NationStates Jolt Archive

Rahe’s Paradise

Mephet’ran watched the display of the planet below, marked in the records of the empire that had once claimed it as ‘Rahe’s Paradise,’ named after the explorer who had founded the colony there. It was a colony that had grown, he noted, to a thriving population of around one point six billion humans, technically living beyond their means, given that their technologies were not really able to sustain the food demands of such an expansive population for long.

He reflected that unusually, it wasn’t for their benefit that he had come. Although he had lived the great majority of his existence without true friendship, and although he was a creature that, unlike humans and other such creatures, lacked a true social instinct, he did miss the company of others, the Dragon excepted, he had no company of his own kind.

That however, was something that was soon to change. He had learnt, or rather, remembered, that another of his kind slept on this world. Her, for although C’tan lacked true gender, this one had always identified itself as more feminine than masculine, name in the mythology of the Eldar was the Siren, or perhaps; even the Eldar themselves had forgotten, the Banshee. In necrontyr, Anisarian.

A three dimensional display of the planet showed far more than ordinary eyes could see, and Mephet’ran casually peeled a section of the equatorial desert away, revealing ships, like his own, though smaller, one of them a landed capital vessel, a modification of the necron light cruiser design. A more detailed scan revealed its registry number, confirming his suspicions of its mistress, and that it was presently in an idling state.

He briefly, for a miniscule fraction of a second, mulled over the option of simply transmitting a signal, along the lines of ‘Wake up, you oversleeping star-goddess you’ but instead chose to do something a little less rude. It took another moment to instruct the ship to displace his avatar into the central chamber, the ‘sepulchre,’ of the other ship.

Once there, it was a much simpler matter to over-ride the ship’s local revival mechanism…

Who… the thought echoed across her mind…she was awake. It was…different. For sixty million years, she had been sleeping, she felt lethargic, and she almost didn’t want to be awake. But now she considered for a moment, as awareness crept back to her, she was Awake! This meant that someone had woken her. The thoughts that came then where hard, there where only 4 who knew how to wake her…and they had…

She shot from the Sarcophagus, readying herself for attack, scanning the room. She saw the form of an Elf…although his skin had a blue tinge to it. She looked for a moment, before she realized who it was…and then she realized the blindingly obvious…had he wanted to consume her, he would have done so while she was asleep, instead of waking her up. She looked at the figure before her, before speaking his name.

“Mephet`ran” She said, her voice higher, sweeter, feminine. “Why have you come to my place of resting? What brings you to my meager craft? Peril or Hunger?”

Mephet’ran smiled a little, silver eyes twinkling, his gaze examining the ‘necrodermis’ avatar of the other C’tan. “Neither, really. I felt, dear Anisari, that you might appreciate being awakened… Even if you do seem a little sleepy,” he chuckled, “Welcome back to the land of the conscious.

“Things have changed quite a lot since you and I last spoke. Including my attitudes. I suppose I’m here out of curiosity. I am curious to see how you are, and if I can persuade you to serve,” he frowned a little, but let the word stand, “me…”

She looked at the form before her, a look of intrest in her pure white eyes. She then smiled, followed by a laugh. The sound was smooth, before she stopped suddenly.

"I could take your offer," she said...considering it, stepping down from where she stood to stand before the Messenger. "But then...what could I gain from it? Protection? I have not been destroyed since my sleep, no one has found me, I could build my Empire from here. Why would I place myself into the bonds of Servitude for little gain?"

He smiled, “I can give you many reasons. Gratitude, for a start. Did you know that while you were sleeping, the Eldar saw to it that your ship would never meet the requirements for your awakening on its own. Without my intervention, you would sleep, and remain sleeping, forever, or at least, until some happenstance overloaded their devices.

“Then there if of course, reward. You would develop much faster with access to my industries than you would if you were relying on your own resources. And of course, there is one kind of protection that you might find worth considering in exchange for your Servitude, and that is from me. While I have certain compassion and affection for my own kind, I can’t be letting them roam around unsupervised. It’s taken me long enough to arrange a dominant position for myself, I can’t very well give that up, can I?”

