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Author Topic: Remnant of the Aether  (Read 47120 times)
Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #180 on: April 06, 2021, 11:19:48 PM »

Chapter 29 — The Hunted and the Hollow — Part 7
It began with the scouts and outliers in the thicker foliage being muffled and dragged backward, head twisted 720 degrees in an unnecessary but satisfying spin that left them lolling, connected to the body only by the scales.

This allowed Yorna to get position precisely to line up her three remaining arrows with the power cells on the fixed guns. Three shots - three hits, disabled the three main heavy weapons, two of them causing electrical overloads that singed the Trandoshans attending them.

The camp went spastic with alert as they simultaneosuly lost contact with their scouts.

The Aethans struck from three sides, their hades pistols and rifle unleashing a constant stream of maser fire that quickly overloaded the blaster shields designed to resist conventional Republic blaster energy rather than the more impactful Chiss energy weapons.

The response was swift with seeker missiles and repeaters firing back until the bounce of the last two implosion grenades forced them to dive out of the implosion radius which reversed out in a mess of dirt and metal leaving two craters.

Relentless fire from both sides left ten Trandoshan’s dead or mortally wounded and blew off much of Sofa’s remaining armour forcing her to keep to the back as they engaged the whirring vibro-blades and tremor swords when in melee range.

Yorna and Kiraea each wielding two short swords moved like a wind of death through the first four to engage them, Sofa saber lit bouncing back blaster bolts relying only on her natural reflexes and grudgingly drawing on the aether within her to hurl back grenades and stun nets.

Limbs flew from the trandoshan’s with every pass until all four were lums n the ground, two more engaged while another uncaring of his hatchmates fates turned the last flame thrower on the whole group, Yorna twisting out Kiraea covering her back to hurl her dagger straight into the pyro happy creatures chest.

By now only nine Trandoshan’s remained.

“The weak eggs crack first,” Ins’skas dismissively hissed at the death of his spawn.  First, Third and Fourth Eldest still lived, along with Ninth and Tenth, Twenty-Third, twenty-Fifth and an injured but still standing Thirty -Eighth - Ins’skas had to credit the youngest survivor, his Egg-layer had been a large bodied female and produced a thick muscled spawn.

Kiraea locked eyes on the Blood-giver and hated him even more for the casual indifference he showed to his progeny. 

At this range both predator species could smell each others enough to identify the familial relations of each side.

First Eldest snarled and charged in first, for no reason of filial piety or fraternal protection, simply to take the Jagganth of the weakest of the prey - in this case Sofa with comparatively weakened armour.

Ninth and Fourth were not far behind, Third skirting the edges, the ‘younger’ ones hoping their elders sibling took the brunt.

Kiraea flipped over the first two, letting Yorna grapple with Fourth and Ninth, rolled between Tenth and Twenty Third, swords clutched to her breast pointed outward acting like blades on chariot wheels of old to cut through their thighs, then spun up both swords through the chest of twenty fifth.

The dead reptile vomited blood as she slipped off and around aiming for Ins’skas but intercepted by Thrity-Eighth, the bulky youth slashing with his ViborAxe that glinted the sun as it descended with more strength than finesse, allowing her to side step and take the arm at the elbow, before spinning into a crouch blades whistling to cut him in half at the hips, a trail of aetheric blue left in her swords wake...it was unfortunately the last of the charge in her weapons.

Ins’skas grunted respectfully, once more it was him alone against Davjäan Guage.  He had called then ‘Burning Alien’ after the first hunt because as they died they invariably lit in a blue fire the likes of which her swords had just used to cauterize his spawn.

He swung his Bat’Leth from his back as she glared at the desecrated bones of her People.

“Time to die scale face,”

Their blades met with a sharp chime as Yorna locked hers with Fourth - one of the few spawn to have killed a wookie berserker he knew how to deal with physically strong opponents, even if in Yorna’s case she was much shorter. 

His brutish but efficient style, complemented by the Wookie Berserker sword he used, his best weapon and most prized evidence of Jagganth, wouldn’t have kept her so long had Ninth Eldest not been a constant thorn to the side, armed with an electro-spear he jabbed in at every opportunity she got to get to Fourth.

She would eventually wear them down, as with every clash Fourth’s joints ached a little more, and her greater than humanoid dexterity began to confound his guard, but she needed to help her sister.  Kiraea was better but not recovered, and the Trandoshan leader was proving remarkably adept.

Ins’skas had fought  Davjäan Guage before, had gone out his way to purchase two to hunt, her speed, strength and nubile body were no surprise to him, only her skill and equipment exceeded the rattled slaves he had killed before, making the match surprisingly even.

The bat'leth wove close and tight, its defensive potential in full display in a master's hands, he loosed his right claw grip to extend and hurl a magnetite-shuriken, the self accelerating bade boring like a drill into Kiraea’s breast plate, allowing him fur solid strikes before she gained space to batter it away.

The woman who would never forget the nameless child she had lost glared at the cold reptilian eyes of a hunter who didn’t care to know the names of the hundreds of offspring he had watched die. 

Even more disgusted if she was possible Kiraea launched at the hunter again.

A shockwave front he nearby clash buffeted Sofa who wove around First Eldest, and knocked back bolts from Third, their tag team surprisingly effective, her greatest limitation was her compromised armour keeping her Niman style ina defensive posture - of this at least she was unmatched as an adept of Soryu’s protective variant, but it meant she lacked opportunities.  The thrum of her blade snapped and cracked on the tremor swords, before rounding to bounce back another dang yellow bolt.

Fourth saw his chance - but so did Ninth - as Yorna used what little she understood of the Trandoshan’s culture, dropping back and switching feet to leave herself exposed to both at once.

It worked, both Trandoshan’s intent on claiming the Jagganth lunged at her forsaking their earlier cooperation and falling into her trap. 

Lithe and flexible Yorna bent in ways that would snap a humans spine to move between the spear and Fourths Berserker sword, taking the former under her arm and tugging to put Ninth between her and Fourth.  Along and stumbling Ninth was easy prey, Yorna sliced his throat open then rolled over his back her full attention on Fourth had him beat a determined but futile retreat that ended with his blade on the ground next to his hands.

Straight to her sister Ins’skas hissed at the intervention just as he was making headway.

Kiraea could feel the true exhaustion of the weeks since her loss finally upon her, the fatigue she had refused to feel in the Hollow wouldn’t be denied much longer.  But nor could the Trandoshan filth be left alive.

Large and strong of body the Blood Giver had the experience and ferocity to hold off the two Aethan women, his long curved Bat’leth- an ancestral weapon of is bloodline forged in aeons past survived the Blackstone blades, but never without a serious chip being cleaved off.

Had they access to the Aether Ins’skas would’ve been telekinetically garrotted and internally combusted before he could raise his blade, it was as if by some nefarious arrangement between the Goddesses of Aethas and the Scorekeeper of Trandosha he was permitted a fight in one of the few places he stood a genuine chance.

The theological implications might’ve interested Sofa more had she not been occupied with the almost as large First Eldest who engaged directly, and the more conniving third Eldest who fired from wrist mounted launchers at every opportunity straining her attention.

“Frell to this!” she finally decided, her last ounce of aetheric energy was just enough for one telekinetic play.  She chose her timing carefully as First felt the Jagganth on his tongue.

Back flipping Sofa threw her saber like a spear while in the air.  she landed to First’s confused delight as his prey was unarmed, arms spread open for the kill.  It turned to shock as Sofa’s guided her saber out of Third’s neck and into First’s back.  She grimaced less from the loss of energy to pull the move off than the face it meant his scales would have a nasty burn. She would have to cut around to make her handbag...a purse instead perhaps?

Alone, it was fitting Ins’skas grinned, as Sofa joined the fight.

A certain amusement took him as the three pressed him hard, their only limit seeming to be they avoided the parts of his armour covered in Davjäan Guage bone and skull, not wishing to damage it further. 

There was a joke here by the Scorekeeper, he had slain three of their kind, Three of their kind would slay him.

Not without ferocious resistance.

The Trandoshan’s weakness had been their individual drive for Jagganth, they untied to wear down difficult prey, but they never risked another taking the kill. 

Ins’skas knew this fundamental weakness of their strategy.  He did not care, his Jagganth was all he cared for, and even as they destroyed his Bat’leth, sliced off his fingers, snout and leg, he knew his Jagganth was imperishably marked in the Scorekeepers tally beside his name.

The three sisters looked down at the wheezing creature, their unity was their victory, their revenge just beginning.

<<<<>>>>

Vacha
The last life-transponder died.

It was done…

The majority of his hatch-kin, Blood-Giver, and the best hunters of the Mag-Claw and Sssar Jaw Brotherhood all killed for the glory of the Scorekeeper, a portion of their Jagganth flowing to him. 

And the Davjäan Guage remained alive to hunt another day.  Oh how he would profit now, the Island was his by right, the trophies of the Blood-Giver...and the ship  Lllsssak’s!

“Actually I’m taking the ship,” a voice from behind said offhandedly.

“Not bad, could do with a bit of paint, need to get that cloaca smell outta here…” Taryn said, strolling down the bridge to the Trandoshan hastily pulling his pistol.  It flew from the holster into the far wall, a serrated dagger simply bent in on itself.

“Now how’s that a proper greeting for your new captain…” Taryn jumped into the command throne, Varcha feeling his limbs pinned against him as he lifted off the ground.

“...now why don’t you tell me all about this pretty little thing?”

<<<<>>>>

Mitigated Recovery
“It’s a lot like Vosis scaling,” Yorna explained to Sofa’s slightly disgusted look.

“Though they are much larger, these Trandoshan’s are fiddly…” she used wire salvaged from a heavy weapon to scrape with.
“At least he’s not wriggling any more...”

That had been especially unpleasant to watch, though in all honesty Sofa had rarely considered such reptilian species as much more than simple minded pests before joining the Aethan sisterhood.

The process of obtaining her new boots and handbags - for there was enough for multiple sets - was far less edifying than just shopping for them Sofa decided.

Since killing the ‘Bloodgiver’ the few remaining scouts had scattered into the jungle, there was a half hearted attempt to attack them repelled by Sofa’s rifle fire taking off two heads.

The thump of heavy feet on weak soil finally announced the arrival of their ride.

Jarys immediately went to Kiraea taking a half nap in the corner, her armour still bloody from the Blood Givers' very extended death.

Her eyes flickering open he knelt before her with a slight creak, still not fully recovered from his own vengeful excesses.

“Are you injured?” he asked a medi-kit already in hand.

“No,” she whispered, “Just tired,”

Jarys head dropped lower a sense of shame he had not been there to help her twice in as many months.

“Will you recover,” he asked

“One day,” she said leaning into him as Yorna looked on with a smile and began packing their haul of scales.

“What daemonic realm is this...life itself seems to stop here...and where…”

“Enough,” Valens replied to Maekal’s complaints as they reached the camp

“Scout the perimeter...and hunt down the stragglers, I want their heads in ten minutes” he ordered, having found giving the boy concrete tasks kept him from his ill-informed ramblings - mostly.

“Took your time,” Sofa teased Valens as he idly looked over the ruination of the Trandoshan’s

“I came as soon as my ring started losing connection,” he held up his armoured hand, beneath it the wedding band he had crafted linked to Sofa’s own.

“Well you missed out, but I’m done with this moon,”

Valens nodded, Jarys was already guiding Kiraea toward the ship in an areas they had blasted clear for landing nearby, Maeson and Adaea busy collecting or incinerating the ruins of Sofa’s transport to the moon to ensure as little as possible was left.

“How is she?” Valens asked

“About half her usual bitchiness…” Sofa sighed as Kiraea and Jarys vanished into the trees.

“And you?”

“Dirty, uncomfortable, and stinking like Trandoshan dren,”

“And still the most beautiful thing on this Moon,” Valens smiled,

Sofa sneered and jabbed him in the arm,

“Let’s get off this dump, I have an entire new wardrobe to put together”

<<<<>>>>

Xanaea’s slender hands lowered the carefully wrapped bundle into the alcove.

She placed the totem found so far away on the top then drew the small curtain closed.

Kiraea crouched beside her and kissed her head.  Xani exuded a sense of calm, she had long sensed her parents were dead, but now, having found her father the lingering hope that maybe just maybe was put to rest with his bones.

Yorna had interred the other two victims of the Trandoshans, showing Sofa the proper Rites and process.  They had taken small samples for genetic testing but so far they remained unidentified, the course microorganisms of Wasskah had drained them of an aetheric trace to use psychometry or flow walking on...a final bitter insult to the People.

