Sigma

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

Astoria/WIP

Realms of Astoria

Banner of the Protected Realms/Astorian Kingdom

Banner of the Mordrani Domain

Banners of the Paleskin Clans

Government Form:

Astoria: Regency
Mordrani: Dictatorship
Paleskin Clans: Chiefdom.

Demographics:

Human

Halfling

Drimor

Valos

Paleskins

Paleskin is the collective term of a several brutish races.
Grogar


Grobbet


Groll

Population: 3.8 million
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Plane Description: Astoria is a land surrounded by endless, ravenous seas, any poor soul that dared ventured past the calm waters would be taken by the Hungry Sea. The land itself is a vast country greenery, from the great forests, to great grass plains and rolling hills, to mucky bogs and lastly, to the frigid northlands.

History:
The foundation of Astoria as we know it is stuff out of legend and myth. It all began on the final days of Gaia, an inconspicuous man would receive vivid dreams, or visions from a being not of Gaia, telling him that salvation awaits the chosen few in a plane far from Gaia. At first, he sounded like a raving mad man, telling of a new paradise that awaits the faithful for a Goddess none have even heard of.

However, as Gaia’s twilight days approached, many became desperate and turned to the man they once scorned as mad, now their Savior. An untold number of people had amassed at the appointed location where salvation awaited them. The masses stood, waiting for a miracle, and within moments, their prayers were answered. A grand rift tore into the fabric of reality, revealing a land unlike their own. Without hesitation, the refugees all flooded through the rift, crossing over to their new home, Astoria.

The once mad prophet was now looked to as a leader in this strange new world as the humans battled and struggled against the peoples of this plane. Ranging from barbarian hordes, mad Mage-Kings, and forest-bound raiders. A particularly fierce battle would truly mark the Prophet as the Chosen One of the Goddess, as he led an army of ten thousand against a paleskin horde number triple the numbers, many had perished in the first phase of the battle.

Little did they known, a most holy shrine to the Goddess was near, and had called to the Prophet. Without warning, he had fled the battlefield, his troops following behind as they fled deep into the forests, where the Divine Sword of Excalibis waited. Within moments, the tide of battle turned once the Prophet claimed the sword, its power overwhelming the Paleskin horde as they fled. The Astorians fought many battles over the decades as they carved their kingdom under the rule of their Savior-King, Arthan the First, Chosen of the Goddess.

Centuries pass as the Kingdom of Astoria expanded its reach to all corners of the continent, halted by the Ravenous Seas. The rule of Warlords and Mage-Kings had long past, the Royal House of Arthan overcoming the odds.
Although peace had finally been achieved four centuries after the Gaian’s arrival, it would be an uneasy one. Many paleskin clans still refuse to bow before the Royal House, and internal power struggles within the kingdom are a common occurrence among the nobility. Such power struggles would lead down a dark path that would tear the Kingdom in two.

The House of Mordran is one of several noble houses that claim a very distant relation with the Royal Family, and often are seen as the black sheep in the Kingdom. For decades, the Mordrani had long planned their ascension to the throne, using whatever plot and scheme they could claim it for themselves, until one final plan was set in motion.

The Mordrani had approached several Paleskin Warlords with a proposition, help them kill the King, and they will be granted their own kingdom to rule as they see fit. On that fateful night, a paleskin horde besieged the capital city of Loirimont. The battle would last several days, and in the chaos, Sebastian Mordran, House Patriarch, would himself lead a group of assassins to commit the final deed.

The throne room would be a gruesome sight as the Royal Family and their guard would be forced in a pitched battle against the Mordrani, the Queen and the children the first to fall victim, sending King Caulihem into a rage as he wielded his ancestor’s divine sword against the usurper.

It would unfortunately end in his death as Sebastian landed the final blow, ending the Divine Bloodline of the Savior-King. In his moment of Triumph, Sebastian Mordran took the sword from his cousin’s still body, claiming himself as King of all of Astoria, what came next would baffle the survivors. Excalibis had a mind of its own and outright rejected its new master, consuming him in a blinding light as the Usurper had disintegrated where he stood, the Sword vanishing shortly after.

Fifty years have passed since the battle, Astoria now torn in civil war between the Protected Realms and the Mordrani Domain. The Protected Realms are under the stewardship of the Lord Protector, who will guide the people in the King’s place, holding not hope that the royals may return one day. The Mordrani Domain consist of the western half of the kingdom, under the ironfisted rule of House Mordran, allied houses that joined their cause, and Paleskin Clans that swore to their new King.

Culture and Society:
Astoria is both a feudal and savage land ruled under Noble Houses and Warlords alike. In more civilized parts, Astoria is made up of four classes of people, the Nobility, the Peasantry, the Merchants, and the Mages. Although it can be said there is not strict adherence to any sort of class system, often one can find themselves cross over. The lands both the Protected Realms and Mordrani Domain are managed by Noble Houses that can be trace back to the first Generals of the Founding Crusade, who became honored elders and eventually, were elevated to form the Nobility of the new Kingdom.

Mages can find themselves crossing over class lines at times, the gift of magic caring not for one’s social status. Knights are seen as the paragons of Astorian society, serving as her ever-resilient defenders against all that would bring ruin. Such admiration has given rise to the Chivalry code.

The Astorians are a pious people, the land filled with many different faiths and Gods. The one most revered by the Kingdom is Cliodhna, Goddess of the Cycle, of life and death. It was she who had come into contact with Arthan, helping establish the Kingdom of Astoria. As thanks, the Church of Cliodhna was founded. Along the centuries, the Savior-King had been elevated into a similar status as Cliodhna, seeing him as her First Prophet, the Messiah that led the lost herd into paradise.

