Interregnum of Sol (IC)

[Legens Legentis]

OOC thread here!

Orin Centaurus
The Hydra
Europa

The prince had kept watch on the command bridge of the frigate for what felt like days. The ship was motionless (comparatively speaking) in the orbit of Europa, observing a water-collecting mission for the Jovian military. Plumes of water were sometimes ejected through the thick ice that coated the distant world. Orin preferred to be directly involved with the affairs of his own troops, no matter how small, as it was an important aspect to any leader. It would be far too easy to sit back in his throne and throw orders at his subjects. However, that course of action would never befit a prince of Jupiter. It was up to him to take the drastic route.

For years, Orin had wanted to separate himself from the decadent living of his 'siblings', to take the title of Terran King once and for all. The monarchs of the other worlds weren't his real siblings, of course. It was culturally expected of him to think of them as relatives. He was to treat them as if they were his own flesh and blood. The reason why was muddled in historical textbooks across the solar system, however. Each of the monarchs claimed to share the blood of King Orin's adopted children, which was fine by the Church of Solaris. With a sigh and a shrug, they confirmed the blood of adopted royalty to be just as pure as those in the actual bloodline. It helped prevent any genetic complications that would otherwise surface.

Princess Sonya was given temporary jurisdiction over Jupiter itself while Orin was away. The domain was largely under her control for as long as the Interregnum was going on, an event which the prince knew that he was born to win. The Hydra was one of the most powerful flagships created by human hands; surely it could withstand anything that the other monarchs had in mind. Still, it amused Orin to think of how humane Sonya's rule currently was. She was well-beloved by her subjects, no doubt, but it takes more than kindness to keep a dominion in line.

As the water-harvesting went on, the prince thought on how valuable Europa was to his planet's wealth. Pluto could no longer be relied on by the outer worlds for its water, not since the Hadesian Virus. The inner worlds had plenty to take, almost exclusively from Earth and Mars. Comets provided the rest. Orin stepped back from the central viewing window, taking a seat in the command chair while the admiral reviewed the logistics for any ship landing on Europa. The colonists there were a stubborn bunch. More than once they had tried using their water supplies as a bargaining chip, yet Jovian rule is not so easily thwarted.

The prince closed his eyes, ready to dream of himself as the Terran King.

He was ready to dream of the inevitable future.


​

 

[MagnoliaSweet]

Mucuda
Jupiter, Capital
Palace

Mucuda looked straight ahead from the doors. Queen Sonya ruled over the realm of Jupiter as Prince Orin was out with his military. They didn't say where he was, but the people liked Queen Sonya so they didn't seem to mind. Her opticals gazed over the room with curiosity, seeing every detail of the throne room and finally taking her gaze to the queen.

Mucuda was sent from the Knights in Venus to represent the Knights interests from Venus. She looked to the Queen and kneeled her robotic appendage and lowered her head. "Queen Sonya of Jupiter, I am glad to be here from the Knights of the Star Dragon to represent them in your court," she spoke to her in a medium toned, yet feminine voice.
​

 

[Legens Legentis]

Sonya Kaence
Multus, Jupiter
Hall of the Leviathan

The affairs of the realm had been few and far between for Princess Sonya. She was content in sitting in her husband's throne, dabbling in statesmanship as he would, although her upbringing as a commoner made her attuned to the troubles of the people. She loved to keep a velvet blanket on her lap and a cup of tea in her hands. Political rivals fell victim to her soothing, motherly voice and warm smile. It was a complete mystery as to how she ever married the stern Prince Orin, although no one in the kingdom was brave enough to ask her reasoning for it. When her husband was around to maintain order, however, she spent a large portion of her day at a small children's school in the palace, teaching the basics of reading and writing. That was her real passion.

A confused expression surfaced on Sonya's face, watching an A.I. step into the throne room unimpeded. Nevertheless, she welcomed the stranger, not knowing what to expect in the slightest. The princess minded little when those in need came to her for assistance. Still, it was remarkably odd that an A.I. was given permission to enter at all. Orin held nothing but contempt for the lower-class citizens of his domain, and outright hatred for non-humans. Sonya listened closely to what the android had to say. Apparently this stranger was sent by the Knights of the Star Dragon, from their division on Venus. That in itself was suspicious. A.I. rarely held positions of great worth, and to be a knight was among the greatest honors in the kingdom. Sonya placed her teacup into her lap. She was curious as to what business the android had in being here.

