The Divine Shadow's Story

The Divine Shadow inclined his head slightly. "Forgive me, Emperor. We've been out of touch for some time. I seem to have let the times wash me by the wayside. Regardless, Heretics." He said, gesturing to the screen, but not before he noticed the Emperor's eyes on the bodyguard. "Ah yes, This is the Black Hand of the Divine Will, my personal bodyguard." He said, gesturing to her.

"I retained her services after an attempt was made on my life by none other than an individual who calls himself Arcus Sol, a man I would gladly see suffering at my feet." He said, nodding. "But this is not the matter at hand. It seems that the Heretics have demanded that Mr. Hagan provide them with MAC Orbital defense technology in which to stave off the Empire's advances on their feeble worlds." He then leaned forward.

"I intend to provide them with that technology so that the Daughter may be returned to Mr. Hagan." He said, leaning back.

"However, this is all part of an elaborate trap I plan to completely and totally bring them back under their rightful place under your esteemed guidance." He said, bringing up the plans.

"Those at Aerospace Dynamics plan to integrate a remote kill switch disguised as an emergency override in which your armies will be able to remotely disable their defenses. Leaving them with nothing." He said, nodding.

"The plan is two fold." He said, gesturing for Kianna to activate her shield gauntlet.

"I wish to demonstrate something to you, with your blessing of course."

The Divine Shadow gestured to the shield. "It's a Hard light shield generator, far more resilient and energy efficient than any shield model we have ever conceived. Small enough to arm soldiers much like this one, or large enough to defend and fortify star-ships." He said, nodding. "Or if you like, Entire space stations." He said. "I want to propose a trade." He said, nodding. "I want to know how those two were able to penetrate our defenses and contact Mr. Hagan, and then depart so quickly. I was hoping that the Empire possessed this technology. And should they, I would like to trade for it." The Shadow said. "So the primary plan is to provide rigged defenses, afterall. Construction of MAC ODPs should be trivial, They're outdated by Aschen standards, but not much out there can put a slug clean through a Reverence II." He said, chuckling. "These ODPs have been around since the 4th Age, It puzzles me that they would demand such an antiquated weapon system from us." He said, revealing why he was so bold to go with their plan.

"I had hoped that Mr. Hagan would offer up the full support of the Empire to these rebels, gain their trust." He then turned to his Black Hand. "Infiltrate them, and ultimately coerce their reliance on Our weapons." He said, turning back to Kampf.

"When the time is right, we disable their defenses and their weapons, silently kill those in command and we crush them swiftly. Such a complex plan takes time." He then turned back to his Black hand. "Do you have anything you would like to add to this plan?"

The Divine Shadow nodded slowly, folding his hands and interlocking his fingers. "The closest thing we have come to enabling long distance transport of individuals has been the Bifrost, but the Bifrost is by no means clean and silent. As you've seen, a Bifrost can be seen for miles, and likewise heard as such." He said, shaking his head slightly.

"It seems that if this is true, than the Bifrost may be as close as we can come to harnessing their methods of travel. But your statements bring me to something else.. perhaps a different proposal." He said, leaning forward so the light would play just right on his face.

"You mentioned a specific genetic makeup. Perhaps we could devise a virus that would lead them to the slaughter."

He turned to Kianna. "The Psionic is useful for raw brute force, However, we need someone who can counteract sedition and treachery. Perhaps I could figure something else out, but for now. I will put our plan into action with your blessing. And establish the infrastructure needed to inevitably stamp out this rebellion.:"

"I am fortunate that I have managed to stamp out Heresy in all it's forms within the Empire.. but these... Travelers... they're not only a threat to The Greater Imperial Hegemony... but a threat to the United Aschen Empire."

The Divine Shadow quickly quashed the notion of a virus at Kampf's clear opposition to ti. "Forgive me, Emperor, it seems we still often resort to germ warfare to quash out nuisances. In any case, I believe I will set our initial plan in motion." He said, waving his hand slightly. "I will set our plan into motion and hopefully we can put an end to this insurgency."

