The Koprulu Sector

by TheKopruluSectorUnion

Chapter 30: Within the Khala

Sovereign laid on a mattress within the isolated Nexus. He was wearing blue and white robes with golden trims; the attire of the Preservers. On his neck was a medallion made of pure khaydarin crystal. The damage done to his mind had been more severe than Zamara had originally anticipated, and any new influx of memories would only worsen what might already be a hopeless situation. There were far too few preservers in the Khala to risk losing another one.

Zamara bowed over his student touching her horn against his, praying to the Khala that he might come out of his coma. It was more than just a prayer, she was also digging into his thoughts in an attempt to piece Sovereign's shattered mind together again.

While she showed mercy to Seeker for what she had done to Sovereign, Zamara was still bitter over her actions. Sovereign wasn't just a student to her, he was like a son. He had been taken in from an early age, and she raised him just as much as she had taught him. By trying to kill Sovereign, Seeker had assaulted not just the Khala hierarchy, but she had essentially assaulted what Zamara considered to be family as well.

Zamara suddenly opened her eyes. She heard something... a very slight breathing. "I told you that you were no longer to make contact with Sovereign," she said out loud.

A black mist appeared as Seeker revealed herself. "I'm sorry Supreme Matriarch. But it's been a month now and I still haven't heard any word of Sovereign's recovery. I'm concerned."

"You're concern is noted. Now leave, you've done enough," said Zamara in an emotionless tone.

Seeker could tell Zamara was still bitter over what Seeker had attempted to do to him. Even more so after these recent developments. "Supreme Matriarch, if there is anything at all I could-"

"Get out!" shouted Zamara. This was the first time she had ever heard the Supreme Matriarch raise her voice.

Despite her fear, Seeker did not comply. "Supreme Matriarch, I'm sorry but I can't just leave Sovereign. I know it's my fault, but he is still my friend. Can I at least know what is wrong with him?" asked Seeker.

"What's wrong with him? You put his undisciplined mind in an unstable state he was prepared for!" she shouted once again. "All of those memories he had successfully absorbed were released at once. Even if he does wake up, he might not know who he is anymore!"

Seeker thought back to her time spent as an Archon. Her mind was also not disciplined enough for the rigors of existing in the form of pure energy. She was unable to form any coherent thoughts, or bring about any stable recollections of her past while in that state. The closest thing she had to any type of thought was the pure emotion and passion that drove her actions. If Sovereign was in the same state, she could imagine how easy it must have been to lose control of all of those memories at once.

Tears began to form on the black mares face. Not over Zamara's temper, but over the fact she may have just crippled the stallion she loved. Seeker said nothing else, she simply walked out of the room in tears.

Zamara did feel somewhat guilty for lashing out at the young mare. Seeker was still young, and even Zamara had done stupid and irrational things at that age. It was easy to forget the recklessness brought about by youth and inexperience.

But at the moment, her main concern was Sovereign's well being. She put Seeker out of her mind, and resumed her prayer.

---

Rain Sight lay happily in her bed as she pulled her self in closer to Sovereign. She smiled as he began to stroke her mane. Admittedly she had only done it due to her orders from Twilight, but she couldn't deny she had enjoyed herself. While she did have to initiate it, he eventually got into the spirit of things and took lead as the stallion.

"So, are you up for another go?" asked Rain Sight.

Sovereign replied with an accusation. "You said no one else knew I was here. Yet I know for certain Twilight was in my head just as you started. She wanted me to sleep with you. Why?"

"Hold on a second. Perhaps she did help me to persuade you. Perhaps I did intend to put an aphrodisiac in your food, which I may or may not have accidentally mixed up with poison because my father miss labeled two similar looking liquids,"

"Wait, what!?" Sovereign exclaimed.

"-but! I could tell after the first few seconds that everything you did was completely under your own free will. So what if Twilight knows about us. I'll still keep my word and make sure Sweetie Belle gets off this world. After all, I wouldn't want her to umm... interrupt us," she said as she started stroking her hoof against his chest.

