Prosperity | Sungrey
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=FzXuyzrMxow&s=2686&e=2831#The_Legend_of_Dragoon_-_Complete_OST
"I see... a sacrifice of being for power. I wish I could have known that Nyctores was infected. I would have done everything in my power to put her out of her misery before..."
As Phenom spoke, one could hear Heaven's dropships landing on the surface, and they cut off his voice before he could finish speaking. The blasting of the engines was soon replaced the doors opening and Amanda and Gaspard exiting their own ship. The sole reason they hadn't drawn weapons on the mysterious visitors was because they knew Phenom was inside and if there was a reason to fight, there would have already been a hail of bullets. While Gaspard remained outside with the ships, Amanda approached the inn, ignoring any gazes drawn from the Hunters by the dropships. Just before she reached the inn, she blinked, vanishing in a puff of a black, smokey substance. She reappeared a few feet in front of Phenom in the same black smoke, approaching him. Anyone paying attention to her could clearly see that she was completely cloaked, and not a single detail of her being was distinguishable.
"Apologies for interrupting, Phenom, but the transports are here. Keegan is constructing Metkiy's rifle as we speak, and Gaspard and I are ready for anything." she spoke, rather stoically "As you were." she finished, vanishing once more.
"Right... Ian, if you could bring your... erm... comrades inside, please?"
Eternal Galaxy: Phoenix - Intermission
07/20/2015, 04:53 AM #302
Prosperity
"Of course." Ian responded coming out of what to most would have seemed a one sided conversation with Elise. What the Hunteri knew was that Elise had a very peculiar way of conveying her thoughts simply by expression. While the group moved to one side of the room, the Umbra approached Phenom with a serious face.
"If you wish to know how to tell if an Umbra is infected... Well... should one of my kind ever take the form of the living, they are warning you. Luckily there are plenty deceased since the catastrophe I mentioned before." Her voice had an edge of sarcasm with the last part of her statement. She then handed him a small corlaviri crystal of shadowy purple. "Should you have need of our aid, maki'te." She left by shifting into her shadow and darting outside along with a dozen others. Ian then explained the significance of what she said.
"Maki'te is not a word the Dei'arcs use lightly. You've earned their trust." He smiled warmly before he then adopted a more neutral expression as he nodded towards the door, referencing the transports. "So, coming or going?"
"Of course." Ian responded coming out of what to most would have seemed a one sided conversation with Elise. What the Hunteri knew was that Elise had a very peculiar way of conveying her thoughts simply by expression. While the group moved to one side of the room, the Umbra approached Phenom with a serious face.
"If you wish to know how to tell if an Umbra is infected... Well... should one of my kind ever take the form of the living, they are warning you. Luckily there are plenty deceased since the catastrophe I mentioned before." Her voice had an edge of sarcasm with the last part of her statement. She then handed him a small corlaviri crystal of shadowy purple. "Should you have need of our aid, maki'te." She left by shifting into her shadow and darting outside along with a dozen others. Ian then explained the significance of what she said.
"Maki'te is not a word the Dei'arcs use lightly. You've earned their trust." He smiled warmly before he then adopted a more neutral expression as he nodded towards the door, referencing the transports. "So, coming or going?"
07/20/2015, 05:23 AM #303
Prosperity | Sungrey
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=FzXuyzrMxow&s=2686&e=2831#The_Legend_of_Dragoon_-_Complete_OST
Phenom glanced at the civilians in the inn, Gaspard entering the building and herding them out and into the dropships, then he looked back to Ian. "Evacuating. As I'm sure you gathered, the people of this colony were under attack before I arrived. As I dropped, they seemed to number around several thousand. Terra, here, informed me of a troubling individual leading them. A man not unlike your Umbras by the sounds of it. She told me he took her form and fought with her abilities. Any ideas?"
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=FzXuyzrMxow&s=2686&e=2831#The_Legend_of_Dragoon_-_Complete_OST
Phenom glanced at the civilians in the inn, Gaspard entering the building and herding them out and into the dropships, then he looked back to Ian. "Evacuating. As I'm sure you gathered, the people of this colony were under attack before I arrived. As I dropped, they seemed to number around several thousand. Terra, here, informed me of a troubling individual leading them. A man not unlike your Umbras by the sounds of it. She told me he took her form and fought with her abilities. Any ideas?"
