Atlai Vortex

Sheila Nagala is present.

here

The violent storm was a marvel to watch from a distance, but a terrifying to behold once inside of it. The waves of the water crashing against the Temple Empire's small little hover vessel they took which only held only a few soldiers along with Zotack and the Atlai natives that would help open these doors. The winds blowing them around and the strange fluxes of energy that ruined most if not all of the vessel's equipment. The men would have been thrown around if not for the fact they were tied down to their seats. Pretty soon though as they got closer to that raging whirlpool that laid in the center of the storm they hover craft was beginning to go major system failures. The vessel at the mercy of the winds and the high reaching waves.

The pilot turning his head to look at Zotack in the back. "Sir, were about to be swept up by the waters! The energy fluxes coming from the lost city is ruining all on board equipment." he yelled. Zotack shook his head and smiled. "Be calm one of little faith." he said. His true nature showing after so many years now that he was so close to his goal. "Ikiros you and your brother land the craft on the surface of the water and prevent it from being swept away. You'll also need to make sure the whirlpool takes a sample of one Atlai blood. The vortex seems to be just sucking the water in and cycling through. Once it picks up on your DNA then the storm should end!" he yelled. He looked at his watch and nodded. "I just hope the Aschen are fairing better then us." he said.

Sheila Nagala grasped the railing as the Reverence II

A Psalm Every Day

held fast among the fluctuating energies, raging winds and occasional lightning strike against the ship. "Gods Damnit, this storm is interfering with DRADIS, we're flying blind." She said, looking up to the holographic screen, which was displaying nothing but static interference.

"Admiral, we are approaching the coordinates, GPS Is functioning, albeit limited." The Lieutenant said, Nagala nodding. "Shields are holding?" She asked, the Lieutenant speaking up.

"Shields are holding, but these energies are wreaking havoc on our shields." The Lieutenant explained, and Nagala nodded.

"I just hope we're close, we've been flying at Fraction throttle for quite some time." Nagala said.

Of course the goers on the Hovercraft would get a pleasant surprise, or rather an unpleasant one. A Low rumble suddenly and quickly turned into a deafening roar, as the Reverence II passed over the hovercraft, stirring up water, energies, and wind as it seared over them, shaking the hovercraft before plunging into the water in a massive wave.

"What the frak was that!" Nagala shouted, a Lieutenant speaking up. "External cameras register we've struck the water. No damage to the hull, we're bringing our ship back up to Loom Altitude."

After the ship impacted the water, it suddenly, but slowly began to gain altitude, lifting itself up above the water line.

"These winds are tossing us around! The AI Is having difficulty holding our position!" A Second lieutenant shouted, Nagala growling.

"Gods Damnit, hold the line! We shall overcome nature with the power of this ship!"

[color=black]The Winds became stronger, the waves higher, and the energy pulsing much more violently as the Reverence II ship made it's appearance from above the clouds. The storm acted alive and willing to put more push and might behind itself to adjust for the larger ship that appeared. The Lost Cities defenses still this active and strong after so many years of being destroyed by the very waves that hide it for so long until now. Though it would be Ikiros and his family that would save the two fractions from the impending doom of the waves alone. The blood that the Atlaia offered the raging waters would be accepted as if a god was under that vortex ready to take anything for it's offering.

Once that blood drained into the vortex the waves and the wind and the energy itself would just stop and clear away as if nothing had been there at all. Like that god was pleased by the offering of blood and was willing to accept the travelers. Though this wasn't a god but just the long sleeping technology and magic of one of the oldest and mightiest empires to ever crown the galaxy. Once the storm ended the Temple Empire soldiers unbuckled and all left the small room they were crowded in. Pushing their way up and out to catch a look of the ocean. The quite and still ocean. Zotack looked around and nodded. When he turned his head to see the Reverence II that was hovering close by he smiled a little.

"Ikiros," he called out. "Do you believe Aschen Ship will be enough?" he asked with a chuckle. After that he just stood there watching the waters. The pilot guiding the craft on the surface of the waters to the right location. Then it happened the sound of a loud bell rung out. Louder still then the roar of the Reverence II. Then the water just pushed up all at once. Almost throwing the Temple Empire vessel and touching the bottom of the Aschen ship. And once the water returned to it's normal level the large gate of Atlantis was revealed. The Large Coral Blue doors covered in ba

barnacles, and all sorts of sea creatures. Fish and octopuses washed up on the large porch like level just in front of the doors.

Sheila Nagala looked to the DRADIS readout as everything suddenly cleared out, she offered up a frown and then she spoke up. "All hands, Action Stations, prepare the forward energy projectors, and main and auxiliary turbo-disruptor batteries." She ordered, and the light suddenly dimmed to a reddish hue in the CIC, and the massive behemoth of a ship, turned on it's Axis and a powerful surge of energy coarsed through the body of the ship, reaching it's weapons and defense systems.

