Subjugation

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Subjugation

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Chapter 10: "Subjugation"
Major players	Universal Council Anomaly Fleet
Vote outcome	The fleet is instructed to attempt to halt the Anomaly's advance
Major events	Sudden expansion of the Anomaly Successful halting of the Anomaly's advance Re-emergence of Mímir
Timeline Chronology
Previous Chapter	Next Chapter
"Groundswell"	"The Cradle"

Summary

Following the escape of Montez Lycanis (“Groundswell”), a transmission was received from the fleet stationed in the sector where Mímir disappeared (“The Void”), though the message was full of static and largely indecipherable. The transmissions received regarding the Anomaly - the newly christened mass of light that swallowed Mímir and destroyed the Panopea (“The Void”) - thus far had faced similar issues; scientists on station Ignis had thereafter taken to observing the light from a distance. It was then that they discovered that the Anomaly, while previously tinted in light hues, had begun pulsating and widening, producing streaks of vivid color. At its rate of expansion, it was only a matter of time before the Anomaly reached the already-retreating fleet.

However, from what information could be retrieved from the garbled transmissions, it appeared that the research fleets reinforcing the original expedition fleet possibly possessed the means to halt the Anomaly’s advance - though any such operation would require vast amounts of energy drawn from the ships’ engines, which would leave them defenceless should they fail.

As Nexus communications were still heavily affected, the Council deemed it necessary to keep their transmission to the fleet at the Anomaly simple and concise, in order to continuously transmit it to ensure no part of the instruction was lost in the static. The Council thus put the decision to instruct the fleet to stand their ground and attempt to halt the Anomaly’s advance, or to continue their retreat, to a vote, with the seated Councilmembers briefing their respective factions accordingly.

With all three factions making the unanimous decision to attempt to halt the Anomaly's advance, continuous transmissions to the fleets stationed at the Anomaly from station Ignis were sent, instructing them to hold their ground and do whatever they possibly could to stop the Anomaly.

Transcript

Report from the 26th conference of the Universal Council: time of ζ Sagittarii 3.32
Held on board station Ignis, in the neutral center of the Core Systems.

Councilmembers for the Empire: Ji Young-Joo, Ferus Haden, Thulani Ade’k
Councilmembers for the Federation: Áurea Adonis, Victor Huxley, Elijah Burkea
Councilmembers for the Union: Aish Fenix, Mandla Bankole, Haley Nguyen

The following is a transcript of the briefing on the relevant vote for those involved in the Explorer program:

… investigation from the Empire has so far yielded no results as to the whereabouts of Montez. The assailants were incredibly careful to leave no solid traces behind. Currently the prevailing theory is that there was in fact no outside help- that Montez’s escape was solely his own doing. Conversely, the missing Quantum shipment bound for the Core Systems is also still unaccounted for. The Council will be informed of any leads in either matter as soon as they arise.

Now, let us turn to the relevant vote. Many of the gathered councilmembers may already be aware of this, but two days ago, the Council received a transmission relating to the Anomaly – the name our researchers have given to the mass of light that swallowed Mímir. The report, however, was riddled with static and almost impossible to decipher.

Given the issues with these direct transmissions, scientists on station Ignis attempted to observe the light from a distance, uncovering a perturbing development. The Anomaly, previously tinted in light hues across the visible spectrum, has begun pulsating and widening itself, vivid colors streaking across its expanding boundaries. The assembled fleets are already retreating, but the factoring in the Anomaly’s current alarming rate of growth, it seems only a matter of time before it envelops the fleet entirely. Of course, there is the possibility that this expansion is only temporary, but we have no way of confirming this within such a short span of time.

There does appear to be another option; one fragment of the fleets’ transmission mentions a method of stifling the Anomaly’s growth. Unfortunately, the specifics of this method were lost in the static, but with multiple fleets of research ships currently reinforcing the original small fleet, including several of the Council’s class-S vessels, it is possible the fleets actually possess the equipment necessary to halt the Anomaly’s progress. Of course, any significant technical operation would require power to be siphoned from the ship’s engines, leaving a large amount of them at the mercy of the Anomaly’s expansion.

The Council has considered many alternatives to these solutions, mainly the possibility of sending another single ship into the light to calm the turbulence, similar to the incident with the Panopea. Though ultimately, such methods hinge too heavily on clarity of communication with the fleet, or require more time than we have in this situation.

The effects of this development have been felt all across the Core Systems, but particularly within the Federation. Communications from the Nexus are breaking down, and may planets within the faction have been thrust into darkness. Taking this into account, it is highly unlikely the Council’s comms will reach the fleet unaltered. Our transmission must be short and immediate, able to be sent to the assembled fleets as often as possible to avoid any part of it being lost. Thus, the vote placed before Council is as follows:

Should the Council place their confidence in the fleets beyond the Core Systems, allowing them a chance to stop the Anomaly’s advance? Or does the Council instruct its ships to continue their retreat, trusting that the speed of the Anomaly’s growth will slow down before it reaches them?

