The Bookwyrm

Bookwyrm nodded and followed Eof inside.

Bookwyrm chuckled. "Cutting right to the chase, huh, Eof?"

Granted, but only you can see it. I wish for Dune Part 2 to be out early so I can watch it.

Akat'tirri stood in the cruiser, which looked like an elongated silver pyramid with wing protrusions and other emplacements along it's hull. His wife, and two children (who were old enough to take care of themselves, of course) had each gone to visit another system. Akat'tirri had chosen simply to visit this one first. He nodded to one of the aides on the bridge, who opened a communications channel with the source of the signal. "This is Akat'tirri Raltathani, Duke of the Raltathani Sector of the Draconic Empire. I come with no ill intentions."

Akat'tirri walked through the halls of Raltathani Palace, a bad idea forming in his mind. It was in this state of thought that Irrishala found him. His wife, with her glittering silver scales, walked up to him and unfolded one of her slender wings over his. "What's the matter this time?" she asked, voice soothing. "Can't you guess?" He held up the datachip. "Ah." Irrishala reached a talon over to activate the holographic display, craning her neck beside Akat'tirri's. "Four systems agreeing to join in the last few days..." she sighed. "There isn't much to do, is there?" "That's what I'm trying to think of. Do you have any agents that could visit the sector?" "No, not as Starkeepers," she answered. "As you're aware Imperial security is tight in frontier reaches, especially before a Culling War. They'd get caught." "And none of them have political positions that would let them in with good reason..." "Correct. Once the war itself started, I could sneak a few in, but by then it'd be too late..." He sighed. "What if we went?" Irrishala hesitated. "As...Starkeepers?" "No, as Duke and Duchess of the sector," he explained. "We'd show interest in the civilizations, politically play it as gathering information of our galactic neighbors." "I don't think Xkekartil would appreciate that very much..." "They aren't his worlds yet." "I suppose." She frowned thinking about it. "Maybe it would work, but we'd have to downplay publicity. People would think it strange if we went in a full Palace Cruiser with an entire diplomatic entourage and a small army, proclaiming our intent to the entire Empire." "That can be arranged," Akat'tirri said. "Politics in the Sector handle themselves anyway most of the time; they can live without us for a while." "We can be vague about our specific intentions. Not to the degree to draw suspicion from the Council, but enough to give us leeway in the time we have...and we should bring Shirri'tela and Katir." He frowned at that last part. "Are you sure?" "Our children could use the experience! Both in the political maneuvering, and in continuing the legacy of their father and his parents." He nodded, seeing the reasoning. "I'll have a message sent to them." Irrishala nodded, then grew solemn. She put a talon on his chest. "Akat'tirri," she said softly. "You have to be prepared for the reality that you might not be able to do anything to help." He closed his eyes. Am I willing to accept that? After all I've seen... But what other choice was there? "I understand," he said, placing a talon over hers. *** A few days later, a relatively small cruiser left the surface of Natirri and performed a point-space jump, appearing in the outer reaches of the Solar System.

Bookwyrm hesitated for a moment. "Not if I can help it," he finally said. The rings...what? No...that wasn't possible. The magic, the bond...something that transcended normal existence, normal magic, transcended death. What has Kaos done to you, Emma? Bookwyrm turned to Thaidakar. "There's an entire army of Kaos monsters up that cliff," he said, pointing towards the top of the rampart that sat atop the cliff. "We will hold them back, destroy as many as possible. As for Lark and TAAron...I can't sense them anymore. "But," he added, "If you find them, contact me immediately. I know the technique of the Light Net; I can temporarily free them from Kaos's control. Hopefully that net will hold long enough for Calano - the Creator - to eliminate the influence of Kaos entirely." @The Wandering Wizard @Thaidakar the Ghostblood

