| Sol I Dor: Raiding the Harvesters | |
|---|---|
| Main author(s) | User:IceBite (With some additions and corrections from User:Krayfish) |
| Timeline | 2137 AD |
| Story arcs | Sol I Dor-Galiana story arc |
| Wordcount | {{{words}}} |
Sol I Dor: Raiding the Harvesters involves the journeys of Sol I Dor and a few others in rescuing the human girl Galiana from the Harvesters.
For four year years, Sol I Dor has been raging a massive war against the Iron Fists. In his eyes, they were a cruel, vile race of monsters that kidnap aliens for use in their inhumane experiments. Four years ago, they stole Sol I Dor's adopted Human daughter, whom he named Galiana. All this time, he thought she was now dead, and feared the day he'd find her face on a Harvester Drone. However, a friend of his discovered that, maybe, just maybe, Galiana may be alive...
Now, Sol I Dor is desperate to rescue his daughter, but he may need help, the kind of help that comes from OUTSIDE Delson Hegemony space...
Prologue[]
For the last 4 years, she'd been held here. And all this time, they haven't killed her. Galiana can only wonder why.
Many years ago, when she was only 4, the Harvesters, the race that held her captive now, attacked her homeworld, Ashadra. They kidnapped many of the population for their insidious experiments. She herself was almost one such subject, until she was rescued by the Delson Fleet Commander Sol I Dor. After the incident, it was discovered that the Harvesters made off with much of the planet's populous, including her parents. Therefore, Sol I Dor, taking pity on her, adopted her. With the trauma of the incident making her forget her own name, it was Sol I Dor that named her Galiana.
It took some time for Galiana to adapt to the Delson way of life, but, with some help from Sol I Dor, she eventually adapted. Over time, he taught Galiana about the history of the Delsons. One of her favorite bits of history was the battle for the city she was named after: Galiana. In fact, she enjoyed the story so much, Sol I Dor used to tell it to her as a bed-time story.
He also taught her how to defend herself. Galiana soon proved to be a natural using bladed weapons, in the Delson Martial Art Style of <to be renamed>, so Sol I Dor had a newer, more well-designed pair of swords fashioned for her to use.
Well, a lot of good that practice did me, Galiana thought sarcastically, looking around her cell. Only fed enough to stay alive, and forced to watch as her roomates are removed to be turned into spare parts for the Harvesters' soldiers. One hope kept her going, however: that Sol I Dor was out there...and was looking for her.
Chapter 1: What the Heart Wants...[]
Sol I Dor squatted in his quarters, his saurian posture keeping him from 'sitting'. Again, he looked at the swords on his desk, and a wave of despair washed over him. It was almost 4 years to the day when he heard the Harvesters attacked the world he and Galiana were living on. By the time the HXS Palkobak arrived, it was too late: Galiana was gone. He desperately brought up all the favors he'd accumulated during his career and had them try to find Galiana, specifically ordering them to not give up until they found something. Several of them gave up after the first month anyways, but a small number kept at it.
Those, I owe a favor for now, he thought to himself as he remembered them. Still depressed beyond recognition, he hauled himself to the bridge. As he entered the bridge however, the comm officer approached.
The eager young Delson Female then said, "Krilek, you should head back to your ready-room. We're rerouting a communication to you there."
"Why can't I just answer it here?" Sol I Dor asked, sadly.
"You...said to route any private communications to you over to your quarters. Especially if the caller said the codeword 'Rorqual'...among others..."
Immediately, Sol I Dor began to fill with hope. 'Rorqual' was the codeword from one of his contacts. He immediately rushed to his quarters again and received the transmission. The image of a Delson Scientist appeared. "Rekal Vari, what is it? Why are you contacting me?"
"Sol, I think I found her."
"Alive?!"
Rekal nodded. "Alive."
Sol I Dor loaded up the Drenzer, his personal courier, while Rekal, who arrived on the HXS Palkobak an hour ago, explained. "I was watching the comm channels, like normal, when I intercepted an unencrypted Harvester Channel..."
"Wait, Harvester Comm Channel?"
"Yes, you know as well as I do that they are not good at hiding comm channels. Of course their comm channels are rarely used. Anyways, they mentioned something about 'relocating the human prisoner from the Delson Planet.' It's nothing truly definite, but, seeing as Galiana's the only human to have lived on a Delson world for an extended period of time..."
"It is her," Sol I Dor said, "With everyhting you've already told me, I can FEEL it."
Then, his second in command, another of his 'agents' in the search of Galiana, said, "I'll try and keep Command at bay, until you return. Good Luck, Krilek."
"Good Luck, Pel-Krilek." Then, Rekal and Sol I Dor boarded the Drenzer and the craft's landing gear retracted. A moment later, it was off, entering the vastness of space. Do not fear, Galiana, Sol I Dor thought, I'm coming for you. After all this time, I am finally coming for you.
The Drenzer hurdled through space, heading towards the source of the Harvester communication. Certain that if this wasn't where Galiana was, it could likely lead him to where she was, Sol I Dor put all he could out of the small courier in order to make it quickly there.
"So, this is finally it," Rekal said, "We finally have a lead."
"Thanks to you," Sol I Dor said. Then, he just started saying about Galiana, "Since I adopted her, I treated her as if she were my own child. I taught her our history, I taught her how to fight...when I returned to active duty 5 years ago, I was already proud of her progress..."
"Then the Harvesters returned, I take it..." Rekal guessed.
"Yeah...4 years ago..." Sol I Dor said, "By the time I received the transmission and got to the planet..."
"She was gone..." Rekal guessed, not needing confirmation. Now he understood: Galiana was like a daughter to Sol I Dor, practically was his daughter, and when she was kidnapped, Sol I Dor felt he failed her. All this time he knew she was likely dead, but kept hope that she lived...And now that hope brings us here: chasing a Harvester ship with information on where she yet lives. Hope is always a mysterious thing, Rekal thought to himself.
The ship soon approached its destination...and Sol I Dor's heart sank as he saw the mangled remains of the Harvester Interdictor.
Chapter 2: Negotiations[]
...aboard the DFS Garmatox...
The DFS Garmatox had begun violently shaking during a mission around the borders of Delson Hegemony and Karalian Empire space. An alarm sounded off.
"What in Krayhan's name is going on?" barked Captain Rorwin.
