Slayn.

If Char was hell, then Slayn would be purgatory.

The once beautiful planet suffered a terrible fate when the first Tal’darim scouts found large areas of potential terrazine geysers on the planet. It didn’t take long for the entire Tal’darim society to migrate here and use it as its capital world.

To worlds like Korhal, the presence as a capital world brought peace and prosperity, but this wasn’t exactly the same in the case of Slayn.

The Tal’darim had only one thing in mind, and that was to create a world as cruel and deadly as possible. Terrazine gas erupted from the planet’s crust and wiped out the planet’s forests, replacing them with a deadly fog. This fog could kill an armored terran in a few minutes, but to the Tal’darim it was the perfect place to practice void energy in. The scorching atmosphere that could burn a human being alive merely created a weak, even satisfying, pain on the Tal’darim warriors. If anything, this pain made the Tal’darim closer to the void.

This was undoubtedly dangerous, but the Tal’darim believed only the strongest had the right to live, and they incorporated that belief into their very own environment.

The Tal’darim settlements were based on different leaders. Highlord Ma’lash and his supplicants settled in an area with the densest terrazine gas and the closest to the void. The second best place was taken by First Ascendant Nuroka. The trend went on. Nyon lived in his own fortress in the sixth best choice, surrounded by his own supplicants.

After turning off the call with Jean, Nyon stood up from his armor covered seat and tapped a key on his arm. The next second he disappeared in a warp beam.

He reappeared in another fortress.

Three supplicants were standing at the power field. Two were zealots, but the third was an ascendant.

Nyon’s eyes slightly widened. Zealots and slayers might give up their chance in the chain of ascension and serve an ascendant, but it was very rare for an ascendant to pledge his complete loyalty to a fellow ascendant.

Even he only had eight supplicant ascendants, but the ascendant he came to meet literally positioned an ascendant as a sentry. This only proved how weak he truly was. Once again, Nyon reinforced his plan to collaborate with Jean.

“State your request with haste, Sixth Ascendant, or you will be banished.” The supplicant demanded with little respect. There was no need for him to be nice toward Nyon. He belonged to First Ascendant Nuroka, and only Nuroka could punish him. Plus, he was just doing his job. If Nuroka knew about what happened, he might even reward him.

“I am here to strike a deal with First Ascendant Nuroka.” Nyon replied as calmly as he could.

“Wait here.” The ascendant nodded at one of his fellow zealots, but his eyes remained on Nyon. He highly doubted the Sixth Ascendant would do anything here, but Tal’darim weren’t exactly the most rational race in the sector.

The zealot tapped a communication device on her arm, and half a minute later she turned back and nodded at the ascendant.

The ascendant moved to the side. “Your presence is authorized, but I must warn you. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Nyon nodded, silently memorizing the psionic signature of the ascendant and swearing to cut off his head when he has the chance. He couldn’t believe he, the sixth more powerful entity in the chain of ascension, was just threatened by a low leveled ascendant. His logic was enough to suppress the anger, but deep down he knew he would enjoy watching the ascendant scream.

One of the supplicant zealots led Nyon through a series of heavily defended hallways. Nyon could faintly sense blood hunters lurking in the shadows. No doubt if he did something he shouldn’t have, he would be stricken down immediately. Supplicant zealots and slayers patrolled the area. Photon cannons added the final touch to the defenses.

The only faction on Slayn was the Tal’darim, and legally speaking ascendants could only attack each other during Rak’Shir, but sometimes ascendants were willing to step out of the line to gain more power. When an ascendant dies, whether in battle or by the hands of a mysterious assassin, every Tal’darim under him automatically ascendants by one level. As a result, infiltration and assassination wasn’t rare.

This was especially true for someone as powerful as First Ascendant Nuroka. It was almost impossible for him to be defeated in a fair duel, so it wasn’t surprising that some might try to use the slightly illegitimate method.

The zealot stopped in front of the door of a chamber. A line of twenty supplicant zealots, commanded by a single ascendant, stood guard at the area.

“Our master is expecting him.” The first zealot explained.

The supplicant nodded. He has received orders about this. He moved to the side and gave way for Nyon. The Sixth Ascendant walked in without another word.

As soon as he saw Nuroka, he saluted. Even though what he was about to do would make Nuroka want to kill him when he finds out, he still needed to appear obedient...for now.

“Nyon.” In his seat, Nuroka crossed his legs casually. “What do you want?” Nuroka had to admit, he didn’t feel the need to respect the Tal’darim in front of him. Respect comes from strength, and Nyon wasn’t exactly the strongest ascendant.

Nyon sensed Nuroka’s disrespect, but he merely took note of it and kept on his mask.

“I am here to make a deal.”

Nuroka seemed intrigued. “Tell me about it.”

Nyon looked into Nuroka’s eyes. “What do you know of Bel’Shir?”

“Bel’Shir? Forest planet with high terrazine and mineral concentration.” The First Ascendant tried to conceal his interest. “I remember it’s under your doctrine.” He was sensing where Nyon was going, but he also knew if he wanted to maximize his interest he would need to act as if he wasn’t concerned.

“For now.” Nyon saw the hint of desire from Nuroka. “I offer to give you Bel’Shir...in exchange for some ships.”

Nuroka tapped his chin and went over what happened, or at least what he thought what happened.

