(Zebitrope IV)

His form bereft the stones with the loud crush of his every step. It was a dramatized movement, for a God was nothing if he did not live up to his image and his followers expectations. It truely was not him, but an Avatar made from what was him essentialy, to do his bidding and follow his command. His movements were seemless even through the large metalic armour he bore as a symbol of his status.

The Cathedral was a massive one from ancient days long past. Lit by mere candles, the cieling was unseeable in its pitch darkness. The buildings of yore remained untouched by the technology of new, it was the way things had been, the way things must be. The pillars that held the building together ran parrellel to the long strip of limestone that ran down the center of the floor. It was down this path the Avatar of God himself strode, his form dwarfed by the pillars but seemingly imposing himself on them at the very same time.

The Cathedral had been built when the city of Creanzal had been a small one, its location dramaticaly set on a mountainside steep overlooking the sprawling young upstart. The designers had an obvious eye for the artistic value of it, but no foresight for the future. As it would turn out, the mountainside was unsteady, and the early attempts of city developers to expand the city only served to ruin the tranquility of the mountain itself. In the preceeding years the steepe the Cathedral sat on slowly formed into a slope and threatened to topple the massive construct into the city below.

This was the Cathedrals last day, it had been scheduled for Dissassemble in merely a few hours. Its design would be copied and reproduced elsewhere for historic value, but this Cathedral itself had seen its last sunrise. Coming to a stop he stood just before the Balcony at the Cathedrals end, the wear and tear over the last century had already broken the railing off the edge of the working.

Regardless, a man stood there alone, clad in red and black, hands clasped before him, his gaze peering across the towering city as it stood from the balconies vantage point. He wore the red cap and symbols to distinguish him as a Cardinal, though none were registered to this old building. Surely he must have anticipated this moment as much as the Gods he served and had chosen this place as his meeting. It surely did have an semblance of the situation at hand at first glance.

"So you have come" He spoke softly, not once turning from the cityscape before them.

"Indeed, Do you have any clue why I called for your services on this?" The Avatar spoke, moving closer to the balcony but never leaving the confines of the cathedral.

"I had assumed it was becuase of my past involvement in such operations."

"A very astute observation. Yes, you are the most noteable curator of such... Crusades Cardinal Cross."

"Crusade.." His mouth opened lightly as he saw with which he was speaking before he bowed his head, quickly crossing his chest as he bowed lowly, "..My appologies, had I only known it was you that summoned me my lord..."

"Now Alex, this is not the time to castrate yourself before me, I have given you a most Holy command, a new Crusade in which to embark upon. You know all the specifics, your duty is clear."

Lifting his head from the bow, he faced the appearance of the God once more. "Yes my Lord, your word is my command."

Looking out across the cityscape the Avatar of God began to fade, the material it was made with becoming immaterial as the dissassemblers inside ate away at it.

"And behold, I send you out, as a wolf amongst the sheep..."

A vision...

Not just any vision, but a vision of the Lord of the Heavens. A vision of the creator of all Dameun kind. A tingle of excitement shot down the Cardinal’s spine as he quickly rushed back into the confines of the Cathedral. He had work to do. For nearly three centuries Dameo had been void of any religious vision of the Gods. And for three centuries the planet had awaited in silent revelry awaiting the time when the Gods would once again come forth and give them guidance.

“Bishop O’Malley.” Cardinal Cross’ voice spoke up softly behind the Bishop of the Cathedral. He was an elderly man of nearly sixty five with a bald head covered by the crimson hood that distinguished him. The Bishop looked up from his silent prayers and smiled.

“Ah, Cardinal Cross.” He extended his arms forth in welcome, and embraced the Cardinal with a warm smile. “It’s been nearly ten years since I last saw you in these parts.”

Alex nodded his head and returned the Bishop’s smile. “Indeed it has. I’ve come under the gravest of circumstances Bishop, for I have had a vision.”

Almost immediately, the Bishop’s face fell into a stern seriousness. He listened as Alex continued, obviously very intrigued by what the Cardinal had to say. “The Lord of Heavens and of Dameunkind has declared a holy crusade to reclaim the holy lands, Bishop.” The two of them slowly started to walk through the desolate confines of the shadowed Cathedral at one another’s side. “Four Holy Crusades in the name of the Gods, Bishop. I am ordered by his holiness the Lord of the Heavens to begin amassing our forces at once.”

The Bishop’s light blue eyes seemed to team with excitement. “It’s been nearly forty years since the Gods have revealed themselves unto a mortal Dameun, Cardinal Cross. You must truly be gifted. Tell me,” he continued as Alex carefully folded his hands before him “What will you call the first of these Holy Crusades?”

“The Dark Crusade in honor of the Goddess of Hell, Taja Jade.”

The Bishop smiled. “Come. We have much work to do.”

Cathedral of the Taja, Two Weeks Later

It was a Grand ceremony. An illustrious formation of starfighters carefully maneuvered through the towering buildings of the ancient city with am impressive display of piloting maneuvers. The seemingly endless formation of well ordered troops stood as a symbol of the unrelenting dedication to the Gods, and there every will and desire. They had prepared for this day since there forefathers had prophesized it, the coming of the Lord of the Heavens, and the Holy Quest he would bestow upon them to restore the glory of the Dameun people. They marched through the cobblestone streets as massive crowds of people gathered to bid there farewells to there loved ones and to toss confetti and wave hanker chiefs. On the outsides of the troop formations, an endless array of religious figures held banners, each symbolizing a God, or Demigod of the Dameun people. Centered at the head of the army marched Cardinal Cross, brazenly decorated in an crimson and black battle armor said to have been forged by the hands of the gods themselves centuries earlier. Flanking him on either side were two Bishops, each carrying a single banner dedicated to the God of the Heavens, Taja Raktus.

