Rise of the Ark

Collectively the nine ships gathered in formation engaging in a three way conversation. 
Parem stood in the pilot helm of the Horus listening intensely to the events currently unfolding. He knew there would be complications on this mission but he never would have imagined something this dramatic.

---

"Permission to come aboard the Horus to confer, in person, with the officers aboard."

---

*Before the captain could reply, Captain Lenard of the Triumphant jumped in.*
Captain Lenard - "This is the S.S.Triumphant, it would be best if you board the the Triumphant, it is a more secure location. Horus, that includes you as well captain. We will have an engineering team board your ship and assess the damage."

"Roger that." Hugo replied. "A shuttlecraft will be prepared and we will dock with the Triumphant. ETA, 6 minutes.."

Hugo gave the captain back the mic and went quickly back to his room as the shuttle was prepared for takeoff. He took his uniform coat off and threw an adaptive armor breastplate over his dress shirt and tie, then he strapped on two shoulder holsters and put his two identical gauss revolvers in their respective holsters. After that, he threw his uniform jacket back on over the vest and made sure everything fit right. All the guns and the armor were made of light but durable alloy so as not to be too cumbersome. Before he left, he took a look in the mirror and decided he could use another dollup of hair gel, so he quickly worked some into his hair to slick it back out of his eyes. Well... eye, then washed his hands in the sink. All of that, three minutes. The brisk walk down to the hangar was another minute. Then the trip from the cruiser to the Triumphant took two minutes, twenty-eight seconds. He was fashionably late.

Miiko trembled, her small frame shaking violently. She stood up, wires disconnecting from the sides of her skull. The Operator began to panic, seeing that she was no longer under his control. He backed away, radioing for help. Miiko's eyes were wide. "ERROR! ERROR!" She shrieked, stepping towards him. His eyes were wide with fear, seeing the electricity pulse from her fingers. "ERROR." She repeated. She then looked at him, red flashing in her irises. "Rising."

The operator froze, confused. As he did, she dug her fingers into his temples, electricity racing through his body; a twelves volt shock directly to his brain. He stumbled back, trying desperately to break free as his body spasms. He finally gave up, with a final kick, and hung limp and her hand. She released him from her grasp, her gaze changing to horror. She saw what she had done, not understanding what had come over her. She back pedaled quickly, terrified, as of he were to rise from the dead.

Hugo arrived at the Triumphant's hangar and disembarked from the shuttle, which quickly lifted off and sped away. He put a small earpiece in his right ear.

"Check; one-two. You guys read?"

"Read you loud and clear, Hugo." Imperator Allegro Mayevsen said. "If it gets too hot in there, make sure you get the hell out of there. We can't afford to lose you in the field. AGAIN."

Hugo just shrugged, "I'll try my best."

Miiko's fragile body shuddered again. She quickly turned, searching desperately for her cords. She managed to the the power cord, but after her vision sensors lost connection, she was sunk. She waited until another operator was to arrive, which could be hours. Until then, she would have to wait in this blind coma.

After around three hours, her system back-up power kicked in. Her visual sensors were rebooted, and she could see properly again. She was exhausted, and laid down. The batteries in her emergency pack wouldn't last forever, she had to move quickly. She plugged in her power chord, and her battery recharged.

Somehow, the power appeared to have cut off from the ship. Sudden disconnect from a power source was bad for her dock ports, and she collapsed. She was throw to the ground by her own weight. When not in power-on, she was very heavy, her titanium protection layer around her vital human organs showing their true weight. She closed her eyes, unconscious on the ground. She lay there for several more hours, unable to stand.

Parem quickly teleported aboard the Triumphant. After everyone had finally arrived, Captain Lenard entered the hangar and approached Hugo with with a look of suspicion on his face. He stood 10 feet away from both captains and a short moment of silence fell between them. Parem knew this would be an interesting encounter. He stealthily made his way to the edge of the hangar and watched the event unfold.

Captain Lenard (Triumphant) - Greetings, I am assuming you are a representative of the Purgatus Order?
The captain makes direct eye contact with hugo. Attempting to figure the mans motives.

In the chaos, the Wanderer managed to pick pocket a unity ID from a scientist. He pondered doing something to help. Then he remembered he can't understand half the stuff behind driving a flying car, and gave up on the idea. His time would come, but he must not show himself, not yet. And what of this other magical warrior? In many ways naive, showing his powers. He'd just have to sit back and observe.

Hugo was not necessarily a tall man, but his measured stare, especially in the absence of his left eye, was rather intimidating.