---

Governance and Politics:
Protected Realms of Astoria: The Kingdom or the Protected Realms as it now is known, is currently under the stewardship of the Lord Protector under the faint hope that the Royal Family will somehow remerge from the jaws of oblivion. Under the Lord Protector is the House Assembly, a governing council made up of various heads of the Noble Houses that remain loyal to the Crown. The Assembly often handle the day to day matters of state sharing some responsibility with the Lord Protector, who in addition to such duties, also directs the military and defense.

Mordrani Domain The Mordrani Domain functions similarly to the Protected Realms. Lord Mordran ruling his House' territory with an ironfist, leaving daily administration duties to the Houses within their borders, the "Traitor Houses" as they've come to be called by the Protected Realms.

Paleskin Clans: Each of the Paleskin Clans are ruled by their respective Chieftains and their inner circle of lieutenants, the Chieftain's rule is absolute, their word and blade law. If the current-sitting Chieftain were to meet an unfortunate fate, the selection process of succession often is done so in two ways. If the Chieftain was slain in a duel of honor against his opponent, the challenger would then by right, become the new ruling chieftain. If the Chieftain was to die of natural causes, or slain in battle, the new ruling chieftain would then be decided in a grand fighting tournament, the best warriors of the Clan would gather to battle in fierce arena combat for the right to rule the Clan.

Technology and Magic:
Decades of civil war had accelerated minor and major technological development in Astoria, from metalworks, weapons, and armors that would be considered impossible centuries ago, the invention of the firepowder which gave birth to the Cannons known today. Magic in Astoria is a common occurrence, common enough that two major rivaling schools of magic were established throughout Astoria, from the Sacred Institute of Tymedus, which dealt in holy and elemental magics, to the Wizarding Towers of Darkwood, which dealt in more…questionable, but useful arts. In between there were minor schools that were more specialized and more easily accessible throughout Astoria.

Military Overview:

Armies of the Protected Realms

Ever since Astoria's founding, the Kingdom mainly relied upon drafted peasant levies and a small elite corps of Knights and Guardsmen as a means of defense and offense. However, the civil war had demanded extensive military restructuring. Although peasant levies were still present in some form, a professional standing army had slowly replaced them.

Mages also play a vital role within the military, many acting as field medics, others acting as mid-range artillery units, lobbing the elements against the enemy. In recent years, cannons had been introduced by both sides in the war, and although very effective, haven't completely phased out the more traditional siege weapons like the catapult as of yet.

The Knightly Orders of old still linger after the centuries, and now needed more than ever in theses dark times. The various Knightly Orders serve as heavy calvary and elite infantry, their very presence inspiring weary troops to press forward.

Mordrani Legions

The forces of the Mordrani Domain had gone through a similar restructuring, phasing out levies in favor of a professionally trained and loyal army. Paleskin Clans that remained loyal to the Mordrani after their coup attempt make up the bulk of their forces, and are often supported or led by the Mordrani Legions, the combined Household Guards reorganized into a proper fighting force, directing the paleskin hordes with precision.

Recently, the Mordrani had become more open with dabbling with the dark arts, enlisting the aid of Necromancers to add Undead abominations into their ranks.

Grogar Warbands

The Paleskin hordes are a disorganized rabble compared to the ordered and structured armies of more civilized kingdoms, the rank beyond Chieftain being meaningless. Paleskin warriors typically are organized into Warbands, said Warbands vastly differ depending on function, a Warband making up a dozen or so warriors, to hundreds or to thousands of warriors. Leaders of these Warbands are often hand-picked by the Chieftain himself or members of his Inner Circle.

Paleskin Shamans, like their more civilized counterparts, play vital roles within the Warbands, as healers, advisors, leaders or elite warriors.

The various beasts of Astoria, both mundane and monstruous, serve a multitude of roles within the Warbands, be it as beasts of burden, food, mounts or as living siege engines.

---

Additional Info: _{(Anything else you want to include that there isn't a spot for up there. Little factoids about your nation are both amusing and welcome.)}

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

@The Goblin King Actually, it just reopened. You can join now if you wish.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

Collab between @Sigma and @Dog

Columbia
Calvard Province
City of Neo Angeles
Greed and ambition are two traits that fuel Ustonian Megacorps, for their thirst for ever-increasing profits and power can never be satisfied - they always want more and more. Anything that presents a threat to these goals will be stomped upon with extreme prejudice. The call for better Union representation and creation greatly threatens Ustonian corporate profit margins in Neo Angeles. No matter what the Megacorp, unionized labor is not a friend to Ustonian Megacorps. Luckily for the corpos, Neo Angeles is home to many politicians willing to work with corporate interests….

“Mayor Dwight Grant, It's good to meet you! My name is Tyler,” says a sleazy man properly dressed in a blue suit and tie. The man sits down on a chair, taking a quick look at Grant’s office before focusing his attention on the mayor.

“From the last time we met, General Business Machines made a very generous donation to your city’s charity fund for orphans - among other things. Of course, I am here again on the behalf of G.B.M to ask about the upcoming bill that is to be voted upon,” Tyler hands over a yellow folder.

In that yellow folder was Bill-41A - legislation filled with pages of legal jargon and terms. If one were to read it in its full and comb its finer details then the bill would effectively limit the abilities of Unions to organize and represent. Likewise, it presented city tax cuts to corporations and limited a few key rights for workers.

