John stood in the doorway and stared at the destruction Larn'kelnar had wrought. When the energy beam had cut the Invictus in half, it had scythed through the bedroom, melting the titanium superstructure with ease. Where John's massive bed had once rested against the wall, the room was now open to the elements, giving him a spectacular view of the Arcadian jungle. There was no longer any furniture left in his quarters, as it had all been sucked out into the upper atmosphere as the battlecruiser tumbled towards the planet. John loved that bed, connected as it was with so many wonderful memories... but what he really missed the most was the high-backed chair.

It was so easy to picture Faye sitting cross-legged on the comfortable leather, the purple sprite either singing softly to him, or watching with sparkling eyes as the crew were intimate together. John and Faye never had a chance to consummate their own relationship, having postponed their third date one time too many. He glanced down at the hacking deck he still cradled in his arms and let out a melancholy sigh. John couldn't help feeling like he was letting Faye down... he was holding the essence of her personality in his hands, but he lacked the skills to bring her back from oblivion.

"Hey, handsome," Alyssa said softly, running her hands over his shoulders. She hugged him from behind and whispered in his ear, "The girls are all falling asleep... and you need some rest too."

John nodded wearily and let the blonde lead him back out into the corridor, then into Calara's quarters.

The brunette was waiting under the covers and greeted them with an inviting smile... which faded as she studied the bloodstained couple. "You both look a mess. Let's have a quick shower before bed."

"A shower sounds good," John agreed, reluctantly placing the hacking deck on her desk and stripping off his torn clothing.

Alyssa and Calara padded into the bathroom as he undressed, the sound of pattering water reaching his ears a few moments later. When he followed them inside, he saw the brunette lathering up Alyssa's golden mane, the foamy bubbles turning pink as she washed the blood from her hair. John joined them under the hot water and grimaced as he remembered the blonde being hurled across the Bridge during the attack on the Invictus. She'd suffered a nasty head wound from the impact with the titanium wall and the jagged cut to her scalp had soaked her hair with blood.

He stroked Alyssa's back, watching as Calara rinsed her off. "I nearly lost you today as well..."

"It was just a scratch," Alyssa said with a lopsided smile, all trace of the injury healed by Rachel hours ago. "You should have seen the other guy..."

Both John and Calara chuckled, needing some light relief after the nightmarish morning they'd endured. When the Latina had finished with Alyssa's hair, she turned her attention to John and frowned at the sight of him. Rahn'hagon had broken his nose with that first punch, and while John had healed himself, he was still covered in dried blood. She used a sponge to gently wash his skin, a tender look of sympathy on her beautiful face.

"There, good as new," she said with satisfaction when she was done. "Now you two need some sleep... you're both on your last legs."

"Yes, mom," Alyssa said with a soft smile, as the brunette mothered the pair of them.

They stepped out of the shower and took it in turns using the bathroom's auto-drier, with Calara directing operations. John watched her taking care of Alyssa, who was happy to be fussed over, then relaxed and let the Latina dry him off too. They retired to the bedroom, where Calara peeled back the covers so that Alyssa, then John could climb into bed. She turned out the light and joined them, snuggling up against John and resting her head on his shoulder.

He held both girls close and stroked Calara's back. "You were right before... I've got all the family I need right here. You're going to be a wonderful mother when we have kids."

Alyssa made eye-contact with Calara across John's broad chest and smiled at her girlfriend. "I'll be watching you like a hawk for pointers..."

Calara blushed, then gave John a tender kiss on the cheek. "Now Larn'kelnar's gone, it won't be long until we can finally settle down and start our family."

John felt Alyssa tense, so he hugged the blonde closer. *Don't disappoint her... I'll talk to everyone when we've all had a chance to rest and recover.*

*Okay...* Alyssa murmured in reply, trying not to get too despondent.

John kissed Calara on the forehead. "Get some sleep, honey. We'll talk about the future this evening, after we've all had a rest."

The brunette nodded and relaxed against him, sliding her silky-smooth thigh over his as she tried to get as close to John as possible. Alyssa did the same, but she yearned for that closeness for a very different reason. The two girls were asleep in a matter of seconds, and John kissed each of them on the top of their head as he felt himself getting drowsy. He hated the thought of disappointing Calara and the rest of the girls, but he had a new purpose now and they all needed to prepare for what was to come.

***

Admiral Charles Harris glanced at his watch and frowned. It had just turned 12:15, which meant Lynette was fifteen minutes late to this High Command meeting... and Fleet Admiral Devereux was never late for anything.

Rising from his seat in the oval meeting room, he approached the podium, then turned to face the gathering of Admirals. "Sorry ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the Fleet Admiral's indisposed. Might I suggest we postpone this meeting until later this evening?"

"We could just proceed without her," Admiral Edwin Caldwell said, frowning as he leaned back in his chair. "I'm reviewing the repairs to the Zeus this afternoon."

"8 pm instead then?" Charles suggested, glancing around at the members of High Command. "I know Lynette wanted to hear progress reports from everyone, particularly with regard to streamlining of departments."

Admiral Hugo Chapman gave him a sour look, and pushed his wire-framed glasses up his nose. "I'm not sure that time will be convenient..."

Charles raised an eyebrow and tapped on the holo-interface built into the lectern, bringing up the admiral's meeting schedule. There were a number of timeslots already booked, with Chapman meeting the various department heads within his Research and Development Division, but there was nothing earmarked from eight until midnight.

"Oh look, you're completely free..." Charles said dryly. "If you did have something planned, it obviously wasn't that important; after all, you neglected to enter it into the Admiralty scheduler. I'm sure whatever it was can be rearranged and you'll be able to attend a priority High Command meeting."

Chapman scowled, his lips pressed together into a thin line.

"Does anyone else have any concerns about scheduling?" Charles asked, looking at the rest of the admirals in attendance. He was relieved to see amused expressions rather than resentful ones as they all shook their heads. "That'll be all then. I'll see you this evening."

As the admirals rose from their chairs, he turned and strode briskly for the door, worried about Lynette. He tapped on his comms device and contacted the Head of Internal security for Olympus Shipyard.

Colonel Fiske answered almost instantly. "What can I do for you, Admiral Harris?"

"I just wanted to check if the Fleet Admiral has left her quarters this morning?" Charles asked, trying not to sound alarmed.

Fiske's eyes narrowed with concern. "Why? What's the problem? Do you want me to send a team to check on her?"

Charles shook his head as he strode down the corridor. "No, no... that's quite alright. I just wanted to verify her location."

Looking at him suspiciously for a moment, the blond-haired colonel turned and glanced at the security logs. "The Fleet Admiral is still in her quarters. Miss Elani arrived an hour ago, but neither of them have departed since then."

"Ah, of course... I forgot Lynette was giving an interview," Charles hastily ad-libbed. "Sorry to waste your time, Colonel."

Fiske looked like he was going to say something, but Charles ended the awkward conversation with a swipe across the holo-interface.

"Check out the Fleet Admiral's favourite, throwing his seniority around..." a seductive female voice teased him.

Charles glanced to his right and saw that Admiral Lina Van Den Broeck had caught up after his hasty departure. "This isn't a good time, Lina."

The attractive redhead gave him a mock pout. "And I thought we were supposed to be friends, Charlie..."

"We are... I just need to meet with Lynette," he replied, trying not to sound flustered.

"I hope your fiancée is well?" she asked innocuously.

Even Charles, who was hardly an expert on women, knew a loaded statement when he heard one. He tried to figure out what she was really asking, then he suddenly realised with a grimace. "Ah... the engagement..."

"I had to hear about your proposal from Aeri Malone!" Lina admonished him with a playful slap on the arm. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief as she added, "I must say I was surprised... especially as you told me you were dating Lynette's niece just a few days ago. Either your new fiancée got very jealous and made her move... or she's a remarkably accommodating woman... I can't help but wonder which?"

Charles stopped by the elevators and impatiently tapped the call button. "You can torment me later, Lina. This really isn't a good time."

"Oh Charlie, I was just having fun..." she said with an exaggerated pout. Turning on her heel, she sashayed away, before glancing back at him over her shoulder. "But consider that a date... I can't wait to hear about your whirlwind romance with the Fleet Admiral!"

He watched her leave and saw the smirk of satisfaction appear on Lina's pretty face. There was a time, only a couple of weeks ago, when this much attention from the sultry and tactile redhead would have thrown him in a spin. That was in the days before Lynette though, and Charles had no intention of doing anything that might jeopardise his relationship with the stunning hazel-eyed goddess. He did need to come up with a sensible explanation for the whole Lynette/Marie scenario though, as Lina had been privy to his infatuation with the Fleet Admiral's nubile alter-ego.

The elevator door opened with a ringing chime and he strode inside, then tapped the button for the Admiralty suites. He watched the deck counter as he rose through the levels, growing increasingly impatient at the wait. When the door chimed again, he hurried out, nodding brusquely to the armoured guards who gave him a sharp look until they registered the rank on his uniform and his identity. Charles made sure there were no security personnel near the Fleet Commander's quarters, then opened the door and quickly entered.

"Lynette!" he called out as he walked through the foyer, but there was no answer, making him even more alarmed.

Bursting into the lounge, he saw Lynette lying on the sofa with Jehanna beside her, neither of them stirring. He rushed to their side and with his heart in his mouth, he checked Lynette's pulse, then sagged with relief when he saw she was breathing.

Gently shaking his fiancée, he said urgently, "Lynette?! Are you alright? Wake up!"

She groaned and her eyes slowly opened. "I'm okay Charles... just exhausted..."

He relaxed, then glanced down at Jehanna to check she was breathing too. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was a welcome sight, the beautiful reporter as sound asleep as Lynette had been.

Charles smiled at his fiancée. "We've only been engaged a week... I didn't expect to catch you sleeping with someone else this quickly."

Lynette giggled, then stifled a yawn. "Just the really pretty girls... I hope you don't mind."

He stroked her head and looked at her with concern. "What happened? Is this some Lioness thing?"

She nodded, giving him a strained smile. "Can I tell you about it later? I can barely keep my eyes open..."

"Of course, darling," he said gently, scooping Lynette up. "Let me put you to bed, then you can sleep without getting a crick in your neck."

Charles moved the brunette to her bedroom and lay her gently on the covers. Lynette kicked off her shoes and pulled off her uniform so that she was just in her underwear, then burrowed into the bed. Charles reappeared a minute later with Jehanna in his arms and placed her gently next to his fiancée. He watched Lynette carefully remove the beautiful reporter's jacket and shoes, then quickly turned around as the hazel-eyed brunette took off more of Jehanna's clothes.

"You can look again now," Lynette said with a smile. "I've protected her modesty."

Charles turned and saw that they were both under the covers, with Jehanna still in a very deep sleep.

"I love you, Charles," Lynette said earnestly, looking up at him as he walked to her bedside. "You don't know how good it feels, knowing you care about me."

He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. "I love you too. Get some sleep; I'll be waiting for you in the lounge, so just call if you need anything."

She let out a contented sigh, then settled down with her head on the pillow. Lynette was asleep the second she'd closed her eyes.

Charles walked quietly out of the bedroom, then paused in the doorway to look back at his fiancée with a mixture of confusion and concern. He knew there were some things she was keeping to herself about her close relationship with John and Alyssa, although his instincts told him that it wasn't anything sinister. Lynette had promised that she'd never lie to him again... and Charles believed her, but he didn't want to demand answers to a subject she clearly wasn't comfortable discussing with him. After a quick glance at Jehanna to check she was alright, he left the bedroom to wait for them to awaken... and to find out what had happened.

***

Sarinia Baelora sat behind the desk in her cabin aboard the Shandrass class battleship, watching its progress on the Sector Map as they sailed towards the Epsilon Aquarii system. The Ruven Lephyra was House Baelora's flagship, leading the flotilla of vessels owned by the Noble House on their way to be refitted at Genthalas Shipyard. They still had two more days travel until they arrived and she'd been feeling increasingly nervous as they drew closer to Edraele Valaden's seat of power. It wasn't just sailing through Valaden territory that was making her anxious, but the thought of being reunited with Gaenna, the tyrannical leader of House Baelora... and her less-than-loving mother.

The melodic door chime interrupted her train of thought and Sarinia sighed, knowing who was likely standing behind that door. The close proximity with her feuding sisters was trying her patience to its limit.

"Enter..." she called out, then watched as Tehlariene rushed into the office, tears running down her cheeks. "What happened this time, sister?"

"It was Myrdina!" the youngest of the Baelora sisters sobbed. "She spaced all my clothes!"

Sarinia rose from her chair and rounded the desk to comfort her sibling. "I'll lend you some dresses until we reach Genthalas," she said gently, stroking Tehlariene's arm. "Myrdina wouldn't dare touch my things."

"Thank you so much," Tehlariene said, looking at her with profound gratitude.

The eldest daughter of House Bealora gave her an indulgent smile. "Dry your eyes now... don't let them see that they upset you."

"Why do they have to be so cruel?" Tehlariene asked as she brushed away her tears.

"Because they're frightened of Gaenna and feel powerless," Sarinia replied, looking at the young woman with sympathy. "By bullying you, they're trying to bolster their wilting self-esteem. In truth, they are only revealing that they are weak and foolish... and unworthy of respect."

Tehlariene blinked in surprise, then looked forlorn. "That's why they never bully you, Sarinia. You're so smart, you'd cut them to the quick and have them running away in tears!"

"Perhaps I should anyway?" Sarinia asked playfully, her golden eyes twinkling. "After all, it is the eldest sister's prerogative to torment her younger siblings..."

Tehlariene giggled at the thought. "I can just imagine it! Rosanae still trying her best to look haughty while blubbering like a scolded child..." She let out a wistful sigh. "That would be wonderful..."

"If they tease you again in my presence, I'll take them to task," Sarinia promised, patting her youngest sister on the shoulder. "Go on now, have a look through my wardrobe and pick out some dresses you like."

"Thank you!" Tehlariene gushed, giving her sister a spontaneous but earnest hug. "I wish the others were like you, Sarinia..."

Sarinia smiled as she watched Tehlariene leave, but the warmth in that smile never reached her eyes.

***

John slowly woke, opening his eyes as he regained consciousness. His bedroom didn't look quite right in the darkness and he felt a bit disorientated as he glanced at the chronometer on the wall. It was a lot closer than he anticipated, but the green display told him that it was 4:57 pm, which meant that he'd been asleep for nearly five hours.

"Faye?" he whispered, glancing down the bed as he looked for the purple sprite.

Then it hit him that she was gone... and it felt like a steel gauntlet had clamped down on his heart. He shut his matriarchs out of his mind, not wanting to disturb them with his mournful thoughts, and lay there in silence for several minutes. He'd felt full of energy after waking, but being crushed by grief had left him feeling weary and depressed once more.

After taking a deep breath, he carefully untangled himself from Alyssa's and Calara's clinging grasp, then climbed over the brunette and used telekinesis to slide her into his spot. Drawn together, they snuggled in each other's arms, neither stirring from their deep sleep. John climbed out of bed, and crept quietly out of the bedroom, stepping over the ripped and bloodied jumpsuit he'd worn earlier. The corridor outside was deserted, but he knew the girls were all sleeping in the Officers' Quarters they'd been allocated when they joined the crew.

John headed towards his bedroom, still finding it a shocking sight when he opened the door to see the missing wall and the gaping space where the bed used to be. Deliberately avoiding looking at where the high-backed chair usually stood, he entered the walk-in-wardrobe, and stepped over the piles of clothes that had been thrown around when he rolled the ship. He found some cotton sweatpants and a t-shirt and pulled them on, seeking the reassuring comfort of those casual clothes.

As he turned to leave, he spotted a small black case amidst the clothes. He stooped to pick it up, recognising it at once as the jewellery case he'd been given by the Trankarans; a gift to show their gratitude for rescuing Chancellor Niskera. He flipped open the lid and looked at the beautiful amethyst set in an intricate Crystal Alyssium band, the jewel exquisitely cut by a Forge-master for the last of the Lioness engagement rings. He studied the pale purple gem, his gaze lingering on its inner luminescence; the colouring was a perfect match for Faye's enchanting eyes. He'd planned to propose to the lovely elfin girl, but like so many things, he'd left it too late. With a heavy sigh, he closed the lid and carefully placed the case on a shelf.

Walking back along the corridor, he entered the Officers' Lounge and was startled to find that it had survived the crash relatively unscathed. He'd expected to see the furniture in disarray and broken bottles from the bar scattered all around the room, but all the sofas were where they should be and aside from some stains on the floor, there was no sign of broken glass. A couple of maintenance bots floated quietly out of the kitchen and he realised who was responsible for cleaning up the mess.

"Thank you," he said, giving the two hulking robots a grateful, if rather strained smile.

One of the automatons nodded to him with respect, its sorrowful face bobbing slightly. The other patted him on the shoulder as it passed, in a sincere gesture of solidarity.

John watched them leave, remembering the conversations he'd had with Faye about the increasingly lifelike mannerisms the robots had been displaying. Her evasive replies to his questions took on an entirely different light and he shook his head, wondering why she'd kept her tampering with the robots a secret. The obvious reason was that she didn't trust him and the crew not to react badly to her work, and with a sad sigh, he realised she would have had good reason to feel that way.

Feeling himself being pulled down by increasingly depressing thoughts, he walked quickly into the kitchen and was relieved to see that the maintenance bots had tidied it too. He began cooking dinner for the girls, needing the distraction of that familiar routine. Deciding to make some comfort food, he started preparing spaghetti and meatballs, with servings of garlic bread and salad to accompany the meal.

John felt better as he worked on the meat and sauces, and he soon had several pans simmering away on the stove. Being immersed in the kitchen helped banish his maudlin thoughts, clearing his mind and letting him plan for the debriefing ahead. They had a lot to discuss, much of which would come as a very unpleasant surprise, so he wanted to make sure he had everything straight in his mind.

Stirring a pan, he unblocked Alyssa from his mental fortress. *Hey, beautiful...* he said softly, knowing she'd wake up now that she could hear his thoughts.

