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【Vision of an Alternate Future】
Arc 2: Return of the Crystal Guardians
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【VAF】Chapter║: 58 ─ BattleMoon
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Day: 8 【Earth date 24-05-2611】
The Crystalorb Fleet is ready to Deploy and awaits final orders from Naole; the Operations Commander. The Crystalorb Fleet is composed of 650 Nalen Class SkyGarrisons, 9000 Full Adult Intrepid Class Ships, 8000 Young Adult Intrepid Class Ships, 12000 Full Adult Indigo Class Ships, 8000 Young Adult Indigo Class Ships, 3500 Esara Class SkyCruisers and 3400 Casara Class Cruisers supported by 1000 Entig Republic StarCruisers; to a total of 45550; Crystalorb’s 44550 and the Entig Republic’s 1000.
As the Fleet prepared for Battle Naole took a moment to Address the Troops on JCC and at the CCS Nalen’s Auditorium.
Naole : “ Greetings!” he takes a moment as everyone settles down “This isn’t like the last time we went up against a Migon Capital Planet; we don’t have 2 Andronian SkyStrider Fleets covering our backs, and most importantly Citadle Is protected by a Migon BattleMoon! This is our moment; Crystalorb’s moment! Today we prove to everyone that we are a power to rival the finest! Today we prove to all who still question our capabilities that we are a pre-eminent power! But most importantly today we prove to the Migon that nothing can protect them from the retribution they justly deserve!” Naole pause as the auditorium erupts in cheer “We have gathered extensive intelligence on Citadle, and we have concluded that we can expect a minimum of 3000 BattleSpheres, we won’t know the exact number of defending Ships given the size of the region and the number of Migon instillations, but we do know that Citadle has 100 planetary defence stations. The Migon have been so busy attacking the developing region that they haven’t bothered to build a proper defensive line, and that means that Citadle is in fact a Forward Base; with the next Capital 4000 LightYears away. Therefore they won’t be able to respond quickly enough to prevent the defeat of Citadle. We have developed an appropriate Battle Plan and those details have been downloaded onto Crystal Armours and Ship Databases. The name of the Game is Thunder! We will rain Thunder upon their heads! What we’ve gathered from Older Civilizations is that the Migon BattleMoon has 40000 Multidirectional Particle Beam Cannons complete with Beam Convergence and 8000 Advanced Fusion Beam Cannons fully capable of Fusion Beam Convergence. Fortunately the Migon BattleMoon can only aim a maximum of 25% of its weapons at a single target; and that is its weakness. The key to destroying the Migon BattleMoon is attacking one area on its surface; synchronised tightly controlled fire on a single area will deplete and suppress their attack capability while weakening their shields long enough for us to deploy our BMD! The Migon BattleMoon is designed to defend against Convergence capable Multidirectional Particle Beam Cannons and Advanced Fusion Beam Cannons, but they weren’t designed to defend against the Thunder Force Strikes produced by the Enhanced Weapons Array on Crystalorb Ships and the Enhanced Weapon Systems on Crystalan Ships. Commander Elrig of the Entig Republic has offered to provide cover from the defending Migon Allied Ships while we attack the Migon BattleMoon, and the 3400 Casara Class Cruisers will support the 1000 Entig Republic StarCruisers in that role. Therefore the rest of the Crystalorb Fleet will use Attack pattern Nalen 015 Gamma to concentrate Thunder Force Strikes on the Migon BattleMoon. Once we destroy the Migon BattleMoon we’ll switch to Attack pattern Esara 021 Gamma to eliminate the rest of the defending Migon Allied Ships. Given the risks to the fleet we’ll need to form a tight formation of SkyGarrison BattleGroups and the Esara Class SkyCruisers taking point. Putting the Esara Class SkyCruisers on point puts them at a greater risk of destruction, but the Esara Class SkyCruisers are expendable, and this is why we’ve reduced the crews on the Esara Class SkyCruisers to just the command staff. This is how we win People!”
That ends the Address.
