I may have made a decision that will be unpopular.
This was shaping up to be one of the most eventful days in Mon Halan's life. First, the end of the Taris defensive line and his narrow escape. Now, being the first to encounter an advanced and quite possibly dangerous alien civilization.
He and his retinue followed Farseer Eltherion. The tall, slender alien certainly cut an impressive figure, with his elegantly decorated white and black robes and long dark hair. Halan had seen Jedi more than once, and in a way he was reminded of them when looking at the person who welcomed them.
As they were led through the docks, he thought it wouldn't hurt to converse a bit, at least to ease the tensions.
"Farseer Eltherion, with your permission, I would like to ask you some questions." he requested formally.
"You have it, Captain Halan." the Eldar replied calmly.
Not the warmest of replies, but he couldn't afford to be picky, the captain thought.
"We – the Republic, that is have not encountered your species before. But the Republic values its territorial integrity, and the cause of galactic peace. In the name of peaceful co-existence, will you be willing to abide by those rules?"
He was hoping he had not offended, before talks had even began. "Captain Halan, I am certain that we will discuss such matters later on. Though I would advise you to be more tactful when you bring this up then."
"Your council then," Halan asked. "Do they govern this Craftworld?"
"Yes." the Eldar answered. "We guide Ulthwé, though some would say that ruling is not the correct term to use."
Mon thought that choice of words interesting. Maybe they were spiritual leaders of some sort? It would certainly fit with how they called themselves seers.
He had also noticed that as they were conversing, they had also walked further into the Craftworld. Now they had left the docks, and reached an open area. From there, several large plazas, what looked like houses and restaurants, parks and even a waterfall.
Once again, Mon had to admit that this place was impressive. While not nearly as large or inhabited as the urban sprawls of Coruscant or even the rapidly-declining Taris, Ulthwé was more beautiful than either. Wouldn't mind spending shore leave on a place like this.
The Farseer stepped towards a circular platform, and touched the railings. The platform hummed softly.
"Come aboard." Eltherion said to Mon and his party. Captain Halan was first to climb, then his troops followed. The platform gently started lifting upwards, taking the passengers away from the docks. Repulsorlift tech, nothing unusual. Halan thought as several similar platforms flew at their sides or in the distance, along with smaller one-man vehicles.
They were now being taken even higher, and he could see an enormous structure looming ahead. A silver and black tower, stretching upwards for kilometers, higher than the dome that protected this area. He could not see the pinnacle from his location.
"What is this place?" he asked, half to himself, half to Eltherion.
"That is the Spire of Seers." replied the Eldar. "It is where our council gathers. And where we're headed."
"So, I'll be seeing your council as soon as possible?" Halan asked hopefully.
"I doubt it. We do tend to take our time, Captain. You'll be provided quarters, however."
"I don't think we could refuse." Halan sighed. I wonder how I'll be explaining all this to the brass when we get back.
Eltherion entered the council's chamber to find they were in session. He had already informed them of the arrival of the captain and his party via a psychic message. In the room was another Eldar, dressed in deep purple robes trimmed with gold, one of the Wayseers.
The Webway gates were still unresponsive, despite their best efforts, something that continued to flummox them. It made utterly no sense, in even the most isolated reaches of the galaxy the ancient network could still be accessed if a gate was present. As the Wayseer was talking, Eltherion turned his attention to a cycle of reports from the mariners regarding their position in the galaxy.
According to them, no known stars of the galaxy were visible, which made ascertaining their position difficult. Hm. Perhaps the Captain would provide astrogation charts to help us if pressed. Eltherion mused.
Suddenly, it struck him.
The Captain! His Republic, the stars, the Webway! It all made sense now! The same theory that he had dismissed as utterly absurd was true. He sent a psychic message to the rest of the council, urging them to dismiss the Wayseer so they could discuss the matter privately.
Calendril quickly spoke up. "Thank you for your efforts Wayseer, but you may leave now. There is an urgent matter to discuss." Eltherion noticed a certain edge as the other Farseer spoke those last words.
The Wayseer bowed her head slightly in respect, and left. "Now you have the privacy you desired, Eltherion." Calendril noted drily.
