Banishment

[St Oz]

"Stand he who is Zhate." said the Primav along with her other mavis on the high Judicator stand.

The Ozian stood up, he was weary after much time in his jail cell. This would be his last trial as they told him. The last trial he has to profess to the Praefesi religion.

"Do you or do you not stand for the beliefs of the great Frazhen? The basis of the Praetesi and Ozian Society."

"I do not stand for your caste system."

"It is simply not just a caste Zhate Dae Vascola. This is the way of life and the only one that works. We have the High Praetesi to command, the Psi-Valitrex Warriors, and then the Artisan."

"Do you not understand Primav? I do not believe in your society. You cannot force all mighty Psi Warriors to do your biddings."

"Heresy against your Ozian Bretheren!? I proclaim you, Zhate Dae Vascola banishment! You and your 'followers' have 20 Zhi to leave! Now go away from any Ozian Settlement hense forth. I dare not kill you for your orb might spread dangerous teachings one day. Now go!"

The Psionic Barrier around him was cleared and he was warped out to the streets.

An announcement came on the news, that all Driada Followers were to call towards the Zepedi Shipyard or be slain of their heresies. Many Psi deserters joined Zhate as he left the Ozian Planets and traveled into the great void. 

[St Oz]

Zhate stood at the front of the command bridge and saw the planet. Something was different about this planet and he couldn't sense anything about it. Every time he got farther from the Ozian crystal links were fading as they went farther. His psionic abilities became weak and nonexistent the past days. The ship went into orbit and a scout was sent with Zhate inside it. He traveled with 3 other driada warriors. When they made a landing on the planet, the ship gripped itself to the ground and it was found to be safe to breath. Zhate traveled down the ramp to a sandy and cold surface. There was a certain twilight in the air but it was extremely dark. The sun that the planet orbited was scarcely seen. The area was warmer than it should have been. He wondered what created such warm structures. With psionic links lacking, the Ozians had to write down messages or use hand signals since they had no vocal cords or even a mouth. The 4 Ozians started to travel and wander around the area.

The Ozians encountered only dunes and dunes of land. As they traveled they could a river of water but the water had a strange homogeneous mixture with glucose. Zhate swirled his finger in the water which created a very beautiful glow with the light. His two shiny black eyes reflected of the glow of this water. He saw this as a sort of a Twilight. He wrote down on the sand, "Cascalaras"   



The others were confused and Zhate got frustrated. As a reaction he tried to tap through his psionic appendage and talk to them. Except to his suprise he tapped into something invisible. A void. He talked to them both about the meaning of Cascalaras. They raised there heads in happiness as they were finally able to hear communication again. The Ozian explained to them to channel their energies to the 'void'. With practise they were able to find the connection to the void. The void had different effects though. Many of their previous abilities which stemmed from the Crystals on the Ozian worlds were different. The Ozians themselves would turn invisible and psionic blades glowed a yellow instead of a blue.



The Driada Ozians called their ship down to begin building their new society.

[St Oz]

"Dire Zhate, do you know where we are?"

"The great void has shown me only that we are about 2 jumps away from Ozia Star systems. This Star is uncharted, this planet is almost invisible. This place isn't like Ozia with its warm surface. This surface is colder. Some how, even though this star is far away, heat seems to be trapped in the planet. Making life possible. The Glucose water is caused by a cooperation of the zhettle microspecies and the Mava plants. The zhettle excrete water and glucose molecules as it eats mava. The mava also need this glucose to survive and grow."

"Well that explains that, but what is here?"

"Dark Energies, Lost Energies, We have found the void which powers us. The psionic potential is inconceivable from the Crystal psi connection of Ozia. I have a feeling this void can be felt everywhere. Have you noticed the Temple structures?"

"Yes I have, many of the Driada worry about this. They think we might not be alone or this might be a ghost planet."

"Have you spoke the great void?"

"Yes Dire."

"What has it told you."

"We aren't alone on this star system."

"It told me the same but these species didn't make these temples, some ancient species that died out or fled this area."

"It also told me that Dire"

The Ozian looked at his subordinate, "I'm sure it did. We need to decipher their texts one day. Maybe it can explain to us what we have here."

"Well, we found something interesting the other day Dire, something we dug up, my wife and I. We decided to keep it a secret until we talked to you. Considering she's training the little ones today we couldn't talk to you but you but I'll show you it now."

"Let's go see."

The Ozian stood up and walked out of the hut with his inverted legs. Outside he saw a toon of soldiers the leader yelled out, "Dava! Tuac! Devione! Shastava!"
At Dava they cloaked themselves, at tuac they slashed foreward with a void psi blade, at devione they stood at check, and at Shastava they uncloaked.

"The blades have stopped turning yellow, that's a good sign."

"Yes, I thought it was odd that it turned yellow but apparently it was because I didn't have enough void energy in it. These have their Dark blue blades, very good."

