Gravity Galaxy

by jawmax

For fifteen years Dipper, Mabel, Gideon, and Pacifica were lost in a distant galaxy. Now that they have returned to earth we will hear the tales of how they struggled to get home and continue to adjust to life back on earth.

6. Family Reuion: Pacifica

Chapter 6

Family Reunion: Pacifica

Pacifica and Robbie came down to another office. "Well here they are." Robbie said.

"Yeah." Pacifica took a deep breath and lowered her visor. She saw two heat signatures in the room. "They are here."

Robbie pulled the visor back to the previous position on Pacifica's head. "Since we told you that we got your families here you've been as nervous as my college roommate was during finals week. I know things with your parents were not great, but it's been fifteen years. I'm sure they are just as nervous as you are."

Pacifica looked Robbie in the eye. "Thank you. I normally don't scare easy, but with everything that happened to me out there I don't know how they are going to feel about it. The truth is that while when I last saw them, I yelled at them, but years later I realized I missed them. But putting it off is not going to make this easier. I'm going to be fine; Robbie go give your wife a call. Like, you had to drop everything to come down and help us and we all are grateful for that."

Robbie gave a smile as he walked away. "I'm glad I could help."

Pacifica turned to the door and felt her heart begin to beat faster. She put her hands on her chest and took a few slow deep breaths. "I am in control of me. I am in control of me." Pacifica slowly took hold of the doorknob and turned it. Inside office she saw her parents. Preston's hair had turned white with age and Priscilla had her greying hair done in a bun, like she didn't care how old see looked anymore.

The room was quiet for a second. Then Priscilla ran right to her daughter and tried to hug her. "Pacifica, we are so sorry!" Priscilla cried.

"Wait!" Pacifica yelled. Pacifica then lowered her voice. "You need to come to me slowly. Out there my reflexes were conditioned to be very sensitive and I don't want to hurt you!" Her parents nodded and Priscilla slowly hugged her daughter.

Preston walked up to them with an ashamed look on his face. "You were right. We looked up and the one we valued most was gone. It took you vanishing for me to see that you were and are the most important thing in our lives."

"Dad, Mom…" Pacifica was not expecting this.

Priscilla continued to cry. "In trying to make you live up to our family name we forgot that you were our miracle. That it was so hard us to get pregnant and we had you late in our lives. We were so happy when you were born, and we wanted you to succeed so badly that we lost sight of your happiness."

"And that our behavior could have been leading you down the wrong path." Preston said. "I spent a good deal of Northwest Industries funds to hire private investigators all over the world for three years before the board forced me to stop. They said that I was spending company money trying to find a girl who ran away from home, who didn't want to be found and I couldn't say for certain that they were wrong."

Priscilla let go. "Around the same time, I was arrested for a drunken disorderly. After you vanished the only thing that seemed to make the pain go away was drinking. I stopped caring how I looked, what my behavior did to your father or our families' reputation. I mean I was only fooling myself with my looks, inside I was an empty broken doll. I kept drinking for three years after that first arrest and almost got myself killed in a car accident when I thought I could drive myself to get more wine. After that you father sent me to rehab saying that he couldn't bear to lose me too. After I got out, I joined A.A. and I haven't had a hard drink for nine years now, but it is still a struggle."

Preston sighed. "I couldn't care about our reputation either. Work had lost all meaning to me and except for taking money to find you I barely did anything with the company anymore and the board of directors noticed. The year before I sent your mother to rehab without a firm grip on the company and no heir to take over the board voted that I would step down as CEO and the company went public. I am only the second largest shareholder now Northwest Industries belongs to someone else now. But it doesn't matter, you were right all along. Without you none of it, our family name, the wealth, the power, it became meaningless!"

"Now that you are back, we can be a family again and do right this time." Pricilla smiled.

Preston took his wife's hand. "Yes, Pacifica you were always the best of the Northwest's. We see that now."

Pacifica couldn't believe what she was hearing, her parent's lives were almost ruined but all they wanted now was to be her family again. "No, no you're wrong!"

"Pacifica please! We love you. We never should have pushed to be who we wanted you be." Preston said not understanding.

"I am not an angel!" Pacifica screamed crying. "You say I'm the best of the Northwest's, but I might be the worst! Remember what you told me about Westly Northwest? That he killed six people with that fire he started? I have well gone over that body count. Your daughter is a murderer! Some even call me a monster and there was nothing I could do to stop it!" Pacifica dropped to her knees and looked like she was having a panic attack. She put her hands against her chest and tried to breath. "I am in control of me. I am in control of me. I am in control of me!"

Pacifica's parents were shocked and confused by what their daughter said. "I don't understand. Sweetheart what happened?" Priscilla asked.

After repeating her mantra a few more times Pacifica calmed down but continued to cry. "After we were all taken, we were sold as slaves and separated. The others were lucky. Dipper and Mabel escaped; Gideon found his way to people who grew to care about him. But for me, I was someone's possession, a tool for him to use and what he did to me and made me do can never be completely undone. I spent four years in hell."

Fifteen years ago,

Pacifica woke up in a dark ship. She had hoped it was all a nightmare, but the nightmare had only just begun. She tried to sit up, but she could only lift her head. "What? Why can't I move?" Pacifica said panicking.

"I administered a paralytic before waking you subject RS-225." It was the masked blue snake man.

"My name is Pacifica Northwest!"

The man didn't seem to care. "That name is from a life that is now over and very soon you shall be reborn if you survive."

Pacifica really did not like the sound of that. "Listen my parents are very wealthy. They can give you more than what you paid for me! They can get anything on my planet you want!"

"But I already have what I want. You RS-225. I have scanned you and you will be an excellent addition once you are properly conditioned. From this moment onward you shall address me as Dr. Slivix, for all intents and purposes your new father."

"No! I have a dad! He may not be the best but…" Pacifica heard a loud thud.

"We have arrived at your new home. Soon we shall begin." Slivix said as he picked Pacifica up. He slithered from the ship that took off to a field filled with green glowing mushrooms and with a very old looking ruins going underground. This place was dark, but it was daytime Pacifica could see a small red sun surrounded by a large cloud.

As they began to descend, she saw many different aliens all dressed in black. "Help me! This creep kidnaped me!" Pacifica screamed. The black clad people did nothing like they didn't even notice. "Listen you goths, stop being all dark and depressed and help me!"

"Your new brothers and sisters are conditioned well and will not act against our laws. Soon you will be like them." Slivix said as they came upon two figures in purple robes like Slivix. "Jomi I see that you have found someone to fill the empty seat in the Diagia."

Jomi was a tall pale green woman with a small third arm coming out of her stomach and a very long neck. Her hair was long and black. "Yes Doctor, this is the newest member of Night Circle, Gofmo." She pointed her third arm to the round pink man with holes in his head and arms that expelled a gas that smelled like old cheese.

"She just showed me the renewal ceremony. Very impressive." Gofmo said.

"Then you are in luck. I was just about to begin the rebirth process on RS-225. It will be quite informative. Once the process is complete she will only need for it to be renewed every two weeks." Slivix said.

"Isn't she a little old for the process? I thought we started them much younger." Gofmo asked letting out a larger burst of gas.

"Dr. Slivix has been using the ancient machinery for sixty years. He is an expert at spotting talented recruits." Jomi said.

They followed Slivix into another chamber with a black chair under a blue glowing pyramid that was pointing down. "She has already had some slight physical conditioning and my scans show she was even subjected to a primitive form of mental training. She will be easily made to be obedient."

"The bell!" Pacifica thought as she was placed in the chair and her arms and legs were restrained. "No! Let me go! You can't do this to me!"

"She seems quite defiant." Gofmo said sounding unimpressed.

"Most subjects are at first." Jomi said bending her neck down to look Pacifica in the eye as she blindfolded her.

"The paralytic I gave her should wear off before we are done. The first rebirth process requires the subject to have no external visual stimuli." Slivix said and the turned to Pacifica. "This day your old life ends, and you are to be reborn as a child of death itself. A Felggur." Slivix turned on the machine and the pyramid glowed brighter. "First her mind sees someplace familiar most likely her home or a place she feels safe and content." He was right she was back at Northwest Manor. "Now we change what she sees and feels." Pacifica found herself in a dungeon and knifes and swords began to stab her causing her to scream as they kept stabbing.

Gofmo wasn't surprised at the screaming but was still trying to understand what he was seeing. "So, she feels real pain with nothing but the Shadow Cradle giving images to her brain?"

Slivix continued. "Yes, we use pain to condition her without causing damage to her body. Look, her heart rate is slowing. RS-225 is becoming accustomed to the horrors she is experiencing. So…" Slivix turned a dial. "…we change horrors." Pacifica let out another loud scream.

Pacifica didn't know how long she was in the shadow cradle, hours, days, maybe even weeks. She barely remembered times they stopped for her to eat and drink. They gave her a black skintight jumpsuit with matching boots and tied her hair into a ponytail. All the horrible things she experienced in the cradle blurred together. Pacifica's eyes seemed clouded. "What are my orders?" she asked.

"Answer my questions." Slivix said. "Who are you?"

"I am RS-225. A daughter of the Felggur." Pacifica answered quickly. "No, that's not right!" Pacifica thought.

"And Pacifica Northwest?"

"A name I use only when I need one." However, in her mind it was like Pacifica was seeing out of a clouded window. "This can't be real!"

"What is the first Law of the Felggur?"

"Obedience is everything!" Pacifica was aware of everything going on around her, but it was like she was sleep walking. Her body did and said things she knew she was doing but she never chose to do them.

"What is your purpose?"

"To kill my assigned targets." If Pacifica could do what she really felt, she would have cried. "No! I don't want to kill anyone! Dipper, anyone please help me!"

"Good. Now your training can begin. You will be my next masterpiece."

Pacifica was placed in a group of younger recruits and was given two foam daggers. "Strike!" a hooded member of the Diagia said. Pacifica swung her training weapon at the same time as the others. "Again, faster!" she did so. "Harder!" again she did as she was told.

Time passed and Slivix moved Pacifica to a group of older trainees. "Knowledge is as great a weapon as any blade. RS-225 show me what you learned in your lessons and show us which points of this creature are the most vital." A hologram of a one-eyed alien appeared. With real daggers Pacifica leapt at the target stabbing in the eye, heart, and lungs. "Perfect."

Later Pacifica was to spar with a bird like girl with red feathers. "Before you begin what is the third law of the Felggur?" Slivix asked.

"Never show mercy!" They both said.

"Begin!" The two girls fought hand to hand. The bird got one hit in before Pacifica grabbed her leg and tossed her on her back and began striking her in the chest. "Enough! DV-444 this is the fifth match you have lost in a row. Report to disposal."

"I will obey." DV-444 said who turned and walked away. Pacifica knew what this meant, and she would never see the girl again.

"What is the second law of the Felggur?" Gofmo asked as Pacifica ran through an obstacle course.

"Obey the client's wishes until the mission is complete!" Pacifica said as she jumped a pit and began to climb a wall.

"And the fourth law?"

"The only acceptable failure is by my death!" As Pacifica said this a blade was fired at her but she deflected it with one of her daggers without even looking.

"Lastly what is the fifth law?" Gofmo asked as giant mosquito like bugs were given an attack command.

"We are shadows. Never let a trace of our actions touch us!" Pacifica leapt up skewering the bugs and landing on top of the wall without any of the creatures' blood touch her. She swung her daggers causing the bugs to fall and spun her weapons cleaning off the blood.

"Good now it is time for your renewal." Gofmo said pointing to the door. Inside Pacifica didn't want to go but she could not disobey. She left and joined the others in dozens of chairs like the one they first put her in.

After months of training came the final test. Pacifica was woken up in the barracks. Dreaming was her only escape. She didn't have her own cot, everyone just slept in the first one they came to. She had her daily algae bar from the cupboard. Pacifica kept hoping the worsening taste would snap herself out of this state. "All third stage trainees report to the arena." Slivix said over the P.A. system Pacifica was in the third stage, she had heard some of the Diagia say she had advanced in the physical training faster than any Felggur before her. Pacifica made her way to the arena with the others standing next to TW-852 an young brown furred boy who looked like a monkey that was her age. Dr. Slivix spoke. "Today is your final test of your basic training, a one on one match against a veteran Felggur, to the death. Your elder brothers and sisters will have years more experience than you, but they are close to no longer being able to be renewed so this is their final service to this family. Survive and you graduate and become full-fledged Felggur! The shadowy hand that reshapes this galaxy! When your number is called your match will begin."

As Slivix sat down Gofmo asked. "This is my first final test. Is it true that we place bets on who the winners will be?"

Jomi answered. "We can, yes but Dr. Slivix never bets." She then turned to Slivix. "I heard you have something special planned for RS-225."

"She is becoming one of my greatest works, what better test for her than BX-101." Slivix smiled under his mask.

"BX-101? He is one of you finest creations and served for thirty years. He has more kills than anyone in the history of the Felggur."

"Yes, and he has been used for this test three times. If he wins this time, we may just have to send him to disposal instead."

"Well that sounds like easy money." Kofmo said. "My bet is on him."

"If Slivix thinks RS-225 can win then my money is on her." Jomi pulled out her quan disk.

"RS-225 your test begins now." Slivix said.

Pacifica entered the ring and saw BX-101. He was a large muscular man with brown skin orange hair and tusks. He wore large glaives on his arms. He rushed her and she dodged and pulled out her daggers. "I don't want to be a killer, but I heard what they said. No matter how this fight goes you are going to die. And I don't want to die!" Pacifica tried to stab him but BX-101 blocked her blades with his. Pacifica jumped back and her opponent lunged at her. She tried to slash him, but he grabbed her arm and tried to cut off her head. She gave him a quick kick to the head. BX-101 became dizzy from the hit. "I'm so sorry!" Pacifica thought as she slashed at his stomach disemboweling him.

BX-101 looked up at Slivix. "Father…Slivix." He then fell to the ground dead.

Slivix appalled. "Well done RS-225. Well done!"

"Thank you Father Slivix." Pacifica said. Out of the corner of her eye Pacifica stared as her first victim was dragged away. "That is going to me one day."

Later Pacifica lined up with the other survivors to receive her first mission for the Felggur. "Today you take the next step. When you are not here training and studying you will be sent out on missions." Jomi said and then looked at Pacifica. "RS-225 your first assignment is to kill this man." The monitor behind her showed a tough looking alien and the pertinent data. "He is a warlord that is making business hard of the client."

"I understand Mother Jomi." Pacifica said. She knew this was going to be her life from now on, killing whoever she was told to.

As soon as Jomi was finished handing out assignments she asked. "What is the first law of the Felggur?"

"Obedience is everything!" the whole crowd said at once.

Fifteen years later,

"My poor baby girl!" Preston said.

"And that was just in the first few months the next year things got worse." Pacifica continued.

Priscilla was dumfounded. "How could it have gotten worse?

"What I told you about was just basic training. Dr. Slivix wanted to teach me a specialized skill to make me more unique from his other works of…art. The next year he found what he wanted me to learn."

