Song of the Solitaire

[HistoryDude]

There it is - an evil cliffhanger! Given your hint, though... who's about to kidnap Tenna? And why didn't they take Trig or one of the members of this conclave?

Also, "this universe is but the shadow of a dream"? What does that mean? Is it a reference to the Vultaum and what they discovered? If so, when did the conclave learn that?

 

[Macavity116]

Once again, interrupted just as they start getting answers...

Yeah, this is becoming a thing in this story, isn't it?

Also, "this universe is but the shadow of a dream"? What does that mean?

Oh, this is a really deep cut to a part of Stellaris the players rarely ever see:

If you start the game using the "Teachers of the Shroud" Origin and then progress more than halfway through "Become the Crisis" the Shroudwalker Enclave will directly confront you and attempt to stop you from finishing the Crisis path. The Elder will remind you that the Universe is but the shadow of a dream and urges you to stand down. Malum's response "This is my destiny. Do not stand in my way." is pulled directly from the dialogue choice in which the player chooses to defy the Shroudwalkers.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Does that mean he was working on Becoming The Crisis?

 

[Macavity116]

Does that mean he was working on Becoming The Crisis?

Yup. In-game, the Nagyari Khanate did have "Become the Crisis" selected as their third ascension perk.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Well, that's going to shock Trig.

 

[Chac1]

Also, "this universe is but the shadow of a dream"? What does that mean?

The Elder will remind you that the Universe is but the shadow of a dream and urges you to stand down.

"The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream." ~ William Shakespeare

 

[Macavity116]

"The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream." ~ William Shakespeare

No chance of that being a coincidence. Someone at PDX is very well read.

 

[Chac1]

No chance of that being a coincidence. Someone at PDX is very well read.

Indeed. It seems to relate directly to the politics you are discussing and what we might see next.

 

[Macavity116]

This chapter is very important, so I felt comfortable blowing past the self-imposed wordcount limit.

<=== Previous (Chapter 37: The Prophets of the Shroud)

Next (Chapter 39: Hannakon) ===>​

Chapter 38
The Kidnapping of Pontenna Annora​

“Stay here!” Vitruvius barked. The children froze. “You are safer with us.”

Trig and Tenna looked around. Alarms were sounding above them, and it seemed as though the whole Enclave was being roused into action. Deep booming sounds rumbled through the floor and the rock walls. Then, as the conclave of telepaths rose from their seats, a claxon began to sound.

Moments later, a high-ranking MSI contractor answered the conclave’s summons. Running through the tunnel and into the chamber, he touched his earpiece with one hand and cradled a submachinegun in the other. Ignoring the children, he spoke directly to his employers.

“Venerable Elder, we have intruders aboard the space station. I ask you and your guests to remain here in this room. This is a secure place.”

“What about our shipmates!?” Trig protested. “Everyone else is still down in the decon chambers.”

“Stay here!” The contractor ordered.

Then he left. The Elder was staring at Trig through narrowed eyes, and Trig could feel a tingling sensation as he was bombarded by Psionic energy. Once more, the Elder spoke through Vitruvius.

“Dispatch one of our Resonants to the Conduit chamber. The intruders are using it to board the station.”

“The Conduits!” Trig gasped. “That must mean Ellex is attacking!”

“But how?” Tenna replied. “I thought he was still on the Caldorix. Isn’t that ship on its way to Tritonis right now?”

Trig wracked his brains while the Conclave around him turned to face the walls, projecting Psionic energy across the rest of the station. Then, the sense of dread he was feeling ascended into a premonition of impending doom. At the same time, he realized the answer.

“There’s a Conduit on the Caldorix.” Trig said. “I’m so stupid! How did we forget about it! Camber’s had access to the Conduit network this whole time!”

Vitruvius took a step away from the Elder. He waited for Trig to finish his sentence, and then shouted in a powerful voice, amplified by his own power:

“INFILTATORS! I COMMAND YOU TO REVEAL YOURSELVES!”

A cascade of superheated Psionic energy erupted from Vitruvius, spreading out in all directions. It seeped into the walls, spilled through the tunnel, and wafted up to the superstructure above. Trig patted himself down, checking to see if his flightsuit had caught fire. Tenna was doing the same to her hair.

Moments later, there was a peal of gunfire and panicked shouting.

“Camber has been plotting this for some time. He placed Psionic spies on our station, ones powerful enough to escape our notice.” Vitruvius said.

