(EO) CH 17 CLAUDIA
AVONDUR
--*--
Claudia Moore had arrived on Avondur only a few days ago. The friendly and still very mysterious shrouded being she mistook to be a Narth had a distinct name, that of Tyr had suggested that she returned to her room and get some rest and get situated some more. Since she had at that point not been told what her actual posting or shift was, she followed this advice."
While the shrouded being insisted not to be a Narth, he was just as mysterious and quite uncanny because it took him less than a heartbeat to disappear into thin air, and just as she had turned.
She had a great view from her room window and noticed the billowing wall of yellow approaching the local city from the East.
It appeared to be a common and expected event. Marines guarding the walls entered bell-shaped, partially transparent watchtower elements. Which had risen on hydraulic arms on all four corners and rising a tad higher than the 10-meter walls
The sturdy main gate and apparently only entrance to this compound had been closed, locked, and further barricaded with heavy-looking Ultronit bars that rotated across the split of the two gate doors.
The Courtyard was evacuated and quickly had been emptied of beings and activities.
From her window, she had noticed similar activities outside the Union installation. Local businesses and buildings closed doors and windows, using sturdy-looking metal or wood panels. Awnings had been retracted.
She also saw beings apparently caught unprepared. These beings began to panic and scrambled to pound against closed doorways, including the Union compound's gate.
No one reacted to their plea. Then she experienced her first Yellow Storm, locally also called the Yellow Wall. This Yellow Wall was a dust storm of biblical proportions. She experienced some of the fine yellow, talcum fine dust when she arrived. Then this powdery substance had been whipped into a billowing cloud by an intense hurricane-like wind-blocking much of the sunlight. In this spooky dim twilight, even buildings across the Estrella Compound became nothing more than insubstantial shadows. The friction of these fine particles caused intense lightning of tremendous strength. In all that boiling almost cataclysmic event, she believed to have seen shadowy shapes of something frightening and demonic.
The storm and the dust cloud kept on rolling towards the west. The air cleared up, and the sun once more lit the surrounding buildings and streets. The first doors and windows were opened, and with a sick feeling to her stomach, she noticed the lifeless shapes of bodies, covered with a thin layer of dust. One of them frozen in the beings' last stance, clawing a sturdy door cover right across the compound.
The bell-shaped guard tower things retracted while the Marines resumed their guard posts on the wall and by the gate.
All this happened a few days back indeed, and now she had been on her posting and commenced her tasks.
Lt. Moore had found her bearings, and as a fleet officer, she was as disciplined, and she was good at her specialization. She was a Union Fleet base management specialist. Perhaps not the most prestigious specialization, but still a needed one. She would not be surprised if the Fleet had as many outposts, stations, and bases as it had ships. Fleet Base Management had its headquarters at Garrison, a planet in the Ceux In the system. FBM had managed every non-mobile fleet asset. Fleet headquarters, including the famous Annapolis Tower, the facilities of Baic training, and physical installations of all the Academies. It managed Fleet bases and all outposts, including this one.
Avondur-Outpost 45-4555-AO, as it was officially designated, was without question the furthest. 32.4 million lightyears from Pluribus. No Union technology could reach this particular base on its own. To come here, one had to use mysterious and truly ancient transspatial thresholds called Nexus Points. These shortcuts across space utilized the technology of highly advanced civilization that, if she understood correctly, was beyond the technology of the First Age and even more advanced than Seenian tech.
Her fellow officers and colleagues assured her that it was safe, and an alternative connection was worked on already.
Instead of spending much time in Command and Control, she had received a small but well-equipped office, a good eighty meters below street level. It was here where she was occupied with the routine administrative tasks of a Union outpost. She was just working on a requisition request six recently arrived Wurgus Solar engineers filed. This Union outpost was a joint venture of Fleet, Science Corps, NAVINT, ANA, and several other branches and entities.
Despite its great distance to Pluribus or Union space, Fleet had designated it as a Priority High project. Why this was so had not been shared with her or anyone she knew. Much of the reason was classified and far beyond her clearance.
