From First To Last

by **Nabonassar** Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:58 pm

Nabonassar had never set foot on Novus Orsa before. From the things he had heard, apart from the Geo Forge where Konstantine lived, it was the ass end of the universe. Dirty, disgusting, home to criminals and worse. Something one wouldn’t expect from one of the grand Celesin Empire’s worlds. He knew, in the way that one knew that religion was full of shit, that Celesin could not be a perfect place. A place of grand marble palaces on every worlds. Of rolling green fields full of crops on others. Mesiphidon was a warmonger and an imperialist tyrant. It was a wonder that all of his worlds weren’t like this one. But perhaps that was a ploy? A clever disguise to make others believe that this world was worthless when, in fact, it was probably the most valuable world within the Empire. For this world was where Nabonassar’s sister, Konstantine, did her work. Perhaps one of the most brilliant Kings in existence, Konstantine was constantly at work in the Geo Forge.

Nabonassar would be disturbing her this fine afternoon. He was, oddly enough, looking forward to a chat with his sister. It had been a very long time, and while it was no secret that most of his siblings felt ill at ease around Konstantine, Nabonassar felt quite comfortable. It was true, she was the imperfect first generation of his species, but her flaws had given her a gift that later generations, including himself, lacked. He opened the spacial distortion from inside his office in the Domus Solis Ortum and, crossing over, stepped out onto the platform that adjoined the docking port in the side of the cliff where the Geo Forge’s only entrance was not-so-subtly hidden. He smiled slightly as he approached the door, his eyes wandering over the surface of it and the area surrounding it, his eyes changing color so fast it would hardly be noticeable, until he found the camera. He stared up at it and smiled, “Greetings, inhabitants of the Geo Forge! Might my sister be able to come out and play? I feel a great desire to speak with her.”

He would settle in to wait, knowing it might take a while for Konstantine to emerge from the depths of her hidey hole. He had reports that she was only seen outside of it with one Nikolai Krause. Her protector and her friend, most likely. He fully expected the man to emerge from the opening with her. He know the man to be magi-enhanced, so he pictured Konstantine riding upon his shoulders like an overgrown child. The thought made him chuckle. All he really wanted from this encounter was to know if she was happy. A little check-in before the war began in earnest. And before he underwent ego-death or changed the face of the collective as had only been done once before.

by **Nabonassar** Thu Oct 20, 2016 12:58 am

Nabonassar waited, the acknowledgement that Konstantine was coming. Of course she would come. He had asked so very nicely. While Konstantine and her overlarge friend took a pleasant elevator ride, Nabonassar packed the bowl of his meerschaum with tobacco and lit it up while he watched the sky darken. He really wasn’t dressed for inclement weather. It would be a shame to get this particular suit wet. But thankfully Konstantine’s journey up from the abyss was shorter than he expected. He heard the doors begin to open behind him and he turned, a half-smile on his face as he saw the rather irregular looking young woman approaching. Without her shoes, no less. He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped as she called out that she didn’t do it, whatever it was, “Dear sister, I am not here to accuse you of anything.”

He moved to meet Konstantine and Krause as they approached and he smiled down at the First King. He absolutely refused to call her, as some had begun to, the ‘dwarf-King’. He found it to be an utterly disgusting and repulsive nickname. Anyone who mouthed it in his presence would surely regret it. After all, Konstantine was the firstborn of the Kings. Nabonassar himself was not possible without the trial and error that resulted in Konstantine, “Before I address your question, my dear, I believe we’re forgetting our manners.” His eyes turned toward Konstantine’s shadow and flared several different colors before returning to their normal pale shade, “You must be Mr. Nikolai Krause. A pleasure. I am Nabonassar. If that light behind your visor I see is your eyes, please be aware that your unique capabilities will not be required. Konstantine is my sister, and I would sooner destroy the universe than harm her.”

