Project - Prometheus Ch. 27

"Lightworker, place your hands on the crystal, so you may see everything without worrying about the light," the Ooantahl shaman called to Shazza.

The Xuul'khani woman turned to the shaman and saw the large column of crystal that sat in the center of the room. It was well over fifty feet in height and was undressed, looking like it had grown there naturally. Corvaillen's hands were no longer glowing, as he had placed his energies into the crystal, which glowed faintly with a grayish light.

Shazza approached the crystal and put her hands upon it, focusing her will to place the light from her hands into the monolithic stone. Seconds later, the crystal brightened, banishing the gloom that cloaked the chamber. Seeing Shazza do this, the rest of the crew ambled over and did as she had, feeding their energy into powering the crystal. Moments later, the crystal was far brighter than they needed, illuminating the entire dome up with its light.

"This is... wow!" Natalya breathed.

"You got that right, Nats! I'm just... I've never seen anything like this! Not in my seventy-three years in this life have I ever witnessed something so grand!" Korsa agreed.

"Corvaillen, how does this help us in deciphering the language of the Star Walkers?" Alex wondered.

"Holy shit!" Kasumi exclaimed, catching everyone's attention.

"What is it, Kas? You found something?!" Natalya queried, running over to her friend and lover.

"That language there, it's Cuneiform!" Kasumi breathed.

"What? Let me see!" Jaesa called out, rushing over to where Kasumi stood.

The AI reached the two women and saw that she was correct! Beneath the sigils was another language that Jaesa didn't recognize, as it was alien in origin and not in her databanks. The third and final set of writings was indeed Cuneiform, a language that had been found on Earth! Jaesa realized right then that they were looking at an alien version of the Rosetta Stone!

"How did you know it was Cuneiform, Kas?" Korsa wondered.

"Ancient languages are something of a hobby of mine," Kasumi admitted.

"Can you decipher it, Jaesa?" Alex asked, excitement bleeding into his voice.

"With this as a base, I can!" the AI replied happily.

In moments, she began reading everything that was on the walls, scanning everything she saw. It was stored in the archives and broken down into what she needed to translate everything she had seen so far. Though she was an AI and could get everything done far quicker than any living being could, it would still take a while to codify and catalog everything there.

This was something that was beyond exciting for the AI, giving her the tools needed to decipher the language of the Artucian hermit! She had been going over the sigils and glyphs he had used with no genuine progress having been made. Even before the crew had left Talemkha, there had been little in the manner of breakthroughs. Now, though, she would finally crack the code of the language that had frustrated her efforts.

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Captain Karl Fitch had just finished writing up his report and was going over it for a last time. It had been one hell of a report to write with everything that had happened! How the pirates had gotten the drop on his men and taking over the villa with little resistance. That a Xuul'khan of all things had saved the people there! On top of which, she could wield power much like the Ooantahl shaman!

Fitch had reviewed the security cams several times and from what he'd seen, it had been most fortuitous that she'd been there. Things could have gone sideways real fast and in so many ways. But this Xuul'khan, Shazza, had anticipated the pirate's moves and acted accordingly.

He'd gone over those moments when she used her power and concluded one frightening fact; she was in a league all her own. Karl had seen firsthand what the Ooantahl shaman was capable of, but Shazza's display dwarfed his! He thought Corvaillen might have been holding back on earlier occasions, but then thought better of it. With the lives of his people and the freedom of his world on the line, he would have held nothing back, not against scum like the Syndicate.

After reading it over, he was ready to submit it to his superiors, but figured on giving it to them directly. Karl didn't want any of his report leaking out to unfriendly eyes, who would likely follow the example set by Sergeant Cullen. He was thankful though that the guests on Veldhern had seen reason as he had. Sergeant Deak was taking them through the required NDA's at the moment, nearly everyone signing them outright.

Fitch supposed that Shazza saving everyone's hides from the pirates' clutches spurred this decision. He knew he would have done so, given what she'd done to those bastards. That she only done this to protect the innocents who were vacationing there, allowed Fitch to give her the benefit of the doubt. He was mulling things over when he received a holocall, which he answered.

"Captain Fitch here," he responded to the caller.

