Post by Aiman on Jun 8, 2023 13:27:19 GMT
Lady Aihara checked her dress again, and once again found there was nothing wrong with it.
Normally the red Artificia wasnt so fidgety, but then again normally she wasn't off to discuss abnormal project plans with people she presumed had weird mind powers she didn't entirely understand.
It was no secret that psionics and psionic weaponry were becoming more prevalent in the galaxy, even some of the Unanimity's allies were delving into it. RANGSI had applied religious aspects to its psions.
She hoped to keep that out of the Artificia's investigations into it.
It had also been noted, however, that a range of psionics--those that affected the mind, not so much those interacting with corporeal matter--seemed to bounce right off Artifician people. Telepaths were incapable of communicating with one. An Artificia didn't even register illusions. They didn't have an explanation for it, but it was undeniable. This seemed to come at the cost of the Artificia being incapable of using psionics themselves, a double edged sword.
So, Sameh had decided that if they could not wield the powers of the mind themselves, they would become proficient at combating those that do. Psion hunters, was the term Admiral Tehno had suggested, a joke by Koril about witch hunters being sharply rebuffed.
For that, they needed help. From those with the abilities they wished to counter, no less. Duskstone was their key to victory over psionic enemies, a material that weakened psionic power. And, annoyingly, it needed psions to manufacture.
This was what Sameh had turned to Lady Aihara for. She needed to acquire help in performing the psion flips needed to create Duskstone.
They hoped RANGSI might be willing to assist them, with the two nations' history of collaborative projects.
-
"Lady Aihara," the comm spoke abruptly. "ETA to our exit vector is five minutes. Please stand by for anchor release. Say again, five minutes to anchor release."
Aihara sighed, checking her dress one more time, and headed out of the room.
Kel-Jannim System
Sri Shant Saagar
Pyzon Corps HQ
Shant Saagar. Meaning, calm ocean.
The name was first unofficially given by the Indrayaman monks when they first came to visit the psionic magnetar in the Kel-Jannim system. Even without psionic powers, they felt the psionic star’s calming energies, and thus bestowed the star its rightful name.
The temple that was built around the sacred magnetar, named after the magnetar, was originally a humble space station. Eventually it grew drastically as support and interest poured from all across RANGSI into the advent of psionics, transforming into a set of three majestic rings that wrapped around the magnetar’s orbit, the immense undertaking of which was supported by the combined resources pooled by generous government grants, black money from INSECOM and blessed alms from the Indrayaman Sangha’s faithful. RANGSI economy was also the most powerful at the time of its construction, finishing just before the market crisis struck.
Today the Sri Shant Saagar stands as the nexus, hub, headquarters and central library of all things psionic in RANGSI, home to not only the Pyzon Corps’ training grounds where new monk-commissars learn to use their powers, but also home to the Indrayaman Sangha, a Buddhist order-turned-interfaith council that aims to support RANGSI’s social cohesion through the cultivation of peaceful relations between all religions, whose monks train the commissars in the ways of meditation and mental discipline.
So for the Artificians, a race with no access to psionic powers, to come to Sri Shant Saagar and request for talks, their arrival was treated with much intrigue and curiosity among their ranks. Given the friendly relations between the two nations, their request was quickly accepted, plus they were also interested in what the Artificians had to say.
So when the Artifician ship arrived in the system, the system’s defences seemingly ignored them, having already cleared them in the database. The system was busy with high amounts of traffic - even in such times of ancerium scarcity and war, many continue to pack themselves into all kinds of freighters and passenger vessels to visit the Sri Shant Saagar, perhaps it is precisely in these times of great suffering and conflict that many turn to seek refuge from the psionic magnetar and the wise attendants within. Many of the visitors were crammed at the outermost ring, but soon two sector monitors approached the Artifician ship.
“Blessed guests, follow our lead. We have reserved a special docking bay just for your entourage.”
The monitors then sent flight plans to the Artifician ship that showed them the path to follow, which led to the innermost ring - the one closest to the magnetar. It was also the most coveted, yet also almost paradoxically the most clear of traffic, for it was highly guarded and access was restricted to a certain few of the higher orders.
The Artifician group was three ships; a diplomatic yacht of foreign make, though retrofitted with Unanimity tech, and two frigates to escort it across the interstellar gap between the two nations. The message from the monitors was responded to with a simple,
"Thank you for welcoming us here."
Aboard the yacht's bridge with its large, scenic viewports, Aihara stood with her fingers enmeshed, the ship's captain sat in his chair behind her.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Aihara spoke, her eyes on the magnetar and the triad of rings around it. "Its name means 'calm ocean', I'm told. Its supposed to make people feel relaxed and at ease."
"I'm not feeling much of either, to be frank." the captain grunted.
"Yes. I suppose that's why we're here. Can't deny though, it's a wonderful view." she smiled. The captain went to reply, before the helmsman did so.
"Fifteen minutes till dock!"
"...Thats your queue, ma'am."
"Quite so. I shall see you soon, Captain."
The yacht, the frigates latched to it with large cables so as to not unduly take up docking berths, opened its docking bay to reveal three figures.
At the back, was a single Marine, clad in R4 KHUKURI armour though their weapon remained holstered. Then, an aide of some description, a yellow-lime man in a sharp naval uniform, tapping away at a tablet.
At the front was Lady Aihara herself, a red Artificia with a soft, soothing smile and wavy, long hair, clad in a long, beautiful dress in stark contrast to what a diplomat was usually expected to don.
Aihara, smiling as she came before the greeters at the docking bay, bowing slightly.
"Greetings. I am Lady Aihara, it is a pleasure and honour both to be allowed to step foot here."
From the opposite end of the docking bay came a woman, slowly and gracefully approaching Lady Aihara, with every step conscious of the thousand-and-one minute details of courtly etiquette. With every step, her form-fitting javanese-style dress that wrapped only from the chest down, leaving the olive skin of her shoulders and neck bare for the world to witness, as characteristic of the javanese dress, flowed and swayed from side-to-side, as if reciprocating the beauty of Lady Aihara’s own.
Accompanied of two men in similarly orange robes who seemed to possess no other weapons and equipment other than a cuirass underneath the robes and a black kendo-style training sword tucked and holstered at the right side of the waist, the woman then stopped a metre or so in front of Lady Aihara. She had a serene yet serious look - composed yet disciplined, features communicated and attenuated by her sharp and angular oval face, complemented further by her piercing eyes and red lipstick.