Nyon took heavy losses in the fight against the swarm, and his authority was shaken. It was obvious that he needed a swift victory to strengthen his control over his forces, but in order to do that, he needed more forces. Thus came the deal.

“How many ships do you want?”

Nyon smirked. Nuroka seemed to have given him the choice of the price, but it was simply a business method. If Nuroka gave the price, he could no longer change it. If Nyon did, Nuroka could raise it or lower it as he felt the need to.

“Three fleets.” 12 carriers. 24 destroyers.

“That’s a lot to ask for.” Nuroka understood Nyon needed the ships and he needed them now, so the First Ascendant didn’t hesitate to beat the price down as much as possible.

“As you said before, Bel’Shir holds countless units of minerals. Last I checked, it contains at least thirty terrazine geysers. The amount of terrazine produced can get you an army in just weeks. It’s certainly worth three fleets.”

Nuroka didn’t give in. He wasn’t the one in need. “Perhaps, but we both know you need the ships now.”

Nyon groaned slightly. “True, but keep in mind, First Ascendant, you are not the only person who I can made the deal with.”

Nuroka slammed his fists into the handles of his seat and stood up violently. He looked at Nyon as if he wanted to rip the latter apart.

“Threatening a superior ascendant is punishable by death.” He whispered.

“I’m just stating a fact, First Ascendant.”

Nyon wasn’t intimidated by the threat. Nuroka had overwhelming power over him, but even he couldn’t force a deal.

This was all knitted into the Tal’darim tradition. Amon wanted an entire race of battle-hardened warriors to do his bidding. He had no intention of allowing the Highlord to massacre anyone who might challenge his rule, who were usually the elite warriors he needed. In time of war, high leveled ascendants could order those below him into battle, and potentially send them to die, but in a situation like this even Nuroka couldn’t punish Nyon. If this went out, the entire chain of ascension would go against the First Ascendant. No one wanted to be executed by a jealous commander for no reason at all.

Plus, if First Ascendant Nuroka could punish Sixth Ascendant Nyon with a random reason, then Highlord Ma’lash could do the same thing to Nuroka, right?

Nuroka understood that as well, which was why he sat back down.

“Two fleets. That’s my bottom line.” He finally said. “Take it or leave it, but if you decide to go to someone else, I suggest you be careful.” He threatened. “The Nerazim might be cowards who can only lurk in the shadows, but sometimes they can be a rather grave threat.”

“A lot of ascendants will be happy to move up another step in the chain without doing anything.”

Nyon growled as if he was touched by the threat. “Fine, but I want something in addition.”

Nuroka looked at him impatiently.

“I want a can of high concentration terrazine.”

Nuroka frowned. Terrazine comes in different concentrations. The more concentrated they are, the closer they can bring the user to the void and therefore the more power the users could get.

High concentration terrazine geysers were extremely rare, and most of them were controlled by Ma’lash. As the second most powerful Tal’darim in the faction, Nuroka had a few geysers as well. However, he kept them to himself. Most of the ascendants knew of this possession, but he refused to trade them for anything. None of the other ascendants were strong enough to take it by force either.

Nuroka wanted to say no, but Nyon saw it. “If you deny it, I can always go to someone else. I’m sure Highlord Ma’lash will gladly give me a can in exchange for a planet.”

“You are playing with fire.”

“Even the First Ascendant can’t attack me without a proper reason. Plus, you know my situation. I need more power and I need them now. Keep in mind, First Ascendant, neither a single can of terrazine nor two fleets is a match for a planet as large as Bel’Shir.”

Nuroka nodded inside. Nyon’s move was reasonable. Bel’Shir was great, but it needed time to be turned to ships and warriors. Nyon needed the forces now. The two fleets could be added to his armada and the can of highly concentrated terrazine could give a boost to his psionic power.

He knew if he kept on lowering the price Nyon might actually go to Ma’lash. Bel’Shir, in long term, is worth much more than two fleets and a single can of terrazine. If he drove Nyon away because of his own greed, he would have no one to blame but himself.

“Deal.”

Nyon smirked. Nuroka thought he was using the can of terrazine on himself.

He couldn’t be more wrong.

Nuroka moved quickly. Within a single day, two dozens ascendants entered Nyon's ranks, along with eight carriers and twelve destroyers. Nuroka, with his Tal’darim styled selfishness, pulled back all the ground forces that were usually positioned on the carriers, leaving just the hundreds of supplicants with those ships.

A squad of two hundred supplicants just handed him a large can full of concentrated terrazine.

At the same time, on Bel’Shir, the Tal’darim fleet under Nyon’s command was replaced by another fleet under Nuroka. As soon as his warriors were in place, Nuroka deployed thousands of probes to the surface of the planet and started mining minerals and terrazine.

The ascendant in command of the fleet put up the usual defenses, but that was it. All the buildings Nyon put in place, including defensive structures like photon cannons and shield batteries, were warped back to the Sixth Ascendant’s fortress on Slayn. Nuroka, on the other hand, didn’t feel the need to make the entire planet a fortress. He set up several observers around the planet’s orbit and warped in some cannons near the terrazine geysers, but that was it.

None of the Tal’darim felt like they would be attacked. The ascendants were spending more time trying to “accident” a fellow ascendant above them than preparing for war.

That was until the terran came.