Sterbelicht - One Sacrifice At A Time Against The Galaxy (40K)
- Thread starter HeroCooky
- Start date
- Mature Sci-Fi
[X] Plan: All in, the straight flush
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Bubble Against Power - Grounding, Home, Protection
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [Free action] inquire with the Black Cat Company what the cost to hire them for various lengths would be. Edit: only contact them towards the end of the decade, after the revolution is well and truly underway, and don't reveal our target or fleet commitment.
War time! With this we're somewhat committing to putting Choirs in amongst our fleets (on more than just the Andromedas) so they can use the grounding song against the enemy psytech. But beyond that, we're getting the evacuation fleet done so that we can keep alive as many people as possible. Remember, every Voxx civilian we save now is one more happy, healthy and above all productive Federation citizen tomorrow. Or, you know, in a hundred and fifty years. Whatever. We'll still be glad to have them.
We also do have QM confirmation that this song will be done in time to help with the battle.
Next turn is probably trigger the emergency period and spend 4 actions on fleet production, depending on how many casualties we take. If it's a lot, it might be one build action to replace losses & 4 fleet actions, if it's not a lot maybe we can spend some actions building habitats, paying for the Black Cat Company or doing crash-research to address an issue in our doctrine against van Zandt.
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Bubble Against Power - Grounding, Home, Protection
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [Free action] inquire with the Black Cat Company what the cost to hire them for various lengths would be. Edit: only contact them towards the end of the decade, after the revolution is well and truly underway, and don't reveal our target or fleet commitment.
War time! With this we're somewhat committing to putting Choirs in amongst our fleets (on more than just the Andromedas) so they can use the grounding song against the enemy psytech. But beyond that, we're getting the evacuation fleet done so that we can keep alive as many people as possible. Remember, every Voxx civilian we save now is one more happy, healthy and above all productive Federation citizen tomorrow. Or, you know, in a hundred and fifty years. Whatever. We'll still be glad to have them.
We also do have QM confirmation that this song will be done in time to help with the battle.
Next turn is probably trigger the emergency period and spend 4 actions on fleet production, depending on how many casualties we take. If it's a lot, it might be one build action to replace losses & 4 fleet actions, if it's not a lot maybe we can spend some actions building habitats, paying for the Black Cat Company or doing crash-research to address an issue in our doctrine against van Zandt.
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Ah, okay. so I guess it would be elite infantry or the like. I do think after Vox we should do a build action for SAG's just to have certain combos ready instead of combing through the ones raised by the planets, considering a lot just focus on either mechanized or armor. Also we just did just unlock them so its going to only be new SAG's that have the chance to make them.
Yahhh, that's what I thought. how much is 6 increasing the chance by? cause I think that many would be a good limit to never push past.
Yup, time to go loud and and see what we have to work with there. Wish I thought to check the vehicles again earlier so I could have said something about having treaded vehicle that could just drive up the side of buildings and be able to drop off troops and the like that way.
Oh at least New Dawn rolled something that was folded into the last one. This seems like it'll be good choice to get after the war.
Yup, the second of the tech tree that will let us work towards every planet doubling the SAG's they can field for 2 percent of their GDP. Costs Three actions but it was four before.
Ah, that checks out. Wish we had a spare action to do the Blazing Sun since it really does help having a stockpile of parts, and replacements for the Knights. I think it'll work out fine.
Okay the first three sound cool as well. Refuse Rusting Gears sounds like that just makes things work regardless of state or to put a hold on the decay/wear and tear on them.
Silent Stars is vague and ominous but tempting.
the rest are interesting ones.
YAHHHHH, that's going to be FUN. so far its just Ork Pirates so nothing too bad but the Drukhari are going to be annoying since we're gonna hard focus on Chaos once they are in sight and the Lamenters might barrel towards them.
We will not get a break because its either this: we stand by and let the Dutchy break apart like Neon, swiftly pushing through the weakened planets to gobble up quickly before forming a new frontline and get into a new slog or we do keep pushing the Dutchy to grab as many planets as possible and deny the Drukhari and Chaos ANY gains they would get from overrunning and breaking into the rest of the Dutchy.
Yup, that's the thing, we know of them but they don't know of us at all. We never met or contacted the Black Ash Clan or the Black Cats at all.
