The room's lighting dims, a projector lights up the wall everyone was facing with japanese writing: "Operation Kumo no Ami".
An instructor walks from the side of the room towards the lecturer's stand next to the wall. The projector's reflection on the wall illuminates the audience for the instructor: concerned faces of ages old and young, some in uniforms belonging to the Kusarian Naval Forces, some in their darker variant signifying them as members of the Kusari Naval Intelligence. A grim mood was set, the hastily-gathered people in the room were all aware what this was about.
The instructor finally speaks. "It must be no surprise to you by now that New Tokyo is under influence of something strange."
He presses a button on the stand. The projection switches to a dashcam picture depicting a purple jump hole. "You have likely seen one of these on your patrols, or spotted them from your stations. The media is having a field day with them. Doomsday claims, conspiracy theories, judgement days, the Imperial Navy crapping themselves so hard after entering Kyushu, their stenchful gas ending up in the capital system!"
A nervous chuckle is heard from the listeners, quickly dying off due to self-restraint.
The instructor's voice grows to a more serious tone. "But that will not be around long enough for it to have any effect on us, or the people we protect. Operation Kumo no Ami is an expedition through one of these jumpholes, to put an end to whatever, and whoever, is causing it. You all have been selected to participate in helping protect Kusari's heart from danger."
The projection changes to a visual sample retrieved by scouts sent to the jump hole.
"It is confirmed that these jump holes are traversible as long as they are there. This is what our scouts saw inside. The footage is unclear, meaning your visibility will be limited by the nebulae. One thing is clear, however."
The wall is illuminated by different dashcam footage.
"The Nomads are behind these anomalies. The capital system is at risk, and we will not allow such a danger to exist! A Tokugawa-class battleship, the Eikyuu, will enter one of these stabilized jump holes, escorted by a wing of Chimaeras to fend off any small fry that might dare stand against it. The expedition will begin at 1800 UTC, that is when the next jump hole is intended to stabilize. You will be given a green light to go from New Tokyo Command before proceeding."
"Once inside, things will be tough. We have no clear orientation where the jump hole might drop us due to the unstable nature, but it will drop us into the same spot - organization and formation will be the most crucial aspect of this operation. After you have managed to orient yourselves on the other side, you must seek out these structures and find a way to put them out of order. We expect the Naval Intelligence operative to quickly assess the situation, and find the targets you will need to destroy in order to put an end to the anomalous activity plaguing New Tokyo."
Airi Kurokawa gulps. She was the operative that the instructor mentioned, adding a whole new layer of responsibility to the layers of anxiousness and the unknown. She must do what is required excellent and quick, or else the entire expedition would turn sour very quickly. This line of thought and the potential consequences plagued her mind until the instructor continued his briefing.
"Kusari is potentially at stake. You are currently the only ones who may put an end to this danger, and we are all putting our hopes and prayers towards you." The instructor speaks broadly to the officers in the room. At this point, it was just rubbing salt on a wound for Kurokawa...
"I repeat. The expedition will begin at 1800 UTC. Until then, prepare yourselves, mentally and physically, for the challenges that may stand before you. Be present an hour before the expedition, already on the Eikyuu or on the escort Chimaeras. Remember that co-operation is the most crucial aspect of this operation. Be vigilant, watch each other's backs, strike decisively and return victorious as soon as possible! Good luck!"
The projector switches back to the original titular operation screen, and the room's lights return back to normal. Following the instructor's salute, the group stands up, salutes, and yells "Hai!" in unison before walking out. It was clear that everyone was nervous - nobody knew what they were going into, and what they will find inside - but it was on their shoulders to see it through.
(//ooRP note: This is a story encompassing the Kusari perspective of the Hidden Giant event. Anyone who has played on the Kusarian side is welcome to join (consult me though pls). If anyone from Wild/Commune/Nomads is willing to join on what happens after and interact with our characters, do consult me as well and we'll see if we can continue the story.)
New Tokyo, KNI Headquarters - Spacecraft Staging Area
Two hours before the expedition
Airi was already sitting inside her Chimaera. The ship itself was outfitted with standard Sunfrenzy weaponry, and marked with special insignia marking the ship as belonging to the Naval Intelligence branch of the Naval Forces. The weather, as usual for Tokyo, could hardly be worse - strong rain and occasional thundering in the distance.
