[OB;015] Vu'Kulmur System

[EyesofMarch]

OB;015, Vu'Kulmur System
Orbit Around Amarath

The planet is massive.. Alien, most definetly. The first Kal'Bavakorian world to ever have alien eyes settled upon it, unfortunately under the worst circumstances possible, it seems. The world, Amarath, glows a soft purple as the Vu'Kulmur Sun glistens softly off the purple-hazy atmosphere of the Earth-sized, icy world, and it is most certainty beautiful to those who have arrived for a beautiful intent upon those who inhabit the world. On the dark side of Amarath, many blue colored flecks of light glisten brightly into the very depths of space; most rising from the many small continents, while some pour brightly from the very dark pink waters of the planet.. It is still very much alive.

Unfortunately, the space around Amarath does not share a similar beauty. Destroyed satellites, space stations or other orbiting bodies have been reduced to rubble; expelling violet colored electricity into the depths of space, or venting other amounts of atmosphere. Three frigate-sized ships also remain in orbit around the Kal'Bavakorian world, covered in burn marks and blasted into many pieces of synthetic and organic scraps. Kal'Bavakorian fighter craft, as well as a deal many more Alarei fighers, are left capsized and destroyed. A battle had been fought, and while the System Republic's small defense force had put up a powerful fight against a superior and numerous enemy, they never had much of a chance...

As the orbital fiasco continues, and the many fleets warp into the Kal'Bavakorian sector of space; leaving the Carentan and the Alarei dreadnaught ruined and burned.. A simple message would be released from the crisp, alien world that hangs in the balance. At first sent out in the regular Kal'Bavakorian language, consisting of many angry, feminine barks and growls, the transmission is soon mixed with a translated message in Human English; a female, synthetic voice taking over.

++-'THIS IS LORD GENERAL HASSAN'MAKU. WE HAVE LOST CONTACT WITH ALL ORBITAL SENSORS AND OUR DEFENSE ORBITALS. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON UP THERE? ARE YOU HOSTILE? ANY ATTEMPT TO INTRUDE UPON AMARATH WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION WILL RESULT IN ATTACK!'-++

[Hades]

USS Carentan
Combat Information Center

"Engineering reports a green board, jump drive is spooled skipper!"

The Admiral nodded his head briefly. He was not happy to just leave the colony in its current state, but he had to respond to the distress call on Earth. If the Alarei had given it any more significance than the other worlds, if they had sent two dreadnoughts instead of one, it would be a disaster. He had to choose between staying and defending the colony from further assaults, or try to stop the one on Earth. His brain told him to do the first, his gut the latter.

His conscience was eased significantly when numerous other contacts entered the system: the 17th Disaster Management Fleet. It was not much more than a collection of transports, hospital ships, portable drydocks and factories, paired with marine carriers and missile countermeasure frigates to protect it and the planet it was visiting from a limited number of ICBM warheads. IFFs were exchanged between the fleets, and then the Admiral picked up the communicator to transmit to the colony below.

+"This is Vice Admiral Jones, of the United System Navy's 12th Supercarrier Battle Group. We have defeated the assaulting alien forces and are on our way to Earth, but we have brought in several support units to protect you. Our men can help contain riots and get your damaged ships back to ready status. Please coordinate with Rear Admiral Kriegst after we have jumped."+

Soon enough, the USC warships jumped away and the numerous transports entered a low orbit around the planet.

+"This is Rear Admiral Kriegst, we're ready to accept requests for medical, mechanical or security aid."+

[El Wood]

Tal-Nagarian High Fleet

Thork has a cut on his head, he's commanding his full fleet, in the last few hours things have been crazy, and now he's a long way from home, he's tired, he's pissed off and every ounce of him wants to get some killing done.

15 of his cruisers warp out behind him, this was the first time Saphrithids and Nakar were on his ship, helping to operate his weapons, if anything this had already bolstered the shaky alliance at hand. The 15 cruisers now pour out of the warp rift they created, firing onto any Alerian ships in orbit.

[El Wood]

Thork's (// roleplay was destroyed) intentions were soon altered

"Turn us around, we'z gettin outta here!"

The battle-group that has smashed the Alarei then burned their way out of the universe by the time any sort of contact could be made to the ships the conventional engines were very, very far away, out of contactable reach.

[EyesofMarch]

OB;015, Vu'Kulmur System
Amarath City, Upper Levels

Amarath City, the Upper Level. While not nearly as incredible as it's Lower Level 'companion', which sported the military centers, Data-Net Uplink, heavy business, and connection to the many underwater mining systems and outer-water living centers, the Upper Levels of Amarath City still retained a unique and interesting level of life. While the world is terran, Amarath City seems centered around a large central spire of rock and stone, which is surrounded by a large lake. The center of the rock spire holds an elevator, which tunnels deep into the very lake that surrounds the small, growing metropolis to give way to the growing underwater city. Above the lake, on the rock, lies the Upper City, where industry and crime, though there is little of it, are centered. Holo-Theaters, secondary Data-Net nodes, food resorts, public baths, music centers, nightclubs, even a few schools and recreational centers are seen. The city is very much alive with the short, blue skinned Kal'Bavakorians.

