(Sidenote: Takes place after the completion of FiSDiaG, and is closed to priorly informed parties)

The planet Ganath was a miserable one indeed.

Nearly impossible to find, let alone approach, it was the perfect hiding spot for a paranoid, xenophobic people. Were it not already occupied the Cree'Ar would take a long look at it's inaccessibility as a means of planetary defense.

It was occupied, of course, by the mysterious and powerful Black Dragon Empire; technologically an impressive race considering the current state of advancement in this galaxy. Looking at them the Cree'Ar realized that they would put up quite a fight, although when the time came, they too would fall before the divinity and take their place as servants of the Dominion.

All that was a matter for a different time. At present, the issue at hand was a deal to be struck between arguably the two technologically superior races of this galaxy.

The Dameun people had been experimenting with a technology they referred to as a ReMAT. A remote mind-altering transmitter. The Cree'Ar had detected signals emanating from the planet Ganath and inquiries had been made regarding what said signals were. It appeared they were microradiowaves, of a sort, an interesting form of communicative signal. More important however was the notation that using said waves appeared to have a suggestive effect on the conquered people, and likely, on all people. It was proposed, discreetly, that the Cree’Ar may arrive and open discussions regarding possibly acquiring such technology.

Now, they arrived.

The Arbiter emerged first, exiting it’s artificially created wormhole and entering the radioactive cloud surrounding the world. It suffered little; the cloud disrupted not it’s engines, gravitic based as they were, and did not interfere with it’s unique power systems. Alive, it did not close the conduit, and instead allowed the rest of the fleet to emerge.

The Sep'Ta'd'Aark was first, flanked behind by the Sep'Ta'd'Porl'a'Mor, and the Sep'Ta'd'Dina'a'Dar. All three ships immediately slowed almost to a halt. They had no shields to raise or visibly active weapons. They meant to pose no threat; regardless, had they not been expected they might have been seen as intimidating. They may, even being expected, seem as such.

“Zeratul, you are sure they are expecting us?”

Zeratul looked to Kal Shora meekly.

“Not sure. Chang, the ta's's'ador, said he could not openly negotiate with the leaders of the world because he did not know them, and he was under deep cover at the time. He said however that it was safe for us to come here.”

Kal Shora sighed, frustrated.

“He is a yat'a'leg'a'lora. Can we trust him?”

”He has had opportunity to betray us before, and has not done so, Elder.”

Kal Shora nodded.

“Very well. It is too late now to turn back; however, close the conduit so are we lost, we are all.”

Zeratul nodded, and the conduit behind the ships closed. They hung in space, waiting, for the Black Dragon Empire to open either the negotiations, or the fight.

Whispers
Emotions
Thoughts
All Together
All As One

A hole had just opened up inside their sphere. He integrated the new sensors trajectories directly into the Galactic Brain to be disassembled and analyzed by various other unattentive personas and mysteries. He merely needed to dedicate his attentions to calibrating the sensors properly in order to ascertain...

A solid mass of matter emerged from the rifts horizon. According to its mass curvature to the space around it he could already determine this to be the sought after prize the negotiator mystery had arranged for. Seperating himself from his body, he left a partial behind. Traveling into the Intelligence web he emerged onboard a space bourne vessel already in orbit.

"By what right have you to enter my host, data coordinator?"

He was taken aback, obviously this captain was more of those newagers who didnt appreciate responses to the web and brain. His would be purged, but first. Overiding his hosts cerbrum, he took control of the bodies autonomous reactions.

"Leave now or this specialy modified host will perish without correct data corelation as to ascertain as to what those modifications were."

He could feel the host mystery abade back into the web with that, he would pay when he got back to his post, but this was far too important than some captains lowly pride. Operating the host MindDrive he peered out via the ships sensors, aligning the Ghoul for a direct intrasystem jump from the Dameun hyperdrive.

His readings on the vessel at the edge of the rift had not changed in the full minute that had passed since his undertaking, though now he could detect another vessel emerging from the rift, as well as two others close behind. Thus far none had made a move to raise a defensive shield or power up weapons, which was good. Although, it would see fit to find out what form of alien relations they had when a fully armed Ghoul would enter their midst.

Aligning the ships engines directly to his sensor readings he plotted the exact hyperspace alignment and activated the engines...

Nothing.

They waited for a minute, may haps two. Nothing yet had happened.

"Zeratul, should we open lines of communications perhaps?"

