Death from the Shadows
War had long held sway over both Ross 154 and the Milky Way. Death tolls had not been higher in many years now. Galactica and the Confederates seemed to fight forever, but no matter what was done, it seemed that the war would never come to a close.
And yet, it was so near...yet no-one knew of it.
No-one knew anything. There was nothing to know, it seemed. Suddenly, one day, it simply happened. And it did not happen in one place, but it happened in many - throughout Ross 154 and the Milky Way, in almost every colonised planet, in almost every town and city, it happened. Of mercy, there was none.
It took a second; a single second, and the worst of it was over. Indeed, the worst of it had to be over, for over eighty percent of the entire population of the Milky Way and Ross 154 had fallen. It would strike all who survived the unfairness of it. To be killed in battle, knowing thine enemy, was an honourable thing, but to fall so quickly that you had no knowledge you were even dying, and no-one would even know what happened...
The Prylak had not been idle. While their ships were caught in skirmishes throughout Andromeda with the Drakal, and more and more vessels were needed on the front line - Zone X, as they called the galaxy - the Prylak had been developing a new weapon. A weapon that no-one could fight.
Reports came in slowly to the survivors. Galactica, the Confederates, the Haorn, Raiek, Terrans and Sijak all faced the same fate. All of their worlds were suddenly struck with death - billions fell dead, with no symptoms preceding and no obvious answers available. Many worlds were lost contact with, and it was assumed that the death there had been absolute. Few survived, and those were mostly isolated peoples, who were still under threat if the plague that had killed so many so quick were to continue.
Every race lost contact with every other race, and also lost contact with parts of their own former space. Their was a tense aftermath, as no-one knew what to do, or what was safe.
Everyone affected had a vague idea of what had come to pass. Somehow, a massive wide-scale plague had hit them, obviously directed, but by whom was unknown. Supporting that, however, was another weapon - a nano-weapon, which appeared to have swept the fleets of many races out from under them. Defence turrets on planets suddenly began opening fire on the survivors, and many systems overloaded. The fleets of the once grand races; Galactica, Confederates, Raiek, Sijak, Haorn and Terrans, were mostly gone. Few ships remained, and there was no trace of the others. From the signs that the "weapon" that had effected them was capable of controlling them, seen by all through defence turrets and controlled overloads, it could only be assumed the crew of the ships were dead, and they had been taken away by the Enemy.
Another shock came a few days later, when nearby planets, now huge tombs to the dead, were found with enormous radiation levels. The planets that had been made completely barren, could no longer be colonised. The Enemy had moved so swiftly that none could even consider fighting back.
The Raiek
A scattered remnant of Raiek vessels, mostly old-style Raiek craft, picked up immense energy readings in dotted areas around southern Ross 154. It appeared that multiple jumpgates had been created, and then collapsed shortly after. Only the Raiek could pick up those signals, as they had once been the Prylak.
And thus they knew their Enemy - it was indeed the Prylak, returned. They knew not why they should be targetted, but they had been, and something had to be done...
The Sijak
Devastated, yet still hopeful, the Sijak managed to isolate one of the nano-colonies which had spread through a Sijak base. They had sterilised it, and begun investigations. The Sijak had long been the Prylak's thinkers, especially in realms of nanites, and they alone stood a chance against fighting off the nano-weapon. Unfortunately, although they managed to also contain and sterilise living tissue containing the plague (which no other race had achieved), they found no way to create a defence against it. They needed a living example of someone immune before they could do anything.
Galactica
Scattered and on the brink of total destruction, Galactica nevertheless tried to fight the plague and nano-weapon, but had not in a few days found any hope. It was then that a Galactica cargoship returned from a long journey. It had come from the South Tip.
There was word that on Kayia, the plague had shown it's first weakness. Humans, Azdgari, Igadzra, Zidagar, Voinians and their slave races, and all types of Miranu, had been slain as easily as elsewhere, but not one Kayan had died...
Eta Cassiopea
From the plains of Senn, the Watcher looked out, and he frowned. Only a few days back, a sleek black vessel which he scried to be Prylak had attempted to enter Eta Cassiopea through a new jumpgate. His scrying had seen the plagues enter the Milky Way and Ross 154, but he was bound by the will of the Senn Elders, and could not interfer.
Eta Cassiopea, however, was his own realm.
The Prylak vessel, which to any other eye did not exist, had been deleted. Eta Cassiopea had been saved from such a death, but the Watcher was still concerned.
He felt death in the Milky Way, and in Ross 154; such death he had never before seen. This was truly a Black Day. He considered long and hard whether he should go against his Elders, and forsake all chance of ever ascending.
Time was one thing the Senn could never understand. So little did it mean to them, and so great was the decision, that the Watcher decided for long in thought. Months would pass before he would decide.
But before he faded into thought, he sent to the peoples of Eta Cassiopea a message.
The Black Day of the Milky Way and Ross 154 will not touch you here. Not even the foe who struck those galaxies can stand up to the Watcher. Eta Cassiopea is safe.
He had not revealed the identity of the enemy, for that choice must come after he decided.
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OOC: Every race, including Skraine, will be allowed a reaction post, which I would prefer to be detailed, and more novel-style than most. Don't bother with research updates; they aren't important. 
At that point, Chapter VI will end, and so will come the Gap. A year will pass in the webstory, and you will be allowed to decide during the Gap what you do. I'll make a discussion topic after posting this, don't worry.
Also, I'm lacking one resource before we continue, and it's called the Equinox. (the image) Don't worry, the best man for the job is working on it. 
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Word.
