The Czarnian Pilgrimage

By evolution-500

Genre: Science Fiction/Friendship

Disclaimer: "Mass Effect" is a property owned by Bioware and the Czarnians are a property belonging to DC Comics. I do not own this game nor any of its characters.

WARNING: This story contains references to violence, coarse language, disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter Four: Czarnia

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

- Albert Einstein

The command deck was quiet as Jan and the other Quarians gathered by the window, anxiously waiting while the Czarnians restlessly worked.

Watching the latter, Jan observed them, taking note of how utterly calm and relaxed they all were. Everyone was laser-focused in their duties, their movements so efficient and precise that part of him couldn't help wonder if they were all automated.

Jan watched as Haken spoke into a radio receiver, his voice rumbling and ringing in strange, droning and bell-like intonations, the dialect so strange and complex that it was practically impossible for his own Omni-Tool to decipher.

Once he finished, the helmsman smiled and glanced in Jan's direction.

"I was just notifying ground control of your presence and your situation," he explained. "Preparations are being made to help with the transfer of your injured to the nearest medical facility, so we are taking precautions."

"Understood," Jan nodded. "I don't suppose you have heard anything from the Migrant Fleet, have you?"

Haken shook his head. "Regretfully no, but we are doing our best to raise them with

Standing by the window with his fellow Quarians, the first thing Jan and the others saw upon their arrival was a massive blue and green sphere, along with a large tower that extended out from the planet itself.

"Keelah, what in the world is that?!" Sito pointed, a murmur rising.

Folding his arms behind his back, Haken chuckled. "That, my friend is the space elevator. We use platforms such as these for a variety of activities, including but not limited to acclimatization for our little ones."

Around the tower, Jan wordlessly watched as various Czarnians flew by unprotected on strange floating vehicles steered by handlebars from a saddle-style seat, while a few were riding on astro-dolphins, with one or two of the vehicles resembling the creatures.

"Admiral, are you seeing this?!" Jura gasped.

Beside him, Sito wordlessly stared in awe, watching as a Czarnian turned to him, smiled and waved before flying off.

Staring open-mouthed, Jan watched as a collection of the aliens, what seemed to be a group in their late teens, mostly males, wearing nothing but what appeared to be swim wear, gathered on the space elevator, approaching its edge. "Ah, Captain, what are they doing?"

"Hm?" Haken hummed.

"The youths over- KEELAH NO!" Jan cried in alarm, raising a hand as he helplessly watched as the youths suddenly leapt off from the tower one by one.

Jura let out a startled scream while the other Quarians cried out, watching as the teenagers' forms vanished back down into the atmosphere below.

Wincing, Haken pinched the bridge of his nose. "Bokrug's swinging balls, those idiot kids." Pulling his hand away, he wearily shook his head with a tired knowingness and a certain degree of embarrassment. "My apologies for your having seen that, Admiral. It is a game, if not an unspoken tradition or rite of passage that many a Czarnian teenager likes to play called "Meteor", where they would leap off the space elevator and create a big splash in one of the oceans down below. They will be fine, if that's any consolation, although I suspect their parents will not be impressed down on the surface."

Hesitating, Jan looked back and forth between the window and the helmsman. "Are-Are they-?"

"They're fine, they're fine!" Haken raised a hand placatingly. "Really. Many a Czarnian have survived orbital re-entry without injury, and those that do, they will heal instantly." He shrugged, "Like I said, we Czarnians are a hardy bunch."

Crossing his arms in disapproval, Jan narrowed his eyes. "To be perfectly frank, Captain, your attitude is nothing short of concerning to me as both an officer and as a parent. Keelah, what are your people thinking?! How can you all be so relaxed about this?! If it were me, I would have armed guards posted and have those brats reprimanded! What's stopping those even younger from doing such a thing?!"

To his surprise, Haken remained calm, quiet and patient.