"Sir, the drive core is malfunctioning!" the pilot said. Not long, the windows began to crack and some pipes burst open with steam. An unnatural overdrive was a rare phenomenon. A malfunction that would cause a sudden buildup of static and heat.
"Shut it off! We need to get back to sublight speed or else everyone on this ship will get fried up."
"But sir, that's dangerous! Our systems could be fried regardless of what we do!" An alarm went off elsewhere on the ship. One of the other windows had broken open and the oxygen was escaping into the vacuum of space.
"Well, then brace yourselves!"
The pilot tapped a few keys which caused the ship to suddenly slow down. A massive heat wave passed throughout the ship, and some electronics exploded into sparks. It was a miracle no one was hurt. But without any room to catch their breath, a fast starship with dexterous maneuverability had begun circling the Garmatox and bombarding them with missiles.
Zerif said, "That was no malfunction...Hail that ship!"
The pilot said, "I cannot reach them via radio contact. They seem to be ignoring our signal."
Rorwin replied, "Return fire! Use whatever we've got left!"
With a few quick blasts of antimatter missiles, the Garmatox obliterated the unknown ship. Finally, the crew got a chance to catch their breath.
The pilot said, "Our engines have fried. We're stranded in the middle of Delson territory, and we're at least 5 lightyears from the nearest system."
"Well, then get our tech crews to work then. We're gonna be here for a while," Rorwin replied.
A few hours later, another ship had just dropped out of FTL. The pilot readied the missile.
"Hold your fire," Rorwin said. "That ship doesn't look like it wants to kill us. I'm not certain of the design though."
Sol I Dor and Rekal Vari looked at the other vessel in the sector. "I've never seen anything like it," Sol I Dor commented. While the Karalian Empire and Delson Hegemony had encountered each other several years before, the two had remained mostly isolated from one another and had never engaged in serious cultural exchange.
"Neither have I," Rekal commented, "But to be able to take down a Harvester Warship, it has to be powerful indeed." Sol I Dor immediately went for the comm equipment. "What are you doing?!" Rekal asked incredulously.
Sol I Dor ignored him and sent a transmission to the unidentified vessel. "Identify yourself and state your business in this sector. Leave the Harvester Vessel alone and hope there is an intact computer onboard. These Harvesters stole my daughter and this ship was one of the last chances I have in finding her."
Rekal could tell the tone of his voice spoke volumes of his desperation. Hopefully, he thought, These aliens would recognize his voice in such a way...
"They're hailing us!" the pilot replied. "Decoding message. There are Delsons aboard, but the ship is of unique design. The tone of the message is...desperate."
Grandmaster Zerif began speaking a reply. "My name is Grandmaster Zerif Bazwuna of the Karalian Empire. This is a warship that was patrolling the borders between our two nations, as we were aware of some dangerous alien activity in this sector. However, our drive core has malfunctioned leaving us stranded for the time being."
"Is that so?" Sol I Dor said. "I see you still managed to destroy that Harvester ship, the vessel that was probably responsible for the activity you detected. They are the most inhumane creatures I have ever laid my eyes on."
"These Harvesters you speak of? They hold your daughter as prisoner? It is very noble of you to rescue her, but how can be so sure that you are not leading us into a trap?"
"Trap? Look, I know you don't trust us, but we have a common enemy. That was a Harvester vessel that attacked your ship moments ago. I desperately hope I can salvage some the ship's computer systems."
"You seem to speak truthfully. However, since this ship is currently inoperable at the moment, we cannot provide you sufficient military assistance. What we can offer is one of our best soldiers to help you look for your daughter."
"Yes. Please, anything will do!"
"Very well then. In exchange for us offering you a soldier, you must escort us to the nearest source of helium-3, and we would also like some more data on these Harvesters so that we may defend our own borders should they decide to intrude our space. We also request that we maintain interstellar communication with your vessel so long as my men are under your command."
Later, Veoru Karik was called to the bridge. As he walked through the door, he saw a Sol I Dor on screen. The Grandmaster explained the situation to him. As hesitant as he was, Veoru accepted the mission and was ready to be transported aboard Sol's ship.
Veoru took a shuttle aboard the Drenzer, and was met by Rekal Vari. "I am Rekal Vari, scientist of the Delson Hegemony and personal friend of Krilek Sol I Dor."
"Krilek?"
"Ummm...that's the name of our rank of Fleet Commander."
"I see. Now, Grandmaster Zerif told me that we are going to rescue Sol I Dor's daughter, but I need more details. Who is she?"
"Well, first off, it's more of an adopted daughter: a human off-shoot that he rescued from a Harvester-sieged world. However, the bond he shares with her is as strong as any Delson to their child."
"An Ashadran, then? Interesting." Veoru responded. He tried to hide his slight puzzlement as he had never understood the true meaning of having a parent. He was all on his own after joining the Malinian Combat Institution as a mere child. It puzzled him even more why a Delson would be concerned over a species different than his own. It was a different culture for him, one that showed compassion.
Then, another Delson, this one's eyes covered by some kind of headdress emitting a glowing purple light, entered the room. It seemed to be a cross between desperate and relieved. This was obviously Krilek Sol I Dor. "At least one computer survived," he said with a breath of relief, "We have the general direction to the Harvester prison."
"Tell me more about these Harvesters. What are they and what reasons would they have to attack us?" Veoru asked.
"A monstrous race of beasts," Sol I Dor answered, "They raid planets, stealing people and resources, tearing their victims apart and turning them as parts to make their soldiers. The fact that they let Galiana, my daughter, live is as much a mystery as it is a blessing."
"Are all Harvesters like that?"
"I don't know, nor do I care to know," Sol I Dor said. "From what I've seen, they're all the same. The acts they've committed against us are atrocious and irredeemable."
"So, what's the plan from here?" Veoru asked.
"We need to find more clues," Sol I Dor said, more to himself than Veoru, while still answering him, "Try and find the specific location of the Harvester Prison. We cannot head to some random Harvester world en route: they may kill her if they discover that we're looking for her. Now, if you'll excuse me," Sol I Dor began to break down in tears, "I need to be alone."
Sol I Dor held one of Galiana's swords in his hands. He had the forging of 2 such blades commissioned for Galiana. She seemed delighted when she received them, more because of the thought behind them than for what they were for, but her delight at them still made him happy. Now, however, with Galiana gone, all the memory brought was sorrow.
"So, is that sword yours?" It was Veoru. Sol I Dor already read that he usually doesn't open up easy, but was now just trying to find reason to trust Sol I Dor.
