Tag: Demon Sector

#Lore 24 ā€“ Entry #97 ā€“ Sci-Fi Month II #6 ā€“ UEF Defense Squadron 04-1, ā€œWhite Tigersā€

 

From the Personal Journal of Sorisana Kelvaris, starfighter pilot, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana, translated from Elvish script.

I wouldnā€™t be hasty enough to say that Iā€™m in the clear just yet, and I mightā€™ve gotten a little more attention than Iā€™d wanted today, but still, itā€™s been better than ten years now, so maybe I pulled off the vanishing act successfully.  Another week or so and I should be in the clear, on the way into the deep black, a distant star system we call Marchosias, and dangers we couldnā€™t possibly imagine just waiting for us to stumble upon them.  Still, whatever horrors may lay out there has to be better than facing the queen bitch of DSM againā€¦

Our final trial flights were held today at the request of Captain Silvercask, but it was mostly for the squadron commanders to try to weed out anyone else who didnā€™t belong on this trip.  No more washouts, so I guess that means weā€™re the best of the leftovers; all the other good pilots were shipped out on the first three UEF motherships months ago.  Maybe Iā€™m being a little cynical?  I didnā€™t see any signs of trouble in the other pilots myself, just the typical hotdogging and bluster Iā€™d expect from starfighter jockeys.  Of course, if all those years drudging in the corpo salt mines taught me anything, itā€™s that youā€™ll never see someoneā€™s true nature until theyā€™re under pressure and pushed to their limits. 

Iā€™ve been assigned to the Morgianaā€™s first squadron, designated the ā€œWhite Tigersā€, with the callsign ā€œTiger 3ā€.  The squadā€™s mostly composed of elves and kerryn, with a couple humans, one male ferakatian, and a couple kobolds in the mix; makes sense, quicker reflexes and all.  The higher ups told us these were randomly assigned, but most of the pilots assume that itā€™s a ranking system, so going by that and what I could glean from my brief interactions with the squadmates, Iā€™ve got at least a dozen laser designators aimed right at me.  Itā€™s bullshit, but thatā€™s just how it is; theyā€™re competitive by nature, after all.  The Tigersā€™ primary responsibility will be defense of the Morgiana and her support ships of course, but I imagine weā€™ll be handling a majority of the scouting operations as well, at least for initial system entry and planetary approach.  My primary assigned ship is a Stellar Drake III-class fighter, good all-round specs, average firepower and defense in its current configuration, above average speed, with capability of being specialized for various roles depending on need thanks to the modular design.  Veylani may make impressive transports with that philosophy, but Star Dragon Shipyards is where you go to for starfighters, no matter what the dwarves or elves say to the contrary; that rivalry with the kobolds will never end, I think.  Iā€™m not proud enough to deny that.  DSM could learn a thing or two from either, but profits over everything else and all that.

As to the standouts in the squadron, ā€œTiger Leaderā€ is a kobold, goes by Chirzed Flametongue.  Donā€™t know much about him personally, but the nameā€™s familiar at least, has a decent enough reputation, gained some fame during the border conflict a decade or so ago.  Seems like a solid choice for a commander, even has his own customized fighter.  I could see the disdain on Erlareo Enmarisā€™s face immediately when he found out who was in charge, and heā€™s got a couple other elves who also made the squadron playing the role of his lackeys, so thatā€™ll be trouble down the line.  Iā€™m sure heā€™ll approach me eventually and try to weave me into his machinations too out some misplaced notion that we elves should stick together.  The kerryn are as easygoing as ever outside the cockpit, even if the lot of them have that predatory gleam in their eyes while theyā€™re flying.  Canā€™t really get a read on the ferakatian yet; Iā€™ve always had trouble discerning ferian body language.  Canā€™t even remember his name either; did he even tell us?  Curiousā€¦will have to look into him further, I think.

