Aight gents, a pair of updates.
Isis makes her play and Ba'al further brings his agenda to Drey'ac.
In honor of
@Spartan303 a certain..faction makes an overt cameo.
The Month of Ouranos (Sixth month of the imperial Calendar)/July Tau’Ri reckoning
Triangulum Galaxy- Wuji Capitol of the Heavenly Kingdom of Yu the Golden; Vassal State to the Empire of the System Lords
…..
Castle Pengu
Wuji had been an irradiated death world when her uncle conquered the future Capitol of his kingdom. She wasn’t old enough to have known it then, but she had seen the holoimages. Yu the heavenly Sovereign, the youngest brother of Ra (After Set and the long dead Aten), Yu the Golden certainly earned his moniker, born Akere he changed his name after discovering the Eastern continent of the Tau’Ri was populated by an ancient people called Khitai. Unlike Ra who had brought order to mostly primitives Yu had been fortunate. Conquering through science and lore a settled, people. Knowing her uncle there was probably an immense amount of joy for above all else Yu was an engineer and architect. But where some technologists-built starships and orbital stations, mining facilities and cities, her uncle built entire worlds. It was said that even the star
Wuji orbited was dying when he came. She hadn’t seen him resurrect and rejuvenate a dead star nor had he ever claimed too, but if he one day boasted about it she wouldn’t doubt it.
Yu was like Thoth, Loki, Nerus or Ba’al. One of the greatest minds in all the cosmos, like them he was rather eccentric as well. Though, in the case of Yu it was more that he wished to be master of his own worlds and free from the shadow of his elder brother and to the surprise of everyone Ra not only wished him luck but even sent military aid to his brother in the early days of the Heavenly Kingdom. Yu had submitted his crown to Ra and swore an oath of vassalage to the Imperium grudgingly perhaps. but it was a thing Ra had never asked for. No one quite knew why Ra allowed Yu to do what he did, or what prompted Yu to submit in the end, their relationship was incredibly complicated, but Isis suspected the answer was simple.
Ra loved his baby brother, cruel, vain, and arrogant as her father could be. He had a soft spot for his own family and while Egeria’s treachery had hardened that soft spot, Ra could never bring himself to forcefully integrate Yu into the Empire as the high lord of a dominion and not as a semi-independent King. Much to the everlasting rage of Apophis. Of course, whoever sat on the Throne had little to fear from her uncle, with the exception of a rather extensive trade with the Empire through Ba’al and Set the Heavenly Kingdom was an isolationist state. Massive, it comprised much of the Galaxy, yet fewest ships and its armies were all police forces rather than outright military.
This had something to do with hyperspace, she remembered Nerus and Thoth discussing it once. Millions of years ago the cursed Fyryns had deployed a weapon of some sort that destabilized hyperspace across this Galaxy, making faster than Light travel without Hyperspace relays (Stargate like devices several miles in diameter that flung ships along “stable points” between safe routes) or Stargates themselves was impossible beyond certain points. Though, her uncle said this was gradually changing and that perhaps in a hundred thousand years the Galaxy would be free of this web of damage. Hyperspace healing itself was an interesting concept, it was a concept that prompted the religion of those aborted Jaffa. Stupid
Sebaceans, it had been Isis that convinced her father and the War Gods Apophis and Anubis to exile them from the empire once it became clear their weakness to heat was too much of a defect to tolerate. -Before the Prim’tah’s whose clever idea was that again? Oh right, Prometheus, though he gave credit to mother-.
They thought Hyperspace was some well of souls, whereas most scientifically literate species believed it was more like an ocean calming from a great storm. The Jaffa who flanked her looked up at the walkway from the Gate pavilion and her Prime Ateus let out a soft curse. “Peacekeepers, here.” He muttered. “Genetic defectives should know their place.”