The roar of the crowds nearly drowned out the howl of the starfighter engines as they continued to carefully maneuver in and out of the towers, and around the Cathedral of the Taja itself. As the marching armies came to a halt, the Cardinal took his position on the durasteel ramp of one of the many shuttles that would carry he and his men into the heavens to weild an ancient weapon of the gods known as the Peacemaker. With the ceremonial wave of his hand, the men cheered and raised there weapons high as the women and children's eyes filled with tears of joy, worry and sorrow.

Many of them would not return....

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Lesai, a mold reknowned across the galaxy for its stimulative effects and life extending properties and outlawed in both the Empire and across the Imperium, has come under the speculative eye of both the Barbary as well as the Medical University of Rudrig this month as an outcry of public protest against its legalization has finally reached the ears of planetary officials across the Centrallity, the origin of the drug itself.

Grown on the backs of certain species of reptile, which themselves only survive in the presence of some rather disgusting plants native to the Centrallity alone. This mold, taken from the reptiles back, is then applied to the user's throat, leaving a distinctive stain which becomes increasingly difficult to remove.

It has been said that use of Lesai can induce an almost machine like state in its users, removing from them aspects of compassion and becoming amoral. Testing done by the Medical University of Rudrig has reportedly denounced these claims as lies and propoganda. "Lesai's pro's far outweigh its con's at which time consists of only a cosmetic discoloring of the skin," reported Director of Studies Lu Lason of the Universities Drug research division.

A research division of Tion and Daemun researchers have reportedly been sent to the manufacturing and export center of this drug, an undisclosed location in the Centrallity itself. Further updates as the situation develops.



Ships, a multitude of them of every shape and size hung over the lush and sprawling jungle world of Zebitrope IV. At the outer edge of the system a blockaide of interdiction wells and Barbary corvettes rested on constant patrol. The world was contested for, not for possesion, but for its rich wealth in Lesai. Smugglers, Pirates and every manner of shady underlife would come to this world and collect their fourtunes in its drug rich enviroment. Moreso with lack of sleep and an increased lifespan, one could increase the spread of the drug across the galaxy on a near relentless scale.

"Are we really going to try and legalize this stuff? I hate drug users... makes me sick, ruining themselves for a simple high... Ill never be able to understand it."

"Well, if the studies are right there are no downsides to it. Reports indicate no hallucinations, no change of morality... hell, it doesn't even effect the brain as much as you would think. Add all that up with an increased lifespan and the ability to go on forever without sleep, come on Jes, its all plus plus from here."

Resting her hand on her hip, she gave him a stern look before turning back to the viewport shaking her head. Looking down from space she at first thought her homeworld looked beautiful, then the second world and the world after that. They all looked mundane now, like the ocean or a sunrise, too many and it ruins your outlook too quickly.

"I don't know why Im arguing any of this with the director of Finance, obviously you will be for it. Imagine if those teams did come back up here with findings Pro-Lesai... and imagine of the Imperium did legalize it. The revenues incurred from sale of such an addictive product must be staggering when seen from a spreadsheet..."

He stared at her dumbfounded, it was rare that he got this treatment. It was true that he dealt with sums the majority of his time in his Directors chair, but until yet, he had never been so directly accused of corruption. It was not that he was immune to it, but it simply had not happened and who was she to presume who he was and what he would do?

"I would have you know..." he began, "that if Lesai is indeed as addictive as has been reported, then its sale would either be prohibitive or the product itself would be modified by whatever means necesary to ensure its state is safe enough to make it marketable as well as useful. Do you really think the medical board for the entire Imperium would release a substance on its own people it deems harmful?"

"The Empire bans its use, the Centrallity banned its use... every reputable world I can think of thats come in contact with this problem has banned its use. How are we to suddenly come along and just make sudden testing to call it all ok? What makes us so special to think that we can do what the rest of the galaxy can't?"

Smiling to himself ever so gleefully, he crossed the distance between them, loving this sort of rhetoric. Looking out the viewport himself a moment, he turned to face her, placing his hand just above the base of her neck, sliping his pointer and thumb over the material of her jacket.

"This does," he gestured as he rubed, the curling symbol of a golden dragon on the neck of her jacket, an indication of rank and alignment. "It symbolizes who we are, what we are. What we believe in and what we do. To the galaxy we are Dragons and like Dragons we are fearsome strong and powerful. We can do anything and if that means manipulating a drug to enhance the lives of every other Dragon, then so be it."

She smiled lightly and nodded, loving it when he got this way. Slowly she fell into him, wraping her arms lightly over his hips as she draped herself across his chest. "And so shall it be done," she said looking up into his eyes before leaning in and giving him a small peck on the lips.

She crossed her arms over her chest, a light smirk crossing her face as she peered through the clear neutronium wall. He had always insisted that they keep their hand to hand training in good practice, and to be honest with herself she may have let her skills slip from time to time, but as senior bridge crew on an Imperium vessel the chances to see real melee style combat had a low probability. Still, that didn't stop the more physically inclined among them from performing the daily rituals of bodily worship.

