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[@Dragonruby]

Ua-Menlir sat in his quarters, listening as his advisor played audio from the latest rendezvous at the Terran embassy. As usual, half of it was spoken in the Ophisian tongue and the other half was spoken in the single-mouthed language of the xenos. The two civilizations found themselves struggling early on with verbal communication, as neither party could replicate the sounds of the other decently enough to be understood. Once written communication was more solidified, they agreed that it would be acceptable if they could at least understand each other's language, even if they could not speak it themselves. And so, the Terrans and the Ophisians met frequently at the embassy, and the conversations were recorded by each party. 

He found it boring. Though he had yet to meet a human, he had already made up his mind about what sort of creatures they were. Weak, co-dependent, and uninteresting. Nonetheless, he insisted his advisor bring him the embassy recordings each month so he might understand their language. Cries for mercy are more savory when you can understand them.

The embassy was constructed shortly after Lord Amenmesh had made First Contact, built near the L4 anomaly that the xenos had come through. Amenmesh had taken the full economic burden of the project, which made it the Amenmesh-Terran embassy in Ua-Menlir's eyes. Still, the fool gave every Lord and Lord's advisor the opportunity to use the station, as if the Warlords of the Ouroboros were all on good, cooperative terms. Of the seven brother-lords, only two had bothered to take Amenmesh's offer. 

Zisuthra the Steadfast held the most meetings at the embassy, more than Amenmesh himself. Megalu -- the Aberrant -- occasionally accompanied Amenmesh or Zisuthra, but never visited the aliens without another Lord. He was still young, trying to grasp the precepts of rulership. Ua-Menlir was certain his eccentric nature was not easing the learning process.

"Would you like me to replay it, my Lord?" Al-Abil, Heretic Menlir's advisor, stood at the side of the room by the computer controls. 

"No. You are dismissed."

"I am not." Al-Abil made no motion to leave. "The Church has set a date for the Congregation."

"For what matter?"

"Have you forgotten?"

"I have not been informed," Ua-Menlir rumbled angrily. "You have told me nothing of a Congregation."

"I apologize, my Lord. Lord Ikishun has petitioned to invoke an ancient rite. His brothers have rallied behind him, and the Church has heard their request. The Congregation will be in approximately a megasecond."

"What rite? What lie has he fed the Church from his [i]'archive'[/i] this time?" Ua-Menlir stood hastily, fuming. A megasecond would be barely enough time for him to reach the Basilica.

"Lugal Gu'Enak. You should know this term well, heretic." Al-Abil allowed her disgust and contempt for Ua-Menlir to show for the first time.

[i]King of the Assembly. Lord of Lords.[/i]

Ua-Menlir hastened to board his vessel.

---

A battle-scarred moon orbiting a long dead world. Lord Ugar stood in the observatory, looking out at the planet that dominated the Basilica's sky. Here and there, the clouds broke away and a glimpse of the surface could be seen. Many areas were still burning, a thousand years later. The surface would still be warm a thousand years after Ugar left this realm, maybe more.

The Basilica was the oldest religious site in Ouroboros space, and it showed. It was built sturdy, in an era where war dominated far more than it did in the present. Still, most of the Basilica had been destroyed in that war. None are alive who knew the site's true name or what it looked like before it was struck to the ground by nuclear wrath. So the priests named it after the remaining structure, repaired what they could, and declared it the site of Congregation. Ugar made his way back to the Basilica proper.

Rumor had it that Amenmesh had been granted approval to invite a Terran ambassador to the ceremony, but there was still no sign of the Lord or the xeno. All but Amenmesh and Ua-Menlir were accounted for. Lord Nosi the Last, who abused the trust of his brother-lords. Lord Zisuthra the Steadfast, who contained the Heretic's crusade. Lord Megalu the Aberrant, the exception to the Laws of Astrogation. Lord Ikishun the Poet, a preserver of knowledge and savior of his bloodline. And Ugar himself, noteworthy for only his age.

The priests gathered their Lords in the Basilica's main chamber, seating them in a semi-circle around the raised apse at the head of the room. The Lords sat in silence as their attendant priests disappeared into another chamber. Soon, the Congregation would begin, with or without the Heretic and the Pious.

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