“We would like to ask you to support the bill. How does that sound, Mr. Grant?” Tyler folds his arms and waits for an answer.
The Mayor took the folder, giving the bill a cursory look, a worried expression forming. ‘While I am thankful for G.B.M’s donations….this bill seems a bit…risky.” Dwight said. “Election year is coming up…what if this leaks to the public? It’ll look very…problematic for the both of us.”

“We could always bankroll your election, provided by yours truly. After all, almost all the non-incumbents are not as wealthy as us. Support us and we’ll be more than happy to support your political endeavors with plenty of financial backing through our third channels,” Tyler notes.

The proposition was quite…promising, and could very well guarantee quite the political career, but at the same time, this felt like a trap, that may sink the mayor. Despite his doubts, his ambitious side got the better of them, and despite all the warning signs, took the offer. “Very well, support me and we can guarantee a fruitful partnership, and we, of course, keep this little chat between us, yes?”

“My lips are sealed, Mr. Grant. Happy doing business with you,” Tyler extends a hand, offering a handshake.

Dwight gripped Tyler's hand, as they both shook hands. “And to you.” He said with a smirk.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

@Keyguyperson Welcome aboard!

Through the Rifts: Progeny

Throwing my hat in :D

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

Just repoting my Gaian sheet to make it easier to find.

Very WIP/Gaians

Harmony of Gaia

Reality is determined by a tyranny of the majority.

Government Form: Techno-Theocracy.

Demographics:
Harmonized Gaians: The Gaian faithful that made the final decision to abandon their mortal bodies to ascend into the Blessed Garden, a digital paradise. To roam in the physical realm, the Harmonized Gaians use tailor-made robotic bodies.

Humans: There remains a small human population that continues to resist the Harmony’s efforts to erase all traces of Old Humanity.

Exiled Gaians: Gaians that have rejected the central tenants of the faith and choose to live among the organics, and fight alongside them.

Population: 300 million
Harmonized Gaians-90%
Humans-6%
Exiled Gaians-4%

Planet Name and Description:

Kronos

Kronos is a dry, arid world, possessing very vegetation and surface bodies of water. Underneath however, the planet is abundant in underground springs, isolated from the scorching sun. A singular polar region still remains on the planet. In orbit around Kronos is a vast wing of asteroids and the like, along with what remains of its moon, torn asunder from an ancient calamity, long before colonist's arrival.

History: Over three hundred years ago, the Colony ship Salvation arrived to what would soon be known as Kronos, a harsh, yet, livable world that served as the last refuge for what seemed to be the last of Mankind. The first century since colonization was a difficult a difficult one, filled with a myriad of internal power struggles, large scale conflicts, and disruptive periods of poverty.

It seemed that Mankind would face his end on this dry world, doomed to a slow, painful demise. In all this mayhem, a previously little known cult had slowly rising to power among the masses, the Church of Gaia. In the waning days of Earth, Gaia-centric cults were on the rise, the personification of Earth itself, of what it once was, deified into an object of worship, the Church being among the largest group. Many faithful of the Gaian Church had managed to board the Salvation before departure, ready to start their faith anew on a new world
The Church embedded themselves within one of the city-states that would emerge after the colonist split into warring factions. Their attempts to influence the city was quickly met with great hostility, forcing many of the faithful to flee into the deadlands.

Little records exist on what occurred between their short-term exile and rise to power, rumors and barely legible documents speak of something, living out in the deadlands, something that twisted their very minds into madness, mentions made of a “promise”, and of “restoration”. It could be dismissed as isolation-induced madness, but whatever happened, it had renewed the Gaian’s resolve….and a change of doctrine.
The Gaians now turned to the shadows to gain what they sought, planting agents within influential institutions, however, they had a goal in mind, and a little known scientist would be the key.

Life on Kronos was, and remains harsh, that much is true. Little food, and little water to go around, forcing the colonists to war over what little resources remain, an insidious plan was put into motion. A cerebral chip implant, simply called “Blessed Garden”, was presented as means to alleviate the pain of poverty. It was a chip that would transport the user into a virtual paradise….a fantastical recreation of Earth before the Fall, a perfect escape from the hell that is Kronos. Many sought such an escape, and willingly accepted the implants, if only to escape their lives into better days. Others however, were skeptical of these implants, and sought to make Kronos a better world, rather than dream of a long-dead world.

Those very skeptics would be proven right as the day of terror took place. With the push of a single switch, over 90% of the human population on Krono had dropped into a deep coma. Those unaffected by the Great Sleep, quickly fled out into the wastelands as hordes of drones emerged, ordered to hunt down and kill all who resisted.

And so their plan was set into motion. The Gaian had devised a new doctrine, the restoration of Earth would need….sacrifices, the flesh has long since failed mankind. The flesh is responsible for Earth’s destruction, the flesh must be discarded.

The creator of the Garden Chip was the first to “ascend” into the cloud, and once she did, something happened to her, she was made into something so much more, so much more divine. In her madness, she declared herself Gaia, and what the powers of Paradise at her helm, most within were made to believe. The final step towards paradise was the birth of their new bodies, their holy vessels. The Gaians left their mortal forms to rot, and in their place, new machined bodies tailored to each faithful child of Gaia. Even after Transcendence, some resisted within Gaia’s domain, those that did, were banished into the wastelands to live among the human exiles.
Now with the gateway reopened, Gaia’s eyes turn to the stars once more, as her crusade to rid Mankid of flesh is far from over.

