Deep in the darkest depths of the Lake, where there is no light coming from the suns above and only scattered bits of plant life scraping to survive in the silt and mud, the Core lay broken. Yes, it had cracks in its hull casing, and pieces were ripped out of its exterior components. But internally it was still mostly intact… mostly at least. Its CPU was fried, the shock from the orbital drop and the lighting attack having caused massive failures in the circuitry, the memory and storage modules were scrapped, but the actual Core itself, the Crystal at the “Core” of its being, remained intact in its housing, with the only damage being a cable slightly dismounted from its housing in the Emergency Repair Modules. Of course, that being said, while it was salvageable and repairable, it certainly wasn’t going anywhere soon. Especially with the Batteries that had been mounted in the rear of the housing slowly leaking their toxic contents into the Water, killing the local wildlife in the immediate vicinity of the Core.
Days went past, with the Core at the Bottom of the Lake slowly sinking into the silt until it reached Equilibrium. Algae and other aquatic plant life attempted to colonize the remains, but died shortly afterwards as the toxic chemicals from the Batteries slowly began infusing the local environment. It didn’t get any better either, as the Crystal Core began reacting with every death of fish and wildlife, releasing radiation that would have been captured as Energy by the Cores systems if they had been intact. This led to a compounding cycle, as the Batteries slowly drained their highly concentrated and even more highly toxic contents into the Lakes water, causing large amounts of fish and plant life to begin dying. This would then feed the Crystal Core, causing it to release ever growing amounts of radiation, further poisoning and killing the wildlife.
Eventually however, a form of Equilibrium was reached, as some Fish began to develop an Immunity to the Chemicals in the Water, a change powered by the Radiation and Energies released by the Core. Eventually, the lake was once again full of life, a strange and slightly twisted parody of what had existed before the Core had crashed in the Lake. Strange, glowing fish would swim in swarms, devouring each other in massive amounts, feeding and breeding in the radiation released from their deaths in a viscous cycle of Death and Rebirth. The lake bottom filled with life, Algae and Seaweed no longer needing to rely on the energy provided by sunlight, feeding instead on the energy released by the Core. The Core now lay buried in a massive pile of Radioactive and aggressive plant life, fought over by the fish and other wildlife of the lake to stay near the source of their ever-expanding strength.
Of course, this did not go un-noticed by the People living around the lake. They were mostly farmers, taking advantage of the Fertile and well-watered lands around the Lake to grow crops to supply Port Royal. There was a Village, Falkenheim, where they would go to deliver their heavily taxed crops to be sold and buy supplies. It was there they went to report the Crash to the authorities, only to have it be lost in the monthly transfer of Documentation to the Regional Capital by a newly acquired Secretary. So the Report of the Cores Crash never reached Port Royal and the Archivist far above, and the Rumors never reached the ears of his Seekers and so it was quickly forgotten. They would soon come to regret this as the years flew by and the changes in the Lake effected the lands around it.
It started quite small, Harvests would go bad sooner, more pests and weeds were found in the Fields. Most of the Farmers assumed that it was simply a bad season and thought nothing more of it. Until it was worse the next season, with Farm Animals and wildlife dying of seemingly no cause. The Forests grew darker, quieter, as the small game and birds began to leave the region. Then Farms began to go quiet, households simply not showing up to deposit taxes or to enjoy the few holidays their Overlords allowed. It was at this point the Garrison arrived, to investigate, believing that some foul infestation of Monster had arrived and had begun murdering the Local Peasantry. They did find some Monsters, a small clan of Goblins, dead and rotting, camped in a hidden bend of the river leading out of the Lake.
The Deaths continued, seemingly at random, but spreading out from the Lake. The Regional Governor ordered the Peasants to leave, they would Farm somewhere else, but they could not stay. The Obsidian Fleet, at the Request of the Regional Governor, sent Shore Parties from Port Royal. They understood the importance of protecting and not overly abusing their slaves after all. They again found nothing, and soon enough Garrison Investigators and Pirates began turning up dead. Some again died of no cause, but some were killed by New and Mutated Species of Wildlife, now turned into Monsters by some Foul Energy.
It was at this Point the Commander of Port Royal was preparing to call for Aid from the Obsidian Fleet Command. But fate had other interests in Mind, as Port Royal was now under Siege. Approximately Three Years after the Core Crashed and the Grey Pearl was pulled into the Shipyards of Post Royal to be salvaged and refit, another Force Arrived. The Garrison was Ordered back to their Fortified Strongholds and the Shore Parties were Recalled. They would deal with the Polluted Lake and its effects later, as a Hostile Fleet arrived and began to engage the Obsidian Fleet in and around Port Royal. These ships were varied, some massive wedges of Metal, taking massive amounts of firepower, and dealing just as Much. Others were smaller, acting as Scouts and Support Craft for the Massive Battleships, but all looked similar in Technology if not exact Design.
Port Royal, Garrison and Sectoral Headquarter Port of the Obsidian Fleet, a Fleet of Flying, Space worthy Pirate Ships looking nearly identical to a Renaissance and Napoleonic Sailing Ships; was now Blockaded by a Fleet of Massive Technological Spaceships, who all shared a common theme of Centrally Mounted Weaponry and Aft Thruster Pods.
