ã€ŠValkyria Risingã€‹


 Prologue

    ¡°You can¡¯t worry about upsetting them, I know why you¡¯re telling them the dark, gritty past of your exploits and by the end, I¡¯m sure they will too. Their view of you won¡¯t change,¡± Professor Belemecuri stated to the hologram of Morrigan.

    Morrigan held a sullen expression, ¡°Perhaps¡­ but what happened to me can happen to anyone, hell, anyone can be in the position I was the day the Federation fell¡­¡±

    The older man who sat at his desk with his feet propped up nodded sagely, ¡°true¡­ however, that is why you''re doing this, is it not? Why you want them to know the entire truth as they come into the fold of the higher echelon of the Imperium you built, so they understand that terrible things happened, not only to our conjoined races but to you, their Empress that has built an empire of unity for all, as well.¡±

    Morrigan huffed and eyed the amphitheater doors, ¡°I saw some of their faces¡­ but you¡¯re right, that is why I¡¯m doing this¡­ personally. They need to hear it from me, not some history log¡­¡±

    Morrigan switched off the connection as soon as the doors cracked open.

    Students filed into the amphitheater in an orderly fashion as the hologram of Empress Morrigan came stoically to life once again. Professor Belemecuri sat behind his desk with a content smile on his face, giving Morrigan a respectful nod.

    She watched as the students took their seats, reflecting on how many of them had left class in tears, anger or in awe. She had no love of sharing the information she had revealed the day before, especially when she had seen the haunted looks in some of the students, but it was a necessary regret for the lesson she intended on conveying.

    She stood regally despite dressed in comfort; her plain pants and shirt were pressed and high quality though they fell below what the students expected of their Empress.

    All the students focused on her now that they were seated, some holding expectant looks in their eyes, eager for the story to continue while others sat wide eyed with worry at what else could come from their fabled ruler.

    The slightest smirk formed at the edge of her mouth as she watched several wide eyed Marmuro¡¯k S¡¯randin flick their tongues nervously as they quietly chirped at one another. Morrigan enjoyed their animalistic mannerisms.

    With a loud sigh, she started, ¡°First of all, I do want to apologize to those who were upset by¡­¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s words were cut off by a distant howl before the large quirky canine with flowing tentacles that the students saw the previous day came into view within the holographic platform. The creature stood on its hind legs as it draped over their Empress from behind as it persistently attacked her head with its tongue.

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    Many of the students giggled and laughed at the display as Morrigan sputtered and struggled to maintain her composure. To their surprise, she stood her ground against the massive canine¡¯s weight despite being less than half its size.

    ¡°Okay! Okay! I get it buddy; I love you too but you need to sit!¡± she said to the creature as she snapped her fingers repeatedly.

    The creature obeyed and sat directly beside her, its large shoulder leaning against her as, even sitting, sat a head taller at their Empress¡¯ shoulders

    ¡°Pets¡­ am I right?¡± Morrigan mused, a swath a giggles and amused hisses spreading throughout the amphitheater.

    Morrigan let out a deep, steady breath as she eyed her companion, ¡°For those who do not know, this trickster of a creature is Skoll¡­¡±

    The massive canine let out a long howl before dipping its head into a cackling high-pitched warble that personified laughter.

    Morrigan snickered at her companion while the students gently clapped in amusement. They watched as Skoll preened at the applause before shifting its head and gave Morrigan a quick lick to her face.

    She let out a defeated sigh before wiping away the saliva from her face, ¡°Damn it¡­behave you mutt,¡± she muttered before she reached up and stroked Skoll¡¯s cheek and ear. ¡°This majestic creature is known to the Eskarii as a Danth?r, native to the planet Turisa,¡± she continued. Many of the Eskarii nodded their agreement to fellow classmates, though not all of them.

    ¡°You see, I did not meet my lovely companion on Turisa¡­ in fact, I have never been there though I hope to one day. No, I met Skoll here during the early days of my career as an Inquisitor, during a diplomatic mission to the Marmuro¡¯k home world, Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To.¡±

    The groups of Marmuro¡¯k in the seats bellowed in cheer at the mention of their world of origin which caused Morrigan to grin.

    Morrigan cleared her throat and held herself a bit higher as she pat Skoll¡¯s muscular shoulder, one of its tentacles curling around her in an odd hug which brought out murmured awes from some of the students.

    ¡°Today¡¯s lesson will cover my years within the Inquisition that followed just after my escape from Castile V¡­ it will also cover how I gained the respect of the Marmuro¡¯k and earned the honor of being able to call them our friends, largely in part, due to meeting the B?r?sk?, as the Marmuro¡¯k called the Danth?r. Without Skoll¡¯s companionship here, there is no telling how things would have gone,¡± she stated stoically before Skoll howled in excitement and hopped in place beside her, stamping its large paws on the ground.

    Skoll¡¯s antics caused laughter to ripple which only served to encourage the creature¡¯s silly performance, even Professor Belemecuri chuckled behind his desk.

    Morrigan¡¯s stoicism broke at the display and she let out a soft chuckle before patting Skoll on the cheek, ¡°Okay, settle down you spaz. If you behave maybe I¡¯ll let you play with the students later after graduation,¡± she said, chuckling through as she eyed the students throughout the amphitheater. The look of shock on their faces only made her smile more as Skoll¡¯s wide eyed look to her enticed nervous excitement and worry throughout the stands at the prospect of meeting the silly creature as well as the potential of meeting their Empress in person.

    Skoll let out its cackle she had grown accustomed to hearing before laying down by her side waiting patiently.

    Morrigan snorted before returning her attention to the class, ¡°now, today¡¯s lesson starts here, on the Void Star. Much like some of you, I stayed within the military district housing as well, upon my induction into the Inquisition. On this very ground, is where the start of my rebellion against the Federation truly began¡­¡±

 Chapter I

    ¡°It used to be said, that every time a bell rings an angel got its wings; but what happens when the world cries? When the world cries out in despair and woe, there is no angel. Instead, the universe gives birth to an equalizer. A force of nature, for better or for worse, designed to restore balance to the world. That, is what I saw in her when I found that young woman¡­¡± ¨C Gregor Solomon, Lord Inquisitor of the Inquisition, year 2393 Sol.

    Images flashed in Morrigan¡¯s mind at an epileptic pace; images of blood, torn flesh and pain. A familiar gunshot rang out in a menacing echo as she saw a young Eskarii girl¡¯s head hit the sidewalk. The laughter that thundered around her stoked terror up her spine like a burning fire as she saw the dirty fingers of Tyrus¡¯s hand pressed against her face as blood crawled down the stone wall. The primal snarl of a beast unknown to her.

    Wake the fuck up! The familiar panicked voice bounced around her skull.

    Morrigan shrieked in terror as she bolted upright, her crimson claws slashing around her gouging the wall next to her and shredding the blanket she had been nestled under.

    Xol and the Marmuro¡¯k that littered the floor also shot up defensively with cries of alarm or low, threatening hisses at what ever intruder dared to enter the dwelling they huddled in.

    They all looked to find Morrigan sitting in bed hyperventilating, eyes wide as she looked at each of them.

    ¡°I''m sorry¡­ I''m so sorry,¡± she breathed, tears filling her eyes.

    It¡¯s okay kid, you were having a nightmare, Apollyon said soothingly in her head.

    She nodded her understanding as she tried even out her breathing as Yekku and Qiote chirped at her. ¡°Just a nightmare¡­ I¡¯m sorry for scaring all of you¡­¡± she stated as she took in a deep breath as the pain in her head grew exponentially.

    Yekku padded over on his hands and feet to the edge of the bed, his long slender tail keeping him balanced as he reached his slender head over the threshold to prod her hand with this flickering forked tongue.

    The motion tickled the back of hand letting her smile softly as the S¡¯randin looked at her with wide concerned eyes. She brushed her hand over his snout, ¡°Thank you, Yekku,¡± she said meekly.

    A long string of consistent clicking came from his throat and she looked to Xol, ¡°What did he say?¡±

    Xol settled again the opposite wall to have full view of his charge. With a soft huff he looked at her, ¡°Ssays, you arre wwelcome,¡± his voice ever deep.

    Yekku watched her in wonderment as she brushed her hand along his head and along the frill that ran down the top of his head while she watched the other two Marmuro¡¯k settle down to fall back asleep.

    The S¡¯randin pointed at the foot of her bed with a chirp. Morrigan didn''t need Xol to translate as she found the meaning in the gesture. Looking at the wall next to her, the gouges cutting through deep into the wood hidden in the wall and peeling back some of the metal inner wall, she pursed her lips in concern as she turned her attention back to Yekku.

    ¡°I don''t think that is a safe idea¡­ I appreciate the gesture though, you¡¯re very sweet to offer,¡± she said sullenly. It was odd to her that Yekku offered to sleep at her feet, whether it was for comfort or because the S¡¯randin¡¯s personality was short of being that of a feline, she didn''t want to risk accidently hurting him in her sleep.

    Yekku nodded with a chirp and padded the carpet next to the bed before laying down and curling up in an adorable fashion. For as tall as they were, the S¡¯randin could curl up rather tightly.

    ¡°Mirina Sor Sib¨º, Xol-Tau hi?ark¡¯irin,¡± Xol stated in a deep, soft voice as he crossed his arms.

    Morrigan smiled and stifled a chuckle at how the Marmuro¡¯k word for sleep sounded so much like sleepy, as if he was telling her she was sleepy.

    She lay back down on her side, shifting the shredded portion of the blanket away from her with a frown, before watching Xol sit like an ever-watching sentinel over her.

    Xol was not far off about needing sleep, she would be lying if she tried to claim she wasn''t exhausted. Albeit hangover or the nightmare fueled sleep she woke up from, her body demanded rest.

    Well, you¡¯re definitely hung over as shit hahaha, Apollyon mused.

    Despite the skull splitting headache, she still smiled at her companion¡¯s amusement. She had spent the entire night drinking her pain away when she arrived at the Void Star with the exuberantly gay Dora until Solomon fulfilled half of his promise of directing Xol and the other Marmuro¡¯k to the bar.

    Their presence surprised many of the patrons and even Dora himself, though Dora had been significantly more accepting of them being in his bar. It had been a wonderful time to just be able to forget everything around her and joke with Dora.

    It worried her that Nora never made it to the bar before an administrator came to lead them to her small apartment within the military district, though she knew better than to worry too deeply for Nora¡¯s safety. The beautiful silver eyed blonde was a powerhouse of a mage and she knew Solomon would not risk Morrigan rejecting the Inquisition by letting something happen to her two closest companions.

    It was curious how Xol and the others got there so fast, something she would have to ask him about when it came to their processing. She believed Solomon was just happy to have them aboard that he cared little for what they did as long as they behaved. Like a litter of puppies, they followed their ¡°Mirina Sor¡± around obediently.

    That did not help the desire she had to curl into the woman¡¯s chest and lose herself to the Nora¡¯s heartbeat¡­ perhaps then, maybe, her sleep would be less frightening.

    ???

    Taylor rubbed the sleep from his eyes as the shuttle docked. Most of Havoc squad was happy with being woken up to a priority mission from the Federation Headquarters.

    He turned to see Henry passed out again leaning against the shell of the spacecraft nestled between a crate and a support beam. Jackson handed Taylor a cup of coffee and gave him a meaningful nod before passing coffee out to the rest of them.

    The coffee was barely hot however, the familiar earthy taste of the sacred bean helped get his synapses firing. He turned to Aleksei who accepted two cups of coffee for himself smiling brightly. ¡°Good day for explosions my friend!¡± he toasted Taylor merrily.

    Taylor tipped his cup and shook his head, uncertain how someone could be a morning person like that, then again, the man¡¯s love for destruction knew no bounds.

    Jackson passed Stephanie as she sat on the crate next to Henry, stealing two cups for herself as well. Taylor smirked as she downed the first cup as if it had been a glass of whiskey before crumbling the paper cup and tossing it on the floor.

    She watched him watch her with her icy blue eyes before revealing a smirk of her own with wiggling eyebrows. Taylor smiled wider as Jackson took a long step back while she leaned over and dumped the second cup of coffee onto Henry¡¯s shoulder, at just the right angle that it bled into his clothes underneath his armor.

    Henry yelped in surprise and flung himself from the wall, crossing the space Jackson would have been standing if the combat medic did not know better. Even though the coffee had not been hot enough for injury, it was still warm enough to jolt someone out of their sleep.

    ¡°What the fuck! Jesus¡¯s ball sack what is wrong with you woman?!¡± Henry exclaimed as he watched her silently laugh hysterically. Realizing he had just been rudely woken up via brown shower.

    ¡°Fucking bitch!¡± he growled as he wretched the carafe from Jackson¡¯s hands, all the while the medic laughed, and hauled his arm back.

    Before he could commit his assault, Ebony walked into the staging area of the shuttle from the cockpit, ¡°Henry give back the coffee or so help me I will eject you into space!¡± she barked grouchily. He turned his head sharply at his squad leader and huffed before turning back to see Stephanie sitting innocently, throwing knife in hand and a raised eyebrow challenging him.

    With a growl, he shoved the carafe back into Jackson¡¯s arms. ¡°Fucking women! Ya know, I¡¯d have been less pissed if you just pissed on me! A golden shower I can at least appreciate¡­ this is just a waste of good coffee!¡± he ranted animatedly.

    ¡°Of course you would, why I used coffee,¡± Steph signed with a grin.

    Jackson finished passing out coffee as Taylor stood there appreciating finally being able to understand the blonde dread headed woman. Though, she usually offered nothing but smart-ass remarks to the team, Taylor had spent the past several months learning her way of communicating and found her to be a deep and highly intelligent woman.

    Henry sipped his coffee angrily as he shot a glance at Ebony, ¡°What the hell are we doing out here?¡±

    Ebony savored her coffee and let Jackson refill her cup as she cleared her throat. ¡°We¡¯ve been tasked with spearheading an assault on a mining colony. Supposedly, it was a privately owned prison that used slave labor to mine Viridian,¡± she explained with hinted exhaustion.

    ¡°No shit?¡± Aleksei questioned.

    She licked her lips and nodded, ¡°According to the reports I received from Rosa, there was a rebellion led by someone the higher ups dubbed ¡°the Rose¡±. Taking over the mine and challenging the Federation across open broadcast.¡±

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    ¡°Who is that?¡± Aleksei questioned.

    Ebony shrugged, ¡°Hell if I know, but the brass seems to have it hard for whoever it is.¡±

    ¡°So, what is our mission?¡± Taylor inquired.

    Ebony huffed and took a sip of coffee, ¡°Eliminate all hostile prisoners not in their holes and secure the site for the main group to take over the mine.¡±

    ¡°What kind of crazies are we working with?¡± Henry chirped.

    Ebony smirked, ¡°Significantly less crazy than us. You know how it is, murders, thieves, etcetera¡­¡± she waved her hand in passivity.

    Aleksei giggled to himself, ¡°No prisoners, boss?¡±

    Every member of Havoc squad hung their head with a groan which made the big man laugh even more.

    ¡°That was bad, even by my standards!¡± Henry groaned with a disappointing shake of his head.

    ¡°You can space him,¡± Stephanie signed with a mischievous smile.

    Ebony snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me, alright everyone, gear up. You have five minutes. Also, be warned, there was an Eskarii Frigate stationed near the prison before they FTL''d out of the sector. Seems the Chevelle spooked them into retreating so we may have visitors inside as well.¡±

    Everyone nodded reluctantly as they finished their coffees and started collecting their necessities for an assault. Taylor grabbed his machine gun and tall shield he had built.

    Aleksei strode up to Taylor with heavy foot falls. Carrying a similar shield strapped to his forearm. ¡°I can not wait to try your marvel!¡± he bellowed with enthusiasm, shifting his arm to indicate the inch thick metal riot shield.

    After the incident at the resort that left Stephanie injured, Taylor decided they needed a better way to protect themselves in blind situations. So, he spent any spare time not spent with Stephanie to develop a partially collapsible riot shield with a slot to mount his gun so he could press a position in safety and give anyone behind him cover, or to safely cover someone in the field if injured.

    Aleksei was so impressed with his design, he demanded Taylor make him one as well. Given the fact Aleksei could heft the weight of the shield with ease, Taylor obliged even though the man was a force of destruction despite everything.

    ¡°Glad you like it, though I apologize that you won¡¯t be able use your grenade launcher with it,¡± he told the Martian.

    Aleksei scoffed at that and held up the pump action grenade launcher, ¡°Sure I can!¡±

    Taylor was too tired to argue or inquire so he just shook his head and moved himself towards the door. He was quickly joined by the rest of the team, Aleksei taking point with him.

    At the extension of their shields, Ebony hit the control for the door to slide open revealing a metal and glass corridor, the interconnecting bridge between the void of space and the blast door that housed the interior of the prison.

    Havoc squad shuffled forward behind Taylor and Aleksei until it was a safe distance away for Ebony to break away and start hacking into the controls for the blast door.

    The yellow circulating lights began to flash as the massive steel door slowly rose. What Taylor had not expected to see was the mound of dead bodies piled up in the center of the room just beyond the door.

    ¡°I think it''s fair to say they''re not friendly,¡± Henry quipped as he cocked his rifle.

    No one said a thing as Taylor and Aleksei moved forward, studying the room through the small window Taylor built into the shields using the same ballistic safety glass they used on the bridges of starships. It was a slow process cutting the glass with the industrial plasma cutter in the R&D lab, but Taylor felt it was better safe than sorry.

    The place felt devoid of life however, if the Eskarii had abandoned some of their own in the prison, they likely received word that the Federation was there.

    Slowly and methodically, the squad moved through the loading bay and moved through a very picked-clean barracks though bloodstains littered the room in spray and smears.

    It was mildly unnerving, just shy of being a setting in a horror film, the only thing that was missing were flickering lights.

    Taylor and his partner turned left into a long, white tiled hallway that was riddled with blood and bullet holes. Aleksei cut Taylor a cursory glance before stepping cautiously down the hall.

    ¡°Take the next right, that''ll lead into the main courtyard,¡± Ebony whispered into their comms.

    As they came to the T intersection, Taylor nudged his partner with his elbow and mimicked himself peering around the edge of his shield before indicating the corner. Aleksei nodded firmly before stepping forward and leaning out with both the shield as well as half of his body in a comical manner.

    Aleksei¡¯s shoulders relaxed as he spun around to face the group, ¡°No one here boss,¡± he said loudly.

    Ebony¡¯s eyes went wide with alarm, ¡°are you fucking stupid?¡± she exclaimed in a stifled tone.

    Taylor leaned out and took a look for himself to fine a large amount of stone blocking the end of the corridor.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, looks like they barricaded themselves in the courtyard, this way is completely blocked,¡± he noted aloud.

    Ebony swore to herself as she pulled up the map of the facility, ¡°that¡¯s the only way in¡­ but there is a control room down the hall, I¡¯ll head down there and see if I can pull up any kind of feed. Big man, get that rubble out of the way.¡±

    Aleksei pumped his fist with a dark chuckle as Jackson stepped forward with his shotgun leaning against his shoulder, ¡°do you need anyone to go with?¡±

    Ebony shook her head as she studied the map, ¡°nah, the control room is literally door at the end of the hall so I''ll be within eyesight, just prepare for anything, I''ll let you know what I see from there.¡±

    Everyone nodded as she took off towards the control room while made his way down the perpendicular hall whistling a merry tune.

    ???

    Ebony looked surprised at the relative cleanliness of the control room. Who ever ¡°the Rose¡± was, Ebony found them to be rather intelligent to steer a pack of bloodthirsty inmates clear of the sensitive equipment.

    She stepped up to the central command console and started digging through the system to find the surveillance modules. She bit her lip hard to find that most of the cameras throughout the complex were disconnect, either by destroying them or by an inmate good with computer systems.

    All she could find in terms of live feed surveillance was a camera at the dock, three within the control room and one within the barracks that survived what ever onslaught that occurred.

    ¡°Hmmmm?¡± she hummed to herself as she found a folder of daily recordings backed up in the core mainframe of the complex.

    Selecting the last one to save within the courtyard, she was greeted to over 40 different angles of the courtyard, some showing drones flying through, some of responding security guards and a couple showing the offending party coming from a large door with the number 4 painted on it.

    Ebony¡¯s eyes went wide at the sight of human, Eskarii and Saurian prisoners rushing the courtyard, all following a woman with large crimson claws coming from her hands before an even more massive claw apparated and crashed into the camera and causing every single camera to go black.

    Something caught her attention though as she cycled the video back and froze it at a good spot. Zooming in she saw the faintest of blue on the woman¡¯s long bangs, her stare haunted and visceral. Ebony¡¯s mind recalled the picture she once saw several months ago of a young woman with dark blue bangs with soldier¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Oh fuck me¡­¡± she murmured to herself at the realization that not only had Taylor¡¯s lost girlfriend been there at the prison, she also had led the rebellion which overtook the compound, but that it meant the Federation brass had a deep interest in the girl, the so called ¡°Rose¡±.

    Ebony slammed her fist against the console, unknowingly causing the system to skip to the last saved file within the archive. A flash of red on one of the last surviving cameras drew her attention. It was of a blonde woman, Taylor¡¯s ¡°dead¡± girlfriend and of a tall white Saurian standing in front of a phalanx of soldiers clad in black.

    In between the soldiers and the three inmates was an older man in a long trench coat, holding a wide brim hat in his hands. Though there was no sound, Ebony could tell by their mannerisms that they were negotiating.

    ¡°All set boss!¡± Aleksei chirped happily in her ear through the comm, causing her to flinch.

    ¡°Yeah, just give me a minute. Still trying to find a working camera in the courtyard¡­¡± she huffed out in worry disguised as frustration.

    Ebony sped the recording up and watched the group that stood within the transfer area enter the facility and return to the dock with a parade of prisoners in tow.

    Ebony let out a sigh of relief when she realized his girlfriend left with who ever had picked up the prisoners.

    Looking at the time stamp of the recording, her eyes widened in disbelief that it had only happened 17 hours ago.

    ¡°I have to delete this, if Taylor figures out I lied to him with that bullshit document¡­¡± she thought to herself as her fingers flew over the display. She worked quickly to erase a month''s worth of the archived recordings, hoping that had been enough to erase the existence of the woman''s time there and headed back towards the intersection. As much as she would prefer to erase the entire archive, if she kept her squad waiting any longer someone would be sent to find her.

    The second Aleksei spotted her jogging up the hallway, he hit the detonator in his hand without warning.

    The resonating explosion rang through everyone''s ears as he bellowed a laugh and charged forward with glee, Taylor stumbling after him with shield at the ready.

    ¡°Mother fucking Russian!¡± she barked in anger as she caught up with her unshielded members of the squad recovering at the intersection.

    Jackson scrutinized her for a moment, ¡°Find anything?¡±

    She shook her head and lied, ¡°No, but I''m willing to bet the Eskarii took the prisoners with them so we shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    The sound of rapid machine gun fire that echoed towards them stole their attention and left them sprinting towards the courtyard.

    Aleksei and Taylor dug themselves in at the entrance, pushing against a steady stream of mini gun fire coupled with small arms fire that battered relentlessly into their dense shields. Taylor was at least able to return fire with his own machine gun mounted in the port built into his own cover.

    Ebony and Stephanie hugged the wall as they came up behind Taylor while Jackson and Henry moved behind Aleksei.

    ¡°Flash out!¡± Henry called as he hurled a flash bang as far as he could.

    Though the prisoners with small arms were smart enough to duck behind cover when the grenade landed, but the heavy gunners were too busy focused on the incoming Marines to bother, resulting in being blinded by a flash of white.

    Henry and Ebony quickly aimed around the two big guys and shot both heavy gunners. Allowing Taylor and Aleksei to move up after Aleksei¡¯s grenade launcher thumped, sending two prisoners flying from behind cover.

    Havoc squad spread out as Stephanie charged with Taylor and Aleksei towards the middle of the courtyard where the toppled tower once stood.

    Ebony could appreciate the scary intelligence the girl had for knocking the tower over to use as cover as she noted the scattered pools of blood where the guards had charged through.

    An Eskarii that wore alien combat gear popped up from behind cover and fired a steady stream of laser fire at her squad but a quick burst from Ebony¡¯s submachine gun put the alien down while Henry took pot shots at those in cover.

    The roar of a chain blade motor followed by the scream of a dying prisoner told her that the gap had been closed by Stephanie.

    In only a few short minutes, the courtyard fell to silence as a wasteland of slaughter. She counted four Eskarii troopers within a collection of 12 prisoners who had been left behind¡­ or chose to stay behind, which ever came first.

    The occasional gasp from a stab wound or periodic kill shot to make certain that the prisoners were all dead made Ebony flinch as she put together in her mind how the events of Castile V¡¯s prison break happened.

    As soon as Jackson gave her a thumbs up, she touched her comm with a heavy breath, ¡°Rosaline, this is Ebony. Site secured.¡±

    ¡°Good work Havoc squad, a detachment is on their way. Return to your shuttle for disembarking,¡± Rosa commanded to the entire team.

    Henry scratched his head as he awkwardly counted in a circle at the surrounding open doors that held carts filled with Viridian, ¡°So, there are 43 mines and only one door open? Where the hell is everyone else?¡±

    ¡°As far as I understand it¡­ this place holds well over a few thousand prisoners collectively. If I had to guess, that one there is the only one that rebelled. The others are probably too deep to have heard,¡± Ebony pointed out steadily.

    Taylor scratched at his beard. ¡°Makes sense to me given the majority of the bullet patterns. There is no way this place would have survived a full-scale riot,¡± he pointed out.

    Ebony waved to her team, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we did our part so let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    She was the last one to enter the hallway leading back to the intersection as she spied deep, large claw marks torn into the ground beneath the rubble. She looked up to see the massive blast door that had become wedged into the ceiling and connected the dots between the two anomalies. She grimaced as a frightening shiver crawled up her spine, wondering if Taylor knew just how dangerous his girlfriend really was.

 Chapter II

    After an additional four hours of dreamless sleep, Morrigan woke to the chime of her doorbell. The heavy foot falls of Xol striding out of the room faded before she could even open her eyes.

    As she sat up, Xol stepped back in the door of the bedroom as the rest of the Marmuro¡¯k stirred awake. ¡°Adminisstratorr, Mirina Sor,¡± he said as he peered over his shoulder.

    Morrigan let out a squeaky yawn as she nodded.  ¡°Thank you Xol. She''s here to show me around¡­ well, I guess show all of us around, I don''t know if you were given the layout of the Void Star or not last night,¡± she stated in lieu of asking.

    Xol bore his fangs with a shake of his head. The mannerism was a bit confusing to her but she took it as a no. Xol barked a command she was not awake enough to catch but the rest of his clan began to file out of the room as she threw the blanket off her and stood up, though Yekku let out a squawking protest despite following what ever the order was.

    ¡°Dressss,¡± Xol hissed out before shutting the door as gentle as his large frame allowed him to.

    Morrigan¡¯s cheeks burned at the amount of respect to her privacy Xol cared for as she moved to a closet that was built out from the wall.

    I don''t see what the big deal is, pretty sure these lizards don¡¯t view humans sexually, Apollyon quipped.

    Morrigan snorted as she opened the closet to find varying sizes of uniforms colored in a dark olive or earthy green.

    ¡°Morning to you too, Apollyon,¡± she snickered, ¡°It has nothing to do with sexuality though, I think Xol picked up quickly that Terran women like their privacy¡­ well, at least that I do anyways.  It¡¯s sweet that he took it into consideration,¡± she said with a smile.

    Her head pain was reduced to a subtle dull throb and her body felt like it had a modicum of energy to it.

    I guess¡­ you know, next time you plan to binge drink I can just flush the toxins from your body so you don''t wake up with a hang over next time, right?

    Morrigan glared at the uniform she held in her hands, ¡°Seriously? Why the hell didn''t you say something sooner?¡±

    Eh, for all I knew you were looking forward to the pain.  I¡¯ve listened to humans give themselves hang overs for millenia.

    ¡°You¡¯re literally in my head!¡± Morrigan growled as she tossed the uniform on the bed.

    Hahahahaha yeahhh, that I am, Apollyon said in a sinisterly cheeky tone.

    With a defeated sigh, she moved over to the dresser behind her and opened the drawers to find the common necessities one would need to dress, including men¡¯s underwear.

    ¡°I guess they didn¡¯t plan on guessing the gender of a new member huh?¡± she murmured before grabbing the rest of her attire. She even found a brush and hair ties within one of the smaller drawers, sitting beside a small standing mirror.

    Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re getting sold on cheap novelties like this, I raised you better than that!

    Morrigan snorted into a giggle, ¡°First of all, no I¡¯m not and second, you didn¡¯t raise me.¡±

    Saved your life, raised you, what¡¯s the difference? Apollyon grumbled in good humor.

    That drew a laugh out of her as she tore at the multitude of knots in her hair with the brush she found.

    You know, its entirely possible a shower might help with that, as fun as it is to watch you try and scalp yourself,

    ¡°Oh, a shower sounds like heaven!¡± she groaned wistfully as she stood up.

    I¡¯m pretty sure your idea of heaven is in between the legs of that pretty little¡­

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Morrigan exclaimed with burning cheeks, nearly shouting.

    Hey, I¡¯m just saying¡­

    ¡°Apollyon so help me, I will come in there and stuff you into the deepest darkest recess of my mind!¡± Morrigan cut Apollyon off again bitterly as her heart fluttered and the beet red sensation of her face rose even higher.

    Alright-alright, geez. Excuse a guy for havin¡¯ a little fun, Apollyon retorted aloofly, obviously not taking her seriously.

    She took a moment to take a deep breath and let her face return to its normal color before stepping out of the room to find a beautiful petite redheaded woman standing in front of the door to the tiny apartment.

    Well, what do you know, Apollyon quipped causing Morrigan to blush once again.

    To her luck, the woman was too busy gawking awkwardly at the four Marmuro¡¯k around the living space to notice, though Xol turned with a cocked head and gave her a curious look.

    Realizing Morrigan standing there, the woman looked at the disheveled mess of her appointee and took a step towards Morrigan with her hand out. Xol let out a warning hiss that drew everyone¡¯s attention, especially the woman''s.

    Morrigan chuckled and waved her worries away, ¡°You''ll have to forgive Xol, he is rather protective of me.¡±

    The Xol snorted and continued to watch the woman as Morrigan accepted the woman''s hand.

    ¡°I see, my names Emily, I''ll be showing you around today. It¡¯s nice to properly meet you this time Ms. Clarke,¡± she chuckled before giving her a genuine smile.

    Morrigan cocked her head, ¡°We met before?¡±

    Emily giggled, ¡°Yes, last night, well this morning technically. I¡¯m the one who showed you were you''ll be staying,¡± she said gesturing to the room.

    Morrigan pursed her lips and shook her head, ¡°I''m sorry, the only person I remember last night was Dora¡­ I was really drunk,¡± she said in embarrassment.

    Emily waved that off, ¡°No worries, were you unable to find a uniform that fit you? That happens on occasion around here.¡±

    Morrigan shifted on her feet in even more embarrassment, ¡°Oh no, I did but I umm¡­ severally need a shower¡­ I apologize for not being ready.¡±

    Emily smiled and set her data-slate on the counter that sat across from a small kitchenette. ¡°No need to worry about that, take your time.  The Lord Inquisitor knows the first few days are always the hardest. Take a shower, eat, we had the fridge stocked last night before you arrived. When you¡¯re ready we can move forward with the tour.¡±

    At the notion of food, both Yekku and Qiote perked their heads up from trying to get the holo-screen to work. Qiote swiftly stalked into the kitchen and opened the fridge with a delighted chirp while Yekku stealthily moved close to the new woman in the room, stooping low to meet the woman at her four-foot ten height.

    ¡°Oh! Um, hi,¡± Emily chirped out nervously as her gaze danced between Morrigan and the S¡¯randin invading her space.

    Yekku thrust his hand close to her and bobbed his head at it with a clicking sound that ended in a chirp.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ but do you know what it¡¯s saying?¡± she asked warily.

    Morrigan laughed lightheartedly, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you. Xol hasn¡¯t told me the secret to the S¡¯randin language. Though I believe Yekku is trying to greet you with a handshake.¡±

    Yekku bobbed his head spastically and thrust his hand forward three more times to drive the point home, his forked tongue flickering from his mouth patiently.

    Emily looked at the group she was surrounded by in disbelief before carefully placing her hand in the large lizard humanoid¡¯s four fingered hand.

    Yekku gently yet rapidly shook Emily¡¯s hand with a triumphant warble before placing her hand on top of his head.

    Morrigan could not keep from laughing at the exchange, ¡°He also likes head pets, this much I know!¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes bespoke of wonderment as she gently stroked her hand along Yekku¡¯s head and down his frill, letting out a chuckle of disbelief, ¡°Hi there Yekku,¡± she spoke softly in adoration.

    Yekku pulled his head out of her grasp and let out a long string of clicking and warble as he pointed to Qiote, who had currently been chomping down on a raw egg.

    Emily gave her a wide-eyed look which made Morrigan giggle, ¡°Xol? Care to elaborate?¡±

    Xol let out an indignant huff, ¡°sayss, you coo¡¯k foood. Question.¡±

    Morrigan smiled as Emily quirked her eyebrow, ¡°I believe Yekku is asking if you¡¯re able to cook.¡±

    Yekku nodded in his usual spastic motion with wide hopeful eyes as he stared intently at Emily. She pursed her lips doing her best not to laugh but failed at the attempt. She laughed heartily as Yekku continued to stare her down.

    ¡°Are all Saurian this adorable?!¡± she inquired between giggles.

    Despite Xol and H?¡¯tet hissing their displeasure, Yekku chirped at Xol defensively as he tried to shoo him away, animatedly pointing to Emily and warbling an argument.

    Looks like she¡¯s giving you the run for your money in the admiration department, Apollyon observed.

    Morrigan merely smiled at the craziness, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s like herding cats when it comes to them, if she wants to help then by all means,¡± she thought back before returning her attention back to Emily, ¡°Mostly Yekku though Qiote can be equally as adorable,¡± she pointed at the S¡¯randin raiding the fridge. ¡°Xol is the broody brute obviously and H?¡¯tet is wonderfully loyal though he tends to keep to himself,¡± she finished gesturing to the blue-green K¨ºzi¡¯kan sitting in the middle of the floor.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Oh, and do refrain from calling them Saurian, they dislike the name. Their true species name is Marmuro¡¯k, Xol and H?¡¯tet are known as K¨ºzi¡¯kan and Yekku and Qiote are both S¡¯randin,¡± Morrigan added.

    Emily smiled widely as she noticed Yekku had gone back to staring her down awaiting an answer. ¡°I¡¯ll make a note of it and distribute it throughout the Void Star, wouldn¡¯t want anyone upsetting our adorable guests,¡± she said with a chuckle before tapping quickly into her data-slate. ¡°I think I¡¯ll run to the store and get better food, is there something they prefer?¡±

    Before Morrigan could protest and tell her she did not have to do that, Xol cut her off.

    ¡°Meat,¡± he stated firmly.

    Morrigan deflated and shrugged, ¡°My guess is they have an omnivorous diet heavily leaning towards proteins¡­¡±

    Emily nodded and smiled at Yekku, ¡°I¡¯ll go get more food and then I¡¯ll cook some of it, we can even put it on the Lord Inquisitor¡¯s tab.¡±

    Morrigan''s eyes went wide. The last thing she wanted to do was irritate the man who rescue her, it was bad enough she probably left him an outstanding bar bill.

    Yekku raised his arms and bounced on his feet warbling a triumphant cheer before shifting over to Qiote with precision and pushing the munching S¡¯randin away from the fridge, chattering animatedly.

    Qiote poked his head out from underneath the counter and stared at Emily, giving her the same wide-eyed look Yekku gave her and chirped shyly before sinking back below line of sight.

    The redheaded woman smiled brightly before looking at Morrigan, ¡°Do you think they understand Terran enough to listen to me if they would like to come with?¡±

    Morrigan cocked her head at the question, mulling it over as she glanced over at the two squawking S¡¯randin that chatted with each other.

    ¡°Yekku, Qiote,¡± she called to them firmly. Both S¡¯randin looked at their Mirina Sor with wide eyes as if they were in trouble. She smiled at both of them.

    ¡°Do either of you want to go with Emily here to go get more food so she can make you something to eat?¡±

    Yekku snapped his attention to Emily, nodding and chirping excitedly while Qiote peered around the counter and retreated quickly when she gave him a small, kind wave.

    Morrigan forgot Qiote carried the same clan name as Huruk, the S¡¯randin that lost his life in a fight against Nora. Morrigan frowned at that realization, ¡°Is he leery of humans because of that? Was he afraid of Nora? I¡¯ll have to speak with Xol and Qiote about that¡­¡± she thought to herself.

    It¡¯s not so much fear, more of a wariness. The lizard doesn¡¯t seem afraid when your pretty little blonde is around but there is a tentative trust between those two, Apollyon interjected.

    She hummed to herself thoughtfully. It was still a conversation she wanted to have. ¡°It¡¯s okay Qiote, you don¡¯t have to go if you don¡¯t want to,¡± she said sweetly to the hiding S¡¯randin.

    He looked at her with a soft croaking sound and shoved another egg into his maw, crunching down on the shell.

    Morrigan snort with a smile and turned her focus to Yekku. ¡°Yekku, come here.¡±

    Yekku edged closer to Morrigan bashful as he looked between Emily and Morrigan, nervous, excited energy fidgeting through his features.

    Morrigan gently took his face into her hands so he would focus as she spoke to him, ¡°Yekku, if you want to go with Emily, you gotta promise you¡¯ll listen to her when she says something or gives you instructions, okay? Nod if you promise.¡±

    Yekku wasted no time bobbing his head in her hands before flicking his tongue across her nose. She chuckled and released him. Yekku slipped swiftly between Emily and Xol and threw the door open, darting into the street only to squawk and warble in impatient excitement.

    Morrigan and Emily both laughed at that Yekku¡¯s excitement while Xol snorted and shook his head.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be back soon, we¡¯ll head out after we eat. That sound good, Ms. Clarke?¡± Emily planned out.

    Morrigan smiled and nodded, ¡°Beware, he¡¯s kinda like herding cats. Oh! And please, call me Mori.¡±

    Emily smiled sweetly, ¡°Okay Mori, see you soon.¡±

    As she watched the mad silly S¡¯randin and the redhead leave her apartment, she leaned against the wall and let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°What a life we live now huh?¡± she huffed at Xol who gave her a thoughtful hum.

    Morrigan made sure to set up the holo-screen for the Marmuro¡¯k and showing H?¡¯tet and Qiote how to use the remote before slipping into the bathroom to finally shower.

    ???

    The tension in Morrigan fled her body with the hot water that cascaded down her curves. It had been two years since the last time she had a proper shower, much less had the ability to shave or wash the collected grime from her hair.

    Rinsing the conditioner from her hair for a third time, she let out a long needed sigh of relief as the water ran its course through her hair and trailed down her back.

    ¡°You have no idea how much I needed this¡­¡± she murmured aloud.

    Hehehe, I''m pretty sure I did. Which is why I brought it up, Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan closed her eyes and smiled feeling the water¡¯s heat infuse her bones. She rubbed her arms and recalled her surprise at the sight of just how far the markings along her collar bone had spread.

    The ¡°tattoo¡± resulting in harboring Apollyon within her body grew over her shoulders and down half of her back, as well as spreading down to her elbow, which had been more of a surprise seeing as when Nora pointed it out it had only gone as far as her biceps.

    The marking itself had went from a simply yet elegant geometric pattern to flourishing into an intricate combination of fluid, geometric tribalism in design that remotely mirrored ancient designs of old world tattoos two or three thousand years ago.

    ¡°This marking¡­ it is going to cover my entire body isn''t it?¡± she asked with uncertainty.

    Meh, probably. It grows the more attune you become to my energy. So if you live long enough and perfect the balance between your body and my energy? I¡¯d say it will.

    ¡°How do you not know?¡± Morrigan asked incredulously as she inspected her left arm tenderly.

    Well, you remember that conversation we had about emotional wave lengths? You know, before you went all happy crazy and got attacked by the worm?

    Morrigan''s heart stung at the reminder.

    Far be it from me trying; you''re the first human to fully harbor my concentrated energy. The few others who stumbled upon me and accepted my offer over the millenia¡­ well, the easiest way to put it is the concentrated destructive energy tore their existence apart¡­

    Morrigan''s eyes went wide in shock as her anger spiked in her core. ¡°Are you telling me I could have died?!¡± she growled lowly.

    I mean¡­ the possibility was there¡­ to be fair though, you were on the verge of dying anyways¡­ Apollyon noted sheepishly.

    Morrigan groaned at she ran the brush she brought in with her through her hair, aggressively tearing knots out, ¡°You''re such an asshole!¡±

    Listen, it took me a long time to figure out the whole emotional wavelength thing. That, and with a little trial and error, I realized what was missing from the equation. Does it make me a bad guy? Sure, but when you dropped into that hole, I could feel how good the chances were. How do you think I knew about you?

    Morrigan froze in place as the question processed through her brain. Something about the question caused worry to root itself in the back of her mind.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± she asked tentatively.

    Apollyon sighed, I¡¯m saying, whether it was some genetic evolution with you, or just a random happen stance, but the moment you felt the unbridled rage- that ever-consuming fire in your soul, you became a beacon to my power as well as my attention. As far as I could guess, a perfect matching emotional wavelength needed to naturally harness and hold the primordial power of death...

    Morrigan¡¯s breath shuddered at the thought. She was unsure how she felt about the concept of being in sync with death or how she should feel about it.

    ¡°But¡­ if that''s true, how come I wasn¡¯t able to use the power before meeting you?¡± She asked in confusion.

    Oh I have no doubt that you would''ve been able to within a decade or two. As luck would have it, for the both of us, you agreed to take in the entirety of the concentrated form of my ¡°spirit¡±, as you would call it. That essence acted like a seed planted in fertile soil, you, and now its beginning to sprout. That''s how I understand it at least¡­ Apollyon noted with a touch of its own uncertainty.

    ¡°So, what you''re telling me is that on top of saving me and releasing you from your prison within the Earth, our agreement kick started my ability to¡­ synchronize with your cosmic ambient energy?¡±

    Basically, though kick starting is a bit of an understatement.

    Morrigan sighed, debating on whether she was happy about that revelation or disturbed by it. She also had no idea what it truly meant for her in the long run and from the sound of it, neither did Apollyon.

    ¡°Okay, one more question¡­ is this going to kill me?¡± she pushed out.

    Apollyon have her a thoughtful hum, Hmmm no, it won''t kill you. If anything you may live a bit longer seeing as you have me to repair your body and organs however, your cellular growth is no different than before so you''re aging the way you should be. You''ll still get old and eventually die of old age if you''re careful enough not to get yourself blown apart or get your head lopped off.

    Morrigan let out a sigh of relief and nodded as she shut the water off. She dried herself off, strung up her longer hair into a ponytail and dressed herself in her new pants and an dark blue undershirt paired to go underneath the olive drab dress coat she had no desire in wearing.

    All in all, she felt like a brand new woman.

    She stepped out of the bathroom and walked into a chaos of shrill warbling and hysterical laughter coming from Emily.

    ¡°Took your sweet time!¡± Emily beamed as stood next to Yekku who appeared to be cooking a pan brimming with scrambled eggs.

    Morrigan sheepishly smiled before watching Yekku turn his head and prattle with excitement, lifting the pan off the stove in an attempt to show Morrigan what he was doing and sending the mostly cooked eggs spewing over the counter next to him.

    Morrigan bit her lip hard to keep from laughing though Emily lost herself in loud hearty laughter. Even Xol let out a deep hissing laugh as he stood watching the kitchen chaos.

    Yekku hung his head dramatically and let out a low clicking noise of utter defeat.

    Morrigan puffed out her lip at the adorable display, ¡°Oh buddy¡­¡± she cooed.

    Emily touched Yekku¡¯s arm and directed him to the stove, ¡°It¡¯s okay Yekku we have plenty more, just put the pan on the stove and pour this here,¡± she said indicating a massive bowl of blended egg.

    All the while Qiote was singularly focused on a pan of hash browns he was gently nudging with a spatula.

    Morrigan strode over to the counter and began spooning the mess into a pile with her bare hand,  ¡°I am so surprised I didn''t hear any of this craziness¡­¡±

    Emily directed Yekku with specific instructions again about keeping the pan on the stove before throwing a cursory glance at Morrigan, ¡°Well you do clean up nicely, its been a fun time while we waited,¡± she said smiling.

    Morrigan blushed at the compliment before finding the garbage can to push the spilled food into.

    ¡°Coffee?¡± the redhead asked holding up a half filled pot.

    ¡°Yes, definitely!¡± Morrigan exclaimed before giggling as she watched Yekku crouch low to study the cooking eggs with intense focus.

    Morrigan found the food to be quite good albeit messy. As they ate, Morrigan explained what she knew about the Marmuro¡¯k language with the input of Xol, and how the intricacies of pronouncing certain constants worked or the lack of.

    Emily absorbed the information like a sponge as she added everything told to her into her data-slate, she intended on writing up both a report as well as a missive to be broadcast to everyone on the Void Star so more respect could be shown to the four new Marmuro¡¯k roaming the hive world.

    Xol was determined to follow Morrigan around on the tour, which did not seem to bother Emily at all as they went to leave, leaving H?¡¯tet in charge of the two rambunctious S¡¯randin.

    ¡°First, we need to head to the Cathedral. The Lord Inquisitor is awaiting your arrival to go over the specifics of your training,¡± Emily stated as she handed Morrigan her data-slate.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention he was waiting?¡± Morrigan asked in surprise as she took the device in her hands.

    Emily chuckled and placed her hand on Morrigan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You can relax, I did not mean literally. He¡¯s constantly busy with running the Void Star, coordinating with the other Inquisitors and handling political matters.¡±

    Morrigan hummed with uncertainty before looking at the screen, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Emily leaned over and tapped on the screen bringing up an array of detailed images of the Void Star.

    ¡°Your first lesson is to try and memorize as much as possible from the diagrams here, each screen gives you information about the many zones and districts throughout the Void Star as well as the under hive,¡± the woman stated.

    Morrigan took a close look at the screen while letting Emily direct her throughout the streets of the military district.

    The Void Star was a hive world comprised of 6 sections both laterally and vertically. The main level of the world was built in the shadow of a five-pointed star, each point designated: Alpha, Beta, Charlie, Delta and Echo Zone.

    Starting in the middle of the star shape sat the Cathedral as well as the small number of administrative buildings around it. Branching out in a circular pattern were the military districts on each of the five points¡¯ conjoining areas, followed by the market districts, civilian districts, the docks, all fanning out to the very tips of the points that held the world¡¯s gargantuan anti-starship cannons.

    From a vertical perspective, starting at the top with the main level of the world she stood on, one level below was the manufacturing level followed by engineering, waste management, and other little levels that kept the hive world in running order.

    The complexity of the world left Morrigan feeling small as she absorbed the magnitude of ingenuity the Inquisition operated from. Her new world was a marvel and she was now on the path to becoming a leader of such complex machination.

 Chapter III

    To say the Cathedral wasn¡¯t grandiose would have been a blatant lie as Morrigan set her eyes on an actual high gothic Cathedral sitting upon a long, ever rising road.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit on the nose, don¡¯t you think?¡± Morrigan mused.

    Emily giggled and nodded, ¡°Oh yeah it is, but when everyone started simply calling it the Cathedral, the Lord Inquisitor let the name stick to it despite having no love of it himself.¡±

    As they slowly made their way up the street Morrigan took a look at Emily.

    ¡°You seem to hold Solomon in high regards,¡± she pointed out.

    Emily smiled at her, ¡°The Lord Inquisitor is a great man. He¡¯s a superb strategist, excellent public speaker and has a truly selfless vision when it comes to helping out others.¡±

    ¡°That sounds a bit¡­ cult-y,¡± Morrigan said warily.

    Emily laughed at the comment though, ¡°Yes, I suppose it does now that I think about it¡­ truth is Solomon has an eye for things, whether it be justice, morality, fairness or even when it comes to recruits such as yourself,¡± she paused before stopping, letting Morrigan focus solely on her, ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I was informed of you. Between all the information the CoU had on you as well as Solomon¡¯s personal recount of finding you within that prison¡­ if I would have been in charge I may have never let you leave that place¡­¡± Emily admitted sullenly with a hint of remorse in her eyes for speaking her truth.

    Morrigan¡¯s anger peaked over the edge for a moment before she let out a heavy sigh as she pursed her lips together.

    ¡°I..I know it sucks to hear but that''s why he¡¯s in charge. He sees things other people would normally over look¡­ and my biggest mistake would''ve been never being able to find out just how nice you are and how adorably wonderful your companions are,¡± Emily finished with a weak, worried smile.

    ¡°I get it, everything has a consequence,¡± Morrigan huffed with a heavy breath, letting her nerves calm down, ¡°I can''t deny my past isn''t the best, nor is it the worst. Honestly, I''m just worried that this is just another government body looking to use me like the Federation¡­ or lock me away forever-whichever comes first. Today has been fun with you though, it¡¯s been a long time since I''ve laughed that hard or felt so¡­ relaxed.¡±

    Emily looked like she was about to start crying before giving Morrigan a tight hug. Morrigan panicked for the split second before realizing her body wasn''t going to react violently.

    However, that did not stop Xol from letting out a warning hiss as he stalked behind them. Both women jumped, forgetting he had been following them since they left the apartment.

    Morrigan laughed with Emily as she returned her hug, ¡°Ignore the big guy and let''s go see the other ¡°big guy¡±.¡± Morrigan quipped, feeling better about the exchange already.

    They finished walking to the Cathedral in comfortable silence as they entered through the massive doors of solid dark wood and metal. Morrigan was in awe at the plain yet elegantly detailed dark architecture before stepping inside only to be blown away by what lay before her.

    The interior of the Cathedral was beyond massive; gray tinted glass that let in the cosmic light of the galaxy with low hanging chandeliers and sconces used to light the room. The walls and pillars were a beige marble with multicolored gems impeded into them while the stone floor was a mix of a beautiful dark brown with gold flakes mixed with squares of amber.

    Along each wall to either side was a row of large computers with multiple monitors similar to how her mother¡¯s computer was set up, operators at the desks relaying information nonstop.

    At the back of the room, surrounded by stone and metal statues that even Morrigan could recognize as being both historical and mythological figures, was a massive command console with a enormous holo-screen hovering above it in three dimensions, Solomon standing behind it studying whatever the screen was showing him.

    Emily silently held back as Morrigan was greeted by a smile from Solomon. ¡°Ah Ms. Clarke! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯ve made it, come, come, step into my office,¡± he motioned behind him

    Morrigan took note that there were no guards within the Cathedral. However, given their initial confrontation, she deemed it unnecessary for the Lord Inquisitor to require any.

    Yeahhh, that guy¡­ I really don¡¯t like that he can wield my siblings¡¯ power that efficiently, Apollyon grumbled.

    ¡°Wait, he can use your siblings¡¯ energies? How?¡± she asked internally while following him to the center statue.

    Shhhh, one problem at a time¡­

    With a turn of the sword the depicted man held, it pulled away from the wall with a grinding groan.

    ¡°Impressive¡­¡± Morrigan scrutinized which drew an amused snort from the older man. The interior of the room was brightly lit by ornate wall sconces and a dome ceiling light. Behind the rosewood desk was a wall of monitors that covered multiple angles of the docks as she could see some of the Inquisitorial starships on the screens.

    Solomon raised his eyebrows towards Morrigan as he took a seat at his desk. Looking back she saw Xol standing just inside the door way with his arms crossed and a fanged grin on his face, challenging the man to question his motives.

    ¡°Well, that actually helps that your companion is here but we will get to that in a moment, please take a seat,¡± he gestured to one of the chairs against the wall.

    Morrigan grabbed one of the chairs and slide it under her in front of Solomon.

    He took a long look at her which began to set her nerves on edge before he smiled, ¡°So, tell me your thoughts on the Inquisition thus far, do you have any questions? I know we left Castile V in a bit of a rush before you could truly think the offer over.¡±

    Morrigan let out a steady breath not to show her uneasiness, ¡°Well, it¡¯s only been half a day¡­ but between Dora and Emily it doesn¡¯t sound like the Inquisition is all that bad.¡±

    That got an amused yet proud smile from the man as he leaned back fidgeting with a pen in his hands.

    ¡°Yes, well, I have spent many years building this organization from the ground up,¡± he noted.

    Morrigan bit her lip, ¡°Well, I guess my first question is, in regard to the level of authority the Inquisitors hold, how do you keep everyone from abusing their power? It sounds so easy for anyone here to become just as terrible as the Federation¡­¡±

    Solomon chuckled and clapped in good nature, though the act set irritation into her nerves as she frowned. He composed himself and looked her directly in the eyes with a smile, ¡°Questions like that are the one of many reasons I believe without a doubt, that you would make an amazing Inquisitor.¡±

    Morrigan cocked her head to the side, keeping her face blank as she scrutinized the old man.

    ¡°To answer your question, given how much authority each Inquisitor holds, which to be honest is a great amount; each Inquisitor is expected to hold each other up to the same standard as anyone else. If one Inquisitor suspects another of abusing power, they are free to investigate as well as assemble a council of the Inquisition to determine degrees of guilt, or innocence; if the crimes are committed with irrefutable proof, the investigating Inquisitor is also allowed to take matters into their own hands then and there if need be. This also includes myself¡­ I may be the founder as well as the highest ranking member however, I am subject to the same level of scrutiny as anyone else, in fact, I expect it from the other Inquisitors,¡± Solomon said with sincerity.

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Do you have an example of when an Inquisitor was brought to justice for their actions?¡±

    Solomon have her a solemn nod, ¡°We once had an Inquisitor more or less¡­ enslave a population,¡± he said with shame in his eyes, ¡°According to another, the Inquisitor in question saved a biomedical plant on another world from a pirate invasion. As payment, they demanded the planet restock their ship with everything they thought necessary. Now it is within the right of the Inquisition to request supplies from allied planets as long as the request is reasonable, nor does it effect the local economy detrimentally. However, this one was trading what they took from the pirates and then continued to take more and more to the point of bleeding that planet¡¯s economy¡­¡±

    Morrigan''s eyes went wide, as someone who had just been subjected to a form of slavery herself, her anger spiked sharp enough to illicit a burst of crimson energy across her body as her hands crushed divots into the arms of the chair she sat in.

    Solomon have her a sullen nod, ¡°My exact sentiment. When it was brought to light that this had been going on, I ordered three Inquisitors to handle the situation.¡±

    ¡°Handle it how?¡± Morrigan growled.

    Solomon gave her a weak smile, ¡°The three ships blockaded the rogue Inquisitor¡¯s ship, boarded it and executed the Inquisitor in question. After that, the world was given back what we could find as well as the costs of the pilfered supplies.¡±

    Huh, I suppose this man is a stand-up guy, frankly I would¡¯ve just said tough shit after dealing with the little rogue problem, Apollyon noted.

    Morrigan took a deep breath to settle her nerves. Apollyon had a point which she considered; despite not needing to, the Inquisition made an effort for their mistakes as well as seeming to have no disillusions about comradery. If anyone did bad, they paid for it one way or another.

    ¡°I know, given recent events, that hearing such things isn¡¯t the best, but I wanted to emphasize the point that no one is outside the laws or authority of the Inquisition,¡± Solomon pointed out.

    She bit her lip and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ honestly, I feel a lot better knowing that¡¯s how things are handled here. If what everything I¡¯ve heard so far is to believed whole heartedly¡­ then I can see myself being a part of this. Though I do have one other question.¡±

    The older man leaned back curiously, ¡°Feel free to ask, Ms. Clarke.¡±

    Morrigan crossed her arms in a huff, ¡°You promised to send Xol and Nora to me last night yet the Marmuro¡¯k were the only ones who showed up¡­ where is Nora?¡± the question came out with the underlying hint of worry and fury.

    ¡°Right, I do apologize for that. Her absence was mostly my fault really. Initially I did not want to be presumptuous as to your¡­ relationship with Ms. Flannigan. Regardless, it seems that Eleanor''s past is quite extensive into the realm of piracy and sabotage, along with various other things¡­¡± he paused to watch her intently.

    Morrigan gave another lip biting nod. Nora had told her that much while they were getting to know one another in the mines, so to hear the extent of it again was no surprise to her.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Well, given the full weight of her past I personally interviewed her to determine what was fictional and which parts of her past life were real. After a long conversation, I decided to give her a job as an instructor to train our military personnel in the art of sabotaging an enemy ship or anything else she finds relevant on that matter.¡±

    The look of surprise on her face made Solomon laugh, ¡°That was¡­ quick,¡± she noted.

    ¡°Well, I do my best to not squander the potential I see in someone. Which is why I¡¯m so adamant for you to join our ranks just as Nora has,¡± he stated while turning on a small holo-screen built into his desk pulling up a map before standing up, ¡°For familiarity purposes, I have put the new recruits from Castile V that wished to join the military aspect of our organization here in this section of the military district. Your room is here and the room she is staying in currently is over here,¡± he said pointing at a map with two different locations highlighted to be only a block apart.

    ¡°That was¡­ thoughtful of you¡­ to put all of us together so we don¡¯t feel displaced here,¡± Morrigan pointed out with a mild frown. She couldn¡¯t grasp just how far ahead or the level of care the Lord Inquisitor partook in when it came to making them feel welcome or safe.

    He gave her a genuine smile before sitting down again, ¡°Well, I have seen many come and go. Reintegration and adaptation is a staple point of humanity. However, it doesn¡¯t make it any easier. So, anything I can do to make it easier for anyone to acclimate is something I always strive for. Speaking of, and I know it will bother you to some degree, but I do intend on sending out an order that gives warning of your¡­ aversion to the male gender. I think it¡¯s best both for you, as well as the safety of those around you. At least, if someone does something stupid, they can not say they weren¡¯t warned,¡± he finished with a casual shrug.

    That left Morrigan feeling conflicted as she squirmed in her seat uncomfortably. She did not want such a spotlight on her, though she knew some people have been informed already, but she knew there was truth behind the statement. It was entirely possible she could end up reflexively hurting someone, or herself for that matter, if people weren¡¯t aware.

    She could not bring herself to voice her opinion so she just gave the man an embarrassed nod before picking at her fingernails, but she did force another question through.

    ¡°Why someone as dangerous as me?¡±

    Solomon scrutinized her for a moment before replying, ¡°We all have issues we cannot help. Though we do have psychiatric personnel aboard the Void Star if you wish to seek some guidance for the affliction you have. However, it¡¯s not something you have complete control over and it would be unfair of me to judge you solely based upon that¡­ besides, it¡¯s something that can be mitigated by putting the word out that you are not to be physically touched. With that rule implemented, I believe you are no more a threat than I am to anyone else aboard this station.¡±

    His sincerity and understanding threw her mind into a loop of shock and disbelief. Aside from Taylor, she had never met anyone that fully accepted her flaws and tried to work with them rather than beat her into the ground with them.

    With the lull in conversation, Solomon shifted his attention to Xol, who stood guard by the door like a statue ever-observing.

    ¡°This brings up another opportunity. The Marmuro¡¯k, were not very cooperative yesterday but seeing as we have very little relative data to compare to their backgrounds, I figured it was better to just let them be around you last night, to be around their¡­ Mirina Sor?¡± he said questioningly.

    Morrigan deflated at that and cast her overgrown white shadow a look before sighing, ¡°Red Death. It¡¯s what they call me. Xol claims it is a title of high honor though I don¡¯t know how true that is.¡±

    Xol let out a low hiss as if what she said was insulting.

    Solomon smirked, ¡°Well, another reason for your high potential is that, for whatever the reason may be, you have earned their respect and loyalty it would seem, as well as picked up on their language. I don¡¯t know if you understand the importance of that; you are the first Terran in known existence to openly communicate with their species. Therefore, I was hoping Xol or¡­ H?¡¯tet was it? Would be willing to teach some of our more diplomatic personnel some of their language?¡±

    Xol let out another long hiss of displeasure which garnered Morrigan¡¯s attention. She spun around in her chair and narrow her eyes at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a jerk Xol. Honestly, H?¡¯tet doesn¡¯t know any Terran and no one can understand Yekku or Qiote. If I have to do stuff then so do you!¡± she stated firmly.

    Xol narrowed his eyes at her and counter argued with her in his own language. Morrigan groaned and rolled her eyes. She turned back to the Lord Inquisitor with irritation.

    ¡°He says his job is to protect me and that I am not safe,¡± she huffed out.

    Solomon looked between the girl and the towering K¨ºzi¡¯kan, ¡°Well¡­ I can assure you, Xol, that Ms. Clarke is under the highest level of protection, especially aboard the Void Star. Even as an initiate Inquisitor, her ranking stands above everyone aside from full fledged Inquisitors.¡±

    Xol growled more of his harsh language vehemently.

    Morrigan sighed in defeat and turned back to him, ¡°You and the others are not slaves! You would work like everyone else. I''m staying, and if you want to stay with me then you have to help!¡± she growled back in his own language.

    Solomon watched curiously at the interaction while Xol spit back another retort. Causing Morrigan to flail her arms up in aggravation as she turned back to Solomon.

    ¡°He feels it is just a form of slavery of his kind when all he wants to do is protect me¡­¡± she said in a defeated tone.

    Solomon mulled it over in his head, ¡°We have no intentions of enslaving anyone. In fact, I do believe I just recited a story of how we handle those that feel its is okay to enslave anyone¡­ if it helps we would be paying you for any work you do as well as the other Marmuro¡¯k¡­¡±

    Xol scoffed and waved his hand to dismiss the comment.

    ¡°How about a trade then? Is there something you want that in exchange for helping some of the Terrans understand your language?¡± Morrigan bargained.

    Xol let out a deep thoughtful hum, his narrowed eyes dancing between his charge and the older man on the other side of the desk.

    Xol barked his demand in a deep tone.

    Morrigan¡¯s tilt of her head which brought a quirked eyebrow from Solomon. She scratched her head a bit piecing together and deciphering what Xol had said.

    ¡°I believe he said he wants a weapon that fits his honor¡­ but I don''t know enough to know if that''s the actual meaning,¡± she stated half believing what she heard was correct.

    Solomon hummed and reached into his desk to pull out a holster and handgun putting it in front of Morrigan.

    That earned a threatening hiss from Xol as well as a snort from Morrigan.

    ¡°I don''t think that will be enough for him,¡± she pointed out.

    The older man chuckled and shook his head, ¡°Of course not, that is for you. It is your standard issue side arm. All military personnel are expected to be prepared at all times if I can presume you''re agreeing to undergo training. As for Xol, we don''t have any of his species¡¯ weapons or ones he may be able to operate¡­ as far as I¡¯m aware at least, so I will have our R and D district take his measurements as well as record his strength, and design a weapon that suits him. If that is acceptable to him, of course?¡± he asked looking to Xol.

    Xol let out another thoughtful hum before clicking his jaw in the tell-tale way of saying yes.

    ¡°He agrees,¡± she said with a meek smile.

    Solomon nodded at that, ¡°I would also like to have you translate for the other three; to see where their skills are best put if they wish to stay. Though I''m uncertain how well we would fair at getting them home if they chose to leave but I would give it my best effort.¡±

    Morrigan smiled, ¡°I''ll ask but I''m pretty sure all of them will stay. The S¡¯randin Yekku and Qiote are both inquisitive by nature and love building things. Though, Qiote is a bit hesitant around other Terrans aside from myself. As for H?¡¯tet¡­ we would have to talk with him and see.¡±

    Solomon nodded firmly, ¡°They sound like they would do well in R and D, given their unique perspective and possibly even more unique knowledge, they may even offer help with designing a weapon Xol will approve of¡­ Well then, I¡¯ll begin explaining how things will work with your training and we can go from there. Sound fair?¡±

    ???

    Morrigan stepped out of the hidden office an hour later feeling significantly better about her agreement to join the Inquisition.

    It turned out, aside from studying political and social rules when it pertains to the Inquisition, she also had to spend her first two weeks taking a series of tests to determine where her strengths and weakness lie, allowing her instructors to focus on what¡¯s lacking rather than trying to hammer the broad scope of information and training into her.

    Given the multitude of things her parents had taught her since she was little, she would be able to skip over a lot of the overarching training regiment.

    Solomon did recommend she speak to one of the psychiatrists however, despite ending up liking Dr. Yuma, she still detested psychologists. Still, she decided she would consider it if things got out of hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re a sight for sore eyes, precious,¡± the familiar tomboyish voice rang in her ears, bringing her focus back to the real world.

    Nora stood at the base of the platform that held the central computer she found Solomon behind, her hand sassily sitting upon her hip with her mischievous silver eyes glinting in the light. What was more noticeable, was her radiant smile.

    ¡°I have to say you look damn good in a uniform,¡± she said biting her lip and batting her eyelashes.

    Morrigan lost all sensibility and composure as she vaulted herself off the platform and tackled Nora into a hug that she was barely able to brace for.

    Nora laughed as she forced the both of them to remain upright before returning the hug three-fold. Morrigan let out a happy squeak under the crushing pressure of Nora¡¯s arms, giggling as she felt one of her vertebrae pop.

    ¡°I was worried about you,¡± Morrigan sighed into her shoulder, feeling the warmth and joy as she held the woman close to her.

    Nora scoffed playfully, ¡°As if you have to worry about me, precious, but that¡¯s super sweet of you either way.¡±

    Morrigan reluctantly released the blonde woman and gave her a bright, bashful smile with a hint of blush on her cheeks.

    ¡°Look at you though! You are just so cute I can eat you up over and over!¡± Nora exclaimed while pinching Morrigan¡¯s cheeks. Morrigan blushed fiercely when she realized some of the operatives relaying information to observe the display happening behind them which only taunted Nora to be even more embarrassing.

    ¡°I mean, those legs in those pants? Mmm-mmm! Gun on your hip? Nice shirt hugging your frame? It¡¯s like you¡¯re just trying to turn me into a drooling idiot!¡± Nora persisted.

    The second Morrigan heard Emily giggle off to the side, she rushed and covered Nora¡¯s mouth with her hand in an attempt to silence her. Nora just chuckled against her hand as her eyes danced wildly in glee.

    Uhhh, kid? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s helping the situation¡­

    ¡°It at least got her to stop talking!¡± She shouted in panic in her head, only making Apollyon snicker.

    I don¡¯t know, keep it up and I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll try plucking a pearl right here in the middle of the room hehehehe, Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan hung her head in defeat before backing away from Nora, shaking her head. The joyous embarrassment pried at the shell of her emotional stability as she began giggling uncontrollably before she managed to force her emotions down enough to compose herself.

    Nora crossed her arms and took in the sight she saw, ¡°So, looks like you accepted the old man¡¯s offer too, huh?¡±

    Morrigan stood on her heels and held her hands behind her back biting her lip bashfully. She let out a small giggle, ¡°Yeah. To be an Inquisitor¡­¡± she squeaked out before looking down at her shoes.

    Hey Mori, you need to get your happy ass back in the right lane. It¡¯s starting to get a bit loud in here, Apollyon warned her.

    ¡°But¡­ she just makes me so happy¡­¡± Morrigan sighed wistfully back in her head.

    ¡°Damn, now you¡¯re just putting the cherry on top!¡± Nora said with a big grin.

    Xol stomped closer and towered over Morrigan from behind defensively.

    ¡°Awe! There¡¯s tall, bright and broody! Did you miss me too?¡± Nora snickered. Xol only gave her a fanged sneer before looking down at Morrigan¡¯s awkward composure.

    ¡°Yup, still a grump,¡± Nora sighed before stepping closer to Morrigan pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her cheek.

    Xol hissed lowly in warning while Morrigan closed her eyes, feeling the tingle of Nora¡¯s lips spread across her cheek and seep into her brain. The cracks in her emotional shell pulled tighter together.

    Morrigan sighed contently as she leaned back, ¡°We should go out tonight, I know a really good bar.¡±

    Nora cracked a wide grin, ¡°You had me at go out and sold me at bar, where we going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called Pandora¡¯s Box,¡± Morrigan said as she snickered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a date then,¡± Nora said with a wink before kissing the tip of her nose.

    Morrigan blushed before turning her head, ¡°Emily! We should probably get going.¡±

    Emily sauntered up to both women grinning knowingly, ¡°Of course, Ms. Clarke.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Where have you been hiding this redheaded piece of candy?!¡± Nora exclaimed pulling Morrigan closer as she eyed every inch of Emily¡¯s form.

    Morrigan¡¯s cheeks burned with embarrassment and jealousy as Emily laughed behind her hand and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint but¡­ I¡¯m straight, ma¡¯am,¡± she stated. Morrigan gave a tight-lipped smile as she felt conflicted by that fact.

    Nora scoffed and eyed Morrigan with a sidelong glance, ¡°You keep calling me ma¡¯am and we¡¯ll change that real quick,¡± her tone filled with mischief.

    ¡°Oookay, time to go before my brain breaks from all this embarrassment, I¡¯ll see you tonight Nora,¡± Morrigan exasperated as she pulled her into a hug before dragging Emily away from Nora by the arm.

    Nora laughed and waved as Xol brushed past her, ¡°See you tonight darling!¡± she exclaimed.

    That girl of yours¡­ you may wanna put that one under lock and key before she chains you to a bed. By the levels of lust dripping off her, it¡¯s only a matter of time till she snaps and bleeds you dry, ha!

    ¡°Apollyon¡­ shut, up.¡± She snapped back as she continued to tug Emily, who laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, towards the main door.

    As she reached the door she stopped and let out a deep breath before looking at Emily who smiled with amusement.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡±

    Emily waved it off, ¡°No worries, not the first time a woman has hit on me¡­ though it was a new one for one to be so bold in front of her girlfriend.¡±

    Morrigan could not escape the oceanic assault of embarrassment as her face turned bright red. ¡°We¡¯re¡­I mean she and I¡­ let¡¯s just say bold is her middle name and leave it at that.¡±

    Ha! Even the straight girl has you pegged!

    ¡°I need something to smoke. Please tell me there¡¯s somewhere I can buy some cigarettes or something?!¡± Morrigan panic demanded as she pulled out the small data drive that held her month¡¯s salary she received from Solomon.

    Emily smiled at her knowingly and nodded, ¡°Sure, right this way.¡±

 Chapter IV

    Nearly a week had passed since Morrigan¡¯s broadcast was released to the galaxy. The lack of answers caused ever growing anxiety amongst Helen and her team.

    Mo¡¯Emori tapped her fingers hard against her computer keys as she responded to another correspondence from the CoU, stating that there had been no update to the whereabouts of Morrigan¡¯s location.

    ¡°Sweetie, it''ll be okay¡­¡± Helen said trying to soothe the anxious Eskarii beside her.

    Mo¡¯Emori shook her head with drooping ears, ¡°No Mem, we should have heard something by now!¡± she whined as she stifled a cry.

    Torvil stepped up behind his sister and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, ¡°All is well, my dear chwaeda. I am certain one of ours got to the young Swyn¡¯wyr.¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori crossed her arms and grabbed ahold of her brother¡¯s hands. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself however, her anxiety only managed to wrap around her spine even tighter.

    Yanking down on his arms, she dragged him closer, ¡°Do not patronize me, my dear brawder! You forget this is your doing and I will not calm until I know she is safe!¡±

    Helen¡¯s eyes were wide with shock at the abrupt change in the young Eskarii¡¯s demeanor. Even Jen bolted upright from the couch at the commentary snarl Mo¡¯Emori spoke in.

    ¡°Girlie! Come on! That¡¯s not fair¡­ he¡¯s only trying to help.¡± Jen exclaimed from across the room.

    Mo¡¯Emori gripped Torvil¡¯s hands tighter as she struggled not to be angry, letting him go in order to cover her face in shame.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I just¡­ I can¡¯t handle this¡­¡± she breathed into her hands as she began to cry. Torvil shook out the pain in his hands and backed away from his sister, knowing better now than to try approaching his upset sister again.

    Jen looked to Helen at a concerned loss. Everyone was run ragged as they did what they could to figure out where Morrigan had disappeared to after her broadcast.

    The last known report was from an Eskarii Frigate that claimed the prison was mostly deserted, except for a handful of prisoners they had intended on bringing aboard their ship before the arrival of a Federation Cruiser.

    Helen stood up and moved behind the crying Eskarii, wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

    ¡°Its okay sweetie, we¡¯re all stressed out from this but we¡¯ll find out who has her.¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori leaned back into her adoptive mother and continued to cry. Even a mother¡¯s touch didn¡¯t soothe her fraying nerves. All Mo¡¯Emori wanted was to know Morrigan was safe and healthy yet no one she called upon had any answers.

    Helen inspected Mo¡¯Emori''s computer screen and saw the waiting connection at the bottom right of the screen. ¡°What¡¯s that, sweetie?¡± she asked as she pointed to the screen.

    The Eskarii girl looked up and sniffled as she used her sleeve to wipe her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for a satellite¡­ I umm¡­ called someone. The um.. Inquisition.¡±

    Torvil let out an irritated grunt before stalking around his sister and sat at his own computer with a scowl, muttering incoherently to himself.

    Jen cocked her head in confusion, ¡°Who the hell is that?¡±

    Helen stood straighter and ran her fingers through Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s hair, ¡°the Inquisition is an independent collaborative organization between the Eskarii and CoU. They more or less do the police work at their behest though they operate with total freedom.¡±

    Jen furrowed her eyebrows as she looked between her group, ¡°How come I''ve never heard of them?¡±

    Helen sighed, ¡°Because I''ve barely heard of them¡­ and the only reason I''ve even heard about them is because I was an intelligence operator. They¡¯re more or less a ghost story to the Federation. I¡¯ve only seen one or two reports involving the Inquisition throughout my career¡­ their existence is kept under lock and key from the general population and even most of the military as well.¡±

    ¡°A bunch of freelance Terrans thinking they know what is best for the Eskarii!¡± Torvil growled.

    Jen scrutinized him, ¡°Sounds like the Eskarii support them, so why hate on them so much?¡±

    Torvil merely grunted and waved the conversation away.

    ¡°My brawder doesn¡¯t like Terrans¡­ especially organized Terrans¡­¡± Mo¡¯Emori noted dejectedly, her ears giving that sad droop for all to see.

    Jen didn''t want the girl to be upset and knew exactly how to take advantage of the situation. She stood up and leaned over Torvil¡¯s desk to look Mo¡¯Emori in the eyes with her usual shit eating grin.

    ¡°Well, here''s a little secret my little niece¡­¡± grinning even wider as Mo¡¯Emori''s face brightened.

    ¡°Your brother happens to like this Terran ass very much, so there''s still hope!¡± she said with a wink.

    Torvil sputtered in his seat as he looked up and raised his arms in exclamation, ¡°H¡¯yn am angr¨¦n!?¡±

    Jen ignored him and shook her ass at him to drive her point home only for Torvil to grunt and smack her ass.

    Jen yipped loudly as she jumped away laughing,  ¡°See! Can''t keep his hands off me!¡± she laughed while giving Torvil a dirty smile.

    The display had Mo¡¯Emori giggling again, including Helen for that matter as she rested her cheek upon the girl''s head.

    ¡°So, why must you wait anyways?¡± Torvil gruffed as he focused back into his work, ignoring his playful choice in partners.

    Mo¡¯Emori rubbed her hand on one of Helen¡¯s soothingly, ¡°The Void Star uses the same communications as starships. We have no way to directly communicate with it except by satellite since we do not have a particle accelerator to tear open tiny worm holes for our messages¡­ I had the CoU contact them via the flagship over Earth but that was during more desperate times¡­ I don''t think they''ve forwarded my messages to the Inquisition, so I have to wait for a satellite to pass over head¡­¡± Mo¡¯Emori explained sullenly, though there held a small amount of hope in her voice.

    ¡°Stupid technology¡­¡± Torvil muttered under his breath though everyone heard it. The comment made all three women chuckle lightly as the tension died in the room.

    Helen and Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s attention was drawn to her computer as a chime rang out from it. The small screen in the bottom right came to life revealing an older man with a thin gray beard. The man smiled as the smaller picture of both women came into view.

    ¡°Ah, you must be Mrs. Clarke!¡± The man stated joyously.

    Helen bent down and looked at Mo¡¯Emori as the Eskarii girl looked as if she could barely contain herself, her bright yellow eyes wide as saucers as her brain caught up with the fact that her plan finally paid off.

    ¡°Yes, that is me. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?¡± Helen asked, putting on her professional demeanor.

    The man on the screen smiled, ¡°I am Gregor Solomon, Lord Inquisitor of the Inquisition¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you have Mori!?¡± Mo¡¯Emori all but yelled as her capacity to contain herself busted at the seams.

    The man laughed heartily at her outburst and nodded, ¡°Yes, my dear girl, we have secured Morrigan Clarke. She is safe and healthy. I must say Mrs. Clarke, you have raised one resilient young woman,¡± the way he said it made Helen¡¯s eyebrows furrow. All the while Mo¡¯Emori squirmed joy in Helen¡¯s arms.

    ¡°In what sense?¡± she sniped defensively.

    ¡°Well as it stands, after everything she has endured in that wretched prison, she has decided to join the Inquisition and is currently undergoing a training evaluation to become an Inquisitor. She is strong willed and highly intelligent as well as moves as if she had never been in the prison in the first place. She even has become the first Terran ever to befriend a Saurian, or Marmuro¡¯k, as your daughter explicitly stated is their true name. To say the least, Morrigan is a very special woman.¡±

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s my girl! Little Clarke has been busy!¡± Jen exclaimed while both Mo¡¯Emori and Helen looked surprised.

    Mo¡¯Emori giggled and nodded vigorously while Helen stared blankly at the screen, trying to process everything that had been just thrown at her.

    She knew little about the Inquisition but it was beyond surprising to hear that her darling daughter not only suffered in prison for two whole years and then jumps into a life of potential danger with the same people who were the monster in the Federation¡¯s closet. ¡°And to top it off, she¡¯s friends with the most unfriendly species in the galaxy?¡± she confided to herself.

    ¡°Can we talk to her!?¡± Mo¡¯Emori chirped excitedly.

    That made the man laugh even more, ¡°Sadly, she is in the middle of an evaluation at the moment however, we can certainly coordinate a time for you to call her though she has also made the request that the Inquisition extract your group from Earth, which is a promise I intend to work out with the CoU. I have heard tales that the conflict around Earth has taken a bad turn for the CoU and she worries for your safety.¡±

    Both women nodded though Helen was the one that spoke, ¡°Yes. We are still within Federation territory and returning to the CoU has become difficult¡­ there have also been reports of an increased number of starships within our solar system though the ground forces have retreated and fortified their borders¡­¡±

    The Lord Inquisitor hummed thoughtfully at this information before operating something off screen. Both women watch intently as the man did what ever it was he had been doing.

    After a few minutes, he made a sound inciting that he had found what he had been looking for before turning his attention back to them.

    ¡°If you''re able to get out of Earth¡¯s atmosphere, we have a ship equipped with some experimental technology, one being a warp drive capable of short distance jumps through space. If you can send a signal from what ever you manage to use, I can position our ship in the shadow of the moon and it will warp to your location for pick up and escape quickly before transitioning into FTL travel,¡± he stated confidently.

    Everyone in the room looked at each other conspiringly. ¡°Do you think you two can get us a ship?¡± Helen asked Torvil and Jen

    Jen shrieked nonchalantly in excitement with a smile while Torvil sighed, ¡°It will take time to find one but it can be done.¡±

    Helen nodded, ¡°We can do that,¡± she told the man.

    He smiled, ¡°Good¡­I¡­send¡­relay¡­¡± came through as the connection broke apart, shutting down the call and revealing a blank screen.

    Mo¡¯Emori panicked as she tried to reestablish the connection, ¡°No, no, come on!¡± tapping the return key hard before tossing her computer from her desk onto the floor.

    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s okay sweetie, we at least know what to do,¡± Helen cooed while rubbing her back. Behind them the door flew open as Dr. Yuma stepped inside.

    ¡°Have you seen this?¡± he asked, indicating the laptop he carried before surveying the room. He looked to Mo¡¯Emori''s laptop on the ground and quickly set his on top of her desk. ¡°Maybe you have but just in case¡­¡±

    Torvil and Jen moved around to look at the screen which showed a frozen Federation bulletin. Once he pressed play, the video showed several CoU satellites as well as a CoU Destroyer being blown apart in space just outside of Earth¡¯s atmosphere.

    The video switched over to a once live feed to a man dressed in a pristine, high ranking military uniform, a man Helen recognized immediately.

    With a wide, nearly lifeless grin, the man started speaking.

    ¡°My fellow citizens, I am Lord Commander Amaranthe,¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± Helen growled angrily.

    ¡°Today marks a special occasion for the Federation. Recently, we had a bit of a¡­ problem per say, with the leadership that guided our glorious government. Not only did they let an extremely dangerous criminal live, but they let this criminal broadcast a very slanderous message across the entire galaxy, and then, let her slip away into the void of space.¡±

    Amaranth flourished his arms in exaggeration as if it had been the leaders of the Federation¡¯s fault before continuing.

    ¡°Therefore, I have ridden away our problem of poor leadership and seized control. Under my command, the Federation will bring about a whole new era of glory and prosperity while we bring our enemies to their knees. I have recalled a portion of our fleet and severed the CoU¡¯s ties to our territory and after weeding out the filth from our beautiful garden, I shall crush the CoU under our heel before taking to the stars to take our rightful place as the dominant species in our galaxy!¡±

    The clip cut off right there. The seething rage coming from everyone in the room was palpable as Helen rubbed her face vigorously.

    ¡°How could they give total control over to that fucking lunatic!¡± she asked no one in particular.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Dr. Yuma cleared his throat cautiously, ¡°About that¡­ the last of the reports to come in were confirmations that most, if not all, of the top political and military players within the Federal regime have been assassinated.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Helen snapped at him.

    Dr. Yuma nodded stoically, being the only one in the room to have a complete semblance of calm, ¡°Yes, though he does display delusions of grandeur of the highest potency¡­ it seems that he is far more than a mad man as you say. The level of¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, the level of planning it would take to organize a mass assassination indicates a dangerous level of intelligence¡­¡± Helen cut him off with an exhausted breath.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Mo¡¯Emori asked meekly as she looked to everyone.

    Torvil growled incredulously, ¡°Have you forgotten your training?¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori shrank under her brother''s voice and shook her head.

    ¡°Hey! Don''t be an asshole to your sister! She''s scared!¡± Jen barked back.

    ¡°She is Sybrydian! She is trained!¡± Torvil countered angrily.

    Jen put her hands on her hips defiantly, ¡°Yeah?  So am I yet I¡¯m scared shitless now that shit just hit the fan, you going to be an asshole to me too?¡± she dared him.

    ¡°Okay enough!¡± Helen shouted in a mother''s commanding voice. It was compelling enough to make even Torvil flinch.

    ¡°We¡¯re in for a world of bullshit and the last thing we need is to be at each other¡¯s throats because we''re worried,¡± she stated as she rubbed her temples as a headache began to set it before turning to Dr. Yuma.

    ¡°Doctor, we''re leaving and we need a starship. If you want, you can come with us but we¡¯re going to rendezvous with the Inquisition in low orbit. If you know anything useful, now would be the time to say so,¡± she said in demand before turning to her team.

    ¡°Torvil, find us a damned ship. Jen, find us weapons¡­¡± her eyes settled on the shaken Eskarii curled in her chair. Helen even saw the therapist eyeing the girl with concern.

    Helen waved her team away to do as they were told, Jen walking out the door and Torvil taking his seat and typing into his computer.

    She knelt next her pseudo-daughter and gently rubbed her hand on her back, ¡°It¡¯s okay sweetheart, you should go take a nap,¡± she said softly.

    Mo¡¯Emori shook her head and stuttered through frayed nerves,  ¡°N-no, I-I need t-t-to help-p.¡±

    Helen shook her head firmly, ¡°No sweetie, you need sleep. Don¡¯t think I haven''t noticed that you haven''t been sleeping again. Your body and mind are exhausted, you got us what we needed so you''ve done your part, so go get some sleep, love.¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s tear laced yellow eyes looked into her as her lip quivered, ¡°b-but Mem...Mori¡­¡±

    Helen gently touched the young girl¡¯s cheek as the tears threatened to spill, ¡°We will see her again sweetie. You heard Solomon, she¡¯s doing okay, in fact, it sounds like she''s doing great. We will make a plan while you sleep and we will see Mori again real soon, ¡° she said with a motherly smile.

