---PAX IMPERIA, PART I---
THE CITADEL OF DARKNESS
PLANET NEW ALCATRAZ, PARIAH SYSTEM, IMPERIAL UNIVERSE
0021 HOURS, AUGUST 16, 3036 A.D.

Much had transpired in the past week. Admiral Stukov had been given the powers of Demonology, the UFS Judicator was being retrofitted with Renegade upgrades, the Super Soldiers were being given their last few trials, and now, thanks to one JoshTigerHeart, the JR/VA could at last make a strike at Cerine. With the knowledge that Antimatter would not be very effective against most ships (with the exception of the “Inix,” as they were called), Nar Akasi had to ensure that his strike would send a message to any who opposed him.

“Lord Akasi! We have been awaiting your arrival,” his Ensign stated as he saluted his master.
“At ease, Ensign. Tell me, how is Duke Faustus progressing?”
“Faustus is instructing Samir as you requested, sir; currently Stukov is animating the dead with considerable ease.”
“Good. Now what about the Engineering Department?”
“We have constructed Magnetic De-Polarizers. Because Plasma must be magnetically confined to be fired, with the De-Polarizers active, the shots will harmlessly dissipate against our hull.”
“Excellent. Now, how is the invasion fleet looking?”
“The Necromancers and Death Callers are at the ready. The combined Undead and Demonic assault will devastate the Dominion's Ground forces.”
“Spectacular. Now, assemble the Inner Circle: we have a Universe to conquer.”
“As you command, Lord Akasi.”

IMPERIAL HIGH COMMAND
PLANET XYBER XVII, MANOS SYSTEM
0855 HOURS, AUGUST 16, 3036 A.D.

Mike exited the Time Gate as a Werewolf, though this time he was greeted by saluting Imperial Agents, instead of being pinned to the floor.

“Welcome back, sir!” one trooper said. “We have been instructed to take you to the briefing room immediately.”

Mike nodded, and the squad led him through the base to the appointed spot.

Bowser was standing by the door when he saw Mike walk up.

“So?” the Koopa King asked.
Mike switched to his Human Form. “Well, I have control over both forms, at least.”
“And? How is it?”
“When I'm home, I'll be like this. But otherwise...” he then switched to his Wolf Form, “...I think I could get used to this form.”
Bowser smiled. “Well, better go in. We're all waiting for you.”

The door then slid open. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” Bowser said, “the Brigadier Chief Commander has returned!”

Mike walked in as a werewolf, showing off his new form. All those present saluted.

“Be seated,” Commander stated.

The holographic projector then turned on.
“Thanks to a timely update by Agent 27189, we have received the location of the Dominion's Universe. He witnessed Akasi meeting with a JoshTigerHeart (no relation to the other Tigerheart), and giving him the coordinates to that Universe. However, he also gave 27189 the coordinates as well, for reasons that elude us. Nonetheless, it will allow us to stop Akasi before he gets his foot too far in the door.”

Commander then motioned for Richard to step forward, who held a small clipboard.

“The following Omegas and their support craft will be sent to Cerine:

Virtuous...
Orion...
Gallant...
Justicar...
Sleipnir...
Indomitable...
Liberator...
Defiant...
Solomon...

and Oblivion.

We will depart at 1600 hours. Dismissed!”

All present saluted, then exited the room. They would have to be quick – time was of the essence.

CII DEMONSTRATION CHAMBER
PLANET XYBER XVII, MANOS SYSTEM
1000 HOURS, AUGUST 16, 3036 A.D.

The time had come at long last.

The past week had been rather hectic, but now Bowser could show off his handiwork. Project Italy was going to be the future of Imperial Land Assault, and this invasion would be its first real test. It was obscured by a tarp that hung over it.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, clapping his hands together, “over the past week, I have been working furiously on my most recent creation. Originally designed for a war with the Necra, it was shelved when we discovered they were no longer a threat. But now, with the Bureau's new Super Soldiers on the loose, I felt it was due cause enough to merit its final implementation.”