Trig was worried about something closer at hand: there was a noise coming from the tunnel through which he and Tenna had arrived.

“Children, behind me!” Vitruvius yelled as a stranger entered the conclave chamber.

The newcomer was an Olinbar man, dressed in a very resplendent outfit, of the sort normally worn by MSI corporate executives. Trig could see precious metals and stones woven into the fabric, which made the whole ensemble dazzle like starlight.

“Vitruvius!” The executive proclaimed in a loud voice. “My old friend.”

“Thirteen years have passed since we parted ways.” Vitruvius replied. “I daresay we are no longer friends, Avitus. Why are you here?”

Tenna gasped.

“Avitus! He’s one of the Khan’s Chosen!”

She was right. Avitus was one of Malum’s followers entrusted with a Keystone shard, the one Trig had (until this moment) believed was idle on the planet Tritonis.

Trig was now on full alert. He was still experiencing a full-body premonition. Whatever this impending doom was, Avitus was not it. Avitus turned to look at Trig and Tenna.

“I have come here to collect a few things.” He said. “Then, I will be on my way.”

It all happened in about three seconds.

First, there was a cataclysmic eruption of Psionic energy as Avitus was assailed on all sides by the conclave of telepaths.

Then, a bolt of purple light shot out of his hand into the floor. Bits of rock and obsidian turned into shrapnel, flying in all directions.

But before Trig could do or say anything, he heard Tenna scream:

“Trig! Help me!”

An invisible force had seized Tenna and was pulling her across the chamber toward Avitus. At the same time, a twisted and badly damaged robotic arm rose from the floor, a tiny blue object clenched in its fist.

The Keystone shard.

The mechanical arm was part of a larger contraption concealed beneath the floor, and the sound of straining metal told Trig that this machine was attempting to resist the invisible force Avitus commanded.

Trig lunged, so did Avitus, but a pulse of Telekinetic force outpaced them both. The Keystone shard jumped out of the mechanism’s grasp and flew into an outstretched hand. Vitruvius seized the tiny crystal and roared:

“Away with you!”

Another pulse of Psionic energy rolled across the chamber like a tidal wave. A swirling of red cloaks foretold a similar assault by the rest of the conclave. Trig threw himself forward, trying to grab Tenna and stop her being dragged into the crossfire. Avitus turned his attention away from Vitruvius, pointing one palm towards his former comrade while focusing his attention on the young boy.

A concentrated beam of violet light shot away from Avitus’ hand and struck Vitruvius in the face. The old man fell over backwards, collapsing on top of the Venerated Elder, causing both of them to fall. At the same moment, a bolt of lightning jumped from Avitus’ other hand and struck Trig in the chest. His legs went out from under him and the floor rose up to meet his face. Trig yelled in pain, then put his palms to the ground and pushed.

“Trig!” Tenna screamed.

“Let her go!” Trig yelled as he got back to his feet, but Avitus was already fleeing the chamber, with several members of the conclave attempting to give chase.

In his right hand, the Olinbar executive clutched a handful of translucent tendrils that wrapped themselves around Tenna, pulling her along in midair. In his other hand, Avitus was holding the fifth Keystone Shard, taken from Vitruvius as he fell.

“Stop him!” One of the Telepaths yelled.

A shimmering wall materialized in thin air, just ahead of Avitus. Clenching his left hand into a fist, Avitus punched the Psionic barrier and shattered it like glass. Running through the tunnel, Trig briefly saw a flash of Tenna’s red hair before she was out of sight.

Trig began to run. He was younger and stronger than the elderly conclave members, and in a low-gravity environment, he thrived. Trig quickly covered ground, leaving the others behind and racing into the tunnel.

“Tenna!” Trig yelled.

“Trig!” Her voice cried out.

Trig burst into the undercity landscape. It was a scene of chaos. The sounds of gunfire came from somewhere to his right, while to his left, Trig saw dense smoke and the harsh white spray of a fire suppression system.

Trig! I’m this way!

Tenna’s voice, telepathically projected into his mind, guided him. Trig turned away from the distant gunfight and drove himself into the smoke. It stung his lungs, but he found the strength to keep pressing on.

