One minute to Midnight: CAE part two

A popping sound broke the silence following Alec's question as a sudden flame erupted into the chamber, dissipating as quickly as it had begun, leaving a young man standing where the flames once were, dressed in a white and gold suit with the front of his blood red hair spiked up in a crown like style. Helios was not smiling as he usually was, but wore a face of grave seriousness that marred his youthful appearance.

"I apologize for the late arrival. I would have been here sooner but I had a matter of urgent importance to take care of first...." He said.

Giles looked over to the amazing event. "It is fine it is good to finally meet the drake king!" He said, smiling a bit as he was pretty relaxed now.

"And it is nice to finally meet the Skinwalkers myself as well" Helios replied with a smile.

The black wolf and the tall, maroon furred cougar-like alien, would raise a brow at the strange display of the footage. The lizzy looked blankly into it hiding all reaction as it seemed. The Dreeli looked over to the drake, having never seen one. Not even a drake from the drakes of magi core. "Greetings! Nice of you to join us!" he said... he was a bit enthused.

Alec raised his snout with a small smile as the king arrived.

"Welcome, Helios. I have just shown the rest of the delegates a presentation of the recent events in the Histrion system."

The Tenebrean Representatives all turned in their seats at the drakes arrival. The Tenebrean opening his mouth slightly in surprise. although the serious look he had never changed. the looks on the Rahdonian and the Stromian delegates also stern with the situation. The stromian in particular looking notably cloudy in the way his heavy brows furrowed.
"Helios... the drake king." Said the Tenebrean representative softly.

"It is a pleasure to see you all here" Helios smiled once again.

The Stromian looked at the drake for a moment more, before turning to the interface pad in front of him and bringing up the data sent to it in the form of small projected screens and text that hovered above its flat surface. scrolling through what was detailed.
"Your battlegroups have been deployed. But for what? What did we witness occurring in that file?" he asked after a few moments. looking at Alec sternly.

"What did the AI do in that system?" A second question, this one from the Rahdonian, came up a few moments after.

"They did not deploy, simply put on alert. We are mobilizing them in preparation for both defense of our territories and dislodging of the anomaly if there are no available proposals... though this will probably prove difficult considering the fact that it now occupies the stars' surface, which was shown in the animation, and As to your second question? We haven't got the slightest goddamn clue I'm afraid. Other than destroy all of their own ships and all of Capitols' with the exception of the dreadnaught in-system." He said with a stern look on his face.

"There is a reason we are calling for assistance."

"Whats the state of the system?" The Stromian asked. the furrow not gone from his brow. although his tone had changed to a much more curious one.

"Unknown" Alec said.

"However, considering the Capitol ships failed to fire on the presumably AI anomaly, we believe this was the result of some interaction between the two, and if Histrion was to be a staging ground, any re-enforcements will blindly run into the anomaly. We're trying to get another prowler in the area."

Helios remained silent.

"I apologize, you should see this too." Alec said to the King. He turned, and leaned down to replay the animation, the same events unfolding as they did last time, and ending with the same read-outs.

"No, no, it's fine. I have been fully updated of this situation." Helios replied. "The tower installed in your system has allowed us to monitor the situation..."

The DHR personnel looked confused amongst each other, except the lizzy. "so..." the Black wolf said, "It seems the Capitol forces and the... AI? Is it? Forces? Do not seem to have a.... clean symbiotic relationship. Either they are somewhat enemies, or one is being used by the other. Or was this an accidental incident? We have been monitoring that system externally for some time. We have, after all, set up various surveillance locations in various star systems with instruments aimed at the star system in question."

Alec nodded as Helios spoke, yet left the animation to play anyways.

To the DHR he turned, to respond.

"We honestly don't know... electronic protection on newer models of Capitol craft has been upgraded, and we didn't want to risk detection in the event."

The black wolf then added; "About capital ships... I have reports from Desser Weltz concerning those strange, Occasionally occurring incidents..." he remarked about the old ships being used as recon.

"Yes... we've been meaning to request one of your native companies to clear the area of that ships' detonation of debris." Alec replied to the DHR representative.

"We received word as well as from an independent salvage team operating in the region where one of the vessels detonated on our border." said baldwin. "I'm wondering if what you have to say is the same..." He continued, pausing in-between.

"Honestly, I don't know what it is they said. All we saw is that poor construction of old-model Capitol ships resulted in the detonation of them, but the fact they were using capital-class ships is odd, exactly why we are requesting salvage groups to clean up the area and report anything strange, we're currently denying any civilian requests, though the Desser Weltz company of DHR is an exception." He said replying to Baldwin, yet tilting his head to the DHR at the end.

"of course." Said the Tenebrean, folding his hands at the table. "Col Sec's salvage Department is in charge of clearing it out, although some independent groups do manage to snag parts that get away. space is big, and theres always a market for exotic hull plating. particularly if its from an enemy capitol..." he nodded. "Our report, from the Eher,vhoes salvage crew says..." he paused, pulling up a file on the interface pad in front of him. "They pulled in an odd hull segment..."

