Epilogue

The last transmissions of the Siucra fleet and Olnatar arrived at the Siucra home world and the First Protector listened to them with great concern. The entire fleet of over a thousand ships had been destroyed, even Olnatar hadn’t returned. The Siucra didn’t have that many more ships and not enough beings to crew them them.

The holy task to protect Koken was in jeopardy. He knew that the Kermac had been here recently.

He decided to disturb the sanctity of the holy place, just as the first Siucra did when they found the holy place and the hidden chambers where they found the Holy Fire weapons. There were more devices, perhaps one that could be used to call the Kermac or receive instructions how to defend Koken against this mighty enemy,

The First Protector had entered the Hidden Chambers beneath a mountain range on Koken. Unknown to him and far from these chambers, about one hundred nokta to the planet’s east, were the Shafts of Knowledge that had been visited so recently by the Kermac wizards.

The ancient songs described exactly how one had to navigate through shafts and passageways to reach the chambers. They also described exactly how to open them and it worked just as described. Finally, they stood in the same chamber where his long dead ancestors had received their task to protect Koken and received the weapons of the Holy Fire. The first chambers weren’t empty, there were still a few of the elongated containers that once were stacked here by the thousands. Each crate held a completely assembled Holy Fire cannon.

The final chamber always had been empty except for a slightly raised platform. It was about two hundred steps across. Its two sickle-shaped arms bent inward, their pointed tips almost touching each other. Both arms were one hundred steps in height on each side of the platform. This was, according to the ancient songs, the holiest and most sacred point on all of Koken. This held the Nuthrum Device, the gate to the Masters. According to the ancient songs, if activated, beings of incredible fighting power would emerge without number and eradicate all life. He wasn’t a Kermac and whatever came would certainly not recognize a lowly Siucra, but maybe they’d show mercy and understanding to a fellow thrall society.

Not that the First Protector had much choice. He feared the new enemy was already approaching. It was only a matter of time before they’d appear here and defile holy Koken.

He placed his hands onto the sensor fields mounted into a monolith console in front of the device. His body heat activated the ancient machinery and a wafting bright light point appeared between the pointed ends of the sickle arms above the platform. It grew slowly in size. The primordial system hummed and vibrated with a deep sound and crackled and glowed with dimension-crossing energies.

The First Protector and those with him started to chant the old texts. “We, the guardians and protectors of the most holy place, summon the spirits of the universe. Grant us revenge and the tools so we may continue to protect what is holy. It is the Masters of the sacred White we serve alone! Come then who also serve the Masters and assist us in defeating great evil!”

Something appeared out of the shimmering portal. It was a blue-skinned being wielding a blaster weapon in one hand and a sword in the other, wearing a black cloak over a black chainmail outfit that looked both anachronistic and timeless.