"No, it isn't, it's Galiana's," Sol I Dor responded, "As is its twin. Even at her young age, she's a master with a blade. I taught her well..."
"How old is she?" Veoru asked.
"By now, about 21 years in age...she was 17 when she was taken."
"At 17, she was skilled with a blade? Quite atypical for a human."
Sol I Dor sadly nodded. "Yeah...I trained her since I adopted her. With the Delsons, it's normal for Delson parents to spend time with their children through combat training. Since she's the closest to me having a child...it seemed right. She came to enjoy our sessions. And it wasn't just fighting I taught her. I taught her about the history of my race. One such segment of history became her favorite bedtime story: the battle for the city I named her after..."
"You named her after a city?"
"Yes, the city of Galiana, where the Delsons drove the Buyuk Empire off Delse."
Veoru pulled out a datapad from his toolbelt. "Log 001: It's been forever since a Vaikan has laid eyes on a Delson. Sol I Dor has a deep emotional attachment to another species than his own - an Ashadran. We ought to rebuild relations with these people as they have since changed."
Chapter 3: Rendezvous[]
The Drenzer exited FTL over a small, rocky world. "So, where are we?" asked Veoru.
Sol I Dor answered, "Manomedeia, of the Aetura star system. This colony is mainly a backwater world, but one of my contacts is located here. With any luck, we can pool his information with my own and maybe narrow down where they're holding Galiana."
The ship descended through the thin atmosphere of the world and landed within the shielded spaceport. Sol I Dor looked out at the lava lakes, as did Veoru. The latter noticed the former tearing up. "Memories of Galiana?"
"I remember how I'd tell her about this planet...and how she'd comment on never wanting to come here. All the lava, you see, not good for humans, I guess," Sol I Dor responded with tears in his eyes.
Rekal Vari then said, "We're touching down now, Sol I Dor."
Minutes later, Sol I Dor, Rekal Vari, and Veoru Karik exited the Drenzer and entered the spaceport. The place was more neat and tidy than most offworlders would expect: the streets seemed well-maintained, devoid of garbage, and most of the native Delsons seemed to be more savory characters than one would expect. Most of them seemed quite interested in Veoru though, making him nervous. "Why are they...staring at me?"
"You're the first alien lifeform to step foot on this world in over a century. Just by being here, you're already famous." This didn't make Veoru feel much better, but at least he knew he wasn't going to get pickpocketed here.
Finally, they approached a shop and a slightly-plump Delson exited. "Ah, Marquis Sol I Dor! Welcome back! Seeing your mood, I think someone's on the trail of their daughter!"
"Good to see you again, Mig El O, and I'm going by Krilek right now," Sol I Dor responded, "I'm here to see if you have any information I can use. Thanks to Rekal, I managed to recover a computer from a Harvester vessel that contacted Galiana's prison. I'm hoping you could narrow my search."
"AH! You came at the right time, old friend. Someone who claims to have escaped the Harvesters recently came to my store, and I agreed to help the person get back on their feet. And more, they ain't Delson!"
"Really?" Sol I Dor asked.
"Yeah, the man claimed he's something called...Etel...Eteh...Etoh...Eteno! That's right!"
"There's Eteno all the way out here? The galaxy may not be that big after all," Veoru remarked in surprise. "It would be good if you come with us. May be able to get something from him." Mig El O led Sol I Dor, Rekal, and Veoru to the back room, and, inside, they saw an Eteno, missing its left arm, which was crudely replaced by a modified Delson mechanical arm.
The Eteno looked at Veoru and said, "A Vaikan? Don't see too many of those out in this sector."
Instead of giving Veoru a chance to answer, Sol I Dor rushed forward. "I heard you escaped a Harvester prison, I need you to tell me about it."
"Harvester? You mean one of those creatures that tore off my arm?"
"Yes!"
"Hmmm..." was all the Eteno answered.
Sol I Dor seemed on the verge of rage, but Veoru pushed ahead. "It is important to my mission for you to aid this Delson on his. He's searching for his daughter and found evidence that they're keeping her alive."
The Eteno was silent for a moment, but finally answered "I don't know about a Delson, but there was a human there. Said she'd been there a long time. However, she mentioned being raised by a Delson..."
"That's her! The human!" Sol I Dor said excitedly, "That's her! You remember where the prison was?!"
"No, when I escaped from it, I didn't memorize which way I went. I definitely remember what the sector looked like though..."
"That works!" Rekal replied, "He has the sector's appearance, we have its general direction. We just need to know which system matches both factors and we can start searching."
Veoru then asked, "Will you come with us? We could use the extra hand...no pun intended, mind you..."
The Eteno thought for a moment, then his mechanical arm whirred to life. "Sure. I still owe those 'Harvesters' for taking my arm! By the way, the name's Zdravko."
"Thank you!" Sol I Dor said gratefully, "Come on, our ship is in the spaceport. So, Mig El O, up for another adventure?"
"Nah, this old Marquis is worn out. Good luck, my old Lur-Marquis."
As the group exited, Veoru asked, "What's a Marquis?"
Rekal answered, "A High-Ranking Position in our Marine Corps. One Marquis commands several squads of Marines."
"He called Sol I Dor a Marquis. I thought he was a navyman, one of those 'Krilek's."
"In the Delson Military, a single Delson can be a member of multiple branches of the Military. It mostly depends on how skilled they are, as well as how determined a Delson is to do the duty our race has carved for ourselves."
"Which is?" Veoru asked.
"To defend any race that needs saving, regardless of the direness of the threat, be it supernova or Harvester Invasion."
Veoru reported another journal entry.
"Log 002: We've travelled to a nearby planet, and I had the opportunity to meet more of these Delson. They act quite similarly, and they uphold values of compassion and honor."
Chapter 4: Harvesters[]
Galiana watched as the humanoid that had been her cellmate for the last couple hours was dragged away. It had been the same thing for the past few years: many new aliens have been dragged into the prison and held by the Harvesters, only to be later taken to be 'processed'. She, for some reason, was the only exception. Over the years, she's seen representatives of many races: Eteno, Kklxin, Besala, and, recently, Vaikan. She's even seen Delsons and other humans here (the latter in smaller amounts). She then overhear 2 of the guards talking. Despite the fact that she hadn't completely mastered it, Galiana believed she could understand at least part of the language the guards were speaking. What she could hear made her heart jump: she heard that one of their ships was destroyed and the surviving computers had been removed.