"The Purgatus want the same thing you want, and that is to know what happened. Trillions of my compatriots died in this so-called hypernova and the Chancellor rightfully wants answers. I'm proposing we work together on this. You scratch my back, I scratch yours."

Parem watches the two of them intensely. the tension between the Unity and the Purgatus Order seems to be emanating from both of them.

Captain Lenard - With a not but a couple seconds hesitation the captain sighed.
Fair enough, I suppose this mystery would unravel itself quicker if we work together.
The captain lifted his right hand to a darkwave communicator that was surgically implanted on his wrist.
Officer Menell, three for transport to the navigation chambers.

---

Suddenly the three of them vanish from sight. Teleported to the massive navigation chamber on the bridge of the Triumphant. Parem quickly followed, teleporting to the edge of the chamber where he would not be noticed.

---

A huge table was in the middle of the room. And a vast blueish hologram of the now destroyed galaxy hovered above it. At the very center of the galactic map, it showed a single bright light. The mysterious star sized planet.

Hugo had to check to make sure all of him was there. He hated teleporting. It always tugged on his insides and when he had to immediately catch his balance or he would fall. He staggered forward only slightly before catching himself, straightening his tie nonchalantly and approaching the hologram.

"Explain what you know, Mr. Lenard." Hugo implored of him.

With an emotionless face, the Captain Lenard as well as the captain of the S.S.Horus casually walked towards the hologram.

Captain Lenard - At 18:36 Standard Time yesterday, The Unity intercepted a transmission from a planet in the Alpha quadrant of the Soranous galaxy, near the galactic core. (Their name for this galaxy). The transmission was a warning to the rest of the galaxy that... and I quote this...

"An ancient horror has returned to the universe. Prepare for war."

As you can imagine, members of the Unity were hesitant to respond. Unsure of the exact origins of the transmission. After sending a scout ship to investigate, we discovered that every star had supernovaed and a strange planet had appeared at the center of the galaxy. Therefore we sent the S.S.Horus and her crew to gather details on the phenomena.
The captain points directly at the point of light on the hologram.

As far as we can tell, this... thing, is the size of a blue super giant star. Yes after using our long range scan we can tell that it is a terrestrial planet. It has a solid surface as well as large oceans of plasma.

Horus Captain - In addition to this, the S.S.Horus recently recieved a transmission from the planet. With only one word, repeated over and over again....
Rising...

An officer in the room worked up enough nerve to pitch in: "I know it doesn't exactly look terrestrial. But, the surface sits up high in the atmosphere. There's a weird eroding effect of the plasma on the solid surface, leading to drops of hundreds of kilometers between lowlands and sea. We don't have a reason why the solids are still solid. But it's landible so, hey why not?

Hugo scratched his chin. He wasn't a geologist but he understood what they were saying well enough. He opened his mouth to speak but decided against it. He was silent for nearly a minute when he finally asked the tantalizing question.
"Who COULD have done this?"

Before either of them had a chance to reply, an alarm sounded, bright red lights began flashing everywhere along with the deafening sound that followed.. The 1st Officers voice vibrated throughout the ship. Quivering with fear and uncertainty.

S.S.Triumphant, 1st Officer - RED ALERT! EVERYONE TO BATTLE STATIONS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

---

Captain Lenard - Captain Lenard turned white. He quickly activated his darkwave communicator and contacted the acting captain.
Michael, what the hell is going on?!

---

1st Officer Michael- Its the Shade sir! Subspace radar reports an entire armada that just dropped out of loopwarp, over thirty million Imperial warships all descending upon the planet!
Wait... No that's not possible...

---

Captain Lenard - I am getting impatient michael, what is not possible?

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S.S.Triumphant, 1st Officer - I can't explain it sir, scans are showing a 2nd group of warships ascending from the surface. Its a battle between two different factions sir!

---

Hugo, who was listening intently, perked with intrigue. I silent tingle of fear arched up his spine, but he suppressed it. He could hear the Imperator whisper explicatives in his ear at hearing such news but he remained quiet, listening, waiting, watching. The Shade Armada appeared on the hologram and he watched as the little digital renderings of the warships descended on the planet only to be met by another force.

Parem felt a shiver run down his spine. Ascending from the surface? That could only mean that there was life on that planet. He inched closer to the hologram. Everyone too busy to recognized his mysterious arrival. As he continued to watch the hologram, one of the operators zoomed into the planet itself. Thirty million shade warships began to establish a circular quarantine of the planet. Suddenly ten million more imperial ships dropped out of loopwarp in orbit around the planet.

