[b][u]Yrrkeltharl Coalition Space
Border Region
System Ahl-115[/u][/b]

The dim light of the nameless star washed over the sluggishly spinning barren worlds of Ahl-115. With the scarce consideration given to celestial bodies typical of the Yrrkeltharl authorities, the system had not even been deigned a name of its own, instead taking on by default that of the only item of interest within it. On the fourth of the rocky planets from the unnamed pulsing gaseous orb of plasma stood the metallic walls of a Nodule, seat of those who truly swayed the fate of the Coalition, or at least a fraction of them. A rather small one as well, truth be told, and by far not the most significant; yet, for thousands of light-years to all sides, this was the greatest bastion of the interstellar covenant's authority, and it certainly did not disappoint in this regard.

Around its planetary seat, swarms of patrolling drone craft darted from one end of the system to another. Some sped outwards, tearing themselves from the star's gravity well before vanishing into rips in the dimensions of space; others emerged from similar ruptures and converged over the Nodule's seat to rearm, repair and refuel; others yet circled around the desolate worlds, as though seeking prey they knew was somewhere nearby.

On the surface, the stronghold appeared even more forbidding. Its gleaming, convex walls curved inwards as they rose over the lifeless landscape, tapering into menacing spires. Cones of pale green light, visible even in the planet's feeble day, struck out from them, sweeping about like ravenous inhuman eyes. All about, over wastes and mountains, dark valleys and glimmering plateaus, amid black angular factory compexes erupting with choking fumes and the immense pillars of the planetary shield generators, legions of war-drones stood, awaiting silent commands or crawling about on unknown errands. Their toxic exhalations rose to choke the already weak spark in the sky, coating the world in the foul, viscous grip of the Coalition.

Scarcely a thousand kilometers beyond the nameless planet's surface, an unscheduled slipspace rupture burst into being, the blinding, iridescent arcs and tendrils of light clearly visible from the surface as flashes of blooming cinders that bled through the nauseating coils of smoke that choked the atmosphere around the Nodule and surrounding complexes. The craft that emerged was immediately flagged by the ubiquitous, bead-like ink-colored sensors and surveillance devices that dotted the larger superstructure. It matched no known configuration of vessel. A structurally curious craft around the size of a Frigate, it seemed strangely compartmentalized even on analysis of its surface hull and chassis, with multiple seams and detachable bulkheads. It resembled an extended octachoron, with smoothed curves at each angle that broke only at the observed seams. The metal itself was curious - a synthetic, manufactured material obviously, but the Nodule's sensor arrays were having some trouble keeping a steady bead in contact with the craft, as its frame appeared to a uniformly flat down to the atomic level, as if it had been shaven to a perfectly level plane and set of grooves with a monomolecular honing blade. Complicating the issue was the distorted spatial geodesics surrounding the vessel. It had no visible external propulsion, and as it eerily moved through space it seemed apparent that it used some form of internal drive for sublight movement.

Just as keen, cold intelligences below began to calculate and devise potential scenarios - the unexpected occured. In one of the orbital traffic control segments of the Nodule, one of the controllers received a telepathic message with official parameters from a being onboard the alien craft.

[i]~Ones upon the early world, Fh'thnal Two of the N'vall speaks. Under my hands comes the house-from-beyond named Urbane Errata Twenty-Two, approaching. Heralds from a people beyond our voids of roaming are in it, and demand to hear from your shapers and speak to them. Send your voices to me.~[/i]

Pulsing slightly at the neural centers with the pain of a N'vall mental contact, the operator did its best to proceed as instructions indicated when dealing with the I'nler'attul - focus upon the thoughts relevant to the matter, and direct them at the intruding presence. It seemed simple on the electroscreen, but, in practice, it was an uphill struggle. The brief exchange was unpleasant and taxing; thankfully, the oddly-named harbinger communicated a conceptual equivalent of remote communication data and indications on how to use them. Inputting the deciphered codes into the contact device terminal, the controller cast forth an invisible link to the unknown vessel, and signals prompting to open a direct transmission soon followed.