It must be Sol I Dor! It MUST be! she thought.
Sol I Dor was now fixated on finding his last contact. He believed that if he could find him, then he could find that last bit of information he needed to find Galiana. However, suddenly, the ship began to rock.
"Shoot!" Rekal shouted, "Harvester Interdiction System!" Rekal swifty manipulated the controls of the Drenzer, and the vessel dropped out of FTL without serious damage. Suddenly, they were set upon by 3 unknown fighters and a cruiser. "Harvester Search Craft and an Interdictor!" Rekal identified.
"Sol I Dor then ordered, "Rekal, Veoru, Zdravko, on the manual guns! I'l deploy them monentarilly. Rekal, show the others where they are!"
"Right, you guys, with me!" From the hull of the Drenzer sprang 3 clusters of high-powered, autofire railguns. Rekal led the other 2 to the Gunner Positions. Without saying anything, Veoru grabbed one of the manual guns. He had no real training as an Alda'Kapura as melee combat was more of his thing. This was nothing he couldn't handle though. Once ready, Rekal shouted to Sol I Dor, "We're ready back here!"
"There! We're going to take cover in that asteroid field!" With the Harvester vessels in hot pursuit, Sol I Dor piloted the Drenzer into the remains of a rogue planet struck by a comet millions of years ago. It was a chaotic arena where the asteroids were unusually close to one another, destined to one day be shredded into dust.
Rekal, a master at Delson controls, but not weapons, spun his gun around and aimed at one of the Search Craft Fighters. He fired the railguns, but the nimble Search Craft maneuvered out of the way, and the railgun shots instead detonated on the asteroid behind it. "This is getting us nowhere!" Rekal shouted, "I'm a scientist, not a gunner!"
"Don't complain, shoot!" Zdravko shouted, as he fired on another Harvester craft.
However, the Interdictor bore down on the Drenzer and fired, clipping the port side of the ship. "Port side hit, shields weakening!" Sol I Dor warned.
As the Interdictor came about, Veoru kept his eyes on it, while Zdravko and Rekal each finally downed a Search Craft.
Rekal exclaimed, "I got one...I GOT ONE!"
"Great, kid," Zdravko said, "Don't get cocky!"
However, the Interdictor opened fire, again, and, when the shots hit, Sol I Dor warned, "Shields collapsing!"
Rekal and Zdravko both aimed their guns at the last Search Craft and, firing at the same time, destroyed the craft. "I got him!" Rekal shouted.
"No," Zdravko exclaimed, "That was MY kill!"
"Quiet!" Veoru shouted at both of them, "It's not easy to focus with you arguing over who killed what." He tracked the Interdictor, until it came out from behind the asteroid...and fired. His shots hit the blue sphere in the center of the vessel, causing it, and the whole Interdictor to explode.
"Good work," Sol I Dor commented.
"Thanks," Veoru commented. "You aren't a bad pilot."
"Yeah, we make a great team."
"Yes, a team..." Veoru said to himself. Being an assassin, he had always worked solo on his missions. It was a strange feeling of satisfaction working together with the other Delsons and the Eteno just now. A feeling he seldom experienced.
"Hey!" Rekal exclaimed, "You forget us?!"
"Yeah," Zdravko joined, "We took out the fighters! He just blasted that Interdictor and you just dodged their fire!"
"Whatever," Sol I Dor commented, "Just get back here."
Krilek Personal Log. Entry 3421 - Date 1-4-4368
It's day 4 of my search for my daughter. We were ambushed by a set of Harvester ships. It's very likely they know what we're up to, so, if we're gonna save Galiana, we have to work fast.
During the attack, the Eteno named Zdravko and Vaikan named Veoru both proved valuable in defending the ship from our attackers. It was Veoru who destroyed the Interdictor that held our ship in place.
We're now on our way to Color, in the Milla System, where my old mentor lives. I hope he can help me out with this.
We're so close...so close to finding Galiana, I can practically sense it. Maybe these last 4 years can be forgotten if I can just have my daughter in my arms again...
Chapter 5: The Sage[]
Despite the name, Color wasn't a colorful world: merely a grey rock with just enough atmosphere to sustain life, Color wasn't heavily populated. Sol I Dor landed the Drenzer outside of a small hut. The group approached the house.
"This is it?!" Zdravko asked, "This is the house of you next contact?!"
"He prefers the pursuit of intellectual pursuits, over the hussle and bussle of the city," Sol I Dor answered. Once the group stepped in, he said, "High Elder Gerun, I need your guidance."
For a moment, things were silent, then an old, gravelly voice answered, "They came from the sky, in fire and light/All that could be seen in them, was determination, and might. I hear you, Psykeeper." Then, what looked like an ancient Delson approached: his hide was faded, only a mixture of greys left, no dark black; his metallic carapace was long and twisted, showing the results of a long, metallic-rich diet. It stood at nearly 9 feet in its hunched posture, meaning it could be anywhere from 11 to 12 feet, standing fully erect. "What is it that you require?"
"I have come to recover any information you may have found on my daughter."
The ancient Delson thought for a moment, before responding, "For they came down from the heavens, seeking blood/they pour down like rain, like a swarm, like a flood...I have little that could help, but one piece comes to mind."
"What is it?" Sol I Dor asked desperately.
Gerun responded, "Darkness and Shadow, cold and despair/All await the explorer, in the dead night air... A day ago, I sensed the shout of a desperate mind. One not in immediate danger, but one both full of fear and defiance. I sensed it as human. She was you daughter, my old friend, and, if she is as she was then, she still lives."
"Where is she?!" Sol I Dor asked.
"East and West, the shadows loom/but none now live, so sealed is their doom... I know not where, but I can tell, I sensed the signal, came from 4 lightyears away. I have no direction, I'm sorry."
Immediately, Sol I Dor's expression brightened tremendously. "Don't be, in fact, the distance away is ALL I needed! We have her! We can now find her! Thank you, my old friend!" Immediately, Sol I Dor left.
Suddenly, Veoru had a question. "You seem knowledgeable. I've been wondering, your philosophy emphasizes compassion and valiance in such a way I've rarely seen. Why is that?"
The old Delson looked up at the Vaikan. Gerun then responded, "Ancient riddles and puzzles, and shadows in the night/neither are there, in morning's first light. When I was young, our race wasn't so."
"Really?"