Your faction contact will issue a statement shortly in your respective vote channels before the commencement of the vote, twelve hours from now.

Faction Storylines

Federation Storyline

Transmission from Victor Huxley, COO of VasTech

Good sol, Explorers! Unfortunately, that little stunt from some rogue faction made last week’s vote a bit of a failure. I still firmly believe it was the work of some outside force; this Imperial outcast styling himself a pirate may be resourceful, but to take out an entire entourage of Imperial escort ships, and leave no men wounded? I don’t think so.

All the same, now we can be certain of one thing: this vicious pirate is once again free to roam the skies as he pleases. In these trying times, it is the duty of every Federation citizen to hold their head up high, and steel themselves for the hardships to come.

Of course, I don’t mean to place any blame on you Explorers for his escape- I would have done much the same in your situation. Defy the despot, and give the people a voice! You proved yourselves true paragons of Federation virtues there, as you did with your collaborative decision to treat the patients on station Ignis. Of course, it is certainly a shame that our faction has not retained exclusive rights to such a discovery, but these are the sacrifices we must make for standing behind our principles.

Sadly, from what we are hearing on board the station, it seems every sector of the Federation is now suffering from this communication fallout. Of course, with VasTech’s proven track record of dealing effectively with these situations, we have been asked to dispatch several Valkyrie Units to the more severely affected planets, and are working with the corporations involved to ensure the living environment for their employees is not impacted in any way.

But let us return to the vote at hand. Oh, to be given a chance to participate in such a monumental galactic occasion! You should count yourselves lucky. Certainly, if I were in your shoes, I would prioritize experimentation over safety- nothing was ever gained from shying away from risk, after all. But I can, of course, see the merits of attempting to outrun the Anomaly as well. Lest it not catch up to our ships, their respective crews would be in a much more fit state to continue their duties. Going from Kepler-7 to yet another life-threatening situation has no doubt left them exhausted.

Well, I’d wager that’s more than enough from me; I’m sure you have more than enough to discuss among yourselves. I’m grateful to have the honor of addressing you once again, and remember: VasTech stands with you, in all your endeavors.

Best,
Victor

Empire Storyline

A directive from Ji Young-Joo, emissary of the Emperor

At last, a sign of providence has arrived! A raging storm that portents great things. Whatever may befall our ships in this ordeal, it is clear this step is a colossal stride forward on the path of the Empire’s destiny!

I greet you, Explorers, on a day that has brightened up the Empire’s dark skies. For with the disappearance of Montez, there is still reason to grieve. I understand you did what you could, Explorers, but the stubbornness of the lesser factions will never cease to astound.

In particular, my heart – and I am sure yours as well – goes out to Ivona Craine, present as she was on Eden Lycanis, hoping certainly at last for this miserable cretin to be put to justice. But no, the snake has slipped between our fingers once more. Rest easy though Imperials, for I have word that the beauteous Gloria Morell is keeping order within house Lycanis’ Eden, even as its members may worry about this terrible development.

Yes, certainly the bastard Montez will soon belong to the Empire once more. Such are the words of Imperator Solas – may he outlive the stars – and their truth resounds across the open expanse of the galaxy.

So let us move on to this Anomaly, this flood of light that threatens to wash over our ships. Do not fear it! Let its glory envelop them, let their cries of elation be transcendent! Thought it is not the time for us to place our faith in the machinations of scientists, standing our ground and facing the Anomaly head on may well be the correct path. It may also be that the Anomaly wishes to show us something, pushing our ships away deliberately so that we may discover a new secret.

The choice is yours, Explorers, but know that, in the words of Imperator Solas, your current journey is almost at its end.

Sic itur ad astra.

Union Storyline

Comm from Haley Nguyen, Union member and Vox representative

Hello, Comrades. Good job on that vote during the last conference; close votes like this are exactly what keeps my conviction in the Union strong, and remind me that every person’s voice always matters.

You know, if I had to guess, I’d say Montez was never even on that ship- seems to me like an easy way for the Empire to cover up their lies. The fact that the Vulpis Oculi have taken this in their stride (for now, at least) seems to confirm what I suggested in my last transmission as well: they’re not in it for change, they’re just looking to stoke the flames of rebellion for their own gain.

Before I move on to the vote, I thought some of you might appreciate a bit of information about the citizens of Morn. I was on the Bastion just before heading to Ignis, and they’re being well taken care of. The Bastion is more than capable of housing multiple planet’s worth of people, so there’ve been no accommodation issues as of yet. It’s actually quite nice to see the Bastion so filled with life; it can often feel quite empty, large as it is.