"What are you in need of, noble knight?"
​

 

[MagnoliaSweet]

Mucuda
Multus, Jupiter
Hall of the Leviathan
​

Mucuda looked up to the kind queen. She had been unsure of whether she was allowed to enter. Her software was unaware of the consequences of her going in would be. Luckily there were no reprocusions. Mucuda set down her sword to show respect to the Queen and kneeled. She hoped that she would accept the Knight's offer to allow her to enter her count as an envoy.

"The Knights of Venus have offered to have me here to act as an envoy to the Venusian Knights of the Star Dragon's interests. It is your decision kind, Queen Sonya," Mucuda spoke to her in her robot tone not at all in a disrespectful or condensing tone as she did recognize she was repeating herself in a way.
​

 

[Legens Legentis]

Sonya Kaence
Multus, Jupiter
Hall of the Leviathan

The princess couldn't help but giggle as she was addressed so formally as 'queen'. The only queen worthwhile to mention was on Earth, and she was a reclusive woman, like so many other Terran Queens in the past few centuries. Sonya prayed that her husband would take the Ember Throne, so perhaps then she wouldn't find the elevated title so strange. The included responsibilities weren't necessarily very different. Aside from supporting Orin's goals wholeheartedly, the thought of starting a school on the homeworld made the princess giddy. Not many children there received the best education, aside from what needed to be taught in agriculture, and Sonya was a moderate Solarist; it'd be hard to convince the Church to let her alter the curriculum.

Finding that her mind had wandered, the princess returned her attention to the mysterious android. "An envoy? Well, normally I leave the affairs of the Knights to Prince Orin, but..." she thought deeply. It was hard to learn the ropes of governance, especially in the absence of her husband, but the Knights were an honest bunch. Sonya was confident in her ability to make the right decision. "You are welcome on Jupiter under my protection. It would be rude to turn you away after such a long journey from the burning world. Inform any of the inns around the capital city of my blessing, and they will accommodate you free of charge. But do be careful, noble knight, Jovian laws are not the kindest in their treatment of A.I." ​

 

[FrostedCaramel]

Brian Sinclaire
PMN Battlegroup Strife
L4 ​- Leading Mars Trojan [Lagrangian Point]

​

"Captain, my Lord, Ardent Clarity is reporting sensor contact from the surface of Phobos. They're requesting instruction my Lord."

Moving the cigar in his mouth from one side to the other, Admiral Sinclaire simply stared out the display screen. The vast swathes of red Martian soil extending out in front of him until the edge of the planet crept up, and in some areas green and blue cut through the Martian terrain like battle scars, beautiful and elegant in their own right each a token to the Martian ingenuity that allowed the Red planet to begin its conversion back into blue.

"My Lord, Ardent Clarity has confirmed the contact as a small assault boat. They are attempting a hail."

Sinclaire continued to stare out the display, fixated now on the sprawling cities of Mars and its dense industrial district, partially obscured by the noxious haze that such heavy industry was capable of creating. Small streaks could be seen as ships hopped from orbit to the surface and back, their hulls heating on entry as the friction of the still comparably thin atmosphere of Mars brushed violently against them.

"My Lord, Ardent Clarity reports no connection. The small boat is on an intercept course with her my Lord, estimated forty minutes until intercept with the Clarity."

---

In the darkness of space, the Principality of Mars Navy's Ardent Class Frigate "Clarity" moved silently through the cold vacuum. Some five hundred kilometers above the surface of Phobos it moved, it's two engines propelling it forward as it surged above the dissident moon. Far below it, barely visible to the human eye was a single shining blue dot that slowly was growing larger.

A tug, re-purposed for battle surged toward Ardent Clarity with its grossly under-powered and terribly obsolete chemical engine burning at full force. Mounted beneath its nose was a single medium rail gun it's coils beginning to glow in the dark as electricity arced from one side to the other, charging to take a shot on the lone Frigate.

---

Spinning in place, Sinclaire quickly moved to the battle display. A single green circle with a small ring rotating around it was present, below it was the mass of Phobos in a light brown and in between them both was the red triangle representing the approaching threat.

"Helmsman, bring her up twelve degrees slow."

"Up twelve degrees slow, aye." came the helmsman's reply from his seat in the front of the bridge.

