In the ionosphere below, a luminescent green danced for an audience of none.
This one hates them.
The satellite swept above the pole, another completed orbit, and another observational sweep to initiate.
This one hates them.
Receivers powered on, and the satellite began the scan, feeding data back into the cocoon housing its controller.
This one hates them.
Denied a host, condemned to punishment through duty. Three maintenance pickups, yet still insufficient penance, no opportunity to at least integrate into an inorganic host with proper potential. They would not let this one return.
This one hates them.
Scan results seeped through.
…
Contact closest assemblage. Reorient scanners.
A few spectral peaks, just beyond the edge of the nearby moon. The signals were partially obscured by the thin atmosphere, but continued scans confirmed their presence.
Drain power from all other systems, feed scanners and signalers.
Radiation pumped outwards towards the moon’s edge. The return signal was a disorientating slam of noise.
Screaming on all wavelengths, the satellite called out to both surface and nearby orbitals. It knew there were only moments before systems would need to be shut down; feedback into the organic components was agonizing.
Power off signal systems. This one has done the expected duty. If those have not received it, that is their failure. Let them be punished.
Basic opticals remained, and it observed in silence as the sleek forms resolved into view.
Those ones know I am here, and approach. If the assemblage will not release this one from duty, then those ones will at last do the part.
It waited for flashes of light, flares of launch trails. The vessels grew closer, in silence.
No.
They slid past, engine trails dimming and anti-grav panels glowing as the group slowed and positioned towards the surface.
This one hates them.
–
Game impact:
PHR victory: Resistance forces will receive support.
Scourge victory: Hostile fauna begin on Resistance side of table.
–
They have been bloodied but not rebuffed. Only a portion of the forces relocating for the scheduled area management were able to respond.
These ones insist that sufficient power is present to both continue as intended and control the incursion.
These ones affirm the statement, but contend a failure to commit sufficiently in response. Regardless, a probe of the observing one’s data indicates no additional intruders are imminently present. Host populations must be consolidated in the region quickly to wash them away, but not at the cost of falling behind schedule.