The <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dumahium<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> passed through swirls of nebulae cloud as a cover as it moved towards its prey - of course you could not call the small craft a predator, but to the crew it was far much more reassuring to think of them as having the upperhand against the monstrosity that they tracked.

Dumah, at the helm, turned at the call of one lower crewman, who jogged towards him rather frantically. Waving his arms towards the viewscreen, he motioned out into the shrouded void before them and spoke of a great mass of ships appearing from no where - on the trail of their ship. The Lord replied with an unconvinced smile and turned from the man, shaking his head.

Approaching the window, pressing a cloven hand against the glass and squinted through into the myriad of colours. It was hard to determine what was before them, though clearly the cloud was thinning. He thought it impossible that a fleet could have burst from nowhere, but then mere minutes ago a ship that could have blown up Coruscant city had crashed its way out of a rift - from nowhere.

The front of the ship pierced the edge of the cloudscape out into the open, and as the sensor arrays swung to pick up on the movements behind them a multitude of ships blipped into existence.

"Engines to full power, take us out to the flank of the forward ship," the commander barked.

The flec of grey shot forward towards its target, swooping sideways as the crew looked on with bated breath at the terror advancing from behind.

"Ready lasers and torpedoes."

<font color="blue">Evade us so easily... well trained you are. An Imperial, I suspect.</font>

The elder pulled his legs forward, and twisted them again, stepping closer to the viewscreen.

<font color="blue">Converge, children. Open.</font>

He watched, in his own way, the Tetrahedrons advance. Dumah's light moniter was fast, and could evade the warships with ease. But the fighters were considerably faster and overtook her in seconds. The Tetrahedrons swiveled, struts spinning on the central Nexus, firing blow after blow of energy discharges across her shields. The shields gave way, shimmering away.

<font color="blue">Yes, my children. Grapple hold, and bring them to me.</font>

The Tetrahedrons bucked their struts against her hull, and, with a terrible crunch, pierced her with Nexus and then expanded inside, a firm hold locked on the Dumahium. Then, they began to power back towards the massive Kal Shora.

<font color="green">"I do not blame you, First. Our ships are not used to such fast opposition. High Priest..."</font>

He turned to face him, cape swiling behind.

<font color="green">"I believe the Order would like to witness our historic first contact, such as it is."</font>

He left the command section, heading for one of the carrier bays.

"Of course," Venexire replied after Shora had swept from the room, and moved to follow him. As he lightly stepped down the cold hallways in persuit, a hollow beckoning errupting in the back of his mind. Most Holy Patriarch, it spoke reverently, One of our Priest Lords has been killed in vengeance for a death.

Teklen's eyes narrowed, and a slight smile graced his dark face under his hood and mask, and he croaked out a laugh. An obvious deceit by one of no small ambition, clearly. Bring the one who exacted vengeance, and gather the other Eight. Follow my presence; we approach first contact with the inferior beings.

A wordless acknowledgement came back through the Darkness, and Teklen nodded, catching up to Shora. "I realize you distain the deceit of the Sanctum, High Elder. Our practices are natural law, that keep our ranks strong and slay complacency. I do not ask you to accept it, but merely that you suffer it."

<font color="blue">If you ask me to suffer through political based assassination to feed your starving ambition, then your asking price is far too high.</font>

The High Elder however kept his mind, and thoughts, locked. He did not know if the new High Priest heard the unheard, but did he, he would hear nothing from the older high elder.

<font color="green">"I understand that you had not seen me for a great while before our mission was launched. In my abscense things have been allowed to pass that were I there would be intolerable. Our Second, has he not already suceeded the Matriarch, will soon, and I fear that who the Sanctum murders here will matter not, as the homeland will likely decend into horros you are too young to know."</font>

<font color="blue">Yes, Child, contrary to what history books tell you, the 2 millenia of the Dominion has not all been stable.</font>

The High Elder recalled a time in his youth, just after his 40th birthday. A faction of the Dominion known as the Ket'R'O Kil'O'Ciiies, which was the Dominion's secret police, and internal affairs, became millitant and began diverting arms to private caches. Confronted by the Emperor at the time, they refused to answer charges and explain their actions. In a public appeal, they were asked one more time to answer charges... all they muttered was...

<font color="blue">D'Aa'Cha'Chon.</font>

The High Elder pulled the word to his mind. Them.

The Emperor asked each 42. None answered. So he killed one, waited 10 minutes and asked the next. All 42 died, never saying more than that damned word...

<font color="blue">D'Aa'Cha'Chon. D'Aa'Cha'Chon. D'Aa'Cha'Chon. </font>

<font color="blue">Be damned, Ket'R'O. You changed the way we do things.</font>

The High Elder remembered the final public execution was carried out the next day. The Emperor, impeached by a rioting public, was impaled and died in his throne.

His entire palace is ashes now, floating in the void.

The only heir was his daughter. A beautiful woman who the High Elder admitted he found fascinating. Cree'Ar society changed because of that incident which is still not understood...

<font color="blue"> R'A'Hma d'Aa'Cha'Chon? D'A'ach d'Ea'a'chech?</font>

The High Elder had to take a moment to clear the mists of memory from his mind. He turned to the High Priest.

<font color="green">"Some day I hope that our people may live in the society we have created instead of fighting to keep it alive. K'Ha'Hatcha I'Acha."</font>

The door recognized his command and slid open, and he pushed his leg backwards and entered the large hanger bay.

<font color="green">"Welcome to the Dominion Colonyship Kal Shora. I am the High Elder of the same name. I hope you enjoy your stay here."</font>