Though much of the amenities and scientific features of the Carrottous were sacrificed for weapons ports and bays, power cells, A-Space drives and shield generators, Aldan insisted that the Arboretum remained. Though small, it was filled with five benches, ten foot high trees, moss, vine, and a simulated brook. Aldan sat on one of the five benches, the only person in the Arboretum, his eyes closed, breathing deeply, thinking of things to come and things long past. He stayed that way for seeming ages, before a door opened in the Arboretum, disturbing the natural tranquility. Though Aldan's thought train was disrupted, he continued to maintain his revere. He heard the heavy steps of large boots, comming close to him. He could hear the kheeee and ckhooooo of an artificial respirator, comming closer. Aldan wasn't aware that anyone with an enviroment suit or artificial lungs was aboard the Carrottous. He remained with his eyes closed until he felt cold breathing on his neck, and a whisper in his ear,
"Wake up, Aldan." He heard a odd, reverberated voice that was altogether unlike any sort of voice, including psychic, he had ever heard before. His eyes shot open and he jumped a foot back, unseathing the sword he always kept at his side. He saw the being now. It's head was completely contained in a sand colored, patterned helmet, that was flattened and elongated in the back, and rounded the face jaggedly. Their were no eye holes, and only a small respratory port. Then there were bulky, similarly colored shoulder pads, and a cloak that encased the entire body which extended down to the soles of two barely visible boots.
"So quick to unseath your swords. So violent are the children."
"Who are you?" Aldan asked, still pointing the sword torward him.
"I have no name, in heaven or ****, and in the expanse between."
"That's not good enough..."
"If you must call me something, know me as...a messenger." Aldan was further befuddled.
"Then what are you? Are you and Ancient."
"No."
"Are you an Ahn'Gell?"
"No."
"What are you?"
"I am something else. Put away your sword, child." Aldan did not comply.
"I COMMAND!" The being spoke with a piercing, bloodcurling voice, and Aldan immediatley put the sword back in it's sheath.
"I come, only to aid a wayward child. You have lost your way, young one, and you need to find it. For the task at hand is great."
"Do you come to help us?"
"Only with my words, and only for you. I cannot fight for you, for I have no hands in this place except your own."
The being extended two altogether rabbitine arms, except they had no hands. Not that they were cut off or stubs, but the wrist simply, faded into nothingness. Aldan recoiled.
"All I have in this place is my voice, a voice so old none remember it's meaning." Aldan was utterly confused at that point. The being then turned to leave.
"Will you return?" Aldan asked.
"Yes...wait, I nearly forgot." The being turned to face Aldan again.
"I have a message." The beings cloak opened, blazing white light beneath it, and amid it, Aldan saw something.
"Kayle?" She sood their, amid the blast of light. His long dead love, with perfect yellow fur and brown eyes.
"Kayle!!" He ran torward her, but the second he touched her, he felt something else.
Pain.
Searing bolts of eletricity coursed through his body, and the light turned to darkness and electricity rivited throught the room. Finally it subsided, and he collapsed to the floor. He looked up to see the being staring at him.
"This was a test, there will be many more." With that, he dissapeared.
When he finally had the strength, he rose to a nearby data port.
"Computer, play back surveilance camera footage of Arboretum from time index 1743, password, Aldan Sigma 4977" The computer played back the footage, and all Aldan saw was him sitting their, on the bench, the whole time, never moving.
"Computer, was anything strange reported in the arboretum in the last hour."
"A massive static discharge was detected, this was due to a cooling plasma pipe in the adjuctant shield generating room. Another layer of insulatory regulators has been emplaced."

The ragtag Alliance fleet burst out of HyperSpace, right above the swirling gases of Iridani II. The small Demon outpost was only guarded by a squadron of fighters and one cap ship.
"Alright men, we only get one shot at this. Alpha through Sigma squadrons, ingage the fighters, Team A engage the outpost, Team B engage the Cap ship. We want the outpost to be fairly undamaged. Alright men, move out, move out!!" The swarm of ships moved torward the Demon installation. Even as they fired beams of blasters and high power nuclear missles, only little damage was done. That is, until the Demons brought their massive beam cannons to bear...
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