CHAPTER 22 – Aftermath

BOOK TWO

When Lord Demetrius and Lady Anna returned from the Shemont, there was a message from Elexa; the top commander Contreras was inquiring about Lord VaCoupe’s schedule, precisely when he could expect Demetrius and Raphael to return.  Apparently, the commander was being pressured by the men who were incarcerated in the brig.  They were protesting that they were wrongfully imprisoned on the orders of an inferior officer, namely Commander Raphael – conveniently forgetting that as a lord, Raphael effectively outranked all of them including his brother, Esturias VaCoupe.  The prisoners being all high-ranking men in the command created a difficult situation for the base commander.  Contreras made it clear to Raimundo, who had taken the message, he was eager to press on with the investigation.  In turn, when he returned the commander’s call, Lord Demetrius informed the commander that their party would be returning about mid-day to Elexa, augmented by several healing priestesses who would be scanning all of the men imprisoned in the brig.  He instructed the commander to disregard the complaints of the prisoners until the proper scanning procedures had been completed.  Meanwhile, the commander was to have clerks record any impressions by those who had been present in the meeting.  These records would then be weighed against what was found by the priestesses and the Shays present at the scanning.

As he grasped the bars of his cell, listening to the incessant grumbling of his fellow prisoners in their darkened cells, Esturias attempted to recall the events that had brought him to such an unexpected dilemma. He visualized the moment he heard accusations coming from his brother Raphael. He was still stunned by his brother’s accusations, as he suddenly realized the harm, he had done to himself in believing the lies coming from compromised individuals. Up until that time, Esturias was certain that he was right in his determination to wrestle control of the Starship Project from his younger brother. He had always felt superior to the much younger man despite the many startling gifts Raphael displayed. In his desire to outbid Raphael in all things, he had forgotten the extreme emotional pain and physical abuse the young man had suffered during his childhood… the pain of which had forged the inner will, determination, and flowering of psychic gifts that allowed Raphael to endure all that was sent his way by his captors. With a sudden blinding flash of intuition, he began to understand what it had taken for a former head commander to be forged into a powerful untrained shaman who commanded and worked with the primary elemental kingdom of the Crystals.

Esturias was profoundly ashamed with how easily Raphael had read his intentions. It was painfully clear to him as he stood there leaning against the cold stone walls of his prison cell, that Raphael did, indeed, have more than an inkling of what he was up against when he walked into that conference room. Esturias was unprepared for the accusations coming from a man he considered inferior in both rank and training. Everything he had built upon through the decades of service in the Command was now at stake. Depending on what the priestesses determined as to his motivations would decide Esturias’ future – whether he would have one.

Although he had been self-centered, Esturias was not a selfish man… just a jealous one. He had wanted to succeed, to prove himself as worthy of his father’s love, to show he was ready to assume the Lordship when his father passed or retired from service. Such was his lack of faith in his own efforts Esturias felt he had to prove he could dominate and command others – the ‘others’ in this case being primarily Raphael and his blood brother Roméo. Truth be told, the seemingly powerful commander was an extremely insecure individual, not at all in touch with his inner power. All that he had strived for during the past several decades appeared to be now crashing down around his ears. He realized he had built the foundations of his belief system on shifting sand.

Esturias sat on the hard-sleeping pad supplied and began to weep quietly. In the eyes of his sensitive brother, he had committed a grave sin; he had unwittingly opened himself up to the influence of darkly tainted individuals. He had even brought implanted men, enemy agents, to a meeting with his father, the Lord of the Pleiades, and his Supreme High Commander. In his jealousy and rage always projected towards the innocent, hard-working Raphael, Esturias had committed what could be construed by some as an overt act of treason against his own father. Too late, he recalled what he had been told of the incident when 2^nd Level Communications commander, Hercule Kadish – just by turning up in Medina with weapons on his person and the intent to kill Lord Demetrius — was sentenced and put to death after an extremely short hearing.

Fortunately, killing his father was not his intent, nor did Esturias carry weapons into the meeting, but he couldn’t be certain of the motives and intent of his other erstwhile companions. Raphael had openly and strongly accused him of attempting a coup against his own father. Now an examination of his peers and the scanning exams of priestesses were all that stood between him and a possible sentence of death. If he were not slated to die along with the implanted Morovians, Esturias finally realized he potentially would spend some time being imprisoned in a far more secure location that the base brig. Any hope he had of ever succeeding his father one day as Supreme Head Commander or lord was vanishing like mist on a scorching summer day. He shook his head, finally realizing just how stupid, stubborn, and blind he had been. Raphael wasn’t and never had been the enemy. Esturias was fighting his own paranoia and losing the battle. He just hoped he wasn’t going to lose his life and all chance to redeem himself during what could be a grim future. He knew he would have to start by apologizing to his brother and father. However, the judgment of his peers within the Command was bound to be the harsher as Esturias’ rank of top commander was supposed to mean he could be trusted implicitly to follow protocol and to perform his duties in an ethical manner. In this he had completely failed. He had lied to his father, deceived him as to his intentions, and had turned against his own brothers, threatening them openly in the company of other commanders. He had claimed to have the authority and backing of a ‘committee’ of command staff… which didn’t exist. And Raphael, with his keen insight into the hearts and emotions of men knew Esturias to be a liar. Neither his father nor his brothers would ever trust him in the future… that was if he were allowed to have a future – something Esturias knew he couldn’t count upon just yet.

Stretching out on the sleeping pad, Esturias determined he would have to make a supreme effort to humble himself before God. He had never been a highly spiritual person although occasionally he felt moved by moments spent in the Shemont or the great Temple of Groche on Maia. Now… with the first true humility he had ever felt for many years, he made the conscious decision to submit his will to Divine Will. He intuitively knew he had to make his heart right with his Creator if nothing else. He allowed the tears to fall as he confessed his indiscretions, the lies he had told to convince himself that his cause was righteous, and his jealousies towards both his talented brothers, his partnering with those men who in the past had demonstrated their hatred and jealousy towards Raphael… Esturias was profoundly shaken and ashamed of what actions he had taken, not only against his brothers, but also his father.

He curled up, shaking with profound grief as he remembered the shock on his father’s countenance as Demetrius learned of his true intentions, realizing his eldest son had proved himself a short-sighted, false-hearted liar. Esturias was beginning to realize that he had exhibited a profound lack of judgment in just about everything he had done in planning for what he thought would be a grand accomplishment, taking over the Starship Project. Instead, he had nearly handed the lives of his brothers and father directly into the poisonous grip of the Enemy. If it had not been for his brother’s Sight, all might have been lost. It was almost too much to bear as he sat there unsleeping through a short sweltering summer night.

At this moment of extremis, Esturias reached within to connect with his inner strength. It was all he could count on now. He knew his family, friends, and others would turn their collective backs on him when the tales of his misdeeds were made known. All he could do now was to throw himself on the mercy of his Creator. As the brittle walls of his false-self cracked open, Esturias found himself weeping uncontrollably… although quietly. It was bad enough to find himself in this position, locked up in the tight quarters of the base brig, along with several other terribly angry commanders. He was embarrassed, ashamed, beyond anything he had ever felt before… It was quite humbling to the highly trained commander of men, and he had brought this dilemma entirely upon himself. Finally, exhausted by his ruminations, Esturias fell asleep, stretched out on the hard sleeping pad. A ray of moonlight fell on the floor beside where he slept and dreamed.

In the dream, an imposing figure of Light stood looking down with compassion at his sleeping form. In the dream, Esturias sat up and gazed upward into great golden eyes and a face that looked familiar… like his own face only more refined, with a powerful golden aura and sweet smile. The figure spoke: My son, you have come to a place in your life where you must make a choice. Submit to the judgment of others, admit you were wrong and suffer the consequences. Or you can choose to side with your pride, your anger, and sense of entitlement that convinced you were right to seek to displace your brother’s efforts and claim them as your own. We know you do not yet fully understand what it was that you and your companions have done, what events have now been set in motion. You will find out soon – if you are allowed to live. We do not condemn you for choices made and actions taken – all experience is valuable. We hope you have learned something from this road you chose long ago when your jealousies and dissatisfaction with your role overtook your common sense and intuition. Open your heart, my son, and make a choice. Do you wish to follow the higher path, or will you take the lower one and fall into Darkness? Only you can make this choice. Know, dear one, that We stand ever at your side and will lend you guidance if you permit it. Go in Peace and know that you are Love, you are loved, and you will love when you allow the light to permeate your Being.

Confused and shaking, Esturias suddenly awoke to find the light of dawn glowing in through the small window. He sat up, somehow intuitively understanding he had received a visitation from his own Oversoul. He had heard of such things happening to others; even Raphael had once shared visions of such visits, but it was the first such occasion for a newly humbled commander. He straightened up, determined to do better despite what would come his way, even if it meant his death. He sought out the consciousness within, seeking to find redemption and forgiveness for his lapses, if only for his own inner sense of peace. He had come to the realization he had to first forgive himself before it would be possible for him to be forgiven by others. Closing his eyes, he breathed a prayer of gratitude, determined to face whatever lay before him with courage.

After gathering up the various priestesses, including Lady Arrina, Lady Robyn and Lady Rachel, Raphael’s party finally made it to Elexa. Commanders Contreras and Diaz were standing outside the headquarters building to greet Lord Demetrius and his companions. As they also had to give witness statements, Roméo VaCoupe, Adario Kadish, Tomás Monteras, Lantrill, and Sukio had accompanied the party.