Shortly after Naole’s Address a Micro Fragment of the Spirit Stone Opens an Inter-Dimensional Vortex to CIDR allowing a Larger 1.5m Diameter Fragment of the Spirit Stone to emerge, and as the Larger Fragment fuses with the Micro Fragment the Inter-Dimensional Vortex closes. Onboard the CCS Nalen A2292CL the TaskForce Commanders update their Divisions and auxiliary BattleGroups that the countdown to Battle has begun.
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A Fragment of the Spirit Stone opens a Massive Inter-Dimensional Vortex to Normal Space and joint Crystalorb and Entig Republic Fleet pours out of the Vortex and jump into Hyperspace. Wormholes open into the Citadle System and thousands of Crystalium712 missiles emerge and detonate as soon as the wormholes close; with each of Crystalorb’s Ships firing 10 missiles.
Then a secondary set of Wormholes open and Crystalorb and Entig fleets jump into the Citadle System; opening fire using Attack pattern Nalen 015 Gamma to concentrate Thunder Force Strikes on the Migon BattleMoon while each of Crystalorb’s Ships simultaneously fires 100 Crystalium712 missiles at the Migon BattleMoon. The Migon BattleMoon returns fire in a tremendous discharge of weapons.
3400 Casara Class Cruisers and 1000 Entig Republic StarCruisers engage 4723 BattleSpheres, 12 BattleSpears, 4 BattleCylinders, 2234 Hakum Sky Super-Spears, 2026 Hakum Sky-Spears, 1000 Hakum Sky-Swords, 2534 Hakum Sky-Daggers and 1250 Hakum Sky-Blades actively attacking the joint Crystalorb and Entig Republic Fleet. Clearly the Migon had taken lessons from what happened to Mardon and Byon, and they knew what would happen should they fail to protect the BattleMoon, but the joint Crystalorb and Entig Republic Fleet was perfectly implementing a well researched strategy.
The Bombardment by the Crystalorb Fleet creates a weakness in the BattleMoon capabilities.
Naole : “ Nalen; Deploy the BMD!”
Nalen : “ On your Command!”
The CCS Nalen opens an Inter-Dimensional Vortex that releases 100 Esara Class SkyCruisers moving at 30% of the speed of light.
The 10 Esara Class SkyCruisers with their shields at maximum are moved through a series of 11 Vortex Jump Sequences, and each time they move through a Vortex Jump Sequence they gain momentum due to the Inter-Dimensional Vortex forces and by the time the 11th Vortex Jump Sequence is completed the 100 Esara Class SkyCruisers are moving at 30% of the speed of light
With the Migon BattleMoon’s defences focused on the 4.5 million Crystalium712 missiles and the attacking Crystalorb Fleet they only managed to stop 94 of the 100 unmanned Esara Class SkyCruisers. The 6 unmanned Esara Class SkyCruisers slipped passed Migon defences and slammed into the Migon BattleMoon; ripping off entire chunks of the fortified Migon BattleMoon creating enormous seismic shockwaves that level everything on the BattleMoon.
The Crystalorb Fleet then sanctions Attack pattern Esara 021 Gamma to eliminate the rest of the defending Migon Allied Ships, but 724 BattleSpheres, 2 BattleSpears, 219 Hakum Sky Super-Spears and 183 Hakum Sky-Spears manage to escape into Hyperspace before they are destroyed. The 100 Planetary Defence Stations are quickly eliminated using Attack pattern Nalen 015 Gamma Thunder Force Strikes from different SkyGarrison BattleGroups.
Subsequently all that was left to deal with is Citadle itself, and Naole is unsure how to proceed.
Cmdr-Elrig : “ BMD one more time?”
Naole : “ No! We need to conserve; both Energy and the BMD Weapon.”
DCmd-Isan: “ Let’s go the old fashioned route! Drop every Crystalium712 missile we have left on that Rock and finish off the job with Thunder Force Strikes, and once we Vortex Citadle to CIDR-2 the collision with the planetary material in CIDR-2 combined with the Spatial Pressure will Kill Off anything that survives.”
