The Main Story

“Kote… Kandosii sa ka’rta, vode an. Coruscanta a’den mhi, vode an!” Jatne sat inside singing quietly to himself. It was the first time he had been alone since Al’s. Right now he didn’t want to deal with Roxil’s new droids, with the other DBs, or with the questions about himself. He imagined with perfect clarity the voices of his brothers along with his own. “Bal kote, darasuum kote! Jorso’ran kando a tome. Sa kyr’am nau tracyn kad, vode an!” Brothers all… where are my brothers now? What are they doing? Are they even still alive? I’ve never not known. Is Kal’buir well and taking care of himself? Ord’ika will make sure. “Kandosii sa ka’rta, vode an. Coruscanta a’den mhi, vode an! Bal…” Ord’ika, I wonder how he’s getting on with Bessany… I wonder how it feels to let someone into his life other than Kal’buir and the vode. I hope he doesn’t let himself feel guilty for having something the rest of us don’t. He deserves it… we all deserve so much more. Jatne had no idea Roxil had come to visit, to check that he was settling in fine, and that he was standing silently on the other side of the door listening. “Motir ca’tra nau tracinya. Gra’tua cuun hett su dralshy’a. Aruetyc talyc runi’la solus cet o’r! Motir ca’tra nau tracinya. Gra’tua cuun hett su dralshy’a. Aruetyc talyc runi’la trattok’o! Sa kyr’am nau tracyn kad, vode an!” Now he heard a light knock on the door, he quickly composed himself before opening it. Roxil was leaning against the wall outside facing back out toward what would be the center of the village.
“That was a beautiful song, very powerful.”
“Brothers all. All Mando’ade – even us clones – are sons and daughters of Mandalore, vode an. But there are no Mando’ade here, no vode, just me.”
“When we were speaking last you told me you had six brothers but you didn’t tell me much about them, or really about yourself. I feel we’ve been building trust, I’d really like to know where you came from.” Roxil had told him about being abandoned at birth, about being raised as a slave, and about seeing his family die and having to learn to survive on his own. Jatne knew there probably wasn’t much he could say that would shock Roxil. “You can start by explaining this word clones to me, my gemstone of language isn’t helping.”
“Explain clones… to you… so imagine a guy that looks exactly like me, we’ll call him Jango Fett. Some scientists used his genetic material to make more beings physically identical to him. You know how you can split yourself into two other copies? Imagine that, but they aren’t actually you, they’re separate distinct beings with their own personalities. The kaminiise used Jango’s genes to create three million copies of him. Make sense?”
“Three… million?” Roxil counted up his fingers than started over again, he repeated the action several more times before stopping to stare at Jatne for a while. “That’s a lot more than triplets.”
“Did you really just try to count to three million on your hands? Di’kut. Let me take a look at those droids and I’ll tell you more.”
“If they’re fine with it you’ve got a deal.”
“Or’dinii, you know they’re not people, right?”

It had taken a while, but Lily finally gathered the last of the parts she needed. The technology here was simple, too simple, but she found a way to make it work. The hardest part was making it compatible with her adaptive intelligence programs. She had to dismantle a few of her own weapons and devices, she would miss those but it was for the greater good. She looked at the two drones, almost afraid to turn them on. Once activated she wouldn’t be able to turn them off again, but she wouldn’t need to. They started to buzz before slowly lifting into the air.
“Please begin dialogue, voice recognition required.” One of the two stated in a synthesized male voice.
“I know your smell,” A real man said behind her and she recognized that voice. “You’re prettier than I expected. Now how about a proper introduction? My name is Roxil, and who are you other than the woman that could have gotten my friend killed?”
“Voice detected. Registered as Alpha. What is your command, Alpha?”
“Shit! Drone, reject voice recognition, reconfirm.”
“Command denied, you are not alpha.”
“Roxil, tell it to reject.”
“Trying to give me orders when you haven’t even answered my question? You are a very rude woman.”
“My name is Lily, now please reject the drones.”
“What are these? They’re adorable. Though drone is a terrible name. I think this one should be Okiim.”
“Confirm new designation, Okiim. Thank you, Alpha.”
“And this one should be … Usa.”
“Confirm new designation, Usa. Thank you, Alpha.”
“No! Drones, reject redesignation command. I am your Alpha!”
“Command denied, you are not Alpha.”
“Roxil, reject my drones.”
“They don’t sound like they want to stay with you." I will not allow her to treat them as slaves. "They shall do as they please. If they wish to come with me they will. I can’t stay any longer, my new friends are waiting on me. I just recognized your scent and wanted to know the face that went with it. I also wanted to warn you that if you ever put my friend in danger again, I will kill you.” He turned and left, the two drones she had spent weeks working on hovered out after him.
“Well shit.” She slumped down into her chair. Lily only hoped this could still work to her advantage, they were meant to be spy drones; she still had access to audio and optic storage. This actually may turn out more effective.

