Author's Note: This is a bit of a long chapter and has something in it that would likely be triggering to some.
Please do not come at me about it. You have been warned.
Second chapter for the day, because I feel like it. I have a nice buffer of another 15 chapters at this point, still going strong.
Once the excitement about the upgrades to the Aurora had calmed considerably amongst the Icean civilian population and Cryos had reassured the families of the noble houses that Frost had been acting on his own and made some regretable decisions that would see him and his co-conspirators in prison for the rest of their lives, Samateus, Zera and Zuma met the rest of their allied leaders and friends in the round-table room of the Icean palace. Tekla and Capacitor soon teleported to them, their Vox units hovering nearby.
Xerxes introduced Capacitor to Sternum, Pyrus, Blaze, Zera and Zuma, each having different reactions, yet all positive and receptive to the new Tekian, sharing in Tekla's happiness that her people had survived the Beast. Samateus remained nearby, eventually opting to lie down just next to the door they had entered from, watching the others with Zuma remaining near her as the others conversed on the events that happened while cut off from each other.
"So you're saying she blasted Lamprey into a wall?" Jade asked, incredulous. Samateus chuckled as Zera nodded enthusiastically.
"She left a silouette on one of the corridor walls, like when Tekla had won the mental battle against her before." Pyrus added, Blaze standing behind him to his right. Xerxes had taken a spot between Graveheart and Cryos, Zera to Cryos' left, Pyrus next to her, then the three Boneans -as pelvus did not wish to miss out on what this new species had to offer- and Jade next to Graveheart completing the circle as Tekla and Capacitor stood near Samateus and Zuma. Xerxes managed to sit in this chair, as there were no arms to hinder his tail as he sat with the back along his right side, Samateus near the door sitting up soon as many would see a feline, majority of her armour still on and engaged. Zuma stood nearby, eyes closed yet still listening to the conversation, through Samateus who could easily explain things through thoughts for her.
"Frost was moved to the holding cells he and his cohorts were keeping our guards in, He was still unconscious last I saw him." Zera announced, Cryos smiling happily and proudly at his daughter, gently resting a hand on her shoulder for a moment before he turned to Xerxes who smiled and nodded, head pinions bouncing lightly.
"As some are already aware, I and two others of my kind had been in the Cluster many years ago, on a scientific mission. My people are shapeshifters, and of the three of us, I was the one who visited Ice and Fire. On planet Ice, I was known as Galen and, as a few here are aware, saved a much younger Cryos from death in a cavern collapse. I was thought dead, though was able to avoid such using my personal shield unit, and escaped without drawing attention." Xerxes sounded as though he purred as he spoke, Samateus gently nudging him psionically as Pelvus and Femur were thinking it was something else, and he promptly stopped, clearing his throat lightly. "Apologies, my people, when we speak, have a great deal of different vocalisations, and can manage layered speech with more animalistic sounds, like my purring, when content."
"And on Planet Fire? Who were you there?" Jade asked, eyeing Pyrus and Blaze a moment, able to tell that they did not know either.
"No one of consequence, though I did know Blaze, the late Vizier and Emperor Magmus in their youth, and watched from afar when they moved on and into the Palace eventually." Xerxes explained rather sheepishly, feathers going flat at the skepticism of a few. Blaze frowned at this and almost growled audibly himself when Sternum picked up on something that sounded odd.
"Magmus was not living in the Palace? He was of the royal family, why was he not?" Xerxes sighed, looking to Pyrus, who had turned to look questioningly at General Blaze, who appeared to pale.
"Something I suspect he hid in order to keep outsiders from attempting to take advantage of his friendships in the outer lying communities of the capital." Xerxes explained before either could speak, Pyrus frowning, but Blaze nodding when he met the Prince's gaze again made him relax a bit. Cryos had kept his emotions guarded, Zera gaping lightly at the admission that Pyrus was not of the royal bloodline.
"I am sorry my Prince... Your father kept that secret to avoid any others attempting to refute his claim, something he ordered me not to speak of." Blaze glared at Xerxes who bobbed his head apologetically.
