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Male? Or was it as some declared; female! Shimmering, into almost nothing. Transparent, able to walk through metal, walls, wooden structures. Appearing, disappearing at will. 
If they, well any of them, SAW it, manifested in form to them,albeit in its current form, ‘ recognizable’ to them; they would all agree it did not look threatening.
Godlike yes. Imposing yes. That pink as we would know it ‘shimmer’ was distinct.
Clothing was also eye catching and across it, what looked like a web of ‘optics’ which could pulse with energy, streaming through them.
Spying on them, manipulating them, interfering with their due processes and that included their Chx device.
It had been almost finished, when that thing appeared.
Had IT, decided to play a game with them?
Every time, they saw an error with its systems, they corrected it, often taking a long time in doing so.
Time, patience, energy and that was all repeated.
IT continued to almost cancel out everything they had done.
A reverse time loop? Though others, could see from control areas watching them, as they went through that, THEY themselves, were NOT aware of having done so.
Those observers, could NOT, nor did see, the form of the being, that was controlling the ‘Time loop’.
Taking pleasure, in watching them.
Sometimes, IT added in a few extra problems, of no real significance, but to those watching on knowing, such would have normally driven them crazy?
Leaving the control area to open the hatch into where the device was. IT, must have decided, to end the torment, or was it pleasure on ITs part?
A vital piece, of the Chx device was destroyed. Searing heat now flared across it, turning it a bright white fused mass.
Those, now seeing that, OUT of the Time loop, along with those, who had now joined them; were feeling the fear.
Something, they had done to see this happen!
Their fault? They had been indoctrinated to the belief that should they fail they did not fail themselves, but their Gods?
That was punishable by being sacrificed including all of those closest to them, family, friends..
Luckily, the ‘observers’ had given some thought to whether to tell all OR let the blame rest on them. That part, would take some time to replace.
If they, were included, in any ‘ punishment’ and, they knew there were some Zealots, who would be more than happy, to see them, having their bones smashed and their hearts ripped out?
Those, who had worked on the Chx device, were experienced professionals. NOT to be executed. Punished maybe BUT, definitely NOT killed.
They, had no one, to replace them. The Zealot commander, was infuriated but moreso, because the delay, would mean, they could NOT, initialise the Chx device.
The planet, would be accessible to outsiders. Already he had been made aware of another craft, no; TWO other craft landing, both of them so his spies had told him, carrying MILITARY?
Substantial numbers of them.
The Cflen had indeed landed, with a large detachment of Gladiator Cflen AND the b’stard spawn of the BEAST. They were an unknown race to them. 
The creature with them was truly terrifying. Huge, ugly, menacing
and moreso than most of his Zealot fanatics.
He was then informed that the other craft?
Human(a) with a force of over two hundred of their Elite troops.
HELL bent, well HELL being the operative word here; on exacting some punishment re those in the Vae.
The initial landing, by both races, had met with some problems.
The objective, was to land as discreetly as was possible.
Secluded areas and the Cflen, already knew, of some of those.
The Human(a) had the former colonist maps, of the main forest and mountain areas; BUT very limited beyond the Vae. Certainly the forest areas, were a real unknown.
Beyond the winding river, which wound on for miles like some snake, weaving along the ground, there was nothing but forest. The ‘river’ folk made their living, trading and more; off the river and the lakes, they flowed into.
Rich in fish and, other marine life, apart from certain nutritious plants, which were rich in minerals and more? However you had to be careful. Pick the wrong ones and you would be dead.
Well DEAD or seriously hallucinating. Tripping out, was an understatement. Seeing things, that terrified you, were the sum of all of your worst nightmares.
Having you, believe you could; fly? Jumping off some of the high rocky clifftops as we would know them?
Sejai of the Cflen, already had established contacts, within the locals,. Meeting up with them to learn more about the ongoing situation.
The Zealots? They knew nothing of them. NOR were they interested in attacking them. That the Zealot commander was going to be made aware of. A possible alliance, albeit as brief as they could make it; to see them butcher those of the Human(a).
Of little or no consequence to the Zealots. Removing one possible enemy, especially knowing, that the moment the Cflen had succeeded, they would be leaving. Good, all good.
The Zealot commander, was harbouring a FEAR,. It had taken them too long to establish their take over to the level it would be demanded by those of their GODS. The arrival of one of THEIR special craft signaled a threa,t which for him was a real terror. 