Following Tenna’s Psionic trail, Trig chased Avitus deeper into the station. Down a flight of stairs, across a construction site, through a cave-in zone, and back out into the empty undercity. Every few seconds or so, Trig caught a glimpse of Tenna’s copper-red hair, or heard a telepathic cry for help. Then, after nearly five minutes of frantic chasing, Trig heard the voice of Tenna’s abductor echo through the corridors:

“Alright, time for you to shut up!”

Tenna’s scream of pain was unlike anything Trig had ever heard before. It caused him pain to hear it, and a sense of anguish rolled over Trig, chilling him to the bone. Tenna’s cries were stifled, and the Psionic energy she left behind changed in quality.

Trig did not need to see the small drops of blood on the floor that would have confirmed his guess as to what happened. He knew already: Tenna was no longer conscious.

Heart pounding furiously, a painful stitch in his side, Trig picked up the pace, running so hard he thought he may just kill himself from the effort. But now he was gaining ground! He could see Avitus, running frantically toward the yawning mouth of a cave off the beaten path. Six dead Olinbar lay scattered near the entrance, and two Nagyari men were guarding it, rifles in their hands. They stood aside to let Avitus pass, as well as the now-unconscious form of Tenna, drifting lazily through the air.

“Are you blind!?” Trig screamed as he ran toward the guards. “Stop him!”

It did not occur to Trig that these men were loyal to Avitus, nor did he consider the possibility of needing to fight them, but this would not come to pass.

Trig was so worried about Tenna that he failed to notice a pulse of Psionic energy riding his voice across the cavern. It had an immediate effect on one of the guards, who started to turn and raise his weapon, taking aim at Avitus! His comrade reacted, pointing his own rifle at the sudden rouge, shouting:

“What are you doing!? Same side! Same side!”

There was a peal of gunfire that caused both Avitus and Trig to dive for cover. Two strangled yells cut through the air as both guards collapsed, wounded by gunshots. Trig looked up first, saw what happened, and then made one final lunge at Avitus, but his foe had already reached the final door.

Avitus entered a small, darkened cave that looked utterly unremarkable save for one thing in its center: a stone archway.

Before Trig or Avitus could do anything, a black cloud descended from the ceiling and began to reform itself. Millions upon millions of microscopic nanomachines came together to become... Ponnico.

The old mercenary cracked his knuckles, a murderous gleam in his eyes.

“Don’t tempt me, Avitus. I owe you a few as it is.” Ponnico growled.

“Another time, perhaps.” Avitus replied. “Our master will tell you when he is ready for you to join us.”

Still clutching the Keystone shard in his hand, Avitus reached up to his chest, placing his palm roughly where his heard would be, and then... to Trig’s horror, a flickering blue light illuminated Avitus from within, making his bones and organs visible for just a moment. Ponnico raised his own hand, preparing to strike.

Avitus withdrew his hand from his chest, and it seemed as though a glowing blue light emerged from his heart to rest in his palm. Then, Avitus and Ponnico launched at one another, striking at the same moment.

An invisible force smashed through the cave like a thunderclap, leaving Trig stunned and nearly deaf. The station seemed to tremor under his feet for a moment, and then…

A cone of blue and purple fire erupted out of Avitus’ hand as though from a flamethrower. The violet inferno filled the whole chamber, then backblasted out of the tunnel entrance. Trig threw himself to the ground just before the flames reached him. Searing pain ran across Trig’s back as his flightsuit melted onto his body and he screamed until he ran out of air.

Then, it was finally over. Someone was beating Trig’s head and back with a jacket. It was the MSI security contractor who initially raised the alarm.

“Sorry, kid. Your hair was on fire.” he said.

Trig sat up and looked around. Ponnico, his once-long beard burned away, was kicking the stone arch in frustration, cursing loudly.

“Where are they!?” Trig shouted. “Where’s Tenna?”

“Wherever Avitus chose to go.” Ponnico replied, pointing at the arch. “He's escaped through the Conduit network.”

<=== Previous (Chapter 37: The Prophets of the Shroud)

Next (Chapter 39: Hannakon) ===>​

 

[HistoryDude]

Could this be something that divides Trig and his allies in the future? Ponnico might care about the shards more than Tenna, but I think Trig definitely cares about Tenna more. On the other hand, Avitus does have a keystone shard, so they'll probably still want to go to the same place... for the moment. What if it comes down to saving Tenna or getting the Keystone Shard, though?

Who mind-controlled the guards? Ponnico? One of the members of the Shroudwalker Conclave?