In a flash of a moment, yellow blades of holographic light suddenly materialised out of her hair, forming into a brilliant display of intricately-engraved blades of flowers that seemed to arc behind her head. This was the sanggul lintang, in the ancient Terranic past this was apparently a popular Southeast Asian accessory especially so for marriage, but in that past it was a solid piece of head ornament that was heavy and too impractical to carry in normal situations. With holographic technology and the interest of the waves of cultural nostalgia and revivals, the sanggul lintang was subsequently brought to life as a mainstream RANGSI accessory.
Immediately after the sudden activation of her sanggul lintang, the woman’s serious expression was broken, softened by a polite smile, as she reciprocated Aihara’s bow with a curtsey. A display of personal majesty followed by a gesture of humbleness, a unique diplomatic gesture remarkably different from the more conventional handshakes of normal RANGSI diplomats.
“Greetings our most gracious guests, it is indeed our honour to be host to friends of the blessed Republik Angkasa. I am Arisanti, your guide and liaison to the Prajurit-Colonel, the one that you are intending to meet today.”
Arisanti stood back up, smiling at Aihara. “He does not live far from here. I hope you do not mind a short walk.”
Aihara's cool, confident yet amiable smile remained, her eyes their relaxed half-lidded state, as she and Arisanti exchanged gestures, though a hint of surprise and amusement crossed her eyes as the sanggul litang flashed to life with its holographic vibrancy. Even her aide, silent, looked up momentarily from his tablet to observe the display, the unmoving face of the marine's helmet tilting to the side slightly in the curiosity befitting unfamiliar cultures.
Aihara herself had no such garments, though one would not entirely suit her style of dress, and a hardlight being wearing a holographic headdress might be seen as an odd combination.
"Of course not, it is not as though we just finished a long one." Aihara smiled, some humour leaking into her tone, as she gestured with a hand.
"Please, lead on."
Arisanti gave a warm smile as she turned around, beckoning them to follow her. Her bodyguards, looking like warriors of old with white robes, a lacquered plate cuirass and what seemed to be wooden swords, turned as well, escorting Lady Aihara and her entourage out of the terminal’s lounge.
As soon as the doors opened, they were hit by a wave of blinding light.
The terminal lounge was certainly cosy, no doubt. Clean, warm golden lighting and extremely spacious, furnished with velvet sofas, chairs and wooden tables, its classic old-world charm supplanted by modern holographic readings, panels and art installations. Like everything on the ringworld, it was designed to be welcoming and pleasing to the eye.
But it was no match for what was behind the door. When their eyes adjusted, they were greeted with what perhaps could be initially described as a sea of bright colours - a canvas of white, blue and green. A rolling landscape of lush forests. A sky of clear blue, with brilliant white clouds slowly lumbering by. Temples, shrines, mosques, churches and synagogues as far as the eye can see, interspersed by majestic lakes.
A giant zen garden, was perhaps the best way to describe the view. Arisanti continued walking, taking the party along a stone bridge built atop a calmly flowing river. She walked with a steady but a slow pace. A place like this, what was the rush? It was all too easy to forget that this was actually an artificial habitat, a lifeless hulk of metal floating in the cold dark void of space, orbiting a magnetar.
Soon enough, after perhaps five minutes of walking, they arrived at what seemed to be a walled dojo. The armoured commissars standing guard stood at attention with their halberds and allowed them inside.
Clack! Clack! Clack! The sound of hollow wood colliding against each other echoed through the dojo’s walls. A thickly-bearded elderly man in black robes locked kendo swords with another, one in green robes, younger by comparison as well. They struck, they parried and they continued this dance of swords at such dizzying speeds that it all seemed like a blur. Eventually, the younger one slipped up, and the elderly man gained the advantage. A kendo strike striking his knees, sweeping his leg upwards and causing him to fall. The younger man found himself at the receiving end of the wooden blade at his neck.
“Good, your swordsmanship has improved Ming Chen, practice over,” the elder remarked.
“Thank you teacher,” the man nodded, bowed and returned to the mass of kneeling students in the courtyard.
“Remember, the gift is no excuse to not train. Do not let your body become weak, become lazy and become untrained. A weak body yields a weak mind, and a weak mind yields a weak gift,” the elder man addressed his students as he eyed Arisanti and his new guests. “That is all for today, tomorrow we shall train on how to navigate the mentalscape of one’s mind.”
With that, the students were dismissed, and they left the courtyard. In what seemed like seconds, soon only Arisanti, Lady Aihara and her entourage and the elder remained there.
“Lady Aihara, this is Prajurit-Colonel Idi Mohammed, Commanding Officer and Grand Sensei of the Pyzon Corps,” Arisanti introduced the elder to Aihara. As she looked to Aihara, her eyes brimming with reverence for this old man in front of them, Idi rolled his one remaining eye. He seems to be uncomfortable with his own titles.
Aihara's seemingly unbreakable expression did waver as the scenery so abruptly changed, softening with eyes widening slightly as she took in the scenery. No terrain like this existed within the Unanimity, the closest being the tropical, island laden world in Ehvarea, let alone used for such purposes.
Religion was not the friend of the Artificia, but she could not blame them for centering themselves in such scenery, nor was she so zealous or thin skinned as to show it. The Marine's head swung to and fro, taking in the glow of the artificial landscape and the architectures of the faiths that dotted it, though his expression was unreadable behind the steel gaze of his helmet, as much as it itself resembled a face.
Aihara's aide, for his part, was too engrossed in his data pad to pay much mind, likely assuming it to be mostly holographic.
Aihara and her retinue came to a halt within view of the sparring match, the red Artificia softly clasping her hands behind her back, watching the duel with mild if not totally engrossed interest, her aide looking up for a moment at the sounds of clattering wood.
Aihara made a bowing motion as the Grand Sensei was introduced, a warm smile on her face.
"Warmest greetings, Prajurit-Colonel. I am Lady Aihara. I am afraid my titles are not as flowery as yours, I am simply protégé of Governor Sameh and liaison for UMAC. It is an honor and pleasure both to meet you."
“Believe me Lady Aihara, these titles can be more of a burden than a privilege. But yes, the honour is ours…” Idi suddenly turned his head to scan the surroundings of his now silent and presumably empty dojo, as if something was amiss, as if something else was there.
He turned back to the Artificia entourage. “Come, follow me, the nature of what you would like to discuss is best left behind sealed doors.”
