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Post by Drakorphobia on Feb 4, 2016 16:57:30 GMT
As the Colonials approached the camp, they could see something out of place for the generally primitive planet. Electrical lights. They were a result of the recent construction of housing and factories by the Drathian expeditionary troops, the ones who had fought off the Invaders when no one else would.
The camp had evolved beyond the collection of tents and trenches it once was. It now resembled a village more so than a camp, with scattered dome like houses and crude dirt roads connecting them. In the center of the camp was a factory towering above the rest of the edifices, likely the source for their construction. However, it was clear that two towers were in construction, built in a style that resembled stacked platforms with a class covering over them. These were Drathian vertical farms, the way they produced the maximum amount of food with minimal environmental impact.
The inhabitants of the village were mostly Sein'Hae, many of whom were given fresh clothes and tools to keep them from freezing to death. Those who did not yet have homes were given shelter in small rings of tents surrounding crackling camp fires. It could be seen that two Drathian commanders were on a raised stone, giving orders to Drathians and Sein'Hae alike. Beyond them, were two other notable figures. A Drathian and a Sein'Hae, both of whom were as white as the snow around them.
"You know, we don't have a word for snow where I come from." Said Jillian as she strode over to a storage box, leaning over it to extract a thick blanket, which she offered to her new friend. "Our planet is too moist for it to fall. Kind of like here.." She looked at the sky with distaste, she knew that the cold would kill off nearly everything on the planet. But with help, perhaps, life would continue. Certainly the odds were better here than on Drathia, which had been reduced to a radioactive wasteland by the Keltakens. "I'm sure that this'll only last a week or so, you guys are nestled perfectly in the green zone. And if you have an atmosphere that supports jungles, then this snow won't last very long."
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Post by Cybernekit the Space Deity on Feb 4, 2016 17:20:13 GMT
"Good to.... h-hear..." the blanket certainly helped Otull's temperature, though she kept right by Jillian, practically rubbing up against her for additional warmth, not to mention comfort. Jillian's words gave her hope that their world would soon be better, and for now they'd just have to adapt to the cold. She eventually wrapped her arms around Jillian, looking tired and cold, watching the scavenging party the Colonials encountered enter camp with a downed hunter, who they got to tending to.
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Post by Drakorphobia on Feb 8, 2016 17:47:41 GMT
Jillian smiled to Otull, looking up at the cloudy sky with a frown as she offered the Sein'Hae a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Why don't you go inside?" She asked. "There are plenty of places to stay, and I'm sure that you'll be better off with a roof over your head."
And it was true, the workforce about the village was clocking overtime as they continued to erect housing and infrastructure. The Vertical Farm seemed to have been completed, with all there left to do being adding some soil and planting the seeds. Until then, the Sein'Hae would have to deal with rations and reserves. One of the houses was used to store all sorts of weaponry, from spears to laser rifles, it was a sort of armoury for the Sein'Hae to use. Gods knew that the Drathians wouldn't be able to give them weapons forever, they'd need to learn to make their own. Luckily for the Sein'Hae, Commander Axua had no problem handing out blueprints and information to the natives, so that they could begin building their own space faring civilization.
Krix, meanwhile, was much more focused on the defense of the settlement. He had ordered the reinforcement of the trenches, adding portable mounted turrets and small pallisades that would defend against a ground assault. With the completion of the farm, Krix had ordeered the construction of a shield spire. With such a structure completed, the Invaders would have a hell of a time trying to take the planet again.
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Post by Cybernekit the Space Deity on Feb 8, 2016 18:14:51 GMT
"Haven't met.. kin like me... Come with, feel better next to..." By now, Jillian could probably tell that her language skills weren't excellent, though she spoke enough to get her point across. She tried gently tugging Jillian's arm to bring her along to some shelter. During this, a small band of bunters made their way back to camp, having found several untainted beast corpses to feed off of, bringing them home to ration out the meat to the rather large camp. Thankfully, the cold had at least given the Sein'Hae a short term food source, though longterm food supplies were still an issue. Still, they decided not to worry about that for now.
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Post by Drakorphobia on Feb 9, 2016 23:56:57 GMT
"Yeah, let's go." Said Jillian with a smile as she offered the small Otull her hand, and began to walk towards one of the small shelters scattered about the area. The inside was hardly anything luxurious. A bunk bed, a refrigerator, a heater, and a toilet. Still, even this would be enough to protect against the harsh cold outside. It was here that Jillian opened the small refrigerator to check its contents. A slab of meat left by one of the animals frozen to death by the Invader's spiteful last weapon. She looked over at Otull with a soft smile. "Why don't you lay down here? I'll get this ready for us."