Claudia learned that the Yellow Wall was an event that occurred once or twice Year Divider. Since each Standard Months was five Standard Weeks long, and each Union week lasted ten Standard Days. The Yellow Wall was a common but not all that frequent event.
Dr. Kildra Dirry, geologist and part of the scientific staff, was a full-grown Xandrao, and Claudia could not help but draw close parallels to Terran Cattle. She was from Earth, after all. That friendly and jovial being explained to her that the yellow dust's main component was oxidized ferric iron oxides and primarily responsible for the yellowish color. However, the dust consisted also of Titanium Dioxide and even some very fine Gold dust. No particle was much bigger than 21 nanometers. With his explanation, he had handed her a rack of sealed sample tubes to be shipped to Union side, where they would find their way to various geological and chemical laboratories all across Union Space. Kildra was one of the more frequent visitors. He always had some geological samples to mail, and unlike most of the others, he did not use Interbase mail but brought her the samples personally. He always had a few words for her. It was Kildra who also informed her about the cause of the storm. Apparently, there was a natural rift of some kind opening deep in a local dessert. This opening rift caused a violent wind surge and, thus, the dust wall.
When she asked him about the shadowy apparitions within the dust and the dead beings after the storm, he had spread his stubby arms. "The locals call these shadows, Eidolon-Beasts. I think there are Xeno researchers looking into these."
The Xandrao knew little else about these or any other local lifeforms.
This base consisted of the Mountain base with the Nexus point and a collection of buildings. Once, it had been a Caravannsearai of sorts, and locals knew it as Estrella Compound. This compound was located in the city of Sandakaar.
There was a Field base and construction camp in the East and somewhere past the Gateway Oasis, a place she had not been to, at least not so far. Further distant and almost at the other end of this continent beyond the Northern Desert was a small, well-defended Marine Outpost protecting a potential Union member calling themselves Wanku. She had not seen a Wanku so far or knew how they looked like.
She was simply too busy, as the transports carried an endless stream of supplies, chief among these supplies, components for Transport shuttles, Wolfcraft fighters. Super Compact Combat Spheres of Mini Terran origin complete with crews. Very rudimentary footholds on moons and two planets, it all belonged to this command.
Despite having a staff of clerks, Claudia was busy, both civilian and military, and of course, a base Computronic.
All material, specimens, and other samples had to be correctly routed and send via her office back into Union Space. Reports, scientific analysis, personnel transfers, requisition forms. Yes, she was busy. However, this what she had wanted, not some boring posting where nothing ever happened. Like the COF stations deep in Transgalactic space or famous Z-Point and Z-point Minus stations.
45-4555-AO was busy as Klacktik at the Queens anniversary. Part of her really would have liked to know what was so special about Avondur.
Oh, there was plenty of Scuttlebutt, of which she was inundated with the very first day.
She had not met the shrouded being, Tyr again, and only seen the Commandant briefly. He had briefed her and handed her the schedule and her duty envelope.
Claudia still wondered about the presence of Union slaves on the local slave market, but she knew what happened to them. She scheduled their Union side transfer, completed the Iridium coin transfers, and allocated the requested sums.
Non-Union slaves were also sent Union side. Union society as a whole had great expertise dealing with former slaves, after all.
Just three days ago, she and her department were informed that the Admiral of the Fleet himself was coming to Avondur no less for an inspection, so was the official word. However, since the legendary Administrator himself made this trip, it erased any doubt that this place was not of utmost importance to the Union.
There was no one she knew who had ever seen the Old Highlander. There were very few who questioned the existence of the Fleet Admiral or his great age. Being about 3000 years old was indeed a great age, but by far, not the most senior being. While lifespans above 1000 years were rare and uncommon, there were others.
She had seen him on GalNet a few times, especially during Assembly Sessions. There also was a high-resolution 2-DEE on the wall in her very office. Admiral McElligott was synonymous with the Fleet to many minds, and he carried quite a few nicknames, one of which was 'The Administrator' and as such more or less a living god to all those working in similar roles and in the bureaucracy that was the real soul of the Union Fleet.
