“You’re sure that the Ascendancy patrols won't see us on our approach?” I place the mission logs of the abandoned Starforged among the memories I have collected. The engraved tusk, the journal of Harz and the Palmander Five.
“Keep quiet and we’ll see if we make it through. Patrol routes are fairly standard, I just need a window where they are far enough away.” Tarron, formerly Tarnvek, is my pilot and guard for this dangerous quest. “Why is it you want to come here anyway? Solarii Magna has been a wasteland for 50,000 years.”
“I have reason to believe there is evidence here that will prove that the Luminar Order were not responsible for the sundering.” I take my seat as we slowly creep towards the planet with meteoroids, pulled in by the massive energy that surges from within the planet. Eventually we land near a covered area with the black exterior on the ship blending into the dead surroundings. We both put on our exo-suits and head out on the surface so I can begin my investigation.
The ground seems to be covered in ash and enormous blast marks as though from a bombardment of some sort, within one of the divots I find a blinking light. It looks to be a part of a gauntlet, from a warrior or perhaps a knight. Somehow there is still power in this device, I press the glowing button and we hear the sounds of clashing and battle emanate from it.
A voice begins speaking in an archaic language that I recognize, “Where is the attack coming from? Have the devourers arrived?” followed by the sound of clashing weapons. “You fight with the skills of a Luminar Knight! Tell me, do you attack your own allies?” The voice spoke.
A gruff voice answers his question. “We are removing a sickness. If you impede us then you are a part of the sickness.”
The sounds of combat continued for several seconds before the first voice spoke again. “Where has my connection to the strand gone?”
“Your Strand is abandoning you! Iridite allows us to nullify it’s benefits! You will need to beat me with skill alone, you heretic!” The gruff voice shot back. The sounds of struggle gave way, as the knight got the upper hand.
The first voice spoke again. “The strand will always protect us, your betrayal will never win!” A loud rumble could be heard as he shouted “The Temple!” and with that the recording ended.
I look at Tarron, his hippo shaped face scarred from his decades of fighting. “It sounds like it continues to the temple. We have proof the Luminar Knights were honorable fighters!”
“...sure, but who was he actually fighting? And who were the devourers he mentioned?” Tarron said back, I stopped, confused. He continued “The knight said he had training? That sounds like it might have been a civil war?”
“No, there must be more to it. Lets try to find this temple and see if there are answers to our questions there.” I walked toward the large broken structure that looked like it was once a beacon of light and peace. There are giant pieces of debris that block our path, Tarron easily throws them aside. Reaching the inside is just as daunting as approaching the planet itself, we see visible flashes of the pain across the entire temple. Manifesting as ghosts forced to relive their final moments for all time.
Then we see it, a glowing sphere of pulsing chaotic colors of energy. This was the strand nexus of the temple of radiant light, now emitting a pained cry, as if lashing out at all who approach. I search around and see ancient Elare Vae writings that designate it as the temple of radiant light. Eventually, the energy from the core lashes out at us. “Joric! Get down!” Tarron shouted as he dove onto me and prevented me from taking any damage. He lets out a pained grunt as he lifts himself, pressing his hand to his leg he pulls back his hand to reveal blood.
He begins tending his wound and I continue searching around when he says again. “I see something. Under the debris, looks like a starblade hilt.” My eyes go wide as I turn and rush towards where he’s pointing. I pull out the hilt from the dust and rocks that it’s under. The hilt activates and it begins to emit energy through the rocks themselves, the astral glow of its purple glow singing with memory.
I pull the hilt out and its weight surprises me, I had heard of the starblades. Only a thousand were ever created, each capable of singing with the strand. I deactivate the hilt as its light dims. I begin to unscrew the bottom and inside I see a mnemonic crystal glowing with residual energy.
“This holds the last memories of its wielder!” I pull the crystal out and set it on the ground. It begins emitting a holographic image.
The young knight runs in, he looks to be an Umbroi, its canine features desperate with confusion. “The temple is under attack! You said your fleet was protecting us! The Vigilant Crown swore an oath to defend this temple and the strand itself!”
The scientist, with his humanoid features, frantically ran around looking like he was trying to repair something. “And they are Knight! They are simply…preoccupied.” A smile formed on his face. “The Vigilant Crown’s zealotry was perfect to forge our new army. We thank them for their service.” The figures tremble where they stand as if the planet itself was shaking.
“You… you used them?! You infiltrated them? Those titans?” The knight now looks desperate as if he’s realizing the situation.
“Those titans are the Vigilant Crown! One loyal to order, not the Strand! Now, this planet… this, glorious sacrifice… will be the monument to your failure!” Another loud rumble and we watched as the ceiling collapsed onto both of them and the hologram ceased. Leaving the crystal inert and sitting on the ground between us.
My mouth sat open with shock, “This is even more confusing than the gauntlet. They mentioned titans! Who were they? Why would the vigilant crown attack the temple?” I just collapse despondent.
Tarron stands up, confusion on his face. “It wasn’t a fight into the temple…” He looks and sees a collection of scorch marks burned into the stone itself. “It was a retreat from an extraction point!” He stands up and begins limping towards the direction we came from.
I stand and follow, collecting up the artifacts we have found. “What do you mean Tarron?” I pick up my pace to catch up to him as he quickly walks off the wound on his leg as if nothing has occurred.
“They weren’t fighting to get into the temple. They were using it as a safe zone!. Defending it from the attackers. We just need to find where they were running from. What would have been their extraction point in case of an attack?” he asks, now matching my frantic energy from before.
I ponder for a moment and realize. “The portals! They would have gone through the portal network.” We see the giant ring in the distance and race towards it as fast as we can.
The sight is a grim one, ancient bones destroyed by the space debris crashing into the surface and turning almost everything to dust. A large rock sits atop the ancient stairs, Tarron lifts the rock and beneath it we see the bones of a child, and in her hands is an ancient luminar data-slate.
Its last words etched into the cracked screen. “Arkelos ships burn the sky! Firing upon the vigilant crown ships. Virellian gleefully slaughters civilians! This isn't a war, it's a purge. The portal has blinked out, we are trapp-”
We both just sit for a long time, I pick up the slate and read it multiple times. “Arkelos… Virellian… those are the ancient houses in the ascendancy.”
Tarron grabs me and says “We need to take this and go! We can piece it together on the ship.”
“You’re right. The concord will want to know about this.” We both walk back to the ship and prepare to unleash the truth upon the galaxy.
