Galactic Federation

It is good to see you alive, I felt your being fade and feared the worse. Moxif Is kind to those who are kind and saw fit to keep you with us.
Now your giving me ideas
I was picking up something was up but wasn't sure how to react to it. Thats why I was so direct with stormkings. I don't do subtlety well

I'll also wait for this crisis to be over before jumping in with the plant people I mentioned towards the end of the last thread. I need to reconstruct the empire's profile to help jog my memory about them anyway, since I lost it when my last laptop died.

Also is combat stuff like this the norm, or do these threads normally play out more peacefully (even if tense, as entertaining politics oughta be from time to time)?

So,now that we are all here,I say we address this Stormking business.We must stay in this ship until the Rumar finishing clearing out the Federation station.

Normally it's diplomacy.Even the Battle of Yss was dealt in more of a detached manner.This was a special event,I'd guess.I expect fighting the storm king will be more like Yss than this.Either way,these threads often seem to me more diplomatically geared,with even some comfy thrown into the mix

I feel weak, and drained. I saw my son, and my father too.

You nearly died.Luckily the infection didn't take you as well,or you'd have been a goner.

Could it be the same creature? This was at least as big as a small moon and considerably larger if you take it's tentacles into account.

I have, with some thought, decided, that if you can confirm a stormking is active on a plannet, you have my full permission for large scale orbital bombardment. It pains me, but the thralls are already dead, and homes can be rebuild, any further lives Stormking may ruin cannot

No,we stopped that Hive long ago.Whta you're describing is radically different.Do you have more info on it?

Understood.I believe the Rumar have such weapons,and so do I.Do you have a location on the Storm King?

I'm afraid not, and it is not alone. If one StormKing can be made, many can. They are a cancer upon Moxif's creation

You were suffering from an NDE, Taxla. Currently, we are on a ship heading towards Ru. The Emperor has commissioned a diplomatic ship, a mega-dreadnought sized ship to be our base of operations. Now, the thing is we need to reclaim back our base, and it will take up to a year. Right now, we need to deal with that damned plague. I hope that you have destroyed that construction ship.

It seems to be bio mechanical as well or perhaps it could just the remains of it's last kills. It seemed to be the leader of it's branch of bioships as we have seen smaller examples that look like it threatening local worlds. But we have no idea what it possibly could have done to get so massive. And it seems to have some way to control and produce an extremely deadly plasma blast.

Everyone,i do hope you are comfetable on my ship we just entered rumarian space and should be on Ru in an hour

yes we have

Okay.Well,at least this infection business is over,with comparatively few casualties.We can track the S-
>A beeping noise is heard from Carter's data slate.

Oh.I'm sorry,but I must return to the Wastes.The Shadow things are arriving.The Federation station should be cleared within an hour,and I will return soon.Remember to use the regenerative pod I gave you.
Maybe after this StormKing business,you can come see the Hematization.
I must leave now.
>Carter leaves the room,boarding onto a bioship.

Will you require any assistance ambassador? We have a fleet in that area on training manuevers and i am sure they would enjoy a chance at combat more.

>Is looking much refreshed for some water. His coat was ruined during the attack, but the silver medal and chain that marks his office are still attached to his waistcoat
Forgive me, your majesty, but I am still at a loss as to the precise nature of these 'Storm Kings'. I gather they are a heretic religious group of your people? That still does not answer much.

Forgive me; Eortite presence and contact with the Federation has been, as I'm sure you're aware, sparse at best, ever since our borders were closed.

Your ship is so... humble. Many of the houses flaunt flying places, golden this, Tvess silk that, it is nice to finally see a ship with honed purpose. I erm... don't mean that as insult, this place is cosy.
Hlvuk told me of your hematization, I long for peace so I can see it.

i thank you, we rumar only value purpose and effectiveness which you will see more when we land on Ru also be careful as i dont want to lose anyone to the Ghular or Furssk when we land on Ru

for now be cozy

Where's my sword, I need it now.

Heh. I was in a ship with Kinroto XVII, his personal shuttle is very utilitarian. His personal ship, not so much.