Idi walked up the stairs of the inner garden with the Artificia in tow, walking through a series of wooden corridors and tatami rooms until they reached the other end of the temple. A modest room to be sure, but the view out of the balcony was anything but. The temple was built into the side of a mountain, so the other end was practically jutting out of the opposite side of the mountain, offering a breathtaking view of nothing else but lush green-capped hills, misty plains below, and the sprawling stretch of the city of temples, dojos, and shrines that made up this ringworld.
As Arisanti gestured to Lady Aihara and the rest to take a seat on the cushions laid out on the tatami mat, Idi made tea behind what seemed to be a more austere version of a bar counter. He grabbed a handful of tea leaves and spices, crushed them in a stone bowl, and poured the resultant mix into a pot of boiling water. A keen eye would notice the purplish energies emanating from his fingertips, flowing into the cup and into the water. Psionic energies were being infused into the tea, imparting flavours that were borne from the heart, giving the tea a hint of emotion, otherwise impossible through normal physical means. Right now Idi was calm, with a tinge of happiness and pride from having foreign guests, but there was also a hint of nervousness, underlying anxiety about the wider galactic events that were transpiring outside of the peaceful confines of the ring.
Small porcelain cups and the teapot were then placed onto a wooden tray, and Idi carried it over and placed it on the small square table. He took a seat opposite Aihara, pouring a cup for Aihara and her entourage, before pouring one for himself. He nodded to Arisanti. She took a small bow and left the room.
Idi closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking in a deep breath. A small purplish aura soon enveloped the room. Intricately carved talismans and calligraphy writing that was hung on the walls soon started glowing as it made contact with the purplish wisps. The Artificia, being minor Nulls, could sense a familiar aura surrounding the glowing talismans and calligraphy writings. These were anti-mandalas on a microscopic scale - nano-ink made from Duskstone.
“This room is now sealed with a Silence Field. We are guarded from any prying ears, and what you have to say is now safe here, never to leave these walls.”
A small holographic projector appeared in the middle of the table, with universal ports for any data drives should the Artificia wish to supply any relevant supplementary data.
Lady Aihara and her aide did indeed take a seat, Aihara taking a second longer to shift her dress to accommodate. The marine remained nearby, but did not sit.
His armour was perhaps a little too bulky.
She accepted the tea with a smile and a nod, sipping it as Idi activated the Duskstone-laced calligraphy. Gently, she placed the cup down before speaking.
"The privacy is appreciated, Prajurit-Colonel, as is the tea. Now," she paused, as if to collect her thoughts.
"I came here today because of the same things this ring was built for. It is well known that psionic powers and those that use them are becoming increasingly prevalent across the galaxy, both in the individual and national scale."
A beat.
"The Artificia have no access to anything of the sort. In fact, as far as we can tell, we are somewhat resistant to it. One of our number was in the custody of a Gestalt, one High Priestess Skalia, and even she could not read the Artificia's mind. This, of course, puts us at something of a disadvantage. As it stands, were a force to attack us and employ such psionic abilities, we currently have no direct defense aside from this resistance."
Another pause, as Aihara sipped her tea again.
"This is meant with no ill will or threat towards you and yours, but Sameh and Highcom wish to establish an anti-psionics force. Counter unconventional threats as early as possible. Make the most of our resistance. And for that, we need assistance. We don't readily know how to engage hostile psions, and Duskstone is very difficult to acquire on the market in any substantial quantity. We know of its manufacturing methods--but this in turn requires psionics to achieve. By ourselves, we can't."
She looked up from the teacup, at Idi.
"We've come looking for your help. Otherwise, we're left vulnerable."
“Skalia…” a snarl latched onto the name itself. Skalia, the one who single-handedly destroyed Karvoskaya in the twilight days of the second galactic war.
He composed himself as he sipped the tea, bringing himself back to the matter at hand. “It is indeed interesting that the Artificia have a natural resistance to psionics. As the monks tell me, such is rare; a one in a million instance.”
“I presume one of these threats you speak of would be the Army of the Panopticon? With recent events it seems they are done hiding in the shadows.”
Aihara's brow lifted at the mention of the rarity of psionic resistance, but for the moment she said nothing on the matter. The metric was just a touch different back home, she supposed.
"We admittedly know little about them, but in all likelihood, yes. If supremacy is their goal then that makes us more concerned; our resistance might make us a target. Just speculation, of course, we know as much about them as most do." she shrugged, a hint awkwardly.
March 23, 2023
"Indeed, if your psionic resistance is known, you will be a target sooner or later. I have heard from a comrade of mine currently fighting the Panopticon that they have experimented on several races - turning even the feared Skia of the Union into abominable monsters..." a holographic image of the AOTP's Golem came into view. Idi became visibly uncomfortable upon seeing the image, having faced one of them during the Battle of Rubikon II.
He closed the image, and crossed his arms as he pondered upon Lady Aihara's request.
"Well, I see no reason why we should not work together," he nodded affirmatively. "The Unanimity has been the Republik's long-trusted ally, and a stronger ally able to defeat psionic threats would also enhance our own security in the long-run."
"I am however, interested to hear more about how the Unanimity plans to produce Duskstone in great quantities. For us, producing Duskstone is a nightmarish and torturous process, requiring a deep dive into the Panopticon. Driving some mad in some instances, and even then we can only produce small quantities, just enough to make ink for the protective talismans you see around you."
Aihara nodded, smiling softly at the affirmation of trust between their nations, though her expression shifted as he explained the monumental difficulty they had experienced manufacturing barely enough Duskstone to make ink. People going mad. Immense stress and likely trauma.
Troubling.
"Well," she begun, holding a hand out to her aide who wordlessly passed her a data drive.
"Perhaps some purpose-built infrastructure might help?" she supposed, her smile returning as she slotted the device into the projector.
The shape of what was clearly an adaptation of the Unanimity's old scientific research nexus appeared in holographic form, though internally it was altered in many ways.
"Our old nexus. We built it to create a dedicated research platform to help solve our sterility crisis. And, it succeeded. That unfortunately means in its current form, its effectively a useless money sink. It was suggested we refit it into a Duskstone manufacturing platform." she explained, text boxes appearing to label several of the suggested components.
"We know how to do it. While costly, Nightstone can be acquired from the Hochlands. That can, in turn, be turned into Aurastone with a psionic field of sufficient strength." she begun, part of the hologram lighting up, a large, roughly spherical cradle, likely to project the field required.
"And from there, it can be 'flipped' into Duskstone, though we still don't fully grasp this aspect." she explained, another, smaller section lighting up. A structure of concentric circles, likely to shield occupants from a failed transition. Still, in shape it almost resembled a temple.
