Audience with Ra
Posted on Fri Nov 23rd, 2018 @ 7:16pm by Ensign Avendar Jurot
Mission:
Escaped Pantheons
Location: Counselors quarters
Timeline: Enroute to the galactic core
For eternities, I wandered from planet to planet, molding myself to the natives I find. I assisted them with my power; cultivated them. All I asked was their worship.
Unlike so many of my kind, I am still worshipped on many worlds. To them, I am the everlasting light of day- that giver of life.
Yet, I am troubled. My spirit is vexed. I cannot show weakness among my kind, or to my worshippers... but there may be a way to solve my problem.
The winds of Qxyydl brought news of one of the later pretenders being defeated by one of my previous species. This "Starfleet" even had a being who served as a reliquary for one of progenitors- a means of evaluation and intelligence. The pretender removed it from this being. Yet I am intrigued, and I haven't been intrigued in ages. Perhaps this "Starfleet" could quietly provide even a little spark of intuition that even I have not considered.
I have found them. They are bound for Ymixxxyl, in the Center. First, isolate the being. Now, to reveal myself.
"Chief Counselor Avendar Jurot, I have need of...". She does not comprehend. My appearance is hurting her. She is mortal. I will adapt.
The Being shades its eyes from my power with its left arm, while touching its left breast- female- with her right hand. "Security! Counselors quarters!"
She speaks Galactic standard. "Your device will not work, Chief Counselor Avendar Jurot. Nor can any sense my presence, not even your Captain. I would speak with you without interruption. You stand before the Sunrise of Life; of He who is the Bringer of Light; the Eternal; Ra the Fire of Existence!"
My Power reduced, she now looks at me. Her hair is the color of old fire- she is a fine example of the female humanoid form, yet not human. Of course- a human could not endure Gaia.
"Great Ra, I am humbled by your presence," she says.
"I see your kind knows a bit of courtesy, mortal. I shall allow you to address me without honorifics, as time, as you know it, is short."
"Why are you here, Great one?"
"I seek... a neutral opinion, Counselor. As your soul withstood a fragment of a Titan, I thought maybe some of her ancient wisdom may have disseminated into you."
The mortal looks slightly confused. Interesting- her perception extends beyond her mortal senses. "Gaia left me scarred, Great one. However, I will help if it's within my power, and within Starfleet regulations."
I will reduce to her size, and create a throne worthy of me. And with a thought, it is done, and I sit upon my Golden seat.
Know, mortal, that my power, while nowhere near what it was, is still fresh and vital. I am still worshipped on countless worlds. My kind are older than this reality, yet we are, in a way, symbiotes. As I helped my worshippers using fractions of my power, their worship gave me much more power in return. So was formed the symbiosis. As it was, so shall it ever be. Do you understand?
The mortal nods.
My ancient enemy was Apep, whose chaos took the form of a serpent. As its form was chaos incarnate, I attempted several aspects in my quest to end the Chaos, and restore the balance. I struck a bargain with one of my daughters called Bast in this reality, where her sphere is protection and feline life forms. She allowed me to independently use a Feline form in exchange for a boon to be granted later.
"I assume she still exists. Have you ever repaid her?"
"Yes, she exists, but in a much reduced aspect. She is still worshipped on a small handful of worlds, including one in your Federation: Cait."
The mortal nods again. "So you're still more powerful than her, as you have more worshippers?"
"Yes. You are correct." Impressive. She is more intuitive than I gave her credit for being.
"One of the species who worship her were eliminated by a race of mechanisms who call themselves 'Borg.'
Interesting. She stiffened at the mention of that word.
"I see they are no stranger to you, mortal."
"Great Ra, they killed my Iz... mate. And, if you would so honor me, please call me Avendar. As you have come to me seeking my thoughts, it would ease my emotions."
Monogamous pairing. How quaint. "I shall, Avendar. As her worshipers were reduced, so was her power. She now wished me to grant her the boon I promised her so long ago.
"She seeks power from you, her father."
"Yes, Avendar. Your insight serves you well. However, as my daughter Isis stole much of my power at a time of my weakness, I have none to spare."