Your sword. Well...
>He searches in his bag
Shit. I do not have your sword, it is on the station. We could retrieve it once we are done.

I see, I have shamed myself by losing it.

I think I will offer you this vibrosword as compensation for now. Its military grade.

That!? Do not worry, we will get it back. In fact, do not worry. You can blame it on me, I had it, but a Zack pulled it out. But, if it weren't for that, I'd be dead.

i could give you this hunting blaade blade, it was lost by my brother after his death ,i believe you can make use of this blade

*um what do the so'vih look like i forgot

Oh, my condolences then. This blade
>He decides to try it, and then smiles
This is a fine blade. Your brother must have been a brave soul.

Storm Kings are not heretics. They are demons. Some heretics beyond all sanity remade them. They are perversions of Moxif creation, and they seek to twist Her Grand Gilix too. A So'vih larvae is a parasitic creature that feeds of its host's mind and body until it matures. A StormKing cannot mature. It desires to endlessly feed and grow, and has the power to fill others with its will. The more it eats the stronger its powers become. They care not for those who are not StormKings, if you are not one of them you are food or a slave. The first was made when we were a foolish and young race, we thought we could improve on Moxif's work, to help us survive the new and varied planets we had just learnt to find. Add this gene and altar this, and then an abomination was born. And it made more. It is not easy for any So'Vih who knows our history to admit, but they made our empire. Their foul will and empty thralls worked to conquer and expand, spreading our empire far. It was not until Moxif herself, stepped in to save us that this ended. Glevix the liberator, Her divine avatar, rallied the free to slay the Stormkings, and then we hid our nation in shame of our work. This happened a very long time ago, and it was not until I felt Moxif's will within me that we opened our borders again. It appears She must have known, and It is by Her will that we have new allies to help prevent their rule.
That's the image I've been using but If your asking for the drawthread there are a few alterations

aye, he was that he was, our father gave him dat blade and me his rifle.I hope you carry it with honor

Ah,here we are
Welcome to Ru, my home

Only temporary, I shall return it when my own is recovered.

It's alright, I was the one fighting, my guards must have left it when they pulled me out

everyone follow me into my camp and watch yourselves as the predators of my world may eat you.

This is a thrill I've never had to live with before,the closest I can usually get to raw life, is the great gardens

you must enlightin me of you ways once we are in my hall

I see. Biological creations with infectious powers... Haah. This is why bio-modification in the kingdom is subject to temple oversight! So that we might never change the body so much that it corrupts the soul!

Far be it for me to recommend policy of a foreign power, but off the record, I would advise orbital sterilization of infected areas. For any sin the Kingdom has committed, bioweapons are thankfully not numbered among them*.

>The lord-representative begins to breathe heavily and perspire almost the moment he is outside the climate-controlled shuttle
Guh-! Kings and queens, is there a thunderstorm due? I've never known air this heavy! Hopefully my bodyguards rendezvous soon; I might not last long without an environment mask.

Apologies, your lordship. Your world's untamed grandeur is impressive, but give me the cool winds of Luxoris, or the luminous gardens of sacred Orassia any day. Forgive me if I'm a little slow; I think if I hurried in this atmosphere, I might pass out...

Given that diplomacy seems to be at a necessary halt until the crisis is resolved, a cultural exchange does seem to be the best use of our time.

follow me into my hall it has a area that is a control enviroment for more exotic prey.Lets go

On the contrary, it is wise o remember for what one fights.
The place worlds of the many Houses are nothing like this. There are marvels of architecture and masonry from pole to pole, and great gardens containing little slices of worlds, yet none have the rush of the real wilds. I will be honest though, I prefer my wilderness when I can take a break in one of the lounges beside it.

but that takes out the fun of it.
ah,here we are.my hall now fallow me there is a controlled enviroment here.

misread your post as "does not seem to be the best use of our time", wups

Is the station cleared yet? I wish to recover the dead Yssravannar who fell and bring them home.

Mistakes are made. Working on a cultural packet now, then an intelligence report.

