[H3][SUB][COLOR=STEELBLUE]| [b]EARTH-668[/b][/COLOR][/SUB][/H3][SUP][COLOR=2C2C2C]__[/COLOR][COLOR=LIGHTSTEELBLUE]NOT SO LONG AGO, IN A GALAXY NOT SO FAR AWAY...[/COLOR][/SUP]
[indent][i][COLOR=darkgray]Smoke coupled with the smell of ash and weapons fire rose into the violet sky that surrounded the world of Centuri VI. Three of its moons were still visible, sitting high in the sky, unobscured by the sun even at midday. Despite never having had contact with Earth, Centuri VI’s architecture was incredibly similar to that found in some regions of the Terran Homeworld. 

The Capitol; the home of the Centurii’s governing democracy, had seen better days. Buildings made of materials comparable to limestone and marble had been damaged from the sonic blasts of the insurgents’ weaponry. Entire buildings had been reduced to nothing more than rubble from the attack.

At the heart of the Capitol lay the Senate, Centuri VI’s governing body. The dome-shaped roof was supported by a series of columns that circled the building, raising it high above the ground. The Senators had been brought out one at a time, forced to kneel and wait. For what? 

They did not know.

Each governing body member exchanged nervous glances with those on their left and right. Any cries for help were silenced immediately, and equally so any pleas for mercy. The armoured insurgents showed no signs of sympathy for the Senators. 

Centuri VI had been a democracy for almost as long as recorded history existed. A planet made up predominantly of philosophers and artists, they had long considered themselves to be past the needless bloodshed of war. But unrest had spread across not only the Capitol but the world as a whole and soon the insurgents had enough numbers to go to war. 

This was the closest any of the Senators had ever come to a violent death. Tear-stained eyes were drawn towards the foreign weapons held by the insurgents. Neither the arms nor armour were of Centurii make. It was this advantage that had allowed their smaller numbers to quickly overwhelm the world’s governments. 

The steady hum of a skiff echoed down the street as the sleek craft appeared within view. The narrow vehicle flew above the ground, the brake flaps deploying before it came to a sudden stop only yards from the line of soon-to-be executed men. 

Atop the craft, a towering figure in black armour began to descend towards the ground. Wings appeared from the back of his suit allowing him to glide towards the ground before marching towards the Senators. Following behind him was a tall, lean figure. 

But they were not Centurii. 

[COLOR=WHITE]<“I see you took some time to use our gift for personal gain. Has your team located the fugitives?”>[/COLOR] The figure asked, gesturing towards the restrained men with one of its four arms. 

[COLOR=WHITE]<“By my honour, your fugitives are not among my people.”>[/COLOR] The armoured figure replied, his helm retracting to reveal a scarred visage. His yellow skin was marred with red and orange bruising. The man’s right eye had been entirely replaced by an implant, the luminous circuitry visible within a large scar running the entire length of the right side of his face.

[COLOR=WHITE]<“But your gift has not gone unappreciated. For too long have the old and cowardly forced all of Centuri to adhere to their ideal way of life He. Now society will be able to begin anew, led by those who fought for it.”>[/COLOR] The armoured figure smiled, nodding towards his men as twelve simultaneous shots rang out. In that same instant, the bodies of each Senator fell to the ground lifeless.

[COLOR=WHITE]<“Now, you have more of this technology, you can bring us more to solidify power?”>[/COLOR] The armoured man asked, turning back towards the alien.

[COLOR=WHITE]<“Oh indeed,”>[/COLOR] It smiled wickedly in response. [COLOR=WHITE]< “I’m more than happy to oblige.”>[/COLOR]

Above Centuri VI, the void of space was suddenly illuminated by a blinding flurry of lightning as the fabric between time and space was ripped apart like a once-clenched jaw. The bow of a ship slipped through the gaping maw as a Hive Ship exited slipstream and came to orbit around the remote Class-I planet. Behind the massive vessel came another like it and another after that. Each of the ships entered into orbit around the Centuri VI. From the surface, the humanoid populace turned their eyes to the sky. Even from the surface, the Hive ships were visible around the planet. 

The armoured figure turned towards the sky, a confused look crossing his face. He could not possibly understand the horror he had unleashed upon his world, but he knew enough to feel fear.

[COLOR=WHITE]<“Deception!”>[/COLOR] He roared, raising his weapon towards the alien. In response, it looked back towards him defiantly, clearly unphased by the sonic arm cannon levelled towards its face.

[COLOR=WHITE]“Khaji-Da.”[/COLOR] It replied, and suddenly, the armoured figure froze. The helmet emerged from within the armour and closed around the humanoid’s head. The eyes suddenly glowed red before it spoke.

[COLOR=WHITE]<“Assuming direct control.”>[/COLOR] Came the suit’s response, the weapon lowering away from the alien. The smug look of triumph passed over its face before it turned its gaze back towards the sky.

[COLOR=WHITE]<“If the fugitives are not among your people, then you are no further use to me. You and your world will exist solely to serve the Hive.”>[/COLOR]

From within the Hive ships came a deafening humming noise. Hundreds of small vessels suddenly exited from the hexagonal patterning on the ships' underbelly. Diving through the atmosphere of the planet, the ships began to fire on those below. A man reached out to his child only to be struck down. A metal prong hooked into his back, injecting the man and forcibly transforming his body. Crying out to his child one last time, the man's eyes went blank as he lost his individuality becoming nothing but a drone to the invading aliens. Turning to his crying child, he extended a spike from his wrist before reaching down and submitting her to the same fate as he. More and more of the natives began to fall to this fate. From the Hive ships above, a haunting electronic voice echoed over the planet.