The Artificia had put some thought into this.
"The process is there, and a refitted Nexus has the space and means to provide. We just lack that most crucial aspect. If you have any suggestions or anything needed, all you need do is ask."
A sigh.
"It's been suggested we try to create artificial mandalas using synthetic brains, AI psions, but none of our AI or androids so far have shown anything of the sort, so there's no real grounds to say it'd work."
Idi studied the holographic projection of the proposed megastructure intently, rubbing his chin as he looked at the plans and analysed them.
"This is most impressive, Lady Aihara. As I understand from the monks of the Sangha, the act of flipping the psionic field is to essentially turn the psionic mandala from normal matter to anti-matter, hence the steep energy costs. For us, that cost made using the Panopticon necessary."
"But this structure may help us reduce the risks by making the process more energy-efficient by sheer scale alone. If we incorporate large artificial mandala devices and the energy sources necessary to power those devices, then the psionic process may be energy-efficient enough to the point that we would have no need for the Panopticon and all its associated dangers."
Idi nodded his head. "This is a promising endeavor and I am willing to lend the Sangha's psions and knowledge to make it work. All I ask in return is a reasonable share of the Duskstone produced so that we can make more talismans and weapons to face the growing threats, while also removing the need for the Panopticon all together. The lives that we would save."
May 18, 2023
Aihara seemed to relax somewhat, smiling as he seemed to approve of their plan, and nodding as he agreed to supply the necessary manpower. She sipped her tea before answering.
"Of course. We would not be so bold as to ask for your assistance and offer nothing in return, and that was one of the things I was going to suggest in recompense. The exact share we can discuss at a later point, but at current, this is a most agreeable arrangement. And, of course, your psions at our facility will be under the protection of the AUN." she smiled warmly.
After a second, though, it soured somewhat, as a different thought crossed her mind.
"In addition, there is something else. We wish to begin training operatives in anti-psion combat. A specialised force trained and equipped specifically to counter enemies of a less conventional sort."
A beat.
"Unfortunately, our resources on such are limited. Stealth equipment and tools to disorient foes are available to us, and once we have enough Darkstone to warrant working with we have plans for it, but as for directly dealing with psionic forces, attacks and defenses we don't even know where to begin."
She looked up at Idi, a somewhat hopeful smile crossing her features.
"I was hoping you and your psions might be able to help in that regard."
Idi nodded approvingly in response to Aihara's agreement to share some of the Duskstone production. Her assurance that the Sangha's psions would be given protection by Artificia forces was also well-appreciated, and would no doubt allay some of the safety and security concerns that others might have regarding this arrangement to work beyond the confines of the Sri Shaant Saagar, beyond the safety of RANGSI borders.
As for her request to help the Unanimity train anti-psionic forces of their own, Idi had little to no hesitation in his reply. "Of course, we are willing to help. For one it would be beneficial to have allies able to face the growing psionic threat. But more importantly, we do it because our nations are allies. Comrades help each other."
He scratched his beard contemplatively again. "Given that your people have no psionic ability, but rather the opposite as minor nulls, we might have to change and re-tailor some of our existing training. But ultimately, psionics or fighting people who use psionics all boils down to the mind and how one uses it. If you know how to discipline your mind, and if you know how a psion's mind works, then you can fight them on equal grounds."
"If you like, I can bring you around the dojo and show you more on how we train our students, a glimpse into how I would be training your anti-psion forces," Idi offered. "But understandably since this meeting has gone on for quite a while, if you have other matters to attend to then I can send you a sample of our training regimen for you to view at your own convenience, and for your contemporaries to review as well."
June 2, 2023
"Excellent!" Aihara's hands clapped together, a beaming smile on her face. "I'm glad this meeting has been so productive."
She seemed to consider Idi's proposal a moment, her eyes veering to the side. Her aide, even, looked up from his tablet, eyes fixed on her, before her gaze snapped back.
"Of course! If you would show me, I would love to see it. If nothing else, it means I get to enjoy the scenery a little longer, hmm?" she nodded, an almost mischievous smile on her face.
“It will be my pleasure, Lady Aihara,” Idi gave a gentle smile in response. “Right this way.”
For the next hour or so, Idi guided Aihara and her entourage around the dojo, visiting different classes and different batches of cadet commissars at various stages of training. From the surface many things did not seem related to psionics at all - as Aihara hopped from one class to another much of the time was spent on activities such as meditation, exercise, martial arts training, kendo sparring like the one she saw when she first came in, and even something as superfluous as bonsai cutting. Only 10% of what she saw in the dojo had something to do with psionics.
What was impressed upon her was the centrality of the mind to psionics, and the importance of proper mental discipline. This lesson would be brought to bear when they witnessed a sparring session between a class that was about to graduate and their instructor, who was a full-fledged commissar. No holds were barred in the battle - everything can be used including psionic powers. The only rule was no lethal force.
The fight began and ten students swarmed in on the lone commissar. In their excitement to try out their powers, they immediately began using their telekinesis, lifting earth and rock from the ground beneath them and throwing them at the commissar. He effortlessly dodged all of them. Not intent on giving up, some began charging at him with kendo swords, the others threw wooden mock shurikens at him. The commissar parried all the kendo strikes with ease and kicked them all back, while dodging and deflecting the shuriken stars with his own sword.
It was now his turn to attack. No sword, no shurikens, no psionic powers, not even fists or kicks came from him. Instead, as he threw his sword into the air, drawing the attention of his attackers, in his hands were flashbang grenades and he began throwing them everywhere, the thunderous flashes popping and crackling all over the battle ground and disorienting and blinding of the students. In the next second, one by one they were dispatched with sword strikes, and the commissar emerged victorious.
Psionics is a powerful force indeed, but as the force of the mind it is naturally linked to the user’s mental concentration and awareness. Disrupting this concentration means blocking the use of such powers, as the commissar’s use of flashbangs had demonstrated. He had won the battle using no psionic powers whatsoever even if he was able to do so, instead he won the battle with excellent training, physical prowess, cunning, and superior concentration. This would be the prime lesson that will be taught to the Artificia anti-psionic troopers when they arrive - that if they knew how the psion’s mind worked and how to disrupt it while maintaining superior concentration of their own, then they can fight any psionic user in the galaxy.
Satisfied, Lady Aihara expressed confidence in Idi’s training and felt certain that their Artificia anti-psionic program would be in good hands. Before leaving, she thanked him for the tour and the fruitful meeting in general, and promised to return soon with good news from her superiors, and the first batch of Artificia cadets for him to train.
