Chapter 19

“The founding ethno-states of the proto-Empyrean were divided primarily along those original lines, but alliances between them began to rapidly bloom. Unity of purpose across the lines of different species held the Empyrean together as a whole, but it also provided fringe elements within each respective culture to find a place where they would be accepted and could flourish. Imagine the delight of elven smiths when they first met the dwarves. The simple joy of a fiend first tasting baked bread after generations of raw diets. Suddenly, within the Empyrean, there were huge shifts as population segments decoupled from their species history and latched on to whichever of their new allies most closely aligned with their own interests. 

For the more conservative species, this led to multiple crises, both in terms of cultural continuance, which they feared would be disrupted by this sudden influx of immigrants, and in terms of the abrupt loss of a vital population segment that may not have been appreciated while present, but whose absence was most sorely missed. The ultimate solution was a policy of complete multiculturalism with homeworlds being preserved as bastions of tradition and an otherwise complete interdependence across all members of the alliance. Ironically, it was this crisis of identity among the individual species that made up the alliance that would ultimately forge both a new cultural identity for everyone, as citizens of the Empyrean, and result in the dissolution of the ties of the various interlinking alliances that had drawn everyone into the Empyrean initially. 

There was no longer any requirement for officially signed documentation pledging mutual support between the member planets, because an injury to one was quite literally an injury to all. The loss of a farm world meant emptier plates across the whole Empyrean. The loss of a mining colony meant that shipwrights had to increase the cost of manufacturing. And eventually, the loss of some cultural touchstone of the Empyrean was recognized as the loss of the history of each of the members. So it was that while more traditional and conservative elements of the Empyrean Alliance remained locked in species-based groups, the vast majority instead came to owe their allegiance to the various organizations and institutions that sprang up to focus on the respective specialties that proved the most invaluable.”

—A History of the Empyrean Alliance, Elenya Starweaver

There was so little left of the council, Sylvas didn’t even think an attempt would be made to assemble them, but here they were all gathered on some converted pleasure liner that was now the Empyrean’s working base of operations. 

Ironfist was still alive, looking haunted around the eyes but mostly unhurt. Greenmantle was gone, leaving behind some kind of holographic ghost that was meant to speak for his people until they could replace him. Elenya Starweaver had been replaced by an elf from her entourage who Sylvas had seen many times before, but who he hadn’t realized until now was actually the former leader’s daughter. 

As to who was taking the council seat belonging to Karst Veilbohr, Sylvas realized with horror about half an hour into the proceedings that it was him when some order of business came up, and the others voted and then looked at him. The whole room looked at him. These weren’t the closed sessions to discuss secret matters that Sylvas had been privy to before. 

There were dozens of people, possibly hundreds, gathered around. Many of them were adjuncts and advisors, but just as many were political leaders of massive groups within the Empyrean. Malachai’s uncle was in the room despite having all the political prowess of a damp cloth, as were members of the Runemaul and Hammerheart clans of dwarves, both of whom gave Sylvas more than his fair share of respectful nods. 

Hector had somehow been designated as the head of Empyrean Intelligence, and people kept on asking for his input as if he had any more idea of what was unfolding in the current chaos than anyone else. Just as many were asking questions of Sylvas, of course, and gradually, he came to realize that even though certain things had been secret before the walls between this universe and the one containing nightmarish hell creatures had come crashing down, things had gotten a lot more lax now. 

Everyone in the room knew about the Starbreaker prophecy. Everyone seemed to fully believe that mythical figure was him, so anything that he did or said was assumed to be part and parcel of that, rather than something to do with him having fused his soul with an eidolon or two. It was strangely liberating to be able to talk to everyone freely. But there was a far greater burden than secrecy hanging on his every word now. Everyone was listening to him now. 

Hanging on his every word. Treating what he said with weight. 

If he misspoke now, then there would be consequences. If he made a decision now, it would affect everyone’s lives. He managed a brief moment of solemn reflection where he realized that he’d actually been making those decisions for a while now. This was just the first time he had to look anyone in the eye while he did it.

With all the transfer of power and miscellaneous odd ends of business handled, they were abruptly face-to-face with the current situation once more. They didn’t have anyone to lead them through it with grace and eloquence like Elenya Starweaver would have. Maybe someday her daughter would grow into that role, but for now, her words came clipped and grief-riddled. Hector ended up center stage with some prompting from Ironfist, giving everyone the lay of the land. 

