“The only reason I agreed to this waiting was because they did not have long left to live. If I had foreseen that they would prolong their lives by going into stasis, I would never have agreed to your suggestion,” Doranis said angrily.
“Yet, we have reached consensus, Doranis. The mistakes that the People made—that we made—will be corrected after Ullax dies,” Loranis said firmly.
“Both of you have absorbed the data collected during our hibernation,” Doranis said. “You know what is happening beyond Ullax’s machines. More and more races are emerging; their numbers have tripled since the last time we were awake, and the dimensional barriers are weakening faster than before. We need to purge them now!”
“That is true, but it will still take a long time for the effects to become hazardous. Ullax will die long before that comes to pass. We have time,” Loranis added.
“I don’t even need you. I could take my forces and crush her containment,” Doranis said.
The temperature in the room suddenly plummeted to the point that frost gathered on the table as Aranis turned to look at Doranis. “You try to end her life before it is her time, and I will send my Juggernauts against your forces. And then, I will kill you,” Aranis promised.
Doranis bared his teeth and grabbed hold of the Sha, and Aranis flexed his wings in preparation for battle, when another force slammed into both of them, keeping them in place.
“Don’t,” Loranis sent, hammering the thought deep in their minds.
Both Doranis and Aranis flinched at the intensity, and released the Sha.
“Fine,” Doranis said, backing down, “I will stand aside, but as soon as she is dead, there will be no more delays. And what of these people that feel like Axull Darr?”
Aranis looked at the two. “I shall go and see what they truly are.”
“You won’t be able to take any force beyond the machines without Ullax noticing it,” Loranis said.
“I don’t plan to,” Aranis said. “I will go alone, walk among them and learn what Axull’s plan is.”
“You think them important enough for you to go by yourself?” Doranis asked, surprised.
“I respect my once best friend’s capabilities. I want to see his progeny with my own eyes,” Aranis answered.
“Again with your irrational need for sentiment,” Doranis said, disgusted.
“I am who I am, Doranis,” Aranis said.
“Then it is decided,” Loranis said. “Doranis and I shall keep the borders and make sure that our project is on track, while you travel to these new races’ space and find more about them.”
“If Ullax dies before you come back, I will not wait,” Doranis said.
Aranis kept his eyes locked with Doranis for a moment. “Agreed. Once Ullax passes through the Sha, we will begin the purge.”
Glossary
Adrian Farkas-Reiss — Human; Lord Sentinel of the Empire; Dal A’sha to Kar Daim Anessa of the Shara Daim.
Tomas Klein — Human; Emperor of the Empire.
Seo-yun Hyeon — Human; Minister of Science; Tomas’s partner.
Laura Reiss — Human; Fleets Master of the Empire; Adrian’s adopted mother.
Nadia Wilson — Human; Minister of Civil Service.
Aileen — Human; Sentinel of the Empire
Oswald Mein — Human; Commander of Fleets.
Nair Hakeem — Human; Fleet Commander of the First Fleet.
Johanna Stern — Human; Fleet Commander of the Third Fleet.
Gotu — Nel; Administrator of Sol system.
Isani — Nel; Leader of Clan Warpath.
Jusan — Nel; Leader of Clan Dai Ven.
Anessa — Kar Daim of Shara Daim; Dal A’sha to Lord Sentinel Adrian Farkas-Reiss.
Garaam — Dai Sha of the First Legion.
Karoom — Dai Sha of the Twenty-Second Legion.
Horas — Dai Sha of the Twenty-Fifth Legion.
Arisak — Do Sun to Dai Sha Garaam.
Hanaru — Gatrey; Weaver of the Erasi.
Garash — Uvaramo; Ancient of the Erasi.
Valanaru — Gatrey; Ancient of the Erasi.
Axull Darr — Ultimate ancestor of the Human, Nel, and Shara Daim races.
Ullax Darr — Axull Darr’s twin sister.
Waiss Gast — Best friend of Axull Darr.
The People — The first intelligent race in the galaxy.
Human — Genetic descendants of the People, engineered by Axull Darr and left on Earth to evolve. Founding members of the Empire.
Nel — Genetic descendants of the People, engineered by Axull Darr and left on Nelus to evolve. Founding members of the Empire; former members of the Consortium.
Shara Daim — Genetic descendants of the People, engineered by Axull Darr and left on Shara Radum to evolve.
Guxcacul — Arthropods, subterranean; former members of the Consortium; Members of the Empire.
Sowir — Aquatic and land based race; former members of the Consortium; Members of the Empire.
Trivaxian — Members of the Empire.
Furvor — Members of the Empire.
Uvaramo — Members of the Erasi; formerly called Loraru; former members of the Union.
Gatrey — Members of the Erasi.
Ssarath — Members of the Erasi.
Empire Fleet — Empire fleets consist of 1200 drones, 400 cruisers, 100 battleships, 10 dreadnoughts, and 1 command ship, for a total of 1711 warships. In addition, every fleet has 289 auxiliary vessels, which include: repair ships, construction ships, ammo ships, military transports, and stealth scout ships; for a total of 2000 ships.
Appearance — Uneven boxes.
Size — 760 meters long, 380 wide and 180 tall.
Weapons and defenses — High-powered lasers and kinetic turrets, missile launchers. Railgun point defense, shields.
Appearance — Resemble sleek talons.
Size — 1000 meters long, 300 wide, 500 tall.
Weapons and defenses — Low-powered particle beams, missile launchers. Laser point defense, shields.
Appearance — Overlapping carapace-like plates, turtle shell shape design.
Size — 2000 meters long, 1200 wide, 550 tall.
Weapons and defenses — High-powered proton beams, plasma turrets, high-powered kinetic turrets, missile launchers. Laser point defense, shields, shimmering field.
Appearance — Arrowhead design.
Size — 3000 meters long, 2000 wide, 700 tall.
Weapons and defenses — High-powered proton beams, plasma turrets, ion turrets, high-powered kinetic turrets, missile launchers. Laser point defense, shields, shimmering field.