[FFML] [3rd Attempt][X-over][Rewrite]Last Train To Oblivion Chapter 2

[Gary Kleppe]

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Amelia had heard many wild stories  
in the past ten years. Been  
involved in even wilder ones. But  
Khadgar's tale, as the saying  
went; took the cake.

As he told it, the Protoss had  
recently (if a thousand years ago  
could be called recent) suffered  
through a period of civil warfare.  
He did not specify what exactly  
had caused the war, but it was  
plain that it had been extremely  
violent and deadly.  With the war  
over, the Protoss now dedicated  
themselves to exploration of the  
stars and rediscovery of knowledge  
lost due to the war.

Which was how the Protoss had  
come to be in Seyrun's backyard.

Normally, they traveled from star  
to star using a combination of  
unmanned ships and something  
called warp gates. However, it was  
occasionally needful to send a  
fully crewed colony ship instead.

"There was some sort of an  
accident," Khadgar said,  
concluding his explanation. "We  
were knocked off course and  
crashed on your world."

"An unpleasant tale, Executor,"  
Lady Jensen, the sole woman on the  
Council said, "But what exactly do  
you need from us?"

"The Protoss subsist on energies  
generated by certain crystals,  
minerals and gases," Zelgadis  
said. "As well as psychic  
energies. However, in the crash,  
their supply of minerals and gas  
was almost destroyed. Essentially,  
they'll starve to death unless  
they can rebuild those supplies."  
Zelgadis took a deep breath. "The  
minerals and gases can be found on  
any world with what he  
calls 'carbon based life'. The  
odds are high that what they need  
is here. The crystals,  
however . . . I examined the few  
they have left. It's Magestone, or  
something very close to it."

The council murmured quietly.  
Magestone was a fairly rare and  
powerful crystal that was capable  
of amplifying and channeling  
magical energy tenfold that of the  
person using it. When fused with  
Orihalcyon, the results were  
spectacular. An imperfect version  
could be created by an Alchemist,  
but that kind of impure Magestone  
wasn't as effective and the  
process was long and fairly  
dangerous.

"Zelgadis tells me that Seyrun  
has a great deal of this  
Magestone," Khadgar said. "Name  
your price and I will surrender to  
you if need be." He made a gesture  
that had to be one of  
helplessness. Please, Matriarch, I  
beg of you. Save my people."

Amelia stared at him, a great  
well of sympathy welling up inside  
her. It was plain that the Protoss  
were a proud people. To be forced  
to beg for help must be terribly  
humiliating. The Amelia of old was  
already shouting at her to strip  
the city of Magestone and be  
damned the cost. But she wasn't  
that Amelia anymore. She knew too  
well the risk of stripping the  
city of Magestone and that would  
only stave off the Protoss' doom  
for a time. On the other hand, she  
couldn't simply dismiss them  
either. Her father would rise from  
his grave and beat her senseless  
if she did that.

"I will consult with my council,"  
Amelia said. "If you would excuse  
us?" 

"Of course," Khadgar said.

Sendar rose from his place. "If  
you will follow me, Executor, I  
will show you a place where you  
can wait."

Once Sendar had led them to an  
anteroom and then rejoined them,  
Amelia looked at Zelgadis. "What  
do you think, Zelgadis? Is he  
being honest?"

"Without a doubt," Zelgadis  
replied. "Which is exactly why you  
shouldn't listen to me." He folded  
his hands on the table. "They're  
telepaths to the man. Powerful  
telepaths. Khadgar learned our  
language by reading my mind and  
there's no telling what he put in  
there. I could turn into a  
mindless killer at any moment." He  
looked around the table. "He could  
have also done the same to any of  
you."

The councilors looked at each  
other worriedly.

"We can't afford to start second  
guessing ourselves," Jensen  
said. "If he has ill intentions  
towards us, placing himself  
totally at our mercy makes no  
logical sense. Furthermore, if  
he's powerful enough and/or  
inclined to control minds, why  
didn't he simply make us give him  
what he wants? She looked around  
the table. "Does anyone feel an  
urge to help them that doesn't  
seem motivated by simple  
compassion?" There was a chorus of  
shaken heads. "Then he's telling  
the truth."

"Giving them the Magestone they  
need would be . . . costly," said  
the Exchequer. "As well as leave  
the city without some of it's  
defenses until more Magestone  
could be found to replace it. That  
would also be costly."