His eyes turned back to Konstantine, “Well, let me start by saying that it’s lovely to see you in the flesh, dear. You’ve missed all the dreadfully boring parties at the collective. I’ve hardly seen hide nor hair of you since I was born. I thought we might find someplace to avoid the inclement weather coming and chat for a bit. Perhaps over lunch? I understand that this planet has several establishments that serve a tasty cup of noodles?” He smiled and offered her his hand, “I find myself at a nexus in my life. A point at which all of it will change, or it will end rather abruptly. I’ve been wanting to come and see you for some time. This may very well be my one and only chance.”

by **Nabonassar** Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:28 pm

The King smiled at Konstantine’s retort about Nikolai. He moved to wrap his arm around the little King’s shoulders, “Darling, all of us, each and every one of us, needs to be minded. Nebuchadnezzar has her assistant, Signe, Esarhaddon has Mesiphidon, I have Ajax. You have Nikolai. You see, if we don’t have someone to ground us, we can get lost in our grand schemes and lose sight of what is important.” He squeezed her shoulder lightly, “Also, you’ll like to know that I have made a connection with a real, human person. She’s quite exceptional, the only being I’ve ever met with a magnetosphere all her own.”

He chuckled softly when Konstantine perked up about the idea of having lunch and he listened as she listed off the places she knew about and he smiled, “Baba Yaga’s it is. Also, I happen to have a solution to your footwear problem.” He held out his free hand over which a spatial distortion opened, perfectly square. Into his hand dropped a black box with a Converse logo on the lid. The portal closed and he offered her the box. Inside was a pair of Converse high tops in Konstantine’s size and all laced up for her. He knew about Konstantine’s quirks and such, so he had to be prepared for the eventualities. He glanced back at Nikolai as he let Konstantine go so she could put on her shoes, “These should be somewhat easier to keep on her.”

He spread his hands, “Well dear, something rather momentous is about to happen. Something that may change my circumstances for good and all. There is a seventy-three percent chance of ego-death, as a matter of fact.” He glanced at Krause. The man would no doubt alert Mesiphidon if he knew what was happening. He couldn’t have the Emperor of Celesin in on his plan. That was one of the reasons why he had hoped Krause would be busy during this visit. Of course, when one’s job was to keep an eye on an eccentric King, what else could one possibly be busy with? He looked at Konstantine, “I merely wanted to come and have a talk with you. Find out if you are happy, if your life is fulfilled. You are, and always have been, the exception amongst us, and I very much wish to know you a little better before the time comes that I must give my existence into chance’s hands.”

by **Nabonassar** Wed Oct 26, 2016 4:04 am

Nabonassar arched a brow and stared long and hard at Konstantine when she appeared flustered at the comparison between herself and Nikolai to Esarhaddon and Mesiphidon. He then realized it was the embarrassment of the implication of Konstantine and intimacy of any kind. He smiled and shook his head, “No, no -” But then he was interrupted by her question. This was followed shortly by a list of aliases that made him frown slightly, brow creasing. He watched the screen as she scrolled through the articles of propaganda. He lifted his hand and paused in her scrolling, reviewing the stories and images. However, instead of looking any kind of upset he smiled as he swiped the images away, “Well, I can’t say I believe it all, but it certainly explains quite a bit. Mostly why she is suspicious of me and everything I say and do.”

He was glad to see that she delighted in the shoes he had prepared for just such an occasion, however that was spoiled by her reaction to the second piece of news he had for her. He sighed a little in exasperation, “We both know risks, however this is a choice that I have made for the good of others. My own personal gains should I succeed are immaterial. That is the last I will say upon the subject.” He then nodded, “Of course. To Baba Yaga’s!” He opened a portal large enough for the two of them, large enough even for Nikolai to pass through without having to stoop or sidle in sideways. He crossed through first, into the street outside the place and then waiting for Konstantine to join him as well as Nikolai before he let the portal close.

He wrapped an arm once more around Konstantine’s shoulders and lead her on toward the entrance, “So tell me, dear sister, do you enjoy it here? Not just in the Forge, but in Celesin itself? I’m only wondering because I’ve always been curious how you happen to feel about Mesiphidon and his kind. As well as his policies and such. As far as I can tell, no one has ever bothered to ask how you might view Mesiphidon’s style of rule.” He definitely wanted to steer the conversation about the so-called mass murdering terrorist. The Sparrow he knew, or perhaps the Sparrow he had seen, was not the terrorist type. He thought it would be best to have a conversation with the woman in question before speculating about what could be called smear campaigns.

by **Nabonassar** Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:18 am

Nabonassar listened. And listened. And listened some more. He did not really know what he had thought she would say. But he suspected that her views were one of the many reasons that she was comfortable here in Celesin. He laced his fingers together as she regaled him with her beliefs and philosophies. He nodded along to some things, but shook his head a little in disagreement at others. However, merely running her thoughts through his mind gave birth to a rather excellent idea. One that would allow coexistence to prevail throughout the universe. He respectfully waited until she was finished before smiling, “Someone has been drinking the proverbial kool-aid.” He chuckled a little at his own joke before he settled back into his seat, watching his older sister. How best to broach the subject?