Fourteen years ago,

"I'm telling you Slivix you need to make her a master of disguise." Kofmo said. "Her species have been branded heretics by the Emperor! The more the Imperium expands the fewer places we can deploy her!"

Pacifica now fifteen years old stood nearby as the two men talked. "We have more than enough Felggur with that ability. She needs to stand out! Besides that, we get very few jobs inside Imperium space."

Jomi interrupted them. "I think you are missing something very obvious Doctor."

"And what is that?" Slivix asked.

"All of your best work has been with males. Look at her. In the year she has been with us she has grown to be a lovely looking young woman, one almost any man would want."

"Now that you mention it…" Kofmo began to drool a little.

"Kofmo! You know that is forbidden!" Slivix said. "Or do you wish to lose your life now that you have gained so much wealth and power with us?" Kofmo wiped his chin.

"Let me teach her the fine art of seduction. She will be not only your deadliest creation but also the one you will be remembered for. She will be a legend." Jomi explained.

"Very well." Slivix said.

"Good now come with me dear." Jomi said to Pacifica.

"Yes, Mother Jomi." Pacifica said but inside she was crying.

Later in a room that had to be Jomi's bedchamber Pacifica was standing awaiting orders. "Now the key is to act naturally. Like you are not Felggur but what you are must always be just beneath the surface." Jomi said. Pacifica gave a smile that did not reflect her true feelings. "Very good now let's move on to the next lesson."

A few hours later, Pacifica was sitting down on Jomi's bed. "And that is how I keep my skin so soft, go on and give it a feel. You look like you have a gentle touch." Pacifica said.

"You are a natural flirt and tease RS-225." Jomi laughed. "Tomorrow we'll go over what you do when you get them in bed with you." The day came and went. "Remember the fifth law."

"We never leave a trace of our actions."

"Good, this law is key to the success of these types of missions. You must never let them go all the way. Your virginity will be the greatest cover you can have after it is all done, and you must never leave any of your own fluids behind. This will be the hardest part of you training. You must learn to hold yourself at the very edge of ecstasy and not give into the pleasure of your body. We shall begin now. Undress, slowly."

"Being made to kill people is bad enough! Does she have to embarrass me like this too?" Pacifica thought.

After two weeks of training Slivix came to Jomi. "What is her progress?"

"She has a real talent for this kind of work. If you didn't bring her to us, I bet she could have had any man she wanted back home. I think she is ready to put her new skills to work." Jomi said.

"Good, I have a job that should be a suitable test. The client wishes his political rival eliminated and has stated the target has a very caviler love life."

A few days later Pacifica was laying down in a bed in nothing but her underwear. "Well are you ready for a night you'll never forget?" Pacifica said to the man in the room. He had maroon colored skin and a single horn on his head. He too was only in his underwear.

"Oh, I am Pacifica." Her target said. He got into bed with her and they began to kiss. He caressed her and stuck his tongue in her mouth. He never noticed that she reached behind the nightside stand pulling out one of her daggers until she stabbed him in the neck. All he could do was stare at her in shock. Pacifica pulled the knife out and used the vibra-cleaner to get the blood off it while she got dressed. She left the hotel room without saying a word.

Fourteen years later,

"That was my first kiss and the Felggur ruined it! They ruined so many things that were supposed to be special to me!" Pacifica said.

"Oh, Pacifica we are so sorry you had to go through all that." Priscilla took her daughters hand.

"The only good about that training was that it allowed me to keep my virginity until my wedding night."

Preston almost fell over. "Wedding…my little girl had a wedding and I missed it." Preston said. "So, who is the lucky man?"

"Preston, it has been a long time." Pricilla said. "For all we know…"

Pacifica stood right up. She thought it would be best to stop that ship before it left the space dock. "No Mom! It's not like that! Remember Dipper Pines? He is my husband and he and the others rescued me. Even before that they gave me hope again if only for a short time."

Thirteen years ago,

Pacifica had just turned sixteen yesterday, not that the Felggur celebrate birthdays. She was called to the council chamber of the Diagia. While all of them were present Kofmo was the one who spoke. "We have a new client. One who could become a very valuable partner. The second in command of the Onyx Brotherhood thinks it is time they have a change of leadership. We need our best operative on this mission and that is you RS-225."

"Yes, Father Kofmo." Pacifica said.

"This tablet has all the information you need about the client and your target." Pacifica looked over the tablet. "You are to leave immediately."

She was on the planet Borhual two days later. Pacifica waited in front of a bar for her client. A red skinned man with a goatee an eye patch over one of his three eyes. "So, you are the assassin the Felggur sent. Name's Piker what's yours?"

"That is not information you need to know for this mission. You know where the target is going to be in three hours?" Pacifica asked.

"Yeah we have a meeting in a nearby canyon. I want you to wait to do the job until an hour and a half after the meeting starts. She will have new information I am going to need once I take over the brotherhood."

"The client's orders must be obeyed."

"Right, in three hours I want you to go to the canyon and wait there until the right time. You got all that Miss Felggur?"

Three hours and fifteen minutes later Pacifica was waiting, when several centurions approached. "Miss you need to step aside." One of the centurions said. "We are here to put an end to two terrorists."

"Then you wish to kill my client. Until the assignment is over, I must protect him." Pacifica replied pulling out her daggers and dashed through most of the centurions. The heads of all but one fell off.

"Please have mercy!" the last centurion held up his hands.

"The Felggur must never show mercy." Pacifica then chopped off the head of the last centurion. She looked over what she had done and saw each man had a different color of blood. "A rainbow of death. I've lost count of how many people I killed who weren't a target but just got in the way. How much longer must this go on?" Pacifica thought. She walked into the canyon and halfway through she climbed up to a high section to prepare for her attack, unaware that other would soon follow.

"…and that will let us be able to build more Kill Cruisers." Neryo said. Pacifica had her visor on and saw three other figures enter the same section of the canyon as her target; the sun was right above them. It was time. Pacifica jumped down to the bottom of the canyon. She leapt at Neryo who shot at her, but she dodged with speed and grace. Pacifica slashed Neryo's guns in half then as Neryo tried to punch her attacker she spun around sliding to behind the Brotherhood's leader and stabbed her in the back with her left hand, orange blood spilling out the other side. She then pulled the other blade to the general's throat with her right. "Stop!" Piker shouted. "She has to know why she is going to die." He said with venom in his voice.

The young woman lowered her head and used her right thumb to push her visor up never losing her grip on her dagger. She then lifted her head and looked at Piker. "The clients orders must be obeyed." The three humans recognized her. She also recognized them. "Dipper, Mabel, Gideon! It can't be!" Pacifica thought.

"Pacifica?!" the they all said at once.

Piker was surprised by their familiarity with the sixteen-year girl. "You all know this girl? She is a Felggur assassin I hired." They tried to move closer to their long-lost friend when Piker pulled out his pistol. "Don't move! I'm not going to let you stop her!"

"Traitor!" Neryo wheezed spiting up more blood.

"Yes, I betrayed you and you want to know why?" Piker pointed to Gideon. "Because of him!"

Pacifica didn't pay attention to Piker's rant. "You can't be here! You shouldn't see me like this!"

"The Onyx Dynasty is mine by birthright!" Neryo spat.

"Your Dynasty died with your mother! A tyrant just like you! For twenty years I fought to build a better future for children like Chugar and Gideon, but you are too caught up with recapturing past glory and don't care who dies to get it! That changes today because when you die, I become the new leader of the brotherhood and there will be no more hired guns and murderers who target civilians in my brotherhood! There will be no more slaves who lost their freedom to fight for ours! And most of all there be no more children dying before their time! And that's all I have to say about that."

"Bastard!" Neryo shouted as Pacifica slit her throat. Pacifica then twirled he dagger so fast all the blood flew off. She then hung the daggers off her belt. In the whole thing not one drop of blood got on her.

Mabel was the first to recover from the shock. "Okay that was intense, but everything is all right now! We're all back together and now we can all go back to our ship and find a way home."

Pacifica moved to a fighting stance. "I must return to the Felggur." Her voice was cold and barely had any feeling to it and her eyes had a glazed look in them. "Mabel, please! I'm not the girl you remember anymore!"

"Pacifica it's over. Just come with us." Dipper pleaded.

"No, I must obey the laws of Felggur. Obedience is everything." Then Pacifica thought. "I wish I could go with you, but my life is no longer mine!"

"Pacifica what's wrong with you? It's us your friends!" Gideon said gun shaking in his hands.

Pacifica lowered her hands in reach of the daggers. "Gideon I'm so sorry! Please you all must run away from here! I couldn't bare it if I killed you too!"

Piker tuned his gun on Pacifica. "Stop that right now! Neryo is dead! The mission is over! There is no reason for you to fight them."

"The mission is over. The target was eliminated so you are no longer a client and I no longer must obey you. Only the laws of the Felggur." Being like this in front of her friends was more painful to Pacifica then being in the shadow cradle. "There is nothing any of you can do for me!"

Dipper came to a horrifying realization. "The soldiers at the entrance of the canyon. That was you!"

Pacifica reached up and pulled down he visor. "Yes. They got in the way of my assignment and had to be eliminated. Don't get my way." Inside her own mind it was like the foggy glass wall that she saw the world through had formed a small crack. "Don't you see that I'm a monster? You all have to run now!"

Mabel was crying. "Pacifica please! We don't have to do this! This isn't you! Don't make us do something crazy!"

"Run!"

"You're better than this Pacifica!" Dipper said.

"Run!"

In an instant Pacifica reached for a small pack on the back of her belt. "Look out!" Piker yelled as there was a blinding flash of light. Pacifica ran out of there as fast as she could. "I…I made my own choice! I didn't kill them! That should have been impossible! I could be free! Okay I have to go back." Pacifica continued to run toward her ship. "Come on! Go back!" Her body still didn't do what she wanted. "I guess two miracles was a little much to ask. But I got to keep trying! In the meantime, my friends will keep looking for me. If I know anything about Dipper and Mabel is that they will never give up on a friend and Gideon made a promise to help me be a better person. It meant a lot to both us."

Another two days later Pacifica was back at felggur headquarters standing before the Diagia again. Dr. Slivix addressed her. "RS-225, as expected your mission was a success however…" A large screen showed what happened on Borhual. "…you broke the third law of the felggur! You didn't know that your visor continuously records what is going on around you. We give all Felggur a piece of equipment that also does this so we may review missions to improve your training, we never thought we would need it to reveal such betrayal."

Jomi spoke next. "Nothing like this has happened before, not in the thousand years since the founding members of Diagia first uncovered these ruins and found the shadow cradles."

Kofmo was expelling gas faster than normal. "Such a betrayal should have only one punishment! I say she should be taken to disposal immediately!"

"No!" Slivix shouted.

"She maybe your favorite Doctor but this something that must never be allowed!"

"Kofmo you miss the point. The laws of the felggur are programed into each of them, it should be impossible for them to break! You heard Jomi, this has never happened before, and we must find out why so it doesn't happen again in the future! We must renew her now. That should correct this problem."

"You don't know that!"

"Must I remind you that I am the only who can read the ancient langue on the computers? That I alone can operate and maintain the shadow cradles?"

Kofmo snarled knowing that this made Slivx the most powerful member of the council. Jomi banged a wood block on the table and lowered her head. "I propose a compromise. We do as Slivix says but if RS-225 gets out of line again we'll have her eliminated. A rouge felggur is a threat to our entire order!"

"Agreed!" The rest of the Diagia said.

"Now RS-225 tell us why did you spare those people? What was your reason?" Slivix asked.

"I mustn't tell them anything! They could attack them!" Pacifica thought in her mind as hard as she could. "They…are…m…my…fr…friends!" Tears ran down Pacifica's cheek for the first time in years as she struggled not to obey.

"Friends?" Slivix looked at the screen again. "Of course, when I found you in that slave market there were three others of your kind there as well. I didn't recognize them at first. Those we make into felggur are often orphans with few if any surviving friends or family and the odds are very slim of meeting any of them again." Slivix turn back to Pacifica. "The girl that was their friend is dead. They are part of a life that no longer holds any meaning to you. These three are not worth betraying the laws of your brothers and sisters and they are certainly not worth disobeying your mothers and fathers!"

"You are not my father!" Pacifica yelled causing hushed whisper among the Diagia. "You stole my future! My choices! I hate you!"

"VB-569! GR-078! Restrain her!" The two felggur in the room took hold of Pacifica's arms. Slivix played the recording again and paused it near the end. "Look at them! The looks of shock and horror! Do you really think they want you back now that they have seen what you are now! No doubt they know what the Felggur are! You are nothing but a killer to them now! A monster!" The enraged snake man gave another order. "Bring her to the First Cradle!" A short walk later Pacifica was in the room that had the chair she was put in when she first arrived. "Get in! Obey me!"

It took all of Pacifica's will power to speak her mind, she couldn't resist. "I will obey…but…I don't want to!" Pacifica said as she sat down.

"What you want doesn't matter. It never did." Slivix said turning the cradle on as Pacifica screamed.

Thirteen years later,

"I wouldn't see Dipper or the rest of them again for two more years." Pacifica said.

Priscilla held her hand up to her mouth. "My poor sweet girl. I always feared something awful happened to you but this worse than anything I have imagined."

Preston hit the desk in the room. "Where is he? Take me to your ship and bring me to him! I don't care if I must spend every cent I have left, or what anyone will think of me! I will make this so-called doctor pay for the misery he put my daughter through!"

There was a knock at the door. "Sorry for interrupting." Dipper said.

"Mason!" Pacifica leapt up and gave him a deep passionate kiss.

"Mason?" Pacifica's parents asked.

"Mason is Dipper's first name. Everyone just calls him Dipper because of his birthmark." Pacifica explained smiling.

"She only calls me Mason if she is really happy or angry at me." Dipper said with a chuckle.

"I see." Preston said as his anger ebbed away seeing his daughter truly happy in the arms of her husband. "I owe you an apology Mr. Pines." Preston held out his hand. "Years ago, at that fated party you were already a better man than I ever was. I am very glad my daughter could marry a man like you."

Dipper shook Preston's hand. "I'm the one lucky sir. You have a brave, strong, kind, and beautiful daughter. Having her in my life is what made the past eleven years bearable. I couldn't help but overhear what you were saying earlier and to assure you of this. Slivix will never hurt your daughter or anyone else ever again." Dipper then said to Pacifica. "I knew I should have been here for you with all of this Paz."

"It's okay my darling." Pacifica as she rubbed his cheek. "Talking with my parents, facing my past, it's something that I needed to do for years and it really is helping me. Remember that saying 'you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone'? My parents realized that I'm what mattered most to them and while they had some hard times, they really seem to be better people now."

"That is wonderful. We never told you the details of how we put an end Felggur before we got you back because we thought it might bring up painful memories for you. But now maybe it can give you closure and both your parent's peace of mind."

"Well I certainly want to know how you were the brave knight who saved my princess." Pricilla said.

Dipper thought back. "We've spent close to a year following a trail of cargo ships we were told about by another former felggur named Hok-Hok. I spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to solve the mystery of where they were going.

