Well, that was a fairly one-sided rout, wasn’t it? With unanimous approval, we choose to invade Zenito.
Sankt:
All right, then. Proceed to Zenito via the Xeos Belt Sector. Lieutenant Schneizer will be taking an advance force. You are to rendezvous with him in Zenito.Yuri: Okay.
Dietrich: Yes, sir!
Sankt: Lord Roth, we want you to hold back the Libertasian fleet. We could also divert the Dragoon Fleet and Heavy Artillery Fleet to support you if you’d like.
Roth: No, that won’t be necessary. The Royal Fleet is more than up to the task.
Franny: Yeah, but you guys don’t have that many ships. You really think you can take on Libertas all by yourself?
Baecker: Don’t worry about him. His battle skills aren’t so bad, actually.
Franny: So you actually do trust the guy, huh?
Sankt: I will get back to you on the formations of the remaining fleets shortly. You are dismissed.
We’re kicked back outside, so we head back inside to get final orders from Admiral Sankt.
Sankt: Try to minimize the damage you inflict. We may be fighting them now, but ultimately we are going to need their help in countering the threat from Lugovalos.
Yuri: Easier said than done. I mean, the only way I see that working is if we have a considerable advantage over our opponent.
Sankt: Yes, I’m well aware of the difficulty. But nevertheless, that is the ideal outcome for us, strategically.
Tactically, we’re still pulling absolutely no punches.We hit up the bar for our pre-flight binge.
>>Talk to your friends.
Conversation #1Lotuso: Word is Libertasian ships use Zenitonian technology. All we gotta do is study their ships if we wanna come up with a strategy for beating em. It only makes sense! So, Captain, if ya come across any design companies, make sure to buy up all the ship blueprints ya can. I’ll keep working on our strategy in the meantime.
We always do, Lotuso, we always do.Yuri: Okay, sounds like a plan.
Conversation #2Letero: I’m currently collecting information on Zenito’s ships, but there’s one thing I’ve found very interesting. It amazes me that despite their superior ship technology, they don’t try to aggressively advance through space.
Yuri: Is it really that good?
Letero: Yes. Take a look at their data integration technology, for example. It is known as a neural operating system, or NOS for short. It runs through every inch of their ships like neural pathways in the human brain. Data is collected from sensors all over the ship and the bridge, then autonomously filtered in real time. It’s the ultimate in CIC systems.
Yuri: Wow…
Letero: yes, amazing, isn’t it? And with the addition of Nentis fiber…
…
time passes…Antono Letero has subjected Yuri to a three-hour lecture on Zenitonian technology! Yuri’s Science skill increased by 2!It would have been higher, but Yuri started playing a drinking game half-way through and passed out towards the end.Conversation #3Franny: It’s kinda weird that Zenito’s a monarchy, don’t you think? I mean, I thought their big thing was to decide stuff by having everyone has it out, get their say in it.
Semias: That’s true, but to unify its people under a single purpose requires the absolute power of a monarch. Their rulers love harmony and teach their people to seek out peace whenever possible.
Torlo: Yeah? Well then how come they can’t agree with the Interplanetary Assembly already?
Gen: I suppose it’s because they are still evolving. The human mind, as well as its thoughts and actions, will never be perfect, no matter how far it evolves.
We get back to our ships, and Torlo and Yuri start talking as the crew prepares to get underway.
Torlo: Man! Unifyin’ the whole Large Magellanic Cloud? That’s a seriously huge job!
Tatiana: Tell me about it. That was the last thing I expected to hear come out of Yuri’s mouth.
Gen: Heh heh. Actually, it’s a little plan that Yuri, Alik and I have been cooking up over the past ten years.
Don’t ask him what a large plan is, it probably involves unifying the whole universe. So, you see, it’s not something he thought up at the spur of the moment, so to speak.Alik: Th-That’s right.
Kira: Really, Yuri?
Yuri: I don’t want to see the LMC make the same mistake that the SMC did. And this plan seems t be the only way to go.
Kira: …
Franny: Well, if Yuri says that’s the plan, I’ll do whatever I can to help. What’s the matter, Kira? You don’t look too happy about all this.
Kira: No, I’m fine.
Franny: Yeah? Well, I sure hope so. Thought maybe you guys had a little of that sibling rivalry brewing up between ya.
Oh good, someone who stills sees them as siblings.Kira: …
Semias: Franny, don’t you have anything better to do than to pick on Kira? I know! How about helping me do an engine inspection?
Franny: Yeah, yeah, whatever.
Franny Porolo is practically dragged off of the bridge by Semias Alastar. Tatiana Agarkov watches them go while whispering impishly into Kira’s ear.
Tatiana: There’s always something to worry about, isn’t there, Kira?
Kira: Oh, I’ll be all right! I mean, as long as everyone else is okay…
We jump to the Xeos belt, and within a sector of the Void Gate, Kira notices something.
Kira: Hm?
Tatiana: Is something wrong, Kira?
Kira: It’s Lieutenant Schneizer’s ship dead ahead. But why isn’t it moving?
Yuri: That is strange. Patch me through to the lieutenant.
Kira: Okay, go ahead.
Kira opens the coms channel.
Dietrich: Ah, Captain, I see you caught up.
Yuri: I thought we were supposed to rendezvous after entering the Zenitonian Sector?
Dietrich: I apologize for the sudden change of plans, but there was a situation that needed my immediate attention.
Gen: What exactly are we talking about, Lieutenant?
Dietrich: We received a report from the Xeos Belt Union claiming that a Zenitonian squadron intruded into this sector.
Torlo: No kidding? They wanna strike the first blow or something?
Dietrich: If so, it would be an unprecedented event. You see, they rarely, if ever travel outside of their own sectors.
Franny: yeah, come to think of it, I’ve never actually met a Zenitonian.