For this reason, she was, of course, very excited and had great hopes she would have a chance to get a glimpse. Because there was an oh so slight, put possible inspection that included her command and work. She worked twice as hard and diligent as usual.
This is why she worked overtime ever since she heard of McElligott's planned visit. She was preparing the last Phys-Mail shipment for the day, as mail was an essential component of her duties, and was handled by her department as long as this was a military facility under the auspice of Union Fleet.
This is why she did not immediately notice the black shrouded being that appeared in her office.
"Lt. Moore. I did not suspect see you still working, bur could you add this orderform to the mail going Union side?"
She blushed a little and nodded. "Of course, Mr. Tyr. You may also use your wrist com for order-forms. Non-phys mail goes out 5 times a day, Sir."
"I am certain this is so, but this orderform goes to Nilfeheim and to a small fish and seafood store a the North-end of Bifrost…" He sounded amused under the hood he wore. "And none of this is important or relevant to you, but the world I call home is in many ways still very traditional, perhaps even primitive. Handwritten orders with the cottect amount of Nilfe silver guarantees I get what I want."
She nodded. "I can tell there are coins in that envelope of yours. Phys mail leaves the compound as always at 1700 hrs, or in 12 minutes. So you made it in time." She placed the sturdy and heavy envelope into a milky white duraplast tub, closed the lid, and signaled the departments S-65 to take the container to the outgoing transport. To the shrouded man, she said. "Do you know the Admoral of the Fleet is is coming for an inspection?"
"Oh yes I do, but his arrival is not imminent. You should take a break. Perhaps you like to join me on a foray to the local market?"
"You mean going outside, past the walls?"
"It would be a necessity to go past the walls in order to visit the local market."
"I was under the impression I was prohibited to do so."
"It is not. There are currently no slaves for sale at Sandakaar. Kallich the Sorrow just left for his trip to the East. No Yellow wall is to be expected for 11 days. We are not at war with anyone so far. The orders are to limit interaction with locals and especially information exchange. I am under the impression you received additional instructions as to the topics not to be shared."
"Indeed Sir, the Dai than Commandant ordered me to partake in the orientation classes."
"The only other requirement is to conduct such a foray in company of other preferably armed citizens."
He snickered under his hood. "I am only one and I do not have any physical weapons with me, but I assure you I can indeed provide us both with adequate protection. I am also capable of Teleportation."
--*--
Less than an hour later, she stepped alongside the shrouded man into the hot sunshine of a bright day and through the guarded hard light barrier that sealed the entrance against unwanted intruders, but thanks to her CITI or maybe the MITI, she had no problems passing unhindered.
"It is so bright and warm." She said.
"Locally it is summer and the time is about noon. Base time is. Pluribus time." Once more, he sounded amused. "Even during the warmest Short Summer day it will never be as hot on Nilfeheim. I personally prefer it much colder."
"There are seasons on Narth Prime?"
"I do not think terms as seasons and temperatures adequately describe conditions of Narth Prime, but you are very stubborn and do not listen, I must say. I am not Narth, and I am not native to Narth Prime."
She frowned a little as she didn't like to be reprimanded or called stubborn. Was it not her father, who often called her both? A determined smarty-pants girl, not always as open to other input than her own. She had the same marks in her Academy grades, her past duty evaluation, and perhaps most recently, she had been carried on the shoulder of a Dai because she had a little problem with that. Of course, she made it up with her charms, good looks, and an efficient way of conducting her tasks.
Her mysterious companion apparently had already forgotten or perhaps could not read human emotions. Maybe her companion was a subspecies of the Narh. He certainly dressed like one and could teleport. What else was there to know? And because he was some Narth, he would not be attracted to her looks, most likely impervious to her charm, but equally naïve towards human motivations and all that. She was sure he could read minds. But he was a Union Citizen, and so was she. He would stick to the PSI laws and not snoop. For surface thoughts, she did have a Union Fleet standard-issue Mindshield as she was required to have when she accepted her transfer to Avondur station.
