ISD 16172 - Battle of Emesh

Lord HADRIAN MARLOWE's first encounter with the Cielcin Clan Otiolo, which traveled to Emesh to visit the ancient ruins at Calagah on Emesh.

Following the Battle of Emesh, the Meidua Red Company was concocted as a front by Hadrian Marlowe and Raine Smythe of the 437th Centaurine Legion with the express purpose of locating the Extrasolarian kingdom of Vorgossos, where it was rumored the Cielcin and Extrasolarians had established diplomatic agreements.

Notable First Appearances:

ITANI UVANARI AYATOMN, ichakta captain of the starship Yad Ga Higatte and a proud military officer

CASANTORA TANARAN IAKATO, baetan priest-historian of the scianda.

RAINE SMYTHE, Knight-Tribune

BASSANDER LIN, Lieutenant

LADY KALIMA ALIARADA UDIRI DI SAYYIPH, Satrap of Ubar

OLORIN MILTA, a Maeskolos swordmaster of the Fire School

JINAN AZHAR, a promising young officer

Near at hand, someone shouted, “A meteor?”

“Impossible!” another voice declared.

“A ship!” screamed a third. “One of ours?”

“Cielcin!” I lost track of the speakers, of the faceless members of this Attic chorus crying that the army was at the gates. “It’s the Cielcin!” Fear is a strange thing, irrational, but incredible in the way it achieves truth faster than reason.

My ears still rang, and my eyes ached from the fireball. The sky above was scored with streaks of light, the stars lost in the confusion, finer points shimmering in the vaulted airs of heaven, white against the Dark. From the ground it was beautiful, well and truly beautiful, an angry red tower of flame and smoke falling as a sword upon the world. Without needing to be told, I knew our chorus was correct, knew that a ship was falling, smitten by ships more distant still. I knew those fine points of light in heaven were the drive-glows of lighter wings, tiny ships holding no more than two men each deployed to cover and blockade Emeshi airspace.

And I knew. Knew with the bitter certainty of fear.

The Cielcin had come.

Empire of Silence, Chapter 67: Lost Time