Anything you think it needs?

I need to be here more often.

an entire page about the rumar
thats a joke btw

Hmmm it seems like some of the threats we have faced. Can you detail the strengths of the organism and if it can be controlled?

No idea, still not fully sure what to put in mine either. I guess the core is race biology, homeworld and or history, religion and then anything else that pops up about the race, I'm thinking for mine, the cast system and the great houses
You have missed a great deal
You do not control hellspawn. They can enter an unguarded mind as easy as opening an unlocked door and if the scriptures are true, will take great pleasure in making you shoot your friends and yourself. their hidious version of psionics need not other minds to manifest, and can rip at reality. If not to spite us all further, Their Xiz organ also grows as they grow, allowing them to generate more electricity. It is said the StormKings of old could create and control thunderstorms, and manipulate the weather in other ways too. So no, we cannot control them. We must exterminate them.

Ha everything can be controlled. An unruly populace with it's water supply cut off are quick to break and Dust can have many different effects on the mind... But we shall consider your information.

So now exactly does one destroy a storm king? Does it lie within psychic powers?

Or perhaps with the applied use of firepower?

Greetings, denizens of the galaxy. We have just recently been able to fully decipher your communal language, and would like to introduce ourselves to the galactic community as a whole.

Iron Bloom Incorporated would like to formally offer its services and business to any and all who desire our expertise. I will say with more than a hint of pride that we are a race of artisans and researchers. We are quite happy to sell any technology others may find interesting, although we will hold a few trade secrets close to our stems.

As I am quite sure there are some bastions of good in the galaxy who will look quite sternly at anyone thinking to exploit a newcomer on the galactic scene, enclosed are coordinates to our main home sector, and IFF codes for the automated defense platforms littering the system.

Please, stop on by, window shop, and enjoy the thousand of beautiful mountain vistas. Please book three weeks in advance and enclose atmospheric requirements, so we may better tailor your suite.

But why should we trust what you say? Do you have any proof of your hospitality?

I think against a foe that can use its mind to dominate others that may not be a great idea.

Yes and no. In theory they should never age, and have much more dense carapaces than normal So'Vih. Whilst shooting one will kill it, without the proper preparation one could swat the your bullets aside, make you shoot yourself, or throw you at the nearest hard object. They are mortal, just they have trouble expressing it. The one that took my wing tore through an entire parade of armed forces, and slaughtered most of my elite crimson caste guard before it was just weak enough that with Moxif's blessing I could restrain it so it could be shot.

So to minimise the risk of self inflicted harm, the beast would need to be subdued psychically?

What about an unmanned fireships filled with ordinance aimed straight towards? We have some unsavory personnel that could guide the projectile on it's glorious mission.

Oh my.
Have any... Holo-vids?
Specifically... Animated ones?

Hypervelocity rounds seem most effective then.

We believe in commerce, and there is no money to be made in the long term by mugging a few exploration vessels coming to examine our planet, nor any who set foot upon our worlds.

While we have not skimped on preparing our home against possible aggressors, any who come with peaceful intentions will find them reciprocated.

As a show of good faith, I will use my own personnel dwelling as the exclusive booking site for the first 50 planetary visitors. Considering by our legal system I own the planet, I assure you, I have the best views.

May i ask who on your planet is the best female?

Typical humans, always lacking in imagination. Not every problem can, at least initially, be solved by blowing it up.

Well er... Shas'o Kayana is best

We have a thriving cinematic industry. Ranging from seedling/child/larva suitable material, to more... mature themed subjects.

However, before you get your hopes up, we reproduce via airborne pollen. We were a very isolated species during our evolutionary development. Sending a tide of pollen into the valleys was more effective than making the trek down.

However, we are always willing to tap new markets, if you catch my drift.

There are few situations that cannot be solved by the use of violence. Perhaps you lack imagination in how to utilize it.

