NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: I don't mind people posting related things, like national reactions, and someone can represent the country of the foreign Bishop if they'd like. I have an idea where I'd like this to go, though, and I'd prefer to avoid wars. Finally, no, the "cleansing" doesn't refer to the initial part - that comes later (and involves less blood).

IC:

Bralos - Sunday, 9 July 2006 - 8:30 AM

No Kriovalian city other than Bralos experiences such a dramatic upswing in traffic on Sundays relative to other days of the week. Perhaps it's because Bralos is a small city. More likely, however, is that Bralos represents the Christians of the nation, with more than nine in ten of them choosing this quaint city over the industrial Telekar or the automated and bustling Torokara. In the city where asphalt roads and stone buildings are still prevalent, maybe it just resonates better with adherents to a single personal God than steel and teleporters.

On this particular Sunday, the masses were heading to the Church of the Blessed Virgin, for the Catholic mass. In all Krioval, this cathedral was the largest of the Christian places of worship, and routinely drew almost twenty thousand visitors and worshippers each week. Today, a visiting Bishop was to give the mass before the reverent crowd, and some were already being turned away at the door, being told to try for the early afternoon service.

With a nod from the Bishop, the ushers closed the doors. He began with a quick welcome to the congregation, followed by lavishing praise on the hospitality of this city. While otherwise neutral, some could detect a slight hint of distaste in the man's voice when he discussed other Kriovalian cities. On the whole, it was understandable. One wouldn't expect a Catholic Bishop to approve of the enormous Pagan temples prominently displayed in Torokara. "Let us pray," he began. While most parishoners were riveted on the Bishop, several, especially in the rear of the building, were looking distracted. The whispering grew in intensity, with many complaining that they couldn't hear for some whistling sound from outdoors.

Krioval Central Military Command HQ - 9:05 AM

Koro Vartek watched the sensor sweeps of northern Krioval for what felt like the millionth time. He silently cursed at the absurdity of having someone on hand to "back up" the computerized alert systems. Then again, the pay was decent, and there wasn't anyone waiting for him at home, and he was a local hero. The first astronaut - almost two years ago - now spending his time pushing himself up the ladder toward command. In a few years, it would all be worth it, he reminded himself, and he'd get his directorship of the Space Division.

As he mused on the glory of his future, Koro noticed an anomaly. He frowned slightly and rescanned the area to see if it was a glitch. Krioval wasn't at war, or even at elevated level of hostility with any other nation, so it paid to look again. Then he felt his blood run cold. Instincts and training kicking in, he pushed a button. Speaking quickly and yet precisely, he relayed both to Security and high-level military command, "We've got four unidentifieds six miles out of Bralos, heading toward the city. May be hostile. Recommend intercept."

The voice replied, "You sure, kid?"

Of course Koro was sure. He was sure when he relayed the message. He was sure when all four blips disappeared as they reached the center of Bralos. He was even more sure when the reports started streaming in.

Bralos - 9:10 AM

The first missile struck a warehouse next to the cathedral, shaking the ground and blasting out the stained glass on the eastern side of the church. People stood still for just a moment, as shock was slow to give way to action. The second hit the cupola head-on, collapsing the ceiling and killing the Bishop instantly. The crowd of five thousand panicked, screaming and trampling one another in a desperate attempt to escape the carnage.

The third missile blasted the apse, including the main doors. As the structure of the cathedral began to give way under the onslaught, the fourth missile hit the remains of the church, vaporizing a good portion of the ruins. A red mist diffused through the air in the wake of the detonation. As emergency crews arrived at the scene of the massacre, a few hundred miles away, the Commander of all Krioval was about to begin a week straight from hell.

Torokara, Commander's Residence - 9:30 AM

The beeping of the communications console finally roused an irate and still half-asleep man. "Kiv, it's too damn early. Let me sleep on a friggin' Sunday, ya know?" Raijin tried to sound gruff and authoritative, but a yawn punctuating his speech ruined the attempt.

"L-L-Lord C-Commander?" a timid voice asked.

"Yeah. Who's this and what's going on?" The gruffness was starting to rise. If it wasn't Kiv calling him, Raijin was as uninterested as he could be.

Koro decided to cut to it. "Bralos is under attack."

Scientists have attempted to define the shortest amount of time one can go from totally asleep to fully alert and active. Apparently, it was twenty-nine seconds. "Coordinates," the Commander barked.

"Bralos's?"

"No. Your coordinates. Give 'em to me."

Koro did as he was told. "Koro Vartek, huh? Well, don't move."

Before the young man could question Raijin, he had disappeared from HQ and reappeared in a lavishly decorated room. "Talk to me while I get dressed," Raijin's voice came from the next room. "I want details. And don't worry about formal crap right now. I'm Raijin, you're Koro, and we're both in the middle of a small-to-moderate nightmare right now."

"Well, I saw four objects on a sensor relay. They disappeared when they got to Bralos."

"That it?!"

"No. We're missing four missiles. And some of the police radioed back in that they found Kriovalian markers on some of the fragments." Koro silently praised the police force for their ruthless efficiency.

"Kriovalian missiles? Hell Fire! Where'd they hit?"

"The cathedral, during mass."

Raijin was silent for several seconds. Then he opened the door from his bedroom. He looked reasonably good, for being brought out of a deep sleep with news of a Kriovalian attack on Krioval. "The cathedral," he repeated. "Survivors?"

"Few. They're estimating about five thousand were in there. So far, they've got about five hundred wounded, and they say a few walked away from it. They're pretty sure the rest are dead."

"Shit. Well, Koro, you're about half an hour ahead of me this morning, so let's get to it." He pushed a button on the wall. "Kiv?"

The general answered. "Raijin? What are you doing up so early?" he teased.

"Serious crap going on, ya know. Cathedral in Bralos was hit this morning. Seal the city and put everything under your direct command as fast as you can. I'll talk later." He cut the commlink before Kiv could register a protest.

"If those are really Kriovalian missiles..." Koro began.

"Then it could be anybody who has command authorization over them. And before you even say it, yeah, that means me too."

"So it's an inside job?"

"If the cops are right, it is."

"Shit." Both Koro and Raijin knew what had to happen next. The Commander would have to address the nation. Air and space travel would be stopped. Embassies would have to be secured and other countries notified. As the sun rose higher in the azure summer sky over Krioval, neither man missed the irony. The sun rises, but not for thee.

Torokara - High Council - 1:45 PM

Each of the Directors, the Commander, and Koro were exhausted. The bombardment of the cathedral in Bralos had tested every emergency protocol in Kriovalian territory. Their damage control complete for the time being, they each presented their assessment of the situation.

"No embassies evacuated, trade still normal, except of course for Bralos, and security's up at foreign embassies in Torokara. Consular offices in Bralos were closed as a precaution and their staff redirected to other cities. So far, we've heard nothing, positive or negative, from other countries about this, and no news is probably good news at this point." Jevo took a breath before concluding. "Diplomatics and trade seem to be largely unaffected, except for people staying home. Estimated economic impact is minor to moderate, but we'll recover."

"Military's on high alert, both surface and orbital. We don't think any of our missiles will fire again because we've rerouted all control to myself and the Commander only. All troops on leave have been recalled. All military exercises are cancelled and military bases are on full lockdown." Kiv looked at Raijin. "I think we've contained the worst of it for now."

"Domestic security's a problem," came Jonas Kessal. "People are starting to protest in Bralos. I'm worried that unless martial law is declared immediately, people will riot, or worse, attempt revolution."

Raijin interrupted. "Not an option. We can't move soldiers into Bralos."

"But, Lord Commander, security..."

"No, Jonas. No. Think about it for a second. A Catholic church was obliterated with our weapons, through our missile defense. Then I order troops to occupy the only majority-Christian city in Krioval? Hellfire, man, I might as well ask some psychotic dictator to invade us because we're 'oppressing religious minorities'. I've alerted Mayor Tenkar to the problem, and I'm diverting police from Torokara and Telekar to Bralos. Soldiers in either of those cities won't make nearly the same impact."

"But..."

"Those are my orders, Jonas. If you don't like them, you can be replaced."

"Yes, Commander."

"Moving right along..." Raijin was not one to put up with another's pride in the first place, and this was hardly the time to start.

"Science is on this, but we don't know how the military command protections were compromised," said Varik.

"Nothing on my end, of course." Andruik, the Spiritual Director, had only been notified of the crisis after the major tasks were completed.

"Nothing from me either," came Vakia's response. That left...

"Whoever did this is still in Krioval." Melena Kriov, the Intelligence Director, said with a tone of finality. "The borders were sealed within minutes of the attack. Further, there's evidence that the perpetrator used a Kriovalian computer terminal just prior to the attack to realign the missiles."

"Melena, how can you possibly know this?" Raijin wondered aloud.

"My dear Raijin, you forget who I am sometimes. I knew about the attack while you were dressing in front of young Koro here." Koro struggled not to blush, and Raijin waved off any commentary from the other man. Normally, he'd have vehemently corrected Melena, but now was not the time. Let them all think that he was having an illicit affair for all he cared right now.

"Problem is," she continued, "whoever did this was smart. Damn smart. They covered their tracks well. Each piece of code to launch the weapons was embedded in otherwise unremarkable documentation. Not only that, but it was assembled piece by piece after the fact. Few algorithms could have detected it until it was too late."

"My Lady," Jonas cut in, "I have several questions. First, what business has Intelligence in a purely domestic affair? Second, exactly who would have the technical knowledge to pull this off? Third, and perhaps most pressing, how, without having intimate knowledge of this plot, could you have pieced together its mode of operation?"

The Lady Kriov looked as if she could have killed the Security Director then and there. But when she spoke, her voice was silk. "Jonas, first, I have approval from the powers that be," she gestured toward the Commander and Kiv, "to investigate suspicious activities wherever they occur. Second, Krioval is technologically advanced, which is why I pin this on a Kriovalian. Most countries with whom we trade are incapable of such an intricate setup. Certainly, they could carry out the bombing if they really tried, but it would've taken about ten minutes to pin it on the perpetrator. Third, I'm paid good money," she paused, licking her lips, "in fact, very good money, to figure this stuff out. It helps that I have roughly ten thousand operatives in this country too," she added, grinning in that predatory manner that dared one's prey to flinch, or better yet, to fight back.

Koro was next to speak. "Yeah, but how many people in Krioval could get access to so many systems? I was looking with Raijin." Several heads looked up suddenly, shocked to see such a young man address the Commander without an honorific. "Whoever did this was in Military, Science, heck, even Agricultural Statistics, modifying or slipping stuff in. I do know one thing for sure, though."

"What's that?" Melena asked, her interest piqued by Koro's assertiveness.

"It wasn't the Commander."

"That's true," she said, looking toward him. "Lord Raijin was in his residence from just after nine o'clock last night, after what I must say was quite the long dinner with Kiv, Adele, and the kids." If Melena had hoped for a response from Raijin, she was out of luck; he knew full well that she had KDI watching him almost nonstop.

"So that narrows it down to Directors, some members of Parliament, a few project leaders, or some combination," Koro said.

"Very good, Koro." Melena was truly impressed. Then again, she cautioned herself to stay objective. Raijin might trust the man almost completely, and she was similarly inclined, but Koro had many of the necessary skills to pull off an attack like this too.

"All right. Here's what we're doing. I'll call an emergency session of Parliament and announce what's going on. By now, international media's going to be on this thing, and we might as well handle it as best we can. Plus, it gets all Parliament in one place - Telekar. Nobody else leaves Torokara. I hear about one Director or Subdirector taking so much as one step outside this city, they're going to be arrested. Best is to stay home. Kiv, I want you to get my mother, Alice, and Alexei to the Fortress."

"Lord Commander," Jonas spoke again. "The Fortress is outside Torokara, isn't it?"

Raijin sighed loudly, and allowed his fist to hit the table. "Fine. Kiv, you're allowed to travel to the Fortress." Looking at Director Kessal, he added, "Any objections?" He waited about two seconds. "Good. Now I've got a bunch of Senators and international media to address, so keep things in order, ya know? And Koro, you're coming with me."

Koro looked at the Commander. Something told him that it really wasn't going to be anybody's week.

The captain of the vessel stepped beside the Com Officer. He grimaced, looking out at the stars on the screen.
“Doesn’t look like any ones out there, does it?” he mutter to him self. He looked back at the diplomat and his wife.
“Their out there,” the diplomat said calmly.
“Okay,” the captain grunted, “Send out the communication, John.”

TransmissionProtocol(Lozola, KG) //:Begin
CFC-A1298 P2

To: Kriovalian Government
From: CCS Lozola, Akusthan Fleet

Requesting entry into Kriovalian space in order to transport Diplomatic delegation from Akusthana to discuss the currant events. Urgent.

EndTransmissionProtocol(Lozola)//:End

Telekar - Krioval Parliament Building - Sunday, 9 July 2006 - 2:30 PM

One thing can definitely be said for Kriovalians. They were efficient. Jevo and Kiv had coordinated to keep trade goods flowing into and out of Krioval. Overall, they'd probably lose between two and five percent of their daily transactions, but that was more than acceptable given the day's events. Raijin and Koro had arrived in Telekar just minutes earlier, having had to deal with a few troop and police reassignments in the capital before departing.

As they arrived, Raijin's personal commlink indicated an incoming transmission. "Shit!" he exclaimed. "The news has to be everywhere by now." He opened the relay.

TransmissionProtocol(Lozola, KG) //:Begin
CFC-A1298 P2

To: Kriovalian Government
From: CCS Lozola, Akusthan Fleet

Requesting entry into Kriovalian space in order to transport Diplomatic delegation from Akusthana to discuss the currant events. Urgent.

EndTransmissionProtocol(Lozola)//:End

"Leader of the CSS Lozola, you are most welcome in Krioval," the Commander began. "Please understand that if you decide to come, it may be difficult to clear your departure in a timely manner, given the state of things down here. If you decide to come, please proceed to Krioval Station Four and dock there. You will then be transported to Telekar directly. I am to address the nation in half an hour. We can discuss the situtation shortly thereafter? Oh, and I would appreciate if your delegation was unarmed, if possible."

Raijin sighed. This was already becoming one of the longer days of his life, and he'd only been awake for five hours.

Telekar - Krioval Parliament Building - 3:00 PM

The technician made a motion toward Raijin indicating that the Commander's words were being broadcast over all Krioval's transmission frequencies. Raijin took a deep breath and began.

"I would like to begin by thanking Parliament for convening on such short notice. As you are by now probably aware, the Church of the Blessed Virgin, the Cathedral in Bralos, was destroyed this morning in an apparent terrorist attack. With over four thousand confirmed dead, and nearly eight hundred injured, this is the most deadly strike in Krioval's territory since the civil war seven years ago. We will continue to investigate this matter day and night until we discover the forces behind this atrocity, and when we do, they will be brought to justice. Krioval will not submit to our enemies, be they foreign or domestic, and we will root out their cowardly agents. There is nowhere in the entire Universe where they can hide from us.

"Now I ask that all citizens of Krioval continue to go about their normal business to the degree that you can. Even in times as difficult as these, it is important that Krioval remember its legacy. We are proud and tough. We will get through this. Valiyos, be strong!"

As the transmission ended, Koro realized that the speech was short, but reasonably effective. Then again, Raijin was Krioval's speck of light in the gloom, the one person who was able to overcome both the theocrats and the scientists in the 1999 Kriovalian Civil War. It was tough not to trust a man who led his own armies to battle, and who faced tough enemies alone when necessary. Ultimately, his intensity was Krioval's, and that would keep the peace, at least for the next couple of days.

"Do any of Parliament have any questions? Senators? Representatives?" Raijin knew his job wasn't over until he dealt with the interrogation from the actual democratic body of Krioval. If he got through the grilling unscathed, then the media would descend. If he was lucky, maybe a couple hours' sleep would come after midnight. If not...

"Koro," the Commander whispered. "Right now, I'm Krioval's strength. This may be too much for you, but I need you to be mine for a while."

The younger man nodded his assent silently, but inside him, the gnawing mass of dread had just tripled in force. Dear Gods in Heaven, Koro thought. I need you to be my strength.