But in time they would work out who and add their family colours to the currently plain dyed curtains across their resting places.

“Aunt Kiri, are you still sad about the baby?” Xani asked bluntly
“Yes love,”
“Can you bury it like papa?”

Kiraea had to shake her head
“Not in the same way...what is left is...inside me...we’ll rest together one day,”

“All finished?” Sofa asked coming up behind with Yorna,

“I think so,” Xani said

Sofa knelt down to the youngest of them
“You know I promised to take Yorna shopping, would you like to come too?” she asked Xani but was truly speaking to Kiraea
“We can have a big girls weekend out, watch holo-movies, get our nails done...and Lya and Kiri can teach you how to play tricks on outsiders in shopping malls,”

“Can I!” she asked Selaena who was never far from her adoptive daughter, the quiet older woman just nodded,

“Well why don’t you go pack, we’ll finish up here,”

Sofa didn’t fail to note how Kiraea’s gaze lingered on Xani as she left, a mix of hope, envy and loss.

“You’ve still got four good ovaries, plenty of chances, especially with that hunk of a husband of yours” Sofa said breaking the silence.

“Not until….later…” Kiraea replied quietly

“Not too much later,” Sofa insisted again pushing Kiraea when she needed it most as a sister should
My daughters will need some friends to play with after all,” she added with typical selfishness

“You’ll have Val in a panic if he heard you say that!” Yorna laughed the mood brightening as they made their way out of the catacombs into the light.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #181 on: April 09, 2021, 05:39:18 PM »

Again, this story is definitely my favorite: the character development alone is worth the read!  On that note...

Speaking for myself: the loss of family is keenly felt, regardless of Kiri's usual bluster (poor Jarys: not only is he mourning his child's death BUT then he also has to carry his wife's loss and despondency).  I know that Aethan physiology is genetically manufactured to deal with/heal/ignore emotional adversity as well as physical and we see this underscored once again here (another time being Sofa's response to her own trauma: it will flare hot and then douse out...the Technocracy certainly did a bang up job to supplement the survival mechanism of their bioengineered progeny).  

I think that this grouping of Kiri, Sofa, and Yorna was perfect: both of Kiri's sisters (one by blood, one by circumstance) provide the proverbial Yin and Yang of support.  Interestingly enough, it's Sofa that has the right of it (even after her acceptance as a Person, Kiraea has always been somewhat antagonistic towards her...of course, for those of us that have siblings: who hasn't fought with them  Wink).  And poor Yorna: she really did miss out on Kiri's formative years (NOT her fault), as well as much of her own--I'm thinking that she'll be getting a crash-course in the more violent idiosyncrasies that the galaxy has to offer (case-in-point: the Transdoshans).

Not knowing much of Transdoshan culture, this was a fantastic character study in them: they seem like the obverse side of the coin from Wookies--both with a code of honor (I'm reminded of the Aiel and ji'e'toh from Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time"), with almost diametrically opposing views on how to obtain such.  Once again, LSG, your encyclopedic knowledge is in full force here^^

Three things of especial note: in quoting the Dosh maxim, Ins’skas forgot (and pays for!) a more important, universal truth (one that my wife has reminded me of ad nauseum): "NEVER get between a woman and her handbag"  Smiley

AND

AWESOME picture for the story arc introduction!!!  Between LSG, FT, and PS, we've got some EXCEPTIONAL visual artists here  Cool

AND

Just what is this "Hansho?!?"  Sounds...important... Wink
Logged

Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #182 on: April 14, 2021, 05:05:42 AM »

Chapter 30 — Dramatis Personae — Part 1
[[[Syndic Nuruodo: Please find attached data packages and analysis reports following the conclusion of the second Aethan Induction and Academy Graduation Programme.

All Aethan auxiliaries have successfully completed the programme and been assigned appropriate rank within the Orbital Drop Shock Commando Corps of the Chiss Expeditionary Defence Force.

Combat analysis has been completed by Colonel Nduur’casp’Idona– CEDF Orbital Drop Shock Commando (ODSC) Unit.
Anthropological Analysis has been completed by Doctor Asstraa’Sinidi’Ycaas Emeritus Professor of Csaplar University currently volunteering with CEDF Intelligence Analysis
Psychological analysis has been completed by Doctor Ythung’vince’elsi of CEDF Medical Corps. Doctor Ythung’vince’elsi notes that this second intake presented a number of very distinct challenges in performing psychological interviews ranging from persistent silence (Evyn /Evaea) to incomprehensible rambling (Maekal) - it could not be discerned if this was a deliberate attempt to undermine the interview process.

We have adopted the latest Standardised Individual Capacity Level used when ranking CEDF Officers to a ‘Standardised Individual Threat Level’ (SITL) indicating each of the Aethans relative prowess based on observations, anecdotes and evidence collected from their postings and assignments.

For Reference a CEDF ODSC w/5+ years of combat experience is rated 60 on this scale. Jedi Grand Master Yoda is rated a score of 210.

> Admiral Ithhawa’Tran’Nuuso]


Kassyndra
ODSC Rank: Commando First Class - Medicae Division
Height: 175cm
Weight: 280KG
Gender: Female

Combat Analysis: Guardian training, Strong Force Healing, shatterpoint and foresight abilities (See Seior Arts). Combat competency is largely a result of Aethan biological advantages and native Force abilities, honed sufficiently with training.
Anthropological Analysis: Supportive elder role, full time ‘healer’ role which encompasses physical and mental health support.
Psychological Analysis: Unusually placid demeanour considering loss of daughters and years of slavery.  It is suspected this is due to a need to maintain a ‘safe persona’ for younger Aethans to seek comfort in when needed.  Shows a curious mix of strong confidence and support for her Granddaughter Milaea, but also concern for the potential of her powers
SITL: 150


This was highly unnatural for her in a number of ways.

Kassyndra was not, in her own opinion, an aggressive person, trying to inflict damage against People, an even more unnatural requirement, and the means by which - piloting the Claw Craft a further step outside her comfort zone.

But then that was the whole point.

Jinking hard left she let the aether guide her out of the path of the chugging maser fire, one eye on the panels that indicated her shields were down to forty percent.  

Ahead was a sea of blotchy yellow stains that concealed the spread of unknown stars on the borders of Ascendancy space.  Behind her the distant dull grey silhouette of a Chiss Expansionary Defence Force Fortress Station.  She always found the ‘Expansionary Defence’ term amusingly oxymoronic.

Another spray of fire forced her to the right as the sensors detected a missile lock.  

“Shake that spiker and form up seven!” the Chiss Squadron leader demanded of her.

For the sake of her granddaughter and her People she complied.  She would master these skills for the day she might be called upon to fly one of the People far more advanced Vorynx fighters in defence of their world.  

Kassyndra let the guilt, the burning rage at all she had lost to the outsiders trickle through her veins to give her the strength to help preventing such a devastation ever happening again.  

Nearly three dozen Claw craft spun and twisted around half as many light frigates and corvettes in the exercise.  The Chiss did nothing by half measure, all the Craft involved were active in service, their blaster power simply reduced to 20 per cent and missiles fed through targeting computers to determine ‘hits’ if they occurred.  

Three teams vied for three astronavigation beacons 2000km apart, Team Vis was set to defend them, Team Ryn to capture, and her Team - Cssa - to destroy.
 
The blare of the targeting lock intense as the ‘spiker’ neared, despite moving more into line she formed up more with her squad and deployed the countermeasure, a scattering of heated shredded metal particles to throw off the lock.

It didn’t work, forcing her to dive out of formation again just as her squad entered range of the first beacon.

“Cssa One Lock,”
“Cssa Four Lock,”

“Fire at will,” Cssa leader ordered, he had obviously determined losing Kassyndra was a tolerable cost for taking out the fist beacon.

Kassyndra was more than happy to sacrifice herself for her People, but not needlessly.

Hammering the afterburners to jet past her squad in line with their own ‘missiles’, straight into the teeth of the Vis defenders she trusted superior Aethan reflexes to dodge the head on fire and then bank hard the ‘missile’ on her tail ‘destroyed’ by friendly fire as she pivoted back into formation to fight another round.

“Bold Cssa Seven, return to formation,” was the half praise, as much as a Chiss could offer, as the first beacon was destroyed.
<<<<>>>>
Yorna
ODSC Rank: Master Sergeant
Height: 176cm
Weight: 285KG
Gender: Female

Combat Analysis: Advanced Guardian Training.  Expert in dual wielding, strong talents in all fields, ‘all rounder’ in combat freely mixing style and techniques.

Anthropological Analysis: Position in flux. Nominally a peer of Valens/Jarys/Kiraea her Resurrection/Time Skip has caused her to ‘miss’ many of their key life events, her lack of experience with ‘outsider’ culture puts her at a distance from the younger Aethans as well.  While Karintha has a more dominant personality to compensate, Yorna remains somewhat ‘adrift’.  
Psychological Analysis: Highly curious, displays like her Aunt Karintha and Sister Kiraea, absolute confidence in her own choices and actions and pursues actions with little regard to consequences for any other than Aethans.  Whilst her Aunt acts with a manipulative intent and sister xenophobia, Yorna appears more driven by unshakeable, reckless if cheerful conviction in the rightness of her own actions.
SITL: 180


“Vorynx…” the first beacon was down
She was already peeling away when the order came
“All Vis fighters move to line Cherek,”

In three dimensional space defending tow pin prick beacons was virtually impossible, their recourse was to position themselves to intercept alone the most likely attack corridors.

Checking the rear holo she noted team Cssa forming up for the next attack, Team Ryn had yet to make a play to capture the beacons, one of which was now lost.

Tinkering with the tactical map she assessed the positions of each of the space vessels, but her eyes were drawn to the distant yellow nebulae that were endemic in this region of the ‘unknown’ regions, the whole concept of which she found fascinating, that for all their technology vast stretches of the galaxy remind utterly unknown.

What kinds of weird creatures could be out there? even stranger than the ones She’d already seen.

“Vis Three is there a problem with your Comm?” the flight leader interrupted her musings.

“Minor interference,” she quickly lied, refocusing on the approaching opposing claw craft.
“Possible hacking attempt?”

“All wings check your firewalls,” the Squad leader said, believing her very plausible excuse for drifting.
“One through Four head Z at 35 degrees, Four through Eight take Y10-X554, Nine through Twelve patrol pattern Dorn around point 331Z 821 Y 901X.”

Confirmations clicks came across the comm as she moved out in formation a solid if not imaginative defensive patrol pattern.

Three Cssa frigates moved in a chevron pattern their fields of fire on upper and lower decks providing overlapping covering fire.

They were trying for a blitz Yorna realised, to take each beacon as quickly as possible heedless of losses - or at least that is what they wanted the defenders to think.  Her curious nature meant she looked into everything with intent interest in details and saw patterns others missed.

The Cssa would push hard then suddenly decelerate, her Vis allies would intercept, then the Ryn would come in from behind - they couldn’t resist such a chance - the Vis would be forced to bring in their reserves early to try and hit the Ryn in the rear - then the Cssa would pull back from the fighting.

“Squad leader, I strongly suggest we keep to a tighter formation, Enth patrol pattern at 15 degrees...if we try and flank their advance we’ll leave our own squads too isolated for a counter attack by the Ryn.”

As always her voice was full of certainty and calm that almost carried the otherwise focused Squad leader along.

“Duly noted Pilot, proceed as ordered,”

She sagged in her chair, well she had tried...now she would just do all she could to protect her wingmates and knew she could rely on Lydan speeding on his ordered course to hold the line long enough for her to be proved right.

<<<<>>>>

Lydan
ODSC Rank: Commando First Class
Height: 181cm
Weight: 325KG
Gender: Male
Combat Analysis: Advanced Guardian Training, strong melee abilities, extreme stamina and endurance.
Anthropological Analysis: ‘Shepherd’ /Young Male, works primarily with native fauna, this considered a critical and valued occupation.
Psychological Analysis: Quiet/gentle disposition, defers largely to sister, mother and wife in all matters.
SITL: 165


Chasing down elusive prey was a daily task for a shepherd and hunter of the People, but being surrounded by durasteel and transparisteel rather than deep blue skies and rolling grass hills or warm and dense forests was constantly threatening to close in on him.

”Techno-Agora-Claustra-Phobia combination,” Adaea had explained to him, her face turned forlorn and she stroked his hair, despite her best efforts they knew he would never fully lose those discomforts, the product of being forcibly cybernetically grafted to serve a Black Sun Vigo.

