Log for February 23, 2009

::over the next couple of hours Maria and Martel start rounding up officers with slow but steady progress, Lan furiously tends to those that he can help: there aren't many wounds, but those there are generally result from explosions and decompression... and An shows up at a safehouse in the city proper to find Elena waiting in the foyer with an overnight bag packed::

Your timeline zigzagged. It was pretty peculiar.

::smiles widely:: I am a pretty peculiar person. Good to see you've packed. ::moves in and gives her a hug::

::hugs back:: Should I bring some tools as well? The visions weren't entirely specific as to which of my skills you needed.

Maybe, we have a ship that needs a good once over or so. But in the end, what we need most... is a jump gate opened.

I can do that... but I'll need to be pretty close. ::hands over the bag and goes to a closet and fishes out a toolbox::

We should be able to get you pretty close. ::picks up the bag and shoulders it::

::and An and Elena return to the spacefield, dropping her off with a worried looking Tollosk::

((oh, incidentally, i discovered that i'd never read the spaceship rules before, apparently. The ship probably has about half the guns i quoted last week.))

((clearly we took turns so nobody's feelings would be hurt.))

(( Does that include or not include the kitchen sink?))

((besides, that's still a LOT o gunz))

((it does include the kitchen sink missile launcher... one of those, the em gun, two light slug guns and two light blasters))

((probably a grappling gun, too, as i believe that leaves 1 hardpoint))

((can we dedicate that last hardpoint to a porthole that we can fire our sidearms out of?))

((i wouldn't recommend it))

((but, if it matters, you have blasters and slug guns alternating each corner, basically, so you can fire one of each at any given target, the em and grapple are on the turret, and the missile is rear-mounted... like your mom))

((also, i finally figured out the crazy speed rules... the technology, apparently, lets you accellerate to 8% of lightspeed within seconds, but you can't go any faster because your shields would let debris through))

((it's true, my mom IS a WMD *sob))

((so... an insane number of Gs and massive power outlay to produce them... solve... space dust... insurmountable))

((Makes perfect sense))

((and this is an awesome revelation after 10 years... if i'd understood those rules years ago, we might have had way more ship-based plots :)))

::And Tollosk and Elena begin patching the hull while An meets the rest of the crew in the command bunker::

::flags down An as he walks in:: The leader of the base is, for now, Baron Gilmar Bursandra. Between my letters and Martel's way with people, he's reluctantly giving us a chance to suggest protocol. Meeting as soon as you're ready.

I am ready now. In your opinion let me know what your best estimate is for when we should reopen that gate. Will the standing fleet near be enough to hold it till the rest of the fleet get there or should we wait a few days.

We're.. how long before we left at this point?

Umm... 10 hours... I think.

Hrm. Sounds about right.

Okay... it should take the bigger ships about two hours per AU... Aragon's gate is 57 AU, while Vera Cruz is only 37... So, it will basically take them two days longer to get to the gate than it will take us, plus 10 hours, plus however long it takes to get them moving... We're looking at waiting three days in the middle of the Kurgan fleet if we leave now

So, we wait here, do what we can for three days, then strike out after the gate.

Sounds like a plan... we need to find out how far back the main fleet is, and whether, when they find out about us stopping the sabotage, they'll wait or blitz... If they blitz... we're not likely to do much more than try to stall

Which I assume they will. They gain nothing by waiting, other than ensuring they have a greater force to face once they get here.

They'd only wait if they thought seige tactics were their best bet. I doubt they do.

Then the sooner we can set out, the further away we can meet them, and the less time it will take for the fleet to meet us in the middle

What are our chances at several DAYS of prolonged ship to ship combat?

Us personally or Vera Cruz?

Us personally. Someone needs to open that gate if there is going to BE any Vera Cruz.

Depends on how much we try to help. If we retreat, run dark, and move out of the direct path towards the gate as soon as it looks bad, we have a shot... if we stay to help when we start losing... less

And we'll be fighting a losing battle the whole time, most likely

Almost certainly. Then we help as long as we can, then make a run for it.

::is shown in, looking only vaguely ruffled::

So I say we assist. Fight with what we can, help where available. If that be on command vessels or with our own ship. Then one day early we will take our leave, run dark and get to the gate.

