Sonja Petralia's Story

"We will get Haley off of the planet as soon as we possibly can. If he is, indeed, in Zanzaria, then we have full authority to deport him. Until then, we can have you wait at one of the ODPs. Or, even..." Her eyes flicked to her company. "Well, I'm sure if I contact the Parran, we might be able to keep you here a bit longer."

Under heavy security.

"Free roam is limited, but only so we can contact you quickly as we go to find them. Because of the war, matters must be handled with delicately. Having foreigners interfere might upset that, as...it seems to have done already. You must understand. Just recently we were attacked by an Aschen Reverence. We are wary."

"Oh, the Aschen have stepped on my toes too, I understand." Phinx told Jakki, "Don't deport Jacob, give him to me." She continued, "I don't want him thinking he's going to have any chance to get away from the consequences."

"Not at all. Especially if he's intent on working with the Rebellion," said Jakki. "We would prefer you take him away. We would prefer it if you kept him away, as well."

She signaled for a guard, who came to her side. After a few brief words in the foreign, exotic language of the Misranans, she gave him a nod, and he was off.

"There is a chance it might take a few hours or days. Unless you would like to spend your time in your ship or upon an ODP, we will prepare a room for you."

"We can help." Phinx told Jakki, "We have more experience with him than you do, and as I already said we have people keeping watch on him." The Invictus leader said, "I'm not getting on the sideline while other people hunt down my mark."

"When we find him, I want to be the one to look into his pretty blue eyes and make it clear to him that I'm going to beat any fear of God out of him and replace with the fear of a Jamaican woman in purple."

Though Sonja wasn't ashamed of her nationality, she opted for discretion in this instance and didn't challenge Phinx's inclusion of her as hailing from Earth. She had been swiftly learning what it meant to carry the title of an Aschen citizen in foreign lands.

"It's a pleasure," she offered by way of greeting. "Your planet is remarkable."

Sonja was beginning to have her doubts as to Phinx's assurances that the locals were any more hospitable than the ones from Terra. Jakki's glances hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Perhaps it would have been wiser had I remained behind," Sonja told Phinx quietly as they were led indoors.

"Is this normal?" Sonja asked Kris quietly.

"It would seem that nationality continues to precede me," Sonja remarked.

She nodded her assent to the summons as she was led inside.

She entered the room quietly, though she stood tall despite the unease this place was beginning to instill in her. Her footsteps echoed upon the floor as she came to stand near Phinx and her guards uncertain as to why her presence had been requested. She almost asked Phinx if all was well, but decided against it as she instead opted to wait until her reason for being here was revealed.

"My name is Sonja Petralia, and I live in Caprica City on Langara where I run nightclubs. I was vacationing abroad when the Taiyou attacked the Aschen Empire. These people gave me asylum," she gestured to Phinx. "I'm trying to return home to Langara, not apologize for my ethnicity."

It would seem the woman was growing weary with being looked upon with disdain wherever she went, and the sharpness to her tongue spoke of her fraying patience.

Sonja pursed her lips in thought while the banter ensued around her until Phinx addressed her directly.

"Hm?" Sonja asked.

She had been lost in thought and missed most of what had transpired, but Phinx's words lingered.

"Yes, quite brazen," Sonja remarked. "You said these were good people?" she asked with a look to Phinx. "Things seemed edgy in there, and I don't think it was me. Everything fine?"

"You intend to torture him?" she asked.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that, but then again she was getting off at Langara and wouldn't be returning to Terra with them. Soon this would all just be a distant memory. These would just be distant worlds far from her own that would no longer hold any relevance to her life.

"How can you say you support the law, if you pick and choose when to adhere to it?" she asked. "You either support them or you don't. If we forsake them when it becomes convenient to us to do so, then we never supported them to begin with."

She mused as she glanced to Phinx again.

"Don't take my words as ungrateful to you though, I'm not."

A large purple ship entered Terra's orbit, several Invictus, NPA, and Terran Naval vessels moving to intercept. "Open up channels." Saito Mishima, one of the Invictus fleet leaders, ordered. "Uh... this appears to be one of our ships..." A bridge officer told Saito.

"Uh... open up the channels, let's make sure it isn't stolen or something." Saito said, "Channels open, sir." Another crew member told Saito, "Identify yourself." He said, "Let us through. It's me." The apparent Invictus ship responded.

"Who is me?" Rythorn asked, his ship moving in to join Saito's. "Maria Lynn Munroe. Phinx. Leader of the Invictus." The other ship answered, "One moment." Rythorn said, "Mishima, can you confirm?" Rythorn asked, "It's her alright. The Veritas confirmed." Saito answered, "Why was she gone in the first place? It's dangerous out there." Rythorn said.

"Hey, it's dangerous on Terra too." Saito said with a small chuckle, "You can ask her yourself though." He continued, "Ms. Munroe, why'd you leave?" Rythorn asked, "I trust you, this is all just procedure." He explained.

"I've got a present. Jacob Haley, son of Lochlyn Haley. It was actually pretty easy. He was trying to hide on Misrana. Trying to manipulate the government." Phinx explained, "Get the TIB on the horn. We need some secret agent types for the interrogation. Now, can I fucking land?" The Invictus leader asked.

"Yeah... go ahead." Rythorn said, the defense force ships heading back to their original positions or routes. "And good job. I have my doubts the government would have sent anyone after him on another nation's land." Rythorn admitted, "I think Phinx just doesn't care anyways." Saito told Rythorn.

"Nah, I'm just awesome." Phinx boasted as Vidal began to fly her ship down towards the planet. "Sonja, how do you feel about being back on Terra? Phinx asked her Aschen companion.

"To be honest I'm beginning to have my doubts that I'm meant to make it back to Langara," Sonja replied wryly. "The gods certainly seem determined on the matter."

