Donatello hated revealing more knowledge than he wanted to, but the threat of encroaching spies forced his hand. He was relieved the Major hadn't followed through on the promise to lock them up, but the man wasn't going to let him off the hook either. He'd been sitting across the table from Stewart for several minutes, ignoring one question after another.

"You went to all the trouble to fool with the program, but you're not willing to admit how you know anything about it?"

It was the fifth variation of the same question Don had heard, and he wasn't any closer to talking.

"I can only assume Director Kelley is your inside source. There doesn't seem to be another explanation."

That got the turtle's attention. "No. You're wrong, Major. We've made it clear: you don't know what you're getting into with us. My understanding of ServSafe doesn't originate with Director Kelley."

"Then where does it come from? What do you know about Jewel Line?"

"I know they didn't invent the software."

His answer only seemed to irritate the man more. "Who ARE you? Really?"

Don contemplated the question a few seconds. "I'm no one, Major. I'm not supposed to exist – none of us are. What you're doing here complicates that, and makes it extremely risky for me to give you information."

"You're not nobody. This is the second time you've intersected with my investigation, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't happen again!"

"That's why no one's eager to talk to you, Major."

"This isn't a joke to me." He fumed. "You're becoming a greater threat with every passing hour. The more I learn about you, the less I like."

"You don't like the fact that I prevented alien technology from shutting you down repeatedly, and delving deeper into where our signal was coming from? Because despite the terrain, they would have eventually picked up our life-readings too. In all likelihood, they haven't given up searching the area."

"What I don't like is not knowing how you did it!"

"Get used to it, Major. I'm not any closer to opening up than before."

"All right then. What's it going to take?"

Don was almost too stunned to speak. "Are you...offering to negotiate with me?"

"It depends on the demand."

"I want my family to go free."

"That's not going to happen."

"Ever?"

"I can't give you assurance on that point."

"And I can't give you any intel. Too bad for both of us."

The Major rubbed his temples. "Something else. C'mon, let's hear it."

"We need to leave. It's true that ServSafe was successful in deflecting their drones, but the only reason it's working is because they haven't detected it. There hasn't been a technology created on Earth which can compete with Vagari. So, if in the process of their searching they come in contact with our chemical signatures, they're going to find us, regardless. You don't have a tool in your arsenal which can stop them."

"You don't know everything."

"I know they've been doing this for a long time. That their 'information age' is light years ahead of ours...and they have no qualms in killing everyone on the planet."

"Have you met Vagari?"

"No, not personally."

"What about Elohim then?"

"You want to get something out of us, Major? You have to give something first. We need to leave before they're at our doorstep. By then, it'll be too late."

"How would you propose we escape? If they're out there searching, their drones would have access to us the moment we emerge."

"It depends. How hard would it be to repurpose some of the windows in this place?"

"Windows?"

Donatello felt like rolling his eyes. "Don't act like you can't figure out what I'm inferring."

"That could be tricky. It also might not work."

"But you're obviously aware that while glass allows visible light to pass through, it mostly blocks infrared heat waves." Don leaned slightly across the table. "If you have another suggestion, please share it. What do you say, Major?"

"You want us to just roll up out of here with nothing by a fragile sheet of breakable material to protect you from what is undoubtedly the greatest threat known to mankind? Sure. Why wouldn't I be down for that?"

"Do you have another idea?"

"I'll confer with my people. We did manage to learn a few things in the course of our training."

Donatello shrugged. "Hey, I'm not pretending to be smarter than anyone. If your guys come up with something better, more power to them. In the meantime though, could you break up this little chat? Because we're not getting anywhere. I'm kind of tired, but I have a feeling you need sleep more than I do."

"Yet you're not pretending to be smarter than anyone."

"Still not holding to that claim. But if your facial tic is any indication, your migraine isn't going away by itself. You should consider resting."

The peculiar shade the man's cheeks turned was a new development. "I can't even..." Stewart was at a loss for words, then motioned to someone standing near the door. "Take him. Just get him out of here."

Don smiled grimly while rising. "Better confer with your experts soon, Major, because I'm sure time is running out. Let us know what you decide, and consider taking care of yourself too. No one else can do it for you."

Stewart waved off the soldier who was nearly gripping Don's arm. "Stand down, Opfer." He glared at Donatello. "I don't need advice from some...some..."

"Some what? You don't have a clue who I am, yet you still refuse to believe I have anything to offer."

"If you chose to give me more than a few crumbs, I wouldn't have to question everything!"

"Not likely, at least based on what I've already discerned about you."

"So you presume to think you know me?"

"You'll have to forgive me, Major, but I have pre-existing knowledge to draw from."