“All you Dimensional Beings, if the life presented by these people does not sound ideal, feel free to follow my lead. I will create a place where we can live freely and in peace. I will create a home we can call ours; where being human is not a qualifier for what rights you deserve.” Everyone was looking at Roxil grinning like he had just invited them to a party. Someone stood and pulled the hood down from their head revealing very green skin.
“I have a human wife, would she be welcome?”
“All are welcome as long they simply wish to live in a peaceful community of love and mutual respect.”
“That sounds wonderful,” A woman that appeared human said. “I’m tired of hiding. I’m a healer, it shouldn’t matter if I use magic as long as I’m helping people.”
“A healer? Every good community needs one.” He smiled wider when more people started standing to flock around him. “Jat’ika, I think we’re going to need a proper cart, I won’t be able to carry this many. If I shifted to a yeddim maybe eight could fit on my back..."
“Carry where, Roxil?”
“When I was chasing that woman I stumbled across another dome, an agricultural zone by the looks of it. All the buildings were in disrepair, no one inside. I’m going to fix it up, the groundwork for a farm is already there as well as infrastructure for housing and community facilities…” He got lost in his thoughts for a moment planning out the necessary construction.
“You sound like you’ve done this before,” Another DB said.
“I have. Where I come from the land is ruled by beings called the Dragon Blooded, money is the only power human communities have. I gathered the dispossessed, the oppressed, and the abused. I gave them a home where they could be healthy and share the true wealth in life – happiness among family and friends. We built around a ruined temple, I tilled and planted the first farm with my own hands. I raised children in the house I built for them, and they raised children of their own in homes they built. I taught them to hunt, to farm, and to negotiate fair trade deals. We were thriving in the first year. I did it twice more and I’ll do it again.” He had allowed Al to button his shirt completely and pull his tie tight; within a few seconds he had already loosened the tie and undone his top few buttons. Al attempted to tighten it once more but he was faced immediately with Roxil’s hand around his neck. “How do you like being suffocated… mortal?”
“Well first off,” Jatne sighed, and tried to pull Roxil’s hand down, he didn’t succeed. “Judging by what I’ve seen they don’t move people in carts here. Ro’ika, behave yourself, please. I think he’s learned his lesson.” This time Roxil did release Al though he didn’t look pleased about it. “Motor vehicles, I’ve never operated a vehicle with a traditional engine but I’m confident I can figure it out. Trouble is, we don’t have one. New plan?”

"We're sorry," It make Kaytee sad, Roxil was dumb, but he was not bad person. It was not fair that they need to use him but to make the world as it need to be there was no other way. He wanted to be our friend. Kaytee packed and hid what little she had from her home, for her plan to work she need everyone to believe she is human. Her clothing, her weapons, and the shard from her seed were all made of magic. On the mother tree it was her duty to never lie but here it was all she could do. She had never been a traitor and she had always been on the side of justice. Did we really need to betray and use him?
Kaytee went out to meet Avalina and their new human allies. As long as everyone cooperate there would be no war. There would be no danger. The humans would need their own Enforcers to make registration possible. She would do her part. But what do we do now? We can tell he is strong, do we want him as an enemy? It was too late to ask these questions now, it was already done. As she walked out Roxil was looking right at her as if pleading.
“If you do not want to start a war, say so now because I will finish it.” Watch me make Earth mine. “This is exactly what Luna chose me to do.”

“I do apologize, Al, but this is for the best.” Avalina tried not to sound smug, she really did try. Still, she had an empire to rebuild and as small as it was this was the first victory of the process. Of course she couldn’t have been entirely sure Roxil would have come back here. Unlike his friend he was obviously inhuman so she had to hope he was dumb enough and she was right. “Look at it this way, you don’t need to report to your spy anymore.” She was intentionally loud enough for the patrons to hear. “From this point forward your little safe house will be under regular surveillance. You do know how important accurate census information is.”
“You did this?”
“I’m not too proud to admit I had help. Now if you don’t mind I’ll take my leave of your… humble establishment.”
“Ma’am, you recorded the information you were asked for?”
“Of course,” She handed a folded slip of paper to one of the guards before he gestured her into the truck. “Now Roxil, Jatne, please be cooperative. Do you really think you can handle starting a war?”
“I was created for war,” Roxil shrugged and assumed his hybrid shape.
“Same,” Jatne drew a second firearm in his free hand. “Bred for it, and trained my entire life.”
“There’s just two of you,” She was confident in her ability to control them. How powerful could a half-cat and a human be?

“Ma’am, you’re getting yourself into more trouble than what’s good for you. Usen’ye, playtime is over. I’ll give you five seconds to get running, if you’re still here when I’m done, I shoot.” Rayshe’a, cuir, ehn, t’ad, sol-
“Check!” The woman’s voice came from nowhere along with the shot from a high-powered firearm before Jatne had half compressed the trigger. It only stopped him for a split second but it was long enough for a bullet to ricochet off the black-haired woman’s arm lodging itself in the synthetic skin covering his own prosthetic. The woman bolted, Roxil shifted back to his war form chasing off after her, Jatne was busy scanning the area for whoever shouted that word. He did his best to check around but whoever fired that shot was gone. He had no idea where Roxil had gone and it was too risky to hang around here; the only option was to go back to Al’s and hope Roxil was safe. He should have expected it, everyone at Al’s sat gathered around a single table staring at a small datapad. They turned when the door opened and Al looked furious.
“I told you no weapons!”
“No, you said no armor.” He was happy to put the plates back on immediately. “I haven’t gone anywhere without a weapon since I was three years old and I don’t plan to start now.” He glanced at the screen.
A local business owner has brought forward this shocking security footage. There he was, standing next to the nearly three meter half-cat creature Roxil turned into, with his weapon held to a seemingly-innocent woman’s head. He knew better, he knew she was there to provoke Roxil, and it had worked. Fortunately to footage had no audio, this situation would go from bad to osik’la if the stop command drilled into him since he was two years old was broadcasted to everyone. Our experts claim this footage is unaltered. Since the time this was first aired hundreds of viewers have called in eyewitness reports of other strange and terrifying incidents. One witness that chose to remain unnamed referred to the dangerous and horrifying creature seen here as a Dimensional Being. It is said there are thousands, possibly more other such beings in this sector of environmental domes alone.
“Fierfek,” He turned when the door opened again, Roxil stood there completely naked with a blood-soaked hand against his throat, he was bruised and bloody all over. “Tion vaii gar ru’cuyi, gar dikut’la-” He paused, when Roxil lowered his hand to shrugged Jatne finally realized all – or at least most of – the blood was his. “What happened?”
“You think I look bad?” He coughed a small amount of blood when he spoke, a pale silver-green light appeared through the wound in his throat and it closed within seconds. “You should see her.” Only seconds later a large black van pulled up outside and men in body armor loaded out pointing their guns at Roxil.
“Evaar’la burc’yase, ner vod?”
“By order of the Chancellor of Easter America you’re under arrest. Come peacefully and no one needs to get hurt. You and all other Dimensional Beings will be registered, marked – and if you’re not deemed a danger – released. You’ll be required to report at random intervals and forfeit your right to privacy.
“Me’copaani, Jat’ika? Gar copaanir ibac?”
“Nu draar,” He slid his helmet back on and pulled the Verpine shatter gun from it’s holster. “I’m not a number anymore. I'm not stranger to war, if that's what they want at least it'll be personal this time.”