::nods:: Now we have to sell it to the Bursandra.

We need to make a point of disabling ships that they can't really perform an invasion without. Troop carriers, medical frigates, so forth.

They're in the war room whenever you're ready.

::inhales deeply and exhales:: Lets do it.

::lights his "Impressin' Cigar"::

::the war room is at the lowest point in the building, likely covered with armor enough to resist a serious bombardment. Monitors, both holo and standard, radio links, and whiteboards fill the walls, while a large table with a Hazat crest dominates the center...

Damn that's a big cigar.

dozens of Hazat and householders of middle rank sit at the table and sit at the monitors, filling the room with a worried babble of mixed conversations::

::it smells, not so faintly, of Ka oil::

::when An seems ready, walks to the head of the table and waits for attention:: I've met most of you today. I am Baroness Maria Fe Eduardo de Aragon, bearing letters of authority from your duke.

With me is Don An-hetep-f Griffen del Sol Imperial to explain the situation. ::steps aside for An::

::stands and makes his way up to the head of the table and stands there for a moment his eyes closed, breathing deeply::

Ladies and Gentlemen, at this very moment a fleet is moving this way with one goal. The enevitable domination of this planet. You have seen evidence of the enemies sabotage. You have seen the skirmish that took place today above your skys. I stand before you now to tell you. You are not alone. The rest of your house stands with you in this your most dire hour. They know of your plight and even now assemble a great host of ships to move to your aid. But the deception that struck this blow against the venerable Hazat was swift and struck deep. Its true damage was not discovered until time was stacked against us. So now, it is up to you. Even as we speak agents of the Emperor move to free your gate from the Horde. They though, require time. And I have come here today to ask you to buy them that time. To buy them that time with your ships and fleets, with your lives and blood. To strike out a great blow against your enemy. The fight will not be easy. But together, we will pay them back 10 fold for every life they end, every great ship they destroy. Ours in the righteous defence. Ours is the quest of the day. I know this house was struck a terrible blow recently. Your hearts were hardened to stone just to survive. Your souls cast like driftwood in the sea. But here, and now... The Pancreator has taken those hearts and and has smothed them into an unbreakable diamond. Carved your souls into a swift shield of defense. And has fitted your fists with iron to strike out an unrecoverable blow... So I ask you this... The ships of your enemies bear down upon you, will you yield? ::looks around at each of the people at the table and says again:: Will you yield?

::one general speaks up. "Hazat do not surrender!" and the line is taken up by the other nobles within the room until it reaches a crescendo... dozens of scared but unwavering men and women, ready to face the worst::

::steps back from the head of the table and looks to Maria:: Now we plan.

::a montage...
ships taking off from the spaceport...
An, Maria, and Martel pouring over documents in the war room...
Lan furiously tending casualties in the infirmary...
Martel strongarming pilots into a prayer circle before takeoff, and glowing with theurgic light...
Frantic reports coming in from the front...
and one, final takeoff, as Redemption coasts into the sky::

::The Armada is not running dark... Hundreds, possibly thousands of ships exchange fire in the void of space. Each blaze of blaster fire is a pinpoint of a moment in space and time, perhaps minutes ago by the time it reaches your sensors and eyes... Hazat raiders and escorts dodge in and out of the fray, while the larger ships struggle to cover the escape of damaged ships. The armada has been caught a day away from the planet, but this is not ideal, as it take that long to receive fresh ships... even now, the Hazat are beginning to lose, as more and more ships emerge from the outer edge of the system to gang up on the Hazat::

::pops up out of an engineering hatch, grease-stained:: Are we likely to use the grapple gun?

Can it help us get in close or would it be better not to be tethered to the gate?

No, it's strictly for boarding other ships.

I can think of a few uses, but if it needs to go, it can go.

Okay, I'm going to see if I can disengage it from the reactor. It's not drawing much power idle, but every little bit helps.

Did I mention to you guys how nice it is to finally have an on-board Engineer after months of doing maintenance myself?

I'm thinking about going to engineering school! You could always join me.

Watch it around this old hound Elena. Stay on board too long and you'll find yerself employed.

