Risen: Shatterverse

A Grim Discovery

"Admiral Vuto's campaign fleet has begun to transition through to the Collectorverse, ma'am," a nor'kani officer reported over her shoulder to a thoughtful Tovin, who looked up from a data tablet to let her gaze roam over New Retribution's main war room.

"Very good, C Campaign," she replied. "Get as much telemetry as is physically possible before the wormholes close and lock us out," the Risen supreme commander directed.

"Yes, ma'am," the officer replied, already working hard over their interface.

"Grid Command, alert all assets on system-wide to go to alert status one. If the Collector reacts to our fleet's presence by sending gatherers in to target Earth, I want us to be ready."

As the addressed officer began to relay that order, Tovin turned to the war room's primary comms station.

"Comms, get me Unit 3. I want to move the remaining Sword assets into high Earth orbit to cover us from the Lagrange points in case the gatherers get through our first line defenses."

"Unit 3 acknowledges," the Comms officer reported. "The Swords are moving into position now. And I have all-ready confirms from Ares Base, Ganymede, Titan, Neptune and Pluto. Standing by for the remaining stations on grid."

"Top Down, what's your status?" Tovin asked even as she acknowledged the Comms officer's report with a nod.

"Showing all clear above the plane of the ecliptic," yet another officer reported. "TDS also has eyes on both C Campaign's transition point and K Campaign's muster point and they are reading no irregular activity at either. Scans for incoming slipstream and hyperspace traffic are also clear."

Again Tovin nodded, this time with satisfaction. The beginning of their newest two-front war against the Collector and the K'ethik seemed to be without a hitch. She could only hope it continued to be that way. Now to see just what was happening with the K'ethik Campaign's fleet, which seemed to be a bit slow in getting out of the blocks.

"K Campaign, what's the status on your outbound fleet?"

"Admiral Tusk confirms the Risen portion of the fleet is in position, but the Vanguard assets are still maneuvering," another officer several work stations over from the C Campaign liaison, indicated. "Sub-Admiral Aetohk humbly requests audience to explain."

Tovin's expression tightened. Despite an infinite capacity for patience and diplomacy, the veteran psyren did not like dealing with the Vanguard's nehvest officers. Not because they were difficult; quite the opposite, actually. No, it was because of what they most recently were.

"Very well, K. Patch Aetohk through."

One of the holo-displays out on the main viewing floor shimmered to life before photonic light was sculpted into a miniature nehvest officer in full Vanguard battle armor. The figure quickly bowed.

"Supreme Commander," it rumbled in a nehvest's hard voice.

"Sub-Admiral Aetohk. What word do you bring?" Tovin quickly replied, familiar with how the nehvest liked to get to the point."

Aetohk straightened and began to speak.

"Vanguard fleet elements have encountered several mobile swarm clouds," the nehvest officer began, "and have incurred losses trying to slow them down."

Tovin's frown returned with a hard twist.

"Mobile swarm clouds?" she repeated and Aetohk nodded.

"The K'ethik are using some sort of magnetic field drive that we haven't seen before to gain this newfound mobility," it replied. "Operations and Tactics suggests they may have gained the tech from one of the planets they recently subsumed."