Normally the red Artificia wasnt so fidgety, but then again normally she wasn't off to discuss abnormal project plans with people she presumed had weird mind powers she didn't entirely understand.
It was no secret that psionics and psionic weaponry were becoming more prevalent in the galaxy, even some of the Unanimity's allies were delving into it. RANGSI had applied religious aspects to its psions.
She hoped to keep that out of the Artificia's investigations into it.
It had also been noted, however, that a range of psionics--those that affected the mind, not so much those interacting with corporeal matter--seemed to bounce right off Artifician people. Telepaths were incapable of communicating with one. An Artificia didn't even register illusions. They didn't have an explanation for it, but it was undeniable. This seemed to come at the cost of the Artificia being incapable of using psionics themselves, a double edged sword.
So, Sameh had decided that if they could not wield the powers of the mind themselves, they would become proficient at combating those that do. Psion hunters, was the term Admiral Tehno had suggested, a joke by Koril about witch hunters being sharply rebuffed.
For that, they needed help. From those with the abilities they wished to counter, no less. Duskstone was their key to victory over psionic enemies, a material that weakened psionic power. And, annoyingly, it needed psions to manufacture.
This was what Sameh had turned to Lady Aihara for. She needed to acquire help in performing the psion flips needed to create Duskstone.
They hoped RANGSI might be willing to assist them, with the two nations' history of collaborative projects.
-
"Lady Aihara," the comm spoke abruptly. "ETA to our exit vector is five minutes. Please stand by for anchor release. Say again, five minutes to anchor release."
Aihara sighed, checking her dress one more time, and headed out of the room.
Kel-Jannim System
Sri Shant Saagar
Pyzon Corps HQ
Shant Saagar. Meaning, calm ocean.
The name was first unofficially given by the Indrayaman monks when they first came to visit the psionic magnetar in the Kel-Jannim system. Even without psionic powers, they felt the psionic star’s calming energies, and thus bestowed the star its rightful name.
The temple that was built around the sacred magnetar, named after the magnetar, was originally a humble space station. Eventually it grew drastically as support and interest poured from all across RANGSI into the advent of psionics, transforming into a set of three majestic rings that wrapped around the magnetar’s orbit, the immense undertaking of which was supported by the combined resources pooled by generous government grants, black money from INSECOM and blessed alms from the Indrayaman Sangha’s faithful. RANGSI economy was also the most powerful at the time of its construction, finishing just before the market crisis struck.
Today the Sri Shant Saagar stands as the nexus, hub, headquarters and central library of all things psionic in RANGSI, home to not only the Pyzon Corps’ training grounds where new monk-commissars learn to use their powers, but also home to the Indrayaman Sangha, a Buddhist order-turned-interfaith council that aims to support RANGSI’s social cohesion through the cultivation of peaceful relations between all religions, whose monks train the commissars in the ways of meditation and mental discipline.
So for the Artificians, a race with no access to psionic powers, to come to Sri Shant Saagar and request for talks, their arrival was treated with much intrigue and curiosity among their ranks. Given the friendly relations between the two nations, their request was quickly accepted, plus they were also interested in what the Artificians had to say.
So when the Artifician ship arrived in the system, the system’s defences seemingly ignored them, having already cleared them in the database. The system was busy with high amounts of traffic - even in such times of ancerium scarcity and war, many continue to pack themselves into all kinds of freighters and passenger vessels to visit the Sri Shant Saagar, perhaps it is precisely in these times of great suffering and conflict that many turn to seek refuge from the psionic magnetar and the wise attendants within. Many of the visitors were crammed at the outermost ring, but soon two sector monitors approached the Artifician ship.
“Blessed guests, follow our lead. We have reserved a special docking bay just for your entourage.”
The monitors then sent flight plans to the Artifician ship that showed them the path to follow, which led to the innermost ring - the one closest to the magnetar. It was also the most coveted, yet also almost paradoxically the most clear of traffic, for it was highly guarded and access was restricted to a certain few of the higher orders.
The Artifician group was three ships; a diplomatic yacht of foreign make, though retrofitted with Unanimity tech, and two frigates to escort it across the interstellar gap between the two nations. The message from the monitors was responded to with a simple,
"Thank you for welcoming us here."
Aboard the yacht's bridge with its large, scenic viewports, Aihara stood with her fingers enmeshed, the ship's captain sat in his chair behind her.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Aihara spoke, her eyes on the magnetar and the triad of rings around it. "Its name means 'calm ocean', I'm told. Its supposed to make people feel relaxed and at ease."
"I'm not feeling much of either, to be frank." the captain grunted.
"Yes. I suppose that's why we're here. Can't deny though, it's a wonderful view." she smiled. The captain went to reply, before the helmsman did so.
"Fifteen minutes till dock!"
"...Thats your queue, ma'am."
"Quite so. I shall see you soon, Captain."
The yacht, the frigates latched to it with large cables so as to not unduly take up docking berths, opened its docking bay to reveal three figures.
At the back, was a single Marine, clad in R4 KHUKURI armour though their weapon remained holstered. Then, an aide of some description, a yellow-lime man in a sharp naval uniform, tapping away at a tablet.
At the front was Lady Aihara herself, a red Artificia with a soft, soothing smile and wavy, long hair, clad in a long, beautiful dress in stark contrast to what a diplomat was usually expected to don.
Aihara, smiling as she came before the greeters at the docking bay, bowing slightly.
"Greetings. I am Lady Aihara, it is a pleasure and honour both to be allowed to step foot here."
From the opposite end of the docking bay came a woman, slowly and gracefully approaching Lady Aihara, with every step conscious of the thousand-and-one minute details of courtly etiquette. With every step, her form-fitting javanese-style dress that wrapped only from the chest down, leaving the olive skin of her shoulders and neck bare for the world to witness, as characteristic of the javanese dress, flowed and swayed from side-to-side, as if reciprocating the beauty of Lady Aihara’s own.
Accompanied of two men in similarly orange robes who seemed to possess no other weapons and equipment other than a cuirass underneath the robes and a black kendo-style training sword tucked and holstered at the right side of the waist, the woman then stopped a metre or so in front of Lady Aihara. She had a serene yet serious look - composed yet disciplined, features communicated and attenuated by her sharp and angular oval face, complemented further by her piercing eyes and red lipstick.