::notices his watch has stopped working, and pouts::

I'm not sure I'd mind. After the past couple of years of meditation and self awareness, it's nice to just tinker in a ship again.

You know you're always welcome.

Maybe after this I can convince the elders that I'm good to take some working vacations.

I'm sure you can be very convincing. ::puts a finger on each of his temples and gives her a good "mind control" stare then a a joking wink::

::fires on a passing raider:: It's good to have a hobby.

You know, I'm sure that's against core principles of the Phavian Institute's charter.

No... that's just against some of the addendums.

Gee, and I always knew that deep down our cults were just alike.

You have hobbies, Padre! ::hides behind something as a raider passes::

We get air conditioning.

Sure I do! I smoke fine leaf, I shoot things occasionally...ok, I shoot things a lot, and I grow one of the largest gardens in the known worlds.

Well, by sheer land area anyways.

not a lot of the usable soil is in the same place.

::The battle outside grows steadily worse over the next several hours, and the Hazat begin a fighting retreat.::

Y'all let me know when it's time to break.

How much ground are we losing?

We've lost about an AU since it started. We're about 10% closer to Vera Cruz than we were before.

What can we shoot at that would make some of them chase us for a little while?

And how much time will you need Elena?

I don't know that it will matter much. It looks like they've been lining more dreadnaughts up, and they're just going to keep slowly shelling down the line with those.

Line of sight would be best... non-machine augmented. Not long, once I can see it, and we won't need to slow down unless it doesn't reset by the time we're within jumpkey range

Tollosk, how long would it take to achieve line of sight?

We're still about 27 AU out, so... little less than two days. But that would put us there well ahead of your friends

Which is not all bad if we're shutting down fresh resupply? .... Wait! What? Elena's going to mojo the thing open? ::Wriggles fingers::

Chances are she's going to mojo the thing open ::mimes a wrench::

I'm not going to wiggle my fingers. And it will probably only work once before they're prepared for it and can just reset the gate when they see us.

So we do what we can here. We hold out here for a while longer. We need to open the gate and ensure that they do not have time to reseal it before the reinforcements arrive.

I'll make it ready to open sooner than they expect, but we still have to key in the right place before they do.

Do we know how many forces they've left to keep an eye on the gate?

Probably not many, but enough to handle a small and dedicated raider group that slips by. If they're smart.

I assume it won't be too many. Its something that cannot be reopened without considerable effort. ::looks to Tollosk:: Agreed.

They may be keeping their reserves back their too... we're unlikely to do well guns blazing.

I can run dark like they did, though, and if we shoot by at full tilt they might not notice us until it's too late.

Alright then. So we move in. Reset the gate, key in the proper code and hope the allied fleet in prepared.

So, now, or in two days?

I vote two days. It's rough out here, but I think we can hold it togeather.

Agreed. I hate to do it but we're going to have to ride this on the line. We compensate our time table for how much ground we've lost. The more ground we lose the sooner we leave. Alright.

::The next two days are hell... the Hazat line is steadily driven back by the overwhelming onslaught, and it's only so slow because the Kurgans believe they have no way to lose, and busily swap fresh ships in for damaged ones... but in a day and a half, a sort of sweet spot is reached at about five AU from Vera Cruz, as the Hazat find it easier to swap out ships and men from the planet than the bloated Kurgan army stretched days from the jumpgate... You're still losing, but begin losing ground much more slowly... at this rate, your dinged up ship might make it to the jumpgate and back before it's too late::

We really shouldn't get hit by any more blasters.

Agreed. Then I think its time.

::stops taking potshots:: I hate this part.

Next heavy fighting we break away and push dark for the gate. Send encoded messages to fleet command and let them know we move to assist imperial forces.

Then cut all communications, I want nothing coming to or going out of this ship.

::And in the next surge of combat, you let yourselves drift off like an incapacitated vessel, going dark, and letting inertia carry you to the edge of visual range::

Don't check for spoils. Don't check for spoils...

::an hour later, the fighting is reaching the edge of your passive sensors, and no one has come to investigate::

The spoils will be better after, and you won't get killed for checking then.

You know, I've read that late second republic medical sonography techs built massive "space ears" early in the wars, that could actually reconstruct human voice from vestigal space gas.

