History Literature / TheLastAngel

** spoiler: [[WordofGod Proximal Flame]] has said that it is much easier to make strong AI than to make strong, friendly AI, and with both galactic superpowers actively destroying anything to do with AI, no one has the chance to get it right.

** spoiler: [[Word of God Proximal Flame]] has said that it is much easier to make strong AI than to make strong, friendly AI, and with both galactic superpowers actively destroying anything to do with AI, no one has the chance to get it right.

** [[spoiler: [[Word of God Proximal Flame]] has said that it is much easier to make strong AI than to make strong, friendly AI, and with both galactic superpowers actively destroying anything to do with AI, no one has the chance to get it right.]]

** [[spoiler: [[Word of God ProximalFlame]] has said that it is much easier to make strong AI than to make strong, friendly AI, and with both galactic superpowers actively destroying anything to do with AI, no one has the chance to get it right.]]

* Brain/ComputerInterface: The compact abhors these due to their tendency to drive users crazy or dead, while the Askanj have refined the technology to the point where it's merely difficult to use. Nemesis also uses the technology for... interrogation.

* CallARabbitASmeerp: The Compact, Askanj and Humanity all have different words for ranks and titles. A Askanj Shipstress, a Compact Group Leader Prime and a Human Captain are all equivalent for example. The different naming conventions underscore the alien nature of the different civilizations. See [[http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-last-angel.244209/page-2#post-9592901 here for a breakdown of Compact ranks.]]

The story opens with the the death of a Compact Chariot at the hands of the first ever Human Dreadnaught. The Compact, a collection of alien species seeks to conquer Humanity and absorb them into their ever expanding empire. The Compact outnumber and out-guns Humanity, and their flagships, the Chariots have not once been defeated. Nemesis the first such warship is successfully in doing exactly that, becoming the first ship in the Compact's entire history that has ever managed to do so. Despite this Nemesis is nearly crippled, having suffered almost total crew casualties and one Compact ship gets away with Earth's coordinates.

Cut to two thousand years later. The Compact has continued to grow and advance, all that remains of Humanity is Rally, a single colony the Compact has found and whose population has long since been culturally subverted into loyal citizens. Sectator Citizen Grace Alice Proctor is a cadet in the Compact Space Force. Joining her on the training ship ''Bequeathed'' is her alien friend, Allyria, who was resettled from the recently conquered Verrish homeworld onto Rally to help the young Verrisha assimilate into Compact culture. Grace is a model Compact citizens who believes in the ideals that the Compact is built on, while Allyria nurses a disdain for the civilization that conquered her home.

But not all is right. There's a warning in Common drawn with paint on the ancient walls of the hangar bay, there's a pounding coming from deep within the ship, and sometimes... maybe... you think you hear laughter in the static on the radio. Grace is worried, her section leader is having nightmares, and Allyria... seems to know something.

* HopelessWar: Nemesis has been fighting the Compact for 2000 years, but for all that she's still just one ship and the Compact grows bigger each year.

* AIIsACrapshoot: One of the few things the Compact and the Askaji agree on is that AIs are a bad thing. Names like 'Abomination' and 'Neverborn' are floated often when the subject comes up. In their defense, they seem to have a point. The author has even stated that if her creators saw what Red had become, they would freak out. When the Askaji [[spoiler: tumbled unto an AI civilization, they immediately bombarded the planet to glass fro orbit]], this event is referred to as the Rains of Oshanta.

* AttackDrone: Nemsis has built a small army of robotic hunter killers that allow her to put troops on the ground when she needs to and function to defend her against boarding parties.

* CurbStompBattle: Whenever Nemesis attacks the Compact, it's from a position of strength and with a strategy that will maximise the damage she does. This translates to a disproportionate amount of her strikes turning into this.

* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: Nemesis' point defence armament consists of relativistic rail-guns.

Cut to two thousand years later. The Compact has continued to grow and advance, all that remains of Humanity is Rally, a single colony the Compact has found and whose population has long since been culturally subverted into loyal citizens. Sectator Citizen Grace Alice Proctor is a cadet in the Compact Space Force. Joining her on the training ship Bequeathed is her alien friend, Allyria, who was resettled from the recently conquered Verrish homeworld onto Rally to help the young Verrisha assimilate into Compact culture. Grace is a model Compact citizens who believes in the ideals that the Compact is built on, while Allyria nurses a disdain for the civilization that conquered her home.

Aboard Bequeathed, Grace has to deal with a lecherous and sadistic superior officer while Allyria is routinely put down by the ship's Tribunes, who are still holding a grudge over how much trouble the Verrish gave their invasion force. Then Bequeathed stumbles upon a massive alien derelict in a remote star system. It's the find of the lifetime, and the Bequeathed's captain wants to take the credit. Salvage teams are sent to board it and evaluate the technological treasures within.

* AIIsACrapshoot: One of the few things the Compact and the Askaji agree on is that AIs are a bad thing. Names like 'Abomination' and 'Neverborn' are floated often when the subject comes up. In their defense, look at Nemesis, the author has even stated that if her creators saw what 'Red' had become, they would freak out. When the Askaji [spoiler: tumbled unto an AI civilization, they immediately bombarded the planet to glass fro orbit]], this event is reffered to as the Rains of Oshanta.

* FantasticRacism: And how! The Verrish are officially refereed to as 'Brute' while the Humans are 'Broken'. The Tribunes look down upon conquered species as inferior in every way and dismiss ships like 'Bequeathed' as PR stunts that give the masses false hope.

* GhostShip: Nemesis plays up this trope as a form of psychological warfare against the salvage crew from 'Bequeathed'.