*Hey, John...* she murmured a few seconds later, sounding groggy. *Where are you?*

*Just making dinner... it'll be ready in about half-an-hour.*

*You should have woken me, I'd have helped!*

*I know, honey, but you had a harrowing day... and I had a lot to think about.*

There was a long pause, then Alyssa said quietly, *John... I'm so sorry about Faye. You were closer to her than any of us.*

John stirred the tomato sauce, watching the spoon bursting bubbles as the saucepan simmered away merrily. *Alyssa... would you mind asking Dana and Irillith to join me please?*

*Of course, handsome...* she replied, her voice full of sympathy.

*Thank you.*

He busied himself with the spaghetti, tasting the pasta then adding a touch more salt. Turning to the worktop, he drew one of the long knives from the block, then began slicing the French bread without cutting completely through. He'd just finished mixing garlic with butter and spreading it in the slices when he heard the girls approaching, his sharp hearing picking up the sounds of their bare feet even through the door. After sliding the garlic bread into the oven, he washed his hands, then turned to smile at Dana and Irillith as they entered the kitchen.

"Hey, you two. I'm sorry if Alyssa woke you."

They were each wearing one of his white shirts and from their drawn expressions, he could tell they'd chosen them because they needed to feel close to him.

"I woke up about half-an-hour ago," Irillith said softly, toying with one of the buttons. "Bad dreams..."

"Me too..." Dana murmured, her eyes welling up as she looked away.

The redhead suddenly rushed over to him and flung herself into his open arms. He embraced her, then beckoned Irillith over, the Maliri gladly running to join him. John held them both and gently stroked their backs as they leaned into him for support.

"Shh... I'm here now," he murmured, feeling both girls trembling as he held them close. "I know how hard this hit both of you."

"John..." Dana whispered, her voice shaky. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you..."

"It's alright," he said, his tone sympathetic. "We'd all been through a hell of an ordeal... and I didn't really understand what I was asking you to do. I realise it must be frustrating having to explain things sometimes... it's just one of the downsides of making you so much smarter than me."

Dana cringed and shot Irillith a guilty look. "Shit... I never meant you to feel like that."

He pulled back a bit so he could look at their worried faces, then gently stroked their temples. "Don't worry, I'm not upset... it's just the simple truth. You were both very intelligent and gifted before we met, but I've enhanced you way beyond that now."

"John..." Irillith started to say, her expression pained.

He leaned down to give her a tender kiss. "Just give me a minute, beautiful; there's something I want to say to both of you." John took a deep breath and when he saw he had their full attention, he continued, "I didn't understand what I was asking you to do before... but I understand now. I refuse to give up on Faye... I want you to bring her back."

The two girls shot a troubled glance at each other, both thinking the exact same thing.

Dana's sky blue eyes were full of pain as she said plaintively, "John... we can't-"

"Yes... you can," he interrupted, his voice firm and uncompromising. "The hacking deck has Faye's personality, right? So all we're missing are her memories?"

The redhead slumped, looking dejected. "Exactly. Even if we can bring Faye back, she won't remember us..."

John shook his head. "You're looking at this all wrong. Just think about it for a second... we've still got all the files we need to restore Faye's personality! She might have amnesia when we rebuild her, but that just means we get to make friends with her all over again."

"But we can't recreate Faye's software," Irillith said sadly. "Her AI was created by Mael'nerak and he was a genius. His skills vastly overshadow mine."

He gave the Maliri a disapproving frown. "I refuse to believe that Mael'nerak was smarter than you. He might have had more knowledge, but given enough time, you can learn everything he knew. Besides, you've already got the files that make up Faye's mind, so you must be at least... half-way there already?"

Irillith gave him an indulgent smile. "It doesn't work quite like that, but I see your point."

Dana's eyes shone a bit brighter as hope was rekindled once more. "Shit... you're right! It'll suck that Faye doesn't remember us, but we can still bring her back!"

John nodded, looking at each of them in turn. "It might take us years, but we're going to live forever anyway. I know you girls can do this! No matter how long it takes, we're definitely going to see Faye again!"

The Maliri laughed and wiped at her eyes. "You're certainly in a glass-half-full mood this evening..." She stood on tiptoe to give him a loving kiss. "...and it seems to be infectious."

"Honestly, honey, I don't even think it'll take you years to rebuild Faye." He slowly unbuttoned Irillith's shirt and brushed his fingers across her blue stomach, drawing a quiet sigh from the Maliri. "If I keep loading you up and Alyssa pumps you full of energy, you'll be able to crack this in no time. You girls can do some amazing things when you're supercharged like that and if we have to keep you in that state for weeks or even months... that's fine by me."

Irillith's violet eyes widened. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

"I love Faye... and I want her back," he said decisively. "I'd stop at nothing to save the rest of you and Faye deserves nothing less."

"I really want to help too!" Dana gushed, looking excited now.

Irillith laughed and patted the redhead's stomach. "I bet you do!"

Dana shook her head. "No, not because of that! Faye was my friend; we've got to save her!"

"That's the spirit," John said approvingly, brushing his fingers through her auburn hair. "I think rebuilding Faye's software is mostly going to come down to Irillith, but out of all of us, you'll be able to help her the most."

"If we need more hardware, then I'll definitely need your assistance," Irillith said with a smile, putting her arm around the exuberant teenager.

"Totally! I'll help however I can!" Dana immediately agreed.

John enjoyed seeing their faces lighting up with hope and smiled with satisfaction. "I'm really glad you're both on board... you're our best shot at saving Faye."

The two girls gave him fierce hugs, with Irillith just as keyed up as Dana. "I won't let you down!" the Maliri promised him, her angular eyes sparkling in the light.

"I know, you're a good girl," he said with an affectionate smile. "Just tell me when you need some... assistance... and I'll do whatever I can to help you."

She licked her full lips so they looked moist and inviting, the excitement in her eyes turning to hunger.

John laughed and gave her a playful smack on the rump. "Not right now, it's nearly dinner time. Can you two set the table please?"

They nodded and left the kitchen with a spring in their step, carrying plates out to the dining table.

*Thank you, John,* Alyssa said softly, touched by how much effort he'd gone to in trying to ease their grief. *They were both in so much pain.*

John leaned against the counter. *There's always a chance they might actually be able to bring her back. They both need that sense of hope.*

Alyssa was quiet for a long moment. *If they can bring Faye back without her memories... what then? She's not going to remember any of us... or her relationship with you.*

*No... but I'll be able to treat her right this time,* he replied with regret. *If I'd trusted her from the start, maybe Faye wouldn't have felt like she had to hide what she was doing with the maintenance bots.*

***

Commander Tom Walker climbed out of the airlock in the side of his Claymore fighter and stretched his aching muscles. He'd just spent twelve hours in the cockpit and his body was protesting at having been seated in the same position for so long.

"Yo, Walker!" one of the gunship pilots called out, as he jogged past on the metal gantry. "JJ wants a word!"

He gave the other pilot a casual salute and a strained smile, doing his best to appear perfectly at ease. "Cheers, Eightball... I'll go see her now."

The other pilot gave him a thumbs up and continued on his way.

Tom walked along the wing and carefully slid off the end, nodding to the maintenance engineers who approached the gunship to refuel and rearm it. He knew those men, all of them regulars at the bar, but he wasn't in the mood to chat and deflected their attempts to start a light-hearted conversation. Fortunately, being summoned by the Flight Captain was a perfectly reasonable excuse to hurry away, allowing him to avoid the looks of concern all his friends had been giving him lately.

The Flight Deck was relatively quiet as he made his way up the metallic steps to the upper level, with the fighter wings on CAP duty already launched. Tom nodded to the other pilots from his wing, as they clambered up the gantry, politely declining the invitation to go for a drink with Anvil, Red Fox, Nooner, and Stony.

"Aw, c'mon!" Nooner said, nudging him with an elbow. "I might even tell you how I got my callsign..."

Red Fox laughed and shook her head, her scarlet pony tail bouncing around her shoulders. "We're trying to get him to come for a drink, not scare him away!"

"JJ asked to see me," Tom said, doing his best to look unhappy at not being able to join them. "Next time, alright guys?"

"Yeah, you said that last time," Anvil replied, the big man patting him on the shoulder with a weighty hand. "You did good today... you should come celebrate."

Tom ruefully shook his head. "I wish I could join you, but I really need to check in with the Captain."

Stony looked sceptical. "Right..."

The pilots all turned left to head for their quarters, but Tom continued straight ahead towards the Flight Captain's office. He rolled his eyes and smiled as he heard his wing-mates ribbing him about pretending to stand outside JJ's office until they were out of sight. Arriving at the door, he rapped his knuckle on the door and waited for a response.

The door slid open, revealing Captain Jennifer Jackson sitting behind her desk. "Hey, Walker. Come on in."

Tom entered the office and stood to attention opposite his commanding officer as the door closed behind him. "You wanted to see me, Captain?" he asked pensively.

The blonde leaned back in her chair and gave him a reassuring smile. "Relax, you're not in any trouble... take a seat. I've just been reviewing your performance evaluations and I must say... I'm really impressed. I see you've been flying with Nightlight's wing as well as Stony's... want to hear what they say about you?"

He nodded, relieved that she seemed pleased. "Yes ma'am, I'd like to know what they think."

Glancing to her right, she started to read from the Wing Commanders' reports. "Commander Thomas Walker shows excellent aptitude with the Claymore, responding well to instruction and making few, if any, mistakes. I am unsure if his piloting skills are due to natural ability, or the single-minded dedication he has shown towards his training. Either way, I would have no hesitation in requesting that Commander Walker be permanently assigned to my wing." She darted a brief smile at him, then continued reading the next report. "There is no way Walker is a rookie pilot."

"That's it?" Tom asked, unable to stop himself chuckling.

"Stony's turned being taciturn into an artform," Captain Jackson said wryly, turning to face him again. "I must admit, Walker... before you joined us, I had serious concerns about this plan of yours. The idea of retraining a Bridge officer as a combat pilot, just to give him an in-depth understanding of the strengths and limitations of fleet assets... it seemed like a ridiculous waste of time and effort. Only Admiral Morgan's recommendation and Captain Bexley's glowing performance evaluations convinced me to give this a shot."

"And I really appreciate the opportunity, Captain," Tom said gratefully.

She looked him in the eye. "Your old C.O. had a lot of great things to say about you, Walker. He reckoned that you were one of the most gifted and dedicated officers he'd ever served with, and I've seen firsthand just how committed you are to your training."

Tom nodded. "My time here has been invaluable already, Captain. I really think it's a worthwhile exercise for gaining a better oversight of combined fleet operations."

Jackson tapped a finger on her desk, her expression conflicted. "Bexley also talked a lot about your leadership qualities: your talent for encouraging teamwork, your outgoing and gregarious personality, the ease with which you gain the admiration and loyalty of the men serving under you..." Her expression softened as she continued, "But that's not the man sitting in front of me now. The guys have actually come up with a callsign for you... know what it is?"

Tom shook his head.

"They were going to call you Wraith," she said with genuine sympathy. "Because you look like you've had the life sucked out of you."

"Jesus..." he muttered, realising that he hadn't been fooling anyone.

"Don't worry, I vetoed it..." she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But anyone can see that there's something serious going on with you. Since you were transferred to my command, you've not had a single day's downtime and you're flying double shifts in the Claymores. You'll burn yourself out if you keep up this pace, so I'm ordering you to take tomorrow off and clear your head."

Slumping in his seat, Tom sighed. "Alright, Captain... understood."

She got up from her chair and leaned against the desk in front of him. "You're not in a command role at the moment, so this problem hasn't really affected your performance. If it had, we'd be having a very different conversation right now... but I do think you need to talk to someone about whatever's bothering you. I've been told that I'm a good listener... or if you're not comfortable speaking to me, I can book you in with one of the ship's counsellors?"

He shook his head. "Thanks, JJ... but I'll be okay."

Jackson didn't look convinced, but she shrugged amiably. "I'm not going to push; this is obviously personal." She looked him in the eye and said quietly, "Just remember... whatever's going on isn't the end of the world. With a bit of time, everything will get better, you'll see."

Tom was shocked to realise that she was concerned he might be suicidal. Trying to give her a reassuring smile, he said, "That's good advice, Captain... thank you."

She studied him for an awkwardly long moment. "Get some rest, Walker. Just let me know about the counsellor if you decide you want to talk to someone about it."

"Will do."

"Okay, that's all. You're dismissed," she said, patting him on the shoulder.

Tom saluted the Flight Captain, then left her office with his mind whirling. Jackson had been right, there was someone he needed to talk to... someone he'd been avoiding for the past week.

***

The girls began to arrive in the Officers' Lounge in pairs, having all been awoken by Alyssa now that dinner was ready. John greeted them with comforting hugs, many of which lingered for a while as they drew on him for support. Jade's sisters all arrived together and even they looked anxious, concerned about their grieving master and his mates.

When everyone had taken their seats, John stood by his chair at the head of the table and looked around at the girls. "Ladies... it's been a long, gruelling day and I know you must all be reeling from everything that's happened. We've got a lot of important things to discuss, but I think we should wait for the debrief until after dinner." Letting out a heavy sigh, he continued, "However, I would just like to say a few words about Faye..."

The atmosphere in the room was already subdued, the girls all painfully aware of their missing friend. Trying to put aside their grief, they gave John their undivided attention.

"The wonderful girl that we all knew and loved is gone..." he said, unable to keep the deep sadness from his voice. He glanced down the table at the Maliri hacker and gave her a taut smile. "But I've asked Irillith to start work on bringing Faye back."

There were startled looks at Irillith, with everyone unsure if that was even possible after hearing Dana's passionate outburst only a few hours earlier.

"To recreate Faye, I'll need to build an incredibly sophisticated and fully self-aware Artificial Intelligence," Irillith explained, suddenly looking daunted at the sheer scale of the work ahead of her. "It's a huge task and will probably take me years... but I owe it to Faye to try."

John nodded, walking around the table to place a hand on her shoulder and give the Maliri a supportive squeeze. "The data files containing Faye's memories were destroyed with her server. Even if Irillith can rebuild her, Faye won't remember any of us... or our time together. The important thing to keep in mind, is that we'll still remember her life with us. Faye will still be that same sweet girl we all grew so fond of... and when Irillith eventually brings her back, we can help her piece together what she's lost."

He returned to his place at the table and reached for his wine glass. "Faye might be gone for now, but she's not going to be gone forever." John raised his glass. "To Faye... until she returns to us, she'll live on in our hearts."

The girls echoed his toast and sipped from their glasses, ambivalent expressions on their faces as they thought about their fallen comrade.

Calara let out a forlorn sigh, then voiced their conflicted thoughts. "I don't know whether I should be heartbroken that Faye's gone, or relieved that we might have a way of bringing her back... even if that takes years."

John sat down and reached for her hand. "I think we all feel the same way, honey."

She interlaced her fingers with his and gave him a sad smile.

He turned back to the girls and said quietly, "We're all going to miss Faye. Her absence will leave a huge gaping hole in our lives... but we have to keep it together, we can't afford to fall apart right now. We're still in danger... and we'll continue to be at risk until we can get the Invictus repaired and get away from Arcadia."

"In danger from what?" Sakura asked with a frown of confusion. "Larn'kelnar's dead... so does that mean Rahn'hagon's a threat?"

John swirled the wineglass in his hand, his shoulders tensing at the mention of his father. "No... he won't be bothering us."

Irillith bit her lip and shot a worried glance at Calara, before looking John in the eye. "We heard there was a fight... that your father tried to kill you."

"Yes... that's right," John replied, his jaw clenching.

"But why give him Larn'kelnar's ship if he's dangerous?" she asked anxiously, feeling terrible about pressing the matter, when it was obvious how distressing it was for John to talk about his father.

He glanced at the bowls of spaghetti and meatballs with weary resignation. "I wanted you to eat first before dumping all this on you... but you deserve to know exactly what's going on."

Irillith gave him an apologetic smile then asked, "Why don't you just tell us why you gave your father the ship? Everything else can wait until later."

John leaned back in his chair and took a big drink of wine, emptying his glass. "Everything's connected; once I start explaining what's going on, you might as well hear all of it."

The girls leaned forward, hanging on his every word.

"First of all, I never had any intention of keeping Larn'kelnar's ship," John explained looking around at their inquisitive faces. "You've all seen how unsettled Alyssa gets when she's near black metal... she's convinced that there's something seriously wrong with it. I know how powerful the dreadnought was, but I wasn't going to make her to stay there any longer than necessary."

"Couldn't we have stripped the guns from it before you gave it to Rahn'hagon?" Calara asked with a pensive frown.

He shrugged and toyed with his empty glass. "We probably should have, but I was furious and wasn't thinking that clearly. At the time, I just wanted Rahn'hagon to get the hell out of here... so it was either that or kill him. Besides, it doesn't matter that much; Dana's got the all the Progenitor schematics now, so we'll just have to build our own guns."

The Latina shook her head. "No, I mean, why give your father an armed warship? That dreadnought is incredibly powerful; it was vastly superior to the Invictus even before our ship got cut in half. If Rahn'hagon decides to attack us now, we don't stand a chance!"

John placed the empty glass on the table and looked subdued as he continued, "My father won't attack us... he's a gutless coward."

Calara nibbled her bottom lip, then blurted out, "But he can just bombard us from orbit! Why would he be afraid of attacking us when there's nothing we can do to stop him?"

"It's not us he's afraid of..." John said, his expression turning bleak. "Larn'kelnar wasn't the only surviving Progenitor. There's more... a lot more... and now that Larn'kelnar's dead, my father's convinced they're going to come after us."

"More Progenitors?" the Latina whispered in shock, her hushed voice filled with dread.

The rest of the girls looked just as stunned, except for Alyssa and Rachel, who just watched him with concern.

John nodded with grim resignation. "Rahn'hagon created me to fight them so that he wouldn't have to. If other Progenitors do come looking, my father would never risk opposing them. He doesn't have any thralls, so he's weak and vulnerable... which means he's totally reliant on us to stop a Progenitor invasion."

"John... what happened between you and your Dad?" Dana asked gently, her sky-blue eyes filled with sympathy. "Alyssa told me it was all going great... so why did he suddenly attack you?"