The shrouded being apparently was interested in food, especially a local kind and not very fresh smelling fish—silvery, slimy shapes in dirty plastic tubs and straw baskets.
"Mr.Tyr, would it be okay if I check out the local fashion? I think that open front store over there something a human female might be able to wear."
"Go right ahead, Lieutenant Moore. Just do not wander to far, your shield silences your mind and would have to actively scan and thus damage your shield."
"No problem, Sir. I won't move beyond acoustic range and I do have a Wrist Com too."
--*--
She was a Union officer alright and passed the requirements of the Academy.
Claudia did not consider herself to be rebellious and was undoubtedly past the teenager age; however, she was still Terran, human, and yes, she was a young woman. Nosy to a fault, complacent with her character. Neither her mother and even less her father could ever really say no to something she wanted. Perhaps this was the main reason why her grandmother, a highly respected Union Fleet Captain, urged, convinced, and eventually managed to get her to sign up for the Academy.
Captain Beth Moor hoped Claudia would find her calling, some of the much-needed purpose and discipline that would eventually expose her granddaughter's great potential. It was not a secret that Beth Moore had hope that Claudia would follow her.
She deeply respected Nana and did try to do her best to be accepted. And while she was lightyears from even remotely accepted for the command track, she gained good marks overall and excelled at Fleet Base Management.
Claudia liked the new assignment. It was her first at a truly distant facility, and none could have been more distant than Avondur base.
She turned to look to see the hooded man sample some of the raw fish by sticking one underneath that hood, much to the apparent delight of the somewhat human fishmonger. She shuddered at the very idea.
True, she had heard and seen some of the more exotic food choices, but luckily she did not have to spend much time at the Academy and was sent to FBM school right away after her initial evaluation suggested this career path.
Fleet Base Management was a division of Fleet Logistics but had elements of paralegal and administration as well.
Several Non-Humans shared her class, but neither the nineteen Vantax nor the seven Novak consumed truly disgusting food. Unlike at regular Fleet academy where future officers were expected to be part of ship crews and thus the First Contact's potential, FBM was much less stringent.
She turned and browsed through the fabrics and wares offered for sale.
She was not sure how she ended up three or four shops further than the one with the rather dull caftan like covers, all in the similar earthen shades.
The store she was in now had a much more promising selection of wares—especially interesting shaped jewelry pieces.
She noticed too late that the actual storekeeper had been chased out of his store. One of the individuals right next to the exit wore a red mantle of some sort with a metallic armor beneath. He had a very human-looking face and said in the local language, which was part of the briefing package and in the form of a Neural upload. "So you are one of the Newcomers?"
Despite her understanding of the words, she did not know what the stranger meant. "Newcomers? No, I am Luitenant Moore, United Stars. We occupy the Estrella Compound."
"We know that. Now I wonder if you would not want to share a few things."
"I rather not and my companion is already looking for me, I am sure."
"Tell us what we want to know and we let you live."
--*--
"Where have you been?" Barked the hooded man.
Claudia quickly hid her tears and lied ." I got lost shopping."
"Let us return then. I still need to learn about humans, especially those not of Nilfeheim, so it appears."
She decided to say nothing about her little betrayal. What harm could there be? She didn't say much. However, if the Dai Commander heard she had done something against regulations, he would make good on his threat and send her home, and with a big black mark in her personnel file. She steeled herself. Somehow knowing full well what she did and what she should do next.
Most likely, nothing would happen anyway. She decided to file for transfer, citing that the new posting was not what she expected and wanted to either have a transfer or file for discharge."
--*--
CITADEL OF THE RED KNIGHTS
Lord Munth was still in a foul mood. The destruction of the Citadel remained a mysterious event. His knights and paladins had finally found Kleki. She was supposedly an eye witness to the actual events and the only survivor they managed to locate. Kleki had served the Red Knights as a servant of the lowest kind, more slave than anything. Rewarded with table scraps and a few filthy blankets for comfort in return for manual labor. She was not the only one. Of course, the Red Citadel and the seat of Lord Crimsor had many hundred servants of various skill and task levels.