Though Iā€™ve not used my arcanist talents for some time, now that Iā€™ve been officially assigned a ship, Iā€™m not going to take any chances.  I was able to weave a subtle enough ward upon it, so Iā€™ll know if anyone tampers with it.  Until I get to know the support techs better this might be an annoyance, but I think itā€™s worth it; at least Iā€™ll know what they touched.  There are several elves among the ground crews, and any one of them could be a DSM plant, and though the magic I used to change my appearance has long since settled into my bones (so no need to worry about anyone spotting the lingering spell aura there), thereā€™s always a chance someone will figure out who I am.  I worked for that department long enough to know never to underestimate them.  If one of the onboard arcanists finds out, then itā€™s simple enough to explain that I know a few tricks that I donā€™t exactly advertise; I guarantee there are plenty of others who are part of this mission who do the same.

The squadron has been given leave until our official departure, barring an emergency, so Iā€™m going to spend some time practicing my marksmanship outside the cockpit.  Iā€™ve still not mastered the revolver Iā€™ve taken to carrying, not like Shi, anyway.  Iā€™m a pretty good shot, but nothing like her.  True, I might be a little silly trying to emulate a gunslinger like her, but she left an impression on me back then.  Iā€™ve still got the scars on my chest and back to prove it, little reminders of what I owe her.  Iā€™ll probably never see her again, but who knows?  Weā€™ve both got a few hundred years at least left in us, gods willing, so maybe Iā€™ll have my chance to pay her back for that messā€¦

 

#Lore 24 ā€“ Entry #96 ā€“ Sci-Fi Month II #5 ā€“ ASD Lead Arcanist Primula Tallfoot

 

From the Personal Journal of Kiara Mizutani, Arcane Support Division, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana

Oh no!  I might be in trouble!  And not the fun kind of trouble, either!

The Maharani Morgiana returned to Aphelion Station last night.  Wow, I wasnā€™t expecting her to be that big!  Sheā€™s a station unto herself!  But thatā€™s not what I have to get off my chest.  I had to report to my division head aboard the ship this morning, and I screwed up!  I got lost and wound up being late for the meeting!  Itā€™s not my fault, though!  I got to talking with some of the work-release convicts who were handling the loading operations (they were in honest to goodness SealTech suits!  Oh my goodness, the tits and bulges!) and got separated from the others who were headed that way and then got all twisted around once I tried to follow the directions Iā€™d been given.  Iā€™ve never been on a ship like that before, how am I supposed to know which bulkhead leads where and which module is connected to that module?!  And the stupid map-app was busted or something, and I just couldnā€™t find anyone who could give me a coherent answer on where to go!  Iā€™m not military, I donā€™t know this stuff!

Anyway, to make a bad day worse, when I finally found the right module, I was looking around for some direction on where her office might be and stumbled right into her!  Oh, Saressh, she was so pissed!  It mightā€™ve been because I bumped her, or maybe it was because I didnā€™t recognize her immediately?  Maybe sheā€™s always this grumpy?  I donā€™t know!  I mean, I didnā€™t mean to bump into her like that, but sheā€™s a halfling, so I wasnā€™t looking down, and I didnā€™t mean anything by it, but she didnā€™t even give me a chance to apologize or explain or anything!  She started tearing into me immediately, giving me a dressing down that made me feel smaller than she is! I havenā€™t had a tongue lashing like that since the early days at the Academy!  (This time at least I didnā€™t have the cock-cage pinching meā€¦)

Not that she looks that small, though.  I mean, she is wearing like the tallest platform boots Iā€™ve ever seen on a woman her size, they have to push her height to almost four feet, maybe a little more if you count her hair.  Sheā€™s got this whole ā€œdark goth-punk chickā€ thing going.  Itā€™s not my style, but she makes it work I guess?  She looked paler than the ID photo I saw, and she had fewer piercings, so maybe special privileges come with the position?  I saw enchantments on most of them, so I guess sheā€™s just prepared for the worst?

