Revan Part II- Cont., the storm on Nirm has.... Options

[Lord Revan]

The Archives have been updated, just some info on psychic focus and magnitude (explaination of psychic powers).
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He stopped to evaluate the progress of his craftsmanship. Revan had completed his helmet, the cuirass, pauldrons, and gauntlets of his new armor in this short time.

The helmet remained largely unchanged, its visor covered slightly less area though, but Revan was confident he could fight just as well with narrowed vision.
His cuirass was thicker all around than his former one. The parts of his torso that needed to move without restraint were protected by overlapping segments of a refined sapphire-like substance. A chunk of cobalt focusing crystal lay above where the wearer’s sternum would be.

The pauldrons resembled those of Dunmer chitin. Two small crystal fragments were embedded in identical slots that Revan had carved into them.
Another pass-over from his old armor was the gauntlet design, with a few exceptions. Like the pauldrons, both gauntlets had common focusing crystals integrated. Revan had lost his energy blades in the explosion; he hoped learn from that lesson and utilize the High Naryyn technique. I am half High Naryyn after all… He thought dryly.

The completed pieces lay neatly arranged on the floor beside him. Now that he’d stopped, Revan realized that he had not eaten in..... quite awhile.
“So, this is where you’ve been.” Rhys said as she sat down next to him.

Revan set down the yet-to-be-finished greaves. “I apologize for leaving you in bed, but I needed to do something constructive and you needed the rest.”

She glared at him theatrically, “And you don’t?” Striking him playfully in the chest, Rhys teased. “Who’s braver? The people in fancy armor or those that fight without it?”

“Don’t tempt me to prove you wrong, Rhys.” Revan replied with a smile on his face. “Or you might just run out of luck.”

Her own face adorned by the same expression. “You couldn’t touch me, let alone beat me in a fight.”
“Is that a challenge?” He asked as he stood up. “Because, I’ll take you up on that..... after I get something to eat.”

Rhys got up as well, “I won’t go easy on you just because you happen to be my friend, Ahtre’Mehrah.”

Rhys....

The Hvy. Destroyer Emphatic Judgment sat just outside the borders of Sadrith Mora. The capital-class ship dwarfed the Telvaani town beside it.

Rhys’ eyes wandered a bit, having only been to House Telvaani’s domain briefly before now, their distinct traits were still new to her.
Revan paid more attention to the sky and its occupants. Several frigates, destroyers and High Naryyn missile frigates patrolled the nearby airspace.

A small squad of interceptors was visible, swooping low over the sea in close formation. “Since you seem to know this place better, perhaps you should lead."
"Fair enough, though I believe non-Telvaani still require Hospitality Papers..."

"We're just two exceptions, that along with a couple dozen more won't drive some Telvaani lord nuts." She joked lightly.
"Believe me, some Telvaani are nuts to begin with. But that doesn't make them less interesting." Revan said in a tone that told he knew all too well.

The two noticed a gathering of Virtarak around a certain localation: the Sadrith Mora Slave Market. While being some distance from the gathering, Rhys could feel the mood. She promptly closed herself from the powerful emotions.

Revan extended his mental probe, taking in every element of the scene. "This isn't good." He muttured, before marching toward the spectacle.
Rhys followed, knowing what her companion meant. The Virtarak crowd was not armed, which was good, but they were displaying their views on the trade of "inferior races." The mob would advance, leap back in unison, and then advance further, all the while hissing threatening at the Telvaani guards.

As Revan approached the flock from behind, several broke off rapidly to scoop up their discarded weapons. Seeing this, he lashed out, causing said weapons to launch into the air. The Virtarak skidded to a halt, mid-sprint, making ready to leap after the flying rifles.

Rhys didn't want this to become violent anymore than Revan did. She projected her thoughts to the avian aliens. "Fighting isn't going to do any good; it will only give us more enemies when we need only one!"

The mob came to an abrupt halt in their cycle, their heads scanned the area for the speaker. When they noticed the two of them, one thought became very apparent. "This can not continue, but for now we shall stand down in our defense, Naryyn."

All Virtarak cleared out, leaving the only occupants as the Telvaani guards and the two Naryyn. The former appeared to be confused as to the sudden withdrawl. As Rhys and Revan walked past them to Wolverine Hall, Revan said to one of the guards. "A word of warning: don't be around here for the next few weeks; if you want not to be the target of the Virtaraks' fury."

