Kaden couldn't believe what had happened. Alister had just been completely stripped of his position as leader of the Lombaxes, and instead it had been offered to him. And he had denied it. He looked at Alister and the two friends could only blink, surprised by all that had taken place in the past few moments. How could Kaden have denied such a position of respect and honour? One that he had wanted so badly. Even after Alister had obtained it, Kaden had still dreamed of becoming Elder Councilman, praying for the day Alister's duties as a high ranking military general would force him to retire the title. How could he be so quick to let it go?

Was it really because of some noble idea that he would never betray his friend in such a way? Partially. No matter how distraught Kaden was, watching Alister being stripped of everything he had lived for had hurt Kaden like a stab in the back. Imagining how Alister must have felt was horrifying. To have all of his life's achievements taken away in one fell swoop. And for them to be offered to his best friend, right in front of his face. It was obvious that the rest of the Council had intended to insult and hurt him. From the look on Alister's face as he had gazed up at Kaden, wondering what his friend would decide, he had looked almost traumatized.

Thankfully Kaden hadn't even been the slightest bit tempted to take his friend's old position on the Council. He hadn't even bothered to consider the possibilities of going to the other dimension, to be the Elder Councilman, to get a second chance. He refused it all in an instant. Why?

Revenge.

That was what was planting Kaden's feet securely in this dimension, rather than allowing him to join the others. He wanted to watch Tachyon die, or watch him crumble or anything. Anything to make up for what had happened to his wife. He used to once consider the creature innocent. When he was a child. He had watched the Cragmite grow with high hopes for him, sure he could be proof that the Cragmites weren't inherently evil and he could possibly even become an ambassador to them or other races in the future. But as Kaden witnessed the Cragmite mature he had seen how the creature slowly made the transition from naive to plotting. Kaden had seen evil intentions in his eyes. That day when he had approached the Council Kaden had seen a mad desperation and he'd known that trusting Percival Tachyon alone with their schematics was a mistake. However, he couldn't deny that there was an opportunity there. They could use the Cragmite's mind to good use, so long as he was supervised. He'd still had hope for him, even if he couldn't be trusted.

But now. Now knowing, seeing, experiencing what he was capable of, Kaden would willingly tear that little Cragmite's throat out. He didn't care if he would die in the process. He wanted to hurt him somehow. He would do anything, if he even just managed one hit, if he managed one painfully insulting taunt, managed to foil one plot. Any of these and more would satisfy Kaden, as long as he succeeded in doing something to harm the little Cragmite physically or mentally.

Kaden's thoughts tumbled into rage, revenge and anger. He thought of his wife, of his displaced people, of his damaged home and he fell further and further into his thoughts. They became gruesome, almost sadistic as Kaden imagined how he would approach the Cragmite. How he would confront him, degrade him for his crimes, guilt him for what he had done to the people who had cared for and raised him. He would find the strength to topple the Cragmite's throne, watch him fall and then kick him, beat him and bruise him until there was nothing left but a once proud villain drowning in his own blood. Even more brutal deaths appeared in his mind and Kaden smiled sadistically at the thoughts. Until crying suddenly startled him.

His thoughts were all shoved aside as he held his son up, staring into the baby's eyes. He couldn't think like this, not with his son around. The boy needed him more than he needed his revenge. As long as his son was dependent on him he could never do anything reckless that would endanger him and his child. He wouldn't allow it, no matter how desperately he may have wanted Tachyon dead.

The boy seemed to sense the care returning into his father's thoughts. He stopped crying and reached out towards Kaden. The Lombax pressed his son against him, letting him rest his head on his father's shoulder. Letting him know his father was there to protect him.

"Kaden." Alister picked up the Dimensionator and walked over to his friend. He cradled the device carefully, protecting the last connection to the Lombaxes in the other dimension. "What do we do now?"

Kaden stared from the boy in his arms to the Dimensionator in his friend's. What did Tachyon want more than anything? To destroy the Lombaxes and bring back the Cragmites. How wouldn't he be able to destroy the Lombaxes? By preventing Tachyon from reaching their dimension. How could he prevent the Cragmites from coming back? By hiding the Dimensionator.

Kaden knew that even if he failed in a fight against the Cragmite then at least he could stop him from succeeding in his plans. He shuffled his son into one arm and gestured for Alister to pass the Dimensionator.

Alister looked lost, like he clearly needed someone to guide him, knowing he had made too big of a mistake when he was in charge. At Kaden's signal he remembered when they were younger and how he used to follow the other Lombax's instructions with minimal questions. Alister immediately gave him the device without a second thought. Kaden balanced the Dimensionator carefully, making sure not to lose his grip on his son. Then he started walking out of the Court. "Kaden, what are you doing?" the sand coloured Lombax asked of his friend, tailing him as he made his way out of the citadel.

"Leaving," he answered.

"What?!" Alister's astonishment came out as a squawk. He hadn't been prepared for Kaden's short, to the point answer. He must have been expecting an explanation. And when he didn't get it he asked, "Why?"