He then stepped back towards the tarp. “I give you...”

With a swift tug, he quickly pulled off the tarp. What was revealed was a mannequin wearing the belt, shrouded in the matte-black suit Bowser had been testing. However, it had form-fitted to the mannequin, covering arms, legs, and torso completely.

“...the Centurion Battle Suit!” he stated, levering his arm towards it as applause sounded.

“The next generation in Imperial Trooper Armor, the Centurion will become the standard outfit within the next 3 months. Equipped with new nano-hydraulic systems, it allows the user to lift up to 500 times their weight, much like an exoskeleton. However, because of their size, the system allows for fluid movement and barely weighs an ounce.”

Bowser then inhaled, and roasted the suit, which when the flames cleared, was virtually spotless; only the helmet's visor was slightly blackened. He took out a cloth rag and wiped it clean.

“The suit is also designed for operation in extreme environments. It's air-tight, and comes fitted with Nuclear/Biological/Chemical filters and thermal shielding, allowing it to operate in searing heat or freezing cold; there's even oxygen for four hours, allowing the suit to operate underwater or even the depths of outer space.”

There was considerable murmuring of pleased responses from the audience. Bowser smirked.

“With the assistance of the Metroid Universe's Galactic Federation, a Phazon Enhancement Device, or a PED, as we know it, has also been fitted to the belt, which is where most of the Centurion's hardware is located. The PED is connected to an attachable backpack, which thus links the PED to the suit's Arm Cannons.”

Bowser then went to the suit, accessed a keypad, punched a code in, then the suit suddenly retracted via the black tendrils earlier. The Koopa King then took the belt off, entered the same code, and the tendrils wrapped around his body.

“The 'One-Size-Fits-All' mantra, as you can see, is a big part of the Centurion's function. The black tendrils you saw were in fact strands of spun carbon which is coated with the nano-hydraulics. A second layer, comprised of carbon nanotubes, seals the subject in completely, and also prevents rapid heat exchanges that may be caused by the aforementioned extreme environments.”

Bowser then moved towards a button that brought up targets.

“In order to prevent the subject from having their suit 'dissipated,' be it accidental or intentional, there is a keypad on the right side of the belt. A code issued to a soldier must be entered before the suit can be put on or taken off.”

Bowser then pressed the button, bringing up several targets. He pressed another switch, to which a pair of Hellstorm Multi-Rocket Launchers lowered from the ceiling.

“The suit has a pair of shoulder hardpoints. They're designed to interface with almost any weapon system – even our most powerful weapons available to ground forces.”

A loud clank resounded as the launchers affixed to his shoulders.

“Once attached, the HUD will inform the user of any new weapons they may have acquired. They will then be able to use them via their arm cannons, which will modify themselves to include sensors to fire the shoulder weapons.”

Bowser then turned to face the targets.

“Cover your ears, people!”
(Fwish...SHA-BOOOM!)

The launchers obliterated the targets, as expected; however, Bowser was completely unmoved by the undoubtedly massive recoil that they had caused.

“Internal servos also prevent the user from being thrown back by the weapons. This means that any soldier can now become a mobile weapons platform without having to set up any bulky hardware.”

The launchers were then removed by the claws.

“The Centurion, however, will be more than just for combat,” he continued. “From its outset, I had planned for the Centurion to incorporate a new level in cloaking technology – one that could defeat any form of scanning. This, then, brings me to the suit's Crown Jewel...the Phantasm-class Cloaking Device!”

Again, more applause.

“The Phantasm contains all the advantages of the Ghost - Visual, IR, and Gravimetric masking – but the Phantasm includes a key difference. This new cloaking device includes a Molecular Dispersion Unit, or MDU. When the device is activated, the MDU spaces the atoms of the user ever so slightly, but it's enough that Dimensional Flux Scanners can't pick them up.”