He had to keep one conscious level working on calming techniques to avoid a panicked tearing apart of the durasteel to escape the confined so the fighter cockpit.  the most important of which was visualising himself in Adaea’s embrace beneath the open starry sky of their homeworld.

But five other active levels were more than enough to hunt down the stragglers in the Cssa squadron.

Over flying one he had just diabsled with Ions, he pumped more low powered maser bolts into the wing of a second, immediately pulling the stick up to curve down and fire on the third.  

If he had learnt one thing chasing Volurks from his herd, it was never let any escape unharmed - a volruk pack was more than happy to let one or two die to get at the gormin, so you had to get each one of them.  Applied to a dogfight he kept the pressure on all three targets forcing them out of formation and into evasive maneuvers.

The Cssa fighters all tried to break toward their support Frigates, his radar pinged with the outer edge of the frigate's turret range warning him not to get closer.  

A slight annoyed grunt and he pushed just inside the circumference to land three more shots ‘disabling’ another fighter before spinning round in a roll to avoid any missile locks.

“Five bogies nice job Six,” The squad leader a female Chiss who was one of the most talkative of the otherwise taciturn race commented.

Lydan had developed an early reputation among the Chiss cadets as ‘country boy’ with his quiet voice and soft mannerisms at odds with his farm built frame. Assumptions he was also a ‘gentle giant’ were knocked out along with six other cadets, Evyn and Taryn in their first Forbelean Defence Lesson - the official martial arts of the CEDF he had adopted it quickly from sharing memories with Melron and Maeson who were there to oversee the training of the new Aethans joining the CEDF.

He learned quickly, spoke quietly and politely, and hit very hard when he needed to.  To the Chiss it seemed another dichotomy, but that was the life of a shepherd, you had to be gentle and quiet as a Gormin to get the trust of the herd - and hard and vicious as a Vorynx to keep the predators at bay.

Back with his wing mates on Vis team they pivoted down where two corvettes were coming up on approach flanked by a dozen fighters of Cssa team.

“It’s probably a feint, but we can’t let it slide,” the Squad leader noted as they positioned to intercept.  

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #183 on: April 14, 2021, 05:08:06 AM »

Chapter 30 — Dramatis Personae — Part 2
Evyn
ODSC Rank: Lieutenant
Height: 180cm
Weight: 305KG
Gender: Male
Combat Analysis: Anzati Assassin training, incomplete Advanced Guardian Training, incomparable stealth skills, Preference for assassination and sabotage methods, expert in demolitions and cyber warfare.
Anthropological Analysis: Young Male, due to recent addition to Tribe his role is yet to be defined beyond gender/age typifiers.
Psychological Analysis: Highly deferential to authority figures, taciturn, bonded strongly to Twin sister, confident in abilities but not boastful.
SITL: 165


Sensei would’ve considered such open conflict ‘uncouth’, disgraceful, lacking the serene precision of a single knife through the enemies aorta.

There was an element of surprise in the assault, his flight was on a vector that would crash into the flank of a dogfight between the Cssa and Vis, their larger vessels enhancing broadsides in an inconclusive shot out, each side unwilling to commit fully for fear of just what his team Ryn was about to do.

Making the most of his multiple levels of consciousness he had ‘tweaked’ the Claw Crafts targeting system to be able to lock each of the two missile tubes onto different targets, it reduced tracking efficacy but he could make up for that with manual correction given his mind and fingers were fast enough.

Ryn flight slammed into the already heated clash of vessels, taking a swift toll on both Cssa and Vis sides, they had both moved forces to block the Ryn advance, but they had underestimate the Ryn strength.

Evyn had suggested, and the Team ‘Admiral’ had accepted an old trick of Sensei’s, mag locking powered down fighters on the capital ships hulls with only a standard escort to surprise the enemy with twice the number of expected fighters.

Taryn had slapped him on the back in the briefing <the old garbage venting trick!>.  Evyn liked Taryn, he was very different and talkative, but unlike Maekal not spouting incoherent theology, Lydan too was a good fellow to speak with, though quiet like Evyn, once the topic of his gormin herd came up Lydan can -and did - speak for hours.

He curved through the lines between fighters on low power avoiding the criss crossing of blasts trying to stay as low profile as possible with power minimal, his target was the shields around the Beacon they needed to capture.

He felt the subtle brush of his sister nearby on the defending side.  She had been somewhat unhappy when he spent time with the others, especially Ari and Yorna, as if she feared he would replace her as sister.  Evaea seemed intent on proving herself to their new -or perhaps ‘restored true’ - family by display of skill alone.

Evyn sensed that was not enough.

Keeping his laser focus on the mission he set those thoughts aside and flicked the golles to put his cannons full power.

<<<<>>>>

Evaea
ODSC Rank: Master Sergeant
Height: 175cm
Weight: 280KG
Gender: Female

Combat Analysis: Anzati Assassin training, incomplete Advanced Guardian Training. Preference for assassination and sabotage methods, expert in crafting poisons and toxins and novel delivery systems.

Anthropological Analysis: Young Female, due to recent additional to Tribe her role is yet to be defined beyond gender/age typifiers.

Psychological Analysis: More dominant of the twin pair, intense motivational drive for mastery over technical and combat skills, need to ‘prove’ her worth likely a hangover from prior adoptive ‘parents’ demands. Strong tactical leadership potnetial.
SITL: 165


Hard on the stick to the point it ground against the port console.

She had much to prove and that could not be done is she fell to the Ryn ambush at Beacon 2. 

Thumps of maser bolts hit her rear shield as she would in a tight helix away from the attack pivoting to come up under the second wave her cannons flaring blasting down the shields of one then another Claw Craft

Sorry Evyn… she knew he was among team Ryn but not exactly where.  They were instructed not to use their Force abilities at all in such exercises to ensure a more even playing field and assessment of their ‘native’ skills’

But nothing could cloud the Twin bond infused in her blood that told her he was nearby and furiously engaging in hit and runs on her allied Cssa frigate.

“Keep up that Pressure Five,” her Squad leader encouraged as she sped ahead before looping back to come in on the scattering second wave squads rear.

Chugging her blasters while seeking missile locks she did all she could to emulate and perfect the Chiss maneuvers she had spent an extra 45 hours in the simulator pods practising with Evyn.

“We have to master this, we cannot fail our new family,” she had insisted as they skipped rest cycles on the Chiss Dreadnought. 

Karintha and the others all said Sensei had intended to feed on them from the start.  Evaea wasn’t sure she believed that.  It was more likely that she and Evyn had so comprehensively failed Sensei in such a short period of time that had made him justifiably angry, their usefulness at an end he had perhaps intended a ‘Completion’ to their Service by feeding on her and Evyn…

The thought still troubled her, she could not wish such a thing on Evyn, or herself...yet the alternative had been Sensei beaten to death by Jarys using knowledge from her own mind transmitted by Aresea. Another failure to have allowed her mind to be so open.

Her complicity in Sensei’s death nearly distracted her from the blare of a missile lock on her own vessel. Zagging she deployed countermeasures but the lock was persistent, arrogant even.

She had to break the lock, she could not, would not fail another family.

<<<<>>>>

Maekal
ODSC Rank: Commando First Class
Height: 179cm
Weight: 310KG
Gender: Male

Combat Analysis: Partial Guardian training, knowledge of wide variety of ‘traditional’ fighting styles (Spear, Staff, Sword, Mace, Katana) that appear to have their roots in pre-space flight cultures.
Anthropological Analysis: ‘Arrogant Teenager’ equivalent.
Psychological Analysis: Extreme delusions of grandeur, possible belief in self as divine entity, upbringing details unknown but it appears this belief was fostered and encouraged. Short tempered but controlled in presence of older Aethans, excessive risk taking behaviour, may literally believe he is invincible and immortal, considers self the ultimate authority on all matters.  Can be extremely persuasive when desired, potentially incredibly dangerous if delusional beliefs are not countered.
SITL: 160


With a sneer he squeezed the trigger, a hail of maser fire red against off yellow nebulae chattering on the bulbous blue of his target shield, before it did a structure rending reverse thrust then micro jump out of his range.

The pilot had to be Aethan, only one of the Chosen of the Goddesses could be as dextrous as he - for now.

Pulling back into the main fight he deigned to pick off the torpedoes corkscrewing toward the Vis Corvette he was to protect.

He had no need to prove himself to the blue skinned Aelves called the Chiss, he plate their petulatent games only in obedience to his new Guide and Mentor, the Seraphim Lord Valens.

Everyday upon the sacred world of Aethas, every lesson and moment with his new guide Maekal had felt his strength grow in ways inconceivable before. 

By a God's followers was their power known, it was evident to him now the Three Goddesses of Aethas were far superior to the Hextarion that had sought to use him, child of the Goddesses, to augment their throngs of petty mortal worshippers, a thousand -nay a million! - of which were not worth a single Child of Aethas.

While Valens denied it Maekal was certain he had been lifted to the next stage of his inevitable Divinity.  Far from the narrow confines of a single planet to a celestial stage. 

With the same cool indifference he would swat Ingetti sparmen aside he blasted the Torpedoes three by three, sniffing as the Corvette comm clicked appreciation, he was already peeling away, up ahead was a target worthy of his effort, the Cssa Cruiser, trading blows at range with a Ryn firagte and its escort.

“Vis-Tydk Seven you are passing the escort range limit, return at once,” the tactical officer on the Corvette warned.

His face scrunched in self control not to telekinetically crunch the life from the red eyed Aelf.

Maekal’s time would come, he would learn the secrets of the Aelves machine golems, the powers of the Seraphim Aethans, exceed Valens, Jarys, even the Avatar of the Goddesses Milaea herself, and ascended to ever higher levels - not ‘as foretold’ as Arr-Kesh the old fool might have said referencing ancient prophecy...no ‘As I Tell’ was Maekals new injunction, for he was his own Prophet of Glory now.

<<<<>>>>

Jenaea
ODSC Rank: Commando First Class
Height: 175cm
Weight: 280KG
Gender: Female

Combat Analysis: Guardian training. bespoke Jedi self defence training from Sofa. Unusually prescient ability to avoid danger.

Anthropological Analysis: ‘Breeding Years’ female, bonded to Maeson, cottage industry producer.

Psychological Analysis: Slavery Trauma still evident in disrespect for authority and (often unnecessary and self defeating) disobedience, insults toward, and undermining of any instrctuion of senior officers. This seems to be treated by the Tribe as a positive, a ‘devil's advocate’ check on those in authority, not dissimilar to Lyaea’s role as the ‘Naughty’ member of the tribe allowed to play pranks and tricks.   
SITL: 155

With a flick of her wrist she avoided another hail of fire before the enemy pilot had even pulled the trigger.

Her ‘talent’ in full operation.

Years trying to avoid electrocution or a beating had given Jenaea a danger prescience more accurate than anyone else.  She just knew exactly when and where something bad was coming from before it came and so could avoid it.

It had driven all her instructors so far crazy when they tried to prove the point anyone could get hit, in martial arts or fighter combat, when she continually avoided them even after all the other People had taken a hit.

To her it was just another way to avoid being imposed upon, demanded of, made to play someone else's game.

She wove through the budding firefight seemingly untouched, of course that ‘invincibility’ wasn’t much use to her team Cssa intent on blasting the Beacon  Evyn was even now hacking to take control of.

Evaea and Kassyndra were twirling round each other trying to knock the other out, both now the only survivors of their squads after a hard clash, Lydan somewhere holding th line from the Vis getting even more splattered than they were as the Cssa and ryn forces generally ignored each other.

She supposed she should do something about that.

Expertly weaving by the chill of her spines danger sense she came straight behind Evyns Claw craft on a perfect attack heading, ploughing maser fire at him before he could react, deftly swinging at the last possible moment to avoid his quads mates intercept.

Yeah she could avoid danger alright, up to the point it was so endemic she was covered in it. What she really needed to master, in a fighter, was slipping away just as quietly.

Too late to avoid she needed an aggressive boost - imagining her former ‘masters’ face leering from each claw craft cockpit she spun viciously into the pursuing craft head on.