"If I may," interjected the Foreign  
Minister, "I believe I have a  
solution."

=================

*You have lost your mind,  
Khadgar,* Mague snapped as soon as  
they were alone.

Khadgar did not immeditly answer  
the Judicator. Instead, he slowly  
began to inspect the chamber they  
had been escorted too. It was  
large, at least for people the size of  
humans, or so he supposed. Perhaps  
five strides by six strides.  
Interesting. He examined a  
tapestry hung on the wall. Such  
excellent weaving. His mother,  
Adun bless her, would have loved  
to have met the weaver.

*Khadgar,* Mague tried again.  
*Answer, me. That's an order.*

Now Khadgar spun to face Mague.  
*Order?* He repeated. *I accept no  
orders from you, Judicator. Until  
contact with the Conclave is  
established, as Executor, my word  
is as law.*

*That word is only acceptable  
when given by one who has not lost  
their mind! You propose slavery to  
these barbarians!*

Khadgar sighed and laid his hand  
on the Judicator's shoulder. *The  
idea sits no better with me, old  
friend, then it does you. But what  
choice do we have? Storm the city  
and take what we need? Injure or  
kill innocents?*

*No, of course not. But to sell  
our people . . .*

*I was not selling them, Mague, I  
was selling myself.*

*But you told them--*

*I told them I would pay any  
price to save my people. And I  
will. So long as they survive, I  
am content with what comes.*

*You shame me, Khadgar,* Mague  
said. *You bring honor to the name  
of Templar.*

*I do my duty, Mague. As you must  
yours. If I am to be their slave,  
returning our people to Auir  
becomes your responsibility.*

*But how?*

*That is for the gods to decide.  
What you must do is keep them  
alive until that happens. If they  
seek my service, leave this place  
by any means necessary, with the  
magestone if possible. Use combat  
only as a last resort. Return to  
the ship and lead our people into  
the mountains, away from these  
humans. Above all, survive and  
spare no thought for me.*

Mague nodded. *Yes, Executor.*

At that moment, the door opened  
the male human the Matriarch had  
referred to as Sendar stood  
there. "Her Highness has made a  
decision," he said. Khadgar nodded  
and led his fellow Protoss back  
into the larger chamber.

==================

Amelia watched as the Protoss  
returned. She hoped she wasn't  
making a huge mistake.

"Executor Khadgar," she began. "I  
regret to say that we cannot save  
your people."

"I--" Khadgar began and stopped  
when Amelia flicked her finger up,  
a gesture she had picked up from  
Xelloss, of all things. 

"We can, however, teach you how  
to save yourselves," she  
continued. "What I propose is an  
exchange of knowledge. There is a  
way to make a substance similar to  
Magestone which will hopefully  
suffice for your needs. We will  
teach it to you. In return, you  
show us some of your . . .  
technology? Is that the word?"  
Khadgar nodded and Amelia smiled  
in satisfaction. "In the meantime,  
we will supply you with a small  
amount of Magestone so that you  
can survive. In the future, I  
would like to set up trade between  
our peoples once you have settled  
in the valley. Which brings me to  
another point. Your ship crashed  
into Thromkir Valley. Travelers  
use it in the winter when the pass  
becomes clogged with snow. It's  
considered neutral territory."

"Then you wish us to leave?"

"On the contrary. I will have to  
consult with Rigying, who controls  
the other end of the pass, but I  
believe they will be amicable.  
What I propose is that we pay you  
a small fee to keep the pass clear  
during the winter snows if at all  
possible. If not, provide shelter  
to any travelers. Do that, and you  
can live in the valley until Auir  
finds its lost children."

Khadgar's eyes closed for a  
moment, and then he opened them  
and nodded. "It seems we have an  
accord, Matriarch."

"Then so be it," Amelia replied.

And that, was that.

===================

Rigying was indeed amicable, but  
amicability seemed to be their  
natural mood. Their only term was  
that the Protoss sign the Thromkir  
Pact, a treaty between Rigying and  
Seyrun that pledged all to their  
mutual defense. Khadgar was more  
then willing to sign.

Privately, Amelia suspected  
Khadgar was so desperate to save  
his people, she could have gotten  
anything she wanted out of him.  
But she never said that aloud. She may  
have changed over the past ten years, but greed and cruelty simply  
were not part of her nature. Never had been, never would be.