There he stood, clad in a white robe that hung loosely from his shoulders, shrugging slightly he bobbed his arms at chest level with hands outstretched. Clenching his fists he extended a thumb and wiped a bead of sweat that had found its way to trail down his nose, and with a self righteous smirk he extended that hand out towards the four other men that occupied the room with him, curling his palm back in a repetitive motion he signaled for them to come.

Two came from opposing sides, one lashing out at his head with an arched fist whilst the other swung out to try to take his feet out from under him with a sweeping kick to the backs of his knees. Falling backwards he let the fist swing wildly past his head as he extended his arms back to catch his fall, following the momentum he kicked his legs upwards to propel his body back into a reverse handstand, allowing the kick to pass under him unhindered. Curling his body back into a standing position he twisted sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding a drop kick aimed to plow him to the floor.

Standing on in idle amusement she continued to watch this mans favorite past time, recalling once how angry he got when she mentioned how unskilled his training partners really were when it came to the martial arts. He had nearly stormed out on her that night, his anger so great at the insult, but she could do nothing but to hold back the chuckle at how quickly he was to emote in front of her while here, and on duty, he was always so calm and controlled with his reactions. Perhaps it was the comfort they shared, a certain safety net that one could let down when in the presence of that one special person they already felt safe with. She smirked lightly at the thought but continued to watch on.

Spinning on the heel of his foot, he raised an elbow into the face of the man that had just tried to knock him to the floor, sending him staggering back a few steps dazed. The fourth caught him by suprise as he felt the jarring pain shoot through his jaw as the flat palm connected, and he felt his feet leave the floor for the briefest of moments as he was knocked back on his ass. An almost stunned look crossed his face as he stared straight ahead, one of his sparring partners being none the less relentless aimed a standing sidekick right at his face, but he would not be having that particular footprint on his forehead this day. Reaching up he grabbed the foot before it made contact, and shifting his own weight to the side, he managed to twist and twist hard forcing the other man to leap with the motion to avoid having his own ankle snapped, an action that immediately placed him face down on the floor.

Rolling to his side, he placed a sharp elbow into the mid back of the man laying face down, a loud cry filling the room before nothing. Leaning back slightly he kicked out with his feet, pressing himself upwards to jump back up and into the fight. He was granted no reprieve as he stood as two fists lunged at him with stunning speed from either side, once again attempting to catch him off guard. Pressing out with his palms, he slapped either wrist away, sending both men careening away under the force of their own blows. Spinning to face the third he was knocked back a few steps as the fist nearly undercut him at the nose, a deadly move that could well have been the last thing he had seen had he not leaned back a matter of inches and caught it in his mouth. Sucking back on his lip a moment, he tasted the warm saltiness of his own blood as his teeth had sliced into his lower lip on impact.

Opening his stance, he vowed to finish this before it finished him. Extending both arms straight ahead, he looked from the left to right of his periphery, never moving his head from the man straight ahead. The man to his left charged, forcing him to take a step back to avoid his opening fist. Reaching up with one arm he grabbed the wrist of the attacking arm from below, bringing down the elbow of his other arm on to the elbow of his opponent. The loud crack of breaking bone and shouting pain quickly immobilized his opponent long enough for him to yank the now broken arm towards him, forcing the still screaming opponent to fall towards him and right into the upturned fist that caught him right up into the nose as he had tried to do to him. The instant snap of cartilage into the brain ended the screaming immediately.

Before he ever hit the ground the others were on him, a quick blow to the kidneys almost bowling him over, but not completely as the other man caught him in a bear hug so tight it threatened to crush his ribcage. In quick action she accessed the rooms controls and shut down the program, her MindDrive acting on instinct faster than pure thought. The sparring opponents of the room quickly dissolved into piles of dust that were just as quickly reabsorbed into the floor of the ship, assembled clouds of materials ready for any other simulation they would be needed for. Rushing in, she quickly ran to where he knelt on the floor, his hands gripping his sides in an anguished look of pain.

"Come on you big baby, lets get you to medical... Give me your arm." and less than gracefully she took one of his arms, propping him over against her shoulder and walked with him out of the room. The corridor slowly moving and shifting around them to make a direct hallway straight to medical to expedite their journey. "I still don't understand why you insist on doing this foolish exercise each and every week..."

Jerking his arm from her grasp with a hard grimace from the pain, he stared at her for the briefest of moments before moving on his own down the hallway. "It's a mans pride to be able to defend those dear to him, that pride...." he stopped for a moment, the hard breathing he was doing while talking cuasing his ribs to only hurt that much more. "That pride cannot simply be claimed, but has to be earned. When the time comes and the challenge is taken, it is not the unprepared that will take the glory..." Carefully she tuned him out as he, yet again, babbled on about a mans pride. Sometimes she couldn't tell if he was so thick headed to not think that a strong woman of the Imperium couldn't defend herself, or if he simply lived back in the days before the Imperium. Rolling her eyes she sighed, because inwardly, she really didn't care...





Standing at a view port that really wasn't there, he watched through the raw sensor stream the events that were transpiring just outside the ships hull as they happened in real time. The system had been much less active in the months after the initial planetary investigation had begun than had been previously suspected. The unset of war had forced the release of a great number of ships from the system to return to the defense of other home systems that would be suspected of attack. Yet he remained, on an errand of medical progress, a fools errand and he knew. In his range he sensed a few barbary cruisers changing positions as they used their own gravitation to propel themselves across the system on their patrols.