She calmed down after making me feel terrible, but she was still grumpy, and I can tell she doesnā€™t like me.  She grilled me on my studies, my experience at the Academy as a guy, everything pretty much.  It felt like an interrogation!  But I couldnā€™t just not tell her, I mean, sheā€™s my boss and all, and I have to do whatever I can to make up for that terrible first impression.  I guess itā€™s kind of like that first year at the Academy, when I was getting used to the changes and had to be the house maid the whole year.  She asked about that a lot, too, and I think I saw her twitch a little bit of a smile.  Is that good?  Is that bad?  I just donā€™t know!

After all that she finally went over the details of what she expected of me as part of her division, and what our general duties were going to be on the voyage, handed me some materials to review and get familiar with, showed me around the workshop and to my personal office.  It almost felt normal at that point, but she never lost that scowl on her face.  Once she had dismissed me, one of the shipā€™s officers came in, and I heard her browbeating him too, so maybe sheā€™s like that to everyone?

I have to report back to her first thing in the morning for some kind of skills test.  Iā€™m just a bundle of nerves right now!  I think Iā€™ll go visit the gardens again, but maybe some ice cream first, though.  Some sweets and a little walk will do me good, Iā€™m sure.  I just hope Director Tallfoot doesnā€™t treat me like this the whole trip, or this will be an absolutely miserable journey.

#Lore 24 ā€“ Entry #95 ā€“ Sci-Fi Month II #4 ā€“ Robotic Security Drones

 

From the Personal Journal of Kiara Mizutani, Arcane Support Division, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana

All things considered I think the date went fine.  Nothing serious of course, just a little hook-up to pass the time before heading out, that kind of thing.  Martin was pleasant enough, a bit nervous after I showed up with a crop top, my new fancy shorts, a pair of those super-long slouchy socks I used to wear back at the Academy, and my super-sexy heels.  Apparently I did tell him, and he was totally okay with that, just didnā€™t think I would show up looking so hot.  He just couldnā€™t keep his eyes off the shorts.  I think Iā€™ve got a winner with these!  Anyway, after he bought dinner we slipped off to his motel room for a little sexy time.  I think that was his first foot-job.  Pretty sure I blew his mind with that one šŸ˜‰

I had to take care of some work stuff today, so I didnā€™t get to explore too much, not until I was given an updated list of items I was expected to have along for the expedition and realized I was missing a few things, so off to the Big Bazaar and the shopping modules for me!  But I wasnā€™t expecting that security alert at all!  I had my defensive ward up before I realized it!  I guess thatā€™s a good thing, though?  I mean, it seems like a good thing to me, anyway.  I guess there was some criminal or something like that got spotted or tried to rob someone or something, I never could get a straight answer, but I did not expect that kind of security!  Like, robotic drones!

But not the ones Iā€™m used to, like, nothing of the sort!  There were several of the flying camera drones you see everywhere, yeah, but these, I thought they were big guys in heavy armor, but these were robots!  Humanoid robotic drones!  Turns out, Iā€™d seen them before, just standing around here and there when I was exploring, but they never moved, so I thought they were some kind of fancy statues or something for decoration.  Nope!  These things kind of put me in mind of old-style armored knights in a way, like a bit on the bulky side, and with heads that were a bit too squashed to fit a standard humanoid, with some angular antennas on the head and glowing red monoeye scanners.  They even had the shields too, but were using stun batons instead of swords.  They had stun guns, too, and I think some other weapons for restraining targets, but I didnā€™t get to see them in action.  The group of them just came through the street, scanning all over, and then continued on, followed by some regular meaty security and some technician I think.

I had to kill some time waiting for the module lockdown to end, but once I got back to the office I asked around about them.  Turns out theyā€™re pretty new, still a little experimental even.  I really have to give it to the company head!  Ms. Veylani isnā€™t the least bit afraid to push the envelope and try new things!  Apparently there was this little startup company who wanted to test these new style drones out here in the Demon Sector since so many places back across the Barrier are against the idea, but once sheā€™d found out about it last year, she totally jumped on the idea!  There are even some experiments going on relating to arcane enhancements and golemcraft, but I couldnā€™t get much on that; top secret company stuff, so yeah, a newbie like me just isnā€™t going to have that kind of clearance.