Folding his arms behind his back, Haken regarded Jan as one would a pupil. "I understand your reservations, Admiral," he said slowly. "All of this is undoubtedly strange to your kind. But allow me to put your minds to rest - we are very strict when it comes to those who are younger. It is typically teenagers entering the first stages of adulthood that would tend to use the space-elevator for such purposes, if not some adults. Even though 99.86% of all accidents are avoided on Czarnia, there will always be the odd idiot or two. Sometimes, the best educational tool one has is experience. We have medical staff on standby down below just to be sure, though."

Relaxing a little, Jan lessened his anger, nodding silently before looking back to the window, watching the various ships, smaller vessels as they passed by.

"Do your people have other such...traditions or games?" Sito concernedly asked.

"We have a few," Haken nodded. "We have space-cycle races, gravity wells, solar flare surfing-"

"SOLAR FLARE SURFING?!" Jan squawked, reeling back toward the captain. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes," Haken replied, a little startled by the reaction. "Many a Czarnian enjoy it as a recreational activity, although that one is more adult-oriented. We would never allow children nor teenagers to get involved."

"Keelah!" Jan murmured, feeling dazed as he, Jura and Sito exchanged nervous glances.

Just what kind of world had they stumbled upon out here?!

There were many things that Jan was uncertain about, first and foremost the fate of his crew.

Watching the ship descend into the planet's atmosphere, part of him braced for what awaited his people beneath the clouds, uncertain what he would find. Much of the world was covered in a thick layer of fog, but as they descended, Jan's eyes widened, his lips parting.

"Look at that!" Sito let out an awe-filled gasp.

Through the clouds, Jan saw a sprawling city of stained glass and strikingly gorgeous buildings, with several enormous round towers of such ivory and silver that they brilliantly shined under the sun like an ornate jewel, with a number of raised platforms and landing pads.

"It's...beautiful!" Jura breathlessly whispered.

As the ship continuing to descend through the clouds, more was revealed - to Jan's amazement, the city itself turned out to be on a raised platform that was mounted on the curved slopes of what looked like an even greater structure that must have been hundreds of meters high, with even larger towers supporting it down below, the architecture unlike anything he had ever seen or imagined.

The ways in which some of the towers branched out and suspended other platform cities visually reminded Jan of enormous forests of geometrically complex silver trees, an endless honeycomb of interconnecting buildings, rail systems, shafts and tunnels, all of it dizzying and mesmerizing to watch.

Elsewhere, he saw floating crystals, rocks, mountains, islands and whole continents surrounding the towers and cities, all of them hovering several hundred feet in the air, suspended by no apparent means whatsoever, with various houses, temples and structures built on and into them.

"Keelah, what are those?" Jan pointed.

"Those are Heaven Stones," Haken explained. "The gravity on our world is incredibly dense, but throughout Czarnia are many sections where the gravity would fluctuate. A number of these stones possess incredible electromagnetic properties, and because of that, we'd learned to harness gravity itself. It was from these stones and the astro-dolphins that have allowed us to travel the stars."

"Fascinating!" Sito crossed his arms, cupping his helmeted chin in thought.

Staring through the window in awe, Jan stood transfixed, mesmerized by all the wonderous sights, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer visual bombardment and spectacle on display.

He saw vehicles of various shapes and sizes, with some driving on the ground or flying through the air.

He saw waterfalls falling from some of these towers, the free-flowing water flowing into various different channels, streams, rivers, lakes and pools, all of which glowed with some strangely bluish otherworldly hue.

He saw trees and plants of unusual shapes and sizes, some of them of such colors that he wasn't even sure if there was even a proper definition for them, some looking more like the furry legs of some enormous insect than anything that he knew of.

He saw numerous types of animals, including what looked to be strange reptilian wolf/ape hybrids as they clung from trees.

He saw giant statues of a beautiful female dressed in long flowing robes holding up a city, but even more incredibly, he saw how other structures were quickly being built using automated drones, towering and strange-looking mechs, and by the Czarnians themselves with strange-looking tools.

