Project - Prometheus Ch. 27

He'd also seen what could be done offensively, which was terrifying to watch. So much so, that even just the memory made Karl Fitch, the battle-hardened soldier he was, shiver in fear. One thing he was grateful for was the fact that they were on their side, rather than be tempted further by the Syndicate's lies. It was because of this, was why the UCW respected the Ooantahl and let them do as they wished.

Karl sighed as he herded his men back to villas, to get looked after for whatever injuries they sustained. Most were minor, and thankfully, both Powell and Jones would make it. He thought about the strange crew and wondered what the Ooantahl would share with them. Karl only hoped that his superiors were of the same mind as he was, giving the crew of the Darkstrider the benefit of the doubt.

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The Darkstrider coasted along through Veldhern's atmosphere. The Ooantahl were guiding the ship to their settlement, staying just ahead of them. Inari had already picked up the location of it on their scanners and could have flown there instantly. But she could tell that they wanted to guide them to it, so she let them. It was also the polite thing to do, and Inari wanted to avoid causing an incident.

"Shazza, what the hell were you doing?!?" Alex fumed, angry with the woman at exposing who she was to everyone.

"The matrix failed when I got back up to fight those pirates! Pardon me, sir, but I'd rather have exposed myself, than let those fuckers have their way with a little girl!" Shazza shot back.

"I saw that on the footage. I'm glad that you interceded and saved that girl from being scarred unimaginably, but there was still the fact that you were supposed to stay in disguise," Alex griped, his anger petering out.

"With all due respect, sir, that she was Xuul'khan didn't matter to most of the people there. The only ones it mattered to was Sergeant Cullen and the five men backing him," Luminia told Alex.

"It was just those six?" Alex queried.

"Yes, sir. The people there weren't ungrateful. Hell, they were staring at Shazza like she was a saint! Until that sergeant involved himself in the matter," Taal'ani told him, holding an ice pack to her head, where one of the guards had clocked her.

"I see. I apologize for losing my cool Shazza. I'm just worried about a big target being painted on our backs. Yours most of all," he told her kindly.

"It's all right, sir. I understand your position on this," Shazza replied with a slight smile.

"I'm curious about how that matrix failed! We spent a lot of time going over the design of the entire thing, to make sure that it would hold up, no matter was tossed onto it!" Natalya groaned.

"I believe that's a failing that lies at both of our feet, Natalya. What we didn't account for was Aetheric power coursing through the individual in question, while wearing said device," Jaesa replied, having deduced the problem immediately.

"So, we design one and test it when someone is using the Aether, so we can adapt it to hold its integrity. Shazza, can you use the Aether now?" Natalya asked.

Without thinking about it, Shazza reached out mentally, searching for the Aether. She found it waiting for her, hovering just out of reach of her mind. She embraced it, like one would embrace an old friend, letting the power flow through her. The silver-white energy suffused her body as she let it course through every fiber of her being. She took a deep breath and smiled, holding her hand up as a compact ball of energy hovered over it.

"It's easier now. Almost like... I broke through something when I embraced it back in the villas. I don't know how to explain it, but now, I feel... freer. Like someone took a weight off my back, or... a collar off my neck," Shazza explained.

"Maybe you could help us with embracing our power?" Kasumi asked, her face hopeful.

"I don't see why not. I will try, at least," Shazza promised, which elicited excited squeals from the ladies and a smile from Alex.

"Seeing that little girl helpless, it drudged up some painful memories, didn't it?" Alex questioned, catching onto the reason for Shazza's rage.

"Yes... it... did," Shazza sighed, looking at her CO, glad that he was perceptive enough to see that.

"Like I told Natalya and the rest of the crew when they first boarded, I maintain an open-door policy. If you want to talk about it, I'll listen," Alex told her. That earned him a smile and a nod, showing that she accepted, and she turned to face the rest of the crew.

"It's not just Alex who you can talk to, ximal kihuo (little one)," Korsa replied as she brought Shazza in for a hug.

Shazza hugged Korsa back, happy to be among those who understood her pain and the struggle she was going through. She sighed as she was happy that she could keep the promise she had made to herself. Right after Korsa had freed her, and showed her respect, tenderness and love, Shazza made a vow to herself. The things she had endured as a child and an adult would not happen, not on her watch.

