OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Eldorai diaspora. Codify the Shadow Knights' 'capital', as it has been referenced in many submissions.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: Can use Asur Class Worldship because I own Firemane.
Links: Kaida Taldir, Court of the Shadows, Court of the Four Elements, Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada, Sciiac Guardians, To Hell and Back, Kar'zun, Eldorai Exodus, Twin Exiles, Xioquo, Siobhan, Firemane, The Angelii, Shadow Knights (lore submission).
SETTING INFORMATION
Starship Name: The Defiance.
Starship Model: Asur Class Worldship.
Classification: Exploration/Habitat Ship.
Homeport: Kaeshana is where the Shadows originated and used to be their recruitment port. However, after several calamities, the planet is now a cursed death world with no population. The Defiance rescued the last survivors. Since then they do not have a home port in the strictest sense, but visit various worlds on the outer rim and beyond. Occasionally they make stops at Arkas.
Travel Route: N/A. The Defiance does not have a fixed travel route or a regular list of places it stops at. They get supplies and such wherever they can. However, it is often found on the outer rim, wild space and sometimes the unknown regions. Sometimes make stops at Arkas.
Affiliation: Shadow Knights, Court of the Shadows, Asuran Star Combine, Exodite Asurans, Citizens' Council.
Crew Complement: Moderately Manned. There is a lot of staff needed, but many of them are droids. The city population would be Heavy.
Notable Crew Members:
Name: Naesala Faethyra
Age: 96
Species: Eldorai.
Role: As Archon, Naesala head of state of the Shadow Knights.
Description:
"The elected queen, she flees the tyranny now she balances all the factions against herself. Can she keep a splintered mirror from cracking into a hundred pieces?" - Brak'Vrasz.
Naesala is the Archon of the Shadow Knights. Her position is one of an elected leader, not an absolute ruler. However, it is a powerful role. She is a career soldier who used to serve the Crown during the reign of Tirathana VI but went into exile after falling victim to court politics. She is no savant, but a charismatic, determined leader. Her greatest skill lies in keeping together the disparate forces of the coalition and using them effectively. Due to her duties as political leader and commander-in-chief, Naesala does not micromanage the city-ship, but the senior officers ultimately answer to her and she sets the general line.
Her instincts are those of a soldier, but her new role has forced her to evolve beyond that and become a leader. Naesala is opposed to what she terms the cult of the individual. Leaders are needed, but functioning institutions are even more important. Cults of personality lead to hubris, self-defeating one-person shows and mismanagement. One day she will not be in power and so she aims to build something lasting that can serve as a foundation for a lawfully elected successor.
Name: Daymana Thael
Age: 125.
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Commander of the Caerith Tyari, a Force-using corps of crack soldiers.
Description:
"Captain of the Shadow sisters, she fought to be free of the angel's shadow, only to bring a new one to life. She fights the eternal war, but against whom will her fire turn next?" - Brak'Vrasz.
Daymana is the commander of the Caerith Tyari, a corps of Force using soldiers who serve as the renegades' equivalent of the Angelii. She is a former Angelii who went rogue after being given immoral orders by the court of Tirathana VI. Daymana refused to decimate a militia unit accused of 'cowardice'. Instead she chose to become a rebel. She made herself a name as an insurgent who fought against the Monarchy for several decades. Daymana continued fighting after Tirathana's death. Her successors were more liberal than the crone, but Daymana saw the Matriarchy's tyranny as a systemic issue.
She has rather radical views, is passionate, stubborn and intolerant of followers of the Matriarchy. She is good at rallying and motivating the faithful and brave in combat. This makes her popular with revolutionaries, but a poor diplomat and can cause friction. Her soldiers serve as a corps of protectors and shock troops. They are an important line of defence for the Defiance and the nomad fleet as a whole. She is Kaida's direct superior. Daymana works closely with the Court of the Four Elements, which is responsible for identifying, vetting and training Force-Sensitives in the community.
Name: Ashkala Jai Banar
Age: 74.
Species: Qadiri,
Role: Resident astrogator, sorceress, seer and alchemist for the Shadow Knights.
Description:
"The blind seer, this one's motives are as shrouded as her gaze. She sees all paths, the blind leading the blind, wherefore will the maze lead her?" - Brak'Vrasz.
A Machiavellian Qadiri sorceress, alchemist, seer and astrogator. Serves as chief navigator of the Defiance and heads the Hierophants of the Eternal Void, a Qadiri sect whose members specialise in astrogation and navigation through use of the Force. She is an extremely capable mentalist and skilled in the use of instinctive astrogation. Her position gives her a significant amount of power as she is able to subtly influence the course of the Defiance and the fleet as a whole. Membership in the Shadows allows her to network with her kin, build up alliances, gain protection and security to continue her research. However, she is not wedded to the group.
Name: Lakami Jai Jhansal/Nahana Jai Gwaliora
Age: Early seventies
Species: Qadiri,
Role: Shadow Knight Councillor
Description: Lakami was a heroine to the Qadiri of Gwalior, a city in the region of Khajwar. Born the daughter of a courtier, her childhood was spent in a palace. However, she also learned how to ride and fight. She was known to be an excellent rider and judge of Yazgids. When the king's wife passed away without a child, Lakami was married to the old king. She gave birth to a son, but he died within a few months of disease.
The king was old and not long for this world, so the couple adopted. Lakami was popular with the people for passing laws that benefited commoners, and the king decreed that she would be be regent after his death. However, the Firemane ambassador conspired with the king's relatives and used dubious legal arguments to take control of the regency since the heir was a child. Under the banner of suppressing slavery, which was still practiced in the Qadiri lands, Firemane sought to expand its power. Lakami appealed against this decision, but her claims were disregarded. She was granted a pension, but later forced to leave the palace because her popularity alarmed Firemane.
Her time came when Qadiri auxiliaries rebelled against the occupiers. The revolt led to a massacre of foreigners. Lakami had not been involved, but sided with the rebels since she would not abandon her people. She fought valiantly against Firemane and their native allies, scoring a crucial victory over them. But it was for nought. She was mortally wounded in battle and the revolt was crushed. However, then she reappeared in the deep jungles. Now she is with the Shadow Knights. Only a few know that this not truly Lakami, but a Qadiri of low birth called Nahana Jai Gwaliora. Born a bastard, Nahana was taken into the queen's service at a young age. She became her bodyguard, decoy, handmaiden, and eventually close advisor. During the rebellion, she often disguised herself as her mistress and fought on her behalf, commanding a portion of her army.