"Rain Sight, I need to know right now. Is Twilight just getting us together so she could use our children to spy on the Confederacy?" accused Sovereign.

A look of disappointment filled Rain Sights face. If Twilight was still inside of his head when he came to the conclusion, then that means Twilight now knew that Rain Sight could indeed have children with Sovereign. Rain Sight supposed she knew Twilight would find out eventually if she ever became pregnant, though she would have liked to enjoy some more time for herself before being forced into parenthood.

She imagined it wouldn't be long now before Twilight demanded she started producing children, whether Rain Sight wanted to or not. Still, she had devoted herself to Dominion Intelligence in both mind and body. If this is what was demanded of her, she would comply. And as far as mating partners go, she could do worse.

But there was an advantage to this situation. Since Sovereign had reached his own conclusion, she wouldn't have to tell him about Twilight's true intentions with Sweetie Belle. He would probably be more cooperative with the current situation, so she decided to just go with it. "It's true. The only reason you and I are in bed right now is because I had orders to do so."

Sovereign sighed in disappointment. "Figures. Like every other mare, you just want something from me before you stab me in the back. Zamara, Seeker, Twilight... you."

Rain Sight did feel genuinely bad for what she had done. Despite his naughty behavior in the bunker, he did still treat her like a lady most days, and he had been a mostly polite house guest, his criticism about her taste in movies aside. "Sovereign, I know this isn't exactly how you wanted things between us to be, but we can move past this."

"There is no us. You just said the only reason you had any interest was because you had orders. I'm out of here," he said as he tried to get out of bed.

Rain Sight grabbed him and tried to persuade him. "I understand you're upset. I wish we didn't have to meet under these circumstances but think about it. You have nowhere to go Sovereign. I don't have to be a psychic to know you haven't been very happy running for your life these last few months. I'm offering you a haven. You and I are valuable assets to Dominion Intelligence, they won't want you dead," she explained. "You don't have to run anymore Sovereign. Stay with me and you'll be safe. I'll keep you safe. I'll be the one who takes care of you from now on."

"Why should I believe that? For all I know, I'll be locked up and just be used as a semen farm. For all you know, they'll keep you locked up as well. You don't think they'd just put us both under life support and keep us brain dead the rest of our lives?" asked Sovereign.

"Not me. I'm a member of Dominion Intelligence, so I'd be safe. As my husband, you would be too," said Rain Sight.

"Husband?!" shouted Sovereign. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

"I know what I'm saying Sovereign. I'm not thrilled about this either, but it's what's going to be asked of me!" she shouted. "I just think it would be a lot easier for both of us if you at least tried to make this work."

"But do you even care about me? Are you really willing to spend the rest of your life with someone just because you were ordered to? Someone you don't even care for at all?" asked Sovereign.

"Well... I think you're a really nice guy. I personally think you could potentially be a great father. I already like you, and I can definitely see myself coming to love you in time," she responded. "Can you say the same about me?" asked Rain Sight as she put her hoof on his thigh and gave him some puppy eyes.

Sovereign took a moment to think things through. Everything she had said about him and Sweetie Belle was still true, so nothing changed there. He did find Rain Sight very attractive, and he did like her a lot. But this was all just moving so fast. One day he was an unwilling house guest of sorts, then boyfriend, now he was expected to be a husband and father, all in one night.

But was it that bad of a fate? Yes he would be forced into a union he never asked for, but things could be worse. He could still be on the run, or be imprisoned again. The alternative was spending his life with a beautiful mare who he felt sure wanted to try to make things work between them. The more he thought about it, the more appealing the thought of life with Rain Sight was becoming, if only to avoid imprisonment and death for the crime of simply being born.

But what about their children? He would essentially be passing his problems on to them. "Rain Sight, can you really live with yourself knowing any children we have are just going to be sent off to fight and die for the Dominion?"

