The Ildahn Incident

Beneath Lightbringer Tower, King Arcturus brooded, listening to the endless issues conveyed by his advisors. The radiance of the tower’s Aetherium core cast a violet glimmer over them. Normally, the king enjoyed basking in the glow, but with worlds demanding more Aetherium batteries, terrorists attacking supply convoys, and pirates stealing supplies, he was hard-pressed to feel anything other than exasperation. Not to mention the rumor that some of the dragon clans were unhappy with his rule and plotting to occupy other planets. Today was not a good day.

Turning his gaze to the sky, he recognized a familiar shape approaching. A toothy grin spread across his face as he stood. The chatter around him cut short as eyes focused on him before following his gaze. When they caught sight of the oncoming ship, they parted, making room for the king.

“My son has returned from another mission!” The king bellowed. His joy quickly turned to fear as a team of healers rushed past him. He then realized the ship had not slowed its descent, meaning an emergency landing. He followed healers.

The ship hit the ground hard. The sleek, sharp body carved out a wide path, spraying dirt on either side. Stallax and Ruudrun emerged from the ship, an unconscious prince in their arms. The two warriors gently lowered the prince to the ground.

The healers, of the Aquan clan, examined Prince Ardellon. Bright purple glyphs appeared over their hands and eyes like ethereal tools, scanning and magnifying that which was blind to the naked eye.

“His aura is draining rapidly,” one healer stated.

“Something else is taking its place. We’ve never seen anything like it,” the other chimed in.

“What happened!?” Arcturus demanded.

“We were pursuing smugglers in the Ildahn System,” Stallax answered, his voice wavering.

“Tiliquoids…” Ruudrun added. “They were smuggling Aetherium to systems beyond the Dark Wall.”

“We must take him to the healing center now!” One of the healers interjected.

“Move! Now! Your lives depend on his!” The beleaguered king’s roaring command spurred them all into action. Even the advisors moved to assist. Two of them volunteered to remove the cloth-wrapped mass clutched in the prince’s hand. One reached for it but suddenly withdrew with a shriek.

“What in the name of Arterion is that!?” He cried out. The rest of the party halted. The wrapping around the mass shifted and a large, bloodshot eye gazed about maniacally.

“The smugglers were carrying something else with them,” Ruudrun said, growing tense. “Some kind of blade.”

“We think it came from beyond the Dark Wall,” Stallax said. “For some reason, he won’t let it go.”

The healers examined the artifact. “It’s the source of the prince’s waning energy,” One confirmed.

“Remove the cloth!” The king ordered. The healers obeyed. And the king regretted the command.

The cloth revealed raw, living flesh in the shape of a great sword. Its surface was pinkish-red and seemed to breathe and writhe with life. In the center of it was the menacing eye. They all choked on the thick, oozing aura emanating from it.

Arcturus lifted an open hand and pointed his palm toward the living weapon. A purple glimmer shined in and around his hand. Suddenly, the cloth that once covered the sword rose up and resumed its place, concealing the weapon. Only, with the magic enacted upon it, the cloth expanded into glyph-covered straps, sealing the blade. Its aura shrank considerably. It then left the prince’s hand, hitting the ground.

“It sleeps, for now,” Arcturus said, breathing heavily. “But I will not be able to contain it for long.”

The king looked over his son, his unconscious demeanor no longer looked pain-stricken.

“Foolhardy whelp… what plague have you brought to our home?” He turned to the healers and advisors. “Bring him directly to the healing center, and seal that thing away, immediately.”

They all dispersed.

Ardellon awoke with a start. He shot up in alarm but quickly relented as he looked around. The capital’s healing center. Private wing maintained for the Crowned Clan of Light, his family. He exhaled and laid back down, trying to recount his most recent memories. Most were a blur.

“You have much to explain, my son.” The prince looked over to see his father approach. “Care to tell me how you came to possess such loot?”

“Don’t remember much,” the prince said, rubbing his head.

“According to the healers, that thing sapped most of your spark and even began feeding on your lifeforce. The fact that you’re still breathing after traveling back with it in your possession is nothing short of miraculous. Therefore, you will need time to recover. So, what do you remember?”