"Hey kids, we've arrived! Might want to get ready for landing," Inari called out over the intercom.

"Copy that, captain!" Priya replied as everyone moved to the bridge of the ship.

Inari brought the ship close to the Ooantahl settlement, finding a large enough clearing nearby to land the Darkstrider. The ship touched down gently, creating a minimal dust cloud as it landed. Everyone was sure to equip a translator unit on their clothes, so they could understand and be understood by the Ooantahl.

The door opened, and the ramp popped out of the side of the ship, which the crew traversed down. The moment they hit the ground, the Ooantahl landed right by them, each one of them pulling their arms free of their wings. Corvaillen spoke to them in his trilling, hooting voice, which was translated for everyone there.

"Lightworker, welcome to our village!" he told her. "Please, come forth, so that my people may see who the Lightworker is!"

"Thank you, Corvaillen. My name is Shazza and you may address me by that name," she told him, the translator making her understood by him.

"Of course, Shazza!"

With that, the shaman led the procession into the village, with many of the villagers, young and old, staring and cheering at the new arrivals. It was an odd reception, since they had done nothing to help these people. Regardless of the circumstance, it was a warm welcome that the crew appreciated.

The constant warbling of the village reached a fever pitch, until Corvaillen stopped and a larger, black feathered Ooantahl raised his arms, calling for silence. In a matter of seconds, the noise quieted to where you could hear a pin drop.

"Welcome Ooantahl, Shazza Lightworker. This is my brother and the chief of the Ooantahl, Eagtaren," Corvaillen told the crew.

"This is the she you saw, brother?" the chief asked the shaman.

"Yes. She has great power, far beyond mine," Corvaillen stated.

"Lightworker, I would ask you to show us your power, if you please," Eagtaren told her.

Smiling slightly, Shazza drew from the Aether, letting its power into her as she called to it. The silver-white energies surrounded her, much like a corona which left everyone in awe. She felt a strange sensation then, as she brought a sphere of energy to her hand. The odd thing about it was that her body seemed to move of its own accord, with the sphere multiplying, until there were four of them.

She then turned to face her friends and launched these spheres to Alex, Natalya, Kasumi and Korsa. The spheres hit the four of them so fast that they didn't have time to react. The moment the spheres hit, their own unique energies flared up around them, bathing them all in coronas much like Shazza's. The entire village was abuzz at witnessing this, while Corvaillen was shocked, but pleasantly so.

"There are... five of you?!?" he warbled in disbelief.

"Yes. It is because of them I can wield the Aether. Korsa especially," Shazza stated warmly.

"This is... beyond what we could have hoped! You were right, brother! She is powerful!" Eagtaren replied, shocked to his core at the sight of not just one, but five wielders of the Aether.

"What is it you wished to show me?" Shazza asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Something that was left behind, for those who use the Lifeblood. Like us," Corvaillen stated, as energy surrounded the bird-man. Unlike Shazza's, which was silver white, his was grey in coloration.

"What is it? Who left it behind?" Alex asked, walking forward.

"It is knowledge, which was left behind by the Star Walkers. A race already old, when the Ooantahl were young," the shaman told them. Everyone's eyes widened, as they were certain that Corvaillen had to be referring to the Primes.

"Knowledge? What knowledge did the Primes... Star Walkers leave behind?" Shazza asked.

"I could tell you of it, but the tale as it is would be too long to tell. Come. I will show you," Corvaillen stated, gesturing for them to follow. The crew made to move, but the Ooantahl held up a feathered hand. "Only those who use the Lifeblood may go. The rest of you must stay here. The Star Walkers spoke this edict and we enforce it."

"I suppose that makes a certain kind of sense. It's all right ladies, we should be all right," Natalya told her friends.

"Excuse me, Corvaillen? I know I do not wield the Lifeblood, but I would like to come along and see what you wish to show my friends," Jaesa asked, striding up out of the assembled crew.

"Why? Why do you wish to see it?" the Ooantahl shaman asked defensively.

"Because I can memorize and retain everything spoken to me. I am... a machine, like the construct we arrived here in," Jaesa told him.

"A machine?" Corvaillen asked, shocked at this revelation.