Rain Sights eye's filled with sadness at the thought of her children being taken away. "Even though I'm not yet a mother, I still didn't like the idea of any of my potential children being put in danger. But think about this Sovereign. If you had children in any subsector of the Koprulu sector, whether it be Dominion, Confederate, Consortium, Khalai or Vatican space, can you honestly tell me you can't imagine your children being sent off to war? Virtually every parent in this sector will see one of their children sent off to fight and die."

Her words did hit hard. Had he and Sweetie Belle escaped together and settled down in Consortium space, there was a strong possibility one or more of their children would still find themselves in a uniform of some sort. Probably for one of the dozens of mercenary outfits that subsector was known for.

Rain Sight continued. "At least here we know they would be getting the best training possible to help them survive. Dominion Intelligence suffers the least casualties compared to Marine Corps and the Armada. Would you rather see our sons and daughters in the infantry?"

She made a strong point again. "No, but will we ever see our sons and daughters at all?" he asked.

"I'm sure I could arrange something with Twilight. Perhaps I'd even get to take a direct role in their training," suggested Rain Sight. A voice began to enter her head. "Just think on this Sovereign. I'm going to make you something to eat alright?"

Rain Sight quickly put some clothing on and went into the kitchen. "What is it?" she thought.

The voice of Twilight Sparkle entered her head. "It's Sweetie Belle. She knows where you are. She's coming."

---

The room was deathly quite as Sovereign continued to lay still on his mattress. Zamara had fallen asleep in Sovereign's quarters, but an honor guard woke her up and convinced her to return to her chambers. No matter how many centuries passed, Zamara was still vexed by the limitations of her body. Time spent having to eat, sleep and excrete was time spent not helping one of the few living preservers in the Khala. Still, she knew she would be of no help to him without any sleep.

With Zamara gone, the room was empty. Seeker used the opportunity to make her way inside. Still invisible, she slowly crept towards Sovereign's bed. There she saw him, laying helplessly in his coma. "Sovereign... I'm so sorry" she thought to herself. "I'm going to make this right somehow, I promise. Then you'll never have to see me again."

Seeker had noticed that when Zamara was praying, she touched her horn to Sovereign's. Perhaps if she did the same, she could gain some insight into his condition. While it was unlikely Seeker could think of anything Zamara hadn't come up with, it was possible that there were some methods that Zamara simply wasn't willing to try. As a Dark Templar, it was up to Seeker to explore the paths no other Khalai would dare to tread.

Seeker kneeled her head down as her horn met with Sovereign's. Immediately she was assaulted by a rush of memories and forced back. The young mare had only touched his horn for a fraction of a second, yet it seemed like several minutes had gone by. Those were only surface memories. Seeker knew if she went deeper, she could risk damaging her mind as well. But considering the damage she had already done to Sovereign, some could call such a fate justice. After all, she had been the one who forced herself upon him. If anyone deserved to be in a coma, it was her.

Seeker took a deep breath, and again touched her horn against his. She once again felt the surge of surface memories assaulting her, though this time was more prepared for it. She began digging deeper into Sovereign's mind, as she did so, the flow of memories seemed to intensify. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she was determined not to leave until she found it. Then she sensed a familiar presence, deeper into his subconscious. She could still pull out now, but she had to keep going. Her mind had never felt so strained. She felt like a ship in a storm being torn apart by hurricane winds. Finally she had reached what seemed to be the eye of the storm, and the flow of memories stopped. The problem was that now she couldn't get out.

She looked around and found she was on some sort of moon perhaps? Maybe a mining platform? She couldn't tell, but it seems her mind had taken the form of her physical body. There was nothing around but miles and miles of cold hard rock, while up above she see nothing but eternal darkness.

"This place seems rather desolate. Where am I?" she thought to herself.

"This is the Khala," said familiar voice.

Seeker turned around to see Sovereign. She ran up to him and immediately embraced him. "I wish I could say it's good to see you too," he said.

