Towards the Present We Go, Langobards AAR (The Steppe Wolf MOD)

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1746

The Uddyx, Aemm and Bikmars worked quickly to prepare their transports filled with resources. The leaders of the races were updated about the war effort against the Overmind so they dedicated all their resources, time and soldiers for the cause. With a large portion of their warships, they started escorting their transports to the Solar System where the resources were needed to build the newest and strongest warships known to history.

Given the sheer amount of resources being transported, the transports soon got the attention of space pirates that were operating in a sector the transports must pass through. One must remember that the three races still hadn't fully recovered from the war so their warship numbers were still relatively low. These warships were enough to handle small pirates but what they would be facing was beyond their capabilities as they soon learned.

The warships were entering the sector when they detected a large force heading their way. The three races weren't informed about the new pirates that started operating the sector. The pirates were quite powerful as they banded together following the destruction of their homeworlds following several gruesome wars. Instead of striving for a small empire where they worked with other races, these aliens chose the life of piracy to obtain what they needed.

The transports were fairly slow with the cargo aboard so they had no chance of outrunning the incoming pirates. The warships had no choice but engage the incoming pirates hoping to come out victorious. However, the pirates were roughly at the same technological levels so their ships weren't inferior in quality. Additionally, the pirates had more ships at their disposal so that only shifted the odds more in their favor. As the battle progressed, the Uddyx requested help from the Celestial Crystal.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Space pirates! Scourge of the Milky Way!

I wonder what the Overmind is doing in its other dimension. Probably genetically engineering the perfect being while slaughtering the weak for sport.

 

[blklizard]

Space pirates! Scourge of the Milky Way!

I wonder what the Overmind is doing in its other dimension. Probably genetically engineering the perfect being while slaughtering the weak for sport.

The Overmind won't be making an appearance just yet. Lots of other things to cover before we get there.

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1747

The Langobards were quickly informed about the space pirates seeing them responding quickly by assembling a number of warships. They pinpointed the location of the battle and set the coordinates to their warp drives. The Celestial Crystal told the Uddyx that reinforcements were inbound and, moments later, the Langobards warships arrived onto the battlefield. Their sudden appearance caught both allies and the enemies unaware.

As soon as the Langobards warships arrived onto the scene, the battle was basically decided. The space pirates were utterly crushed with a few surviving ships fleeing from the area. After a quick discussion with Dabilh, the admiral of the small Langobards fleet ordered a pursuit. This was the closest distance between the Celestial Crystal's followers and the Solar System so they needed to ensure that path was eliminated of danger.

The crew of the pirate ships that fled somehow believed that they were safe but, instead, they led the Langobards directly to the planetary system where the pirates claimed as their base. The Langobards warships remained cloaked as they followed the pirates. Once they were certain they found the place the pirates made their home, the warships uncloaked and separated to attack the many planets and pirate space bases.

It was utter chaos for the pirates who hadn't expected this attack. The Langobards targeted the main production and military facilities to cripple the pirates. Once the battle was over, the pirates lost a large portion of their ships, production facilities and even a number of natural satellites. The Langobards admiral sent a message to the pirates that, if they foolishly tried to intercept transports heading to the Solar System, they wouldn't be so lucky next time.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1748

Just as the Langobards fleet was about to leave the planetary system, their sensors told them that the space and time distortion was detected. To the horror of the Langobards admiral, the planets were slowly pulled into another realm like a a black hole was sucking them up. He ordered his ships to warp out but the ships were unable to escape. Their warping devices failed to respond claiming that the ships were already warping.

The admiral managed to sent a single message back home before all his ships were pulled into an alternate realm. His ships disappeared without a trace which caused much alarm for the Langobards back home. The Celestial Crystal did a scan for them but it failed to locate them at all. The Langobards fleet was nowhere to be seen along with the entire planetary system that just vanished in an instant.

Langobards warships were sent to investigate the last known location of the the small fleet. When they arrived, the captains weren't surprised to see nothing left. Every planet, natural satellite and even debris was gone as only empty space remained in the sector. This wasn't normal by any accounts since there were no indication that a black hole actually existed in the sector, not that a black hole ceased to exist so quickly.