Garl Wetakusthan Ofkalamarg Kaldwes, member of the Council of Clans, sat silently with his wife, Helen in Telekar. The Akusthan where found of wearing colourful clothes, but on this day the two wore more sober grays and blacks, with a few ribbons representing clan affiliation.
“This is ridiculous,” Helen said, following it up with some loud swears, “How can they expect us to wait?”
“We’ll wait as long as it takes,” Garl said. The destruction of the church in Krioval had caused an unforeseen reaction in Akusthana. 15% of the Akusthan population called themselves “Fakan”, worshipers of many gods; another 46% called themselves “Gatholegs”, Catholics. This incident led the two factions, militant at the best of times, to clash; or at least, clash in the council halls. But violence against the two factions had grown in response to the bombing; Garl and Helen had been sent to find answers.
“And God help us if we find the wrong answer,” Garl said quietly. Helen nodded, instinctively knowing what he was talking about.

Before the first Parliamentarian could respond, a secretary walked up to the Commander and whispered something in his ear.

"Oh Gods!" Raijin exclaimed. "The delegation from Akusthana!" Turning to the assemblage, the Commander said simply, "This will have to wait. Please remain in the building until I deal with this." Grumbling began in the chamber. "I will have your families brought in as well, and dinner will be arranged shortly."

With that Raijin abandoned all remaining decorum and tore though the chamber, barged through the large double doors and raced toward the antechamber of Parliament, the Lord Vartek at his heels the whole way. Upon reaching the rotunda, the two skidded to a stop and rapidly scanned the room. The delegation was located, and the Commander walked briskly toward them. He figured he'd be easy enough to spot, with the bright Kriovalian uniform and white headband, not to mention the various insignia of his office.

Almost breathlessly, he introduced himself. "I'm Raijin Dekker, Commander of Krioval. This is Koro Vartek, of the Kriovalian Air Force. Welcome to our country, though I wish it was under better circumstances."

Telekar - Krioval Parliament Building - 5:30 PM

Lady Kara Tyvok cursed silently. She was the Speaker of Parliament, but right now, she felt like a hockey referee. Raijin had left the room, and no more than five minutes later, members of the center-right coalition had started to agitate for an independent investigation of the church bombardment. Naturally, critics on the left accused those on the other side of the aisle of trying to manipulate the situation to look good in front of their constituents. After half an hour of back-and-forth between a Bralosian Representative and a Torokaran Senator, Tyvok managed to regain sufficient attention to stop the hectoring. And then, just as she felt order might reign, another bomb was dropped, but this time it was in Telekar, and it was of the political variety.

An elderly man stood stiffly, and in an unwavering voice said, "The Representative from northern Bralos moves for a vote of no confidence in the Commandership of Raijin Dekker."

Kara was aghast. "That motion is out of order," she said, gavel striking down before her. "This is hardly the time to even consider such a motion."

Another delegate from Bralos stood. "I second that motion."

Now Lady Tyvok moved from shocked to livid. "The Representatives from Bralos will sit down immediately! The chair will not recognize this motion."

She now knew what it felt like to be in an unassailable fortress and yet watch one's land be stolen from underneath. This needed to be quashed before it turned into a political siege. "We are to wait for the Commander to see to his guests."

That was the wrong choice of words, and Kara knew it about two seconds too late. "Guests?! At a time like this?! I say we toss that fruit Raijin out on his ass. Take out that stupid Andros general, the flaky Telovar, and that Kriov whore he's got for an intelligence director! And let's not forget the foppery of Darvek." He looked into Kara's eyes directly as he spoke Darvek's name, the name of her younger brother.

The second Bralos representative stodd in support of his political ally. "God will not stand for his kind ruling over us. The time has come to sweep away the immorality and irresponsibility!"

Kara was struck with sudden insight. Praise Kovaro, God of the Wind, she thought. They're Moralists. And they've just insulted nearly every facet of Kriovalian life in three sentences. The woman smiled, her grin wolfish, and she touched a hand to her blonde braided hair before speaking. "Very well. A motion has been brought and seconded." Shouts of protest rose from the Liberals and Free Kriovalians. She struck the gavel lightly, and in an airy tone of voice said "Now, now. We have a valid motion. Let us see how the whole of Parliament feels on this issue." As she spoke, she waved her right hand across the audience, starting with the left and flicking her hand upward almost derisively at the far right. The shouts were replaced with muted laughter.

"Anyway, we have a motion. Who will stand to speak in its favor? The floor is yours, Representative Parris."

One of the two Bralosians again stood. "Representative Parris, from Bralos." He drew in a breath and continued. "Raijin represents everything that's wrong with Krioval. He cavorts with men in his bedroom. He plays fast and loose with military spending. He defies the grace of God by building cities in the heavens." As the tittering rose from the left, and even some of the center, Parris found himself unable to continue past "We can do better!"

Kara did nothing to hide her disdain. "Very good," she intoned. "Anyone else? Ah, Representative Selekar, you have the floor."

"Representative Selekar, son of the Bishop of Bralos!" the man jumped up and gestured to his father, a Senator. "My father would never condone these actions. No independent inquiry. Why, it's even possible Dekker orchestrated this entire thing. He's the son of a Christian-killing witch and an atheistic scientist. I've heard that he considers himself a God in his own right! We are to be humble creatures, and his imprudence and irreverence will get us all killed! Can't we get someone who reflects the moral nature of our great country?"

"Very good. Now, will there be anybody to speak on behalf of Lord Raijin?" Kara found it difficult to decide which of the delegates to choose. Finally, she pointed to a young woman in the third row on the left - a Liberal. "Senator Barro," she said simply.

"Senator Barro, representing the city of Torokara." She bowed slightly toward the speaker before giving her speech. "Senators and Representatives, I think that Lord Raijin has done much to improve Krioval. He ended the GenMod program and ended the oppression from the Citizens' Council after the civil war. The economy is better than it was under Sylvan the Builder! Let me be plain for a moment. I do know one thing. Raijin Dekker may be screwing Kiv Andros, but he's certainly not screwing Krioval! What a person does in their own home is none of the government's business!" She grew quiet. "And if it suddenly is, I would think that nearly half of us would be considered ineligible or unfit for office."

"Some interesting points there, thank you, Senator. Is there anybody else?" One hand in particular caught Tyvok's attention. "Ah, yes. Senator Selekar."

There was a brief exchange of words between the Senator and Representative of the same last name, which ended decisively when the elder said "Shut the hell up, boy," and stood. "Senator Selekar, Bishop of Bralos." He shot a withering look at his son. "I may be in the minority on this side of the room, but I do know one thing. Lord Raijin rebuilt that cathedral with the government my son here so despises. I have every bit of faith he'll do it again. Furthermore, I understand that Raijin is not a Christian, which makes him unpopular among the more fundamentalist of our faith, but within him I sense a spirit of goodness. I'm seventy-nine years old. I remember all too well the tension and destruction wrought by people of my faith on Krioval. Quite honestly, it was a travesty of what our faith is supposed to represent. And he could have ended us right then and there. Nobody would have opposed him. Whatever he and everybody else here believes, I think that he has spoken to our God, by whatever name, and he understands the principles of our faith more strongly than some of our most 'celebrated leaders'."

"Thank you, Reverence," Kara said, practically beaming. "Well then, shall we vote? All in favor?" About ten delegates raised their hands, some only under intense pressure from their neighbors. "All against?" The room exploded into cheers and people jumping up to be counted. Some chanted "RAI-JIN! RAI-JIN!" and waved white bands, replicas of the Commander's devotional to Solokaro. Kara simply said "The motion fails. And it looks like families and dinner are arriving, so this meeting is recessed until nine this evening." She struck the gavel three times to signal the end of the session.

She noticed that the Bishop was railing at his son for his earlier proposal, and she couldn't help but feel a certain level of pathos for the old man. He would definitely be receiving a large donation toward the reconstruction. And bless him for one major crisis averted, Kara thought. Now, if only Darvek could come home. She had no idea that her brother had just heard about the situation in Krioval, and had begun his journey.

Emperor Justinian is bemused by this prophecy coming true.

Your petty nation cannot protect itself; and your government most certainly has no interest in protecting Catholics.

You should have accepted our aid when you had your chance.

Thomas Goth
Chancellor for Foriegn Affairs

Emperor Justinian is bemused by this prophecy coming true.

Your petty nation cannot protect itself; and your government most certainly has no interest in protecting Catholics.

You should have accepted our aid when you had your chance.

Thomas Goth
Chancellor for Foriegn Affairs

Chancellor Goth,

If Farmina has nothing productive to say on this matter, Krioval suggests respectful silence. Nearly five thousand people were murdered this morning. I think honoring the victims of this tragedy, tending to the wounded, and rebuilding was was lost should rank higher than petty recriminations. Good day.

Lord Jevo Telovar
Director, KDT

…Almost breathlessly, he introduced himself. "I'm Raijin Dekker, Commander of Krioval. This is Koro Vartek, of the Kriovalian Air Force. Welcome to our country, though I wish it was under better circumstances."….

“Yes, Well I can’t say I disagree,” Garl gave a small bow, “I am Garl, Member of the Council of the Clans, and the High Council of the Akusthan. This is my wife, Helen, who can speak for the Kamsan Order of Priests, the most powerful order of Catholics in my land.”
Garl paused to gather his thoughts then plunged into the rest of his prepared speech.
“Lord Rajin, I’m not here to waste your time,” Garl explained, “The Akusthan are a… combative people to say the least… this issue has sparked up an age old conflict between rival factions, and we merely want two things; your assurances that this was not sanction by your government, and some sort of report we can bring back to Akusthan to prove this. The rumor that a Non-Catholic nation, especially one with a polytheistic nation is disturbing to many of our more belligerent brothers. It would be helpful if we could dispel these rumors.”
“Of course,” Helen added, “If it were that simple, we could have done this by mail. The Kamsan order has sent a list of missionaries stationed in Krioval. We ask that you assure. My Lay Superior has asked to me to report on their status. And of course, there is a small list of Akusthan citizens outside of missionary work. Less then a dozen, but some of them where said to be in Bralos. We want to make sure they are safe.”
“Of course, we offer our full support in the investigation,” Garl went on, “Akusthan Nanja is questioning several terrorist groups in Akusthan; we doubt anything will turn up.”
“Akusthan Nanja enjoys a chance to question terrorist groups,” Helen explained, “Gives ‘em pratice.”
“We also will lend whatever resources the Lozola needs,” Garl finished, “But a culture as rich and advance as yours may not need the assistance. We ask that we might be allowed to observe the procceddings.”

Raijin faced his visitors. "Let's discuss this in one of the offices upstairs." He walked to a bank of elevators and pushed the button. When they were inside, the Commander removed a keycard and inserted it into a slot marked "Parliamentary conference rooms". The lift began to rise rapidly.

"I must admit, I'm glad for any independent observation on this one. Krioval is also known for its warlike ways, mostly in our past, but we've just been out of a nasty civil war for seven years. A three-way thing, actually, between Christian theocrats, the scientists' Council, and pretty much the rest of Krioval."

They arrived on the designated floor and Raijin ushered the group into a room. Koro sealed the door and ensured that the security seals were operational. "We're running silent, Raijin."

"I apologize for all this secrecy, of course, but," the Commander lowered his voice to nearly a whisper, "I have reason to suspect that this is an inside job. Whoever it is has to have reasonably high levels of security clearance, and while I've overridden most of the command code by now, I worry that the saboteur could strike again in less grandiose but still deadly ways. I can assure you that it was definitely unauthorized and that whoever is responsible will be executed for treason." He paused, trying to remember something else important.

Koro intervened. "And we'll get the police to look for your missionaries, of course. If you give me their names and any other identifiers, I can check with emergency services to see if they've found them. It's possible they weren't even able to make the service and are fine, but communications out of Bralos are spotty given the situation."

Raijin looked back at the two Akusthanans. "Obviously I can't force you, but I'd really like it if you'd not mention what I said about it being a domestic attack, at least for a day or two. I'm hoping that someone will do something stupid before then, and we'll nail whoever is responsible."

Breaking the seal around the room, the Commander looked back at the couple. "I really wish I had more to tell you. We can probably get preliminary information from Bralos within the next few hours. Until then, I would like to request that you join myself and Koro for dinner with the Kriovalian Parliament."

Telekar - 6:30 PM

Kara's announcement of Parliamentary families arriving may have been right on target, but dinner had been late, only arriving at quarter after six. When the waitstaff finally brought out the dishes, the dining hall was ominously quiet. Lady Tyvok knew that the earlier vote had come dangerously close to fracturing the current coalition, and if that happened, things would get really interesting. As is was, icy glares were the order of the evening, with Senator Barro casting contemptuous glances toward the Conservatives and the Bishop and his son sitting in frosty silence, not even looking at one another. Yet there was a glimmer of hope. Raijin was walking down the stairs, the Vartek boy and the foreign emissaries following. The Speaker rose to meet the Commander.

"Lord Raijin, I have news for you. Your government has managed to survive a no confidence vote." She smiled despite the otherwise somber mood. "The vote was two hundred eighty-five to four."

"Let me guess. The Bralos delegation."

"The Bishop spoke in your defense." Her voice was practically a whisper. Such votes were considered closed sessions - the Commander was not supposed to know how individuals decided.

"Well, he's always saying that salvation comes from unexpected directions. I'll make sure to personally thank him for this when we're done with all this...stuff." Raijin looked at Kara conspiratorily. "I'll need names of the important delegates from Bralos if I'm to discuss this with them." He pulled out a piece of paper. "Could you number them for me in some meaningful way?"

Kara considered the paper - and Raijin. He was good when he had to be. "Certainly, Commander." She jotted numerals next to each name. "This is in order of election. This one was elected in two thousand six, this year. Before you talk to them, I'd first like you to consider the three most important things: support for the families, funding, and reconstruction timetable." She began to walk away before turning to Raijin and saying, "Seven years as Commander! I don't know how you do it, but...be strong, Lord Raijin."

He nodded his head toward the speaker. "Be strong, Lady Kara." Wheeling toward Koro, he said, "You get all that?"

"Yeah." Their heads were nearly touching as Vartek whispered, "six, one, three, seven. Tranos, Parris, Forsin, Seleker the younger."

With that, Raijin gestured toward the Akusthanan leaders. "Goodness, I almost forgot! Let's sit down and discuss the role or Akusthana in the investigation while we have some dinner." Turning to Koro yet again, the Commander said "Oh, I'll need you to get that list to Lady Kriov as soon as possible. Arrangements to be made and such."

Raijin trusted that the Parliamentary delegates would assume that he was being formal, and referring to his mother, Adele Kriov, who would host a meeting of the Representatives and Senators from Bralos. Naturally, that would occur, but the Commander's message was far more immediate in scope. The message would go to Melena Kriov, whose intelligence operatives would begin digging. After all, how likely was it that Bralos Parliamentarians would call for the Commander's ouster the same day as a cathedral was bombed? Damn unlikely, if you asked Koro.

Chancellor Goth,

If Farmina has nothing productive to say on this matter, Krioval suggests respectful silence. Nearly five thousand people were murdered this morning. I think honoring the victims of this tragedy, tending to the wounded, and rebuilding was was lost should rank higher than petty recriminations. Good day.

Lord Jevo Telovar
Director, KDT

Our offer is still on the table; we hate to see dead Catholics.

Chancellor Goth

Helen poked her food hesitantly and looked up. “Is he pointing towards us.”
“Za, I think so,” Garl ate some of his food, “A little bland, but good enough.”

"Goodness, I almost forgot! Let's sit down and discuss the role or Akusthana in the investigation while we have some dinner."

“Bland, keh?” Helen muttered in Akusthan as she pulled out a small bottle of hot peppers. “We’ll see about that.”
“Be nice,” Garl said as Rajin approached, “He wants to speak with us.” Garl didn’t know how useful the Akusthan could be; but he did know that Akusthan and Krioval technology seemed to be comparable. Certainly, Captain Wellam had told them that the Lozola did have some sensors not known, or more advance then the Krioval, and certainly a mind disciplined by the Kamsan Order, like his wife, could be of use. Just in case, though, the Duke had assigned 50 good MCIS agents to the ship. They would dislike being disarmed, but neither Garl nor Helen much cared.
“Much better,” Helen said as she took a bit into her newly spiced food.

Telekar - 7:00 PM

The Commander finally made his way to the dinner table. He was starving, having not eaten in over twenty-four hours. Then again, the metabolic talent was extremely useful in situations like that; while hungry, he could have continued for up to another day without sustenance if needed.

"I am sorry for the quality of the food. It was the best I could arrange on short notice. But we're not here to discuss that. We're here to discuss your government's role in this investigation. Perhaps if we transmit our files (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=395359) to your ship, it will make things a bit easier to discuss. Now, what role did you envision having in our investigation?"