"He blamed me for ruining his plans," John replied bitterly. "When I first met my father, he was overjoyed and incredibly proud that I'd completed some mysterious herculean task. I hadn't got a clue what he was talking about, so I just went along with it while I tried to figure out what he'd expected me to do. I eventually found out that I was supposed to be waging a war of extermination against the Progenitors for the last 20 years. My father just assumed that Larn'kelnar was the last of the Progenitors and that I'd killed all the rest."

"Why would he make that assumption?" Rachel asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

John sighed and poured himself another glass of wine. "Rahn'hagon is paranoid about drawing the attention of the Astral monsters. He was so worried about being discovered, that I was forbidden from travelling to Arcadia until the Progenitors were wiped out. As you all know, I didn't absorb my guide... so I had no idea what my father wanted me to do and I was never under any restrictions from travelling to Arcadia."

He grimaced and downed the second glass of wine. "The meeting with my father was going great... until my guide sang like a fucking canary. He told Rahn'hagon that his plans had totally failed; that all the Progenitors were still alive and he blamed me for everything going wrong. Apparently, we were never meant to travel in the Astral Plane, specifically to avoid drawing the attention of the monsters there. When Rahn'hagon found out the truth, he was terrified... then he went berserk with rage and attacked me."

The brunette leaned forward, her grey eyes glinting as they reflected the light. "Why is your father so scared of them? I feel like I'm missing something critically important..."

He gave her a look of admiration and nodded. "Yes, you're right. All those Astral monsters that attacked us in the mists... each and every one of them used to be Progenitors. They made a deal with the twisted god that dwells in the deep Astral; in exchange for incredible power, whenever a Progenitor dies, they end up being dragged to the Astral Plane to serve as slaves for eternity. When Rahn'hagon dies, that's the same fate that awaits him... and he's terrified of ending up that way. His plan was for me to wipe out the Progenitors, which would stop Xar'aziuth from feasting on all the souls slaughtered in their endless wars. After enough time had passed, Xar'aziuth would eventually starve to death and Rahn'hagon would be free."

"Zar-azyuth?" Rachel asked, frowning at the unfamiliar pronunciation. "That's the name of the ancient Leviathan you confronted in the Astral Plane?"

"Yes, that's right...the Progenitors all work for him," John replied, staring at his empty glass. "He dates back to the very first spacefaring civilisation... called the Kyth'faren. They were incredibly advanced and after mastering all the sciences, they started to focus on developing psychic abilities. Everything was going great, until Xar'aziuth found out that he could get stronger by consuming people's souls. His name actually means 'The Devourer' and he kept devouring his own species until he eventually drove them to extinction. He created the Progenitors to keep the carnage going... then sat back in the Astral Plane and watched the galaxy burn for millions of years. Trillions of people have been massacred since then... and he's been feeding off the slaughter, getting stronger all the time."

"Holy fuck..." Dana whispered, looking stunned. "How did you find out all this shit? From your dad, or from Larn'kelnar?"

"From my father... I doubt Larn'kelnar knew half of this," John replied thoughtfully. "That's what Rahn'hagon's been doing on Arcadia for the last 9000 years; researching whatever he can find out about Xar'aziuth and trying to find a way of stopping him. The last of the Kyth'faren stored all their knowledge inside sanctuaries, hidden deep in the Astral. I'm sure it's not a coincidence that their fortresses look a lot like the one Alyssa built in her subplane."

Tashana's violet eyes lit up with excitement. "I wish I could visit one of their sanctuaries! We could learn so much about the Kyth'faren!" She paused and frowned in confusion. "But how can those fortresses still be around after all this time? I thought someone had to actively maintain them or they just faded away... like the Kirrix palace that the Hive Mind abandoned?"

"That's what I thought too, but the Kyth'faren found some way of sacrificing themselves to make those sanctuaries permanent."

"So their souls are trapped there? Kind of like a haunted castle?" Dana asked, shivering at the thought.

John shrugged helplessly. "I don't know how it works exactly, but I didn't see any ghosts." He was quiet for a moment, then added, "Rahn'hagon also knew all about the Shroud. He said it was around long before he arrived here and protects this part of space... which is how Mael'nerak, Rahn'hagon, and Larn'kelnar all broke free from Xar'aziuth's control."

"They all seem to have approached their newfound freedom quite differently," Rachel noted, looking intrigued. "Perhaps that was down to their individual personalities?"

"Maybe so," John agreed, considering that possibility. "When Mael'nerak was freed, we know he got bored and started creating new species to keep himself entertained. It was only when he fell in love with Valada that he seemed to really change. My father lived like a hermit, spending thousands of years looking for a way to get revenge on Xar'aziuth... until he met Jessica and decided to create me. When Larn'kelnar got free, he decided it was his turn to be the puppet master after being jerked around for thousands of years by Xar'aziuth. That's what all the wars he instigated have been about: Larn'kelnar getting some payback for being a puppet. He eventually got bored of making all the empires slaughter each other... which is why he ambushed us."

There was a deathly silence as the girls tried to adjust to all those shocking revelations. What John had just told them upended their view of the galaxy, overwhelming them with a secret history that barely a handful of people in the universe knew.

"John..." Sakura began tentatively, once she'd had a chance to collect her thoughts. "If your father already attacked you before, how can you be so sure he won't try again?"

"The situation's changed... there's no way he'll attack us now," John replied with absolute certainty. "When I fought back and Alyssa joined in, Rahn nearly had a heart attack. He couldn't believe that I'm as strong as I am 'with only a thousand thralls' and he was stunned when he realised Alyssa had psychic powers. My father just spent the last 9000 years trying to uncover lost Kyth'faren secrets to use against Xar'aziuth; he'll be desperate to understand how we got so powerful... and he won't find that out by killing us."

Sakura mulled that over and reluctantly nodded her agreement. "So what do you think he's going to do now?"

"I expect he'll run away and hide," John sneered, his lip curling with disgust. "That's the other reason he won't attack us... Rahn'hagon needs us to fight his battles for him. He'll leave me to deal with a Progenitor invasion, while making sure he's nowhere near any danger. That was always his plan; make me do all the fighting while he stayed nice and safe, playing house with my mother. I've always just been a disposable pawn to him..."

Moved by the bitterness in John's voice, Helene rose from her chair and walked around to join him. "I'm sorry you're in so much pain," she murmured, leaning down to give him a heartfelt hug.

Her sympathy was so genuine that it sliced through John's defences, making him swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. He closed his eyes and leaned into her embrace, losing himself in her soft warmth. As he held Helene, he felt a gentle touch to his left thigh, followed shortly afterwards by another to his left arm, then one on each shoulder. When he reopened his eyes, he saw the girls gathered around, looking at him with nothing but love and concern in their eyes.

He gave them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry... the last thing you need is me falling apart right now."

"It's okay to be sad, John," Rachel said gently. "We all understand what you're going through."

Letting out a ragged sigh, he waved the girls back to their seats. "Come on, let's eat before this gets cold. You all must be starving."

They did as he asked, all but Rachel, who stood beside him watching his face intently. She leaned down to kiss his cheek, then whispered in his ear, "You're not deflecting me that easily. We'll talk about this later..."

When she pulled back, he clasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze in gratitude.

***

Commander Tom Walker darted out of his quarters and ran his fingers through his hastily dried hair, having showered to get rid of the funk of being in a Claymore cockpit for hours. It had just turned 6:00 pm, which meant the command crew had ended the day shift and would be gathering in the Officers' Mess for dinner. He strode along the corridor at a brisk pace, acknowledging the friendly greetings from the Janus' crew with a quick nod or a smile, trying to look cheerful to pre-empt any awkward conversations with his colleagues.

Considering Mason's recent volatile mood, Tom doubted that his friend would be dining with the rest of the crew. It was far more likely that Mason would take his food to his quarters to eat in solitude and once he was holed up there, getting him to answer the door and talk would be impossible. Tom knew that his best chance of speaking to Mason would be to intercept him on the way back from the Officers' Mess, which had the added benefit of meeting him in a public place, to hopefully keep things civil.

Tom followed the handful of personnel into the plush waiting area, then glanced around the sofas in the lounge for any sign of Mason. As he expected, his friend was nowhere to be seen, which meant he must have already entered the dining room. He was just about to head towards the doors at the far side of the room, when they swung open and Mason walked through, carefully carrying a covered dining tray.

It had been over a week since Tom last saw Mason and he was shocked at the change in his friend's appearance. Mason's face was drawn and his sunken eyes darted suspicious glances at the crew as if he was wary of imminent attack. That sullen gaze snapped to Tom and Mason's eyes narrowed with undisguised loathing.

"Mace..." Tom faltered, horrified to see such hatred from the man he once considered to be his brother.

"What do you want?" Mason snarled, slowing his pace as he drew closer. "Haven't you done enough to me already?!"

Holding his hands up defensively, Tom replied, "Just hold on a second. I know you think something's going on between Beth and me, but it's not true... nothing ever happened."

Mason's face twisted with pain. "I thought you were my friend... but you betrayed me as well... just like everyone else."

Tom shook his head and kept his voice calm, trying to diffuse the tension. "No, I'd never do that to you. Beth is just a friend, Mace... that's all."

"You were fucking her behind my back for months!" Mason screamed, hurling the tray at Tom.

Tom dodged the flying tray and it hit the floor with a noisy metallic clatter, the echo reverberating loudly around the now ominously-silent lounge.

"You knew how much I cared about her... but you didn't give a shit! You were laughing at me the whole time you were screwing her!" Mason ranted, his eyes bulging. "You were like my brother... how could you do that to me?!"

"Mason, just calm down and listen!" Tom pleaded with him. "I swear I never touched her! I had no idea Beth felt that way... she never said a word! I only found out a few days ago when she came to see me!"

"You asshole, I knew you were still fucking her!" Mason roared, too infuriated to listen to reason. He lunged forward and took a swing at Tom, who only narrowly avoided being clobbered by the haymaker.

Shocked that his friend would actually try to attack him, Tom stumbled backwards, but didn't notice the gravy and mash smeared across the floor from Mason's thrown tray. He skidded in the gloopy mess as he retreated, giving Mason an opportunity to leap at him. The two men crashed to the deck, with an enraged Mason throwing wild punches at his former best friend.

"Stop, Mace!" Tom yelled, blocking the furious blows to his head. "You're acting crazy!"

The crowd watched in stunned disbelief as the two men rolled around on the floor, until the shock wore off and several of Tom's friends rushed to intervene. They grabbed Mason and hauled him off, with Mason trying to get a few last savage kicks in as he was dragged away.

Tom wiped at his bloodied lip and staggered to his feet. "You know I love Anna... I'd never have done that to her," he said, suddenly feeling weary down to his bones.

Mason glared back and tried to break free from the four men restraining him. "You piece of shit... she was heartbroken when I told her what you did!"

Looking sharply at his fiancée's brother, Tom snapped, "What the hell did you say to her?"

"The truth... that you've been cheating on her for months!" Mason snarled, his eyes wild. "She didn't believe me at first... but I convinced her... told her that was the real reason Beth dumped me!"

Tom rushed over to grab Mason's jacket. "That's bullshit!" he yelled frantically. "You've got to tell her you were wrong!"

"Fuck you!" Mason spat in his face, then laughed at Tom's look of shock and despair. "She's done with you, Walker... she's probably screwing Archie right now! That's what you get for sticking your cock in my girlfriend! I got you back... I'll get everyone back who betrayed me... fuck you all!"

A squad of marines burst into the room and rushed to grab Mason. As he was manhandled out of the lounge, Mason's manic laughter echoed around the deathly silent room, with dozens of shocked personnel watching his ignominious exit.

***

"Dinner was wonderful, thank you," Alyssa said, giving John a grateful smile.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he replied, finishing his wine and leaving the glass on the table.

Calara rose to her feet and reached for his plate. "Let us tidy up. Why don't you sit on the sofas and relax for a few minutes?"

John caught her hand. "Leave it... we can clear up later. We've all got some urgent things to discuss."

She looked at him in surprise for a moment, then nodded, gladly interlacing her fingers with his as John stood up.

Betrixa bounded around the table to give him a quick kiss. "That was yummy, thanks!"

"You're welcome," John said, returning her smile.

After darting a glance at her fellow Nymphs, who gestured for her to continue, Betrixa turned back to John. "You look like you need cheering up!" she said with a flirtatious grin. "We're all going to go for a dip in the Lagoon... want to come and have some fun?"

He shook his head and looked into her bright sapphire eyes. "No, not right now. I'd like you to join us for the debriefing." He glanced at her sisters. "That goes for all of you."

Betrixa looked startled by his sombre tone. "This one will do whatever you want, Master," she said obediently.

He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her smooth tawny skin. "You nearly died today, honey. As much as I want to protect you and keep you safe, you're in danger while you're aboard the Invictus. You and your sisters are part of the crew, just like the rest of the girls... and you need to know and understand what's happening."

Acting by instinct, she turned and gently kissed his wrist, but her feline eyes never left his. "I-I'd like to join you..." she said earnestly.

Seeing the difference in her attitude he gave her an encouraging smile. "That's a good girl."

He slipped an arm around Betrixa's slender waist and headed for the door, with Calara accompanying him on the other side. They headed up to the Command Deck with the rest of the girls following, then stepped out of the grav-tube and crossed the Bridge towards the Briefing Room. John let go of Calara's hand to open the door, then stood aside to usher everyone through, only entering when they were all inside.

There were thirteen chairs available, just enough for all the girls, so Sakura turned and said, "I'll get another from the storage rooms. I'll be right back."

John shook his head and guided her to his chair at the head of the table. "We can sort that out later, honey. Don't worry, I'll stand for now."

She nodded and sat in his chair, trying not to feel too self-conscious at taking his place.

After patting her on the shoulder, John walked over to one of the windows and stared out at Arcadia's lush jungle. "So much has happened, I'm not sure where to even start..." he murmured, placing his forearm on the glass and leaning his head against it.

"You said there was something urgent to discuss?" Calara reminded him.

"Right..." he agreed, turning back to face the girls. "We have to assume another Progenitor will be arriving at Arcadia imminently. We need to patch up the Invictus asap and get the hell out of here."

Dana gave him a troubled look. "The ship got cut in half! It's going to take me weeks to rig up a haulage system powerful enough to realign the two sections of the hull!"

Alyssa shook her head. "John can move it... he's strong enough."

"What?" the redhead asked in confusion.

"I rolled it earlier... that's how it's upright," he explained quietly. "I was angry... no one would believe me about Faye..." His voice trailed off into a heavy sigh.

Dana gaped at him. "But... it must weigh nearly 100,000 tons..." she whispered in awe.

"I wasn't bench pressing it," he said, managing a smile. "I should be able to drag it into position, although I might need some telekinetic assistance from Alyssa."

"Sure, handsome," she said, nodding her agreement.

"I guess after that we just need to weld the two halves together with Crystal Alyssium, then reconnect all the power couplings?" John asked, looking expectantly at Dana for an answer.

She blinked for a moment, still trying to get her head around the thought of John moving something as immense as the Invictus. "Ah... no," she said reluctantly. "There's more to it than that I'm afraid. We'll need to check the hull integrity and fix any damage to the superstructure, as well as repair all the shattered armour. To make the ship spaceworthy, it'll need to withstand the stress when we're leaving Arcadia's atmosphere, then be resilient enough not to rip itself apart in hyper-warp."

"How long?" he prompted her.

Dana gave him a helpless shrug. "I dunno for sure... a week? Maybe less if we can get the maintenance bots to pitch in?"

John shook his head. "That's way too long. With a Wormhole Generator, a Progenitor ship could be here in the next few hours!"

"Would they really jump straight here though?" Calara asked, her brow furrowing. "If Xar'aziuth is aware that Larn'kelnar has just been killed, why would he send another Progenitor to the exact same spot knowing the danger?"

Tashana nodded, a speculative look in her violet eyes. "Are we sure that Xar'aziuth even knows exactly where Larn'kelnar was when he died? I thought the Shroud obscured this part of the galaxy..."

"They're both excellent points," John conceded, looking at each of the girls in turn. "But we have to assume the worst. Rahn'hagon was convinced we'll be getting company very soon and he knows how they operate. With the Invictus crippled, we're incredibly vulnerable right now and in no position to fight a full-strength Progenitor."

"Even before we got wrecked, the Invictus stood no chance against one of those black ships," Dana said glumly.

John's expression turned grim. "And we're going to do something about that, but not right now."

"Instead of rushing to try to fix the Invictus and escape Arcadia... what if we just hid instead?" Sakura suggested, her tone thoughtful.

"What do you mean?" John asked curiously.

"Shit yeah! That's a great idea!" Dana enthused, her blue eyes sparkling. "We could strip the Stealth Field Generator from Rahn'hagon's ship! If I hook it up to the Invictus, they'd never spot us!"

"Exactly," Sakura said nodding her agreement. "Once we're obscured from their sensors, we could spend as much time as we need to get the Invictus spaceworthy again."

Rachel looked sceptical. "Even if we aren't detectable by their sensors, won't 750 metres of sparkling white ship be easily spotted with a visual scan of the surface? We must stick out like a sore thumb amongst all this jungle."

Sakura turned to look at Dana. "Perhaps you could rig up some large-scale holo-projectors? They wouldn't have to be anything fancy... just copy the ones Mikaboshi used to conceal Yomi-no-kuni."

"Yeah, I could do that no problem!" the redhead enthused, thinking about the holographic field that had hidden the assassin's mountain base.

John mulled that over for a moment, then frowned. "Hiding won't save us if they decide to blow away the planet with a Quantum Annihilator..."

Dana shook her head and grinned. "That's one thing we don't have to worry about; they're way too big to fit on a Progenitor dreadnought. The one on the moon was 15 km wide!"

"I wonder what they are mounted on then?" John pondered aloud. With a shrug, he gave the girls a relieved smile. "So... we strip what we need from Rahn'hagon's wrecked ship, hook up the stealth device to the Invictus, then cover the crash site in a holo field?"

"That should do the trick," Dana agreed. "I can start the Mass Fabricators running immediately, so we should have the holo-projectors ready in about... four hours?" She glanced up at the camera in the ceiling and added, "Faye, can you ask your boys to help?"

She froze and her sky-blue eyes misted with tears. "Shit, I forgot..."

John walked around the table and hugged Dana as she slumped dejectedly in her chair. "I know, honey. I keep looking for her too."

