The Dynarri Empire

[Trekkie]

Captain Flick of the Supox blade, Thistle, sped through hyperspace, accompioned by Lord 478 in his Dreadnought. They were
responding to the distress call of a Supox patrol under attack by there former friends, the Utwig.

Flick stood rooted to the captains spot thinking about the war, there were rumors, that the Ur-quan confirmed, that the
Umgah, Spathi and Shofixti had also been attacking the Alliance races under the orders of neo-dynarri. Flick didn't know what
these "Neo-Dynarri" were, but he knew that one had somehow gotten control of the Utwig, and had compelled them to destroy the Supox.
"Officer La la Ala la, how long until we reach the Tendershoot?" Flick asked,
"At current speed, around ten minutes." the Supox answered.
Flick nodded and pondered why his name was so different to the rest of his race. He had been planted on the Humans Earth as part of an Exchange program between races. When he was just a young sproutling a Human child had maneged to get into the field, curious about the "Strange Plant people" a he called them, the child grew attached to Flick and gave him his name. Since then it had just stuck, the child was now an officer on a human cruiser, Flick had begun travellng to Vlik long before this to see his races homeworld and had only been there for a few months before he had to become an officer on the Thistle due to war breaking out with the Utwig.

When the captain was killed afew weeks ago, he was chosen to become the new captain and has since been assigned to Lord 478's Dreadnought to help fend off attacks to the  Zeta Librae system. When they heard the Tendershoots distress call they left the Bark and Leaf to guard the system while they went to help.
"Captain, we are nearing the Tendershoot, sensors show she is under attack by to Utwig juggers, she is heavily dameged and
her weopons are damaged."
"Bring us out of hyperspace and send a message to Lord 478 asking him to distract the Utwig while we help the Tendershoot get a safe distance away before returning to help fight the Utwig." Flick ordered.

The Blade and Dreadnought exited hyperspace and sprung into action, the Dreadnought launched what few fighters it had left
after it's many battles, while the Thistle began towing the heavily dameaged Tendershoot out of the battlefield, they
whatched as a jugger exploded after a well aimed shot from the dreadnought hit it's engines starting a chain reaction. The
Thistle returned a few minutes later to help Lord 478 destroy the last Utwog Jugger and began to pepper the jugger with it's
Globules while doing it's best to evade the dreaded Utwig "Energy Spears".

[Eth]

  Pkunky had lived a fortunate life, for a Spathi.  Hidden safely beneath the impenetrable shield around Spathiwa, endowed with an exotic name courtesy of his famous, and hard-working, parents, he lived a life of blessed safety.  Until the coming of the neo-Dnyarri, that is.  Spathiwa's shield was no defense against the neo-Dnyarris' sinister mind-control powers.  Psychically-controlled Spathi automatons had disabled the shield from within, leaving the entire planet at the mercy of the toad-like aliens. 

  His every mental barrier penetrated, Pkunky soon found himself to be an unwilling, but uncomplaining, crew member aboard the Spathi Eluder-class Voidship Abject Flight.  He supposed that the Dnyarri had compelled him to do terrible things, to commit atrocities such as...  Actions of Conspicuous Bravery or (he shuddered, mentally) Heroic acts of Potential Self-Sacrifice.  It was all to much to even consider, so he withdrew, mentally, and simply...  went along with it all. 

  Until, that is, The Accident, when his life changed forever. 

[Trekkie]

Lord 478 left the system to return to Zeta Librae as the Thistle stayed behind to help repair the Tendershoot. When the Thistle returned to the battle with the Utwig, they were already beginning to tire Lord 478 just need the agility and speed of the Thistle to finish them off. They suffered little damage, a sight rarely seen in the war for the Supox, Lord 478 lost afew more of its scant supply of fighters and suffered a few hits, but it was worth it to get rid of more Utwig Juggers. As the Ur-quan had little knowledge of Supox ships, so was useless in helping to repair the Tendershoot, so it headed back to it’s original location at Zeta Librae.

The Tendershoot had had it’s engines almost destroyed, it’s hull had received heavy damage and it’s weapon battery had been completely destroyed. It was a miracle it hadn’t been destroyed, Flick and Lord 478 had arrived in the nick of time. Flick sent over some supplies and Supox to help reapair there engines while the Thistle sent a message ahead to Beta Librae informing them to be ready for another damaged vessel needing repairing.