    Torvil let out an audible huff that was about to earn Helen¡¯s ire however, he stood up and moved around to kneel next to her his sister.

    ¡°Helen is right, an¡¯lyf chwaeda. You need rest. I¡¯m¡­ sorry for yelling,¡± he said stiffly though Helen could see he had been sincere.

    Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s eyes shifted to stare into Tovil¡¯s violet eyes before nodding sullenly, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck.

    He shuffled and sputtered as he caught her when she used him to pull herself off the chair and fell into his arms.

    Helen chuckled loudly as she watched, ¡°I''m pretty sure she wants you to tuck her in.¡±

    Torvil rolled his eyes and groaned as he stood up all the while she let out a small giggle that bled into a content, childish hum.

    ¡°You are ridiculous,¡± he stated softly as Mo¡¯Emori let out a squeak of a yawn before nodding.

    Helen could not help but smile and appreciate the weird dynamic she was wrapped up in. ¡°In comparison to what my life would''ve been without the three of them¡­ I wouldn''t trade them for the world¡­¡± she mused to herself as she took a seat to watch Torvil lay his sister in the couch and cover her with a blanket, Mo¡¯Emori nestling the covers underneath her chin and peeping one bright yellow eye open, giving Helen a sweet, sly smile before settling down to sleep.

    ???

    ¡°My name is Vanessa Dezinaria, and I will be your practical magic instructor,¡± a crotchety older woman in her upper 60s or lower 70s stated firmly. Morrigan could not tell which end of the age spectrum she fell into.

    Not that it matters, this old bat isn¡¯t going to be able to teach you anything! Apollyon growled in irritation.

    ¡°Maybe, but I still have to undergo this training unless told otherwise,¡± Morrigan thought back reluctantly.

    She had passed every physical evaluation the Inquisition had thrown at her with flying colors. Perhaps it could be considered cheating with the nature and functionality of her power, but what the Inquisition did not know could not hurt them.

    It was amusing to Morrigan when she had to do the stress test and run around a track until she could not stand anymore. The joke being her constant flux of energy fueled her body endlessly when required, allowing her to steadily keep pace significantly longer than any human or Eskarii that took the test with her.

    Even the weight lifting aspect of her evaluation was a joke. She ended up pulling back on her powers when she bench pressed 300lbs with her power infused strength, baffling the administrators that documented the test. Truth of the matter was, after lifting the locked blast door on Castile V, she felt that she would rarely come across something that her strength could not handle.

    She even recalled punching through a foot and a half of solid stone to escape the maddening caverns within the depths of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

    Yeah, as the youngin¡¯s say, you are the definition of ¡°swol¡± hehehe

    Morrigan snorted and immediately tried to straighten her face as the instructor¡¯s hawk eyes zeroed in on her.

    ¡°Is something I said amusing, Miss Clarke?¡± the old woman demanded.

    Morrigan bit her lip and shook her head, ¡°no, ma¡¯am. My apologies.¡±

    Dezinaria¡¯s eyes narrowed on her, ¡°Well, seeing as you wish to interrupt my class, you will go first,¡± she said gesturing to a stationary tank that sat in the middle of a wide-open platform.

    ¡°Today we will gauge your offensive capabilities before moving onto defense, which I know most of you will have no training in¡­ your objective is to disable this Federation main battle tank¡¯s movement and offensive capabilities with your magic; on your go, Miss Clarke,¡± the woman snubbed.

    Destroy a tank? Is that all? How quaint, Apollyon mused, it¡¯s words dripping with sarcasm.

    Morrigan stifled her laughter as she eyed the other recruits. All of them were training to be Inquisitorial soldiers and all of them were mages, which normally would have put her on edge except she knew for certain that none of them were a threat to her.

    Alright little goddess, show this old hag she¡¯s far out of your league! Apollyon cheered sadistically.

    Morrigan grinned as she took a step forward up to the edge of the platform, stepping up to confront the tank.

    The tank¡¯s engine roared alive and its tracks began to move, causing a moment of shock in Morrigan. ¡°No way they would put a living person in that thing if we¡¯re throwing energy about¡­¡± she theorized to herself.

    Hey. If they¡¯re dumb enough to use live targets, I say go for it hahahaha

    Morrigan smirked as she focused on her flow of her energy, inciting her own anger as she recalled memories of Castile V. The deaths of her three friends, the worm that murdered them both.

    Anger and fury coursed through her emotions as the memories flashed through her mind, a crimson clawed hand enveloping her right hand as she watched the tank¡¯s turret spin to aim at her. She no longer cared if someone had been in the machine, it would meet her wrath regardless.

    She forced her hand forward and a massive crimson claw appeared and soared towards the tank, slamming into the turret.

    The barrel bent and split as the spectral claw collided and the long spectral talons tore through the metal of the turret.

    Morrigan grinned savagely as she gripped the tank and swung her hand away, watching the claw tear through the dense metal with an ear-piercing shriek as the talons tore downwards and shredded the steel track, even taking out two of the wheels as it pulled away and carved into the platform.

    Her blood sang with the destruction of the tank as she let her energy dissipate. As much as she wanted to tear into more, she knew she had met the requirements of the test and turned with a sinister grin to the instructor.

    Dezinaria had an eyebrow raised as she scrutinized the efficiency of her work, her wrinkled face twisting in a mix of annoyance and being impressed.

    ¡°Well done Miss Clarke¡­ the power you wield is rather unique¡­¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s grin falter at the mention of the power she wielded. The look of the other trainees did not help her as they stared at her with shocked expressions.

    Dezinaria looked between her and the tank before giving her a tight-lipped smile, ¡°I was told you were unique but I could not have guessed the extent of the claim. I think it¡¯s fair to say your control over your power in an offensive manner is quite skillful though I do look forward to see how you handle a more defensive situation¡­ you may fall back in line.¡±

    Morrigan did not comment as she stepped back down and took her place in the row of trainees. Part of her felt worried and the other part of her felt dejected by the response the instructor gave her.

    Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re so far above her pay grade she has no idea what to make of you, Apollyon said soothingly.

    ¡°Thanks¡­ I just hope it doesn¡¯t bite me in the ass later¡­¡± she responded as a large industrial loader moved the tank off the platform and another rolled up to a stop.

    Nah, the old man is already aware of what you were capable of, if it were an issue, I¡¯m fairly certain he wouldn¡¯t let you walk around freely¡­ or he¡¯s an idiot, I mean both are plausible,

    Morrigan smirked and let out a deep breath. Apollyon¡¯s criticism helped make her feel better, especially given the fact that she was fairly certain the Lord Inquisitor was not an idiot.

    Next up was a typical pyro mage that had been the generic combat type of the Federation military. Without hesitation, the mage thrust forward and let out a constant torrent of flames that engulfed the tank. The jettisoned fire pressed harder and harder against the tank until the mage deemed it time to release his power.

    The mage staggered as he fought to regain his balance. It appeared to Morrigan that such a steady output of power was extremely tiring, which seemed almost alien to her. Her body¡¯s absorbance of the ambient primal energy that existed throughout existence itself left her wondering how anyone lived with such limitations.

    As the flames burned out, the tank was left standing though the outer shell was glowing a dull orange before it tried to roll forward. Both tracks shattered as well as a mechanism within the turret snapped, leaving the war machine completely immobile.

    Morrigan was certain that if anyone or any ammunition had been inside the machine, everything would have cooked to death or exploded.

    Dezinaria scrutinized the man, ¡°How long have been practicing young man?¡±

    The man panted heavily before mustering enough oxygen to respond, ¡°Six years, ma¡¯am.¡±

    The old lady¡¯s face twisted in disgusted disappointment before snubbing the man, ¡°Six years¡­ and all you can manage is an inferno that cannot even melt the armor of a tank? That is disappointing. It seems I have my work cut out with you¡­¡± she paused for a moment to think.

    ¡°How else could you have handled the tank?¡± she asked as she took a step up to the platform and stood next to the man.

    It was amusing to watch a little old lady two heads shorter than her student patronize him with fierce intimidation.

    When the man shrugged Dezinaria sighed before flicking her arm out launching a small little fireball down the barrel of the tank.

    A moment later the tank exploded in a brilliant display as it sat there burning from the inside out.

    ¡°You see, if that tank had been armed it would not exist in this plane of existence anymore. However, since it is a still a functional tank, I focused my energy down the barrel until I could target the fuel lines of the engine and ignite the fuel tank within¡­ get back in line,¡± she said pointedly as she narrowed her eyes at the man.

    ¡°Ouch, she¡¯s hard as fuck,¡± Morrigan thought to herself as she watched the man slump his way back into line.

    Well, you have to give her this much. Old lady gots the moves hehehehe

    Morrigan subtly shook her head as she watched the rest of the class repeat the same test until her class was finished.

    It was an interesting experience to see how the various mage abilities had been taught to each trainee. Some were telekinetic, most were elemental and all were met with the harsh scrutiny of Instructor Dezinaria.

    As the class let out, Dezinaria called out, ¡°Ah, Morrigan! A word if you would.¡±

    Morrigan deflated, dreading the conversation she was about to have as she watched the rest of the trainees leave the area.

    Putting on her best resolve, she strode over to Dezinaria.

    ¡°Your power, I must say is quite impressive. Do you have any idea where it comes from or how it is formed?¡± she asked curiously.

    Morrigan bit her tongue for a moment, ¡°I can¡¯t just say ¡®oh it¡¯s from one of four cosmic gods, one of which lives inside my head and makes me a far better mage than most people¡¯.¡±

    Apollyon snickered; I mean¡­ you could. Not that I think the ol¡¯ crone would believe you. I bet she¡¯d believe she were a leprechaun sooner than believing that.

    Morrigan cracked the smallest of smiles trying not to seem disrespectful and shook her head.

    ¡°Well, as far as we¡¯ve determined, magic is an ability given to those with specific genetic mutations within their DNA, allowing them to bend reality to their whim whether it be through the elements, or increased cognitive abilities such as telekinesis, although that seems to be more of an Eskarii classification. There is even those who can manipulate the metabolic rate of a living being which thankfully the Federation has yet to discover how to weaponize such an ability¡­ it is quite devastating,¡± Dezinaria rambled before catching herself, clearing her throat.

    ¡°I digress, anyways, my point is your abilities seem to be very unique in nature- tell me, are either of your parents of Eskarii blood?¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s mouth dropped open at the implication her instructor had insinuated, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know humans and Eskarii could have children together¡­ no, both of my parents are humans¡­¡±

    Morrigan decided it was best to omit the fact that no one in her family were part of a mage bloodline.

    Dezinaria hummed thoughtfully as she started to step around Morrigan in a full circle, inspecting every inch of her which made her feel uncomfortable.

    ¡°And how does your power feel? In a natural sense.¡± She inquired.

    Morrigan held up a hand and let the energy coalesce into its iconic claw shape around her hand, ¡°Destructive¡­ angry¡­ as if insatiably hungry,¡± Morrigan responded truthfully knowing full well it was the nature of her power.

    Dezinaria let out another thoughtful hum, ¡°What about defenses? You seem to be a girl who has seen combat, how do you defend against attacks?¡±

    Morrigan released the energy with a snort, ¡°By killing them before they can attack,¡± she quipped.

    Ha! That¡¯s my girl!

    Dezinaria turned to Morrigan with a wide smile across her wrinkling face, ¡°Tell me, have you ever encountered an energy mage?¡±

    Morrigan cocked her head, ¡°Energy mage?¡±

    Dezinaria nodded and turned her back as she slowly walked away from her, ¡°An energy mage is an elemental mage who harness the energy of electricity. Pulling the energy out of protons in the air to generate powerful strikes of electricity.¡±

    Morrigan instantly flashed back to Amaranthe, everything he did to her aboard his dropship. All the torture and blood shed.

    She grimaced as her anger spiked sharply, ¡°Yeah¡­ I have,¡± she let out in a muffled growl.

    ¡°Good, then you should be prepared,¡± Dezinaria stated before turning swiftly and sending a bolt of electricity straight towards Morrigan.

    With wide eyes Morrigan reflexively pulled her energy to the fore and palmed the arc of electricity with a clawed hand.

    ¡°How the? What the fuck? I thought you were a Pyromancer? Was that really necessary?!¡± Morrigan exclaimed in blatant surprise.

    Dezinaria gave her a toothy grin, ¡°All elemental mages can harness from each element girl, with enough training of course. Seeing as you seem to have a mastery in offense, I see no reason to get your defensive evaluation out of the way. No sense wasting either of our times if we don¡¯t need to.¡±

    Morrigan felt her resolve harden as she understood the old lady¡¯s point. If she wanted to challenge her, then Morrigan would step up and face her.

    Dezinaria gave no notion to attacking before she let loose blast after blast of electricity.

    In more surprised reactions, Morrigan countered each electricity blast with a crimson claw until a massive ring of electricity formed above her, a smirk on appearing across Dezinaria¡¯s face.

    The amount of anger Morrigan felt about the persistent attacks only pushed her farther into her rage as she crouched, her crimson wings bursting forth from her back and enveloping her body in a shroud of glowing red.

    Several lighting strikes cascaded down upon her form, pelting painfully into wings as the destructive energy devoured the electrical energy.

    ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s a neat trick, it¡¯s also interesting to see how your power seems to negate my own effortlessly, as if a polarity effect though if that were the real case, your own energy would at least respond to mine¡­ you are quite interesting Miss Clarke.¡±

    Morrigan stood as her wings flared in a brilliant display before fading from existence, though her peaked anger sent a wave of crimson electricity down her body. She was not enjoying being observed like some lab rat.

    ¡°Can you form a shield with your power girl?¡± Dezinaria inquired.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes narrowed as she considered the question.

    ¡°You mean like the Lord Inquisitor?¡± she asked.

    Dezinaria nodded, ¡°Precisely. I am the one who trained him how to turn his energy into a shield that can encompass him, or others if need be.¡±

    Morrigan shook her head angrily, her anger refusing to give as the woman prodded her.

    ¡°Good,¡± the old woman smiled before a dozen glowing blue orbs appeared surrounding Morrigan.

    Morrigan looked around in panic as the orbs grew brighter, causing her eyes to go wide as her crimson wings sprouted from her back.

    As the orbs discharged electricity, Morrigan tried to block the attacks with two large crimson claws floating around her as well as her wings curling around her. Many of the attacks she managed to block however, one slipped through under her wing and smash against her kidney in blinding pain, sending her flying ten feet towards Dezinaria.

    Morrigan coughed and winced as Apollyon worked on repairing the singed nerves and skin on her back while Dezinaria stepped over her with a triumphant smile as she started walking across the training area.

    ¡°See you tomorrow, Miss Clarke.¡±

    Morrigan growled as she leaned up on her hand and elbow scowling at the older woman left her on the ground, ¡°What a bitch¡­¡±

    Heh yeah, who would¡¯ve thought the bag of bones could pack such a punch, Apollyon mused.

 Chapter V

    Two lesbians and a straight girl walk into a bar; now that''s a joke I can get behind! Apollyon chuckled in her head as Morrigan stepped into Pandora¡¯s Box.

    Morrigan snorted as she lit her thin cigar and took a deep inhale of the strawberry, watermelon menthol infused tobacco leaf. The place Emily had shown her had a great selection and Morrigan soon discovered she had a love of menthol. The icy, minty taste reminded her of Nora every time she took a puff.

    Seeing Nora and Emily laughing at the bar made her smile as she weaved in between the tables and approached the barstool left available right next to Nora.

    ¡°Oh my god, my arena is going to be epic! These trainees have no idea what they''re in for! Oh! You should try going through it too!¡± Nora cackled excitedly like a mad woman as Emily grimaced shaking her head.

    Morrigan was happy to see that Nora and Emily got along though her jealousy over Nora¡¯s faint interest in the red head always stung a bit.

    ¡°No, no that''s okay. I think I''ll stick to paperwork,¡± Emily countered nervously.

    ¡°Bah! That''s soooo boring¡­ precious!¡± Nora turned and exclaimed as she threw her arms around Morrigan when she took her seat. Inhaling Morrigan¡¯s scent deeply as she buried her face into the nape of Morrigan¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Mmmm, why do you smell like an electrical fire?¡±

    Morrigan snorted as she gently smacked her temple against Nora¡¯s ear in comfort, ¡°Because I came across the first class I didn''t pass with flying colors.¡±

    Nora leaned back and inspected her closely, ¡°Well you still look beautiful so it wasn¡¯t a bomb diffusing gone bad,¡± she randomly observed.

    Nora¡¯s logic made Morrigan smile because it made very little sense, instead of feeding into her craziness though, Morrigan just leaned forward and gently kissed Nora on the lips.

    Emily squeaked as she giggled, drawing both women''s attention.

    ¡°What''s the matter, Giggles? Looking for a lesbian to get your tongue?¡± Nora antagonized. Morrigan pursed her lips at the awkwardness of Nora¡¯s social skills. Granted, she did her best not to judge Nora, but she could not deny that her blunt openness hurt her.

    Emily blushed and shook her head, ¡°No! I just¡­ I just like seeing you two together. Romance is very rare these days, especially here. Most people are to busy to even consider going on a date¡­ much less invest in romance,¡± she said glumly.

    Nora furrowed her brows, ¡°Romance?¡± she turned to Morrigan quickly who was still wrapped in her arms, ¡°Is this romance? Do we romance? What do?¡± Nora sputtered off. Whether she was truly confused Emily nor Morrigan could begin to guess.

    Morrigan turned red as she considered the question, ¡°I um, I¡¯m not¡­oh! Hey, Dora!¡±

    Dora sauntered around the circular bar strutting around in a open-chested, exceedingly high collar coat that was very, very hot pink. His glittery attire always highlighting the bright white smile he flashed her, ¡°There¡¯s my favorite little initiate! Girl, you look like you had a rough day¡­ oh, you smell like it too.¡±

    Morrigan smirked and silently thanked Dora for the distraction from the inquiry placed upon her.

    ¡°Yeahhh, I met Instructor Dezinaria today¡­ turns out I won¡¯t get to pass all my classes on the first go,¡± Morrigan said aloofly.

    Dora grimaced at the mention of the old woman¡¯s name, ¡°I can imagine, that old woman is feisty enough to put a Dorian woodland badger to shame!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Morrigan asked.

    Dora leaned over the counter smiling as he expertly snatched a bottle of beer from underneath the counter and set it in front of Morrigan in one fluid motion.

    ¡°Think of it as your Earthly honey badger except the size of a car and five times as angry,¡± Dora said conspiratorially.

    Morrigan laughed and nodded before Nora cut her off with a confused look.

    ¡°Peacock, Emily says me and Mori are romance, what''s your opinion?¡± Nora asked blatantly.

    Dora snorted and started laughing, ¡°Oh, honey, Mori is definitely. You however, have as much luck being a romantic as you have getting into her pants,¡± he said nodding to Emily, who laughed behind her hand.

    Nora scoffed and turned to Emily, ¡°Besides, how do you not have every cock in this place eating out of the palm of your hand? Do any of these assholes look busy?¡± she asked gesturing around the bar. Nora¡¯s overly brazen demeanor had Emily¡¯s face on fire with embarrassment.

    ¡°You have such a way with words, dove. Come here and I''ll tell you a secret,¡± Dora said smiling as he gestured to Nora.

    She unwrapped herself from Morrigan to lean across the bar top to let Dora whisper in her ear.

    When Nora pulled back she looked side to side between Emily and Morrigan with a surprised look before grinning, ¡°So Red, which one of these meat sticks do you find attractive?¡± Nora inquired forcefully.

    Emily¡¯s eyes widened before she awkwardly pointed to a table in the far back corner that sat two guys chatting with each other, ¡°The one with dark hair is pretty cute, I guess?¡±

    Nora looked and grinned even wider before wrapping her arm around Emily¡¯s neck, ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Nora dragged the poor girl off the stool and across the bar as Emily sputtered and protested adamantly as they made their way towards the targeted table.

    Morrigan eyed Dora suspiciously, who just laughed loudly before wiping his eyes.

    ¡°What in the world did you say to her?¡± Morrigan asked as she watched Nora kick the second guy out of the booth with the brandish of an icy blade that she coalesced from thin air.

    ¡°All I did was tell her that Emily was twice as romantic and shy as you are, ha!¡± Dora laughed while Morrigan face palmed before trying to regain her composure, ¡°I gotta hand it to you honey, you picked one hell of a wild child with that one.¡±

    Morrigan took a drag off her cigar as she eyed the table from afar, ¡°It¡¯s not like we''re dating¡­ we just, took care of each other in the prison, ya know? Looked after one another, made sure no one killed the other¡­ I mean, I don''t know.¡±

    ¡°Mhmmm,¡± Dora hummed with an incredible amount of sass, ¡°You can try lying to yourself but sweetie, I¡¯m a bartender, you can''t lie to me,¡± Dora stated with a cheeky smile and hand on his hip.

    ¡°What the fuck does that even mean?¡± Morrigan asked after sipping her beer while Apollyon snickered in the back of her mind, saying nothing.

    Dora grinned as he grabbed her hand that held the bottle, his glossy nails glinting from the slowly changing lights.

    ¡°Okay, I''m going to lay down some hard truth hun and you can take it however you like. The truth is you love that girl. It¡¯s written on your face every single time you look at her, in your eyes any time you two touch. As shy as you are, Mori, I know deep down that you want to stand at the highest point of the Void Star and scream how much you love that crazy ass of her¡¯s. Emily wasn¡¯t wrong, you may not realize it but you two dance a truly unique romantic dance around each other,¡± Dora stated factually before smirking triumphantly as Morrigan stared at him with wide, contemplating eyes.

    As Dora pulled away to serve another customer, Morrigan glanced at the table to see that Nora talked animatedly to the guy as Emily sat in between the two, terrified out of her mind.

    So many questions hammered through her mind as she watched as Nora gestured to Emily then to the man who awkwardly listened to her go on and on.

    ¡°Do I love her?¡± she finally asked herself as all her memories between her and Nora flashed through her mind, all the feelings that encompassed their time together.

    Safety, joy, calm, desire¡­home¡­ the emotions that stirred within her every time she was close to Nora flashed through her body as she stared at the silver eyed blonde.

    I¡¯m no expert, I mean if you wanna talk about murdering people then I¡¯m your guy, but if I had to guess, I¡¯d say that you do, given the smell in here¡­ Apollyon said with a hint of disgust.

    ¡°But I love Taylor¡­¡± her eyes widened with shock when it dawned on her that over the past month or so, she had not even thought of her boyfriend. Anxiety had her heart rate spike as she contemplated the cruelty of her own attention.

    ¡°I¡¯m such a shitty person¡­¡± she murmured under her breath as a wave of disappointment and sadness overcame her. She could not comprehend how she could have dismissed the love that spent years being there for her.

    To be fair kid, it¡¯s been two years. Whose to say he¡¯s even still alive?

    Anger and terror collided as in her heart as she gripped her head and hunched over. She fought the anxiety fueled woe that coursed through her as her mind began to fragment once again. Tears did not fall as her teeth ground painfully within her jaw.

    No, no! That was my bad, little goddess, just a very poor choice of words! Apollyon panicked.

    A bump again her elbow cause Morrigan to flinch back with a gasp to see the familiar wide eyes and yellow and black frill twitching of Yekku nestling against her.

    Her frantic emotions simmered down as she curled an arm around underneath his head and pulled him against her in a hug, resting her temple against the crest of his eye.

    ¡°Hey buddy¡­did you have a good day at work?¡± she asked blandly.

    Yekku chirped and bobbed his head softly before pulling back and flicking his tongue against her cheek.

    She smiled and brushed her hand over his short frill, ¡°I¡¯m okay, Yekku, it¡¯s just been a long day,¡± she said with a sigh.

    She didn''t want to lie to Yekku, but it was not like she and him could talk things out anyways even if she wanted to.

    Dora came back around the bar with a grand gesture, ¡°Yekku! Xol! How are you, loves?¡±

    Morrigan snapped her head around with a startled look to see Xol standing directly behind her.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I am so putting a bell on you!¡± Morrigan growled before leaning back against the massive K¨ºzi¡¯kan for comfort.

    The rumble and bouncing of his stomach told her he was quietly laughing. She smirked and looked above her to see him leering down at her with an amused fanged grin.

    ¡°Uh huh, keep it up and I¡¯ll make you sleep outside,¡± she said rolling her eyes. Xol just scoffed at her with a click of his jaw and planted his large hand on top of her head condescendingly.

    ¡°Come on you, bring it in!¡± Dora exclaimed as he and Yekku leaned towards each other for Yekku to flick his tongue against each of Dora¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°Good boy! Now, what would you like?¡±

    Yekku squawked and pointed to a clear bottle of hard liquor on the shelf right behind Dora.

    Dora turned and pointed, ¡°Vodka, really? You know it tastes like rubbing alcohol, right?¡±

    Yekku bobbed his head vigorously as his claws tapped on the bar top anxiously. Dora shrugged and grabbed the bottle while pulling out a shot glass.

    Morrigan snorted loudly, ¡°Are you seriously training Yekku with booze like a dog?¡±

    Dora grinned and shrugged, ¡°It works, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he mused as he slid the glass over to Yekku.

    The S¡¯randin dipped his head and flicked his tongue into the shot glass. Yekku''s maw opened up in what could only be described as a lizard¡¯s grimace as Yekku hissed as he leaned back and nudged the glass over the edge of the bar with the tips of his fingers like a cat.

    His reaction was priceless as Morrigan and Dora both laughed hysterically at the display of rejection.

    ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s way too cute! I can¡¯t even be mad at him for breaking one of my glasses!¡± Dora roared in hearty feminine laughter.

    ¡°Something sweet!¡± Morrigan tried to explain through her laughter but forced herself to wait until she relaxed.

    ¡°The S¡¯randin like sweet and savory things. So, you¡¯ll get a better result with something sweet, Dora.¡±

    Dora thought for a moment before grabbing a martini glass, dropping a spherical ice cube into the glass and poured simple syrup, rum, and lime juice into a shaker with crushed strawberries.

    Dora swiftly shook the mixture together and poured it over the ball of ice and slide the glass over to Yekku who watched the process with intense focus and caution.

    ¡°Is that a¡­ make-shift strawberry daiquiri?¡± Morrigan asked.

    Dora shrugged with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t have a blender on this side and I¡¯m eager to see what he thinks.¡±

    Yekku looked to Dora, then to Morrigan and then to the drink before him as he approached it cautiously. His eyes widened in surprise as his tongue slide back into his mouth. Before anyone could move, Yekku scooped the drink up as he tipped his head back to dump the entire contents of the glass into his wide mouth, crunching down on the large ice cube.

    Yekku chirped and warbled excitedly as he stamped his feet and pointed to the glass in his hand, waving it in Dora¡¯s face. Morrigan couldn¡¯t contain her laughter at the ridiculousness.

    ¡°Great, Yekku is going to be an alcoholic¡­¡± Morrigan said dripping with hysteric sarcasm.

    ???

    Rosaline tapped the toe of her heel on the metal plate floor as she waited impatiently for Havoc squad to assemble.

    ¡°Where is Stephanie?¡± she scowled as everyone came together, looking over each member of the death squad.

    ¡°She said she was not feeling well and is in her room,¡± Jackson said factually yet sheepishly to his superior.

    Rosaline ground her teeth and shook her head, ¡°Fine, whatever. One of you will relay this information to her later.¡±

    ¡°As you may have heard, there has been a recall order for a large majority of the Federation fleet however, since this is an exploration vessel, we will continue to sail. There also has been a change in our orders by the Lord Commander¡­¡±

    ¡°Lord Commander?¡± Aleksei bellowed out incredulously.

    The look on Rosa¡¯s face told everyone she was not happy with the interruption, ¡°Yes. It appears there has been a regime change of the upper echelon. Lord Commander Amaranthe has full control of our forces now.¡±

    Taylor let out a groan before catching himself though it was not soon enough as Rosaline¡¯s eyes narrowed on him, ¡°Problem, Taylor?¡±

    Taylor cleared his throat and shook his head, ¡°No ma¡¯am. Amaranthe is just the asshole who drafted me in the first place¡­¡±

    Rosaline cocked her head and leaned forward condescendingly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s just ironic, now, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked rhetorically with hostile sarcasm.

    It was very apparent that she was in a bad mood, ¡°Now, everyone shut up so I can finish.¡±

    She cleared her throat and continued, ¡°While the survey teams do their thing as we travel, we are also to be on the look out for the ¡°Rose¡±. The Lord Commander has put a high priority mark on this target and we, being a vessel still in extended space, have been charged with hunting them down and bringing them in dead or alive. So, you all need to be ready to disembark at a moments notice, I don¡¯t care how you prepare but be prepared. Now, get out of my face,¡± she snapped before turning and storming away.

    Ebony¡¯s blood ran cold at the mention of the Rose. Though she knew she erased all the evidence she could find of who the Rose was, she knew someone somewhere knew who she really was and eventually that information would be leaked.

    Her eyes shifted to Taylor who was busy talking to Jackson, contemplating whether or not she should tell him. She even considered of bringing up the situation to Rosaline though not at the moment. She was pretty sure Rosa¡¯s mood would only backfire.

    Nervously, Ebony stalked off to think as well as put as much distance between her and Taylor for the time being.

    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t force her to let you examine her?¡± Taylor inquired.

    Jackson chuckled, ¡°Even I am not that dumb to try and force her to do anything. She is more pliable in the field but when we¡¯re home, she despises more attention than necessary. She did not show any symptoms though, so perhaps just a migraine?¡±

    Taylor nodded and patted the combat medic on the shoulder before stepping away. He had a pretty good idea how to help Stephanie feel better but first, he would do the prep work Rosa demanded so the hawk of a woman would leave him alone. The last thing he needed was to earn more ire from his handler.

    After about an hour to set up, Taylor went to one of the few mess halls and brewed peppermint tea. Taylor''s mother often used peppermint to help with the headaches she got from the loud noises of their garage over the years, so Taylor knew the trick.

    Taylor made his way through the ship to Stephanie¡¯s room gripping a thermos and two cups in one hand, knocking on her door. There was no answer though.

    His mouth twitched in concern before he reached over and entered the code she had showed him, unlocking and opening the door.

    Peering inside, the room was dark save for the low blue glow of the lamps hanging above Stephanie¡¯s plants. Sitting curled up in the back corner of her bed was Stephanie.

    Taylor took a step inside, his boot clanging against the metal flooring and jolting her head up from the book she held in her hands.

    Even in the low light, he could see that her cheeks were red and raw, her eyes puffy from crying as she watched him from underneath the hood of the oversized jacket she wore.

    ¡°Hey, what''s wrong?¡± he asked with concern as he cautiously stepped farther into the room. The look of confusion on his face as he absorbed the unseen side of Stephanie.

    ¡°Nothing. I''m fine,¡± she signed with a sniff, setting the book down.

    Taylor shook his head subtly as the door behind him automatically closed, leaving only the minute amount of his features to be highlighted by the glow of the lamps.

    ¡°I¡¯m not buying that¡­ something is up,¡± he said firmly in a soft tone as he sat down on the edge of the bed while putting down the things he was carrying.

    Stephanie scoffed and looked away to stare at her plants knowing full well Taylor was watching her, holding the book close to her chest.

    ¡°You can talk to me, you know? Believe it or not, some people do actually give a damn about you, especially me,¡± he said softly though she could hear the pitch change as he smiled.

    Her eyes shifted towards him as the blue light glinted off her own blue eyes. She looked towards the edge of the bed, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She signed, indicating what he had brought.

    ¡°Oh, um, Jackson said you may have had a migraine so I scrounged up some tea and added peppermint to it¡­ my ma used to use peppermint for all the headaches she got from the machinery in our shop,¡± he said as he bent down to pick up the thermos and cups.

    Stephanie snorted and rolled her eyes with a twitch of her lips. ¡°That man does not understand a single thing about a woman¡¯s hint,¡± she stated.

    It was Taylor¡¯s turn to snort and smile, ¡°Apparently neither do I, would you like some?¡±

    She studied him for a moment before the bed bounced with her silent laughter, an amused smile on her face, ¡°Sure.¡±

    Taylor set the empty cups down and opened the thermos, filling one of the cups and handing it to her before he started pouring the second cup.

    She curled back into the corner with the cup cradled in her hands, both of them enjoying the silence of each other¡¯s company as they drank the tea.

    Taylor eyed her as he drank, ¡°So, do you wanna talk about it?¡±

    Stephanie gave him a steely look as she peered over the hot cup, with a heavy breath through her nose she reached and set the cup down on the bookshelf.

    She reached down and grabbed the book she kept close, tapping her fingers along the edge of it with a tight-lipped expression before hesitantly handing it over.

    Taylor¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he grabbed the book finding no title or anything on it.

    As he cracked the cover open he read with a chuckle, ¡°From Classical to Quantum Theory? Yeah, I can see how that could bring someone to tears.¡±

    He heard her snort and look up to see her crack a small smile which only made him smile more.

    There was a separation in the middle of the book that caught his attention, as if something was wedged in between the pages and as he flipped the book open, he found an old style photo tucked in between two pages.

    He gently plucked the picture out and held it up, using the low glowing light to see. It was a picture of two girls, a dark blonde with long hair holding onto another blonde girl with shorter hair from behind, one obviously older than the other; both of them were smiling. The girls¡¯ surroundings were dreary and dirty, rusted metal and small crates of various mechanical components in the background that matched their dirty clothes. Studying the face of the older girl, it clicked in his mind that it was a photograph of Stephanie when she was younger.

    ¡°This was you,¡± he said factually before glancing at her, indicating the photo.

    She nodded sullenly, ¡°and my sister,¡± she signed as she pursed her lips with a sniff.

    Taylor nodded his understanding as he took a closer look at the photo despite the low light in the room.

    ¡°I get it, you miss your sister,¡± he stated aloud not realizing she started crying again.

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t she the one who did¡­ you know?¡± he said gesturing to the width of his neck as he turned his attention back to her, surprised by the glowing lines running down her cheeks.

    She nodded as she bit her lip, ¡°Yeah. Same one.¡±

    Taylor cocked his head to the side, ¡°But why though? If she did something that horrible to you?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my baby sister¡­ I may hate what she did but I still love her,¡± she signed to him before burying her face into her arms as she curled up even tighter. Her sniffling became harsher as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

    The familial notion dawned on him, feeling like an idiot for not recognizing it sooner, ¡°Which means you still miss her¡­ I understand¡­¡± Taylor stood up from the bed and leaned over, ¡°It¡¯s okay Steph, come on,¡± he said softly as he touched her ankle and held out his other hand.

    She looked up to see him nodding as he gestured for her to take his hand. Her faced twisted in sadness before she wiped her sleeve across it, reaching up and taking his hands.

    Taylor gently pulled her up from the bed ignoring the fact she had no pants and gently pulled her against his chest.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you Steph, you be who you need to be right now,¡± he whispered against her head as he rested his chin onto her hooded head.

    Stephanie wrapped her arms around his back and pulled tightly as she buried her face in his chest, coming emotionally unglued.

    Taylor held her close even as her knees gave out, holding her up as she silently bawled her eyes out against him. He did not care how long he had to hold her up. She let herself be in such a rare, vulnerable position with him that he would do whatever it took to uphold the level of trust between them.

    Eventually, the shaking of her body settles as did her grip on him, telling him the worst of her breakdown was over as he shifted his cheek to the top of her head, feeling the woman¡¯s dreads press against his cheek.

    Stephanie shifted just far enough away from his chest to move her arms in between them to wipe her eyes and face with an intense sniffle.

    Taylor looked down at her as she looked up at him, her blue eyes barely visible in the low light, with only the tiniest speck of light reflecting off her pupils.

    He didn''t say anything as her face remained the blank slate he was accustomed to seeing as she gently ran her fingers through the edge of his beard.

    Without warning, her hand slipped behind his head and pulled him down into a hard, fervent kiss.

    His surprise was brief as he pushed back hard against her lips, returning her amatory gesture in kind. She shoved out every sense of logic or reason out of his mind as she pressed herself against him, digging her fingers through his hair and hoisting herself up onto his waist with wrapped legs.

    Taylor held tight to her covered ass to support her shift as she continued to kiss him feverishly. Taylor brushed one hand across her desk across from her bed, knocking what ever contents there had been onto the floor before setting her on the desk.

    Her new focus became the shirt he wore as she pawed at the hem, yanking it up over his head with his assistance. Stephanie bit her lip with wide eyes as her calloused hands glided over his physique, hardened and gently riddled with small scars from combat as her hands trailed up his chest and around his neck to pull her back to her waiting lips.

    Taylor wasted no time sliding his hands underneath her oversized hoodie and lifting it over her head. His split-second shock fueled the enamored haze coursing through his body as he realized she wore nothing underneath the jacket, leaving her body naked and exposed to him.

    He wrapped his hands around her waist and back, scooting her closer and leaning her back as he planted his lips between her breasts, his tongue tasting the saltiness of her flesh as he trailed up her chest to her neck.

    Stephanie let out small breathy moans as she fought with his belt, freeing his pants and fluidly kicking him free of the last of his clothing with her toes. She grabbed him firmly in her hand and enticed a moan against the tender spot just underneath her jaw before wrapping around his waist and forcibly guiding him into her with her legs.

    Both of their breaths hitched at the force as she let out a sharp breath, Taylor rising just enough to face her. Her hands gently grasped his cheeks and pulled him into a tender kiss, inciting him to slide deeper into her as they both lost themselves to one another in heated desire and passion.

 Chapter VI

    Weeks passed as Helen, Torvil, Jen and Mo¡¯Emori traveled across the country in search of a starship to steal. It had become a challenge once the main forces of the Federation were pulled from the Middle East to increase defenses throughout the mainland.

    Amaranthe had ordered a mass conscription amongst the populace between old North and South America, using most of the conscripts to set up checkpoints on every major highway between both countries in an effort to weed out the socio-political outliers hiding within Federation soil.

    Between the amassing armada just outside of Earth¡¯s atmosphere, the forces between the fleet and those returning home from the main conflict spurred numerous problems for those trying to flee.

    They had even heard rumors of the Federation going door to door searching for those disloyal to the government. That did not include the deadly raids on Eskarii occupied city streets that resulted in open massacre.

    Helen was exhausted by the chaos encompassing her world. The Eskarii she called a daughter jostled lightly against her as Jen sped down an uneven road. She looked down and tenderly brushed the teal hair out of Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s sleeping face as she sighed. The only saving grace in their mission thus far had been that Jen stole a comfortable SUV for them to travel in aside from the gross number of weapons she scrounge up, though she would not share where she acquired that many weapons.

    Torvil too napped within the back of the truck as they traveled down a back-alley road of Indiana. Helen took in the sight of the Eskarii siblings, thankful to have them along to keep her sane through all of it.

    Having traveled as far south as Georgia to find that military occupied nearly every airport, both private and commercial, had been a massive wrench in their plans.

    Given Torvil¡¯s last experience with stealing a starship from a military occupied airport, they voted against trying again.

    ¡°So, what are you thinking?¡±  Jen perked up as she surveyed the landscape.

    ¡°That if we don¡¯t find a ship soon, I¡¯m going to lose my mind,¡± Helen snickered as she gently stroked Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s cheek.

    Jen chuckled, ¡°Too right but then again, it¡¯s been pretty fun blowing up checkpoints with you guys, so it¡¯s not all bad.¡±

    Helen suppressed her laugh as much as she could to not disturb either of the sleeping Eskarii. ¡°It¡¯s a wonder how you managed to become a cop, given the amount of happiness you get out of your most recent escapades, it¡¯s a mystery how you just never went full anarchist on us.¡±

    Jen grinned at that as she leaned back, ¡°Well for one, I was D.S.T.U. not an ordinary cop, so I got away with a lot of shit over the years. If I would¡¯ve been an ordinary street cop, I probably would¡¯ve offed myself long ago, and second; there was little opportunity to do any of these things back then. Shit, if everything went back to normal tomorrow I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have it in me to be civil again-no, if we go back I¡¯m totally going full anarchy. There¡¯s just way too much fun to be had.¡±

    Helen just shook her head as she chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.¡±

    Jen snorted and looked between her and Mo¡¯Emori. Helen saw a kindness in Jen¡¯s eyes that rarely showed for anyone and yet, there it was.

    ¡°Our life huh? I don¡¯t think I could imagine my life without these two now,¡± Jen said wistfully.

    Helen hummed affirmatively with a nod.

    ¡°I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I love you, James and little Mori to death but, I never really had a family of my own, you know? No siblings, both parents dead, fuck all knows where the rest of my family is these days. Only thing I¡¯ve had was you, Mori and the squad for years¡­¡± Jen stated as she eyed the rear-view mirror.

    ¡°And now? I got myself a tall, sexy broody and an excitable little niece whose over three times my age!¡± she chirped in a disbelieving laugh.

    Helen chuckled along with her as she nodded, letting Jen say her piece. ¡°Chaos aside though, which to be honest has mostly been great too, I¡¯m, well¡­ pretty happy,¡± she finished with a heartfelt smile.

    ¡°Yeah, this one has been the one to hold me together,¡± Helen said sweetly looking down to Mo¡¯Emori.

    The conversation lulled as they passed through farm fields, the smell of soybeans permeating the air.

    ¡°Hey, what about Canada?¡± Jen chirped in curiosity.

    Helen looked at her with a quirked eyebrow, ¡°In what sense?¡±

    Jen bobbed her head side to side before gesturing out the window, ¡°I mean, any state side airport so far has been overrun by the military, but what about Canada? It¡¯s still an open expanse of wilderness minus the few major cities and fewer blast sites¡­ it would be right to think the Federation would stick more towards to the main population, right?¡±

    Helen thought about it for a moment, ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking we might be able to find something over the border? I mean¡­¡± Helen trailed off into deeper thought trying to recall any information she could have come across during her time as an Intel operator. ¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t think of any real operations that far north!¡± she said in hushed excitement.

    Jen smirked sinisterly, ¡°Road trip girlie!¡±

    Helen laughed, ¡°This whole thing has been a road trip you dork.¡±

    Jen slammed on the gas and sped through the fields of Indiana before heading north.

    Four hours later, Mo''Emori and Torvil both being awake in the back now, they arrived at the border of Detroit, Michigan and the border of Canada.

    Jen slowed to a crawl as they approached, spying the checkpoint that would give them problems.

    Two military SUVs sat on each side of the checkpoint and a small guard house as a Federation marine flagged them down. Jen crawled up to the marine before both Jen and Helen rolled down their windows.

    The marine approached the driver side, ¡°I¡¯m going to need some identification ma¡¯am¡­ ladies,¡± he said firmly.

    Jen gave him a wicked grin, ¡°Sure thing pretty boy,¡± before she started patting her pockets.

    Helen dug through her purse under false pretenses as she side-eyed, watched Torvil and Mo¡¯Emori shrink underneath the driver-side rear window, thankful that Jen was smart enough to steal something with darkly tinted windows.

    Jen feigned trouble finding her license as the marine became impatient. Jen dug into the center console animatedly, before pulling out the handgun hidden within and shot the marine in the face twice.

    Helen grabbed the grenade from her purse and threw it through the window of the guardhouse close by as shouts of panic came from within. ¡°Go!¡± she commanded.

    Jen floored it, zooming down the desolate highway towards Toronto as the grenade detonated within the guardhouse.

    One of the older military trucks peeled off the side of the road in hot pursuit after them.

    ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t even see anyone in that!¡± Jen mused as she watched a marine stick their head out before grabbing hold of the mounted machine gun that sat on top.

    The sound of automatic gunfire and bullets sinking into metal surrounded them became static as the rear window shattered. Mo¡¯Emori letting out a high-pitched yelp as she ducked, Torvil letting out a stream of curses in his native tongue.

    ¡°Torvil? Be a dear and take care of that would you sweetie,¡± Jen said coolly as she weaved side to side on the road with complete control while Helen used the pistol she took from Jen and returned fire, not that she expected much out of her actions.

    Torvil grumbled incoherently before sliding his arm over the back of the seat while Mo¡¯Emori scooted over to the other side of the car.

    ¡°Steady!¡± he called as he turned around and opened the door, planting his foot against the open door as he kneeled on the seat to lean out of the truck.

    The gunner in the truck stopped firing in disbelief, as if there was no way a white haired Eskarii was leaning out the open door with a rocket launcher sitting on its shoulder.

    The gunner panicked as the rocket soared right for his truck, impacting underneath and igniting the gas tank sending the truck flipping through the air.

    Jen slowed down enough for Torvil to climb back in as he tossed the disposable launcher down the road.

    As soon as the door clicked shut, Jen grinned at Helen, who just looked purely exhausted, ¡°He¡¯s damn sexy ain¡¯t he?¡±

    Both Helen and Torvil let out a derisive snort at the mad woman as Mo¡¯Emori giggled as she sat up in her seat to see the burning military vehicle slowly vanishing behind them.

    ???

    The desk was an expensive and exquisite rosewood designed by hand to match the presidential desks of old. The bright, pristine walls decorated to an ornate level with commemorative trinkets highlighting the proud achievements of the Federation.

    The perfect, micro suede leather of the chair he sat in conformed to his body to his liking as Lord Commander Amaranthe surveyed the room in enlightened appreciation.

    All his planning and hard work had finally paid off, basking in the memory of the faint cracking of glass that snuffed out the life of his late superior office.

    The gilded smile on his face enjoyed every minute he imagined the look of shock and pain on the old man¡¯s face as he bled out on the floor of his bedroom.

    ¡°Rebecca,¡± he said smoothly before letting go of the intercom button on his new desk.

    ¡°Yes, Lord Commander?¡± A meek feminine voice responded over the open speaker.

    He signed wistfully before cooing, ¡°Send in my administrator, would you?¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Within 30 seconds flat, a nervous lanky man stepped into the grandiose office, his gaze flitting around the room cautiously.

    Amaranthe poured himself a drink from a crystal decanter that sat on his desk and took a sip, ¡°Tell me George, have we any leads to where that bitch mage has hidden herself once again?¡±

    The man looked nervous as his eyes settled on Amaranth, ¡°No sir, the Chevelle reported an Eskarii frigate within Castile V¡¯s orbit upon arrival but quickly fled the scene¡­ the unit sent in to neutralize ¡°the Rose¡± found only a handful of prisoners and half as many Eskarii troops within the confines¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you think of the name Rose? I think it¡¯s fitting as I saw how much of a thorn the girl would be in the long run- but of course no one wanted to listen,¡± Amaranthe said in a nearly nostalgic tone.

    George sputtered briefly before nodding vigorously, ¡°yes-yes, the name is quite the fit for your quarry, my Lord Commander¡­¡±

    Amaranth smiled before taking another sip, ¡°Yell me of our other progress.¡±

    George nodded nervously before calling up a holo-screen that came alive along the far wall.  Images of death and destruction within urban and suburban settings flashed on the screen.

    ¡°As of this morning sir, we are tallying 23,748 supporters of the enemy, as well as 67,023 Eskarii that hide within our borders.¡±

    The images and numeral fact made Amaranthe grin.

    George flipped to a recorded video of a shipwright factory somewhere off world as sparks flew across the screen,  ¡°Production has been increased as well as having started on the project you requested, my Lord Commander¡­ they just started the frame work and are expecting to be finished in the next 14 months¡­¡±

    ¡°I know full well how long it will take to finish my ship,¡± Amaranth sniped, ¡°Just make sure the shipyards are aware that a single minute late, will be costly.¡±

    George nodded in panic as he turned off the holo-screen.

    ¡°So, its safe to presume that all is going according to plans save for the girl?¡±

    George nodded again, ¡°yes sir.¡±

    Amaranthe nodded to himself before waving him away, taking a long look at the clear liquid jostling in the glass.

    ¡°Either the Eskarii have you or someone else does, don¡¯t they? No matter, eventually you¡¯ll show your face again and next time, you won¡¯t be getting away, little girl, and next time, I will bleed your secrets from you,¡± he murmured to himself before draining the rest of the glass.

    ???

    ¡°Come on Apollyon, there¡¯s gotta be some way for me to do this!¡± Morrigan criticized in her head as she palmed a blast of frost from one of the other trainees made to be her sparring partner.

    It was already bad enough that she had to sandbag her powers enough not to tear through their shielding and eviscerate them on accident, but the amount of emotional control she was required to have to lock down the emotional gates on her energy flow was becoming harder with the aggravation of not being able to form a simple shield setting in.

    What do you want me to do? My power is an extension of me! Never once in my vast life have I ever needed to shield myself, especially in such a paltry display! Apollyon growled, just as annoyed.

    Morrigan unleashed a crimson claw at her opponent and wrapped the talons around the shield, squeezing and feeling their willpower submitting to her strength.

    She quickly released it when she saw the young man drop to one knee tiredly, both her own energy as well as his own winking out of existence. He quickly lifted his hand and signaled for a time-out that she was thankful for.

    She watched the man fall to his back breathing heavily. She walked up and sat near him, keeping a gratuitous amount of space between them.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re quite powerful,¡± the man said.

    Morrigan snorted as she felt the tension in her back ease, ¡°Can¡¯t be that powerful, I can¡¯t even manage to create a stupid bubble shield!¡±

    He laughed, ¡°Coming from the girl who could crush me like a bug¡­ I mean, I saw what you did to the tank, and the drones the other day, how are you not just¡­ killing me outright?¡±

    Morrigan let out a dramatic sigh as she eyed the man. She did not want to explain the full mechanics of her powers since even she didn¡¯t understand them fully.

    ¡°Do you know how water filters work?¡± she asked waiting for him to nod. ¡°Its essentially like that only mentally¡­ or I suppose physically too. I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯m not completely sure most of the time. The only thing I do know is it takes a lot of restraint not to destroy something¡­¡±

    Dezinaria stalked over to both of them with her ever present scowl on her face. ¡°What are you two doing lounging around?¡± she barked at them.

    The man raised his hands in defeat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I needed a break. She is a massive drain on my reserve,¡± he exclaimed thumbing over to Morrigan.

    Morrigan blushed lightly as she dipped her head. Dezinaria narrowed her eyes at her, ¡°Still no progress on your shield, huh?¡±

    Morrigan shrank under her gaze, exhausted at feeling so negatively about being unable to complete the task. Over the several weeks she had been training to become an Inquisitor, she had aced every test, memorized as many doctrines and regulations as her brain could hold and even passed her class of intuitive and practical investigation, though that class was a close finish for her.

    However, she despised not being given a pass in defensive magic knowing full well she can protect herself. More than that, she wanted to learn how to create a shield that she could use to protect those at her side as the memories of those who died assaulting the prison were still fresh in her mind and heart.

    ¡°Hey, why don''t you apply that filter concept into willing a shield?¡± the guy piped up.

    Morrigan scowled, ¡°Because it''s not the same, I mean that''s not even a real¡­..¡± she trailed off in thought.

    ¡°Hey, you remember how you taught me to actively call upon your power?¡± she asked Apollyon.

    I see your gerbil scurrying, what do you have in mind, kid? Apollyon asked curiously.

    ¡°Well, you said your energy is an extension of you right? Which is why it takes shape of your original body, right?¡±

    Yeah? That¡¯s pretty much the gist of it. The energy is a cosmic ambience through all creation, however, I was the epicenter of this particular form of energy and its generation when my siblings and I were born.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as her brain worked faster at processing the possibilities of that meaning. She even lifted her hand to do faux math calculations in front of her to assist in processing.

    ¡°So, with that being said¡­ you were the original schematic? Relatively speaking, of course. I get you were the generator but your body was what housed your eternal essence, right? So it could be thought of a house per se, meaning that it was blueprinted from you or something, meaning that if I gave the energy a new schematic to follow it should in fact, form in its design¡­ right?¡± Morrigan fired off in her mind with rapid hopefulness.

    Apollyon sputtered in deep laughter at the process in which Morrigan thought through, causing her to deflate a little.

    Listen kid, this is our first time for us both, but, that little gerbil in your head pulled out some sound reasoning. Granted, it was a little more like that obnoxious game Tetris you humans went crazy about back in the day but the principle applies, figuratively. I say give it ago, worst comes to worst it doesn''t work¡­ or you set off an atom bomb, I mean the odds are in your favor!

    Morrigan laughed aloud out of nowhere causing both her training partner as well as Dezinaria to look at each other with questioning glances as if she just went mad.

    She caught their glances and waved them off, ¡°Sorry but I think I figured it out!¡±

    Dezinaria quirked her eyebrow incredulously, ¡°Is that so?  Let''s see it then.¡±

    ¡°Slow down, I gotta build a schematic first!¡± she chirped excitedly as she sat in a meditative pose before contemplating how to go about it.

    She tried to envision a barrier; thin, transparent and in the shape of a bubble and called on the power. She could feel the energy release from her body from the ever coalescing form that felt like a second body within her own skin.

    When she opened her eyes she found her hands in their familiar claw forms and the tips of her skeletal wings poking at her periphery.

    Morrigan growled in aggravation, releasing the energy and closing her eyes again. This time she focused on a tight lattice build in her mind. She knew solid objects had a tight molecular structure that gave them their solidarity, so envisioning a real life molecular structure should do the trick.

    She called to her energy once more only to find the same result.

    You know this is the definition of insanity, right? Apollyon mused with a fading chuckle.

    Morrigan growled once again as she noticed everyone was now staring at her in interest.

    ¡°Come on! What am I missing? Wait, how did your siblings build so much if it¡¯s not just thinking something into existence?¡±

    Apollyon let out a hum as it recalled its past,

    I mean¡­ with their hands¡­ wait with their hands girl! Literally! Apollyon¡¯s excitement baffled Morrigan as she looked down at her own hands.

    On a whim she called on her power for a third time, watching the crimson claws envelop her hands. With cautious curiosity, she touched the tips of two of her claws together and squinted with a breath of disbelief as a near blinding red light flashed to life.

    ¡°If your siblings wrote the genetic structures of every living thing then¡­¡± she thought as she brought her clawed thumbs together to form a circuit between her fingers. In the center she focused on a crystalline lattice structure in the shape of a flat plane and watched it as concentrated energy flowed along the pathways until she had a small monomolecular barrier fitting between her hands.

    She gasped in shock as she slowly turned to her training partner holding up the small barrier, ¡°Try and hit this.¡±

    Dezinaria gave the man a nod as he gave her a look of uncertainty before he formed a small ball of ice and took aim, flinging it at the barrier.

    The barrier shattered like glass in her hands as the energy dispelled itself. Allowing the tiny ball of ice to ping off her forehead.

    ¡°Fuck, shit!¡± she exclaimed which drew out collective laughter throughout the class as she held her head.

    Shaking the pain off and ignoring the amused chuckles, she put her hands together again but this time the small barrier appeared significantly faster.

    She cracked a wide grin, now she only needed to do was thicken the barrier. She tried spreading her fingers but that only expanded the barrier so she tried inverting one of her hands and watched a single new layer form over the old one.

    ¡°Yes!¡± she squealed as she mimicked the motion dozens of times until she felt like the opacity and thickness was sufficient enough. She realized her barrier was built like ballistic glass the more she thought about it, which made significantly more sense to her. This time when she held the barrier up to her partner, she felt a world more confident. ¡°Do it!¡±

    The man considered not listening but seemed intrigued enough to try for a second time, forming the small ice ball and flinging it at the barrier with precise aim.

    This time, it was the ice ball that shattered into oblivion. Morrigan lost herself to hysteric joy as the energy was released. The results were beyond what she expected.

    ¡°Well a tiny shield is interesting Miss Clarke, yet hardly protective. Do you find yourself capable now all of a sudden?¡± Dezinaria ridiculed.

    Damn, what a kill joy, Apollyon quipped as Morrigan deflated.

    With a heavy sigh she reigned herself in, she knew deep down that Dezinaria had a point though she wished the old woman really understood the feat she had just accomplished.

    She nodded along though and re-summoned the tiny shield and considered what to do next.

    ¡°Okay energy¡­ I need you to be a dome of some kind, work with me here,¡± she pleaded quietly before deciding to throw a hail mary, quite literally expanding her hands and releasing the barrier above her.

    Her energy responded to her desire and expanded above her, coalescing into a solid dome barrier surrounding her on all sides for about two feet.

    Everyone but Dezinaria cheered and clapped for her as she nearly burst into joyous tears.

    Hey kid, you might wanna back off a bit!

    Dezinaria snapped her hand forward sending a torrent of electrical bolts crashing against the dome.

    Morrigan felt the impacts of each attack as much as she felt the shield weighing her down. Each strike that struck depleted more and more energy from her core.

    Dezinaria called through all four primary elements, striking each multiple times to test the integrity of Morrigan¡¯s shield before she was satisfied. She indicated she was done by giving the girl a firm nodded.

    When she dropped the shield, the class cheered for her triumph, ¡°Well done, Miss Clarke,¡± Dezinaria stated with a look of pride in her face as Morrigan tried to stand up straight, only to have blood pour from her nose.

    A wave of dizziness passed through her head as she stumbled, the young man she sparred with jumped forward to catch her only to be met with a burst of crimson energy from Morrigan¡¯s body as she fell back on her ass, the man sent sprawling a few feet back.

    ¡°Shit, right, I forgot, I''m sorry,¡± he winced as Dezinaria stalked towards Morrigan to inspect her.

    Morrigan wiped the blood from her nose and inspected it, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I''m fine, I''ve had this happen before I¡¯ve¡­ just used to much power,¡± she said in embarrassed remorse as she looked over to the trainee. She knew he meant well, but that did not keep her body from reacting violently though she felt relief as she saw that he was more or less uninjured.

    A moment later the splitting headache settled in as the exhaustion she remembered washed over her, ¡°I just¡­ need to rest,¡± she breathed forcefully as her eyelids felt heavy.

    ¡°Are you sure, child? You look worse for wear right now, I can call a medic,¡± Dezinaria said in concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, can you just tell Solomon to send for Xol. Tell him I just over did it again,¡± she said as her physical energy depleted though she could feel her power¡¯s energy pull from the cosmos.

    ¡°I will, just lay down. Take the week to recover and I''ll see you back here by the end of it,¡± the old lady said as she guided Morrigan gently to the floor as the other trainees gawked.

    ¡°But I¡­ I finished the class¡­¡± Morrigan said as her vision started to blur.

    Relax little goddess, I''ll have you fixed up in no time, though we should figure out that whole new ability thing soon, Apollyon added as Dezinaria chuckled.

    ¡°Not quite but you''re getting there. You still have the last leg of the journey to take before you pass my class,¡± she said with a proud smile as Morrigan¡¯s consciousness faded to black.

 Chapter VII

    Helen and her team spent another week in search of a starship before they managed to acquire one. Thankfully, the Federation¡¯s presence in the northern part of Canada was extremely low. Now all they had to do was wait for the moon to appear in the sky before they could take off.

    The ship was a small freighter owned by an independent shipping company. Torvil disabled the tracking system before moving them to a secure, secluded location deep within the icy planes of Canada.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell her all the stories of what we¡¯ve done! She¡¯s going to be so surprised to hear we¡¯ve been together this whole time, Mem!¡± Mo¡¯Emori chatted animatedly with her infectious excitement as she wrapped her arms around Helen.

    Jen, Helen and even Torvil chuckled at his sister¡¯s renewed energy and happiness.

    ¡°Be sure not to talk the young Swyn¡¯wyr''s ears off, Mo¡¯Emori,¡± Torvil prodded his sister as he did the final systems checks within the cargo hold they lounged in.

    Helen and Jen watched the young Eskarii girl stick her tongue out childishly at her brother even though he had not been looking.

    Both women laughed with the giggling alien woman, ¡°It¡¯s okay, love. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have to protect our ears from all the stories she has to share instead,¡± Helen mused light heartedly though she knew Morrigan had some dark stories she may also not share. That tidbit of information always made her heart hurt, knowing that her daughter suffered.

    Jen scoffed at that, ¡°pu-leez, the second we see her I¡¯m going to start sharing every single embarrassing story there is. She¡¯ll run screaming from us! Especially if I tell her what me and sexy here did last night!¡±

    Torvil smacked his head on a low hanging storage bin followed by letting out Eskarii curses, ¡°You will not!¡± he growled at her.

    ¡°Ohhh so scary, whatcha gonna do to stop me hmm?¡± she cooed sassily as she leaned closer to him, daring him to try something.

    Torvil spun and bopped her on the head with his data-slate before returning his attention to his work only to complain that the data he had on the screen had been lost.

    Jen rubbed the top of her head whining, ¡°Jerk, serves you right!¡± she feigned pouting before shooting a wink to Mo¡¯Emori who giggled again.

    Helen laughed loud enough to drag everyone¡¯s attention to her in awkward confusion.

    ¡°What is it, Mem?¡± Mo¡¯Emori asked curiously with wide eyes.

    Helen waved them off as she settled herself wiping a stray tear from her eye, ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just been forever since we¡¯ve felt like a true family again. It just¡­ you know what I mean damn it.¡±

    Torvil snorted with a smile as he looked at Jen who grinned even more all the while Mo¡¯Emori buried herself into Helen¡¯s arms sweetly.

    Helen dipped her head and began whispering into Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s ear all the while staring down Jen and Torvil.

    Jen¡¯s grin turned to nervousness as she eyed Torvil, ¡°Uhh oh¡­ this seems vaguely familiar.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± he inquired.

    ¡°That¡¯s the same look Helen gave when she whispered to Morrigan that she should¡­run!¡± Jen shouted, standing into a sprint to the stairs.

    Torvil looked at Jen go, ¡°Why?!¡± before turning to see both Helen and Mo¡¯Emori giving him evil grins.

    His eyes widened as he swore, trying to chase after Jen only to have his feet pulled out from underneath him.

    He turned back to see Mo¡¯Emori standing holding her hand out before shifting her energy to slide him closer to her as she sprinted to pounce on him, cackling like a mad girl.

    Torvil sputtered and struggled as she dug her fingers into sensitive areas of his sides and neck, trying to tickle him. All the while she giggled uncontrollably.

    Mo¡¯Emori did not get much sibling play time during her childhood, which she once explained to Helen given the age differences between her and her siblings. By the time her younger siblings were old enough to play, she had already undergone her training as a Sybrydian.

    When she was old enough to play, all of her older siblings were off doing their own thing, so despite having such a large family, Mo¡¯Emori lived as an only child before being thrust into the responsibilities of adulthood. Inciting her childish side so often was Helen¡¯s motherly way of letting her live her childhood that she missed out on.

    ¡°She''s your sister dude!¡± Jen called out before slamming the door and locking it.

    ¡°Traitor! Brat!¡± he growled trying to fend off his playful sister without hurting her.

    Helen roared with laughter before checking her phone. She was surprised by the time already. ¡°Sweetie, let your brother up, its midnight. We have to get going.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± she cheered, pumping her fists before rolling off her brother into an acrobatic stand and holding out her hand. ¡°Come brawder, as the Terrans say, chop chop!¡± she chirped jokingly as her mood shifted gears, for the most part.

    Torvil accepted her assistance and moved towards the door that led into the central part of the ship and knocked.

    ¡°Is Torvil dead?¡± Jen called through the door with faux worry.

    Even Torvil chuckled at that, ¡°No, fy cym¡¯ar, we need to leave. It is time.¡±

    Jen unlocked the door and let everyone through with an amused, excited smile on her face. Mo¡¯Emori pointed at her eyes then back at Jen with a childish angry face but Jen just stuck her tongue at the woman.

    ¡°Better luck next time sweetie!¡±

    They all took their seats in the large cockpit, thankfully seating a crew of six, and took off towards where the moon that was high in the sky.

    The atmosphere that burned around the ship was blinding as it shook and jolted from the pressure and effort of pushing through Earth¡¯s several layers of atmosphere. Mo¡¯Emori clasped both Jen and Helen¡¯s hands as she stared just past Torvil who piloted the ship.

    Soon they were greeted with the vast open expanse of space, though a looming shadow approached from their left.

    Each one of them swore in their own way as they saw the massive cruiser¡¯s prow heading straight towards them.

    ¡°Oh fuck me!¡± Jen exclaimed as she also saw a pair of Federation Destroyers snap into reality as they dropped out of FTL right above them.

    A chimed alarm went off in the cockpit, ¡°Pah¡¯sk, they¡¯re hailing us,¡± Torvil growled.

    Helen shoved her rising panic down as she leaned forward, ¡°Broadcast the signal! If the Inquisition is true to their word they¡¯ll be here.¡±

    Torvil didn¡¯t argue as he started the signal and moved the ship away from the Destroyers at a leisurely pace. The signal being a repeat of Flight of the Valkyries played on a loop. It was just obscene enough that Helen figured it would grab anyone''s attention, if they were watching the open communication frequencies.

    Blasts rocked the ship as one of the Destroyers began open firing on the small ship, requiring Torvil to pitch and roll to evade the cannons.

    ¡°Oh wow...¡± Mo¡¯Emori breathed in amazement as she watched a section of space bend and split, revealing a large, black gothic designed Destroyer in front of them, one that turned its broadside battery onto the enemy Destroyers while two bright blue orbs of energy soared from the massive twin cannons upon the dorsal bridge of the ship and smashed into the Federation Cruiser.

    They all watched as the energy of the orbs spread across the surface of the massive ship, lights flickering out as the overall trajectory of the Cruiser shifted.

    ¡°Fucker wasn¡¯t lying about experimental! Go, we need to go now!¡± Jen exclaimed, snapping Torvil out of his stupor and throttling the engines.

    They soared, weaving in and out of gunfire, as they watched both Federation Destroyers turn to fire broadsides as the Inquisition ship dropped its shields to allow them passage. Cannon blasts and pulse fire hammered into the side of the black ship as one of the two dock doors opened just underneath a twin barreled broadside cannon. As soon as they were within the safety zone, the ship''s shields flared back to life while Torvil eased them towards the dock.

    Gently guiding and setting them down into the docking bay, there was a whomp sound that echoed like a very distorted bass cord.

    They all sighed with relief, ¡°Well, at least that one went better than the last,¡± Torvil commented only earning a slap to the back of the head by his sister.

    ¡°Too soon sweetheart, gotta wait till we get to Little Clarke before you can joke about that,¡± Jen inserted before unbuckling her harness and stretching.

    ¡°Which is hopefully soon,¡± Mo¡¯Emori stated firmly before she got out of her own chair.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go meet with the captain or whoever runs this ship,¡± Helen chimed in as she walked back to the storage area.

    Jen was first down the cargo ramp only to come face to face with a wall of guns, ¡°Whoa, this is the second most amount of guns I¡¯ve had pointed at me,¡± she said to no one in particular before raising her hands and counting the number of guns, ¡°Nope, fourth actually¡­ man do I miss Cancun, ha!¡± she mused darkly to herself.

    Seeing Jen¡¯s disposition, the rest of them came out with their hands up as a tall, densely built man wearing a strange array of armor approached them. It was a cross between full-body marine plate armor and old-world splint mail with hints of blue and red mixed in with a lot of black.

    His head was clean shaven as well as his face with a black strip tattoo on the center of his lip and he carried a menacing looking helmet under the crook of his arm.

    ¡°I am Inquisitor Danafor, please identify yourselves,¡± he said fluidly. He spoke in neither a friendly or unfriendly manner.

    ¡°I am Helen Marie Clarke, this is Jennifer Simmons, Mo¡¯Emori and Torvil. We requested your aid through Lord Inquisitor Gregor Solomon,¡± Helen spoke professionally.

    After ten seconds of scrutiny, Danafor smiled, ¡°Well it took you lot long enough,¡± he said with amusement before waving his hand, ¡°Stand down! Return to your posts!¡±

    Every single person within the docking bay did as they were told without question.

    ¡°Hmmm, obedient, efficient, the Inquisition seem to be living up to their name quite well,¡± Mo¡¯Emori observed eloquently as she stepped off the ramp with newfound purpose.

    It was a surprising switch in personality at the drop of the proverbial hat to Helen as she glanced a sidelong look at Jen, who seemed equally surprised.

    Torvil just snorted and walked around them, having been accustom to his sister¡¯s various personas.

    Mo¡¯Emori held out her hand for the Inquisitor to shake as she smiled. The man held her hand, leaning down to kiss the top of her hand.

    Torvil huffed in protective annoyance as he took her place next to her catching the man¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Oh? Partner I presume?¡± he eyed Torvil curiously.

    Mo¡¯Emori hummed, ¡°Far more dangerous, my brawder,¡± she said gesturing noncommittally.

    The man nodded and took half a step back out of respect as Torvil fixed him with a deadly glare, ignoring the approach of Helen and Jen.

    Without concern, the Inquisitor touched the comm in his ear, ¡°Well shit, I don¡¯t care how it¡¯s done but I want you to skip us out of here, minimum of five skips!¡± he said in aggravation before returning his attention to the new group on his ship.

    ¡°Come with me please,¡± he nodded to them before turning on his heel.

    Mo¡¯Emori was quick to follow, taking charge of the situation. ¡°How long till we get to the Void Star?¡± she inquired, restraining her anxiety-laced excitement.

    ¡°Attention, warp jump in five, four, three, two, one.¡± blared over the ship wide communication system in a soft make voice followed by another deep, reverberating whomp.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°That, is difficult to say, miss,¡± Danafor stated.

    ¡°Whoa, what do you mean difficult to say? We just got our asses shot at in a god damned freighter for you to pick us up and take us to wherever the hell we need to go!¡± Jen exclaimed aggressively, Helen grabbing onto her arm to keep her from doing anything too rash.

    Danafor shook his head and pointed towards an intercom, the blared a repeat of the message again a moment later, following another sound of transition.

    ¡°That, is our issue. It appears our FTL engine took damage while you boarded. Though our warp drive is functioning, it cannot sustain any distance longer than eight light-years at a time and can only be used a handful of times in a short amount of time. So, we need to put as much space between us and the Federation while we find somewhere safe to attempt repairs¡­¡± he stated factually, leaving no room for argument.

    The group cursed, ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡± Helen asked as she bit back her worry about being followed by the Federation.

    He laughed crisply as they entered an elevator and started rising towards the bridge.

    ¡°Not unless any of you know how to operate and repair a quantum matrix drive used in type-four FTL engines?¡± he fished. All four of them shook their heads.

    ¡°If you need one destroyed then sure, we can do that,¡± Jen quipped as she patted Torvil on the arm.

    That earned her an amused snort out of both men, ¡°Well, it was worth asking, anyways, soon we should be far enough away. The nice thing about warp drives is they leave no ionized trails, so our navigator will cover our tracks. Bad case scenario is we call for assistance and worst case, we spend the next¡­ six and a half months coasting on warp skips,¡± Danafor mused though he spoke as if the issue was more a possibility than an inevitability.

    ¡°Six and a half months?!¡± Mo¡¯Emori exclaimed as her anxiety washed over her. She let out a small whine as Helen pulled her over into a hug.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay sweetheart, I doubt that will be the case. We¡¯ll be with Mori before you know it,¡± she said in a motherly comforting way.

    Danafor quirked an eyebrow but chose not to comment. Instead, as the door open to reveal the bridge, he said ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you around and give you the tour. After I¡¯ll get you an update on repairs and see if there¡¯s anything for you to do to keep your minds occupied.¡±

    Jen shrugged as she put her head on Torvil¡¯s shoulder, wrapping her fingers through his as they stepped onto the bridge. Mo¡¯Emori let out a soft whine that bespoke her feelings of worry. Helen felt for her adoptive daughter, she too wanted to break down over the set back but for both her and Mori, she would brave face the new problem before them, though she hated that they were truly unable to help solve the issue.

    ???

    Morrigan hated being put on forced medical rest. She knew she only needed a day to recover just like the last time she over did it. However, Dezinaria and Solomon both insisted she take the full week.

    It was not all bad though, she spent the most of the week brushing up on rules and regulations while speaking on holo-vid with her sponsor Inquisitor, Inquisitor Clare Tindal.

    She was kind to Morrigan and seemed invested in her progress despite being across the galaxy. From what she learned, she had also been the Inquisitor who performed the execution of the rogue Inquisitor from Solomon¡¯s story. So Morrigan heard many tales from the experienced woman.

    Aside from wracking her brain with trivial knowledge, Morrigan also got to see Yekku proudly unveil Xol¡¯s new weapon. The S¡¯randin was so proud of himself, as were the people working in the Research and Development level. They adored the spastic alien and the unique, non-communicative perspective he brought, including how to insert a high-density fusion reactor into the weapon.

    When developing the massive two-handed mace, Yekku apparently wired the fusion reactor into it which had been used in the discontinued power weapons of the CoU due to the amount of weight the weapons weighed. However, taking the Xol¡¯s considerable strength into account, Yekku was more than adamant about putting it in giving the weapon both a range energy blast as well as a high-density kinetic discharge against anything it touched.

    To say Xol loved the weapon was an understatement as upon testing it out in one of the training arenas, he became significantly more malleable to teaching the Marmuro¡¯k language. He also carried it everywhere he went, including holding onto it as he slept on Morrigan¡¯s floor.

    Morrigan was impressed though, seeing as Xol can sunder four inches of metal with ease between his strength and the weapon¡¯s properties. She even considered asking for a power weapon for herself only to have Apollyon scolded her for thinking it would be useful.

    Despite the annoyance of waiting to be cleared to go back to class, the week was not horrible and she even made headway in balancing the energy output when calling upon her new shield ability.

    It was a tiring process but she and Apollyon worked hard at getting the sensitive flow of energy just right. Apollyon believed that if she could learn to call the correct amount of energy subconsciously, she would never have to worry about anything short of a supernova which could cause her to bleed herself dry. Granted, it was an exaggeration, but she felt confident in passing what ever last test Dezinaria could throw at her. The week off had given her plenty of time to practice.

    ¡°Hey precious,¡± Nora whispered in her ear as she sat next to her at the bar of Pandora¡¯s Box. It had become a regular spot for Morrigan even if she didn¡¯t drink each time she went, She enjoyed Dora¡¯s company and advice. It also made a great meeting spot for those who knew her even if she was always surrounded by people she did not know.

    Morrigan leaned over and gave Nora a soft kiss before leaning her head on Nora¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°How has your week been?¡± Morrigan asked. She missed Nora dearly seeing as the young ice mage had been ridiculously busy setting up her training regiment and trialing it out with seasoned veterans under the watchful eye of administrators.

    ¡°Great actually, I¡¯m having loads of fun tormenting everyone! I mean jokes on them because pirate ships are super dangerous so without me, most of them would be dead!¡± she said brightly. It made Morrigan happy to see Nora so excited. The fact that she had been taking her job so seriously was both surprising and enlightening, mainly to the fact that she could be so serious when needed.

    ¡°In fact, apparently the old man is coming to watch me conduct my class tomorrow!¡± she snickered as she flourished her arms like an old-world musical orchestrator.

    Morrigan hummed with amusement as she pulled Nora¡¯s arm to her chest, being so close let all of her worries and frustration melt away.

    Nora snorted and kissed the top of her head, ¡°You know, it¡¯s a little weird having the roles reversed. Usually I¡¯m the one whose all over you,¡± she mused in adoration.

    Morrigan looked up to see her icy silver eyes watching her with a cocksure smirk.

    Role reversal, eh? Didn¡¯t think you had it in you hahahaha!

    ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence, I honestly just don¡¯t care at the moment. I miss her¡­¡± Morrigan remarked while Apollyon grunted affirmatively.

    ¡°Well don¡¯t you two just look darling!¡± Dora called out as he approached them with touch of flair. ¡°Serious, you two are so sweet I could just eat you both up!¡±

    Nora snorted with laughter and Morrigan giggled. To her surprise, she did not feel embarrassed by Dora¡¯s goading as she nuzzled Nora¡¯s arm.

    ¡°No. Seriously, how big of a closet do you have? We¡¯ve been here over a damn month and I¡¯ve yet to see you wear the same overly flamboyant outfit twice!¡± Nora exclaimed.

    Dora blew a raspberry before grinning, ¡°Sweetie, I''ve been out of the closet longer than you''ve been alive. Besides, everyone has their secrets to keep,¡± he mused before giving Morrigan a far from subtle wink.

    Morrigan blushed at that as Nora looked down to her before looking back at Dora, who just stood there with a bright smile.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa what secrets, I didn''t know there were secrets! Are you holding out on me? Why haven''t I heard this secret!¡± Nora prodded spastically as she pulled on Morrigan¡¯s hair with her lips like an animal.

    Morrigan laughed as she sat back up and pulling her hair out of Nora¡¯s mouth, ¡°To be fair, we have entire lives we haven''t shared with each other,¡± she commented.

    ¡°Yeah but not secrets! How could you do this to me? Oh, my little heart! I think I may feint!¡± She exclaimed with overly dramatic flourish as she faked being wounded.

    Morrigan snorted with an eye roll, ¡°Dora is just messing with you.¡±

    ¡°Or am I?  I mean, I do live for the drama,¡± Dora fired back with a perfect poker face.

    ¡°You are an evil, evil woman!¡± Nora groaned pointing at Dora.

    Dora laughed heartily at the lame insult, ¡°How do you think I''ve survived this long? Besides I''m sure if you behave and ask nicely I''m sure she''ll tell you what you want,¡± Dora said so smoothly, Morrigan turned bright red. She knew what he was talking about, having been constantly pondering their conversation about love.

    Nora threw her hands up in defeat, ¡°Come on that''s no fair! Since when have I ever behaved myself?!¡± she squeaked.

    1812¡­ oh wait, that was Napoleon, soooo never? Apollyon quipped.

    Morrigan giggled at both Apollyon and Nora, ¡°I mean, they¡¯re letting you teach? So you have be behaving at some point right?¡±

    The blonde blew an amused, dramatic raspberry, ¡°Oh please, they made the mistake of giving me free reign with my genius, I do no such thing as civilized as behave. Speaking of which, you should come check it out tomorrow, it¡¯s the final test run before I get ahold of all the squishy fragile initiates,¡± she joked with a sadistic grin.

    Morrigan bit her lip as she mulled it over, she truly did not want to wait till the next day to see or spend more time with the beautiful woman.

    ¡°I think I have a better idea¡­¡± she said sheepishly.

    Nora and Dora both quirked eyebrows at her, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go hang out at my place¡­ I just went shopping, we can watch a movie¡­¡± she trailed off as her nerves got the better of her. Apollyon¡¯s snickering in the back of her head did not help fortify her boldness.

    ¡°I¡¯m liking where this is going,¡± Nora quipped as she grinned before turning to Dora. ¡°A bottle to go my good sir!¡± she said in a terrible old British accent.

    Dora glared at the woman with his hands on his hips, ¡°I¡¯m not a convenient store you know.¡±

    ¡°Duh, you¡¯re awesomely flamboyant gay man running a bar who is nice enough to give me what I want, come on, you know I¡¯m good for it. I gots that spectacular teacher¡¯s salary!¡± Nora rambled with the biggest grin she had in her without losing herself to laughter.

    Dora turned his gaze to Morrigan and stared a suggestive ¡°really?¡± look.

    Morrigan chewed her lip under his gaze until it finally got to her, ¡°What?! Don¡¯t give me that look! I know what you¡¯re thinking and it¡¯s not nice!¡±

    Hey! That¡¯s my line!

    That got Dora to break character with a laugh, ¡°Oh sweetie, if you knew what I was thinking you would be blushing from head to toe,¡± she sang before glaring at Nora.

    ¡°Fine but I¡¯m charging you an extra five percent for being such a shit head,¡± Dora stated.

    Nora giggled and dragged her hand through the air as if she had claws, ¡°Meeeeow!¡±

    ¡°Ten percent, for being a smart ass,¡± Dora smiled, his tone less serious though Morrigan knew for a fact he was tacking on ten percent.

    Her silver eyes danced with mischief before she relented with a shrug and big smile, apparently having learned her lesson for the night.

    After Nora snatched the bottle from his hands, she joyously skipped out of the bar.

    Dora chuckled to himself before leaning over the counter, ¡°You sure you know what you¡¯re doing with that one?¡±

    Morrigan shook her head with a meek smile, ¡°I¡¯m so far out of my depth I¡¯m just trying to stay afloat Dora.¡±

    Before Dora could incite any further conversation, she followed after Nora lighting a cigar to help reign in her growing nervousness.

    The walk back to her apartment was relatively quiet even with Nora¡¯s self indulgent dancing as she drank from the bottle. She wasn¡¯t selfish about it though, often passing the bottle to Morrigan to drink.

    Even Apollyon kept itself quiet, which was unusual though Morrigan found it respectful. They entered the apartment quietly as Morrigan stalked to her bedroom door, cracking it open to find her small clan of Marmuro¡¯k fast asleep, even Xol, who was leaning against his new mace.

    She tip toed across the living room, ¡°Looks like everyone¡¯s asleep, so we just need to be quiet,¡± she whispered.

    Nora wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close, ¡°Oh, I think I can handle quiet.¡±

    Morrigan blushed and giggled with a shake of her head, ¡°No you can¡¯t, but on a side note, are you hungry? I¡¯m starving.¡±

    Nora groaned, ¡°Oh my god that sounds amazing.¡±

    Morrigan sniggered as she pulled Nora into a kiss, ¡°Good, cuz I¡¯m cooking,¡± she started against her lips.

    Morrigan pulled away and stalked into the kitchen pulling out pre-cut ingredients. ¡°Kind, sexy, dangerous and can cook? I won the quadrilateral lottery of a perfect girl,¡± Nora mused to herself as she tipsily counted on her fingers.

    Morrigan bit her lip as she blushed, watching Nora dumbfoundedly as her brain caught up to what she was doing, returning to opening packages and setting up her spread as a pan heated up behind her.

    ¡°Seriously, squares are made of all the perfect right angles and you¡­ you have all the right angles, precious,¡± Nora said slyly as she reached over the island and snagged a slice of pepper.

    Morrigan playfully swatted at her hand with a laugh, ¡°What? Oh geez that makes a weird sort of sense¡­ who knew you were so poetic.¡±

    Nora snorted as she chewed the red pepper, ¡°Well you can''t blame me, it''s like you''re stalking my heart with all these good qualities. I mean, look at you and look at me? Shit¡¯s crazy.¡±

    Morrigan frowned at that as she lay the strips of steak in the pan and dashed seasoning over it all before adding the vegetables, ¡°I don¡¯t know what that''s supposed to mean¡­¡±

    Silently, Nora slipped around the island and wrapped her hands around Morrigan¡¯s waist, causing her to jump, before leaning against her with her chin resting on her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, no one has ever treated me as nice as you have, most people can''t stand me.. and yet her you are with no rhyme or reason looking at me as if I''m the only thing in your world¡­¡± Nora stated, her tone shifting to a sullen tone.

    Morrigan rested her temple against Nora¡¯s as she prodded the cooking food with the spatula, ¡°That''s not necessarily true¡­¡± she said in a whisper before chewing on her cheek.

    She recalled the conversation her and Dora days ago, contemplating a confession while her nerves came alive throughout her body.

    ¡°You were the only one that looked out for me in the mines¡­ and not because you wanted something from me but because you cared, especially with, well¡­ what happened. You saw me through the worst moment in my life and never once looked at me any differently,¡± Morrigan said in a whimsical, nearly nostalgic tone.

    ¡°Besides¡­¡± stopping to bite her lip nervously, ¡°You¡¯re ridiculously attractive too, and your personality is fun, truth of the matter is I¡­¡± Morrigan¡¯s breath hitched as Nora kissed the tender spot right behind her ear.

    Her body melted into Nora¡¯s arms with a soft moan as her core flared white hot by Nora¡¯s sensual touch. Only the popping of oil sprinkling her skin jolted her back to reality with a disbelieving chuckle, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m going to ended up burning dinner if you keep this up!¡± she shouted in a whisper.

    Nora hummed as Morrigan refocused on the meal, sliding directly behind her as her hands explored Morrigan¡¯s curves, ¡°You focus on the food precious¡­¡± she said with a hint of mischief before leaning forward to whisper, ¡°and I¡¯ll focus on you,¡± before sliding her hands over Morrigan¡¯s core and gently nibbling on her earlobe.

    Morrigan¡¯s lungs stopped working as Nora tormented her focus, her hand reaching for the counter to keep balance as Nora trailed down the side of her neck.