Culture and Society: Gaian faith is the central pillar that holds their very culture and society together. It is centered around three important aspects, the worship of Gaia, the first to transcend into the Blessed Garden, the creator of this divine space. The second is the Sin of the Flesh. Mankind for all of his existence has sought power and comfort by any means anything to please the urges of the Flesh, and in doing so, has wrought all sorts of horrors upon himself. In this, the Gaians teach that to be truly pure, once must forgo their flesh to truly be free of sin, of to become something more divine, the blessed machine is the true path to salvation.

And lastly, there is both the Blessed Garden and Transcendence, two things that are one in the same. Once one is implanted with the chip, they can have a small taste of the paradise that awaits them in the Garden, the endless pleasures that can be all theirs, is they simply live their mortal coils for a much grander existence. These are the core aspects of Gaian society, to free not just mankind, but all sapient life from the Flesh, that all shall embrace the blessed machine and become one with Gaia.

---

Governance and Politics: The Gaian Harmony is a theocratic state ruled under the singular Gaia A.I; Who both functions as the supreme head of state and object of worship by the Harmonized citizens. Below Gaia is the Primarch, a religious and political leader that handles the daily functions of the Harmony in Gaia’s stead. Assisting and working under the Primarch are the Council of Precentors, an assembly made up of the most senior members of the Church.

Technology Overview: The Gaians, of course, have mastered the art of Uploaded minds. The long quest of immortality reaching its somber conclusion, nearly the entire population of Kronos having had their minds uploaded into the Blessed Garden, a virtual paradise within the wastelands of Kronos. Such technology however...comes at a price, once uploaded into the Garden, the human mind will be "Harmonized", a painful process that shackled the victim to the will of the Gaia A.I.

Some were fortunate enough to escape the process, those that have are declared heretics, Exiles. Other notable technologies mastered by the Harmony include highly sophisticated drones, directed energy weapons, hover craft and the like.

Military Overview: The Harmonious Host is the collective military force of the Gaian Harmony, created for the purpose of protecting Gaia's holdings against the heretics and nonbelievers of the Exiles. The Host consists of countless legions of military drones of various sizes and shapes, serving as the frontline, led by their Gaian commanders. Once the gate reopened, the Harmony sought to build up their space forces, the Templeships being the only orbital presence around Kronos, now no longer so.
Harmonious Host

Drone Forces

Infantry-class Drones

Legionary

MKI Standard Model


MKII Heavy Model


MKIII Elite Model

Evocati

MKI Model



MKII Model


MKIII Model

Secutor


Centurion


Warhound


Swarmers

Insect model


Arachnid model

Armored-class Drones and Manned Vehicles

Tri-Pod


Gunship


Dropship


Heavy Troop Transport


Main Battle Tank


Ogre Superheavy Drone


Artillery Walker

Mortar Model


Heavy Mortal Model

Spider Tank

Standard Model


Infantry Support Model


Heavy Model

Light Attack Vehicle


Light Scout Vehicle


Assault Platform


Siege Walker

Gaians

Death's Head Legion

Deathhead Legionaries


Berserkers



Recon Drone

Daughters of Gaia

Assassin


Commando

Primus

Inquisition

Seraphim Knights

Knight


Squire

Light Squire


Heavy Squire

Paladin

Harmonious Armada

Characters

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

Collab between @Liotrent@Raylah@Sigma@Dog@Crusader Lord@Irredeemable

Battle of the Sol System

_{Federal Union of Uston}
This is not good! There are big ships coming to do harm against corporate assets. Ah, bugger - what will our humble (or not so humble) corporate mining fleets do now? Well, not too much - but there is a very small military “fleet” among the fleet. These consist of three cruisers and six destroyers (belonging to them corpo(s). Originally, they were there to protect their fleet rival corporations. Petrochemical Incorporated against Standard Agricultural while Union Chemical Industries against Petrochemical Incorporated - Petrochemical Incorporated against Union Chemical Industries while...you get the point. These corpo(s) are not all too friendly with each other. However, it appears that they must unite and fight together..for now. I ask - what is their chance of winning? Not a lot. While that might be, they might as well cause as much damage as possible. But with that? Good question there because the corpo(s) will do the best thing that they know of - cyberwafare. The bread and butter of any cutthroat mega corporations. How else would they get their trade secrets and steal away industrial technology from rivals?

I do hope that the defense fleets like surprises because they’re in for a big one. Two cruisers and two destroyers belonging to the New Haven Directorate get their targeting systems breached and then quickly taken over, with their weapons turned to focus fire onto their destroyers. Likewise, the coming attack fleet experiences major breaches within their software systems. That’s not really fun, is it? No. No it is not. Sadly, two ECW cruisers can only do so much against such a massive fleet. Now, if there was a battleship with a cyberwafare suite then real damage could be done, but there was no such thing with the corpo fleet stationed at the belt. So, what’s the damage? Glad you asked because the URC’s Alamo has its targeting systems greatly messed with with the mass-cyberattack. Even with the top-of-the-line cyber-suite for the Alamo, the corpo(s) don’t mess around with their hacking prowess. Given this, all six destroyers focus their attention on tackling the smaller ships around the Alamo by firing onto their smaller ships with enmassed missile fire. Coupled with mass-branches everywhere causing plenty of issues in software, the first round of fighting should be interesting. Albeit, the corpo(s) fully know that they can’t win this battle, but they’ll put up one hell of a fight.