Watching the construction crew down below, Jan allowed his gaze to wander when his eyes suddenly froze on a single individual, a shirtless male that looked to be no more than six-feet-tall with a long goldish mane of hair and yellow eyes, carried a giant sculpted head that was many, many times larger than himself, at least a hundred feet long and seventy or so feet high.

Blinking several times, he squinted, unsure if it was the trick of the light.

What in the world?

Surely the man must be using some type of specially-designed equipment.

As the individual continued to move, Jan's eyes widened.

"Keelah, look at that!" He gasped, drawing everyone's attention.

"What? What is it?" Sito asked.

"Look, down there!" Jan pointed.

"What's going on?" Jura questioned. Jan pointed again at the Czarnian worker down below, watching as the Lieutenant suddenly recoiled with a jolt. "W-WHAT?!"

One by one the other Quarians gathered until they all finally noticed the solitary figure, some of them letting out startled cries as he effortlessly carried the massive statue piece without even looking phased.

Murmurs grew amongst the Quarians as they all chattered, looking at one another in uncertainty.

"T-That's-That's impossible!" Sito stammered, his eyes wide with fright as he took a half-step back.

"How is he doing that?!" A Marine exclaimed.

"Is he using an exoskeleton?" Another questioned.

"No, he's lifting it with his bare hands!" A third spoke up!

More and more the chatter grew, growing even more excited.

Nearby, Jan saw Jura shaking, her hands wringing anxiously together, while various Marines were trembling all over, shaken by what they were witnessing.

"...Are you all alright?" Haken called, scratching his head in confusion.

Turning to face him, Jan swallowed, his mouth dry. "Captain, that-that man down there," he gestured, pointing to the gold-maned man as he passed the head to some sort of crane, "...is-is he using some equipment that we are unfamiliar with?"

"Who are you talking about?" Haken questioned, approaching the window.

"Him!" Jan pointed, gesturing to the man again.

Letting out a thoughtful hum, Haken gave an understanding nod. "Ah, I see. To answer your question, no, that is all him. He is carrying it all by himself."

The silence that followed was deafening as all of the Quarians gave each other nervous looks.

Turning her head from the window to face the helmsman, Jura nervously swallowed. "Are...Are all Czarnians this strong?"

Haken nodded. "They are, although some might be stronger or weaker than others."

More and more Jan found himself wondering about these Czarnians and their capabilities.

Calming his nerves, the Admiral let out a shaky breath before he was able to find his voice again. "How...How many people are there on this planet?"

"Twelve billion, more or less," came the reply.

The answer left him and many of the Quarians stunned speechless. Jan's head pounded as he steadied himself against a wall, feeling dazed and overwhelmed.

"Keelah!" He murmured.

Twelve billion individuals that were strong enough to carry what looked like a several ton sculpture without aid of either an exoskeleton or device, if not stronger?

It was completely unheard of!

For a brief moment, Jan contemplated the military applications of such beings, but his mind quickly shut that thought down, repressing the urge to shiver. He couldn't imagine the sheer carnage and devastation of such an action, for in many ways, these creatures were even stronger, if not far more potentially dangerous than even Krogans, and that was saying something!

Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself off the wall, collecting his thoughts.

If it wasn't for the Czarnians' unusually civil and pacifistic nature along with their enigmatic condition known as the "curse of Feetal", Jan was more than certain that these beings would have been able to completely dominate the entire galaxy.

Keelah, he couldn't even begin to fathom what would happen if the Citadel got involved with them, if not decided to wage a war against them!

Repressing a shudder, Jan anxiously swallowed. "H-How...? How is this possible?"

His host then pleasantly chuckled. "On Czarnia, anything is possible, my friend, including dreams. The only limit is one's imagination."

"Keelah," Jan heard Jura softly murmur, her voice filled with wonder.

Turning back to the window, the former continued to watch the ship's descent before suddenly hesitating, giving pause as he spotted something concerning - amongst some of the Czarnian population, he noticed, were a number of bipedal robots, their green visored forms tall and intimidating.

