EV Nova
Polaris Walkthrough

"I'm glad you showed up, Captain [Player Name]," she smiles happily, "as I have finished my business here and I need someone to take me to Sol, as I want to tie up a few loose ends there. The payment will be the same as for when you brought me here. Are you and your ship available for hire?"

"Well, it seems that I have completed all my business here faster than expected," she informs you with a grin, "so I have a little time to myself before I have to perform my next mission. I have always wanted to view some of the Vell-os/human sculptures that remain on [Return Stellar] in the [Return System] system.

"Would you be interested in ferrying me there?"

"I have to thank you for bringing me here," she begins sincerely, "this is a life-long dream come true. Thank you so much.

"But now I must return to business," she continues more seriously. "I need to get to [Travel Stellar] in the [Travel System] system to make contact with a colleague of mine. I am prepared to offer you another 20,000 credits for your troubles, and in all likelihood there will be another mission waiting for you within a few hours of our arrival.

"Are you willing to help me out again?" she asks hopefully.

"Bis Andreya!" exclaims Mu'Randa almost reverently, which causes you to look at her suspiciously. "What has happened?"

"I am being followed by Federation troops," the old lady informs you both, "and I have no wish to be detained by them."

At that moment you see a number of Federation soldiers begin entering the spaceport running towards your ship, and the two men in gray snap into action. Within seconds they decimate the Federation forces in the most awesomely skilled and stunning display of martial arts you have ever seen. When they finish with the soldiers they run back up the ramp and enter your ship.

"Young {G"man" "lady"}, I suggest that we get out of here before more of them turn up!" suggests Bis Andreya gently. "Make for [Return Stellar] in the [Return System] system."

"How are you, Captain [Player Name]?" she asks happily. "What do you think of the Polaris now that you have had a chance to look around?"

You mutter a few vague comments about being very impressed about it all.

"Come now!" she exclaims, pretending to be cross. "Surely you can do better than that!"

You smile sheepishly and she laughs kindly.

"Now that you are here," she continues more seriously, "the P'aedt (the Polaris name for the scientist caste) could use the help of an independent ship captain to perform some experiments and retrieve some data for their various scientific endeavors. We got a message a few days ago when they heard that one of us Mu'hari had been in contact with you, to ask if you would be willing to help out. Are you?"

"Oh! You surprised me," she jumps a little when you tap her on the shoulder. "But I'm glad you did, I've been trying to track you down for some time.

"Now that Wraith space is open to exploration," she explains, her cheerful grin returning, "the P'aedt are beginning to send ships out to the nearest systems to begin researching the area. Unfortunately, they believe in slow steady progress, which makes good scientific sense, but is not necessarily so good in terms of politics or security. The Council and the Nil'kemorya want to know more about the further reaches of the region to see if there is anything they need to know about, in case they have to deal with it. Because while it is wonderful that Wraith space is now open to us, we have also opened our space up to the Wraith, and we don't know if that will cause any problems.

"Are you interested in going on a scouting mission?"

"I'm glad I caught you!" she exclaims, waggling her finger at you in mock anger. "Otherwise I would have had to chase you all over the place to chat with you.

"The Council has decided," she informs you more seriously, "that they will send an envoy to meet with these 'Rebels', as they call themselves, as in recent years the Federation behavior has become increasingly disturbing. If nothing else, we might be able to learn of a few places to go and find out more about what is actually going on inside the Federation hierarchy.

"And there are no prizes for guessing who's the new ambassador," she continues, waving her finger at you again. "Unfortunately, this ambassador needs a lift, and she was wondering if you would be kind enough to offer her one."

"I want to get back to Kel'ar Iy as soon as we can," she tells you, her voice far more urgent than her smiling face would indicate. "Last night I had a look around and everything I've seen tells me that these 'Rebels' are indeed genuine about their intentions, and about the accusations they have made about this Bureau. If this is all true, we will have to rethink our policies towards the Federation in a hurry.

"So let's take our download of their library," she tells you in a slightly louder voice, "and say our farewells to our new friends."

You are beginning to wonder about Mu'Randa's abilities. She seems to not only be a consummate diplomat, but also a very capable spy. You shake your head and follow her as she leaves the bar.

"How's everything going?" she asks cheerfully. You mutter something noncommittal to which she laughs before turning back to her companion. "I've never met anyone quite so closed-mouthed before.

"This is Mu'Evlin," she continues, indicating her fellow Mu'hari. "Mu'Evlin, this is... hmmm... we'll call you 'Ory'hara' for now."

You cannot help but notice that not only Mu'Evlin, but several members of the worker caste in the area look surprised when Mu'Randa introduces you as 'Ory'hara'.