Based on the short message, the Langobards got the impression that everything there was involuntarily warped to another realm. Even the Celestial Crystal and Inferno Crystal didn't think this was a natural phenomenon. They checked their memory for anything that even resembled what happened but they came up blank. The two artifacts wondered if the Eonon was responsible for this since they were capable to distorting time so distorting space wasn't that ludicrous.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1749

The Langobards ships were ordered to escort the transports to the Solar System since they were heading back home anyways. The warp drives were down so the warships had to head home the old fashion way. The Celestial Crystal followers suffered relatively heavy casualties but the arrival of the earlier Langobards fleet meant there were survivors as opposed to the destruction of their warships and the loss of the transports.

Because the planetary system was relatively far from where the transports were, the Langobards were unable to get more answers from their allies. The trip was completed seeing a large influx of resource that should last the Langobards a few months at most. Fearing for the safety of their allies, the Langobards warships were ordered to escort the allied ships back home. By then, their warp drives would be available so a trip home would be a swift one.

The Langobards couldn't help but wonder about what actually happened. They had no leads to go with but they were free to make up theories and speculations. If the incident was indeed related to the Overmind and Eonon, then this was alarming indeed. They needed to learn what the Overmind was planning and put a stop to it. What they feared the most was that, while the Langobards ships were advanced, they would eventually be defeated as they were isolated from reinforcements.

As a result, the Eonon would learn how advanced the Langobards were so they would plan an invasion before the Langobards were fully ready. At the moment, the Langobards were still not in position to challenge the Overmind. The recent influx of resources would speed up the progress but the fleet needed to challenge the Eonon would be quite enormous requiring a hundred times the resource received. The Langobards hoped they had enough time to prepare for the war.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1750

When the Langobards warships returned to the Solar System, the crew aboard learned that they weren't alone in their sector. A large number of ships appeared only a few kilometers from their position and they didn't seem friendly. A quick glance told the Langobards that the incoming ships were warships and, once in range, the foreign ships opened fire. The Langobards were therefore forced to respond to the act of aggression as they opened fire at these unexpected visitors.

The Langobards warships easily dispatched the enemy forces despite being outnumbered at least twenty ships to one. The advanced shield and armor for the Langobards ensured that they suffered minimal damage and no casualties. The same couldn't be said about the enemy with the majority of their ships destroyed. A few were captured as the Langobards wanted to know why these aliens attacked them out of the blue without being provoked at all.

The captured ships were soon boarded. While the aliens did resist, they stood little chance against the humans who had combat armor that neutralized any weapons the aliens had. Once the aliens were subjugated, they were escorted to a special cell on the Moon where they would be interrogated. What the Langobards wanted to know was why the aliens attacked them in the first place. They were worried that the Overmind might have a hand in all of this.

The interrogation went quickly with the Langobards soon getting the answers they sought. The aliens had no association with the Overmind which was a great relief. The idea that their enemy was already aware of their progress was a terrifying one which none of the Langobards wanted to imagine. Until the humans were ready to take on the Overmind's new servants, it would remain wise to keep a low profile as the Langobards slowly built up their own strength.

When asked why the aliens attacked the Langobards, the prisoners argued that it was in their blood to wage war against any race in the universes. They believed that conflicts at the scale of wars were keeping their life force strong. The day they turned their back on wars would be the day they meet their demise at the hands of their gods. In other words, the aliens attacked the Langobards because the humans happened to cross their path.

The Langobards had no choice but execute their prisoners who vowed to exact their revenge if they were allowed to walk free. It pained them to do so but they didn't want these aliens to one day create complications, especially during a war that would determine the fate of all lifeforms. The Langobards couldn't take risks when so much was at stake. The aliens were firm in their belief that violence was the only option they had in their lives so an swift execution was probably the proper way for their lives to end.

Few days later, the Langobards learned that they only encountered a small enemy force that happened to have warp drives on their ships. While this small detachment was sent to pursue the Langobards, the main core was gathering for an attack on the Uddyx capital. According to the messages from the Uddyx communicating with the Celestial Crystal, there were so many enemy ships that, even in space, they could block out certain parts of space with many stars concealed from view.