Escorted by several police vehicles, a black van rolled down the street towards the police station. Inside was the very handcuffed Jacob Haley, as well what remained of his accomplices. Phinx sat in the front of the van with Vidal, cell phone in hand as she dialed a number.

"We're here." Vidal told the Invictus leader, pulling the van into the police compound. "I'm calling my sister, then I'm going to text Stryfe. Let her know who we've got." Phinx told Vidal, "This little bitch knows where his daddy is, I'm going to make sure he spills it all." The woman continued.

"Sometimes you can be genuinely scary." Vidal joked, bringing the van to a stop. Phinx raised the phone to an ear, waiting for Vidal to get out before she followed suit. "Charlie? I'm outside with Jacob Haley. He didn't put up a fight at all. He must know of my reputation." Phinx boasted to her sister over the phone.

Several police officers stepped up to the Invictus van, opening the back doors to pull Jacob and his cohorts out. Jacob struggled as the officers dragged him towards the station's entrance.

"Don't drop the soap." Phinx taunted, "Fuck you, you taco eating bitch." Jacob spit back, showing that he was frustrated with the fact that he was probably going to head to prison and that his men had all but given up on him. They were probably plotting to betray him.

Traitors. Cowards. That's all they were. These people were beneath Jacob in his humble opinion.

As Jacob was pulled into the station, Charlie was stepping out to meet her sister. "No one could get in touch with you." Charlie said to Phinx, "Yeah, communication was a little funny as far out as I was without the proper equipment." Phinx explained.

"About the apartment..." Charlie began, "It's kind of been... blown up, shot up, and set on fire..." Charlotte told her sister.

"That is some shit luck..." Vidal muttered.

Arros enterd the police station, he had to make the job easier on himself. Walking up the counter he asks, "Hello officer, I'm looking for this young man," he holds up a picture of Kael. "If you see him, let me know won't you? I've been hired by the boy's father to find him, I work the security detail for his company. It's important I find him and get him back as soon as possible." Arros glared while grinning at the police officer waiting for a response.

The large unmarked ships facing off with their Terrans and their allies began to open fire. The Invictus, the Terrans and the NPA moved to avoid the attacks, firing their own weapons at the ships in hopes that they would destroy their attackers.

Alas, many ships were destroyed by the sudden barrage from the superior ships. These new alien vessels. Several larger Invictus ships moved up, the ships being used to protect their allies while they scrambled to figure out what exactly was going. how they could fight back.

"Can we get the militia up here?" Lieutenant Murs asked, "What about the superhero lady from the Invictus?" He asked his crew, "We'll get in touch with the Invictus on the ground and see what can be done." A crew member told Murs, "We need as many of our troops we can muster up for this fight." Murs added.

Ships continued to be destroyed in the fighting, whoever these people were they came with enough firepower to start the big bang all over again if they really wanted to.

More and more ships began to join the fray against the unknown beings attacking Terra, from the ground one would likely see the bright flashes as ships, missiles and torpedoes exploded.

The attacking ships began to move towards Terra yet again, still firing at the planet's defenders while being fired on themselves. It was clear that it was going to take a lot to bring these ships down.

Several of the larger Invictus ships fired concentrated beams of energy which glowed a bright blue at Terra's attackers. The beams meant to bypass any shields they had and do a lot of damage to the alien vessels. Anyone on the ground could see the beams cutting through the empty space above the planet.

The attacking ships continued on their path, either unaffected by the attacks or completely ignoring them. It could have been that was a kamikaze style attack. A suicide mission meant to kill as many people as possible if it could be done.

The attacking ships fired off what appeared to be large orbs at the planet. They were big enough to hold at least ten people in each. There seemed to be hundreds being fired, more than a thousand.

"Shoot those down!" Murs ordered, several ships turning their weapons on the orbs falling from the sky. But, it was clear that they couldn't destroy all of them. For every one blown up, there were five entering the atmosphere at high speeds and they'd hit the planet soon.

Murs expected the worst, explosions, devastation. But, it never came. The attacking ships continued on towards Terra, seemingly intent to crash land on the planet.

On the surface of Terra, Stryfe stood on the roof of The Palace with Anodyne, Natasha and Sonia. "Aschen?" Stryfe asked, looking around for an answer. "I doubt it. Our people are saying there aren't any markings. Why would the Aschen suddenly want to be secretive?" Natasha asked, shrugging a shoulder.

"Mobilize everyone. NPA, TIB, even the Taiyou. I have doubts that these new... invaders? Terrorists? Are friendly." Stryfe said, "Is it all the murder they just did that gave it away?" Sonia asked, one of the large orbs slamming down on the roof near the group.

"Fuck!"

"Excuse me," a woman interrupted as she rose from a nearby booth.

Her steps held a light sway to them as she approached the officer, and she offered a hand to him and a pleasant smile.

"I couldn't help but overhear," she explained. It had been rather hard for anyone to not overhear the brief conversation with the clerk. "My name's Sonja, and I come in here quite often lately. Perhaps I could be of assistance?" she offered pleasantly.

Sonja had become somewhat of a regular at the Cheri Teahouse after her attempt to return to Langara had landed her back here in Wing City once more. It wasn't that she found Terra particularly distasteful in itself, but the pointedly high rate at which people tried to kill her had left the woman more than restless to return to Langara. The teahouse here at least had proven itself a relatively safe place to venture from the Palace where the Invictus had put her up for the time being.

"Oh... yes!" it took Pringley a moment to realize that he might actually have a lead, "yes, please, thank you so much!" He scrambled around in his pockets before retrieving the same photograph. "Uh. This girl, right here?" he held it up for her to see. "You ever seen this girl around this place?"