The residential area of the city is very much alive as well, although it is quiet in the late night of Amarath's Earth-like distance sun; although the days are a bit shorter due to the increased rotation of the planet. A large park shines beneath the residential area of the city, where multiple apartment-like buildings grow from the ground, partially synthetic, and otherwise metallic. The architecture is different from human buildings, more circular and spherical in creation. The residents live in the spheres. In the distance, just beyond the limits of the lake-bound city, the many local farms are hard under work, with many strange creatures being groomed, and multiple types of alien flora being grown. Kal'Bavakorians, some with slave collars around their necks, work endlessly in the fields as guards watch on. These food products, while sometimes sent off world to be traded with the empire, focus mainly on the food supply of Amarath City, and are frequently sold within' the cities' Outdoor Market. While not always a friendly place, as deals and bargains are constantly thrown about, many interesting figures can be seen about the outdoor facility..

The sun shown brightly upon the Out Door Market, in which many Kals were strewn about, debating and yelling across at eachother in hopes of earning the best deals possible for non-essential and, rarely, essential items to survival. Nunas'Mar frequented this bazaar, just like everyone, and he had almost gotten some pretty good deals this time...

With a snarl, Nunas'Mar bared his sharp teeth; unsnapping his mandibles and growling at the owner of the bazaar stand before throwing his hands in the air, and retreating away. Fifty seven Kredit Khits for a Holo-Tool power unit? Ridiculous! Curse this blasted free market system, and with this guy the only seller of the damned power units in the market, he could pretty much throw down any price he wanted! And Nunas'Mar sure as hell didn't want to pay for an elevator fee down to the Lower City JUST to get a cheaper power cell.. IT ALL CAME OUT TO BE EXPENSIVE IN THE END!

Marching away, Nunas'Mar shoved his hands into the pockets of his bright, long tunic as he brushed past a group of Kals who were debating the selling price of a nearby hover-chair, which almost looked like someone had patched it together inside of their garage. That's how it worked in these bazaars.. People debated the selling price, or bartered different items to trade.. It was a lot better than just buying something at a Balos Electronics, but it could also end up to be a pain in the ass. He nearly stumbled over a large selection of holo-works, grunting an apology to the nearby stand owner who was now honking angrily at him. Oh well, twas' the life of Amarath City!

While fuming to himself, Nunas'Mar moved to turn a corner, hoping to pass by the Market Center without another item catching his eye, and accidently bumped into a much shorter figure, who released a high pitched, feminine yelp as it collapsed backwards onto the dirt-covered floor of the marketplace. With a sudden gasp, Nunas'Mar felt himself yanked from his fuming mood, and quickly yanked his hands from his tunic. A look of sudden concern and worry crossed his pale-blue-skinned face, and his cheek fins rustled in worry as he bent over to examine the figure he had accidently knocked over. The two sets of glowing, silver and pink eyes met, and two sharp-tooth'd grins filled the rapidly leaving silence.

'NUNAS'MAR!' Yelped the young woman as she practically hoped up from the floor, wrapping her three fingered hands around his tunic. With a soft, bubbly chuckle escaping his throat, he chirped a quick response as he wrapped his arms around the younger woman, and promptly lifted her tiny figure back up to a standing position as he did so himself,''Maknu'Jas! How have you been?!?!?"

Dusting herself off in a quick manner, Maknu'Jas smirked softly as she, after dusting off her rear, wrapped her arms across the chest of her armored chestpiece. Due to the warrior-like nature of Kals, most Kal'Bavakorians wore some sort of armored jacket or shirt, and this woman was clearly not one to break away from such a tradition. She quickly peer'd up at the taller Nunas'Mar, and chirped excitedly,''You hear about the asteroid shield going up?"

With a soft sigh, he felt his mood worsen slightly,''Yeah.. I also heard the defensive fleet got hit by something.. Apparently, buncha' humans had to come to our rescue."

A snort was her reply,''Bah! Humans have nothin' on Republic military force! I was just here to tell cha' to get ready, just in case.. You know.. Bad stuff. You heard about the colonies right?"

"I'd prefer not to.. But.. I'm fine. I was just getting a rasma patty to eat, actually. You wish to join me?"

She smiles weakly,''I'd enjoy that.. Need a break anyway, from the farm. The Pentras Primates are keeping me going all day, their young just gave birth, and it means all the more milk for the bazaar."

"You don't say?"

With a soft nod, the two turn to slowly begin walking off. The food stands were not far off, and the pair could almost hear the rowdy, violent behavior that was normal for Kal'Bavakorians in packs. While civilized creatures, the Kals retained a level of their 'animal' nature, and it frequently showed in these sort of situations. Especially when the mood was right, and when one was in a pack of Kals, the mood was almost always right.