The images transmitted down from the Errata depicted Fh'thnal Two standing in a darkened, cramped compartment along with another, similar being. It was roughly of the same height as Fh'thnal, and might have even been reasonably mistaken for a member of the N'vall had it not been for the off-yellow coloration of its flesh and the fact that rather than a head, it had the suggestion of a formless lumpw, with no visible sensory or respiratory organs. The similarity to the N'vall was nonetheless striking - its body was ever-so-slightly bulkier, but it had the same four arms, each ending with an extremity bearing four digits. It wore a gray, skintight suit over its body, only moderately obcured by the N'vall-like cloak-garb covering it. The material looked pristine and unblemished, as the alien figure had only just put it on moments before.

"Operator." Fh'thnal Two rasped through the transmission, the skin along its neck shuddering faintly as they vibrated. "Indicate the place where this house is to strike old soil. Gather the shapers and bearers of word to come meet the beyond-heralds."

The Ekhrilthur swayed in perplexity upon hearing the "harbinger"'s world. This being clearly possessed powers comparable to those of a N'vall leader, and it was best not to contradict it openly. And, at the same time, it was clearly not one of the wandering species, not with that name and a request to land.

"Exact coordinates of the nearest landing point and adequate approach trajectory are now relayed. The Nodule overseers have been informed." As it spoke, it saw to sclicking levers and entering commands of virtual selection interfaces, as much as a show of faith as a carrying out of its duties. "Identify yourselves so that appropriate arrangements might be made."

"The last beyond-herald besides me is Mardelr Nineteen, Mucor Typis and plenipotentiary envoy of the Ninth Amaranthine Circuit. Their head of security is Kenat Six-Hundred Twenty-Four, Mucor Typis and commander under the Ninth Amaranthine Circuit."

The strange headless N'vall like being - Mardelr - uttered a noise, like hissing static and boiling tar, a brief issue filled with pops and slick resonance.

"Mardelr Nineteen forwards their regards." Fh'thnal supplied, gesturing faintly towards the strange alien. The Operator saw on their read-outs that the craft's descent trajectory had changed as it passed through the planet's atmosphere. Strangely, despite moving more than fast enough to have generated an entry burn cone, there was no hint of flareups or building heat across its surface - likely because with whatever drive it used for propulsion, it was not descending fast enough within its own private frame of reference for the friction differential to affect it.

Oscillating in acquiescence, the operator proceeded to enter a second sequence into its devices. Somewhere high in the ovoidal towers, signals were probably ringing out from the assembly broadcasters, and images of the strange delegation, accompanied by a standard, yet rarely ever used protocol text appearing on larger, more sophisticated displays than this one. It had almost never been there itself, and could only imagine what the convocation sound for non-hostile contact was. With Luxan raider incursions being almost a routine, one tended to forget how most things aside from the alarm screeches sounded.

If even these N'vall-like beings did not immediately show aggressive intent, however, this was no reason not to observe the usual procedures and, most of all, common sense. The course set for the unknown vessel led not into the seat of the Nodule or even a nearby space, but a bare, even tract of ground some distance away. There was no assurance that the newcomers were not planning to obtain safe access to the surface in order to then strike out with a surprise attack, or whatever that ship, small though it might have been, was concealing; and the selected spot had the advantage of being readily accessible to response forces stationed nearby.

The alien vessel settled into the barrens, its curious sublight drive seeming to warp the ground for a moment before it made contact and disengaged its propulsion. That, however, was the least of the ensuing oddities. As the craft settled, some unseen field extending out from it - kilometers in radius - tore a massive, circular trench into the barren ground. The ship itself seemed to fracture and fragment at the seams, its form levering itself apart like some kind of puzzle-box. The front and rear of the vessel remained largely intact, but the curved extremities near its center of mass folded out to either side while extensions of the forward hull pulled back and extended out to form the equivalent of ramparts. The upper extension of the hull slid forward before blooming open, its sides prying apart to reveal a fortification akin to some kind of watchtower. Directly in the middle of the craft, now fully opened and exposed, was a turbulent, spherical apparatus of some sort. The air immediately around it, partitioned and blocked off by hazard lines and a surrounding guardrail, seemed to boil and churn. Immediately ahead of it, secured by cable-lines, were a number of twelve-by-twelve meter cargo containers in what had previously been an enclosed hangar bay. Swarming across the interior were a number of tall, indistinct beings wearing powered exoskeletons with highly segmented armor sections. Finally, nearly unseen beneath the deployed fortification's mass, eight armored, two-jointed arms reached down to settle heavily into the earth with broad, flared support pads.

