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Rise of an Empire by Commander Demitri Wolf
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Rise of an Empire (part one)
Date: 25 January 2006, 11:52 pm
Fleet Commander 'Jolaee stood on the command pedestal of the capital ship in the Fleet of Righteous Fervour, the Vengeful Arbitrator, and looked at his wide view screen. In other places on the ship, stout Unggoy slaves hurried frantically about while confused Sangheili stood by multiple view screens and stared at the images.
'Jolaee's mandibles twitched nervously as the image of a small craft became larger on the screen, he allowed his talons to press the holographic keys on his control panel and bring around the plasma defence cannons.
The small ship had appeared on their screens less than a unit ago, and the Arbitrator had received various messages from it in what 'Jolaee presumed to be different languages; none of which anyone on board understood. They had sent back their own messages in languages known to them, though none were successful.
Steadily approaching the shuttle, 'Jolaee growled and thumbed the COM channel to the brig, "Bring the prisoner to the command deck." He ordered in his native language and another Sangheili replied affirmative. Jolaee stepped down for the pedestal and paced around the room.
It wasn't two units later that the door hissed and slid open and in stepped two Sangheili guards, dressed in flowing black and red robes with intricate staffs at their sides. In between them, shackled by both arms to one of each of the guards and garbed in tattered cloth, was another creature.
'Jolaee looked up in pleasure and allowed a smile to flicker across his grey face before he grabbed a similar staff to the ones the guards had from the command pedestal and approached the prisoner, "Do you know why you have been called before me, worm?" 'Jolaee spat at the strange creature.
It raised a vaguely triangular shaped head and looked the Sangheili in the eyes, "No." it managed to say before it was jabbed with 'Jolaee's staff. A jolt of electricity zapped the creature and it wreathed around on the ground, "No, Excellency." 'Jolaee said menacingly and without remorse.
"No, Excellency." He replied and the Sangheili nodded. He walked back to his command pedestal and tapped in a few orders. The messages cycled throughout the room and the creature on the ground looked up with an expression of interest, "The sacred tongue." It said in awe, and 'Jolaee smiled.
"You speak their language?" he asked the creature, who nodded its head, "Good, what do they say?"
The creature got to its feet and listened intently, "They speak the language of the ancient Forerunner, from what I can understand they offer peace, and seek, they, are asking for…"
'Jolaee struck him, "For what!"
He cried out in pain and raised his head again, "Armistice." With a thud, the creature hit the ground unconscious, 'Jolaee smiled, satisfied.
"Lock him back in the confinement cells, give him some more rations and water and then leave him be; we may have a use for this pathetic Prophet."
TIME:DATE RECORD ANOMALY Estimated Thirteenth cycle, 23rd Units, Second Era of Uniting (Sangheili Battle Calendar) /
Unknown region, entering invisible anomalous Time/Space dysfunction rift
Kiael 'Jolaee sat aboard the small shuttle along with the twelve armed guards of his own species and the shackled Prophet. Seconds ago they had met the other shuttle and now were heading towards where it had come from. Over the comm line came a message, and the Prophet translated it, "We will be docking with our capital ship shortly, you would be wise to leave all but personal weapons onboard your transport."
The Fleet Commander mused and then faced the Prophet, "Tell them we will abide by their wishes, but should any hostility be directed towards us, we will not hesitate to turn the full attention of our battle group towards decimating their ships." The nervous creature did as he was told and replied in the ancient dialect.
The male voice again sounded inside the shuttle and once again the Prophet relayed the message, "He says that you will not show any violence towards them while in their company."
A wave of calm washed over 'Jolaee and he found himself speaking without realising, almost trance-like, "We will not show any violence towards them while in their company."
In unison the guards surrounding him replied, "Yes, Excellency."
The Sangheili leader took a look at the forward view screen and felt a lump grow in his throat; waves of pulsating blue light had engulfed the screen, the other shuttle was no where to be seen. He got to his feet as the light dissipated and stood silent as he beheld the view before him.
All trace of where they had seconds ago been had disappeared, the other shuttle had appeared besides them once more and on all sides they were flanked by enormous planets and their moons. The detection software was picking up a gigantic heat-emitting object off their starboard side, and 'Jolaee swallowed hard when the shuttle automatically spun and headed in its direction.
As they completed their turn an amazing sight befell the Sangheili's eyes, a colossal ship had come into view, at least thirty thousand units long. Most of it was a bulbous section at the end; hundreds of blue pulsing engines lined the rear and joined to it was an immense thinner 'catwalk' like section that joined to a smaller forward section.