Lily knew what the woman was planning. She wanted to start a fight to make Roxil really use his powers. She wanted a very public display of someone that was obviously not human and obviously dangerous. Lily needed to stop that from happening. This was all part of Avalina and Kaytee’s plan, it had to be. If dimensional beings went public the population would panic, to suppress that panic the government could move in and force DBs to register themselves and their abilities, and to live under constant surveillance. If that happened, Lily’s hopes of living a quiet peaceful life and being left alone would be completely destroyed. The one that looked human though the other could only stop him using a check command, it was worth a try. He froze mid-trigger-pull when she shouted it; long enough for her to take her own shot in hope that the confusion would break up the fight before it could get any worse.
That didn’t work at all. The woman bolted but the freak chased after her all claws and fur, worst case scenario. The human was trying to find Lily’s angle of attack but bounced across the roof tops without looking back until her breath was ragged and painful. All she wanted to do was stop the worst from happening and ended up triggering it herself though probably a lot messier than it would have been otherwise. She was smarter than this, how could she have screwed up so badly? She’d have to be more careful. Like it or not DBs were going to be known now and it very well could start a war. If she didn’t act so impulsively again in the future she may at least be able to keep damages to a minimum. She would happily go hide somewhere and stay out of it, but she knew she was at least partly responsible. She’d do whatever she could to help without sacrificing her own hopes.

“Tsikala! That’s the word, right? Anyway, it’s ready, Jat’ika, try this!” Roxil held out a small plate. On it was a little pastry covered in a sticky purple sauce and ground nuts. Jatne took it suspiciously and tried a small bite.
“Kandosii!” He was a sucker for sweet treats. “That’s delicious.”
“There’s no akura fruit here, I had to make do with those things you found … plums?” Roxil was pleased with himself; most people didn't think he looked like a guy that could cook, but in his temples he loved coming up with new treats for his families. He treasured the smiles when he made something they loved.
“Seriously, ori’jate, this is almost as good as uj’alayi.”
“Hey Roxil,” Al leaned through the door. “Kaytee wants the kitchen cleared out, take a breather. There’s a small park nearby, it’s only got one tree but that’ll have to be good enough.”
“I saw it on the map. Pack some of that cake and maybe I’ll show you.”
Al pulled out a small box and handed it to Roxil. He filled the box with cake and poured more of the plum sauce over it before putting it in his bag. Out of the bag he pulled a leather drinking skin. When Al had his back turned talking to a customer Roxil happily helped himself to one of the bar taps. He caught the raised eyebrow from Jatne. “We could lay in a tree eating cakes all day, it’s not as good without ale; even if it is atrocious ale. Don’t worry, I’ve got a secret in the kitchen.”
Roxil was perfectly happy to roll around in the small patch of grass while his new friend ate a significant portion of the cake. After some time he climbed up into the tree to drink and watch the few people going by. He lowered the skin to Jatne.
“I’ve never had alcohol,”
“Never?”
“Some of my brothers have tried, Mer’ika enjoyed a little when it was safe. I remember a time… one of the commandos, Fi, he hated the stuff. Poor guy had cops buying him drinks for a whole night. He was polite and drank as much as he could stomach, I think he was just enjoying being recognized.”
“It’s safe now, would you care to try a sip? It’s not great stuff, the wine I’m making will be much better though.”
“Just a sip,” His smile was brilliant in Roxil’s opinion, but it looked practiced. As he dropped the skin a beautiful woman stepped into the park capturing his attention. She was young and muscular, dressed in a yellow sundress patterned with vines and flowers. Her eyes were nearly as green as his own and her hair short black hair was decorated with a vibrant streak of red.
“Hiya!” She said with a grin. “I’m with the criminal deterrent program, I like to think of it more as the DB extermination program.” So that’s the cat-eared freak, this must be the friend I’m supposed to threaten…
“Exterminating DBs? Where do I sign up?” Roxil grinned. That was unexpected.
“Roxil, you’re misunderstanding her.” Jatne sighed, at least he recognized they were talking about two different things.
“She wants to kill DBs, I’m quite experienced with killing DBs, what’s the problem?”
“You know you’re a DB, right?” The woman was surprised when Roxil suddenly got extremely offended. He shifted to his war form in the same second he jumped down from the tree and grabbed her by the throat.
“Do I really look like Dragon Blooded filth?” He turned human again when Jatne put a hand on his shoulder, now holding the collapsed barrel of his Verpine against her head. He doesn’t know the check command, so there’s nothing he can really do to stop me.