"I was nearby when the Emperor before him was assassinated, saw the resulting battle and how Emperor Cinder gave Magmus the crown. Cinder had no direct family, other than Blaze, who is the son of Cinder's second-cousin." Xerxes explained, Blaze nodding, geniunely surprised at how much Xerxes remembered, even so long afterward. Pyrus listened intently, but had taken to looking at his hands in his lap, a bit downcast, but thankful for the truth being provided to him, even if hard to accept. Jade and Cryos shared a glance that shifted to Sternum and Femur, the seated leaders together knowing that bloodlines were important to most Monarchies, and that Magmus had been a commoner and been given the crown of Fire by the full-blooded Monarch before him, would cause civil unrest greater than what had occurred on planet Bone when Sternum had returned. None dared ask the question of why Blaze was not named Emperor instead, as they each had their own reservations regarding the General, and few knew the Firian family lines, even Pyrus and Blaze were not forthcoming with that knowledge.
"That information does not and will not leave this room, of that I promise. I never included that in my research papers, I was too close to them to make something so potentially harmful to those I considered Family, if only by extension, public knowledge."
"Thank you." Pyrus said simply, after a lengthy moment of silence, taking in a deep breath and realising, that Xerxes had just mentioned he felt as though Family to his father. Might he still feel such? Samateus purr-trilled, smiling.
"I certainly feel as though part of a much larger family, and one that has grown so much more just today." She chuckled, winking at Pyrus when he met her gaze to show she had been listening in on his thoughts, without acknowledging them directly. Graveheart nodded, looking to Samateus.
"We certainly welcome you, as you seem to have already welcomed us, though I have to ask you to elaborate on what you meant by Samateus being an Avatar." Xerxes straightened up at this and sheepishly grinning when Samateus glared at him, baring her teeth.
"Yes, well, to make that easier to explain, I should offer everything from the beginning." Xerxes held his forehands up palm-outward on either side of his head, brought down to his chest to flare all the feathers along the back of his neck in a gesture of apology to Samateus, who puffed a wisp of Golden smoke at him playfully.
"My people, the Ahr'Aht, were spacefaring and had some outpost worlds and colonies on the worlds in our home system prior to our learning our home star would go Supernova on us. I was quite young when it was made known to the Monarch families, further planning and research led us to decide to take as much as we could from our world to make the last and largest ships possible before we needed to leave. In truth, I had been gifted a vision of the star obliterating my home, while I and my kin were still on it." Xerxes paused, Samateus moving to stand and padded over to sit to his right, leaning against the outside of the back of the chair lightly to provide him some emotional support. Several of the others noticed then that Samateus' ears, goat or cervine-like and situated evenly with her eyes below her horns, were not as expressive on the same level, her left ear did not perk up or swivel as her right did when listening to conversations. Xerxes lightly purred at her before continuing.
"We had three months warning, and it wasn't until we learned more of the Beast planet's abilities that I suspected it may have done so, to throw off our monitoring of it." Another pause, Samateus nodding at an unspoken question. "While we allowed it to think it had evaded us, by using the cloaking camera drones to remotely monitor its movements, we did focus our efforts on making larger and more elaborate ships to make our people more comfortable. We built the World ships, each with a small self-contained star and false moon, or even multiple moons as we experimented, and a planet within a controlled environment and gravitational field to allow them to move unhindered while still remaining in place within each ship. It was several decades after we built the third I received another vision, and I'll elaborate on that now." Xerxes sighed, looking to Samateus who stepped back and engaged her armour fully, the helm appearing to have seven eyes, six along the ridge where her actual eyes were, and a single central one atop where her crest was hidden.
"Ashtareen, the goddess of light and all things virtuous, who dwells within the Luminous, has always been acknowledged and worshipped by my people, with a collection of other deities that are not as well acknowledged now, but all are connected to her. Some worlds and peoples have been visited by her and those other dieties, and also those who are on the opposite spectrum. Samateus's people were not always aware of dieties, in any form, as the Taalrulthians were, slaves, on their homeworld..." Samateus snorted at the expressions of shock and concern for her from the others at Xerxes' admission, which made her groan inwardly.
"We were once free, from the other race that developed alongside us. They I will not speak much on now as it is not something I am fully comfortable with still, however I will say they worshipped a negative diety, one we know as Setesh," She motioned with a head tilt to Xerxes before continuing. "and the kindness of the Taalrulthians in our early days toward them had provided a position to oppress and use my people to their own ends. I..." Samateus paused again, stiffening and taking in a steadying breath, Xerxes chirping once at her, to which she shook her head. She then shook herself lightly, as though attempting to chase off a chill, before continuing.