Eleven years ago,

"Good morning Dipper! How's my favorite Dipper?" Mabel asked. She got her answer right away as she entered Dipper's room. He had bags under his eyes and was chewing his shirt again. His personal star chart had lots of yellow dotted lines all over the Azure crown cluster that went in circles. "Dipper not another all-nighter!"

"I'm so close to figuring it out…" Dipper rubbed his eyes. "Hok-Hok said the planet was orbiting a red dwarf star. Ixcia how many red dwarfs are along the routes we charted."

"Fifty." Ixcia said putting red circles on the map.

"He also said that the star was clouded like it was surrounded by a cloud of interstellar dust. How many of those stars have clouds like that?"

"Twenty-four" Ixcia said removing circles.

Dipper groaned. "What else? Maybe…the mushrooms! He said there were glowing mushroom all over the place."

"There is only one bioluminescent species of fungus in the Azure Crown Star Cluster." Ixcia show a picture of a blue glowing mushroom.

"How many of the remaining systems have planets with this fungus?"

"Eighteen."

"Wait that's not right!" Mabel said. "Hok-Hok said the mushrooms were green not blue. Ixcia is there something that can change the color of the mushrooms?"

"Yes, this fungus is most commonly blue in color but if they grow in soil with a high selenium content, they become green instead."

"Do any of those planets have soil with a high selenium content?"

"Yes."

"How many?!" Dipper said with a raised voice.

"One." Only on circle remained and the holo-display spilt to show the planet.

"We did it! We found her!" Dipper shouted with joy.

"What all the commotion?" Gideon asked. The fifteen-year-old had grown even more muscular and to around the same height as the others in the past year.

"We found Pacifica's home base!" Mabel said giving Gideon a hug. She then turned to Dipper. "Another win for the Mystery Twins!" Mabel gave Dipper a fist bump.

Dipper began to pull up a manifest. "Now we got make a rescue plan! We should check on the supplies we have and see what we might need. We also have to call Hok-Hok, he knows the layout of the base."

"Woah hold on Bro-bro! The first thing you need to do is get some sleep!" Mabel scolded.

"A cup of hot Nevba juice and I'll be fine."

"She's right Dipper." Gideon said. "If we are going to bust into a place with who knows how many well-trained assassins, we all need to be at our best. You're not going to be much good to Pacifica like this."

Mabel turned off the display. "Go to bed. Co-captains orders. We'll call Hok-Hok and check on everything. I'll wake you up when he gets here."

"I'm too tired to argue." Dipper yawned.

After several hours of sleep Dipper was at the airlock with the others. The door opened and not only was Hok-Hok there now wearing a blue robe but so was someone else. "Huo-Huo what are you doing here?" Mabel asked.

"Helping my grandson of course. I will not and cannot help you fight but I will do what I can." The old man said.

"Alright then. Join us in the common area we have a plan to make." Dipper said.

After everyone sat down Hok-Hok used Ixcia to make a floor plan of the base. "I've spent most of my life there, so this is accurate. Because the Diagia believe no one can find them there aren't many defenses except for the felggur themselves. There is only a short-range sensor grid that will alert them if anyone lands on the planet."

"With Ixcia's cloak we can land undetected no problem." Gideon said.

"Even with me fighting with you we would be severely outnumbered."

"Guys what if we use the old Trojan Horse plan?" Dipper suggested.

"Oh classic!" Mabel said.

"Trojan Horse?" Huo-Huo asked.

Dipper explained. "A very old story from our planet. There was this army trying to attack the city of Troy, but they couldn't get past the city's walls. So, this army built a giant wooden statue of an animal called a horse. They left it in front of the city gates and sailed away saying it was a gift for the bravery of the soldiers of Troy. The Trojans brought the horse into city but as night fell and everyone went to sleep some soldiers of the attacking army climbed out from inside the horse and opened the gates allowing their comrades to return and destroy the city."

"Oh, yes." Huo-Huo understood. "We have a parable much like that. So, you want to sneak inside."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Gideon held his quan disk. "We've been tracking their supply ships for a year. It shouldn't be a problem to board one and have them hide us in some crates. We've even been saving up in case we needed a large amount money for the plan. One hundred kiloquan should be a big enough bribe."

"Even then there will be felggur everywhere." Hok-Hok said.

"If only we could get them all to leave." Mabel groaned.

Hok-Hok remembered something. "Wait one of the first things we were taught after we were made felggur was to evacuate the base and protect the night council if a certain alarm was raised."

"Like the fire drills we had at school!" Mabel snapped her fingers.

"There are panels that can activate the alarm all over the complex including the supply room that the crates should be taken to. The only problem is that only someone with the registered DNA of a diagia activate it." Hok-Hok looked at the floor plan again. "The supply room is right across from the renewal chamber. That is where the brainwashing is reapplied and except for council meetings there should always be at least one diagia there. So how do we get that person into the supply room?"

"Leave that to Mabel and her trusty grappling hook."

Dipper clapped his hands. "Great! This is not just a rescue mission though. Hok-Hok how many of these…" Dipper was disgusted at the thought of the machines. "...shadow cradles are there?"

"Two dozen in the renewal chamber and one in this room." Hok-Hok pointed to it on the floor plan.

"Gideon do we have enough explosives?"

"If we all carry about two belts going in and with proper placement in the renewal chamber then yes, we got just enough. I'll need to get more afterward."

"Good, but if we want to end them for good well need to destroy all data on them as well. If anyone gets the idea in their heads to build more of these things, then should have to start from scratch! Did you finish making that computer virus I asked you about two weeks go?"

Mabel stood up. "We both finished it and it's safely stored in an isolated section of Ixcia's memory. Once she uploads it all their computers will be good for is as doorstops."

"One problem with that plan." Hok-Hok said. "The only external link is the communications channel for clients. It's not connected to the main computer."

"You can build an external data drive link to my systems." Ixcia said splitting her display again with the plans for the device.

Gideon snapped his fingers. "I can build that right now in five minutes! Soostron get me a box of spare parts!"

"The main computer should be in this room here." Hok-Hok pointed it out on the map. "There is no guarantee that all the felggur including your friend will be on planet when we do this. I suggest your computer uploads whatever current missions are active, who the targets are and who was assigned the missions. We'll contact the proper authorities so lives can be saved and the rest of the felggur rescued.

"There is still the matter of those who first built the cradles." Huo-Huo said. "Are you really going to kill them so no one can build more?"

"We won't have to grandfather. The cradles were built long ago by a long dead people only Dr. Slivix knows how to work them or make repairs. It's how his family have remained the strongest of the daigia." Hok-Hok said.

"So, you mean this plan could succeed with no bloodshed!"

"Who is this Slivix?" Dipper asked. "He has to be the one who did this to you and Pacifica. I want to personally make sure he faces justice for what he's done."

Mabel took Dippers hand. "Dipper remember what we talked about last year. Don't let this guy make you into something you're not. I'm angry too but we have to be better than the bad guys or it's not worth it."

"I just don't want him to get away. Please Hok-Hok what does he look like?"

Hok-Hok closed his eyes. "He is a blue skinned man with a long tail instead of legs and he is always wearing a mask. I've never seen his face."

"That's the guy who bought Pacifica in the first place!" Mabel said.

Dipper took a breath. "Right, the last part of this plan will be exit, backup, and timing. Ixcia you should still come to the planet cloaked; you can track us with our implants. Your job will be to provide a quick exit if something goes wrong and just as important you need keep the felggur outside after they evacuate. They may be tough, but I don't think they would tangle with your Tri-laser canons."

"Understood." was Ixcia's reply.

"One last thing, we should do this as close to this renewal ceremony as possible. If we do it before that then it means we should have to wait only hours at the most for the brainwashing to wear off and the tables will be completely turned on the diagia."

Hok-Hok crossed his arms an swung his tail. "In that case we need to act in the next few days. I have been keeping track of when I would have been renewed in anticipation of this day."

Huo-Huo raised his hand. "What can I do to help?"

Mabel thought for a moment. "There are going to be a whole lot of people who will have just woken up from the longest nightmare ever when this over. I think you should get back to your ship and wait for our signal out of their scanner range. You'll either need to help us get out which means the plan went to heck or we succeeded and there will be a lot of people like your grandson who will need your help. Especially when comes to finding their homes and families. It's going to be very big job."

"No, it will be a privilege. If we succeed, then in a few days you'll have rid this galaxy of an evil that scourged it for a thousand years."

A few days later Dr. Slivix called an emergency meeting of the diagia. "What this about?" Kofmo complained.

"Yes, Slivix it is almost time for the renewal. This had better be important." Jomi said.

"Then I'll get right to the point." Slivix pulled up an image. "We got a job offer from the regent of the Imperium, Duradis."

"He does know a lot of our clients hire us to kill his generals, right?" Kofmo mocked.

"He wants us to send our best assassin to kill the young Empress Stellara in three days' time." Slivix explained.

"Impossible!" Kofmo said as the others talked amongst themselves. "You may not remember this old man but a few years ago I told you that with SR-225's kind branded as heretics, she can't set foot on an Imperium world! Much less the capital!

Jomi spoke next. "Not only that but if she is to make this deadline, she must take our only ship and leave within the hour! She must be renewed today, and the full process takes five hours!"

Slivix held up his hands. "A fifteen-minute renewal will let her remain in our control for the necessary three days and Duradis assures me she will not be harmed and will hold her for us until we can send someone to retrieve her and the ship." It was time for Slivix to lay his cards on the table. "I have been keeping a secret from you all. As you know it was my ancestors who first found the shadow cradles and the secrets of their operation that have been passed down the generations. However, they never fully understood all the components, we have made repairs to the cradles as best we could but after a thousand years of use and two thousand more buried certain key components are starting to break down. I estimate that most if not all of the cradles will be inoperable two or three years." There hushed whispers among the council. "However, Duradis as offered that along with double our usual fee that as emperor he would allow the Felggur to become a sanctioned organization in the Imperium! He would send the best scientists and unlimited funding in studying the cradles. I am positive we would not only repair what we have but also build more! We would have legions of felggur spreading our influence on to other galaxies. We can help Duradis take over the universe! Give us all greater wealth and power we have even dreamed of. Those are our choices extinction or the greatest expansion the Felggur has ever known! What say you my brothers and sisters?"

"Agreed!" They all said.

Slivix turned on the P.A. system. "SR-225 report to the first cradle."

Sixteen minutes later Pacifica and Slivix were making their way to the launch bay when they ran into a younger felggur pushing a cart with four crates on it. "Excuse me father we just received these supplies."

"Yes, yes take them to the supply room. We are in a hurry." Slivix waved the boy off. As the crates were pushed away the pair made it to the ship. It was dark grey and shaped like a bullet with three semicircular wings. "This will be the most impactful mission of your life. An appropriate disguise is already on board for you." He handed Pacifica a tablet. "This is the client and the target. You are going to kill an empress."

Pacifica took the tablet and looked it over. "No! She's only six years old!" Pacifica thought as she handed the tablet back.

"Your success will propel the Felggur to new heights. Now before you leave tell me what the first law of the felggur is?"

"Obedience is everything." Pacifica said entering the ship and taking off.

Two minutes earlier when they were sure no one else in the supply room the rescue team exited the crates. "So far so good." Gideon said.

Mabel peeked around the corner of the doorway. "I don't see anyone in the hallway." she whispered. "I do see a fat pink guy in the next room. He hasn't noticed us."

"Is he wearing a purple cloak?" "Hok-Hok asked.

"Yes."

"That is one of the diagia."

"Just who we need. Like I said before leave this to Mabel." Mabel took aim with her grappling hook and fired. The cord wrapped around Kofmo and he was quickly pulled into the supply room. Everyone covered their noses for a second as Mabel switched to blaster mode. "Alright Stinky. If you don't want another hole in your head, you'll hit the evac alarm."

Kofmo held up his hands. "How did you get here?"

"Do as she says Kofmo." Hok-Hok pointed his sword at his former master.

"You! You're supposed to be dead!"

"Stop stalling!" Dipper said. "And don't try anything. Hok-Hok will know if you do and you'll be dead before any help arrives." Reluctantly Kofmo hit the alarm and a whooping sound could be heard all over the base.

Slivix met with Jomi. "What is going on?" he asked.

"I don't know! We are following standard procedure." She answered.

"Go with the others I must make sure our data is secure. We can't lose it so close to saving our order!" Slivix slithered away as fast as he could.

Back at the supply room the team saw several felggur run by. "Good. Things should be clear now." Dipper said pulling out the drive. "I'll head to the main computers you guys start setting the charges on the shadow cradles."

"You can't they're not replaceable!" Kofmor shouted.

"That's the idea." Gideon said.

Mabel shook her gun. "I'll keep an eye this guy, so he won't warn anybody."

"Let's go!" Dipper said as he left, the others moved to the next chamber.

Outside to base Jomi completed a head count. "Where is Kofmo?" she asked as Ixcia decloaked with her cannons already deployed.

Ixcia spoke through her load speakers. "Please remain where you are. Any attempt to reenter your facility will result in you being fired upon."

Jomi growled. "Prepare to att…" Before she could finish Ixcia pointed one cannon in another direction and fired making a very large crater.

"Please remain where you are and make no attempt to attack or return to your facility. This is your final warning."

Inside Dipper made it to the computer room. "Right here." Dipper said as he plugged the drive in a port. "Ixcia you should be connected."

"Confirmed, beginning download. I have secured the remaining felggur." Ixcia said over the communicator.

"Who are you and what are doing?" Slivix shouted. "Wait I know you. You are one of the other three humans!"

"And I know you are Dr. Slivix!" Dipper said firing beams from his gauntlet. Slivix dodged them. "And we are here to make you pay for what you did to your victims!"

"Yes, we killed many but a great deal of them were warlords and crime bosses. Are you so naive to think to that change can be achieved in this universe without violence?"

"I also mean the Felggur themselves! You kidnap, break, manipulate and discard them! You ruin innocent children who only want to grow up to live happy lives! It all stops here! Today!"

"It will not be easy. I have trained felggur for sixty years. Did you think I would know nothing of combat?" Slivix reach behind his cloak and pulled out two small scythes.

Back in the renewal chamber Gideon and Hok-Hok had placed several bombs. "I'm almost out. I can take this last one to the first cradle." Hok-Hok said.

"Go. I can handle the rest." Gideon said.

As Hok-Hok left Kofmo was sweating. "Listen I can pay you whatever you want if you stop what you are doing!"

Mabel shot at his feet. "Fat chance! Don't you feel the least bit bad about what you do here? All the lives these things destroyed?"

Gideon placed on more bombs. "Ignore him Mabel. All this guy seems to care about is money. Just a few more to go." Kofmo then release a large cloud of gas blinding the two. As they coughed, he ran out of the room. "He's getting away!" Gideon pulled out his gun.

"No Gideon! You were right! We have a job to finish. There's nothing he can do about it now and the work can go faster."

Outside Jomi was getting frustrated. The felggur looked like they were having headaches. "We should have started the renewal by now." She said as Kofmo ran out right under Ixcia.

"Jomi they're going to…blow up the…shadow cradles! They made me… turn on…the alarm." Kofmos said as he gasped for air.