Still, pretty neat!  I wonder if weā€™ll have any of these onboard the Morgiana for our big trip?  Apparently since VTC partnered with the SealTech people, these things even carry some kind of proprietary restraint tech, too.  Like, some kind of ā€œgoopā€ grenades to immobilize several people at once and some are equipped with guns that shoot bullets made of the same stuff.  I guess they wonā€™t give them actual lethal weaponry.  Not that Iā€™d expect something like that on a station, of course.  I mean, what if one of these things went crazy and started shooting up the place?  There are supposedly precautions in place to stop that kind of thing, but you knowā€¦robotics havenā€™t really developed much for reasonsā€¦but I guess that would make sense why theyā€™re looking at ancient golemcraft then, wouldnā€™t it?

#Lore 24 ā€“ Entry #94 ā€“ Sci-Fi Month II #3 ā€“ Aphelion Station

 

From the Personal Journal of Kiara Mizutani, Arcane Support Division, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana

Wow!  Justā€¦wow!  I knew heading to the Demon Sector was like, the thing to do these days, but I didnā€™t think it was this popular.  There were hours-long lines waiting at Perihelion Station just to get registered to take one of those super-huge transports through the Barrier.  Thank Saressh I was already fast-tracked through on a Veylani company ship, or Iā€™d still be there!

But if I thought the lines were bad outside the Barrier, was I ever in for a surprise!  Even though Aphelion Station is bigger than its sister, I think itā€™s even more crowded!  I guess itā€™s not called the ā€œGateway to the Demon Sectorā€ for nothing!  Even the company docking module was packed, people coming and going.  Once Iā€™d checked in, I found that the ship Iā€™ve been assigned to, Maharani Morgiana, was headed to the Valefar system for some tests, so I had some time to explore, seeing as my supervising arcanist was along for the ride.  I wonder what sheā€™s like?  I tried to look up some information on her during the trip here, but didnā€™t really find much; guess sheā€™s not a very outgoing kind of person?  She did look a little grumpy in her employee ID photo, but everyone has a bad day, I guess! 

Anyway, the stationā€¦justā€¦itā€™s so overwhelming!  There are so many people and races and cultures all mixed together here, like one big bazaar!  Well, I guess that could be a little confusing, considering that there is a module here actually called the ā€œBig Bazaarā€, where all the smaller merchants are housed.  I just wanted to take a little stroll through there, but I wound up spending almost the whole day there!  Even Arcavarlon during its new year festival season was nothing like this!  There was so much stuff for sale there, and most of it was found or made in the colonies that have already started up in the Demon Sector.  I got to try actual food from Valefar, real food from the Demon Sector!  It was some kind of big bird or something like that; I didnā€™t want to ask too many details, but it smelled so tasty!  It was pretty good, but it was really hot, like, spicy hot, but the rattenvolk vendor assured me that was all natural.  Something with the local wildlife, I think he said?  Iā€™ll have to look into it later, maybe.

Other than that, I think I was pretty responsible!  Iā€™m getting a good paycheck and all from the company, but no sense spending all my money just yet, right?  I only bought like a dozen or so little souvenirs, and half of those are jewelry, so memorable and functional!  Those earrings I got really set off my eyes, I think!

This morning I took a trip to the entertainment sector.  Justā€¦wow!  I donā€™t think this station sleeps at all, especially not in those modules!  There are plenty of fancier restaurants and bars there, gambling and betting parlors, theaters, sports facilities, gosh, just everything!  There were a lot, like, a huge amount of sex clubs there too.  I got a lot of offers to stop in for some playtime and for some serious work, and the looks I kept getting from passersbyā€¦if this job with Veylani falls through, Iā€™ve got options, I guess!

