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Locksmith · (This post was last modified: 01-07-2026, 08:41 AM by Locksmith.)

Thuringia System
03.01.836 AS

The visit to Deep Omegas ended in blood... Literally. The first thing Crimson Veil had to do was wash her own blood from her face, clothes, and hair. A fascinating process; fortunately, despite being a bit battered, she was still well enough to continue her quest. Melusine, an Order agent, responded quickly to the request for help, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. An experienced Order operative significantly increased her chances of survival in this place, not to mention the fact that if she encountered other Order forces, she'd have significantly less explaining to do.

As soon as she arrived in Thuringia, Crimson Veil was already heading to a place she'd rather never visit again. She managed to slip in there before, when she wasn't yet part of the Platform, or even the Bundschuh... And she managed it alone. But she was on the brink of death; In retrospect, it was a foolish undertaking, with completely unjustified risk. However, it was ultimately what had brought the girl to where she was now. Today, with an understanding of where they were headed, with Melusine and Chevalier by her side, and with far greater firepower at her disposal... She was afraid. For she knew that failure meant death.

Or perhaps something worse.

As the green mist of the Suhl anomaly began to envelop everything, the girl could only hope they wouldn't attract too much attention. Those hopes, of course, were in vain.

Locksmith · (This post was last modified: 01-07-2026, 08:41 AM by Locksmith.)

Thuringia —> Omega-58
03.01.836 AS

Thanks to Crimson Veil pinpointing in advance the relatively safe passage through the Suhl Anomaly, the group's flight through it was quite fast. Naturally, she had to stop from time to time to make sure she wasn't leading everyone to certain death... She tried not to dwell on the consequences of a mistake at those moments. She'd heard too often about souls lost in this nightmarish labyrinth.

Of course, the alien servants' battleship, hidden deep within the labyrinth, opened fire on the group as soon as they entered its sensor range. However, it was a far less difficult obstacle than the anomaly itself. They didn't have to evade the fire for long: soon the group plunged back into the greenish, deadly fog, escaping any possible pursuit.

Ahead loomed the jump hole to the infamous Omega-58 system. In the darkness there, anything but a pleasant flight was to be expected. Still, the jump hole was stable enough to avoid any surprises, at least during the transition out of the system itself.

But the surprise was on the other side. Crimson Veil barely had time to recover when she found herself under heavy fire. Wilde forces were waiting for them here; her Anubis shield, though noticably stronger than a typical fighter's shield, failed almost instantly. Crimson Veil, taking evasive action, would have inevitably found herself at a severe disadvantage. Luckily, she wasn't alone.

Within seconds, Melusine appeared in the system on her Bastet with Chevalier, piloting the Oder gunboat. A battle ensued with the numerically superior enemy.

Locksmith · 01-07-2026, 08:50 AM,

Omega-58
03.01.836 AS

The enemies that attacked Crimson Veil in the Omega-58 system proved somewhat easier prey than their brethren who had descended upon her in the Deep Omega systems. When the group shot down the first of the enemy ships without sustaining any serious hull damage, victory seemed within their grasp. However, it eluded the group: what the enemy lacked in ship power and pilot skill, they more than made up for in numbers. For every Wilde fighter shot down, another appeared, prolonging this deadly dance. And while such a reduction in enemy forces would certainly be beneficial, Crimson Veil knew her group would be attrited, especially given the constant radioactive emissions of the pulsar.

So when Chevalier suggested breaking away from their pursuers, the albino and Melusine quickly agreed, shifting to cruising speed. Fortunately, they were able to do so simultaneously and unexpectedly enough to leave their pursuers confused and behind.

Remembering their previous visit to this place, Crimson Veil, leading the group this time, carefully avoided a cluster of particularly dangerous clouds, barely visible in the darkness of this system. They needed to reach the other end of this system, but the pulsar would prevent that. The exit was through an internal jump hole in the system, to which the albino woman led the others.

As she approached it, active alien structures shimmering with energy were visible in the distance, likely the ones that Wilde forces were trying to protect. Crimson Veil didn't linger, proceeding through the jump point. She needed to be quick before something worse caught her trail.

Locksmith · 01-08-2026, 07:44 AM,

Omega-58
03.01.836 AS

Finding herself on the other side of the ill-fated system, Crimson Veil immediately detected approaching Wilde ships. Although the group had managed to escape the initial group of guardians of this place, a second wave was already moving to intercept. Already realizing what was going to happen, the group split up, breaking away from their pursuers.

This time, however, their pursuers proved more tenacious and agile. There was no other option but to engage. However, this brief escape had not been in vain: by leaving the transition point behind, they were far less likely to find themselves attacked by the relentless stream of enemies.

At first, the battle was going well. Even though split, the group was able to engage a proportionate portion of the enemy forces, which were melting away before their eyes. And then... Having almost naturally teamed up with Melusine, Crimson Veil discovered that a lone, but highly unusual, Nomad had arrived to reinforce the Wilde forces. Despite its small size, it possessed astonishing speed and, more alarmingly, emitted enough energy to instantly pierce Anubis's shields. After destroying it by joining efforts with an agent of the Order, Crimson Veil wondered if she'd just been hallucinating—as it turned out, Melusine had seen *it* too.