--------------------------
Telekar - 7:35 PM

A man sat next to a commlink, and spoke agitatedly into it. "No, we will not stand down. We just blew up a church this morning, all right? Or haven't you got that through your thick skull yet? So the no confidence vote failed. I wasn't the one who said we should try it in the first place. You have no patience and no skill at this sort of thing. If you'd have let me do it my way, that idiot wouldn't have suspected a thing." The Parliamentarian was visibly shaking, despite being hidden in a very secure office.

"Let me be extremely blunt for a moment, Representative Selekar. You are a Catholic who conspired to obliterate a cathedral. At this point in time, I could easily arrange for your capture, 'interrogate' you myself, and damn half of Bralos for treason. Granted, that would still leave idiot-boy Raijin in power. Well, we proceed to plan B. If we can't take him out by political methods, we'll just have to take care of him with more direct methods. Now, here's what you are going to do..."

-----------------
Torokara - 7:40 PM

Melena tapped into the conversation almost effortlessly. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought. Well, half the party's just been crashed. It was apparent that there was some sort of plot to dislodge the Commander, but that was almost certainly the case anyway. The question was why a Catholic would choose to strike at Bralos, and who was pulling the strings. A Director. Nobody else would be able to do this. But which one? She mentally went through the list, granting that maybe a well-positioned subdirector could also have engineered it. But really, the prime suspects would have to be - Varik Dekker, Jonas Kessal, or, she didn't want to consider it possible, Kiv Andros. Then she recoiled from a terrifying possibility. They might think I did it! Cursing under her breath, the Intelligence Director began what she knew was likely a futile trace on that conversation. But if it was in the right place...

Torokara. Command Center. Bulls-eye. Wordlessly, she transmitted the data to the few people who could be trusted. Koro Vartek. Kara Tyvok. Raijin Dekker. Then she blasted every piece of electronic equipment in her room with an electromagnetic pulse. The price we pay for good intelligence, she sighed before abandoning the room. Even Melena knew that her activities could be traced if someone tried hard enough. By her calculations, she had exactly two minutes to get out.

--------------------
Torokara - 7:50 PM

The two heavyset men bashed down the door to room 107 in the Shady Pines Motel. Looking around, they could see computers and trasmitters scattered across the floor. "Bitch is good." Checking each device, he quickly confirmed that, in fact, they were nonfunctional and the data had been erased beyond even Kriovalian abilities to read. "Damn her."

Meanwhile, the second was scanning the room for anything that might indicate where the Intelligence Director had gone. "Room's still pretty warm, from these thermal images. She couldn't have left more than five minutes ago. And we've got teleport block on this entire area. She's nearby, somewhere."

Just then, they heard a hover vehicle's engine rev up. "Oh hell!" the first man exclaimed. "Bitch is taking our ride!" The two thugs watched as Melena Kriov drove off, merging with traffic heading toward downtown Torokara - and its population of fifty-four million.

Our offer is still on the table; we hate to see dead Catholics.

Chancellor Goth

We are heartened by your concern, but now is not the best time to discuss new diplomatic arrangements between our countries. Perhaps, when the crisis has passed, we will be able to renew relations.

Lord Jevo Telovar
Director, KDT

------------------
(OOC: language warning)

IC:

Jevo sighed. An assistant diplomat remarked, "Wow, Lord Jevo. I'm impressed that you could even respond so civilly after their last communique."

"It's the fine art of bullshit," the senior diplomat said. "The most important thing you can learn in this field is how to say 'fuck you' so politely that the other person thinks you've paid them the highest compliment. Basically, I just said 'you may go to hell, but we'll talk with you first if you want'. Whatever gets the job done."

We're here to discuss your government's role in this investigation. Perhaps if we transmit our files to your ship, it will make things a bit easier to discuss. Now, what role did you envision having in our investigation?"

“No such thing as bad food when you got some paprika,” Helen said; her food had gone from pale whites, yellows and greens to a dark red.
“Feel free to send whatever information you feel comfortable disclosing at this time,” Garl told Rajin. “We are fully prepared to assist you in anyways; we have an entire team of investigators. However, we recognize that some of the information may be sensitive. In any case, we ask that an observer be allowed to watch the investigation.”
“That would be me,” Helen said with a grim smile, “I’m a multi-talented sort of girl.”

Telekar - 8:00 PM

“No such thing as bad food when you got some paprika,” Helen said; her food had gone from pale whites, yellows and greens to a dark red.
“Feel free to send whatever information you feel comfortable disclosing at this time,” Garl told Rajin. “We are fully prepared to assist you in anyways; we have an entire team of investigators. However, we recognize that some of the information may be sensitive. In any case, we ask that an observer be allowed to watch the investigation.”
“That would be me,” Helen said with a grim smile, “I’m a multi-talented sort of girl.”

"Certainly." Raijin saw absolutely no reason to object. It's not like anything was happening other than counting the dead and tending to the injured, at least in Bralos. "I am planning to survey the damage tomorrow afternoon, if the emergency crews allow it. Otherwise, I may have to restrict my viewing to the air. Of course you are welcome to come as well."

A few minutes later, Koro made his way to the Commander's table. "Raijin, did you get the message?"

"Yeah. Where is she?"

"The Fortress."

Raijin turned to Garl and Helen. "Please excuse me for a moment. A bit of a family crisis." He shrugged, and then looked at Koro. "You're a diplomat in training, right? Well, I need you to attend to our guests. When they're finished with dinner, show them to the Grand Telekar Hotel and give the receptionist this." He handed the younger man a small disk bearing the seal of Krioval. The Commander swiveled again. "Perhaps we'll continue our conversation later tonight, or in the morning. Just let the desk agent know if you need me for anything. I hope the Executive Suite will be sufficient."

With that, Raijin Dekker walked to the corridor, boarded an elevator, and rode to the top of the building. He would take Melena's call in the most secure room in Telekar. Something told him that a major break was imminent.

While Raijin ascended the Parliament building, Koro took a place at the table and had dinner with the Akusthans. But while he sat and made polite conversation with the foreign delegation, his mind was elsewhere. This is getting to be way too much, he thought.

---------------------
Kriov Fortress, just outside Torokara - 8:20 PM

The Intelligence Director sat nervously in what was once the seat of the Kriov monarchy. Also in the Fortress were Kiv Andros, Adele Kriov and Varik Dekker, and the Commander's children Alice and Alexei. Varik paced and fidgeted while waiting for Raijin's call. Alice, Alexei, and Adele simply reclined on an elaborate sofa and tried not to think about the morning's events.

The commlink buzzed. "Hello. Anyone there?"

"Raijin?" Varik asked. "What's going on out there?"

"Later," came the clipped response. "I need to talk to Melena. She there?"

"Yeah. You get the message?"

"Of course. Now, about the suspect list."

Melena interrupted, "Scratch Varik. Scratch Kiv. Scratch me."

"You're going to have to give me a little more than than, Melena."

"Look. I was nearly ambushed at the motel, as planned. What I didn't expect were that the goons had police uniforms."

"Huh?!"

"Let me finish. As luck would have it, I was able to hotwire the vehicle and get downtown before they could catch me. And I pulsed the hardware. They didn't find a damn thing. But the important thing is that they were incredibly sloppy. The trace was KDS. Domestic Security."

"That doesn't mean that it was KDS, Melena."

"Well, it certainly wasn't Kiv. The original code for the launch was put in by someone in a Parliament office. Kiv hasn't been to Parliament in over two months. Further, he and your kids were in a bagel shop when the launches began. I was walking my dog in Torokara Central Park this morning, and a hundred different people saw me. Plus, my boyfriend was there too. And you know that I haven't been in Parliament in weeks. Finally, Varik hasn't been in any of the offices, even though he's visited Parliament recently."

"Where was he this morning?"

Adele's voice boomed over the connection. "Having sex with me, if you must know. And no, I will not turn the video over to the government."

Raijin was at a loss for words. "Video?"

Melena marshalled her no-nonsense voice. The conversation was deteriorating. "Raijin! The important thing is that these were KDS missiles, programmed by KDS, and I was attacked by KDS officers. Someone in Domestic Security wanted to bomb a cathedral, for whatever reason." She paused. "Oh fuck it. We're coming out to Telekar. For all I know, someone's listening in on this conversation. Gods, it really takes..."

The commlink went dead. "Shit!" exclaimed the Commander. Frantically, he punched up the link for Kiv's second-in-command. He waited for several seconds before a disheveled general's face appeared in the viewing window.

"Look, Lord Andros, we're already stretched to the breaking...Commander Raijin?!"

"General Sokolov, I don't have time to explain. Get some soldiers to the Kriov Fortress. And don't tell KDS about this. I've reason to believe they've been compromised?"

"Kriov Fortress or KDS?"

"Both. Now get over there. Kiv can give you more specific instructions once you arrive, but right now I think KDS is inside the building and intends to harm my family."

"Uh...right away, Commander!"

Raijin terminated the connection. What in the seventy-five hells is going on? First the cathedral, now they're after my family? Is Jonas behind all this?

Listening to diplomats was her husband’s job, so Helen was relived when her phone vibrated.
“Excuse me gentlemen,” she said with a sweet smile, “I need to use the little girls room.”
Finding a quiet hallway, she answered the phone.
“Here,” she said tensely.
“Yes ma’am,” a nervous voice said, “I’m Agent Fretreg, assigned the Lozola. Umm, you remembered how we where told not to use active sensor sweeps while in Kriovalian space.”
“Yes.”
“Well, we where using passive sensors to try and gleam some information on the crash site,” Fretreg said, “And we saw some strange things.”
“This should probably be discussed later…”
“No I don’t think it can, ma’am. The search algorithm is designed to pick up important faces; its really quite amazi-“
“What did you find?”
“Umm, ma’am. Why would a government minister steal a car being driven by law enforcement?”
Helen was stunned. “Transmit what you saw to my phone. Then don’t contact me.”
*****
“Women and the bathroom,” Garl said to, after waiting fifteen minutes for his wife to arrive. He felt his phone vibrate, and looked down quickly at the message display. He did not betray his emotions, but if he did he would have betrayed a wince.
His phone, hidden in his pocket had the message “Don’t worry. Gone to Think” written in Akusthan. Great, he thought, Thinking is never good with that woman.

Telekar - Krioval Parliament Building - 9:00 PM

Koro and Garl were waiting for Helen in the reception hall. "I hate to be rude, my Lord, but Commander Raijin had told me to get you to the hotel by nine-thirty at the latest." In fact, Raijin had said no such thing. But having been apprised of the situation near Torokara, Koro felt that the Grand Telekar with a few soldiers was a better place for foreign emissaries to be than in Parliament, which swarmed with potential conspirators in a terrorist act. "I can send someone to see that she's all right," he offered brightly.

Time was rapidly becoming of the essence. Koro absent-mindedly looked at his commband. He deciphered the symbols rapidly. Raijin needs me there now?! Gods. The hell am I going to do with the Akusthans? And then inspiration hit. He activated the commlink. "Yeah. Sakira, Tevak, I need you to come to Telekar. Basic security type stuff. Commander's orders." He hoped he wouldn't get challenged on this, as he was making it up as he went. "Yeah! Just an escort. Get here. Koro out."

It took them five minutes to arrive, as Koro had pulled every string that invoking the name "Raijin Dekker" could pull. He quickly introduced the couple to Garl. "These are Tevak Kero and Sakira Tenar. Special forces. They'll be taking you over to the hotel and making sure nothing untoward happens. It looks like I'm needed elsewhere."

Without bothering to explain the situation any further, the Lord Vartek raced down the hallway toward the rotunda. Raijin is not going to do this all alone, he thought.

"Strange boy," Sakira offered. "Always been like that."

--------------------
Telekar - Outside Parliament Building - 9:00 PM

The man smiled to himself as he saw the Commander run out the front doors to Parliament. That meant that he knew the Kriov Fortress was being cleared and that the teleport block was effective. The man withdrew a Plasmatron and began counting silently. Safely ensconced in an office building, he had the perfect shot. Now all he had to do was...

"Raijin!" Koro's voice cut the silence. As the Commander turned to see what was going on, the plasma bolt struck off-center, hitting him in the left arm.

"YAAAARRRGGGHHHH!"

The sniper nearly panicked, but then remembered the backup plan. At this point, all that mattered was that Raijin die. The kid was secondary. He jumped out the window and fired at Koro, hitting him in the leg and causing him to collapse. Activating an anti-gravitic device, he floated to the ground and walked to the prone Commander. Putting the barrel of the Plasmatron to Raijin's head, he chucked, and remarked, "So falls the great fighter Raijin. Well, it's like the song goes. 'Onward now, my Paladin, into the dark of night.'"

"But will you win the fight, when Darkness comes for Light?" A single blast punctuated the unearthly silence. Raijin came to a surprising number of realizations. First, he was alive. Second, the voice belonged to someone he recognized. Third, his assailant's blood was everywhere.

"Hey, Raijin. How's it going?"

"Darvek?! Been better, that's for sure."

"I bet. And the family?"

"Under siege in the Kriov Fortress. What is it about you that the shit hits the fan right before you get here?"

"Well, I am a devotee to Sefaro."

"Yeah. The Destroyer. Not Koviros the Chaotic?"

"You're a Solokaro person. Maybe it's your strife showing."

Koro cut in. "Hey guys. We've got a dead man in the middle of the street, okay? You mind if we take this somewhere, anywhere else?"

"Kid's got a point," Darvek conceded. Let's go spring your family. Then we'll meet up with Kara. I'm sure she's got her hands full."

"Got a way to get there?" Raijin asked, knowing the answer already. He grimaced as he tried to move his arm.

"Yup." He pushed a button and a sleek hovercraft pulled alongside them. "You gonna be all right with that arm?"

"Yeah. High level metabol and everything. So's the kid, I guess."

"Wow! Is that a two thousand six Varos Blaster?!" Koro was enraptured. Apparently his legs missed the brunt of the plasma bolt.

"Yeah it is. And I'd like it to stay in one piece if possible."

"We'll see," Raijin said soberly. "Let's go." The trio jumped into the vehicle, and Darvek began speeding off toward Torokara, to the southwest.

Kriov Fortress - 9:00 PM

Jonas Kessal, director of Kriovalian Domestic Security, strode toward the gates of the Kriov Fortress. His white face contrasted with the black cloak he wore, and his furrowed brow was visible from quite a few paces off. Briskly making his way to a deputy, he gruffly said "You cut the commlink?"

"Yes, sir."

"Block teleport?" He knew the answer to this already.

"Yes, sir."

"And the Commander?"

"He was hit, dead on. We're waiting to hear from the sniper as to whether the hit was lethal or not. He said he had to check first."

"Good. Now we take care of the rest of them. The Ice Queen, the mad scientist, the prettyboy general, and the two brats. No more Kriovs. No more Dekkers. And while we're at it, we should think about offing a few Tyvoks, just to make sure they know their place in the new Krioval. We've given 'em enough time. Cut the damn power."
---------------

Inside, Adele was leading her husband, her niece, and Raijin's family through the house, from the basement. "There are quite a few secrets in this old castle. This way." They walked through a hidden door, wended their way through a secret passageway, and emerged in the front entranceway. Then the lights went out.

"They're coming," said Kiv. "I can sense their thoughts. If they were any more careless...hold on a second." He rotated his head, as if to improve the psionic reception. "They're afraid of something. Something else is coming."

Adele perked up. She was precognitive, and while her powers were nowhere what they used to be, she began to concentrate. "The army. And Raijin. Separately." Thinking fast, she pointed to the grand staircase. "Upstairs. There's an armory there that I bet that asshole Jonas doesn't know about. We hold out for an hour, we walk out of here alive."

"And if we don't?" Melena's crisp voice asked.

Alice responded quickly, and with all the innocence and lack of regard that only a ten-year-old could possess. "Then we all die."

They started up the stairs when there was a knock at the door. "Adele Kriov and Varik Dekker, by order of the Director of Domestic Security, you are ordered to open this door. Failure to comply will result in your immediate arrest."

Adele motioned the others up the stairs before turning to Varik. "Well, my love, shall we show our guests in?"

"Can't be any worse than the beating your guys gave me those years back."

"Mmmm," she cooed. "A good memory and well-trained. Always kept me coming back." The two walked to the door, preparing to open it.

-------------
Torokara - Krioval Hoverway 94 - 9:15 PM

"Darvek, this is a brand new Blaster. Don't even pretend to tell me this is as fast as it goes," Raijin said, with a look of disdain.

"Raij, we'll get pulled over for speeding."