"Zotack, what exactly are we going to be shooting at?" She asked through the radio to the Hovercraft.

Zotack and his men all stepped off the hovercraft and unto the coral porch of the large Gate doors to the Lost City of Atlantis. This just being the doors to the tunnel which fed all the way down to the lost city itself. And once the key of Atlantis was inserted into the large doors that would begin the cycle to drain all the water from the city that filled it all the way to the brim of the dome it tried to protect itself in. A few of the Temple Empire soldiers slipping around on the slick porch and the number of sea animals flopping around.

Zotack looked at Ikiros and his family as they all seemed to recite something in their native tongues. Zotack chuckled and walked towards the doors ahead of everyone and rubbed his hand against the wet surface. He reached his hand out towards Ikiros. "The Key...or maybe you would like the honor, but do hurry before it arrives." he said.
When suddenly he was be contacted through radio and the call forwarded to his ear piece. "Ah, Sheila Nagala. Glad you made it to the party. And that you came prepared. I didn't want the beast taking notice of me so I chose a small hovercraft to arrive in. Your Reverence Model two shall provide the best distraction for the mean time." he said. "If you've ever read a bible you might know the beast as The Leviathan. An immortal giant sea serpent created by God and placed in the depths of the water. So I advise that you make a dash for it as soon as you can because this creature is much bigger then your ship there."

narrowed her eyes. "Wait, so I was pulled away from my duties to serve as a distraction?" She asked, now somewhat frustrated. "While you toady about with this lost treasure? I think not." She said, narrowing her eyes some more. "All weapons online, Shields full power, I want a contingent of troops down there ASAP." She ordered, before she turned and faced the AI.

"I want deepwater scans and a state of high alert." She ordered, then she loomed over a holographic display. "I want a Marine Strike force ready to deploy in five minutes." She ordered, and the massive ship turned once more, her shields flickering brigtly before they subsided. "Shields are at full strength."

"Sink that hovercraft." She ordered, as several red icons hovered over the hovercraft.

"Bring us into the upper Atmosphere, beyond the reach of the creature, prepare for Standard bombard formation." She began to bark orders.

"Pitch, twenty seven degrees upwards, Yaw, ten degrees, commence fire!"

The multiple Turbo-Disruptor Batteries on the underside of the vessel began to swivel on their turrets, while a brilliant purple column of light shone down upon the Coral gates.

"We've been cheated and our Cubits wasted, I want nukes in their tubes as well, we're going to leave nothing in our wake."

Zotack watched wide eyed as the coral broke apart and the doors opened to the room that seemed well in tact compared to the images of ruins from their deep sea scans from the rest of the city. Though there was always that one unreadable room that was known as the vaults of Atlantis that Zotack really wanted into. And once Ikiros spoke he and two others a soldier and one of his scientists were able to go beyond the threshold of the room. But all the other scientists and soldiers would hit what seemed was some unseen force field that would not allow them to pass. The men panicked as they saw the large warship aiming it's guns at them and their hovercraft.

"Sir, we can't get in! The Aschen are going to kill us!" they shouted. Zotack sighed and shook his head. "Thats a shame." he simply said. "Take us down, Ikiros." he said. The Defenses of Atlantis were now truly online thanks to the city being shaken from it's long rest by the very key that opened the doors. The gates would be impressive to all forms of attack thanks to their metal and their own shields. Though the Aschen had a much bigger problem then just Zotack tricking them.

The Leviathan shot out from the ocean like it was some kind of bullet. It's massive muscles in it's long snake body lifting it up higher then even when Zotack witnessed it and barely survived with his life. The Beast being much wider then the ship itself and longer still as it's body shot into the air and still miles of it remained coiled around the domed city. The creature landing on top and coiling around the ship and attempting to crash the ship in it's grip. It was time to feed for the beast.

"keep me updated on the state of the creature would you, Sheila?" Zotack said as he transmitted the message with a chuckle.

Sheila Nagala grasped the railing and the ship bucked and shook. "We shall see." She said, before she turned to the AI, as the AI Began rattling off reports. "The weight of the creature is overpowering our repulser lifts." The AI said, and Nagala nodded. "You think you can win that easily, Zotack?" She said, grabbing the Railing.

"Fire the Singularity Cannon! Full burst, once we've fired the Cannon, engage the sublight Engines, bring us out of the grip, once we've come out, Come about and open fire with all forward weapon emplacements."

"Roger, Admiral, commencing attack Combination." Lieutenants rattled off before Nagala barked off another sequence of orders.

"Once we deal with this creature, I want burn this city to Ashes!" Sheila shouted.

The Reverence carried out it's attack, hurling the singularity at near-light velocity, tearing through flesh, muscle, and bone alike, surging through the creature like a hot knife through butter, the Gravitic distortion of the very fabric of time and space tore the being's flesh and thrust it from the ship in a slurry of gory mess.

