A week later Trance arrived in the Maru.
"What took you so long?" Meaghan demanded.
"I got here as quick as I could," Trance apologized. "But it wasn't easy to get away."
"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Meaghan said. "I've just been so worried and I want this to be all over with."
"It will be soon." The alien woman slid into the pilot's chair. "Strap down, Meaghan, it could get bumpy. And there have been swarm ships popping up all over."
"Of all the things I despise the Spirit of the Abyss for," Meaghan said. "At the top of the list is what he has done to his own creatures. He's made them little more than animals when they could be so much more."
"Remind me when this is over to introduce you to Rev Bem," Trance suggested. "Entering slip-stream."
&&&&&&&&
Long before they reached the fleet they saw thousands of swarm ships, and much evidence of destruction by the Magog. Strangely enough, the Eureka Maru passed by all of them without attracting the attention of any of them. Neither woman spoke much, yet they seemed to communicate a great deal.
&&&&&&&
The Andromeda had been designated the fleet's flagship. Aside from her normal crew, there were a few additions. Charlemagne Bolivar was there liaising for the Sabra-Jaguar, and several other minor prides. Then there was the commander of the entire operation, an Admiral Belisarius, who had earned the position by his sheer tactical brilliance. At the moment, things were relatively quiet, with only minor attacks from the swarm ships.
"Ship approaching," Andromeda said. "Requesting permission to dock. It's the Maru."
Just hearing that gave Charlemagne a sudden sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.
"Wait till I get my hands on Trance," Bekka muttered. "What was she up to, taking my ship in the middle of this?"
Belisarius cleared his throat and spoke quietly to Dylan.
Dylan, looking a little uncomfortable, said, "Andromeda, please have Trance and any passengers that she may have, escorted to the bridge under guard."
"Yes sir," the AI acknowledged. "There was only one passenger. Meaghan Bolivar."
Charlemagne buried his face in his hands momentarily, not knowing whether to laugh, swear or cry.
&&&&&&
Immediately as the two women arrived on the bridge, Belisarius, looked over at them. Or more specifically, at Meaghan, and remarked, "It's about time. What took you so long?"
"I was unavoidably detained," she rejoined smoothly, not even sparing a glance for her husband. "Shall we have this over and done with?"
"I hope you know that destroying an enemy out of hand before even really engaging them in battle goes very much against my nature," the admiral complained.
"And you know very well that there are always plenty of battles somewhere," Meaghan replied with a touch of asperity.
"Very well then, sister." Belisarius held out his hand. "Let us proceed."
While Charlemagne, and pretty much everyone else watched, jaws agape, the pair walked to the front of the ship.., and through it. Then they appeared on the screen moving farther away, towards the world-ship, but growing larger and larger, till they dwarfed the world-ship itself.
A few swarm ships buzzed around the titanic figures. Belisarius swatted at them like the insects they resembled, but Meaghan merely looked at them and they stopped dead in space. Then Meaghan and Belisarius stood to either side of the world-ship and raised their hands over it. Energy began to visibly drain from the artificial sun in the middle, pouring into the two figures, faster and ever faster. Suddenly, the sun and the worlds around it imploded, and the shock-wave threw the two of them out of sight of the screen.
A voice sounded on the floor just behind Charlemagne. "That was mildly nasty. Please give me a hand up, dear."
The Nietzschean turned and automatically helped his wife to her feet, but instead of doing or saying anything else, he merely stood and stared at her, suddenly unsure what to make of the woman who had borne him three children.
Meaghan's face took on a expression of extreme sadness. "Am I such a freak now, my love? I'm still me, I haven't really changed, just let out a few secrets is all."
"Are you still here?" Belisarius suddenly appeared a few feet away. "We have accomplished what we came here to do. It's time to leave now, sister."
"There are a few loose ends that have to be tidied up," she said shortly. "And I would like to have a chance to say my good-byes. These people are my friends." She looked at Charlemagne lovingly and added, "And more."
Belisarius gave a long-suffering sigh. "You know the rules, my dear. And father is going to be angry enough with you as it is."