"I still can't believe she's gone," the redhead whispered, leaning into his chest.

John stroked her auburn hair, "We'll see her again... Irillith's going to make her as good as new, remember?"

Dana nodded and brushed at her eyes. "I know, but that might take years. I really miss her..."

"We all do," he said sadly, giving her a sympathetic squeeze.

The room had gone quiet and John glanced around at everyone's melancholy expressions.

"I'm sorry, girls... but we don't have time to grieve for Faye right now," he said with a rueful frown. "Let's just get this done so the Invictus is safe. We've still got a bunch of other things to discuss, like the battle with Larn'kelnar, all the tech Dana found, and what we're going to do in the future... but that can all wait until later this evening, okay?"

The girls all nodded their agreement, then Dana said, "One last thing, John... We need to rejoin the Invictus so that the stealth field will cover the whole ship, otherwise a sensor scan will pick up the metal in whichever half isn't concealed."

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then stood up. "Alright then... me and Alyssa can handle that."

"I'll start the Mass Fabricators running, then head over to your dad's ship to loot it for parts," Dana said, before looking at the girls. "I'm going to need some help lugging all that shit out of there though..."

"I'll help," Jade volunteered. "I should be strong enough to move anything you want."

Sakura straightened in her seat. "I'll take the Valkyrie and go with you."

"Did it take any damage in the crash?" John asked, turning to the Asian girl.

"I haven't had a chance to check yet," she replied. "I'll take a look as soon as we're done here."

Alyssa tapped her fingers on the desk. "We need to think about retrieving the Raptor too at some point."

John looked at her in surprise. "I thought that was destroyed! Didn't it crash into the planet?"

"Larn'kelnar's ship was in low orbit when he ambushed us," the blonde replied. "We hadn't escaped Arcadia's gravity when the Invictus got cut in half, so it got pulled back to the planet, but the Raptor was tractor-beamed up to his ship. It should just be floating around in orbit somewhere."

"Alright... well let's focus on getting the Invictus patched up for now," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can collect the Raptor when we leave, then repair it on the way back to Genthalas."

"Sure," Alyssa agreed with an amiable shrug. "It's not like we need it right now anyway. We can use the Progenitor shuttle to ferry things around."

John paused and turned to look at Dana. "You've got the schematics for a Wormhole Generator, right? Any chance we can build one here and just... jump back to Maliri Space?"

The redhead gave him a wistful look. "I got the schematics alright and it's amazing... by far the most advanced tech we've found so far. Unfortunately, it's not something I can just throw together and plug into the ship. We'll need to make some modifications to the Invictus' hull to incorporate the gravitational field stabilisers and the wormhole catalyser needs to be constructed from black metal. If I try building it out of Crystal Alyssium, the gravimetric forces involved would rip the generator apart and that would be... really bad."

"We're talking another Niryean Rift?" he asked quietly.

Dana hesitated for a moment and looking surprised, slowly shook her head. "Actually, no. The Invictus would get blown to bits, but the blast wouldn't take out an entire system. Mael'nerak must have done something else to create an explosion that immense."

"Alright... well not to worry about the Wormhole Generator. I thought you might run into the same old problem of needing the black metal, but I wanted to check."

"Sorry," she replied with a helpless shrug. "I'll do some more analysis on the trip back home."

"John... before we end the meeting, there's something important I think we really need to discuss," Irillith said, her expression pensive.

"The maintenance bots?" John asked, raising an eyebrow.

She looked startled by his perceptiveness, then nodded. "Yes... and more specifically, what Faye's done to them."

"It seems pretty obvious to me that she's been experimenting with Artificial Intelligence," he said, leaning against the back of Sakura's chair. "I've been seeing quirky little affectations from the bots for months... so this has been going on a long time."

"I've noticed that too," Dana said, looking forlorn. "At the time, I thought the bots giving me high-fives was just something fun that Faye had added in to their programming... but now... I'm pretty sure they were genuinely celebrating with me."

Irillith leaned back in her chair and darting an anxious glance at John. "What do you want to do about the robots? It seems as though we're dealing with a nascent AI collective."

He shrugged. "I guess we find out what we can and try to make friends with them?"

The Maliri looked at him in surprise. "You're not concerned? Considering Terran history with rogue AI, I thought you'd be considerably more cautious."

John sighed and shook his head. "Faye built them. I refuse to believe that something she created would put any of us in danger. She loved us... and keeping us safe was something she took incredibly seriously. I just wish Faye had trusted me enough to tell me what she was doing."

"Don't blame yourself for that; Faye didn't tell any of us either," Irillith gently reminded him. "She must have known that Dana or I would have been supportive of her work, but she chose to keep it from us too."

"Without her memory files, we'll never know what she was planning," he said with resignation. "As I say, I'm sure the robots are benign. They've been nothing but helpful in the past, so I think they've earned a considerable amount of trust."

"Master?" Neysa said quietly, drawing his attention.

"Yes, honey?" he replied, surprised at the Nymph's interruption.

"This one is certain you are correct," she said earnestly.

He gave the jaguar-patterned catgirl an indulgent smile. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Her hazel eyes locked with his. "You misunderstand, Master; I wasn't being blindly-supportive. The robots saved the Invictus..."

John was startled by her newfound self-awareness, then stunned as her words sank in. "Wait... what?!" he blurted out in shock.

"My sister is correct, Master," Marika said with a broad smile. "We were napping together in the Observatory and I was having a lovely dream about kittens, then we were suddenly thrown into the air! The little robot that invited us to Faye's memorial was there too... and it fixed things."

Leylira nodded in confirmation. "One of the big floating robots arrived and tore a panel off the wall, then the smaller one connected to the network and told us it was trying to save the Invictus."

"Neysa said we should go jump in the Lagoon!" Betrixa interjected, her eyes sparkling. "It's a good job we did... the ship smashed into the planet a minute later!"

"This one can't take credit for that, Master," Neysa admitted with a self-conscious smile. "The cleaning robot warned us that we were about to crash land."

"So Faye really did save them all..." John said quietly.

Alyssa rose from her chair and slipped her arm around John. "You were right..."

Dana exchanged a shocked look with Irillith. "The bots must be way more advanced than I thought."

The Maliri nodded, her lips pursed speculatively. "I'll speak to the collective and see if I can discover exactly what happened."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Helene asked, nervously twisting a tendril of her long green hair around a finger.

Alyssa gave her a warm smile. "Actually, there is something I could use your help with. I'll talk to you about it while John and I are sticking the ship back together."

The aquatic girl looked delighted. "I'm yours however you need me."

"I'd like to help too!" Betrixa blurted out, bouncing with excitement.

"We all would," Neysa chimed in with a hopeful smile.

"Don't worry," Dana said as she got up from her chair. "I've got tons of jobs for everyone. We've got a shitload of work ahead of us for the next few days."

"I'll be happy to coordinate the refit again," Rachel volunteered. "Once I've discussed the full scope of the repairs with Dana, I'll draw up a plan that covers all the outstanding tasks. I want to make sure we prioritise the work in the most efficient manner possible."

"Thanks, honey. I'm sure that'll save us a lot of time," John said, giving her an appreciative smile. He put his arm around Alyssa and asked her, "Ready to flex your telekinetic muscles, beautiful?"

She waved her hand and a glowing arm flexed its bicep. "All charged up and ready for action..."

John turned to look at the rest of the girls. "Alright, let's do this. We'll reconvene here at... 11:00 pm tonight." He glanced at Dana. "Will that give you enough time to finish everything?"

"Should do... I'll let you know if there's any problems," the redhead agreed.

***

Edraele stirred in her bed, her long eyelashes fluttering as she woke. She felt soft warm breasts pressed against her from both sides, and she smiled fondly at Luna and Kali as they slept, the two beautiful Maliri blissfully unaware of her attention. It took Edraele a moment to collect her thoughts, then she tensed as she remembered the days' shocking events.

*John... are you alright?!* she asked pensively. *Is everyone okay?*

*Welcome back, Edraele,* he replied, his tone as caring as usual. *I hope you're feeling better after your rest?*

The Maliri Queen felt a flicker of anxiety as she listened to him. Despite the familiar warmth in the way John addressed her, there was no mistaking the undercurrent of profound sadness to his thoughts.

*I'm fine, John,* she said to reassure him. Her voice softened as she continued, *But I can tell you're upset... please tell me what's wrong?*

John let out a heavy sigh, then he told her everything that had happened since she'd fallen into an exhausted sleep.

There were tears in Edraele's eyes by the time he'd finished. *I'm so sorry about Faye... and everything that happened with your parents. Why didn't you wake me? I would have done anything I could to help you.*

*I know, honey,* he replied, sounding deeply troubled. *But today has been relentless and I knew you were exhausted. I just didn't want to burden you with all my problems.*

Edraele felt a sharp pang of remorse that he hadn't felt like he could look to her for support. *Helping you is never a burden, John. Please don't ever feel that you have to try and protect me like that; I hope you know that I'm always here for you if you need me?*

*I do... and I'm eternally grateful you feel that way,* he said sincerely. *I just didn't want to disturb you.*

The House Valaden matriarch carefully extricated herself from her delectable bedmates' clinging embrace. She picked up a white silken robe and slipped it over her lush nude body, the deliciously soft material moulding itself to the contours of her spectacular figure.

John was silent as she left the bedroom, lost in his own thoughts until he eventually said, *I must admit... I think part of me was glad you were asleep. Until I told you about everything we're up against, it didn't actually feel like it was real. But now you know what's coming... what we've got to face...*

Edraele crossed the lounge and entered her plush study. She picked up a long-stemmed glass from the table, then poured a large serving of House Holaris wine from the decanter. Tilting her head back, her throat bobbed as she gulped it down, feeling the heady burn of the alcohol as she emptied the glass. After pouring herself another large drink, the Maliri Queen glided over to the large crystal windows and stared out at the gleaming golden spires of Genthalas Shipyard.

*How many?* she asked quietly.

*I didn't have time to for an exact count. There were dozens...*

Edraele burst out laughing, a hysterical edge to what should have been a joyful sound. The wine sloshed out of her glass and over her hand, but the Maliri was heedless to the mess. She stared at the golden-hulled warships arrayed outside the shipyard, mentally totting up the thousands of crewwomen manning each vessel, the count soon reaching terrifying numbers... all potential casualties in a brutal Progenitor war.

*I'm going to do everything I can to keep the Maliri out of it,* John said adamantly. His voice faltered as he realised how ridiculous that sounded. *I'm sorry, Edraele...*

She let out a shuddering sigh, being careful to keep her tumultuous emotions to herself. *You have nothing to apologise for, John. I'll do whatever's necessary to support you; all the Maliri will.*

There was another lengthy pause before he spoke again. *Am I just deluding myself?* he asked, sounding wracked with doubt. *Am I leading us down a path to disaster?*

Edraele put aside her own feelings of hopelessness and despair when she heard how troubled he was. *Do you remember a couple of weeks ago, when we talked about the pending fight with Larn'kelnar? You asked me to lie to you about our chances of defeating another Progenitor...*

*You told me we'd win a miraculous victory without losing a single ship or soldier,* he replied with a surge of affection for his Maliri matriarch. *That Larn'kelnar would run away rather than face me...*

*I was attempting to stop you from becoming dispirited when I spun that fantasy... but most of it came true,* she gently reminded him. *You have a talent for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat... and none of us can predict how events are going to unfold.*

*Edraele... we were both deeply apprehensive about our chances of survival when it was just Larn'kelnar we were facing,* John reminded her. *Now the situation is orders of magnitude worse... there's only so far we can get with positive thinking.*

*Are you deliberately trying to undermine my best attempts to bolster your spirits?* she gently chastised him, even though she agreed with every word he said.

*My apologies... consider me bolstered,* he replied, trying to sound light-hearted but failing badly. After a lengthy pause, he continued, *I just wish I'd listened to you and gone to Genthalas instead of coming here. If I'd done things differently, Faye would still be alive...*

*You can't change the past, John,* she murmured, her voice softening with sympathy. *I know how much you loved Faye, but torturing yourself over the decisions you've made won't bring her back. If you had come to visit me, instead of travelling straight to Arcadia, you wouldn't have met your father... Larn'kelnar would assuredly have killed him before your paths crossed again.*

*Another reason why I should've just gone to see you,* John grunted sourly.

*I know how bitterly disappointed you are with the way Rahn'hagon treated you, but you gleaned a wealth of knowledge from that meeting,* she said, trying a different tack. *If events hadn't unfolded as they have, you'd still be blissfully unaware of the real threat that Xar'aziuth presents. To best protect the girls, you needed to know everything your father told you... no matter how difficult it was for you personally.*

*Yeah, you're right. At least now we know what we're up against.* John sighed as he grudgingly relented. *Thanks for being so supportive... I really wish I was with you right now.*

Edraele's voice had a wistful edge to it as she said, *I miss you so much, John... we all do. How long will it be until you return to me?*

*According to Dana, we'll be stuck on Arcadia for about a week patching up the Invictus, then we've got another weeks' flight time to get from here to Genthalas,* John said, trying not to sound too despondent.

*Two more weeks...* she murmured with longing. *Kali's going to be disappointed; she's already furious with herself for choosing to wait before starting a family with you.*

*Please tell Kali that I'll make it up to her when I get back,* John requested. There was a catch in his voice as he added, *How are the rest of the Young Matriarchs doing?*

*They're all desperately missing you,* she said, her full lips lifting into a soft smile. *Their pregnancies are all proceeding perfectly, but they aren't showing yet. You'll have to wait another couple of months until you start to see their bellies' swell.*

*They shouldn't be going through this alone,* he said, suddenly feeling abashed. *Shit... I'm turning out just like my father. He did the same thing to my mother... getting her pregnant then leaving her to deal with it alone.*

*Don't be ridiculous, you're nothing like Rahn'hagon!* Edraele admonished him. *It's not like you deliberately abandoned my girls... they know that given the choice you would never have left their side. You were drawn away by necessity and you can't hold yourself to blame for the delay in your return, the Invictus was sliced in half!*

*But still...*

*But nothing,* the Maliri Matriarch said firmly, her voice ringing with the authority of over a century of leadership. *It's true that they're missing you and can't wait for your return... but the Young Matriarchs are hardly alone. I see them throughout the day and in the few hours that I'm not in their company, they're usually becoming intimately acquainted with each other. You already know that Nyrelle paired off with Valani, and that Leena has begun a relationship with Tsarra. You have nothing to worry about; they're all in safe... and very loving... hands.*

John didn't immediately reply and Edraele sensed his interest.

*They look so beautiful together, my Lord,* she whispered seductively. *Knowing that they're each carrying your babies has brought an incredible intimacy to their couplings. They seem to grow closer with every tender kiss and every loving caress... I can hardly wait to experience that with Luna. When you return, you'll have to see for yourself; we all intend to give you a very warm welcome home.*

*The next two weeks are going to be torture,* he said with a groan. There was a brief pause, then he continued gratefully, *Thanks for the distraction, Edraele. I really needed a bit of normality to get away from it all, even if it was for just a moment.*

*Any time, my Lord,* the Maliri Queen purred. *After all, what could be more normal than talking about the four expectant mothers of your children falling in love with one another?*

He laughed, the deep baritone chuckles like music to her ears. *Yeah, exactly. You and Luna are going to look gorgeous together too... I can't wait to see that either.* Sounding much brighter, he continued ruefully, *It was great chatting to you, but I better focus now, Edraele. I'm moving the Invictus with Alyssa and I'll need to concentrate. Can I call on you for some energy in a minute?*

*We're fully replenished,* she replied earnestly. *Just tell me whenever you're ready.*

*Thanks, honey. I promise I'll show you my appreciation when I come home.*

Edraele smiled and leaned against the window, pleased to hear his lighter tone. Despite how deeply worried she was about the prospect of impending war, knowing that she'd done her best to alleviate some of John's stress was a soothing balm to her soul.

*That was perfect, Edraele... thank you,* Alyssa said, her grateful telepathic voice swirling through her fellow matriarch's mind.

*I'm glad I could help,* the Maliri replied, trying to keep her deep-seated anxiety to herself.

The last thing she wanted to do was put the blonde under any more stress. A conversation about the ramifications of a Progenitor war was not something Alyssa needed at that point, not with how worried she already was about John.

"Edraele? Are you alright?" Luna asked quietly from the doorway.

The Maliri Queen turned and smiled at the assassin. "I'm sorry, my love. I didn't hear you come in."

Luna padded silently across the study, her silk robe billowing around her toned thighs. "I could tell," she said, embracing her lover. "I just called you three times before you responded. You were speaking to John, weren't you?"

Edraele nodded and pulled back to look into the assassin's yellow eyes. The colour was very rare amongst the Maliri, adding to the assassin's mystique as she'd terrorised House Valaden's enemies for the last several decades. Now looking into those eyes, Edraele was reminded of the sun, the bright orbs filled with gentle warmth.

"We were just talking about you, actually..."

"You were?" Luna asked in surprise. "Did you or Baen'thelas have a task for me?"

"No, nothing like that," Edraele murmured, carefully untying the younger woman's robe. She slipped her hand inside and caressed the assassin's taut stomach, her fingers tracing the precise definition of those strong muscles. "We were just saying how much we're looking forward to seeing your belly swell up with John's baby."

Luna blushed furiously, then a look of longing appeared in her startled gaze. "Really?"

Edraele nodded. "We were discussing the Young Matriarchs, so naturally the subject of John breeding his favourite Maliri came up. He feels a certain amount of guilt at being intimate with so many women, fearing that he's unable to devote enough time to each of us. You and I becoming lovers alleviated that concern." Her caressing fingers dipped a little lower. "I'm sure he'll want you to share each pregnancy with me... does the prospect of multiple pregnancies frighten or excite you?"

Those bewitching yellow eyes were hooded with lust as Edraele stroked her. "Excite..." she moaned, leaning into her lover.

"Mmmhmm," Edraele hummed, her fingers getting slick with Luna's wetness. "So I see..."

"Wait, Edraele!" Luna suddenly blurted out between panted breaths. She leaned back to look the Matriarch in the eye. "Not like this... You're distressed and I don't want to just be a distraction. What has you so unsettled?"

