Changes

Meanwhile, however, Itani military technology was still in development. Up until this point the war had remained entirely land-based. Most mechanized equipment and creatures were adaptations of equipment that had been used in the terraforming and survival process of the past few hundred years. However, neither side had forgotten the historical importance of air and space superiority. The Itani were the first to produce usable aircraft, and later short-range spacecraft. High-altitude precision bombing became the standard Itani attack, decimating the invading Serco forces and pushing them back into Serco territory. Serco military establishments soon had to be moved deep underground into hardened bunkers, safe from Itani attack.

Little changed in the war during the next few years. The Itani retained air and space superiority, despite some advanced Serco surface-to-air missile designs. Both sides maintained nearly their original borders. The Itani were unable to crack the Serco defensive bunkers, while the Serco still maintained their advantage on the ground. Thus, aside from continuous sporadic conflicts, the nations remained in stalemate.

It is important to note that not all the Itani were slaughtered by the Serco armies, or were among those Exiles who left in search of a new home. Some found shelter among the sparse neutral settlements (neither Serco nor Itani) on Terra II. These people survived and prospered and lived largely in peace. The Serco left them alone, and the neutrals developed a strong antiwar sentiment. The Itani among them did remember their roots for many generations, but years of peace with the Serco eventually made them a single, albeit loosely knit, homogenous people.

For many long years the Itani Ark would ply starlit fields of space. After their first jump, they found no usable planets in the nearby system. However, after scanning the system heavily, they detected what appeared to be an additional wormhole area. Probes were launched and successfully returned, telling of another system containing several planets. The crew then took the ship through and spent time investigating the new system. Their search was a disappointment, and no suitable planets were found. Once again, however, another wormhole area was discovered. This continued for many years, systems would be found, some with planets, some without. A few of the planets could have been made habitable, but doing so would have been beyond the means of the people and technology onboard the Ark. Thus, they wandered the stars, most of the Itani still in cryogenic sleep, while the crew began to slowly lose hope of ever finding a new home.

After nineteen years of aimless wandering, hope became a bitter thing to bear among the crew. They had passed through many wormholes and many systems, crisscrossing all over the galaxy. No suitable planet had been found. Some began speaking of returning to Terra II and abandoning their search, arguing that perhaps in the last twenty years the tempers of the Serco might have cooled. All the wormholes through which they had passed would remain stable for millions of years, so the return path was yet open. The Ark's captain, former high command general of the Itani forces and now growing quite old at eighty two, refused to allow them to relinquish their quest. The crew muttered that they would not have to wait long, for the captain was ailing and knew his end was near. His last hope, that he might see a new home for his people before he died.

On February the 11th, 2691, the Ark entered a new system, and proceeded to scan its planets. To their joy, the fourth planet looked perfectly suited to establishing a new colony. Indeed, it was estimated that within a few hundred million years, the planet might begin life on its own. It already had a thin, but stable nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere, as well as liquid water in some places. The crew carefully surveyed the surface, and selected an area of a continent near the equator. With a ponderous groan, the Ark pierced the light clouds and landed without incident. Within a few days, the process of reviving the frozen Itani population had begun. Construction began on the first dome of the new world. Sadly, about a week after the landing, James Armand, Captain of the Ark, passed away. The Itani people pledged to remember that his diligence and faith brought them to their home, naming their new domed city Armand in his honor. The planet would be called Itan, a new world for a hopeful people, forever cut off from their ancient home of Earth, and far from the anguish they had caused and borne on Terra II.

There was a child on board the Ark, an orphan of the war, discovered in a bombed-out Itani settlement by a fleeing family and brought along with them to the underground launch site of the Ark. Barely two at the time, his background was unknown, his parents presumed dead. Raised by the family that found him, he was tested for deafness and speech impediments due to his unwillingness to speak. Although he was named by his foster family, his nickname became "Eo" (AY-oh), as that was the only sound he would make. Marked by his teachers for his apparent intelligence and (silent) enthusiasm, he studied diligently in a school for the disabled. Many of his classmates there were children injured physically or psychologically by the war with the Serco, and this seemed to have a profound affect on his formative years. He learned to read at age four, and thereafter spent many long hours pouring over the computer databases, learning of history and fiction, mathematics and philosophy. The recent history of the Itani was a particular point of study for him, specifically the events which lead to the horrible destruction of the war and eventual exile of the Itani people.