"My kin have always been small in number, most males who are elementally gifted are unable to sire children, and they outnumber the males that can, so a female is often born with the ability to birth a child without any outside interference -even without a mate- that will be genetically unrelated to her or any other existing Taal. I was gifted that ability, and those around me said I had been found alone as an infant, without any mother, furthered that I had been a gift to the Taalrulthians from Ashtareen, though we only learned this when we were Liberated. We did not know of her then, however when I had been... Perhaps a month away from giving birth to my first child, I was found out by our oppressors, and intended to be sacrificed to Setesh." Several gapes and even Zera covering her mouth in shock showed that all had been listening, Tekla turning to Capacitor who nodded solemnly. Some had looked to Xerxes for confirmation, the Ahr'Aht nodding sadly before he turned back to Samateus.
"I remained conscious as they bound me on my side on an altar, tore me open and stole my child from me before sacrificing it too. As my last breath left me, I felt something else offering me a way to enact the justice I so desperately wished for, if not for me for all those who had been subjected to the same." She paused, taking in a breath before shakily exhaling again.
"I accepted the offer of aid in return for my devotion to Ashtareen, as she knew I hated Setesh and all he had seen fit to do to my people, was filled with warmth and light I'd never felt before, as though being filled with the power and strength of the sun we so adored and were denied by our captors. I woke as the bindings melted from my wrists and ankles, the metal white-hot as I rose and roared challenge to the visage of the diety who had stolen the lives of so many before me. I melted the temple, down to its foundations, in my rage and took to the sky for the first time in my life, and was further envigorated by more of my kin joining me in the air. I'm the first Fire element to be born in as long as any Taal can remember, even our elders with the communal knowledge of our kin, which meant I was kept carefully hidden and I was further hidden when it was learned I had been gifted the ability to have unrelated offspring by Ashtareen, though we did not know her name at the time. Her interference also led Xerxes to find us, gifting him a vision of my system and encouraging haste only a few days before I was caught. He liberated all of my kin from the planet before we left the system. Some had different illnesses and injury due to their treatment under our oppressors, and were it not for the Ahr'Aht and their swift understanding of our situation, we likely would have been wiped out." Samateus paused before she motioned to her helm.
"The Visage of Ashtareen is worn proudly by all Taal who can use their element in battle, defensive or otherwise, and the symbol worn on our armour or seen on the Ahr'Aht ships, is to honour and revere her in our daily lives. Because Xerxes and I have been touched by her directly, we both have longer lives, extended through means we don't fully understand, nor would we wish to, for fear it may become something we wish to apply to others. I've briefly been away, to learn how to be within a society further advanced and elaborate than the one I was raised in, and have shared my knowledge with my kin, to make it easier on us to work and live alongside the Ahr'Aht. We were gifted a World ship of our own and from there I learned what Ashtareen had gifted me with, and what I would need to do in order to properly honour our continued existence."
"Which means that Samateus and her kin were completely unaware of what an Avatar is, and what it could have done to help keep them from their oppression. That is neither here nor there, and I do not believe that Ashtareen withheld that from the Taalrulthians until Samateus' sacrifice intentionally, but had taken the step to create an Avatar when Setesh tried to claim her sacrifice because of her gift to the Taal being destroyed in such a manner. Being an Avatar means that Samateus is required to be visible and present when we are fighting opposing forces, whether they are aligned with Setesh or one of his alternates, does not matter." Xerxes added, smiling as she allowed her armour to return to a reverted form, revealing that her blue fur covered the majority of her body, a small strip of armour remaining along her spine from the base of her neck to about halfway down her back.
Samateus' wings were feathered, like those of an eagle but with feather shape more fitting an owl and the same blue as her fur, that her armour had mimicked, with feathers at the base of her tail on either side, attached to small patches of muscle and tendons that allowed them to move to adjust her path in the air, like the ones on either side of the end of her tail, which had a layer of thicker plates on the upper side and spines that mirrored on either side under the feathers and spread outward like flower petals in an almost circular pattern. She shook herself lightly, moving to gently sit straightened up, and lifted some of her belly fur, showing the still fresh-appearing scar from the events she mentioned previously. None spoke for a long time, completely in awe and uncertain how to continue from here. Both of these new alliance leaders had been alive for a lot longer than they were supposed to be, and far longer than any written history they had available.