Flick headed to the bridge of the Tendeshoot, frequently taking detours to avoid collapsed corridors and sections of the ship under heavy repairs.
“Greetings Captain Flick, may your roots always be well watered.” Flick heard as he walked on to the bridge.
“Captain Ala la la, may your flowers always be pollinated,” Flick responded to the Speaker. Apart from him and Captain Ala la la, there was only one other Supox on the bridge, who appeared to be repairing a broken command consol. Flick and Captain Ala la la began a conversation what had happened, the Tendershoot was on a routine patrol with the Fern, but an engine fault had forced the Fern to return for repairs while the Tendershoot patrolled alone. They were nearing the end of the patrol when they were ambushed by the Utwig, they sent out a distress call and began evasion manoeuvres, while they waited for reinforcements. They took several hits and there engines were failing when Flick and Lord 478 arrived and towed them out of the battle.

It took around two days of repairs before the Tendershoot could began it’s journey back to Beta Brahe, escorted by the Thistle the journey would take around 2 weeks with the Tendershoots damaged engines so they began using this time to complete as much repairs as they could.

[Valaggar]

THE VOICE... the voice... He could hear it in his flesh, devouring him from within; he could hear it in his breath, the air burning hot with the energy of His commands - dreadful in the sickly inflexions of His voice -, he could hear it playing in his head, mercilessly cutting every tie that his soul had with the physical world.
But no... He had no master. He was Thraddash, free and mighty. He was master of his ship, he could best every single shipmate in any form of combat...
With a devilish smile forming in mid-air, The Voice reminded him, 'They are dead. Submit to My will and you shall find release from your mortal torture...' Darkness was overwhelming... he could not resist it, he was dragged in the deepest and sweetest dream... nothingness, oblivion called for him... he had to obey...

Suddenly, Th'dakk felt something else in the depths of his own brain, unleashed from an eternity-long slumber, bathing the dank halls of his mind in new-found hope and purpose... 'I am my own ruler. No one shall defy my will in the holiest chamber of my sanctuary!' mightily uttered He/The Other, as He/They stood in perfect discordant harmony upon the helm of Their own being.
The sneering ghostly figure - vaguely resembling an Earth toad or mushroom - was gone. Light was shimmering again brightly in his eyes, as violently as if he were a blind man cured by miracle. His mind could not find an explanation for what - or who - saved him, and so tried to find refuge in the past, unable to grasp what was happening, what had driven the Dnyarri away from the profaned bastions of the innermost corners of his self. The memory of the last few days stormed Th'dakk's conscience. Yesss... it all began when he decided that his ship, the Obliterator, was the mightiest ship in the fleet, despite the Battlemaster's claims, so it was the Obliterator that deserved to spearhead an assault upon the Dnyarri's stronghold, Beta Orionis.

Indeed, his ship was able to raze dozens of Drones from the defense force in orbit above Beta Orionis I... until, suddenly, that damned bandit swung right above him in a graceful use of its retropropulsion system; antimatter was piercing the Obliterator from all sides, the crew was screaming in agony, he could barely stomp the afterburner pedal... and then a foreign presence had invaded Th'dakk's mind.
Then the entity that was him, and was within him, yet was different... another... the... 'PHEW! Forget it!', Th'dakk muttered to himself, angry that he could have such... not-tough thoughts. His arm stroke the steering handle furiously. 'I'm going down!'

[Eth]

  Through the haze of his nearly-extinguished consciousness, Pkunky, knew that he was searching for something.  The Voice knew that he was searching, in an alien swampland on the planet Beta Orionis I.  Searching for the one who defied the Voice.  Any who could resist must be destroyed.  After an interminable period of gliding through the swamp on his pseudopod, Pkunky began to take a slight interest in his surroundings. 

  The alien derelict was Thraddash in design.  Pkunky was...  Oh the shame of it!  Still, he had no choice but to watch the horror unfolding, as he heroically lead his troops on a reconnaissance mission into the alien warship!  Apparently he was to destroy any Thraddash aboard the ship!  How wretched!  Better to hide within his subconsciousness. 