This time a couple of vacant offices were used so the witnesses didn’t hear what each one of them had to say. Raphael spoke to Commander Strabo, who, although he had been present at the meeting, was a member of the local command force. Strabo wanted to get Raphael’s impressions of how he felt when confronted with all the hostility being directed towards him when he walked in the door.

Raphael was seated, his hands in his lap, relaxed as he replied, “I’ve encountered this kind of thing before, but not for a long time. I didn’t expect to see Esturias acting so foolishly that he would believe compromised individuals who, to me at least, clearly had ulterior motives for being there. What Esturias didn’t seem to realize, perhaps because he wasn’t there when we tried the Morovians who were caught up in the pedophile/sex slave ring, was that those men all had families. When I felt the venom and hatred the compromised commanders were directing towards me when I was just standing there and then identified their apparent planet of origin, it was immediately clear to me what was going on. Each of the Morovians had possibly been implanted as youngsters – how, I’m not willing to guess – but they were now being used as conduits or tools for the Enemy. Those men weren’t there to support Esturias. They wanted to kidnap Father and me, perhaps all of us, and coerce us into giving them access to all our documentation on the sentient ships. Whether or not the Morovians intended to kill us outright after obtaining the information is anyone’s guess. I could determine that if I scanned each of them, but I would imagine those men had conflicting thoughts on the matter, meaning they might just kill us without any forethought or planning. I wasn’t going to allow myself, Father, or anyone else from our team to fall into the Enemy’s hands or else I might be finally making that long-delayed trip to Rigel…”

Strabo looked puzzled, “Rigel? What are you talking about?”

“Well, Commander – just before my timely rescue when I was a boy, I was going to be sold to a dark lord and taken to the Asba’a system,” replied Raphael. “Then, again, when I was kidnapped and taken to Morova about 15 years later, my captors told me, again, that I was going to be taken to Rigel. If kept alive after this latest incident, I suppose that was always a possibility; it depends on who or what was behind this coup. I know Esturias was just a means to their end – getting their sticky hands on our newest technology. The only problem being, the sentient crystals would have never allowed the enemy pilots to fly our ships, but the enemy is too arrogant and ignorant to realize that fact. And, according to the Shekinah, Lady Amethyst, the dispensation for the technology has been withdrawn. Just what that means, I’m not sure yet, but I am quite certain we will see quite a bit of unexpected fallout because of this misadventure of my elder brother, Esturias.”

“What do you think will happen, my lord?” queried a curious Strabo.

Raphael looked away for a moment, staring out the window. When he turned back, he simply said, “The Door is shut!”

“What do you mean, my lord?” Strabo was getting a little impatient, with Raphael’s cryptic utterances.

“I mean, Commander Diaz, that as we flew over the vicinity of the outpost, I gave the command for the entire outpost to close down,” replied a sober Raphael. “Do you remember the first time you visited the outpost; I told you I could do this. Now, all seven towers retracted back into the ground. Now that it is closed, I cannot access the information and technology contained within either, anymore. I did this on the orders of Lady Amethyst and in consultation with the Mother Crystal of Medina.”

“What does this mean, my lord?” Commander Strabo was aware of the issues Raphael and his team were experiencing with the Command in general, but personally, he was very fond of working with the talented young man.

“It means that even if the Enemy had succeeded in taking me captive, I would no longer be able to share any of the wealth of technological data stored within the outpost. The dispensation granted earlier through me has now been withdrawn. As I said before, the Door is shut. The Pleiadian people will have to wait a long time before the Door can be re-opened. No one can access the outpost now until the cycles spiral back again and re-open a window of opportunity. It will be in a far distant time… and place although I can’t make out just where, right now. Let it suffice to know that my time here at Elexa is now ending,” replied Raphael. “I need to be where I can be of some assistance and support to Father. Things will have to be sorted with the Command, as well. Just how events will play out now that the dispensation has ended, I don’t know yet. We’ll all have to wait and see what happens.”

“So, you knew this day was coming, didn’t you,” asked Strabo.

Raphael nodded and replied, “Yes, Commander. Did you ever wonder why I haven’t invited you to come out to the project office for quite a while? If you go now, you’ll find the place stripped of everything, every scrap of paper, documents, blueprints, tools, seed crystals… basically everything portable has been methodically and completely removed from the building. No one… will ever get their hands on it, again, until the time is right and that is in God’s determination, not mine. I was simply an instrument, a means to allow this dispensation to be brought forth. Since I have met so much resistance, it is evident our people are not prepared to yet take a much-needed step in their soul evolution. It is beyond my control now – as if I ever had control of any of it. Hands and feet, mind, and heart, those who are in alignment with God’s will, work at Her beck and call, not our own. Esturias is yet to fully understand that important fact of Creation. We co-create and work with the higher energies to bring hope and beauty to the world. In my small way, I have brought a line, several lines of beautiful ships into the world. It is no reflection on me that my offering has been rejected by those who were offered such riches.”

“Ah, my lord…you begin to wax poetic. Now, we must return to see what progress has been made by the clerks on obtaining witness statements from the other members of your team,” replied Commander Strabo. He would really miss being around the unpredictable and talented Raphael. He hoped Raphael would occasionally land his ship and stop for a visit when passing through Elexa in the future.

When the two men came out to the atrium, they could see the priestesses and the two Shays present were already initiating the first scans of the prisoners. They were performing their scans inside a larger office for some privacy. There was just enough room for a clerk to be present to record the findings of the priestesses. Lord VaCoupe was standing in the atrium looking quite severe. His mate, Lady Anna, and Lady Arrina were officiating over the scans. One prisoner was being processed at a time as there were so many. It was a tedious process, but a necessary one to determine if any individuals were, indeed, implanted as Raphael had maintained during the short-lived meeting. Each prisoner was escorted out by two guardsmen. If they struggled, they were chained up and dragged to the priestesses.

When the first Morovian was brought out, he was fighting with the guards. One of the big guardsmen gave a huge sigh and knocked the prisoner out with a bit of chain. The Morovian came to just as the guards positioned him. As the priestesses approached closer, he spat towards them. They braced themselves and their energetic bodies as the hate and venom poured through his eyes. As Raphael looked on from the hallway, he commented to Strabo, “Do you feel it – the dark energy uses these sad creatures as tools. It has no mercy for them either. All the priestesses can do for them is to determine whether their implants can be removed without killing them. If not, death is the only remedy we currently have for ones like this sad man. Hopefully in the future, the means to cure such things will be found, for I fear we will encounter more of this condition among our people in the future.”

Commander massaged his closely shaven jaw a moment thoughtfully and then turned again to Raphael: “By the way, my lord; Commander Strom will be making a personal appearance on the court-martial board to be convened once all these prisoners are scanned and sorted. Apparently, quite a few of his staff are involved in this coup. He wasn’t incredibly pleased to discover this fact, I can tell you. It is upsetting to the good commander that some of his now formerly trusted men were involved in this attempted coup. He’s a bit confused about how he missed the signs with these individuals.”

“Ah, that should be interesting to observe – Strom in action,” replied Raphael thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen the commander for some time. I understand he now has several of the golden ships on The Golden Falcon and flies them sometimes for practice…”

“Well, right now he’s pretty upset as fully two-thirds of the men being charged with insubordination are from his crew, ranging from a head commander, two operational commanders and several specialty commanders. Julian Romero, another Morovian, appears to be one of the ringleaders who have attempted to wrestle power away from Strom. He’s going to pay for it; they all are in my estimation,” said Strabo soberly. “I wonder why Commander Strom didn’t recognize these individuals on his own staff were implanted; there must have been something to impede detection of the devices.”

“Well, let us allow the ladies time to do their work,” replied Raphael. “There are several individuals still to screen. This kind of work can be tedious and exhausting. On occasion, when I was posted on The Golden Bee, I had to do some of this scanning work myself after we had captured enemy personnel, including a few dark agents and even a dark lord or two. The energies of these beings – I won’t call them persons, as they are no longer human – emit are quite irritating. It can be difficult for those who are performing the scans if they are not well-trained. I wasn’t trained but happened to be extremely sensitive and familiar with the energies due to my experiences as a child.”

Several hours later, the priestesses had to take a break from their work. There were still about half of the prisoners to scan, but the ladies were feeling exhausted. After consulting with Lady Anna, Commander Contreras decided to postpone the rest of the scans until the next day. He spoke to Lord Demetrius, “I think you should take the ladies with you back to Jolf. We can continue with the scans tomorrow. Then I also want to interview the prisoners. If any of you want to participate, please feel free. I’m not sure it would be comfortable or safe for Lord Raphael to be included, but he could act as an observer. Lord Raphael, I understand you are also quite capable of scanning any of these men if required, as well. If you are willing to share your insights, please do.”

Raphael was eager to assist. He replied, “Commander, in my old work on board the ships I always scanned for anomalies in the energies. When I entered the room yesterday, I was extremely disappointed to see several Morovians included in the self-proclaimed committee as it seems I’m been dealing with the effects of the dark-infected portions of that society all my life. I was a slave held on Morova for a decade while I was a child. I will never forget the energies I had to endure. So, yes, I will be happy to work with you and the ladies. My observations will only serve to reinforce those of the priestesses, yet I’ve never received formal training for this kind of work, so we must depend on the ladies and support their efforts.”

