Chapter 6: A Vacation in Alpha Centauri.
M3.175
In a small trinary star system on the doorstep of the Terran Imperium.
The solution to the mysteries plaguing Horus could be found a mere 4.4 light years from Terra herself, in a system blocked from jumpspace by a raging hyperspace storm caused by the tremendous tidal forces exerted by its three suns. Within that storm however, lay an ancient legacy.
It was a world beyond any other; it was a place where even a Vorlon couldn't walk without feeling awed by the presence of the world, for indeed none of the local races had ever seen a world like this one. It was a world wrought by eldritch flame and the power of the Immaterium, with massive spires and towers rising many kilometers into the starry sky.
It was a sight that many would kill to see, many stories around the galaxy told of the Ghost World beyond the great jumpspace storms. However it was no ghost world, it was a world teeming with life, life that did not belong in this universe. The people of this world were members of the greatest and most terrible race ever to exist; they were Eldar.
M-1.150
During the fall of the Eldar Empire and the birth of the Great Devourer, many great Craftworlds had been built and while many had fled into the Webway, some had been unable to make it that far. One of those had been the home of the Dark Reapers Aspect Shrine, the great Craftworld of Altansar. Only one of its Eldar had escaped the warp rift, and he had been the leader of the Dark Reaper shrine. Maugan Ra was lost to them, but instead of the death sentence slowly lived out in the Great Devourers warp rift, Altansar found itself in this place, a place beyond the webway, yet it was a place where the galactic maps stated 6 known webway gates. It was very near the homeworld of the Mon-keigh, but that was where everything went awry. The stars where not the same, the warp was not the same. At first there was great jubilation for the Great Devourer was gone, however there was also great pain, for the Eldar of Altansar were alone in the great void of stars.
It was not long before the ancient race arrived at their new home that they realized they could not leave, for without the Webway Altansar had no way to travel the stars. Claiming the three habitable worlds in the system, the Eldar prepared to begin their existence anew in this place until they could return home.
The Bonesingers of the craftworld slowly began growing settlements on the surface, the Wraithbone structures slowly growing over the years into towering spires of white and silver. Farming centers were constructed and, as the decades slowly passed, the Altansar Eldar forged a new home out of this wilderness.
The Council of Seers: Craftworld Altansar: Orbiting Arraxia
Farseer Tyrian stood in the centre of the circle of seers, observing with the Seers of Altansar as the cast runes circled and watched as many fell, though most continued to glow and revolve in a great eldritch dance. At Tyrian's command the runes stilled, notably missing from the glowing circle were the runes denoting the Eldar gods and the dark gods of chaos, all of those lay dormant on the floor of the chamber. More and more runes started becoming dormant as the future-past coalesced into the most important alternatives. Five runes danced in the centre of the circle, the rune denoting Altansar danced vibrant and brilliant, revealing to the assembled Seers that each future-past was intrinsically connected to the Craftworld and its Eldar. Also shining in the circle was the rune denoting the Mon-Keigh, indicating that they would play a part in the coming future. Two stones representing darkness and evil flowed to the polar opposites of the formation. Finally, the rune of war, its aura glowing a bit dimmer than the others, drifted into the center of the pattern. As soon as the formation was complete the stones sank to the floor where they lay still.
"The runes have spoken," Tyrian intoned as he gathered the thin Wraithbone stones and reverently placed them in a small sack around his waist. "We must address the Court."
"I shall accompany you," Warlock Sharaisal replied, her purple robe flowing lightly around her slender limbs.
"Very well," Tyrian replied, and as the council dispersed the two Seers entered one of the myrid Webway portals scattered around Altansar. They sped along its length in what seemed like the blink of an eye, emerging into a large chamber in which sat the Exarchs of the Court of the Young King. At once all attention was focused on the two Seers, who bowed to the assembled Exarchs.
"Farseer Tyrian, what has your vision shown you?" The Young King asked as he switched his Wraithsword to his left hand and rested its tip on the floor.
"The stones have shown that conflict lies ahead my Lord," Tyrian replied as his hand instinctively sought the bag of stones at his hip. "They reveal that we shall one day be engaged in a great war with a darkness who seeks our destruction. The final stone is troublesome, for it shows that the Mon-Keigh shall play a vital part in the coming war, though not even the stones reveal who or why."
"The Mon-Keigh are nothing more than primitive animals," Exarch Kalack of the Dark Reapers, the main aspect temple on Altansar, replied. "Their power is as nothing compared to ours."
"We must know more," Exarch Elrities of the Warp Spiders remarked. "This darkness could be a mistake let loose by the Mon-Keigh. We have seen the consequences of their arrogance before. When their soulless imitations of the Yngir armies nearly destroyed them they learned their first lesson, but it shall be far from their last."
"Until we can complete construction of new Webway paths our people are isolated in this place," the Young King spoke, rising to his feet and stamping the point of his blade into the floor with a sharp ping. "Farseer Tyrian, I would ask you to consult the stones again regarding this darkness and it's involvement with the Mon-Keigh. We know this place is isolated from outsiders, but we must be ready. We are safe from the clutches of our great enemy, and for that we are all thankful. If we are unable to return to our homes, we shall endeavour to preserve our race here and forge a new Eldar Empire out of the ashes of the old. And for that, we shall require above all other things knowledge."
"I shall endeavour to do as you ask my Lord," Tyrian replied. "If I may ask, what shall we do if, when we complete a new Webway network, encounter the Mon-Keigh or other races?"
"We shall crush them of course," came a low voice from the shadows at the edge of the chamber. From the darkness emerged a lithe figure clad in nearly translucent crimson armour accentuated with patterns of warlock purple. A flowing black cape billowed in her wake. "It is the destiny of the Eldar to rule the stars with our power and wisdom. Now that the Great Enemy is no longer a threat to us here we have a chance to reclaim what we once had," Autarch Melishar of Altansar spoke. All members of the Court turned and bowed to the military commander of Altansar.