Ready to punch it? Keep in mind, running dark doesn't help us if they're checking for wakes

You're saying that they invented a way to, in space, hear people scream?

Doc, you are so damn weird.

Exactly! Of course, it took days...

::looks to Tollosk:: Make it so, Pilot.

::and days lay out before you as you punch up to 8% of light speed and then let inertia carry you onward, making only periodic bursts of acceleration to counter the drag of space debris... by the end of the second day, you're picking up the jumpgate on the sensors, and the comm chatter, now hours old, shows that the Hazat are being ground down but not without cost to the Kurgans::

I've counted four gate activations since we've been in scanner range. They're really hitting it as fast as they can. That's lame. If doing that is what's killing the suns, those guys are really wasting juice.

Alright kids, what the final game plan?

Board the biggest ship at the gate, take it over, open the gate now? While I stay here?

Drift in, quiet as we can. Start on the opening sequence, start shooting only when we have to, and hold the gate till the cavalry can do it for us./

Race in at full burn and hope we can open it as we fly past?

Right, do we have a read on how many ships are guarding that gate?

From here, I'm only reading a half dozen.. but there's no telling how many are dark... at least one destroyer and one frigate, at least

How many of the visible ones could pick us up visually? We have to assume that they'll be watching for someone to sneak in and looking for any type of wake we'll leave. We might be forced to get as close as possible and make a burn for it. Elena, a swift fly by enough time?

Well, we're coming off direction from where they're expecting, space is big, and we're dark, so they probably won't see us until we're within a few hundred miles and burning hard, unless they've got think machines set up to monitor space

What about this, we burn at the gate, reset it, key in location of reinforcements and open it. Pushing through, it would put is out of harms way quicly enough and might keep the gate open long enough for the others to come through.

It all comes down to how much time is left on the reset... hopefully, I can burn it down to nothing. It would be better if we started our flyby near to when they're going to ping the gate

If we go through the gate, we probably won't be able to come around and back through before it closes

Anyway to know when that'll be?

But we do have a gargoyle, so if we head out past the gate, we're in a lot better shape than the Kurgans

Reset is anywhere from a minute to a week... at the rate they've been going, it looks like it's been averaging at around a half an hour

It's unlkely we could go to hira, disable their gate, and come back?

They surely have more on the other side

Right, so we need to reset the gate right when our allied fleet pings or can we open it up from over here?

I figured that was the unlikely part.

We can open it from here. We just have to open it to Aragon before they open it to Hira again.

... unless we're willing to wait a random amount of time.

Opening the gate is just light pulses, though, and I can set it to just play them over and over as fast as possible, so we're trying to open it as we get closer.

As it has been about half an hour, I say we wait. We're only going to have one chance at this. I'd rather we didn't screw it up.

And it's on the front of the ship, so hopefully they'll all turn to face us, and won't keep trying themselves.

We won't have the range to take potshots at somebody still facing the gate, I expect. Or are we talking about the fly-by still?

We set up trajectory, and push towards the gate, lets time it to arrive a few minutes before their next 30 minute unlock, that way we'll be mostly sure the gate is ready to reopen.

Alright. I'll call you when the next one goes, then you'll have about 25 minutes to prepare yourselves.

Ring it over the coms. I'm gonna go pray. if anyone wants to join me, feel free.

::Maria and Elena both join in::

::joins them for a small time as well before taking some time to be alone near someplace he can just look out into space, and think::

::and shortly after the prayer session::

There it goes! Gun stations! Except Elena. Elena to mojo station!

My Lord, we do what we think is best. We fight for what we hope is right. If it be thine will, lend us strength once more. If not, let us perish from this world. Thine will be done. Amen,

::stands:: ok, lets go shoot things.

Amen! ::lets others take first turns at gunnery::

::moves to be beside Elena:: Ready?