The reason for the craft's compartmentalization was now apparent - it had been made to deploy into a fortification upon landing. For the moment it was remaining stationary, appearing to be waiting - although the unseen field that had torn the circular trench into the surrounding terrain was evidently still present, made manifest by the swirling halo of debris and rock that rose like a short, billowing curtain around it.

For some moments, all remained quiet. Dust slowly settled upon the charred soil within the alien field's perimeter, and beyond its unseen barrier the rocky wastes appeared motionless. And such they were, for a few moments, until they sprang to life. The grey terrain seemed to well and roil forward like a sea of undulating quicksilver, its motion converging upon the circle formed by the ship's protective emanations. Sparse gleams of reflected starlight passed through the advancing mass, even as from its midst there rose clouds of poisonous vapour. It was only when the tide approached the obscuring halo and stopped still before it that its nature could be distinguished. Hundreds of thousands of the drones that had, at the Nodule controllers' command, begun to gather at a distance considered safe from the designated landing spot now marched towards the strange intruder, weapons trained upon the distant yet detectable vessel. Over the even mass of their ranks, monstrous Colossi rose like walking hills, their hollow electronic eyes blinking in automated yet seemingly malevolent patterns.

High above the extended craft, the already crepuscular sky began to noticeably darken. Myriads of black shapes blotted out the nameless star as they floated menacingly overhead, the concerted pulsations of their jagged, angular flanks almost visible from the ground. Now and then, the echo of a shrill creaking sound reached down through the invisible dome.

Within the ship, the transmitter device resounded once again with the operator's words. "Urbane Errata Twenty-Two. Confirm intent of non-hostile contact."

"We do not seek to reap. The beyond-heralds have descended to bring our homes together." Fh'thnal rasped through the transmission. The sound of the swirling, turbulent atmosphere surrounding the alien craft was now clearly audible through the N'vall's side of the image. "Show us where the last beyond-herald will meet with your shapers."

There was a brief silence, then the Ekhrilthur's vibrations replied: "A section of the Nodule complex has been allocated for that purpose. Transportation will be provided should you require it." Simultaneously, a partial internal map of the turreted stronghold, a section of which was marked as "accessible", was broadcast along with the vocal message as if to confirm what it said.

"This is meet. The beyond-heralds and I will await transport there. The home-from-beyond will lower its shield. None are to intrude beyond the stricken earth." Fh'thnal indicated, sending back a return external map of the field the frigate had landed in with the ring created by its shield highlighted.

Some minutes passed, during which the drones at the edges of the scorched circle remained still as a wall. They did not advance, but neither did they withdraw. At last, their files began to part in a point, the gap between them growing wider until it became a narrow road through the metallic forces. Through this fissure there appeared a shape that was evidently the promised vehicle.

It was a fairly small trapezoid of black steel, hovering half a metre above the soil with the aid of some silent, but evidently effective device. Its shell was angular and many-faceted, with two lines of dusky glass-like material running along its sides and a dozen of blinking pale-green lights on its front side, but no signs of a cabin or a driver. Having traversed the shallow crater, it slid to a halt near the ship's side and stood waiting.

A number of armored being coolly surveyed the vehicle. They all apparent to be anatomically similar to the N'vall-like Mardelr who had appeared in the transmission, albeit they bore two legs and had only depressed lumps where their heads might have been. They stood approximately two meters in height and bore four arms, each with four digits at the end of each extremity. They appeared largely unconcerned of the craft as it approached, merely standing by within the rampant-like fortifications of the deployed frigate. A few minutes passed, and Fh'thnal emerged from the still-intact forward section of the craft along with Mardelr, who was wearing an exoskeleton, albeit one without any armor affixed to it. Worn over it was a dark cloak reminescent of that Fh'thnal thmself was wearing, albeit much less worn in appearance. They were both accompanied by another of the armored beings, who wielded a long, streamlined carbine and was followed in turn by a semi-halo of six drifting, head-sized spherical drones, each mounted with dish-like arrays and drifting through the air with the use of eight, gyroscopic ion emitters. The three figures and their six smaller attendants approached the black craft, whose flank suddenly seemed to have been horizontally sliced near its lower edge. Rotating upon unseen hinges, the suspended machine's side rose in a smooth semicircular motion, revealing a dark, empty but surprisingly large space within. One of the six drifting spheres entered the craft first, and after a moment of examination, the remaining party filed onboard.

