Encounter with Sorrowsworn Faction

(Note: Planet Name/System Name subject to change. Date/Time the event occurs in is also subject to change)


A tear in space appears near the center of the relatively large solar system named Nexila, a system containing only 5 planets but spaced far apart and two asteroid clusters orbiting a young star. The tear in space was obviously not a natural occurrence as it was a telltale sign of an incoming ship via phase drive. From a distance, the bursts of light appear to be blinking stars among the darkness of space. In actuality, with each burst of light arrived a ship belonging to the Illumina now approaching their target destination.

Valeron Nela- “Arbiter Setsuna, we have arrived at coordinates 55.42.12, the Nexila system. All other ships have arrived as well.”

Setsuna- “Ahead of schedule, any sign that our arrival has been detected?”

Valeron Nela- “No sir, there are no signs of any ships within our vicinity and the target planet.”

Setsuna- “Excellent, have the Archons mask our ship signatures. Relay to the fleet to move behind the orbiting moon and have the drone hosts in position to launch all strike crafts on my command. We may have arrived unnoticed but we must not let our guard down either. Once preparations are set, set coordinates to the target planet and maintain a distance within their communications range.”

With that last order, the flagship “Miyuki” engaged their sub-light drive and headed towards a moderately populated planet. Their intentions was not to convert the population, that task was beneath the class of this fleet. Their intentions was to observe and gather information on the TEC to gauge their capabilities as well as probe minds for key installations to attack.

Sixteen hours into the observation over the planet Cerela, an Archon aboard a seeker vessel would detect a disruption in space located in various locations around the system.

Seeker Valeron- “Arbitor Setsuna, we have detected a strange disturbance in subspace along the outer edges of the system. It is too faint to get a clear reading whether or not it is a enemy ship or just subspace noise.”

Setsuna- “Forward the information you have gathered regarding the disturbance and increase the range of our Archons. Dispatch more seeker vessels and investigate the location of these disturbance. Report any findings immediately.”

Valeron Nela- “Acknowledged, the remainder of the seeker squadrons shall be dispatched to the advance scout party.”

Seeker Valeron- “Understood, we will continue our patrols.”

Going over the details, Setsuna reviewed other incoming transmissions from the seeker vessels that has been relaying and providing visual information to him. Taking a sip of tea grown from his home world, he detected a pattern in the disturbance that were being detected in almost every sector in the system. Had he flown into a trap? No, his calculations were correct, no one could have anticipated his arrival. What ever or who ever it was, he was sure that they were not alone.

Setsuna- “Relay a message to the fleet to be on high alert and have their weapons ready. We’re not alone here, the space noise were picking up have a distinct pattern to them. Commonly emitted by a ship that is cloaked.

Valeron Pilot Selena- “But that’s impossible sir, our Archons would have detected them well before our arrival.”

Setsuna- “My thoughts exactly but this is something we have yet to encounter, the stealth technology employed here is capable to reflect the power of our Archons partially.”

Valeron Pilot Selena- “New TEC technology?”

Setsuna- “Unlikely, other fleets deeper into TEC territory report no stealth technology of this level.”

Looking over his overhead prompt he checked all of the intel reports of the TEC and Vasari to check for similarities until he came across a report regarding the growing conflict the TEC had been facing. The Advent had been aware that the TEC was locked in battle and have lost a lot of their territory but details regarding the Vasari was scarce. Setsuna knew that it could be this new enemy and the scout ships he had sent out are in danger.

Setsuna- “Contact all scout ships that were dispatched towards the disturbance! Notify them to fall back at the fleet immediately!”

Valeron Nela- “Sir, I am broadcasting the message but I am not receiving any confirmation from the seeker vessels.”

Setsuna- “Have the Archons scan for the neural signatures of the crew.”

Valeron Nela- “Negative sir, the Archons confirm there are no life signs. They did however detected visual transmission of one of the Archons on one of the scout ships. It seems she managed to utilize lingering presence before her ship was destroyed.”

Setsuna- “Display the image onscreen.”

On screen before them showed the crew of one of the seeker vessels tending to their duties and analyzing scans they have been taking. Suddenly the ship went into high alert and crews scrambled to their stations to prepare for battle. Several unknown ships appeared, out numbering the collection of scout ships and began firing upon them.

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Seeker Valeron Crew- “Enemy ships are all around us!, We are outnumbered!”

Seeker Valeron Pilot- “Where did they all come from!”

The seeker vessel took immediate evasive actions narrowly avoiding the shot fired at them from the enemy ship. Fully interfacing into the ships neural systems, the ship kicked into gear and weaved around blasts of plasma. Other seeker vessels were not as lucky as they were instantly destroyed in the first wave of weapons fire.