As it turned out, Alchemist  
Magestone worked fine for the  
Protoss, though many of their  
machines had to be adjusted and  
weren't as powerful as they could  
have been. But the Protoss would  
survive. That was the important  
thing.

Lina and Gourry left as soon as  
it became clear the Protoss  
weren't going to self-destruct and  
headed towards Sairag. Amelia  
wasn't surprised, Lina and Gourry  
had a list of enemies that would  
stretch from one end of Seyrun to  
the other and back again via the  
scenic route. Staying in one place  
for very long would bring those  
enemies down on them like a  
boulder. Furthermore, by  
wandering, the roads were far  
safer. Few were willing to risk  
meeting "The Slayers" in open  
ground, so they tended to find  
other things to do when rumor had  
it that they were in the area.

"Keep an eye on Brodaboon," Lina  
said to Amelia as she and Gourry  
prepared to leave. 

"I know, Lina. 'Once spring  
starts, so do wars.' My father  
said the same thing."

"Phil did have his moments."

The Protoss, ever hungry for new  
knowledge, were soon a common  
sight in Seyrun's Temples and  
libraries, soaking up whatever  
knowledge they could.

In turn, the Protoss showed them  
new ways of farming and healing.  
Zelgadis found the information  
they chose to share interesting,  
("Its as though they're trying to  
keep us from learning new ways to  
kill each other.") but otherwise  
kept to himself.

When winter had become spring,  
Khadgar extended a formal  
invitation to both Amelia and King  
Rhodar of Rigying to come to New  
Antioch for a state visit. Rumor  
had it Rhodar took one look at the  
note and asked when he needed to  
leave.

====================

*Humans? Here?* Mague asked  
incredulously. *Bad enough we  
share our secrets, now you invite  
them to live among us?*

*They have extended the hand of  
friendship to us,* Khadgar said  
wearily. *Invited us to share  
knowledge, welcomed us to their  
cities, allowed us to live among  
them. It would be remiss if we did  
not reciprocate. This is the way  
of the Dae'uhl, The Great  
Stewardship.*

*It is the way of madness!* Mague  
snapped, slamming his fist down on  
Khadgar's desk. *They are  
primitives at best. It is like  
letting Kasah Rats loose in a  
Khaydarin Crystal mine. They will  
destroy all that we have built  
here!*

*First you question the  
Executor's sanity, then you insult  
my people, Mague.* The third  
Protoss in the room was powerful  
and heavily built, his skin  
mottled with signs of age. Aegeon  
led the Khalai caste of the  
colony, and he had been Mague and  
Khadgar's teacher when they were  
still younglings, before they had  
chosen their path in life. Though  
it had been many years since  
either had called him teacher,  
Aegeon still commanded respect  
from them both. *We do not do work  
that is easily destroyed.*

Mague quailed and bowed his head.  
*I am concerned for the security  
of New Antioch and we still know  
so little of this world. I meant  
no offense.*

Aegeon glared at Mague for a  
moment longer and then looked at  
Khadgar. *Mague has a point,  
Khadgar. The humans are clever and  
adaptable. Even Khas agreed that  
you can never truly know someone.  
Not even yourself.*

*Exactly my point!* Mague jumped  
back in. *Perhaps Amelia has been  
deluding us. Perhaps she is the  
one who forced us to crash. She  
may even be in league with the  
Dark Ones . . . yes! They forced  
us to crash here! To weaken us and  
then take this ship for themselves.*

*They have their own ships,  
Mague,* Khadgar said. *What need  
would they have for a single  
colony vessel?*

*And how would you know, Khadgar?  
Perhaps you are not the exception  
to your family that you claim?*

Khadgar's eyes blazed with anger.  
*YOU PRESUME FAR TOO MUCH UPON OUR  
FRIENDSHIP, MAGUE!* Khadgar  
thundered, psionic lightning  
arcing off his body and onto the  
walls and floor. *I HAVE MADE MY  
DECISION AND YOU WILL ABIDE BY IT!*

*Then I will take my leave,  
Executor,* Mague said. *Prime,* he  
nodded at Aegeon and left  
Khadgar's office.

*Adun give me strength,* Khadgar  
sighed, sinking into his chair,  
shoulders slumped in weariness. 