Worry not, esteemed Calendril. I shall not waste your valuable time. Eltherion almost wanted to say, but there were more pressing matters. "I have found the reason we cannot access the Webway." he said, more nervously than he expected. The other Seers looked at him. "As unlikely as it may sound, I believe the storm took us to another galaxy, maybe further."
After a long pause, Taldeer spoke first. "Are you sure of this, Eltherion?" she asked.
"Why else would we be unable to use the Webway? There have been Craftworlds thrown into the far reaches of the galaxy, but the Webway was there!" he explained. "We have contacted a state which we have never heard of before."
"The latter could be explained otherwise," Caerys pointed out. "The minor empires and petty states of the other races of the galaxy are beyond counting. This 'Galactic' Republic could be one of these, albeit one with delusions of grandeur...However, your other points make sense."
"We have the captain here. It is time to summon him and find out." said Eltherion.
Halan sat, waiting. He had been summoned by another Eldar, at the orders of the Seer Council he was supposed to meet. The same council that had kept him waiting for several hours, though he didn't have any complaints about getting a chance to sleep.
Now, he only needed to wait until he was admitted inside. Soon enough, the large, elegantly-decorated doors to the council's chamber opened. The room itself was large, with a high ceiling and several stairways leading to the center of the chamber, where there was a table, set with strange crystals and carved writings. Mon also saw several large viewports, looking out to the rest of Ulthwé, and several banners depicting a white crying eye on a black background hanging from the ceiling. At the table, eighteen Eldar were seated. The Seer Council, I presume.
The Captain stepped forward confidently, the Eldar at his side leading him before the council, then turning around, and returning to one of the corners of the room. Now, alone before the judging gaze of these strange aliens, who seemed to examine his every move, Halan felt powerless.
At least they were the ones to speak first. A man, with dark hair flecked with streaks of white, wearing different robes, ones that almost looked like ornate light armour, his eyes were a strange shade of purple. "We summoned you here for a reason." the Eldar at the head of the table said. Halan was annoyed by both the abruptness and seeming arrogance, but in his position, he could not afford to talk back, as much as he wanted to.
"We could have easily destroyed your fleet, Captain." the Seer continued. "But, instead we invited you here. So, I will explain the situation to you as simply as possible. We need information."
Information? What sort of information would they need? "I am an officer of the Republic Navy." Halan stated firmly. "I will not give you any information that can be used against the Republic."
"Calm down, Captain Halan." said another Seer. Mon recognized him as the one who escorted him through the Craftworld earlier, Eltherion. "The information we require is more..innocuous."
What does he mean by that? Mon thought. As if he had read his thoughts, another Eldar spoke up. "What extent of territory does your Republic claim?"
Really, there wouldn't be any harm done by answering such a question. Though I don't want to know what sort of rock they've been hiding under.
"The Galactic Republic encompasses the Core Worlds, Inner and Mid Rims, along with a significant part of the Outer Rim." he answered. "If you don't believe me, I can back up my words with a star map." The Eldar looked to be contemplating his words as he waited silently. He heard them speaking amongst themselves. It was the Eldar language, he guessed. Very..musical, in a way.
"No, that will not be needed." Eltherion said. Mon noted his voice was strangely disturbed, in contrast to the more confident tone he had before. He wondered what the reason was. They couldn't have been planning to be hostile, could they? Though if that's the case, I might've just scared them off that prospect. The Mandalorians are bad enough already, the Republic doesn't need any more enemies while they're bearing down our throats. Taris – and the numerous battles before were the most intense military operations Mon took part in. But perhaps if this Craftworld were to persuaded to aid the Republic - He was interrupted from his thoughts by another one of the Eldar.
"How do your starships travel through the galaxy?" she requested. Despite the tenseness of the situation, Mon was amazed. Who in the galaxy didn't know about hyperspace technology, but could create such advanced ships? The biggest ships in the Republic fleet, the Inexpugnable-class that were three thousand meters in diameter, and quite a few of the Eldar ships he saw were much bigger. And of course, the Craftworld itself dwarfed anything the Republic had built that Halan knew of.
He tried to think of a way to explain hyperspace to the Seers. "We use hyperspace to travel the galaxy." he said. "A scientist would be able to explain the principles better than me. But I have to ask, how do you not know about hyperdrives?"