“Al’s contact, she calls herself Dante, we could use her. She already make a list of dimensional beings. We just need a way to find out what ability they have, what background…” Kaytee feel bad going behind Al for this, but she really believe it was the best. Now she knew someone else agreed.
“This must be easy for you, as a human.” Avalina told her. Kaytee laughed and her skin and eyes turn sapphire blue and shimmer slightly like it was covered in water. “Or not so human. So why would you want to force registration?”
“Because we know how dangerous dimensional beings can be. You?”
“So I know who the best pawns are. The Legacy thinks I will not create an empire, wishful thinking and stupidity.”
Kaytee wanted to ask many questions but there were more important things. She needed an excuse to question newcomer, and previous arrivals. She could say she was just make conversation. The truth was until she got the CSF contact on her side, she had big limit. If they could make registration law it would be much easier. Still, before they could make registration law dimensional beings need to be public knowledge. “How do we make dimensional beings public?”
“A trap. If we know of one dumb enough, we can set them up to reveal themselves.” They both knew the right one. They only meet him that day, but it was clear he had no impulse control. They could make this work. Kaytee reached for her phone and dialed the number Al didn’t know she have. Kaytee would not help Avalina build an empire, but she could handle that later.
“Dante, I need a favor.”

This Roxil character was more than capable of being a threat. Jatne was hard to get a read on. He had the posture of someone that was dangerous, but he looked pretty ordinary beyond being obviously fit. Though, Lily also looked pretty ordinary so she knew how deceiving appearances could be. She could tell he was smart, and good at thinking on his feet. If she had any interest in being known, she might even consider pursuing him as it seemed they may have quite a bit in common; trouble was she really didn’t want to be known. All that mattered was that she was free now, and she wanted to keep it that way.
She kept a careful eye on the pair as the Coalition Security officer stopped them. Identification? I bet it’s just an excuse to get so close to me, beauty can be intimidating for mortals. The freak with silver tattoos didn’t seem very bright, he wasn’t wrong about being beautiful though. Maybe that was the tradeoff, all his smarts just went to brute strength and looks. I know a dozen ways to kill you without drawing my weapons, it’ll be so hard to choose just one. Scary, she wondered how many of those were the same methods she could think of off the top of her head. It was the one that looked human that talked the officer in circles until he walked away. The freak just stood back looking pretty and keeping his mouth shut.
Lily shifted her focus to the visor covering her left eye, it connected with a bead sized camera she tossed in Al’s bar; the apparent hub of unusual activity in this area. That woman was still there, the one that looked and carried herself as though she were a queen. Al didn’t seem very fond of her but the customers seemed to enjoy looking at her. Civilians were funny that way, it didn’t much matter what you were up to as long as you looked nice doing it. Lily however saw beyond that and tagged the woman as suspicious. She was up to something with the female human employee now, Lily really wished she had set up an audio receiver as well. She wasn’t sure she could get into the bar unnoticed. For now she would just have to be comfortable with keeping an eye on everything.
Thank the manda no one here would recognize a clone, without Kal’buir keeping me in check who knows what trouble I might cause. A clone? He was definitely one to watch, especially if he thought he might cause trouble. She wanted to shut down any trouble in the area before it got a chance to start. Should she even attempt an assassination? Not yet, he seemed to be avoiding confrontation so far.

Roxil must have had nearly 300 kilos worth supplies in his bags many of which were now tied onto the silver chain wrapped around his shoulders. He had slowed down considerably but he was still going.
“You know, ner vod, I could take some of those. I know I’m just human, but I could handle a nine and a half kilometer walk with at least forty-five kilos, actually without the weight and bulk of my armor I could probably handle a hundred sixty kilos or more.”
“This is normal for me, this is less than half what I can carry. If I were allowed to shift it would only be a third. You can carry the next few if you’d like though. I still need some fruits, grains, and a grind stone.”
“Are you patronizing me? You know, for a human I’m in peak physical condition.”
“Oh you definitely are, believe me, I’ve noticed.” Suddenly Roxil dropped all the bags and carefully removed the chain holding the rest from his shoulders. He turned and hugged Jatne with a tear in his eye. “You called me brother….”
“Excuse me,” A strange man in a black uniform approached them. “Can I see some identification?”
“I’m going to need to need to ask why.” I know a dozen ways to kill you without drawing my weapons, it’ll be so hard to choose just one.
“It’s unusual to see someone carrying…” The man looked at all Roxil’s bags. “That just seems like an awful lot for one man.”
“So strength training is a crime now is it?” Udesii, Jat’ika, udesii. He played Kal’s voice in his mind to calm himself.
“Strength training?” He was still staring at incredible number of bags. “And that tail? You’re telling me he’s human.”
“Absolutely, you have a problem with costumes now?” Just keep your mouth shut, di’kut, and don’t react. He sharply tugged Roxil’s tail and to Roxil’s credit he didn’t even flinch. “Don’t you think that would hurt if it were real?”
“Sure but…”
“I admit it’s only a rough estimate but between those bags we have no more than,” He had to run through the complicated equations in his mind, they didn’t use the same units or measurements here but Kaytee had run through most of it with him when she was finding him clothing. Unfortunate he could only hope his conversions were accurate. Now he just needed to come up with a plausible number that looked close enough. “Four hundred pounds. Now yes, I know that’s a lot, but not infeasible. He’s quite athletic and gets – in my opinion, if I can be honest with you – way to involved with his costumes. I’m a little embarrassed to be seen in public with him but he’s a good guy.”
“A costume, well carry on I guess. Just ry to look less suspicious in the future.”
“Of course officer, thank you for your understanding.” That’s right, move along like the di’kutla shabuir I’m sure you are.
“You’re really good at lying,”
“It’s part of the job, ner vod.” Osik, he slipped again, that was unlike him. “I was intel, a spook. Covert data retrieval and misdirection. Apparently normal people feel bad about deceit, but I grew up on it. Well, that and getting shot at.”
“Now I’m curious…” It was more than that, Roxil could tell there was a lot of pain behind those words. He needed to know.
“Then I’ll make you a deal. For every question you answer, I’ll answer one. That’s a big deal, you know. I’m a very private person.”
"Well you do owe me... that really hurt. It's not polite to pull on a man's tail like that."