“At some point in prehistory, the eidolons were excised from our reality and placed in an alternative dimension where they could exist without causing harm. This was achieved using a complex web of spells and a series of anchor planets, which were sent along with them. These planets have now returned, and the barrier that prevented eidolons from entering our dimension is now gone. The aion vaults contained warnings about this turn of events, which the Obsidian Dominion used to plan and prepare for this eventuality. 

As such, they were much better equipped to deal with the incursion as it occurred, and having contained the first wave of eidolon outbreaks on their own worlds, they have moved to capitalize on the situation by trying to stake a claim to all surrounding territories in the chaos. This resulted in a war on two fronts, with the eidolons at home, and with the Dominion on the frontier. While we might have been capable of repelling one invasion or the other, the combination has been overwhelming, and our resources are… significantly depleted.”

Greenmantle’s illusion flickered for a moment, then spoke. “What progress has been made in recreating this dimensional barrier?”

There was a momentary lull in the conversation as everyone mentally dealt with the fact that the ghost amongst them seemed to be coming up with smarter questions than them, then all eyes turned to the head of the Veilbohr Institute, research and development powerhouse of the Empyrean. Unfortunately, the head of the Veilbohr Institute was now Sylvas. He looked around frantically for the aides who had been bombarding him with new information and duties up until mere moments ago, but who now seemed to be entirely absent. 

For a moment, he just stood there with a dry mouth, then Mira seized control, speaking in his voice. “Theoretically, it isn’t entirely dissimilar to the interdiction spell we use to prevent null-space travel, but the longevity and complexity of the original are proving impossible to replicate. Too much of the spell work had broken down before we even became aware that the barrier even existed.”

Sylvas coughed as he regained control of his vocal cords.

Ironfist spoke over the splutter. “But you do have a solution? Don’t you? You just sent a message out telling everyone you can fix this. You weren’t lying.”

“The aions knew their barrier wasn’t going to hold forever. It was never meant to. It just had to last until…” Sylvas trailed off. Saying this out loud felt strangely embarrassing. “Until me.”

Rania had been hovering behind him while all the other aides fled, and now she stepped up. “Contained within the aion vaults there was information about not only the inevitable incursion, but a person who would be capable of making use of technology that they left behind to permanently eliminate the eidolons from existence. They called that person the Starbreaker. They were not certain how long it would take for them to come into existence, but they prepared everything that the Starbreaker would require to permanently solve the eidolon problem.”

“That’s the ‘Nexus’ you mentioned in your broadcast?” Greenmantle’s ghost asked.

Sylvas nodded.

“What does this Nexus do?” Ironfist asked. “Some kind of improved containment?”

“The information that was left behind for us in the vaults was… limited.” Rania looked like she was about to break into a cold sweat, but she pushed on all the same. “The Dominion has been studying the Nexus from the outside, along with the vault contents, and concluded that it is some kind of weapon.”

That set off a great deal of murmuring among the gathered delegates and councilors. Elenya Starweaver’s daughter spoke out over it, her voice sharp and clear. “We cannot allow an aion weapon to fall into the hands of the Dominion. Not now.”

Sylvas nodded his agreement. “We can’t. We need to take the Nexus before they gain access to it.”

That set off yet more hubbub. They must have heard his transmission, or at least a recording of it, before now. They must have known that this was his intention from the start. Yet they were all acting as if this was somehow a surprise. Acting Councilor Starweaver spoke up again, “It is this council’s understanding that the Nexus is sealed by the same means as the vaults were, and that we can deny Valtoris Blackstar access to it by withholding the key. So, I question why you are so eager to hand it over to him.”

That quietened everyone down very quickly. Sylvas squared his shoulders. “He doesn’t need to open the Nexus and gain control of the weapon to win. He is already winning. The only reason that he isn’t on our doorstep already is because…”

“You informed him where you intended to deploy our troops, yes.” Elenya’s daughter was just as quick-thinking as her mother but lacked the gentle empathy that had made her the unofficial leader of the whole Empyrean. “If one didn’t know better, one might think that you were on the Dominion’s payroll.”

The silence now wasn’t polite; it was deathly cold. Sylvas was stunned into silence along with everyone else, leaving that bait dangling in the air.