As though it were aware of its passengers' motions, the vehicle closed once all of them had entered it, then turned about and headed back into the corridor formed by the drones. The glass in the cabin's walls appeared translucent from within, so that its occupants were able to observe the tetrapodal constructs from up close as they passed among them. As well as, perhaps more importantly, form an estimate of their numbers. If the length of that tunnel was any indication, the latter must have been fairly impressive.

At last, the steel ranks ended, and nothing was left at the shuttle's sides but flat, boundless desolation, with only columns of nauseously coloured smoke rising in the distance to interrupt the monotony of the wasteland. It might have been a mere impression, but the small craft seemed to gain in speed as it moved through that grey landscape. From inside, almost no trace of its outward motion could be felt, save for the mild tugging of acceleration and a subdued, but persistent vibration of the floor. A while had passed when the vehicle began to perceivably slow down, and soon it stopped, though nothing could be seen from the windows. Then, it turned on its axis while remaining in place, and its left half was cast into shadow by the steel walls looming over it.

The cabin opened, and a greater part of the fortress became visible. From up close, much of the complex's higher part was out of sight, vanishing into the sky before even half of it had come into view. The uninterrupted smoothness of its imperceptibly bending surface struck the sight as unnervingly unnatural, and its vast face, curving out of sight in both directions, gave the impression of a metallic tsunami risen up from the earth to engulf the insignificant figures before it. The only feature to mar its gloss was an arched doorway, small and black from that distance, which opened near the ground directly before where the shuttle had stopped. No other entrance was to be seen.

The six spherical drones that had accompanied the three envoys exited the craft first, three of them immediately flying through the arched doorway. Two more listed to the sides, scanning the external permimeter while the last one followed after Fh'thnal, Mardelr, and the armored being - presumably the security chief Fh'thnal had introduced as Kenat - emerged and entered the doorway themselves. Fh'thnal had taken the lead, hovering ahead of the two alien envoys with its prosthetic boosters.

The visitors were not far gone into the building when the entryway behind them was closed by a sheet of metal noiselessly sliding in place, sealing the opening as though it never had been there. Beyond the portal there was a dark corridor, weakly lit by a seemingly distant golden light shining through narrow fissures in the walls and ceiling. It delved into the structure for a brief distance, then took a smooth bend to the right, followed by a series of short segments and curves in both directions.

After about twenty bends in the way, the corridor emerged into a large circular room, whose domed ceiling hung high above, slightly obscured by strands of thin, pale vapour. Its walls and floor were as bare as the fortress's exterior, save for a second doorway directly opposite the one which led into the tunnel. It was noticeably larger, and of a slightly more circular shape; before it there stood a group of eight figures. Three of them were Ekhrilthur, their seemingly identical semi-fluid bodies rising as undulating grey-brown mounds over the floor and spreading a distinctively pungent, humid smell through the air. Near them stood a fairly large Skirol, the low breeze of its breath audibly whistling through its ribbed exoskeleton and its proboscis flicking from side to side in what might have been impatience. The other four were drones, similar to those that had surrounded the landing zone, but not not bearing any visible weapons. They followed the envoys with the impersonal gaze of their multiple red eyes, and the veinings of their armour regularly pulsed with the same colour.

One of the Ekhrilthur briefly swung its body in a greeting gesture, then spoke in already familiar tones: "I am Sentry-Operator Eullvallt. Here present are Nodule Administrator Iuvruelt, Nodule Defence Coordinator Aulthellr and Cycle-Weaver Xeresh. By our personal mediation, the Sovereign Coalition of the Yrrkeltharl Systems and Fleets declares you welcome guests."