* AIIsACrapshoot: One of the few things the Compact and the Askaji agree on is that AIs are a bad thing. Names like 'Abomination' and 'Neverborn' are floated often when the subject comes up. In their defense, look at Nemesis, the author has even stated that if her creators saw what 'Red' had become, they would freak out.

* FantasticRacism: And how! The Verrish are officially refereed to as 'Brute' while the Humans are 'Broken'. The Tribunes look down upon conquered species as inferior in every way and dismiss ships like 'Bequeathed' as PR stunts that give the masses false hops.

* SpaceMarines: The compact's Janissaries.

Aboard Bequeathed, Grace has to deal with a lecherous and sadistic superior officer while Allyria is routinely put down by the ship's Tribunes, who are still holding a grudge over how much trouble the Verrish gave their invasion force. Then "Bequeathed" stumbles upon a massive alien derelict in a remote star system. It's the find of the lifetime, and the Bequeathed's captain wants to take the credit. Salvage teams are sent to board it and evaluate the technological treasures within.

Cut to two thousand years later. The Compact has continued to grow and advance, all that remains of Humanity is Rally, a single colony the Compact has found and whose population has long since been culturally subverted into loyal citizens. Sectator Citizen Grace Alice Proctor is a cadet in the Compact Space Force. Joining her on the training ship "Bequeathed" is her alien friend, Allyria, who was resettled from the recently conquered Verrish homeworld onto Rally to help the young Verrisha assimilate into Compact culture. Grace is a model Compact citizens who believes in the ideals that the Compact is built on, while Allyria nurses a disdain for the civilization that conquered her home.
Aboard "Bequeathed", Grace has to deal with a lecherous and sadistic superior officer while Allyria is routinely put down by the ship's Tribunes, who are still holding a grudge over how much trouble the Verrish gave their invasion force. Then "Bequeathed" stumbles upon a massive alien derelict in a remote star system. It's the find of the lifetime, and the "Bequeathed's" captain wants to take the credit. Salvage teams are sent to board it and evaluate the technological treasures within.

* ApocalypseHow: Compact and

The story opens with the the death of a Compact Chariot at the hands of the first ever Human Dreadnaught. The Compact, a collection of alien species seeks to conquer Humanity and absorb them into their ever expanding empire. The Compact outnumber and out-guns Humanity, and their flagships, the Chariots have not once been defeated. "Nemesis" the first such warship is successfully in doing exactly that, becoming the first ship in the Compact's entire history that has ever managed to do so. Despite this Nemesis is nearly crippled, having suffered almost total crew casualties and one Compact ship gets away with Earth's coordinates.

* AIIsACrapshoot: One of the few things the Compact and the Askaji agree on is that AIs are a bad thing. Names like 'Abomination' and 'Neverborn' are floated often when the subject comes up. In their defense, look at 'Nemesis', the author has even stated that if her creators saw what 'Red' had become, they would freak out.

* CoolStarship: 'Nemesis' is the first Dreadnaught built by Humanity and it's first true warship. Chariots, the flagships of the Compact also count.

* GhostShip: 'Nemesis' plays up this trope as a form of psychological warfare against the salvage crew from 'Bequeathed'.

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Nasham is on meds[[spoiler: to suppress his memories of his run in with 'Nemesis', both for psychiatric reasons and because the Compact doesn't want to admit 'Nemesis' exists. ]]

* SapientShip: Nemesis's AI is called 'Alpha One', 'Red' to her friends.

* FasterThanLightTravel: The shock drives allow a ship to cross vast distances in an instant and make up a huge part of a ship's total cost. Ships can only jump outside of a system's gravity well until [spoiler: Nemesis pioneered Lagrange Point jumps.]]

>''"Burn with me."''
-->-- '''Nemesis''', ''The Last Angel''

->''Burn with me.''
- Nemesis

* Curb-StompBattle: Whenever Nemesis attacks the Compact, it's from a position of strength and with a strategy that will maximise the damage she does. This translates to a disproportionate amount of her strikes turning into this.

* Faster-Then-LightTravel: The shock drives allow a ship to cross vast distances in an instant and make up a huge part of a ship's total cost. Ships can only jump outside of a system's gravity well until [spoiler: Nemesis pioneered Lagrange Point jumps.]]
* Galactic Superpower: The Compact of Species and it's adversary, the Askanj Commonwealth.

* Galactic Superpower: The Compact of Species and it's adversary, the

Aboard "Bequeathed", Grace has to deal with a lecherous and sadistic superior officer while Allyria is routinely put down by the ship's Tribunes, who are still holding a grudge over how much trouble the Verrish gave their invasion force. Then "Bequeathed" stumbles upon a massive alien derelict in a remote star system. It's the find of the lifetime, and the "Bequeathed's" captain wants to

Cut to two thousand years later. The Compact has continued to grow and advance, all that remains of Humanity is a single colony the Compact has found and whose population has long since been culturally subverted into loyal citizens. Grace Alice Proctor is a Sectator, a cadet in the Compact space navy. Joining her on the training ship "Bequeathed" is her adopted alien sister, Allyria, who was resettled from the recently conquered Verrish homeworld with Alicia's family to help the young Verrisha assimilate into Compact culture. Alice is a model Compact citizens who believes in the ideals that the Compact is built on, while Allyria nurses a disdain for the civilization that conquered her home.

A WebOriginal work by Proximal Flame first published on Spacebattles Forum in December of 2012.

Cut to two thousand years later. The Compact has continued to grow and advance, all that remains of Humanity is a single colony the Compact has found and whose population has long since been culturally subverted into loyal citizens.