Week 5 - The Final Stand of Captain Alice Clegg

Ryuk's preparations were neatly complete. Would everything come together, or will everything fall apart? Concerns danced inside his head as he readied his weapons.
When was the last time he did this? Ryuk wondered. It seemed ages since he left Refuge, so much has happened since then. He unfolds a towel, and deftly starts dismantling his springshot rifle. Going over each piece, he ascertains the wear of the parts. Everything looks good, and he checks the strength of the Leyas artificed into the weapon, the fire and shadow strength is as good as it ever was. Continuing on Ryuk pulls out a whetstone, and moves on to his knifes. He remembers the dragon, named Blinky, to which these knifes are made of. He killed Blinky two or three times, ah the simpler times when politics weren't an issue. Two of his blades need sharpening, when was the last time he did this? As he swept the blade rhythmically across the stone, his thoughts moved onto his time in space. I have done so much, and screwed up so much more, Ryuk thought. Finishing with the first knife he moved onto the second. What had he accomplished? What is he known for?
The first thing that comes to mind, is the action with the star and the fleet. Is it so wrong? Why was everyone so upset? There was so much he just didn't understand. A little bit of hope shined through, with the thought that all of this will be coming to a conclusion soon. He dared hope that he would capture Clegg. With the second knife done, he moves onto his armour, grabbing his Death Head helm, he starts his examination. Remembering how he received this from a Fleshstealer, who was unable to use it, after being shot in the head twice. Since then, this helmet has save him from death, here is the gouge from were the Uthvelor tried to kill him, here a dent from a cyborg slamming him into a wall. So much work has gone into finding Clegg, and it has been difficult at times. This time he has had help, with the mysterious Prisioner being the greatest help in this trying time. Is he doing it just for revenge, or is he actually help me to help me, Ryuk wondered. Yr and Prime have also helped so much, he thought, but a twinge of incompetence flairs. They seem so sure of themselves, and capable of doing everything the moment they wish.
One day, I will be there, Ryuk promised himself. Setting his helmet down, he picks up his breastplate. Tracing the outline of an energy blast, he is reminded of what the Uth told him, That that was from being killed when he was working as a mercenary, which afterwards his memory of the event was stripped. No time to worry about that now, time is running short, soon he will have to leave.
Ryuk sits crossed leg down and extends his hands out. He starts going through exercises he developed to calm him, and to practice his Leyas abilities. Rotating his left hand up, he quickly creates a flame. Flipping his hand over he extinguishes the first flame and creates a second in his right hand. Faster and faster Ryuk willed each flame in and out of existence. Thoughts of his time with the Uthvelor, when he was asking about his past. The Uth, before he attacked, stated something about an unnatural birth. This would put his "birth" at the end of the Border Wars of Refuge. Ryuk started combining the fire with shadow creating chilling black flames, and started the exercise over again. Ryuk was coming to terms with this startling revelation, and it bothered him less and less. Ryuk was realizing he could become whoever he wanted to be, and didn't have to worry about far past mistakes hurting him in the future.
Making a fist, Ryuk extended his arms. He started to create balls of flame and shadow around his arms and spin them, alternating between pure fire, fire & shadow, and pure shadow. For the mission with the capture of Clegg, there are many unknowns. At least there is a tentative nonaggression agreement between some in the IR and the Unity, this will make things easier if it holds up during battle. Running through the plan in his head he envisions the attack on Alice Clegg's ship. Knowing exactly which one it is he should be able to make a beeline, especially with the codes to enter the ship. With Admiral Yr moving the ship with Shadow Drives, moving the ship to a location outside of the rest, will make taking the flag ship easy.
Ryuk stopped the flames, and closed his eyes. He was working on a new trick. He practiced hardening the skin on his forearms, and adding fire and shadow to them. He wasn't much of a brawler, but in a pinch this should do.
Ryuk stopped practicing with the Leyas, and stood up. Its almost time, and Ryuk started to put on his armor. He started to give the orders, and made sure every one is on the same page. Opening up his pouch, he put twenty five Leyas generators inside of it. In case something goes horribly wrong, he has the energy flow to make things happen.
While Ryuk’s hatred for Captain Clegg was legendary, there was another commander who had an equal passion to find the Estrain Captain. And his reasons could not be more different than Ryuk’s own reasons.

IR Sector General Palomedes adjusted his uniform. The apprehension of Alice Clegg had been a goal ever since the Angels of Desolation had captured and tortured the respected IR Captain. She had been under his command, and in Palomedes eyes it was his failure that had resulted in the destruction of one of his favorite subordinates. Palomedes needed to know if there was any part of the once loyal Captain Clegg left inside the magnavore that bore her name.
His view screen showed the dark star presumed to be dying. In front of it was the gleaming organic, almost carapace-like hulls of 500 Bloom Ships. Enough to conquer an entire solar system. They floated and moved like a school of fish more than a fleet. The instant communication between the E-strain Brain Crabs piloting the vessels allowed them to move in perfect unison.