    Nora¡¯s hands explored firmly underneath her shirt, her calloused hands setting her nerves on fire as she bit down hard on her lip as she felt her fingernails slide beneath the waistline of her pants, igniting her spine in a fury of impulse. Her mind screamed at her to forget the food and let the house burn if it meant she would let Nora take her, but the pain from not having yet to eat reminded Morrigan just how starved she felt.

    With a deep inhale she butt checked Nora with a laugh, ¡°Okay! Seriously, I¡¯m going to end up burning this place down, take this until it¡¯s ready and behave,¡±

    ¡°Damn, so close too, oh!¡± Nora exclaimed as Morrigan fingered a strip of medium rare steak off the pan and passed it over her shoulder, effectively distracting the frisky woman. Not that she felt like she had any room to talk.

    Nora made sure to take the piece with her mouth, raking the tip of her tongue against Morrigan¡¯s fingers before pulling away to properly eat the piece she was given, all the while Morrigan chuckled.

    ¡°Oh hell, this is amazing! I say it''s done now,¡± Nora stated adamantly as she chewed through the steak.

    Morrigan snorted and eyed the blonde over her shoulder, ¡°Two more minutes, go find a movie for us to watch while I finish up.¡±

    Nora hummed seductively before sauntering across the living room and turning the holo-screen on.

    Nora loved the food, seasoned steak with slivers of peppers with onion as they ate on the sofa. Morrigan listened to her talk about how great it was with deep appreciation while some old movie played on the screen. Morrigan had no idea what it was since her entire focus had been Nora¡¯s laughter.

    Once the food settled, exhaustion washed over Morrigan and she wrapped herself into Nora¡¯s arms as they lay on the couch, fighting a losing battle with unconsciousness.

    The only thing that brought her back from the edge was that her head rested on Nora¡¯s chest, whose soft chuckles she let out as she watched the movie kept her from completely passing out.

    The moment Nora raked her fingers through her hair, Morrigan let out a deep sigh as Nora placed her lips above Morrigan''s brow. ¡°I love you¡­¡± Morrigan mumbled as the darkness of unconsciousness finally won.

 Chapter VIII

    Mori wake up! Come on kid, Apollyon shouted in a whisper so not to startle her.

    Morrigan stirred with a sleepy groan as she brushed the few strands of hair out of her face. It did not take long to figure out what was wrong with her surroundings.

    ¡°Nora?¡± she sleepily called out, looking around to find the living room dark, the time on the wall clock telling her that it was still late in the early morning hour and the front door wide open.

    That¡¯s why I woke you, she just got up and bolted. Her body reeked of fear, Apollyon stated in his normal tone.

    ¡°What? What happened?¡± she demanded as her rising fear pulled her from her tired stupor.

    I don¡¯t know, you were both laying here and all of a sudden she woke up and panicked, not like I could ask her what the deal was.

    Morrigan jumped up from the couch and bolted to the door sticking her head out, the street was empty save for someone in the far distance jogging away in the direction of the market district.

    ¡°Nora!¡± Morrigan called out only to watch the figure start running faster.

    ¡°Shit! That¡¯s gotta be her!¡± she thought before bolting out the door.

    Morrigan pumped her legs full of energy to carry her the distance of the long military district street only to watch Nora vanish into an alleyway. She knew she needed to move faster.

    ¡°Can I fly?¡± she growled to Apollyon.

    What are you talking about?

    ¡°The fucking wings Apollyon, can I fly or not?¡± she snapped, not feeling the time for stupid questions and answers.

    Well, I don¡¯t see why not? Apollyon noted in non-commitment.

    Morrigan called her skeletal wings to bear and willed them to flap. Her energy responding on its own to compensate her will into practical use as she lifted off the ground and edged over the roof she flew over.

    Her worry and aggravation mixed in her heart as she soared over rows of buildings, trying to spot Nora from the sky.

    ¡°Come on damn it, where are you? Why didn¡¯t you tell me something was wrong?¡±

    Hey, take a breath and focus, literally, Apollyon demanded as she pulled herself into a slow hover, her wings flapping slow enough to keep her from falling.

    Morrigan took a deep breath as she ground her teeth, it was not time for a lesson nor was it time for games. Her rising fear screamed at her to find the blonde woman.

    Just. Focus.

    Morrigan clenched her eyes shut and took another deep breath. She felt something sickening that made her stomach churn, ¡°Ugh, what is that?!¡±

    That, my little goddess, is raw fear.

    Morrigan remembered what Apollyon had said when she woke and homed in on the direction before shaking her concentration.

    She flew over rows of military apartments to spot Nora sprinting down an alley way between two buildings as if being chased, however, she saw no one chasing her.

    With furrowed brows she dove towards the end of the alley to cut her off. Nora skidding to a halt as her wings bathed the alley in a dull red glow as her wings set her down gently on the ground before curling and fading from existence.

    Nora shook her head repeatedly as she backed away. ¡°Nora, what''s wrong?¡± Morrigan asked with concern as she stepped forward. She saw the look of panic and anxiety written all over Nora¡¯s face.

    ¡°No, no I can''t, I can''t¡­¡± Nora blurted as she shuffled backwards only to fall on her ass. Morrigan took a longer step forward as Nora tried to scurry backwards. Morrigan was faster though.

    As soon as she grabbed ahold of Nora¡¯s pant leg she lost it; ¡°No stop! I can''t, I can''t do it, I can''t, I just can''t¡­¡± she cried in hyperventilation as she swatted at her hands. She pulled herself into a tight ball and cried even harder.

    Morrigan''s heart split in two to see her this distraught, ¡°Nora please, tell me what''s wrong!¡±

    ¡°Love¡­ love, Mori! I can''t do love!¡± Nora screamed into her thighs as she wrapped her hands around her head to make herself smaller.

    Morrigan''s expression sank into confusion, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she murmured.

    Ah, before you passed out you told her you loved her, kid. Apollyon interjected in understanding.

    That made her heart hurt even more as she stared down at the beautiful blonde woman who cried and tried to shrink away from reality in fear.

    Can you calm her? As much as I¡¯m proud of you for being able to pick up emotions actively, this is really nauseating¡­

    Morrigan ignored Apollyon completely as her entire focus was enveloped around Nora.

    She reached out and gently touched her knee, ¡°Nora look at me¡­¡± she sniffed, ¡°Please look at me Nora and talk to me.¡±

    Nora looked up shaking her head, her entire body shook with a tremor. Her cheeks were wet with tears as her eyes widened, ¡°I can''t¡­ everyone leaves me, or dies¡­or I hurt them! I can''t do it, not you¡­ not to you¡­¡± she vented in a desperate plea as more tears streamed down her cheeks before burying her face into her legs, her fingers digging into her scalp.

    Morrigan knew how Nora felt in a way, it wasn¡¯t too long ago she went through something similar; those feelings were still fresh in her memory that she forced to keep down, only coming out in her nightmares.

    Morrigan grabbed Nora¡¯s hands and held them tightly, ¡°Hun, you can¡¯t hurt me¡­¡±

    Nora snapped her head up and yanked on her hands, failing to break Morrigan¡¯s grasp, ¡°You don¡¯t understand! It was my sister-the only person to love me and I slit her throat!¡± Nora roared in terrified anger, ¡°All to get away from the hell hole we lived in!¡± she fought against Morrigan¡¯s grasp but her energy dwindled the more Nora cried.

    ¡°Shhhh, it¡¯s okay sweetie¡­¡± she tried to soothe but Nora shook her head.

    ¡°My sister loved me, Mori, she only wanted me to stay with her, I loved her but I slit her throat¡­ and I left her¡­ and-and¡­ I love you¡­¡± Nora squeaked as she completely broke down.

    Morrigan frowned as her mind put together the pieces, blinking away stinging tears, ¡°Nora, look at me, look at me!¡± she said as she forcefully lifted Nora¡¯s head up, holding onto both sides of her face.

    Nora continued to cry as their eyes met, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you. I could¡¯ve, back when I went to see the Warden. I even considered leaving when I went up,¡± Nora tightened at that as her lips quivered.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t, I couldn¡¯t; because you were still down in the mines. Freedom wouldn¡¯t have been free if I didn¡¯t take you with me sweetie, you and Xol. I came back down into that hell pit with a plan instead because if I was leaving then I was leaving with you!¡± she said as her voice rose an octave.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°And you can¡¯t hurt me Nora, no one can. Do you remember when I got shot?¡±

    Nora nodded as a sob slipped from her lips, ¡°Before I came to Mine 4, I was shot dozens of times when I escaped Mine 16, and have you ever seen any scars on me? Look, I¡¯ll show you, I just need you to watch me,¡± Morrigan said softly before sitting back on feet.

    ¡°Be ready Apollyon¡­¡±

    She presented a single glowing spectral claw that wrapped around her finger and dug the point into her wrist and dragged the talon up her arm in a wince, severing a variety of veins that poured forth blood.

    ¡°No! Why would you do that!?¡± Nora screamed as she lunged forward and grasped Morrigan¡¯s warm, bloody forearm as she nearly bowled her over.

    Morrigan had to push her back, ¡°Just watch sweetie! Just, watch.¡±

    Nora eyes widened as she watched the wound quickly seal itself up in between her bloody fingers. She even watched as the sticky blood pull itself off her fingers and disappear, sinking back into Morrigan¡¯s skin.

    ¡°How? But¡­ how is that possible?!¡± Nora breathed in disbelief.

    Morrigan chuckled as she sat up straight again, guiding Nora to sit up as she stared at her arm, ¡°That¡¯s a very long story,¡± she reached up and placed her hand on the blonde woman¡¯s cheek, dragging her thumb over her raw, tear-stained skin, ¡°But see? You can¡¯t hurt me and I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    Nora¡¯s icy silver eyes slowly shifted to her green eyes. ¡°I love you, Nora Flannigan, and I''m not going anywhere because I am yours if you''ll have me¡­¡± a pang of guilt struck Morrigan¡¯s nerves that she shoved deep inside her. She loved Taylor, but she had to accept that it had been over two year and she knew nothing about how he was doing, or what he was doing. Maybe she would find a way to find out once she graduated, but between waiting to hear about her mom and everything she had to focus on, she needed to accept that her relationship didn¡¯t exist anymore. The truth was she really did love Nora, whether or not it was selfish, her words were still the truth.

    Nora¡¯s lip quivered and her eyes watered as she nodded before curling up into Morrigan¡¯s arms, quietly sobbing into her chest as her hands clung to Morrigan.

    Morrigan looped her arms beneath her legs and held her close as she fed a small amount of energy into her muscles to support both their weights as she stood up, cradling Nora in her arms.

    ¡°This is so weird¡­¡± Nora murmured as she realized she was being carried as if she weighed nothing by a girl shorter than her.

    Morrigan kissed her forehead before silently chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s only going to get weirder love, just be sure to hang on,¡± she mused as her wings flared from her back, lifting them both into the air by her will.

    ???

    The night had been restfully dreamless for Morrigan only waking by the sharp tapping on her arm.

    She groaned and blinked her blurry vision away as she lifted her head from the comfort of her pillow to see the wide aquamarine eyes against a solid black face with stripes of yellow staring at her intently. A forked tongue flicking out as Yekku¡¯s clawed finger gently poked her arm again.

    ¡°Hi Yekku¡­¡± she said sleepily as she brushed her hand against his snout.

    She smiled as he pushed his face against her hand before letting out a string of soft clicking noises before poking the source of warmth that lay next to her.

    ¡°Hmmhmm hmmhmm nope!¡± Nora mumbled as she rolled over facing Morrigan and curling into her.

    Morrigan smiled sweetly as she looked around her room to find the Marmuro¡¯k gone except for the adorable S¡¯randin.

    Yekku poked Nora again with a soft squawk.

    ¡°Touch me again and I will take it, you mutt,¡± the blonde women threatened half asleep.

    Oh, she¡¯s feisty when she¡¯s tired. Yeah, she¡¯s a keeper, huh? Apollyon remarked, causing Morrigan to snigger.

    She waved Yekku away, who obediently slinking out of the room silently. Morrigan gently rubbed her hand along Nora¡¯s arm, coaxing her out of her sleep with a squeak of a sigh.

    ¡°Precious? Did last night really happen?¡± Nora asked still half asleep, her silvery eye peaking through her lids.

    Morrigan smiled down at her sweetly with a nod, brushing her fingers through the section of Nora¡¯s hair that hung loose.

    Nora covered her face with the blanket with a groan in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you shouldn''t have to have seen me like that¡­¡±

    Morrigan snorted, ¡°Please, you''ve seen me in far worse states,¡± she stated in a factual tone, forcing down the bile that rose in her throat at recalling those moments.

    Nora chuckled underneath the blanket and moved as if she shook her head, ¡°Not even, that was¡­¡±

    Morrigan quickly yanked the blanket away from her head, ¡°Well worth it,¡± cutting her off and leaned up with a smile.

    ¡°Was it though?¡± Nora asked rolling onto her back with an amused smirk, her question filled with sarcastic humor.

    Morrigan shrugged, ¡°I mean, a sexy dinner, followed by a tsunami¡¯s worth of emotions, a little bloodletting with a grand prize of moi? You¡¯re stuck with me now, I hope you''re prepared,¡± she said with a laugh.

    ¡°Totally worth it!¡± Nora mused as she grabbed Morrigan¡¯s shirt and pulled her down, wrapping her arms around her, for a deep kiss.

    Hey you little shit! You can take my powers and take my freedom but you can never ever take my damned material! Apollyon complained loudly in her mind.

    Morrigan smiled against Nora¡¯s lips, fighting the urge to laugh, ¡°We need to get moving, we''re probably late as it is, if Yekku is the one waking us up.¡±

    Nora moaned against her lips before letting Morrigan pull away, ¡°Counteroffer, we stay in bed all day, ditch the clothing and just spend all day enjoying each other¡¯s company?¡±

    Morrigan snorted as she sat up, turning away as she blushed only to look back with a big grin on her very red face, ¡°As great as that sounds, you have a class to teach with Solomon and I have a test to take.¡±

    ¡°Fuck me¡­ god damn it, I forgot,¡± Nora groaned as she rubbed her face.

    Normally I¡¯d be all for that request but since you wanna steal my jokes you''re on your own!

    Morrigan giggled at that, ¡°Oh get over it, you big baby.¡±

    Apollyon scoffed, Yeah, just wait until next time you get injured, see if I help!

    ¡°Yeah? Well don¡¯t forget you need me alive,¡± Morrigan shot back with a triumphant grin.

    You¡¯re insufferable¡­ damn me to hell, fine, fine! But could you at least give me credit? I don¡¯t have much to my name anymore¡­

    Morrigan sauntered over to her closet as Nora started forcing herself to get up, not before smacking Morrigan on the ass with big grin as she stepped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

    Morrigan laughed as she pulled out her uniform, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I feel like this is payback for all those times you¡¯ve teased me.¡±

    Well damn¡­ Apollyon deflated, Yeah, I guess I kinda walked into that one huh? Alright, alright, just don¡¯t forget who woke you up so you could hook yourself a tasty new girlfriend, eh?

    Morrigan turned a very bright shade of red as she laughed, covering her mouth so she didn¡¯t sound like a mad woman. Mid way through getting dressed she paused, ¡°I guess you did, didn¡¯t you? I mean¡­ thank you, Apollyon,¡± she whispered aloud as she glanced at the door.

    Eh,  forget about it kid. As annoying of an emotion as it is, you deserve to be happy. Besides, she seems to be able to hold your mind together so it¡¯s a plus in my book haha, Apollyon said sincerely.

    Morrigan smiled as she finished dressing, ¡°Yeah, she does, doesn''t she¡­ any idea why?¡±

    Hell if I know, but it''s still nothing ima argue with! Just take it as icing on the cake and roll with it.

    Morrigan shrugged and nodded. She truly did not need to understand, though she could not deny how curious of a matter it was.

    Morrigan stepped into the living room, passing by the bathroom to hear Nora furiously brushing her teeth which made her curious to where she found a toothbrush, and was greeted by her four Marmuro¡¯k.

    ¡°Hey you all,¡± she called out as she clipped her pistol to her leg before making her way to the coffee maker, which was already brewing surprisingly.

    ¡°Aww, which one of you put this on?¡± she asked glancing around the room.

    Qiote looked down sheepishly as Xol nodded in his direction.

    She poured the holy black water into a cup and stalked over to Qiote and leaned down, kissing the top of his head as she cradled the cup in her hands, ¡°That was very sweet of you Qiote.¡±

    She watched Qiote lower his head looking side to side as if trying to decide if her affectionate appreciation was good or bad. Yekku clacked and chirp in what she knew deep down was aggressive comments.

    ¡°Yekku, no being jealous,¡± she scolded before taking a glance at Xol who sat near the door with his new mace across his lap.

    ¡°You really like your new weapon, don¡¯t you?¡± she teased.

    Xol looked down at the large weapon and gently brushed his fingers along the head of it, ¡°Hi?t?, hew¨ºce lewha kira,¡±

    At the comment, Yekku burst into a long tangent of one-sided conversation, only letting Xol listen intently as he went on and on about, something, which Yekku¡¯s excitement just amused Morrigan as she sipped her coffee.

    ¡°B?ca?¡± Xol said with high interest before giving Yekku a firm nod. Yekku rushed over, lifting Xol¡¯s left arm and inspected his arm thoroughly.

    ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± Morrigan asked with a raised eyebrow, gesturing to Yekku¡¯s spastic intent.

    Xol looked at her with a low hum, ¡°Shield,¡± he gruffed out.

    She nodded in surprised understanding and took another drink of her coffee, ¡°How is teaching going for you?¡±

    Xol growled with a fanged sneer, ¡°M?nkee ehm?qu?!¡±

    Morrigan snorted, ¡°I mean¡­ sure but remember, I didn¡¯t pick it up that fast either. Hell, I still have much more to learn, so try and go easy on them, okay?¡±

    Xol hummed deeply before giving her a firm, reluctant nod.

    Nora stepped out of the bathroom and stopped, staring Morrigan down long enough for her to notice.

    ¡°What?¡± she giggled as she hid her smile behind her coffee cup.

    Nora smirked, setting her hands on her hips, ¡°Contemplating taking a cold shower because I am never going to get used to seeing you in a uniform. Are you coming to my class?¡± She asked, switching gears quickly.

    Morrigan nodded as she downed the rest of the coffee and set the cup on the coffee table. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re off. Everyone behave and have a good day,¡± she said with a smile as she brushed her hand over Qiote¡¯s head.

 Chapter IX

    Morrigan and Nora stepped into the large space granted to Nora so she could build her training arena for her classes to find Solomon standing in front of a row of veteran shock troopers as well as surrounded by administrators, one of them being Emily.

    ¡°Miss Flannigan, it appears you are late for your own class,¡± Solomon pointed out casually, his tone devoid of any irritation.

    She gave him a bright smile and shrugged, ¡°What can I say? I was busy last night becoming a puddle in a beautiful woman¡¯s arms. You know, priorities,¡± she stated blatantly casting a mischievous glance at Morrigan.

    Morrigan blushed fiercely, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not exactly what happened¡­¡± she responded shyly, losing all momentum half way through her comment as she eyed the Lord Inquisitor.

    Solomon smiled and chuckled quietly before composing himself, looking down at Nora as she stood her ground in front of him. They way she stood screamed defiance, yet the look on her face told everyone she was just itching to mess with someone.

    ¡°Well, we do expect punctuality, especially from the trainers. So, I do hope you plan your¡­ evening events, more thoroughly next time,¡± he stated awkwardly, avoiding the subject of Nora¡¯s excuse as best as possible.

    She only grinned and gave him a mocking salute, ¡°Aye, aye boss man. Besides, these cannon fodder are going to be thankful for the reprieve I gave them by the time I¡¯m through with them!¡± she said loud enough for all to hear before sauntering around towards the other side of the shock troopers.

    Morrigan quietly stepped up next to Solomon as she watched Nora find a headset within the single supply crate sitting out in the open.

    ¡°The same goes for you Miss Clarke, shouldn¡¯t you be in class yourself?¡± Solomon said when he noticed her approach.

    Morrigan shrugged sheepishly, ¡°Nothing is going to keep me from watching Nora¡¯s first test run of her class. Instructor Dezinaria will just have to get over it.¡±

    Oh, such a rebel hahaha Apollyon said sarcastically.

    She smiled, ¡°Oh be quiet, you.¡± Though her smile vanished when she realized Solomon didn¡¯t comment. Now she worried if she would get in trouble until she forced her focus back to Nora.

    Nora adjusted the headset and fumbled with the side buttons before it came alive over a hidden intercom system.

    ¡°Damn that¡¯s loud, heh, anyways, so ladies, you want to be saboteurs, eh? Well, anyone can blow something up or break something if they put their mind to it,¡± she paused and started laughing to herself, ¡°If I can shut down a gravity generator on a CoU ship with nothing but an old-world coin, a boot and screw driver, which was a lot of fun by the way, then anyone can break something,¡± she finished eyeing her trainees with good humor in her eyes and a small sadistic smile.

    Morrigan¡¯s spine chilled as her core heated, which was a very confusing feeling to experience.

    Nora straightened cheerily with no sense of professionalism, ¡°So, what makes a saboteur you ask? Someone who can safely navigate a starship without raising suspicion, duh. Now, I¡¯ve spent the past few weeks explaining to you and teaching you all the of various traps, pathways and obstacles one has when moving throughout an enemy ship that does not include the enemy themselves; all the while the engineers and builders created my beautiful labyrinth!¡± she turned and flourish towards the large, plain looking one-and-a-half story building she had built.

    ¡°Now, the true test of a saboteur is the unholy design of a pirate ship. We¡¯re not known for our cleanliness or our¡­ safety procedures,¡± she mused turning back to her trainees, ¡°Anyone who can survive making their way through a pirate¡¯s starship, much less come out the other end unscathed, would have my deepest respect as well as the title of a master saboteur.¡±

    Solomon crossed his arms and stroked his beard with his hand in intense study.

    ¡°I have yet to see the layout of my own creation, basically I explained to them the general idea of what I wanted based off what I remember of the last ship I worked on and let them have at it, traps, layout and all so I¡¯ll be going through first,¡± she stated as she paced back and forth. ¡°Anyone who can beat my time, gets my entire year¡¯s salary as well as free drinks on me for the night at Dora¡¯s!¡± she faced them with an evil grin.

    The troopers all looked to one another, considering the prize and becoming excited by such an incentive. Emily scurried over to Morrigan and leaned in, ¡°I read the reports from the builders, I¡¯m told it¡¯s a real mad house in there¡­¡±

    Morrigan smirked and glanced over, ¡°Have you met my girlfriend?¡± she remarked, trying the term out for size even if it made her blush.

    Emily looked at her touching her arm, ¡°Really? You guys are official?¡± she asked with a huge smile.

    Morrigan smiled as she stared at Nora getting ready, ¡°Yeah¡­ last night.¡±

    Nora strut up to the large security door on the front of the building, ¡°Hello beautiful,¡± she commented aloud, forgetting she was on speaker before pressing the button to open the door and start the clock.

    She disappeared into the darkness of the doorway and the silence became nerve wracking for Morrigan.

    ¡°Awe man, they put that upside down¡­ oh well, I guess it works,¡± everyone suddenly heard over the intercom.

    Some of the troopers sniggered at that while Morrigan watched Solomon''s face grow more intrigued by the odd display of education.

    ¡°Oooooh, sneaky, sneaky. Almost got me there haha! Gotta hand it to them, they got creative, I¡¯m almost proud,¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh no, the urge to touch that is real! Why would they put this here!? Ugh! Resist Nora¡­ oh yay, they put in the cameras I asked for in here. Good boys.¡±

    Everyone listened to Nora talk to herself until she reappeared on the roof of the building and slapped her hand on a button stopping the clock at 5 minutes and 43 seconds. She looked down at her six trainees with a satisfied grin as she looked over the controls of the console in front of her upon the roof.

    ¡°You guys are in for a real treat. Oh! By the way, the interior is supposedly set to reconfigure each time a trap is triggered but seeing as I didn''t set anything off well¡­ good luck! Whose first?!¡± she bellowed excitedly.

    Morrigan turned to Solomon as she watched the troopers lose their nerve over Nora¡¯s excitement.

    ¡°Do you have any idea what they''re walking into?¡± She asked.

    He shook his head, ¡°No. The only thing in aware of besides her ¡°classroom¡± portion of the course is that she requested a large quantity of live explosives¡­ which of course I denied however, given her philosophy of instincts being taught through pain, we settled on non-lethal stun munitions¡­ though what she did with them I am uncertain,¡± he said with a mix of intrigue and worry at the possible mistake he made in giving her anything remotely explosive.

    One man stepped forward which made Nora laugh, ¡°Awww, you¡¯re a bunch of pussies. Well? Assholes and elbows my dude, clock starts when you open the door and remember what I taught you,¡± she sang.

    The man opened the door and within 12 seconds there was an explosion resonating from the interior of the building followed by the sound of loud grinding and thumping of thick steel mixed with Nora¡¯s hysterical laughter.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes went wide, as did everyone else¡¯s.

    No one interfered though as continuous explosions resonated through the area as each trooper went through her labyrinth of horrors.

    ¡°Oh, please touch it, I so wanted to¡­¡± Nora was cut off by the sound of something electric, ¡°Oh gods! I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t touch that¡­ just¡­ owie,¡± Nora chimed as she watched the monitors while those who ran her gauntlet lay around the roof in pain, looking worse for wear.

    The last woman who went through surprisingly did not set off any horrible traps as she made it to the roof and slapped the completion button.

    Nora cheered with raised arms before giving the woman a hug,  ¡°Looks like we have a real saboteur out of this bunch¡­ though your time could¡¯ve been better,¡± she scrutinized as she turned her attention to Solomon and the rest of the administrators.

    The time the woman made it through with was ten minutes and four seconds.

    ¡°See big boss, even these morons can be taught, and we have one who didn''t even hurt herself! You should really give her a promotion for that!¡± Nora complimented.

    Solomon clapped, ¡°Well done Miss Flannigan. I see there is potential in your training regiment. Though, I will need a full report as to how your class was conducted as well as the¡­ training course you built. Including full schematics and materials. Crude, yet, I think your philosophy has merit to it.¡±

    One of the men sputtered, ¡°The woman is bloody mad sir!¡±

    Nora giggled, ¡°Awww, kitty cat go meow! Grrr!¡± Mimicking cat claws at the complaining man.

    Morrigan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as did Solomon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fresh perspective lad, and one from someone as experienced as your teacher is of significant value. There is no sense at being a sore loser,¡± Solomon mused with wisdom.

    The old man has a point, so does your girl. Pain is great experience, Apollyon interjected.

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°That it is for sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey Nora? I have to get to my class; I¡¯ll see you tonight?¡± Morrigan called out.

    ¡°Hope you enjoyed the show babe! Show that old hag who¡¯s boss!¡± Nora exclaimed for all to hear which caused Morrigan to nervously glance at the administrators¡¯ direction. Most of them chuckled in good humor, including Emily who giggled next to her.

    Solomon chuckled at Morrigan¡¯s nervousness, ¡°Come Miss Clarke, I¡¯ll escort you to your class,¡± he stated with levity.

    Morrigan sputtered at that as she shook her head, ¡°What-no, no that¡¯s not necessary. I can get there myself¡­¡±

    Solomon chuckled and gestured for her to start walking, ¡°Oh I insist, dear. If anything, my presence will tame Dezinaria''s anger for you being so late. Besides, I¡¯m curious to see how far your training has come, sure I get reports however, seeing it with my own eyes would be significantly more enjoyable.¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s shoulders shrank at the thought. Having Solomon there to watch made her nervous for some reason, and having to deal with her instructor¡¯s complaints would only make matters more irritating.

    A question dawned on her, ¡°She says she is the one who trained you how to use your powers?¡±

    Solomon smiled as they walked with casual stride, ¡°Yes, she did indeed. She was one of the first mages to live a symbiotic life with the Eskarii and they trained her on the fundamentals of magic. Our magic is different than theirs more often than not, so it was quite the learning curve for them as well.¡±

    Surprise came to Morrigan¡¯s face as she listened. Part of her wanted to respect the older woman more than she already had, yet the rest of her refused to accept and tolerate the woman¡¯s ornery nature. How Dezinaria could be so grumpy after living life with Eskarii, which was a young dream of Morrigan¡¯s, was beyond her.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Maybe she has a couple of those hybrid creatures runnin around that she seems so well aware of. You humans get all sorts of ornery when you¡¯re away from family, Apollyon suggested curiously and distastefully.

    That brought a whole new array of questions to the fore, she knew mix breed of human-Eskarii children were possible now, yet she hasn¡¯t seen any around.

    ¡°Sir?¡± she chirped to gain his attention, ¡°Dezinaria mentioned that Terrans and Eskarii are able to have children, but I don¡¯t think I''ve seen one before.¡±

    Solomon nodded, ¡°There are many aboard the Void Star. Though they are harder to spot than you would think. It turns out the Eskarii genome is rather dominant and our women have a higher reproductive cycle than theirs. So, it is often a Terran woman bears a mixed child though it has been known to happen that an Eskarii woman to become pregnant by a Terran male. To truly identify the mixed offspring is to look at their physique.¡±

    Morrigan furrowed her brows, ¡°Their physique?¡±

    He nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes. As you may have noticed, all Eskarii are lithe in frame regardless of how physically strong they are. Skinny and lanky as it were, where as a mixed child will grow into a body that looks like Eskarii, nearly undiscernible, however, they will develop a more¡­ think of a highly athletic human frame,¡± he said with an uncertainty of his explanation.

    She nodded though, ¡°I get it. Now that you mention it, there¡¯s someone in my class that has a physique such as you described.¡±

    Solomon hummed in affirmation as they approached Dezinaria¡¯s training area. Morrigan jumped at the vast amount of power being unleashed all at once as she witnessed one of the trainees block the blast with a green, vibrant shield.

    Dezinaria saw who approached and switched gears in a heart beat, ¡°Miss Clarke! I am aware I gave you a week off to recover but that is no excuse for tardiness!¡± she snapped.

    Morrigan ground her teeth, ¡°My apologies, I had a prior engagement that took place before¡­¡±

    The old woman cut her off, ¡°I care little for excuses Miss Clarke. You may be an Initiate Inquisitor but that does not give you free reign to do as you please.¡±

    The woman¡¯s tirade did nothing but raise Morrigan¡¯s aggravation. Solomon was the next to speak though.

    ¡°Vanessa, I implore you to show some leniency, I had the fledgling Inquisitor occupied prior to coming here,¡± he said bending the truth dramatically.

    ¡°You act as if I care, Lord Inquisitor. You of all should know I care not who is in my class or what their responsibilities are. I hold every single student to the same standard just as I held you to the same standard!¡± she stated with a glare.

    He smiled though, ¡°Well then, I suggest we should get your testing underway then?¡± he gestured at the older woman.

    She scowled and shook her head in irritated disappointment, ¡°If you fail this test I will fail you completely and have you retake this training from start to finish with my next group of trainees,¡± she growled out as she stared down Morrigan.

    Morrigan narrowed her eyes as she took a few steps forward, saying nothing as she bit her tongue.

    Ohhh hehehe, I feel your anger, little goddess. Lets teach this woman a thing or two about respect, shall we?

    Morrigan nodded to Apollyon though it looked as if she nodded to her instructor who let out an indignant huff.

    ¡°Your final test is to properly block a fully charged attack from me. One of the most dangerous things in the universe is the full power of a mage. Each attack you may come across in the universe is roughly about 15% of a mages true ability unless they¡¯re given the chance to unleash their full potential,¡± Dezinaria stated as she took her position.

    Dezinaria raised her arms and the air hummed with electricity as a bright orb of electrical arcs danced rapidly between the old woman''s hands. It only grew larger and more dense as her instructor drew more and more ambient energy into it with furrowed brows.

    Morrigan scrutinized the technique and amount of focus it required for the woman to draw forth the impressive amount of energy.

    ¡°Child, raise your shield! I am close to releasing this energy!¡± Dezinaria called out in warning but gave a look of worried surprise when Morrigan just stood there motionless.

    ¡°Quick child! Before I¡­¡±

    Dezinaria was cut off by the sound of a loud bang as Morrigan had drawn her pistol with blinding speed and grazed her instructor¡¯s leg with a bullet.

    Dezinaria collapsed on the ground, crying out as she grabbed her leg and the immense amount of coalescing power scattered harmlessly back into the cosmos.

    Apollyon cackled like a mad man inside her head which only caused the smirk on Morrigan¡¯s face to grow deeper as she holstered her side arm.

    ¡°Are you fucking mad woman!? You shot me!¡± Dezinaria howled.

    Morrigan crossed her arms defiantly, ¡°First of all, I only grazed you, you¡¯re fine. What I did do though was break your focus so that you couldn''t release such a vast amount of power. Don''t think I didn''t notice how much concentration that took¡­¡± Morrigan put her hands on her hips condescendingly, ¡°The best way to block an attack is to never need to block in the first place, as they say, the perfect defense is an even better offense, and such,¡± she said with a casual shrug, feeling significantly better about the situation now.

    ¡°Gregor! Are you going to sit there and let her get away with such insolence!?¡± Dezinaria barked through grit teeth as a small amount of blood seeped through the clothing next to her leg.

    Morrigan¡¯s blood went cold as she momentarily forgot that the Lord Inquisitor had been standing less than ten feet away from her. She turned and gave the man a cautious sidelong glance to see him standing stoically as ever.

    Solomon held a straight, contemplative face before a chuckle slipped his lips, followed by a bellowing laughter. Morrigan¡¯s spine locked at the odd reaction, uncertain whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that the superior officer of the entire Inquisition was laughing.

    The older man wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as he settled down. He looked between Morrigan and Dezinaria with an amused grin, ¡°I can¡¯t say you didn¡¯t have this coming, Vanessa. I will admit I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s taken this long for one of your students to take a shot at you,¡± his voice carried over with thick amusement.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this!? Arrest her Gregor!¡± Dezinaria exclaimed. While Morrigan looked at him with wide eyes.

    Solomon shook his head as he heard someone approach from behind, ¡°I bring people aboard to integrate their individual views and experience, Lady Dezinaria, and what Miss Clarke just did was not only taking an old world tactic to heart but also using it in a very real world and unorthodox situation. Frankly, if I would''ve thought of it so many years ago I think it''s safe to say I would''ve done something similar. Her solution to the problem at hand was simple, thought out and executed with impeccable accuracy,¡± he said before giving Morrigan a small smile.

    Dezinaria scowled and grunted as she stood up while the medical support rushed over to her, ¡°Fine, have it your way you brat, but there will be no more firearms allowed in my sessions!¡±

    Solomon tsked her and shook his head, ¡°You know it is a rule that all military personnel be armed at all times if the need ever arises. Maybe you should find a lesson in this Vanessa. There are two or three take-aways I can think of from witnessing this affair.¡±

    Dezinaria let go a stream of curses as she was taken away by the medics, which Morrigan ignored. Most of the tirade was directed towards her.

    As a very tall woman approached, she began clapping as she eyed the instructor being taken away, ¡°I¡¯m almost ashamed that I never thought of that,¡± she said with a wide jovial smile.

    She was the tallest person Morrigan had ever met, standing at what had to be six foot eight, the long brunette hair she had cascaded down her surprisingly full figure as she strode predatorily up next to Solomon who was half a head shorter than her. It took a moment for it to click on her mind of where she recognized the woman from, it was Inquisitor Clare Tindal.

    ¡°Ah, I''m happy to see that you''ve arrived, Inquisitor Tindal, I''m sure you''re excited to be here today,¡± Solomon said as he turned to her with his signature smile while Morrigan gaped at the woman. Despite being twice Morrigan¡¯s age, the woman was gorgeous.

    ¡°Oh, that little display from my ward was well worth the trip itself. I definitely stand by my statement earlier,¡± she stated with an amused grin to Solomon before turning her attention to Morrigan.

    ¡°I''ll give you this, from the looks of it you gave her a harder time than I did, that''s impressive,¡± Clare stated with a proud smile.

    Morrigan blushed at that as Solomon chuckled at that, ¡°Yeah, you were a bit unruly, weren''t you?¡± He mused.

    She snorted and asked, ¡°So, have you told her the news?¡±

    The sound of news broke Morrigan out of her awe inspired trance, ¡°What news?¡± she asked looking between the two superior Inquisitors.

    Solomon shook his head, ¡°Not yet, this class was priority at the moment, though I suppose I would consider that a successful completion of her final test from Dezinaria, I suppose now is as good of a time as any,¡± he stated with a casual tone, not hinting at whether it was good news or bad news.

    ¡°Do you want the honors or shall I?¡± Solomon asked. Morrigan didn¡¯t enjoy being ignored and the rising curiosity that had slowly began to form into anxiety at the base of her spine did not help her feelings about the matter.

    Clare grinned, ¡°Well, she is my ward, even if this is our first time meeting face to face.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so¡­ tall¡­¡± Morrigan interjected.

    Clare laughed with playful amusement at her comment, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a neat trick about video communication, shaves off a whole foot as well as ten pounds,¡± she noted playfully.

    That managed to break through Morrigan¡¯s rising anxiety, as well as getting her to snort and smile.

    ¡°So, looks like I have some bad-ish, good news to tell you,¡± Clare said, bringing back the supposed point of her being there. The notion of bad news caused Morrigan¡¯s nerves to freeze though.

    ¡°About four days ago one of our Inquisitors lost their lives while boarding a derelict ship that didn¡¯t happen to be derelict. It was actually a pirate trap. Inquisitor Toph lost his life, and his ship took some damage but came back with me today,¡± her voice sounded pained yet light, as if this had been the expectation.

    Which, if Morrigan thought about it, the Inquisitors often lived lonely, solitary lives outside the Void Star, so it was natural for an Inquisitor¡¯s life to be cut short every so often.

    ¡°But, that depressing bit aside, today officially marks your day of becoming a fully bona-fide Inquisitor, today''s your graduation so, congrats kid!¡± Clare finished with a bright smile.

    Morrigan''s eyes went wide with shock at that revelation.

    Hoo¡¯oh! I did not see that coming! Drinks and blood cleansing tonight on me! Apollyon cheered in her head enthusiastically.

    ¡°Wait¡­ what? How?¡± Morrigan exclaimed in confusion.

    Both Clare and Solomon chuckled at her shock, ¡°Well, normally upon graduation we would requisition a ship to be built for a new Inquisitor and the new Inquisitor would play a support role for a year or so within the Cathedral until it is finished however, sometimes events like this align where one Inquisitor passes on their own ship to a new one, either through retirement or in this instance, death.¡±

    Morrigan blinked as the daunting weight of reality settled upon her shoulders. Though the many weeks they had her testing and preparing left her feeling confident in her abilities; reality was now about to throw her to the proverbial wolves. Now she had to prove whether she was an alpha, or if she would be eaten by the universe.

    Ohhh, my little goddess, you are more than ready. Bask in the opportunity presented before you and take hold! You said you wanted the power to make a difference then now is your chance hehehehe, Apollyon prodded her with a sadistic chuckle.

    Apollyon¡¯s words turned some of her anxiety into resolve as she let out a deep sigh, ¡°I really thought you were going to say something about my mother¡­ speaking of¡­¡±

    Solomon smiled, ¡°About that, that is another situation that has good news and bad news I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°What?! What do you mean?¡± she said as panic started to rise.

    Solomon chuckled and tried to wave away her fears, ¡°Do not worry, I am a man of my word Miss Clarke. I did happen to get in contact with your mother a few weeks ago. She is well as are those who have been assisting her. We devised a plan to give them escape from the Federation before the Federation pushed an attack forward that cut off all communications with Earth, planet side that is. However, the ship I had ordered to go and retrieve your mother and her team had reported success in their objective and your mother is safely aboard the Inquisitorial Destroyer Trickster¡¯s Sleight and are on their way to the Void Star as we speak.¡±

    Even as all of her worries shifted to excitement, she furrowed her brows, ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡±

    His smile falter slightly though the level of genuine certainty was still there, ¡°It appears during the receiving of the ship your mother was on, the Trickster¡¯s Sleight''s ¡°Faster than Light¡± engine took damage, though they are attempting to repair the engine, it may take as long as six months for them to return if they are unable to repair it as they use their warp drive to move as fast as possible.¡±

    Morrigan frowned at that, though she was ridiculously grateful that her family was now safe, it hurt to have to wait that much longer to see them again.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ for telling me and for seeing my request through,¡± she said with a sad mix of appreciation and sullied happiness.

    Clare frowned back at her, ¡°Hey, none of that being sad shit tonight. It¡¯s your first night as a full-blooded Inquisitor! We¡¯re going to party like it¡¯s the 1999!¡± Clare stated animatedly to cheer her up. In her defense, an Amazonian of a woman dancing childishly is certainly a way to cheer someone up.

    Morrigan giggled at that and gave her a nod though Solomon spoke up before she could say anything.

    ¡°For the moment, we will need to head back to the Cathedral. We have much to discuss but I promise not to keep you for too long, Inquisitor Tindal is correct, you should celebrate tonight. It¡¯s been quite a while since we¡¯ve had such potential in a single Inquisitor, to say you are beyond our standard is quite the understatement,¡± he said proudly.

    ¡°You two have fun with that, I got some stuff I have to do but meet me at Dora¡¯s yeah? Know the place?¡± Clare asked.

    Morrigan scoffed at that, ¡°As if anyone can not know Dora¡¯s,¡± she said incredulously.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl! See you tonight!¡± the tall woman said with twin thumbs up and a shit eating grin before sauntering off on her own.

    ¡°Oh, I wish I could have brought you two together sooner in your training though she has had nothing but positive things to say from your discussions and her¡­ doctrine training as it were. Anyways, come and let¡¯s make your promotion official,¡± Solomon mused before gesturing her to follow him.

    Morrigan¡¯s nerves vibrated in a mix of nervousness and excitement as the limitless potential began formulating in her mind now that, albeit surprisingly faster than she expected, she was now Inquisitor Clarke.

    Trust me girl, you may have become one of these so-called Inquisitors, but you are far more than just that. You are the embodiment of death, granted the power to destroy and sunder everything in existence and the will of woman¡¯s wrath. Your potential is only just beginning, my little reaper, this is what you wanted and I will guide you towards your dream.

    ¡°You think so, that this is the path we need to take?¡± her inner voice sounding more childish and unsure though she knew deep down Apollyon was good for it¡¯s cosmic truths.

    Oh yes, the galaxy will rue the day it earned your ire. Just remember, you are far more than what meets the eye, Apollyon said in prophetic praise as its words dripped heavily with the promise of violence.

 Chapter X

    The conversation Morrigan and Solomon had was long and boring, though it was not enough to dampen her growing excitement.

    He promised a tour of the ship she would be given when the repairs were closer to completion. He also updated her Inquisitor badge that held all of her necessary information to access just about everything Inquisition related.

    Morrigan badgered the older man with countless questions, mainly dos and don¡¯ts as well as how she should be expected to handle every scenario her brain could concoct. She knew the Inquisitors operated with freedom and individuality however, she was surprised still that Solomon was giving her the same rights to exercise her own judgment freely as long as anything she did overtly benefited the quality of life for those within the Eskarii, Marmuro¡¯k and Terran territories, reminding her of the story of the rogue Inquisitor and the fate of that individual.

    He did warn her though that entering the Marmuro¡¯k territories was at her own risk. The Marmuro¡¯k tolerated the Inquisition as long as they remained peaceful and kept their distance, but it had been known for them fire upon Inquisition ships without cause or reason at times.

    The last thing he did was update her data-slate as well as a back up drive if hers ever broke, therefore she could install the information onto a new one aboard her ship. The new data even included full schematics of the ship she would be commanding for her to study and familiarize herself with over the following two weeks it would take to repair the ship.

    It was something she took time to brush up on while taking the long trek back to the market district to Pandora¡¯s Box.

    She had no reference to compare it to however, looking over the mechanical drawings of the Inquisition Light Cruiser Archangel, she was finding it utterly beautiful without even seeing it.

    Ha! That¡¯s a bit on the nose don¡¯t you think? Apollyon mused.

    She chuckled at the irony, ¡°Yeah because we named you after an archangel,¡± she confirmed as she lit a cigar and took a long fruity, earthy menthol infused drag.

    Well sure, there is that, but think about it. Archangels were supposed to be the most powerful being just below the Christian God, and here you are, Apollyon stated with amused levity.

    She didn¡¯t miss the fact Apollyon had started filling her head with grand praise and notions just as Apollyon had done when she first accepted the being into her body. She did not ask why though, thinking it was just excitement to finally roam free again and be who they wanted to be again.

    ¡°Holy shit! Look at this, the thing has an experimental rail gun on it!¡± she exclaimed as she looked over the offensive weaponry schematics. Underneath the blade like prow of the ship was a retracting half mile long rail gun designed with six electromagnetic guide rails to propel projectiles at an unholy speed.

    She became so enraptured by the little things about the ship, she did not notice the bright neon lights of Pandora¡¯s Box as her body''s autopilot drove her right into the front door.

    She caught the wayward data-slate with a relieving sigh as ash from her cigar bounced across the screen which she wiped off after locking the device. She chuckled at herself for losing herself in the information she read. It was silly, but also embarrassing at the same time that she didn''t have the attention span to not run into something, though she was thankful no one was around to witness it.

    You kidding? That''s going in the blooper reel hahaha Apollyon cackled in amusement.

    ¡°Oh shut up,¡± she mused as she holstered the device to her left thigh, shaking her head as a new notch of embarrassment flushed against her cheeks.

    ¡°Surprise!¡± cheered the packed bar, causing Morrigan to flare power instinctively as the cigar slipped from her lips and fell to the ground, her eyes wildly searching for targets. Her crimson claws and skeletal wings became a thing of awe before the bar broke out into laughter.

    Morrigan¡¯s heart hammered in her chest as a laugh escaped her dumbfounded smile, realizing it was a surprise party for her. Even Apollyon howled with laughter in her head.

    She released her energy as Clare cheered, ¡°There''s my party girl!¡±

    Morrigan blushed as she made her way through the crowd that gave her a wide enough berth. Some of the women in the crowd gave her a pat on the back all of the men clapped and cheered, remembering quite well the warning Solomon had put out.

    As she approached the bar, she found Clare surrounded her Marmuro¡¯k, Yekku and Qiote chirping and warbling loudly while Xol and H?¡¯tet gave her fanged grins of approval. Clare was also surrounded by four other Inquisitors she didn''t recognize.

    Clare ran and scooped Morrigan up giving her a massive hug, figuratively and literally seeing as how much taller she was.

    ¡°Damn, it took you long enough, the old man talk your ears off?¡± Clare stated with levity

    Morrigan smiled, ¡°No, I actually got distracted on my way here studying the schematics of the Archangel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a beauty, right?! Just wait till you see it in person!¡± Clare beamed, Morrigan able to tell she had already been drinking.

    ¡°Oh right, come here, you should meet your fellow Inquisitors. They just happened to be on station today!¡±

    Clare did not give Morrigan much of a choice as she dragged her by the wrist the rest of the way.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you our newest sister, Inquisitor Morrigan Clarke! Mori, this is Dannal Sherika, Aria Tsambikos, Elliot Jones, and Heather Silas,¡± she presented the group to her.

    She shook the two women¡¯s hands but had to obstinately shirk one of men who offer his hand, backing up a step.

    The blonde Inquisitor, Heather, slapped his shoulder hard, ¡°Dude! Did you really forget?¡±

    Dannal, who had to be the second youngest Inquisitor in the group shrunk under the assault, ¡°Yeah, yeah I did, sorry about that sister,¡± he forced out at the likelihood of being smacked again.

    Morrigan gave him a nervous smile and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It sucks sometimes honestly but I¡¯m doing my best to get over it¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey girl!¡± Dora exclaimed as he rounded the bar, ¡°Look at you all grown up and so fast too!¡± Dora said with proud excitement as he reached over the bar and gave her a hug.

    ¡°Wait, what? How come he gets to touch you?!¡± Dannal exclaimed incredulously.

    Dora turned to him with a grin as Morrigan blushed and turned while the other Inquisitors snickered.

    ¡°Oh honey, I''m special because I''m more woman than you could handle, if you''d like to find out you¡¯re more than welcome to stick around after hours,¡± Dora explained with a promising grin and wink. Morrigan and the rest of the Inquisitors laughed as the young man turned red. To drive the point home, Yekku forced his slender head between Morrigan¡¯s arm and her side and purred.

    ¡°Awe, hi baby boy, did you come to celebrate?¡± She cooed.

    Yekku wrapped his long slender arms around body and warbled. All the women that paid enough attention to the interaction awed in adoration while Morrigan bent over and kissed his snout.

    Yekku let out a happy chirp before Xol barked something at him, causing him to sputter noises before slipping through the crowd with extreme precision.

    Morrigan looked surprised before turning to Xol with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°They''re some interesting friends you''ve made. Talk of the hive, actually,¡± Clare said drawing her attention.

    ¡°Yeah, how did you manage to make friends with them? God only knows how long the rest of us have been trying.¡± Aria, the brunette woman with short hair, chimed in.

    Morrigan snorted and grinned, ¡°That''s going to require a lot of drinks.¡±

    Dora spread his arms with lavish style, ¡°Now your speaking my language hun, what can I get everyone?¡±

    Xol and H?¡¯tet both grinned at that and approached the bar, properly startling several patrons and Inquisitors with how fast and fluid they moved.

    ¡°Double Whiskey!¡± Morrigan chimed as everyone started ordering more drinks.

    The party turned out pretty heavily as everyone started drinking and dancing all the while Morrigan, Dora and the Inquisitors shared various stories. Many of those stories being gritty and violent.

    ¡°Oh you wouldn''t believe it, I took on this warlord on Caspin once who had the entire planet locked in perpetual conflict. Not just any conflict, but this was some old Earth world war type shit. So, me and my retinue sneak into this obnoxiously lavish estate this dude lived in and confronted him on the matter. Ended up killing him and then sleeping with his wife!¡± Clare exclaimed as she downed the rest of her dark brown bitter beer.

    ¡°No way!¡± Morrigan laughed as she listened.

    ¡°Oh yeah, even banged his son too. That was a fun excursion,¡± she mused as she held the glass out to Dora.

    Dora howled with laughter during it all as he grabbed the glass and refilled from one of the various taps.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed a bit darling, and the best part is I knew that cranky old bastard you put down,¡± Dora said.

    ¡°Really? Ha!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, he tried recruiting my war band back in the early days of the war, but I was happy with what we were doing at the time and told the old man to choke on it,¡± Dora replied with a hearty chuckle.

    ¡°Oh man, that¡¯s great,¡± Morrigan said as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to have to hide you from my girlfriend now.¡±

    ¡°Hide who from me, precious?¡± Nora whispered into Morrigan¡¯s ear while cradling her from behind, causing her to startle and cough up the whiskey she was drinking.

    ¡°Oh gods that hurts!¡± Morrigan complained with a steady slur as she wiped her mouth and coughed some more.

    Nora took a look at the who Morrigan had been talking to and pulled her closer as if defensive of the tall red head, ¡°And where did you find this tall, sexy and gorgeous?¡±

    Clare laughed out loud at that and pointed at Nora while looking at Morrigan, ¡°Is this her?!¡±

    Morrigan nodded with a grin as she leaned back against Nora and poorly reached up to touch her face. ¡°Yiss, this is my lovely lady!¡± Morrigan stated childishly.

    ¡°Awww, look at you being a little boozy!¡± Nora cooed as she leaned down and kissed Morrigan on the cheek repeatedly.

    ¡°Hey Dora! Black label me!¡± she called out as she stopped pouring affection onto Morrigan.

    Dora snorted and rolled his eyes, ¡°Oh please, you¡¯re getting a blue label tonight.¡±

    Nora cocked her head and looked around the packed bar that she seemed only to just now realize was packed wall to wall, ¡°What¡¯s the special occasion?¡±

    The exuberant look of shock on Dora¡¯s face sent Morrigan into a fit of drunken giggles.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told her?!¡± Dora exclaimed while the others around her watched the spectacle in amusement.

    Morrigan shook her head giggling. ¡°Well you need to tell right now missy!¡± Dora exclaimed as he poured Nora¡¯s drink.

    Nora looked down at a meek, childishly shy and also very drunk Morrigan staring back up at her as she chewed on her thumb nail.

    Morrigan reached up and pulled Nora¡¯s head down, ¡°I¡¯m an Inquisitor now,¡± she whispered loudly as if it had been some big secret.

    She felt Nora shiver and shutter before Dora slide the drink over. Nora downed the entire glass in a single tip, wincing as the bourbon burned down her throat.

    ¡°Yep,¡± she said clearing her throat, ¡°I wish you would''ve said that later tonight, I definitely need a dry pair of underwear now,¡± she murmured to herself with a smirk though everyone could hear.

    Everyone laughed at that as Nora spun Morrigan on the stool before pulling her head up and pushed her lips against her deeply filled with admiration and lust.

    Before long, everyone in the bar was whistling and cat calling the two women making out passionately in full display. Nora didn''t have a care in the world who saw and Morrigan was to drunk to care as they lost each other in the moment.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Yekku interjected himself with no understanding of privacy as he poked his head directly between both women with a wild chirp.

    Nora and Morrigan laughed before reaching down and manhandling Yekku even though, fully standing, he was taller than her.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing mister, ruining a perfectly good moment?¡± Nora grilled the S¡¯randin as he bellowed alarmed squawks as he fought to stay upright, a box clutched in his grasp.

    ¡°Let him go sweetie! I think he¡¯s got something to show us,¡± Morrigan refocused.

    Nora released the lanky lizard humanoid while he nodded rapidly, righting himself.

    Yekku pressed the heavy box into Morrigan¡¯s arms before stepping back, looking around nervously as he flicked his tongue out.

    The box was about three feet long, and two wide yet relatively thin but weighed significantly more than she was expecting. There was a card taped to the box that said ¡°To our newest Inquisitor, from Yekku and the R&D team¡±.

    ¡°Awww, Yekku! Did you make me something?¡± Morrigan cooed as tears highlighted her eyes.

    Yekku bobbed his head excitedly with a squawk, taking a single, nervous step forward.

    ¡°Well don¡¯t keep us in suspense, open it girl!¡± Elliot called out, bringing the realization to Morrigan that the majority of the bar was now watching her.

    She blushed and set the box on the counter as she stood, feeling herself sober dramatically after stumbling.

    I gotcha kid, just enjoy yourself, Apollyon said with amusement highlight its tone of voice.

    ¡°Heh, thanks,¡± she mused bashfully as she separated the tight ribbon wrapped around the box and lifted the lid.

    Everyone within eyesight of her face could see her eyes widen with glistening tears and a tight lipped, emotional smile.

    Nora impatiently leaned over Morrigan¡¯s shoulder and exclaimed, ¡°Holy shit balls!¡±

    What lay in a crimson velvet bed was a solid, massive, blackened 21-inch clip point blade with a built in 14-inch shotgun with a rotating cylinder attached to a gently curved handle. It was the most beautiful weapon Morrigan had ever seen, as she ran the tips of her fingers along the cold metal. In eloquent little slots held a holster with straps made to hold it centered to her back, as well as two rows of shotgun shells; a row of pellets and a row of slugs.

    Dora even leaned forward to look and gave a surprised and deeply approving nod before glancing back at Yekku.

    She wrapped her hand around the handle, slowly lifting it to realize it had to weigh at least 35 pounds however, with a touch of energy to empower her muscles, it became as light as a kitchen knife.

    Damn¡­ you know how I said you didn¡¯t need a weapon; well, it may not cut through everything but even I can appreciate this!

    She lifted the beautiful weapon above her head for all to see while she inspected the sleek design, her surrounding audience muttering their surprise at the design.

    She turned to Yekku with gunblade in hand, ¡°Did you really make this for me?¡± she asked nearly on the verge of tears.

    Yekku nodded while nervously wringing his hands, giving her a questioning chirp as he flicked his tongue.

    A single tear slid down her cheek as she dropped the blade down to her thigh and held out her other arm for a hug, ¡°I love it sweetie, come here!¡±

    Yekku lowered himself and slide right up to her, wrapping his arms around you and setting his long chin on her shoulder quietly chirping in her ear as she pulled his neck tightly against her.

    Everyone clapped and cheered before people started shouting out requests to Yekku, who ignored them for the moment.

    ¡°This was so sweet of you baby boy, I will always keep this on me,¡± Morrigan hummed against his neck.

    Yekku pulled away and started chirping and squawking excitedly which caused Morrigan to chuckle, ¡°Yekku, you know I can¡¯t understand you most of the time,¡± she pointed out while giving him a sweet smile.

    He leaned around her and slipped his fingers underneath the velvet blanket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and unfolded it to shove in her face excitedly. She and Nora both laughed at his enthusiasm.

    The paper turned out to be hastily written cleaning instructions with the schematic of the weapon printed on the back.

    Fingering the lever she felt on the right side of the handle, she flicked her wrist and popped the cylinder out of place to reveal five polished slots.

    Nora plucked the buck shot out of the case and handed them to her which she slid smoothly into each slot.

    Xol stepped up next to them and placed a heavy hand on Yekku¡¯s shoulder causing him to flinch since he had been so enthralled in watching Morrigan.

    ¡°?ev kar¨º Yekku Kri¡¯ket,¡± Xol rumbled with a proud nod.

    Yekku gave a long chirp that sounded awfully close to a ¡°thank you¡± before sauntering off to do his own thing, the Inquisitors vying for his attention to request their own custom weapons.

    ¡°That is an impressive piece of art,¡± Nora stated in appreciation before grabbing the holster from the case and holding out the straps.

    Morrigan slipped an arm through before trading hands on the heavy weapon before slipping her other arm through the harness.

    She passed the gunblade to Nora who nearly dropped it, ¡°Jesus! You made it look so much lighter¡­ then again, you carried my fat ass last night so I shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± she mused as she held the weapon respectfully with both hands while Morrigan adjusted the straps and secured the lock around her stomach, gauging how the weapon would sit on her back before making another adjustment.

    Morrigan smirked at her, ¡°Well I¡¯d carry that butt anywhere, I happen to like it a lot.¡±

    Nora grinned before carefully sliding the weapon into the holster with a soft click.

    When Morrigan turned to face Nora she asked, ¡°How does it look?¡± as she reached and tested her reach against where the handle sat.

    Nora did not say anything, but she did mouth, ¡°I¡¯m so wet right now,¡± leaving Morrigan blushing with a grin.

    She looked to Xol who gave her a nod, ¡°H??t? ?ekan j¨º Mirina Sor.¡±

    ???

    The two weeks of waiting was torture for Morrigan. Her nervous excitement constantly overpowered the need to be patient even while she did her best to occupy herself with going over the ship schematics and the documents Solomon had given her.

    Through the boredom of waiting, she had even had Nora help her dye a long strip of her hair bright white that would highlight the braid Nora put her now long hair.

    She also spent a lot of time practicing with her new gunblade within the various training arenas throughout the Void Star. It gave her ample time to explore the hive world though very little differentiated between each zone respectively unless she delved deeper into the hive world.

    All her nervous waiting came to a peak when she heard the chime of her data-slate that recalled her to the Cathedral.

    She all but sprinted to the Cathedral as her excitement grew more and more dense knowing it was either the day to tour the Archangel or news that her family returned to her new world. Ever since her promotion, she finally felt truly alive again.

    The slowly opening doors of the gargantuan church styled building moved too slowly for her liking and Morrigan pushed on one of the doors while feeding energy into her muscles. The resounding screeching sound echoed throughout the building as well as the surrounding area. Morrigan shrunk into her shoulders as she watched Solomon on the other side of the building cross his arms.

    When she sheepishly strode closer, she called out, ¡°Sorry!¡±

    That earned a chuckle out of the older man as he shook his head. ¡°It seems you have a thing or two to learn about patience, Morrigan. That''s okay though, I''m delighted to see such excitement within you though I do request you try not to break my doors,¡± he said steadily with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I''ll do my best,¡± she murmured under her breath as she approached.

    ¡°Today we will be touring your new ship. There is however, one other thing I would like to show you first,¡± he stated before turning towards the statue that hid his office, only he did not walk towards that particular sculpture. Instead, Morrigan followed him towards a statue that sat three in on the left. It depicted a man brandishing an old-world revolver and wearing clothes of ancient western sheriffs.

    ¡°You have your badge I hope?¡± he asked glancing sidelong at her to which she nodded and patted her pocket. ¡°Good, this only works if your badge is within close proximity. Each Inquisitor gets their own private office within the Cathedral for when they are upon the Void Star.¡±

    She watched him turn the cylinder off the revolver the times to the right, five clicks to the left and two more to the right before the locking mechanism activated. Similar to how his entrance opened, the statue swung away to the left to reveal another ornate office space just as lavish as his own.

    ¡°It took some time to remove the prior Inquisitor¡¯s personal belongings and reset the security parameters, though I think we finished just in time for today,¡± he pointed out as he watched her take it in.

    They stepped in within her new space for her to look around as the door automatically closed behind them. She looked around in wonderment at the barren, cream colored walls accented by the large Inquisition symbol built into the far wall. Her desk looked no different than his own however, the noticeable difference was two clothing racks standing covered along the right wall next to an empty display case.

    ¡°What''s that?¡± she pointed.

    Solomon let out an amused breath and walked towards the racks, ¡°Well, normally we would¡¯ve discussed such a thing throughout the year if your promotion wouldn¡¯t have been so sudden, but since it had; using the sizes you chose for your training uniform, as well as speaking to the R&D teams who had recently delivered a personalized weapon designed by one Yekku-Kri¡¯ket. Which by the way, is very impressive. The demand for weapons similar to your own has given the S¡¯randin you¡¯ve brought quite a bit of fame to the R&D lab. Anyways though, I had Emily put forth the commission of your official uniform, though since we had no time to discuss it, we went with a more basic design for you to improve upon while on the Archangel,¡± he explained long winded, though she was happy Yekku had earned some notoriety.

    She walked over and gave the first cover a tug to reveal a simple yet beautiful set of black cloth and leather outfit. The long-sleeved uniform shirt of leather and sateen fabric with master crafted straps and a simple metal breast plate to protect her torso, while the pants were a heavy cloth with dense leather sown into the vital areas of the thighs and function straps for clipping in weapons or tools. Similar styling to the other Inquisitors she had seen yet uniquely different.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect,¡± she said with a mesmerized smile.

    Solomon snickered at that before gesturing to the second rack, ¡°That''s not even the best part.¡±

    Her smile grew as she reached for the cover only for her smile to drop into a gaping expression of shock.

    What was revealed was a cloak nearly as tall as her; thick black cloth lined with silver and gold intertwining trim and along the back on display was the imagery of one of her crimson claws, stained into the material in bright red.

    ¡°After reviewing much of your training, I felt it worthy of being your own insignia to highlight your individuality as an Inquisitor, seeing as it is a very iconic form of your abilities,¡± Solomon noted proudly.

    Morrigan touched the material with tears in her eyes as she forced herself to breath. She had never expected anyone to treat her this well in her life. Since she was 16 years old, she had always expected to be pushing against wave upon wave of persecution the rest of her life and all of a sudden, after two years of mind shattering imprisonment, she found herself not only surrounded by people who adored and respected her but also an entire organization that believed in her individuality and beliefs; and she worked for them.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ it¡¯s perfect,¡± she forced out biting back tears.

    She could see Solomon smile out of the corner of her eye, ¡°I''ll give you time to change, just meet me outside when you''re done,¡± he stated before turning on his heels and exciting her office.

    She could feel the pride radiating off of him, though she was unsure if it had been pride due to her accomplishments or pride in successfully making her cry tears of joy through lavish gifts, she was uncertain.

    Going to point this out, that you don''t really need that though a helmet wouldn''t be a bad idea hehehe. I will admit though, that cloak is pretty sexy, Apollyon mused.

    ¡°I¡¯m totally wearing it, need or not, I love it regardless,¡± she retorted with a deep sniff before stripping down to her underwear.

    Upon adorning her new uniform, she was whole heartedly surprised to find it so comfortable. She had always thought leather would be uncomfortable yet the inner texture was soft, velvety and non-intrusive to her pleasant surprise.

    The straps to her gunblade holster blended into the fabric perfectly as she began clipping the cloak into a nifty quick release slots hidden just underneath the breastplate before attaching the dangling, ornately weathered black metal chain from one end of the cloak to the other across her chest. To her surprise, it appeared that the cloak was specifically designed to not impede on the holster of her gunblade, leaving enough room between her neck and the center of her shoulder blades for the weapon to sit without risking cutting into the fabric.

    She could not deny how the uniform made her feel: important, powerful, purposeful and even incredibly sexy.

    She drew her gunblade from its holster and swung, drawing back and pushing a full thrust into a full back handed swing to gauge how her leather armor felt while swinging a heavy weapon.

    Aside from a little tightness around the lower back and her upper shoulders, the uniform moved with her body quite well.

    Her next test was air boxing in standard military form followed by various kicks and feints Simmons had taught her at a young age. She determined her leggings were really tight with her movement however, she knew they would loosen up rather soon, other than that, her uniform was perfectly fit for her.

    She smiled before making her way out into the expansive interior of the Cathedral where Solomon stood patiently waiting.

    ¡°Look at that, you even look the part now, Inquisitor Clarke,¡± he mused to her with emphasis.

    She grinned sheepishly before grabbing the hem of her cloak, ¡°This is awesome Solomon¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to thank you properly for everything you¡¯ve given me¡­ especially in such a short amount of time no less.¡±

    The Lord Inquisitor gestured for them to start walking before he spoke, ¡°I saw something in you Miss Clarke¡­¡± he stated to garner her attention, ¡°Upon our first meeting, I knew there was something deep down in the poor, broken shell of a girl I saw¡­¡±

    He eyed her with a sidelong glance and a smirk as she listened intently, ¡°I knew, that if given the opportunity, you could move the stars themselves if you so chose to. Beneath that tormented frame you stood against me in, I could see that you have that deep seeded empathy towards all living beings and the warrior soul of legendary proportions.¡±

    Morrigan cocked her head to the side with confused curiosity, ¡°How though? I mean¡­ the only thing I did was attack you?¡±

    Solomon chuckled as they walked, ¡°You did do that and even though you claimed it was you who did not intend on going back to prison, I could easily tell you were more worried about Xol and Nora at your side, as well as the prisoners who followed you. Even after our short discussion you still worried about the prisoners you had never met before. That takes a special kind of person in this day and age but there is more to it than just that.¡±

    Solomon looked skyward with a sigh and Morrigan followed his line of sight to see his massive Grand Cruiser that floated overhead against the distant nebula. Morrigan could not deny the beauty of the sight especially since her very own ship would sail the stars soon.

    ¡°I felt the power you possess Morrigan¡­ I will admit, for a moment I was worried that you would break through my shield when you unleashed your attack, and frankly, I¡¯m pretty sure you could now if you really tried¡­ but your gift is unique and it¡¯s the most unique people who make history. When I said that you hold a warrior¡¯s soul, there is a very special meaning behind it¡­¡±

    That drew her attention back to him.

    ¡°Many long dead cultures believed that the universe -or whatever they believed in, believed that every so often a being is born with the soul of a legend. Someone who would do great things at an even greater sacrifice to make the world a better place. I¡¯ve always looked to the ancient forgotten cultures our species erased only a century ago, because I believe there is some semblance of truth in their mythologies¡­ and I believe, in our time, that very person may be you, Morrigan.¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes went wide at such a compliment. What Solomon was telling her was so grandiose she couldn¡¯t believe that someone such as him could see something that extravagant in her, much less believe in it.

    ¡°I took a massive leap of faith in you, Miss Clarke. I allowed you to circumvent many of our procedures to fast track you into becoming an Inquisitor, normally the process is significantly longer than you¡¯ve experienced, because I want you to spread your wings and go to the stars to do the good that you wish to do deep in your soul. I want you to gain the experience that can only be found in doing something rather than studying for it, to make allies, to find out who it is you really are and how you belong in this universe¡­¡±

    Solomon sighed again, ¡°The truth is, war is coming Morrigan, and not like we¡¯ve been experiencing over the past four decades but true, total war. The Federation is making their move and pushing outwards and its only a matter of time before their war march pushes beyond the Terran territory and lands on our doorstep. We will need to be ready, you, will need to be ready. Until then, to answer your question of how you can thank me for putting such faith in you?¡± he stopped and turned to her.

    She looked into his eyes, mystified as his face went from wistful to serious, ¡°Be who I believe you to be. Prove me right about you, Mori. Deep down in the deepest pit of your soul there is a legendary warrior waiting to come out and bring prosperity to this savaged galaxy of ours. You do that, and I will be able to rest easy for the remainder of my days,¡± he finished before walking off, leaving Morrigan stunned beyond belief by his words.

    After a moment for her gears to slowly turn again, she caught up with the Lord Inquisitor and they walked in peaceful silence as she tried to process the monumental bombshell he dropped on her.

 Chapter XI

    After the long walk through two military districts and through the entirety of Zone Echo, they finally arrived at the industrious dock district.

    Morrigan, in her two weeks of exploring each Zone, hadn¡¯t bothered sneaking her way into the highly guarded dock districts. Yet every time she saw the looming form of the gargantuan anti-starship cannons, she couldn¡¯t help but stare in awe.

    Solomon directed her to one of the five docks and pointed.

    The glow of the distant nebula etched out every tiny detail of the two and a half mile long black gothic Light Cruiser that was coupled to the dock. The mass of dock workers, shipwrights and engineers bustling across the various decks faded from her periphery as her eyes solely absorbed each detail of the Archangel.

    She was a speck compared to the beauty of her new ship, as her mind pin pointed the various sections she could see that she had studied: the four docking bays, sections for crew quarters, the command bridge, the massive engines on the stern of the ship, the communication array on top of the bridge and the variety of weaponry along the port side and dorsal of the ship: anti-fighter rotary cannons, broadside cannons and lance batteries.

    The part that caught her attention the most was the symbol freshly painted under the bold letters of the ship¡¯s name along the bridge, her crimson claw calling card.

    ¡°It¡¯s the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± she let out in a single breath as the surrounding world crashed into her senses. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Nora I said that!¡± she followed up.

    Solomon laughed at that, ¡°Of course, we wouldn¡¯t want her getting jealous and doing something rash,¡± he mused before gesturing her in the direction of the ramp leading to a small portside cargo door on the ship.

    Morrigan grinned as they made their way up the ram, peaking down the sides at the rest of the ship she could not see from the port.

    ¡°Hello Lord Inquisitor Solomon, I hope you are doing well,¡± a gentle electromechanical voice sounded around them as they entered the ship startling Morrigan as she looked around in surprise.

    Solomon chuckled at her surprised, ¡°Thank you Sister, I am. How are you?¡±

    ¡°I am well. Thank you. After running full diagnostics, routine and subroutine maintenance checks and a full ship-wide scan at 0300 hours, I am delighted to report the Archangel has been repaired to 99.8 percent integrity. Is this my new Inquisitor?¡± The voice asked.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Morrigan asked wide eyed.

    The Lord Inquisitor laughed and gestured to the ship, ¡°That, is the Archangel¡¯s onboard A.I¡­.¡±

    ¡°A.I.!? I thought those were illegal? And why didn¡¯t any of my paperwork mention an A.I.?¡±

    Solomon smiled at her question however, Sister answered for him.

    ¡°Artificial Intelligence is illegal for Federation and Coalition of Unity use. The Inquisition is a collaborative creation by one Gregor Eugene Solomon, the Queen of the Eskarii and the Coalition of Unity Senators that falls under the legal protection of the Doctrine of Unity Article 127, section 7, subsection F stating ¡°the Inquisition may operate and possess any weapons, systems or tools used by the Coalition of Unity or the Eskarii. Since the Eskarii military use Artificial Intelligence aboard their ships, it is the Inquisition¡¯s right to possess and use Artificial Intelligence such as I,¡± the A.I. stated with certainty.

    ¡°Oh¡­ well that¡¯s cool,¡± Morrigan said, having no idea what to make of that.

    Morrigan cleared her throat awkwardly, ¡°well, it¡¯s nice to meet you Sister¡­¡±

    Solomon chuckled and interjected, ¡°She is Morrigan Emery Clarke, the new Inquisitor of the Archangel.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Inquisitor Clarke, it is a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to assisting you, please remain still while I scan your biometrics,¡± Sister stated pleasantly.

    Morrigan froze in uncertainty as she looked at the Lord Inquisitor, fully aware of how fast her heart was beating.

    ¡°Inquisitor Clarke, it appears you are experiencing increased levels of anxiety, would you like me to contact the medical bay?¡± Sister asked.

    Solomon grinned as Morrigan shrank with a small smile, ¡°No its okay, it¡¯s just been a long day and a lot of things to get used to, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Very well, if you wish to reconsider, just say so,¡± Sister stated.

    Solomon laughed lightly as he gestured down the long gray and white hall to his left, ¡°As amusing as it is, I think we should begin your tour,¡± he suggested with a kind smile.

    Morrigan blushed and nodded before following him down the length of the ship, weaving through numerous and lengthy corridors towards to bow of the ship.

    Solomon started from the bow and led her through every space of the ship. They walked for hours as Solomon and Sister both explained various features and purposes of the things they came across.

    Near the end of the tour Morrigan¡¯s feet were killing her but her experience of walking the ship was something she wouldn¡¯t have traded for the world. She also slowly grew to appreciate how helpful Sister was; it was weird talking to a high-tech computer, but there was a certain allure to having an ever-present assistant.

    It also helped that the Inquisition installed the A.I.s on each ship as a countermeasure and balance to the power the Inquisitors have, further helping prevent someone from going mad with power.

    ¡°Shall I initiate the surprise, Lord Inquisitor?¡± Sister asked.

    Morrigan looked at him in surprise at the prospect of more surprises than she already had bombarded upon her over the last two weeks. Solomon smiled at her as they stopped in front of a relatively large door two levels below the bridge of the ship.

    ¡°Yes, you may,¡± he said aloud, ¡°Morrigan, your badge please,¡± he requested as he held out his hand.

    Morrigan unhooked her badge from chest and tentatively set it in his hand with a cautious look. He took it and held it up to a hand scanner on the right side of the door. After tapping on the screen a few times when the menu popped up, he turned to her, ¡°Please place your hand on the scanner, dear.¡±

    Morrigan did as he said and the door bisected diagonally with a hydraulic hiss to reveal a lavish room.

    ¡°What? What is this?¡± Morrigan asked in awe as she took a step in.

    Solomon stepped in behind her as she took in the gorgeous black and white room. The lights were dimmed to a comfortable setting that made the black accent pop, while the holo-screen played the image of a crackling fire in front of a simple yet pretty coffee table and white semi-circular sofa. There was also a small kitchenette to the right with a large kitchen island for eating.

    Morrigan stepped further into the room to find two open doors to the right, one leading into a storage room with laundry and the last door was a sizable bedroom that held a brand-new bed and personal bathroom. If she had to guess, the entire space was at least 1000 square feet.

    She turned to Solomon with a look of disbelief, ¡°Is this mine?¡±

    He grinned and nodded, ¡°Yes, this is the Inquisitor¡¯s private quarters. Fully cleaned, sanitized and refurnished. Space travel is a lengthy process even with FTL, being an Inquisitor is both an honor as well as a heavy burden, so we often gain certain luxuries to use at our disposal.¡±

    Morrigan took it all in as she stepped closer to him, ¡°I do hope you like it though if there is something specific you would like to¡­¡± she cut him off by thrusting her arms around his stomach, sending a spiked of panicked shock through his body.

    ¡°You''ve been too good to me¡­ I promise I won¡¯t let you down,¡± her words spoken into his chest were heavy with emotion.

    He cautiously pat her shoulder as he looked down at her, ¡°Well, I appreciate you trusting me, but just remember what I said Morrigan,¡± he stated awkwardly from the unexpected display from her. He surmised that she trusted him enough that her PTSD did not react to his touch but there was still the worry of triggering her violent reaction.

    You know, you complained about Nora and I giving you visions of grandeur yet here you are getting emotional over someone treating you like some kind of princess. That, my dear goddess, is hypocrisy at its finest, Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan giggled as she pulled back knowing Apollyon had a large point. Yet some how there was a difference there.  She of course appreciated how Apollyon and Nora viewed her but the fact that neither Solomon nor the rest of the Inquisition knew her, they just believed in her, that was the difference.

    ¡°No more surprises though, I don''t think my little heart can take anymore today,¡± Morrigan joked as she wiped her eyes.

    Solomon laughed and shook his head, ¡°No more surprises, the last thing we have to do is go to the bridge and have you meet the heads of each crew who will be assisting you along your journey,¡± he stated gesturing towards the door.

    They left her quarters and moved down the corridor around the corner to step into a small elevator that had been waiting for them.

    Morrigan shuttered as the door to the elevator closed and the platform began to rise.

    Brings back memories, don¡¯t it? Apollyon mused in good spirit.

    Morrigan shook her head as she tried to ground herself, grabbing onto the small hand rail that wrapped around the inside of the elevator. The amount of anxiety that wrapped around her spine was not pleasant though she could manage it.

    ¡°Yeah, definitely brings back memories,¡± she said aloud in anxious disgust before realizing she replied to Apollyon out loud.

    She watched Solomon purse his lips, ¡°I can see how it is unpleasant for you and I do apologize however, elevators are the common path of travel through a ship.¡±

    ¡°Its fine, I¡¯ll get used to it eventually. Maybe I¡¯ll just ride it a dozen times the first few days, heh,¡± Morrigan joked to combat her trauma.

    The moment the elevator door opened, Morrigan all but leapt from the confined space only the be greeted by a large group of people. Solomon chuckled behind her as he stepped upon the bridge.

    Morrigan straightened and tried to maintain what brief shred of dignity she had as Solomon stepped before her, many of the people staring at her looked at her with quizzical amusement.

    A short older woman with an eyepatch in a pristine dark blue and gold trimmed naval outfit cleared her throat and everyone stood to attention around her. By old, the five foot woman had to have at least 15 year on Dezinaria, leaving her in the realm of her late 70¡¯s

    ¡°You must be our new Inquisitor I presume, what was that bit about just now?¡± the old woman asked.

    Morrigan straightened her back, ¡°I¡¯m not a big fan of elevators due to¡­ reasons. Something I''ll get over I assure you. Yes though, my names Morrigan Clarke, ma¡¯am,¡± she said trying to hold a modicum of confidence.

    The woman''s wrinkles deepened as she smirked, ¡°You''ve given me a squirrelly one haven''t you, Solomon?¡±

    Solomon smirked and gestured to Morrigan, ¡°She is far more than she appears, passed every test with flying colors we could throw at her, young as she may be, she is a fine Inquisitor who rightfully earned her title.¡±

    Morrigan wanted to preen under his compliment but the situation deemed her to stuff her childish excitement down and act professional.

    The old woman laughed sharply, ¡°A young one? You do realize I''m the oldest person on this ship, right? Everyone is younger than me!¡±

    Oh but little does she know that deep inside this young girl¡¯s frame hid the most ancient of beings to ever exist with more knowledge and experience this old hag¡¯s feeble frame could ever hope to imagine, Apollyon narrated sarcastically like a television show announcer.

    Morrigan cracked a subtle smirk but forced herself not to laugh.

    The old lady scrutinized Morrigan with her one good eye before speaking, ¡°I am Admiral Olivia Shepard, but you can just call me Shepard or Shep. Saves time. I run this ship; there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I may take orders from you, Inquisitor Clarke, but if I feel like you are putting this ship or its crew in needless danger, I will not hesitate to assume total control of the ship and lock you in your quarters. Is that understood, Inquisitor Clarke?¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Morrigan smirked into a sheepish grin before nodding, ¡°Its understood Shepard, and please, call me Mori, saves time.¡±

    Shepard smirked at her smart-ass remark, ¡°You and I will get along fine, let¡¯s get the rest of the introductions out of the way, this here is Gene,¡± she said pointing to a tall just beyond middle aged man with a massive bushy beard. Part of him reminded her of Henry from Mine 16, what he would¡¯ve looked like 30 years younger and built like a tank.

    ¡°Gene here is the Chief Engineer. He leads the crew responsible for the upkeep and operation of the main engines, FTL engines and our warp drive. You¡¯ll rarely see him on the bridge but it¡¯s always good to know whose keeping your clock ticking.¡±

    Gene gave Morrigan a respectful nod. ¡°Next, we have Luisa and Gunnar, our Gunnery Masters. Luisa has command over the battery teams on the port side and dorsal bridge, Gunnar-the starboard guns as well as our under-nose rail gun.¡±

    Luisa perked up instantly; she was a short curvy Eskarii with short dull red hair. The normally long and sharp ears of the Eskarii were shorter on her and more angled upwards. Morrigan knew she was a mixed breed woman but that did not take away from her natural Eskarii beauty or the brazen orange of her irises.

    Gunnar was a lanky man with thick glasses, which was mildly amusing to her given his name suggests someone much more physically capable. He was relatively tall and clean shaved with short side combed hair. Both waved at her though Luisa held far more excitement in her movements.

    ¡°Next up we have Sarilla, she is the ship¡¯s Navigator and often our best friend on this bridge. If anyone pisses her off, I will not hesitate to shove them out of an airlock.¡±

    Sarilla was Morrigan¡¯s height with short cropped brown hair similar to how she used to wear her hair. Her frame was slightly thicker than hers, more filled out which gave her a very interesting sex appeal, though Morrigan could not help but notice her skin had a red tint to it, though she looked as if her bloodline was old German or French.

    ¡°Oh Shepard, you spoil me!¡± Sarilla laughed as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Her voice held a soft ring to it far more feminine than Morrigan expected considering she was smaller and held a more tomboyish tone of voice herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget it neither!¡± Shepard playfully scolded the Navigator before moving to the last person, ¡°This here is Avery. He¡¯s the ship¡¯s pilot. He''s the primary man that gets us to were we need to be as well as a highly decorated combat pilot. In combat he is the one who will steer the ship in battle and keep us from being shot at too much,¡± Shepard said with a smile.

    The man stood on a mechanical leg though he looked awfully proud of it given his demeanor. Morrigan found him light on the eyes too with his broad shoulders and five o clock shadow highlighting his square jaw. His smile could light up the room too.

    ¡°Aye, just tell us where to go and Sarilla and I will make sure you get there in one piece. Shepard can attest, we should be a floating space hulk after our last battle yet here we are in one piece and 80% intact,¡± he said in a high Germanic accent as he shrugged.

    ¡°You nearly destroyed my warp drive you lying sack of shit!¡± Gene barked causing the others to laugh.

    Avery grinned and spread his arms, ¡°But I didn''t, did I? You had it covered old man, I had faith in you.¡±

    ¡°Pull stunts like that without any warning again and I''ll shove you in the particle accelerator,¡± Gene grumbled.

    Morrigan giggled to herself before waving to everyone. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all and I''m looking forward to working together,¡± she said sweetly.

    Luisa perked up again, ¡°Oh I like her, I think she''ll fit in perfectly fine,¡± she said aloofly though she smiled brightly at Morrigan.

    Solomon chuckled, ¡°We will let you return to your duties, when is the Archangel expected to be ready?¡±

    ¡°Three days sir, we¡¯re putting the final touches on repairs and will need resupply then we¡¯ll be good to go,¡± Shepard reported.

    Solomon nodded before gesturing Morrigan to the elevator. She side glanced the elevator with a long indignant sigh before moving to step on it.

    As Solomon stepped into the elevator he turned and noted to everyone present, ¡°Oh, before I forget, make sure all male members of the crew aboard the Archangel are aware that Inquisitor Clarke is not to be touched by them without her express consent. Doing so is to be considered ¡°at their own risk¡± and any harm that befalls them without the safety of her permission falls under negligence on their part and shall be reprimanded by Admiral Shepard or myself¡­ assuming they survive,¡± he finished with a sly smirk.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes went wide at the blatant announcement given by him as she pursed her lips and glared at him. As the door closed, cutting off the stupefied looks of the command crew, Morrigan sighed, ¡°That, does not make for a good impression Solomon¡­¡±

    He snickered at that, ¡°Nonsense. There are enough women aboard the ship to explain the necessity to anyone that has any questions about it. Their safety, as well as your own, are equally important, much like the announcement aboard the Void Star, the warning is given but if they fail to heed it, then what happens is entirely their fault.¡±

    Morrigan groaned, ¡°Ugh, I hate this¡­¡±

    He gave her an solemn nod as they stepped out of the elevator and headed to the ramp connected to the Void Star, ¡°yes, living with such a condition is terrible but one you will work through in time. Until then, you must take the necessary steps to protect yourself and, in this case, those around you as well.¡±

    As they made their way through the dock district back to the market district, he turned to her, ¡°Have you considered the list of retinue candidates I gave you, as well as considered any personal requests for yourself to order?¡±

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Yeah but you won''t be happy about it,¡± she said with a cocky smile.

