[center][h1]Kasira's Leviathan[/h1] [b]Local Space[/b] [@Zarkun][@Sep][@ZAVAZggg] [b]Communications[/b] [@Zarkun][/center] Days were long times with little to do. A warp did not last that long, and even when it did, it was known when it was going to end. Broodmother Kasira did not know when the torment of nothingness was going to end, and it tugged at her tendrils. At every instance of question, the Leviathan informed her that they were still in warp space, but the creature of the zerg was not as intelligent as she, and could barely make an assumption as to why that would be. The Protoss weapon was one of unimaginable power if it was able to forcibly pull an entire Leviathan into it's maw. Kasira had confidence that her brood was able to destroy the weapon; they were on the brink of tearing it to shreds, already ripping off plating and destroying it's generators as the Leviathan was pulled in. However, without her guidance the brood was most likely destined to become feral. She could only hope that the brood survived long enough for the Swarm to reassert control. A simple task for any zerg as powerful as she, but she suspected that the lesser Queens would already be fighting for domanance over the Brood; a lose-lose situation, she knew not one queen was powerful enough to control the whole brood or even the more complicated strains within it. Perhaps even an Overlord would float away with it's own little posse. There was nothing to do except everything on the Leviathan except tend to what remained of her brood. At the very beginning of the warp, thousands were left on board, ready to be launched down to the surface to assist in the invasion; still not enough to fill the vast space inside the creature that held them. Within a few days, the Brood's numbers had already climbed to tens of thousands, due to the careful nurturing of the lesser queens and overlords who tended the larva. Broodmother Kasira slipped her way through the wet warmth of the leviathan, affirming her presence over those beneath her. On the fifth day in warp, Broodmother Kasira observed the birth of zerglings, watching them tearing from their cocoons in pairs with razor-sharp claws. She walked amongst the cocoons, observing the larva wriggling between them, the queens tending to them. An overlord even flew within the cavernous space, almost as if overseeing the whole operation. Kasira saw it float down toward one of the hatcheries and left it to it's business, making her way to the other side of the chamber. It was then that there was a grumble, almost a [i]groan[/i] from the Leviathan. Looking through it's eyes as quickly and as efficiently as if they were her own, Kasira saw that they arrived - somewhere. There wasn't a need for her to rush, however. It was not like she had to attend battle stations, or pull some levers like the Terrans. No, she could command everything from wherever she was, and right now, that was one of the hatcheries. The 'bridge' barely existed; it was simply the upper mouth of the Leviathan, a place where she could peer into space or a planetary surface. She felt it better to do so, but there was no need to; particularly when she didn't know where they were. The Leviathan had a limited mind, enough to know where it was and where it could go, including the surrounding stars. It didn't recognise any of the stars; it should have been able to at least pinpoint the direction of home, but it could not even do that. They were somewhere that wasn't home, perhaps not even the same galaxy. Concern flooded Kasira, and a few queens turned their heads her way, sensing a change in their Broodmother. With a simple push of her will, all were instantly back to their duties, and her focus went back to their location. At the very least, they certainly were not in the middle of nowhere; the Leviathan was detecting that there was the presence of ships in the system, and could sense their communications. These communications were not those of the Zerg, however - there wasn't another Broodmother or even a Queen of the ships to hassle with: Broodmother Kasira could not even feel the Overqueen communicating to her - no she was somewhere far, [i]far[/i] away from the reaches of the Swarm, the Terrans or the Protoss. The designs of Terran and Protoss ships were very easy to detect or even recognise, but these did not look like their traditional designs. Without a mechanical communicator, the Broodmother was not even able to communicate with any of the forces in the system. There was a ceasefire with the Terran Dominion and the Protoss. These were neither. Zerg all over the Leviathan started to stir and ready themselves at her will; Ground strains swarmed to the Leviathan's tentacles and pods, spacefaring Zerg such as the mutalisks and broodlords were launched into space, and the queens within the belly of the beast worked hard to nurture the larva into their required strains - as the situation was, Broodmother Kasira wanted more mutalisks, in case these unknown vessels wished to engage. It was very quick that the Leviathan was surrounded in spacefaring Zerg strains. As a Broodmother, Kasira could make her own decisions, particularly when away from the Overqueen. There were still directives she, as Swarm, was forced to obey, but there was a lot of leniency. Kasira had survived a long time, and saw herself as an intelligent Broodmother, intelligent enough to know her own appearance, and that of the Swarm. In a Terran's eyes, or a Protoss' eyes, the Zerg [i]looked[/i] aggressive, looked what the Terrans would inherently describe as [i]alien[/i], as perhaps [i]predatory[/i]. The Zerg did not look like a peaceful race, and so Kasira suspected there was a chance she could be fired on at will, immediately seen as a threat. Moving her Brood into combat positions and launching some into space certainly looked aggressive, but was also a defensive posture; the Leviathan could take on perhaps two Terran battlecruisers on it's own. But three to one, and against [i]unknown[/i] weapons? Kasira had to ensure her own safety and the safety of her brood. As her Brood obeyed her will, Kasira tore into her intellect, trying to determine a way to make peaceful, or at least non-engaging, contact with the unknown vessels. Noticing that the Leviathan was moving further in-system, she let it push a few more kilometers in before holding position. Pushing herself psionically, the Broodmother attempted to reach out, to try and psionically interact with the captains of all nearby vessels. At this range however, she could barely do more than sense that they were there, that they [i]existed[/i]. She had to get closer to at least one of them. It was that fact that made the Broodmother's caution get thrown out of the window, her patience running thin. At her will, the Leviathan and it's swarm of spaceborn Zerg began moving again, toward the large ship escorted by smaller ones; the [i]Resurgence[/i] and her Arquitan-Class escorts. Kasira reached out psionically to the flagship and the towers which she believed to be it's bridge. She pushed with her will, attempting to locate a member of the bridge crew who could be psionically capable enough to hear her - it was a long shot, but it was the only she was going to be able to communicate without being in even closer proximity. Broodmother Kasira did not know if any of those aboard the vessel would even be effected - she might be so far out from her home that no species here was even effected or used psionics. Her efforts could be in vain, but if they were, that meant nothing to her. She had to try, and failing that, if they attacked in response to her movements, she had to defend herself. She was Swarm. [color=plum][i]"Unknown species member, if you are hearing this, you are one of the only people that is able to hear me through my psionic communications. I reside within the Leviathan that approaches you now; Tell your Captain or highest authority that I will not threaten you if you do not threaten me, I wish for cooperation in this unknown territory. I require a communicator to speak to you mechanically. Else, I will succumb you to eternal agony as my Brood destroys your vessels."[/i][/color] Broodmother Kasira was tempted to force pain into the psionic mind whoever heard her, but she decided against it. Yes, she could be cruel, however she was sure that the species might take it negatively, no matter how hard she tried to underline her points. And that was if anyone even [i]heard[/i] her. She readied her Brood in case none of the bridge crew, or anyone on the ship, heard her psionic communications. She might very well have to defend herself.