Operation Darkness: Preparations of an Elenari Prince
By Durandir and Sylvana


Salmar Anorhen Peredhil Loran, known in Mendellia as Kirag Narol,
known in Neo Atlantis as the Half-breed Prince, stood stripped to his
waist in the practice field outside the castle grounds. He wore a
fighter's grin, a dimple forming between the twin scars on his right
cheek. Well toned muscles rippled beneath skin riddled with scars
that danced like ribbons over his entire upper body, creating a
tapestry bespeaking of torture he'd survived.

For years, he'd kept those scars hidden. Yet, now they would bring
greater discomfourt to the enemy threatening his mother's home planet.
Research he'd done spoke of how the greater among them were scarred
and tattooed excessively; the more scars, the greater the warrior. 
Secondly, he'd learned of the great reverence they held for twins. 
Finally, he'd deduced that if they held the Jedi Solo twins in such
high regard... how would they like to contend with twins who were both
Force Sensitive, and Elenari? From what he had read from his sister
the previous night, he knew that she could feel them. So, apparently
they had presence in the Flows. That would make things more dire for
them when they came up against himself.

His feral grin widened as he pulled out his lightsabre, going through
a swifter than the eye could follow routine to stretch his muscles. He
fought phantom enemies like that for quite some time. He alternated
between using his lightsabre, a red orange blade carving blood
coloured arcs in the air, and a spear he'd filtched from lower
armouries in the palace. Finally, he threw lightning spheres, causing
small explosions around the area.

He stopped suddenly when another person entered the field. Turning,
he saw he was being watched by the young King, and he bowed
respectfully, as one might to an equal. No time to hide, now. Not
with things as evil as the Vong on the horizon. "Good morning, Milord
Atner."

Thayer was looking at him curiously. "Kirag Narol, is it? I wasn't
aware you were a Jedi." 

"Technically I am not Kirag Narol, nor am I a Jedi. But that is
beside the matter. I am glad that you are here, I wished to speak
with you regarding the impending battles."

Thayer regarded him more closely now. "Indeed. And what would you
wish to say?"

"I have been reading up on the opposition, and I have a few thoughts
on ways to..." he paused trying to find the word in Basic. Shaking
his head, he just picked a random phrase, "Psyche them out."

"Oh?" A hint of a smile played over Thayer's face at the phrasing. 
"From what I have learned of them, I would not have thought they could
be... psyched out. I should be most delighted to hear how you plan to
do so."

He called his lightsabre to hand and clipped it to his belt. "You
see, they have an inordinate amount of superstition regarding Twins. 
I'm sure you've heard of their hunt for the Solo twins? You see, Jedi
cannot sense them through the Force. However... Elenari can."

Thayer frowned. "Elenari?" He glanced at the lightsabre, then back
to the taller man's face. "You say many things, but much of it is
riddles to me. Elenari would be...?"

"My apologies, good King. On Terra they're better known as
Atlanteans... or Elves." He waved a hand dismissively, then pulled
out a coin and moved to the monarch. "See this Dar?"

Thayer nodded.

"Imagine it is like the Force. The one side is the Light, the other
Dark. However, what of the rim of the coin?"

The young King smiled. "This sounds like something a philosophy
professor of mine used to pull on the class. Well, for one thing, the
rim would be of the same stuff as either side of the coin; all a part
of one whole. Yet if we will make the distinction of sides, and if
each face of the coin is a side, well -- the rim is neither face. So
it is neither one nor the other, yet both at the same time."

The Watcher nodded. "Therefore, something that is mostly ignored, is
often misunderstood. That something may also be elusive to the point
where others do not even realise it exists. That's where Elenari come
in. They are like the part of the coin which touches both the dark
and the light; yet they also touch a vast middleground that is almost
outside both. The Vong are somewhere in that middleground. My twin
sister was on the Lunar base, and she was able to feel them." He
paused, "Imagine this. A people who are reverential toward twins. 
Jedi twins are held high because of their abilities. Yet, what if
they were to learn of, and/or encounter, a set of twins who not only
had those abilities... but could actually sense them as well?"

"Excuse me," Thayer held up a hand. "Your twin sister? She could
feel the Vong... she and you, then, are Elenari?"