One of the pair's ruses successfully lulled a Firemane general into thinking she was fighting the queen's main army, when in fact the true queen was elsewhere and had successfully ambushed a Firemane column. Now the decoy has become her mistress out of loyalty and to carry on her legacy. Nahana always bore a striking resemblance to her dead queen and had a talent for mimicry. She has used alchemy to blur the distinction even further. In some ways, she fits the image of the 'queen of the people' better than the actual monarch. Unsurprisingly, 'Lakami' is resolutely opposed to conciliating the invaders.
Name: Yohara Taenasi
Age: 87.
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Yohara is an Eldorai scientist, researcher and inventor of the Spirit Gems and the Sciiac Guardians. She heads the Court of the Mind, a Shadow Knight organisation for researchers, scholars and so on.
Description:
"Watch this one, we have seen her ambition plain. Of progress and prosperity she speaks, but for herself or her sisters is the true target?" - Brak'Vrasz.
Chief scientist of the Defiance and head of the Court of the Mind, the official association of scholars, scientists and researchers. Yohara is the inventor of the modern soul gems, a radical iconoclast and a passionate technophile dedicated to what she terms the cause of progress and the advancement of prosperity. Her experiences in the Matriarchy have left her with a strong disdain for the ancien régime and conservative Eldorai forces. The time she spent in the Netherworld after being raptured by Akala has left her with a bit of an obsession for the realm. She is sensitive to the Force, but her affinity is too low to merit training. This frustrates her, but has also given her a superiority complex. Yohara is very good at her job and no coward, but pompous.
Name: Roiyan Taelin
Age: 82
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Captain of the Defiance.
Description: “This one has struggled hard, saying he lifts himself and others above the yoke. He has had many masters to gain this small victory, perhaps another goal will see him with a new master?” - Brak'Vrasz.
Roiyan Taelin is the captain of the Defiance and an Eldorai male who has managed to pierce the glass ceiling a bit. He was a skilled pilot and officer both on Kaeshana and afterwards, seeing action against the enemies of the Eldorai Matriarchy. However, he was passed over for promotion due to sexism. This was one of his motivations for defecting to the Shadows. Life is better there for him, but still not perfect. His service to the Matriarchy and cross-training with Firemane has given him a lot of experience in command. Somewhat hypocritical purists grumble about his long allegiance to the royalists. He must balance his responsibility to the crew with the interests of the central leadership and the city population.
Name: Stylena. Born Alesia Pathyra.
Age: 82
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Stylena is a Rationalist politician and heads the Court of Providence, the Shadow Knight body responsible for agri-farmers, manufacturers etc.
Description: “This one believed once, now they believe in nothing but progress. Efficiency and progress are hard masters, and might she not be consumed by the machine she has created?” - Brak'Vrasz.
Former bandit, Dark Eldorai insurgent, revolutionary understudy and lethal bureaucrat. She was meant for the Ashiran clergy in her youth, but took a hard turn to the revolutionary left and became a radical agitator. Stylena is a prominent member of the Rationalist faction and heads the Court of Providence. This puts her in charge of manufacturing and farming, making her responsible for the Forge of Prosperity. She divides her time between the Defiance and handling projects in other areas of the nomad fleet. Stylena excels in the spheres of management and personnel. She is a skilled organiser of supplies, but also coarse, ambitious and ruthless. She is the type of energic trouble-shooter who gets things done, but can be rather intimidating.
Stylena is an atheist, having replaced Ashira with a strong belief in the cause of Rationalism. She is not an impassioned, charismatic speaker. However, she has cultivated a sort of gentleness and a sort of quietness, a lack of showiness which people trust. When she wants, she can be charming. One of her acquaintances has described her as half subtle scholar, half thug, and she plays either of these two halves whenever she needs them. As someone who was trained to become a priestess, she takes reading and learning very seriously. Stylena can be a rather attentive boss. She has a habit of going to the apartment of every senior subordinate. She comes bearing gifts, checks the heating and reads bedtime stories to their children. But she is also vindictive and blunt about the fact that a revolution goes hand in hand with bloodshed.
Name: Yseult Faerin
Age: 106
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Strategos of the Shadow Knights. This makes her the general-in-chief of their forces. She handles military affairs and answers to the Archon.
Description: “The blood of failed royalty fills this one, her strength comes from her conviction in duty. Will she one day find that duty cannot be your sole master?” - Brak'Vrasz.
Strategos of the Shadow Knights and thus ultimately responsible for the defence of the Defiance. The marines, pilots and militia are under her command. Yseult is their chief general. Ironically, she is a bastard daughter of the Evoras, a royal family that was deposed and sent into exile by the mother of the present Star Queen. The pretender Taenarys Evora was her half-sister. Her attempt to reclaim her 'rightful' throne went poorly, and Tirathana VI gave her a 'crown of gold'...by having her minions poor molten gold over her head. Yseult turned her back on the game of thrones after it ruined her family and became a mercenary.
She entered the Republic's services during the One Sith War and rose to become a general officer, before growing disillusioned and returning to mercenary work. Yseult was recruited by the Shadow Knights after the Battle of Kaeshana. She is here for the pay, but also because she believes in the cause. She is competent, coarse, direct and hot-tempered. It is said that she once beat an officer who had committed a misdemeanour of some sort and tried to cover it up with a stick once. She is well-liked by many of the common soldiers though.
Name: Kaida Taldir
Age: 65
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Eldorai field officer, Force Master, ice queen.
Description: Kaida is a former Angelii High Captain. Once she was a rising star among the ‘The Heavenly and Wrathful Angels of the Great Goddess Ashira’ and a protege of Grand Seraph Aeda Shaytari. However, she defected after the Serenade Incident. This was the culmination of a long period of disillusionment.
Kaida is one of the few beings alive who knows the true origins of the Kar'zun, the Eldorai and their cousins. Cynical, cold, stern, blunt and abrasive, she is difficult to like or get on with. She is also laconic enough to make a Spartan look verbose and a humourless disciplinarian. However, she is extremely lawful and dutiful, often to a fault. Kaida has gathered a crew of misfits and divides her time between conducting field operations on her own ship and being on the Defiance.
Deep-down, Kaida has been rather affected by the calamities her people have had to endure. This drives her to do all she can to preserve their freedom. However, while she is devoted to her people, she is also extremely cynical about and dismissive of them. On the positive side, she lacks the racism of many Eldorai and is quite positive about their Tygaran cousins if they can pull their weight. Ironically, she appreciates the Vashyada the most.
Kaida is a workaholic who never takes a vacation and finds socialising awkward. Her older sister Lavina Taldir is a fellow Shadow and part of her crew. The two are close, even if Kaida is the one who insists that it is her duty to protect her sister not vice versa. She is very protective of her crew. Kaida is a good duellist and a Master of the Force. She specialises in cryomancy, telekinesis, protective abilities and Force Meld.