The Uddyx weren't alone as the Aemm and Bikmars were facing similar problems. The Langobards didn't believe in coincidences so they assumed that there was a mastermind behind all these attacks. It was certainly wise to target the weaker members of the alliance when they still contribute a significant amount to the entire alliance. Once the weaker members were gone, the alliance would also be weaker overall allowing the enemy to take advantage.

Langobards warships were promptly assembled with the various coordinates provided to their captains. There weren't too many ships available since the Langobards were still in their early stages of mass warship production. There had to be a balance between how many ships should be sent and how many ships should stay behind if the enemy intend on targeting a lesser defended Solar System. There was still speculations that the aliens were puppets to someone.

To neglect the Celestial Crystal's followers would be a poor mistake since they were vital to the upcoming war. Their aid indirectly were to make an enormous difference in the final outcome where the Langobards needed every edge they could acquire. The worst part about the war was that the Langobards didn't know when or where the Overmind might strike. There was also no way of collecting intelligence on the Overmind and the Eonon.

While Dabilh still believed that the perfect beings sought by the Overmind would create their own future, the other Langobards were unconvinced since they had so little to go upon. They appreciated the former Eonon's opinion but they wanted to prepare for a scenario where the Overmind was in charge. Such a scenario might be more ideal since Dabilh knew the Overmind better than any human and that was another small edge they could acquire.

Should the Overmind's creations rise up against it, then the Langobards had nothing on their enemy. They must react and learn about their enemy as quickly as possible during engagements. There were so many unpredictable factors that might arise putting the Langobards at a significant disadvantage. The humans only hoped that the enemy was at a similar situation given how much the Langobards progressed in a short amount of time.

The advances made in the Mylar System had changed the Langobards completely. The humans went from a fairly advanced race in the universes to a race that outpaced all but the Eonon. Even the two artifacts were impressed at how the two Codices contributed to the progress of the Langobards. They had seen golden ages in the past but none of them came close to matching the progress the Langobards made in a year within the Mylar System distorted time.

There had been speculations that the Overmind might be aware of the Langobards being in possession of one Codex but Dabilh was very doubtful of that. All of the Eonon except him sent into the trial were confirmed dead while there was no way for them to communicate with the Overmind directly. Dabilh said he tried but the trial made such communication impossible unless one passed every challenge and reached the very end.

As a result, the Overmind wouldn't learn about the Langobards' significant progress unless its followers informed it after learning about it themselves. The Langobards had been very careful since they returned to the Solar System where they placed advanced devices that could detect the presence of any cloaked ships. The Inferno Crystal, after being ambushed, had some data which allowed the Langobards to develop such devices to counter against the Eonon cloaking devices.

The warlike aliens made the Langobards doubt themselves. They could see this as a plot to weaken them allowing the Overmind to strike. Whatever choice they made, they would be at a disadvantage making it a lose-lose situation. Thus, the Langobards chose to aid their allies as neglecting them would go against their ideals. Some things mustn't be lost or the Langobards would stray from the path given to them since their existence.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Must be a lame life having to go around killing people all the time. How did they evolve to a space-travel stage if they are required to constantly fight everyone? They should have wiped themselves out long ago.

That's the second time a ship has disappeared into another dimension or something. I'd be suspicious if I was the Langobards.

 

[blklizard]

Must be a lame life having to go around killing people all the time. How did they evolve to a space-travel stage if they are required to constantly fight everyone? They should have wiped themselves out long ago.

That's the second time a ship has disappeared into another dimension or something. I'd be suspicious if I was the Langobards.

Well, it is the only life they know of. Of course, they must have extraordinary reproduction rates to maintain that sort of lifestyle.

Good thing you're not a Langobards since you would just ruin the story.

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1751

The Langobards divided their forces into two groups. One group was left to defend the Solar System against any threats while the other group would be further split up to aid the three of Celestial Crystal's followers. The first engagement between the two belligerents already confirmed that a handful of Langobards warships was enough to handle a large enemy fleet. The main objective was to minimize the casualties suffered by their allies.