Oh shit, that's good. I guess with the cheaper armor it was doable to supply that armor to the Voxxians who are taking up arms for us. increases survivability and stuff to on par with our stuff, so they can survive longer and keep going. that will help a lot in the beginning, able to be more aggressive. what would have the Cheaper weapons have given us?
Yup, all we're doing is giving out extra armor now that we can make to the Voxxians. So how many people have we converted or rallied to our cause? and how many of them are going to fight? Also how are the standard converts equipped now? And how's the air and daily life of our coverts as the promised day approaches?
How would it have been if we did the weapons and armor both for them? and how are the buggies handling since meant them for the environment of a Hive World and for the Converts to have some heavy weapon support and mechanized capability?
Oh boy these sound extra ominous. not sure how to take those and not sure if we should.
Also Seriously? No one? even just passsing thoughts or the like at the info that another Space Marine Chapter was in the Dutchy space before moving on and how we barely missed them? around the time Teeln died?
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan: All in, the straight flush
Hopefully they would do the ominous things to the guys on the other side
Hopefully they would do the ominous things to the guys on the other side
[X] Plan: Informed Revolution- Black Cat edition
-[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [General] Research:
--[X] Free Duchy Shipwreck And Battle Studies
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Free action] Inquire with the Black Cat Company what the cost to hire them for various lengths to support our fleet in defense against Van Zandt would be.
-[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [General] Research:
--[X] Free Duchy Shipwreck And Battle Studies
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Free action] Inquire with the Black Cat Company what the cost to hire them for various lengths to support our fleet in defense against Van Zandt would be.
[] Plan: All in, silence the spirit of ships
-[] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Silence The Spirits Of Ships - Perception, Silence, Technology, The Void
-[] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[] [Free action] inquire with the Black Cat Company what the cost to hire them for various lengths to support our fleet in defense against Van Zandt would be.
[X] Plan: All in, Silent Night
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Silence The Spirits Of Ships - Perception, Silence, Technology, The Void
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
I figure something that can neutralize enemy ships would be very handy for this war.
Edit: Upon reflection, I do prefer the Silent Night version proposed further down.
-[] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Silence The Spirits Of Ships - Perception, Silence, Technology, The Void
-[] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[] [Free action] inquire with the Black Cat Company what the cost to hire them for various lengths to support our fleet in defense against Van Zandt would be.
[X] Plan: All in, Silent Night
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Silence The Spirits Of Ships - Perception, Silence, Technology, The Void
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
I figure something that can neutralize enemy ships would be very handy for this war.
Edit: Upon reflection, I do prefer the Silent Night version proposed further down.
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
I doubt it's wise to tip off our plans to anyone, we don't know who they're in contact with.
Please do keep in mind they were hired by the Black Ash Clan to fight the Croaf Hegemony and the fact we haven't made any contact with them or interest in it. worth a try but I expec them to do the 'wait until the contact is over and we are free again'. I do expect this will be very funny/jarring for the Mercs to suddenly get an offer like that out of the blue and by a large nation.
I do think its better to just change it to 'we need you for a job, how much?'
Also the Black Ash Clan doing a double take and wondering where the hell we came from... and if they hear mention of Knights.
By way was I blind or did the Ishanu Sub-sector ALWAYS have the planets of Og and Ogo there?
- Location
- USA
I am not the only one who suggested/is doing that lol. Got it from current top plan but fair.
[X] Plan: All in, Silent Night
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Silence The Spirits Of Ships - Perception, Silence, Technology, The Void
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Silence The Spirits Of Ships - Perception, Silence, Technology, The Void
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
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[X] Plan: Not tipping off our Plans Plan
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Bubble Against Power - Grounding, Home, Protection
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
[X] Plan: Insurance against the Unknown
[X] Plan: No Psyker Bullshit for you!
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Bubble Against Power - Grounding, Home, Protection
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
[X] Plan: Insurance against the Unknown
[X] Plan: No Psyker Bullshit for you!
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[X] Plan: All in, silence the spirit of ships
[X] Plan: Insurance against the Unknown
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Bubble Against Power - Grounding, Home, Protection
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
[X] Plan: No Psyker Bullshit for you!
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Power No More - Grounding, Protection, Silence
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
[X] Plan: Insurance against the Unknown
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Bubble Against Power - Grounding, Home, Protection
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
[X] Plan: No Psyker Bullshit for you!
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [Psykana] Sing a Song: Power No More - Grounding, Protection, Silence
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
A Dying Legacy - [Canon]
10ebbor10
DON'T PANIC
- Location
- Present
They Who Lament Forgotten Legacies mourns a dying world.