<<<<>>>>

Karintha
ODSC Rank: Lieutenant
Height: 176cm
Weight: 285KG
Gender: Female
Combat Analysis: Advanced Guardian training, Expert in Malacia attacks, strong tactical and strategic potential.
Anthropological Analysis: Prospective Leader.  Considers herself to be the natural inheritor of the role of matriarch having been groomed for such before her nominal ‘death’. Considers it her ‘divine’ right to subtly influence other members of the Tribe in ways which she deems beneficial.
Psychological Analysis: Shows the highest of level of confidence in leadership roles,  strong long term focus, generally affable toward ‘outsiders’ provided they remain compliant with Aethan desires, or at least do not interfere with them.  ‘Resurrection time skip’ renders her drastically less impacted by recent trauma’s and arguably the most culturally and psychologically stable.
>Preferred Leader>
SITL: 180


The second beacon fell to Ryn team, captured and secured despite Jenaea’s dogged efforts that left half a Ryn flight drifting powered down.  when she needed to Jenaea could be a fierce fighter - but only when needed.

The time on Csilla had taught Karintha not only much about outsiders, but also her own People, how their experience molded all by loss was affecting their actions and interaction - for better and worse.

“Alright kiddies time to really join the Party,” the Ryn ‘Admiral’ for the day ordered.  It was, by a few subtle manipulations on her part, Taryn, whom she knew was far best placed to lead any space battle to victory.

She determined the calculation for the - some Chiss officers had claimed suicidal - micro jump manually ignoring the nav computers red blurts of protest.

The streak of stars gave her a moment to reflect how in the preceding months  she had seen more clearly how the Devastation had impacted each individual differently and in the motnous rote tasks the Chiss assigned her found time to consider how to utilize each strength and weakness against the ther to benefit the People as a Matriarch must.

Some things had occurred naturally under the goddesses guidance, Taryn and Lyaea well matched given their energy levels and ‘outsider’ attenuation, Melron’s influence was maturing the boy more rapidly than Taryn realised, his roguelike confidence useful but still needed tempering.

Aresaea was providing the detached and pragmatic point of view Milaea needed, Milaea offered Ari companionship and drew out her creativity.  What that pair needed was a few discrete presses to lock the jigsaw of their personalities that bit more perfectly. 

Maeson and Jenaea were a natural pair, he provided protective patience, Jenea could not replace the family Maeson had lost, but a new one to focus on, and together they would make excellent parents for the cloned babies

The elders, Kassyndra and Melron, a steady presence for the others, but perhaps more effective if they presented as a couple, Karintha would guide them to that end - as focused as they were on their children and grandchildren an interpersonal connection would invigorate them both.

Lydan was a good boy, but relied too heavily on his young wife, mother and sisters encouragement for his confidence, he was recovered enough now to be a more active protector of the People. Xanaea’s adoption was keeping Selaena from her murderous brooding, Adaea was always content with her sewing and crafting of weapons, Lyaea managing the Extolled well...but Karintha knew they would have to keep an closer eye on their ‘devotees’, some of whom were showing less devotion than previously.

As to the others - Evaea had a desperate need to prove herself, Maekal an arrogant assumption of superiority,  paired together they could blunt each other's sharper edges.

Evyn was dutiful and diligent, but needed to be drawn from his singular obedience to his twin sister, to that end Karintha would have him paired with Nyaea - the traumatized girl would find no better stable and calm partner to help her recover.

Yorna straddled the younger generation physically and emotionally, but the older generation culturally due to the ‘death’ time skip, her natural compassion and curiosity could act as bridge between the two

The other adults still made up the core of the Peoples leadership and martial force - Sofa, Kiraea, Valens, and Jarys, they would benefit most from the reduced burden upon their shoulders, as more People were able to take up their responsibilities - Karintha most of all - giving the married couples more time to focus on their own relationships, and soon enough - if Sofa had her way - birthing a new generation.

And as to herself...while Karintha would soon have the People as a whole to guide as Matriarch...she knew she would still spend more than a few wasted minutes staring into the Obelisks hoping to hear a whisper from Taran. 

That her husband's body had never been found was proof he had been taken, but that no one had heard of him seemed incongruous with his status as adult Guardian at the time of the Devastation...Jarys, Kiraea and Valens, all weaker than he was - at the time - had survived...and while aware there were numerous threats capable of ending a Guardian across the galaxy...she couldn’t shake the conviction as firm as her confidence that she was to reign as Matriarch that her husband was still alive somewhere.

She had discussed such with Yorna one evening, who explained she had vague memories of the strange netherworld between life and death she had sent her soul through with Ari and Mili’s help to cheat death, and in that place she had felt her own betrothed Coryn - Taran’s nephew - was alive, alone, searching though lost in time and space. 

Once all Nine Obelisks were active, the Observatory refined with a far more precise aetheric map of the Galaxy, then they could search for them in earnest. 

For now she had a battle to win.

The Ryn squads jumped out of the tunnel of pseudo motion dangerously close to the last Beacon, already awash with Vis and Vssa fighters and their remaining capital ships unleashing on each other, the last Vis reserves swinging in to try and flank.

Relying on the expertise of those to whom she had delegated her invisible authority she glided her hands to throw up shields and push the motivators she took control of the Claw Craft just as she would the People as a whole, balancing the resources within the tiny bubble to weave safely and triumphantly through the chaos of the war ravaged hostile galaxy.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #184 on: April 14, 2021, 05:16:19 AM »

Chapter 30 — Dramatis Personae — Part 3

Taryn
ODSC Rank: Lieutenant
Height: 182cm
Weight: 305 KG
Gender: Male

Combat Analysis: Advanced Guardian training, extensive experience in piratical space warfare and boarding actions, tactically inventive with limited resources and time pressures.

Anthropological Analysis: Rebellious Teen equivalent slowly maturing.

Psychological Analysis: ambiguous attitude toward authority, while often deriding and sarcastic, shows great respect for competency in keeping with Aethan Meritocratic instincts.  Surprisingly stable in consideration of upbringing, snide confidence appears to be effective coping mechanism, however some evidence of memory and personality tampering by Milaea and Lyaea may account for the majority of his overall stability.  Ambiguous attitude toward outsiders.  Suggest monitoring for more extensive command role in CEDF Fourth Expansionary Sphere plans
SITL: 170


“Vent those Zeffers and pop the skips boys, give-em a board full of mites,”

Well he would’ve said that on the Kyala...but here it was

“Execute Besh protocol,”

His wing of twelve calw craft simultaneously ejected their secondary batteries and fired off two missiles straight ahead without any lock.

The batteries would show up as ‘bogies’ on the chiss scanners, he twenty four missiles would clutter the 3 dimensional holo-radar with so many signals that for a crucial 20 to 30 seconds it would appear they were under attack by 24 fighters firing one missile each.

The Chiss, as they always did, Taryn had learned, immediately switched to formations to counter exactly 24 new arrivals - it left them moving on vectors that would place them too spread out to effectively counter a more clustered wing of twelve fighters. 

They realised the error in 22.3 seconds, marginally better than he had predicted, but too late to save the squad his twelve had covered away from the cover of their frigate support.

The Vis fighters scrambled but were laced apart by maser fire as his last two corvettes dropped in above them all, their broadsides pointing down so they were perpendicular to the ‘plane’ of the battle unleashing on the last Cssa frigate, it’s shields quickly popping off, then hull sparking ion.

He didn’t smile, didn’t gloat.  This was all business.  Stiff as the Chiss were he couldn’t fault their dogged skills and smooth flying, if he was gonna show ‘em who was boss he had to play and beat them at their own games, that took patience and planning.

“Heh...guess some of those life lessons do stay solid in a Squog party Old Man,”

Inertial dampers at only quarter power so he could ‘feel’ the sleek claw craft - and divert extra power to weapons he accelerated to maximum.

His first target had to tbe the Cssa, can’t capture the beacon if they blast it - he used the corvettes fire to hem their last few fighters in, Kassyndra and Jenaea thomily avoiding his fighters going for a ramming speed in the absence of missile to take it out, he had to sacrifice two fighters to Evaea and her Vis buddies to get them.

“Ryn-Quek-3,4,5 get those Vis buggers off us,” he ordered knowing that would send Karintha and Evyn after Evaea...while a few of the Chiss pilots were pretty ace their soer reflexes meant he could always tell who was an Aethan pilot, they pushed the Claw Craft far harder, too hard, he could friction burns and shear stress fractures on the wings of the Aethan piloted craft where their sudden movements had been too much for the inertial dampers to compensate.

A few more orders and he split off with Ryn-Quek-2 and Ryn-Yoan 1 and 2 to take the fight straight to the beacon where the last of the Vis were assembling intent on running down the time on the exercise with block hard orbits to prevent his hackers getting through.

No he grinned as he accelerated

“Time to bite the dust baby,”

<<<<>>>>

Aresaea
ODSC Rank: Lieutenant
Height: 176cm
Weight: 283KG
Gender: Female

Combat Analysis: Guardian and Vhal’Dan training, broad range of abilities, close quarters combat, Stealth and Mind control techniques speciality.

Anthropological Analysis: Standard ‘young Female role’, displays no attraction to any of the males in the current Cadet party.  While showing leadership competencies, utilizes them only when directly required, preferring collaborative approach in decision making.

Psychological Analysis: Adoption by ‘Outsider’ parents had resulted in overall positive to neutral view of outsiders (relative to other Aethans), several years of isolation prior to this and subsequent traumas regarding discretion of uncle body may have lingering effects yet to be observed against outwardly calm demeanour. 

SITL: 180


Her time with the Chiss had been crammed.  The Induction course for the Orbital Drop Shock Commando regiment shortened to account not just for Aethan neuolorigal superiority in learning but also Aethan ability to source memories.

She started the course having already absorbed Adaea’s knowledge of Chiss electrical engineering and aeronautics, Melrons mastery of Forbelean Defense, and Maesons advanced knowledge of Chiss weapons technology.  The main thrust of the induction was the inculcation of less concrete, cultural and procedural, norms of the Chiss.

It was to these notions she now adhered as she flew in perfect formation with the last full wing of Vis fighters trying to stave off the impressively vicious Ryn advance.

Ari found the Chiss an astounding Military force.  Their technology was broadly compatible with what she had seen among the Vhal’dan, but sufficiently novel to give them a strong edge when combined with their military ethos - outstanding logistical efficiency, unquestionable hierarchy and strict meritocracy - ensured by having all CEDF members renounce on oath Clan allegiance and interests - all made for a force that would outclass even the most advanced Republic defence forces.  Though considering the Ascendancies position in the Unknown Regions and the myriad threats therein, anything less than perfection would be fatal.

If they had one weakness it was perhaps they were...cold...not mechanical but something else, something formal and controlled, deadly in its way but lacking life.  Compared to how the crew of the Vhal’Dan flagship Grungir had felt in the aether when Kazic had taken her on a brief tour of the vessel in dry dock for upgrades years ago, it seemed when push came to shove while the Vhal’dan could fall back on the warmer camaraderie of their crewmates who were also friends, the Chiss had only the steel of self discipline and hierarchy - strong undoubtedly, but brittle against the wrong enemy,

They also lacked a Force Sensitive Corps - no doubt why they had been open to an alliance with the People.  She had run a number of scenarios on the Chiss tactical emulators against the only force she knew in detail - the Vhal’dan Fleet and Army - in every scenario (Invasion of Galtea or Invasion of Csilla) the Chiss - with a 12 unit Aethan support to counter Large Scale Force attacks - won by a decent margin - Vhal’dan Force superiority that might have balance Chiss technological advantage neutered by Aethan support.

Even accounting for a certain bias in their own favour on the Chiss emulators, the results were in keeping with her own estimations.

Still as she had watched the results scroll by she had felt a strange sense of reverse deja-vu, as if she was looking at something she would see - in part if not in whole - again sometime in the near future.

At that moment she had desperately wanted to ask Milaea to analyse the sensation...but of course she was far away on Aethas. The pang of her absence was surprisingly sharp in the quiet of the Strategium datacogitators that lined the Chiss Destroyers server room.

The relentless regimented chores of Chiss day/night cycles - modified to account for Aethan ability to remain awake almost indefinitely by cycling conscious neural levels, kept her occupied mostly, but the itch of missing Milaea remained even as she took in the scene before her.

The majority of fighters now floated ‘ dead’, powered down pending the end of the exercise, a scattering of remaining Ryn fighters harassed the Cssa and Vis defenders, hunting them down in packs of three or four onto one.

The Ryn Corvettes had been neutralised but at the cost of the Vis Cruiser, it’s hull finally giving out to a number of ‘sonic charges’ lobbed beneath the shields frequency, the chargeless bombs bouncing off the doonium in imitation of detonation.