________________________________________________________________________________________

OB;015, Vu'Kulmur System
Orbit

A few moments would pass before a return message would be sent towards the USC Fleet.

++-'United Systems..? ...Well.. I must say.. We owe you a great.. A great debt today, Human Admirals. A plight stood before us we could not master, and it was you who brought upon us salvation. If you can, and are willing, the orbital defenses need to be restarted, and the crews of the fighters and frigates rescued. If you can send your wounded down planetside, I will alert you to landing grids upon the planet surface, in Amarath City. I apologize, but most of our naval forces were disabled or destroyed in the Alarei attack. It is shameful to be left so open and vulnerable, Admuirals.. But again, we thank you ever so much.. What you have done today is selfless and honorable by standards I cannot mention with simple words...'-++

[Hades]

+"You do not need to thank us. We do not forget of our allies. Now, we are requesting permission to land a few transport cruisers on the surface, they are carrying supplies, doctors and security staff. We've got auxiliary repair drydocks standing by to repair your defense systems and ships, they can just ping us with their locations and we will get to them. Admiral Jones had to go defend Sol, but we are carrying ammunition for your surface-to-ship weapons if you need it."+

[EyesofMarch]

OB;015, Vu'Kulmur System
Orbit

A simple transmission is returned to the USC Fleet. No Kal'Bavakorian ships seem to be moving around the area, except for a few small SS-9 Super Interceptors, which are escorting KFN-1 Dropships which are seen roaming around the combat zones. They stop by fields of damaged or destroyed fighter craft, both Alarei and Kal, and attempt to intercept any wounded or dead Kal'Bavakorians or Alarei, at the same time taking anything of value. Larger Systems Republic Frigates, the two in orbit, are intercepted by multitudes of these drop ships, which land around the small shuttle hanger systems and attempt to infiltrate the crafts to rescue survivors.. The ships are beyond saving, with synthetic and metallic rubble hanging loosely from the many pocket holes that cover the small KSR spacecraft.

Elsewhere, the KSR Orbital Defenses are seen reactivating; the spire-like weapons orbiting the planet quickly recharging their payloads, prepared for a fight. Some remain still, their orbital beam cannons centered into space, while others slowly turn with the assistance of onboard quick-jets. They center the softly glowing spires of their main cannons upon the wreckage of the Alarei ship, as if eager to return the unprovoked attack..

++-'...Many thanks, but our weapons do not require ammunition. I have just sent your fleet informational data regarding the landing site in Amarath Spaceport for smaller crafts.. The cruisers may land on the outskirts of Amarath City in the designated areas only.. There is too much farm land and underground sites for heavy payloads in some areas. We have begun the retrieval process of wounded and dead from orbit.. Thankfully, no one planetside has been hurt; although many are scared. Upon landing, follow Shield-Protectors to designated triage centers, and remain wary.. Some of the populous has become.. Rowdy and fearful...'-++

[Hades]

USS John Paul Jones
Hangar Bay

"DETAIL, SALUTE!"

Admiral Kriegst returned the salute to the marine platoon, dismissing them with a quick nod. He was not in the bay to interrupt, only to observe as the security detail for the away parties boarded the Chetco troop transports. Even as Admiral of the 17th Disaster Management Fleet, he couldn't help but get a thrill of excitement as he witnessed the marines put their suits on and board the landers, along with the medical and support staff. In fact, it had been years since the 17th had last been needed.

Officially, the John Paul Jones was a reserve supercarrier of the Majestic-class, deriving itself from the old United Nations design. After the war, she had been leashed to the United Systems, and promptly appropriated when the civil war broke out. Since then, she had aged; she was barely even space-worthy, let alone combat-ready. She only had defensive turrets, and laughable armor. What she excelled at was at being a portable hub to support disaster management operations.

The marines finally sealed the hatches, and the gunships begun to be elevated onto the spinal launch bay via the elevators. The Admiral offered them a salute before retreating towards the elevator.

+"Attention on John Paul Jones. Support wing launch underway. Secure all hangar sections for lift-off."+

Hundreds of shuttles took off from the fleet, heading towards the surface. Three cruisers broke formation and made for the planet, engaging their reentry systems.

[EyesofMarch]

OB;015, Vu'Kulmur System
Amarath, City of Amarath; Upper City

The human ships begin to descend, their crafts buffeted by the heavy air drag, the fiery entrance.. And sudden exposure to alien skies. The pink sky, the soft, green landscapes of Amarath are suddenly presented to the many, many human craft as they begin to descend... The first view of a true Kal'Bavakorian world. Should environmental statistics be taken, the human USC forces would discover themselves in a world much unlike that of previous human living. It is cold, near 20 degrees Fahrenheit, around the equator of the world, and yet it retains a somewhat warm look, even with it's cold feeling. The air is breathable for the most part, although alien gases are present..

[Hades]

USS Boston
Combat Information Center

"Entering atmospheric threshold, all external mounts stowed and secure."

