Star Ocean: Wraith of Heaven
Chapter 8: Symposium of Regret
The whirling whine of the depressurized door alerted the large man of his companion's return as they once more stepped onto the deck of the Diplo. Quickly administering one last order to the engineer before him, Cliff turned to address his friends. The usual, easygoing expression quickly faded from his face however, upon seeing the condition of the four warriors.
"What the hell happened?" the blond pilot asked, moving quickly to support Fayt's weight from the Expellian Ambassador. A trickle of dried blood still painted the skin of the young man's face as his eyes seemed glazed and unfocused.
"We had a bit of a…conflict I suppose you could say. I'll brief you on it in the conference room," Maria replied, her eyes searching the weakened form of the blue-haired swordsman. "In the meantime, take Fayt to the Infirmary."
"I'm fine," the weakened figure said, his body heaving with every breath that struggled to feed his tortured lungs.
"Yeah, well you don't look so good," Cliff said, ignoring the slight pain in his own ribs as he readjusted his grip on the younger man's arm. "Maria's right Fayt, you need help."
"I said I'm fine," the swordsman replied, lashing out at the larger man and pushing him away as his body sagged against the corridor wall.
Cliff moved to again support the weakened fighter only to be stopped by Maria's hand on his arm. She recognized the look of defiance in the young man's eyes, and knew full well the source of it. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to prevent the Sacred Orb from being stolen…and Fayt showed his anger of that failure more outwardly than others. Much of his own resentment wasn't due to the defeat they all suffered as much as it was to his wounded pride.
"But…" Cliff replied, turning his head from the captain to the young man, trying to grasp the situation that caused the current condition of the skilled group.
"No, its fine Cliff. If Fayt says he's okay, then he'll be fine. Besides, we have more pressing matters to attend to," Maria responded, offering the slightest supporting smile to the young man that went unnoticed.
"Looks like you've done some redecorating since last I've been on board this vessel." Albel replied, ignoring the drama before him and narrowing his eyes as he took in the damage of the corridor that had been overlooked by everyone while concerned with Fayt's condition.
Maria took in the scene herself, her eyes widened as she gauged the battle scars of the vessel's interior hull. Burned steel informed her of the seriousness of the damage as she turned her eyes questionably toward her second-in-command, her expression harboring between wondering what had happened and wondering what the large Klausian had gotten the Diplo into.
Before any forthcoming question could be voiced however, Cliff addressed the concerns. "We didn't have an easy time up here either. While you guys were planetside, a Vendeeni battle ship came out of Gravitic Warp. Looked like they were moving towards Elicoor II."
"Do…do you think they know I'm here?" Fayt asked, his eyes wide and frightened as he turned toward the large fighter.
Shaking his head in an effort to calm his struggling friend, Cliff placed a firm hand on Fayt's shoulder. "I don't know, but I doubt it. They weren't coming for us, they were moving towards the planet which makes me think that Vendeeni squad we fought some time ago radioed back about the location of the OPA."
"So you engaged them? Fool," Albel remarked, shaking his head as he turned his eyes towards the port window, watching the blue-green orb of his planet. "Only a simpleton engages an enemy head on…"
"Good to see you too Albel," Cliff remarked at the blade master before turning back to Maria. "There wasn't anything we could really do. They had obviously picked up our location and I couldn't risk them landing with you guys on the planet still so I drew their attention from the target."
"And painted a target on the Diplo," Maria finished, wondering when Cliff would stop taking so many reckless chances. "Well, seeing as how you're still here and the Vendeeni are gone I assume you managed to drive them off."
"Uh…not entirely. It wasn't us but the Calnus VII that came to our rescue. I tell you, that ship was incredible. But the problem is that even with both our ships, we were only able to drive the Vendeeni away. They've obviously updated their ships since last time we fought them and their new design and updated defenses far outstrip anything we've got."
"More good news," Maria sighed in response, closing her eyes and calculating the information and the next course of action. It wasn't until the previously silent Ashton spoke up that her attention was drawn to him and away from the unpleasant course her mind was drifting.
"Could you tell me where the Calnus is now?"