Seeker was hurt by his words, but it was understandable. "He must still be upset about me trying to force myself upon him" she thought.

"No it's not that," he said reassuringly.

She couldn't believe it, he had read her mind. "I'm not connected with the Khala, how are you able to-" she began.

"This is the Khala. You're always connected in here," explained Sovereign.

"If this is the Khala, why does it look so... bland?" asked Seeker.

"I put it this way so you could better perceive it," replied Sovereign.

"Seems kind of dull. Why not just show me what it really looks like?" she asked.

"It's... a difficult thing to display in a form as limiting as sight. You'd have to be a preserver in order to see it the way I do. As you can tell from your earlier experience as you made entry, your mind was almost ripped to pieces and lost in the flow of memories when you attempted to see the Khala in its raw primal form," he replied. "Up until now, Zamara has been my only visitor, since she can pass through the Khala unscathed. She's been working hard on finding a way to pull me out of here. I can't seem to separate my memories from the ones I absorbed. This... eye of the storm is the one haven I have within my own mind at the moment. Zamara helped me create it before I was completely lost within the Khala. You however shouldn't be here."

"I know I shouldn't, but from what she had told me it was my fault you were stuck in here. I had to find a way to get you out," said Seeker.

"Instead you're now stuck in here with me," countered Sovereign. "That body of yours is a creation of my mind. And it's one that won't last more than a few hours. In time, you'll fade away and be absorbed into the Khala like everyone else eventually is."

"So... I'm going to die?" asked Seeker somewhat nervously.

"That is a matter of debate. You are currently without body, so arguably you are already dead. That flow of memories is simply where all Khalai are suppose to be when they separate from their bodies. As long as one preserver lives, all Khalai have a bridge to the next life. It's not too bad though. That feeling you had existing as pure energy, it's only a taste of the feeling you'll have when you get absorbed and become one with the Khala," explained Sovereign.

"I... see," said Seeker with a hint of dread in her voice. She accepted the fact she might not come out of this alive when she decided to enter, but now that it was staring her in the face, she found her courage starting to falter.

"You aren't ready to move on yet I see," said Sovereign. Seeker was about to respond, but Sovereign continued. "I can send you back this one time. But you must never return," he demanded.

"If you can send me back, why can't you go back?" asked Seeker.

"Bits and pieces of my mind are still flowing out there, mixed in with everyone else's memories. As long as I stay here, the rest of my mind is present, just not together. If I try to return to your plane of existence, all those pieces of my mind will be left behind," he said. "When you tried to merge, you started a mental decay as the memories I held released. The body standing before you is simply what was left of my mind when Zamara stopped the decay. There is probably not enough of me left to be anything more than a drooling simpleton should I return to your plane."

"How will you escape then?" asked Seeker.

"I have to disconnect from the Khala, but for a preserver to do so, that takes years or even decades of experience. Zamara has been entering this place every day to help further my training in that specific field. Unfortunately disconnecting from the Khala from within the Khala is easier said than done. This could take me years, decades, centuries, it might not even be possible at all."

"But if you did disconnect, would all of those memories subside? Would you be able to return to your body?" asked Seeker.

"They wouldn't subside. They'd still be there, I would just be able to once again discern my thoughts from all the memories I've absorbed," said Sovereign. "Just think of all of those memories as debris, and the Khala a storm that is throwing them into the air. Once I've disconnected, my mind will be calm, and I'll be able to easily pull back the pieces of my mind that had been lost."

"I see," said Seeker. "So, how do you plan on sending me back then?"

"I'm going to detach a tiny piece of the mind fragment I have left, and attach your mind to it. It should be able to pass through the Khala, and tow you alongside it," explained Sovereign.

"But your mind has already been heavily damaged!" argued Seeker. "You can't risk any further-" Seeker's body suddenly froze.

