Rise of the Kinori - D20 Future Campaign

[atanakar]

Deep Space Station

Milky Way – Perseus Arm • Aleerin Deep Space Outpost

Gil_Iliad stands in front of the deep space scanning console. He has stood there for 589 consecutive days. Linked directly to the console the Aleerin reflects upon his soon to end tenure. Only one inescapable conclusion comes to mind : Nothing.

Nothing unexpected happened during his stay at the deep space outpost. Stars, planets, satellites and moons all moved in accordance with the laws of the Universe. Nothing. Trade routes remained secure, citizens of the Galactic Concord travelling to this sector of the Milky Way enjoyed unparalleled freedom of movement. Nothing. No ship were lost is space. No piracy occurred. Nothing. For an Aleerin such as Gil_Iliad it is the best possible outcome for his tenure.

AI: Detecting 3 Technophage tetrahedral ships on approach vector
Gil_Iliad: Send Galactic Concord universal greeting

AI: Message received – no answer - Technophage Tetrahedral ships assuming «hunt formation»
Gil_Iliad: Assuming direct cortical command of the outpost - AI override code : 1alpha-20496-epsilon-8274-01.

Gil_Iliad :
First millisecond
[scanning technophage ships]=[raised shields][assault fighters deploying]
[sending galactic concord distress signal]
[deploying defensive fighter drones][defensive pattern attila]
[raising outpost shields]

Second millisecond
[99% prediction : technophage assault fighters will assume attack formation]
[parameters of conflict : enemy has superior firepower and shields]
[99% prediction : destruction of the outpost in less than 2 minutes]

Third millisecond
[activating abridged auto-destruct sequence – 1 millisecond]
[activating metaspace teleportation bridge]
[galactic concord universal headquarters coordinates entered]
[Oh well ... there goes nothing...]
[teleporting]

Fourth millisecond
[BANG]

And so the Technophage War begins ...

 

[atanakar]

Fraal Monitoring Station

Solar System • Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter • Fraal Monitoring Station

AI : Warning – Technophage assault fighter entering Solar system.
Davis Jr : Scan for Tetrahedral ship in the vicinity
AI : None

Davis Jr : Strange – Contact Sinatra
AI : Connection opened
Sinatra : Yes ?
Davis Jr : A lone Technophage assault fighter as just entered the Solar system

Sinatra : Any life forms on board?
Davis Jr : Scanning ship – 1 Technophage
Sinatra : Heading?

Davis Jr : One moment ... my coordinates !
Sinatra : Send Galactic Concord Universal greeting
Davis Jr : Sending ...

AI : Message received and accepted – waiting for answer
AI : Answer «Hello Old Friend»

Sinatra : Davis Jr, prepare to receive a very important guest.
Davis Jr : Please repeat last command
Sinatra : I'm coming to your station – Sinatra out!

Davis Jr : AI prepare docking bay 03 for Technophage assault ship. Also, prepare to receive Sinatra
AI : Rematerialization of Sinatra in progress
AI : Assault ship within range of tractor beam – Technophage ship accepting tractor beam slave code

Sinatra enters the space station command room. He carries an orange plastic suitcase in one hand and holds on to his fedora in the other.

Davis Jr : Welcome Sinatra.
Sinatra : We must go to the docking bay immediately.
Davis Jr : The ship will be in docking bay 03 any minute now

•••-•••-•••

The Technophage assault ship rest on the floor of docking bay 03. Slowly a jet black cylinder descends for the bowels of the ship until it reaches the floor. Mere seconds after it has touched the floor it start to rise towards the ship revealing at the same time a Technophage.

Sinatra : Greetings «Wise One»

The «Wise One» lowers his head in salute and emits a blood chilling shriek

Davis Jr : You know this being?

The Technophage walks slowly forward until he reaches the Fraals.

Sinatra : Come with us to the infirmary

•••-•••-•••

The Technophage is lying on a bed in the infirmary. His vital signs are monitored by the cyber_nurse. Sinatra opens the orange suitcase and pull out a syringe filled with a greenish glowing substance. He injects the technophage in the neck.

Sinatra : This will hurt ... alote

Immediately the body of the Technophage is racked with convulsions. After a few moments the body transforms slowly into the shape of a Fraal. The patient screames his lungs out has he endures the pain from the last moments of the transformation.

Cyber_nurse : Transformation complete. The patient has feinted. Recommend we let him rest for a few hours.
Sinatra : Advise me when he wakes.

Davis Jr : Who is this ... thing ?
Sinatra : Its Lawford. If he is here it means we are at war with the Technophage.

