3.25|FeastTime is Over, Starmites

 

3.25|FeastTime is Over, Starmites

Protlyn and Theo sat together in the SS Tower Research Division's skylight station right over Sugar Kiss. In a large meeting chamber with a small crescent shaped table, the group gathered. Anne and Torayl, along with numerous representatives from the Solar Society research teams, Hex Church, Night Sisterhood and Glitter Kiss staffed on various sides. Behind Protlyn and Theo, those that would normally present as Jezinkahs and the Shadow King's winged Marauders wore crisp suits and ties. The four of six void Queens among them, Yztra, Adorkas, Xistris and Agathys.

"Where's the Feaster and Seeress?" Xistris whispered.

"Ssh, they're out training I think." Agathys replied.

 On the opposite side, Monarch sat with Amity. She was wearing a new series of pure-black oriental robes and golden metallics gloves with a matching belt. Smoking by the corner, Kamisada watched as Sandra arrived and placed down her glass tablet. Monarch stood and greeted her. Sandra was a bit shy when first meeting them, but soon warmed up with them, especially with Amity. She looked over him. "..You've gotta be kidding me. They let a Synth AE-89 Model Reploid on here?" She threw her hands up. "I've known you a lot longer than you've known me, Grand Magus." Monarch replied. "You actually shot at me once, err my ship. I was riding with your sister."

Sandra squinted slightly, putting her hands up and down trying to self-measure him. "Baron?" Her eyes widened.

"I was called that once, yes." He stated.

Sandra burst into laughter, she held her gut worrying it would spill open.

"That was more Kinnies work than mine, I thought giving my sister big

armored toys to watch over her was counterproductive, but-"

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but we have a lot to get into. So can we move along

Instead of talking about my past, please?" Monarch said.

Sandra nodded. "Absolutely."

"This meeting, we are going to talk about some interesting things. It concerns the Vexia Seed and the horde it carries. We have some theories we are going to discuss on how to counteract it." Sandra began. "The Vexia Seed is an interdimensional parasite with a Zes-Lethiska Hivemother as the core. It's shell outer weighs 7.8 x 10^26 lbs, although this should be impossible for its relatively small size. It has a shell comprised of 3 parts: A base of solid white and black ultra-compact carbon matter, this is the first of three parts that compose it.  This part is riddled with thin yet long tentacles that can extend hundreds of kilometers. The second part is actually made of the Zes-Lethiska Hivemother's carapace, this is composed of an impenetrable black shell and some greenish blood-like toxic substance forming organ molds along the asteroid’s internals. Finally, the third and final part is made of the most deadly weapon of all, the Zes-Lethiska Hivemother's inner cavity itself. The hivemother's head functions as a single crystalline weak point on its forehead where it's psychic link with the entire hive is established, including the organ-molds. She commands the whole thing. If we can figure out the means to destroy the Queen along the third shell, we could destroy the core, and kill the Vexia Seed."

"Sounds like a neat plan, Grand Magus, but what exactly do you expect us to do?" Monarch asked.

"There is a device called a Brain-Slush. If we can get one to the hive, we should be able to locate the hive's core. From there, we can destroy the core, inject the Brain-Slugh into the Queen and send the Vexia seed to the sun. It will die as it is incinerated by the sun's heat, The Hivemother has about a week to arrive, so this device must get here in time." Sandra explained. "But this won't be simple at all. Let me go over its defenses." Imagery of a Zes-Lethiska popped up. "Approximately 2.8 billion of these reside inside, and the Hivemother lays eggs with a 48 minute hatchtime at approximately 1,879,000 a minute."

She zoomed through various holographic data. "Various Zes-Lethiska are capable of projecting psychic barriers within the asteroid. But more worryingly, they have specialized units which add what we'll dub 'Psycity' - Psychic Density. The reason the Vexia Seed is so heavy and dense is because they're able to project a kind of mental enchantment. If we can eliminate them gradually we can weaken it for outer bombardment, making it lighter and lighter, aswell as more vulnerable. But we don't want to set them all off at once or, they'll increase their Psychity singularity manifold and cause gravitational collapse. It'll self-destruct into a blackhole."

The imagery showed microscopic pathogens. "Next. These little creatures are called Toxi-plasmic Lethisithraits or 'Toxite' for short. They're a species of moss actually, but they reside in the organ molds and secrete a gaseous neurotoxin that the Vexia can use offensively. In order to prevent this from overwhelming us, we need a unit to attack these molds and incinerate them, and inject an anti-plasmic nullifier agent."

Sandra turned to the Torayl. "Goathead, can your 'Night Sisterhood' do a good

extermination job there?" She asked.

He nodded. "We have the right equipment. Breathing equipment is in common supply for this kind of thing. Better used here than fighting Kaleidomancy protesters."

"And penetrating the carapace shell?" Amity asked.

"We'll needed a specialized mobile solar-propelled drill to do that. Is your

department able to design one?"

Amity smirked. "You're asking if the Solar Society can build a big drill?" She

leaned back smug. "I'll think about it."

Sandra continued. "There are four parts to its defenses: The neurotoxin is just the first. It's core is capable of firing a high-density beam of energy, but it has a long charge up time. there Zes-Lethiska themselves will be troublesome.."

Protlyn and Theo looked at each other. "We're prepared to contact Witchscape and utilize as many qualified Wardens as we can recruit. If they work alongside the Grand Meisters they can defend the perimeter from wiping out our command. We'll form multiple barriers and levels of counterattack."

"What about the tentacles?" Monarch asked.