Name: Lavina Taldir
Age: 75
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Soldier.
Description: Lavina is Kaida's older sister, though the latter does not like to be reminded of the fact that she is the younger one by a decade. Like Kaida, Lavina used to be an Angelii. She rose to the rank of Host Leader. However, the sisters of ice and fire were forced to go into exile after discovering the true origins of the Eldorai people.
They were rehabilitated after the Queen died and her daughter took the throne with the Protectorate's help. However, the truth remained secret. Lavina and Kaida both served in the Protectorate's military, but had a parting of ways when Kaida decided to rejoin the Angelii to support her people, while Lavina became a vigilante. Unfortunately, Lavina was one of the trillions of people who were raptured during Akala's rampage.
She was trapped in the Field of Blades, where the constant cycle of killing, being killed and reborn drove her mad. She was able to hold on to enough of her sanity to team up with Siona Vaerum, a Harbinger. However, she had lost her memory, so she called herself Ashana, which is Eldarai for 'I will endure'. Ashana was a powerful warrior, but almost feral. The two joined the Shadow Knights.
She was reunited with her sister Kaida during the mission to hell-wracked Kaeshana, but no longer remembered her. Exposure to the Nether caused Ashana to regain most of her memories, though at a cost. Her personality is now a mixture of her self and Ashana, though she chooses to go by her old name. Lavina is extremely introverted and cynical. She really has very few cares for anyone except her sister and Siona. Her beliefs are that the Eldorai need the harsh medicine of the truth, but she is afraid of what it would mean to reveal it to them. She wants to help them, but at the same time she cannot rely on them.
Name: Eyrecae Alzari
Age: Technically over twenty thousand years old, but the vast majority of it was spent in stasis.
Species: Dark Star Project.
Role: Warrior.
Description: Eyrecae Alzari is a relic from a bygone age. A fish out of temporal water. Long ago, when the Infinite Empire dominated the Galaxy, the Rakata created the Kar'zun and the Eldorai races as servitors. Eyrecae was one of the 'mothers' of the slave races, like her 'sister' Tylania and the other Paragons. She was created to the bidding of the Rakata by serving as a warrior and a commander for the Qadiri.
Then the Infinite Empire collapsed. Eyrecae missed the fireworks because she had been put in stasis. This also meant that she missed the battle between Ashira and Ardarvia, the rise and fall of the old Matriarchy and all the other 'fun stuff'. Then one day Phylis Alince and Kaida found the laboratory she had been left behind in and woke her up. Suffice to say the Galaxy has changed a lot. Two of her siblings are dead. All things considered, Eyrecae has taken things fairly well, though she is not happy about the decline of her people.
Eyrecae usually manifests the demeanour of an easy-going brute. She also has an old-fashioned way of talking. She is smarter than her jovial, boisterous attitude would suggest though. Eyrecae is extremely strong and tenacious in a fight. For the time being, she has joined Kaida's crew. She does a good job annoying the ice lady by being very verbose.
Name: Tynan Vanoth
Age: 95
Species: Eldorai.
Role: Fatebringer of the Harbingers of Twilight. He also heads the Court of the Reaver, which is responsible for partisans, raiders and irregulars.
Description: “The death curse shrouds this one. They guard secrets and truths for none but himself. Will one day he learn that being a master of secrets is not the same as being master of destiny?” - Brak'Vrasz.
Tynan Valnoth is the Commander of the Harbingers of Twilight, a sect of Force Dead Eldorai raiders and warriors who worship Illyria, Goddess of the Underworld. He is both a military commander and a religious leader to his people. Skilled, cunning and secretive, he was one of the architecs of their rebellion against their Yuuzhan Vong captors. He has made himself a name as a raider and is one of the more pragmatic members of the sect. This does not make him trusting toward Force-Users though. Tynan is also the head of the Court of the Reaver. However, his duties often take him elsewhere and his raiders have a smaller, mobile base. The city population benefits from the plunder and loot they acquire on their ventures.
Name: Qual'Zyanya. Clan name precedes given name in Xioquo culture. Informally she's called Zyanya.
Age: 72
Species: Xioquo
Role: Xioquo Councillor. Zyanya is a member of the Citizens' Council, the legislature of the Shadow Knights.
Description: “The fallen lady, distrusted by all, yet also distrusts all. Where does her allegiance lie? Is pragmatism a valid path forever?” - Brak'Vrasz.
Qual'Zyanya is a rogue Xioquo matriarch. Once she was a member of the Xio aristocracy. Then she and her sister conspired to prevent the awakening of Myrou, the dark goddess of their people, for they rightly feared the consequences. But their attempt to sabotage the dark ritual only hastened her awakening. Zyanya is considered a traitor by the Xio old guard, but is also at odds with Firemane and Queen Lia. She is part of the central leadership, representing a Xioquo caucus. However, the fact that she used to be one of the mistresses makes Xioquo Shadows who used to be anti-establishment rebels or slaves distrust her, though she claims to have reformed. The story of her failed attempt to become a 'god-slayer' has earned her points in certain quarters.
Her people are very useful as engineers and mechanics as well as stealthy operators. Zyanya is aloof, cynical, distrustful and a Xioquo nationalist. Her haughtiness conceals feelings of guilt, though she will not admit it. She is a technophile and quite interested in the acquisition of advanced technology.
Zyanya is not wedded to any of the major Eldorai groups. She recognises that while many Eldorai are still dismissive of the Tygarans, they also court them. She is not shy about trading a swing vote for favours. Zyanya seems to like the Kar'zun though. They are industrious, technologically advanced and dislike the Eldorai. Moreover, she is used to golems, though the ones she knew back home did not talk back. Zyanya obviously does not worship Myrou, but still believes in the spirits.
Name: Nyvos'Xiarn
Age: 62
Species: Xioquo
Role: Director of the Custodians of the Commonwealth
Description: A Xioquo male and one of the Directors of the Custodians, a labour corps composed of the under and unemployed as well as felons drafted into community service. They do unglamorous, but necessary work such as maintenance. Xiarn is a former slave who grew up and suffered under the Xioquo's slavocratic ancien régime before the dark side magocracy was overthrown by Firemane's assault on the Underealm. As a low class male, he was treated as chattel. As was typical for slaves, he was denied a surname of his own. Upon being freed, he chose the generic Nyvos, which means new, since he had broken the chains of his old life.
Xiarn is in charge of some of the more dangerous criminal workers but uses humane lessons from the past. He seeks to forge a bond with the workers instead of just treating them as a means of production or as convicts who need punishment. In an early stage of his career, a work crew under him was hired out to a foreign corporation, back when the Shadows were more willing to make such deals out of desperation. The terms had been clearly set out in the contract. However, the contractors treated the workers cruelly. Xiarn was offered a bribe to get him to keep quiet, but rejected it and called off the deal. He even personally appeared on the work site armed to make sure the workers managed to get back to the fleet.