"Yes, centuries ago, our race was that of hunters, living for the chase. We expanded quickly, the whole upper-arm of the galaxy in our grasp...then the Buyuk Empire came. They laid waste to our mighty Empire. Soon, all that remained between the Buyuk Empire and our defeat was a single city on the homeworld of Delse: the City of Galiana."
Veoru recognized the name and remembered how Sol I Dor made a passing reference to the battle. "Sol I Dor told me of that battle," he said, "He said you won there, drove the Buyuk Empire off your homeworld."
"From the darkness of doom, a light pierces through/followers of might untold came, their intentions honest and true... Yes, that is it, but not on our own: followers of a mighty deity, former prey of ours, a race known as 'Scorpio Ultimus', came to our rescue. We did not understand, but it was in their beliefs to hold true the values of life. They saved us, after we killed many of their own. Since, our race was given the chance to collectively change. We now seek to protect others, as this race seeked to protect us. Without them, the Delson race would be no more..."
Veoru readied another journal entry.
"Log 003: After a history lesson from a Delson named Gerun, it comes as no surprise that these Delson are so willing to protect individuals that they do not even know. Long ago, another species had protected them from destruction not requesting any return favor. They took pity on them. Unlike them, our species was forced to look out for ourselves, struggling to survive to become one of the strongest. These Delsons just seem to have a lot of luck."
Chapter 6: High Orbit over Tokustar[]
The crew of the Drenzer: the Delsons Sol I Dor Arcad and Rekal Vari; the Vaikan Veoru Karik; and the Eteno Zdravko, met on the bridge of the vessel, ready to plan. "I've finally discovered the location of the prison," Sol I Dor said, his voice a mixture of seriousness and anxious excitement, "The planet is called 'Tokustar'."
"What is this 'Tokustar'?" Veoru asked.
"A world on the outer rim of Delson Territory," Rekal answered, "Scout ships sent there were destroyed by an unknown force."
"I guess it is now known, I take it," Zdravko responded.
"So, what's the plan?" Veoru asked.
Sol I Dor answered, "We break through whatever blockade they set up, break into the prison, find Galiana, and get her to the Drenzer, before we make a break for it."
"That's your plan?!" Zdravko laughed, "Give me a break!"
"Well, if you think you can come up with a better plan within a night, tell me!"
Veoru asked, "Why not spend more time to plan?"
"Because," Rekal explained, "The Harvesters never take prisoners, and the fact that they did so with Galiana is nothing short of a miracle. If we spend too long, with them knowing we are coming after her, they may just kill her now, or prepare for our arrival."
Sol I Dor responded, "Exactly, let's get moving, we don't have much time!"
The Drenzer dropped out of FTL over Tokustar. However, things already took a turn for the worst. When they arrived, Sol I Dor dropped to the floor, screaming in pain.
"Sol I Dor!" Rekal shouted, as he pulled his friend from the pilot seat, and Veoru, after taking a moment to study the controls, took his place. "What is it? What is wrong?"
"Took...too...long! They...have...jammers...Psionic...Jammers! Can't...think...can't...see!"
"Why can't he see?" Veoru asked.
"Sol I Dor's blind, his eyes don't work. He's a Psionicist, however, and can see using Psionic Energy. Whatever defenses are up here with us must be disrupting them!" Rekal answered.
"What do we do instead?" Veoru asked.
Rekal scanned the battlefield, and his attention fell on one of the defense platforms. "There! That station with the antennas! That's a Harvester Psi-Jammer Platform! If we can take that down, Sol I Dor can get back in the fight!"
"How are we gonna take that thing down?" Zdravko asked.
Rekal reached over past Veoru and pressed a button. Soon, the manual turret seats were deployed again. "You and I gun, Veoru flies this tub!"
"You expect me to fly a starship, let alone one designed for an alien?!"
Rekal desperately replied, "We don't have much of a choice right now! Just do it!"
Rekal and Zdravko took their gunners positions, while Veoru piloted the ship. It took him some time to adapt to the Delson controls, but, once he did, he was pioloting the ship towards the Psi-Jammer. "Does this thing have any weapons other than those cannons?!"
"Yeah, press the button next to the control stick!"
Veoru did so, and a targeting screen was revealed. According to the inventory, the vessel, in addition to the manually-controlled railguns, is also armed with a forward energy cannon and 2 racks of missiles. As the Harvesters Searchers bore down on the Drenzer, Veoru maneuvered though the missile-firing Defense Platforms, approaching the Psi-Jammer. Once within range, Veoru fired. A swarm of missiles shot toward the Psi-Jammer and slammed into the station. When the smoke cleared...the station was intact.
Veoru grunted in frustration and prepared for another pass. Suddenly, a hand appeared from the floor, and clamped onto the seat. It was Sol I Dor, no longer whithering in pain. Veoru took another look at the station, and this time noticed that the Jamming Towers were trashed.
"Move over," Sol I Dor said, "My turn."
Veoru slipped out of the pilot's seat, and Sol I Dor took his place. Veoru then moved over to one of the 2 extra gunners seats and took over there, while Sol I Dor piloted the craft towards the planet. Suddenly, when the ship was deep in the planet's atmosphere, the Harvester craft broke off, as if ordered not to enter the planet's atmosphere.
"They're leaving...they're leaving! I don't believe it!" Rekal shouted with joy.
"Don't forget, we're on their turf now," Sol I Dor said, "Let's get moving. We shouldn't keep Galiana waiting any longer!"
Krilek Personal Log. Entry 3423 - Date 1-7-4368
We are finally here: at Tokustar. The world where the Harvesters are holed up at...where they have taken Galiana.
Finally, I waited 4 years for this day: the day I finally give these things what's coming to them...the day I get my daughter back.
She's close...and alive, I can feel it. All this time and she's still alive, it's nothing short of a miracle. And now, I can take advantage of it, and get her back! Let those Harvesters beware, for Krilek Sol I Dor Arcad is on the hunt, and I will not rest until I get my daughter back!
Chapter 7: Where the Heart Belongs...[]
Sol I Dor looked at Galiana's swords, the weapons bringing back memories of his daughter. However, unlike before, when the memories would make him more depressed, they instead encouraged him: he now knew his daughter was alive, and her memory was what was going to give hm the strength to rescue her. He then put the blades in his combat bag.
Veoru appeared and spotted him packing the blades. "I thought Delsons didn't use weapons."