    ???

    Morrigan walked peacefully back to Zone Beta with little care in the world. Her happiness was borderline manic as she skipped down the various streets and passersby.

    As she suspected, Solomon was not fond of her choice in members of her retinue, mainly because they were highly coveted people to the Inquisition. However, he relented because she already had the necessary paperwork filled out, the official Inquisitor¡¯s requisitions forms that allowed Inquisitors to make demands for resources.

    Morrigan made her way to the entrance of one of the main administration offices to find the first two people on her list.

    The first one was the adorable redhead Emily, who she found in a sad cubical within the main building.

    Emily was deep into her work as she typed away, unaware that Morrigan approached. So, Morrigan rasped her knuckles along the edge her desk causing the redhead to nearly jump out of her skin.

    ¡°Oh my God, you startled me! What are you doing here?¡± Emily asked with a hand on her chest and an embarrassed smile on her face.

    Morrigan grinned brightly at her, ¡°Well, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I¡¯d come see you,¡± she sang.

    She snorted at that as she went back to typing though she didn¡¯t take her eyes off Morrigan. ¡°Has your lady seen you yet? Because I¡¯d bet my entire salary that she would lose her mind over your uniform!¡± Emily mused, enunciating Nora¡¯s inability to handle attractive authority figures.

    Morrigan giggled at that and sang, ¡°Nooooo, not yet but soon. Speaking of salaries, how would you like to come work on the Archangel with me?¡±

    ¡°Wait what?¡± Emily froze as she gave her a ¡°deer in the headlights¡± look.

    Morrigan let out a squealing giggle at the face Emily made, ¡°Yeah! Solomon told me to pick people for my retinue and I want you to come with me!¡± she stated excitedly.

    Okay squirrel girl, you need to relax a bit. You¡¯re getting that, I¡¯m too happy to focus vibe, again.

    ¡°Noooo, yes! Please say yes! You, me and Nora could hang out all the time!¡± Morrigan cheered in a harsh whisper and watched Emily giggle at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood today, huh?¡± she asked.

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°It¡¯s been an awesome day, but what do you say?¡±

    Emily raised her hands in exasperation, ¡°I mean¡­ what would I even do? Everything I¡¯ve done has been in, well, this,¡± she said gesturing at the cubical.

    Morrigan shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I mean I knew but I forgot, my brain is tiny bit overloaded today,¡± she said giggling gesturing to her head, ¡°But I¡¯m sure there¡¯s administrator stuff you can do! Like, like, helping me keep track of stuff or helping with contracts or um¡­ oh! Diplomacy!¡± Morrigan exclaimed pointing at her.

    Emily furrowed her brows at her as if she were crazy, ¡°You know I¡¯m not a diplomat¡­¡±

    Morrigan blew a raspberry, ¡°I know that! I¡¯m just saying like¡­ the paperwork and stuff. I mean I passed my tests and all but I wouldn¡¯t know how to write something up and Solomon wants me to make allies and stuff.¡±

    The second Emily looked as if she would say no Morrigan lost it, ¡°Oh come on! It¡¯ll be so much fun! Certainly better than this boring stuff!¡± she said gesturing the office setting, ¡°Just think. You could see the stars! They¡¯re so pretty and go on adventures! How many administrators get to do that!¡±

    Emily smirked at that despite being put off by Morrigan¡¯s cheery demeanor, ¡°What did Lord Solomon have to say about this?¡±

    Morrigan shrugged again, ¡°I mean I put the requisition forms through.¡±

    Emily¡¯s eyes went wide at that as her mouth fell open, ¡°Mori¡­ you do know that I can¡¯t refuse a requisition order, right?¡±

    Hearing that brought Morrigan down a peg as her expression sank, ¡°Oh¡­ no, not necessarily, I didn¡¯t read anything saying that it forced someone to do something if they didn¡¯t agree¡­ well, if you don¡¯t want to just say so an I¡¯ll rescind it. I don¡¯t want to force you to do something you don¡¯t want to do, I was just trying to plan ahead¡­¡±

    I should bless this woman! Ugh, thank you for calming down because that was just¡­ yeah, Apollyon stated in relief

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± she replied internally with a sullen tone.

    Emily nodded with pursed lips, ¡°Just let me think about it, okay? It¡¯s hard to make a decision like that on the spot. Do you know when you¡¯re leaving?¡±

    Morrigan bit her lip and nodded, ¡°Three days.¡±

    Emily nodded at that, ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t we go to Dora¡¯s tonight and we can talk it over?¡±

    Morrigan nodded sheepishly, embarrassed that she let herself get so wired that she lost control of her emotions, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll work¡­ do you know where Xol is?¡±

    Emily pointed to a hallway behind her, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s teaching his class. It¡¯s down that hall to the left. You¡¯ll take the next right and he¡¯s in the first room on the left.¡±

    Morrigan patted her desk, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡±

    Morrigan moved her way following Emily¡¯s directions and found a room that resonated a sound of the slamming of something large followed by the familiar shouting of Xol.

    When she opened the door she watched a meek diplomat standing in front of Xol absolutely petrified in fear stuttering incorrectly the pronunciation for k¨º?ti with a cluck of his tongue.

    Xol roared, brandishing his mace as the diplomat fell to the ground in a terrified panic.

    ¡°Ehm?qu? M?nkee! Biax renga!¡± Xol roared followed by locking his jaw three times in a row, emitting the signature clicking sound of the Marmuro¡¯k language.

    Morrigan chuckled at the display and folded her arms, ¡°You¡¯re pronouncing the click wrong. Make a ¡°ck¡± noise whenever you come across a Kay sound within their words. They find that an acceptable substitute in their language since we¡¯re unable to lock our jaws,¡± she stated with amusement.

    Xol turned on her in surprise, ¡°Mirina Sor!¡± he hissed before kneeling.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re having fun, Xol.¡± She mused in perfect Marmuro¡¯k, bringing looks of awe from his terrified class.

    Xol growled as he eyed his class for a moment before standing, ¡°Red Death. What are you doing here? Not here to teach these stupid humans?¡±

    She sniggered at that, ¡°Be nice Xol, they¡¯re trying. Not everyone will understand at first. The only reason I can speak so well is because you were patient with me¡­ but anyways, my ship is ready soon. We will be leaving for the stars soon,¡± she said with a bright smile.

    Xol bore his fangs in a massive grin that bled a hiss before hooking his mace across his back. He turned to his wide-eyed class, ¡°Class over, get out,¡± he rumbled and no one second guessed him as they rushed out the door.

    Once the room was cleared, he turned back to her as she spied the shattered remains of his desk she was sure he never used, ¡°When do we leave?¡±

    ¡°Three days, I gotta go talk with Nora and meet Emily tonight at Dora¡¯s. I want you three with me when I leave,¡± she stated.

    The look Xol gave her was nearly adorable as he cocked his head in confusion, ¡°No Yekku? H?¡¯tet? Qiote?¡±

    Morrigan pursed her lips and shook her head subtly, ¡°No¡­ I know they won¡¯t be happy, and it¡¯s not permanent but I want to keep things small for our first time going out on our own. I know H?¡¯tet is a warrior but Yekku and Qiote seem to be happy within the R and D labs¡­ and they¡¯re doing great work. I mean¡­ I know they¡¯re both good at fighting but they love building and designing so until I find something for them to do on the ship I want them to be happy and safe. With us being gone I want H?¡¯tet to stay with them¡­ if he¡¯ll even agree to stay.¡±

    Xol gave a long thoughtful hum as he processed her words, crossing his arms.

    ¡°Leave H?¡¯tet to me, Red Death. He will listen.¡± He stated in his tongue.

    She did not like the idea of strong arming H?¡¯tet to do something he may not want to do however, for the sensitive S¡¯randins¡¯ sake, it was a temporary necessity.

    ¡°Anyways, I have to go speak with Nora and then start working on a supplies list, come meet us at Dora¡¯s tonight?¡± she inquired.

    Xol gave her a respectful nod before following her out, parting ways when they passed through the administration building and exiting. She knew he was going to speak with H?¡¯tet right away which may be better that he did, though she felt her heart break at breaking the news to Yekku and Qiote, especially Yekku. She knew he had a deep attachment to her and soon she would be leaving him behind for an unknown amount of time until she returned again.

    Morrigan¡¯s final stop was to Nora¡¯s class, which she casually watched at a distance as Nora drill her new class fiercely on questions that she covered when it came to trap layouts and how to spot them.

    Any time a trainee got a question remotely wrong, Nora would smack them on the shoulder or back with a long rod made of hardened ice as if she were some hard ass drill instructor.

    ¡°No, you idiot, traps can be anywhere and nearly anything.  From explosives, electricity, to more physically devastating traps such as spring-loaded walls of spikes. Those are my personal favorite though hard to set up. I was even in a pirate ship that had false floors that fell into an industrial grinder! The best way to¡­¡± Nora trailed off as she finally spotted Morrigan leaning against the entrance of the warehouse.

    Morrigan snickered as she watched Nora¡¯s jaw hang open as she decided to finally enter her class.

    ¡°Umm¡­ everyone take five... I got¡­to um, just go!¡± Nora ordered her class in befuddled aggression as she skipped over to meet Morrigan halfway.

    ¡°Just say the word precious and I will cancel class and let you take me right here on the floor! I don''t even give a shit if they''re still in the room!¡± Nora stated loudly as her eyes scanned Morrigan from head-to-toe multiple times.

    Morrigan laughed as she blushed before waving the idea off, ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for that hun.¡±

    Nora snorted and grinned with her hands on her hips, ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me! I mean look at you coming in here like this,¡± she stated giving her another once over.

    ¡°Babe, focus. I actually have some exciting news you¡¯re going to want to hear,¡± Morrigan chastised only for Nora to purr as her body shuddered at her playfully serious tone.

    I think you created a monster with this one. I think we should take her to the pound and trade up for one that isn¡¯t so¡­ dysfunctional, Apollyon mused.

    ¡°¡±pound¡± is about the only thing crossing her mind right now, ya know?¡± Morrigan sniggered in response.

    What? Wait¡­ oh! Heh that was a good one kid,

    Morrigan shook her head and sighed, ¡°So, the Archangel is set to be ready in three days, so I put in the requisition to¡­¡±

    Nora excitedly cut her off, ¡°To take me on a very romantic getaway through space filled with danger and debauchery on your very own ship!? You had me at ¡°put in¡±,¡± she said batting her eyelashes with a wickedly childish grin on her face.

    Morrigan sighed at Nora¡¯s perverse nature and shrugged, ¡°So, I guess it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re coming with yeah?¡±

    Nora¡¯s eyes went wide with disbelief, ¡°Wait really? But I thought the old man would want me to stay here and teach?¡±

    She bit her lip as she watched Nora slowly connect the dots, letting her work it out in her own adorable way.

    ¡°Wait, so I¡¯m really coming with you? Like, I don¡¯t have to stay and teach a bunch of morons-I can be back on a ship!?¡± Nora exclaimed with rising excitement.

    Morrigan crossed her arms with faux hurt feelings, ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d just leave you here?¡±

    Nora blushed at the accusation, which was an extremely rare occasion Morrigan got to enjoy, ¡°I mean, this is my first legit job¡­ I don¡¯t know what to expect,¡± Nora whined.

    No concept of time, always wants your attention and constantly humps your leg, awww she''s like a puppy! Apollyon snickered.

    Morrigan''s demeanor broke as she giggled, reaching out and pulling Nora into her.

    ¡°Yes my darling pup, Solomon has no choice but to give you to me,¡± she said through her laughter.

    Nora let out a dramatic wind before letting out two high pitched ¡°arfs¡± as she melted within Morrigan¡¯s arms and giggling which only spurred her into more laughter.

    Nora pulled herself out of her girlfriend¡¯s arms and turned to the class, ¡°Guess what bitches! I''m going home!¡± she roared before snapping the ice made rod over her leg.

    Morrigan cleared her throat to get Nora¡¯s attention, ¡°uh sweetie? It¡¯s still three days away¡­¡±

    Nora made a wide O shape with her mouth before forming a new ice rod, smacking it into her hand with an evil grin, ¡°Alright, whose getting hit next?¡±

 Chapter XII

    The three days it took for the Archangel to be ready for flight were both the fastest yet longest days for Morrigan.

    After spending the first night speaking with Emily at Pandora¡¯s Box about her potential career change, Morrigan spent the following morning breaking the news to Yekku and Qiote. Both of the S¡¯randin took the idea of staying behind nervously, Qiote more so than Yekku, and protested vehemently with sad adorable dejection. However, they both relented after explaining it was only temporary, though it did not keep Yekku from sulking dramatically.

    The following days dragged as she tried to keep busy, mixing between showing the Archangel to Xol, Emily and Nora and filling out requisition forms. However, it still could not take away the anxious nerves tugging along her spine at all hours of the day. Receiving her order to return to the Cathedral had her chest humming with excitement.

    ¡°Inquisitor Clarke? Are you doing okay?¡± Solomon asked with a hint of amusement in his tone as he tapped away on the central command console within the vast open space of the Cathedral.

    Morrigan rocked back on her heels and nodded ¡°Mmmhm, I¡¯m just ready to go and start my first mission,¡± she stated trying to bite back her excitement.

    Solomon smiled at her and pulled up various images upon the main screen, one of which was a planet and a CoU Frigate.

    ¡°This will be your first assignment. The CoU have requested assistance in assaulting and capturing a high priority asset on IPC-98 within the Delta system. It¡¯s a small private agri-world that have suffered a political mutiny and those who worked within one of the primary agricultural refineries have seized control over the refinery and have met any CoU attempts at retaking the factory with extreme violence,¡± Solomon stated as he gestured to various screens.

    Morrigan cocked her head to the side, ¡°So¡­ is the asset the refinery? Or is it something else?¡±

    Solomon shook his head, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t say specifically. The only thing that was said was that the asset was a dangerous weapon sent down with a large portion of their Marines, yet they haven¡¯t heard from any of them since then. With that heavy of a blow to their combat personnel, they¡¯re opting for our assistance on the matter.¡±

    Morrigan bit her lip and studied the data that hovered above her and Solomon. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right about this¡­ there¡¯s something sketchy if they won¡¯t reveal what this weapon is,¡± she pointed out.

    Solomon nodded and stepped behind her, ¡°Yes, my thoughts exactly though given human ingenuity, a dangerous weapon that requires secrecy could amount to anything, so I do suggest using caution as well as using the full might of your Inquisitorial jurisdiction on this case Miss Clarke.¡±

    Morrigan mulled his words over in her head before giving him an inquiring look, ¡°You mean arrest the commanding officers of the ship if the weapon turns out to fall within the guidelines of banned weaponry?¡±

    Solomon nodded, his expression beaming with pride in her deduction, ¡°Precisely. Though you may contact the Cathedral if necessary, however, I do believe you are more than capable of making such decisions upon your own.¡±

    That list of banned weaponry mostly contained Weapons of Mass Destruction that had been enacted right after the nuclear bombardment of Earth over 100 years before Morrigan¡¯s time. There were some menial types of weapons such as flamethrowers on that list generated between the Federation and CoU. Granted, the list was developed when only the Federation existed, however, the rising Coalition of Unity found the banned weapons list beneficial to all.

    That did leave a lot of questions for Morrigan. She did not suspect the CoU to have developed a WMD, much less brought it to an agricultural world to subdue a political rebellion. If she had to guess it was something far more menial and less dangerous on a global scale than the most sensitive weaponry banned.

    ¡°Then again, it¡¯s my job now to go and find out just what they¡¯re up to,¡± she thought to herself.

    Oh yes, it should be fun. Go down and find their little toy and then cave their skulls in for their blatant misuse of weaponry! I mean really? How does one lose control of a so called ¡°dangerous¡± weapon? Apollyon grumbled in a rant.

    Morrigan stepped off the main platform and strode with purpose towards the main doors. ¡°Are you that irritated? Or are you just looking forward to possible violence? I mean, I know it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve been in a proper fight,¡± she asked Apollyon internally in mixed amusement and concern.

    Bah, I just hate stupidity. I mean sure, I¡¯ve been pretty damned bored lately but I get the necessity of this boredom. You gotta go through the ropes and red tape before you¡¯re let off the leash to start hunting¡­ which by all means I¡¯m excited for, but to need our assistance because they couldn¡¯t get their shit together? That¡¯s just annoying¡­

    Morrigan snorted and bobbed her head as she left the Cathedral. She wished there was a shortcut to her ship which was an odd feeling to have, to have respective ownership of a star-faring machine of war and exploration, yet it gave her both perspective as well as pride in herself at how far she had come in her respectably short life.

    She often forgot she was only 21, having felt she lived an entire lifetime with Castile V before her escape. There were even times she felt as if she had still just turned 19, just days before she learned what true hardship was amongst every other negative emotion.

    Morrigan knew she would not trade any of that time away though. Even to Apollyon¡¯s pleasant surprise, she had even mentioned that despite all the terrible things she went through, she would never wish to have not lived them. They were what brought her to her new home, her new life and all her new loved ones.

    Not only tangible things were what she received between her 19<sup>th</sup> birthday and the day of her first launch; she also learned many things she may never have learned. Despite Apollyon¡¯s protest in regard to her power training and how she would''ve been trained regardless, she also learned many life lessons as well as many wondrous things during her time between Castile V and the Void Star. Now, she had the opportunity to make use of her newfound knowledge and battle prowess to turn the tide of oppression within her universe.

    ???

    ¡°How are the systems, Sister?¡± Shepard asked aloud before one of the bridge guards announced Morrigan¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°Inquisitor on deck!¡±

    Morrigan stepped to the middle of the relatively small command bridge. Given how large the ship was, the Admiral''s platform was only ten feet wide in a pentagon design before stepping off to the various command consoles the others used to control the major systems of the ship. Looking around the ship she spotted everyone she met just days before excluding Gene, the Chief Engineer, and the two guards who stood guard of the elevator.

    Xol¡¯s massive frame was comical in the next to the short Admiral as Shepard¡¯s good eye widened beyond disbelief at the sight of the K¨ºzi¡¯kan standing behind Morrigan.

    ¡°All systems are functioning at 100% Admiral Shepard.¡±

    Shepard cleared her throat before looking between Morrigan and Xol, ¡°Very good¡­ um, Mori? Why is there a giant Saurian on my bridge?¡±

    Xol let out a low hiss and crossed his arms, glaring down at the woman nearly half his height as everyone within the bridge turned in surprise to see Xol looming over their Inquisitor.

    ¡°Xol-Tau, species class: K¨ºzi¡¯kan of the Marmuro¡¯k per Inquisitor Clarke¡¯s update to our current Marmuro¡¯k records. Xol-Tau is designated as one: personal guard of the Inquisitorial retinue of one: Morrigan Clarke,¡± Sister stated out factually before Morrigan could respond.

    She giggled at that and pointed at the ceiling, ¡°Got it in one,¡± she mused before letting her smile fade.

    ¡°Xol here is my personal bodyguard. That won¡¯t be a problem, will it?¡± Morrigan asked.

    Xol bore his fangs at the implication of there being an issue with his duty though Shepard shook her head.

    ¡°No child, just a proper heads up would have been appreciated. The bridge is yours though. I understand your retinue is your business however, if there are anymore surprises, I do request you inform me now¡­¡±

    Morrigan pursed her lips as her eyes swept across the various eyes on her, ¡°Well, at this current time no, however, I do intend to bring along a pair of S¡¯randin once I find them something to do aboard the ship. Other than that- ¡°

    ¡°Inquisitor Clarke, my sensors are picking up one of your retinue tampering with one of the exhaust manifolds in sector 7, shall I dispatch guards to that location?¡± Sister interrupted.

    Morrigan sighed and cursed to herself as she felt Shepard glare at her. As far as first impressions go, she did not think she was in the good graces of her Admiral now.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll handle it¡­ Xol, fetch her would you?¡± she asked in exasperation.

    Xol studied the crew of the bridge as he rumbled in thought before letting out a snort and stepped into the elevator, nearly tall enough for his crest to scrape the roof.

    ¡°Sorry. That would be Nora¡­ she grew up as a saboteur and a pirate¡­¡± Morrigan stated with a shake of her head.

    Shepard crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against her command console on the left side of the bridge, ¡°And you think it¡¯s a great idea to bring a saboteur aboard the ship?¡±

    Morrigan scratched her cheek nervously, ¡°She set up a training program for our ship boarding forces so they can survive boarding a pirate ship¡­ she¡¯s just excited to be back on a ship¡­ I¡¯ll have a talk with her,¡± she finished firmly as she realized she was just digging herself a hole.

    ¡°Anyways, we should probably get this mission underway um, Sarilla and Avery? I¡¯m sending you the coordinates now,¡± she stuttered out as she tapped away on her data-slate which had been connected to the Archangel¡¯s systems. All the while Shepard glowered at her.

    ¡°Copy that Inquisitor!¡± Sarilla chirped as she received the coordinates and Avery gave the Navigator a thumbs up before initializing the start up sequence of the engines.

    ¡°Plotting out our trajectory, FTL time will be eight days and two hours. No major Celestial bodies in our path,¡± Sarilla informed as she worked on her monitor.

    Avery tapped on various keys on his own console next to Sarilla and hummed.

    ¡°Dock release in three, two, one¡­ and we are free, hey old man? We good to go?¡± Avery called out.

    Gene¡¯s voice boomed over the speakers throughout the bridge, ¡°yeah, she¡¯s purrin like a kitten. Just don¡¯t go abusin her again, would ya?¡±

    Most of the bridge chuckled at that as Morrigan stood stoically in the center of the bridge, her gaze mesmerized by what everyone else was doing. She felt out of place given her only job was to say where to go, then again, she watched Admiral Shepard do very little as well.

    ¡°Sister? Be a dear and give the announcement,¡± Avery called out.

    ¡°Attention Archangel crew members, FTL transition commencing in ten, nine, eight¡­¡± Sister announced as the AI counted down, while Morrigan looked out the window as the Archangel pulled away from the Void Star.

    She felt the rising excitement return as the reality of traveling through space became very real to her; grinning brightly as she watched the dark architecture of the hive world pass her by.

    In the next moment, she felt a gentle shift of momentum before her entire view was drown out by blurs of light funneling around the view port of the bridge.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as glamorous as one would think,¡± Shepard pointed out as she stepped up next to Morrigan, who unknowingly vibrated with excitement.

    Morrigan looked down at the old woman and smiled with a shrug, ¡°Maybe not visually, but the charm of it is beautiful.¡±

    Shepard snickered as the elevator chimed. Both women turning to see the door open to see Xol carrying a very mouthy Nora.

    ¡°This is bullshit Xol! I am more than capable of walking, you overgrown lizard!¡± Nora barked before Xol unceremoniously dumping her on the ground before both women.

    ¡°What the fuck Xol? Was that necessary?¡± Nora complained as she sat up rubbing her elbow before looking up to see the old woman glaring down at her with one eye, and Morrigan with her arms crossed with a bemused look of disapproval on her face.

    ¡°Oh, hi precious and uh¡­ old lady pirate?¡± Nora said awkwardly with a grin.

    Morrigan shook her head with an amused smile as Shepard cleared her throat, ¡°So, this is the rat nibbling at my ship?¡± Shepard questioned.

    ¡°Sweetie¡­ 20 minutes and you¡¯re already getting yourself in trouble,¡± Morrigan huffed out before looking at Shepard, ¡°This is Nora. Nora, this is Admiral Shepard, she commands the Archangel.¡±

    Nora furrowed her brows as she stood up and brushed herself off while Xol stood menacingly in front of the elevator, ¡°I thought you commanded the ship?¡±

    Morrigan sighed but Shepard answered instead, ¡°She does respectively, however, I have the final say about anything that happens within this ship. I hold the power to override any order or command the Inquisitor has, as well as the authority to throw anyone aboard this ship in the brig, say someone who was found tampering with an exhaust vent?¡±

    Nora threw her arms up, ¡°Fucking bureaucracy bullshit, I wasn¡¯t doing anything! Was just going to rig the vent to blow hot steam at anyone who decides to try and move through the ventilation system!¡±

    Morrigan face palmed and shook her head, ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡± she murmured aloud which caused Nora to grin.

    ¡°I can think of a few things,¡± she purred, which caused Shepard to eye both women with scrutiny.

    ¡°Morrigan, there won¡¯t be any issues of¡­ bias, here, will there? I may not be able to give orders to your retinue, I will however, have her arrested if she poses a threat to the ship,¡± Shepard informed. Nora motioned her arms wide as if in disbelief of the audacity.

    Morrigan shook her head and sighed, ¡°No Shep. I¡¯ll make sure she behaves, Nora, no messing with the Archangel. Come on,¡± Morrigan said grabbing Nora¡¯s wrist and dragged her to the elevator.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m in trouble now!¡± Nora giggled as Xol stepped in behind them.

    As the elevator closed and began its descent, Shepard shook her head.

    ¡°What in the hell was Solomon thinking?¡± she murmured aloud as she watched the countless streaks of light flash past the bridge of the Archangel as it soared through space.

    ???

    Morrigan spent the entire eight-day trip going through more information on the Archangel as well as their mission after guiding Nora to the training areas to blow off her extra energy.

    The cigar in her mouth smoldered as she sat on her semi-circular sofa with soft music playing around her room. Xol quietly rummaging through the kitchen for something to eat.

    ¡°Do you think Yekku or Qiote would want to work in the R&D lab or the armory?¡± Morrigan asked as she tapped the ash into an ashtray.

    Xol chewed on something he found before grunting in response.

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Yeah, my guess is either would do. I should probably meet the heads of those departments, a Mr. Robert Danson and Lars Anderson.¡± She tapped a message onto her data-slate to Emily and sent it to her one level below. Morrigan found her a private room to use during their tour and requisitioned the space to be retrofit for an administrator¡¯s living quarters.

    Truth of the matter was Emily was beyond nervous about floating through space, so getting Emily her own room was the least Morrigan could do to help her adjust.

    ¡°Inquisitor, we will be arriving at our destination within one hour.¡± Sister chimed over the speaker system in her quarters.

    ¡°Thank you Sister, can you tell Nora to come back to my room please?¡± Morrigan asked before taking a drag off her cigar.

    ¡°Of course, Inquisitor.¡±

    Morrigan set her data-slate down and stretched, feeling the vertebrae between her shoulders pop.

    ¡°We leave now?¡± Xol gruffed from the kitchen in his harsh guttural tone.

    ¡°Yeah, I got to get ready and figure out where exactly we are heading,¡± she stated before standing up and heading into her bedroom, her excitement resurfacing after being contained for so long.

    By the time she changed into her armor, Nora had arrived.

    ¡°Oh, I see, send the A.I. to fetch me while you dress up for me, huh?¡± Nora stated with a quirked eyebrow.

    Morrigan chuckled and shook her head, ¡°No, you need to get ready, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    Nora scoffed and crossed her arms, ¡°You are seriously the biggest tease! Wait, does this mean we might get in a fight?¡±

    Morrigan smiled at her and nodded before clipping on her cloak, ¡°Yes love, I have to get to the bridge and coordinate with Shepard, so go get your butt dressed and meet me in hanger one.¡±

    Nora pumped her fist and sprinted towards the bedroom only to be forcibly stopped by Morrigan who caught her and pulled her into a deep kiss.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to melt my brain precious,¡± Nora said against her lips with a giggle.

    Morrigan grinned and kissed the tip of her nose before spinning Nora around and playfully shoving her towards the bedroom.

    ¡°Come on Xol, let¡¯s get this started!¡± Morrigan exclaimed excitedly as she stepped to the door, her faithful K¨ºzi¡¯kan stepping right behind her.

    Stepping off the elevator onto the bridge, Morrigan was greeted by bloated holo screen with a CoU Admiral on the main view.

    ¡°Ah, Inquisitor, glad to not have to call you. This is Admiral Nelson of the SS Winston,¡± Shepard said over her shoulder.

    Morrigan straightened as she put on her professional demeanor before stepping up next to Shepard.

    ¡°Inquisitor! I am so glad to meet you and I thank you for coming to assist in this endeavor of ours¡­¡± the older man started before Morrigan raised her hand and cut him off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care for the pleasantries Admiral, what I want to know is what I¡¯m looking for. Your request was very elusive to what it is I¡¯m supposed to be finding, which I find not only highly suspicious, as well as highly annoying. Therefore, by the order of the Inquisition, you will power down your engines and weapon systems until I am finished in retrieving the asset and determine its credibility and legality,¡± Morrigan stated in passive aggression, she had no intentions of being spurred into some form of sympathy for the CoU¡¯s plight while she had to investigate their business.

    The CoU Admiral sputtered, ¡°But Inquisitor¡­ if you would just let me explain¡­¡±

    ¡°No. You had your chance to explain. Currently you are now under suspicion of possessing and deploying banned weaponry. Until my investigation deems you innocent, the SS Winston and all of its personnel are under Inquisitorial detention. If you do not comply, attempt to flee or perform any act of aggression, you will be fired upon. Is that understood?¡± She said with higher aggression, Xol behind her letting out a low hiss through his long teeth.

    Morrigan waved her hand over the central command console and ended the communication before looking at Gunnar and Luisa, ¡°Both of you, if they so much as twitch, I want you to disable it by any means necessary. Use the rail gun to take out their engines if you have to.¡±

    Both nodded in surprise at her switch in demeanor. Even Shepard gave her a raised brow look of intrigue.

    Morrigan ignored their looks and looked at the display of the world IPC-98, ¡°Sister, are you close enough to scan the surface and highlight our landing zone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Inquisitor. One moment.¡±

    Morrigan glanced at Shepard and quirked her own eyebrow, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Shepard¡¯s old, wrinkled face cracked into a tight-lipped smile before she shook her head and stepped next to her, ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m just surprised that you appear to be significantly sterner than one would consider, given your¡­ childish disposition.¡±

    Morrigan sighed and nodded, ¡°Yeah, I get how you can think that but know this, when shit gets serious, so do I. Solomon put a lot of faith in me and I have no intentions of being pushed over by anyone and failing at my job. So, I wasn¡¯t lying when I said to shoot that ship out of the sky if they try to run, if they really are guilty of using banned weaponry, they will be arrested and if they refuse¡­ I will use lethal force.¡±

    Shepard nodded respectfully. ¡°Very good. I can always appreciate an Inquisitor who can balance a good heart and an iron fist. Solomon thinks you will do well and so far, despite your¡­ interesting personality, I am inclined to agree though you still have a long way to go before getting full devotion.¡±

    Morrigan snorted and smiled, ¡°Good, because that would be where I draw the line when it comes to everyone having such faith in me¡­ it¡¯s weird for me.¡±

    Shepard chuckled and pat her on the back as she studied the location the popped up on display.

    Morrigan glanced at her Admiral, ¡°Is there a dropship ready in hanger one?¡± which Shepard nodded in confirmation.

    Morrigan nodded at her, ¡°Good, keep an eye on them. We¡¯re heading down to the surface.¡± She stated as she turned.

    ¡°Do you want some of your soldiers to come down with you?¡± Shepard asked.

    Morrigan stopped before the elevator and looked over her shoulder, ¡°No, just a pilot for the ship. Xol, Nora and I can handle the rest.¡±

 Chapter XIII

    Hehehehe this is an express elevator to hell! Apollyon cheered in her head as Morrigan shook her head in disgust while the dropship rocked back and forth violently as they broke through the atmosphere.

    Nora giggled and squealed with each shake of the dropship before catching Morrigan¡¯s discomfort.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay baby! You¡¯ll learn to love this!¡± she shouted over the roar of rushing atmosphere and engines.

    Morrigan gagged and shook her head looking up to see Nora laughing to herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that!¡± she exclaimed before tucking her head back into her chest.

    ¡°H?n xeste Mirina Sor,¡± Xol grumbled calmly as he leaned back against the hull of the ship, his power mace resting against his shoulder. Morrigan looked up to see his surprising calm.

    The ship stabilized as the atmosphere entry finished. ¡°Landing zone is in sight Inquisitor Clarke, um¡­ Inquisitor, we have a lot of dead¡­¡± the pilot mentioned over the comm piece in her ear.

    She touched her ear, ¡°Okay¡­ just give me a second and I¡¯ll come take a look,¡± she informed as she grimaced. Her stomach still wanted to flip despite the smooth flight they were experiencing.

    As she unhooked her harness and stood, she looked at Nora and Xol, ¡°We may have contact when we land. Be ready for anything yeah?¡±

    Feeling so uneasy, Morrigan did not wait for confirmation from either of her teammates. She knew both of them would be ready for what ever came their way.

    She stepped into the cockpit and saw the carnage the pilot was concerned about. Smoke billowed from the refinery as vehicles smoldered throughout the extensive parking lot that was filled with the dead. To what extent of the casualties, Morrigan was unsure.

    ¡°Do we need to pass over?¡± she inquired of the pilot who shook his head as they approached.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not seeing anyone however, I would prefer to wait up in the atmosphere, if that¡¯s okay with you, Inquisitor?¡±

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Yeah that¡¯s fine. Just find a spot to set down and let us out and I¡¯ll call you when we need pick up.¡±

    ¡°Copy that, we¡¯ll touch down in 15 seconds,¡± the pilot stated even though Morrigan already left.

    The drop ship banked and hovered above the ground by a mere foot with grace and precision as Morrigan opened the side door and hopped off first. She felt instant relief now that she had solid ground underneath her feet; turning to see Xol and Nora follow her out the ship, Nora smiling brightly at her.

    ¡°You okay there, love?¡± Nora asked with amusement.

    Morrigan smiled and tapped the toe of her boot against the dusty concrete ground as the dropship rose and took off at speed, blowing the dust, dirt and ash over them.

    ¡°I am now that I have my feet on the ground¡­ that¡¯s going to take more getting used to than the damned¡­¡±

    Hey pay attention, you¡¯re surrounded by death little goddess, Apollyon¡¯s voice overtook her mind, redirecting her focus instantly at the scene around her.

    Dried blood, viscera, bullet holes and smoking wreckage surrounded the three of them as they stood in the middle of the refinery¡¯s parking lot.

    There was a mix of military and civilian bodies but farther back in the parking lot most were killed from gunfire however, Morrigan drew her gunblade as they started moving closer to the refinery, noticing that the closer they got, the method of death changing drastically.

    ¡°What the fuck happened here?¡± Nora inquired as she shouldered her submachine gun, glancing around the area while Xol hummed along with her.

    Morrigan spied a wide array of severed limbs and bodies the closer they approached. Both military and civilian sliced up or torn apart in horrific display.

    Whatever did this had some excellent form, Apollyon mused in her head.

    Morrigan snorted quietly as she began to see deep gouges within the ground and along the walls of the refinery, ¡°Yeah but aside from us, what could have done this?¡±

    I don¡¯t know but I kind of want to shake its hand haha. I mean, it¡¯s no you, but for not being you, this is some high-end work.

    Morrigan shook her head in amusement as Xol drew his two-handed power mace. Morrigan took a closer look at one of the gouges; It was thin, deep and clean respectively despite going through a mix of stone and metal.

    A muffled gunshot rang out which caused everyone to flinch and duck. A distant sound of hysterical laughter echoed from within the refinery that sounded so sinister it set Morrigan¡¯s nerves on edge.

    The crackle of Xol¡¯s mace connected a very specific dot for Morrigan, ¡°I think what ever did this, is using a power weapon¡­¡± she said aloud in thought.

    ¡°Yeah, a damned big one too, sorry Xol, I think they may even have you beat,¡± Nora mused as she leaned against the side of the building. Xol ignored her though as he looked around their active space and he sniffed the air.

    ¡°Well, whatever this is, we need to get inside and find it, draw it out and either destroy it or subdue it,¡± Morrigan pointed out as she glanced at the setting twin suns in the distance.

    Xol nodded in agreement and without warning, hauled back and smashed the energized head of his mace into the wall next to them, shattering the stone, plaster and metal and leaving a sizable hole in the wall.

    ¡°Now we hunt,¡± Xol grumbled with what Morrigan could figure was excitement as he stepped into the hole in the wall.

    Nora giggled at the surprised look on Morrigan¡¯s face, ¡°Come on precious, after the big lizard!¡± she cheered as she jumped in after Xol.

    Morrigan shook her head with a sigh, shrugging to herself. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t expect anything different,¡± she murmured to herself as she shifted towards the hole in the wall.

    I¡¯ve always said the most direct way is the best way, Apollyon noted.

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not always the case, history has shown that,¡± she shot back to Apollyon aloud.

    Eh, only by those who don¡¯t do it right. Come on, I trained you better. Get in there and murder this thing, Apollyon hissed.

    Morrigan let out a sigh and stepped into the hole.

    She originally thought the difference in lighting had more to do with the shadow of the suns however, Morrigan found that the interior of the refinery had gone dark as she moved through a small room trying to catch up to Xol and Nora.

    Lights flickered in the hallway as Morrigan¡¯s eyes adjusted to the low light, catching glimpses of Nora¡¯s flashlight attached to the barrel of her gun at the intersection as another hysterical laughter echoed faintly. Morrigan touched her comm, ¡°Nora, Xol, hold up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we hear it, we¡¯re around the corner, we got a lot of dead bodies up here,¡± Nora replied.

    Morrigan eyed the body hanging through a hole in the right wall and scrutinized it as she made her way down, glass and drywall grinding underneath her boots.

    ¡°What ever did this has some serious strength¡­¡± she noted to herself as she inspected the poor soul forced through the wall.

    A piercing girlish scream echoed through out the complex followed by the same laughter, sounding significantly closer. Morrigan sprinted and slide around the corner to find Nora standing behind Xol, a bright blue energy shield protruding from his left forearm while he held the trigger handle of his mace in his right.

    ¡°You heard that too? I didn¡¯t think there were people still alive¡­¡± Nora huffed out. Morrigan could see even she was slightly unnerved.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad that it wasn¡¯t you¡­¡± Morrigan said as she looked past Xol to see large double doors leading into the main production area.

    ¡°Aweee, you¡¯re so cute,¡± Nora cooed before nudging Morrigan, who looked back at her for a moment before stepping forward, crouching low as she stepped over a body that was bisected.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with, this place is beginning to give me the creeps,¡± Morrigan stated. Xol grunted and took a heavy step forward only to step on a severed arm and shattered the bones inside with a sickening squelch.

    Morrigan shivered and looked back, ¡°That is not helping, Xol¡­¡± she huffed as Xol let out a hissing chuckle as his mace crackled again.

    Do you feel that Morrigan? That mix of terror and pure bloodlust rage coming from ahead? Apollyon inquired.

    Morrigan held up a fist and closed her eyes to focus. Waves of nausea and tasteful pleasure crashed against her as she picked up on the radiating emotions. The fear was significantly closer source than the rage however, Morrigan could feel the other source moving around sporadically which felt odd to her.

    She silently followed the sickening feeling as Nora and Xol held back, tracing it back to two rooms ahead on the right. The room she entered was some type of manager¡¯s office that looked like a tornado went through it.

    The concerning part was the body strewn across a desk that looked as if the head was physically torn from the shoulders as she felt the concentrated fear radiating from a tall standing cabinet against the back wall.

    Morrigan released her focus on the energy before she gagged, ¡°My name is Morrigan, I¡¯m an Inquisitor¡­ is anyone in here?¡± she whispered loudly as she listened intently.

    There was no response though, so she shifted to the cabinet as she sheathed her gunblade and summoned crimson claws in her left hand. The red energy cast a soft glow ahead of her as she reached for the handle as soft murmuring came from within.

    A young woman cringed and twitched as the light of her energy washed over her and blinded the trembling woman.

    ¡°No¡­ monster-monster, no monsters¡­ death,¡± the woman murmured as she covered her face from the light.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes went wide at the bloodstained woman cowering in the cabinet, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m Mori, I¡¯m here to help,¡± she tried to say soothingly only to watch the woman tremble and shake her head.

    ¡°No, only death¡­ terrible monster¡­ so much¡­blood, laughter¡­ the laugh¡­¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s expression twisted in confusion as she visually inspected the woman for wounds, though she did not see anything alarming. She surmised that the blood the woman was coated in was someone else¡¯s, possibly from the body on the desk.

    ¡°Nora, get in here, Xol, you need to guard this room,¡± she whispered into the comm.

    After a moment Nora shifted into the room as Xol stomped up just before the room, the glow of his energy shield radiating through the door as he guarded the hallway.

    ¡°Oh shit, is she okay?¡± Nora exclaimed as she dropped down next to Morrigan.

    ¡°I think? She¡¯s traumatized for sure¡­¡± Morrigan said as she watched the woman shake her head and pull herself tighter into a ball.

    ¡°Can you try and get her out of here?¡± Morrigan asked looking at Nora.

    Xol hissed loudly and fired his mace¡¯s energy burst twice down the hall only to get a loud, psychotic laughter in response followed by the stomping of something concerningly heavy.

    Morrigan and Nora didn¡¯t get a chance to look before something crashed into Xol and carried him out of sight followed by the sound of a wall collapsing.

    ¡°Xol!¡± Morrigan exclaimed before she heard Xol roar followed by more crashing and the discharge of energy. Before Morrigan could make it to the door, something large flew past her down the hall and crashed through the double doors, tearing them off their hinges and disappearing out of sight. The hysterical laughter echoing out from the production floor.

    Xol roared again and barreled past Morrigan in hot pursuit. Morrigan looked back at the young woman who began bawling her eyes out and screaming, and to her wide-eyed girlfriend. ¡°Get her out of here!¡± Morrigan commanded before racing off after Xol.

    Nora deflated and looked at the hysterical woman before forcefully grabbing her wrist and dragging her out of the cabinet, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re out of here.¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s the laugh of death! It is death incarnate!¡± the woman screamed and fought against Nora¡¯s grasp.

    Nora barked a laugh as she yanked the woman out of the room and dragged her along, the dainty woman being no match for Nora¡¯s muscle.

    ¡°It wishes, no, I¡¯ve met death incarnate lady, and she happens to be my girlfriend,¡± Nora mused aloud as she dragged the struggling woman down the hall kicking and screaming.

    Morrigan sprinted into the main production floor, scanning the low-lit room as rays of fading sunlight cut through the high windows along the walls as industrial lights flickered periodically.

    Xol growled as he brandished the energy laden mace and searched the dark atop of a conveyer.

    ¡°Where did it go?¡± Morrigan called to Xol as she brandished her crimson claws.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know¡­¡± Xol growled out as it took a heavy step forward along the conveyor.

    The amount of heavy machinery made for a lot of places to hide as her eyes constantly adjusted between the darkness and amber light of the setting suns.

    This thing is like you Mori, I can¡¯t even track it.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She inquired of Apollyon.

    I¡¯m saying this thing, whatever it is, has a rage that burns so bright it just coats the area, I mean, just like I¡¯ve felt you do, Apollyon stated in awkward confusion.

    Morrigan furrowed her brows as a manly, psychotic giggle echoed throughout the area, bouncing off the walls in a way she could not follow.

    Morrigan stalked through the left side of the production area while Xol took the center atop the central conveyor.

    Something fell from the ceiling and landed with enough force to crack the concrete floor, kicking up dust and ash around it as energy crackled along the length of a massive sword.

    What stood in front of her was not a creature, but a man of six-foot height and muscular build. He was slimmer than Taylor had been however, given by the power great sword he held in his right hand, his strength was beyond human capability. The armor he wore was dense metal plating that covered very little though it was surrounded by dense, fibrous weave in between the plates. His shins and hands were mechanical and tipped with small talons only adding to the sinister demeanor of his skull shaped helmet.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Morrigan had heard tales of beings such as the man before her from her father¡¯s team, Peter¡¯s even likened her to one of them on her 19<sup>th</sup> birthday, the man before her was a CoU Berserker.

    Drawing her gunblade, she leveled the blade at the Berserker and fired a slug center of his chest, only to be surprised by the lack of reaction or damage the solid bullet caused.

    The Berserker chuckled as it flexed its mechanical fingers and fell into a fit of hysterical, psychotic laughter.

    So much rage¡­ its beautiful! Fucking kill it!

    Morrigan sheathed her gunblade as Xol roared and leapt from the conveyor and landed on a different conveyor next to Morrigan, bringing his mace down with two hands.

    With surprising swiftness, the Berserker blocked Xol¡¯s attack with the massive sword, both weapons sending clashing sparks flying in a brilliant display as the Berserker laughed.

    Xol was sent flying with a impossibly fast backhand with the flat of the blade and crashed into a massive pump of some kind.

    ¡°Xol!¡± Morrigan cried out in fury as her wings flared out which drew the man¡¯s attention, responding with hysterics. She launched crimson claws that ripped through everything in her path whether it was stone or machinery.

    The Berserker jumped unnaturally high above her attack and attempted to bring his sword down upon her only to get batted away by one of her crimson wings, sent flying back and buried into a machine along the back wall.

    Morrigan shifted forward and launched a crimson claw only to watch the man adeptly peel himself from the machine and shift underneath her attack with skillful acrobatics and leap towards her brandishing his energy weapon.

    Morrigan caught the power weapon¡¯s edge in her crimson claws mere inches from her face as the man giggled and chuckled in her face. Her face twisted into a grimace and angrily bared her teeth as she felt the edge of the blade biting into her hands while the man cocked his head to the side, pausing his manic behavior for a moment before letting out a crazed giggle.

    Morrigan¡¯s wings pulled back and thrust forward only to have the man jump out of the way again with childish glee as he landed mere feet in front of her while her wings pierced the concrete floor.

    Would you just kill him already? Apollyon asked in annoyance.

    Morrigan winced as her hands healed only to watch the Berserker stagger for no rhyme or reason as his laughter turned haggard.

    She watched as the Berserker dropped the sword and dropped like a brick as a soft beeping echoed from something on the man¡¯s back.

    Ummm, that¡¯s not what I had in mind. What the hell was that? Where¡¯d the rage go?

    Morrigan releases her energy and rubbed her palms tenderly, ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± she said in confusion before rushing over to where Xol landed.

    Xol was wedged into a machine and barely lucid when she approached, ¡°Xol, are you okay?¡± she demanded as she looked him over, the side of his ribs was burned by the energy discharge of the sword.

    To her relief he nodded before slowly pulling himself out of the destroyed pump with a pained grunt before looking down at her with an inquiring look.

    She knew exactly what he was wondering, and she pointed over to the collapsed Berserker¡¯s location. Xol¡¯s mace crackled as she followed him over.

    ¡°Xol, wait!¡± she ordered as he raised the mace high above the unconscious man, holding it high as he listened.

    ¡°Why?¡± Xol demanded as he eyed her with irritation.

    She put her hand on uninjured side, ¡°He¡¯s no longer a threat Xol, we can arrest him.¡±

    Xol let out an aggravated huff before slipping the hammer onto his back and grabbing ankle of the Berserker, dragging him with absolute zero care.

    Morrigan understood how he felt since he just had his ass handed to him however, she knew she had a job to do and that meant arresting those she could, not that she had to necessarily arrest the man. From what she knew, Berserkers were biomechanically enhanced humans conditioned to become living weapons. Though, she did need to brush up on her knowledge on them before making a decision.

    ???

    Morrigan and Emily spent days pouring through information Sister had dug up for them regarding the creation and use of Berserkers by the CoU as well as debated the legality of using one after the ban of creation 37 years prior to the birth of the CoU.

    ¡°This is just barbaric¡­¡± Emily sighed as she set her data-slate down on Morrigan¡¯s coffee table.

    Nora carried three plates of food, setting one down with a smile towards Emily before sitting down next to Morrigan, ¡°What? That the CoU used lifers as biological weapons?¡±

    Emily grimaced as she reached for her food while Morrigan chimed in, ¡°Well from what we gathered, they took violent prisoners with multiple life sentences and psychologically conditioned them, pumped them full of combat drugs and set them loose on their enemies. However, the unnecessary death tolls as well as the fatality rate of using the amount of combat stims used was viewed as unethical and they moved to a combination of cybernetic enhancement that allows the Berserkers to be controlled, as well as enhance the efficiency of the combat drugs while reducing the lethality of them¡­ well, as she said, it is rather barbaric though I can certainly see the appeal,¡± she stated factually before setting her own notes down to eat.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the issue?¡± Nora inquired as she stuffed the casserole she made into her mouth.

    Both Emily and Morrigan sighed before Emily commented, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you saw what happened. The Berserker turned on its handlers and butchered not only them, but an entire refinery full of civilians before burning out the combat stims pumping through his system¡­ at least the latter of the three options, but something went wrong when it came to the marines handling the Berserker; also, the situation did not warrant the use of a Berserker and falls under questionable legality.¡±

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Yeah, basically the use of Berserkers is still legal, as rare as they are to come by, though their allowance of use is strictly limited. So essentially, the commanding officer of the Winston broke CoU law by unleashing him upon civilians regardless of whether they were armed or not. So, I¡¯ll be arresting the Admiral, except then I have to figure out what to do with the Berserker¡­¡±

    Nora nodded and mused, ¡°I say we keep him.¡±

    Xol hissed from the kitchen as he dug into the second tray of beef and cheese casserole.

    ¡°Oh, get over it you big baby! You watched me get my ass kicked all the time! You¡¯re lucky I wasn¡¯t there to see it for myself,¡± Nora antagonized.

    ¡°B¨ºhi? M?nkee!¡± Xol barked as he slammed his fist on the counter.

    ¡°Hey! I will come over there and take that casserole away!¡± Nora exclaimed over the couch. Morrigan peaked over the couch to see Xol barring his teeth and guarding the casserole defensively.

    Morrigan and Emily chuckled both shaking their heads at their childishness. ¡°You two are silly,¡± Emily giggled behind her hand.

    ¡°Ridiculous is more like it,¡± Morrigan noted before picking up the medical report for the woman they brought aboard and sighed.

    ¡°I feel bad for the girl we found¡­¡± she said.

    Nora shrugged while Emily nodded in agreement who ended up giving the blonde woman a dumbfounded look, ¡°How could you not feel bad?!¡±

    Nora shrugged again, ¡°Honestly, my life has been shit since I was a kid. Honestly up until I met her my life was miserable, I only made my own happiness in creating chaos. Then I met this beautiful woman, and she brought something entirely new to my life¡­¡± Nora trailed off as she smiled sweetly at a blushing Morrigan, ¡°But frankly, I never expected anyone to feel bad for me. No one did either, I just survived and the girl we saved will survive too. Life doesn¡¯t give a shit-it just keeps moving forward and it¡¯s up to us to do the same,¡± Nora finished before taking a sip from the beer she had sitting on the table.

    Emily frowned as Morrigan nodded along with Nora¡¯s words, ¡°But that seems so¡­ depressing, and wrong,¡± Emily said sullenly.

    Morrigan shrugged, ¡°It is. I mean, it varies situation to situation but I can¡¯t disagree with Nora. I grew up happy but then my world got turned inside out when I was 16, and it only got worse from there until now¡­ the difference I suppose is that I did have people who cared about me back then but that still didn¡¯t take away from my misery. Like she said, life doesn¡¯t give a shit¡­ we¡¯re only lucky to find people in our lives that do. For me, it was my family and then Nora, Xol, and the rest of the Marmuro¡¯k. For Nora, it was me¡­ as far as the woman we brought aboard, she had us when it counted. She lives because of us and I will do what I can but we also have a job to do so we can¡¯t babysit her and coddle her.¡±

    Emily pursed her lips and looked Morrigan in the eyes, ¡°Can we at least bring her back to the Void Star?¡±

    Morrigan understood Emily¡¯s desire to help the young woman, Morrigan couldn¡¯t deny wishing to help as well. She remembered what it felt like to be traumatized and suffering silently with no one to lift the shroud of misery that draped over her. All the years wishing for some kind of relief to the lingering sense of doom until she took her one shot at total freedom only to lose it all.

    She also understood Nora¡¯s point of view. For the most part, Morrigan had to keep moving forward with her life despite the desire to just hide away. She couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t have help however, the most of her progress throughout her life was her own doing. This woman would need to do the same, but they did not have an outlet for the woman to pursue.

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Yes, be sure to send Solomon a message in regard to her and prepare. Until then though, we will keep tabs on her health and psychology.¡±

    ¡°Mori, Doctor Tamina is requesting your presence in Medical Bay 3,¡± Sister chimed into her room.

    Morrigan looked up and sighed, ¡°I take it our prisoner is awake?¡±

    ¡°I have confirmed on my sensors that the prisoner is indeed awake,¡± Sister replied.

    Morrigan bobbed her head and stood up tilting her head to the side in a stretch of her neck and shoulders, ¡°Okay, tell her I¡¯m on my way,¡± she stated before taking a bite out of her casserole she had yet to touch.

    ¡°Oh damn, I¡¯m taking this with me, I¡¯ll be back soon love,¡± Morrigan said in surprise before grabbing the plate and leaning down to give Nora a kiss.

    ¡°Are you sure you don''t want me to come with?¡± Nora inquired as she looked up with her icy silver eyes.

    Morrigan smirked, ¡°Yes it¡¯ll be fine, you and Emily keep at it while I go speak with the prisoner.¡±

    Morrigan left her room with Xol looming in toe behind her and made her way through the ship towards the Medical Bay.

    She had to laugh internally at the awkward salutes of respect passerby workers and soldiers gave her as she carried a plate of food throughout the ship, eating as she walked. She knew it had to look weird to see their Inquisitor behave so uncouth. However, when she didn¡¯t require such a serious demeanor, she had no intentions of being such a hard and dismissive person. She also considered the fact Xol brooded over her all the time which may have been a contributing factor to the strange looks.

    When she entered the Medical Bay, she found Doctor Tamina going over a chart and speaking with the Berserker that was restrained to a large medical chair in the center of the room while most of the remaining beds along the room were empty.

    Doctor Tamina was a tall woman of fair light brown tone, with long brunette hair pulled into a ponytail and thin, adorable glasses. ¡°Mr. Ericsson, I have run system diagnostic checks on your cybernetics as well as several MRIs and cat scans,¡± she said professionally, her voice accent less to hint at what her heritage was.

    ¡°Is that so? Well lay it on me doc, how long I got?¡± the Berserker mused with an Irish-Scottish lilt. His body was still encased in his armor though his mask had been removed to reveal a long square jaw, high cheek bones and bloodshot blue eyes topped with short shaggy brown hair.

    Tamina cleared her throat and nodded, ¡°Well¡­ due to having been under the effects of the combat stims used for your¡­ operation, roughly nine days in fact, a large portion of your remaining muscle mass has atrophied, your major vital organs are only working at 60% and are being compensated by your cybernetics and your nervous system is nearly fried¡­¡±

    The Berserker chuckled at that, cutting her off, ¡°Aye, swings and roundabouts that bit doc,¡± he joked.

    Tamina huffed indignantly at being interrupted, ¡°Listen, the bottom line is if you keep using these combat drugs, they¡¯re going to kill you. They¡¯re literally destroying what remains of your body and brain.¡±

    The Berserker cracked a toothy grin, ¡°Well no shite dove, it¡¯s kind of me thing. I knew me life was forfeit when I agreed to become this, but I love what I do. If the drugs don''t kill me somethin¡¯ else will. So don¡¯t worry that pretty wee head of yers and just let me go.¡±

    The doctor scoffed and slapped the medical board on his forehead which made him chuckle before she noticed Morrigan standing there.

    ¡°Oh, Inquisitor¡­ maybe you can talk some sense into this moron,¡± she stated before handing Morrigan the medical information.

    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re the wee lass who put me on a leash huh? The lass who beat death,¡± the Berserker snickered only to receive a warning hiss from Xol who rounded the corner.

    ¡°Oh, hey big lad, how¡¯s the ribs treating ya?¡± he giggled.

    Morrigan skimmed the information on the board, ¡°Sigurd Ericsson, age: 188? How is that even possible?¡±

    Sigurd smiled, ¡°Got a bit of longevity with the cyber bits n such ya? I mean most of me isn¡¯t even human anymore.¡±

    Morrigan pursed her lips and continued looking over the information, ¡°So, tell me what happened down there Sigurd.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Which part lass? It¡¯s fairly obvious I killed a bunch of people,¡± Sigurd mused.

    You know, I think I like this guy. Knows exactly what he did and is both proud and shameless about it, Apollyon stated factually.

    ¡°Why would you like that? Never mind don¡¯t answer that, I already know the answer¡­¡± she responded with a look of disgust.

    Hehehehe oh yes you do, Apollyon chuckled sinisterly.

    Morrigan shook her head and looked at Sigurd who sat grinning at her as he watched her, ¡°I guess the question is, why did you kill your handlers?¡±

    ¡°Tell me, have ye ever been in a rage, lass? That primal fury of bloodlust and battle high? Ever felt the pure bliss of separating the head of someone ye hate?¡± Sigurd asked casually inspecting his mechanical talons that were strapped to the arm of the chair, watching her reaction.

    Morrigan twitched her head as images of a blood soaked and sundered Tyrus, dangling in her crimson claws, flashed in her mind as she felt her lungs convulse in suppressed laughter.

    ¡°Ah, ye have, haven¡¯t ye? I see it in ye as ya fight. The second I gave the big lad there proper spankin¡¯, I saw yer rage girl. If ye were a Berserker such as I, I would have understood that level of anger I saw, yet ye just a lass in her own knickers goin¡¯ toe to toe with me. Yer the embodiment of a savage valkyrie of old, lass, divine anger¡­ Herja,¡± Sigurd said coolly with a bright smile.

    Damn, he¡¯s got you pegged kid. I guess rage recognizes rage and all that¡­

    Morrigan narrowed her eyes at the Berserker, ¡°I recognize some of what you¡¯re saying, a very old religion you¡¯re speaking of, one of which has been outlawed¡­¡±

    Sigurd snorted in amusement before bobbing his head, ¡°What are laws to a dead man?¡±

    Morrigan conceded at that and sighed, feeling unease about being theoretically figured out by the mad man, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

    ¡°Right, right. Why did I kill them? That''s easy lass¡­ der anti-targeting beacons didn¡¯t work, not for a long time,¡± he stated with a casual shrug.

    Morrigan looked to Tamina for some sort of confirmation only to see her shrug, ¡°Did they not keep up with their equipment?¡±

    That enticed a barking laugh out of the man, ¡°Oh that¡¯s a load of craic! Ever since the ban they do little upkeep lass, ye think I¡¯d have that much craic if they kept up with their stuff? They barely keep up with me own maintenance. No.¡±

    Morrigan cocked her head, ¡°If their equipment stopped working so long ago as you say, why didn¡¯t you kill them sooner?¡±

    The joyous demeanor fell from his face as he considered her question, ¡°Ye pose a good question dove¡­ ye see, the rage is not as mindless as one would think, ya? Can usually tell who me enemy is most times¡­ huh¡­ nine days ye say? Guessin¡¯ they put too much stim in me cocktail this go-round,¡± he theorized with a chuckle.

    Tamina and Morrigan both looked at each other with questioning glances, ¡°It¡¯s entirely possible Inquisitor, I did have to activate a purge of his system of any residual chemicals. Even unconscious, his vitals were still off the charts. I think when you fought him¡­ you essentially pushed what human system he has left over the edge because even by then, he was essentially just riding out the high,¡± Tamina pointed out her opinion.

    ¡°Well, shit¡­¡± Morrigan stated as she glanced at the rest of the paperwork, ¡°Looks like I have a few decisions to make.¡±

    Sigurd tapped a metallic finger on the chair, ¡°Yer not goin¡¯ to send me back to those pansies are ye?¡±

    The question took Morrigan aback for a moment before she tossed his information onto an empty bed and crossed her arms, ¡°Why? I mean, what do you think should be done with you? You¡¯re a murderer¡­¡± she inquired incredulously.

    Sigurd grinned as if she had complimented him, ¡°Aye, I¡¯m a grand time, ya? The CoU are a bunch of pussies, too worried about what others think than gettin¡¯ the job done an here ye were, dropping in on me good time and put me down like a proper wanker. So, if ye give me a say, I¡¯d like to stand behind a proper lass than these fecking gits I¡¯ve been stuck with for the past 150 years, just sayin¡¯.¡±

    Her eyebrows raised high in surprise as she listened to Sigurd¡¯s rant, ¡°You want to work for the Inquisition?¡±

    ¡°Meh, mainly yerself lass, but if circle makes a chain, then sure, I can live with that,¡± he said with a shrug.

    Oh, you should do it! Say yes, come on! You got that pretty blonde of yours, let me have this one! Apollyon shouted excitedly in her head though Morrigan ignored the excitable deity with a wall of surprised confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it¡­ I have to figure out who I¡¯m arresting first,¡± she said slowly as her brain tried to process the unusual experience she was having.

    She never expected the life of an Inquisitor to be so convoluted and strange yet here she was, being proverbially kneeled down to by a prisoner who murders things for a living, all the while, detaining an entire ship full of people from the CoU. Let alone being the one in charge of an entire ship filled with personnel from the Inquisition, who she did not even know existed, and acquired Marmuro¡¯k followers on top of gaining an ex-pirate girlfriend. Her life had spin completely out of control and her brain no longer had the capacity to keep up with it all.

    ¡°Aye that¡¯s fine,¡± Sigurd stated before jerking his arms in and snapping the heavy metal restraints and leaning down and snapping the restrains around his ankles.

    ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Morrigan exclaimed as she shifted back defensively, her crimson claws flashing brightly as Xol drew his mace with a menacing hiss and Tamina backed as far away as she could.

    Sigurd stood to his full height and rolled his shoulders before smiling at everyone¡¯s defensive stances. ¡°Ye stay yer hands dove. As grand a time as this has been, I can only have this lovely lass poking and prodding me for so long. Besides, I may need to eat occasionally but after this last bout of runnin¡¯, me stomach is angrier than a mad bag of ferrets, so I¡¯m off to find foodstuff,¡± he said raising his metallic hands in submission.

    Morrigan scrutinized him, weighing the pros and cons of fighting the Berserker then and there before releasing her energy back into the cosmos.

    She wiped her face with her hands with a heavy sigh, ¡°What is my life now?¡± she asked herself before straightening and looking at Sigurd, ¡°Fine, if you can behave yourself, you can go to the mess hall and I¡¯ll¡­ put you in one of the cargo holds for the time being. You will be guarded at all times until I figure this shit out,¡± she said mentally exhausted.

    There was a loud clink as he clapped his hands together, ¡°Awesome so, whose taking me on a date?¡± he asked looking between both women before Morrigan thumbed behind her at Xol.

    ¡°Xol, take him to the mess hall¡­ put him down if he becomes a problem,¡± she said indignantly as she stared down the Berserker.

    Sigurd only giggled at that thought, ¡°Been a long time since a bloke took me out, I¡¯ll take it,¡± he said winking at Xol before stepping around Morrigan and walking out. Xol hissing his displeasure as he activated his mace¡¯s energy field before following.

    Morrigan sat on the empty bed next to her and sighed before rubbing her temples, looking at a very shocked Doctor Tamina.

    ¡°Did I just have an aneurysm or did that just really happen?¡± Tamina asked with wide eyes.

    Morrigan chuckled and shook her head, ¡°If my blood pressure is any indicator, yeah, that just became a thing¡­ Sister? Let Shepard know our prisoner has been released on restricted guidance. Tell her Xol is playing watch dog until I can come up and speak with her¡­¡±

    ¡°Very well Inquisitor, shall I keep track of Sigurd Ericsson¡¯s movement?¡± Sister asked.

    ¡°Yes, please do¡­¡± Morrigan said before flopping over on the bed as Tamina regained her own composure, looking at Morrigan with worry in her eyes.

    Morrigan waved her off, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve only just lost control of my life,¡± she mused before sighing, ¡°At least being an Inquisitor isn¡¯t boring, right?¡±

 Chapter XIV

    After a few more days of deliberating Morrigan and Emily, with the assistance of Nora and Sister, came to the conclusion that the commanding officers of the SS Winston were guilty of gross negligence and 112 counts of second-degree manslaughter which led to the arrest of the Admiral and as well as his Master Chief before Morrigan sent the Winston away.

    With hesitation, as well as a form of payment and a lot of arguing with Shepard, Morrigan conscripted Sigurd into the Archangel¡¯s combat unit allowing Shepard to have command over the Berserker however, for safety reasons, Morrigan retained control of his combat stim systems with the help of Doctor Tamina and Danson in R&D to develop improvements on the Berserker¡¯s targeting systems as well as the drug dispersion system.

    The week traveling back to the Void Star wasn¡¯t without intrigue as the Archangel was forced into a fire fight with a pirate Destroyer that had been harrying a small fleet of cargo ships. Morrigan got a firsthand experience at the coordination and expertise of her crew as they expertly blew the pirate ship apart.

    She also got a feeling for the warp drive the Archangel had, which had been disorienting at first to be looking at one view at one second, and a completely different view a second later as Avery, Luisa and Gunnar coordinated with Gene to position the ship at various angles to attack the Destroyer.

    Her first endeavor out in space had proved to be mind bending to say the least as Morrigan sprawled out on her bed, attempting to compartmentalize everything that happened over the three weeks her first mission had taken.

    ¡°Everything okay precious?¡± Nora cooed as she leaned against the doorway of her bedroom.

    Morrigan lifted her wrist from her eyes to see the familiar icy silver eyes scanning her from head to toe, causing her to blush slightly as she smiled, ¡°yeah, I¡¯m fine just¡­ this is more stressful than I imagined.¡±

    Nora snorted before sauntering to the bed and crawling along next to Morrigan before tossing her leg over her and straddling her, ¡°Awe, sounds like someone needs a distraction,¡± she said sweetly before pinning Morrigan¡¯s wrists above her head.

    Morrigan hummed as she blushed, biting her lip as she stared up at Nora¡¯s smiling face, her blonde hair dangling over her.

    Nora leaned down and pressed her lips against Morrigan¡¯s, enticing a soft moan out of her before letting a giggle slip as she lowered her body closer to her lover¡¯s.

    Nora held her wrists down with one hand as her free hand slid perfectly along Morrigan¡¯s jaw and around the back of her neck. Her thumb turning her head enough to give access as Nora trailed down Morrigan¡¯s jaw and neck with tender kisses.

    ¡°This is your idea of¡­ distraction?¡± Morrigan taunted through a moan as her back arched, her breath hitching as Nora¡¯s teeth gripped the tender skin of her neck in response. Morrigan knew Nora was smiling in triumph as she bit down.

    Morrigan¡¯s hips instinctively pushed against Nora as she squirmed with a soft moan. Nora¡¯s free hand exploring every inch of her girlfriend¡¯s curves.

    Nora pulled Morrigan¡¯s lips to hers with a fierce moan as she leaned forward and slid her hand along her flat stomach, burying her fingers beneath the waistline of Morrigan¡¯s lounge wear.

    ¡°Inquisitor, Admiral Shepard is requesting entry to your quarters,¡± Sister interrupted.

    ¡°God damn it! Every single time I finally get you alone! It¡¯s always something!¡± Nora exclaimed with animated aggression as she sat up while Morrigan groaned in agreement.

    Morrigan eyed the gorgeous blonde that sat on her sulking and rubbed her hands along Nora¡¯s thighs, ¡°I¡¯m sorry love¡­ maybe we''ll find some time tonight?¡±

    Nora crossed her arms and pouted, ¡°You do realize, the longer you make me wait, the more dangerous sexy time is going to be.¡±

    Morrigan understood how Nora felt, any time they had quality alone time together, there had always been something to interrupt them whether it be a pesky and nosey S¡¯randin, Inquisitorial duty or overall exhaustion.

    You know, a line like that even has me curious, Apollyon whispered in Morrigan¡¯s head.

    She bit her lip with a nod as she gripped Nora¡¯s thighs tighter, trying not to laugh, as well as suppressing the rising heat in her face at Nora¡¯s promise of her brand of aggressive passion.

    ¡°Perv!¡± Morrigan retorted in her head as she tried to focus.

    It¡¯s not my fault I have front row seats¡­ oh, wait¡­ I guess it is¡­ it¡¯s your fault too! You know what, you¡¯re more of a pervert than I am! I can see your thoughts right now and by me-they are dirty! Apollyon exclaimed.

    Morrigan grinned looked at the ceiling with a shake of her head, ¡°Sister, let Shepard in and have her wait in the living room, I¡¯ll be out in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Very well, and I do apologize for causing you so much distress, Eleanor,¡± Sister stated.

    Nora glared at the ceiling, her hands curled into tight fists, ¡°Call me that again and so help whatever gods there are, I will pull your mainframe apart byte by byte!¡±

    Morrigan pulled Nora back down to her causing her to yelp at the sudden attack as she rolled Nora underneath her and nibbled her neck with childish playfulness.

    Nora laughed and let out a high-pitched giggle as Morrigan began tickling her as she attacked her neck, laughing as well.

    ¡°Ugh, I so need a cold shower now,¡± Nora grumbled as Morrigan lay on top her, nuzzling her face into her neck.

    Morrigan hummed, ¡°Probably, I should probably find out what Shepard wants.¡±

    Nora scoffed and kissed Morrigan¡¯s forehead before patting her arm to let her up. As Morrigan let her stand, she reached out and slapped Nora¡¯s butt with a resounding crack, Nora yelping and sliding into the bathroom on her heels, laughing.

    Once the bathroom door closed, Morrigan sighed as she straightened what she wore and ran her fingers through her hair. All she wanted was a little private time but there always seemed to be something that required her attention, if anything, Morrigan felt like a bad girlfriend.

    Stepping out into the living room, Shepard spun on her heels with a gracefulness that did not befit her age as she held her hands behind her back, ¡°Mori, thank you for seeing me. I hope I wasn¡¯t interrupting anything?¡±

    ¡°You god damn know you did! Old pirate lady really knows how to ruin a good time!¡± Nora shouted from the bathroom before slamming the door closed again.

    Morrigan bit her lip as she blushed, shaking her head in disbelief. Shepard chuckled at Nora¡¯s grievance before stepping around the sofa, ¡°No matter, you¡¯re young and you''ll have plenty of time for¡­ extracurricular activities and such,¡± she stated before taking a seat and pulling out a small flask from the inside of her officer¡¯s jacket.

    ¡°Will I though?¡± Morrigan asked sardonically before walking around and taking a seat across from Shepard. Normally, she would have felt more inclined to be properly dressed and speak with more dignity and professionalism however, Morrigan considered her quarters her safe space to be herself out of view from the rest of the crew.

    If Shepard took offense to her causal demeanor, she made no notion of it as the old woman took a sip from the flask, ¡°Oh sure, I¡¯ve spent my fair share in the rigmarole of passion over the years heh, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about,¡± she said ominously.

    Morrigan shuttered at the mental image before she leaned back and crossed her arms and legs with her head cocked to the side, ¡°I would assume so, am I in trouble or something?¡±

    Shepard glanced at her and smiled, ¡°No, not at all. Actually, I figured you would wish to know that Solomon asked me to observe you and assess your aptitude as an Inquisitor.¡±

    Morrigan frowned, ¡°So much for blind faith,¡± she thought to herself.

    Come now, you really think that man has faith in anything? He¡¯s an observer, a man who doesn¡¯t do anything without calculating four steps ahead of every possibility. You can¡¯t be that surprised, Apollyon noted.

    ¡°So? Why bring this up?¡± Morrigan asked with a higher level of vehemence than she would have preferred.

    Shepard smirked as she looked at Morrigan, holding out her flask though the girl waved the offer away and leaned underneath the coffee table to reveal a crystal decanter of golden amber liquid as well as two rock glass to which she poured two hearty glassfuls before sliding one to the Admiral.

    Accepting the glass, the old woman took a sip before sighing blissfully, ¡°Good stuff you have here¡­ anyways, I brought this up because I figured you would like to know. Solomon wanted to be sure, and my assessment would have determined whether or not you continued your journey as an Inquisitor.¡±

    Morrigan frowned but did not say anything. Shepard glanced at her and inspected her displeasure before continuing, ¡°Seeing as we will be working together, I figured a bit of transparency was warranted between the two of us. Would you like to read my report?¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s face shifted to several different emotions in lieu of Shepard¡¯s words before she sighed and took a long sip of her drink, ¡°Why don''t you just give me the abridged version?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no need for the gritty details, huh?¡± Shepard chuckled before clearing her throat, spying the curious glance Morrigan gave her.

    ¡°First and foremost, you¡¯re young¡­ yes, I¡¯m aware that''s obvious but what I mean is you''re still childish and lacking experience. However, after observing your thought process when it comes to your decision-making skills, I do find that your penchant for being thorough as well as being accurate with your investigative skills is backed by a surprising amount of depth, albeit trained, or naturally occurring. Despite the fact I¡¯m not fond of the idea of having that Berserker running around or your, taste in company¡­ you have displayed great thought and consideration with those decisions,¡±

    Morrigan was surprised by the level of calm she was feeling in regard to what Shepard was telling her. She knew that any other time in her life she would have taken offense to being called a child and having a poor choice in a girlfriend, yet the way that Shepard spoke to her revealed the hefty amount of sincere respect to whom the old woman spoke to.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Even your methods of investigation with this entire mission were empathetic and calculated. You took great care to hold those responsible guilty, as well as finding opportunity in the mix as well. Not only that, but you also recognize where your experience is lacking. Take the pirate ship recently, I know you have no ship-to-ship combat experience and instead of trying to put yourself in the pilot¡¯s seat so to speak, you stepped back and let the seasoned crew members handle the situation while observing what needed to be done,¡±

    Shepard paused to down some of her drink, ¡°That speaks highly of your character Mori. Most Inquisitors I¡¯ve met become too complacent in their power or feel they are much more than they truly are. Our most recent one would have executed both the Admiral as well as the Berserker, assuming they survived the encounter, and simply written it off as a war crime.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Morrigan asked incredulously.

    Shepard nodded sincerely before giving her a wrinkled smile, ¡°Suffice to say, despite missing well rounded experience, you are a fine Inquisitor, Mori, and I am proud to have you aboard the Archangel and work alongside you. Together we will do many great things for those who need us,¡± Shepard finished in a grandmotherly tone.

    Morrigan blinked repeatedly as she processed the woman''s words, realizing she was telling her that she not only passed whatever assessment there was, but that she was welcomed as the Archangel¡¯s Inquisitor with open arms.

    She cracked a wide smile, ¡°Thank you, Shepard¡­ it¡¯s been a pleasure so far. Hopefully we will make our galaxy a better place, maybe even take some of the Federation bastards down along the way,¡± she said raising her glass in a toast.

    Shepard smiled, giving her as solemn nod as she raised her glass, ¡°Damn right we will.¡±

    ???

    Being back on the Void Star was an odd feeling to Morrigan. Even though she spent the time making it her home, there was a distinctive nuance between walking along the smooth paved streets of the bustling hive world and the energetic cold steel corridors of the Archangel.

    Both had become her home in a short amount of time, and now she felt torn between which version of home she preferred as she walked with Xol and Sigurd down the main road to the Cathedral. Though she vaguely recognized some of those she passed on the streets, her pristine and distinguished uniform of her title, as well as the towering K¨ºzi¡¯kan following her, turned many heads in her direction in awe.

    As humble as she was, Morrigan preened at the attention. Morrigan had always been eccentric and outgoing as a young girl until the threat of life in prison and the horrors of innocence lost threatened her livelihood, withdrawing her to the shadows of life in order to keep out of the light of attention. Now, she felt good being able to stand in the light again without the hostile energy of scrutiny.

    Solomon stood waiting for her in front of the grand archway of the Cathedral, pride radiating in his smile.

    Despite the conversation she and Shepard had hours before, the urge to hug the older man who gave her a chance won over as she threw professionalism to the wind and wrapped her arms around him.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you home, Inquisitor Clarke, I hear your first mission was a great success. I¡¯m quite proud of you,¡± Solomon stated with a wide grin as he returned her hug gently.

    ¡°Aye, the wee lass here gave me a proper spanking,¡± Sigurd interjected with levity. Morrigan face palmed before revealing an amused smirk across her face.

    ¡°This is Sigurd Ericsson, Lord Inquisitor. He is the Berserker mentioned in my report,¡± Morrigan introduced, nonchalantly gesturing towards Sigurd.

    Solomon smiled and gave them a respectful nod, ¡°Yes, I was quite surprised to hear that the CoU deployed such a volatile¡­ weapon, on civilians, even armed civilians. Have your prisoners been transferred to holding aboard the Void Star yet?¡± Solomon inquired.

    Sigurd grinned, as if he were complimented, though respectfully did not say anything though Morrigan eyed the loud-mouthed Berserker in preparation.

    Once she was certain he was going to remain quiet, she hummed, ¡°They were currently being transferred before we made our way here. What is it we do with them from here?¡±

    ¡°I will move forward with the interrogation process, being high ranking officials of the CoU, I will be conducting a separate investigation with your investigative findings as the primary evidence to build a case against the CoU. Not only will those you arrested be given life in prison, I will also be demanding compensation to those affected by such negligence on IPC-98, as well as payment for our services in removing such disgraceful personnel from their ranks,¡± Solomon said firmly, giving Morrigan a knowing look.

    Morrigan was happy with his response. There were so many families affected by the CoU¡¯s actions and she had no idea how to assist them. Solomon, true to his word, had the experience and connections to make that happen.

    ¡°Oi, if ye need an extra set of hands to make the wee birds sing, I¡¯m yer guy!¡± Sigurd exclaimed with a dramatic bow that earned an annoyed hiss from Xol and a giggle from Morrigan.

    She had no idea what she had been thinking recruiting the Berserker however, his comedic value so far had been worth the argument she had with Shepard. She was curious as to why Solomon did not question the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure I can handle it, Mr. Ericsson. It would be in your best interest to follow Morrigan¡¯s example at being an upstanding operative of the Inquisition for the time being,¡± Solomon mused while giving Morrigan a underhanded compliment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that craic, daddy, but the wee lass has me leashed and collared. Can¡¯t say I mind,¡± Sigurd said flashing a grin at Morrigan, wiggling his eyebrows.

    Xol hissed threateningly as Morrigan shook her head, chuckling at Sigurd¡¯s perversion. Solomon even cocked his head in curiosity at the display of levity the Berserker flourished before looking at Xol.

    ¡°Xol, a pleasure to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Solomon,¡± Xol rumbled with a respective dip of his head before Solomon turned his attention back to Morrigan, ¡°Anyways, Morrigan, I would like you to remain on the Void Star and accompany me during the interrogation process. Normally the leading Inquisitor would handle this endeavor, but I would not throw you to the political wolves of the CoU government on your own. This way, you can experience the process while I do the heavy lifting.¡±

    In an odd realization, Morrigan suddenly knew why she trusted Solomon as much as she did. Solomon had put himself in the position of an understanding and respectful father figure, giving her the guidance and care she lacked with her own father. Her heart clenched painfully at that notion as she struggled to keep her sudden shift in emotion from her features.

    Morrigan loved her father and could not blame him for their relatively distant relationship. She knew her dad loved her, but his work often kept him out of the house. Thinking about it, that was where her initial hate of his line of work started when she was 13. Following everything that happened in the alley and the young Eskarii girl¡­

    Morrigan¡¯s world faded as the haunting echoes of a gunshot rang in her ears before she shook her head sharply. It had been some time since she actively thought about that night, which still held a cold grip on her spine as she pushed the images from her mind.

    ¡°Yeah, sure. I can do that, um, have you heard from the Trickster¡¯s Sleight at all?¡± she asked tentatively shifting topics.

    Solomon''s curious look shifted towards understanding as he nodded, ¡°The last transmission stated that they found their way to an outlying CoU supply depot along the edge of the system. As far as I''m aware, repairs to their FTL drive are underway. Fear not Mori, your family will be aboard the Void Star sooner rather than later.¡±

    Morrigan gave him a hopeful smile, ¡°Thank you, how have the Marmuro¡¯k been? I haven¡¯t had a chance to check in with them yet.¡±

    Solomon pursed his lips in concern before letting out a steady breath, ¡°Yekku has flourished however, it seems Qiote has shut himself in, holing himself up in your apartment mere days after your departure¡­ I tried to have H?¡¯tet mediate between Qiote and I except with our language barrier¡­ I decided to leave the S¡¯randin be until your return. I do not know the cause of his sudden seclusion and would be unhappy to find out if any of our personnel were the cause however, there was only so much I could do for him with your absence¡­¡±

    Morrigan frowned as worry gripped her heart, ¡°I''ll speak with him,¡± she said sharply as the guilt of leaving one of her S¡¯randin on the Void Star suffering while she was off having a proverbial adventure. ¡°I''ll go do that now¡­¡± she blurted.

    Solomon gave her an understanding nod before turning on his heels and returning to his work within the Cathedral.

    Morrigan¡¯s worry demanded action as she turned to Xol, ¡°Meet me back at home,¡± she demanded before she focused on her power, her skeletal wings bursting in crimson radiance before launching her high into the air.

    ¡°Fecking hell, the lass can fly?¡± Sigurd exclaimed as he looked at the tall, white K¨ºzi¡¯kan next to him.

    Xol let out a deep rumbling hum, watching Morrigan take off through the sky, before shoving Sigurd forward, ¡°Walk,¡± he ordered harshly.

    Sigurd snickered with a devious smile, ¡°Keep that up and I''ll do whatever ye ask big boy,¡± Sigurd joked as he ducked underneath a lazy swipe from Xol as he hissed in irritation.

    ???

    Morrigan threw her front door open to find her three Marmuro¡¯k sitting around the holo-screen in the living room.

    Yekku popped his head over the sofa and let out a shrill screech before slinking over the back of the sofa and forcefully brushing his face against hers, warbling and chirping excitedly.

    Morrigan through her arms around Yekku¡¯s neck giggling at his silly antics, ¡°I missed you too buddy. Have you been good?¡±

    Yekku stepped back and bobbed his head vigorously before animatedly waving his hands and squawking. His attempt to tell her things was something she found adorable despite not understanding a word he said.

    After spending a moment pretending to listen to him, Morrigan smiled at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well Yekku. I do have good news; I spoke with a man named Robert Danson who is the Chief Engineer of the R&D lab on the Archangel. If you want, he would be more than happy to have you working with him.¡±

    Yekku¡¯s response to that was to raise his arms in triumph and let out a bellowing warble, telling her that he was beyond excited.

    You know, this is kind of what it sounded like in your head when you had your happy going, Apollyon pointed out.

    Morrigan frowned and snorted, not believing Apollyon as she turned her gaze to H?¡¯tet and Qiote. Qiote was curled up on the end of the couch staring off into space as if no one around him existed.

    Morrigan frowned at the depressive state Qiote was in as she moved around the couch to kneel in front of the S¡¯randin.

    Qiote barely registered her intrusive presence with a blink before she broke his daze with a gentle stroke of her hand along his frill running along the top of his head.

    ¡°Hey buddy, what''s going on?¡± she asked sweetly as Qiote¡¯s tongue flicked against her chin. He let out a long string of clicking noises that reflected his depression.

    Morrigan side eyed H?¡¯tet who caught her glance, ¡°Qiote Arak¡¯tarul wants to go home,¡± he responded sharply in his own tongue in a rare moment of speech for him.

    ¡°You soft-spine deny the honor of the Red Death¡¯s glory!?¡± Xol boomed menacingly as he stomped into the doorway, his mace crackling with threatening energy.

    Qiote curled tighter in fear under Morrigan¡¯s touch which broke her heart and sent her anger soaring sharply.

    Before anyone could react, a spectral crimson claw seized Xol by the throat mid step and slammed him into the wall next to the front door, squeezing his thick neck with inhuman strength as the massive weapon he held fell to the floor.