What he was missing on the front lines he was surely gaining a little something for being the first up link to see dedicated Imperium technology being used for the first time. It started as nothing at first, a minor sensor indicator of a gathering mass of inoculate particles at the edge of the Barbary lines, nothing a comet tail couldn't produce in good numbers. Slowly there became a general energy buildup amongst the particles that signaled the gathering of an artificial phenomenon. As the energy gradient grew on the pinpoint of space his sensors were trained on, a sharp spike of gravity replaced his attention as the receptors in his mind screamed with a wide range of new and radically unseen streams of information from across the ship.

Switching to outside visual scanner he confirmed what he could only comprehend with his purely analytical data streaming through his mental connections. A swirling vortex of bright white light broke the stark contrast of interstellar space that was the systems edge, almost like a second sun of sorts. The ship was transmitting the collected data of the technologies first recorded use directly to the Net, and while the connection was established he decided to delve into the recorded Arbiter information out of a bit of curiosity. It peaked his interest for a moment, what the difference might be between the alien ships they had been acustomed to using for so long, versus that of their own design.

Watching both the recorded data of old and the events transpiring outside, the differences were quite clear, but not quite as understandable as to the motivations for the second device. The older, but well tested, Arbiter created a similar wormhole in the fabric of space allowing sizeable vessels to travel across known space at incredible velocities effectively cutting a hole in space time and shooting through, both ways. The Imperiums own device seemed rather crude by comparison, instead seeming to only create a rift by which to send vessels through and be shot out of on the other side. Even now his data agreed with him, as the sensors noted a slight push of gravity being emitted around the vortex, that even the barbary cruisers were being submitted to varying degrees of drift. If the Arbiter created a true wormhole, then Imperium technology had made a traversable Black hole with a White Hole at its end.

Before he could become completely lost in the data stream of opposing technological standards he returned his attention to the real show happening before him. The Quantum device was merely one part of the show, he had heard that the Imperium was fielding a new All use ship of the line, and that it was to be used here. For what he could not fathom, a war was being fought out there and they would send the newest most advanced ship to the site of a medical research platform. Thus was the way of the Taj, his methods unquestionable and his wisdom infinite.

The ship shot forth out of the vortex like a bat out of hell, or so the saying went he thought. The gravity wells push had thrust it straight through the hole and right to the other side where, with lack of the direct thrust of the gravity well, it hit a dead stop. As his scanners read over the ships numbers and checked the net for confirmation of the ships parameters to ensure it had made the trip safely and without damage, he took a cursory examination of it on his own.

I reminded him slightly of a pair of spear tips laid overtop one another, with a poor rocky surface from years of use. That couldn't be right though, this ship was brand new and his scans were telling him it had made it through the Quantum stream in the exact condition it had entered in, something that required further research on his part. Accessing the data stream from the scanner hookup, he examined the ships specs and makeup as it slowly jerked to life under its own power and began to make its way intrasystem. It was sent to aid in the research of the planet and its viable uses to the Imperium, a ship of the line aiding in research was not all that uncommon and neither were unmanned ships of the Imperium, but on appearance alone it would be hard to imagine what the ship would actually do to help.

Even his visuals could not make it out to be exactly as it was, the front of the vessel shifting shape every now and then, forming up the solid shape of a spearhead once again, forcing him to recall its shape when it had left the hole. A dish of some sort, ah, yes, this was the ship that had created the Quantum stream, it had propelled itself through the stream... a new ship using new technologies... Assembler technology at its apex, he understood now. The ship itself was creating what was necessary as it traveled, on board engines shifting designs for optimal output as needed, energy reactors being created and disassembled, communications grids directed and then moved across the ship to be aimed elsewhere, it was nothing more than a large aglomation of machines rebuilding themselves as directed by need, wondrous.





Limping along the hallway, he thought to himself about the odd sounds the floor made with each step. It might be the brace they had given him, upon his own request, but somehow he didn't think so. The corridors were pristine and seemed to glow, though he knew if they did it was merely an illusion he fooled himself with. It had been nearly a year since the first Fractal ship had arrived in the system, and since then many more had arrived. Like any other spectacle the wonder that these new ships inspired in their design and abilities quickly diminished when their actions turned into the mundane.

Stopping to look out a view port, he watched as a varying degree of transport ships traveled back and forth from the planets surface to the new orbital station. The sound of boots on metal greeted his ears, but he refused to turn and meet them, knowing well enough who was there. Taking a deep breath, he gazed out at the stars shining at the systems edge. A place he would be again soon enough, commanding a ship and navigating space was where he belonged and being couped up on a station was far too residential for his tastes. Bowing his head slightly he allowed his eyes to trail over his leg, an awkward reminder of the tiger locked in a cage.

"Still can't wait to leave I see," her voice cut into him like a shiv fashioned out of guilt and sore feelings. "Guess I can't change your mind?" Something there though, something lighter and hopeful, though drowning in disappointment.

"No, my place is out there, with my ship, as it's always been. You were always the scientific one between us anyway, perfect assignment... I'm happy for you..." He twitched slightly, nothing he wanted to do. He never was comfortable with situations like these. Tapping his good foot against the floor a couple times, letting the sound reverberate down the hall, he took a slow step to face her. "Is this really alright?"

She nearly melted, as if a wash of emotion took control and she reached out to hold him. Grimacing slightly at the extra weight his bad foot was now propping up, he put an arm around her. Her heart beat sped up as she felt him hold her, but slowly she pulled back and gathered her composure, raising her chin as she looked to the ceiling for the breadth of a heartbeat before looking back into his eyes.

