[hr] [center][b][i][h1][color=6ecff6]Doruva Il'Kays Ao'shen[/color][/h1][/i][/b][/center] [hr] The [i]Blackfang[/i] floated lazily within the Crab Nebula, awaiting the arrival of the freighter that it was supposed to meet right here in these clouds of stardust. This ship was deceptively small, being no more than 40 meters long, but it was still a state of the art vessel made by the shipwrights of the House of Aoshen, the second most powerful faction with the Kanarusian Federation. The symbol of the House, a sun surrounded by a pair of circling dragons within a roiling lightning storm, was painted on both sides of the frigate, showing just who owned the thing, and that to mess with it was to invite the wrath of the creatures that the Ascendancy spoke great ill of in its propaganda campaigns. On its prow, a single railgun was mounted, capable of dishing out devastating damage with each shot. Two pairs of point defense cannons were emplaced on four hardpoints in even intervals across the vessel's sides, while rocket pods provided most of its long range offensive firepower. The signature azure paintjob of all of the ships marked as belonging to the House of Aoshen covered much of it, though bands of matte black would distinguish it as a warship, and another symbol, a sword hanging over the galaxy's heart, showed that it was, in fact, property of the intelligence agency of the Federation, which was a united effort by the seven houses. [color=6ecff6]"Can you feel it, Mizrahir?"[/color] Doruva whispered to the captain of the [i]Blackfang[/i], whom he had known for some time. [color=6ecff6]"They're coming."[/color] [color=fdc68a]"I don't even know why you volunteered for this thing."[/color] Mizrahir grumbled as the shipboard radar told them that the Xuanzhang was here. [color=fdc68a]"Those children, they turned quite a few of your comrades into dust..."[/color] [color=6ecff6]"Exactly, Mizrahir!"[/color] Doruva smirked. [color=6ecff6]"Think, Mizrahir. They were most certainly kidnapped from their homes to serve the twisted institution of the Ascendancy. They're powerful. And I see that with their aid and desire for vengeance, we might be able to topple the existing structure, and hopefully someone that has more positive views towards us gets in charge. If the House were to give me more help, maybe even end up making a puppet-"[/color] [color=fdc68a]"Curb your bubbling optimism before I vomit."[/color] Mizrahir waved him away. [color=fdc68a]"Get the hell out already. We just hailed them and the shuttle is prepped."[/color] [color=6ecff6]"Why, yes, if you say so."[/color] Doruva skipped away. [color=6ecff6]"You're missing out."[/color] Mizrahir grumbled and sighed deeply as Doruva eventually got on board the shuttle. Why must he suffer like this?! [hr] It won't be long now. The shuttle had departed from the [i]Blackfang[/i], and a message for a docking procedure had been sent well in advance, and was well received. What form will the scion of Aoshen take form, then? A great serpent of yore? A walking lizard? Or merely a man?