    Sigurd sauntered inside in with a cheery demeanor only to freeze mid step as he witnessed Morrigan storming across the living room in his direction. The second he saw the eight-foot mountain of reptilian being dangled inches off the floor as Morrigan¡¯s hand mimicked the grasp she had on his throat, he quickly stepped out of the way with as much grace as someone scrambling to avoid a live grenade.

    ¡°I see shite just got real¡­¡± he murmured as he watched from the sidelines.

    ¡°You will not speak to him like that!¡± Morrigan spat as Xol began to try and claw at the crimson claw crushing his windpipe.

    Morrigan glared at her personal guard, before slamming him into the ground and dragging him up by his throat to eye level. ¡°I care greatly about you lot but none of you are forced to remain here if you don''t want to be,¡± she growled before pointing off in Qiote¡¯s direction, ¡°If he wants to go home then I will bring him home! He is not a servant or a slave! If I hear you speak to any one of ours in such a manner again, you and I will have a problem!¡± she growled before dropping Xol onto his hands and knees gasping for breath.

    Morrigan ground her teeth as she watched Xol kneel unsteadily, ¡°My apologies Red Death¡­ it will not happen again¡­¡± Xol forced out as he groveled lowly, his voice more graveled than normal.

    ¡°Good,¡± Morrigan bit out tersely before eyeing Sigurd in the corner of the kitchen giggling to himself silently, only to straighten himself out when her deadly glare met his eyes.

    Damn girl, that brought a tear to my eye, Apollyon interjected with an odd level of emotion.

    Sighing heavily, Morrigan walked back to Qiote to find him shivering in fear, staring at her with wide eyes.

    She ignored the worried looks of H?¡¯tet and Yekku as she knelt down and let out a steady breath, gently taking Qiote¡¯s long fingers in her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay buddy, as soon as the second investigation is done, I¡¯ll talk to Solomon about getting you home, okay?¡± she asked as soft of a voice as she could muster despite still feeling her fury regarding Xol.

    Qiote relaxed as his wide eyes studied her features before giving her a sheepish nod and a gentle squeeze of her hand.

    She smiled and brushed his head with her hand before giving him a gentle kiss on his snout only to have Yekku barrel into her like a jealous puppy, effectively making her laugh as Yekku rubbed his face against her.

 Chapter XV

    Morrigan set her pen down and rubbed her aching wrist as she had finally finished the final leg of her paperwork regarding the secondary investigation.

    Days were spent deliberating and prosecuting. When all was set and done, Solomon simply argued that it was the responsibility of the CoU parliament to cover the damages committed by their own, regardless of their knowledge. On top of the Lord Inquisitor laying out a monumental fine, he also used his Inquisitorial jurisdiction to demand a relief effort to support the declining blow to IPC-98¡¯s economy, in both labor and repairing the damage done as well as compensating the families of those butchered by Sigurd.

    Morrigan grabbed her stack of papers and stepped out of her office to be greeted by both Emily and Solomon, who awaited her.

    Morrigan looked at them both curiously before passing the paperwork off to Emily, ¡°I do not envy your job,¡± she murmured.

    Emily smiled sheepishly, ¡°You know I could have done this for you?¡±

    Solomon interjected before Morrigan could reply, ¡°Oh no, Morrigan needed to experience every aspect of the investigation and sentencing procedure. Especially since it was her idea to send the two guilty prisoners back to IPC-98 to work off their debt to the planet¡¯s population. However, next time you may assist her with the task if you desire,¡± he said with a stern amusement as Morrigan rolled her wrist, causing it to pop loudly.

    She deadpanned as she looked at her superior then stuck her tongue out childishly, ¡°Apollyon? A bit of pain killer if you don''t mind,¡± she thought to the deity living in her body.

    Sorry but there¡¯s no damage so you just gotta live with it, so don''t be a wuss, missy. You''re better than that, Apollyon replied nonchalantly.

    Morrigan cursed silently in her head which Apollyon chuckled darkly at as she cracked her knuckles, shaking her hand out.

    ¡°Well, if anything, those two deserve their sentence¡­¡± Morrigan complained as she watched Emily saunter off.

    ¡°Indeed. Care for a walk?¡± Solomon hummed thoughtfully.

    Morrigan shrugged and followed as he stepped down the platform towards the entrance of the Cathedral. As they exited, he glanced at her and asked, ¡°What did you think about the process you experienced this week?¡±

    Morrigan quirked an eyebrow at him, ¡°I mean, politics sucks. Always has. I mean, I guess the real question is why did you go through all that when you were just going to demand them to compensate IPC-98 anyways?¡±

    Solomon chuckled and guided her through the main thoroughfare of the military district. ¡°Well, the key to our authoritative power is allowing the guilty party to attempt to atone for their crimes in a sense. You watched them argue the nuances of responsibility but as you know, just as they did, they are the commanding body of the entire CoU military and the military¡¯s action reflects upon the governing body¡¯s leadership. Whether it was the decision to still allow Berserkers in their service after all the ramifications the program brought down upon them in the past or making the conscious decision to allow someone with that loose of morality into a position of authority, the responsibility still falls upon their shoulders, regardless of whether or not they knew what actions were being taken,¡± he explained with certainty.

    Morrigan nodded her understanding, she considered the Federation bad as a whole though she knew that not everyone within the Federation were bad people. However, the Federation¡¯s actions, whether it be a lowly police officer backed by broken laws, or upper echelon within the military giving morally wrong orders, it still paints a negative picture over the entirety of the Federation.

    Solomon continued his explanation. Drawing her attention to what he was saying as they walked till they found themselves in front of the medical centers between the military district and civilian district before Morrigan realized where they were.

    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Morrigan questioned.

    Solomon gave her that newfound fatherly smile he had always given her before gesturing to someone standing in front of the medical center. It was an Eskarii with bright yellow-gold hair dressed in an elegant maroon robe trimmed in cobalt blue.

    They both approached the Eskarii before he made introductions, ¡°Inquisitor Clarke, this is Ambassador Gra¡¯taul of the Eskarii Empire. Gra¡¯taul, it is a pleasure to see you again.¡±

    The Eskarii turned revealing his sharp features, long pointed ears and bright amber eyes that glanced over Solomon and Morrigan with passive interest. ¡°Solomon, well met.¡± He stated in a smooth, soft voice.

    Morrigan furrowed her brows before bowing with one arm over the other across her chest, which she had learned from the resident Eskarii was the proper bow for those in high-ranking positions, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Ambassador Gra¡¯taul.¡±

    Gra¡¯taul gave her a respectful nod before sniffing indignantly, ¡°Well met. What are you doing here?¡± he asked with scrutiny as he eyed around him. Morrigan followed his line of sight to spy various Eskarii guards off in various directions, all clutching pulse weaponry and adorned in the same style armor she had seen Torvil in, covering multiple vantage points.

    ¡°Oh, just waiting, just like you,¡± Solomon said with a chuckle before turning his attention to the medical center. Gra¡¯taul hummed and chose not to reply to Solomon¡¯s comment.

    Morrigan looked between the two men with an annoyed expression, loathing whatever secrecy they shared. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go and¡­ and¡­¡± Morrigan trailed off as a familiar sight caught her vision as she looked in the direction they were facing.

    Stepping through the automated doorway was the smiling face of her mother, a smile that only grew wider when Helen noticed her daughter waiting for her.

    ¡°Mom?¡± Morrigan breathed only to get distracted by a high-pitched squeal that seemed to bounce around her space. Before she could properly look around for the source, Morrigan was blindsided by a tackle from a blur of teal and white.

    A tear-filled cry met her ears from a voice Morrigan had never thought she would hear again, ¡°Mori!¡± Mo¡¯Emori sobbed as she clung to Morrigan for dear life.

    ¡°Mo¡¯Emori?!¡± Morrigan exclaimed looking down to see the familiar head of teal hair pressed against her collar bone. She couldn¡¯t breathe as her lung seized at the realization that her original Eskarii friend had really been there, tears filling her eyes as she wrapped around the elated Eskarii in equal measure.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here¡­¡± Morrigan choked out as her emotions tangled together in joy and disbelief, burying her face into Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s hair. All the while, Helen watched with tear-filled eyes at her daughter¡¯s reunion.

    Solomon sniffed with amusement and a wide smile as he stepped next to Helen, giving her a cursory glance, ¡°That couldn¡¯t have been more perfectly timed,¡± he mused.

    Helen sniffed and wiped the edge of her nose nodding as she turned to the older man, ¡°Yeah¡­ she looks so¡­¡± Helen trailed off watching her lost daughter hold tight to her newest adopted daughter in her beautiful, renewed glory. Helen¡¯s feelings were a tumultuous mix of relief, pride and love as she patiently waited.

    Solomon chuckled and leaned over, ¡°Yes, she is quite something and more. I¡¯m glad to see your group have arrived safe and unharmed.¡±

    Helen nodded and reached out shaking Solomon¡¯s hand to officiate their first meet. Morrigan tried to sit up however, Mo¡¯Emori gave no ground. She was torn because she did not want to release her Eskarii crush but she also desired to hug her mom, who she had waited so long to see again.

    Splitting the difference, Morrigan fueled her muscles into lifting and cradling Mo¡¯Emori into her arms like a princess and steadily standing, enticing high pitched giggles out of the Eskarii girl who had just been sobbing into her chest plate.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Morrigan blurted at the profound shock she felt as she watched her mother shake Solomon¡¯s hand, fully aware that the Eskarii ambassador had been glaring at her and Mo¡¯Emori.

    Helen turned with a bright smile as tears stained her cheeks, losing the battle of patience as she strode purposefully to her daughters and threw her arms around them both tightly. Mo¡¯Emori giggling as she hooked one arm around Helen¡¯s shoulders, pulling her tighter into the trifecta of feelings.

    Gra¡¯taul scoffed, ¡°H¡¯yn am di fyrd can un Sogesau ? ¨¢ct!¡± he stated aggressively.

    A wave of kinetic energy burst from Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s hand, slamming into the ambassador and sending him flying back 15 feet, as she lashed her hand out, ¡°Gau ti c¨¦t!¡± she growled viciously as her bright yellow eyes bore into the ambassador who lay sprawled out on the ground.

    Both Morrigan and Helen stared wide eyed at the angry Eskarii that Morrigan held as the several Eskarii guards closed in around them. Morrigan caught out of the corner of her eyes as Solomon looked around with raised eyebrows, his face contorted in a way that told her he was struggling not to laugh.

    As one of the guards assisted in helping the ambassador to his feet, another familiar voice called out, ¡°Gra¡¯taul, you should know better than to provoke my chwaeda like that,¡± the deadpan tone with a hint of amusement resonating in her ears.

    ¡°Torvil! Look! It¡¯s Mori! It¡¯s Mori!¡± Mo¡¯Emori chirped shrilly before burying her face into Morrigan¡¯s temple as Morrigan turned to see the white haired Eskarii approach, her mind losing itself to the emotional waves.

    Morrigan grinned at seeing the second Eskarii she could call a friend safe and healthy, letting a giggle slip out as Torvil stopped a safe distance away and cracked a unbecoming smirk across his face.

    ¡°Good to see you well, young Swyn¡¯wyr,¡± he stated in his usual monotone pitch.

    Morrigan tilted her head and arched her eyebrow, ¡°What? No hug from the one who nearly got me killed?¡± she said in high pitched levity as her grin widened even further.

    Torvil grunted as he eyed his sister, ¡°I know better than to get between you and my chwaeda,¡± he said, his amber eyes watching Mo¡¯Emori warily.

    ¡°Sweetie, you should probably let Morrigan put you down so she can say hi to everyone,¡± Helen said with soft amusement to the Eskarii girl who was clinging to Morrigan like a leech.

    Mo¡¯Emori shook her head, her hair disheveling as she rubbed her forehead against the side of Morrigan¡¯s head, who giggled along with her, nuzzling Mo¡¯Emori. Morrigan was beyond ecstatic to see she missed her just as much as she missed Mo¡¯Emori and seeing the silly childish side of her was a new experience for her to bask in.

    ¡°You better move that little butt girly and let me at Little Clarke!¡± came another familiar voice deep seeded in her soul as she turned to see Jennifer Simmons strutting out of the medical center.

    ¡°Holy¡­ Jen!¡± Morrigan exclaimed excitedly, even more surprised that Mo¡¯Emori had let her set her down. Jen stalked closer and hoisted Morrigan into the air in a crushing hug despite being in full armor and even having her gunblade holstered which made up the majority of the extra weight.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°There¡¯s my girl!¡± Jen exclaimed and she squeezed the air out of Morrigan¡¯s lungs, though that did not stop Morrigan¡¯s joyous laughter.

    Alright, alright I get the happy reunion and all but for the love of me... Apollyon gruffed.

    Morrigan ignored the deity in her head as Jen set her down and Mo¡¯Emori went back to clinging to her from behind, nuzzling against her cloak.

    Morrigan grabbed ahold of Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s arms looking at her long-lost family, ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so happy to see you guys,¡± she squeaked before eyeing Solomon who watched Gra¡¯taul and Torvil speak to one another.  ¡°I thought I said no more surprises, mister!¡± She called out in a high-pitched tone.

    Solomon turned and looked at her with a questioning gaze before smiling and shrugging, as if unable to help himself.

    Jen scrutinized her and put her hands on her hips dramatically, ¡°Okay, who are you and what did you do with my broody girl?¡±

    Morrigan giggled and put her finger to her lips, ¡°Shhh, she''s still up here,¡± she said in childish conspiracy as she tapped a finger on her temple, grunting as Mo¡¯Emori squeezed tighter.

    Helen and Jen both looked at her in worried curiosity before Mo¡¯Emori chimed in, ¡°She''s just happy to see us Auntie Jen!¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes went wide as she looked between her mother and Jen, ¡°Auntie Jen?¡± she giggled curiously.

    Helen¡¯s expression softened as she smiled, ¡°We have a lot of stories to tell you sweetie,¡±

    Jen turned back, ¡°Torvil! Get that man-meat over here and give Little Clarke a hug!¡±

    Torvil jumped at his lover¡¯s command as he shifted his attention to Morrigan, looking nervously at the group of women before sharing a glance with the ambassador.

    ¡°Not with Mo''Emori guarding her,¡± Torvil stated as if it were obvious.

    ¡°That may be better for the moment, given her condition,¡± Solomon interjected smoothly which drew everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What condition?!¡± Helen gasped.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Mo¡¯Emori chirped as she poked her head up with wide eyed worry.

    Morrigan loudly shushed everyone and waved the comment away, ¡°All A-okay over here! Now Mr. Grumpy-pants, get over here and give me a hug!¡± Morrigan giggled spreading her arms.

    Everyone crossed their gazes at the stalwart white haired Eskarii and the oddly quirky Inquisitor who pried herself away from Mo¡¯Emori and latched around Torvil¡¯s center mass.

    Morrigan let out a soft hum as she hugged Torvil, who cautiously and awkwardly patted her on the back, his expression reflecting the mild panic he was experiencing.

    When she stepped back releasing him, Morrigan scrutinized Torvil, who looked at her sheepishly, ¡°I see you''re still stuffy, or as Sigurd would say, ¡°Ye gots a proper stick up yer arse!¡±,¡± Morrigan said, childishly mimicking her newest recruit before bursting into a fit of giggles.

    Helen cast a worried glance at Solomon who pursed his lips and studied Morrigan¡¯s behavior.

    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s dad?¡± Morrigan spun on the group looking around only to see everyone¡¯s faces fall sullenly.

    ¡°Mom? Where is dad?¡± Morrigan asked again with worry in her voice as Helen approached her, placing her hands on Morrigan¡¯s arms tenderly.

    ¡°Honey¡­ your father was arrested a week after your disappearance, he''s in a prison on Mars,¡± Helen said with as much motherly compassion as she could muster.

    Morrigan stared at her mother for a long moment, her addled brain processing what her mother had just told her before a sharp spike of pain wracked her head causing her to stumble and wince, holding her head.

    ¡°Mori!¡± nearly everyone exclaimed in unison before rushing closer.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­I''m fine, it¡¯s just a migraine¡­¡± she lied as the pain slowly ebbed away.

    You okay kid? Apollyon inquired.

    ¡°Yeah, that just hurt¡­I don''t know what that was,¡± she responded internally.

    That was your brain righting itself, which is odd but then again, most of the time you''ve been knocked out when you''re really set in one of your personas¡­

    Morrigan shook her head before looking at Solomon, ¡°A word, Lord Inquisitor?¡± she said with a hardness in her tone.

    Solomon nodded and stoically followed her away from the group while the ambassador took the break in the reunion to address Mo¡¯Emori and Torvil.

    ¡°I¡¯d like permission to go and pull my father out of whatever prison he''s in, he shouldn''t be in there.¡± she stated sharply.

    Did you really just ask that? Apollyon asked incredulously.

    Solomon gave her a thoughtful look, ¡°You don''t need my permission Morrigan however, I do advise staying your hand for the moment. Mars is a Federation run planet, give me some time to investigate and come up with a proper plan. In the meantime, I would like you to see a medical team about that headache¡­¡±

    Morrigan growled angrily, cutting him off but nodding along seeing the wisdom of investigating and planning, ¡°Fine, I''ll wait but I''m not seeing a doctor. It¡¯s just a headache, speaking of which, why did we meet my family here?¡±

    Solomon chuckled and noted, ¡°Any on board personnel require a medical screening before being given the go ahead to walk about the Void Star. You were an exception given¡­ your recent experiences at the time.¡±

    Morrigan rolled her eyes but grunted in affirmation, ¡°Speaking of, I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn''t bring that up in front of my mother,¡± she spat.

    Solomon nodded and pursed his lips, ¡°Yes, I do apologize for my misstep in that. That is your story to share if you so choose to.¡±

    Before Morrigan could agree, her attention was pulled back to Mo¡¯Emori who began screaming in her native tongue at the ambassador.

    ¡°Hey! What the fuck is going on?¡± Morrigan shouted, abandoning Solomon where he stood as she stalked closer, a brief crackle of crimson energy crawling across her body as her anger began to peak.

    Helen and Jen both turned to see Morrigan storming over as the Eskarii bodyguards closed in around the group, fingers on the triggers of relaxed weapons.

    Mo''Emori cried as she yelled, ¡°Dy ewyl di myn¡¯d!¡± as Morrigan wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close as the Eskarii girl¡¯s tears became more prominent.

    Morrigan glared at Ambassador Gra¡¯taul before shifting her gaze to Torvil, ¡°What¡¯s going on here Torvil?¡±

    Torvil sighed, physically deflating from the position he had been put in, ¡°We are being ordered home,¡± he said.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes widened and shook her head along with the frantic shaking of Mo¡¯Emori, ¡°No, not happening. I just got you guys back.¡±

    ¡°We have to¡­¡± Mo¡¯Emori sobbed until her shoulder.

    Morrigan ground her teeth and gave Gra¡¯taul a hardened stare, ¡°Can we at least have a day? Let us spend a single day together,¡± she angrily pleaded.

    Did you really just ask again? Fucking rip his head off Mori, Apollyon gruffed in irritation.

    ¡°As much as I want to, that would cause diplomatic issues¡­¡± she replied with an equal amount of annoyance.

    Apollyon grumbled in coherently in her head telling her he conceded to her point.

    Gra¡¯taul looked down upon her with disdain before sighing, ¡°Very well but no longer, a Queen¡¯s decree waits for no one.¡±

    Morrigan gave him a firm nod before leading Mo¡¯Emori away. One thing she knew at that moment was that she needed a drink, opting to silently start walking in the direction of Pandora¡¯s Box.

    Helen looked at Torvil and Jen before looking at Solomon, ¡°May we follow her?¡± uncertain what protocol to follow.

    Solomon chuckled and nodded, ¡°Please do, I''m sure you have much to catch up on. I shall send for you in the morning. Take tonight to reconnect with your daughter,¡± he stated earnestly before joining the Eskarii ambassador who began walking away.

    Pandora¡¯s Box was thankfully barren when Morrigan and her family arrived, which made Dora pay extra attention to them.

    ¡°Who are these fabulous ladies and one delectable man with you, girl?¡± Dora mused loudly in his full flourish.

    Morrigan snickered as they approached the bar, ¡°This is Mo¡¯Emori, her brother Torvil, my mother and I guess we can call her my aunt Jen,¡± she stated as she introduced everyone individually.

    Dora greeted everyone with his brightest of smiles before taking Helen¡¯s hand in his, ¡°A pleasure to meet the woman who popped this little spitfire out, I¡¯m Dora.¡±

    ¡°Helen and thank you, I see she frequents here?¡± Helen asked in a motherly tone.

    Dora laughed, ¡°Oh honey, she damn near bleeds me dry,¡± he winked at Morrigan who turned bright red, ¡°Only kidding! What can I get for everyone?¡±

    ¡°Scotch on rocks,¡± Morrigan spat quickly before taking her seat.

    ¡°That kind of day, huh?¡± Dora asked before Helen requested a mixed drink, and Mo¡¯Emori ordered herself a beer.

    ¡°Oh, this is a celebration, Dora, not a bad day,¡± Morrigan said smirking as Mo¡¯Emori wrapped herself around her arm, leaning her head against her shoulder.

    Dora eyed Mo¡¯Emori, glancing curiously at Morrigan, ¡°Got yourself a second one, did you?¡±

    Morrigan blushed fiercely biting her lip as she eyed her first female crush rubbing her temple against her bicep humming softly to herself, choosing not to answer.

    Dora laughed and waved the notion away, ¡°Where is your rambunctious blonde anyway?¡± he inquired with amusement.

    ¡°Wait, what blonde? Since when is there a blonde!?¡± Jen perked up, releasing her hold on Torvil to stalk closer. Morrigan even saw her mother giving her a curious glance as Mo¡¯Emori looked up with wide yellow eyes.

    Morrigan sighed, feeling the heated embarrassment on her face as she glared death glares at Dora, ¡°My girlfriend, Nora¡­¡±

    Before anyone had a chance to react, the front door flew open, ¡°I have a tingling sensation going on, a certain precious must be talking about me,¡± Nora exclaimed smoothly as her icy silver eyes homed in on Morrigan.

    Speak of the devil and she will cum! Hahahaha! Apollyon mused her head loudly, cackling like mad at its terrible joke.

    ¡°Having a party without me? You wound me love,¡± Nora feigned hurt as she strode across the bar, Dora snickering behind the counter at the perfect timing.

    Morrigan snorted as she felt Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s grip on her tighten. ¡°I thought you were antagonizing your class?¡±

    Nora laughed and smiled brightly, ¡°Oh, I was but surprisingly the old man found a decent replacement for me I mean, you know, you can¡¯t recreate this godsend of a personality, but they¡¯ll do,¡± she mused before taking in the new people surrounding her lover.

    ¡°Nora, this is my family¡­¡± Morrigan started only to have Nora point at Helen.

    ¡°Oh! I know you!¡± she sniped before moving towards her mother and throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace.

    Pulling back to look at her bewildered mother, Nora¡¯s smile widened into a wicked grin, ¡°Oh yeah, she just screams Momma Mori! I can definitely see where you got all your good looks from,¡± she said gesturing to her mother¡¯s body.

    Helen¡¯s mouth hung open in awkward surprise as Morrigan face palmed, ¡°Could you please not hit on my mom¡­ Dora! Where is my drink!¡±

    Dora cackled madly as he scooted two glasses of Scotch towards her grinning like the gossip whore he was.

    ¡°What! It¡¯s a compliment! Would you rather I say you got your looks from daddy?¡± Nora mused while Helen, Dora and Jen chuckled at that.

    ¡°What in the ever-living fuck is this, Little Clarke?¡± Jen exclaimed before stalking around everyone to size Nora up.

    Nora¡¯s eyes danced with mischief before eyeing Morrigan, ¡°Damn, does everyone in your family look good?¡±

    Jen barked a laugh as Morrigan rolled her eyes and down her first glass of scotch, all the while Jen hoisted Nora off the ground in surprising speed, Nora giggling like a schoolgirl.

    ¡°Gotta say LC, idk who I like better, breed stock or this little fox,¡± Jen mused before her face faltered slightly.

    Nora however, missed the social cue, ¡°Oh please, no body has anything on me, well except Mori of course, which is usually her hands,¡± she said with a wink.

    Morrigan smiled warmly as her cheeks tingled as Nora¡¯s attention turned to Torvil who stood leaning against the bar, scrutinizing the blonde woman staring at him.

    Nora sauntered right up to him and awkwardly inspected him at every angle she could without moving her feet, leaning comically.

    ¡°What?¡± Torvil grunted.

    Nora smiled and turned, ¡°This one reminds me of Xol, all the brood. Do we have two Xol¡¯s now? Speaking of¡­ where is the big, mean and grumpy anyway?¡±

    Morrigan sipped her second glass, as she watched her mother sip on her mixed drink with appreciation, ¡°Grounded for being a dick,¡± Morrigan spat.

    Nora let out a long snort before chuckling, ¡°Since when is he not a dick?¡± she asked rhetorically before focusing on the teal haired Eskarii clinging to her girlfriend.

    A sinister and mischievous grin spread across Nora¡¯s face as Mo¡¯Emori bat her eyelashes and nuzzled her temple against Morrigan¡¯s shoulder, drawing her attention as well.

    ¡°And who, is this darling little thing you¡¯re wearing?¡± Nora said, her tone a mix of jealousy, seduction and overall curiosity.

    Morrigan¡¯s cheeks flushed, forgetting that Mo¡¯Emori had been hanging on her for the moment as she basked in the proximity of her loved ones.

    Jen leaned close to Helen and asked, ¡°What are we witnessing here?¡± loud enough for Morrigan to overhear causing her face to turn even brighter shades of red.

    ¡°Um, Nora this is Mo¡¯Emori, she was the first Eskarii I ever became friends with¡­¡±

    Nora leaned forward and brushed Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s bangs from her face in predatory tenderness, revealing wide defensive yellow eyes, before she gave Mo¡¯Emori a kind, warm smile.

    As she leaned back up, she sniggered, ¡°I have to say babe, your taste in women is just¡­ exotic,¡± causing Mo¡¯Emori to giggle girlishly.

    Morrigan chuckled in embarrassment at Nora¡¯s insinuation before finishing her drink. She was just thankful Nora did not seem entirely too jealous as she wrapped around her other side and gave her a big kiss on the cheek, ¡°Hey burning man, I¡¯ll have what she¡¯s having.¡±

    Dora snorted before he scoffed, ¡°As if that wasn¡¯t obvious,¡± he joked as he poured another scotch. Everyone aside from Torvil and Helen laughed at the joke.

    Helen just sat there processing and drinking in the vision of her long-lost daughter, pondering everything she had been through and the life she now led. Despite the awkwardness of their reunion and everything new to her, she felt pride and sorrow at missing out on so much, unable to be there for Morrigan but she could see, at least on the surface, Morrigan was doing well for herself.

    The rest of the night was spent swapping story after story, Morrigan omitting the darker details of her time since her disappearance while Jen and Mo¡¯Emori excitedly revealed detail after detail of their time together. Morrigan was beyond surprised to hear that Jen had broken through Torvil¡¯s rough exterior and found love in the brooding man, not that she left out any of the sordid details.

    She even opted to show off some of her power¡¯s abilities to surprise everyone, drawing question after question from everyone except Torvil who remained expectantly calm and silent on the matter. He eventually apologized to her for how things turned out during their escape attempt and humbly begged for her forgiveness though she felt it was unnecessary. She never once blamed Torvil for their failure.

    Morrigan also ended up telling everyone about the Marmuro¡¯k after Nora brought them up, everyone listened with profound wonderment most people displayed when hearing of her monumental feat of befriending the aggressive aliens.

    She was also surprised by her mother unofficially adopting Mo¡¯Emori and how they supported each other while they searched for her. Her heart hurt at that but was elated to see how the two of them connected so well. Despite missing out on nearly two and a half years of her life, it seemed to Morrigan that everyone¡¯s lives managed to get better after they got worse, which is all she could¡¯ve asked for.

 Chapter XVI

    Morrigan slowly sat up with a groan, looking around to find her room which had been devoid of life except for a fully clothed Nora haphazardly sprawled out next to her, snoring loudly.

    They had spent the entire day at Pandora¡¯s Box talking and catching up with her family reaching into the early hours of the morning before Nora gave her family use of the apartment she rarely used and having Morrigan carry her home. Nora, by that time, had been too drunk to walk straight leaving Morrigan to wrangle her and give her mother the address of Nora¡¯s apartment before they retired.

    Morrigan snorted at the memory of her drunk-as-a-skunk girlfriend as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at the clock that hung on the wall across from her bed.

    She rolled her sore shoulders realizing she had only managed a couple of hours of sleep before nudging Nora firmly. Nora responded with an aggressive groan before landing on the floor with a loud thump, shaking the end table violently as she tried to roll away from what disturbed her sleep.

    ¡°Fuuuck meee¡­ my head!¡± Nora groaned in pain as Morrigan started laughing. She did not like laughing at Nora¡¯s misery however, the comedic value of her fall was too much to pass up.

    Morrigan poked her head over the edge of the bed to find Nora haphazardly tangled against the bed and end table.

    ¡°I am soooo hung over¡­ what time is it?¡± Nora groaned as she peeked up to see her girlfriend''s smiling face. Nora snorted as she sluggishly rubbed her face, ¡°Stop being so pretty in the morning,¡± Nora complained.

    Morrigan snickered and swung her bare legs over the edge of the bed, carefully stepping between Nora¡¯s legs, ¡°It¡¯s seven AM.¡±

    ¡°Why in the hell did you wake me up this early!¡± Nora whined as she yawned into a wince from the pressure in her head and the alcohol induced migraine responding to her movement.

    Morrigan looked at her before standing and stepping over to her closet to fish out clothes, ¡°Because Mo¡¯Emori and Torvil are leaving¡­¡± she replied sullenly before turning to Nora who looked up at her, ¡°I want to spend as much time with them as possible, plus I need to speak to Solomon about taking Qiote home since I forgot about that¡­I figured you''d want to hang out with everyone before, well, you know.¡±

    Nora snickered as she slowly sat up, ¡°Speaking of, that Eskarii girl sure is adorable, how long has that been going on?¡± she mused winging her eyebrows suggestively.

    Morrigan chuckled as she shook her head, ¡°There is no ¡°that¡± hun. I won¡¯t lie, she was my first girl crush, but there¡¯s nothing between me and her, we were barely friends before my life went crazy¡­¡±

    Nora chuckled as she cocked her head to the side in disbelief, ¡°Oh please, that girl was attached to you like a Arista monkey,¡± she mused.

    She shook her head and eyed Nora, ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t know what that is, and second, she missed me, which I¡¯m thankful for because I missed her too. Not getting jealous, are you?¡± she asked giving Nora a questioning glance.

    ¡°Ch¡¯yea, but for entirely different reasons,¡± Nora laughed before giving her a bright grin, ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind having her sandwiched between us.¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s face burned at what Nora implied as she laughed as she dressed, ¡°Oh jeez¡­you¡¯re ridiculous, love,¡± she pointed out incredulously though her mind ran with the idea into very perverse places.

    Nora shrugged smiling before taking a whiff of herself, wrinkling her nose, ¡°Ugh okay, if we¡¯re going out, I need a shower something fierce,¡± she stated before hoisting herself up with the assistance of the bed. She stumbled as she clutched her head.

    ¡°Yep, too fast¡­ still drunk, why did you let me do this!?¡± she complained as she righted herself.

    Morrigan chuckled and shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, ¡°You were having fun and you¡¯re a big girl, you should know your limits.¡±

    ¡°Have you met me?¡± Nora asked rhetorically with a knowing smile as she fumbled around in the closet to find her own clothes. Morrigan wrapped her arms around her and pressed her face into the base of Nora¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad everyone liked you¡­¡± she said wistfully.

    Nora snorted at that before turning around and wrapping her arms around Morrigan¡¯s waist, ¡°What¡¯s not to like? I¡¯m awesome. To be fair, your mom is pretty awesome too as well as your aunt, she¡¯s all sorts of fun. Did I try fighting her last night?¡±

    Morrigan smiled and nodded, ¡°and Torvil but Dora wouldn¡¯t let you especially once the crowd showed up. He knows you well enough to know you would¡¯ve wrecked the bar,¡± she stated in amusement.

    Nora leaned back against the edge of the closet laughing, ¡°But he could¡¯ve made money! Do you know how many people would¡¯ve placed bets? Oh well, you¡¯re probably right.¡±

    Morrigan kissed her sweetly before pulling back, her nose wrinkled in disgust, ¡°Okay, you do need a shower, you smell and taste like a brewery¡­¡±

    Nora quirked her eyebrow with a sly smile, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to join me, you know.¡±

    Morrigan released her and turned, ¡°Not if you want breakfast, I¡¯m about to call mom and tell everyone to meet here so I have a bunch of food to make.¡±

    ¡°Ugh! You already have me wrapped around your fingers, why you gotta tease food like that?!¡± Nora whined.

    Morrigan laughed and shrugged as she stepped to the door, ¡°Go shower brat and I¡¯ll make it extra greasy,¡± she promised before stepping out of the room.

    She listened to Nora scramble as she walked into the living room, chuckling lightly before finding her small Marmuro¡¯k clan.

    Xol grunted in greeting as Yekku snapped to attention hearing her step out of her room.

    ¡°Morning everyone, just so you know we¡¯re having my family over today,¡± she announced.

    Yekku went off on a long string of inquiring chirps and warbles that she couldn¡¯t decipher but his energy bespoke his excitement and curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m making food, so I hope you¡¯re hungry,¡± she noted to shift Yekku¡¯s attention as well as informing the group.

    Xol was surprisingly quiet, as she noticed him sitting along the far wall, glancing away from her. Morrigan frowned, realizing that perhaps she had been too harsh with him. She knew how high Xol held her and for whatever reason, it was more of a faith than opinion in a sense, leading to the conflicting mindset of demanding obedience of those around her, especially the Marmuro¡¯k who were around during her appointed rise to station given by him.

    He¡¯s like a sulking dog, what is with you and collecting such creatures? Apollyon mused.

    ¡°Xol¡­ I''m sorry,¡± she breathed out, ignoring Apollyon.

    Xol snapped his attention to her like the loyal warrior he was, staring back at her, noticing the disappointment and remorseful look on her face.

    ¡°I''ve been unfair, I know the way you see me¡­ just know that unless someone threatens me I¡¯d prefer you to treat everyone with the same respect I give them. Is that fair?¡± she inquired.

    ¡°I follow the will of Red Death,¡± he stated in his rumbling tone with a nod.

    Good boy, kneel before your goddess hehehe

    Morrigan scrunched her face at both statements but relented. She knew she would have to live with Xol¡¯s blind devotion one way or another, at least this way she knew Xol would not mistreat any of her companions.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°Holy fucking lizards!¡± Jen exclaimed as she, Helen, and Mo¡¯Emori walked through the front door to Xol¡¯s defensive surprise, enticing a fit of laughter out of Nora and Morrigan by the surprised looks on their faces.

    Morrigan could barely stand by the time Xol realized there was no threat and set his energized mace down against the wall, letting out a hissing chuckle all the while Yekku squawked adamantly at the new arrivals.

    ¡°Sweetie¡­¡± Helen said nervously as the energetic S¡¯randin started to invade their space with little regard.

    Morrigan pried herself off the floor with spatula in hand as she forced herself to contain her laughter, eyeing the three nervous women with levity, ¡°Yekku relax, let them get settled before begging for attention,¡± she chuckled through.

    Yekku immediately started sulking with a long sullen clicking noise before Nora snapped her fingers from her stool, ¡°Come here buddy, I gotchu.¡±

    Yekku darted to Nora and shoved his face into her lap while she pet and scratched along his frills, cooing him like a puppy.

    Helen and Mo¡¯Emori both giggled at that while they found their seats, Jen still eyeing Xol warily as she found a spot to sit.

    Morrigan went back to cooking for a moment before turning and introducing everyone, ¡°Marmuro¡¯k, this is my mother Helen, my aunt Jen and my, sist¡­ friend, Mo¡¯Emori...¡± she tried putting words to her mother adopting Mo¡¯Emori unofficially, though she concluded that sister was way to awkward as she blushed. ¡°Everyone, these are the Marmuro¡¯k, Yekku-Kri¡¯ket, Xol-Tau, Hi¡¯tet-Tau and over there is Qiote-Arak¡¯tarul.¡±

    ¡°What are Marmuro¡¯k?¡± Helen asked her daughter.

    Morrigan went back to cooking as she replied, explaining the short speech she had memorized by that point. Morrigan heard a loud thump and turned to see Xol bending a knee to her mother.

    ¡°Xol-Tau hakk? j? dax¡¯ikakun¨º l? Mirina Sor,¡± Xol rumbled with a respectful bow just in time for Morrigan to witness it.

    ¡°Really Xol? That''s not¡­ okay, okay fine,¡± Morrigan sighed in defeat as Xol ignored her as he stood and went back to watching everyone in the room.

    Helen¡¯s wide eyes shifted from the massive white K¨ºzi¡¯kan to her daughter in bewilderment, ¡°What was that?¡±

    I am just loving this ha! Apollyon snickered.

    ¡°Yeah, this is interesting alright¡­¡± Morrigan replied in her head with exhaustion.

    Morrigan smirked and shrugged at her mother, ¡°I don''t know, he said some new words but I think he was either respectfully greeting you as a higher rank than he is or swearing fealty, could go either way,¡± Morrigan guessed while turning to Xol who merely nodded to her questioning stare.

    Helen quirked an eyebrow and cocked her head, ¡°But why?¡± she asked looking between the white K¨ºzi¡¯kan and her daughter.

    ¡°Mirina Sor,¡± Xol stated, pointing at Morrigan.

    ¡°What the hell is a mirnasol?¡± Jen asked blatantly confused, earning an annoyed hiss at her mispronunciation of her title.

    Morrigan glared at Xol before looking to all three women, ¡°Mirina Sor. It means Red Death in their language¡­¡±

    Jen gave her an inquisitive look, ¡°How the hell did you earn a title like that?¡±

    Morrigan didn¡¯t want to talk about her darkest point in her life to her mom, nor Jen and Mo¡¯Emori for that matter as she looked away towards Nora, who wore a concerned expression before she looked back to Jen, raising her free hand and calling forth her crimson claws of destructive energy,  ¡°I think it¡¯s obvious¡­¡± she said in a disheartened tone. Helen frowned at that, her heart hurting at the notion of the horrid things her daughter must have gone through.

    Morrigan turned her back on the conversation and pulled out plates and silverware. She set it out as she watched Mo¡¯Emori pander to Yekku¡¯s attention seeking nature as she pet him, giggling each time his forked tongue flicked out poking her.

    ¡°You hungry Yekku?¡± Morrigan asked expecting his reaction with a sly smirk.

    Yekku¡¯s head shot up as his wide eyes homed in on her and began squawking and bobbing his head spastically to which Mo¡¯Emori squealed like a little girl to.

    ¡°Oh my Goddesses, you¡¯re so cute!¡± she said shrilly before wrapping around his long neck and pulling him towards her, only to get pulled off the stool and pulling Yekku to the ground in a dramatic flourish.

    Yekku chirped and warbled dramatically as Mo¡¯Emori proverbially attacked him with adoration.

    Nora smirked at Morrigan as she pulled a massive stack of broiled meat from the bottom of the stove and began serving food onto the various plates.

    ¡°I think we just found the perfect playmate for the little shit,¡± Nora mused.

    Morrigan chuckled as she watched Mo¡¯Emori and Yekku roll around the living room without a care in the world, ¡°Right? Hey, where is Torvil?¡±

    Jen leaned across the island and snagged one of the steaks before anyone else could get to them, ¡°Talking with the ambassador, I tell you that man is all work and no play, well, unless I make him,¡± she chuckled as she started eating with avarice.

    Helen chuckled at that as Morrigan shook her head as she started passing out plates of food, ¡°Okay gross, keep your sex life to yourself please,¡± Morrigan complained.

    Once food was dished out, the time was mostly spent in silence aside from Yekku¡¯s chirping as he ate. Morrigan spied Qiote mindlessly eating and staring off into space and let out a deep sigh, ¡°Hey, Qiote?¡±

    The S¡¯randin¡¯s head shifted just enough to put one eye on her as he let out a click in response. ¡°I''m going to talk to Solomon today, I promise sweetie,¡± she said sweetly with a tinge of remorse at forgetting about speaking to Solomon the day prior.

    Everyone watched Qiote slowly stand and carry the nearly empty plate towards her, setting the plate down and booping his snout against her temple with three soft clicking noises.

    She smiled and kissed him on the snout, running her hand over the crest of his right eye, ¡°You¡¯re welcome buddy, if you want you can go stay in my room.¡±

    Qiote sighed and bobbed his head slowly as he turned and walked towards her room, ¡°Sorry if it smells a little! That was all me dude!¡± Nora called out behind her, earning a smirk out of Morrigan.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Helen asked as she eyed the alien lizard sulking off.

    Morrigan sighed and picked at her food, letting it sink in that she would soon give up one of her friends to their home world. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt but she knew it was the right thing to do. ¡°He¡¯s homesick, so I need to tell Solomon that I¡¯m going to take him home¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to Tik¡¯taq¡¯to? Mori that''s so dangerous!¡± Mo¡¯Emori blurted out in surprise and worry.

    Morrigan gave the Eskarii girl a soft smile, ¡°yeah, it probably will be but he''s not a captive. If he wants to go home then I have to get him home, besides, I think Xol and the others can vouch for me.¡±

    Xol let out a deep rumble in thought, ¡°Yes. Mirina Sor is safe by Clan Tau word,¡± he stated slowly.

    Mo¡¯Emori furrowed her teal eyebrows as she looked between Morrigan and Xol.

    Morrigan chuckled, ¡°Yes, he can speak Terran¡­ well sort of. Only he can and it¡¯s a little broken but his Terran has improved dramatically since I met him.¡±

    Xol hummed and raised his chin in pride, ¡°You honor me Red Death,¡± he spoke in his own language.

    Morrigan narrowed her eyes at him playfully, ¡°Quiet you, I see what you''re doing,¡± she responded in near fluid Marmuro¡¯k as she smiled knowingly at him.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    His sinister fanged grin proved her point as everyone besides Nora looked at her, dumbfounded. Even while being complimented, he still managed to make it about her.

    Morrigan spotted the emotionally wide smile on her mother''s face as she stared at her, the glossy sheen of tears filling her eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Morrigan asked with curious amusement as she smiled awkwardly under her mother''s gaze.

    Helen shook her head slowly, taking a deep breath leaden with emotion, ¡°I just¡­ it¡¯s a lot you know?¡± Helen started as Morrigan cocked her said to the side, ¡°Yesterday you were my baby girl, Mori, and within two years so, so much has changed¡­¡±

    Morrigan frowned as she watched a stray tear slide down her mother¡¯s cheek, ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    Helen shook her head as she wiped her tear stained cheek, sniffling, ¡°I can¡¯t change what happened as much as I wish I could.  None of us wanted those last two years to happen but¡­ you were just a girl going through the motions and you went through horrible things¡­¡±

    Morrigan frowned as she set her fork down, sighing, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Everyone stopped eating to watch the conversation, Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s long ears curving downward slightly in sadness as Jen shook her head.

    Helen looked at her daughter, drinking her visage in, ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to agree with that Mori. I don¡¯t even know everything that happened to you¡­ I know there are things you haven¡¯t told us,¡± she said, watching Morrigan bite her lip and shift her gaze away.

    ¡°In time I¡¯ll tell you but¡­¡± Morrigan stated only to be cut off.

    ¡°Its okay sweetie, we understand¡­ I think what I¡¯m trying to say is with everything that has happened¡­ I couldn''t be more proud of you!¡±

    That grasped Morrigan¡¯s attention. Even Nora shifted in her seat with a tilted head in confusion.

    Helen stifled a chuckle as she glanced around the room, ¡°I mean, look at what you¡¯ve become. You¡¯re an Inquisitor, Mori¡­ you¡¯ve built a connection with the Marmuro¡¯k, even some Eskarii adore you,¡± she said glancing at Mo¡¯Emori who grinned brightly, nodding at Morrigan, ¡°It¡¯s just a lot to process¡­ one day you were a wide eyed teenager who was just beginning her life and the next¡­ you¡¯re a strong, beautiful, and independent woman making a huge name for herself, who found her place and even found love in the dark,¡± Helen said as she gave Nora a sweet smile.

    Nora rubbed her eyes and sniffed, ¡°Oh hell, your mom is totally going to make me cry babe!¡± Nora complained as she gave Morrigan an emotional smile.

    Morrigan already had tears streaming down her cheeks as she gave Nora a tight lipped smile before stepping around the counter and throwing her arms around her mother, holding her tight.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she pushed out as her mother hugged her just as tight.

    There was a knock at the door that broke the emotional tension as Xol stood up and stomped towards the door, opening it to reveal a bright eyed Emily.

    ¡°Hey everyone,¡± Emily chirped as Xol stepped aside letting her enter.

    Morrigan wiped her face on her sleeve, regaining her composure, ¡°What¡¯s up Emily?¡±

    Emily looked around the room before Yekku barreled into her, nearly knocking the red head over with an excited squawk as he rubbed his face against her. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and giving the S¡¯randin a hug, ¡°Hi Yekku!¡±

    Emily divided her attention between the needy S¡¯randin and Morrigan, ¡°Lord Solomon asked me to escort Mrs. Clarke to the Cathedral.¡±

    Nora scrunched her nose in disgust, ¡°Dove, you shouldn''t call him that, it makes it sound like you have an old man fetish!¡±

    Emily turned a bright shade of red that nearly matched her red hair, all the while Apollyon started cackling like mad in Morrigan¡¯s head.

    See! I told you that was a real thing!

    Morrigan snorted as she smiled,  ¡°Oh, now you speak up, and here I figured you would¡¯ve been complaining about all the sappy emotions,¡± Morrigan fired back sardonically in her head.

    Apollyon chuckled at that.

    Eh, at this point I''m kinda used to your bleeding heart, kid. Sure it''s still annoyingly nauseating but it could be worse, hell it has been worse.

    Morrigan nodded to herself before taking a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ll come with, I have to speak with Solomon anyways. Besides, we should probably find Torvil and kick his butt for missing breakfast.¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori giggled at that notion and nodded, ¡°Yeah! Bra¡¯cut brawder!¡± she exclaimed excitedly.

    Helen snickered and eyed Mo¡¯Emori, ¡°Language missy, I didn''t let Mori curse and I won¡¯t let you either,¡± she playfully chastised, Morrigan and Jen both laughing at that notion.

    Mo¡¯Emori playfully stuck her tongue out at Helen as Jen wrapped her around Helen¡¯s neck, ¡°Come on momma, let the kids be kids! What¡¯s a little bit of naughty language?¡±

    Helen laughed and side eyed Jen, ¡°Just wait until you have kids, see how you like it when they start cussing up a storm.¡±

    Morrigan watched as Jen¡¯s demeanor shift into a manner she had never seen in the aloof woman she grew up around, ¡°Yeahhh¡­¡± Jen sighed before jerking Helen¡¯s face towards hers and dragging her tongue along her cheek.

    Helen sputtered and wiped the saliva away as Jen laughed, switching back to her joyous nature, ¡°Besides, you think I could keep kids from swearing? They¡¯ll be just as bad as I am!¡±

    ¡°Nora, are you coming with?¡± Morrigan asked.

    Nora stood from the stool and sauntered around the island, ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll stay and clean up, maybe I''ll get them to do something useful and help clean,¡± she shot Yekku a wild eyed glance that caused him to perk his head up and offer a warbling reply of insult.

    Xol hissed in low rumbling laughter as Nora wrapped her arms around the back of her girlfriend''s neck and pulled her in for a tender kiss, ¡°You go have fun with your family love,¡± she said pulling back before beginning to collect dirty dishes and utensils.

    Morrigan watched Nora with appreciation and adoration as she focused on cleaning. She had never known her girlfriend to clean so it meant a lot that she was willing to take care of the mess so she could spend more time with her family.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ alright, I guess we should get going,¡± she stated turning to her mother who nodded with a sincere smile.

    Morrigan, Emily, Jen, Mo¡¯Emori and Xol made their way in the direction of the Cathedral, Morrigan pointing things out along the way that she felt they would find interesting such as the training areas or the quartermaster areas.

    Helen never stopped watching Morrigan with such a loving gaze as they continued down the main thoroughfare, however, a question continuously gnawed at the back of Helen¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Mori?¡± she said sweetly to garner her daughter¡¯s attention. When Morrigan focused on her she finally brought up the daunting question, ¡°How did you get your mage abilities? We don''t have the bloodline for it¡­ and your power is, as far as I know, one of a kind.¡±

    Oh this should be fun hehehe Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan sighed in dejection, unsure how to really explain what happened without revealing the existence of gods.

    ¡°Do you remember when I fell down that crevasse? I um¡­ ended up knocked out from that and when I woke up I was seriously injured¡­¡± she started before biting her lip thinking, ¡°At some point during that time, something¡­ kind of like, awakened within me¡­¡± she watched everyone but Xol look at her with intense, questioning stares.

    Ah come on little goddess, that''s a lame explanation!

    Morrigan looked away from their inquisitive stares and focused ahead as her heart hammered within her chest, ¡°I healed¡­ painfully. What ever woke up inside of me cause all of my injuries to heal rapidly¡­ broken bones, split skull¡­ I thought I was going to die down there as I blacked out from the pain, but, when I woke up I felt new¡­ like a whole new person.¡±

    She could feel their eyes on her though she did not look,  her story encapsulating them in perpetual disbelief and confusion, ¡°I found my way to the waterfall and in one of my fits I, well, I beat on the wall of the waterfall until it collapsed, my power responding to my anger¡­¡±

    Helen finally spoke, ¡°But genetically, you¡¯re not a mage¡­¡±

    Oh she couldn¡¯t be more correct, you are something far better, something far more powerful¡­ Apollyon stated with a sinister hiss

    Morrigan nodded at that and let out a deep breath. ¡°I know, but I don''t know what I am¡­ all I know is this power, what ever it is, saved my life and has kept me alive for the past two years¡­¡± she told them in a partial lie. She felt guilty for not telling them the truth but the existence of her power was dangerous enough as it was, to throw in the existence of living gods would only cause greater strife in the universe that was already threatening to pull itself apart at the seams.

    Mo¡¯Emori gently placed her hand on Morrigan¡¯s shoulder causing her to flinch, though thankful that her power did not respond violently as she turned to look at the beautiful Eskarii.

    ¡°You are Mori. The same Mori who did silly things to make me smile. Sweet and gentle Mori who loved the Eskarii and little furry animals, the one who cried in my arms after yelling at Mr. Yuma. You are our Mori,¡± Mo¡¯Emori sharply stated with profound certainty. The image she saw her in was enough to make Morrigan want to cry because deep down, she knew she wasn¡¯t that awkward, silly girl anymore.

    Morrigan pursed her lips and gently nodded, unable to sell the belief that there had not been too much torture and violence between her two lives for her to remain the same. She appreciated to no end what Mo¡¯Emori was trying to tell her, but she could not make herself believe it after all that she went through.

    She¡¯s not wrong little reaper, you¡¯re very much the same before we met, Apollyon pointed out.

    ¡°How?¡± Morrigan asked incredulously as she faced forward and led them up the long road to the stairs of the Cathedral.

    Who you are is who you''ve always been. Deep down within that infernal core of yours that burns like the hottest of stars is where your true self has always lived. The only difference between now and then is simple; you''ve evolving into what you were always meant to be. Apollyon stated with a dark passion, sending a shiver down Morrigan¡¯s spine as she contemplated of its words in silence.

    The massive archway doors expanded in their glory as the sensors detected her Inquisitor¡¯s badge that she had clipped to her belt, her family taking in the magnitude of the beautiful gothic cathedral that served as the Inquisition¡¯s headquarters.

    Morrigan spied Solomon in his normal spot in front of the massive computer terminal atop the raised platform, where he was speaking with Torvil and Ambassador Gra¡¯taul, who spoke adamantly in return, while his personal guard were standing off to the sides, all turning to eye the approach of her group.

    ¡°Torvil! You missed breakfast and cute S¡¯randin!¡± Mo¡¯Emori shouted across the expansive room, her voice booming with an echo that caused her to blush as everyone in the Cathedral turned to look at her. Morrigan smiled as the group chuckled at the Eskarii¡¯s adorable antics.

    Torvil looked down at his bubbly sister with his usual stern demeanor before stepping down the platform, ¡°My chwaeda, I hope your time was good?¡±

    Both Mo¡¯Emori and Jen stalked towards him, though Jen hooked herself around his arm and planted a big kiss on his cheek, to Morrigan¡¯s surprise, causing a small smirk to crack his deadpan visage.

    ¡°You missed out on so much fun brawder! Mori is going to kick your butt!¡± Mo''Emori sang before giggling innocently as she turned and gave Morrigan an evil sisterly grin.

    Morrigan grinned her best evil grin she could muster before shifting her gaze to Torvil, who''s amber eyes went wide at the implied threat.

    ¡°Sogesau, I hope you enjoyed your time but it is time to leave,¡± Gra¡¯taul¡¯s voice thundered throughout the room.

    Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s childish demeanor shattered into panic, ¡°What, no! I don¡¯t want to go home! I want to stay with Mori and Mem an¨ª fy Mo¡¯dryb!¡± She yelled as anxiety fueled sadness encompassed her features.

    ¡°Sweetie¡­ if you¡¯re needed at home you should go, I¡¯ll still be here when you can come back,¡± Helen stated as she stepped forward, sadness resonating through her tone though she tried to uphold her stoic persona. Morrigan frowned at the silent heartbreak she was witnessing as Mo¡¯Emori plunged herself into Helen¡¯s arms and began crying.

    ¡°Mo¡¯Emori, we can¡¯t say no¡­¡± Torvil stated though even Morrigan could see he did not like seeing his sister so upset.

    Mo¡¯Emori turned to her brother with tear filled eyes, ¡°Then they come with us¡­¡±

    Torvil scoffed and shook his head, ¡°You know that is not possible, it would not be allowed,¡± he stated as if it were a common truth which caused Helen and Morrigan both to give him a questioning look.

    ¡°But Mori is an Inquisitor! She can go! And Mem can go to and you would take Auntie Jen! How could you think to leave your cy¡¯mar!?¡± Mo¡¯Emori cried as Solomon and Gra¡¯taul approached, the ambassador¡¯s scowl made Morrigan grind her teeth.

    ¡°Enough of this foolishness Mo¡¯Emori, your queen demands your return,¡± the ambassador said aggressively.

    ¡°Shut up! I won¡¯t leave without them!¡± Mo¡¯Emori screamed as Helen pulled her tightly against her chest to keep her from blasting the ambassador again.

    ¡°Mo¡¯Emori¡­¡± her mom said softly, but Morrigan watched the ambassador balance on the cusp of loosing his cool.

    ¡°Torvil, a word?¡± Jen said prominently before dragging him off to a quieter corner to whisper in his ear.

    Morrigan¡¯s divided attention watched Torvil pale to a shade of white she never imagined while spotting the ambassador¡¯s face turning a shade of red that spoke of his breaking point.

    Just as he went to chastise Mo¡¯Emori, Morrigan stepped between them and flared her crimson wings in a brilliant and threatening display, ¡°You may wish to be wary of the next thing you say,¡± Morrigan snapped darkly as Solomon took a single step back, the retinue of Eskarii guards snapping their weapons up ready to defend their ambassador. Xol also let out a threatening hiss, she could hear the crackle of energy from his mace which caused several of the guard to flinch.

    Helen and Mo¡¯Emori both gasped at Morrigan¡¯s intervention. ¡°Inquisitor Clarke, I don¡¯t think this is necessary,¡± Solomon stated retaking a step forward stoically as an authority figure.

    ¡°Oh, it is quite necessary,¡± she drawled out with a sinister tone, her crimson claws slowly enveloping her hands as she stared down the ambassador who glared at her indignantly, ¡°Mo¡¯Emori is the kindest, most warm hearted being on this hive world and she will not be talked down to like a mere child!¡± she growled out at Gra¡¯taul.

    Without provocation, Torvil stood between Morrigan and the ambassador and his personal guard, his back to her as he addressed Gra¡¯taul in a frantic and panicked figure. They¡¯re coming with. No arguments! Yr Maw¡¯y¨¦da ¨¦wy l¡¯roeso g¨ªda agor¨¦ bri¨¦.¡±

    Ambassador Gra¡¯taul''s face twisted in anger and shock at Torvil¡¯s interjection, ¡°This is ridiculous!¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s energy dissipate as she watched Torvil come unglued as he stepped forward and grabbed Gra¡¯taul by the collar, ¡°By the Goddesses shut your mouth or I will throw you out of an airlock! They are coming and that is final!¡±

    Morrigan looked back to see Mo¡¯Emori and her mother¡¯s shocked expression before turning to see a smug looking Jen striding back up to the group.

    ¡°What the hell did you say to him?¡± Morrigan loudly whispered as Torvil continued to berate the man.

    Jen just gave her a look filled with levity as she put her finger to her lips, watching her lover terrorize the ambassador into submission through zealous panic.

    You don¡¯t feel that? The tiny little seed of my sister¡¯s energy coming from within her? Apollyon pointed out.

    Morrigan scrunched her face in confusion and scrutinized Jen, trying to focus on this supposed energy. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling anything¡­ wait you said tiny? Like tiny-tiny? That would mean¡­¡± she glanced between Torvil and Jen quickly, slowly connecting dots with the fact that Jen oddly chose not to drink last night when she was the first one drunk normally.

    ¡°Jen? Are you¡­ pregnant?¡± Morrigan leaned closer and whispered inquisitively.

    Jen¡¯s eyes snapped to her wide in surprise to find she figured it out and slapped her hand over Morrigan¡¯s mouth, ¡°Shhh! Say nothing!¡± Jen whispered harshly.

    ¡°Mo¡¯Emori, we¡¯re leaving!¡± Torvil demanded as she turned and hooked his hand around his sister¡¯s arm. She jerked back and gave him a concerned look.

    ¡°Torvil, what¡¯s going on?¡± she demanded.

    Torvil looked to her, then to Jen who gave him a knowing smirk, scanning everyone who now stared at him in confusion. He let out a deep breath as he turned his attention back to his sister, ¡°Just¡­ trust me, my chwaeda.¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori frowned but nodded as Helen gave Solomon a questioning look, ¡°But Mr. Solomon¡­ I thought I was here to discuss a new role here?¡±

    Solomon chuckled as he absorbed the change of events, ¡°On the contrary Mrs. Clarke, I¡¯ve spent much of the morning advocating your passage to the Eskarii home world. I think it would be significantly more productive and helpful if you went with as a liaison of the human race given your relationship with Mo¡¯Emori and Torvil.¡±

    Helen cocked her head in confusion, ¡°But¡­ how could I be a liaison?¡±

    Solomon stepped closer, ¡°Given your experience both with the Federation and the CoU, as well as your vast knowledge, and your kindled relationship, I think you would serve as a shining example of what a Terran truly is,¡± he said with a smile before giving Morrigan a respectful glance.

    Morrigan and Helen were both surprised, though Helen was more dumbfounded by his words as Morrigan struggled with the idea of her mother leaving again.

    ¡°Solomon¡­ I was really hoping my mom could come with me¡­¡± Morrigan interjected sullenly.

    Solomon gave her an understanding smile, ¡°I am not surprised, though your mother would be significantly safer with your companions here rather than aboard one of our star ships, or even on the Void Star for that matter. Your mother is the best candidate to visit and solidify relations with the Eskarii and their queen.¡±

    Morrigan sighed dejectedly as dozens of arguments spun through her mind, none being worthy enough to voice, ¡°I get it¡­¡± she said as she looked to her mother, who stared at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°It may be for the best, I needed to talk to you about traveling to the Marmuro¡¯k home world to bring Qiote home¡­ his recent depressive attitude stems from homesickness and wishes to return there¡­¡± Morrigan said shifting the topic as well as selling his own argument.

    Solomon¡¯s eyebrows raised at that as he hummed thoughtfully, ¡°Well, if anyone were to travel there unharmed, it would be you, Morrigan. Though I will say it is still a substantial risk, the Marmuro¡¯k are not known for their hospitality within their territory. I have no arguments but I do advise caution.¡±

    Morrigan nodded at that, ¡°Xol has already promised us safe passage. So that shouldn''t be an issue¡­¡± she trailed off as she watched Torvil begin ushering Mo¡¯Emori and Jen towards the door, following the ambassador who managed to slink around her with his retinue.

    Helen also noticed and waved her arms in defeated confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on¡­¡±

    Morrigan stepped to her mother and threw her arms around her, ¡°Its time to say goodbye again¡­ just, trust Torvil mom, his reasons are, understandable¡­¡± she said with sadness lining her words.

    ¡°I guess¡­ but I¡¯ll be back I promise you Mori¡­ I just didn''t expect to be sent anywhere when I got here¡­¡± Helen responded with equal sadness.

    Morrigan nodded her understanding, ¡°It¡¯s okay mom, I think you¡¯ll have fun. I have my own adventure to start, just be safe, mom. I hear the Eskarii home world is gorgeous,¡± she said trying to sell her mother on the idea.

    Morrigan caught Mo¡¯Emori looking back at her and gave the beautiful Eskarii girl a small wave and reluctant smile as she watched Torvil lead them towards the slowly opening doors.

    Mo¡¯Emori broke rank and sprinted back towards her, disregarding her brother¡¯s aggravated protests. Morrigan was prepared this time as Mo¡¯Emori barreled into her and wrapped around her neck tightly with a stifled cry. Morrigan held her tight, pressing her cheek against Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s long ear, feeling her warmth radiate against her as Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s grip tightened around her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Mo¡¯Emori, we¡¯ll see each other soon and we can finally go get that coffee we talked about,¡± Morrigan said softly to her.

    She felt her nod against her cheek with a saddened giggle as she pulled back enough to look Morrigan in the eyes. Morrigan saw her acceptance shift as Mo¡¯Emori calmed, giving her a soft smile with her bright yellow eyes boring into her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you happy and healthy, my Mori, I know where you¡¯re going¡­¡± she said with a complete shift in demeanor, her tone speaking with a higher dignity and stoicism as she brushed her slender fingers along Morrigan¡¯s temples before cupping her head tenderly, ¡°Be cautious and safe, my Mori, so we can see each other again,¡± she added in a soft yet commanding tone.

    Before Morrigan could react, Mo¡¯Emori pulled her face to her and kissed her deeply, throwing Morrigan¡¯s mind for a loop as all cognitive thought stopped, her grip on the Eskarii girl loosening in surprise as she stared into the closed eyes of Mo¡¯Emori.

    Apollyon snickered and catcalled in the back of her head as the deity radiated amusement.

    Mo¡¯Emori pulled away, out of Morrigan¡¯s frozen stance and turned walking down the long corridor of the Cathedral, looking back with a coy smirk as she waved over her shoulder.

    ¡°Did, she just¡­?¡± Morrigan sputtered pointing to Mo¡¯Emori as she looked at her mother who sniggered in amusement before nodding.

    ¡°You should''ve have seen her on the way here, I''ve come to learn that she has a very interesting personality especially when it comes to you hun¡­ I guess this means it''s my turn to take my leave¡­¡± Helen stated before hugging her daughter one last time.

    Morrigan¡¯s faculties slowly restarted as she gently hugged her mom, her brain still trying to process what had just happened, ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯ll be safe mom and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have fun,¡± she said with mixed emotions. She knew she could not have everything she wanted, as much as she hated the idea of saying goodbye to her mother again, but Solomon¡¯s idea was a good one and took solace in the fact that she would not be alone.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m only just going to be meeting the queen of an entire species,¡± Helen said sarcastically as she pulled away, taking in the view of her daughter one last time, ¡°Take care of yourself sweetie¡­ and tell Nora I said to watch over you otherwise she¡¯s in big trouble,¡± she said trying to leave on a humorous note.

    Morrigan chuckled at that, ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve met Nora, she¡¯s nothing but trouble.¡± Helen laughed at that with levity as she touched Morrigan¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Give the Queen my regards when you meet her Mrs. Clarke, and have no fear, she is a pleasant woman,¡± Solomon interjected with a wide smile, giving her a respectful nod.

    Helen snorted at that, ¡°That doesn''t help me much, though I guess I should be thankful for the opportunity to meet such a person¡­¡± she noted before stepping away, giving her daughter a reluctant wave as she turned.

 Chapter XVII

    ¡°She kissed you huh? Or was it you kissed her?¡± Nora snickered as she hung limply off the semi circular sofa within the Inquisitor¡¯s quarters of the Archangel.

    Morrigan openly told Nora what had happened at the Cathedral, not wishing to hide or be untruthful. She started making dinner as the Archangel coasted through the galaxy hours away from the Void Star at that point.

    ¡°I was too shocked to even move¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting her to do that especially after finding out Torvil got Jen pregnant!¡± she exclaimed at the enlightening revelation.

    Yekku and Nora both popped their heads over the top of the sofa, Yekku chirping adamantly, ¡°I don¡¯t care either way, I just wish I could''ve seen that hot encounter,¡± Nora mused.

    Morrigan turned to find the wide eyed S¡¯randin staring at her with a flick of his tongue and Nora grinning at her, ¡°You seriously want that? Like for us to have some kind of polygamous relationship or something?¡± Morrigan asked in disbelief.

    Nora grinned wider and shrugged, ¡°I don''t know about any of that but could you blame me if I did? She''s gorgeous and her personality is cuter than a kitten in a slipper! How could you not want a piece of that?!¡±

    Damn, you know, I don''t think I¡¯d ever want to be stuck in your girl¡¯s head. You may have a coked up gerbil in here but that girl doesn¡¯t even have a wheel, just a bunch of mice scurrying about the place!

    Morrigan snorted into laughter at Apollyon¡¯s comment. She shook her head at the comment as Sigurd, who had been standing next to the door under the watchful eye of Xol, chimed in,  ¡°Wait! Yer tellin¡¯ me ye could have been knuckle deep in an all lass threesome and yer draggin¡¯ our arses across the galaxy to a planet filled with aliens who would rather gut ye than share a cup? Yer as mad as a bag of ferrets lass! That''s just feck¡¯d up priorities!¡±

    Oh! That''s a good one I''m definitely stealing that one!

    Nora laughed at that and pointed, ¡°See! He gets it!¡±

    Morrigan shook her head at the perverted companions she kept around her, ¡°You two are ridiculous! Besides¡­ if anything, it was a goodbye kiss, it probably doesn¡¯t mean what you''re thinking.¡±

    Nora scoffed dramatically as Sigurd who rubbed his face in disbelief, ¡°She really believes that wasn¡¯t something!¡±

    ¡°Would you two stop? I mean, you''re my girlfriend, shouldn¡¯t you be like, upset that some one kissed me?¡± Morrigan huffed out as she turned back to Nora.

    ¡°The wee lass is mental¡­¡± Sigurd groaned as he paced the floor, acting as if Morrigan¡¯s words were some cosmic mystery.

    Nora chuckled at the question and leaned her head to the side as if inspecting something adorable with an amused grin,  ¡°Precious¡­ my entire life has been nothing but hook ups and beneficial friendships, if you¡¯re asking if I¡¯m going to get mad at someone kissing you, who you foolishly didn''t kiss back? Hell no. Shit, if you told me you planned on dating her I¡¯d drag her to the bedroom and help break her in,¡± she laughed out as she watched Morrigan¡¯s face twist into a look of dismay.

    ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± Morrigan breathed out, unbelieving the conversation she was having.

    ¡°Mori, there is a call waiting for you from the Void Star on the bridge,¡± Sister chimed in drawing her attention.

    ¡°Thank fuck, Xol take over,¡± she commanded as she stormed towards the door.

    ¡°I think ye broke the wee lass,¡± Sigurd pointed out loudly as the door opened.

    ¡°Stow it Sigurd or I''ll throw you out an airlock!¡± Morrigan called out behind her as she disappeared into the corridor. Using Torvil¡¯s threat towards the ambassador as her own.

    Nora sniggered as Yekku bumped his head against her, Qiote standing next to Xol in the kitchen area now as Sigurd flashed Nora a bright smile, ¡°She can¡¯t get rid of me, I¡¯m a lass¡¯s best friend, ye can use me then kick me out and I even vibrate!¡±

    Nora snorted at that as she pet the S¡¯randin and shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re selling yourself to the wrong women dude, I¡¯m strictly chicks and heaven help any man who touches Mori, last guy to do that got his arm cut off,¡± she pointed out wistfully.

    ¡°Och, no matter. We¡¯re aboard a ship full of willin¡¯ lasses,¡± Sigurd dismissed only to have Yekku start warbling and squawking at him aggressively. Xol releasing a hissing laughter from the kitchen.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Morrigan stepped off the elevator with ease, forgetting her hatred of elevators as she was just glad to be away from that conversation.

    Morrigan took in the docile atmosphere around the bridge, Shepard turning and giving her a respectful nod before gesturing to Morrigan¡¯s command console.

    Morrigan found the correct button she needed to accept the call and console projected an image of Solomon standing within the Cathedral, ¡°Solomon? Is everything okay?¡± she asked in surprise before realizing he would probably be the only person to ever call her from the Void Star. His expression though, was worrisome.

    ¡°That all depends, I have received word from a CoU Destroyer in the Sol system that there is a full scale prison riot taking place on Mars. This may be the best chance for you to get your father out of there undetected,¡± Solomon stated factually.

    ¡°Avery drop us from FTL full stop! Sarilla, plot us a course to Mars right away!¡± Morrigan ordered wasting no time, her voice carrying the tone of a proper commander.

    ¡°Morrigan, take heed. It¡¯s only a matter of time till the Federation responds to the pleas of the foundries¡­ please exercise some caution, you may end up in open conflict with the Federation during this raid¡­¡± Solomon stated ominously.

    Despite Morrigan¡¯s elevated anxiety, she knew what Solomon was getting at. The Federation had no idea where she had run off to after Castile V, per their information, she passed without a trace. Now, she may be presenting herself full frontal, but that would not keep her from rescuing her father.

    ¡°I understand and thank you, for telling me,¡± she said with a determined nod.

    Solomon signed off as the Archangel¡¯s entire momentum shifted drastically as Avery pulled the ship out of FTL transit, causing several alarms to go off as well as several heads of departments to start complaining over the open comm.

    Shepard righted herself and brushed off her sleeve before giving Morrigan a hard look, ¡°What sort of personal vendetta are you trying to drag my ship into Mori?¡±

    Morrigan bit her lip sheepishly, ¡°Shit, I promise I was going to bring this up to you Shepard¡­ but I didn''t expect the opportunity so soon,¡± she sighed and continued, ¡°My father was taken prisoner by the Federation and forced into slave labor like I was on Castile¡­ Solomon asked me to wait until he devised a proper plan of action to get my father out but it seems the window has presented itself now¡­¡±

    Shepard thought on her reasoning and honesty, comparing the point that Solomon had been the one to contact her about her father¡¯s situation. ¡°Very well. Sarilla, what is our time frame for arrival?¡±

    ¡°If we cut through the Bajor system and cut through most of Sol with FTL¡­ we can get there in¡­ 68 hours, unless we can sling shot ourselves with the multiple gravitational pulls by the passing suns¡­ then we can shave off five hours off that¡­¡± Sarilla said over her shoulder though her tone hinted worry.

    ¡°Is that dangerous to do?¡± Morrigan asked.

    Sarilla turned her chair around and sighed, ¡°Very, because we have little control over our trajectory during FTL so it¡¯s entirely possible a great enough gravitational pull can throw us off course or worse...¡±

    Morrigan sighed at the woman and bit her lip. As much as it stoked her anger that she could not get there faster, if only by a few hours earlier at most, she knew she could not endanger the crew with that miniscule of a cut in the travel time. She also assumed Shepard would override her order if she did decide to risk the ship in that manner.

    ¡°We won¡¯t do that. Plot the first course but we need to move right away,¡± her voice heavy with anxiety, before looking to the ceiling, ¡°Sister, give my apologies to those affected by my order to drop out of FTL. I take full responsibility and make the gun crews aware they have 68 hours to be ready and on standby for combat.¡±

    ¡°Very well Inquisitor,¡± Sister responded.

    Morrigan buried her fingers into her braided hair as she released a deep breath as everyone went to work, Shepard placed a hand on her shoulder gaining her attention.

    ¡°That was some fine decision making Mori, but now comes the hard part. We will stand behind you on this endeavor however, you will need to learn to occupy your mind during such stressful missions,¡± Shepard told her, speaking from years and years of wisdom.

    Morrigan pulled a cigar out from her shirt and lit it, taking a deep inhale, ¡°How did you manage it? Back when you weren¡¯t all owl wise and such?¡± Morrigan asked flippantly.

    Shepard shrugged, ¡°Widely depended on how much time I had, you need to find what settles your own mind though,¡± she said knowingly.

    Morrigan sighed, watching as Avery followed Sarilla¡¯s directions while Luisa and Gunnar coordinated with the gun crews. ¡°I guess I should let my people know what¡¯s going on¡­¡± Morrigan stated before standing taller from her console.

    As she stepped into the elevator Shepard called out after her, ¡°We will get him back Mori, the crew of the Archangel will make sure of it.¡±

    Morrigan pursed her lips as her anxiety crawled up the base of her neck, ¡°I know¡­¡± she stated as she closed the elevator door.

    Morrigan stormed to her quarters to find everyone eating as she entered. ¡°Hey precious, who rocked the boat?¡± Nora snickered before she could take notice of Morrigan¡¯s frazzled nerves. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Aye, ye look like a puss dipped in vinegar,¡± Sigurd interjected, Nora casting him an awkward and confused glance throwing her hand out questioningly.

    Morrigan rubbed her face and sighed as she paced, ¡°Solomon contacted me saying there is a riot at the prisons of Mars, so we have the chance to rescue my father¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s what we¡¯re talking about just send me down an I¡¯ll take care of the whole bloody bag!¡± Sigurd cut her off excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s going to take us 68 hours to get there¡­ I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t just sit here waiting! I¡¯m already going mad and it¡¯s only been ten minutes!¡± she exclaimed before forcing herself into the kitchen for food.

    ¡°Is there something we can blow up? I know that always helps pass the time,¡± Nora offered.

    Morrigan wanted to scowl at that, but she knew she was only trying to help, so she forced herself to bit her lip and shake her head.

    After a moment of silence and eating, Sigurd cleared his throat, ¡°Alright lass, finish yer bits there and we¡¯ll sort ya out.¡±

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    Nora raised her hands in disbelief, ¡°Dude, I thought I explained she isn¡¯t into that?!¡±

    Sigurd giggled like a mad man and waved her off, ¡°Nay ya daft lass, I¡¯m not talking of that sordid sortin¡¯. I saw an eager wee darlin¡¯ down in maintenance I¡¯ll give the shakes to on the eve,¡± he said mocking her insinuation.

    Yekku chirped at Sigurd and Nora looked between the two of them, ¡°I¡¯m not sure who is harder to understand at this point¡­¡±

    Nora smiled seeing the sly smirk Morrigan revealed at her comment as she ate, finishing what she could.

    ¡°Fine, what''s this plan of yours?¡± Morrigan asked roughly.

    Sigurd looked up in surprise, ¡°Well shite, that was fast,¡± he commented before shoveling the rest of his food into his mouth and standing. He walked towards the kitchen and set his plate down. ¡°Alright, follow me,¡± he said with a mouth full of food.

    He walked towards the door, Morrigan following along with Yekku, Hi¡¯tet, Xol and Nora, who were radiating with curiosity.

    Sigurd led the group through the ship, many crew members giving them a wide berth and saluting their Inquisitor along the way as the ship seemed to bustle with active energy. Morrigan sensed a nervous excitement for the potential combat on the horizon. Even without focusing, she could feel the dull emotional blanket draped over the ship that came from the thousands of crew members aboard the Archangel.

    Hehe, your leadership is flourishing, little goddess. This is what I meant when I said you were evolving into what you were always meant to be, Apollyon hissed delightfully in her head.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked in her head while looking around her, giving those who greeted her a respectful smile despite the uneasiness she felt by the crew who pandered to her station.

    This, your words, your command, has inspired and excited those beneath you into a fervor of duty. The respect and belief within their leader as the drums of war beats within their hearts. You incite passion, Mori, that is the key to being a leader, a ruler of her own.

    Morrigan frowned. She never wanted to be a leader, or a ruler for that matter but as she looked closer to those around her, she could see the passion Apollyon spoke of. Dozens upon dozens of workers she passed that worked passionately with prominently high-spirited features maintaining, stocking and readying the ship for their newest mission.

    Her brows furrowed, ¡°But¡­ I didn¡¯t command anything¡­ all I did was give them a heads up. They don¡¯t even know that the mission is to rescue my dad¡­¡±

    They don¡¯t need to know; all they need is a leader to believe in. It doesn¡¯t matter to them what they¡¯re doing it for as long as they believe it is a good cause, for the right reason. Your beliefs bleed down to those under you, and with a common enemy they share with you, they¡¯ll move mountains for you, Apollyon stated with dark certainty.

    Apollyon¡¯s words were confusing to her because she could not see what the deity saw in her, to think that she was some leader in the grand conflict with the Federation seemed outlandish.

    Sigurd led them into one of the combat training areas beneath one of the hangers, finding dozens of squads of shock troopers going through their standard physical training regiment as they entered the large gymnasium.

    She spied some jogging around the room while some lifted weights and others practiced hand-to-hand combat. ¡°Inquisitor on deck!¡± shouted one of the master chiefs she had met her first day, though she had long since forgotten his name.

    Most of the soldiers that could, stopped what they were doing to turn and salute her. Her face burned with embarrassment as she felt the silence fall upon the room.

    She gave a meek wave to everyone before forcing herself to speak, ¡°As¡­as you were.¡±

    With no added direction, the combat units went back to their training as if she no longer existed which was relieving to her as Sigurd led her to the middle of the room, holding his hand up to the rest of the group.

    To Morrigan¡¯s surprise, her entire retinue stopped and watched with curious gazes, even Xol. She turned to Sigurd with an inquiring look, ¡°What are we¡­¡±

    Without warning, Sigurd popped her in the mouth with one of his metallic fists before giggling like a mad man and shuffling back on his feet.

    She could hear Xol hiss and bark out in exclamation as her head rocked back, her hand instinctively covering her mouth to feel that her lip had split from the teeth rattling blow. ¡°Ow, fuck!¡± she exclaimed as Apollyon cackled in her head, pushing her lip to heal itself beneath her hand.

    Sigurd grinned at her as he stood in a fighting stance, ¡°Come on lass, let¡¯s see if ye can give me a second proper spanking!¡±

    The dots connected in her mind as she saw Sigurd¡¯s plan. He intended to distract her by fighting her in hand-to-hand combat.

    With a push of energy, she launched forward and planted her fist across his jaw, having him stagger back. He rubbed his jaw as he righted himself, ¡°That it? Ye hit like a babe!¡± he mused loudly.

    Morrigan ground her teeth and rushed him, throwing another swing, distracted by Nora¡¯s shrill exclamation as she clapped excitedly. Sigurd grabbed her wrist and pulled her off balance before spinning and hammering the back of his hand against the back of her skull, throwing her to the ground as her vision danced with blind spots.

    Morrigan growled as she got off the ground, arching energy flashing along her body as her anger began to rise, Sigurd standing at the ready with a shit eating grin on his face that only mocked her.

    Come on, you going to let him make a fool of you? Kick his ass Mori!

    Her mind focused on all the training her father and his squad had given her throughout her early years of life. She readied herself, shifting forward and crossing arms with Sigurd.

    They juked, blocked strikes and threw savage punches and kicks as Morrigan and Sigurd proceeded to spar, gaining the attention of the entire gymnasium as their relentless sparring turned into a punishing beating.

    Nora cheered nonstop as Morrigan and Sigurd beat each other as other soldiers joined in on the excitement, despite the master chief¡¯s displeasure. Even with Morrigan¡¯s enhanced strength, Sigurd held his own against her as their fight began to stretch from one hour into several hours as neither opponents¡¯ stamina dwindled.

    The spectacle became awe inspiring as neither relented. Morrigan¡¯s frustrations bled from her soul even though her anger persisted as her opponent refused to stay down. As Sigurd swung at her, she raised her arm to block and forced her body to twist, focusing more energy into her muscles to speed her momentum as she twisted, enhancing the strength of her leg as the heel of her combat boot connected with his temple in a powerful roundhouse kick.

    Sigurd launched to the ground side ways in a comical fashion enticed groans from the crowd that watched them fight.

    Sigurd groaned as he held his head as got to his hand and knees, ¡°Aye, that¡¯s it there, ya got me lass. Woo, that was a doozy,¡± he said shaking his head as he got to his feet, stumbling slightly.

    He held up his hands in defeat, ¡°I yield to ye,¡± before his arms slumped to his side as he breathed an exhausted breath.

    Morrigan herself breathed haggardly as she slowly began to relax as Sigurd stepped towards her. The smirk on his face spoke of his triumphant success of distracting her as the crowd of marines cheered of her victory.

    Once he got close enough, Morrigan gave the Berserker one last powered kick to the chest that laid him out flat before she released the energy she had been constantly feeding into her muscles.

    Sigurd coughed as much as he cursed as he couldn¡¯t bring himself to sit up, Morrigan stepping over him with a smart-alack smirk across her face, ¡°That was for that cheap shot earlier!¡± she mused.

    Sigurd nodded vigorously as he coughed, ¡°Yep, fair enough! Fecking hell¡­¡±

    Nora nearly tackled Morrigan as she pulled her face into hers, kissing her feverishly that resounded by catcalls from every direction of the gymnasium.

    ¡°You are so damn sexy! I couldn¡¯t be any more wet right now,¡± Nora sighed wistfully against Morrigan¡¯s lips which only stoked the fires of Morrigan¡¯s soul even more as she hoisted her girlfriend into her arms and cradled her like a princess, Nora giggling madly as she was whisked off her feet.

    ¡°Alright you lazy asses! Last person to get back to P.T. gets to spar with the Inquisitor!¡± the master chief bellowed out. Causing Morrigan to laughed as she watched the soldiers scatter like rats at the threat their superior offered.

    As Morrigan passed her group of Marmuro¡¯k she eyed Xol, ¡°No one comes back to the room for three hours,¡± she threatened as Nora melted against her.

    Xol gave her a respectful nod as Sigurd called out, ¡°Oi, big daddy? A bit of help here? What, no love for poor ol¡¯ Sigurd!¡± he snickered, knowing Xol had ignored him.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Nora bounced on the bed with exuberance, smiling and giggling as Morrigan locked her bedroom door, ¡°Sister, for the next eight hours no one is to bother me unless it''s an emergency,¡¯ Morrigan stated flatly as her eyes shifted to her silvery eyed beauty who walked on her knees to the edge of the bed with girlish excitement, giving the gorgeous blonde a sly, knowing and confirming smirk.

    ¡°Very well Mori, I shall block all communications unless an emergency arises,¡± Sister stated before a soft pop sounded, indicating the speaker system within her quarters were disconnected.

    Nora bit her lip as her eyes danced wildly over Morrigan¡¯s figure, beckoning her to her with a single finger. The second she stepped with each, Nora seized her by the hardened fabric of her collar and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

    Nora wedged her fingers between the buttons that held Morrigan¡¯s leisure wear together that ran across her torso, snapping them apart aggressively before unzipping the rest of the shirt and forcing it off her shoulders impatiently.

    Nora¡¯s lustful lips wasted no time trailing down her neck as her teeth gripped the sensitive flesh. Morrigan¡¯s breath hitched as her fingers dug into the back of Nora¡¯s hair as she let out a soft moan, feeling her cheeks flush as Nora¡¯s hands danced across her skin.

    Her deft fingers shed the simple black bra that blocked her path as Nora¡¯s lips and tongue tasted every salty-sweet inch they could down Morrigan¡¯s chest.

    Morrigan¡¯s hands brushed along Nora''s head and down her back as her breath became heavier, Nora sliding her legs off the bed into a stand as her hands radiated an icy temperature over her bare breasts in a passionately slow hedonistic manner, savoring every succulent inch of Morrigan¡¯s body by touch and taste.

    Morrigan pulled Nora¡¯s face to hers in heated demand as their tongues danced across each other in a kiss that personified their aching desire.

