One atom per cubic centimeter. It was the often cited average ‘density’ of the vacuum of space within a galaxy. Lone atoms of hydrogen or helium drifted lazily through the void, rarely if ever bumping into one another. Even hydrogen moved singularly, as opposed to the pairing behavior as frequently seen in terrestrial environments. Despite being lone and isolated, each atom moved ever so further out from their initial point of acceleration, the churning center of the galaxy that was thrown from the explosive reaction of all creation. Little deviation took place, as gravity made its exertion upon each particle, as did light, electromagnetic fields, and gravity, the sum of such impacts merely resulting in a curved trajectory, an occasional collision, or even a steady collection of atoms which could eventually become something greater. There would be no opportunity to become something greater, not for trillions of atoms, suddenly shattered into loose subatomic particles, fused with matter that suddenly came into existence, or simply shoved into another layer of being. A release of energy followed by matter, a release comparable to the full sum of a stellar nursery’s output over the course of a billion years, that was what brought about the end to the serene journey through the void which so many loose atoms partook until being acted upon by things foreign to the very explosive ‘spark’ which brought their journey into being. Seven new collections of mass surged into being, seven new collections of atoms, molecules, compounds, structures, and systems; worlds, entire worlds with stars to warm their surfaces, and people to live their lives, they all suddenly came to be where they did not naturally belong. Seven star systems, placed throughout an area roughly measured as a diameter of thirty-some lightyears in diameter, in an area of space which a split-second prior would have had nothing worthy of note within its boundaries. Unremarkable became remarkable within an instant, as the course of the universe’s advancement suddenly was altered in a way that had never been intended, by forces unnatural, and natural. Unidentified New Stellar Cluster Within the bounds of the space which had suddenly been forced to become the home for seven star systems, events unfolded rapidly. Within the first few seconds, sudden darkness shifted back into light as freshly produced photons from the relocated stellar masses reached their surrounding planets. Electrons took on new rates of spin, as some atoms outright broke down and transitioned into neighboring elements. There was a distinction in place between things that should, and things that should not be present, dictated by relationships of matter and thought which were once outside the realm of possibility for those which had transitioned into their new universe of being, but had suddenly become a genuine reality, a substantial truth, one that could not be denied as the surrounding universe adapted to a sudden addition, and that which was added quickly took on the properties of the universe it occupied; an equilibrium was forming, fortunately, avoiding space and time sundering itself into a catastrophic rift. All in all, it was an amicable arrangement. In the most critical of ways, the introduction of the seven star systems into their new universe went without a hitch, it was the fine details where minor ‘snags’ appeared. Newer structures, comprised of alien metallurgy were suddenly compromised. Foreign technologies suddenly ceased to function, and their purpose more often than not was forgotten, as if suddenly the guiding force which made such things be were stripped away, and replaced by something different. In a distinctive contrast, things which had once been abandoned a decade prior due to reasons which were suddenly unknown, forgotten, and unimportant to those which had crossed over, began to function again. Old machines, architecture, and devices suddenly sprang back to renewed order. Fortunately, for those who crossed over, the bulk of what they relied on for the continuation of civilized society continued to function without a flaw, the purpose and sustaining will behind such devices had made a successful ‘foothold’ upon their new home, reinforced by the collective will of those who came to be, the will of the Lorath, Helashio, and foreigners which they had chosen to accompany them for their journey. Those which crossed over were prone to the sudden adjustment; loss of specific memories of places, things, and ideas. While the loss was sudden and invasive, it was not a devastating loss for most which had made their transition; as most of those who left their former realm behind had lived decades without what they had lost, what had been imposed on them, and was shed the moment they made their crossing. It was a return to purity, a return to a state of being which had once been stripped away by tyrants. Civilization continued, social order was maintained, and the foresight granted by the brave souls which had crossed over once before, and had returned again, served to provide the necessary framework for what needed to be done to keep the peace. Those which were severely impacted by the crossing were readily able to be identified and given the proper care they needed, those which were ‘altered’ by the forces of the universe they came to occupy were noted, assessed, and given the proper support they needed to endure. Even creatures of nature which were impacted, from the miniscule microbes, to the gargantuan beasts which roamed the land, they were to be observed, they were to be guided by the hand of those which had imposed such a change upon them. It was a renewal, for all things. Even so, even with such a return to purity, something was lost, something profound, which had become deeply ingrained within those which had made their crossing, most especially in the hearts and minds of the Lorath. What they had lost was a clarity, a vivid clarity brought on by suffering, hardship, and pain which could not be fought against, which forced them to change and adapt their ways. What the Lorath lost was a recent reminder of what it was to be humbled. Their only deep reminder was of their imprisonment at the hands of the Helashio, which only served to renew their zealous determination. What the Lorath knew was that they had suffered an injustice, one that had forced them to migrate, and now, they were resolved to a thought as a society. Never again. It was a guiding thought, something which served to create the new mindset for the Lorath, they had rediscovered a different sort of resolve, something which had been lost over the course of the last few years in the universe they had left behind. What they found was a desire to make their new claim an absolute, to never again be forced to leave a place, to bend a knee to another’s will. What the Lorath thirsted for as they came to adjust to the universe around them was simple; they wanted to be safe, they wanted to be secure, and there was only one way they knew how, one way that was ingrained in them from times gone by, pushed into their will by years of fighting against oppression to the point of creating their society which in its might was still prone to the whims of those outside; the way they came to know was through the deliberate and forceful exercise of their will upon those around them which would ever pose a threat to their internal peace and sovereignty. What those who crossed over were able to find was peace, a peace which they were willing to do anything to keep, to cherish, and to protect for those which once feared that they would never have true freedom ever again. It was the start of a new chapter for those within the Lorath Matriarchy, those which had once suffered a humiliation by those they had left behind. It was a start of a new life, one that they would not allow to suffer the same indignity, the same disgrace. It was not a matter of pride nor greed; it was a matter of certainty, of promise, of knowing that there would not be a second chance, and the extent that a culture was willing to go to protect a way of life which had been regained. It was the start of a movement, a crusade, a crusade of sovereignty.