"Half. Our mother is Elenari."

"I see. Then, you are proposing," he said, "to use the fact that you
are twins, combined with your abilities as Elenari, or half-Elenari,
to - how did you put it - to psyche the Vong out?"

"Something like that, Milord Atner."

"How exactly do you mean to make that work? We haven't yet found a
way to communicate with the enemy; we cannot simply broadcast to them
that we have a twinset of Elfkind standing against them."

The Watcher sighed, "That, I have not quite figured out yet. I was
hoping you might have an idea." He shrugged, "Once my mother's people
see the plight of their adopted home, I am sure they may join forces."

The King's eyes brightened at that. "Adopted home?"

He nodded, "Roughly six Elenari generations ago, the misunderstandings
between themselves and Jedi grew too much, and the Elenari searched
for a new home, so as not to cause dissension. They found it here; a
young planet, its people having not even discovered such rudimentary
things as steam-powered machinery. What better place to disappear
into myth?"

"Ah," Thayer frowned. "Now I wonder... what if myth were to suddenly
reappear?"

"Explain."

"Those who stand with us against the Vong are alarmingly few. It
seems Mendellia is alone - save for Terra Group - among the Humans who
will fight for Terra. Do you think your people would, indeed, join us
in fending off the invaders?"

"Certainly," he nodded. "The only problem lies in how long it will be
until they learn of the plight? They're in an area hidden, and it is
not easy to communicate. However..." he paused in thought.

"However?" Thayer impatiently prompted.

He thought a minute longer, then grinned. "I think I know how we can
alert them." He held up a hand, "Mind you, they are few in number
anymore. Quite few."

Thayer nodded, "No matter how few, we would welcome them. Do it,
then. If you like, I'll write a letter extending my appeal, as King,
for alliance with them; and you can add to that your own messages as
their kinsman."

"I know a quicker way. The battle is drawing near at too great a
pace, and I will not leave here." He thought a moment, "You're going
to think this strange but, close your eyes and open your mind."

The King hesitated, then nodded decisively. "I married into Terra
Group - I've long since adjusted my definition of strangeness." He
closed his eyes. "Go ahead."

The Watcher rested a hand on the young King's shoulder, then closed
his eyes as well. He concentrated on building a path on the Flows,
guiding Thayer along it. Soon, they could see a middle-aged looking
man, hair striped in greys, blues and silvers, a crown upon his head
and points to his ears.

He then spoke, "Grandfather, I want you to meet King Thayer Atner, of
the Human's Island Naion of Mendellia."

The Elenari king bowed his head, much like the Watcher had earlier. 
"It is a pleasure, King Atner. I gather this is no social visit,
seeing as the way you've been brought."

Thayer returned the bow, bending low in the Mendellian manner with a fist
before his heart as though he held a sword in salute. "You honor me, Sire. As does your
grandson in permitting me to accompany him in this manner. I... I
must confess this is all quite new to me."

"That is quite all right, Young King. However, from the impatience in
Salmar's eyes, I can tell there is a reason for your presence. 
Please, speak freely."

"I thank you." Thayer gathered his thoughts and then spoke, explaining
to the Elenari King as succinctly as he could the threat posed by the
Yuuzhan Vong. "Salmar," he glanced a question at the man he had known
only as Kirag Narol, "has... er... found that it is possible for those
of your race to sense the presence of the Yuuzhan Vong. This is
something no Human has, to my knowledge, been able to do. Not even
those with the Jedi's power in the Force.

"Unfortunately, my lord, our allies are few, for the Vong are
something beyond the imagination of most of the people of Terra. So
most of the nations refuse to acknowledge that the threat exists. My
country alone is preparing to stand against the invaders - and we
ourselves are few. You - if it is as Salmar says, then perhaps even
now you can feel their presence, gathering their forces out beyond our
Moon. In this, you are already better prepared than those Terrans who
do not even know, or who disbelieve, that the threat exists.