Name: Czeslaw
Age: 102
Species: Vashyada
Role: Head of the Court of Healing. This body is responsible for all healers and medical practitioners in the Shadow Knight movement.
Description: Czeslaw is one of the few prominent male leaders among the Shadow Knights. To a degree the rebels do live up to their claim of being more egalitarian than the monarchists, but most of the top jobs are occupied by women. However, he is a Vashyada and his people are pretty equal in gender matters.
Czeslaw helped rally a group of Vashyada for the Shadow Knights. His people had split from the main Vashyada and settled beyond the main forest, living in the jungles of Kajwar. They warred but also traded with the Qadiri, and were thus less isolated than their brethren and sistren in Yarkul. He is related to a Vashyada priestess who tried to usurp Tylania. Some of the plotters found safe haven among his people. As the Qadiri realms of Kajwar received support from the humans of Firemane, the tribes' way of life came under threat. Unwilling to rejoin the main branch, he and his followers sought a way to leave.
Czeslaw is an elf nationalist and distrusts the humans. On the whole, he is a reasonable, pleasant fellow and well-liked due to his skill as a medical practitioner and his work for the community. He gets on well with Antaria, a Vashyada who used to be a guard to the High Queen, but left after Tylania's revival led to her liege being overshadowed and left her resentful and concerned about her people. Aside from his medical work, Czeslaw has an interest in research and is often studying new samples. Living in space has been an adjustment, but the survivalist, nomadic way of life of the Shadows is close enough to that of his people.
Name: Bral'Vrasz.
Age: Over a thousand years old.
Species: Kar'zun
Role: Leader of the Harrowed. He also serves as an advisor to the leadership.
Description: Even by the standards of his race, Brak'Vrasz is incredibly old. He was young when the Kar'zun almost conquered Kaeshana, only to be defeated by Ariane the Conqueror's crusade. He fought in the great battle between the Kar'zun and the Eldorai that ended with the latter's triumph and the subjuation of his people. Indeed, he is the only participant on either side who is still alive. The Eldorai's purges and the casualties suffered from deportation drove his people to the brink of extinction.
In time the Kar'zun were emancipated, but he did not forget. When nemesis came to Kaeshana and Eldorai and Kar'zun alike scrambled to evacuate the doomed planet before the asteroid could impact, he elected to stay behind. He had had enough, so he decided to remain in the mountains while the world passed. The curse of stone was upon him. It was a tremendous shock for him when passing through the warp somehow cured his curse and allowed him to move again. The key word to describe Brak'Vrasz is detached. The traditional Kar'zun attitudes have combined with the centuries he spent as a rock as well as the time in the void. Today, he cares very little about personal property, government or religion. Nor is he concerned with the acquisition of wealth beyond what is needed to sustain his people. This does not make him apathic though, but priorities have shifted. Mundane crimes and day-to-day politics do not concern him.
Instead he cares about crimes which injure or kill, as that snuffs out life, and life is something he does care about. That does not make him a pacifist though. He is accustomed to taking a long view on things, and can arrive at a conclusion after some very interesting and speculative analysis. For instance, slavers and pirates are bad because they disrupt the natural order of things. Their vocation is to kill, maim and injure. He will do whatever is needed to nullify them in order prevent them from being an issue. By contrast, smugglers or thieves are minor issues and below his concern.
However, if he feels, using his perspective and the Force, that an individual might become a danger he might seek to change the pathway to danger or eliminate it entirely. For instance a corrupt leader or politician or an ambitious general might one day become a danger and threat, so he would seek to guide them away from threat and then take more drastic action if needed. Brak'Vrasz has found a purpose by leading the group of rag-tag survivalists that constitute the Harrowed. He treats what happened in the warp as a kind of rebirth.
Accessibility: The Shadow Knights are an isolationist society and not the trusting sort, especially where foreigners are concerned. The inhabitants of the Defiance subscribe to the belief that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Thus access to the ship is restricted and there are security checks. The Defiance is accompanied by military vessels and the the culture aboard the ship is very militarised. Thus only trusted outsiders are let aboard. Sith, Imperials, slavers and the like are treated as enemies. Foreigners who are allowed aboard will be protected, but are well advised to obey the law. The Defiance tends to traverse the rim and thus while it may be found on common hyperlanes, it will often operate outside of them.
Description:
"Solidarist-Realist images of Eldorai workers repairing starships lined the corridor, with slogans such as 'Work Is Strength. Honour the Worker' or other images, such as the grand show of an idealized commoner smashing a palace with a giant fist and causing decadent looking aristos to run away away in terror: 'Smash Reaction - Stand With The People!' Another poster showed an Eldorai soldier shaking hands with a Qadiri soldier, declaring: 'OUR NATIONS AS ONE RESIST SLAVERY AND REACTION', or an image of elf children from various races studying in a class room. 'An educated society is a free society. Support FREE ASURAN EDUCATION.' A martial poster depicted a stylised Stormtrooper being defeated by a heroic woman in the armour of the Caerith Tyari. A horde of foes could be seen in the background. 'SHE can't do it alone. Sign up for the Caerith Darin.'"
The Defiance is an Asur Class Worldship. Built by Firemane at the request of Star Queen Tirathana VII, this type of vessel is a large, safe non-combat worldship for exploration, colonisation, and migration or for dissidents fleeing persecution. It is a non-combat ship with limited weapons, but plenty of defence systems, an impressive amount of cargo space and the ability to provide living space for a huge amount of passengers and their families. It is essentially a city on the move, carrying millions of people in a fully self-sufficient environment. It has the people, materials and supplies to establish a new permanent colony.
This particular ship in question serves as the moving 'capital city' of the Shadow Knights. They are a nomadic, revolutionary movement that has split off from the Eldorai Matriarchy, striving to build what they consider to be a more just and egalitarian social order than can be found in the Monarchy. Their ideology is characterised by pan-Eldorai nationalism, militarism, social justice and opposition to imperialist factions. Rather than control planetary domains, the Shadows maintain a nomad fleet that traverses the galactic fringe. The people who live here call themselves Exodite Asurans. The name Asurans is derived from the fact that Asur was the name of the star system Kaeshana lies in. They call themselves Exodites because all of the are exiles who have left their homeworld in search of a new home in the stars. In essence, Exodite Asuran is the name for the culture, while the Shadow Knights are the political and military movement.