---

_{United Republic of Columbia}
The bridge of the Alamo darkened as systems began to shut down one by one. “Ugh, what now!?” Jasi groaned, the shutdown couldn’t come at the worst time. “We’re being hacked sir, several ship systems are on the fritz.” The tech officer replied, rapidly pressing through the keyboard. “Targeting, main engine, the works….working on a solution in taking back the ship…give me ten minutes to sort it out.”
“Just get it done, we’re a sitting duck out here!” Jasi eyed a small indention on the left armrest, pressing down as a radio popped out. “Commander Grant, you have clearance for a few squadrons, provide cover for the fleet.”

---

_{New Haven Directorate}
Missiles and guns were going awry on the New Havenist front. Missiles were homing in on allied ships and guns were being fired at their own ships. The pressure was already weighing heavily on Admiral Durnham’s shoulders.

“Get our ships to stop firing at each other!” He shouted, one of the crew manning the fleet monitor aboard the Resilience then chimed in,

“Sir, our ships got hit by a cyber attack. We should be able to reboot all systems and prevent another one but it will take time.”

Another chimed in, “Sir, NHS Dreamweaver is reporting that their systems are locking on to our allies within the Columbian fleet!”

Durnham looked at the monitor and quickly turned to the Comms officer, “Send a communique to those ships damn it! Get it done NOW!”

He then turned to the helmsman, “Helm, get us closer, we’re bringing the fight to them” he again turned to comms, “Tell NHS Demeter and NHS Ceres to launch all their drones. Hunt down those cheeky bastards hacking our vessels.”

“Aye aye sir.”

A sweat was running down Durnham’s forehead as he watched the battle unfold second by second.

---

_{The Undefeated}
Guardian Ikei Hamonga was standing on the bridge of the Undefeated Battleship Hyperion, looking over various screens that were showing the current status of the fights around Pluto and the Kuiper belt. The Undefeated fleet has not interfered with the fighting yet, nor did it have any intentions to do so. Joint forces of the Xandalians, Colombians, and the New Haven Directorate should have been more than enough to take care of the enemy. Hamonga was tasked to maintain a security perimeter around the Gateway to keep more hostiles from coming through. While of course avoiding intercepting other vessels, which was a peculiar task on its own.

The enemy fleet seemed to consist of hundreds of small and mostly unarmed mining ships, an annoying swarm to deal with and catch every last one, but the others should have no problems fighting them. There were a few military ships that didn’t pose any larger danger. Or at least didn’t seem to.

“What the hell are they doing?” Hamonga leaned closer to one of the screens, because the scanner readings suddenly stopped making sense.

One of the officers pressed a few buttons to readjust the sensors and shook his head. “Uh, sir… It appears that the friendlies have opened fire against each other. I mean literally, not just at each other, even at their own ships.”

Crap. Infiltration, sabotage? Or maybe just someone is messing with their systems? Hamonga didn’t believe that the Colombians and the NHD would suddenly turn against each other in the middle of the battle.

“Sir, should we move in to intercept?”

“No.” They had their orders. “We stay stationed around the Gateway in case these guys will be getting reinforcements. Full battle stations. Signal to the Sonne to be ready to release the fighters.” What a mess this was.

---

_{United Republic of Columbia}
Several squadrons of starhawks, hornets and thunderstrikes launched out of the Alamo, their primary objective being to both harass the enemy ships and intercept any missiles they could from compromised allied ships. “Wild Wings are a go!” One of the squadron leaders announced.

“Naughty Angels away!”

“Earth Crackers away!”

The Earth Crackers, a squadron of Thunderstrike Bombers diverted their attention towards the attacking destroyers, friendly light warships under constant barrage, one of the frigates broadcasting. “This is the Rio Grande! We’re taking too much heat from the enemy, shields are down by half and our targeting systems have gone to shit! We could use some help over here!”

“Copy that Rio Grande, we’re on our way.” Earth Cracker Leader said, the bombers making their way towards the Utsonian Destroyers.
The Wild Wings however, were tasked on harassing the nearby cruisers, taking their attention away from the fleet.

All the while, the Naughty Angels hung back as they circled the battle, ready to take out any rogue projectiles until this hacking situation was dealt with.

The Alamo’s main escorts, the Cruisers Overwatch and Valiant, had split off, the Overwatch tasked with engaging the enemy cruisers. “While our fighters tag one of the cruisers, we’ll hit the other one, keep ‘em busy and divided.” Hans announced the plan to the bridge crew. “ Waiting for the moment the Wild Wings picked their target….within moments they begun to swarm the cruiser on the left. “Targets tag, engage the second enemy cruiser!”

---

_{Zetan Consciousness/Gran Republic of Matuvista}
Two different fleets sailed their way through the Gateway at roughly the same time, but they could not be more different. One looked sleek and scientific, but had weapons almost crudely and haphazardly attached to them. The limping remnants of the Zetan navy that had survived or been recently cobbled together was hardly an imposing force, but that was the point of sending these tattered remnants out instead of their slowly-forming new navy; they wanted people to underestimate them. They needed to project an outward weakness, to act as if they were still reeling from the war and beneath much interest before they crashed their way back into the international forum.

Thus, when their motley crew formed up in the gathering armada, they signaled towards the larger, more established military ships. “Sol Division, reporting for duty. This is Naval-Speaker Tau-Hypatia, tell us where you want us.”

The other fleet was anything but slapdash. A small horde of patrol corvettes surged through the gateways first, followed by three battlecruisers, well-rounded and well-armoured in preparation for anything that could be sent at them. Almost immediately their guns turned towards the firefight, their computers sending out a host of targeting requests from their new erstwhile allies so that their own guns could add to the barrage of fire.

Inside these battlecruisers, marines loaded themselves patiently into boarding torpedoes. voidsuits were checked and secured, guns loaded, and sabres polished and ready for war. If they had the opportunity to seize some of these offending vehicles, they would do so without hesitation.