"Yes, but I am one that serves the will of the Lightworker," she replied, bowing to him respectfully.

"Lightworker? What say you?" the shaman wondered.

"She should come. If what was left behind is as vast as you say, we will need her to have a record of it. We cannot expect the five of us to remember everything," Shazza laughed.

"Very well. She may come with us, but only because... she serves you," he replied. With that, he motioned again for the group to follow him and the six of them moved with him. They were gone in seconds, moving through the underbrush, vanishing into the jungle.

"Well, what do we do now?" Priya wondered, scratching her head.

"Ummm... excuse me?" a childish voice called out. Inari looked around and found the owner of the voice, who was a small Ooantahl. It was a girl, going by her plumage and shape, but especially her eyes, which had a feminine caste to them.

"Yes? You had a question, young one?" Inari asked, addressing the girl directly.

"Do you have any stories to tell?" the fledgling asked.

"Stories to tell? That is something that we have much of! The only question is, where to start?" Inari chuckled as she posed thoughtfully and drummed up a few ideas of a story to tell them.

"Where are they from?" another fledgling asked, pointing at the Artucian.

"Ah! Now that there is a delightful story! Sit down and I will tell you the tale! It all started back on a faraway world, where my crew and I picked up our bounty contract," Inari started drawing the Ooantahl in with the tale.

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Corvaillen led the way through the underbrush, keeping his wings tucked close. Though he had lived on Veldhern for his entire life, he knew the way he was headed could be treacherous to his wings. Though the foliage was dense, they didn't have to go far, maybe ten minutes, before they arrived at their destination.

"We are here," Corvaillen trilled.

"Where is here?" Kasumi wondered. It was then that the answer was literally staring her in the face. Before the entire group was an enormous cavern which was dark and foreboding.

"Inside, is what it is I must show you. Follow me and you will see," Corvaillen told them as he gestured at the murk. He then moved his hands in a particular set of gestures and his hands lit up like glow sticks. The color was the same as his energy, a bright grey.

"Do the same as I have and believe that light will come from your hands and it will be so," he told them.

Seeing how they might as well try it, the crew members of the Darkstrider did as their guide had. They moved their hands in the same gestures, but unlike him, nothing happened. They tried it again, but yet again, no light emanated from their hands. It took several tries before they were interrupted by Jaesa, who was shaking her head at what they were doing.

"You're doing it all wrong! Kas, your finger gestures are not precise. Move them like this," Jaesa said, demonstrating.

Kasumi tried it, figuring she had nothing to lose, and her hands lit up as Corvaillen had. She gasped in excitement and smiled at the ruby red light that came from her hands. Jaesa then walked over to Natalya, correcting her motions and form. She did the same with Alex, Korsa and Shazza, helping them find the correct movements to light their hands up.

"You say that you are a... machine, but you repeated the motions for light perfectly! What kind of machine are you?" Corvaillen asked, amazed at Jaesa's perfect recall.

"I am a machine that is designed to learn everything I see, do and hear, so it is correct," Jaesa told the Ooantahl.

"Then it is good that you are here with us! If you can remember everything that you see, then you will be of significant help to the Lightworker!" the shaman hooted, before turning into the cave, leading the party in.

The moment everyone stepped inside, eager to see what lay within the cave. What they saw surpassed everything they had thought possible. The walls of the cave weren't craggy or foreboding at all. They had been worn smooth, almost like the consistency of paper.

Written upon the walls, was various runes and sigils, accompanied by various works of art. The art depicted scenes of beings, coming down from the stars to walk among the Ooantahl. There was much more that had been written and painted, and by the light of their hands, they could see everything.

"Many thousands of seasons ago, the Star Walkers roamed the heavens. They were benevolent beings, cultivating life and light, wherever they went. They came here to Veldhern, and they taught the Ooantahl much. They gave us the gift of speech, of knowledge and flight. They could have given more, but we felt they had already given us much, lifting us from the mindless beasts that we once were," Corvaillen began.

"The Star Walkers had one last gift to give us, and that was knowledge of the Aether. How to channel it, focus it, and use it for good. They then left our world, searching for other being to bring to enlightenment. It would be many hundreds of seasons before they returned, but not as they had once been. The Star Walkers returned to us, tired, beaten, fearful. They were not the peaceful, content people we once knew."