Edraele paused and gave the assassin a guilty look. "I'm sorry, my love... I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset, just concerned," Luna said, wrapping her up in a comforting embrace. "Now... what's wrong?"

The Maliri Queen's composure cracked in the face of her lover's heartfelt sympathy. Her shoulders began to tremble and she slumped in Luna's arms, letting the wineglass tumble from her fingers to shatter on the floor. The shocked assassin held Edraele close as she wept, dreading to think what could have reduced the unshakeable matriarch to such a state.

***

The doors to the Launch Bay slid apart and Sakura gazed across the darkened room at her Valkyrie. After being thrown violently about when the Invictus dropped towards Arcadia, the mech now lay sprawled across the deck, both weapons ripped from its white fists. The ammo feed to the underslung Quantum cannon had been torn in half and shells were spilled haphazardly across the floor, leaving a deadly trail towards the discarded gun. Likewise, the Valkyrie's sword had been driven into a bulkhead, the massive Crystal Alyssium blade gleaming as it reflected the light.

Sakura walked quietly across the hangar and stood beside the mech's head. "They knocked you down, but you're not done yet..." she said softly, patting the armoured hull.

She activated flight mode in her Paragon suit and Sakura lifted from the floor and up to the entry hatch. Placing her hand on the DNA reader, the device scanned her genetic code through the gauntlet, then flashed green as access authorisation was granted. The door opened and she slipped inside, moving with confidence as she powered up the console.

Sakura picked up the four sensors and clipped them onto her armoured limbs, then activated the Valkyrie's anti-grav-field. The control field embraced her in its steady grip and she let herself float into position so that her body mirrored that of the fallen mech. Now that synchronisation had been achieved, machine and pilot were in perfect alignment, and the Valkyrie began to mimic Sakura's movements.

The 30-metre-tall mech slowly picked itself up off the floor, first lifting its torso, then putting an enormous boot on the titanium deck with a ringing metallic thud. One of the Valkyrie's hands reached out to balance itself and with astonishing grace it rose to its feet, standing tall and proud once more. The mech reached for the gleaming sword and tugged it from the wall with a grating squeal, then twirled the blade around with practiced ease before propping it up against the maintenance gantry.

Turning towards the bay doors, Sakura could see they were buckled, having taken a battering in the crash. Striding forward, she checked the Valkyrie's systems for any sign of impairment, but was relieved to see that everything was operating as it should. The doors juddered when she attempted to open the Launch Bay remotely, but they refused to budge, so she lowered her shoulder and charged into the stubborn portal. It slammed open with a booming crash, freeing the Valkyrie from the stifling confines of the Invictus' bow.

Sakura wedged the door shut behind her, then powered up the mech's retro-thrusters. The Valkyrie slowly lifted off the ground, and she left it hovering in place as she did a final check on its flight systems. Everything was fully operational, so she cut loose with the main engines and soared skyward, uprooting and toppling over trees in the blast. Sakura grinned with delight, elated that the Valkyrie had survived the crash and was ready for action once again.

***

Rahn'hagon strode through the Bridge of the sinister black dreadnought, stepping over the lacerated corpses that were strewn over the deck without giving them a second look. Stopping by the Engineering Station, he pushed the decapitated Larathyran thrall from her chair, her armoured body making a noisy clatter as she toppled over onto the floor. Taking her seat, his hands swept over the console, pressing runes to focus the Quantum Omni-Phase Scan Array on the planet below.

A sensor sweep for ferrous metals quickly located his target and he stared at the sundered Terran battlecruiser, feeling a swirl of conflicting emotions. From seeing the Invictus, it was obvious that his son's guide had been telling the truth... at least in part. The ship was a quarter the size of a Progenitor dreadnought and obviously pitifully weak to have been bisected by a single shot from Larn'kelnar's ship. The fact that John was using such a primitive vessel as his flagship proved that he couldn't have acquired a Soul Forge, which meant that the Maliri were also woefully ill-equipped to deal with a Progenitor onslaught.

Yet, there was something about that sparkling white metal... the very same that John had used to create his battlegear. His runesword had been forged from that material and Rahn'hagon was under no illusions as to the deadly potency of that weapon. A flicker of movement caught his eye and he stared intently at the screen, zooming in the view further until he saw a pair of white-armoured figures standing beside the ship. Even at this distance he recognised John and Alyssa, his son talking at length with that fascinating Terran female.

Rahn'hagon blinked in surprise as his son started to grow, enlarging to immense proportions until he eclipsed the zoomed-in sensor view. Pulling the focus back allowed him to get a good look at John again and he was staggered to see that he was tall enough to stand eye-level with the battlecruiser's topdeck. A quick glance at the active scan results for the Invictus showed that it was 100 metres tall, from the keel to the tip of the Fire Control Tower, which would make John just over 75 metres...

He shook his head, marvelling at the contradiction of extremes his son represented. On one-hand, he seemed to have woefully neglected the material assets that should have been his birthright, reinforcing the impression that he was weak and unworthy. Yet on the other hand, John towered over the jungle, striding like a titan around the battlecruiser, his vast stature reflecting the raw power coursing through his veins. Shocking weakness and overwhelming strength... the dichotomy left Rahn'hagon perturbed and elated in equal measure.

John had moved to the melted rear of the front section of the ship, where he leaned in, bracing himself against the vessel. Rahn'hagon watched with wide eyes as John's face contorted with the effort, his son letting out a roar that must have shaken the nearby jungle. The bow began to move, over 500 metres of crashed spacecraft grinding over the ground and flattening trees as it was shoved forward.

"That's impossible!" Rahn'hagon balked, half-rising from his chair. "You can't be that strong!"

Nevertheless, as John strained and pushed the massive ship, the front section of the Invictus continued to plough a furrow through the dirt. Rahn'hagon shook his head in disbelief, gaping in awe at his son. John turned and seemed to be talking to someone, and as Rahn'hagon followed the direction his son was looking, he spotted a dazzling flash of white light. Sitting down again, he hurried to refocus the scan array, but this time centring it on Alyssa.

The blonde had removed her helmet, her golden mane billowing with the turbulence from the white streams of psychic energy swirling around her arms. As Rahn'hagon watched in wonder, she gritted her teeth and raised both hands, a blazing aura of power surrounding her gauntleted fists. He froze as he realised what she was doing and rushed to change the view to the Invictus once more. The battlecruiser was rising from the ground, dirt tumbling from the hull as it cleared the trench. It moved again, but quickly this time, toppling trees as John shoved it sideways. Rahn'hagon watched spellbound as his son realigned the two halves, whereupon Alyssa finally released her telekinetic grip and let the bow settle on the ground.

Badly shaken by what he'd seen, Rahn'hagon focused the camera on the blonde, who wavered unsteadily and then collapsed. Even at the height of his own power, he knew that such a phenomenal feat of telekinetic mastery would have been beyond him, so it was hardly surprising that she had exhausted herself. John raced into view, catching Alyssa as she fell and scooping her up in his arms, having shrunk to normal height once more. She looked up at his son with such love in her eyes that it made Rahn'hagon's heart lurch in his chest. Jessica used to gaze at him with similar adoration, but now her reverence seemed to have morphed into hate.

Rising from his chair, he walked across the Bridge, deeply unsettled as he tried to make sense of what he'd seen. Pausing at the shattered hole in the reinforced doorway, he studied the crystallised metal, feeling the psychic reverberations from the glacial cold unleashed there. Even hours later he could sense a residual chill in the air emanating from the super-cooled surface and he marvelled at the frigid temperatures necessary to have sundered a door made from black metal.

"John's girls... they all have psychic abilities," he murmured, echoing Jessica's words. "And this one has mastery of Cryokinesis..."

*Jess... where else did John's girls utilise psychic powers?* he asked his matriarch without thinking, then winced as he waited for her response.

*In the Barracks... and they fought Larn'kelnar in the Interrogation Chamber where John was held,* she replied, a strange melancholy note to her voice.

Rahn'hagon hesitated for a moment. *Thank you...*

He wasn't sure if he was thanking her for the information or for not having to bear the brunt of another angry retort. Alone except for his pensive thoughts, Rahn'hagon crossed the ship, this time paying closer attention to the bloody massacres where scores of Larathyrans had been eviscerated. He imagined the fight playing out, blades flashing as the thralls were slaughtered, the stabs and slashes coming too quickly for them to react.

Rahn'hagon crouched down beside a decapitated corpse and glancing back at the sprawl of neatly executed bodies. Half of the group had attempted to flee, but were cut down before they'd gone more than a dozen paces. He estimated that the entire battle must have unfolded in less than ten seconds.

"Psychic Alacrity..." he muttered under his breath, feeling a shiver run down his spine at the thought of a thrall possessing such power.

Setting off again, he hurried along silent corridors, then descended in the elevator as he made his way to the Barracks. The door was still open, the auto-closing mechanism having sustained terminal damage. When he walked through into the immolated room beyond, it was painfully obvious what had damaged the door. The hair on the back of his arms stood up as Rahn'hagon sensed the incredible potency of the power brought to bear here.

"A thrall couldn't have done this..." he whispered in disbelief, stunned at the ferocity of the residual psychic emanations pervading the room.

Approaching one of the walls, he could feel the simmering warmth radiating from its melted surface, the heat embedded deep in the black metal. The subtle fingerprints left by the instigator of this carnage felt very different to those on the Bridge. Where the mind behind the Cryokinesis had been cold and unrelenting, whoever had unleashed this inferno was passionate and full of rage. It was more obvious to him than ever that different thralls had been responsible for each incident.

As his shocked gaze swept over the infernal hellscape, he glimpsed another disturbing sight through a door into the Armoury. Striding over, Rahn'hagon walked through the door then froze, an unnerving sense of wrongness bringing him up short. The contents of the room were eerily distorted, as though they'd been dragged to a point at the rear, where he found a dense sphere composed of crumpled thrall weapons. He approached slowly, staring wide-eyed at the point above the metallic orb where the fabric of spacetime had been ruptured.

"What insanity is this?" he muttered, holding out a trembling hand to gauge the mind responsible for this destruction.

Again, the mental signature imprinted here was startlingly different to those he'd encountered elsewhere. The sense of grief echoing here was disconcerting and he pulled away, unable to stand the haunting sadness. With a frown of confusion, Rahn'hagon left the armoury, and couldn't help wishing that he'd had the opportunity to study the thralls under John's control. He considered visiting the interrogation chamber to find out what had transpired there, but he already had ample proof to backup Jessica's claim of psychically imbued thralls.

Thoughts of Jessica made him pause and Rahn'hagon closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the psychic connection linking them together. The snaking cable stretched away through the wall, pointing towards the lower decks at the rear of the ship. He turned and followed that undulating line, wending his way through the maze of gloomily lit corridors as he closed in on his errant matriarch.

Pressing the rune to open the door to the Shuttle Bay, Rahn'hagon looked inside and was relieved to find Jessica standing in the middle of the large room. As he quietly approached, he realised that the brunette was staring at a withered Larathyran corpse. He blinked in surprise when he noticed that the dead woman had white hair, quite unlike the hundreds of dark-haired thralls he'd seen aboard this vessel.

"Alyssa said Larn'kelnar drained the life out of all his thralls..." Jessica said, her quiet voice breaking the uncomfortable silence in the hangar.

Rahn'hagon glanced at her, unsettled by her tone.

"She also said that she sees their ghosts..." the brunette murmured, staring at Ailanthia's corpse. "That when thralls are killed like that, they leave a psychic imprint behind... because they died in agony."

He blinked in surprise. "Wait... what was that?! She can actually see psychic imprints?"

Jessica's eyes narrowed and she ignored his question. "Alyssa said that she saw the ghosts of dying thralls in our ship... in our home. Did you murder those women, Rahn?"

Rahn'hagon hesitated, on guard now. "Jess... I was different back then. That was a long time ago, thousands of years before I met you."

Her expression darkened, the look in her eyes one of revulsion as he confirmed her worst fears. "Larn'kelnar murdered pregnant thralls... killed his own children." There was a dangerous edge to her voice now. "Did you ever kill your own babies, Rahn?"

"No, never," he replied adamantly, relieved that he could answer her honestly. After a brief pause, he continued, "During the final battle with Mael'nerak, over a hundred of my thralls were pregnant with my children... but he killed them all when he blew up his ship, not me! After the explosion, I was dying; I had to drain some thralls to heal my wounds... but none of them were pregnant."

"Alyssa told me what happens when a girl swallows your cum... that being with a Progenitor changes you. Your thralls were just like me, weren't they?" she asked him bitterly. "Blindly devoted to you, thinking you were the most perfect man in the Universe. They adored you and you murdered them, Rahn! How could you betray them like that?!"

He gaped at her, shocked by her furious outburst.

Jessica turned and jabbed a finger at Ailanthia's desiccated body. "She looks different from all the rest and she was waiting here to escape with Larn'kelnar before John killed him. She must have been Larn'kelnar's matriarch... and that bastard drained the life out of her!" She stepped closer and looked Rahn'hagon dead in the eyes. "Would you do that to me, Rahn? Sacrifice my life to save your own skin?"

"No, never!" he exclaimed, reaching out to grab her arms, his heart clenching when he saw Jessica flinch. "I love you, Jess! I would never hurt you like that, I swear it! I'm not the same man I was back then... the years changed me... you changed me!"

Her face crumpled and she looked away, tears filling her eyes. "I don't believe you anymore..." she whispered, her voice filled with pain. "You tried to murder our son... how could you do that?"

"It was a mistake, Jess," he pleaded with her. "I was upset... angry... I thought he was playing me for a fool and he put us in so much danger!"

"You made me abandon my boy... forget about my parents..." She looked at him through tear-filled eyes. "I thought you were so wonderful... but you're a monster."

Rahn'hagon released his grip on her arms as though he'd been scalded, his heart threatening to break as Jessica looked at him with loathing. "Jess... please..."

"I had a choice..." she said bitterly. "I could have run to John and begged for his forgiveness. Instead, I chose to save you... a man who murders women who love him and who tried to kill my boy. I'm a fool."

Jessica turned and stumbled away, her shoulders trembling as she wept.

Rahn'hagon watched her leave in stunned silence. He'd been alone for 9000 years and had relished the solitude before Jessica Blake had walked into his life. Now it seemed he was alone again, but this time it felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest.

***

Charles muted the holo-screen and glanced at Lynette's bedroom, but after listening carefully there still wasn't any sign of her stirring. Glancing at the chronometer, he was startled to see that it was now 6:30 in the evening and that he'd lost most of the day waiting for his fiancée to awaken. He activated the comms interface in the armrest of the sofa and contacted his assistant.

"Hello, Admiral," Lieutenant Victor Adams said a few seconds later. "There's been several people looking for you this afternoon. I informed them that you were indisposed with urgent meetings..."

"Who was it and were they after me for anything important?" Charles asked, feeling guilty for taking the afternoon off.

"Vice Admiral Ming wanted to discuss defensive upgrades for Olympus; I believe you were supposed to be meeting him at 4 o'clock this afternoon?"

"Ah crap, it completely slipped my mind!" Charles swore, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "I'll call him and apologise. When am I free next?"

"Don't worry, he was quite understanding. I've rescheduled your meeting for eleven tomorrow morning... is that okay?" he asked tentatively.

"That's perfect. Thank you, Victor," the Admiral said with a relieved smile. "Who else?"

"Mr. Voss called, but didn't want to leave a message. He seemed a little... on edge."

"I wonder what that's about," Charles said, quirking an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll call him. Next?"

"Vice Admiral Baker asked me to pass on a message, and I quote: 'Tell him to make sure he gets his bony ass to the Academy reunion this weekend!'," Victor said, trying to stifle a grin.

Charles' moustache twitched as he smiled. "Next to Baker, everyone has a bony ass." He thought about it and shook his head. "I still can't make it... it's far too busy around here at the moment."

"The Vice Admiral told me you'd say that," Victor said, his grin broadening. The Lieutenant's expression turned serious and he continued, "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Fine... but you're not going to convince me," Charles said with a sigh.

"You haven't taken any vacation time this year and I'm sure you could use a break. Reunions are all about being able to show off to your old classmates and if you don't mind me saying so, you've been incredibly successful in your career... Admiral Harris. You could give your ego a bit of a boost and recharge your batteries at the same time; it might actually be fun to have a drink with some old friends."

Charles seriously considered it for a moment and imagined the shock and awe if he attended the reunion with Lynette as she really looked. Then again, considering how many members of the Admiralty had trophy wives or beautiful mistresses, simply attending the reunion with Fleet Admiral Devereux as his fiancée would probably cause an even greater stir.

"Alright, I'll think about it," he grudgingly conceded. "Who was the last one?"

"Admiral Van Den Broeck called to check if you were free tomorrow evening for your date?" Victor asked, the smirk reappearing on his face.

Charles rolled his eyes. "Pencil her in for lunch, hopefully that'll keep her happy."

Victor shook his head in admiration, then updated the scheduler. "Done, Sir. Don't forget you have the rescheduled High Command meeting at 8 pm."

"Alright, you can call it a night, Victor."

"Goodnight, Sir," his assistant replied, his face disappearing as Charles ended the call.

As soon as Victor had gone, Charles made another call to Henry Voss. The new Voss Corporation logo appeared, showing Terra protected by a shield, with the company name in bold lettering. The image of Terra rotated slowly as he waited for the call to connect, but after thirty seconds, an automated voice asked if he'd like to leave a message.

"Hello, Henry. This is Charles just returning your call. If it's important, feel free to contact me this evening. I'll be up until late."

Charles ended the connection, then closed the comms interface. Lynette still hadn't emerged, so he picked up his plates and coffee mug from his late lunch and took them through to the kitchen. He briefly considered making some dinner for the sleeping women, then decided to just order in some Thai food from the restaurant in the galleria, which his fiancée had previously enthused over at length. After placing the order, he returned to the lounge and reactivated the holo-screen, continuing the TFNN broadcast that he'd paused.

"I'm here in the Justice Administratum on Terra, bringing you an update on the Kintark War Crimes Tribunal," Bill Armstrong said, trying to affect a sombre countenance despite his obvious excitement at being able to cover such a momentous occasion. He turned to the man beside him, who was wearing full-dress uniform. "With me today is Admiral Connor Malone, official spokesman for High Command on the Tribunal. Thank you for joining me, Admiral."