Sometimes I feel like the only normal person here
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
Hazmer Baybee
07/20/2015, 05:40 AM #304
Prosperity
Ian raised an eyebrow with a perplexed look on his face. "Umbras can indeed take the form of anyone they meet as well as any unique traits they have... But they cannot use those traits without prior knowledge and training." He looked to Elise who was the picture of concern. "If it didn't have time to do either then I fear that it might be a threat second to only a Nihiliod Adult Swarm: a Demonarc Null."
Ian raised an eyebrow with a perplexed look on his face. "Umbras can indeed take the form of anyone they meet as well as any unique traits they have... But they cannot use those traits without prior knowledge and training." He looked to Elise who was the picture of concern. "If it didn't have time to do either then I fear that it might be a threat second to only a Nihiliod Adult Swarm: a Demonarc Null."
07/20/2015, 06:22 AM #305
Prosperity | Sungrey
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=FzXuyzrMxow&s=2686&e=2831#The_Legend_of_Dragoon_-_Complete_OST
"Demonarc Null? Hmm...." Phenom walked over to the main door of the inn and peeked outside to find Amanda and Gaspard, helping with the evactuation. "Amanda. Gaspard. Come. Intel."
The two Angels dropped what they were doing. Phenom speaking in single word sentences usually meant 'This could determine whether you live or die.' They reported to the inn's interior immediately. It didn't matter if Gaspard and Amanda were more experienced or the same rank. Guardian Angels didn't operate with each other by rank. They operated on who had the best instincts, and Phenom's consistently trumped other operatives. They stood beside Phenom as he stood before Ian once more.
"I believe at this point we're obligated to introduce ourselves." Phenom said, stone-faced, "Major Phenom Ortus. Guardian Angel Nine. Heaven's Own." Heaven's Own was the colloquial term for any actual Guardian Angel's association with GaHDD. It was easier and more to the point than explaining what exactly GaHDD was.
"Majeur Pierre Gaspard. Guardian Angel Four. Heaven's Own." The elderly Frenchman said.
"Captain Amanda Washington. Guardian Angel Six. Heaven's Own." Amanda added.
"As I said before, we came from Earth. The station hanging in low atmosphere above us is our base. I'd rather not elaborate details now. What's important is anything you can tell us about this... Demonarc Null."
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=FzXuyzrMxow&s=2686&e=2831#The_Legend_of_Dragoon_-_Complete_OST
"Demonarc Null? Hmm...." Phenom walked over to the main door of the inn and peeked outside to find Amanda and Gaspard, helping with the evactuation. "Amanda. Gaspard. Come. Intel."
The two Angels dropped what they were doing. Phenom speaking in single word sentences usually meant 'This could determine whether you live or die.' They reported to the inn's interior immediately. It didn't matter if Gaspard and Amanda were more experienced or the same rank. Guardian Angels didn't operate with each other by rank. They operated on who had the best instincts, and Phenom's consistently trumped other operatives. They stood beside Phenom as he stood before Ian once more.
"I believe at this point we're obligated to introduce ourselves." Phenom said, stone-faced, "Major Phenom Ortus. Guardian Angel Nine. Heaven's Own." Heaven's Own was the colloquial term for any actual Guardian Angel's association with GaHDD. It was easier and more to the point than explaining what exactly GaHDD was.
"Majeur Pierre Gaspard. Guardian Angel Four. Heaven's Own." The elderly Frenchman said.
"Captain Amanda Washington. Guardian Angel Six. Heaven's Own." Amanda added.
"As I said before, we came from Earth. The station hanging in low atmosphere above us is our base. I'd rather not elaborate details now. What's important is anything you can tell us about this... Demonarc Null."
Sometimes I feel like the only normal person here
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
Hazmer Baybee
07/20/2015, 07:13 PM #306
Prosperity
Ian found a seat and gestured them to do the same. "To explain the Nulls, I have to explain the origins of the Dei'arc and the traits of the Nihiliods." He leaned back with his hands pressed together at the fingertips in front of him. "The Dei'arcs, or Demonarcs if you want to be insulting, were created from Arcains to be bioweapons. Umbras were designed to be assassins to take down governing bodies from within, which shouldn't be surprising considering their abilities. When the Nihiliods became a prominent threat again, the Umbras were redesigned to help combat them. Unfortunately, the Nihiliods' ability to evolve rapidly rendered them incapable of doing so.