This did not mean anything good for them.

Meanwhile, the Chevalier gunship was still in considerable distance. With no more enemies nearby, Crimson Veil and Melusine moved to reinforce their ally. However, it was no longer needed: like the rest of the group, Chevalier had dealt with the enemies that had attacked her.

And the group, by luck, found themselves exactly where they needed to be...

Locksmith · 01-09-2026, 11:03 AM,

Omega-58
03.01.836 AS

The supposed final resting place of the crew transporting the item Crimson Veil sought looked... remarkable.

From the distance, this enormous chunk of rock seemed like an entire planet. It wasn't hard to catch yourself wondering if it had once truly been one. Once upon a time, when this place hadn't been so intolerant of human life.

The signal from the missing ship was detected as they approached this dark giant. And, apparently, the group's route lay... inside. Crimson Veil made a soft sigh when a huge crack was discovered in the black rock, easily accessible even by the Chevalier's gunship.

After leading Melusine and her fiancée inside, at first Crimson Veil discovered only utter darkness. Light came only from their ships' searchlights. And even that light seemed to be absorbed by the surface of the black rock. It took some time to wander inside this stone tomb, but the group eventually discovered a small freighter hovering in space, showing no signs of life.

A quick scan revealed that, surprisingly, its cargo was still there, despite Melusine's concerns. Although Crimson Veil was prepared to try to track down anyone who might have retrieved it... It was a good thing they didn't have to.

Crimson Veil made use of the firepower of an allied gunship to quickly breach the cargo hold. A sample of the sought-after weapon, the "GARNET," was also loaded onto the Oder.

They needed to move on. And Chevalier had a suggestion for direction.

Locksmith · 01-10-2026, 06:21 AM,

Omega-58 —> Omega-41
03.01.836 AS

Getting back was easier than finding their way to the freighter in the depths of this dark rock. They certainly spent much less time doing it in comprasion. Omega-58 greeted them with the same dim, dreary light, along with the radiation of a pulsar. Not the kind of place you want to spend a vacation in.

Chevalier led the group to the depot, the location of which she had a rough idea of. Crimson Veil didn't ask any questions about it and... She was quietly glad that Melusine hadn't had any questions either. In fact, this agent struck the albino as perhaps one of the most flexible representatives of the Order she'd ever encountered. It was refreshing. Crimson Veil was glad she'd been right about her. Hopefully this agent's life doesn't end prematurely, as happens to so many people in space.

And it was also amusing to be in the company of two Gallic women, similar and yet different at the same time.

The depot had been found soon enough. A small, clearly abandoned space station, without any identifying marks... But still operational. Automated systems allowed the entire group to dock without any checks; the mechanisms, as if obeying some invisible will, silently began repairs. They completed the task quickly.

Wasting no time, the group continued on. Another attack by Wilde forces was only a matter of time. To avoid an obvious ambush, Chevalier suggested not returning to Thuringia but continuing on through the Omega-41 system, a passage to which had been discovered nearby. Even the appearance of a strange Archon miner, who had previously contacted Crimson Veil, introducing itself as "A.L.I.C.E." and seeking Civil Servant, didn't deter them. This one simply had to follow the group if it wanted to chat.

As Crimson Veil left Omega-58 behind, however, she couldn't help but wonder who else might follow them.

Locksmith · (This post was last modified: 01-11-2026, 06:54 AM by Locksmith.)

Omega-41 —> Omega-5 —> Omega-11 —> Stuttgart —> Cologne
03.01.836 AS

Although radiation-heavy Omega-41 was usually teeming with Corsairs, who would hardly have welcomed the arrival of Bundschuh ships, compared to the previous system, it offered a welcome respite. Having avoided collisions, the group took refuge from the neutron star at Freeport-5. Here, they could catch their breath and gather their strength before the onward journey.

Or they would have, had the group not been followed by an Archon, apparently controlled by an artificial intelligence with a fairly human-like personality. Besides searching for the Civil Servant, this intelligence was also interested in suggestions about what could be done with the "piece" of the cosmic maw it had "bitten off." Crimson Veil wasn't entirely convinced by these claims. Still, out of concern for humanity, she warned the AI against reckless actions near human habitations. Such actions as, for example, attempting to stabilize this "piece" with another similar "piece." There was also something suspicious: this AI knew too much about their actions. And even knew Chevalier's real name.

And then... Something unpleasant happened. The AI established a link with Crimson Veil's fighter, attempting to improve its systems and customize it for its pilot. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Of course, the AI couldn't know that Crimson Veil's Anubis already possessed an augmented link with Crimson Veil herself—a link she had forged herself using the knowledge Ageira imbued into her. The fighter carried traces of albino's organic matter, and attempting to re-establish a similar link rendered the existing one dysfunctional. Anubis thrashed back and forth, while Crimson Veil's voice was interrupted by seemingly untranslatable static. At that moment, Crimson Veil herself felt completely defenseless, as if paralyzed: her consciousness oscillated between wakefulness and unconsciousness.