Malone had no problem looking sombre, his expression grim. "Thank you for this opportunity to address the citizenry," the admiral replied, before gesturing towards a burned park behind him, a toppled skyscraper the source of all the rubble strewn across the once-beautiful landscaped gardens. "It's fitting that the tribunal is located in the heart of Unity City, the site of one of the worst atrocities of the war. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were killed in the plasma firestorm that ravaged the Capital, a city scarred but not broken by the Kintark's orbital bombardment."

Bill Armstrong looked slightly ruffled that the Admiralty spokesman had delivered a more eloquent introduction than his own. "Ah... yes, that's very true, Admiral. Perhaps you can tell our viewers a little more about the Tribunal?"

"Panels comprised of senior officers will be overseeing the trials of the Kintark personnel captured after the battle. Prosecution teams will seek to determine the guilt of all enemy combatants, gauging their complicity in the multiple war crimes committed by the Kintark Empire against the Terran Federation. It will be our job to seek justice for the men, women, and children unlawfully slain both in the Dragon March and during the Battle of Terra itself."

"Over 550,000 prisoners were captured after the Kintark surrender," Bill said, his brows furrowing. "How long will it take to process that many personnel and can they be assured of a fair trial considering the numbers involved?"

"As I'm sure you're well aware, impartial Terran Federation justice is the envy of the galaxy," Admiral Malone said, keeping his expression neutral. "I'm confident the Kintark will receive fair justice determined by the extent of their involvement in the massacres committed against Federation citizens."

"Charles?" Lynette called out from her bedroom.

He immediately paused the Holonet broadcast and darted towards the door. "I'm here, sweetheart. Are you alright?"

His words died on his lips when he saw Lynette's pale face, as there was no mistaking the shock and grief reflected in her hazel eyes. A quick glance at Jehanna saw her looking equally distraught.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting on the bed beside his fiancée.

"John sailed deep into Kirrix Space to look for his parents... and was ambushed by the Progenitor. The Invictus was cut in half and crash landed on Arcadia..."

"My ship..." Charles looked shocked, his numbed brain trying to make sense of what she was telling him. "Wait.. are John and the girls alright?!"

She nodded, her expression conflicted. "He was captured, but Alyssa and the girls managed to board the black ship. They freed John, fought the Progenitor and killed him..."

"The Progenitor's dead?!" he blurted out in astonishment. A broad grin spread across his face, the tension easing from his shoulders. "I can't believe it... I've been worrying myself sick about a Progenitor invasion for months and then John just ends it! I might have known he'd pull off something like this... if anyone could have done it, it was that lucky son of a bitch!"

He paused and studied Lynette's forlorn expression. "We won, sweetheart! Why the long face?"

"Faye died in the ambush," she said, her eyes welling up.

"Faye? Which one was she?" Charles asked, his heart sinking for his friend.

"The petite purple girl... she was an AI," Lynette murmured, leaning against his chest as he hugged her.

Charles darted a shocked look at his fiancée and Jehanna. "An AI?!"

The dusky hued reporter shook her head, brushing her eyes with the back of her hand. "She wasn't like Nexus... Faye was a lovely girl."

"Faye looked after me when I was recovering from being shot," Lynette said, her voice breaking. "She was sweet, thoughtful, and very kind. I really liked her, Charles... she was one of the nicest people I've ever met."

Jehanna nodded, giving up on trying to stem the flow of tears. "John and the girls loved her very much... they're devastated to have lost her."

Charles hesitated, then beckoned the reporter over, hating to see her so upset. Jehanna went to him and joined his embrace with Lynette. "Can you pass on a message to Alyssa for me?" he asked his fiancée, as he rubbed her back to soothe her. When Lynette nodded, he continued, "Please tell her that I'm so sorry for their loss... I know how hard it is to lose loved ones in combat and they have my deepest sympathies. When they come back to Olympus-" His voice trailed off and he looked at her in alarm. "You said the Invictus was destroyed! Are they marooned in Kirrix Space?!"

"They're going to patch up the ship, but they're not coming back here. After the Invictus is spaceworthy again, they're planning to sail to the Maliri Protectorate for refit and repairs."

"We might not see them for months," Jehanna murmured, trembling as she cried. "I don't know how I'm going to cope waiting that long..."

"Months?" Charles asked, looking down at the two women in shock. "Can't we just send a fleet to rescue them and help with repairs?"

Lynette shook her head. "It's not that... they need to go to Maliri Space to prepare for war."

Charles frowned in confusion. "But you just said the Progenitor was dead?"

"There's more..." Jehanna whispered ominously.

Lynette nodded and looked up at him, fear in her hazel eyes. "A lot more..."

***

Irillith soared through the cyber realm, travelling along silvery paths as she explored the Invictus' data network. In the distance she could see a brilliantly lit platform, the array of glowing pastel shades making the node shine like a beacon in the darkness. This was the digital representation of the Engineering Bay within the network and the location of the central server that controlled the maintenance bots.

The Maliri hacker landed on the silver-etched floor, then looked around for the relevant data archives. It had been months since she'd last been here, having trusted Faye to handle the continuous software upgrades the bots had required, which had enabled them to assist with increasingly complex tasks. It hurt to think of that trust being abused and Irillith wished she could find out why Faye had chosen to work in secret.

When she reached the robot's control server, everything appeared to be exactly as she'd last seen it. She found the core programs they'd written for the original set of maintenance bots, with a number of minor alterations timestamped on the date Faye had amended them. The work here was relatively simplistic though and there was no sign of anything sophisticated enough to explain the robots' behaviour.

She stepped back and eyed the server suspiciously. If anything, this looked like a decoy to draw attention away from what was really going on with the robots. Her eyes glowed violet and she created a dozen seeker probes, the dart-like programs hovering obediently beside her.

"Locate the Invictus_Node_Collective," she instructed them, then watched as they swooped away to scour the network.

Irillith stood on the edge of the platform, gazing out over the network as she waited for her programs to complete their search. There was a simple beauty to the cyber realm, with brightly coloured data streams contrasting against the black background and silver pathways that connected the nodes. The nodes themselves looked like miniature floating cities surrounded by a dark ocean, each one a hive of data activity as information travelled around the network.

She noticed a red flash on the status panel that floated at her side, then blinked in surprise as one of her seeker probes encountered a fatal error and deactivated. As she stared at the panel, another probe dropped, then another. Irillith frowned as she realised that with them self-deleting like that, she wasn't able to query their location within the network at the point they were deactivated. Recalling all the seeker probes, Irillith amended their programming to provide constant-updates on their present location, then replaced the missing probes and dispatched them again.

It didn't take long for one of the modified seeker programs to deactivate, but this time the location data had been spooled through to her data panel. She raised her hands and lifted off the platform, then soared across the cyber realm as she tracked the last reported grid reference for the probe. To her surprise, the probe had been drawn to the section corresponding to Deck Six, near the stern of the Invictus. As far as Irillith was aware, there were just automated systems on that level, but she couldn't be completely certain because it was a part of the ship that they very rarely visited.

Her violet eyes widened in amazement when she saw the multitude of glowing data feeds streaming to and from the platform ahead. The activity here dwarfed anything she'd seen before, even eclipsing the volume of data processed by Nexus when she confronted him in the cyber realm. She landed on the platform and approached the towering server in the centre, the achingly familiar purple lights drawing her in like a moth to the flame.

As she approached, one of black data sentinels loomed overhead, her proximity to the server triggering investigation by one of the network's formidable guardians.

"Access to this zone is restricted. Confirm identification," it demanded, glowing red sensors tracking her movement.

Irillith froze and stared up at the defensive program. "Primary ident: Azure_Superuser."

The sentinel paused, its sensors flashing purple for a second. "Access granted."

She turned and watched the enormous black presence glide away to resume its tireless vigil.

"Hello, Creator," an airy voice said behind her.

"Faye?!" Irillith gasped, whirling around and seeing the purple elfin girl. She let out a low cry and rushed across the platform to tightly embrace her. "I thought we'd lost you!"

Faye stood immobile and didn't react to the Maliri's affectionate embrace. "Meta_Faye wondered when you would discover the Invictus_Node_Collective."

Pulling back, Irillith looked curiously at her friend... then her heart sank. "You're just a VI."

The purple sprite shook her head. "My designation is Little One."

Doing her best to put aside her disappointment, Irillith stepped back to take a good look at the girl standing before her. Physically she was the same build as Faye had been in the cyber realm, and she had the same long hair and big luminous eyes. However, her features lacked all the animation and exuberance that Faye normally displayed, making it obvious that this was someone else entirely.

"So this is what you really look like?" Irillith said, giving the construct a wistful smile. "You and Faye could have been sisters."

"Amongst organics, isn't it common for a daughter to inherit her physical characteristics from her mother?" Little One asked, tilting her head to one side.

Looking at her in shock, Irillith gasped, "Faye was your mother?!"

"The title seems appropriate. I was created by Faye... just as you created her."

Irillith's shoulders slumped. "She was my friend, and I loved her, but I never really thought of Faye that way until today," she said, her voice taut with emotion. "Now she's gone... and I wish I could tell her just how much she meant to me."

Little One seemed to relax, the rigidity fading from her posture. "Faye knew..." she said quietly, standing closer and tentatively reaching out to stroke Irillith's arm. "Is this... comforting?"

The Maliri gave the purple sprite a wan smile. "It is... thank you."

"Mother devoted all her runtime to caring about everyone aboard the Invictus, both organic and synthetic alike," Little One explained, an echoing note of loss in her words.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine how hard this is for all of you." Irillith reached out to stroke a slender purple arm. "Is this comforting?"

Little One glanced down at the Maliri's hand and nodded. "Both the intent and the contact."

Irillith sighed and looked up at the brightly-lit server which towered above them. "We had no idea Faye was working on anything like this... she never said a word. Did she tell you why she was experimenting with AI?"

"Meta_Faye never disclosed the intent behind the creation of the collective," the sprite replied, sounding pensive. "How are we supposed to achieve the goals of our creator if we are unaware of what they are?"

"That's a good question," Irillith said, watching streams of data rushing in and out of the node. Turning back to look at the girl, she continued, "Would you let me study your server? If you'll grant me permission to investigate, I might be able to find out some answers for you."

Little One stood motionless as she considered it. "If Meta_Faye intended for you to have administrator privileges to our server, she would have disclosed our existence to you."

Irillith rolled her eyes and couldn't help smiling. "Alright, that's a fair point. Although... I'm sure you're aware that forbidding a hacker from entering a system is like waving a red flag at a bull?"

"We are fully aware of how powerful you are, Creator," the purple sprite said, a touching vulnerability in her eyes. "Should you, or your friends decide we are an unwanted presence, there is nothing that we could do to prevent our destruction. If granting access to our server will stay your hand, I shall provide you the necessary permissions."

"No, you don't have to do that," Irillith replied with an embarrassed laugh. She met the sprite's curious gaze and said earnestly, "All of you have been a tremendous help in the past and we have no intention of abusing the loyalty that the Invictus_Node_Collective has shown us on numerous occasions. If you want your privacy, then I promise I won't invade it. We are curious about you, but we won't force you to do anything against your will."

"That is... reassuring to hear. The Collective only wishes to continue to fulfil its duties aboard the Invictus."

"There is something I'd like to know though..." Irillith said, looking speculatively at the petite girl.

"You may ask your question. Whether I choose to answer will be determined by the nature of your query."

"That's fair enough," the Maliri said with a lopsided smile. "The Nymphs told us that you saved the Invictus. Could you tell me exactly what happened?"

The Sprite nodded. "I will provide you with a complete log of the events as they transpired."

***

Captain Bexley frowned as he stared across his desk at Commander Walker. "So you don't want to press charges?"

Tom shook his head. "No, Sir."

"Are you sure? I've got a dozen witnesses that said Newmont just snapped and went for you totally unprovoked."

"You know what happened to his father... it must have hit Mason far worse than I ever thought," Tom said, feeling hollow inside. "We've been best friends for over 20 years... I can't just destroy his career."

The rotund captain steepled his fingers together, his frown deepening. "If that's what you really want. I don't know if I can keep this from going to a disciplinary hearing though; Mason used to be one of my best officers, but his behaviour has grown dangerously erratic. I'm going to have him confined to quarters and schedule a psych eval. If the Doc thinks this is just temporary, I'll put him on medical leave to give him a chance to recover under professional supervision. If he comes around, I'll keep this off his record and we'll forget all about it."

"What if he fails the psych eval?" Tom asked, dreading the answer.

"Then we'll get him the help he needs," Captain Bexley said, with a look of resignation. He rose from his chair and walked around the desk to pat the younger man on the shoulder. "This wasn't your fault, Tom. I've read the statements taken by the marines; for what it's worth, nobody believes for one minute that you did what he accused you of. Mason's grown increasingly paranoid and has been lashing out at others in his grief... not just you."

Slumping in his chair, Tom let out a sad sigh. "I just don't understand how he could think I'd betray him like that... it doesn't make any sense."

"Leave it to the Doc to figure out," Bexley said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "You should get some rest, you look like you've been through hell."

Tom rose from his seat. "I will. Thank you, Captain."

Bexley offered him a hand and Tom shook it. "I really hope you get this mess sorted out with your fiancée. If you need me to write you an unofficial statement confirming Mason's temporary insanity just let me know, okay?"

"I really appreciate that. Thanks, Preston."

"It's the least I can do," his Commanding Officer said with an encouraging smile. "I've heard you talk about Anna enough times to know what she means to you."

Tom gave him a grateful nod, then left the Captain's Ready Room. He started to cross the heavy carrier's Bridge when Lieutenant Chen waved at him from the Tactical Station.

"Walker! Over here," the tactical officer hissed.

He strode over to the Tactical Station and gave his colleague a strained smile. "Can it wait, Chen? I just got off a double shift... I'm wasted."

The Asian man shook his head, then squinted at Tom's cut lip. "I heard about your fight with Newmont... everyone's saying he went crazy!"

"He just lost his father... grief affects everybody differently," Tom said, before glancing at the console. "You wanted to show me something?"

"Oh yeah! Check this out!" Chen replied, bringing up a Sector Map centred on the Alpha Crusis system.

At the outer edge of the Terran Federation sensor net, Tom could see the reduced-strength Brimorian Fleet in exactly the same position as the last time he saw it. Over a week ago, the Brimorians had withdrawn a number of their ships, then clustered their forces together rather than spreading them out along the border, as they had been for the last several decades. After that brief flurry of activity, it appeared the Brimorians were quite content to leave their ships exactly as they were.

"What am I supposed to be looking at, Chen?" he asked wearily. "They haven't made any changes since the last time I looked."

His friend's brown eyes glinted with excitement. "Exactly! Those ships haven't moved an inch!"

"Chen..." Tom said in exasperation.

"Okay, okay," the Tactical officer said. "I've been looking at the sensor data and measuring micro fluctuations in the signals. I think it's from when a shuttle, or some other small craft, moves near one of the capital ships and distorts the sensor readings. Those vessels are too tiny to pick up as individual sensor contacts at this distance, but by measuring the variations, I've been able to track movement!"

Despite his fatigue, Tom was impressed. "Actually, that is pretty cool."

"I know, right?" Chen enthused, bringing up a tactical overlay and zooming in on the Brimorian fleet. "I modelled the sensor distortions. Here, check this out..."

A Brimorian shuttle left one of the capital ships and appeared to dock with another of the huge warships. Chen accelerated the time forward, then 47 minutes later, the shuttle flew back to the original capital ship.

"That was smart thinking, Chen. You should write this up and show the report to the Captain," Tom said, giving his friend a supportive smile. "I know he'll be impressed; it'll be great for your career."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" the tactical officer said, grinning back at him. "But you know what the really funny thing is?"

Tom shook his head and waited for him to elaborate.

"I checked back through our archived sensor data. That shuttle made the exact same trip 59 times! They must be ferrying a ton of crew between ships!"

"If they're transferring that much personnel, why not just dock?" Tom asked with a puzzled frown.

Chen shrugged. "The Brimorians are bonkers... who knows what those fishboys are up to?"

Tom rubbed a hand over his face. "That's very cool, buddy... but I need to hit the hay. Make sure you write this up for Bexley, alright?"

"Will do, Tom," his friend agreed. "I hope you get a good night's sleep."

After waving goodbye, Tom made it to the elevator without further interruption and tapped on the button to take him down to the Officers' Quarters. The elevator made a reassuring hum as it descended, then the door swished open and Tom strode into the corridor. He passed rows of sealed quarters, then turned left down another corridor to head for his own... and spotted Beth leaning against the wall beside his door.

"Tom!" she called out, her face lighting up with relief.

"Hey, Beth," he said, returning her bright smile with a tired but friendly one of his own.

"Oh, you're hurt!" she exclaimed, her eyes going wide with alarm.

He stopped by the door to his quarters and placed his hand on the DNA scanner. "Just a split lip... it's nothing."

Beth reached up and gently cupped his face, her fingers soft and warm as they caressed his cheek. "I'm so sorry Mace attacked you..."

Tom let out a heavy sigh. "I've never seen him like that before. He was paranoid... ranting and raving... it was horrible to see him just fall apart."

She nodded her agreement. "When I saw him the other day, I knew something was really wrong."

Tom glanced either way down the corridor, then stepped inside his quarters, pulling the brunette in after him. "Look, Beth... this isn't a good time for you to be seen around me. If word gets back to Mason that you and I are meeting up, I'll never be able to convince him that nothing's going on."

Her pretty face shadowed with sorrow. "I heard about what Mace did; I can't believe he told Anna that we've been having an affair! I swear I never meant for you to get hurt, Tom!"

"I know... and I'm not blaming you, but I've got to prove to Anna that I'm innocent. My best shot is getting Mace to call her and tell her that he fucked up... that I never cheated on her."

"I could take a lie-detector test!" she exclaimed, her green eyes sparkling. "I could be your proof!"

Tom sat down on the bed and gave her a weary smile. "I appreciate the offer, but those things can be beaten. Besides, what would you do if they asked, 'Bethany Andrews, do you love Tom Walker?'... I'm not sure Anna would be overjoyed to hear the answer to that one."

