Exilian

"The Eldric Chronicles."
 
Recording by Eldric von Prokopovich, commander of the Coalition's psi-units.
The current date is September 25, 2596, Earth calendar.
 
Audiogram 1. Day One. Siege of the Colony.
 
"Their ships arrived suddenly. We still can't figure out why... What was the purpose of besieging Tsavan? It's just a developing colony, small in numbers. There's nothing of value here. Did they really think they'd settle here? Settle here... on this lost planet, deprived of oxygen? But they came... And they came in full force... A fleet of at least 45 ships has been detected. Clearly warships. Identification is still unclear. Who is this... What is this... And why have these unknown aliens even come to our galaxy? What do they want here? As if other problems weren't enough...
The day before, I had a vision... A strange one. Thousands upon thousands of ships are flooding the stars... This isn't just a coincidence. It's an omen. A harbinger of great sorrow."
Pause. "Admiral Vitalius sent word. He says there are too many unknown ships. Not 45 anymore, but 80. I quickly ran them through the Thutmerhar. She analyzed all the incoming data. These are the Ollusians. Ollus-Ektray. portugaling crabs. But how can this be if these creatures were destroyed 10 thousand years before the Coalition.... Although no, not 10 thousand. 10 thousand years before the Coalition they were already considered extinct. They talked about them in Doctor Collins's textbooks. Now the neural network says that these are the Ollusians. The Thutmerhar can't be wrong. It has never been wrong. That's why they use it, both in the army and in the navy. Ollus-Ektray. A race of arthropods that once destroyed half the galaxy. If this is really so... It's scary to imagine what could happen. A new invasion is clearly not "Beyond the mountains...I saw more than just a dream...."
 
Audiogram 2. Day two. Attack.
 
"I analyzed the data received from Vitaly. Well, what can I say... I guessed it. Tsavan is under attack. Thousands of landing craft hit the surface. Some strange monkey-like creatures crawled out along with walking armored vehicles. Armed with something apparently similar to our blasters. The defense forces were unable to hold them back. Neither the SPM, nor the Coalition troops. They chopped them all down into cabbage... These macaques did not stand on ceremony with anyone. You shoot them in the legs, and they still continue to advance, crawl, tear with their teeth, hands, whatever they have. The only thing that worked against them was shooting at the bags. Bags of oxygen, or whatever they breathe. Without air, they immediately fell and suffocated... But the rest continued the attack. Following them were the drones... Walkers. Either robots or tanks, damn it Who knows... Maybe there are pilots inside, but these designs reminded me of our mechs. The unmanned ones, Elf'urr-made. Fire from the walkers directly at the macaques and ours. These macaques are clearly not simple soldiers. For the Ollusians, they are slaves... Well, that's what I think, and Vitaly agrees. Only slaves are discarded... That's if you think like the Ollusians. The ancient sources clearly mentioned what they did to the slaves. Pumped them full of stimulants and threw them into battle. Now it's the same thing. That's why they behave like berserkers. Cut off both their arms, and they'll start kicking you... Damn crabs. Why do they do this... I feel sorry for the macaques already."
 
Audiogram 3. Day three. Tsavan captured.
 
"Tsavan was captured in two days. Unthinkable... Vitaly couldn't do anything. He had to withdraw the flotilla. Ollusian drones smashed fifteen cruisers! Fifteen defense vessels! Simply destroyed. And ours couldn't even respond. The reports are disappointing. Only two Ollusian ships were hit. Fifteen were destroyed in two salvos, and those were ours. A heavy defeat. The evacuation from Tsavan was carried out through a portal. It's lucky there weren't that many guys there. The gate had to be blown up so that the macaques wouldn't dare pursue. Nothing fell into the hands of the enemy. No coordinates, no information, no data... All of that was destroyed before the retreat. But Tsavan... A colony in which trillions of denarii were invested. Tens of trillions... Now it doesn't exist. Even the explosion of the generator didn't stop the avalanche. The Ollusians kept coming and coming. Their drones and countless Hordes of macaques... They never showed up. Cowardly bastards. They did the same back then, in the old days. They never liked to personally go into battle. Only to command. To lead. All for the sake of their inflated egos... wanting to control, destroy, and annihilate. No wonder one sage from Earth said that the ego is the end of everything. Let it develop, and it will never stop."
 