    Nora¡¯s firm hands gripping her butt as Nora¡¯s fighter¡¯s strength lifted Morrigan of the ground, Morrigan instinctively hooking her legs around her waist with an excited breath against her lips as Nora swung her around and shifted her knee onto the bed.

    Morrigan knew Nora''s strength from the mines, years of fighting and life time of survival which made it all the more attractive as Nora seamlessly held her close with one hand against the small of her back as her other hand guided their descent; Nora laying Morrigan on the bed in one smooth motion with a triumphant grin.

    Morrigan smiled coyly at her beautiful lover, curling her hands against her chest as she watched Nora lean up and strip her layers off in one expert motion, her hair hiding one of her leering silver eyes as the tell tale smile of adoration crept across her face as Morrigan¡¯s eyes scanned Nora¡¯s hardened, well toned body. Her skin battered with white scars of all shapes and sizes that glowed against her flushed skin.

    Nora leaned over, kissing Morrigan passionately as Morrigan pulled her into her, both moaning softly as Morrigan felt Nora¡¯s perfect perky breasts press against her own. Nora ground her hips against her lover¡¯s with a deep inhale as Morrigan refused to release her lips, guiding her power-fed, chilled hand up Morrigan¡¯s curves.

    Morrigan giggled into a moan at the loss of concentration by her icy touch as Nora seized the opportunity to trace down the other side of Morrigan¡¯s neck as her icy fingers stimulated Morrigan¡¯s burning body, her finger tips playing at one of her nipples as it hardened under her cold touch.

    Morrigan let out a sharp moan as Nora¡¯s warm tongue drew it into her mouth with a gentle suck, her back arching as Morrigan¡¯s hands trailed down the back of Nora¡¯s neck and across her shoulders with light drag of her nails.

    Morrigan could feel the litany of scars on Nora¡¯s back under her touch, giving tale to the hardened warrior underneath the squirrelly girlish visage that Nora wore. The same warrior whose lips trailed down her stomach and pried at the button of her pants, only causing the fire in her core to ache.

    Morrigan bit her lip nervously as Nora worked her legs bare, free of her undergarments that vanished with the experience of Nora¡¯s primal instinct. Morrigan¡¯s hormone addled mind did not let her forget that what was happening was still a first time for her, her consensual virginity about to be offered up to a woman she loved so dearly, looking past her closed knees with the same nervous smile as her desire for Nora stoked the flames of her heated core to higher heights.

    Nora gave her a soft smile that told Morrigan that her icy silver gaze saw right through to the bundled up nerves dancing along her spine as Nora gently pulled Morrigan¡¯s bare legs flat, letting her keep them closed as she prowled over her body and tenderly kissed along her flat stomach, her tongue gently playing along the edge of her sensitive skin.

    The blonde goddess kept her hands warm as they gently moved up Morrigan¡¯s outer thigh, enticing a sharp breath as her thumbnail traced along her curves, her body explored in adored respect as Nora¡¯s lips trailed up her body, teasing their way back to her neck in blissful pecks.

    Morrigan¡¯s mouth connected with hers in a blissful sigh as Nora¡¯s hand trailed south as she leaned over, enthralling Morrigan¡¯s body to twitch and arch as Nora¡¯s nails trailed down the front of her thigh.

    Morrigan¡¯s legs parted with ease as Nora¡¯s gentle nails raked along her sensitive flesh. Nora let out a guttural moan as her hand connected to Morrigan¡¯s hot, dripping sex. Morrigan released her own sharp moan as she felt Nora¡¯s rough fingers brush against her overly sensitive sexual lips.

    Nora toyed and circled the bundle of nerves that jerked and pulled the breath out of her lover as she could felt Morrigan¡¯s core melt against her hand, her heated breaths turning into moans of ecstasy as Nora played right along the edge of a blissful release.

    Nora leaned closer gently pressing her lips to Morrigan¡¯s cheek, who pressed her temple against her forehead, her hand gripping Nora¡¯s hair in desperation.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± Morrigan breathed out in a pleading moan.

    Nora grinned sweetly as her lips brushed her ear, ¡°Precious¡­¡± she whispered in a tone of absolutely enthrallment as her canine tooth clamped down onto Morrigan¡¯s earlobe, her thumb placed perfectly as her fingers plunged into Morrigan¡¯s glistening sex with such precision and force, that Nora attacked her most sensitive spot from both sides in a firm grip.

    Morrigan¡¯s grip on her hair tightened as she pulled Nora into her, gripping her arm as her hips bucked against Nora¡¯s hand and shook, near violently, as the super tight coil in her core released in a mind stopping orgasm that spread throughout her body.

    Morrigan¡¯s legs shook uncontrollably as she tried to force her lungs to work, heaving a throaty moan as Nora proudly released her quivering love, causing her to twitch sharply as she played with the prize nectar that coated her fingers. Morrigan melted against Nora as she carefully withdrew her hand, staring into Morrigan¡¯s wide, ecstasy filled eyes as she took her prize into her mouth with a blissful moan.

    Morrigan smiled and blushed furiously in embarrassment as Nora grinned at her, giving her a wink before she shimmied down the bed. Morrigan''s mental faculties barely recovered before she felt Nora¡¯s hot breath and tongue against her heady sex, eliciting a sharp moan from Morrigan as Nora claimed her success in the sweet, succulent flow of her lover¡¯s first given orgasm.

 Chapter XVIII

    Morrigan stretched as she yawned, tangled in the sheet she and Nora shared as she looked at the clock on her nightstand, looking to find her partner sprawled out in blissful glory.

    She and Nora had spent two and a half blissful hours before either of them was exhausted enough, and content enough, to succumb to sleep. Doing the math in her head, she smiled and stretch again, realizing that she peacefully slept for ten hours; no dreams, no nightmares, just restful sleep; which she could not remember the last time she had sleep that peacefully.

    Hehe yeah, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever been this quiet in here,

    Morrigan flinched with a loud yelp, loud enough to stir Nora from her own post sex coma. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nora asked lifting her head, her eyes barely open in her drowsy state.

    Morrigan panicked to think of an excuse for her surprise as she looked around, ¡°umm¡­. wet spot¡­¡± she blurted, embarrassed that was the first thing she could come up with. Apollyon chuckled sadistically at her as she eyed Nora.

    Nora chuckled sleepily before readjusting her pillow and letting her head fall back down, ¡°Yeah, they sneak up on ya¡­¡± Nora mused as she drifted off to sleep again.

    Morrigan let out a sigh of relief that Nora bought her excuse before sitting up, ¡°You were¡­ you saw all that,¡± she responded in realization as her cheeks flushed.

    Hehehehe oh yeah, not as dangerous as she claimed but then again, never been in a body that convulsed like that, so that¡¯s a thing, Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan shook her head and covered her face even though Apollyon could not see her, ¡°Kill me now¡­¡± she complained.

    Eh, don''t worry kid, we all have our vices. Yours is burying your face into that pretty blonde of yours and mine is having you rip people apart with your bare hands, to each their own, Apollyon stated with a level of acceptance she found bizarre.

    She grunted at that, ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair, weird but fair¡­ just never mention this again.¡±

    Not like I¡¯m going anywhere, just be happy I¡¯m respectful enough to keep my mouth shut! Apollyon snickered.

    She sighed as she eyed her sleeping girlfriend, taking in the bare skin exposed between tufts of sheet as the fabric hugged her curves. Her desire to spend the morning making love to her was strong but she had things to check up on and a group of friends she abandoned for half a day. She did give Apollyon its point, the deity was respectful to her private time, so she was certainly grateful for that.

    Apollyon chuckled at her thought but said nothing more on the matter as she got up from bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. Her eyes caught the mirror and was startled to find her ¡°tattoo¡± had grown even more since the last time she checked. It now spread down her chest to about her rib cage as well as down the length of her spine. The intricate line work along her arms stretched down to her mid-forearm too.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this Apollyon? Why does this keep growing?¡± She inquired as she picked at one of the lines with her nails only feeling her nerve endings respond.

    I thought I went over that already? The more you come into your power, the more the mark grows.

    ¡°Yeah but, what is the mark?¡± She asked with worry.

    Apollyon sighed in annoyance.

    Frankly¡­ I don¡¯t know. Like I said before, you¡¯re the first who ever managed to survive the transfer of my power. Every other being received the mark in its entirety before dying a very quick and painful death, leaving me trapped in that damned planet of yours¡­

    Morrigan pursed her lips as she recalled the conversations they shared. ¡°Will this kill me¡­ once it fully forms?¡± she asked quietly aloud as her heart rate began to rise with panic.

    Nah, if you were going to die from my power, you would¡¯ve already. This is an entirely new process; one your body is adapting to. I did say you were evolving, Apollyon noted pointedly.

    Morrigan frowned at that as her mind raced through the implications, all of which she could not even fully fathom as she started her shower.

    After she dressed, she stepped out of her room to find her to retinue lounging around, unable to refrain from flashing them a guilty smile.

    ¡°Ahh! Someone looks like she got a good shaggin¡¯ last night! By the looks of the scarlet on yer face an¡¯ that shiny gob, I reckon it was quite a knuckle buster too,¡± Sigurd announced to the whole room as he clapped his metallic hands together in embarrassing support, Morrigan¡¯s face turning beet red.

    Morrigan shook her head as she covered her face, ¡°Shut up Sigurd!¡± she said as she laughed, finding an odd comfort in his good humor, despite the perverse nature of his humor all together.

    She huffed out a sigh before hunting down the still barely fresh coffee was in the pot, ¡°Sorry, for disappearing on you all yesterday¡­¡±

    Yekku and Qiote chirped in a lively tone, Morrigan turning wide eyed as she remembered Qiote had still been in the living room of her quarters during her personal time.  However, Qiote did not seemed bothered in the slightest; he actually appeared to be doing significantly better the longer he was aboard the Archangel as far as Morrigan could tell.

    Xol gave her a respectful nod as Sigurd waved her off,  ¡°Aye no worries, it was grand craic an all,¡± he said jovially.

    ¡°About that, thank you for that. I definitely needed an outlet,¡± Morrigan admitted with a touch of despondence though her negative feelings about her inability to cope with the stress of unknowing and being unable to handle something right away were still pushed aside in her heart.

    Sigurd grinned, the skin of his bruised cheeks and eye tightening, as he toasted with his own cup of coffee, ¡°Cheers to that dove. Just took a page outta me own playbook; if ye can¡¯t wrap yer head around it then beat the shite out of it,¡± he stated as if the saying was law. Then again, Morrigan assumed it was a saying Sigurd followed adamantly throughout most of his long life.

    Regardless, it still made her chuckle seeing how effective it appeared to be as he inserted, ¡°Ye also went ahead and took another page of me book as well; A good shag for a keen mind. So, me hat goes off to ya, lass,¡± regally flourishing his free hand in wide circles as he slurped his coffee.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re up for round two, I got two days to kill or so,¡± she mused, entertaining the idea of a rematch.

    ¡°Ye had me at kill lass, ha! But go easy on me face would ya? It may be mostly metal under all these good looks but I still got me feely bits on top,¡± he joked as he poked at one of his bruised cheeks.

    Morrigan furrowed her brows at his comment, slowly piecing together the idea that his skull had at one point been reconstructed with metal rather than bone and still had nerves in his skin, for what skin he had left on his body.

    ¡°Who are we killing?¡± Nora grumbled drowsily as she waddled into the kitchen with the bedding wrapped tightly around her presumably naked body.

    Morrigan snickered as her eyes roamed over her love, ¡°Sigurd, if he opens his mouth again,¡± she said with a knowing smile as she handed her half a cup of coffee to Nora.

    Sigurd sputtered and waved his arms in disbelief, ¡°What!? That''s not one right bit of fair, lass! How can ye ask a man, whose job it is to murder folk on the reg, to not make a grand joke?!¡± he complained adamantly.

    Morrigan looked at him with a confused yet bemused expression as Nora took the cup from her hand, also eyeing Sigurd questioningly, ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense.¡±

    Sigurd chuckled and leaned back on the sofa, ¡°Sure it does, I¡¯m all gallows and pikes, dove,¡± he stated, rasping his knuckles along the top of his head.

    Morrigan just shook her head and returned her attention to someone she could understand, ¡°How are you love?¡± she asked sweetly, giving Nora a kiss on the cheek as she drained the half cup of coffee in a single swig.

    Nora let out a moan of pleasure as she reached for the coffee pot, setting the cup down, ¡°Sore heh, it¡¯s been a long time since someone worked me over like that,¡± she stated loudly as she cast a sidelong glance at Morrigan and flashing her a seductive smirk.

    ¡°Oh come on mate! The lass gives me gold like that and ye expect me to not say anything?! Feckin¡¯ hell, why not just nip off me mick while yer at it,¡± Sigurd whined which caused Morrigan to start giggling.

    Nora turned and summoned one of her ice knives, holding it up between her fingers with a wide, vicious grin, ¡°I¡¯m down with that!¡±

    Sigurd¡¯s eyes went wide and he bolted over the coffee table in a high leap, clearing the other side of the sofa as well as the two S¡¯randin sitting on it before running into the door with a loud thud. He frantically slapped the hand scanner before the door hissed open, dashing out screaming ¡°Every lizard for themselves!¡±

    Xol and Nora both chuckled in their own manner and shook their heads as Morrigan grinned at her mad group of friends before eyeing Yekku suspiciously, ¡°Hey mister, aren''t you supposed to be in the lab by now?¡±

    Yekku¡¯s head popped up over the back of the couch giving her wide, worried eyes before snapping his head to the wall clock next to the holo-screen before letting out a noise resembling an inhaled hiss, making his own mad dash to the open door.

    He stopped before crossing the threshold before snapping his gaze to Morrigan and sprinting lowly to her, pushing and rubbing his face across her shoulder and cheek with a happy squawk.

    ¡°Awe, I love you too buddy, go build something awesome,¡± she giggled brushing her hand along his frill before he turned to Nora who quirked an eyebrow.

    Yekku stood nearly at his full height of six feet before lashing his tongue out, the tips of his forked tongue slapping against her cheek before he turned and bolted out the door.

    ¡°Awe, I think he likes me,¡± Nora mused with a sweet smile as she took another sip of coffee, ¡°Almost like having a little kid in the house, or a really awkward pet¡­ I always forget how tall they are since keep such a low profile,¡± she noted in wonder.

    Morrigan nodded in agreement as she looked at Qiote who sat watching the holo-screen, an older Terran movie Morrigan didn¡¯t recognize playing on the screen.

    ¡°Qiote, sweetie, would you like to go work with Yekku?¡± she asked sweetly, feeling bad for him being cooped up in her quarters with very little to do.

    Qiote spun his head towards her on his long slender neck, twisting his head to the side as his tongue flicked out in thought. After a moment he let out an inquiring string of chirps.

    Morrigan glanced at Xol expectantly, ¡°He asks to work, fixing k¨º?ta,¡± Xol rumbled.

    Morrigan gave Qiote a thoughtful look before nodding, ¡°Sure, we can go talk to the maintenance crews. I''m sure they''d love your help.¡±

    The adorable S¡¯randin sharply bobbed his head and went back to watching the movie. Nora snickered and looked at Morrigan, her silver eyes filled with hope, ¡°What are you doing today precious?¡±

    Morrigan smirked before wrapping her arms around Nora¡¯s silk covered waist, ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to take him to maintenance, then check in with Shepard and if she doesn''t need me to do anything, I''m probably going to kick Sigurd¡¯s ass again. You?¡±

    Nora grinned, ¡°Taking a page out of yer book, and get in some sparing time in,¡± her smile radiating her amusement at mimicking Sigurd.

    Morrigan bit her lip to stifle a laugh before kissing her girlfriend, ¡°Sounds like a grand plan,¡± Morrigan said with smooth seduction into her ear, also mocking Sigurd albeit without the accent.

    Nora shivered as Morrigan''s breath brushed her ear before she turned to look at Xol and pointed at him in challenge, ¡°You, me, fighting area, one hour,¡± she hammered out sharply giving him a sinister grin.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Xol gave her his own sharp grin, his full rows of long sharp teeth glistening from the light, accepting her challenge. She pointed at Hi¡¯tet next, ¡°You want in on this action?¡±

    Hi¡¯tet glared at her pointedly before shrugging, clicking his jaw in nonchalant acceptance as if he had nothing better to do.

    Morrigan snorted as Nora¡¯s excitement skyrocketed. She pressed her lips firmly against Morrigan''s before chirping, ¡°Gunna shower, see you there precious!¡± before nearly tripping over the sheets that wound around her feet as she disappeared into the bedroom.

    Morrigan just shook her as she looked at the rest of her party still in the room, ¡°I think I broke something in her yesterday¡­¡± she mused to herself with a blissful sigh. As crazy as Nora could be, she was also one of the biggest sweethearts when it mattered and she loved her inside and out.

    Nah, that girl has always been one brain cell away from being a full blown sociopath, Apollyon snickered in her head.

    ¡°Not with me,¡± she responded in kind with a soft chuckle. Apollyon only made a grunted in conceded affirmation in response.

    ¡°Alright Qiote, let''s get going,¡± she called out as she stepped away from the kitchen and towards the door. Qiote springing from the sofa in what could have almost been seen as excitement as he squawked happily after her

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    For two days, Morrigan and her team spent most of their time sparing as well as Nora and Morrigan taking full advantage of the lull in excitement to feed their own desires for each other. However, the final hour had come for Morrigan.

    Xol and Morrigan stepped onto the busy bridge from the elevator in full regalia. Luisa and Gunnar relayed orders to the gun battery crews they commanded in final preparation for possible conflict upon their arrival at Mars while Sarilla gave Avery minor course alterations, verbiage Morrigan had very little understanding of.

    Morrigan pushed down the swelling anxiety and desire to get the mission underway as she spotted Shepard at her terminal overseeing the progress of the Archangel¡¯s preparations, the old woman sifted through live video recordings and system reports.

    Watching Shepard in curiosity, Morrigan had come to realize that running a ship was no easy task, even with the support of the vast and competent crew the Archangel seemed to have, given how much information she watched Shepard read through.

    ¡°How are we looking?¡± Morrigan inquired as she stood next to her Admiral.

    Shepard glanced over to her with her one good eye and nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Everything seems to be going according to plan Mori, the real question is, how are you?¡±

    Morrigan pursed her lips and glanced around the bridge, observing the kaleidoscopic streams of light bending around the windows of the bridge as the ship sailed through FTL transit.

    Shepard scrutinized her for a moment, ¡°Mori? If you¡¯re not ready then we should postpone this endeavor¡­¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s head snapped to Shepard, her eyes wide with worry and irritation that the idea even entered her head, ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m anxious. This whole personal mission is more convoluted than I¡¯d care to admit¡­¡± she stated biting her lip nervously.

    ¡°How so?¡± Shepard asked.

    Morrigan crossed her arms over her chest and sighed before nervously scratching an itch between her eyebrows, ¡°I love my dad, no matter what has happened in my life I always will but¡­ hearing that he was imprisoned because of me.. it got me thinking,¡± she stated before shifting her hips to watch somebody do something that could distract her.

    However, Shepard was not satisfied with that explanation, ¡°Once again, how so, child?¡± Shepard asked, amusement at Morrigan¡¯s failure to dodge the question lightly buried within her words.

    Morrigan sniffed indignantly at the question, ¡°I just¡­ after I turned 16 we became sort of, estranged? I hated his work, what he did yet I loved his team who also got dragged into my mess by trying to help me escape Denver¡­ ugh! My point is, the last thing me and my father did was get into an argument over me killing a Federation marine who hadn¡¯t been a direct threat in the moment¡­ if this doesn''t work then¡­¡± Morrigan trailed off biting her lip harder trying not to think of the repercussions of failure.

    Shepard nodded in understanding before returning to her terminal, ¡°He was a man of law, yes? I can see why that must have been difficult for him,¡± Morrigan spinning on her heels to face the old woman but Shepard continued despite her reaction, ¡°Law is order, where as war is chaos. The nuance of threat is very much different between either one because in war, anything and everything is a threat until there is certainty that it is not, where as law has rules for what can be perceived as a threat-although loosely defined. The main difference between law and war is that law is order through and through, while the only order that exists within war is through the higher ranks. Without the ranks that direct the flow of combat, there is just an untamed, savage landscape for all to try to endure.¡±

    The old lady has a point there, Apollyon chimed in.

    Morrigan contemplated her words for a moment before nodding in agreement, ¡°How is it everyone seems to know about my life?¡± she huffed in annoyance.

    Shepard chuckled at her question, ¡°The CoU has an extensive database that is shared with the Inquisition. Anyone with high enough clearance can look into all but the most sensitive information, including you.¡±

    Morrigan groaned at that and hung her head, ¡°So much for keeping my life private¡­¡±

    Shepard grinned at that before giving Morrigan an amused look, ¡°Speaking of, it seems I was right about you finding time,¡± she stated in a knowing manner.

    ¡°What the fuck!? How do you even know about that?¡± Morrigan asked as she flushed deeply, having taken a moment to recall their previous conversation.

    Shepard smiled as she tapped on her terminal, ¡°Oh, it seems that Berserker of yours is quite the gossip,¡± she said in an amused grandmotherly tone which some how managed to make it all the more embarrassing for Morrigan.

    She hissed at that and touched the new comm-bead in her ear that Shepard had given her to distribute amongst her retinue. They were specially designed communication pieces to remain in contact with Sister, the Archangel¡¯s A.I. aboard the ship, even if Morrigan happened to be off the ship, such as being on the surface of Mars, or on Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To.

    ¡°Sigurd I will fucking kill you!¡± she growled into the device, all the while Shepard began quietly, yet still audibly, laughing to herself.

    ¡°Hey, woah, come on lass, ye can¡¯t claim all the other lasses aboard our boat! Ye haven¡¯t even met the black haired one on the portside cannons!¡± Sigurd exclaimed.

    ¡°That is not¡­ you know exactly what you did you Irish bastard,¡± she stated firmly in frustration.

    ¡°I told youuu!¡± Nora sang into the channel from several levels below.

    Morrigan¡¯s mouth twitched in appalled irritation, ¡°Nora? You knew what he was saying?¡± She asked darkly.

    Nora giggled on the line and said shamelessly, ¡°Oh yeah, I heard him running his mouth yesterday, tried telling him you''d beat him 50 shades of bloody but he obviously didn''t believe me.¡±

    ¡°Sigurd is not here right now, he buggered off to escape a tad painful death. Please leave yer message after the beep,¡± Sigurd announced on his full Irish lilt before imitating a droning noise.

    Morrigan groaned as she released the comm device in her ear, ¡°Why did I surround myself with such perverted assholes!¡± she whined rhetorically, several of the bridge crew snickering at her self-induced annoyance.

    ¡°Let this be a lesson to you Mori, on how your decisions can have unintended consequences, funny as they are,¡± Shepard told her.

    Morrigan grunted as she pouted, glaring off into the void of space that brushed by them. Even Xol started hissing in subtle laughter as the nature of her choice of teammates began to bloom.

    Avery turned around in his seat, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re complaining about really. Your group is one of the liveliest on the ship. I get all kinds of stories from the co-pilot,¡± he stated in good humor, his European accent only adding to the sincerity of his point.

    Morrigan smirked as she let a deep breath out through her nose, ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right and they are my group of assholes too.¡±

    ¡°Inquisitor, by Navigator Sarilla¡¯s calculations, we should be arriving within five minutes,¡± Sister chimed over the intercom.

    ¡°Thank you Sister,¡± Morrigan muttered as her nerves slowly began to rise again.

    ¡°Warning: long range proximity sensors are detecting another ship above our destination.¡±

    Morrigan and Shepard shared a look before the old woman looked at her terminal, ¡°Can you get a designation?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Negative. FTL transit interference will not allow me to properly scan for build ID,¡± Sister reported.

    Morrigan growled at that, ¡°I¡¯d bet my salary it¡¯s the Federation¡­ would just be nice to know what we¡¯re dealing with,¡± she complained.

    Shepard hummed in agreement as she prepared herself. Luisa poked her head up from her station and gave Morrigan a dazzling smile, ¡°No worries Mori! We¡¯ll be sure to get em!¡±

    Morrigan looked at the other adorable Eskarii woman she knew, the constant streams of light flashing by around them highlighting her red hair and reflecting in the corners of her bright orange eyes, as the memory of her and Nora¡¯s conversation about Mo¡¯Emori surfaced.

    She felt her face start to blush as she gave the hybrid Eskarii girl a tight lipped smile, ¡°Thanks Luisa. I know you guys got this handled,¡± she said sincerely, still appreciating her attempts of cheering her up.

    Luisa preened before returning to her final checks, before another thought crossed Morrigan¡¯s mind, one involving interbreeding between humans and Eskarii, ¡°Hey Luisa?¡±

    Her head shot up with intense energy for a girl whose job it was to sit at a computer terminal most of the day,thYeah?¡± she chirped.

    ¡°When this is all over with, there is something I wanted to talk to you about,¡± she told the peppy Eskarii.

    She grinned and gave Morrigan two thumbs up before going back to work.

    ¡°Announcement: Leaving FTL transit in five, four, three, two, one¡­¡±

    Within mere seconds, the whole universe snapped back into place before Morrigan¡¯s, the dusty red marble on prominent display in front of the bridge as she spied the vast multitude of foundries and factories billowing thick clouds of smoke into Mars¡¯s thin atmosphere.

    The scene turned dire as her eyes landed on a large Federation ship, a model she did not recognize, but she could easily see how it outclassed her own ship.

    The massive starship was nearly twice as long as the Archangel, though half as tall. Long gargantuan bow cannons encompassed the nose of the ship that made Morrigan worry for the safety of her crew.

    Admiral Shepard seemed unfazed by the size of the enemy ship, ¡°Sister?¡± she calmly inquired.

    ¡°Target is a Federation Super Frigate Carrier model starship, designated: FSS Wings of Faith.¡±

    ¡°So, a fighter carrier huh? Luisa, Gunnar, have your crews fire up the anti-fighter turrets, Gunnar, also tell the Javelin crew to load,¡± Shepard ordered.

    Morrigan recalled from the schematics that the Archangel that the railgun was nicknamed ¡°Javelin¡± as she watched the two master gunners relay the orders.

    ¡°Inquisitor, Admiral, it appears the enemy ship is hailing the Archangel,¡± Sister announced.

    Morrigan let a deep breath and touched the comm-bead in her ear, ¡°Nora, is the shuttle ready?¡±

    ¡°Two minutes precious!¡± Nora replied giddily.

    ¡°Sister, before you connect their summons, are you able to remotely hack into the enemy ship¡¯s mainframe and pinpoint their primary engines to Gunnar? As well as scan the databases on Mars to determine where exactly my father is being held?¡± Morrigan asked.

    Shepard looked at the young Inquisitor and gave her a surprised yet approving nod.

    ¡°Certainly Inquisitor, only with your credentials may my subsystems be unlocked.¡±

    Morrigan nodded, remembering her crash course of Sister¡¯s system restrictions that Solomon had explained to her. She moved to her own terminal and unpinned her Inquisitorial badge, setting it on the scanner next to the primary screen.

    She sifted through all the system administration files until she found the A.I. system restrictions, pulling up a modest list of things Sister was not allowed to do without permission from the designated Inquisitor.

    She selected the one marked ¡°Invasive capabilities¡± and switched the lock off with a flick of her finger along the touch screen.

    ¡°Okay Sister, you''re good to go, patch them through,¡± she stated as she fixed her badge back into her armor just above her breast plate.

    Her terminal projected a large screen that flicked to life, revealing an younger man than what Morrigan had been used to seeing regarding positions of power within the Federation. The man was easily older than her, yet to be dressed in Admiral attire within the Federation seemed quite the feat.

    ¡°You are trespassing in Federation Territory. Identify yourself and power down,¡± the man demanded.

    Morrigan¡¯s jaw clenched at the mere idea that anyone in the Federation could tell her what to do. She took a step forward with a scowl, ¡°I am Inquisitor Clarke of the Inquisition, here to investigate reports of rioting within the Mars facilities. If you do not stand down, your engines will be disabled and you will be boarded by force!¡± she snapped harshly.

    There was a look of subtle recognition on the young man¡¯s face, enough to give Morrigan the hint that he knew of the Inquisition as a small smirk grew on her face.

    There was incoherent chatter in the background however, the man looked off screen and gave whoever he spoke to a nod. ¡°Do it,¡± he said before cutting off the transmission.

    Morrigan was both surprised and proud of herself at the surprising submission of the Federation admiral, not seeing that Admiral Shepard furrowed her brows as Morrigan called Nora, ¡°On my way down, keep the engines warm love.¡±

    As she stepped towards the elevator, Sister¡¯s feminine voices crackled over the intercom.

    ¡°Alert: The enemy ship is preparing to fire, target¡­ Mars Penal Colony five-two-eight.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± she turned spun sharply to look out the forward window. ¡°Gunnar! Fire the damned Javelin!¡± she shrieked as she rushed forward.

    ¡°We won''t fire in time!¡± he cried out.

    ¡°No-no-no-no,¡± Morrigan spit out as she watched a few dozen missiles launched from the top and underside of the Federation ship. More than enough missiles to destroy several of the foundries of Mars.

    The moment one of the missiles ignited against the surface of the red planet, her heart cracked. Except, what bled from the cracks were not just sorrow or despair, but a torrent of wrath as well.

    Morrigan let out a piercing scream as she stood in the center of the bridge; a scream that echoed into the vast void of existence like a cry to the cosmos, one that the cosmos would respond to.

    Screens and circuitry popped as sparks showered the bridge, everyone covering their ears as much as themselves from the electrical and vocal assault, the reinforced glass of the bridge view cracking.

    Morrigan¡¯s voice resonated, coming from every direction yet from no where at all, as she screamed, ¡°I WILL KILL YOU ALL!¡± in a haunting tone as her instincts called to the essence of destruction, pulling energy from the cosmos.

    Energy visibly bled into the bridge, a mist of red coalescing Morrigan¡¯s body like a billowing cloak as she held her crimson claws forward, the translucent energy around her fingers growing brighter and more opaque as the talons of her fingers grew.

    Morrigan groaned and strained, shifting her hands as she directed the energy filtering into her body like conducting a symphony of death for her enemies.

    Apollyon shouted and screamed at her,

    For the love of God woman you need to stop! You can¡¯t handle this!

    Everyone diverted their attention from their Inquisitor as her hands grew so bright, that it hurt their eyes, looking to the enemy ship that had been the focus of her ire instead.

    Everyone gasped as crimson claws slowly formed out in the expanse of space, immense in proportion. Her iconic power coming to life as the hands of a god.

    Damn it kid! Stop! You¡¯re killing yourself! Apollyon shouted in her head.

    She did not hear the deity though, her only focus was to kill, to destroy, to crush, as the titanic crimson claws followed her motion, gripping around the length of Federation ship.

    She didn¡¯t feel the blood running from her nose, or out of her ears. She didn¡¯t notice the warmth of her cheeks as her eyes shed crimson tears. All she felt was her enemy between her fingers and against her palms, the metal of the ship straining underneath her crushing might.

    With a strain battle cry, she twisted her hands, wrenching them apart in a pained effort before falling to her knees, the energy she held dissipating.

    She watched as the titanic claws ripped the Federation ship in two as they too faded from existence, the stern half of the ship floating off into the direction of the sun as the stern of the ship crashed into Mars with destructive force.

    A weak smile across her face as she collapsed.

 Chapter XIX

    Helen watched Mo¡¯Emori bounce in her seat excitedly as they sat aboard the mid-sized Eskarii starship. The girl¡¯s elation helped distract Helen from her nerves over the two-and-a-half-day travel, as the prospect of meeting the matriarch ruler of the entire Eskarii species as well as serving as a representative of all humanity slowly ate away at her resolve.

    Helen had always been rather centered when it came to politics as well as the benefit of all who lived within the Terran territories however, she had been uncertain as to why Solomon asked her to be the liaison of the Inquisition, and by extension, the CoU. Granted, Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s tantrum seemed to give favor to Solomon¡¯s request with ambassador Gra¡¯taul, as well as Torvil¡¯s manic threats yet, she did not feel qualified to be that person to represent all of humanity''s positive qualities and well being.

    To keep Mo¡¯Emori from babbling endlessly in her excitement, Helen requested that she helped her brush up on her knowledge of the Eskarii language, which had been distracting enough for the most part. That also served to help strengthen Helen¡¯s resolve as intermediary should there be a switch in dialect despite her adoptive daughter having been adamant that the queen spoke perfect Terran.

    Her gaze shifted from the ecstatic teal haired Eskarii that stared out the view port of their lounge, towards Torvil, whose teeth had to have been ground to dust at that point. She frowned as she watched him tenderly run his fingertips through Jen¡¯s hair as she slept, her head in his lap.

    It was as if she were witnessing two opposite beings clash within one body.

    ¡°Torvil¡­ what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Helen asked pointedly, her motherly concern extending to him as an adoptive son, though he rejected the concept as a whole.

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± he gruffed out as his jaw tightened.

    Mo¡¯Emori over heard their interaction and turned to her brother, ¡°Brother, there is no need to be so rude to mom. You¡¯re angrier than usual, so what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked in their native tongue.

    Torvil¡¯s eyes narrowed on his sister, his lip twitching defensively at her accusation.

    ¡°It is nothing, now stop asking questions,¡± he bit out aggressively.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Jen stated loud enough for all to hear, her head turning to look up at him.

    Torvil inhaled sharply as he looked at Jen while she sat up, stretching like a cat before turning to the other two women in the lounge.

    Jen sighed as she side eyed Torvil who stared at her with wide nervous eyes before she waved her hand back and forth in annoyance, ¡°He¡¯s being an uptight dick because, I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    Helen looked in shock as Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s eyes went wide, looking between Jen and Torvil repeatedly, the little hamster in her brain running full speed as she connected the meaning of Jen¡¯s words.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be¡­an auntie?¡± Mo¡¯Emori forced out, her question rhetorical, as her eyes teared up.

    Jen gave her a sheepish grin as she nodded, her own eyes glistening as the realization caught up with her.

    ¡°But¡­when? ¡° Helen blurted as her eyebrows furrowed. Helen knew that Jen had always been on birth control ever since they first met so many years ago.

    Torvil was white as a ghost while the group absorbed the information, his usual stoic features replaced with blatant panic.

    Jen shrugged at the question, ¡°With how far along I am, sometime during our trip to the Void Star. Their doctors confirmed it when we had our physicals¡­ guess that''s what happens when you''re on a ship with nothing to do,¡± Jen mused with a chuckle, her laughter unable to hide her own concern.

    Mo¡¯Emori squealed girlishly as she sped across the lounge and with surprising care, threw her arms around Jen with joyous delight.

    ¡°Mem will be so happy! I''m so happy!¡± she exclaimed.

    Torvil winced in contrary displeasure as Jen chuckled again, hugging her pseudo-niece. Helen let out a haggard breath realizing everyone else seemed to be as emotionally troubled as she felt.

    Before anyone could comment further on the development, Gra¡¯taul entered the lounge. The hydraulic hiss of the door announced his arrival as his heels clicked on the smooth floor, carrying himself in his usual snide fashion before grunting distastefully at the interaction between Jen and Mo¡¯Emori.

    ¡°We will be landing momentarily¡­ prepare yourselves,¡± he stated sharply before turning on his heels and leaving them to their devices.

    Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s attention split from Jen in excitement as she hopped on her feet and sang to herself in happiness.

    Helen smiled at the girl before eyeing Jen, giving her a genuinely compassionate smile.

    Jen got up and shifted over to her long standing friend and let out a heavy sigh, ¡°I feel like one of those girls who are about to get reamed out by a boy¡¯s parents for getting knocked up by him.¡±

    Helen snickered at that, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about getting yelled at but I suppose this is sort of like that,¡± she said with mild amusement before grabbing Jen¡¯s hand in support.

    Jen looked at her, her eyes still glistening with tears yet to fall, ¡°I¡­ I have no idea what I''m going to do Helen¡­ I''m not mother material,¡± she whispered harshly as she fought back tears. Torvil watched both women intently however, made no comment or notion about anything they said as he looked just as worried if not more.

    Helen squeezed her hand, ¡°Sure you are, you''ve been helping raise Mori since she was three, and you''ve been a good aunt to this one here,¡± she motioned to the dancing teal haired Eskarii who had been oblivious to the world around her.

    ¡°Besides, I''ll be right by your side too hun. You''ll be a great mother,¡± Helen added sweetly.

    Jen leaned against Helen, her head laying against her shoulder as she watched Mo¡¯Emori bounce back to the window. A gentle smile touched her lips as she sniffled as Mo¡¯Emori turned to everyone, ¡°There it is! It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been home!¡± she cheered and cried in the same breath.

    ¡°Helen is right¡­¡± Torvil¡¯s voice breaking attention as everyone looked to him. His amber irises reflecting the light that shone through the view port as a knowing smirk creeped across his face.

    ¡°If anyone were to be capable, it is you, fy cy¡¯mar,¡± he said in an earnest tone. Jen and Helen both smiled at his show of support and adoration of the woman he bonded with, whereas Mo¡¯Emori cooed, blindsiding her brother in an impassioned tackle that left him sputtering.

    Mo''Emori¡¯s childish antics were always good for diffusing a situation, generally at the expense of her brother. Helen and Jen both laughed as they felt the starship land.

    Mo¡¯Emori jumped off her brother in glee as she raced over to Helen, taking her by the hand as she tried to force her adoptive mother to stand.

    Torvil groaned as he sat up looking at Jen, ¡°Let us hope it is a boy¡­ as you can see, Eskarii girls are a handful.¡± He gestured to his sister who turned to him and stuck her tongue out at him before going back to yanking on Helen¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Come on Mem! You have to meet my Mem-eni!¡± she exclaimed.

    Helen chuckled as she let the young woman pull her up, ¡°I know sweetie, no need to pull my arm off,¡± she teased, knowing full well that if Mo¡¯Emori really wanted her to get up at her pace, she could have easily made her.

    She blushed and grinned her adoptive mother a 1000 watt smile as she giggled, leading Helen out of the lounge and around the corner.

    Torvil held out his hand to Jen, who accepted his hand and locked her fingers with his as they followed after the energetic Eskarii. ¡°Should I be worried?¡± Jen asked nervous.

    Torvil smirked as he brushed his temple against the top of her head, ¡°No¡­ except perhaps my other chwaede if they are around. They can be as emotional like Mo¡¯Emori.¡±

    Helen and Mo¡¯Emori stepped down the ramp only for Helen to become blinded by the bright sun in the sky and cream colored desert sand that magnified the light.

    ¡°I thought the Eskarii home world was a jungle?¡± Helen asked aloud in confusion, shielding her eyes until they adjusted to the brightness.

    Mo¡¯Emori giggled as she sprinted across the sand and dirt, ¡°No that''s Gelia, this is Escostia! The true Eskarii home world!¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori danced underneath the blazing sun as if had been the most blissful thing she ever felt, the bright colors of her floral sundress becoming more vibrant as she twirled and basked in the light.

    Helen huffed as she gauged the temperature to be over 115 degrees, sweat forming along the edge of her hairline, ¡°Sweetie, where are we going? Jen and I can''t be in this kind of heat for very long without water¡­¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori pointed at a mound of sand and dirt, ¡°Over there! Come! It''s like 12minutes!¡± she exclaimed before dashing off in that direction.

    ¡°Holy hell, why is it so fucking hot!?¡± Jen exclaimed as she stepped off the climate controlled starship.

    ¡°My sentiments exactly, Torvil, please tell us where we are going is temp controlled?¡± Helen inquired, forcing herself to appear unfazed.

    Torvil chuckled at her question, ¡°Yes, the city is quite cool in comparison to the surface.¡±

    Both women sighed in relief before walking off in the direction Mo¡¯Emori dashed off to.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Lord Amaranthe sipped his glass of high-end vodka as he browsed through a multitude of reports the Intelligence Division had sorted for him. Most of them contained unexciting information which led to him sighing out of boredom.

    ¡°My Lord? Director Herman is here to see you¡­ he says he has mission critical intel,¡± his secretary spoke through the intercom built into his desk.

    He quirked an eyebrow, his interest fully piqued as he leaned forward, pushing the return call button. ¡°Send him in,¡± he stated.

    ¡°Now why would the director come all the way here? He had better have a good explanation,¡± he thought to himself as he waited.

    Within a few minutes, a knock came to the door of his office before Director Herman stepped through the door without waiting.

    Amaranthe¡¯s face twisted in anger at the feeble older man¡¯s audacity, ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±

    Herman froze mid-step for the slightest of moments before resuming his journey across the expansive room. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry Lord Amaranthe however, I think you will agree that this is more pressing than mere etiquette,¡± Herman stated with faux confidence as he presented a data-slate to him.

    Amaranthe quirked an eyebrow at the device before taking it in his hands, his eyes lighting up at the frozen video on the screen. His face split into a grin as his finger touched the play icon.

    ¡°I am Inquisitor Clarke of the Inquisition, here to investigate reports of rioting within the Mars facilities. If you do not stand down, your engines will be disabled and you will be boarded by force!¡± Morrigan¡¯s voice played over the video of the teenage girl, now having broken into adulthood.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Ah, my little Rose, I¡¯ve been looking for you¡­¡± Amaranthe mused to himself before scrutinizing her image.

    She looked different to him, more mature. Not the same innocent girl he spent hours torturing in the delicate dance they shared. Her fresh, feeble yet insurmountably resilient frame at his mercy as he carved and beat into her body.

    He frowned as the memories still fresh in his mind did not match the visage of who he saw now. He found it disgusting, as if it sullied each cry of pain she howled into his ears that day.

    He shifted his gaze to the old man standing in front of his desk, ¡°So, the Inquisition huh? How cute¡­ a little witch pretending to be all grown up¡­do we know of their location?¡±

    Herman licked his lips nervously before shaking his head, ¡°Not exactly sir¡­¡±

    Amaranthe tilted his head, giving the man a predatory look before huffing indignantly.

    ¡°Then what do you know?¡± he demanded.

    Herman shifted awkwardly before pushing his glasses up his nose, ¡°Well we know they have to operate somewhere between Federation and the Eskarii territories, if I had to guess¡­ somewhere between Cardassia Prime and Betazed¡­ maybe even closer towards the Bajor system however, that is a large area to comb through.¡±

    Amaranthe hummed in agreement before tapping his fingers on his desk, casually tossing the data-slate onto the solid wood top with a thump.

    ¡°Take¡­ three carriers, outfit them with probes as well as some scout ships. Triangulate between all three systems and once you find them, I want a 50-ship fleet on the move towards their home world or station they operate out of,¡± Amaranthe ordered.

    Herman furrowed his brows, ¡°Are you sure sir? That is a massive fleet¡­¡±

    ¡°Do not question me! Do as I say and while you¡¯re at it, unleash the rest of our ships upon the galaxy. Keep a contingent to guard the Sol system but I want our ships to begin their hunt!¡± Amaranthe snapped, before giving the old man a sinister grin.

    ¡°You are dismissed, I suppose given that you brought me such good news I will forgive your impetuousness. In fact, take a week off, enjoy yourself, just send my orders before you do,¡± Amaranthe stated with active boredom.

    Herman furrowed his brows but gave a slight bow, ¡°It shall be done, Lord Commander.¡±

    With a grin and a flick of his wrist, Amaranthe sent the old man away and picked up the data-slate once more to stare at the frozen image of his prey; the witch of a girl he dubbed The Rose.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Helen and Jen were enraptured by their surroundings as they walked through and underground cavern of clean cut stone, naturally formed spires and glittering crystals of immense proportions.

    Torvil and Mo¡¯Emori had initially led them to the equivalent of a small outpost that had scattered dome shaped buildings that served as housing and cover to the lookouts stationed there in front of a massive hidden blast door. Those they passed regarded them with the highest of respect, even Helen and Jen though they were human,  which Helen found both odd and suspicious.

    Down a steep and long tunnel, they were greeted by an underground military airfield filled with Eskarii forces and small fighter starships. Unable to contain her rising excitement, Mo¡¯Emori sped them through to a series of smaller tunnels that wound through the subterranean rock until reaching the impossibly expansive cavern city they walked through.

    They gawked at the various buildings and burrows they walked past, some unique to the Eskarii architecture with their sharp, twisting spirals and geometric shapes where as some had more of a middle Eastern look, much like the buildings found on Earth.

    Along the main cut road running through the city were numerous shops and services being offered to them as well as the citizens of the city though Mo¡¯Emori dragged them deeper into the heart of the subterranean city.

    Helen nearly froze in place at the sight of the enormous castle that towered above the city, built into a massive cavern wall, the grey-white stone architecture unlike any thing she had ever witnessed as she eyed the multicolored glowing crystals embedded within the outer walls of the castle.

    ¡°Come on Mem! We need to hurry! This is sooo exciting!¡± Mo¡¯Emori cheered as she pulled on Helen¡¯s hand, Torvil chuckling at the human reaction of their companions.

    ¡°Sweetheart, shouldn''t we go visit your family first? I''m sure they would be happy to see you¡­¡± Helen argued as her nerves frayed at the edges, hoping to avoid a royal audience.

    Mo¡¯Emori simply giggled girlishly at her and dragged her along against her will.

    ¡°Do not worry Helen, your fears are needless in this endeavor,¡± Torvil stated as he had to guide Jen up the steps of the castle grounds while she remained awestruck by her surroundings.

    Helen let out a nervous laugh, ¡°I guess that''s saying something coming from you,¡± she mused. She knew Torvil was more sound of mind, yet it did not do much to help ease her worry.

    The sharp and noisy salutes of the guards they passed distracted both women as Torvil and Mo¡¯Emori rushed them through the main entrance and down the vast hall beyond the front gates. Helen¡¯s eyes drifted from side to side as they passed priceless artwork and sculptures made of materials which filled a small antechamber for an entrance that had to come from another planet, seeing as the majority of the landscape was merely stone or crystal.

    Before either woman could register, they were both whisked through a set of large ornate doors of light colored hardwood and silvery metallic trim, with carvings of two Eskarii women, one holding up the sun and the other having her hands around a crystal that depicted the emission of light.

    ¡°Mother! We''re home!¡± Mo¡¯Emori called out in a shrill tone that echoed throughout the chamber.

    Helen focused on her surroundings, seeing a small gathering of four Eskarii dressed in the finery of what she could only assume were nobles. In front of those four Eskarii, was a massive crystalline throne with an ornate backing that rose up towards the 30 foot ceiling and nearly as wide in a brilliant display of beauty. The crystal that made up the throne was so pure and colorless that it nearly appeared to be made of ice.

    Even more surprising, was the woman sitting on the throne. She was an Eskarii who looked barely older than Mo¡¯Emori with long raven black hair, a simply yet impressively elegant geometric crown of radiant silver sitting atop her head with crystalline gems embedded, crystal clear sky blue in color. Her pure white gown flowing over her in a simple fashion with glistening material embedded into the fabric.

    Her lavender eyes shifted from the small congregation to the teal haired Eskarii girl bouncing on her heels as she walked, still dragging Helen across the expansive chamber while waving with unrestrained excitement. With a simple flick of her wrist, the four Eskarii in the room shuffled out the nearest exit with controlled haste.

    The second the congregation disappeared from the room, her lips spread into a soft smile that radiated the power and authority she held.

    ¡°My darling daughter, it warms my heart to see you home again,¡± she said evenly with the slightest hint of longing in her voice as she stood from the throne. Helen¡¯s eyes widened in horror.

    Her eyes shifted to Torvil as she began to step across room to meet them all, ¡°and my dear son,¡± she said sweetly.

    Torvil never left Jen¡¯s side as they met the queen in the middle of the throne room, Mo¡¯Emori finally releasing Helen to throw herself into her mother¡¯s arms as she giggled.

    ¡°Mother, it is good to see you are well,¡± Torvil stated as he caught Jen staring between him and the queen in gaping astonishment out of the corner of his eye.

    Jen smacked him in the arm when he gave her a sly smirk, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us!?¡± she exclaimed as Helen stood behind everyone, frozen in place as her brain made the connection.

    Mo¡¯Emori released her mother and turned to both women with a shit eating grin on her face, ¡°Because it¡¯s funny!¡± she sang before laughing.

    ¡°My children¡­ why do you bring two humans to our world? You know it is forbidden,¡± their mother chastised.

    Mo¡¯Emori silenced herself abruptly, ¡°But mom¡­¡±

    ¡°No buts child! Now I demand an explanation,¡± the queen demanded in their language, her tone even enough to hide her outrage yet still deliver her displeasure.

    ¡°Mother¡­ may I present to you my Cy¡¯mar,, Jennifer Simmons and she, is carrying my child,¡± Torvil said cautiously.

    Jen¡¯s hand instantly tightened against his with enough force that his fingers threatened to dislocated as her eyes went wide at the blatant announcement.

    The queen scrutinized Jen, ¡°Who is to say it is yours?¡± she demanded.

    Torvil let out an angry hiss, ¡°Mother, do not dare,¡± he growled.

    The queen looked at him down her nose before shaking her head, ¡°I mean no offense, it is always a mother¡¯s concern, especially given the circumstances.¡±

    Jen broke through her shock and chuckled, ¡°None taken. Honestly, if you would¡¯ve asked three years ago I¡¯d be wondering myself but¡­ yeah,¡± she trailed off feeling as if she had dug herself into a hole.

    The queen smiled at her though, gesturing to her body, ¡°May I?¡±

    Jen had no idea what the queen, Torvil¡¯s mother, intended but nodded anyways, not wishing to be her usual obstinate self.

    The queen stepped forward, standing only a few inches taller than Jen before her hand radiated a soft white glow. She held her hand out and touched her palm to Jen¡¯s stomach, the sudden warmth made Jen gasp as she looked down.

    The white aura slowly coalesced into a mixture of green and red, interwoven across her hand until it fused into the color yellow. The queen let out a held breath as she smiled brightly, ¡°My first grandchild¡­¡±

    The queen look into Jen¡¯s wide eyes and lifted her other hand to her cheek, ¡°Jennifer Simmons, you bring a precious gift to this family, a family you belong to now,¡± she said in adoration.

    ¡°¡­what?¡± Jen blurted in shock as Mo¡¯Emori squealed and clapped, breaking up the moment to allow the queen to set her sights on Helen who stood there smiling.

    Seeing the interaction began Jen and the queen reigned in her nerves. ¡°Now, who is this Terran? Another?¡± the queen asked, giving her son a questioning glare.

    Jen started laughing at the implication as Torvil blushed and shook his head, Mo¡¯Emori jumping between her two mothers, ¡°No, no this is my Mem-ali! She took care of me for years and is absolutely wonderful! Oh! And mathematically older than you Mem!¡± the Eskarii girl beamed before wrapping her arms tightly around Helen.

    The queen¡¯s eyes narrowed on Helen, watching Helen pat her daughter on the head like some pet animal. ¡°My daughter seems quite infatuated with you yes, but who are you,  Terran?¡± she asked sharply.

    Helen smiled as she wriggled free from Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s grasp and held out her hand before retracting it, opting to give the queen a courteous bow instead.

    ¡°My name is Helen, and your daughter is being honest, we sort of¡­ adopted each other in a sense over the past two and a half years¡­ um, when Mo¡¯Emori and Torvil received your command to return home and she wished for me to join, as did Lord Inquisitor Solomon, he uh¡­ sends his regards and hopes you are well,¡± she hammered out nervously.

    The queen¡¯s eyes flashed in recognition and gave her a respectful nod, ¡°I see, and how fares Lord Solomon? It has been quite some time since I last saw him, though I am curious as to why he has sent you.¡±

    Helen chuckled nervously, nodding along with what she said, ¡°That makes two of us¡­ but, he is good. He did say he wished for me to be a liaison however, I¡¯m no diplomat so I am unaware of what it is he truly expects me to do but it is an honor and pleasure to meet you as both Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s mother as well as queen of the Eskarii.¡±

    Before anyone could say anything, a pair of voices shrieked from the right side of the room.

    ¡°Mo¡¯Emori! Torvil!¡± both voices screamed as they turned to see two young Eskarii girls sprinting into the room towards their group.

    Mo¡¯Emori instantly darted in their direction, colliding with the pair of girls in emotional levity.

    Helen took a step closer to the queen, both sharing a soft laugh as they watched the trio of girls tangle themselves in their embrace.

    Helen looked at the queen, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but is there a name you wish to be addressed by?¡±

    Mo¡¯Emori and Torvil¡¯s mother regarded Helen for a moment before saying, ¡°My name is Myshkali, and the two who just entered are my youngest daughters, Tali and Jae¡¯ron.¡±

    Helen hummed pleasantly, ¡°Well it''s nice to meet you officially Myshkali, Mo¡¯Emori has told me many things about her family, though leaving out the bit about her mother being the queen,¡± she said with a light hearted smile before it faltered, ¡°Also¡­ I''m sorry to hear about your eldest son.¡±

    Myshkali¡¯s eyes cut over to Helen, a curious yet demanding glance as she regarded the Terran woman.

    ¡°I was close by when Mo¡¯Emori heard the news¡­ I held her as she cried,¡± Helen finished with a knowing expression, her too being a mother.

    Myshkali nodded respectfully, ¡°Thank you, it is hard on us all, though harder on the youngest of the family,¡± she said gesturing to her daughters who briskly walked over.

    ¡°Mem-Ani! This is Tali and Jae¡¯ron, my chwaede! Oh! This is Mo''dyrb Jen too!¡± Mo¡¯Emori exclaimed gesturing to both women before leaning closer to her sisters and loudly whispering, ¡°We¡¯re going to be mo¡¯dyr as well because Torvil got Mo¡¯dyrb Jen pregnant!¡±

    All three girls screamed in excitement as Torvil let out a strained groan that managed to overshadow their high pitched celebration before they surrounded Jen in a group hug, Jen dumbfounded yet jovially laughing at the love assault.

    Tali was the youngest, yet nearly as tall as Mo¡¯Emori with vibrant green eyes and soft pink hair cropped into a bob, very similar to how Morrigan had kept her hair for years. Jae¡¯ron was the shortest of the three by an entire foot, with sepia colored eyes and golden blonde hair cut short, nearly mimicking Jen¡¯s short, spiky haired style.

    Helen watched as her heart felt connected with everyone in the chamber, even to Myshkali, yet, she wished her own daughter were there to enjoy such a grand reunion of family.

    ¡°I truly hope our unsanctioned arrival did not interrupt anything¡­ I know you requested your children home and I certainly do not wish to have us alter any plans you may have had,¡± Helen said, prying at the nature of their visit.

    Myshkali regarded everyone present in her throne room and shook her head, ¡°Perhaps not. If Solomon requested you to be here then perhaps you may be helpful in our endeavors¡­ Mo¡¯Emori, Torvil, there is something you are needed for,¡± the queen announced, diverting her attention to her rambunctious children.

    The girls settled as they found their mother¡¯s expression more serious than it had been a moment ago. Given the silence, Myshkali continued.

    ¡°The Sybrydian have discovered someone powerful within the universe, with claws of red that sunder everything before them¡­ I have seen things my children and need your assistance in finding this being, so that I may speak with them¡­¡± she spoke in their native tongue, unaware that Helen understood every word. Helen bit her lip in nervous amusement as well as hiding her surprise, before Mo¡¯Emori blasted Torvil in the chest with a wave of telekinetic energy.

    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!? You waste our time on that! Seriously mother! We know exactly who you speak of!¡± Mo¡¯Emori shouted with wild aggression.

    Torvil groaned as he got up off the ground, ¡°Why did you hit me?¡± he growled.

    Mo¡¯Emori gave him a look that told him it should have been obvious, ¡°Auntie Jen is pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t dare hit my chwaede, I obviously can¡¯t hit momma Helen or Mem, so you, my dear brawder¡­ she wants to see Mori and we were just there! We just saw her!¡± Mo¡¯Emori explained before she started to break down and cry, wedging herself into Jen¡¯s arms.

    Jen held the crying girl while giving Helen an exasperated look, ¡°I¡¯m so lost¡­ is this what I have to look forward to?¡±

    Helen sighed and wiggled her hand side to side before looking at Myshkali, who furrowed her brows deeply at her crying daughter.

    ¡°Myshkali¡­ the person you are seeking to speak to is my daughter, Morrigan¡­ Solomon made her an Inquisitor and we had just been with her when we departed the Void Star,¡± she explained.

    Myshkali¡¯s confusion expanded over the explanation as her curiosity began to rise, ¡°I see¡­ come, we have much to discuss it seems. If this being is truly your daughter, then Lord Solomon¡¯s appraisal of using you as a liaison is no mere coincidence¡­¡± she said, uncertainty ringing throughout her tone as she gestured to her right and guided their group out of the throne room.

 Chapter XX

    Hey, time to wake up dipshit. Your little suicide trip is over, so rise and shine princess! Apollyon¡¯s voice rang in her head like the galaxy¡¯s largest gong.

    Morrigan groaned and winced as she twitched her head, only to feel more pain in her head and neck.

    Her eyes fluttered briefly before squeezing out the searing light of the room,  ¡°Off¡­ turn the damned lights off,  fuck¡­¡± she groaned out as she covered her eyes with her hand.

    The pain in her head sent a wave of nausea throughout her system, forcing her body to respond as she twisted towards the edge of the bed and vomited nothing but rancid bile.

    Now that''s just gross, Apollyon quipped in mild amusement, enticing a long groan from Morrigan as she spit the bile that coated her tongue onto the ground.

    The clicking of hard soled shoes rang in her ears, only adding to her misery, as Doctor Tamina stepped into the room and stopped, scrunched her nose in disgust.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re finally awake¡­¡± she said, her tone hinting at her surprise.

    ¡°Lights, off,¡± Morrigan demanded.

    Tamina instantly connected the scene she had been witnessing with the telltale signs of a severe migraine before unlocking her data-slate and remotely switching off the lights except for the small glowing lights on various medical devices.

    As Morrigan''s vision turned to the grey scale of her dark vision, she sighed, holding herself over the edge of the bed as the skull splitting pain in her head began to ebb away enough for her to deem it safe for her to lay back down.

    As she moved, all of her muscles and joints registered the movement with pain as she winced again.

    Tamina grabbed a biohazard mat and placed it over her vomit to be soaked up and safely disposed of before grabbing a chair and setting it next to the bed Morrigan was on.

    ¡°This is probably a redundant question but how are you feeling?¡± Tamina asked softly, making sure to keep her voice low.

    Morrigan made a pained face the doctor could barely see before coarsely replying, ¡°Sore¡­ what happened?¡±

    Tamina, who Morrigan realized was dressed in a simple dress as well as having her hair and make up done, leaned forward and sighed.

    ¡°Honestly¡­ I was hoping you could tell me. I mean, I spoke with Admiral Shepard but she was so shocked and angry that she didn''t make much sense. As for in here,¡± she gestured to the room, ¡°I¡¯m aware you heal at an abnormal rate but by the time your guardian brought you here, you had no sign of injury and all of your scans came up normal except your brain activity...¡±

    Morrigan gave her a puzzle look, ¡°My brain activity?¡±

    Tamina nodded as she bit her lip before pulling up something on her data-slate and handing it to her.

    ¡°Your brain activity was going off the charts¡­¡± she added as Morrigan pushed through the painful act of looking at the bright screen.

    What she saw was a 30 minute log of her brain activity as well as a side panel of her brain waves going completely crazy.

    Yeah, that was probably me. Be happy you weren¡¯t awake to hear me because mad as a bag of ferrets does not even cover it.

    Morrigan turned the screen off and blinked away the pain in her eyes, handing the device back.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked the deity.

    You seriously don''t remember? You damn near killed yourself you reckless little shit! Apollyon roared in her head, causing Morrigan''s entire body to cringe reflexively.

    Tamina stood immediately, ¡°I''ll get you something for that migraine, be right back,¡± she announced before stepping away.

    ¡°Seriously Apollyon¡­ what happened?¡± She implored bracing herself for the deity to start screaming at her.

    Instead, Apollyon only sighed.

    Where to start, you lost your shit, filtered significantly more ambient energy than was safe to do so and along with ripping that Federation ship in half, you also nearly tore your internal organs apart in the process¡­ you¡¯re stupidly lucky girl, because I was just barely able to keep you from killing yourself.

    Morrigan¡¯s heart clenched tightly at the memories that flooded back through her mind, the amount of anger she felt as she witnessed the orbital bombardment of Mars, the event that no doubt killed her father.

    The anger wasn¡¯t there anymore though, only the hollow feeling inside her chest as tears rolled down her cheeks.

    Tamina came back with a syringe in one hand before freezing in place, the data-slate and syringe falling from her hands to the floor as the doctor saw the dark lines streaking down Morrigan¡¯s face, reflecting off the low light coming from around the room.

    ¡°Mori? Are you okay?¡± she asked calmly despite her shock, not wanting to alarm the young Inquisitor.

    Morrigan looked at her in confusion before considering the question, ¡°No¡­ my father is gone¡­ I failed and I¡­¡± her breath caught as her lip quivered, rolling to her side and bringing her knees to her plated chest.

    She was harrowing at the realization that she felt nothing; no pain, no anger not even sorrow. She was empty of all emotion but the very real shock she felt in that moment.

    Tamina scrutinized her in worry as she tried to discern what had happened between leaving the room and coming back. Her assessment was inconclusive seeing as she saw no reason for injury or cause for what she assumed to be blood running down the girl¡¯s cheeks, similar to how she arrived yet Morrigan gave no hint of being in discomfort any longer.

    She picked the data-slate up and syringe off the floor and set them aside after viewing a private message from Sister that Admiral Shepard would be on her way in a moment.

    Sitting next to the medical bed, she brushed her finger through her hair in a loss of what to do.

    ¡°Is there anything I can get you? Water?  Someone you wish to speak to?¡± Tamina asked softly.

    Morrigan immediately shook her head as her mind raced through the events that had transpired. She had killed before, more often than she would ever care to admit, but what she had done was everything short of genocide. All the people aboard the Federation ship, tens of thousands killed at her whim, let alone those on Mars. She barely remembered the back half of the ship colliding into the planet. Gravely, she wondered just how many others lost their life to her rampage.

    Without warning, the sound of heavy boots stormed into the room, the light flicking on in a blinding fashion.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Shepard¡¯s voice called out in anger before the heavy footsteps stopped.

    Tamina pursed her lips as she stared down the admiral, casting a glance at the unmoving Morrigan who could be seen staring off into nothing. Tamina frowned as she spotted the drying blood that streamed down her cheeks but chose to address that later.

    Shepard studied the situation as her furious mind processed the scene. As angry as she had been; seeing the young Inquisitor devoid of life caused her fury to flee as her life¡¯s worth of experience sympathized what the girl was going through.

    Shepard deflated with a sigh and grabbed a stool, sliding it over and sat next to Tamina, Morrigan not reacting to her presence.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shepard asked.

    Tamina shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I left to get her something for the migraine she woke up with and when I came back she was crying blood¡­ and just shut down,¡± her voice thick with concern as she took a sanitizing wipe and made the cautious effort to wipe the dried blood away from Morrigan¡¯s cheeks.

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    ¡°Why is she needing to wipe the blood away?¡± Morrigan thought to Apollyon, she could tell even her inner voice felt hollow, empty.

    Uhhh, not sure, this is new. Looking around¡­ everything is in working order, oh wait, I see¡­ that¡¯s interest. Well, I think it¡¯s safe to say you should never use your blood in a blood transfusion or something, Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan wanted to question it, but she did not deem it worth the effort at the moment as she focused on the tender touch of Doctor Tamina, the cold tinge of the alcohol and sanitizing chemicals dancing along her nerves.

    ¡°Hmm, Mori? Do you have any idea what happened?¡± Shepard asked her after letting Tamina clean her face. Morrigan''s eyes shifted to Shepard, before giving her a small nod, her lips thinning tightly as she fought back the overwhelming need to cry.

    Shepard sighed, ¡°Well, lucky for us you had the S¡¯randin aboard. They made quick repairs to get us going again¡­ but that''s not what''s upsetting you.¡± Shepard really wanted to ream the girl out for nearly leaving the Archangel stranded in space but she could not overcome the understanding that she had just lost her father.

    ¡°How many?¡± Morrigan croaked.

    Shepard furrowed her brows in confusion, ¡°How many what?¡± she asked.

    Morrigan''s breath suffered before she forced out,  ¡°Did I kill?¡± her voice thick with worry and remorse.

    Both Tamina and Shepard¡¯s eyes widened as they looked at each other, ¡°Mori, I don''t think that''s something you need to worry about right now, we need to make sure you''re alright, physically at least¡­¡± Tamina said.

    Morrigan''s voice rose as she pushed herself up, ¡°Just tell me!¡± staring directly into Shepard¡¯s eye.

    The admiral sighed and shook her head, ¡°There''s no way for us to know for certain, no one aboard our ship though¡­ I will tell you this, because I understand what''s going through your mind right now. I have condemned many to death in ship to ship battles over my many long years of service¡­ my best advise is to not dwell on it. This is war Morrigan, lives will be lost, even unnecessary ones. Mourn for them if you need to but do not dwell. Until this war ends, there will be many more, even at your own hands, or my own. We must live with our choices, reflect upon them and even feel for them, but we must push through our consequences or else we lose ourselves.¡±

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Morrigan avoided everyone for the entire day as they soared through the stars, hiding away to be alone with her thoughts. Admiral Shepard had told her they had resumed their course to Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To after she had spoken with Solomon about the events that had happened at Mars. Solomon was understanding and did not hold Morrigan accountable for the deaths that transpired though he had not been happy to hear she nearly disabled the Archangel. Eventually, she would have to explain what happened to him.

    Within a day and a half though, she would need to be back to her normal self so she took Shepard¡¯s advice and made the time to mourn. In the moment, she had forgotten how the Federation threw its power around and forced innocent people to do things they did not want to do, much like her graduation ceremony. She knew not everyone on Mars supported the Federation, or even on the ship she destroyed, but that did not stop her from snuffing out their lives like a candle flame.

    I don¡¯t see what you''re so upset about kiddo, there is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt and with my power, it¡¯s within your ability to command death to those who are guilty.

    ¡°I wouldn''t expect you to understand¡­¡± she stated.  Her voice retained some of her emotions after spending some time doing as Shepard recommended. Her wings folded around her in a protective shell as she sat near the edge of the hanger bay, staring out of the kinetic plasma shield that kept the vacuum of space out of the ship yet allowed physical objects like ships to pass through unhindered with specific ionic signatures.

    Everyone in the hanger gave her a wide berth, despite not being in anyone¡¯s way, and gave her the space she desired.

    Sitting in front of the shield, she watched the galaxy go by in streams of light, the simple yet chaotic patterns of FTL travel creating a calming effect for her. It wasn¡¯t much, but it helped.

    Someone whistled a jaunty tune as they entered the respectively busy hanger. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the wee lass!¡± Sigurd called out from across the room.

    Morrigan held her knees tightly against her chest as she felt the vibrations in the metal floor as he approached her. She did not want company, all she desired was to be left alone however, Sigurd stopped behind her.

    He scrutinized her shrunken form hiding beneath the semi opaque shroud of crimson light of her wings, cocking his head as he studied her before he sighed and stepping around to her right.

    He sat down next to her with a grunt, unafraid of the crimson wings surrounding her, as if he were an old man, though given his age, he technically was the oldest living human on the Archangel. ¡°Och, I get it lass. Bit of a sad bit about yer old man an such, yeah fer sure,¡± he stated with aloof compassion.

    To Morrigan, it sounded more like someone lacking empathy trying to be sympathetic which only caused her to bury her face into her knees and wish him away.

    ¡°Ye know, I killed me own da when I was jus¡¯ 19. A right bastard he was; an abusive drunk and an absolute shite being, beatin¡¯ on me ma in the kitchen one day¡­¡± he paused giving her a look before continuing, ¡°I grabbed one of the knives in the block and ran it across his throat. Was the day me love of killin¡¯ came to form. Off ta the clink an later, offered to become who I am today but I take it yer old man wasn¡¯t a shitebag like mine was.¡±

    Morrigan let out an unsteady breath before looking up to watch the stars sail by again, ¡°No¡­ he was a police officer¡­ one of the very few good ones in Denver,¡± her words pained with longing.

    Sigurd nodded and leaned back on his mechanical hands, ¡°Aye, yer lady told me what she knew. She¡¯s worried ye know? The lizards are ferret crazy too about ye. I¡¯m not though.¡±

    Morrigan scoffed in disbelief, shifting her wings to look at him as she felt her irritation rise, ¡°What is it you¡¯re trying to do Sigurd?¡±

    He grinned at her, ¡°Get a rise out of ya, see look at ya, glarin¡¯ the death glare at me,¡± he pointed out, chuckling when she let out a sharp snort at him, ¡°But seriously, we understand. Yer old man sounds like a decent bloke, an as any wee lass, ye should mourn but I know ye will be fine.¡±

    Morrigan furrowed her brows, recalling her energy from her wings, ¡°I don''t see what you¡¯re trying to say¡­¡± his words made little sense to her though she knew the mad man was trying to tell her something important. She may have not known Sigurd long, but she learned that he held a special kind of worldly wisdom stemming from his long, violent life.

    He chuckled at her confusion and leaned forward, hunching over as his shoulders shook, ¡°Aye, that¡¯s the way of it ya? Look, what I¡¯m sayin¡¯ is that yer the strongest lass to come through me life. Not only can ye stand toe to toe with me but ye also ripped a feckin¡¯ ship in half!¡± he exclaimed in amusement gesturing to the void of space they sailed through at unimaginable speed.

    He laughed, ¡°Why else would I offer meself to ye? Yer fecking strong both in arm an soul. Ye have a mad bit just as savage as me own an ye don¡¯t even need me happy juice ta get there! That speaks of ye character somethin¡¯ fierce an anyone who lives with such savagery is one to never worry about¡­ in the end, they be just fine. Jus¡¯ two mad folk livin¡¯ in chaos, we are,¡± he concluded with a mad grin as he looked at her.

    Morrigan¡¯s mind halted as she tried to process what he said. The only conclusion she saw was that he had claimed she were as insane as him, which she knew wasn¡¯t what he was truly trying to say though it didn¡¯t help her irritation at all.

    ¡°Do you have any idea what he¡¯s saying?¡± she asked Apollyon.

    Hmm, he¡¯s saying that you¡¯re strong enough to get through this and come out the other side the same. I think he¡¯s also saying he understands you and you¡¯re not as alone as you think. That¡¯s my guess anyways, I also think he¡¯s trying to say he¡¯s here for you as a friend or kindred spirit¡­ I don¡¯t know woman! Why do you ask me these things? You know damn well I don¡¯t deal in this sappy crap! Apollyon complained.

    Apollyon¡¯s whining made her breath a chuckle as she considered the deity¡¯s interpretation, a small smile crossing her lips because she knew having spent a few years inhabiting her body, Apollyon knew more about emotions other than rage than it was letting on.

    After consideration, she deemed Apollyon¡¯s interpretation to be correct, at least, she hoped and let out a small chuckle.

    ¡°Ah! There¡¯s that wee smile that could melt a sun, already on the mend an such,¡± Sigurd mused.

    ¡°Thank you, Sigurd,¡± she said softly as her temple felt the cold metal of his shoulder plate, leaning against him awkwardly.

    The mad man preened as he looked down at her, watching the dancing lights of space flash across her eyes as she stared out into space. He reached over and patted her on the head, ¡°Its all keen, lass.¡±

    As awkwardly amusing it was to feel the Berserker pat her on the head like a child or animal, she felt a tenderness to the gesture that helped her feel better, almost like a father comforting a daughter, but not quite as personal.

    ¡°Yer lizards are bonkers for headin¡¯ home, hopefully yer as excited as they are. A world full of tongue flickers could be a bit of fun,¡± Sigurd segwayed the conversation.

    Morrigan snorted at the notion and patted his metallic arm in a return gesture, ¡°Yeah but you should probably stay on the Archangel. You piss the four we have off on a daily basis and this is supposed to be a diplomatic mission, couldn¡¯t imagine the damage you¡¯d do pissing off an entire planet,¡± she mused.

    Sigurd let out a sharp bark of a laugh before nodding, ¡°Aye, that¡¯s fair. Can¡¯t go droppin¡¯ all the marbles when yer supposed to be pickin¡¯ em up. If they do want a good tussle though, let me know. It¡¯d be a grand time.¡±

    Morrigan laughed. She finally figured Sigurd out in a way she had not expected. Even though he let himself be turned into a tool of war and reveled in the madness of violence, he was still human underneath the drug induced insanity and metal. Not only was he still human but a lonely one, and she was the only one he could consider equal enough to call a friend. His long life was filled with flights of fancy and savage butchery but she realized then and there, that when they fought on IPC-98, he saw someone who understood him.

    More so, it gave her comfort that no matter what happened or what she does, he wouldn¡¯t judge her, he would be a true friend because he also understood her on an entirely different level that no one else could seem to understand. What he truly meant by his words was that she wasn¡¯t some monster, but a unique and strong-willed individual that would persevere through any dark times she found herself in, with people who cared about her to support her, including himself.

    The Marmuro¡¯k knew her darker side but respected her enough to see past it, adoring and fearing her at the same time where as Nora, she loved her so much that she either ignored Morrigan¡¯s negative issues or simply didn¡¯t care enough for them to even exist to her, yet Sigurd saw her for who and what she was, not ignoring any of it but respecting her for it as if she were a rarity in the universe.

    That made her comfortable enough to trust him and even find kinship in the mad man as she leaned against him watching the time pass by in the cascading starlight, feeling more at peace for the time being than she had felt in the last few days.

 Chapter XXI

    Morrigan stepped onto the bridge with Xol as the Archangel transitioned out of FTL, the universe quickly snapping back into shape at a speed the human brain could comprehend. Far off in the distance was a large planet, roughly the size of Jupiter as far as Morrigan could guess, as well as a massive stone white battleship ebbing its way towards them.

    The ship was twice the size of a cruiser, with a simple, blocky design that spoke of the sheer integrity of the Marmuro¡¯k. She knew it was a Marmuro¡¯k ship due to grilling Xol for information on the species as well as information about Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To over the past 24 hours.

    ¡°Mori, we¡¯re being hailed by the incoming ship. Would you like me to put them through?¡± Sister announced.

    ¡°One moment Sister,¡± she responded before eyeing each member including Admiral Shepard. Sarilla seemed excited, while Luisa, Gunnar and Avery all appeared to be nervous by the approaching vessel. Shepard gave her a curt nod, letting Morrigan know they were prepared before Morrigan turned to Xol.

    ¡°You ready?¡± she asked.

    Xol side eyed her and rumbled a hum, giving her a sharp nod and squaring his shoulders.

    ¡°Alright Sister, let them through,¡± Morrigan ordered as she turned her head at the sound of the elevator door opening again to see Nora stepping into the bridge.

    There was no image that appeared above Morrigan¡¯s station however, the second the audio connected, a stream of gibberish squawks and warbles came over the bridge¡¯s speakers. Morrigan was instantly relieved that Xol was spearheading the communications because she had no hope in conversing with a S¡¯randin. She could barely communicate with Yekku and Qiote, only marginally being able to due to living with them long enough to pick up their physical social cues.

    As Xol started speaking, her attention moved to Nora who slipped her arm underneath hers.

    ¡°Hey precious, how are you feeling?¡± Nora asked softly, taking surprising care to not speak over Xol as he spoke in the Marmuro¡¯k language.

    Morrigan gave her a small smile as she slipped her fingers between Nora¡¯s, pulling her hand up and kissing it, ¡°I¡¯m okay, nervous though. If this goes south, I¡¯m not sure the Archangel can outgun that ship long enough to escape¡­¡± she said, motioning towards the gargantuan ship with a nod.

    Nora snorted softly and grinned, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I bet you can rip that one in half too,¡± she mused as she kissed her cheek sweetly and settled her head against Morrigan¡¯s temple.

    Morrigan rolled her eyes at her comment and went back to listening to Xol.

    Yeah, don¡¯t listen to her. I mean, sure you probably could but after last time, let¡¯s not do that again until we¡¯re sure what your body can handle it, Apollyon pleaded.

    ¡°No worries, I don¡¯t intend on doing that ever again,¡± she replied in her head.

    ¡°On the honor of Clan Tau, I, Xol-Tau, warrior of Clan Tau, come under the guidance of Red Death of the Inquisition with Qiote-Arak¡¯tarul, Yekku-Kri¡¯ket and H?¡¯tet-Tau. You will give passage to Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To and allow Marmuro¡¯k to return home!¡± Xol growled out as Morrigan watched his fists clench. She could see him becoming increasingly aggravated and began to wonder if perhaps Yekku may have been a better option to speak to the Marmuro¡¯k ship.

    After a long moment of silence, the S¡¯randin on the other end chirped before the communication status went offline. Xol turned and gave her a firm nod.

    ¡°We land, one k¨ºsta¡­¡± he paused and looked at Shepard, ¡°Archangel, to stay in high orbit.¡±

    Morrigan looked at Shepard who shrugged, ¡°Seems we have our passage. I¡¯ll have the hanger two prep a ship; will you be needing an escort?¡±

    Morrigan shook her, ¡°No, I think the less people the better. Sigurd will remain on ship, but Nora and I will go along with the Marmuro¡¯k and a pilot.¡±

    Shepard turned to Avery, ¡°Take us in slowly and within range of an orbital drop, let¡¯s not press our luck out here¡­¡±

    ¡°Aye, aye, boss lady!¡± Avery cheered nervously as he took control of the ship¡¯s main engines.

    ¡°Sarilla, how long until we are within range?¡± Morrigan inquired.

    ¡°Uh, about 30 minutes according to our scans, is there anywhere we should be heading towards in particular?¡± Sarilla asked.

    Sister automatically generated a real-time three-dimensional rendering of Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To, including environmental data from the ship¡¯s long-range scanners. The data showed that the planet was mainly a mixture of lush jungles, deserts and mountainous regions with very little surface water however, a massive underground water table existing beneath the jungle and mountain regions.

    Morrigan gestured to the map and looked at Xol, ¡°If you would please.¡±

    Xol hummed and studied the map with intensity, walking around to pin point where they needed to go. Eventually, he raised a clawed finger to a spot within the lower hemisphere along the edge of a jungle and series of mountains, ¡°Here,¡± he gruffed.

    Sarilla went to work coordinating a flight path and sent it to Avery.

    ¡°This¡­ how hot is your planet, Xol? I¡¯m getting sweaty just looking at it,¡± Nora questioned with predetermined complaint.

    Before Xol could respond, Sister interjected ¡°Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To, though having an atmosphere similar to Earth, appears to have an overall temperature 13% warmer than Earth¡¯s temperate biosphere.¡±

    Nora groaned as she stamped her foot causing Morrigan to chuckle, ¡°Hun, why are you complaining, you¡¯re a literal ice cube or did you forget your power?¡±

    Nora spun with a mild look of shock on her face, ¡°I totally did! Never mind Xol, your planet looks lovely!¡± she exclaimed.

    Xol bore his fangs at her, unamused by her antics as Morrigan shook her head, leading the squirrelly blonde back to the elevator, ¡°Come on you, unlike you, my armor will roast me alive so I need to change. Xol, gather the others and meet me in hanger two please.¡±

    Xol clicked his jaw as he stepped into the elevator, Nora giggling and making lewd comments about keeping Morrigan cool as the gate shut and they descended into the depths of the Archangel.

    As Morrigan headed to her quarters after parting ways with Nora and Xol, Yekku stuck his head out of the door with a gleeful squawk.

    ¡°What are you doing here buddy? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in the lab?¡± she scrutinized.

    Yekku bobbed his head and took a step forward, keeping low in nervousness as he warbled something she could not understand however, the look in his eyes held an essence of hopefulness she did recognize.

    Placing her hands on her hips, she smiled, ¡°You want to come to the surface with us?¡±

    Yekku stepped closer at an angle and gave a dejected chirp as if asking such a thing were above him, flicking his tongue nervously.

    She snorted and lowered herself down to his level, despite the fact he was actually taller than her if he stood at his full height, and brushed his snout and frills.

    ¡°Of course, you can come with, Xol is going to round everyone up so go meet him in hanger two, okay?¡± She said warmly in amusement.

    Yekku looked at her wide eyed as she told him. He chirped and warbled excitedly as he unceremoniously flicked his tongue across her face and scurried off at speed down the corridor, leaving Morrigan laughing as she nearly fell over.

    Even though she knew she would miss Qiote, she was happy Yekku wanted to stay with her. The puppy dog personality he possessed held a large spot in her heart and she would never wish to be without her crazy, excitable S¡¯randin.

    Morrigan stepped in her room and changed into lighter clothes similar to her loungewear she wore around the ship, something light enough not to bake in the intense heat of Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To but offered minor resistances.

    Attaching her gunblade to her back along with two dispensers of shells on her hip and her Inquisitorial badge to her shirt, she was ready to greet the world of the Marmuro¡¯k.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Morrigan¡¯s heart hammered in her chest with excitement as they descended through the atmosphere. Ever since she was 14, she always dreamed of seeing the Marmuro¡¯k home world and now, she not only had loyal Marmuro¡¯k friends, but her dream was coming true.

    The shuttle rocked violently as they broke through the final layer of atmosphere, ¡°It¡¯s going to be a little dicey Inquisitor, it appears the planet has nine percent more gravity than Earth does, I¡¯ll do my best to compensate,¡± the pilot called back from the cockpit. She didn¡¯t respond as she braced herself as the shuttle rocked again.

    Xol hissed in laughter as he watched Nora and Morrigan steady themselves, where as his weight left him firmly planted and the S¡¯randin sprawled low on the floor on their hands and feet, using their tails to balance.

    ¡°Laugh it up shit head and I¡¯ll put your head on a spike of ice!¡± Nora complained.

    ¡°Like to see you try,¡± Xol rumbled with amusement as the shuttle began to smoothen out.

    As soon as the rocking stopped, Qiote darted to one of the side hatches and pulled it open and warbled excitedly. In curiosity and wonderment, Morrigan moved across the shuttle and braced herself along the door.

    The view was magnificent as the setting sun highlighted a distance mountain range with the towering peak casting a shadow over part the jungle canopy that glistened under the amber light.

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    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± Morrigan admired as she took in the damp, floral smells of the world below. Yekku chirping and brushing his head against her hip earning head pets from her.

    Nora peeked over her shoulder, ¡°Oh wow, it actually is pretty nice, a bit musty, but pretty,¡± she mused casting a glance at Xol who nodded sagely.

    ¡°We have incoming!¡± the pilot shouted before the static sound of electricity came crashing into the shuttle, throwing it violently to the side. Morrigan was thrown out as everyone braced themselves, Yekku leaning out with an alarmed cry as he tried to catch her.

    Wind rushed past Morrigan¡¯s ears as she tumbled through the air, catching glimpses of the smoking shuttle as it too plummeted out of the sky.

    ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± she exclaimed as she tried to right herself.

    Use your wings! Apollyon roared in her head.

    Morrigan called out her wings mid tumult however, between the speed of her trajectory and internal disorientation of the higher gravity made it difficult for her to find her balance.

    Her vision went spotty as she was stopped by a massive tree, the back of her head slamming hard against the trunk before she dropped to the ground.

    Damn, that was a doozy, you good? Apollyon inquired as Morrigan got to her hands and knees with a groan shaking her head.

    Spots danced in her vision as her focus slowly came back, ¡°Yeah, that just¡­¡± she paused as she looked around trying to spot the shuttle from her position.

    ¡°Remind me the next time someone shoots me out of the sky; to burn their fucking planet to the ground,¡± she finished with a wince as she touched the back of her head, thankful that her skull had not been split open even though she knew she would heal from such an injury.

    Apollyon chuckled, You know, after getting all bent out of shape over the ship, I really doubt you¡¯d do that, but I¡¯m all for real genocide if you¡¯re feeling French hehehe.

    Morrigan leaned against the tree as she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain in her head to ebb away.

    ¡°Well, this is the second time I¡¯ve been shot out of the sky and I¡¯m getting real sick of it already¡­ and what does being French have to do with anything?¡± she asked incredulously.

    Ha! Froggy girl, if you¡¯re feeling froggy, Apollyon mused.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lame joke,¡± she said with a snort before absorbing her surroundings. The jungle floor was damp, covered in thick tree roots and jungle vines with small thick leaved saplings starved of sunlight from the dense canopy above.