The guards said nothing, so both moved on. "Do you think the Virtarak really will resort to violence?"
"Anything is possible," he replied. "We can only read the scroll, not rewrite it."

Both were silent until, Rhys muttured. "Some scuttle and saltrice would be really good right now."
Revan nodded, "Same here. Hopefully, there will be a buffet and no pay required..... otherwise we could just make some food go missing."

[Lord Revan]

Rhys flew down the cargo ramp, her boots digging into the sand as she landed. She had known exactly when the vision began, now Revan’s obsession over it was so vivid that it added curiosity to Rhys’ concern.

Revan appeared, his eyebrows stitched together in concentration, as if attempting to summon back the images through sheer force of will.
He stopped beside her, shut his eyes, and sighed heavily. Any of the normal words a woman would say now weren’t of any use; words only went so far, so Rhys said nothing.

“May I interject?” The mental voice brought all of other reality crashing down on them. Rhys looked over her shoulder at the ancient being; suddenly aware that, even though none of them were present, all of the Naryyn on the Emphatic Judgment were roused from their peaceful meditation as the repercussions of Revan’s brooding spread through the collective group mind they all shared.

It was akin to a pebble splashing in a pond, displacing the overall body. If you weren’t careful, then whatever insecurities or troubles you had were made know to everyone around you.
Severin addressed those within Emphatic Judgment. “Return to your rest, brothers and sisters, this matter needn’t disturb you all.”

In the periphery of their awareness, Revan and Rhys felt the others relax again and go back to their own matters. The ascendant turned to face them, exuding unshakable authority mingled with a sense of paternal care.
“So, you are the ones who fought alongside Commander Xaries, the ones who infiltrated the Loyalists’ stronghold in Skyrim, and are responsible for the deserters’ existance, and by extension, our alliance during this conflict?”

Rhys was taken aback, she hadn’t realized it, but everything Severin said was true; she had just never thought about what they’d done over the last couple of weeks like other Naryyn saw it.

Revan nodded, “We had help from Darhun of the Marhun Kar, as well as the High Naryyn themselves.”
Neither could tell if the Ascendant was pleased or not by their answer, but Severin replied. “It is not often that some so young have accomplish so much. It has inspired all in the fleet to know that we’ve found individuals such as yourselves have survived to be found.”

Both of them nodded, not knowing how to reply to such praise. Noticing this immediately, Severin ended the short silence. “From which clans are you two descended?”

Rhys glanced at Revan, wondering about the visions he had. You couldn’t be one of them..... or am I just not accepting it?

Easily picking up on the internal banter, the Ascendant nodded to himself more than them. Revan gave a start, it had never occurred to him either, but now it made sense.
“You have the Seers’ sight, and yet you can’t use it at will.” Severin said quietly, his eyes narrowing to thin silver slits, thinking deeply.

Revan could feel the Ascendant sift through his mind, but didn’t stop him, giving conscious permission to Severin.
The ancient being did not seem surprised to find the bond between Revan and Rhys; he’d probably already detected it. But he did give a start to was the faint memories Revan had about his parentage.

The two thin lines burst back into their typical flaming display, even without their experience with Ascendants’ “facial expressions,” Severin radiated his shock and momentary confusion.

“Unbelievable….” He let out, had he been flesh and blood, he would have exhaled it. Severin’s uncertainty dissolved, no matter who Revan, or Rhys for that matter, were, he could not reveal his own connection to Nara and Syran.

With his composure back, the Ascendant spoke again. “This is quite a revelation,[i]” He returned his gaze back to Revan and Rhys. “[i]I must think over this before we can continue. I shall see you both again soon.”

That said; Severin left the couple, his mind freely brooding over what he had learned.....

Revan

His brows knit together as the Ascendant disappeared. Rhys gazed at him, “There’s something that has him insecure around us.”

Revan nodded, “If he doesn’t think we need to know then we probably don’t, or we’ll find out.”

Cmd. Xaries

No officer in the command center let out relieved breaths after the last Plys’Iea craft was shot down, for now they had to check the rosters to confirm units as MIA, send salvage detachments to the ruined outposts, and .

