Chapter 58 — Calm Before the Storm
Part 1
Lucovis
Elongated nails raked along the muscular flesh as red light bled from the ancient Candles illuminating the abyssal black of the Almas fortress.
Before her the being that was one a Jedi writhed not in pain but pleasure – for that was the gift of the Goddess of the Sublime and Profane – to make
everything Pleasure…
Its flesh warped and cracked breaking into what was once a Temple Guards sabre, molecules splitting and melting into each other till what had been hands were now in built hilts for the energy blade, yet the creation cried out in joy form a mouth morphing around its white mask.
To create and fashion life from non-life was the purview of a true Goddess…
She had already achieved as much by creating
Herself Willing herself into existence…Xithar, Sicara, the Clones, the Zealots of the First Night were merely the
means with which Her
Eternally existent
Will had
Realized here in this plane of existence
The wretched bloody and convulsing forms before her soaked in the energy of the fear feeding wyrms that bit down on their limbs - raw energy for her to guide toward ascension on a more ecstatic plane.
Above them the Ubese she did not need dripped blood and slivers of flesh to act as raw material for additional limbs and organs as Lucovis toyed with her alchemy creating strange new combinations of bodies from the former Jedi.
Outside in the halls she could smell the sweetness of her throng of modified slaves enjoying themselves simmer through – neural paths ways twisted to experience even the most boring sensations – the touch of foot on ground, the brush of skin against a wall – as explosive pleasure.
She could feel their zealotry deeply - this place the Almas fortress had been where Darth Rivan perfected the creation of Sith Battle Lords centuries past – blood rituals to bind a Battle Lord to their troops – she had improved upon it, tying these once Jedi, Ubese and the few Mandalorians she had fanatically to her will…her Nova Corps would follow, but the changes would be less pronounced to ensure they maintained a good degree of creativity and independent thought in combat…and after them…the galaxy.
The first step to a more perfect galaxy – beings for whom everything was delight and all decisions clear in the services of their Goddess…what better gift to the galaxy could Lucovis give than love of Herself?
But alone she could not achieve such ends…her wyrms were growing few, her patience thin…the other Demi-gods…her body pulsed with unfulfilled desire to become one with them…to hold their power as her own – a Pantheon of one mind across a dozen bodies…
She spared a thought for Xithar, her mere hand puppet now censuring and preparing Vectivus for their arrival…
“Soon…so soon…” she stroked the face of her greatest creation to date…the one she had freed from strictures, exposed the pride and rage within and turned it to hr service.
The eyes of the body that had once been Oma’s flicked open dark and wet.
<<<<>>>>
Kiraea
Home…home was where they all needed to be…
They couldn’t be separated from their Valley, plants, animals and Goddesses for long without becoming ill – Milaea’s distress proved this Kiraea had concluded.
The younger woman sat quietly with Sofa in the back of the
Aethena, contemplating how to heal Kassyndra and Lydan as they headed to Station 4 with the Chiss escort and the
Demagol, followed in turn by two frigates- abandoned by the Nova Corps on Milaea’s ‘suggestion’ full of the remaining Sons and the Yuuzhan Vong…cruiser was a close enough word for the shell shaped thing.
Kiraea didn’t mind them considering the People Avatars of their Gods - Clearly the Yuuzhan Vong were misguided abusing and ‘shaming’ their own people - perhaps the Yuuzhan Vong Gods had spoken to their Goddesses and asked for their help showing them their error, it wouldn’t surprise her if Aephrodaea was compassionate to the ‘Shamed ones’ even if they aren’t People, Aertemisaea would want to avoid a fight, and Aethenaea would welcome the opportunity to share knowledge with other Gods
if they were polite.
Perhaps that was why the Outsiders were crazy, they travelled too far too often from their home worlds and Gods. Each people had its own Gods as was fitting, and should live with them on their own world satisfied with the natural rhythms they had evolved to be a part of.