Her Flight had only four fighters to add to the defence, even if she could take three or four herself, they would still lose out.   

But they would still fight all the same.

In  rough diamond pattern they moved into missile lock range and began targeting, allowing their computers to obtain locks but firing at other targets manually confusing the enemy responses long enough to reposition in a forward facing square pattern by the time they reached maser range.

Half a dozen Ryn fighters curved off to engage them, the others escorting their capture tug toward the last beacon, a lone Cssa fighter occupying the remaining Ryn by trying to ram the objective, forcing the Ryn to bash it with close range laser to knock it off course then try and down it fully before it could try again.

Kassyndra Ari thought, Milaea’s grandmother was not warrior-like, but she was quietly persistent.

Ari spun and twisted against the Ryn fighters fire, their formations were changing wildly in response to every trick they tried, she knew Taryn must be among them as the Chiss, for all their precision and co-ordination had a certain lack of flair that Taryn must be contributing to them.

That and the maddening turns on of the Claw Craft was making that only an Aethan could pull without experiencing violent motion sickness.

He had to be her target, without him the other pilots were more evenly matched.

Banking hard enough to make her shift in her seat she aimed to catch the side of his fighter, setting her maser cannons to rapid fire, less impact but more chance of hitting the fast moving target.  A handful of blasts bounced off the shields he seemed to ignore her going after any fighter that his wingmates were pressing.

Brow furrowing she pressed harder, slightly annoyed as Taryn waggled his fighter in mockery of her efforts.  Ari knew from months before Taryn was an expert at getting under someone's skin with his bravado so persistent and crass it was hard to ignore. 

Focused, clear of mind he harassed him relentlessly forcing him to break off, relieving if not removing pressure, and as he switched power from shields to engines to gain distance she saw a chance...one she wouldn’t take.

Hitting full reverse thrust on the port jets only she spun round, the Claw crafts doonium bones groaning again, then shot the afterburners to round on the Ryn fighters nearest the beacon, blasting two to ion sparking dead floats in as many seconds and firing missiles to force a third to scatter.

By now Taryn was on her tail, but it didn’t matter, her flight group’s two remaining fighters were free to take out the capture tug, their missile locks and trajectories unhampered by Ryn fighters they ‘destroyed’ it as Ari’s own fighter lost shields and functionality.

A three way tie between the teams.

She smiled and leaned back as her claw craft floated offline waiting for recall orders as the battle field was cleared.

<Nice flying Poppet, we’ll make a Skirt Ace of you yet> Taryn telepathically nudged, she sent a ‘smile’ back and broadened her aura to take in the others, feeling out the cocktail of anxieties, pride, worry, arrogance, hope and guilt that flowed from and through the People.

She tried to exude a sense of control and calm back, of progress in their induction, success in the competition and other assignments. 

But as she gazed idly into the depths of the Unknown regions through the haze of the browning yellow nebulae she felt her own mind and heart pulled in two directions ‘behind’....Aethas where Milaea was and Galtea where the rest of her family was.

There was no reasons he couldn’t have them both of course, she looked forward to the day she would finally get to introduce Milaea to Kazic and Saani as her...as her…

She shuffled in her seat almost missing the curt order to power up and return to the carrier.

As her Friend...but something kept nagging that it wouldn’ be that simple.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #185 on: April 14, 2021, 05:18:07 AM »

Chapter 30 — Dramatis Personae Act 2 — Part 4
Nyaea

“So I’m like Erymis the Shepherd?”  Nyaea asked as she blinked out the odd light shone in her eyes

The folk tale told of a young Shepherd who, chasing a young gromin, found himself far from his herd in a cave as night fell.  Taking shelter there he fell asleep only to awake and find his herd gone, his farmstead destroyed and the large village empty and everything changed, those he had known as babes now grown.

“That’s a good analogy,” The woman, older than Nyaea by a few years and yet born barely months after Nyaea’s long sleep began named Milaea agreed.

Nyaea remembered the attack, being taken away, sold by ugly green things...the ugly brain headed ‘Siniteen’ putting her in the cold liquid, then waking up in the Caverns of Aephrodaea - Kassyndra from the Mountain Village and the Guardian Karintha had been there, she knew them from sight at the Gatherings, they had to go on a long journey and entrusted her to Xanaea a younger teenage girl she didn’t remember at all to look after.

While Kassyndra and Karintha along with many others had to go to a distant land called Csilla, she was staying with Xanaea and her Aunt Selaena, Milaea visiting often to check her using powerful healing spells and giving her strange potions like old Scintaea had used.

Nyaea began to twitch nervously as Milaea finished her quick examination.  The minor tremors a subconscious fear response to having anyone too close to her for too long understandable given the traumatic history Milaea and Selaena knew about but Xani, and Nyaea herself did not.

It had been a disturbingly easy decision to ‘isolate’ Nyaea’s more traumatic memories before waking her, far less so for Milaea than had been the case working on Taryn following his ‘Episode’.  Anything Milaea could do to help smooth Nyaea’s recovery she would, in this case it involved severing memory linkages in her unconscious mind. 

Over time she would gradually recall all the events that had occurred, but with the delay they could ensure it was a managed process and not a flood of traumatic memories.

It allowed Nyaea the chance to resettle in her home world and culture however changed and forge new bonds with People she didn’t know well before the Devastation to ensure she had as much support as possible. 

Milaea also hoped the ‘drip feed’ would allow Aethan neurological ‘resets mechanisms’ that made their psychology so different from other humanoids, an easier time in nullifying traumatic memories.  Kiraea’s recent experience had shown as sudden large trauma could, temporarily, overwhelm the system designed to make them immune to the horrors of warfare and loss. 

For Nyaea the loss of family, time and dislocation was enough to deal with for now.

“Alright all finished,” Milaea pulled away gently collecting up her small bag of instruments, jotting down key physiology variables - not for her own eidetic memory, but for the building of a more comprehensive database on Aethan recovery.

“You’re doing really well, you too Xani,” she nodded to the youngest of them waiting patiently across Selaena’s large hearth room.

The foundling from Carratos had thrived in the year and a half since her rescue, growing fifteen centimeters and putting on nearly 60 kilograms.  While still slightly under height and weight for her age of fifteen, her reset biology, tuned every few weeks by Selaena, was catching her up fast after a childhood of scavenging on outsider foods.

Noting Xanis darting eyes Milaea stood
“You can go off and show Nyaea around some more,”

Like a bolt of lighting Xanaea was grabbing her new friends had.  Xanaea had spent so much time following everyone else around the Valley and learning things she now felt very grown up to be showing Nyaea around.

Nyaea just giggled and followed along, leaving Selaena and Milaea alone.

“No other issues?” Milaea asked,

Selaena simply shook her head taciturn as always.  Milaea had come to appreciate Selaena much more over the last year, seeing her vicious hatred for outsiders was less due to innate Aethan sadism than vicious protectiveness of her children - which included everyone Lydan’s age and younger - indeed she had been insistent on expanding her long house with another main hall section to accommodate Maekal, Evyn, Evaea and Nyaea along with Lydan, Lyaea, Adaea and Xani.

Only Karintha’s word that, given their divergent ‘backgrounds’ some ‘distance to acclimatize’ might be best for the time had forestalled Maeson and Jarys felling the necessary trees on Selaena’s instruction.

Milaea turned and leaned on the flung open doorway watching as Xani began pointing and chattering about the Karintha class transport hovering beside the house, the only visible sign of technology for miles...of course beneath the floorboards was a veritable armoury of Selaena and her older childrens weapons.

Nyaea felt them watching her as Xani chatted about how repulsors worked by investing ionic charge in a stabilized ovoid loop limited to 0.5 meters around the hull.  None of which made any sense to her.  She was just glad to be in the open air and under the protective gaze of the other women.

Since coming back home she’d been having nightmares of a cramped but bright room, bad things happened in there, but what she wasn’t sure...it scared her...but each day waking to the fresh earthy smell of Selaena’s longhouse set her instantly at ease.

She was safe here, nothing could harm her in the Valley, free to wander with Xanaea anywhere apart from the deep forests where the Vorynx were wild.

As glad as she as to be awake again, it was saddening to know she had missed so much time...to awaken to the news she had lost so many friends….they were trying to find them with the ‘Obaealisks’...maybe oneday she could help.

“...and then that is connected by a Ceramic circuit to the main controls,” Xanea finished explaining very proud of her own memory of the ships systems.

Xani knew she asked many questions, sometimes she felt bad bothering people - though everyone always made time for her - but there was so much to learn!

“These are the best ships I think,” she went on “because People designed them, the Chiss helped and supply the parts, but we make them better,”

“Chiss...the blue people?” Nya asked

“Yes they are like Aelves in the old stories Melron tells...do you know any stories?”

Nyaea smiled

“Lots, we had a very big book full of them written by my great grandparents,” she looked wistfully toward the west

“My Mormor - grandmother - said our ancestors were ‘Libraeariaeans’ in a great marble building before the Collapse with thousands of books and scrolls...I wonder if the book is still there…”

Xanaea was almost bursting with excitement.
“Let’s go look do you know the way! Will you tell me all about the Libraeariaeans on the way! Aunty Sel can we go!” she yelled back to the house.

“Stay on the main tracks,” Selaena permitted.

They did as they were told, Nyaea telling Xani the tales her Mormor and Morfar had told her, then Xani telling Nya a few more stories about the land of Carratos she had been rescued from.

“It sounds like a very ugly place,” Nyaea whispered

“It is...and smelly too..” Xani breathed deep from an atmosphere abundant in gases not present on most humanoid worlds her body was designed to imbue.
“I’m much happier home here,”

Home here for Nyaea was just over the rise.  The Potters village long abandoned consisted of only 11 buildings and the communal hall.  Seeing the creeping spread of grasses and shrubs onto the once immaculately swept cobblestone streets was a shock.

Breathing to calm herself Nyaea distracted herself by telling Xani all about who had lived in each house, many with attached workshops, even if the People were gone they could, so the old stories said, be brought back in some way each time they were remembered.

Finally she came to her own home, a larger two storey place, the windows and door jammed with leaf and dirt from two decades of neglect.  Prying out the hardened dirt with sticks and rocks they opened the door to a gasp of dusty air.

The house and small scholarium had been closed up for her families fateful journey to the Gathering, apart from a dusty layer and scattering of trapped kreemoths dried on window sills, everything was as she had left it.

Pre-empting her curiosity Nyaea told Xani of how the children of the village would come here to learn their letters and numbers, the adults to keep records and trade books, how People and Guardians from all the valley would come to use the printing press, one of only two in the valley, to make up notices and manuals on all manner of topics they had practised, from farming and mining, to mathematics and sewing patterns.

There were still unbound pages of a short pamphlet on ‘Kree-bee life cycles and the care and improvement of the Apiary Volume 6. - observations over last twelve seasons in the Northern Valley - of much benefit to all apiarists to be read - by Jasaea, Karys and Iryn’

Nyaea’s hand trailed over the manuscript, written crosswise on reed paper to save space, remembering setting out the letters one by one with her father.

An entire world whose loss she had slept through yet didn’t touch her dreams.

Ever empathetic she soon found Xani beside her looking concerned.

For now Nyaea let the vague nightmares remain in the dark while she turned to the afternoon light streaking in uneven beams through the grotty windows.

“Come on, let's find the old story books!”

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

TheDutchman
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« Reply #186 on: April 14, 2021, 05:31:39 PM »

Being a stat-nut min/maxer, I absolutely LOVE the dossier-like dramatis personae list, especially as it relates to the Chiss-measured "Standardised Individual Threat Level" (SITL), made even better as a literary device in-story^^

...I've GOT to do something like that, stealing borrowing from LSG's SITL scale.  Of course, Zearic, D'Aylanna, Jorya, and even Kazic will be lower in terms of raw power...but that's what makes for great conflict  Grin

This was the perfect "breather" episode, allowing for a nice time-jump as well as a reintroduction of the "newer" Aethans, all told with the backdrop of Space Combat Training (more of this please  Wink).  Taken in conjunction with our established cast, it actually gives us a frightening window into just HOW much was lost versus how much has changed (considering that the Devastation was an actual cultural genocide perpetrated by the Sith from the time of the New Sith Wars, one wonders how the Aethans can bounce back from such a calamity).

However, there is a point of hope: with Karintha coming to her own, she could very well become the new Matriarch for the Aethans; she certainly has the qualifications, temperament, and intuition for the position (which will go A LONG WAY in helping to alleviate the burden that Mili has been carrying all of this time).  Definitely an Aethan to keep an eye on...