"Getting protective of me in your dotage?" she snapped. "I'll do what I feel I must first." She turned to Dylan. "The Spirit of the Abyss really is a god, you know. While we delivered him a crippling blow today, he will return. Being immortal, a few millennia here or there doesn't really affect his plans. You must make sure that people know about him, what he is, and the danger he poses, so that when he returns, they are prepared."
"I'll do my best, Meaghan," Hunt vowed.
"Your best has always been something to rely on," she replied warmly. "Good-bye, Dylan, I shall miss you all."
The ersatz admiral started to make grumbling noises, and without looking, Meaghan snapped, "Ares!" and he subsided momentarily.
"Wasn't Ares the ancient Greek god of war?" Dylan asked Rommie quietly.
"Yes, and Meaghan is his sister," the android remarked thoughtfully. "I think I know which one, too."
Meaghan went from person to person, exchanging hugs, kisses and a few tears, saying her final farewells. At last she ended up back with Charlemagne.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly. "Didn't you trust me, Meg?"
"Would you have believed me if I had told you I was a god?" she asked gently. "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone anything, and believe me, I will most probably pay for it soon."
"Is that how you really look?" he asked. "Somehow, I imagined that a god, if there were such a thing, would look more.., regal."
Meaghan turned, and when she stopped she was an Amazonian blonde, again, and a buxom brunette. She twirled around a few more times before the Nietzschean cried out in an agonized voice, "Stop, Meg!"
As her last turn ended, she appeared as she always had done. Then the sorrow came back into her face. "My dearest love, I have something else to tell you. It may even make the parting easier, because I fear that once you know, you will hate me."
"Never," Charlemagne declared, taking her hands in his. "Nothing could ever make me hate you, Meg, nothing."
"Not even knowing that I was the one who killed Elsbeth?" she asked, avoiding looking him in the eye.
"You.., killed Elsbeth?" He was puzzled. "I thought you cared about her, why?"
"It finally was the only way I could stop her from starting an ill-timed war." Meaghan was still looking at the floor. "And I have loathed myself ever since."
"I don't hate you," Charlemagne stated softly. "You did what you had to do."
Belisarius, or rather, Ares, grumbled again. "We have to leave now, Aphrodite."
"You wouldn't deny me one last kiss, would you?" the goddess of love asked wistfully. "Just one kiss?"
"Well, then, kiss him already," the god growled. "Father is already going to be hurling thunder-bolts at us when we get back."
"You will kiss me good-bye, won't you, beloved?" She turned back to Charlemagne.
"I don't want you to go, Meg," he whispered brokenly. "I need you, our children need you."
"I don't want to go either." She wrapped her arms around him. "But even gods have rules they must obey. Please kiss me."
The bridge became very, very quiet as Charlemagne's lips came down on hers. Some few even remembered themselves enough to think about looking away, to give the couple some privacy, but somehow they never quite managed it. The rest simply watched what was the most passionate kiss they had ever seen.
Then, something odd happened. The kissing couple began to glow, dimly at first, then brighter and brighter. The light was iridescent, incandescent, quite simply indescribable.
Even Ares seemed impressed. "Look closely, mortals. For what you now behold is a rare sight even for a god. The light of love."
The kiss finally subsided, and Meaghan and Charlemagne stood, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes.
"Aphrodite," Ares began, but Charlemagne interrupted him.
"Can't you just leave her alone?" he snapped without turning to face his brother-in-law.
"Do not anger me, mortal," the war-god began in menacing tones, then stopped as the Nietzschean turned to face him. While Charlemagne's voice had been steady enough, tears were flowing freely down his cheeks.
"She has to leave now," Ares stated much more gently. "I'm sorry, she cannot stay." He held out his hand to Meaghan again. "Sister?"
Meaghan walked slowly towards him, but her eyes kept gazing back at Charlemagne's tear-stained face. She was crying too. Then, the gods touched hands, walked two paces away, and disappeared.
For long moments there was complete and utter silence on the bridge. Then, back straight and unbowed, but tears still flowing unchecked, Charlemagne walked off the bridge.