  Oblivion was denied to Pkunky, however.  The derelict's captain, in his cunning, had laid a trap for possible pursuers before losing himself in the swampland.  As Pkunky and his squad entered the Torch, jets of flaming fuel sprayed upon them from nozzles hidden in the hallway.  His squad was instanly immolated, but Pkunky was far enough into the ship that he was only glanced by the flamthrower.  As the flaming fuel, stuck to his tender flesh, seared him with blinding agony, Pkunky was truly free. 

[Valaggar]

Th'dakk woke up on the makeshift bed he had made on one of those rare patches of dry soil that can be found in most swamps. The local wood, from which he had made it, was smooth and good-smelling, which was just TOO cosy for a Thraddash's tastes. He had had a terrible nightmare* - he dreamed that his parent was a Dnyarri child who - *gasp*! - kept fondling and caressing him - then, out of nowhere, a beautiful, strong Thraddash female appeared and started kissing him (argh!) and... BOOM! he could not resist it. He woke up, disgusted and horripilated.
'Let's get movin'. I've had enough of this!' snorted Th'dakk. After three days, he still had no real action; he was getting fat and had to resort to gymnastics to stay fit! The swamp seemed endless and it all was downright boring - not the epic adventure he had dreamt of back at Delta Draconis.
With a sigh, he stood up and resumed his march.

                                    * *
                                     *

"The entire field was full of those foul-smelling cauldron-like plants. He could have used them as cover, but the two puny blobbies hidden in that hole clearly did not have weapons.
With a short blaster salvo, Th'dakk got rid of the pitiful Umgah, turning their bodies two mutilated chunks of meat covered in yellow, gelatinous blood - truly a wonderful, refreshing sight.
Upon looking around, he really felt relieved - suction tunnels filled the walls, labelled with overly exquisite Umgah grafitti. Apparently, Th'dakk was in an underground city, though where were all the Umgah was beyond him. Nevertheless, rather than continue trekking through the swampland, it was clearly better to investigate the place - who knows, maybe those weaklings were hiding from him. With a loud, ecstatic laughter, the Thraddash jumped in the single tunnel wide enough to fit him.

__
*As the saying goes, a man's good dreams are a Thraddash's nightmares.

[Trekkie]

Flick stood once again at the captain’s spot as the Thistle sped through hyperspace. Thinking back to the conference at Vlik.

Flick had just received a congratulations from Captain Ala’la’la for saving her ship from the Utwig. When the ceremony was over, Flick was called into the conference room. There were several high ranking Supox in the room, along with many of the Ur-quan Lords. Flick took a place next to Lord 682 at the Conference table and was told that thanks to the Ur-quan reinforcements they had been able to halt the Utwig advance. Flick had been chosen to carry a gift to the Ur-quan thanking them for there help! He was to then head to the other alliance races and find out why they had lost contact with them and if possible, re-establish communication. Flick had been shocked by the news and remained silent for many minutes before thanking them for the opportunity. He left the conference room around half-hour later to break the news to his Crew. His crew were ecstatic when they heard the news and threw a small celebration and then prepared to receive the gift to be transported to the Ur-quan. Once they had it the immediately departed Beta Librae for the Crataris constellation where there was an important Ur-quan Outpost according to the latest Supox maps.

Flick retracted his roots and turned towards La la Ala la,
“How long until we reach the Ur-quan?” He asked,
“Around 2 weeks until we enter the Crateris Constellation.” She answered back, as Flick turned and began to walk to the Nutrient halls for some dinner. He rooted himself at the near a young Supox, barely out of his sproutling years. The young Supox looked uneasy and Flick decided to talk to him.
“Hello,” Flick said as the Supox turned around to face him,
“ Hello, captain, may light always reach your leaves.” The young Supox replied,
“No need for the formality, I’m not much different from yourself, only higher ranked.” Flick and the Young Supox entered into a long conversation, the Supox was a bit uneasy about talking to his captain so informally but grew more confident as the Conversation progressed.

Flick left the hall many hours later and made his way to his quarters and rooted himself to the floor for a night of rest. 

[Valaggar]

Th'dakk looked to the right, then to the left, then above, then to the three tunnels below...
He snorted and shook his head furiously. All of them were too small, and the tunnel got in through had closed. To top it all, his hunt had been absolutely unsuccessful. There was no Umgah in the whole damned installation! 'I feel like I'm going mad!'

