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nAfter quite some time being alone on his ship with his new crew, Erich finally received word from Tia that the Vigilance was exiting the warp, causing him to enter the cockpit and prepare to manually the pilot the frigate.

nWhile the Vigilance was in fact operated by Tia most of the time, Erich still enjoyed the feel of flying a ship, which he had become accustomed to during the early days of his military career. Thus, once the ship re-entered realspace, Erich took control of it, and piloted it towards the planet, which boldly stood out to him.

nLike most capital worlds in the galaxy, it was an Ecumenopolis, but it appeared quite different from the worlds Erich was accustomed to. For example, the world’s many structures appeared to be made out of white stone and gold. Similar to how many people theorized the pyramids of ancient Egypt would have looked after being built.

nNot only that, but the architecture was in many ways similar to that of ancient Egypt. Just as Erich and his crew approached the planet, they were contacted by the local planetary defense forces.

n“Unknown ship, you have entered restricted airspace of the Sacred World of Daut! identify yourself or you will be fired upon!”

nErich immediately responded to this communication, with one of his own, where he quickly identified himself to the Ennead Theocracy.

n“This is Archon Erich Jaeger of the Alfheim Dominion. We suspect that a fugitive has landed on the world of Duat, and we seek an accordance with your authorities so that we may apprehend them. This fugitive is guilty of high treason against the Asterion Dynasty, and its Empress. If you decide to harbor them, the Alfheim Dominion will consider it an act of war!”

nThere was a brief silence on the other end of the line, before eventually a different voice arrived, and was far more humble in the face of Erich’s threat.

n“Great Archon, I apologize for the rudeness of my subordinate. We would be happy to grant you permission to land on Duat, so long as you abide by our people’s customs. Please make your way to the proper landing zone, and we will have an envoy escort you to your temporary residence as we try to come to an understanding about this fugitive….”

nErich then piloted the ship, before expertly landing in the hangar bay, where, sure enough, an envoy, along with a whole group of dignitaries, came to greet Erich. For the time being, Erich left Kali and Mala on the ship, while his landing party consisted of himself, Mirage, and Sinaria. The trio stood firmly in front of the envoy, who bowed before Erich and welcomed him to Duat.

n“It has been a long time since an Archon of the Alfheim Dominion has made their way to Duat. We understand that you are looking for a fugitive, and we certainly would not wish to anger Empress Lunaria.𝚘𝒱𝗅xt.𝒸𝗈𝚖

nWe will be more than happy to work together with you, to ensure that this traitor is captured alive, and is transferred to your custody. But first, we request you visit the temple, so that you may pay your proper respects to the gods.”

nErih looked over at Mirage and Sinaria, both of which were more experienced when it came to the traditions and customs of other civilizations. The two women bowed and cupped their hands in the same fashion as the envoy, before responding to his demands in a stoic manner.

n“We would be honored to pay tribute to the gods.”

nErich noticed how they said the gods, and not your gods. Thus, he was able to infer that denying the divinity of this civilization’s leaders would be a major issue. With this in mind, he followed the envoy to their great temple, where they were washed in some kind of white liquid, before being given ceremonial robes.

nOnce dressed in these ceremonial robes, Erich was forced to pray to each of the gods of the ennead pantheon. Before finally being allowed to walk freely in the city of Duat. Where they were constantly escorted by the envoy. It was only after walking through the streets of this worldwide city that Erich was able to inquire about a time and place to mead with the Ennead.

n“I understand that your leaders are a busy looking after your nation and its affairs, however, I believe this fugitive will wish to speak with them as well. And thus, I would very much like to express the urgency of my request.”

nUnfortunately for Erich, he could tell that the envoy was not particularly interested in helping him out. After all, he was the representative of a hostile power. The very fact that they would allow him on their world at all was contingent on the basis that he and his team were under constant surveillance. And thus, the Envoy replied with a smug tone in his voice.

n“I understand this might be an urgent issue for you, and we in the Ennead Theocracy are more than willing to do our part to bring this fugitive to justice. However, what may be considered urgent to you is not of critical concern to us. Your request has been noted and has been relayed to the proper authorities, who will look into this matter with the upmost expediency.

nIn the meantime, we will provide you with a luxurious penthouse for you and your crew to stay in. Fully covered by our own costs, after all, you are diplomats of a foreign nation. Please, if you need to visit anywhere in the city, I will be more than happy to escort you….”

nMirage rolled her eyes when she heard this, causing Erich to communicate with her silently with his mind.

n“These bastards are giving us the runaround. We might be here for years before they give us a proper answer, and by then, the Sage will be long gone.”

nMirage silently nodded her head before speaking to Erich with her thoughts.

n“Not only that, they are probably trying to stall us, so they can buy the sage as much time as possible. Unfortunately, these bastards are going to be tailing us with every step we make. Undoubtedly, the penthouse they spoke of was bugged. I say we insist on staying on the ship. At least that way we can speak freely about what we plan to do next.”

nErich agreed with this sentiment and was quick to convey it to this notion towards the envoy.

n“While that sounds pleasant, my crew and I are far more comfortable with our ship. We will reside within it until you have concluded your investigation. If you have any questions for us, you know where to find us.”

nErich was then about to turn around when he noticed that several heavily armed guards were blocking his path. He gazed around and realized that any route of escape had already been cut off, and thus Erich sighed heavily as he turned around, where the Envoy was still grinning at him.

n“I am afraid we are going to have to insist. After all, you would not reject the hospitality of the Gods now would you? The Orc and Asuran have also been escorted to your penthouse. They are currently awaiting your arrival. Please, if you will follow me, I will be more than happy to show you to your new quarters.”

nErich and Mirage both sighed heavily, knowing fully well that they were now effectively prisoners of the Ennead Theocracy.

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