PALISADE 58: Above the Earth Pt. 2

Under the command of Levitation Cascabel-Gardner, and supported by an ad-hoc alliance with Millennium Break, the pirate crew of the Precipice, and the dedicated loyalists of exiled Apokine Cas'alear Rizah, an operation at the center of the galaxy begins.

At the center: A strip of metal as long as a city and as deep as a geological straum, which produces and spreads an endless wave of nanomachiens across the Milky Way. To its relative north, the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, menacing despite its apparently safe distance. To its east: The holy node where Perennial first came into control of the station. To its west, three Portcullis gates under control of the Pact of Free states,, nearing their completion; beyond, the Ekpyrosis, helmed by Motion, and surrounded by a fleet of allies. 

And to the south, Earth, and three heroic ships approaching at high speeds. 

I'm not afraid for my life

Dossier Organizations

The Pact of Free States: One of the two factions vying for leadership of the Principality, a joint operation by Stels Columnar and Apostolos. Before they were killed by Kalvin Brnine, they were led in name by the Glorious Princept, Dahlia (they/them), but were controlled in day-to-day matters by members of the original Pact of Necessary Venture, including Rye (he/him) and Gallica (she/her). With all three dead, the Divine Motion has rushed to fill a vacuum many feel but can hardly give word to.

Under her control, the long-held "reformist" goals of the Stel have been set aside for simple, metaphysical domination. 

Places

Earth: Ancient home of humanity. Moved into orbit around the center of the galaxy by the Old Earth Cult, under guidance by a manipulative and influential divine called Independence.

Divines

The Divine Integrity (it/its): Sometimes appearing as an articulated staff or a metallic spine, Integrity integrates itself into its chosen user. Once the two are connected, Integrity becomes a powerful exoskeleton, and supports its user in matters of military and morale. Until being assassinated by Brnine, Dahlia, the Glorious Princept, was the elect of Integrity. Now, it has found a new home in Thisbe.

The Divine Motion (she/her): One of the founding members of the Pact, the necromantic Apostolosian divine once led its infamous retinue, the Black Century, on Partizan. They were defeated and dispersed, turned into part of Kalmeria, during Operation Shackled Sun. Now, she has returned to take control of the Pact of Free States, and has set her sights on Perennial at the heart of the galaxy.

The Divine Present (it/its): On first blush, Present might be confused for a small, if luxurious frigate. And sometimes, it is just that: Its oval structure houses living quarters, a humble armory, enough cargo space to hold a single hollow, and even a fully stocked bar. But at a snap of its elect’s fingers, it transforms into a humanoid war machine that serves its elect loyally, outclasses any Altar currently in operation, and is capable of holding its own against many other Divines in combat.

Objects

Columnar Altars: Though Exenceaster March took his research with him when he defected from Columnar and the Zenith Fund he once led, those engineers who remained loyal to their Stel had learned enough to develop their own rival machine, powered not only by Kalmeria, but also by upscaled (and stolen) Equiaxed designs. The result: The ZFC-Wizard. 

Central to this design is the modularity and iconic visual design that has been core to Columnar technology for generations. The stock Wizard i