Isis let out a merry laugh as she espied the delegation, their black and red leather armor, their dull uninspired symbols and the tall woman with exotic features that implied she may have been more Langaran than Sebecean who must have been their leader. “They’ve grown arrogant since they triumphed over those infernal lizards.” The Skurrrians or some such, she couldn’t recall the name, but they were a petty empire of some four hundred worlds and an incredibly dense population, partially descended from Unas who were lost on an exploration mission some hundred thousand years ago. They were vicious, aggressive, and stupid and naturally the abortive Jaffa who fancied themselves a mercenary race of peacekeepers attempted to subjugate them. Failing repeatedly, both sides were locked in a five thousand yearlong cold war until their idiot “emperor” (If such a title could apply to a backwater chief of up jumped garden dwelling bug eaters.) decided to raid a trade convoy from Ba’al to Apophis. Fleet Captain Drey’ac had been ordered to retaliate. She took a fleet of six hundred vessels into their territory and leveled every shipyard, orbital defense, and fleet she could find, took a few parting shots at their capitol world and went home to conceive her son (Isis liked Drey’ac as much was allowable, her cousin Aqet always had good taste in protégé’s.) Apparently, this damage was enough for the Peace Makers or whatever the name they chose for themselves was and they rolled up their ancient enemies. Between that and Saqet hiring them to hunt pirates, they were becoming far too arrogant for her liking. -Maybe we should feed them to Apophis, then again Apophis has a thing for defective children. - She thought amusedly. “Come Ateus, we shall visit them.” A smooth, somewhat cruel smile on her face.
“Majesty, is that not…would that not be beneath you?”
“
Ooohhh I suppose you’re right” she sighed tiredly, Pengu castle loomed ahead of them, done in a style that was very different from the immense palaces at Dakkara and
Wasset or her biological father’s floating island palace. Pengu was more of a home, a cottage that was the size of a mountain. Much of it was made a special kind of stone that existed literally only on
Wujia and only in this palace. Something Yu created; a rare mineral of his own invention that was said to be as durable as starship armor. Grown a mountain and surrounded by a valley that was itself flanked by mountains, the city that rested in the shadows of Pengu was fortified against invasion by infantry and the point defense systems scattered around the snow-covered mountains made it rather challenging. Apophis mockingly called it the Secret City and as a result it stuck, for Yu took it as a badge of honor.
They crossed a road of jade woven with some sort of metal of her uncle’s creation and Isis did her best to refrain from telekinetically lashing out at the Sebacean detail when they scowled at her and muttered in hushed whispers. -It’s unbecoming of me to rub it in- She thought, but she couldn’t help but enjoy the fact that every single one of those genetic defectives knew her face and still muttered curses about their abandonment and exile. She enjoyed the schadenfreude, even if she did feel a twinge of shame at how petty she was being. -I’m better than this, but there’s something in their eyes I mislike and mistrust. A sense of murderous arrogance that should be broken- Saqet demeaning her Jaffa by hiring their abortive predecessors had made them too confident, too sneering. She stopped for a moment, turning slightly to gaze upon the woman in the center, flanked by guards, the halfbreed with bluish skin and drab, militant wardrobe. “You’re far from home, C
ommandant.” Isis sneered out the word as if it was a term to be used to describe prison wardens or something.
“We do business with those whom we can
Princess Isis.” Her voice, to the genetic failure’s credit was neutral, refined, there was an elegance to it, but it was filled with malice, ambition and hostility. Her inflection at the word Princess implied denigration and Isis allowed a slight smirk as her hair changed into a darker shade of red and her eyes glowed a soft white. “Ah yes, I had forgotten I enforced an embargo on you last millennium. Such a shame as well, what with Ba’al choosing to use Llempiri to augment his Jaffa. But I didn’t make the rules.”
“No, you only passed the edict Princess.” With absolutely no regard for the ramifications thereof, she’d destroyed the economy of the Peacekeepers with a mere flick of a wrist and probably went off to partake in an orgy after the fact.
“Are you entitled to some form of consideration from me?” The woman asked, raising a gloved hand to touch her chin, one adorned with the metallic threads and gem that suggested it was one of their ribbon devices. Isis allowed a soft laugh of amusement when the woman’s guards in all their armor stepped back unconsciously, even they knew what a Peer who wasn’t caught off guard could do . The contrast might have been amusing, the Sebacean showed off her features and embraced the autumn winds, Isis wore a fur lined cloak over a suit of armor that shimmered with the fabrics and plating used by the Jaffa in times of war. The Symbol of the house of Ra was on each of her pauldrons and her midsection bore her personal seal a blue giant star, encircled by a golden ring with twelve wings each one a different color, representing different territories within her domains. She ordinarily would be as nearly naked as her counterpart, but Isis knew it bothered Yu when she walked around like that, and she wanted to hint at the urgency of their meeting. The woman from a warrior society looking like a harlot and the harlot born into obscene luxury looking like a warrior might have made Bra’tac or Garek chuckle. The female stepped forward, Isis could sense the fury and indignation now and she laughed, giggling. “
Oh, forgive me Commandant, I’m being rude and you’re a guest in my uncle’s domain. Forgive me…I shall simply have to do something to make up for such base conduct hmm..hmm..Ah yes!” She snapped her fingers. “I’ll have the embargo lifted!”