"I agree Autarch," the Young King replied. "However we must wait until we can rebuild the Webway, which in itself may take many centuries, and then we must ensure our armies and fleets are strong and swift enough to do what we propose. I swear my eyes and soul to this task."
One by one the Exarchs and Seers took a knee before the Autarch. Her eyes, bright yet seemingly filled with endless sadness, closed for a moment. When they opened again she hefted her shining blade into the air, its Wraithbone material sharp down to an atom. "On this blade shall the Eldar race begin anew. We shall gather our strength with the patience and wisdom which is out legacy, and when the time comes our hand will stretch forth and this galaxy will fear and revere our name!"
"In the name of the Eldar!" The Court echoed as each present bowed their head in prayer to the Eldar Gods, now lost, that their children would claim the galaxy in their name, and woe bestride any who stood in their path.
As the magnificent spires of wraithbone rose on the planet is the massive orbiting form of the Craftworld, researchers where rediscovering things unused since the Fall.
Keleth smiled as the fusion cutter cut through the last of the debris blocking access to what her scanner read as a vast cavern space beyond. During Atlansar's chaotic journey to this place many sections had taken heavy damage, and the section Keleth's crew was repairing had been neglected since their arrival. Yet nothing could prepare the Eldar for what awaited them within.
"What is this place?" Fithriel asked as his gaze passed over the series of vast Wraithbone pillars which extended beyond sight into the darkened ceiling.
"Some sort of generators I believe," Keleth replied as she made her way to the base of the closest pillar, the temperature dropping slightly near the base. Running a slender finger over the runes inscribed over the polished white material she furrowed her brow. "The Veil of Vaul?" She asked. "Perhaps the Farseer will know more," she surmised. Tyrian had been on the Craftworld longer than most others, having supervised its construction shortly before the birth of the Great Enemy.
…
"I did not believe it had survived," Farseer Tyrian remarked as he beheld the Wraithbone pillars.
"What are they?" Keleth asked as she came up behind the Farseer. Several Bonesingers were repairing the damage around them. Ever so slowly new Wraithbone was glowing over the old blackened material damaged when the Craftworld had been plunged into the Sea of Souls.
"A relic from before your time," Tyrian replied. "These pillars are in fact power sources for the Veil and Sails of Vaul, a protective barrier and engine with which our Craftworld enters and traverses in safety the Sea of Souls."
"The Sea of Souls!?" Keleth cried. "Why in the names of the gods would our Craftworld have such a device?!"
"I foresaw that when our empire fell the Webway would suffer, and our ancestors used this method of travel before the Webway was constructed. Now that we are in a place without our Webway this may be our only way to travel beyond this star. As I have been unable to sense any dark creatures beyond the veils of reality I believe it is worth the risk, but only after we have repaired this place and are sure of our success."
The Craftworld herself had engines capable of entering and traversing the Immaterium, though unused the engines proved to work flawlessly in a test as the massive vessel jumped between the planet and the Oort cloud.
As the bonesingers and mariners studied the massive construct and how best to make it smaller so as to fit on the myriad of Wraithships and Eclipse cruisers used by the Craftworld, however the easiest ships for which to adapt the Veil technology where the massive Void Stalkers, battleships of immense size and power, they were excepting the Craftworld herself the pinnacle of Eldar warship technology, then of course came the escort vessels who couldn't mount the technology these where instead deployed on the Craftworld and on the growing number of fixed defence fortresses.
There was speculation for a time if they should perhaps use the craft world as a base or a fleetyard however that idea was quickly nipped in its bud for the simple reason that many thought the Craftworld a perfect deterrence for any new "neighbour" who might make war in the future. So it was that Altansar was converted over many years into the greatest of warships.
As the Eldar looked out on the stars, and for the first time expectations where running high, many wondered what this galaxy was like, and others looked upon Sea of Souls plotting paths where the massed flows told of stars, and for the first time in aeons, the Eldar travelled the Sea of Souls and the Great Void, simply for the pleasure to explore and discover the new stars.
Though they met a few races many were new to the stars and other had reached their ends, they watched as the new races scavenged from the corpses of the old.
M-1.250
It was after nearly 80 cycles of Arraxia around the twin stars, that the Eldar became aware of the battling empires, many of the new called them light and darkness others called them shadows and light, and one of the races who was not new and not old named the two Empires, Vorlonn and Zha'do, and the race named themselves Guardians of the Unlost, but the other races named them Soulhunters.
The Eldar, concerned at the rumours of great destruction and the possibility of attack on their haven, sent ships out to investigate and obtain reliable intelligence. Seven ships were sent, and after three weeks of darting in and out of the Immaterium, they returned. The news they brought was grim, and the Court of the Young King quickly convened to decide on a course of action.
…
Shipmaster Alshreth stepped back as the holographic matrix set into the floor of the Young King's court activated, displaying the latest recordings made by the cruiser Blood of Khaine. A shining blue world was burning in the air, as phantom ships danced around the atmosphere. Some resembled golden sea creatures, with tencacled weapons which shot bolts of light.
"These are the vessels belonging to the race we have come to know as Vorlonns," Alshreth explained. "They are crewed by powerful psykers. The Seers aboard my vessel were barely able to hide our presence. However we did learn that despite their seemingly benign nature, which we believe they imprint the illusion of on others, is false. Observe the far left segment of the image."
