EmulatonStromenkiin

Atikskrakkaitak took the small metal disk, and calmly entered his shuttle. Just in case, he set up a program that would return the shuttle to his main ship before the docking pass expired.

"He shifted forward. Even the most powerful Dragons cannot travel backwards in time. Think of it as him sleeping, only not aging in that sleep." Atikskrakkaitak turned to Uen. "You are very lucky the Dragons did not notice you. They like to study Timebenders." "My people would welcome allies, as we are but one system. Strictly speaking, the home of my race was folded into the Dragon's empire long ago, but my homeworld is an independent colony system. We have interstellar capabilities, through use of Spacebending, but are fewer in number than most systems in our sector. We have been expecting something like this, though. "

"It is never that simple." "Neither did I. I was just here doing reconnaissance for personal reasons."

Atikskrakkaitak nodded at Paprika's statement. "I thought so. I can function as a representative of my race, as soon as I put through some paperwork to the heads of my system. Presumably, as diplomats, Ghost and Amaranthine are certified to function as representatives of their races."

Atikskrakkaitak sighed. "Alfakyn, you are overestimating your capabilities. Even if everyone in the room was well equipped and prepared, the Dragons would have won any fight." His eyes focused on the three entities standing before him, the Wraith, Elf, and Human. "I have access to a decent amount of knowledge about most of the species with this sector, and any fight and subjugation will not be pretty. There is, however, another option. A coalition of species/races working together would be far more powerful than any other option."

Just before Atikskrakkaitak made his exit, the dragons finished and began to leave. Of course it is bad. It will also be dangerous. He stiffened as he sensed a warp of the Energy nearby. Not just any energy but time shaping. I have to go now, if the dragons find what I just sensed we could be in BIG trouble. Changing course, he headed towards the anomaly, eventually catching glimpse of a confused looking human.

As soon as the meeting is ended, we should meet at my shuttle. Come as soon as you can. With that final bit of Thoughtspeak, Atikskrakkaitak strode out of the room, leaving the Dragons and the chaos behind.

"Well, that is... unfortunate." The system in which he was born was here, then. The home planet of his species was outside, but his system would have to participate in the war. And yet... the Dragon had said that forty-niner of the systems were expected to be subjugated. And he was sure he had heard about collectives of species before that joined the empire. We need to talk. He Thoughtspoke to Ghost, Paprika, and Amaranthine. @PyroPhile @Channelknight Fadran @Justice_Magician

Atikskrakkaitak watched and listened to the Elf, dumbfounded. She was brave. Or possibly drunk. Or a cat. But he had to ask. "Is system Altark-gorna-reaak within this sector?" @Channelknight Fadran

Atikskrakkaitak's eyes widened. So this was what the Culling War. One to rule them all, so to say. His home planet was in another sector, but this was still horrible news. Well, he hoped it was in a different sector.

Atikskrakkaitak watched warily. He had no clue as to why they had let him into the meeting, but it was useful.

Atikskrakkaitak winced inwardly. He needed to work on focused Thoughtspeak.

I hate to say it, but they are impressive. There ship is bigger than most domed cities. Do you have any idea what the "Culling war" is? I found record of the Dragons most recent missive to the humans, and it mentioned that. @PyroPhile

It is not that hard, it is just Waveshaping. I spent over a century becoming proficient in the Magic. And that is certainly food for thought. The Dragons seem to focus more on their Magic than technological advancements, but they somehow always seem to be at the peak of both.

