Origin

[|nfrared]

Arrival

We made it, we had survived. When the ship stopped shaking we began to restart the Eidolon's systems. The ship rebooted and immediatly we knew there was something wrong. There was no Iridium here. Instead there was something strange here, we could detect communications on the sensor array between some lifeforms. The invaders had been completely silent during any encounters with them and we instantly knew this wasn't them. This was something else.

The Eidolon's arrival in the system had attracted some unwanted attention. The sensor array began feeding Shard and the copies the information, trying to decode thier communications. It didn't take long for the crew to see one. This was Etherium first contact with humans.

The realisation that the entire sector wasn't overrun with the invaders was hard for Shard to accept. He also recognised the importance of this. While the new lifeforms appeared less advanced then themselves and having seen the immense power of the invaders first-hand, the only logical conclusion was that they were at peace, or worse, working together. The mission had been to find Iridium and that had failed. They would not wait for the invaders to kill them.

As one, the crew activated the neccessary systems. Weapons charged, targetting the small craft that were approaching them. The language was strange, the computers recording everything so as to try and decipher it after the danger had passed. The weapons were very effective on these small fighters, rending the primitive ships into molten slag. It seemed the danger had passed.

Then a much larger contact came into range. It weaved through the molten rocks and ship remains, then the sensors picked up a bombardment of radio waves. They were being analysed.

The Eidolon's weapons focused on this new threat as the primitive's vessel opened fire. The smaller ships had all been destroyed easily but this larger craft was much more resilient. It was also taking its toll on the Eidolon's external systems.

Soon it was apparent that the alien ship was in trouble. It was diverting power to its engines. It was trying to escape. The crew knew what this would mean. If even one got away, they could bring more back. Or worse, they could bring the invaders.

Targetting the rear of the ship with all of the weapons, the Etherium watched as the alien vessel blew apart. Again there were more communications. The Eidolon instantly began targeting the small shells that the crippled ship was expelling. When only a few remained, they were tractored aboard. As those lifeforms that were tractored in were analysed the Etherium found a way to stall the degenerative state completely, and make it possible to reverse it.

If the Etherium were to consume a small amount of human DNA and then divide, the resulting reactions would re-coat the deteriated silicon makeup of the Etherium. Both duplicates would be cured for a short time and be able to repeat the process again when the effects began to wear off. The procedure was tested over the following years numerous times when an overzealous human pilot insisted they had "discovered something".

However there was a much bigger problem. The engines of the Eidolon had been damaged, and the Etherium had no parts available to fix them. The mission was a complete failure.

It was Shard who formualted the plan to hide the Eidolon. Using powerful tractor beams, the Eidolon moved between the molten asteroids, coating itself in molten rock along the way. When the ship embedded itself in a similar sized rock, it caused it to cool, until only the ship's docking port remained. This process was slow, with the Etherium waiting until there were no contacts on the scanners before tractoring in more material to conceal it fully. To preserve the Iridium left aboard the ship, the Eidolon's crew went into a similar state as their kin aboard the Revenant. All except one.

Shard made his way to the small docking bay aboard the Eidolon, fitting himself with the best equipment available. He had to warn the others. He had to get back to the Revenant and tell them of this discovery that the sector was not overrun with the invaders like they first believed.

Filling the fighter with Iridium from the Eidolon's tanks for the voyage, the others went into their hibernation-like state, keeping the systems of the new Temple running as if by themselves, much like the Temple of the Revenant.

[

The rest of the station, with the exception of the docking port and a few weapon placements, had been completely concealed. As Shard departed, he took one final look at the newly finished Temple of the Eidolon.

It was not the purpose it had been intended for and was a tiny base by Etherium standards. But it was concealed, disguised well enough that there was a chance it may never be found. He knew this may be the last time he would see it.

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Shard - The Faceless One