Within the projection a massive jump point opened, allowing a vessel which dwarfed the others utterly to gain entry in real space. A cluster of massive tentacles growing from the front center began glowing the same as its smaller brethren, but becoming impossibly bright. After several minutes in which the remaining brown ships of the world under siege were finished off, the massive Vorlonn vessel released a blinding beam of golden light down into the world below. Huge volcanoes began erupting, spewing molten rock hundreds of kilometers into space. Entire continents sank into seas which were soon flashed into steam.
Gradually the planet broke apart, first splitting into continents sized chunks but eventually all which remained was a rapidly expanding asteroid field. The Vorlonn ships entered Hyperspace and felt, their task complete.
"These Vorlonns destroyed an entire world," the Autarch stated in a very quite voice. "What was the reason? Even we rarely employ such measures."
"The reason in much simpler than I first believed Autarch," Alshreth replied, keeping his eyes on the floor and fighting the urge to simply stare at Altansar's greatest champion. Such was her commanding presence that her all before her were brought to awe. He continued, aware of the ever so slight tilt of the Autarch's head encouraging him. "The world was an ally of the second race in this war. The Soulhunters refer to them as Zha'do, but they are known to the other races only as the 'Shadows,'" he continued as the image shifted, now showing a dry desert world with a single moon. Black ships streaked back and forth across the sky. They resembled arachnids with their many questing arms, and as they passed closer to where the Blood of Khaine had hidden in the trail of a comet, a great scream was heard. It resonated within the Court chamber, sending a wave of ice across the minds of the assembled Eldar.
"An attack?" Exarch Yelidear of the Warp Spiders asked, having heard similar cries during his jumps through the Sea of Souls before Altansar had come to its new home.
"We don't believe so Exarch. The scream appears to by a by-product of the ship's pilot. From the limited readings we were able to take we learned that Zha'do vessels use their servants as control centers. The scream in their minds is agony."
"Barbaric! Not even the Mon-Keigh resort to such measures!" Exarch Fleriath of the Fire Dragons spat in anger, her Firepike hissing softly as it sensed her desire to unleash it's deadly energies.
"These Zha'do, these 'Shadows' have no regard for the purity of life," Autarch Melishar. "But my visions have shown me that these Vorlonns are perhaps even greater in their disregard. The Zha'do may reduce worlds to dust, but the Vorlonns appear to do it with abandon. She Shadows, from what I have learned and what out scouts have brought to my attention, indicates these races war not for territory or resources, but for ideals."
"Ideals?" Yelidear asked. "What ideals do they fight for?"
"The ideal of evolution. Our contacts in the Soul Hunters have told that the Zha'do believe evolution comes through chaos and war, while the Vorlonns believe order and obedience are the true path. Each race is converting younger peoples to their cause, and destroying any who refuse them. Eventually their war may even reach our haven here. We cannot allow this to come to pass."
"What do you suggest we do Autarch?" The Young King asked as he watched the recording repeat itself and the world fracture into shards of rock and cooling magma.
"We shall take this war to them!" The Autarch replied, stepping inside the projection, causing in to cease. "If we allow these races to continue growing in power, they shall become to strong for even us to stop."
"Impossible," Exarch Kalindieal of the Howling Banshee temple replied, her voice rising in pitch until the Eldar present winced as their ears were assaulted. "No race can match us in battle."
"Farseer Tyrian has shown be different. I have instructed to keep one of his visions from this council, until now. Farseer, step forward."
"Autarch," the Farseer intoned, taking a knee before the Autarch. "I am prepared." With a nod from Melishar he opened his mind to the council, feeling their mental gazes of his soul. Closing his eyes he allowed the vision he had hidden to rise to the surface. Altansar came into focus, her space fleet darting around her. Surrounding the mighty Craftworld were tens of thousands of Vorlonn and Zha'do vessels, firing into the lightning fast Eldar warships. Many were burning or dead in space. Altansar herself was firing volley after volley into the enemy fleets, but new ships were constantly entering the field.
"How can we know this vision is accurate?" The Young King asked as he saw a mighty Void Stalker sheared in two by a dozen Zha'do and Vorlonn beams. Altansar was now loosing her fight, her mighty weapons being picked off one by one, though at great cost. Several of the massive Vorlonn planet killers were closing in on Altansar, one falling to a salvo of pulse lances and phantom torpedoes as it prepared to fire. The other three each targeted a section of the craftworld and fired. Wraithbone armour cracked and buckled, and fire engulfed the interior. After several minutes of firing Altansar exploded apart, showering the Eldar world below with chunks of Wraithbone and metal.
As the vision faded silence, both vocal and metal, set on the Court. The Autarch was the first to speak. "This will be the price if we allow these barbaric races to continue their pointless war. We Eldar, the sons and daughters of Asuryan, must take up the mantle of guardianship for this place just as we have done in the distant past."
"But Autarch," the Young King began, "from what you have shown us these races far outnumber us. How can we defeat them so easily?"
"By not defeating them," the Autarch replied. "There are many young races opposing the Vorlonns and Zha'do, but they lack the power to take them as they are. We shall focus our efforts on weakening the Vorlonns and Zha'do to the point that the races who oppose them can meet them in battle themselves."
"I support the Autarch's vote," Tyrian added. "We must stop this darkness before it reaches us here. I will personally take charge of one of our fleets and lead the first attack on this enemy. Our scouts have located several targets which would be vulnerable to an attack." The projection returned, this time displaying a map of the surrounding space. Seven systems were highlighted. "Four of these targets are Vorlonn, and the other three Zha'do. I will lead the attack on the nearest target, a Vorlonn ship facility. Our other attack fleets will attack the three Zha'do targets, if you approve Autarch."
"We shall attack one target from each race to gauge their worth in combat. Once that is achieved we will attack the other targets," Melishar replied. "We have spent the last centuries mapping the currents of the Sea of Souls, and as we have discovered our drives take us deeper than either of our enemies, they will be unable to track us. Young Kind, with your agreement strikes will commence at once."