Palomedes signaled to the bridge crew to begin their attack. He commanded two IR Century-class Heavy Frigates to approach the bloom fleet. They fired their Domebusters trying to draw the Bloom Ships out of their formation. It seemed to work as one edge of the cloud of Bloom Ships began moving towards the source of the attack.
On the same side of the battle was Prime of Unity. Prime smiled, looking at Palomedes tactics. They were elegent in their simplicity. Palomedes did not waste time explaining what he was going to do, but instead did it, knowing that the Unity would respond to such an excellent tactical opportunity.
Prime, of course, would. These E-strain had proven themselves to be disorganized, unworthy of the mantle they had once worn as Angel D's greatest weapon. Now they were as so much dross.

As a cloud of E-strain vessels pursue the Iron Republic frigates, ten Unity Dreadnaughts and 500 Saggitae Starfighters screamed through large rips in space around the Bloom Ships. The Saggitae formed up into squadrons of 10, using their precision to strike the pulsing cores of Bloom Ships. Many Bloom Ships were being destroyed by the Unity Armada. There was obvious panic in the Estrain ranks.
The ensuing chaos began to ripple across the entire front of the Bloom Ship Fleet. The infamous Captain Axis’ Nodachi Starfighters were deploying Void traps along the paths of the Estrain Fleet boxing it in.

In the distance, behind the Iron Republic fleet, two small holes in reality appeared. Through them thrust hundreds of cruelly pointed black metal limbs, and then those limbs stretched the portals outward. Behind them was a vision of horrifying silver structures with thousands of these black legs, dwarfing the size of the portals they had made. It was hard to make out the impossible geometry of these Unity Extensions, though, as a soft chime sounded and massive beams of energy erupted from the portals. These searing beams of white light tore through Bloom Ship ranks.

As the Unity extensions finalized their beam weaponry attacks and began to retreat into the void, new portals would arise from behind. Unleashing upon the battle theater the might of Beacon City. Leading the charge was "Freedom's Haste", the "The Warrior's Faith", and "Spirit of S'vana". Behind these three Arcturus warships followed almost the full force of Garmin Fe's fleet.

Garmin Fe's orders where simple, "We need to quell the E-Strain forces and clear the path to the Wormhole of Fate. With that fleet in the way, there will be great difficulty in countering the greater threat that hangs over us all."
Already two hundred Bloom Ships had been destroyed, the death toll among the E-strain aboard total. Yet even as I.R. Sector General saw the beams firing from his allies holes in reality, he noticed the rear vessels of the E-strain fleet holding position. He also noticed small asteroids appeared to be attached to many of the Bloom Ships, and they flickered with the tell-tale sign of a Shadow Drive spooling up. Twenty Bloom Ships disappeared as well as the Flag Ship carrying Alice Clegg. Palomedes only hoped their joint attack squad was on board. That was when the light from the sun could suddenly be seen. Shadows moved across the stars surface, as hundreds of Revelation Nanoplagues revealed themselves. Like giant specters made from trillions of solar-powered nanobots, they had literally blocked out the sun. They had drawn all that power for one purpose.
Beams of energy scythed through the Bloom Ships, passing through many decks empty of Manslayers. They passed out the other end and struck right into the allied fleets. Palomedes watched in horror as hundreds of starfighters from all armies of the allied fleets were damaged by the hundreds of beams that erupted from above the sun of this isolated solar system.
Fifty of the Revelation Clouds focused their beams on the Allied Fleet. Another fifty focused their beams right into the closing holes. They only had milliseconds, the same speed at which the Unity calculated, and it was in this moment that the E-strain Hive showed its true equality in deadlyness to the Unity.
Prime of Unity was bombarded by destruction reports. It had been…catastrophic. Two Unity Extensions had been nearly cored, and billions of connected were dead. A third Unity Extension had only suffered 100 million deaths. Cloning Labs, Factories, a great storehouses of Unity are were split in half by the intense beam.
Prime nearly wept as he saw the results, only consoled by the fact that all could be rebuilt, and even the people could be cloned and restored to life in a way.
As all commanders there saw the damage done, many were left silent.

Seeing so many turn against the E Strain including their former allies who turned against them so suddenly caused mixed feelings inside Hive Queen Ar'Yay as she watched her fleet moving out from Kyrpos. It was interesting to see how fast one's allies abandoned the people they were sworn to defend such a short time before. While she was happy to see the servants of the Ancient Evils brought low who would be next? Most fighting here weren't fighting to protect the fabric of reality just for their petty desires. After Angel D is gone, will they group together to face the problems of Warmonger? Will it matter? Seeing what she has seen about how the Trilat members "help" others made her shudder. It reminded her about how the Hive Queen Council worked and that did not bode well for the different dimensions.