"That is not for you to know, Captain." said the Eldar Halan presumed to be the head Seer. "However, the information you gave us was..helpful."
Mon had an idea. "If you let me and my fleet leave this place peacefully, we could arrange for a trade. I'm certain you have something to give us in return for hyperdrives."
He was right. Whatever happened with that storm, Ulthwé had been taken to a different galaxy. And once again Eltherion was at a loss. What would happen now? This situation was unprecedented, in all the eon-spanning history of the Eldar nothing remotely similar had happened – that they had heard of, at least. He wanted to blame something, someone. Fate's whims, his own negligence, anything. All this, it made the situation even graver. Ulthwé was cut off from the Webway, isolated from all other Eldar. Stranded in an unknown place.
How would the others in the Craftworld take the news? Many of them had loved ones in other Craftworlds or worlds. There were strike forces in various locations in the galaxy. They would most likely never see their home again. Worse yet, Ulthwé was one of the most powerful Craftworlds, its loss would be grave news for the Eldar.
Compose yourself. Despairing will not help.
They had to decide on a course of action. First, what to do with the captain. Then..he didn't know. Perhaps the runes would provide answers, perhaps not. Judging by the others' silence, they were probably thinking much the same.
Eltherion was returned to reality by the captain speaking. Some sort of trade offer, their drive technology for something else. The Farseer had to admit, it was a fair offer. However, a fair offer was not what Ulthwé needed. While many of their craft could use the Warp when the Webway was not available, it was always a great risk to take, even with the protections their ships were imbued with.
"And why would we need your drives?" he said. "How do we know they are even safe? We can hardly take your word for it, Captain Halan."
Looking at his mind, he saw the alien's reaction before he could actually express it in words. And though he didn't know quite a few words the Captain thought of, it wasn't hard to guess their meaning. Normally, he'd have been amused, but the Farseer was not in a humorous mood after the revelation of where the storm led them.
"Hyperdrives are the most reliable – and fastest way of faster-than-light transportation in the galaxy.
We've been using them for thousands of years." Halan replied.
Eltherion didn't sense any deception in his words, and neither had he before. Halan's honesty was..unexpected. Though he supposed his position did not leave him much room for lying. Or perhaps the alien was honest by nature, as naive as that thought might seem. He turned to the other Farseers.
"Eltherion, the mon-keigh's presence endangers Ulthwé." he heard Taldeer say in the language of the Eldar. "I read his thoughts, he wants a diversion for his state, a shield in the war they are fighting. If he were to give us what he promises, it will be at a price."
"I know that he wants something in return." Eltherion replied, though Taldeer's explanation for his motives was new. And despite her being both older and more experienced than him, he cursed himself inwardly for his carelessness.
"And you would have us fight for his cause in return? You know that is unacceptable as well as I."
"Yes, I know. Which is why I want to resolve this in a way that benefits Ulthwé, and does not endanger Eldar lives."
"While I am not willing to put trust in the machines of the mon-keigh," Caerys interjected. "We have no better option. The Webway is gone, which means we are immobile."
"I'd recommend destroying the alien." Calendril stated flatly. "If he never gets word of our presence out, we will be able to stay safe, at least for a time."
Eltherion glared at Calendril. "And perhaps we should start wearing white and green as well. Or would an aquila like those of the humans be more fitting, Calendril?" he asked sarcastically.
"If word gets back, then word travels fast, Eltherion. Who is to say that this mon-keigh will not lead others here, even unwittingly?"
As much as Eltherion hated to admit it, there was a point in the older Seer's words. There was a war being waged, and Ulthwé could not be embroiled in it. But destroying Halan would make that prospect more likely, not less. "And if we are immobile, they will only find us more easily, however we try to hide. If we destroy them, then we will rid ourselves of someone who can help us."
Caerys raised her voice. "There is perhaps a better solution."
Now the Eldar were conversing with each other in their own strange language. Wonderful. Halan thought. It made him feel locked out of the loop, and he couldn't help but get a bad feeling about the entire situation.
Not that their attitude is helping. He sighed. But given how important the decision was, he could excuse it somewhat.
"We have made a decision." the Eldar at the center pronounced, and Halan perked up as soon as he heard him. "We will let you and your ships leave, peacefully."
Yes! Mon couldn't help but think.