Ardellon took a deep breath and recounted what he could.

I was training in the palace courtyard when I got a call from GCF headquarters. It was Stallax. A request came from Xaanowa. The locals discovered a strange ship flying by their planet. They attempted to hail it, but received no reply as the ship meandered through the system. This violates GCF protocols for flying through allied space, so the Xaanowans reached out.

“Guess they want the good ol’ Galactic Coalition Forces to come out and investigate,” Stallax said via comms. The excitement in his voice made his next statement obvious. “So, I volunteered us, immediately!”

“Ruudrun, too?” I asked.

“Of course! You know how upset he would be if we didn’t include him?”

“All too well. Remember the patrol through the Praxxi System?”

“You kidding? He still talks about missing that space battle!”

“Who knew the Serac clan could be so sensitive?”

“I think it’s just him.”

“Probably.”

“On my way. Fire up the cruiser, and don’t forget Ruudrun!”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” The comm-link ended. I sent word to have my gear loaded onto the ship before my arrival. I also messaged Ruudrun just in case Stallax’s excitement got the better of him and he forgot…again.

I arrived at GCF HQ to find Stallax harassing the staff while they inspected the ship. Ruudrun arrived shortly after.

“Ready to go, Prince?” He asked as he approached.

“Always up for a run off-world. And Xaanowa no less. Looking forward to wrapping this up quickly and spending a little leisurely time with the locals. They love dragons. Something about our not so subtle destructive might makes them very…stimulated.”

“Hah! Always a good time in your company,” Ruudrun replied, clapping me on the back. “You still owe me a space battle.”

“I aim to entertain, can’t promise one, though.”

We joined Stallax aboard the ship as launch preparations completed.

“What’s so strange about a ship flying by, anyway?” Ruudrun asked as we took off and engaged the warp drive.

“Normally, ships fly through systems at warp speeds, doing otherwise would simply be a waste of time and fuel,” I answered. “But based on the report, a cargo ship with two fighter escorts preferring to shamble by is a bit too conspicuous.”

“Ildahn System,” Stallax said as we dropped out of warp speed. “Home to only four planets, including our good friends, the Xaanowans. Hailing to let them know their heroes have arrived.”

The lush, green orb grew in size as we neared. Stallax hailed the planet, transforming from his jovial, casual self to an authoritative officer in an instant. A true spectacle.

“GCF Vessel Illuminatus to Valtenno Tower. We have arrived and will conduct our investigation. Please provide last known coordinates of the mysterious ships.”

The Xaanowans relayed the information and we headed to the dark side of the planet. We soon spotted the culprits. A large cargo transport chugged along; two smaller, shabby-looking fighters were docked on either side of it. All three ships looked like they might fall apart at any minute. Their warp drives must be damaged, I thought. Why else would they risk flying through a UDE-allied star system?

“Should we attempt to hail them?” Stallax asked.

“Xaanowans already tried that, I see no reason to,” I replied.

“GCF Code states we must hail a vessel under investigation before taking any further action,” Ruudrun lectured.

“Fine. Always with the morals, this guy.” I conceded. I knew it was the right thing to do, but for some reason, I felt anxious. As we neared the illegal ships, a sense of unease began to take over.

“GCF to unknown cargo vessel. Respond and provide identification and clearance codes permitting you to fly through Allied space.”

Nothing.

“GCF to unknown vessel. Respond or you will be fired upon.”

More nothing.

“Well, that was all I needed,” I announced, ready to wrap up the mission. “Why do you think their fighters are still docked and not flying alongside the larger ship?”

“Good question, Ruudrun answered. “Pilots could be helping protect the cargo.”

“Couldn’t they do that with their ships?” Stallax argued. Ruudrun nodded.

“Maybe they’re dealing with something on the ship and need all hands on deck,” I surmised. The unease manifested into a tingling sensation I felt at the tips of my nerves. Stallax and Ruudrun looked at me. “You two don’t feel that?”

“I thought it was just excitement from being out here on this mission,” Stallax said.