"No, no its not. I'll be here with my work and you'll be out there across the Imperium and... And there's a war out there, and that scares me, I mean look at you... No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound that way. I'm just scared for you, for us. I want to see you again, I want to be with you again. I don't want this to end here, for this to be all there was for us. A DragoNest over a backwater planet in the Centrallity..." She was fiddling with her hands at her sides, but she never took her eyes from his.

"No, I actually meant a space station made entirely of Fractal ships..." He kicked the floor once more for good measure, and she laughed, though it sounded more for his benefit.

"Oh..."

"Don't worry, this isn't the end." Raising an open palm, he softly cupped her cheek in his hand, stroking his hand over her skin comfortingly. "Far from it..."

Tilting her head softly into his hand, she smiled.

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...but first, a follow up story to a past report we made regarding the once illegal drug Lesai. As reported, an Imperium research task force backed by the Barbary as well as the Medical University of Rudrig was sent to an undisclosed location, reportedly the home world of Lesai manufacture, in an attempt to make a final judgement for or against the usefulness of the drug on an Imperium level. Currently outlawed across the Centrallity, lesai has been noted as a life extension drug that cause immoral side effects in its users, a claim that is more recently being put to the test.

Based out of the now revealed Zebitrope system, an Imperium DragoNest has been installed to oversee the continued research and extended, Imperium controlled, manufacture and production of the drug in a controlled and regulated form. It is expected that Lesai will see widespread commercial and medical use within the next few months, according to press releases made by the MUR.

In a released statement from Director of Studies Lu Lason of the Universities Drug research division, "We report that using Lesai throughout adulthood can significantly increase life span, without diminution of locomotor vigor, resistance to stress, or reproductive ability. Treatment for a limited period, either early or late in adult life, is also effective. The testing done by the Imperium Task force sent to investigate the fesability of the long term use of the drug has come back positive. The reported side effects may result from the altered physiological state of taking unprocessed lesai, a problem that has been corrected by our research division on the site of production."

Barseg
Capital Province
The Previous Year

"It is with this conclusion I say we must increase our presence in the Lorrad region if we are to maintain authority over the local populations."

Leaning over the table, he glared at each face represented before him, a large man of some girth he seemed as an imposing figure when facing you in such a manner. Nodding to himself in a bout of self satisfaction, he rested himself back into the padded chair he had chosen for this session. Rubbing his hands together, something he thought always made him look like one of those holonovel villains, he scanned the agenda once more for relevant events that yet needed to be covered.

"I see that, yet again, Imperium movements have made their way on the monthly agenda. While I am sure it is of monumental importance to everyone here what our agressive military neighbors are up to, I feel I must yet again remind you all that it has no bearing on the civil population report."

A hand rose from across the table, a signal to be called upon on a level most children understood and not something wholly expected to be taken with much respect at a meeting such as this one. Shaking his head lightly, he raised a hand from the arm of his comfy chair to point a finger at the man raising his arm, making a most dispassionate face he spoke in a low tone.

"For the last time, this isn't grade school Geraldi. If you have something to say, then say it.... So what is it already?"

"Sorry sir, well, the thing is it's not just the Dragons military movements that have us concerned. Lately we have noticed a campaign focused on the spread of their governmentally endorsed religion on a level that undermines the governments responsible on the planets their message is broadcasted to. While not immediately a powerful message, combined with the number of their followers and the zealousness of their devotion... well, its causing problems sir."

Raising a hand to cover half his face, he slowly rubbed his palm across his eye and nose a moment. It was a stress induced pain, the Dragons had become and unwanted stress factor in his life the moment they had appeared. The initial disruption of local shipping had offset profits considerably for the Kingdom, then more recently the loss of Liinade had struck a major blow. Efforts had been made to incite a rebellion against the planets new government, but the same zealous nature that he was being reported now had lead to their failure to even cause more than minor unrest amongst the harder pressed working class.

"What sort of problems are we talking about here?"

Indicating towards the end of the table where a holoprojector sat, still projecting a visual image of the planet Lorrad with multi-colored layouts of its multi-prescient regions, the image quickly changed to an easily recognizable holonet broadcast which had been polluting the holonet for some time now.

"Yeah, what of it? I must have seen Mister white robes half a dozen times now..."

"Sir, please, for those of us that may not be familiar with this particular message, allow the council time to absorb what they are about to hear."





Hallowed are the children of the Taj. Hallowed are we; hallowed is the Taj. Glorious is the Taj, who leads us to salvation. Who did fight the evil that would doom us all to mortal sin. Did he defeat the evils of old and cast them out? And now, with the strength of our will, does he call upon us to prevail against the corruption of all the unbelievers. Fear not the Taj, fear the darkness that would conceal the knowledge of that he brings. Believe in the truth of all things, and you too may find the path to enlightenment, for the truth is elusive to those who refuse to see it with both eyes wide, though pity not the blind man, for he is hindered not by the visions of this world rather pity yourselves, for he will see the light before you do.

Guide us on the path that we may triumph over the enemy of our salvation and be with you in the end of ends on the planes of enlightenment. Those who seek the path to enlightenment must not be led astray, for the power and the greatness of the Taj cannot be denied. Enemies of the Taj show no mercy in their attempts to draw believers away from the path. Those who abandon the path are evil, and those who reject the path to enlightenment must be destroyed. And the people shall deliver the evil into your divine judgment, where their sins shall be weighed in the balance of all that is just and true......