Cmdr-Elrig : “ That will do it!”
Naole : “ Yeah! Commander Isan; Do that!”
DCmd-Isan : “ On your Command!”
Commander Isan gives the order for all of Crystalorb’s Ships to Fire Crystalium712 missiles at Citadle, and missiles primed for cluster detonations are released.
The CCS Nalen’s communications Officer chimes in.
Coms-O : " Priority JCC from Crystalorb sir! It’s Commander Arog!"
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Cmdr-Arog: “ Knora Naole; Great work! Word of the Crystalorb Fleet’s success has reverberated throughout the Galaxy!”
Naole : “ But has it served its purpose? Are the Migon withdrawing?”
Cmdr-Arog: “ Too early to tell! Anyway the urgent matter is that Aurora’s SkyGarrison BattleGroup Vortex Jump Sequenced an Andronian led Taskforce responding to an attack on the United Atlantic Federation’s Atlas Colony. The intervention was successful and 5 BattleCylinders were destroyed, but the sixth BattleCylinder tried to ram itself into Atlas; fortunately Aurora’s SkyGarrison BattleGroup managed to bring the BattleCylinder into a relatively gentle contact with the ground. And that’s when things went Haywire; 450 Migon poured into Atlas Cities, and guardian Aurora elected to engage the enemy. One of the Migon is a Diac; some kind of Migon Super Warrior General!”
Naole : “ Has Aurora engaged the Diac?”
Cmdr-Arog: “ 10 minutes ago and I’m afraid it’s not going well! We are preparing a Guardian Force to reinforce the Expeditionary …!”
An anxious Knora Naole interrupts the Guardian Commander.
Naole : “ I need a Site to Site Vortex Jump Sequence! Commander Isan; you’ve got this?”
DCmd-Isan : “ Aye sir! I can Finish Up here!”
Cmdr-Elrig : “ I’m coming with! The 837 Entig Republic StarCruisers still Capable of combat must rejoin Galactic Alliance Operations.”
Naole : “ Let’s do it then!”
The CCS Nalen opens an Inter-Dimensional Vortex and the 837 Entig Republic StarCruisers follow the Cobalt BattleGroup into the vortex; the vortex closes a moment after the CCS Nalen enters it.
Onboard the Command SkyGarrison CCS Rinav Commander Isan assumes command of the Crystalorb Fleet. The Crystalium712 missiles reach Citadle and begin Cluster Detonations followed by Coordinated Weapons Fire from the Crystalorb Fleet. The fleet observed the catastrophic destruction of Citadle.
DCmd-Isan : “ Alright People; let’s rap it up the Migon reinforcing Fleet is only a little over an hour away!”
Rinav : “ Commander?”
DCmd-Isan : “ What is it?”
Rinav : “ According to Interstellar Data of the Area collected by the Fragment of the Spirit Stone there are 11 Heavy Mineral Rich Planets within 500 LightYears of Citadle; It’s why Citadle was made a Regional Capital.”
DCmd-Isan : “ Open a JCC to the Fleet!”
Coms-O : " Aye sir!"
DCmd-Isan: “ I just learned that there’re are 11 Heavy Mineral Rich Planets within 500 LightYears of Citadle; the reason why Citadle was made a Regional Capital! We can’t afford to leave so much raw resources in the hands of the Migon so I’m ordering 4 SkyGarrison BattleGroups to every target planet in order to Vortex the planets to CIDR-2! If you run into major resistance wait for reinforcements to be Vortex Jump Sequenced before you engage. Good Luck people!”
SkyGarrison BattleGroups Jump into Hyperspace as they leave for target planets.
Rinav : “ Sir; this will be a serious drain on Crystalorb’s Reserve Energy!”
DCmd-Isan : “ We don’t have a choice!”
Rinav : “ The Council of Elders did not Approve this sir!”
DCmd-Isan: “ Naole left me in charge and they gave him Blanket Authority to do as he saw fit! I’m only doing what he would do!”