 

[Macavity116]

Avitus does have a keystone shard

For those keeping track at home, Avitus has got two Keystone shards right now. The current score is :

• Trig Shepminter - 3
  • The stone he got from Caera
  • The stone conditionally surrendered by Tenna
  • The stone seized from Veldanura
• Avitus - 2
  • The stone entrusted to him by Malum Ralpakin
  • The stone stolen from Vitruvius
• Hannakon* - 1
  • The stone entrusted to him by Malum Ralpakin

*Because Veldanura kept his mouth shut, Hannakon's whereabouts remain unknown. We don't even know if he is active.

Who mind-controlled the guards? Ponnico?

That was all Trig, but his "control" was very short-lived. He could not sustain that kind of Telepathic influence for more than a few seconds.

 

[Chac1]

Who mind-controlled the guards? Ponnico? One of the members of the Shroudwalker Conclave?

That was all Trig, but his "control" was very short-lived. He could not sustain that kind of Telepathic influence for more than a few seconds.

Initially, didn't Avitus use mind-control on the guards to get them to cover his exit? Or were they traitors working with him already?

 

[Macavity116]

Initially, didn't Avitus use mind-control on the guards to get them to cover his exit? Or were they traitors working with him already?

It wasn't mentioned in this chapter, but a future one will point out that those two men were part of the team Avitus used to invade the station. He brought them through the Conduit and they were both captured alive by the MSI contractors.

 

[Macavity116]

What is that TV Trope where the heroes reluctantly ally themselves to a very clear and obvious "bad guy" due to a pressing need?

<=== Previous (Chapter 38: The Kidnapping of Pontenna Annora)

Next (Chapter 40: A Dangerous Ally) ===>​

Chapter 39
Hannakon​

The invasion of the Shroudwalker Enclave lasted just under a quarter of an hour. As far as anyone could tell, Avitus had brought some twenty fighters through the Conduit with him, while another ten infiltrators had been lurking on the station for weeks, waiting for the signal to strike.

The bulk of the invasion force attempted to seize the power plant and life support systems but were driven back after short firefights. Small skirmishes occurred in other parts of the station, and the results were similar: the invaders withdrew after taking contact, escaping through the Conduit they arrived from. Out of thirty invaders, twenty-six escaped via the Conduit, including Avitus himself. Two were killed, and two more were captured alive. Twelve security contractors were dead and a further twenty wounded.

“The enemy really gave up that quickly?” Captain Kanter asked as Trig brought him up to speed. “It seems like they had the jump on us.”

The crew of the Resonance Cascade had been released from their quarantine chambers, with the exception of Appia. Glossom and Selborne insisted on recovering their weapons from the armory while Caera was disturbed by the news of Tenna’s abduction.

“Avitus took her!?” Caera gasped. “I don’t remember him being the kidnapper type.”

“Neither do I.” Ponnico remarked. “He was not party to the mass abductions in Malum’s time.”

The crew gathered outside of the monastery, having finally been given permission to approach by the MSI contractors. The area was much livelier than the last time Trig was here. Olinbar, Sutharian, and Nagyari workers milled about the monastery complex, cleaning away the wreckage and repairing what they could. Trig had to raise his voice to be heard.

“Avitus looked right at me before he went for Tenna. And he never, like, directly attacked us aside from grabbing her.”

Ponnico started to walk through the entrance to the conclave chamber.

“I need to talk to Vitruvius.” He said.

“No, we need to go after Tenna!” Trig responded, pointing in the direction of the Conduit chamber.

“Where? How?” Ponnico snapped, turning toward Trig. “Young man, we don’t know where Avitus went with her. We have no way to give chase just yet.”

Trig was breathing heavily. He could feel a rising tide of rage in his soul, and he just could not see the point of standing around here to talk. He turned away from the group and started moving toward the Conduit chamber.

“I’m going.” He shouted over his shoulder.

“Boy, you don’t even know where to go!” Rulan called after him.

...

Trig did not care. All he knew was that he needed to go after Avitus and help Tenna, and that he needed to go as quickly as possible. Vitruvius wanted to help, sure, but he had lost his Keystone shard, so what good was he now?

Trig quickly returned to the site of Avitus’ escape. The Conduit chamber was blackened with soot and smelled of sulfur. The blue fire Avitus conjured had done a lot of damage, but the archway was still standing. Trig strained his memory, trying to remember how these Psionic gateways were supposed to work.