Returning his gaze to Haken, Jan warily regarded him. "These machines...they are operated by AI?"

"Yes," the former answered. "We tend to use AI for a variety of different tasks, especially in terms of navigation and space travel."

Hesitating, Jan exchanged nervous glances with Sito and Jura before looking back at the machines down below.

"Are you alright, Admiral?" Haken asked, looking concerned. "You and the others seem nervous."

Looking uncomfortable, Jan cleared his throat. "We've...had bad experiences with AI," he finally admitted before telling him about the Geth, the machine servants that the Quarians had made to serve the people before their eventual revolt that culminated into the Morning War.

Haken's face was still as he listened, and the more Jan described and showed with his Omni-Tool, the sadder and more understanding the former became. A feeling of collective horror and gloom fell over the crew deck, and true to Haken's word, the Czarnians were the most affected. All of the men silently and gravely dipped their heads low in respect and sadness while some of the women were sniffling and crying.

Watching the Czarnians' reactions was strange to watch and process, for it almost felt as if a tidal wave of emotion just suddenly travelled and manifested all around Jan, and the more he watched them, the more regretful Jan became for exposing such horror and darkness.

Pangs of guilt gnawed at the Admiral as he continued to watch, their reactions all stronger than he anything had ever anticipated.

Whatever doubts he might have had about their supposed "empathic" nature were cast aside, and he felt all the worse for it.

Nictating membranes flared in distress before Haken closed his eyes, a tear escaping from a corner before the helmsman shook his head and wiped his eyes, a shuddering breath escaping from him.

"You poor souls. You poor, poor souls." Opening his blood-red orbs again, he nodded. "I'm sorry that your people had to go through that. Truly. If it means anything, Admiral, you have nothing to fear here, especially not from our machines. What happened on your world was a tragedy, but...it is not something that can occur here."

"Why not?"

Jan watched as Haken gestured to the various ships and equipment. "On Czarnia, we view technology as an extension of ourselves and of Isha's creation, if not her very spirit. As such, we treat our tools with respect, not with fear."

The Admiral bristled, his hands clenching into fists, his eyes narrowing. "And what does that mean?!" He sharply retorted. "That we haven't?! You are blaming us for what happened?! That we...that we deserved this?!"

Haken quickly raised a placating hand. "No, Admiral. You misunderstand. I am only telling you the differences in our culture. We do not fault your people over what happened; what happened was a tragedy that, as far I can tell, has forever marked your people, and it never should have occurred in the first place. However, without knowing all the details in relation to the Geth and how they were constructed, Admiral, based on what you have described and shown, it would seem that fear was one of many, many causes of your predicament, and what could have been a salvageable situation had ended up escalating into something unimaginably horrid. And now here you are."

As he processed his words, Jan relaxed a little, his eyes losing their harsh glare before closing as he gave a nod, conceding. "Now here we are." As the tension dissipated and as the Czarnians slowly recovered, the Admiral's silver orbs softened behind his visor before locking onto Haken's. "I hope that what you say is true, Captain. That what happened on Rannoch doesn't happen here someday. You have a beautiful world here, and history does not need to repeat itself a second time."

Haken nodded. "We will keep that in mind."

With that, the crew deck fell into silence.

Looking back to the window, Jan stared out at the sprawling cities, at the peaceful and friendly interactions between its people and its automatons with a mixture of envy and sorrow, wondering about the things that could have been.

To his surprise, he felt a strong hand placed onto his shoulder. "I am truly sorry for what has happened to your people, Admiral," Haken spoke. "Your people deserved better." Looking over his shoulder, Jan turned to see the Czarnian helmsman looking at him with nothing but sympathy.

Letting out a breath, he then nodded. "Thank you, Captain."

Pulling his hand away, Haken then straightened, adjusting his shirt and coat. "Now then, on behalf of my crew and the people of Czarnia, welcome to our planet, Admiral."

Looking back to the window, Jan watched as the ship finally docked, connecting to a tower.