“I feel it, Prince,” Ruudrun nodded and then looked out toward our targets. “Something isn’t right.”

“Disable them,” I said with growing unease. “And prepare to board.”

“But we have no idea what’s on that ship,” Stallax argued.

“All the more reason to find out. Something’s wrong and I know it. Disable them and board. That’s an order,” I ordered.

“Fine, but I’m staying on the ship,” Stallax said, hesitation creeping into his voice. “To…be ready in case we need to get away fast.”

“How brave,” Ruudrun said sarcastically. “Ready when you are, Prince.”

I nodded and Stallax commenced the attack.

Stallax activated the targeting system and fired out EMP rounds.

“Bullseye!” He shouted as the rounds found their target.

We approached the ship and extended the boarding bridge.

“Easy Stall,” I said. “Let’s not have a repeat of last time.”

“Last time you distracted me! Kind of like what you’re doing now!” He said.

“Watch out!” Ruudrun called out and Stallax snapped his head forward in time to see the boarding bridge less than a meter from the cargo ship hull. He pulled back on the navigation wheel, maneuvering the ship, the extended bridge scraped the hull but did no real damage.

“Be more careful!” I shouted.

“Let’s try this one more ti-.”

His statement was cut off as we all watched the cargo ship drift off toward Xaanowa. We forgot that we were still close enough to the planet for its gravity to pull in stationary objects. Our target being one of them.

“Do something!” I shouted, breaking the silence. Not going to lie to you, I panicked as I watched the ship turn into a massive projectile falling toward the planet.

“Firing tow cables!” Stallax shouted. The massive magnets fired out from our ship like steel serpents. They hit their mark and the cables latched and retracted, lurching the ship forward as we pulled it in.

“Focusing all power into the thrusters!” Stallax shouted next and the ship’s engines roared to life as we pulled the cargo ship from the gravity well.

“Nice save, Stall.” He only nodded as he exhaled.

“Just go see what’s on it. Better be worth it. We’re definitely going to have to land and refuel after that little stunt.”

“I was counting on it,” I said with a grin. They already knew I had plans to visit the locals. The ships collided as the boarding bridge engaged. Stallax stabilized both ships. Ruudrun and I crossed to the enemy vessel. Ruudrun approached the side of the hull we faced at the end of the bridge. Using the void-blade in his right gauntlet, he carved us a door. He ducked in first and I went after him. The first thing I noticed was the smell.

Next, was the sensation I had felt back on the ship. Only this time it was stronger. We stepped out from behind a large container. I looked up at the engineering and labor that went into the ship. It was barely held together with little more than adhesives and steel. I bumped into Ruudrun who had stopped in his tracks.

“Why did you- “. I looked up and the scene before me snatched the words from my mind. Bodies…littered the floor of the cargo hold. It looked like a slaughterhouse. The walls had burn marks that still steamed from projectile fire. Some of the corpses lay draped across carts and others spread out around some of the containers near the center of the hold.

“Some of them are Tiliquoids,” I said as I recognized some of the bodies as members of the criminal race that detested our rule.

“No surprise there. Wonder what’s in these containers.” Ruudrun said as we approached one.

As we searched through the carnage, I noticed a large case, open and empty. It was long and wide, clearly held large loot. The container resembled a chest, though it was completely black with ornate carvings all over it. That sensation came from within its hollow compartment. It was dread. Purely terrible.

“Prince!” Ruudrun called to me, freeing my mind from the mental loop it was caught in.

“Aetherium,” I said, peering into the container before us. “So, they were smuggling our power source.”

We opened more containers and they all held the same contents.

“This is too much for their usual dealings,” I said. I approached the terminal at the hold’s entrance and accessed the logs.

“More still!” Ruudrun called out. “That’s five containers now. Where did it come from?”

“Manifest doesn’t list an origin, just a destination. Ever heard of the Sol System?”

“Nope. Found another one, though.”

“Hmm, must be beyond the Dark Wall. No surprises there with Tiliquoids involved.”

“What do you want to do?” Ruudrun asked.

