5th Fleet- Flagship Ixaru
Xiixa uncurled herself from her sleeping pad to see Axcizz passed out, still in her white lab coat and currently drooling adorably as she slept.She had been like this ever since finding out about their current mission, her manic energy keeping her up with her research of the new species. Xixa moved her head to nuzzle her snout against her mate's a sign of affection before getting up and dressing, fixing the both of them some food and acknowledging overnight reports that had come in. Once everything else had been taken care of, only then did she wake Axcizz."Time to wake, my nestmate. We are due to arrive soon."
"Mmmm, five more cycles." came a grumbled reply from Axcizz as she burrowed deeper into their nestbed.
"Now now, we need to get you up and awake. Can't have you making a bad first impression with the humans and losing your chance to get data, can we?" Xiixa said with a teasing smile.
"Ugh. Oh. OH! Waking, waking, I'm awake!" Axcizz blurted out, her mind taking a moment to realize what had been said in the most adorable way as she sat up, her fur wildly sticking out in places, causing Xixa to gently coax it all back down.
"We will be there in half a cycle. Make sure to get yourself dressed this time, please. We don't need a repeat of Larzan-IV."
"I will have you know that their culture prided themselves on not requiring clothes, I was simply trying to make them more comfortable."
"Yes, but in 22c weather? you're lucky you didn't freeze to death."
"I...I'm never living that down, am I?"
"No, you are not," Xiixa said with a murr, their equivalent of a chuckle. "Now get ready, I have to get to the bridge already.
Oh and, remember to try and keep things professional when you meet the humans?"
"yes, brood mother." She playfully teased back
Xiixa stood up and nodded at her mate, nuzzling her one last time, before heading to the bridge.
Half a cycle later and both were at their stations, securing everything to slow down to non-relativistic speeds and prepping to deploy their fleet in a defensive perimeter.
They began deceleration procedures and had the ships buckled down for the drop out of hyperspace well before the required time, dropping out on the edge of the system near the eighth planet to make their way in gently.
While they were in range to communicate to the humans, Humanity didn't yet have the range to reach them out here yet, so they held out on contacting the new Terran government until they could actually have a two-way conversation, Instead just sent a simple conveyance for now.
"This is Fleet Admiral Xiixa of the Hexat Republic's 5th fleet, on friendly orders to shore up and secure Terra's defense until such a time as your government can defend themselves. We will be in response range in 2 cycles, or 4 hours by your standard. I repeat-"
The message was repeated a few more times and then the conveyance closed. In the meantime, the fleet was already splitting up to form patrol patterns around key entryway points, and she had set aside a separate contingent for the 4th planet's base and the Lunar base. the Ixaru and her escort ships however would be heading for Terra to form a defensive perimeter.
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Sea of Tranquility, Luna
Luna colony AH-1.
Redesignated- Armstrong.
Jacobs sat in his office on the Luna based, renamed for the first human to step foot on the moon over 100 years ago. The base itself had began construction in the 2050's as a forward hub for delivering supplies to the Martian colony, and thus up until recently had been mostly industrial. Now however, while it still had its industrial side, a new extension was being built for an embassy to the SA, the large dome currently under construction. It would be a good deal smaller than the main industrial dome, but larger than the habitation one, and was being built on the opposite side, resulting in the colony becoming three equilaterally spaced aluminum glass domes with the industrial dome as the hub. Habitation contained not only living quarters but also greenhouses, food production, and other life essential systems. The industrial zone contained material refinery, production, docking ports, and of course, the power supply for the base. A large Teller 5 Stellar reactor. If needed it could produce enough energy for a base 50x the size of Armstrong, as the plan had always been to slowly expand the base, but with the skirmishes on Earth that were, up until recently common, most people were too concerned with immediate dangers to just up and move to an otherwise inhospitable moon.
'Things are changing again'He thought to himself. First contact had changed things, though only time would tell if it were for better or worse. A general was killed, a science vessel lost, and Earth almost fired on a diplomatic vessel out of fear. Their technology is much more advanced than ours so if they decided to they could have wiped us out, yet somehow we avoided that scenario. 'Lucky us' his inner voice said.
