[begin transmission]
Faith has relocated its Garrison-at-Fields-of-Jigo and stepped up its offensive against anti-eta combatants attacking guild interests in the south, sending hundreds of additional Knights Templar to the province of Ulsu, where fighting in recent days left at least 25 apprenticed to Guild Textilus Group dead.
A similar number of militants from the anti-eta linked Llyr and Moro Dothn Kindred were killed in two fierce gunbattles after an ambush on a Guild Textilus Group supply convoy on Jolo Island, in the same province.
Apostolic Prefect alphaArroyo Ruth Helena ordered the relocation of the Fields-of-Jigo Templar base to Boanga, a city in near Ulsu. The cardinal tribuni and several senior primus have been dispatched there to coordinate what is being described as a massive military operation against the combatants. Disgruntled familial gangs, who have taken to violent protest against Guild Brotherhood and House eta operations seen as complicit in the etaSade scandal, have paralyzed the region.
Two battalions will be pulled out from the central and northern Arcadia, where they have been fighting Kindred criminal guerrillas, and deployed to Ulsu, said a Faithful Templar spokesman.
[end transmission]
Faith rushes Templar peacekeepers to embattled eta guilds in the south
Eta electorate refuse to unseat Matriarch
[begin transmission]House eta Electorate of Governesses has unanimously vetoed a summons for a Vote of No Confidence by lower households, effectively affirming the sovereignty of the Matriarch. The act assures that the Matriarch will not be forced to abdicate following revelations of corruption, murder and criminal misconduct involving the First Husband, senior House eta authorities and Guilds under their influence.
The Matriarch continues to deny any knowledge or direct involvement in First Husband Edmund etaSade's alleged role in the illegal human labor trafficking conspiracy that has rocked Aideena. The Parliamentary investigation ordered by Faith has yet to uncover evidence contradicting the Matriarch's position.
The lack of evidence has not healed the division the scandal has caused between lower and higher eta Households. Nor has it shielded the Matriarch from severe criticism by the other Great Houses, most vocally House omega and House rho.
Lower eta households, whose poorer clans were largely the victims of the conspiracy, hold that abdication by the Matriarch is necessary to diffuse tribal retaliation, or Sh'Karee, and further harm to the reputation of House eta. In the wake of the conspiracy's disclosure, anti-eta sentiment was fueled street violence and vandalism toward House eta property and Guild operations in several eta domains.
The Electorate's veto is widely condemned by lower household matriarchs as indicative of the Matriarch's failing to assume responsibility for her court's conduct and a further conspiracy to protect wealthier matrons and their families likely complicit in etaSade's crimes.
[end transmission]
Tribal militants in Xuanchi attacked twice in one day
[begin transmission] Nu-Zeta tribal militants attacked a zeta stronghold in southern Xuanchi Province for the second time in one day and the third time this week, Faith said.
Templar forces search for improvised explosive material and nu-zetaXuanci members in Garmah village in Xuanchi Minor in a recent operation.
It warned the ambushes could "possibly be a rehearsal for a much bigger attack, possibly an attempt to completely overrun the citadel."
Zeta and Rho coalition privates at Mag Tuir-ahed in neighboring Ikundar province fought off the attackers the day before. Several nu-zeta militants were killed, and two insurgents were wounded, taken into custody and turn over to Faith authorities.
Earlier, another attack at Citadel-at-Xuanchi led to fighting that killed four militants.
On Tuesday, 75 fighters ambushed the same outpost from three directions. Almost a third of them were killed when troops and U.S. warplanes repelled the attack.
[end transmission]
Faithful
CHAPTER ONE/PROLOGUE: The day all of Creation shuttered…
"Hear us! We transcend the corporeal. Prepare for our coming," some other voice heralded through Angela.
The Well of Souls fell silent. The great temple trembled.
The sky over Court-at-Columbia grew dark and stormy, blotting out the mother planet Gaia. The clouds frenzied into a fearsome hurricane angered with thunderous lightening. From the eye of the storm, Heaven vomited.
Transformed and torpid, He tumbled earthward.
[read]
CHAPTER TWO: The Agreement
The air snapped suddenly.A startling ghostly pressure swept through the three Templar and out in the all directions. Enormous black feathered wings swept on either side of them and spread apart like a great hand with long flat fingers. A massive muscled frame dwarfed the men.
