One Minute to Midnight:The Unitary State of Mineva

In Orbit Over Alpha Ceti V - Behemoth-Class Air Force Carrier 'Krinock' - Bridge
xXx

Section Admiral Falkoner's grey greatcoat was lit by the constantly-updating holodisplay of this expansive system, ambient blue light accentuating her pale features and the red trim of her uniform. A set of binary stars were dimly masked in their sensor systems by a disruption field of vague Volarian nature, partitioned off by an asteroid ring that acted almost as a wall to the system's core. A second light ring adorned the space a tad further outwards, and barricaded in the center was a gem of this wild galaxy. Alpha Ceti V.

The system's outer rim was littered with various celestial bodies of note, but none as crucial as the terrestrial planet. Falkoner reached to her console, bringing up the fleet displays on the system map. Before her, well over a thousand tiny outlines of ships vastly brightened the display, causing her eyes to narrow momentarily. Solid blue outlines marked several hundred Minevan vessels. Marginally less ships were lit green, marking allied ships. She was aware that the only ally present was the Union. Diagnostics were constantly updated, all-clears being routinely checked and shown on tabs under fleet and battlegroups. She glanced around at the other lights being cast in the dark bridge of her vessel. Subcompartments with junior officers were observing diagnostics and running active communication and sensor checks to every part of Alpha Ceti's impregnable defense.

While Grand Admiral Hacket was tasked with overall command of the system's ships, numbering well over a thousand, with a Union commander, Falkoner was assigned with the dense protective line around Alpha Ceti V itself. Her involvment in the skrimish in the Agnios system in which the Justicars suffered their first naval loss earned her quite a bit of reputation alongside Lieutenant Commander Hix; Hacket personally selected her and an entourage of Admirals to come. Those picked include the recently promoted Section Admiral Foss from the Battle over Tau Volaris, along with Brigadier Admirals Karinov, a career officer with an untarnished record, and Irvil, a transfer from the Tenebrean Liberation Fleet after engagement with the Immortal Empire began to die out. Hacket had a competent set of high commanders, but was that enough in the face of mystery?

Embers were beginning to flare up all over Ancerious. Entire worlds and sectors were burning, billions were being erased at the will of madmen and tyrants. The very thought of the galaxy's state brought Falkoner to tightly clench her fist, her glove creaking under the pressure. It had been obvious for awhile now who would be next.

"Contact!" A cry was heard from the bridge crew. A single red light appeared on the edge of the system map. In moments, a dozen more appeared. The crew fell silent, leaving the frantic striking of commands to echo alone in the air. A warning appeared on Falkoner's own console. Hundreds of red indicators appeared at the system's edge in multitudes of formations.

It had begun.

---
Xi'An - High Command - Mother Den
xXx

"And what of Major Kisiragi's attack on the capitol?" Regent Akari Reiko had her boots propped up on the conference table, looking up at the massive screen in HiCom's command deck. She sat in her neat uniform, contrasted by her informal way of sitting.

"Along with the massive armored spearhead, they easily broke Tau Secundus' defenses. The problem is what they met at the center." Shown on the display was a portrait shot of Chief of Staff Novack; a middle-aged Minevan with a neatly trimmed beard and short swept hair. On the corners of the screen, subsequent images and clips appeared, depicting the decrepit streets of the Volarian capitol. Initially, they were simply glimpses of firefights in all of their chaos. Capitol line infantry and insurgents were swept aside by allied infantry units, but after a few moments, the tone switched. Instead, the enemy stopped fighting as intense; instead seeking refuge, escape, and surrender in some cases. What lied on the main objective following the enemy on the other side was something like which had not been recorded. Monstrous abominations took the form of their enemies consuming everything in its path and did not waver in its onslaught. The allied front tried hard to fend off the new foe and secure the main objective, but the new foes has simply refused to die.

What was even more mysterious were the depictions of the corridors of Tau Secundus' command center. The two operators sent to kill Commandant Petrov and the rest of the Volarian command were found, but the corpses aside from the commanders were not what they used to be. There were no Carnaithian, Minevan, or human rebels found. Instead, just wild creations that evoked the image of them. "The assault took a complete one-eighty. Within the hour, allied forces decided to egress from Tau Secundus but recieved extreme casualties. Kisiragi's Hellions and Captain Blanchard's men managed to buy enough time for the allies to make it off the island, however both units suffered near-total annihilation. Comms are currently down on the surface, but the latest logs read that nuclear sterilization of Tau Secundus was authorized by local command."

Reiko sat there in silence, mulling over what was presented. Petrov was gone and Maru was recovered, but this still left massive variables. Let alone that within the last week, the Tenebrean Liberation Fleet had all but disappeared; investigations only uncovering the wreckages of a small fraction of the vessels in their staging ground. Along with this, two key individuals had fallen off of the grid. Faust Grimwold, her old Commanding Officer in the war against Falknia, and Inistra Deveraux, the designer of the Hellion. They had simply disappeared. Reiko rubbed her smooth jaw in thought.

"What of Carnaith? My last reports of the Hjelmsdlare and Capitol incursion aren't too definite, and they definitely don't mean peace," She asked.

"It's not too certain yet, but the Union is giving me a constant feed of the scenario as they view it as well. Carnaith is quiet and Histrion itself is suffering a lapse in communication. My best guess? The bastards have already begun their attack." Novack shrugged.

"Of course; they can't stage forever. Has Hunt linked up with Canary Rogue yet?" Reiko removed her legs from the table, sitting upright.

"I haven't heard fr-"

An emergency override invaded their channel, dividing her screen in two. Next to Hunt's portrait was a grey box that read 'audio-only'. A voice drowned in heavy static frantically called over the line.

"-ra Dagger Prot-... One-five-... We are being overrun, thi-... -ticar forces are planetside, I say again, Justicar forces are planetside. Sierra D-... effect. The Nineteenth Fleet-... -stroyed. The Heredia System is being overrun. Sierra Dagger-" The transmission fell dead.