Ch 1: https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16426-fan-fiction-the-duke

Ch 2 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16382-fan-fict-the-missionary

Ch 3 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16383-fan-fict-the-vain-god

Ch 4 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16386-fan-fict-the-chained-chancellor

Ch 5 https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space/forum/38-creations/thread/16396-fan-fict-the-silver-paladin

Chapter 6: The Doubtful Clerk



Lrhanmha Amirmoez stood in the city square, admiring the work that the Pilgrims had done. The jungle foilage that had invaded the city had all been cut out and cleared away. Crumbling buildings are now repaired, strong and magnificent towers reach high into the clouds above. Where the city had once been dark, it is now alight from the power of unpacked fusion reactors from the errant fleet. Homes that were once empty and lifeless are now full of life and families. The city square before her is populated with mini-cruisers speeding to and fro, shuttles parked and awaiting cargo, playing children, lovers walking hand in hand, and workers carrying on their business. Beyond the city, which Ziecheal aptly named Legacy, more cities are being built, complete with great factories and shipyards for the monumental task of replenishing the Pilgrim's navy. Ziecheal has officially made Legacy his seat for the new Pilgrim capital.



Lrhan turned around to face the party of leaders that were in attendance to wish her farewell. In front stands Ziecheal. He is big for a terran. Tall, thick necked and broad of shoulder. He looks more a solider than a scientist and philosopher. His grim face is creased with worry. Long ago the sophon consensus agreed that emotions were a hinderance to the pursuit of knowledge, a pursuit that all sophons held sacred. Theirs was a concern of factual analysis, not one of feelings and emotions. In her short time among terrans she has learned to pick up on their subtle social ques regarding their state of mind about situations on hand.



The sophon could see that Ziecheal worry regarded the absence of Admiral Therna Ubantri. It had been nearly two weeks since she had last reported in. She could tell Ziecheal of the countless anomalies present in the universe that would delay any communication between Xenophros and Ubantri's fleet, but such reassurances would be hollow and pointless. Therna's mission was a perilous one and no should of had any doubts of the risks of her mission. The Pilgrims could ill afford such a loss, and now Ziecheal urged Lrhan return to Sophos and demand that the Council honour their alliance and send a fleet to aid in the defense of Xenophros. Lrhan happily agreed.



Now, standing out in Legacy's central city square, Lrhan can't help but notice that Chidi Bedemdi has not come to see her off. Although the emotions of other terrans were easy to read, his had always eluded her. He was intelligent and looked up to by his fellows. He seemed more sophon then terran, and she admired that about him.

Ziecheal takes her hands in his and looks up into her eyes. "I wish you well Lrhanna. Thank you for your friendship and return to us soon. I can feel our enemies closing in around us and we will have need of your people before the end."



"Sophos will do it's duty, brother Ziecheal. Keep your thoughts to the sky, and look for my return," said Lrhan. She stepped back from the farewell party and a soft purple light surrounded her and lifted her to the heavens.

Far above Legacy, in the stratosphere of the planet, a Sophos corvette recieved her. Lrhan's flagship, The Enlightened Truth.



A short sophon commander, clad in a white enviro suit, greeted her in the retrieval bay. "Welcome aboard, Clerk Amirmoez," he said in the sophos language. An eloquent and flowing speech, unlike the halting tongues of the Terrans. But Soponian was a cold speech, used for the deliberation of data and analytical thought.



"Thank you, commander Zeekros," Lrhan returned.



"Your shuttle is prepped and waiting, if you will follow me."



Lhran followed closley behind him into a corridor. The interior walls of the ship were a sterile white, bright running lights ran along the top and bottom. Everything was neat and organized inside Sophon vessels. "I am eager to return to the Sophon fleet. I've had enough of these impulsive humans," said the commander.



"You will not miss them?" Asks Lrhan.



"Miss them? hummmm... I admit that there is something interesting about their species. Down on Legacy a young girl had taken to following me around the gardens. She was the daughter of one of their warriors... Alice Rickards, was her name. I felt compelled to observe her at first, the way her mind would wander from one thing to the next, and how she insisted that she was in love with a fellow boy who had taken up residence on the beach. She made for an interesting specimen for a time."



They come to a group of three sophons, who step aside to let them pass with a salute. Their left fingers pointing to their left eye than to their foreheads, signalling that they see and respect the superior knowledge of their commanding officers.



"Hummm..." continues Zeekros. "The novelty soon wore off, I assure you. After their fleet dropped out of contact, the terran girl came crying to me. I told her the simple truth that all things come to die in time. The girl ran away, crying. Just as well. Hummmm.... though I do hope her father returns."



Zeekros leads Lrhan to a shuttle bay where a ship is waiting. It is a small vessel, just big enough for Lhran and a passanger to sit directly behind her. It is a sleek craft, nearly oval shaped with short wings cut out across the sides.



"We randevous with the fleet at Darkstar, We should be back before the end of the solar cycle," said Zeekros as Lrhan climbs into the shuttle. "May your learning never cease, Clerk Lrhan"



"May your mind continue to grow," replied Lrhan "But not too much, or your helmet will burst."



Zeekros only stars at her as she readies her shuttle. Finally after he wonders enough at her final words he makes for the bridge.



As The Enlightened Truth breaks orbit from Xenophros, her shuttle activates photon distortion and bursts from the hull, speeding toward the moon. The barren, rocky surface races by her as she speed across the horizon. After a few minutes her ship slows and hovers over an area. The dead land below begins to tremble, then gives way to an opening. Her ship lowers into a hanger bay. Lrhan shuts down the power and climbs out of the craft.



As she makes her way through the facility, past the enviro-suit chargers, neatly stacked crates, and work tables, personal doubts gnaw at her. She is so close to acheiving her goal. With the secrets being learned here, she was ensuring the security of her people. And yet... what would the Pilgrims think? She had no doubt that Chidi would understand, the one they call Iceberg. One only had to look at the history of the terrans to see the reasoning behind her actions. An empire would rise, founded on principals of morality and personal freedom, than turn into tyranny and oppression only to be thrown down violently by the next one. The cycle has gone on for the terrans since before they came to this galaxy from the Milky Way. She couldn't help but think of the disappointment Ziecheal would feel when he learned of her people's motives. He was a good man, but what about after Ziecheal? What will happen if the Pilgrims overthrow the Empire? Will the next generation continue to honour their fathers principals? Precedence dictates the answer is no.



Sophons saluted as she enters a chamber. Endless glyphs are inscribed on the wall, sophon scientists are diligently reverse engineering an Endless tablet on a workstation. On the far wall, Lrhan holds up a tablet, one of the pre-schism artifacts, a gift from Ziecheal. A faint yellow light emitts from the wall, scanning the tablet. The wall gives way with a great thud. Light fills the chamber as the brilliant white tube is revealed.



"Intergration of the artifacts has been successful, Clerk Amirmoez" says a nearby scientist "The only thing that eludes us, is where the transporter leads."



"It must lead to our goal," says another, "the glyphs in this temple indicate a powerful weapon lays beyond"



A human phrase jumps into Lrhans head. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." She steps into the light and disappears

How do you have time to write this crap. Must be nice to be on welfare and food stamps. Get a job.

Very good job, nolan. I can't wait to read more, I'm really liking this small series you're making.

Masterobey92 wrote:
How do you have time to write this crap. Must be nice to be on welfare and food stamps. Get a job.

Why did you read it then???? And what about the people who makes books like Eragon and Hunger Games??? They live on welfare and stamps too??

I think not. Mabye you need to get a life??