Audiogram 4. Day four. Nahortenk evacuated.
 
"Governor Salieri evacuated Nahortenk. A thriving colony, yet another... But it won't repeat Tsavan's fate. The Coalition won't allow it. The Coalition won't hand over all its colonies to the bastards on a silver platter! No... It will be a surprise. A very nasty and unpleasant one. The city is empty. The Ollusians will undoubtedly send an army there. We'll see what they find there..."
Pause. "Oh yeah... I got the data five minutes ago. The city exploded. As soon as the Ollusians entered, everything went to hell! That's how it should be... At least there wasn't a single living creature there. Well, a couple of our robots... We don't know how many Ollusians died, but I have a feeling they were slaves. It's a shame we couldn't catch a single real Ollusian. These crabs are only used to commanding. War is a dirty business for them. 'Let the slaves howl... And we'll sit and wait'... But at least it's something. At least they did some damage. It's just a shame they sacrificed an entire colony. It was beautiful...
I remember I was there... About five years ago, before the war. It was awesome... And I don't even want to remember it now. Tears come to my eyes..."
 
Audiogram 5. Day Five. Meeting at the Binary System.

"The Marbhan System. Everything revolves around a binary star.... It is here, in this place, that the battle will take place. Vitaly has led an armada of a hundred ships. There will be a great battle. I will also participate, but from a distance. We are in reserve."
Pause.
"A Pyrrhic victory, so to speak. Almost 60 ships were reduced to dust. And those were ours. Cruisers, dreadnoughts, frigates, corvettes... The Ollusian drones simply filled them with lead. But we didn't let them bully us either. Vitaly and Elena Miriam particularly distinguished themselves. They destroyed the flagship destroyer. Round, like a huge shell. After that, the Ollusians wavered. Demoralization - God level. Seeing what had happened to their leaders, these creatures immediately took to their heels. Space was painted bright blue. Flashes. Hyperspace jumps. Well, of course, having lost the flagship, where else can you go... If your commanders are already in hell. At least fifty enemy machines were scrapped. In some places, boarding actions occurred. Three of our ships almost lost control. Captain Elena was saying the macaques had already reached her bridge. They were infesting every deck... And then bam... The bastards' flagship was blown to pieces. And those creatures immediately retreated... The terror in their eyes was beyond words.
Apparently, the Aranian tactics are working against them. They're like insectoids. Take out the queen, and the whole hive will fall apart."
 
Audiogram 6. Day Six. SPM Reinforcements.

"The SPM sent reinforcements. I personally called Vice President Lorraine... I might as well have called those same monkeys... That pompous peacock decided that dealing with the Gambra terrorists was far more serious than the alien offensive. I knew he was an idiot. But to that extent... Apparently, he just doesn't know how hard things are for us here. Of course, he sits in his capital, sipping wine... He's always been like that. He only loved money and fame. I don't know why they even promoted him to power. I wouldn't let people like that anywhere near. I wouldn't trust him with a mop.
We were lucky that the SPM command came to our aid. They brought armored vehicles, walkers, thousands of drones and "scarabs." This entire armada will be used for the next attacks on the Ollusians. Vitaly's coalition fleet has been reinforced with ships from other systems. They will guard our remaining colonies. That's good news. I think I'll have a drink too... Just not wine, but Amphoran tea. You can't drink on the job, after all. They'll fire you, for portugal's sake."
Pause.
"The Arthropods launched an attack on Yasnogorsk Prime. But the defense stations repelled the attack. They destroyed at least twenty ships. I can just imagine the faces of the Ollusian leaders... Although, can those faces really be called faces? No... I guess not.
Yasnogorsk has been retaken. This time, no casualties among our own. Lucky! Very lucky!"
 
Audiogram 7. Day Seven. Intelligence Data.