The view-screen at the front of the ship showed quite the opposite of an image than that at the back, in front their was only the pock-marked dull grey of the asteroid (121514) 1999 UJ7​ that the Battlecruiser Minor Iridescence had been using as a wall to keep themselves hidden from the Phobos for the last week as Battlegroup Strife flew over Phobos one by one in an attempt to provoke a response. It had finally paid off. Slowly the asteroid began to slip out of view below them as the Iridescence rose out from behind its hiding place.

"Weapons."​

"Weapons aye."​

"Bring the Lance online." "Lance is coming online."​

In the short time that it took the Energy Lance to charge, the small craft from Phobos had manage to close its distance with the Clarity to just two hundred kilometers, well within weapons range for unguided projectile weapons. On the view screen the small craft was no more than a shining blue streak across the night.

"Ardent Clarity reports a near-miss from the boats rail gun my Lord."​

"Lance is online my Lord."​

"Fire."​

There was a flash as the Energy Lance seemed to reach out endlessly into space, but at the same moment it fired the small tug had already been reduced to two symmetrical pieces of molten scrap metal tumbling at immense speed through the vast empty.

"Target destroyed, Energy Lance operational testing is to be considered a success my Lord."

On the bridge of the Iridescence there were a few shouts and yelps as the crew celebrated their victory from nearly two hundred thirty thousand kilometers away. The view screen shuttered and re-focused on the larger picture of Mars, just the size of a golf ball on the screen.

"Navigator take us back to port, Comms signal the Battlegroup to regroup. This test is complete."




​

 

[Legens Legentis]

Orin Centaurus
The Hydra
Europa

Prince Orin was abruptly awakened from his slumber by the trudging of boots on the metal flooring. The crew looked aghast as they closely monitored the ship's computers, fearful of informing their ruler that something was terribly wrong. Admiral Apollox, adorned with medal after medal on his uniform, was renowned for his calm demeanor. He had gone on missions with Orin plenty of times before. Activity on the bridge was swift, anxious, and bustling. It set the prince into a bad temper, although it was rare for him to lash out in the face of difficulty. He felt confident that, whatever the problem may be, it was separate from the Hydra, a ship that was both new and seemingly impervious.

"Milord, the ship's communications have failed to receive any word from the landing crew on Europa," Apollox stood tall and firm. "What is your recommendation?" It was always customary to ask the monarch for orders when he or she attended an expedition such as this. Orin was silent for the longest time, unsatisfied with the lack of information. Underwater cities thrived beneath Europa's icy surface, and it was more likely for disruptions in communication to occur on Jupiter than anywhere else (due to the storms). The moon's archduke was an eccentric, corrupt man, but he wasn't very likely to stir trouble with the prince. It had been long forgotten as to why Orin never had him executed for wasting Jovian resources on lavish parties, among other imprudent things.

"Prepare to land our dropships on the surface, admiral. We will retrieve the landing crew manually." The ruler's mask deepened his voice an awful lot. Europa was something akin to a piece of candy, one whose liquid interior was coated in a hard shell. If this had all been a mistake of some kind, Orin could remind them the price of failure firsthand. If there was a genuine predicament keeping them down there, it would improve the reputation of the Jovians to heroically save them, or avenge them if the need were to arise. The scrambling of the navigational crew worsened as the Hydra initiated its descent onto the frozen moon. The prince held his head contemptuously, wishing that Apollox had assigned more capable men and women for the job. ​

 

[Lockheart]

Eric Lance
Cargo Hauler - Flight 8867
In flight to Charon, coming out of Pluto.
​

The ship crawled through empty space. It had been three days already. And once the new shipment was on board, there was no telling how to weight displacement would affect the chemical engine's performance. This bucket of bolts could barely be called a spaceship. It was lump of space rust, barely fit for human habitation and it came as a total surprise that the ship managed to break orbit on Pluto. At least everything had been running according to the schedule. So far. They were on route and on time. Soon the pilot would be turning the computer's log off, before diverting course to Ida. That would only make the journey longer... And once they had the new shipment on-board then they would be forced to slow down, so as to prevent the heat from the chemical engines damaging the shipment.

"This is Aran here, we've got an incoming message, sir," came a buzzing voice from Eric's com-link.

He pressed a little button and replied: "Who is it from?"

An audible sigh came over the short range intercom. "You will want to see this one for yourself, sir." Eric could only wonder who it could be from. What if it was from the boss? He would have to explain his absence. Telling him about a secret shipment of illegal narcotics would make him suspicious. And Eric had already raised enough suspicions from the rest of the gang. "Come up the cockpit and I'll replay the message for you." Oh, how kind.