---

_{United Republic of Columbia}
The Earth Crackers are in for a good time and by that - I mean a whole world of pain. Intense anti-air (if you call space air and such) causes great damage to half of their fighter-size - only leaving six Crackers left to do the fight. Shells and small missiles spit at the Earth Crackers, filling the local space around them with debris and explosions. Meanwhile, the Wild Wings also meet heavy AA from the ECW cruisers. A wave of guided missiles approach the fighters, hoping to strike and down as many fighters that they can. At the same time, Cruisers Overwatch and Valiant are approached by the single cruiser that was meant for a standoff. A series of anti-ship guided missiles are fired, rapidly approaching the Cruisers Overwatch and Valiant.

---

_{Xandalian Republic}

The Xandalian Republic

Sol System, Near Pluto and Kupiter Belt

"The Home's Defilement Part 2: United Front"

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Reports of incoming ships from other nations, other ships making targeting requests to pitch in, and a flood of news washed over the command decks of the two Xandalian Battleships. Named “Mars” and “Athenos”, the two vessels towered as the largest Xandalian vessels in the battle. From their bridges the commanders hashed out orders for their own fleet, as well as calculated statistics and processed the battle reports from their own other craft and involved allied craft. Communicators and operators and data flew about the place as things were pieced together, but out of all the new thus far...the commander of Battleship Mars felt a shiver run up his spine.

[i]“Reports of cyber attacks being launched against allied ships. Confirmed friendly fire from New Haven Directorate Ships and hurried communicades of warning toward Columbian vessels.”[/color]

Commander Hilthern immediately looked at the comms officer who had spoken, a sharp look in his middle aged eyes. He then joined in on the ships internal comms system, barking out with the growl of a seasoned sailor. If the enemy wasn’t going to pull punches, neither was he.

“Attention, this is a fleetwide announcement from Commander Hilthern of the Mars. I want every comms officer not dedicated to battle analysis and communication on each ship to keep tabs on the vulnerable points of your craft. Mech pilots, your alert warning system should provide ample alert should such attempts occur.

I want all Xandalian craft to prepare Hard-Wall Initiative measures in case of attempted cyber attacks on our systems. That means should anything try to poke into your soft systems you hard-cut the system and switch over to the secondary hard-wired internal systems on your vessels. In such a case we will utilize designated ‘silent mode’ manners of communication within the fleet throughout the remainder of the engagement.”

As much as a ship had to remain open and available to communicate with others, it was also a vulnerability. So pirates tended to use dirtier tactics in order to achieve any sort of edge. Tactics like cyber attacks and virus bombs and so forth alongside the usual ‘hit and run’ in realspace, among other things, were common enough among their kind even now back along the Xandalian-Gusb trade route. It wasn’t a full-on cyber war by any means, but generally the hybridized Gusb-Xandalian coding language was enough to slow things down and potentially give time to retaliate back home. To others it would be entirely foreign...though for now long was anyone’s guess. Could be for this battle. Could be for a whole war. Could be less and could be more.

Yet this was where the The Hard-Wall Initiative came in. A somewhat more ancient idea from the Thalarite Century, and the chaos and infighting of those times, it had been kept along and revived during the war with the Gusb. Then it had lingered due to space piracy’s emergence, but not seen deeper investment yet....well, at least publicly.

The concept was to cut off any external vulnerabilities, subjecting all ships to closed-system comms and computing. No way into the systems at that point...but also no way out either. A hard defense, but also one that made it harder to communicate between ships by quite a good bit. Any comms would be reliant at such a point on the means of communication listed under the fleet’s ‘silent mode’ training for all comms officers. Certain gestures from mechs, as well as signs and flashing lights and generating certain radar blips and such used in combination otherwise with them and other ships, to send messages of simpler natures at faster speeds. It was not the most streamlined system, the ‘silent mode’ stuff was basically as ancient as the Hard-Wall Initiative itself after all.

So the Commander’s mere mention of it was enough to take many among the Xandalians’ comms officers aback. Though with the sudden tense air on the bridge of his own ship, as the mention of more serious cyber-attacks was enough to worry a good bit of the Xandalian forces, Hilthern stretched his neck side to side with a light ‘pop’ and ‘crack’ before the comms lit up again with his co-Commander’s voice from the Athenos.

“I second the order! It’s a relic of an idea, but it might be what we need if the worst occurs. The moment anyone goes into ‘silent mode’ status we all do as a precaution. So move it!

Further, I want observation of attacks on allied ships to be performed simultaneously by those keeping tabs on our own internal system security. Get a read on the systems of the opposition. I want the data on this sent to the Mars and Athenos ASAP!”

“For the time being, I want most of our military frame units and corvettes deployed to support smaller allied craft. Military frames should focus on point defense, and all smaller units should remain aware of their surroundings in case of further cyber attacks on allied units.

Any remainder among military frame and corvette units will remain within the shield support of our own Carrier craft for the moment being for safety until the distance is closed well enough to rush the enemy vessels at as close a range as possible.”

“All Cruiser and non-small offensive craft should utilize hard weapons and minimize the implementation of externally-affected guided munitions otherwise. I want suppressive fire laid down en-masse into the enemy positions and larger craft. Force them to pay more attention to our craft and their own to try to relieve allied ships.

Internal closed-guidance systems are also to be implemented should the Hard-Wall Initiative come into place.”

