Lex's POV

The Prince piloted the fighter towards the Emperor's ship. I was positioned in the gunner seat but was instructed not to fire. If I did, it would gain attention. The Prince flew expertly as ships fired on each other. The battle reminded me of Star Wars without the sound. The plasma fire and explosions were all silent in space. All I could hear were the movements of the Prince and the vibrations of the ship's engines. When the ship twisted and turned, I didn't feel it the same way I would have if I were in a jet. Instead, everything in the windows changed while I felt I was staying still.

I felt jolts as missiles exploded near our ship. Finally, we crashed inside the Emperor's ship. The fighter skid on the surface throwing sparks into the air. I clutched the sides of the fighter as I braced for impact.

The Prince immediately got out of the fighter and cloaked himself. The Emperor's guards came out and searched for their target. The Prince fired on each one of them killing them in quick succession. "Hurry," the Prince said to me as I got out of the fighter.

"Sorry, the thetans are messing with my head," I said annoyed.

"They affect me as well. Do not complain," he said.

"What? Your mask didn't detect them on anyone except me," I objected.

"My mask cannot detect readings on itself unless there was a mirror," the Prince said as if it were obvious.

"What about your brother's mask. He didn't see any," I mentioned.

The Prince sighed as if I were a child. "That is because I disabled it."

I simply stared at the Prince. His thoughts were always a mystery to me. "Are your thoughts clear?" I asked cautiously.

"Perfect," he replied.

The Prince led me down the halls towards the bridge of the ship. He took his time not using his cloak. "Do not use your cloak. The energy from the cloak will make our presence known," he said to me.

I trusted him to know what he was doing. "The thetans...they said that all the religions are false. They are just part of a brainwashing procedure used to control the people," I said.

"Of course they say so. The thetans were brainwashed by the Emperor before their bodies were destroyed. Nothing they say to you can be trusted," he said.

The thetans in my head resisted the Prince's words. "Do they give you doubts?" I asked him.

"There are countless religions throughout the galaxy, many creation myths and saviors including your own. I cannot say which ones are true and which ones are false. I cannot even verify whether my own is true. What I believe is this: the Creator values a sincere belief even if it be incorrect. The Creator does not value cowardice, compromise, uncertainty, or false belief. When I die, the Creator will tell me all the secrets of the universe. The Creator will then ask my obedience, and I will submit," he said.

"That sounds extreme. That justifies the beliefs of radicals and extremists while damning moderates," I said.

"It takes one extreme to destroy another extreme," the Prince said simply.

"Or people could come together and build a consensus," I said.

The Prince snorted. His plasma cannon tracked a guard and fired blasting a hole through his chest. "I'm sorry I was rude in your temple," I admitted. It was childish and merely a way to vent my frustration.

"I do not desire your tolerance. Your rudeness is an assertion of your own beliefs. I respect that more than false sincerity," he said as he cut through a door with a laser.

"I have been to many places on my planet and it became necessary to respect the culture I was visiting," I said. I recalled the native culture of East Africa, Buddhists in Tibet, Muslims in Pakistan, and the tribes of the Andes.

"That shows why your planet is divided. Only with one vision and voice can your planet become unified," he said.

"That lacks diversity," I said.

"The universe is diverse enough," he said as he opened the door. I could tell he was suffering through the thetans. He was conversing with me to keep his intolerant bigoted mind tracking on the mission. The Prince and I came upon the bridge. The Emperor was watching the battle through large windows.

His skin was dark and reptilian, there were small tentacles coming off the top of his head, and his eyes were yellow. In his hand was a large staff. "Welcome to my command ship," the Emperor said.

There was a brief pause as my universal translator told me what he had said. "It has been a pleasure," the Prince said sarcastically.

"I sense that the thetans have attached to you. I have the technology to expel them," the Emperor said.

"You assume the thetans haven't already taken control," the Prince said.

"The thetans do not control. They merely influence or make suggestions. All of the Yautja fighting you now are in control of their own will," the Emperor said.

"Their loyalty to you is admirable," the Prince said moving closer.

"By design," the Emperor replied. "Your older brother and heir to the throne is on one of these ships. If he were to die, you would become closer to your goal."

"True," the Prince allowed.

"Give me the shield frequency, and I will take care of him for you," the Emperor offered.

"If I do that, then I will have to kill you. I cannot have any witnesses," the Prince said.

"You cannot kill me. I am eternal. I have existed for one-hundred million cycles. My officers overthrew me and imprisoned me on a desolate world. Eventually, I escaped and came back. If you destroy this body, I will merely possess another body," the Emperor said.

"You are a thetan yourself," the Prince realized.