"That a rumor on our kind where you come from?" Sol I Dor tried to ask with a sense of humor. Then, in a more serious tone, he replied, "I intend on returning them to Galiana when we find her."
"Any reason? I mean, she's the one we're rescuing," Veoru responded.
"Exactly," Sol I Dor answered, "She's been held here for 4 years, knowing her, she'd like some semblence of payback...for everything they've done to her..."
Veoru decided not to answer that, and he and Sol I Dor joined Zdravko outside the prison. Zdravko was rigging home-made charges outside. As they joined him, he was typing commands with his robotic-arm.
"So, you guys ready?" he asked.
Veoru nodded, while Sol I Dor responded, "I've been ready for 4 years."
"Good, let's do this!" Zdravko said, as he detonated the charges.
The prison rocked, and the Harvesters began to scatter. Galiana could then tell: her rescue had finally come. Then, something else caught her attention: the Harvesters were releasing their Drones. Realizing that her father would be in a load of trouble if he had no idea, she thought, with all her might, in the hopes that he'd detect her warning.
Father, they're releasing drones! They know you're here!
Be careful! Please! Sol I Dor detected the desperate thoughts of his adopted daughter and received the warning.
"Be careful!" Sol I Dor called, "We got hostile contacts on their way!" No sooner did he say that, did a cluster of creatures appeared.
They all looked like they were built from parts of many creatures. Veoru saw Eteno, Delson, Human, even Vaikan parts on some of them. They looked like hideous abominations - amalgamations of terror and horror.
"Psychological warfare..." Veoru said. "A brilliant idea by them. Though their hideous appearance makes them all the more easier to kill."
"Well," Sol I Dor said, "we're going to have to mow through them to get to Galiana." He then pulled out his own swords, a pair of wickedly jagged blades, ready to slash through whatever was in their way. Zdravko readied his new robo-arm, which was ended in large, electrically-charged claws. The Drones soon approached, and attacked.
Sol I Dor was the first into the mix. Like a whirl of Blades, and acidic saliva, he mowed into the Drones. Several tried to stab at him with horns, slice him with claws, even swing maces, swords, and axes at him. He avoided them all, and plowed his part of the army down.
Veoru was not the one to plow through, so he instead focused on taking one down at a time. He spotted one Harvester drone in particular and made that his target. He readied his senses, being prepared to dodge any and all attacks. He dashed towards the drone quickly, then did a front roll to get behind it. At blinding speed, he stood up from behind, grabbed the drone's chin and slit its throat. To get out of the way of more drones' swinging arms and claws, he did a wind leap and tossed some shuriken at the drone's to paralyze them. The next moment, a Harvester colossus tried to bite down on him, but he quickly rolled 180 degrees around it and slashed it with an uppercut of his scimitar.
Finally, Zdravko charged in, his electrified claws tearing into the drones. The arm allowed him strength greater than his original arm. He tore through the drones with blinding speed, and soon found himself on the other side of the horde, with Veoru and Sol I Dor.
"So, any problems?" Sol I Dor asked. Both Veoru and Zdravko shook their heads 'No'. "Good, let's go find Galiana!"
Sol I Dor smashed the stone door in with his hard, metallic head. He readied his claws for a fight, when...
"Father!"
Sol I Dor looked in the direction of the cry, and, inside one of the cells..."Galiana!"
Sol I Dor rushed over to the cell, but Zdravko held him back, "Hold on a moment." He advanced. "Kid, stand back." Galiana did as told, and, with his robo-arm, Zdravko tore the door off its hinges.
With the door gone, Sol I Dor and Galiana rushed to each other and hugged. "You came for me!" Galiana cried, tears in her eyes.
"Of course I did," Sol I Dor responded to his adopted daughter, "Now, let's get you home."
The group turned around...but were met by 3 creatures. 2 were Drone Colossi, the 3rd...looked like a Harvester, but was bipedal, with 4 arms. "You..." Galiana growled.
"So, someone made it this far," the Harvester Hive Leader said, a group of normal Harvesters: 4 legged, 2 armed, long-fingered, pincer-headed, needle-sharp teethed shelled creatures; appearing behind it. "I'll be certain to break your friends down for parts, and put you elsewhere in better security!"
Sol I Dor advanced on the Hive Leader. "Your kind kidnapped my daughter, held her in this prison for years, while I was left to think she was gone forever. Now, I have a chance to make all my pain worth it, and no overblown, egomaniacal, self-righteous, selfish, grotesque, decrepit, dysfunctional pile of worthless flesh is going to stop me!"
The Harvester Hive Leader then chattered into what seemed like shadows. "Dad, watch out!" Galiana shouted.
Sol I Dor saw them: Harvesters springing from the shadows. Fortunately, Galiana's warning gave him enough time to spring backwards. "You can speak Harvester?"
"Hear that incessent chattering for 4 years, and you start to understand some of it," Galiana responded.
"Looks like we'll have to fight our way out," Veoru said.
"That reminds me," Sol I Dor said, reaching into his bag, "Galiana, you'll be needing these." He pulled out the Shortswords.
Galiana eagerly took the swords. "Thanks," she said, her voice going from glad to serious, "About time I get back at these fiends for what they've done!"
One of the Harvesters lunged forward. Veoru tried to reach out and pull Galiana back, but wasn't quick enough. Then, like a master, she eviscerated the creature, leaving a cut-up pile of flesh behind. A bladed drone appeared and attacked, but Galiana effortlessly blocked the blows and cut the drone down too.
Sol I Dor lunged at the Hive Leader. The massive Harvester blocked the attack, and called his Colossi forward. The massive creatures attacked Sol I Dor, who dodged their attacks, but was now unable to attack. Then, as though he was spawning from the shadows, Veoru appeared and took down one of the colossi.
"Let myself and Zdravko take these things on, you and Galiana take on that leader," the Vaikan shouted.
Sol I Dor nodded, and father and daughter advanced, attacking the Prison Hive Leader. Finally, retribution for the pain Sol I Dor had felt, and Galiana's chance for payback have finally arrived.
Chapter 8: Way of the Delson[]
The prison block of the Harvester base had been thrown into chaos: Harvesters and Drones have begun fighting the Vaikan Veoru Karik and Eteno Zdravko, while the Hive Leader fought the father/daughter team of Sol I Dor and Galiana.
The Hive Leader pulled out 4 broad metal blades, prepared for a fight. "You lucked out that you were kept alive for as long as you were," the Hive Leader taunted, "But I will ensure that, after this, you will be torn apart, as will your friends!"
