[center][h1][color=#880808]The Old Path is open to old Gael and beyond.[/color][/h1][/center] 
[hr]
[center]A few hours before the gate opened.[/center]

The sound of engines cranking, gears spinning, and the reactor's heartbeat could be heard through the heat of the space station orbiting Vusary's second moon of Spiragîr. Walking through the cramped hallways, Aseni read a console given to her by a trade ship as she walked. She stopped for a moment and quickly groaned upon seeing the data as she soon began to walk through the hallways of the station, Aseni was a woman who looked in her early twenties she had sapphire-like eyes and long white hair, her face was plain and rather pale with a crooked nose, but rather well tight and well groomed compared with extremely expensive maid like clothes while having a collar around her neck made out of metal. Music could be heard as she entered the social areas where guards, soldiers, and some workers operated. Filled with shops illuminated by neon and industrial lights. As she walked, she overheard a conversation between workers, one saying. "Me and the boys in a ship tried to go asteroid mining, and guess what?" "What?" One of the workers replied. "Some fuckers from warlord Varke came out of nowhere and put a tax on us for mining in his area!" "Are you kidding me? Are they now gonna start taxing anyone if you cross into their lands?" One of the guards replied. "I don't know it is getting harder now thanks to the rivalry between Varke and Boss..." the man replied with another worker saying. "Maybe try to open a shop for the pilgrims or a stop? My cousins have been doing well for them since they want to see the ancient gate." "Ye… like that is cheap." The man replied to the others, Aseni soon could not hear them as she walked away from the conversation.

Heading through the industrial hallway, she saw the docks of the space station as their blast doors were being repaired together with the secure areas; some houses were even being built into the walls being adapted to the hangar. "The population was growing." she thought seeing the buildings as she once again entered the confines of another hallway. She pulled a chain hanging from the ceiling that headed up. She soon dragged up before being stopped on a floor, and stepping down a guard standing by saluted her as she passed down remarking, with few words. "Fix this damn elevator for once..." Walking through the hallway she soon noticed another opening. She froze and bowed before the statue of Lukary before saying. "Be well Your Majesty." She then finally noticed the other descendants of Lukarians that she ignored due to her hurry; the four men and two women gave light bows to her in solidarity saying together. “Cousin…” After giving a small bow of respect to the others she continued on her way.

Picking another elevator she soon began to go down rather fast seeing sections of industry and air controls an area of recreation and many others as she finally stopped at a more luxurious hallway decorated by bluish plants and carpets partially tattered with a sigil of a star being devoured by a Gnax, at the end of the small hallway was a flank of two guards walking softly they saluted her as the door opened and closed behind her looking at room that was a frank mess of books laid about and different papers the walls made out of reinforced steel and as she looked around she heard a man singing.

[i]“Oh stars, Oh stars, sing with me”
“Oh stars, Oh stars, sing with me”[/i]

Aseni hearing it soon saw Vinaae she soon began to approach slowly while hearing the song. Vinaae seemed to have reclined on a chair while holding a half-empty glass of Nek.

[i]“The Night that comes into the dawn”
“From Dalenndar, to Normagar”
“Where fire burns, and the bullets fly”
“Where man of steel march to die”[/i]

Aseni soon saw Vinaae. His hair was dark, his eyes were closed, his face bore many healed scars and he seemed to stay young despite being 34 she soon began to lean into him while she heard him sing.

[i]“Oh stars, Oh stars, sing with us tonight”
“For today we shall march to fight”
“Against the heart of the beast we shall fight”
“and death and glory to be us to…”[/i]