* * * * *

He was completely unprepared for what happened next.

Following the Isha's Rose's docking, Haken ensured that every Quarian wore protective suits to help them deal with the planet's heavy gravity.

Once he and the other Czarnians made certain that each suit was properly calibrated, he then allowed emergency personnel onboard, all of whom were wearing specialized green suits as they made their way onboard to evacuate the injured.

One by one, every wounded patient was carefully mounted on gurney-like hover platforms that smoothly glided a foot above the ground and extracted, with Yena and Rael being the last to be removed from the ship.

As he watched his lifemate and son being carted together in a protective veil and bubble, Jan approached.

"Yena, are you and Rael alright?" he said in a soft and tender voice.

She nodded. "I am. I have to admit I'm a little nervous, actually."

He placed a hand onto the veil. "Everything will be fine, Saera. I promise. The Czarnians are just transferring you and Rael to a hospital. You will not be alone - I will have some armed guard with you at all times. However, should anything happen, you have your Omni-Tool with you, alright?" She nodded. "Once I have finished meeting with their leaders, I will return to you as quickly as I can."

Smiling, Yena's pale silver eyes softened as she reached up and affectionately pressed her palm against his. "I look forward to seeing you, my love."

Touching her hand, Jan nodded. "You as well, Saera." Lowering his eyes, he let out a regret-filled sighed. "If only I can come with you two right now."

She squeezed. "We will see each other soon." Yena then tilted her head slightly. "How are you feeling, my dear?"

Jan shrugged. "A little anxious, admittedly."

"Have faith, beloved. I'm sure it will turn out well." Lifting a hand, Yena kissed her fingers and placed it onto the veil, right where she saw his face. "May our ancestors watch over you, Saera."

With that, the two parted.

As the medical crew carried Yena and Rael off with two squads of Marines in tow, Jan watched in silence before turning to Sito.

"What are your orders, Admiral?" the latter queried.

"I need you and some men posted with Captain Haken in the event that the Migrant Fleet has received our message," Jan answered. "If you manage to get a hold of them, contact me on my Omni-Tool immediately."

"Yes, Admiral," Sito nodded. "Keelah Se'lai."

"Keelah Se'lai."

As Sito departed, Haken approached with his arms folded behind him, the latter smiling.

"I just saw your mate and child leave. You have a beautiful family, Admiral," he complimented.

"Thank you," Jan nodded. "How far is the hospital from here?"

"Oh, not far at all, actually," Haken waved as he tapped into his wrist-mounted device. "Here are the coordinates."

Hearing a ping, Jan checked his Omni-Tool and inspected the message. Once he finished checking it over, he turned it off and turned his attention to the helmsman.

"I cannot express my gratitude enough for everything that you have done for us, Captain," Jan said slowly. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Haken smiled. "It was my pleasure, Admiral. I'm glad to have met you." Sighing, his shoulders drooped. "Well, I'm afraid that this is where we must part ways, but...I'm glad to have met you." To Jan's surprise, the helmsman held out his hand.

Looking down at the offered limb, the former looked up to its owner and offered his own, shaking hands with him, his grip firm.

"Keelah Se'lai, Captain," Jan greeted. "It means 'By the homeworld I hope to see one day.'"

Haken smiled. "Biodh a' ghrian an-còmhnaidh ag èirigh agus a' deàrrsadh an t-slighe a choisicheas tu far an tèid thu, a charaid," he said. "'May the sun always rise and shine the path you tread wherever you go, my friend.' I hope our paths cross again soon. We will notify you if we manage to get in contact with your Flotilla."

As the two men parted, Haken then gestured to some men in white uniforms that stood at attention. "I would come with you if I could to act as your liaison, Admiral, but regretfully I have to stay and deal with paperwork. These gentlemen will guide you and your crew."

Nodding, Jan and his crew turned to face the men as the latter bowed.

"Follow us please."

* * * * *

The path ahead was filled with various loops and turns as Jan and his crew found themselves escorted by Haken's men. After going through a series of checkpoints, they had to enter a sizeable decontamination chamber.

