Daleem Satele Shan Space Elevator
The elevator crept upwards at a surprisingly fast pace. Alethia stood a few paces from her Quaestor, her usual company left behind on Daleem’s surface. The ride was tense; neither had spoken much outside of the necessary since Mako had left the Proxia to oversee the building of their House’s new base. Even during the unveiling of the base and Mako letting himself be seen by his fellow Satele members, they had barely spoken or even looked at each other. With what Alethia had heard from Korroth, Mako had personally overseen construction for several hours each day before leaving to the mountains with Gwen for training. He had given their House a new home, but he seemed different now, more serene. The man’s shoulders had a more relaxed posture to them.
“How did ship life treat you?” Mako’s words snapped the Aedile out of her thoughts.
“Pleasant enough, though I’ve always prefered solid ground under my feet,” Archenksova answered, studying her Quaestor’s expression for any indication of why he had called her here.
“I see, so apparently Arcia and Edgar are waiting at the top of this shaft for us. Their ships required a resupply and our dock was the closest,” the Quaestor said as he rubbed his forehead.
“How well do you know Colonel Cortel? You both were in Arcona at the same time.”
“When we served together on the Nighthawk, she was my Captain. She means well, however her heart is colder than the void of space. She demands nothing less that perfection from those beneath her. You may have read about him in the old intel reports, but my brother Sight served as her chief engineer for a time. From what I can tell he enjoyed her company and considered her a friend.”
“You have a brother as well? What happened to him,” the Aedile asked her lips growing to a thin line. Two Henymory’s were hard enough to deal with as it was.
“Sight was not a Henymory, however we were like brothers. Perhaps it was his murderous ways and unquenchable blood lust catching up to him, perhaps incompetence during that mission from the command staff. He died back then, sacrificed himself to an enemy he knew he could not defeat to save his crew, his friends, from torture and death.”
“So he redeemed himself in the end with one last honorable act.”
“No, he died as he lived, soaked in the blood of his victims. After he left a much younger Odan-Urr, Sight plunged into darkness deeper than I myself have tread. But we digress from the topic at hand. Have you been well?”
“As well as can be expected, and yourself?”
“Alive, feeling better than last we met,” his voice was quiet as an electrical storm raged around the outside of the lift shaft.
“What happened in your training with that woman?”
“Plenty of meditation on letting go of my anger, interspersed with her beating me with a stick.”
“She beat you with a stick?”
“Yes, as a method of raising my ire, so I could practice releasing my anger. Then we moved on to sparing. My ribs are still broken.” As the Quaestor finished speaking the lift slowed and came to a stop. The cargo doors whisking open with a hiss, the intercom coming to life on the station.
BING “Attention on Deck! Quaestor Henymory and Aedile Archenksova have boarded. Command now shifts to Quaestor Henymory.” BING
“Well ain’t that fancy, how you doing Alethia?” Edgar said an ear to ear grin upon the Hoth Aedile’s face as he stood next to Colonel Cortel.
“Keeping the galaxy safe for democracy,” she answered with a slight smirk. “It’s good to see you, Aedile.”
“Cortel,” Mako said slowly with a nod.
“Henymory,” the Hoth JTF Commander’s cold voice replied.
“I trust the station’s amenities are to your approval,” Henymory said his voice level and serene as they began to walk, the Aediles falling into step behind their Commanders.
“They will do. For as fast as the Ship Smiths guild constructed the station, a few lacking areas are to be expected.”
“Well, you haven’t changed a bit, Cortel. Adjusting to life with the lighties well?”
“Dark or Light, all Force users are the same,” the Colonel’s lips twitched for a moment as a thought ran across her mind. “I have a proposal for you, Henymory.”
“Oh, so more business than just a resupply. Of course you would have planned when and where to stop. I was wondering when you would get around to the true nature of this visit.”
“There is a spot in this system that would serve as a good location to launch longer voyages from, as well as serve as an excellent listening post. My intel says you have already requested the construction of a station in this location. I want it, Henymory,” her cold eyes shifted to the Seer.
