Federation News Service Posted December 31, 2021 Posted December 31, 2021 There is a legend on Emperion IV, of the “Maiden of the Stars”, an unnamed solider who vanquished their assailants from beyond the stars, and brought to them the power of spaceflight. We know this civilisation today as the Electorate of Emperion, a multi-stellar polity that borders the Federation to the galactic northwest. With tourism accounting for much of the Emperion economy, a new business has unveiled a unique starcruise. In introducing civilian slipstream travel, it has announced a new package centred on her footsteps, the elevation of the nameless soldier to deified patron. Of course, I went on the cruise. First Stop: Emperion IV, Al’kharian Highlands, Sitovaze This metropolis, destroyed in the Terran year 1997, was one of the Emperion Army’s last outposts against the stellar invaders. The only warning had been the loss of the early Information Age satellite network, as well as orbital bombardment of the army of the still-fragmented government. For years, the army’s outnumbered and under-equipped forces had turned to asymmetric combat, which they were still losing. Sitovaze, previously a spiritual and scholarly retreat known as the City of Mountaintop Wisdom, was one city that was initially spared. However, the bombardment craters from orbital kinetic interdiction, as well as the dozens of disruptor and railgun fire, are clearly visible. The journey begins in a damaged college, where you can see a rail embedded in a giant electronic board embedding a smashed lectern; the remains of hastily abandoned study materials; and destroyed power armour and cars around. While the original remains of the deceased have been removed, several replicas have been erected, and as I followed the guide, I couldn’t help but believe that this memorial was a macabre elegy of all that was lost. The focal point of this stop is a wrecked spacecraft from which we learned the name of the attackers. The Dalarians are a name recognisable to those of us who have researched our ancestors. It’s also the ship that the rest of the soldiers hijacked… and on to the next place. Look out for our next instalment as we journey through Emperion IV. The post Travelogue: The Maiden of the Stars – Al’kharian Highlands appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article
Recommended Posts