"The greatest issue in combating Nihiliods is their increased rate of genetic mutation and cellular division. They go through the process of Natural Selection at rates that can render means of destroying them useless in mere days at worst. Kinetic weapons are useless against Adult Nihiliods. So are electrical, heat, and our Gaia based weapons. We still have Aura based, but that might not last much longer. We also have reason to believe Nihiliods have some form of telepathy, due to their tendency to seemingly avoid ambushes, traps, or even someone's next move. Now if you combine the traits of an Umbra with that of a Nihiliod, you get the traits of the Nulls. Nulls are created when an Umbra gives into the Nihiliod infection. They become fused to the Nihiliod hive mind, thus are capable of coordinating swarms of Nihiliods.
"At least it isn't a perfect union: their traits aren't perfect after fusion. Their ability to become perfect doppelgangers is dampened to becoming a shadow of their victim. They retain the Nihiliods' ability to heal rapidly but mutations are limited." When he finished he closed his eyes as if weighing the situation they were in. "We had to deal with a few Nulls over the years. So far we've killed... four of a known seventeen by sending the ship they tried to commandeer straight into the local star. The others are trapped in black matter prisons that Anankerisa set up."
Ian found a seat and gestured them to do the same. "To explain the Nulls, I have to explain the origins of the Dei'arc and the traits of the Nihiliods." He leaned back with his hands pressed together at the fingertips in front of him. "The Dei'arcs, or Demonarcs if you want to be insulting, were created from Arcains to be bioweapons. Umbras were designed to be assassins to take down governing bodies from within, which shouldn't be surprising considering their abilities. When the Nihiliods became a prominent threat again, the Umbras were redesigned to help combat them. Unfortunately, the Nihiliods' ability to evolve rapidly rendered them incapable of doing so.
"The greatest issue in combating Nihiliods is their increased rate of genetic mutation and cellular division. They go through the process of Natural Selection at rates that can render means of destroying them useless in mere days at worst. Kinetic weapons are useless against Adult Nihiliods. So are electrical, heat, and our Gaia based weapons. We still have Aura based, but that might not last much longer. We also have reason to believe Nihiliods have some form of telepathy, due to their tendency to seemingly avoid ambushes, traps, or even someone's next move. Now if you combine the traits of an Umbra with that of a Nihiliod, you get the traits of the Nulls. Nulls are created when an Umbra gives into the Nihiliod infection. They become fused to the Nihiliod hive mind, thus are capable of coordinating swarms of Nihiliods.
"At least it isn't a perfect union: their traits aren't perfect after fusion. Their ability to become perfect doppelgangers is dampened to becoming a shadow of their victim. They retain the Nihiliods' ability to heal rapidly but mutations are limited." When he finished he closed his eyes as if weighing the situation they were in. "We had to deal with a few Nulls over the years. So far we've killed... four of a known seventeen by sending the ship they tried to commandeer straight into the local star. The others are trapped in black matter prisons that Anankerisa set up."
07/20/2015, 08:14 PM #307
Prosperity | Sungrey
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=F...-_Complete_OST
The three Angels elected to remain standing as Ian spoke.
"Looks like you may have missed one..." Phenom said, "And now he's here. The destruction in this village... this was no mere raid. They're on a warpath. Whatever his intentions are, they don't stop here. They threaten the lives of too many to let him continue... He'll come back for me. I guarantee. And I will kill him."
"We've failed one planet." Amanda said, "We will not fail this one. This march must be stopped here and now. It began with this young girl. Now it will end with the four of us. Would you stay and help fight back the forces that threaten this planet?"
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=F...-_Complete_OST
The three Angels elected to remain standing as Ian spoke.
"Looks like you may have missed one..." Phenom said, "And now he's here. The destruction in this village... this was no mere raid. They're on a warpath. Whatever his intentions are, they don't stop here. They threaten the lives of too many to let him continue... He'll come back for me. I guarantee. And I will kill him."
"We've failed one planet." Amanda said, "We will not fail this one. This march must be stopped here and now. It began with this young girl. Now it will end with the four of us. Would you stay and help fight back the forces that threaten this planet?"
Sometimes I feel like the only normal person here
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
Hazmer Baybee
07/20/2015, 08:55 PM #308
Prosperity
Now things get complicated. Ian stared at a point past his hands as he thought hard on what he should do next. Choosing words suddenly became difficult. "During the Old Empire, this planet served as a military outpost, a boundary planet to deter invasion. Then the Old Republic discarded it as being disposable and of no material worth." He glanced up to the three soldiers. "You would be asking me to sacrifice men to defend a planet that has been considered for millennia as being worthless." The chair creaked as he leaned back. "No, I will not help you defend this one planet when we have to conserve resources to purge this galaxy." A but seemed to creep over his face. "However, it would be... problematic if the Null made it off world. Therefore we will help make sure it cannot escape as well as eliminating any resources it could use. I also will strongly recommend that the colonists not return to this planet. There will be a Hunteri gathering on Duon at a stronghold that had been established there long ago. It will be the safest place to settle until the Nihiliod threat has been eliminated."
