Public A Court of Light and Fury (Hapes Cluster)

[Hasuras Na-Gerra]

Where I have passed, grass will never grow again.

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In the nebula of the Hapes Cluster lurked the armada of the Vahlan corsairs led by the warlord Hasuras na-Gerra, Grand Consort to the ruling Queen Mother. Many Hapans, after the secession from the Galactic Alliance, returned to their ancient ways of piracy and joined this armada, which now prowled the depths of the nebula - far from the sensors of meddling empires - in their newly constructed Hapan Battle Dragons fashioned with the credits Gerra plundered from the Galactic Empire’s treasure fleet in the Chiloon Rift.

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But all was not well within the halls of the capital. Ever did Gerra catch wind of foul rumors and grim tidings that made him fume aboard his vessel, most wroth. For while he deemed his wife the Queen Mother, Aurellia, to be a viper most poisonous… she was still his viper.

He misliked ill tidings which spake of forces marshaling against them from other empires. Neither did he delight in the news of malcontent within the court.

So it was that Gerra, ship docked in orbit, bestrode the graceful halls of the capital’s castle which not so long ago he had sacked when he took Aurellia. Before she made him her consort And they reached an accord.

The huge Vahlan warlord glowered at those he passed in the halls as he and his ragged entourage of Vahlan pirates stomped through the marble toward the guest quarters.

Aurellia | Vatrës Dhalis | Lhysis Lakorte | Ajinar Djo

 

[Makar Clyne]

A meeting with the Great Qhan

Tags: Hasuras Na-Gerra

Few outsiders had the good fortune of seeing the inside of the Hapan nebula. Fewer still gained the honor of making an audience with both the Queen Mother and her consort. Makar was among those privileged souls, from a slave to a lord of piracy, proud didn't begin to describe it! The epicanthix male sat back amongst cushions and sampled the wine, indulging in what the Qhan's hospitality offered him.

The reason he was her though, it was nothing to do with the great quality of the wines and meats. Their meeting was one etched in the bloody fates of many a spacer. Those who made their living on the trade routes and hyperlanes had forfeited much to Makar. That was why he was here, he had roused the attention of those among The Court.

"I must say Hasuras, you have assembled quite the eclectic group of people. One might worry that it is a bit too diverse," Makar said, not wanting to insinuate too much of those around him. He knew very little of them, only that they had to be close enough to the Qhan to be here. For the moment, he would play it by ear.

Only one person seemed truly comfortable with the presence of the massive Vahlan warrior, The Queen Mother herself. Even then, calling her comfortable seemed overly generous. The Captain of Tethys had been in many a lion's den, but this was the first which truly felt somewhat dangerous. Many powerful people were here, people who held the fates of systems in their hands. These were the sort of meetings that had the potential to shape the tides of the galaxy...

"Before I get too ahead of myself, a hardy cheers to this meeting. One that The Galaxy will not soon forget!"

 

[Vatrës Dhalis]

Vatrës Dhalis felt slightly out of place.

The Avatara of Vahl was neither pirate nor Sith, neither Hapan nor courtier, neither fish nor fowl nor, it seemed, good red herring. She was present with the Vahlans, one of the Chosen, and companion of sorts to Hasuras Na-Gerra and thus she attended him ere he would go. But in the Hapes Cluster there were other protocols and hierarchies to observe.

The goddess that Vatrës bore within her did not care for the hierarchies of mortals, even less royal ones. Yet her Champion had made arrangements with these royal mortals, and the goddess seemed to trust her Champion to know what he was about. Vatrës was learning now that the goddess often struggled taking the good with the bad, but recently had become something like indulgent where the enormous Vahlan was concerned. Tolerant of vices in him that would have earned a smiting from any other.

Black eyes took in the marble surroundings as the apparent priestess followed at Gerra's side. She wore a dress of simple cloth but impeccable quality, fabric so fine that Vatrës herself would have disbelieved had Gerra not draped it over her lithe frame himself. She wore no badge of rank but the sigil of the goddess Vahl and the dress's advantageous plunging v-neck, designed not for immodestly displaying her body but for the showing of the faint glowing ember beneath her sternum where proof of the goddess's presence waxed and waned. It was more effective than any badge.

Vatrës did not know why they were here. The Vahlan homeworld remained lost, the Vahlans -- her children -- yet wandered in search of it. She mused darkly -- or was it Vahl now? The question was so difficult to conclusively answer these days -- that it would be a waste of time and the goddess's liberty to halt progress that the Champion might indulge in a conjugal visit with his ostensibly royal wife.

It is not for thee to have an opinion, a harsh voice murmured, quiet as a lover but hard. Do as thou art bid and leave the rest to us.

 

[Hasuras Na-Gerra]

"Before I get too ahead of myself, a hardy cheers to this meeting. One that The Galaxy will not soon forget!"

”Hm, indeed,” rumbled the hulking Vahlan in reply, his eyes which burned with the intensity of twin solar flares narrowed to slits as he regarded this pirate captain.

An Epicanthix, no wonder the man’s thoughts eluded Gerra.

“Well met. As decreed by the Queen Mother, your ships may have safe harbor amid the Transitory Mists so long as you do not prey upon Consortium shipping.“

Pirates had ever made their home amid the nebula. Indeed, that was how the Consortium became what it was today. The mists protected them, both a shield and a safe refuge from pursuing fleets. It was far too easy to become lost amid them.

“This is priestess Vatrës Dhalis , Chosen of the Ember of Vahl,” Gerra gestured To the willowy, pale haired and pale skinned woman beside him.

Makar Clyne