    The trees were covered in a thick bark and held no foliage or branches except for the tops of the trees that stood over a hundred feet tall, similar to mighty redwoods of Earth.

    ¡°Did I really just fall from that high?¡± she asked in disbelief before inspecting her body.

    Yeah, yeah you did.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± she huffed out, deciding how she managed not to have any broken bones was something to worry about later.

    She touched her comm bead, ¡°Sister, do you read me?¡±

    ¡°Yes Mori, I am receiving your signal,¡± Sister responded.

    ¡°Are you able to triangulate where the shuttle landed? We got shot down and I got thrown from shuttle,¡± she asked as she tried to spot smoke from the few breaks within the canopy.

    After a moment Sister replied, ¡°The signal from the shuttle is unresponsive however, I have pinpointed Xol-Tau and Nora¡¯s communication signals Northeast of your position, eight point two kilometers away from you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Morrigan said before switching over to Nora¡¯s frequency as she started walking in a northeast direction, ¡°Hun? Are you there?¡±

    Static greeted Morrigan¡¯s ear before the line popped and she heard Nora groan, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re here¡­ pilot is dead but everyone else is fine, shit that sucked. What the fuck happened to having passage!?¡± Nora complained, given her tone she had been yelling at Xol.

    ¡°Well, Sister pinpointed your location to me so I¡¯m heading to¡­¡± Morrigan cut off as Nora exclaimed.

    ¡°Mother fucker Xol! Why are they shooting at us? Babe get here now before I murder everyone!¡± Nora roared as Xol¡¯s own roar and the energized whine of his mace bled into the line before it went dead. Morrigan¡¯s anxiety and pulse quickening at the implication of the Marmuro¡¯k attacking her group.

    Well, this has become a shit show, hasn¡¯t it? Apollyon queried with amusement as the deity felt her anger rise.

    Morrigan growled in irritation, ¡°Shut it an keep a look out would you?¡±

    She climbed over roots and cut through vines with her crimson claws as the sound of Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To¡¯s jungle wildlife became more lively, possibly having gone silent from the noise of her shuttle getting shot down.

    Insects, birds and other wildlife echoed around Morrigan as the heat set into her, breathing heavily as it felt like the temperature was rising through the twilight hour of dusk. Despite the sweat, stress and discomfort, the symphony of nature was beautiful to her, even soothing to a degree.

    The rustling of leaves caught her attention, having her spin around to see a draping sapling swaying followed by a chirping cry off in the distance.

    She inspected her surroundings with furrowed brows as she saw nothing else moving, spinning on her heels as she heard something scrape across bark behind her. As she studied the tree, she could see feint scratch marks that trailed up the length of the tree.

    ¡°Do you see anything?¡± She asked in her head as she slowly drew her gunblade from her back.

    No, but I definitely hear something, Apollyon mentioned as a high-pitched growl came from behind Morrigan.

    She slowly turned to her left, resting the flat of the blade on her forearm to keep the barrel of the shotgun level as the creature behind her came into view.

    What she saw was some kind of feline the size of a mountain lion with six legs and a long tail with some kind of barb on the end. Upon further inspection, the creature was hairless, with four pupil-less orange eyes and some kind of natural camouflage that caused it to blend in with what it was touching like a hyper reactive chameleon.

    The creature ducked its head low with its ears folded back as it watched her look upon it.

    ¡°Its okay kitty¡­¡± she started before yelping as its tail snapped forward and buried its barb into her shoulder, instant burning pain radiating across her chest and arm as the venom it excreted coursed through her blood.

    She squeezed the trigger and a buck shot buried into the side of the creature causing it to wrench out the barb from her shoulder as it leapt back defensively.

    Well shit, focus on killing that thing, I¡¯ll take care of this! Damn, this is some nasty shit, Apollyon shouted in her head as she felt the burning sensation in her chest seep away.

    Morrigan grit her teeth as she focused on the cat-like creature who reared up and let out a bellowing screech that echoed throughout the jungle. Morrigan took aim and fired again, plowing part of the creature¡¯s skull apart, dropping it dead before her as she breathed heavily and sinking the blade into the dirt as she fell to her knee.

    ¡°What the hell did that thing do to me?¡± she asked aloud.

    Apparently that thing had a very nasty neurotoxin, if not for me and such, you would¡¯ve been dead within five seconds. Just give me a minute and I¡¯ll get it out, Apollyon mentioned as the burning sensation and muscle tightness went away even faster.

    Before she could respond, three more of the creatures bound out of the foliage and snarled aggressively, letting out low hissing growls as their tails prepared to strike.

    ¡°Oh fuck me,¡± Morrigan muttered as she left her gunblade in the dirt and lashed out with a crimson claw.

    As she expected, her destructive energy ripped through one of the creatures, rending its flesh and severing limbs as it met little resistance.

    As she went to lash out at another, a fourth creature pounced onto her back and sank its claws into her arms and back, its fangs burying into her shoulder and collar as she let a cry of pain.

    The creature tail pierced her side and her leg as it assaulted her. She let out an aggravated growl of her own as her crimson claws gripped into the bone and meat of the creature¡¯s shoulders and slammed it into the ground before her, stomping down on its throat with enough force to shatter its neck.

    Looking around at the two last targets, Morrigan¡¯s breath hitched as she noticed the number of the cat-like creatures had tripled.

    ¡°Fuck this,¡± she heaved as she grabbed her gunblade and awkwardly started running as her muscles sought to lock up.

    As Apollyon burned the toxins from her body, Morrigan focused on keeping ahead of the creatures hunting her, casting a glance over her shoulder to watch them bound over roots and jump off of trees.

    Each time one of them nearly caught up with her, she took a swipe with her claws or fired her gunblade to deter them.

    ¡°This is such bullshit!¡± she exclaimed as she vaulted herself over a fallen tree.

    Come on little goddess, are you really going to let these things make you prey?

    ¡°Pardon me for not enjoying their poison! Even if it won¡¯t kill me!¡± she exasperated as she moved northwest.

    She bound down a hill into the basin of a small cliff to find three more of the creatures blocking her path, trapping her within the basin as the rest surrounded her.

    ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯m out of options,¡± she said aloud to herself as she reloaded her gunblade and readied herself, watching them prowl closer with bared fangs and readied stingers.

    Hehe time for a new set of clothes, eh? Skin the bastards, little goddess!

    One of them pounced at her only to impale itself onto her raised weapon, thrashing and flailing manically with feline howling until she pulled the trigger, blowing its chest out its back and sliding the corpse off her blade.

    Three more pounced as she crouched low, allowing one to sail over head as she blocked one with the shield she summoned. The creature slammed into the wall of energy hard as it bounced back as she fired twice at the third as it tried to move around her, missing both shots.

    The creature that leaped over her came from behind and sank its fangs into her calf as it¡¯s stinger plunged into her left kidney.

    Morrigan screamed in pain and anger as she swung back and severed the stinger from its tail as well as the vertebrae in its back, paralyzing the creature in a pathetic yelp as it tried to shuffle along the ground away from her.

    Morrigan grabbed it by the hind leg and swung it at another leaping creature, batting it away with its sibling or pack mate.

    Using her crimson claws, she stepped on the head of the one she brandished as a weapon and disemboweled it while firing two more shots at another preparing to pounce on her, the loaded slugs tearing through it and stopping it cold in its tracks.

    Two of the creatures bound behind her and struck out with their stinger tails, piercing her muscles and bone several times as she ripped another in half above her with claws and blade, drenching her in thick purple gore.

    Apollyon swore a string of curses as an intense amount of neurotoxin began to overtake her body. Despite being able to fight off a sting or two worth of toxin with ease, the creatures now assaulted her body leaving Apollyon just barely capable of keeping it from knocking her out or killing her.

    Morrigan fell to her knees sweating and panting hard as breathing became harder, eyeing the remaining cat-like creatures that moved in on her.

    ¡°I think I hate this planet,¡± she forced out as she struggled to remain upright.

    A long, distant howl echoed throughout the jungle followed by high pitched cackles. Morrigan furrowed her brows realizing it was something new and apparently dangerous as the creatures that attacked her all froze before looking around defensively, offering one another alerted chirps as their panic caused their skin to start blending into their surroundings.

    What emerged from the jungle was a massive wolf the size of a horse, bounding into the middle of the basin and diving onto one of the cat-like creatures and snapping down on it with its powerful jaws.

    Morrigan shuffled back and pressed herself against the cliff, raising her crimson shield as she watched the massive wolf-like monstrosity spread the tentacles from its body, two from its cheeks and two from its shoulders, and release an electrical discharge that either killed or stunned the cat-like creatures.

    Morrigan was horrified despite her exhaustion, pressing herself against the cliff side as much as her stiff muscles would allow as the new creature cackled and pounced on its stunned prey with its large pads, tearing them in half with its jaws and swallowing the parts.

    Some of the cat-like creatures fled, while a select few tried to retaliate only to get electrocuted, the creature laughing its hyena laugh as if it were a game. Morrigan swallowed hard as it watched the brief mayhem in worry.

    You¡¯ll be fine, just keep your shit up girl, no way that thing can get through it, Apollyon pointed out, sounding rushed in its words as it continued fighting off the toxins.

    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± she whispered as she watched the wolf-like creature bite cleanly through the neck of one, swallowing its head in one gulp before looking up at her.

    Morrigan began to panic as the creature stepped towards her in a curious manner, sniffing at her shield as it raised its twin fluffy tails, its piercing green eyes inspecting her with interest as it yipped.

    It¡¯s right cheek, fur covered tentacle, slowly wormed its way through the air and came closer to her cautiously. The electrical discharge between the tentacle and the shield caused the creature to yelp in surprise and jump back slightly as Morrigan winced, feeling a large amount of energy drain from her as her shield blocked the electrical prod.

    Shit, stay awake Mori! Apollyon pleaded.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m trying¡­¡± Morrigan breathed out as she felt herself slump over, her vision darkening as her shield failed to stay up. Between the creature¡¯s attack at her shield and the other cat-like creatures who pumped her system full of toxins designed to kill her, she was beyond exhausted as her fading vision captured the final moments of consciousness; the wolf-like creature stalking closer to her.

 Chapter XXII

    There was a heavy wet plop that caused Morrigan to stir with a groan.

    Morrigan woke up to something wet slapping against her face causing her to sputter and push against what was assaulting her, feeling fur and a big wet nose as her eyes flew open.

    To her surprise, she stared down a big black canine nose, and she jerked back into the stone cliff as she tried to back away only to find the carcass of one of the cat-like creatures with its legs and tail chewed off, it¡¯s death face staring directly at her in morbid display.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± she exclaimed as she sat up, the wolf-like creature bouncing back on its feet and lowering itself rumbling vocal tones similar to how an Earth husky ¡°talked¡± to another or to their owners before it started cackling like a hyena.

    Furrowing her brows, she looked between the wolf-like creature and the dead carcass next to her, trying to connect invisible dots as she slowly kicked the dead creature away from her while watching the massive wolf wag its twin tails.

    Yeah, I was certain that thing was going to kill you and yet¡­ Apollyon trailed off, just as baffled as she was.

    The creature stepped forward and studied Morrigan before looking at its ¡°gift¡± and barking at her in a demanding tone.

    Morrigan felt something weird. Like the feeling of care, excitement and curiosity however, she knew the feelings was not hers.

    ¡°Do you feel that?¡± she asked her inner deity.

    Yeah, that¡¯s the part I¡¯m confused about. The emotions seem to be radiating from that thing?

    Before she could reply, the creature stepped forward and nudged the carcass closer to her with its nose and sat there watching her intently, the tentacles flowing from its body like underwater kelp caught in a gentle current.

    Morrigan realized it was trying to feed her. She let out a disbelieving laugh before shaking her head, ¡°Uh, no thanks¡­ you can have it if you want it¡­¡± she told the creature as if she expected it to understand.

    To her surprise, the creature let out an irritated groan but grabbed the carcass in its jaws before laying down in front of her; crushing the bones of the carcass with its back teeth before it started tearing into its meal, casually eyeing Morrigan periodically.

    Morrigan had no idea how to feel as she watched it chew through the carcass. Part of her was horrified that she was trapped by such a powerful creature that stood as tall as she did; at the same time, she was intrigued by the creature and wondered why it treated her the way it did.

    Whatever the reason, as dangerous as it was, she couldn¡¯t help find the creature to be absolutely beautiful with its multi tone grey fur and light blue highlights.

    As soon as she had the thought, it looked up at her and radiated a feeling of pride as it licked its mouth clean. This gave Morrigan pause, ¡°That was too much of a coincidence¡­ I wonder¡­ can I¡­ pet you?¡± she thought internally, slowly holding out her hand.

    Without hesitation, the creature shifted its head forward and planted its nose against her hand as it watched her with equal intent, watching a wide smile of shock spread across her face.

    ¡°This is amazing,¡± she whispered as it picked up on her delight and started running its giant tongue along her hand and wrist excitedly.

    I hate to break this up and such but your lady and lizards are in danger are they not? Apollyon pointed out with hesitation.

    Morrigan nearly jumped to her feet at the reminder, ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t even know where I am right now¡­¡± she exclaimed as she finished getting up, the creature also standing on its feet and looking at her curiously.

    She looked around trying to remember which direction she came from, scanning the entirety of her surroundings before touching her comm bead, ¡°Nora? Xol? Do either of you copy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah precious, we''re here and we more or less got arrested¡­ where are you?¡± Nora asked with worry in her voice.

    Morrigan sighed in relief as she rubbed her eyes, ¡°I had a run in with local wildlife, these damn cats with stingers¡­¡±

    ¡°Iaktai, dangerous¡­¡± Xol rumbled over the open channel, cutting her off.

    Morrigan snorted in agreement, ¡°Yeah, no shit but uh¡­ anyways, I¡¯m going to have Sister triangulate your positions and head your way, are you all okay?¡±

    ¡°Fine, clans wait for Mirina Sor,¡± Xol added as Nora scoffed.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re all good, but like he said they know you¡¯re coming so be careful love¡­ they¡¯re actually more dangerous than I initially thought,¡± Nora commented.

    Morrigan nodded at that, ¡°Alright, stay safe and I''ll be there soon. I love you.¡±

    Nora giggled on the other end, ¡°Sounds like you should be the safe one precious, just get here and put these overgrown lizards in their place like the sexy symbol of authority you are,¡± Nora mused before disconnecting.

    Morrigan snorted at that as she eyed the wolf that sidled up next to her. Its shoulder stood as tall as she was and deemed it necessary to lean against her, nearly knocking her over.

    She brushed her hand along is fur, discovering that it was significantly softer than she imagined. ¡°I take it you¡¯re going to follow me, aren''t you?¡± she asked aloud, not necessarily asking the creature.

    That did not stop it from sitting and letting out a long piercing howl into the canopy above. Morrigan scrunched her face as the howl threatened her ear drums as she patted its shoulder, ¡°Yep, you¡¯re big and you¡¯re loud¡­¡±

    The creature dipped its head and started cackling as if it were trying to be funny. Morrigan did find it funny as she laughed along with it.

    ¡°Okay¡­ so as crazy it is, I¡¯ve acquired a giant electric canine follower¡­ I guess I should give you a name,¡± she stated in an attempt to bring some sort of normalcy to the situation.

    Oh! I got this one; Skoll, Apollyon exclaimed with an odd level of excitement.

    ¡°Skoll? Why Skoll?¡± she asked internally.

    Apollyon snorted derisively, You really need to brush up on your history. It comes from old Norse mythology, Skoll was one of the sons of Fenrir that chased the sun while his brother Hati chased the moon. The name means ¡°the one who mocks¡±, which seems rather fitting of your new friend here.

    Morrigan hummed thoughtfully as the giant wolf-like creature side eyed her, projecting its curiosity and adoration as it brushed its muzzle against her head.

    ¡°Skoll¡­ how do you like it?¡± she asked, running her hand along its muzzle.

    Skoll let out a husky growl as it radiated pride and approval before licking her face repeatedly and knocking her over onto her back.

    ¡°Ugh, okay I get it! You like the name and you like me but we got people to save!¡± she sputtered pushing against the monstrous creature.

    Skoll bounced back and cackled, stamping its front paws that were bigger than her head in excitement as it watched her wipe her face and get back up. She also noticed her clothes were stained with the blood of the cat-like creatures still.

    Before she could question that, she called Sister and had the A.I. relay the direction she needed to go, learning that the distance was not much farther than the original distance even with the fact she ran farther west.

    As Morrigan and Skoll walked, Morrigan thought it was time to have a conversation with Apollyon.

    ¡°So, why am I covered in blood?¡± she asked.

    Well, you did drench yourself in gore, did you not? Kinda happens when you butcher something, Apollyon snarked.

    She sighed and rolled her eyes, ¡°You know exactly what I mean. This is the second time my body didn¡¯t absorb blood like it¡¯s been doing for the past three years or so¡­¡±

    Apollyon sighed, It seems after your little stint with the ship not too long ago and nearly overloading your body with energy, you are now a personal generator of power. Force feeding your core with raw ambient energy, almost enough to rip your physical body apart I might add, seems to given your reservoir of energy a substantial boost, turning it into a self sustaining source of energy on top of having the cosmos at your disposal¡­ layman¡¯s terms, you leveled up kid.

    ¡°What does that actually mean though Apollyon¡­¡± she asked slightly worried. Skoll picked up on her emotions immediately and brushed its nose against her, allowing her to pet it for comfort.

    It means you¡¯ve taken the next step into your evolution. You no longer need to absorb the life essence of living beings to grow because you are now constantly feeding yourself, part of the reason I said why you should never give a blood infusion because, well, your body strips your own blood of power as it cycles through your body¡­ pretty sure that would be toxic to anyone but you, Apollyon explained.

    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound healthy,¡± she stated in surprise and worried curiosity.

    For anyone other than you, sure, don¡¯t worry, it literally means you¡¯re growing up and getting stronger haha, Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she reached over and rubbed Skoll¡¯s ear, who grunted and whined happily as they walked in the direction they needed to go.

    It took hours to navigate the rough jungle terrain but eventually they found the crashed shuttle, finding it upside down with the front smashed in telling Morrigan that it had fallen in a nose dive, also explaining why the Nora claimed that the pilot was dead.

    Skoll found interest in the wreckage as he leaped forward and began sniffing the metal vehicle excitedly. Morrigan discovered that Skoll was male after watching him lift a leg to pee an a tree earlier. She spotted singe marks along the access door as well as still formed ice in the surrounding area from Nora. There was a dead K¨ºzi¡¯kan impaled on a spear of ice on the other side of the ship and to Morrigan¡¯s relief, it was not H?¡¯tet.

    The stress of the situation still had her exhausted as she leaned against wreckage, listening to insects chirp in the distance and Skoll pad around, until Skoll started growling.

    Reflexively, Morrigan summoned her claws and crouched low, creeping around the shuttle to see Skoll sniffing the ground near the rear of the craft. She was worried that he had his ears back but found no immediate threats in the area.

    ¡°What is it boy?¡± she whispered loudly.

    Skoll looked over to her before scratching the ground beneath him. Morrigan stepped out of cover and saw a large array of reptilian footprints, most of which she recognized as K¨ºzi¡¯kan and S¡¯randin feet.

    She saw the footprints moving in nearly every direction until she came across a single boot print left by Nora and it made her heart seize. ¡°If they hurt Nora or any of my Marmuro¡¯k, the clans will pay heavily in blood¡­¡± she murmured to herself as her worry and anger began to rise. To her surprise, Skoll also radiated anger and the desire to hunt as the creature growled in response, lifting its head forward baring its large fangs.

    Oh, I think you and this pup will get along just fine hehehe, Apollyon mused sinisterly.

    ¡°Can you follow their scent Skoll?¡± she asked with determination.

    Skoll considered her for a moment before sniffing the air. She watched as his hackles raised before he lowered himself and leaned against her. Lacking patience, Skoll used one of his tentacles to pushed her against him as she looked at him quizzically.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she said in surprise after realizing what the creature wanted her to do. Grabbing a tuft of fur on his shoulder, Morrigan hoisted herself onto his back and found a comfortable position. Skoll hooked his shoulder tendrils behind her as added support as she buried her hands into the fur between his shoulders and grabbed ahold of him tightly.

    ¡°Okay buddy, go easy on me and be sure not to kill anyone when we arrive,¡± she announced.

    Skoll wasted no time taking off into a sprint, Morrigan holding onto him for dear life as Skoll cackled his hyena laugh into the night sky, following the scents of the native Marmuro¡¯k through what was left of the jungle.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    After getting used to Skoll¡¯s movements, Morrigan relaxed as the monstrous beast dashed through the mountainside. In a matter of 30 minutes, they had left the jungle to come across a well worn path leading into the mountain that trailed into a high walled ravine that glowed a dull orange of innumerable fires.

    She could see a massive open set of high arch gates made of wood and metal slowly coming into view. She also heard a blaring horn get blown as they approached followed by shouts of surprise as the gates slowly began to close.

    Skoll howled into the expansive ravine in challenge as he pushed himself harder to reach the gate. However, doing some quick math in her head, she realized that Skoll would not reach the gate in time before the doors shut.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the gates, just be ready!¡± she told Skoll, curious if he would understand more complex ideas.

    Bursts of energy weapons flashed by them as Skoll weaved in and out of gunfire, his two tentacles holding Morrigan firmly in place as his movement became more erratic.

    Once they were within a comfortable range, Morrigan hauled back her fist and summoned a large translucent clawed fist of energy. With considerable effort, she shoved the energy forward and watched it shatter the gates as if they were made of glass, causing splintered shrapnel flying across the interior of the entrance.

    Skoll leapt through the wreckage of the gate and dashed into an opening before skidding to a halt. Skoll¡¯s tentacles expanded widely around him and crackled with electric energy before erupting into a dazzling display of discharge, his piercing howl of his prowess echoing throughout the ravine.

    ¡°Uh babe? I''m really hoping that was you¡­¡± Nora stated over the comm bead in her ear.

    Morrigan looked up from Skoll¡¯s shoulders in surprise that Skoll managed not the fry her in his display of power as she chuckled into the channel, ¡°Heh, well¡­ it was, sort of,¡± she replied before disconnecting as she saw dozens of Marmuro¡¯k beginning to surround Skoll.

    From K¨ºzi¡¯kan to S¡¯randin, to even what Morrigan suspected to be the third subspecies, the Timse¡¯h; hulking eleven foot reptilian humanoids with the likeness of alligators, all brandishing energy weapons or well made primitive weapons such as spears, massive clubs or axes.

    It was a surprising mix of tribal primitive and technological advancement in regards to the weapons they carried though all of them wore clothes of various fabrics and hides.

    Skoll let out a nasty snarl as some of the Marmuro¡¯k with melee weapons moved forward in foolish courage.

    Some opened fire with the blocky energy weapons but Morrigan summoned a domed shield that absorbed the blasts with ease as she slid of Skoll¡¯s shoulder, her hand hidden beneath a bright opaque crimson claw.

    The lack of translucency was a bit shocking to Morrigan however, she had bigger things to worry about at that moment, especially remembering the conversation she had with Apollyon.

    Murmurs broke out in the group of Marmuro¡¯k, most of which was quiet enough for her to not comprehend except for one Timse¡¯h bellowed, ¡°Va M?nkee s?war¨º va B?r?sk¨º!¡±

    Though the Timse¡¯h spoke slowly, it still spoke some words that she did not know, or did not hear enough to memorize however, they all seemed panicked that Skoll had made it through their gates.

    ¡°Hold!¡± came a feminine voice from behind the group in their native tongue.

    The surrounding Marmuro¡¯k parted in the center to allow someone through; A female K¨ºzi¡¯kan barely taller than Morrigan wearing a robe of fine fabrics in reds, golds and reddish browns. Her crest was similar to Xol¡¯s though smaller to match her size and adorned with various gems and precious stones. Morrigan could only assume the decorative nature was a regard to the K¨ºzi¡¯kan¡¯s station amongst the clan.

    ¡°You, human, are the one called Mirina Sor, yes?¡± she said smoothly in near perfect Terran to Morrigan¡¯s surprise, more so than the gracefulness of vocal range. Xol and H?¡¯tet¡¯s voices are rough and gravelly, and it appeared safe to assume that all of the male Marmuro¡¯k had such tones, yet this female¡¯s tone was smooth and almost lyrical.

    ¡°I am,¡± Morrigan stated,  nodding to her crimson claws before adding, ¡°I take it you''ve spoken to Xol-Tau?¡±

    The female K¨ºzi¡¯kan stepped closer without fear and an air of professionalism, ¡°I have, though he refuses to say your given name, always Mirina Sor.¡±

    Morrigan sighed and nodded before eyeing the crowd of Marmuro¡¯k. The female took notice and waved her hand, ¡°Back to your posts. She, and the B?r?sk¨º, are guests under the honor of Clan Tau.¡±

    The Marmuro¡¯k were hesitant, especially eyeing Skoll with disdain before following their orders and dispersing.

    With that, Morrigan dropped her shield dome making Skoll let out a warning whine, brushing his face against her arm.

    She took his big head and started scratching all over, ¡°It''s okay buddy, I think all the hostilities are over, for now at least,¡± she cooed to the massive canine.

    The female chuckled with an amused hiss, covering her mouth with the back of her clawed hand, ¡°I did not believe Xol-Tau¡¯s fabled Mirina Sor to come on the back of the B?r?sk¨º, let alone tame such a strong creature. It is quite shocking,¡± she mused.

    Morrigan snorted at that and patted Skoll on the head as he watched the female K¨ºzi¡¯kan intently.

    ¡°Frankly, neither did I but it saved me from a pack of¡­ Iaktai, I think they''re called. I guess he liked me and decided to follow me, ¡° Morrigan said, not revealing too much information.

    She nodded sagely, ¡°Nasty creatures, though they do taste well enough, but they are quite dangerous.¡±

    Morrigan nodded before turning towards the K¨ºzi¡¯kan, holding out her hand, ¡°My name is Morrigan Clarke, I''m an Inquisitor of the Inquisition.¡±

    The K¨ºzi¡¯kan did not hesitate to shake her hand as her bobbed her head slowly, ¡°Yes, we have heard tales of your Inquisition. Not sure what to make of them but it is nice to meet you, Morrigan. I am Xitzocl Arak¡¯tarul, chief of Clan Arak¡¯tarul.¡±

    Morrigan snickered, ¡°I do apologize if I butcher the pronunciation a bit, it took me a little while to learn how to properly pronounce the Clan names and your personal name is¡­ unique. Though I see you are the leader of Qiote¡¯s Clan?¡±

    Xitzocl nodded respectfully, ¡°Yes, Qiote-Arak¡¯tarul talks highly of you as well as your vow to him to bring him home, back to the clan. For that, I thank you, though I am curious¡­ we thought Xol-Tau and the rest who followed you to Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To to be dead, but I see all but one of the missing returned, tell me the story of Huruk Arak¡¯tarul, and how you found our missing kin.¡±

    Morrigan let out a deep breath as she looked around. The open space was respectively barren except for the recessed shelter within the cliff sides for the gate guards to cover themselves from the elements. She watched as some of the Marmuro¡¯k began collecting debris of the gate she and Skoll shattered to get in, as well as a large K¨ºzi¡¯kan barking orders for supplies and builders to begin repairs to the gate.

    ¡°Sure but¡­ I¡¯d like to see mine first, and we should find somewhere else to discuss such things, it¡¯s kind of a long story¡­¡± she noted hesitantly as she gestured to the open area.

    Xitzocl appeared to ponder her request for a moment before looking between Morrigan, Skoll and the gate. ¡°Very well, as long as you can hold the B?r?sk¨º under control. The creature has been a danger to the clans for over 200 years¡­¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Skoll, she found it hard to believe that her newest companion was over two centuries old. Skoll looked at her as he sat down, looking proud despite moving his electrified tendrils around the both of them defensively.

    ¡°Can you behave yourself?¡± Morrigan asked, even though it made her feel foolish.

    Skoll raised his head and grumbled husky tones at her in response as he projected the warm fuzzy feelings of trust and admiration towards her. Morrigan found it bizarre that she could feel the creature¡¯s emotions, let alone such specific emotions.

    Morrigan smiled regardless, brushing her hand through the fur of his chest as she turned to Xitzocl, ¡°As long as no one attacks him, or me I suppose, then he will behave.¡±

    ¡°Very well, follow me,¡± Xitzocl stated before turning, her short thick tail swaying slightly as she stepped away.

    Morrigan and Skoll followed, Skoll eyeing every Marmuro¡¯k intently while Morrigan took in the sights. As they were led deeper into the ravine, the scenery changed drastically as the spaces began to fill with more primitive styled dwellings either cut out of the cliffs on either side of the ravine or free-standing homes of grey colored clay, off white metal and burnish colored wood, as the indigenous Marmuro¡¯k clan moved about their day.

    She found it fascinating to see all three sub species milling about, some turning to watch Xitzocl lead a human woman, and what Morrigan could only assume to be a legendary beast as far as the Marmuro¡¯k were concerned, through their home.

    Many had stalls built along the main thoroughfare where they traded and bartered hand-crafted goods or even publicly open areas where several created goods or cooked large quantities of foods for the masses.

    It was an odd mix of tribal community and free market as far as Morrigan could glean.

    ¡°So, what does the word B?r?sk¨º mean? I¡¯m not familiar with the word,¡± Morrigan asked.

    Xitzocl thought for a moment, ¡°I believe the closest translation to your language would be, lightning strike, in a sense.¡±

    Skoll let out a prideful low howl causing Morrigan to laugh as many around them turned with wide eyes, ¡°Well that is a fitting name,¡± she said humorously.

    Xitzocl hummed in agreement, ¡°So, about Huruk?¡±

    Morrigan sighed, ¡°Well, the abridged version, Xol never said how they landed in Castile V, though I assume they were somehow captured by the Federation. Anyways, Huruk challenged my girlfriend¡­ my mate, life partner? I¡¯m not sure how your species views love but he challenged her to a fight to the death and lost.¡±

    ¡°So, he died a warrior¡¯s death?¡± Xitzocl inquired, slowing her pace to walk along with Morrigan.

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Yes, though I was torn about seeing such a loss of life, especially for the entertainment of the other prisoners per se¡­ it was an agreed upon challenge, one that Xol even supported. Qiote, he was upset at the loss of his brother, which I understood¡­¡± she reiterated, her tone heavy with the memories of Castile V and the death of Huruk, even if she did not get the chance to meet the S¡¯randin personally.

    ¡°Qiote Arak¡¯tarul said as much,¡± Xitzocl interjected, ¡°Though I am delighted that you have been honest, I am curious though, how did a human earn the loyalty of a great warrior such as Xol-Tau?¡±

    Morrigan winced at the emotional pain she felt even thinking about everything that happened. The year spent becoming an Inquisitor gave her the ability to not think of it despite the nightmares she still lived with.

    ¡°I um, to be honest, I¡¯m not entirely sure¡­¡± Morrigan said truthfully.

    Xitzocl looked at her with a tilt of her head, ¡°How so?¡±

    Morrigan bit her lip nervously as she looked at the female K¨ºzi¡¯kan before sighing, ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ present of mind, when he swore himself to be my guardian or¡­ what ever it is he actually views himself.¡±

    ¡°Curious, you seem distressed about such a tale, why is that?¡± Xitzocl asked her with interest.

    Morrigan looked ahead and spied a large building built high into the ravine wall, up above where the main thoroughfare ended. She assumed that it was where they were headed seeing as it happened to be the nicest and largest of all the buildings within the area.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide anything from you but some bad things happened¡­ things I would prefer not to talk about however, I would let Xol explain¡­¡± Morrigan said, not willing to speak of the things she had done. She was not even sure what truly happened, only the pieces Nora had told her after her consciousness returned.

    Xitzocl nodded, though Morrigan could not tell if the K¨ºzi¡¯kan was satisfied with that answer.

    They rode a lift comprised of some kind of technological engineering that they had recessed into the mountain itself. Morrigan was fascinated, after looking closer at her surroundings, with how the Marmuro¡¯k seemed to be capable of engineering marvels yet chose to live in a relatively simpler and more primal lifestyle. Between weapons, starships and the occasional piece of technology, the clan around her seemed to live more of the land than ingenuity.

    ¡°Your technology seems to be just as advanced, if not more, than Terrans and maybe even the Eskarii¡­why do the Marmuro¡¯k live¡­ so simply?¡± she asked.

    As the platform reached the base of the large cliff side dwelling, Morrigan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked over the place. The exterior was trimmed with exotically colored metals while the walls were a rust red stone, a balcony carved from some of the reddish brown wood from the massive jungle trees.

    As they stepped inside, Morrigan was greeted with gunmetal gray walls of mortar with brass looking inlays depicting archaic pictograms and artistry that spoke of historical events on Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To, at least, that is what Morrigan suspected. The roof looked as if it were designed with bamboo where as the floor was a glossy yet non-slippery material such as polished onyx.

    ¡°Our world is a hard world,¡± Xitzocl started as she led an awestruck Morrigan through the sprawling complex, ¡°Though the S¡¯randin are able to create marvels such as you have seen, our home teaches us to survive, to stay strong. It had been decided amongst the clans a long time ago that technology would be used little, to remind generations that surviving was how to be strong, rather than grow lazy, softer, like your own race,¡± Xitzocl stated pointedly.

    Despite how offensive the K¨ºzi¡¯kan¡¯s words were, Morrigan could not disagree with her as she nodded along.

    ¡°Makes sense¡­ though I have to ask¡­ how is it you''re able to speak so¡­ clearly?¡±

    Xitzocl bore her fangs in a reptilian grin as they entered a grand room large enough for many Marmuro¡¯k to fit in without issue, giving plenty of room for Skoll to move around and giving Morrigan and Xitzocl a place to talk privately. Morrigan did notice a good amount of personal guards clad in minimal armor of thick, white and blue metals with well made spears, swords and pulsing energy shields attached to their arms. Similar to the one Yekku made for Xol.

    It made sense to her how Yekku was so easily able to build Xol his weapon and shield.

    Xitzocl signaled one of the guards to fetch Morrigan¡¯s companions while they spoke, Skoll spending his time sniffing every inch of the room.

    ¡°Clan Arak¡¯tarul is one of the Air castes,¡± Xitzocl said, commenting on Morrigan¡¯s question, ¡°Each clan belongs to one of four castes; Fire, Water, Stone and Air. The Air caste is responsible for negotiations between the clans and, as of 438 years ago as your Terran standard, between the Marmuro¡¯k and your Eskarii, as you call them.¡±

    Morrigan furrowed her brows in confusion, ¡°But how did you learn to speak Terran? Much less with such articulation?¡±

    Xitzocl let out a hissing laugh, ¡°Through study, of course. Your Federation is not the only Terrans we have dealt dealings with. Raiders, your CoU, however, we have an understanding to some degree with your various leagues of raiders. We negotiated a truce lest they seek war with the Marmuro¡¯k, thus was my need to understand your language, ¡° Xitzocl concluded.

    Before Morrigan could ask anything else, there was a loud warbling bellow that caused Morrigan to spin on the ornate sofa to see Yekku just before he barreled into her.

    Skoll did not take kindly to the excited S¡¯randin as Skoll barreled over Yekku, sliding the S¡¯randin across the room with an alarmed hiss.

    ¡°Skoll no!¡± Morrigan shouted as she righted herself to find Skoll standing over her S¡¯randin, leaning down with his fangs bare, growling and crackling electricity coming off his tendrils.

    Yekku¡¯s breathing was sporadic as it looked from the giant wolf creature to Morrigan, who stood angrily from her seat.

    ¡°Skoll!¡± she shouted again, watching him look up at her in confusion. She was sure he felt her anger. ¡°Come, here!¡± she growled snapping her fingers.

    Skoll stepped lowly towards her, hanging his head low with his ears back, knowing full well he was in trouble. Yekku sat up panting as he stared with as wide of eyes as physically possible.

    She grabbed the massive creature by the bottom of his mouth and forced him to look at her, expending some of her energy to combat creature¡¯s hardened muscles.

    ¡°We do not attack family. Everyone coming into the room is considered family so unless they attack you, you do not attack them!¡± she growled out, speaking slowly to make sure Skoll understood.

    Skoll projected a feeling of sadness and remorse as he looked away from her eyes, letting out a soft whine as he tried to move his head.

    Xitzocl watched with amusement as Morrigan let out a heavy breath and ran her free hand over Skoll¡¯s head, ¡°It¡¯s fine buddy, just, lay by me. If you need to attack anyone, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    Skoll did what she asked, laying down in front of the backless sofa and resting his head on his massive paws. Morrigan looked to see Yekku still sitting in the same spot though his breathing had calmed down some.

    ¡°Come here Yekku, it¡¯s okay now,¡± she said sweetly.

    Yekku slowly got to his feet and moved lowly, eyeing Skoll the entire time as he chirped and warbled in a confused tone.

    Xitzocl chuckled in her hissing laugh, which made Morrigan turn as soon as Yekku buried his face into her stomach, ¡°I really wish I could understand him most of the time, but I haven¡¯t been able to decipher much of anything unless I watch his mannerisms.¡±

    The female K¨ºzi¡¯kan nodded at that with a reptilian smile, ¡°Yes, their language is difficult because it is mainly contextual¡­ how to tell¡­ you must think of the situation to understand what it is they try to convey,¡± she tried explaining.

    Morrigan was aware of that for the most part, though it did not make understanding Yekku any easier.

 Chapter XXIII

    ¡°Damn babe who were you yelling¡­ oh my god-puppy!¡± Nora squealed girlishly as she stepped into the room with Xol.

    Nora bolted across the room with very little finesse as she slid across the smooth stone floor and barreled into Skoll¡¯s fluffy chest, throwing her arms around his neck as her actions caused him to look up.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Nora exclaimed as Skoll sat up, carrying the ice mage with him as she held onto his neck burying her face into his chest.

    ¡°So big! So soft-oh-my-god-he''s-so-soft!¡± Nora giggled as she rambled.

    Morrigan gave Xitzocl an amused look before shrugging, ¡°Seems I''ve been replaced,¡± she mused all the while Apollyon laughed through a snort in her head.

    Xol stomped across the room and stopped to inspect the situation.

    ¡°Why is the B?r?sk¨º here? ¡° he growled out in defensive nervousness.

    Xitzocl beat Morrigan to the punch, ¡°It seems your, Mirina Sor, has tamed the beast.¡±

    Morrigan grinned at him, not commenting, she decided that it would serve her better if the Marmuro¡¯k did not know she knew at least most of their language.

    Xol watched Nora pander to the massive creature and scoffed, ¡°Good, she talks too much,¡± he gruffed out in Terran.

    Morrigan chuckled at that as Nora spun on her heels, releasing Skoll, ¡°Hey! Don''t make me come over there you overgrown reptile!¡± she chastised before resuming her coddling of Skoll.

    Skoll looked at Morrigan with wide concerned eyes though the emotion she felt was an awkward happiness, as if having the urge to run but waiting for the permission to do it.

    Morrigan smiled and shrugged, gesturing to Nora.

    Skoll needed no other permission as he jumped back and growled playfully at Nora in his husky tone, lowering his head with his paws in front of him.

    Nora grinned and laughed as she went to tackle Skoll and falling to the ground as he dodged her. Soon they chased each other around the room, which Morrigan was thankful that there was not much breakable within the room.

    Xitzocl laughed heartily with Morrigan as Yekku joined in on the fun. While they watched the trio chase each other around, Morrigan had Xol give Xitzocl the detailed story of his bending of the knee. She knew Xol knew nothing about what happened prior her rampage but knew enough of what he witnessed to satisfy the female K¨ºzi¡¯kan¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°She is the one who killed Huruk?¡± Xitzocl inquired, pointing to the blonde woman childishly chasing Yekku and Skoll around the large room.

    Morrigan and Xol both nodded, Xol adding, ¡°Foolish yet dangerous,¡± he gruffed.

    Morrigan snickered at that, ¡°I think that''s the nicest thing you''ve ever said about Nora,¡± she mused.

    Nora skidded to a halt as she caught her breath, ¡°I heard my name! Talking shit over there big man?¡± she called out.

    Xol let out a long hiss as Morrigan started laughing, waving her accusation off, ¡°No love, he actually just said something nice about you.¡±

    Nora preened at that and held her hands to over her chest in the shape of a heart, ¡°Awe! Much love big dude!¡± she yelled across the room before getting blindsided by Skoll, the giant B?r?sk¨º barreling over her and falling into a slide, cackling like a hyena the entire time.

    Morrigan and Xitzocl both stood in worry, only to hear Nora start laughing like a manic five year old as she stood into a sprint, launching herself against Skoll.

    Skoll yelped as Nora used her weight to shove him over and proceeded to scratch his belly; Skoll submitting to the belly rubs almost instantly with a pleasant groan.

    Xitzocl gave Morrigan a look of intrigue as Morrigan chuckled at the display before sitting back down.

    ¡°An odd choice in mates,¡± Xitzocl mused.

    Morrigan snorted at that, ¡°Maybe, but the heart wants what it wants besides, underneath all that energy and borderline crazy, she¡¯s actually a really sweet person.¡±

    The female K¨ºzi¡¯kan nodded respectfully before giving Morrigan her full attention, ¡°So what is it you desire to do here on Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To? I doubt you made such journey to only bring our kin back,¡± she asked in a straight forward manner.

    Morrigan knew the question was coming though. She let out a deep breath and looked at Xitzocl, ¡°The main reason was to bring Qiote home. Though Yekku, Xol and H?¡¯tet found meaning amongst the Inquisition, Qiote was unhappy so I promised him I would bring him back even with risking possible hostilities,¡± she hammered out honestly.

    ¡°But¡­ I was also hoping to establish an alliance with the Marmuro¡¯k as well, if I could,¡± Morrigan added on.

    Xitzocl hummed thoughtfully, ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    She bit her lip nervously as she leaned back against the arm of the backless sofa picking at her nails, ¡°Honestly, I want us all to live peacefully, together. Ever since I was a little girl all I wanted was to learn more about the Marmuro¡¯k as well as the Eskarii¡­ even make friends with them. Truth of the matter is, I sort of accomplished that but there is such a divide between our species and there doesn''t need to be, but my biggest concern is the Federation.¡±

    She watched Xitzocl¡¯s eyes light up in recognition at the name, ¡°What is it you have in mind young human?¡±

    Xol let out a growling hiss before Morrigan raised her hand cutting him off, Xitzocl looking at Xol curiously.

    ¡°War is coming, Xitzocl. whether it''s now or a year from now, the Federation has already begun making their move. They''re starting with the CoU but it won''t be long until they branch out towards Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To or Gelia and everywhere in between. I want to create an alliance between the Marmuro¡¯k and the Inquisition. It does not even have to include the CoU honestly, though they are allies of the Inquisition too, but seeing as I only saw one of your ships within the territory of your planet, it would be devastation if the Federation decided to all out assault Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To,¡± Morrigan stated.

    ¡°Our k¨º?ti, few as they are, are worth ten of your Federation k¨º?ti in combat,¡± Xitzocl countered.

    Morrigan nodded, ¡°Maybe so, I know I would not want to go against one of yours but the Federation has fleets of ships. How many do you have? How fast can they arrive to defend your home world? The Inquisition may have few ships but ours are the most advanced as far as I''ve seen.  Each designed to take out or disable enemy ships, let alone our soldiers amongst our crews. It¡¯s only a matter of time until this becomes a free for all,  Xitzocl, and it doesn''t have to be. It should be us versus the worst of humanity. The CoU nor the Inquisition agree with what the Federation does and will do, and we will do what ever we can to stop it, including assisting the Eskarii and the Marmuro¡¯k to snuff the Federation out from existence,¡± Morrigan stated, her words filled with hate filled fervor at the idea of destroying the Federation.

    The female K¨ºzi¡¯kan stood up and walked away in thought, ¡°Our scouts have seen recently that a black k¨ºsta attacked the Terran world of Mars, destroying one of your Federation¡¯s larger k¨º?ti. Since then, the Federation has been feeling their way farther into territories that are not theirs.¡±

    Xitzocl turned back around and stared Morrigan down with an unspoken question. Morrigan saw the look in Xitzocl¡¯s eyes and pursed her lips tightly before nodding, ¡°Yeah, that was me¡­ and if the Federation has made their move already, then it¡¯s only a matter of time till they come here!¡±

    Skoll lifted his head from the floor and emitted a low growl, picking up on Morrigan¡¯s emotions. She turned to see both Yekku and Nora passed out on Skoll, Yekku curled up on his hind quarters and Nora nestled against his chest, nearly buried by fur.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The small respite of cuteness helped settle Morrigan some as she turned back to Xitzocl, ¡°The Federation has to be put down. I don''t know when, or how, but eventually we will all face them and I would rather face them together rather than them pick each race, each species, apart because that is what they will do. As strong as the Marmuro¡¯k are, even they are no match to an armada that would simply destroy your world than fight fairly, because that is what I would do if I were them¡­¡± she said in a morose hail mary. She was not sure if Xitzocl would see her logic or stay with native pride and dismiss her.

    You tell her kid, if they enjoy a good fight then there is no way they''ll kick you out, Apollyon cheered in the back of her mind. She wanted to smile at the gesture however, the gravity of the conversation was too heavy.

    Xitzocl scrutinized her in thought, crossing her arms as she clicked her jaw repeatedly. ¡°You want nothing of the Marmuro¡¯k?¡± she asked skeptically.

    Morrigan shook her head, ¡°No, if the Marmuro¡¯k wish to work out some sort of trade deal or some kind of official treaty with the Inquisition or the CoU then that''ll be up to Lord Inquisitor Solomon and the governing body of the CoU, if the Marmuro¡¯k request such a thing. I simply want allies to fight back when the shit hits the fan. I intend to ask the same of the Eskarii queen when I can make my way to their home world.¡±

    Xitzocl looked over her at Xol, ¡°Xol-Tau, you have traveled with this human for some time. On your honor as a warrior of Clan Tau, is her word to be trusted? Should the clans strike an accord with a human that speaks of our enemies in both hatred and love?¡±

    Morrigan did not see Xol¡¯s eyes narrow on Xitzocl as he responded, ¡°Red Death is a legend to her word. As great of a warrior she is, so is her word. She respects and honors all who deserve it, including the long ears she knows. If the Marmuro¡¯k were to trust any human, it is Red Death.¡±

    Morrigan blushed slightly at Xol¡¯s compliment of her character as she pretended she did not understand a word spoken.

    Xitzocl hummed and nodded, ¡°Very well, you shall stay here for the time being. I will summon the clan chieftains for a delegation. Be warned, though you have swayed me, others will not be so easy.¡±

    Morrigan nodded her understanding, before standing and looking down clothes with a look of disgust, ¡°Is there a bath or something? I¡¯m¡­still covered in Iaktai¡­¡±

    Xitzocl gave her a reptilian grin and bobbed her head slowly, ¡°Yes, I will have a guard escort you.¡±

    Morrigan smiled at that, ¡°Thank you,¡± she said before turning to her sleeping companions, ¡°Skoll, come. Make sure they come with too,¡± she mused.

    Skoll perked up and moved to stand, dumping Yekku and Nora on the ground. Yekku let out a cry of alarm as Nora smacked against the smooth stone hard enough to make Morrigan cringe as she watched.

    ¡°Fucking hell, that was rude you mutt,¡± Nora complained as she sat up holding the side of her face.

    Yekku croaked his agreement as Skoll let out a soft whining laugh before licking Nora''s face with his massive tongue.

    ¡°Aweee, I love you too buddy!¡± she said wrapping her arms around his muzzle and rubbing the saliva on the bridge of his nose, ¡°To make up for it, you have to carry me,¡± she added with a snicker.

    Obediently, Skoll lowered himself for her, Nora turned with a look of shock, ¡°Holy shit, he understood me!¡± she said in surprise to her lover.

    Morrigan giggled at that and waved the notion away, ¡°I don¡¯t know, he may have read your emotion or intentions, regardless, he¡¯s pretty intelligent.¡±

    ¡°I love this dog!¡± Nora cheered as she wrapped herself around Skoll as she laid across his back and shoulders, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as everyone began exiting the chamber.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Morrigan¡¯s dreams were a mix of horror and fantasy as her mind was overloaded with the memories of her past, every bad thing that haunted her; the Eskarii girl she tried to save being executed in front of her eyes, her trial where a judge did everything in his power to brand her a murderer and throw her prison for the rest of her life, being tortured by the lunatic Amaranthe, his smug grin as he beat her bloody over and over, the maddening isolation of Castile V that threatened to break her mind and Tyrus, the sadistic man that broke her body and soul by forcing himself upon her only to have unleashed something far more dangerous and wicked; primal hated and cold slaughter.

    As if her nightmares were as fluid as water, her dreams would shift to more pleasant things; being rescued by the Inquisition, spending her birthday with her father¡¯s team, falling in love with Nora and their first time delving into their heated passions. From spending time celebrating her promotion to seeing her family and to Mo¡¯Emori¡¯s kiss that left her confused and longing.

    Her mind was a tumultuous haze as she felt herself yanked out of her sleep, Nora shaking her hard coupled by a howling Skoll.

    ¡°Mori wake up!¡± Nora exclaimed as Morrigan¡¯s eyes opened wide, her crimson claws hauled back ready to strike only to find Nora¡¯s worried expression looking down at her.

    Morrigan''s heart hammered in her chest as she felt the cold sweat on her skin rubbing against the hide blanket that covered her. Skoll instantly began licking the back of her hand the was held out, whining in a pleading worried manner.

    Skoll¡¯s actions broke her trance of confusion and surprise as she dismissed her crimson claws, ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, only to wince as the pressure in her head spiked when she spoke.

    Nora let out a deep breath and leaned back, sitting on her legs as she waved her hands, ¡°I don''t know, the doggo started howling which woke me up and you looked like you were nearly having a seizure- you were twitching so much¡­¡± she stated biting her lip.

    Morrigan frowned as she saw the worry in her eyes. Sitting up, Morrigan started rubbing the tension from her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don''t know what was with my dreams.¡±

    Shit, experiencing that cluster fuck of emotions made my head hurt. That was one hell of a rollercoaster little goddess¡­ Apollyon complained. Oddly, Morrigan realized that Apollyon even sounded nauseous as it spoke.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry¡­ that was all very, freaky, ¡° she replied internally.

    Apollyon hummed in agreement before releasing the sound of a shuttering breath.

    ¡°Are you okay, precious?¡± Nora asked, reaching out and taking one of Morrigan¡¯s hands in hers, gently massaging her thumbs into Morrigan¡¯s palm.

    Morrigan let out a deep breath of exhaustion and contentment as she closed her eyes and focused on what her lover was doing, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay¡­ sorry for waking you both up,¡± she said sadly before using her free hand to pet Skoll. Skoll moved up to the bed and buried his face into her lap and let out his own content sigh.

    Nora giggled at the display and gave Morrigan a big grin, ¡°No problem here, I mean I can''t be mad or anything, you did get us a puppy after all.¡±

    Morrigan snorted at that and shook her head, ¡°Oh yeah, a probably 800lb puppy that seems to be emotionally tethered to me,¡± she said with a laugh before giving Nora an inquiring look, ¡°Speaking of, how did you know Skoll wouldn''t attack you earlier?¡±

    Nora blew a raspberry before giggling, ¡°Pshhh, I had no idea. All I knew is I saw pup and had to touch pup. If I died in the process then I¡¯d go out doing what I love!¡±

    Morrigan snorted and shook her head as she recalled how vicious Skoll handle the Iaktai the previous day and knew Nora would change her mind knowing so. Then again, she considered Nora''s personality for a moment and decided nothing would change in her opinion.

    Skoll on the other hand put his front paws on the bed between the women and let out a playful growl before turning his head towards Nora, licking her aggressively enough to knock her over as she giggled and tried to fight him off.

    Morrigan leaned back and watched Skoll attack Nora with kisses. The heady earthy scents from the bed wafted into the air the more the two played. As far as Morrigan could tell, the bed was wrapped in some kind of hide and filled with a multitude of various plant matter and to her surprise, the bed was quite comfortable.

    The door at the end of the room opened, revealing Xol who stepped in and bowed his head respectfully.

    ¡°I see you''re awake,¡± Xitzocl stated as she entered the room behind Xol.

    Morrigan smiled as she gestured to the two animals wrestling on the bed, one being a proverbial animal, ¡°Such is my life now,¡± she mused light heartedly.

    Xitzocl chuckled in mild amusement as she regarded Nora and Skoll, Nora wrapping herself around Skoll¡¯s face only for the massive alien canine to merely lift her into the air, completely unbothered by the blonde girl attached to his face.

    Nora squealed before losing her grip, Skoll flicking his snout up and sending Nora tumbling to the ground. Xitzocl let out a hissing laugh as Morrigan shook her head.

    ¡°So, when does this whole delegation thing happen?¡± Morrigan inquired.

    Xitzocl returned her attention to Morrigan, ¡°Today.¡± Her reptilian teeth bore into a grin as she watched Morrigan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°It is a long journey to Tikal, our sacred city and neutral ground¡­¡±

    ¡°Neutral ground?¡± Morrigan asked curiously, cutting her off abruptly.

    Xitzocl nodded, ¡°Yes, though we work together often, it is common though that one or more clans war with one another. Tikal, is a neutral ground. If a clan drew blood within our sacred city, every clan would descend on the offending clan. Such is our tribal law,¡± she stated with utmost certainty.

    Morrigan pursed her lips as Nora crawled her way back onto the bed, ¡°Sounds like a good time to me!¡± Nora chirped.

    Xitzocl ignored her and continued, ¡°As I was saying, when you are ready, we shall eat and be on our way. It is a long journey and I do hope you are not afraid of heights,¡± she stated with a respectful bow and exited the room.

    Xol stood at the door stoically, waiting patiently for Morrigan to get ready. Morrigan noticed his increased guardian demeanor which piqued her curiosity as she stared down the large, white K¨ºzi¡¯kan. He stood more rigid than usual and seemed hyper aware of their surroundings.

    ¡°Xol, you can relax,¡± she stated in a sweet tone as she got up from the bed.

    Xol shook his head though, ¡°Clan Arak¡¯tarul is honorable and hospitable however, not all clans will be. We must be on our guard, and I shall remain ever vigilante while we are on my home world.¡±

    Morrigan frowned at that, glancing between him, Nora and Skoll in thought. She knew that being on Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To would be dangerous, especially given they had been shot down which reminded Morrigan to ask Xitzocl about that later, but she did not think Xol would be so wound up about the danger. His promise of their safety seemed to be very ambiguous when it came to the definition of what was considered safe.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Xol. As she said, we''re going to neutral ground,¡± she stated firmly as she changed into her relatively clean clothes. Though he did not argue verbally, Xol let out a disagreeing hiss before bowing his head respectfully.

    Morrigan smiled at him. Despite his obstinacy, she appreciated his faith in her as well as having a mind of his own enough to question her decisions or the situations she puts them in.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± she stated as she locked the harness of her gunblade holster to her body.

 Chapter XXIV

    Their breakfast had primarily consisted of various meats due to Xitzocl¡¯s uncertainty of whether or not Morrigan and Nora¡¯s anatomy could consume the vegetation of Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To.

    Morrigan still insisted on trying each thing before Nora, knowing if something did turn out to be dangerous or poisonous to human biology, that Apollyon would warn her and burn the negative qualities out of her system.

    You really put way too much faith in that you know? Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan smirked at the off shoot comment as her group, as well as Xitzocl and her contingent of K¨ºzi¡¯kan and S¡¯randin guard, traveled along the base of their mountain home. She could not help but take in the sights of lush jungle forests blanketing the horizon, various species of flying animals or bird creatures gliding along the tops of the trees.

    The mountain path they traveled was well worn and snaked along the side of the mountain range, starting from the base and winding up half the mountain before connecting to further sequential ranges. All along the edge of the paths and even high up on the steep slopes above were tribal markers designed like stone totems, three segment stones of the head of each species of Marmuro¡¯k painted in blue-and bronze-colored pigments along with mountain flowers of yellow and orange that budded up randomly.

    One thing Morrigan noticed was that the head of a K¨ºzi¡¯kan, similar to the likeness of Xitzocl herself, was always on top of each totem though the S¡¯randin and Timse¡¯h heads varied in position.

    ¡°Yeah well, between the unholy amount of sedative, the Iaktai poison and alcohol, I see no reason why dangerous food wouldn¡¯t work,¡± she commented back in her head. Apollyon grunted in concession to her point.

    ¡°Xitzocl, how come the totems all have a K¨ºzi¡¯kan head on top?¡± she inquired.

    Xitzocl hummed as she side-eyed Morrigan as they walked together, Nora even peeking around both women to listen intently.

    ¡°You¡¯re very astute in your observational skills; each clan territory has their own totems. Each clans¡¯ totems are headed with the likeness of the clan chieftain, and decorated in the clan¡¯s colors, signifying both territory limits as well as safe traveling routes,¡± Xitzocl informed both women. Xol hummed in agreement in front of Morrigan as he guided the way along with the rest of the warriors Xitzocl had brought with them.

    The wind whipped through the trail sending up light plumes of dust around them. The heady earthy scents mixed with the musky dampness stripped from the canopy of the jungle below creating a blissful smell. Overhead, came the whooshing of air as a massive creature banked around the side of the mountain emitting a profound bellow.

    The creature glided on two sets of leathery wings, it¡¯s body serpentine of stone-colored scales leading up to a large bony ribcage, it¡¯s head long and flat horizontally like a hammerhead shark with a large beak for a mouth that appeared serrated.

    Morrigan and Nora both crouched low in surprise, Morrigan summoning her crimson claws on instinct while Nora coalesced her daggers of ice. Xitzocl let out a hissing laugh as Morrigan realized everyone, including Skoll, merely looked up and watched the creature fly overhead without concern.

    ¡°It is a Kurmanan, as your kind would say¡­ a sky worm?¡± Xitzocl mused as she watched the massive creature swoop down slowly and brush along the canopies.

    Morrigan watched with furrowed brows as she noticed where the creature brushed against, long swathes of leaves and branches were missing.

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s an herbivore,¡± Morrigan stated through a sharp breath as she let her claws dissipate. Nora began giggling as she whipped her daggers behind her to sink into the mountain side.

    ¡°And here we were, ready to kill it,¡± she said before wrapping her arms around Morrigan¡¯s waist behind as they watched the Kurmanan cut swathes through the canopy.

    Xitzocl nodded respectfully, ¡°If herbivore means not hostile, then yes, though I understand your reaction.¡±

    ¡°Why do we let a human walk among us? They jump at every shadow and the clans will be in outrage!¡± One of Xitzocl¡¯s guards grumbled.

    Though Morrigan understood what he said, she pretended she didn¡¯t know as Xol let out a threatening hiss holding his hammer in a more readied position.

    Xitzocl turned to her subordinate calmly, ¡°I am aware of how the clans will react however, Red Death is an honored guest of Clan Arak¡¯tarul and honored by Xol-Tau of Clan Tau. They will get over it.¡±

    ¡°Speak in such a way again and I will remove your head and bury it within your chest!¡± Xol snapped sharply in the Marmuro¡¯k tongue.

    Morrigan smirked at that and said nothing as Xitzocl motioned for everyone to move forward, continuing their trek into the next mountain path.

    Hours passed as the bright sun moved across the sky, Nora opting to ride Skoll as her human body began to strain. Every time Morrigan glanced at her lover and her newest companion, Skoll let out a longing whine that made Nora giggle, causing her to succumb to giving him ear scratches.

    Morrigan could admit that the new dynamic formed between Skoll and Nora was refreshing, even if all he exuded was the emotional longing for attention from her. She was still perplexed that she could feel the creature¡¯s emotions so clearly, not needing to guess what the emotion was, yet there was overwhelming curiosity surrounding the newfound connection and ability.

    As far as I can tell, the thing has linked a very strong bond with you, almost like a bridge connected between the two of you. I can see it in here, just pointing off in the direction it¡¯s walking, and every time it emits an emotion it travels that bridge and expands through your multitude of emotions until it meets a proper signature¡­ sort of like how you were able to harbor my essence, except on a¡­ what do you call those damn things¡­ Apollyon explained before losing its momentum.

    ¡°You mean like a signal transmitter?¡± She asked internally.

    Something like that.

    Morrigan considered the explanation, eyeing Skoll as they walked. ¡°Nora? Do you ever feel anything coming from Skoll?¡± Morrigan asked on a whim.

    Nora smiled and ran her hands through his fur, ¡°Only how soft he is! That¡¯s right, who¡¯s a soft boy!¡± she cooed as she leaned forward and scratched his ears and cheeks.

    To Morrigan¡¯s surprise, Skoll emitted an endearing signal of adoration and love towards Nora, though given Nora¡¯s lack of response, Morrigan concluded that the bond that enabled her to feel what Skoll was feeling was only between him and her.

    Before any other thoughts could distract her, the group approached a mountain wall with no walking path in sight. Morrigan focused to find numerous hand and foot holds carved or long since placed into the wall. She turned to Xitzocl, ¡°I take it we need to climb this?¡± she asked innocently.

    ¡°The human is scared of heights? Typical. She will fall to her death, just how a weaker species should,¡± spoke the same K¨ºzi¡¯kan who tried underhandedly belittling her before, hiding behind their language.

    A burst of energy crackled from Xol¡¯s mace as he stepped forward with a deadly hiss, fed up with the insolence of Xitzocl¡¯s subordinate.

    Morrigan smirked and reached out, grabbing Xol by the elbow and forcefully holding him back. ¡°Xitzocl, what is it that he said?¡± Morrigan inquired aloofly.

    Xitzocl looked between Morrigan, Xol and her subordinate intently before huffing indignantly, ¡°Tim¡¯alt has voiced his concern for the strength of humans, believing that you are not fit to be here nor able to survive the way to our sacred land, the council as well as Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To itself.¡±

    Xol let out a threatening his however, Morrigan tightened her grip on his arm as she pursed her lips. She eyed the K¨ºzi¡¯kan who deemed her unfit amongst the denizens of the world, knowing this sort of discrimination would be unavoidable. However, she had no intentions of letting it stand as she stared down the green and blue K¨ºzi¡¯kan.

    ¡°Xol, translate. You seem to think humans are weak Tim¡¯alt, that I am weak. Though it may be true for some humans, even most, however, I am not one of those humans. So, we shall settle this. I will race you to the top of this cliff, if I win, you keep your mouth shut and if you make a single dishonorable remark again; I will let Xol-Tau give whatever punishment he deems fit. If I lose, I will turn back and leave Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To.¡±

    Skoll let out a low growl as he brushed his snout against her arm, eyeing the offending K¨ºzi¡¯kan. Xol repeated what she said near perfectly, though his words were significantly more hostile than her own which made her smirk.

    Tim¡¯alt let out a growling hiss before turning to Xitzocl, ¡°You are to let this stand, chieftain? A great warrior who disgraced himself by kneeling before a human?¡±

    Xitzocl¡¯s nostrils flared in irritation as she snapped back, ¡°Not only have you continuously insulted an honored guest of Clan Tau and Clan Arak¡¯tarul, you have been questioning my decisions from the start of our journey to the sacred land. By every right, Red Death must be allowed the honor of challenging you and I shall support the challenge. You will race to the top of the cliff or I will allow Xol-Tau to have his way with you now if you refuse.¡±

    Yekku zipped up next to Morrigan and began unleashing a slew of aggressive chittering. The surrounding Marmuro¡¯k let out hissing laughter as Yekku huffed rapidly, obviously winded by his outburst.

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    Morrigan watched Tim¡¯alt¡¯s eyes widen briefly in surprise before reinforcing his resolve. He said nothing, but gave Morrigan a sharp, albeit reluctant nod before making his was to the wall. She made a mental note to ask someone what he said later.

    Just fly that little ass of yours to the top of the cliff and win this annoy bet, Apollyon grumbled.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll win this fair and square. We both know I can. Besides, why are you so irritated about it?¡± She asked as she stepped to the wall next to Tim¡¯alt.

    Xitzocl barked something sharply that Morrigan missed and one of the S¡¯randin in her retinue sprinted to the wall and started darting up the wall with precision.

    Morrigan looked back at Xitzocl who approached slowly behind her and Tim¡¯alt. ¡°Darri will blow a signal horn to initiate the race. She shall also announce the winner just in case none of us see as we follow you,¡± she stated.

    Morrigan nodded her understanding and focused on the numerous painted handholds and metal pitons scattered along the cliff face.

    Within a surprisingly short moment, Darri blew the horn signaling the start of the race. Tim¡¯alt wasted no time as he leaped up high and grabbed a piton, pulling himself up towards higher handhold. Morrigan watched for a moment to see how the Marmuro¡¯k scaled such walls.

    Morrigan approached the wall and leapt to the closest handhold. Her grip was tentative as she realized the painted holds were smooth in texture and more designed for someone with greater hand strength, and larger hands. Except, she was the embodiment of destruction and her power fueled every inch of her. With a deep breath she kicked off a slim foothold and threw herself higher to grab ahold of a T shaped piton.

    She also confirmed her suspicions that the layout was also designed for beings taller than her, or someone with longer limbs at least. It was not an issue for Morrigan though as she pulled herself into a scaling leap off the piton and latched onto another handhold.

    Tim¡¯alt hissed in irritation as he looked down to see that she had nearly caught up with him and doubled his efforts to move faster. With a sly smirk on her face, Morrigan swung herself closer to his direction and catching a rock to pull herself higher. The feeling of free floating for a moment as she tossed herself was exhilarating.

    Skoll yipped with a powerful aura of worry from the bottom of the cliff. Morrigan looked down below her to see the massive canine stamping his feet nervously 50 feet below. She could also see as Xol and the rest of the Marmuro¡¯k had begun to follow them up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Skoll, I¡¯ll come get you once I beat this asshole!¡± she called out before looking up and hoisting herself up higher.

    Morrigan watched as Tim¡¯alt pulled the same stunt she did, throwing himself to the side to reach a different handhold. Only difference was that small rocks and dust pelted her in the face as she witnessed it.

    Spitting out the earthy taste from her mouth, she threw herself up and kicked off a rock that jutted from the wall, launching herself up next to Tim¡¯alt.

    Tim¡¯alt let out a bark of surprise before hissing menacingly at her grinning face as she went to grab the next handhold. However, Tim¡¯alt''s thick tail smacked into her and knocked her off her trajectory, causing her to miss the handhold.

    Many of the Marmuro¡¯k made alarming sounds as Skoll howled angrily, unleashing a torrent of electricity that caused Nora to yelp in surprise. Morrigan plummeted 20 feet before her arm caught one of the T shaped pitons.

    She cried out in pain as one of the bones in her forearm snapped, her elbow and forearm getting wedged into the piton for a painful recovery.

    ¡°Apollyon!¡± she shouted in her head as she used her free hand to grasp the piton and pull her injured arm free, resetting her hold along the cliff face.

    Yeah, yeah, I got it, but do me a favor and cut the bastard¡¯s tail off and ram it down his throat! Apollyon growled angrily as she felt the deity reset the broken bone with an awkward and painful snap back into place.

    She leaned away from the wall and looked down at Skoll waving her newly healed arm. ¡°It¡¯s okay baby boy, see!¡± she called out. Skoll grumbled and stamped his paws with a mix of relief and irritation. He made her smile though as she refocused back to the race.

    ¡°Okay asshole, you want to play dirty?¡± she murmured before summoning her crimson claws and burying them into the mountain side.

    As her other hand buried into the wall with the smooth penetration of her claws, she scaled the wall at an inhumane pace. Morrigan fluidly scaled the wall and caught up with Tim¡¯alt in mere seconds; pulling past him at the same pace with enough time to look down and see the look of disbelief in his eyes.

    Morrigan climbed to the top and pulled herself over the ledge to find the yellow and red speckled S¡¯randin standing there patiently waiting. Darri raised her fish-like ribbed fin on her head in surprise for a moment before flicking her tongue out inquisitively. A second later, Darri gave Morrigan a sharp nod and lifted a horn to her reptilian mouth and blew.

    Though the sound carried well, it was not very loud to Morrigan¡¯s surprise as she finished pulling herself up and sitting down cross-legged.

    Ten minutes passed as Morrigan waited for all of those capable of climbing the wall except Nora, who still sat on Skoll at the base of the cliff. Tim¡¯alt stood off to the side looking dejected as Xitzocl pulled herself over the cliff edge and looked around before focusing on Darri. The female S¡¯randin squawked and nodded towards Morrigan.

    Before anyone could say anything, Yekku burst into hysteric cheers of triumph and threw his arms around Morrigan. Morrigan laughed as she gave Yekku a hug, Xitzocl too laughing at Yekku¡¯s antics.

    Xitzocl turned to Tim¡¯alt, ¡°Do you have nothing to say in your honorable defeat?¡± she asked.

    Tim¡¯alt sullenly shook his head before turning to Morrigan and bowing respectfully. Xol hummed however, Morrigan held her arm out in front of him before he could even finish his thought. She stepped forward towards Tim¡¯alt, who shrank slightly at her approach.

    She stuck her hand out with a sincere smile, ¡°Let this be a new understanding between us,¡± she stated. Xitzocl translated leaving Tim¡¯alt to look at Morrigan in wide eyed surprise. Tentatively, Tim¡¯alt grasped her forearm, her hand barely able to grab ahold of his thick forearm in a warrior¡¯s grip, and giving her a firm wordless nod.

    Really? You should rip his tongue out for all the shit he said about you!

    ¡°No, they value honor and pride, and I have wounded his drastically,¡± Morrigan pointed out.

    Yeah but¡­ that¡¯s far less fun¡­ Apollyon sulked.

    ¡°Hey babe, I hope you¡¯re not going to leave me and the pupper down here¡­¡± Nora chimed over the comm bead.

    She giggled to herself before turning to Xitzocl, ¡°Give me a moment, it seems I have a dog and girlfriend to collect.¡±

    Xitzocl cocked her head to the side in confusion before stepping back in shock as Morrigan sprinted forward and swan dived off the cliff. Morrigan could briefly hear many of the Marmuro¡¯k call out in shock, Yekku included as she spread her crimson skeletal wings.

    Morrigan glided down the cliff in a gentle arc as she touched down gracefully her wings dissipating and Skoll immediately licking up her chest and face in long, sloppy, loving licks. Morrigan sputtered as she pushed his face down while laughing.

    Nora just as on Skoll¡¯s mid back and smiled in adoration. ¡°So, I take it you won?¡± she asked.

    Morrigan scratched behind Skoll¡¯s ear, Skoll huffing pleasantly as she wiped her face with her free hand, ¡°Of course I did. I mean the asshole tried knocking me off the cliff but we have an understanding now,¡± Morrigan said cheerily.

    Nora smirked as she hopped off Skoll, ¡°Well, it was fun to watch that ass go up the cliff,¡± she said as she stepped over and firmly grabbed one of Morrigan¡¯s butt cheeks, causing Morrigan to giggle.

    ¡°So, how are we getting him up there?¡± Nora followed up.

    Morrigan scoffed and lifted her hand, coalescing one of her crimson claws and summoning an even larger clawed hand on the ground facing palm up. The spectral claw was easily large enough to fit Skoll within the palm.

    ¡°The question is not how he''ll get up, but you. The way I see it, you have two options,¡± Morrigan stated coyly. Nora took the bait without even thinking and wrapped her arms around Morrigan¡¯s waist.

    ¡°What would those be?¡± Nora inquired with a grin.

    ¡°Well, you can either ride Skoll or your can ride me,¡± Morrigan stated brazenly. Morrigan¡¯s nerves felt alive within her body at the events of climbing the cliff, like a high that emboldened her.

    Nora grinned brightly and pulled Morrigan¡¯s face to hers in a lustful kiss.

    Ah come on, third wheel here! Apollyon complained.

    Morrigan smiled into the kiss however, she did not stop making out with her girlfriend in their moment of reprieve.

    ¡°Oh please, you¡¯ve watched us have sex,¡± Morrigan snarked back.

    I may be a gentleman but it doesn¡¯t mean I want to be part of this three-way.

    Morrigan cracked and started giggling as she pulled away from Nora. Nora also giggled and appeared unaffected by Morrigan¡¯s laughter ruining the moment.

    ¡°Well, it was your deal, so you gotta live with it,¡± Morrigan shot back before looking at Skoll. Apollyon grumbled incoherently in concession, knowing it had no real argument.

    ¡°Okay buddy, climb into the hand,¡± she stated while gesturing towards the large spectral clawed hand. Skoll looked between her and the hand, cautiously stepping towards it and sniffing. Even more cautiously, Skoll prodded the palm with one of his massive paws to test whether or not the hand was solid. After determining it safe to step on, he walked into the center of the hand and laid down.

    Morrigan felt the small disembodied weight on her own palm, which was weird seeing as Skoll had to weigh as much as Xol, if not more, and Xol weighed nearly 700 lbs. ¡°Good boy, just stay still,¡± she cooed.

    She could feel Skoll¡¯s twin tails beat against her palm at her praise as he exuded happiness and trust to her, leaving her smiling at him.

    Without thinking, she wrapped her right arm around Nora and pulled her to her body forcefully. Nora squeaked into a giggle before wrapped her arms around Morrigan¡¯s neck.

    Morrigan turned and pecked Nora on the lips before asking, ¡°Ready?¡±

    Nora grinned cheekily, ¡°Sweep me off my feet, precious,¡± she stated smoothly before bursting into a fit of giggles.

    Morrigan snorted and shook her head in contempt at the bad joke, Apollyon also groaning loudly in the back of her mind as Morrigan¡¯s skeletal wings flourished into existence again. She gently wrapped the large clawed fingers over Skoll and began to raise the hand above them and with a single thrust of her wings, followed after the large spectral hand carrying the newest member of her family.

    The Marmuro¡¯k, aside from Xol, Yekku and Hi¡¯tet, watched in awe as Morrigan rose above the cliff edge carrying Nora in her arm, her wings eloquently flowing as they carried her high enough to land and a large spectral fist trailing closely behind that unfurled to reveal the B?r?sk¨º, that leapt off before the large crimson hand faded from existence along with Morrigan¡¯s wings.

    Xitzocl stood there with her mouth open, dumbfounded as the realization of Morrigan¡¯s strength and power became clearer. ¡°What are you?¡± she murmured quietly. Xitzocl had seen human mages before, as well as the abilities of the Eskarii however, what she was witnessing was breaking the mold of what Xitzocl knew about either species definition of magic. The human before her was something far more powerful, seeing as she scaled the cliff effortlessly and beat Tim¡¯alt, as well as displaying such power just as effortlessly.

    Xol looked at Morrigan with stoic pride and beat the pommel of his mace into the ground, ¡°She is Mirina Sor,¡± he rumbled in Terran. His words were filled with devote pride which caused Morrigan to blush and smile meekly. Skoll stalked around Morrigan before sitting behind her and towering two heads over her, letting out a low, prideful howl.

    Morrigan blushed deeper as everyone stared at her until a warbling cry came from Yekku who had snuck off ahead up a gently sloping hill. His calls were energetic and excited as he pointed off in the distance.

    ¡°We should get going,¡± Morrigan surprised as she forcibly looked towards Yekku, trying to divert attention

    Xitzocl shook herself from her stupor, ¡°Right, yes we should,¡± she said in embarrassment before stalking off towards Yekku, her retinue following close behind though some of them continued glancing back at Morrigan.

    ¡°They started looking at you like Yekku does,¡± Nora pointed out.

    Morrigan rested her head on Nora¡¯s shoulder and sighed as they followed Xitzocl¡¯s group, ¡°I hope not, but I think they¡¯re starting to see that I¡¯m more than what I say I am, or at least, they¡¯re realizing what Xol has been saying¡­ either way, I have no idea if this will help or hinder me here¡­¡±

    Nora snorted and kissed the top of Morrigan¡¯s forehead, ¡°You got this babe, and honestly, it¡¯ll probably help. I mean, how bad can having a bunch of followers be. If anything, this just makes you more of a queen than before,¡± she said with a chipper tone. Morrigan however, groaned at the idea again.

    Hahahahaha your woman is right, soon the peasants shall bow before the Goddess of Death! Apollyon cackled.

 Chapter XXV

    Over the hill was a shocking sight that stopped Morrigan and Nora in their tracks. Ahead, was a sprawling city of pyramidal architecture and towers built into an expansive basin, all glowing with late afternoon fires that gently reflected off the beige and grey stone that intermixed within the landscape.

    As everyone approached the main gate, the guards standing on the high bastions cocked their heads curiously, but upon seeing Xitzocl within the mix and one of her K¨ºzi¡¯kan flying the banner of Clan Arak¡¯tarul, a blue, gold and black tricolor flag with a down facing crescent in the center, they quickly moved to open the 35-foot archway gate doors. The stone doors that were ornately carved in an image Morrigan did not recognize groaned as they slowly opened wide enough to allow the group to enter. Once again, Morrigan was surprised by the purposeful lack of technology the Marmuro¡¯k used despite their technological ingenuity.

    Hundreds of Marmuro¡¯k denizens moved about with carefree air, dozens of stalls and businesses far more glamorous and supplied lined the main thoroughfare through the city, with many Marmuro¡¯k shouting over one another in some type of bartering system that mirrored auctions.

    There were the Marmuro¡¯k form of blacksmiths, trinket vendors, restaurants, clothing shops and everything in between, Morrigan even spotted a S¡¯randin running some kind of jeweler¡¯s stand in front of one of the five story towers as they passed.

    Skoll remained on high alert as Morrigan and Nora both gaped in wide eyed wonderment, nearly missing the curious and cautious stares from those around them.

    Xitzocl hummed in amusement as she watched the two humans take in the sights, ¡°Welcome to Tikal, our sacred land,¡± she said proudly.

    Morrigan did her best to divide her attention however, she could not help but continue to stare in all directions and nod dumbly. ¡°This is¡­ beautiful,¡± she breathed out as she watched young Marmuro¡¯k running past one of the stalls, tripping a Timse¡¯h that moved from collecting their items from a vendor. The young Marmuro¡¯k chattered and chirped in high pitched hysterical voices as the Timse¡¯h caught itself and bellowed out after them in a deep, bass filled tone.

    Nora giggled at their shenanigans and turned to Morrigan with a bright smile, ¡°This is totally awesome!¡± she whispered loudly with a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

    Xitzocl ushered them deeper into the city as more and more began to notice that two humans and the B?r?sk¨º walked amongst them. Many of which were torn between calling guards or respecting the fact that they walked with a chieftain. Despite Tikal being a neutral ground where violence was not allowed except within the confines of the Temple of Fire, Xitzocl feared two humans and one of the most dangerous creatures on Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To walking about would negate the rule and start a bloodbath.

    Xitzocl led them to a tall tower six stories high. Morrigan looked over the structure curiously, noting that most of the city was reminiscent to the Mayan design she had seen in her history books in middle school however, the tower was more of a unique conglomerate of Roman and Mayan; A mix of concentric rings of pillars with inlayed burning sconces layered between pentagon shaped levels.

    Xitzocl stopped in front of the main door made of ornate stone work, carved of glyphic depictions of 13 different symbols, one of them being the downward facing crescent of Clan Arak¡¯tarul.

    ¡°This is where the clan chieftains congregate. The Tower of Nix. It is here we shall discuss your beliefs,¡± Xitzocl stated, her words hinting at her nervousness.

    Morrigan furrowed her brow at that, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Xitzocl sighed and looked away though one of her eyes stayed on Morrigan, ¡°A chieftain may only bring one warrior in at their side, meaning that I will have to choose you¡­ Xol-Tau, your mate and the B?r?sk¨º will have to stay out of the room. Bringing you in will cause outrage, more so because whatever you say or do will reflect on the honor of Clan Arak¡¯tarul¡­ this is a dangerous game, Morrigan, and it may cause a war¡­¡±

    Morrigan pursed her lips and hummed while Nora snickered. Nora waved her hand in an aloof manner and stated, ¡°Hey, if they don¡¯t know when to bow before a queen, they¡¯ll only find their heads on a chopping block.¡±

    Oh, smart girl you got there, Apollyon interjected.

    Morrigan coughed painfully as she nearly choked on her own spit at her comment, shaking her head adamantly as she tried to control herself. Nora only grinned and shrugged, ¡°What? All I¡¯m saying is if they wanna start a fight, they¡¯ll only meet a very painful death, am I right, Xol?¡± she asked rhetorically as she turned to the giant white K¨ºzi¡¯kan. Xol bore his full row of reptilian fangs in agreement. Nora nodded proudly, ¡°See! Even Xol agrees and we never agree on anything!¡±

    Morrigan composed herself, making sure her coughing fit had ended before grabbing ahold of Nora¡¯s bicep tightly as she shook her head, ¡°No, none of that, out of either of you,¡± she said glancing back at Xol before turning her attention to Xitzocl, who stood with her head cocked sideways. ¡°I understand, be careful of what I say and remember I shouldn¡¯t be here. Diplomacy is in my job description so we should be good¡­ hopefully,¡± Morrigan stated honestly before letting out a deep breath.

    Xitzocl¡¯s nostrils flared in contempt but conceded the point, remembering that it was her idea to bring the council of chieftains together in the first place.

    ¡°Very well. Follow me, and make sure you are the only one that follows me onto the elevator, the rest will need to remain on the ground floor,¡± she announced before turning on her clawed toes and stepping towards the two guards that both held an ornate heavy spear and pulsing energy shield similar to the one Yekku built for Xol.

    The guards stepped aside and Xitzocl pushed the twin doors open, Morrigan following close behind and noting the glares she received from the guards. Inside the base floor of the tower was a regal equivalent of a waiting room, filled with dozens of Marmuro¡¯k wearing an array of color patterns of the various other clans. Most of the Marmuro¡¯k were engaged in conversation or verbal battles of bravado until Skoll stepped into the room, causing many to stop to stare, and some to hiss in hostile manners. Skoll responded in kind with a show of his large fangs and a low growl as he crept closer to Morrigan.

    Morrigan on the other hand, grabbed his muzzle and pulled his face into her side to silence him as she ignored the room full of Marmuro¡¯k. Xitzocl raised her hand announcing, ¡°No need for alarm, these humans are honored guests of Clan Arak¡¯tarul... including the B?r?sk¨º. Any hostile acts against those present will be considered an act of war against Clan Arak¡¯tarul and Clan Tau, as Xol-Tau accompanies under the banner of the human Inquisitor and has given safe passage to our world on the honor of Clan Tau.¡±

    Hissing gasps and low murmurs immediately followed as the entire room pressed against the walls, allowing Xitzocl and her retinue to enter deeper into the room. Morrigan released Skoll and looked down at him, ¡°Go find a place to lay down with Nora and do not attack anyone,¡± she enunciated slowly to make sure Skoll understood. Skoll simply whined and licked her hand as an apology before Nora found a clear spot away from the congregated Marmuro¡¯k.

    ¡°Knock ¡®em dead babe!¡± Nora cheered as she snapped her fingers and enticed Skoll over with scratches. Morrigan just shook her head at her adorable girlfriend and looked at Xol, giving him a nod.

    Xol hefted his mace over his shoulder and nodded, quickly pointing to the side of his head to remind her that he wore a specialized comm bead to fit his anatomy, and that if she needed him, to call him.

    A wide birth was made for Xitzocl and Morrigan as they walked towards the elevator on for Xitzocl to stop and turn around, ¡°I nearly forgot, we are not allowed weapons within the council room¡­¡±

    Morrigan snorted, thinking how she was very much a weapon herself, smiled and nodded as she unhooked her gunblade harness. She quickly walked over to Xol and handed him the weapon before stepping back onto the elevator with Xitzocl. The elevator was a large square platform that could fit at least four K¨ºzi¡¯kan the size of Xol and was gilded in a gold brushed stone that Morrigan found gaudy.

    The elevator rose smoothly after Xitzocl pulled on the lever in the center of the floor, leading up to a set of doors that appeared to be solid gold. Xitzocl snorted as she witnessed Morrigan scrunch her face in disgust.

    ¡°What? Its beyond gaudy¡­¡± Morrigan defended.

    Xitzocl¡¯s reptilian grin made Morrigan smile before she cleared her throat, ¡°Remember, you are considered my warrior in this delegation,¡± Xitzocl stated. Morrigan nodded before placing her hands on both doors and pushed.