Suddenly, there was a splash and a short laughter beside him. He barely had time to turn as the room was flooded by Umgah soldiers falling from the suction tunnels. With a fierce roar and his arms outstretched, he rushed at the nearest blobbie... but it was way too late. A viscous, foul liquid emerged from the fleshy thing in the tentacles of his would-be victim, solidifying around his muscles almost instantly. The Umgah picked his inert body and rolled through the largest tunnel."

And it was here that Ik-Sap ended his report. Trade Master Jade rolled his eyes incredulously. 'So you want me to believe that the Dnyarri couldn't compel him on their own world!? I wonder if our trust in the Tha-Saraph is really as well-placed as we thought...'
'That should work', Jade thought. The Saraph were not long-standing sources of the Melnorme, nor did the Melnorme know much about them, but one thing was certain: they valued trust, and would have never lied to someone that trusted in them as much as Jade used to pretend that he did.
'Y-yes, of course, how can you even think that we would deceive you? We know not if the Dnyarri could not or would not compel him... but they clearly didn't! They chose to resort to conventional means... and they wanted him alive!'
'That they wanted him alive isn't really as strange as it would seem, Saraph', replied Jade. 'The Dnyarri enjoy to torture their slaves and victims. Shall I tell you more?'
The Saraph's glow faded and took a yellowish tint. 'I've wasted enough credits with that sort of trivia already. No thanks.'
'As you wish', sighed the trader. 'Certainly you want your payment now. As we have already told you, we never bargain on our prices. The payment for information of questionable value is 50 credits. You shall earn a substantial bonus if the information proves valuable to our customers, however. It has been a pleasure dealing with you, Saraph. We look forward to your next visit.' Jade, more so than any other Melnorme, liked to end his dealings with that cliche phrase.

[fluffy_banana]

Most of the Kohr-Ah fleet fled into the awkward embrace of the Kzer-Za after their defeat and collective loss of the Sa-Matra. The Kohr-Ah population were at best reluctant and at worst livid about their return to their fellows and the rejection of the Eternal Doctrine. Nonetheless, some of the most influential and key Deaths had agreed to the unification. Most agreed that there was no choice as to their path now, with the Alliance at its peak.

Death 998 and Death 897 had no such aspirations. What was amiss here? Why had their brethren forgotten the Path of Now and Forever?  To kill each and every inferior species was their purpose, to eliminate every threat. To put them out of their misery. Retreat, reconstruction -- those must be done, following defeat to the Kzer-Za. But certainly a Kohr-Ah should not seek aid from the Kzer-Za to accomplish it. This was not within the bounds of the Doctrinal Conflict. Death 998 and 897 could not consider the fall of the Sa-Matra a defeat. Defeat to inferior species was impossible, Kohr-Ah himself believed so.

These two Kohr-Ah specimens were not, indeed, some of the brighter ones among the survivors. The others simply shrugged (as much as an Ur-Quan can shrug), called them shortsighted fools (much as many of them wished to join them), and left them adrift in space with malfunctioning starships. That notwithstanding, between them they did have a working Marauder, though Death 897's warp pod had to be scavenged in order for Death 998's limping Marauder to enter hyperspace. The repairs took much, much time -- so long that they still had no news of the Dnyarri war.

Death 998 held that the cleansing must begin with the species whose glory device had scarred his ship's hull and damaged his warp pod beyond repair -- the Shofixti. Death 897 held that that was simply the urge for revenge and that to feel anything towards inferior species (pity or anger) was against the spirit of the Eternal Doctrine -- that the sensible choice was to enter Spathi space (the closest) first and begin killing.

There was no one aboard the cold, black ship but the two caterpillar-like hunters. The crew had been taken with the rest of the ragged Kohr-Ah fleet. The corridors were empty, silent save for the soft click-clack of Ur-Quan manipulators tapping the ceiling rods they gripped. Tension rose between the two.