Laid flat, body against the cold metal floor, one hears the station thrum as the machinery below digs ever deeper into crust. The hitching of the drill as it strikes harder rock and slows, the pattering of scattered crush bouncing of the outer hull, the shifts in temperature, halls flashing from freezing colds to sweltering heat as plasma flowed from the reactor to the forges. They who Lament had known these sensations for decades, experienced them through every relocation and refit. But today, the KIl'drabi would need to cut the ritual short, for a new, unknown addition was to be made to the station, and they'd have to greet it.
They kept laying there. If one wants to join a Kil'drabi station so badly, one must learn to follow the rhythm of the station.
A first lesson then, not a dereliction.
She'd seen the plume well before she saw the station, a giant column of sublimating gas and debris rising hundreds of kilometers above the surface. Untold tonnes of ice and rock, the results of decades of mining activity, suspended in the planetoid's microgravity. The whole cloud shimmered in distant sunlight, an ethereal beauty that belied the phenomenon's utter deadliness. All below her, the surface was pockmarked with impact craters, while a valley in the distance was roiling like a churning sea, an endless tide of falling rocks throwing up even more dust.
With a gesture, Nova opens the navigational charts again. A little overlay popped up, warning her that the charts were 4 hours out of date, the mining station's lone navigational satellite not due to make another pass for 2 hours more. Dismissing the warning, as she had done every time she'd looked at the charts this hour, she sets to take in and remember every detail. This is a solo flight, no navigator, no flight engineer. She has to do it all on her own. It is what she wanted. A cockpit all to her own, no one to distract her with what fringe theories she'd read on the net, or trying to explain to her what some random Yeeni on the network had gotten up. No annoying laughs, no mocking sneers, ...
An automated alarm scares away past memories. The shuttle stops moving, hovering softly above the scattered surface. The Kil'drabi mining station rises up before her, a towering pillar of white driven deep into a massive fissure. The smoke pillar towers high above it, filling half of the ink black sky with white. The station itself is thrumming with activity. Mechanical arms plunge into the crevice's side, stabbing into ice in rhythmic pattern. They withdraw, and not moments later, a series of explosions erupt where the arms had dug. A storm of debris erupts from the crevice, engulfing the station whole. By the time it has settled down, the arms are out there again, shoveling the broken ore into the station's maw, and setting the next detonation pattern.
With a crackle, her vox pops to life. "Attention Shuttle 523. Approach cleared on Trajectory 3. Go in 30. Flight Control Out". The voice on the comms is curt, not waiting for acknowledgement or confirmation. Immediately, she springs into action. 30 seconds to go, flight along the northwest approach, then docking with station. A simple approach, but why are the arms still operating, directly underneath her flight path. She hesitates, holding the question in her mind. No answers comes. '5541?' she asks. No answer still.
"Right, solo flight", her rational mind answers, seconds after intuition and experience had set her one the wrong path. She missed her departure time by 20 seconds, kicking the shuttle into higher gear to make up for lost. An immediate Vox message comes in "Shuttle 523. Abort approach. Divert course 270. Act immediately". Before her, the cliffside erupts in explosions once more, a cloud of debris racing for her craft. Thundering impacts rattle the airframe, alarms sound, and then she is through, the world silent all around her, the Kil'drabi mining station frozen silent.
Jittering, unsteady, the shuttle crawls into the docking bay.
"Does this one require assistance?" Laments ask, scurrying into the docking bay. The shuttle had arrived only minutes earlier, but docking had gone wrong. The automated system had not expected inexperience on part of it's pilot, had just tried to glide the shuttle in between the mining operations, and then a moment's hesitation had seen the ship caught in the middle of the detonation. It's occupant might be injured or worse, dying in the thin atmosphere of the shuttle bay.
Instead, the Kil'drabi finds the shuttle docked into the bay, it's pilot already out in her environment suit, grabbing her gear, impatient to enter the station.
"Reactor Engineer Nova Dawnstar, reporting for duty aboard the The End and Beginning of Worlds." she salutes.
"This one shall follow." the Kil'drabi answers, no paying the gesture any mind. "Follow then, so that the duty can begin. But if one might, one wonders. If this one is one who Glides Among Stars Unscathed, why become Minder of Machinery". The Kil'drabi set of then, through the wide open cargo tunnels that crossed through the station, the only paths large and tall enough for a human to walk in, and only parts pressurized and temperature controlled to such an extent, to suit some of the human made equipment made within.