Avalina could smell magic in the blood of most of Al’s customers. Most of them lingered together in small groups, she suspected they may have arrived here around the same time. There was one woman in particular that interested her. A young girl with short black and red hair came in, she didn’t take any food or beverage, she simply sat alone in the corner booth with her eyes closed. She remained there, near motionless for the next two hours. After that, she whispered briefly to Al and left.
“Who is that?” She asked, taking the cloth from Al’s hand and wiping down the barstool suspiciously before sitting.
“She’s a regular,” That was a very noncommittal answer.
“She’s no customer. She didn’t purchase anything.”
“She likes a quiet place to relax.”
“It isn’t quiet here,” She waved toward the dining area, it was loud with dozens of conversations.
“She’s an artist, looking at different people is inspiring.”
“She had her eyes closed the whole time. Why are you dodging this, Legacy? You’re only making me suspicious, and annoyed.”
“She’s a security officer,” He lowered his voice drastically. “With the Eastern American government. She comes in once a week sometimes more to observe and make note of unfamiliar faces.”
“So she’s a spy.”
“You don’t understand,”
“I understand perfectly that you, Legacy, have allowed a spy into your establishment. Why would the … I’m sorry, Eastern American government?”
“Right. This is the North American continent, the region we’re currently in was once known as the United States of America but after the catastrophe things broke down. We have very little communication with Canada to our north and with the western territories of the United States. We have absolutely no communication with the south eastern territories. This region has broken into it’s own individual government.”
“And why would the government be interested in your customers, Legacy?” She already knew the answer. Al had to admit hearing her use the word Legacy as though it was his name was wearing on his patience.
“Because they are well aware of the type of clientele I serve and they like to keep tabs on the influx of dimensional beings. It’s a security matter and if I don’t comply they’ll likely just destroy the entire city which would be really bad. Happy? And please for the love of all that is good will you just call me Al? My name is Aloysius, not Legacy.”
“You know it would be much easier to manage if you required registration from all the newcomers that pass through here. All you need to do is write up a simple questionnaire to determine what type of world they come from and what abilities and skills they may or may not possess.”
“Yeah, that’s what Kaytee has been saying.” Al realized what he had said when it was too late. Avalina was used to having her hands in everything, and knowing everything. Al had just given her an ally, someone with a similar way of thinking. He should have kept his mouth shut but he had honestly never expected to be in the presence of an originator even before coming here and her presence made him nervous.

“See, Al wants me to cook more but the kitchen doesn’t really have much I’m used to using. I was thinking maybe you could help me find a market.”
“Did he give you any local currency?”
“Currency?”
“To pay for the provisions you want…”
“But… can’t I just tell them what I need and then sleep with them?”
“Di’kut,” Jatne covered his face with the palm of one hand. “You can’t pay for everything with sex.”
“Oh I’m sorry,” Roxil laughed. “I think you have me confused with someone that isn’t extremely attractive.” Jatne just stared at him blank faced.
“Me’ven? You really are a di’kut, aren’t you?”
Roxil was lucky Jatne was feeling cooperative. He was however far too inquisitive for the Lunar’s liking at that moment. He knew someone would eventually discover that despite his affinity for learning spoken language, was completely illiterate. Still, he wanted to keep that to himself for as long as possible. With some effort he managed to change the topic of conversation as Jatne went to inform Al he would be accompanying him to the market. He also told Al that Roxil had already forgotten the simple four digit code he had been given, he used that word again too, di’kut. It was a struggle for Roxil to insist he was not an idiot but he wanted to stay friendly for the time being.
Al called Kaytee out before turning his attention from the pair of men. The beautiful human woman came out from Al’s office. Jatne hadn’t seen many women up close but beauty made him weary. “Got anything that’ll fit him in the guest closet?”
“I prefer my armor, sir. Lots of utility.”
“And lots of attention.” He wasn’t wrong. He followed Kaytee upstairs maintaining a careful distance the whole way. She chuckled in a way that almost seemed approving when he pulled a dozen weapons out, only three of them had been noticeable. Once he was dressed in civilian clothes he met her back in the hall tucking a blade, a coiled-up wire, and a rather large gun away wherever he could conceal them. He was a lot bulkier than he looked, the shirt was rather tight on him and the jeans seemed to make him uncomfortable. Roxil was waiting downstairs, looking rather unhappily at the shoes he was told to wear.
“My buir is going to be a bit gedin’la when he realizes he’s not getting the Verpines on loan to me back.” He tapped his jacket as they left. Jatne had already memorized the layout of the entire district from the map so it was no longer necessary.. “Or me. It’s good he has my vode to console him, he promised he’d protect us and now I’m gone. Nu kyr’adyc, shi taab’echaaj’la, ori’chaaj’yc. I don’t want him losing too much sleep over this, he's under enough stress as it is.” He noted Roxil seeming to repeat the words to himself.
“That’s like what we used to say for deceased loved ones in my temple. Hantoi no toi aret ochi. Hunting in far away lands. I’m confused though… does vode mean brothers or sisters and does buir mean father or mother?”
“You understood? Is it possible that you’ve met a mando’ad before?”
"I understand because of this.” He tapped a blue stone embedded in his skin between his collarbones. “It translates spoken language for me. I have to learn to speak it myself, but I can understand.”
“That’s … useful, kandosii. Mando’a isn’t a gendered language. We’re all just mando’ade, you can’t tell the difference when we’re in armor anyway unless we take off the buy’ce or speak, sometimes not even then depending on the species. Vode is the plural for both brothers and sisters and Buir means both mother and father, but in my case it would be brothers and father. Clones don't have mothers and I only have a father by adoption, but he loves us and takes care of us and that's more than enough.”
“Both mother and father… that it the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” Roxil had no idea what he had gotten himself in to. Jatne wanted to know everything. He asked about Roxil’s childhood, about his family, about his powers, about Creation. It was an incredible challenge dodging the inquiries about his childhood, those were painful times he wasn't ready to share with strangers.
He had also misunderstood when Roxil mentioned his temples, it became clear he though Roxil had been a priest or something, he laughed like it was joke when Roxil said he was a god. He reiterated multiple times that the temples in his three villages – Cherochybi, Harakuema, and Xylithippi – were dedicated to him. The questions continued without pause, Roxil answered to the best of his ability but he was willing to admit there were gaps in his knowledge. He had never received a formal education and once the cult had formed he never saw a real need for it. He knew his strengths and weaknesses and that was the most important knowledge.