“Nice song.” Aseni whispered to Vinaae's ear with him snapped out with a scream, his eyes flaring open revealing the sulfur glow as he quickly fell out of his chair beginning to groan in pain looking to see Aseni he soon pointed at her saying. “Sister…” He soon began to adjust himself. “You Bitch!” Asenie chuckled at the display saying. “really an old war song?” “You know me, not a fan of modern stuff… Changing Topics! WHAT THE FUCK!” He shouted as she gave a light shrug he soon said. “I said more than once to knock!” “This is also my room. I will let you know.” She replied with him groaning, rising up completely and stretching his back he then said. “What is it? I hope it's important” he soon pressed a button as the metal lifted revealing a window to space as he looked on. “Well, remember Varke brother?” He rolled his eyes as he poured a glass of Nek. “Ah yes, the perpetual pain in my ass as he constantly threatens to attack. What about him?” “Well, he just declared any ship going through his territory to us banned.” She replied stopping, raising the glass to his lips and putting it on the table again he then shouted. “What! Can he do that?!” “Technically, it's his territory and I doubt the council nor the crimson eye would step in for such a petty thing” She said with Vinaae growing concerned as he sat on a chair. “This is the worst… now we have to contend with losing 50% of our mineral production.” he said. “Could be worse…” She replied to him continuing. “Remember what father always said? Always be ready for the unexpected because sometimes the good and bad can come both ways.” “Oh please, what good can come of this? I mean, think about it we rely heavily on the…” Aseni smiled, refocusing her eyes into the window for a moment. She felt like work was gonna be thrown at her. Instead, her worries drew to something else outside the gate came into view as the station rotated, and it seemed to begin to glow her eyes widened seeing it. “Brother…” she said with a tone of fear. “We already are in some high levels of debt due to the navy expenditure and…” He continued with her saying. “Brother…” She soon began to move slowly backwards with him sighing. “What?” “The gate to Gael…” She replied, sounding scared as the room was suddenly illuminated by a blue light turning around Vinaae looked towards it and shouted. “WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE KINGS!”

The light soon glowed like a new star in the heavens across all of the star system. A new star appeared in the sky near a newly made pilgrim station. For some in Vusary the planet of old, it seemed like a curiosity. Maybe someone accidentally exploded an old ship's reactor or a major nuclear attack. For others who knew of the star maps the gate towards old Gael glowed and it awoke.

[hr]

[center]Four days later.[/center]

Vinaae coughed into an intercom to call attention before saying. “Right to all workers please get away from blast areas before we launch the probe. All workers remove yourselves from the danger zone” He soon cut comms looking back he soon saw an enormous crowd of people from all clans watching he whispered to his sister. “Is it an impression or are there more people onboard?” “Ah yes more came from abroad as the gate opened.” she replied with a light annoyance. “Ah great… now the entire system knows what is going on here.” Soon the radio fliered up with a static voice saying. “Sir this is Noxi-1 I am ready” Typing into the console he soon picked up the transmission. “Good work Noxi-1 once you think you are ready to launch give a heads up and fear not in any complication, any family member shall be richly compensated for your volunteer work” Vinaae soon turned off comms for a moment. “What are the chances he dies?” “High...” she replied. “Do we really need to pay if he dies?” he said with her turning her head to him looking rather disapprovingly he sighed, taking a moment before turning on the radio again. “Are you ready?” “Yes sir” The sound of a deep breath could be heard with Vinaae smiling pressing the intercom button. “Right, everyone! We are initiating the first launch.” Putting his hand on the console watching as the pilot readied to launch his hands shook for a moment saying. “The Old kings were said to go to Old Gael and that one day they would return to bring judgment right?” “That is how the old stories go…” She said equally, sounding nervous. “We have every cannon aimed at the gate right?” he asked with her replying. “Yes, roughly all cannons and missiles we could muster.”