 

[atanakar]

Dairy

Dairy • Specter O'Reily • March 28th 2008

Winter blues. Winter has been particularly harsh this year for the survivors in the Montreal region. Althought the Fraal have provided food and energy, the effects of having snow storm after snow storm are taking their toll. People have this characteristic look in their eyes: Sadness mixed with helplessness. Tempers are short. We are like automatons, racing from one daily occupation to the other. Spending less and less time outside our homes...

Sinatra tells me we are at war. To defend what?
A sunless ball of ice !!!

 

[atanakar]

Dairy

Dairy • Specter O'Reily • March 29th 2008

6h50am. Watched the sun rise. The sky is clear. Tempertures have already risen above 0°C for the first time in nearly 120 days. I can see water trickeling from the roof top of my neighbour's house. The ice and snow are melting slowly.

My mission today : Take a walk outside to bask in the sunlight as long as possible. I will not be alone. Neighbours and friends will come out with smiles in their eyes. Invariably, I know I will cross path with one or two crazies who will be wearing only a t-shirt, shorts, a baseball cap and running shoes. Walking in the characteristic F@#K winter attitude! Entreprising pub owners will put a couple of tables on the terraces of their venues after the snow has been cleared. Some women may even venture outside in their early spring clothes, wearing beautifull skirts, shawls and berets.

Sinitra tells me we are at war. To defend what?
A bashed up but beautiful world...

 

[atanakar]

The Fraal Pack

Solar System • Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter • Fraal Monitoring Station

The «Fraal Pack» is reunited for the first time in close to two years. Sinatra, Davis Jr, Lawford are standing in the virtual conference of the monitoring station. Dean is also there thanks to virtual projection technology. His duties at the Galactic Concord Universal Headquarters prevent him from attending in person.

Sinatra : I must say Lawford, the news you bring is deeply disturbing.
Lawford : The Technophage are totally alien to us. They have none of the inhibitions and reservations we have about DNA manipulation.

Davis Jr : How could you stand it for so long? The infiltration lasted two years I think?
Lawford : 637 GC days. Indeed there were moments when I wanted to flee but my scientific curiosity held me in check.

Dean : Do you believe there are other types of Technophages out there?
Lawford : I do not know of any other types of technophage than those I mentioned in my report. The myth about their origines states that they used to live in space. Soaring and moving around a «Edenistic» asteroid belt were crystals and carbon were limitless. Maybe the winged technophages are the original species?

Dean : We know they attacked the Aleerin Deep Space Outpost in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way about a month ago. But there have been no other reports of attack since.
Sinatra : This worries me greatly. Lawford says One Eye called for a Purge. They must be gathering there forces. Luckily for us it gave the AFP Mother of Invention enough time to produce all the ships of phase I, II and III. Have our allies in this galaxy answered your calls Dean?

Dean : The Aleerins are galvanized by the attack on their outpost. Their fleet is already assembled and waiting for orders. They T'sa authorities are sending a technical support contigent that should arrive any day now. The Trade Arbiter of House Tjik_Vrass, Honorable G'chich Tjik, assures us the cooperation of the Vrusk. The President for Life of his House is sending a fleet of five cruisers. For a total of about 20 ships.

Sinatra : I put for the resolution that our colony ship, the Manhattan, should be posted in the Solar System in support of the other fleets. We must also use our military vessels to scan this arm of the Milky Way, the Orion arm, for intruders.
Davis Jr : To be expected. I accept.
Lawford : We will make our stand here. The purge is directed at us, the Grey Ones. I accept
Dean : I wish I could be there. But we need a voice over here at the GCUH. I accept

Sinatra : It is done then. AI send the order to the colony ship Manhattan to enter the Solar System and position itself near this monitoring station. Dean, ask the Aleerins to deploy their fleet near Jupiter's moon Europa. Also, the T'sa should deploy themselves outside of arms way near Earth's Moon. The Vrusk are the Vrusk. Alert me when they show up.

Dean : Now begins the hard part ... waiting. I propose the end of this assembly.

 

[atanakar]

Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting of the Vrusk Trade Authority • Somewhere deep underground

3 Months ago • The heads of the Vrusk Trade Houses and Conglomerates are assembled in circular room spartanly decorated and furnished. The lights are dimmed. All attention is turned on the holographic projection at the center of the room. Profit margin projections, employment rates and all manners of statistics are presented to the ruling body of the Vrusk... The projection ends... Heavy silence fills the room.