"Please remain where you are." Ixcia's voice made Kofmo look up.

Jomi grabbed Kofmo with her third hand and pulled him right to her lowered face. "You idiot!"

In the computer room the fight continued. "You think what you're doing is so noble don't you?" Slivix said giving Dipper's left arm a cut. "But it is just your own hatred of us! You are no better!"

Ixcia's voice came over the com. "Everyone the download is complete. Pacifica is not here. She has been sent on a mission to assassinate the Empress of the Grand Cosmic Imperium."

"You see? There is nothing you can do to stop it!" Slivix tried to slash Dipper's throat.

Dipper dodged the blade and used one of his boosters to give a more powerful kick breaking Slivix's right arm. "Shut up!"

"That was clever. Maybe I should have tried to bid on you too. You would have been as good an assassin as SR-225." Slivix said through the pain.

"Her name is Pacifica!" Dipper gave a strong punch breaking Slivix's mask and forcing him to drop his scythes.

Slivix lifted his head showing he had snake eyes and his mouth opened sideways revealing razor sharp teeth as a forked tongue lash out. He lunged at Dipper but stopped as he went into a coughing fit. He looked up to Dipper. "Go ahead. Finish it." Slivix wheezed.

"No." Dipper said. "That's what you want, but I'm not a killer. I may have come close once, but I won't kill someone unless lives are on the line and don't give the you're dying anyway line because of your mask. When what you looked like was described to me days ago, I investigated your species. You wear a filter mask because of a medical condition that makes you weak without it but it's not fatal. Besides I got something worse for you." The sound of explosions could be heard.

"What was that?" Slivix asked.

"That was the sound of every shadow cradle being blown up. Ixcia code hotdog skateboard goat."

"Confirmed." Ixica said.

On the screens of the computers the image of Gompers the goat appeared. "Hi, I'm Mabel and your computer's data is being deleted by the Gompers computer virus." Mabel's prerecord voice said as the goat bleated and began to everything on the screens. "Hungry little guy isn't?"

"Nooooo!" Slivix screamed.

Dipper grabbed Slivix by his robe. "Your family started this a thousand years ago and you said you've been at this for sixty years. Your family's legacy and your life's work has been destroyed. You can spend the rest of your life thinking about that." Dipper flew down the corridor dragging Slivix right behind him.

Dipper joined to others outside as he tossed Slivix into the crowd. "Dipper! We did it!" Mabel said.

"Damn you humans! You and all your kind!" Jomi shouted.

Slivix began to laugh. "You may have ended the Felggur, but our legacy will endure. When the Empress dies by your friend's hand in three days there will be no doubt that we were the deadliest force in the galaxy!"

Suddenly all the Felggur held their heads and screamed in pain. "Just like it was with me." Hok-Hok said.

There were a lot of angry faces staring at the Diagia. "You ruined my life!" one Felggur said.

"My friend died because of your training!" another said.

"It's all your fault and you are going to pay!" said a third.

The Ixcia crew couldn't stop the coming bloodbath so they turned away as the former mind-controlled assassins set upon the ones who were their masters. The diagia members were far outnumbered and couldn't fight back against so many. When it was over the humans could hardly recognize the bloody piles of flesh and bone that were once people. It took all their will power not to throw up. "Huo-Huo it's all over. Come on down." Mabel said trying to put what just happened behind her.

A gold colored crescent shaped ship came down. This was an Imperium freighter and Huo-Huo and Hok-Hok's ship. While that ship landed Dipper had one more thought. "Ixcia let's make sure the job is done. Target those ruins and fire! Leave nothing that anyone can use."

"Confirmed." Ixci fired several times until all that was left was the bedrock. After that she landed as did the other ship.

The cargo bay door of Huo-Huo's ship opened and he walked out. "Hello. I am glad to meet you all. My grandson and I are here to help you all heal your spirits and find what families and homes you have left. We will help you find a future for every one of you."

"We'd hate to just leave you two with all of these folks to take care of, but we have to go now if we want to catch up to Pacifica." Gideon said.

Mabel gave Hok-Hok a hug. "But we know they're in good hands. We couldn't have done this without you Hok-Hok."

Hok-Hok nodded. "And I wouldn't be free to have helped if weren't for all of you."

"It is sad that you must leave so quickly without hearing the thanks of all these souls." Huo-Huo said. He then spoke to the crowd. "Everyone you should burn their names and faces into your hearts and memories. Dipper, Mabel, and Gideon. Though they came to save a friend, one of your own, they have given you back your lives. Never forget what they have done this day. Now everyone into our ship, be sure to help the little ones."

"Come on guys." Dipper said. "We need to go too." They got into Ixcia and she took off.

"Okay, so we know that Pacifica is going after the Empress but, where is she?" Mabel asked.

"There is only place she can be." Ixcia said. "The capital of the Grand Galactic Imperium and perhaps the most fortified planet in the universe, Celestio."

Eleven years later,

"They all got what they deserved." Pacifica said. "After using them as weapons for most of their lives the minute they lost control those weapons turned on them. We never knew each other's names or could really talk to each other but hearing that the others were in the care of people who did care is a relief. It's a comfort to know that there are others like me who went through what I did and survived."

Dipper smiled. "I sometimes wonder how Hok-Hok and the others are doing now. Are they safe and happy? Did any of them reunite with any of their families or made some of their own?"

"Well you know the answer for one at least. I made a new family with you, the smartest and most wonderful man I know, with Mabel, Gideon, and Ixcia. You all made me very happy. And now I reunited with my old family who I now know loves me too. A happy ending so far."

"Most defiantly." Priscilla said. "But however, Mason you stopped before you got to the part of the story we really want to hear."

"Indeed." Preston agreed. "You have the perfect set up. The brave and dashing hero and his companions racing to storm the castle to save not only the princess but also an innocent little girl."

"I wish it was that simple Dad." Pacifica sighed. "While they did get me back on Celestio the events that took place there caused ripples that made our lives so much harder until we got to the Milky Way."

"But the whole storming the castle part is a good analogy. Or as I recall Gideon saying at the time…"

Eleven years ago,

"We are entering the Lions' Den. You know that, right?" Gideon said as he made an adjustment to one of Ixcia's parts.

Dipper handed Gideon a tool. "Well then it's a good thing that the lions think we're dead."

"A lion will eat the meat if it's dead or alive. I'm just saying if we make one mistake, we're all dead and that includes Pacifica. There finished." The part Gideon worked on lit up in a yellow light.

"We are arriving at our destination. Everyone, please come to the bridge." Ixcia said.

On the way to the bridge Dipper and Gideon found Mabel painting on one of the doors of the crew quarters. "Since we're either getting Pacifica back today or we are all going die I'd figure I would go head and paint Pacifica's name on her new room. I even used her favorite color, Hot Pink." Mabel pointed to her work. The I's were even dotted with little hearts.

Dipper put his hand on his sister shoulder. "I'm sure she'll love it Mabel but let's focus on getting her back and keeping her from doing something she would regret forever."

When they got to the bridge, they saw countless ships. Many of them were Imperium warships but most were much smaller ones flying to and from a planet that looked much like Earth except the southern half of the northern continent they could see was one enormous city with what looked several maglev lines going to an alien equivalent of the Great Wall of China surrounding a circular pattern on the northern half of the continent. "Those are a lot of space doughnuts." Mabel said pointing out the destroyers.

Dipper looked over the planet. "There's something that doesn't make sense. Our schooling told us the Imperium came to this galaxy a hundred years ago." He then looked at navigation. "Then how come the capital is in this galaxy?"

"That is because Celestio is the only known mobile planet." Ixcia explained.

Everyone was confused. "Say what now?" Gideon said.

"On one side of the planet are the global engines that propel it though space to any system they wish. The Imperium sends Celestio to the galaxy they are focusing their efforts to conquer once a secure foot hold is made. The side we are looking at contains the capital city of Primia located south of the Imperial Palace. As you can see there are many patrols and my cloaking system will not function with the jamming net that surrounds the planet."

"So how can we even get close?" Mabel asked.

"How we can succeed in our mission has a great deal to do with the mission that Pacifica has been sent on. According to the data we retrieved the Felggur were hired by Regent Duradis to assassinate Empress Stellara on the condition that the assassination be complete before the end of the day."

"Alright. Typical kill the heir to the throne so the bad guy gets it."

Dipper tapped his chin. "But why does it need to be today?"

"Five days ago, Stellara turned six. According to the religious teachings of the Imperium she is now old enough to speak the will of the universe. Because she too young to rule herself tradition mandates that she appoint a person the position of Voice of the Stars. This individual is to speak what she says is the will of the universe to the royal court and on the authority of these words is the only person who can veto the decisions of the regent."

"So, he has to gamble. Either he keeps all the power he's had for three years for the rest of his life or effectively have it cut in half until he loses it all in eleven years." Gideon said.

"And how does this help us?" Mabel asked.

"The Naming of the Voice is a public ceremony and would be Stellara's first public appearance since her father's death. Millions of Imperium citizens are arriving even now to attend."

"So, there are too many people for the Imps to keep track of!"

"And with the adjustment you made to my identifying transponder they will not recognize me as a ship that once carried known heretics."

"Even if we can land safely if anyone realizes were humans it's over." Dipper said.

Ixcia displayed a white robe with a large hood and gold trim. "All regular citizens who are in the presence of the Empress are required to wear this garment and have the hood up the conceal the face, so all citizens are equal in her eyes. It shouldn't be difficult to obtain them on the surface."

Mabel laughed at her own thought. "It would be like one of those Locate Larry books except all the characters are wearing stripped sweaters."

Gideon flex his muscles. "I just hope we can find one in double extra-large."

"Right, so let's find a place to land and get a map to the palace. Security will be tight Gideon you should get a jammer ready. I doubt they'll let us bring weapons inside and sad as I am to say it until Pacifica snaps out of it, she won't go without a fight." Dipper said.

"I'm on it Dipper." Gideon left the bridge to get to work.

Dipper took the helm when a call came in. "Cargo vessel identify yourself."

Mabel ran to navigation and opened the channel. "This is Sally Hugsalot, captain of the cargo ship Pacifica's Chance. We are carrying several passengers who hope to see her highness."

"Them and everyone else. We can't get a visual on you."

"We have had a big party last night celebrating seeing the Empress and one of the passengers indulged a little too much and broke our bridge camera. We'll get it fixed before we leave."

"Well tell him he better be sober in front of our young leader. A landing pad will be available in ten minutes."

"Thank you." Mabel closed the channel.

Dipper wiped the sweat off his brow. "We better hurry, Pacifica already has a head start on us. Unlike getting into the felggur headquarters we are going to have to make up most the plan as we go."

"By the seats of our pants as usual."

When they landed in the enormous city, they met a young orange man with his mouth at the end of a tube coming out of his head. "Right guess you guys will be docked until tomorrow like most of the pilgrims…" the dock worker yawned. "…sorry not getting much sleep with so many coming the past few days. Just let me secure you ship with the docking clamps, so tired."

Dipper pulled out his quan disk. "Or you could forget the clamps, move on to you next job, not tell anyone about it, and make five centaquan."

"Whatever. If it lets me get to bed sooner, then fine." They made the exchange and the humans followed the map or the scantrix. "Couldn't let Ixcia be held down, not if we need our usual quick getaway."

They walked out to the street and saw many people in the white robes. "Now all we need is to get the right clothes and we can be on our way." Mabel said.

Gideon looked around. "We may have a slight problem with that. Look at the stores around here." They saw a lot of signs with the robes on them that read 'sold out'. "We don't have time to find a place that still has them. So, that leaves us with one option." Gideon lead the twins into an alley and down the street as three robed pilgrims coming down the street. "They look about our sizes."

A few seconds later the three were disrobed and on the ground unconscious. "You and your Empress will thank us for this one day." Dipper said. They made their way to the mag-lev station and boarded the crowded train. As it left the station the scenery began to blur as it sped up. The city gave way to vast fields like a lawn that was miles long broken up only by the occasional pond or small forest. The train slowed down as it came to a massive wall. They disembarked following the crowd to an opening in the wall that was guarded by a dozen centurions making the pilgrims go one at a time through scanning booths. The apparent commanding officer was a male Fenari.

"I'll go first and jam the scanners." Gideon volunteered.

Gideon walked up to the booth and turned the jammer on. As he walked into the booth the helmeted centurion stopped him. "Something's wrong. I'm not getting any kind of readings from you."

"Well that is unfortunate." Gideon said hoping to avoid a pat down that would expose his blaster.

"You're not moving until I get a reading."

Dipper noticed the jammer was also affecting the other nearby scanners and others were being held up. This gave him an idea. "Hey buster!" Dipper yelled at Gideon. "You're holding up the line!"

Mabel saw the other lines were also starting to complain. She realized her brother's plan and decided to help fan the flames of discord. "Yeah! Some of us want to see her grace before she becomes an old lady!" Mabel was careful to say what was truthful so the fenari officer wouldn't suspect anything.

More people were getting angry. "What do we do? If this keeps up, we could have a riot on our hands!" one centurion said.

The commanding officer decided. "Let them through. With all the security and witnesses in the plaza only an idiot would try something against her holiness there." The group of humans moved through quickly and entered a large crowed plaza with the appearance that some people were camping there for days. It was in front of a giant palace made with gold trimmed marble with several stain glass windows and had a large balcony. They rode a small hovercraft with camera drones flying all around for the big event.

"Thanks guys, that was close." said a grateful Gideon. "Now how do we find Pacifica? She must be wearing the same kind of disguise as we are."

Mabel spoke up. "What that Imp said was right. Pacifica wouldn't try to attack here. She must have found a way inside the palace."

Dipper tried to get close to the place for a look. "I doubt Duradis would have just let her in the front door. She would need an entrance that could be easy to find if you were looking for it, but most people wouldn't notice it. That could be it." He pointed to a small open basement window behind a flowering bush.

"That looks like a tight squeeze." Gideon said.

"It's all we have right now." Dipper knelt and crawled through followed by Mabel. Gideon almost got stuck on his pecs but was able to get through after making a large exhale.

Mabel looked around. "She was definitely here. Look these bars were bolted over the window but Duradis must have removed it for Pacifica and look over there. That must be the robe she used."

As they took off the robes to be ready to restrain Pacifica Dipper contacted Ixcia. "Ixcia according to the felggur data how long until Pacifica's brainwashing wears off?"

"Approximately four hours. The Naming of the Voice ceremony is to begin in five hours."

"And we have to search a building the size of two large shopping malls. Mabel, Gideon we have no choice but to spilt up."

Mabel held up her wrist. "We should stay on coms and call as soon as Pacifica is found."

"I think I have an idea that might increase our chances. We know she's looking for Stellara so if we find the kid and stick close Pacifica should come us." Gideon said.

Dipper took his gauntlet off his belt and put it on. "We'll look for both then. Try to stay out of sight and call if there's trouble. Let's bring Pacifica home guys."

