Disruption (IC)

Limping past Blair and Aarin, the pair of Spyros and Samir looked pitiful. Samir's limp had improved, but regardless, he still had healing bite wounds on his limbs. Spyros, who was leaning on the Krylonian for support, looked far worse, some of the color still drained from visible skin. Although one was certain that Samir would be fine, Spyros was a different matter, having been treated by more primitive methods. When he had been attacked by animals, Samir had only been injured on his limbs, but Spyros had been slashed by sharp antlers starting at one hip, and running all the way up to the shoulder on the opposite side. There was the fear that something more important than mobility had been damaged, from what one could determine about Chimerosu anatomy so far.

Blair tilted his head as he saw the two, "So what could have happened to ye two? I just arrived here..." He asked, his voice somewhat downcast from the recent turn of events.

Samir looked at Blair, "I was attacked by wild dogs, and Spyros here got slashed by an Alutadon's antlers. I'm trying to help him up the mountain. It's not even safe for him to get on the back of some animal, because if the ride is too bumpy or fast he could get hurt. As far as anyone can tell, he's fine, but the slash was pretty deep, according to the nurses. It could have damaged internal organs, and if he doesn't walk steadily, he might get internal bleeding, which I doubt we can treat here."

Spyros looked at the masked Krylonian weakly, looking ill, and in no condition to go without support, "So you're in the right condition for helping me? You only got attacked a few days ago..." He looked as though it pained him to say anything, likely because breathing stretched the scaly plating on his stomach and chest that was trying to heal.

Samir snorted, "Goodness, I've been a burden to everyone, and it's not like I'm oblivious to that fact. If I can be useful in helping you, then at least I can feel a little more self-worth."

Spyros blinked, frowning, "You have low self-esteem. Maybe I should teach you a lesson in having confidence."

Samir began leading the injured Pavolite past the two, slowly vanishing with Spyros into the distance, saying, "It's my own arrogance that got me into this mess where everyone dislikes having me around, you know. Even my dog hates me..."

The last catches of the conversation was strained laughter from Spyros, "Dogs don't feel hate, not like us...they just feel frustrated, but they come around..."

Blair watched the two pass by, somehow uplifted by the stubborn refusal of the two to give up, as he turned back to Aarin, "Ravage is passionate about what she believes in, and she often says what she thinks about something, even if it may be so blunt that it be hurtful." He said, finally replying. "She told me that she once raised an alien child before, but this be the first time she has claimed one as hers. The first child was a stowaway that hid on her ship, and she took the child as an apprentice of sorts. This time, however, she has declared ties as powerful as blood relation, a true adoption. Though she would have protected both, the difference is that there are no risks to be taken with one's own, and while a threat may be allowed to live for an apprentice, it would not be permitted for a son or a daughter."

Blair shook his head, "Some things cannot be taught, Aarin, and though I can control my feathers, I cannot seem to control my own brain, at times. Ravage does not have personal hatred for me, but she knows better than to let down her guard."

With this, Blair turned and walked away, following the rest of the group.

A distance away, the Cavernain cadet Watson looked at Aarin, and then guiltily scratched the back of his head through his cloak, looking away, and slowly walking past, aware that whatever had happened was his fault.

The group got over the mountain with no more incident, although the atmosphere was definitely more subdued than before. In time, they had reached the place where the Alutadon's were to be released. At this point, Allé insisted on having Spyros and Samir sitting down so he could examine them. His face looked grave as he examined Spyros.

Aarin peeked into a cage. "These creatures are definitely starting to wake up. Now would be as good a time as any to let them loose."

Cipher looked over at the Alutadons, who were starting to grow restless in their cages, "Seeing as we have brought them here, there is only the matter of releasing them. It would be best to do so now, while the bulls do not feel confident in their capability to fight, and would most likely prefer to flee versus turning to attack us." He said. With this done, he instructed bystanders to stand on the side of the cages opposite of the doors, and one by one, they were opened, and the animals released. The animals were restless, but still occasionally tripped over their feet, so when they uneasily fled, looking somewhat lacking in coordination due to the natural long length of their legs, there was a great sense of relief. It went without incident, and the re-location of animals was complete, meaning that within a year, the primary source of game for the Thundarians would return to normal levels.

Upon seeing the animals vanish completely, Cipher opened his wings, and flew up to a branch, balancing with his wings spread, now visibly different from both Thundarian and Pavolite, which was met with barely-concealed surprise from the Thundarian police force, although a few nodded their heads knowingly. He looked down at the gathered group of UCN soldiers and the Arashi Michi forces, "With the re-location of Alutadons and Atroxniks complete, there will be no more need in the future for the Thundarians to raid the nation in the east. It has caused a brutal, bloody war, with many casualties on both sides. The reason those of you from the Arashi Michi have gathered here today is for the sake of ending the conflict, which to this day only those on the border still seek to maintain. You Thundarians that have patiently waited for answers will now get them, as I will now lead you to a very special place that has been forgotten for eons."

Upon this, the Thundarian detectives began whispering amongst themselves, and Chief Albus spoke up, "What kind of place are you referring to, Cipher? This couldn't be a joke, you don't have a sense of humor that I am aware of!" He said, his face perplexed.

Cipher's wings twitched, "Follow, because it is better if you see it with your own eyes. You would not believe me, if I merely told you." He then scanned the faces, "Upon reaching this place, you will find people from the land of Pavo, the nation you have raided for many centuries. According to the vows you have invested in Torn and in Spyros, the Pavolite you are all so uneasy around, despite his injuries," He said, pointing out their apparent unease around the injured flightling, "You will not attack anyone you meet, even after you learn the truth behind the actions of those who have assisted me." With this, he turned and took off, flying so quickly that he frequently had to circle, allowing people to catch up. Ravage took off with him, flying at an even higher altitude, because there was not much lightning to be seen, and also because her own  shadow discouraged people from trying to harm Cipher in the air.

At this, a large number of Chimerosu took off in an entire flock, with a great flapping of wings, something that was rarely seen, but was awe-inspiring to watch. Those on the ground, which included Samir, Spyros, and the Vitisans, who had a highly unusual flight pattern, were forced to walk. Despite this, however, those flying above did so slowly, allowing everyone to proceed at a comfortable pace.

(Timeskip to arrival...)

Upon reaching the mountains, the Chimerosu all began to land, all in front of a large canyon of sorts, with walls of rock rising up on all sides, which those from the UCN recognized as the barrier made by the mountains that had been concealing the ancient Krylonian city. The Thundarians stared at it, uneasy, "What exactly is this?" One mused, while another twitched all over, as though his skin were crawling, "I've never been here before, this far up north..."

Cipher, ignoring everyone's confusion, proceeded along the path through the ridge, and as everyone finally exited, the path merged into paving, and the mountains gave way to reveal the city, utterly alien by all standards that the natives were accustomed to. With towers filled with lush blue foliage, not in the slightest way like the flora of Pavo, and the strange architecture, it was dream-like to the Thundarians. In the distance, multiple white shapes were all sitting down in circles, sharing what appeared to be some sort of dish, still, it seemed, awe-struck by the splendor of the ancient city, which was clearly deserted. The Pavolites heard the murmurs of the approaching group, and all at once, stood up, facing the group, while Chief Evans emerged from the crowd, slowly approaching, eying the Thundarians uneasily. There was not open hostility, but there was a strong sense of discomfort, seeing as the two groups were accustomed to being enemies, and had been forced by a vow in the past not to attack one another.

Evans walked up to Cipher, "So you were working with the so-called demons on the other side of the mountain?" He mused, no hostility, but still surprised, and confused. "What is this place?" He asked, "And what is the meaning of it? It looks like a city, but I've never seen plants like this before, and it seems completely deserted..." He looked around again, not grasping the meaning of it.

