The Eternal Torchlight

*"Cease fire! The war is over, we are a civilian ship under the protection of the Commonwealth! Cease fire damnit! We are only miners, there is no reason for this attack! Cease...!"*

-last transmission of mining vessel XV55, first known victim of the Eternal Torchlight-

Known as one of the most perfidious and loathed ships in the Eastern frontier of the galaxy, the **Eternal Torchlight** is a Zracon  cruiser who fights a crusade  of its own against all the "shadows" of the galaxy. Built by the Zracon Union to be one of their best ships, it is now hunted down without mercy, its crew declared heretics by the high priesthood as the Eternal Torchlight targets not only the enemies of the Zracon, but also their allies, never sparing a single soul as they "purge the galaxy of all evil".

## History

   As the Commonwealth  and Zracon Union fought both on land and space during the Aramathi liberation war, new machines and technology was developed by both sides. The Eternal Torchlightwas, at that time, designed to be the future admiral ship of the Radiant Host. Unlike other ships of the fleet, its armor, weaponry and systems could match those of its Commonwealth counterparts, the crew made of tested veterans and fanatical officers who would never surrender, no matter what.

After the Union's defeat at the Fleet combat in Aramus system however, things changed. The Eternal Torchlight, ready to join the fleet and best the Commonwealth, now was told to patrol the union's borders. Surprise swiftly turned into rage when news arrived of the peace treaty between humanity and the Zracon. The captain, Yamasii, and most of his officers, were all deep belivers in the "Purifier" current of the Zracon Religion. That the Union had lost was in no small part due, in their opnion, to the priest's use of converted Aramathi in the army, creatures who, no matter what, would always be influenced by shadows. It was because of them that the war had been lost. Knowing of their dissent, purifier priests visited the ship and crew, slowly feeding their belief that the only way to truly free the galaxy from the shadows was to exterminate everything not Zracon.

Fueled by their desire to purge all shadows, and unable to be granted permission by the high priesthood, the crew of the Eternal Torchlight (after being assured by the purifier priests that what they were doing was holy) took the ship on a crusade across the Union's frontier. By the time the high priests knew of what had happened, the Eternal Torchlight had already left its mark, assaulting without warning random mining vessels and even a few patrol ships belonging to the Commonwealth  and Galactic Entente. Still weak after the war and fearing reprisal, the Zracon assured the attacked factions about the rogue nature of the captain and the crew of the cruiser, assuring them it would be deal with as swiftly as possible.

The resources and training spent on ship and crew however, made this a nearly impossible task. Choosing its targets carefuly, the Eternal Torchlight soon became the scourge of the galaxy's East. Unlike pirates who chose to attack every few days or weeks, the Torchlight could dissapear for months or even years before being spotted again by a ship or base, only moments before its destruction. Hunting parties are constantly sent to hunt the Torchlight down, yet this is not a hunt many captains come back alive from. The Torchlight is a shrewd beast, experienced in ambushes and attacking whenever the hunter lowers its guard and becomes prey.

Little is known by the crew and captain of the Eternal Torchlight after they abandoned the Union. Named heretics which need to be killed on sight by their former masters, nobody knows how the ship manages to continue bringing terror to bases and merchant ships without anywhere to rest, supply or repair. Some say purifier priests secretly equip and convince desperate Zracon  to join the crew of the Torchlight on its one-ship crusade against the galaxy.

Nobody outside the ship's crew knows if Yamasii still commands the Torchlight. If not dead in battle or because of some disease, many believe age must have already dealt with the fanatical captain. Either someone else has taken command and title, or Yamasii has somehow manage to find a way to extend his life beyond the natural span of a normal Zracon. Dead or not, whoever commands the Torchlight is a deadly and experienced commander indeed as the tally of ships and bases destroyed under the guns of the lone crusader grows longer with each passing year.

### *Timeline*

***-Creation (2238):''*** *The Eternal Torchlight is finished after years of tests and design changes. Its crew and captain are ready to fight, yet they will not be able to fire a shot as the Zracon Union signs peace with the Commonwealth. Angered and eager to fight, crew and captain are easy prey to the whispers of purifier priests.*

***-Heretic (2240):***The Torchlight's one-ship crusade stars as it begans to attack without warning several mining ships on the Commonwealth's borders. Unwilling to go to war so soon, the priesthood condemn the ship, naming all its crew heretics to be slaughtered unless they come back to Union territory to be judged. Instead, the ship continues with its attacks, destroying several ships and a private mining base before dissapearing from the radars of both Commonwealth and Zracon Union.

***-The Nightmare begins (2243):***Without warning or answering to hails, the Eternal Torchlight attacks a growing Shalani colony, its main target being the essential stores keeping much of the colonie's supplies of food and machinery. Of a population of nearly 1 million Shalani, only half survive for long enough to be saved by a rescue fleet and tell the tale.

***-The Burning Herald (2259):***As the Great southeastern war raged on, the Eternal Torchlight attacked several of the then-undefended civilian and military bases, leaving nothing but burnt corpses behind as the crew left no survivors and stole everything they could to carry on with their crusade. Several independent captains were hired and fleets equiped with private funds to deal with this menace. Of the nearly nine ships who hunted down the Torchlight however, only half returned, none of which had come even a little close to capturing the infamous ship.

***-No allies, no prisoners (2269):***In Yaanari league space, the Eternal Torchlights shows that its captain and crew are not willing to cooperate with shadows, even if they are allied to the Zracon Union. Factories and profitable, slave mining bases are turned into dust by the ship's guns, alongside many ships of the corsair band known as the "Eleven Knives" while they were being repaired in what they thought was a safe harbour. Enraged about their loss of wealth, important Yaanari oligarchs offer a prize of vessels, money and terrain to any captain who managed to blow up the Eternal Torchlight. Hundreds of corsairs take the offer and eagerly chase the ship down without much success. The luckiest are able to come home with their hands empty. The rest, do not come at all, either blown up by patrols from other nations or the Torchlight itself.

***-The art of war (2277):***A Thadrakos mecenas  by the name of Arch-baron Urithiel "Golden eyes" manages to "acquire" a priceless work of art from the month of a Kithri collector from the Commonwealth. Patrols later find the shredded remains of Urithiel's ship, including all his collection of stolen art. The ship's computers record the Eternal Torchlight's attack and how it kept firing no matter what Urithiel offered. Nothing remained of the mecenas or his crew.

***-Hunting the hunter (2284):***Three Yaanari rival corsair bands join forces to try and hunt down the Torchlight. They nearly corner it when one of the Yaanari corsair masters, unwilling to share the prize, fires at one of her unsuspecting allies. A battle ensues, the survivors of it unknown as only broken, empty vessels remain after ships of the Galactic Entente reach the scene. Sadly, the Torchlight is not amongst the wrecks.

***-The Torchlight lives on (2307):*** After the events of the Last Light and the following discovery that the Zracon had disappeared, it was believed that the Eternal torchlight would one day be found as an empty vessel floating through the drifts of space. They found their desires wanting. The vessel was emerged once again on the eastern borders of the Commonwealth; descending on private exploration vessels that had been returning from uncharted Zracon space, response forces arrive in time to see the Eternal Torchlight jump from the system. Four vessels give chase but find nothing and return empty handed.