“Any assistance you can give, my lord, would be greatly appreciated,” said Contreras, who was feeling rather overwhelmed by the whole situation. “Tomorrow, we can expect the arrival of several commanders who will act as prosecutors and judges for any of the men we decide to charge. I know Commander Strom will be attending, as will Commander Capeto Vanderis, whom you’ve met in the past, my lord. Commander Lo’Telle will also be arriving from Alyona. He heard about the incident of the other day and wanted to be on hand to lend you support, my lord. He is now a Head Commander, although still working at the Communications Center in Alyona.”

“Oh, it will be good to see Commander Lo’Telle – it is hard to find a more honest, hardworking individual than my former superior officer,” replied Raphael with a smile. “He’s known me since I was sent to The Golden Lion as a teenager to serve as a communications technician under Lord Lyonell.”

“What an honor to serve under a commander like Lyonell,” exclaimed Contreras.

“Yes, it was, sir – and I have had the honor of being the foster father of Prince Lyonell for several years,” replied Raphael. “Young Lyonell and my son, Jychondria, both worked with our project team for several years until it became obvious that our work was not going to progress into the larger vessels. Both young men are now working as Specialty Commanders in Engineering, but on separate vessels. I hope they can come home soon for a well-deserved visit.”

Lord VaCoupe came over to the two men and commented: “Well, Raphael, you were quite correct about all the Morovians being implanted. According to Lady Anna and the two Shays, the penetration of the devices into the bodies of these men is far too gone to be removed. In my experience, this condition means an automatic sentence of death. Contreras, you won’t have to waste any more time on these men, although we might attempt to discern who or what is behind their plotting. It’s too late today to start interrogating these individuals, so I recommend you place them into a cell together and post extra guardsmen. I would also be especially alert tonight with some fighters available in case we have some unexpected visitors.”

Raphael replied, “My lord Father, we can interrogate the Morovians if you wish. However, I know they are sons of the same men who were executed long ago for being members of the pedophile ring on Morova. They were probably implanted when they were but children and have been used as tools of the Enemy to penetrate the inner workings of our Fleet – which is why we need to initiate the means to scan all crew on board the ships. We still need to determine the extent of enemy infiltration into the ranks of the command.”

Lord Demetrius managed to smile and take his son by the shoulders, turning to Contreras, “While Raphael might not have commander training in this life; he has good instincts. I’m going to utilize his services as an advisor on my staff from now on. Raphael, how would you like to be stationed in Alyona for a change? You and Julia would be provided with ample quarters, and you could work with Francis and my other staff members.”

“We’ll miss your presence here, my lord,” said Commander Contreras. Like Strabo, he was a quiet admirer of the hard-working visionary and shipbuilder. In his experience, Raphael had always been an honest and forthright individual. It disturbed the commander to hear of the verbal threats against Raphael coming from some of the prisoners. Overall, his impression of the cabal arrayed against both father and son was the men were way out of line if not downright treasonous. Esturias VaCoupe, especially, was going to have to answer for a lot of things. Contreras was keeping Esturias apart so he would be the last man scanned. The experienced commander wasn’t feeling too charitable towards a man who would not only lie to his father, threaten his brother, and bring compromised enemy agents to a meeting with the Supreme Head Commander, Lord VaCoupe. It was beyond fathoming what lay in the mind of the disgraced top commander, the eldest son of the Lord of the Pleiades. Esturias was well-known to be a bit of a maverick within the command, willful at times, egotistical and opinionated, but this time he had really gone too far. Contreras wanted Commander Strom to be on hand when Esturias VaCoupe was finally scanned and interviewed. Strom was expected to arrive on the morrow, along with another top commander whose mothership happened to be in the neighborhood, Capeto Vanderis. Contreras understood both top commanders were fervent supporters of the work of Lord Raphael and the Starship Project. Things weren’t looking too good for the eldest son of Lord VaCoupe.

Lord VaCoupe’s party had already departed for the day to Jolf when reports from ships all over the Federation started rolling in. As the head commander of the Department of Research and Development, most of the reports were addressed to Strabo Diaz, although some were also addressed to 2^nd Level Commander Raphael Kantor-VaCoupe. The reports had one theme: something inconceivable was happening to the golden ships built by the Starship Project. In short, they were suffering malfunctions, either not responding to their pilots, going missing, or simply escaping and powering up like they were going to go into self-destruct mode and then suddenly disappearing off the ship scanners. The Mother Crystals of the motherships refuse to explain what has happened to the golden ships. 

A disbelieving Strabo read one report after another, even as one of his clerks brought in another pile and placed them on his desk. Leaning an elbow on his desk, Strabo picked up one of the reports and read it aloud: From the desk of Top Commander Char’las, the Golden Lion to Head Commander Strabo Diaz, Research and Development, Elexa Spaceport. Dear Sir: My pilots and landing crew are reporting strange behavior coming from the golden ships built by the Starship Project. The ships seem to be malfunctioning even though everything mechanical appears to be in good working condition. We have even experienced some of the ships taking off unmanned and going into self-destruct mode once they are sufficiently clear from the mothership and supporting vessels. If I hadn’t witnessed this distressing behavior myself, I wouldn’t believe it. I call it behavior as the ships are sentient, sir. I know there are some commanders who would question my reasoning, but in my opinion, sir, I would venture to say the ships seem distressed and they are either suiciding or mysteriously disappearing. What is happening, sir? Could you address this matter with 2^nd Level Commander Lord Raphael Kantor-VaCoupe, Consultant, Special Projects? We would appreciate your input, sir, as well as Lord Raphael’s. Respectfully, Cmdr. Char’las, The Golden Lion.

Oh, my stars…thought Strabo as he pushed aside yet another pile of reports: This must be what Lord Raphael was hinting at when he let me know the dispensation was being withdrawn. He said we would see what happens next for ourselves. Well, that’s for sure. If all the sentient ships are shutting down and refusing to function, they are going to all be rebuilt in part. And those that self-destruct are lost to the Command. Our ships are going to be without a significant number of some fighters, scout, and survey ships for quite a while until we can rectify this situation. Raphael can’t help with this – it’s not his fault, but there may be some fallout directed against him for this catastrophe. It’s a good thing Lord VaCoupe wants the young commander to be part of his staff; in that way Raphael will be protected from irate commanders who have lost some of their best fighters. Oh, I hope my own Starfighter doesn’t blow itself up. I love that little ship. And it looks like we’re going to have to build a lot of new fighters and small vessels to make up for the loss of the golden ships. What a tragedy…

For his part, after delivering Lord VaCoupe, Lady Anna, the priestesses, and his various team members safely back to Jolf, Raphael headed out of town on a long walk along the rugged coastline, accompanied by four of his Eagles. He felt restless and in need of some exercise to clear his head. All day he had been catching flickers of visions of ships blowing up in space or flying unmanned. He knew something was happening to his children, the golden ships. He regarded them as children as he had activated each of their crystals, like breathing life into the ships. He felt tears running down his face unheeded.

Eagle Paul, familiar with his lord’s many moods, was especially concerned about the state of Raphael’s mind. He was aware that Raphael and his project had suffered a major setback, but Raphael had not shared his innermost thoughts with his Eagles, his protectors, and guards. Paul Dominguez had been with Raphael the longest save his own commander, Tomás Monteras. The tall Eagle regarded the talented commander as a friend, even as a brother, although he wouldn’t say that aloud. Something was different now, so Paul pressed Raphael to share his thoughts. The Eagle was concerned for his friend. “My lord, what is the matter? Your tears…”

Raphael looked disconsolate, his face uncharacteristically bleak, “My children, the golden ships, are destroying themselves. The dispensation for them has been withdrawn, Paul, and I can’t do anything about it. I feel their distress and suffering. I don’t know what to do.”

Paul was surprised but knew he shouldn’t be. He had been around Raphael for a long time and knew what the lord was capable of… his vast consciousness could reach across the Pleiadian Federation and beyond when he willed it so. He ventured a suggestion: “Could you send the ones who still survive instructions to take themselves to a safe undisclosed location and then to go dormant for the time being, my lord?”

Raphael looked upward into Paul’s compassionate gaze and sighed, “I will try what you suggest, but it will be a long, long time before they can be reawakened, Paul. It was a brilliant and thoughtful suggestion, my friend.”

Paul blinked as tears came to his eyes. He was a battle-hardened warrior but being around such a person as Lord Raphael was life-changing… if one managed to open their heart to the talented man and accepted him as he was, a sensitive, kind-hearted, hard-working, loving man who happened to have more gifts than most men or women of his time. He sniffed and turned away to discretely wipe away his tears.

Raphael gave the Eagle a faint smile in return, noting the sympathetic tears on the warrior. “Let me sit here a while. I need to go into meditation and see if there are any ships left to contact…” Raphael sat down on the springy turf and closed his eyes, going deep into meditation. Paul signed the other Eagles to give him a little space, but to be watchful. If this sort of thing were happening across the Federation, who knew what kind of trouble could potentially appear for Raphael and his other team members?

Raphael sank down into deep meditative mode and reached out with his consciousness, attempting to connect with any of the crystals of surviving golden ships. There! He felt their awareness connect with his in a glorious symbiotic union. My darlings, you still live! Take yourselves to an abandoned planet and cloak yourself. Go into deep dormancy. It will be a long time, but I hope to awaken you in the future when, again, you will be needed. And this time, you will also be loved by many. I may be in a different body, perhaps a different gender, but I will return to awaken you, my golden children.

When he regained normal consciousness, Raphael gave a deep sigh, with yet more tears streaming down his cheeks. As Paul and the other Eagles looked on, he murmured: “So few left – I have given them instructions to find a secret place and remain there for now, hidden from the Command, hidden from our enemies, even hidden from me, until the day comes when they can be reawakened. Thirty-five years wasted…”

“I would respectfully disagree with you, my lord,” replied a curious Felipe, who had approached closer when he saw Raphael was awake. “You and your team have performed wonders here. It was not your fault that our people are not ready for this vast leap in terms of technology, sir.”

