Chapter 5 – Part Three – Revelations
Space ripples near a planet, it is unknown to most races in the Milky Way, but to them it serves as a base, or rather a HQ – in this galaxy at least. For they; like the Vorlons, have many such planets spread throughout the Virgo supercluster – in each they act as Guardians ensuring the peace is kept – it is why the Shadow Proclamation is used to barter for peace – they are the oldest – the most powerful. This role handed down to them when by the ancient humans that passed beyond the Rim – travelling the void between universes seeking other class IV civilisations like them. It was common knowledge that a few had retained their corporeal bodies, although they could be counted at no more than twenty – or so they thought, the second uprising of humanity that had followed had not yet hyper-evolved, all except two – the Organians and Atlantians.
Sensing the arrival of the Old One before the ship had even exited, a bulk of their fleet met the creature head on – survival of the fittest, having lived for billions of years had not made it stupid, pragmatic, realistic, prudent to the point of cowardice, but information was power.
Therefore like all good generals it led from the rear.
Hundreds of the newer Shadow ships met them head on crewed by servants; human, narns, centauri, and many, many others fitted with nanotechnology of such complexity, and variation that it would have made the Borg green with envy. Neither they nor the hated enemy feared the cybernetic abominations or their technology, but both feared the order they brought, union through one single mind, one single vision – so much like an Old One. No Borg ships to date had ever survived an encounter with either Power, a few had strayed too close, once one of their transwarp conduits had opened near Z'Ha'Dhum, using their billions of years of knowledge it had not taken long to redirect such a flimsy and rudimentary construct into a nearby star – destroying the would be invaders.
What caused it worry was the some of the children were developing shields capable of withstanding stellar temperatures, safeguards had been put into place to prevent them venturing into the core of Formalhauti, where one of the Lambent Kith was imprisoned, having turned on their own during the Dawn War – so long ago. It emitted a scream of rage which spread across all the nearby dimensions for several light years – a warning had been issued – "Do not come any closer." Given no chance to proceed any closer Shadow forces engaged the ship as purple cutting beams began to devour the vessel. Penetrating the flimsy shields they began to slice it into segments. None of it mattered. Emerging from the fragments, floating in cold space was the Old
One its bloated body gorged on the Power Cosmic.
Humanity knew these creatures as Martians, their race name was Vor'ku'far, all were psychics of considerable power – having sought long ago to tamper with the psychic and genetic programming established by the Elder Things – with little success.
The Old One's eyes flashed pure power.
Each ship exploded as their quantum hyperspace taps suddenly went critical the explosion of one was so great that it had a cascading effect that destroyed the rest. Hundreds more would be required to overpower such a foe, most of who were sleeping, in hibernation until their thousand years were up and they were due to rise again.
It screamed again, a call to arms, to awake from their ancient slumber! It only hoped its wake up call had been heard in time! Power beyond imagining seized its primal vessel, unable to move in any physical direction, forward or backwards – able to enter hyperspace and subspace - both with equal ease, although their mastery of the former astounded most other First Ones – but even this was denied them, such was its puissant might.
There was one other option, igniting its engines dived into the Time Vortex away from harm. Only the Time Lords knew of their occasional entry into their realm, but they were all dead now – well all except one – and they had not encountered the Doctor in a very long time. In its mind it was able to see the destruction of Z'Ha'Dhum as the sun went nova, blasting apart the whole solar system, leaving fragments and atoms. Another of their bases in the Triangulum galaxy had attempted ultra-space beaming, spiriting millions away to safety.
Those destroyed were striplings of a million years old, none would not have been able to help anyway but it must warn the other ancients like itself, much as it wanted the hated enemy to die, it could not bare the thought of the Old Ones rising again or another Dawn War.
Above Organia there was a surge of energy, one which was familiar to them, emerging from it was a vessel of the First Ones, a race they knew as Anansa, the ship battered and damaged, parts shrivelled, black organic spines had curled in on themselves protectively.
It felt the warming light and energy of the Organian known as Ayelbourne.
"You are hurt?" he asked.
"Yes, badly hurt" it whimpered. "There is no time to waste. There is an Old One in this galaxy. Z'Ha'Dhum is gone – they will destroy all the Powers"
"This is impossible, but I sense the truth of your thoughts. Show me your mind revered Elder and I will lend you my energy"
"Yes" its mind reaching out synchronising with the younger being. During the transfer it felt Ayelbourne attempt to pull away, but would not allow it, holding the much younger race that had recently attained First One status immobile, unable to even call for help. Once complete, "Thank you child" it chimed melodically. "Warn any you can, I will do the same," with that it shimmered entering the higher levels of hyperspace, beyond the knowledge of even the Organians or Atlantians.