In a flash of a moment, yellow blades of holographic light suddenly materialised out of her hair, forming into a brilliant display of intricately-engraved blades of flowers that seemed to arc behind her head. This was the sanggul lintang, in the ancient Terranic past this was apparently a popular Southeast Asian accessory especially so for marriage, but in that past it was a solid piece of head ornament that was heavy and too impractical to carry in normal situations. With holographic technology and the interest of the waves of cultural nostalgia and revivals, the sanggul lintang was subsequently brought to life as a mainstream RANGSI accessory.
Immediately after the sudden activation of her sanggul lintang, the woman’s serious expression was broken, softened by a polite smile, as she reciprocated Aihara’s bow with a curtsey. A display of personal majesty followed by a gesture of humbleness, a unique diplomatic gesture remarkably different from the more conventional handshakes of normal RANGSI diplomats.
“Greetings our most gracious guests, it is indeed our honour to be host to friends of the blessed Republik Angkasa. I am Arisanti, your guide and liaison to the Prajurit-Colonel, the one that you are intending to meet today.”
Arisanti stood back up, smiling at Aihara. “He does not live far from here. I hope you do not mind a short walk.”
Aihara's cool, confident yet amiable smile remained, her eyes their relaxed half-lidded state, as she and Arisanti exchanged gestures, though a hint of surprise and amusement crossed her eyes as the sanggul litang flashed to life with its holographic vibrancy. Even her aide, silent, looked up momentarily from his tablet to observe the display, the unmoving face of the marine's helmet tilting to the side slightly in the curiosity befitting unfamiliar cultures.
Aihara herself had no such garments, though one would not entirely suit her style of dress, and a hardlight being wearing a holographic headdress might be seen as an odd combination.
"Of course not, it is not as though we just finished a long one." Aihara smiled, some humour leaking into her tone, as she gestured with a hand.
"Please, lead on."
Arisanti gave a warm smile as she turned around, beckoning them to follow her. Her bodyguards, looking like warriors of old with white robes, a lacquered plate cuirass and what seemed to be wooden swords, turned as well, escorting Lady Aihara and her entourage out of the terminal’s lounge.
As soon as the doors opened, they were hit by a wave of blinding light.
The terminal lounge was certainly cosy, no doubt. Clean, warm golden lighting and extremely spacious, furnished with velvet sofas, chairs and wooden tables, its classic old-world charm supplanted by modern holographic readings, panels and art installations. Like everything on the ringworld, it was designed to be welcoming and pleasing to the eye.
But it was no match for what was behind the door. When their eyes adjusted, they were greeted with what perhaps could be initially described as a sea of bright colours - a canvas of white, blue and green. A rolling landscape of lush forests. A sky of clear blue, with brilliant white clouds slowly lumbering by. Temples, shrines, mosques, churches and synagogues as far as the eye can see, interspersed by majestic lakes.
A giant zen garden, was perhaps the best way to describe the view. Arisanti continued walking, taking the party along a stone bridge built atop a calmly flowing river. She walked with a steady but a slow pace. A place like this, what was the rush? It was all too easy to forget that this was actually an artificial habitat, a lifeless hulk of metal floating in the cold dark void of space, orbiting a magnetar.
Soon enough, after perhaps five minutes of walking, they arrived at what seemed to be a walled dojo. The armoured commissars standing guard stood at attention with their halberds and allowed them inside.
Clack! Clack! Clack! The sound of hollow wood colliding against each other echoed through the dojo’s walls. A thickly-bearded elderly man in black robes locked kendo swords with another, one in green robes, younger by comparison as well. They struck, they parried and they continued this dance of swords at such dizzying speeds that it all seemed like a blur. Eventually, the younger one slipped up, and the elderly man gained the advantage. A kendo strike striking his knees, sweeping his leg upwards and causing him to fall. The younger man found himself at the receiving end of the wooden blade at his neck.
“Good, your swordsmanship has improved Ming Chen, practice over,” the elder remarked.
“Thank you teacher,” the man nodded, bowed and returned to the mass of kneeling students in the courtyard.
“Remember, the gift is no excuse to not train. Do not let your body become weak, become lazy and become untrained. A weak body yields a weak mind, and a weak mind yields a weak gift,” the elder man addressed his students as he eyed Arisanti and his new guests. “That is all for today, tomorrow we shall train on how to navigate the mentalscape of one’s mind.”
With that, the students were dismissed, and they left the courtyard. In what seemed like seconds, soon only Arisanti, Lady Aihara and her entourage and the elder remained there.
“Lady Aihara, this is Prajurit-Colonel Idi Mohammed, Commanding Officer and Grand Sensei of the Pyzon Corps,” Arisanti introduced the elder to Aihara. As she looked to Aihara, her eyes brimming with reverence for this old man in front of them, Idi rolled his one remaining eye. He seems to be uncomfortable with his own titles.
Aihara's seemingly unbreakable expression did waver as the scenery so abruptly changed, softening with eyes widening slightly as she took in the scenery. No terrain like this existed within the Unanimity, the closest being the tropical, island laden world in Ehvarea, let alone used for such purposes.
Religion was not the friend of the Artificia, but she could not blame them for centering themselves in such scenery, nor was she so zealous or thin skinned as to show it. The Marine's head swung to and fro, taking in the glow of the artificial landscape and the architectures of the faiths that dotted it, though his expression was unreadable behind the steel gaze of his helmet, as much as it itself resembled a face.
Aihara's aide, for his part, was too engrossed in his data pad to pay much mind, likely assuming it to be mostly holographic.
Aihara and her retinue came to a halt within view of the sparring match, the red Artificia softly clasping her hands behind her back, watching the duel with mild if not totally engrossed interest, her aide looking up for a moment at the sounds of clattering wood.
Aihara made a bowing motion as the Grand Sensei was introduced, a warm smile on her face.
"Warmest greetings, Prajurit-Colonel. I am Lady Aihara. I am afraid my titles are not as flowery as yours, I am simply protégé of Governor Sameh and liaison for UMAC. It is an honor and pleasure both to meet you."
“Believe me Lady Aihara, these titles can be more of a burden than a privilege. But yes, the honour is ours…” Idi suddenly turned his head to scan the surroundings of his now silent and presumably empty dojo, as if something was amiss, as if something else was there.
He turned back to the Artificia entourage. “Come, follow me, the nature of what you would like to discuss is best left behind sealed doors.”