“Where did Roxil go?” Kaytee asked Al when she was back at the bar. “The customers very much like the food he makes.”
“He went to check on something in the bathroom and I saw him go out back with that … Zero Two guy.”
Kaytee went through the door to the back hallway. She heard Roxil when she was around the corner, but when she turned she did not see either of them. She went up to the apartments, she had left theirs unlocked, but they were not there either. She sighed, she would have to try to explain to Roxil again how breaks work. They must have gone out, that also made her nervous. Roxil would not blend in well with the ears, tail, or shiny tattoo. Jatne would not either with his matte black armor and decorated shoulder pauldron with gold trim. She need to find him some normal clothing. All she could do now was go back down and tell Al. She would need to watch them close now. It was very important to try to keep them out of trouble.

Reality had finally sunk in and Jatne needed to get away from all the people. He wandered aimlessly until he found the ‘freshers. The moment the door was locked behind him he put his helmet back on, slumped down onto the floor leaning against the door, and cried. He cried until it was physically painful, until he could barely breathe. There had never been a time in his whole life when his brothers weren’t an arm’s reach away. There had never been a time he couldn’t ask Kal’buir what he should do or how he should act. There had never been a time where he had anything to worry about beyond the next training exercise. In his entire life, there had never been a time when he had nothing important to be doing.
He didn’t know how long he had been crying, his HUD chrono was frozen, unable to sync without a satellite connection. It must have been a long time, someone had knocked on the door repeatedly, but Jatne didn’t have the voice to respond yet. Eventually the knocking started again.
“Someone in there?” He recognized the voice, it was the guy with the silver tattoos. The man waited for a while but Jatne didn’t answer until he heard something click and the lock turned. He stood and opened the door to find the man crouched on the other side, needle-like silver claws extended from his fingertips. Jatne removed his helmet, hoping his face didn’t show his distress, and smiled brilliantly.
“I’m sorted.”
“Don’t worry, I could use a good cry myself. It’s too quiet here, I can’t hear the prayers. I don’t think I’ve felt so alone in centuries.” Alone, that’s exactly what Jatne was feeling and it was wholly unfamiliar. He ignored the comment about centuries for the moment, he didn't even have the luxury of thinking about decades and now it seemed he likely never would.
“I don’t know how to live without my brothers. I can’t…” He’d never had to express himself before. He could count the civilians he’d interacted with in his life on one hand. His brothers and Kal’buir knew every intricacy of his personality that they could nearly read his mind.
“I think I know exactly how you feel. If you need a distraction, I need some help if I could show you something.” A distraction, it was the closest thing to the ramikadyc state of mind buir had taught him; moving on by only focusing on the next step. He shrugged and stepped out of the room, following Roxil into the hall that led to the apartments.

The woman called Kaytee had gone upstairs to prepare apartments for everyone. The cat-human hybrid freak was busy in the kitchen. The armored man had disappeared somewhere. Avalina took it upon herself to take a management role and Al wasn’t prepared to argue with her. She mostly supervised in the kitchen, shouting at Roxil to keep his tail away from the food. It was rather curious, though his features were more like a cat, his tail seemed prehensile. It was using it to lift dishes, occasionally switching to stir something over the stove with it. She thought it would be rather amusing if it caught fire but he seemed accustomed to using it for tasks like these. He used his hands to flip some meat in a pan, turning occasionally to look as he grabbed a cloth with his tail to clean flour off a countertop. Whatever kind of stupid freak he was, it could be said he was an excellent multi-tasker.
She went back out to the bar and rearranged all the food that had already been laid out. There wasn’t really much to be doing right now, not that she was willing to do anyway. She refused to act as a maid or a kitchen girl. Instead she made herself busy recording transactions and writing a list of foods to be replaced she could bring to Roxil later. Managing supplies was something she could easily handle, it was certainly simpler than managing countries and she had plenty of experience in that. Once she was sure everything was in order she went up to the apartments to check on Kaytee. It was more selfishly motivated, she wanted to be sure her living quarters were adequate.
“I’m not meant to live in here am I?” They were not adequate at all. The bed was tiny, there was no mirror, and the washroom was void of a bath.
“No, this one will be shared by Roxil and Jatne. Al was convinced you would kill him if you had to stay in a small room so he is giving his own apartment. We would not, but he seem to think more of you.”
“As he should. Why do you keep referring to yourself as a plural?”
“We are. This body contains seven brothers and sisters. Individual bodies are wasteful, unnesseccary, and weak. Like this we possess the knowledge and strength of all our siblings.”
“Well isn’t that peculiar. I’d like to see where I’ll be staying, show me.”
“No please or thank you? We do not see why Al would respect you.”