"It goes on like that for some time of course, a regular Azguardian Witness on the local hologrid."

Rolling his eyes at the younger mans demeanor and clearly bad joke, he propped himself back up closer to the edge of the table. Clearing his throat awkwardly to focus attention back on himself, he looked about the room once more, seeing the same confusion in everyone else's eyes as they must have seen in his as he asked the initial question.

"So... what? It's the same message that'd been playing for years. Its gibberish that means nothing but to Dragons, and I'm not even sure it means anything to them..." He started to break into a small chuckle, followed by a few choice brown nosers around him before the younger Geraldi chipped in once more.

"Thats just it sir, if you had bothered to check your poll sheets I've given you every meeting you would see. The message means something to someone. Theres a growing youth movement out there thats remained untapped for a good number of years, and I'm sorry to say sir, that they got their first...."

Barseg
Capital Province
Present: 0800H


Geraldi woke up, as he often did, to find the sheets on his bed were now all but pressed up against the wall. An event he could only constitute to late night kicking in his sleep, a mildly amusing thought considering how often he'd seen his dog doing the same thing. Rolling over on his side, the dark black face of his loyal pet resting her head on the edge of the bed frame. Reaching out he slowly scratched Sheba just behind the ear before she decided to wander off back into the apartment somewhere.

Yawning loudly he closed his eyes and winced, a sharp pain stabbing him in the rib after the long inhale of breath, something that had been bothering him infrequently for a number of years but had never really been checked out yet. He rolled himself out of bed and took a look around; clothes strewn across his floor in need of washing, dirty dishes littering his work desk in need of cleaning and piles of papers on any free surface all in need of review.

He rubbed his eye idly and walked out to the bathroom.

As he stood in front of the toilet releasing the untold amount of fluid stored within him from the previous night, he thought about the coming day. He had an important meeting scheduled, off the books, that he would need to fenagle into his proper duties somehow. Sheba walked around the corner, looked at him in the bathroom and walked away. He watched her for a second before shaking off and flushing the toilet. Inwardly he scorned himself for doing so as he reached for the shower curtain, pulling it back and turning on the hot water.

Usually he didn't flush first, instead letting it sit there till he was done the shower and then flush. He would have to let the water run for a little while now. He wasn't completely sure about how these things worked, but he was positive he would be bathing in lava if he were to step in just after flushing. Waiting a full minute, or at least what accounted to feeling like one, he stepped in letting the water wash over his body, waking him up just a little bit more.

Sticking his head under the torrent of water, he grabbed a ragged old brush from a shelf that hung from the shower head and proceeded to rub its dull bristles across his scalp. Water trailed down his face and splattered loudly against the stall floor he could only imagine the conversations he might have at the meeting later and try to reason out any arguments that may happen. Best to be prepared for anything that might come up before it actually came up.

Pouring a palm full of shampoo into his hair he diligently scraped his fingernails through his hair, lathering up the thick liquid before putting his head back under the water. Through the transparent screen he could see a cat walking down the hall just outside the bathroom, leaping over a small barrier to the next room, designed to keep the dog out but apparently not the cat. Closing his eyes tightly he let the water wash away the suds, and perhaps a little bit of the filth from inside his head as well, so he might like to think.

As he grabbed for the washcloth, a hardened mass of cloth that really needed a wash of its own, his thoughts wandered from the meeting itself to the image of the holographic Herald. The message was poetic, he had to give it that much, but most religious speakers had a poetic quality to their speeches, otherwise it would be hard to hold anyones attention. Regardless of the words this one held action behind it, and action held sway for those that demanded it. Action begot change, and if anything were to happen, there had to be change.

Letting the washcloth absorb an ample amount of water to make it flaccid and able to do its job, he began scrubbing away at his skin, soaping himself down as the water washed away to impurities. Maybe something more symbolic to his current mind set had he even considered it. The path of his thoughts mixing with the path of his actions, a cleansing of the unclean from the body of the whole...

He stepped out of the shower, dried off and walked back into the bedroom....





Barseg
Capital Province
Present: 1300H


He nodded to the doorman as he passed by, a simple sign of politeness as he entered the bar. Somewhat not as crowded as the establishment should have been, it was still full enough that were he trying to get lost in it he would have been. Passing by tables littered with an inordinate amount of empty bottles compared to the number of people in the bar, he shook his head as he bumped one by accident, the ruckus of glass falling over and rolling to the floor speeding him up only slightly.

Reaching the back door, he quietly slid out of the bar. The alley was dark, and smelled bad, not like anything he could place, just bad. Approaching a what appeared to be just another durasteel wall just across from the bars back entrance he pounded his fist against it rather hurriedly. After a short silence there was a soft clicking noise, almost unnoticeable had he not been listening for it.

Pressing his face against the wall he softly uttered, "For the greater glory." He nearly fell as the wall retracted and his own ill proportionate stance carried his weight into the room beyond as the door closed behind him.

"Welcome all to Aeria Gloris!"

The voice was loud and booming, it felt like it vibrated the floor, but from personal experience he knew that unless you were inside the walls you would never hear what was being said from the outside. Large glowing symbols of the groups name crisscrossed the walls, blocked only by the people that littered the circular rooms stadium type seating. Wandering down the steps he approached the center seating area, for those wishing to actively enter the discussions.

"After years of Barseg Dominance, are we all ready for some change!?"