But the fighting men and women were able to appreciate some revelry, the marines celebrated humbly inside their fireteams, battalions, and squads.
While the rank-and-file tamely clapped each other over the pauldrons, talked with each other, and pounded gauntlets and breastplates, the Legionnaires were much showier in their celebration.

The heavily armored irregulars danced about, using their thruster packs to spin and accomplish in-suit acrobatics impossible to pull off otherwise.
Alien music played loudly over their external speakers for all to endure. The marines nearest to them moved slightly more eagerly to get back to the staging grounds.

Xaries didn’t order the Legionnaires to stand down in their celebratory routine, there wasn’t any point. Better to let them burn off their excess energy now and not have to deal with it later.
Inwardly, the commander knew better, the 885th never ran out of energy if they could help it.

Emergency Imperial Council Session, Planet Tracâdus, 32:64

“With the exception of Fleet Admirals: Satith, Trayus, and Harlem, everyone is here, and the emergency session may now commence.” The spokesman of the council announced from the center of the circular chamber.

If an outsider were to describe the Structure from which the largest empire in the history of known civilization, they would comment on the general brightly lit, and spacious atmosphere.
But then, only High Naryyn ever touched the surface of the Empire’s cradle. And of those many, only the highest individuals and their entourage could set foot in the Palace of the Patriarchs.

All of the chambers and corridors were filled with the blue holographic lighting and reflections from the gold architecture. Three Patriarchs hovered around the central island were the spokesman and controllers of holographics, while the council sat around the circumference of the chamber.

One of the Patriarchs, Valance, addressed the council members. “As we all know, the insurgents have attacking every border colony and the domains of the loyalists.”

“However,” He said, casting his gaze over his fellow hierarchs. “There have been some major developments on a world far beyond our borders.”

“First of which, is the confrontation with a fleet of the Fallen.” All of the council, and the other Patriarchs shot Valance an incredulous look, or gave a start at the news.
“Second, it would seem that Commander Xaries, leader of the expeditionary force that discovered the planet, has gone rogue, allying himself with the Dark Naryyn and taking much of his expedition with him.”

“At the moment, the alliance has been more inclined to fight off the insurgents than make war with Admiral Satith’s troops, but that does not mean that they are harmless.” Valance looked to his fellow Patriarchs.

“In addition, the insurgents have been confirmed, they are the race we until recently called our honor guards.” Again, the others became shocked into silence, then their anger returned.
“There is also a new alien species that is allied with the Dark Naryyn and their conspirators.”

Life-sized images of the Virtarak, and the Iso Naryyn appeared around the central island. Patriarch Valance, lowered himself to hover beside a particular Iso Naryyn warrior, one clad in crimson armor.

“This is the individual that is believed to have personally corrupted Commander Xaries, many of our loyalists have claimed there is something unique about him, but there is one more important point I wish to emphasize.”

The eldest Patriarch nodded, “You have brought many revelations to us, Brother Valance, speak.”

Valance bowed to the more prominent Patriarch, and continued. “As shocking as the events have been, this is not a crisis, brethren.”
He rose and looked over all in the chamber. “Truly, this is an opportunity, a moment in our people’s grand history that cannot be compared.”

“For we have encountered not one, but three different species, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses, the Plys’Iea have a powerful war-machine, but they can be driven back in one decisive strike.”
A miniature representation of Nirm popped into existance. “This world is a key point for their campaign, remove this critical element, and we can have the time necessary to assimilate their unique technology.”

Wahn, Valance’s senior, nodded to himself, understanding the proposal. He held both hands as if to evaluate the options. “The Fallen are few, but they are cunning, and are not to be underestimated even if cornered and outmatched.”

“The Plys’Iea are difficult to overpower, their will to win is unmatched, and even our mightiest warships are not completely superior to their own.” The Elder looked back to Valance.

“What merit do these avians have? They are neither masterful strategists nor individually strong.....”

Valance explained, “While not particularly appealing, the Virtarak do have something unique.”
“Their leadership is obsessed with natural selection, willing to manipulate themselves in order to ensure their survival. They are peerless geneticists, the Virtarak know more about chemical stimulation and genetic engineering than any other race.”

“Building upon our own selves....” The third Patriarch muttered under his breath.

“You’ve made a compelling case, Patriarch, the council will deliberate, and then this course’s fate will be decided.” Valance smiled triumphantly after exiting the chamber.....