They walked off until they reached a temple structure. When they looked at the walls there was two languages, Something he didn't recognize and then something he did recognize. An ancient form of Ozian. Seen on Ozian temples around its star systems. A dead language used almost 100 eras ago. (50,000 Earth Years)

"Do we have any Ancient Script readers here?"

"I will check."

[Gulliver]

Elsewhere in the system, the moon of Vaan continued to drift around the blue planet of Sarac, always, luckily for its residents, sunside and casting a permanent shadow on the world beneath it. While one side rested in darkness, the other was bathed in the suns rays. Beneath this sunlight Instructor Srohoen surveyed his dominion with satisfaction. It was independent study, perhaps his favorite part of the day. Not because he loathed teaching. On the contrary, he'd been born to teach. If he hadn't then he wouldn't be an instructor to the moon's youth. Instead it filled him with pride to see the curiosity and love of learning that he had instilled in his pupils. Again, born to be a teacher.

"Instructor Srohoen, Instructor Srohoen!" cried a chorus of young voices from behind, a sound which was accompanied by the sound of three of his students clattering with all speed over to him. Mentally Srohoen sighed. No doubt it was another pulled tail or ear, more hurt feelings and petulant whining and grief, the serenity shattered. But such matters were also the in the domain of the instructor, and without giving any hint of these internal feelings he turned around, looked down at the children and with a warm and friendly tone asked "Yes, what is the matter?"

The trio, which Srohoen recognized as Vacpaem, Miixreyi and Edru, were practically bouncing on their toes as they attempted to relate the incidence.

"Instructor Srohoen!" babbled Vacpaem. "We were looking at the holographic observatory-"

"Yeah, yeah!" came Miixreyi's confirmation.

"And then, and then-"

"And then we saw this thing land on what is it!" exclaimed Edru.

"Wehtraadaake, that planet!" said Miixreyi.

"Yeah, yeah, Wehtraadaake!" cried Vacpaem. "It just came from nowhere and landed and stuff."

Srohoen stared at the three for a moment as they panted breathless from the exertion of their rapid ramblings and excitement. He was not entirely sure what it was that they'd even said. What could possibly be landing on Wehtraadaake? Certainly, there was nothing or anybody living there. It was probably nothing more than a meteor to which the boys were overreacting, but he decided to humor them all the same. The planet had been dead for as long as anyone could remember.

"Really? Can you show me?" Three heads nodded rapidly, and three pairs of feet scurried back to the holographic observatory, followed by Srohoen's forth. There, floating transparent and ghostly in the air, was the Ohrunou System, home to both Vaan and Wehtraadaake. Both were visible, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the latter of the two. Srohoen turned quizzically to the three.

"Is this a joke?"

"No, it isn't!" said Vacpaem. "Rewind it, rewind it!" Miixreyi did so. All four watched as planets flew in reverse, and as without warning a speck of light flew off of Wehtraadaake's surface. Srohoen's ears pricked up. So there was something.

"Play it forward now." The object now fell, but not with the haphazard trajectory of a stray meteor. Srohoen inhaled with shock.

"Well, that is certainly something..."
Posted on: March 29, 2007, 08:21:09 PMElder Skactii turned his head slowly from left to right, taking account of the seven others who stood in a circle with him. Finally satisfied that all were present and accounted for, he spoke.

"I believe that it was you Wroxuq who brought us here today?" he asked already full knowing the answer as he idly stroked a whisker.

"Yes, that  is correct," said the other standing to his left two over, humoring the rhetorical question. "I am the one that called us here. And with good cause I think you'll find. One Instructor Srohoen claims that there is something afoot on Wehtraadaake."

A none too subtle dismissive noise came from the one standing opposite of Wroxuq in the circle. "That is ridiculous, you know that Wroxuq. The planet has been dead for eons." said Harzaamrake. "The people who dwelt there once abandoned it long before the Vaani looked beyond our moon."

Wroxuq's expression passed from of solemn dignity to that of annoyance masking greater anger beneath. "Well I am afraid that has changed Harzaamrake." He spoke calmly and clearly, but beneath the words the assembled all felt the vitrolic lash in psychic undertone that circled endlessly throughout the conversation. A brief flash of blue in Harzaamrake's eyes were the only sign he gave of his reciprocal ill will. When he did not reply, Wroxuq continued. And wave of the paw and before them in the circle's center the very same hologram that the students has viewed within their school flashed into existence, playing again and again that vital moment. "If words are not enough, this may  be instead."

As one the circle leaned in and peered at the gossamer images hanging in the air, playing through their endless loop of time. Miictravi broke the contemplative silence first.

"Incredible! New life, new contact!" he exclaimed with standard excitability. "Contact, contact. How to contact them?"

"Well I doubt they've got a quantum radio entangled to one of ours," Fyeveg said, stating the obvious as was his custom. "Conventional radio would take far too long to reach."

