Chatper 203.5 (The War) (1/2)

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

OK, I give up, why is a raven like a writing desk?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Because

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CONFEDMIL

ANTAEUS FLEET ENGAGED WITH PRECURSOR FORCE IN ARMADA STRENGTH

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

antseus? Antaeus?

antaeus? Antaeus? ANTAEUS?

AAAAAHHHHH! AHHHHHH!

HELP ME! THEY'RE COMING TO GET ME!

AHHHHH! THE DEFIANT MARAT! THE SAVAGE SINGING DUCK! THE CURSED UNDYING HOOD! THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS MISSOURI! THE SUNSHATTERER YAMATO!

HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME I DON'T WANNA DIE I DON'T WANNA DIE I DON'T DIE

>>Mantid Free Worlds runs back and forth screaming

>>Mantid Free Worlds huddles in the corner covering her head and shivering

don't let it get me don't let it get me

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Calm down, sis. It's OK.

You're just having a nightmare. The Antaeus Fleet never actually existed. Like the Tooth Fairy or the Queen of France.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

CONFEDMIL

They have been awoken. They have been repurposed.

This is permissible under Total War.

ANTAEUS FLEET ACTION SUCCESSFUL

REPAIRING ANTAEUS FLEET

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RIGELLIAN COMPACT

Wait, the Antaeus Fleet is real?

I thought it was an old rumor.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

What's an Antaeus Fleet?

Why is she trying to climb up the wall?

What is everyone so terrified.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

CLONE WORLD CONSORTIUM

Wait, the Antaeus Fleet is real? I thought it was just a scary story we told each other to freak sis out.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

CYBERNETIC ORGANISM COLLECTIVE

It's not real.

Ships that are destroyed and come back as twisted copies of themselves? Ships that break apart to reveal another warship trapped inside like a bug in amber?

It's a ghost story. Nothing more. We just tell each other about it to scare each other. It's a ghost story. Like the IRS.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

How would you even make something like that? It's impossible.