Zeratul pondered that for a second.

"No... I am not sure..."

Suddenly, he felt something. A voice... no, not one voice. The echo of a solitary voice amonst the call of millions. The Tek'a'tara heard it as well; Zeratul heard them become confused by the new alien commands in their head. He would need quickly to rectify this situation.

He quickly moved over to the cybernetic nexus input panel.

"Zeratul?"

He ignored him. He frantically pressed buttons and turned dials, increasing the bandwidth of the Nexus’ signal. Gradually, the voices in his head were Cree’Ar and Cree’Ar only.

“Zeratul?”

“It appears that the Dameun people use a form of mental technological communicative devices. The tek’a’tara can hear their call.”

”Need we be concerned?”

Zeratul considered for a second.

“If he knew the Cree’Ar syntax he may be able to plant suggestions into the nexus. But he does not; therefore he may only plant confusion.”

Kal Shora nodded.

“So, you heard their call?”

Zeratul nodded.

"They are here. They are aware of us."

Kal Shora sighed.

"They are incoming."

Kal Shora turned to Zeratul.

"Pend'ar'a."

Zeratul nodded, and all ships ground to a dead stop.

The Ghoul appeared. It was a fearsome ship to be sure, looking very lethal even just sitting in space. Manta-shaped, it bristled with pods of some kind. Zeratul was not sure, but he would bet they were weapons of some, no doubt technologically superior, kind. The ship had slowed, but even on a slow, agonizingly long journey to a collision it looked both fast and deadly. Zeratul nodded his head in respect. It looked like the Mer’a Z’Syshal Cruisers from the homeland. A vicious animal, even inert as it was.

“I will open…”

”No.”

Zeratul turned to Kal Shora, who nodded his head.

“No. They will announce their intention, with communication, or weapon. We will wait.”

Zeratul nodded.

And they resumed waiting.

Opening a communications link was complex at first, between the distance there was another set of intelligence, alien from the galactic brain, but just as powerful in form. Inputing a few minor commands into the system and analyzing the response, he inputed a series of communication protocols in a series of seconds that would allow for the translation and safe communication between the two systems.

The Ghoul hung seemingly lifeless before the Cree'Ar vessels, the Ganath sun behind it illuminating the very frame of the ships wings. Its very design made to best incorporate all concivable elements of a battle formation into a useable entity.

In the intermeaning period of time between his arrival, he had been succesful in compiling a succesful communications program with which to interface with the Cree'Ar computing system and had quite sucesfully interfaced himself into the communications array. He spoke through what felt as if it were his throat, though it was merely his Mystery's interpretation of such things. Ay first his voice came across as hunders at once, slowly conforming to his as he siphoned off the Web behind him to make only his presence the felt one.

"Attention Cree'Ar vessel, I speak on behalf of the Black Dragon Empire. We are aware of your intent in this system and welcome you here. Please send additional information to the vessel before you before preforming additional actions."

"Attention Cree'Ar vessel, I speak on behalf of the Black Dragon Empire. We are aware of your intent in this system and welcome you here. Please send additional information to the vessel before you before preforming additional actions."

Zeratul looked to Kal Shora, who obviously had not heard it. He nodded his head.

"High Elder..."

Kal Shora turned.

"Yes, Zeratul?"

"They have opened communications."

Kal Shora stood.

"How?"

"Their unique method of communication cannot be heard by you, however, the Tek'a'tara and I do hear the call."

Kal Shora shook his head gently, and opened the gravitic communications nodule.

"Speak, Zeratul."

Zeratul nodded.

"Black Dragon Empire. We are pleased that we have entered your space without incident. As you know, we have been impressed by your technological proficency. We would seek to make a deal, make, an offer, to mutually better both of our Empires. We will send two envoys, to your world, or your ship. With our envoys delivered, our ships will withdraw from your space, and we will return when our negotiations are complete. We hope that this will be satisfactory."

Zeratul closed the channel, and turned to Kal Shora.

"Satisficatory to both parties?"

Kal Shora nodded.

At the mention of a convoy he relayed a message to through to web to the direct sector of space Ganath resided in, so that by the time the Cree'Ar communicator had finished his output, two Ghost class vessels had already emerged from hyperspace direct from planetary orbit. Same as had occured with the Ghoul, they arrived with weapons unpowered and merely as a show of acknowledgement.