"So you two have known each other for how long?" Graveheart asked, working his way through the information they had both provided.
"Approximately three thousand years, give or take. There have been periods of anywhere from a month to a year where Samateus would be called away to fight for Ashtareen occasionally, where I would not be able to assist, in order for her to learn her abilities and the extremes she can manage as an Avatar, however we are both still learning, even now." Xerxes explained, happily bumping his crest-like eyebrow ridge against Samateus' crest gently when she moved closer. Talking about losing a child or loved one would be difficult for any, Cryos himself having nearly objected to explaining such horrors in front of Zera, then realised she had experienced and likely seen death on far more intimate levels than he himself may have during the war, against the Beast or otherwise.
Sternum had remained stoic, while Femur and Pelvus held differing expressions of alarm and disgust, both falling silent as they processed the painful memories Samateus had dredged up. Jade and Graveheart remained calmly listening, as did Pyrus and Blaze, Tekla and Capacitor watching on sadly, as Capacitor already knew all of this and had shared with Tekla during their quiet conversations on the Aurora earlier. It had not lessened Tekla's shock at hearing the information out loud, sacrificing a pregnant mother, and tearing her infant from her before sacrificing it in front of her whilst she still could see, would be abhorrent and mind shattering to any sane sentient.
"The other people from your homeworld, what happened to them?" Pyrus asked at length, looking pointedly at Samateus. She sighed, flattening her ears, though the others noted again that her left visibly did not disappear back as her right had, instead she curled her neck and pressed the left side of her face into Xerxes, who gently stroked the father side of her neck to hold her closer.
"They were left to their own devices, though we have not returned to that sector in some time, there have been signs that suggest they may have reached spacefaring tech levels. We didn't encounter them ourselves, however I would not put it past Setesh attempting to retaliate." Xerxes explained for Samateus, who had closed her eyes and leaned into Xerxes' caress, thankful for the reprieve. Pyrus expressed a brief apology to Samateus in his own head, realising he had probably hurt Samateus a bit without intent at hearing about that other species. She met his gaze, offering the young Prince understanding and thanking him, though expressing that he had spoken first, but the question was forming in the minds of a few of the others, so he should not feel as though he had done wrong by her.
"While we have mused the idea of wiping them out, it goes against the teachings of Ashtareen. She teaches balance above all else, and that balance also applies to life and death. We cannot assume to be the ones responsible for the extinction of a species, even one as heinous as those we know act against Ashtareen, or have done irreperable harm to our own." He chuckled as Samateus nudged him pointedly, his pinions bouncing away from her before he leaned back and uncurled his arm from where he stroked her so she could sit as she had before next to him. He lay his arms lightly on the table before him, hands atop each other as he briefly looked to each of the others in the room before Samateus spoke again.
"In my travels, interactions and training from Ashtareen, I've learned insights into situations or events I shouldn't, or have been gifted knowledge from Ashtareen that would confuse others. I suppose what I mean is, if I say something that you may not know if you have told me of it, or if others may have, be at ease in that I would only use such information in confidence. While the Taal are a bit longer lived than the Ahr'aht, I have still had my share of loss and experiences even without taking natural death into account." Samateus sighed, right ear flicking lightly. "In such I've met many vastly differing peoples and even brought some of them to safety here, amongst our alliance. Some prefer to stay near me, so they have been given living arrangements on my world ship, planetside and ship-side, as we've come to distinguish between the two."
"So the armour you're using was also built by the Ahr'Aht? How does it work?" Graveheart asked, curious if they could have something similar built for warriors of all races, and if it might even be able to enhance the Bone Carapace fighters. He more voiced the question to help Samateus move on from the painful history he could tell still deeply hurt her.
Samateus and Xerxes shared a knowing glance, Samateus making a show of rolling her eyes and turning around, spreading out her wings before her and crouching her rump down as Xerxes lifted and smoothed some of her fur away from the armour along her spine. It rippled, interlocking panels like the outer carapace of an Ice Flea, but more numerous and evenly spaced, like an Isopod. Along its center, it split apart, to reveal a long and thin turquoise crystal imbedded at its core.
