[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/9yLHsmC/Royal-Orleans-Armored-Rail-Lines.jpg[/img][/center] [center][b][h3]Royal Orleans Armored Rail Service - Enroute from Royal Palace to Saphir Space Port: The King and the Lady[/h3][/b][/center] [Hider=Summary/Spark Notes - The Train Ride.] The King of Orleans and Lady Avoleth were enroute to the Saphir Space Port when the train was attacked by hired goons/thugs seeking the death of the Nyrene Terius native, Lady Avoleth. Their attack failed, but not without consequence. Five personal guards of Lady Avoleth and three Royal Orleans Army personnel were lost in the attack. All the attackers were killed in combat, the gunship carrying them exploding in a fireball after the train's main guns could be brought to bear on the target. The people of Orleans and Lady Avoleth's people can't be certain who ordered her death, but assumptions narrow down the list of foes to a small sliver of the Galaxy.[/hider] [Hider=Full Story - The Train Ride.] King Reynaud felt a rough tug on the train car he sat in, the luxuriously appointed car offering anything and everything one could desire for the roughly one hour ride from the center of the capital city to the Saphir Military Space Port. The [url=https://assets.atlasobscura.com/media/W1siZiIsInVwbG9hZHMvYXNzZXRzL2I4MTU2NDBhZmI3Njg0NzU0ZV9VUCBIaXN0b3JpYyBQaG90byA2LmpwZyJdLFsicCIsImNvbnZlcnQiLCItYXV0by1vcmllbnQgIl0sWyJwIiwidGh1bWIiLCI3NzN4NTE1KzMrNjAiXSxbInAiLCJjb252ZXJ0IiwiLXF1YWxpdHkgODEgLWF1dG8tb3JpZW50Il0sWyJwIiwidGh1bWIiLCIxMjgxeDg1NCMiXV0/UP%20Historic%20Photo%206.jpg]engine[/url] far ahead started billowing smoke, thick plumes of it, as the gears, rods, and components of movement began to drag forth the long line of armored cars towards its destination. The station began to slowly recede away, Reynaud enjoying the architecture of the nearly four-hundred year old building, a throw back to a simpler time. Sighing, he turned back to face his charge and current traveling companion. [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/896/001/large/brian-chan-twilek-breakdown1.jpg?1467004208]Lady Avoleth[/url], well dressed and groomed as ever, sat curiously quiet, her eyes looking out at the world before her, but within, lost in thought. Clearing his throat, Reynaud spoke softly to the Nyrene Terius native. [color=seagreen]"My Lady, it appears that something is eating away at you. Do you mind speaking freely? You are my guest, my charge to protect, what can the people of Orleans do in order to help you? What might I be able to do?"[/color] He moved to sit at the edge of his seat, looking intently at Lady Avoleth. Piercing blue eyes turned to look at the King, looking at him intently, the distant look turning away to something much closer now. Her breathing was short, akin to someone nervous about the whole situation they found themselves in. She moved one of her head tentacles behind her shoulder, her hands now clasped lightly in her lap. Her voice was soft, concise, yet held fear along its edges, rose aloud in the small din of the moving train. [color=blueviolet]"Your grace, all of this... it's an honor beyond measure, to be here, to have what people you rescued from... from those monsters, but..."[/color] she trailed off, looking back out the car window, over the passing buildings and streets, the people of Orleans going about their lives. [color=seagreen]"You still think of those that were not so fortunate as you. How could you, and those with you be so lucky, yet, how many thousands, tens of thousands of others could not."[/color] Reynaud spoke, adjusting a crease in his stately clothing. He offered Lady Avoleth a consoling smiling, before adding, [color=seagreen]"The galaxy is blind at best, but we know the cruelty that underlies in the blindness of fate. You can not blame yourself for what you had no control over... how could you, or anyone for that matter, expect such utter barbarity from those machines, demons masquerading as life, chaos hiding behind a veneer of civility. You saved those that you could, you gave them a chance to live... there is honor in that, a chivalrous action to hold dear."[/color] He sat back into his chair, taking a moment of silence to sip from his glass of coffee. Lady Avoleth nodded in silence, turning away from King Reynaud to look out over the rolling houses now, large gardens spaced throughout the modest homes. She smiled a mournful sort of smile, taking a sip from her own glass, setting it down gently, before speaking directly to King Reynaud, her eyes looking into his. [color=blueviolet]"Your Grace, we all lost a part of who we are... were, when the CCN came to our home. The dead can not even be honored properly among us, their bodies and graves no doubt desecrated by those butchers."