Truth Seeking

We take over the ship that is on Soal. As I climb into the pilot's seat Soal sends me a vision. I see my life replay quickly before my eyes. I see that the Thraum are missing from Oqthcalia. Life is a constant struggle for resources. Instead of our mostly happy life, all is dark and sad. The people war against each other, fight over every scrap, everything is in short supply or does not exist.
 
I make a decision. We must retrieve a Thraum. I know that on the asteroid where we are heading are Abril and Kazar and Wells. This is not enough. The dark knowledge that we touched deep in Soal showed as much. The Thraum were on our planets before the rest of us. Our great civilization based off of their previous times. The Abril suppressed the knowledge of the Thraum and what they were and what they represent hidden and twisted in their teachings. This cannot be allowed to happen.
 
Chronos and Stellar Sentinel join me on the bridge. Just as we are about to launch three orbs arrive in the bridge cabin. They speak to Chronos. He is accused of crimes against time. He is told to let Soal explode and destroy our civilization. He attempts to stop the orbs from continuing their message to him. As he destroys one, more arrive. Eventually, they complete their message.
 
"We are missing a critical piece to complete Soal's mission. We need a Thraum."
 
I am glad to hear that Stellar Sentinel agrees with me, and somewhat surprising, so does Chronos. I turn and set the coordinates of our ship to Sector Seven, where last we saw Thraum.
 
When we arrive, I set the ship to hover just above the tops of the buildings. I float down, letting Soal's light shine from me. I invite a Thraum to join us in our mission. I open myself to them. One of the larger ones moves towards me. I lift him towards me with the winds of Soal. We touch hands, and again, his knowledge flows through me, but, as I have already seen much of what the Thraum knowledge and touched the dark knowledge that was flowing back into Soal, knowledge that should never have been hidden, I am not as overwhelmed as I was the first time. I feel from him that he has been chosen by the Thraum to travel with us to try to save our culture and to help rebuild it after Soal's next heartbeat.
 
We return to the ship, and I set the ship to fly to the asteroid belt.
 
We arrive close to the asteroid and we are hailed. I respond with the ship's code and we are at first told that we are not allowed to land on the asteroid. Chronos gets on the radio and somehow is able to get us clearance to land.
 
We disembark from the ship and we are met by two Kazar weapon masters. Chronos drops his time bomb again, and I am again locked in time. I do not understand how Soal has chosen me to do his bidding and yet I am never able to fight for his needs.
 
Between Stellar Sentinel and Chronos the two Kazar masters are pushed off the ship. Stellar Sentinel flies me out into space and outside of Chrono's timelock effects. We land back on the asteroid, and still have to try to enter the rest of the base. Stellar Sentinel has encased us in a bright light. I cannot see him and the light around him is bright.
 
I walk over to the doors and request entrance. It is denied. Chronos does him time manipulation and sees that the lock is voice controlled. He tries to repeat the phrases that he has seen spoken. I reconize the prayer to Soal that he speaks. Such disrespect in his recitation. I must teach him more later, but for now we need to hurry, time is running short.
 
I step over and sing the prayer to Soal, in the way that it was intended to be. The doors open and we step forward, still surrounded by Stellar Sentinel's light. I can see that there are at least five more weapon masters. They fire at us and before we can really do anything, we all fall. I hope that they have not killed the Thraum, or all is lost.
 
I slump to the floor with a prayer in my head to Soal, to help us all, even those who think we are fighting against them. My eyes close as I fight to stay awake, and see the others have already fallen.
 
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