Aran was a good pilot. And had always obeyed Eric's orders. It helped that Eric kept him on a short leash. Literally, an electric collar fitted onto him and his precious family. He never intended to harm the family as they were far to valuable a tool for manipulating Aran. But in the early days Eric had often punished Aran with cruel jolts of electricity from the collar. It wasn't overly painful on the low settings that he used. But it served the purpose of reminding Aran that his family had the same collar waiting to be turned up to a lethal level.

Such a shame that Aran would have to be turned over to the authorities once they reached Chronus. The undocumented shipment in the cargo hold would have to be explained once they arrived at port and the pilot is the only person on the ship who has to be informed about everything on the ship in order to do his job properly, in case anything is damaged during periods of intense heat or stress such as passing through a planet's outer atmosphere. Liquids, weapons and ammunition, highly reactive metals, anything that can explode or burn or melt or go nuclear. Whereas Eric was just a passenger (with a fake identification tag) hitchhiking across the solar system.

Time to get moving. Eric left the captain's cabin, which he had taken as his own for the duration of the flight, and went out into the grungy metal corridors. The cockpit was at the very front of the ship and the captain's cabin, where Eric had been, was on the starboard bow. It was too big a ship to be running around at everyone's request. But Aran had made this message seem important.​

 

[Legens Legentis]

Orin Centaurus
The Hydra
Europa

"Your majesty, the Hydra is 250 kilometers above the surface. Shall we commence the landing procedure?" Apollox looked uneasy.

Orin's voice was horribly cold. "Yes, admiral. I want the transport ready for a recon expedition. Deploy 5 Ground Assault Tanks at the artificial openings."

A large hologram-based projection glowed in the center of the command bridge. Prince Orin pointed to each of Europa's major drilling sites; cracks in the ice that led directly to the underwater cities, which the moon safely tucked away. They were created with extensive antimatter bombing runs centuries ago, powerful enough to destroy entire worlds, had the amount been any greater than what the politicians on the homeworld deemed reasonable. Antimatter was used as dynamite had been in the days of the ancient Earth. Sometimes destruction must rain down in order to create something better from the remains.

Admiral Apollox took to the command chair as the prince escorted himself to the hangar bay. The Hydra would stay in place until the landing crew was found, dead or alive. The Jovian Navy took to pride its efficiency in these situations. However, a good portion of the mission was little more than something to keep the military from getting bored. Peace between the principalities stood in the way of the trigger-happy soldiers from getting their fix. Although the Interregnum was in-place, neither Orin nor his leading generals could precisely tell if the other monarchs were mobilizing their forces against Jupiter. In the meantime, small-scale missions were the only thing that kept skills sharp and minds occupied.

The prince took his place in the Tarantula, his personal assault tank, alongside nine other Jovian soldiers. They would soon be dropped hundreds of kilometers down, near the city of Ghiorso, the beating heart of Europa. The tanks were more than capable of withstanding the water pressure. The way Orin's men stared at their leader filled them with determination and fear. They were the best of the best, but it now was the chance to prove it. The Tarantula was swallowed by the elaborate metal floor of the hangar, and then pushed down into the drop-bay for immediate ejection. ​

 

[MagnoliaSweet]

Mucuda
Multus, Jupiter
Hall of the Leviathan​

Mucuda nodded at her statement. She knew somewhat about the laws regarding AI. Her databases did not have much information about laws and politics which was the reason for her mistake in titles and honorifics. However, she didn't know of the Terran King. Mucuda knew very about the new rules and how they affected her. Must of her knowledge was lost memory drive was lost.

She stood up and examined the room in a robotic manner. The hall was very large with pillars that were thick and had a marbled blue surface with bands of ornamented gold around them. Mucuda looked up to the large winged angel-like figure above the throne set in a way as if it was to protect the court. It was fitting for Jupiter, as the biggest more gravitationally powerful planet in the solar system.

"Queen Sonya, is there anything you would like to to do for you? I am also fit for combat application if that is needed," Mucuda asked the queen, wanting to help her.
​

@Uncle Legens Legentis

 

[Legens Legentis]

Sonya Kaence
Multus, Jupiter
Hall of the Leviathan

The princess was thoroughly amused at the android's offer, and it was one that she genuinely considered as worthwhile. It was unheard of for a foreign knight to serve under anyone except their own master. It remained unclear to Sonya if Mucuda was still loyal to the Venusian monarch. If so, her mere presence was a gigantic breach in security, so the clever princess hatched a convenient plan. There was one surefire method to display that Sonya's judgement in allies was impeccable, much like her husband's. She couldn't afford even the smallest of humiliations while maintaining order on Jupiter. A test was then devised.

