Unchosen Champion-Chapter 368: Faelis Major

Normally, Zalanth was the only one who reported to the leaders of the Blessed Mau Collective, and usually it was only to the trifecta who were permanently stationed on the core world who could make themselves available with proper notice. However, the uncertain status of planet Earth called for a break from the standard procedure. She approached the grand chamber without an appointment, declaring that the status of Earth was an emergency.

Her three assistants shadowed her closely, keeping their eyes cast down, even when politely addressing the unevolved cats that came and went from the structures as they pleased. She was sure that her companions had been in the presence of the elders many times before, but their past experience did nothing to assuage their pure admiration of the important figures. Everytime she attended a conference with them, Zalanth couldn’t help but feel a modicum of fear herself.

Zalanth had only just been made aware of the potential failure of humanity to integrate into the galactic community. Her feline assistants had been actively monitoring the situation as it occurred. More than aides, they were witnesses. If necessary, their testimony would be provided to the senior felines of the faction.

After she and her three assistants arrived, it was still the usual suspects in attendance, but even before she revealed the situation, it seemed as though they knew what they needed to discuss. Madelina, Tervel, and Sterling were present. The fact that they were all there, without any scheduled meeting, was already a sign of the unusual occasion.

“I knew this would happen!” The always agitated warrior, called Tervel, who was responsible for their core security, was already ranting before she entered the auditorium-like chamber.

The black-haired Madelina, who was consistently in a state of relaxation, hummed in mocking amusement from where she laid on her side. “Tervel, how could you have possibly known the system would prematurely halt an integration?” She asked in a voice that rang with skepticism, following with a light laugh, though she never took her eyes off her own sharpened nails. Her predatory gaze yielded none of the mirth that rang in her voice. freēwēbnovel.com

“It was obvious when the system neglected to declare one of the feline species the principal!” He practically shouted, mane flaring as his emotions boiled over. “This is a catastrophic loss! And before you say it, don’t tell me to calm down! You saw the number of sponsorships Sterling assigned! Half a billion felines disappearing from the system is an apocalyptic tragedy! It’s horrible! Unacceptable! An absolute outrage!”

Madelina raised an eyebrow, at the way he raised his voice, then glanced toward Zalanth with a subtle smile that exposed her pointed canines to the inconsistent light, giving off the appearance that she was unconcerned, but they all knew better. She must have been thinking equally tumultuous thoughts as Tervel. The only tell was that the tip of her tail occasionally flicked, sending ripples through its long black fur.

Zalanth successfully traversed the radius of the auditorium while Tervel ranted and raved. The other elders acknowledged her presence silently. It was clear they had expected her to come. If not, she would have been summoned.

It was the de facto leader, the aforementioned silver-tipped Sterling that motioned for Zalanth to sit. All three assistants stood behind her, heads bowed as they submitted before their ultimate superiors. Zalanth tried to make herself comfortable, seated among individuals who could never truly be called her peers. Truthfully, even the assistants were above her in the hierarchy of the community, but they paled in comparison to the other three.

“Do you have anything for us?” Sterling politely asked, just a twinge of hope present in his voice.

“I’m afraid I came to inform you of what you already know. Earth’s assimilation has been suspended.” She explained, keeping her voice steady despite the different flavors of pressure emanating from Tervel and Madelina alike. Hot and cold blooded killers: that’s what they were.

Sterling nodded, expression unreadable, the most neutral of them all. “I was going to wait for the rest to arrive, but since you are here, I believe it’s appropriate to share and discuss.”

He tapped on a hidden menu at his side, summoning a partially transparent display in the center of their seating arrangement, where a low fire burned beneath a decorative grate. The subtle lights that illuminated the sleeping unevolved felines and their little carpeted shelves all the way around the outside of the auditorium simultaneously dimmed, giving Sterling the stage.

“I have already noticed something unusual regarding this situation.” He started, sounding rather impartial.

Madelina raised an eyebrow. “I would be more surprised if you found something normal.” She mumbled, vocalizing what they would all agree with when it came to humans.

Sterling motioned toward the image in the center, though it was mostly text. “Look.” He insisted. “The treaty negotiation offer we sent to the Lighthouse still stands.”

Tervel frowned at the display, brows shadowed by its glow, clearly not drawing any inferences, but Madelina sat up and leaned forward with interest, placing her chin on both palms as she hummed under her breath and her face was lit by the blue-green light.