With their three allies in the process of rebuilding, the sudden invasion was a serious setback. The Langobards wouldn't be affected by the invasion unless the Overmind orchestrated the whole thing. If that were the case, then the Langobards would be fighting for their survival against a fleet sent by the Overmind that was likely already lying in wait. The idea that a serious threat was very near worried the Langobards but the top officials already made the decision to aid their allies.

The Langobards warships were soon ready to warp into their respective coordinates. The battles had already begun so, the sooner they arrive, the sooner they would make an impact in the battle. Once they got their permission, the captains of the ships gave orders seeing the warships entering warp space. It would be awhile before they recovered their ability to warp anywhere so this was the ideal moment for the Overmind's servants to strike.

The top officials waited nervously for their outposts to report a large enemy fleet approaching the Solar System. While the Langobards were mass producing warships and training personnel en masse, they expected the Overmind to anticipate this and work to overcome it. The Eonon were veterans in wars and their last defeat was only made possible with the help of the Creators. The Langobards had two very weak Creators so the odds weren't exactly in their favor.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1752

The minutes passed by but the enemy fleet never materialized. There was a possibility for the enemy ships to get past the outposts unnoticed but getting a large fleet was practically impossible. The Overmind had to either developed new cloaking technology or the enemy fleet got exceptionally lucky. Once an hour passed, the Langobards were convinced that the Overmind wasn't behind the invasions. They doubted the Overmind would waste precious time when it could accomplish so much in the time that passed.

Under the suggestions of the more pessimistic top officials, the Langobards maintained their emergency status and asked their various space bases to keep an eye open. They mustn't let the enemy catch them unprepared resulting in a crushing defeat on their side. A crushing defeat would erase all the progress they made while guaranteeing the end of their universes. The Overmind dominated one dimension already. The Langobards mustn't let it dominate a second one.

Meanwhile, the Langobards warships arrived at the respective planetary systems where they immediately engaged the enemy. Their three allies already suffered horrendous casualties after an hour of fighting overwhelming odds. The fact that they weren't completely overwhelmed was impressive and they managed to buy enough time for the Langobards to arrive. The battle was pretty much determined now that the cavalry had arrived.

The Langobards warships completely outmatched everything the enemy thrown at them. Except for a few lucky shots that scratched the hulls, the Langobards warships were basically unharmed in the entire battle while the wreckage of enemy ships littered the space. Oddly enough, the wreckage would be perfect for the Langobards who were in need of more materials for their own warships. Their allies had plenty of resources stockpiled so the Langobards could help themselves to it.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1753

The process of collecting the debris from the aftermath of the battle had begun. Because the Langobards warships lacked the capacity to carry the amount of debris to make a warp jump worthwhile and their allies lacked the ships to efficiently gather the potential resources, Dabilh ordered a few factories to shift their production to building larger cargo ships meant to fly through debris field and gather as much resources as they could.

These cargo ships had to be equipped with warp drives so it wouldn't take forever for them to return home and not require a constant escort. The ship's design was fairly simple as the hull was built to withstand the impact with debris while the interior, except for the cockpit, would be entirely used for cargo space. At the rate the factories were producing ships, a hundred or so cargo ships were built in a few days before the factories went back to warship production.

Since the Langobards anticipated the arrival of the cargo ships, some warships were left behind to protect them. The latest invasion was a good indication that danger could arise at the most unexpected moments so the Langobards must remain vigilant. The cargo ships warped into their respective coordinates as soon as they were tested for functionality. They soon began their mission of collecting resources to ship back home.

The warp drives on the cargo ships differed slightly from those of the warships. First, they had a shorter range as they were built simply for the debris field outside the homeworlds of the allies of Langobards. Secondly, they could be used in short bursts but that would require replacement every time they return home. This would ensure that they could speed up the process while some extra effort was put into therepairs and replacement of the warp drive. Overall, the resource collecting shouldn't last longer than a week.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1754

While the cargo ships were collecting the debris, the Langobards located a planetary system that was uninhabited. A quick exploration showed that lifeforms had existed there but such wasn't the case anymore. There were even signs of civilization with evidence that weathered through the ages. What caught their attention was the large reserve of rare metals found in a number of planets. The rare metals were difficult to find elsewhere and were vital to the weapon systems.