"But we have no desire to be involved in whatever war your kind is fighting." At that, Mon was confused. Had he mentioned the war at some point? "However, you also made an offer. Your drive technology, for something that we could provide."
"Yes, I did." Halan replied, excited. "Have you found an acceptable trade?"
"Can you provide us with what we need to create those drives? If so, we think that letting you pass free is enough compensation." the Eldar stated haughtily.
Halan narrowed his eyes. "That is bla-" he held himself back at the last moment. And just as they agreed to let you go. Do you want to get yourself killed?
The Eldar Seer smirked. Halan took a breath, then looked at the Eldar. "The Republic can provide scientists and technicians that could do that. But I cannot convince them to spare the personnel and resources in the middle of a war." There were more sensible ways to argue about this than screaming 'blackmail'. The Eldar started to talk amongst themselves again, before turning towards Mon.
"As we said before, we will not involve ourselves in your wars. However, we have decided to have a delegation accompany you on your return, in order to negotiate for an acceptable trade. These are our terms for letting you go."
They sounded acceptable enough, though he hoped that whatever ambassadors the Eldar sent were more..diplomatic than their government.
"I accept, then." Halan said.
The Seer crossed his fingers, as if waiting for something. "Excellent. If you did not, we may have been forced to destroy you." he commented casually. "We will decide who will accompany you later. Until then, you can remain here."
The captain wanted to think that the part about destroying his fleet was a joke, but something told him otherwise. What have I gotten myself into?
"More reports are flooding in from the front, as the war with the Mandalorian invaders rages on." said the announcer of the holonet news program, an officious, stern-looking Mirialan man.
"The defensive line at Taris, commanded by the Admirals Jimas Veltraa and Noma Sommos has been broken through by the Mandalorian invaders. Admiral Veltraa was killed-in-action, when his flagship, the Reliance was destroyed. All crewmembers of the Reliance perished." the announcer stated grimly before continuing on. The screen displayed an image of the late admiral and his flagship.
"Admiral Sommos' whereabouts are unknown as of now. A fuller list of casualties will be read out later, at midnight, and funeral services will be held next week. Now, moving on to our next segment.." he continued, but it nobody would listen.
"Fuckin' Mandos." grumbled a Nautolan sitting at the corner of the bar. It was a small, relatively reputable establishment at one of the better parts of this quadrant. "You know how many worlds they've taken and burned? Bastards."
"And what are the Jedi doing while the bucketheads are murdering and burning over there? Sitting their fat asses out." replied another patron. "Yeah, they fought against the Sith – but that was decades ago. They should be out there on the front lines!"
They are not wrong. Thought the young human woman seated at one of the more distant tables, as she sipped her drink, before adjusting her robes slightly, in order to better hide her lightsaber from view. Irritated as they are, seeing a Jedi is not needed. Better spare myself the trouble.
She had petitioned the Jedi Council at the Temple to aid the Republic more than once – and was rebuffed. The last time, Master Vrook had even threatened the young knight with re-assignment to another world if she were to bring up the matter again. However, she wasn't alone, and she knew that. There were others in the Order's ranks who were not content with the Council's steady refusal to intervene in the war.
All they lack is a leader, someone willing to defy the masters. But none were willing to step up thus far. She expected someone like Kavar to do so; that master was an experienced fighter and leader, and a member of the High Council no less, but like the others he was against Jedi involvement. As for others..The knight's first master, Kae, had been exiled from the Order not long ago, due to a 'scandal' involving the revelation of a child she gave birth to in secret.
That was a hard blow. Arren Kae had trained her from childhood, and even though she later would learn from others as well, she held a lot of respect for her first teacher.
However..A master was not needed, just someone with the vision, skill and will needed to lead. Someone who could inspire the Order to fight and prevail. If the Council will not listen as the Republic burns, then I will.
The Jedi stepped up to the bar's counter, and the bartender turned towards her. "Anything you want?" he replied in Corellian-accented Basic.
"Just to pay." the woman replied hastily as she checked her wallet. "Though it appears I don't have the money to pay. You wouldn't mind putting it in a tab, would you?"
The bartender pulled a pad from beneath the counter. "Ok...What's the name, gal?"
"Revan." the Jedi replied. "Just Revan."