He smiled, “Allow me to respond, sister?” Of course she would allow it. Family was for imposing upon. He removed his pipe and thumbed the bowl full, speaking while he did so, “You make some excellent points, Konstantine. That much is very true. However there is a flaw in your logic.” He didn’t really just say that, did he? Oh yes he did. Once the bowl was full he placed the stem between his teeth while he looked for his matches, and so he spoke around the pipe as he did so, “Stopping the self-destructive course of like that nature takes may be all well and good, but what of those who have reached the end of that particular process? The ones that have, as you say, become unified under a single banner and put an end to most, if not all, inequality, war and other such nonsense? This is where your argument falls apart.”

He finally found his matches and struck one, lighting the pipe and blowing the cloud of smoke toward the ceiling, “Do you see it, yet? No? Well, perhaps if I gave you an example.” He blew another cloud of smoke, “Let us use, for example, Black Sun. The continent has been unified under a singular government for two and a half thousand years. Inequality and hunger are not problems prevalent across their territory. They have not yet expanded to the stars, I think, due to contentment with their lot, however they have a number of projects underway being managed by myself and my attaché, Ajax. Now, what do you suppose a world like that gains from being absorbed into a place like Celesin? Space travel? Protection from hostile races? An overabundance of food?” He took another pull and blew it up toward the ceiling, “Space travel, for one thing, is something they can manage for themselves given time. Protection from hostile races? They have an alliance with Dorian to call upon in times of trouble, should their own forces be insufficient. As for food, well, why waste it? You see, the gains are far fewer at Black Sun’s level of development than, say, Earth. The losses far outweigh the gains. More than twenty-five hundred years of culture and history wiped away as if it had never been. A person who takes pride in his nation and in his world reduced to yet another citizen on an Imperial world if he does not display the abilities that Mesiphidon requires in his regional governors, fanatical zealotry being one of them, I assume. What then, is the point, of annexing it?”

Did she have an answer? Could she? He didn’t doubt it, but he answered his own question seconds later, “I believe it has everything to do with Mesiphidon’s ego. His pride. His belief that he is the best thing that ever happened to this universe. That one is merely an assumption. No, he does not do this purely out of the goodness of his heart.” He chuckled a little, pulling again on the meerschaum, “Please believe me when I say that I respect your opinions on this subject, but the ends do not always justify the means, Konstantine. I am happy that you are happy. Really. It pleases me to see you enjoying yourself in your surroundings. Also, would you like me to have that put in a container for you to take back to the Forge with you? I imagine it travels better than some other things I could name.”

by **Drustan** Sat Oct 29, 2016 3:38 pm

Konstantine had a great deal of freedom—enough that in maintaining the illusion of, the little genius was allowed to get away with a great deal, and her limitations were not made explicitly known to her, insofar as Drustan was concerned. She was able to do as she pleased in her lab, and be the veritable king she wanted to be while in her forge. The assumption was that everything she made would be to the benefit of Celesin, but in true freedom, that was not necessarily the case; and while it was an unspoken assumption that the King would be a hand of the empire, she nevertheless had other connections that may one day stand to conflict with Celesin’s interests. There was undoubtedly a world where none of this was true, and Konstantine was loyal to a fault. The Primoris Ignis, unaccustomed to taking unnecessary risks, did not operate with this world in mind.

There was confidence in Konstantine’s entourage; her protection was more than sufficient. Celesin had gone to great lengths to accommodate her and keep their asset safe. Alas, victory in battle was often the result of gaining information and relaying that information faster than the opposition—if a fight could be stopped before it even began, that was all the better. As such, the illusion of freedom was important to keeping Konstantine in Novus Orsa, such that her creative mind was never stifled, but that mind was of great interest to many people other than Celesin, and that information was always relevant. Eyes remained on Konstantine from all angles; few words about the dwarf King passed without Drustan hearing about it. His office was over a thousand feet above the city; when he opened his window, the life of the streets below was silent to him, and the wind at such a high altitude was the only tune to accompany the neon lights that made Novus Orsa shine in the night. But from his lofty perch, Drustan heard and saw everything. At least, this was the reputation he’d worked hard to drill into the minds of the city’s citizens. Those who toiled in the light felt safe while he stood over the city, while those who preferred to operate in the shadows felt the oppression of his watchfulness.