Before the Langobards started digging greedily, Dabilh had squads sent to the surface to learn about the local climate. He wanted to know what wiped out the local lifeforms as the danger must still exist on the planets. Because the atmosphere on the planets weren't suited for humans, the squad members wore suits to protect them against the element while they explored the surface. Initially, there weren't much that caught their attention on the barren landscape.

A week into exploration, one of the squads came across what appeared as a temple carved into a mountain. They chose to enter inside thinking that whatever was inside might be better preserved than anything left exposed outside. As they entered the cavern, squad members were becoming ill which was a good indication that they should leave immediately. Everyone returned to the ship and barely managed to return to the Solar System.

Medical personnel were sent to care for the sick squad members who, before being sent, went through tests that showed they were fit. The fact that they got ill so suddenly was unnerving and required immediate investigation. The squad members eventually made their recovery but the Langobards weren't any closer to learning about the sudden "illness" they got. All the Langobards had to work with was the visuals from their cameras which might provide an insight of what was hidden within the temple and the cause of the "illness."

 

[Michaelangelo]

Shouldn't our solar system be called the Sol system after our sun?

 

[blklizard]

Shouldn't our solar system be called the Sol system after our sun?

I got the impression that Solar System is the name of the system comprised of our Sun and planets. There's a reason why I use the term planetary system and star system but I'm not an expert.

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1755

The Langobards were about to give up on their search for answers when the Inferno Crystal recalled something from its past. The artifact remembered similar symbols that it encountered when it had passed through the planetary system a long time ago. It remembered the rising civilization that was thriving in the planetary system but, even then, it sensed something dark and sinister originating from the planets themselves.

Curious about what this might be, the Inferno Crystal returned to the planetary system to investigate. A few decades had passed since it last visited the planetary system and the civilization there had already been destroyed. There was no evidence of survivors which was a troubling thought. The dark and sinister aura the artifact felt before was stronger than ever and seemed to engulf the entire planets as if squeezing the life out of them.

Not wanting to risk the lives of the crew that was traveling with it, the Inferno Crystal chose to head to the planet in spectral form alone. It wanted some answers since it hoped that whatever remained on the planets would remain in the planetary system never to spread elsewhere. Exploring the planet surface brought the Inferno Crystal to an entrance of a temple which was nothing it had ever seen.

The Inferno Crystal headed inside the temple with caution despite being in spectral form. The aura was strongest inside and felt like it was coming from a living thing. It tread carefully until it entered the inner sanctum where it was greeted by a bloody scene. There were body parts of the inhabitants that were scattered throughout the interior while a dark orb was at the center appearing to be absorbing them as it continued emitting its sinister aura.

 

[blklizard]

Table of Contents (Part 9):

The Unexpected Setback
-Chapter 1750
-Chapter 1751 -Chapter 1752 -Chapter 1753 -Chapter 1754 -Chapter 1755
-Chapter 1756 -Chapter 1757 -Chapter 1758 -Chapter 1759 -Chapter 1760

The Eonon Survivors
-Chapter 1761 -Chapter 1762 -Chapter 1763 -Chapter 1764 -Chapter 1765
-Chapter 1766 -Chapter 1767 -Chapter 1768 -Chapter 1769 -Chapter 1770
-Chapter 1771 -Chapter 1772 -Chapter 1773 -Chapter 1774 -Chapter 1775

New Langobards Ships
-Chapter 1776 -Chapter 1777 -Chapter 1778 -Chapter 1779 -Chapter 1780
-Chapter 1781 -Chapter 1782 -Chapter 1783 -Chapter 1784 -Chapter 1785

Namuh Ships
-Chapter 1786 -Chapter 1787 -Chapter 1788 -Chapter 1789 -Chapter 1790

Battle Of Pluto
-Chapter 1791 -Chapter 1792 -Chapter 1793 -Chapter 1794 -Chapter 1795
-Chapter 1796 -Chapter 1797 -Chapter 1798 -Chapter 1799