High Command Center, Dratheim
Captain Xikcha walked down the halls, his arm cast in a sling and his forehead wrapped in gauze. He had broken it when his ship was nearly destroyed by the black Invader base and its companions. He was alive, though. That is what mattered. While he wasn't fit for duty himself, he was able to organize an extraction for the men currently on that damn frozen planet. He wouldn't be leading the expedition; that duty was for someone who wasn't badly injured. As he entered his bedchamber, he heard a rumbling coming from outside. That must have been the ship lifting off. Hopefully his men were still alive out there.
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Post by Cybernekit the Space Deity on Feb 10, 2016 0:22:38 GMT
Otull tailed after Jillian with the slightest amount of glee, latching onto her hand as they moved inside. Upon entering, Otull placed herself by the heater, shifting and squirming for a few moments as she warmed her body up. Upon settling, her attention focused on Jillian and the dlab of meat she began preparing, looking hungry and certainly glad to have heat and food in such dire times. Not only that, but she had a new friend helping her along. Despite the Invader's draining most of the life from the planet, including her family members, she kept her hopes up around Jillian.
Outside the dwelling, the Sein'Hae's surviving leaders were now coming together, organising their remaining population and discussing a clan merge, much like those on the Akatsuki had just done, in order to keep their kin together and alive. They also started discussing rationing, thankfully having the Metalshell vehicles to drag larger corpses to the village and to scout terrain further than on-foot hunters could in the cold. One tank was kept at the camp though, its fuel and engine being vital tools in keeping the village's fires going. The Drathian commanders were also welcomed by the group if they had anything to add or discuss.
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Post by Drakorphobia on Feb 10, 2016 0:31:39 GMT
Jillian pressed a button the heater, whose top opened to reveal a metal grate with glowing red energy beneath it. She placed the meat on he grate, and soon enough, it began to sizzle, filling the dwelling with the delicious aroma of cooking meat. Jillian sat next to Otull, her hand patting the Sein'Hae's head almost like one would a puppy. She had known the girl for all of an hour, and already she knew that she was relatable to the alien. Not just because of their skin colour, but rather, something deeper inside them that made the two so compatible. Was it their relative silence to the rest of the village? Their shared experiences? It was anyone's guess. But for now, what mattered was filling Otull's belly. Jillian sat and stared at the fire silently, waiting for the meal to be done. Outside, Krix and Axua had not tried to interfere with the Sein'Hae's decision making. Normally, they would offer vassalization and protection, as was Drathian policy when dealing with weaker powers. However, today they wanted the natives to form their own government first before making interplanetary treaties with them. Otherwise, things could get confusing. There was a loud, low charging sound. The sky seemed to flash with a large blue wave of energy sailing across the grey clouds. The shield generator was fully operational. |
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Post by Cybernekit the Space Deity on Feb 10, 2016 0:56:34 GMT
Otull became fixated on the meat as it cooked, gently rubbing her head against Jillian's hand as she was petted. The scent was amplified for Otull due to her heightened senses, and she struggled with keeping herself off of the meat until it was ready, deciding to lean her head against Jillian's chest as they waited. She was tired, for sure, though staved off her fatigue for now as she needed to eat first.
The Chieftans outside had started to make some headway into forming a united clan, though not much. They were drawn away from the problem by other issues, and decided to come back to it when their people had settled in well and proper. Thankfully, the Sein'Hae had started making their own huts and burrows to speed up the camp's development, many building slightly off the ground on platforms and stilts to keep the snow out. It seemed that it wouldn't be long before the camp had developed enough that the Sein'Hae could survive.
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Post by Drakorphobia on Feb 10, 2016 23:40:27 GMT
Jillian chuckled as Otull tiredly rested her head against the Drathian's chest. She shifted in her spot on the floor. Now that the two were sitting by a heater indoors her armour was starting to get a little too toasty for her liking. "A moment, please?" She asked, standing up and walking to the corner of the room, next to the bed. With a few taps of the datpad on her wrist, the armour deactivated.
The suit seemed almost to be folding up. Plate after metal plate slide into eachother as the armour began to receed from Jillian's body. Within a minute, all that was left was the Drathian's helmet (Which was already discarded on the bed) and her chestplate. She slid her armour piece off with a grunt of effort. Because the entire suit had folded into the thing, this single piece was much heavier than it was previously. It was a relief on Jillian's shoulders once it came off.