"Captain, glad I could reach you! Did I call at a bad time?" Commodore Williams asked.

"Not at all, Commodore! I was just finishing up my report to bring to you and Commodore Saubath!" Fitch replied.

"Bring it to us? Why would you do that?" Williams questioned.

"Simply put, ma'am, is that we have ourselves a Class Seven situation down here," Karl told her. Ana's eyes widened at this revelation, and it wiped her usual smile from her face.

"It's that serious?" she asked, concern lacing her voice. "Then why did you order the drop teams to stand down?"

"The drop teams were no longer required at that point in time, ma'am. As for how serious this is, I highly recommend that you and whatever personnel that are cleared for Class Seven protocols get down here, so we can brief you," he told her.

Class Seven protocols were a designation in the UCW. It mandated the contents of whatever files remain top secret and sealed to all but those with top level clearance. The number of individuals with such clearance was small, as such information was often dangerous. In the wrong hands, the information of the files in question could incite riots, mass hysteria and even fully fledged wars.

"Who is involved?" Williams queried.

"My men down here planetside, the civilians involved in the incident and the crew of the Darkstrider," Fitch informed her.

"Shit! The civilians are going to be cluster fuck to deal with!" Ana griped.

"Actually, ma'am, they are being co-operative with my men. Most of the NDA's have already been signed, with my sergeants and lieutenants taking those who don't understand them, through the ins and outs," Karl replied.

"Really? They're being that accommodating?" Williams asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, ma'am! Considering what happened down here, I can't blame them for wanting to sign it!" Fitch told her.

"Just what happened down there?"

"For that ma'am, you'll have to come on down and see for yourself. I dare not risk sending anything over a link. It's that sensitive," he told his superior officer.

"Very well! Commodore Saubath, Administrator Dohbalan, myself and our aides are on our way down. The crew of the Darkstrider are with you?" the commodore asked.

"Not presently, ma'am. The Ooantahl dropped on by asking to speak with them," Fitch told her.

"The Ooantahl are involved?!? How in the name of Allah did they get into this?" Ana yelped, surprised at this development.

"I have no idea ma'am, but I'm sure the crew of the Darkstrider will fill us in, if they feel so inclined," he told her.

"I see. Order your men to silence on the Ooantahl's involvement. That's a development that I'd have kept in strict confidence, if possible. In the meantime, contact the Darkstrider and have them make their way back to the villas with all due haste," she told the soldier.

"Yes, ma'am! I'm on it!" he replied, firing off a crisp salute. Fitch then dialed out a signal, trying to raise the Darkstrider. It took him a few tries, but he finally got a connection to the ship.

"Hello?" a feminine voice greeted him. The face was that of an East Indian woman, whom he had seen with the Darkstrider crew when they had arrived.

"Hello, this is Captain Fitch, of the Veldhern Security force. To whom am I speaking?" he asked politely.

"Priya Patel, navigator aboard the Darkstrider. What can I do for you, Captain Fitch?" Priya asked.

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Jaesa had just finished recording each section of the domed cave when she received an incoming call from Inari. Though the signal was somewhat muddled, it came in clear enough. After hearing what Inari was telling her, she responded in agreement and relayed the message to her friends.

"It appears that our actions have caught the attention of the Veldhern fleet commanders. They're on their way to come and speak with us about what exactly went down at the villas. Seems that Shazza's display is a matter of concern," Jaesa told them.

"I guess it was too much to hope that we'd bypass an incident altogether. Corvaillen, would it be all right if we returned at a later time? That way we can properly look through the writings and murals left behind by the Star Walkers and learn what they are trying to teach us?" Alex asked politely.

"Of course! All who stand with the Lightworker will be welcome here! There is much knowledge to learn of down here and it would take a lifetime to learn it all," the shaman agreed.

"Thank you, Corvaillen. We appreciate your help with this and will return soon to learn more of what was, what is and what will be," Shazza told him respectfully.

"As it should be and always will be, Lightworker. You will always be welcome here," the Ooantahl replied with a bow. "Now, I believe you are all needing to get back to civilization, yes?"