There are lots of places to shop, too, selling the kinds of things you can find across the Barrier, like name brands and the latest releases and stuff!  Guess that kinda makes sense, given all the corporate representation here, and the fact that the shops are right off the main passenger offloading areas.  Total tourist trap!  By the way, I just had to get this sexy little pair of pink booty shorts I found in one of the stores there, even if I mightā€™ve spent a little too much on them.  I mean, next payday is just a couple days from now, so I should be fineā€¦ Gods, they are so cute! And they fit purrfectly!  Not even a bit pinchy, not even around my tail, and just a bit squeaky, but in a sexy way!  And that pocket for my man-bits has like the most comfortable snugness ever!  I just had to change into them right then and there, and Iā€™ve been wearing them since!  Kind of wish I hadnā€™t worn a skirt today so I could show them off, actuallyā€¦but my top wouldnā€™t match, and Iā€™m trying to be responsible with my spending here!  Iā€™d heard about these SexyTech clothes but hadnā€™t seen a lot of them around, and these were on sale (still super expensive, though!).  Guess maybe thatā€™s that whole bad reputation thing at work since theyā€™re from the same parent company that makes SealTech?  I mean, if this stuff is good enough for the head of Veylani to wear, then it canā€™t be that bad, right?  Hmmmā€¦maybe I should look into getting a loan so I can get a full outfit?  The sales clerk did mention financing was available, for any financial bracket, after allā€¦ I mean, this stuff is self-cleaning, or itā€™s supposed to be, and the more expensive versions have color changing and shapeshifting properties, so maybe it wouldnā€™t be a bad idea?  I mean, having a whole wardrobe in one outfit would be super handy!  We are going off into the unknown for a few years, and that means Iā€™d have a lot less laundry to doā€¦ But maybe itā€™d be a bad idea, too?  I am feeling a little horny wearing these shorts, but maybe thatā€™s just those delicious little oysters I had for lunch at work? 

Oh, so, after that, I just had to go visit the gardens.  As expected of a place managed by the Greenwhiskers, they were beautiful!  Like, so peaceful and calm, and located at the uppermost level, so mostly above the hundreds of ships and the bulk of the station.  Somehow the Barrier from this side seems a bit less threatening, maybe a little calmer, even.  Pretty neat!  And not very crowded, so thatā€™s a good thing! 

Gosh, look at the time!  I have to get going; Iā€™ve got a date tonight!  Did I mention I met this really cute human guy fresh out of the Barrier today?  Well, I did, and since weā€™re both new here and we kind of hit it off, I figured what the heck, why not give it a shot, even if itā€™s just a quick little hookup?  Heā€™s outbound on a cargo transport in a couple days, I think he said, but I canā€™t remember where he said he was going.  He might not know Iā€™m a guy, thoughā€¦I donā€™t think I mentioned it?  Maybe I did?  I mightā€™ve been thinking with my other head at the time; Iā€™m still feeling pretty horny, and Iā€™m really feeling the tightness of the bulge in these shorts right nowā€¦ Oh well, itā€™s a chance at a free meal, so Iā€™ll take it!

 

#Lore 24 ā€“ Entry #93 ā€“ Sci-Fi Month II #2 ā€“ UEF-04 ā€“ Maharani Morgiana

 

From the Personal Logs of Captain Durgen Silvercask, translated from Dwarven Script:

For all the ridiculous things those idiot engineers have done to this ship, at least they werenā€™t daft enough to rename her.  This mission has enough bad luck piled onto it already, we didnā€™t need that to deal with too. 

In spite of all the issues I have with Veylaniā€™s current leadership (who in their right mind wouldnā€™t have problems with a child running a megacorporation?  I donā€™t care if sheā€™s an adult by human standards, she needs a good forty or fifty years of experience before tackling something like that!), I will have to admit that Veylani has certainly proven that their modular design philosophy actually works, at least as far as this refit is concerned, anyway. 

The Morgiana herself has a respectable enough service record, having served well in her role as a carrier for over a century, and has flown under three separate flags in her time, only suffering fairly minor damage in her various engagements, the worst being from a fighter that crashed into one of her launch bays and took another half dozen fighters with it, but the main structure of the ship itself wasnā€™t harmed.  It seems that her list of mostly human commanders hasnā€™t abused her, though I suspect thatā€™s more due to proper maintenance, and thatā€™s been mostly dwarf and rattenvolk teams.  Since all eyes are on the Demon Sector these days, and nobody has decided to start up another conflict just yet, she was selected to be designated as UEF-04, fourth in the line to lead an expeditionary force into the unknown.