The Defiance is the hub of Shadows' activities. This ship is quite austere in tone and population, with religious freedom and a strong atheist demographic. Many of those on board are soldiers and their families. This ship intends to leave the old order behind and found new colonies on the far edge of space away from the constricting traditions of the past. Though all Asur worldships have a standardised design, the occupants have customised their vessel to reflect the austere aesthetics of the Shadow Knights. The worldship has residential areas, shops, places of religious worship and so on. Efficiency is the key of the design and so no space has been wasted.
Buildings five hundred metres high tower above the streets, monorails circle and pierce the layout and each 6th of the city has its own suite of amenities. Every building has recreation areas and many have parks on top of them, as no space can be spared at ground level. The most radical design of an Asur worldship though is the dome of the ‘sky’. With huge glasteel plates tessellated together, those on the ground and every apartment get a view of space in all its glory. It is a sight worthy of the project and prevents the citizens getting claustrophobic. Getting used to life aboard the worldship takes time, but it is not that bad a way to life.
The architecture is very simple, austere and often uses salvaged materials. It is also very well constructed - building something simply in design does not mean it should be shoddy. Indeed, shoddy design is counter productive and leads to further issues down the road. They don't have much in the way of traditional buildings but their world ship is designed along these points. The Exodite Asurans use communal space in structures.
An Asur worldship has enough space to accommodate three to five million people. This means it must offload population into colonies at regular intervals in order to prevent overcrowding. Because the elves are new to living in space and do not like ecumenopolises much, space has been set aside for green areas and sections that simulate the landscape of their homes. Because the Defiance is their seat of government and the hub of the Courts of Shadows that govern the various professions and spheres of life, it is regarded as a privilege to be a resident. It helps that the living conditions are better than on other ships in the nomad fleet. However, it is not a luxuy cruise. Indeed, living conditions are a bit cramped. The Exodites are essentially on their own, so they have to make or repurpose most of the things they need. Thus room has been made for manufacturing, research and an extensive food storage area.
Daily life aboard the ship reflects the values of the rebels. Patriotism is widespread and encouraged by the leadership. Visitors to the worldship will often come across patriotic posters exhorting families to have children and soldiers and workers to do their utmost in service of the nation. They also show stylised elves smashing images of monarchy, slavery, Sithism and imperialism. Outsiders may be a bit unnerved by posters glorifying Shadows who have agreed to have their life force transferred into soul stones to continue serving the community in unlife. The Shadows do their best to foster a spirit of community and overcome the barriers that divide Eldorai. Singing the revolutionary song Rise against Tyranny is quite popular.
Economic life is regulated by the government via the Courts, and supplies are rationed carefully. The guiding values of society at large are resilience, sustainability, duty, discipline and order. The unofficial motto is 'freedom is never free'. There is no room for idleness. A Shadow Knight must obey her superiors and do her duty. She must train regularly to keep herself in good physical and mental shape, know how to maintain her blaster and participate in drills. It is a culture that prizes frugality and despises wastefulness. People who are not seen as pulling their weight risk being conscripted into communal or military service. Military service is required for a member to be considered a citizen and thus possess voting rights. Here it is pertinent to note that service also includes support roles. Only those who have 'served with distinction' are allowed to hold office.
Since the Shadows do not have the best resources most of the food available on the ship is of the 'nutritious but bland' variety. Shadow Knights who have the right connections and willingness to grease paws can acquire better food. Kaida refuses to have dealings with black market traders, but not everyone is as scrupulously lawful as her. People do not live in deprivation, but lives of opulent luxury are virtually unheard of even for the leaders of society. Indeed, a strong sense of tall poppy syndrome means that displays of extreme wealth are looked at unfavourably.
However, despite the idealistic rhetoric, not everything is rosy. It is difficult to achieve transparency in what is fundamentally a rather authoritarian society. Corruption, prebendalism and favouritism remain issues. Most of the inhabitants of the worldship are Eldorai, but one can also find strong Tygaran minorities, especially Xioquo and Qadiri. There are also some Kar'zun. This is in line with the pan-Asuran ideology promoted by the Shadow Knights. The Tygarans have brought their cultures, myths and way of life to the Defiance, giving it a more cosmopolitan look and making it a bit of a melting pot. Unfortunately, discrimination and racial strife are still problems. The same applies to tensions between religious groups, despite the official commitment to freedom of religion. The same applies to sexism in the workplace. Equal rights for men and women have been enshrined in the charter. However, women still tend to occupy most of the top jobs and get paid more for doing the same work as men.
The police force is controlled by the Court of Justicars. The charter guarantees the rights of freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly without arms, and association but these are subject to certain restrictions. The Magister of the Court of Justicars can prohibit public assemblies or events that pose a "significant risk of public disorder" and/or that could "incite feelings of hostility between different racial and religious groups". The Shadow Knights consider long-term imprisonment wasteful - and in a way cruel. They also have limited space aboard the worldship. So they prefer to fine felons, make them do forced labour, exile or execute them. Individuals who have committed less serious crimes are fined or must perform reparation through labour. In the last case, they are subjected to penal servitude for a finite amount of time, though it is is governed by strict guidelines. Caning is mandatory for all crimes. The judicial system of the Defiance operates on the basis of a three strikes principle. If you get caught on a misdemeanour, that's one strike. Two of them is a felony. Three felonies of any sort...capital punishment. Of course, some are capital from the start, such as murder and treason.
The leadership of the Shadow Knights is housed aboard the Defiance. This includes Archon Naesala Faethyra, the Citizens' Council and the Court of the Shadows. It is accompanied by a flotilla of civilian ships and a host of military escort vessels to protect it against attacks that it cannot handle on its own. Because the ship is so crucial to the migrant fleet, military readiness and service are emphasised to a considerable degree.
Naesala is a groundpounder not a naval officer by training, but has spent enough time in space to expand her horizons. It helps that Eldorai have a longer life span than humans. However, she wisely leaves day-to-day management of the crew to officers and space warfare tactics to officers she pays for that sort of thing. Her role is to lead, inspire, and focus on the big picture instead of micromanage things others know more about than she does. The Citizens' Council is elected by all citizens in the nomad fleet and in turn chooses one of its members to serve as Archon.
The Shadow Knights view voting as a civic duty and practice compulsory voting. All citizens have the responsibility to choose their representatives and hold them accountable. This is a duty, not an inherent right. This ties in with the Shadows' belief that citizenship must be earned through service to the community. If people grow apathic and stay at home, a government will lose legitimacy and no longer be responsible to the electorate. This would allow a self-interested minority to dominate the government and separate it from the people. It is also meant to improve the quality of individuals who are elected to office. Citizens who fail to vote in an election are subjected to loss of citizenship unless they can provide a valid reason, such as illness, or pay a fine. Repeat offenders lose their citizenship. They can regain it, but it takes work.