Chief Albus forced his way though the crowd, making Evans step back a little, being the weaker of the two, "Ah...greetings..." Evans said, not sure how to go about the encounter.

"Pleased to meet you," Albus said, his voice too rough to sound cheerful, as he looked at Cipher, "I think I can agree with this guy here, that there is something you haven't been telling us, although we all knew that from the beginning. Do us all a favor and explain what this place is, and why you've forced us to promise that we can't fight."

Cipher flicked his tail, "This city, otherwise known as Niduskaia, was the very first to be built by civilization on the entire planet." He said.

The two looked at him quizzically now, more than likely wondering if it was Thundarians or Pavolites built it.

Cipher folded his arms, "This city was built by your ancestors, the original people of both Thundarians, and Pavolites."

The two were frozen, for a moment, before they regained their voices, "What?!" They both cried in unison, and at this there was a great deal of murmuring from both the Thundarians and the Pavolites, some who understood stunned by the news, and others worried because they knew shock when they heard it, but did not speak the same language that Cipher was using. Translators, however, were present, and relaying information, so everyone remained informed.

"This...This is madness!" Evans cried, "How could we have the same ancestors, we're nothing alike!" He exclaimed.

Cipher remained completely calm, having expected a shocked reaction, "Do you think I could have built this city? Perhaps, but did you not question the origin of the plants here?"

"The plants...hmm..." Chief Albus re-gained his sense more quickly than Evans, who was still reeling, and looked at all the oddly-colored flora in the city. "...hmm...these plants don't grow anywhere in Thundaria, and judging by what's just been said, I suppose it doesn't grow in the nation over the border, either. What about it?" He asked.

Cipher sighed, "Where do you think these plants came from, if not from Thundaria or Pavo? Each nation covers an entire hemisphere of the world. If the plants come from neither Pavo or Thundaria, then where did they come from?"

Evans, finally gaining some sense, looked over at the non-Chimerosu people in Cipher's group, "You mean it didn't come from the lands of those people?" He asked, confused.

Albus was the first to realize what Cipher was hinting at, "Are you suggesting that these plants didn't come from anywhere on Maozhu at all?..." His voice quiet, as it hit him.

Cipher held up one finger, and wagged it slightly, as though to make a point, "Now you are closer. These plants did not, in fact, come from our world. They came from somewhere else, and it is a place that no longer exists, because it was destroyed some time ago, although the people who lived there still exist in their own way. The simple fact is, few remember them, because those who lived in this city chose to forget, and abandoned it."

Evans was stunned, "You mean...from a different world...from up there?" He pointed up at the sky.

"Why not?" Cipher tilted his head to one side. "Have you not found it strange, that I seem to know things that you do not? I am a famed detective in both Pavo and Thundaria, and I have solved cases at a rate that a normal person should not be capable of. The simple answer is that I have resources and techniques that you do not. These things were knowledge that have been passed down by a small group of people, who disapproved of forgetting the origins of the people on this world. My family, along with several others, tasked themselves with handing down the knowledge through generations."

There was a long pause, and everyone was too shocked to truly respond, "You can't be serious, but, this place..." Evans said in a hushed voice.

Albus folded his arms, after a long moment, "Well, how do you explain how Thundarians and these Pavolites look so different, and such?" He demanded, trying to retain composure, though it was already lost.

"When they left the city, the original people split apart, some going to the east, and some to the west. Environmental pressure changed both, because the people chose to give up the technology that they had originally possessed. Many from both lands died, and so over time, they adapted to survive. Thundarians gained their power to survive lightning, because the original people would die whenever they were struck in the east. The Pavolites were sometimes ambushed by predators when they could not remember to camouflage, so their coloration changed to one that alarmed and frightened away most creatures. You merely look different, because you were separated by thunderstorms and the mountain range for so long a time that you could no longer remember any relations."

"I see..." Albus mused.

It was then that one of the Pavolites ran up, looking stunned, crying something in Krylonian that nobody could understand.

Evan's eyes widened, "Another object from the sky, just like the one reported on the border days ago? We haven't been able to get inside of it..." He suddenly took a deep breath, and turned to Cipher, "Are there people from the stars here now?" He asked.

Cipher, in answer, gestured to the enormous crowd of masked Chimerosu behind the Thundarians and Pavolites, still hanging back and watching, waiting for a hostile reaction of some sort.

After a tense moment, Ravage, in a place to charge in and protect Cipher if the need arose, reached up, and slowly took the mask off of her face, pulling back her hood, as well. This revealed her greyish-brown beak, and her curving horns, along with the long iridescent blue mane, and the sharp teeth in her beak. Everyone stared at her, more shocked by her face than what Cipher had been saying.

Her reptilian eyes scanned the group, "For reference, I am a mutant, even among my own kind." She said. "You should believe him, because the simple fact is it seems you were already aware of something landing on the planet. I would appreciate if you would convince the locals to return the Jewel to us, seeing as that ship is valuable."

With her statement, which was bold, and unusually casual, which disarmed most hostility, other Chimerosu proceeded to take off their masks, revealing their identities as aliens. The Thundarians uneasily backed away, and the natives stared.

"I...I can't believe that this is real..." Evans said.

Aarin stepped forward, beckoning Isbar, Tevri, and all the travelers from Vathoris forwards.

"It is indeed real," he said to Evans with a smile, "and I will gladly vouch for everything that both of my companions have said. By the standards of both Thundarians and Pavolites, we also are aliens, indeed, more so that these Chimerosu here who have unmasked themselves, for we share no ancestry with your races, as you can no doubt tell," he added with some amusement. It would indeed be hard for anyone to countermand him, since Tevri, Isbar and the party from Vathoris bore no resemblance to any variety of Chimerosu.

"However," Aarin continued, "you need not fear us. We are not demons, no more than any of you are. I, for one, am happy to extend friendship to all of you on behalf of Vathoris, the world I call home, a place where many races live together in peace. I consider it an honor to associate with you, as it has been to associate with these here." He motioned to the crew of the Majesty as he said this.

Tevri stepped forward and bowed. "It is my pleasure to extend friendship on behalf of my own people, the Markovan Empire. If I may give you the traditional gesture of trust of my race," here he drew his sword and presented it hilt first to the crowd as a whole, "Here is my sword and here is my hand in friendship."

Chief Albus and Chief Evans both stared at the offered sword, and a long, tense silence dragged out, as people realized that the two were unsure of what the proper response to Tevri's greeting was. It did not help that they, along with the rest of the combined forces of the Arashi Michi and Tani Yard, were still trying to absorb the startling turn of events, which occurred almost too quickly for them to follow. Chief Evans continued to stare at Tevri's sword, before he managed to speak again, "I...don't know..what..." He drifted off, his voice so quiet that it was more like a murmur, barely heard at all. Everyone began to feel uneasy, and a lot of pity was felt for the two chiefs, trapped in their situations. It was extremely painful to watch.

Finally, Ravage, in her typical gruff manner, decided to extend a path of mercy for the two, as she carefully walked up to take a place next to Cipher, who was still wearing his disguise. As she passed, she tilted her head towards the two, and quoted the typical words that she was now familiar with, "Say, 'You may keep your sword, but we accept your friendship.'" She said, keeping her voice equally quiet, so as to minimize any humiliation, which would have been on par with actors forgetting their lines in front of a large audience. The two recoiled from her slightly, unnerved by her appearance, and Albus recognizing her as the frightening female who had been protecting Cipher like a body guard. When Ravage had taken her place next to Cipher, they turned back to Tevri, and proceeded to stumble over the words.