"The Star Walkers asked that we aid them in whatever way we could, and the Ooantahl did. Using their knowledge, they created these paintings and writings, to be left behind, for the one they called the 'Lightworker'. Many prophecies were written here, some of which have come to pass, others are still unfolding as we speak. All of which concern the beings of this world and beyond," Corvaillen went on.

"When we asked why these writings were to be made, the spoke to us of what had become of their race. How they had become arrogant, complacent, and how that pride had led to the rise of a darkness among them. This darkness had fought against them, harrowed them for many hundreds of seasons. All would have been lost against this darkness, had the Star Walkers refused to fight."

"Unlike others who had fallen to this darkness, they fought, and many fell against it. Almost the entirety of the Star Walkers was consumed by this evil, but they prevailed. Despite odds that would have daunted the mightiest of hearts, they stood fast against the onslaught and won. The darkness was defeated and at long last, the reign of terror that had consumed the heavens was gone," the shaman continued.

"Though the darkness had been beaten, it was not vanquished. The Star Walkers told us of how they had... contained it, so it would not trouble the stars again. It was imprisoned so it could never escape. But they told us of how it would, when their people were no more. Though the Star Walkers were advanced and powerful, they were still mortal."

"This is why they came to our world, to leave this behind, for those who would one day succeed them. So that when the darkness was released once again, there would be those who could fight against it, as they had. They also saw that there was a chance that this darkness, would be destroyed," Corvaillen finished, gesturing at the walls.

"How far do these writings and paintings go on for?" Alex wondered.

"Many hours of wandering in these caves and you would not be able to see just one tenth of what they left behind," Corvaillen replied.

"Damn! That's a lot of ground to cover! Hold... what is this?!?" Natalya called out, excitement fueling her voice.

"What is what?" Corvaillen asked.

"This!" Natalya pointed.

She was pointing at a painting, accompanied by a good amount of writing. The painting in question depicted a pitched battle in the depths of space. It caught her attention, because the images were reminiscent of a well-known battle throughout history; the Nova Storm.

"Is that... a Prometheus class dreadnought?!?" Kasumi blurted, staring at the painting.

"It is! That's the Hercules! And the fleets of the newly formed Unified Coalition of Worlds! They're facing the Xuul'khani fleet!" Natalya replied in disbelief.

"You know of the Heralds of Darkness?" Corvaillen asked, curious about how they knew of it.

"This event is one that nearly every race knows of! When the Xuul'khan launched their Black Crusade against the races of the galaxy! How they nearly wiped us out, among many other races!" Korsa replied.

"This shows of the conflict of the Heralds of Darkness, how they would be the ones to search for and begin the release of the darkness. They would not succeed in their quest, but they would be the ones to form the cracks in its prison. But they themselves are not true evil. Only the few who have been corrupted by the will of the darkness are so. Most of those who obey, do so because they are compelled to," the shaman responded.

"So they can be freed!" Shazza sniffled, crying tears of joy.

"Yes. There is more of the Heralds... Xuul'khan further on. As I have said, there is much about the histories of what happened then. They are among the many prophecies that have been fulfilled since they were first written," Corvaillen stated.

"If only we could read this!" Alex growled.

"You cannot read this?" Corvaillen asked.

"No! Not even Jaesa can, and she knows every language spoken!" Korsa agreed.

"The Star Walkers prepared for this possibility. Come with me and I will show you to where you can learn to read it," the Ooantahl told them.

They followed the shaman deeper into the cave, which wound every possible way. Thankfully, there were no steep areas, so moving along wasn't as treacherous as the group had feared. It was odd to see so many colors playing on the paintings and writings as they passed. Alex's violet color mixing with Natalya's green, Kasumi's ruby red made pink by Shazza's silvery-white, with Korsa's gold color bathing them all.

"Here is where you can learn to read what the Star Walkers have left behind," Corvaillen told them.

The crew stood in a massive cavern which was far too circular to be natural. It had a vaulted ceiling that reached upwards for hundreds of feet, ending much like a dome would. They could see writing on the walls, but not just of the glyphs and sigils they had seen before. There were other kinds of writing, some of which looked familiar, and the group was eager to see.