The Shadows have established specific spheres or courts dedicated to certain businesses or professions. These have a broad mandate to oversee day-to-day operations. One could call them a cross between a government department and a guild. For instance, the Court of Providence is responsible for manufacturers, agri-farmers etc., the Court of War for soldiers, pilots and naval personnel and the Court of the Four Elements for Force-users. All the members of a body elect a council who then choose the head of their specific court. This high official receives the title of Magister. This involves the citizens in governance, but also makes society quite regimented. Each Court oversees a broad mandate, controlled by the Archon and the central leaders. The Archon and the Council have oversight over everything, and are responsible for determining policy, strategy and control the purse strings.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Broadly speaking, the worldship consists of two parts: The usual facilities such as crew quarters, bridge, reactor, engineering, jail, living areas and the city itself. The Defiance is essentially a mobile city on the move. The following areas in it are of particular interest:
Oasis: A large garden oasis with a simulated sky for those who want to get out from under the eternal stars. It is a big change for a lot of them, after all. Here they can experience some green, see a 'real' sky and stay connected to their roots. A few Vashyada Force adepts who specialise in plant surge take care of it.
The Evergreen: Farms and agri-plants for self-sustaining. Hydroponic gardens have been set up and Saan Trees are grown here. These fruits are tasty and easy to grow. Moreover, they are a piece of old Kaeshana from before the fall. The Shadows are all on their own for long periods of time, so this section is quite crucial and extensive. It is administered by the Court of Providence, the body responsible for farmers, manufacturers and so on. Vashyada plant surge specialists also find work here.
Shrine of the Eternal Creators: A multi-denominated shrine dedicated to the various deities of the elves. It was originally the Shrine of the Eternal Mothers until someone pointed out that they had male gods, too. Male deities still get less space than female ones. Sadly, Eldorai sexism persists even in the pantheon. The Shadows have a strong demographic of nonconformists and heterodox believers, which is reflected in the shrine. For instance, Illyria gets a place of worship since several of her followers like the Force Dead Harbingers of Twilight have joined the group. Long history of religious strife between certain groups can make ecumenism rather awkward. The Rationalists grumble about outdated superstition.
Temple of the Elements: A place for Force-users to congregate, train, exchange ideas and be supervised. The Eldorai and their sister races possess higher than average Force affinity than humans. Most are allowed to leave and choose a profession once their training is complete, though the Court advises them on what vocation they should pursue. However, those with stronger powers are conscripted into the military. Shadow Knight law states that all Force-users must receive training to control their abilities. They are administered by the Court of the Four Elements. It also includes a medical facility, meditation spaces and a forge. Lightsabres are still rare among the Eldorai, but have become more common among the upper ranks. Sarixi, Sarzmigars and Force Imbued weapons can also be constructed here. The Caerith Tyari have their barracks here.
The Great Monument to the Asurans as they Ascend from Shadow: Or the Monument for short, since the Eldorai make everything so needlessly long. The memorial is dedicated to all the elves as well as the Kar'zun. It consists of five pillars rising from the ground, with a message written in all their languages inscribed on them. The message is an uplifting one of attaining emancipation and prosperity through unity and comradeship. It is a place of reflection and remembrance. The museum covers the struggles for the Asurans for emancipation and self-determination. Most of it is focused on Eldorai history. For instance, the Green Ribbon movement, the Exodus and the Long Night feature quite prominently. However, there are also exhibitions against the Xio, Vashyada and Qadiri. The museum deals with the Kar'zun War in a pretty matter of fact way. The party line is that 'bad things were done by both sides' etc. This annoys the Kar'zun since they consider Ariane the Great to be a genocidal butcher.
Iron Gate Security Prison: A high-security prison for political prisoners, dangerous criminals, slavers and the like. Run-of-the-mill felons do not go here, only those viewed as particularly dangerous. The prison is run by the Court of Justicars, a Shadow Knight body responsible for overseeing law enforcement personnel. Political prisoners have significant latitude, while criminals live under more restrictive conditions. Finally, there is a speciel regime to contain Force-Users, and other particularly dangerous elements.
It is pertinent to note that the prison does not only have energy fields protecting the cells - there is also a solid metal door/gate too. Moreover, the building features heavy blast doors and ray shield traps. The prison population is not very large. The Shadow Knights consider long-term incarceration cruel and wasteful. Some prisoners are conscripted to perform penal labour. Their menial tasks are rarely pleasant, but they are compensated for their work and there are guidelines to prevent abuse. However, felons lose their voting rights.
Heritage Athenaeum: A library attached to the memorial and the museum. With the desolation of Kaeshana, a lot of knowledge about the past is in danger of being lost. The fact that the Eldorai and Kar'zun homeworld was also subjected to natural disasters, foreign invasion and occupation has not helped. The keepers work tirelessly to safeguard what has remained in order to preseve it for future generations. Only by understanding the past can a new, prosperous future be built. The library is publicly accessible. The Court of the Mind is responsible for maintaining it.
Orion Amphitheatre: All Eldorai races enjoy oral poetry and performance. So it is only fitting that the worldship has a theatre. It is also a way to bring disparate people together. Some of the old tales have had to be adjusted in order to avoid anything too...controversial. Songs about revolutionary heroes and the struggle for emancipation are popular. Performances can range from epic histories to folk performanaces of dances and a people's theatre that is rather ribald.
Valora's Assembly: A large mustering hall where the militia and soldiers can parade, train and drill. Has an armoury and other essential facilities attached to it. Kaida can often be found here when she happens to be on the Defiance. Her training methods are as harsh as ever.
The Forge of Prosperity: Usually just shortened to the Forge. It is a large manufacturing hub that is administrated by the College of Providence. In short, it is the industrial centre of the community.
Hall of the Squires: Facility for the Young Squires, the Shadow Knights' youth movement. Squires aim to support young people in their spiritual, mental and physical development so that they can play constructive roles in society. There is a strong focus on sports, physical fitness and survival skills. Members also learn the basics of piloting, mechanical and salvage skills and so on. They may be mobilised as an auxiliary welfare organisation or aid the exploration corps. The group is very politicised, aiming to pass on the values of the Shadows to its members. A key part of the life of a Squire is the Journey, an important quest where young elves on the cusp of adulthood experience the world outside of the nomad fleet and undergo a rite of passage. They are given the task of obtaining something of value for the fleet.
Angelwing Orphanage: A home for orphans and otherwise homeless children. Many are Eldorai children who lost their families during Kaeshana's many calamities, others are former slaves. It also serves the purpose of combating juvenile delinquency. The home is supported by the Young Squires and state institutions. The Shadow Knights encourage adoption. This is in keeping with the beliefs of the Eldorai and their cousins, as they do not discriminate between biological and adopted children.