To put it bluntly yes. A large choir of psionics would be needed to overpwer one but it is a way.
He does however have a point. The StormKings never encountered AI so I am unsure how they would react. Without psionics however the AI would likely be literally crushed. AI firesupport and shocktroops to aid psionic troops on the other hand...
Sorry my young friends, psychopathic abominations are eating my people, but once they are put to an end I would love to visit.

Every single situation can be solved through violence, any knows that. It's knowing there are other ways to solve a problem in the first place that gives way to that spark of imagination,

I would recommend orbital sterilization via fusion lance, personally. If these monsters have managed to infest a civil zone, then there seems to be little hope for those in their vicinity anyway. I do hope that, once contracted, the disease is not communicable any further? Else we may have an epidemic on our hands.

The Second Book of Royal Wisdom states, "Violence is only the first resort of the cruel and the foolish, but once it is resorted to, nothing must be held back until the desired result is achieved." This need not always be the complete destruction of the enemy, but in this case, I believe such a response apt.

Regardless, this is hardly the time or place for such. I am sure our worthy soldiers are more than capable of containing the threat. We should take this time for cultural exchange and to further the spirit of inter-stellar co-operation, surely?

That would be the actress Copper Petal, a beloved planetary treasure and by far our greatest performer. Her last concert managed to draw a crowd so large, our seismic scanners were spiking in time with the crowd jumping up and down.

Well our water caste is always willing to learn new things.
I gotcha. I'll forward some "Educational Content"

Swarm it with AI, drown out the psychic waves and open shell storm of fire on them.

Oh. And I just finished enough of a write-up for my ultra-capitalistic, expansion-hungry plant-people to feel ready to start a post and jump in, too. Should I run with them anyway, or try to make something else? I hesitate, but this could be the blossoming of a new rivalry between two peoples on a galactic stage that only has room for one entrepreneurial flower. Can you say, "trade wars"?

While we may be young, we may be able to offer assistance. Given the psionic nature of these abominations, have you considered using that which has no mind, but still thinks? We pride ourselves on the high use of mid grade artificial intelligence to perform hazardous labor, military efforts, and other tasks that put organic life at risk.

They are about as smart as a well trained beast of burden, with a few overseer units to provide direction. I am sure we have more than a few Root systems eager for the chance to fight on alien worlds for a good cause.

We will require you sign a waiver ensuring all Root systems will be provide with basic sapient rights. We've had one too many close calls with artificial intelligence uprisings in the past, and would like to ensure any that happen due to our product was because they had a slave uprising, not a defective control unit.

Do it

Up to you my friend. Drama is always a good thing, provided its enjoyable by both sides. For ever honest businesstree, there are a dozen cut throats looking to make a quick buck.

I fear you misunderstand me. A StormKing is not the result of a disease, it could not be spawned from any part of nature, however cruel. They are made. They are an evil that twists innocent larvae into more horrors.Like the bogymen of ancient myths they must steal children to reproduce. This is why it troubles me any organisation would try to recreate one.
f you are saying, yes orbital bombardment is likely the best option, followed by AI teams to conform the kill. If they hunker down, then we might have to risk high power psionic teams. But expect heavy resistance from dominated thrall fleets.
I am afraid I must go now. My wounds need time to heal and speaking so much of the Stormkings leaves me feeling ill. I will meditate upon all of this. My Moxif guide us all.

>Representative Inkito starts humming the lyrics to Iron Bird
Oh! Sorry, hello there! Greetings, we are the Ploraxian Realms! We wish for cooperation and mutuality between our species.

Stormkings, eh? We are materialists, but who says we can't hunt 'em down. I'll send some Cyber-Assasins after them, or maybe elite death guard.

May i aid you in my personal battleship "Iron Will" ? I would definitely be interested in some helpful cooperation.

>within the chamber an inky darkness pulsates and crackles, the sounds of a thousand realities ceasing to be is heard
>the walls of the room melt and ebb away, as //something// pushes its way into material space
>From a wound in the void something comes, impossible, vast, larger than all of Creation. Dwarfing even the greatest of the cosmos' wonders
>The sick stench of rot fills the room, as unreality itself makes its presence known once more

//GREETINGS//
{Salutations}

I must retire ambassadors, today has been extremely taxing for me. I will return once I have resent myself. And I bid her highness a good night and a quick recovery to her ailing body.