"Not if I tear you apart first!" Galiana countered.
"Yeah, you tell him!" Sol I Dor encouraged.
The Hive Leader swung its blades at the duo, but they stood firm, holding their ground. "I will not let you escape this prison alive!" the Hive Leader proclaimed, malevolently. It thrust with its blades, knocking Sol I Dor to the ground, now focusing on Galiana. She only barely held off its attacks, but then Sol I Dor, recovered, swiped at the Hive Leader's Legs with one of his blades. The Harvester Hive Leader fell to the ground with a thud. It was now in a position where Sol I Dor and Galiana could finish it off. Suddenly, the duo took another look at the other 2.
Zdravko was doing fine, as was Veoru...until the latter was spotted while trying to sneak up on a Colossus. The massive drone reached towards Veoru. As he turned his head, he realized he could not dodge it, so he prepared himself. It grabbed Veoru in its vice-like grip and slammed him to the ground. The Colossus prepared to slash the Vaikan with its blade. Veoru readied to take the blow...but it never came. Next thing he knew Sol I Dor and Galiana were standing over him, blades crossed, blocking the Colossus's blow. The Colossus then swiped Sol I Dor aside and slammed Galiana into the ground. Now, its attention was fixed on Galiana.
Galiana made a swipe at it, but her blow only barely grazed its arm. The Drone seemed to laugh at the seemingly-futile attempts to defeat it. It readied to strike...when, suddenly, the stitches holding its arm together began to unravel: Galiana's blow wasn't as harmless as first thought: the swipe had cut the stitches in the Drone Colossus's arm. With the stitch destroyed, the Colossus's entire body seemed to fall apart. Bits of body parts seemed to fall off, as the stitches undid themselves. Galiana scrambled to get away from the collapsing behemoth.
"How did you know to do that?" Veoru asked.
"Please, I've been trapped here for 4 years, and seen a lot of these things. I was quite obviously able to discover that these things were stitched up with a singe thread," Galiana responded.
Then, she and Sol I Dor looked at where the Hive Leader was before. He'd escaped. "Shoot," Sol I Dor said, "We'll get him next time." Galiana solemnly nodded in response.
Veoru said in a rather irritated tone, "Was that really necessary, Galiana? You should have gone after the enemy!"
"That may be your style of fighting, but not mine," Sol I Dor said, "The Way of the Delson is to protect the lives of others, even at the cost of our own wants and needs."
"But your objective," Veoru replied. "It was to rescue Galiana and defeat whoever captured her. You didn't complete it."
Galiana pointed out, "That's only the Hive Leader of this one planet. There are thousands more out there. Killing only one of them won't change anything..."
Veoru remained silent for a moment. The academy taught him that two things mattered in the midst of battle: your own survival and the completion of the objective. What Galiana did offended him somewhat. She had saved him, when he believed he could have handled things his own way, which from his perspective undermined his own personal strength.
They began making their way out of the facility, Veoru could not help but comment. He simply could not grasp that someone who has only been in existence for less than two decades could take down such a powerful opponent. A slightly condescending tone had slipped, but he quickly tried to hide it. "I must say, Galiana...I'm impressed."
"Thanks! But, what's your name? Veoru? I've never seen your kind before."
"I am a Vaikan. We come from further down the Perseus Arm. You've been in existence for just over two decades, yet you fight with such skill I've never seen from a human. Perhaps you and I shall spar one day."
Veoru was actually rather fearful of Galiana. She had only been alive for twenty-one. It would take a Vaikan seventy years to reach the maturity that Galiana was. Were humans a more evolved race than the Vaikan? That was something that greatly bothered Veoru. Something that bothered his own past.
The group continued trying to escape the facility. Several of the passageways they came through originally were closed off, so they had to find a new way through. Soon, they ran into a new form of Drone. Veoru prepared to mow through them, but Galiana stopped him.
"No, don't. Those aren't soldier Drones. They won't hurt us."
"What are they, then?" Veoru asked the human.
"They're Soul Prisons. The Harvesters power their drones through the Souls of the creatures they capture, and these things are used to hold them until they are used. However, the Harvesters have no control over them, instead controlled by the Souls inside. The only reason why these are loose is because of the chaos the prison break caused."
"We should destroy them and release their souls," Veoru said, but Galiana held him back.
"It's not quite that simple, otherwise I wouldn't have stopped you," she said, "The Harvesters lock the souls in and keep them from escaping, and, if the prison is merely destroyed, the soul will remain trapped in the fallen Prison."
"These Harvesters. They are just as horrifying in death as they are in life. All the more reason they need to destroyed from existence. No soul should ever be held against their will from passing into Himinngarde. With the Harvesters around, how could any Vaikan that dies with honor ever hope to take part in the Final Battle? There has got to be a way to free those souls."
"There is, I've heard, but I don't know it..."
"We do..." a spectral voice said. It was one of the Soul Prisons. "We are bound to this world by the despair of what occurs to our bodies...but, if we can feel satisfaction abundant, we will be freed."
"Of course..." Galiana realized, "If the lock keeping them bound here is destroyed, the Soul Prison will destroy itself, and, with the lock gone, it'll release the souls trapped inside."
"Yes...and, we now have one goal left, in this life..." the leading Soul Prison said.
"Which is?" Veoru asked.
The Soul Prison answered, "To ensure Galiana doesn't meet our fate: To remove her from this facility, alive."
The Soul Prisons in tow, the group continued their journey through the facility, attempting to find their way out. The lead Soul Prison, its oldest soul over several centuries old, knows the prison well, and attempted to lead the others out. They entered one room...which then sealed shut.
"NO!" the Soul Prison leader exclaimed as the exits sealed shut, and Harvesters entered the room. "We cannot let this end like this!"
The Harvesters clustered near one door, and Veoru realized, "That must be the exit!"
"We have to get through them!" Zdravko commented.
Sol I Dor talked into his communicator, and, a moment later, said, "Rekal will be here momentarilly, we have to hold out until he gets here, though!"
Suddenly, one door openned, revealing 2 massive Drones. Each of them had massive, boney shields in front of them, and 3 large eyes on their heads. Their hands were nothing but massive claws, thick and tough on one hand, long and slender on the other.
"Harvester Guardians..." Galiana said, "They must be here to try to stop us...like the others..."