"The Isopod units were originally built for Ahr'Aht warriors, functional and also for display, we adjusted them for Taalrulthian use when Samateus expressed that not all of her kin could fly, as their wings were hampered or injured while they were enslaved. They utilise the elemental ability of each individual to power the movement you've seen Samateus capable of in the air, or even in the vacuum of space. Unfortunately, once an Isopod unit bonds and connects to its user, they form a symbiotic relationship we haven't been able to figure out how to remove, not without potentially killing the living host. Not that we would even attempt it now, as the isopod units also have nanite functionality, allowing them to provide first aid support until clear of battle or otherwise. They also have some sentience, once connected to their host, which helps in situations where someone may fall unconscious but their isopod is still active, and able to respond to long-range comms." Xerxes manipulated parts of the isopod on Samateus' back, the female Taalrulthian gladly sitting fully and peering over a shoulder at him, directing her Isopod to raise its legs from her hide where they dug in harmlessly like needles, so Xerxes could gently lift it up to show the many tiny legs that would make it look like said Isopod were it separate from its host. Its head remained buried in the nape of her neck, its mandibles wrapped around her spine with small tendrils that connected into her spinal column and blood stream.
Xerxes made a show of lightly tugging on it, which made it raise all its outer panels like blades and swipe its blade-like legs at him protectively, Samateus letting out a brief squeak and growl. Xerxes chuckled as he helped lie the sentient machine back along her spine, her fur under it kept short like velveteen to avoid chafing or discomfort to her skin. Some darker striping could be seen ever so slightly through and under the thinner fur, but none spoke on it as the Isopod unit visibly wriggled into position before Samateus shuddered lightly as the tiny needle-like legs dug back into her skin and the armour went back to its prior placement.
"Something to think about, such would be great for some, though some might think being so closely bonded to be taking on a parasite... No offence." Jade grinned, offering apology just in case.
"None taken. It's not as widely used by the Ahr'Aht, only those who are more inclined to be on military assignments or prefer being in the ship-side of the world ships, or smaller vessels." Samateus rose to turn around and return to her prior seat, Xerxes shifting his position cautiously, to avoid exacerbating the numbness tingling in one of his legs and his tail from the slightly awkward position.
"So the world ships have populated planets inside them? Are they specific to one climate or do each house multiples?" Sternum asked, curious if these massive ships might be possible to use for more agricultural exploits or even perhaps a new world for the Firians.
"We've used terraforming on most of them that is similar to what we have seen from other wild planets. Like the homeworld Samateus remembers fleetingly, or my own, where different climates and seasonal changes can be drastic or subtle, based on axis around the star on each. The Taalrulthian one is designed with this in mind, axis on a fifteen degree angle with seasons in the northern hemisphere that can reach temperatures from 35 Celcius, exacerbated by humidity, and drop to as low as -50 Celcius, or even lower with windchill. The Southern pole often experiences weather that Samateus calls 'Condition One' weather, from her time elsewhere, the lowest it's reached is approximately 98 degrees below the freezing point of water." Xerxes explained, glad to be off the topic of how he and Samateus had met and the circumstances around it. Samateus seemed to relax further over time, the memory of what she and her people had been through still -even so long afterward- brought her depression back up and the despair she felt in being helpless to stop it.
"I understand what you're hinting at Sternum, however it may be something to keep more private until we can gather enough resources to attempt such." Xerxes added after a moment, glancing at Pyrus and Blaze, then to Jade. "However, we can attempt to help with the current arrangements on the battle moon to make the environment more suitable for those living on it. Sam mentioned that there is an illness? She lifted the knowledge from you Pyrus." Pyrus at first said nothing, again within a single day he had been given hope, then seen it smashed, and then offered another hope for his people, but of course would have to wait longer. He perked up when Xerxes mentioned the illness, at first frowning before he relaxed and nodded with a slight smile.