Before he could do anything, something happened.

Three men stepped into existence in front of Trig. If he had not been looking in that direction, Trig would not have believed it. A trio of Nagyari men simply stepped forward out of nothingness. Two of them were dressed in full battle fatigues and carrying pulse rifles. The third man had very pale skin, wore a patch over his right eye, and appeared to be very old. All three of these newcomers were standing underneath the stone archway and looked alarmed at the sight of Trig. The two soldiers tensed up, but their elderly companion spoke first.

“We got here as soon as we could.” The old man said. “Is Vitruvius safe? Are Ponnico and his little companion still here?”

“Who the hell are you?” Trig asked, talking a half-step back.

The elderly Nagyari man puffed out his chest, and the blood vessels in his hand and face suddenly stood out in stark contrast. He spoke in a large voice:

“I am Hannakon, once ruler of the Nagyari colony on the Primogenitor world Heegaraa, Satrapy of the Great Khan Malum Ralpakin, builder of the great Galleon Caldorix, and Harbormaster of Praeses Station. Who the hell are you?”

...

It took about ten minutes for Hannakon to convince Trig he was not on the same side as the invaders who took Tenna. Trig got a very strong feeling that Hannakon was reading his mind throughout the conversation. After a short discussion, Hannakon offered to prove his benevolent intentions by allowing Trig to disarm both of his retainers.

It was a very strange sight, a Sutharian teenager taking weapons away from two fully grown Nagyari warriors. But this was how Trig escorted Hannakon into the Shroudwalker Enclave, by carrying a pulse rifle under each arm. As they walked, Hannakon told his story:

Hannakon was the sixth and final member of the Great Khan’s inner circle, despite being almost three decades older than the Khan himself. He was part of the final generation of Nagyari born outside the Luminous Frontier. In the days before the Great Khan, Hannakon managed to gather a small army under his command and became a Warlord. He conquered and ruled over a Nagyari colony located not far from the Galactic Core, setting up his own personal kingdom on an abandoned Primogenitor world called “Heegaraa.” When Malum Ralpakin united the Nagyari people and formed the Horde, Hannakon’s subjects abandoned him, immigrating to the Luminous Frontier. Having lost his conquest, Hannakon abandoned Heegaraa and followed them.

Sometime later, about forty years before Trig was born, Hannakon muscled his way into becoming the harbormaster of an illegal spaceport in the Beyu Star System, one that served as a haven for pirates and smugglers. His criminal organization (built from the last few subjects who still called Hannakon their master) had strong connections to the Beyu Trade Organization, and could have become an interstellar syndicate given time, but Hannakon attracted the attention of MSI, and his “business” was nearly crushed out of existence by security contractors; however, the Great Khan offered his protection.

In return, Hannakon secretly organized and carried out the construction of a unique Galleon-class vessel, and then transferred it to a buyer in Nagyari space. Sometime later, the warship Caldorix made its first appearance on the battlefield. In return for his service, Hannakon was brought into the innermost circle of Nagyari power as the final member of the Khan’s Chosen. He developed Psionic powers during the war, but nowadays Hannakon had very little Psionic energy left and he believed he would soon exhaust his powers forever. Hannakon left the Horde behind after Malum’s death and returned to his criminal empire at Beyu, but knew that Malum’s power still held some kind of hold over him, thirteen years later...

...

The rest of the Cascade crew reacted with shock when Trig brought Hannakon to them. Selborne simply stared at him, her mouth hanging open, while Anfel nervously fiddled with his weapon holster. Caera saw Hannakon approach and then hung her head, staring down at the floor.

Using his telepathic senses, Trig could see an aura of malice briefly appear around Hannakon when he spotted Caera, then disappear when he looked away. They know each other. Trig told himself. Moments later, Ponnico and Vitruvius emerged from the conclave chamber tunnel. Ponnico was leading Vitruvius by the arm, as the old telepath had bandages wrapped around his eyes and could not see.

“Hannakon the shipmaker. I am so glad you answered my call for help.” Vitruvius remarked.

“Those telepathic things didn’t really give me a choice.” Hannakon replied, sounding very angry. “What foolish errand have you dragged me into.”

“Come into the chamber, all of you.” Vitruvius said, turning his head in such a way that Trig wondered if he really was blind. “We must talk about what has happened and what must happen next.”