A homely looking man sitting at the circular table made his routine announcements from the chair closest to the door. The crowd responded accordingly to these tried and tested lines. In his white suit and dutifully combed hair he could have been someone important outside these walls, but no one really knew and that was the point. A faceless mob would be much harder to stop than if it had leaders with names and positions...

Especially if some of those positions were in the government itself. Geraldi silently took a seat across from the man.

"Everyone here with us today are truly for the Greater Glory! The Aeria Gloris!"

The man to his left, wearing nothing more simple than a blue windbreaker announced himself quite loudly, always one to attempt to be the center of attention when he could, always finding excuses to say something.

"But not everyone seems so excited to be here..."

Two seats down, dressed like a student from some higher university. He slacked in his chair, waving his hand about as he talked as if it were the natural thing to do. He could have been orchestrating a symphony if someone stuck a stick in his hand.

"They will be."

A portly man sat to his right, face down turned and eyes appeared to be closed. His voice was rough and almost moping as he spoke. He was always the quietest, only speaking up with the truly tasty bits of information acquired from... well, wherever he acquired them from.

"So, I hear someone here has some interesting ideas about what to do?" Geraldi spoke up, interrupting what would have been a long line of introductions.

"I would say everyone here fits that description..." said Windbreaker, ever so quick to get the first word in if he could, and to focus the attention on himself.

"It would seem there are some that don't," university spoke up again, tilting his head ever slightly to just barely face him.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said."

Quiet laughing broke out across the room as windbreaker crossed his arms and turned to face away from university.

"So what the hell is going on? After years of Dragon expansion they suddenly target us with their rehderick?"

"What are you getting excited about? No one cares about stuff like that anymore." Geraldi asked, turning to face Windbreakers comments.

"No one cares!? I bet you more than half the people in this room listen when the Herald speaks! If that's not caring then why even listen?" He looked like he might flip out if pressed on the issue so Geraldi just smirked, shook his head and raised a hand to back off.

"What I don't get is why the Herald has suddenly come to us out of all the worlds in the Imperium and without."

"You heard what he said, its the path man! The Path!" Windbreaker wasn't winning any friends with his outbursts today.

"What about the path?" Geraldi prodded.

"What about the Path!? Those that seek the path must not be led astray... Those that would draw us from the path are evil! The Herald has come to us in the midst of evil to help us on the Path!"

"Bullshit." University smirked and flicked his hand through the air for effect.

"Yeah? Smart guy! You want to tell us all why hes coming to us then?"

"Simple, its the have and the have-nots all over again..."

Quirking a brow, Geraldi leaned in over the table, propping himself up for this explanation.

"Have and have-nots?"

"You know what I mean, it's how the upper echelon of our government keeps all the prime stuff to themselves. They bask in the richness of their own existence while me, you and all of us scrape and scrounge our lives together just to get by. They have, we have-not. It's a social divide created by the elite, propagated by the elite and ultimately designed to keep us down!"

"Now who's talking bullshit?"

"You deny that that is the case?!"

"No, not at all, its obvious to everyone here that is whats going on, lest we not be here. I'm saying thats bullshit for the Herald to be coming here for the material existence when hes coming to save our souls."

"I dunno about you but I'd like a little material with my soul!" An echo from somewhere in the audience cried out and a bit of laughter followed yet again.

"Perhaps it's both..." Tubby broke in, sitting in silence for a moment as if to collect his thoughts as everyone focused on him.

"My sources have told me of a build up of Dragon warships not far from this region of space. Warships only free the soul in the most ultimate of senses... so what else could they be for?"

"Maybe its unrelated? Nothing to do with us, their are Imperium holdings in this region...."

"Maybe..." Tubby responded, but with less conviction than would be enough to convince the others that he believed it.

A couple in the back stood up and walked towards the door, turning back and shaking their heads at the assembled group as the conversation continued.

[FONT=Book Antiqua]THE PAST[/FONT]

Excerpt: (Hallowed are the children of the Taj)

The man lay back against the chair, his eyes closing softly. The ceiling was plain as it was, nothing to see really. A sharp hiss forced his eyes open once more, but only for a moment. Looking at each of the four chairs around him, he watched three of the other representatives react in much a similar manner as he, before succumbing to the devices effects.

The blackness behind his eyes fell away, the chair below him seemed to drift into nothingness, it was as if the world itself were leaving him, yet he remained well aware of it. He clenched his hands, expecting to feel the comfort of the arm rests anchoring him safely to the world, but instead all he found were his own fists. Looking down, he raised a hand, suprisingly clenching it and unclenching it before his face.

"My scars..."

As his eyes focused, he noticed the scenery around him, a beach. The waves gently lapped up at the shore every few moments. Not blue as he expected, but grey, a frothy white foam being pushed up to the shore with each thrust, only to be dissolved into the sand as quickly. he inhaled, excepting to smell the sweet salt aroma, but it came to him as slightly metallic, not repulsive, but unexpected.

"They are Gone?"

The voice of the fourth man, he recognized it. The Daemun attache to this conference. How had he known? Well, of course he would know, this is how the Daemuns suggested they communicate. He did not expect it to be in such a manner though, as he looked up to see the man strolling down the beach to him. This was quite odd to see though, he looked down at himself upon further examination, to find he looked a good thirty years younger! His abs, once well defined and muscular had given in to age and time. Here before him he could see that was not so, he was young again, fit as he ever was, and the more he looked, the more he could feel it.

"What sort of trickery is this? The force?"