"Mu'Evlin needs to get to [Return Stellar] in the [Return System] system," Mu'Randa tells you without further explanation, "can you get him there?"

"Tell Mu'Randa that I have made contact," he says after you exchange greetings, "and that so far nobody has heard anything detrimental about this Bureau, but plenty about these Rebels. But we will continue looking into the situation more deeply rather than relying on media reports for our intelligence.

"Also, pass on that in all probability," he continues quietly, "I will have to call for further Mu'hari to be brought to the Federation in the future to liaise with Mu'hari in different areas of Federation space.

"And finally," he finishes sincerely, "I wanted to thank you again for your help. You are becoming known throughout Polaris space as someone that can be turned to at any time for help, Ory'hara."

Mu'Evlin's investigation is coming up with a few too many blanks. It is almost as if somehow evidence is being deleted faster than we can find it and follow it up. I need a new approach. Interested?

You walk down to the bar, where you recognize Eamon sitting at a dark table at the rear of the bar because of the intense stillness around him. You still cannot 'read the weaves' as he calls the way he views the universe, but you know that nobody else around has the ability to control the space around them as utterly as he does.

"I wasn't expecting you to pick me out quite so easily," he congratulates you as you sit down. "The speed with which you have picked up what you have is almost alarming. I have never even heard of someone learning to discern the weaves so quickly."

While I am looking into the info given to us by Flannigan, the Nil'kemorya have sent word that a number of Auroran ships have begun gathering in the [Return System] system. Are you prepared to go and have a look?

"So, the Polaris have discovered us here again," he rumbles quietly. "Your people are indeed resourceful."

As he talks, a steady and orderly stream of warriors exit surrounding buildings until you are facing exactly one hundred Auroran warriors.

"Still," the original warrior ruminates slowly, "it will be interesting to see if they have as much warning this time if we launch immediately and destroy their spy."

He looks at you and smiles almost wickedly.

"Don't worry," he intones arrogantly, "we won't cut you down here, it isn't really a fair fight. But you will leave this place immediately, and we will pursue you. With your fancy ship, that's fair enough for my standards. We will see just how capable you Polaris are."

With that, he nods to a couple of his warriors who walk you back into your ship and close the hatch behind you. As soon as you get back to the bridge you resolve to try to head back to [Return Stellar] in the [Return System] system, simply because it is the closest Polaris system. As soon as you begin warming up your engines you hear the radio buzzing with an alert call from the Aurorans informing all ships that you are to be destroyed.

I have set a few things in motion and I am now ready to act upon Eamon's suggestion. Interested in helping out?

"I see you've been working hard," she compliments you regarding your new abilities. "Every time I meet you, you seem to have noticeably improved!

"But that's not why I'm here," she shakes her head, losing her smile. "We have discovered that New England is the secret headquarters for the Bureau, and, with a little digging, we have managed to verify quite a number of the claims made by the Rebels regarding the actions of the Bureau. I will spare you the details, but it isn't pretty. Many of the things done by the Bureau can best be described as sickening.

"Anyway," Mu'Randa continues, shaking off her grim mood, "we need someone to head over to the Rebels and inform them that we are prepared to open diplomatic ties with them.

"Interested?"

"We have spoken to the rest of the Rebel leaders," Dr. Pentecost begins formally, "and we have decided by unanimous vote to accept the Polaris offer to open diplomatic talks."

"The first ambassador will be Dr. Pentecost himself," General Smart takes over, "but once he has set up our embassy, he will be replaced as he is far too valuable to our cause to be away for too long."

"How soon until the Polaris will be ready for us?" asks Dr. Pentecost seriously.

"I see that you are still practicing," she smiles, but you sense a cautionary note beneath her facade and you bring into being a weave indicating your curiosity. "Those of us who have learned to at least guide our own weaves, after a period of learning, choose to control our weaves so as not to overly influence those around us."

You suddenly understand that she is not here to send you on another mission, but that she is concerned about your training, and your well-being.

"That's right," she answers gently, "but I'm not the only one. Many Polarans are worried that you cannot continue learning at the rate you are without at least a little guidance and help.

"Are you prepared to listen to some advice?"

You look up to see the Vell-os looking down at you smiling.

"You have a great deal of skill," he compliments you. "I was forced to use my telepathic abilities to merge with the spirit of the universe for a moment. You have learned much. I think that you might be the one who will do what is necessary to help us into the veil. Come, we will talk more in my private rooms."

"It appears that a large fleet of Auroran ships is attempting to smash though our borders," he informs you quietly. "I think that it may be beneficial for your training if you participated in the defense of our nation.