That was, until (almost simultaneously) they realized something important. The corridors may be empty, but the Marauder was full of something. Weapons. Lots, and lots of weapons . . . blades for cutting skin and sinew away from bone of the cleansed for trophy pits, blades for killing, blades for ceremony, even some blades for juggling (to entertain themselves when there is nothing to kill). Therefore there could be a simple, proper and civilized resolution to this argument, ending with the total submission of the losing side (as it always should). A kind of tiny Doctrinal Conflict began, though Death 998 and Death 897 were the only participants.

[Eth]

  Pkunky, shaking with shock, watched from his place of hiding as the Umgah took the limp form of the Thraddash away.  His burned arm pulsed with agony, pain which, if anything, had increased in the day since the initial injury.  Thraddash were a beligerant, frightening race, but Pkunky's choices of allies were very limited at this juncture.  The Thraddash, it appeared, could resist the Dnyarris' psychic compulsion.  Pkunky must free the Thraddash.  But how to do it without exposing himself to danger?

[Trekkie]

Flick looked through the computer entry on the glowing rod and Wimbli’s Trident, they didn’t seem to have any use, the gift must be purely meant to be Trophies, a symbol of the Supox forgiveness to the Ur-Quan. Flick Unrooted himself and headed to the Bridge, they had been travelling for many weeks, they were close to arriving.
“Captain, we’ve arrived at the Crateris Constellation.” Flick heard,
“Thank you, are there any Ur-Quan Dreadnoughts in the System?”
“I’m detecting one.” Came the reply.
“Hail them,”
“Channel open,”
“Greetings Ur-quan friends, may light always reach your leaves,” Flick said through the com, Flick and the Ur-quan captain entered a small conversation, with the Ur-Quan captain graciously accepting the two gifts on behalf of the Ur-quan leaders, and coming over to the Thistle for a talk with Flick to inform him on what the Ur-quan know. Many Ur-quan crewmembers joined the captain and socialised with the crew, Flick was surprised at how much the Ur-quan had changed since the war. They used to be Xenophobic to the verge of Genocide, now they treated the Supox as if they were old friends.
  Flick was told by the Ur-quan captain, Lord 498, about the Dynarri, and the rampages of the Dynarri Empire. He went into detail of what they knew of the Umgah, Spathi, Druuge and Shofixti succumbs to the Dynarri, he also spoke of the states of various races. Flick wasn’t to concerned by the Mycon and VUX wars, they were evil races who despised the Alliance. Flick was more concerned by the Human withdrawal from Space, and though he was grateful to the Ur-quan for telling him of what caused the Utwig to go mad, he was sad, the Supox had modelled there culture on that of the Utwig, he was distressed to hear that they had fell to the Dynarri.
  Lord 498 also told Flick of the Yehat-Shofixti war, Chmmr-Spathi war and the continued Umgah raids on the Ur-quan, but Flick was relieved to hear that the odds weren’t all in the Dynarri’s favour, the Thraddash, who Flick thought had been wiped-out in the Ilwrath-Thaddash war, had been re-built to it’s pre-war state and was currently attemping to help in the war. Flick and Lord 498 talked for many hours before Flick departed from the Crateris Constellation and began his  many week long reconnasence mission, he wanted to find out how bad the War is and decided he would start by finding out about the Umgah. 

[Valaggar]

'Filter list to Potential Trading Partners for specified commodity', commanded Trade Master Jade.
All but three of the hundreds of race names that filled the ship's computer screen vanished in an instant.

Dnyarri - Estimated demand: 3214-4329 units. Estimated demand (specific): 23-1332 units. Estimated supply: 23-124 units. Risk factor: 100%. Overall desirability factor: 0 units. Recommendation: Avoid target species (minimal range: 5 HyperSpace distance units).
Supox - Estimated demand: 5987-6400 units. Estimated demand (specific): 42-75 units. Estimated supply: 0 units. Risk factor: 2.75%. Overall desirability factor: 0 units. Recommendation: Avoid trade with target species.
Supox (specific: Flick, coordinates: A79D3:34CB0, vector: 58C,2) - Estimated demand: 232-653 units. Estimated demand (specific): 208-624 units. Supply (precise): 2534 units. Risk factor: 0.5%. Overall desirability factor: 2534 units. Recommendation: Trade with target, highest price.