"That", Nova hesitates "that was a past life. I longed to do something different, so when I saw that your station was recruiting, I worked towards that. Got all the certifications, got everything in order. "
Then mournfully "I asked for a last flight" she looks as the battered cargo shuttle "a mistake, clearly".
"One can carry many regrets." The Kil'drabi answers "but the cargo shuttle is not one of them. It will be repaired or replaced, it is no matter." They turned a corner, entering the grand forge hall. Inside was a massive cacophony of machinery, giant melting vats and pouring molten metals into enormous crucibles, pouring the metal into bars, sheets and other forms that would be shipped out to whatever world needed this metallic bounty. And at the head of the hall, isolated and almost tacked on, was a litle office, overlooking the factory floor.
"This shall be your worksite." the Kil'drabi answers "gesturing to a simple lever and vidscreen". "The primary plasma regulator has broken and can not be replaced. The screen will tell you to increase or decrease the flow. A simple exercise". The Kil'drabi makes ready to leave, eager to return to it's maintenance route and leave the human behind.
"Wait" she interrupts. "Is that it?" her voice trilling with disappointed. "Correct" the Kil'drabi answers, making once more to move. "But I thought you needed me" Nova continued, a hint of desperation now creeping into her voice. "We needed a reactor engineer" the Kil'drabi responds. "Without this valve, a third of this station can not function."
"Yeah, I get it" Nova answers, dejected. "Fuck. Figures I'd just be good enough to replace a broken part. A spare thule for a spare part." She laughs, pain in her voice clear.
The Kil'drabi stops, wondering "Why did this one cease to Glide Among the Stars, if one still wishes to remain so. One can make accommodations, of one wishes to return. Others can operate the valve "
"I can't go back, not anymore. The others, well, they didn't make it out. The null field. Well, no one has a use for a Thule who can't keep her head on straight, and is just a danger to others. I prefer not to talk about it.".
The cold is biting now, her hands going numb where she grabs onto the handholds to pull herself forwards, her shoulders hurting where she bumps into the sides of the maintenance tunnel. Her piloting suit is screaming environmental warnings at her, and a layer of frost is developing on the thick winter clothes she'd worn over it. For not the first time, she wonders why she had accepted the invitation to visit the Kil'drabi's quarters. She knows why of course. The Kil'drabi would not ask unless it was important to them, and they had done so much for her. The least she could do for a friend was hear them out, even if the best they could do for hospitable was a balmy minus twenty degrees.
Quite luckily, they do not need to go far. As she worms her way through the next bend, careful not to touch the frozen walls, she can see that Laments has stopped, and is opening a wall panel. The resulting space is much too small for a Kil'drabi, not even a child could fit inside. Instead, their graspers reach inside, and gently remove 5 small figurines, let them float towards her. She reaches for the first one, and then, remembering, withdrew her hand. The waft of air sends the figure spinning, and the frost of her breath is already turning it white, but she can still easily recognize it. This is "Weight of Our Words", the gigantic vessel at whose side's she'd fought. The detail in which the model has been made is exquisite, including all the little modifications, adaptions and repairs that had been made over the decades. The others too a are easily recognizable. There is "Eternal Bond", "Light of Promise" and "Light of the Feather". All the grand ships the Kil'drabi had build and worshipped. The places were they had kept their most storied legacies, the future of their very species and society, and the ships they had nonetheless risked for the Federation's defense.
But there is something wrong. There is a fifth model, but is unfinished, lacking the care and attention put into the others. It's decks are cracked and broken, it's name scratched out. The Kil'drabi follows her gaze, and speaks.
"Recall, Penant of the Void, your arrival on this station." A name, once an accusation, now a sign of familiarity.
"I do, Nova answered. You told me I mispronounced the station's name, and then refused to explain." She remembers the day well, the fear
"Names are to be known by others, not declared." the Kil'drabi responds. They shift, coiling up to stand as high as her. "This station is not known as The End and Beginning of World. To end a world to create anew is not it's task, for the planetoids it devours are not world to us or you, and the metals it creates go to vessel of war. This station is The End of the Beginning, for this was part of the shipyard complex in which we would build our worlds. That one was to be Paths We Yearn, fifth and holiest of our worlds. But those ones have abandoned our legacy, traded the worlds of steel for those of stone." They no longer yearn for new paths, so are they still Kil'drabi, those who wander. Can we be who we are, when our vessels are no longer our worlds, and among our worlds, there is no future for these vessels but to be destroyed and left behind in pieces?"