Atikskrakkaitak had followed the others, the emissary of the Wraiths, the emissary of the Elves, and the Human security. No one had questioned him, and he stood near them as the ship descended. Even with the readings, this dwarfed his expectations. And though he hated to admit it, it was a masterpiece of technology. And if they only needed one spaceshaper to move this monumental craft, then the Dragons were almost impossibly strong. A platform with three dragons, one golden and adorned with gems, the other two in white with astounding patterns in Ultraviolet, descended from the belly of the ship. "Greetings, earthlings," said the golden dragon. "I am Akalatax. It is time now to discuss the fate of your world." This solemn pronouncement was met with a moment of silence, which the Elf broke. Hallo!!!!" Amaranthine said, waving energetically. Atikskrakkaitak resisted the urge to hit his brow in exasperation. He glanced at the Wraith called Ghost and carefully reached out with Waveshaping, creating a direct Thoughtspeak link. "What do you think of them? Why do they care so much about the Humans?" @PyroPhile, @Channelknight Fadran, @Justice_Magician

Atikskrakkaitak nodded as a Wraith came around the corner. He had met others of the species before, and though strange in appearance, decent beings. "You are welcome to, Wraith. What is your name?"

Atikskrakkaitak registered a third heat signal just as the first two became visible. One of them was plainly a human, probably a female, and the other... an Elf. Probably some sort of diplomat. He had only heard of the Elves, he had never met one. He was unsure how this one would react to him. "You aren't authorized to land here!" the human yelled at him. He sighed. "I have got authorization to land, and have clearance till the Thursday," he enunciated carefully in the human tongue. "I could not stay in the air/atmosphere, not with the Dragonship entering." He paused, distracted by the third heat signature coming around the wall. "What are being your names? I am one named Atikskrakkaitak." @Channelknight Fadran, @Justice_Magician, @PyroPhile

"Thank you very much," Atikskrakkaitak said, finally stepping out of the pod, which sealed behind him. As he looked around, he saw two heat signatures coming around the wall towards him. He wondered who it could be. @Justice_Magician, @Channelknight Fadran

Atikskrakkaitak closed his eyes for a moment. "I am Atikskrakkaitak of the Skkraaakiskakkkraitk. I am an inventor. Computer, send over the standardized ID set."

Atikskrakkaitak sighed inwardly. Bureaucrats. Didn't matter what species or planet, they were all the same. "Okay, then," he said. With a few taps and a swipe, he completed the transaction, which was thankfully not ridiculously high. Without another word, he moved and opened the door in the side of the pod, it folding down into stairs.

Atikskrakkaitak sighed. "I am aware now. Is there something I can do to get this clearance? The Dragons are only using one ship."

Atikskrakkaitak thought for a moment as a translation came up on his computer. "Computer, please translate my response to the local language," he said. He cleared his throat. "I apologize, I was unaware of any schedule or clearance needed. I needed to get out of the air before the Dragonship entered the atmosphere. It is unsafe to be flying near them."

Atikskrakkaitak sat in the captain chair in the center of the bridge of his ship. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be asleep. He was in fact meditating, observing the web of Energy that permeated the universe. His ship had just made it past a habited planet that the computer said was called "Mars" by the inhabitants of the system, when an alert pinged on the console. He sighed, then opened his eyes. He looked at the alert, and his eye ridges shot up in surprise. "Dragons," he hissed through clenched teeth. There was no mistaking that signal. He was headed to the main spaceport on the third planet in the system, called Earth. A moment of observing the Dragon's vessel, and he concluded that they were headed there as well. He hoped he could make it to Earth before them, but he could not be sure. It would be close. He carefully maneuvered his ship into a gravitational null point between Earth and its moon. "Maintain position please, Srignatch," he told the ship AI. "And please prepare landing pod one for launch." "Certainly, Skrakk," Srignatch replied as he walked towards the landing Bay. As he entered, landing pod one was in the center right above the dock hatch. He climbed inside and started launch proceedings, glancing at a tracker showing where the Dragons were. He should arrive on Earth about half an hour before them. The doors beneath the pod opened, and he was in space. He closed his eyes for a moment and focused on the Energy, the Magic. A quick twist to space, and his pod was in Earth's atmosphere, preparing to land. His blue, teardrop shaped ship set down gently on a landing pad, though not the one that had been set up for the Dragons.