"We are prepared," came a deep reverberating voice. "We have been promised an audience at your government in exchange for Our cooperation." [read]
CHAPTER THREE: Nadsar
Nadsar felt his stomach uncoil. Hope flushed through him, quieting every pain and surprising him that he could still aspire to the feeling. Every suppress emotion erupted in a breath."My mother...they won’t allow her to go to the hospital," he choked out between gasps for air. "The treatments...no good...They know we’re talked! They’re after me!" [read]
CHAPTER FOUR: Horus
Horus knew within himself was the capacity to be a good person. He knew he could do justice to the House of omega and the del clans. He knew he could win the love of family and a just woman -- or man. But no, not this day, and not with the duty he had been commanded to perform. [read]CHAPTER FIVE: The Reading
Certain she had made an error, Rachel Angela performed the reading over again. And again and again.She watched the algorithms arrange themselves on the virtual display. Each time they aligned into a distinct unmistakable pattern. The pattern formulated an inescapable conclusion. An improbable conclusion. [read]
CHAPTER SIX: Daria
Horus nodded sadly, "He keeps repeating sh’karee.""Then, give him what he wants,” said Daria. "See to it that the boy finds his way inside The Parliamentary. Make sure he is armed."
The young male stifled a gasp. "You’ll be sending an innocent to his death," Horus reproached her. [read]
CHAPTER SEVEN: Sebastian
The Archangel reared up its head suddenly.As if struck by a new and unexpected awareness, He looked over his shoulder at Paul Sebastian. The Divinity’s gaze pierced the Templar in a way that made xiDuang feel rudely exposed. Inexplicably he sensed the meta-terrestrial knew his thoughts in that very moment: his frustration with his current assignment and his contempt for the meta-terrestrial and Michael Constantine. [read]
CHAPTER EIGHT: Constantine
Paul Sebastian added, rather too quickly, "The Divinity’s presence here endangers The Parliamentary and the peace. The last thing we want is to panic a crowd this large. We should return to base before His presence's discovered and we really have a situation."Constantine whispered delicately, "I’m not sure we can move Him now without someone noticing—especially with the increased media trained on the building."
Paul Sebastian bristled. "I knew this was a bad idea," he exhaled. [read]
CHAPTER NINE: Seneca
Seneca stared across the colonnade of the Acropolis at the thousands who gathered in answer to her call. She surveyed the camp of journalists hungrily working the spectacle. She took in the Templar policing the swarm.She succeeded in galvanizing world attention on her fast on the steps of The Parliamentary and the vote inside to enact labor rights reforms. Instead of feeling triumphant, Seneca felt terror. [read]
CHAPER TEN: The Parliamentary
"Divinity, what is the alarm?" asked Michael Constantine. "Please, let us get you away from all these people."The Archangel shook, as awakening from a peculiar daydream. Seeing Constantine and Sebastian, His brightly glowing grey eyes suddenly registered recognition and His demeanor transformed before them. The press of people surrounding them seemed to startle and unnerve the meta-terrestrial.
"My Faithful, someone here is intent on murder," He said. [read]
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Perfect
Valentine’s avatar modulated unsatisfied, "You talk of protecting the credibility of Faith, Cardinal Mother. Do we honor our covenant with the Houses and the Guild or do we tempt embarrassment?""Brother," she answered, not hiding her empathetic frustration. "I can not believe our Guardian Ancestors would have us choose either path.”
Paul Sebastian railed silently. [read]
CHAPTER TWELVE: Pronaos
"Step aside," ordered xi Duang.For a moment, the Privates remained defiant, but then their armor quickly gave way and they broke formation.
Sebastian spied Nadsar shutter relief and then a sly exchange of looks among eta closest to the boy. In a breath’s exhalation, the pronaos rang with a distinct pwa-toosh.
The air reeked suddenly of burnt flesh. [read]
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Edmund
His brush with morality quickly circulated the chamber.The Guild Consul appraised unflattering stares on the faces of the other Parliamentarians. They studied him with more righteous indignation than concern for a colleague and alarm that the security of world government had been breached. [read]
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Keep
In his periphery, Constantine caught black wings stretch out. He felt a force, some invisible immense pressure, sweep from behind him and pass through his body and outward. In the same moment, the volley of weapons’ fire ruptured in an explosive dance against a transparent wall, coming within arms length of tauValez, close enough to startle him backward. The air perceivably warbled. [read]CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Space Climber
The traversal rocked violently.The seat beneath the Consul jolted several times. His bones rattled and the hairs on his body stood on-end as the cabin filled with static electricity. Warning alarms suddenly bellowed, emergency lighting toggled to life and the space climber stalled.
"Someone's out there--outside!" [read]
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Sh'karee
The Archangel bore down on them from the shadowed upper landing, His towering winged figure silhouetted and threatening against the chamber’s Gaia-saturated light. The grey electric glow of His eyes leveled the omega matriarch with an imperious look that would be too contemptible of an Aideenan male to attempt upon a woman.It excited Seneca. She suspected the alien knew that. [read]
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Fifth Pentad
"Pleasure me," she instructed Horus.This he labored with mechanical uninspired obedience.
When done, as her affiance uneasily slept, Daria turned into herself, as only a woman could. She journeyed to that place beyond physical awareness, where women may stand outside of nature. [read]
Conclude