She was already a formidable carrier at a thousand meters, but now sheā€™s become something else entirely.  ā€œSuper-carrierā€ doesnā€™t seem to do her justice.  Those Releana-class ships that ferry people and their vessels across the Barrier are super-carriers (figures that little twat running the company would name the first new class of ships after herself); these UEF motherships arenā€™t even space stations, more like mobile space colonies!  Sheā€™s been expanded to a mind-boggling 7500 meters and loaded with habitation, research, cargo, manufacturing, garden, docking, and power generation modules.  I might as well have taken a boulder straight to the head when I first laid eyes upon her; I thought she was just another part of Aphelion Station.  And that engine block! Gods, I can barely fathom how much power is in there, and just how large a TK-drive it takes to propel her into hyperspace! 

Iā€™m not certain theyā€™ve even fully calculated her maximum carrying capacity yet, and here we are in her final shakedown before sheā€™s loaded up and sent off into the unknown.  Sheā€™s currently packing a hundred starfighters and probably as many troop transports.  Hells, sheā€™s even been fitted with an outer docking frame that will let her support ships connect up with her and travel through hyperspace as one large unit.  This seems ludicrous to me, but somehow itā€™s working; Iā€™m looking out at the Wyvernā€™s Fang from my cabin window right now, and there are four other battleships just like her around the superstructure, and weā€™re maintaining a constant velocity through hyperspace on the way to the Valefor system.

I have my reservations about this mission, as Iā€™ve mentioned before, and as far as Iā€™m concerned, the Morgiana, while at her core is a time-tested vessel, her new incarnation is unproven and dangerous.  As I look at the internal sensor readouts, Iā€™m seeing everything within expected ranges, but sheā€™s not had enough time to grow into her new form.  Who knows when some poorly connected module is going to break loose, or when one of these skyscraper-sized engines is going to develop a fatal flaw and explode?  There should be months if not years of further testing on her before sheā€™s ready to face what might be waiting out there in the Marchosias system. 

And yet, here I am, already resolved to see her into the unknown, untested, and highly experimental, with thousands of lives riding on my decisions.  Somehow, though, even with all the personnel issues and this unproven vessel, I have to admit that I amā€¦excited to go out there, into the void.  This will be the greatest challenge Iā€™ve ever faced, and for all I know, Iā€™ll never see home again.  I wonā€™t say I can feel something calling me, but itā€™s almost like that, that sense of knowing something is out there that will make all this worth it in the end.

Gods, Iā€™m a damned a fool!  May the Greatfather watch over me!

 

#Lore24 ā€“ Entry #92 ā€“ Sci-Fi Month II #1 ā€“ United Expeditionary Force

 

From the Personal Logs of Captain Durgen Silvercask, translated from Dwarven Script:

What in the hells am I doing here?  I must be insane to even consider this command.  And yet I am here, in my cabin aboard the Maharani Morgiana, overseeing the final shakedown after she was refit for this fool endeavor, spearheaded by a human woman who is barely out of diapers, no less!  Youā€™ve lost your damn mind is whatā€™s happened, Durgen; you didnā€™t used to take risks like this when you were younger.

Where do I even start with this mess?  I suppose Iā€™ll save my thoughts on my ship for laterā€¦ A tangle of corporate interests at the top of this ā€œUnited Expeditionary Forceā€ should have been my first hint to go find a hole and dig deep, but A3ā€™s always been there for me, so I couldnā€™t exactly tell them to fuck off, could I?  At least DSM isnā€™t involved in this, but Iā€™d be an even bigger fool not to suspect trouble from that lot sooner or later, given who is in charge of them.  My first officer on this deployment, Ryllae Lunari, may not have any official ties to DSM, but sheā€™s an elf nonetheless, and what she does have are ties to some of the Great Houses, so thatā€™s just as bad.  Her recordā€™s good, but that doesnā€™t mean a damn thing to me; if she can prove herself capable and loyal, then Iā€™ll change my opinion, but I might as well move a mountain by myself.