Nyaea's case is definitely one of the most poignant: she represents (along with the in-story mention of Kiraea's loss) that despite engineering (biological as well as cultural), too much trauma will still result in PTSD.  Which brings up another point: Mili's "rewrite" of Nya's memories is definitely a boon, but how far can such go until it becomes invasive?  Of course, Aethan cultural norms being what they are, this is all academic (or more precisely, moot) but it does establish an undercurrent of pathos that makes the tragedies of the People that much more horrific.

One of my favorite scenes: Ari and her feelings for Mili.  Makes perfect sense that she would have such trepidations despite the nearest context for comparison, in this case: Kazic and Saani.  After all, just how much can one's parents help when it comes to matters of the heart?  Absolutely brilliant^^
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Lord_S_Gray
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« Reply #187 on: April 23, 2021, 01:59:43 AM »

Remnant — Part 5 — Exploitation — Part 1
See http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=36209.msg604592#msg604592
Then
FourNine bumped his round head against Masters leg again and again, but there was no response.

He blurted his warning at the highest pitched the squeakers could produce, still Master stared blankly ahead.

Every since the [Unidentified] had put him on the ground Master had acted without reference to normal Logic behavioural parameters, exceeding reason buffers.

Master, FourNine deduced had corrupted software.  Why else would he override the Navicomputers warnings and program a heading of 0-0-0 - the Black Hole centre of the Galaxy.

FourNines Emergency response subroutines kicked in as the engines whirred, building up power for the jump.

His analysis indicated an astonishing 99.9999 percent likelihood of imminent destruction for Master.  This was in violation of Asimov Rule Aleph - A Droid may not injure a sentient being or, through inaction, allow a sentient being to come to harm.

He therefore had to override the Masters conscious intentions, which were corrupted, and intervene.

Spinning his body round FourNine shot out his scomplink into the ships access port, rapidly taking control of the Navicomputer and altering the coordinates to then nearest charted habitable system where Master could be put in for repairs and Software reboot.

Satisfied FourNine oversaw the jump to hyperspace then, as Master powered down, returned to his charging dock pending translation to realspace.  

<<<<>>>>

Now

Everyday the quota grew.

Everyday his body became more wretched and he was forced to draw more and more on that…that…thing that helped him…

He no longer counted the days, not even the weeks…not that he could there was hardly much light on the moons of Gernon to chart at all.

Gripping his most faithful companion, the two handed mining drill, he bore another chunk from the rock, the teeth ever duller.

Perhaps that was the best way to record time, when the teeth were changed…as it was that had happened only three times each at his insistence it could take no more. He wondered if it would be different now.

Something had changed ‘recently’, the only change of note since he was awoken on a vessel of some kind a droid poking him awake, he had no memory of what had happened or who he was…stumbling about the vessel he’d managed to send a distress signal…

He would’ve been better if he hadn’t.  He’d been found by the ‘Grand Fleet of Prakith’ questioned and then thrown into the mines of Gernon as a ‘spy’.  That was long ago.

“Ready?” Huc asked behind him

“Ready,” he replied

Huc pushed past best he could the brick sized mineral scanner in his hand.  Apparently the King had died or something, and the new King wanted some very specific minerals only found at the deepest layers of the moon…and even then only in tiny amounts, perhaps a few ryza-grains in size at most.

“Nothing…” Huc sighed

“Back to it Drift,”

Drift was his name, he remembered no other…Drift because his ship was found drifting.

Hauling up the Mining Drill he began to grind away again.

<<<<>>>>

It was hardly any wonder mine output was pathetic.

Ranks of greasy underfed men and women crowded into the shabby dock the air thick with choking dust.

Fifth stared across the mass of wretched humanity, the front ranks cowering at his super-human presence.

Gernon was the mining and agricultural hub of the ‘Kingdom of Prakith’ and it was his task to increase its output dramatically so they could improve upon the decrepit ‘Fleet’ they had inherited and even more importantly obtain Blackstone to repair their armor and weapons and build a signaling orb to try and contact Aethas.

So far after three months they had only 500 grams of Blackstone. Not even 1 percent of what was needed.  The moons of Gernon were devoid of sufficient quantities…they would need to go elsewhere, but first they would need better ships making the mining here equally important if now repointed in focus.

“This is unacceptable…” he seethed behind his Aegis helm to the Overseer
“…these workers need food and rest…”

“Dey needs a whippin what dey need m’Lord,” the brute replied.

Fifth scowled beneath his helm. Labour inputs needed to be maintained as well as equipment – which itself was beneath abhorrent in condition - to ensure maximum productivity.  

In the case of humanoid sentient this required not just nutritional inputs but also an affirming psycho-social environment.

This overseer did not comprehend that.

Without warning a black streak gripped the Overseers throat and crushed it into a comically long thin strand gushing blood before the body collapsed under the frightened gaze of the workers.

Fifth scanned the crowd with the aether taking in the relative dispositions of the emotional beings.  

He still understood emotions even if he did not experience them, such knowledge was crucial to Purgatio Astra – to know one's enemy was imperative.  

And the Technocracy had millions of them.

Finally in the back was a shocked looking emaciated man with a flicker of the aether about him, skin lighter than the others, bones stronger as Fifth probed more…he did not belong here…had lost something of himself long before but retained the essence of a compassionate, productive moralistic philosophy.

He would do.

“You,”

Drift swallowed as the black giant pointed straight to him, the others moving as far from Drift as physically possible in the confined mess hall leaving him utterly alone.

“You are the Overseer now,”

<<<<>>>>

12.3 per cent.

That was economic growth in the last standard year.  It had averaged 11 per cent in the five since the…New Order had begun.

Chancellor Teshk skimmed through the rest of the details, all major indices were up, mining output, manufacturing, agricultural production, productivity and hours worked.

That statistics of this kind were recorded at all was a minor miracle.

In five years the Shadow Lords of Prakith - as the people called their six new monolithic masters decked in Light eating armour – had advanced Prakith and its colonies economy more than in the last five hundred.  

This was overawed only by vast improvements in living conditions, education programs had boosted literacy from below 30 to over 60 per cent of the adult population, health care no longer relied on yokel remedies and vagrant doctors but proper medical centres.  

He should be happy, overjoyed that he had assisted, in however small a part, to see this transformation…and yet it terrified him.

Running his hand over his gaunt face, cheek and chins peppered by unshaved stubble the summoning bell chimed, he was being called to the new ‘Queens’ side.

Swallowing back his fear he slid on his official robes and took his staff of Office from the now polished golden rest hooks.

The Eternal Fortress he walked through at last looked like a genuine place of government and defence, walls reinforced, lighting systems repaired, ventilation improved.  Again it was a vast improvement and yet…

Yet he knew nothing of the why of it.  Five years he had served his new masters, he still knew none of their names, had seen none of their faces for they never removed their enormous armour - indeed he wondered if armour it truly was.

He implemented their dictates, had seen in the first months ministers, nobles and industrialists come before them in three’s and fours, flop to the floor, eyes rolling back in their heads, mouths drooling as ‘orders’ were implanted…

These orders forced into the minds of thousands had created this revolution of wealth, and yet he still could not understand why.

Passing the Prakith Royal Guard – in drab grey armour that was functional rather than decorative fitting the utilitarian philosophy of the Shadow Lords he wondered if today it would finally be him to be mind twisted…

...or perhaps he already had been and he didn’t know it?

Would he then wonder about being mind controlled if he already was...?  

It could drive a man mad.

The vast doors opened to the throne room, redecorated to be light, airy, a gleaming symbol of a new ‘enlightened’ age…and yet at the centre….

At the Centre stood three beings, 3 metres tall, vast overproportioned humanoid bodies that ate all the light about them.

“Chancellor,” The middle one spoke as the other two bowed their heads in silent submission before departing, the air seeming to flee before them.  No one ever overheard their private conversations.

“Our scouts have located a promising mining world.”

Of the few things Teshk had surmised of the Shadow Lord's motivations was exploring deep into the core.  

The Prakith fleet had been the first thing they overhauled, the captains and officers all mentally subsumed to be utterly obedient and efficient, indeed arguably all the other economic improvements were laying the groundwork to support the fleet's expansion.  

New ships, better fed, educated and healthier crews, all the better to send out ‘colonial scouts’ seeking new systems to inhabit…but always toward the core never away.

“It’s designation is DC_10004568 on the Republic Charts…”

That was another thing Teshk had noticed, their insatiable appetite for knowledge from the Republic and ability to recall minute details.

“You will prepare a full scale mining colony fleet to be deployed within three months, volunteers if possible, drafting if required,”

He didn’t doubt volunteers would be forthcoming, the populace were benefitting so much materially from the economic and social reforms a significant number had taken to worshipping the Shadow Lords rather than the Old Sith and Ancestral Pantheons.

Teshk bowed his clean simplified robes gently rustiling rather than jangling as they had laden with ornamentation under the old kings.

“It will be done Lord,”

As he shuffled backward he felt a press on his mind

“You have a question Chancellor?” the one that spoke said - it was only ever the same one that spoke in the genderless echo like sound from its helmet.
“No My Lord I….”

“You wish to know why we have left your mind unaltered, why you are able to contemplate the very question of whether we have ensnared you or not?”

“I…” he felt a sudden urge to vomit, a faintness falling over his eyes that speckled colours as his face drained.

“You are a useful Chancellor, you have a mind for management, you can implement the tasks we delegate, for we know you serve willingly...you have seen the decay and stupidity of your former monarchs, and know this - however unsettling - is better.”

 “I thank you my lord for your confidence…”

“See that we have no reason to doubt it in the future,”

“You will not lord,” he bowed even lower, relief flooding across his body in warm waves.

<<<<>>>>

They had been here a long time. It was necessary.  

They were only six, there were things they could not do on their own.

They could not mine for blackstone or explore the deep core in the hope of finding Aethas in a meaningful way.  They needed an indentured workforce - Prakith and its colonies provided that.

Reforming the administrative systems had been pathetically easy, scores of leading members of the society implanted with instructions and more importantly revised motivational parameters and obedience failsafes to ensure the economy and in turn the Fleet was advanced to a point it could fulfil their needs.

So far they had succeeded in advancing the Fleet to a point they could establish mining colonies, what had eluded them until a week ago was a location worth mining.

The deep core was full of worlds with high concentrations of heavy elements, and they had mined vast quantities of uranium, plutonium and naquadah, a third traded through Gernon’s port for medical and manufacturing equipment to increase labor and machine productivity.

Only the deepest systems, like Aethas, had ultradense minerals compacted by superdense stars aeons ago.  The existing mines had less that one part per trillion of blackstone, no bloodstone or blackheart at all let alone whitescar.

Now the ‘New Grand Fleet of Prakith’ Scouting force 32, under guidance from vagabond Deep Core miners had found a world with samples sufficient to produce minorcommercial quantities.

Ninth gilded her hands over her armor, it was still dented and pitted from age and damage, they hadn’t enough blackstone to repair even that…let alone pursue the true goal.

Striding to the balcony that overlooked the magma creased canyons around the Eternal Fortress she gazed not at the stars, but the thin grey specks that were outlines of the new orbital drydocks being constructed according to their designs…

They would have their vassals mine the Blackstone and construct a vessel as close to worthy of the Technocracy as humans could produce…in the meantime she and the others would build the true catalyst of their success in implementing Purgatio Astra.

It was a design implanted into their minds during reactivation, the pinnacle of the Technocracies melding of conventional physics, chemistry and aetheric sciences.  

The Technocracy had not survived long enough to complete it, but with the Blackstone on DC_10004568 they would within perhaps a decade have a Complete - programmed - and fully operational Nine Point Obelisk Array.

<<<<>>>>>

While Drift was not sure what the ultradense mineral being mined were to be used for, he trusted in the Shadow Lord's wisdom.

Ever since their coming his life had improved markedly, good food, adequate rest, proper safety equipment for his crews, and he had advanced rapidly by taking advantage of such.

Now he strode the catwalks of the tertiary shafts of DC_10004568 - nicknamed by the crews 'Providence’ - as Director of Mining and Colonisations Operations for the Entire Planet, affirmed by Chancellor Teschk by the blessing of the Lords of Shadow.

The Blackstone was deep in the ground, it had taken over two years just to reach the deposits of value, in which time he had focused on the challenges of establishing the colony topside, issues of obtaining sufficient purified water, algal growth vat facilities for food, basic infrastructure.  

