Alana's Story

Alana walked in the front door and took a seat at a booth, pulling long red hair over her left shoulder. She wore low rise blue jeans and a mid-drift blouse of white lace and cotton. Her blue eyes shifted to green as she glanced about the bar and to each patron without saying a word. When she had taken in the scene she sat back and examined the menu pad at her table.

Alana turned up from the menu pad to look at Shockwave for a moment before returning to her food and drink browsing.

Alana continued to scroll through the nearly endless choices of food and drink that Gambit's offered.

Alana did glance up as Korlyn entered but returned to the menu. After a time she put the touch pad down without ordering a single thing.

Alana also watched the door from her booth seat. The target of her observations perfectly obvious as apposed to Korlyn's.

Alana hardly reacted at all to Ben's entrance, sparing him only a glance.

Alana appeared near the door, before opening it and stepping out. This was actually not the truth of the matter. A disjointed blur of motion had made its way to the door from the booth she had been reclining in with an unnatural velocity. Despite this ferocious string of gestures, eyes and other sensory perception that could manage to interpret the movement and put it to sense would see the red head had been walking, back straight as if on a causal stroll for the door.

Those with acute senses and an eye for the small details would detect the utter lack of a breeze as the woman moved and then exited the bar.

Alana walked in the front door and took a seat at the bar, pulling long red hair over her left shoulder. She wore low rise blue jeans and a mid-drift blouse of white lace and cotton. Her blue eyes shifted to green as she glanced about the bar and to each patron without saying a word. When she had taken in the scene she looked to Zekil. "Tea please."

Alana looked Zekil up and down, her eyes shifting in a myriad of different colors from the red of her hair to the blue of Terra's sky at noon. After a few seconds she spoke. "Surprise me.", she said, giving Zekil licence to do just that.

Alana took up the mug in one hand and drew the scent to her nose with her other. She then sipped the beverage. She frowned and turned to Zekil. "Thank you.", she said before turning to WRATH and looking him up and down just as she had done with Zekil.

Alana turned back to Zekil when she was addressed. "Nothing is wrong with the tea.", she said, offering him still no reason for her frown at drinking it. "The tea is actually very good.", she said to Zekil and then turned back to WRATH, looking up at him. Strange that this woman's only expression thus far had been a frown.

Alana turned away from WRATH and continued to sip her tea.

Alana thought back. "I remember I think. I have a pretty good memory.", he said before putting the mug down and rubbing his beard. "The men that were with the hooded man said something about a machine being almost complete. They also said something weapons for anyone that joins them. The guard also said something about a man hunting him and a Greek goddess. It angered the man that his men did not know more. It was then that the hooded man killed the man the spoke of the mercenary.", he said, nodding. "Yes. He said mercenary hired by a Greek goddess."

Alana moved, walking but not on the ground. She walked through the air located above the vaulted ceiling, her feet above her head and though she walked upside down her cloak hung up as if gravity were pulling it skyward. "My lord.", she utter in a clear voice that carried the distance.

Alana came to him and as she touch his hand they were no longer in the shrine but somewhere else.

Before me there were no created things,
Only eterne, and I eternal last.
All hope abandon, ye who enter in!

These words in sombre colour I beheld
Written upon the summit of a gate;
Whence I: Their sense is, Master, hard to me!

On this day, this moment of time there was no lack of visitors into hell. She came, red hair blazing like the gold forges of Greed and the boiling blood of the Phlegethon. Though she walked into a domain that was not her’s the devil could not know her and had no absolute power over her for they had not met and her design was alien but not so. The gates parted and the lone woman marched into hell in search of an artifact the devil would be both loath and overjoyed to part with.

Alana continued on, unmolested and unhindered. Here sighs, complaints, and deep groans, sounded through the starless air, so that it should have made her weep. Many tongues, a terrible crying, words of sadness, accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse, with sounds of hands amongst them, making a turbulence that turns forever, in that air, stained, eternally, like sand spiraling in a whirlwind. She was not stunned by the horror.


She knew of this place for it was the last constructed portion of a great prison. A prison warded over by another. She knew of them who made their complaints, pawed at her, and gnashed their teeth when she moved past. These are those that lived without praise, without blame and among them where the despised choir of angels who were not rebellious, not faithful to God, but for themselves. Heaven had drove them out to maintain its beauty but the deep hell did not accept them, least the evil have glory over them.


She walked on to the banner where the long line of souls stood, those undone by death and sentenced to one of the layers below. A voice spoke through the murk. “You, who are living depart from those who are dead.” To this the woman raised her eyes to see who it was that came from the dark fog of Ascheron.

Alana slowly made her way along the twisted path. She was a woman with crimson hair wearing blue jeans and a white blouse. Her blue eyes were cast upon Eleon and Enoch and stopped at a distance within range of speaking as if to study them. She did and said nothing else besides looking at them strangely.

Vule and Nedra turned to ash and scattered chunks of charred bone. Where they had stood, remained two enigmatic figures gazing upward. "Who won the wager?", Arden said and turned to his spouse who was also looking skyward as nuclear ordinance rained. She shrugged. "We both perished at the same time. It is a shame that we were so short lived this time around. I would have liked to make a new name for myself.", said Eluv. "At least I am taller than you again.", commented Arden. The two suddenly vanished as if they had not been there at all.

Among the others on the tram were a grey haired gentleman in dress uniform and a younger looking red headed woman in civilian clothing. Though no rank was present where there should be a rank the uniform was decorated with many ribbons, patches, and pins showing he had served long and meritoriously.