Sterling continued sharing his unrestrained thoughts. “The prevailing assumption has always been that an inexorable incompatibility with mana was the only cause for the system to behave this way. A suspension, ultimately resulting in a failure to assimilate, is our only recorded outcome. Without the system, either extinction or permanent isolation inevitably follow. There has never been contact with a planet that fails to integrate into the galactic community, and there has never been a prematurely suspended integration that avoids failure to assimilate.”

Madelina nodded solemnly, imagining the scenario of a bright species rejected by the system. “To be trapped in a gilded cage, alone in the void, glimpsing unreachable stars… what a sad state of affairs.”

“Being dead is undeniably worse.” Tervel commented gruffly, unable to avoid being argumentative and focusing on the other of the two agreed-upon possibilities.

“I believe this implies another option.” Sterling pointed at the display, failing to suppress his excitement as he elaborated. “Because the humans miraculously established a faction before their world was discarded by the system, and before the assimilation had even concluded, it remains connected. Couldn’t that mean its members would be connected to the community by proxy?”

“Hmm…” Madelina hummed in thought. “But without the system, they would still be isolated by the void.” She observed. “I’m afraid it might be even more tragic to be permanently etched into the community with no means to interact.”

Tervel grunted. “And that’s assuming they aren’t just dead.”

“Yes, well.” Sterling glanced at Zalanth. “If there is one species that would survive the unknown, it’s probably that one.”

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Zalanth nodded in confirmation before he continued. Time and time again, humanity proved to have a certain quality that may not be easily expressed, but demonstrated the desire to live, and live on their own terms. Zalanth only personally interacted with a certain band of humans derived from a section known as Florida, but they had been willing to die in order to live. A completely contradictory attitude and yet it was impossible to deny the results. They had been absolutely thriving in their assimilation relative to every standard measure.

“I have already tested other queries, but none are functional.” Sterling explained. “Only the pending invitation remains, with no opportunity to pose alternative affairs. Therefore, it is with the utmost importance that we maintain our one offer and hope that someday after the shield falls they have the capacity to respond to our query.”

Madelina let out a disappointed sound shifting her arms to cross beneath her chest. “It’s even worse than I imagined.” She observed sadly. “One final message, and even with a successful negotiation, a reminder of what they lost.”

Tervel shook his head and began to speak, but Madelina interrupted him, spitting her words with uncharacteristic aggression. “Do not suggest that they are all dead even one more time.” She firmly commanded with enough venom in her voice to have Zalanth squirming from the imagined splash damage.

“Lady Zalanth.” Sterling continued, unaffected by the others’ bickering, either from experience or self-assuredness.

“Yes?” She obediently responded, properly trained by her former God-Empress.

“What other interested parties might humans have? I believe it is time we interfaced with them, at least to nudge them into maintaining their open communications with what they might believe are the ghosts of a desolate planet.” He explained, carefully wording his request to avoid directly calling them dead, just in case he drew Madelina’s ire as well. “If this Lighthouse is to avoid being extinguished, I believe they will need our lifeline, and perhaps that will give us the leverage necessary to secure the existence of our distant cousins from these volatile humans.”

Zalanth hesitated as she recognized they wouldn’t like the most obvious answer, but she knew better than to make them wait too long for a response. She took a deep breath first.

“The Pack was the second largest sponsor, though they also invested entirely in non-principal species.”

The entire collection of humanoid felines, including her own assistants groaned in disgust. They did not like that answer at all. It wasn’t that they were exactly hostile with the canine faction, but they were universally considered rivals for a reason. Cultural differences, essentially.

“Ugh. Who else?” Sterling encouraged her to provide other options, but unfortunately, most of the other factions involved on the planet were minor players in the grand scheme of the community.

The Endless Empire was almost certainly one of the most powerful to be involved on Earth, but she was sure they had no remaining interest in the Lighthouse or anyone else on the planet, nor the influence that would satisfy the Blessed Mau Collective. The Endless Empire was an uninteresting, middling faction. She imagined that the Empire would prefer to never be reminded of their foray into that assimilation either. That was at least a part of the reason she had been expelled.

Then there were a handful of clear rivals to the Lighthouse, but they were all but guaranteed to be uncooperative, like the Knights of Time. The Abundant Grasp might have been more willing to give humanity a chance under any other circumstances, but after the lost potential they would have experienced, she doubted they would be open to discussing humanity at all. Both had promising positions that would have lended them toward a declaration of war long before a treaty negotiation. The resources necessary to maintain a pending line of communication would have discouraged all of them, but Zalanth decided it was better to be thorough with the felines.

