Maya Tempora's Journal: Entry 11
by Carl van Ostrand

On their way to the Kilflame Oasis to locate the Green Pariah, the party’s travels were interrupted by the presence of a spectral. The gladiator known as Opac Sentir hoped to peacefully persuade the party to stop their quest to save the Elders, but negotiations would not begin without bloodshed.

So our plans have changed. We had just finished the first leg of our journey to the oasis, stopping to make some minor repairs on the moonjumper, and having made camp under some old stone ruins in the Lesser Dunes. That next morning we awoke to an intriguing character within our camp.

La Sinja told me his name was Opac Sentir, a spectral and leader of the Shadow Rakaram, a mysterious group with unknown goals. He was sitting calmly on the ground with his legs crossed when we awoke to Fist pounding on the sand to alert us. Clouded in black, with reddish eyes, it was hard to even focus properly on him. His chest glowed slightly green, and he carried two long sabers. As he rose to his feet and walked towards us with incredible grace, his two sabers disappeared in to his arms.

Then, from behind me I heard the “click clack” of Anduan’s men locking and loading. On Anduan’s command, the Lok Breed soldier began to mutate. His muscles swelled and hardened plates grew out from beneath his skin. Long spiraled claws extended out from his wrists, his neck thickened while his jaws and teeth grew nearly twice as large. Anduan raised his arm, ready to order an attack. In response, Opac’s swords instantly slid back in to his hands.

“Wait!” yelled La Sinja. “At least let him speak.”

Anduan paused, clenched his teeth, thought for several seconds, then proceeded to give the signal to attack. La Sinja told me to stay with her as we took some cover behind Fist.

Anduan’s soldiers opened fire as Opac dove behind a pile of rocks. Opac jumped straight up from behind the rocks, spun, and hurled a saber at lighting speed, spearing a soldier in the head. The Lok Breed charged at the pile of rocks, nearly plowing all the way through them. With an intense roar, the Lok Breed punched right through the remaining rocks, where he thought Opac hid. Opac quickly leapt atop the Lok Breed’s head, clamping his hands around his skull. The Lok Breed’s eyes widened with pain. Suddenly, two blaster shots hit Opac - one in the shoulder, and one in the leg, and blackish matter blew out the opposite side of his body – but Opac shifted his concentration, and his body re-gathered its self – he seemed unharmed. He then dove from the Lok Breed’s shoulders, directly in to the sandy dunes. He was gone.

The Lok Breed seemed confused. What had Opac done to him? He spun around several times, grunting and snorting. He shook his head wildly. Then, he inexplicably began charging at his own men! The soldiers, not sure what do, stopped shooting. Some dove out of the way. The Lok Breed grabbed one soldier, and ripped his arm directly out of its socket. He then skewered another with his claws. Then as the Lok Breed clamped his immense jaws around the waist of another soldier, the soldier screamed in pain yet managed to drive a long knife down through the Lok Breed’s skull. They both collapsed, dead.

Anduan, once safely positioned behind his men was now vulnerable. He made for his moonjumper with two other soldiers. Coward! I cannot believe he would do such a thing. As he sat in the cockpit, hastily firing up the engines, we made eye contact. He looked remorseless and I shook my head in disgust.

The last remaining soldier stood trembling as the Anduan drove off. Opac rose from the sand, both sabers drawn, as he approached the soldier. The soldier raised his gun, quivering in fear. One shot from the blaster rifle - “bam!” – Opac watched it fly over his shoulder. A second shot – “bam!” – Opac tilted his head to avoid a hit. Then with no emotion or urgency, Opac placed his hand on the soldier’s forehead, and the soldier’s eyes rolled back in to head, and he slumped to the ground.

Opac turned to us. “I apologize,” he said in a voice seemed to come as a loud whisper from every direction. “I had no intention of causing any harm. I only wanted to talk.”

La Sinja, myself, and Helios had been hiding under the cover of Fist’s massive body. The Stranger had cloaked himself invisible, and now reappeared before us. The six of us, alone now, gathered amongst the ruins and the bodies. I was curious as to what he had to say.