*He's scared, Khadgar,* Aegeon  
said. *We all are. But you've done  
well by us. We survive and we  
prosper.*

*Do we?* Khadgar asked. *I begged  
for help from the humans, took  
their pity and used it to survive.*

*You sought help when you needed  
it,* Aegeon said. *Let the  
conservatives rail all they want,  
they weren't in your position.*

Khadgar let his finger trail over  
his desk. *Do you think the Dark  
Templar had a hand in our being  
here?*

*Doubtful, but if they were,  
you're worried about your family?*

*Yes.*

*I think you can rest easily,  
Khadgar. Their only real crime was  
to disagree with the Conclave.*  
Aegeon shook his head. *That's  
beside the point, though. You're  
eager to thank the humans for  
their help, but that doesn't mean  
we should be letting them run  
rampant either. You have to give  
some thought to security, Khadgar.  
I like them, but if Amelia or Rhodar have been  
playing us false, we should be ready.*

Khadgar stood up and stared out  
the window at the gleaming golden  
buildings of New Antioch. *Such a  
strange world,* he mused. *And you  
are right, Prime, we cannot relax  
too much.* He straightened up.   
*Have the Probes bury the Pylons  
underground where they can't be  
seen. I want the city Forges  
either shut down or turning out  
only tools and farming items. Make  
sure the Cybernetics Cores are  
secure, and halt production of  
Dragoon Exoskeletons.* He thought  
for a moment. *When the probes are  
done with the Pylons, have them  
see to the city walls and Photon  
Cannons. Finally, more Observers  
and . . .* He took a deep breath.  
*I want those extra Observers  
armed with singularity charges  
with myself the only one who can  
set them off. When they're ready,  
send them out to find both Amelia  
and Rhodar. If they are up to  
evil, likely they'll be discussing  
it while they can do so out of our  
hearing.*

*I'll see it done, Khadgar,*  
Aegeon said, standing up and then  
he paused. *Why the singularity  
charges?*

Khadgar slowly turned to look at  
Aegeon. *If there is treachery  
afoot, they'll not make it inside  
our walls.*

Aegeon bowed his head and left,  
leaving Khadgar alone. The  
Executor turned back to the  
window, staring out at the city.

Such a strange world . . .

==========================

The Observers found no intention  
of treachery, and so the humans  
were welcomed inside New Antioch's  
walls. By necessity, the humans  
brought their own food, but the  
one part of the visit that truly  
concerned Khadgar was Mague's  
outright rudeness. He snubbed the  
humans at every opportunity, was  
just shy of condescending and  
bordered on insulting. Perhaps  
worse, many others were following  
his lead and the tension was  
mounting.

*Perhaps I can have them arrested  
for endangerment of the colony,*  
Khadgar said to Aegeon on the  
third night of the human's visit.  
The two Protoss sat in Khadgar's  
quarters, and despite the lateness  
of the hour, Khadgar couldn't sleep.

Though he must have roused the  
older Protoss from much needed  
sleep, Aegeon had come when  
Khadgar asked him too, and as he  
had when Khadgar had been a  
youngling, sat and listened.

*You are Executor, Khadgar,*  
Aegeon said when his former  
student had finished. *I cannot  
tell you what to do. Nor can I  
make judgement on Mague.*

*But you are the Khalai Prime,*  
Khadgar said, *it is your right by  
custom and tradition to speak your  
mind to me as the need arises.  
Please, my old teacher . . . my  
friend . . . help me find my path.*

At that moment, there was a chime  
and then the computer spoke.  
*Human designate Amelia and  
companion Biped designate Zelgadis  
express desire to enter and speak  
with Executor Khadgar.*

*Of course,* Khadgar said as he  
and Aegeon rose. "Enter."

"I apologize for disturbing you  
so late," Amelia said.

"Not all," Khadgar said, "please,  
sit."

When they were all seated, Amelia  
nervously smoothed her tunic over the  
small lump of her belly. "Executor . . . I  
have come to apologize."

"For what?" Khadgar asked.

"I'm . . . not sure. But since  
our arrival, there have  
been  . . . incidents, and if it  
is something we have said or  
done . . ."

"Say no more," Khadgar said. "It  
is nothing you have done, or  
said." Khadgar was silent for a  
moment. "We have spoken of my  
people's history and the wars  
which plagued us for so long."

"The Aeon of Strife," Zelgadis  
said. "Which was ended by the  
establishment of the Castes and  
the Conclave."