Institute of Enlightenment: A somewhat pompously named research institution dedicated to researching and developing technology that will aid the Shadow Knights. The Institute combines scientific research with higher education. It is run by Yohara Taenasi. Funding is an issue, as the renegades do not have a lot of money. Sometimes Yohara tasks people with stealing tech or blueprints that she needs for her research, but cannot (or does not want to) acquire legally. The Institute's work came to fruition with the creation of the Sciiac Guardians and the spirit gems, among other projects. Yohara also has more esoteric interests, such as study of the Force and the Netherworld, but she must allocate resources based on a budget set by the Archon and the Council, who are a lot less inquisitive than she is and prefer research that is bound to produce practical results. This can vex her quite a bit.
Avesta Memorial Hospital: Named after Rania Jai Avesta, a Qadiri healer who was assigned to a combat unit as a frontline surgeon. When Kraal were in the process of overrunning her hospital, she stood a rear-guard action. She had no hope of personal survival, but stood her ground to ensure the safe evacuation of the wounded. She is said to have killed in which he had no hope of personal survival, allowing the safe evacuation of the wounded. When Shadow Knights returned to the site a few days later, they found her body slumped over a heavy repeating blaster, with the corpses of close to one hundred enemies piled up in front of her position. Her body had been riddled with slugs, and many bayonet and blaster wounds. The facility is run by the Court of Healing. It is equipped to respond to common health issues as well as medical emergencies.
Court of the Shadowed Council: The government district. It is located in Freedom Square, the city centre. Here the various Courts, military high command, the Archon's office and the Citizens' Council are located. It is the hub of the city and thus heavily guarded.
Asuran Star Combine Offices: Located close to the Courts. The Combine is run by the Court of the Exchange, the body responsible for merchants, traders and so on. Two of its primary enterprises are salvage and freight. The company's party line emphasies recycling and disdains wastefulness, as resources are still scarce in the Shadow Knight movement. Its salvage operations often involve cannibalising ships and machines left behind from various battles fought across the Galaxy. The Combine also offers transport services to external parties, as the Shadows have the ships for it. This is less interesting for established corporations and galactic governments, but beneficial to minor worlds as well as individuals at odds with the law. The Shadows refuse to make deals with slavers or individuals they consider inimical to their people, but do not care much beyond that.
Silo: A large food storage area. The Shadows spend a good deal of time on their own, so they have to stock up on provisions. Security is tight to guard against theft. Ironically, the Shadows have found out that droids and Kar'zun are the most reliable guards. Droids do not eat at all and Kar'zun eat rocks. You would not put Kar'zun in charge of the marble quarry, but they can guard all the grain in the galaxy.
Hall of Ancestors: A cultural area and shrine for Kar'zun to congregate. The Defiance's Kar'zun population is small, but important enough to merit their own cultural space. The Hall of Ancestors has statues and sculptures of past Kar'zun, such as famous artists, engineers and some warriors. The shrine's creation is fairly recent, as it was set up after the last Forsaken had been evacuated from Kaeshana.
Tarinn Residential Block VII: One of many apartment complexes on the Defiance. Named after Lysae Tarinn, the composer of the revolutionary song 'Rise Against Tyranny'. Lysae was a life-long revolutionary agitator and a prominent member of the Green Ribbons. Ironically, she was assassinated on suspicion of having 'reactionary sympathies' because she was not rebellious enough for a cadre of extreme anarchist rebels. That aside, many of the inhabitants are soldiers. Kaida has an apartment here, as does Eyrecae. Kaida is rarely there because she does a lot of field work. Her place is still extremely neat and tidy and has a well-stocked armoury.
SECURITY
Maximum. The Defiance is the 'capital' of the Shadow Knights and thus very heavily defended.
- The external armaments are low. The vessel has some fast-mount turbolasers, a few ion cannons and turbolasers. These weapons are mounted on the front/rim area.
- However, the defences are very extensive. They include heavy redundant shield generators, heavy armour plating, hundreds of quad lasers and point defences distributed evenly around the rim and front/rear. It also has a few flak cannons. Against attack craft the vessel can unleash a veritable storm of flak fire. Internally, it has extensive on board security forces and defences. These include an auto turret network, ray shields, retinal scanners to ward access to critical areas etc.
- A strong military garrison is permanently stationed aboard the ship. It is a mix of Force-using, Force Dead and Non-Force-using soldiers. Forces of note include members of the Caerith Tyari, Caerith Darin, Void Stars, and the Watchers of the Night. There is a contingent of Sciiac Guardians. Moreover, a few Void Breakers, Harbingers and Kar'zun warriors also tend to be stationed here.
- The garrison is supplemented by a militia composed of all adult civilians. Many of them are former soldiers themselves. Each family is required to keep a weapon at their home and participate in regular drills to ensure they are fit to use it in times of crisis. The Shadows have a very militaristic society.
- It is a ship meant for Eldorai and their cousins as well as Kar'zun. This means humans and aliens will stick out. Moreover, many of the locals do not speak Basic. The elves have only entered the galactic stage very recently. This especially applies to the Tygarans. As a result, their native languages are very obscure. All this makes infiltration difficult.
Eldorai society has always been defined by a high degree of stratification, class and gender barriers. Women are regarded as superior to men and occupy the top jobs in the military and government, whereas males are expected to be subservient. Nobles stand above commoners, who should know their place, pay their tithes and serve their betters. Clerics are mediators between the profane and the divine. The opulent cathedrals and mansions of the prelates are an expression of gratitude of the common folk. The Star Queen stands above all. She is not only the absolute monarch of the realm, but also the the emissary and viceroy of the Great Goddess Ashira in the mortal realm. Her person is sacrosanct and her word is law. Rebellion against her is heresy.
This has not stopped the Eldorai from having plenty of palace revolutions, civil wars and schisms. Perhaps the lesson is that repression breeds resistance. Totalitarianism is not efficient, no matter how many times its proponents claim that the trains run on time. Today the dream of a unified Eldorai Matriarchy is dead. Though the Matriarchy still exists, it no longer commands the allegiance of all Eldorai. With Kaeshana destroyed for good, the Eldorai have fractured into a myriad factions, each claiming to be the authentic manifestation of Eldorai nationhood.
One of these groups call themselves the Shadow Knights. They started as a militant group of survivalists, insurgents and former soldiers who banded together during the Great Exodus to protect the Eldorai who had been left behind on devastated Kaeshana. Naesala Faethyra, a career soldier who had gone into exile after being arrested on false charges of treason during the reign of Tirathana VI, was elected as their leader, assuming the title of Archon.