Head Accountant of the Vrusk Trade Authority : Once again this year overall profit margin for the Vrusk Trade Authority has declined by 00,05%. Galactic wide profit margin for the VTA is at 1,67%. Despite all the measures we put in place in the last five years we predict that for the first time since we joined the Galactic Concord the profit margin of the VTA will fall to levels below our membership.

Cries hate and despair erupt from the assembly.

Head Accountant of the Vrusk Trade Authority : We have known for a decade that these times were coming. It would appears the other races are getting better at producing goods. We have fought them to the letter of the law at the Galactic Concord Trade Tribunal but we were defeated on all the charges. This was to be expected also. Unrest his very high in the Vrusk population. They can feel it. Our statisticians predict that we cannot cut back anymore on salaries or benefits. We risk civil war. Only one course of action remains if we want to regain our share of the galactic market. We must somehow destabilize the Galactic Concord.

I have the tool !

All attention turns to the President for Life of House Tjik_Vrass. To speak out of turn is a grave offense. Two security guards start walking towards PFL Izrl Tjik_Vrass.

Head Accountant of the Vrusk Trade Authority : Let him speak!

PFL Izrl Tjik_Vrass : I have the tool we need. House Tjik_Vrass has been preparing for such an outcome for the last 3 years. Not that we did not have faith in our beloved Head Accountant! The numbers don't lie. We all knew that these times we coming. Some of us choose to ignore the warning signs. The Head Accountant did the best he could with his limited power. In the end, we must act. We must destabilize the Galactic Concord. I call my plan Rise of the Kinori...

 

[atanakar]

Fraal Monitoring Station

Solar System • Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter • Fraal Monitoring Station

Current time
AI : Five Vrusk cruisers entering the Solar system.
Davis Jr : Well, well, well. (Turning to his communication console.)

Davis Jr : Vrusk cruisers welcome to the Solar system. Please standby for further instructions.
General Isl_Tjik_Vrass: House Tjik_Vrass salutes you and wishes you honor in combat ! Understood. Waiting for instructions.
Davis Jr : AI contact Sinatra.
AI: Secure connection opened.

Davis Jr : The Vrusk have arrived
Sinatra : Really! Hum.. Interesting. The Head Accountant decided to dig deep into his pockets.
Davis Jr : The hour is also desperate for them I guess?
Sinatra : Indeed! Tell them to assume position opposite Jupiter's current location.

Davis Jr : Vrusk fleet assume position to these coordinates.
General Isl_Tjik_Vrass: Coordinates received. Moving to location. Vrusk fleet out.

Davis Jr looks at the Ship Monitoring Console. Close to 20 ships. Not bad. The T'sa will be here in 1 hour. The defense of the Solar system is in place. The Technophage will not attack such a big fleet.

AI : Receiving message from Dean at the Galactic Concord Universal Head Quarters.
Dean : We are under attack! I repeat, we are under attack! Sending compressed data of all info collected up to know. Farewell friends... Dean out !

 

[atanakar]

Eoraptor-Prime

Kinori Strike Force Fleet • Milky Way's Carina Sagittarius Arm • Capital Ship Eoraptor-Prime

One hour earlier
Command deck of the Strike Cruiser Eoraptor-Prime. A single Kinori stands erect in the command room. He is the Ernidass-Prime, commander of the retribution fleet. Next to him, Honorable G'chich Tjik, can barely contain himself. Ernidass-Prime activates the ship-wide communication system.

Ernidass-Prime : Pernidass-Prime, please connect me to the rest of the fleet.
Pernidass-Prime : Connection established.

Ernidass-Prime : Today, we will strike a crippling blow to our enemy! Thanks to the help of our new allies we possess the means and the information to reach deep into the Galactic Concord and strike directly at their center of operation. Today, the Galactic Concord Universal Headquarters will fall! You have trained hard in the last months for this. Today, YOU rise to the level of our ancentors. Make them proud !
Ernidass-Prime signal his communication officer to cut the transmission. He turns around to G'chich Tjik.

Ernidass-Prime : Are you sure you cannot stay to witness our victory and return home?
G'chich Tjik : You know very well that my race has gone to great lengths to hide our implication in this revenge of yours.

Ernidass-Prime : We have the same goals?
G'chich Tjik : Indeed. You get your revenge and we get an open trade market. No more Galactic Concord meddling against either of our races. But contrary to you, the members of my race are spread out on all the Galactic Concord worlds. If the truth became known we would suffer greatly. Secrecy is of outmost importance if you want to continue to receive our support.

Ernidass-Prime : I admit, mixing T'sa and Kinori technologies to produce a new kind of ship steers the suspicions away from you in an elegant manner. Do not worry about secrecy. The benefits to both our races greatly out way any ill conceived plans of treachery.
G'chich Tjik : You are a wise leader Ernidass-Prime.