"You may keep your sword..." Evans said, his voice uneasy, as he was clearly nervous. He opened his beak to say the final set, but at this time, Albus joined in, completing it,

"...But we accept your friendship..." The Thundarian Chief said, dipping his beak slightly.

With this, the tension passed, and there was a collective sigh of relief, as the UCN soldiers all proceeded to remove their cloaks, revealing their gleaming brushed grey metal armor, and their ranks on the shoulder plates. All of them, however, still had thick charcoal coating their wings, making them black. Regardless, the eyes of the natives widened at the sight of Chimerosu who looked so different, and yet were somehow related to them. There were white feathers and grey ones, along with black and bright emerald green. There were some who were blue, and one looked extremely strange, for the feathers looked seamless in the way that they overlapped. "We're all really related to the same race...?" Evans asked, the only one who seemed to do so, as Albus merely stared.

Aolani, at this time, walked up to the two, fluttering her smudged wings in an attempt to remove some of the charcoal dust. "Technically, Pavolites and Thundarians are only two sub-groups among our kind. So far, there are actually, with your group included, six different distinct peoples, and there may be more we have not made contact with, yet. This does not include the original race we are all descended from, who are known as Krylonians, because the Krylonians technically should be considered extinct, although we have three with us here, and they are the only known remaining members of the race." She then nodded over at where Ravage stood next to Samir, "Ravage over there is considered the only remaining female, but she's a mutant, so don't have the misconception that they have teeth, or spines, or normally wind up that tall."

Albus scowled, "Well, if there's that many, and we're technically not Krylonians anymore, what do we collectively call ourselves?" He asked.

"Chimerosu," Cipher said, still standing where he had been earlier. "We are Chimerosu, and the aliens who have landed here today come from the United Chimerosu Nations, or UCN, for short. The UCN is, from what I have been told, a collection of the races that have joined together, each having originated from independent colonies from the original Empire, which was destroyed in a war."

Albus folded his arms, closing his eyes and tilting his head thoughtfully, growing silent. After awhile, he finally spoke again, "...It's hard to wrap my mind around it: an empire so big that it's got multiple planets. Somehow I just can't see that, but there's so much evidence that as a former detective, I'd be stupid not to believe you."

Evans frowned when Cipher did not remove his disguise, "So are you an alien?...No, you sound like you weren't contacted until they landed here. What are you, are you a Thundarian, or a Pavolite?"

Cipher chuckled slightly, and shook his head slowly, "I am afraid my own identity is something I would prefer to keep secret, for safety reasons, only a few select people may know. If you can guess, then you are lucky, but otherwise, I will not help you."

As people began to relax, the sounds of a mix of Krylonian along with other languages proceeded to fill the deserted streets. Though those from the UCN could not read Krylonian, most of the people could roughly understand one another.

It seemed that somehow, Cipher's words were accepted without protest, perhaps because he had orchestrated his plans in such a manner, or perhaps because what he had said before was right, and that the Thundarians and Pavolites both were sick of war.

Aarin was very much relieved. Things had turned out better than he hoped. Coming up to Cipher, he slapped the young Chimerosu heartily on the back.

"This victory belongs to you, and you alone, young one," he said smiling. "This will be something to remember and tell your children about. I don't doubt that most of those who were here to day won't be telling the story over and over again for as long as they live."

Aarin looked around and gave a slight sigh. "And this will be a lesson to me to have a little more faith in people. I've always tried to see the best in everyone, yet I must admit, after all I've seen in life, I was a little afraid that fear and prejudice would prevail, and this would all be for nothing." He smiled at Cipher. "I guess it just goes to show that we are never too old to learn."

Cipher watched as the different Chimerosu mingled amongst one another, "It was not about victory or glory. It was for the people that died because two groups misunderstood one another, to the point that they forgot their common ties. My parents were murdered by Thundarians while I watched, and I only survived because my family taught me to hide. I could have let myself hate them, the people who killed my mother and father, but if they truly thought nothing was wrong with their actions, what good would more hatred do?" He looked at Aarin, his eyes hidden behind the reflective lenses of his mask, "Hatred is an empty thing, which is why our people would so easily let it go; we tire of fighting, and though I am young, I have felt things that others my age will possibly never understand in their entire life."

He looked at Albus and Evans, who were now talking in-depth, possibly about collaboration, and making some sort of arrangement possible between Pavo and Thundaria. "Now that the Tani Yard and the Arashi Michi wish to work together, everything else will soon follow. The Emperor of Thundaria and the Queen of Pavo have their palaces located extremely close to where the two organizations have their headquarters. News should reach them quickly, and peace should result soon after. They would have a more personal reason for wishing to end the war.” He said.

Cipher then proceeded to name what the personal reason of the royalty was, “During a time when the first-born son of the Pavolite Queen and heir to the throne was visiting villages on the border, he coincidentally encountered the third daughter of the Thundarian Emperor, and by some means the two became close friends. I happened to come across them when they were having a conversation, the night before the prince was to return to the palace, and because they never saw me, they only know that a stranger, perhaps a young flightling, caught them. I engaged them in conversation, and later, I agreed not to tell anyone but people who could be trusted. Later, I agreed to be an anonymous messenger, and help establish a form of communication between them. I delivered a mechanical device disguised to look like a common species of bird, which could contain scrolls in its body; it could fly, and they were able to use it to write to one another, and people would only think they had been feeding a bird in the courtyard.”

Ravage walked up to Cipher, "If you are confident that there is not much more need for your hand in things, Cipher, then we have a very important ceremony to perform. It is a custom among Krylonians, but seeing as the people on Maozhu seem to use their last names freely, it is possibly nonexistent here. There is also the matter that it is generally time-consuming, and it is not meant to be done in front of a large number of people. Only members of a family may know their surname, and the rights of the ceremony include bestowing you with one. It is meant to be a secret, which is why most of us have only ever mentioned our first names."

Aarin nodded at Ravage. "I'll leave you two then," he said. "I won't intrude."

Aarin made his way over to Blair and was about to say something, when something else got the attention of both of them. Some of the Thundarians and Pavolites had begun to take interest in the crew of the Majesty, asking questions of them concerning their races.

One had been speaking to Isbar and Allé, when Isbar abruptly stormed off. "It's all right," Allé was saying to the rather crest-fallen native. "He's just. . . a little sensitive."

Aarin looked at Blair in confusion. Only Blair had most likely heard the question the Pavolite had asked, inquiring as to the customs of Isbar's people.

Blair folded his arms, and shook his head, "Isbar's status as being the only member of his group make it difficult for him to answer questions about customs, so of course, it would be a highly sensitive topic. It is no mistake of that agent, but regardless, some things are too painful for a person to talk about, especially something as frustrating as people taking for granted that you could answer their questions. We may be aliens, and perhaps we are more advanced, but in regards to certain questions, we have no answers." His tail twitched, as he watched as Ravage and Cipher vanished, heading back towards the spaceships, "Ravage and Cipher will likely look for the small chapel-room we keep in the Majesty in a spare room, whenever the time comes that we should depart. A resident priest or official sometimes provides solace for us, and regardless of what race, we all consistently believe in the same exact thing. The rights of the surname are a religious ceremony, but because Maozhu is the first planet where last names have been used, they cannot do the ceremony on this planet." He said.

Samir limped over, "I will go and wait by the ships, and already, some people were sent out to go and retrieve the Jewel from the natives, so Travis won't complain over it." He then limped away.

Blair looked on as Samir vanished, "Aarin, are ye aware that in addition to our religious official, that the surname ceremony also requires three witnesses? Samir, by default, would act as one, as a member of Ravage, and I can see Horus is leaving, as well. There are only two Krylonians, however, so that leaves the question of the third. I do not feel that I have the right to serve as a witness, for Ravage does not trust me enough, nor do I trust myself not to snap and disrupt such a thing. Her cadets cannot go, either, and Cipher also does not count. I suspect that either ye, or Isbar should be the ones to be witnesses. The truth is, we lied about Corey's office being the only sound-proofed chamber, the chapel is sound-proof, also."