Munth could not remember ever seeing Kleki, but then he and his kind usually did not really see or even recognize servants and slaves' existence. However, Knakh and Ergoh, squires by rank and position, had recognized her, begging for food somewhere near the foot of the hill that once bore the mighty Red Citadel. This made Kleki the only surviving eye witness as to what happened. It took only a little torture to remind her who her masters were. Munth was confident she had done her best to describe what happened. That she never received any schooling was, of course, not her fault. That she and the rest of the servants and slaves, especially of her kind, had been beaten and punished for raising their heads, and seeing things that were not meant to be seen by simple slaves also caused her report of the events to be less than satisfactory. Munth almost felt something like regret as he gave the bloody corpse of Kleki a last look. There was a small part of him that questioned this approach. Munth was certain he could have received the same information in exchange for a bowl of soup and a piece of bread. However, showing any kind of mercy and consideration to the living filth that dared to exist. These maggots needed to be reminded just who their true masters were.
He contemplated her word; speaking of a Dark Daughter that inherited the Weapon made little sense. Especially since Kleki did not know any details regarding this Dark Daughter, she did describe a shrouded female rendering the main gate to rubble by a mere gesture, using a stone column of the main hall like a club to generate hundreds of guards, servants, and squires into bloody smears.
That there was truth in her words had been evident at the center of destruction. Some unknown force indeed ripped out stone columns, each exceeding the weight of ten thousand Ivak like thin blades of grass and used them in the manner described. Only with the strongest matter lifters, they could move the pieces of debris uncovering the remains of many hundred, ground and crushed to thin stains of dried gore.
The new Lord of the Red Knights knew of psionics and telekinetic abilities, but no entity he was aware of could have done this with such ease. The massive gate itself, supposedly impenetrable, indestructible, and interwoven with great power fields, had been rendered into shattered debris by a force of pure power. Who-or whatever smashed itself with such ease past these defenses did so not with giant machines and advanced technology but was just a human-sized female. The report spoke of a weapon. To Munth, there could only be one explanation; someone found a shard and unlocked its potential.
He made a waving gesture and turned without really paying attention to the two servants that came closer. "Remove this piece of useless waste."
He still had not decided where to rebuild the Citadel, and the interrogation of Kleki had taken place right here in the main hall of this unimpressive stone building, once the residence of squires.
Since he had turned, he did notice the greenish brute, approaching in the quite comical walk of a Tomradi. The green and pink giant made odd half circle steps due to the lack of a real knee joint. The Tomradi now getting closer was, of course, Leader Oruut, easily recognizable by its billowing pink cape.
Munth, already in a foul mood, barked, annoyed. "Why do I have to suffer your presence? Do you not know the proper décor and beg for an audience?"
"I came to share intelligence with you. Little Munth. Have we not come to an agreement the ladt time I was here?"
"Hardly an agreement, Tomradi. Becoming your servants and subject to your orders, will and whims is not even worth considering."
The Tomradi Leader did turn and started to walk towards the exit. "Know this, Little Munth, I will no longer seek to speak with you and seek to find commonality. All Tomradi will seek your destruction and destroyed you will be when I return."
Munth knew he went too far. He did not fear this Tomradi, but he knew of their might. Not that anyone, but the Tomradi knew of its true extent.
"Speak then of this intelligence you wanted to share."
Leader Oorut kept walking. "Tomradi are not to be insulted and then summoned as you please. Let us see what remains of this pile of rubble and the shadow of what once were the Red Knights. I arrived with only one Battle Disc. Its projectors will melt this mountain to slack and it also contains more than 30,000 Tomradi Warriors, to hunt and render dead what dared to survive."