He was proud of his efforts, it felt fulfilling to help people.

There was only one thing nagging at him.  The feels he had always experienced, the chime of a distant song he could only just hear was getting stronger within him, his dreams of other places and times more vivid.

And each time he touched or looked ont he Blackstone, or was in the presence of one of the Shadow Lords on their very rare visits, he felt a strange sickness, as if they themselves were somehow inherently wrong with what a forgotten memory understood as how things should feel.
 
His ruminations were broken by a snapping crack of metal on stone a few levels below. hurrying down, he entered the horizontal gallery to find one of th large speeder sized auto-drill hissing out acrid smoke, the chains about the cogs snapped.

“Anyone hurt!” he called out in the dim light.

“No director…” replied the galleries foreman “But the drill’s frelled…”

Damn that would not please the Chancellor or the Lords

“What did it hit…”

“See for yourself…” The foreman lead him round the ruined piece of equipment past a handful of workers, their yellow one piece work suits grimy glistening black with dust.  The foreman pointed forward arm lit by his helmet light into an abyss.

“Down there?” Drift asked

“Ain’t no down there…”

Drift leaned forward...the foreman was right, what appeared the darkness of a deep tunnel was a solid wall of Blackstone that chilled him to touch, the enormity of the slab of ultradense mineral seemed hungry to be filled with something of his very soul.

Drift snapped his hand back.

“Think the Lords won’t mind a broken drill when they hear ‘bout this ey?” The Foreman smiled insensitive to the Feels that chilled Drift to the bone in the geothermally heated depths.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
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« Reply #188 on: April 23, 2021, 02:03:28 AM »

Remnant — Part 5 — Exploitation — Part 2

<Adequate…> Seventh noted as the Hastati finished their kata.  15 Maniples, each of 60 men upon the dusty parade ground located toward the equator of Prakith, one of the few less mountainous regions of the world. 

Third accepted the begrudging affirmation.  Considering the state of the ‘Grand Army of Prakith’ when they had arrived it was a vast improvement.  No longer a half rabble of serfs serving under their ostentatiously dressed nobles. The army was now a professional standing fighting force of 40,000 - eight Legions, an entire new industrial district built to supply the weapons, armour and other materiel to equip, train and deploy them.   

Deploying a legion to garrison each of the petty colony worlds in the ‘Kingdom’ had drastically increased the central power of the state and resultant levees of resources, actions against the vagabond-raider-miner-freebooters that pestered the colonies further entrenched support for their rule.

Satisfied both Aethans turned on the parade ground and walked back into the fortress from the balcony, the Centurions taking over the exercises.

<The fleet has located three planets for expansion, each with populations under 100,000,> Seventh explained without preamble
<A legion will be deployed to conquer each in turn,> 
Their biggest limitation was vessels to ferry their armies

<Seventeen days will be sufficient for preparation to embark> Third agreed, their vastly longer legs and speed of movement already had them on the other side of the fortress, vastly outpacing the handful of new officers.  Until the reforms officers were chosen on the basis of political favour and wealth - Third had disabused them of this practice, the desiccated heads of incompetent generals on the parade ground a reminder that nobility meant nothing in the new Legion.

The conquests of nearby systems would yield only marginal additional resources, the importance was in bloodying the army and the fleet for further expansion to more profitable colonies along the Byss run and beyond.

The industrial capacity of Prakith was beyond woeful, it would take decades to upgrade - it was not worth their investment.

Their next target was the Mining Guild facilities sprinkled coreward of the Empress Teta system. 

The Guild effectively controlled Teta, the Keto dynasty kept compliant by regular royalties on the carbonite the guild sucked from their worlds and demesne systems.   

Fourth's budding spy network had determined many of the Guilds outer facilities were lightly defended - mostly second hand Trade Federation Battle Droids - soft but rich targets to acquire vast amounts of equipment and resources to drastically expand their own capacity before taking the Teta system - and its vastly superior industrial capacity and enormously larger population - itself. 

<Seventeen days is adequate> Ninth communicated halfway across the planet in their constant telepathic link rising from the Dagger Throne descending the Eighteen Steps to see the aether sensitive director of the mining colony, ‘Drift’ kneeling before her, crates full of raw blackstone hauled in by bulky ancient droids and sweating muscled mine workers, the Chancellor looking on with a mix of terror and astonishment.

She dipped her armoured hands in the rough chunks of the ultradense material, too inelegantly broken off the ore body to be forged into weapons or armour, but sufficient to repair the equipment they already had with Aetheric forging and a few thumb sized Link and surveillance Orbs.

<Sixth, progress> she queried the medic of her squad currently in an orbital medical station given over to experimentation.

<The first 10,000 doses are ready,> he replied even as his hands worked the fine needles extracting the hormone and mRNA cocktail to be injected into their soldiers to enhance their combat effectiveness - a crude form of rapid gene editing that would lower their life expectancy by decades - but such was what this backwater world with limited trade links had to work with.

<Then the next phase begins…Aethans Dominabutir Astris> Ninth concluded.

Still bowing before the Shadow Lord, Drift heard the whispers of their thoughts, the chorus of the words Aethans Dominabutir Astris...a frozen fist closed around his spine, a tingling sensation flooded through his head as nameless fears settled into place, vague faces sharpened and an identity thought lost could no longer stand by now his subconscious understood what was happening.

Drift closed his eyes.  A long lost Mak’tor Knight opened his.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

TheDutchman
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« Reply #189 on: April 26, 2021, 05:05:40 PM »

Talk about foreshadowing, LSG!

We find ourselves BACK on planet DC_10004568...giving us even more significant provenance in Forumverse history.  Certainly the workings of the Force/Aether influence countless sentients over countless centuries, all to a purpose... Too bad we still don't know just WHAT that might be...

So it was Remnant that absconded with the Mak'Tor knight (and father of Ho'Li!); I would NEVER have guessed that... But now that he is no longer dominated by the Remnant's Control Mind, I wonder where this will leave him (certainly a MUCH more dangerous "Stranger In A Strange Land"). 

Looks like the Remnant have been BUSY: 40k (no pun intended  Wink) soldiers in the Grand Army of Prakith, new shipbuilding/empire consolidating, all under the Purgatio Astra.  I have to wonder just what the Grand Army will do if/when they finally do encounter our "Prime" Aethans...might be likened to an "oil and water" non-mixture...

...only much, MUCH more violent  Smiley
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My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

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« Reply #190 on: April 27, 2021, 04:36:34 AM »

Chapter 31 — The Black Obelisk — Part 5
Milaea
With a dull thud the Sixth and Fifth Obelisks slid into place.

Surge protectors were switched back on in the plant room by Adaea and power began to flow through them.

Like Obrio trees of the Valley the four current obelisks ‘welcomed’ their new siblings into the ever expanding fold, ‘teaching’ them how to look upon the span of the galaxy.

Two-Thirds of the massive array was now complete, operating at just over 50 per cent capacity, the positive synergy of all nine Obelisks was needed to achieve full potential.

They had recovered four more People since installing the Fourth Obelisk with the Array at 33 percent capacity, Maekal, Evyn, Evaea and Nyaea. 

They had confirmed the deaths of far more.

While readouts showed a smooth activation mirroring their growing confidence and experience with the system, Milaea felt the deeper currents of the People emotions writhe uncertainly.

The losses and gains seemed to eat at each other preventing either despair fuelled rage or success breathed relief winning out - leaving the People teetering between the two.

“No fairy tale endings,” she whispered to herself idly brushing her link Orb to Ari as she found herself doing every few minutes despite herself, just in case she had missed the pulse of a signal.

The restlessness Milaea had felt over the last few months had taken her by surprise.

To fulfil their contractual obligations all the restored members of the People old nouh had been sent for training and placement in the CEDF, including Ari of course.

Milaea had found herself irritable, the task of programming the Obelisks and associated orbs, filters and capacitors a grind.

After working so closely together on Ari’s Trial, the Fourth Obelisk, the resurrection of Karintha and Yorna, then the pursuit of Evyn and Evaea, there was a physical discomfort to Ari’s absence, Milaea constantly expecting to turn and see her, only to be disappointed.

This had been replaced in the last few days by nervous anticipation at her imminent return.

“Such glories, such mysteries…” an awed voice came from behind her.

“Oh, Maekal...” she stumbled embarrassed she had not sensed him, either she was distracted or he was picking up some of Evyn and Evaea’s skills.

“I am to learn the secrets of this Eye to the Infinite stars,”

In other words, Milaea surmised, Valens had sent him here to learn how to operate the Obelisk Array, before returning to his training. 

With so many People with the Chiss Valens and Jarys had taken on the grindingly depressing work of investigating signals that came through - most little more than echoes they could not pinpoint further by the time they reached the sector or system.

Excepting a few firefights with pirates in the Arkanis sector, and fruitless interrogations in the Centrality coalition the only gain was it had given Kiraea some more time to recover, oddly enough spending much time with Sofa despite, or perhaps because of their - as Sofa termed it - passively aggressive ambivalent frenemy status.

For the last few weeks both had been back on Aethas with their wives.

“Is Ari back with you?” Milaea replied to the impatient Maekal with her own enthusiastic question.

“Lady Aresaea is on the third of the three Star Chariots,”

Milaea suppressed a groan at the vague yet eloquent answer

Maekal had made a...mixed...impression upon the others, convincing him he, and the People, were not actual deities was difficult given core beliefs of being Children of Goddesses and by genetics, culture and aetheric ability - vastly superior to all other life forms. 

He also struggled to distinguish between technology and ‘magic’ - understandable as the Obelisk array itself melded advanced Aetheric communication and astrophysics.

“The new obelisks will be online soon, I expect to get a flood of extra signals, link to that console like you were using a Training Orb,” she directed.

Maekals expression flickered with irritation at such a ‘lowly’ task, he still complied. The contrast to the humble and quiet Twins was stark - trained to follow their Sensei’s orders without question, subconsciously needing a new parental figure they were all too compliant to Karintha’s cultural re-integration.

Karintha Milaea mused as the Obelisks power began to build, the first sparks of new signals hitting their tips.

There was no doubting Karintha’s commanding aura, and the shift it created in the still unsettled leadership of the People, an unspoken contest between her, Milaea, Lyaea and perhaps even Ari, while Valens remained primus-inter-pares for the moment.

Milaea gripped the side paddles over one of the Filter Pedestals, nine smooth blackstone orbs crackling with energy as they screened the enormity of thoughts, feelings, and raw Life energies that the Obelisks ate into indiscriminately, the energies filtered through tuned Orbs seeking key words and patterns of aether usage that matched Aethan ‘frequencies’, excess energies either ‘purified’ and stored or expelled back into space just as they had entered.

“Such power...the vision of the Gods….” Maekal grunted at his own station, perhaps not the best moment for his first time with the array

She felt what he meant, the intensity of the half whispers of possible signals intensified dramatically, the array moving from one third to fully half capacity, straining even her reserves of energy to keep focused on for the sheer enormity of even a fraction of the data filtered to her.

<help… please… ..please...help...mother...Goddesses...Myri what do I…. where are you?>

“Nnnnh….” almost doubling over Milaea felt her mind pulled in a dozen directions across four dimensions by the enormity of signals that were suddenly detected lingering in the undercurrents.

<Ada….> she called telepathically with one level of thought as she looked over to Maekal who was all but insensate.

The savant like young woman immediately summoned more help as she scrambled out of the confines beneath the main array. 

<Shall I shut it off?> Adaea asked, feeling Milaea’s strain.

<No...can’t...can’t lose them….> whatever the strain Milaea could not, would not, let any of these signals be lost. Each was a Person, each was a chance to bring more healing and hope.

Flashing out a hand she sent a burst of energy into Maekal who gained a second wind trying to grasp as many threads and pour them with as high fidelity as possible into the recording Orbs for later tracing.

“Maek….take nine...I’ll do the rest…”  She said through clenched teeth as she tried to untangle the dozens of interlaced skeins like threads at the bottom of her Grandmothers sewing box. 

Adaea was racing to put in Recording Orbs, swapping them out as quickly as possible when each one was filled.

The burden on Milaea and Maekals mind lessen with each one, but their fatigue was growing exponentially

“I don’t have any orbs left...we’ll have to double up….” Adaea began making changes on the fly to the orbs already sloshing over with aetheric positioning data to allow them to squeeze in more.

The whole process took an hour, by which time Kassyndra and Lyaea had just arrived on the outlying planet from Aethas to assist.