"By that, I assume you're referring to Jasmine."

"Technically, yes, sir."

"You don't think any of the information could have been tainted in her favor?"

"You know what, Major? Jazz isn't perfect. She's never pretended to be. Right from the beginning, she owned up to the role she played with Daystar. Regardless of what you think, my brothers and I are good judges of character. It's part of the reason we accepted her so quickly, and also why we never harmed any of your men, despite the danger you pose to us.

"Because while you get your kicks from threatening our continued existence, and your guys are far too cocky for their own good, you're not evil. We learned to tell the difference a long time ago."

"Whatever you think you know about my daughter, the picture is incomplete."

"So is your picture of her. You haven't had anything to do with Jazz in decades. You don't know her husband, children, or what she's been doing with herself. While you're struggling to come to terms with what to do with us, you're throwing several more lives besides ours into upheaval. The sooner you make up your mind, the better off everyone will be."

"It's not that simple."

"It could be, but I understand how hard it is to give strangers the benefit of the doubt when you couldn't believe your own daughter."

"You have no right to comment on her!"

"You have no right to hold on to our people, but you are."

"You aren't her family."

"Maybe not, Major, but we act like one. At the end of the day, there's nothing we wouldn't do for each other. By my definition, that constitutes a family. I'm sure you've experienced similar feelings for your men. If someone tried to hurt them, how would you react?"

"I wouldn't let you have another chance."

"That wasn't a threat, Major. In case you haven't noticed, we value all life. Probably more than you do, when it concerns those outside your circle."

"I have to focus on the big picture. I have to be concerned about everyone!"

"And you honestly believe we're putting them in danger?"

"You're connected to the danger."

"Not by choice," the turtle countered. "We didn't ask for any of this. Never went looking for aliens. We are very much unwilling participants, in the same way we are here."

"Why? What do they want from you?"

"There is nothing you could do to make me answer that question. Please don't ask it again."

"Are you that important?"

"We're done here," Don stated firmly. "If you can make up your mind about anything, let us know. Hopefully it'll happen before the bad guys destroy the world."


Vaga-Arzhan was disappointed in the time it'd taken to deliver the news he'd waited for, and somewhat less than pleased with the results. "Josaad, I must say, I'm starting to lose confidence in you.

"Vaga, we reacted as swiftly as we could. We created the right element to slow them down, but then-"

"Then what, Chakor?"

"I can't account for what happened," he admitted. "Our technicians are studying the atmospheric conditions and the core of the disperser, but they haven't detected any anomaly or glitch to attribute to the storm's collapse. It doesn't appear the machine malfunctioned."

"Would you willingly tell me if it had, Chakor?"

"Vaga, I would not lie to you, not even from a distance."

Which is the reason I made you leader in Muhsin's absence, Arzhan inwardly fumed. But that doesn't mean I can tolerate any form of ineptness, especially when it comes to high level targets of this nature.

"Do you have any leads on them, Josaad?"

"We believe their group united with the military presence who has been stalking Lendano."

"Are they actually working together?"

"The drone footage suggests that their meeting wasn't entirely...peaceful. But it didn't come to a real fight."

"Who is it that stands in control?"

"The legendaries appear to take commands from the humans."

"Tell me you are already tracking them, Josaad. Give me some reassurance please. "

"We don't know which direction they went after the storm imploded. We released four issues of drones today to comb the countryside. It's quite likely they will turn up again on their own. The group is sizable, and their vehicles distinctive."

"I want them found, Chakor. Do you understand? My patience is thin. If you aren't able to perform this task, I would rather you withdraw now."

"I am able, Vaga-Arzhan. We will find them."

"Alive, Josaad. Don't bring them to me worthless."

"I wouldn't betray your trust."

"See that you don't. Make this happen, Chakor. I have room for another Kumne at my side, but not a failure of a Josaad."

"Understood, Vaga. Happy landing."

"Bring me better news, Chakor. I will be waiting to hear from you."

Arzhan flicked the switch to end the transmission, and rose to walk up behind one of the seven Quoh who was currently at the helm of the ship. "Umrao, how is the atmosphere?"

"It appears much smoother than the Doctor described, Vaga, but that was from several years ago. The planet is not what I expected from his report."

Arzhan wasn't surprised about the state of Zuhur, but chose to remain impassive. The research which had been carried out prior to the first three waves of Bek arriving on the scene gave the Vaga a good idea of what they were getting into. He hadn't expected what his Kumne Ojasin discovered upon initial review of Zuhur, but it explained the lack of follow-through from his old friend.

I knew Yasir could be dead – I expected it even. But a complete overhaul of the Elohim's caste? I wouldn't have believed such a thing was possible from within their own people, especially the ones who call themselves "reclaimed". Something very odd happened here, and I mean to learn about every aspect.

