Looking out over the devestated planet of Aeron from the bridge of the Shadowspear, High Mage Serratus remembered the battle to claim it, now noted in Imperial history as the Battle of Aeron. Of the estimated 20, 000 men under Fahr's control, Serratus had both personally and indirectly killed over 100, mainly from the explosion caused by his crashing into the enemy flagship, the Classic, but also in the high-speed chase just after his inital assault on the Classic, the squad of soldiers he dispatched just after the crash and a couple of stranded ships he had plowed through after he seperated the bridge from the rest of the Classic.
But the battle was in the past now, the Inquisitorius were working on tracking down Fahr and the Restorative Project and it was Serratus's charge to terraform Aeron back to habitability. Serratus personally had no skill in terraforming but several Mages were trained in the art and the Order was well-equipped with terraforming technology. Serratus's job was to plan and co-ordinate. Currently, the Shadowspear, the Shimmering Salvation, the Light of the Mages and the Emperor's Eye were floating in a diamond formation over Sector 001 of Aeron, the first area designated for terraforming. Several smaller craft surrounded each large ship, inculding a large contingent of ships equipped with radiation-neutralising equipment. Serratus was relaying his orders through a chess board-like device that one of the Military bright-sparks had invented. Serratus's ship was located at the south corner of Sector 001, Darth Amideus was on the Shimmering Salvation directly opposite the Shadowspear. Darths Dorian and Tao were in command of the Light of the Mages and the Emperor's Eye respectively, also opposite each other. Serratus was in constant Force communication with each of them, even without the chess-thingy.
Tao, send in your decontamination ships, Dorian, follow with yours once Tao's have completed a lap, I'll send mine out once yours have completed a lap and then Amideus can send his out once mine have done a lap. Maintain the eco-barrier, we don't want outside radiation leaking in.
As the first squad of pod-like ships swooped out from beneath the Emperor's Eye, Serratus turned to one of the screens of his command centre. He activated the video link to the Grand Mage's quarters on the Mage flagship, the Eternal Hunger.
"Lord Aequitas, we have begun the decontamination procedure, the decom ships are buzzing around like a bunch of Geonosians who've seen someone drop a coin."
Lord Aequitas
The Grand Mage's office on the Eternal Hunger resembled a technology-geek's dream. There were computers everywhere and Aequitas could see everything that was going on.
"Excellent, excellent. Let's start with the water supplies, eh?" he suggested.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus nodded.
"As you wish m'lord."
He turned back to the command interface. The decom ships were nearing the end of their run. Time for water.
Tao, fire the hyperoxygen solution. Dorian, activate the environmental refrigerant.
A mighty plume of semi-vaporous liquid was fired from Tao's ship, while a belt-like structure on Dorian's began to pulse blue. Clouds soon began to form, before quickly becoming saturated and precipitating. They had created pure rain. Serratus bit his lip. The eco-barrier's shields were holding. Of course, there was no good reason that water would have any effect on them, but if any radiation contaminated Sector 001, the process would have to be restarted. Serratus turned to the Grand Mage.
"Our first section of sea is forming. Will this are have islands, and if so, tropical, temperate or boreal conditions?"
Lord Aequitas
Aequitas thought for a moment. "A temperate island. Relativly large. Habitable large." He smiled. The weather would be easier for people to live in.
Aequitas was also feeding his Force into the project.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus nodded once again. Whatever the Grand Mage wanted.
Amideus, Tao, Dorian, connect your minds to every Sith on your ships. The Grand Mage wants an island, it will take our combined power to create the necessary tectonic activity.
Serratus allowed himself to connect with everyone on his ship and within moments, the four project leaders had connected themselves to over a quarter of the Empire's Mages. With their massive presence in the Force, aided by the Grand Mage, they started grinding two tectonic plates together. It was slow, arduous work, but gradually mountains were forming. After abour forty minutes, a mountain range had formed. Serratus disconnected and the mountain-making madness ceased. He returned to the chess-board-thingamabob and started moving around ships with powerful lasers.
"Start grinding down those mountains into a plateau. I want it a reasonable height above sea level."
Lord Aequitas
Aequitas sat back in his chair as he watched his Mages do their work. He had full confidence in the Mages and he was enjoying leadership of the new and ever-growing Order. He heard Serratus’ order to level the plateau.
“High Mage”, he stated clearly, “once you are completed this island, you will begin shaping continents. We will concentrate on such things once we have the more tedious and strenuous activities done.”
Looking over at the many screens and projectors surrounding them, Aequitas grumbled. They had still quite a lot to do. “If you can fix the remaining oceans and then redo the continents with the following information I am sending you, it might cut our time considerably. I do not really want to start from scratch. I know that poor Lord Prognie would not be happy”, he chuckled.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus nodded as the information Aequitas had sent him appeared on screen.
"Aye-aye m'lord. The island is almost complete."
Serratus watched with anticipation as the planter ships filled the island with vegetation. Towering trees, tiny lichens, ferns and mosses, beautiful flowers, all erupted to life.
"We can introduce fauna later. Sector 001 is complete. Moving on to Sector 002."
Lord Aequitas
Aequitas nodded, “Very good Serratus”. He pressed a few buttons on his datapad. Satellite images zoomed in the island. “Very good indeed”, he repeated, more to himself than anybody else.
He turned his attention back to Serratus. “And how many more sectors do we have? Taking into account that we just want the oceans fixed and the continents only slightly redone. More land here, less there etcetera.”
He had plans for Aeron, especially now that the Moff Council was dissolved and he did not legally have to hand it over to the Inquisitors. He did not want Prognie messing up his Mage’s good work.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus put the calculations into a brainstorm program.
"Let's see, 36 sectors, we've got Sector 001 complete, Sectors 002-025 are ocean and the remainder are continents...we should have all the sectors terraformed by tomorrow morning if we work through the night."
Lord Aequitas
A few beeps were heard and Aequitas turned around. He pressed a few buttons and turned his attention back to Serratus. "Do we have the time and resources to work through the night?"
High Mage Serratus
Serratus stopped to think before nodding.
"If we give the lower dregs a half hour break to eat, we should be done shortly after sunrise."
Lord Aequitas
With a final grunt from Serratus, Aequitas sighed. "Very well then. And remember, do not under any circumstances let an Inquisitor, or a member of any other Order for that matter, on this planet. That goes for blind, arrogant, backstabbing Dark Lords too."
High Mage Serratus
Serratus chuckled.
"Will do m'lord."
Lord Aequitas
With a glance at his watch, Aequitas smiled slightly. "It's going to be a long night."
High Mage Serratus
Serratus sighed.
"Indeed."
Lord Aequitas
Many hours later.........
Aequitas swung around in his seat. "Status report, Serratus"
High Mage Serratus
Serratus yawned deeply. It had been a very long night.
"Just filling Sector 036 with flora m'lord, then we'll be finished."