"Don't try to struggle. That isn't really your body remember? It's just a loaner I gave you. I hope to see you again under different circumstance. But please don't worry about me. I'll have to fix this myself. There is nothing you can do to help," said Sovereign.

But I'm the one who put you here! she thought to herself. Seeker's soul filled with sorrow knowing he was about to send her away. It could be centuries before she ever met him again, if ever at all. She knew there was nothing she could do to stop him from sending her back, she simply wanted to say good by one last time.

Sovereign smiled at her. "Good bye to you too Seeker. Until next time."

Remembering she was in the Khala, Seeker tried to form one last thought. "Sovereign I love-" before she could finish she found herself being thrown out of the Khala and back into her body. She quickly fell back and felt mentally exhausted from the ordeal.

She felt different though. There was something else within her. That piece of Sovereign's mind still lingered within her thoughts. His memories, his emotions, his deepest secrets. She felt somewhat guilty for prying, but this was the last piece of Sovereign she had to remember him by. Unless of course she counted the empty husk currently laying on the mattress.

She took a peek into that memory fragment to see what Sovereign truly felt for her. She found only disappointment. He saw her as a true and loyal friend. A sister who had grown up along side him to keep him from becoming lonely. Nothing more.

Seeker filled with some level of regret. She was happier before she knew how he truly felt about her. But that aside, she needed to help him. According to Sovereign, she needed to sever his connection to the Khala. She looked down at Sovereign's horn.

---

"Eye Glass you would probably see a lot better down here if you took off those sun glasses," suggested Karn.

"When Horatio Mane puts on his sun glasses, they don't come off until the case is over," replied Eye Glass.

"You're not Horatio Mane, and yes he does take them off," said Karn.

"Oh, so you do watch CSI Korhal," countered Eye Glass.

"My daughter was watching it. I was in the same room," explained Karn defensively. Karn continued to examine the hoof prints that seemed to disappear into a drain pipe. While most of the upper city was reconstructed after the extinction, the sewers seemed to have withstood the test of time. The Imperials left much of the old sewer system unchanged except where some adjustments were necessary, so drain pipes that lead to nowhere weren't uncommon. But whoever killed that zergling for some reason decided to go through this particular pipe.

"Are you really about to crawl into that thing?" asked Eye Glass.

"It's where the trail leads," said Karn. He was no stranger to traveling through sewers. It was a good way to move about unnoticed when he was in the Dark Order. Though he never did get used to the smell. Karn crawled into the filthy sewer pipe and made his way through the sewage.

Eye Glass sighed, covered his snout with one hoof, then made his way in behind Karn. When he got to the end, they encountered a steel grill that had its bars sawed off. "Whoever came here either already knew to bring a hacksaw, or he was carrying an HFB," said Karn.

"So now we're not dealing with a zerg, but with a potentially very well equipped stallion. If he has that kind of equipment, he is probably elite military trained as well. I know you said you could take care of a stray zergling, but this could be a very dangerous individual Karn. We really should be calling for back up," suggested Eye Glass.

Karn may have been proud, but he wasn't stupid enough to let his pride blind his reason. He wouldn't have survived as long as he had if he did. He knew Eye Glass was right about the potential danger of the situation. He wasn't the warrior he once was, and if this person really was some kind of highly trained rogue agent or mercenary, he would probably need help. "Eye Glass. I'm going to take a look inside. If I find the guy I'll keep an eye on him, but I won't try anything reckless. You get back up to the surface, find out what street we're under and call for back up."

"Don't get yourself killed Karn," said Eye Glass as he started crawling out the pipe.

Karn made his way over the sliced bars and continued through the pipe until he found a metal hatch that had been left open. It didn't seem to have any locking mechanism, and for some reason smelled like lemon. His target apparently just opened the door and walked right in. The hatch led to some sort of underground bunker. This was clearly a military complex at one point, though it obviously wasn't maintained at all. Dust and rust had overtaken much of the surface of all the equipment he was encountering. It's possible DI might not even know of its existence.