"In speaking with your grandson, I have come to see that the abilities
of your people give you an advantage that could prove most effective
against the threat to our world. So I have come to seek your aid. If
you would fight against the invasion - and know this, that if the
invaders are not fought, are not stopped, they will remake this world
in their own image, enslaving her people or sacrificing them to their
gods, changing the life of Terra that we have treasured for forms of
life that they can manipulate to their own ends. And their ends have
ever been for conquest and destruction." He paused for breath, then
nodded solemnly. "If you would fight against this threat, we would
welcome alliance with you."

The Elenari High King looked between the two before him in the realm
of visions as he thought. Then he nodded. "Though Salmar has
willingly broken the rule of keeping knowledge of ourselves hidden, I
can see why he has done so. Let it be done. You shall have warriors,
both on the ground, and in the air. I cannot say when they shall
arrive, but rest assured they will arrive, Young King."

Thayer broke out into a most unsolemn grin. "I thank you, my lord. 
You honour my people greatly - and if I may say it, it is greatly to
*your* honour that your people will stand with us against this enemy
when so few will."

"Our people have withstood against conquerers before, when the times
had called. We have long memories, however scant generations past, of
our own lost world. We will not allow another to be so lost. Eru be
with you, Young King Atner." He nodded to Thayer, and his grandson,
and the image passed as the Watcher stepped away from Thayer.

Mendellia's king blinked at the sudden return to familiar
surroundings. "Salmar," he said when speech returned to hiim. 
"Humour me a moment. Explain what just happened."

"That... was something called a Vision Walk. A connecting of minds
that span time and space in such a way as to allow you to seem to be
actually in the same room." He shrugged, "It is the only way to keep
in real-time communication."

"I see." Thayer brushed lightly at his clothing, a momentary fidget.
"Well, it's quite impressive." He grinned at his companion, "As are
your family connections. I wasn't aware we hosted an Elenari prince
in Mendellia... Salmar. If I may call you that."

He shrugged, "You may, Milord. The time for hiding is at an end, now.
Might I make another request?"

"Make it, and I will see if it may be granted," Thayer smiled graciously.

Salmar nodded, "My sister. I do not know if she has been given a
place in the upcoming battle. She had a dream last night that she'd
die, should she go into space. Might I request she fight groundside
with me?"

"That reminds me; I neglected to ask earlier - who is this sister? If
we harbor an Elenari princess as well, I certainly didn't know that,
either."

He bowed his head, "My apologies. Sylvana Lorrdain, Terran Eleventeen."

"Sylvana!" Thayer's eyes widened. "Well. Even among Terra Group....
But, no matter. Most of Terra Group has, indeed, been assigned to
groups in the space portion of the battle, though they'll have
determined individual assignments among themselves. But you place
great weight on this dream of Sylvana's.... Tell me, Salmar, what
weight do you place on the plan you brought to me earlier? Can you
bring yourself and your sister to the Vong's attention, as twins and
as Elenari, equally as well on the ground or off it? Or do you think
one lends itself better to that plan than the other?"

"One thing you may not know about Syl, is that she is what is known as
a Fighting Royale. A berserker. Her talents would better serve in
ground combat rather than in a turret. As for catching the Vong's
attention..." he stopped speaking suddenly, his eyes darting to the
dense brush behind Thayer. His eyes followed a small 'human' running
away from the castle grounds. 

He grinned. "I have a feeling I already have."

"Pardon?"

Salmar just grinned. "Have you ever, in the battles you've fought,
used an enemy's spy for your own purposes... without their knowing?"

"Hm? Well... there was Tede," Thayer mused aloud, "but that was more a
case of using our ally's spy, except Eugor thought him working to his
purposes, but... er, no, that's not quite the same thing. What do you
mean?"

"Congratulations, Milord. You've just done it."

Thayer opened his mouth, then thought better of it and shook his head.
"No, I don't think I shall ask you to explain this time. As to your
sister, anyhow: I'll see what I can do. Terra Group, though it still
functions, is in an odd position, without the usual chain of command,
but I should be able to arrange things so she and you both can fight
in the ground battle."

He nodded in response, "If you cannot, I understand. I thank you,
Milord."

Thayer nodded, "I'll be off then. Thank you for your help and
suggestions."

Salmar nodded to the young King. "And I thank you for listening."

With that said, Thayer left... before anything stranger could occur.