"Darv, two things. First, the cops I'm worried about are the one who are about to either take my family hostage or kill them. A trooper with a stick up his ass tonight for 'justice' will end up with my fist there instead. Second, I am the government of Krioval." He handed Darvek a disk. "Put this in that slot over there. Now we're identified as an emergency vehicle. Just pull it when we get close to the Fortress. And for the Gods' sake, speed the hell up."

As the hovercraft accelerated, the Commander turned to Koro. "Thanks, kid. You saved my life, ya know."

"All in a day's work...ya know," came the retort.

"Gods. 'Ya know'? Both of you?" Darvek sighed.

"Shut up and drive," both Raijin and Koro spit back. Raijin leafed through the papers in the storage compartment. "Good. You've got collision insurance." He smiled despite himself. His family was in mortal danger, he had had someone try to kill him less than an hour ago, and a cathedral in Bralos was in ruins. But how often did the successor to the Dragon Throne get to act the part?

Another San Diego resident! That's three so far, yourself, Ianisle and me! w00t

She had watched the man, Koro, run out. She had followed at a safe distance; then the shooting started. She swore and watched them drive off.
“Great,” she walked over the dead body and searched for ID. Of course, there was none. “Great.” She swore some more. “The castle thingy,” she muttered to herself, “How do I get there?” How did the shooter get here…She smiled and searched what passed for keys in Krioval.

“Gentlemen, I thank you for your assistance,” Garl said to the two special forces. Shutting the door to his room. He swore and kicked his bed. He activated a white noise and scrambling device, and called the ship.
“Captain,” he said into the phone, “Where’s my wife?” His face twisted into a grimace. “Oh really. Please prepare an extraction team, just in case.”

OOC: Nicely done! Oh, and Sakira's female, just FYI. :D

IC:

Kriov Fortress - 9:20 PM

"I said open the damn door!"

Adele pushed a button to release the lock. She stood at the center of the opening. "Good evening. What brings you to my home at this hour?"

The officer walked up to the woman and moved to grab her, but as he did so, her figure shimmered and disappeared. "A damn hologram." As he looked around for the real Adele, an invisible leg was lifted to his groin with a great deal of force. As the man crumpled to the ground, Adele reappeared.

"Illusionary talent," she whispered to the whimpering guard on the ground. She motioned to Varik, who dragged the twitching man to a closet, kicked him in the stomach, and injected him with tranquilizer before throwing the officer inside and latching the door securely. The plan had worked flawlessly - they had bought the others at least five more minutes to grab some weapons and booby trap the house.

Meanwhile, Varik had picked off another guard attempting to crawl through a downstairs window. "I'm getting far too old for this stuff," he said wearily. And these guys are damn heavy with all that friggin' armor."

The couple made their way upstairs. The second floor was to be the defensive perimeter of their fortress. The basement was lost. The first floor had several "fun surprises" for unwelcome visitors. And so the defenders of the Kriov Fortress listened as KDS officers, one after another, became ensnared in the variety of the house's defenses, most of which hadn't seen use in almost four hundred years. Adele chuckled lightly as she heard the distinctive "AIIIIIEEEEE" of a woman being lifted into the air and hurled out a window by a trick floorboard. Naturally she would live - the device would catapult her into the backyard swimming pool. KERSPLASH! The device worked perfectly.

---------------
Outside the Fortress

"God damn it all!" the Director of the KDS screamed. "Two ancient relics, two spoiled snots, and a queer are keeping us out of that house?"

"Well, sir, some are making it in, but becoming...immobilized?"

"Immobilized? Get your ass in there and mobilize 'em then!"

"Y-y-y-y-es sir."

Jonas watched with evident frustration as his deputy attempted to walk toward the front door only to trip on a small bush and be hoisted into the air by a rope contraption that then flung him to join his compatriot in the pool.

"Why me?" the Director wailed. "Fine. I'll get them myself." He barged through the front door and began to ascend the staircase.

-----------------
Near the Kriov Fortress - 9:40 PM

"All right Darvek, my turn to drive." The three had stopped on a bluff overlooking the Fortress island.

"No, no, and no. In that order."

"Darvek Tyvok. I'll drive this thing if I have to sit in your damn lap to do it."

The younger man laughed slightly. "That an invitation?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Koro nearly choked on his own saliva.

"Darv, I'm not about to add adultery to the crap I've had to deal with today." Raijin pushed a button. The driver's seat moved backward, allowing the passenger seat to be repositioned at the wheel. Half the back seat seamlessly moved forward, bringing Koro with it. "Take some deep breaths and cool off back there. And strap yourselves in. Next stop, Kriov Fortress."

Raijin reversed to the base of the slope. Shifting into forward, he began to pray "Solokaro, kiros sovar. Bero Torokara. Valiyos, varhan, tevakai!*" He slammed on the accelerator. The vehicle, programmed to stay a certain distance above the ground, performed admirably until they crested the bluff. Then came the descent. Faster and faster they careened toward the Fortress grounds. Without having to be told, Koro pressed a button marked "emergency brake". Booster rockets lit at the front of the vehicle to slow the descent. It wasn't enough.

The Varos Blaster raced across the sky, its fiery path more like a comet than a mode of transportation. As they hurtled toward the Fortress, Raijin simply said "Mother's going to kill me for this." They impacted the glass facade of the front entryway at about sixty-five miles per hour**. The double reinforced panes gave way under the stress of three pissed off fighters plus the metal alloys of the hover vehicle. "Now!" screamed Raijin.

Darvek pushed the blue button on the strange-looking device. "Close your eyes," he said. As the Blaster slammed into the marble staircase, working its way upward on sheer momentum, the device triggered. An electromagnetic pulse short circuited the electronic weapons and armor of the invaders.

The three men climbed out of the wreckage and walked toward the hunched figure of Jonas Kessal. "I'd suggest you give yourself up, Jonas," Raijin said. "It'll hurt a lot less for you if you do."

"Never!" He ran up the rest of the staircase, and was rewarded with the business end of a long bo in the face. He never registered that its wielder was Adele Kriov before he lapsed into unconsciousness.

"My book will have to be updated, it seems," she said, lightly giggling. "Though I have it on good authority that he was into sadomasochism. I may have given the poor man his last good thrill," she dryly added.

"And the rest of the agents?" asked Kiv.

"Not a problem," Koro said. "Listen."

Off in the distance, a booming voice could be heard. "This is General Leo Sokolev, commanding the First Torokara Battalion. Surrender and you won't be killed."

----------
Kriov Fortress - 10:00 PM

"It's good to see that none of you are hurt," Leo said, wiping his brow. "Forgot about the good old 'Kriov welcome.'" The large man laughed as he said that. Kriov monarchs had been notorious for their ability to resist incursions into the Fortress since its construction.

"General Sokolev, thank you," Raijin said. Nothing more was forthcoming, but then, everybody knew what went unsaid - had the army not responded, the Fortress would have eventually been overrun, Jonas's capture or not. "And lock this bastard up somewhere secret. I'll ask for details in a few hours."

"Consider it done."

"Mother."

"Don't you worry about me. Or anybody else right now. Go deal with your end of things and I'll see you later. We're heading to your place in Torokara, since my house is quite the mess." While she refrained from laughing, her skin crinkled around her eyes.

"Yeah, well, good help's hard to find these days," Darvek chimed in. "I mean, you do have Raijin." Turning to Kiv, he added, "though the man's uncorruptible. Wouldn't even consider letting me 'help him out' tonight."

Kiv waved the Tyvok off. "Don't care, don't want to know," he said, but he smiled anyway. "Though some people never change." He stuck his tongue out at Darvek and put his arm around the Commander. "Just remember. This one's mine."

Darvek laughed and put his arm around Koro. "Well, I guess I could do worse than this kid here." They all laughed as Koro blushed furiously.

"Huh?!"

"Don't listen to him, young man," Adele said. "That is, unless you'd like to."

"Oh Gods," sighed Raijin.

General Sokolev, who had been only partially listening, suddenly turned to the crowd. "Lord Commander, a report from Telekar. It seems that a security detail has been overrun at the Parliament building, and they're trying to get into the Grand Telekar Hotel as well."

"Kara." Darvek's thoughts went suddenly to his sister, the Speaker. "We've got to get back there."

(OOC: Don't worry, there's more. There's always more.)

* "Solokaro, great one! Hail Torokara! Valiyos, fight on, be strong!"
** 65 mph is roughly 100 k/h

We are heartened by your concern, but now is not the best time to discuss new diplomatic arrangements between our countries. Perhaps, when the crisis has passed, we will be able to renew relations.

Lord Jevo Telovar
Director, KDT


One day we shall remove the thorn known as Krioval from our side.

Just because LC Brie failed to bring you to our terms, does not mean the clock has stopped ticking. We bide our time

Chancellor Goth

One day we shall remove the thorn known as Krioval from our side.

Just because LC Brie failed to bring you to our terms, does not mean the clock has stopped ticking. We bide our time

Chancellor Goth

Jevo grumbled as he read the latest response from Farmina. His assistant timidly asked "What should we tell them?"

"Nothing. No response whatsoever. We're already up to our eyeballs in damage control from the church bombing and now this latest bit in the Kriov Fortress. Treason and conspiracy and murder. They can wait."

Telekar - 10:00 PM

As the hovertanks smashed through the rotunda and into the Parliament building, panicking Representatives and Senators fled for their very lives. Obviously though the leader of the coup had been captured, the underlings had decided to fight on. Kara Tyvok acted quickly. Identifying and grabbing the Bishop Selekar, she led him into the basement by way of several corridors and secured stairwells. For an octagenarian, the Bishop could run, something for which Kara was immensely thankful. That and Darvek's ability to make trouble had given him ample opportunity to explore the recesses of the Telekar building.

"This way, Reverence. We need to go across the street at once!"

"I daresay you're right, my Lady. I've got a terrible feeling they're looking for us two anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're politically valuable alive, as a hostage. I'm politically valuable dead, as a martyr."

They emerged in the Grand Telekar Hotel and made their way to the first floor. Not even considering the absurdity of the situation, they walked to the elevator and pushed the button for the twentieth floor. She had reserved a suite for herself earlier that afternoon, and was now extremely glad for her foresight.

Meanwhile, in the Parliament building, Representative Selekar was practically giddy. Jonas Kessal was out of the running for the Commandership, but this was far from over. In face, his capture had made it unnecessary to kill the interloper in the first place. Well, him and his predestination bullshit, the Bralosian thought. Too bad it didn't come with a dose of insight too. Well, I'll enjoy listening to the symphony of his cries from the bowels of Hell. The man scanned the room.

"Where the hell is my father?" he bellowed, not really expecting a response.

"Uh, Lord Selekar, I think he left a few minutes ago with the Lady Speaker."

Selekar pulled out a weapon and shot the officer at point blank range. "Next time do your damn job right!" He thought for a few minutes. Keeping the siege on this building is pointless. Most of the delegates are already either in secure locations or they've escaped. He reviewed his likely adversaries. Raijin. Kiv. Melena. The kid...and the other one. Telekinetics, telepaths, and whatever the bitch does. Bad bad bad bad bad!

"Abandon the building." And then he remembered. "You three over there." He pointed to his personal guards. "Go across the street to the hotel. I have a feeling our 'prize' is there right now. Use whatever force you like, but I want them both alive!"

---------------
Torokara - Krioval Hoverway 94 - 10:30 PM

"Deja vu, anyone?" Darvek laughed as he drove down the hoverway. General Sokolev had managed to procure the Commander and his band with another Varos Blaster. They hoped it wouldn't meet the same fate as the last one.

"Darv, I've lived with my mother for my whole life. 'Deja vu' has a whole other meaning when you live with a precog."

"Come on, Raijin. It couldn't have been that bad."

"You know the expression 'eyes in the back of her head?'"

"Yeah."

"Adele Kriov has eyes ten minutes forward in time," Kiv said, trying not to laugh. "Poor guy couldn't get into any trouble unless he was fast!"

"So, um, guys?" Koro asked, looking gravely at the other three.

"Yeah?" Raijin asked back.

"What exactly are the odds that four guys could pull this off?"

"'Bout one in a million, give or take," came Darvek's matter-of-fact response.

"And the chances that the four guys are into other guys? That makes it...what? One in three hundred million?"

"Nah," Darvek assured him. "Kiv's here 'cause he's with Raijin. I'm here 'cause I was with Raijin. You're here because, for all intents and purposes, you are Raijin. Sad to say, but the universe does appear to revolve 'round this guy right over here." He clapped the Commander on the back as he finished.

"I'm Raijin?!"

"Long story, kid," Kiv offered. "Suffice it to say that some GenMods, like our leader over here," he smiled at Raijin, "had tissue samples taken prior to the treatment. Some of them 'turned up' later. Alice didn't tell you?"

Koro looked stunned. "My mother Alice? No, she didn't."

"Well, Koro," Raijin fumbled for words. "Uh...now you know why you were called 'little Raijin' all the time?"

"Well, that takes care of that," Darvek cut in. "Now, if the two Raijins will shut up and pay attention to what we're doing, we've got some asses to kick."

"Yeah," Raijin said. "By Solokaro."

"By Ashiar," Kiv added.

"Um...by Kovaro," came Koro's response. "The Light Bringer flies again?"

"Where's that leave me?" Darvek asked in mock-seriousness.

"Silly boy," the Commander retorted. "Like Sefaro, you could never resist the lure of the Light."

"So true," Darvek said, batting his eyelashes overdramatically.

Kiv hit the younger man on the shoulder. "Drive."

(ooc) thank and my apologies to the lady
(ic)
“Oh my,” Garl said, never one to swear, unlike his wife. Below floating tanks attack the parliament building. Garl grabbed his phone and called the ship back. “I’m calling about an exterminator; Please tell him I need to see him about the ants, and that we also have some roaches.”
“Yes sir,” the voice on the other end answered. “Roaches it is sir.”
“And ask them to catch the stinkbug, and bring her home.”
“Yes sir, I believe the butterfly has… committed a similar offense as a certain Kriovalian bug, in order to follow certain other Kriovalian bugs.”
“She stole a car!”
“Yes sir, but I think I have the solution to that bug problem.”

The com officer looked at the burly Highlander Regiment chief, dressed to go and save some diplomatic bacon.
“Kay, get the woman to pull over,” Chief Felev said, “I’m going to get some … Roach repellant…” The chief left the room.
The com officer, meanwhile, zoomed in to the floating car moving in jerking spurts down the road. He zoomed in close enough to check the radio settings.

It was rough going but she got the thing to go forward. It, of course, figured that exactly when she would figure out how to make it go fast, the radio that had been playing some god awful Kriovalian music, began the spit out static, then an Akusthan voice.
“Ma’am, I’m transmitting on the radio signal your using. There’s trouble down in Krioval, and we’ve been ordered to extract you and your husband.”
“No,” she mutter, “I’m busy.” Unofficially she outranked him; but of course, he couldn’t here her.
“Ma’am please pull over and wait for the extraction team. I’m afraid that its too dangerous to return to the parliament buildings.”
Dangerous! She thought to herself. She hit the breaks on the car-thing and made a U-Turn.
“Ma’am I can see you’ve turned around, I would highly advise that you pull over and wait.”
She opened the window and gave him a hand signal to look at.
“Very well ma’am,” the officer said, “but you should know there are tanks.”
“Oh my,” she said with a smile, “that gives me an idea.”

Garl stepped into the elevator, only to see a Bishop and a woman (the speaker, he thought in the back of his mind). Garl, admittedly, knew little about Kriovalian society; he knew everything, however, about Clan society. And the first (maybe second) rule of Clan society, one of the rules that managed to held those divided clans together despite their religious and political difference, was that ‘a priest was a priest was a priest.” So not even knowing weather he was a Catholic, Protestant, or even Pagan bishops (since they all looked similar in Akusthana anyways), he bowed deeply before the bishop.
“Kotman,” Garl said, extending his hands in a sign of submission, “there is danger. I have a way to leave this place to safety. Let me take you and the Madam Speaker to safety, holy one.”

Telekar Hoverway 53, 11:00 PM

The ragtag Kriovalian bunch roared past a sign that said "Welcome to Telekar".

"Ya know, it'd be nice if they'd just pick one city to pull this crap in," Raijin groused.

"Yeah, but what would the fun be?" Darvek quipped in response.

Their brief conversation was interrupted by muffled sounds from what appeared to be the rear storage compartment. Suddenly, between Kiv's and Koro's seats, a female emerged, a look of grim death set on her face. "Tried to take off without me?" Melena spat at the four. "I don't know what's worse," she continued, "whether you all left me behind for some 'male bonding' or whether the only man who'd be interested in having me sit on his lap is driving."