    She was greeted by a room of hitched breaths and shallow hisses as Morrigan stared down ten chieftains and their accompanying warriors. Wide eyed, Morrigan quickly stepped out of the way to let Xitzocl through.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this!?¡± exclaimed a short breed of K¨ºzi¡¯kan Morrigan had never seen before. The rough, gravely voice pegged the K¨ºzi¡¯kan as a male, but instead of a crest, he had a tall, red, fish-like ribbed fin running along the top of his head.

    He was a pale white with a sun burnt orange lower jaw that trailed down his neck. He wore clothing akin to a tunic of purple and green, flicking his tongue like a S¡¯randin in agitation.

    ¡°The meaning of what, Krich-Har¡¯shk?¡± Xitzocl inquired, looking down on him from across a large circular table as Morrigan followed behind her. Many of the Marmuro¡¯k surrounding the table shied away from Morrigan as if she contained a plague.

    A low, thrumming bass of a voice came from the Timse¡¯h next to Krich, an 11-foot-tall reptilian humanoid with the likeness of an earthly alligator, who was over half as wide as they were tall.

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    ¡°You bring a human, into our sacred city¡­¡± the Timse¡¯h stated slowly, each word drawn out in the Marmuro¡¯k language though Morrigan was uncertain if that was a commonality of the Timse¡¯h or not, but assumed so seeing as each time she heard one speak, it seemed to be slower than the rest of the species.

    Xitzocl stopped underneath a banner depicting the symbol of Clan Arak¡¯tarul before addressing the room.

    ¡°Yes. As is custom for all chieftains to allow a single warrior to accompany them, this human Inquisitor, Morrigan, stands as my warrior,¡± she stated smoothly and as eloquently as one could with such a harsh language.

    The room erupted into chaos as chieftain and warrior alike began shouting protests to Morrigan¡¯s presence. Morrigan bit her lip as she glanced at Xitzocl, who remained stoic and defiant in the face of so many assaulting voices.

    Several minutes passed as Morrigan did her best to ignore the comments thrown at her and Xitzocl as the golden doors opened once again, letting in two more chieftains and their warriors.

    One of the two chieftains was a S¡¯randin who stopped at the door with wide eyes as they scanned the room for the source of alarm, their eyes landing on Morrigan. Instead of protesting, the S¡¯randin merely cocked its head to the side and flicked its tongue curiously before moving to their spot under a banner of three shades of blue with three wavy lines in the center, right next to Xitzocl.

    ¡°Tlaka- Cho-li, it is nice to see you once again,¡± Xitzocl stated loud enough for the S¡¯randin to hear as the last chieftain, a blue/white, largely crested K¨ºzi¡¯kan with a mechanical arm of solid gold colored metal took their place underneath a banner of bright red with a golden burning sun.

    The S¡¯randin, Tlaka, chattered quietly to Xitzocl before Xitzocl gave a hissing laugh, ¡°Indeed, but when do we have a delegation without outrage?¡± she mused.

    One of the three Timse¡¯h slammed their fist on the table and bellowed loud enough to hurt Morrigan¡¯s ears, though she was thankful all of the shouting stopped.

    ¡°Why call a delegation, Xitzocl of Clan Arak¡¯tarul?¡± asked the massive Marmuro¡¯k.

    Xitzocl glanced at Morrigan before lifting her chin high, ¡°As you know, we have a truce with the human raiders. Between the two Air Clans, Clan Arak¡¯tarul and Clan Gra¡¯wuul, we bore peace with and even established trade with the raiders under the conditions they stay out of our territory unless designated as a trader¡­ now, I bring forth a new alliance¡­¡± she stated as she gestured to Morrigan, ¡°This is Morrigan Clarke, a human Inquisitor of the faction, The Inquisition. She has come to our world to bring home one of my own, also accompanied by Xol-Tau and Hi¡¯tet-Tau of Clan Tau as well as Yekku-Kri¡¯ket of Clan Kri¡¯ket¡­ she also comes to form an alliance against the human Federation.¡±

    This spurred more arguments amongst the chieftains however, the K¨ºzi¡¯kan with the golden arm raised his mechanical clawed hand ushering silence before growling out, ¡°I was uncertain, uncertain that was my strongest warrior down below, much less to be standing in front of the B?r?sk¨º along with another human¡­ to have thought Xol-Tau had been killed in battle however, you say this¡­ human¡­ brought back one of your own without the notion of returning the rest of our kin?¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s brow furrowed but before she could say anything, Xitzocl interjected, ¡°Xol-Tau, Yekku-Kri¡¯ket and H?¡¯tet-Tau follow under the banner of Red Death¡­ Red Death being Morrigan,¡± she declared, albeit it in a defeated tone, gesturing to Morrigan once again.

    Her declaration caused a near violent outrage as every chieftain, especially the Chieftain of Clan Tau, argued that Xol would never follow something as weak as a ¡°M?nkee¡±.

    More and more insults and rebuttals of impossibility were thrown at Morrigan and Xitzocl. Morrigan¡¯s teeth ground together harder and harder as she tried to remain composed like Xitzocl however, the more insults that came at her, the more the floodgates of her anger chipped away. She understood that the Marmuro¡¯k felt they were physically superior, which in most cases was true, but they had no idea who it is they insulted. She reflected on everything she had been through; every hardship she had faced, every life she had cut down in order to become an Inquisitor and go to Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To to return Qiote to his home. Except, the Marmuro¡¯k did not respect kindness, not on a societal level, this much she knew; they respected strength.

    ¡°Enough!¡± she roared as she brought both fists down on the table, a surge of her energy crackling over her arms as cracks spread towards the center of the stone table.

    Everyone Marmuro¡¯k went silent and turned towards her, including Xitzocl who was equally surprised.

    ¡°Next time you insult someone be sure they do not speak in your tongue!¡± Morrigan growled before letting out a deep breath. She knew if she worked herself up too much, Skoll would have a field day down below.

    ¡°Xitzocl speaks no lies, I, Red Death, name rightfully given by Xol-Tau himself as he kneeled before me and swore his devotion and allegiance to me, have taken Xol-Tau, Hi¡¯tet-Tau, and Yekku-Kri¡¯ket under my own banner¡­¡±

    The Chieftain of Clan Tau scoffed, ¡°There is no way Xol-Tau nor any Marmuro¡¯k would swear fealty to something as weak as a human or do something as dishonorable as bend their knee!¡±

    Morrigan smirked at that, ¡°Weak? I have killed numerous enemies, survived the poison of the Iaktai, and tamed the fabled B?r?sk¨º, yet you dare call me weak! I may be a human but I am as much of a Marmuro¡¯k as any one of you! Even more Marmuro¡¯k than some of you,¡± she bit out bitterly, staring the Chieftain of Clan Tau down.

    Several of the chieftains began to murmur to each other as the Chieftain of Clan Tau bore his fangs at her. She picked up whispers equal of both intrigue and disbelief of her audacity.

    A bright yellow S¡¯randin with the same frills as Yekku chirped loudly at Morrigan¡¯s direction. Xitzocl leaned over to translate, ¡°The Chieftain Izden-Kriket of Clan Kri¡¯ket would like to have an audience with Yekku-Kri¡¯ket¡­¡±

    Morrigan nodded and looked at the wide eyed S¡¯randin, ¡°Izden-Kri¡¯ket, I thank you for your civility, I shall summon Yekku-Kri¡¯ket, as well as Xol-Tau, for all to hear,¡± she stated before some of the chieftains began arguing over the acceptability to bring more to the delegation floor. However, Morrigan did not care as she touched her comm bead, ¡°Xol, fetch Yekku and the both of you come up here, also leave the weapons¡­ Nora, I need you to make sure Skoll behaves, things are a bit heated up hear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no shit. The baby boy got all growly a few minutes ago. If he starts misbehaving, I¡¯ll just put him in time out, are you okay up there precious?¡± Nora asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± she stated as she heard the elevator begin its descent.

    Most of the Marmuro¡¯k chieftains silenced themselves as they waited for the elevator to rise again.

    Within a moment, Xol flung the golden doors open in a display of threatening strength as he let out a warning hiss to the room, all the while shifting his gaze towards Morrigan. He gave a respectful bow of his head to her before narrowing his eyes to the rest of the chieftains.

    Yekku was just as tactless as he sprinted around the right side to place himself next to Morrigan, chirping happily as he pushed his head into her ribs. Morrigan could not help but grin at his adorableness as she wrapped her arms around his head in a light hug.

    ¡°I know buddy, I missed you too,¡± she cooed as he let out a purring click.

    Izden chirped loud enough to garner Yekku¡¯s attention, Yekku shot his head up straight to see his former chieftain waiting. Yekku¡¯s eyes went as wide as physically possible as he nervously wrung his hands and looked between Morrigan and Izden repeatedly.

    Morrigan smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay Yekku, he wanted to speak with you, go on, it¡¯s okay,¡± she encouraged him.

    Yekku flicked his tongue against her cheek making her giggle before he awkwardly stalked over to Izden. Morrigan turned her attention to the rest of the chieftains who all stood frozen, some staring down Xol and the rest staring down Morrigan.

    Oh, you¡¯ve definitely pissed a lot of then off hehehehe, Apollyon informed her.

    Morrigan smirked, ¡°At least it shut them up for the moment. Okay, let¡¯s get this show on the road,¡± she mused and turned her attention to Xol.

    ¡°Xol, it appears your former chieftain, as well as some of the others believe it impossible that you swore your loyalty to me or even named me Mirina Sor,¡± she stated lightly.

    Xol eyed her sharply with bore fangs before turning his ire towards the room. She watched as his clawed hands curled into tight fists, knowing full well that he desired his mace. Morrigan considered it a silver lining that weapons were not allowed in the delegation.

    The Chieftain of Clan Tau and Xol stared at each other, both in deep contemplation before the surprisingly short K¨ºzi¡¯kan warrior that accompanied the chieftain spoke out. Morrigan was not sure whether the warrior was simply young or a respective runt of the litter however, the sheer ignorance of what he said made little difference.

    ¡°This human, claims it is Marmuro¡¯k, as if anyone would believe such a lie, just as it tries to lie and say you kneeled before her,¡± he stated with a hissing laugh.

    The irony of not allowing weapons into the delegation was that every being in the room was a weapon themselves, which they were quickly reminded as Xol leapt onto the section of stone table that had not cracked under Morrigan¡¯s strike and moved to seize the warrior by the throat.

    Xol lifted him to eye level, holding him a foot and a half above the table and hissed in his face all the while every warrior and chieftain lost their minds over the hostility. Morrigan and Yekku were the only ones unaffected by Xol¡¯s usual outrage when it came to Morrigan¡¯s image and reputation.

    ¡°Silence!¡± Xol roared with enough force for Morrigan to feel her bones vibrate. Everyone went silent as the short K¨ºzi¡¯kan struggled to breath within his vise grip.

    ¡°Red Death earned her name, Azuhcu¡¯ach-Tau; one I gave her after bending my knee for she is the strongest warrior! Stronger than any Marmuro¡¯k, long ear or human! She is above us and you all shall bow before her!¡± he bit out ferociously with his gravelly undertone before unceremoniously dropping his quarry on the ground.

    Morrigan blushed as she shrank slightly, leaning over to Xitzocl and whispered, ¡°I think he¡¯s laying it on a little thick¡­¡±

    Xitzocl grinned a sharp reptilian smile, ¡°When a Marmuro¡¯k believes in something as much as Xol believes in you, there is no amount of mercy to match,¡± she mused which only made Morrigan shrink back even further.

    Azuhcu¡¯ach, Xol¡¯s previous chieftain, let out a low hiss with his teeth bare and his golden hand curled into a fist, ¡°Marmuro¡¯k never bend the knee, not even to their chieftains. You are no Marmuro¡¯k, merely the shadow of the warrior you once were if you bow, especially to such a lowly creature.¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes went wide in surprise as she expected Xol to begin tearing into the room and driving the delegation into a bloodbath, but to her surprise, Xol merely grinned a rather vicious grin.

    Even Xitzocl looked at Morrigan with worry given how Xol handled such an insult. Yekku flew off into a seething tirade that was unlike him. Though Morrigan could not understand what he was saying, given the looks he had been receiving, she could assume that it was beyond insulting as the majority of the room hissed in anger.

    Xol-Tau on the other hand let out a hissing laugh at Yekku¡¯s gibberish before crossing his arms stoically. She could see the glint of defiance in his eye that she often saw when he disobeyed any of her orders that he truly did not agree with.

    ¡°Fine, then she will see Lakai the Ancient. Lakai will see her value and permit her the Trial of Fire, which she shall complete, then you shall bow before her,¡± Xol stated in a cool, dark manner.

    There was a collective gasp in the form of a surprised hiss as Xol raised his chin in triumph. Morrigan felt nervous as she looked around the room, many of the eyes having shifted from Xol to her.

    Before she could say anything, Azuhcu¡¯ach hummed in thought before crossing his own arms, ¡°Fine. Lakai will kill your pet human for entering our sacred ground and taking part in our delegations. A human has no right here nor anywhere near Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To, you sealed her fate Xol, and you are banished from Clan Tau, he who betrays his kin,¡± he huffed indignantly before stepping away from the table and leaving. Several others followed, though more than Morrigan expected stayed behind, if only to see what the human would say now.

    Morrigan blinked as she looked from Xol to Xitzocl, uncertain about the predicament Xol had thrown her in. Yekku chattered with his previous chieftain, occasionally pointing in her direction and squawking excitedly, further increasing the number of curious looks of those who stayed behind.

    ¡°So¡­ who is Lakai?¡± she inquired cautiously.

 Chapter XXVI

    Xitzocl smirked at Morrigan¡¯s innocent question though it was Xol who stepped off the table behind her with a resounding thump.

    ¡°Lakai is the most ancient of all Marmuro¡¯k. He lives as a wise one, offering his insight to the clans, otherwise leaving all alone,¡± Xol stated with respect to the old Marmuro¡¯k.

    Morrigan chewed on her lip trying to connect the dots, ¡°But why do I have to speak with this Lakai? Why would he kill me or grant me this Trial by Fire or whatever it is, speaking of, what the hell was that about?¡±

    Xitzocl chortled at Morrigan¡¯s rising anxiety as she held her hand out, gently touching her shoulder, ¡°Relax Morrigan. Lakai will not kill you; it has been many thousands of years since Lakai has last fought. However, he is the wisest of us all and can see into one¡¯s soul to determine their strength. If Xol is correct, he will see you not as a human, but as Marmuro¡¯k, and be allowed to enter the Trial of Fire. The Trial of Fire is a contest of strength and vigor, combat between those who enter against the strongest warrior bred to date, Lakai excluded.¡±

    ¡°To the death?¡± Morrigan question to which Xitzocl nodded respectfully. Several of the onlookers left in the room hissed in the fashion of a snicker.

    ¡°Yes, all Marmuro¡¯k who enter the Trial of Fire must show that they are willing to take the life of their enemies, even if that enemy is one such as they,¡± Xitzocl explained, Xol nodding with a sinister, knowing grin.

    ¡°Yes, you fight, you kill, you show you are Marmuro¡¯k,¡± he gruffed out proudly.

    Morrigan sighed dramatically realizing that Xol knew full well that killing was one of her specialties, he did after all watch her butcher over 30 people in Castile V even before the riot let alone tear a ship in half killing an unknown amount of people. Being reminded of her slaughter made her nauseous.

    ¡°Is that really what I¡¯m becoming known for¡­ my ability to kill people?¡± her heart clenched at the idea of having such an infamous reputation, ¡°I¡¯ve become a monster¡­¡± she thought to herself as she felt the desire to cry rise, her lungs feeling as if someone had been sitting on them.

    Apollyon scoffed, oh please, I''ve killed a million times more than you have and I''m not a monster.

    Morrigan stared off past Xitzocl at the banner of Clan Arak¡¯tarul, studying the symbol before shifting her gaze to the banner of Clan Kri¡¯ket, a green backing with silver hammer with a thunderbolt through it.

    ¡°Killing entire species was your job though Apollyon¡­ it¡¯s different,¡± she responded, her inner voice just as dejected as she felt.

    Is it though? Your job is to protect each species from the Federation, is it not? I told you revolution is messy, little goddess. If you want to change the galaxy, you have to get blood on your hands, a lot of blood, and this species in front of you respects the blood on one¡¯s hands. I¡¯ve snuffed out an innumerable amount of lives because it was my job, yet, I¡¯m not a monster; and you¡¯ve killed many because it is your job to protect those who can not protect themselves, whether it be prisoners in a mine, soldiers simply following orders or a ship full of lives responsible for the deaths of innocent lives, you¡¯re no monster girl¡­ you are salvation.

    Apollyon¡¯s words were calm yet filled with a heated fervor she did not expect, as if the deity of death truly believed in her and her goal, which somehow made the weight of her actions lighten slightly. With a sniff and a nod, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to center her emotions.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she whispered in her own head before returning her attention to Xitzocl. Even though she did not want to kill any Marmuro¡¯k, if that was what it took to get the chieftains to listen to her and enter a military alliance with her, she had no choice.

    ¡°Very well, I will speak with Lakai the Ancient, where can I find him?¡± she inquired with cause in her tone.

    Xol and Xitzocl looked at each other and grinned, ¡°Come, I will show you,¡± Xitzocl commanded smoothly. As Morrigan turned on her heels, she caught the murmurs of surprise by the few chieftains left that had been paying attention, though she was uncertain if they understood Terran, so she could not fathom what they had been surprised about.

    A string of clicking noises stopped the three mid-step, Morrigan recognizing Yekku calling out to her, which was curious to her since it didn¡¯t sound any different than any of the other noises Yekku made normally.

    The three turned to see that Yekku and Izden had approached behind them. Yekku gestured towards Izden with even more clicks. Given the situation, Morrigan assumed that Yekku either wanted her to say something to his old chieftain, or that his old chieftain had something he wanted to say.

    ¡°Izden-Kri¡¯ket wishes to speak with you, Red Death,¡± Xitzocl announced. Despite feeling a little better about her reputation, the title still sent chills down her spine however, she kept her displeasure from her face and nodded towards Izden.

    Izden bowed respectfully, which was odd to see since he held himself at his full seven foot height, before he let out a long string of animated noises while Xitzocl translated, ¡°Izden-Kri¡¯ket wishes to express his gratitude to you for taking care of Yekku. That Yekku speaks highly of you and your victories as well as how your heart watches over him. It delights Izden-Kri¡¯ket that his kin has found such happiness in a new clan with a chieftain as strong and caring as you are. You have a life of appreciation as well as utmost respect from Izden-Kri¡¯ket.¡±

    Xitzocl looked to see Morrigan¡¯s lips pursed tightly as her eyes glistened darkly with crimson tears as she stared at Yekku¡¯s wide eyes. Morrigan¡¯s emotions coalesced into a chaotic mass of uncertainty and joy to hear Izden express such profound gratitude just moments after she fought to compartmentalize her belief that she was becoming a monster destined for infamy.

    She pushed her emotions down and sniffed loudly before giving Izden a respectful bow, ¡°um, thank you, Izden-Kri¡¯ket, for your kind words and your gratitude. It gives my heart much happiness that you approve of Yekku¡¯s transition of clans, as well as his own happiness¡­ Yekku, well, he helped me in the darkest of times of my life, Xol too but Yekku has a pure soul. He is highly valued and deeply loved in my clan and always will be,¡± her response echoing the painful need to cry but reflecting the truth of her words.

    There was a tiny quirk at the corners of Izden¡¯s mouth, the short-range motion the S¡¯randin were capable of to express a smile as Izden held out his lanky arm to shake Morrigan¡¯s. However, Yekku squawked and batted Izden¡¯s arm away and chirped before thrusting himself into Morrigan¡¯s arms for his ritualistic hug and petting.

    Morrigan could not keep from smiling widely as she wrapped her arms around him tightly and burying her face into the nape of his neck, fighting the urge to breakdown.

    ¡°Thank you Yekku,¡± she forced out in a harsh whisper and listened to the clicking purring noise he often made. A moment later Yekku slipped from her grip and chirped adamantly at Izden, gesturing to Morrigan. Izden squawked questioningly and Yekku bobbed his head in his adorable spastic manner.

    Izden¡¯s eyes widened as he faced Morrigan, Morrigan realizing that Yekku had been showing his former chieftain one of the many ways to act out a hug. A giggled slipped from her lips as she sniffed again before spreading her arms wide with a smile and nodding at Izden, inviting him in for his own hug.

    Izden cautiously took a step forward and gently placed his arms around her as her own arms encompassed him. After a short moment, she gently tightened her grip on him to a comfortable level and waited for Izden to do the same before Yekku squawked at them both, Morrigan looking up to see Yekku patting himself on the head. She knew immediately what he was saying and raised her right hand to gently stroke down the length of Izden¡¯s frilled head repeatedly.

    A second later, Izden began the happy purr she often heard Yekku and Qiote make when she pet them and decided that S¡¯randin enjoyed being petted, much like a cat or a dog, which only made the moment that much more meaningful to her.

    Yekku let out a triumphant warble as the remaining chieftains gossiped loudly about the display which made her laugh and lose concentration, Izden and Xitzocl both joining in with hissing laughter caused by the ever adorable and sweet Yekku-Clarke of Clan Clarke.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Klaxons blared throughout the expansive hall of the Cathedral as Solomon looked up at the transparent monitors of the central computer. The screen displayed something Solomon had been waiting for ever since Morrigan went to Mars.

    ¡°It has been some time since we destroyed the probes that came too close to the Void Star, I¡¯m surprised it took them this long¡­¡± Solomon thought to himself as he watched a handful of Federation ships drop out of hyperspace in formation to surround the hive world. To his surprise, more and more ships continued to appear in the star lit sky until nearly 50 ships surrounded the Void Star.

    After Morrigan¡¯s stunt at Mars, Solomon knew it would have been only a matter of time until the Federation stumbled upon their hidden world, thus Solomon alerted every single person on the hive world of the impending conflict as well as developing a multitude of contingencies.

    He expected a show of force however, he did not truly expect a massive fleet to be on their doorstep; that did not keep him from planning for such an occasion though. Solomon looked down and typed in a command prompt into the central computer and forwarded a world wide order for all personnel as well as a command to the anti-starship cannons to stand down. It was a signal he knew the enemy would pick up, which is why he had hidden orders buried within the broadcast. As a man of strategy both on the battlefield as well as the war zone of diplomacy, Solomon knew never to leave anything to chance. If it could be thought of, he would make a plan to counter. All he had to do was wait and receive the rest of the intel he needed to decide his next course of action.

    Solomon watched as a few hundred dropships descended upon the Void Star, cycling through the hundreds of active surveillance feeds to watch as the civilian population went into hiding while the combat-oriented population came to the forefront and played the role of ordinary civilians. The efficiency of his people swelled his heart with pride as no one seemed to second guess his command. He also checked to see how many Inquisition ships were docked, ¡°There are five unaccounted for¡­ I was hoping for more but it¡¯ll do,¡± he murmured to himself.

    A few minutes passed before the archway doors groaned open and a swarm of Federation marines and Special Ops flooded the Cathedral, most of which aiming the weapons directly at him while some smart enough to recognize a threat, held up the many operators within the main hall.

    A thin path was made through the middle of the mass of enemy soldiers to let a single man through, a younger man in his late 40s with an overly flashy admiral¡¯s uniform with a gaudy number of awards and accolades pinned to his chest beneath his gold trimmed epaulets. The man strode forward with purpose as he cut through the path until he stepped up onto the raised platform on the other side of the main computer, calculating the threat Solomon posed.

    ¡°I am Major General Lippmann, by the order of Lord Commander Amaranthe, you are under arrest,¡± the man bit out sharply, his deep voice barely echoing in the hall. He sneered in disgust as Solomon merely smirked at him, shrugging before slowly raising his hands.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I suppose that is true, given the number of ships you brought. We would surely lose if we tried to fight back though your losses would still be devastating,¡± Solomon mocked in light amusement as his gaze swept over the crowd of marines, calculating how many he could remove from the playing field before he would be shot.

    The man scoffed at his comment before composing himself and removing all emotion from his demeanor, ¡°Good, at least the rumors of you being intelligent is true. Now, the Lord Commander will have you brought aboard the Eisenhauer for interrogation. If you attempt to resist, escape or insight rebellion, your citizens will pay the consequences with their lives.¡±

    Solomon smiled, which threw the man off for a moment before elaborating, ¡°Here, why don¡¯t I make this easier on you and yours. If you disagree with my broadcast feel free to shoot me on the spot.¡±

    The general was quick on the draw when it came to aiming his weapon as Solomon lowered one hand to activate the general broadcast system, ¡°Attention citizens of the Void Star, please do not fret, I will be parlaying with the Federation¡¯s leadership and settling this abrupt interruption of our lives. Please, go about your days and show our visitors the same level of respect and hospitality you would to your humble Inquisitors,¡± he stated with levity before disengaging the system and raising his hand again.

    The confusion on the general''s face truly amused Solomon as he moved to step around the computer and towards the man, ¡°Shall we?¡± he asked with a cheeky tone.

    It was easy to tell that he had not made a fan with his passive demeanor about the situation as the general grabbed his arm forcefully and shove him forward, pressing the barrel of his gun against his back.

    ¡°Just move your ass,¡± Lippmann demanded before pressing the gun into Solomon¡¯s shoulder, pushing him through the crowd of marines who systematically trained their weapons on him.

    Solomon spent several hours bored aboard the Federation battleship Eisenhauer before the door to the steel walled room let out a pneumatic hiss as it slid open. In walked a man he recognized from all of the intel he had received over the passing months. Tall, broad, blonde and an insurmountable sense of outlandish purpose, Lord Commander Amaranthe.

    Amaranthe grinned devilishly as he spied Solomon sitting at the plain table, outwardly showing his boredom as he stared at the ceiling and twiddled his thumbs.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the infamous Lord Inquisitor?¡± Amaranthe mocked in amusement before stepping in front of the aging man. Solomon let out a dramatically indignant breath as he rubbed his bald head and looked down from the ceiling towards Amaranthe before shrugging, neither confirming or denying.

    Amaranthe sneered at the man and crossed his arms, arcs of electricity flashing over his muscles beneath his navy jacket before chuckling, ¡°We spent a long time looking for the elusive Inquisition for a long time, yet all it took was a minor regime change and here we are, with you on your knees at the mercy of the Federation¡¯s might,¡± Amaranthe pointed out smoothly.

    Solomon barked a laugh at the notion before smiling back, ¡°Frankly, if it wasn¡¯t for you killing a certain Inquisitor¡¯s father, I am quite certain you would still be jumping at shadows.¡±

    The singular hint of Morrigan caused Amaranthe¡¯s entire demeanor to change as he unfolded his arms and leaned over the table slowly, menacingly, ¡°And tell me, where is my darling little Rose currently?¡± his voice enlightening Solomon to the near fanatical possessiveness the man possessed.

    Solomon shrugged one shoulder and leaned back, ¡°I am unaware of her location. Unlike you, I am not required to keep constant tabs on all of my personnel. I know what it is my people do and how they do it, and have faith in their abilities unless I hear otherwise. Last I heard, she was in the Sol system near Mars though that was a while ago.¡±

    Solomon proudly watched his words get under Amaranthe''s skin as he ground his teeth. He was also aware of the reports that stated that the Federation have opened up a relentless and extensive search for Morrigan ever since Solomon rescuing her from Castile V. The fact that Solomon had managed to keep her whereabouts secret for so long was merely a blessing.

    ¡°Besides, are you certain you want to find her? She is a force to be reckoned with and you have done quite a lot to piss her off,¡± Solomon pointed out this time, watching Amaranthe smirk at his words.

    ¡°There are two things in this galaxy, rulers and subjects, and I will break her will and subjugate her to my very whim! Once I¡¯m finished using her, she will be nothing but a cowering shell of a girl less fit to lick my boot!¡± Amaranthe stated forcefully, the amount of feverish hatred and passion in his eyes bespoke of the fanatical madness running through his psyche, easy enough for Solomon to identify. The man before him was drunk on power and deemed himself a god amongst mortals, even his fellow humans that he commanded. Everything around him was nothing to him but simple toys he could discard at any time.

    ¡°Even so, I still don¡¯t know where she is. Though I¡¯m sure if I recalled the remaining Inquisition ships, she would surely come if she is capable of doing so. She may be a tempest of power but she does harbor a sense of duty befitting one of her station as an Inquisitor,¡± Solomon offered, secretly grinning on the inside.

    Amaranthe seemed to calm drastically as he mulled the idea over in his head. Standing straight, Amaranthe still managed to loom over Solomon¡¯s calm visage, ¡°Very well, keep in mind though, if you attempt to play a trick on me or deceive me, I will simply destroy this precious little world of yours and cast your memory and legacy into the nearest sun.¡±

    Solomon could not help but snort at the threat, ¡°That would be foolish,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡± Amaranthe asked curiously.

    ¡°Tell me, do you know why this world is called the Void Star?¡± he asked. Amaranthe did not respond so Solomon elaborated, ¡°You see, this lovely hive world of mine is powered by a collapsed black hole, using a sophisticated and complex reactor and mass generator to harvest the energy from the black hole and convert it to usable, endless energy. It was tricky to design and put together a shell capable of resisting the gravitational pressure but what a feat it was to accomplish,¡± Solomon said wistfully, as if nearly losing himself to passionate memory.

    ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Amaranthe exclaimed, not believing that something like that could be done.

    Solomon shrugged, ¡°Without the help of the Eskarii it would have been impossible, but they''re more technologically advanced than we are respectively. They made it possible.¡±

    Amaranthe hissed through his teeth as he tried to gauge the truth in Solomon¡¯s words, having trouble focusing as Solomon mocked him with a snide grin. He let out an animalistic growl as he thrust his arm out towards the older man and an arc of bright electricity slammed into Solomon.

    The wizened man struggled against the involuntary convulsions as his muscles stiffened and shuttered. He made no sound which appeared to bore Amaranthe as he cut off the flow of electricity to watch the man sag, his body smoking and the edges of his beard singe and curled.

    ¡°You know, nothing is really stopping me from killing you?¡± Amaranthe mused.

    Solomon¡¯s lungs finally responded as he inhaled deeply from his nose, swearing internally for not putting up his shield to block the attack. More so, he was surprised how strong the attack was, knowing full well by the bored expression on the commander¡¯s face meant that he had plenty of more power to dump into an attack.

    With a strained chuckled, Solomon looked up at Amaranthe, ¡°Sure, you could. However, that would mean losing a very valuable asset, now wouldn¡¯t it? More than just your ships when my people realize you killed their beloved leader.¡±

    Amaranthe¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he processed the statement. Something in Solomon¡¯s tone piqued his curiosity. ¡°Go on,¡± he demanded as he crossed his arms again.

    Solomon smirked, ¡°Morrigan trusts me as much as she loves the life I have given her, so she will come here at some point or another, much sooner if I recall her back to the Void Star.¡± He watched Amaranthe focus on his words with rapt interest before continuing, ¡°As I said, I have built my own world from nothing, much like you are building a new world out of failure. What you may not know, despite being funded by the CoU, the Inquisition holds no allegiance to anyone. We¡¯re nothing more than glorified mercenaries, fighting or investigating for money¡­ like any good mercenary company, we always side with the winning side,¡± Solomon explained with a near sinister truth.

    Amaranthe looked at him in shrouds, mulling over the explanation and going over all the details of what the Federation had on the Inquisition. ¡°His tone¡­ this is a man who intends to survive. He also makes a point, I have heard of his little army attacking the CoU before and even subjugating worlds under CoU control though that was years ago¡­still, something doesn''t seem right,¡± he thought to himself.

    His gaze leveled with Solomon¡¯s and searched for the slightest hint of a lie however, he found no notion of dishonesty in the man''s behavior. ¡°Well, how would you do this then?¡± he demanded cautiously.

    Solomon leaned back casually, acting as if he had not taken a lethal level of voltage to his body, and shrugged, ¡°Its simple really. Take me back to my computer, I broadcast the order and then we wait. You can even have your ships verify my broadcast.¡± Amaranthe appeared uneasy by the level of confidence Solomon played at, more so because his reasoning was irrefutable. If Amaranthe were in his position, he would do the same thing, but that also meant he knew the man would seek to betray him at a later time. He knew he would have to keep the Lord Inquisitor and his merry band under lock and key until it was no longer a threat to dispose of them.

    ¡°Perhaps I can just starve them out, cut off their supplies until no one had the strength the fight, then butcher the people and take this glorified space station for my own?¡± He thought before returning his focus to the older man.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let you broadcast your signal, and then everyone will be watched under a microscope until I have what I want. Stay true to your word and I may just leave your world well enough alone,¡± Amaranthe sneered.

    Solomon grinned and moved to stand, allowing Amaranthe to take him by the back of his collar and guide him out of the room and through the battleship.

    The ride back down to the Void Star was uneventful as both Amaranthe and Solomon remained silent for the trip.  Solomon watched as Federation marines ransacked certain businesses and stole seemingly precious goods, especially alcohol. Solomon knew Dora was having one hell of a time keeping his composure over the looting of his stock, but Solomon had promised to replenish his stock out of his own account if this event managed to come to play. His citizens cautiously milled about, seemingly going about their day as he had ordered though some eyed him suspiciously as he passed by them with the Lord Commander of the Federation in tow. However, a simple smile diffused any situation that may have arisen, letting everyone know that his plan was well underway.

    Amaranthe growled under his breath as he witnessed several of his supposedly ¡°elite hackers¡± fumble with the massive central computer within the Cathedral.

    ¡°What, pray tell, is the issue?¡± Amaranthe inquired with a sinister undertone.

    One of his men zapped himself as he tried to splice a set of wires before addressing the question, ¡°We¡¯re not sure Lord Commander¡­ every time we gain any sort of ground, the system seems to rewrite itself.¡±

    Solomon held his demeanor firmly in place as Amaranth huffed in annoyance, ¡°And what the hell does that mean?¡±

    The man who answered before sat up from underneath the console and sighed, avoiding eye contact with his superior, ¡°Its almost as if the system knows we¡¯re trying to break in. We checked for any kind of artificial intelligence however, we can¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary but as soon as we try to access anything more sensitive than the basics¡­ instead of changing the lock, its like it rebuilds the entire house!¡±

    Amaranthe glared at the back of Solomon¡¯s head, knowing full well the man was amused by their failed attempts to hack into their system. However, he did not need to hack into the Inquisition database. He knew Morrigan was on the hive world because she became an Inquisitor. She only had to be ordered to return then he could capture her once again and there was no longer the colonel to get in his way.

    ¡°Get your useless asses back to the ship before I have you executed, and you, do what must be done,¡± he stated forcefully as he shoved Solomon forward.

    As easily as Solomon could turn around and kill the Lord Commander, he knew that would not bode well for the Void Star. The old adage of removing the head from the serpent was a false ideology when it came to humanity. There was always someone new to take the place of the head. So instead, Solomon stepped around his computer and entered the command for deep space communication buried within the false prompt of dispersal.

    ¡°This is Lord Inquisitor Solomon, as is my authority, I am recalling all Inquisitorial ships to return to the Void Star. I repeat, all Inquisitors and their ships are to return to the Void Star and report to the Cathedral. God speed everyone, I await your arrival,¡± he stated simply and pushed the corresponding button to distribute the communication to the operators¡¯ stations. Without needing to be told, the array of operators continued to send the broadcast.

    Solomon smiled tightly and spread his arms, ¡°See? Simple,¡± he mused before relaxing as he watched his operators work.

    Amaranthe scrutinized the operation to try and find some sort of hidden message however, his general leaned closely and said, ¡°Sir, the message broadcast is authentic¡­ he really has recalled the rest of his forces¡­¡±

    Amaranthe sighed indignantly, unable to shake the feeling that the situation had been far too easy, but there was nothing immediate he could identify. He also could not lounge about as the rest of his fleet began their assault of the stars. Recently, they finished cutting off the CoU from the rest of their territory and aimed their sights on the rest of the Federation¡¯s enemies so he had a theater of war to conduct. As much as he wanted his prize, there was also no knowing when she would be delivered.

    ¡°Pick 30 ships and remain here. Do not let them out of your sights and monitor every transmission that leaves this place. I will send you further orders in the near future,¡± Amaranthe growled out, feeling defeated yet hopeful.

    His current second in command sputtered in protest but clammed up as Amaranthe¡¯s violent gaze fell on him. Normally he knew better than to question the Lord Commander.

    Solomon on the other hand, silently basket in the amusement of his ruse. His broadcast was authentic however, recently he had devised a plan and trained each of his operators to broadcast the message in a manner lost to the ages. Something anything short of an Artificial Intelligence could figure out and of course, every Inquisition ship had an A.I. on it. Soon, every ship free from entrapment would receive a secondary message broken up within the patterns of Morse Code, to be pieced together by the super computers built into their ship¡¯s mainframe. With a sly grin, Solomon found a seat and kicked back, enjoying the show of his enemies floundering even though they thought they won.

 Chapter XXVII

    Six moons spread across the night sky as Morrigan stepped out onto the balcony of the three-story home she was granted, along with Xitzocl and her retinue. After spending some time recounting the events of the delegation to Nora and Hi¡¯tet, Morrigan found herself in the throes of heated passion, Nora finding it too hard to resist after hearing of her lover¡¯s defiance against the clan chieftains.

    Despite being exhausted between arguing and a copious amount of much needed release, Morrigan still found it difficult to sleep. When not distracted by Nora, who worked herself into a coma, her brain fought to process and compartmentalize everything she had experienced since her arrival to Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To.

    Topping it off was her deeply buried worry about the Federation who had begun to make their move a lot sooner than she had expected. She found it annoying that Admiral Shepard never mentioned it to her especially since it was likely that Morrigan had also been the reason the Federation had grown bold, according to Xitzocl¡¯s intel.

    The war started before Morrigan was born, originally fighting against the Eskarii, only to be blind sided by the CoU. The Marmuro¡¯k mostly managed to keep themselves out of the war unless the Federation encroached on their space, leaving only a short amount of time where the Marmuro¡¯k joined in the war until the Terran territories truly divided and became the largest threat to the Federation. However, it was only a matter of time before the Inquisition would be requested to help the CoU and the Eskarii fend of the Federation.

    The last thing she heard was that the ground war had ended on Earth, the Federation focusing mainly on the CoU¡¯s vast armada to allow them the freedom to expand out, likely heading towards the Eskarii and Inquisition territory. It hurt her to think that such a wonderful species would soon be in the fight again especially when there were Eskarii so caring, such as Mo¡¯Emori.

    She longed for the confusing, bubbly, carefree alien woman and shuttered to even consider Mo¡¯Emori in a firefight, a place Morrigan wanted her no where near. She even worried about Torvil despite him being a seasoned warrior who excelled at espionage, she worried for the broody Eskarii¡¯s safety, knowing full well that he would not avoid fighting.

    This also brought her back to her main point. Morrigan stared at three moons that hung in the sky at various distances that set them apart, two blue-hued moons with a bright white moon far off in the distance, while three red moons eclipsed a vast majority of the night sky, each reflecting the dual suns¡¯ light and casting a bright glow over the landscape around her.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time till they make their way here too¡­ there is so much beauty here, and a unique, wonderful culture here even if the chieftains are a pain in the ass¡­ and the Federation will only seek to destroy it¡­¡± she thought to herself as a breeze blew past her, the tips of her bangs that escaped her long braid tickling her cheek as she leaned over the railing of the balcony.

    She expected Apollyon to say something however, the deity had been silent since the delegation ended, not even a groan from the heart felt situation of Izden recognizing Xol, Yekku and the ever-silent Hi¡¯tet as part of her own little clan, her own family.

    ¡°You okay in there?¡± she asked in her mind.

    Hmm? Yeah I¡¯m good just you know, trying to lobodomize myself to remove the memories of your sexy time with your lady hehehehe, Apollyon snickered in it¡¯s usual sarcastic manner.

    Morrigan snorted and hung her head as her cheeks heated up from mild embarrassment, figuring if Apollyon had the audacity to take a stab at Morrigan¡¯s sex life, the deity was doing well enough.

    ¡°What are your thoughts on the Marmuro¡¯k?¡± she asked to shift the topic.

    Kind of disappointed honestly.

    ¡°Disappointed?¡± she queried.

    Yeah, I mean, there is all these stories about how these creatures are warmongering folk yet here they are playing as civilized backwater savages¡­ kind of a let down if you ask me, Apollyon stated dejectedly.

    Morrigan shook her head at the lame excuse and thought back, ¡°You do remember I am supposed to fight some champion, right? Assuming this Ancient Lakai lets me.¡±

    Well yeah but what fun is one over grown lizard? I mean sure, Xol has some moves but even he is no match for you. Also, for a fight loving species, they were pretty eager to ignore your warning that war was coming, Apollyon grumbled.

    She pursed her lips and nodded, fully capable of being able to understand the deity¡¯s train of thought. She too was disappointed by their disinterest in listening which worried her about the safety of such a beautiful planet. Granted, the planet was also filled with extremely deadly wildlife and probably so much more however, she considered their arrogance to leave a huge gap in their survivability if the Federation came to Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To in full force.

    ¡°We need to put a stop to this war¡­ the Federation has spent decades stirring up a self-righteous intergalactic war and for what? Pride? All the while we lose some of the most wonderful allies and friends we could ever hope to make. That¡¯s why we will need their help¡­¡± she told herself.

    Apollyon scoffed at that, We could just go back to Earth and rain all hell upon it. That would solve the war real quick.

    Morrigan sighed and rubbed her face in annoyance, ¡°I get exterminating life is your thing Apollyon but I can¡¯t just wipe out billions of people because the Federation wants to reign supreme. There are so many people who don¡¯t agree with what they¡¯re doing, over half the planet let alone our other planets! The issue is the Federation military, not Earth.¡± She growled out internally, her irritation spiking at Apollyon¡¯s idea even if it was the deity¡¯s nature.

    So you think, but you said it yourself; why does no one stop it if they disagree? Why live their lives as if none of it were happening? Sometimes you have to sacrifice the few to save the many, girl.

    She huffed indignantly as her own words were thrown back at her. She didn¡¯t want to admit that Apollyon had a minor point however, before joining the Inquisition, she never had the chance to do anything about the Federation¡¯s atrocities. In fact, she had barely been getting her life on track before she stumbled upon Apollyon much less running from Colonel Sanders and Lieutenant Colonel Amaranthe. Every day citizens were held at gunpoint, figuratively and literally. Her blood began to boil at the flashing memories of the police and military, both killing innocent civilians in a show of power and dominance, that ran through her head.

    Footsteps to her right drew her attention and she shifted her focus away from the memories. She looked to see Xitzocl slowly approaching her from the connected balcony of her side of the large home.

    ¡°Trouble sleeping, Red Death?¡± The female K¨ºzi¡¯kan asked innocently as she stepped next to Morrigan.

    Morrigan¡¯s forehead fell to her wrists that sat on the stone railing as she sighed deeply, ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not going to continue calling me that!¡± she whined.

    Xitzocl hissed in an amused chuckle as she looked out over the railing to survey the western expanse beyond the city, the array of plant life and ranging mountains spreading out underneath the sea of majestic moonlight.

    ¡°I thought it was funny,¡± she snickered, ¡°however, it seems you do not rest well. Given the night before and the current night now.¡±

    Morrigan could not help but sigh again, not remembering the dreams she had the previous night, but able to recall how much Nora and Skoll worried for her. She supposed Xitzocl had a point, though she found restful sleep occasionally ever since Nora moved in with her back on the Void Star, but it was never consistent. She actually couldn¡¯t remember the last time she slept well for more than a day or two.

    ¡°There is too much to think about and worry about¡­ what am I going to do? The Federation won¡¯t stop, Xitzocl. When I told you we should become allies, it was not for the Inquisition¡¯s benefit or some secret agenda¡­¡±

    Xitzocl cast a curious look at her as she ranted.

    ¡°I genuinely worry what will happen to this beautiful planet if the Federation makes it¡¯s way here, along with such a unique way of life¡­¡± Morrigan stated emotionally as she unpacked her baggage upon the stoic clan leader.

    Morrigan watched as Xitzocl looked back into the distance in contemplation. ¡°It¡¯s funny, that a creature known for its softness finds my home beautiful, as dangerous as it is for someone unaccustomed to it,¡± Xitzocl stated humorlessly as if there was a deeper meaning to what she said.

    However, Morrigan still snorted in amusement, ¡°Yeah well, you have deadly cats and giant flying creatures and we have the Federation. I guess to be fair, I¡¯m not the typical human. Besides, you have a point that humans often take the path that¡¯s easier to endure, but there are many who would love a planet like this, a place that would offer them an exciting challenge every day.¡±

    Xitzocl hummed thoughtfully as she nodded before pointing off in the distance. Morrigan followed her finger towards a far distant speck of light near the peak of a looming mountain that stood taller than the rest in the cloudless sky.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Morrigan asked.

    Xitzocl¡¯s fangs revealed in an impassioned grin, ¡°That, is the dwelling of Lakai the Ancient. It is where you must go tomorrow and seek his wisdom, and his judgement.¡±

    Morrigan furrowed her brows as she looked back at Xitzocl, ¡°What can you tell me about him?¡±

    The female K¨ºzi¡¯kan leaned on the railing and watched the city below as a handful of Marmuro¡¯k milled about along with the vast number of guards who stalked the streets much closer to the home housing two humans and a creature of legend.

    ¡°He is the oldest of all the Marmuro¡¯k, his life stretching thousands of your Terran years,¡± Morrigan nearly choked on her tongue as she was told that.

    ¡°Just how long do you people live?!¡± she exclaimed in surprise.

    Xitzocl hissed with laughter and shrugged ¡°We do not know. Lakai is the oldest and strongest to ever survive. Through the many lifetimes he has lived, he has gained timeless wisdom, and gained the most reverent honor of all Marmuro¡¯k, even from those who fell to the allure of raiding with humans and long ears.¡±

    The way most Marmuro¡¯k spoke of the Eskarii held a distasteful note however, Xitzocl¡¯s tone spoke of an underlined respect for the third alien race, much like Morrigan herself.

    ¡°You don¡¯t hate the Eskarii, do you?¡± she inquired.

    Xitzocl shook her head and looked at Morrigan, ¡°Much like yours, the Marmuro¡¯k have misunderstood the Eskarii. Our latest ancestors gained much knowledge about technology during their hasty war with the Eskarii. The Marmuro¡¯k knew nothing of K¨º?ti, nor the usefulness of energy, but saw only an enemy in the shocking existence of an otherworldly race of creatures.¡±

    ¡°So, your ancestors jumped the gun so to speak and just happened to learn something by chance?¡± Morrigan put together.

    ¡°Something like that¡­ however, most Marmuro¡¯k are still biased, thinking ourselves the strongest. Yet, if the stories of Marmuro¡¯k raiders are to be believed about the Terran-Mars fight, someone much stronger exists, and she stands next to me,¡± Xitzocl stated respectfully with the slightest bow of her head.

    For once, Morrigan was not embarrassed about the stories told about her. It still hurt to think about how many people she killed that day, even if she was blinded by rage as the Federation killed her father by orbital bombarding Mars. Somehow, the light hearted respect Xitzocl showed her put her nerves at ease.

    ¡°I, I hope Lakai thinks so too¡­ I may be human, but I feel deeply connected to the Marmuro¡¯k, especially with Xol, Hi''tet and Yekku being part of my family...¡±

    ¡°Fear not, Lakai will see you for who you are Mori and all will honor his insight. If he deems you as much of a Marmuro¡¯k as you claim to be, none will disagree. His wisdom is otherworldly, and he sees all. Your soul will be bare before him and he will understand you more than you understand yourself,¡± Xitzocl stated reverently.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes widened at the implication, deeply curious and concerned at how much of Xitzocl¡¯s symbolic words were actually symbolic, and how much was mystic fact.

    Before Morrigan could raise the question, Xitzocl turned away and took a step back to her side of the house, casting a stoic glance over her shoulder, ¡°There is too much evidence to not claim you are Mirina Sor, Mori, she who sunders k¨º?ti and tamed the legendary B?r?sk¨º. Xol chose his new chieftain well, and Lakai will see that in you. Now I will leave you to rest, for you have an eventful day ahead of you.¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    As Xitzocl began walking away, a worrying thought occurred to Morrigan as she called out, ¡°Wait hold on, would it be acceptable to take Skoll with me tomorrow?¡± Morrigan asked nervously.

    Xitzocl turned with a curious tilt of her head, the moonlight reflecting off her short yet brightly colored crest as Morrigan continued with her concern, ¡°I know Xol can keep Nora in line¡­ she can be a handful and he¡¯s learned how to deal with her but¡­ Skoll seems deeply connected to me and my emotions so I¡¯m worried he might lash out if I¡¯m gone for too long and I know the people here see him as a wild and extremely deadly creature¡­ I don¡¯t want anything to happen to Skoll nor the people of Tikal,¡± she hammered out.

    Xitzocl snorted and faced away as she continued her walk saying, ¡°Of course, I believe Lakai would enjoy a visit from Skoll, seeing as he is also the only Marmuro¡¯k to fight the B?r?sk¨º and live,¡± she stated in amusement, knowing full well there was a shocked expression on Morrigan¡¯s face even if she did not see it.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Skoll whined as he and Morrigan caught the scent of a fresh morning kill in the air. She patted his dense shoulder as she rode on his back before looking back at the city where she left the rest of her family behind over a mile away.

    ¡°I know buddy, I smell it too. Maybe once we¡¯re done seeing Lakai we can go hunting or something?¡± she said before questioning her sanity for considering as hunt in the dangerous wilds of Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To.

    Skoll on the other hand, beamed with anticipation and profound excitement as he began trotting gracefully along the well worn path. That raised a question in her mind and hoped Skoll could answer, ¡°Do you know who Lakai is Skoll?¡±

    Skoll groaned before he belched and licked his chops. Morrigan smirked though she was unsure if that was an affirmation or him declining that he knew the ancient Marmuro¡¯k.

    ¡°I guess I shouldn''t expect everything to be seamless. At least he''s easier to communicate with than Yekku,¡± she mused to herself before watching a large flock of avian creatures burst from the distant jungle canopy. Morrigan could see two of those wyvern things in the distance too, watching them duck into the canopy to scoop up leaves off the tops of the trees.

    As she told Xitzocl, Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To was a planet of beauty and wonder, even if most of everything wanted to eat you. Though, she had to make it a goal again to visit Gelia, the historically gorgeous homework of the Eskarii. Perhaps she will even see her mother and her Aunt Jen when she visited, if she assumed they would still be there by then.

    The journey to and up the mountain was uneventful for the most part and Morrigan was surprised with how fast Skoll made the trip as the sun began to set. There was a close encounter with a pack of bipedal lizards with large hooked claws similar to ancient Velociraptors from Earth, only twice as tall as Skoll with brilliantly colored feathers of greens, oranges and reds. Thankfully, Skoll and Morrigan simply hid behind an outcropping as the creatures expertly darted down the mountain side and disappeared into the jungle, spotting different prey for them to hunt. As sure as she was that she could fight them off, she still did not want to go claw to claw with a pack of those creatures though she would have to remember to asked Xol or Xitzocl what they were.

    There were a few climbing points where Morrigan had to raise her electrified wolf up as they came close to the peak, though after the second time, Skoll seemed much more comfortable about her transparent crimson ability. Though she had no idea how old Skoll was, plus the fact he was the size of a horse respectively, she could not help but feel proud as if he were a puppy learning something new. She also learned that Skoll radiated pride more often than anything whether it be something he did or she happened to do, Skoll seemed almost simply proud of their bond and their existence within each other¡¯s lives.

    The peak of the mountain was a massive flat platform that held the entrance to a massive cave entrance that tunneled into the base of the spire-like tip of the mountain. If Morrigan had to guess, it was likely the home of one of those large tree skimming creatures but the giant, still burning brazier that sat in the center of the flat platform. Along with the brazier were over a dozen moisture collecting devices that hung around or sat on either side of the cave entrance, telling any who ventured that the cave was home to someone instead of something.

    Morrigan hopped off Skoll¡¯s back and stepped towards the edge of the peak. Tikal was barely a soft glowing smudge in the distance giving Morrigan an idea of just how far Skoll carried her.

    Skoll sniffed intensely all over the mountain peak with rapt interest before letting out an excited yip. Morrigan turned just in time to see Skoll dart into the dark entrance of the cave cackling his hyena-like laugh in playful excitement.

    ¡°Skoll!¡± she growled loudly before muttering to herself, ¡°Damned dog.¡± Morrigan dashed across the peak platform and entered the suggestive darkness of the cave however, after making her way 20 feet into the cave, torchlight began to light her way within the sharply winding tunnel.

    What caused Morrigan to slow were the various decorative, possibly historical paintings along each wall and even the ceiling of the cave tunnel. Though she could not make sense of the artwork¡¯s meaning, the vast variety of blocky and colorful depictions of various things still enraptured her attention. She could pick out certain things, such as the giant flying creatures called Kurmanan, the Iaktai, and dozens of other creatures she had yet to see. She also saw numerous depictions of the three Marmuro¡¯k subspecies and even picked out the symbols of each clan, some imagery depicting conflict, and some showing the concept of construction or progression as far as Morrigan could guess. The largest piece of art was a picture of what Morrigan could only surmise was the sacred city of Tikal, as she could identify the coliseum, as well as the tower used for delegations. With the yellowish gold background surrounding the city, Morrigan caught a sense of pride regarding the sacred land.

    The was a booming sound followed by Skoll¡¯s yips and barks that sent Morrigan¡¯s nerves on edge as her crimson claws and wings appeared on instinct. The fact she could feel that sound in her chest worried her as she rushed forward and used her wings to thrust herself even farther at a faster rate.

    What she did not expect, was to see the largest Marmuro¡¯k she could never have imagined crouching on massive tree trunk legs and rubbing Skoll¡¯s belly, her companion rubbing back and forth on the ground as he soaked up the attention.

    Morrigan¡¯s abrupt and spectacular entrance broke the awkward reunion as the giant Timse¡¯h stood to his full height of nearly 17 feet tall.

    So, this is Lakai the Ancient, huh? Apollyon mused in scrutinized assessment.

    Skoll looked at her with his tongue hanging over his face before rolling over and lifting his head to let out a short, excited howl. Morrigan let out a sharp breath of surprise before her surroundings registered in her senses.

    The interior chamber was cluttered in a wide array of decorations, from dried herbs and meat hanging from the ceiling to even more intricate wall art and stone shelves holding various useful items and utensils one might find in a hermit¡¯s cave. Sweet smelling flowers burned in various bowls around the room and a crude yet effectively made fire pit had steam rising from a large pan along with the familiar scent of a meat stew. The interior of the cave reminded Morrigan of imagery used in fantasy books to describe a sage¡¯s cave or something similar.

    Morrigan realized her claws and wings were still out as Lakai narrowed his alligator like gaze at her. Blushing, she dismissed the energy and took several steps forward towards the center of the room only to have Skoll sprint at her and barrel into her with hyperactive energy as he licked her face and chest repeatedly.

    ¡°Come on Skoll! Relax sweetie, we¡¯re being rude,¡± she stated as she pushed Skoll¡¯s massive frame down and rubbed his head. She shifted her attention to Lakai once Skoll settled down and sat like a proper good boy, ¡°I apologize for such a rude entrance into your home Lakai¡­ I am¡­¡±

    However, Lakai¡¯s deep, resonating, baritone voice interrupted her, ¡°I know who you are, Red Death,¡± his speech a touch slower than she was used to when it came to listening to other Timse¡¯h.

    Morrigan¡¯s eyes went wide with shock and panic, not only because each syllable Lakai spoke threatened to send her heart into cardiac arrest with the powerful reverberation the cave chamber caused, but also because he some how knew who she was.

    ¡°How?¡± she asked nervously as she mindlessly grabbed ahold of a tuft of Skoll¡¯s fur. Skoll on the other hand felt perfectly at home as his cold wet nose bumped into her cheek causing her to refocus.

    Lakai reached over and grabbed ahold of a branch as tall as he was, the gnarled wood twisting along its length and what appeared to be roots tangled around a immaculately carved spiked circle, designed in the crude symbolism of a sun.

    Lakai took a step forward and used the makeshift shaft to hold his weight as she looked down at his right leg to see deep scars and ruined hide-like flesh similar to a burn of the third degree.

    ¡°The trees and the wind whisper to me, of your arrival days ago. The great Red Death, and Master of the B?r?sk¨º, I see,¡± Lakai stated as he glanced between Skoll and Morrigan, his tone difficult to decipher as Morrigan shifted uncomfortably.

    Lakai came within ten feet of them before slowly lowering himself down to the ground and crossing his legs haphazardly, even sitting he still towered over Morrigan.

    Morrigan took advantage of the situation and sat down, mimicking Lakai by crossing her legs and dragging Skoll with her as she guided him to lie down and laying his head across her lap.

    ¡°Darkness comes for wisdom, yes?¡± Lakai thunderous rumbled. His question caused her to pause and cringe in horror as her memories of Nora¡¯s explanation of when she lost herself came to mind.

    Morrigan winced as she shook her head of the memory, ¡°Umm, not exactly¡­¡± she responded meekly. Morrigan knew she should be more confident in herself, especially seeing as Nora, Xol, Yekku, Hi¡¯tet and Xitzocl believed in her so much however, the weight of Lakai¡¯s gaze was undeniably imposing.

    Lakai hummed before setting the giant staff across his lap and reaching across towards her to scratch Skoll¡¯s hindquarters. Skoll made pleasant groans and emitted happiness as he closed his eyes.

    Somehow, the gesture seemed to calm Morrigan, seeing Skoll so peaceful around the massive Timse¡¯h.

    ¡°Then why come to Lakai?¡± He asked, speaking in a lower tone. Despite being a decibel or two lower, it still didn¡¯t keep her ribcage from vibrating each time she spoke.

    Morrigan sighed and stroked the length of Skoll¡¯s ear, ¡°I came for judgement. I seek to prove that I am Marmuro¡¯k and earn the ear of the clan chieftains because¡­ war is coming, and it is against an enemy no one species can fight against alone.¡±

    Lakai leaned back and hummed thoughtfully as he scrutinized her. Without another word, Lakai stood slowly using the staff to balance himself and shuffled along back to the fire pit. ¡°Come,¡± he requested.

    Morrigan did not argue though she was confused as to what was happening as show got up and followed.  To her surprise, Lakai had three bowls laid out along a shelf of three difference sizes, as he grabbed the largest of the bowls and scooped it into the giant pan. Morrigan watched curiously as Lakai filled the second smallest bowl before glancing at her,  ¡°You must take, much too small,¡± he stated causing her to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

    Keeping her thoughts to herself, she grabbed the bowl and scooped some of what appeared to be a kind of broth into her bowl from the second bowl, not wanted to lean over a fire to reach into the pan. Lakai grabbed a water skin from the wall and attached it to his side before grabbing the largest bowl and moving back to where they were sitting previously.

    Morrigan grabbed both bowls, using her energy to carry the larger bowl adeptly, and walked back. She deduced that the second large bowl was for Skoll so she set it down for him. It took no permission to keep Skoll from standing and lapping up the contents of the bowl greedily. Morrigan watched Lakai eye the bizarre creature, though what she saw in Lakai¡¯s gaze was not contempt, but admiration.

    ¡°Clan Chieftain Xitzocl of Clan Arak¡¯tarul mentioned you knew Skoll, that you both fought and survived, which is considered a legendary feat according to her¡­¡± Morrigan brought up as she tipped the bowl to her lips, seeing as Lakai did not appear to have utensils.

    Lakai tipped his head back with the bowl at the edge of his long and wide mouth and drained half of his bowl in a single gulp before humming in affirmation.

    ¡°Yes. The B?r?sk¨º is a strong fighter, enough to earn respect. It is good to see the young beast has found an equal,¡± Lakai mentioned thoughtfully, watching Skoll swish his twin tails back and forth happily.

    Morrigan did not understand what Lakai meant, but the sentiment behind his words were sweet and brought a small smile to her lips. Lakai huffed contently before focusing on her, ¡°Why do you believe you are Marmuro¡¯k?¡± he asked.

    His question caught her off guard as her mind reeled to decipher what he was truly asking. She considered the question, finding herself wondering the same thing.

    ¡°I am the strongest human than I know of, and Xol-Tau of Clan Tau bent his knee in fealty to me after a display of strength¡­ but¡­¡± she paused, uncertain of her own explanation and let out a small sigh as she set her bowl down. She reconsidered the question for a moment and continued, ¡°Ever since I was a child, I always dreamed of becoming friends with a Marmuro¡¯k. I always dreamed our two species would live in peace and benefit from one another, even as I got older, I continued to believe it was possible¡­ when I suffered my greatest pain, I earned the respect of three Marmuro¡¯k and took a fourth into my care until I was able to bring him home. Even though Qiote-Arak¡¯tarul decided to come home, he, along with Xol-Tau, Yekku-Kri¡¯ket and H?¡¯tet-Tau will always be mine in my heart, forever my family. Even coming to this planet only two days ago, I found its beauty amongst its many dangers and want to do everything I can to protect it as well as all the clans of Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To. Despite being seen as a lesser creature, I respect and honor the Marmuro¡¯k to the best of my ability and want nothing but prosperity for the Marmuro¡¯k¡­¡±

    Lakai listened intently to her reasoning. She knew he scrutinized every word she said and how she said them, she watched him scan her as if each syllable were written across her skin. With a single nod, Lakai made his decision.

    ¡°You are no Marmuro¡¯k,¡± he stated blatantly.

    Morrigan¡¯s soul ached at those words as she deflated, Skoll popping his head up and growling loudly at her sudden emotional pain.

    Lakai simply raised his massive hand towards Skoll, ¡°You are not human, either,¡± he added. This made Morrigan furrow her brows in confusion as she looked up at Lakai.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± she muttered as she sat up straight and cocked her head to the side in an attempt to process what Lakai was saying.

    ¡°You are neither, but much more. To say you are human or Marmuro¡¯k is a lie. Darkness, known as Red Death, takes the light of the sun to protect all from the fires of hate. Yes, not Marmuro¡¯k, not human, but darkness to cradle all in the comfort of tender and wrath,¡± Lakai explained cryptically.

    Morrigan was lost, unable to comprehend what Lakai was trying to say. Skoll on the other hand became super prideful, going from growling to nuzzling her and forcibly licking her face in pure happiness.

    Lakai hummed before finishing his bowl and moved to stand, ¡°Come,¡± he said before carefully stepping around her and Skoll, making his way towards the entrance to his cave. Morrigan quickly got up and followed behind the gargantuan Timse¡¯h with Skoll trailing close behind.

    Once outside, Lakai moved to the edge of the overhang and unleashed a titanic bellow that caused Morrigan to wince and clench her teeth painfully to fight off the deep resonating tone of Lakai¡¯s long bass filled shout. Her heart hammered in her ears that nearly drowned out the resonation of his voice that expanded across the world around them. With how much he resonated, Morrigan was sure the city of Tikal heard him.

    Once he finished, Lakai turned to Morrigan with a stern demeanor, letting her approach the edge of his home with him. He held her in regard as he turned towards Tikal with a gesture of his staff, ¡°The Trial of Fire awaits you, Morrigan Clarke of Clan Clarke. Always think, always feel, and shroud the hate in Marmuro¡¯k hearts and protect this world,¡± he said pointing closely at her forehead then to her chest as a fair well before limping back towards the cave.

    Morrigan was bewildered and could not help but blurt, ¡°How did you know my name?¡±

    Lakai hummed as he walked away, ¡°The wind tells no lies, Red Death. I see, I hear, what Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To wishes me to know.¡±

    Just like that, Lakai the Ancient left Morrigan stupefied and perplexed beyond reason, having far more questions added to her ever growing pile of concerns and mystery, some that would take a life time for her to figure out.

 Chapter XXVIII

    Morrigan was surrounded by hundreds of hissing Marmuro¡¯k as she stood in the center of the coliseum. The roar of their excitement was deafening as everyone cheered for the upcoming fight.

    Morrigan barely managed an hour of relaxation with her promise to Skoll that he could hunt on the outskirts of Tikal before Xol hunted her down. Apparently, the Marmuro¡¯k wasted no time preparing for the Trial of Fire as soon as they heard the judgement of Lakai. The trip was a seven-hour trek for her and Skoll, though she wondered why they expected her back so soon, aside from the fact that Xitzocl knew she could fly.

    Xitzocl tried to badger her with questions like a reptilian fan girl as Xol gave her a brief explanation of the Trial of Fire but Morrigan had to demand she waited till after the fight. It was after all, a fight to the death.

    Morrigan watched with morose curiosity at the gathered Marmuro¡¯k, curious if they were excited for her or excited for the impending bloodshed. Her thoughts were scattered as she heard the massive metal gate across from her grind as it rose to allow the entrance of her opponent.

    Who walked in was a 13-foot Timse¡¯h, nearly naked except for a loincloth brandishing the bold colors of Clan Tau, and wielding a ridiculously large crude stone battle hammer. Morrigan snorted, since she expected Clan Tau to send their biggest and strongest Marmuro¡¯k. She glanced to her right along the first row in the stands to find Azuhcu¡¯ach standing with a smug, tall fanged grin on his face.

    However, the three other chieftains next to Azuhcu¡¯ach got to their feet in stoic pride as the stadium went silent. She recognized them as Excel-Guai-Dji¡¯fahd, a Timse¡¯h, Comich-Furok, another Timse¡¯h, and Ude''ze-Ra¡¯kesh¡¯kato, the second K¨ºzi¡¯kan; all Clans of Fire, before the shouts of outrage started.

    Morrigan furrowed her brows as she looked back at her opponent to find three other contenders had joined the Timse¡¯h on the field, two K¨ºzi¡¯kan brandishing metal swords and shields, and a S¡¯randin carrying a large battle axe, all wearing the colors of the other three clans.

    The crowd went silent again which caught her attention before she heard, ¡°What is the meaning of this!?¡± a bold, hostile question coming from Xitzocl.

    Azuhcu¡¯ach''s grin was feral as he addressed the crowd, ¡°This human has made a mockery of our sacred tradition! Though Lakai the Ancient has granted this meager creature the right of the Trial of Fire, we, the chieftains of the warrior castes of Fire, do not agree. If this human wishes to prove herself Marmuro¡¯k, then she will face a champion from each Fire Clan! If she succeeds, we shall concede and give her the full honor a Marmuro¡¯k deserves!¡±

    Once again, the coliseum erupted into discordant shouting. What no one paid attention to was that the S¡¯randin made his move dashing across the gap between Morrigan and the four contenders and took a wild swing at her.

    Hey Mori! Apollyon tried to warn her however, Morrigan never took her attention off the four Marmuro¡¯k in the first place. She heard the S¡¯randin move across the dusty arena well before he got close enough to swing.

    ¡°Yep,¡± she said before reaching out and seizing the shaft of the battle axe as it arced towards the side of her head without looking. The S¡¯randin¡¯s hiss of surprise was met with the crowd¡¯s surprise as the S¡¯randin tried to yank the weapon back.

    The weapon did not budge though as her power enhanced strength kept her fingers locked around the weapon. A simple yet unjustified trick to attempt to blindside her was both dishonorable and insulting to the Marmuro¡¯kin the stands. The only thing the S¡¯randin of Clan Furok managed to do was piss her off.

    Morrigan looked down at the crudely designed sword she was given for the fight. To call it crude was a simple injustice, the weapon was not smooth and perfectly dimensioned like a power sword or even a sword from the ancient eras of Earth, it was heavy, jagged and built in the likeness of a crude, thin single edged saw blade; it was made to painfully shed blood and cause grievous wounds.

    Morrigan yanked on the axe handle as it¡¯s blade hung two inches from her face and pulled the S¡¯randin closer to her in a surge of strength that caught the reptilian humanoid off guard, more so when she plunged her own blade into his gut and wretched it higher into his ribcage.

    She eyed the chieftain of clan Furok who growled angrily as he watched Morrigan disembowel the S¡¯randin in the most painful way possible before she let her enemy fall to the ground dead.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do that, but I have no choice¡­ and I am sick and tired of all this prejudicial crap,¡± she murmured to herself in disgust and anger.

    Her memory flashed briefly as she recalled what Lakai had told her, to ¡®always think, always feel and to shroud the hate in Marmuro¡¯k hearts¡¯.

    ¡°But how do you shroud hate if not with love? Which I have shown since I was little¡­¡± she questioned the ancient Marmuro¡¯k¡¯s request.

    Oh, that¡¯s easy. By removing hope.

    Morrigan¡¯s face twisted in disbelieving and questioning surprise, ¡°What?¡±

    Hate breeds by the hope of one being right in their prejudice. Whether it be the hope of success, or the hope that their truth will come to light, hope is what drives all train of conscious opinion, Apollyon explained.

    ¡°Hope drives all train of conscious opinion¡­¡± she said aloud as she considered every conscious opinion she had as of late. Regardless of how small or large the opinion she had, if she broke it down to its core values, Morrigan found that hope was a main component.

    Whether it was her choice to hate the Warden, because she hoped he was as evil as a man she decided he was, or her love of Nora because she hoped the beautiful and eclectic woman would turn out to be as amazing as her beauty, even her conscious decision to trust Torvil years ago, because she hoped that his honor meant that she was not alone in her pursuits to escape. What ever she thought of, she found a string of hope.

    That begged the question, what did these chieftains hope for in their choice to hate her for what she is? She knew the answer; her death.

    Morrigan ground her teeth as her gaze swept over the four of them, raising the bloody sword to silence the now cheering crowd. As all fell silent, she called out, ¡°Your dishonorable challenge is accepted!¡±

    Her defiant nature grated the chieftain pride as the crowd erupted in approval as they began chanting the rather insulting word for human, ¡°M?nkee¡±, though they did not mean it in a negative way.

    Morrigan turned to her three remaining opponents and shifted her new battle axe into a comfortable grip. One of the K¨ºzi¡¯kan and the Timse¡¯h both stepped forward and readied themselves as they moved to flank her. The last K¨ºzi¡¯kan seemed intelligent enough to study her as his counterparts made their assault.

    The Timse¡¯h moved in with an overhead swing of the massive hammer only to have it diverted by Morrigan who spun to the right and brought the axe head into the head of the hammer in a savage swing.

    The K¨ºzi¡¯kan moved in with a similar move, his finely honed sword parried by Morrigan¡¯s free sword followed by a wrathful kick to the shield that pushed him back several feet. Morrigan shifted her grip on the shaft of the axe and made a long arcing swing and buried the axe head into the ground as the K¨ºzi¡¯kan jumped back in surprise.

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    Morrigan noticed right away though the Timse¡¯h were the strongest physically speaking, and possibly just as resilient, they were sluggish due to their hulking size and lacked the finesse to recover from an attack as fast as a K¨ºzi¡¯kan or S''randin.

    Though she could end the fight quickly using her claws, forearm blades or wings, she was determined to prove to the Marmuro¡¯k she did not have to rely on her most devastating aspects of her abilities to win.

    Morrigan rammed the length of her blade into the Timse¡¯h¡¯s forearm as it tried to wretch the hammer back. The blade render flesh and bone as it snagged and shredded tendons before she stepped onto the shaft of the axe and jumped high into the air, and brought her fist down atop of the alligator-like Marmuro¡¯k''s snout.

    The Timse¡¯h staggered back from the pain of his arm being rendered useless and the hammering blow to the tip of his mouth only to find Morrigan hefting his own massive weapon over her shoulder in a brilliant show of strength.

    To see such a small woman wield a weapon twice her size was both comical and enthralling as the Marmuro¡¯k in the surrounding stands went silent in anticipation and morbid curiosity.

    Morrigan¡¯s body crackled with crimson energy as she pushed her strength higher and swung towards the Timse¡¯h''s right leg.

    The resounding crack that buckled the Timse¡¯h leg caused the massive Marmuro¡¯k to bellow in pain as he dropped to his knee. Morrigan let the strike carry her through though as the incredible weight of the hammer head spun her around and let her drag the weapon in a powerfully wide arc and carry through to connect with his jaw in a near underhanded swing.

    Teeth and jawbone shattered as the Timse¡¯h was thrown onto his back and the hammer flew over Morrigan¡¯s head and completed its arc, luckily impacting the ground with a resonating thud into the soft dirt in front of the approaching K¨ºzi¡¯kan behind her.

    As the K¨ºzi¡¯kan leapt backwards again in a hiss of surprise, Morrigan dragged the hammer back to her shoulder and stepped closer to her downed victim. With a final display of power, she hefted the hammer in an overhead swing and shattered the ribcage of the Timse¡¯h, leaving the hammer sitting on his chest as she moved to where her sword was buried within its right arm.

    The crowd went wild with her second kill, ecstatic by her prowess and delighted in her surprising amount of strength. With a sickening tearing sound, she pulled the jagged toothed sword free from its meaty sheath and dragged the jagged blade across the Timse¡¯h¡¯s throat in a squelched release of life-force.

    Morrigan did not want to risk the chance of having not killed the Timse¡¯h with that final hammer blow and wielding the massive weapon was exhausting, so she made sure the problem was solved before it became a real problem.

    You¡¯re getting quite good at this little goddess, Apollyon snickered in dark delight.

    Morrigan only growled her frustration regarding her situation, having to murder Marmuro¡¯k to earn the right to be heard. She hated it, and each kill only pissed her off even more. Her gaze shifted back on the first K¨ºzi¡¯kan who attacked her, who seemed to be on the defensive now. She studied the field between her and the K¨ºzi¡¯kan, seeing the battle axe two feet in front of her opponent. With a plan in mind, she used her strengthened legs to dash across the gap.

    She slashed at the K¨ºzi¡¯kan as she met her mark, letting him block her blow with his shield before she kicked out at the shield and sent the K¨ºzi¡¯kan flying back.

    The warrior landed on his feet though and readied himself for her next dash though instead of dashing, she chucked her sword at him. The K¨ºzi¡¯kan¡¯s confidence was strengthened at its ability to remain standing and took a sharp swing at her flying blade and cut it from the air, letting it stick up in the ground to its side before raising its shield defensively again.

    That was her plan all along as she grabbed ahold the large axe and pried it from the ground. She could see concern in the warrior¡¯s eyes though his defiant demeanor never faltered as he watched her wield her newest weapon. She dashed forward again with the axe head trialing behind her in a hauled back swing. The K¨ºzi¡¯kan dodged and swung back at her as her weapon bit into the ground again.

    She blocked the blow with the throat of the shaft and counter swung in an upward diagonal direction. To her surprise, the K¨ºzi¡¯kan backhanded her weapon away with the shield and followed with his sword.

    Morrigan released her weapon and bent backwards in a panicked dodge before coming back with a left hook directly into the side of the K¨ºzi¡¯kan¡¯s face. As the K¨ºzi¡¯kan staggered, she jabbed with her right fist and pegged the warrior right in the snout. This time, Morrigan made a grab for the shield and delivered a sturdy kick straight to his chest and sent the warrior flying back nearly ten feet back onto his back all the while retaining his metal round shield.

    By the movements of the K¨ºzi¡¯kan as he stood, he was now pissed and approached her with reckless abandon as she equipped the shield properly. The warrior swung wildly in violent, determined slashes and stabs that Morrigan parried with the shield. The K¨ºzi¡¯kan kept enough pressure on her to keep her from taking another swing or kick at him however, any good warrior knew a shield could be just as deadly as any weapon.

    Morrigan patiently blocked and guided his strikes as she waited for him to fully loose his cool. With a savage roar, her moment came as the K¨ºzi¡¯kan swung widely. She took the opportunity to slam the edge of the shield into his wrist with bone cracking force, causing him to release his weapon with a painful yelp. With a mighty back hand with the shield, she sent the warrior tumbling back and leapt after him. Bringing the shield edge across his face and slamming his crest into the ground.

    Morrigan savaged the K¨ºzi¡¯kan using the shield as a blunt weapon, pounding it across his face and chest as he struggled to gain enough purchase to shove her away and stand again. Morrigan would not allow that though as she gripped the shield with both hands and slammed it down onto his throat.

    There was a disgusting crunch as his throat and windpipe collapsed under her blow, the second slam biting into the ruined muscle and biting halfway through his neck. His dying gurgle only fueled her anger as she slammed the shield down a final time, his head disconnecting from his body and tumbling a foot away, blood pouring profusely from his severed neck as she huffed indignantly.

    She was tired, having been on the road for 16 hours not including the time spent with Lakai required her to fuel her body with her innate energy. The fight required her to push even more energy through her body to keep herself standing but she was confident she was no where near her limit, not like last time.

    Nah, you¡¯re good. I¡¯m willing to bet you could keep this up for a solid 22 more hours before you put yourself in danger again, Apollyon mused.

    Morrigan sighed as she eyed the last K¨ºzi¡¯kan still standing in place, having not moved since the start of the fight. Though she had no reason not to believe Apollyon, her body¡¯s exhaustion told another story. Still, she had a fight to win and a set of chieftains to put in their place before she could even consider resting.

    She stood up from the corpse of her latest quarry and grabbed his fallen sword before moving to her own sword. She wished she could have used her own blade however, the Marmuro¡¯k knew it had a gun built-in thus deeming it a dishonorable weapon for the Trial of Fire, not that the Fire clans were being honorable in their end.

    With a twirl of both blades, she walked towards the final Marmuro¡¯k who spent the match studying her. The warrior raised his shield as she approached and readied his sword with utmost calmness, this warrior was a patient and calculated veteran as far as Morrigan could tell.

    Her aggressive lack of patience had her play the aggressor as she lashed out in a torrent of slashes. To her surprise, the K¨ºzi¡¯kan expertly blocked her attacks with calculated finesse, which did not ease her anger as the battle dragged out longer than she wanted.

    The warrior began prodding her defenses, making her parry, block and dodge as he used both tools at his disposal, as well as his meaty tail though it lacked any threatening length.

    A slash across her side and down her leg caused her to wince angrily as she kicked at the K¨ºzi¡¯kan¡¯s shield. She killed three of her opponents without managing any sort of damage but now, due to either the warrior¡¯s skill or simply her exhaustion, she appeared to be getting sloppy.

    To prove her point, the warrior barreled into her with his shield and shoved her back enough to afford a heavy downward slash at her. Except, she crossed her swords to catch the blade in a successful block.

    What she did not expect, was the rim of the shield to slam into her face in a sucker punch, the edge biting into her face and cutting a long gash across the right side of her cheek and jaw. She staggered back as her vision blurred for a moment before the reality of what happened cause her rage to soar. She could feel her own blood run down her face and neck before the wound began to close.

    The K¨ºzi¡¯kan did not notice her demeanor change as he stepped forward for a swipe of his blade only for a set of crimson claws to reach out in blinding speed, catching the blade in her bare hand with a vise like grip.

    Morrigan¡¯s body flooded with seething cold rage as she met the eyes of the struggling K¨ºzi¡¯kan, all the while the stolen sword she dropped thumped on the ground between them. His shock and worry were prevalent in his eyes as she shifted his arm away from her with her crimson grip.

    ¡°You are a warrior worthy of my true power, take solace that your death will not be in vain. I will protect Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To, and the rest of the Marmuro¡¯k,¡± she stated coldly in his language, making sure he understood before she squeezed her hand and shattered the blade.

    In profound surprise, the warrior tried to raise his shield only to have it knocked aside by the pommel of her sword as she hauled back and rammed the jagged sword into his stomach, aiming underneath his sternum and aiming directly for his heart.

    She watched the life drain from his eyes as the vicious weapon shredded his most vital organ before he dropped away from her and the crowd erupted in raucous cheers.

 Epilogue

    Morrigan watched as the hope fled from each chieftain who were determined to prove that a human could not have the heart and soul of a Marmuro¡¯k by fixing a fight they believed she could not win. Now, each was down a warrior and she earned the respect of the citizens of Tikal, soon all of Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To when word spread.

    She noticed Nora, Hi¡¯tet, Xitzocl and Xol jump down into the field to greet Morrigan above all the chaos of the coliseum but Skoll beat everyone to her in a storm of radiant pride and love as he let out a powerful howl as he closed the space between them.

    Skoll gave long winded husky growls with playful hops and stamps of his feet while his tails swung violently in pure joy when he greeted his bond. As tired and sore as she was, she couldn¡¯t help but smile at the rambunctious mutt talking her up and showering her with amplified affection.

    She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him in a tight hug which he grumbled and hummed pleasantly before sneezing. He yanked out of her grasp to reveal his coat stained with partially dried Marmuro¡¯k blood before he sneezed again. Morrigan looked down her chest and legs to see she was covered in blood and gave him a half serious smile, ¡°Sorry buddy,¡± she mused.

    Skoll did not seem to care as he sat like a good boy while the rest of the group joined her, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth as his twin tails kicked up dust from the ground, perfectly content.

    Nora immediately grabbed Morrigan¡¯s blood-stained face and kissed her with heated passion, uncaring that her lips were coated in her blood before pulling back and saying, ¡°That was¡­ I have no words, but my underwear has the right words in them.¡±

    Morrigan snorted with a smile and rolled her eyes before pulling her overly perverted lover into her arms, far too tired to be embarrassed. Nora¡¯s warmth was soothing and evened out her frayed emotions as her anger seeped away. If she could fall asleep right there, she would be the happiest woman on the planet.

    ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± she murmured into Nora¡¯s neck and felt Nora¡¯s sexually energized body suddenly relax. Nora held her softly as one of her hands gently rubbed her back soothingly.

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    ¡°That¡¯s okay love, sexy time can wait. I¡¯ll make you food and we can go snuggle up till you fall asleep,¡± Nora offered in the sweetest and most understanding tone that made Morrigan¡¯s heart melt. Morrigan¡¯s grip tightened slightly before she noticed Xol, Hi¡¯tet and Xitzocl waiting patiently, Xol surprisingly resting his hand on Skoll¡¯s head who panted with anxious excitement.

    Morrigan released Nora but clasped her hand as she gave Xol, Hi¡¯tet and Xitzocl her attention. Xol stepped forward first and clasped her on the shoulder before kneeling in front of her. However, Xol did not bow like he normally did, and the coliseum went silent once again as they watched the legendary warrior kneel before Morrigan, but instead, he met her eyes.

    ¡°You have done well Red Death. Despite the dishonor my old clan displayed, you met the challenge without question. I am proud to follow you as both Red Death and Chieftain Morrigan Clarke of Clan Clarke,¡± he told her in a sincere tone, well, what passed as sincere in his gravelly voice.

    Morrigan fought back tears as she laid her hand on his and nodded stoically, too tired and emotional to formulate a respectful response as she spaced out. She may have considered herself a chieftain for Yekku¡¯s sake, but now she was officially named chieftain of her own clan, a family of bond instead of blood.

    Nora squeezed her hand sweetly with joy which broke her focus, allowing Morrigan to see Xol and Hi¡¯tet, with Yekku having appeared from thin air, all standing with their heads bowed respectfully and their fists over their chests in an honorable salute.

    Morrigan returned the gesture with a soft thump against her chest and an emotional smile on her face before everyone relaxed and turned towards Xitzocl who waited patiently.

    The Chieftain of Clan Arak¡¯tarul stepped forward with a respectful nod, ¡°A strange time, when Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To gains a new clan, but a time to be revered and celebrated. We are proud of you Mori and you now have the respect and honor of all Marmuro¡¯k on Tik¡¯Ta¡­¡±

    Morrigan, Nora and Xol all shifted their focus sharply to the comm beads in their ears. Xol hissed angrily at the chatter as Nora gasped and tightened her grip on Morrigan¡¯s hand. Morrigan though, ground her teeth and looked directly into Xitzocl¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I need a ship, and your craziest pilot,¡± Morrigan demanded.

    Xitzocl flicked her tongue in confusion by the sudden shift from a joyous occasion to such deadly seriousness, ¡°What is going on?¡±

    Morrigan growled as she looked towards the sky, her gaze filled with hate and rage as if trying to find something beyond the clouds, ¡°It¡¯s the Federation¡­ they¡¯re here.¡±

    They made their move and managed to slip into Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To space. What they did not know was the one who would bring them to ruin was standing below on the planet¡¯s surface. She who would bring them their reckoning and protect Tik¡¯Taq¡¯To, and all the Marmuro¡¯k who inhabited it.