“I hate pants.” Roxil announced as he returned downstairs, he tried his best to adjust the waistband but there was no making them comfortable. He had been told pants were non-negotiable here, and he could accept that, but he wasn’t going to like it. He had agreed to help out in the bar in return for a place to stay. Anywhere else he’d be happier living outside, but the air here was disgusting and there were no trees. He may have been a proficient warrior and hunter, but he could build a fine garden, cook, and clean as well anyone else. He had always insisted on taking equal responsibility when he stayed at his temples He was left alone in the kitchen for a while, during the morning hours Al’s bar functioned as a breakfast buffet so it didn’t really matter what he made as long as it was edible. It was only slightly insulting when everyone seemed surprised after he finally came out with a perfectly baked meat pie.
“Well, I may keep you after all. Dumb as a rock, but handy in the kitchen.”
“I’m not dumb,” Roxil growled.
“Sure, well do my favor and put that up on the board.” Al indicated a large black board hung on the wall, there were a lot of words on it in white. A lot of words. Or scribbles, there was definitely something in white on that board.
“Not on the table?”
“What? No, I mean write it up there.” Al was busy preparing fresh coffee as guests started coming in. When he turned Roxil was still staring blankly at the board. “Isn’t there any chalk?”
“Hey, Al, something wrong with the bathroom?” One of the customers approached them, he seemed to be a regular. “It’s been locked since you opened. Oh, got some new help? Crazy tattoos, are those real?”
“Of course they’re real, why wouldn’t they be real?” Roxil stopped and took a deep breath. He was feeling more irritable than usual, he really did hate pants and his tattoos were aching and turning his skin red around the edges. The Moonsilver didn’t seem to be as flexible as usual. “I’m going to go check on the bathroom situation.”

“Can we stop this now, Al? We think the weird one tried to set fire in your kitchen and flood it at same time.”
“What?”
“He tried to set fire under the sink and complained that the basin was too small.”
“Watch the bar for me? I am set to open, all you need to do is unlock.” Al went up to the apartments behind his building and entered the first. Roxil was sitting on the floor looking very angry at the kitchen sink.
“Hey,” The armored guy waved her over.
“One drink on house,” He likely would not have any money that could be used here. Kaytee just want to be nice, she remember what it was like to find she was stranded away from home.
“I guess I’ll have some juice, the sweetest you have. I actually wanted to ask what you know about the rifts.”
“Not much, there was an experiment we think to disprove the existence of gods. We are sorry, but you wanted juice, from fruit? Not beer?” She retrieved a glass and looked in the cooler. They only had apple, trade had been difficult in the last several years.
“I’ve never had alcohol and if I’m going to start it won’t be before I get myself sorted. Anyway, my brothers and I have always preferred sweets over mind-altering substances. Accelerated growth and soldiering since birth has that effect. About the rifts?”
“We know it happened at the southern pole of the planet but can not find any information on what actually happen. All the ice at the pole melted, most of the planets shores were completely flooded. It was after that the rifts start to open.” Kaytee was one of the first few DBs to come to Earth. She had been study the rifts since then but information was very hard to find. She want to ask about what he mean by accelerated growth, and even more about being soldier from birth, but did not want to be rude. She maybe ask later. At least he seemed to like the juice. When he took off his helmet, finally, to drink he look younger than she expected and she could see large scar on the right side of his neck. There were several very small scars on his face also.

“Su’cuy, I think my nav might have been badly wrong. Could you tell me if there are any GAR facilities nearby? I don’t have the supplies necessary for repairs and I really need to get to Coruscant.”
“And another one,” Al sighed. The newcomers bulky black armor with gold trim, slung with an assortment of weapons, and the unusual t-shaped visor gave him away as an outsider.
“Ni ceta? Anyway I’d also very much like to contact my brothers but I can’t seem to connect to the holonet. Having satellite problems?”
“If by satellite problems you mean there are no satellites. Third time already today I’ll be explaining this but you’ve come through a rift and I’ve never heard of someone going back through. You’re stuck here whether you like it or not, you won’t be going home. I’ll help you get set up with a home and job if you fancy working in a bar, otherwise I’ve got a few contacts that can put you to work. What are your skills?”
“Me’ven? Osik’la jehaat. My aliit is at war, I have to be there. My vode won’t be saying I’m shi taab’echaaj’la. I’ve got critical intel that I need to get to them if any of us want to be old men in our rightful time.” Jatne ejected the vibroblade in his gauntlet as he often did out of frustration, the metallic shunk sound as it retracted made Al flinch. The last thing he needed was an angry and heavily armed DB.
“Well there were a lot of words there I didn’t understand but I think I get the idea. It doesn’t matter though. You can take my offer or not, but you might want to get comfortable because you’re stuck.”
“I won’t be making this my home, buir promised I’d see Manda’yaim before I die and I will make good on that. My brothers are waiting for me. In the name of pragmatism however, if I’ll be stuck here for any amount of time I will need work. In return I'd like to take a look and any star-charts you've got. I’d make a fine soldier, I’m strong, ori’ramikad. I’m proficient in hand-to-hand combat, melee combat, highest sniper rating of my brothers. I’m a good mechanic, engineer, and slicer. I can pilot nearly any spacecraft you put me on and if I can’t, give me a manual – I’ll figure it out. I’m trained in the art of interrogation and-”
“I don’t think most of that is going to be relevant.” This was going to be a very long day at Al’s.