But they didn’t…
And so once they were done at the unnamed deep core system that housed Station 4 they would once more have to plan how to destroy the most acquisitive of those who stole what belonged to other Peoples Goddesses.
<<<<>>>>
Adaea
The swamps didn’t seem to end. All gritty and dark green belching noxious yellow gases. Such was the small moon on which Station 4 was located. Around a Gas giant it had a relatively thin mantle and strong light sources from the systems Sun and the gas Giant, offering warmth and energy for the algae and bacteria to grow in the largely stagnant surface swamps and damp soils.
The Station itself was built on a rocky plateau surrounded by equally endless looking ‘swamp crops’ where microorganisms were bred under retractable shade systems to manage light input. They were shipped back to Aethas to assist the terraforming of the blasted soils and sea floors, as well as the Ascendancy for their own Environmental management programs.
Now it was to be a temporary home to the Sons of Kessel and Extolled…there wasn’t really anywhere else for them to go. It was sad Adaea thought to not have a home, to be disconnected from your People and Gods…as she had been for so long after the Devastation.
“It’s not much…but it’s a start…” Kesion said behind her talking to Jarys and Maynard as they spread out – the Sons were used to living from bolt hole to bolt hole and quickly organised in another spacious hangar.
“Two frigates, 600 men…greater things have been done with less,” Keison tried to be upbeat…but there was no hiding the pink Gromin in the room – the Sons were crippled after Hondo station, and only hit Ando and survived Vulpter because of the People.
“They’ll head off in a few days…can’t risk any more bounty hunters following us straight to you…again…” he clapped Jarys shoulder,
“You need to focus on what little of your people are left…”
“They?” Adaea noted, “You’re not going too?”
“Huh…not with them…20 million on my head would draw unwanted attention, tempt too many of our contacts and supporters with turning us in…”
“Especially now that you’re on the way down…” Adaea finished for him “…Outsiders always seem to betray each other…”
It was very sad she thought, he was just trying to help free other people…even Debi seemed sad nuzzling her leg while her illusions skittered about.
“I have an idea!” she said feeling the rush of thoughts upon her. She lifted Debi up and suggested telepathically the Gobril shut off its illusions, which it did.
A few Sons jumped up as the illusionary Gobrils they had been petting vanished.
“The Bounty hunters are after you…so what if they see you everywhere you’re not – I can make a few special Orbs that project you’re image…for a few months at least…enough time for you to go underground, split into Cells…it would be even more effective if you died…then they’d think you’re a ghost…”
Keison and the other Sons officers looked at her oddly for a moment as Jarys nodded,
“It’s a propaganda war as much as anything…” Maynard noted “Keison the 20 million sack of credits turns up on Nar Shadda in the Slave Markets…then a day later on Toydaria, the Wheel, Rorak IV…”
“The hunters would scramble…and the word we’re not defeated would spread.”
“Even more if you sent out another vid showing you with a dead Xithar….” Adaea added
“…if you come with us to Ord Mirit while Mumbles and Komo take over…”
“It’s Mmbri…” Mmbri corrected quietly
“Really?” Adaea was certain it was ‘Mumbles’…
<what is the Psadan’s name, Kiraea?> she asked teleptahticall
<Mumbles.>
<Thought so!>
…Outsiders often confused themselves even to to point of forgetting their names.
Keison meanwhile slapped Jarys arm
“Six Hells…I like it…I swear brother…with ten of these girls…”
<<<<>>>>
Lucovis
“I submit myself to your censure Mistress”
Captain Tsen had retreated from Vulpter in belief that he had failed – he had done no such thing but it served Lucovis to keep him believing he had. Now he was on his knees before her, so far as the Black Sun was concerned Lucois was Xithars favoured Concubine and now co-Vigo.
She leaned down from her throne on the
Hedonist resplendent in Purple and Gold her eyes gazing menacingly over the assembled captains – some once served Hondo, then Boos, others Jyx, a few were ring in’s from the disaster at Vulpter looking for work – mercenary and faithless as Goush and his ilk.