Aolani walked up, "I was listening in, I don't have to be a Cavernian to do that." She said, looking up at Aarin, "The surname ceremony requires three witnesses, by tradition, preferably people of the same culture as you, but if three cannot be found, the right would by default go to the closest of friends that the older participant has, or those that can be trusted to keep the secret of a surname. It is not something you write on a legal document, it is the tie that defines a family, ignoring blood ties. Once you are a witness, you are sworn to secrecy, however, and to no one at all can you mention it, not even to close family, like your brother, no matter how much you trust him."

Blair scratched the back of his head, "That be the essence of the situation, Aarin." He said.

At this suggestion, Aarin looked a little surprised. To be accorded with such a trust was an honor. He had figured this was something utterly private, something someone like him, even though he was a friend of Ravage, would be excluded from, and he had quietly accepted that with no ill will.

With great solemnity, Aarin bowed deeply, placing his right fist to his left hand.

"I am truly honored by that," he said with a smile. "I will fulfill the role and duties to the best of my abilities. I give my word."

Blair nodded, "Well, then ye should go with the group that just left, we will wrap things up here, and in a few hours, we will probably have established a form of lasting communication with royalty from both nations. It sounds like we have a monarchy on this planet, from what Cipher mentioned earlier. Speaking of which, I get the impression since he didn't remove his cloak he doesn't want people knowing who he is. He's very smart, and from what I can tell, the greatest detective on Maozhu, but he be a secretive one, and with good reason. The lad may get in trouble in the future, so best keep his identity a secret, too."

With this in mind, Blair and Aolani turned and vanished into the crowd, while Aarin was left to catch up with the small group leaving for Ravage and Cipher's surname ceremony, a ritual that had not been mentioned before in any writings regarding Chimerosu traditions. As it turned out, Ravage alone was going to pilot the ship, and although she had never used a UCN vessel before, she did well in preparing for the takeoff. She said nothing when Aarin entered the ship, but Horus and Samir nodded at him, as though aware that he was, indeed, the intended third witness. Cipher, meanwhile, remained hidden in his cloak, looking around at the innards of the ship quietly, never having seen the inside of a spacecraft before.

When Aarin came inside, Arrow ran up at the last moment, and charged into the ship, and Xenos followed, making the ship crowded, as there was little room in the small aisle in which the Spiromander could fit, along with the dog. Soon, the hatch of the ship was closed, and it was taking off, the Chimerosu on the ground watching a single, glimmering ship vanish into the deep blue sky of the mountains, as it traveled towards something distant...

Aarin cast a glance at Cipher. How must is it be for someone like him to see these things for the first time? And this was just the beginning.

Noting Cipher had caught his glance, he flashed a brief smile.

"This is just the start, young'n. Just wait till you see the rest."

Rune did not respond, but mentally prepared himself for anything he was about to see. Although logically, he was aware that traveling through the void of space was possible, he had still never seen it, or been aboard any spacecraft in his entire life. The takeoff as the landing ship accelerated through the atmosphere was new to him, and so was the pure smoothness when it glided into a place where there was so little matter that the movement seemed perfect. Like most Chimerosu, save for perhaps flightless Silexians, Rune was used to feeling the resistance of air during an ascent, and had never before felt such a lack of it, even though he was inside a compartment pressurized and filled with it. Overall, he had never been in an ascent or in flight without doing so using his actual wings, and the experience was all novel, to him.

Samir flicked his tail, "Remember that only the priest and the four of us should see Cipher's real face, and know his actual name. People are not so ready to admit that they were successful because of a chick, even if he is a half-grown flightling, already. Pride is a terrible thing, so despite what good Rune has done, the Pavolites and Thundarians will want to know who Cipher is, and investigate into as much as they could sink their hands into." He frowned, the scars under his beak and around the fleshy corners of his mouth wrinkling, "I say this because I would have in the past done the same thing, although I will try very hard to be better about everything." He looked over at Arrow, the dog's bright yellow eyes glaring at him, "I want people to be able to forgive me for being such a stubborn fool, and acting selfish, when true honor is trying to act unselfish, and even if an action is self-serving, be humble enough to admit it."

Xenos, lying down in the center aisle, snorted and shook his head, before turning to look at Samir with a tilt, as though questioning. There was the faintest of a downward turn to the Spiromander's mouth, as though he puzzled over something, or was in deep thought, and trying to transmit them via telepathy to the mutilated-looking Krylonian. He then looked at Arrow, and the dog looked at Xenos, wordless communication taking place. Arrow returned the Spiromander's look for a while, before snorting in apparent disgust, shaking his head, and looking away from Samir, staring at what seemed to be an extremely fascinating corner of the chamber. Xenos gave what sounded like a vaguely frustrated growl, before laying his head back down on the floor to pass the ride in silence.

Rune looked at the dog, which had clearly refused just then an attempt to make peace, "You realize you are being unfair, both to Samir, and to Xenos and Ravage." He said to the Hearing Hound. "You refuse any attempt Samir makes to settle your problems, and yet you obligate Xenos to act as your mediator, and for Ravage to look after you and keep you from doing something foolish that would make others decide to have you put down. Samir is at least humble enough now to confess his wrongdoings. You, on the other hand, have grown selfish out of a sense of misplaced justice, when you are currently doing nothing but harming the very people that you want to help." It seemed strange, that Rune would be confronting a dog, but surprisingly, Arrow lowered his ears, and refused to look directly at the cloaked Maozhuian hybrid, growling faintly, as though reluctant to take such harsh words.

...Later...

When the group arrived at the airlock on the Majesty, there was an exceedingly small number of people to greet them, a large group having descended to land on planet Maozhu, thus diminishing the population on the cruiser. The group was largely silent as they proceeded towards where the room holding the chapel was, and met no one on their way, the ship seeming oddly deserted. Most of the group's members, including Arrow and Xenos, focused on walking in such a way that they enclosed Rune, keeping him from suffering some sort of potential shock from seeing such an advanced place. When they arrived, they found that the door leading into it had no sort of distinguishing qualities aside from a different arrangement of letters on its number to indicate that it was any different from other rooms. It seemed that those who entered the chapel were meant to be aware of where it was, merely because they asked or looked for it, not because of obvious features.

When Ravage knocked on the door, an ancient-looking Vitisan answered it, his feathers having dulled to a complete shade of grey from age, and a long white beard of feathers hanging down from beneath his beak and lower face. His eyes were sharp and clear, gleaming with intelligence, but at the same time, they blinked with sagging lids, an indication of poor vision. His feathers had the faint iridescence of most Vitisans, now faded to a white shade, which could only be described as silver. Overall, while he seemed old, the Vitisan, who must have been the priest of the chapel, was somehow beautiful, perhaps because of the strange glow that his feathers produced. He wore a plain grey jacket, reserved, and lacking in ornamentation, save for a single breast pocket, from which he extracted a pair of simple metal frames, placing them on the bridge of his beak and squinting at the group again, as though he needed a new pair of glasses.

He started at the group intently, not saying a word, as he made little musing sounds to himself, "Mmmmmm....hmmmm....." He suddenly made a final noise, "Hmm!" He opened his beak to speak, "You are here to visit the chapel, perhaps? Please, forgive me, the older a man gets the stranger his brain becomes." He said, before stepping aside and allowing everyone to enter the room past the door. His moves were precise, yet slow, as he seemed to take his time with everything. It did not seem, however, to bother anyone, and he did not even protest when a Hearing Hound and Spiromander attempted to follow, and even permitted the animals to enter, as well.