"Just off our starboard, about 300 klicks out."
"Perfect," the ambassador remarked. "If you don't mind Maria, I'd like to address the Calnus in my chambers. I want to assess these Vendeeni, not to mention I have a mission for them."
"Be my guest," Maria replied, yet her eyes narrowed slightly in memory of the battle in the shrine of the Sacred Orb, and the hidden condition of the man before her. "But when you're done, meet us in the conference room…you have a lot to tell us about what it is we fought down there."
"So," Cliff began, watching the Expellian depart as he turned back to his companions. "What do we do if the Vendeeni come back for the orb? We can't just sit here guarding it."
"Unfortunately, that is no longer an issue, as it was stolen by…someone else."
The full ramifications of the situation settled upon the large man like a veil, shadowing his concern for what the information meant. As he swallowed hard at the news, his attention shifted from the sagging form of Fayt to the darkening whelp forming beneath Maria's left eye, all the while his mind reliving the battle aboard Moonbase. "Ah, hell."
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Nel Zepher walked from the large anti-chamber, followed closely by the messenger who had retrieved her from her meeting with the emissary of Greeton. She had often feared the technological superpower, believing their knowledge to craft mechanized warriors were gifts bestowed upon them by some unnamed demon, yet having traveled to the stars, she no longer found the same fascination and fear that she had once experienced in their presence. In comparison to what she had seen, they now appeared nearly archaic.
Shaking the thoughts from her mind as she walked further from the assembly, Nel soon saw the person responsible for her requested departure. "How have you been Tynave?" Nel asked casually, hoping to keep her voice neutral in front of her subordinate in lieu of the building fear she felt bubbling within the pit of her stomach. If Tynave was here with an official dispatch, then something serious was probably the cause.
Nodding only briefly at the quickened salute, the spy retrieved the dispatch and unrolled the scroll. Her expression changed quickly, going from mild concern to deep anger followed by the clenching fear that seemed to grip her tightly.
"Lady Nel, is anything amiss?" Woltar's voice called from behind her as she slowly turned her eyes to the aged soldier. She took a moment to gauge the old man before her before reluctantly handing the dispatch for him to study. Though it was true Aquaria and Airyglyph were now allies, she was less than willing to trust them completely, and that especially went for the seemingly harmless man before her. She did not know what Woltar would do with the information she now handed him, but knew equally that their two countries were allied, and keeping news such as this from them would hinder their relations, especially when she was being called back to Aquaria during the peace negotiations with Greeton.
The old man's expression mirrored her own previous reaction as he tore his eyes away from the communication and surveyed the redheaded soldier. "Is this true? The Sacred Orb has been stolen?" Though she distrusted the dignitary from Airyglyph, the fear within his eyes was unmistakable.
"It appears to be…this is Magistrate Lasselle's handwriting and…"
"No, I believe you," Woltar replied, holding a quieting hand to calm the young woman's defensive explanation. "Its just, I had hoped news like this would never reach my ears. Now that it has, we'll need to take steps. The Sacred Orb after all, is important to all of us."
"Yes, and unfortunately, I'm being summoned back to prepare for the worst, should the intruders return."
"No need to explain further Lady Nel," the commander remarked, an uneasy smile forming on his lips. "I will continue the negotiations with Greeton, you have your own tasks ahead of you."
Nel offered a thankful nod to the Airyglyph ambassador before turning on her heel and moving quickly towards the gateway of the city, followed closely by Tynave. "So, how is Clair?" Nel asked, concern over her friend's condition filtering into her voice. The message had informed her of the battle between her former and current allies and the mysterious figure who had stolen the orb, but had not elaborated on the condition of any of the combatants.
"She's a bit battered, both in body and spirit, but she is otherwise in good condition Lady Nel," Tynave replied, turning her eyes to her commanding officer. "But I'm worried what the theft of the Sacred Orb will do to our planet."
"As am I, Tynave," Nel responded softly, her green eyes a storm of emotional conflict as she left the large meeting chamber with her companion. "May Apris preserve us."