"I've got a few Darkguard fleet from, 'back home' will provide long-range cover. Enbrighteners from Glitter Kiss's artillery can be used to blind its rear and distract it. But there's a bigger problem, it's 4th defense is the most deadly and atrocious." She swiped, then put down the tablet for a moment. "The Hivemother herself doesn't have sub-zero charges or incendiary breath herself. She possesses a psychic sonic assault with a range of 2890 kilometers. It can pop our heads with a scream, It's very aggressive and she'll attack any and all of us if we let it."

"So you're saying, this bug momma can kill us all with a shout if it feels threatened." Anne said, trying to understand the situation.

"That's what I said." Sandra affirmed.

"This is bad. This is very, very bad." Theo said. "How are we supposed to get close to the Hivemother's core if we cannot risk its shout?"

"Oh trust me, I've got that covered." Sandra stood up. "Let me introduce you to some  friends of mine." She said.

Another large group soon entered the chambers, wearing 50's dresses, various head-wear, pearls and jewelry, yellow rubber gloves, and aprons. Their busts pressed against the latex suits of the Nite Sisterhood, skirts swishing in comparison to the Meister's of Glitterkiss. The Wardens all examined the ladies and admired their retro decorum and propriety, seemingly approving. "These are the finest psychic overseers of the Society of Domestic Mindfulness. They're a status quo staple in X.U. The Xistress Union lent me them, with the sole Elderdragn approving on account of being the Grand Magus."

Everyone stopped. Monarch looked at Amity. "XU doesn't, have any Elder Dragons? Who are they?"

Amity texted on her phone. "You're looking at her."

She crossed her legs. "Me and Sandra went back and, let's just sat the 'Sandra Sisterhood' had grown into a bit of a movement. We could've taken the entire Union if we had more time, but we settled on a bipartisan referendum turning the insurgents and oldguard political fraction into a new political party. Then with a majority, we elected to reinstate the Elderdragon system, with only 1. Of course, laying claim to my mother's old handiwork and crime syndicate helped."

"Oh, geez.." Monarch scratched his head. "Wait, so does Sandra, lead XU

again?"

Amity twisted and flapped her arm. "Ehhh it's complicated. Shit’s messy. Let's just say for our purposes here she does. Whatever nay sayers, will look the other way."

"Ooh, hi, Lord." Monarch said, recognizing the Synth alongside the domestica ladies, a metallic man with a thick grey mustache sculpted to his face. Another synth, infamous for his psychic charms. "So, are we ready to get the party started?" Lord asked.

"Wait." Protlyn cleared her throat. "Excuse me but, you still have two problems. One, on the inside the hivemother had a reputation for being quite ferocious, and there's going to be an insane density of combatants in there. And two, we still cannot stop the Vexia from crashing and plummeting, it's mass alone will vaporize the Solar Society. Even if we exterminated all of them inside...the Vexia's core probably outweighs the Zes-Lethiskas by about a million times. If it crashes into the moon at fullspeed.. the Vexia's core would vaporized the moon in a second, even if it crashed for a fraction of a second.  You'd need an entire planet to even slow it's impact down."

"Oho. Indeed." A voice said from the far edges of the room, everyone turning to see a tall woman with a godlike physique and model stature. Her gaze looked upon the rabble like scurrying beetles feasting on the damned in her garden of life.

"My ex can help with that." The woman said, calm, cool and full of charisma. Sandra waved. The woman's golden hair flowed as if it were water falling down from the sky, glistening and a golden glow, her eyes were the most vivid green to match her hair, her face was serene and calm and gave the appearance of divinity, she had a simple yet attractive ankle-length split gown with green and gold details. Her aura shone of great strength and the smell of roses filled the air. She then turned around, smiling in a majestic way and gazed back at the crowd, her aura glowing for all to see.

"Who is that?" Protlyn asked, digging her flourishing long gown. 

Sandra folded her arms. "Flora. We caught up recently... And she's got this."

"What's a Flora?" Amity asked.

Flora walked up to Amity and put her hand on her heart, Byte blushing intensely. "Oh me? I am a great and powerful goddess. But I won't be getting my hands dirty. Trust me, Gaia has enough dirt to spare as it is."

The Ethereal Empress cleared her throat. "Very well, okay we'll hold you to that. But the last problem is merely, destroying the Vexia Hivemother. We cannot send it to the sun or remove its 'Psychity' without approaching the Hivemother's draining field. It consumes the life essence of everything it touches or breathes near, except other Zes-Lethiska."

A dark portal opened up, two shadowy figures propping out atop a giant 6-legged horned mammal with serpents for tails and spiky black plates. Both girls had its mouth by reigns atop a mount.

Mercy and Sway, covered in assorted hues of blood, fluids and grime, stumbled forward in each other's arms. The other 4 Void Queens greeted them, waving to the two uptop. The Black Valley Dratinas gave a roar with magnificent resonance, the room quaking and rumbling and a low pitch scream echoed into the chambers. The sound was an octave bellow of the beast's roar, more resonating and echoing in harmony with the room's murmurs, then the Dratinas collapsed in exhaustion over the crowd and a few other more gory chunks of material splattered through the portal before it closed.

Mercy, wearing bestial blood like warpaint hopped off and stood on the table.

She stared down at the crowd in the chamber. Anne and Torayl looked at each

other, getting flashbacks to childhood.

"You've got quite the presence." Flora said.

Mercy flexed her arm's tight biceps and went over to Agathys. "Hey Agie,

check out mah gains!"

Sway grit her teeth. "Ah've come to take care uhv me mum. Bring'er 'ere!" The scales along her arms, legs and chest had grown more patchy than usual, almost looking like a dragons as she bellowed fire out her mouth into the air.

Protlyn looked on. "Maybe with Grahim's Contract.." She looked to Sandra.

Sandra sulked. "Well?? Looks like we an ace in the hole.. or two."

The Empress patted Sandra's head. "These kids can get it done."