Her fleet and that of Le-a Hive Queen arrived in time to counter the attacks of the Revelations. Or at least draw fire long enough for the allies fleet to reassume the offensive.
The first wave of the Quall Fleet of Ar’yay was made up of two hundred and fifty Neo Flayer Fightercraft and five Quall Destroyers, they would come in first and begin bombarding with their long range Dome Busters with the fighters weaving in and out striking at Bloom ships with their nano whips. Their entire fighter compliment was destroyed.
Supporting it was the Quall Fleet of Le-a HiveQueen, while her Gunpods and Raptors were wiped out, the Century Class Frigates kept at maximum range and prevented the Revelation Nanoplagues from attacking them.
The Second wave of Ar’yay moved in consisting of two hundred and fifty Quall Interceptors and five Quall Destroyers will jump in and engage the enemy. They tried moving in and the Destroyers were badly damaged but did succeed in leading the final push which included the entire EEF Fleet which had just gotten the signals of the battle broadcast by the Uloh Bloom Ship.
Lead by Field Marshall Strykker it was an impressive starforce, who lent their fire to the forces of the HiveQueens. Now the Unity, Beacon City and IR starforces had also repaired enough systems to continue the fight. They were ready just in time to join with the third wave of Ar’yay’s fleet.
The Third wave consists of two hundred fifty Quall Interceptors, five Quall Destroyers and the I.R. Mothership "The Molten Spear" Which mimicked the actions of group 2 with the exception of the "The Molten Spear" whose EMP Missiles joined the swarm fired by the IR and EEF Fleets.
The Revelation Nanoplagues died as little more than stardust under the EMP bombardment. It had only taken the largest coalition fleet ever amassed to do it.

Their ambush had been beyond anything the allies could have feared.
IR Sector General Palomedes watched the sheer level of the destruction. Yes the fleet of 500 was destroyed, but they had taken their pound of flesh. The entire solar system surrounding the star was now filled with debris and the dead.


Rewards for this mission
All Players involved in this mission will gain the massive requisition perk for 1 week GT
In their construction thread they may add bonus Ships based on their level.
Unity- 5 Bonus Medium Capital Ships
Kasanthian Federation- 5 Bonus Heavy Capital Ships
IR- 4 Bonus Super Capital Ships
Quall- 5 Bonus Heavy Capital Ships
EEF- 10 Bonus Light Capital Ships
Independent Corporations & Free systems- 100 bonus Starfighters