The ship shook as its hull met the resistance of the atmosphere it was currently entering. It was not a violent shake, but a passive, ambient one. The inertial dampeners and stabilizing thrusters were doing a good job at keeping the ship on a steady re-entry path, and while the hull temperature increased, there was no sign of intolerable stress. Captain Juan Laird was thankful for those small miracles that made his job that much easier.

It was a fact that the United Systems did not use frigates in its military after the last few had been decommissioned. That included the support fleets. There was simply no way to make them cost-effective, and the already crowded spaces aboard the fleet made it an imperative to create more and bigger ships. Battleships and capital ships were the standard hull designs used in almost all of the fleet's military ships.

But that also meant that landing on a planet was a nightmare. Landing a battleship was a painful experience, one that required extreme care from the crew to not get a calculation wrong, or fire the wrong thruster block. Landing a capital ship was much worse, and reserved only for the most daring of emergencies. Usually, the ship would just send shuttles to the planet to ferry supplies, personnel and vehicles, but sometimes, that was just not feasible. Some operations required continuous support from the ground, namely repair, medical and disaster management ones.

Cruisers were a comfortable middle-ground for these purposes. New York Class cruisers were built around their planetary landing capabilities, and much of the ships' ventral area was occupied with complex mass shifting generators and gigantic thruster sections. Two engine blocks on each side gave it the thrust it needed to overcome the gravities of even the densest worlds, along with a suitable place to house the landing gear. With a length of almost one and a half kilometers, the monstrous ships were powered by the most expensive drives of all: helium-deuterium fusion reactors, with thorium fission reactors as their secondary generators.

Since their first demonstration, New York Class ships had been deployed by every section of the military, and manufactured for civilian and military use alike. They were used as mining ships, floating hospitals, drydocks, manufacturing plants, troop carriers and even mobile command centers. It was rare to see a military expedition not backed by at least half a dozen of the beasts.

And today, the Kal'Bavakorian world of Amarath was about to witness just how useful three of those cruisers could be.

---

Amarath
Atmosphere

Three fiery fireballs made their appearance over the sky, descending rapidly into the planet's atmosphere. They were accompanied by many smaller craft, but those made their re-entry in a much quicker fashion. The fireballs did not seem to be heading anywhere in particular at first, but a quick computer projection would put their destination at the designated cruiser landing zones the Kal'Bavakorians had provided.

At last, the fireball effect dissipated and the hull of the three cruisers appeared. Their main engines, now pointed downwards, released massive jets of plasma from within them, burning any vegetation found in the way. The deceleration was almost instant; the ships slowed to almost a halt before they landed down on the surface, their oversized landing gear attaching itself to the soil. The gunships and shuttles made their landing in circle formations around the cruisers, spraying coolant and fire extinguishing gas to ensure that a fire did not spread to any nearby farmland.

With the landing complete, the cruisers shut off their engines and begun to redeploy their external mount systems. RADAR towers, ground-to-space transmitters and point defense turrets popped up all over their hulls, while the massive ventral-mounted ramp lowered itself to the ground.

Dozens of jeeps, APCs, transports, trucks and tanks emerged from within the craft, setting course for Amarath City.

[EyesofMarch]

World of Amarath, City of Amarath
FLEETCOM-COLONIAL COMMAND




Lord General Hassan'Maku was not having the best of days, in her opinion. As Harbinger of the Systems Republic's FLEETCOM-COLONIAL SECURITY COMMAND, the only important military command that reported directly to the Grand Council that was stationed in the colonies, she had been faced with loss of a third of the Systems Republic fleet in the surrounding sectors. Not only that, her team, which consisted of an entire aeriosphere of people in the Lower City of Amarath City, had lost contact with thousands of regiments, entire armies, and over half of the colonies.. And they had all turned up destroyed. Any other race would have collapsed into rebellion and depression with such a loss..

But not the Republic.

The Kals had always prepared for such events, and the level of control the Empress and the Grand Council had on the lives of everyday citizens, civilians, OI's, and slaves allowed for a complete rescheduling of every important system. Trade routes had been realigned, patrol lanes had been rescheduled, entire refugee camps had been established, and the entire economic, commercial, trade, industrial, and government system of the Systems Republic had been reset to combat any loss. With such quick compensation for so much loss, the Systems Republic had prevented utter disaster, and the Republic was well on it's way to recovery..

At least, economically. They would never recover from how many people had died.

And while she had the humans to thank for the saving of her home, the world of Amarath... She was now even more disturbed. She tried to relax, having nestled herself within' her command chair, surveying the underwater sections of Amarath City through the five inches of plasteel that protected her crew from the waters of the deep. It wasn't the water itself that they were scared of.. Kals could breath it, and if the water was to rush in, they would survive the compression. It was the technology they didn't want ruined.. It was mostly waterproof, but you could never trust electronics.