The pilot was studying everything - reports, dashcam footage, scientist hypothesis - on what was related to the operation she was about to embark on. The expeditionary force was incredibly small, to her mind, for a cause to save Kusari from potential doom. It only emphasized everyone's role was incredibly important to their group's survival and success. This, of course, wasn't something Kurokawa was happy with.
"To think that we'd have to rely on a single ship for all the firepower we might meet! I hope this "Admiral Shima" is able to keep the crew in line, this feels like a suicide mission more than anything. At least the Eikyuu is armed with some -really- heavy weaponry. The Chimaera pilots I'll be flying along with are experienced as well. I can't help but recall Yamada-san from somewhere, though..." Her internal monologue was only occasionally drowned out by heavier gouts of rain hitting the frontal window of the ship. The atmosphere was actually quite calming at this point, provided you didn't look at the time.
Looking at the sample footage from the anomaly, she couldn't help but think how were they ever going to find a way to put that -thing- out of order. Let alone the reports that the scouts were absolutely swarmed by Nomads when they were detected. Eikyuu should be fine against their fire, but the fighters weren't. It would be absolute hell to dodge fire, try to discern weak spots and even gather samples and footage meanwhile - fear of failure caused a lot of internal conflicts within Kurokawa during this preparatory time.
"I hope this goes well. I'll need to mostly follow and support the Eikyuu while it drudges forward, then we'll see what lies in the center. I have to do this! I must!"
Eventually, the Chimaera's computer screen lit up, having the time enlarged and highlighted - it was time to rendezvous with the others.
Kurokawa sighed, taking a breath to regain composure after being spooked nearly to death by the loud alarm after having been deep in her thoughts for quite a while. She then goes on and gathers the papers that went flying, putting them back into the packet and resting it on a board on the left of the ship's cockpit.
The pilot started the Chimaera's engine, and took off from the headquarters into space.
New Tokyo, KNF First Fleet - Setagaya Spacecraft Base
Thirty minutes before the expedition
Yamada yawned as the cockpit of his chimera lit up and the engine hummed as it shifted into idle mode. The strong rain was pounding on the large cockpit window, filling the inside with quiet noise hardly getting through his headphones. He had hardly gotten a wink of sleep that night and was feeling appropriately tired. This did not mean that he was nervous, no, he had just spent the night on the hunt for some invaluable supplies that were essential to him. Something that couldn't have waited any longer.
He was not worried about being tired though, he was sure that the adrenaline that would kick in after the start of the mission would keep him well awake for hours.
After quickly informing the base that his preparations were complete and getting permission to start, the engine of his ship roared as he shifted to full power and had his chimera head skywards to the lower orbit of New Tokyo.
While he waited to get through the docking ring procedure, he went through the pictures they had shown him in the briefing in his mind again. He couldn't help but feel a certain kind of uneasiness when thinking about the large alien structures that had were hidden in that nebula. He felt confident about his piloting skills and the qualities of his ship, but everything about this seemed to scream ambush and he did not expect to be treated kindly by the aliens. His superiours probably thought of him as expendable, and he had no illusions about that. Most likely they thought that way about every single one of their pilots.
He shook his head and took a quick peek behind him before he went through the docking ring, exiting the planet's atmosphere. >>This is Kusari Naval Forces, Nk. Yamada Shouzou. Good day everyone.
He announced himself as he reached the rendezvous point a few klicks away from the capital. With some satisfaction he noted that the KNI agent he had met the other day was part of the strike force, which looked anything but impressive now that he had a chance to look at it. While he knew that the Naval Forces would not be able to commit a large force to such a mission while the civil war raged on in other parts of Kusari, he still felt that they should either send a much smaller or much bigger force on such a mission.
But who was he to question the admiralty? In times like these it was best to remember ones proper place. And his was in the cockpit of a fighter.
The sight of another Chimaera coming out of the docking ring was motivating for Kurokawa. She had already been waiting at the rendezvous with the Eikyuu, in orbit of New Tokyo. As the new Chimaera got closer and closer, however, motivation started dwindling further and further...