Darvek shot her a lascivious look by way of response. "Mel, it's not like we didn't know you were back there. Why else would we talk about which of us were pairing off on the way to a combat mission?"

The Intelligence Director snorted at him. "Just like the others. I don't know what I ever saw in you anyway." She turned to Koro. "Scoot over."

"Huh?"

"You're the smallest one here, kid, so move." As she finished her command, Darvek swerved suddenly to avoid a car that had just made an atrociously illegal U-turn and was now puttering down the left lane.

"Hate that," he said. "Idiots can't read the damn signs or drive the speed in the left."

"I recognize her," Koro said. "That's that Helen woman from Akusthana."

"It would be," Raijin sighed. "Get me that radio frequency."

Melena and Koro worked fast. Orbital relay gave them the license plate, and KDMV had the frequency on file. About three minutes later, they were ready to talk.

"Woman, what in the seventy-five hells do you think you're doing?! Leaving a contained area? Stealing a friggin' government car?! What kind of diplomat does that? Gods, ya know!"

"Raijin," Kiv attempted to calm, or at least moderate, the tone of the Commander. "Helen, is it? We'd really like to know what you're up to out here. Not to be too blunt, but we don't typically allow these kinds of actions to go without...sanction."

Darvek chimed in. "And I certainly hope your little 'gesture' wasn't meant for me, 'cause I'm so totally not in the mood for that right about now."

Raijin came back on, obviously attempting to control both his breathing and temper. "Look. If you're here to help, right about now I'm not gonna say no. Just follow the fifty-three into downtown, exit twenty, all right?"

They reached exit 20 and left the hoverway. Realizing that they weren't exactly equipped to deal with tanks with only the Varos Blaster, Darvek slowed down. The Commander reached into the back and withdrew a rocket launcher. "Never leave boot camp without it," he said grimly, and yet with a touch of humor. "Ten minutes, and counting."

---------------
Telekar - Grand Telekar Hotel - 11:00 PM

Garl stepped into the elevator, only to see a Bishop and a woman (the speaker, he thought in the back of his mind). Garl, admittedly, knew little about Kriovalian society; he knew everything, however, about Clan society. And the first (maybe second) rule of Clan society, one of the rules that managed to held those divided clans together despite their religious and political difference, was that ‘a priest was a priest was a priest.” So not even knowing weather he was a Catholic, Protestant, or even Pagan bishops (since they all looked similar in Akusthana anyways), he bowed deeply before the bishop.
“Kotman,” Garl said, extending his hands in a sign of submission, “there is danger. I have a way to leave this place to safety. Let me take you and the Madam Speaker to safety, holy one.”

"I quite agree," Kara said. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

The sound of footsteps began to grow louder in the corridor. Kara and the Akusthan turned to see who was approaching when a metal canister landed at the feet of the Bishop. A faint hissing indicated the release of some vapor, but nothing appeared to come out. Then the Bishop fell over. Reacting as quickly as they could, Sakira and Tevak grabbed Garl and the Speaker and pushed them into Kara's suite, following, and slamming the door. Sakira touched a console next to the large door and a force field snapped into place.

"Sleeping gas," Tevak said, turning to the foreign leader. "There was nothing we could have done. Even walking toward him would have knocked us out."

The Speaker withdrew a small device from her brassiere. Walking up to the large picture window, she placed it as close to the center as she could, and then stretched out a small cord. Walking to the nightstand, Kara pulled out a box of matches, lit the cord and stepped away from the window. The blast shattered the reinforced glass, sending shards onto the side street below. Seeing the puzzled look on Garl's face, she said, "No, we're not going that way, but I want them to think we are. Please remove the book called 'Into the Abyss' by Joachim Vartek. We only have a few minutes left."

Sakira and Tevak looked on in shock at the sudden change in Kara Tyvok's persona - she was usually so demure. Now she was blowing up windows, engineering escape attempts, and storing explosives in her bra. Wow, Tevak thought. Suddenly I wouldn't mind being a Parliamentary guard.

OOC: I needed the Bishop to be captured, so I'm sorry if I RP'd your character in a way that he wouldn't normally have acted. Obviously, he's stuck with Kara right now, and as you've probably guessed, she's usually "Miss Prim and Proper" until all hell breaks loose.

"Woman, what in the seventy-five hells do you think you're doing?! Leaving a contained area? Stealing a friggin' government car?! What kind of diplomat does that? Gods, ya know!"

"Raijin," Kiv attempted to calm, or at least moderate, the tone of the Commander. "Helen, is it? We'd really like to know what you're up to out here. Not to be too blunt, but we don't typically allow these kinds of actions to go without...sanction."

Darvek chimed in. "And I certainly hope your little 'gesture' wasn't meant for me, 'cause I'm so totally not in the mood for that right about now."

Raijin came back on, obviously attempting to control both his breathing and temper. "Look. If you're here to help, right about now I'm not gonna say no. Just follow the fifty-three into downtown, exit twenty, all right?"

“Woman,” she said out loud, “Damn it. Who the hell does he think he is?” It of course never occurred the occupants of the other vehicle where thinking the same thing about her. She wondered if he could hear her. “So I guess if I totally trash this car, an embassy would be totally out of the question.” She crackled as she saw the tank, and punched the accelerator. She took one of her shoes (she had taken off her shoes; she hated heals) and jammed it locking the accelerator in place. Then she waited, till just before smashing into the tank, to open the door and roll out.

"No, we're not going that way, but I want them to think we are. Please remove the book called 'Into the Abyss' by Joachim Vartek. We only have a few minutes left."

“As you wish,” Garl said, pulling out the book. “FYI, I think things are about to get a whole lot complicated. I was originally attempting to get to the roof of the hotel in order to...” Garl then heard something. “Frick, I think my wife just came back.”

PS OOC: No problem, its your show! whatever needs to happen.

Telekar - Outside Parliament Building - 11:10 PM

Darvek drove past the Parliament building, worried about the possibility of snipers. They had already struck earlier, and he was taking no chances. As he passed, he could see several heavily armored vehicles slowly backing out of the shattered antechamber. It looked like they were leaving the building.

"This is Commander Raijin Dekker to anybody inside," Raijin announced on a universal commlink "Is everybody all right in there?"

"Lord Raijin, this is Senator Barro. Everybody else made it home already. No teleport block made that easy enough. I think that Rep. Selekar..."

"I know already. Him and Kessal. We've got Jonas already."

"That's good to hear. Is the Speaker in on this too?"

"Never in a million years," Darvek shouted out. "My sister'd never get involved in..."

A female voice cut in. "Hey. We're in a suite on the twentieth floor. We're coming down...the Tyvok route."

"Oh hel..." Koro said.

"'Oh hell?' What?" Darvek replied. "It's not a big deal, our way."

"No," Koro corrected him. "Oh Helen."

“So I guess if I totally trash this car, an embassy would be totally out of the question.” She crackled as she saw the tank, and punched the accelerator. She took one of her shoes (she had taken off her shoes; she hated heals) and jammed it locking the accelerator in place. Then she waited, till just before smashing into the tank, to open the door and roll out.

Raijin was first to react. Stretching his talent to its limit, he mentally enveloped the speeding vehicle and "pulled" upward. The Blaster barely cleared the retreating tank. Mentally unwedging the shoe from the accelerator, the Commander watched as the vehicle engaged its "dead-man's feature" and stopped half a block away. As if carried on an invisible platter, the woman's shoe glided through the air to come to a stop right next to the Akusthan. He then let it drop. "This might be the first time I've ever said this to another person with any level of seriousness whatsoever, but you've got absolutely no concept of subtlety, ya know?"

Melena and Darvek couldn't help but stare, eyes wide and mouths agape. Then, wordlessly, each reached for their respective wallets, withdrew a fifty-kerotar note and handed them to Kiv. Kiv coughed and said, "He did say 'ya know' at the end of that. That's a hundred then, not fifty." The others glared at him and gave him another fifty apiece.

Koro looked on in shock. "What just happened?"

"I bet the two of them years back that Raijin would eventually meet someone who he would feel was less subtle than him before he got to be forty. I'm impressed, actually. I had almost another two years to go."

"Uh, yeah," Darvek interrupted. "Shouldn't we go get Kara and," his voice dropped to a whisper as he pointed to Helen, "her husband?"

"Probably. There's nothing left to do here." The Commander walked to the second Blaster. "So, how do we want to divide up? We've got me, Darvek, Kiv, Melena, Helen, Koro, and the Senator."

------------
Telekar - Kara's Suite - 11:15 PM

“As you wish,” Garl said, pulling out the book. “FYI, I think things are about to get a whole lot complicated. I was originally attempting to get to the roof of the hotel in order to...” Garl then heard something. “Frick, I think my wife just came back.”

The bookshelf slid back to reveal an entryway to a stairwell. "Let's go," the Speaker said, briskly walking into the dark passage. "It's only a matter of minutes before they blast through that force field."

Half a block away, Darvek's voice cut into Kara's commlink. "Never in a million years! My sister'd never get involved in..."

She responded quickly, not bothering to stop walking. "Hey. We're in a suite on the twentieth floor. We're coming down...the Tyvok route." Then her commlink died. "Stupid batteries," she muttered.

The others followed into the stairwell as the bookshelf slid back into place. The two guards were actually well aware of this passage, as Kriovalian military practice required. Many dignitaries and government officials were amazed at how few casualties even the most violent attacks wrought on Krioval due to the intricate and yet well-secured "secret" underground. Finally, they reached a small tunnel at the base of the hotel. A modified magnetic propulsion cart floated gently, large enough to carry four adults.

"This thing goes all the way to Torokara?" Sakira asked.

"Damn thing better," Kara said. "I remember taking this thing back and forth when I was a little girl."

"Wow! That's old then! Must be almost fifty...YOW!"

Sakira looked at the other guard with a contemptuous glare. "And I'll hit you somewhere else if you ever mention a lady's age again, you twit!"

"Geez. It's not like there's anything wrong with..."

Sakira's menacing look was enough to silence Tevak for good. "Lady Kara, Lord Garl, idiot Tevak, we need to get going. Hop on." The four boarded the cart and began the slow journey back to the capital. With any luck, they'd be in Torokara within the hour.

-----------
Telekar - Kara's Suite - 11:30 PM

"Damn them!" Selekar raged. "We had them!" He looked at the shattered window. "There's no way," he grumbled. "But how did they get out?" A quick search revealed nothing, and in he turned to his colleague. "Parris! You and," he pointed to two hired guns, "you two. Search this room. I want to know anything about where that bitch went and what she knows."

Selekar stormed off as the Representative and two mercenaries began to carefully examine the room. One looked in the desk drawer, and found a note.

I wouldn't play around with the bookshelf if I were you.

~ Kara

"Oh she wouldn't, huh?" the other soldier said, laughing. He cockily strode to the bookshelf and noticed a book halfway hanging out. "'On Guerrilla Warfare' by 'the Chairman'. Let's take a little look." Inside the book, he found another note.

Why are men so impulsive and stupid?

Love,
~ Kara

"Representative!" he called out. As Parris and the other mercenary arrived, they were blinded by a flash of light. The book and piece of paper dropped to the floor.

-----------------
Torokara - Central Command - 11:45 PM

What was unusual wasn't that three men arrived at the Central Command's police division by teleport. That sort of thing was fairly routine, though usually announced. What was unusual is that the three men were completely naked and their hands were bound behind their writsts. An audio recording played, stopped for a few seconds, and then repeated itself.

Hello, detectives. I've just caught some criminals. Can you believe they forced their way into my bedroom? I think they were trying to kidnap or (gasp!) kill me. Oh, and for some entertainment, can you guess which of these fine, upstanding gentlemen is a Representative to Parliament? Anyway, I'm sure there are various humiliations that are waiting for these men in prison, so I've taken the liberty of preparing them for you. Please keep me apprised of their status.

With love,
Speaker Kara Tyvok

Once the officers had officially taken the men into custody (and finished laughing), they linked Parris to the scene of the Parliament invasion and the capture of the Bishop, and from there, they guessed that he was in on the cathedral bombing. And so they waited for the Commander and his four-man, two-woman wrecking crew to return to the capital for the interrogation.

-----------------
Bralos - 11:55 PM

"Just another glorious Lord's day, huh dad?"

"You ingrate. What's next, torturing and killing me?" the Bishop said, his voice dripping with venom. "You'd make me reconsider my stance on abortion!"

Selekar was barely able to control his impulse to smack the older man. No, he thought, I want him without a mark on him. Raijin will come for him. And then I'll kill Raijin and be High Priest over all Krioval again!

"What's wrong, boy? Worried that Raijin's coming for you? Shaking in your boots, I'd guess. Just like you. Sniveling whiny brat that you always were. Nothing was ever good enough. Nice house? New clothing? Good schools? You've lost the way of Christ. And your judgment..."

"Shut up before I make you shut up. Permanently."

The Bishop snorted in the direction of his son and withdrew a rosary. Slowly and silently, he prayed as they made their way back to Bralos.

"Probably. There's nothing left to do here." The Commander walked to the second Blaster. "So, how do we want to divide up? We've got me, Darvek, Kiv, Melena, Helen, Koro, and the Senator."

Hmmm, He really is a powerful psychic, Helen thought to herself, Pity, it would have removed that murderous vehicle from my life. And I was truly wondering if it could work…
“Guess I should stop breaking the law,” She noted casually, looking up towards to the hotels roof (and keeping her thoughts clouded in a small mist of excitement; what the Kamsan warriors lacked in psychic powers they made up for in mental discipline). Well, there’s no flare, something must have happened to Garl. Akusthan protocol required that after an extraction team was called a flare had to be set in order to confirm pick up and location. She pondered activating her own flare, but it seemed wiser to keep it for later. Maybe it would be of some use. She was, however, positively glowing on her lack of subtlety; she could, after all, be subtle but she didn’t like people to know that.
“Well, Rajy,” she said to Rajin, “I don’t know who should go with who. But I figure I should hand over my keys; funny thing, I’m not suppose to be driving, even in Akusthana; never bothered to get my drivers permit. Just let me get shot gun. I assume your speaker has saved my husband; thats usually my job, but, meh, whatever, keh?”

Telekar - 11:55 PM

Hmmm, He really is a powerful psychic, Helen thought to herself, Pity, it would have removed that murderous vehicle from my life. And I was truly wondering if it could work…

It might have, my Lady, but then we'd be seven in one car, Kiv responded fluidly. And yes, I'm the only telepath here and not particularly interested in force-reading your thoughts, though... The Andros general felt the connection break. Apparently Akusthans were able to terminate and block psionic connections. Interesting, he thought. It's just like that device Raijin has.

“Guess I should stop breaking the law,” She noted casually, looking up towards to the hotels roof (and keeping her thoughts clouded in a small mist of excitement; what the Kamsan warriors lacked in psychic powers they made up for in mental discipline). Well, there’s no flare, something must have happened to Garl. Akusthan protocol required that after an extraction team was called a flare had to be set in order to confirm pick up and location. She pondered activating her own flare, but it seemed wiser to keep it for later. Maybe it would be of some use. She was, however, positively glowing on her lack of subtlety; she could, after all, be subtle but she didn’t like people to know that.
“Well, Rajy,” she said to Rajin, “I don’t know who should go with who. But I figure I should hand over my keys; funny thing, I’m not suppose to be driving, even in Akusthana; never bothered to get my drivers permit. Just let me get shot gun. I assume your speaker has saved my husband; thats usually my job, but, meh, whatever, keh?”

The Commander rolled his eyes. "Rajy?" he muttered. "Well..."

Senator Barro ran back from the second vehicle. "Won't start."

"Of course not," Darvek said. "Why would it on the one night we really need it?"

"Well, let's get in this one," the Senator said, grabbing the starter from the Lord Tyvok. "I'll drive."

"I'll go up front too," Melena interjected. "There's room enough for three people in the front row. "Boys in the back."

"Where do I go?" Koro asked. "There's only room for three back here."

"The trunk?" Darvek offered, getting into the vehicle. Koro looked plaintively at the Commander and Kiv. Raijin leaned over and whispered a suggestion.

"Really?!"

"Yeah! He won't mind, right Darv?"

"Uh...no?" Darvek was thoroughly confused. He became less confused when Koro landed solidly in his lap. Turning to the Commander, he mouthed "You are pure evil."