If the local inhabitants would end up at the mercy of the Zealots, they, were small fry, in comparison to these beings.
The ‘temple’ would be nothing, until their arrival and if you or your minions upset them? Smash and grab; NO. more like GRAB and SMASH; grab YOU and SMASH your bones to a pulp.
The High Priestess AND the High Priest. Their powers. were second only to others of their ‘rank’. Matsupa.
Truly the real power, behind the Zealots.
Ancient by race and ancient by nature. They feared none. Backed up, by their Zealots, an unstoppable ‘mob’ force of die hard fans was truth.
Surrender to their GODS, or face the consequences. The Zealot commander knew he had to answer to them and one fo the questions hanging over HIS head let alone his bones...
...was why, this whole debacle had taken HIM, so long? One might say lucky for him but actually UNLUCKY for him was the belief, that the Chx device, was operational or soon would be?
Lieba and Bola, bowed before the two figures now stood before them.
As Commander, he was trying hard, to improve his situation, avoiding the question, as to whether the Chx device was operational.
A Galacia Federa vessel in orbit above the planet? Others, an infestation, who should NOT have been here, clearly taking up residence AND a threat to not only the subjugation of these primitives BUT THEIR safety.
How dare he, a mere Zealot, granted power, by them, to fail them. The Gods, would NOT be pleased, with knowing, the situation. Their safety compromised, by the act of a would be ‘heretic’?
True they had been informed, whilst seeking, to one might say ‘curry favour’ from one of his other sub commanders that the Chx device WAS operational. HE was not knowing this. As for the female with him?
She was also sensing some intrepidation and a growing fear.
The sub commander, had made sure, HE would not KNOW, of his lies. To the point he had gone into hiding? Well an excuse to be off sight looking for those illegals?
The lack of satellites other than the ones the Galacia Federa had deployed in orbit around the planet had told the High Priestess AND the High Priest, all they needed to know. HOW should they punish HIM?
The female offered HIM up, to atone for his failures. He had not only offended the GODS but failed her.
S he would gladly smash his bones to a pulp and allow them to rip his heart out?
She was grabbed, stripped naked, beaten down by the High Priest who had noted her acid tone and more than that, her apparent disregard, for their sacred presence. Unlike the male who had fallen to his knees prostrating himself before them.
He smashed her body, certain bones, to a pulp, bar the skull. Before the High Priestess stepped over the body and with the female still alive, savagely cut out the beating heart, to throw it the daix (dogs).
Normally the heart would, have been offered up to the Gods, but this? This was their way, of telling HER, she was not worthy of them. She would end up with NO afterlife, no rebirth.
HE, was ordered, to take the Zealots and lead them against the Vae.
NO mercy, was to be shown AND, there would be, mass slaughter of all who opposed them.
THEY would be leaving. When they returned, he would have achieved his orders or face their wrath.
To help him, achieve his orders, there would be a GOD attending. On the arrival of the sentient ‘GOD’ from his masters, their masters the Matsupa, that Galacia Federa vessel, would be destroyed. He left them as they ordered everyone to leave them.
The body of the female with her heart ripped out close to them as they took each other. The pleasure, the smell and sight, of that corpse, exciting the senses, their bodies thrusting against each other before collapsing next to it.
The ‘Jester’ had been a witness to it all. The butchering of the female Zealot. WHY one might ask did it not interfere, stop them? IT needed Lieb, to be punished, well actually BOTH of them, to be punished, for their previous ‘transgressions’. What is the saying, what goes around, comes around.
Neither of them, were without sin. Both had smashed the bones of innocents, cut out the hearts and delighted in doing so. Bola had shown no emotion as seeing her now lifeless at his feet.
That at least, pleased the so called Priestess and Priest. They left vanishing into the heavens above passing by the Galacia Federa vessel unchallenged.
Nothing detected by them. In out, shake it all about and; gone. They did have the power to do some real damage to that vessel, but, they did not choose to have their presence detected.
The ‘GOD’ who would punish them? Not going to be a long wait for that to happen. It was and even the Jester knew this, a VERY strong ancient force. It had the power to destroy that Federa craft leaving little or no trace of it having ever existed with ease.
In hindsight, if one could call it that, he had decided it should be elsewhere. It ended up ELSEWHERE. NOT from where it was. A time shift, into another dimension in time might be a way of explaining it sudden non existence.
To the naked eye; the Galacia Federa? NOT there.
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