When everyone was inside, the priest closed the door, and everyone took in their surroundings. The chapel was painted a pale off-white, for the most part, and compared to any other room on the Majesty, had ceilings perhaps twice as high as any other room, though the area on the floor was roughly the same. This allowed for the ceiling to come to an arch, and delicate plasterwork was simply done, neither excessive nor gaudy, nor reserved, but a perfect balance of the two. The ceiling was painted with varying panels of different scenes of the sky, ranging from clear blue, to overcast, dawn and dusk, as well as night. There were some rows of pews facing towards the back of the room, and what seemed to be a small pulpit of sorts at the very end on a slightly raised platform. The pulpit and the pews were all made of brushed silvery metal, seemingly crucible-made, based on the wood-like patterns, and the pews were lined with cushions themed after signature colors belonging to each UCN race. A small carpet ran between the rows of pews towards the pulpit, and the work could only have been Greta’s, featuring silken depictions of classical elements, such as fire, water, earth, and wind, although it was only a generic description.

What drew one's attention, however, was the detailed image pained on the wall behind the pulpit. It seemed to be a Chimerosu's face, but the pure white horns were enormous, and branched, like antlers, curving out and then back in, with the addition of a second, spike-like pair, and finally, a single horn that curved out from the center of the forehead, almost like some wand. A glowing aura which lapsed between white and silver surrounded each horn, but was brightest in the single one from the center of the forehead, almost like a point of light at the tip. The Chimerosu's beak was like its horns as white as snow, and a dark line of silvery color, almost the faintest shade of pink or purple, separated the beak from the feathers of the face, trailing up to go over the eyes, which were hidden beneath the horns and lids that were half-concealed by the glowing aura. One could not see the eyes of the mysterious figure depicted, and it seemed to carry weight, as though the one who had painted the image had shuddered to think that even in an image, a mere mortal would be worthy to look upon the eyes of the divine.

At the edges of the mysterious Chimerosu-like being's face, feathers sprouted into a mane that covered much of the wall, larger than the mane any Chimerosu would ever naturally have, framing the face. The feathers were brilliantly patterned with eye-like forms, but were like the face, reserved in color, save for the eye marks. The feathers were almost pure white, but possessed the faintest of a peach tinge, although spots on the sides of the mane had a pied look, seeming faintly darker in an oaten-white color, slightly brownish-yellow over the pale pink, making them fade more into the wall. The eye marks of the pattern were like cameos, much darker and standing out brilliantly against the paler colors, first having a darker ring of the overall color, and then becoming a wide combination of bright colors that changed in a spectrum beginning at the base of the mane and moving outward. The primary colors of the eyes seemed to be colors of higher frequencies closer in, and decreased the further from the Chimerosu's face that they went. The first color was what seemed to be magenta, and then the transition gradually faded out with red, and the colors grew paler until they were just a part of the wall. The eyes of the feathers on the mane, however, seemed to look at the group, as though ever-watching, and it seemed as though there were thousands of them.

Ravage flicked her tail, and turned to the priest, "I have a favor to ask of you." She said. "I have agreed to adopt a flightling into my family, and I require a priest to perform the ceremony. I have brought three witnesses, but I must also ask that you say nothing about the adoption to anyone, even what would normally be permitted of you by the Divine One," She said, invoking the title 'Divine One' with reverence.

The priest, a sharp old man, looked at Rune, still in his disguise, "You, there, flightling." He said, "The Divine One knows you, whether or not you go in a guise or not," He said, his words slow, and bearing no harsh, scolding tone, "Shed the robes, I shall lock the door for a private ceremony such as this, and I will not speak a word, and as I say so in this place, it is my duty to keep all promises that I make." He then turned and walked over to his pulpit to grab a book resting on it, and also to pluck a scroll of paper from a hidden compartment behind it, as well as what seemed to be a jar of ink, and set them down. Meanwhile, Cipher slowly removed his mask, although the cloak remained. The priest nodded, seeing as it was sufficient.

Aarin had regarded the image with interest. Was this a representation of what Chimerosu regarded as God? Aarin made a mental note to look into this later; it occurred to him that there would most likely be some meaning in the different aspects of the image. He noticed that the whole arrangement of this chapel was similar to what would be found on Vathoris amongst his own people; however, there didn't seem to be anything that Aarin recognized as an altar that was an essential part of his own religious practices, and no tabernacle for sacred objects. The churches and cathedrals back on Vathoris usually also had many stained glass windows, icons, and statues, depicting religiously significant events in Vathoris' history, as well as noteworthy figures. The most common was always that of the prophet Ben'hur, the one credited with writing the ancient scriptures and laying down the doctrines of Aarin's religion, known simply as the Great Theism. This brought Aarin's thoughts back for a moment to the image. Most races imagined God as being some incarnation of their own species. The Vatarri had been this way once. The prophet Ben'hur had done away with this idea, stating that it was impossible to truly represent such a being with any tangible image; then again, if the universe and all the races thereof were the work of one deity, who were they to arrogantly assume his appearance would be based on their own?

Aarin came out of his thoughts as the priest made his preparations. Focusing his attention on the matter at hand, he stood upright, and waited. He assumed that anything he was required to do would be explained to him when the time came.

The ancient priest took his book, and opened it, slowly flipping through the pages with a measured calm, before finding the parts in it that he had been looking for. He looked around at the room again, before clearing his throat, "Will the three witnesses please be seated, while the adoptive parent and chick come forward?" He asked, and did not speak again until everyone obliged. Ravage and Rune stood before the pulpit, the ceremony apparently starting. The priest squinted at the two, "In advance, my understanding of this Krylonian sounds written in Vitisan text may result in many mispronunciations regarding the words, so please forgive me if I accidentally butcher them. The tongue is...hard to speak...considering that while I know the sounds, I cannot fully understand their meaning, unless I refer to speaking international tongue, which may not even be the proper wording." He then squinted at the words, before he started trying to read them aloud, speaking so slowly that it was almost agonizing. Aarin would not understand the words, although there was a specific pattern to them in the slow speech of the priest that normally wasn't detectable, like regular speech instead of bird-like sounds:

Kreeskaaa, Cheeshmana kaa sku waaa,

Treee Kee Tuuu,

Kreen Kreen Kaa,

Chee Chee Tuu,

He looked up, and between Ravage and Rune, who both looked vaguely confused, as did Samir and Horus. Clearly, the priest was not quite pronouncing the words properly, or was speaking so slowly that they struggled to understand him. The priest sighed, "Will the young charge face his new guardian before the witnesses?" He asked, saying the words in International Tongue, perhaps repeating himself. Ravage and Rune turned to face each other, and the slow, painful reading continued, although it was much more careful, as the priest formed the words, and the understanding seemed better, and faint warbles like a bird's began to appear in the speech, more closely resembling the few times Krylonian had been spoken.

"Kreskanee! Twitwiarra, Kekeamarra,

Ankee ankee twi."

He then again proceeded to speak in International Tongue, "Do you, the parent, choose to take this charge under your wing, and speak to him, of him, and for him as though he were your blood?" He asked, the wording in Krylonian somehow conveyed in a much smaller amount of speech than what it translated to.

Ravage nodded, and produced a "Shrii" sound, perhaps the Krylonian word for 'Yes' or, 'I do'.

The priest read again in his apparently mangled Krylonian,

"ki ki shreenaa whree whree twitwi shaa..."

He then lapsed back to International Tongue, looking somewhat exhausted by the mental concentration, "Do you, the charge, accept this woman as your guardian, both in the eyes of the law, and in the eyes of the Divine One, who sent one of his many pure sons to be sacrificed as atonement for the multitude of evils done by our kind?" He asked. Clearly, either Krylonian phrases had enormous meaning in small amounts of speech, or the priest gave up half-way through. Regardless of this, Rune nodded, "Shrii," he said.