“Sir, the Forge is attempting to establish a connection. Shall I connect them to your office?” A jointly synthetic and feminine voice rang out into the room from ceiling-bound speakers. Drustan, with hands secured behind his back, stood unmoving before a massive window in his office. The wall had the multi-purpose of being Drustan’s view of the city, a 4th wall to make his office an actual room, the only significant source of light from which the glow of the city poured through, and his personal computer. For this reason, the Primoris did not require a desk; merely a chair that could roll across the reflective surface of the dark, polished, concrete flooring. “Put them through,” he responded, his bottomless voice rolling through the large room to fill it. Without missing a beat, the window-screen manifested a box close to Drustan’s left side, and inside it were bars, each analyzing select wavelengths, and thus providing Drustan with analysis and authenticity during his communications. “Report.”

“Sir, you asked us to document when Konstantine left the Forge, and to alert you if she had any visitors.” Drustan stood in silence as he primed his brain for what information he was about to receive, his crimson eyes halved by lowered lids and his increasingly-characteristic furrowed brow. “She left with an unidentified individual.” ”Is Krause with her?” “Yes, sir. Alis Dominus Nikolai Krause accompanied Konstantine and the unknown male. We’re receiving reports from city surveillance that they’ve taken refuge at a restaurant.” Drustan didn’t take more than a few seconds to make a decision. “Send the restaurant’s city coordinates to IRIS. I’ll head there personally.” IRIS, the computer and algorithm so-named for being the ‘eye’ of the city, was Drustan’s method of travel from his office parts of the city. A spark of electricity cracked, and ran along a nigh-invisible ripple suddenly manifest at the room’s center. The brief discharge was quickly accompanied by other like releases of energy as two-points in space were connected, the completion of which ripped a brilliant hole in the face of reality. Drustan’s heavy, booted feet marched for the tear, and stepped through it to manifest at the entrance of the very restaurant he’d pegged as his destination. The face of the restaurant was bathed in this same light for all of a few seconds before it closed behind the materialized form of Drustan, dressed down in the white-mantle of his station, and the heavy ballistic cuirass that said he was all business. When he’d met with another such figure—one of such interest that he saw fit to put aside his duties to speak with her, he’d adorned civilian garb to avoid drawing attention to himself. Now, attention would be his friend.

Depending on who or what he was dealing with, he stood several feet from the restaurant's front doors, giving himself the opportunity to study his surroundings, the building, and whatever radiating energy was available for him to gobble up and analyze from the various lifeforms inside. Just as well, this was the unknown party's (Nabonassar's) opportunity to flee if he did not want to deal with the Primoris. It was as much a courtesy that the historically ill-tempered and violent Dra'sin gave him that opportunity, as it was a conscious-effort on the part of the Primoris to do little damage to the neighborhood. If things went south, he could at least say he tried.

by **Nabonassar** Wed Nov 02, 2016 12:15 am

Nabonassar tapped out the ashes into his palm, over which there was a small portal which would deposit the ashes in the dirt just outside of town. He listened and watched the play of expressions across Konstantine’s face. It was then that he realized he’d hurt her feelings. He frown slightly, consciously, so that she would see it, then reached across the table to place his hand on her arm, “I’m sorry, Konstantine. I really am. I am not trying to talk you out of your position, which I am certain has been researched with the efficiency only you could manage.” However, when the Imperial Mouthpiece opened his mouth and spewed his zealous nonsense, Nabonassar looked at him, face impassive. He listened politely, however, the man’s tone and the look on his face when he spoke of his ‘Lord’ made nabonassar want to vomit. The shining righteousness was rather nauseating, and frankly, he couldn’t stand the idea of someone being such a blind follower.

However, he made the muscles in his face pull the corners of his lips into a smile as he addressed Nikolai, “My apologies, I have nothing but respect for the one who guards the most vulnerable of us.” And thus the King spake to the soldier, ‘Thou art a glorified nanny.’ In far more words, of course. He then turned toward Konstantine and ignored the Imperial Mouthpiece, “I did not intend this visit to be the one where you write me off as just another of your siblings who does not respect your opinion, dear sister. I merely wanted to see if you could convince me to take the Emperor’s deal. It is my fault that I have forgotten that you are not like Nebuchadnezzar or the others. Forgive me?” He very much wanted Konstantine to still believe that at least someone in her family believed in her. He wanted to be the one that kept that spark of hope alive in her.