"We came into being upon the creation of the universe. We may forget our past, but we never die," the Emperor said. The Emperor then turned to me. "Your planet has been home to many of us. We have caused division and chaos on your world. I can collect all of the thetans on your planet. There will be an end to the chaos, violence, and persecution. All religions will fade and your people may become one."

I took out the metal cross necklace from my belt compartment. "This is your invention?"

"One of many," the Emperor said.

"Tell me, if I kill a god does that make me a god?" the Prince asked.

"You cannot kill me," the Emperor said confidently.

"Words I have heard many times before," the Prince said. He fired a plasma blast into the Emperor's chest. His body fell to the floor on his knees. The Prince fired against blasting away the creature's left eye and left side of his face.

There was a sudden flash of light on the bridge. The Prince took out a device and placed it on the floor. The light dissipated and whirled around the device until it was no more. The Prince then held the device near him, and I could see light flashes emit off him. Once the light was gone, he placed the device near me.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It is a device that traps thetans," he said simply.

"Why didn't you use this before?" I asked outraged.

"I needed the Emperor to believe we could be converted to his side," the Prince said simply.

"What is the truth?" I demanded.

"I am the wrong person to ask," the Prince told her.

"I need to know," I said becoming emotional.

The Prince fell to his knees as he started losing muscle control. "What's wrong with you?" I asked alarmed.

"The drugs are wearing off," he said softly.

"Drugs?" I asked surprised. I didn't know what he was talking about.

"The thetans manipulate people's emotions and thoughts. To block them out, I used a drug designed to numb myself," he said. "There are some side effects," he added.

"You're high is what you're saying," I said unimpressed.

"I was aiming for his head the first shot," he admitted.

"Why didn't you give me drugs?" I asked. It would have been useful to have had against the thetan onslaught.

"I didn't know how you would react to it," he said. "I have...tested it many times."

I took a hold of the Prince and lifted him to his feet. "It would be easier if you got rid of the gear," I said as I struggled to bring him back to the fighter.

"I have faith in you," he replied.

If I had been human, it would have been a futile task moving the Prince back to the fighter. But with this Yautja body, I was able to successfully get him into the ship. "Can you fly?" I ask.

The Prince flexed his fingers on the staff of the fighter. "The alternative is you flying," he said derisively.

The fighter shot out of the hole that had been made and flew into space.

Citali noticed the Yautja fighter escaping the Emperor's ship. He immediately ordered the fleet to fire upon the ship. Within a few short moments, the Emperor's battleship was destroyed in a brilliant fireball. With the Emperor gone, the other ships became disorganized. The Yautja ships started winning the fight and the ones that had rebelled started fighting on the right side again.

The Prince flew the fighter into the battleship's docking bay and then struggled to walk across the bay to the bridge. Citali took the elevator to greet his brother on his victory.

"He can't see me like this," the Prince said fatigued.

"You're right," I agreed. I hit him with a stun blast from behind and then placed him behind one of the fighters. I then morphed into the Prince and allowed my gear to stretch out as my body became taller and more muscular.

Citali greeted me with two of his bodyguards. "Brother, did you have a successful kill?" he asked.

"I could not take the Emperor's skull. It had been destroyed in the battle," I said.

"A pity. I would have wanted to see it," Citali remarked.

"How goes the battle?" I asked.

"We have won a great victory. Now, the only controversy is whom will take credit for it. I have no doubt third brother will want to take credit," Citali said referring to Nahuel.

"Give the credit to all of us," I suggested.

"It would show our unity," Citali considered. "I will host a dinner on this ship. Bring your wife with you."

"As you wish," I said politely.

"Where is your wife? She wasn't killed in the battle was she?" Citali asked concerned.

"She has already taken her leave," I answered.

"Already in her quarters without me knowing? You may need a leash on her," Citali remarked.

I felt like telling him off, but I needed to remain in character. "I have tried that, but she somehow escapes," I said.

Citali chuckled. "She's a clever pet."

"I must prepare myself for the dinner," I said excusing myself.

Citali stared at me, and I became fearful he had figured it out. "You have no injuries of any kind," he noted. "You are quite formidable. Someday I will discover your secret."

I thought the same thing. Why was the Prince's athletic ability so much greater than his peers? He was the equivalent of an Olympic athlete for the Yautja species. I decided to remain silent, and Citali turned back taking his body guards with him. I proceeded to morph back to my usual self and then dragged the Prince to his quarters.

In order to get inside, I focused on my eye and morphed it to that of the Prince. The lock accepted the eye scan, and I placed the Prince on the floor. It would be several hours before the dinner could be organized. I decided to keep the Prince on the floor while I took a nap in his comfortable bed.