The priest cleared his throat, "Then for the sake of avoiding any fumble on my part, I will say the rest in International Tongue," he said. "In the name of the one single Redemptor that came for the sake of our kind, as so many other Redemptors came to save others, appearing in the flesh as one of us, to live as us, and to die for us, I say these things. As a priest, and therefore representative, of the Divine One's Law, given to us by his many prophets, and spoken by the Redemptor of the Chimerosu race, I declare you Bound, as though by blood, and as mother and chick, in the eyes of the Divine One, through the Redemptor Ahbineetwu."

He looked between Ravage and Rune, "The parent may now speak of her surname, and bestow it upon her son." He said.

Ravage turned to Cipher, and the following sounds could not be described, but sounded oddly whisper-like, almost like the noise of a babbling river flowing over a rocky cliff face. It was different from any other example of Krylonian, for it consisted of unique sounds, although it was undoubtedly something that had significance.

The priest looked at Ravage, "Now, the final part of the ceremony, and a custom that is considered more of a tradition, than actual law of the Divine One. If you truly wish to be bound, you must pluck a primary feather from your wing, sacrificing your flight, until the feather re-grows. You will use the feather to sign this legal document, which will exist as legal proof. The quills formed by primary feathers create the greatest of calligraphy, but are also the most painful to remove, because of natural sensitivity. Because this is something you can choose not to do, I will provide a feather of my own that I have used for years, if you do not wish to do so, though it is old and brittle from so much use." He squinted an eye, waiting for her to opt out.

Ravage, instead, unfolded one wing, and plucked the largest primary feather from its tip, only wincing slightly as she took the deep midnight blue feather, glinting with a iridescent sheen, and patterned with dark magenta and black on the underside. "I have lost feathers before, it it will take perhaps a week, before my feather fully re-grows. Much less time than a month, but regardless, the price I must pay to prove that I will keep my word." She said, "I can live without flight, because I know I do not need it, though we are gifted with it." She said, before turning to Rune, who carefully took the feather, as though afraid to damage it, the quill looking as fine as silk, and the plume sharp like the tip of a pen.

The priest opened the scroll he had taken out on his desk, and took the quill from Rune, before dipping it in the well of what seemed to be silvery-black ink, a unique, shimmering color, in ways, and slowly, carefully wrote in the scrawling text of the UCN. The process took several minutes, in which everyone waited silently, aware that it was mostly the priest that made the process slow, but after about fifteen minutes, the priest gestured for Ravage and Rune to approach the pulpit, and pointed at several spots, "Please, place your signatures on these lines," He said. They then proceeded to sign the paper.

The priest then looked at the witnesses, "Now, will the witnesses please come forth and sign this document?" He asked.

The first to sign was Samir, doing the task with such concentration and focus that it was clear that he had felt some deeper meaning in the action, perhaps because Ravage had so willingly sacrificed her flight for it. He handed the quill next to Horus, who additionally placed his signature. Horus then turned to Aarin, "Place your signature on this line here," He indicated, pointing at a line, and offering the quill made from Ravage's feather.

The differences from typing in the languages from print was great. UCN languages consisted of geometric shapes such as squares, circles, and triangles, along with dots and slash marks. Krylonian writing, however, was far more detailed and elegant in comparison, consisting of lines in each symbol that curled into delicate spirals, with slash marks that indicated their clear identity as letters. Samir's writing seemed close to that of the symbols seen in typing, looking highly orderly, while Horus' penmanship looked poor, even to an alien who could not read the words. Rune's writing was done in an oddly flowery fashion that one would have mistaken for the handwriting of a female, for it was neat and legible, it seemed, and somehow delicate, with tightly and neatly-done spirals. Ravage's handwriting, by contrast, had a unique, drawn-out quality to her lines that made them seem to slash past the traditional points, and the spirals were tightly done, with tails trailing down in a way that resembled calligraphy done as art, and oddly, it seemed like something that one could not determine gender from. All the Chimerosu seemed to have different penmanship, and the differences were unique to each person.

Upon Aarin signing the legal document, it would have three languages on it, and would have the penmanship examples of six different people, including the priest.

Aarin took the pen and paused a moment. This was probably the first time in history than anyone other than a Chimerosu had affixed their signature to such a document.

With great solemnity, Aarin made his signature. If it would have been translated into English, it would have actually appeared as Er'in Tir'mot; the Loccalian dialect that was used as the standard for interspecies communication, however, changed the spelling. The letters of Aarin's signature were a series of thin, almost spidery, lines, yet elegantly done, with little curls and embellishments that gave it graceful manner, although the overall arrangement bore an august and official tone to them.

A little bit later...

After the priest had stashed the scroll in a safe place to serve as proof of legal adoption, the group was left to wander around the empty ship for awhile. Eventually, however, they were startled as there was a bright flash of light, and the strange alien, Ambigon, who had continued throughout their entire voyage through space to disappear, drifted before them. It was only when he appeared like this that people remembered that the strange energy being even existed. It seemed that despite his presence being highly significant, the fact that he could remain so well-hidden made it easy for knowledge that he was on the ship to slip one's mind. One began to suspect, however, that this was Ambigon's typical behavior, and that he intentionally made it so that he was nearly impossible to find. At first, it had seemed that he had tried to make contact with workers in the engine rooms, according to the strange rumors of a ghost's presence there. However, the longer that the Majesty had been in space, the less that was heard of the mysterious spirit.

Ambigon's body was glowing a much deeper shade of blue than before, but as always, much of his body was as black as night, with stars drifting within their depths, as though he were a shifting glass figure containing space within. The head, which only had two distinct star-like points of light that could be recognized as eyes, turned to look at the group, "The soldiers are returning, and contact has been made with the monarchs of this planet." He said, somehow having knowledge of the events. The fish-like tail lashed a bit, and he drifted higher up, the glow around his body brightening slightly, "However, I would advise you that you have a new mission to complete, in addition to finding the new planets. I have made new deductions of the Arachnarche, based on evidence, and would like to present it to you."

Ravage scowled, and Horus, who had never seen Ambigon before, looked fascinated.

Samir tilted his head, squinting an eye at the energy being, "You vanish constantly, and don't give any word of where you run off to, and yet you have knowledge of all events. You are starting to make us uneasy." He said. Xenos growled at the bright light in his vision, and Arrow's hackles rose.

Ambigon flicked his tail, "It is a habit of mine to avoid contact with you, so it is considered strange for me to interact, versus observe. this is why I have never consistently appeared before you. However, you should encounter me in a meeting with Travis and Corey, as I have analyzed more evidence."

With this, Ambigon vanished in a flash of light, and commotion was heard as Chimerosu gradually began to return to the ship.

"Good, you're here," said Aarin as Mott and Allé returned.

"What's up?" asked Mott.

"A meeting, that's what," replied Aarin. "It seems Ambigon has picked up some information on the Arachnarche that he wants us to know about."

"Ambigon?" said Allé in confusion.

"The energy being, remember?" said Aarin. "You were there when he first popped up."

"Oh, that fellow," said Allé. "I'd rather forgotten about him. So he's got some information? Where did he get it?"

Aarin shrugged. "I don't know. It's anyone's guess where he's been while we've been busy. He keeps to himself most of the time. Anyways, we should get to the meeting. You're both wanted."

The three quickly made their way to the meeting room. The ship, the crew now all returned, was a beehive of activity again, and it took a little elbowing and quite a few "Excuse us," in a few places.