The man let loose the most horrendous laugh he had ever heard in his life. It was hard to tell how he was meant to take it, if forced to guess, he could only assume it was a laugh of indignation. The man stepped between the two other attendees, who studied themselves and each other in similar confusion, and took both of his hands before his face, turning them over again and again.

"These hands, your hands... they are how you wish them to be, are they not? Deep down, is this now how you have always thought of yourself, how you have always wanted yourself to be?"

He sighed inwardly. It was true, ever since he was this age, he had never stopped to consider it, but brought to this he had to admit, he had never been forced to face his true self, that self that remained in the chair, the old and decrepit body he had left behind.

"Y... Yes it is, I just... Well, I just never thought of it much before now I guess."

The Daemun smiled and nodded, turning to the others to the sides of him.

"And you as well? And you? Indeed, you see, this is how it is for all those who follow the Path of Creation, and become the children of the Taj. You experience now, a small morsel of what it is the be Daemun. Many more such wonders and experiences are to be had here, in the Web. For now, these matters can wait, as we have more pressing news to ponder this moment."



The sound of hissing doors made her turn her head slightly. There behind her, the Farfalen representative, as he had appeared in the Intelligence web, her jaw dropped slightly. He merely raised a well muscled arm, gentle grin passing his lips, and shook his head.

"Not to worry friends, I missed nothing."

[FONT=Book Antiqua]THE PRESENT[/FONT]

Dameo
Viral Command Structure
Present: 1200H


Jalon Thorkar, once a soldier amongst countless others in the grand Farfalen army, demoted to a lowly diplomat after years of hard service. Just because his leg had given out one too many times, he was deemed incapable of fighting and given what amounted to a desk job. It was fortuitous that his first assignment had been to a security breifing held by the Universal Daemun Church, for that was the day his life changed, forever.

Now he stood, on Dameo, inside a complex no one other living creature in the galaxy had seen but the divine themselves. He enjoyed his new body, it allowed him to preform greater feats of strength and speed than he could ever have attained as a normal human, but even more so he loved his new awareness.

For deep down under the crust of this planet, alone but for the cold walls that surrounded him, he knew he was not singular.

The voices of billions echo'd around him, some alive and some dead. Each one as loud as the next and each with ages of experience and knowledge to share. He was emersed in it, the Intelligence web, the infinite sea of electrons that was his mind from now on.

It informed him.

It spoke to him.

It guided him.

So now he found himself here, a long unused structure, deep in the bowels of Dameo. A project he was told, an experiment in existence outside the web. This complex would absorb his being, his Mystery he knew it to be called, and convert it into something new. Something different, something unknown. It would be a new achievement if successful, another level of reality, another level of existence.

The Intelligence Web rested on the boundaries of the technological and biological, a complex interweaving of the two to create another realm of thought, a new consciousness on a higher plane. Grading this to be the ultimate peak of achievement, one could look back on physical creation to be the lowest, a baseline product of chance. Between these two, many subtle levels were known to exist, lesser levels delved into at random by galactic science, but never intelligently explored.

Until now.

Reaching out with his MindDrive, he connected to the core network of the Command network, a vast but seemingly empty computer grid. Sensing his way through the multiple access ports he slowly learned each exit as it was connected to the civilian communications grid, and at that second, to the Intelligence web via himself. With a modicum of pain and a twinge of depression he silenced the voices inside of him, disconnection from the Web and inserting his Mystery into the core.

His husk dropped idly to the floor without further guidance.

Yet, when he opened his eyes he saw the silver-grey hue of a durasteel wall shinning back at him. The core of the command structure, just as it had been moments ago.

Failure

No, something was wrong, something was different. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried but just couldn't seem to do it. No one was there, none of the voices, it was as if the web were dead to him. He was alone now, the project had failed and in the attempt he had lost his glorious gift.

"Hello Jalon"

The voice came from behind, but in the confines of a completely metallic environment it might as well have come from everywhere. Turning to face the sudden vocal dialogue he was suprised to find a husk he hadn't previously been aware of. Considering he had had a mental image of every operational husk in the Imperium up till a few moments ago, it was quite a shock.

"Who are you?"

The voice came from a person, man or woman he could not tell ar first glance, who was not wholly dissimilar looking from any Daemun he had previously met except for a pair of red markings trailing down either side of his face. Tilting its head slightly, it grinned a little too broadly before answering.

"I run this Place"

That hadn't been in the guidance he had been given on his way down. In fact, there was no mention of any single mystery inhabiting the location.

"What is your designation?"

Most Daemun had a designation, it was a name or reference sequence given upon creation for the historical records of the Web activities. Hardly ever used, primarily when dealing with outsiders, each Daemun could typically sense the change in feeling from one to another when communicating with each other, never needing a name to be associated with. He was not yet on that level.

"Whatever I want it to be"

With that the grin grew wider, unnatural even in a place created by unnatural means by unnatural creatures. Were he standing any closer, Jalon would have taken a step back, for fear the massive grin would open up and swallow him whole.

"Are you the reason I'm not in contact with the others?"

///Communications Grid Re-activating///

It sounded like the web, like so many voices speaking as one coming from everywhere around him. As he sighed with relief, at the possibility of reconnection, he watched as those tiny rivulets of water almost seemed to evaporate into the air, slowly vanishing from sight completely.

"How fun, they've decided to use me again...."

That raised only further questions, but before he could open his mouth to speak it the room went black.

///Transmission Complete: Barseg / Capital Province///

In the moment of a blink, he opened his eyes again and he was surrounded by people...

On another world....

in total silence...