"This will be satisfactory"

With that he inputed a series of coordinates directly into the Cree'Ar comms link, allowing for their own computational array to handle the conversion to their own system.

The Ghoul slowly spun in space, turning its tail end to the Cree'Ar formation, and with a Ghost on each side ploted a sublight course to the indicated and transmitted coordinates, acting as an escort to the foriegn vessels. Not without a pang of curiousity he switched the vessels sensors to a less detectable passive array and transmitted the vessels hull configurations and less statistics directly into the web for further analysis and information disemination.

Zeratul smiled internally, looking down at his boneblade which involuntarily was beginning to unsheathe. He didn’t trust these Dameuns, and he doubted that they would limit themselves to a party of two, especially with the Cree’Ar on their planet with no ships in orbit. Zeratul had yet to meet a warrior in battle in some time and was needless to say eager at the potential opportunity.

Zeratul began to cross the length of the bridge when Kal Shora put his fingers to his chin. Zeratul was reaching his palm over the focusing crystal when Kal Shora stood.

“Mer’a’br…”

“Tend.”

Zeratul looked to Kal Shora, his hand falling at his side.

“Elder?”

Kal Shora stepped off of the platform upon which his command throne was located. He placed a hand on Zeratul’s shoulders.

“Zeratul, as a member of the Honorcaste and the only Skeyg’a’aar to serve the ranks of the Shadowcaste, you know that I have always wished you by my side.”

Zeratul nodded.

“I serve Borleas Queyver, as do we all. I do only what the Elder would ask of me.”

Kal Shora nodded. That was the answer he was expecting.

“The High Elder would ask you to return to Nirauan.”

Zeratul immediately turned to him, his eyes focused intently.

“What? Why?”

“I will not be needing your services on this misson.”

”But what if they betray us? You need…”

Kal Shora struck Zeratul with the side of a closed fist.

“DO NOT PRESUME TO DICTATE TO ME MY NEEDS!”

Kal Shora looked down at Zeratul, who had a hand to his face. He reached down a talon, which Zeratul took, and stood. He brushed the area that had been struck, and looked at Kal Shora with a disappointed look.

“I meant no disrespect, Judicator.”

Kal Shora said nothing, but he opened his palms to Zeratul, a sign that he was holding no grudges in his hands.

“Have I not always served you well? Guarded your life beyond my own? Why now do you question my loyalty?”

“Zeratul, you presume I am not asking your service on this mission because you have faulted in my eyes. This is not the case.”

Zeratul looked to him again, not understanding.

“Then why are you not taking me?”

Kal Shora sighed. He put one of his hands on Zeratul’s shoulder.

“It pains me to see you this way, old friend. Your service has been exemplary, and this is why I am sending you home. This mission is important of course, but it already has my attention. Nirauan has recently been settled and there may be a need for one of our attention. The Hand of Thrawn was located there; do not forget this. There may be important information the Tek’a’tara would ignore. Do not believe I am of low opinion on your performance, as I am not. If anything you should look upon this is an opportunity to have responsibilities beyond being a bodyguard and assassin.”

Zeratul thought for a moment. He nodded, slowly.

“Yes, Elder. I would value such an opportunity. I apologize for my earlier misunderstanding and disrespect.”

Kal Shora repeated the gesture he had made earlier.

“I am sorry if you felt that I was disappointed in you. Because I am not.”

Zeratul nodded again, before crossing his hand to his chest.

“Mer’a’brak taba.”

Zeratul immediately became surrounded by a blue haze. The haze wrapped itself around his arms and torso, even entering his open mouth but Zeratul made no motions to stop it. Eventually the visible form of Zeratul was gone in only a mist of haze, which quickly and rapidly disappeared.

“I hate when he does that.”

The Priests on the bridge nodded, amused at his comment. He turned to one of them and beckoned him forward.

“Ask Varex Tarien to join me. I will require his services on the planet.”

The Priest nodded, and as he left the High Elder looked out the vistal at the atmosphere of Ganath.

Xa' Fel, Unknown Facility

With a tired hand, Sarah reached out toward her radio that sat upon her nightstand drawer. She had switched the volume to low capacity not more than twenty minutes ago, hoping that the sound would help settle her to sleep, but it hadn't. All it did was provoke her curiosity. She was quite tired, having only slept four hours the night previous.

Sitting up in bed, the volume on the radio coming to easily drown the rain that had suddenly come to exhibit, Sarah tried to focus on what the news reporter was divulging.