"Are you willing to risk your life for our people?" he asks seriously, his weaves showing his desire for you to do so.

"It appears that another large fleet of Auroran ships is attempting to prove themselves against us," he informs you quietly. "I think that it is another good opportunity to continue your training.

"Are you willing once again to risk your life for our people?" he asks seriously, his weaves exactly matching those of the universe around him so as to completely mask his feelings.

"How did you get so close without disturbing the weaves?" she asks, slightly startled. You smile quietly and jump between her weaves and twist them around her.

"You really are Ory'hara..." she whispers in awe. "I had heard that Master Arando had said that you had moved beyond his capability to teach, but I could hardly believe such a thing in so little time. He is possibly the greatest warrior in our history, and for him to admit that you could master him if you chose is almost unbelievable, but now I see that he was only speaking the truth."

She shakes herself for a moment, recovering.

"The actual reason I'm here is to ask for your help again," she tells you sheepishly. "We need someone to help scout out Auroran space. Interested?"

"They have graciously given us the location of the planet Rimerta to help guide us on our way," announces Mu'Sentan after he sits down. "They have also given us a map of the local area to help speed our way over the initial journey."

You nod wondering why Mu'Sentan needed a warrior escort to tell you this.

"They wanted to see the man who honored their battle brothers by using them to prove his worth as a warrior," Mu'Sentan explains after you raise a subtle weaving questioning their presence. "They have fought the Nil'kemorya before, and they acknowledge them as perhaps the strongest warriors in the universe, but they have never seen your like, Ory'hara."

After recovering his composure Drengar shakes his head, smiling, "Stop showing off, Ory'hara," he chuckles. You sense that every warrior in the room is rocked to their very core with your display of mastery over the universe.

Not long after you sense the approach of Mu'Sentan.

"Well, things are getting interesting," he tells you after he sits down. "I have learned that these 'Dechtakars' are a group of warriors that have no loyalty to any house, only to the Empire as a whole. From what I have been able to gather from the other warriors I have talked with, they are thought of very highly by the warriors of the five houses, which surprises me given that they don't have much respect for each other."

"I have a message for Mu'Randa," he tells you after he sits down. "Firstly, I will be staying here for a while to learn as much as I can from the Elders of the Heraan House. Secondly, it appears the Aurorans are launching battle-group level attacks in an attempt to distract Federation intelligence from a major attack to come soon, although the Heraan Elders are more than a little suspicious of the motives behind the Moash House setting this in motion. They believe that the Moash Elders have some ulterior motive for it all, but, as yet, they have been able to prove nothing."

He turns to Drengar, "Are you willing to stay also? I ask because Auroran politics is something of a violent business, and I may not have the skills I need to defend myself. Plus, of course, Techerakh noticed you earlier today and commented that you are a very talented student, and he would be honored to train with you."

"I'm glad you stopped by, Ory'hara," he says after you exchange greetings. "As we find ourselves to be in a bit of a bother. None of our analyses have helped us get any closer to solving the mystery of the Krypt. The only thing we have been able to do is verify that what Llyrell said about the Krypt Pods being made of nanites is true. Other than that we keep running up against dead ends.

"We were wondering," he continues almost pleadingly, "if you could go on another journey for us to see if we can gather some more information? I warn you, this mission may be very dangerous."

"I am glad that our paths have once again crossed," she tells you with a smile, "as I wanted to show you something that the P'aedt and the Ver'ash have been working on recently.

"You are of course aware that the Vell-os still suffer as slaves under the brutal guidance of the Bureau," she breathes, "and we have long wanted to find a way of freeing them from their onerous burden. Well, recently a young Ver'ash came up with a fairly reasonable theory as to how we might actually go about it.

"Interested?"

"Ver'Lahir and her team have duplicated your success," she tells you with a smile. "Now we can move our operation up a notch."

You can feel Mu'Randa's mind working deviously, and you raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Now that you are with us," she tells you, "we must prepare for the reintegration of humanity; we cannot stick to our isolationist policy any longer. So we must begin preparing the way.

"You see, now that we can free one Vell-os," she continues explaining, "we can aid the rebels in their efforts to destroy the Bureau. You see, without the enslaved Vell-os, the Bureau will no longer be able to put up show trials where 'supposedly free' Vell-os are meant to read the minds of the accused and make judgement on them. In reality, they are told precisely what their judgements are going to be ahead of time by their Bureau masters. The end result will be the discrediting of the Bureau (and hopefully its destruction) and so a more reasonable Federation government.

"Interested in helping out?"