Abruptly, at age twelve, Eo began speaking. His use of language and demeanor were far beyond his years, and he caused quite a stir within his school and community. When asked why he had suddenly began to speak, he responded that he simply hadn't had anything to say before. Now that he had availed himself of the powers of speech, he used it to ply his elders with questions, many of which they could not answer to his satisfaction. He asked why the war had occurred. Why had the Itani people allowed themselves to be ruled by such an evil and misguided man as Akan. Why, above all, they persisted in such hatred of the Serco, who had never truly intended them any harm, and had wished only to share the planet in peace. His teachers and foster family, still fresh from the war and weary with the grief it had brought them, had little to offer him but sadness and regret. Eo pondered, and continued to read.

Fifteen years of labor made quite a difference in the world of the Itani. Their capital city of Armand was now large and stable. Once again completely self-sustaining, they had taken the time to carefully lay out and build their new city, planting tree-lined walkways and creating numerous parks. The idea was to create a new world that recalled the beauty of Earth, now known only from pictures and stories passed down from their ancestors. Terra II, while it had been home, had been largely a place of steel and harsh windswept terrain, a land occasionally broken by a dome or strange Serco-engineered wildlife. Thus, the city of Armand flourished and grew, and the people took solace in the haven they had created. Plans were made to accelerate the terraformation of the rest of the planet. Many advances had been made in this process during the formation of Terra II, and these were put to work on Itan. Large atmospheric processing machinery was constructed in the mountains near Armand. Underground, huge artificially-lit greenhouses were excavated, growing plants and trees for eventual use on the surface. The planet took well to the terraforming process, and change became apparent.

At the age of eighteen, Eo left his foster parents and school to search for answers in the wider world. Taking a job as a surveyor for the terraforming process, he learned to pilot a spaceship and flew around the planet, studying its geology and makeup. This information was then used to make decisions for different steps in the terraforming process, including climatic predictions, where flora and fauna should be distributed, and other tasks related to making their world the growing, green place they desired. Spending much of his time alone aboard his spacecraft, Eo watched the evolution of the planet unfold beneath him, pondering still the fate that had brought them to this place.

The terraforming process on Itan had succeeded beyond all expectations. Although far from completed, the planet had begun to show large sections of green, with even greater success in the introduction of simple undersea life. The atmospheric processors, now scattered across the planet, kept the weather mildly in check while maintaining the balance of the air. It was estimated that sufficient plant life would exist to make the planet wholly self-sustaining within a hundred years. Eo, during this time, had risen to a position of considerable respect among the terraformers, and within the Itani community as a whole. He took to writing long papers lamenting the sad, recent history of the Itani, and suggesting that people learn from their experiences and look positively towards the future. Much of what he wrote struck a chord with the people, allowing them to rest easier with their past, and enjoy more of the time at hand. Among other things, Eo wrote that the pursuit of war and hatred could come to no good, and that only listening clearly to the voice of one's own soul, not one's ego, could provide true guidance. Not long after this, it is believed that Eo began studying ancient literature, stored in the vast computer databases, which discussed meditation and martial training. Combined with his studies of many ancient philosophies, religions, and cultures, he began to create a new philosophy of life and existence.