"Like you don't like it," Raijin silently mouthed back. Darvek gave him a dirty look as Koro, exhausted, almost immediately fell asleep.

"Wow. Those two look better together than you did with him, Raijin," Melena said, giggling.

"All right, we've had enough 'Raijin sex tales' for the day, thanks," he returned dryly.

"Hmm. You're right. One minute to midnight. Then it's a whole new day!"

"Monday," Senator Barro said. "And I thought it could only get better."

The seven sped off toward Torokara.

-------------------
Beneath Torokara - 11:55 PM

The magcart continued to its destination, now coasting beneath what Kara knew had to be the Kriovalian capital. "It's not much further, I think. We should be in Command in about another fifteen minutes or so. I hope the others make it all right." Smirking, she added, "I wonder if my little 'surprise' worked."

Torokara - Monday, 10 July 2006 - 12:10 AM

Senator Barro knew Torokara very well. She had been born in the city, raised there, and seldom left it. And so she felt an obligation, in the absence of any news of the terrorists, to use the evening as a sort of personalized tour of the sprawling city of sixty million. She handled the Varos Blaster with the skill and poise of a professional racer, rather than a high-ranking Senator. But then, she was only thirty, and she figured she'd act "like a lady" when she felt like it.

"So this is Torokara," she said as they crossed into the island-city. "As you can see, those force field generators protect us from unusual tides, tsunamis, and," she grinned "missiles. Not that we've had much of the latter in this city, anyway. Racing into the city, she continued with the zeal of a young child. "By the way, I've failed to introduce myself properly. Call me Christine." She didn't bother to wait for a response from Helen.

"This is the first and lowest level of Torokara. Most of the industrial work is done down here. Lots of companies headquartered in this city, Vartek, Soko-Kor, Varos, Guardian, the Daily News - Torokara, that is - and Kelevar Electronics, to name a few. Impressive stuff they do, but factories aren't all that exciting to look at.

Swerving suddenly, Christine began rising and turning right. "Now this is the second level. Low and middle income residential and commercial here. Nothing you couldn't really see anywhere else, I'm afraid, given your technology level. So, we take this crossway here," she did so, bringing them to the third level and nearly giving the men in the back seats whiplash. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Anyway..."

"Blah blah blah," Darvek said in a half-whisper. "You know they call her 'Senator Bar All'? It's 'cause she's got the record for length and number of filibusters. Gods, now I know why." That elicited a chuckle from Kiv and Raijin, and a sleepy "Yaaarrr" from Koro, who promptly shifted position on the hapless Tyvok before returning to sleep.

"Hey Kiv," Raijin said.

"Yeah?"

Raijin pulled off his wedding band and pointed to his ring finger. "This is Koro's little finger." He replaced the ring. "Guess who that is?"

"So true," Kiv laughed. "I'm actually pretty surprised. His longest pickup and shortest commitment."

"Hey! Commitment? Me?!" Darvek protested.

Koro half awoke at the commotion. "Hey...Darvek...quiet...sleepy...ya know?" he said haltingly, as if trying to remember how to speak the words.

"Just wait until Kara hears about this," Melena leaned back to say. "She'll die laughing. The legendary playboy Darvek Tyvok, utterly defeated by a neophyte in the 'game of looooooove'. Oooooh! Can I tell her? Oh please let me!"

Darvek rolled his eyes and began to form another protest when Raijin pre-empted him. "Hey, Darvek. Quiet sleepy, ya know," the Commander managed between fits of stifled laughter. The Lord Tyvok gave them withering looks and would have included certain hand gestures to reinforce his point had both of his arms not been pinned.

Melena turned back to the Senator. "Hey, Christine, show Helen the entertainment district. I don't want her entire impression of Kriovalian men to be those four. She'll wonder how we manage to reproduce in the first place."


"Right then," the Senator responded. "Just take a left up here, then a right. Level three. Shopping, entertainment and hotels. My personal favorite level." They whizzed past stores with opulent fashion displays, a few bookstores, and a rather large mall. Then they crossed into the bar area. Couples walked to and from the larger and more respectable ones, while at the far end, people staggered from seedier establishments.

"That one over there has the best beer I've ever tasted. Don't let the outside, or the people inside, fool you. And look! Man-and-woman couples." She overdramatized and smirked as she said it. "They really do exist in Krioval!"

"Speaking of which," Christine interrupted, "do you think I could meet Jevo Telovar some time?"

Raijin was first to respond. "You want to date Jevo?!"

"Don't even say it, Raijin," came the ascerbic response.

The Commander snorted. "Nah, Jevo's straight as an arrow...if that's all you're worried about."

It was the Senator's turn to be flustered, and she nearly lost control of the vehicle. "Huh?!"

"Christine! Watch where you're going, will ya?" Darvek screamed. "Gonna get him...me...all of us killed!"

She ignored Darvek and pressed her questioning. "What's wrong with Jevo?"

"Nothing a few whips and chains won't cure," Melena deadpanned.

Christine brightened. "Well, I've always liked a challenge," she concluded. "But we're getting silly again. Back to business." She veered off to another ramp, leading further upward.

"All right, we're almost to level four. Your ears will probably pop at some point, that's normal. Each level is about a hundred meters above the previous one, so we're getting up there now. This one's mainly official buildings and historic sites. They actually removed the original temples to the Great Gods and relocated them here when Torokara's expansion threatened them. Granted, some of them had to be extensively restored, but they're almost all original material. We'll pass by the Temple to Solokaro soon. That's Raijin's patron God. I'll show you the others when it's actually daylight. They're far more impressive then. Anyway, last stop, level five."

They ascended the final ramp upward. From their vantage, the entire domain of Krioval was visible, from the brightly lit shopping districts of third-level Torokara to Telekar in the northeast and the Andretara monastery to the south. As they wound around the spire that enclosed Central Command, the High Council chambers, and Raijin's home, the majesty of the Kriovalian islands did nothing to betray the strife afflicting the country. Even the Commander was unable to fully concentrate on the cathedral bombing, attempts on his life, and political unrest when he looked down over his country. But it came rushing back all too quickly. Blood would be spilled again. One day, he hoped that Krioval would no longer require sacrifice to remain true. The vehicle stopped at the entrance to Central Command. There was still work left tonight.

---------------

Kara, the Akusthan, and the two guards spoke little as they reached the terminus of the magcart's route. The Speaker pressed a button on an elevator nearby and scanned her identification card. After passing an eye scan, she and the others boarded. Starting from level zero, they ascended the city. She couldn't help but laugh lightly. This route was originally designed as an evacuation from Central Command to the hotel in Telekar, and here it was the hotel that was dangerous, and Torokara safe. Strangely, as it had always been. The elevator reached its destination, and the four disembarked into the entryway of Central Command just as a hovercraft pulled up alongside the building. "I hope that it's who I think it is," Kara said grimly, "or we're in an awful lot of trouble."

“Ugh,” Helen said as the vehicle accelerated, “I hate technology. This is a sort of a big city. Venthegon is not this big; but I’m pretty sure Vangour is. You guys would probably like Fakanholt the best; they have a massive Temple devote to the 24 Gods of the Arthamas.” She reached into her pockets, which were fairly large, and produced a slim jar filled with half a dozen small peppers.
“Anybody want a pickled hot pepper,” she said popping one in her mouth, “I had to sign a waiver to buy them.” She munched in silence and watched the buildings.
Then they had arrived. She piled out of the car, “So, what do we do now?”

“I hope my wife is down there,” Garl said looking down at the hover car thing, “I hope she didn’t break anything. She can’t drive, not in Akusthana at least.” He thought for a second, and turned to the two soldiers and the Speaker. “Just a question; Rajin seems to be involved in a lot of… unusual excitement … has he ever been refused a drivers permit because the insurance company refuses to accept his business?”

Torokara - 12:25 AM

Melena noticed that Helen had said few words, except to offer some excruciatingly hot peppers. She wondered if it was because the woman's culture encouraged restraint and silence or whether Senator Barro's "guided tour" and rather direct conversation among the men had merely overloaded the Akusthan's ability to respond. Secretly, she hoped it was the latter - this Helen looked like she could have a really good time when left to her own devices.

The seven climbed out of the car, Darvek finally managing to wake and disentangle Koro from him. The younger man barely made out a thumbs-up sign from both the Commander and the Andros general before averting his gaze outright and walking through the aperture of the Command dome. The others followed, with Kiv last, making certain that the area was secure. There, they finally noticed...

------------
Same Place, Same Time

The four waited for the Commander and his ever-growing entourage disembark from the vehicle outside. Kara noticed both the figures of her youngest brother and Koro, as well as the signals the Commander and his husband gave the young man. "Gods, Darvek," she said under her breath. "Only you could do something like that now." Her thoughts were interrupted by a question from Garl.

“I hope my wife is down there,” Garl said looking down at the hover car thing, “I hope she didn’t break anything. She can’t drive, not in Akusthana at least.” He thought for a second, and turned to the two soldiers and the Speaker. “Just a question; Rajin seems to be involved in a lot of… unusual excitement … has he ever been refused a drivers permit because the insurance company refuses to accept his business?”

As if on cue, Helen walked from the shadows cast by the dome. "Well, they don't seem too upset," Tevak offered. "Maybe they didn't blow up too many things this time."

"Yeah," followed Sakira. "The Commander hates disorder. Not that you could tell today."

"It's funny you should mention insurance," Kara added. "Lord Raijin currently owns about five percent of Kriov International, our largest bank and insurance agency. Though 'excitement' in Krioval is usually limited to particularly saucy domestic squabbles, or in my case, the occasional fistfight on Parliament's floor." She smiled. "There was even one time..."

She was unable to finish her sentence as Raijin walked up, the others following nearby. "My Lady Speaker, we are fortunate to see that you are well."

"I had a lot of help," she replied, pointing to Garl and the two Kriovalian soldiers. "I'd probably have been taken captive otherwise. Speaking of which, we were unable to safeguard the Bishop."

"That's too bad," he said, his worry evident. "We'll have to finish things upstairs and then go looking for him."

Darvek came running up, grabbing the Speaker and nearly crushing her in a bearhug. "Oh Gods! You're alive! You're not hurt, are you?"

Kara swatted her brother's shoulder. "Gah! Not yet!"

"Oh, sorry."

"I see that you've made a new...friend?"

"Not you too!"

Kiv looked at the whole group. "Later. I'm sure Lord Telovar is probably about to explode from the stress."

"Jevo?!" Christine gasped. "He's...up there?"

Raijin looked at her coolly. "Where else would the next-ranking Director be but at Command?" The slightest hint of a smile betrayed the sternness of his look. "Let's go."

----------------
Torokara - Central Command - 12:30 AM

"Gods damn all to the seventy-five levels of hell," Jevo screamed. "First they leave me, a diplomat, in charge of military stuff."

"Well, Jevo, it would be because you have the most experience," Vakia Pasko, the Education Director said. "The closest I've come to a combat zone is an eighth-grade classroom."

"And you don't think that's real combat experience?"

Vakia laughed despite the tension. "Ah. Here comes Lord Raijin now. Well, Lord Raijin plus half the 'nobility' of Krioval and a couple foreigners. Better put on another pot of coffee."

Andruik Dova, the Spiritual and Culture director, rose stiffly from his seat. "No, Vakia, let me, please. I haven't moved from this chair in over three hours."

The mixed group of Kriovalian Directors, soldiers, politicians, and Akusthan leaders arrived at the command module itself. "Raijin!" Jevo yelled. "Have you any idea what today's been like up here?! First we practically had to shut down DIPLOMAT, Farmina's been buzzing around again, and I've had the chief of police asking me for instructions!"

The Commander held up his right hand, and to his credit, Jevo stopped instantly as Raijin patiently reviewed his day's activities. "I've been shot at, had my family attacked, barely prevented the destruction of Parliament, discovered I was cloned without my consent fourteen years ago," Jevo's eyes snapped to Koro, "apparently Darvek likes him though, and now I've raced back to the capital to deal with the rest of the crisis." The Commander drew a long breath. "Oh yes, this," he pointed to a woman with long dark hair, "is Senator Christine Barro, deputy leader of the Free Krioval party representing Torokara city."

"Northwest sector," she proudly added.

"Northwest sector." Raijin confirmed. "She was wondering if you were available some time this week for dinner and a night of passionate sex."

That was too much for poor Jevo. "I...uh...well..."

Darvek leaned over to the senior diplomat. "Jevo, the right answer here would be yes."

"Tomorrow night?" Jevo asked, and then turned beet red.

Christine was thorougly amused. "Can't. Big energy bill to debate. What about Thursday?"

"Huge conference on international trade in Valak."

Raijin again felt the need to intervene. "What about Friday night? The conference will be over, and I have it on good authority that Parliament will be adjourning at..." he shot a pointed look to Kara.

"Four-thirty. Yep. Nothing to discuss after four-thirty on Friday afternoon," she said, overdramatically.

"Well," the Commander said, "if I can be done playing matchmaker for the night, I'd like a status report."

Vakia walked over to a console and lifted a portable data screen, handing it to Raijin. She gave another to Kiv and Darvek. "Hmmm, looks like there are still a few rogue agents out there, and some unrest in a few outlying cities," Kiv said stoically. "Send in the army?"

"I have a better idea," Koro said. "The call to arms. The people can handle this."

"Pretty quick for a kid," Darvek said admiringly. "I think he's due for a promotion."

"We haven't used that in over seven years," Raijin countered. "There are people who won't listen, even to me, after the last time. They don't want to believe that another war is possible."

"Then someone else does it," Kiv said softly.

"Who?"

"Me." All heads turned to see Adele walk slowly from the elevator. "I'll do it."

"Mother? What are you doing here?"

"Raijin, what else am I going to do. The kids are asleep and Varik's there. They'll listen to me."

"Any why is that?"

"Silly boy, I am the ceremonial Queen of Krioval. When it comes to popularity, nothing trumps a powerless monarch."

“Button!” Helen shouted as she saw her husband, “I stole a car!”
“I can’t bring you anywhere.” Garl sighed.
They followed the rest of the Kriovalians, and listened to the conversation.
“Awww, Rajy is a matchmaker,” Helen said.
“What did I tell you about giving heads of states nicknames?”
“Be quiet,” she said, as Adele walked in. “I want to see this for myself.” She gave an evil chuckle.

Torokara - Command Center - 1:00 AM


Citizens of Krioval, you already know what has happened today in Bralos. What you do not know is that forces were also set in motion to take Krioval from us. The evil traitor Jonas Kessal along with Representatives Parris and Selekar conspired not only to brutally murder nearly five thousand people and obliterate a place of worship, but they turned their greedy eyes toward the Kriov Fortress itself, and attempted to eliminate my entire family. And even now, with the threat mostly removed, agents of the Annihilator work to undermine and subvert our glorious nation. We did not fight seven years ago only to lose today. So I say, take to arms loyal defenders of Krioval.

Show me your dedication as we have shown ours every day. The enemy cannot hide in shadow if we allow no shadow to remain. Illuminate all of our nation in unyielding light! Seek out the last of the vipers and seize them! They cannot run from Fate. May the Great Ones guard and protect you tonight as we complete what was started seven years ago: the Cleansing of Krioval!

As she finished her speech, Adele looked at the rest of the group, who looked back in stunned silence. "Didn't think I have it in me, did you?"

"Commander!" Senator Barro called out. "Look!"

The sight shocked and amazed all present. The lights came on outside the Command Center first, and like a ripple in a pond, spread out. Torokara level four. Level three. Two. One. All Torokara bathed in brilliant light. Then the Kriov Fortress. But it didn't stop there.

--------------
Valak - Power Plant - 1:10 AM

"Light up all Krioval? I'm not sure we can do it."

"We've never tested this thing's capacity. Tonight's as good a time as any." The engineer threw the switch, sending power flooding into the grid. And Valak lit up. And Andretara, Trekal, Saro, Ashera, Kyara, Telekar. One after another, Krioval's cities were bathed in light. Every citizen who heard the call had responded, waking their neighbors and spreading the word to the furthest reach of the island nation.

--------------
Bralos - City Hall - 1:15 AM

The front reached the outskirts of Bralos and hesitated. Adele was not the most popular figure in the predominantly Christian city, and citizens were reluctant to demonstrate their allegiance openly for fear of official reprisal. News rapidly reached mayor Aaron Tenkar.

"Tell them to turn on the damn lights!" he bellowed at an aide.

"But sir, she's known as Adele Christslayer in some parts of the city. You'll be risking revolt!"