::the repulsor-compensated G forces lock in, and within moment you're hurtling at an appreciable fraction of C. You feel the whine of the shields as they take all the power possible for a short rush at speeds that are not recommended.::

::straps into one of the chairs in the cockpit and looks towards the jumpgate, taking An's hand to share in his Wyrd::

::imagines the light pulses looking more like slingshots::

::squeezes her hand::

::As the jumpgate ceases to be just scanlines on a sensor readout, and begins to dominate the time-dialated view out of the canopy, Elena begins to concentrate. Her mechanical eye flares, red light streaming in odd patterns at relativistic velocities.::

::you can suddenly all feel the sathra dampeners whine, struggling to shut out the strange sense of unity you all feel to one another, to the ship, to the gate, and to the cosmos::

::Symbols seem to light subtly on the gate, counting down faster than they were before... counting down in a way that is likely still invisible to those before it::

::And those before it are many. Indeed, six larger ships maintain a precise orbit around the gate, but, now, you can make out dozens of specs of raiders and fighters drifting around the ships. Some, certainly damaged, but others just waiting to attack::

Diverting power to forward shields! And starting the dialing procedure!

::takes aim at one of the smaller ships, hoping to disable it in a turn to disrupt the formation::

::light flares suddenly flicker from the front of the ship, dialing lasers pointed at the gate, dopplering into compressed waves , almost pooling, red, as your ship rushes to catch it::

::and, the red of the fading lasers merely call attention the blue tint of the onrushing gate and its guardians::

Martel! Try the EM gun. I don't think the slugs and blasters will work at this speed. I'm going to get ready on the missile as we go by.

::opens up on said turning ship immediately::

::concentrates hard on helping Elena, giving her all the strength he can::

::the ships finally catch sight of you as the lasers from the ship, the hard burn, and the pulses of EM light you up against the night... Martel catches two of the larger ships, the ones pointed towards the gate, and their shields flicker and they turn away, towards you...

::hums:: Just a song, before I go.... A lesson to be learned...

Tollosk turns the ship at a slightly oblique angle, and the return volley has no chance of hitting a ship moving nigh on 30 million meters per second... at least until they begin to accellerate themselves, and that is just what the raiders begin to do, each one lighting up in turn and moving to match your velocity... the ship shudders slightly as each missile is launched to cover the rear, streaking towards the turning raiders... The jumpgate eclipses the night, filling the entire plane of your view, a window on the cosmos, and still, Elena strains and the glyphs count down with their ethereal light... Just as the frigate and destroyer start moving in your direction, you crest the plane of the gate and surge into the dark between the stars...

::stops firing immediately::

there is a moment of weightlessness as Tollosk kills the hard burn and then pain as he whips the ship around, still flying away from the sun but facing the gate... desperately firing the dialing laser and turning the shields towards the oncomers...

::resumes firing once he's turned back the right way around::

And then, as the gate begins to shrink back down to a fraction of the sky, a flare like a dawning star fills its bounds... purple light shot through with lightning fills the void, and you see another void rather than the star that it once framed... for moments, you see only the back end of the portal, an outlet onto unknown darkness, yourselves falling further and further away into the night... until, finally, the curtain fades, revealing real space, once again framing Vera Cruz's star... and the hundreds of Hazat warships tearing through the enemy guards... G forces once again push against the repulsor field, as Tollosk guns the ship forward, streaking towards the remnant raiders that followed you in a game of interstellar chicken, Martel's blasts surging ahead...

AwwwSOOT! ::cowboylike::

and, within minutes, you have rejoined the Hazat fleet, even now beginning its own hard burn towards Vera Cruz::

::gingerly feels his neck:: Yeah...yeah, that's gonna be whiplash tomorrow.

::as you burn towards the center of the system, you receive word that the Dulcinea fleet is less than an hour behind, jumping in from Sutekh::

::And it is less than a day before the Kurgan fleet breaks, moments from breaking through the Bursandra line, on word of the approaching fleet... yet there is no where for them to go, too late for them to go dark, too few for them to fight back, with their supplies and lines cut... The Bursandra held the line... the Kurgan fleet is smashed into the night, ruined and scattered into the dark between the stars::

::and it is only a few days to resupply and reorient over the skies of Vera Cruz, chasing down raiders and securing the perimeter, before word comes that a wing of the Imperial Fleet has come, ready to press on, to give the aid the Hazat requested for so long... but which is now clearly necessary to protect against an enemy eager to reach towards Byzantium and Holy Terra... The fleets move into Hira, rolling through the remaining Kurgan fleets that had taken the planet from its disorganized defenders months before... This fight is longer, bombarding the planet and dropping infantry upon the surface to remove the defenses the Kurgans had retaken and dug in, but, in time, Hira is once more the nominal possession of the Hazat, first bastion against the barbarian hordes::

::Weeks pass in a flicker of award ceremonies, speeches, and celebrity... those that were already known for saving Vera Cruz are doubly lauded, and each of your legends spread throughout Hazat space, and even further...