"We're strengthening the defenses of the border worlds. Lorraine has declared martial law and mobilization in several sectors. Force all the boys into the army? Well... Maybe that will be useful. The Ollusians won't wait, after all. The more fighters we have, the better the chance we have of driving this nasty thing back to another galaxy... Or wherever they came from... Black holes?"
Pause.
"The intelligence data is disappointing. Over thirty thousand ships are currently heading towards Bartemi. It's one of the most important star systems. The Defendarius training center. The naval academy is also there. Amazing... So Yasnogorsk Prime was a diversion... These creatures don't spare their own. They simply destroyed a dozen ships for a reconnaissance mission. Okay... Well... And we have an answer. Thirty thousand ships? Well, no... We definitely don't have that kind of armada. Not even close."
Pause.
"Another thirty thousand ships are heading towards Yasnogorsk Prime. Yes, absolutely... What happened before was reconnaissance. Simply... Purely to gather data and that's it. But if their reconnaissance has battered us badly... Yeah, there's no way to put it politely. We'll fight. And then we'll see how it goes. In any case, we have no other option."
Pause.
"Another twenty thousand ships. In the Lacrima area. They're clearly planning to attack us... Yeah... Great news. And all in one day. Well... It's been worse... No, it's never been worse.
 
Okay, I have nothing more to say. This is Prokopovich... This was Eldric Prokopovich, Colonel of the Coalition's psionic forces. I don't know why I'm writing this down, though... Well, just so we can remember it for posterity. If there are any left after all this crap."
 
Audiogram 8. Day Eight. Offensive.

"Another ten thousand ships are approaching Bartemi. Among them is some gigantic thing. According to Elena, a flagship super-ship. At least the size of... one of Bartemi's moons. What a thing. A ship the size of a moon. So... Are we going to fight? Where else would we go?... Vitaly is already leading the armada into battle. We'll see how this all ends.
 
I'm in reserve. I'll come to the rescue on special orders. If, of course, there's someone to give it to... I'm definitely not going to retreat.... For me to... Run? No... 'Not on my watch,' as Captain Owen used to say. 'Not on my watch.'
Pause.
"The battle has been going on for a couple of hours now. I've never seen such an armada in my life. We're trying to keep them away from Bartemi... All of space is on fire. Thousands of ships were reduced to dust, both ours and the enemy's. The monkeys captured fifteen of our ships, and our own guns were turned against us... Bastards... I sense my ship will have to join the battle too. Awaiting the Admiral's order."
Pause.
"The Admiral is dead. Vitaly was blown up. Those bastards... They incinerated his flagship. Just one drone... Destroyed the bridge. And then a dozen more hit the engines. That's it... The Admiral is gone... Eternal memory to him."
Pause.
"We're fighting against superior enemy forces. It's tough. Shields are already at their limit... A direct hit on the gun deck... Dead... Thirty-two. Hundreds of wounded... Medics have been dispatched.... Three more ships are directly ahead.... And that damn shell the size of the moon.... It's already close.... I...."
Pause.
"I...."
Pause.
"- Let's get out of here! On my command! Can you hear me...?"- Sir! A hundred drones are flying towards us! They'll tear us to pieces!
- Let's get out! Launch quickly! Jump!
- Yes, sir... Acknowledged... Your..."
 
Audiogram 9. Day Nine. Oppenheimer's Legacy.

"Thank God... He survived. Lucky, really lucky. I just didn't have time to record... We were almost torn to pieces... Only Elena had a plan: nuclear weapons. She took command of the flotilla. Vitaly and all the officers were killed... And she's gone. The order came from Lorraine – do not use WMD. Bastard... How could we not use them, with such a horde coming...
Nuclear warheads are to be used only as a last resort... That's the law. Agreed. But we were in that very last resort! Either we strike, or Bartemi is lost and three billion dead. So the answer is already clear.
The strike hit the crab flagship. The explosion was so loud it almost burned my eyes out... Luckily, we jumped straight to Bartemi's orbit before the strike. But even from there, everything was bright... Monstrously bright... We blew that bastard up. The flagship was pulverized.
The Oppenheimer Protocol worked. But we used up all our damn ammunition. Then came the good news. Retreat. The Ollusians are starting to chatter. You can't imagine how happy we all were... Tens of thousands of ships just started diving... Disappearing into space. Because without commanders, they're complete crap.
I think I'll have a drink today... And probably not just one. The story doesn't end here. It's just beginning...
Well then.... Eldric Prokopovich here. Over and out...
Oh yeah, I forgot.... Lorraine's a bastard. Now that's for sure....over and out...".