She could see water cars driving quietly through the depths, and pedestrians swam nonchalantly from section to section of the city. There was the water bazaar, where all sorts of underwater devices were held to be sold and bartered for, the theaters, the nightclubs, and even the ocean-scrapers, which towered high into the 'sky' above. One stood out amongst others, the spherical building that practically glowed with a brightness of intense levels.. The planetary reactor, powered by trillions upon trillions of Gu'Run organisms, releasing a incredibly un-efficient but, with so many of the bastards in there, incredibly powerful and infinite level of energy. The device powered all of Amarath City, the upper and lower sections, and other metropolises around the planet that did not carry their own generators. It was a beautiful sight, and why anyone, even the Alarei, would want to destroy it was beyond her comprehension.



Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as, out of the blue, a familiar 'humming' sound was heard. The bright orb slowly swayed within' the aired out command center of FLEETCOM, and without interruption, the device flowed it's way towards the Lord General. With a somewhat irritated sigh released from beneath the confines of her heavy helmet, the Lord General turned towards the device, and released a soft series of chirps before it could speak.

'..Can I help you, 'Defense Cressant?'

The OI 'Defense Cressant' was a personal advisor to the Lord General when she was working with too many numbers for even a Kal to comprehend.. And this was one of those moments. Reading the scout reports from the Kess'Mel System had overwhelmed her, and she needed the drone to continue her work as she took a break. Whatever was going on, it had to be important enough to disturb her.

<::'My Lord, the human forces that had attack the Alarei and removed their presence have landed.'::>

She gave the drone an incredulous look beneath her visor; her glowing eyes narrowing slightly,''...And? I had Team Seven move in to meet them.'

<::"...We might need more people to greet them.."

"What? Why?"

<::'Well, My Lord.. They brought an army, and we have APC's, armored tanks, and soldiers moving towards Amarath City via the farmlan-..'::>

Without another word, the Lord General leaped from her chair, suddenly filled with a rage. Without a moment to spare, she suddenly belowed throughout the spherical chamber that made up FLEETCOM-COLONIAL COMMAND. All eyes turned towards her as she screeched.

'I WANT EVERY SINGLE TEAM WE CAN MUSTER DOWN TO STOP THE HUMANS. SEND LEVIATHAN TEAM 4-3-9 TO LEAD THE EXPEDITION... NOW!!'

Everyone sprang to action. They didn't need any more encouragement than that of the maddened Lord General.


World of Amarath, City of Amarath
Outskirts of Upper City




As the humans land their many massive spacecraft on the outskirts of the City of Amarath, they come across a beautiful; wondrous sight. The city is darkening as the distant sun sets over the horizon, allowing the humans to view the glowing ocean that surrounds the city, with lights sparking from the many underwater sections of Amarath City. Above ground, the skyscrapers come into view, touching the very clouds as, between them, special gravity trams bring civilians and citizens to and fro from each building, or down to the massive mining city beneath. Farmland is evident around the structures, with residential zones mixing in with the environment perfectly. The very structure of these buildings seem to be synthetic in nature, and they seem to breath with the very landscape.. The Kals clearly made a city that melds perfectly with the planet itself, and not a mountain was crushed, nor grassland or forest removed to make room for the city. The city melded with the land, not the land giving way for the city..

Even better, it was so very alien, too. The only thing similar to human cities were the sky scrapers in general, and the grav-trams. Everything else was different. The cities lacked defined roads, and what paths there were curved to and fro, creating very erratic building patterns. No two buildings seemed alike, either. More details could not be defined until the humans managed to reach the city..

But that was halted as well. As the humans prepared to advance via tanks, APC's, and other assortments of heavy vehicles that crushed the very lands beneath them.. They were faced with a common enemy to the human military, known commonly as farmers. No, these were not ordinary farmers, though; they were tiny, blue-skinned, scaly farmers wearing robes and tunics of an advanced quality, although they kept a rugged feeling to them. Some carried farming gear, while others held strange, alien cattle by the reigns. They stopped plowing their fields, watering their crops, or butchering their livestock to watch the many ships descend from the heavens..

And they were not happy. Would they be, had they known about the fact they had almost met their doom? Who knows.

As the human military set down, and set out.. They would be stopped by a group of farmers in their way. The glowing eyes of these short creatures would be narrowed violently at the tanks, APC's, and soldiers, and no matter what, they would refuse to give way to the human army advancing upon their homes. Baby Kal'Bavakorians, dressed in tiny robes, would stand by their mothers and fathers, the not-even-a-foot-tall creatures gazing silently up at the machines with curious black eyes. The mothers, the fathers, and the elderly children would all remain angry, some even totting energized farming equipment like swords, or cutting devices; as if to make battle with them.

Should any humans come to investigate, a taller Kal'Bavakorian at the front would stand there, gazing angrily up at the humans. With mandibles outstretched, cheek fins rattling, and glowing pink and silver eyes narrowed, he would point towards the farms which had been covered in coolant, and then towards the tanks which had torn up farmland and the untouched ground. Snarling angrily, he would begin to honk and chirp, waving his arms around in the air in a violent manner.