They left the basement and went in three separate directions. Dipper went to the eastern wing and went up some stairs, Gideon took the west wing, and Mabel cut down the middle and found herself in a large garden with a hedge maze. As she made her way through the maze, she heard a bouncing ball. Mabel peered around the hedge and saw Empress Stellara playing with bright pink ball alone. "This is Mabel, I found the Empress. She's in the middle of the gardens." She whispered.

Dipper's voice came over. "Stay close Mabel. We'll keep looking for Pacifica but now we know to make our way toward the center, whatever you do don't let her see you!"

"Right." Mabel looked up from the com to see Stellara staring right at her.

"Hello, would you please you play me?" The blue skinned girl had grown since Mabel first saw her on the news, but she still had her blonde braid but now wore a white dress with sapphires sown into it and a small gold tiara.

"Uh, okay…" Mabel looked around but didn't see any guards. "…but why are you alone your highness?"

Stellara sighed. "I was tired of everyone being afraid of the guards if they do something if they say or do the wrong thing around me. But if I'm not alone I'm supposed have the guards with me, so I'm playing alone but it's not much fun. I know today is very special and I should be happy but I'm not. I picked Mother to be the Voice so we can be together more but, I don't hear or feel what the universe wants! I should but I can't! If I can't tell Mother what the universe needs her to say, then Duradis may send her away! I didn't expect this! This isn't how it's supposed to be! Duradis is right, all things must be in order and the unexpected leads to nothing chaos and ruin!" Stellara began to cry.

"Pardon my language your majesty but that's just baloney! Unexpected surprises can lead you to the most amazing fun things in your life!"

"How?"

Mabel tried to think of a good example and then had a great idea. "Let me tell you the story of the Mystery Twins and the Gnomes." Mabel sat down.

"What is a Gnome?" Stellara asked.

"Tiny bearded men with magical powers. Once upon a time the was a boy named…Pine Tree who was smart and curious and his sister Shooting Star who was creative, playful, and pretty. One summer they were sent to visit their great uncle…Moonfish who lived in an old shack in the woods that he made into a museum of the most amazing things in the world with the help of his young friends Question Mark and Ice. After a few days Pine Tree found a mysterious Journal in the forest…"

Dipper wandered the hallways looking at the scantrix. "Come on! I should easily pick up Pacifica's life signs! But this place is so big Pacifica could be way out of range! I got find her before she finds the Empress." As Dipper stared at the device, he walked into someone knocking them down. "I'm so sorry!" Dipper helped the woman up without thinking.

The woman was a Celestanite with shoulder length black hair in a simple red dress. "It is alright. With everything going on people have been bumping into me all day. So, tell me what were you muttering under your breath about the Empress? What does this Pacifica plan to do with my daughter?"

"Wait, you're her mother?"

"And don't think about lying to me. I may not be a fenari but before I came to the palace, I was in the company of conmen for most of my life, so I know a lie when I hear one. I recognize your species. Emperor Grandus declared you all heretics."

"Listen I'm trying to save my friend and your daughter! Pacifica became felggur against her will! I just want to stop her long enough for her mind to become her own again without her being haunted with memory of killing a little girl who like her was born into the expectations that come with being from powerful family. My sister is watching Stellara right now."

Stellara's mother looked into Dipper's eyes. "You are speaking from your heart. I believe you."

"That is a relief. I never expected Grandus' wife to believe a heretic."

"I was chosen to be a concubine to bare Grandus an heir before he passed because I had just turned twenty-five, the age I could begin to have children and was at my most fertile. I bare no ill will to any he called heretic since I would be considered one myself.

"How's that?"

"I suppose a formal introduction is in order. I am Veritas and I am a Child of Cosmodius."

Dipper shook Veritas' hand. "Dipper Pines and I have no idea what that means."

"I'm not surprised, the Imperium wishes to hide anything that would taint its image of orderly unity. It all started 4000 years ago with Empress Astrada and her younger brother prince Cosmodius. Though he could not inherit the Diamond Throne since his sister already had a son; Cosmodius dedicated his life to studying the Sacred Writings of the Imperium faith. However, his sister grew arrogant, proclaiming that she was the manifestation of the will of the universe. Cosmodius knew from his studies that this was a twisted interpretation of his faith for the writings say that the ruler of the Imperium's duty is to interpret the will of the universe by listening to many kinds of people. To hear the different perspectives and facets of life. When he couldn't convince Astrada to turn from this path he made it his mission to preserve the writings and teach them to any who would listen, they became a new sect of the Imperium faith called the Children of Cosmodius. After both siblings had passed away Astrada's son Emperor Titanar the Fifth declared all Cosmodius' followers heretics and the members of my sect have been living in hiding ever since."

"And now you are mother of the Empress."

"Lately she has been having doubts about her 'divinity' and she is naming me Voice of the Stars so we can spend more time together. I hate to take advantage of her loneliness but Duradis never allows me to see her so I couldn't teach her of my faith, the faith of her grandmother, the true teachings her Imperium was founded on and her role in the universe. I can't let anything happen to Stellara, she is my child, and this may be the last chance to save the soul of my people. I will help you protect her and save your friend."

"Great so what do we need to do?"

"You said your friend is felggur so she has to be working for someone. Who hired her, how did you learn of this plot? We might be able to force them to cancel the contract. No contract means she won't try to kill Stellara."

"It was Duradis. When my friends and I destroyed the felggur's operations we got all the details from their computers."

"Duradis but why?"

"It's a classic story where I'm from. Stellara is the last of a royal line and if she dies Duradis becomes Emperor."

"That does make sense but…never mind. I'll confront him and have him cancel the contract. I need you to go to your sister and help protect my daughter."

"Are you sure about this? What if he tries something?"

"One scream from me and six centurions will burst into the room to see what's wrong. But just in case…" Veritas handed Dipper a tablet. "This contains a copy of the original Sacred Writings. I was going to tell Stellara everything after the ceremony and give this to her. If something does happen to me give this to her and tell her what I told you."

Dipper placed the tablet in his coat. "I'll treat like it was my journal which was very special to me. Good luck Veritas."

"And good fortune to you Dipper. I do hope you will save your friend. When this over I can talk to Stellara. She will be so grateful for what you did she'll overturn her father's decree."

Gideon went from room to room trying to find Pacifica. When he opened one door, he stepped back leaving it open just a crack because he recognized the man inside as one who one year ago believed Gideon had died. "Congratulations on your promotion Lieutenant." A female stone centurion with red crystals growing out of her head.

"I'm still don't know if I deserve it Rubya."

"Of course, you do sir."

"Not sure if I can get used you calling me sir. We both started in basic training together."

Rubya slammed the bottoms of her fists together. "Please don't deny me the right to praise a fellow Orebaro warrior for his achievements. You lead the squad that killed three heretics, an assassin, and exposed a corrupt governor. You earned your rank. I just hope to catch up to you someday old friend."

Gideon closed the door and saw Pacifica at the end of the hall before she walked to the next. "Guys!" Gideon said into his com. "I found her. She's making her way east from the west wing! I'll keep following her!"

"Gideon have you heard from Mabel? She's not answering her com!" Dipper asked.

"No. Mabel my sweet what are you doing?"

Duradis entered his office and walked up to window seeing his black uniform with silver medals reflected at him. He looked out to gardens with a pair of binoculars. He found Stellara, soon his plans would come to fruition. The Diagia member he spoke to was insistent that he would help her escape since she is the best they have and they he didn't want to lose such an asset. Duradis would do the best he could since the Felggur was going to be his soon but if he couldn't it would be no big loss. Imperium science will give him many more just as good as her. He saw the assassin right there…no wait, the hair was the wrong color. Who was this woman? The office door opened, and Veritas came in. "You are not the voice yet. You are not permitted in here." Duradis said with contempt.

Veritas slammed the door behind her. "I know what you're planning Duradis! You hired a felggur to kill my daughter. I am giving you one chance to cancel the contract before I call the guards! The Fenari will be sure to expose your lies!"

Duradis had an indignant look on his face. "I never liked you. You think that just because you were a convenient womb for Emperor Grandus you can speak above your station! How did you find out?"

"The so-called heretics Grandus declared destroyed the rest of the felggur and told me what you plan to do. Now cancel that contract! Also, I know why you are doing this, you want to be emperor. But what I can't understand is how. How can you betray your faith and kill someone you believe to be the manifestation of the will of the universe?"

"You just answered my question for me when you said, 'you believe'. You are trusting heretics because you don't believe your daughter is divine either. A Child of Cosmodius? I thought you were all wiped out. As for me you can't betray a faith you no longer have, or perhaps I never had. I'm not sure." Before she knew what was going on was Veritas lifted by the throat off the floor just with Duradis' right hand. "It all started thirty years ago when I was a young officer and I lost this hand. Looks real doesn't it? It's illegal to have an unregistered cybernetic enhancement like this but I digress. It wasn't even in battle, just a random accident on base. I learned that day the universe has no will, it is chaotic and cruel, and order can only be achieved by those with the power and will to impose it and I vowed to be such a man! Grandus wasn't gathering enough power! The Imperium still cannot defeat the Trans-Galactic Confederacy or the Fanmarx Order alone! I tried to encourage him to gather more territory and resources, but he insisted finishing the conquest of this galaxy first! Even as Regent I cannot do what must be done because only the Emperor can declare a new front. But I should thank you Veritas." Veritas tried to pry herself lose but Durdis' hand was too strong. He was choking her to death. "You gave me the two things I needed most. By giving birth to Stellara you made it so I could go from a mere advisor to Regent and by telling me about the humans being here I have the perfect people to take the blame for her death." He unceremoniously dropped Veritas' body on the floor and picked his binoculars to watch the moment he would become emperor.

Mabel had continued to tell Stellara the stories of the Mystery Twins. The girl couldn't get enough of them. "…and a masked figure came out of the machine placing a six-fingered hand on Journal #1 he picked it up and placed it in his coat. Pine Tree asked 'What? Who is that?' The man took of his mask and had the same face as Grunkle Moonfish. Grunkle Moonfish said 'The Author of the Journals. My brother.'"

"Grunkle Moonfish had a twin brother? I never expected that!" Stellara said jumping up and down.

She stopped as soon as Pacifica walked up. "Eliminate the target." Pacifica then thought. "Mabel, kill me! Don't let me do this!" For a split second when Pacifica looked at Stellara she saw herself at six years old.

"Stellara run!" Mabel yelled.

Pacifica twirled her daggers and then connected them at their hilts which lengthened to Pacifica's height. The blades spilt open to three points turning her two daggers into a double-bladed trident. "Must eliminate…the target!" Pacifica said.

Stellara screamed and ran. Pacifica tried to chase her, but a grappling hook snagged her weapon. "Pacifica the diagia are all gone! You don't have to obey them anymore."

"Felggur most obey the client…until the mission is complete!" Pacifica said as she pulled the hook off.

Gideon came running in and tackled Pacifica. "Why did you turn off your com Mabel?" Pacifica struggled to throw the muscular teen off her. "Ixcia how long until she snaps out of it?" Gideon was also struggling keep his grip on Pacifica.

"Ten to fifteen minutes. I am already on the way."

"Great." Gideon said before Pacifica elbowed him in the stomach.

Stellara ran all the way to the palace until she ran into a group of four guards. "Help! In the garden! She had knives!"

"You two stay here with the Empress!" Buckgis said.

"And call in reinforcements!" Rubya added.

Back at the garden Pacifica broke free. "Where…is…the Empress?"

"That doesn't matter now Pacifica you can come home now." Gideon said. Pacifica kicked him down.

"Must return…shadow cradle! Complete…mission." Pacifica turned toward Mabel.

"Those cradle things are gone now. Pacifica just hold on!" Mabel said as Pacifica tried to stab her.

Dipper flew in just in time and grabbed Pacifica's weapon with his gauntlet. "Just a few more minutes and this nightmare is over Pacifica. I promise!"

Duradis was not happy. The Empress had to have found a guard by now and there was a dead body in his office. The assassination was a failure, but he could still make the most of this situation. With Veritas dead the position of Voice was now open. He just had to secure his own alibi and the human with the gauntlet was perfect for it. Duradis put down his binoculars down and opened the window. And then he went outside his office. Duradis hated that he would have to make a mess and ruin his antique furniture, but he needed to go through his actions perfectly for what he would say to the fenari investigators. First, he used his cybernetic hand to break down the door, then he hit his bookcase. After that he smashed his desk in two and then turned to face the entrance. This would not be fun, but he'd secure his alibi and place the blame on the human. Duradis used his cybernetic fist to hit his own face hard giving him a bloody nose and his right eye swollen shut as he fell onto the remains of the desk. Even though he was in pain he was satisfied that he was in perfect view Veritas' body. Now all he had to do was wait for when someone would come to report the assassination attempt.

Pacifica threw Dipper against a nearby tree. "Those who…interfere…must be…eliminated!" she said tears running down her face.

"Almost there! Everyone, rush her!" Dipper said.

Mabel wrapped her cable around Pacifica's legs. "You're not alone! We're all here for you Pacifica. It's time we all go home together!"

Gideon grappled Pacifica's left arm and forced her to stab her trident into the ground. "We promised each other to help each other be better people. This is me keeping that promise. A Raider never leaves a comrade behind!"

Dipper took hold of Pacifica's right arm with his gauntlet and turn her face toward his. "You're are almost there Pacifica! Look at me. No will ever control you again I swear it!"

Pacifica screamed. Her head felt like flaming needles were being push out of her skull and the wall in her mind shattered. Her eyes opened clear. She looked at her friends seeing how she and they have grown all this time. "It's really over. I…I can make my own choices again! None of those stupid laws mean anything to me! I'm like totally free!"

Pacifica's friends let her go and she leaned against her trident. "Maybe you should put that away." Gideon suggested.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." With a simple twist the trident split in two and retracted back into her daggers which she sheathed.

"I don't know about you guys but this whole thing has left me exhausted." Mabel said.

"Try going three against one. But this is a fight I am glad I lost."

Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. "No, I say we all won and the felggur lost."

No sooner than Dipper said that the humans were surrounded by centurions. "Don't move! You are all…wait a minute. You three should be dead!" Buckgis said.

Gideon slapped his forehead. "Right with everything that was going on I forgot to tell you that Buckgis is here."

Pacifica held up her hands. "Listen I know I scared the girl, but I wasn't in my right mind until a few seconds ago."

Rubya walked right up to Pacifica. "Your state of mind doesn't matter heretic!" Rubya took Pacifica's arm whose eyes glazed over as she twisted the rock woman arm followed by a sweep kick.

After that Pacifica's eyes went back to normal. "I don't why I did that." As soon as she said this Buckgis used his stun stick on Pacifica shocking her unconscious.

"No, Pacifica!" Dipper knelt to pick her up and noticed a small object fell out of the bag on the back of her belt.

"Lieutenant, reports are coming in of a ship breaking into the palace air space! Our patrol ships are having a hard time shooting it down! It will be over the palace in two minutes!" a centurion reported to Buckgis.

Dipper held the item in the palm of his hand for Mabel and Gideon to see. "We've spent too many years trying to find each other! It's not going to end like this!"

Buckgis readied his weapon. "And what do you think you can do heretic?"