"Perhaps I was somewhat hasty and chose the wrong words, Leader Oorut, but I know you walk this slow because your threat is not as firm as it might be on other worlds. Do not deny it, but the Tomradi are more than just casually concerned about these mysterious newcomers. An orbital assault might trigger a response."
The Tomradi Leader turned. "Nothing can stand against Tomradi might, nothing!"
"Yet something cleaned the sky and made 10,000 of your mighty discs disappear. So something did stand against Tomradi might with great ease."
"And here we are again, speaking and repeating the words we exchanged the last time. Let us then acknowledge each other's needs and position. Let us exchange information and consider response and coordination."
Munth waved for a seat and sank back into a chair with a high backrest that was carried close as fast as the servants could.
The ugly three-eyed, trunk nosed alien monstrosity remained standing, as the use of a chair was similarly difficult without knee joints, but ten he never heard of a Tomradi in any other pose than standing. "Speakt then, Leader Oorut."
"You know that these Newcomers assembling small space craft in vast numbers."
"Yes with great concern, but we have no eyes able to see beyond the orbit."
"How do the Red Knights travel?"
"We utilize the Map of Nexus. With great concern have we registered the disappearance of all these many trans spatial rifts and passage ways connecting this world Avondur with spheres and other dimensional conditions, but the Nexus points remain active."
"Do not the Newcomers utilize such a Nexus point?"
"If they do, we can not select it. There are many Nexus points that have faded. They need the energy of a nearby star. I do not know who created the Nexus net, but it is of the greatest age. Some are near stars that have lost their light and strength. We came to the conclusion that the Newcomers must use a different trans spatial connection, as a Nexus point could not transplace such enormous quantities of supplies at such a steady pace." Munth spread his arms ." This is Avondur after all, many thousand rifts have disappeared, but not all. "
The Tomradi seemed to process what he heard and then said. "The Tomradi have eyes in the sky indeed, but we do not fully comprehend Avondur, and not just this world. This sun as well as this system and in a lesser extend this galaxy."
The pink and green horror seemed to have no need for any furniture indeed. Its voice sounded like a human held its nose pinched closed and did come out from somewhere around the trunk-like nose.
The Red Knight gestured. "Go on, Leader. I almost get the impression you are concerned."
This impression was confirmed as the nasal, but firm voice of the Tomradi became much less self-assured. The Tomradi Leader was not confident inf he should make this concession of impotence. Leader Oorut had omitted many details in his report to Tomra, the Globul of the Center. The glorious Globul in the Galaxy of To was the blinding, mind-numbing center of Tomradi, and there was one thing Leader Oorut truly feared, the judgment of the Globul. A fate so terrible no one knew what it was. A fate that was the result of the Judgement of the Globul.
Oorut was certain, Lord Munth did not know about the Globul, so he decided to involve the Red Knight. "The Newcomers have taken possession of the fourth and fifth planet."
Lord Munth tried to recall, but his mind drew a blank. "I am certain this is significant, but to be frank. I am not certain about the number of planets in orbit around Avondur, star. However I do not recall anyone actually claiming them. The fifth planet, is this not a useless Gas giant?"
"There are six planets, a large number of moons. Two around Avondur and 41 in orbit of the gad giant. The Newcomers have landed one of these small ships on all 41 moons. Occupy the former Fortress of light. The moon once owned by Lord Lumis and his ilk. They have landed on the fourth planet, a cold world of dust and rocks, and it appears they have lowered a small construct of some kind into the upper atmosphere of the gaseous body of the fifth."
Lord Munth was sure this was significant and alarming at the same time. Legends and myths spoke of millions, perhaps billions of years of history and significance of Avondur. The two sizeable moons around Avondur, Crea's Seat, and Sata's Sphere were known and mentioned in the oldest legends as well, but there was nothing he could remember about the rest.
The Red Knight knew about several large trans spatial gates all around the system, the closest about six Nad-Nad distant, but the planets of Avondur, system? He did not even know they had names. All focus always was on Avondur, the World at the Center of the Universe. This focus quickly faded the further from Avondur.