"Actually, there is one task that I have set out for you. But let me speak clearly, it is not for the faint of heart." Sonya compiled the details in her head rapidly. "I am quite sure that you know of the many evils that lurk on the dwarf planets, yes? Our spies believe that the Blood Chieftain on Pluto is organizing an attack on the Terran Kingdom. They believe that illegal supply shipments have been arriving more regularly, although little has been offered in the field of proof. Humans rarely step on Pluto due to the countless dangers, but an A.I. would blend in seamlessly. Go and investigate what is going on there, and if you succeed, you shall have my gratitude." ​

 

[Lockheart]

Eric Lance
Cargo Hauler - Flight 8867
In flight to Charon, coming out of Pluto.
​

Eric made his way through the ship and towards the bow. As soon as the mechanical door opened, Eric was met by Aran spinning around in his chair so that they were facing each other. It seemed to Eric that Aran was happy about something. But what? Anything close to optimism or hope would have to be snuffed out before it could progress into something more, something uncontrollable.

"We got a message from the Ozman..."

Eric smiled. "Does he know about our plan?" Aran nodded in reply. "Does he know about our betrayal?" Again, Aran nodded. "Then we need make a deal with him, if we plan on staying alive upon reaching Ida."

"He has a deal for you," Aran said as he spun around on the chair to face the flight computer. "Coming on screen in just a second." He hit a few buttons and then one of the screens buzzed to life. "Ozman is relaying a message from the Blood Chieftain himself."

"Is this thing on- Oh, there's the red light," said a scruffy man on the fuzzy screen. His beard was rough and unkempt, his hair kept short and cropped, bags under his eyes from either a lack of sleep or, as was more likely, from drug use. Ozman had always been using more of his product than he sold. "I really hope this message gets to you, Eric. Well, actually, I don't. Cause if ya don't return to Ida to pick up the shipment, then the big man is going to hire some bounty hunters to come after you. Hunt cha down like a dog. But if you do get this message then you gotta' know that we're expecting you back at port. With the drugs. Yeah, those were intercepted. And I was told to offer a deal to both yous and ya pilot. First, that pilot of yours. Alex, Aran, whatever his name is. Yeah, him, he should know tha' we got his family and if he does a good job then ol' Cheif will set them free." So that was why Aran was smiling. Too bad for his family. Eric, from behind Aran's back, slowly pulled the scalpel out from the pouch on his belt. "And you, Eric, get the best deal that traitor scum like you could a asked for." Eric smiled. This would be interesting. "You get to live. Come back to Ida, pick up the shipment, deliver it Saturn, sell the shipment and build your client list, return all of the money to the Blood Chieftain, and then fly off to some corner of the world to get as far away from the Blood Chieftain as you possibly can. You actually came up with a good plan, aside from turning on the people who took you in. And you get to live at the end of it." Eric grabbed Aran's hair and pulled his head back, then ran the scalpel across his neck. A crimson waterfall was ushered out. And Aran panicked for a few seconds, clutched at his throat, before finally ceasing to move at all. "You understand? Get back here, get the drugs, sell them, return the money to the Chief, and then run away. Run away and never come back. You're luck-"

Eric stopped the video. He had heard enough. No point in wasting any time, Eric pushed Aran's lifeless body out of the pilot's chair and sat down. He may as well head for Ida now. Before diverting the ship's course, he turned of the navigation console and disabled to log so that there would be no evidence of having gone to Ida at all. He no longer needed Aran as a pilot or a fall guy. He had a new fall guy. Ozman.

 

[MagnoliaSweet]

Mucuda
Multus, Jupiter
Hall of the Leviathan
​

Mucuda nodded at her request. Since Mucuda was in her court she had to comply. The knights on Venus had given her permission to do something like this is it didn't hurt the Venus's intentions. Mucuda remembered hearing the knights of Venus talk of a friendship with them, they hoped sending their AI to do Jupiter's dirty work would be a symbol of gratitude. However, Mucuda's programming was neglected this and she got up and bowed.