"This!" Dipper threw down the flash disk as he, Gideon, and Mabel covered their eyes. All the guards around were unable to move as Ixica flew in and hovered above them opening her cargo bay door while Imperium patrol ships continued to fire at her. Dipper picked Pacifica up bridal style and used his boosters to fly to Ixcia followed by Mabel using her grappling hook to zip up and Gideon with his rocket pack. Ixcia closed the door and flew off with the other ships still in pursuit.

"Ixcia get us out of here!" Gideon said.

Mabel took Pacifica from Dippers arms. "I'll take her to sick bay! You two go to the bridge!"

As Dipper and Gideon got to the bridge Gideon took tactical shooting down two patrol ships as two cruisers came in. Dipper took the helm trying to shake them off. "Shields at 9%" Ixcia reported.

"How long until we can leave the atmosphere?" Dipper asked.

"Ten minutes. Shields now at 3%. Estimated hull breach in eight minutes."

"Take that!" Gideon shouted as he disabled a cruiser. "We got to get away! For every ship we shoot down two more starts shooting!

Mabel ran in taking engineering. "Pacifica is secure in sick bay."

"Ixcia can we jump in the atmosphere?" Dipper asked as some of the floor blew. Soostron came in and began repairs.

"Yes, but the sequence will take longer." Ixcia said.

"Do it!" Mabel yelled.

"Hyper jump in 10…9…8...7…6… shields have failed…4…3…2 …1." Jumping in the atmosphere made a shockwave that pushed the Imperium's ships back as Ixcia left Celestio behind.

Back at the palace a female fenari entered Durdis's office along with a celestanite centurion. "Regent Duradis please tell her what you told me." The centurion asked.

Duradis began to say the words he prepared. "The door was broken down from the outside. Then the bookcase was broken." He spoke struggling with his injury just as he planned. "I was hit falling on the desk." He made sure to leave out that the desk was broken first. Duradis laid down like he was reenacting how he wanted the fenari to think he saw what happened next. He pointed to Veritas' body. "Her attacker stood there and choked her with his right hand." He knew if he wasn't specific about who the attacker was the fenari would feel he was telling the truth. It was about saying only the facts that he needed her to hear.

"One of the heretics was wearing a power gauntlet. He had to be the one to have done this." The centurion said.

"He is telling the truth of course." The investigator agreed.

"Mother?" Stellara entered the room.

The centurion tried to keep her out. "Empress please you do not want see…"

Stellara slipped passed him and ran to her mothers' body. "Mother no!" Stellara began to sob uncontrollably.

"I am so sorry my holiness." The investigator said.

"How? Why?" Stellara cried.

"It was one of the heretics. The human our records name Mason Pines." The centurion said. "As for why we cannot say."

The young girl was confused. "But, the lady with the brown hair. She told me such amazing stories. Ones I wanted to share with mother. How can one of her friends do this?"

"Please leave the two of us." Duradis asked. "What I must say to her is for her alone."

"Yes Regent." They both said and left the room.

Duradis turned the child empress toward him making sure she looked him in the eyes, even the black one. "Your highness, the man who killed your mother wanted to use her to get you to lift your father's decree about his people. They are heretics and your father knew the universe wanted them destroyed. When she refused to do what he wanted he killed her. The woman who told you those stories was his sister. She was distracting you."

"What for?"

"So that you couldn't help her. This Mabel Pines knew the universe would tell you they would hurt your mother."

"Her stories about strange and amazing things. Surprises that lead to adventures."

"Does this seem like a nice surprise? This heretic woman was trying to confuse you with lies. Order is the most important thing in the universe and these heretics will stop at nothing tear it down. Everything your parents worked so hard for."

Stellara shook with anger. "She was a liar! They all should die for what they did!"

"And they will my Empress. We will all see to that."

Stellara began to cry again. "But what do I do now? Mother was supposed to be my Voice. Who can do that now? I'm all alone."

Duradis patted the child on the back. "I know tradition says that the Voice should be a family member, but your father was my dear friend. As close to me as if he was my own brother."

"Would you be my new Voice?" Stellara said with a sniff.

"Of course, Empress Stellara. Let your Uncle Duradis take care of everything. Now wipe away your tears. Your subjects need to see you strong." Things did not go as Durdis planned but with him as both Regent and Voice of the Stars he was practically emperor himself and the grieving child before him could easily become his puppet when she becomes of age. In eleven years, she will do for him what he needs her do. Today was a success either way. However, he then realized there was one problem. The humans knew of his plan and took the felggur with them. They could still expose his part in the assassination plot. "I must take steps to make sure they don't expose me." He thought.

It had been a few hours after their escape and the most critical repairs were finished but they would be fixing damage for days. When Pacifica woke up Dipper was standing by her bed in sick bay. "Dipper? It wasn't a dream. I really am free." Pacifica said. "Where are we?"

"We're on our ship, the Ixcia, your new home until we get back to earth. I'll give you the grand tour." Dipper held out his hand.

Pacifica took it all in and stood up. "It feels strange, being in complete control of my body again. Moving when I want to and not only when I need to complete a task or I need to eat, sleep, or use the bathroom. Where are Mabel and Gideon?"

"Gideon is with our repair robot Soostron. Ixcia took a bit of beating getting us out of there. Mabel said she was making a surprise for everyone."

"Now that has me a little worried."

"In any case as you can guess this is sick bay. And our first stop are the living quarters. Mabel picked out a room for you."

"A room of my own for the first time in four years." Pacifica sighed.

Back on Celestio Duradis had called Buckgis to the throne room. Stellara was sitting on the Diamond Throne. "It is an honor to be your presence again Empress." Buckgis said as he knelt.

Stellara remained silent trying to hold back her tears. "Her grace is understandably in mourning so she will not say much right now." Duradis said. "You were promoted recently because of an incident where we were led to believe three of the heretics have died."

"I too was deceived. If you wish to demote me for my failure this day, I accept that."

Duradis tapped the ceremonial halberd of the emperor against the floor. "This is the third time you encountered these humans. If there is any punishment it is that you can no longer avenge yourself against them. You will have a position of greater prestige and responsibility. If anything, this incident has shown us all that we must be ever more vigilant of possible threats. Two of the humans were near the Empress! This can't never happen again! So, you are to be assigned as Empress Stellara's personal bodyguard. You are to protect her even at the cost of your life." Duradis looked at Buckgis' shock stick. "I suggest that you get a more lethal weapon. I believe you Orebaro train with to use Elec-Warhammers."

"Yes sir." Buckgis then looked at Stellara. "Forgive me for addressing above my station your grace but since we will be spending a lot of time together I just want to say that as long as I am at your side you can talk to me about anything and you are not be alone in your pain."

"Stellara got off the throne and held Buckgis' hand. "Thank you." she whispered.

Duradis interrupted. "Yes, but now we have a ceremony and an announcement to prepare for."

Dipper and Pacifica came in from engineering. "And this is the common area where we have our meals, relax, and where Mabel and I had our schooling. Gideon still has his lessons here." Dipper said.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Mabel said with her arms spread out over a table full of food. Gideon was already sitting down.

"I knew you were planning something when you insisted that I show this room last, but I think you're off by several months."

"But we finally got Pacifica back. We have so much to be thankful for! We should celebrate!"

Ixcia's avatar appeared. "I have an alternative. Since you had to focus on your mission, I did not tell you that today it has been exactly four years since you and Dipper first came aboard."

"A Thanksgiving/Anniversary party. Either way we got plenty to eat."

Pacifica stopped herself from drooling. "I'm fine with it. I've had nothing but these gross algae bars for four years."

"We all know how awful those are." Dipper said. "Okay but first I need to do something that we've been waiting to do for a long time." Dipper took out his scantrix. "Ixcia, update crew manifest." He scanned Pacifica. "Now just tell Ixcia your name."

"Pacifica." she said.

"And now you are officially part of the crew." Gideon said. "Now let's dig in."

The four friends sat, ate, drank, and talked. "And then the Rofaxian asked me how I could have won our bet and I told him my species doesn't molt our skin. Easiest Quan I ever made and all because he thought he could make easy money off me." Dipper said.

Pacific almost choked on her apa tea and then laughed. "Oh, I wish I had stories to share like that when we get home."

"Well we still don't know where our own galaxy is in relation to this one, so you got time to make some of your own."

Ixcia then spoke. "Regarding finding your planet there is something I never told any of you since you said you would not leave this galaxy without your friends. I lack the ability to travel to other galaxies. If you wish me to do this, I will need a jump drive with a component called a quantum infuser."

"Could we build one?" Gideon asked.

"The construction of these infusers requires a specialized facility. Most of which are under Imperium control. Part of the reason the Imperium is so powerful is because they first attack any civilization with the technology in a galaxy and control it completely ensuring that only they can get supplies and reinforcements of other galaxies. They restrict the installation of these devices to their ships on an as needed basis. The only permanent infuser is in the global engines."

"And even if we saved the Empress, I doubt they would give it to us." Dipper said.

Mabel asked a question. "What about the black market? If the Imperium outlaws this thing then somebody must have stolen one. Maybe we could buy it."

"If a quantum infuser is on the black market it would most likely cost hundreds of megaquan at least."

Dipper sighed. "Which is way out of our price range. We've spent most of what we had over this week."

"We'll find a way." Mabel said.

Pacifica raised her glass. "You can count on my help."

There was a beeping while Ixcia's eye flashed. "There is an Imperium news broadcast about what happened today."

"Show us." Dipper said as Ixcia switched to display mode.

The Soothsayer program appeared. "This is an Eyes on the Imperium special report. Today the planed Naming of the Voice ceremony was delayed because a brazen assassination attempt on Empress Stellara. While the Empress was unharmed her mother was brutally murdered."

"Veritas!" Dipper yelled as he jumped out of his seat. "I met her. She wanted to help and was going to confront Duradis! He must have killed her!" He then pulled out the tablet in his coat. "She wanted me to give this to Stellara but with everything that was happening I completely forgot!"

"Dipper I'm so sorry, it sounds like she may have been becoming a friend to you." Pacifica said.

Mabel placed her hand on Dipper's shoulder. "You did nothing wrong. There was no way you could have kept that promise. I just feel sorry for Stellara; I've spent some time with her. She's a good girl. She must be heart broken."

The Soothsayer continued. "The murder was carried out by one of the assassins. A group of four who belong to a heretic species. The killer was identified by Regent Durdis who witnessed the crime."

"He's framing us! That dirty stinking rat!" Gideon was slammed his cup on the table.

"The criminals are still at large; we now go live to the Palace Plaza."

The feed switched to plaza the group was at earlier that day but the camera focus on the large balcony. Stellara was standing while Duradis knelt. Buckgis was right behind Stellara. "I, Empress Stellara, ruler of the Grand Cosmic Imperium, name you Duradis to be the Voice of the Stars. To speak to the Royal Court my will, the will of the universe, until the day I fully ascend to the throne."

"I humbly except." Durdis answered as he stood up.

"He got what he wanted despite everything we did." Dipper growled.

Stellara angrily looked at the camera. "I hope the heretics are watching because I have something to say to the man who killed my mother and his sister who lied to me!"

Mabel looked like her heart had been crushed. "Duradis, he's manipulating her."

"You will pay for what you did. There is nowhere you can go that you will be safe. We are the people of truth and order and we will kill you and all your kind."

Duradis spoke next. "On your display are the images of the heretic assassins." The faces of the four members of the Ixcia crew appeared. "They are now the most wanted criminals in the Imperium and now have a bounty of 10 megaquan each. They were last seen escaping in a Star Singer mark three cargo ship. If you see these beings report them to the Imperium authorities immediately." The display closed.

"Well this makes things a lot harder for us." Gideon said. "Still glad you're back with us Pacifica?"

"Of course, you're my friends, and you gave me my life back. It's not your fault some jerk is making things hard for us. I'm sure with my help we'll get what we need to go home in two, three years tops.

Eleven years later,

"Obviously, I underestimated how long it would take for us to get back." Pacifica said. "It's ironic. The day that I was no longer a puppet another girl became one."

Preston sat down and placed his head in his hand. "When you were born, I swore to give you a life of luxury and what did you get? Kidnapped, brainwashed, and forced on the run."

Priscilla stood by her husband and took his hand. "Those certainly were not the kinds of worries I had about you when you became a teenager. I was more worried about you going to wild parties, hanging out with bad boys, and drinking. Although it turns out I'm the one we should have been worried about with the last one."

"Actually, I did have one night like that on my eighteenth birthday." Pacifica said sheepishly. "It was the closest I got to feeling like a regular teenage girl in years."

"What?" her parents asked.

Dipper got a smile on his face. "Your eighteenth. The first birthday present I ever gave you. I was nervous that I would mess it up."

"It was one of my most memorable birthdays. It was the day that I began to see Mabel as my sister even before Mason and I married." Pacifica smiled but then took a breath. "To understand why things happened like this you need to know something about me. A week after I came aboard, and the euphoria of my freedom wore off we noticed that I was having some problems. As you know my reflexes were reconditioned and we learned that they would be like that for the rest of my life. Also, the guilt of all the people I killed haunted me, I had terrible nightmares every night. This led me to be afraid to leave the ship for fear of unintentionally killing someone just because they would accidently bump into me."

Dipper tried to reassure the Northwests. "Fortunately, Ixcia's directive to look after the wellbeing of her crew includes our mental health so she has psycho therapeutic subroutines."

Preston had a concerned look on his face. "Your ships' computer is my daughter's psychiatrist?"

Pacifica held her father's hand. "I still have private sessions with her once a week, but at first it was twice a week. They were very helpful and I'm afraid to think of where I would be without them. And if wasn't for Ixcia's advice I might not have seen just how wonderful a friend Mabel is. A few months after I came aboard, she noticed a couple of new problems I was having."

Eleven years ago,

A few months after the events on Celestio a green floor mat was laid on the cargo bay floor. Pacifica insisted on getting it so she could spar with the others. "Mabel keep your elbow up." Pacifica said. Mabel threw a punch that Pacifica blocked who then tripped her. "Look at my eyes. No matter if it's a punch or a kick I have to see where I'm aiming."

Dipper and Gideon were also there rubbing sore spots. "Do we really have to do this every day?" Dipper asked.

"It's good exercise. Except for you Dipper this crew relies too much on long ranged attacks. If someone gets close it could be bad. So, we have to train every day."

Mabel got up. "But that is almost all you do."

Pacifica got her usual annoyed look. "Hey, I pull my weight around here! Since I was raised to take over my family business, I've been balancing the books finding ways to save money, I help with repairs, and I do my shifts on the bridge!"

"That's not what I mean Pacifica. I'm not saying you're lazy, I'm saying you don't have any fun! Since you got here all you've done is work and train! Since that evaluation you took Ixcia said you didn't need her to give you more schooling. You only left the ship once and that was to unload cargo. I know you're afraid of hurting someone, but you can't let that keep you from having fun."

"Just because you turned eighteen a few weeks ago doesn't mean you can tell me what to do! You may have your birthday before mine, but we are the same age!"