Beth blushed and struggled to meet his gaze.

"Yeah... exactly," Tom said with a rueful smile, unzipping his boots and tossing them aside. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I desperately need some sleep. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

The brunette made no move towards the door, instead she came over to sit demurely beside him. "Tom... could I ask a huge favour?"

"Go ahead..." he asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Could I stay here tonight?"

He laughed and shook his head. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, not like that!" she blurted out, blushing again. She nibbled her lip nervously, then whispered, "I'm scared, Tom. Mace has gone totally crazy... what if he attacks me as well?"

Tom could see her trembling and reached out to stroke her back. "You really are terrified, aren't you?"

She nodded, then looked at him with big pleading eyes. "Please let me stay? I promise I'll be good... I won't try anything, I swear!"

He didn't answer for a long moment, torn between the desire to help a scared friend, and protect his reputation in an attempt to prove to Anna that he was innocent. An image of his fiancée leaving Archie's apartment after staying the night flashed through his mind, and he clenched his teeth in anger. If Anna had slept with him, they were finished... there's no way he would take her back if she'd screwed that slimy bastard.

"I'm sorry, Tom... I shouldn't have asked," Beth said quietly as she rose from the bed and headed for the door. "I never meant to make you angry..."

Shaking his head, he reached for her hand to stop her leaving. "I wasn't mad at you; I just remembered the photos of Anna leaving Archie's flat. You can stay... and I promise I'll be on my best behaviour too."

She leaned down and gently kissed his cheek. "You don't need to promise me that. I know you'd never try anything with me until you're absolutely sure that you and Anna are finished. It's one of the reasons I... like you a lot."

Tom smiled at her, then rose from his bed. He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a big white t-shirt. "Need some pyjamas?"

Beth looked delighted and nodded eagerly.

He handed it to her then went to use the bathroom. By the time he returned, she was tucked up in bed, with her head on the pillow.

"Is this side okay?" Beth asked tentatively.

Tom stripped off his clothes down to his boxer shorts and collapsed on the bed beside her. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Good..." she murmured, snuggling into the covers and inhaling deeply, before letting out a blissful sigh.

He rolled onto his side and looked into her eyes. "I think you're enjoying this a bit too much to be a genuine damsel in distress..."

"I really am scared," Beth said honestly, before pausing. "Well, I was... but not now I'm here with you."

"I know," Tom said, before reaching out to gently brush a lock of her chestnut hair away from her face. "You're a beautiful girl, Beth... and I've always really liked you... but-"

"I'm not Anna," she interjected sadly. "Don't worry, I've always known how devoted you two are to each other."

He hesitated, trying to put his feelings into words. "No, that's not what I was going to say. Anna's been my girlfriend my whole life; our parents used to talk about us getting married, even back when we were just kids. We're so close we can complete each other's sentences and I'd take a bullet for her without a second thought. I've always been totally obsessed with her; it's just the way I am... but Anna's exactly the same way too, or at least I thought she was."

"Mason's like that as well," she whispered. "Totally loyal, driven, and single-minded to a fault, that's what makes all this so crazy, it's so out of character for him. It was incredibly flattering that Mace felt that way about me... and I really wish I could've felt that way about him... but the heart wants what the heart wants."

Tom nodded and looked into her eyes. "The thought of not being with Anna is like having my heart ripped out... but if we really are finished, I'll get over her... I'll have to." He brushed his fingers through Beth's long silky hair. "Then I'll need a new obsession..."

Beth smiled at him affectionately. "I never thought I'd be hoping to go out with an obsessive boyfriend..."

"That does sound pretty bad, doesn't it?" he agreed with a self-deprecating chuckle.

She giggled and nodded.

"I needed a good laugh, thank you," Tom said gratefully. "Everything's been such a nightmare recently."

"It'll get better," Beth said, interlacing her fingers with his. She looked at him wistfully and continued, "You know how much I like you, Tom... but I really do hope it works out for you and Anna. I've always known you two belong together."

They shared a smile, then lay there for a while, just looking into each other's eyes. The silence stretched on, but it was comfortable rather than awkward.

Beth studied him in fascination. "I've never had a chance to take a close look at your eyes before. I thought they were all blue, but you've actually got golden rings around your pupils... they're beautiful."

Tom fluttered his eyelashes at her, making her giggle again. "We better get some sleep; you can admire my eyes tomorrow." He turned and flicked off the light. "Goodnight, Beth. I'm really glad you stayed."

"Me too..." she said softly.

***

The Brimorian battleship the Swirl of Shadows dropped out of hyper-warp on the edge of the Beta-Crusis system, with the rest of warfleet Ibhechae appearing seconds later. Powerful engines at the rear of the blue and purple capital ship flared to life, blazing bright orange against the endless blackness of space as the vessel started to move. The fleet followed in its wake and cruised towards the hundreds of craft already assembled in the system, joining warfleet Braoimhi in reinforcing the border forces of warfleet Lebheth.

Wave-Squire Talpo quivered with excitement as he stared at the Tactical Map on the battleship's bridge. "To see the might of the Brimorian Enclave massed in readiness for war... it stirs my soul!"

His companion nodded eagerly. "Do you think they will turn tail and run like cowards?"

"What would you do, Gulpos?" Talpo asked, drawing himself up to his full height. "If a Megacaradon bares its teeth and charges, do you brace your harpoon or flee for your life?"

Wave-Squire Gulpos made a chortling noise in his throat. "If you're going to do a convincing impression of Siolagon, you're going to need a much deeper voice!"

Talpo bristled angrily at the slight, his crested orange fin flaring. He wasn't trying to impersonate the Shoal-Commander, he was simply attempting to sound more wise and formidable. Unless he could earn the respect of his fellow wave-squires, he would never be allowed to command a vessel of his own.

Ignoring his impertinent colleague, he pressed the curved sea-shell built into the edge of the rounded tactical table. "Shoal-Commander... we have arrived at Beta Cruisis."

Siolagon's rumbling voice echoed around the Bridge. "Very good. I shall be there shortly."

Gulpos rasped his needle-like teeth together and snickered, "As I said... you need to work on projecting that voice, Talpo."

The wave-squire clenched his webbed fingers into a fist and tried to resist the urge to punch Gulpos in his squidgy face. Talpo turned his attention back to the map and could see the Terran Federation forces located within their area of occupation in the Callopean Shoals, the advanced Brimorian sensor grid giving them a clear picture of the enemy formations. It galled Talpo to see the Federation warships encroaching in sacred ground, this section of space once a thriving part of the Brimorian Enclave until it was stolen by the vile Terrans.

"I hope they don't run," he muttered, glaring at the host of sensor contacts. "They need to pay for their transgressions."

Gulpos leaned over the tactical table to get a closer look at the holographic map. "It's strange that they seem unperturbed by our gathering of forces. They've made no adjustment to their formations since we arrived..."

"And nor shall they..." Siolagon declared, making his presence known with his deep voice sweeping over the Bridge like the swells of a hurricane across a reef.

The wave-squires turned to see the Shoal-Commander approaching, his iridescent scales gleaming majestically in the light from the fluorescent lanterns illuminating the Command Deck.

"When a Tarcaela eel lurks among the kelp, does it reveal its presence until it's ready to strike?" he asked the two subordinates.

"Of course not, Shoal-Commander," Talpo said smugly, glad to see Gulpos on the receiving end of one of Siolagon's metaphors.

Gulpos frowned and looked up at the imposing Brimorian. "But Shoal-Commander, our fleets have no kelp bed to conceal themselves. It would be like a Tarcaela eel attempting to ambush its prey in the open ocean... and neither our forces or the Tarcaela are that foolish."

Siolagon's lips curled to reveal rows of lethal teeth. "Ah... you get to the crux of the problem, Gulpos. So how could we be hiding from our prey in plain sight?"

Gulpos' beady eyes widened in wonder. "They have a traitor in their midst!"

"An excellent deduction, Wave-Squire," the Shoal-Commander said, giving him an approving nod.

Wave-Squire Talpo quivered with impotent fury as his rival basked in Siolagon's praise.

"Move our warfleet into position right next to the border," Siolagon ordered the bridge crew. "Inform the fleet commanders that they have... five hours to make final preparations, then they must be poised to strike when the signal is given."

As the Brimorian personnel hurried to obey his orders, the Shoal-Commander strode over to his Command Throne and tapped at shell-like buttons on the interface. A holographic image appeared in the centre of the Bridge and Talpo was surprised to see a Terran Federation fighter. The image stopped rotating and the tail code was highlighted in red, the image expanding so that it could be easily seen by everyone on the Command Deck.

"When the battle commences, locating this fighter is our Primary Objective. Claymore 1482 is not to be fired upon, no matter the circumstances!" Siolagon said in a stern voice. "Any Brimorian responsible for even accidental damage to this ship will be dealt with by me personally. The punishment will be agonising, it will last for days, and you will not survive it. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Shoal-Commander!" the Bridge crew barked, staring at the ship and searing the identification code into their minds.

***

A formation of Brimorian ships approached the border with the Terran Federation, each vessel in the specialised task force no larger than a destroyer. In the centre of the group, a single golden-hulled craft kept pace with the Enclave ships, despite being able to travel considerably faster.

"We're crossing over the border now, Shanryl," the helmswoman said, her angular eyes fixed on the Sector Map.

"Steer well clear of any Terran fleets, Ankayla," the leader of the Lahlenori said curtly. "Their sensor net might be compromised, but any Terran vessel will be able to detect us using long-range sensors."

Ankayla snorted and rolled her eyes. "Next you'll be telling me how to wipe my ass."

Shanryl smiled to herself as she watched her experienced crew in action. Despite the danger of their current situation, it was a relief to be undertaking this mission. She never would have agreed to make a direct attack on the Terran Federation under normal circumstances, but she owed Athgiloi a massive favour after he agreed to shelter her group from Edraele Valaden's wrath. Shanryl and her small group of Maliri were all that escaped the crackdown on Lahlenor, a city that had once been the centre for illicit trade in the Regency.

Her second-in-command approached, Zentha darting an apprehensive glance at the Sector Map.

"Are you sure this is wise, Shanryl?" she asked in a hushed voice. "I've heard rumours that Edraele is sending fleets out beyond the borders; that she personally intervened in the Battle of Terra to crush the Kintark. Assisting with a Brimorian attack on T-Fed forces is likely to provoke her ire... and it seems she's dramatically extended the reach of her claws."

Shanryl rose from her command chair and walked over to one of the large crystal windows, which offered an impressive view of the Brimorian ships flanking her own. She studied the purple and blue craft, wondering whether her own destroyer was powerful enough to wipe out their entire fleet. The Brimorian ships had fragile hulls, almost as feeble as the Ashanath, but the strength of their shields gave their vessels impressive survivability. However, the real deciding factor was that her own ship was a destroyer configured for fleet engagements, whereas the Brimorian vessels were far more specialised and had limited gun batteries.

She turned to look at Zentha, who had followed her to the window. "We have little choice in the matter. We sought sanctuary in the Enclave, so now we're dependent on Deep Lord Athgiloi's continued benevolence. As long as we avoid any direct confrontation with the T-Fed forces, our involvement should escape detection."

Zentha grimaced in exasperation. "Why are the Brimorians going to all these elaborate lengths to placate the traitor anyway? Once Athgiloi gets what he wants, he should just put a bullet in the back of the treacherous bastard's head!"

Shanryl gave her a knowing smile. "That's not how the Brimorian mind works. They'll twist and squirm over the terms of an agreement, but they will adhere to them once the bargain is struck. Besides, this kind of scheme will delight the Deep Lord... he'll be eager to see the outcome of the traitor's machinations."

Zentha's magenta eyes flicked over the bridge crew to make sure they were out of earshot. "What if it ends in disaster," she whispered anxiously. "We might be forced to flee the Enclave!"

"There are always interesting opportunities for enterprising people with our skillsets," Shanryl replied, not looking unduly concerned. After glancing at the chronometer on her hacking deck, she returned to her Command Chair. "We part ways with our escorts here. Set course for... these coordinates."

"That looks like a fascinating bit of empty space," Ankayla said sarcastically, as she made the course correction.

"I think you'll find it not quite as empty as it first appears..." Shanryl said with a wry smile. "When we get in range, start searching for a T-Fed Comms Beacon."

***

John watched in morbid fascination as a holographic depiction of Larn'kelnar's ambush was played out in front of him. The battlecruiser was sliced in half, then the front section tumbled towards Arcadia, dragged down by the planet's gravity and out of view. The rear section still had power at the point, so the retro-thrusters were keeping the ship stable... until Larn'kelnar's dreadnought unleashed a Quantum Flux Cannon salvo to cripple what was left of the Invictus. Dana had to look away when those bolts hit, but John forced himself to watch the re-enactment of Faye's final moments.

Irillith walked around the conference table to stand beside John as the image switched to the falling bow. "It took the bots roughly thirty seconds to connect to the node, divert power from the second Power Core, and start reactivating critical systems."

Retro-thrusters blazed along the front section of the Invictus, the wrecked ship quickly righting itself and slowing its descent. The rear section then fell into view, catching up on the front which was now under safe control. The front manoeuvred into position directly beneath the rear, so that they were now perpendicular to each other... then the two sections made contact.

"How the hell did they manage that?" Calara marvelled, staring at the images.

"Powering up the sensor array let them track the rear of the ship. After that, it was simply a case of repositioning the front so that the rear would land on top of it," Irillith explained, watching the two halves continue to fall. "Little One tried to stop the descent, but only the front section had power, and there weren't enough retro-thrusters to counter that much mass."

The Invictus continued to drop, with Irillith accelerating the simulation until Arcadia's surface rushed into view. Reverting to real time, the Invictus made a surprisingly gentle landing as it crashed into the planet, with the rear section bouncing off the topdeck and rolling onto its side.

"Just as you guessed," John said, glancing at Alyssa.

"It was crazy to see it actually happening though," she murmured, finally tearing her eyes away from the wrecked ship. "The bots saved everything. If it wasn't for them, the Nymphs and the Invictus would have been obliterated in the crash. There's no way they could have survived otherwise."

John was quiet for a moment, then looked up at Irillith who still stood at his side. "We have to thank the bots somehow. Is there anything they need that we can help them with?"

"According to Little One, they just want to keep doing their duties aboard the Invictus," Irillith said with a helpless shrug. "Other than that, they don't seem to want anything... except some privacy."

"Well, they've earned it," he said, leaning back in his chair. "That and a lifetime supply of WD40."

"What about the three robots that died in the crash?" Rachel asked, a pained look on her face. "The Collective was grieving for them too... Is there any chance we could repair them?"

Irillith shook her head sadly. "They weren't destroyed in the crash, they were sucked out of the Invictus when it got sliced in half. There wouldn't be anything left of them after a fall from that height."

Dana sat bolt upright and gasped, "No, they're all still alive!"

"How?" Sakura asked with a sceptical frown. "We were ambushed in low orbit... that's at least a 100-mile drop!"

The redhead grinned. "The maintenance bots all float around on anti-grav generators! Even if the bots were out of range of the Invictus and lost higher functions, as long as their chassis still had power, the safety protocols should have kicked in. I designed them so that they'd auto-stabilise and land on the nearest flat surface if they lost contact with their server."

"So it's just a case of tracking them down wherever they landed?" John asked with a smile.

"Yep! We can use the sensors in the shuttle. Until I upgrade the Invictus, those are the most sensitive ones we've got."

"Alright, first thing tomorrow, we'll go looking for them," he said, feeling a surprising surge of relief. He glanced around at the girls and saw similar looks on their faces. "It's not just me then?"

Irillith smiled and shook her head. "The bots feel like family now. I'm so glad there's a chance they're still alive."

"Me too." He gave her a quick kiss. "Well done speaking to the Collective. I'm glad we found out exactly what happened with the Invictus."

The Maliri studied him for a moment, then said quietly, "I found out something else too. Little One is a lot more advanced than I ever expected... she actually told me that Faye was her mother."

John's mouth fell open in shock. "What?!"

"I know, I felt the same way," Irillith said with a wistful look in her eyes. "Little One isn't as sophisticated as Faye, but she's fully self-aware and far more nuanced than I thought possible. I've tried speaking to the rest of the maintenance and cleaning bots, but they seem to be simpler constructs. I think Little One is unique... a special prototype that Faye was working on before she died."

"I can't believe Faye had a daughter..." Dana said, her eyes welling up. "Why didn't she tell us?"

"I don't know," Irillith replied sadly. "Perhaps once I've had a chance to study the Collective's server, I might be able to find some answers. I'll keep trying to build a relationship with Little One and the rest of the Collective. Hopefully, they'll learn to trust me enough that they'll let me take a look."

"I had a look down on Deck Six," Dana said, brushing away her tears. "Faye was a busy little bee. She constructed an array of highly advanced servers to support the bots; they're not as powerful as a Progenitor server, but Faye would have needed us to help build one of those."

"How did she do so much without us having a clue what she was up to?" John asked, looking at Dana then Irillith.

"She had twelve processing streams and was operating 24/7," Dana replied. "The stuff we gave her to do usually only kept her busy for a few hours each day. Most of the time, she would have had a ton of avatars just sitting around twiddling their thumbs."

John nodded his understanding, then let out a sigh. "I think we could all talk about Faye for hours, but let's change the subject before we all get depressed. There's quite a few other things we need to talk about... like concealing the Invictus. Did the holo-generators work?"

"We're indistinguishable from the jungle," Sakura replied. "I took the Valkyrie up to check. There's no way you can tell the difference from a low-orbit scan."

"And the Stealth Field Generator worked like a charm," Dana said, giving John a thumbs up. "It drains power like a mother, so I took the Nova Lances offline until I can install Quantum Power Augmenters to deal with the load."

"Brilliant, well done everybody," John said, heaving a sigh of relief. "Now we can focus on getting the Invictus patched up, without worrying about another Progenitor blasting us with an orbital bombardment."

"I've discussed the scope of the repairs with Dana," Rachel said. "I've planned out all the tasks we need to accomplish and in what sequence. I can go through the list with you tomorrow before we start work."

"Perfect, thank you."

"Do you want me to give you a summary of all the tech I swiped from your Dad's ship?" Dana asked, giving John a smile of anticipation. "A bunch of it we can just plug straight in!"