“Or consciousness, my dear Eagles – which was what this project was all about in the first place,” replied Raphael as he stood up, bracing his legs on the lumpy turf. “You are aware that when men fly these ships, their inner gifts begin to unfold, much like mine did as a child. Suddenly, their innate potential imprinted within their DNA is activated within. They begin to see and experience the world around them in a greatly enhanced manner. These men would have passed these gifts to their offspring in turn, allowing our people to progress more rapidly into a huge evolutionary advancement. The ships were only a stimulus for what was to be a great leap in the consciousness levels of our people. It would only take a small percentage of our population to be changed by the ships to affect this great step forward. And now, because of the resistance within the Command itself and the growing awareness of the enemy, this dispensation has been withdrawn. The test-run failed. We didn’t fail, men – our people were simply not ready to take this step. The dark and its insidious effects have penetrated too deeply into our collective consciousness. Considering what happened the other day in Elexa, it is apparent to me, at least, that the influence of the dark forces has penetrated deep into the Command, a condition which truly imperils the survival of our people. We will have to take steps to correct this before we all fall into Darkness. I must return to Lord Mathdis’ house and share what I have seen.”

Raphael took a few steps towards Jolf and then froze in his tracks, a glowing smile on his countenance. Felipe nearly ran into him and then went around checking what the matter was now… “Sir, what is it now?”

“Felipe, men… the ships just told me that the explosions were illusionary; all the ships who escaped cloaked themselves and disappeared. Now that I have given them instructions, they will make their separate ways to a safe place – which not even I can know of until the time is ripe for them to awaken. My future self has managed to alter the timelines once again, like the time I saved my grandson Tazo from being killed beneath the temple in BerAir. None of you were with me then, but you can get the full story from Commander Monteras; he was there,” replied Raphael. “I…we cannot share this information with anyone, not even Tomás although he may have an inkling of what happened. Anyway, I am in the dark as much as you are – the ships were careful not to divulge to me their hiding place… and I am wise enough not to ask. I know of a few people who will be aware of what has happened today, but they are also pledged to secrecy by their vows to protect and guide our people. I charge you, my magnificent Eagles, to keep this knowledge of what has been done close to your great hearts.”

The Eagles looked at each other and in unison shouted to the skies: “My lord, we pledge it!”

“We will keep this secret, my lord – and hope to be there with you when the day of rebirth arrives,” replied Paul fervently. The other men nodded.

“As do I,” replied Raphael.  “Now, we must act surprised when we hear the news about the ships. Say nothing; give away no hint that you know anything different than what is being reported. Only a priestess of vast experience would be able to scan your heart to discover this awareness within, so give them not an excuse to go seeking. We must all exercise great awareness in the days to come. I know that some men in the Command will seek to place the blame on me and my team, for our shoddy workmanship. In my humble opinion, our ships have performed a miracle today. Thank you, Paul, for your brilliant idea… Now, we must return before Father sends out his BerWarians to find us!”

Felipe laughed to hear the joy in Raphael’s voice. Of all the Eagles who currently served Raphael, he was as tall and massively built as the BerWarian warriors who had guarded Lord VaCoupe now for years. Yet, he didn’t want to confront either of them. The two tribesmen were formidable and well-trained warriors.

A much-relieved Raphael strolled into the courtyard at Lord Mathdis’ house. Alexei came running up, relieved to see them, and said: “My lord, Commander Strom has been speaking with Lord VaCoupe. He has received reports of some of the golden ships having disappeared or blowing up! Do you know what is going on, sir?”

“Should I, Alexei? We were walking out on the moors above the sea. The only thing we saw were birds flying above the surf and clouds growing on the horizon. There were no golden ships in sight,” replied Raphael rather flippantly. Alexei stared at him stunned. Raphael smiled, “I’ll go seek out Father and ask him about the reports. Is he still in Lord Mathdis’ office?”

“Yes, sir,” replied the servant, still puzzled why the young lord would be so happy. “I’ll go prepare the trays for dinner now that you are all back. The others, including your mate, Lady Julia, are packing things in your old house. I understand you will be accompanying your father, Lord VaCoupe, to Alyona soon, my lord.”

“Yes, I will; since I can no longer build golden ships – which now seem intent on self-destruction according to the reports – I will make myself useful once again in Alyona at the Communications Center there,” replied Raphael. “But first, we must finish the business at Elexa. I hope the ladies have all been resting this afternoon?”

“They have, my lord; the priestesses are also staying here in the house instead of returning to their homes. They feel it necessary to retain an air of detachment right now while engaged on this important work,” replied Alexei, with a shy smile. “All the priestesses, including Lady Anna, will be taking meals in their rooms. They will also a hold a meditation session to prepare their minds and hearts for tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Alexei, for the wonderful care you take here; Lord Mathdis’ is truly blessed to have your service and dedication,” said Raphael quite sincerely. The personal assistant bowed deeply, mumbled a shy thank–you, flashed a quick smile, and entered his lord’s house to continue with his duties.

Raphael was thinking about entering the house as well when his father and Lord Mathdis emerged from it and came into the courtyard. Lord VaCoupe was relieved to see his son sitting there calmly drinking a cup of tea. “Oh, Raphael, have you heard or felt anything odd? Commander Diaz just called up to let us know reports are coming in from all over the Federation. The golden ships are disappearing! Some of them look like they’re about to blow up and then they just vanish – from the ship scanners and the communications staff, as well. You’re their father; can you sense anything?”

“I warned you and Esturias that something would happen,” replied Raphael. “Even I did not know just how events would manifest until now. Disappearing, did you say? Interesting… Well, it would appear Commander Strabo is going to be terribly busy building replacements for the golden ships. Lady Amethyst warned me that the crystals would not function for ANYONE with too low a frequency. She also conveyed a message from the Mother Crystal of Medina: the dispensation allowing the golden ships to be built has been withdrawn. And now, apparently so have the ships. It would appear the Crystal Kingdom has determined that our people do not deserve to have these ships right now. And don’t ask me to do anything to alleviate the situation. I am as powerless as anyone; the dispensation has been withdrawn from me, as well. I can no longer access the downloads that were originally given to me by the Mother Crystal. I cannot reopen the outpost or retrieve any of the knowledge stored within. The Door is shut until the time is right for it to reopen and that will not be within this lifetime for me or anyone living right now.”

Lord Mathdis noted Raphael did not directly answer his father’s question. Raising an eyebrow, he observed the young man’s face with interest. Yes, the young commander was concealing something, but then that was a distinct characteristic of this complex being who sat so casually across the table from the two older men. Raphael knew when it was not appropriate to share. In this he was being obedient to a higher power than even his father. When and if Raphael could share, he would. Lady Anna had often said that Raphael was acting an instrument of Divine Will. Yes, he was a man, but also much, much more – well beyond the present understanding of most of his companions. Lord Mathdis felt blessed to have spent several decades in the company of such a man…

To distract Lord VaCoupe, Lord Ricardo broached another question: “When do you think the business in Elexa will be done, Demetrius?”

Lord VaCoupe gave his long-time friend a hard stare, but answered quietly, “I’m not sure, Ricardo. Right now, there are about eight more prisoners to scan which is very draining, demanding work for the priestesses. And one of them is my eldest son. I want to be there when Esturias is scanned and hear what he has to say. I believe all the witnesses have been interviewed, including myself, Roméo, and Raphael – but now all the findings must be compiled into a report to be given to those commanders who will be acting as judges in the upcoming court-martial. I have made it clear to Commander Contreras that I want all the men to face a hearing, to realize what they have done in conspiring against me and my sons. Those who throw themselves upon the mercy of the court may receive a more lenient sentence, but all will receive prison time, including Esturias. I want him to cool his heels inside a prison cell to see how it feels. Raphael endured captivity for ten long years as a child; I wonder if my eldest son can endure it with as much courage and fortitude.”

“And for the implanted Morovians, Father?” queried Raphael, knowing full well what the answer would be…

“Death; we do not have the means to remove the implants from these men right now. I am disappointed and sorry to see the higher ranks of the Command infected by such dark devices. I vow the infection will be pulled out and exposed if I must order the execution of half of the Command forces,” replied Lord VaCoupe, who clearly was upset that such a thing happened under his watch. “I want Commander Strom to scan every member of those Morovian families for implants. If implants are in any of the sons, it could be in all of them, as well as the daughters. Morova has suffered long under the weight of darkness; I will have that planet scrubbed clean of any remaining stench of the Enemy. I want my people to live free and without fear.”

“I agree with you, Father, but this storm you are about to unleash upon the Morovians may lead to some resentment and consternation,” replied Raphael, cautiously, realizing his father was terribly angry and upset right now… especially with the outcome of his eldest son still pending. “The families involved are members of the highest echelons of that tribal society. I would encourage the local priestesses to instruct the tribal leaders on what to look for in terms of implanted individuals. Discrete scans can be made, and people removed when appropriate, quietly. Teach the people to police themselves and to strive to raise their personal frequencies by working to clear their individual darkness within.”

Lord VaCoupe soberly regarded his son’s pale countenance and replied, his voice harsh: “My own family is being judged. I will not spare others to save them from dismay. I will take some of your suggestions under advisement and discuss things with Lady Anna before making any hasty decisions. Do not worry, Raphael – I haven’t suddenly become an ogre to punish my people mercilessly for something that happened to some of them when they were, but innocent children like yourself as a child slave.”