Still, as he ran his hand across the fake mahogany desk in his office, he pondered.
"Most of those under the USUN seem overall happy at finding our we arent alone. The cults though seem to have gone off the deep end. Guess their religious views didn't account for this. Overall everything is looking good...So why is my gut telling me theres danger" He said to himself.
Jacobs had grown up in the Fractured territories, and had clawed his way to the top in the government. His sense of danger had never been wrong and had always guided him, yet this time he just couldn't see where it was coming from. The Hexats seemed...remarkably similar to humans personality-wise, at least their diplomat did. He thought they would make great neighbors, but something Kix had said before they departed kept bothering him.
"Earth should prioritize defense before the rest of the galaxy catches on. We'll send the 5th fleet to defend you until you can at least get orbital defense up, but they cant stay there forever." Was what he had said. On the surface it seemed like a good gesture of faith, but Jacob's gut was telling him something else was going on. He sighed and opened a bot on his desk, taking a glance around.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
His office from Earth had been replicated here. Hardwood panelling, the aquarium sitting on it's stand, and the U.S.U.N. flag on the wall behind his desk.
Terran Flag. He had to remember it was now Terran Conglomerate, not U.S.U.N.
Everything but the view out the window was the same, but he could still tell. A slight difference in how sound travelled, a low thrumming that wasn't supposed to be there, the lack of distant sounds of traffic. It may look the same, but this wasn't really his office. He was off planet, on Luna, and it was taking its toll. Pulling out a cigar from the case, he cut off one end and stuck it in his mouth before using an electric lighter to ignite it. The 5th fleet would be arriving soon and while they were making great progress on the two kilometer diameter embassy center, it wouldn't be done in time which meant things would be handled here, in this office. Luna was chosen for its more comfortable gravity after all.
It seemed that Earth was quite nonstandard for sentient life. Not only its weather, tectonics, and wildlife, but even its gravity was almost unheard of for sentient cradleworlds, which filled Jacobs with some small sense of pride. Earth was Unique, one of a kind. A blue-green jewel that while cruel, was protective of her denizens. Her very existence protected them from most other sapients since either their gravity or flora/fauna would end them, so what was it that Kixix and the Galactic community hiding from them. It had to be a threat, but from where, from who? They needed for infor-
"Ambassador Jacobs, Sir. Long range has detected a fleet of ships claiming to be the 5th fleet, and here for the defense of Terra as expected." Dereck had said, stepping in.
Now that he wasn't so nervous, Dereck was a lot more dependable to Jacobs. But that likely wouldn't last long as they would be receiving more visitors soon.
"Thank you Schrader. When they get in range let them know that while the Hexat Embassy building isn't yet finished they are more than welcome to send a small forward team here. And keep dock 4 clear for them. Let's also use the empty space from the vacant office rooms to turn into quarters for them if need be." Jacobs said in response, then called for Janan as Dereck left to fill his roles.
"You called for me, Ambassador?" Janan said as she stepped in, still obviously going through the multitude of policy revisions and other nightmares that first contact had caused for those in the legal system.
"Yes, get me in touch with admiralty to have them talk tactics with the xenos. Make sure there a direct, secured line from here to Earth at all time, and relay that to the 5th Fleet Admiral
When their forward team arrives, I want full honorguard same as with one of our own admirals, and make sure we have a contingent assigned to them, just in case any crazies get some ideas."
"Yes sir. Oh, the Teller Construction company contacted us, seems they've been pulled for some other major project back on Earth and aren't going to be able to finish the embassy for some time."
"Shit. Alright, fine. See if you can find another company to subcontract it out to as well."
"Will do." Janan says, marking everything on her holopad before turning to leave.
A few minutes later, Jacobs gets a call from Earth. Taking a deep breath, he pauses before answering.
"Hello?"
"Jacobs, my boy. How have you been?" Of course they had to choose Mike. Jacobs almost hung up right there and then.
"Better every day I don't have to see your ugly mug, Michael. They make you the Admiralty representative?"
"Ouch, you wound my soul, Sargent Jacobs. Yes, they made me their puppet head for now."