Akat'tirri Raltathani gazed out at the view from his balcony. The curving bay of the island his palace was built on spread out in front of him, the white sandy beach bordering a vibrant jungle filled with the plants and animals of his childhood. Beyond the island, a deep blue ocean, filled with life, stirred calmly in the tranquil weather. The blue sky, illuminated by the twin white suns, was cloudless, and the looming crescent shape of Galgaranth, the gas giant his homeworld Natirri orbited, hung in beside them. The ocean moon had served as the ancestral home of the Raltathani family for generations, ever since their arrival in the sector. The moon had held no intelligent society prior to colonization by the Dragons. Now, despite millenia of habitation, it remained naturally unscathed, it's splendor and beauty preserved for the family that lived there. The moon was sparsely populated; only those part of the Raltathani House, with the Raltathani Family at its center, truly called the place home, along with a few other government officials. The true political capital of the Raltahani Sector was Telten-II, a metropolis planet located in a system about 14 light years from Natirri. The Raltathani Palace was a beautiful building that was built on - and in some cases in - this small island some distance south of the largest island-continent on Natirri. It's gold and silver spires stretched towards the sky and burrowed into the ground and ocean underneath the island. It took power from the volcano that formed the island's core, a primitive but symbolic way of life. Parts of the palace extended through the rock and out beneath the ocean. The structure was like a net that had woven itself into the fabric of the island, in-tune with it's life and geology. Sometimes, Akat'tirri wished that the Empire followed the example of his family's palace. In tune with it's surroundings, not dominating them. He sighed as he gazed out at that ocean. The Empire had started demanding participation for it's next Culling War. Already, several of the civilizations had agreed to fight in the terrible extinction conflict, while others stubbornly refused to acquiesce. Either way, certain death likely awaited them. If only our organization had more influence...alas, the Starkeepers had not the capacity to interfere directly with the commands of the center of the Empire, which was directly involved in every Culling War. Akat'tirri heard the sound of talons on the floor behind him. He turned to see Kit'tan'trr, one of the palaces stewards, approaching. She had a full set of glimmering green scales, an uncommon sight for one of her station. House Raltathani had never forced it's servants - or even general subjects - to remove their scales at birth; it was a choice offered to each Dragon. If it had not been for the family's skill and military prowess in governing their sector, the would have been looked down on as weak for such a breach in tradition, along with many other such breaches. Even so, House Raltathani had many political enemies in the Empire, but enough presence that no major conflict could safely be started by any opposing house. "My lord," Kit'tan'trr said. "I bring news of the frontier sector." She pulled out a datachip from a pouch on her forearm and handed it to Akat'tirri. "The details are enclosed in there, but a number of new worlds have agreed to the war. Most notably, the youngest and least advanced of the civilizations." "The one I've been keeping my eye on?" "Yes. The...'humans', as they call themselves." "I see. Thank you, Kit'tan'trr." She smiled and nodded, then left him alone. Akat'tirri had been watching the Humans of Earth for quite a while. They were a race of contradictions, similar to the Qenpathi of his own sector. Warlike in their past, but filled with ingenuity...despite similarities in biology to other humanoid races, and sparse similarities in civilization to others such as the Qenpathi, they held a uniqueness that tantalized him. He'd been meaning to have the Starkeepers contact them, inform them of their resistance to the Empire...but if they were agreeing to the war now... Was he going to have to wait through another war? Yes, theoretically, they'd be able to stop these wars from happening eventually, but for every millenia they waited, more civilizations ran the risk of extinction. Perhaps there was something he could do now...but what? He sighed, then turned and entered the palace. He needed to think. @Channelknight Fadran

"Yep." Bookwyrm and Reasoning were suddenly standing in front of Eof's house. Wherever that was in the universe. "I wonder if he still has any of his children around...and what Esmerelda is up to." Bookwyrm walked up to the door and knocked.

"We could go ask Eof. I've been meaning to check in with him anyway."

"...No, I do not."

What's going on here these days? 1770

...I have the normal human number of toes. So no. TPBM is hungry.

Bookwyrm stood around wondering what to do. I could always go visit Eof again, I suppose.

Near the Rampart "Ah...Sorry. You're right." Bookwyrm got to his feet, then looked to the top of the Rampart. "A large portion of the army rests beyond this fortification," he said. "We can work to try and hold them back. Unless you'd need us anywhere else?" As he spoke, a feeling of darkness came over him, and his mind was drawn towards the center of the battlefield. The center of the Dreamscape. A place where the soul of the Creator and the soul of Kaos were concentrated fully. And something shifted. No... The fight is starting. It would be well for you to let him know that you are safe...give him Light. And Hope. Bookwyrm reached out with his mind, and touched Calano's. I'm back, he said. Don't lose hope. Whatever she said, all is not lost... He sighed. "Sorry. Just...taking care of something." @CalanoCorvus @Thaidakar the Ghostblood @InfiniteInsanity

Bookwyrm, after a long search, came across the planet he was looking for, far, far away from the sandwich.

@Channelknight Fadran

"Huh. Okay, then." Shadow, Michael, and Curiosity found themselves sitting in a grassy field, with no trace of their previous surroundings. @Thaidakar the Ghostblood

...I think some things may have happened while I was gone, Bookwyrm thought to himself. I don't know...any of those people. "Okay," he said slowly. "But how do I get them out from...wherever we are? I'm guessing there's Narration in place to just counteract any Narrating I do to just...make them be not in there."

Bookwyrm burst from another inactivity fluctuation, gasping for breath. "Gah," he said. "I hate it when that happens." He turned to Reasoning. "What is it?"

Not yet. TPBM is (or was) in marching band.

Only rivalled by the legendary Golden Triumph Forks. EDIT: @Robin Sedai, Thaidakar already bonded me, though...