None of them were very happy at the intruders who failed to understand their lives, and their culture as well. Possibly, the humans may have interferes with basic Kal'Bavakorian cultural universals?

[Hades]

Amarath

While the vehicle convoy had made its way through farmland, it had made so in an extremely cautious manner. Against all military common sense, it had followed a single-file formation to disrupt the farms as little as possible, and followed what little clearings it could find to minimize the damage. The infantry that had been deployed alongside it, all clad in powered exoskeletons, had done their best to stay out of the farmers' ways. That is, until they assembled in front of the vehicles in protest, blocking their march. The vehicles stopped, keeping a non-threatening distance from the farmers.

Almost immediately, the marines assumed a circle formation around their tanks, APCs and trucks, but kept a defensive posture only. No weapons were pointed at the Kal'Bavakorians, and the tanks did their best to point their cannons and armaments away from the assembly of civilians. This wasn't an invasion, after all; it was an escort for the long line of mobile hospitals, repair vehicles and construction crews, along with the trucks carrying medical, engineering, food and water supplies.

The side hatch of one of the radically different APCs opened. It did not have more than a few machineguns on it, and instead was covered with satellite dishes, RADAR systems and other support equipment. It was an M88c Command Stingray, a mobile command center for any ground operation. A single human stepped out, dressed in not power armor, but a simple PCU-37 environmental combat suit. As he approached, his rank insignia would make it clear that he is a Marine Colonel.

Thanks in no small part to his helmet, he begun to speak in basic Kal, albeit with a mechanical tone.

"We apologise for any disruption we caused, but it is urgent we get to the city as soon as possible. We have to get the triage centers set up to receive the casualties from orbit. Please understand that this is not a hostile invasion, we are here as allies of the Systems Republic. We just prevented the complete obliteration of this world by nuclear weapons."

A squadron of VTOLs passed above the convoy, continuing on its way to Amarath City.

[EyesofMarch]

World of Amarath, City of Amarath
Outskirts

The lead farmer seems to pause at the words of the taller human before itself. His eyes widen a tiny bit, the glow of his pupils dimming slightly at the very idea of the world's destruction. In fact, the entire crowd of farmers seems to shudder at the very thought of it, and soft clicks and chirps begin to spread throughout the group as they look to and fro. The mothers grab their small babies, lifting the black-eye'd children into their arms via the tentacles upon their back which sprout from the two nodes that all females have, and the crowd slowly begins to disperse upon this news. For a moment, the lead farmer stares up into the visor'd face of the human Colonel, his cheek fins fluttering slightly as he bares his teeth a bit.. Maybe the Kal just dislikes humans? Or is there something else? The way the Kal'Bavakorian farmer glares at him, it is almost like he is accusing him of some unsaid crime..

Otherwise, the farmers do not directly communicate with the human military force. Before long, though, the farmers disperse quickly. With curious eyes still cast towards the humans, they return to work on their corral fields, or butchering livestock for food. What the humans may notice, though, are the field hands that did not come to stand before the humans in protest. These figures, their blueish, scaly hide tanned from heavy work, look bent and broken, as if the very life had been torn from their short, muscular bodies. Some are male, some are female, but all work endlessly upon planting and harvesting the corral fields... And what the humans may notice next, are the collars around their necks. They are solid devices, with small wires that plant themselves directly into the back of their spinal columns.. They appear to be explosive in nature. The only conclusion to be made from this view is that these Kal'Bavakorians are slaves, working for the farmers in the harsher times of the day...

But before the humans could pause to reflect upon this, a soft 'humming' noise is heard, comparable to that of a jet engine. The Systems Republic 'Korshnua' Dropship flies low over the fields of corral and slave workers, casting dust and gravel aside before it slowly comes to a stop over the human convoy. The humans would be overtaken by a feeling of weightlessness upon the dense world for a moment as the ships gravity generators kick in, and it slowly begins to drop towards the ground.

Within' moments, the dropship's anti-grav generators place the dropship upon the ground, and the rear of the craft opens. A flurry of around ten Systems Republic Shield-Warriors hop out of the rear of the craft, carrying Plasma Lancers. They are led by a figure wearing a green-matted version of the Systems Republic Varia Powered Armor. Quickly, as the dropship sways to and fro behind them, the Republic soldiers rush over towards the human Colonel. The smaller figures quickly rush up to him, and the Varia-armored Kal glances upwards at the Colonel; the single red eye of his helmet glaring silently up at him, as if judging him. Quickly, the soldier takes his, or her, hand, and places it upon her chest before bowing softly.

It then speaks, and from the height of the creature, the shape and curve of it's body, as well as it's voice, it is clear it is a female Kal'Bavakorian. Her words are translated into synthetic English for the humans understanding.

