(updated 04-08-2021)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Good-bye
"Aaron and I always planned to get married once the war ended. We kept it a small, quiet ceremony with family and friends in attendance. The only surprise in the day's events was when Faith and Andy arrived. Faith's condition caught everyone by surprise. Buffy told me they had gotten married a few months back, but even she hadn't known about Faith. Andy was beaming, which was perfectly understandable, while Faith looked radiant. Yet, when I talked to her, I got a funny feeling there was something bothering her…"
— Dawn Summers-Hanson
oOoOo
"The 1st Fleet has paused its advance and is holding in the Vesna System while resupplying and receiving reinforcements. The reconstituted 2nd Fleet will rendezvous with them in two days. Intelligence has intercepted SIGINT that the Hegemony is withdrawing ships and forces from other sectors to shorten their defense perimeter and reinforce their home system. If we act quickly, the 1st and 2nd Fleets can advance and take the Freyeon System. This would tear a hole in the enemy's defense perimeter, putting us in an excellent position for our assault on the Haydon system."
Captain Wright paused, gazing towards the Invid Regent, "If the Invid can send ships to join them, it would add to their firepower for their advance. What kind of support can the Invid provide?"
All eyes turned to the Regent at the end of the table. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be in deep contemplation. When his eyes finally opened, his deep dark orbs met the looks directed towards him.
"I have communicated with the Regess and explained the current strategic situation to her. We agree we must take the fight to the enemy. We cannot let them recover now that we've thrown them off balance by neutralizing their PSI jammers or before they can deploy more of those synchro cannons. The Regess will release fleet reserves from Optera to reinforce my fleet, and we will join up with the forces in the Vesna System."
"How many more ships is that?" General Coulson said, studying the Regent.
"We will commit another four thousand carriers loaded with fighters, plus a thousand loaded with Shock Troopers…" the Regent paused while gasps erupted from around the table.
"F-Five thousand? Y-You said five thousand carriers?" someone stammered out.
A wisp of a smile flashed on the Regent's face, taking in everyone's stunned expressions, "Those forces represent roughly ten percent of our total fleet resources."
This information elicited more gasps from the group. Coulson stared at the Regent in disbelief while his mind did the mental arithmetic, trying to grasp the enormity of the forces at the Invid's disposal.
My god, their fleet outnumbers us and the Hegemony combined!
Coulson shook off his shock. He almost felt sorry for the Haydonites for what the Invid were going to unleash on them, "I want to express my thanks to you and the Regess. These forces will certainly make an impact in the coming offensive," he said, bowing his head towards the Regent.
The Regent nodded in acknowledgment, "We will release more ships when we begin the attack on the Haydonite's home system. We'll need them for the final assault."
Coulson nodded in agreement. Even with the Invid, everyone expected the assault on the Haydonite home system to be a hard and bloody affair. Intelligence reports had the Hegemony on a crash building program, adding more orbital defense platforms to the already extensive defense network surrounding their planet.
Coulson heard the whispers in the back of his mind telling him the war was finally nearing the end. These whispers had started the moment the Invid fleet had shown up to destroy the Haydonites around Earth.
It's not over yet, he thought, reminding himself to not get too overconfident.
Even with the Invid taking a larger role in the fighting and Earth now mobilizing, adding its people and resources to the war, there was still much hard work ahead. The enemy had shown they still had some nasty surprises—like the synchro cannon—that could take a bloody toll on Alliance forces.
While the meeting continued, Coulson turned his focus on the Regent, studying him. Over the last few weeks, he'd spent a lot of time working closely with the Invid. It seemed with each passing day, the Regent was behaving more and more like Admiral Coleiro.
Sometimes the Regent's mannerisms and responses so mirrored the Admiral's that several times Coulson almost called the Regent by the Admiral's name. It was eerie, and he had to keep reminding himself that the Admiral was dead. Yet, Coulson couldn't help continuing to compare the Invid to his dead friend.
He looks tired… If he were Paul, I would say something was troubling him…
The meeting ended, but Coulson hung back, waiting until the conference room cleared to approach the Regent. He wasn't sure why he was doing this. He figured it was because of how much the Invid reminded him of his dead friend. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on, and that the Regent looking like Admiral Coleiro wasn't just a coincidence.
"Regent."
"Yes, General Coulson?"
"Do you have a spare moment?"
The Regent nodded, taking a seat at the conference table. Coulson took a seat across the table from him, meeting the Regent's dark alien eyes. He shook off any hesitation, focusing on what he wanted to say.