"Thank you Queen Sonya, I will comply with your wishes," Mucuda said to the queen picking up her sword and sheathing in into his belt. "Do you have any transport for me? Or would you like to use... public means?" Mucuda ask in a tone that suggested using illegal means to get their since there was a quarantine.
​

 

[FrostedCaramel]

Brian Sinclaire
PMN Battlegroup Strife
Cairo Station, Mars Defense Station
​

Sinclaire sat in the briefing room, listening to the Admiralty around him debate about "best courses of action" and "minimal loss of equipment and life". He smirked at that last one, as if they didn't have enough to spare of either. If it came down to it, Mars could be pumping out ships faster than all the other planets in the system. Probably. He cringed for a moment as Admiral Hark, an old and insolent if not yet senile man who was simply taking up a seat at the table at this point pointed out the "Vast and immeasurable gap in Martian and Jovian technological advances" or a fancier way of saying "They have plasma weapons and we don't". Nothing that good old fashioned quantity couldn't solve. But it did raise another question, how the Jovians had managed to draw so far ahead of all the other planets in the system was long lost to time but the facts were all there. The Jovians were technologically more advanced, filled with zeal for their Prince, and far outnumbered by Mars.

That second part may cause problems were the Interregnum to bring with it war. Also highly likely.

Sinclaire rolled a piece of paper in his hands before speaking up, "Lord Admirals, please calm yourselves. You seem to forget our purpose." he waved a hand at the table in front of them, a holo-display showed the surface of Europa, above it was a single ship outlined in red with the word Hydra floating above it. "We were lucky that our agreement with Europa to place a satellite in orbit for imaging purposes was accepted when it was, or we may well have missed this chance." the pride in his voice was evident, but it was nothing alien to the Admiralty and very much expected of all of them.

"Indeed Admiral Sinclaire, we are lucky the agreement passed. But I fail to see what we can d about this, please enlighten me." asked Admiral Clarke, a fifty something year old battle tested veteran.

Sinclaire smiled and stood from his place at the table, "Well you see Lord Admiral, if their is one thing that our covert network knows for sure... It's that Prince Orin never allows the Hydra to break orbit from Jupiter without him being onboard." he waved a hand and a few holo-vids of the Prince embarking on the ship to military ceremony or disembarking in secret appeared in the middle of the room. "Now what I see here, Lord Admirals, is a rather priceless chance. A gift from the King himself. His ship is entirely on its own, and the Interregnum has begun." he nodded his head.

"This is our chance to strike first, strike fast, and behead our greatest threat in one blow. Now if only my fellow Admiralty will stand behind this move, given the Princes' leave of course."

"Blasphemy! You can not expect us to propose such an underhanded tactic to the Prince himself?!" came a rebuke from Admiral Mahan.

"Not you Lord Admiral, I expect Lord Admiral Hark to propose it, if all goes well he will keep his head and the plan will be enacted. If it does not... Well, the Admiralty shall cross that bridge if it comes I believe. Now if you could please vote on the matter." he said as he nodded to Admiral Hark who stood in protest and began to open his mouth. But before he had managed a word out a counter appeared in the middle of the room. "Thirteen against Two in favor of Admiral hark proposing the plan to his Majesty."

---

Sinclaire walked through the halls of Cairo Station at a slow meandering pace as he thought, 'If all goes well, his Majesty shall accept the proposal and behead the old bafoon for suggesting such a plan to him, that will be a great accomplishment for the Admiralty indeed.'.

Moving through the halls a bit faster now he returned a salute to a group of sailors as he turned a corner and picked up speed to reach the Iridescence a bit earlier, after all Lord Admiral Hark should be arriving at the Royal Palace within the hour and Sinclaire had to be sure that Battlegroup Strife was prepared to sortie at the drop of a dime.​

 

[Legens Legentis]

Orin Centaurus
The Hydra
Europa

It was almost impossible to tell how fast the Tarantula was falling. The computers struggled to keep up with the influx of data, where the tank's coordinates were monitored at all times. Only the tank crew themselves could see outwards, feeling adrenaline swell in their veins as their descent onto Europa continued. Had this operation occurred on Earth, everyone aboard would have burned to a crisp by now in the atmosphere. Orin trusted the Hydra in Apollox's hands completely. Meanwhile, on the flagship, the admiral resorted his efforts into a different situation. Important events were still unfolding on Jupiter.

"Captain Ysaac," the admiral began as the hologram projection came in fluently. "It is expected that your ship will carry out the patrols normally engaged in by the Hydra. Ensure that the Gargantuan is deployed from Multus in the next 24 hours. Remain in orbit, roughly 200,000 kilometers above the storm world, until further instructions are given. Do I make myself clear, captain?" Apollox rubbed his knuckles while sitting in the command chair. "Yes, admiral. The Gargantuan will be up in no time whatsoever. Shall I deploy an Obliteration cruiser as well?" Captain Ysaac respectfully held his arms behind his back, standing with pride.