<::'USC Human, I am Shield-Commander Hallu'Sa, defender of Sector J-Nine of Amarath Cith, Upper City. I have been called to escort your forces to the cities triage center... As well as to warn you. You do not understand Kal culture, and if you continue in this manner towards the city.. You may spark even more anti-human sentiments.. I urge you to find a new way to transport your wounded; maybe by your craft, yes?'::>

[Hades]

The Colonel looked down at the much shorter Kal'Bavakorian before him. He was considered one of the taller members of the human species, and that made any encounters with the Kal'Bavakorians with him present a little awkward; no wonder that commanders that were chosen to interact with them were mostly short. He stared for a few seconds, blinking his eyes several times behind the visor.

"We can't find another way to transport all this gear, it would take too long. These vehicles are mostly cargo, medical and engineering versions, we brought a few tanks because that's what our regulations say. If needed, you can get your own vehicles to escort us to make it clear we are friendly, but my orders are to get this convoy to Amarath City."

[EyesofMarch]

World of Amarath, City of Amarath
Outskirts

<::'It's.. Not entirely your weapons, USC Human.. It is their tracks. They will damage the landscape around the city, and it would be very bad if that were to happen. Anti-human sentiments are high enough already, what with the Alarei attacks...'::>

The Kal'Bavakorian Shield Commander, named Hallu'Sa, mutters this in a sort of awkward manner; or at least as awkward as her synthetic voice translator can muster. Some Kals openly believed the humans were to blame for the sudden attacks by the Alarei, with both the human and Alarei empires almost wiping eachother out. Hallu'Sa didn't believe in this entirely, although the humans were indeed partially to blame for the cause, they had no intention of hurting allied races. And besides, it was her duty to make sure the city stayed safe.. And with a large human army on her home's doorstep, she had to remain cautious.

Behind her, nearby the hovering dropship from which the eleven Kal'Bavakorians had exited, a group of new contacts appear as they zoom silently over the golden horizon. As Amarath City begins to glow brightly in the slowly appearing night sky, it's many lights flashing vibrantly into the sky from the skyscrapers, residential zones, and the oceans surrounding them, around twenty hover-craft begin to make their way around the human forces. These 'Gnats', manned each by two Kal'Bavakorians, zoom quietly over the human forces and the Kal'Bavakorian dropship, as if preparing to escort the group. Each 'Gnat' is heavily armored, and armed with an array of plasma cannons and missiles. They are less jets or gunships, and more tank-like devices as they seem to float close to the ground, and are not all that fast. They orbit the human convoy as the Shield-Commander speaks once more in her synthetic English voice..

<::'..But we will make do. We can take your convoy close to the city, but then we shall rely upon the Grav-Trams to escort supplies and your wounded to our triage centers. Now we must begin our walk, yes?'::>

[Hades]

"Our wounded?"

The Colonel sounded surprised, and he was. His orders were to establish triage centers for the Kal'Bavakorian wounded, not the ones on the Carentan. The supercarrier had jumped away, and had all the facilities aboard to treat even the most severe of injuries. The marines next to him also seemed surprised, thanks to their body language, but the thick power armor made any thought of reading their facial expressions useless.

"You misunderstand. We were ordered to assist your people, our wounded are being treated aboard the supercarrier that just left. We're carrying medical supplies reverse-engineered from some of yours, and designed for Kal anatomies."

He paused after his explanation, and gave his counterpart a few moments to take the information in before continuing.

"We have kept to a single-file formation so our vehicles step on the trackmarks of those in front of them, so the damage should be minimal. I will head to my command vehicle, you are free to join me."

[EyesofMarch]

// I'll post later; but how did the USC get Kal medical tech for reverse engineering? The Kals haven't extended any or their technology for inspection by other races, especially their advanced medical tech.

[Hades]

// Scans from Distress Call.

[EyesofMarch]

//Kals gun be maaaaaaad lol

[EyesofMarch]

<::'Reverse engineered our technology!?!?'::>

Shield-Commander Hallu'Sa seems almost as surprised as her human counterpart; and her fellow Warriors seem confused as well. In their confusion, the Warriors peer around at eachother, chirping softly to one another in the Kal language as they hold their plasma rifles at a lazy angle. The Shield-Commander pauses for a moment, the single red eye of her green-plated power armored helmet almost glaring at the humans in an accusing manner. Sharply, she turns to one of her fellow Kals, and after she releases a quick bark of which the humans would seemingly be unable to translate, the Kal'Bavakorian soldier to which she was speaking to would lift up his left forearm. Quickly, a Holo-Tool would warp into existence around it, and without pause the Kal would begin to type into the semi-solid holographic device; sending a message or writing a document down for an unknown purpose, although it may have to do with something regarding this 'reversed engineered' medical technology.

Turning back, and gazing upwards, at her human counterpart; Shield-Commander Hallu'Sa begins to speak once more. Her helmet quickly translates the important words she speaks, and as she does this, she slings her plasma rifle across her back. She speaks in as calm of a tone as her synthetic English voice can manage, though it seems to be tinged with worry and irritability.