Oh, and you might also be interested to know that the citizens have been joined on board by a few members of the Ojin-Kai. The efficiency with which Mercer is rounding up these folks is downright astonishing, I’ve got to say.

Now, in contrast to last week’s vote, this one’s definitely going to turn some heads. I don’t expect the Vox assembly to be a quiet one, no matter which way this ends up panning out. As for my thoughts on it, we have such limited information it’s hard to make a call. I would at least caution against putting all your faith in the fleets being able to stop the Anomaly; while the Council’s tech can be pretty impressive at times, it’s not always reliable.

I know you’re worried- some of you might have friends, loved ones on those ships. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow Union members for support and advice. You can rely on each other for that. That’s how we get through this; that’s how the Union gets through this. Sometimes, these catastrophes are inevitable. But pretending that it’s some form of ‘celestial providence’ like I heard Ji bandying about is just going to get more people killed.

Here’s to a brighter tomorrow, for all of us.
Haley

Voting Results

The Universal Council has consolidated the votes of each of the factions: Stop the Anomaly’s advance 3 (Empire,Federation,Union) , Flee from the Anomaly 0 ()

The final vote is in favor of instructing the fleets to stop the Anomaly’s advance. The continuous transmission to the fleets from station Ignis commenced several minutes ago. We still have no guarantee that the message will even reach our ships; in the event the Council does receive a response, this will be relayed directly to all members of the Explorer program.

Emergence

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Summary

The instructions sent from Ignis eventually turned out to have been received by the Anomaly fleet; the class-S ships' Quantum resonance experiments appeared to have succeeded in turning back the light emanating from the Anomaly, though one of the vessels - the Finch's Spear - was struck by a light tendril, vaporizing into space. As the rest of the class-S ships turned to rejoin the fleet, the retreating light from the Anomaly coalesced, until it solidified and took the appearance of a sphere. As the light faded, eyewitness reports identified the object as the recently-disappeared planet Mímir, now at the site where the Anomaly collapsed moments prior.

Transcript

Transmission from Soren Lynk
Origin: the Obelisk, 3rd class-S frigate of the Universal Council
Dating: 26th report – time of ζ Sagittarii 3.32
Designation: operation report

Hello? Hello, is anyone hearing this? This is Soren Lynk, comms officer for the Obelisk. Seems like the signal interference from the Anomaly is thinning out, so I hope this is getting through. Our other class-S ships just sent word that the Anomaly is retreating, though one of them – Finch’s Spear – was struck by one of the tendrils coming off the Anomaly; I did not see it firsthand, but the crew aboard the surrounding ships said it was as if the hull was ripped out of space, completely evaporated into nothing.

I am on the Obelisk’s main observation deck at the moment and have a clear visual on the light as it’s pulling away. It looks… almost like it is being sucked back in towards its point of origin. No report yet if the Quantum resonance experiment was the cause of this, but given the incident coincided so directly with the combined efforts of our class-S ships it seems very likely.

Whatever the cause of this phenomenon, it is certainly stunning. The rest of our ships are continuing their retreat, and the command has been given for the class-S ships to rejoin the fleet for now. Since we don’t know exactly what the outcome of this new development will – hold on. I’m seeing something from the bridge window here, trying to get a closer look on the monitors. There, and… yes, I have it up. It looks like the Anomaly is… solidifying. By the stars, it has certainly shrunk quite a lot! All the colors are running together, and the light it’s – it’s taking on a new shape, something like a large sphere. Hold on a moment, excuse me.

(faintly) Jane, can I get confirmation on this from the other fleets? And Jensen, switch our radio emitters to shortwave. If this is what I think it is, we’re going to need them soon.

Yes, hello again. Apologies, some of the crew have gathered on the bridge, so it is slightly harder to make out, but the light is – yes, it’s fading now, threading around the edges of this object, and collapsing in the center. Ah, and now it is is completely gone – my word. There’s no mistaking this, for certain, even from this distance. Yes, I have just received confirmation from one of the technicians. The clouded atmosphere may be gone, as well as the mysterious disrupting signal, but… it is the same planet. Mímir has returned.

Jensen, tune the emitters to local, please. I’ll let the fleet know we’re turning back around.

-Transmission ends.-

Story Arcs

Expedition to Mímir:	The Catalyst • The Shard • The Crossroads • The Void • Subjugation • The Cradle • Dire Straits • Last Stand
Assault on the Crimson Wolves:	The Crimson Wolves • The Ides • Groundswell
The Morn Conflict:	On the Brink
The Pinnacle Incident:	Quantum Sickness • First Steps
The Vargas Epidemic:	Blackout
The Opening:	First Contact