His smile returned, however, when she began to question him about dessert, and how much money he had brought. He chuckled softly, “Dear sister, you could order one of everything on this particular menu and I would have enough money to buy this place afterward. Order whatever you like, I will pay for it.” It was a good thing he had gone through a number of planets for ore so that he might build his house. In gathering materials for the Domus Solis Ortum had also netted him a tidy sum in raw materials that he had translated into currency on many worlds. But even if Nikolai had attempted to foot this particular bill, Nabonassar wouldn’t have let him. The King wanted to do something nice for his sister, and do it he would. Let Nikolai think that he was punishing Nabonassar for speaking out of turn. But was it really a punishment if the King had been planning to do it all along?

He had just requested a to-go bowl when he detected the spacial distortion outside. Someone had just arrived, and in a manner that suggested it was someone important. Konstantine would be aware of the arrival too if she was paying attention. He turned his head toward the door, wondering why the person, or persons, did not enter. He’d look back toward Konstantine, “It seems we have another visitor. Any chance you are expecting someone, dear?”

by **Drustan** Mon Nov 07, 2016 2:33 pm

In the few minutes before Drustan entered, he took inventory of the sorts of lifeforms he could feel in the bar; what he could read off the energy that passed between them. He took into consideration what the building looked like, and performed calculations predicting the outcome of applying force to key points on the exterior. From his position and view into the restaurant, he could measure the inside of the building as well. The Kings could do it too, he’d discovered; while the mechanisms behind how they did it may have been different from dra’sin, Kings nevertheless had a number of functions similar to those of the dra’sin—one among many reasons the Ignis general had chosen to become an expert on their species. As he did so, the surface of his right thumb brushed against the fingers occupying the same hand, drawing the primoris’ ruby eyes down to his hand to witness the gesture, idiosyncratic of a human-remnant he was having trouble of letting go of. But, it was an issue for a different time.

Now, seeming human as it were, didn’t stand in the way of objectives, and instead offered some unique opportunities (or so he assumed). Perhaps he might come off as even more human than the Emperor and his most infamous hand (that brutish amazon ), and in some way endear himself to the other King in the building. Drustan wasn’t looking to be liked, but at the very least not feared; respected was a much loftier goal, and usually had the better rewards. His eyes returned to the door, his face neutral, and thereafter his booted feet carried him forward. He breached the threshold of the restaurant; head bowed and right shoulder leading to allow his broad frame to clear the door.

Despite having already surveyed the interior and the people in it, studied his surroundings again, starting from the wall opposite the duo of Kings and Nikolai. Heads around the restaurant turned in waves, and the silence that fell over the room died to the growing rush of whispers and chatter that followed his entry. Many people looked excited to see him, amazed they could be in the presence of the heroic figure whose continued efforts in cleaning up Novus Orsa had inspired thousands of the city’s inhabitants, thus renewing some lost hope and pride. There were also those who looked concerned—they had every right to be given the Primoris’ ferocious reputation. Even more looked suspended between awe and the part of their being that told them not to invade his personal space. Drustan catered to the fanfare in the only way he knew how—adopting a half-smile for anyone who made eye contact.

Soon, the host and the restaurant’s manager were striding up to greet him. This, apparently, was the result of celebrity (but probably mostly reverence). Even after he’d stopped paying mind of the patrons, they remained focused on him, as if amazed to know that they could breathe his air, or that they didn’t spontaneously combust in his presence. That was much more likely to occur if Mesiphidon had walked into the room. The manager was kind (or intimidated) enough to escort Drustan to the table housing Konstantine, who was now able to properly introduce the primoris. “Good evening,” he offered flatly, first to Konstantine as he shared a look with her, and then with the unknown King, who received a more thorough once over, but no longer than the look given to Konstantine. Last was Nikolai, who at first only received a glance, but that eventually turned into a nod of its own. “I heard Konstantine had guests. I came to investigate.” Drustan made his reasons for showing up abruptly known quickly, doing away with whatever mystery may have come with his arrival.

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