Ella's Saga

War Is Hard

 Wasa Mai, King Of Rahn Estar, sent troops with ships when requested, and treaties forced by slavers required him to send many more than other small Zheien colonies. As a result, all five of his colonies are barely viable. There is nae growth, as there should be. He was sent from Ishah to rule when King Dai'nos heard arguments from his council as to whether an Elshar or a Zheien should rule. The man Challet chose to rule the colony died on landing, and his healer thought he was healthy after his nesfa. The Elshar members insisted that their leader rule, and the man's son and all the Zheien members felt that he should. All the people of Rahn Estar wanted him to rule them. This man was Farley's ancestor, Ikon. So the Council traveled to Ishah to the office of the Praefate.

Dainosa addressed them. "I have heard all your arguments. I agree with Ikon that he should rule, but I fear your Elshars will retaliate. I will na have this! Wasa Mai, you are my wisest advisor and leader of my fine Council. If you are willing, I shall send you."

Wasa Mai bowed low. "If the Alliance has need of me, I shall serve."

His wife also bowed low. "I will go with my husband, and also serve, Liege."

Both Councils were shocked! The Elshars ceased all of their arguments, because Ishah are, by their charter, also Elshar, though they have three fingers, flat like our two. They expected Wasa Mai to be easy to manipulate. They looked down on him because of his dark color. Elshars treat anyone who is not light with contempt. Most Ishah are orange, like Dai'nos.

But Wasa Mai has been a powerful ruler. Many Elshars attempted to assassinate him in many of his earliest Council meetings, and he felled them with his very strong telepathy! He had injury that increased it manyfold, and his wife learned to control it with hers. Elshar women have weak telepathy, so they expected hers to be of little consequence.

Any healer knows her secret. Her father is related to King Theaspaura's father, who was a master diplomat in Fhiah before he moved from Zhea~ to the 1st and very strong telepathy runs in all of their line. She needed diplomats to tutor her when her telepathy woke. This early training helped her to help her husband, for they are Joined.

His staff includes many of Fhiah. He also has many Fhiahans to oversee his security, and they knew of Antera and told him of their trading needs. So he invited an Anteran colony to come to Rahn Estar, from his founding.

Elshars fear them and refuse to trade with them, but they have many uses for mine waste from Tessite mines. One is a very black dye with no blue or brownish tinge. They value black cloth and decorations, so they will trade vast quantities of food for it. And their farmers grow every plant that will grow that they can obtain. They are skilled traders. They are not skilled with describing items. So Wasa Mai trades detailed descriptions of their items in databases written for Anteran minds. 

Anterans have forceful telepathy, much like Kajarians and other species of the Six. So, Wasa Mai bought Kajarian slaves, freed them, and asked them to work for him if they did not want to go home. It shocked him to discover that many of them hated Eriganh and made the choice to stay. The first one he offered had very damaged telepathy, so he could speak with him, and learned Kajarian customs, what foods they needed, what trades they needed, and many useful facts from him. Kajarians with damaged telepathy could talk safely with those with damaged but stronger, and a few had undamaged telepathy and could trade with their kind.

Even though we have war with the Six, they are all still members of the Alliance, so we may yet trade. So, his Kajarian traders traded things they needed for Kajarian foods and comforts for his workers. If a Kajarian changes his loyalties, they remain so for life.

Wasa Mai spoke to Anterans through his Kajarians and kept both groups from harming them or any Zheien.

And so, Rahn Estar was King Challet's first mining world. This was 175 years past.