Once again I was put on Sunhawk cleanup duty. During pauses and mealtimes Vindicator Kuros told me more of Sironas, and when it finally dawned upon me that Sironas was the one who perverted both Saruan, and an unnamed lady, probably Kuros' sweetheart as well as mentor, I began to understand his fervour in exterminating the Sunhawks, and the anger, that led him to strike down Mattis, as he alluded to what he'd done for Sironas. One thing was a wonder for all of us. Where did all the Sunhawks come from? We had shut down the portal in the north, surrounded the Cryo-core, and their camp. Now we made daily forays in the hilly zone where the Vector Coil -- another important part of the old Exodar -- had fallen and still they came. Even better armed for each passing day.
I was sent to Vindicator's Rest, where the Vindicator, Aesom, had a thing or two to tell me. The Sunhawks' latest invention, Sun Gates, was a movable portal. The implored me to destroy it. Which was rather an easy task. After my long training I was able to finish off any Sunhawks in a efficient manner. I found the Sun Gate, held up by four crystals. I broke the crystals one after one, and the gate simply stopped to be. We still had many Sunhawks to fight and I did my share of the dirty job, but their number was lessening.
But as I fought Sunhawk I felt more and more listless. I caught myself in thinking that Exarch Menelaos was right when he felt like just waiting for death to come. It was foolish to fight always fight. It was not necessarily a loosing battle. but the numbers of fights were overwhelming. In the end Delenn noticed my quiet manners and I told her of my thoughts.
She reminded me that even if a paladin's powers come from the Ligth, they come in schools in the same way magic does. There was a way of keeping a balance of power, that I clearly had forgotten. I was doing too much fighting and not much healing with my powers. I should try to limit my use of the powers of the Light to the most mundane when fighting.
I found it ridiculous that I should not use the powers to eradicate my enemies as quickly as possible, but promised to give it a try. The next couple of days I used only minimal output of Power for fighting, and accordingly I had to use more Powers in healing myself. And it seemed to help. It was as if things regained their old colours. I told Delenn that she seemed to be right. And she made me promise to go on like that. I made the promise, but with a heavy heart.
What we know
Some time later Vindicator Aesom summoned me. He told me that as I was one of the best fighters and at least as good at learning new languages, I was the perfect Draenei for the job. I must have looked fairly puzzled. He told me to fetch us some tea and be at ease. And then he began at the beginning. "We know that the Sunhawks, and indeed all the Blood elves on these Isles are led by Sironas herself ... Yes Rusty?" My surprise in learning that Sironas was a she must have shown.
"Yes she's a she, and the worst of our nightmares come true. She and her allies seek to enslave O'ros and control Exodar and the Isles. Light be praised, you've stopped their feeding lines by destroying the Sun Gate. but unfortunately, they continue to use the mutagen -- that's what you, Morae and Lycaeon was talking about the other day, and it fits with what we knew. We suppose they're using the Vector Coil as a base for the poisoning of the Isles, using the mutagenic properties of the debris and crystals to their advantage.
Exarch Admetius has devised a desperate plan. Go, seek him out."
And what we like to know
I took my leave of the Vindicator and went in search of Exarch Admetius. It was no problem finding him, actually he was just outside, waiting for me. He invited me home -- he lived next door -- for even more tea. With almost no preamble he told me of his plan.
"I am in need of your services, Rusty. I have a plan, but before we can get any further, we need some vital information." He smiled at me, but far from calming me, he conferred much of his own anxiety to me.
"We need to know the if there's any weakness in their defence of the Vector Coil. We have not been able to get close enough to to really gather useful information. But we have a prisoner. If we could get the prisoner to talk, we could get the information, we need to get through their lines and destroy the Vector Coil once and for all. Yes, you heard me right. I want to blow the damned thing up."
"But how can I ... I mean, I don't speak Thalassian apart from a few choice insults..."
"I have an idea, or rather a plan, Rusty. Please listen."