 “Is it not also true that you abandoned your post and ignored your orders during the incursion, when my mother begged you to help defend the core worlds and their populations, choosing instead to travel in the company of known criminals into Obsidian Dominion territory?” Starweaver pressed her advantage. “What luck that what you discovered there was the perfect location to crowd our fleet into an ambush at the heart of the Dominion’s power, and the perfect excuse to lead us there.”

All around the room, people were beginning to murmur once more. Questioning Sylvas’ words, his integrity, and his allegiances. Starweaver’s face was flush as she tried to deliver a killing blow. “Do you care to explain your association with the Saizen crime syndicate? Your refusal to obey orders resulting in the deaths of hundreds of innocents? Your repeated refusal to fire on Dominion ships and soldiers? Your close friendship with known Seeker spies Baeldrothan Istar Raentolathan, and Kalisdrothan Istar Vaelhathan? Your questionable relationship with convicted grave robber Rania Clarendon? In fact, can you account for…”

“Shut up!” Kaya’s voice shook the chamber. She wasn’t here in any official capacity, tagging along so she could find out what was going on directly instead of them having to relate everything to her later. She had no right to speak, but that had never stopped her before. “That man fought and bled for your Empyrean while you were hiding behind your mother’s skirts. He gave up everything for you! Everything! Oh, he gets his hands dirty, doing things you’re too pristine and perfect to do? Good! That’s what the Empyrean needs, not another stanzbuhr pencil pusher riding her family name.”

Maybe if Kaya had been some dignitary or official, that might have carried some weight, but as a nobody, all it did was make Starweaver’s heir lift her nose in disgust. “How dare you speak to me in that manner?!”

“How dare you try to kill us all because you want power more than survival?!” Malachai had drawn himself to his feet from the wheelchair that he’d been confined to since they arrived back on the ship. “That is what all this posturing and noise is about, is it not? You were in your mother’s shadow all her long life, never distinguishing yourself, and now that she is gone and you have a chance to seize control for the first time, you do not wish to cede control of the Empyrean to the one person who can save us. For this purpose, you are inventing treasons? I’m afraid I grew up in the courts of the Dusont Cluster, madam. You will have to come up with considerably more convincing rhetoric to mask your intentions.”

“Does this boy speak for Dusont?” She tried to cut away whatever power Malachai’s words might have held by appealing to his uncle, only to find the aggravating man standing up as though he’d just discovered that he owned a backbone for the first time.

“The prince speaks for all of us.” 

The dissent, the confusion, it all began to die away. When Malachai’s uncle spoke, it was as if everyone else in the chamber had conceded their voices to him. As if Malachai spoke for everyone, not just Dusont. It was unexpected.

For you, perhaps, darling. You’ve never been much of a public speaker.

All eyes turned to him now, and Sylvas could show no weakness. All it would take would be a hint of blood in the water, and they might still all turn on him. “I will be happy to argue, bicker, and answer to any and all of the charges against me when my work is finished. For now, I need to get to the Nexus to use whatever the aions have left for us there. To stop the eidolon incursions before they wipe out the entire population of the universe.”

Hector stepped up before anyone else could speak, throwing out an illusion showing the location of the Nexus, between the Eyes of the Beast. “The full strength of the Dominion is gathered around this base in a defensive formation, and even if it weren’t, we are already looking at one of the most fortified locations I’ve ever encountered in my life, with access from all but one direction blocked by the gravity wells of the two black holes. I have no doubt that the Dominion will be making use of this singular angle of approach to fortify the position even further. Technical specifications for known Dominion combat strategies and capabilities are being handed out now, along with… a major breach of secrecy that we would never engage in if this wasn’t the direst of situations.”

There was a lot of frantic scrabbling for slates and speed reading going on around the room. Greenmantle’s techno-ghost was, of course, the first to absorb and respond to the new information that Sylvas had brought back. “The Blackstar emperor can control eidolons?”

Immediate uproar consumed the chamber, deafeningly loud to Sylvas’ enhanced senses. He had to use his paradigms to filter out most of the shouting, and even then, it kept sneaking through. Words suddenly burst in. 

“Impossible.” 

“Nightmare.” 

“Doomed.”