“Are you sure we can trust this Hannakon guy?” Selborne whispered to Bronley. “He did show up with two armed soldiers. What would have happened if Trig wasn’t at the Conduit when they arrived?”

Glossom and Rulan also visibly hesitated. They looked at Ponnico, who in turn shot an expression at Hannakon.

“By chance, do you know the reason why my companions and I came to the Enclave?” Ponnico asked.

“No.” Hannakon replied. “I genuinely believed I would never see your traitorous face again, Ponnico. Were Vitruvius somewhere else, I’d cut your head off… Though I can assume you weren’t here for a friendly chat. I would greatly appreciate it if someone told me what the hell is happening here and why Vitruvius over there thought to call me for help.”

“Alright.” Ponnico said. “Then we all follow the Venerable Brother to hear what he has to say.”

Reluctantly, the mercenary team started moving toward the conclave chamber. Trig refused to move.

“What about Tenna!?” He demanded.

“We will do something to help her.” Captain Kanter said.

“But right now, we cannot do anything without knowing more, or without a plan.” Rulan added. “Trig, it is good that you want to help her, but as we are right now, we just can’t. Let’s do something about that.”

<=== Previous (Chapter 38: The Kidnapping of Pontenna Annora)

Next (Chapter 40: A Dangerous Ally) ===>​

 

[HistoryDude]

I think the trope you're referencing is Enemy Mine...

Does that red text have any relevance in the story?

Does this "Heegaraa" have anything to do with Hiigara from the Stormbreakers Universe? Is this confirmation that the Luminous Frontier and that AAR series share a multiverse? If it is, will that ever become relevant to the plot, and how do the Shroud-Beings still exist in this universe?

 

[Macavity116]

Does that red text have any relevance in the story?

Yes and no. The audiobook companion video really did have a technical problem so serious I was forced to take it down almost immediately.

After the fact, I saw the opportunity to tie this error into the major plot twist lurking in the Grand Finale, so I employed both light red text and used the "I am speaking in character" font to make sure attention was drawn to it.

[if you can see this message, it means the video has been restored | 8:51pm Eastern Standard Time, Jan 26]

When I fix the youtube video, it will be restored to the post, but for now, it remains unlisted.
Once I deal with the above mentioned issue, the video will be restored.

Does this "Heegaraa" have anything to do with Hiigara from the Stormbreakers Universe? Is this confirmation that the Luminous Frontier and [The Stormbreaker Universe] share a multiverse?

Yes! You are so incredibly close to the correct answer it's hurting my soul. In this case, I have to just give you the win because you are 99.999% of the way there.

I am now going to share the post I've been plotting for months, waiting for the opportunity to share:

---

HistoryDude is correct. ​

Song of the Solitaire is set in the same universe as one of my previous Stellaris stories. The Last Heroes, to be specific. This new tale is set in the "distant future," many hundreds of thousands of years after the Rescue at Cape Canaveral, the climactic final action of the final entry in the Stormbreaker Universe. The Galaxy is a very different place, but it is the same one visited in 10 of my previous AARs.

The Luminous Frontier is, in fact, a frequently-seen region of my old Galaxy going under a new name with new inhabitants. The Hiigarans, Taiidani, Humans, and Vaygr are long gone, but a whole new story is playing out among the people who live in the region once known as the "Shining Hinterlands."

Stellaris version 2.1, the game used to build the Stormbreaker Universe, has been left behind. We now live in the world of Stellaris 3.10 and all of the narrative consequences that comes with it.

We have come home, but it is not the same as how we left it.

 

[Chac1]

After the fact, I saw the opportunity to tie this error into the major plot twist lurking in the Grand Finale, so I employed both light red text and used the "I am speaking in character" font to make sure attention was drawn to it.

Interesting use of a YouTube "anomaly" to advance your story! I had no idea there was a special font to "speak in character."

However, my "suspension of disbelief" klaxons are sounding once more after Chapter 39. First, I find it difficult to believe that the Conduit chamber wouldn't be heavily guarded if not completely sealed off. What type of security do they have at the Shroudwalker Enclave?

The invasion of the Shroudwalker Enclave lasted just under a quarter of an hour. As far as anyone could tell, Avitus had brought some twenty fighters through the Conduit with him, while another ten infiltrators had been lurking on the station for weeks, waiting for the signal to strike.