He wished he could have access to the Crimson Library, but it was buried under a mountain of rubble. He would have tried to find more information. The Red Knights had never been known to travel much as far as he could remember of his order's history. Other than the occasional transition across a known rift.
In the 17th Era after the Commission, or about 1200 stellar orbits ago. The High Lord of the Red Knights acquired the Map of the Nexus, and with it came the knowledge about the Shards and the Cosmic Key. Contact was made with the Tomradi and the obsession. With it came the authority of the father's of Itho. It was a condition perhaps not unlike the state that once existed on Avondur, however expanding across an entire Double swirl galaxy.
His eyes rested on the Tomradi. "This is your expertise more than it is mine, but I am certain there is significance and consequence to be associated. What do the Tomradi think?"
Oorut had no shoulders to make the motion of a shrug. "We observe these New Commers as we can not make sense of this activity."
"Why not simply destroy their tiny ships and muse about their motivations in the past tense?"
"Because our Feeler rays do not penetrate their hulls , and we witnessed that there are two kind of small ships. Ships to carry materials and freight and a different kind made for combat."
"I seen the size of a Tomradi Battle Disc, the ones of the Newcomers are nothing but gnats."
"The fastest gnats you will ever hear about, impervious to our Cutting Thoughts, and we are unable to use our most potent missiles, because as soon as we want to deploy them, they somehow transfer all kind of terrible things. Antimatter explosions, green foam eating all, spres that make us fight each other, tiny warrior microbes devouring every material. Tomradi lost six Battle Discs already and we do not know how they do it. This and the fact that 10,000 discs disappeared makes Tomradi unwilling to deploy more until we know."
That was indeed disturbing. "The Newcomers have technology equal to Tomradi?"
"Equal to all we have in this galaxy, but nothing will stand against what Tomradi will bring from the Galaxy To."
"This is fills me with concern, but we have been successful in developing intel here on the surface, Leader Oorut. We know their highest Leader has arrived on Avodur, and will traverse the distance between their mountain base and the Estrella Compound riding a ground vehicle. If we can obtain this Leader we will ask all the questions we have no answers for."
The Tomradi liked that. "Yes we will torture and interrogate. What can they do? They seem far from actual resources."
"Indeed, they are far and they know nothing of Tomradi Battle Discs either. Whatever happened to your mighty Fleet was nothing they did."
--*--
McElligott had climbed aboard the armored vehicle, and the bulky wheeled contraption rolled past the massive drop crete door and onto the stony packed dirt groves that the endless columns of cars moving back and forth had pressed into the flat surface of this rock-strewn desert, with the City if Sandakaar on the other end.
More than a hundred Tomradi surface assault tanks rose onto their arti grav cushions, while their powerful energy cannons charged for the first volley."
--*--
KLISTOR
Leader Uurom the Tomradi sat in his villa at the prestigious Milkar-Nuss district.
His powerful pink and green living suit of Supreme Potency stood nearby as he glanced over the spires and rooftops of the old city of Klistor.
The villa had been purchased a very long time ago from the fading Pikal. It was much to the Tomradi's displeasure. Tomradi did not buy; they took or conquered.
Yet here on Klistor, the Tomradi had no other choice; they had to follow the command and will of the Bluhir. This aspect was an even greater cause of mind eating anger. Tomradi did not bend to the will of others, and yet here he was, lounging in a soothing tank of Bliss-Goo inside an old and expensive villa that had been built upon the ninth hill of this district of dignitaries and envoys, or in the ancient language of the Bluhir, the Milkar-Nuss district.
Night had come, and darkness descended over his hemisphere of this Bluhir world. It was not total darkness, of course, as the city of Klistor was old. Still, not a primitive town, millions of lights illuminated all eleven districts, of which Uurom could overlook only three from this venue.
Klistor was a large city. The eleven districts sprawled from one end of this continent to the other with various density dictated by the influence and wealth of the resident businesses and domiciles.
