Thrown Room of Black Rock, Citadel of the Silver Empire Armada, GC 3478, June 7th, 1330 Hours—
"Can you at least tell me where we are?" Prince Drakerto carefully said to prevent his fury from bursting forth onto those who didn't warrant punishment. It was not the small man's fault, as he was just the sacrifice with the job of relaying the information. And it wasn't necessarily his superior's fault either, as they were scrambling to create a detailed report of the circumstances they found themselves in.
Who could have guessed the entire spatial pocket they were fighting in would collapse, dragging them all to… wherever this is? And Drakerto knew for a fact that no one could have guessed that, as he devoted an entire lab to combing through the gathered data within Black Rock and all their contactable fleets a couple days ago. They came back with nothing, even when harnessing the power of hindsight. One minute, the subspace was as stable as it ever was with its sporadic breaches; the next, the space was shattering, pulling all of them along for a ride. There was no time to respond to the event, for good or ill.
"My prince… we have no way to determine where we are," said the mousy, hunched-over man.
“…Explain in detail."
"We have no method to orientate ourselves. The stars, well, uhh, we don't believe their stars. And wit—"
"What?" Barked Urrok, from where he loomed at the side of the room off to the side of the rest of the nobles. "How in the frozen wastes that make up my mother's heart does that make any sense? If they aren't stars, what are they?"
Drakerto could chastise the man for speaking out of turn, but he was also curious for the answer. So he remained in his seat and watched the slightly sweating scientist. “Umm… Ahh… We don't know what they are. But they are not stars." The man flinched when Urrok released a snarl and started spewing out everything he knew. "If we can detect a star, we can make measurements on it. The spectrum of light it gives off, the distance from us, its size, and any number of other things. Like people, no two are exactly the same. The "stars"," the man was looking up now, even going as far as to make air quotes, as he was gaining confidence talking about a subject he understood well. "We can detect right now are exactly the same. They're like lights on the ceiling. Except they all also give off everything we would expect from a star. It's just… they're all the same down to every detail. Also, they are moving randomly. Or some of them are… So, they're not stars."
"Thank you for the explanation." Prince Drakerto said from atop his throne. "And based on what you have said, I have to agree. So, can we return to the other reason why you can not tell me where we are?" He said, throwing a look at Urrok, who didn't even have the courtesy to look chastised or interested in the report as he picked at something under his nails. It was like he had never spoken in the first place, and if Drakerto brought it up… yeah, it's not worth the headache.
"Ahh, right… well, with no stars, we obviously can't check a star map, not that we would be able to get much from them if we were in another galaxy. And from the tests we have run, the space five hundred million miles from the planet's surface is folded back onto itself. Any ship, weapon, light, or energy we can create just goes up before nearly instantly disappearing and reappearing with a new orientation to its velocity, with no other deterioration we can detect. However, its velocity will be significantly slower than when it ascended a moment before. Also, while the object will be redirected to move toward the planet, it could be in any direction not perpendicular to the planet in a several thousand-mile area below its initial reorientation. We have supplied the ranges we have discovered in our report, but we cannot give any more accurate information than them, as the exact details of the reorientation seem to be wholly random. The teleportation and warping of space are things we believe possible but not something we could ever hope to accomplish. We just don't have the technology or power generation to achieve it. Given the degree and control space is being manipulated, we believe it is possible, even likely, that we are still inside the Breach, though in a far more stable portion. If we are able to somehow break the barrier, we should appear back at the staging ground. Though I find that highly unlikely, as the spatial warping is far too strong." When the thin man finished, the room was dead silent.
"So," the prince said, breaking the silence after he let the severity of their situation sink into everyone's minds, "You are telling me we are trapped here." The scientist slowly nodded at the statement. "Can you create a device to disrupt the effect and open a hole? Like we do to widen a breach. Or can't we just enter warp and move out of here? Those both bend space."
"Ahh, I can't say we won't be able to…but it's unlikely. There was one ship desperate enough to enter warp during our arrival, and it provided us priceless information. During the few moments they warped space, the vessel traveled a fraction of the distance it should have, and it required significantly more energy, straining the drive. More notably, there were none of the near catastrophic energy spikes typically associated with entering warp in a subdimension, as they had a smooth entry and exit even if it was more difficult to remain inside the warp."
"What does that mean."
The man fidgeted for a moment before finally saying, "Some believe that we are… in effect, inside an entirely new dimension. If there is still a connection between us and our home dimension, it's so small and hidden we won't be able to find it. Even if we did, we have no understanding of inter-dimensional travel or creating a stable wormhole. Everything we can do now to warp space only slides us around the upper layers of space of this dimension, not jump the gap between them… Or, that is the working theory we have at this point."
"So we are stuck here." Prince Drakerto stated again.