Without further preamble, Corvaillen led the group from the cavern. They left the crystal lit, as the shaman had told them that the light would dissipate on its own. Igniting their hands with their energies once more, the crew left the central dome behind. They traveled the way they had come, with Jaesa using the light to record everything she had missed on the way down.

Corvaillen set a brisk pace, and it was another fifteen minutes before they could smell fresh air. Coming out of the cave not long after, the crew hotfooted it to the Ooantahl's village. They broke through the brush, coming out behind some of the huts on the ground and into the main clearing. Inari and Priya were waiting for them when they arrived, the rest of the crew already aboard their ship.

"Glad you guys could make it! Took you lot long enough to get back!" Inari groused as the engines of the Darkstrider hummed, coming online.

"Watch yourself, young lady. You might be the captain of this ship, but remember who's the mom," Korsa threatened with a smirk.

"Yeah, I know, I know!" Inari groaned, hating that she was being reminded of that fact.

"It is sad to see you all go so soon!" Chief Eagtaren told Inari.

"Worry not, Chief. We will return, when we are not so harrowed to get back to civilization," Priya promised.

"Finish the story of the... Tashkuun Alpha when you get back?" the Ooantahl fledgling asked with excitement in her voice.

"Of course, Lintaari! I haven't even gotten to the good part yet!" Inari replied with a smile. The young Ooantahl and the other fledglings all hooted and trilled happily until Eagtaren calmed them down.

"We welcome your return, crew of the Darkstrider. You will always be welcome at our fires and in our homes!" the chief told them formally, before bowing in a goodbye.

"Thank you for your welcome and your hospitality," Inari and Priya replied in unison while the remaining crew bowed back. With that, the crew boarded the ship, leaving the Ooantahl behind to their daily lives. The ship lifted off and turned back toward the villas, quickly becoming a speck of dust on the horizon. Eagtaren then turned to his brother, wondering what had happened below in the caves.

"Is she the one we have been waiting for? The one who will usher in the new era?" the chief asked.

"I believe she is. The only thing we can do now is to help and hope."

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The Darkstrider arrived at the Veldhern villas in several minutes, landing on the outskirts of the area. While on the way there, the crew came to an agreement that the best course of action was co-operation. So far, aside from the dustup with the sergeant and his cronies, the people here were more concerned about keeping everything safe rather than doing them harm. The crew debarked from the Darkstrider, walking out to meet Captain Fitch and his escorts.

"Captain Sunara, if you and your crew will follow me, please?" Fitch asked them.

"Will we be allowed to keep our weapons, captain?" Inari asked.

"You will, for the moment," he told her, which eased some tensions among the crew.

They followed along, just as a small shuttle neared the villas, landing close by the Darkstrider. They led the crew into a small building that was still under construction, as part of an unfinished expansion for the villas. The crew were brought inside the building and led to an unfinished conference room, where after several minutes, they were joined by Saubath, Williams and Dohbalan, all accompanied by their respective aides.

"Captain Sunara, Captain Fitch, crew of the Darkstrider," Williams said by way of greeting.

"What's the meaning of all of this Fitch? We were told that the incident down here was classified as a Class Seven incident. Care to explain yourself?" Saubath hissed.

"Sergeant Deak, if you and your men would?" Karl called out, gesturing to his men.

Nodding, the soldiers did as they were instructed previously and booted up the recordings of their armor cams. The entire event involving the pirates, their taking of the civilians and subsequent deaths at the hands of Shazza, was rendered in full detail. The eyes and mouths of everyone there were wide open in disbelief. Dohbalan's face was etched in fear as he turned to stare at Shazza, and he gulped.

"Ma'am... are you... you..." he stuttered.

Shazza then looked over at Alex, who sighed and nodded, giving her his permission. She then sighed and tapped at the new disguise matrix, dropping the illusion of her as a human brunette. She stood before the men and women assembled, her black skin and white blonde hair shining in the light. Saubath almost yelped in surprise, while Williams stared at Shazza in fascination, scrutinizing the woman.

"How... how did you get here?" Maia asked, stunned that she was looking at a real live Xuul'khan.

"There was no way she got past any of the border patrols! The fleets in those sectors would have spotted Xuul'khani ships entering our sector of the galaxy!" Saubath scoffed.