The woman seemed to come close to stammering. Her eyes narrowed, a look of pure fury on her face.
Isis shrugged, she knew the fact that the very thing that had been ravaging their economy had been put in place in a fit of pique and now was removed for the very same reason and it had to have insulted her warrior’s pride. -If I can do something compassionate while humiliating them, then I’m not so petty! - She thought. “I can’t even remember why the Embargo was in place any way. And you’ve certainly acquitted yourselves well! Why you even decimated those atrocious…Scullery…scuryin? “
“Scarrans, Princess Isis.” The female responded doing her best to keep the hatred from her voice, the truth was that an end to the embargo would do a lot to help their kind recover from the final push into the now fallen Scarran Empire. The losses they had taken then, coupled with several wars with tiny potentates out in the areas beyond imperial space had left them in a spot where they were always one bad decade away from an economic catastrophe. Much as she hated the sheer, capriciousness of this woman. -Ra just ignored our existence, Horus seems content to follow his example. If she gains the Throne, she’s liable to see us exterminated just because she’s bored one particular afternoon. She hates us for trying to be what they made us to be, because the System Lords made us incorrectly. - It bothered her that, more than it should have, but half of her was Sebacean and they had fought to carve out something resembling the Empire of their creators out in the wastelands their Gods, for that is what they were. Gods that had rejected them, but Gods no less. Out in the sectors and systems, their Gods ignored.
“Ah yes, Scarrens. I hear they were a bunch of lust driven brutes who conquered worlds populated by the descendants of Lotar explorers solely to ravage them. Mindless beasts, yet they still managed to achieve a level of superiority over you?”
The woman nodded; the bitterness evident in her eyes.
Isis paused, as if considering for a moment, she knew what a struggle like that was like. What it was to face a superior foe who wanted you dead. She spent most of her life looking at the Asgard like that, she still remembered the sheer terror she felt when she’d see their silver ships prowling nebulas or at the extremity of their senses, lurking in the dark…waiting. -We never truly overtook them, but in the end we overcame them and forced them to the table. - Perhaps that was why she disliked these broken creatures so much? Their shame mirrored her own. No, of course that couldn’t be it. She gave a curt nod seemingly in acknowledgement, waited until she could sense the emotions of some of those present reach a sort of state of hopefulness and then allowed herself a cold smile. “How fortunate then, that a single Jaffa Fleet Captain and a small battlegroup achieved in five standard days what you couldn’t in five thousand..what is..it your quaint little people call them? Ah yes, five thousand standard cycles. Nevertheless, a victory of opportunity is still a victory, I shall have to adjust I suppose to seeing Sebacean merchants come through my Stargates. May you celebrate long, the grand trespass!”
She departed them then, leaving them humiliated and enraged and promised herself she’d get horribly drunk later to erase from her memory how shameful that entire display was. -Father was better than that, once upon a time. I should be as well…- They brought out the worst in her, yet she had a sinking suspicion all they ever wanted was a chance to earn her respect.
Broken toy soldiers were useless, yet they elicited the strongest emotions.
-Why they seek it from the woman who ordered their exile and not my brother or uncles I’ll never understand, stupid toy soldiers! -
The entire conversation was unbecoming, she had to meet her uncle to prevent another from potentially bathing the Empire in blood and she was out here picking fights with abandoned children. -Well, the embargos removal will at least make it up to them even if it tastes like salt-
……..