Suddenly the ship lurched forward in a deafening crack, it's engines pushing it forward and pulling the remains of the coiled beast from the dome of the city.

"Online reactors five through seven, full military thrust, come back about and fire another shot of that Singularity Cannon!" She barked. The Ship, despite it's size was quite nimble, and so it lobbed two 50 Megaton nuclear warheads at the remains of the beast, in an instant, the immediate vicinity, the hovercraft, and the rest of the creature were suddenly flash-heated to billions of degrees Centigrade as the thermonuclear warheads detonated across it's flesh, both fusion warheads engulfing the immediate area in nuclear fire, the shockwave enough to cause even the city below the rumble and possibly list.

"That Nuke did a number on our shields, Admiral, they will take some time to come back online."

[color=black]The Leviathan a creature with tales as old as time itself killed by the naval attack of the Aschen Reverence Fleet. A creature more god then monster defeated by the power of the guns of modern technology. Though not all the snake was cooked their was still miles of the dead beast coiled around the domed city of Atlantis. The City now alive and it's defenses up. It the aliens that once controlled the Mayan's could not destroy the city then what made the Aschen think they could. And what made them think that the beast told to be immortal was truly dead? The slivering remains the remained unharmed by the attack just coiled around the city as if it was alive. The Muscles pulsing and growing as scales from the burnt end that was now down in the depths of the water. To deep for a space fairing vessel to travel since the pressure of the water would crush them faster then the snake ever could. But the Snake was regenerating. It was out of the fight for now but at the rate it was growing what it lost back the victory would be brief. The Atlantians couldn't destroy it, but only trick it into protecting it.

Zotack watched as he looked at the outside as their room descended to the depths towards the city. "Well I'll be the Aschen were able to delay the beast better then I thought. But it seems to be regenerating...guess the stories were true." he said. He looked at his remaining men and the Atlantis natives. "What is that beast?" he asked them.

The city though being alive now would not stand for such an attack against his beautiful ruins. The City began recreating the storm that had been the warning for traveling to stay away. Now it was being used to just take down that giant ship. The Strange energy began pulsing from the city and now with the Aschen's shields down the true effects would be felt. Their electronics would go down, their AI would be rendered useless and it would literally suck the power from the vessel as the vortex began swirling the waters. Th

The waters crashed the winds blew and the lighting struck with intense force. The City was going to do what the snake could not. Crush the vessel like a soda can using the extreme pressure and depths of the ocean on a ship that was usually used for space.

Sheila Nagala growled as the storm made it's return, lights began to flicker, but Aschen technology, being naturally resistant to magic, and EMPs fared better than most. With meters thick reinforced hull, lined with Mana dampeners and Field Stabilizers, the storm would crash and rush against the reinforced bulbous hull of the massive ship. "Take us above the storm, quickly before we lose power!" She ordered, and with the AI Fried, the crew assumed manual controls.

"Reactor Three, and Five are offline, I am diverting power and bringing us above the storm! But Primary systems are offline!"

Despite the pressures and waves of the storm, the massive ship still fared, listing to one side, then the other, before gaining altitude. Obviously one hadn't faced the likes of a Reverence, which could withstand the gravity and pressure of a gas giant, no doubt water too would be withstood.

"Bring us underwater, and jump the ship, we'll take half this sea with us in our jump." Nagala shouted over flickering lights, as the ship began to lose altitude, eventually crashing into the water, but despite the wind, the waves, and the lightning, she still stayed afloat, using her auxilary systems, which were shielded and hardened from the elements, to power the repulser lifts, which used water as support, allowing the ship to stay afloat despite the attacks of the elements.

Suddenly the ship flickered out, sucking cloud, water, and anything within one hundred miles of the ship into a swirling vortex of energies, as the ship emerged in orbit, a great deal of seawater would emerge behind it, perhaps even the strain on the domed city would also draw a portion of it into Orbit.

But the Aschen weren't done yet. It would only be the beginning as Nagala worked to restore power and prepare for orbital bombardment.

Zotack stepped out of the room and into the thresh hold of the city that was drained from all the water thanks to the key except a few flooded patches. The City seemed to keep the water out using the same kind of energies that kept his men out of the city and protected the city from the effects of the Aschen's ship sinking and then jumping from orbit. Zotack could witness it all happening as he looked up and nodded his head as he saw the fleet making their escape. So they survived and were able escape for now, but he knew they would be back for revenge. The Aschen always had to have the last word. For now though It was time for Zotack to discover the powers that laid hidden in the city and it's vaults.

He looked now at the city itself and the ruins it was in after years of being sunken at such depths for so long. Building were crushed and rusted. The bodies of the dead had become skeleton looking coral reefs for the fish that got washed into the city. Now just flopping around on the flour or just swimming in the small pools that remained. It must be a sight for the Atlantis natives.