“I see, well some of my more diplomatic members have already started talks with the Ship Smiths Guild about the station. Mostly getting estimates on time, labor, cost. However you must already know this. What is your proposal?” Henymory’s voice deepened as the group came to a stop outside of the Sovrence Unlimited one of several bars upon the station.
“I will be able to utilize the position to a fuller capacity than you. Let Hoth build there instead.”
“That can not be your only argument. If so you have wasted a trip,” Mako said as he turned to face Arcia. The Aediles watching intently as the ice queen and war criminal glared upon each other.
“I have another argument, but you have first to retort properly. You know I would be able to utilize the position.”
“Oh, I know well of your tactics, Captain. Sight learned first hand how effective they can be.” The words had barely parted from his lips before Cortel’s fist slammed into the Seer’s face. The crunch of cartilage and bone giving way as Mako stepped backwards.
“How dare you,” Arcia spat out as Mako’s thumb flicked some of the fresh blood from his healing nose an amused smile upon his lips.
“So you still have the fire he so admired and Lilly so envied you for. But it makes me wonder if you regret those actions.”
As the Commander‘s fist tightened Edgar and Alethia stepped between the two.
“Hey, hey business first then pleasure right,” Edgars joke helped little to defuse the tension between the two but the serious look upon his face helped to calm Arcia’s wrath just enough. “We came here for a purpose and not to settle any of your old Arconian scores with Mako. Now either get a hold of yourself or let me handle this!” Drachen said sternly but low enough for only the Colonel to hear.
Cortel turned slowly to look at the man, but said nothing in response as her glare returned to Mako.
“You just had to push, didn’t you,” Alethia said with a chastising tone as she roughly wiped the remaining blood from Mako’s nose with a cloth.
“That is still tender you know,” the Quaestor said as tears welled in his eyes.
“Serves you right.”
They almost thought to see a chilling grin upon Arcia’s face, but it was gone with a second glance. “Drachen, give them our proposal.”
“Right, so the way we figure is a fighting force is only as good as its training. So we propose a two stage mock invasion. First, House Satele Shan will fail a staged invasion of Solyiat. Culminating in a full on mock battle. Second Phase, House Hoth will seize Shan’s assets on Daleem,” the Aedile said confidently.
“Winner gets claiming rights over the new station, I take it,” Mako said with a nod.
“That is the idea,” Arcia replied curtly.
“I’m game, Alethia you think we can take em?”
“They’ll never know what hit them, sir.”
Rohlan’s Vision
Solyiat Orbit
“Colonel Cortel! Several ships inbound.”
Arcia Cortel snapped her attention to the young Major who sounded off, narrowing her eyes at the information garnered. The Hoth JTF ships were not massive enough to prevent a force from breaching Solyiat, but they would be expected to do what it took to ensure the invasion force was brought to a minimum.
“Send word to the Owuhey–” Cortel started, but was cut off.
“The Owyhyee, ma’am…” another officer corrected her, receiving the darkest of scowls in return.
“Send word to the Pride to cover our flank while the Challenger stays back to pick off the stragglers.”
A wordless acknowledgement was given as commands were sent through the rest of the fleet. Turning her attention back to the viewscreen before her, the Colonel watched with cybernetic enhanced vision as the Satele Shan JTF ships blinked into existence before her.
Arcia flipped open a standard comlink. “Cortel to Drachen. It’s begun.”
”It’s about time Shan decided to get off their butts, I was beginning to believe they backed out of the bet.”
Several minutes later…
Trepus Ice Caves
Solyiat
Far above the icy continent of Trepus, balls of flame shot through the sky towards the transfer station.
“Either Arcia blew them out of the sky or I guess it’s time we greet the invaders the only way we know how, face to face!” Drachen yelled as he finished handing out his orders to the ground troops mobilized throughout the vicinity, just as the first of the Satele Shan JTF drop pods touched down.