"Of course Autarch," the Young King replied. "If Farseer Tryian's vision of the future is indeed true we must act."
"Very well then. The Eldar shall go to war."
…
Ular felt a great surge of energy through his energy matrix. He recognized it as pride. The Thirdspace Gate had nearly been the end of the Vorlon race, but now his people were winning the war against the Darkness. Their servants won new victories every day, and with the continued supply of ships from this facility the Dark Ones would soon be forced to begin a retreat from the forces of Order. "It is near," a voice came in his head.
"Yes," Kosh Nerenak replied with his mind. "The Dark Ones grow strong. We must be greater."
"The circle nears completion. Only one future is uncertain. The clouded star brightens," Ular warned. Kosh knew what he meant. A star system cut off from jump space. Not even the Dark Ones went there, for the risk was too great. However, recently powerful energies had been sensed there. Once the Dark Ones were on the retreat the Vorlons would investigate. They did not like the unknown, for lack of knowledge often led to disaster.
Suddenly proximity alert were sounded as the hyperspace sensors detected approaching ships, moving at speeds even the Dark Ones never reached. Turbulent vortexes of energy, much different than jump points, opened up to allow what appeared to be streaks of light through before vanishing. Immediately pulses of energy lances out, cutting the closest Vorlonn ships to ribbons and ending the lives of the crews within them.
"Who are they?!" Ulan demanded, entering the systems of the complex and taking control of the defences. Whoever these intruders were, they would pay for ending Vorlon lives.
…
Farseer Tyrian watched dispassionately as another Vorlonn ship fell to the Lightning Spear's guns. The mighty Void Stalker sliced through the void with a speed and grace which far eclipsed the Vorlonn ships attempting to bring it down. He could sense the minds on the other ships which made up Altansar's First Strike Fleet. "Order the Dark Reapers to commence firing on the Vorlonn facilities while the rest of the fleet brings down the defenders."
"As you command Farseer," Shipmaster Liara replied, her long silver hair floating around her as she focused on the incoming enemy fire. A woman of the stars since birth, Liara had long admired the Shining Spears aspect temple, and though she had been denied that role she still used their teachings in her command. "Shipmaster Darithane, you are free to commence attack. Shipmasters Yerliandra and Arithale, move to your advance positions."
In space the Eldar armada began separating like the pedals of an opening flower. Jet black cruisers launched volleys of half-visible torpedoes which flashed through defending fire to impact on the reinforced arms of the shipyards and the vulnerable vessels within them. Explosions soon dotted the space around the planet. Clouds of fighters rose to meet them, Cruisers and Star Dreadnaughts following and from orbit a Planet Killer slowly lumbered forward. But even as the Vorlonns moved to engage the attackers they revealed another of their weapons. An eldritch storm of lightning flared into existence around the first Star Dreadnaught, tearing into its armour with incredible power. Every Vorlonn in the entire system felt the death agonies of its crew as their souls were torn apart. The Vorlon ships, suddenly unsure as their masters halted their commands for a moment, heard yet more death cries as the Vorlons crewing other ships were killed in moments.
Despite the fearsome tally the attacking ships were taking, the Vorlonns were fighting back. Lightning Guns and heavy defence weapons boxed in the darting ships and began reaping a tally of their own. Elegant solar sails were punctured, Wraithbone hulls busted open and crews sucked out into space. The battle was not finished yet.
The Lighting Spear shuddered as a Vorlon Lighting Gun blasted a pit into the side of the elegant vessel. In reply a pair of Pulsar Lances blasted the attacking Vorlonn Cruiser in half, the blue drive fins loosing their lustre as the crew of the vessel's souls expired.
As he observed the attack, Tyrian suddenly felt a hammering blow against his mind. A second came right after, and a third. He felt the barrage of mental pulses, seemingly coming from everywhere at once, striking the other ships near the Lightning Spear. His mental shields buckled under the attack, but Tyrian had honed his abilities for millennia, and he beat back the assault, tearing one of the attacking minds to ribbons before the other two withdrew. "Farseer!" The shout snapped Tyrian from his trance. "Our ships are under a massive psionic attack. The enemy is advancing on us."
"Order all ships to continue the attack. I and my kindred shall deal with this," Tyrian replied as his two Warlocks stood to either side of him. They each touched their Wraithbone staffs to the floor and closed their eyes. Gentle ribbons of energy flowed around them, intertwining and separating at random. With one voice the three Eldar began chanting, and everyone aboard the ship could feel the power they were generating. The shaking which had buffeted the ship now ceased. Outside the Vorlon ships were seemingly frozen, twitching in space.
"What is this?" Liara asked.
"We…are disrupting their control… over their vessels," Tyrian hissed from between clenched teeth. "Destroy them. Now!" He whispered as a trickle of blood began flowing from his nose.
"All ships, open fire! Full weapons!" Liara practically shouted, her warrior's blood rising. She watched with glee as the Eldar war vessels sliced and pounded their way through the immobilized Vorlon ships. The fixed defences still fired, but with their ships neutralized the Vorlonns had already lost this battle.
…
Kosh and Ular both felt as if ice were encasing their energy forms. There were monstrously powerful minds aboard the enemy ships, minds which put the psionic potential of the Vorlons to shame. He felt one brush against his consciousness and for an instant he saw a tall, pale skinned man with pointed ears and eyes so blue they seemed crystal. "You are done," the mind said, then broke contact as every Vorlonn in the entire facility began feeling the paralysing effects of the psionic assault. All sensation from the outside vanished, leaving only the soul searing agony of the alien mind.
"We. Must. Fight." Ular managed to speak.