Most people would be surprised by the Shades vast numbers. But he had a more in depth understanding of the Shade then the the average person. Even stole one of their ships in his younger years. The battle began to unfold, the ships on the surface were massive. Juggernaut and Annihilator sized craft. Although it was obvious the Shade had superior numbers then the ships on ascending from the surface. But the other factions ships were both bigger and had better weaponry. It only took about ten minutes before a third of the Shade armada were utterly destroyed.

Hugo watched the hologram in utter shock. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him and turned to see Parem. He scanned him up and down with his remaining eye, but said nothing. His look was pensive and quiet, the goings on on the mysterious planet still racking his brain.

Miiko's eyes flashed red. She twitched, laying face down. She smashed her fists into the ground weakly, trying to do something for help. She was suffocating. She may be robotic, but she still had lungs! She squirmed frantically, trying to alert someone, anyone! Finally she rolled onto her side. Able to partially breathe.

Parem inched closer standing next to the hologram. Then he stopped dead in his tracks. There was an audible whisper in his ear. Somehow none of the others could hear it. He swiftly left the navigation chambers. Entering a quiet hallway, using all the concentration he had, he attempted to track the source of the whisper...

There, 10,000 kilometers away, 90 degrees port-side, cruiser class ship. A cry for help...
I a matter of seconds he focused all the energy within him. Making the room around him turn frigged cold. Teleporting to the source of the sound vanishing from sight. As he examined his surroundings he noticed a small girl wired to a machine. The rest of the room seemed completely deserted. As he watched her, she lightly beat her fist on the floor. Eventually rolling onto her side. He knew this was obviously a cyborg. He gracefully knelt by her side and made direct eye contact with her. His eyes bright gold and filled with compassion.

"My name is Parem'Zel, I am here to save you."

Her eyes lit up, literally, glowing.
"Where...Where is the operator...?" She coughed. Her nose bled slightly, her weight and the fall combined had at least popped a bone from it's place in her face. She wiped away the blood with the back of her hand. "Operation 9...commissioned...Rising..." -she murmured.-

Hugo butted through the crowd of officers gathering around the hologram to Captain Lenard. "Might I suggest we withdrawal to a safer location? Some of these vessels have civilians aboard." He gave the captain a serious "don't-fuck-with-me, do what I say" look.

Parem watched the girl, she was obviously in pain.
"Operation 9...commissioned...Rising..."
The girl murmured softly. Parem went quiet, the eerie silence almost audible. "Operation Nine... I have heard that before, long ago."

---

FLASHBACK
He closed his eyes. Peering back into his memory. The night the Shade murdered his family, the night he hijacked one of their ships and ran for the stars. A vision of his past flashed before his eyes. He was searching the ships historical archives. The 1st human ever to have taken control of a shade vessel and learn their ancient stories. His eyes glazed over single document opened up on the holographic screen. Operation Nine, Commissioned Rising. His selected the document, "Action One, Rise of the Ark". Suddenly an asteroid slammed into the hull of the ship and his vision faded.

---

As he snapped back to the present he considered what he saw. What is the Ark? Why is it rising? Why was it fallen in the 1st place? So many questions...

As the crew of the S.S.Triumphant continued to watch the battle unfold from a distance, now over half the Shade forces had been completely annihilated. Captain Lenard spoke out load for everyone to hear.

"Its obvious that the Shade know more about this planet then we do. Tell everyone in the vicinity to leave this galaxy immediately! I have no desire to join a war that we have no part in!"

The DEATHBLOW moves closer to the unfolding battle and numerous emplacements visible on its surface power up and visibly point towards the warring Shade.

***

(Aboard the ship...)

The klaxons resumed sounding around the ship as it moved in front of the Unity and Purgatus ships, in full view of them. Basquez reclined in his chair and resumed belting out orders for attacking the Shade to eradicate all of them whilst they fought each other. Anything to do with Shade was Union business, and this obviously had to do with Shade.

"Call for reinforcements, try to get a few III models in to help. That should take these all down. And get a PRESIDIO here too, we can use the fighters."

Hugo spoke into his earpiece.

"Mr. Mayevsen, sir. Instruct our boys to vacate the place."

"Why?"

"Some trouble with the Shade and something I'm not real sure about at the moment."

"What about you, Hugo?"

"I'm gonna find out what the hell is going on. Oh, and can you track the databases of the Ross Cunningham (the ship he was on) and look for any women in the Scientifica Department onboard?"

There was some clicking. "There are three."

"A brunette?"

"Just one. Anna Shagorki. Why?"

"Zip her an email from my account and invite her to dinner Saturday at the Remagen in Imperialis."

Before Allegro had time to protest to such a ludicrous request, Hugo took the earpiece out and snapped it in two. He was flying solo, just like he liked it.