Khadgar nodded. "Not all of the  
Protoss accepted this, or the  
restraints of the Khala. They  
refused to submit their  
passionate, free spirits to the  
new way of life and lived for many  
years in hidden Enclaves in the  
wastelands created by the Aeon of  
Strife. I was born in one of those  
Enclaves. When I was a youngling,  
the Conclave discovered the  
Enclaves and sent a punitive force  
under Adun to eliminate us once  
and for all. But Adun could not  
commit such an act of genocide.  
Instead, he plead our case to the  
Conclave and so rather than kill  
us, we were exiled to the stars. I  
chose to stay behind."

"And you were not killed?"  
Zelgadis asked incredulously.

"Even throughout the Aeon of  
Strife, we have long held that a  
youngling of a certain age may  
choose a path aside from the one  
of their parents," Aegeon  
said. "The exiles claimed that  
their decision to ignore the  
Conclave stemmed from this right  
and Adun based his arguments on it  
when he pleaded with the Conclave  
to spare the exiles."

"Mague's father led the Templar  
who found me and he chose to raise  
me as his own son, alongside  
Mague," Khadgar said. "When we  
were of age, we were faced with  
the choice of which caste we would  
enter. Mague assumed we would both  
be Judicators as we both possessed  
the needed psychic abilities, but  
I chose the path of the Templar  
and I fear he has never completely  
forgiven me for it."

"Then he was rude because of your  
old disagreement?" Zelgadis asked.

"It is more complicated than  
that," Khadgar said. "Before the  
Exiles left, they cut off their  
neural strands," he indicated the  
long, hair-like strands hanging  
down from the back of his  
skull. "In doing so, they also cut  
themselves off from all Protoss.  
It is believed that they then  
began to draw their power from the  
cold void of space. Over time,  
they have come to be seen as  
nightmares, a horror and perverted  
mockery of life."

"Mague fears the Dark Templar, as  
they came to be known," Aegeon  
said. "He believes that they may  
have had a hand in our coming to  
your world and that humans are  
their creatures. He was opposed to  
your visit."

"I'm curious," Zelgadis said to  
Khadgar, "Why did you stay behind?"

"For as long as I can remember,  
the stories of the horrors of the  
Aeon of Strife compelled me to do  
whatever it takes to prevent that  
kind of chaos from happening  
again. But there are those  
who . . . question my loyalty."

"Because you grew up in the  
Enclaves," Zelgadis mused. He  
leaned forward. "This is your  
first command, isn't it?  
Everything you've worked for hangs  
on the survival of the colony."

"And your rank," Amelia  
said. "Mague technically outranks  
you and it's only because you're  
still 'at sea' that you're able to  
keep him from acting on his fears."

"You are perceptive, my friends,"  
Khadgar said and then leapt to his  
feet as an alarm wailed. He  
crossed to the wall in two strides  
and pressed the com switch.  
*Khadgar. Status?*

*Judicator Mague is leading a  
large group in the square,  
Executor! They are massing in  
front of the humans' residence.  
The humans have gathered at their  
door and their weapons are at the  
ready. There is no fighting as of  
yet.*

*Get between them, you are  
authorized to use force if either  
side attempts to attack. I'm on my  
way.* Khadgar made sure the com  
was off and then allowed himself  
one curse.

"Khadgar?" Amelia said as he  
turned back to face the  
room. "What is it?"

"Mague has acted on his fears,"  
Khadgar said, and reached for his  
armor.

=========================

In the square, they found a  
double line of Protoss Templar  
armed with pikes. One of the lines  
faced the humans, the other faced  
what could only be called a mob.  
Several Dragoons were at the edges  
of the square, their weapons ports  
open, sensor pods twitching.

"Put up your swords!" Amelia  
shouted, as she marched towards  
her people. "Put up your swords!"

"But highness!" a knight  
protested. "They --"

"Put up your sword, Sir Knight!"  
Zelgadis roared. "We have yet to  
be attacked and Seyrun does not  
attack first." In a lower voice,  
he spoke quietly to a  
captain. "Where's Rhodar?"

"Inside with his troops," the  
captain replied with a tight  
grin. "We drew straws. He lost."