"If you see it as fit. Jovian defenses must be ready for anything in the prince's absence." It was hardly necessary to keep the conversation going with pointless babble. Even the slightest error would mean the rolling of heads. But Orin himself had not yet been notified of this action, although there's little doubt that he would have approved it anyways. The task of guiding the mission on Europa had been delegated to the generals back home. General Broden Primo had the powers of oversight now.

Sonya Kaence
Multus, Jupiter
Hall of the Leviathan

"A Jovian Starfighter will be provided for you, as they are for most other knights under my guidance. There should be a naval base to the west of the city. Inform them that you are on a classified mission issued by the princess, and please, keep in touch with me at all times. Do not jeopardize your identity while dealing with others directly." Sonya calmly directed a servant into handing Mucuda a small, lightweight earbud which would allow the plucky young monarch to listen on the android's activities. "Good luck, my friend." ​

 

[MagnoliaSweet]

Mucuda
Multus, Jupiter
Naval Base​

Mucuda nodded and started out the throneroom down out into the streets of Multus. She gazed at the black sky protected by the force field. Quickly she made her way outside the city to the naval base. Mucuda saw the gates to the large building and let out a hand in greeting to the guard. "The Queen sent me on a confidential mission. I must see a Starfighter ready for my departure," Mucuda spoke to the guard.

 

[Legens Legentis]

Orin Centaurus
The Hydra
Europa

The prince tried to recall his last visit to Ghiorso as best he could. It was far from the displays in extravagance that underwater Earth cities had, and nowhere near as populous. Hydroelectricity was the only practical energy source on Europa, as too little sunlight ever reached the surface. The people that took refuge in this dark abyss were awfully strange. They were the most reluctant to uphold Jovian values, either as citizens or as soldiers. The Tarantula raced over the serrated rock as quickly as it could. Orin said nothing to information updates from the other tank crews. They had found nothing so far.

Between two gigantic glass domes, housing the two primary dwelling centers for the city, was a large, unused exhaust pipe. The tank's legs curled up around its base, allowing for the main door to release the squad inside. The chamber filled with water in an instant. The prince's mask and the soldiers' helmets would provide enough oxygen to reach their destination. A navigational probe went into the pipe first, scanning for the correct route as well as signs for any traps. Orin wasn't in the mood to risk a confrontation with the locals. They were much too stubborn in helping investigate something as simple as a disappearance.

Following the probe about twenty meters behind, the prince's heavy armor kept his body firmly to the ground. The soldiers behind him, meanwhile, swam slowly. Darkness soon enveloped them all, and Orin was forced to rely on infrared vision to see. He was confident that any potential threat would fall by his sword. ​

 

[FrostedCaramel]

Brian Sinclaire
PMN Battlegroup Strife
Mars High Orbit
​

"Lord Admiral, Battlegroup Discord has formed with the fleet, Lord Admiral Mahan relays that they are ready for the jump as soon as we are." the communications officer said.

"Very well, we make the jump in five minutes. Officer of the Deck, set Condition One throughout the fleet having the fighters in the tubes ready to launch as soon as we drop out of FTL." Sinclaire said as he stood over the holotable. In front of him were the many ships that made up two of the PMN Battlegroup's as well as a smaller contingent of Ardent class Frigates configured for troop transport. In total they had seventeen Ardent class Frigates not including the five configured for troop transport, seven Rapid class Destroyers, three Omniscient class Carriers, and three Minor class Battlecruiser's.

It was a formidable force, and surely more than enough to take on the lone Hydra, in one fell swoop they could cripple Jupiter and throw it completely out of the Interregnum, or so Sinclaire had gambled.

"Set Condition One throughout the fleet, I say again, set Condition One throughout the fleet. Prepare for jump, T-Minus fifteen seconds and counting." came the booming voice of the Officer of the Deck over the loud speakers in the bridge and no doubt over every other ship in the fleet.

"Comm, tell the troop transports to sit back for five minutes after we jump. No need to get them caught in a space battle."

"Aye Lord Admiral."