On the view screen the ship grew larger and they were now speeding at thousands of units per cycle now, landing protocols engaged almost exactly as the large but somehow dwarfed bay door on their host ship opened. The bay computer prepared for re-compression as 'Jolaee's shuttle followed by its guide touched down.
With a loud hiss, oxygen rushed into the bay and bulkheads groaned open at the far ends of the large room. 'Jolaee's guards flanked him as the shuttle's computer synced with the alien ship and the hatch slid open.
Three Sangheili activated energy swords while the remaining four clutched projectile rifles; they filed out and surrounded their leader, who bore a trace of insecurity hidden behind his customary smirk as he stepped out of the shuttle.
The scene that met him on the deck however, wiped any trace of amusement from his face and replaced it with shock.
At least a hundred bipedal creatures of varying species lined three walls and a group of ten were approaching them. All of the creatures had two things in common, they were garbed in flowing dark coloured robes and held in their hands a blade of semi-solid red, orange or blue light.
The only exception was their leader, a woman at the head of the party making their way towards 'Jolaee's shuttle. She had tanned skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, had 'Jolaee been of her species he would have found her attractive. She had red and black clothes with a blood red cloak, a regal looking headdress finished her attire. Before her she held a blade of red light; set into the hilt of the glowing blade was a black gem.
'Jolaee noticed that while she held it quite relaxed, she maintained the stance of a warrior of his species, ready to strike with a moments notice, for that he both respected and feared this unknown creature.
"Bring the prisoner forward!" Fleet Commander 'Jolaee called, and the Prophet was dragged from the shuttle in shackles, it set its eyes on the welcoming party and its whole body filled with fear.
The woman stood before the Sangheili and beckoned his captive forward with her index finger as she de-activated the energy sword and hung the hilt on her belt. 'Jolaee motioned for his guards to present the creature to his host; she smiled and held out a hand which she placed on the Prophets head.
The Prophet's look of blankness turned to pain as she continued to smile and hold her hand on the it's head, when she took it away it fell to the ground, she motioned for the Sangheili to stand back and raised her left hand high in the air.
She smiled darkly at 'Jolaee and then glared at the cowering Prophet as streams of white lighting shot from her fingertips, when the spectacle was over she made a flowing movement and the dead creature lifted off the ground.
With a flick of her wrist she sent the corpse soaring over the heads of her companions and crashing into the wall of the hanger.
"What, divine power is this?" one of 'Jolaee's guards asked in awe, and the woman turned to him.
She licked her lips and looked over the boarding party, "It is called the Force, and with its powers I have torn your language from the mind of that pitiful creature, welcome noble Sangheili," 'Jolaee's eyes widened as she bowed before him in the intricate motion of Karelee; friendship.
"My name is Lady Kalae Galenta." She spoke their language with the clicks that took even the most adept youngling ages to manage. His mandibles parted and he replied, "Thankyou for your hospitality Lady Galenta, I am Fleet Commander Kiael 'Jolaee of the Fleet of Righteous Fervour; my brothers and I commit ourselves to your teachings."
Kalae smiled and motioned past her line of defence to the large bulkhead, "Come; let us talk in private." 'Jolaee followed his newfound ally out of the bay, the mangled body of the Prophet lay forgotten by the wall.
TIME:DATE RECORD ANOMALY Estimated Fourteenth cycle, Two Units, Second Era of Uniting (Sangheili Battle Calendar) /
Aboard Imperium-class Sith Star Destroyer Predator, within range of invisible anomalous Time/Space dysfunction rift
'Jolaee had learnt over the short time he had been aboard the ship that it was called the Predator and was the capital ship in the Sith army. Lady Galenta, it seemed, was a Dark Lady of the Sith, the first, in fact. During the space of time that the Sith called a 'week', Kiael and his Sangheili had started basic training in the Force, Fleet Commander 'Jolaee showing great promise.
Halfway into their third session Kalae decided it was time that they moved onto more advanced techniques. "In three days time we will arrive at Coruscant, there is a person there I very much want you to meet."
The Sangheili leader was cautious about this, "Who is this person, my Lady?"
She hung her sabre on her belt and assumed a meditating position on the ground, "His name is Ulic Qel-Droma, he is the apprentice of our Lord, Exar Kun. He is to lead an army of Mandalorians and Tetans to conquer the planet; and we shall stand by his side."
'Jolaee noticed his ally's eyes were gleaming with ambition and confidence, he wasn't yet sure if his own feelings mirrored that quite yet, but he did know that wherever the Sith juggernaut sought war, he would be it's companion.
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