When you finally exit your ship you casually merge with universe and bring into existence a weave which turns her head towards you. After a moment of awed shock she makes her way over.

"You have become very difficult to track down," she begins reverently. "I used to be able to sense your presence directly even from many systems away, but as your skills have increased it has become almost impossible to sense you directly at all, even from across the room. Instead I have to track you by sensing the reactions of others to recognizing your presence, which is far more difficult."

You almost wince when you are reminded of how the Polaris have come to think of you, but you keep your face and mind blank.

"Regardless," she says more seriously, "the reason I'm here is because I have urgent information that needs to get into the right hands. Can I count on you?"

You greet both your friends with a warm smile and handshake before thanking Techerakh for bringing them along.

"I had nothing to do with it," Techerakh smiles, gently shaking his head. "Young Drengar here sensed the disturbance you caused earlier at the docks and insisted on seeing you."

You laugh and thank him anyway.

"Anyway, before you get too carried away reminiscing about old times," Techerakh continues more seriously, "we need your help. We need someone to get the attention of the Dechtakar Elders on Rimerta, but because of the threat of invasion, we really can't spare any House warriors. Can you help us?"

"Why didn't you wait for me?" he asks, and you sense that he is mildly annoyed.

You answer that you sensed him coming and decided to meet him on the way to save a little time.

"I apologize for ever doubting your motives," he breathes sincerely and you wave it away, telling him you didn't mind.

You quickly go through your pre-flight checklist, aware of Du'Nakh's eyes widening every time you use your abilities to flick switches and push buttons without moving from your seat in the command chair.

"Your abilities truly are amazing," Du'Nakh marvels after Techerakh joins the two of you. "Not even Techerakh here, who is widely acknowledged as the greatest Auroran martial artist in history, could sense such things."

"That's not terribly surprising," Techerakh explains quietly, "Ory'hara is the preeminent warrior in the universe. {G"He" "She"} has not only defeated myself, but also Llyrell, the most talented Vell-os warrior in recent centuries, and has fought to a standstill the almost god-like intelligence that now inhabits what used to be Vell-os space in the galactic north-west.

"I may not be as talented as yourself," Techerakh smiles at your mild surprise, "but I'm not without my own abilities, and I am probably the most widely travelled person in the galaxy, with the possible exceptions of yourself and my Battle-Brother Archindar."

"Sorry for taking so long Ory'hara," Du'Nakh apologizes as he sits down, "but, as you can understand, I had a number of things I had to take care of."

You wave it away, telling him that you don't mind.

"I guess you want to know what's going on?" he asks mildly, and you nod calmly. "The Emperor, his advisers and the three representatives of the Moash House have been sealed in the throne room which will never be opened again as long as the Auroran Empire survives. That is their punishment for their treachery, and as they starve over the coming weeks, they will have plenty of time to think on their misdeeds."

You are a little surprised at the severity of the sentence, but one look at Du'Nakh's face tells you that he has no doubts about the suitability of their punishment.

As you slowly prepare to disembark, you know that they will ask you to once again face the Krypt.

It seems like every head in the spaceport turns to watch you leave your ship, and more than one Polaris casts a sidelong look in the direction of the small group waiting for you before deliberately looking away. You walk over and nod in greeting, but none of them want to break the ice.

"You know why we have come," states Llyrell, quietly pleading. "But you cannot know the whole story. We cannot evolve past the veil unless we have the Krypt-tokh to focus us, it is the way our mind is set up. More than that, we have no desire to leave them behind.

"Will you help us?"

During these struggles you peripherally notice the departure of the Vell-os beyond the physical realm, and with a nod of your head you say goodbye and wish them well. With your enhanced senses you can still feel them wandering around the edges of your awareness, occasionally touching the physical plane as they learn more about their new realm.

Finally you land on Mu'ar Haro, and you sense the relieved Mu'Randa waiting for you. You know that she wants you to give her a lift to Kel'ar Iy to pass on to the Polaris leaders that their unspoken debt to the Vell-os is now paid.

"I will take you," you tell her before she can speak, and you almost wince at the wonder in her eyes.

"The hour is up, Ory'hara," Bis Andreya reminds you politely. "We are here to listen to your plan."

You smile an empty sad smile, knowing that you are going to manipulate them into destroying their own beautiful civilization.

"Join me on the [Ship Name]," you say quietly, "there is something I want to remind you of, and it is best that you see it for yourselves."

With that you get up and lead back to your ship before heading out into space on your way to [Travel Stellar] in the [Travel System] system, to remind them of the sacrifice of one of their historical heroes, Iusia. With luck they will understand the significance of what you are trying to say.