He openly admired the golden disc, noting the existence of large bodies of water which were exempt from Yasir's detailed notes. But then, I sense there are many things the Doctor didn't share. Such as his true motivation for reestablishing contact.

Arzhan claimed the over-sized chair in the center of the control deck which was reserved for his use, and settled into contemplation as the ship descended over Zuhur. That the fragility of the Elohim could be so badly exposed by these legendaries is both odd and daunting. Were it not for the dunamis gene, I couldn't allow them to live for another moment. But then again, were it not for the gene, I wouldn't have come here.

Arzhan had no knowledge of what ended up being Yasir's final transmission until seven years after the message itself had been lost inside of the large network of communications; the hub for all twelve star systems they currently occupied. By the time the transmission was stumbled upon, it took a couple more years to unlock the file from heavy encryption.

The Vaga activated the crystalline screen to his right, recalling the cryptic transcript of Yasir's message.

"...I would like to now reaffirm the trust I placed in your father many years ago, and as such, share with you the most valuable find of our time. Were I to tell you where it came from, you probably would not believe me.

I never expected to relinquish this discovery to another so easily, but events of these last few days have warned me against keeping my knowledge so close. There is a minor threat at hand, one which ought to be dispatched with a little more time.

But as my life and research have already been in serious peril, I find it necessary to protect my discoveries the only way I know how. The dunamis gene is not a myth, nor an impossible dream, as some have claimed. Those were small-minded individuals, with even punier courage. I tell you, I have seen the gene successfully implanted and reproduced, all within the last couple of months.

After many attempts to design a hybrid capable of both carrying and perpetuating the gene, I found the answer in the most unlikely and legendary of creatures. I have discovered none others like them in all of my study. It would seem Nature itself has rewarded my patience with the perfect specimen.

My seeds are planted, and I can hardly wait to see them come forth. With perfection soon at hand, I urge you to again consider aligning with the Overlords. We are mighty, but together, we were always stronger. As a race fractured we may yet endure, but united we would do much more than exist. We can be the ultimate power, harness unbreakable genes, and create a dynasty which will never have an equal.

I promise to serve you, and you alone, Vaga-Arzhan. I will share with you everything I have learned and implemented. You have only to show your face, and I swear it will be yours. Altus Abeiron no longer seeks transcendence, but only for every heart to worship him. I find myself seeking a goal which much more closely aligns with yours..."

Arzhan tapped the screen to close the transcript, and gave the planet they were approaching one last glance before getting up again on sudden impulse. He'd spent a good portion of their trip observing their terrapin captives, but hadn't spoken with them at length since before taking off. Now is a fitting time to pay them another visit, and discern their state of mind before we arrive.
He used a transporter to descend to the lower deck, and was greeted by a surprised Safyni on the other side.

"Vaga, I didn't expect you. Aren't we on our final descent?"

"Yes, Varij. You may strap yourself in for landing, but I wish to speak to the terrapins before we get there."

His Safyni made a signal of deference and stepped aside to let him through. Arzhan didn't see any others on his trek down the hall; it was common procedure to be seated during landing.

He let himself into the room the aliens had been sharing, and entered to find a pair of apprehensive brown eyes already fixed on the door, like the blue-masked terrapin expected him to come. It wouldn't surprise me if he did. I had my doubts of the usefulness they would present, but this one has certainly succeeded in peaking my curiosity.

"Greetings, terrapin."

The youth said nothing right away, but sent a rapid glance to his companion. "She's finally asleep," he pleaded softly. "Please don't bother Charlotte now."

"I will be satisfied to speak with you."

The terrapin's nerves were on display, but he managed to back them up with a scowl. "Your people really hurt her."

"I'm aware of that, and corrections were implemented. Would you like to hear how the offending Banr died?"

"I...no! Just don't do it again."

"You don't honestly expect me to take orders from you, do you?" Arzhan crossed the room to stand at the alien's side.

The youth struggled to sit up at his approach, and fiddled with the tightly fitted band around his forearm.

"Don't tax yourself on my account." The Vaga smiled disarmingly. "You have recovering of your own to do, but I'm greatly encouraged by your gene activity."

The anger in his brown eyes only deepened.

"I'm aware you don't appreciate becoming an important stepping stone in our history, terrapin. But you have no idea how special the dunamis gene is."

"I think my cousin would, since she's lived with it her entire life."

Arzhan shook his head. "No, young one. I guarantee there are things none of you know, including its most unique component. However, that's not a topic I'm inclined to discuss at the moment. You should enjoy holding this value to us while it lasts."