The Emperor slowly rose from his chair, and he extended a hand. "I hope this operation goes as planned, and we can put an end to the Traveler insurgency. The Kidnapping of the Hagan daughter has struck home for many people here, I hope to bring comfort and assurances to the people of the Empire, and bring the Hagan daughter back safely." He said waiting for the Emperor to take his hand.

"I bid you safe travels back to your home, and may your hand strike true, and first."

The Divine Shadow turned to Kianna as the other Monarch departed. "We shall see." He said quietly, after sealing the deal with his accomplice.

He mulled the thoughts over for a moment, then he inclined his head at Kampf's departure, returning the salute with his own, starting at chest level with a flat hand, and moving outwards, but rather than going out and outstretched, he waved his flat hand to the side. "As they say, May his shadow fall upon you, though, I don't know how appropriate how that is." He said, and once Kampf had excused himself, he turned to Kianna.

"I'll see if the Empath can help locate the Hagan daughter, then, in time. I must now set my plan in motion."

Magic only got one so far when they tried to stealth themselves from the state of the art security systems that adorned the Imperial Palace itself. The towering structure was surrounded by security cameras that dotted adjacent buildings, along with a tightly wound LIDAR Screen that could pick up something as small as a bird, to something as large as an airplane. As Messor moved through this security net, the proper personnel were alerted, and specialized cameras swiveled and fixated to his location on the roof.

As he ascended the walls of the Palace, pressure sensors and motion trackers afforded a real time view of his progress. Messor didn't know it. But as the Guards at the gate were oblivious to his approach, several key personnel inside the Palace itself were prepping for his arrival.

"My Lord..." A young Guard said kneeling before the Divine Shadow. "I worship his shadow." He added, inclining his head as the Divine shadow looked up.

"What is it?" He asked, and the guard spoke. "There is an intruder in the premises, we must get you to safety." He said, and the hooded figure slowly rose.

"Ensure he does not leave this building alive." He said, formulating a plan.

---

On the roof, Several CPF Personnel, Imperial Guard, and LDA Were already at work establishing defensive bastions to 'welcome' their new guest, the first line of defenses were automated rotary plasma turrets. But the most challenging defense was the Mana destabilization field emitted by Palace defenses, which would act to prevent any form of magical energy from manifesting, essentially stripping magic from it's very source. Should this effect it's target, Messor would find his magic gone.

The Divine Shadow slowly turned to the figure, the Soldier escorting him out also paused. Of course, the Shadow knew this wasn't messor, but doubted the warning that was being broadcast.

"Pressing matters?" He said, straightening as two Special forces prepared themselves at the door.

"What are these pressing matters you wish to address with me?" The cloaked figure said, staring at the newcomer from under his hood.

"Make this quick, I need to leave this place for now, as I have urgent matters to tend too."

The Divine Shadow sat there in silence. His advisor had also warned him of something transpiring on Terra. Though, it wasn't often that the Shadow heeded the advice of the human avatar of Count Iblis.

"I will deliver the order to carry out an Exterminatus in Sol and isolate the system once the pressing crisis has passed." He said with a nod.

"Your warning affirms the warning that my Advisor, Count Iblis also gave me, I will do what I can to stop this." He then reached into his robe and held up a pendant with a blood red stone.

"When the crisis has passed, I will try to find and exact vengeance on this god." He said, and Lanis would likely recognize the object as the Sangraal, the Bloodstone, a device capable of destroying gods and ascended beings.

"Are there other ways to combat this disease?"

The most startling of sensations, Messor staring with a moment of shock at himself as flesh became visible, his camouflage curling away in a cascade of sparks. Yet more concerning was the change that came in its wake.

Flesh seamed to curl away in flakes, the glamour that wreathed his form falling victim to the negation of his magic. Long, curving talons became visible, the dull gleam of the metal that formed them sinister in the low light. As yet more of his enchanted form twisted away, dissipating ash on the wind, a menacing figure appeared, the hybrid slowly rising, growling with an inhuman voice as he glared at the scrambling defenders. Scaled arms, height rearing as draconian features became visible. A scant handful of seconds to reveal the true appearance of the man, and though the stripping away of his magic indeed hampered him...