There were several pleased comments. Now they could sneak into Akasi's most protected bases, and he'd be none the wiser.

“However,” Bowser added, “as with all good things, there's a catch. The MDU makes the Phantasm a great deal more sensitive to trans-dimensional interference. Don't worry, if the device shorts out, you won't wind up like a lab experiment gone wrong – I've already tested for that. However, you may find yourself a little...exposed. And in a rather vulnerable way.”

Commander walked down the steps.

“Excellent job, Chief Technician. Begin production immediately – the Centurion will get its first test when we stop Akasi's invasion of the Phoenix Dominion.”
“My sentiments exactly, Commander. Ladies and Gentlemen, this demonstration is adjourned!”

R.S.S. INSURRECTION
HIGH ORBIT ABOVE PLANET NEW ALCATRAZ, PARIAH SYSTEM
1200 HOURS, AUGUST 16, 3036 A.D.

The R.S.S. Insurrection was poised to begin the invasion of the Phoenix Dominion. With Akasi at the helm, the Dark Lord sat back as he prepared to enter the Universe. Akasi had opted against bringing Stukov – it would be unwise to risk his newest lieutenant's life, and he still had a fair bit of mastery of Necromancy and Demonology to complete, anyway.

Having settled matters with the Inner Circle, his most senior officers and advisors, Akasi was now ready to deal with virtually anything the Dominion might throw at him. Magnetic De-Polarizers for the plasma-based weaponry, Vortex Bombs and Cannons for dealing with the ships, and the new Super Soldiers for the final land-based siege would be the means to make it all possible.

It would be a glorious day, indeed.
---TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED---

---

NOTES N' STUFF:

I know, you're thinking “Wasn't Akasi invading Tyrekon?” Well, the original creator switched names on me, apparently. I apologize for any confusion.

At last, Project Italy's identity is revealed at last: The Centurion Battle Suit, complete with the new Phantasm-class cloaking device.

When I was mulling over the features of the Centurion, I had to do a LOT of fact-checking before I felt sure enough to submit the original post. Carbon Nanotubes, in particular, were especially scrutinized. I discovered that the way the tubes themselves are oriented determines how they react to extreme heat or cold. It was initially planned to have the whole suit be a bunch of coiled up nanotubes, but the article quickly shot that idea down. So, I was forced to do a layer of spun carbon as the armor, instead (which is still some pretty durable stuff – it's like carbon fiber on steroids).

For those of you who've played Crysis, the nano-suits your team wears is probably the best fit for the abilities of the Centurion and what it can do. Granted, there's things the Centurion does that the nanos can't (increase power of weapons, for instance), and vice-versa (thermal shielding just keeps you safe from lava and stuff – it doesn't do anything for bullets). Otherwise, they're more or less equal (though Centurions have better cloaking and you can lift stuff that would make the nanos look weak in comparison).

Keep in mind that a Hellstorm-class Multi-Rocket Launch System launches eight rockets at once in its secondary fire mode. That should be indicative of how much kick the launcher has.

The MDU falls into a scientific gray area – it probably wouldn't be possible to spread out your atoms just enough so you aren't a solid mass, but this being science fiction, who knows?

To get an idea of what the tendrils look like when they enshroud the user, think about the way Spidey gets his black suit in Spiderman 3. It's pretty damn similar.

I had a much more bad-ass dialogue planned, but the mind being the thing it is, I couldn't recall the original script! >.<;;

Oh well. Time to get this train wreck a-rollin'. I don't want to give away any details, but I will say this:

When this five-part section is over is over, the stage will be set for Book II...

The Nova-verse and its Characters/Governments are © Ambrosia Software
The Cerine Universe, JoshTigerHeart and Samir Stukov are © their creator
Bowser, Phazon, and PEDs are © Nintendo
The Empire, JR/VA, and all characters w/in are © me