"Right, we've not been able to figure out the cause, and it doesn't seem temperature related. The battle moon has been capable of maintaining the increased temperatures in the common areas. Aside from that, we've been doing what we can to treat it." Blaze nodded while Pyrus spoke, watching his Prince solemnly, glad that he and those who had been warriors and travelling between worlds were not affected by the strange illness. Xerxes gently asked, wordlessly, if he could see what they had, by scanning their memories, his slight head tilt a further question to his inquiry. Pyrus nodded, Xerxes closing his eyes for a moment before all his feathers rose, frown deepening as he opened his eyes again.
"Has anyone died or developed other symptoms?" He asked, Pyrus and Blaze shaking their heads.
"Thankfully no. We've tried adjusting the humidity, but the heat seems to burn most of it off faster than we can generate it." Jade offered, Xerxes and Samateus shared a glance, Samateus cocked her head aside and shook it.
"What?" Graveheart asked, all knowing that the two had shared something privately, Samateus sighing and turning to Jade.
"We know that there was a... bargain, with Lord Mantle, that allowed you the resources to get the Firian people to safety, and to have them housed on a battle moon until other arrangements could be made. I assume that, given that most are still there, it must be environmental, but it may not be something even we can remedy." Samateus eyed Xerxes, who tucked his head back a bit with a sheepish grin directed at Jade. "He was suspecting it may have been something Mantle did deliberately without your knowledge, but I do not believe so." Jade nodded at her statement, sighing.
"He might have, though we've had a chance, many times, to go through the equipment on the moon, including the environmental systems. Nothing has given us any indication to the root of the problem or subterfuge."
"Perhaps a small-scale humidity generator?" Samateus looked to Xerxes who shook his head.
"No, it would need to work in tandem with one of our heat regulators, perhaps... We could redesign a few of each and install them into the moon's existing systems?" Xerxes looked to Jade then, who motioned to Pyrus.
"I'm for it, they're his people though." She smiled, Pyrus appearing to brighten that they may actually have a way to help, and immediately at that, his enthusiastic nod widening Xerxes' smile. Cryos spoke next, bringing the excitement back down a little bit.
"As happy as I am to hear that we may be able to help the Firians, I am concerned that Ice and Bone may not be able to aid with other resources in exchange." Samateus laughed and Xerxes chuckled, waving almost dismissively.
"We were actually intending to help you with what we have available." Xerxes purred again, Samateus matching it. "We have hyrdoponics technology for growing plant life in controlled environments on starships and purification systems to make water available with minimal cost. Having the elemental Taalrulthians also comes as a bonus." Samateus perked up at that, feathers and fur fluffing a bit happily. Xerxes looked around the table, all eyes focused on him, even Zuma's. Some suspected a catch, that the Ahr'Aht and the Taalrulthians would want something in return, Capacitor stepping forward and all eyes turned to him as he spoke.
"The Surrithae alliance has opened its doors and homes for those displaced from the worlds the Beast has destroyed, asking nothing in return but respect and understanding of their ways. Some have kept to small communities alongside those existing, others -like myself- have wholeheartedly joined the alliance and will do whatever they need of us. You need not worry about later expectations or requests, except perhaps knowledge of customs and history they may not know." He explained, his voxx unit chirping affirmation as Xerxes watched him happily.
Graveheart smiled, such is how he envisioned their alliance working, as more recently with the completion and operation of the upgraded Aurora, would hopefully help encourage further. Zuma then asked Xerxes a question directly, as she moved closer to Samateus, which was not broadcast to the rest. Samateus and Xerxes both frowned, nodding.
"The Sun people were intended to carry on the legacy of the Makers, in your system, as the Firians were in the Cluster. They seem rather complacent now, of course we can help." Xerxes moved to stand, gently resting a hand on one of Zuma's shoulders. "I will go with you to speak with Ramset, I did, admittedly, speak with the last of the Makers before he went into stasis, long ago. He mentioned planet Sand and it's dual-peoples, though had spoken far more highly of them. I am sorry time has affected your people so detrimentally."
**We are not slaves, as they may perceive, but we have not known our abilities as well since days before my father's father... Thank you, I only hope that Ramset does not make things more difficult.** Zuma broadcast then, her voice clearer and almost sounding sheepish. Xerxes nodded, purring still.
"You'll find that he will be less than happy with what we will show him in his own home." The predatory grin from Samateus gave everyone shivvers.