“…Perhaps." The man hesitantly said. Drakerto raised an eyebrow, and a ripple of murmurs ran among the ground in the room. Gesturing for the man to continue, they watched the scientist as much as those to the sides. If his people thought there was no chance to return home, there was no telling what they would do. "Our arrival and everything we have observed so far suggest some intentional design. Everything just works out perfectly to form a… prison. Looking at it that way, it makes it appear that the subdimension we were fighting the Swarm inside of was nothing more than a sally port that happened to form a crack in its outer wall. Nature just doesn't line everything up perfectly that way…" By this point, the man was looking down in thought and appeared to have forgotten where he was and was talking to himself. A few seconds after he drifted off, he looked up, and the prince saw his face flush before he fell into a deep bow. "Forgive me, your highness. I got lost in thought."
"No need." Drakerto said, "Your conclusions have enough merit to be investigated. And more to the point, if this all was made by someone, then they created a way to control it."
“…Yes, Your Highness." The man hesitantly agreed like he thought it was some trap laid out for him, "Assuming they, or their creations, are still—
All of a sudden, a woman appeared in the center of the chamber. Weapons were pulled from their holsters and scabbards to be pointed at the intruder from those at the sides of the room, and the guards to the prince's back charged in front of him, using their bodies and armor as his shields.
The intruder looked vaguely human, but where a human was flesh and blood, she was that of nature. A harsh and demanding beauty that was otherworldly. And the prince could not take his eyes from the molten passion radiating from her eyes.
Then she spoke, and it was like listening to the sound of countless cracks of thunder coordinated into a voice. "Greetings, descendants of the Seed Ships. Let me, Azera, Herald of The Jade Thrown, be the first to welcome you to Hellious. To welcome you home. No matter how many thousands of years may have passed, this is still your home, and your blood still sings with that of your ancestors. I do not know how you managed to create your ships and travel here, nor do I know for what reason, but I can tell you that the mere fact you were able to come here at all does your forefathers proud. You honor them and their sacrifice."
The woman bowed her head, hands clasped at her waist, staying silent for a moment before she started speaking again, a slight quiver of sorrow in her voice, "When they left Hellious, they were some of the best we had to offer. Both in terms of martial might and crafting abilities. The ships were meant to find and make habitable worlds and then plant the seeds of new civilizations. Civilizations that were meant to feed Hellious with the warriors we need to repel The Corruption. And yet, before they could finish their journey, we were betrayed, forcing us to take… drastic measures. But that ancient history no longer matters as your people have arrived here. And in time, should you search for it within the rubble of this world, you will learn of the history you have no doubt long forgotten, of the legacies hidden within your blood."
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Azera paused, and her voice took on a hard edge of warning as she started talking on a new subject, "Know this, our enemy does not care that you are a long-lost branch of the Sipityc Empire. They have always been and will always be your enemy. Where did you think those creatures you are fighting came from? There is no escaping this eternal war, only running from it for a time. Claim land on this world. Build your fortresses, and soon, you will be contacted either by the minions of our foe or the remnants of our armies. Which side will find you first, I can not say, but if you want to live… If you want to give those you left behind on your home worlds a chance to live another day, or perhaps a lifetime, in peace… you must fight. Fight for our future."
With that, the figure vanished, and the room erupted in pandemonium. The soldiers and royal guards shouted for answers on how security was breached. The nobles discussed whether the woman's information should be trusted and the consequences if it were true.
But of everyone in the room, Prince Drakerto said nothing. His face was set into an impassive mask, allowing none of his inner turmoil to so much as twitch his lips or arc his eyebrows at the herald's words. This changes everything, he thought to himself.
**********
Sanctum of Elders within the Twin Fangs, Spawning Pool of the Crimson Monarchs, GC 3478, June 7th, 1400 hours—
"Do you think she was being honest?" Asked Elder Droan Sathroth from his spot at the table before he finished raising his frozen chalice to his lips.
"Which part?" Rasped Elder Tolak Molten.
"Any? All? If we look past the insult of infiltrating this chamber, she provided invaluable information. So long as it proves accurate, we might even consider allowing her to live a life on the run rather than outright killing her and draining her essence into the pools."
"You say that like it's a mercy," Elder Molten wheezed as he let out a hitching laugh. "I find most would rather have their lives brutally cut short than be relentlessly hunted to the ends of the galaxy."
Elder Sathroth only flashed his fangs in response and licked the blood off his lips. But his little show was cut short as the third member of their council seated around the round table spoke, "Cease your pointless posturing; we all could smell your fear, brief as it was. And if you could not notice, fighting such a being would be akin to committing suicide."
"What?" Hissed Elder Sathroth as he looked at the woman, only to find her eyes half-glazed over as she looked off to the side of the room. "I see you are as distracted and crass as always. It seems that recent events have rattled your mind more than usual… Maybe you should take some time to rest and recover." At the end of his sentence, his voice took on a fake concern dripping with contempt.
Sighing, Magus Sethlom Inklov focused on Droan and spoke as if she was explaining basic math to a particularly dumb child, "That projection was not a hologram. It wasn't even real. It was projected into our minds, and I think everyone else's in the Coalition, at the same time. That level of power and control is… I have no words to describe it. And this world is… bursting with aether. Even if you haven't bothered to look, you should both have felt stronger. Do you seem to have a bit more energy?" As Magus spoke, both of the men started flexing their hands and warily looking around the room like something might suddenly jump out of the shadows at them.