"Are you feeling alright? Is there something wrong?"
The General's questions caught the Regent by surprise, putting him on the defensive. Ever since the hospital, he'd been moody and irritable. He wanted to tell the General it was none of his business, but the look of concern on the human's face caused him to hold back his rebuke.
A stream of memories flashed in his head, reminding him how this human had been a good friend to the other. The Regent contemplated his dilemma. He wanted to say something, but found it hard to talk about what he was going through. He finally decided he needed to answer the General's question.
The Regent sighed, still unsure if he should say anything, "I-I've been having trouble sleeping."
General Coulson eyed the Regent worriedly, "Are the quarters not to your liking?"
Amid a lot of rumors, speculation, the Regent had requested to use the Arcadia as his flagship. The Regent explained the Arcadia was better suited for conducting Alliance planning and meeting sessions.
To General Coulson this seemed like a sensible request, but the Regent's request to stay in Admiral's Coleiro's old quarters shocked him. Yet, the General didn't turn down the request. This only caused more rumors and gossip among the command staff and crew of the Arcadia.
The Regent shook his head, "No… No, they're fine," he paused, "I'm… I'm just tired…"
Even if the Regent wanted to tell the General, he couldn't put into words what he was going through. Ever since leaving the hospital and her, he hadn't been able to focus and concentrate. Not only was he hiding what he was going through from General Coulson, but he was blocking out the hive and the Regess.
Still, despite his mental barriers, he sensed an undercurrent of confusion and worry circulating through the hive mind. But the Regess had said nothing or voiced any concerns to him, leaving him both perplexed and mystified.
"Maybe, you would like to go down to the surface for a break? You could check out the sights. I could arrange an escort and tours, if you would like?" replied Coulson, studying the Invid.
The General's words unleashed a torrent of memories… Faith was holding on tightly as they roared down the mountain highway on a Cyclone.
The images seemed so real, making the Regent struggle to maintain control over his mental barriers. He swore he could feel her arms wrapped around his waist, her body pressing against his. As quickly as the images came, they faded, but their lingering effects had him wishing them to come back.
The Regent reasserted control, trying to shake off their effects, "No, General. I-I appreciate the offer and consideration. Thank you."
The Regent stood up to signal that the conversation was over. Coulson said nothing, but it was obvious something was troubling the Invid. But he didn't know how he could help. His major concern was that whatever was troubling the Regent wouldn't impact military operations.
"Besides, there's nothing down there for me," the Regent muttered as he exited the conference room.
oOoOo
A surreal moment of déjà vu gripped Faith while disembarking from the shuttle onto the landing deck of the Arcadia. Memories came rushing back and the pain of those bittersweet memories stabbed at her.
"You okay?" Rachel said.
Faith shook off the melancholy threatening to overwhelm her, "Y-Yeah… yeah, I'll be fine. It's… it's just been a long time since I've been here," she stammered, trying to focus.
Larson nodded in understanding, then took the lead, guiding Faith off the busy hanger deck.
"I hear Xander is aboard with Cassie," Faith said, engaging in small talk to distract her growing nervousness and fear.
Despite her attempts at small talk, her thoughts still fixated on what Rachel had told her about the Invid Regent. The whole thing sounded crazy and mindboggling, but she never doubted Rachel for one minute. When Faith asked her to bring her up to the ship, the Chief never batted an eye.
A proud smile filled Rachel's face, "Yeah, he's the crew chief for the Grim Reapers. He's a natural mechanic, and he's picked up everything I taught him. Did you want to see them?"
"N-No!" Faith squeaked, catching herself by surprise.
Her decision to come up here had been a spur of the moment one. More than anything she wanted to get this over with and return to the surface, and move on with her life… her life with Andy.
More memories came rushing back while walking down the corridor. Again, the sensation of being pulled in two directions gripped her. The old memories beckoned her, and she wished she could return to that time. She lost track she didn't see Rachel stop and almost walked into her.
"W-What?" Faith stammered.
Rachel gave her a sympathetic look, "The Regent is staying in his old quarters. You remember the way?"
Faith took a deep breath, nodding because she didn't trust herself to speak. How many times, in her dreams over the years, had she walked the ship's corridors to Paul's cabin.
Rachel nodded back, reading the anguish and heartache lurking in the younger woman's eyes, "Take your time. Do what you need to do. Say what you need to say. The shuttle will take you back down to the surface when you're finished," she said, giving Faith a small, sympathetic smile.