Nineveh- The Month of Ouranos (Sixth month of the imperial Calendar)/July Tau’Ri reckoning
They had walked in silence after Ba’al revealed his suspicions, though in truth it was more because she was busy admiring the unnatural ways water flowed against gravity, the bioluminescent plants and the veins of precious ore that wound along the inner caves that made up the underground palace of the wealthiest of the System Lords. -He doesn’t even use artificial lighting, its all generated by plant life or these bizarre birds that seem to fly everywhere within- Some of which were as large as a Death Glider, she realized. -Remarkable- He was definitely scheming something with King Yu, there was no way even a scientist as talented as Ba’al could work such wonders in genetic engineering without help from the master of the science. But, then again, no one knew anything about Lord Ba’al. That was perhaps the most disturbing aspect of it all, the only peers to exist had all come from the original System Lords, they were their children or grand children and there were precious few. Another mystery that put her on edge, as much as she wondered if he might have been the first of his kind, a thing that intrigued her. -He’s dangerous, but not because he’s mad like Apophis but because I enjoy his company, he puts me at ease while filling my thoughts with items that
should concern me-. There was nothing more dangerous than someone who was naturally good at getting people to drop their guard.
The beauty helped her put order to her thoughts though and she cleared her throat. “With respect, majesty. I am curious why you think someone has allied with the Tau’Ri?”
Ba’al raised an eyebrow. “Did I say ally with the Tau’Ri? No I said someone assisted in their escape before encountering War Master Teal’c. something I suspect you also believe.” He paused, catching the raised eyebrow and Ba’al chuckled and waved a placating hand. “Peace Fleet Captain, your husband more than earned the title and there is no procedure to revoke it. He shall remain it until death, even in treason. The Jaffa are our champions, but also our protectors and the carriers of our children in some cases. It just isn’t proper for a God to forsake one of his own even if he has strayed from the path.”
There was a flippancy in use of the word God, but a sincerity there as well, Ba’al wasn’t going to disrespect Teal’c even if he had become a criminal. “Thank you, majesty.”
Ba’al nodded. “Though I personally wished there was an exception for such cases, so that he could retain his title and I could raise you up as one as well. From what I’ve read of your career, you are worthy.”
She wanted to blush, damn him. “Majesty, I thank you, but a career fighting pirates and designing ships hardly compares to my husband’s winning a war!”
“Because you had nothing to do with his victory, eh? I remember well! The battle of the Asuran nebula? Hah! Face it Cap’n the only reason you didn’t make the cut is because these Gods over here fancy uniqueness to a degree that borders on idolatry!” Aris Boch had appeared, almost out of nowhere, a reed from one of the banks of the many rivers flowing through the palace in his mouth. His eyes flickering and his lips a vibrant shade of green suggesting he was likely fresh off a swig of Roshna in whatever liquor he kept in his side pouch.
Ba’al surprisingly tolerated Boch’s own irreverence (Mostly because it was clear Boch
did worship the System Lords, albeit more in the hero cult vein than the reverence to a supernatural being sense.). “Hmm I wonder, can Gods commit the sin of idolatry? Or are we exempt from our own proscriptions on materialism.”
“Phah! Ya better be, majesty or else all this ostentation is going to get you in deep trouble some day!” Boch remarked falling in line beside Ba’al opposite to Drey’ac. Ba’al’s laughter rising through the hall. “I guess I will have to call on Lore Master Shaun’ac and ask her and her scholars about that. Or Lady Hathor, whenever she decides to return.”
“The Chamberlain is still missing huh?” Boch queried, though the conversation seemed rehearsed to Drey’ac and by the looks in their eyes she suspected they knew exactly where she was. -But not because they’re involved in her own schemes, not after what he said earlier- plans within plans. The one thing she was grateful for in the service of Apophis, in that none dared to scheme like that around him, for he detested it. -Give me a weapon and point me in the direction of my enemy or ask one of my wives to do the thinking, leave me out of it or die! - He would always declare. “She had better return soon though, in a month we’re due to vote on whether or not to install her as Imperial Regent until a successor to her husband can be appointed.” Ba’al shrugged. “In any case, yes to the question you’re asking with your glare Drey’ac, I do believe the Tau’Ri discovered the gate and by sheer luck made it to Abydos and not a singularity or a buried Gate or another world within the Empire as has happened before a dozen times in the past. Our Empire is old and immense, sometimes worlds are forgotten and left to grow on their own. But I do find it rather, odd that the first world they encountered would be Abydos. A forgotten backwater that only Ra cared about.”
“Sek’Het and my husband complained often about Ra’s willingness to allow so many worlds on his borders to atrophy to such a sorry state when so much of his domains and that of his children were so densely populated and developed.”