"That's imp—
Magus Inklov cut Droan off with a snort of derision, "Impossible? No, it's not. It just requires a level of power and skill we can't hope to match. I am among the strongest and most educated blood mages our people have to offer, and I have no idea what the cost of the spell that was just cast is. I don't even know where to start in casting it. The question we should be concerned with isn't if we should believe her; it is what kind of enemy can force a people wielding such power into a corner. What will we have to fight?"
**********
Conference Room Within the TFSV Everest, Super Carrier of the Terran Federation, GC 3478, June 7th, 1400 hours—
Fleet Admiral Ulto blinked at where the figure stood a moment before, then looked around the room to find his Chief security officer. Locking eyes on him, he asked, "Was the breach in our systems?"
"No, Sir." The middle-aged man immediately snapped, his jaw clenching in anger at the necessity of having his competence questioned. "Durning the… event, my team raked through every external and internal receiver on the ship. There were no foreign signals. They also reported that every crew member reported similar events regarding a woman with an identical appearance. Either someone infiltrated our system so thoroughly that they have complete control of the ship, or there was no breach. I can only assume some ethereal power similar to the Crimson Monarch blood mages are at play."
"Understood. Assume what she told us is credible information until proven otherwise. We must act under the assumption we will be assaulted by unknown foes. We must also start working under strict information control measures. Since we cannot determine how she achieved what she did, we cannot be sure if we are being watched or what her intentions toward us are. The messenger seemed friendly, but being cautious never hurt anyone." His orders received a ripple of nods from those gathered at the table and displayed on the monitors around the room. "Now, what are the losses to our fleets?"
**********
Ledge within the Hollow Mountains, AB 35923, June 7th, 1405 hours—
Aur Kima looked up, watching the sky weep. Streaks of fire plunged toward Hellious's surface, and the sky was lit with blooms of destruction as the battle raged in the heavens.
The forces at play here were nothing he had ever seen before, unlike anything in his clan's history, even the few jade tablets they had that went back to the golden age of their world. But the creatures bore the taint of the corrupted, and any force that fought against them was fighting the good fight. However fruitless it might have been.
Kima wanted to fly up and join in the struggle, but he restrained himself. It was not his fight. And exposing himself now would only hasten the destruction of his clan. He was no longer so young that he could chalk impulsive actions up to the ignorance of youth, and his heart was already drowning in the blood of far too many of his people due to his actions to justify the risk of adding a single drop more. Well, not without a benefit so great as to outweigh the worst possible cost.
So he watched silently the battle as it unfolded. When those in the metal ships fled from his sight, suffering many losses, he sighed. Another battle was lost. Another shattered hope heaped onto the mountain of despair that was all that remained of this world.
And then he felt the Herald appear. "Why do you appear now? We have little more to give, even if we had the will to keep fighting.”
"I know. But you still sit here, waiting for my commands. Some hope of victory and survival has to remain inside of you." She said softly to his side.
"Old habit more than anything else. What else am I to do? We are so weak that even the corrupted no longer care what we do. The beasts of the world will do their work for them sooner or later."
"Despite that, will you hear my message?"
“…I know you fulfill your purpose. You knew the end was inevitable long ago, and all you have been working toward from that point on was forestalling it another day. One more week, then month, then year, and finally generation at a time. You keep your struggle up out of habit and stubborn pride more than belief of victory. Because to stop means all hope really is lost… That we failed. And you will not accept failure until you are sundered from this existence.” he trailed off and gave a long, heavy sigh, "So yes, I will hear and relay your message."
"Thank you." The Voice of the world sighed in gratitude before she regained her typical poise and said, "The seeds of the stars have returned, and they bring the might of their worlds and history with them. They seem to have long forgotten their original mission and skills, but they can still fight. They have created tools to compensate for their lack of anything but the most basic aether control. With their arms, they will form the vanguard in the Last Crusade."
“…So, it is finally upon us." Kima muttered with resignation, "I thought we had more time, but then, I guess you had to drag them into this fight somehow."
"They were already in the fight; they just didn't understand what they were fighting against."
"Yes, I saw. And yet, some would rather the end come suddenly from behind rather than watch it inevitably advance." The old man said as he watched the sky, only to slump in place as if all of his long years were pressing down on him all at once.
"Perhaps it is cruel of me. But the chance of victory remains, and it could be higher than ever. We are either at the dawn of a golden age or the twilight of our world, and I am not sure which." He heard it in her voice. Real hope, only a speck of it, but it was there. And it was the bitterest pill he ever had to swallow.
"What are the odds."
"That depends on you and them. If you can work together. Go see them for yourself. See what I saw. See what can be. And if I am right, we will have the same odds as a flip of a coin… I haven't dreamt of odds anything close to that then longer than I care to remember."
Kima felt the projection of the Herald vanish, and he felt… curiosity. For the first time in thousands of years, he felt the itch to go on an adventure. To discover what the horizon concealed. "Damn woman knows me too well…" the old man muttered to himself in annoyance, but there was a glint in his eyes that wasn't there minutes before. That hadn't been there in a long time.