Not a Sgt. for over 20 years now, Michael. Just, keep quiet when the Hexat envoy gets here and let me do the talking. Last thing I need is you botching this as bad as that piracy raid."
"Now that's just not fair. But fine, do your political talks and whatnot. I'm just interested in the tactical advantage. My guts' telling me something's brewing."
"Mine too. I'll send over anything tactically relevant. Oh, and one more thing Michael?"
"Hmm, yes?"
"The next time you steal a contractor out from under me I'm going to grab that antique beretta you carry and shove it up your-"
"Opps, gotta go, transmission cutting out."
Gods damn that childish man, Jacobs thought as he readied himself for what was to come. It was going to be a busy day.
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S.A. Kulxrix
En route to Krultath
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Viza and Amelia had been set up in the medical bay next to each other as the good doctor set about working on them.
Viza had it bad, with a good portion of his muscles having ripped from the strain the electrical stun caused, and he had passed out due to his mind simply being incapable of coping with the pain. He would awake in a few hours after treatment, but wouldn't be doing anything strenuous for a few days at least. If he was lucky, he might even be able to go planetside of Krultath if he healed fast enough.
Amelia had been another story entirely. While the shocks did indeed damage her muscles, the augments were busy repairing the majority of that using nanites of all things!
Worse than that, though was her right arm. True it had been reinforced by her own people, but even reinforcing it did nothing when the muscles themselve tore each other to pieces to such a degree. The very fact that she hadn't passed out immediately spoke to the tenacity of these Humans.
Her implants were busy repairing the damage, with the majority of the stem cell regeneration directed at her arm, but while studying her healing abilities he came across something rather worrying. She hadn't taken a class 5 combat enhancing drug, her body actually made it! It was mind boggling to think but true! If this were a natural ability like he surmised, Humanity might just be one of the most dangerous species known.
Still, he had time to deal with that horror later. For now, he needed to tend to his patients. For viza that meant medication and rest but for Amelia..Well, with her alien physiology and her augment implants he was afraid there was little he could do for her but wait for her own body to heal her.
--
Amelia came to several hours later and, as she expected, was sore all over. Why had she went so all out after getting electrocuted? She should've realized this would happen.
Sighing and trying to sit up her body screamed in protest as she fell back down. Was Viza okay? Did the ambassador listen? Was that piece of shit locked up nice and tight? So many questions but she couldn't bring herself to move at the moment.
"Take it easy, Huntress." Viza said, causing her to blink her eyes and look over to her right, seeing him in another medical bed right across from her.
"How...are you...feeling?" He asked with effort. Gods, even her diaphragm felt like it had gotten torn as talking remained a struggle for her.
"Sore, but I'll live. And free, thanks to you." Viza replied as his tail reached across the gap between the two beds to wrap around her right hand. She could barely feel the sensation though. Wow did she fuck her arm up.
"How are you?" He asked, causing Amelia to laugh and then wince in pain from the laughing.
"I'll live. Hurts to..talk though. And move." She replied, eliciting a chuff of amusement from Viza this time.
"You damaged yourself pretty badly. Hal said you undid your "aug limits" whatever that means, which is why you ended up like this. You look terrible right now, he said."
"You should..seen...the other guy." She said with a grin. Hal was okay, and he was caught up on what happened. That's gonna be a nightmare she could wait to deal with.
"Amelia, about that. Thank you. You were like a Huntress of old saving a captured prince, and a ferocious beast from what I heard."
Amelia giggled painfully. "Figures... your race would... have trapped princes...Instead of princess.. Wait...You didn't..call me...Lady?"
"About that. I..I would like to talk to you, when you are better, about something. It may be forward of me but-"
"Now now, that's enough of that Viza, you two need rest, not exerting yourselves with conversation, Rest!" Kaxus said, walking in to reset Viza's medications as he drifted off from the sedative.
"You too, Miss Amelia. Your V.I. sent me the chemical formula for a sedative that works for your kind. I had to break no less than 15 galactic laws to make it and I will use it! You especially don't need to be talking so rest!"
Amelia looked at the doctor frustratedly, but gave up. he was right after all. She needed the rest. And so, Viza's tail still wrapped around her right hand, she fell asleep.