---

​

Private First Class Gregory "Buns" Brunswick
Fireteam Charlie, Second Squad, First Company
12th Battalion, Third Marines "Second to None"
​

"Oi, wake up you shit." came the words of LCpl Santana just a moment before the butt of his rifle finished what he had started, "Jumps in fifteen seconds, get ready or you're going to miss the show." he said with a smile on his face before sealing his helmet, the sleek piece of metal coming down over his face in a smooth movement.

Buns began to sit up as Staff Sergeant Evens walked into the Grendal dropship, "All right ladies... And Gentlemen. Jumps set for just five minutes after the fleet goes out!" he yelled over the rumble of the Grendals engines as they warmed up in the hangar bay, "So if any of you were paying attention that is in three minutes!" he sneered at the Marines before continuing, Buns couldn't decide if it was for dramatic effect or because he seriously hated Second Squad that much. "Get tactical Marines!" the sound of weapons cocking and being loaded rang throughout the Grendel, "We're dropping into what should be a cake walk but you all know how the Jovians work, they play dirty and they fight dirty, so we just have to fight dirtier!"

The last part got a simultaneous "Hoorah!" as Second Squad responded to their Staff Sergeants inspiring words.

The lights in the hangar suddenly went dark and the Grendals doors slid into place, a crewman stood and tapped his helmet in a very obvious gesture informing the Marines to seal up and buckle up although the buckle up part had been done long ago. Around Buns his fellow Marines began to seal their helmets, he followed suit shortly after.

For a moment he was encased in absolute darkness before the suits visor kicked in, overlaying such a perfect image Buns wouldn't have been able to tell his helmet was down were it not for the convenient HUD that showed him all of his fireteam's positions and was even capable of plotting bullet trajectories and incoming fire. It was a neat piece of tech, and he was glad he had it going up against the Jovians.

The lights in the Grendel went dark and buns tasted something that reminded him oddly of the color purple followed shortly after by his stomach lurching as the Frigate dropped out of FTL above Europa.​

 

[Legens Legentis]

Orin Centaurus
The Hydra
Europa

The fight of Orin's life had begun in the blink of an eye. A stream of Europan soldiers poured from the dingy tunnel, opening fire at the Jovian squadron with an unmatched ferocity. Emergency signals blared all around them. The prince was furious, having been led directly into a trap. This had all been planned out beforehand by that dastardly Europan archduke, choosing to express his frustration with the prince's government in a more violent manner. Revolution, to be exact. Orin, however, stood in the front lines of the battle. His enemies' blasters made the water start to boil with every shot. Relying on his sturdy armor and priceless sword, the prince deflected the fire which had been targeting him in particular.

This surprise attack had come with poor timing for other reasons, as well. Admiral Apollox was getting awfully high-strung aboard the Hydra. Navigational readings signified some large force closing in on Jupiter, all the way from Mars. The worst of his fears were only confirmed in the arrival of an Ardent-Class Frigate (moreso a swarm of them) punching into the area via FTL. Eyes widening, the admiral gave the emergency signal to every ship in the Jovian Navy. Meanwhile, the army had the pleasure of maintaining Jupiter's planetary defenses. "All hands, to your battle stations!" Apollox commanded. "Martian invasion fleet inbound!"

"What is going on up there?" General Primo was aghast at the news, even while stationed in Multus. The hologram projections switched between arguing military officers faster than the admiral could deal with them. The bridge was in total chaos. "This is not yet your fight, general. Keep Princess Sonya safe, or it'll be your head!" It was somewhat unclear as to who was handling the situation down on Europa. Lower-ranking officers barely managed to get the Hydra's 7,000 crew into their respective positions. Apollox deployed the remaining five tanks to assist Orin's fight with the rebels below.

"All guns, hold your fire," the admiral needed to make sure that the fighters were prepared for battle. "Wait until the enemy has opened fire." ​

 

[Lockheart]

Eric Lance
Cargo Hauler - Flight 8867
Diverting course to Ida.​

Aran's body lay lifeless on the floor. Eric sat in the chair. He was no pilot, sure enough, but he knew the basics. Enough to change course via a computer terminal. In the cold blackness of space, the cargo ship turned about and was set onto a new trajectory. Eric pressed a small button that connected to intercom to the speakers all around the ship.

"Two people get up to the cockpit and one of you get rid of the pilot's body. Throw him out of the airlock," Eric said as his voice was broadcasting across the entire ship. "The second is lucky. He gets to be our new pilot.

Then the he left cockpit and began the walk back to the captain's cabin.

"Guess I'll keep the ship and the cabin," he said to himself with a smirk.

Now he just needed a plan for when he reached Ida.