Itan has begun to flourish in greenery and life. Farms have popped up in many places around Armand. The Ark, resting in its permanent position on the far side of a small river from the city, has had a beautiful park built around it. Small villages have sprouted up here and there as people venture out from beneath the protection of the dome of Armand. Forests have sprouted up in a number of places, and fish and insects begin to appear. Each species is rolled out according to the overall plan of the terraformers, when the world and current balance of life is believed able to sustain the addition of something new. Eo has built a school in the mountains just north of Armand. Here he offers a rigorous monastic life, coupled with study of martial arts, philosophy and meditation, as well as more "standard" arts and sciences. Many men and women come to study and converse with him, now an elder statesman and well-loved thinker of the Itani people. His school produces impressive students, both for their well balanced and good nature as for their keen intellects and imaginations. Eo teaches that martial arts, far from the seeming outwardly combative nature, are merely a path to better understanding of one's self and better functioning as a human being. The common thread of peace and harmony runs through all that is taught within his school.

At age one hundred and four, Eo passes away. On the evening of his death, still fit and of very sound mind, he informs his students that he will no longer be available to teach them. However, he states his belief that they have understood the meaning and spirit of his ideas, and he hopes they will cling to that spirit rather than to the pedantic specifics of his words. With that he thanks them and goes to his meditation chamber. His body was discovered the next morning.

The planet of Itan mourns its gentle hero. His body is interred in a memorial near the Ark, not far from the statue of James Armand. Nine of Eo's ten foremost students leave his mountain school to start new schools in the open-air towns around Armand. The Schools of Eo become the standard by which education is judged, and produce a new generation of fit, happy, wise, and well-adjusted individuals. The people of Itan strive to live in balance with their natural surroundings, which have taken so long to grow.

Itan and its people have flourished in the past few hundred years. The planet is beautiful and green, with much wildlife on the land and in the sea. The people continue to advance technologically, constructing new types of spaceships and exploring the nearby wormhole areas. The schools of Eo have become integrated into the overall social and cultural structure of the people. Everyone participates in them to some extent, most leaving after several years to pursue jobs or technological research elsewhere. Some men and women, however, dedicate their lives to the schools and to the monastic life. These people research and practice internal energy, meditation, and ponder the meaning of life and death. Ancient martial forms, inspired by the animals of Earth, are researched and studied. New martial forms, inspired by the movements of wind and water, are discussed and refined. Much thought is given to the ideal of becoming one with one’s actions, mind and body. Whether applied to ancient swordsmanship forms or modern spaceship piloting, the results are impressive. Prospective pilots that have been taught the advanced meditation techniques are shown to have unusual reflexes and timing. The monastic upper levels of the school see these intriguing results and resolve to further their meditative research.

The culture of Itan progresses apace. The teachers and luminaries of the Schools of Eo become known as brothers or sisters of the Order of Eo. The Order is led by an abbot and a loose democratic organization of the rest of the Order. By this point, the Itani Senate has mostly ceased to exist, and the Itani people are largely guided by the Order. There is no strict governmental hierarchy so much as a group of elected officials from various towns, all of whom look to the Order for overall direction and guidance. Much emphasis is placed on personal responsibility, both to one’s own actions and to one's community. Most community tasks are distributed on a volunteer basis, and the various duties periodically migrate around the community.

The Order themselves continue to delve into the mysteries of the mind, body, and soul. New theories and advances in meditation occur frequently. A certain number of standard practices are common throughout the Order and emulated by much of the rest of the Itani population. These practices of diet, exercise, meditation, and martial study have begun to result in considerably extended lifetimes for the practitioners. It is not uncommon for members of the order, along with other studious and motivated individuals, to reach an age of 150 years or more still in able-bodied health. Additionally, the medical needs of these practitioners are often markedly less than that of those who chose not to practice with regularity. Sickness and disease have become very rare within the Order.

A well-respected member of the Order, Erum the Blind, is given to moments of prophecy and clarity during deep meditation. The accuracy of these prophecies, or at least their common interpretations, is largely uncontested, as he has foretold major unusual events within his lifetime. Towards the end of his span, at age one hundred and thirty nine, he suddenly lapses into a prophetic state while in the midst of a martial demonstration for several upper-level students. He speaks of a hidden evil within the Itani people, of a thread of hatred long held in secret, which could spell the doom of the Itani. So saying, he abruptly expires, to the anguish of his students. His words disturb the Order to its foundations, as Itan has experienced little conflict and few problems in the last five hundred years. The elders ponder the meaning of this new threat, and how (and when) it may affect them.