As both calmly talked soon the pilot of the small craft seemed to launch the procedure as the entire station could see the small craft fly from the hangar towards the gate the cable attached to it being extended from the station and pass the blue glow of the gate seeing the transition Vinaae awaited the maximum time was one hour or so he thought to himself why they did not just attempt to experiment to see if communications would work through the gate but it seemed like a safer option seeing how they didn’t know much of how the machine operated so it was best to do a simple test first. After a moment of silence, the metal cord soon began to be pulled back with the automated system Vinaae, Aseni looked on with curiosity together with the entire station also watching passing through the blue light came the small craft came back as they looked on as communication came in from the. “Everything is fine” There is a collective sigh of relief around the station but also of concern and debate Vinaae soon said. “Right, let me see what the cameras picked up.” He soon picked a console selecting the recordings of the ship to begin to be transferred over. Selecting the video, he soon saw space with Aseni whispering. “Gael?” “seems to be close to it.” He pointed to a dot in space saying. “A moon orbiting a grey dot.” “Are you sure it's Gael and not another star system?” Aseni asked him, and he replied to her saying. “There is a small chance we don’t know how old Gael looked. Mom did say Gael had 3 moons?” Aseni replied with a dry tone. “Mine said it was two…” Vinaae looked annoyed, giving the console to her and returning to stare at the gate. “Marvelous…” He pondered for a while while standing on the balcony overlooking the hangar and seeing through a window thinking for a while before saying. “Well, I wonder how this thing works and if it can change the place to send.”

Down below the pilot was removed from the exploration craft while chatter continued. Both siblings meanwhile continued some small chatter about the gate until they were interrupted by a guard knocking at the door. “Come in” Vinaae said as the doors opened a guard then said. “Ah Lord Vinaae someone wants to talk to you;” “I’m busy.” Vinaae replied with anger the guard looked a bit worried but he continued. “He's a fleet captain of ten ships, his name is Teenizorii.” Vinaae seemed to think for a moment before saying. “Let him in.” As he picked the console off the hands of Aseni searching the man’s name as the guard left. Aseni then said as both were alone again. “What is it now?” “Just seeing what this guy wants before I send him away. Docked two weeks ago to refuel, stayed after the gate to Gael opened, interesting guy.” The door soon opened again and both saw a man in his 50’s his eyes were blood red and he seemed addoned with several dozen scars he then said. “Lord Vinaae I believe correct?” “Yes that is me what you need sir…” he gestured for his name the man replied. “Teenizorii, fleet warlord.” “Ah… well pleasure to meet a Nikorian how i can help?” VInaae replied with a smile. Teenizorii remained expressionless looking at the window, he said. “The gate has opened has it not?” “ah yes…” Vinaae replied confused Teenizorii soon continued. “...and this station and the ring are considered your domain. I would like permission to take my fleet and myself through it.”

Vinaae and Aseni looked at each other with Vinaae staying curious. “You want to take your fleet to the other side of that portal?” “It's old Gael, ancestor mother who would not seek to see once again the old mother?” Teenizorii said Vinaae then said. “Well… there is a small chance that eight people may be waiting there you know…” “I don’t think they will judge us nor do I think they are there.” he replied to Vinaae sounding confident Vinaae thought for a moment before dropping the curiosity he soon turned into a wide smile saying. “Sure! why not just be careful and don’t rush into something you don’t know okay?” He gave a nod leaving Aseni soon said as he left the room. “What is your plan?” “A free scout is a free scout now we wait and study how to use this thing.” he gestured to the gate. Aseni rolled her eyes before saying. “If you say so… also it seems the attempt at information containment failed.” “How?” He asked, growing more worried. “Well, it's kind of hard to hide a giant glowing portal, glowing for days and also a few ships that left at the same time. ” “Marvelous… I wonder what is going on thanks to that” Vinaae commented with Aseni looking to the side thinking ‘riots in some places’ before returning focus to him bringing back to the topic she then said. “Right we better go back to work;” “Yes better…” he quickly replied as both left the observation area of the hangar.

As the fleet of Teenizorii arranged itself into position, his cruiser was at the head of the fleet aiming at the gate Teenizorii sat in the commanding chair. The bridge had screens showing the outside and tactical info he soon said to the bridge crew. “To old Gael, we go” He readied himself as the ships began to ready themselves and soon moved into the blue light. The fleet soon crossed the barrier into old Sol, already incredibly different; the sun seemed weaker than their own star in illumination as the ships entered Sol. Being able to see the glow of a pale moon and the shine of a grey world.