"We must…gather ourselves," Kosh replied, his voice staining as he fought against the overwhelming energies seizing him. Suddenly he felt a tremendous pain seize him as his cruiser, which was currently docked to the main complex, was struck and destroyed. It's death agonies rippled through him. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the mental assault ceased.
"It is over," Ular said hopefully as he attempted to regain contact with the other Vorlonns nearby.
"Yes," Kosh intoned, though his voice was one of despair. He felt Ular's mind share the sensation as he regained his sight. The two Vorlons were floating in a piece of debris, the entire facility around them blasted away. A few dying ships still floated in the void, their pain echoing within the two Vorlonns. "Why?" He asked.
"Remembrance," Ular replied to Kosh's question. The invaders wanted the Vorlonns to know what had happened here. Soon others would come for them, and then this new enemy, likely the strongest race the Vorlonns had faced since the defeat of the Kirshiac Lords, would be shown the grave mistake they had made.
…
"We are nearing our destination Farseer," Shipmaster Etheial called out to Farseer Enithia from where she sat meditating on the far side of the command bridge.
"I am aware," the Farseer replied. "With no strong daemons here, I have been able to extend my sight significantly. The Zha'do are near, likely across the barrier. When we transit, open fire at once. Do not wait for anything. Our first strike will be vital."
"Understood Farseer. Helm, prepare for return to normal space." Even though the Vail of Vaul kept the Eldar ships safe from daemonic attack, Etheial was far more comfortable in real space.
The Warp exit formed ahead and the Eldar ships leapt through it without hesitation. At once salvoes of weapons fire rippled out into the loosely assembled ranks of Zha'do vessels. A massive black cloud was peeling back from the remains of a blue crystalline station. A few slightly organic looking vessels were still fighting, but they were overwhelmed in seconds. The Zha'do vessels spun with respectable speed, firing hundreds of slicer beams at the onrushing Eldar ships. Twelve ships were struck, and of those five ceased to exist. The others limped on, but were soon targeted and destroyed.
Farseer Enithia reached out with her mind, seeking to learn the pattern of the enemy's attack. Instead she heard a horrible scream in her mind, nearly causing her to cry out. Instead she pushed back, driving a mental lance into the enemy. She could sense her four Warlocks each attacking the crew of a different vessel. Each ship appeared to only have a single crew member, but when scanned a great cold seemed to spread out from the contact.
"Farseer, the enemy vessels! They are not moving!" The shipmaster called out. "What did you do Farseer?!"
"They must be vulnerable to psionic attacks," Enithia replied. Closing her eyes once again, she reached out to as many ships as she could, but scanning them but directing as much of her power as she could into as many ships as she could touch. With a thought every other Farseer and Warlock in the fleet did the same. More and more Zha'do ships ceased motion, simply stitching in space. Their mental screams rang through Eldar minds, but those minds had faced the daemons of the Sea of Souls, and compared to them the screams were nothing.
"Shipmaster, the cloud ship is still moving!" Came a shout from the sensor console.
A quick glance confirmed the Zha'do death cloud was still in motion, though it was moving much slower than before. Enithia diverted a portion of her gaze as several of the vessels she was holding were destroyed, locating a pair of minds too dark and cold to read. "It is them!" She hissed. "There are Zha'do on that cloud!"
"But their vessels Farseer," Etheial began.
"Are merely crewed by their slaves and their servants. The Zha'do are too cowardly to fight themselves. Destroy the remaining vessels quickly! The death cloud will require all of my focus," Enithia ordered, feeling the Zha'do aboard the cloud attempting to pierce her thoughts. She blocked them, but could feel hot blood running down her nose, staining her beautiful robes.
"Do as the Farseer instructs!" Etheial called out, watching as the Eldar opened fire without pause, pulsar lances, phantom torpedoes and various other death-dealing devices killed one black ship after another, and with each one destroyed the others were even more vulnerable.
Finally the last Zha'do ship blew apart, but the death cloud was nearly on them. Missiles reached out, but they were easily picked off, yet each moment brought more of them. Reaching out with their combined power, the two Farseers and many Warlocks of Altansar ripped apart the barriers between the Sea of Souls and this place. Huge rifts appeared around the Zha'do cloud, warp lightning lancing out as if eager to taste the essence of real space. The Zha'do cloud began showing holes as its shroud was sucked away, leaving a framework of black metal behind. The Eldar ships now added their conventional firepower to the Warp assault on the Zha'do flag vessel. Great explosions began rippling across the frame as missiles detonated in sequence.
Finally the Warp rifts combined into a single massive opening within the cloud's structure. Space rippled and shimmered as if the Zha'do cloud were being seen through a heat haze. Structure buckled, bent and rearranged until finally the entire machine was rent apart in a cataclysmic explosion which washed over the front ranks of Eldar ships, leaving several drifting dead in space.
As the light from the explosion faded the Eldar Fleet began rescue operations for those ships disabled in the explosion. As the first group of survivors were brought aboard, white lights began flickering some distance away, near the location of the former base structure. As the Eldar ships once again assembled in battle formation, an immense structure tore itself into existence. It was long, roughly cylindrical and bristling with weapon batteries.
"The alloys are unknown Shipmaster, but we sense only a single occupant aboard," one of the crew informed Etheial. "We are receiving a signal."
"Place it on the screen," the Shipmaster replied. She watched as the screen flickered for several moments before resolving into an unknown face. The man vaguely resembled a Mon-Keigh, but a tri pointed crest of bone adorned the back of his skull and he was clad in a massive suit of dark grey armour.
"Greetings Eldar, the Babylon Class Star Fortress Incorruptible Will hails you, one servant of War to others. My name is Valen, and we have much to discuss. But this is not the time, for the Minbari are coming and you must go, for they are young and still in the thrall of the Vorlonn. And they're masters have told them that you are a new darkness spreading across the stars to rival the evil of the Zha'do."