“We need to call it in. Command will have to send out a team to confiscate it all. We can then investigate who is missing such a massive supply and redistribute.”

A loud scraping sound broke the silence.

“What in the stars is that?”

“Could be a survivor.”

It wasn’t. From behind a massive cargo container, the largest Tiliquoid I’d ever seen ambled into view. Dragging behind it was the source of the scraping. Some sort of blade covered in viscera; no doubt it was from the many victims strewn about. The monster hadn’t seen us yet.

“Uh, we have a problem,” Stallax said through the comm-link.

“You see this thing, too?” I asked, trying to keep my voice low.

“See what?”

“Nothing. We have a bit of a situation on our hands, what is it?”

“Picking up a vessel coming out of warp speed.”

“That was fast,” Ruudrun chimed in. “Didn’t expect the recovery team to respond so quickly.”

“I didn’t contact them yet.”

“So, who is entering the system?” I asked.

“That’s the thing. I have no idea,” Stallax said.

“Cloak the ship?” I asked.

“But you’ll still be visible.”

“Do it anyway,” I told him. Just then, the dreaded sensation poured over me like a waterfall. A loud screech inside my head caused me to double over. As I did, the hideous blade slashed just above my head. The monster was upon us. I heard no sound nor saw it move.

“Tiliquoid warship inbound. I’m cloaked, but it’s coming straight for us,” Stallax said through the comm.

“Great,” I answered.

I looked over to see Ruudrun also doubled over. It affected him too. As I turned, I was met by the giant. He stood about 25 feet tall and was nearly as wide. With arms the size of tree trunks, it swung a blade that narrowly missed the horns on my head. I ducked again and dashed back. The blade sunk deep into the wall of a container beside me and the behemoth struggled to pull it free.

A quick glance at the blade and I knew I’d found the source of the dread. It was the most hideous thing I’d ever seen. Covered in flesh and throbbing as if it were breathing. A bloodshot eye in the middle of its body opened and stared directly at me with all the malice in the universe. I pulled my firearm from its holster and sent two shots into the monster’s hand, then one into the blade just to see what would happen. The Tiliquoid winced in pain but the eye of the blade only grew angrier. The Tiliquoid roared and attempted to wrench the blade free. While off-balance from the force required to free the blade, Ruudrun charged, shoving two gauntleted fists into its leg. The bones snapped like twigs and the beast went down to one knee. I took advantage and fired a round into each of its eyes. It dropped dead, smoke emitting from its eye sockets.

A loud thud interrupted our victory.

“Boarding party,” I growled. “Get to cover.”

Ruudrun hid in a cargo container nearest us. I got up to follow suit but something stopped me. The blade, devoid of an owner, whispered to me. I don’t recall what it said, only being mesmerized by it. I picked it up, surprised by how light and balanced it felt, and then hid in a separate container and waited as the boarding party entered the ship. I could feel it writhing beneath my grip. It was…unnerving. The whispering continued, though it was just gibberish.

“Silence!” I said under my breath. Hisses and raspy commands drew my eye to the entrance of the cargo hold. A squad of a dozen Tiliquoids entered the hold and spread out.

The whispering in my head grew louder. It began to sound like chanting. I grew angry, not at the blade, but at everything around me. Rage filled my entire being. I wanted to destroy all that was around me. I launched myself from the cargo container, and then everything went black.

“What do you mean it all went black?” Arturus asked, perturbed.

“I don’t remember anything after that.”

“Well, clearly you survived, as did that wretched blade.”

“Stallax and Ruudrun?”

“Both fine, though the medics informed me Ruudrun is in complete shock. How he managed to get you out of there was nothing short of miraculous. He won’t speak to anyone.”

Ardellon winced, putting a hand to his temple.

“You’re still connected to it,” Arturus more stated than asked. His son nodded.

“The healers believe the cursed blade has somehow bound itself to you. To you very lifeforce. We have no way of separating it from you without killing you in the process.”

“Lovely, so I’m to live out the rest of my centuries listening to a cursed sword making me pass out.”

“There is another way. Though, I do not know if it will work.”

“At this point, I don’t have many options, Father. Tell me.”