"Can't you ask Isis to give some power to Bast?"
"No. She squandered her power. She never understood the symbiosis. She thought the way to acquire power was to take it from others, like her husband Osiris, whom she slew, sending him to rule the underworld. Through time, she has slaughtered more of her kin, until the survivors shunned her. Her power waned to almost nothing, as Isis never cultivated other beings to worship her. She now dwells in Ymixxxyl: the Center, where your ship is bound.
"So Bast wants your power, but you can't spare it. I assume you are honor bound to grant her request, as she completed her part of the bargain?"
Correct. All of my kind, from the mightiest to the lowest, must always complete... you would call them 'promises.' Without that, the symbiosis fails, and we vanish. Some of my kind may twist the meaning of their words, but they always fulfill their promises."
"What about Love? The love a father for his daughter? Isn't Love a power? Could it be that the power she seeks is your Love- her father's love?"
I consider this for a moment. "It is in a way, as you understand it. It is also a conduit. As I love my worshippers, and they love me, so the symbiosis is consummated."
The Counselor sits. "So you must deliver power to Bast or vanish. Yet, you have none to spare. Is it possible to give her a group of worshippers of yours?"
"The only way to do that would be the Gthawwqaz- the merging. We would have to become one.
"And you are still more powerful than Bast."
"Yes."
The Counselor sits for a moment. I feel her thoughts racing. "If you were to merge with her, she would retain her followers, and gain yours. Would she still be Bast? Would you still be Ra?"
"No, we would become a new order of being- a merger. As I am her father, and I am more powerful, my essence would dominate. She would never agree to that."
"But it would fulfill your promise."
"Yes. As she would acquire my power and I hers, it would still..."
Of course! The answer is as clear as pure light! The conduit and...
I stand, and my throne dissipates. "My course of action is clear."
"And that is?" She stands as well.
"You would not comprehend, Avendar. However, your insight has helped me. Some of Gaia's wisdom has indeed filtered into you.
"Thank you Great one. I am warmed by your praise."
"As you have assisted me, you must now ask me for a Boon. But before you say it, I ask your assistance in one more matter."
"If it is within my power, and not against Federation regulations, I will help."
I create a small golden disc, inscribed with my symbols, approximately half the size of the mortal's head, with the thickness of her finger. I place it on her table.
"That disc contains a tiny fragment of my power. Bast will sense it when you penetrate the membrane of Ymixxxyl. She will come to seek it in one of her forms. However, she may not touch it, as its power is tainted. She will not sense that until she is very close to it. As it is proof against her, and only her, power, she cannot harm your crewmates or your vessel. She will be forced to bargain for it. When she angers, I will come, and she shall receive her payment.
I create a second disc, identical to the first, but the size of a thumbnail, and place it next to the other. "I grant you this, a second sliver of my power. Give it to your captain. At a time of her choosing she need only hold the disc, and say my name, and your weapons will have that power, which is enough to slay any being of my kind, save a Titan. They will not detect it, as the other disc masks its presence. I grant this power in payment, for your vessel holding the larger disc.
I look into the soul of this humanoid... this... Betazoid. What would you ask of me, Counselor Avendar Jurot? Shall I grant you immortality? Beauty? Power?
The Betazoid's soul answered where her voice could not.
"It shall be done. I will conduct the soul of your mate in splendor to the presence of your Four Gods, where he will wait for you at their side until the day you are reunited. Such is the word of Ra!"
I begin to depart, then stop for a moment. "When I return for Bast, you will not see me, Avendar. Nor can any detect that I was here. But know- you and your Federation have gained an ally in Ra!
So I depart to find the soul of Avendar's mate, and fulfill my promise. My golden barque awaits. As does the lure for a feline.
By Commander Rita Paris on Fri Nov 23rd, 2018 @ 9:30pm
Counselor stirring the plot pot. Very interesting, and it makes sense that the gods who know the shape of things to come would know that we're on our way, so the smartest would recruit agents for their purposes. Well thought out, well executed Sophie!