Faith again nodded, getting another sympathetic smile from Rachel before she turned and headed down the corridor, leaving Faith standing there.
For a long moment, doubts and questions swirled in Faith's head before she finally turned and headed to Paul's cabin. She steeled her resolve, taking a deep breath and focusing on why she was here.
I need to know what happened to him… I need answers…
Her body moved on autopilot, her feet pulling her towards her destination. With each step closer to Paul's cabin, guilt flared up, adding itself to her maelstrom of emotions.
She hadn't told Andy where she was going, other than saying she was going with Rachel and Giles to visit some friends and would be back whenever. While he said he had no problem, his facial expression seemed to betray that he didn't quite believe her story.
As she left, Andy reminded Faith about the question he'd wanted to ask her after the battle in Adamsville. He admitted they were going through a rough patch, but he still loved her.
She paused, considering her situation… She was on a spaceship, heading towards the cabin of her dead lover to see some alien that apparently looked like her dead lover. Being a Slayer meant dealing with the strange was an occupational requirement, but this situation was veering into uncharted territory.
A voice in her head kept urging her to turn around and go home and forget about all this. Yet, she realized that ever since Rachel had told her about the Invid Regent, she needed to see the creature. She wanted to face this creature and ask it the questions that haunted her. Faith wanted to know why Paul hadn't come home to her and why did he have to die.
She was suddenly standing in front of Paul's cabin door. Her resolve crumbled as a flood of memories unleashed themselves. The whispers of desire and longing surfaced, intermingling with the memories as she stood there staring at the cabin door.
What do I do now?
She stood there staring at the door, while doubts pulled her in all directions. A final thought urged her to turn around and go home to Andy, but the desire to know what happened overrode it. With her decision made, Faith took a deep breath and knocked on the cabin door.
oOoOo
The Regent stared at the blue and white world hanging outside his cabin's observation window. Despite the soft relaxing music filling the room, an inner turmoil, caused by a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts, gripped him. The music only added to the sense of familiarity haunting him. He had to keep reminding himself that he was a stranger here.
He glanced at the glass in his hand, filled with an amber-looking liquid. The word… whiskey… echoed in his thoughts. He'd known the bottle's hiding spot in the cabin, and that it was a gift from General Coulson. The memory of the General giving him the gift was as clear as if he'd been there. The Regent took a long swig of his drink, again reminding himself those weren't his memories.
As the warmth of the alcohol hit his system, he topped off his glass. This time he sipped the drink, savoring the taste while absorbing the soothing music. His eyes returned to the planet, and more memories raced through his thoughts. It seemed the more he fought to suppress them, only caused them to return stronger and more intense.
His mental barriers were still in place, but the hive's voices continued to echo in his head, probing around the edges of his thoughts. Some very non-Invid thoughts, wishing for the hive to leave him alone, flashed in his head. This only caused more confusion and doubts, which raised only questions of what was happening to him.
Who am I? What am I?
The music almost caused him to miss the soft knocking on his cabin door. He assumed it was one of the ship's crew checking in to see if he needed anything. For a moment, he debated whether to answer the door. His eyes turned to the half empty bottle and decided he wanted more whiskey.
"Enter," he said, moving to his desk to turn off the music.
His back was to the door as it opened, and the gasp caused him to spin around. Time slowed, seeing her standing just inside the doorway.
He stood there, saying nothing. All he could do was stare at her while a deluge of memories and emotions overwhelmed him. The shock on her face was obvious as she stepped hesitantly further into the cabin with the door closing behind her.
The hairs on his arms stood up, tingling as their eyes met. Her pain and struggle to maintain control was obvious in her eyes.
"W-Why?" she stammered in a hushed voice.
The question might have confused someone else, but instinctively the Regent knew what she was asking. He knew the answer, but how could he explain the Flower of Life and the tangled complexities, power and prophecies of The Shapings to a non-Invid.
Faith struggled to maintain a semblance of control while her eyes sucked in every detail of the alien standing in front of her.
I-It looks exactly like him… just younger, she thought, trying to keep her legs from shaking.
Even though the Regent appeared human, what caught Faith's attention were the eyes. They were darker and different, making him more alien-like. Despite the eyes, this alien was the spitting image of Paul. There was even a faint scar outline running down the left side of his face.
This doppelganger of Paul was tearing her apart. Faith swallowed hard, gathering her strength, "Why did he have to die?" she demanded.
Urges and desires swept over the Regent. They hammered at his mental barriers while he struggled to rein in his emotions. He suddenly realized he didn't want to share what he was experiencing with the rest of the collective.
