CHAPTER X: HOPE RESTORED

The Bothans hated the Varmins with a vengeance. After the two Varmins had warned Ligris about his ship and were paid off, the Bothan spy team of Bruxus and Boorma stalked them to a side alleyway. Raising up sharp Revenger Spikes,  the Bothans jumped both Varmins and stabbed them to death. They then quickly raced to the nearest long-range hypercom relay station above Balaireon and sent word to Elysia that Lady Kaliah was alive, but captured by the infamous bounty hunter Ligris and heading for Tirahnna.

In the Queen’s private chamber inside the Royal Palace of Light her handmaidens jumped back when the Grand Doors were thrust open by Imperator Bevins, Commander of the Queen’s Armies. “My Queen, your daughter lives!” exclaimed Bevins, but she has been captured by the infamous bounty hunter Ligris and is being taken back to Tirahnna! We must act now or she may truly die this time.” The urgency in Bevin’s voice moved the Queen to do something the peace-loving Whills had never done before.

Before an assembled crowd in the lower courtyard the Queen declared war on the Siths. The crowd was overjoyed that Lady Kaliah lived,  but equally glad that they were going to war.

In the past, Whill troops had only defended themselves from attack, never launched one. The Whill people were the Founders of Light and were not given to waging war like the destructive war-mongering Sith. All their Heroes of Light glorified in the Sacred Temple were defenders.

The Gathering of Twelve was against this move, their combined Seer powers only perceiving more darkness in the future through the Sacred Holochron that archived the on-going battle between light and darkness.

They could not image Lady Kaliah’s fate. Her Halo-chron was destroyed and no recordings had been transmitted. The Twelve could not understand why such a powerful Seer as Lady Kaliah was unable to project her thoughts unless the darkness of the Sith could now cloud their visions as well.

Dark times were these, and yet all preparations were being made to attack Tirahnna.

In the massive floating shipyards of Kryat, powerful new battleships were being finished, the new Sunray-Class Ring Ships as well as the smaller Royal State Industries Blue Diamond Mk.I star fighters- none of which were dependent on the Kragons. On the ground, the Queen’s Red and Gold Armies were being equipped with more sophisticated Ball-Rovers, Mechquin, huge quad Aerial Turbo-Pulsers and towering Volley-Fire Guns.
 
Then there was Elysia’s best kept secret. After Lady Kaliah discovered the spiritual pathway and had the ominous vision, she took from the Crystal Lake several pure amber crystals and fashioned a weapon from them.

The standard traditional arm of an Amber Commando was a Lightning Sword, a charge-plated cutting weapon but very crude. The Thermion Fighting Staffs were little better, but their fiery tips glowed white-hot and burned through solid objects.

But Lady Kaliah’s weapon was a pure shaft of concentrated photon energy; hence, she called it a light saber. From this point forward the light saber would be the Amber Commando’s weapon and the Sith would be cut down by them. Production was to start immediately with an order for 1,000 for her best troops.

The Queen’s Red and Gold Armies swelled with volunteers and the Royal State Industries produced masses of war machines in anticipation of the assault on Hael.

Evil shall not prevail. Light must overcome it, sometimes even by force. The Sith have revealed their true nature and they must perish for peace to prosper.

The Elysian Flag was raised once again.

Elysia stood proud.