"This station too is dying, left behind without name or purpose. Every piece that breaks and is replaced is another step away from our history, another sign of the end of the Kil'drabi, and more of what we will become. That it might be improvement I can not deny, only lament. "
The Kil'drabi slumps, gently cradling the unfinished piece in it's grasper. Nova extends a hand, gently patting along Laments back. A futile gesture perhaps, for there is no counterpart to this among the Kil'drabi, but it is one that is accepted nonetheless.
She holds it there until the cold begins to burn.
Laid flat, body against the cold metal floor, one hears the station thrum as the machinery below digs ever deeper into crust. The hitching of the drill as it strikes harder rock and slows, the pattering of scattered crush bouncing of the outer hull, the shifts in temperature, halls flashing from freezing colds to sweltering heat as plasma flowed from the reactor to the forges. They who Lament had known these sensations for decades, experienced them through every relocation and refit. But today, the KIl'drabi would need to cut the ritual short, for a new, unknown addition was to be made to the station, and they'd have to greet it.
They kept laying there. If one wants to join a Kil'drabi station so badly, one must learn to follow the rhythm of the station.
A first lesson then, not a dereliction.
She'd seen the plume well before she saw the station, a giant column of sublimating gas and debris rising hundreds of kilometers above the surface. Untold tonnes of ice and rock, the results of decades of mining activity, suspended in the planetoid's microgravity. The whole cloud shimmered in distant sunlight, an ethereal beauty that belied the phenomenon's utter deadliness. All below her, the surface was pockmarked with impact craters, while a valley in the distance was roiling like a churning sea, an endless tide of falling rocks throwing up even more dust.
With a gesture, Nova opens the navigational charts again. A little overlay popped up, warning her that the charts were 4 hours out of date, the mining station's lone navigational satellite not due to make another pass for 2 hours more. Dismissing the warning, as she had done every time she'd looked at the charts this hour, she sets to take in and remember every detail. This is a solo flight, no navigator, no flight engineer. She has to do it all on her own. It is what she wanted. A cockpit all to her own, no one to distract her with what fringe theories she'd read on the net, or trying to explain to her what some random Yeeni on the network had gotten up. No annoying laughs, no mocking sneers, ...
An automated alarm scares away past memories. The shuttle stops moving, hovering softly above the scattered surface. The Kil'drabi mining station rises up before her, a towering pillar of white driven deep into a massive fissure. The smoke pillar towers high above it, filling half of the ink black sky with white. The station itself is thrumming with activity. Mechanical arms plunge into the crevice's side, stabbing into ice in rhythmic pattern. They withdraw, and not moments later, a series of explosions erupt where the arms had dug. A storm of debris erupts from the crevice, engulfing the station whole. By the time it has settled down, the arms are out there again, shoveling the broken ore into the station's maw, and setting the next detonation pattern.
With a crackle, her vox pops to life. "Attention Shuttle 523. Approach cleared on Trajectory 3. Go in 30. Flight Control Out". The voice on the comms is curt, not waiting for acknowledgement or confirmation. Immediately, she springs into action. 30 seconds to go, flight along the northwest approach, then docking with station. A simple approach, but why are the arms still operating, directly underneath her flight path. She hesitates, holding the question in her mind. No answers comes. '5541?' she asks. No answer still.
"Right, solo flight", her rational mind answers, seconds after intuition and experience had set her one the wrong path. She missed her departure time by 20 seconds, kicking the shuttle into higher gear to make up for lost. An immediate Vox message comes in "Shuttle 523. Abort approach. Divert course 270. Act immediately". Before her, the cliffside erupts in explosions once more, a cloud of debris racing for her craft. Thundering impacts rattle the airframe, alarms sound, and then she is through, the world silent all around her, the Kil'drabi mining station frozen silent.
Jittering, unsteady, the shuttle crawls into the docking bay.
"Does this one require assistance?" Laments ask, scurrying into the docking bay. The shuttle had arrived only minutes earlier, but docking had gone wrong. The automated system had not expected inexperience on part of it's pilot, had just tried to glide the shuttle in between the mining operations, and then a moment's hesitation had seen the ship caught in the middle of the detonation. It's occupant might be injured or worse, dying in the thin atmosphere of the shuttle bay.