[COLOR=WHITE]<“We are the Reach. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.”>[/COLOR]

The message continued to play on a loop as the Reach began to bomb the planet from orbit. As they had done to the populace, the surface was transformed. The Reach penetrated the surface with pillars that unfolded to cocoon Centuri VI. Drilling to the planet's core, they were preparing the world for a metamorphosis, ensuring it would survive the terraforming process. As the cocoon began to spread, the planet's resources were slowly absorbed as the Reach harvested each and every one of them. Their new drones slowly awakened from the transformation process as they began to assist the cocooning process, their new implants allowing them total comprehension as they became one with the hive mind. Descending through the atmosphere, the first of the Hive ships prepared to land as the other two departed from orbit. 

This world, like many others, now belonged to the Reach.[/COLOR][/i][/indent]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0dMAnZM.png[/img]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1191225867322535976/1192467295033892925/What_If_Season_1_Header.png?ex=65a92eb6&is=6596b9b6&hm=81eed22341087905c379971f3dbcbb061abbf48dbec24cfe6e109b8a54316b34&[/img][/CENTER][COLOR=#c9b142][indent][sub][B]Location:[/B] [COLOR=#915356][I]Washington, D.C.[/I] - [I]United States of America[/I][/COLOR][/sub][sup][right][b]Secret Invasion #1.01:[/b] [COLOR=#915356][I]Clandestine[/I][/COLOR][/right][/sup][/indent][/color][sub][img]https://i.imgur.com/0dMAnZM.png[/img][/sub][INDENT][color=#c9b142][sub][B]Interaction(s):[/B] [COLOR=#915356][I]None[/I][/COLOR][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][color=2c2c2c][b]Previously:[/b] [COLOR=#915356][color=2c2c2c][I]None[/I][/color][/COLOR][/color][/right][/SUP][/color]
[COLOR=DARKGRAY]Hard heels clicked rhythmically along the cobblestone alley as the red-haired woman maintained a brisk pace. The cold night air showed her breath from between a pair of pursed, ruby lips. One hand was slipped into her jacket, resting at the ready on her standard-issued firearm. The other gingerly touched against the stone wall while emerald eyes darted about recording every inch of her surroundings. Clandestine meetings on a foggy night were a Hollywood cliché, but yet, here she was carrying one out on behalf of S.W.O.R.D. The Sentient World Observation and Response Department was a counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Strategic Homeland Investigation, Espionage and Logistics Division. Developed in response to the world's so-called heroes and villains, it was these beings of power that had long since confirmed humanity's question of what was out there.

Turned out, most of it wasn't as friendly as the one with the hammer or the Boy Scout in blue.

Ahead of her, a tall figure loomed in the shadow cast by the overhead footbridge. The sounds of the city were louder here, able to cover their conversation as splashes of colourful lighting could be seen beyond the figure at the alley's exit.

[color=white]"The sun is very bright today."[/color] The male stated as Agent Morse approached him.

[color=white]"But the ice is still very slippery."[/color] She replied with a bored tone.

Again. Cliché.

[color=white]"Thank you for meeting with me."[/color] The other figure nodded appreciatively before producing a small flash drive from within their palm. [color=white]"Everything you're looking for is on this drive. Recorded footage, your analysts will be able to tell it's not doctored or forged. There were three of them; big, green and with pointy ears."[/color]

[color=white]"Skrulls."[/color] Morse snarled before reaching for the drive. [color=white]"They're not usually so careless."[/color]

[color=white]<"Then you shouldn't be surprised that this is a trap.">[/color]

Morse moved to draw her weapon, but the familiar hum caused her to hesitate as she looked toward the male in front of her. The glowing barrel of his weapon pointed directly towards her abdomen as two others appeared from the shadows, transforming from inanimate objects back to their true form.

[color=white]<"Easy, Red-Eyes. This is a Shi'ar Disrupter; it'll put a hole even in your durable carapace.">[/color]

The agent smiled before her voice suddenly filled the heads of her three would-be assailants.

[color=white][I]If you knew what I was, then, you should have brought more firepower.[/I][/color]

The Skrulls shrieked in agony, purple blood spilling from their ears before their eyes rolled into the back of their heads. All three corpses dropped to the ground simultaneously as Agent Morse brought her phone to her mouth.

[color=white]"I have three specimens for transport."[/color][/color][/indent]
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[cell][color=#2c2c2c]- -[/color][color=2c2c2c][b]First Issue:[/b] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5495263][COLOR=#915356][color=2c2c2c][I]TBD[/I][/color][/COLOR][/url][/color][/cell][cell][color=2c2c2c]-[/color][/cell][cell][color=2c2c2c]-[/color][/cell]
[cell][center][B]Next Issue:[/B] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5495263][COLOR=#915356][I]Retaliation[/I][/COLOR][/url][/center][/cell][cell][color=2c2c2c]-[/color][/cell]
[cell][INDENT][right][b]Latest Issue:[/b] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5495263][COLOR=#915356][I]Clandestine[/I][/COLOR][/url][/right][/INDENT][/cell]
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