"I don't care if she had actually killed Christ herself! She fought alongside the Bishop all those years back, and Raijin supports him still. Do what you're told or I'll find someone who will to replace you."

And, with all eyes on Bralos, the lights came on.

Torokara - Command Center - 1:20 AM

The commlink chimed. Raijin responded, "This is the Commander."

"Lord Raijin, this is the KRX Varik. I only wish you could see what I'm seeing right now." Pictures were sent by remote transmission. The light hit the residual psionic energies floating around Krioval to make a white nimbus over the cities - they appeared to glow with heavenly radiance from above.

And true to her word, the rogue agents who had taken to stealth to conceal their identities were now fleeing everywhere and anywhere, with no spots in which to hide. Kriovalian citizens, some armed with little more than rolling pins or umbrellas, chased the traitors throughout the cities, wrestling them to the ground in many cases even before the police could arrive. Within an hour, it was done. The lights were extinguished, and darkness again ruled the Kriovalian night.

"They haven't found Selekar or the Bishop," Koro said, looking close to tears.

"Incoming transmission?" Kiv looked at the display panel. "Automated, but it's Selekar all right."

"Let's hear it," Raijin said.


Well, well, well, Raijin, you've managed to pull it off. Jonas captured, not that I would have cared either way about him, and Parris too. I hear that the Lady Speaker is responsible for that. I don't want to bother you with a long list of grievances or anything, so suffice it to say that I've wanted you dead from the moment I met you. Nothing personal, you see, but a pagan leader who lets other men physically dominate him is unfit to rule this nation. Anyway, my plans didn't quite work out, but then, I have something you'd probably like. The Bishop of Bralos. Meet me at the cathedral at sunrise. We'll settle this then.

"Well," Raijin said, "gives me a couple hours to sleep, unless Kiv..."

"Go to bed, Raijin. I'll get you at five."

Garl looked over the Helen as she curiously watched the lights go on, and citizens chase down the conspirators. She had become very quiet and that was very disturbing. Truth be told Garl felt better when his wife was swearing and breaking laws. It was when she disappeared into her shell, and summoned up that silent demon that knew too many ways to kill, that Garl truly began to worry about her.
Then Selekar spoke and Garl turned his head for only a second, lingering only to see a calmed flat look cover her face. And when he turned back she was gone.
“Damnit,” he turned to a puzzled guard, “Don’t bother, she’s gone. When she’s ready, we’ll see her. Heaven help her, I hope she’s just gone out to meditate.”

Torokara - Commander's Residence - 5:00 AM

Kiv was as good as his word. Raijin struggled for a moment to return to the waking world, and it was still dark outside. The sun wouldn't rise for another hour, and the Commander knew full well that it might set without him. And so he prepared, physically and mentally, for the final chapter in Krioval's bloody civil war - the eradication of its engineers. He walked to a makeshift shrine to Solokaro, the Warrior God of Light, though he neither bowed nor made an offering. He said simply, "Some say that I am you incarnate. I suppose today we find out the truth of those claims. I'll admit, I'm ambivalent about you right now, but then, I'm ambivalent about myself. Maybe even that means something."

"Valiyos, don't go," Kiv reappeared, struggling to keep the tears back. "I don't want to lose you."

Raijin walked to the other man and hugged him tightly. "Trust me, I don't want to die." He walked out the door and toward the vehicle that would drive him to Bralos. And to his destiny. But when he got there, he noticed something strange. Everybody from last night was there, waiting.

"'Bout time, Fighter for Light," Darvek quipped. "Thought you might've chickened out."

"I knew he wouldn't," Koro countered.

"And why's that?"

"Because I wouldn't have."

Kiv walked slowly out the door, briefly conferring with Adele and Varik. "Keep Alice and Alexei away from the fighting at least. I'll need to be a little closer. Just in case." The older couple nodded their assent even as Alice argued that she should be able to see as well. And with that, they boarded three vehicles and began the descent down the spire of Torokara, across the hoverways to the northwest, and into the city of Bralos. The entire route was lined with Kriovalian citizens weeping and throwing flowers in advance of the procession. They also knew the importance of what was to come. It wasn't simply a battle for successorship - it was the battle for the soul of all Krioval. Good versus evil. Right versus wrong. And, as these things turn out, power versus power.

Bralos - Ruined Cathedral - 5:45 AM

Selekar stood impatiently, watching the horizon slowly brighten in the east. The sun rose at six o'clock exactly. He walked back toward his father, the Bishop, who was bound to a chair in front of the ruins. "Maybe he won't show," he said menacingly. "Then I'll have no choice." He made a throat-slitting gesture. "Let's see how Bralos tolerates a man too chickenshit to defend the 'holiest man in the city', shall we?"

The vehicles arrived, and people piled out. As promised, Adele and Varik held the Commander's kids some distance away from the soon-to-be battleground. The others stood reasonably close, yet far enough away that they would be unable to interfere. Raijin walked toward the traitor and the Bishop. "Reverence," he said, bowing deeply.

"About time you show up. Too bad I can't kill him after all. But then, you will be far better a body on which I will avenge the last seven years," Selekar snarled.

"Release him."

"Fine." He cut the ropes binding the Bishop and removed the gag.

"Lord Raijin," the Bishop cried out.

"Rest, Reverence. I'll tend to you after this is over. I beg forgiveness for what I am to do."

"Do not worry, honorable warrior. What you do today is to drive evil away, the evil that has possessed the one most dear to me. Take this." He handed the Commander a small crucifix on a chain and winked. "It allows the wearer to see true," he whispered.

"I will return it when this is finished," Raijin said solemnly, and then he entered the battered structure.

-------------
Bralos - Ruined Cathedral - 6:00 AM

"I will kill you and rend your pitiful corpse from limb to limb," Selekar taunted. "I'll..."

"Shut up for a minute, Selekar." The man immediately stopped, expecting some sort of comeback.

When none was forthcoming, the man snapped angrily, "Well?!"

The Commander responded coolly. "I want to enjoy your last sunrise." The sun completed its ascent over the horizon. "There. Now, are you ready to meet your Fate?"

By way of response, Selekar withdrew a pistol and fired four times. Raijin lifted his left hand, and the bullets slowed, coming to a stop a comfortable half meter from his body. The Commander shook his head. "Honestly, did you think that would work?"

"Honestly? No. But it was certainly worth a try." Selekar readied two daggers. "There are always alternatives."

"Perhaps." The Commander withdrew the Kriov sword from its sheath. Selekar's eyes widened at its sight. "Ah, so you know this weapon's history. Every time it kills, we add a rune to it. See this one?" Raijin pointed to an intricate rune on the hilt. "Branok Dova. January twelfth, nineteen ninety-nine. Seven and a half years ago, to the day. Almost to the hour."

Selekar charged, but Raijin was fifteen years the younger, and he was faster. The Commander's counterattack missed by the smallest of margins, and the two faced off again. This time Raijin struck first, diving to the right of the former Representative and slashing the man's arm as he passed. Blood trickled to the ground as thunder sounded in the distance. Raijin flicked his sword contemptuously toward Selekar, droplets of the latter's blood hitting him in the face. "Give up yet?" the Commander asked, knowing the answer would likely be in the negative.

In fact, the answer was a charge that caught the Commander off-guard, piercing below his armor and lodging briefly in his abdomen. Raijin grunted from the impact and pain, and using his left leg as a level, dislodged Selekar and his dagger. The Kriov sword arced again, and connected with the older man's chest, almost drinking in his blood. The Commander then stumbled back as he mentally flailed - finally engaging his metabolic powers. Right set of powers at least, he thought as the blood flow seemed to stop of its own accord. Let's test the other one, he thought, now grinning ominously.

Selekar came at the Commander again, hoping to land the deathblow, but again, Raijin's agility won, and the Commander gracefully jumped over a shattered pew to land in the central aisle. As he did, he flexed another of his mind's abilities, and brought a fallen timber into the face of the older man. The crunch of the impact was audible from far outside the cathedral, and muted cheers could be heard. The thunder rumbled again, and dark clouds raced across the sky. Selekar, reeling from the encounter with the beam and trying to focus despite a broken and bloodied nose. Crying out, the former Representative dramatically produced a vial from his cloak. Downing the contents, Selekar suddenly grew in size. Now almost three meters tall, the older man stomped after Raijin.

"Oh hell," the Commander muttered as he dove out of the way of a crushing blow, almost losing his sword in the process. "This was not part of the plan." The next impact caught him, and while deflected, the Kriov sword flew behind the altar. Now it was mind against muscle as Raijin desperately burned his reserve energy to ward off the attacks of the giant Selekar. He jumped atop the remnants of the altar as the large man picked up the Kriov sword and threw it from the cathedral. As he charged at the Commander again, Raijin remembered the Bishop's words. The crucifix!

Fumbling through his pockets, Raijin located the object. It certainly didn't look like any psionic device he'd ever seen before. Then again, he didn't really care. Either it worked or it didn't. Lightning flashed as he donned the crucifix. Selekar used the opportunity to charge. "Damn," Raijin cursed. "Nothing happened!" And then he noticed a faint shimmer around the older man, as if there were two of them, one inside the other. Praying for some sort of break from whichever deity happened to be nearby, Raijin sprung at the center of the smaller appearing form. The collided in mid-air to the sound of a blast of thunder, and to Raijin's surprise, they both reflected backward. Apparently Selekar wasn't really any larger than normal, but was using psionic illusion on the Commander. Raijin braced for another attack, but weaponless, all he could do was avoid the cuts of the other man. That's not going to win me any battles," he thought. I need something.

The rain began to pour down from the heavens as if all the Gods in existence had chosen to watch the battle and were mourning the death of innocence itself. Raijin just hoped that innocence would be the only casualty that day as he lost his footing for the third time and was barely able to twist away from a double impalement. Not good. The next bolt of lightning illuminated the ground enough that he could see where the sword had landed. Marshalling his telekinetic energy, the Commander focused on that sword. As Selekar came in for yet another attack, the sword flew, as if of its own will to protect its master, and arrived in Raijin's hands. The Commander didn't bother to calculate - he swung. The fury borne of a lifetime of manipulation and abuse by the Christian priests surged in his mind as the blade contacted the soft flesh of the old man and continued through. Selekar staggered back down the aisle, falling to one knee some distance from the altar, where Raijin stood, fighting for breath. Soaking rain diluted the blood, which pooled on the pitted stone floor.

It is said that pure distilled desperation can allow one to commit physical or mental acts that a body or mind would ordinarily not be able to do. And so Selekar, knowing his death was fast approaching, launched himself toward Raijin Dekker, High Paladin of Solokaro, and bane of his very existence. Hatred sent one dagger down, and while it skittered off the Commander's armor and clattered to the floor, the force behind it was sufficient to unbalance Raijin, who fell against the altar, sword arm pinned. "You will make a grand sacrifice to God," the former Representative wailed, second dagger poised for Raijin's head. Raijin found that his level of devotion to deities to which he normally wouldn't give the time of day had suddenly become quite respectable. He prayed, Koviros, Fighter for the Dark, we've saved one another before, he briefly realized that he had used the first-person to refer to Solokaro, and I think it's time to do so again.

Theologians would likely forever debate the significance of following events. Another bolt of lightning struck, but this time, it hit the highest point of the ruined cathedral - the cross. The wood heated, and the expanding water caused the material to splinter under the stress, exploding. Being a Catholic church, this particular cross had a metal replica of Jesus Christ attached, which, now free from its particular crucifixion, was free to fall forward, toward the altar at which Raijin/Solokaro prayed/invoked. In any case, an ethereal voice came from Raijin that all nearby could hear quite clearly, to their surprise. "Selekar, Koviros, the Chaotic has a message for you," he said, eyes glowing with power. "Prepare to meet your maker." And then the metal Christ struck the old man directly on the head, shattering his skull and sending him backward, twitching in a pool of his own blood. So ended the life of Antonio Selekar, son of Bishop Alexander Selekar, and the evil passed from Bralos.

The Commander walked out slumped over slightly, to his family and friends. Kiv and Darvek each grabbed a shoulder while Bishop Selekar shuffled toward the fighter. "How did it end?" he asked quietly.

"Your God took him to his judgment."

"As it was meant to be." The Bishop waved off Raijin as he attempted to return the crucifix. "Keep it. You may need it again. Besides," he laughed weakly, "how often is it that a God incarnate wears the symbol of another God?"

"That leaves Jonas," Kiv said gravely.

They walked toward their various vehicles, finally seeking shelter from the torrential downpour even as loudspeakers came to life. "The Kriovalian Weather Service in Torokara has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Bralos city until eight o'clock local time..."

From the shadows she watched, and sighed as the man died. Helen suspected that their was more to this Rajin then could be seen, and now her beliefs where completely confirmed. These Kriovalians use their minds like magic , she thought to her self. There was one more creature to handle before this was over, and she desired to watch the demise herself. She silently left and found her way to the Kamsan missionary she had hijacked to transport her around this country.

Torokara - Commander's Residence - 11:00 AM

The storms had raked across all the islands, dousing the nation with torrential rains. And yet, the mood in Krioval was jubilant. Stormy weather after the passing of a crisis was a sign of improvement, that the Gods looked favorably upon those able to witness it. Yet the Commander wasn't watching the storm. The pent-up frustration, fear, and anguish broke forth within him - he became an extension of the storm itself, tears flowing like the rain, howling to match the wind, and fists pounding on the floor, the reverberations echoing like peals of thunder. And for an hour, Raijin raged with the storm outside, each appearing to keep pace with the other, never varying in intensity. Then the storms subsided, though darkness still reigned. With them, Raijin slowly regained himself. There were no more tears to escape him, his voice was practically lost, and what little strength remained in him was needed to support him from collapse. So Kiv walked into the room and lifted his beloved from the floor, placing him on the bed.

"How can you even look at me after that?" Raijin asked. "I killed again. That's all I'm good for now, killin' things, ya know?"

Kiv placed his hand on the other man's forehead. It was burning to the touch. He pushed a small button on his commlink to summon a doctor. As he sat there, the larger man felt incredibly guilty. Over of seven years of self-doubt and fear of abandonment had wrought their course on the Commander's conscience, and Kiv realized it was his fault. Finally, he turned to Raijin and said, "Please forgive me."

"Forgive you?! For what?"

"Seven and a half years ago. I had no right to disapprove. You did the right thing then. And you did the right thing this morning. Were you to kill a thousand times for those reasons, I would never love you less. I'm sorry I never said that earlier. That was wrong of me too."

"Yeah..." Raijin never finished his sentence, as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Kiv understood completely. Raijin wouldn't, couldn't hold a grudge for any length of time. "Sleep now, my Valiyos. You fought to protect all Krioval. Now all Krioval fights to protect you, as it should be."

----------------

"Oh, he'll recover, probably within the day," the woman said, examining the form of the Commander. "He's a metabolic. Fast healer. That stab wound's already sealed, it'd been just about anybody else and it would've required stitches then and there or they'd have bled to death. He's very lucky to be alive."

"What should we do with him, doctor?" Kiv asked.

"Not much. Let him sleep as long as he wants. From what I've been told, it's been quite the day." The doctor stood to leave.

"Now there's an understatement," Darvek said, poking his head through the doorway. "Let's leave him be for a few hours, all right?"

"Yeah." Kiv and Darvek left the room as well, closing the door behind them.

------------
Torokara - Third Level - 12:00 PM

"...and then the cross just shattered when the lightning hit. And then the Jesus statue fell and crushed him, just like that!" Alexei was telling yet another of his friends about the morning's events.

"No way!"

"It's true! I was there! I saw it. There was blood...and brains everywhere!" Now, he made up the details - he hadn't actually witnessed Selekar's demise personally, but had badgered everybody else until Koro finally pulled him aside and filled him in, though making the youngster pledge not to tell a soul. Naturally, the solemnity of that oath lasted right until the first temptation.

Nearby, Koro and Darvek laughed. "What'd he last, four hours?" Koro asked. "Kids and self-control these days."

"Kids," Darvek snorted. "Alexei's almost as old as you."

"Maybe," Koro whispered, "but I'm sure that there are...differences." He stood behind the older man and began to unknot Darvek's neck muscles. Koro waited until Darvek was completely relaxed.

"Wow. Where'd you learn to do that?"

"It's a useful skill in space. Tension is a killer," Koro responded.

Darvek tried to reconcile the continuing neck massage with the fact that Koro was now across the table from him. "I forgot. So, how 'just like Raijin' are you, anyway?"

"I don't have his memories, of course, but other than that..."