When all the people had gathered in Corey's office, Ambigon appeared in a flash of light, once again, his glow seeming duller than usual, as though reflecting a grave mood of sorts. He appeared last, and therefore was later than the intended time the meeting was meant to start. Upon his presence being noted in the room, Corey's office door was closed, and people listened intently. "My apologies for appearing later than the intended time. I have been doing rapid calculations that distract even my own mind." He said. He looked at everyone, "As I have said before, I have made new deductions about the Arachnarche, which you may find useful."

The energy being then proceeded to speak, "The Arachnarche, as I have discovered, detect metal in a fashion that is surprisingly similar to that of a metal detector. They possess biological mechanisms that allow them to create an alternating magnetic field, which I sensed during our first encounter with the species. This magnetic field is much stronger than a regular metal detector, but it has similar effects, inducing an eddy current in any form of conductive metal, and thus allowing them to recognize metal that they can use in building their nest." He looked at Corey, "This may not be of any interest to soldiers, but it proves valuable data for going about protecting this spacecraft, giving you more reliable options."

The floating claws that acted as small hands twitched, as though moving in a form of expression, "I have also developed a hypothesis regarding their space flight. Via analyzing their movements and flight patterns, I have discovered that their wings primarily serve a purpose in places with an atmosphere, but have no flight capability in space. I suspect, because they move only to adjacent celestial bodies, that the Arachnarche are somehow biologically capable of detecting distortions in space-time. Because of this, they can identify both matter and energy, and act accordingly."

"I suspect their survival in space relates to internal biology, consisting of cavities containing plant-like cells that can both respire, and carry out a process similar to photosynthesis, although requiring no specific energy source to trigger the reactions. The Arachnarche exoskeletion is sleek, and has properties that both reduce friction, and act in a fashion similar to heat-shielding. I suspect layers of insulating tissue are present beneath the exoskeletion, allowing stable body temperature. This is comparable to an organic space-ship, and marks more about the species that is not found elsewhere that I have knowledge of."

"
Ambigon flicked his tail, "The last out of information, is how they receive nutrients. It appears that their nutrition comes from stripping impurities out of metals, and any rocks that they may ingest while seeking building materials. I witnessed several Soldier and Commander caste insects swallowing rocks and metal, although it served no apparent purpose, until I made this conclusion. They are designed to be efficient in every way possible, although the exact reason for how they became a space-faring species biologically is unknown."

Allé scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "This is all very interesting," he mused. "But can we use any of this to our own advantage?"

"You mean, attack them?" asked Tevri

"That should be our last option," said Aarin solemnly. "We should try to see if we can reach any sort of agreement or alliance with them first."

"Why?"

Everyone turned in surprise to Jessic. Who invited him? thought Mott. He hadn't forgotten the Markovan sneaking into his quarters and snooping through his things.

"I don't see why we should bother with diplomacy," said Jessic in a rather haughty tone. "If they really pose a threat, then they ought to be destroyed."

"These aren't just mindless beasts, Jessic," said Aarin. "Some of them are sapient."

Jessic shrugged. "So what?" Almost every mouth fell open at this.

"So what if they're sapient," went on Jessic callously. "A threat is a threat. And the only thing to do with a threat is to destroy it!"

Ravage snorted, "I've often been called out for a lack of common sense, but I think most would agree that your claim is far worse than anything I've ever said or done. You have already been called out on multiple occasions, and you have been demoted for various actions that are beneath an officer of high ranking. I have done terrible things, but I make a point not to voice genocidal tendencies unless I feel there is good reason to. So far, the only things I have hated enough to say such awful threats were the Karthla and the Liirlith. These two races, unlike the Arachnarche, intentionally do harm to others, and do not feel remorse. Unlike these two terrible threats, as you would call them, the Arachnarche's crimes are of ignorance, and an alliance could prove beneficial, because of their natural capabilities." Her feathers ruffled, and her wings opened slightly, showing a hint of red underneath, "If people did not have such respect for me as a person, I would have been killed before I learned how to use my own abilities. To kill the queen, the sole progenitor of an entire race in our galaxy, would be murder, without good cause. You have never met the queen, and neither have we, but we should not be so hasty to issue a death sentence on the behalf of mistakes."

Ambigon's glow dulled, "Whether the queen is exterminated or not does not matter to me, I merely wish for them to distinguish between a living collection of photons, and one that has no higher form. They may ignore physical beings, but an energy being such as myself can be mistaken for food, which is why I have little conclusive information to use for my predictions. The term 'Arachnarche' is likely not even what they call themselves, but the only one who could say so would be the queen. I wish for them to no longer pose a threat to my own existence, although I confess the prospect of examining these creatures would delight me, though you could not read it on my features."

Travis folded his powerful arms, his mane spreading out, making the pale blue stripes on his face more prominent, "This ain't a ship designed for intense combat, and trying to fight a swarm of space bugs would just get us all killed. If you want to exterminate something so badly, kill the freakish mutant that murdered half of its own kind and nearly dissolved Blair. Most of us would agree with that, seeing as it appears to be some sort of serial killer."

Ambigon's glow became almost nonexistent, "It appears, based on all evidence, that the Arachnarche possess uniquely flexible genetics, which prevent them from experiencing mutations during their lifespan as a result of exposure to mutagens found in space. As eggs, however, it seems that outside influences could affect the development of unborn offspring, regardless of caste. I suspected, based on the warped crown-like protrusion on the mutant's head, that it was a mutated male monarch, and this was confirmed when it spoke through radio frequency, by whatever puzzling means, as I have decided that only that single caste has the ability to speak. The mutations of unhatched eggs would mean the possibility of new traits that would increase their chance of survival, much like the Grubblons that Chimerosu have a loathing for, and how their unstable genes could cause them to mutate and reach unnatural sizes."

Collectively around the room, Chimerosu made expressions of disgust at the mention of the creatures, having either already possessed a deep hatred for the moths, or having learned it during the visit to Horus' outpost.

Ambigon, oblivious to the contempt Chimerosu had for Grubblons, continued, "The rate of mutations is unknown, but I suspect it happens most often to the monarchs, as it would be troublesome in any other class. Deviant workers are inefficient, but a monarch with new abilities that make it more likely to survive can mate and pass on its genes to the next generation. Evidence suggests that the Arachnarche migrated away from an old nest, and it is possible the mutant originated from there, having been abandoned on account of some flaw that the queen or her offspring saw in its egg. It is also possible that they could not carry the eggs through space, and so the queen would have left behind some way for the offspring to follow her to their new nest, perhaps pheromones of some sort." Ambigon's glow flickered, "I fear that this mutant, fittingly called a Tyrant, in my own personal opinion, intends to kill the queen itself. I worry that if there is a female matriarch somewhere in the nest other than the queen, that this Tyrant intends to mate with it, and in turn, create an entire nest filled with its offspring, which would be a very bad problem, far worse than if the current nest is permitted to live while remaining ignorant of sentinent races."

Aarin looked solemn. "Perhaps, then, we should make it a priority to destroy this Tyrant creature. As well as keeping it from breeding, it would put us in good standard to negotiate with the Arachnarche Queen."

"There's the weapon I devised," volunteered Mott. "It was designed to be used on the Queen, but I'll bet it could work just as well on the Tyrant."

"Wait a second," said Allé. "Are you sure this weapon will work? Have you tested it?"

Mott paused. "Well. . . no. Er. . . well, darn it all, how could I? It's not like I can just have some lab animal to test it on. It's meant to kill something big. Besides, it uses an astronomical amount of power. I barely managed to obtain enough for one use."

"In other words, we've only got one shot with it, and that's it?" asked Allé.

"Pretty much," said Mott, shrugging helplessly.