"I'm hiding the Dimensionator and my son. I'm not going to let that Cragmite get his hands on either." Kaden moved outside the Court, searching for one of the fighter ships that was supposed to be repaired by the technicians that week. He selected one that had a few minor problems, but Kaden could fix them with ease. It would be simpler than trying to fix one of the wrecked ones that had been totaled during the fight with Tachyon and his Drophyds. He opened the cockpit to the ship and carefully placed the Dimensionator and his son inside. As he jumped off the nose of the ship he left the cockpit open, in case the boy needed him.

"Why hide your son? Are you going to leave him on his own?"

"You think I'm that irresponsible?" Kaden asked, insulted. Leaving his son alone was the last thing he would do, especially if there was a chance the boy would be persecuted against. But he needed to find someone to take care of him. He couldn't fight Tachyon if his son was dependent on him. The risk of his death was much too great. He would make sure that his son was safe and secure, somewhere as far from Tachyon's reach as possible.

"But you are going to leave him aren't you? Then what'll you do?"

"That's for me to decide Alister," Kaden couldn't tell his friend his true intentions. He would try and stop him, use his son as a reason why he shouldn't try to fight Tachyon. But he had to. He needed to at least try to fight. Otherwise he'd live the rest of his life wondering if he could defeat the Cragmite, wondering if he could have avenged his innocent wife.

"I know you Kaden. And I'm going to say this. He has a giant mech that is more advanced than any piece of completed Lombax technology along with an army of loyal Drophyd followers. You have a wrench." Alister pointed to the wrench in question, which Kaden had pulled out to begin working on the ship. "You won't accomplish anything by dying."

"No one will know where the Dimensionator is," Kaden pointed out as he opened the hatch of the space ship and took a look at the engine, checking what needed repairs.

"And your son?"

"He definitely won't find my son," Kaden assured.

"Kaden, please don't do this. You're the last thing I have here. I don't want anything to happen to you. If you died…" Alister paused, unable to voice the potential repercussions of his friend's death. "Kaden, please." It was a sad sight to watch Alister beg. He was normally so proud. He wouldn't bow down to anyone. Not even the Cragmites during the Great War when the general had just been a lowly corporal in the Praetorian Guard. Now hearing him beg, hearing him so desperate to keep Kaden at his side, it hurt the yellow-furred Lombax.

Kaden stroked his own cheek gently, running his finger along the stripes of orange that marked it. It was a nervous reaction, one he was resorting to now as he struggled to respond. He didn't know what to say to his friend. So instead he sighed and chose to ignore him so he could return to working on the ship. He had no words to assure his friend since he had no intention of abandoning his plans to attack Tachyon. Alister may have needed him alive but he couldn't be. Not while Tachyon was still around, wreaking havoc.

"Do you want to come with me Alister?" Kaden asked in an attempt to appease his friend. "I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Alister let his gaze run over the ship, up to Kaden and into the contents sitting in the cockpit as he thought carefully before he made his decision. Kaden didn't admit it aloud but he could see fear in Alister's gaze. Knowing Tachyon was out there, probably scouring the galaxy for Lombaxes who were living off planet in order to kill them, he may have thought his best chance for survival was to wait on the planet whose Lombax population had been nearly eradicated by the Cragmite. "No, I think I'll stay here." Alister looked away to the destroyed city. "Even if the rest of the Council doesn't want me to think it, this is still my city and I do need to take care of it."

"Or are you afraid to leave?" Kaden challenged. For all of Alister's pretentious talk Kaden knew his friend just wanted to be in a comfort zone. And anywhere else in the galaxy mustn't have felt very comforting for Alister, knowing that Tachyon could be there, conquering planets with the Lombax technology that he had handed over to the Cragmite.

"So what if I am?" Alister asked, flustered. "I want something stable, is that so much to ask for?"

"Sadly, yes," Kaden answered as he slammed down the hatch to the engine, having finished the repairs. "We all want a lot of things right now Alister. I don't think that Tachyon's in a very charitable mood." He hopped into the cockpit and turned on the ship. The sound of the engine humming announced that Kaden had succeeded and managed to repair the ship. He donned a sympathetic smile as he tried to cheer his friend up again, "You sure you don't want to come with me? I could use your company," Kaden offered, the final chance for his friend to take the opportunity. On the one hand he wanted his friend with him, for them to have adventures like they used to. On the other he didn't want Alister there to keep prying at him to try and get him to abandon his outlandish idea for revenge.

"No, I'm sure." But Alister didn't look so certain as he locked eyes with his friend. In fact he looked downright conflicted. "Oh, and Kaden?"

"What?"

"Just remember, even if you do kill him, it still won't bring her back." Alister left those as his last words as the cockpit closed up and Kaden prepared the ship to take off.

Of course it wouldn't bring his wife back. That wasn't why Kaden wanted the Cragmite dead. It was for his crimes. For what he had done to his people, to his home. He wanted revenge, but it wasn't just for what he had lost, it was for what every Lombax had lost. It wasn't just for himself.

Was it?