“About security concerns as well I’d imagine” Boch muttered. “Tracked a bounty there some sixty years ago, Sobek was the only one in that region that cared, he scrambled his prime and a detachment of Jaffa to help. Consort-Chamberlain grew rather detached from the domains she ruled in the emperor’s name over the last century or so.” It had always been weird to Boch, because she continued to fervently update the imperial religion and remained a deft administrator of the imperial bureaucracy, but she had disengaged from her own personal holdings. The action always confused Boch and by the glint he saw in the Jaffa’s eyes, he wasn’t the only one. -Maybe she won’t be as useless as I thought then-, he could see the gears turning in her head.
They entered a large hall that seemed to have been crown into the earth of shimmering artificial crystals, by the smell of the air, likely within the last several hours. -Is this not technology wielded by certain Tok’Ra factions? - She’d led a raid on one of their warrens during the titan’s rebellion, an act of impetuousness given the fact that she was a starship commander and starfighter pilot and not a marine or a infantry Jaffa. But the oil pattern coloration in the walls looked similar. Why had they raided that faction again? Ah yes! Because they were selling Roshna to a Llempiri colony within the borders of the Titan’s space, it was a publicity stunt. A goodwill mission to mash up some drug dealing space trash to begin subverting the Lotar and other subjects of the Titan’s dominion. The striations glimmered in the semi dark as Ba’al tapped a pin on his chest and the room suddenly lit up with a hologram, depicting the vastness of the Empire, all its holdings and vassal states, client kingdoms and even the hidden personal sanctuary worlds every System Lord maintained should the worst-case scenario occur but for which they vigorously denied and mocked all others for. Her eyes scanned the various colors representing the different holdings and the imperial domains and lines? Her eyes narrowed were the pirate raids truly this bad. They intersected the map, beleaguering Ba’al’s realm, ignoring Apophis almost entirely but rampaging through the Domains of Athena, Isis and Zeus, even Amaterasu and Raijin weren’t safe and Haqet’s realm looked to almost completely covered in the crimson that represented the alliance, until the lighter red of the Peaceleepers joined with her magenta in pushing them back. -These piratical raids, this is strategic, this is…- “The Lucian Alliance isn’t capable of something like this.” She whispered.
Then her eyes narrowed. “Alone.” Something came unbidden to her mind, and she felt a sense of outrage follow it.
I should be flattered if I wasn’t so insulted! She turned, taking care to remember that as jovial as Ba’al was. The being was still a System Lord, and she didn’t need any reminding. A hand settled on her midsection as Hraka twitched violently, seemingly in protest at needing to raise psychic defenses to confront someone so soon after nearly being overwhelmed. But she reassured her surrogate boy, his powers weren’t needed here. Ba’al wasn’t accusing her of this, once her emotions settled, she realized that. He was too clever and if he truly suspected her, he never would have confronted her. He’d have simply allowed her to continue, only to allow her to weaken certain rivals of his then he’d quietly have Martouf kill her off. -Besides, Apophis is too mad for such an ambitious scheme and if it had been Apophis, I would have savaged both Set and Ba’al enough to get them both to crawl to us for aid. Set’s bleeding but nowhere near what he should, for the second wealthiest being in the stars- But he is letting me know that he knows I could, he’s putting me on edge hoping to bait me into revealing things about Lord Apophis, while I give insight into this.
He suspects the extent of my Lord's madness…
“Majesty, Lord Ba’al the great.” She began, calming herself and easing her voice into neutrality, the calm monotone she used when briefing Apophis, or a room full of Starship commanders. “You were right to seek my insight, I’m probably the only Fleet Captain of repute who could organize something this expansive and this duplicitous without the personal signature of Se’tak and with Aqet dead, I may be the only one. But I assure you, while this benefits Apophis immensely this was not my doing and he has no patience for such things. Besides” Here she allowed herself a smile. “If my goal was to destabilize the imperial shipping lanes to give my Great King a Pretext to seize power, I would have made sure to command the Lucian pirates to do more than just steal from your frontier foundries and convoys, no I would have had them raid your mining worlds and other assets as well.”
Ba’al smiled, a genuine grin beamed across his face, and he laughed. “Ah, perfect, you see Martouf? Aris was right to recommend her to me.”