Lore information you can find in this section.

https://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7160.0

Also:
SPM - means, Elfurr Additional helpers forces. Also known as Forces of the Joined Worlds.

Mole.
(Animation film scenario)
 
Scene 1.
 
Colonel Eldric von Prokopovich's command room has always been renowned for its luxury. It has always been spacious. In the center is a round table with several chairs crafted by Amphoran masters. Nearby is an elegant sofa, clearly from the planet Nargon. The furniture is also not made of ordinary materials. Those entering here can't help but feel as if they've entered the abode of some king or prince.
Eldric, of course, is not of royal blood, but he is a prominent aristocrat, and his lineage is as ancient as that of many of the Elf-urr captains serving under the Coalition banner.
 
The command room is quite crowded today. Besides the colonel himself, a handsome, long-haired officer with a light stubble, dressed in a blue uniform with epaulettes, present are the psi squad leader, Lando Sarovitch, a half-human, half-farrukh with violet eyes and dark, curly hair, and Lieutenant George Kalinovich, the blond commander of the ship's unmanned systems. Both are wearing pressed blue uniforms and scarlet trousers.
 
Ser-Tekk, a representative of the Draconian reptilian race, sits in the far corner, clad in a gray armored suit. Also in the room are First Officer Teller and Communications Officer Vinkers, in dark green uniforms.
 
Eldric (to everyone present):
"Thank you for coming, gentlemen."
 
Sarovitch:
"Well, you did declare Code Alpha."
 
Lando recalls that Code Alpha isn't just a "muster." That means something very serious has happened. No wonder the colonel is gathering so many officers in his wheelhouse.
 
Eldric (nodding):
- True.
 
George:
- Ready to hear you out, sir.
 
Sarovitch and his companion are standing on the deck, unlike the ship's other officers, who have already taken comfortable seats.
 
Eldric (towards Lando):
- Sit down.
 
The dark-haired officer sits down on the luxurious seat. George follows suit.
 
Eldric (with a heavy gaze):
- So, our situation is unenviable. We've got a mole.
 
George (shuddering):
- What? But...
 
Sarovitch (sharply, towards George):
- Shut up and listen.
 
Eldric (continuing):
- It's a fact. We have a spy. And he's digging hard. Over the past few days, he's leaked literally every bit of information about our fleet, about Commander Miriam's ship, and, of course, about our vessel to the Ollusians. We don't know who it is. But it could be anyone. It just so happens that 90% of the crew on our ship are humans. The very idea that our kind could be working for the arthropods threatening our galaxy is mind-boggling. But it is...
 
Sarovich:
- I understand. Only... Who could do this? Humans...
 
Eldric (shaking his head):
- We don't know. We have humans all over the place, except perhaps Ser-Tekk. Humans collaborating with crabs? It's truly strange. And unnatural. Never before has anything like this been observed in the entire history of our war with the Ollus-Ektrai invasion fleets. As we know, these crabs are merciless to anyone not of their own race.
 
George:
- But sir... Who would need this?
 
Eldric:
- We don't know. The information came from one of the captured Howlers, an Ollusian slave of the St'lankar race. I scanned him. He overheard a conversation with the invasion commanders. The mole is on our ship.
 
Everyone is silent. The air is thick with tension.
 
Eldric (continuing):
- That's true. And if he's here now... I'll tell you right away, it's better to confess.
 
George (barely audible):
- What nonsense.
 
Sarovitch (worried):
- Definitely on our ship? What if Captain Elena has spies too?
 
Eldric (shaking his head):
- The mole is on OUR ship. Specifically, on our ship! That's what I saw. As you know, I'm psionically trained. I've been working in this field for years. When someone's lying, I can tell right away. But this situation is beyond my control. Personally, I've spoken with many crew members... Everyone turned out to be clean. No suspicions.
 
Sarovitch:
- Understood, sir. Then he'll be looking for him.
 
Eldric:
- God willing, luck is on our side. If there's a mole among us... He'll try his best to act like us. To literally live up to our standards. So be careful.
 
Lando notices George's darkening. It's clear from his gaze that the situation is truly serious.
 
--
Scene 2.
 