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_{New Haven Directorate}
“Sir, reboot complete on NHS Dreamweaver, NHS Wayfinder, NHS Swordbearer, and NHS Lightbringer. Electronic warfare countermeasures have been deployed. Hacking is now unlikely on all our vessels, sir”

As the report came in, Durnham looked to his comms officer, “Send this communications to all our ships. Redirect efforts against all vessels. We cannot and will not suffer another attack.”

“Sir, even the mining vessels?”

Durnham turned to face the comms officer, “We don’t know whether any of these vessels are capable of such a thing. We of all people should know that it’s easy enough to disguise such equipment in a mining vessel. Destroy everything unless told to otherwise by the coalition.”

“Aye aye sir!”

All directorate vessels turned their guns against the unarmed mining vessels and the motley fleet of combat vessels in the back, joining the Columbians in their assault.

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_{United Republic of Columbia}
“Break! Break!” Earth Cracker Leader cried out as the remainder of the squadron scattered, half of their numbers reduced to scrap from point defense guns and missiles. “Regroup for another run! Activate countermeasures and dive in! Hit them with everything you got!”

Back on the Alamo, the bridge crews were frantic as they all pitched in to restore control of the ship. “Almost…..done….” The tech stated as she rapidly tapped on the keyboard, within moments, the bridge was illuminated, whirling to life. “And we’re back online! All ship systems are back in our control.”

“Getting reports that the rest of the affected ships regained some systems back, at least enough to stop shooting at allied craft. “Another officer declared. “Uhhh...we have another problem though…”

“What could it be this time?” Jasi asked, visibly irked by this point, the whole day seemingly not in short supply of annoyances. “The New Haven ships seem to be firing upon unarmed ships…”

“Oh my gods…” Jasi muttered, rubbing his temples as the battle just got more complicated. Hard enough to tangle with a foe that could hack your systems, now imagine said foe bringing in a massive civilian fleet no less. “Proceed with the attack, we’ll follow the Xandies lead, and open a channel with the New Haven Commander.”

Elsewhere, the Overwatch and Valiant fell under heavy barrage from enemy missile salvos. The bridge of the Overwatch shook violently as the shields were under heavy stress, Hans falling out of his chair, Rean holding on tightly to said chair, keeping his stance. “Status on shields?!” . Hans frantically asked as he pulled himself up. “Shield’s at 40%!” One of the deck officers said.

“Friendlies incoming! We got a ton of allied ships closing in.” Another officer said as a mixture of Xandalian, Zetan, New Havenist, and Matuvistan ships were all within the battle space.

“Perfect timing!” Hans said enthusiastically. “Push forward with the attack! Fire everything we got before they blow us to dust!”

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_{Federal Union of Uston}
The battle rages on, with missiles, railguns, fighters, and what have you being shot every few seconds in space. Commands and orders were given, ships were destroyed, and all is good in war. Of course, the small fleet of 3 cruisers and a few destroyers stood no damn chance in hell in fighting against the enmassed fleet of other nations, but they did put up a decent enough fight in the end. Once the dust settled, only the mining fleet remained. The mining fleet was quite large, albeit in reality it was a small fleet for the mega corporations.

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Conclusion

The Ustonian mining fleet had been routed by the combined efforts of the allied forces of the colonies, the remaining mining ships and one surviving warship rerouted to the Meeting Place, taken as prisoners, followed by many Interrogations of the crew, demanding where they came from. The aftermath of the battle had presented....interesting questions for the colonial nations, chief among them being officially proclaiming the Sol System as neutral, sacred ground, to prevent any more incident as this. This proclamation in turn led to serious talks about the established of an international organization of sorts, a successor to the United Nations of Old Earth.

Although most were for the idea, others had resisted the idea, some deciding against joining such an organization, seeing it as restrictive. Others however, saw this as an opportunity to bring the galactic community closer, to deepen the bonds of brotherhood among the Colonies. Regardless, it was finally put forward, the Sol United Nations was born, with the dream of a more interconnected galaxy.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

@SgtEasy Yup, just haven't posted it in the character tab. It's in page 15.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

@Irredeemable
Some hours had passed since the operation to regroup begun, a good portion of the 401st having been saved by Matuvistan hunting squads, not without sustaining some casualties of course, the incoming reinforcements from the fleet did wonders. Reports from scouts indicated that the White Flowers had staged a massive assault on New Westminster some time ago, the battle however….was a massacre on their end. "Those civvies had fucking balls." Ron said, in the passenger seat of a Glider.

“Sergeant, do you read?” Lt. Shepard spoke over the radio.

“Copy that, ma’am.”. Ron replied. “What’s going on.”

“We’re getting reports from wayward squads of Matuvistan units falling back throughout the city…and we’re detecting mass heat signatures in New Westminster.”

Ron could easily connect the dots there. “They’re retreating.”

“Bingo, as of now, your mission profile has changed.”

“But Lieutenant, they still got our people!”

“I’m very aware of that, we'll sort that problem soon before they leave the system. I need you focus on securing Neo London."

With a hint of hesitation, but at the same time, relief, Ron complied. “Copy that, ma’am.” Ron than begun to tinker with the Glider’s radio to broadcast a message to all nearby units. “Mission’s changed boys and girls. The Mashties are retreating, leaving us to secure the city, The fleet above will handle the prisoner situation.” As he said this, Ron looks up to the sky as she clearly sees the transports and shuttlecraft ascending towards the clouds.

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The Yankie and her escorts were moving en route to the position of the Matuvistan fleet, the Yankies launching a few squadrons of Razorwings and Starhawks, who were sent out far ahead to intercept the Matuvistans, their ship's within visual range. Lt. Shepard sat anxiously on her CO's command chair, praying to the Gods that this won't come to bloodshed...especially with Columbian civilians and marines on board those ships. "Open channels with them."