They tried to wrest order from the chaos, though it was an uphill battle. Rejecting monarchy, they instead embraced a form of militaristic republicanism. They supported the Tygaran Alliance and the Galactic Alliance during the Kaeshana Rebellion, but the First Order's victory forced them to evacuate from the Eldorai homeworld. Deprived of their homeworld, they were nonetheless unwilling to submit to the ancien régime. Thus they formed a nomad fleet. The Defiance became their capital on the move.
Asur worldships are a Firemane product. The corporation built the Defiance for the renegades. On first sight this might seem a bit bizarre since Firemane is no ally of the Shadows. Indeed, the rebels have a good number of members who have fought against Firemane in the past. They also believe that Firemane has too much power over the Matriarchy and that the Forsaken were unjustly abandoned.However, there is some logic to this. Firemane has been happy to build worldships for various Eldorai groups it is not fond of because it gets them out of its sphere of influence. The assumption is that if the radical revolutionaries, reactionaries, zealots and so on get the means to build their utopias far away, many of them will stop being a nuisance. Thus Firemane built the Defiance shortly after the Battle of Kaeshana. It came with food and medical supplies and a polite, but firm note to stay off Firemane's lawn.
The worldship was handed over to the rebels with little fanfare, as both Siobhan and Naesala did not want to make a fuss about it. Both leaders were polite, but were far apart in demeanour and interests and had little to say to one another. The Shadows later held a formal ceremony aboard the vessel. It was chosen to be their mobile capital. The worldship would be accompanied by a small fleet of mining, trade, salvage and manufacturing ships as well as warships.The new society had to face its share of hurdles. Measures had to be implemented to keep law and order aboard the ship. Tensions that had been temporarily buried by the common struggle to survive on Kaeshana flared up again. The efforts of the leadership to centralise power caused strife. Tensions between the various elf races also became an issue after the Shadows decided to let Tygaran natives join.
By their very nature the Shadow Knights are a coalition. A good number of their members are former 'Dark Eldorai' insurgents, but others are former royalist soldiers who defected to the Shadows - and might have fought the former insurgents at some point. All this requires delicate management to overcome old grudges. Several religious sects had a history of rivalry. Enforcing central authority was not entirely possible without bloodshed. This led to strife and schisms. Some Shadow Knights were banished or split off. The Courts came into being to organise society along quasi-military lines while giving the citizens a say in governance. Each citizen would be given a place, a means of influencing the direction of his or her chosen path and a superior to obey. Society was to be based on characteristics such as creativity, discipline, concern for the greater good, productivity, service and self-sacrifice.
Shadow Knight society would be founded on the distinction between command and obedience. Democracy would be the possibility of attaining every existing rank if one had performed the necessary service to society. Unsurprisingly, there was tension. Individual war bands and rebel leaders disliked being forced into a regimented structure that would reduce their influence and independence. Some of the protests had to be resolved through force, others negotiation. Other leading players in the Shadows recognised that the new system gave them opportunities to further their agendas and supported it. A police force was set up to protect the people and punish lawbreakers. It was organised along paramilitary lines, meaning that it could support the troops against boarders if need be. Such defences were needed, for the inhabitants of the Defiance also had to prove themselves against external threats, such as Kraal raiders, Rogue Sith and the Archangel machine cult. The government introduced compulsory voting.
At first the Shadows' goal was to one day liberate Kaeshana and reunite with their lost sistren and brethren. The Eldorai homeworld's final scouring by a warp storm put an end to this goal. One might note that few of the Tygaran Shadows were invested in this goal anyway since Kaeshana meant little to them, so it was always more of an Eldorai matter. Now the Shadows look for a new home. The evolution of their goals and society has forced them to build up actual institutions, as a diverse nomad fleet cannot be run in the same way as a paramilitary war band. The Defiance has emerged as the hub of their society. The old rivalries have not vanished and power struggles still take place behind the scenes, but the common struggle has forged a degree of cohesiveness and a form of patriotism.
The nomad fleet is not above making a little money along the way. Its ventures include mining and salvage. In addition, it ferries goods and people to their destination. This is particularly attractive for the more primitive or underdeveloped worlds the Shadow Knights often encounter, as well as smaller corporations that do not field their own fleets. Naturally it is also a way for renegades, smugglers and so on to circumvent laws and government jurisdictions. Unless it is something that affects them or other elves, the Shadow Knights have a tendency of looking the other way. They refuse to make deals with slavers though. The end goal of the Defiance is not endless journeying. Mainly, its objective is to find new places to settle, set up colonies and ensure that the colonists thrive before moving on. This serves as a safety valve, as well as helping the elves to settle across the galaxy. Time will tell where its voyage takes the Defiance and whether it will lead to the bright future its inhabitants hope for.
Recently, the Defiance received a new influx of inhabitants. When the Shadow Knights left Kaeshana, they had intended to one day return and overthrow its occupiers. This was obviously a long-term goal rather than something that could be realistically accomplished in the short-term. Little did they know that the planet would be hit by another calamity, for Kaeshana was pulled into the Nether and dragged to the other side of the Galaxy. When the Shadows learned that the planet had moved, they suspected some kind of trick, but sent an expedition to confirm. They soon realised that Kaeshana had indeed moved and was no longer occupied by the First Order. However, the Netherworld's horrifying shockwaves had turned it into an inhospitable, haunted tomb world.
The rebels were able to evacuate scattered bands of survivors, such as the Harrowed and the Sicarii. Then they left Kaeshana. It forced them to acknowledge that if they wanted a home, they would have to build it, for the old was lost forever. A solemn ceremony was held on the Defiance to mourn the dead. The Archon gave a speech that was broadcast to the nomad fleet. Kaeshana was lost. The elves could overcome their squabbles and build a better future, or follow it into the pit. The Shadow Knights were the vanguard of the Asuran people. It was their mission to safeguard and protect their people, for no one else would. They had to be the sword and the torch, protecting the Asurans against threats and guiding them to freedom. Only then would they be honouring those who had been lost on Kaeshana. However, the reunion was accompanied by riots.
During the evacuation, the Forsaken and the Shadow Knight task force sent to rescue received visions of the past. These showed that the Eldorai had enlisted the aid of humans to defeat the Kar'zun, and then covered it up. This made their victory over their hereditary enemies a lot less glorious. However, the visions also showed that Ariane had been less of a butcher than the Kar'zun remembered her as. Eldorai nationalists, angered by what they regarded as an insult to their people, rioted in the streets. Eventually order was restored. The Shadows would embark on a mission to locate the lost Paragon of the Kar'zun in order to find answers and move forward.
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