It was, frankly, a terrifying experience.

Fortunately, realizing something was wrong, the AI ceased its attempts at improvement. This whole thing enraged Chevalier; Melusine offered to provide assistance in eliminating the synthetic lifeform. Crimson Veil herself, having recovered, quickly calmed down, only demanding that AI never do such a thing again without permission. However, the albino didn't stop Chevalier from venting her anger. The gunboat opened fire on the Archon, but the AI continued its conversation as if nothing had happened. Melusine rightly concluded that assistance was not required.

Crimson Veil understood that it didn't matter. Such AIs don't simply die from the destruction of a single vessel.

Chevalier, apparently realizing this too, despite her anger, ceased firing, merely damaging the Archon enough to make it impossible to follow the group further. The farewell was rather cold. For Crimson Veil, and probably for the others as well... Another potentially dangerous factor had emerged that now needed to be taken into account.

The road back was, fortunately, uneventful. But today wasn't over yet.

Locksmith · 01-12-2026, 07:35 AM,

Cologne System
03.01.836 AS

When you can discern the distant outlines of a place you could call home, a peace descends upon your heart. A small but tangible feeling of security and the anticipation of a well-deserved rest.

It was deceptive.

As they approached Saverne, the group's sensors picked up strange, unexplained signals nearby. After making a quick stop to patch the hull and waiting for Chevalier to assume command of the flagship, the Von Claussen, the group departed to investigate.

It somewhat helped that Melusine was still with them. Other than that, everything had gone wrong from the start. Crimson Veil was beginning to feel the fatigue of the day sinking in, and, more importantly, the flagship's systems weren't fully operational. The engines were barely working, the main battery had shut down. Given the timing, all of this seemed like, if not sabotage, then a cruel joke of fate.

And fate was not long in coming. Within a minute, Crimson Veil saw something that would force her to work at a pace many times faster than she had originally planned.

Locksmith · 01-14-2026, 07:33 AM,

Cologne System
03.01.836 AS

It arrived quietly, unannounced and without any warning. Like a ghost, invisibly watching them all this time. Hovering in the air at a distance, the creature calmly watched as Chevalier and Falke hastily tried to get Von Claussen's flagship operational. Novak, a friendly AI, joined their gathering, but the situation still didn't look in their favor. This creature... It posed a threat they might not be able to handle.

It was as large as the flagship itself. It could turn invisible, assume gaseous form... The psionic energy emanating from the colossus was immense. Its power would likely be enough to attack them all head-on.

Emilia's hands trembled. But not from fear.

She was furious. Her instinctive hatred for this creature's entire species, ingrained in her in Ageira's laboratories, had finally found a case to unleash itself. How dare this thing come to her doorstep? How dare this creature threaten HER abode? How dare this monster loom over the lives of those dear to her?

Crimson Veil felt her inner voice screaming ever louder. Demanding her to follow her nature. Pleading, whispering, urging her to fight for everything she held dear. It was as if a thousand voices were ringing in Emilia's ears, and she could feel their anger.

Until...

Turning its attention to Crimson Veil, the giant repeated the manipulation performed by the AI at Freeport 5. Fury instantly gave way to horror. As "Anubis" thrashed back and forth, the helpless albino desperately tried to cling to the elusive sense of her vessel around her. She couldn't afford to be useless... to be a burden.

Melusine and Chevalier, addressing the creature, managed to redirect its attention to themselves. This allowed Crimson Veil to regain her control. Obeying her friends' words, she retreated... But seeing the giant's servants materialize, she couldn't bring herself to run. They needed her. Even if it meant becoming... someone else.

Seeing the forces of other factions approaching—Rheinland Military, Gallic Navy, MND, all of whom had decided to temporarily set aside their differences to fight a common enemy... Emilia knew she was needed here and now.

Promising Lucia that she would dream of her, Crimson Veil closed her eyes, giving in to the voice within. And the voice rejoiced.

~~~

Black, wet sand beneath her feet. Drops of crimson rain, steadily falling from dark, blood-red clouds above, covering the entire sky. A wasteland to the horizon.

And she, sitting on a throne of cold, fleshy metal. An eternity of entropy, darkness, and death.

She heard the distant voices of her friends. She heard the furious howl of the Inner One that directed the destruction with her body. And... She felt the mocking interest of the giant that arrived to test the human spirit.

Until it was her time to return.

~~~

When she came to her senses, the space was not quiet, but it wasn't the sound of battle. These were joyful, relieved voices. Had they won?..

Looking around, Emilia saw something that made her feel... Joy. All these pilots, Order and AI, Rheinland Military and Bundschuh, Gallic Navy and even a glimpse of Unioners flying away somewhere... They had all managed to leave their differences behind to face tomorrow.

She thanked them. Not out of politeness, not out of a desire to appear good—from the bottom of her heart. Sincerely.

No one had died today. They would be enemies again tomorrow, but today they parted as comrades in arms. And even if their victory for now was merely survival... She would find a way to take the next step.

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