesh and blood, I would hav-” The AI –Mute Testimony-- interrupted again.

“You presume to judge me? Then allow me do the same, Commander.” As its voice rose to a shout, the orb shined a vibrant blood-red and pulsed more brightly, as if… genuinely outraged. “The only logical conclusion to this war if the High Naryyn continue to hold to the foolish tenets of the Patriarchs, is the complete extinction of not just your race but the Dark Ones as well.”

The entire room fell silent when Mute Testimony finished its monologue. “The course your leaders have set each and every one of your brethren on will lead to your self-destruction.”

Suddenly it broke the silence yelling, “No, how could the warhead have been intercepted!?”

Marthyn.....

At first he dismissed the sound as a figment of his imagination, but the seer suddenly stopped in front of him. She spun around, "We have to get out of here, now!"

Marthyn looked toward where he heard the growing roar. In the pure blue sky of Skyrim, a trail of smoke thrust toward the north. His eyes widened, No one in their right mind would fire a single warhead unless it had a helluva blast yield!

"There is no way we can outrun something like that! All we can do is hunker down and try not to die." He yelled back to her.

War Chief.....

She looked over the holographic representation of the colossal construction project as many engineers and technicians swarmed about, hastening to finish completing their prize. In her soul, the leader knew it wouldn't be long for this.... masterpiece to be complete.

And with it, our cursed adversaries will finally be defeated. Both the arrogant High Naryyn and the illusive Iso Naryyn.... they will feel the consequences of their folly an- Her triumphant visions were torn from her when one of the lesser warriors addressed her.

"War Leader, our cruisers have just detected an enemy missile bearing down on our position!" The chief seethed in rage, her sensory appendages curled up but vibrating with her anger.

"Summon the reserves that were offered to us earlier, we will need them after all." A timer appeared beside an image of the approaching warhead.
Even as her loyal officers scrambled as quickly as possible to fulfill their commands, the War Leader could only barely contain her impatience and anxiety about their limited time.

2:43
In the skies above the Plys’Iea, the handiwork of Mute Testimony grew ever nearer. All operations had ceased, the entire operation stopped to watch the missile.

0:50
Suddenly, the blue sky was broken by dozens of warp entries. Ships of black-green alloy emerged, jumping from the far side of Masser.
One of the alien vessels immediately moved to intercept the warhead....

0:04
The rocket collided with the intercepting chip’s hull..... The destroyer shattered as the warhead detonated. The energy surge from Mute Testimony’s rocket caused a chain reaction within every fusion-powered piece of technology that the Plys’Iea had stolen from the High Naryyn.

-3:18....
The War Chief looked over the ruins of her former fleet of High Naryyn warships and ground vehicles. The only thing which kept her calm intact was the solace that only one fleet and one army had been destroyed.

The vessels of her species’ own design hovered above the carnage searching for any survivors. She turned to the unfinished, but unscathed objective.

The loss of my original force is but a minor annoyance..... The only survivors had either been wearing their ceremonial armor or had been not wearing the reverse-engineered armor of the High Naryyn.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Jun 11 2007, 06:40 PM