From there, the Czarnian crewmen guided the Quarians through a long white corridor that lead to an automated door at the end, where it revealed a terminal, and inside, Jan found himself greeted by a sea of pale faces, all of whom were regarding him and his crew with growing curiosity.

As Jan and the others stepped out into the terminal, he heard a soft murmur grow from the crowd.

A few of the Marines were uneasily looking at around at the latter, especially at some of the automatons that walked and floated freely amongst them, but thankfully their training and discipline kept them in check along with Sito, who stopped one Marine from firing at a drone that floated a little too close for comfort.

Cameras flashed all around them as the crowd pointed and chattered, their excitement growing when a loud and ethereal-sounding horn caused the sea of bodies to part, allowing a group of eight individuals to approach - three tall, white robed men surrounding two figures in the middle on either side.

The former were striking in their appearance, their robes rich and silky with gold pauldrons, their heads, faces and necks concealed by thick red collars with strangely elaborate crescent-shaped red-visored helmets with white and gold trimmings.

Leaning to his host, Jan nudged one of his escort, a young man in what seemed to be his twenties. "Who are they?"

"Priests of Isha," the latter explained. "Holy men dedicated to her works."

"And those two that are in the middle?"

Before the crewman was able to respond, the priests stopped a few feet away from them, allowing the two in the center to move forward.

The first was a tall and strikingly thin, almost regal-looking figure that stood six-feet-tall and wore long, flowing black robes, his hair long and grey, his face handsome and angular with a hawkish nose and a clean-shaven mouth lined with grey muttonchops. Unlike most Czarnians, his face largely was devoid of black scales, his skin looking like untouched marble, although there were some very minor marks around his crimson eyes. On his wrists were gold braces with a ruby embedded in the center, while on the top of his head was a gold crown. The most notable feature, however, was a glowing blue gem that was embedded in the middle of his forehead, which glowed with an otherworldly light.

The second figure was smaller, a young Czarnian woman of striking beauty that stood at five-four, dressed in a long gold flowing gown that resembled a sparkling flower, her form slender, curved and sensual. Long black curly hair framed a heart-shaped face with delicate eyebrows, a short nose and chin, her lips full and black. Like her father, her face too was devoid of scales, but a distinguishing feature that she had was a black crescent-shaped moon with stars marking curling from the corner of her right crimson eye down to her cheek, along with a gold tiara.

Stopping right in front of Jan, the Councilor gave him and his crew a kind and steady gaze before bowing, his sleeved arms folded.

"Greetings to you, good travelers," he pleasantly smiled as he bowed, revealing sharp fangs and incisors, his voice a deep and pleasantly sonorous baritone. "I am Calius-Wrell, Councilman of Truth, and I bid you welcome. This is my daughter Sheba."

Jan watched as the woman followed suit, her lips a thin line, her face a mask of calm.

Clearing his throat, Jan politely mimicked the gesture. "Uh, thank you, Councilor. I am Admiral Jan'Zorah vas Maedir, and with me," He then gestured to his right, " is Communications Officer Lieutenant Jura'Vana."

He watched as Jura nodded. "Greetings. It is very nice to meet you."

The Councilman lightly chuckled, looking relaxed. "Likewise, Ms. Vana." Turning back to Jan, he folded his sleeved arms behind him. "I apologize on behalf of my fellow council members for their not being able to properly greet you in person; our chambers have been holding a number of lengthy hearings and motions this morning, and I was the only one available to meet with you on such short notice. No disrespect was intended."

Jan waved. "None taken," he assured. "As a member of the Admiralty Board, I understand perfectly. Politics can be quite troublesome sometimes."

Calius-Wrell heartily laughed. "Don't I know it!" He nodded in agreement, holding his hand out. "Thank you for being so understanding, and welcome to Czarnia, my friends. I look forward to learning more about you, if not from you."

Taking the offered limb, Jan smiled and shook hands. "Likewise, Councilor."