By no means it left him at much of a disadvantage.

Stone cracked underfoot as he went from a standstill to a blistering charge in a single lunge, darting with frightening agility in a random weaving sprint for the bastions. Reptilian eyes saw unblinking, their regard cold as the intent of their owner. Plasma burned brilliant paths as they struggled to maintain a solid lock on him, yet the hybrid could have laughed with the pitiful speeds he perceived the bolts as.

A handful of seconds, no more, and he would be past the first line of defense. His claws flexed with the anticipation.

The Divine Shadow slowly shook his head. "Raphael knows what he is doing, I trust his judgement." He said, crossing his arms in front of him. Glaring from under his hood at Raphael.

"He's been largely removed from the politics surrounding this war, so he can approach it with a fresh perspective."

The Divine Shadow waved his hand. Then he grabbed the vox. "We will only surrender on the sole condition the Empire remains the Sole sovereign authority over the Aschen people and we remain it's heads of state until such time something else is negotiated." He then turned to Kianna quizzically.

"I hope you have something in mind to get us out of this, otherwise the Empire's finished. Because UCON will round everyone in that station up against us, and our Defense will be very short lived, and very bloody."

The Divine Shadow waved his hand. "Kianna, you and I are divine Predecessors now, the title of Divine Shadow will go to my Grandson, as he's the last surviving male of this Family not about to die at the hands of the Coalition." He said, nodding to Raphael. "The war is over for us, but it will continue on for the Empire, to fight another day rather than surrender to the Slaughter."

He then turned to Raphael.

"Send a Divine Succession message to Langara, have them track your son down and get him on that Throne, then, spool down our FTL Drives to neutral." He then turned to Kianna, withdrawing a Disruptor pistol.

"Me, then you." He said, turning to Raphael.

"Then after we're dead, nuke this ship." He said, turning to Kianna.

"Because we can't withdraw, they'll jam this ship's FTL and then pop us from orbit."

As news of the surrender spread through Aschen space, people began to spill out into the streets of Caprica City and the city would suddenly become rocked with dissent. Not of the current government, but it's decision to place the Aschen people at the mercy of an uncertain future.



Thick black plumes of smoke seemed to tower over what was once a modern city, gleaming with glass skyscrapers. On the ground the people rioted, and they looted, smashing windows and stealing goods from within the buildings.

"We're all doomed!" One person shouted, before he unloaded his plasma pistol into a window. Despite all the rioting, it seemed the CPF or the Caprica City Police was nowhere to be seen, save for a handful of trashed police vehicles that dotted the cityscape. Even the chain of command within Civil Defense suddenly broke down as the populations of Caprica City took to the streets.

Roving gangs of marauders patrolled several districts of the city, while the meek and timid denizens cowered in their homes, clutching to whatever glimmer of hope they could have. While all around them, it seemed that Langara, and perhaps even the entire Aschen Empire began to descend into a state of anarchy, as police, CPF and the Military desparately tried to maintain control.

"What's happening?"

It could have been a sonic boom, but Roana would never know. As she clutched her room mate, a woman named Kelby Heremosh working at Graystone Industries, her mind reeled. Outside, it sounded as if the whole world had gone mad. Another explosion rocked the street outside. A whimper escaped Kelby as someone opened fire on a building across the street. Would anyone make it out alive? What if the gunner opened fire on them next? Sure, they were behind a couch and whatnot, but what if?

"..EFT IN THE DARK..." An angry voice resonated off of the classy architecture. Even the beauty of Caprica City couldn't mask the ugly that went on tonight. More glass shattered somewhere. Sounds of the riot outside tried to break through the panes of their window. This apartment was a two bedroom, surprisingly cheap for it's location. Kelby and Roana had gotten along beautifully, and life was perfect as can be for the to Aschen citizens. Where had it all gone wrong?

For a fleeting moment, Roana's mind escaped to think of Braxton. Where was he? Was he part of the rebellion? She had denied it from the start, but her father had made mention at it every now and again. No, he was respectable. What would he be doing rebelling against the Divine Shadow? What sounded like a car bomb outside brought her back to reality. She forgot about Braxton, about the Diving Shadow, and thought about living until tomorrow.