"I suppose this isn't the easiest thing to see after so many years being gone." he said. "You'll have to believe me when I say that leaving my men behind is was hard. I'm an old war venetian for a nation that doesn't really exist anymore. An ex-patriot super-soldier of the American military before the Aschen took it over. The Temple Empire has been my life though since I was born. I have them to thank for keeping my will strong. I'm going to need you after this is done, Ikiros...The Aschen will be after your city and this world now that I resisted them. Bet on that. They'll be after you all after joining me. If we want to really help this world your going to have to keep working with me." he said.

The lone soldier would look down at Afen with his helmet covering his face and all he did was shrug his shoulders at her. He dared not speak for now because he didn't want his voice to give himself away. Though being immortal he learned how to change his thought patterns and images in a way that he would seem a different person to someone who could read minds and feel auras. So for now the soldier remained silent and just watched the entire group with his gun in his hands.

Zotack though cared little for the soldier at the present moment and just nodded his head at Ikrios. "Then for my sake i'm glad your people can't presently press charges on me for my crimes." he said. He didn't mean for it to sound cold but with Zotack's tone and usual personality it was hard for it not to come out that way. He then shook his head. "Look i'm thankful that you brought me here and gave me the honor of inviting me in your home. But what i'm doing is much more worthy of my attention. The Aschen knew about this city it was only a matter of time before they would find it. Open it up without us and then find a way to get at the technology and magic in it. You can hardly imagine me here let alone using your people's resources. Now imagine the Aschen using and abusing the recourses of Atlantis! They glassed half this world before...there is no telling what these monsters would have done. I'm going to use this city to protect those people out there. Because something big is coming and I believe we could save a lot of lives if you all just help me."

Zotack watched as the city lit up for a while in soft glowing lines and patterns which all must have meant something to the people that once lived in this city. Then the city went dark and Zotack watched the others like they knew what they were doing. But in all this Zotack was just as lost as Afen was. He had no real since of what this city meant and how dark it had become in it's latter days. The Wars it caused and the battles they won. Though he had finally found the city that his organization had been looking for. Since the days the Temple Empire was funded and only known as the Knights of Ruin. He was the first member to finally see the city.

Zotack would follow alongside the three while the soldier walked a few feet behind just watching and looking around. "The city isn't my concern. It's my people and the innocent people out there on this world that are going to die in this upcoming war. I might seem like the bad guy to you all...and I would agree that my means for getting a job done aren't ethical or morally sound. I mean you have your daughter here to prove that my partners and I were just using you to get here. Perdix is a better example." he said.

Zotack watched as his scientist vanished away after collapsing to the floor and he only looked away from the scene and then to the soldier that had been following. Zotack looked at him with a concerned expression on his face and he gave a small smirk. "How are you holding up, soldier?" he asked. The soldier looked around then back at Zotack then the others as he then decided to speak. "Nothing I haven't seen before...except when I saw it things weren't so wet or rusted and in ruins." he said. The man said this as he looked forward towards the vaults then back at the three Atlantians.

Zotack looked at the soldier confused and with his brow raised. "Excuse me?" he asked. The soldier chuckled underneath his helmet and shrugged his shoulders. "I have my own brand of protection to keep me sane. So I can travel around without fear. The last time I was here though I was a missionary. If it wasn't for the kindness of a native here I might have died long ago." he said. The Soldier took his helmet off and shook his head. His long brown hair in it's man pony-tail. And his neatly trimmed beard. The Immortal.

"Sorry it's hard for me to keep quite for too long. I'm a talker and I always have been. Guess thats why the natives here didn't like me...or it could have been the fact I was the first outsider that could live in their city without fear." he said with a laugh. Zotack looked at the man wide eyed and mouth a gap.

"yo-you're the immortal!" he said.

"The one and only." John said with a smirk.

John shook his head and laughed at the two others just making playful little quips at the the immortal man. He pushed his hair back with his hand and then rubbed his face to smooth down his beard. "Well you'd think I'd walk normally but after losing my leg for an entire week during the crusades the mind still has a hard time remembering that the leg has nothing wrong with it. Though I remember giving you the slip all those years ago when I first came." he said chuckling.

The Immortal looked at Afen and smiled. "You know I should introduce you to one of my sons...Samuel he's immortal like me but second youngest of all the children i've had over the years. He's only 89 but he acts like he's still in his 20s and being stuck in that age doesn't help mellow the mood. If only he stopped aging in his 30s and maybe he would have grown up more." John laughed. "Sorry little immortal joke there."

Zotack just couldn't believe this his plans were falling apart. The was no way he could manage to get off with these three natives and the immortal. He growled low under his breath but accepted the deal and grabbed Ikiros. "It seems I underestimated you and overestimated my plan. We have a deal." he said.