Instead, the Kil'drabi finds the shuttle docked into the bay, it's pilot already out in her environment suit, grabbing her gear, impatient to enter the station.
"Reactor Engineer Nova Dawnstar, reporting for duty aboard the The End and Beginning of Worlds." she salutes.
"This one shall follow." the Kil'drabi answers, no paying the gesture any mind. "Follow then, so that the duty can begin. But if one might, one wonders. If this one is one who Glides Among Stars Unscathed, why become Minder of Machinery". The Kil'drabi set of then, through the wide open cargo tunnels that crossed through the station, the only paths large and tall enough for a human to walk in, and only parts pressurized and temperature controlled to such an extent, to suit some of the human made equipment made within.
"That", Nova hesitates "that was a past life. I longed to do something different, so when I saw that your station was recruiting, I worked towards that. Got all the certifications, got everything in order. "
Then mournfully "I asked for a last flight" she looks as the battered cargo shuttle "a mistake, clearly".
"One can carry many regrets." The Kil'drabi answers "but the cargo shuttle is not one of them. It will be repaired or replaced, it is no matter." They turned a corner, entering the grand forge hall. Inside was a massive cacophony of machinery, giant melting vats and pouring molten metals into enormous crucibles, pouring the metal into bars, sheets and other forms that would be shipped out to whatever world needed this metallic bounty. And at the head of the hall, isolated and almost tacked on, was a litle office, overlooking the factory floor.
"This shall be your worksite." the Kil'drabi answers "gesturing to a simple lever and vidscreen". "The primary plasma regulator has broken and can not be replaced. The screen will tell you to increase or decrease the flow. A simple exercise". The Kil'drabi makes ready to leave, eager to return to it's maintenance route and leave the human behind.
"Wait" she interrupts. "Is that it?" her voice trilling with disappointed. "Correct" the Kil'drabi answers, making once more to move. "But I thought you needed me" Nova continued, a hint of desperation now creeping into her voice. "We needed a reactor engineer" the Kil'drabi responds. "Without this valve, a third of this station can not function."
"Yeah, I get it" Nova answers, dejected. "Fuck. Figures I'd just be good enough to replace a broken part. A spare thule for a spare part." She laughs, pain in her voice clear.
The Kil'drabi stops, wondering "Why did this one cease to Glide Among the Stars, if one still wishes to remain so. One can make accommodations, of one wishes to return. Others can operate the valve "
"I can't go back, not anymore. The others, well, they didn't make it out. The null field. Well, no one has a use for a Thule who can't keep her head on straight, and is just a danger to others. I prefer not to talk about it.".
The cold is biting now, her hands going numb where she grabs onto the handholds to pull herself forwards, her shoulders hurting where she bumps into the sides of the maintenance tunnel. Her piloting suit is screaming environmental warnings at her, and a layer of frost is developing on the thick winter clothes she'd worn over it. For not the first time, she wonders why she had accepted the invitation to visit the Kil'drabi's quarters. She knows why of course. The Kil'drabi would not ask unless it was important to them, and they had done so much for her. The least she could do for a friend was hear them out, even if the best they could do for hospitable was a balmy minus twenty degrees.
Quite luckily, they do not need to go far. As she worms her way through the next bend, careful not to touch the frozen walls, she can see that Laments has stopped, and is opening a wall panel. The resulting space is much too small for a Kil'drabi, not even a child could fit inside. Instead, their graspers reach inside, and gently remove 5 small figurines, let them float towards her. She reaches for the first one, and then, remembering, withdrew her hand. The waft of air sends the figure spinning, and the frost of her breath is already turning it white, but she can still easily recognize it. This is "Weight of Our Words", the gigantic vessel at whose side's she'd fought. The detail in which the model has been made is exquisite, including all the little modifications, adaptions and repairs that had been made over the decades. The others too a are easily recognizable. There is "Eternal Bond", "Light of Promise" and "Light of the Feather". All the grand ships the Kil'drabi had build and worshipped. The places were they had kept their most storied legacies, the future of their very species and society, and the ships they had nonetheless risked for the Federation's defense.
But there is something wrong. There is a fifth model, but is unfinished, lacking the care and attention put into the others. It's decks are cracked and broken, it's name scratched out. The Kil'drabi follows her gaze, and speaks.
"Recall, Penant of the Void, your arrival on this station." A name, once an accusation, now a sign of familiarity.