*Dragoons are to stand down!*  
Khadgar bellowed and then looked  
at Mague. *Explain yourself, Mague.*

*I owe you no explanations,  
traitor!* Mague shouted back. *You  
have sullied the honor of all  
Protoss and spat on the Dae'uhl!  
You are not Templar, Dark One  
Spawn, and I declare you unfit to  
be Executor!*

*These are unusual circumstances,  
Mague, and so I will make  
allowances, but I will not  
tolerate outright traitorous  
behavior!*

*There is no betrayal in  
overthrowing a madman!* Mague  
shouted back. *You claim to have  
saved us, but how is this saved?  
We owe our lives to primitives, we  
survived because they consented to  
throw us scraps, which YOU lapped  
up like some sort of animal!*

*Hear me, all of you,* Khadgar  
said. *What has happened to us is  
unprecedented. As Executor, it my  
duty to ensure the survival of  
this colony at all costs. Had that  
meant making war on the humans, so  
be it. But that is also what led  
to the Aeon of Strife and we  
cannot make those same mistakes.  
We must remember the way of the  
Khala and the lessons taught to us  
by Khas, he who brings order. I chose the path  
of peace, and I would do so again.  
We must not let violence be the  
first answer, the Aeon of Strife  
must not happen again. And now  
Mague, I command you; Disperse!  
You know I am not unreasonable, we  
can discuss this in the Nexus at first  
light. But for now, disperse.*

*No! You will step down, Khadgar!  
You will step down and the humans  
will leave this very instant!*

*Disperse, Mague, I give you ten  
seconds to do so and if you  
remain, you will be placed under  
arrest.*

The seconds ticked by and then  
Khadgar beckoned to one of the  
Templar.  *Praetor, you are to  
escort the Judicator and his  
associates to their residences  
where they are to remain until  
further notice. You will also  
clear the square by any means  
necessary.*

*Je Hous!* The Praetor responded  
and began issuing orders.

=============

Amelia and Rhodar left the next  
day, claiming that they needed to  
get back to their peoples. Amelia  
had wanted to stay, but Zelgadis  
and Rhodar had convinced her  
otherwise. At the moment, staying  
would only hinder Khadgar.

Three days after the incident,  
Mague and his associates were  
gathered in the Nexus, and  
Khadgar, in his full formal robes  
and armor, stood before them. If it  
wasn't for the fact that Mague was fanatically loyal to the Conclave  
and Auir, or that guile wasn't in his nature, not to mention their  
almost four centuries of history, Khadgar could almost believe that  
Mague had deliberately put him in this bind in order to sieze power  
for himself.

Crime among the Protoss was frightfully rare. The Khala and the  
Dae'uhl, by their very nature, precluded it. But it did happen and  
Khas had prepared for it. Three Primes, one from each caste, would  
hear the matter and pass judgement. On colonies or ships, it would  
have been the Executor and the Primes. But since one of the accused  
was one of the Primes and his defense implicated the Executor,  
Khadgar had been forced to get creative.

His solution had been borrowed from the humans. The concept of  
"jury", in which guilt or innocence was determined by a group of  
similar rank and status to the accused. It was elegant and Khadgar  
had siezed upon it.

Ageon had presided over a council of New Antioch's Praetors, who had  
heard the matter and determined guilt or innocence. Khadgar himself  
had not attended the deliberations, lest he be accused of using his  
rank to sway the council. Ageon, who was well into his seventh  
century, was reputed for his honesty and impartibility. Regardless  
what Khadgar's enemies might say about his solution, no one would be  
able to say that Ageon had been swayed by Khadgar's rank.

Less than two hours ago, the council had given a decision of guilty,  
and now it fell it Khadgar to determine punishment.

It was not easy. Khadgar would have to choose carefully, as Mague's  
claims did have some merit. At least in the eyes of the Conclave's  
conservative members. On the other hand, he had to come up with  
something that would preclude anyone else from attempting similar  
rebellions.

In the end, he'd chosen something that should, to borrow a phrase  
from the humans, "do the trick".

*Mague, Tribe Ara of the Judicator. Your actions have endangered the  
stability of New Antioch. You have deviated from the Khala and the  
Dae'uhl, and willfully disobeyed orders. You are to journey to  
Jaurun's Mesa on the northern side of Thromkir where you will  
construct and garrison a fleet beacon. You will be allowed nothing  
more than the needed tools and hunting implements. The signal itself  
will be generated from the Nexus and supplies will be brought to you.
This will stand until contact wiith Auir is resumed. You will leave  
immediately. En Taro Adun!"*