Everyone was so overexcited about that part of the report that they entirely overlooked the part where Valtoris’ ability to control the eidolons had allowed them to turn the grand incursion into a strategic advantage by integrating captured eidolons into covenants and empowering all the mages in his empire. The mini-explainer of what covenant mages were, and the fact that they’d been secretly ruling the Empyrean since the dawn of time, was stuck in the footnotes. By the time people did get over the initial panic and delve into the minutiae, there may have been riots. Starweaver’s camp had somebody speed-reading ahead, grabbing her by the dangly sleeves that looked a lot less majestic on her than they had her mother, and yanking to try and get attention. As soon as she realized what was happening, she amplified her voice with a spell and shouted over the rabble, “There are disclosures in these documents that need to be decided by council vote. You cannot unilaterally…”

“No more secrets. No more lies.” Sylvas did not enhance his voice; he didn’t need to yell to be heard. When he spoke, the whole room fell silent once more. “No more hiding the truth from the people you rule over. The Empyrean has held power throughout its history thanks to mages who have partnered with eidolons in covenants, and it has now lost that advantage to mass numbers of the Dominion doing the same. Anyone going up against them is going to be up against that power. If I’m going to ask people to follow me into the mouth of hell, I’m not going to lie to them and say that it will be an easy stroll downhill. The enemies we face are powerful. More powerful than anything that you people have ever faced, but we still need to face them.”

The air seemed to leave the room as he spoke, all of the squabbling pettiness of this hastily assembled council melting in the face of the struggles they were going to face. He met the wavering glare of Elenya’s daughter. “You didn’t want me to go to the Nexus, because you didn’t want Blackstar to get whatever weapon is hidden inside. You didn’t want him to have some advantage over us that we could never match. He already does. He has cohorts of covenant mages. He has eidolons at his command. The only way we take those advantages away from him is to get rid of the eidolons.”

“You have no right to tell everyone… My mother kept the secret for centuries because it was the only way to keep the Empyrean safe. I will not have you disgracing her name.”

Kaya shook her head sadly. “That was then. This is now.”

“The council has not recognized you to speak!” Starweaver junior snapped back.

Hector held up his hands. “Regardless of how we all feel about it, there is no way to put this back. The information is out there now.”

Sylvas took a deep, steadying breath. He wasn’t sure why it was more stressful to face down a room of bureaucrats than an army of eidolons, probably because he couldn’t just blow them all away. More chatter and bickering went on around the council chamber until he raised his hand for silence once more.

“I am not ordering anyone to join me. I am not making any demands. I will be going to the Nexus, I will be ending the threat of the eidolons forever, and if anyone wants to aid that cause, then I will be happy to have the help.” He set his shoulders back and met the stares of the whole room. “If you join me, you might die. This will be difficult, this will be dangerous, but it is also the only thing that we can do. If you don’t join me, and I fail. Everyone will die. Either to the eidolons that will never stop coming or to the Dominion, if they somehow get control over the eidolons. The only scenario in which anyone lives, is if I have the help I need to get through to the Nexus.”

Greenmantle’s ghost flickered. “You expect us to just…”

Sylvas cut him off. “I don’t expect anything. I have told you what the reality of our situation is, and I hope that you will have the good sense to act.”

The full strength of the Veilbohr Institute had already been handed over to Sylvas, so they had something to work with at least, even if it was mostly academics who’d never seen a fight in their life.

A weathered-looking dwarf that it took Sylvas more than a moment to recognize elbowed his way through the crowd around one of the podiums, dragging the unfortunate delegate who’d been up there off his feet. General Wartback looked tired beyond his years. “The Ardent can’t follow you, lad. We’re barely holding the line. If we follow you, we lose every world the eidolons have breached.”

“You know the situation on the ground better than me, General. If you can’t move your troops, you can’t move troops.” Sylvas tried to smile, but there was a touch too much bitterness to it.

“You’ll have every ship in our fleet,” called out the Hammerheart representative.

At almost the same time, the Runemaul clan leader smacked a fist into her chest and declared, “We stand with you.”

Greenmantle flickered as it processed the situation, then announced, “Transferring control of the Technocratic Union to you.”

One by one, the leaders of the various factions of the Empyrean ceded control of them to Sylvas or declared their support. Sylvas had honestly expected more friction from some of them, in particular, the Dusont Cluster. Until, finally, the only remaining faction not committed to him was the elves. They were very much traditionalists, and they had followed Elenya Starweaver for so long that her absence still didn’t feel real. They followed her daughter now, and so Sylvas had to wait, watching the various emotions playing over that woman’s face until finally she conceded, “You have the full support of the Empyrean Alliance, Sylvas Vail. It is my hope that you spend the last of our strength wisely.”

Me, too.