Yamada Shouzou. The Naval Forces lieutenant that Airi could simply not get along with. They had met only yesterday, and that was enough for a lifetime. Fate was cruel enough to pair them together in this suicidal expedition, as if the deities themselves were aligned to make the day inexplicable worse for the intelligence officer.
"You, of all people, are going on this expedition?" Kurokawa blurted out without thinking. The stress from bearing huge responsibility and a long, sleepless preparation was more than enough - she didn't need a sexist as her companion for the ride."Unbelievable..."
Shortly after, it was nearly time for the next expected jump hole to stabilize - right near the capital itself. An incredibly small purple cloud burped itself into existence close to the rendezvous point. A moment later, more of the omnious purple gas appeared the same way. The process sped up. The gas started orbiting an empty, black point, that was expanding rapidly. It was quite a view, though it only marked a beginning of the turbulent storm for the expedition members - and they could certainly feel the tension rise. They had to wait for the scientists (that observing the phenomena through observatories) to confirm when it was considered stabilized and safe to proceed. A probe was seen deployed from Tokugawa, flying straight into - and through - the anomaly.
Kurokawa's ship computer lights up, being hailed by KNF Command on New Tokyo. It seems that the other ships are receiving the same message:
"This is Kusari Naval Forces Command. The probe our scientists sent through has arrived to the Nomad system successfully - it is confirmed that the jump hole has stabilized and is now safe to pass through.
Remember what you are here to do. Go through, organize yourselves, and put a stop on whatever is the source of these anomalies appearing. Return before they destabilize - we will try to keep this jump hole stable and open for as long as possible.
You have our green light.
Be swift. Be safe. Good luck. KNF Command will wait for your triumphant return."
A wave of goosebumps washes over Airi as the transmission ends. It was time to begin the operation.
"This is Admiral Shima of the Eikyuu. We will take some time to get through the jump hole. Chimaera wing - go through first and make sure the area is clear for our arrival." The expedition comm channel lit up.
Yamada called every Chimaera pilot into formation, and started moving towards the purple jump hole. Kurokawa gulped, and attempted to steel herself mentally for anything that might appear on the other side. She put the spacecraft on forward impulse as the engines began humming louder, and followed suit.
He couldn't help but to show a little smirk as the female intelligence officer voiced her dissatisfaction with his presence. Even though she should have been happy to have a skilled pilot at her side during this mission. It would at least increase her chances for survival drastically if she just follows his orders. >>How nice to see you, officer. Seems like you got an excellent chance to prove your worth this time.
He left it at that and the spectacle of a jumphole willing itself into existence before their eyes stopped her from making a reply. Watching with some fascination he felt that he should pay proper attention as he probably wouldn't see such a thing happening again in his lifetime. As the jumphole finally appeared stable and command gave them the order to jump he felt excitement wash over him. This was the reason why he became a pilot in the first place. He would go forward and fight with no room for doubts or hesitation. A warrior's death would grant him absolution from the failures of his past.
His ship started moving towards the jumphole and pressed a button to open a comm channel to the other ships taking part in this mission. >>Yamada Shouzou, going in first. Stay close behind me and jump immediately afterwards. Be prepared to report your status once you made it through. Be alert and ready to fight. We do not know if the enemy will be informed of our arrival.
He took a deep breath and then entered the jumphole, seeing and feeling the universe bend before him, a million stars swirling around him, he could feel every fiber of his body being pulled forward as the jumphole, untamed by human technology, devoured his ship. Every new pilot felt nauseous after his first jump, and who wouldn't? After being swallowed up like that, traveling through the belly of the universe, just to be spat out again lightyears from home.
Yamada was used to this procedure however and felt only excitement as the cockpit lit up and he was looking onto an unfamiliar space, trying to orientate himself again in a world that was simply a gradient of color, a thick cloud obstructing any stellar object he could use for navigation. At least the vicinity of the jumphole was free of any enemy ships, but who knew how long that would last.
The jumphole was pulsing beside him and would, no doubt, release his comrades in a few moments. For now, Yamada was waiting and observing.
It did not take long for Yamada to wait for his wing members to be spat out from the jump hole, their ships quickly decelerating from the nauseating trip. Kurokawa exhaled calmly, that unsettling experience now behind her. She refocused her sights on the system - trying to get a bearing, and soon finding herself amongst her wing members.