Gideon tried to stop a fight from breaking out. "Pacifica, you never told me when your birthday is."

Pacifica took a breath and calmed down. "I'm sorry guys. My birthday is September 15th."

Mabel muttered to herself and did some counting on her fingers before gasping. "Oh. My. Gosh! That's tomorrow! Pacifica you're going to be eighteen! This is the perfect chance for you to have some fun! We'll arrive at Kodex station tomorrow. After we unload the ore that we're hauling you and I can have a girl's night out! Me and Dipper have been there a couple of times while we were looking for Gideon, so I know some great places. We can go to a salon and get ourselves looking great, shop for some new clothes, and go dancing at a great club called Prism!"

"Dancing? I…it's time for my next session with Ixcia. I'm going to my room." Pacifica rolled up the mat and put in one of the cargo bay lockers.

"Pacifica, wait!" Mabel said as Pacifica went up the lift. She then turned to Dipper and Gideon. "At the very least we can get her some birthday presents."

Dipper tapped his chin. "We only have a day, but I think I have something that can give me an idea for one."

Gideon raised his hand. "I have an idea for one, but I'll need to get a closer look Pacifica's daggers but if I asked her for them it would ruin the surprise."

"Why don't you say it's for school? I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Not a bad idea. What are you going give her Mabel?"

"I'm still hoping to take her on a girl's night out."

In her room Pacifica was laying on her bed talking to Ixcia. There wasn't much in her room yet, but it was perfect for privacy. "Doesn't she realize that one wrong touch could lead to someone's death? A crowded space station is the last place I need to be out and about."

Ixcia was on display. "Mabel only wants to help you to enjoy yourself and your reflexes may not be as lethal as you first thought. I must apologize, I ran an experiment without your knowledge in order to better your treatment. Soostron has been under my instructions triggering you reflexes."

"That's why he's been sneaking up on me?" Pacifica's annoyed twitch came back.

"Out of all of the encounters only three resulted in damage that would be instantly lethal to a humanoid and they all have one commonality. In all three instances you were holding your weapons, the rest were a series of body blows, throws, and choke holds that will not result in death if you regain control within thirty seconds." Ixcia displayed all the times Pacifica attacked the robot.

"Now I feel guilty for all the beat downs I gave the little pile of nuts and bolts."

"He repaired himself each time and cannot feel pain. Soostron was eager to help. This shows that with a friend close by the worst you would do injure a person if you are not holding your weapons in which case you may need your reflexes in such a situation. In time you may even be able to hold yourself back even with your weapons. This 'girl's night out' Mabel plans can be an opportunity to regain confidence in your own decision making."

"You didn't tell them about that did you?"

"Doctor patient confidentiality is part of my programing. You will at some point have to go out among other people especially when you return to Earth. What Mabel is offering could be a first step that could be enjoyable. Why not take advantage of it?"

"I guess it won't help to put it off. And I am tired of staring at the same walls all the time. No offense Ixcia."

"None taken."

"I'll do it. Thanks, Ixcia."

"You are welcome. Now let's practice your breathing technique. Cross your arms and place your hands on your chest." Pacifica did so. "Take a deep breath to draw in the light." She breathed in. "Now slowly breath out expelling the anxiety." Pacifica breathed out. "Repeat saying your mantra. The Felggur no longer control you. You are the one in control of you."

"I am in control of me. I am in control of me."

Dipper was watching a log he made a few months ago in his room. "Hi Pacifica." Dipper's past self said holding the scantrix in video mode.

"Dipper what are you doing?" Pacifica asked in the common area.

"Someday people will want to know about our journey so I've been keeping a log and I thought they should get to know somethings about you."

"Like, what exactly?"

"Well we've been in space for a long time. Is there something you miss?"

Pacifica thought for a moment. "Sunsets. On my parents' boat I always loved the view of the sunset over the lake."

Dipper paused the log. "That's it, now I just hope I can do it. But I've been around Mabel long enough that at least some of her talent rubbed off me."

Pacifica found Mabel and Gideon on the bridge. "Mabel, I want to apologize. You tried do something for nice me and I just freaked out. I was just afraid I would hurt someone that I just ran away. I'm sorry."

"It's alright Pacifica. I did come on a little strong. It's your birthday, we should do what you want. I just thought I planned to do things you like. While you don't think looks are the most important thing anymore you still like looking good. I know you like to shop, and you've just been cleaning the same jumpsuit you wear every day and you love fashion so I thought we could look at some alien ones. And we first met at a party even though we were competing with each other I knew you were having fun singing and dancing." Mabel said from the helm.

"Well I just talked with Ixcia and I just found out if someone is with me to snap me out of it then things should be fine as long as don't have my daggers in my hand. So, I changed my mind, I would love to have a girl's night out.

"Great!" Mabel had a big smile. "And don't worry I'll make sure nothing happens."

"Thanks." Pacifica said as she sat down at navigation.

"Hey Pacifica, can you help me with something?" Gideon asked from engineering.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I need to scan your daggers. If how they become that trident works how I think it works, it might explain something in my schoolwork I have trouble understanding."

"We can do it after we're done here."

"Thank you." Gideon smiled knowing he could build what he needs to build in just a few hours and Pacifica heading out would be the perfect time to do so.

The next day Pacifica opened the door to her room to a "Happy Birthday!" from her friends. The rest of the day was mostly routine until they finished unloading the cargo. "Okay guys, we'll be back in a few hours. We'll have our new clothes sent back here but don't you touch them. Soostron you will take them up to our rooms." Mabel said as the girls stepped out of the Ixcia.

Dipper gave a nod. "Right, call us when you're on the way back."

Gideon waved them off. "You two have fun and we'll check to on any job offers and finish the regular maintenance."

"Right, and you two try not to blow up the ship while we're gone" Pacifica joked.

As the girls walked off Dipper turned to Gideon. "Right so you got what you need for your present?"

"I'll have them finished in under an hour if I don't run into any trouble." Gideon said.

"Great." Dipper picked up the spectral painter. "If you need me, I'll be in Pacifica's room and no I am not going to do anything weird."

As they walked to a hover cab station Mabel asked. "So, what kind of treatment you want to have at the salon?"

"Well it's been like, forever since I had my nails done so a mani-pedi is a must and while the vibra-cleaner gets dirt out of your hair it doesn't feel as good as a shampoo."

"Oh, I haven't had my hair shampooed in years!" Mabel said excited as they reached the cab station.

Elsewhere on Kodex station Vax was fighting another bounty hunter. "So, you figured out they would come here too." Vax said dodging a punch.

The opposing bounty hunter was as large as Manly Dan with yellow skin and webbed hands. "That forty megaquan is mine!"

A jet fired from Vax's cybernetic leg sending him flying into his opponent. "This is about more than money for me Torfol. It's personal." Vax then used is mechanical arm to knock his opponent out.

In the salon the girls were having their nails done. Mabel's were being painted red while Pacifica's were hot pink. "And now it's time for the shampoo." Pacifica said taking off the band that held her hair in a ponytail. The rinse went well but when the stylist began to scrub Pacifica's hair her eyes glazed over, and she reached up and began to choke him.

"Pacifica no! It's okay!" Mabel yelled.

Pacifica let go. "I am so sorry! I just get spooked easily if you take it slow it won't happen again." she told the stylist. The stylist just nodded and after clearing his throat he continued.

Later they were making their way to a dress shop. "Well Ixcia was right. The guy was a little freaked out, but no one was hurt." Mabel said.

Pacifica looked up seeing the part of city above them. "Ixcia also said that I'll get greater control over time but for now it's best that I'm chaperoned when I'm in public."

"We are all going to there for you Pacifica every step of the way." Mabel opened the door to shop.

"Welcome how can I help you ladies?" The store clerk asked.

"We'd like to look at some dresses." Mabel said.

"And I would also like to purchase some new underwear." Pacifica said and then turned to Mabel and said. "The bras my… former employers issued me are itchy and the panties ride up."

"Of course." The clerk said.

"So how does this work? All I see are white rolls of cloth."

"Oh, you pick a clothing pattern and colors and they have a machine that colors, cuts, and stiches the outfit."

The clerk then chimed in. "What makes this store better than most is we have changing rooms equipped with holo-projectors that can overlay the image of the outfit over your body so you can see what you look like in it."

"Pacifica we should have our own fashion show."

"Why not." Pacifica said.

The two got into a changing room and stripped down to their underwear. Mabel held up a tablet. "Okay, Pacifica you want new underwear lets pick that first." Mabel tapped a few pictures and the projectors made it look like Pacifica was in different underwear. "What do you think?"

"I would like it in my other favorite color, Periwinkle."

"So that's why you wore it all the time." The color changed.

"Better but I always wanted try some lacier panties." They were changed. "It looks good. But holograms can't tell you how the fabric fells. Do you think the clerk will let me try on a sample?"

Mable was smiling. "I'm sure she will. I got to say you make that look very sexy. You are going to make a guy very lucky." Then Mabel thought. "Probably my brother." She continued to speak. "I am glad to finally have another girl; no, we are both women now; another woman on ship to talk about feminine things. Dipper listens but you will understand."

Pacifica took a deep breath. "I… of course I'll talk to about that kind of stuff. But as far as being sexy and being with someone I'm not sure if I ever will. It could be a long time before I can even let a guy kiss me without breaking his bones but worse the felggur made me take guys to second base to kill them. I don't know if…I can be with a guy and not think about what I did. I haven't even talked about this with Ixcia yet."

Mabel got a determined look on her face. "Pacifica I am a big believer in love, and I will not stand here let what the felggur did to you steal away your happiness! You just got to keep working on healing yourself and some day you will be with the man you love, and you'll be so happy your past won't even cross you mind. So, let's look at some pretty dress that will drive guys wild, buy them, and have a good time!"

"Right but first was there any particular feminine issue you want to talk about since you brought it up?"

Mabel cupped her breasts. "Well since I've been growing without other human girls to compare to, I have been worried that I might be small compared to other women."

Pacifica then cupped her breasts. "My mom talked to me about cup sizes when I had to start wearing my training bra. You are about the same size as me and I know I'm a C cup. Not the biggest made but the second largest of the most made sizes. You said I looked sexy well so do you."

After that they tried different outfits; laughing with some that were cube shaped or had big rings on them, but they made their purchases. Pacifica got some extras of her jumpsuit made, she and Mabel each picked three dresses for dates, and of course Pacifica got her new underwear. "Just send them to our ship at landing pad 32." Mabel said.

Pacifica came out of the changing room. "Except for this set of underwear that I'm wearing out. I just couldn't stand the old ones anymore."

"Of course, Miss and I hope you come to us again." The clerk said.

Back on Ixcia Dipper just stepped out of Pacifica's room. "So, are you finished?" Gideon asked.

"Yes, and I have to say that I am proud of my work." Dipper said.

"Me too, although my gift is just something practical. What you made has more meaning. I'm sure she'll love it."

Dipper blushed a little. "I'm just wanted to give her something nice. What you made could save her life someday."

"Maybe. I wonder what are they doing right now?"

"They probably are at the club by now. Say Gideon how about after our next job you and I have a guy's night out?"

The interior of Prism was made to look crystal that emitted different colors of light. The dance floor was a lot like the floor of old disco back on earth. Mabel and Pacifica danced to pulsing music as the color of the room kept changing. "This is so much fun! Right Pacifica?"

"Yeah, this is the most fun I've had in a long time!" Pacifica did a backflip. The girls didn't notice that Vax had entered the club and sat down at a table with his back to the dance floor and ordered a drink.

"Great! Let's see if you can do this move." Mabel took a few steps and did a short slide and came out of it in a twirl.

"Easy." Pacifica did they exact same moves ending her twirl in front a turtle like alien. Suddenly she had a flash of memory. In one of her assassinations she did the same thing in front of another member of this species before she killed the poor woman. Pacifica screamed and back peddled from the dancer.

"Well I don't think mammals look that attractive either." The turtle man said.

"Pacifica are you okay?" Mabel asked.

"I…I don't want to dance anymore." Pacifica shook.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just like this one time I…I am in control of me. I am in control of me." After a couple of minutes Pacifica calmed down. "Mabel I am supposed to be making my own decisions tonight. How about I go to bar a pick a couple of drinks for us? You keep dancing, don't let me keep you from having fun."

Mabel looked Pacifica in the eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I never went after anyone in a bar. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll even try to pick something fun for us to drink."

Reassured Mabel smiled. "Okay I'll join you after the next song."

Pacifica made her way to the bar that was still to Vax's back. The bartender was a pink gelatinous alien. "Know what you want?"

"Uh do you have a menu?" Pacifica asked. The bartender handed her a tablet with a camera like device. A blue light passed over her from it and it displayed several drinks.

"Doesn't let you order anything poisonous to you." The bartender said.

Pacifica scrolled through a few options until she found a drink that was yellow on the edges but blue in the middle in a star shaped glass. "This looks fun. I'll have one and I'll also order one for my friend on the dance floor."

"Star Blaster huh? Good choice!" The pink blob did some mixing and served the drink. "1.5 Centaquan."

Pacifica paid and took a sip. "Wow this great!" Pacifica downed the glass. "Another, please. Hic."

A few minutes later the song finished, and Mabel stopped dancing. "Woo! That was great but yeah, I'm thirsty. Better join Pacifica." When Mabel got to the bar Pacifica was nowhere to be seen. "Excuse me my friend should be waiting for me here."

"The blonde right?" The bartender asked. "She left a few minutes ago staggering out. I've never seen anyone get that drunk on three Star Blasters."

"What!?" Mabel shouted drawing Vax's attention. "She's just turned eighteen! Back home she wouldn't be served alcohol until she was twenty-one! Don't you check I.D.'s?"

The bartender looked insulted. "Do you have any idea how many species with different tolerances live on this station? The best we can do make sure no one orders anything deadly. It says so right on the sign above the bar. All customers are responsible to avoid intoxication."

Mabel looked up at the sign with small print. "You need to stand on a chair to read that sign! Never mind, I got to find my friend!"

"She got you one. Don't you want it?"

"No!" As Mabel ran out her thoughts raced. "I was supposed to look after her! What a time to find out Pacifica can't hold her liquor!"

Vax got up. "If I follow her, she'll lead me to the others."

Pacifica walked down the street swaying from one side to another. "Whut shhould I do nehext?" Pacifica slurred as she bumped into Torfol.

"Well look who I ran into. You are going to make me ten Megaquan richer."

Pacifica looked at the man with a grumpy face. "If you want mah further's money din you gotta puta a dis fingur." Pacifica pointed to her left middle finger. "No dis one." She then pointed to her left ring finger.

"You're drunk off your ass. Didn't think it would be this easy." Torfol grabbed Pacifica by the waist and her eyes glazed over. She grabbed his wrists crossing her arms and then jumped above his head performing a double corkscrew and made a perfect landing. Her conditioned reflexes worked perfectly despite her intoxicated condition. Torfol screamed in pain as he landed on his back. "My arms!"