The Itani begin to investigate a new branch of technology. It is found that sensors can be constructed which can react to the will and energies of a meditatively trained individual. It is even theorized that the technology could be crafted to amplify the energies of a monk, with many possible applications. The Order has long studied the link between thought and action, and many test pilots have been martially trained towards this end. When combined with the new technology, even more impressive results are realized. Sufficiently trained pilots can now fly with mere thought, while “feeling” the response of their ship in great detail. All data recorded by the shipboard computer can be filtered into their consciousness, understood, and acted upon, while in the required meditative state. Training to achieve this state, however, is a long and difficult process. Additionally, in a world of transports which can autopilot from place to place without incident, there is little need for this technology. For now, it is mainly used by the Order to provide displays of aerobatic skill during large festivals.

The Itani have had much success in their colonization projects. A number of planets suitable for colonization and terraforming (now greatly advanced) are found within a few wormhole-jumps of Itan. The planets of Eo and Divinia are founded, and by AD3600 are well terraformed and populated. Temples, seats of the Order of Eo, are constructed on all the new planets, with planet-wide Abbots elected to direct the local affairs of the Order. All temples frequently consult with the home temple for guidance.

A proposal is made to expand exploration in the direction of the wormholes through which the Ark had passed on its fateful journey to Itan. Some are curious to see what has become of their ancient brethren and learn more of their history. Others even dream of perhaps rediscovering a route to that aboriginal home of humankind, Earth. Four hundred years earlier, when the Itani began to explore their spatial surroundings in earnest, the Order had placed a ban on passing beyond the furthest of the known wormhole areas in the direction of Terra II. Past Abbots had asked that explorers remember why their forefathers had fled, risking life to found a new home where their children might live in peace. The Itani have no illusions about their past, or the horrible deeds perpetrated by their ancestors that caused the war and eventually led to the Exile of the Ark. However, the Itani people believe that much has changed in the last thousand years since the Exile, and in many respects they are correct. Itan gives all signs of an ideal human society, where concern for survival is a thing only dimly remembered. The populace instead strives to create works of beauty and thought, only for the delight of creation. Exploring the fringes of their universe and their minds, while cradled in the lush beauty of their planets, the Itani people have forgotten their ancient hatreds. Much historical study is given to the Serco and their ways. Although the idea of melding man with machine, or diverging from the blueprint of nature, holds little personal appeal to the Itani people, it is now considered to be the ways of a different culture, no doubt as unique, beautiful, and interesting as their own.

The exploration proposal meets some resistance in the upper levels of the Order, with those who believe it was unwise to seek the ancient enemy. However, the idea quickly gains ground with many of the more curious and scientifically minded, and is much debated throughout the Itani planets. After several years of discussions, enough pressure has built to cause the Abbot of Itan, with some misgivings, to lift the Ban.

The technology of monitoring and focusing the energy of a meditative monk has been further refined to produce an intriguing device. The so-called "Energy Focus" can be used by a highly trained monk to produce a seemingly impenetrable field, formed from a variety of spiritual life energies. The form of this field is adaptable by the thoughts of the monk, depending on the skill and abilities of the individual. The discovery is hailed as opening a new field of science, but few immediate applications are found. Many of the upper level members of the Order acquire Energy Focus devices for experimentation and as teaching tools, to give form to thought and aid in conceptual description.

Although exploration through the wormholes near Terra II commences immediately after the lifting of the Ban, it is done as discreetly as possible. Reconnaissance information is gathered on the Serco and Terra II in order to develop a cautious plan to make contact with their historical foe. So, for some years, observations of the Serco are made at long range. In the seventh month of 3827, an Itani exploration ship and its crew are captured by the Serco.