End one battle, and another springs up again

[prismphantom]

[After the incident on Ankaia, Armana can be found at night, looking up into the starry sky, weary and saddened.]



... Their infrastructure was already in such disrepair, and yet they're moving towards war with Earth too...

I shouldn't be so surprised, but still..

Comments

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Earth just can't catch a break, can it? Whenever some threat is dealt with another arrives.

[prismphantom]

[Armana shakes her head.]

No, more than just Earth. The Ankaians' home is dying, and the Wulgaru are facing genetic stagnation. And Balmar is-

[She suddenly freezes for a moment. Wrong word here!]

-no doubt suffering from fighting on so many fronts after losing one of their fleets to Earth's forces!

[Yes! Excellent save that isn't suspicious at all!]

Even Luria is facing a crisis now. Unchecked meteor showers have devastated our world, and there was no sign of them ending when last I was there.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

You're saying that cultures across all of known space are collapsing at the same time?

[prismphantom]

At least those who are tied to the Protoculture. I cannot say for the Gebians or Cybertronians, but too many are suffering. The ways may differ, but the tragedy is still there.

... I can only hope that an end to this comes soon.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

That is pretty odd that it'd happen all at the same time. Also, I'm not sure that a collapse of infrastructure is the same as a planet dying. Europe survived the loss of Roman roads and aqueducts pretty well, for example.

[prismphantom]

... Yes.

That alone is not as severe as the destruction of a planet.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

It obviously is. There's still life out there, including the Ankaians themselves.

...What was it you were going to say about Balmar anyway?

[prismphantom]

I-I thought I'd already said it! That all the chaos is damaging their infrastructure!

[She had, right? But then from out of the shadows, her bodyguard finally takes verbal action.]



Alex. I can understand your interest in learning about other cultures, but you're asking about a civilization Armana's been trying to run away from.

She's our guest, after all.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

It seemed like there was more and it is a rather important topic. But I won't ask any more about it.

[prismphantom]

T-thank you.

[But is she saying that to Alex or Selena for her intervention?]

I'll be going now.

[And off she goes, leaving just Selena with Alex. Team Jelba's survivor waits it out until Armana is likely out of earshot, but then she finally comes out with it.]



You're right though. The Balmarians are an important topic to try to learn about, and she's our best source right now on them.

Especially since she is one.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Yes, and whatever it was she wasn't saying might have been important. Or just personally sensitive and we have no way of knowing unless she says...Hopefully it's nothing and I was just being insensitive.

[prismphantom]

A lot of things about her don't match up.

I'd bet everything that she's the "fugitive" that Ephesus spoke of. But why she'd stick to some story when she's a terrible liar makes no sense. It might even have something to do with Ingram.

Still, Teoria trusted her, and she came to us for safety. She's no spy, that's for sure, so I'm willing to play along with her lies until we've earned her trust and she decides to be honest with us.

And it's not like she didn't just tell us some important things right now.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Right. I'm just worried that even if she doesn't mean to, she's hiding something important that could help us prepare.

But she did...I wonder what's up with all these different cultures being in a crisis at the same time.

[prismphantom]

If Elma weren't busy cooking right now he would probably point out something like large-scale extinction events that've happened in the past.

[Spend enough time with a genius subot with access to Tikipedia and you can get a sense for what he'd contribute to a conversation.]

And when you tack on what we've been hearing about Cybertron, and then all of that talk of the gods of La Gias...

[itbelongsinamuseum]

So something is able to engineer a mass extinction event on numerous planets and dimensions?

...We've got to be looking at something with near-divine powers. Real gods, not ones like Ishtar and Ninurta.

[a_linear_mind]

At least some of the reasons make sense, us humans on the other hand went to war with each other just a few years ago over how we wanted to deal with situations like this.

[prismphantom]

The Divine Crusaders, no?

EOT such as the Macross and what was on Meteor-3 are exceptionally valuable, so that doesn't surprise me. Tronium is valued even by the Empire, and in short supply, so I can see how Earth's forces would fight over how best to use these materials for their own defense.

[a_linear_mind]

I'm surprised you know about them Princess.

It wasn't just the EOT though, in the end we both had the same goal but there were people on both sides who escalated the war to a level it should not have never gotten to.

Although I guess that's the case with almost every war.

[prismphantom]

And this oncoming war with Ankaia...

It will not end quickly or easily, will it?

[a_linear_mind]

I don't think we'd call it a war if it did.

[prismphantom]

I'm beginning to notice that. And the condition the Ankaians are in, resorting to war to get what they need to survive...

It reminds me so much of Balmar.

[a_linear_mind]

Oh! I find that a bit surprising given the technology they have. They don't even need to fight themselves given the things they're able to hide in a simple meteor.

[prismphantom]

Balmar's own technology is much more advanced, and their influence is far greater than Ankaia's, yes.

But their civilization is... degarding. Did you ever wonder why, in all the time they've warred with the Zentradi, that they have failed to use culture the way Earth has?

[tillallareone]

... Such is the nature of pride Princess Armana.

[Optimus too watches the skies, somewhere up there was Cybertron.]

Regrettable as it is... we can only hope it ends quickly with little bloodshed before we are able to find a way to broker peace once more.

[prismphantom]

I hope for that as well. The Ankaians were facing enough hardships as it was... and the war will no doubt worsen it for all of them.

[tillallareone]

I fear what may come... given the actions of the late Moswar and the words of Ishin...

Should an attack on civilians occur, the loss of innocent lives... as well as the eventual response upon the Ankaians alone would be catastrophic.

Late but that's work and health problems for you

[prismphantom]

But that attack will come, won't it? Like you said, the actions of Moswar were...