Crystalan Ships specially outfitted with Fragments of the Spirit Stone for the duration of current Operations began to Vortex Migon Ship, Station wrecks and the BattleMoon wreck to CIDR-1. Fragment Carriers then opened a massive Inter-Dimensional Vortex around Citadle sucking the planet and its surrounding material into CIDR-2.
When the despatched SkyGarrison BattleGroups reach the target planets they remove any opposition by destroying mining facilities and ships and then proceed to open massive Inter-Dimensional Vortexes around target planets sucking the planets and their surrounding material into CIDR-2.
Once the tasks are completed the Crystalorb Allied Fleet Activate Vortex Jump Sequences to the Crystalorb System.
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Screens at the CCS Nalen’s Command Centre show Ships assembled in the Atlas System as the Nalen exits the Vortex. The CCS Nalen manoeuvres close to Atlas in order to deliver Naole.
Naole and his Guardian Armoured Escort prepare to disembark.
Naole : “ This is a Guardian Protocol; Pull out everyone not in Guardian Armour! I don’t want Crystalans without Guardian Armour on Atlas; it’s to Dangerous for them!”
Nalen : “ On your Command!”
Naole and his Guardian Armoured Escort disembark the CCS Nalen for Atlas.
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However on the surface Aurora’s Expeditionary Guardians have already engaged the Migon, and Aurora herself is in a desperate battle against the most powerful class of Migon Warrior; the Diac. The Diac are the Migon’s version of Ascended Crystalans; Genetically Engineered And Bread for Ultimate Physical Strength. This particular Diac is General Zadoc of the Migon Federation; a Migon Fleet Captain.
Aurora was waging a titanic battle against Zadoc, but she was clearly outclassed by the Diac, and because of this she was completely defensive.
Gen- Zadoc : " Ascended Crystalans are supposed to be Crystalorb’s Warrior Elite, but the Five of you are nothing more than Insects; I expected more!"
Aurora : “ What is your Goal here? You have no ship, no possibility of escape. Surrender and you and your people will be fairly treated as prisoners of war.”
Gen- Zadoc : " You’re leaving out the most important part?"
Aurora : “ What?”
Gen- Zadoc : " Clever little insect! If I get captured then Crystalorb gains unmitigated access to my Biology; my Specialized Genetic Data! With that knowledge you can evolve a defence!"
Aurora : “ Either way you will not survive this day!”
Gen- Zadoc : " Neither will you!"
The Diac attacks and Aurora and her four Escorts take turns fending off Zadoc’s attacks. For the 5 Ascended Crystal Guardians defeating Zadoc is beginning to look like an impossible task, and they are just buying time until Guardian reinforcements arrive from Crystalorb.
Fighting a Migon is a complicated exercise since the average Migon is about 4 meters tall with 9 limbs, and that's 4 legs, 4 arms and a massive Tail. Two of the Migon's arms are much larger than the other pair, and the larger pair is webbed like a bat. Each of a Migon’s 4 legs and 4 arms has 4 claws, and the powerful Tail has serrated edges and a massive claw at the tip shaped like a spear.
The claws on a Migon are not ordinary; each of a Migon’s claws can be energized and has the cutting power comparable to a Crystal Lance. The Migon carry a portable Energy Blaster on one or both of their 2 smaller arms. Migon Warriors are stronger than Crystal Guardians, but the standard Migon Warrior is not as strong or as fast as an Ascended Crystalan.
However the more Advanced Migon Warriors have abilities that exceed that of Ascended Crystalans, but the Diac Class of Migon Warrior have abilities that far exceed that of Ascended Crystalans. Being Psionic Creatures Migons have Psionic Abilities similar to those of Circleans; Hypersonic Flight, Psionic Shields, Energy Manipulation and Control. However because the of fact that Migon are Negative Psionics the extent of their ability to Manipulate and Control Energy is limited by the chaotic nature of Negative Psionic Energy.