This is what needs further explaining and I had difficulty believing: ten infiltrators in an Enclave full of telepaths. Those telepathic experts were able to read Trig and Tenna before they arrived at the Enclave while they were in space but they weren't able to detect infiltrators in their midst? Avitus must have some amazing psionic shielding powers or something else is at work here.

The rest is holding together, but this latest raid doesn't work for me. At least not yet, sorry to say.

 

[Macavity116]

Interesting use of a YouTube "anomaly" to advance your story!

I wish it wasn't necessary. I prefer planning these things out rather than writing off the cuff.

I had no idea there was a special font to "speak in character."

Yeah, this concept has been enforced ever since The Stormbreakers, but did not become important until Year of Hell/The Great Lie. I like to lean heavily on the fourth wall, blurring it on regular occasion and breaking it outright once in a while.

In a nutshell, I am not the same person as Blake "Macavity116" Robinson, creator of the Stormbreaker Universe, Grand Theft Stellaris, Year of Hell/The Great Lie, and Song of the Solitaire. He is a fictional character existing within the story itself. When you see text written in Times New Roman, it means that Blake is speaking and that text should be considered part of the story... like the author's internal monologue. (or the "Word of God," as the folks over at TV Tropes like to say)

I find it difficult to believe that the Conduit chamber wouldn't be heavily guarded if not completely sealed off. What type of security do they have at the Shroudwalker Enclave?

The only security at the Enclave was being provided by MSI contractors. Even if they did get lax in the 13 years since the Khan's death, or were misdirected by the as-yet unexplained warning sent to Vitruvius, I agree that this comes across as a major oversight.

Those telepathic experts were able to read Trig and Tenna before they arrived at the Enclave while they were in space but they weren't able to detect infiltrators in their midst? Avitus must have some amazing psionic shielding powers or something else is at work here.

Looking back, this does come across as a definite oversight. Doubly so now that @HistoryDude has blown my cover and outed Song of the Solitaire as a stealth sequel to The Last Heroes. This means the magic system Psionics system should be functionally identical to the one used in Song of the Solitaire's now-predecessor.

Under the rules I established back in 2009, (Yes, the Stormbreaker Universe is that old) Gifted people can detect the presence of deception. Full details of lies can't be revealed without deeper probing, but the intention to lie can be spotted with proper training and practice. The infiltrators should have been detected at a much earlier point.

Avitus doesn't have the ability to shield others from mind-reading, so unless he received help from a third party like Ellex Camber or the Malevolent Force from Chapter 33, then these infiltrators have somehow broken the very rules and laws this Universe was built upon, which is... not impossible.

 

[Chac1]

It is quite possible that my mind is about to explode after reading all that. I'm sure there are folks here on the Forums that would cheer that or like to watch, but there's no denying the feeling is there.

Could that be Avitus or Ellex Camber, with their psionic powers, actually reaching out from the story to deal with a disbeliever?!!

Just realizing that there is a God-like entity using Blake "Macavity116" Robinson for its own ends adds to my unnerved feelings. Now, it is entirely possible that a being like The Watcher from the Marvel MCU exists in this space too!

 

[Macavity116]

It is quite possible that my mind is about to explode after reading all that.

And that is why I tried to bury the lead with Song of the Solitaire being set in the Stormbreaker Universe and connected to The Great Lie via multiverse. I was very worried potential new readers were overwhelmed, especially if they have not read the previous stories. I'm trying to write this story with a very low barrier to entry, so that anyone can read it and understand what's going on without needing to go back to read previous entries.

Also, if you ever spot me over at the BAAR, I am nearly always in-character as Blake "Macavity116" Robinson in that thread. I messed with it's fourth wall a few years back. A background character from My Father's War (one of my older stories) is currently employed at the BAAR as waitstaff.

Just realizing that there is a God-like entity using Blake "Macavity116" Robinson for its own ends adds to my unnerved feelings. Now, it is entirely possible that a being like The Watcher from the Marvel MCU exists in this space too!

Yeah, I've gotten up to some really trippy stuff in the past. In one of my previous stories, I created a full-on PDX forums account for one of my characters after she smashed through the fourth wall to chew me out in the real world. Song of the Solitaire is a return to normalcy by comparison.

@Cali D'Kara are you still in Stockholm?

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*Sees the spoiler content*

You know what? That's close enough. Hint #5 is now visible on my Inkwell page.