Idi walked up the stairs of the inner garden with the Artificia in tow, walking through a series of wooden corridors and tatami rooms until they reached the other end of the temple. A modest room to be sure, but the view out of the balcony was anything but. The temple was built into the side of a mountain, so the other end was practically jutting out of the opposite side of the mountain, offering a breathtaking view of nothing else but lush green-capped hills, misty plains below, and the sprawling stretch of the city of temples, dojos, and shrines that made up this ringworld.
As Arisanti gestured to Lady Aihara and the rest to take a seat on the cushions laid out on the tatami mat, Idi made tea behind what seemed to be a more austere version of a bar counter. He grabbed a handful of tea leaves and spices, crushed them in a stone bowl, and poured the resultant mix into a pot of boiling water. A keen eye would notice the purplish energies emanating from his fingertips, flowing into the cup and into the water. Psionic energies were being infused into the tea, imparting flavours that were borne from the heart, giving the tea a hint of emotion, otherwise impossible through normal physical means. Right now Idi was calm, with a tinge of happiness and pride from having foreign guests, but there was also a hint of nervousness, underlying anxiety about the wider galactic events that were transpiring outside of the peaceful confines of the ring.
Small porcelain cups and the teapot were then placed onto a wooden tray, and Idi carried it over and placed it on the small square table. He took a seat opposite Aihara, pouring a cup for Aihara and her entourage, before pouring one for himself. He nodded to Arisanti. She took a small bow and left the room.
Idi closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking in a deep breath. A small purplish aura soon enveloped the room. Intricately carved talismans and calligraphy writing that was hung on the walls soon started glowing as it made contact with the purplish wisps. The Artificia, being minor Nulls, could sense a familiar aura surrounding the glowing talismans and calligraphy writings. These were anti-mandalas on a microscopic scale - nano-ink made from Duskstone.
“This room is now sealed with a Silence Field. We are guarded from any prying ears, and what you have to say is now safe here, never to leave these walls.”
A small holographic projector appeared in the middle of the table, with universal ports for any data drives should the Artificia wish to supply any relevant supplementary data.
Lady Aihara and her aide did indeed take a seat, Aihara taking a second longer to shift her dress to accommodate. The marine remained nearby, but did not sit.
His armour was perhaps a little too bulky.
She accepted the tea with a smile and a nod, sipping it as Idi activated the Duskstone-laced calligraphy. Gently, she placed the cup down before speaking.
"The privacy is appreciated, Prajurit-Colonel, as is the tea. Now," she paused, as if to collect her thoughts.
"I came here today because of the same things this ring was built for. It is well known that psionic powers and those that use them are becoming increasingly prevalent across the galaxy, both in the individual and national scale."
A beat.
"The Artificia have no access to anything of the sort. In fact, as far as we can tell, we are somewhat resistant to it. One of our number was in the custody of a Gestalt, one High Priestess Skalia, and even she could not read the Artificia's mind. This, of course, puts us at something of a disadvantage. As it stands, were a force to attack us and employ such psionic abilities, we currently have no direct defense aside from this resistance."
Another pause, as Aihara sipped her tea again.
"This is meant with no ill will or threat towards you and yours, but Sameh and Highcom wish to establish an anti-psionics force. Counter unconventional threats as early as possible. Make the most of our resistance. And for that, we need assistance. We don't readily know how to engage hostile psions, and Duskstone is very difficult to acquire on the market in any substantial quantity. We know of its manufacturing methods--but this in turn requires psionics to achieve. By ourselves, we can't."
She looked up from the teacup, at Idi.
"We've come looking for your help. Otherwise, we're left vulnerable."
“Skalia…” a snarl latched onto the name itself. Skalia, the one who single-handedly destroyed Karvoskaya in the twilight days of the second galactic war.
He composed himself as he sipped the tea, bringing himself back to the matter at hand. “It is indeed interesting that the Artificia have a natural resistance to psionics. As the monks tell me, such is rare; a one in a million instance.”
“I presume one of these threats you speak of would be the Army of the Panopticon? With recent events it seems they are done hiding in the shadows.”
Aihara's brow lifted at the mention of the rarity of psionic resistance, but for the moment she said nothing on the matter. The metric was just a touch different back home, she supposed.
"We admittedly know little about them, but in all likelihood, yes. If supremacy is their goal then that makes us more concerned; our resistance might make us a target. Just speculation, of course, we know as much about them as most do." she shrugged, a hint awkwardly.
March 23, 2023
"Indeed, if your psionic resistance is known, you will be a target sooner or later. I have heard from a comrade of mine currently fighting the Panopticon that they have experimented on several races - turning even the feared Skia of the Union into abominable monsters..." a holographic image of the AOTP's Golem came into view. Idi became visibly uncomfortable upon seeing the image, having faced one of them during the Battle of Rubikon II.
He closed the image, and crossed his arms as he pondered upon Lady Aihara's request.
"Well, I see no reason why we should not work together," he nodded affirmatively. "The Unanimity has been the Republik's long-trusted ally, and a stronger ally able to defeat psionic threats would also enhance our own security in the long-run."
"I am however, interested to hear more about how the Unanimity plans to produce Duskstone in great quantities. For us, producing Duskstone is a nightmarish and torturous process, requiring a deep dive into the Panopticon. Driving some mad in some instances, and even then we can only produce small quantities, just enough to make ink for the protective talismans you see around you."
Aihara nodded, smiling softly at the affirmation of trust between their nations, though her expression shifted as he explained the monumental difficulty they had experienced manufacturing barely enough Duskstone to make ink. People going mad. Immense stress and likely trauma.
Troubling.
"Well," she begun, holding a hand out to her aide who wordlessly passed her a data drive.
"Perhaps some purpose-built infrastructure might help?" she supposed, her smile returning as she slotted the device into the projector.
The shape of what was clearly an adaptation of the Unanimity's old scientific research nexus appeared in holographic form, though internally it was altered in many ways.
"Our old nexus. We built it to create a dedicated research platform to help solve our sterility crisis. And, it succeeded. That unfortunately means in its current form, its effectively a useless money sink. It was suggested we refit it into a Duskstone manufacturing platform." she explained, text boxes appearing to label several of the suggested components.
"We know how to do it. While costly, Nightstone can be acquired from the Hochlands. That can, in turn, be turned into Aurastone with a psionic field of sufficient strength." she begun, part of the hologram lighting up, a large, roughly spherical cradle, likely to project the field required.
"And from there, it can be 'flipped' into Duskstone, though we still don't fully grasp this aspect." she explained, another, smaller section lighting up. A structure of concentric circles, likely to shield occupants from a failed transition. Still, in shape it almost resembled a temple.
The Artificia had put some thought into this.