'It's obvious', smiled Jade. 'Subordinate Pinky, set course for specified coordinates.'
'But I thought you had that other plan with...' protested a smallish Melnorme with an especially high voice.
'Never mind that, subordinate,' sighed Jade. These younger crewmembers had a habit of talking way too much and in a way too rude manner. That Melnorme custom about adopting apprentices clearly had some merit in its time, but...
'But he will learn', he tried to calm himself down. 'Then I'll be able to exchange him for someone more worthy. Ahh, of all our customs, I never thought I'd one day get to hate precisely this one...' Was it really the fate of old Melnorme to lose their sanity because of those annoying apprentices they had to raise? 'Alas, I guess it's not worth the Credits to learn if it's true or not...', he tried to lighten himself up.

Seconds later, the Jewel of Exponentially Increasing Profits, Melnorme Trade Master Jade's Trader ship, was heading on an intercept course towards Thistle, Supox Captain Flick's Blade.

[Trekkie]

Flick Looked through the new information on the Ship Computer, Thanks to the Ur-quan, the ships out-of-date records were updated Flick was particularly interested in the Dynarri, no Supox knew what they were, Flick was one of the very first to find out. Flick walked out the Captains Quarters after an hour or so of reading, he made his way to the Nutrient Halls. The problem with hyperspace travel, He thought, was that it took days, even weeks, to get to the destination. Flick rooted himself down and pondered what was going to happen to the region of space. Would the Dynarri win and enslave the races of the Allaince? Flick hoped not, he didn’t think that the Dynarri could defeat the rest of the Alliance. The Alliance was the most powerful thing in this region of space.

Flick unrooted himself as he heard his name over the ships Intercom,
“Captain Flick, sensors are detecting a Melnorme Trader on an Intercept course,”
“Ok, I’m on my way to the Bridge.” Flick walked out the room and ambled over to the lift and headed to the Bridge,
“Open a channel to the Trader,”
“Aye captain, channel open” the comm. Officer replied,
“Greetings Melnorme, May the light always reach your Leaves!”

[Valaggar]

No matter for how long one has spoken with and studied about the Melnorme, it is nigh impossible to tell what feeling a Melnorme's face shows at a given moment - they vary so much from case to case even at a single Melnorme that one might wonder if even themselves can decipher each other's expressions. That is why nobody but Jade himself could have said if the weird, asymmetrical posture/expression he took was caused by sheer excitement or utter boredom.

'Salutations, Supox Captain Flick. Since we have conducted business with your species before, I assume you already know our trade procedures, so let us get down to business.'

Mysteriously, the bridge swiftly turned purple.

'While I see no reason for you to limit your purchase to just that, I have reasons to believe you might be interested in a certain piece of information concerning recent events on Beta Orionis I (which may, or may not, help you in your travels). Since your current balance is 0 Credits, I believe that we will need to work out a special deal. It happens that we are interested in two mostly unsignificant devices aboard your ship - Wimbli's Trident and the Glowing Rod - we consider either of them a reasonable payment for the information we want to sell. There is another rather relevant piece of information concerning Dnyarri mental compulsion which may (or may not) prove invaluable for your continued survival. It is available for the other one of your two artifacts.'
'Nonetheless, should you be interested in purchasing other commodities from us, we would be obliged to lend you the necessary sum of Credits', Jade continued with an ambiguous smile.

[Trekkie]

Flick looked uneasily around the Thistles bridge crew before looking back at the Melnorme,
“Sorry to inform you, but we have already gifted the Glowing Rod and Wimbli’s Trident to our Ur-Quan friends.”
Flick paused momentarily before continuing,
“Perhaps you would like to trade information on the Dynarri for something other than the Artifacts?” Flick asked, he studied the Melnorme’s “Creepy” grin, trying to discern what emotion he was showing, and failing dismally.
“But in the meantime I believe the Thistle needs refuelled, if you be so kind as to help us out,” Flick said, breaking into a smile of his own at the thought of that the War couldn’t be too bad if the  Melnorme still traded.


Flicks attention shifted to the comm officer, what he heard wiped the smile from his face,
“Captain, I’m detecting 3 ships heading towards us, I think there of Umgah Design.”
Flick looked at the Melnorme In alarm,
“Sorry, but I believe we may have to cut this conversation short, we’re detecting Umgah heading this way, does your sensors detect them?”