Kara sat with the two, several bags in hand. Without a word, she handed them to Darvek, and she turned to Koro. "Don't let up on him for one second," she said, only half-serious. "Though I've heard you've already slept with my brother," she continued, laughing.

Darvek nearly choked. "He slept! Literally slept! And almost squished me to death with all his movin' around!"

"So it's true then," Kara said. "Way to go. Usually, he's the one pushing for that."

"Man! Kara, it was on the way back from Telekar. I mean, Raijin and Kiv were right in the back seat too. And Christine, Melena, and that Helen woman were up front."

Kara feigned shock. "Goodness. Raijin and Kiv too! I'd never have guessed!"

Darvek shook his head while Koro laughed until his sides hurt.

----------------

"So, Jevo, we're still on for Friday, right?"

"Uh, sure Christine. Dinner, right?

"I believe the Commander said 'dinner and a night of passionate sex'. Of course, if you don't want to..."

"No, no! That's fine. Passionate sex!"

"Good! You two were making googly eyes at each other all night," Alice interjected. "Go make babies or something." For all of her ten years of age, Alice Dekker was certainly not one to shy away from controversial topics. "I mean, Raijin and Kiv can't make babies, but I bet you didn't know that they still have sex every day!"

The Senator and Director hadn't known that. And some part of them wished that it had forever stayed that way.

-------------

On a nearby park bench, Adele and Varik held hands and watched the younger crowd bustling through Torokara's shopping district. "To be young again," Varik said, reminiscing. "The adventure, the passion."

"The time I swore out a contract on your life?" Adele countered, laughing. "I wouldn't relive those days for anything."

"Not even if you could change the past?"

"What for? I've got everything I want right here. A husband who doesn't mind that we nearly tried to kill each other twenty years ago, a son who wears the Kriov persona proudly..."

"The Kriov persona? You mean a penchant for violence and truly bizarre taste in men?"

Adele smiled. "Oh come on, Varik. Raijin's done far better than I have."

"Oh, you're terrible." Varik chortled at the comparison. "Well, he's part Dekker too."

"True. Like mixing oil and water though, that combination." Adele stood. "Well, better go check on things."

Varik looked at his wife, still beautiful despite the ravages of times past. "Adele, sit with me today. Let the youngsters deal with Krioval, even if it's just for an hour. Besides, I've got a room booked at that really nice hotel. Fourth level Torokara and all..."

"And you want to sit here? Let's get a move on!"

"And you wonder why I married you in the first place?" Varik laughed. Maybe things couldn't be the way they once were, but that didn't mean they had to be worse. "Race you there?" he said, eyes twinkling. They took off.

Above Torokara, the sun shone brightly, as it always did after a furious storm, and the city basked in its regenerative glow. And in the city, the soul of Krioval slept on, oblivious to the goings-on outside, but finally, after years of torment, at peace. And Raijin, like the sun, would rise again.

There seemed to be an unusual number of guards sent to escort Helen and Garl off the planet. Helen was quiet for a while, then she began to chatter up. She even taught some of the guards how to swear in Akusthan (actually, she told them they where learning how to say hello). Garl was concerned but she assured all she did was watch Rajin kill the enemy.
“It was all rather impressive,” she noted privately later. “I think we can report back that the death of 5000 Christians was not the beginning of a religious war between pagans and catholics.”
“Yes,” Garl said, “Mind you, we’re never getting back on this planet again.”
Helen snorted, “that’s what Rajy thinks.”
She turned to one of the gaurds as they piled onto the teleporter, “Listen, lets not wait for the next reunion to do this. After all, you guys throw one hell of a party, next time you should come down to Akusthana. You can stay in our place.” She gave an evil chuckle.

Somewhere in Krioval - 4:00 PM

Kiv Andros led the group of fifty guards to ensure that Garl and (especially) Helen made it out from Krioval without any complications. "I apologize that Lord Raijin couldn't make it to your sendoff. I would guess he won't be waking until tomorrow morning at the earliest. But he has great strength, and will no doubt fully recover."

Listen, lets not wait for the next reunion to do this. After all, you guys throw one hell of a party, next time you should come down to Akusthana. You can stay in our place.” She gave an evil chuckle.

"Yeah," Darvek said. "If you do decide to come visit us again, I'd suggest not in the middle of an attempted revolt would be a great time. Heck, even if you're here for the explosions, we've got plenty of festivals that have 'em, and without all the dangerous stuff, like killing."

"Or perhaps Krioval could arrange a state visit to your country. Something a little less...intense," Kiv offered. "Anyway, have a safe trip back home. We'll keep in contact."

They watched as the Akusthans vanished from the teleporter, and looking at one another, they sighed in relief. "Time for sleep," Kiv said. The group didn't bother to ask whether that was an opinion or an order, because they were too tired to care. So the leadership of Krioval went off to their individual beds and dreamed of future peace and stability.

OOC: I'll probably do the execution of Jonas elsewhere and link it to this thread. It feels like it should be a separate story altogether. (EDIT: Or I'll just tack it on at the end of this thread and save myself time and energy. :D )

(ooc) yeah, I think I might have thread about events that occur to the Lozola right afterwards.. don't worry, nothing connected directly to Krioval

(ooc) yeah, I think I might have thread about events that occur to the Lozola right afterwards.. don't worry, nothing connected directly to Krioval

OOC: Does that mean we can't play?

(ooc) haha, if you want

Valak - Tuesday, 18 July 2006 - Supreme Court of Krioval - 10:30 AM

"...with the testimony and evidence presented, this court finds the defendant, Jonas Kessal, guilty of high treason and three counts of terrorism. It is the judgment of this court that the defendant be turned over to the custody of Commander Raijin Dekker for execution, and that said execution be carried out within one week of today's date. This court is adjourned." Chief Justice Alakar Novak struck the gavel three times, and the throngs erupted into cheers and applause. Not only was the traitor to be executed, the collective thoughts seemed to celebrate, but his killing was to be designed and ostensibly carried out by Raijin himself. They knew that it would be quite the moment in Kriovalian high theater.

Meanwhile, Jonas sat impassively, shackled and mind-sealed, and reflected on the proceedings themselves. Dekker had tried the case himself, and any notions that the Commander was nothing more than a blowhard and a blockhead were dispelled within minutes. Jonas and his lawyer had pushed for the mitigating circumstance that, as a non-psionic in Krioval, he had feared for his survival, and in a mentally distressed state, he had perpetrated the various crimes. The stinging rebuke still echoed in his ears. "Citizens who are uneasy about the government usually speak out without fear of reprisal in Krioval. They don't send four Krioval Mark Four missiles into a church and kill five thousand people. They also usually don't try to kill someone's mother because she's a convenient target." He had been thoroughly shredded on the witness stand, but the greatest humiliation came shortly thereafter, when Jonas's wife and children testified against him, accusing him of evils and betrayals, and Jennifer Kessal even calling for the execution of her husband to "release me from torment." Ultimately she got her wish, he thought bitterly, but what was even worse, the salt rubbed in his wounds, was what Raijin said to her next. "I will see that honor is restored to your family," which in Krioval meant one simple thing. His family line was to be extinguished, and his children would take on his wife's maiden name, or worse, choose to become Dekkers. A single tear trickled town his cheek at that thought, and it was duly caught on camera, with sniggers from the photographer. "Jonas crying," he could hear the chuckle. "Worth half a million kerotars, I'm sure!"

Then the guards hoisted the condemned man from his seat and roughly transported him back to his solitary cell, from where his next departure would be to the place of his death. Until then, human contact would be nonexistent, not that it mattered. Nobody wanted anything to do with someone like him anyway. They closed the door and locked it, and darkness descended on Jonas Kessal for the penultimate time. His death would be the last, of course.

------------------
Andretara - Monastery - 2:30 PM

Kiv walked through the hallowed halls of the Andretara Monastery with the lovers in tow. Tevak and Sakira were getting married, after years of pretending to despise one another and about two months of nearly unannounced engagement. It was nearly unannounced since Koro had practically told everybody he came in contact with toward the end, and they figured they might as well get the ceremony over with before the whole of Krioval decided to besiege them with good will messages. So they'd asked Kiv to find something suitable for Tevak to wear in the religious rite. He'd happily obliged; the two were lauded for their efforts to safeguard the Akusthan general and Speaker Tyvok during the "Day of Trials", as it was being called. "What about this one?" he asked. "It was originally created for King Micah's wedding, about a hundred years ago. Still in perfect shape, though we'd have to alter it slightly. Kriovalians are bigger now than back then."

Tevak looked at the garment. It looked reasonable enough. Dark green pants, matching shirt, and just a few hints of color otherwise. He nodded his approval. "It's a lot like the dress uniforms we have," he said thoughtfully. "Sakira, what do you think?"

She considered it for a moment. "If you like it, it'll work. I mean, if Lord Raijin could get away with...oh. Sorry," she laughed nervously. Few people made her self-conscious, but the presence of the second most-powerful man in Krioval was enough, especially if she was making fun of the most powerful man in Krioval.

"I agree. It'll work," Kiv said. "And I agree," he added, a smile forming. "In any case, have you two set an official date yet?"

"Yeah," Tevak said. "We're going for this Saturday."

"Should be a good day for a marriage," Kiv concluded, grabbing the uniform and handing it to an attendant. "Please have this ready for Lord Tevak by Thursday morning," he told the man, and they left, spending the rest of the day wandering through the historic city.

Tevanori Islands - Saturday, 22 July 2006 - 2:00 PM

Raijin had been preparing for the ritual all day. So had Koro, Kiv, and Darvek. Finally, they left Torokara for the nearest of the Tevanori Islands, the site of past Kriovalian rituals. None of the men spoke, and the principals, Raijin and Darvek, radiated light and darkness respectively. The secondaries, Kiv and Koro, followed at the proscribed distance. Behind them, a procession followed with the bound and gagged Jonas Kessal between the group. They reached the placid ocean waters and without altering their concentration, lifted into the air and crossed the narrow channel. The solar eclipse was about to begin, and the Darklighter ritual required that the sacrifice be performed during the "darkness of day". They assembled the psionic amplifiers, and news crews swarmed nearby on boats rented for the occasion. It was to be the first Darklighter ritual performed since 1837, and none wanted to miss the revival of the ancient rite.

Of course, nobody dared speak of the expected outcome. Krioval was a reasonably peaceful and civilized society by virtue of concealment and mental discipline. Yet the warrior spirit that founded and guided the country from its inception would never be dispelled - or satiated. Even as news cameras were powered up, the factories in Torokara and Telekar were updating production lists. That a war would occur in Krioval's future was all but certain. The question was whether it would be a clash between two large powers or whether the people would settle for a bloodless annexation. It would come down to how well the officiants of the ritual modulated the effects. Done well, the natural bloodlust of military types would be enhanced slightly or moderately for a long duration. They would fight harder for longer, and their tolerance to pain and discomfort would rise. Done poorly, it could well turn the most ardent pacifist into a crazed berserker, but the effect would be fleeting, and could very well end during a major battle.

Adele was there to make sure that the latter did not occur. Precognition being what it was, she would be able to see several minutes ahead of those directly involved, and her knowledge of the ritual would lend itself to her correcting any problems before they occurred. Plus, there was a couple to be married afterward, at the start of the festival weekend. Soldiers at that. Tevak stood, proudly wearing the uniform of King Micah, known for his religious conviction and resistance to missionaries' proselytizing Krioval in the 1890s. Sakira opted for a plain yet elegant gown which accentuated her feminine features, though few dared mention that to her face. One unfortunate man had commented on her decolletage only to learn that she could still kick despite the stiletto heels.

3:30 PM

The breeze freshened slightly as the eclipse progressed. Jonas was brought to the center of the circle space. Raijin and Darvek floated to opposite sides, and the two other men crossed each other, Koro heading to Raijin and Kiv heading to Darvek. This was a ritual of opposites, where the Gods of Darkness and Light came to an alliance. As such, it was most unstable and among the most powerful. The science behind such a display was well understood, but it failed to detract from the grandeur. Darvek would manifest Sefaro, the Destroyer. Raijin would manifest Solokaro, the Fighter for Light. Adele would manifest the Dark Queen Tara, who rules over Fate and who, when noticing her mate eyeing the Light God, would punish him by allowing the Light to dominate. Thus the ritual was also called the Rite of the Forbidden Unity, and it hinted at the power supposedly released when the two Gods joined under the auspices of Fate.

Raijin and Darvek would effectively divide up the hapless existence of their sacrifice. The physical body would move to the Destroyer. The Paladin would siphon off the victim's biological energy, essentially draining the life out of him. Some even believed that the soul would transfer and be lost as well, damning it to eras of suffering until the universe went extinct. Regardless of one's theology, however, one thing was true. Jonas Kessal would not be alive in an hour, and a tremendous amount of psionic energy would be liberated in the minutes of his death and dissolution. The condemned man looked skyward, his motives unknown by any other human. Perhaps he was praying for absolution. Perhaps he sought divine intervention and vengeance upon his captors. Perhaps he merely wanted to know about how much longer he had to live. In any case, he betrayed no emotion at this point, his spirit had been broken days earlier in the courtroom; nothing could make him suffer more than he already had. Or so he thought.

4:00 PM

It was nearly complete now. Only a sliver of the sun remained, as if straining to pour light down even in the throes of its last moments. The beach suddenly appeared to be awash in ripples of light, a product of the intense lunar gravitational pull and diffration of the sunlight. Kiv and Koro took their places next to their comrades and took a deep breath. The sliver disppeared, and individual spherules of light rallied against the encroaching darkness. The wind suddenly gusted and the temperature dropped. Five points of light remained. Then three, two, and one. Finally, the last ray of sunlight was blocked by the lunar disc. For a brief moment, all was darkness. The wind quieted, and the birds' songs were stilled. Koro was first to notice the appearance of the stars, the winter sky visible now during midsummer. He had little time to appreciate it, as the three Godlike figures began the incantations.

In ancient Kriovalian, Darvek/Sefaro was the first to begin. "Long have I waited in this realm of the Dark. Now I shall know the essence of Light!"

"You who are the Destroyer shall not have me save for by force," Raijin/Solokaro responded. "Try and claim me."

Already an effect could be seen, as Jonas's body began its slow drift toward the darker half of the circle. A pale white figure in his shape moved opposite, and muffled whimpers could be heard from the terrorist.

It was the turn of Adele/Tara to speak. "I who have trusted your integrity and constancy will not be betrayed so easily! Let the hunter become the hunted!" An arc of energy leapt from the woman to the Commander, who now assumed the dominant pose.

Sefaro responded his booming voice, yet it was tinged with sadness. "I accept the judgment of Fate."

Solokaro regarded the other God, but felt a pang of regret. Nodding decisively, he nodded and said, "Let us join as equals. No force shall come between us. We shall rain down upon our enemies with ferocity and great power. None shall stand in our path after today."

Jonas's body and "soul" were now nearly to their destinations. The muffled whimpers gave way to punctuated screams, which escalated in intensity as the three Gods discussed their arrangement.

Tara recoiled. "I am myself defeated, and by my own power! They will rend body and soul from the mortals, and so it shall be forever!"

"So it shall be forever," the other two intoned. Jonas's shrieks reached their summit as Sefaro plunged a dagger deep into the man's chest and Solokaro reached into the ethereal form of the man with his right hand. The wind, which had been silent, raced through the circle for several seconds, and then a blast of energy flew outward, toppling all but the three Gods. For one brief moment, as the shockwave passed through all Krioval, every citizen felt as if mentally connected to every other being, and even the land itself. But as soon as it was felt it passed, the ethereal form of Jonas Kessal dissolved, and his physical body crumbled to dust, the dagger landing on the ground below.

Adele was the first to recover herself. Floating gently down in the sixth minute of the eclipse's totality, her eyes returned to normal, and her voice was hers again, lacking the harshness and youth of the Goddess of Fate. She turned her face toward the blocked sun and said simply, "It is done. Let things be as they were."

The first pinpoint of light dispelled the energy within Raijin and Darvek instantly. As the two fell toward the ground, their seconds were ready, and caught the men. Both Raijin and Darvek looked at one another and shook their heads in an attempt to reconcile the past several minutes with the rest of the world. They failed utterly, and Darvek could only weakly offer, "If I knew you were that good, I'd never have left you in the first place," which earned him stern looks from the others. Raijin and Darvek then made their way tentatively to several boats; they wouldn't be walking on water any time soon. Despite their fatigue, however, they both looked forward to the afternoon's less intense ceremony and the evening's festivities.