Aurora as the most powerful Ascended Crystalan on Atlas was finding out first hand about the extraordinary power of a Diac. The Green Guardian was of having to fend of the bulk of Zadoc’s attacks as her Escort were not Powerful enough to sustain a confrontation with a Diac. Zadoc was finding the fight relatively easy despite the fact that he was battling 5 Crystal Guardians; 3 of them Ascended Crystal Guardians.
Aurora is one of the most powerful Ascended Crystal Guardians, and in Crystal Armour her abilities are second to none, yet somehow Aurora was finding itself at a significant disadvantage in the fight against Zadoc. Crystalorb’s Fluidic Crystal Armour is Robust and Firm on the inside encased in a Fluidic Crystal Skin. The Fluidic Crystal Skin repairs minor external damage instantaneously while protecting the denser inner Armour.
Therefore the new Fluidic Crystal Skin covered Crystal Armour is virtually invulnerable against superficial slash attacks and the Migon had to focus more energy into their claws to be effective. Older Civilization data gave Crystalorb an Accurate description of the capabilities of the Migon’s Nipaklium Armour.
There is a brief break as they separate.
Gen- Zadoc : " Good! You wield Andronian strength perfectly!"
Aurora : “ Andronian? I am an Ascended Crystalan!”
Gen- Zadoc : " Ascended? Really? How disappointing!"
Aurora : “ You think us weak don’t you?”
Gen- Zadoc : " You Ascended Crystalans would be that much more powerful if you’d only embrace your true nature."
Aurora : “ Like your Friends the Circleans?”
Gen- Zadoc : " The Circleans were a rare and spectacular find! And given enough time they would have found a way to achieve the Ascended Crystalan Form. But you destroyed them; took them away from us! They would have made a worthy and powerful ally. Nevertheless what we gained from our association with them gave us a window into the Powers of Ascended Crystalans; in particular the secrets of your Power Source!"
Aurora : “ You’re trying to replicate the technology aren’t you? It won’t work! The Circle left Crystalorb before the Crystal Heart Matured; they can’t possibly imagine the depth of its might.”
Gen- Zadoc : " Our study of the Circlean Power Source indicates that the Circlean version of the Power Source would be equivalent to the Crystalan Power Source; giving us a networked Interstellar Energy Grid!"
Aurora : “ It figures that the Migon being a negative Element would make the same mistake the Circleans made!”
Gen- Zadoc : " How dare you?"
The Diac is clearly angered by Aurora’s last utterance and the battle resumes with even greater intensity.
Despite the fact that Aurora and her four Escorts outnumbered the Diac they were finding it increasingly difficult to fend off Zadoc’s attacks, and even as they took turns fending off Zadoc’s attacks they new that the clock was ticking. For the 5 Ascended Crystal Guardians defeating Zadoc was not just unlikely but it was beginning to look like an impossible task. The goal for Aurora and her four Escorts shifted to survival; they were now fighting for their lives.
With the Guardian reinforcements from Crystalorb still minutes away Aurora and her four Escorts found themselves in the most intense Physical Confrontation ever experience by a Crystalan, and every passing moment brought the fight to its inevitable conclusion. The Knoras of Crystalorb knew that Aurora and her four Escorts had no hope of survival against the Diac without immediate assistance.
An unexpected blast generated from Zadoc’s tail catches Aurora by surprise; leaving her blind to a Claw attack from one of Zadoc’s legs.
Aurora : “ Ah!”
Gen- Zadoc : " Didn’t see that one coming did you Efilim?"
Zadoc completes his Claw attack by stabbing straight through Aurora’s chest with one of his hand and there is a massive energy burst as Aurora’s Energy Bleeds Out. Just as Zadoc is about to finish things off by decapitating Aurora there’s a rumble as the atmosphere burst with Energy.
Naole : “ Super Flash!”
A Super-Massive Energy Burst from Naole creates an energy wave that disrupts Zadoc; freeing Aurora in the process. And in the energy wake Naole and his 7 Escort Guardians line up against Zadoc as 5 Advanced Migon Warriors form up around Zadoc.
Gen-Zadoc : “ Wow!” Clapping his hands “Just Wow!”