Now things get complicated. Ian stared at a point past his hands as he thought hard on what he should do next. Choosing words suddenly became difficult. "During the Old Empire, this planet served as a military outpost, a boundary planet to deter invasion. Then the Old Republic discarded it as being disposable and of no material worth." He glanced up to the three soldiers. "You would be asking me to sacrifice men to defend a planet that has been considered for millennia as being worthless." The chair creaked as he leaned back. "No, I will not help you defend this one planet when we have to conserve resources to purge this galaxy." A but seemed to creep over his face. "However, it would be... problematic if the Null made it off world. Therefore we will help make sure it cannot escape as well as eliminating any resources it could use. I also will strongly recommend that the colonists not return to this planet. There will be a Hunteri gathering on Duon at a stronghold that had been established there long ago. It will be the safest place to settle until the Nihiliod threat has been eliminated."
07/20/2015, 09:41 PM #309
Prosperity | Sungrey
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=F...-_Complete_OST
"Not surprised by your answer. Stars are vanishing across the universe. This galaxy is the epicenter. Our leaders decreed we investigate this galaxy to put an end to whatever is going on. I suppose your Nihiliods are to blame?" Phenom said, approaching a nearby window. Still blocked up by Phorma's earlier act, he thrust his hand into the blockage, clearing it quickly. The flames of the colony still burned. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done about them. "If that's the case, then it is Heaven's obligation to kill all of them, and destroy whatever it is that creates them."
Phenom stared out at the colony. "Another problem. This planet has many more colonies, and Heaven has not the manpower to evacuate them fast enough. We lost most of our numbers when Earth was destroyed. We number a mere thousand now..."
BGM: Legend of Dragoon OST - Echo of Flame
http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=F...-_Complete_OST
"Not surprised by your answer. Stars are vanishing across the universe. This galaxy is the epicenter. Our leaders decreed we investigate this galaxy to put an end to whatever is going on. I suppose your Nihiliods are to blame?" Phenom said, approaching a nearby window. Still blocked up by Phorma's earlier act, he thrust his hand into the blockage, clearing it quickly. The flames of the colony still burned. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done about them. "If that's the case, then it is Heaven's obligation to kill all of them, and destroy whatever it is that creates them."
Phenom stared out at the colony. "Another problem. This planet has many more colonies, and Heaven has not the manpower to evacuate them fast enough. We lost most of our numbers when Earth was destroyed. We number a mere thousand now..."
Sometimes I feel like the only normal person here
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
"My Threshing has been Extra Princely Fresh"
Hazmer Baybee
07/21/2015, 01:52 AM #310
Prosperity
"Void." The single word was all that Ian said for a moment. "Nihiliods are the symptom of the disease that plagues this galaxy. Problem is, we know the Void is the source, but we don't know how to get at it. If we could, we would be able to save more than just our galaxy." He walked up alongside Phenom with his hands held behind his back. "Right now, we have to play our cards carefully. A thousand years ago, the Hunteri started from only a few hundred. We now number in the millions. There is still not enough of us to purge the Galaxy of Nihiliods and if I know Aion, the leader of all Hunteri, he called all groups together because he thinks we can take on the Void itself." Ian looked at Phenom sideways. "We have made sacrifices over these thousands of years. We had to let planets fall to the Nihiliods. If you are truly from Earth, do not blame yourselves for her destruction. My ancestors accepted that she was doomed. Do not take this planet as a chance of some sort of retribution. There is much more at stake."
"Void." The single word was all that Ian said for a moment. "Nihiliods are the symptom of the disease that plagues this galaxy. Problem is, we know the Void is the source, but we don't know how to get at it. If we could, we would be able to save more than just our galaxy." He walked up alongside Phenom with his hands held behind his back. "Right now, we have to play our cards carefully. A thousand years ago, the Hunteri started from only a few hundred. We now number in the millions. There is still not enough of us to purge the Galaxy of Nihiliods and if I know Aion, the leader of all Hunteri, he called all groups together because he thinks we can take on the Void itself." Ian looked at Phenom sideways. "We have made sacrifices over these thousands of years. We had to let planets fall to the Nihiliods. If you are truly from Earth, do not blame yourselves for her destruction. My ancestors accepted that she was doomed. Do not take this planet as a chance of some sort of retribution. There is much more at stake."