::Finds time to exchange smugness with the other three. Later tries to sort of lobby for medical refuge for the enemy, and their medical people. Or may be lost in the crowd::

Duchess Elena is tried and forced into house arrest until the end of her days, and her closest allies are put to death for treason against House and Empire... Malena quietly becomes a Countess in the power void... The Justus once more take the Princedom of the Hazat, but the Bursandra heroes of the Battle of Vera Cruz have significant sway for years to come... and, by the next spring, the crisis has passed... the surf pounds against the Isabella Bluffs as you return the long-overdue Redemption to the base you'd "borrowed" it from all those months ago... and it is time for some of you to part::

::Malena meets with Lan overlooking the surf on a particularly fine day::

What's next, Doctor?

::bows with his best manners:: The Guild would have me teach. ::rubs his neatly trimmed beard:: I like that idea fine. But where is up the air. And, I don't know. I've been thinking about a career in politics.

It's not all it's cracked up to be. ::smiles:: I don't think you'd like it. They very rarely let you take a day off to work in the clinic.

Or dancing at cliff's edge, I suppose. I hope that what we've done wasn't just another empty bit of political bloodshed. Does... milady have any advice?

I'm not sure what we did. The house is stronger than it would have been... but are we better off to have beaten back the Kurgans and the Jakovians in exchange for all that we lost? I don't know.

What I do know, is that I am on a knife's edge of favor and intrigue, perhaps for years, while the new power structure gets fully sorted out... You are free to do as you will. I can't promise you anything. There was a time where I could consort with who I wanted. But now I feel like your friend Maria did all those months ago, penned in by my oaths and politics. But once things start to be sorted, I might call upon you to lend your prestige to my estates, if you're willing. To give you in political favors what I can't in personal life. This still isn't a promise. I can't see the future that clearly. But I would like to give you what I can, even if that is just my patronage.

Perhaps I'll make of myself like Parzifal. And send you back my every victory. ::smiles:: I'm not so demanding or impatient. Unless you want me to demand you run away with me to Hira.

No. If I go to Hira, it will be as a ruler, not a refugee. But the sun is setting, it's a fine day, and, for now I have time, if you'd like that dance... while the light lasts.

::raises eyebrows only faintly to say emphatically, "That, I look forward to seeing", and offers his hand::

::and as two figures dance to the fading sun, two others return home from yet another interminable party::

I need one day to ourselves. One! How can there be a ball, or a party, or a meeting, or a concert every night? At this rate, we're going to have to book the wedding a year in advance just to find a free day.

There are no free days. I have learned that now. I think if I shake another hand, mine will fall off.

You'd think, as a dueling culture, we'd do more bowing the way the Castenda do, save our wrists.

Maybe they save those for when things are important, like when you're gonna stab someone.

::Alphonso opens the door::

Sir and Madam! I took the liberty of showing your guest to the parlor.

::turns towards the door:: Our... guests?

Just one old man... he seems rather important.

Thank you, make sure he's comfortable and we'll be there momentarily.

::looks to Maria:: Probably some governor or lord ::rubs his hand absently:: Maybe a merchant, wants to sell on on the idea of having our faces engraved on mugs. Shall we?

::puts on an exagerrated "interested" face::

::the man in the parlor has more lines on his shaven face than you remember, his long hair fully gray now, and he's dressed much more nicely than the last time you saw him, shortly before being sucked into a mystical tornado and dropped in the desert... the Merlin of the Eskatonics stands and bows when you arrive::

Ah, Don An-hetep-f and Lady Maria. It has been years. I apologize for the unannounced arrival without any kind of previous correspondence.

::cocks his head to the side:: Understandable... what can we do for you?