Naole : “ What have they done to you Aurora?”
Gen-Zadoc : “ Now this is what I’ve come to expect of a Crystal Guardian!”
Naole : “ Zadoc I take it?”
Gen-Zadoc : “ The one and only!”
Naole : “ I am Naole!” Naole looks at one of Aurora’s Escorts “She needs Immediate Medical Attention!”
Derun : “ On your Command!”
Apprentice Guardian Derun moves away with an unconscious Aurora.
Gen-Zadoc : “ Clearly she was just the appetizer! Killing one as infamous as you is obviously the main course.”
Naole : “ You can’t win Diac! Knoras can’t loose Physical Confrontations under these circumstances!”
Gen-Zadoc : “ Knora?”
Naole : “ Members of Crystalorb’s Knowledge Council!”
Gen-Zadoc : “ I’m not interested in duelling a Council; I just want to deal with you!”
Naole : “ Fighting one Knora enjoins the others! You fight one you fight the others!”
Gen-Zadoc : “ All I know is that killing you will bring great honour to my Bloodline! The warrior who kills Naole the Destroyer will earn a sacred place amongst Migon.”
Naole : “ Destroyer?”
Gen-Zadoc : “ You should be honoured! Only one other Enemy Warrior has earned such infamy; his name is Holnari. We never understood why Lodians and Hodians placed so much faith upon your return, and we never imagined that their faith in you was anything more than wishful thinking. So imagine our surprise when the legend turned out to be true! Upon your return the Circleans are Destroyed, Crystalorb re-emerges and 3 Migon Federation Colonies are Destroyed. You are in fact the Destroyer!”
Naole : “ What I am is a keeper of Knowledge! I am an Envoy of the Forbidden!”
Gen-Zadoc : “ Your life ends here Destroyer!”
From the gathering Clouds Lightning Strikes Naole as energy is channelled from a fragment of the Spirit Stone through Cobalt’s Systems. Naole is rebuilding core energy to replace expended energy. The atmosphere is electric with anticipation as a Fully Powered Naole Stands across from an incomparable Fully Powered Zadoc. Billions of Crystalans across the planet Crystalorb are focused on this titanic match up through the Crystalorb Network.
Naole : “ I’m just one Knora, and though I may fall another will rise to take my place! Death is not the End for us!”
Gen-Zadoc : “ Already re-powering! I heard that you Crystalans could do that!”
Suddenly and without warning Zadoc attacks.
Abruptly there is an incredible rumble in the Area, and everyone understands that Zadoc and Naole have begun their battle. All most can see are brief flashes of light, but those on the field could all feel the Shockwaves generated by the collision of the two enormous forces. From the Shockwaves it is clear that Zadoc and Naole are fighting at higher energy levels than that of Zadoc’s battle with Aurora and her 4 Escorts.
Zadoc’s strategy was obvious; Try as hard as he can to win the fight as quickly as possible. Naole on the other hand had a strategy that called for him to keep out of Zadoc’s reach in the hope that Zadoc can be defeated once reinforcements arrive. However even though Naole’s strategy seemed less risky than Zadoc’s strategy it was being thwarted by Zadoc’s willingness to use even more energy to shut down Naole’s attempts to evade attacks.
Even with the Crystal Lance in use Naole could not Block Zadoc’s blows, and each blow had to be carefully deflected, but even deflection was risky given the speed and intensity of the fighting. Naole was taking major hits and given Zadoc’s energy level Naole could barely hurt Zadoc, but Naole was burning through far more his energy reserves than Zadoc, and Naole knew that unless he did something radical he would eventually lose the Fight.
Just minutes into the fight the intensity was not decreasing as most had expected, but it was actually increasing at a rapid pace as Naole systematically raised his speed and power in an attempt to match Zadoc. Naole had no choice but to use more and more of his energy just to stay in the fight; raising the intensity at every turn in an all out attempt to overpower and crush his enemy.
Suddenly Zadoc’s rise in speed and power catches Naole off-guard and Zadoc’s sends Naole crushing to the ground.
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