The Roman Afterlife
-Chapter 1800

Battle Of Pluto
-Chapter 1801 -Chapter 1802 -Chapter 1803 -Chapter 1804 -Chapter 1805

Battle of the PDF
-Chapter 1806 -Chapter 1807 -Chapter 1808 -Chapter 1809 -Chapter 1810
-Chapter 1811 -Chapter 1812 -Chapter 1813 -Chapter 1814 -Chapter 1815
-Chapter 1816 -Chapter 1817 -Chapter 1818 -Chapter 1819 -Chapter 1820
-Chapter 1821 -Chapter 1822 -Chapter 1823 -Chapter 1824 -Chapter 1825
-Chapter 1826 -Chapter 1827 -Chapter 1828 -Chapter 1829 -Chapter 1830
-Chapter 1831 -Chapter 1832 -Chapter 1833 -Chapter 1834 -Chapter 1835
-Chapter 1836 -Chapter 1837 -Chapter 1838 -Chapter 1839 -Chapter 1840

The Qoahx
-Chapter 1841 -Chapter 1842 -Chapter 1843 -Chapter 1844 -Chapter 1845
-Chapter 1846 -Chapter 1847 -Chapter 1848 -Chapter 1849 -Chapter 1850
-Chapter 1851 -Chapter 1852 -Chapter 1853 -Chapter 1854 -Chapter 1855

The Human Resistance
-Chapter 1856 -Chapter 1857 -Chapter 1858 -Chapter 1859 -Chapter 1860

The Foreign Ship
-Chapter 1861 -Chapter 1862 -Chapter 1863 -Chapter 1864 -Chapter 1865

The Apocalypse (Part 2)
-Chapter 1866 -Chapter 1867 -Chapter 1868 -Chapter 1869 -Chapter 1870
-Chapter 1871 -Chapter 1872 -Chapter 1873 -Chapter 1874 -Chapter 1875
-Chapter 1876 -Chapter 1877 -Chapter 1878 -Chapter 1879 -Chapter 1880

The Wybla Invasion
-Chapter 1881 -Chapter 1882 -Chapter 1883 -Chapter 1884 -Chapter 1885
-Chapter 1886 -Chapter 1887 -Chapter 1888 -Chapter 1889 -Chapter 1890
-Chapter 1891 -Chapter 1892 -Chapter 1893 -Chapter 1894 -Chapter 1895
-Chapter 1896 -Chapter 1897 -Chapter 1898 -Chapter 1899 -Chapter 1900
-Chapter 1901 -Chapter 1902 -Chapter 1903 -Chapter 1904 -Chapter 1905
-Chapter 1906 -Chapter 1907 -Chapter 1908 -Chapter 1909 -Chapter 1910

The Apocalypse Campaign
-Chapter 1911 -Chapter 1912 -Chapter 1913 -Chapter 1914 -Chapter 1915
-Chapter 1916 -Chapter 1917 -Chapter 1918 -Chapter 1919 -Chapter 1920
-Chapter 1921 -Chapter 1922 -Chapter 1923 -Chapter 1924 -Chapter 1925
-Chapter 1926 -Chapter 1927 -Chapter 1928 -Chapter 1929 -Chapter 1930

The Apocalypse Campaign (2)
-Chapter 1931 -Chapter 1932 -Chapter 1933 -Chapter 1934 -Chapter 1935
-Chapter 1936 -Chapter 1937 -Chapter 1938 -Chapter 1939 -Chapter 1940
-Chapter 1941 -Chapter 1942 -Chapter 1943 -Chapter 1944 -Chapter 1945
-Chapter 1946 -Chapter 1947 -Chapter 1948 -Chapter 1949 -Chapter 1950
-Chapter 1951 -Chapter 1952 -Chapter 1953 -Chapter 1954 -Chapter 1955
-Chapter 1956 -Chapter 1957 -Chapter 1958 -Chapter 1959 -Chapter 1960
-Chapter 1961 -Chapter 1962 -Chapter 1963 -Chapter 1964 -Chapter 1965
-Chapter 1966 -Chapter 1967 -Chapter 1968 -Chapter 1969 -Chapter 1970