"... Gravitational pulses centered focused near Nirauan.."

The woman's eyes barely came to stay open as she focused her gaze near her bedroom window. Her brown eyes suddenly snapped toward the radio at the mention of The New Order.

".. Several intelligence operatives are inspecting the phenomena. The New Order is keeping a close eye of the phenomena..."

Sarah sighed, dreading a private thought.

".. We'll inform you listeners with further developments of details if and when more information is provided to us.."

He's going to ask me to go... He's going to ask me to go to Nirauan.

Her holographic device chimed, she moaned with dissatisfaction as she grudgingly pulled herself from the bed moodily dragging herself to the device that sat at her desk.


It was Lupercus, telling her that she was to head to Nirauan to investigate the gravitation disturbances being reported there. He wanted her to leave now, reporting back to him only if and when she had discovered anything worth hearing.

She would have protested had it been anyone else but Lupercus, but the Hapan often had that look within his gaze that always said "try me" and that there would always be awful repercussions for anyone that defied the Sith Lord. Sarah didn't have the means to defy the man, and so she never did, no matter how unsatisfied she was with the situation.

Holding back her ill temper, Sarah gave her acknowledgements and then shut down the message on her unit, allowing the device to save all incoming calls for when she returned.

One hour later...

It had not taken the diplomat/intelligence operative very long to prepare a bag for the trip to Nirauan, bringing with her the bare minimum of what she thought she would need to investigate the irregular disturbances that were thought to be occurring on Nirauan. Within an hour's time she was strapped comfortably into the shuttle borrowed to her by the Empire, the Empire expecting the ship to be returned to The New Order in perfect operating condition.

.. Returning the shuttle would be the least of Sarah's concerns..

-Section Cleared-

Waves of disassemblers had been at work across a thousand meter area terrain, clearing the land of anything and everything. It was simple enough to make a plain single composition platform out of the resulting materials to suit the needs of the coming agreements.

-Coordinates Sent-

It was only a few minutes that the platform had been done, but already the preperation for the visitors had been made and the designated coordinates were being routed through the web to the Ghoul approaching orbit to transmit into the Cree'Ar vessels. The superbrain would be pleased with this additional info.

"Attention Cree'Ar Vessels, We are transmitting a designated series of coordinates in your own locational system. You are to arrive their under your own means and will be greeted onsite."

With that abrupt message the Ghoul swung off and rentered hyperspace to an un-yet specified location. As the Cree'Ar Ja'Mha Rerodon Landed on the platform, its platform slid onto the surface, the first Cree'Ar deligates emerging on a Dameun planet for the first time.

Thus the suprise was given, as their biology was unlike any other previously seen, yet the body type was easily copiable. Thus the first Dameun representatives approached, in the guise of the Cree'Ar themselves, as a sign of welcome...

A crescendo of footsteps was soon enough heard approaching the bridge of the Sep'Ta'd'Aark. Varex wore his usual sadistic grin. Ever since he had gained his entrance into the ranks of the Priest Lords, of whom there were only very few of at a time, things had been going uphill for him.

Many, if not all of the others knew his methods to be 'dirty' and 'shady', but none cared. Those two words had little meaning in the Priesthood. After all, the divine mandate should be spread by the most capable, and if those people allow themselves to be outwitted by someone of lower standing, they are obviously not the most capable.

The profession of Priesthood was a dangerous one, and many did not survive to half their lifespan. All except the Most Holy Patriarch of Borleas Queyver, the High Priest of the Cree'Ar Dominion. But right now Varex was as confident as ever. Kal Shora himself had apparently hand-selected him for something of the most importance, and that was a high honor.

The doors to the bridge slid open to allow his entrance, but not before Varex's sadistic grin altered slightly to a warm smile of friendship.

"Eptar'a'kar'a, High Elder Kal Shora." greeted Varex as he approached the Elder's seat in the center of the bridge, "I trust you are well?"

The High Elder ignored the idle questions and cut straight to the chase. It was a matter of minutes before Varex was well informed of their hosts and the nature of the visit. The Daemun people interested him, to be sure, but in the end Varex knew they would end up falling or serving the Dominion, so it did not matter much to him really.

The bridge rocked slightly as the ship landed upon the Daemun planet.

"I suppose it is time we meet these...Daemuns..." Varex spoke the word with neither distaste nor anger, but the emphasis on the word was still there.