The figure brought up a badge bearing the symbol of Altansar and across the fleet shock rippled through the shipmasters and exarchs watching, for it was the symbol of authority given to exarchs so that another Craftworld would know who commanded the field of battle.
However the greatest shock on this day was that this Valen bore the badge and asserted his dominance of the field over the Eldar, Farseer Enithia, though greatly weakened and extremely intrigued ordered the departure of the Eldar fleet from this place for the warlocks and the Farseer could all sense the approach of the Minbari.
As the fleet turned to leave the flag vessels received a massive data dump from the star fortress.
M2.256 Babylon Class Star Fortress, Incorruptible Will, Sector 14
As the Eldar Fleets left realspace and headed back to Arraxia, Valen breathed a soft sigh of relief for even as the warp entry points of the Eldar closed. Space cracked and opened into Jump points as over 60 Minbari Warcruisers arrived with attendant frigates and escorts.
For Alyt Narann of the Warcruiser Deltona Fell the desperate call for reinforcement at the forward staging base, had been a fell thing to listen to for his brothers were both stationed at the base, and from what the message related stood arrayed against the Minbari at this battle they where to late to do anything except find and bury their dead.
However as they entered realspace they were greeted with a massive debris field littered with Minbari and Shadow warships and the scattered remnants of one of Minbars greatest military achievements however calmly floating in the middle of the field was the largest structure any of the Minbari had ever seen excepting the great fleetyards in orbit of Minbar, and it was extremely ugly.
The battlestation was cold, dark and ran on minimal life-support.
But despite misgivings about this place as a fortress of the new allies of the Shadows, the so-called ghosts. The teams of warriors were quickly exploring this place and though it was utterly alien the directional signs and controls were all written in Minbari basic.
As life support was fully activated the commander of the boarding forces was notified that at the very top of the station possibly at the primary command deck sensors registered a single garbled lifesign - Minbari.
Command Deck, Incorruptible Will.
Brother-Chaplain Jeffrey Sinclair of the 17th Legion of His Imperial Majesties Adeptus Astartes, The Word Bearers. Once more flicked an imaginary speck of dust from his
Ornate Artificier forged armor, Checked the litanies of purity, zeal and devotion held onto his armor by wax seals imprinted with the image of the Aquila Imperialis - the great Double Eagle.
When the historical files had been shown to him to the Master-Chaplain, he had known it was his fate to do this great task, to travel millennia into the past and bring the light of Imperial Might unto the hated Zha'do and to weaken the bonds of the Vorlon…"Shadows"…he reminded himself for now he was alone with only this station and a reminder of home located in his quarters, a single altar dedicated to the Imperial Faith.
As the great bulkhead doors started to cycle open he gathered up his equipment thumbed on the two-handed mastercrafted powersword and struck what his battle brothers had all called his "Impressive" stance.
As Alyt Shuran, Leader of the ground warriors accompanying the Fell, entered the command deck his gaze immediately glued itself to the largest man he had ever seen that stood towering over his somewhat nervous combat team, this male with a large decorated crest and sharpened glinting crest spines resembled one of the great warrior kings of legends and times long past.
The suit of armor seemed beyond anything the Minbari had constructed despite its massive size seemingly offering no resistance to its wearer's abilities, but it was the ever present emblems that adorned the armor and the might blade that truly made Shuran nervous, a crestless winged skull stretched across the mans chest and made up the pommel of the massive sword, it was macabre and ominous.
The warrior for undoubtedly he was a warrior opened his mouth and spoke softly but with a deep and commanding voice, "I am Valen."
M2.470; Border System; Minbari federation; Shadow Class attack cruiser Lsantril's Bow
Exarch Kalin'dar of the Swooping Hawks, was impatient, The Mon-Keigh Exarch Sinclair or Valen as he was known to the younger races was late.
It had been a shock to learn that HIS temple had accepted a Mon-Keigh as honorary Exarch, and what else it had been his decision.
For many years he had scoffed at the very idea, however it started to intrigue him to the point that he took duty for the next meeting between "Valen" and Altansar, but Valen was late.
What had detained Valen was far from simple however it would be truly dire yet fated, the Vree mercenary clans had decided to annex three systems within Minbari space, so Valen would have to personally go there and "convince" them to leave.
What Valen and Kalin'dar did not know was that one of the Alyts diverted a Warcruiser and two frigates to cover for the detour taken by Valen's group.
And so it was that in plain view as the Minbari ships arrived, sat the Bow her defences and weaponry powered down, passive in the void.
The Shai Alyt in command of the Warcruiser immediately ordered the ship to be fired upon as the Vorlons had spoken about these servants of Darkness in graceful but deadly birdships.
As the Minbari vessels struck and struck very hard the graceful wings of the Shadow were punched and perforated, even as the ship seemed to blur and move at lightning speed it was leaking plasma and flames, but it was not merely fleeing in the time it took the vessel to escape the first barrage which left the graceful form of the cruiser crumpled and burned, she had launched torpedoes and fired all available guns obliterating the two escort frigates and severely damaging the Warcruiser before entering the sea of souls. But Lsantril's Bow was far from the ship it had been only hours before segments of ship having exploded under the relentless pounding by Minbari neutron cannons and the Warcruisers antimatter converter having actually turned ship segments into antimatter and thus caused huge amounts of internal damage.
Kalin'dar looked upon his dying crew and heard the death screams of those unable to make it to safe areas, as the final tallies came in it became clear that nearly 40 of the crew had been killed. The Minbari would pay dearly for each life, this he swore on the blood of his crew.
