Space Odyssey: Spectre

The holotable was uploaded with a visual representation of the moon that General Isaiah mentioned. Jace began manipulating it as the others walked in. Nila was leading them in. The emergency had passed and they were now underway to the moon in question.

The moon is called Grackle, it is mainly a military weapons research facility. It orbits an uninhabitable gas giant planet. There is a sister moon that was destroyed by the Elder's civil war, apparently it was heavily inhabited by a civilian population. It was the first large casualty event when this civil war started.

Grackle was mainly controlled by the Elder Council to begin with so it was easy for them to seize complete control. What was unfortunate was the fact that they took so many lives for no reason.

"Spectre Jace, Cerberus Squad is all accounted for and ready for duty." Nila announced before she took her seat.

"Good," Jace nodded and looked around at them. "We are on route to Grackle, a moon that was under military control and that mainly made experimental weapons. The remaining two members of the Elder Council still not accounted for are believed to be there."

"What about its sister moon Kisal?" Uti asked, "from what I understand they are a large civilian trading port. I know because a few years ago there were issues with trade routes that went too close to Grackle. A bunch of us were sent there to help with civil unrest. There was a contingent loyal to the government council left on Kisal."

"Kisal was destroyed, it was done possibly some time during the early stage of the civil war. Possibly even before it. Only we know about it is because some civilians who typically trade with Kisal sent out the warning and a notice about the destroyed moon was sent out." Jace explained. "We can only make assumptions for the moment, hopefully Grackle has a record of what happened."

"By the founders… all those people. Civilians. None of them were a threat." Another member of his squad, an Issuin, went by a long name that Jace could honestly not pronounce so they just called her by a nickname, Asana. The Issuins are the purple skinned race with a lack of nostrils or hair. They have a mouth, eyeholes, and earholes. But most of their bones are replaced with a type of cartilage.

Nila cut in on this, "it is just the type of people we are dealing with. The majority of the Elder Council has gained members who are… less than sane by any standards. Which is the primary reason that the High Priestess began her dismantling of the Elder Council." Nila then probably noticed Charlie looking confused, "Unlike the War Council and Government Council, the Elder Council is not an elected body. Instead it is a composite of former high ranking military commanders and researchers, all of which are appointed by varying groups when a position on the council opens. But these varying groups always consisted of the more wealthy members of the Victorium."

"Basically, it is the result of corruption." Jace summed it up. "The way Victorium government systems are set up it is difficult to be corrupt and influential. Their only issue was the Elder Council, but because they are removing it they will need something to replace it eventually. But that is not our task. Our task is to capture this moon and kill or capture the last remaining two Elders."

There were a few murmurs before a mar'talic the final member of his squad spoke up. "Are we making plans and observing tactical situations without the General's consent or authorization?" His name is Jul'an, he is the Victorium's equivalent of a tactical sniper.

Jace nodded as he manipulated the holotable. "It is more an informational seminar and training on what a briefing will be like." He then pulled up a list of locations. "First off is Grackle's space port." He pulled up the schematic. "Unlike most places we are used to, the moon does not have an atmosphere. So the space port goes inside of the moon. There are four critical portions of the spaceport. Can you tell me what they are?"

"There is the main chamber, it is where large ships would stay. Sometimes goods would be moved on and off of the ship. Other times there would be work done directly on the ship." Josef explained getting looks of surprise from the others. He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "I went there for… actually I do not think I am allowed to tell you that." He then shook his head, "there are also four chambers connected to the main chamber which store other ships. Then that is about all I know about the space port."

Jace nodded again, a habit at this point. "There is an observation deck and the transit pathway. The transit pathway leads to other parts of the moon."

"I am guessing most of those are weapons testing facilities?" Vana asked as she stood up and moved to the holotable and began manipulating it. She frowned and grumbled after a moment, "I stand corrected, there are only three weapons testing facilities on this schematic you have. Then there are five weapon manufacturing plants. Two dormitory locations for the scientists, researchers, soldiers, and whoever else might live there. Then there are… what are those?"

Jace shrugged and pulled up what she was talking about, "I have no clue. I am guessing either research or something else. Nila, do you have any idea what these are?"

Nila looked at what they were looking at, she then moved forward and began manipulating it. Pulling up three of the schematics, "These are all research facilities, they lack labels because they are classified. But these last two are not labeled and the data does not match anything I have seen about this base before. Umm…" Nila looked around before tapping the table, "Solisa, do any ship records have these facilities on file."

"No they do not." Solisa answered immediately, "in fact I have looked into all files and records throughout the Victorium as well as all other systems I have access to. But there are not any records of what could be in there." Solisa explained and another schematic appeared, one that Jace recognized as uniquely human, "however ancient human records have a similar facility."

"What was his facility used for?" Nila asked.

"Biological weapons and genetic manipulation." Jace answered before Solisa, during his pursuit of Lord Hoodwink he had learned a bit about those ancient practices. They were completely barbaric and outlawed. "Shit."