"Yes?" Alec said curiously

"mind you, this is highly classified intel." said the Tenebrean, looking around the room. "But as you said, we're all here, aren't we... The section looked normal according to long range scans, but apparently, when they scanned for tech systems in their salvage bay. there was a power source in it that was still online, something in it was still operational. Transmitting, too... although they could only hear it over a pirate encoder... We sent a col-sec destroyer to pick it up. its en route to a facility now."

"Strange... any guesses as to what it is?" Alec inquired, a brow raised.

"No idea." Said baldwin. "We're due to start study of it soon enough.. although." he said looking at the DHR wolf. "I'm curious to hear what his reports said."

Giles watched for a while "What is this about a tower?..." He asled, head tilted a bit in wonder.

"Tell him if you wish, and to the rest of you we still need to induct the Walkers." Alec said to Helios.

"The towers are an extension of the same protective field that makes up the drake territory." Helios explained to Giles. "The shield monitors all the happenings within a defined border and responds accordingly. unlike our own which has access to its power source, our magic, the towers which reside outside drake territory are far weaker. They enable us to aide in the defense of our allies by monitoring any suspicious activity that should enter or reside within their bounds. They have enabled us to observe the conflict in Carnathian space for instance."

He paused.
"But as I said, they are weak. Nothing but glorified home security systems in their current state. Nothing like their original."

"I see..." Giles said as he raised a brow. He put his hands together and looked around a bit.

The black wolf slides a small data crystal on recent DHR national guard projects to the Carnaithian while everyone else discusses matters. He then slid another copy of the item over to the Tenebraen representative.

Alec listened to the conversation on the towers as the file is sent to him. He turns to the wolf and gives a nod before turning to Helios.

"You said these towers are powered by magic? what could happen if we were able to fuel it?"

The Rahdonian looked at the others in the room, before looking at Alec again. "What are you proposing to do within the affected system? " TehThal looked both stern and thoughtful, as if the Zlato clan drake was weighing actions or other matters in his mind.

He paused as he listened to the question of powering the tower Helios had mentioned.

"We're weighing various ideas for dislodging the anomaly, as it poses a threat and the former fortress world in-system has equipment we would like to re-acquire, non-essential equipment but equipment we would like to get nonetheless... though it's probably destroyed due to said anomaly." He replied to the Rahdonian. He then turned to Helios for his reply.

Helios paused to think for a moment.
"If an adequate source of magic were supplied, you would be able to access the full potential of the system..." Helios replied. "although, considering the amount of magic it would require to sustain the system, you would only be able to support the system for a few moments."

The lizzy narrows his eyes, as he rubs his chin. The talk of taking back the system in question seemingly intriguing. Dangerous, but intriguing. "What do we know of the AI sensor capabilities? What, are they weak at seeing?" He says, looking to Alec." This I would secretly ask of the union. If you do not know."

Alec turned to the lizzy.

"We don't know of their sensors, I do suggest checking up with the Union. And to Helios... could we use the tower, with magic, to dislodge it?"

The Tenebreans stayed quiet as they turned to wait on the drakes reply.

"yes, of course you could...but I kid you not when I say the magic required here would be immense. and only for a moment. it would take time to get even that far." Helios explained

Alec rubbed his chin.

"Carnaith has mages... we would have to call in large amounts of them for the amount of magic needed due to what you say, but we may be able to do it." He said, crossing his hands together beneath his snout.

The Tenebrean raised his hand.  "The tenebrean fleet and her military will be willing to assist in any way we can. you'll need support, of that there is no doubt."

The lizzy glances with slightly narrowed eyes to Alec, as if he was either surprised by the information, or something else.

"Then my people can direct The Vigil System to do what needs to be done." Helios followed

The Tenebrean sighed, before speaking again. "Although, we need to ask. you are willing to do this?"

"Clearly" Said the stromian, leaning forward. "The system has no value anymore. the stars state makes it useless for colonization purposes, and while we know little of the AI, the Intel we have tells us they're a force not to be underestimated. to allow a threat of that level to develop on ones doorstep is nothing short of carelessness."

"We cant expect a lack of resistance regardless." Said Baldwin. "Capitol was supporting the AI before the event occurred. It's likely they'll attempt to intervene, and we've all seen they're at least halfway competent sense their empresses' rise to power."

"Then simply do not face this foe head on." Helios said. "This enemy is still quite mundane, after all. Capitol are only human, and these AI are still physical beings, subject to the forces of nature. the suggested purge should work on them. Even if it is only temporary, it can buy you much needed time."

"Then it is decided, we will organize a contain-and-expunge operation within the week using the tower. I thank those of you who will help for your assistance. I believe we should let our military commanders know of the plan and move on to other subjects... this plan should work well enough." Alec stated.