I nodded, and he continued: "All attempt at interrogation have failed miserably, Rusty. Torture is out of the question. That's not how we do things. Not even in an extreme situation like this. But as said, I have a plan. What we need is the right man or rather Draenei in the right place. I am, as you might know, well versed in magic. I can cast a spell upon you that would make you look like a Sunhawk yourself, and even teach you the language for the duration. I think that the Blood Elf out there is almost ripe; due to the long time of loneliness and insecurity concerning his future, he might be willing to spill the beans to a fellow prisoner. Of course we'll have to treat you like we would a captured Sunhawk. Hell, the guards will even think you are a newly captured Sunhawk agent, and treat you accordingly. I excuse on beforehand for any rough handling.
In the end of course I gave in. When the Vindicators want something they can be rather convincing.
The next day I met Sxarch Admetius and tracker Lycaeon in a deserted spot near Blood Watch. I ha dressed in Sunhawk clothes beforehand, and wore a nondescript sword. Exarch Admetius said the words, I felt my tail shrinking and my ears grow. Soon I looked like a real Sunhawk. I drew my sword and traded a few mock blows with Exarch Admetius. Trackre Lycaeon blew his whistle and soon I was captured by the rangers coming to his aide. They were going to kill me, but the Exarch stopped them, under the pretence of wanting to interrogate me.
I was beaten up, and roughly thrown into a cage already containing the other prisoner and left alone there.
After some time I returned to my senses. I gingerly felt my head, felt the long eyebrows and ears and remembered my mission. I softly swore, careful not to startle, as the unwont syllables left my lips.
The captured Sunhawk agent eyed me suspiciously: "Good morning, new one. Who are you? I never say you before?"
"I'm a prisoner, that's what I am," I said, hoping for time and the fog in my head to clear. "I saw these
draenei filth kill our portal controllers and destroy the gate. The Sun King will be most displeased with this turn of events. I attacked a Draenei out of anger, but it seems he was some sort of sitting duck, and I was captured."
The captured Sunhawk agent smirked. "Don't you worry, new blood, there are many more portal controllers and many more suitable locations for portals. I am certain that Sironas will have a new gate up very soon. These blue skinned dogs are not long for this world. Sironas and the abomination will clean up whatever the Sunhawk forces leave behind."
Now we were getting somewhere. I tried throwing a lure: ""Ah yes. Sironas. I had nearly forgotten that Sironas was here. I served under Sironas back on Outland. I haven't heard of any abominations, though; those damnable draenei captured me before I had chance to learn anything here."
The Sunhawk smiled a dreamy smile. "It was Sironas all along. Any attacks against the Vector Coil will most certainly result in failure as long as that abomination is around."
"Incredible." I said. "How did Sironas accomplish such a thing?"
"Sironas claims that certain eredar possess the ability to transform themselves or other into man'ari. Savage demonic beings. Draenei were supposedly once eredar and Sironas is a powerful eredar,"
the agent laughed. "Can you imagine? These pathetic, blue creatures once were mighty demons. What kind of fool rejects such power?
"I was totally taken by surprise and blurted: "Sironas is an eredar ..." I quickly amended: "I man, yes, obviously, that totally explains everything."
The agent did not seem to have noticed my lapse, but continued: "Obviously. How else could she infiltrate their ranks and pass as a draenei? She has been living among them for a very long time."
"But," I said, "The Vector Coil is huge. I hope we have more than one abomination guarding the numerous weak points."
He eyed me suspiciously: "Numerous? It has only two weak points: the base of the structure on the west side and the base of the structure on the east side. Hey, wait a minute. How would you know anything about the Vector Coil? Didn't you say that you were captured before you had a chance to learn anything?"
That was it. The agent had smelled something fishy. Time to get out. I dealt him a blow to the stomach and opened the lock with the key, Exarch Admetius had given me.
"Treacherous whelp!" he groaned. "Sironas will destroy you and your people!"
Shaken I returned to Exarch Admetius who called Morae in to dress my wounds. After my tales and some nourishment he ordered me home to bed. "Return tomorrow for your orders, Rusty," was his parting words.
Next day he asked me it I was ready to eradicate the blood elf menace from our island forever.
I only nodded, and he continued. "I do not expect you to take on The Vector Coil and defeat Sironas single -handedly. But you could be of great help to the person taking on this dangerous assignment. Go back to Vindicator's Rest. There you'll find Demolitionist Legoso. He's a great fighter and an even better sapper, he'll be able to destroy the Vector Coil with your help.
Rationalizations of the limitations of Mists of Pandaria.
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