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As odd as it sounded, Maria loved artificial air. The life support systems recycling the carbon dioxide and oxygen and all the other various elements that made breathing the purified air endurable were the very reason's she preferred it to natural air. She was obsessed in a way, with knowing the general makeup of all things, and thus in her own peculiar way, distrusted the oxygen-based atmosphere of most planets. At least this way, she knew she could trust where the air had come from.
The current situation was much the same. As she sat at the head of the conference table aboard the Diplo, joined by her companions, she eyed the Expellian ambassador with a critical eye, as though waiting for that one vital piece of information that would answer all the looming questions that had arisen over the past few months.
"So," Maria began, wincing at the pain caused from the bruise that had not only consumed her eye but also extended the length of her cheek. "Are you going to explain exactly what it was we fought down there?"
"If the readings we've obtained are correct from the energy flux, then you did indeed battle one of the Ten Wise Men," Dr. Esteed replied, his nervous speech causing his words to come out as little more than a broken stutter. It probably did little good that he was sitting beside Albel, who seemed to have formed a fascination with prodding the scientist in the ribs and making him squeal like a wounded animal.
"I can confirm that it was," Ashton replied heavily, his head shaking in silent disbelief and wanton denial. "As much as I want to deny they've returned, I can't ignore what I've seen."
"Then who are they?" Fayt asked numbly, his eyes gazing at the aged warrior before him. "How could that one man defeat us all so easily? Why do they want the Sacred Orb?"
"As for why they took the Sacred Orb, I can't even begin to fathom. But as for who the Ten Wise Men are, that is a tale that is…shall we say, extraordinary."
"I've found few things in my life to be so unbelievable, mine and Fayt's power being a good example," Maria replied, staring pointedly at the ageless man seated across the table from her.
"Fair enough," Ashton replied again, taking a deep breath and preceding with the tale. "The story of the Ten Wise Men actually begins 700 million years ago, on the planet Nede. Nede was, in its time, a technological marvel. Technology we're just now rediscovering, the Nedians had had for eons. In truth…they ruled the universe in their time.
"The problems arose however, when a few less than conforming worlds decided to declare their independence and waged war on the Nedians. From all historical documentation we discovered, more worlds eventually joined the usurpers and Nede soon lost its footing as the leading system in the galaxy."
Taking a breath to pace himself in his storytelling, Ashton gazed at his hands as he remembered the battles long since fought and the companions long-since forgotten. "Much of the surface of Nede was laid to waste, and…in the war, the daughter of a prominent scientist…I can't remember his name…at any rate, his daughter was killed in the war. As a result, he created ten beings of immeasurable power and unleashed them to avenge himself upon creation…those are the Ten Wise Men."
"So…I don't understand," Fayt said, his eyes transfixed upon the ambassador as he contemplated the story. "They've been around 700 million years and no one's heard of them in all this time?"
"Not exactly," Ashton continued, turning his attention to each and every person gathered around the table before continuing. "When the Ten Wise Men were released upon the Universe, they eventually turned their attention to Nede as well. It took all the considerable resources at their disposal to defeat and imprison the Ten Wise Men in a dimensional vortex. As a result, Nede was destroyed, and the inhabitants settled upon what became known as Energy Nede, an artificial planet that sustained their way of life, yet also separated them from the rest of the universe.
"Then, about 300 years ago, the Ten Wise Men broke free of their prison and sought to unleash their original programming once more. That was when we battled them, and we thought…defeated them forever," the aged warrior replied, turning his disbelieving eyes towards Dr. Esteed.
"What nonsense…" Albel remarked, turning a crooked smile towards the robed figure. "I've seen more in my life thus far than I'm sure I will ever be able to make sense of, but claiming 700 million year old demigods are roaming the galaxy intent on destroying it is ridiculous in and of itself, not least of all is the story that you were around 300 years ago to battle them."