Across the room, the phone rang. All displays lit up to reveal it as Roana's mother. She swore, glancing to Kelby, who nodded. Roana army crawled to the reciever, and slammed the button. "Mom?"

"Roana! Baby, darling, are th...." Her heart skipped a beat as her mothers voice faded out.

"Mom are you there?" More gunfire, a bright glow outside indicated something was ablaze. Kelby knocked over a table and slid cover across the room. They had to get out of here, get to safety. Were there evacuations?

"...ff planet, Roana have to get we have to go now off planet we now, Shera, we have to have to get Damnit Sher-" The apartment went black as a particularly loud blast went off outside. Roana and Kelby's eyes locked. Shouts from outside brought them back to reality. Where was their window? Roana's mother and father had been quarreling. Had they been telling them to get off planet? What? Why? Roana nearly couldn't believe it.

"Shit," Kelby slid for her purse, like it would do any good. Kelby was already by the door. Here goes nothin'. They swung open the door, prepared for the worst. Armed with their purses, if it mattered, two Aschen Citizens.

The sounds of explosions continued to rock the city streets as people looted storefronts and ran off with stolen merchandise. Black smoke bloomed and billowed into the skies above the city as roving gangs of people seemed to move like rivers of dredge through the streets of the city. The two citizens would find, once they left that cars had been overturned and people roved through the streets.

"The Divine Shadow's Abandoned us! They surrendered to the Coalition Empire!" An Angry citizen screamed, holding a civilian model plasma rifle into the air and firing off several shots with deafening pops.

"Run while you still can!" He screamed, before he started down the street to kick in a window and make off with whatever he could find. With Civil Defense nowhere to be seen, and much of the Military disoriented from the sudden surrender and lack of command coherency, it seemed the Empire was slowly coming apart at the seams and fragmenting.

The sounds of explosions continued to rock the city streets as people looted storefronts and ran off with stolen merchandise. Black smoke bloomed and billowed into the skies above the city as roving gangs of people seemed to move like rivers of dredge through the streets of the city. The two citizens would find, once they left that cars had been overturned and people roved through the streets.

"The Divine Shadow's Abandoned us! They surrendered to the Coalition Empire!" An Angry citizen screamed, holding a civilian model plasma rifle into the air and firing off several shots with deafening pops.

"Run while you still can!" He screamed, before he started down the street to kick in a window and make off with whatever he could find. With Civil Defense nowhere to be seen, and much of the Military disoriented from the sudden surrender and lack of command coherency, it seemed the Empire was slowly coming apart at the seams and fragmenting.

El walked down the streets of the city it was chaos in her hands she held an M4 with magazines strapped and donned full combat gear. She was here in deep cover looking for a way to get back at the Aschen for the murder of so many Joes but this was just too good. A she saw a squad of riot police approaching the mob of looters and she raised her rifle not even pausing before opening fire with her explosive tipped rounds as a line of explosions brought a few of the cops down. She smirked before kicking in a door and wandering off through the chaos.

I'm only going after the officials, and I'm doing this for my fallen brothers and sisters. She though, now she needed to find a target worth attacking she wondered where the nearest armory was maybe there was some equipment worth blowing up. She kicked up a manhole and jumped down into the sewer her boots splashing into the murky shin deep water. She pulled up a map of the city and began to look it over.

El walked down the streets of the city it was chaos in her hands she held an M4 with magazines strapped and donned full combat gear. She was here in deep cover looking for a way to get back at the Aschen for the murder of so many Joes but this was just too good. A she saw a squad of riot police approaching the mob of looters and she raised her rifle not even pausing before opening fire with her explosive tipped rounds as a line of explosions brought a few of the cops down. She smirked before kicking in a door and wandering off through the chaos.

I'm only going after the officials, and I'm doing this for my fallen brothers and sisters. She though, now she needed to find a target worth attacking she wondered where the nearest armory was maybe there was some equipment worth blowing up. She kicked up a manhole and jumped down into the sewer her boots splashing into the murky shin deep water. She pulled up a map of the city and began to look it over.