::waits for you to sit, then sits:: Time is a wheel. If you have seen the past, you can predict the future. We are amidst the last surge of a silver age, awaiting a catastrophe that could destroy us, or could result in an era of gold. I believe that the two of you and your allies have already accomplished many things, some you are barely aware of, to tilt the future towards the better years. Alexius is, as much as we had hoped otherwise, only a precursor to the coming dawn. When the new Emperor rises, he will need strong allies, and hidden powers, to overcome the flood. Your time as the agent of the Empire is done, and fate no longer binds you, though it may appreciate your hands from the shadows. But I believe you have something that no longer benefits you, which cannot be trusted to the current lords of the known worlds, and which will greatly benfit the coming king. I ask you to help me hide it for the time when, at need, it can once more be wielded in the hand of the destined lord.

Then I have some ideas on where it can be hidden. Somewhere deep, where it cannot be found, until the rightful person comes to claim it.

I believe that you know a place on Pentateuch that is a relic of a bygone age, keyed to a genelock and hidden.

::nods:: Indeed I do.

Then, there it shall wait, for the hand of the true king... plus, it will be years before the Avestites figure it out, and I hope I'm still alive to see that realization...

::meanwhile, on Pyre::

::Brother Martel is called before the Bishop::

::bows his head before his superior:: I've come, as summoened, your Grace.

Azo. You've been back less than a month. The hallways are about twice as loud as normal. A quarter of the novitiates stay up nights giggling like schoolgirls outside your dormitory. And I have not less than twenty letters asking for an interview.

My apologies, your Grace. I will ask my fellow novices to be more circumspect.

And, despite my best efforts, I have been unable to determine that you are doing anything but telling completely truthful stories and acting entirely within the bounds of your penance. I can't keep you here. I can't banish you. So I have to promote you.

One does ones best to fulfill ones meagre position, your grace.

You're popular on Hira, now, right? Are you aware that we were the dominant sect on that planet before the Kurgan invasion?

Of course, sir. I've felt that we could be again, with the proper handling.

If I give you your rank back, will you go there for a few years and rebuild the cathedral? Maybe take some of the other malcontents and give them something productive and less likely to be heretical to do? There aren't any aliens or known gargoyles there, so hopefully I won't even have to worry about any new prophecies.

If that is your wish, my Grace, I will do my best to prevent any outbreaks of unneccisary heresy.

I'm certain the Kurgans did more than physical damage, there. Go be a shining example of why the natives should turn back to the Pancreator's light.

Yes, your grace. ::raises his head high:: His will be done.

yes, yes ::blesses him and shoos him out of the room::

((Yaaaay, everyone not dying a painful death to void krakens!))

::The street here barely shows any signs of the bombardment that had leveled the city four years ago... Fort Omala has seen better days, but also seen far worse ones... Ever since the Castenda began pouring money into the reconstruction at the behest of an activist doctor, the place has started to function as a real city again... The Battle of Hira Memorial hospital is bustling today, welcoming the founder who has come back to visit::

Oh, you'll love this Dr. Maningzhoue. We've doubled the number of scanners in this room, so we've quadrupuled the number of local refugees we can treat on a regular basis.

::beams and rubs his neatly trimmed beard:: Fantastic. You're doing good work, miss? ::beams::

I don't need to say anything about the importance of our work, I'm sure. Thanks so much. ::nods politely, moves on, checking things over::

We're really looking forward to the dedication later. I hear your friend is giving a speech.

::nods:: I am... ::looking over, making adjustments:: Anything I should stress, Adele?

Your friend, sir. Your friend is giving the speech. And the director told me to make sure you didn't get wrapped up in the machines and miss it.

((Heh, I can't read. I plead headcold))

Oh! Of course. ::goes on fiddling with machines::

::A hand-lettered posterboard adorns a wall: "Cathedra Avesti, Grand Reopening and Dedication"...
Love the sinner, burn the sin
We won't burn your body, but you'll still burn in Hell
We now question first, smite later
Ask us about our Ka-oil free confession Tuesday::

::Martel sits, regarding the sign, a large marker in hand::

::mutters:: ..and here I thought repurposing the old slogans would be easy.