Lord Ricardo looked thoughtful and suggested, “Perhaps one of the priestesses will discover a way to remove some of the lesser implants without killing their victims. I will speak to our own healing priestesses. I know performing these scans is difficult for the women, seeing what some people have suffered through and are willing to do simply because of the deeds of their misguided parents.”

“It is too late for the Morovians who were intending to seize my person and that of my sons as collateral to steal the golden ship technology. They committed acts of treason against me as their Lord and their Supreme High Commander. Hercule Kadish died for no less a crime; so, will these men,” replied Lord VaCoupe in a hard tone.

“So be it,” murmured Raphael quietly, but Lord Mathdis overheard him and nodded slightly. A distracted Lord VaCoupe stared off towards a bank of flowering roses. Just then Roméo, Astrig, Julia, and several others joined the small group in the courtyard and so the conversation turned to lighter subjects.

The next day dawned hot. The priestesses and those attending the investigation going on in Elexa had a quick breakfast and soon boarded The Golden Cat to return to their work. The priestesses still had to work their way through the remaining prisoners, with Esturias VaCoupe being last on the list. Lady Anna wondered briefly what her eldest son was thinking now, but then she put that thought aside. It was time for her to don her robe of office as a detached party involved in the scans.

More than one priestess scanned each prisoner. A Shay also provided their report, which was being transcribed and written up for the trial judges.

Since he was not present at the meeting that was the genesis of this investigation, Commander Contreras carefully and as impartially as he could perform, did some interviews with Raphael, Lord VaCoupe, and the team members of the Starship Project. He also spoke to Commander Strabo who was in the room. His impressions of the interviews were also taken down as evidence for the prosecution.

After every scanning session was done, the prisoners were given a chance to give evidence on their own accord. In those days, not all persons were talented telepaths, but everyone had some degree of the gift. The prisoners were all very aware that the trained priestesses could read their entire Akashic record with ease and pick out what was truly intended by everyone on the day in question. However, several of the men did not realize that Raphael also possessed this gift. It was through his ability to read people’s motives and thoughts that he detected the existence of the betrayal that was underway when he came upon the scene. From his own earlier experiences, Raphael also knew Morova quite well and the implications of the long-term clean up going on that benighted planet.

As the last prisoner was brought out, Lord VaCoupe took a seat within the interview room. He was determined not to make this a painless process for his eldest son, with whom he was gravely disappointed. As Esturias was led into the room, it was apparent he had been crying recently. His eyes were bloodshot, and his angular features stained and swollen with tears. He was startled when he saw his father sitting there with a grim face, silent. He started to speak, but his father cut him off: “You will get your chance to speak, Esturias, at the end of the scanning session just like the rest of the prisoners. Guards, if he says one more word, you have my permission to gag him!”

The equally grim-faced Command guards led Esturias over to a seat and pushed him into it. Four of the priestesses encircled the prisoner who stared down at the floor in front of his feet, avoiding all eye contact. For the first time in his life, Esturias felt the warm energies of the priestesses as they surveyed his auric field and examined his Akashic records to see what brought the scion of a famous house to this state, what his intentions were towards his father and brothers, and finally, if he had reached a degree of repentance for his misdeeds. Lady Anna noted the surprise on her son’s darkly tanned features and knew he was feeling the energies being directed at him. She knew something had happened to Esturias within the last couple of days, but it would not save him from the judgment of his peers from the Command. Nevertheless, she would ask her mate permission to speak with Esturias alone after the initial scanning and interview were over. Perhaps there was hope for the wayward stubborn commander, but she knew he would have to bravely endure much hardship to climb out of the darkness into which he had fallen all unawares but not innocently.

Next, the tiny crystalline bubble-like Shay moved slowly through the air around Esturias. Again, Anna noted the surprise on Esturias’ face as he felt the powerful healing energies as the Shay circled him during the scan. When it was done with the scan, the Shay conveyed its report to one of the priestesses telepathically to keep the information private. The report was written down and then presented to Commander Contreras who was waiting impatiently at the doorway. Now, it was time for Esturias to be interviewed. A civilian clerk entered the room, sat near the prisoner, and began to ask him questions. Esturias looked irritated and said rather loudly, “I want to speak to my Father, Lord VaCoupe!”

Commander Contreras overheard the demand and gave Esturias a scathing look, replying in a stern voice: “A clerk is interviewing all the prisoners. You are not special, Esturias VaCoupe, despite your name and your former standing in the Command. By your actions directed against your father and your brothers the other day, you have forfeited any previous rights and privileges you once enjoyed. Now answer the questions or be removed, returned to your cell without an interview. It is your choice.”

Once again, Esturias was engulfed by a confusion flood of feelings, but now he knew he had to focus. He finished the interview answering the questions quietly and didn’t look up, again, to see if his father or brothers were standing within hearing distance. When it was time to return to his cell, he looked towards the door hoping his father was standing there, but there was only a couple of huge BerWarian guards studiously watching him. He looked down towards the floor and allowed himself to be led back to his holding cell to await his fate. His father and brothers were nowhere to be seen in the hallway as Esturias was led back to the brig. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he slowly walked forward with a guard holding each arm. However, just before the guards were about to take Esturias through the metal door that secured the brig, Lord VaCoupe and Lady Anna stepped out of an office and signed for the guards to lead Esturias into the office.

“Father!” exclaimed Esturias hoping for a last-minute reprieve from this endless torture of not knowing his fate.

His father glared back and snapped, “Silence, Esturias – your mother wants to perform another scan on your energy field. Keep silent or I will have the guards gag you. Guards, wait inside the door in case the prisoner makes any moves against Lady Anna or me.”

Lady Anna sat close to Esturias. He was staring down at his hands resting in his lap. She took his chin and gently raised it up, so he was looking into her large pale blue eyes alight with wisdom and compassion. Despite all his anger, angst, and rebellion, Esturias felt his eyes filling with tears, overflowing down his cheeks, wetting Anna’s small hand. He gulped and looked downward once more, as shame and self-judgment filled his consciousness. Then he looked up and mouthed “I’m sorry; I have been so foolish!”

Anna nodded; message received. Then she dropped her hand back into her lap, closed her eyes and began her scan. What Anna found surprised her. Esturias had changed within the last couple of days. His heavily shielded heart had broken open. He was truly repentant for what he had done, for what he had believed, and whom he had chosen to trust… foolishly, it would seem. Esturias was truly appalled that he had been taken in and so callously used by enemy agents. He knew his brother Raphael would no doubt despise him for such an unmitigated stupidity. And he realized he was going to pay heavily for what he had attempted, although by now, he wasn’t too clear just what he had done… Esturias was aware that he could face a death sentence as surely as the Morovians he so foolishly aligned himself with, but he wanted to live to have an opportunity to show his eagerness to redeem himself by forgiving himself for his fears and anger misdirected towards Raphael and even Roméo. Esturias was completely mortified by his display of stupidity as well as his overt act of treason towards his father in bringing compromised men into a meeting with the Supreme Head Commander and Lord of the Pleiades. For that act alone, he knew he could potentially face the death penalty. It didn’t matter if he was unaware of what he was doing. Anna realized that Esturias had intentionally and consciously closed off much of his own intuition long ago, soon after the death of his mother. The pain was just too great for the young man to cope with, so he shut down, determined to mock those who displayed such gifts openly, such as his adopted brother, Raphael. However, now… those same gifts had the potential to blossom once again after a prolonged period of severe suffering… if he was allowed to live.

Anna opened her eyes and looked again into Esturias’ dark blue eyes, so like his father’s. She carefully kept a neutral expression as he looked hopefully at her. She simply announced quietly to the guards: “I am done here now. Thank you, guards, for waiting so patiently. You can take the prisoner back to his cell to await his final hearing.”

Esturias looked at her with a stricken expression as his tears began to flow once more. His dark head drooped, and he allowed the guards to take his arms and lead him unprotestingly out of the room. Before he was placed in his cell, another guard came up behind him and grabbed his long dark braid, cutting it off close to his head. Bewildered, he looked around at the other prisoners; all of them had also had their hair shorn short, cropped close against the base of the skull. For the Medinian males of the Command, it was an overt mark of shame, for it would take a long time to re-grow his hair out… if he were allowed to live. The poorly cut hair marked him now as a criminal to despise. He didn’t fight but went into his cell and lay back down on the hard-sleeping pad facing the wall, turning away from the world outside, his thin shoulders shaking with silent sobs. It was just hair, but for a proud man like Esturias, it was an indignity that finally broke his spirit.

As Esturias was led from the room, Anna could sense he had given up; the proud eldest son of Lord VaCoupe felt utterly defeated and lost. It was a stage he would be required to pass through on the way towards redemption. She turned to Lord VaCoupe and quietly said, “I would like to speak to Lady Amethyst on behalf of Esturias. Your once proud son is now a broken, defeated man. He has utterly given up. I sense he is truly repentant and wishes to make amends – if he is allowed to live. I am not recommending he be reinstated into the Command; he needs to pay for his misdeeds and lack of clarity, but that can be done within a prison cell and by doing humble tasks like cleaning floors and scrubbing tables. I am going to see whether Lady Amethyst agrees with me and then we can enter in a plea for clemency for your son. I do not recommend that Esturias ever becomes your heir or takes up a position of authority within the Command. At best, he should serve humbly within the ranks, unknown, without title, without his family name to set him apart. If he manages to work without complaint for several years, perhaps then some of his former privileges can be slowly reinstated. Esturias will never become Head Commander after you, not within this life, but I see the possibility exists in another future life… if he succeeds in regaining your trust or at least your tolerance to have him nearby. What say you, my lord?”