Seeker Valeron Crew- “The other vessels are falling like flies, we need to retreat, we are at a disadvantage”

Seeker Valeron Pilot- “There is no escape, Fire everything at the enemy ship!”

The ship fired everything it had at the enemy ship doing little if any damage to it. The enemy returned fire striking the port side of the seeker vessel shredding a huge portion of it off.

Seeker Archon- “We’re unable to contact the Miyuki, our ship is too heavily damaged”

Seeker Valeron Pilot- “Then have the Archons use the neural interfaces to transmit the all the data we have.”

Seeker Emp. Weaver- “We've taken too much damage, I cant hold the integrity of it together for much longer”

As the seeker vessel weaved through space trying to stay alive a little longer dodging the remains of seeker vessels that were being destroyed to the left and right of them. The vessel took a hard hit to the rear shutting down their phase drive causing a chain reaction into the anti-matter reserves.

Seeker Valeron Crew- “Critical damage to the ship!, Engines are down!, Anti-matter coils are cri-”

The seeker vessel would be struck several more times, ignighting in a bright flash of light as the anti-matter detonated, destroying the last of the seeker vessels Setsuna had dispatched to the area.

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The seeker vessels that had engaged the enemy were no match against the larger ships which were clearly more powerful. Just before the end of the visual transmission, Setsuna recognized the look of the enemy ship and confirmed his suspicion on what the disturbance had been.

Setsuna- “Damn it the Vasari, I would never expected them to be here in this isolated sector of space.”

Closing his eyes, he clenched his fist and slammed it on the armrest of his seat. His plans had now changed and a deep strike against the TEC would have to be put on hold.

Setsuna- “I think we may have been discovered, our plans have now changed. Dispatc--”

Suddenly the flagship went into high alert interrupting Setsuna, Several unknown ships had appeared behind his flagship and was fast approaching him.

Setsuna- “Damn it!, Report!”

Valeron Nela- “Several unidentified ships has appeared behind us, their weapons are ready. It appears to be similar to the ones that had attacked our scout ships. They bear the same insignia.”

Setsuna- *Wispers to himself* “The Sorrowsworn…those ships belong to the elite of the Vasari fleets.…but why are they out here?"

Setsuna- "We must engage them head on, Engage our engines and head towards our fleet, have the guardians dispatch all strike squadrons to engage and send the Crusader ships as well. Have the Illuminator ships sling around the planet to flank them. Prepare all Ethereal Reavers to disable the first wave of their ships once within range.”

Like clockwork the whole fleet mobilized and fanned out from behind the moon and headed towards the encroaching Vasari ships. As the flagship began to turn to engage the enemy they noticed the Vasari ships had stopped chasing his flagship amd started to turn back.

Archon Tact Op Ruri- “The enemy ships are no longer in pursuit, it seems they have begun to retreat, perhaps caught by surprise by the fleet we had hidden away.”

Setsuna- “Perhaps...., Regroup all ships on to the flagship. Prepare a message first to the empress first and then to the other fleets on what we have discovered here and have them scan for the same space distortions and make sure they are ready to engage on sight.”

Archon Tact Op Ruri- “But we have them, our ships can easily overpower them. I recommend we continue our pursuit.”

Setsuna- “No, we will consolidate our forces, we do not yet know how many ships they have in the area. We will be seeing them soon enough, I feel now this war is going to be a three way war...."

The pressure between the three factions have now grown to a whole new level as the Illumina and Vasari faced their first armed encounter. While their common enemy is the TEC, the Illumina felt that the Vasari were another race that needed to be shown the light of unity, having converted some of the Vasari race without armed intervention. It’s not surprising the Illumina posed a threat and a obstacle to the Vasari.

It didnt take long for Setsuna to recieve a classified reply from the Empress. The message he had broadcasted was intercepted by the Etherals of the Council and recieved by the Empress and The Coucil only.

<Message- Classified - Urgent Setsuna Only ->

=- I have recieved your details on your encounter, your request to prepare all fleets to engage hostiles has been denied. Threat level has been reviewed and i have determined they are not a priority. Your fleet, as well as all other fleets shall continue on your mission untill otherwise notified. All data and records of the encounter are to be deemed classified and not to be discussed.

May The Unity Prevail. -=

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Closing the message, Setsuna was clearly upset and confused by the reply of the Empress. Why would they not allow the rest of the fleet know of the encounter here? Are their other motives behind this decision? Something was wrong and Setsuna knew it but he wasnt going to doubt and question the Unity and The Empress, but that seed has now been planted.