As Ashton closed his eyes in thought, the robes surrounding his shoulders moved and quivered as the twin heads of the demon dragon that had fused itself to him emerged from beneath the cloth. The realization of the unusual condition of the Expellian caused many in the chamber to jump back or stare dumbfounded at the man, Dr. Esteed in fact, fell from his chair and coward beneath the table. "This is my curse you see, sharing my body with the Dragon King of Expel. Because of them, I age, but at such a slow rate its impossible to distinguish. I have no ideal how long I'll live and how many more lives I'll see die before me," the dragons each seemed to eye the gathered group with a sense of curiosity before creeping back into the folds of the robe.
"Don't…do that again," Cliff remarked, his usually tanned skin a pasty white as he fought to shake the image from his mind before mumbling under his breath, "Thought I was going to be sick."
"Sorry," Ashton replied sheepishly as he turned his eyes back to the table. "But you had to understand why and how I claimed to know the Ten Wise Men."
"So now they've returned, and plan to carry out their original objective?" Maria asked, wondering how they would defeat ten beings when four of them were not enough to handle one.
"I'm not sure," Ashton replied, shaking his head. "Back when they returned, the captured an ancient, forgotten source of magic called the Crest of Annihilation. They were planning to use it to destroy the universe…but we stopped them and the Nedians reversed the crest, causing the power that would be turned upon the universe to turn itself on the planet and ultimately destroying Energy Nede."
"So what are they planning to do then?" Fayt remarked, his voice growing stronger with the impatience of the story. "Are they going to use the Sacred Orb to create a new means to destroy the universe?"
Before an answer could be formulated on their intentions however, the quivering voice of Dr. Esteed broke the silence. "No, that's not the case I'm afraid…" the nervous man replied as he climbed back into his chair. "We reprogrammed them, for the mission to come. But…even they developed free will and I can't begin to imagine what they might be trying to do now."
The coming question however, caused the hairs on the back of everyone's neck to stand on end, as if the answer would shatter reality and destroy the quickly fading grasp of security everyone tried to hold onto. "What was their original mission?"
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Cyril's form emerged from the sheltering darkness that encompassed the landscape of the planet Styx, the Sacred Orb clutched tightly in his hand as he stepped into the field to be greeted by two of his fellow gods.
"It seems as though you had a tough time of it Cyril," the large, armored man proclaimed, a mocking smile on his spiteful lips. "Perhaps your losing your touch."
"I don't need your comments Beryl, thank you very much."
"Then you mind telling us what did happen, and what took so long?" the second wise man asked. Though his voice was less mocking than that of Beryl's, his eyes never the less studied his fellow deity, as though searching for a weakness to file away and exploit at a later time.
"Marsilio, if you continue to plot my demise, then I shall end you here and now," Cyril remarked, easily reading the expression on the other being's face. "Besides, there were…unexpected complications."
"Really Cyril, do tell," Indalecio remarked, floating upon the wind currents as he joined the conversation.
Handing the Sacred Orb to the greatest of the wise men, Cyril smiled self-assuredly as he shrugged his shoulders. "Remember our last incarnation upon this existence? Well it seems that one of those who defeated us still lives, the dragon boy…Arthur or something. And he's grown more powerful since our hibernation."
"So, you did battle with him did you?" Indalecio replied, his eyes searching Cyril's face for some hidden truth. "Were the others with him?"
"No…just him. He took me by surprise and I wasn't prepared for him, but I returned with the item we need."
"Indeed," the leader remarked, appraising the object in his hands as a deeply satisfied smile spread across his handsome features. "With this object, the resurrection programming stolen from the lab and the Time Gate, Energy Nede will again serve our purpose."
To be continued
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A/N: Well, this is just a small bit of the overall plan the wise men are planning. And of course, let's not forget the Vendeeni, they're not going to stay quiet for long either. I do hope this cleared up a bit of the Ten Wise Men's history, and I know, I got a few dates wrong, SO2 actually took place about 400 years in the past, but I already wrote 300 in the story so I wanted to keep consistency.
In other news…I finally beat SO3, but unfortunately got everyone's solo ending. So if anyone is kind enough to drop me a line with the various endings, I'm mostly interested in Maria/Fayt, Nel/Fayt and Mirage/Fayt.
Anyway, thanks for reading and as always, reviews help feed a starving fan fic writer, so don't let me go hungry.