"Airi Kurokawa, KNI. Jump successful. Rejoining the wing leader in formation." The pilot announces, avoiding making remarks about how eerie the location was. There was an occasional glint of light in the far distance, acting as a lighthouse during a heavy storm. Ship scanners were acting weird to the Chimaera pilots - sometimes showing that a ship is nearby, disappearing, only for another contact to appear and disappear again. Outside of the ship, however, it was practically impossible to see anything but the window painted blue. The atmosphere was completely silent. A situation true to the saying "calm before the storm", a thought popped in Airi's head.
Then again, that atmosphere didn't last long. As a few short moments passed, various communications channels were detected by the pilots: claims of opening fire on one end, enigmatic threats on another, a sound you could only describe as buzzing on a third - there was something already happening deeper inside the system.
"Perhaps a Nomad anomaly is capturing and replaying these "comm chatter" segments? This can't be more creepy." Airi thought to herself, and asked the other wing members if they were experiencing anything similar. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Naval Intelligence spacecraft had more recent ship software and hardware to eavesdrop on transmissions?
While the Chimaera pilots were busy organizing themselves and trying to figure out what was going on with their bizzarely-working electronics, the jump hole they had come out of increased in size, with the Eikyuu slowly drudging out in all its glory, out of the center of the anomaly. Kurokawa was too preoccupied with messing with the channels to even notice the huge hulk of what appeared to her as dark mass suddenly come out of a corner of the Chimaera's window. As a result, another voice joined the orchestra of battle screams and yelling the moment the naval officer lifted her head and looked through the window.
"This is Admiral Shima of the Eikyuu. We have readings of large structures ahead of us. Escort wing, stay on our tail. Impulse forward to our objective!" The commander of the Eikyuu spoke, and the escorts were quick to follow.
The bizzare comm chatter became clearer as they flew forward. As they reached a clearing in the nebulae, the reasons of all this commotion suddenly unveiled themselves in front of the expedition's eyes...
>>Picking up faint signals on the comms. Seems to be either noise or just out of our range. Scanners are probably heavily impaired by this thick galactic soup we found ourselves in. Do you need someone to hold your hand agent or will you be fine?
He couldn't help himself but make a playful jab at the woman as he checked out their surroundings.
Shouzou was monitoring the instruments of his ship with a scowl as they turned out to be all but useless. After hearing the announcement of the Eikyuu he quickly brought his ship forward and took point at the front of their formation. >>Alright, wing. You heard the admiral. Spread out and keep a one click distance to the battleship. Shields and Scanners at maximum efficiency. Now-
He didn't get any further with his little speech as they broke out of the cloud and found themselves in front of... well, what exactly? A huge blueish structure, occupying his entire view and pulsating in a dim light that made it seem almost alive, organic in some way. It was impossible for Yamada to discern what kind of purpose this.. thing fulfilled as it was so very inhuman. The images of the scouts had shown glimpses of this, but the real thing made a much more profound impression on him. He quickly had to break free from the sense of awe that had captured him as new unidentified contacts popped up on his scanners with a steady stream of quiet beeps.
>>Contacts! Group up around the Eikyuu while we assess the situation.
As they left the cloud the comms finally started to appear clearer as well and his eyes widened as he finally understood what he was receiving. "The Libertonians..?" He mumbled to himself, staring in disbelief as he managed to get a visual of one of their capital ships after hearing their calls on the comms.
Quickly he checked all the contacts he had on his scanners and realised that an entire strike force form Liberty was present near the alien structure and appeared to be in battle with alien forces. At least judging from what they so ungracefully yelled through the comms. Without moving a single muscle he simply stared at the mess for a few seconds. For the first time in a while he found himself at a loss for words.
He eventually shook his head to break the spell of confusion and his mind was racing to find a suitable course of action. Finally he managed to get some orders out to his wing.
>>Protect the battleship! Engage enemy targets if they close in on us. The Eikyuu will open a line to those Libertonians! We are probably better off working together..
For now they would simply observe and not charge head first into their doom. That was a good course of action he decided, happy to finally have a grip on the situation again.
That was, until the Bretonians and Rheinlanders showed up.