[/color] She grew quiet, looking down at her hands, the fine white gloves she wore gripping tightly into small fists as she began to cry. Her voice was low, pained, as she spoke again, [color=blueviolet]"I will burden you no more with my troubles, your Grace. I and my people are deeply grateful for what you have done for us, and what you have risked. I hope that one day, we can repay you for your kindness and honor. I will say a prayer for you to our gods, may they watch over you."[/color] She bowed her head, before quickly standing up and leaving. King Reynaud stood up, bowing to her slightly, before bidding her goodbye. [color=seagreen]"Fare thee well, Lady Avoleth, may the Goddess watch over you and yours."[/color]. He watch her go, the flowing fabric of her dress following her as she left, her own guards quickly falling in behind her, and within seconds, they were gone from the royal car, heading back towards their own. Reynaud sighed, retaking his seat, looking down at a datapad that held his personal notes and itinerary. His own Royal Guards stood watch, ever at the ready to defend their king. Elsewhere, in the command and control car of the armored train, a cadre of officers and enlisted monitored their screens and readouts, taking among one another, when the radar started to ping an unidentified signature roughly five miles out from the train. The air controller quickly swiveled in his seat, looking intently at the radar screen. Five miles and closing fast, the readout alerted the man, pinging ever louder. Opening up on the radio, he called out in a firm tone, [color=crimson]"Attention, unidentified aircraft, you are in restricted air space, you have entered a no fly zone. Change your course immediately, or we will be forced to shoot you down."[/color] Nothing but static on the radio, the aircraft making a beeline for the train, its speed increasing. The air controller turned, signaling his superior over to the console. They exchanged a terse conversation, before both men turned back to the console. The blip was within three miles now, still closing, the air controller tried again, [color=crimson]"Unidentified aircraft, this is your final warning, you will be shot down, change course now. This is restricted air space. I repeat, you are in restricted air space..."[/color] The sudden screeching ping of missile lock rang out loudly in the room, multiple screens flashing warning lights. The vessel had shown its hand, and it was hostile. [color=coral]"Fire counter-measures, broadcast alert across the train...." [/color] A panicked officer called out, before he sprinted to his station, hitting the [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NECwV6rPik]emergency alarm button[/url] grabbing his intercom to speak throughout the train, [color=red]"Action stations, action stations. This is not a drill, enemy contact, port side of the train. Incoming fire. I repeat, incoming fire."[/color] The officer let go of the intercom, hurriedly returning to issue commands to the rest of the command and control staff. ------ The enemy gunship fired more missiles, coming in hot and heavy. Its auto-cannon's opened up, spraying hot lead downrange at the moving train. The pilot kept his eyes on the prize, the eighth rail car, his intel stating that this was the dignified guests car, and more than likely, their prize, that bitch Lady Avoleth, was hiding like the slimy alien she was, in it. [color=goldenrod] "All right boy'ohs, hit em hard, hit em fast, and be back home for lunch with Madame Sally and her galz. There's a lot of money in this contract, and I plan on collecting that fat bounty on the alien hag."[/color] The pilot spoke aloud, over the ship net. He watch as the command and control car of the train go up in flames, billowing black smoke and crimson fire. He smiled viciously, the nasty beard moving as he laughed. [color=goldenrod]"Should slow them down enough to get us to our prize."[/color] The gunship rocked violently, pitching to the left as it was raked by return fire from one of the train's forward auto-cannons. [color=darkgoldenrod]"What the bloody hell, how the hell are they still shooting us. Those bastards said if we knocked out the command car, it'd knock out their guns... what it the blazes..." [/color] The pilot quickly pitched the gunship forward, trying to dodge more return fire. He moved to within boarding distance of the prize, the crew in the personnel bay opening fire with their breaching cannons, sparks and shards of metal flying off of the train car. His own radar pinged, letting him know enemy fighters were launched, and now on their way. [color=goldenrod] "Too little, too late Frenchies. That hag will be dead, and we'll be long gone before you get here."