Pernidass-Prime : Sir, receiving signal from the relocation colony.
Ernidass-Prime : Put it on the intercom.

Ternidass-Prime : Greetings commander, you can proceed with our plan. All the Kinori migration ships have reached our new homeworld. This time no one can usurp our destiny!
Ernidass-Prime : Proud the serve Ternidass-Prime.

Ternidass-Prime : G'chich Tjik, extend our sincere thanks to the Vrusk Trade Authority. Smuggling close to 70 000 Kinori refugees under the nose of the Fraals was quite an exploit.
G'chich Tjik : The Technophage treat provided the perfect opportunity. The Fraal leader in the Solar system is obsessed with them. I must admit you played your part very well. Leaving troops behind to continue attacking border patrols and human settlements put your enemy to sleep...

Ternidass-Prime : You flatter me. I did the necessary for the survival of my race. It was impossible to thrive under the embargo imposed by the Galactic Concord. Farewell G 'hcich Tjik.
G 'hcich Tjik : Farewell to you and the Kinori. I will contact you in 100 days when the dust has settled.

G'chich Tjik salutes Eernidass-Prime, the rest of his command staff, and then leaves the command deck.

 

[atanakar]

Fraal Monitoring Station

Solar System • Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter • Fraal Monitoring Station

Current time
Sinatra, Davis Jr and Lawford have just finished reviewing the info sent by Dean. The usually gray faces of the Fraals are almost white.

Sinatra : We have a new enemy ! Someone we did not, or could not take into account. But who?
Lawford : Technical data reveals unknowned ship configuration. Does not match Technophage profile.

Davis Jr : I've reviewed scan data sent with the message. Elements of T'sa technology have been identified. Also, my files tell me there are also elements of Kinori technology!
Sinatra : Are you sure?

Davis Jr : I've run the comparison twice. I am certain
Sinatra : Someone else is behind this. The T'sa and the Kinori. Pfff. Someone is trying to undermine the Galactic Concord. Davis, run scans of Earth. How many Kinori life signs.

Davis Jr : Orbital drones scanning the planet... one moment, this is impossible. Scanning again. 2186 Kinori life signs detected.
Lawford : We have been duped. Someone has gone to great lengths to help the Kinori.

AI : Receiving distress signal from ALL Fraal Colony Ships outside Solar System.
Sinatra : What ? A coordinated attack! This is unforeseen. AI, decompress the messages and give us the details

AI : Decompressing ... analyzing ... formatting

AI : Fifteen minutes ago all Fraal colony ship outside the Solar System were attack by large Technophage fleets. Sometime as many as 15 ships. Of the nine colony ships, two have been destroyed, five are regrouping to our position, one is too severely damaged for interstellar flight and the last one is unaccounted for. All other military and civilian Fraal assets are regrouping to the Solar System. Casualties inflicted on the Technophage fleets was extensive. The knowledge we gained from the Technophage teleportation device seize during the raid on the Europa Moon proved to be invaluable. We were able to teleport our newly developed singularity grenades inside many of their ships. The enemy has retreated on all fronts. End of report.

Davis Jr : This is certainly the darkest hour of our race.
Lawford : The Galactic Concord will crumble. Every races will pull back within the security of its borders.
Sinatra : We are too few. With two colony ships destroyed, one badly crippled and another loss almost 50 percent of our people are either dead or in grave danger. We face extinction. Someone opened the gates of Rome to the barbarians...

AI : Aleerin and Vrusk fleets requesting permission to return to their homeworlds.
Sinitra : Let them.
AI : T'sa contingent arriving in 15 minutes. They are aware of the attack but want to help anyway.
Sinitra : Tell them to stand by near the Moon. Our colony ships will need extensive repairs.
Davis Jr : You will let them inside our ships?
Lawford : Sinatra is right. We will need all the manpower we can get.
Sinitra : This maybe the start of a new coalition. Humans, Fraal and the T'sa.

 

[atanakar]

23 days ago

Solar System • Somewhere deep underground • In the secret chamber of a secret complex

23 days ago
Two Vrusk stand in front of each other.
G'chich_Tjik : Were you able to forward the information?
OpDal_Tjik : Yes, the first three agents I sent were killed. But I guess when a fourth «emissary» showed up the Technophage understood something important was happening.

G'chich_Tjik : Do you have an answer?
OpDal_Tjik : They will be there on time at the specified date.

G'chich_Tjik : Excellent, you have secured for yourself and your familly a much higher status in House Tjik_Vrass. I salute you.