Then thereā€™s the absolutely daft decision on the rest of the personnel involved with this expedition.  I can smell the corpo stink all over most of these choices, even all the way out here in the Demon Sector.  Too many races, too many groups, all shoved together in the name of ā€œdiscovery and explorationā€.  This is a gods-damned powder keg waiting to explode.  Iā€™ll be the first to admit my prejudices, and Iā€™ll tell them to their faces, but Iā€™ve been around long enough to know this foolishness can only end badly.  Small groups on short deployments are generally fine, but this is meant to be a years-long mission, and some idiot has put elves in the same units with aerians, dwarves with kobolds and orcs, elves with kerryns, and a whole mess of other cockups. 

Then thereā€™s the religious lot theyā€™ve brought in.  As if having Erisayan and Yurisayan clergy together wasnā€™t potentially bad enough, all the major religions have some form of representation here, and a lot of the lesser ones, too.  Thatā€™s just asking for problems; there will be blood spilled over this decision, I have no doubts about it.  Give it time; thereā€™s going to be friction, and it only takes so long before sparks fly; the canaryā€™s already dead, and nobody noticed.  Well, I did, but itā€™s not like I can do anything about it just yet.  Iā€™m sure there are other level-headed sorts aboard that might listen to reason.

This isnā€™t going to be a quick journey, either.  Itā€™ll be weeks before weā€™re into the Marchosias system, assuming we donā€™t run into any problems or hostile situations.  To think weā€™re relying on navigational data from a bunch of wildcat explorers looking for treasuresā€¦ we bare have any idea what space is like on this side of the Demon Barrier, and weā€™re already diving headlong into it!  Guess thatā€™s what you get when you have an emotional human girl in charge of things.  Have to give her credit for standing up to that witch at the top of DSM, but she needs to be reined in before she gets thousands of people killed.  But, with this many people coming in from all over known space, theyā€™re going to do exactly what people do when cooped up in small spaces for long periods, especially with the Love and Lust delegation aboard, and that means children and other unplanned complications. 

I might not be quite so concerned about this were this strictly a military operationā€¦maybeā€¦but weā€™re only responsible for keeping the Morgiana and its support ships running and seeing that the expeditionary teams are protected from whatever dangers are lurking out there.  I can deal with outside threats if there are any; itā€™s the threats from the inside, the ones I know about and especially the ones I donā€™t, that worry me.  Half the scientists enrolled here have barely set foot outside their offices in years, to say nothing of the scholars coming along, and the lot of them are now expecting to travel into the vast unknown.  They probably think this is going to be some kind of pleasure cruise, that theyā€™re aboard some kind of damned floating hotel! 

It all boils down to this mess of an operation being rushed.  Itā€™s barely been two years since they found a way through the Barrier.  We should be moving a lot slower than this, but all the higher ups see are profits.  Canā€™t deny that I understand the feeling; the untapped resources out there are enormous, Iā€™m certain, but running off like this can only lead to bad things.  Why are we even going so far as Marchosias anyway?  There are dozens, maybe hundreds of other systems between here and there that we should be starting with, and those could take decades, centuries perhaps, to even partially explore!  Is it just because itā€™s one of the closer of the original seventy-two discovered stars?  I hope thereā€™s more to it than that.

Anyway, Iā€™ve already started making changes in my command structure and will implement them once weā€™re out from beneath the combined corporate eyes here and will send recommendations to other divisions within this expeditionary force as soon as weā€™re outbound and away from Aphelion Station for them to do the same; it wonā€™t be ideal, but maybe I can severe the fuse before this powder keg goes nuclear.