Before the Battle at the Star Began

Captain Grant read the operations order again trying to commit every detail to memory. They were onboard a sleek black as night stealth SAV in one of the docking bays of the Uloh bloom ship two other similiar ships were docked next to them. At one time it looks like the bloom ship had been a medium banking guild frigate, since then bio organic organs and conduits had sprouted from it growing into a large alien starfish like ship. The Captain knew that an encrypted microburst IFF transmitter would let their allies know where they were when the fighting broke out.
The plan for was simple. The Uloh Bloomship would loiter behind and around enemy lines searching for the flagship as well as indicators of the E-strains plan. Once located the Bloom ship would pass close enough to expel the Stealth SAVs. The boarding party consisted of a platoon of hardened heavy Lions and a platoon of Blackheart STRIKE contractors. They would board the mothership and with the help of Blackheart contractors take control of the ship and capture Alice Clegg and bring her to justice.
Extraction would be either linking back up with the Uloh ship or a hot extraction back to the EEF fleet. The latter was a worrying thought.
As K'voth Terex meditated he felt the larva in his head almost wiggle. he could feel the consciousnesses of the Manslayers on board. The Overlord Larva took some getting used to but now it was almost comforting feeling its caress across his thoughts. The STRIKE Operators got along really well with the Uloh manslayers on board the Bloom ship. Having studied extensively at the Wylanda E-Strain Understanding Center K'voth knew a bit of their alien etiquette and the overlord implants let them communicate with willing manslayers via the hive mind.
Now though sitting aboard the Stealth SAV he kept his focus on the present willing the overlord implant into temporary dormancy. Like holding his eyes closed, except metaphysically.
His squad was sitting across from a Squad of Heavy Lions. unlike the Ex-lions in Blackheart these were battle hardened carrying high powered plasma rifles and heavy armor. They kept to themselves outside of the training rehearsals when they were as protective as a mama grizzly. Their job was to protect the STRIKE Teams at all costs.
All their HUDs have winked on showing a communication on the E-strain Network from the Devil’s Elation, the turncoat Bloom Ship controlled by the Uloh Free Confederacy. They had found the Flagship of Alice Clegg
Unknown to them another ship had already beaten them there. The assault shuttle of Leftenant Ryuk had already docked with Captain Alice Clegg’s vessel. Waiting impatiently at the assault hatch was The Prisoner, who had been saved from the Prison of Mandate. A vicious hellhole created by the terrorist group known as the Angels of Desolation.
The Prisoner was torturing himself as he waited for the hatch to open on the Boarding port.
He was still a monster. Foolishly, he had passed up a chance to be saved from the larva growing in his head. The Prisoner sneezed. He nearly cut his face off with a monstrous talon while trying to wipe his nostrils.
He hated being a Magnavore. But right now it would be worth it. Was it a real chance at Alice Clegg? The woman who had imprisoned him and tortured him for the evil Angel D.
The Prisoner hoped he could hide himself from the Manslayers, the larva in his head was technically from their hive. The Prisoner waited for the hatch to open. God forgive him for what he was about to do. Lt. Ryuk walked up to him, flanked by hulking Unity Triarius, tank-like robotic exoskeletons with a gooey human slurry center.
“Its time,” said the Lt. Ryuk, “Are you ready?”
“Never been more ready in my life,” said the Prisoner as the assault hatch slid open with a clink. They charged out into the endless mass of Manslayers, with the boarding force behind them.
Meanwhile, Colonel Griffin, the acting Lion Commander stood on the bridge of the Lion's Pride. The City of Gods class Cruiser was humming with life. General Quarters had been sounded as they had pulled into formation with the rest of the fleet. All of the Lion's were at their battle stations, patient and ready. The Pride's fighter escort fighters danced around the heavy ship. They were strictly on the defensive.
The Pride wouldn't be on the front lines though. Vulfrym was clear about that. The ship would provide support by fire from the rear for the attack elements of the joint fleet. The Pride would only push through the lines to rescue the boarding team if all other options failed.
The commanders order indicated to expect Iron Republic , Unity, and even K-fed elements closing in on Clegg. General Vulfrym had been just as astounded as every other EEF commanders gathered.
The wrath of the entire universe was closing in on Alice Clegg and the Angels of desolation.
Vulfrym had also sent a communication to have some of the best pilots he knew deployed. They were the Steel Falcon fighter wings. T'ren Spears watched the majestic Lions Pride as it joined the massed EEF Formation. Her wing and their sister checked in, and she made comms with both her employer the Pride, and EEF Command net. Both wings were composed of Stillettos that had been quickly retrofitted with Aegis Chill missiles. Their mission was to be their in case "Oh shit" happened.
If the Uloh bloomship got into serious trouble, or the boarding party needed a hot extraction. They would burn at ridiculous velocity to get to them and get them out of trouble. Over half the ships in formation had Ydyara pilots, unlike her, who as a Kiorn was extremely susceptible to the G's and had to wear a bulky pressure suit to stay conscious, they kind of giggled at forces that would cause even the hardiest pilot to blackout. They could push their ships harder and most were extremely proficient pilots.
If "oh shit" happened she was glad the blob like aliens would be on her wing tips.
The Lions Pride began to transmit to T’ren Spears, “Steel Falcons we just got word of the location of Captain Clegg’s Flagship. The KFED Shadow jumped them over near the planet Marduk. We are moving to that position and we request your backup. We have confirmation that the Uloh Free Confederacy is creating a wormhole for us to get there rapidly. We have word from our team on the Flag Ship that it has a TRILAT team as well onboard.”
T’ren felt her stomach drop, wormhole travel always made her feel ill.

Orbiting the planet Marduk was the Captain Clegg’s Flagship. And in the center of that ship was the palatial captain’s quarters of Alice Clegg Magnavore. It had been the toughest fight of Ryuk’s life to get to this door. Standing proudly at his side was the prisoner they were moments from delivering vengeance on the head of Alice Clegg.
The Prisoner ripped the door off its hinges with his enhanced Magnavore strength.
They stepped through side by side.
They came to an abrupt stop. On the kingsize bed was Alice Clegg in a torn and ripped but obviously recently cleaned Iron Republic Uniform. It barely fit her magnavore mutations. On the bed next to her was the Mutated Uthvelor Scientist T’ronde Vale.
Both were in a final embrace.
Ryuk and the Prisoner could not believe their eyes.
There were needles in both arms of the entwined lovers. From the mottled metallic color that spread from those wounds to their hearts and back out to their extremities, it was obvious what they had died from. The doomed lovers had injected Zela metal until they were dead…with no possibility of resurrection. The days of rot had destroyed the brain matter making it useless for memory extractions. They were dead, by their own hand, in one of the most gruesome and terrible ways to die imaginable.

The Prisoner roared in anger feeling his vengeance get stolen. He turned to Ryuk, and asked… “What now?”