The Grand Patriarch had much to tell us, but first she needed to confirm Sandora's identity. Green Star had originally possessed the ability to identify Shilin Apostles, but the long years and several accidents during their exile had destroyed those ancient devices. The only facilities still operational on Green Star were its structural support systems, Energy Furnace, and part of its defense and alarm systems. Moreover, none of these systems were under the Grand Patriarch's control. During the Old Empire era, the Tree Spirits had been the last affiliated race to come into contact with the Old Empire. They had received far too little technological support from the Empire and had not had time to absorb it. Eighty percent of what had been hastily handed over to them had been automated equipment.
Fortunately, even if the planetary systems could not verify our identities, we had a way to make the Grand Patriarch believe us: Shadow City's fleet was patrolling above Green Star. Even if this elderly Tree Spirit elder had yet to learn how to sense psionic energy, she still vividly remembered those colossal warships.
After confirming our identities, the Tree Spirit leader began recounting the history she knew.
The Tree Spirits had once been a peaceable yet technologically advanced higher civilization.
That was rather hard to imagine. In many people's minds, elves were creatures associated with magic and the Middle Ages. It was difficult to picture how jarring it would be to see an elf standing before you with a laser rifle in hand and infrared night-vision goggles on her head. Let us temporarily forget the Blood Elves in Shadow City who raced around on antigravity motorcycles. Street racing and heavy metal rock were hardly part of authentic elven culture. But in the Void, where anything was possible, we