“The Knights of Time and the Abundant Grasp were the next two most successful factions on the planet in terms of territory control. However, I would expect both to be hostile toward the memory of the Lighthouse.” She added. “There was also my former faction, the Endless Empire, but as you know, the result of the assimilation led to my expulsion.”

Tervel shook his head, apparently capable of relating to their positions or otherwise protecting Zalanth’s pride. “No way.”

“I’m not sure.” Sterling spoke, as the principal in this particular arena. “An exchange of thoughts might not be so bad.” He tried supporting the possibility that through negotiations they could be persuaded to reconsider their first impression of humanity.

Madelina was also making a sour face. “By giving them face, we already provide too much.” She stated, siding with Tervel on this particular matter. “This infantile Empire should never benefit from our position.”

Sterling tilted his head in concession. “Remove the Endless Empire and leave the others at the bottom, I suppose.” He nodded at Zalanth. “Anyone else?”

Zalanth wasn’t sure if she had a satisfying answer to give. Thankfully, one of her assistants handed her a ledger with a list of other sponsors who had former members involved with the Lighthouse or were otherwise affected by the core territory. The list was long, but only a few had claimed enough assets to be of interest. The rest were obscure factions who had only a few forgotten lottery tickets on Earth as Chosen.

“The next largest would be the Allies of Genesis and the Alliance of Metal.” Zalanth recited, recognizing them both as lesser to the Endless Empire, but at least on her radar as Prime Commander. “Performance-wise, the Shepherds of the Lost had spotty coverage with individuals that led a dozen different secondary leaderboards, the Black Star also had a handful of Chosen swap their allegiance to the Lighthouse and continue to occupy high positions on the leaderboards, and notably, the Unchosen Champion’s original companion was sponsored by Collegia Universal, though they are a small, quiet group that would otherwise be completely unworthy of attention.” She reported.

Tervel huffed. “Never heard of any of them.”

Madelina looked at him with disappointment, but avoided vouching for any of the factions named. Zalanth knew that none of them were actually of note anyway. She doubted many outside of those who held positions like Prime Commander in equivalently ranked factions would recognize the Allies of Genesis, and the rest even she only knew of due to her studies of Earth.

If anything, they were all the types of factions that had bleak long term outlooks unless they were absorbed by the more powerful or had a series of lucky windfalls. Any of them would be fortunate to maintain any niche as the competition between factions within the galactic community continued. Gambling on assimilations without broader objectives already had an extraordinarily low chance of success, and even with grander ambitions, the chance of positive returns wasn’t much better, as exemplified by her own former faction.

“I suppose I will be granting an audience to a few new representatives.” Sterling declared, only a bit put off by his role as face of the Blessed Mau Collective.

“Oh!” Zalanth had a thought come as a surprise, drawing all eyes back to her. “I think I should mention the Primal Constructs as well?” She made a last minute addition that wasn’t on the list, though it was obvious they would be an interested party. “If nothing else, they might have more insight than just about anyone else when it comes to what exactly is happening within the assimilation.”

All three council members seemed astonished to agree. The planetary sponsor would certainly have something to say about their investment being wiped out by a prematurely failed assimilation, though they were already looking at a catastrophic loss. The birth of a faction playing a large part in their downfall would attract their attention, at the very least. Certainly, it would be less personal for them than the likes of the Endless Empire.

Zalanth predicted that Sterling would have an interesting meeting with them. The Primal Constructs were certainly a powerful faction, greatly exceeding all the others mentioned combined, excluding the Blessed Mau Collective and The Pack, of course. The difference was that they were isolationist, adding to their holdings through assimilations rather than any of the other possibilities, taking an unusual interest in the fringes of the galactic community.

“Interesting…” Madelina mumbled.

“Looks like I will be busy.” Sterling chuckled. “I hope you don’t mind remaining with us for the time being, Lady Zalanth.” He added. “Perhaps we will have you at the head of a fledgling alliance of human-interested factions before long.” He concluded, drawing a sad chuckle from Madelina.

Zalanth bowed her head, thinking that it may have been an absurd reason for an alignment, but it was the logical conclusion of all the waves that humans had made before the system prepared to snuff them out. Despite herself, she found herself hoping that in just over 100 years, humans would find a way to make another big splash. In the meantime, it appeared that her role would continue to be intertwined with the Blessed Mau Collective and those who expressed interest in the idea of the human Lighthouse faction.

“Here’s to more strange times.” She agreed.

“Hear, hear.” Madelina sang softly while Tervel grunted his assentation.