“What are these rifts you speak of, Legacy?” When Avalina spoke, Al turned as though he hadn’t noticed her. The tattooed man with the tail didn’t react at all.
“Legacy?”
“Have you been eating well? You smell so… weak. It’s pathetic.”
“I’m sorry, who are you?”
“Avalina Ophelia DeLecroix, third in the Ancient line of French royals, now presiding over Scotland and England as well.”
“DeLecroix? That’s impossible, the DeLecroix line was wiped out in the late eleven hundreds.”
“Hardly, my father survived. It took some time to get the empire back under control, but we managed. Now, Legacy, answer my question, what is this place?”
“I’m so sorry, ma’am. This is still Earth, just several centuries later that you think. By several I mean about seventeen centuries, it may also be a parallel dimension I’m not exactly sure. Please, I know all about what the Ancients do and I need to ask that you don’t do that here. And please for the love of all that is good don’t create any Legacies. We’ve worked so hard to hide the truth about the rifts. Humans aren’t good at accepting some things, this is one of them.”
“Speaking of humans,” The tattooed man leaned across the bar, blood from his hands smeared on the surface. Al used a cloth to push his hands away and immediately went to cleaning the mess. “Where are they? I didn’t see anyone outside.”
“This late in the month people rarely go outside, even in thicker residential domes like this one. The planet has become so polluted that they need this domes to act as mini-atmospheres. The filth builds up on the outer surfaces of the domes over time as well as in the air filters, they aren’t cleaned until the end of each month. It’s safer to breathe inside the extra level of filtration within buildings.”
“Wait, go back, what is a planet?”
“You’re not serious are you? The globe? The giant sphere in space that is the world?”
“The world is flat though, duh. I mean, if it were round no one could live on the sides or bottom because they would just fall right off. That would be a terrible world. Anyway, if it were round how would you ever get to the Wyld? What, do you walk to the bottom so you fall into the Wyld and can’t get back? Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?”
“I do hear something ridiculous. It doesn't matter, I need to go to Europe. If this isn't another dimension I left a line of servants in case I had to sleep for a few centuries.”
"And that's exactly what I just asked you not to do. Anyway, there hasn't been any communication with Europe in the last twelve years. We haven't even been in communication with most of this country, only even parts of Canada and Mexico. We have no idea what's happening in the rest of the world."
"Do you have any more bad news that will anger me, Legacy? Perhaps you should get it all out of the way now so if I feel the need to kill you I can get it over with sooner than later."

“Kill. Kill. Kill. I’ll kill you all! I’ll eat your hearts. I’ll destroy your emptiness. Kill! Are you watching Luna? I’ll feed Gaia’s Creation with their blood! I’ll make them bleed for their sins! Kill. Kill. Kill!” Roxil really was a good man, he just had a vicious way of showing it sometimes. He had only just been returning to Creation from a 500-year exile in the Wyld. He had taken his first breath of the air he missed so much. He had finally taken in the sight of his first temple after centuries. He had also just witnessed the murders of several mortals he cared for with all his heart. He reacted without conscious thought, with the ease of someone that fought on long practiced instinct. In the same fraction of a second it took his mind to register the blood he shifted instantly into his war form and let his Lunar fury take over. He found the transition to near insanity easier these days. Anyone that didn’t know Roxil would probably never trust him after seeing this, but this wasn’t him; this was the beast within him completely unbound. This was the gift Luna gave him to ensure he could perform his duties.
“Please!” One of the murderers pleaded. “Please! Have mercy!” He didn’t get his wish. An army of mortals stood little chance against an Exalt his age much less only three mortals. Roxil loved humans, he loved them with every ounce of his soul, that’s why he took it so personally when they were filth; it didn’t get much more personal then digesting their remains. When the fury faded and he returned to his senses Roxil nearly threw up, not for the carnage, but because he knew he had consumed garbage. He barely had time to gather himself before he was nearly blinded by a bright light. The voices in his mind quieted, replaced by an awful and irritating sounds. He found himself in a disgusting alley, shifting back to his human shape as he took in his surroundings.
As he stepped out into the street it became clear that something was very, very wrong. Large creatures in a variety of colors sped down the road making roaring sounds as they went. The air was stale and the sky had an unnaturally dim color. Roxil searched between the massive buildings but he couldn’t see a tree or grass anywhere. Eventually he found a pot of flowers but they had no fragrance and felt too smooth and waxy. What he had yet to see was a single human. He tried a few doors until he found one that opened. There was only one person inside, a rather displeased looking man behind the counter.
“Like any respectable establishment, mine requires both a shirt and shoes, and as much as I never thought I’d have to say this; I also require pants. And dear god man, is that blood all over your face and hands?”
“Am I somehow back in the Wyld? Several of my people were just murdered and I’d desperately like to be sure the culprits have all been dealt with.”
“So you’re definitely from a rift, there hasn’t been any wilderness around here in a long time. Long before I came even. Sorry to say but you’re on Earth now and you’re probably never going home.”
“You’re lying to me.”
“I have no reason to lie, friend. I’ve been stuck here for twelve years, many others have been stranded as well.”

The brunette man stood behind the bar wiping it in that stereotypical manner you always see on TV. In truth it was spotless, and Al knew it, maybe he was just bored. Strange people often came and went but today business was painfully slow. Not only did the lack of customers leave him bored, it also left him hungry, but that's a story for another time. It had been 12 years since the rifts started, Al had been the first to come through. It was pure chance that he learned enough about this world to avoid detection before getting himself in trouble. Since then he had become a well known business owner, less known was that he also provided the service of a sort of waystation to help others that came through the rifts adjust. Fortunately, there seemed to be fewer over the last few years. They had all taken to Earth as well as could be expected. Al wasn’t sure how to handle someone that couldn’t adjust. Most beings, however, were more flexible than they often gave themselves credit for so a person like that seemed unlikely. He had purchased property for his bar near where the most rifts opened, but he was starting to think it would be safe to move. Closing time tonight would mark the first full week without any newcomers.