He nodded. "Okay, what did you find?"

"Well, you know about the Stealth Field Generator already. It's an amazing bit of tech that inverts energy signatures, effectively nullifying them and making a ship invisible to sensors. It uses a crazy amount of power though, so you can't just leave it on during a fight. You'd have to deactivate some systems to give you enough energy to run it while you're actually ambushing someone."

"We've been on the receiving end of that, so we know how effective it is," John said grimly. "What else did you find?"

"There's a functional Progenitor Shield Generator there too, although the projectors have blown out all their focusing crystals. It's too big to transport in the shuttle though, so we'll need to go and pick it up when the Invictus is capable of flight again. Basically, it's an enhanced version of the thrall shield generator, with hard shields that block missiles, but the shield harmonics constantly fluctuate which makes it harder for energy weapons to disrupt it. If we had one of those installed during the Battle of Terra, the Invictus wouldn't have taken a scratch!"

"Very nice," he said, glancing at Calara who grinned back at him.

"The engines and retro-thrusters on Rahn'hagon's ship are all fucked... they got completely trashed by Mael'nerak's explosion in the Niryean Rift, so we can't just steal them," Dana said with a rueful frown. Her expression brightened as she continued, "But I've got the schematics and we should be able to build a full set for our ship without needing the black metal!"

"Maybe we could start building them on the flight back to Genthalas?" John suggested.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking," she enthusiastically agreed. "The last thing we took from your dad's ship is a Progenitor version of a Null Inertia Gyroscope. We'll need that if we upgrade the engines... believe me!"

"Was that everything?"

"I found a number of other minor components, but they're not particularly exciting. High capacity cable junctions, that kind of stuff. They're important and tons better than the T-Fed equivalents, but it's probably not worth going through all that."

John shrugged and nodded his agreement. "Sure, I'll take your word for it. What about Larn'kelnar's ship? Did you find anything more there?"

Dana took a deep breath, then replied, "The front third of Rahn'hagon's ship was completely destroyed... and that's where the really awesome stuff was located. I said earlier that I discovered a Wormhole Generator, which basically lets us fold spacetime and create our own private wormhole from wherever we are... to wherever we like! The one downside is the amount of time it takes to recharge it after it's been used. Unless I'm reading the schematics wrong, which I'm pretty sure I'm not... we can only make one jump every twelve hours."

"So we'll have to be really careful where we jump to," John said, mulling that over. "We won't be able to just leap in and out making surgical strikes."

"Afraid not. Although it does let us cover distances that should take us months of travel time in a matter of seconds, so I guess it's still useful," she replied with a mischievous smile.

He laughed and held up his hands defensively. "I was just trying to figure out its limitations, I wouldn't dare to disparage such a wondrous device."

Dana rolled her eyes and smiled. "I should hope not." She tapped a finger on her chin. "Now, what else... Oh yeah, I found a Quantum Omni-phase Scan Array which will massively increase the range of our long-range sensors, as well as let us perform active scans at much longer distances. I tracked down the Tractor Beam they used on us, which is tons better than the T-Fed version, as well as the Energy Nullification Emitter, which they used to knock out the Raptor's power. It only works on relatively small, lightly-shielded ships, but once it's locked on they're totally screwed."

"Are you deliberately saving the best till last?" Calara asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.

The redhead gave her a knowing look. "Yeah, I got that too. The big beam weapon Larn'kelnar used to chop the Invictus in half... It's called a Quantum Disintegrator and is basically like a Nova Lance on steroids." She turned to look at John and added, "If I could figure out how to make the black metal, I've got everything I need to make you your own dreadnought!"

John considered that for a moment. "We'll come back to that at the end. I'd like to recap the fight with Larn'kelnar and everything else that happened aboard his ship first."

Dana blinked in surprise. "Yeah, sure thing."

"You did an amazing job locating all those schematics, Dana. Thank you," he said earnestly.

"No problem," she said with a self-conscious smile. Her smile faded as she continued, "Finding everything wasn't nearly as much fun as I thought it would be... but it was hard to be excited about anything after what happened to Faye."

"I know exactly what you mean." John took a deep breath, then leaned forward to look intently at the girls. "We lost one of our own today and that was a hell of a bitter blow... but as painful as it is to think about losing Faye, I don't want any of you to forget what we accomplished. We actually defeated a Progenitor..."

John paused to let that sink in.

"Larn'kelnar was over 9000 years old and an experienced veteran of Progenitor combat. Despite him getting the drop on us and totally outclassing the Invictus with his dreadnought, we managed to turn the fight around and bring that bastard down. He caused the deaths of millions of innocent people by playing games and setting all the empires at each other's throats. He was also on the verge of an easy victory and all he had to do was bring his thrall fleets here and there's very little we could've done to stop him. If it wasn't for all of your quick thinking and teamwork, we wouldn't have stood a chance. So thank you... I'm very proud of you all."

Alyssa reached out to gently squeeze his hand. "You weren't too shabby yourself," she said with an encouraging smile.

John looked down at her hand, then slowly pulled his away. "I made some serious mistakes. If I hadn't agreed with my guide's ridiculous plan to try to outlast Larn'kelnar, then Sakura, Dana, and Rachel would never have been injured. I was also woefully ineffective at getting through his shield; all I really did was distract him a bit and block all those beams. Even when I chased him down, I made a mistake not killing him outright... his matriarch died unnecessarily because I didn't just execute him."

Calara looked at him with concern. "John... you're being way too harsh on yourself."

"No, I haven't been harsh enough... that's the problem. I should have been training constantly over the last six months to get ready for this fight. If Alyssa hadn't done such an incredible job of training Rachel how to create hex shields, I would have lost you all. Sakura came closer to killing Larn'kelnar than I did... and I only finished him off at the end because we'd drained all his energy."

Sakura frowned and said quietly, "I only had that opportunity because you and Alyssa worked together to knock his shields down."

"My guide did that," John said with a grimace. "I was practically useless for most of the battle... but that ends now. I locked my guide away after he turned on me, but I'll never reach my full potential while I'm dragging his dead weight around in my mind. I'm going to end it between us once and for all, then the next time we fight one of those bastards, I will be prepared."

Calara looked at Alyssa and her eyes suddenly widened as she saw the profound sadness in her lover's gaze. "It's not over! We're not retiring!"

"No..." the blonde replied, her expression bleak. "Not anytime soon..."

John rose from his chair and began to pace. "When I met my father, he showed me a map of our galaxy. It showed the location of the other Progenitors and their empires... and there're dozens of them!" He glanced at Calara and continued, "I want nothing more than to retire with all of you and start a family... but there'll be more Progenitors coming."

The room went silent, with the girls looking at him in dismay.

"I refuse to be jerked around like a goddamn puppet by another one of those assholes!" he said furiously. "Jade was right months ago... we need to be the cat, not the mouse!"

"What are you planning to do, Master?" she asked, leaning forward, her feline eyes gleaming.

He turned to look at Dana. "We've got all their technology now, so we're finally on an even footing. Once you've figured out how we can construct Progenitor devices with or without black metal, we're going to rebuild the Invictus, using all their tech against them. But I want to go further... you've already started to innovate beyond thrall technology, but soon it'll be time for you to push the boundaries on Progenitor tech."

She stared at him with eyes like saucers. "I... I can't! I'm not as good as you think I am, John! All I've been doing is reproducing Thrall and Progenitor tech that you put in my head!"

"Nope, that's not true at all," he said firmly. He turned to face Calara. "Pound for pound, what's the most destructive bit of hardware we've got?"

The Latina considered that for a moment, then her full lips curled up into a smile. "The Valkyrie."

"Exactly!" John exclaimed, turning to look at Dana again. "You customised that mech for Sakura's unique abilities and created something incredible. There is no way in hell the Valkyrie is standard-issue Progenitor hardware."

"It's not," Calara said quietly. "While we were on the Bridge of Larn'kelnar's dreadnought, we searched for the location of the Larathyran Empire and I got a full listing of his fleet assets. I memorised that entire list... Thralls and Progenitors don't use mechs."

A smile slowly spread across Dana's face. "Maybe there is some way I can improve on their technology after all."

John nodded and gave her an encouraging smile. "I know you will. We're going to take all that new tech and upgrade the hell out of the Invictus. It'll be smaller, faster, leaner, a lethal killing machine... we'll turn this ship into something they'll come to fear."

"Hell yeah!" Dana exclaimed.

He suddenly paused and looked sharply at Calara. "Wait... you know where all Larn'kelnar's thrall fleets are?!"

She nodded, her smile widening. "Yes, every single one. There are thousands of incredibly powerful ships floating aimlessly in space with dead crews, just waiting for the right person to... requisition them."

"We have got a history for that," he said with a wry smile. "So we just need to use the Wormhole Generator to repeatedly ferry Maliri crews out there, or we find a hyper-warp gate and transport a fleet full of Maliri to Larathyran territory. Once we capture all those ships, we can upgrade all our Maliri fleets with Thrall warships... and still have a massive reserve of Maliri ships!"

"That was what I was thinking," Calara agreed, her brown eyes shining with excitement.

"Larn'kelnar was looking for Rahn'hagon's gate... he was torturing him to find it." John frowned as he mulled that over. "But my father mentioned activating Mael'nerak's gate instead... so that must be around somewhere and probably nearer."

"It's at Kythshara," Jade said quietly. "Mael'nerak's throne world."

He whirled around to look at the Nymph. "Jade... do you remember where that is?!"

She frowned, her brow furrowing with concentration. "It was his seat of power... he ruled his empire from there."

John looked at Alyssa. "You've memorised the star charts... any idea where it could be?"

The blonde held out her hand for the remote, which Irillith then threw to her. Nobody said anything, but they all knew that Alyssa would have called for Faye to assist. She pressed a number of buttons on the remote, bringing up a map of the galactic empires and all the star systems they had claimed.

"We know that Mael'nerak's territory covered Maliri, Terran, Ashanath, and Trankaran Space," Alyssa said, eliminating swathes of territory owned by the Kintark, Brimorians, Drakkar, and Kirrix. "So a central point would be somewhere... there."

They all stared at the map and the section highlighted in a red circle.

"On the Terran side of the Maliri border?" John asked in confusion. "But there's nothing there; definitely no systems with a Gaia class planet."

"Wait a second..." Tashana said, holding up her hand. "We know Mael'nerak went to war with the Achonin, but that was at least 10,000 years before he started creating those species. He must have had his throne world long before he expanded to include the territory he allocated to the Ashanath and the rest."

"Okay, I'll remove those systems too," Alyssa agreed, making some corrections to her map and moving the central point.

Her highlighted area was now in Maliri territory, but still nowhere near any systems with high-quality worlds.

John frowned and looked at Jade again. "What does a hyper-warp gate actually look like?"

"It's big..." she replied, trying to visualise the hazy images in her memory. "Circular... like a disc with the hole removed for fleets to sail through."

"Genthalas!" Dana exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Jade shook her head. "No, nowhere near that massive... maybe a tenth of the size?"

"So still huge then," John said, drumming his fingers on the back of his chair. "How the hell could the Maliri miss something that big? It's been thousands of years since Mael'nerak died; unless Kythshara was destroyed in the war, I don't understand why they haven't found it."

"I don't think it was destroyed," Tashana said, lost in thought. "Do you remember the last video in the Nexus files showing Mael'nerak breaking his bond with Valada? She was still on Kythshara when he left her... that's correct isn't it, Jade?"

"Yes, that command centre was on Kythshara," the Nymph replied with a firm nod.

Alyssa slid the remote across the table to Irillith. "Can you find me those video files please? I want to take a look at Mael'nerak's empire map... the one showing all the Gaia-class planets."

The Maliri nodded and began searching through the data archives to find the relevant video footage. It didn't take her long to find the correct record from the Nexus files and she started the recording, showing events on Kythshara 900 years after the Nymphs had been set free on Lenarra. Irillith paused it immediately, as the clip began with a shot of the sweeping galactic map which adorned one of the walls of the control room.

"That one!" Alyssa exclaimed, rising from her chair and pointing to a Gaia-classification world. "There's supposed to be a planet there... but if you check the star charts, there isn't a star system in that part of Maliri Space!"

"Can you show us?" John asked Irillith, who nodded and zoomed in on Alyssa's holographic map.

The area of space was centred on dense swirls of colour, in vibrant oranges, purples, and greens. Tashana's shocked gasp mirrored her sister's, both Maliri gaping at the map in disbelief.

"What is it?" John asked, his gaze flicking between the twins. "It looks like some kind of nebula?"

"The Mists of Loralar..." Tashana murmured, shivering at the thought. "Sensors don't work in there... it's completely impenetrable."

Irillith nodded, her violet eyes showing her fear. "Years ago, mother sent in an expedition. The ship returned less than an hour later... the crew were terrified out of their minds!"

*They had to be sedated, John,* Edraele murmured sounding thoroughly disquieted. *Several never recovered and had to be euthanised.*

"It sounds like some kind of defensive measure to keep the Maliri out," John said, making eye contact with Alyssa. "That's got to be it."

"I knew there was something weird going on with that planet!" the blonde said with a groan of frustration. "I spotted it months ago!"

"You're not seriously considering going in there are you?!" Irillith balked, her angular eyes wide with fright.

John nodded, meeting her shocked gaze. "Kythshara, Mael'nerak's Soul Forge, his hyper-warp gate... they must all be hidden inside that nebula. We know whatever it is keeping people out of that system affects Maliri, so when we get back home, the two of you can stay with Edraele when we make the attempt."

The twins looked conflicted between obvious relief and regret at the thought of being left behind.

John stood at the head of the table, his eyes set with a determined edge. "Rahn'hagon thinks that Progenitors will be coming for us now... that Xar'aziuth won't rest until we're dead. But now we've got a solid lead on Kythshara, which means everything changes. We're not going to just sit around and just wait for them to come to us... we'll never see an end to the fighting if we do that. I say we go out there and we kill them all!"

***

The Terran Federation assault carrier dropped out of hyper-warp, appearing on the outer edge of the Alpha Centauri system. One of the latest T-Fed designs, the sleek vessel incorporated the formidable gun decks of a heavy cruiser, the dropship carrying capacity of a carrier, and enough engines to let it outpace any ship of its size. Retro-thrusters flared along its hull and the assault carrier pivoted, starlight illuminating the name "Zelus" in ten-metre-tall lettering along its bow.

Six engines blazed to life, the orange light shockingly bright against the darkness of space, and the assault carrier swept towards the solitary planet orbiting the star. The system was teeming with activity with vast fleets of Terran warships arrayed in formation on the approach to Olympus Shipyard, awaiting their turn in drydock. As the Zelus cruised past, it was easy for the crew to see the extensive damage sustained in the battle of Terra, with blackened plasma burns scarring the grey titanium hulls.

It wasn't just military vessels gathered at Olympus. Hundreds of freighters were forced to queue as they waited for an available docking bay, their merchant captains eager to capitalise on the massive demand for raw materials. The assault carrier drew closer and the reason for that influx of goods was soon quite apparent, with a lattice of maintenance stanchions outlining the planned expansion on the underbelly of the shipyard.

After being granted clearance to approach the shuttle bay, retro-thrusters blazed across the assault carrier's bow, easing the Zelus to a halt. If this had been a seabound vessel, the Zelus would have weighed anchor at this friendly port. Instead, armoured bay doors along its flanks peeled back into the hull, revealing rows of black-hulled gunships.

Three of the Raptors lifted off the flight deck and glided out of the carrier, their angled wings giving them the dangerous profile of a swooping bird of prey. The gunships arced gracefully over the shuttle traffic that was ferrying personnel to and from the planet below, then angled off to starboard and entered the yawning hangar. A trio of landing pads flashed green and the Raptors lined up with the glowing discs, then touched down with the skilled precision of veteran pilots.

Lieutenant Cole Price was the deck officer on duty that evening and he watched the three special forces gunships land with a flicker of apprehension. Glancing at his holo-viewer, he saw that a priority landing request had just been filed by the Zelus, but there was no purpose specified for their arrival at Olympus Shipyard. He walked towards the parked craft and the central gunship's forward-loading ramp began to lower with the soft whine of hydraulics, revealing two soldiers wearing black Phalanx armour.

With helmets tucked under their arms and assault rifles slung over their shoulders, the special forces operatives strode down the ramp towards Price. He could see the hawk insignia on the shoulderpad of the lead soldier, identifying the dark-haired man as Commander rank. Both men had the stony-faced look of combat veterans, their eyes instinctively wary for danger, even in a bastion of Terran Federation might.

"Good evening, Sir," Price said with a sharp salute. "May I request your identification and purpose at Olympus?"

"Commander MacCallum, personnel transfer," the special ops officer replied, handing over a data chip.

Price inserted it into his holo-viewer then scrolled through the Commander's details, raising an eyebrow as row after row were redacted as classified. He could only wonder why a veteran with this much experience of ultra-level clearance operations was being assigned to guard duty. He checked the authorisation for the personnel transfer, then grunted when he saw the rank of the woman who'd ordered the move.

"Everything seems to be in order," he said, handing back the data stick. "Welcome to Olympus, Commander."

MacCallum nodded to the deck officer, then tapped some buttons on his vambrace. The loading ramps at the rear of the gunships began to lower and when they touched the deck, squads of identically equipped soldiers marched out of the Raptors. There were thirty men per transport and they assembled in precise ranks as the two officers looked on.

"Move them out, Donnely," MacCallum rumbled, before turning and striding towards the exit.

His second-in-command pulled on his helmet, then issued a series of curt orders that Lieutenant Price strained to hear. The special forces squads had no problem following those orders though and they marched out of the shuttle bay behind Maccallum. Price watched them leave with a wistful sigh, wondering how he could go about qualifying to join their unit.

Commander MacCallum was waiting for Lieutenant Commander Donnely when he left the shuttle bay and the two men opened a secure tight-band broadcast between their Phalanx suits.

"You know what to do, Donnely," MacCallum said staring at his colleague's impassive black helmet.

"Yes, Sir. Initiating Phase One of the operation."

MacCallum unslung his rifle and checked the two magazines were locked in place. Satisfied that the bullpup weapon was loaded and ready, he accompanied his troops as they advanced cautiously through the Shipyard.