Kradus gave out a blistering yell of pain as the Metan's scythes crashed down on him. He quickly flanked them with a fist and shot his way out. He then stood up straight, eyeing the Metan closely. He tested a horrific snarl and quickly an enormous blade cascaded from the side of his arm, letting off some steam as it filled with molten blood. The plates of Kradus' face hardened, gradually improving his armor. Thick, yet clear films slid over his eyes to protect them from the heat and he clenched his mouth shut as a bit of skin rolled over and encased it. His tail slowly elongated and an enormous armored blade folded out and thickened, filling with the same hot, thick, molten blood. He swung the blazing hot blade towards the Metan, letting a jet of steam be left behind in its wake. His tail swung in the other direction to take out the Metan by the legs, giving a deadly double.

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Shancar's mouth leaked much quantities of thick black blood. His pupils were drowned in blood as the plates of the top of his face were cracked and bled over his eyes. He gagged, aching all over. He laid in a pool of his own blood, his back feeling almost broken. His blood was so spacious that it seemed to cover every surface outside of the burning church. Shancar reached over to his other arm, giving out a loud cry as it hurt when he moved even slightly, and clicked a button on his left gauntlet.

"General Shancar!" yelled a voice from the side. The pink-eyed Admiral Vekoni ran towards the fallen General. Vekoni's left cuff was blinking and giving off an alarm, indicating that Shancar's distress signal had been sent successfully. Vekoni quickly turned it off and crouched down to see the General. "Oh thrikk'shar..." Vekoni growled angrily, yet worriedly. He looked over his shoulder at a large crowd of soldiers that had been following him. "Get him medical assistance now! Where's my medic?!"

"Here!" a Zraak reported from the side, crouching down next to Vekoni. The medic pressed down on a COMM function on his cuff and began shouting. "I need a Medicraft down by the Athaki Church immediately! General Shancar has been injured!"

Vekoni looked at Shancar, his dark pink, rat-like eyes were unsettling to Shancar and weren't of the greatest comfort to him. They were eerie and deformed, the pupils and irises were so faded that they seemed nonexistent. "We're going to get you out of this, just hold on!"

Suddenly, one of the Zraak soldiers was blasted from their standing point. Vekoni stood, taking out a large gun and pointing at the enemy. The enemy who was tall and wore black armor all across their body. Cybernetics. Cybernetics at every turn. It was a tall Thelan, a Samian, whose body was augmented in every way possible. A broad head with three long spirals that came up from it, almost like horns, and two eyeholes in the black mask that shone bright blue. One arm was tucked tightly in a large blaster socket and the armor of the creature was prestige. The figure was silent for a moment.

"Malefactor..." Vekoni growled. "Away with you!" Malefactor silently tilted his head to the side and promptly shot Vekoni in the shoulder, sending his armor flying over the heads of the Zraak with metallic clatters. Vekoni was not injured, but angled himself to block Malefactor from shooting his bare shoulder.

"Do you honestly think he's going to live?" Malefactor asked, his voice having a certain purr to it that chilled Vekoni's heart. Malefactor did not wait for a reply. "He's been shot by a Krathunian railgun. There's no hope left."

"Zraak are skilled with healing, sabak drood!" Vekoni spat.

"I see no progress so far, even with a healer present. He is bleeding out, and he will die," Malefactor said, his visor fizzing a few times and letting off some steam.

"No..." Vekoni said. Quickly a large craft approached from the side of the church, shaped much like a sideways V and stopped, hovering just beside Shancar. Malefactor readied his arm, uploading the explosives. As they loaded Shancar into the craft, Vekoni desperately jumped out at Malefactor, yelling, "NO!" and then tackling the giant. Malefactor shot straight into the air, letting a huge golden flare fly into the skies and then fall back down to the ground, exploding as it struck the ground just a distance away from the back of the church, making the ground rumble. As Shancar's Medicraft lifted off into the air, Shancar continued punching and battering Malefactor, who was still recovering from the tackle. Vekoni attempted to rip Malefactor's visor off, but failed an instead punched it, screwing up the mechanisms. Malefactor, with one swift, godlike blow of his fist, he threw Vekoni off and into the air, falling on his back on the hot rocks and metal debris. Malefactor picked himself up and a long blade shot from his right arm (which the gun socket had faded from and dissipated), emitting a green glow and letting off green vapor. He approached Vekoni, who beamed him in the head with a huge chunk of metal. Malefactor fell onto one knee, grabbing his head with his free hand. As he let go, he approached Vekoni and began elegantly, yet intensely swinging the blazing blade. Vekoni dodged and began shooting Malefactor many times through the face and chest. It only made the giant stammer, for the armor was too thick. Malefactor quickly ran forward and threw the blade directly through Vekoni's stomach and then retreating it. Vekoni fell forwards, a pool of blood immediately coming from his body.

The blade retracted back into Malefactor's arm as he simply glared back at Vekoni. "Maybe this will be a lesson to you, as to not challenge the Prevalence." Malefactor then turned and began walking on.

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Lamor breathed heavily and coughed, having injected an enormous amount of the smoke from the burning church. He looked at Svar desperately. "He... he..." he rasped, coughing terribly. "He's a-alive... H-he's alive!"

Travis looked at Mott, "Well, it's dangerous to get too close to that thing. We know it sprays acid, and that's not something that you can easily defend against, especially if your life is depending on a space suit remaining in a functioning state. One shot or not, it would give us a ranged weapon that we could use to effectively kill it. It's a murderous being, and none of us think that it should be left alive. We don't want people to die fighting it, so killing it with one shot is the best option we could have."

Ambigon's tail twitched, "There are many things in this galaxy I have seen, the Arachnarche the only creatures I observed that I could not gain full knowledge of. I feel inefficient, and that somehow makes me...sad...I suppose that would be the feeling I am experiencing. I can only make deductions, and because I cannot predict anything else, I could not tell you if this plan would work."

Droids and Mondarian soldiers moved forward en mass, along with Vrentus, Samians, and other members of the Terminus Pact. Smoke and fire roared skyward as a barricade went down from a shot from one of the giant mech droids.

Admiral Marr waved his sword aloft. "Up and at 'em," he yelled. "We'll have them on the run in no time."

He then activated his comm. "Lord Jiiran, how are things going at your end?"

No answer.

"Lord Jiiran?" said Marr in confusion. "Where are you?"

Still nothing.

Marr frowned. Where was Jiiran? Marr made it a priority to know exactly where the Warlord was at all times. But now he wasn't responding. Marr made a mental note to keep an eye put for Jiiran; perhaps he could slip away and look for him at some point. In the meantime, there was a charge to lead.
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Jiiran ignored the communication that he received from his second-in-command. He was past listening to anything or anyone. He even ignored the sounds of Malefactor dealing death to Vekoni on the other side of the wall he happened to be moving past. All that mattered was killing.

For some reason, the one image that stuck in Jiiran's brain was that of the building that Nvarn had gone into, carrying Lamor. They had to die! Evrything had to die! Death! Death! DEATH!!!!

Jiiran soon found what he sought. Hissing and growling, he slammed his bladed fingers under the door, braced himself, and began to heave at it. He hissed and gasped with exertion, froth filling up the inside of his helmet, the door groaning in protest. Jiiran could most likely have gotten in with one or two missiles, or with the cutting beam in his armor. However, the crazed warlord was in no state of mind to be logical. All that mattered was killing. With a cracking and groaning sound, the hinges began to give way.
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Aarin sighed. "I for one don't like destroying life if it can be avoided, especially in this unpleasant fashion; I'm sure most of you would agree with me. However, it seems we have no choice in this situation. Mott's weapon is probably our best chance. Otherwise, we'd face the prospect of killing it the hard way."

He turned to Ambigon. "I can sympathize with you. Helplessness is never a pleasant feeling. Still, you've provided us with valuable information so far, and for that, we're thankful."