"Then..." said Kedbbame with a drawn out breath, "that leaves one viable option that I can consider." The same psychic undertones which had earlier conveyed emotion now conveyed just what it was that Kedbbane was pondering to the others swiftly and with greater preservation of meaning and intent than any mere words could hope to produce. Words were a matter of ceremony, of comfort and ease for these gatherings.

"Yes, that would seem the practical approach." Skactii spoke, nodding in agreement with the others. "Preparations are to be made immediately."


Posted on: April 03, 2007, 08:35:07 PMThere was nothing over the once thought dead planet of Wehtraadaake. And then there was a where there had not been previously a great gleaming spaceship, looking on the whole rather high tech and appropriately spacey.

There is a common misconception that travel across the deep reaches of space is inherently flashy and cool and all that, with great gashes of light and beams flying every which way as one flashes across the void at speeds exceeding that of light (which of course is absolutely silly as well, but we don't need to discuss that here...).
This is not, at least for the residents of Vaani, true. There is no mimicries of the Aurora Borealis and cosmic light shows. That which was once there is no longer there but now over at that there, simple as that. The disappointment that this causes for the less practical has often made the Vaani unwilling to go through the effort of staging any demonstration of their understanding and applications of quantum to an unappreciative audience.

This is all however a bit of a tangent, so we'll return to the central plot at hand now.

If the reader hasn't already surmised, that fantastically shiny ship was indeed of Vaani build, and had been dispatched to investigate the developments on Wehtraadaake. In command was one Akimi, who was now peering down at the planet which seemed to loom up beneath them. Even from this distance the planet was terribly foreboding. The ghost stories that certain inconsiderate elders would tell him about the place in his youth were not particularly helpful either. He couldn't help but shiver before continuing.

"Well, if we are all ready it's time to head down there," he said, banishing the last of his childhood fears.

Touching down on the surface, the seals on the banishment were pressed to the limits of being shattered. As bad as the place had looked from above, it was even worse on the ground. Dead and blackened land and plant life all around. If ghosts were to be found in any place in the system, it would be here. Stepping out, Akimi felt and heard something crack beneath his toes. Bones. Bones topped of the macabre in an almost obligatory fashion.

Whimpering to himself for only the slightest moment, he and seven others set off across the desolate landscape, searching.

[St Oz]

The Driada Group had sensed their coming and found on their tracking systems where they landed, they were all cloaked. Dire Zhate led the group. They sensed the leader, Akmi. They positioned, the five of them, spaced out evenly. They uncloaked and revealed themselves, they wore Long, Dark, Hooded Cloaks and looked at them with their glowing Maroon Eyes. They activated their psi blades which came out as a thrilling dark blue.

They didn't say anything but Zhate telepathically spoke to here in her native language or what seemed to be it.

"Hello Akimi, I do not know your language but I'm using your mind to communicate. You are the Vaani and you saw us on a radar of some kind. Although, what do you expect to find?"

[Gulliver]

Akimi and company nearly lept clean back into space as the Ozians without warning appeared before them. Gravity though caught them at the last moment, and to the planet's surface they remained firmly bound. Fur and whiskers though still stood on end in terror. Akimi gritted his teeth, perhaps to appear frightening to the robed phantoms, perhaps to hide his own fear. He wasnt' entirely sure himself.

As that voice, one that was not his own and had no place in his mind drifted in their none the less he felt a shiver run up and down his spine. Still, he listened to what they "said" if the word could really be properly applied, for he really had no other choice. There was no silencing that voice once it was in his mind it seemed. His eyes looked down, evaluating the potential enemy if it came to the worst of things. The blades seemed wicked.

"Find?" he said, struggling through fear to find the proper words. "We...we are here to find you." He licked his lips nervously. "So, you know my name, but what is yours?"

[St Oz]

He then channeled into his thoughts again, "I am Zhate, A Driada Ozian." He began to send memories to the Vaans telepathically as if in first person. They compiled of his persecution and his banishment. He deactivated his blades, "I sense no agression towards us." It must of been odd to see that they only stared at the Vaans yet didn't say anything, they instead had their language projected to them as they heard the wind wisp at their ears.

[Gulliver]

As intrusive as having someone else sneak their voice into your head was, having them sneak in memories and force your own sense and perception to experience what was their experience rather than your own went even farther. Again though there was not much to be done, and Akimi decided to make the best of it, observing and gathering what info he could from the memories of just who these strange people were. He did have to admit to himself that for all the disturbing moral implications and solopsistic questions that this form of communication raised it was very effective. He certainly could not imagine a better and more efficient way to relate one's own experience, thought and emotions.

The others also seemed to come to this logical conclusion. "My, that was something..." muttered the one among them named Yesresi. A few nodded, a few others just blinked. The disapparence of the psi blades greatly eased the tension. Still, the blank and emotionless faces looking up them were still a bit creepy.

"Ah, so that is the case." said Akimi, using the lull to better examine the Ozians. He regretted doing so. "I am sorry for what has happened to you." he continued, dredging up every last bit of his diplomatic abilities, which were not quite what he would have liked when summed.