A moment passes before the officer gives gives her the all green. "This is Lt. Shira Shepard of the Assault ship Yankie to all Matuvistan vessels, I am here to make a simple request. That you release your Columbian prisoners into our care, doing so will avoid anymore dying for both sides and we promise that you may leave in peace once our people have been safely returned."

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Earth
The Meeting Place
The Sol Gateway opened once more…however, this latest visitor and newest addition to the growing galactic community had one hell of a showy appearance. A massive teardrop shaped vessel had emerged from the other side, the ship was even larger than a Columbian Battle Carrier. The mere sight of it no doubt a surprise for the Undefeated Blockade. It was quite clear this vessel was not the same as the ones currently intruding in Sol and was allowed to continue its course.

From the Inner sanctum, a trio of robed figures stood, starring at a hologram model of the Earth…now reduced to ashes. “Oh by the Great Mother…” One of them muttered in a metallic tone. “Earth is no more…a mere husk what she once was, Gaia will be displeased.”

“She must be avenged!” Another spokes in a similar metallic voice. “These infidels do not deserve to be in her presence!”

“No.” The last one spoke. “Patience my brothers. In due time, they will meet oblivion, but not now, we must bid our time, we must…assess the stars, we must spread Her holy word.”

“In Gaia we are made Whole, Gaia be praised.” The three said in unison. “Establish communications, let us talk with our new brothers and sisters.”

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

@Tortoise

New Hollywood
New Beijing

sound effects
Sergeant Justin Hask starred out into the city from the window of the blasted out remains of an apartment complex, laying against a more sturdier part of the wall, the sound of gunfire and explosions filling the air. He turned to face the rest of his squad, all tired and worn from all day of fighting in the streets, the battle taking its toll on all of them. Despite his own exhaustion, the sergeant mustered the strength and forced himself up with a loud groan. "Break time's over boys and girls." He said followed more loud groans from the rest of the squad.

"Quit your bitchin'." Hask ordered. "FOB isn't too far, just ba-" Before Hask could finish his sentence. A loud bang was heard as he felt a warm, stinging, painful sensation somewhere in his chest area. Hask looked down as he saw blood stain pouring out of a fresh bullet wound. "Fuck.." He cursed as he fell over. "Sergeant's down!" One of the marines, a Urkani shouted out.

"Take cover! Weapons free!" Another marine shouted. The room erupted into a frenzy of screams and gunfire as several squads of Protectors advanced from the street below. The marines ducked in cover as a hail of bullets reign over them. The room was clouded as dirt rose up, and the walls being reduced to dust. Hask's second in command, a Marcus Zaamil, time seemed to slow down, marines barely returning fire, peaking out of cover even once guaranteed a stray bullet in the head, gut, what does it matter? Zaamil shook himself back to reality, staring out like a deer at headlights won't a damn difference, certainly won't help his CO.

"Get the sarge out of view!" Zaamil ordered the squad's medic. "Sir!" she complied as she drag him into out into the hallway, literally having to crawl both her and his way out of the killing zone. "What do we do now?!?" One of the marines shouted over the near-deafening gunfire.

"We get the hell out that's what!" Zaamil declared. "On my mark, we fall back!"

3...2...1...-

Without warning, the unsettling jingle of a tossed grenade, even in the whirlwind of gunfire, could be heard narrowly. One of the marines looking wide eyed at a tumbling orb. "Fuckfuckfuck! GREANADE!" He cried out before the grenade set off, taking out the poor man as well, leaving a huge gapping hole where he and the apartment floor used to be, causing a chain reaction that led to the rest of the floor giving way to the weight. "Oh Christ.." Zaamil muttered as floor collapsed. He had blacked out, featureless shapes and lights moving back and forth, hearing the muffled screams of his squadmates, and that of the enemy, slowly opening his eyes as he found himself at the end of a gun barrel. "Get up." The Protector commanded, his subordinates not even waiting as they forced him up, the captain inspecting him. "Pile him up with the others for execution."

Well...seemed like this is the end of the road, Zaamil never thought he'd die on some alien world far from home, he was tossed like a trash into a pile gravely wounded marines, his sergeant among them. "It's been an honor.." Zaamil said meekly to Hask.

"Same.." He replied. The surviving marines forced to look in horror as their brothers in arms were about to meet an unceremonious end. "Ready!" The Protector Captain sounded off. "Aim! Fi-" The captain was interrupted by the roaring sounds of rotor engines, a gust of wind engulfing the area as several Gliders zoomed past the site, the firing squad's attention diverted to the incoming craft. "Shit!" The captain cursed out. "Battle positions!" Before he could bark out any more orders a single bang was from a gunshot echoed through the streets. Hask having pulled out his pistol, making a well placed shot in the heart. "Shouldn't have looked away..." Hask said, blacking out once more. The captain falling to his kneels, struggling to blurt out his orders, but simply fell as the Gliders returned, circling around the street. "This is your last warning! Fall back now or we will fire!"

Without their captain, the Protectors quickly fell back to their trucks, driving off elsewhere in the city, following this, the Gliders made their landing as more marines hopped out. "Area secure!" One of them declared. Once the all clear was giving, Captain O'Brian stepped out one of the Gliders, inspecting the damage done, walking over to the pile of wounded. "Bastards..." He murmured, turning to the others. "Get these man back to base or they're as good as dead."

"Sir!" His soldiers rpelied in unison, rushing over as they carefully loaded the wounded.