We will send our trained hunter teams to help deal with these monstrosities. We do request to study some of these, however.

We have had a lot of experience on planetary conquering and planetary assaults. Have you any AI warmachines for ground combat?

W̠̭̼̙h̥̰̬͈̜̗͎a̭̻͔̳͖̜t̮͓͓͍͇?̻̻̳̜ͅ
͓̥D̗͇͙͓̦͓ọ̹͎̯̤e̺̺̩͔͚̳̣s̥̭̜ ̻̫̤̱̫a̙͕n̦̗͕̮̙̭ͅy̩̬o͓̰̘͎n͕͇̱̠͉e͈̗͍ ̝e̟̳͇̞̜̙͈l̼̺s̹͓̝͉̙̜ͅe̦̣̠̗ ̰̟͔he̥̝̯͍̳͕ͅar̼̦̱̤ ̟͍̻̭t̩̭̙̥ͅh̖̱͉͓̯ͅi̥s?͉
Hello?

Rest well, your majesty. I fear I too shall need to retire before too long... Just as soon as I can finish this cultural dossier's translation.

I am afraid you are mistaken, honoured ambassador. The Kingdom of Eortan is not a part of the Galactic Federation; I am present as an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of my Divine Queen Sheldren IV, to discuss the acquisition of Federation aid in dealing with a refugee crisis that currently blights the Lesser Kingdom of Ryush. Naturally, this Storm King crisis is somewhat delaying said plans...

I thank the Ploraxian Realms for the sunlit greeting, and offer. From deepest valley to highest peak, all the Iron Bloom greet you to our home.

Someone, link this channel to the RnD. I know when I'm seeing the laws of reality bent over a branch and broken.

We offer eight hundred and sixty three unique ground combat platforms. While the list of functional Root systems willing to engage in open warfare is fairly limited, you will not find their ability to put the full array of shells to the fullest.

Do you have any preferred planetary conditions, or would you prefer a more broad range unit?

>The unfathomable thing greets the Representative

*Hello Representative*
(WE ARE THE COURT)
&ASMODEUS&
*We have come*

C̼a̖n̩ ͙̤̘̘͍͙y͇̙o̘̳̝͍͕̝u̖͈͍ͅ ͅl͇̮̖ow̯͍er̼ ̬y͇̘͍̣o̜u͚̻͉̬̻̪͎r̠͙̤̱̞͙̟ ̼͍̥v̳̠̥̖̪o̤̻̺̳̪ic͕̠e̹̰ ͓p̝͉l̝͍͇̩̩͈e͙͈̖a̟͕̳͉̩͎s͓̠̖e̤̬̞͎̱̳̫?̝͉̼̻̗

>The terrible nightmare that is //ASMODEUS// seems to peer down at the Representative

*This Is As Low AS WE Can SPEAK#
$Representative$

W̌H͕ͧͫͦ̇ͪȨ͇͛̄̓̓R̄̇͊ͬ͐͌̐E̩̥̣̰̼ͭ ̟̦̙̮̆̔̍͂ͬ͠H̵̙̞ͮ͋͑ͅḀ̸ͨͪ̌́̿͋S͇̗̙̰ͣ̂̽͂͛͌ ̺̱͐Ĕ̞̥V̀ͬͨ̈́ͭE̒̄ͦ̂̔R̛̳̼̘ͭY̴̩̳̑̉O̺̹̮̥̟͈̿͑͋̆͘N̉ͫ̉̕Ḙ͂͟ ̴̱̩͓̩̘ͯ̍G̸̦͓ͨͣǪ̪͍ͭͣͫN̋E̙͖̩̙͗̾

>incomprehensible rustling and scraping between an unseen figure and Silver Frond

Well, I didn't expect to see an eldritch horror within the first contact with the galactic community. I hope this isn't frequent. However.

As you seem to be causing suffering to the good representative, please state your business and finish it as quickly as possible.