M2.470 Valen's Command Vessel; The Burning Talon
As the battle report came in Valen froze, the blood in his veins turned to ice and he was unable to truly comprehend the monumental stupidity required fire on an unknown contact simply because the Vorlons had talked about a new enemy that had appeared just before Valen's rule.
Worse yet for Valen, he knew exactly what would happen, the Eldar warhost would assemble and all that was Minbari would be subject to the Bazhakhain – The Tempest of Blades would strike and he knew they would not survive its rage.
M2.470; Alpha Centauri; Arraxia; Orbit.
It had been close to half a cycle since that fateful day but now it was time, rows of ships were arrayed and at the ready for battle, this was a young race, and when prepared they were no threat to the Eldar, it was a legion of minnows arrayed around the massive Craftworld and as the Autarch gave the order, the twelve temple fleets broke off into a glimmering haze and were gone into the sea of souls.
The Tempest of Blades was coming, and none could stand in its path.
M2.471; Minbar; Yedor
The warriors despaired, the priests prayed continuously and the workers forged new ships, the battlestation Valen had brought with him had long since been torn apart and new ships built with materials and concepts discovered from it.
At this moment the Minbari were facing a foe more ruthless and cold then even the shadows. While the shadows quickly slaughtered everything in their path, these beings were slow and methodical, and worst of all theatrical. On every single colony, ship and outpost that sent a distress signal all that was found was plains of glassed earth with a circle of 12 swords rammed into the glass, each sword bearing a distinct banner that Valen had informed the castes were banners marking the warrior temples.
In the middle of this circle there was always a banner of deepest blood red with a black border and on it a black rune composed of a twisted band and two bound downward pointing arrows.
The New Sharlin design had quickly been scrapped by the workers and warriors as they knew that with this new foe, they needed sleeker, faster and much more durable craft and also they needed craft protected by more then ineffectual stealth fields. To that end the Grey Council had directed much of the Minbari war machine to the production of a new and as yet untried ship. Built with technology their Vorlon mentors had given them, the Minbari's newest creation promised to be an answer to their prayers.
…
Undisclosed Location: Minbar System: Valen'zha Command Dreadnought Grey Hand
Satai Shirel was the last to enter the circle. He bowed his head as Derrel, leader of the Grey Council, took his place. For many long moments there was silence in the echoing chamber, before finally a recording of the latest battle against the Minbari's newest enemy filled the space with the images of Minbari ships being slaughtered by swift, shimmering alien warships. Within seconds a Minbari strike force had been cut to pieces.
"The Invaders continue to move deeper into our space. Our warships have been of almost no use against them, and already tens of millions of Minbari have been slain."
"The warriors will continue the fight!" Satai Shakil of the Warrior caste announced. "With every battle we learn more about our enemy, and soon we shall drive them out of our space!"
"We admire your bravery Shakil, but even your valiant efforts are not enough. But do not worry," Derrel replied, holding up a hand as the warrior bristled at the perceived challenge to his fighting ability. "Our mentors have seen fit to grace us with the means to defeat these servants of darkness." The footage of Minbari ships drifting through space was replaced with a large shipyard, and within lay a ship only one of the Council had before seen. Larger than a Sharlin yet not as tall as a Sharlin, the ship was built with a large nose section which connected to a tapering engine module with a thick, double hulled main body. Sleek drive fins, swept back so as to present a smaller profile, accentuated the armoured hull, which glimmered softly with the extremely tough new silversteel armour covering the critical points. Many gun ports lined the hull like needles, ready to penetrate and kill any for who came up against it.
"I have never seen that ship before," Satai Shakir of the Warriors remarked. "What is it?"
"It is the Sword of Valen," Derrel replied. "Built with technology gifted to us by the Vorlons and Valen so that we might strike down this dark enemy. Already the first are ready. They will protect our Colony in the Tlatcar system. It will likely be struck soon if the enemy's attack pattern holds, and there we will show them our resolve," Derrel finished, his voice filled with confidence. "We are the chosen of the light, and we shall see this new enemy crushed under our might."
…
Sar'ain Shipyards: Sar'ain System: Minbari Federation.
Shai Alyt Miron stood proudly on the command deck of the Sword of Valen. Much different from the large, airy chamber of a Sharlin, the Sword of Valen's command center was much lower, only twice the height of a Minbari. Stations ran along both walls, with the weapons and engineering consoles slightly behind and below the Alyt's command chair.
All around him the other eleven vessels of his fleet stood ready. Three were Sharlins, part of the planetary defence fleet, but the others were sister ships to the Sword. The dark enemy would strike this place very soon, so the Grey Council had said. "Run another system check on the weapon array," he ordered, fingering his new badge of rank. It had only been a month since his promotion, but with the heavy losses the Minbari had been enduring many new warriors were getting to test their mettle.
"Yes Shai Alyt," replied the young female occupying the operations console. "All weapon systems are operational and performing as expected. Shai Alyt, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course," Miron replied. "I need a crew not afraid to voice their opinions. I learned from my mentor that such opinions can save many lives."
"Who was your mentor?" The young Minbari felt more than a little nervous about holding this sort of conversation on a combat bridge, but to her relief her Alyt simply nodded slightly.
"Shai Alyt Naronn. He comes from a highly respected family and I had the honour to be one of his students." As he spoke Miron remembered the last conversation he had had with his master. Always keep both your eyes open he had said. Miron knew what he meant, not to let hot blood cloud thinking. Such actions got warriors killed.
He was pulled from his memories by the humming of an alert. "Report!" He demanded.
"Thirty-nine enemy vessels have appeared on our scanners. Attempting to acquire targets," Alrin from the tactical station responded in the calm voice which never left him. "Enemy will enter weapons range in one minute."