The Apocalypse Campaign (3)
-Chapter 1971 -Chapter 1972 -Chapter 1973 -Chapter 1974 -Chapter 1975
-Chapter 1976 -Chapter 1977 -Chapter 1978 -Chapter 1979 -Chapter 1980
-Chapter 1981 -Chapter 1982 -Chapter 1983 -Chapter 1984 -Chapter 1985
-Chapter 1986 -Chapter 1987 -Chapter 1988 -Chapter 1989 -Chapter 1990
-Chapter 1991 -Chapter 1992 -Chapter 1993 -Chapter 1994 -Chapter 1995
-Chapter 1996 -Chapter 1997 -Chapter 1998 -Chapter 1999 -Chapter 2000

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1756

If there was a time for the Inferno Crystal to feel fear, this was the moment. Despite being in spectral form, it didn't feel safe being so near the dark orb. It dared not venture too close fearing that it might be absorbed by the dark orb as well. The scene inside the temple indicated what had happened to the inhabitants but there were still many questions lingering in the mind of the Inferno Crystal. It pondered if the answers were worth risking its life for.

The dark orb, appearing to have just detected a new presence, started emitting a light in the direction of the Inferno Crystal. The beam narrowly missed the Inferno Crystal's spectral form but it could feel the energy emitted by the beam. Without hesitation, it backed away out of the temple to leave the dark orb behind it. Yet, there was a voice calling to it enticing the Inferno Crystal to go back. Fighting the voice proved more difficult than the artifact thought it would be.

The Inferno Crystal, in its spectral form, struggled against the voice using solely its willpower to leave. While inside the temple, it was unable to return to its physical body so it must make the trip out of the temple in the spectral form. The voice was getting louder as it approached the exit and there were a few instances when the artifact felt tempted to turn back. Yet, it refused to be persuaded and fought the voice. The Inferno Crystal eventually left the temple and returned to its physical form.

Once it returned to the ship, the Inferno Crystal ordered the crew to leave the planetary system at once. It vowed to never return but, as time passed by, the planetary system became a distant memory. The artifact only hoped that the dark orb would eventually end itself when it had no more corpses to feed upon. The fact that its aura no longer swallowed the planet surface was reassuring but it would appear that it still existed in the depths of the temple. Chances were that there was a dark orb on every planet.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Solar system would be the same as planetary or star system.

This dark orb seems quite sinister. I wonder if it is related to the Overmind in any way.

 

[blklizard]

Solar system would be the same as planetary or star system.

This dark orb seems quite sinister. I wonder if it is related to the Overmind in any way.

Not according to Wiki but I'm not exactly using the best source. I think you meant dark orbs as in plural.

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1757

It made sense for the Langobards to ignore the dark orbs altogether. They knew so little about the sinister artifacts that took the lives of the inhabitants that once lived on the planets. Without more knowledge on the dark orbs, it would be foolish for them to take action that might cost them their lives. The Langobards could always search elsewhere for the resources they needed to keep their factories operation at maximum capacity.

What stopped the Langobards from ignoring the dark orbs was the obligation the two crystals had in finding the secret behind the dark orbs. They were still assigned the task of protecting all lifeforms and allowing the dark orbs undisturbed could have serious consequences. Given the relative proximity of the dark orbs and the Solar System, there was a real possibility for the Overmind's servants to come across them by accident.

The Overmind already had technological advances that made it nearly impossible to defeat, especially if the Langobards hadn't come across the two Codices. If it could master the dark orbs that was enough to harm the Inferno Crystal in spectral form, then the odds of defeating it would weigh much more heavily against the Langobards. The two crystals also believed that it wasn't pure coincidence that the Langobards came across the dark orbs.

When looking at the galactic map, it was clear that the Langobards didn't expand steadily in their search area. Instead, they somehow made a b-line direclty to the planetary system that was home to the dark orbs. The rich resources in the planetary system was part of the reason but there was also likely some other powers at play. Dabilh assembled a squad to specifically deal with the dark orbs to learn more about the sinister artifacts.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1758

The squad consisted of a number of very daring men and women who were willing to give their lives for the knowledge of the dark orbs. The leader of the squad was a young woman by the name of Karen. She was always adventurous and never gave up on any chance to explore the unknown. Her desire to learn more also saw her becoming the top of her class in everything. When she heard about the recruitment for members to learn about the dark orbs, she jumped at the first opportunity.