Counselor Einar Falls had arrived, choosing to take the invitation given and come to Niihama alone and without escort. There had been much bickering at this decision but in the end the counselor had convinced his peers to support the resolution. The Fleet Admirals, posted in various regions back in Ayenee and the Milky Way had no say in the matter. Once he had boarded the tram and sat down the red headed woman had joined him, sitting to his left. During transport the two did not talk. The woman kept her hands clasped and on her lap and Einar put his nose in a book he had brought with him. When the tram stopped Einar did speak. "Is it time?", he said. The woman simply nodded, rose, and allowed him to exit the row.

He put the book away and went to exit the transport with the rest of the travelers. The woman did likewise, following Einar.

High up in the Imperial Palace, which towered over the rest of the city, Emperor Takayama sat on his throne overlooking several flickering holographic screens showing the Varden arrival. Surveillance cameras that dotted the streets.

A Young Adjutant besides the Emperor spoke in a respectful tone.

"Tennoheika, Vu~āden kara daihyō ga tōchaku shimashita."

Takayama nodded and leaned back in his throne. "Karera wa mukizu de koko ni tōchaku suru mo sore o sanshō shite kudasai." He said, and the Adjutant nodded, sending a Cybercomm broadcast to the team that was supposed to meet them at the Monorail station.


Unlike the clean and airy worlds and cities the Varden group were used too, Niihama City towered all around them in densely packed buildings, neon advertisements in the native language flashed and flickered, providing a meager amount of light in this heavily polluted world. The air itself was thick with pollutants, and the city seemed to reach into the skies, and go down as far as the eye could see.

As it was evening, the sun had been setting, giving the sky a brilliant red-orange glow, silhouetted by the tall buildings. Niihama City was the epitome of Taiyou arcology, but also appeared grimy, and filthy at the same time.

At the station itself, when Einar and his men disembarked from the monorail, they would be greeted by a team of Taiyou military personnel, all of them in crisp and pressed Imperial military uniforms. Behind the Taiyou officers was a pair of Taiyou EW-205 tanks, Each with it's main gun lazily pointed in the general direction of the Varden Team.

Standing at the head of the group of Taiyou was General Hama, prior to his departure from Niihama he had been redirected to see that the Varden delegation made it's way to the Palace.

General Hama offered a slight bow to the men. "Welcome to Niihama, The Emperor must not be kept waiting." He said, while a Botanachi DRHC Tilt rotor craft touched down on another platform several meters away.

There were not "men". There was only Councilor Falls in his dress uniform and the woman with red hair that wore civilian clothing. The man's only weapon appeared to be a sword upon his left hip. The woman did not appear to be carrying any weaponry. Einar coughed, cleared his throat, and apparently was having some trouble breathing in the polluted air. The woman did not seem to share Einar's problem.

He glanced briefly at the tanks and then to General Hama, returning the slight bow. He turned to the Botanachi as it touched down and then back to the general. He then motioned to be directed.

General Hama said nothing, simply directed the man and the woman towards the Helicopter, which was idling on the pad. Once aboard, the helicopter would lift off, and start towards the massive central building, which held a small and rather cozy Imperial Palace, which was designed on traditional Taiyou architecture.

The Helicopter beated it's blades through the thick Niihama air, until they inevitably reached the landing pad adjacent to the Imperial Palace.

The two were then led down a long flagstone path towards the entrance, before they were stopped by what could be described as an Imperial Warrior in red and black armor, and a black Yukata worn under.

The Warrior instantly reached for his Katana, barking a hurried order at Einar and his accomplice.

"Teishi! Anata no buki o hōki suru!" He demanded, while a middle agend woman in a red pantsuit approached from behind.

"Karera wa issho shite iru." She said, waving him down, causing the Warrior to glare at this Taiyou newcomer.

"Chigau! Karera wa Ten'nō o miru mae ni, karera wa buki o hōki suru." He demanded, and the woman nodded, turning to Einar. "Please check your weapons, ceremonial or otherwise to this Imperial Warrior before you're allowed to proceed."

During the flight both the woman and Einar did not speak. The woman walked behind Einar and at his right side as they approached the entrance. When the Imperial Warrior in red and black armor reached for his sword Einar stopped and very slowly started to reach his right hand across his body to grasp his own weapon. The red haired woman interrupted this action by placing her right hand on his right shoulder. The contact caused Einar to relax even before the middle aged woman in the red pantsuit arrived and translated.

Einar unlashed his sword belt and took the weapon by the scabbard before passing it to the woman who had come with him. She took the blade up by the scabbard and held it in her right hand. No words were exchanged between the two but a few seconds passed as the two locked eyes. Einar then turned back to face the Imperial Warrior while the woman stepped back and away from the entrance. The whole scene played out with no expression displayed by either visitor.

The Warrior regarded Einar with apparent hostility, but as the woman backed away the Imperial warrior nodded to Kayabuki.

The woman nodded. "It's nothing personal, just a security measure. I will be your guide today." She said, and once the weapon was secured with the woman, the Warrior stepped aside to allow them to pass into the Imperial Palace itself.

"I am Prime Minister Kayabuki, there's a few short and simple rules you must follow when interacting with the Emperor. Please understand he is the absolute sovereign ruler of the Taiyou Empire, and must be respected." She said, leading them into the Palace. "Do not make eye contact with him, always keep your gaze averted to his feet unless he makes eye contact with you. If he bows to you, bow lower than he, address him as 'Tenno Heika' and nothing else. The Prince shall be addressed as Shinno Heika, and treated as if he were the Emperor." Kayabuki explained.

"Regarding food, do not take a bite before the Emperor to begin the meal, He always eats first. Do not stand over or above the Emperor, and show humility and respect with all interactions." She explained, two Imperial Guards nodding and readying to open the paper and bamboo door to the Emperor's throne room.

"Understand that the Emperor's word is law, and his motives are not to be questioned. Are you ready to proceed?"