"Could this be the precursor of a larger invasion?" Dohbalan's aide worried.

"How about we let the young lady speak for herself?" Ana Williams growled, snapping everyone's attention to her. With the sole focus on the swarthy commodore, everyone who had spoken up looked chagrined. They then turned their heads to look at the Xuul'khani woman, who smiled before speaking.

"I could fabricate an elaborate lie to convince you otherwise, but we, as a crew, have decided that the truth is the best way in which to proceed," Shazza started.

"What truth?" Williams wondered.

"That we are all not who we appear to be," she said cryptically.

"What do you mean by that?" Dohbalan wondered, staring at the Xuul'khani woman.

"What she means is that not all of us are who we say we are. My name isn't Alexander Dragic. I am Alexander Matthias Tomisic, Commodore of the Unified Systems Alliance and Captain of the Prometheus class dreadnought, Perseus," Alex told them all.

"Commodore... Tomisic? If my history is correct, the Perseus was captained by one Commodore Neville Hamilton," Williams replied, refuting Alex's statement.

"Commodore Hamilton didn't survive our mission. Captain McKenzie and I are the only survivors of a Xuul'khani attack on our ship. Shazza was the only Xuul'khani survivor of their boarding action," Alex continued. "I would love to speak of the entire story, but this place seems a little... informal and... unsecured."

"An excellent point and I understand the need to show us what was recovered from the armor cams, Captain Fitch. It is indeed, too dangerous to transmit," Saubath agreed.

"Understatement of the year! Administrator Dohbalan, have a secure meeting room set aside for our arrival back on the station. I have a feeling that what is to be said by Commodore Tomisic will be... enlightening," Williams stated, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Not a problem. Let me just contact my associates on the station to get one set up," the human man replied.

"Oh, and before you go, I will require the signature of either of you for my report," Fitch piped up, showing the tablet in his hands.

"Permit me," Williams told him, stepping up and taking the tablet from the man.

She scanned the contents of the report, going over the highlights of it. She was happy to see that every civilian involved had signed off on the NDA's they were given. Ana was hardly surprised when she noted the treasonous actions of Sergeant Cullen and the five men who stood with them. The commodore then sighed and authorized the report and the arrest of the Sergeant and his men.

"Since they're prisoners now, be sure that they are treated as such. Send them to Tartarus," Williams told the security captain.

"Yes, ma'am!" Fitch saluted, before turning on his heel and leaving.

The gathered crowd then dispersed, heading for their ships. Ana knew that things would get exponentially interesting over the course of the next few hours. She only hoped that things went in a direction that would benefit everyone, and not just a few. Her suspicions of certain people on Veldhern station were still high, and with good reason. She only hoped to catch such people before they became more than a simple nuisance.

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Karl headed back to his office in the villas, filing the report and setting the prisoner transport in motion. Now that he had the commodore's authorization, he could be rid of the nuisance that was Sergeant Cullen and his yes men. Cullen had some serious charges leveled against him, and he should have been processed through the system. He and his men wouldn't be going through the normal channels of justice though, as this was a delicate matter with extenuating circumstances.

Because of the sensitive nature of the situation concerning Shazza, such normal procedures became irrelevant. She may have been a Xuul'khan, but she was one who was polite, friendly even! That she'd defended innocent people from becoming the playthings of pirates spoke volumes about her character. Hell, that she put down pirates like they were ants beneath her boots convinced him!

"Hey, Karl!" a chipper voice called out.

Looking up from his paperwork, Fitch saw the familiar frame of D'zalah Kantori, a Naucturi woman. The lithe and beautiful woman pranced inside the office, seating herself across from Karl. Naucturi were a familiar sight in the UCW, being one of the founding races of the Coalition. They were also among the most populous, since most of the UCW, as it was in its infancy, was centered mostly around Naucturi systems.

Naucturi weren't too unlike humans in shape and form, and possessed many similar traits and variances. The biggest differences were their skin tones, which ranged from a dull orange to a deep teal and an odd texture to it, almost like lizard skin. They had hair as humans did, but it was coarser than most human hair. Their eyes were the one thing that was most human about them, even if they had odd eye colors.