"The process is there, and a refitted Nexus has the space and means to provide. We just lack that most crucial aspect. If you have any suggestions or anything needed, all you need do is ask."
A sigh.
"It's been suggested we try to create artificial mandalas using synthetic brains, AI psions, but none of our AI or androids so far have shown anything of the sort, so there's no real grounds to say it'd work."
Idi studied the holographic projection of the proposed megastructure intently, rubbing his chin as he looked at the plans and analysed them.
"This is most impressive, Lady Aihara. As I understand from the monks of the Sangha, the act of flipping the psionic field is to essentially turn the psionic mandala from normal matter to anti-matter, hence the steep energy costs. For us, that cost made using the Panopticon necessary."
"But this structure may help us reduce the risks by making the process more energy-efficient by sheer scale alone. If we incorporate large artificial mandala devices and the energy sources necessary to power those devices, then the psionic process may be energy-efficient enough to the point that we would have no need for the Panopticon and all its associated dangers."
Idi nodded his head. "This is a promising endeavor and I am willing to lend the Sangha's psions and knowledge to make it work. All I ask in return is a reasonable share of the Duskstone produced so that we can make more talismans and weapons to face the growing threats, while also removing the need for the Panopticon all together. The lives that we would save."
May 18, 2023
Aihara seemed to relax somewhat, smiling as he seemed to approve of their plan, and nodding as he agreed to supply the necessary manpower. She sipped her tea before answering.
"Of course. We would not be so bold as to ask for your assistance and offer nothing in return, and that was one of the things I was going to suggest in recompense. The exact share we can discuss at a later point, but at current, this is a most agreeable arrangement. And, of course, your psions at our facility will be under the protection of the AUN." she smiled warmly.
After a second, though, it soured somewhat, as a different thought crossed her mind.
"In addition, there is something else. We wish to begin training operatives in anti-psion combat. A specialised force trained and equipped specifically to counter enemies of a less conventional sort."
A beat.
"Unfortunately, our resources on such are limited. Stealth equipment and tools to disorient foes are available to us, and once we have enough Darkstone to warrant working with we have plans for it, but as for directly dealing with psionic forces, attacks and defenses we don't even know where to begin."
She looked up at Idi, a somewhat hopeful smile crossing her features.
"I was hoping you and your psions might be able to help in that regard."
Idi nodded approvingly in response to Aihara's agreement to share some of the Duskstone production. Her assurance that the Sangha's psions would be given protection by Artificia forces was also well-appreciated, and would no doubt allay some of the safety and security concerns that others might have regarding this arrangement to work beyond the confines of the Sri Shaant Saagar, beyond the safety of RANGSI borders.
As for her request to help the Unanimity train anti-psionic forces of their own, Idi had little to no hesitation in his reply. "Of course, we are willing to help. For one it would be beneficial to have allies able to face the growing psionic threat. But more importantly, we do it because our nations are allies. Comrades help each other."
He scratched his beard contemplatively again. "Given that your people have no psionic ability, but rather the opposite as minor nulls, we might have to change and re-tailor some of our existing training. But ultimately, psionics or fighting people who use psionics all boils down to the mind and how one uses it. If you know how to discipline your mind, and if you know how a psion's mind works, then you can fight them on equal grounds."
"If you like, I can bring you around the dojo and show you more on how we train our students, a glimpse into how I would be training your anti-psion forces," Idi offered. "But understandably since this meeting has gone on for quite a while, if you have other matters to attend to then I can send you a sample of our training regimen for you to view at your own convenience, and for your contemporaries to review as well."
June 2, 2023
"Excellent!" Aihara's hands clapped together, a beaming smile on her face. "I'm glad this meeting has been so productive."
She seemed to consider Idi's proposal a moment, her eyes veering to the side. Her aide, even, looked up from his tablet, eyes fixed on her, before her gaze snapped back.
"Of course! If you would show me, I would love to see it. If nothing else, it means I get to enjoy the scenery a little longer, hmm?" she nodded, an almost mischievous smile on her face.
“It will be my pleasure, Lady Aihara,” Idi gave a gentle smile in response. “Right this way.”
For the next hour or so, Idi guided Aihara and her entourage around the dojo, visiting different classes and different batches of cadet commissars at various stages of training. From the surface many things did not seem related to psionics at all - as Aihara hopped from one class to another much of the time was spent on activities such as meditation, exercise, martial arts training, kendo sparring like the one she saw when she first came in, and even something as superfluous as bonsai cutting. Only 10% of what she saw in the dojo had something to do with psionics.
What was impressed upon her was the centrality of the mind to psionics, and the importance of proper mental discipline. This lesson would be brought to bear when they witnessed a sparring session between a class that was about to graduate and their instructor, who was a full-fledged commissar. No holds were barred in the battle - everything can be used including psionic powers. The only rule was no lethal force.
The fight began and ten students swarmed in on the lone commissar. In their excitement to try out their powers, they immediately began using their telekinesis, lifting earth and rock from the ground beneath them and throwing them at the commissar. He effortlessly dodged all of them. Not intent on giving up, some began charging at him with kendo swords, the others threw wooden mock shurikens at him. The commissar parried all the kendo strikes with ease and kicked them all back, while dodging and deflecting the shuriken stars with his own sword.
It was now his turn to attack. No sword, no shurikens, no psionic powers, not even fists or kicks came from him. Instead, as he threw his sword into the air, drawing the attention of his attackers, in his hands were flashbang grenades and he began throwing them everywhere, the thunderous flashes popping and crackling all over the battle ground and disorienting and blinding of the students. In the next second, one by one they were dispatched with sword strikes, and the commissar emerged victorious.
Psionics is a powerful force indeed, but as the force of the mind it is naturally linked to the user’s mental concentration and awareness. Disrupting this concentration means blocking the use of such powers, as the commissar’s use of flashbangs had demonstrated. He had won the battle using no psionic powers whatsoever even if he was able to do so, instead he won the battle with excellent training, physical prowess, cunning, and superior concentration. This would be the prime lesson that will be taught to the Artificia anti-psionic troopers when they arrive - that if they knew how the psion’s mind worked and how to disrupt it while maintaining superior concentration of their own, then they can fight any psionic user in the galaxy.
Satisfied, Lady Aihara expressed confidence in Idi’s training and felt certain that their Artificia anti-psionic program would be in good hands. Before leaving, she thanked him for the tour and the fruitful meeting in general, and promised to return soon with good news from her superiors, and the first batch of Artificia cadets for him to train.