“You have seen a definite change in his heart towards Raphael?” queried Lord VaCoupe, who was still worrying about all the lost ships. The Starship Project had built hundreds of ships through the past thirty years. It would be expensive and time-consuming effort to build suitable replacements.

“I did not feel any relenting of his feelings towards Raphael; he is still angry, confused, and rather bewildered to be so easily outwitted by someone he regards as his inferior in every way,” replied Anna.

“Well, then, if he is allowed to live by the Command judges, so be it, but he will never walk again into my house in Medina. He will be exiled to an isolated, mean planet to work hard labor for the rest of his miserable days,” growled an angry and upset Lord VaCoupe. “It was because of him and other short-sighted individuals that our people lost a rare opportunity, offered to us freely through Raphael. I will never forgive Esturias for this misdeed of his narrow mind and closed off heart. I disown him; he is no longer my son and has no right to call himself a VaCoupe. Have one of his guards remove his signet ring and return it to me. I will give it to my new heir, one of my grandsons.”

Recognizing her mate had to work through his own anger and grieving process, she nodded and went to speak quietly to one of the guards, instructing him to retrieve the signet ring and return it to her. The guard appeared surprised and looked over her shoulder at the anguished lord sitting there but nodded and entered the cell block. Minutes later, he returned and dropped the heavy masculine ring into her hand. She quietly took the ring and placed it on the small desk inside the office. “Demetrius – here is your son’s ring. I know your heart is filled with pain now, but with time the wounds will heal. Then, it will be time to reconsider the sentence you just pronounced upon your son’s head. I will speak to Lady Amethyst in the morning. The other priestesses and I do not have to return here to this sad place; our job is done. I can use Lord Mathdis’ comm to speak with the Lady. Now, let us return to Jolf so we may pray for all these misguided souls to find their way out of the darkness in which they now find themselves, including your son, Esturias.”

The next day, Lord VaCoupe, Raphael, Commander Monteras, and their Eagle and BerWarian escorts flew back to Elexa. All the men were outfitted in their dress uniforms. Lord Demetrius and Raphael were wearing their medallions of lordship, as well as the colored sashes of their Houses – violet for VaCoupe, blue for Kantor. They would be observing the proceedings and if asked, would lend more testimony for the visiting commanders presiding over the court-martials. Raphael was no longer wearing his gold bracelet and ring from Lord Lyonille; he had left the jewelry pieces inside the outpost before it was closed.

Commander Strabo was standing outside the headquarters building talking to Commanders Vanderis, Strom, and Lo’Telle. As the Golden Cat landed softly, the attention of the three men fastened on the golden ship, one of the last remaining examples of her kind besides The Golden Wren and The Golden Sparrow. Commander Strom stepped forward to welcome Lord Demetrius and then commented to Raphael: “I’m glad to see you’ve retained your golden ship. All the ones on board The Golden Falcon have fled, disappearing. I’ve never heard of anything like it. After the trial, I hope we can talk – get an explanation of what and why this has happened, my lord.”

Lord Demetrius frowned and said, “Strom – it was because the Enemy has penetrated the very fabric of the Command without our awareness. Lady Amethyst and Raphael have both stated the dispensation for the sentient ships has been withdrawn, hence their disappearance. Raphael tells me that he can no longer access the outpost or the information that was downloaded into his mind by the Mother Crystal of Medina. As he so aptly and succinctly puts it: “The Door is shut!” This means we as a people did not meet the standards of the Crystalline Kingdom. We must clean up our command forces. I will be initiating a system-wide scanning operation on every crew member of the fleet, from the lowest ranking crew member to top commanders and everything in between. Those individuals who are implanted will be taken out and shot without trial.”

Even the stern Commander Strom was surprised at the vehemence in Lord Demetrius’ voice and carriage. As the lord stalked up the stairs, the commander glanced over at Raphael. He nodded, baring his wrist where he had worn the golden bracelet from the Lion People for thirty-five years. Strom had never seen Raphael without the bracelet after he found it in the outpost. Raphael signed “The Door is shut, and I can’t open it now.”

Commander Strom sighed deeply; he would miss those amazing golden ships. He used to take out his own ship on ‘training’ runs just because he loved interacting with the fast, versatile little sentient ship. He greeted Commander Monteras and the other Eagles and walked into the headquarters lobby.

Commander Contreras and a guard unit were there inside to welcome their guests. The court marital/hearing was going to be held in another large conference room that didn’t have permanent furniture. A long table was placed across one end of the room, with four chairs arranged side by side in front of it for the prisoners on trial. Lord VaCoupe and Raphael would be seated off to one side. An entire guard unit was being deployed to keep control of the prisoners, some of whom had proven to be rather violent during their incarceration, fighting with the guards and being verbally abusive. Lord VaCoupe’s BerWarians and Raphael’s Eagles were left standing at the far end near the entrance. The first set of four prisoners was brought out. They were chained up and appeared to have received some rough treatment while they had stayed in the brig, displaying facial bruises and cuts.

Commander Strabo was acting as court clerk and read out the prisoners’ names, ranks, and ship: “Nantes, Specialty Commander, The Golden Falcon; Lanteras, Specialty Commander, The Golden Falcon; Herraras, Specialty Commander, The Golden Falcon; Sedoñas, Specialty Commander, The Golden Falcon. Men, you have been charged with sedition, intent to do harm to the Lord of the Pleiades, his sons, and team members; as well as being implanted with enemy devices. It is per the recommendation of this court that each of you be put to death immediately after this trial. May Father/Mother God look down with compassion for your immortal souls? What say you in response? Speak one at a time starting with Commander Nantes…”

Raphael glanced over at Strom’s stormy countenance; his darkly tanned face was showing his displeasure at seeing so many of his men sitting in the room. After all, Strom and his men had spent a couple of decades cleaning up the wilds of Morova. Raphael was certain Strom would be a strong advocate of Lord Demetrius’ proposal to demand that all Command personnel submit to scans or be dismissed with prejudice.

The first prisoner Nantes briefly stood up and glared at Strom, then at Raphael. “Damn you all; we will seize your worlds and destroy you!”

Raphael shivered as he felt the malevolence flowing through Nantes. He extended his own energy body. The prisoner’s declaration just solidified his feeling that a dark lord or several were working through these individuals.

Lord VaCoupe abruptly stood up and called a guardsman forward.  He commanded: “Gag that piece of filth now!”

The lord then glared at the remaining three prisoners and asked, “Do you have anything to add to your companion’s statement?”

The men looked at each other and shook their heads. Then Raphael stood up and spoke: “Men, I am sorry that it has come to this. You know who I am; I was held captive by the dark pedophile ring on Morova long ago and used by your fathers who had willingly aligned themselves with our enemies. To prove their loyalty to the Dark, they allowed their children to be implanted so eventually they could be used as tools to penetrate deep in our society and even into the Command. Well, you have been caught out and now must pay the same price suffered by your misguided parents. If we had the means to remove the implants, we would. Even then, each of you would be facing a long prison sentence or even death for your intent to commit an act of treason against your Lord and Head Commander. It was your intent to kidnap and perhaps kill Lord Demetrius, my team members, and me all to obtain the sentient technology we have been working on for the past thirty-five years. It is too late for you. The sentence of death is predetermined by the mere fact your bodies have been implanted. Guards remove the prisoners; there is no more to say here. Captain, take a detail and execute these men immediately outside the building.”

The guard captain glanced over at Lord VaCoupe who impatiently waved him on, “Do what my son says…”

Raphael belatedly realized that he wasn’t officiating at the trial, but, still, the sentence for the four Morovians was a foregone conclusion. Simply by being implanted and knowingly participating in treasonous behavior their lives were forfeit.

Commander Vanderis grinned, glancing over at Raphael, and remarked: “My lord, you’re making this easy for us judges. Let us handle this, Lord Raphael.”

Strom added, “Looks like my men are going to have to sift through those families once again and ferret out any more individuals who were implanted. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, my lord.”

Next, only one prisoner was brought out, the remaining Morovian, Julian Romeros. The man was of a much higher rank than the other Morovians, being an Operations Commander, who would have had frequent access to Commander Strom.

This time, Commander Charles Lo’Telle stood and began to calmly addressed the prisoner: “Julian Romeros, Operations Commander, The Golden Falcon – you have been charged as being a ringleader of this attempted coup against Lord VaCoupe and the Starship Project team, with designs to kidnap and/or kill Lord Raphael Kantor-VaCoupe and his father, Lord Demetrius VaCoupe. Like the other four Morovian conspirators, you are implanted with an enemy device. Therefore, you face an automatic sentence of death by execution this day. Do you have anything to say, Commander?”

The red-skinned, black-haired Morovian commander snarled at Lord VaCoupe: “You and your people will pay for this, I promise you!” Then the prisoner glared at Raphael, “This time you were to die, slave!”

Raphael calmly regarded the black eyes of the dark lord who was glaring at him through the normally dark blue eyes of the Morovian. He replied, “We will defeat you; count on it!”

Again, Lord VaCoupe abruptly stood up and commanded another set of guards to remove the prisoner. “Take him out and execute him at once!”

Commander Contreras looked down at the list and said, “We have more officers from The Golden Falcon to review. Sorry, Commander Strom, it looks like you’re going to have quite a few vacancies to fill after this trial. Shall we continue, commanders, and then take a break?”