Karn decided it was time to turn invisible just in case his target was still here. He might not be in the same shape he was once in, but his age did bring him a stronger understanding of the void. Most young Dark Templar had to wear a special robe that also turned invisible when it came in contact with void energy. Bending the light reflected off ones own flesh to turn invisible was child's play, but bending the light of the clothing you were wearing was a bit more complex.

Karn however was experienced enough to render his entire attire invisible, and proceeded through the bunker hoping he would remain undetected. He still had to consider the possibility his target might have equipment to counter his stealth, and proceeded with caution.

As he continued through the bunker, he encountered more and more zerglings, all of them shot dead through the skull with only a single round. This person was clearly a trained marksman. The size of the bullet holes were also an indicator of something. Had they been gauss weapons, there would be nothing left of the zerglings' heads. No, this was small arms fire, perhaps only a pistol? Karn considered the possibility of a ghost's canister rifle, but if that were the case, the round would have shot straight through the zerglings' head and out the other end. These rounds were still lodged into their brains.

Karn eventually made his way to what may have been the entrance. It was another steel hatch that was also unlocked. Opening it revealed a set of stairs, which led to a wooden ceiling hatch that also reeked of lemons. He slowly lifted the top to take a peek at the surface. It was dark, and there was no one else around. Karn climbed out of the stairs and found himself in a familiar looking basement. Then he realized that this was his basement.

Karn panicked and made his way upstairs. Any notion he had of waiting for backup had left his mind. If his daughter was in any danger, he had to act now.

When Karn saw the rest of the house, it was riddled with bullet holes. Most of them were still small arms fire, no gauss weapons. A few of the bullet holes had shot through multiple walls. The fact the bullet holes were so small for such a powerful attack meant this was indeed done using a C-10 canister rile; a ghost had been here.

Karn searched frantically for any signs of his daughter, but no luck. In the living room however he found a pool of blood. It was still fresh and he noticed bits of grey fur that must have been shot off when the bullet made contact with the flesh. Either this was the attacker's fur, or it was Sovereign's.

He needed to call for help immediately. Karn removed his cell phone from his coat, but before he could dial any numbers, he felt a stinging sensation in his leg. He looked down to find he had been shot with a dart. Two more fired making their way into his flesh. It only took a few seconds before he passed out.

Comments

[Gapeagle]

It's finally here! efhajlfhishgviahbhgeshgpahghfhgterajatrykuliyfoyfl i YEAHHHHHH CAN YOU TELL THAT I'M HAPPY YET?!!?!?!?1

I don't have much to say on this chapter, another good one, but nothing really to point except finally Sweetie Belle gets there!

[Unholyheaven]

2920167

As I said on my blog, I have a lot more free time now. So I hope to get chapters out at a fast rate again for the remainder of the summer. I'm very upset with myself over the wait time of this chapter.

[Gapeagle]

2920110

I found out Twilight's security code date put not this? *Repeatedly slaps forehead*

[KRissCHu573]

Shit is getting REAL!

Seeker....bitch you saw what happened last time, and now you AGAIN try to connect minds with Sovereign. Seriously, you just went BEYOND the wrong neighbourhood. To be hones kinda I agree with Karn's statement from a previous chapter, where he tells Sovereign that it's better that things developed the way they did, and he got split from her. Oh yeah, hopefully he won't die. But...who am I to comman a writer? (How many people here will get the referance? )

[Unholyheaven]

Kriss wrote a story based on this universe. Check it out. It is cannon.

This should give a bit more insight into Karn and Rain Sight if those are characters of interest to you.

[Unholyheaven]

Confederate lore is up. My longest one yet. Check it out right here.

I'll probably have Cadian lore up some times this weekend as well. At that point, I will probably be moving all lore chapters to that story to keep the chapters from getting messy on this story.

Edit: All lore has been moved to the other story. This story looks a lot cleaner now.