A few nearby people came to see what was happening. However, Pacifica didn't notice them as she caught a scent in the air. "Somethin' smells gud." Pacifica followed the scent down an alley to a food cart with some fried sticks of some kind. Pacifica's stomach growled. "I'm hungray. Hey miststah whut are doze?" Pacifica pointed to the sticks.

"Fried moss worms." The vendor said with pride.

"Wurms? Sounds yucky but everything tastes bettah fried. I'll have one." Pacifica took a bite. "If everyboody fried dare fud din thered be no war." Pacifica continued to eat the worm until she saw something. "Dat looks like fon." Pacifica said with her mouth full.

Mabel ran down the street. "The people in front of the club said she went this way."

She came upon a hovering ambulance. "Both of his wrists are broken, and his shoulders are dislocated." An EMT with a scanner said.

"I tried to collect the bounty on her, and that bitch did this to me!" Torfol yelled.

"She was absolutely drunk, but she took him down in a couple of seconds. I never seen anything like it!" a woman in the crowd said.

"Did you see which way she went?" Mabel asked her.

"She went down that alley, said something about a good smell." The woman pointed the way.

"Thanks!"

Vax fired a grappling claw from his arm. "Torfol forgot the first rule of bounty hunting. Never underestimate your quarry."

Mabel found the fried worm cart. "Excuse me, did you see a woman like me but with blonde hair?"

The vendor looked annoyed. "Yeah she ate one of my worms on a stick without paying! I'm waiting for her to come out of there so she can pay up!" he pointed to a building across the street.

Mabel was having a hard time imagining Pacifica eating a worm when she read the sign of the building that she was in. "A tattoo parlor!" Mabel pulled out her quan disk. "I'll pay for my friend." Mabel paid and ran into the parlor. When she got inside Mabel was greeted by a view of Pacifica's bare butt with a tattoo of the Big Dipper on her right butt cheek. It looked exactly like Dipper's birthmark.

"Hey Maybull! Do you like it? I wanted to hav somethun like Dripper but ben I thought it would be fun ta put it sum place naughty." Pacifica then laughed shanking her rear.

"Pacifica, you're drunk. You don't know what you're doing!" Mabel said pulling up Pacifica's pants.

Pacifica fought her. "It's mah burthday and I'll doooo what I wanna!"

"Why did you do this anyway?"

"I like Dippur and it wood mean I'm his furever. I wannna kiss'em but only ifa he wants to cause that would be nice."

"Yeah, I understand that. But did you stop to think if Dipper would want you to do this?"

"N…no." Pacifica began to tear up.

"It's okay, I'm sure that there is some advance tech to remove it."

"Don't count on it." It was then that Mabel noticed the tattoo artist. "This isn't some primitive ink job. My technique changes the skin pigment, it is as permanent it gets. No refunds."

"You just gave a permanent tattoo to a drunk girl? How could you do that?"

"She paid upfront. Consider this a life lesson."

Pacifica kept crying. "What was I thinking? Dipper doezn't want me! I ma too messsed up in the head fer him!"

"That's not true!" Mabel took Pacifica's hands and looked her in the eyes. "He knows that you need time to work through this stuff, but he cares a lot about you! He's faced assassins, fleets, and armies to get you back! He stayed up nights trying to figure out where to find you! And he won't quit until he gets us all home!"

Pacifica's mood was turned on its head. "Yer right! Hez nice like that. Evebeen if he doesn't wanna date this means he's mah friend ferever and so are you!" As she said this she pointed to her butt.

"Yeah so how about we go back to the ship? I think we've enough fun for one night." Pacifica answered with a nod.

Mabel led Pacifica back through the streets to the landing pad. They were almost there when Pacifica noticed a glint from the roof tops. She pushed Mabel away before she jumped back from a pair of darts. "Was hoping to use the two of you to get the others to surrender." Vax said putting the dart gun away.

"Wait I know you." Mabel looked at the hairy man's face. "You're that bounty hunter Vax! Coming after us again now that they increased the reward?"

"The money's just a bonus. This is about payback! It took me a week of trudging through the swamp just to get someone to tow my ship out!" Before Mabel knew it, Vax knocked her gun out of her hand and lifted her off the ground by her blouse with his cybernetic arm. "But more importantly is the fact that you and your brother cost me my perfect capture record! That record was the corner stone of my rep! Everyone knew I was the best until you two and now I'm going to get it back!"

"Hey Furball!" Pacifica shouted. "Git your stinkin' paws off mah sistah!" Pacifica drew her daggers and charged. Vax pulled a gun at shot at Pacifica, but she kept side stepping his shots or stumbled out of the way. As she got in close Vax dropped Mabel and got a powerful punch ready but before he knew it, he fell to the ground seeing that his cybernetic arm and leg were cut in half along with his gun.

"I get all of you some day and get my record back! You won't stop me! I'll be the one to bring you in, so you better run! If that idiot Torfol could find you here, then this station will have at least fifty more bounty hunters by morning!" Vax said as he used his remaining arm to call his ship that lowered a line to pull him up.

"Go ahead and run!" Pacifica said as she turned green. "Because now Ima gonna throw up."

Mabel ran right to Pacifica. "Okay! Use this trash can. I'll hold back your hair."

After she finished Pacifica said "I wanna go to bed now."

Mabel brought Pacifica back to the Ixcia. "Mabel, I thought you were going to call first." Dipper said.

"Sorry guys. Pacifica accidently got some alcohol and it turns out she doesn't handle it well. Things got kinda crazy, so I forgot to call which I wish I did because we ran into Vax and another bounty hunter and about fifty more are coming to the station, so we need to leave right now while Pacifica sleeps it off."

It took a moment for Dipper to process what Mabel said. "Gideon get on the horn with station operations and see if we can get an earlier departure time. I'm going to help Mabel get Pacifica to her room."

"So much for a guy's night out." Gideon grumbled.

"Here we are Pacifica. Now you go to sleep and we'll see you in the morning." Mabel said.

Pacifica fell onto the bed. "Okay. Night mommy. Night Daddy." Pacifica fell asleep not seeing Dipper's present.

The next morning when Pacifica woke up Mabel was there with Ixcia and holding a pill and a hot cup of Nevba juice. "Hey Pacifica, Ixcia has a cure for hangovers that works with nevba juice." Mabel said.

Pain shot through Pacifica's head. "Gimme! Please!"

As Pacifica took the pill and sipped the hot beverage her head cleared. "I should note that this medication comes with serious side effects if taken more than once in a thirty-day period." Ixcia said.

"So, what do you remember about last night?" Mabel asked.

Pacifica placed her hand on the right side of her rear. "Everything… I'm never touching a drop of booze again!"

Mabel smiled. "It'll be our secret. But I got to ask, when you saved me from Vax you called me your sister, why?"

Pacifica gave a small smile. "Back home Lazy Susan told me stories about her big sister while we worked. How she took her to do fun things, how she looked out for and comforted her. You did all that for me yesterday and I guess in the state I was in I just made that kind of connection. I never had a sister; my parents had a hard time just getting me."

"You did the same for me. We went out for your birthday, you reassured me about my body, and you protected me. I never had a sister either but since were the only women on this journey maybe that's what we should be."

"I'd like that."

"Remember just before this whole thing started you said that you and Dipper might not be meant to be? Well, all the things you said kept you two apart aren't issues anymore."

"But does he even like me like that?"

"Well here is one sign that says at least maybe." Mabel stepped back to reveal that one wall in Pacifica's room was painted into a landscape of Lake Gravity Falls at sunset. "It's your birthday present from Dipper."

"It's beautiful!" Pacifica got up, put the cup down and left her room to find Dipper who was having breakfast in the common area with Gideon. She gave him a big hug. "I love it."

Dipper blushed "I'm glad you like it."

Gideon swallowed. "Well then how about you come down to the cargo bay and I'll give you my present." They went down and Gideon pulled out two small sliver bracelets with one blinking light each. "I made these to fit under your sleeves, you said the we relied too much on long range attacks, but you don't really have any."

"She didn't need them against Vax last night." Mabel boasted.

"Never hurts to have a trick up my sleeve, literally." Pacifica put the bracelets and rolled her sleeves over them. "So how do they work?"

"See that target there? Throw one of your daggers at it." Gideon pointed to the target. Pacifica threw her dagger and hit the bullseye. "Great! Now make a pulling back motion."

Pacifica did so and the dagger flew back to her hand. "Wow!"

"I made those bracelets to work with the more unique metals in your daggers' handles. It only works if they have no forward momentum so you can't pull it back mid throw, but they will always come back handle first."

"Thanks Gideon!" Pacifica said looking around at the people that were with her. There was the guy she liked who risked everything to save her and was sweeter than she knew, Her new sister that looked out for her and never gave up, and a young man was almost like a little brother to her who was also a once a troubled misfit. These people were just as much her family as her parents back home that four years ago she wouldn't imagine she would miss this much.

Eleven years later,

"And I mean that. You guys weren't always the best parents but you're mine and I love you! It took four years with people who were far worse to get me to realize that." Pacifica hugged her parents.

"And we love you too Pacifica." Preston said kissing his daughter on the forehead.

"Yes, tattoo and all." Priscilla sobbed. "I'm just sorry I passed down my problems with alcohol to you."

"It became what I wanted it to mean in the first place. That I am his forever." Pacifica looked at Dipper.

"And I'm yours forever." Dipper gave Pacifica a kiss on her cheek. "Now how about I introduce you all to my parents? "

Preston looked Dipper and Pacifica with a loving pride. "That does sound like a good idea…son."

"Wow, that is going to take some getting used to. I'm not sure if I should call you guys Mr. and Mrs. Northwest, or you first names, or mom and dad."

"Take your time and you'll find whichever one you're most comfortable with. "Priscilla said.

"Just one question before we leave. When did you learn about my daughters tattoo?" Preston asked.

"Not until our wedding night!" Dipper said panicked.

"Just trying to get a rise out of my boy." Preston chuckled as he opened the door.

Pacifica looked into Dippers eyes. "Mason, I know I've said this before, but I just want to thank you and the others for saving me all those years ago, and for getting me home."

"Anything for you my golden flower." Dipper said.

All the families met in the room where the press conference was held two hours ago. "Dipper, Paz! I want you guys to meet my little sister Erika." Gideon said as they came in.

"When did this happen?" Dipper asked.

"Is this your bride Mason?" Sarah asked walking up to Pacifica.

"Yes mam, a pleasure to meet you." Pacifica said.

"Please call me Sarah. We're family now."

Conversations like this went on for hours as the families talked and grew closer, rejoicing in the return of their loved ones. But nothing lasts forever and as the sun began to set the crew of the Ixcia knew it was time to go. "These agents aren't going to wait forever, and we got a lot of work ahead of us. They'll take us to our hotel rooms." Dipper said.

"But don't worry! We will definitely make time for all of you!" Mabel said.

"Thanks for saying that Sweetie." Stan said with a tear in his eye.

Mabel sighed. "Well we got to show you all Ixcia, she's part of the family too!"

"Yes!" Erika fist pumped.

"Not behind the controls." Bud said which made Erika groan.

"Is there a phone number we can reach you at?" Andrew asked.

"We'll see about rigging a number to our communicators with Ixcia's help." Gideon said.

"Well then we'll see you all soon." Priscilla said.

"Yes, good night everyone!" Dipper said as they got into the cars driven by agents.

They were taken to a local hotel and the group of space explorers had a whole floor cleared for them. "Well I don't know about you guys but say we order the first pizza we've had in over a decade!" Mabel said.

It was delivered to Mabel and Gideon's room where the four ate together. "Oh, it is so good to have some normal food. I've missed cheese." Gideon said after wiping his mouth.

Dipper took a bite and savored what was what many would say was a cheap pizza. "I forgot what it tastes like!"

Pacifica sipped her soda enjoying this moment. But a burp from her sister by choice and marriage snapped her out of it. "Excuse me. But come on guys how could I not chug this? Isoban has no concept of sweet tastes!"

Pacifica laughed and then said. "Guys now that we all have this alone time, I think maybe we should take this as an opportunity to talk about our other project."

Dipper cuddled up with his wife. "Pacifica we all started trying only last night. I'm eager too but there's no need to be impatient."

"It's just all these governments and corporations will keep us busy. Saving humanity is important but I don't want it to get in the way of all us starting our own families! We all agreed to wait until we got back to earth, and I want to save it for OUR children and grandchildren!"

Gideon nodded. "Pacifica's right everyone, this is the perfect way to cap off celebrating finally coming home."

"Right, we'll go to our room then." Dipper said taking his wife's hand.

"Good night you two." Pacifica said.

Mabel smiled. "Good night. See you guys for breakfast with Wendy." After the door was closed Mabel turned to Gideon and stripped down to her red bra and panties. If you were to look at her from behind, you would she her large three-pronged scar. "Now how about we add a new Gleeful to the world?" Mabel rubbed Gideon's exposed abs.

"A new Gleeful…" Gideon now in only in his white boxers got into the bed. "…I can still hardly believe it. I have a sister whose entire life I missed! How do I make up for that?"

Mabel got into the bed. "There's nothing to make up for. We all did our best to get back home at all. She knows that, and there was nothing you or any of us could do at the time. Just be there for her now."

"How are you feeling?"

"Me? Well of course I'm happy to be back, a little shocked when I heard my parent nearly spilt up and then became religious. They've haven't been pushy about it, they said I have to feel the call of God in my heart."

"If you want to look into it then I'm with you. Whatever you want to do."

"I love you." Mabel and Gideon shared a long passionate kiss. "Now let's make your new little sister an aunt."

A few doors down Dipper was in only his grey boxers while Pacifica was in her periwinkle lace bra and panties. "I still am so amazed by how much they changed." Pacifica said as she undid the band that held hair in a ponytail and let it all flow.

"Do you think that they found religion like my parents did?" Dipper asked.

"Well that sort of thing has been used in A.A. so maybe my mom has but I guess we just have to ask them."

Dipper thought about what he told his parents today. "Pacifica there's something I never told you. Before we found you or Gideon, I thought I saw you as this guy was coming out of this brothel. I got so angry they wouldn't let me in, so I tracked the man down and demanded that he get me to see you. He said he had no idea who you were, so I just lost it. I beat him so many times he almost died. But Mabel showed me the girl I saw, and she did look a lot like you…if you had two noses. The same thing was happening when I found out what the Felggur did to you I wanted to make them pay for hurting you. Mabel told me you wouldn't want this thing to make me into something I'm not, but I was so tempted."

"Mason…" Pacifica embraced her husband. "That was a dark time for us both. But if there is one thing this shows is that you will go to any lengths to protect your friends and family and our child will need that." She then thought for a moment. "Maybe we should look into this whole faith thing. Ixcia has been a wonderful help to me but you and I are still haunted be what we had to do to get back."

"Maybe we should, it might even make us better parents."

Pacifica gave her husband a long loving kiss and walk over beside the bed. She then shook her rear toward him seductively putting that training she was given to good use. "Come to me Mason. I only see two Big Dippers in this room. Bring out the third."

Dipper joined his wife in the bed. The agents standing guard outside blushed from what they heard in the rooms and were glad they cleared the floor or the hotel manager would chew them out for all the noise complaints.