EVE Fiction

The old Brutor stiffened uncomfortably at the Brutor woman staring her down. The enmity between them was clearly obvious. The chamber echoed deep rooted hatred between the two. Here stood tradition and rage, in direct conflict with each other. Behind them a lone capsule stood, frozen in preserving ice and nitrogen, it almost felt that the heated conflict between elder and leader could melt the fragile soul within. Corin Raven simply snorted his objection as he turned to face the capsule, his face full of determination to see through the path he had finally chosen.

"Nothing good will come of this alchemy, Corin," the woman finally stated with no apology. "The sisterhood have spoken an wash their hands of this..... abomination you seek to awaken."

Corin growled an ancient menace as his cold gray eyes turned.

"No more abomination than you already let loose on our clan, Neris," he grimaced, "in your arrogance to genetically change him, you created a true monster that all but wiped us out. The only reason our remnants survive at all is due largely to the charity of the Shakor..."

He stopped short, his rage steeling inside of him clenching his fists with a barely controlled violence.

"Charity," he snorted. "We were once one of the proudest clans in the Matari, and now we live of, charity!"

The word barely rode of his tongue without an obvious disdain. The Shakor's amnesty to the survivors of the Blood Purge could not be repaid. It was due largely to the intervention of Darius Shakor himself that the remnants of the Raven Clan were still allowed citizenship in the republic at all. He spoke well of the greatness of the clan, even Corin's record went some way to easing the path back to a remnant of normality for his people. But the price they had paid for the Sisterhood's folly. The dark secret that had to be kept to protect the Sisterhood's role in the creation of the monster that had all but destroyed them. A black mark that would forever taint the honor of their once great clan. Their lands stripped, their promised land, the system of Sakulda bought back into the Republic's fold and exploited by outside interests for it's resources.

"Your blind arrogance created the abomination that was once AsheRaven," he growled menacingly. "What right do you have to speak of Alchemy and abomination to me, witch?"

She stared back in defiance typical of her people, though there was no denying the truth in his words, what he proposed was madness. A rebirth, a new beginning? To what end? She stared at the capsule, it's egg shape frozen dark shell glistening only in the crystallize ice surrounding it. She understood well the implications of what lay sleeping within it. The price an resources Corin paid to obtain it, beyond measure.

"There is no guarantee this will work Corin," she said, calmer now, but with aggressive reservation still in her tone, "The clone is five years old, the data stream corrupted. Even if successful, his integration into New Eden as it stands now will be overwhelming for him, an the madness that overtook his predecessor...."

"Will not be a concern, Neris," Corin cut her off without apology, "though inexperienced he will still be what he was. Determined, brave, wise and above all, Raven."

She sighed

"The others will not trust him..."

"That has never stopped him before."

"Very well, Corin, I will speak to the sisterhood. I do not approve, neither I think shall they, but as you are determined to see this madness through, we shall decide how to deal with you and.... him by the morrow."

He frowned defiantly.

"Why don't you simply kill him?" he asked rhetorically, almost mockingly.

"You have riled up the support of the Clan younger, Corin," she snapped, "you play polotics way better than you play terrorist old man. The Ushra'Khan still carry your bloody fist, that inspires them every time you open your mouth."

"Politics," he grinned, "You are trapped between your official sanction and the will of the Clan."

"An unenviable burden you took full advantage of, Corin," she scoffed, "but rest assured, if you act before final sanction has been made, I will personally see to it you suffer the blame for every harm it brings. Are we clear?"

Corin's uncaring silence was all the conformation she needed.

She turned in anger and marched out of the antechamber with one thought, the sisterhood's influence must not be undermined. There must never be another Ashe Raven