"Send to all ships. This is Shai Alyt Miron. The dark enemy has appeared. They may outnumber us, but we fight to defend our people! We fight for the very existence of our people! Those things shall see us through this battle, and I will see you all at the Temple of Valen on Minbar. Good hunting." As he closed the channel Miron steeled his own heart. The enemy ships were blindingly fast, and this time three of their largest ships glided forward with them, elegant sails catching the solar winds and lending the alien vessels unnatural speed. Their outlined blurred as sophisticated stealth fields came online, reducing the enemy ships to half-visible phantoms.
"All ships, remember to group your fire to compensate for the enemy stealth fields. Four ships to each enemy, and ensure your target is gone before moving away," the tactical warrior ordered before suddenly turning back to her commander. "I am sorry, I acted without your orders."
"Fine work, you are learning quickly," Miron replied with a smile. "In combat one cannot always wait for instructions. Instincts are often the deciding factor between victory and death."
"Yes Shai Alyt," the female replied, her heart swelling with pride as she directed the neutron cannons of the Sword of Valen into the hull of the leading enemy vessel. A sail was punctured, tearing away large strips of material and slowing the ship's path enough that three other Sword class vessels could lock their own batteries. Before they could fire however, two of the ships suddenly exploded, showering debris over the hull of their sister ship. A pair of sleek white ships flew from the center of the explosion, shining like spears in the aftermath of their work. Fire from the Sharlins at the rear of the fleet could not seem to find them. "Group two, shift fire to the ships heading away from us. All remaining ships concentrate on your assigned targets!"
"Do not lose your calm," Miron reminded the young female. "For it is often-" Miron stopped as a blinding pain entered his mind. It felt as thought hot pokers were being hammered into his skull. He could taste blood in his mouth. As the ship reeled from a direct hit Miron fell to the floor. The agony in his head began fading, as did the world around him. He saw a heavy support beam crash down as the bridge section was hit, crushing the young female at the tactical station. He had never learned her name, he realized with sorrow as his world finally faded to black. A moment later a pulsar lance gutted the entire front half of the Sword of Valen.
Out in space the rest of the Minbari fleet died. They had fought very well, as the two burning Eldar vessels could attest.
On board the Void Stalker battleship Soul Flame Farseer Kilendres opened her eyes. "The Minbari are learning quickly. Those new ships they set against us. From the thoughts I took from their crews they could have inflicted far more damage on us had our Warlocks not acted."
"Is that respect I hear in your voice?" Shipmistress Tathiel asked with an edge to her voice. "The Minbari are our enemies. They deserve no mercy."
"I did not intend to imply mercy or compassion Shipmistress. I simply remarked that our enemy is becoming more formidable. I suggest we bring a sample of the debris with us. I sensed a faint soul echo when I crippled the commanders of the unfamiliar ships. It is nearly identical to what I sense from Vorlonn vessels; it is likely they intend to use their servants to blunt our attack and then strike us when we are depleted from our current conflict."
"You will bring this news to the Court I trust?" The Shipmistress asked, watching as survivors were recovered from the lost ships. Decades of careful song and energy went into the crafted hulls of the Eldar warships, and her heart ached with each secondary explosion which ripped through the lost ships. "Not even one," she said in a low voice.
"Indeed," Kilendres replied. "The life of one Eldar is worth more than however many lives the Minbari lose here today."
"Once the cleansing is complete and the marker placed we shall return to Altansar," Tathiel spoke, running an elegant finger along the sheath of her sword, gently tracing the gems set into the delicate material.
"I shall rest for now Shipmistress. If you have need of me, my mind is open to you," the Farseer said as she departed the command section. As the door closed shut after her, the first salvo was fired at the Minbari colony below, cleansing everything in the fires of vengeance.
M2.471 Minbar
The 12 warfleets of Altansar assembled in the Minbar system, the Minbari warfleets, what remained of them at least stood arrayed to meet them in a battle to settle the war once and for all, today the field of blood and death would stand in orbit of the Minbari homeworld.
…
They could even with the massive improvements gifted by Valen and the Vorlons barely spot the Dread enemy, what on this day remained of all Minbari warfleets and the entire reserve,
was assembled and arrayed in a giant wall formation intent on protecting Minbar at all costs, but something was desperately wrong, the ghost fleet of the enemy wasn't moving. The massive Valen'zha Command Dreadnought Valen'zhahad joined its siblings and stood as a shimmering bulwark among a sea of minnows, the Valen'zha was the first ship constructed using the technology of Valen, harvested from the debris field after the enemies brutal strike against the Star Fortress system.
There was no movement in the cloud of hazy energy fluxes anywhere the enemy just sat there holding at three hundred kms outside of the Minbari firing range, every single Minbari warrior knew their duty and on this day the warrior caste was prepared to die and take every single enemy with them.
A single hazy shadow moved forward standing to just outside Minbari firing range, and before the eyes of the Minbari Captains and the grey council the hazy shade cleared and revealed a glowing and pulsing white ship, the entire system held its breath.
Across the fleet and on the world below terror and dread reigned supreme as between the single visible enemy and the hazy fleet an enormous rift appeared and from this million-coloured wound in space the single greatest warship any Minbari had ever appeared. It dwarfed the assembled fleets and after a mere moment the entire Minbari fleet found itself targeted by the enormous cannons of this hellish vessel.
Seconds later a large number of small lights turned on as the Minbari fleet received a comm. signal from the new alien flagship.
"Greetings, Young Ones, you did spill the blood of our people, we have spilled yours and fed the furnace of Vengeance, today it ends, we stop now and you will live to see the future become the past."
With that space ripped open and the dread enemy vanished leaving behind nothing to show they had been there.
All Minbari sighed in relief and wonder.