Massive, unnatural structures with energy flowing through them. An immensely large, pulsing structure with appendages resembling that of a Nomad, bigger than any other ever seen. This was the source of panic that seemed to engulf Sirius in its entirety. Battleships of all sorts, dwarfed by the massive structures they surrounded, were firing in many directions - they were swarmed by the Nomads and fighters supporting them - infectees, or just lunatics. The suddenly unfolding view was hardly possible to believe in, taken as if from a science fiction.
Kurokawa attentively followed the orders Admiral Shima and Yamada barked, keeping watch for any would-be surprises. The battle was already raging, though - they were not the first to arrive. Libertonians, then Bretonians and Rheinlanders came into view. Even the Order terrorists were in the cesspool of battle, shooting the alien threat. The pilot scanned for opportunities to do what they had arrived here for, discerning any weak points that they might strike.
It did not take long to notice the smaller structures floating around the blue pulsating object. These structures seemed to be fed by the big structures, and that energy forwarded into the pulsing, massive creature. They were likely the key to unlocking the way to defeat the Nomad forces. Kurokawa quickly figured that they should test if these structures were impervious to the Eikyuu's firepower, the suggestion forwarded to the Admiral of the ship. What probably helped with the decision was that other House militaries were already targetting and damaging these structures, at least, those that weren't being swarmed.
"We will keep the swarm from attacking you, Eikyuu! Show them Kusari's might!" Kurokawa spoke to the expedition channel, diving into battle alongside Yamada and the other Chimaera pilot. She engaged the Nomads that were able to inflict damage on the capital vessels, making them flee temporarily. She used the opportunity inbetween strikes to try to gain footage of the structures, the surrounding area and obtain tissue and samples from defeated ships, leaving the main combat for the KNF pilots.
The Nomads had arrived in force, their biggest mindnodes travelling in packs. Fortunately, the stray House fleet ships that weren't sieging the structures took it upon themselves to distract them from the main force.
Meanwhile, the Eikyuu had already organized itself with the other Houses, and were effectively destroying the structures one by one. It seems the fighter cover was working - the Nomads don't stand a chance against the combined effort of all the militaries that were present. It didn't take long for the last of them to fall, their hypothesis proving true: shortly after the last one had shattered, the organic structure had grown dimmer, presumably growing dormant. The fleets would consider this a victory, but now posed the question of eliminating the resistance and finding a way to escape the system.
"Escort wing, return to the Eikyuu. We are moving to help the forces pinned above the system." Admiral Shima ordered, the wing returning to formation and escorting the Tokugawa away from the "surface" of the system. What lied beyond there was another beautiful view unveiling itself: clear clouds, painted white and blue in the distance, giving yet another surreal sight to behold for the expedition. One could forget the worries of the battle that was still raging in remote locations, but it was not time to finish for Kurokawa or the rest of the expedition.
As the rest of his wing was moving upwards, Shouzou found himself busy with a small group of nomads that were fighting a group of Order pilots around the jumphole he had just discovered near the bottom of the alien structure. >>Move ahead wing, I've discovered a jumphole and will secure the location until we're ready to leave. Be quick however.
He sighed and stopped for a moment to take a look around. For now the order was matching evenly with the nomad forces and he didn't feel inclined to help those terrorists. They've made enough trouble in Kusari in the past. He eventually decided to only interfere if the nomads would be overwhelming the order forces.
In the meantime the commlink to his wing had been cut off as they were now too far away to be contacted. For a while he contemplated leaving the jumphole behind and following his comrades, but losing what was probably their only way out was not an option either.
He sighed and did a thorough sweep of the area with his scanners. It seemed the other houses were getting ready to leave now. As their ships disappeared, more nomad and wild ships arrived at his position and the order was starting to get overwhelmed. It didn't take long for them to consider retreat too.
Yamada had in the meantime joined the fight and was now desperately trying to reach the Eikyuu on the comms and tell them to head for the jumphole. >> Eikyuu? Where are you? The jumphole will be closing soon!
The order fighters had already left or had been shot down when the kusarian battlegroup finally came back into scanner range again. With a feeling of dread he realised that the Eikyuu was being shot already by nomads as well, taking heavy damage already.
>>Protect the Eikyuu! We'll have to make it to the jumphole!
