Taoshe

The crew of the Syren quickly piled in the light armored vehicle followed by Valag, closing the door behind him. Velka pounded her fist on the wall twice as the door closed signaling the driver to pull off before the vehicle quickly shot forward. Speed limits were mostly non existent on the empty roads of the capital and the driver made sure take advantage of that fact, pushing the armored vehicle as hard as it can go. For a rather large armored truck the vehicle could really move, pushing 90-120 miles per hour as it whipped around corners. To the Aradites this was normal, speed was a normal part of life on the core worlds but this might be alarming to the other species in the vehicle. 

Valag looked around the vehicle with a large toothy smile before standing and opening the large top hatch, letting the sun pour into the dark interior. “ This reminds me of when we took this city back from the Kublai family. I was riding in one of these same vehicles going down this same road” he said looking up into the sky. “ It took us three days to take this city, three days of bloody house to house, street to street fighting”. Valag sighed as he looked at the buildings flying by “ It looked a lot different back then, everything was bombed out or on fire. Bodies, destroyed vehicles so much rubble….it was a beautiful sight…..such a glorious victory. Some Aradites go their whole lives without seeing a shred of combat and I never understood why someone wouldn’t want to. When I was younger it was all about the fight, all about combat…I loved it. Now, I see that it was for the moments you dont see every day like having a meal in the remains of a bombed out apartment bloc, or watching a city get pummeled from orbit” he said turning the face the group. “ I am bringing you all here to facilitate war against a nation…..a people…a species, but I also want peace to exist between us. We are all judged by the specters of our past, lets hope it doesn’t sour our relations.” 

As Valag finished his speech the vehicle came to a smooth stop in front of a large domed building supported by large columns. There was a skeleton guard outside and large black box directly in the center of the open structure. Velka was the first to open the door and jump out of the back of the truck followed by the remained of the Syren’s crew. “ Follow me, what you are about to see will blow your mind” Velka said as she lead the group towards the large black box in the center of the structure. She led the group inside the box and pressed a series of holographic buttons making the door close, bathing the interior of the elevator in darkness. The elevator descended through the ground for a few moments passing lights as it made its way down through the darkness before revealing a large chasm. It would look like an underground city, every inch covered by lights and large skyscraper type buildings. As the elevator stopped at the bottom, the doors slowly opened, revealing a large open room with relics from past conflicts hanging off the walls. There would be another team of admirals and other distinguished officers at the bottom, waiting to greet the new species.