There was a pause. Thoughts raced through her head. Then she realised something. If she was not going to submit, she would not ever stay awake. She would be killed, she knew it. She was not strong enough to take on the Messenger, and now it would be worse, he had Years to rise his power, while she had been hiding away. It was in that moment self preservation kicked in.

"You want me to serve?" She said, mockingly. "I will serve you, but not as someone with no say over how their existance goes." she looked at the creature before her, anger flared into her voice. "I will have you assist me in building shipyard in orbit, but they will be mine! Not shipyards you build and program for me. Same for ships, if I build them in your shipyards, I have my People Overseeing all construction. I will not have my fleet serving you without my will." She stopped, considered, then looked at him. "And I want freedom to go on my own Endevours. If I wish to take a planet, negotiate a treaty, I can do so, without having to make the alliance join with you to." She stopped and smiled. "These terms alright with you?"

Mephet’ran nodded, “Of course, you must agree to serve me, but you need not become a slave. You may decide what to do with your world and your resources yourself. And you may roam wherever you like. I would object to mass destruction of entire worlds and peoples, but I know you of old. You’re far from the most destructive of us. There is a list of peoples and places I would have you leave to me, too, but other than that, I shall not restrict your movements or doings.

You may be mine, but I see no reason to keep you on a short leash. I am sure you can find a way to occupy yourself. If I were you, I would see about advancing this world from its current, primitive state, it has a large population, and that is often a useful asset.

She smiled, drawing herself up and going from the floor to higher up within moments. A smile lit her face, as she looked at the Form of Mephet'Ran before him, with a smile on her face. Maybe she could make this work after all. After all, if he did not interfere to much, it would be just like the old wars, Except this time, there would be very little in her way.

She smiled, twirled with her dress and dissapered. It was a fast thing, no flash of light or puffs of smoke, one moment she was there, and the next she was not. Not the most ammusing trick, but she was gone.

***

The world was dominated by many Kingdoms, ruling forces that where in almost endless Cycle of War. The People of a nation needed food, for the population was so great that it was hard to supply that much to all of them. Famine Would strike, so Thousands would join their counties army, striking to gain more land.

Of all of these Kingdoms, there was only one that could be considered an Empire. The Entire World knew its name, ((Although the name was simply "The Empire")). Its citizens where usually well fed and its armys provided protection.

But when every single King of the World, and the Emperor of the Empire, found themselves in the hall that usually held the court of the Emperor, they where suprised. BUt what suprised them even more was...the Woman that Sat on a the Emperors throne, with two creatures on either side that struck fear into their hearts.

"Kings of this world!" Anisarian's voice roared. "You have been in a state of Constant Warfare for A long time. You lack food, you lack water, your cities are overcrowded and quite frankly, you live in your own filth." The Kings looked at this woman, she looked like a ghost, her long white hair hung loose, her eyes white voids, and her robes simple. There was something about her though that commanded Respect, a...power.

The Emperor did not seem to think so though.

"Who do you think you are?" Emperor Jauis said, looking at the woman. "You dare come in here an..." he was cut of, as she gestured, the two warriors on each side of her throne fired, and the Emperor Screamed as Flesh, skin and bone where disintergrated.

"Usually my take over would have been gradual, it would have been slow, I would have tricked you to fall into my power. But more of your people died everyday, and I will not have my searvents dying in their millions. Not now, not ever." She looked harshly. "I shall have my Warriors arriving to each of your households shortly, they will help you achive what you need to do, what your facilties will need. Its going to be a long few years, but by the end, we will have forged a planet that people can live on without starving, without desises, and without Death in War!"

The kings cheered, for even though their power had officially just been taken off them, the strange woman on the throne gave them hope, each person felt stronger, as if their new ruler gave them strength.

It would be a long few years, but once it was over, a new power would have emerged, and there would be a planet quite capable of sustaining itself, and other worlds should it so please...