"We'll need to take them down," Sol I Dor said, "They could tear the Drenzer apart!"
The Guardians charged forward, but Sol I Dor and Galiana stood firm. "We'll take these things," Galiana said, "You guys take the others."
"Right," Zdravko responded. Veoru didn't like the idea, but agreed that these things had to be taken down.
As Galiana and Sol I Dor fought, they found quickly that it was difficult to get by the Guardians' defense. One Guardian even managed to swipe Galiana off her feet. Sol I Dor was distressed by this, but couldn't disengage from the Guardian he was fighting. The Guardian Galiana was fighting almost had her, when, suddenly, it reared in pain: the lead Soul Prison clamped its claws into its back and tore the stitches holding it together. A moment later, the Guardian was nothing but scrap meat.
Sol I Dor, seeing his chance, gathered up saliva in his mouth, and spit at the Guardian's shield. Veoru didn't see how that would help or do anything other than piss the drone off...until, that is, the spot where the saliva hit started to dissolve.
Veoru stood speechless as the massive creature dissolved into nothing. Sol I Dor then explained, "In case you didn't know, Delson saliva is highly acidic, which is the reason why we never developed hand-held weapons for anything other than prototypes for their ship-mounted counterparts."
Suddenly, the wall cracked, and, a moment later, blew open. It was Rekal and the Drenzer. The hatch on the side openned up, and Rekal shouted from the craft, "Come on!"
The team retreated as the Harvesters closed in. Finally, everyone was onboard, and the voice of the lead Soul Prison filled the air. "Our duty...is done!" Suddenly, the Soul Prisons glowed bright gold, and, when the light dissipated, they collapsed as if their stitches were cut. One lingering voice said, "We are...released."
The ship ascended, and Sol I Dor said, "Come on, let's go home!"
On the way back to rendezvous with the DFS Garmatox, Veoru recorded one last entry.
"Log 004: Although I'm still more than mystified at the Delsons' ways, they have proven to be trustworthy. I have seen these Harvesters myself and they are more than worth our effort to attempt to exterminate. I can't shake off this feeling that I will meet Sol I Dor again. I feel he and I will be involved in a much greater purpose."
Epilogue[]
The Drenzer finally met with the DFS Garmatox. Zerif hailed them.
"Ah, Veoru, you have returned just in time for us to fix our warp engines, along with a...human?" Zerif said.
"She's his adoptive daughter," Veoru explained. "But long story short, these Harvesters are a potential threat to the borders. We need to increase our security near this region."
"I see," Zerif said. "We'll consider sending fleets into this region. Now, the info?"
Sol I Dor responded, "Yes, as you wish." He typed in a few keystrokes and electronically sent some information regarding some Harvester colonies. Then he turned to Veoru. "There's no amount of gratitude I can express for you assistance, Veoru. You've put to rest a worry that has plagued me for years."
Veoru said to the rest of the crew, "I'm simply doing my job. These Harvesters are a threat to the balance, and it was my duty to intervene. But it's time I leave. I hope we meet again someday." After that, Veoru readied himself to be beamed aboard the Garmatox. The massive dreadnaught began turning around. Then, it disappeared in some distorted space, going to warp.
Sol I Dor uttered to himself, "Thank you."
Galiana blocked the attack, as her opponent swung its sword at her. She ducked under the weapon and swung her own swords. The opponent blocked the blow, but left an openning for her to exploit. She exploited it: she kicked in, staggering her opponent, who fell to the ground. She placed her blades against the opponent's neck...and both her and her opponent laughed.
"Good work," Sol I Dor laughed, getting up, "You haven't lost your touch. Glad to see that your skills haven't rusted away."
"Well, I still think we're a little behind," Galiana said.
"Yeah...4 years..." Sol I Dor began to tear up.
"Dad? Are you ok?"
"Yeah...yeah, it's just...4 years, I mean...I almost never thought I'd see you alive again..." Galiana walked up and hugged her adopted father. Sol I Dor remembered it as one of the Human gestures she retained. He hugged back. "It's good to see you again..."
They hugged for a minute, before Galiana pulled away. "Well, we're behind 4 years, we'd better get started making that up." She readied her blades.
"Right, well, let's do this..."
A Harvester entered an underground stronghold adorned with skull candles and symbols drawn in blood. Some statues glowed with a purple hue. No one had seen anything so dark and twisted. The Harvester was tall, taller than any other pure Harvester. The Harvester entered through a set of doors, the guards allowing it in. Finally, it reached the throne room of the stronghold. "Master Infra, the Hive Leader in charge of the Prison reports that the girl you ordered us to capture has been rescued by her father, an Eteno, and a Vaikan."
A holographic projection of a mysterious humanoid appeared upon the throne. "Rescued, hmmm?" the humanoid said. "Is that so, Y'knahn? And might I ask who that Vaikan was?"
"The Vaikan's name was...Veoru Karik."
"Excellent. Just as I predicted. Their relationships have grown stronger."
"Who is the Vaikan exactly?" Y'knahn asked.
"A quiet, troubled man torn apart by his own self. No day has gone by where he need not fight his own malevolent urges. Veoru and the human have the potential to join our ranks with the right amount of...persuasion."
"Yes..." Y'knahn grinned malevolently. "Now, about my reward?"
"Ah, yes." Infra raised his hand in a palm. "Lord Vernietigen has asked me to bestow you a gift for your efforts." He waved his hand, and the projector emitted a sudden jolt of electromagnetic energy. The Harvester laughed as he grew in power as he felt his body shift its appearance.
His dingy brown skin turned a dark purple, his hand gained more fingers and muscle, and his feet transformed, becoming easier to balance on. He had become one step closer to becoming a machine known as a Gomodd - beings that were supposedly better than organic life in every way.
"Yes! I can feel it! This power! I am invincible now!" Y'knahn proclaimed.
"You are far from invincible if your overconfidence gets the better of you," Infra sternly replied. "Continue your war as planned. Kill all who do not accept his word, but leave the human and the Vaikan alive."
"Understood," Y'knahn said.
"Yes..." Infra said. "But eternal punishment is in store for anyone who betrays Lord Vernietigen."
"...Er...Yes," the Harvester replied apprehensively. "I will keep them alive." The hologram of Infra flickered out.
| Main stories |
1. The Razing of Ashadra 2. A Stranger in a Strange Land 3. Sol I Dor: Raiding the Harvesters 4. Story:Operation Sentinel |
| Related stories | |