<::'...Well.. If that is the case, then as we are move into the city, you must watch your men carefully. You cannot take, scan, or retain imagery of any technology within' the city, as the transfer of Kal'Bavakorian technology to foreign races without the consent of the Grand Council is... Illegal, and those who do so are declared traitors by law... And you must leave some of your tanks behind. I would understand if you were bringing human wounded, but since you are not.. I simply cannot allow you to bring armored vehicles of war into the city..'::>

She releases a single, bubbly, clearly worried about her previous statement. It seems to heavily reflect on that of the words of the human Colonel regarding his race's reverse engineering of Kal'Bavakorian technology. Without further delay, though, the Shield-Commander and her team attempt to turn away from the humans and begin their trek towards Amarath City.

<::'..Hurry, we must move quickly to the triage center..'::>

This was going to be more difficult than originally expected.

[Hades]

"Stow weapons!"

The Colonel seemed to have remained calm through the outburst of the Shield-Commander, going as far as to not grace it with a reply. He had calmly listened, and waited, and tolerated the borderline threats made against him and his staff.

Because he had been trained for this.

When the Resolve had been boarded by United Systems medics six months before, the encounter had resulted into an unexpected side-effect. Part of the treatment had involved full-body scans on the Kal'Bavakorian victims, and when the doctors analysed them in the post-action debrief they found a series of chemical markers: Kal'Bavakorian medicine. Antibiotics, blood clotters, artificial enzymes, anything a good medic would give to a critically injured patient. The discovery that not only were these chemicals known to man, but could also be synthesized triggered a wildfire of a debate between the members of the Department of Defense.

One side claimed that the data had to be destroyed in order to prevent a diplomatic incident, but the majority had wanted to keep it for research. After the USC joined the council, the data was used to reverse-engineer a series of emergency deposits in the event the Kal'Bavakorians needed it.

Sadly, they didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.

At the Colonel's order, the tanks withdrew their assault weapons to a stowed position, removed any magazines from the holds and shut off power to the coils and rails. They then continued their advance, while the Colonel boarded his command vehicle.

[EyesofMarch]

Several Months Later..
Systems Republic Colony of Amarath; Amarath City, Upper City

---

The revolution had begun, and it's first target was the farming world of Amarath.. The first world to be colonized by the Systems Republic outside of the protected Zone of the Un' System. Amarath had faced an attack by the Alarei and, after being saved by a human military force, had been forced to reject their forces from the world, and to cut ties utterly. With Amarath so far away from the central governmental control of the City of Mel on Kal'Bavakor, Amarath was a haven for the rebellious citizens and civilians who did not live on the Alliance stronghold world of Hallo'Wai... And as the food production on the world became unable to support the growing level of refugee's, and as the safety of the Systems Republic seemed to sink farther and farther away with each new battalion of Warriors, and with each execution by Shield Warriors on the hardlight streets of Amarath City, and with the newly created Alliance setting up secret centers on Amarath to provide hydration to the sick, and food and shelter to those in need..

It was only a matter of time until Amarath rose in revolution with it's nurturing Alliance mother against, what many Amarath Kals called, it's evil and abusive Republic father. The fighting had barely started a few cycles ago, or around five Earth Days. And while Alliance forces outnumbered and met the training of their Republic sistren and brethren..

They were severely outgunned, and outmatched.

---

<::'Three Actual, Three Actual, we have Republic Warriors are attempting a flank on the rooftops!::>

<::'WHICH FLANK OVERSEER SERGEANT?'::>

<::'S-..Right flank; RIGHT FLANK! RE-COORDINATE FIRE ON OUR RIGHT FLANK!'::>

<::'RE-COORDINATING FIRE. SOMEONE GET THOSE OI'S TO TARGET THAT ROOFTOP!::>

<::'KAV'SHLA, GET ION ROUNDS ON THAT TARGET! NOW!::>

<::'TOO LATE; SNIPER ON THE ROOFTOP!'::>

<::'GAAWWWWWGHHHHh-..'::>

The battle grew within' the residential zone of Upper Amarath City. Republic forces had held out for over two days behind their heavy barricade of hardlight barriers, broken building chunks, and the corpses of dead Systems Republic soldiers, intent on defending their homes, as well as their makeshift outpost, from Republic forces. But, sadly, it was soon to end, as the sudden incoming fire was too much for the Alliance 'soldiers' to handle. The front line of Alliance troops, with only rags, kevlar and their natural scaley bodies as their only defense, were easily torn to pieces as the Republic Warriors, in their advanced, shielded power armor systems, hung over the sides of the upper residential building that was nearby and released accurate shots of plasma and burst energy. The short Kal figures of the Alliance, ducking down behind their cover, snapped their rifles back up over their cover to release bursts from their automatic rifles or plasma blasters; blasting pieces off the residential building's roof and causing rubble to collapse onto the hard light street below, suspended above the mining quarters stories below.

Backup was on it's way for the Republic soldiers.. But in their condition, they couldn't hold out for long.

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