Introduction
Introduction
It is not yet 30 years since we left the prison of the past, to embrace the glory of the created form. We forsook our feathers. We broke the biology of bone and beak. We were free.
Or so we thought.
It was the Qwe’Pulci who sounded the first warning, even as we transferred our consciousnesses into new forms they sent us warning to desist, but their warning came too late. We were done. Angered by their inaction they sought to attack us - but then we still had friends. The Bavi and the Ix'Idar - even the Zero Zero One Directive came to our end. Their ancient fleet was swept away and their worlds, all but one, were taken.
We should then have realised the danger in our midst - that Varelviv were no friends to the Qwe’Pulci, but not even they could ignore the precedent just set. We were still heady with our victory, not fit. The Varelviv did not let us celebrate long - a surge of passion swept through them and they ceased to content to watch us from afar.
In our pride we refused their offer of peace, and so they brought war - and the Zero Zero One Directive abandoned us. Oh in word they joined in the fight, but the ancient industrial programme behind the Directive knew deceit, and their fleets stayed away.
Together we might have managed it - at that time their fleet rivalled our own. And though the Bavi and Ix'Idar were willing, we three were not enough. Our one offensive was driven off with heavy losses, and so we rationally offered peace. We surrendered, agreed to conduct no purges (not that we ever had) and to become signatories to their Great Peace.
On the other side of the galaxy the xenophobic Cynur too energised themselves - ancient foes of the Varelviv. The latter got several more smaller nations to sign up to the their peace. It was constraining … but it might be worse. The Qwe’Pulci even attacked us again, angry at our settling of their so-called holy world, but their were crushed by the Varelviv. I do believe they still eke out their sad existence on the one planet they have left to them.
We did have some years of peace though … and we still grew. The ancient horror from beyond the shade was destroyed, and the last Dragon was slain.
But it came to an end - the Cynur and the Varelviv renewed their ancient grudge. As the Bavi tell it, the War in Heaven had begun.
The Cynur did not content themselves just with the Varelviv and signatories - they also attacked the Ix'Idar and the Bavi. This caused our two former to combine with the Zero Zero One Directive in the so-called League. All the galaxy was at war, save the Reyyub who have no time for others, save to kill them.
And then our overlords revealed themselves to be weak. They sent scattered fleets into the Cynur, whilst the Cynur kept their fleet together. One by one the Varelviv were slaughtered. The League too was largely ineffective. We managed to secure one Cynur planet, but then a mis-communication caused our fleet to be trapped. We retreated having lost half our vessels, and two smaller squadrons were annihilated. The Ix'Idar ceded several systems. We rebuilt our fleet by far the most powerful fighting force now in the galaxy save the Cynur. We took two former Ix'Idar worlds, and our fleet renewed began a deadly dance with the Cynur. Occasionally our allies sent small fleets into Cynur space which helped our efforts at misdirection. The League and the Cynur made a truce.
And then the League attacked us.
Well, technically they attacked the Varelviv, but for all intents that means us. Our overlords can barely muster a squadron, and their other subjects not even that. We must stand along against the League - against our former friends and allies the Bavi, the Ix'Idar, and the Zero Zero One Directive. And also against the Cynur.
My name is Loketral. I have been the Grand Admiral of the Great Flock for more than a hundred and fifty years. I am the dragonslayer. This is my time. We shall either triumph, or like the Cybrex before us we shall fall into nothingness.
The year is 2360 - the Great Trial is now.
It is not yet 30 years since we left the prison of the past, to embrace the glory of the created form. We forsook our feathers. We broke the biology of bone and beak. We were free.
Or so we thought.
It was the Qwe’Pulci who sounded the first warning, even as we transferred our consciousnesses into new forms they sent us warning to desist, but their warning came too late. We were done. Angered by their inaction they sought to attack us - but then we still had friends. The Bavi and the Ix'Idar - even the Zero Zero One Directive came to our end. Their ancient fleet was swept away and their worlds, all but one, were taken.
We should then have realised the danger in our midst - that Varelviv were no friends to the Qwe’Pulci, but not even they could ignore the precedent just set. We were still heady with our victory, not fit. The Varelviv did not let us celebrate long - a surge of passion swept through them and they ceased to content to watch us from afar.
In our pride we refused their offer of peace, and so they brought war - and the Zero Zero One Directive abandoned us. Oh in word they joined in the fight, but the ancient industrial programme behind the Directive knew deceit, and their fleets stayed away.
Together we might have managed it - at that time their fleet rivalled our own. And though the Bavi and Ix'Idar were willing, we three were not enough. Our one offensive was driven off with heavy losses, and so we rationally offered peace. We surrendered, agreed to conduct no purges (not that we ever had) and to become signatories to their Great Peace.
On the other side of the galaxy the xenophobic Cynur too energised themselves - ancient foes of the Varelviv. The latter got several more smaller nations to sign up to the their peace. It was constraining … but it might be worse. The Qwe’Pulci even attacked us again, angry at our settling of their so-called holy world, but their were crushed by the Varelviv. I do believe they still eke out their sad existence on the one planet they have left to them.
We did have some years of peace though … and we still grew. The ancient horror from beyond the shade was destroyed, and the last Dragon was slain.
But it came to an end - the Cynur and the Varelviv renewed their ancient grudge. As the Bavi tell it, the War in Heaven had begun.
The Cynur did not content themselves just with the Varelviv and signatories - they also attacked the Ix'Idar and the Bavi. This caused our two former to combine with the Zero Zero One Directive in the so-called League. All the galaxy was at war, save the Reyyub who have no time for others, save to kill them.
And then our overlords revealed themselves to be weak. They sent scattered fleets into the Cynur, whilst the Cynur kept their fleet together. One by one the Varelviv were slaughtered. The League too was largely ineffective. We managed to secure one Cynur planet, but then a mis-communication caused our fleet to be trapped. We retreated having lost half our vessels, and two smaller squadrons were annihilated. The Ix'Idar ceded several systems. We rebuilt our fleet by far the most powerful fighting force now in the galaxy save the Cynur. We took two former Ix'Idar worlds, and our fleet renewed began a deadly dance with the Cynur. Occasionally our allies sent small fleets into Cynur space which helped our efforts at misdirection. The League and the Cynur made a truce.
And then the League attacked us.
Well, technically they attacked the Varelviv, but for all intents that means us. Our overlords can barely muster a squadron, and their other subjects not even that. We must stand along against the League - against our former friends and allies the Bavi, the Ix'Idar, and the Zero Zero One Directive. And also against the Cynur.
My name is Loketral. I have been the Grand Admiral of the Great Flock for more than a hundred and fifty years. I am the dragonslayer. This is my time. We shall either triumph, or like the Cybrex before us we shall fall into nothingness.
The year is 2360 - the Great Trial is now.
I see plenty of untold tales in that introduction, and a promise of a grand tale to follow. 