Every few moments they flicked nervous gazes up toward the twisted limbed guardians that flanked her throne – a beautiful little joke that none would savour but her – once the stoic Guardians of the Jedi Temple now they were the depraved lustful guards of her Religion.
“You have failed…but I am forgiving and generous…how many troops remain from your force?”
“Just over two thousand mistress,”
She glanced out of the view port to the assembled Armada, fortunately the Jedi’s Mando mercenaries had been so busy pursuing Goush they allowed Tsen’s forces to escape mostly intact, the main losses were ground side to the Demi Gods. Her piercing senses detected 2,178 beings ready for initiation into her sacred Rites.
“Very well…” as she stood the assembled captains all genuflected even lower under the weight of her mere presence.
“Your soldiers will begin landing near the Almas fortress where they will be…reequipped…in readiness for your next task…”
Tsen looked up confused
“Paaardoooon Myyyyy….”
Petty Mortals! she had spoken at her normal cadence rather than slowing her speech for the pathetic grubs before her to understand….the discomfort of
need once again assailed her celestial being, a discomfort that would only be removed once she had the other Demi Gods here and ready for binding to her…
Rather than speak her orders once more she
slammed the demands into their minds directly.
One Aqualish captain flopped down blood spewing from his eyeballs, a Twi’lek poured brain matter form his ears as the weight of a mere one level of her consciousness beat down on them.
“Weaklings…but soon you will be sublime…”
<<<<>>>>
Lyaea
Exploring the Eversight was an…experience – she’d seen a lot of weird stuff in the Republic…but this was beyond…the vessel was biological, made of ‘yorik coral’.
Most of Reeda Kwn explanations were lost in translation, the rest to the disgust Lyaea felt looking at how…integrated they got this the bio tech – nerve fibres piercing necks to connect with spinal cords, implants that replaced limbs…
Still she made sure to record it all on her link orb, it would be essential soon enough
“So how long till the main fleet arrives?” she asked scrunching her nose at the blobby ejections from the food dispenser equivalent – this was not suitable for People she decided.
“Difficult…dark space travel such as this ship entered twists time…it could be decades, millennia even…most likely a few centuries of this real time.”
“And even that’s assuming they survive the intergalactic void…” from Yhums information they had been sending probes for centuries of ‘real time’ but their attempt to contact them when the
Eversight arrived was less than successful, only half a dozen still existed and those barely functional.
“So what will you do now?” she inquired, Lyaea appreciated their help, but didn’t want to be their Goddess full time, and was careful to let them choose their own path – they had escaped slavery once she would not put them under it again - the Chiss in particular were determined to study them but Lyaea had held them off, placating their Liaison Syndic Corudo with the promise of a ‘Yorik-et’ and four corpses – even that had Corudo all but exploding with joy in his tight trousers on top of the Bio-weapons research on the
Demagol.
“You’ve just paid our way with the Chiss for a thousand years,” Valens had praised her.
“We will try and contact the main fleet and explain the Revelations of the Gods…” Reeda went on, her expression - if Lya read correct - indicated she like Lyaea knew that wouldn’t be very successful
“For now we need resources to feed the Ro'ik chuun m'arh”
“There are some swamps toward the southern pole of this moon we aren’t using that produce water and protein by products that might help…”
“Your generosity is appreciated Avatar,”
There wasn’t much generosity to it, they needed to learn all they could about the Yuuzhan Vong, and would learn far more with their co-operation.
“You know I’m not a Complete Goddess right?”
Reeda nodded
“The Gods…are the Gods…but may…be seen more in one than another to our sight - if we open our eyes to see…”
<<<<>>>>
Selaena
She had been angry at them…all this time.
Why hadn’t they helped, why hadn’t they stopped the outsiders – didn’t they love them?