Now wearing a pair of grey cargo shorts, and a black tank top, Jillian sat once again next to Otull, scything her arm around the Sein'Hae and bringing her close. "Sorry about that, I'm back now. How's the meat looking?"
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Post by Cybernekit the Space Deity on Feb 10, 2016 23:48:37 GMT
As Jillian came back over, she'd find Otull leaning forward, a hand raised and gently dabbing at the meat, repelled only by the heat. Once Jillian came back over though, she receded, her attention turning to Jillian and her figure, which she ogled at for a few moments before her gaze snapped up to the Drathians' face.
"C-cooked...! It's c-cooked... to our ssstaan..dards... maybe, not to... y-yours." She stutters a little, having difficulty with some of the longer words that she hasn't had much time to learn or use.
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Post by Drakorphobia on Feb 10, 2016 23:56:04 GMT
Jillian wasn't much to look at, rather thin and lacking in a rear. Her bust was the most outstanding thing about her, though even that wasn't particularly large. All around, she was average, save her face. Her features were delicate, almost as if she herself was elegantely carved crystal of ice. It was this that prevented the Drathian from becoming almost boyish in appearance. Looking to Otull with her glaring red eyes, she offering a warm smile. "I'll manage. Dig in."
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Post by Cybernekit the Space Deity on Feb 11, 2016 0:13:23 GMT
Otull dropped her gaze down toward the meat, tugging it off the heater and biting into it roughly, her sharp teeth letting her tear into it without much trouble. She became relatively silent, allowing an awkward atmosphere to fill the room. She didn't break the tension until she was done, drooping her head onto Jillian's lap with a quiet hiccup, staring up at Jillian. Despite them both speaking very little, Otull felt like she was bonding strongly with the Drathian looming over her scrawny form.
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Post by Asriel Dreemurr on Feb 12, 2016 1:32:31 GMT
The platform noted the campfires and tents around the planet, and soon, it started to descend upon the planet, its solarite core glowing hot, melting ice and snow. After several minuates it hovered over the camp, while several warp prisms warp in supplies to the ground.
The fleet in Endovul II arose from the dark depths of the gas giant, and they quickly warped in to the orbit of Endovul II, awaiting an order.
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Post by Drakorphobia on Feb 12, 2016 22:10:50 GMT
Jillian giggled as she watched Otull devour the steak. By the time the little Sein'Hae girl was finished, there was none of the cooked flesh remaining for Jillian herself to eat. But, tat didn't matter too much to her. After all, she could return any time to a Drathian ship for provisions, even if they weren't as tasty as home cooked food. "Any good?" She asked Otull, her pale fingers running through the girl's hair as Otull rested her head in Jillian's lap. "Might not be as tasty as something cooked over a proper fire, but I hope it'll at least keep you from starving."
Outside, a few flashes appeared in the sky as the Eldari drop pods failed to pierce the planetary shields. Commander Krix looked up with a stern, concerned expression on his face. From down here, he couldn't tell whether or not the flashes were due to orbital debris or an intentional attack. Either way, he ordered a few soldiers to the shield spire to find out what exactly was going on. If the Invaders had returned, he'd need to prepare for a fight.
In Orbit
The Eldari would find their supplies hitting and being deflected by the shields surrounding the planet. Just as well, as they tried to jump into orbit, it was as if their ships slammed into a concrete hall. Possibly, some hull damage would occur. If they had any way of looking to the surface, they'd be able to see the Drathian encampent below, slowly growing as workers (Both Sein'Hae and Drathian alike), scurried about to continue constructing the many edifices within the trench line.
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Post by Cybernekit the Space Deity on Feb 12, 2016 22:35:44 GMT
Many Sein'Hae observed the shield at work, deflecting the strange objects attempting to land around the camp. Members of a temporary militia that had been formed gathered their weaponry in case this was anoher attack, keeping their aims locked on the ships and objects as they neared closer to the surface. Other workers and villagers cautiously continued their work, seeing the ships fail at bypassing the shield, much to their relief.
One of the Sein'Hae tanks returned too, dragging part of a wrecked ship with it. They intended to use it for salvageable parts and components, as the wreck still had some intact lights that could be used on the perimeter. The tank itself kept its gun trained on the sky out of caution, as it was one of the Sein'Hae's best assets and they needed it intact.
Otull was too busy resting in Jillian's lap to notice the commotion occurring outside, busying herself in shifting her smaller frame to sit on Jillian's lap with her head on the Drathian's chest. She wasn't dozing off quite yet, though was reaching that point.
"That... f-food was..... goo-g-good.. I... Didn't leavve any for... J-Jillian though.... sssorry..."
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