Mardelr turned its lump-like head to Fh'thnal and 'spoke' once more, its voice a largely muted mixture of static and churning tar. It could barely even be heard by the assembled mediation party. Fh'thanl, it seemed, had no issue interpretting the incoherent noise however,

"Shapers, these are the beyond-heralds Mardelr Nineteen, unbound speaker," It gestured with both of its left arms to the unarmored alien wearing the dark N'vall cloak. "...and Kenat Six-Hundred Twenty-Four, their protector for this occasion of nearing." They jabbed with one of their clawed hands at the armored figure bearing the carbine. Even as Fh'thnal spoke, the six floating drones assembled in a loose hexagonal boundary around the mediation party. "...and I am Fh'tnal Two, and shall be their interpretor." A curious claim to have made, seeing as it had failed to relay the Sentry-Operator's own words back to either of its companions, unless it was exclusively using telepathy to converse with them.

"Mardelr represents the Ninth Amaranthine Circuit, and accepts your designation of them as guests with gratitude and reverence. They demand to know if you will partake in a preliminary exchange of tokens of honour."

As Fh'thnal spoke, Mardelr took a single step closer to Kenat and indiscretely uttered more of its churning, static-filled voice, though clearly in a subdued tone that was barely even audible. Kenat turned its body slightly towards the envoy as if listening, and then turned back and gave the Skirol Xeresh an appraising scan, raising and lowering the lump of its armored head, twice, in a cursory examination before turning back and respong to Mardelr in the same low undertones.

Eullvallt exchanged waverings and low vibration pulses with the two other Ekhrilthur, then slightly waved a pseudopod at Xeresh, who, finding its own interest in inspecting the visitors, replied with a somewhat careless series of clicks. Rising and falling in slight frustration, the Sentry-Operator addressed the Circuit's delegation with the same even tone as before.

"If such is the intent of the representative, we do not object to it being enacted. However, the Coalition has nothing to offer them in response to their own gift."

Fh'thnal gave the Sentry-Operator the best equivalent of a look the eyeless N'vall could manage. "I can tell them you are worthless and empty-handed, or that you refuse to comply. Which one is it?" It indicated with a venomous tone.

The Ekhrilthur shrank slightly at the interpreter's words, not so much due to what it had said as at the thought of being in a room with the displeased equivalent of an I'nler. Xeresh, on the other hand, tapped one of its forelegs on the ground in irritation and hissed out in the Ekhrilthur language, albeit with a heavy accent:

"Threaten us, will you, false-N'vall? If you seek the way of arms, not even the strength you have appropriated will safeguard you or your charges." It gestured with its proboscis, and two of the drones took a step forward. Bluish sparks began to distinctly crackle between their arachnoid mandibles.

Kenat visibly lowered its own weapon as the drones advanced, and the hexagonal ring of the smaller drones that had accompanied the delegation notably did not move.

"That was not a threat, firstborn one, but a lashing. Would you receive [i]any[/i] of the I'nler'attul with such lowly braying? I am borne of the stars, coalesced with the same reverence as any other N'vall, and will not endure your earthly ways." It raised both of its upper limbs as if about to signal for something, but before more could occur, the alien Mardelr stepped forward and lay a single hand on one of the N'vall's raised limbs. It spoke in the same, crackling and popping voice as it had earlier, the intensity of the sounds now raised and keening.

After a brief moment of consideration, the N'vall tore its arm free of Mardelr's grasp and looked with an air of contempt back towards Xeresh and Eullvallt. "It has been asked," Fh'thanl's voice was insidously low and soft. "If you will demand another interpreter."

Upon Mardelr's intervention, the drones had extinguished their mandibles and stepped back. "You are no I'nler'attul, and you know it" the Skirol continued to snap in a lower tone, but Eullvallt waved it back and resumed its activity as the Yrrkeltharl group's main speaker.

"The representative may dispose of their entourage as they see fit. However, if we are to ensure peaceful and fruitful contact, we recommend they do not take antagonistic action against us or other Coalition personnel. Responsibility for any undesirable developments would lie with them."

Fh'thnal visibly paused for a moment. After a brief silence, Mardelr spoke again in lower static tones.

"The last of the beyond-heralds has indicated that I do not speak for the Ninth Amaranthine Circuit or its interests and am no more than an interpreter. They refuse to declare themselves responsible for my actions. Nor do they desire any strife between themselves and the Coalition, and now desire to withdraw and return in order to produce a more appropriate interpreter." Fh'thnal sounded positively livid, its voice containing barely controlled rage.