Lord VaCoupe was impatient to get the procedure completed. Again, his son Esturias was going to be the last prisoner brought up to the docket for sentencing. “Let’s continue with this next group and then take that break. Commander Strom, I suggest… I command you to have your entire crew scanned for enemy devices after this. Your crew has been stationed near Morova too long. I’ll have another commander take over the scanning of those families like you suggested. How would you like to move your ship near Krey and Vey for a change?”

“After this fiasco, my lord, it would be a pleasure to depart from the vicinity of Morova,” replied a gruff Strom. “Let me first check out the University Ship for any likely young officers who are eager to work under an old warrior like me.”

Lord VaCoupe chuckled and replied, “Done, Commander Strom. Select whoever you like. I’ll also send out a bulletin in case any younger commanders on other ships want to transfer to The Golden Falcon. This was not your fault, Commander. The enemy is relentless, deceitful, and without honor. We need to improve our security on board ship and do it immediately. For after this trial, I will anticipate another enemy attempt to crash into our defenses. Since we’re down a sizable number of men holding positions of authority and ships, we will have to work hard to fight back.”

Next, Commander Vanderis signaled the guard captain to have his men bring out the next three officers. Raphael recognized one of the men as being Lucian Del Campo, who had been one of Commander Strom’s closest Aides. He had briefly met the man when Raphael was hospitalized after his kidnapping to Morova. Raphael glanced over at Commander Strom. The commander had covered his face with a hand upon seeing one of his Head Commanders limping into the room under chains. Then, yet another of his Head Commanders, Pietro Romero, appeared. As Raphael scanned the man automatically, he noted the officer was implanted. The next man was Operations Commander Gillium Roberts also of The Golden Falcon. Raphael shook his head; at this rate Strom was losing half of his top officers. He squinted towards Del Campo and Roberts; both individuals were implanted. This time, he was the one to stand up abruptly and query Commander Vanderis: “Commander – these three men are also implanted! Did the scans done by the priestesses and the Shays determine this?”

Commander Vanderis looked down at the roster list with some confusion. He replied carefully, addressing Lord VaCoupe directly: “The initial scans done by the priestesses did not reveal any implants. If what Lord Raphael is saying is true, we should have these men re-scanned…”

“It’s not that I disagree with the findings of the priestesses, but I know what I feel, Father, Commanders,” said Raphael. “Those men are implanted, and I would guess Romero has lived on Morova, although he doesn’t appear to be a native. Either these men were implanted by the other Morovians or the taint within the Command goes deeper than we know. No wonder the dispensation for the golden ships was rescinded, Commanders!”

Lord VaCoupe frowned as he thought for a few minutes. Then he announced to the prisoners: “Men, you have a slight reprieve. You will be returned to your cells. When we return with the priestesses, you will submit to yet another scan each. Captain, remove them and return the prisoners to their cells.” He glanced over to Raphael who was sitting next to him, “Are you sure, son? I would like to get this ordeal finished.”

“So, would I, Father, but we have to see why the priestesses and the Shay didn’t pick up the presence of implants in the first place,” replied a sober Raphael. He, too, wanted to leave, but to be fair; another set of scans was required. He knew the difference; he had seen the roster. This set of prisoners was scheduled to be imprisoned for lengthy sentences. Being implanted as they were, there was the chance other men would also become infected by the dark artificial intelligence. If it was established, they were implanted, then the last three prisoners also faced immediate death sentences. He continued: “I realize everyone here wants to finish this hearing, but to be fair we are talking about men’s lives here. I would suggest postponing the rest of the trial until tomorrow. I can go over to Jolf and pick up the priestesses so they can perform the three scans this afternoon. Then, we can continue the procedure tomorrow when we reconvene.”

Commander Capeto Vanderis looked at Raphael with some admiration and addressed Lord VaCoupe, “My lord, your son, Lord Raphael, has a good head on his shoulders. He should have been a head commander. The suggestion is an excellent one and I second it. I think we should all take a break. I for one would like to hear more about the dispensation for the golden ships having been rescinded. My ship, The Golden Thunderbird, has also lost several golden fighters, one shuttle, one scout ship and a well-equipped survey ship. It is a costly loss for the command to have all these ships self-destruct or disappear. I want to know more of what’s behind this fiasco…”

Even Commander Strom, who wasn’t enjoying seeing this parade of his crewmen, agreed, “I concur, my lord; we need to establish more clarity. I know Lord Raphael has been working for years with Crystals and his consciousness is finely attuned to the frequency of the dark – I’ve witnessed him in action on occasion when he was stationed on The Golden Lion. With his sweet ship, Lord Raphael could return within an hour, if we give the ladies time to prepare. Commander Strabo, could you send a message to Lord Mathdis to warn him that Lord Raphael is on his way to Jolf; at least two and preferably four priestesses should return with The Golden Cat this afternoon. Does that sound reasonable, my lord?”

Lord VaCoupe concurred with the suggestion. Raphael bowed to his father and then signed for his Eagles to follow him out. Within minutes, The Golden Cat levitated high above the space port tarmac and shot out of sight across the silver freshwater sea. Commander Contreras watched the golden ship lift and disappear. “While you’re enjoying your tea and refreshments, gentlemen, I’m going to take a few minutes and scan the personnel files of Pietro Romero for one. I will see you in a little while.”

The commander was curious to see if Raphael was correct about the man having lived for a time on Morova earlier in his life. It didn’t take him long to pull up the files. Contreras stared at the records with disbelief. The records clearly stated that Romero’s family was related to the Romeros of Morova and that his family had moved to Morova when Julian was a boy. Julian and Pietro were probably cousins. The spelling of surnames sometimes varied from planet to planet and so it seemed with these two cousins. In the commander’s mind, this information sealed the fate of the feckless Pietro, as it had for his cousin. When Contreras returned to the second conference room where the other commanders were partaking of some desperately needed refreshment, he announced to Lord VaCoupe: “Your son, Lord Raphael, was correct about Pietro Romero having lived on Morova as a youngster. Apparently, he is also related to the Romeros of Morova; hence Julian Romeros is his cousin. With this added bit of evidence, barring another negative scan by the priestesses, I would venture to say that Pietro was implanted either on Morova as a child or by his own cousin while in the Command.”

Commander Strom’s darkly tanned face was displaying some strain. He carefully set down his cup and said: “My lord, I am determined to put an end to the infection that seems to have permeated the top echelons of my command staff. When I return from this exercise, I am going to command that every man on board The Golden Falcon undergo several scans to determine if they have also been infected by the Morovians or by having been on Morova. It will take a long time and I may have to borrow several healers for this effort, but I do not want to put it off. My ship appears to be the worst one affected by this pestilence of the enemy. I have eight hundred other crew members; I want to be confident that they are clear and healthy. Any men whom we discover as being implanted will have to be executed. This crisis will contribute to some difficulties within the crew; I’m going to have to enlist the assistance of several counselors to enable my crew to overcome any related anxiety and stress because of unexpectedly losing team members. Lord VaCoupe, I would like to dock off the University Ship so I can utilize some of their healers and counselors. I’m going to be in desperate need of some outside help to get through this crisis. I’ve never seen such a mess in my entire career!”

Lord VaCoupe nodded as he heard Commander Strom speak and then replied: “Your plan has merit, Commander; I’ll have orders written up to allow you access to the healing team on the University Ship. Plus, we can temporarily transfer several healers and counselors from Arconia. Seeing that your ship is clear of enemy influence is vital and that goes for all our ships. While we’re at it, Commander Strabo, could you enlist the help of the Engineering School in Cove? We’re going to need to develop some automatic scanning devices installed into every ship, especially the motherships, but also the larger vessels like battleships, frigates, and destroyers. Make it a top priority to get a prototype or several available as soon as humanly possible!”

Commander Strabo saluted Lord VaCoupe and stood, “I’ll go to my office and contact the school immediately. They have several advanced students who could probably develop such a device quickly.”

Lord VaCoupe acknowledged Strabo with a nod and then turned to the other commanders and began an explanation of why the dispensation for the golden ships had been withdrawn: “Lady Amethyst told me Raphael was the chosen instrument to deliver sentient technology to our people since he was the reincarnation of Lord Rigo, a former king of the Feline Founder race. Lord Lyonille – incidentally (or not) an earlier incarnation of Lord Lyonell – approved of his son’s desire to place examples of some of their technology within the outpost located on Maubene outside of Jolf. Since currently the Command has some of the most highly trained members of our people, it was hoped that by undergoing to process of interacting with these beautiful sentient ships, some of the pilots would develop a broadening of their natural innate gifts, much like Raphael’s, only not quite to that extent. In turn, this expansion of the mental and emotional bodies of the men would impact all with whom they came in contact. Eventually, large sections of our population would undergo a profound shift in their soul evolution. However, due to the continued encroachment of the Enemy and our own inner weaknesses, our people have shown they are not ready yet for this advancement. Thus, when Esturias and his cabal confronted Raphael just days ago, this act of treachery against our people acted as the trigger to compel the Crystal Kingdom to withdraw the dispensation. My foolish eldest son was used by these implanted individuals who were hoping to kidnap me, my other sons, and the research team of Starship Project in a bid to seize the technology for their own foul uses. This plot was foiled by Raphael’s ability to see into the future. Previously, he had experienced visions of just this kind of event occurring so was prepared to act instantly when confronted with his angry elder brother and several compromised commanders. Had it not been for Raphael’s gifts and courage, the current situation, while bad enough, could have been catastrophic for our people.”