Sarovitch and George in the ship's mess hall. An hour had passed since their conversation with the colonel. Both officers decided to grab a bite to eat. Due to the tension on board, they ate everything in ten minutes, not even enjoying the food. All that remained on the table were a couple of half-empty glasses of Amphoran buffalo milk.
 
Sarovitch (to George):
- What were you mumbling all the time? Didn't anyone teach you that when the colonel talks, you have to...
 
The other officer stares into space. The recent information has left an indelible mark on him. He doesn't even think about touching the milk.
 
George (without looking at his friend):
- Sorry. You know, bro, this information is really bad. There's a mole on a ship made up entirely of humans. And we don't know who he is.
 
Sarovitch:
- What complicates things is that everyone on this ship has been tested. And more than once.
 
Lando sighs at his last words.
 
George:
- There's no point in double-checking.
 
Sarovitch (nodding):
- That's exactly what I'm saying.
 
George:
- Then we'll look. Keep a close eye.
 
Sarovitch (sarcastically):
- Otherwise, he'll give himself away.
 
He looks at his friend, but his gaze reflects only bitterness and confusion.
 
George:
- Of course...
 
Sarovitch:
- Colonel Eldric is a psionicist. He knows everyone on this ship by name. If he couldn't find out...
 
George (casting an awkward glance at his comrade):
- I just wonder how that's even possible. Is he sure the data from the howler is accurate?
 
Sarovitch (irritated):
- No, damn it, the colonel was just joking... Of course, they're loyal. If he saw it, he saw it. Let's think about it a little.
 
George:
- What's there to think about... Will that help?
 
Sarovitch:
- Yes, let's outline the situation in detail.
 
Lando immediately pulls a dataslate from his bosom and turns it on.
 —-

Scene 3.
 
The holo-projector displays the star system in which Prokopovich's ship and its escort fleet are located. The ships themselves are highlighted by blinking red dots.
 
Lando expands the image, and the entire star sector appears before the two comrades. The blue dots indicate key planets and systems where heavy fighting with the Ollusians recently took place.
 
Sarovitch (gestures at the star map):
- Here, look. We repelled the enemy at Bartemi. At Yasnogorsk too. But three days ago, we almost got hit in the horns near Heliogabalus. There, the Ollusians struck directly at the Pathfinder's engines. They knew where everything was. They also attacked our hangar deck, then the gunnery deck. They destroyed eight fighters. They tried to board us... They also knew where everything was. And then Miriam's ship...
 
George:
- Elena... Of course... Yeah, and she's supposedly dating Eldric... Love and all that...
 
Sarovich (sharply):
- We're not talking about that now. We're talking about the mole. So, her ship was hit by a torpedo. The bridge there isn't in the bow, but in what's called the "summit spire." You know that. It looks like a ship's decoration. SPMs love that kind of thing. The scenery, the beauties... And that's exactly where the torpedo struck. The shields dropped to 90. A little more, and Elena would have been dead. Someone knew everything in detail. And told our enemy.
 
The holo-projector shows Elena's ship in detail, focusing on the captain's bridge.
 
George (shaking his head):
- Nonsense. The ravings of an old Cossatian!
 
Sarovitch:
- Are you implying that the Colonel has lost his mind?
 
George:
- I just don't know who came up with the idea of ��leaking information to the Ollusians.
 
Sarovitch:
- That's not all... What I told you. Remember one thing... Three days ago, the enemy tried to board us. We repelled the Howlers and took one prisoner. They tried to interrogate him for a long time, but after we started having problems, Eldric decided to deal with the bastard. He climbed into his brain... And saw everything. That scary macaque wasn't a rank-and-file. She had at least the rank of lieutenant. He commanded the invasion forces, along with a huge woodlouse. Eldric wouldn't say anything. He's a psi-adept.
 
George (with a heavy look):
- What if the macaque simply misled us?
 
Sarovitch:
- No... The Colonel wouldn't have fallen for it. He can perfectly distinguish lies from truth.
 
George:
- Let's ask the Howler. We'll do it now.
 
Sarovitch:
- Without the Colonel? The Howler can't answer in human language. They can only scream.
 
George:
- But you're a psi-user too.
 
Sarovitch (waves his hand dismissively):
- I can't climb into a brain like the Colonel. I specialize in other things.
 
George:
- Well, have you tried?
 
--
 
continuation will be....