“You could go to the Source.”

“The source? Source of what?”

“The Source of us. Of Everything that we are.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Son, the United Draconic Empire did not originate here on Arterion. Well, the Empire did, but the clans did not.”

Ardellon stared, waiting for an explanation.

“Our people were birthed on a small world, in the Sol System, far beyond the Dark Wall.”

“Sol System?” Ardellon tried to search his hazy memory for the source of that name. “The Aetherium…that was its destination.”

“Impossible. Nobody but the oldest of our clans knows of our home world.”

“I saw the manifest myself, Father. The Sol System was the destination for fusion cells we recovered.”

“All the more reason for you to go. If the Tiliquoids discover the Source, it will spell doom for us all.”

“Where in the Sol System am I to go?”

“We called it, Gaia Terra. We left because of another; younger species born long after us. They were many and too destructive. Towards themselves and us. Rather than destroy them and the planet we called home, we decided to leave and let them destroy themselves. We had hoped we would be able to return someday but Arterion is too far for us to just return without the help of technology. As time passed, we came across other worlds and people that we could help advance, and in turn, they could help us spread our influence and eventually pave a way for us to return to Gaia Terra.”

“And what of this younger species?”

“They are called Man. We do not know what became of them. It is likely they have destroyed themselves and Gaia Terra has reclaimed her surface. But there is no way for us to know. Little information beyond the Dark Wall reaches us, as you know.”

“How do you know the planet is even still there?”

“Because we can still feel the Source. All dragons are connected to it. It is where our lifeforce, our essence originates. That power you feel residing deep in your core, that is the Source within you. Reach it in person and I believe it will cleanse you of this curse.”

“Understood. I will go.”

“When you recover. Take Stallax and Ruudrun with you. Do not attempt this alone. And gather what information you can about the current state of our old home.”

2 Days Later

Ardellon shook his head in hopes of dispelling the vocal plague occupying his mind. Though the cursed blade was sealed away in their cargo hold, their connection caused him endless distress.

“How will we even know to how to find this Sol System?” Stallax asked.

“The data logs we confiscated from the contained coordinates,” Ardellon answered. “If we follow them, we ought to reach the system.”

“I don’t trust those zealots, but I trust you, Prince.”

Ardellon put a hand on Stallax’s shoulder, then left the cockpit. He went to rest in the common area. Sitting by a window, gazing out at the vast expanse of space. Ruudrun entered the common area. It was clear he had no plans to address Ardellon.

“Lack of communication is akin to death in battle,” Ardellon said. Ruudrun paused.

“What do you remember after fighting that behemoth on the smuggler ship,” he asked, studying his leader. Ardellon thought back to the encounter.

“I remember…the Tiliquoid reinforcements arrived and boarded the ship,” Ardellon said.

“And then?”

“And then pain…anger and rage. Then darkness. I vaguely remember returning home. Everything else is a haze until I awoke in the healing center. I assumed I was wounded by the boarding party, but the healers never mentioned any more than a concussion.”

Ruudrun nodded and shifted his gaze to the floor.

“What? What is it?”

“The Tiliquoids never stood a chance. The carnage you wrought with that blade; I’d never seen anything like it in all my centuries. Some of them begged for mercy. And you obliged them with a swift death.”

Ardellon stared as he listened to the recounted atrocities.

“I tried to reach you. Call to you so that we could leave. What heeded my call was not my prince, or my friend. Behind your visage was a demon. Your eyes were devoid of any signs of recognition. You were gone. All that was left was pure bloodlust.”

“Ruudrun…“

“Then you attacked. Swung right for my head. Had one of the cargo containers not been in the way… So, I hit you. Hard as I could. Knocked you out. Somehow, your grip would not release the damned sword. I dragged you…and it…back to the ship.”

“Explains the concussion.”

“This is no jest! You wanted me dead and I know that thing was the reason. It’s too dangerous!”

“Then why did you agree to accompany me on this journey?”

“To protect Stall …and you.”

“How admirable, but who will protect you?”

Ruudrun could only stare at his lifelong friend and now subject of his recent nightmares.