[color=lightblue][h2]The Union[/h2][/color]

[img]https://cdn0.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/411/284/large/sung-choi-crash-site-of-ark-sung-choi-1920.jpg?1443929617[/img]

[color=lightblue][u][b]Planet PCM-441, Neveros arm... 
Near the "Wo region"[/b][/u][/color]

Rumors always persisted about the Wo and many simply thought they a figment of the imagination. Did the government really know them? Were they actually friendly trading partners that the government portrayed them to be? those were among many questions asked that lived on the eastern frontier, frontier people that found it strange that didn't see as many Wo as they expected to, living right on the border and all. Some of those who asked and wondered, would take it upon themselves to investigate. They would find what ever warp capable ship they could get, fly to the closest major world near the Wo region, Ithinia and then disappear. Government forces would always respond with the same crap, "It must have lost trajectory during a jump and hit a moon." or some other excuse that maybe centuries ago when light speed was new, would work. Maybe local authorities didn't care? I mean, space milk cartons have pictures of people on the side all the time and nothing ever happens except a new picture a while later. 

Some even called those cartons a "person of the month". A horrid but fitting epitaph for those who would slowly be forgotten.

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It was a dark interior that sat a young crash rescuer and investigator, Nathan.. a descendant from a long line of Union aligned human families. He was fair in the face and very fit for his age of thirty nine. He was soft spoken most of the time but had no problem showing authority when the situation demanded it. He sat with his soft spoken demeanor on a small rescue ship, the Poyu.. a very small ship. He didn't care about the cramped living style or that it was pretty much a sausage fest, well most aliens didn't really have that part but it wasn't anything he could use. He -had- a girlfriend at one point that lived pretty close. A human like girl named Maysi, a half human, half Esmosian which pretty much equated to a light green skin due to the photosynthetic nature of her tree-like father. "Plant F---er" was her mom's title. She was damned hot though, in the right light.

As he sat staring at a holographic PDA, a deep masculine voice sounded from beside him, "Nate, you think she is alive?" 

Nate turned his eyes from the PDA, now towards a Trilari who was sincerely caring about the situation, "No.. they ran scans when the crash was initially found."

The Trilari nodded, "But they didn't physically check." it said with a glint of hope. 

A faint forced smile crossed Nate's lips, "At least i'll know what happened to her."

Five hours passed as the small ship passed by a number of corporate owned warships. It was customary for company's to guard their investments but they were still subject to the nations laws, that any wreck is to be officially investigated by federal employees. All Nate could do was smile, where were these big guns when this ship was downed. But when they arrived, it was quite different.

After getting pressure suits ready and the various equipment needed to perform the operation, The Trilari was first out of the ship followed by two jellyfish like creatures and another being that was part machine called a Hobir. Nate was last out, hefting a large crate nearly his size. It wasn't long before a makeshift camp was set up, lights shined along the hull and magnetic cables were ran from the hull of the wreck onto self drilling ground spikes to keep the ship from any movement. The thing was huge but low gravity and no atmosphere meant no chances were to be taken.

The Hobir lit a welding torch and began cutting the door open while the Trilari and Nate activated their magnetic boots to patrol the hull. That gruff masculine voice sounded again, "No external damage except from the impact... what the world happened here."

Nate shook his head, "I'm sure we will find out once that door is opened."

A few more hours passed before the entirety of the external site was locked down. Scans were completed of the outside, no strange energy readings from weapons fire was detected, no damage from kinetic weapons... and this wasn't some just leisure ship, it was a sanctioned science vessel from a well known exploration group. To be taken down like this.. there was no distress call, no  last minute transmissions. It was here one minute, then just found.. found sticking out of a rock by a lucky mineral scanning probe.

The door was finally breached and the group slowly moved in. There were bodies just around the place.. no discernible marks except for mild strangle marks around a few necks but upon investigation, they had died from asphyxiation. It made sense for the neck marks, people grabbing their neck in a desperate attempt to get some atmosphere into their lungs. This all happened so fast too, no sign of a struggle to get to life support equipment. The Trilari frowned as it moved it's light from body to body, "This isn't right."

Nate shook his head and continued through the craft before finally reaching the bridge. He examined the computer and slowly hooked up his PDA to it. "No Data found?" he said, staring confusingly into the blank screen of his PDA. "That's not how this works..." he muttered before disconnecting his device. He searched for a backup unit and to his luck, it existed, and was already disconnected from the main computer. His device was synced again.

To his shock, the PDA went crazy... flashing and starting to send out signals as if it were to interface with anything wireless. Nate quickly powered it down tore off the wireless adapter on its side. "What the hell was that?" the Trilari said, only witnessing Nate's assault on the device.

"Something seemed to infect the PDA!" Nate said, still showing shock and surprise. "It was trying to interface with my suit."

More time passed as the group slowly pushed the bodies into caskets and lined them outside for retrieval. The corporation that owned the ship was careful but quick at recovering the bodies, now they had the bodies they had to figure out how to explain the deaths. It didn't matter to Nate though as five crew members were nowhere to be found, Maysi included. The breakthrough came when they saw that all of the escape vehicles had been launched and from thermal dating and other methods, determined they had all launched at the same time. What ever happened was efficient like no other and was obvious to him now..

It just shut the whole ship down. 

The Trilari smirked as the last few pieces of information was collected and the computer core removed for study. As the five rescuers moved aboard their ship with a shielded case for the electronic devices, corporate salvage teams began to land. It was their show now.

As for Nate, his work was just beginning.. what the hell could just shut down an entire ship. bypassing every safety that it had installed. And if it was in Wo space, did the Wo attack? if so then why? This was Nathans skill though, digging through the haystack to find the needle and he had even more motivation than the fat checks he received from his employers, but now the girl he cares about was still missing. All the while, he couldn't help but look to the "east", with hope of finding Maysi...

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[color=lightblue][u][b]In orbit of Earth[/b][/u][/color]

Along with all of the other representatives from the council member nations, Qo slowly made his way onto the station. He was the chief diplomat from the Union, a Obera male standing an imposing four foot two. His tiny footsteps echoed to nothing but mice as Po maneuvered through the station to reach the council. Beside him was a tall Esmosian named Brakko, a creature that was probably as close to a tree as one could get. Humans called them 'Ents'. [i]Lovingly of course.[/i]

"Ambassador Qo, do you have everything you need?" Brakko asked politely. 

"Yes Brakko. Thank you." Qo said respectfully.

After a few paces, Qo stopped and turned to Brakko, "I did forget something..." 

Brakko nodded and held out his hand, holding Qo's PDA. "I saw that you had forgot this."

Qo's eyes came as close to glazing over as a Obera's could. "Why didn't you just hand it to me earlier?"

Brakko retracted his hand, "You do not need it then? I can place it back inside the shuttle."

Qo snapped his hand out, grasping the device before Brakko could retreat with it. Then shot Brakko and smug look. "A great way to start my day. Nearly duped by a tree."

Brakko smiled as the two made their way towards the council chambers.