Commander Vanderis ventured a question: “Could the enemy forces utilize the sentient ships, my lord?”

“No, not according to Raphael,” replied Lord VaCoupe. “The sentient crystals would have refused to obey the enemy pilots who do not carry the necessary frequency level to command such craft. The ships probably would have gone into self-destruct mode as a result. However, even by merely studying the construction of the ships, the enemy could have obtained the secret recipe for the golden aluminum hull, and other advanced technology built into those amazing ships.” Lord VaCoupe stopped to take a sip of tea and then continued: “Long before this meeting was set-up with Esturias, Raphael and his team began to systematically remove all their documentation, blueprints, seed crystals and records from their working headquarters here on Elexa. They returned everything portable back to the outpost. Raphael, Lantrill, and Sukio even removed their golden bracelets they had found within the outpost, as well as their rings. Those bracelets were designed to allow a specific individual access to portions of the outpost. When we returned to Jolf the other day, after consultation with Lady Amethyst, Raphael completed the task of shutting down the outpost. All seven towers retracted into the turf, disappearing. No one would guess now there was anything below the grass and flowers. I saw it myself. Raphael uttered no word aloud, but I felt the power of his thought that activated the sentient mechanisms of the outpost. I was completely stunned, finally realizing that even I had gravely underestimated the power inherent within my youngest son. It was a power he has released fully; Raphael no longer has access to the outpost. Even if the Enemy had taken him, he could not betray the trust given to him temporarily by powers far beyond our keen.”

For several minutes, the experienced commanders sat silently absorbing the information Lord VaCoupe had just shared, quietly eating their refreshments, and drinking tea. Finally, Commander Charles Lo’Telle uttered his thoughts, “So that is what Raphael meant when he said, ‘the Door is shut’?“Yes! It is shut even for him. Raphael has told us that he will not be able to access the outpost until several thousand years have gone by and yet another evolutionary window of opportunity arrives. He has no idea how

long it will take. Meanwhile, men, we have work to do. First and foremost, we need to thoroughly clean up the Command and train our men to recognize implanted individuals and train our own minds to self-awareness, so we do not succumb to the deceitful ways of the Enemy. Only by working on ourselves, raising our frequencies, as individuals and as a collective, may we rise above the nefarious activities of the Enemy who is bent on its task to penetrate, infiltrate, and destroy our societies and institutions from within. This is imperative. I’m going to suggest a new class at the University ships where all students are trained in some of the disciplines that our priestesses and priests utilize to train mind and heart to work in unity. I will discuss this with Lady Amethyst when I return to Medina. And now, let us move to other topics while we await my son’s return.”

Commander Vanderis ventured one more question: “My lord, pardon me, but what will happen now that Lord Raphael’s project has been terminated? How will you utilize his services? I think any one of us present would be honored to take Lord Raphael on as a senior level commander, but do you have other things in mind for your brilliant son?”

“Indeed, I do, Commander,” replied Lord VaCoupe. “From now on, Lord Raphael will return to working out of the Alyona Command Center, as well as serving on my personal staff as an adviser and counselor. Stationed in Alyona Castle, he will be keeping tabs on how all commanders progress in the clean-up of their crews, and other related projects. Then, since my eldest son has finally proved to me without question, he is not fit to be Head Commander or Lord of the Pleiades after me, I will assign Lord Raphael to begin training my grandson, Francis VaCoupe, to become Lord after I pass or decide to retire. In case you may not be aware, Francis is the eldest son of Esturias out of a set of twins. Being the sire of Francis and Adarius is the one good thing Esturias has accomplished in this life. Adarius will be trained to eventually become Head Commander, but he will only be eligible for the position if he is able to demonstrate he is trustworthy and a true leader of men. Meanwhile, another highly trusted, experienced top commander will have to be assigned to that office as it is not an inherited position. I will eventually hand over the training of Adarius to one of you fine gentlemen, but currently he is still a fledging, learning the art of navigation. I plan to retire in about one hundred years barring any accidents or death, so there will be plenty of opportunity for someone else to assume responsibility over our Fleet during these years while we are plagued by war and frequent incursions by a relentless enemy. Of course, adjustments to any plans may have to be made given the unpredictability of events. A lot is depending on you, men, as well as your fellow commanders. Loyalty, trust, dedication, a willingness to go beyond all now count for more than empty ambition; I want to see all our men willing to step up and open to inner spiritual growth and align to Source. There will no longer be any tolerance for cliques and plots; if I hear of any all involved will be severely penalized and punished, including loss of rank, privileges, and position.”

The men quietly returned to eating the refreshments and drinking the tea that had been provided. They each had much to ponder. When Strabo re-entered the room, he looked at the commanders curiously and then glanced over to Commander Monteras, who was still standing silently in a corner. The Morovian Eagle signed to Strabo: Much shared; will inform later.

Strabo nodded and then cleared his throat, “My lord, I got a hold of one of the leading instructors at the Engineering school. He said he would get some of his graduate students on the project – for developing portable and permanent scanning devices that can be installed in all our ships. He was interested in learning more, but I didn’t explain any further. I’ll leave that up to someone with more technical knowledge, say, perhaps Adario Kadish? He’s a brilliant engineer and has worked right alongside Lord Raphael all these years?”

This was when Commander Monteras made his presence known. He bowed to Lord VaCoupe and said, “My lord, Raphael also has two talented sons who have studied engineering. Perhaps they can assist their uncle Adario Kadish with the project? They have all worked together in the past on numerous other projects.”

Strom looked up curiously at the Eagle Commander: “What are the lad’s names, Commander?”

Monteras’ generous mouth curved into a smile, “Jychondria Kantor-VaCoupe and Lyonell of Suriya. They are both already Engineering Specialty Commanders, although serving on different ships, sir.”

“Lyonell? You mean Lord Lyonell, er, his reincarnation, Prince Lyonell, second son of King Hilarus?” Strom looked astonished at first and then a glimmer of an idea began to form. The rugged commander leaned across the table towards Lord VaCoupe, “My lord, could I have those two boys transferred to my ship? I need to rebuild my command staff… and oh my loving Goddess, to have Lyonell under my command! While I’m at it, I’m sure Raphael and Lyonell would recommend my getting more Felines on board The Golden Falcon. Having innate psychic skills in determining frequencies and seeing what most men cannot, the Felines would have the ship cleaned up in no time, my lord! While they’re stationed on board The Golden Falcon, they could develop the new scanning devices. Adario Kadish could still work with the graduate students at the School of Engineering in Cove, as well as some of our more advanced students from the University Ship.

“Well, I’ll see about reassigning Jychondria and his foster brother, Lyonell to The Golden Falcon. It is a sound idea, Strom; thank you, Monteras. I often overlook your formidable observational skills, Commander,” replied Lord VaCoupe. Commander Monteras wisely didn’t reply, just gave a salute in response. Lord VaCoupe gave the silent Eagle commander a penetrating glance, but then said: “While, we’re at it, Commander Lantrill and Captain Sukio have become outstanding administrators while working on the project. Neither man has moved up the ranks in the normal manner, yet between the pair of them, they possess tremendous knowledge and experience. Would that help, Commander Strom? They could be…hmmm, how about your Aides in charge of safety, security, and personnel issues on board the ship. They could head the efforts in cleaning up your ship as well as training the men how to detect implanted individuals. Does that sound like a new beginning for your decimated ship, Commander?”

For the first time that morning, Strom’s face began to brighten as he imagined working again with Lyonell, Lantrill, and Sukio, men he had known and trusted for decades. And the possibility of working with one of Lord Raphael’s sons was extremely appealing. He had heard somewhere Specialty Commander Jychondria had formerly been Head Commander of the Ashkerian Fleet, before his brother Lord Delos took it over, like father, like son. “I will gladly, gleefully accept all of these men in whatever positions you wish to assign them, my lord!”

Commander Strabo boldly spoke up, too, “My lord, Specialty Commander Leo Bakken has worked for years as a personal assistant for Lord Raphael on all his projects. He would make another excellent addition to Commander Strom’s command staff. He’s yet another Feline, one who has been trained by Lord Raphael in discerning frequencies, remote viewing and has strong surveying skills. He could probably eventually run your Line Communication Department for you and train other men.”

Just then a grinning Raphael strode into the room closely followed by Leo Bakken, Lantrill, and Sukio. Raphael quipped, “I have some glorious gifts for Commander Strom in the form of these experienced trustworthy friends of mine!”

The stern commander Strom abruptly stood up, tears streaming unheeded down his tanned cheeks. “How did you know… we were just discussing these men… my lord?”

Raphael bowed to his father then turned to Commander Strom, “I’m a seer, Commander Strom, and I know you need men. You already are well acquainted with Commander Lantrill, Captain Sukio, and Specialty Commander Leo Bakken. It wouldn’t do for these men to remain idle now that the project has been terminated and it’s obvious your ship is the one most profoundly impacted by this attempted coup… so… here you are — with your approval, of course, Father!”

Lord VaCoupe managed a smile and replied, “A glimmer of light in a dark morning for our people, my son!  Permission is granted for all the transfers and reassignments. Thank you, Raphael.”

“Despite all the trials we face, Father, if we hold true to our faith, there is always Hope!” replied Raphael.

© All Rights Reserved, Eliza Ayres, videos and recordings of this material are not permitted. http://www.bluedragonjournal.com and https://sunnysjournal.com

BOOK TWO TABLE OF CONTENTS

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