Deacon? Do you want to practice your speech again? You have a few hours left before the sunset dedication.

Oh well. That'll do for now. No, my boy. If I keep saying it now, I'll be too tense to give it later.

Yes, sir. I received word that your friend the Doctor made is safely in this morning, and will be attending.

Good, good. He'll be at the hospital for the rest of the day, I'd hazard. We'll invite him over after. Can you get the boys in the bakery downstairs to whip up something...cakey for him?

I'll see what I can do... they're really still better with anything that can be broiled. I'm not sure they've gotten baking down.

Hmmm. Just do a nice beef something or other. I'm sure they'll do fine.

Yes, sir. Anything else that needs checking before?

((Kau cutlets. This is the future. ))

No, no, I think we're fine. Oh, make sure that the free refugee luncheon has enough of the new pamphlets I prepared for next week. Need to make sure the printers have enough time to run those off. But later, later. Lets make our way to the festivities. ::reaches into his pocket:: Cigar?::

I will sir. No thank you sir.

Anyone else I need to know about gonna be coming, son?

I don't know, sir. Were you expecting anyone besides the doctor?

Actually, yeah. I was expecting a Reeve. Where the Hell is An hiding at?

I can check with the canon for you?

::Dappled sunlight pours through the leaves of the apple tree, falling upon a little boy with dark hair, carefully inspecting apples with intelligent blue eyes before putting them into a basket... His father, reaches up into the tree, handing down fruit one by one::

"This one has a bad spot daddy. The birds got into it."

Then we'll leave it for them. I'm sure they'll enjoy it.

::the boy nods and places the apple to the side, continuing to sort the fruit::

::reaches down ruffles the boy's head::

::the view pans through the grid of apple trees, extending off into the distance, stopping on the dark haired woman walking up through the rows. she balances a baby girl on her shoulder::

How is the great harvest going?

::smiles and comes down off the little ladder:: Slow and steady. ::steps over and gives Maria a quick kiss, then leans down and kisses the girl on the head::

::the little girl struggles to reach an apple in her big brother's hand, and he holds it back for a second, then hands it over::

I don't think you can eat that yet, honey.

::the baby girl giggles and plays with the apple like a ball::

Well, no rest for the weary. Can you take her? I have a town planning session in an hour.

::reaches over and takes up the girl:: Yeah, we'll find something fun to do... ::looks down at the boy:: Something dangerous that will make your mommy grow older, what do you say? ::grins widely::

::grins:: Be sure to wear him out. He's so much easier for Alphonso to watch when he sacks out early. Don't forget to come in in a few hours. We have to get on the jet for Fort Omala by five if we're going to make it to Martel's service.

::leans in and kisses her again:: I will, go do some planning official stuff now.

::Maria smiles and kisses back deeply, then breaks away and walks back the way she came. As she goes, the view pulls out above the lush treetops, showing the newly built hacienda in the distance, pulling further back to see the growing city beyond... and fading further and further up above the continents of Hira... until the war-torn and rebuilt planet hangs as a lush gem against the black... further and further, past the sun and deep into space, the planet dwindling, and then the sun itself fading... growing smaller... shrinking into the distance until the view pulls through an immense ring of worked stone and metal, which slowly spins lighted glyphs, crackles with energy, and ignites in a road to distant stars::

((Credits song: Tonight and the Rest of My Life by Nina Gordon))

~~~Credits (in order of appearance)~~~
Lee Watts as Brother Journeyman Tien Xuan Hai Dinh Mactiernan
Tom Rybak as Don Ricardo Valentin Eduardo de Aragon
Brandon Gore as Lieutenant Fizz
Adam Garland as Don Isfahan Ruiza de Los Santos de Estancia
Cameron Cook as Don An-hetep-f Griffen del Sol Imperial
Brandon Gore as Brother Aricus
Tom Rybak as Sir William Godfrey Hawkwood
Adam Garland as Lieutenant Saburo Aren El-Sabeh
Bill Pees as Doctor Lan Maningzhoue
Robert Hodgson as Deacon Martel Azo
Lee Watts as Commander Budi Kheder Tajik Ramesh
Andrew Kemp as Sergeant Vasili Petrovich
and
Stephen Cheney as Various