[/color] ---------- Lady Avoleth lay hunkered down behind an overturned table, two of her own guards wounded, another five lay dead in the car where the armored wall had be blown out and streams of lead fired into the car. She clutched a small service pistol in her hands, fearing that the butchers had come to finish the job they'd started on Nyrene Terius. Her guards fired back in defiance, but quickly ducked behind their makeshift cover against a return salvo of automatic gunfire. [color=darkviolet]"I'm going to die here... please, Gods of Nyrene, save us... save us from these defilers." [/color] Suddenly, the personnel door for between cars opened up, at the front of the car. A dozen heavily armed Royal Orleans soldiers poured in, firing their weapons in retaliation, two of them getting cut down in the hail of bullets. Their blue uniforms, shining armor, proud and fiercesome looking men, fought without fear nor hesitation. They hammered away at the enemy and their gunship, sending round after round into the attackers. When one of the Orleansmen shouted out, [color=dodgerblue]"Get down!"[/color] Lady Avoleth turned in amazement as the enemy gunship exploded in a spectacular fireball, the deafening noise of fuel burning rapidly and ordinance detonating. A few of the killers tried to jump to the train before the explosion, but to no avail, as they were quickly gunned down, or fell off the train and to their deaths. ------ King Reynaud slumped back in the commanders seat, taking his eyes away from the view finder. He smiled to the other crewmen below him, who all looked as visibly shaken as he was. The air still stunk of spent gunpowder, the empty shell sitting on the deck beside him and the gunner. [color=seagreen]"Well, we're alive..."[/color] Reynaud said aloud, still surprised at what had just happened. When the first impact had rocked the train, Reynaud leapt into action, rushing forward to the main battery station of the train. Whoever attacked them knew what they were doing, or perhaps partially knew, because they grew slopping once the guns had opened fired on them. He had taken command of the gun turret, rallied the disorientated crew, and began to defiantly defend his train and people. The first round had went wide, even at this close of a range. He placed his had on the gunner's shoulder, calming him, telling him to breathe, aim again, before firing. That time, it had been on target, the heavy cannon hitting the gunship dead center, the cockpit, and then the ship itself, exploding, faltering, then crashing into the ground, tumbling end over end. [color=seagreen]"Lets get into the station safely, we can survey the damages then. The Goddess has protected us, and in her wrath, smote our enemies. Sergeant, I turn command back over to you."[/color] King Reynaud hurriedly exiting the gun turret, making his way back to the command and control car, doing what he could to help put out the fires. He hadn't been hurt, but others were not so lucky. This was certainly an interesting start to the day, and of things to come. To himself, he thought, [color=darkgreen]"Well played, demons... well played. Next time, you won't get so lucky. I vow upon the Goddess herself, I'll see the galaxy purged of your chaotic taint."[/color] ------- The damaged train pulled into the Saphir Space Port station without any further incident. The damage was moderate, nothing that couldn't be repaired, but it showed the military of Orleans, that even on their home world, they were not safe for interlopers, from vile infiltrators who sought to spread their taint and corruption. The King and Lady Avoleth were quickly rushed to the awaiting R.O.N. Du'sang Roi, a recently refitted [url=https://i.ibb.co/vPbQH51/Orleans-Navy-Courbet-Class-Battleship.jpg]Courbet-Class Battleship[/url] that served as the principle flagship of the entire Royal Orleans Navy. Already, as the ship took off for space, along with the massive escort fleet, investigators from the National Gendarmerie were busy combing over the wreckage site, doing all they could to get to the bottom of the failed assassination attempt on Lady Avoleth's life. Space stretched out around the fleet, but before them, stood the massive gate, dwarfing even the largest of ships. Fifteen minutes more, then the gate would cycle into synchronization based of its schedule to Federation Space, and from there, the awaited negotiations with the Madame Chancellor. King Reynaud sat aboard the bridge of his flagship, new uniform adorning him, as he closed his eyes, catching a few winks of sleep, before ever more was to unfold and happen. [/hider]