Thomas: Me neither, but that’s ‘cause all they care about is researchin’ how to evolve their own race. I bet they spend all their time locked away in their mad scientist labs, cacklin’ and stuff.
Minas: Hm. An evolved race of people, eh? How very interesting.
He manfully ignores the mad scientist cracks and vows to refrain from cackling for a week, at least.Tatiana: So, what’s a reclusive bunch like them doing in a place like this? That’s pretty weird, right?
Dietrich: Yes, and that’s exactly why I’m trying to find them.
Yuri: Sounds interesting. Count us in.
Dietrich: I’d appreciate the help. Okay, let’s split up then and commence our search.
We do so, and head for a nearby void sector. We get lucky
I know where to look. and run into the enemy squadron.
Kira: A-ha! There’s a battle up ahead!
Semias: Is that the Zenitonian squadron that Lieutenant Schneizer was talking about?
Off-screen, a destroyer frantically flees from the two Zenitonian destroyers chasing it.
Thomas: It don’t look like a battle. It’s more like a small ship getting chased by a bunch of bigger ships.
That’s a form of battle, Thomas.Franny: Yeah, but aren’t they all Zenitonian? What gives?
Yuri: Huh…
Kira: Yuri, we just received a distress signal from the ship being pursued.
The ship runs flat out, and is rocked as one of the shots from the pursuing ships hits it in the engines.
Alik: Huh?!
Kira: Yuri!
Yuri: We can’t ignore a distress signal if they really do need help. Battle stations, everyone! Our target is that Zenitonian squadron!
It’s…. not much of a fight. We’re up against two
Plugilo-class destroyers. They’re fairly tough as destroyers go, and manage to survive two normal volleys each before exploding violently, while their return fire knocked our own destroyer down to half strength. In the end though, they accomplished nothing of value and exploded messily.
After the one-sided fight, we pick up the survivors off of the ship we rescued.
Torlo: Recovery work complete!
Franny: We got any survivors? I was really looking forward to seeing a real-life Zenitonian.
Torlo: We only found one, but he looks kinda important, like a captain or something.
Yuri: Just one? Are the rest of them dead?
Torlo: No. There was really only one person on board. The rest of the ship as empty.
Semias: That’s impossible! Eve a smaller ship like a destroyer couldn’t possibly be controlled by one person alone!
Torlo: yeah, I thought it was weird, too. But here’s what’s really freaky: he was connected to some kinda machine by this really weird tube.
If you yanked it out and lobotomized him, Torlo...Torlo: We had to actually cut the damn thing to bring him here.
Someone hand me an icepick, I’ll show Torlo what a lobotomy feels like. Not like he’ll notice the difference.Gen: Well now… Those Zenitonians never fail to surprise!
Yuri: Torlo, where’s the Zenitonian now? I want to meet him right away.
Torlo: he’s sleepin’ over in Sick Bay. Follow me, I’ll take ya there.
The group head to the sickbay.
??: Uuuh… Hm? Aaaaaaaaah!
Upside: He’s still conscious. Downside? Being torn away from his ship-body probably hurt.Tatiana: Aaaaaah! Somebody…!
Yuri: What the…?!
Torlo: That sounds like Tats! What’s up, babe?!
The two charge into the room.
That’s a really awkward picture…Georgo: Help! Where is everyone?! Do not abandon me! Uuuh… Aaaaaah! Oh help me, please, I can’t-- Aaaah!
A lone man is in the center of the sick bay, clutching his head in agony. Presumably this is the Zenitonian that Torlo Adkin found.
Torlo: Tats, baby! What happened?!
Tatiana: I don’t know! He just woke up and started screaming like that!
Georgo: Ohhh, I am utterly alone! So afraid! So lonely! Somebody… Anybody!
Kira: …
As the rest of them stare at the man with stunned looks on their faces, Kira quietly approaches him and kneels by his side.
Torlo: Hey!
Yuri: Kira, wait!
Georgo: Uuuuuuuh! Aaaaaaaah!
Kira: It’s all right, don’t worry. Please, calm down. Everything’s going to be all right.
Georgo: Everyone is gone! Oh, the horror! The horror! It is too much to bear!
Kira: It’s all right. I’m right beside you. See? Nice and warm, huh?
…I can’t respond to this with a straight face.Georgo: Huh?
Kira: Don’t be scared. You’re not alone.
Georgo: Uuuh…
She hugs him until he stops screaming and passes out.Georgo: Uuuh… Zzz…
Kira: …
Yuri: Kira… Wow.
Kira: He fell back asleep.
Yuri and company finally snap out of their stunned silence. They gently lift the man up and lay him back on his bed.
Thomas: (sighs) What the Grus was that all about?
Torlo: I bet we blew it when we cut that tube he was hooked up to. Stupid!
He’s learned enough to know when he screwed up.Tatiana: No, you did the right thing, Torlo. I mean, how else were you supposed to rescue him?
Yuri: We’d better carefully monitor his mental state. And he’ll need some serious counseling from our medical staff. He’s obviously been traumatized by something.
Tatiana: Right. I’ll let them know.
Yuri and the rest return to the bridge and contact Dietrich.
Dietrich: Yes, I see… So, he’s resting peacefully now?
Yuri: He is, but what do you think happened?
Dietrich: Unfortunately, direct contact with a Zenitonian is extremely rare. As such, their race is pretty much a mystery to the other people of our galaxy.
Yuri: Oh.
Dietrich: I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
Yuri: No, it’s not your fault. Now, how about we make for the Zenitonian Sector?
Dietrich: Okay, but as per the original plan, please let my fleet lead the way. We know little, if anything about the Zenitonian Sector. Who knows what’s going to happen out there?
We’re finally released back to the map screen to prepare for our invasion of Zenito.