He broke off from his current fight and immediately headed for the capital vessel, trying to take down the bombers before they could breach the hull of the battleship.
What followed was a fight for survival. He tried barking some orders, but he could feel the control of the situation slip from them. They were being overrun, their formation broke and there was nothing they could do but race for the jumphole. Then the Eikyuu stopped moving. Small explosions were visible on the outer hull as it slowly lost integrity and the mighty vessel broke apart, the deformed parts of the ship drifting apart. More and more of the remaining parts started disintegrate and explode as the ship got destroyed. He stared at the scenery for a moment, a feeling of hopelessness and anger welling up inside him. Finally he managed to bark another order as he turned his ship around. He took a moment to notice that it was only the KNI agent and himself now.
>>Run now! To the jumphole!
The wrath of the entire alien fleet came down on them now, their energy weapons pounding against his shield until it broke, his hull losing strength with every passing second. But the jumphole was close now. About two klicks more and they would be escaping this place. His shield batteries were all but exhausted, but the jumphole appeared bigger and bigger through his cockpit window. They nearly made it, when to his horror it started to pulsate faster and faster, shrinking down and devouring itself into nothingness. The collapsing jumphole was gone in an instant, leaving not a trace of his existence behind and his mind went blank as their dire situation had turned into certain death. "So.. that's really it.." He sighed and stared at his hands that were gripping the control stick. Slowly he relaxed them and let go, leaning back in his seat as he stared out into space. "It's a good death. Nothing to be ashamed of. I'll probably get a medal or something for it." He told himself and smiled slightly. From the corner of his eye he saw that the KNI agent was still struggling, but it was all for naught. He felt his ship shake as blasts of concentrated energy kept pounding the hull. A wing broke off soon enough and he steeled himself for what was about to come. Finally one of the blasts managed to pierce the hull and, as luck would have it, hit the mine storage in the back of the ship. The entire back half of his chimaera went up in the flames and the cockpit soon followed as his ship was ripped apart completely.
"Run now! To the jumphole!" A voice on Kurokawa's Chimaera echoed as she watched the remaining Eikyuu's pieces get torn off and subsequently explode, evacuation pods coming out before being engulfed by the ship's own armaments exploding. There were too many of them. Too many bombers, too many escort fighters that were suppressing the Kusarian expedition's fighter defence. A few Nomads were destroyed, but it was never enough - it was hopeless from the start.
She listened to the last friendly voice, coming from the last friendly contact in the system, engaging cruise engines and redirecting the ship straight to the jump hole located on the "surface" of the system. Kurokawa's heart raced - the only thing that stopped her emotions from completely taking over was the stress and tensions of the situation.
"Incoming missile!" the ship's computer voice alerted, but countermeasures did nothing - it was a cruise disruptor. She looked back to see who fired the missile, and saw an entire group of Outcast, Imperial Navy, Rheinlander fighters and Nomads right on her ship's tail. Kurokawa was still grasping on the last bit of hope she had for survival, starting the afterburner and continuing the dash for the jump hole to salvation. She was too focused on piloting and evading fire to notice the jump hole starting to devour itself and disappearing.
She looked to her goal - she was only a few kilometers away from the anomaly, only to find it... not there. All she saw was Yamada's ship standing immobile, electricity spewing out of the disabled fighter's open circuitry. She could only watch in horror as the last Nomad shot penetrated the ship and caused a chain explosion, blowing it to bits. Airi's heart skipped a beat. The anomaly was nowhere in sight - and where it should be floated many parts of her ally's craft.
Desperation set in. Kurokawa couldn't handle it anymore. Hostile fire was coming straight from behind her, she could barely avoid damage, occasionally the ship taking hits. The ship's energy generator was failing, overstressed by the barrage of fire.
"Please! Stop your fire! I don't want to die!" the KNI agent pleaded, but nothing changed or responded. The nanobots skittering around the ship were quickly dwindling in numbers, She could only maneuver for so long before taking a critical hit. The Chimaera's tail wing was shot, came loose and detached from the ship - the afterburner along with it. She didn't have the advantage of speed and was a duck in a hunting ground. Soon the ship's computer yet again alerted the pilot: "Incoming torpedo!"