 

LORE24 ENTRY #28 – 1st Annual Aphelion Station Grand Ball

Category ā€“ Event

A year after the massively successful creation of Aphelion Station on the far side of the Demon Barrier, the alliance of corporations that funded and created the ever-expanding station, led by Veylani Transport, held a massive gala event to celebrate the occasion, showing that they were not worried in the least about the rumors of poor planning, dangerous working conditions, and sabotage that swirled about the entire operation.  Veylani Transport’s head, Releana Veylani, was widely known to be attending the event herself to further bolster confidence in the operation that she had so vehemently pursued.

The Grand Ball itself was open by invitation only, and these were extended mostly to representatives of corporations, governments, and other powerful groups, with a healthy mix of celebrities and entertainers.  Perhaps in honor of the wild frontier that had been opened, the event was a costume party with an animal theme, and as one might expect of the rich and powerful, there was plenty of alcohol-fueled debauchery to be found, with many of the attendees showing up in racy, fetish-heavy costume designs with plenty of leather and latex to be seen amidst this highly BDSM-themed event, which supposedly had the blessing of Yurisaya herself.

The event did not go off without unplanned excitement, though.  The famous orc artist, known only as Rhoghor, and known for his appropriately kinky masterpiece paintings, had been brought in to reveal his most recent collection that he had created, known as the “Visages of the Starway Maiden”.  According to him, he had been inspired the moment Lila Darius had penetrated the Demon Barrier and laid open the Demon Sector, and had spent the previous year working on his masterpieces.  When the paintings were revealed, they showed a beautiful blond human woman, either nude or scantly clad, in various states of restraint, but always with her back visible, for upon her back was a brilliant tattoo of a copper-scaled dragon, its eyes seemingly glowing with an unnatural intensity as they followed the viewer, the dragon’s body seeming to move of its own accord.  The reaction of the crowd was immediately positive, though for whatever reason, the representative from DSM, one Saida Entoris of the Arcane Research and Development group, caused a stir following the reveal as she and her bodyguard attempted to detain Rhoghor, though further chaos seemed to erupt at this very moment, leading to a wild finish for the event.

Still, by all accounts, the ball was mostly a success, and those involved are looking forward to the next one, already making plans for something that will be even more memorable. 

 

LORE24 ENTRY #13 – Demon Sector

Category ā€“ Place

The Demon Sector, as it is known, is actually a region of space that is far larger than what is typically defined as a sector, though it was discovered and thusly named in the early days of space exploration, and the name stuck.  The region is surrounded by an unnatural, and as yet unexplained, energy barrier known as the Demon Barrier which prevents any ships from entering this region of space.  

The name ‘Demon Sector’ was originally given during the first studies of the region using long-range telescopes and probes (all of which were destroyed immediately upon entry, and any ships that tried to enter were severely damaged, if not outright destroyed), in the days when only 72 stars were detected (since, many more, comparable with regions of known space, have been discovered), with a particularly large cluster near the center of the region consisting of a singular large central star surrounded by a half dozen slightly less intense stars.  The lead researcher on what would become the Demon Sector Research Project, an elf by the name of Faeranduil Quivernelle, being familiar with the historical records of the ancient times when demons were common, thought it appropriate to name the central star Bael, and proceeded to name the rest of the stars after other powerful demons.  There was some pushback on this, but given the nature of the barrier and the lack of ability to penetrate it, and the number of ships damaged in the attempts to pass through, the names stuck.

In the modern era, after thousands of years of waiting, the Demon Sector was finally breached in a completely unexpected manner by an unexpected source, namely the kerryn explorer Lila Darius the 34th and her crew.  With the aid of her friend, Releana Veylani and her company, Veylani Transport, Darius had somehow managed to develop a new iteration of the TK-Drive that would become known as the Advanced TK-Drive, or A-TK, which would combine modern technology with what was, until this event, powerful, lost magic that would allow them to successfully traverse the Demon Barrier and come out in one piece on the far side.  Since then, thousands have rushed to the region and began exploring the nearest systems, and the first permanent settlements have been created in the Valefar system, the nearest of the Demon Sector stars to the Barrier and the nearest world, Sentinel Prime.