Aephrodaea’s Tears rushed before her – the weeping of the Goddess for her Children – yet why weep at all, why not keep her Children from harm in the first place?
…but then if the Goddesses could not be relied upon…why hadn’t Selaena protected her children from harm herself?
She couldn’t have…she wasn’t a Guardian, just a wife, a mother, a farmer, a tailor, sometimes a tanner and potter – why hadn’t the Guardians protected them?
They couldn’t have…they had never seen creatures the like of which attacked them that night, nor weapons, let alone machines…
And if they didn’t know, how could the Goddesses know…They were not all knowing, nor all powerful like other trumped up beings in the Sons claimed of their Gods raising the obvious contradiction – if your God is so powerful how is it you who belong to them are enslaved?
It didn’t make her suffering any less though…they still had power…but were the Outsiders Gods so much stronger? Or did they only favour certain People like Valens and Kiraea. That wasn’t very fair, hadn’t she followed their guidance, always obeyed the Guardians, had two children, always taught them the proper ways?
There was only one word that could partially contain her swirling thoughts
“WHY!”
Her scream knocked the waterfalls flow to the side and trembled the rocky pools.
The reflection of a haggard hatefilled face in the water sheened rock shocked her. Was this her now…was she so different – after all she had suffered how could she not be.
This the face of the merciless angry goddesses she wished to berate.
Yet there was the ficition – she was the Goddesses as all women were – to be angry to them was to be angry at herself, to disconnect from them was to be disconnected from herself.
The fatigue of too many years sagged her downward as the cathartic release of her scream left a void where there had been tension now filling with a renewed sense of calm.
If the Goddesses – if
she was to be strong – she could not remain divided against herself, she could ba angry at them, at herself, but not for long enough to be a detriment…she still had her children- there were still Outsiders trying to hurt them…
And this time she could fight back.
<<<<>>>>
Sofa
She was till terribly fragile – despite blasting everyone full of red life energy a day ago. Everyone had expected too much of Milaea, but worst of all she had expected too much of herself, trying to save the whole Galaxy from the People she loved was an impossible strain Sofa could partially understand.
The difference was Sofa was jaded and selfish enough to say ‘Screw the galaxy I’m out for me’.
Milaea wasn’t like that, she was better than all of them in that regard, she cared, regretted and internalised everything – especially the things she didn’t admit she was doing it for.
Despite what she said to herself, Milaea was still carrying the past, future, Republic, Aethans, Jedi…and now the Sons, Sith, Yuuzhan Vong and Black Sun on her conscience.
The Jedi thing was to ‘learn but let go’ of such things, accept the will of the force – the Aethan thing was to shrug it off as meaningless as it didn’t help their survival. Milaea was neither, the worst of both worlds.
“They’ll need a full rebuild…like I did with you…” Milaea broke Sofa’s thoughts looking over Kassyndra.
“Can you do it?” Sofa hoped healing them would help Milaea heal herself.
“I…yes…but…”
“You don’t have to do it straight away…take your time.”
“I’m not sure they – we – have time.”
Already the others were preparing, rearming to take down Xithar.
Milaea looked up sadly at Sofa’s thoughts – she knew it had to be done and felt regret that she couldn’t do it herself, and didn’t want to – such was the twisted state Sofa’s poor little sister was in.
“It’s alright, you don’t have to go…” Sofa stepped over to offer a supportive arm, “You should stay here, got to this ‘Womb’ cave like Kiraea suggested…we’ll take care of the Sith.”
Milaea folded onto her breast nodding slightly – so old for such a young woman in that moment.
She held her for a long while until Kiraea tickled at their minds summoning them, there was no more time to delay. Sofa squeezed her for a moment longer, Xithar had done too much damage, as un-Jedi like as it was, Sofa no longer cared, she, Milaea and the Clones Xithar had stolen what seemed a lifetime ago would be avenged on the Sith in the most cruel and vicious way she could imagine –
Setting her new People loose on him.
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