He would have preferred to call a fleet of Tomradi Battle-Discs, burn this infuriating planet with nuclear fire until nothing dared to defy Tomradi will and supremacy. He took consolation because it was the will and command of the Globul of the Center that stopped him from doing what he wanted to do.
He wanted to ignore that the Bluhir, that this entire Double Swirl dictated the Globul these infuriating conditions.
However, this star isle was where the Consciousness of the Master-Shard governed the quest that consumed the Tomradi with religious fervor and gathered so many from all across the Universe.
The Consciousness of the Master-Shard could be heard within the eternal dusk prevailing on the World of Shadows, and it decreed that whoever acted against the truce of the shards could never take possession of even one and certainly not all the shards.
The Tomradi ruled and lorded over a dozen perhaps more star isles unequaled, unopposed. Risen to prominence and might four revolutions of To ago. Risen from the last embers of the First Empire, destined to be its right and chosen successor.
Every Leader sent across the skies of the Universe itself had this instilled into the fabric of their existence; the First Emperor became a god, advanced to a state of existence that surpassed all existence. Before the First Emperor advanced, he formed the Court of Imperial Elders to gift the fruits of all the answers found by the Imperials to all questions to the worthy children of the Emperor.
With the First Emperor now a true God, losing all interest and connection to what existed below him, he vanished to the eyes and senses. His children fighting for the Inheritance were deemed not worthy by the Court of Imperial Elders. These wise entities sealed it all in the Vault. The Vault could only be located and opened with the Cosmic Key.
Before the Court of Imperial Elders joined their master and, in doing so, moving beyond it all, they broke the key into several shards.
Whoever united the 41 pieces, restoring the key, and bringing it to the Oasis of Gates would unlock the Vault and obtain all it contained and become the OWNER.
Leader Uurom knew every detail, as this was the only religion, the only matter for all Tomradi.
Here in the sanctuary of this inferior place that was Tomradi on Klistor was supreme, and only nine Lord-Leaders were above him in this Double Swirl of stars. No one could advance to this inner chamber, and any lifeform regardless of origin or nature dared to disturb.
Yet the living shell warned him of someone approaching invading this sanctuary.
Nothing was allowed to ever see a Tomradi in its proper form and outside a living shell. The Tomradi had developed a number of different shells, each type with attributes specific to a particular task. However, like so many Tomradi, especially those outside of To, he had not used any other shell but the most potent and most powerful living shell.
Soft tentacle extensions sneaked around his physically weak and vulnerable true self and lowered him inside the living shell. The head section formed around his and now connected to the senses of the shell. He senses the identity of the one that dared to disturb him. It was Aagrat, the scout. He, too, a Tomradi but of a lesser breed and not chosen to gain the Living Shells' highest.
"Why have you come?" with this question brought forth in a demanding and accusing fashion, not acknowledging the lesser Tomradi with much more consideration than a slave.
"Visitors of the Lower have come to Kilstor. They appear to be of the same origin than the ones that came so recently, and also from the Below."
This raised mild interest in the Pink and Green giant as he moved all three eyestalks to gaze on the green only and somewhat smaller Tomradi before him. "The same that dared to resist and even destroy a Tomradi Disc?"
"The same, Leader Uurom."
"Why is this a reason to disturb me? Trace them once they leave. They will lead us to the ones that escaped, so we can educate them all to become proper slaves."
"Those that came are perhaps of the same below, but are not of the same civilization. The first ones appear to be soldiers of a society they call Union. The ones that came, however believed to be independent Freelancers. Pirates perhaps. They are know to the Wafnuk."
"Everything and everyone is known to the Wafnuk. These weakling vagabonds feel protected here."
"Are they not?"
"It is temporary. We are Tomradi. Still that does not explain why you are here."
"The Wafnuk sold a spear with crystal tip to these Freelancers claiming it to be a Shard."
"You must be punished indeed, do you know how many trinkets and fraud items are sold all across this Double-Galaxy, all claiming to be genuine shards?"
"None are sold here on Klistor, Leader. Thre Bluhir do not permit fraud."