One of the squad members was Karen's childhood friend, Scott. The two of them had been very close and were believed to be inseparable. As a result, Scott came along when he heard Karen was signing up for the mission. He stated that Karen wasn't going to have any fun without him. The two of them knew the seriousness of the mission and the risks that were involved but that didn't stop them from volunteering themselves to contribute to their people.

There were ten people in the squad and they were some of the best the Langobards had to offer. They were aware that they might not live through the mission while their chances of success was almost zero. Yet, they still agreed to the risks and were soon taken to a space base that was closest to the planetary system housing the dark orbs. They would be given some training for a few days before they were sent to one of the planet where they would begin their mission.

The suits they wore were the best suits the Langobards had available. These suits were a slightly better variation of the ones worn by those who were ill when they entered the temple. The suits could protect the squad members from the elements but that was about their limits. Once the squad members entered the temple, they would be alone and their fate would be in their own hands. Special equipment was attached to their suits so, if they died in the temple, the footage taken by their cameras would reach the other Langobards in the Solar System.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1759

The squad under Karen was landed on the same planet where their fellow Langobards got ill. They took a moment outside the temple to calm their beating hearts. This wasn't an ordinary mission so it was only natural for them to feel nervous, if not terrified. They spent a few minutes trying to give each other confidence before Karen led the way into the temple. At the entrance, they felt nothing out of the ordinary which was some good news.

The squad moved slowly allowing their camera to have time to took in footage of what was on the wall. The previous group had been too excited to find what was inside resulting in them missing the symbols drawn on the wall. It didn't escape the notice of the squad members that the symbols seemed to be written in something resembling blood. They wondered if the inhabitants' blood were used to write out the foreign language they were seeing.

They were all feeling alright with their suits constantly checking their vitals. Those in the ship orbiting the planet were nervous too since the squad members were close to where the former group had been at. If the squad members got ill, they might have to pull them out and cancel the mission. No lives was worth the knowledge hidden within. Of course, there was always the alternative of sending in robots that would do the job for the Langobards.

The reason why robots weren't sent was the time constraints the Langobards were facing. Robotics hadn't been the strongest suit for the Langobards whose technology was mainly focused on warships and factories. To design robots for this specific mission would take time that they didn't have. While the squad was exploring the temple, Dabilh already ordered probes to search elsewhere for sources of resources. The squad was sent to help the two crystals find the answers they sought.

 

[blklizard]

The Unexpected Setback

Chapter 1760

The Langobards in the ship were watching the camera footage when it suddenly blacked out. They thought there was a connection issue and worked to fix it. Yet, they soon realized that they couldn't get in touch with the squad members. Despite repeated efforts, they were unable to reconnect with the squad that suddenly vanished without a trace. None of them even claimed to be ill so their disappearance only seemed that much more mysterious.

Searching through the data involving the vitals of the squad members, the Langobards found nothing to suggest they were feeling ill. If anything, they were in very good condition until the connection was suddenly cut. Some on the ship speculated that the squad members might realize the lack of communication so they would move out to get back in range. There could be some sort of signal jammer deeper into the temple which explained the sudden loss of connection.

Waiting patiently for several minutes, there was still no sign of the members. The Langobards decided to send a probe that was small enough to fit in the passage to investigate. The probe would be navigated by their most skilled pilot. Everyone on the ship waited impatiently for possibly the squad members to show up on the probe. However, they never materialized. Instead, the probe located some of the gear that the squad was carrying.

The pilot had the probe retrieve the gear before sending it deeper into the temple. The probe eventually reached the inner sanctum where, to the surprise of the Langobards, the dark orb was no longer there. The probe was sent to the other planets too and, like the first planet, the dark orbs were nowhere to be seen. With one squad getting ill and another vanishing while the dark orbs nowhere to be seen, the Langobards couldn't figure out what happened in those temples.