Drey’ac’s eyes narrowed as the blond man walked out of seemingly nowhere, the Chamberlain’s calm, smiling, warm demeanor at odds with how frighteningly easy it was for him to sneak into the room (Or remain hidden even as she entered.) and beyond her guard. -Once an Ashrak, always an Ashrak I suppose-. The fact that Aris had been her advocate made something young within her stir, she felt alive for the first time in a century when discharging her duties. -Dangerous as they are, I enjoy this. I am not just keeping myself one step ahead of Apophis madness and beating up pirates, but truly exercising my skills.- The only thing missing was Teal’c, if he was here it would have been paradise.
But she banished the thoughts from her mind as the puzzle pieces fell into place. His beliefs about the Tau’Ri being aided, of these raids and their mysterious puppet master and it all began paint a horrifying picture that her features must have betrayed because Boch let out a low, deep laugh.
“Now Y’see, why Lord Ba’al is so concerned? Why he agreed to your presence even though its obvious yer here so Apophis can manipulate us into joining his little bid for the throne.”
-I do, may the stars help me. -
“Apophis cannot be allowed to initiate a civil war…Even if it means we have to put a maniac on the Throne or go to war with our neighbors to satiate his blood lust” Drey’ac breathed. “To do anything less, would play into the hands of whoever is behind this.” She paused and turned again to eye Ba’al “And I don’t mean Lord Set.”
“Hah!” Ba’al’s voice echoed through the room, the chorus of a thousand vagabonds chuckling into the wind. “She’s good! You and Teal’c should have been born Peers, what System Lords you would have made! Ah well, yes I do suspect Set is bankrolling these raids, but he isn’t equipping them…No someone else is moving behind even him.”
The question was who and Drey’ac had a sinking feeling Ba’al believed it wasn’t a system Lord…Who then? The
Vanir? The
Aesir? No one had seen hide nor hair of the
Jotunns in ten thousand or more years and the Nox would never do something like this, it wasn’t nearly elaborate enough for their deceptions.
“That’s what we aimed to find out” Martouf said, seemingly sensing her question. “Prince Horus has summoned every major lord to a great feast on Dakkara to honor Ra in a month’s time. He’s likely going to use the feast for the obvious pretext it is. My master shall be attending, as will I. As shall you.”
More like Isis and Osiris, she thought. Horus was a great warrior and noble prince but his ability to politic was on par with Apophis, they both thought “subterfuge” involved using a staff gun instead of orbital bombardment. “You wish me to feel out the other Fleet Captains? The state of the militias?”
“
Oh, your insights and that of your husband are worth more than that, no Jaffa has worked closer with as many Peers as you two have with exception of Bra’tac. And he seems to be determined to honor his oath as a The First War Master and remain entirely apolitical.” Ba’al remarked in that flippant tone that she had begun to see usually meant he was engaged in some scheme or another. She was going to age miserably serving Ba’al, yet the thought made her smile -Try as I might, I can’t help it, I
like him. – “I did not think it was possible to read beings so ancient?” Queried Drey’ac using his words from earlier against him.
Ba’al smirked. “Perhaps it is a failed endeavor, but it will be a place to set lines in the sand. More besides.” Here he did something Drey’ac had never seen a System Lord do, walking towards a table set against the far wall, a decanter filled with a rare luminescent brandy and six glasses. Pouring four, he handed the first to Drey’ac, the second to Aris, the third to Martouf and he took for himself.
The gesture bordered on the obscene, yet Lord Ba’al’s countenance made it seem more like the gesture of trust that it was. A gesture Drey’ac knew could easily be a trap as much as it was sincere. “I wish to see which way the wind is blowing before I finalize my decision.” Ba’al turned to Drey’ac his eyes glowing that unique color that should not have been possible. “And I intend for you to play a central role in that my dear Fleet Captain.”
-So, I’m to be an intelligence minister, engineer
and Admiral? He’s right, I will deserve the War Master rank after this
Mik’ta-
Aris grinned, catching the look of consternation on her face. “Majesty, I think the lady needs something stronger than this.”
Ba’al adopted a mock frown of reproachment. “Truly Aris, you must stop trying to poison my Jaffa. It’s unseemly for a man in your position!”
Serving this lord, was never going to be boring Drey’ac thought. Nor entirely safe either…And yet, she still found herself incapable of disliking him.
Ah well, let it not be said that Drey'ac of the Kordai planes, famed huntress of pirates and brigands and bandits is timid. 