Maekal, unsurprisingly, dismissed any concerns for his well being

“I am untroubled by this minor exertion,” he said hastily before falling face first onto the floor to Lyaea’s immense amusement, Kassyndra used to picking up over confident Aethan children when they fell down just helped him up.

<<<<>>>>

46 Signals, all received in the space of an hour.

Cross mapping them to conventional space took the better part of a week, almost the whole of the People working in the Observatory on Aeda. 

To both their displeasure it was at the end of that week Ari arrived only to be press ganged into the more urgent task of tracing signals instantly.

The Aetheric map of the galaxy all the sharper from the addition of the two new Obelisks made the process faster per signal, but still was more art than science to perform.

Pressing through the crowded room Ari weaseled her way toward Milaea, insubstantial aetheric illusions of life force that made up populate planets passing across her skin, finding her friend leaning over a console calculating vectors and aetheric wavelengths. 

“Ari!” Milaea looked up her voice sharp and almost desperate as she teleported through the console to embrace her.

The sudden use so much aetheric energy on such an advanced technique for so seemingly trivial a reason as a hug of greeting annoyed Maekal and Evyn as the wave of aetheric energy threw out their readings, and earned only sly knowing glances between Lyaea and Yorna on the other side of the room.

“How are you, how was Csilla,”

If the strength of Milaea’s embrace was excessive, Ari seemed intent on matching it.

“Fine it was...very different,”

Ari’s mind completely open to her friend she sent thoughts unfiltered into words of a concept that Ari felt like she had now lived among three cultures - Aethan, Galtean and Chiss, each with their own unique beauties...and troubling blind spot flaws.

“You got the new Obelisks running,” Ari said as they slowly parted

“Evidently!” scoffed Maekal irritated as he reworked his triangulations.
“Now we are overcome by an abundance of cries through the starry night, prayers that must be….mmmmhmmmm….”

“Now what did We tell you about interrupting women and ranting like an idiot hmm?” Lyaea said, hand over Maekals mouth to shut him up and give an object lesson in his place among a matriarchal society.  He struggled for a moment but Lyaea had too much practice in keeping Taryn inline for his resistance to bother her.

Ari and Milaea just giggled

“He has a point…” Mialea agreed

“We got so many signals…” she walked Ari to the other side of the console, hand unashamedly on her friends hip.

“The extra power rally drew them in...but there is a problem…”

There was no screen on the console composed of nine Orbs ensconced in the pedestal, linked by aetheric energy to one's mind you felt, saw, heard, tasted the information. 

Ari linked in with gentle flickers of purple lighting from her finger tips, Milaea’s own hue redder linked in to guide her.

“Oh...hmmm….there’s no sense of urgency like the other signals...no sense of….time…” Ari deduced

There were many possible reasons why, distance, displacement, distortion...but until they looked into them they would not know.

“Which means we have no time to waste,” Mili agreed

“Each location we track we send to Valens straight away, he’s compiling routes to send each of the Destroyers on paths that reach as many places in the shortest time possible but try and keep within a few days jump in case anyone needs back up…”

As excited as Ari was to be joining the hunt for more people she realised what that would mean in the short term.

“We won’t have any time to…”

To what? she didn’t have any place to be or specific plans...only the excitement held through every hour with the Chiss to return to Aethas, wander the Valleys and caverns, speak to Nyaea and Xani...all of it hand in hand with Milaea….

“...to rest after the induction...we’ll have to leave as soon as the ships are resupplied…”

Ari turned her disappointed to focus, there would be another time for all that, for now the People needed to be out there looking as hard as they could with this bounty of information.

Milaea felt the hopeful conviction and reciprocated it in her feelings, before long they had dragged in another console and were working side by side to help the others, more than doubling their output, swapping out their ‘shift’ after 6 hours with Adaea and Selaena.

By that time they were so mentally exhausted they could do little but eat, shower and sleep in the docked Persephaea’s cabins. 

The cycle was repeated for another three days as the whole of the People prepared, weapons and victuals restocked, dossiers on the growing number of locations they needed to visit compiled, quantum burst signals back and forth from Lyr and Colm Maynard on Fresia reaching out to their own shady contacts for any extra details.

Barely a week after arriving back from Csilla, Ari was once more standing on the bridge of the Aertemisaea about to depart, looking through the view screen to the Persephaea where Milaea likewise watched as their ships passed each other toward jump points at opposite ends of the system.

Their manpower so limited Valens had split them into four groups balancing expertise and ability as best he could, taking special account of the need to keep the elders with the newly reunited Aethans.

Milaea’s and Ari’s astounding abilities were what meant they were placed on separate ships.  Valens had seemed to understand it was a disappointment when delivering their orders, but the mission, the People, always came first.

Confident they would be together soon, and hopeful they would each return with  more survivors and hope for their People the two women shared one last tentative brush across the astral plane before their vessels took them into the starry expanse.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #191 on: April 27, 2021, 04:38:15 AM »

Chapter 31 — The Black Obelisk — Part 5

Reeda
She watched again as her fellow Extolled marched to Karintha Class vessels, once more the armed retinue of the Avatars on another of their expeditions.

And once more she knew that of the 146 that went with them, less would return.

Purple twilight of the jungle was decorated by the dull orange and yellow glow of bioluminescent insects - both native to Aethas and Yuuzhan Vong bred, that competed and co-operated in a strange dance trying to find an equilibrium in the ecosystem of Aethas Jungle Islands.

Yet even after nearly two years the native Aethan species and introduced Vong flora and fauna - even that which was grown here not transplanted from their ship - never seemed to meld into one biosphere. Yes they would prey on each other, sometimes even exploit each other - Aethan Krebees finding the leathery villip bulbs skin delicious, wild Vong amphistaff slithered from their native vines into the Vosis swamps to act as scavengers for the larger Aethan reptiles prey…but there was a sense each side simply tolerated the other.

Or perhaps she was projecting her own growing disenchantment upon the jungle.

She looked on the embankment from the ‘shapers’ damutek, a three storey conical shell that housed herself and a dozen other shapers, most of which had formerly been shamed ones.

Of course there were no official castes among the Extolled...but old habits died hard and the castes still gravitated to each other, and the Avatars in different ways.

Nearly all the warriors, half the shapers, three quarters of the priests and a third of the intendants remained fanatically loyal to the Aethans as Avatars of the gods. 

For the Warriors it was obvious, they respected martial strength, and the Aethans biology alone was enough to carry their favour - the priests convinced themselves of the divine nature of the Aethans as Avatars of the gods, believing their own explanations to justify their own freedom from shaming. 

The Shapers were a mixed bag, some genuinely believed, but most were enthralled by the complete and utter freedom to innovate in their arts. 

One heresy had begat another and the ambitious and curious had drunk deep, now inured to the use of machines they used holo-databases to learn just how advanced Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology was.

Amongst the main fleet the Shapers craft was limited by tradition, the Shaper Protocols that believed in Yun-Yuuzhans the High Gods mind was the perfect form of all things and a Shaper merely imitated that - what had come before therefore always seen as the pinnacle to emulate, an end point not a start.

Here the Avatar of She Who Shapes - Yun-Ne’Shel - the Aethan Adaea - actively encouraged the shapers to innovate, to meld Vong Biotech with Chiss technology to make both more efficient.

Any such non-living technology and innovation was heresy among the fleet, and the shapers who indulged in it experienced an illicit thrill of transgression to be using them that kept them enamoured.

The Intendant caste members were less enamoured, always cynical and clear thinking as was needed for their role as administrators, diplomats, spies, if they afforded the Avatars loyalty it was because they saw the practical benefits, not any kind of zealous conviction.

She caught the gaze for a few moments of two of the ‘Avatars’ Milaea, Avatar of Yun-Harla the trickster, and Lyaea, of Yun’Shuno - she of the Thousand eyes - Goddess of the shamed ones.

How strongly Reeda had believed in Lyaea as the Avatar, the liberator, how much Reeda had preached to the others in those first months of the truth of their liberation, of the genuine divine touch upon the Avatars.

It recoiled on Reeda with double the guilt that she had been so very wrong.

Lyaea was a fickle, vain and selfish manipulator who used her powers to flash her eyes blue to impress the credulous, and used the Extolled as a mine of bio-technology.

Milaea, perfect to the nature of Yun-Harla, had empathized with Reeda’s doubts, sympathized with Reeda’s hope to establish their own colony and develop the Extolleds culture independent of Aethan influence in their own time - but ultimately did nothing to facilitate it.

Reeda knew Milaea was the strongest of the Avatar’s, the Warriors had seen her turn enemies to ice and fire in the same breath, yet either through indifference, malice, or resignation had made no moves to free the Extolled from their false belief in the Avatars that Milaea claimed to desire.

There was always some pressing signal to investigate, or project to work on
“It’s not the right time,” Milaea had said a month before
“Once the Obelisks are online, and we’ve found everyone we can, then the People will be in a place to really discuss how our alliance works in the long term,”

The Obelisks Reeda’s dovin basals helped mine.  The missions of ‘recovery’ that left Reeda’s fellow Extolled injured or dead while the Avatars always escaped alive behind their Oblivion armour. 

Trickster Goddess indeed, Reeda had her fill of double speak.

The Transports lifted off taking half the Extolled into the stars to fight and die for the Avatars once more.

She turned to Nerak, one of now dozens she had shared secret meetings with. For as much as the Avatars learned from them, they learned in turn.  Granted access to the Vhal’Dan archives to enable Reeda to more quickly upload the full scope of the Shapers qasha data to ‘conventional supercooled crystal systems’ favoured by the Chiss she had stumbled across a series of lectures from Vhal’Udhav University regarding the ‘Necessity of Atheism’. 

The Series performed by a guest speaker from Bothawui Centre for Philosophical Studies had given names and firm concepts to her doubts, articulating her swirling thoughts in ways she never could have with her language constrained by the imaginative limitations of the Militaristic Theocracy of the Yuuzhan Vong tongue.

She had secretly shared her thoughts with others whom she saw show signs of doubts in the Avatars, a number that grew with each battle the Extolled suffered in

They had begun with discussions on the nature of the Gods...then the lack of Gods...outright Atheism and now...resistance.

“We need to start working while the warriors are gone,”

Nerak - an intendant - largely in charge of the stores and supplies nodded

“I’ve funnelled the resources you requested to a buried yorik shell an hours walk from the damuteks…”

In addition to base proteins and nutrient slurries, the basic components of all shaper arts.

“Our work begins,” she agreed.

 
<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #192 on: April 27, 2021, 05:14:29 PM »

A nice "breather" chapter, especially after Vzin & the Twins, training with the Chiss, and the Remnant update.  Nice juxtaposition between Mili and Maekal, although we get a bit of introspection concerning Mili and her concerns...and desires.  Obviously Mili and Ari are growing closer and their burgeoning "friendship" has been noticed by others (if not immediately admitted by either of them).  Hopefully the burden of responsibility won't hinder them much more...

...Unfortunately, even as their time together finally coincides, the search for their People seem insistent upon keeping them apart.  Apropos of this, even operating at half-strength, the Obelisk Array was able to pinpoint upon 46 separate signals (and in a single hour!).  How many more would they have received if the Array had been operating at 100%?  Let us not forget that even with Mili's immense reserve of power in the Force/Aether, she was still exhausted afterwards.  But that is not the only problem...

Now we have some concrete numbers for the Yuuzhan Vong, and far from being of one mind, too many have come the realization that the Aethans are not the Avatars of their pantheon.  Question is: what will they do?

As I've said, this is my favorite story of the Aethan Cycle: incredibly character-driven and some excellent studies with our individual Aethans.  Chapter 32 now please  Cheesy
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Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Lord_S_Gray
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #193 on: May 17, 2021, 11:06:37 AM »

While the Next Chapter is under construction a nod of appreciation to something very special already built by For Tyeth, without which my characters would be 'grounded'!

Aertemisaea Class Destroyer

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Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #194 on: May 17, 2021, 05:53:42 PM »

While the Next Chapter is under construction a nod of appreciation to something very special already built by For Tyeth, without which my characters would be 'grounded'!

Aertemisaea Class Destroyer


This is EXACTLY what I'd meant with giving FT the most recent shout-out: the collaboration between LSG's awesome literary universe and seeing it brought to life by FT's outstanding renderings is BEYOND phenomenal!

This entire picture--visual as well as script--is just MADE of pure WIN  Cool

Great job, gentlemen!

Points!
Logged

Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

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