"I do, Nova answered. You told me I mispronounced the station's name, and then refused to explain." She remembers the day well, the fear
"Names are to be known by others, not declared." the Kil'drabi responds. They shift, coiling up to stand as high as her. "This station is not known as The End and Beginning of World. To end a world to create anew is not it's task, for the planetoids it devours are not world to us or you, and the metals it creates go to vessel of war. This station is The End of the Beginning, for this was part of the shipyard complex in which we would build our worlds. That one was to be Paths We Yearn, fifth and holiest of our worlds. But those ones have abandoned our legacy, traded the worlds of steel for those of stone." They no longer yearn for new paths, so are they still Kil'drabi, those who wander. Can we be who we are, when our vessels are no longer our worlds, and among our worlds, there is no future for these vessels but to be destroyed and left behind in pieces?"
"This station too is dying, left behind without name or purpose. Every piece that breaks and is replaced is another step away from our history, another sign of the end of the Kil'drabi, and more of what we will become. That it might be improvement I can not deny, only lament. "
The Kil'drabi slumps, gently cradling the unfinished piece in it's grasper. Nova extends a hand, gently patting along Laments back. A futile gesture perhaps, for there is no counterpart to this among the Kil'drabi, but it is one that is accepted nonetheless.
She holds it there until the cold begins to burn.
This has gone through a lot of revisions, and ultimately I'm still not really happy with it.
Originally it was Epistolary, then their was an entire corporate take-over subplot, a gimmick with emotion supression trhough surgical implantation,and the whole grammar got thrown out and replaced at one point, because I tried doing the entire thing in the Kil'drabi style first.
But "this one, one" and the big descriptors they love to use really aren't readible for more than a few sentences.
Also, I kinda defied the intentions of the prompt a little, but the Kil'drabi have automation as their hat. It would make sense for them to have had massive mining machinery, even if the more anti-automation side of the Glimmering Federation is slowly eliminating that.
As you can probably tell, I never really got the middle section of the narrative to work. I might rewrite it later, but I fear that if I look at this much longer, I will just throw the whole thing away, again.
Maybe it deserves that.
Originally it was Epistolary, then their was an entire corporate take-over subplot, a gimmick with emotion supression trhough surgical implantation,and the whole grammar got thrown out and replaced at one point, because I tried doing the entire thing in the Kil'drabi style first.
But "this one, one" and the big descriptors they love to use really aren't readible for more than a few sentences.
Also, I kinda defied the intentions of the prompt a little, but the Kil'drabi have automation as their hat. It would make sense for them to have had massive mining machinery, even if the more anti-automation side of the Glimmering Federation is slowly eliminating that.
As you can probably tell, I never really got the middle section of the narrative to work. I might rewrite it later, but I fear that if I look at this much longer, I will just throw the whole thing away, again.
Maybe it deserves that.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We're launching the war at the start of the turn, are we not? I don't see how we could contact them before we launch the war if we have to launch the revolution right away or else they'll be discovered.
I guess whoever is putting that in their plan should specifically note that we're contacting them only after the start of the war.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
They're Mercenaries
Which means we're now informing them "Hey, we're going to be occupied in a bare knuckle brawl for the forseeable future taking all of our dudes, do you--a person we don't know and have no relations with--want to play a key role defending us?"
They have absolutely no reason Not to sell that information to the highest bidder who wants to make something of it.
[X] Plan: Revolution (with late supplies)
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [Blazing Sun] Prepare And Construct War Supplies (0/?)
[X] Plan: Revolution (with late marines)
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [Chapter] War (0/?)
[X] Plan: Not tipping off our Plans Plan
[X] Plan: Insurance against the Unknown
[X] Plan: No Psyker Bullshit for you!
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [Blazing Sun] Prepare And Construct War Supplies (0/?)
[X] Plan: Revolution (with late marines)
-[X] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
-[X] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[X] Evacuation Fleets - (3/4)
-[X] [Chapter] War (0/?)
[X] Plan: Not tipping off our Plans Plan
[X] Plan: Insurance against the Unknown
[X] Plan: No Psyker Bullshit for you!
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Those last actions for both plans are being done automatically
1 action or 2 for them to complete? if they tick 0.5 per decade, that's 2+ turns with no space marines or extra supply lines
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- Location
- Poland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Not tipping off our Plans Plan
We didn't even introduce ourselves to them before.
We didn't even introduce ourselves to them before.