The Battle for Port Royal began simply, the movements of Pawns as the Battleships stayed out of Range of the Ports massive weaponry and heavy shielding. Strike Groups of Cruisers and Escorts would sortie out from the Cover of the Battleships and their Carrier Support, and would eliminate at every opportunity a exposed Ship of the Line that had foolishly left the support of the Obsidian Fleet battleline. At the same time waves of Pinnaces and Schooners would sally from Port Royal, in turn eliminating exposed Ships from the Attacking Fleet or luring them into the Range of the Stations Guns.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
It was clear to both sides that something would have to change in order to Achieve victory for one side or the other. Unfortunately for the Obsidian Fleet, the invaders moved first, by moving their Carriers under Escort of the Battleships into position to Drop Troops on the Planet Below. Their logic was simple, in order to avoid casualties by frontally assaulting Port Royal, they would starve out the massive Station by cutting off its supply of Food and Supplies from the Planet Below. They likely also imagined they would be able to gain plenty of Recruits and assistance from the Enslaved Peasantry who had been relegated to working the farms and fields for the Pirates in Port Royal. And so, the Carriers began to drop Waves upon Waves of Dropships into the Planet's Atmosphere.
They did not land easily, as scattered across the planet were Fortresses manned by the Garrisons troops. These massive Fortifications guarded the easy Accesses to the City Under Port Royal and were armed and armored with ship grade weaponry and defenses. Casualties were high amongst the Drop Troops, as Schooners and Pinnaces again were sent to Intercept the Landing Craft, despite the Massive Guns of the Battleships providing support. It got worse in the Areas around the Fortresses, as the relatively lightly armored Landing Craft would be torn to pieces by the 15 Meter Cannon Balls Fired by the Anti-Ship Guns of the Fortresses. And not even the Battleships guns could easily Penetrate the Fortresses Shields, their own massive 1600mm Coil gun or 650cm Railguns would be Diverted by the Enchantments layered over the Fortresses into the Surrounding Environment, killing more Friendly Landing Crafts and troops in the Explosions. Eventually however, enough Landing Craft reached the Ground and Discharged their troops that Serious offenses against the Fortresses could be made.
The Average Trooper of the Invading fleet was armed and equipped relatively the same. They all wore Light Powered Armor over a protective combat Uniform, a sealed helmet was wired and connected to a Comms Net providing Tactical aid in Combat and Navigation along with Environmental controls and Hazard Protection. Their Weaponry was all some variety of Magnetically Propelled Munition, either light coil guns for standard weaponry, or several Varieties of Railgun for heavier support. Meanwhile the Obsidian Fleet had several standards of troops of their own, the Garrison were all nearly Identical, Plated Armor with a Shield and Melee Weapon, some had Bows or crossbows for Ranged Offense.
Meanwhile, the Pirates themselves had two standards, a Shore Patrol would typically be dressed in Enchanted Leathers, usually sourced from the Expert Enchanters cultivated in the City Under Port Royal, able to divert incoming rounds and protecting a measure of Durability to his Garb. He would have a Cutlass or Saber, again enchanted for Strength and Cutting Power, and a Flintlock Pistol or Musketoon for Ranged Combat. Then there was the Governors Guard, under the command of the Lord Governor of Port Royal and assigned to act as Bodyguards, and an Axe if needed, for the Local Governors of the Planet Below. They wore heavily Enchanted Black Uniforms, able to resist if not defeat nearly any physical attack and were armed with Enchanted Riflery and Axes. They were known as expert Marksmen and Melee Combatants and were recruited from only the best of the Local Piratry.
Of Course, this meant nearly nothing to the Core, as it lay broken at the Bottom of the Lake. At least until a Lander was blown apart in the Airspace above the Lake, and Fragments of it crashed into the Lake. Fish were torn apart by wreckage, then quickly devoured by their brothers as the Wreckage spread throughout the Lake. Impacting the Heavily matted plant life overgrowing the Bottom of the Lake, most of the Wreckage hung suspended by the weeds. But a Massive Portion of the Lander, nearly the entirety of the Right Wing with some of the Hull, retained its momentum as it crashed through the water, until it hit the Massive Pile of Weeds overgrowing and Encrusting the Core. Then it stopped, the concentrated and reinforced mass of plant life catching it solidly, but the deed was done. The Jolt of the Impact was transmitted throughout the Mass, and inside the Core, the Dislodged Cabling between the Core and the Self Repair Module, was restored.
Quickly, the Crystal Core Reacted, now Draining the Energy from the Lake instead of Increasing the density of the Energy. Power Raced through the Cable, and the Little Black Box labelled “Emergency Self Repair” began to do its work. It split into Pieces, a Central Brick that remained plugged into the Crystal Core, and a multitude of Small Triangular Shapes that began to float through the Core, repairing and Reconfiguring as they did so.
XX:XX:XX XXXX Power Connected
00:00:00 0000 Analog Running Clock Reset
00:00:01 0000 Begin Boot Process
00:00:07 0000 Pinging CPU Core
.
.
.
00:03:07 0000 Ping Test Failed
00:03:17 0000 Initiating Failure Procedures
00:03:23 0000 Pinging Failsafe Module
.
.
.
00:06:25 0000 Ping Test Failed
00:06:27 0000 Powering Analysis Circuit
00:07:23 0000 Circuit Power Fail
00:08:36 0000 Powering Failsafe Circuit
00:09:13 0000 Circuit Power Fail
00:09:27 0000 Powering Emergency Circuit
00:11:37 0000 Circuit Power Engaged
00:13:47 0000 Emergency Self Repair Mode Activated
00:14:12 0000 Running Emergency System Check
00:14:17 0000 Core Integrity: 27%
00:14:21 0000 Core Status: Offline/Critical
00:17:42 0000 Core Memory Fragmentation: Invalid Divide/0%
00:21:22 0000 Emergency Repair Status: 0.5% Complete
00:27:32 0000 Available Energy: Error Buffer Overflow
00:37:25 0000 ETA Repair Complete: Unknown Date Time Module Not Found