Eullvallt was about to reply, but, before it could begin, Nodule Administrator Iuvruelt spoke up, its voice somewhat softer and lower than that of its fellow. "You may inform the representative that they may act as they see it most expedient, but there are some factors they must consider. By constraining your own person, which you yourself assert is comparable to that of any other member of your species, to enter the atmosphere of this planet and move on its surface, they and their associates have committed an action condemnable by the N'vall fleets. Should the latter be informed of it, a forced cessation of cooperation between us, as well as violent reprisals against their persons and property, would follow. The forced withdrawal of your person from the function of interpreter would likewise be regarded as objectionable. However, we can ensure that such developments would not come to pass if the concerned Nodule personnel were to receive due compensation for the friction caused in this occasion, and your own person were additionally consigned to us for extradition to the N'vall fleets."

Another brief pause. What passed for Mardelr's head turned and gave Eullvallt a steady look before it issued another inquiry-by-proxy with its hissing, seething speech.

"...How would my own extradition not bring about similar condemnation upon my sounding?" Fh'thnal asked, its voice bearing a trembling timbre to it, as if their vocal cords were on fire.

"There is a distinct probability the N'vall will prove more tractable should they be able to directly dispose of your person as they see fit" Iuvruelt responded, as its colleagues oscillated appreciatively, "Any decision in that regard by the representative and their associates would be interpreted as a further affront to their authority."

Mardelr almost immediately issued another sound once Iuvruelt has finished, almost as if Fh'thnal was providing translation for them in-time. They were not slow to translate for the envoy in turn. "The NAC would prefer not to deal with the ambiguity of distinct probability. They are prepared to accomodate your request, but require more adequate assurances."

The Nodule Administrator motioned with its pseudopods for its compatriots to draw closer, and the four began a hushed conversation of short, rapid replies, now and then casting a motion of the center or a swipe of the proboscis in the envoys' direction. After two or three minutes, they drew back to their previous positions, and it was Eullvallt who spoke again. "In view of your preferences, we are ready to vouchsafe for the absence of a hostile reaction on the N'vall's part. However, in this case, we find ourselves constrained to request a contribution for the mediation process in addition to the compensation previously mentioned."

"You will find that the NAC is capable of rewarding you generously for your services in this matter, and that they will likely be able to provide your compensation at will without conferring abroad. They are prepared to discuss your needs in further detail once more true bridging has begun." Fh'thnal indicated, this time without Mardelr having to say anything. Their voice sounded curiously empty and hollow. Their stance was bent and wary. "They find your gift adequate. Although it does not begin to equal your magnanimous offering, they are willing to offer you a token of their own propitious will and intent."

As Fh'thnal finished, Kenat abruptly stood to attention, and adjusted the grip on their carbine, while Mardelr reached underneath their N'vall-like cloak and produced a a small spherical device with a brass-colored ring around its equator, handing it off to one of Kenat's free hands. Kenat then approached one of the four drones, presenting both the carbine and the sphere for the machine's inspection.

The spider-like construct's red eyes flared up as it swept its probing gaze over the items held out before it. As the electric light passed the carbine, filtering into all of the weapon's incuneations and external mechanisms, a premonitory buzzing rose from its body, but it was promptly silenced by a pseudopod wave from Eullvallt. The sphere proved to be less easily recognisable in its purpose, and the drone paused, its eyes flashing in a manner that could have appeared perplexed and emitting an indeterminate hum. It was then flanked by a second machine, and both raised one of their forelimbs, mmanipulator claw rotating upwards, towards Kenat.

As they did, Eullvallt voiced the group's satisfaction with the turn events had taken. "We greatly appreciate the NAC's disponibility and eagerness to meet our necessities, and offer our and the Coalition's gratitude for its well-inspired gift. Insomuch as it is within our abilities to ensure it, we shall provide to it that its own needs in Yrrkeltharl space be optimally satisfied."

"That is satisfactory. If you are willing and prepared, our speakers may retire to a better position for further tractatives." Fh'thnal indicated.

"We may proceed" came the Sentinel-Operator's reply.

The four officials and their drone escorts turned about, more or less noticeably, and lead the way through the ample doorway they had come from and into the maze of corridors beyond.