They're m-my… I-I mean, they're his memories…
Faith's frustration was boiling past her breaking point. All this alien was doing was standing there, staring at her, not saying a word.
"SAY SOMETHING DAMMIT! TELL ME WHY PAUL HAD TO DIE!"
The Regent's voice failed as the deluge of memories and emotions now became an avalanche. In that moment, the vision The Shapings had shown him flashed in his head, yet he still couldn't say anything to her.
I-I… He did it for you…
Faith was past her breaking point as she sensed her self-control melting away. She struggled against the urge to lash out and beat this alien, to give her the answers she wanted. All that played in her head was the memory of the last time she and Paul had been together.
He promised me he would come back… I told him, "Don't make a girl a promise, you can't keep."
The realization finally sank in that coming here was a bad idea, and she would never get answers to her questions. Half-formed tears burned her eyes as the desire to escape this room, and the memories it held, took over. Her heart was pounding as she turned to leave.
The Regent didn't understand what was happening to him. He reacted with no thought or consideration for what he was doing. All he knew was that he didn't want her to leave.
A hand grabbed her arm, catching Faith by surprise. The familiar voice, barely above a whisper, sent both a chill and shock through her.
"Wait…"
Faith's instincts and reflexes reacted to the hand grabbing her. In a blur of motion, she grabbed the Regent, pushing him hard against the wall, pinning him with her forearm pressed against his throat. There was no thought or logic in what she was doing. In that moment she found herself inches from the Invid's face.
The sound of her heart racing filled Faith's ears. The heat radiating from his body suddenly made her conscious of how close she was to him. His dark eyes drew her in, releasing another flood of emotions. She was hanging at the edge of an abyss, and she didn't know where to turn.
There was no fear or anger on his face, which only pushed her over the edge as a flood of desire, pain and regret engulfed her. Tears filled her eyes as an inner voice kept telling her to leave… leave before it was too late.
His soft whispering caught her by surprise, "It's okay… It'll be alright…"
Her grip loosened on him as his words caused her defenses to crumble. Yet, he didn't move, still holding her in his gaze. Faith swore that his eyes suddenly looked less alien.
Again, an inner voice screamed warnings to leave now and not give into the lie. She brushed away the inner voice, not caring what it said.
I want to believe the lie… I want to believe it!
Raw emotional hunger took over, tossing away any rational thought or considerations. She kissed him long and hard, no longer caring what was the truth or lies. Long dormant urges and passions exploded, sweeping her away.
The hunger consumed them both as the Regent responded with an equal enthusiasm and intensity, his hands moving up and down her body. A soft moan escaped her lips, her body responding to the familiar touch she'd long desired and missed. They pulled at each other's clothes as they staggered to the bed.
oOoOo
A satisfied smile filled the Regess's face. Her children stirred, absorbing and reacting to the images and emotions flowing through the hive mind.
Despite his attempts to block them, the Regess had sensed the Regent's doubts and inner turmoil. Now, lost in the depths of passion, his barriers fell away, unleashing not only his passions, but the female's too.
An intense wave of emotions swept over the Invid hive mind. A sense of joy engulfed the Regess as these tidal waves of emotion triggered changes in the hive mind that were even more profound than the Regent's accession. This moment held a deep satisfaction for her because this was the start of what The Shapings had shown her.
The Flower of Life had hinted and given glimpses to the Regess that the Invid species could become something more. For generations, the Haydonites had been a roadblock on that evolutionary path, but the humans were removing that roadblock. Admiral Coleiro's transformation into the Regent was the catalyst needed to ignite the Invid's evolutionary change.
The Regess recalled the first time she'd touched the Admiral's thoughts as more emotions and images washed over her and the hive mind. She'd seen what The Shapings had shown the Admiral and what her race would achieve. Even with the Haydonites in retreat, there was still much to do before beginning the great work.
A twinge of regret washed over the Regess, and a part of her wished the Admiral's sacrifices hadn't been essential. Yet, not only were his sacrifices needed by the Invid, they were necessary to save the other species, along with everyone he cared about from the Haydonites.
She'd seen the dark veil the Admiral hadn't been able to see past, but The Shapings had given her a glimpse past his veil to show her something wondrous.
Another surge of emotions washed over the Regess and hive as the two lovers built up to their climax. Once again, the Admiral's vision of what her species would become filled the Regess's thoughts.
An immense column of pure blinding energy, erupting from the surface of Optera. As it climbs higher and higher into space, the column transforms, becoming a gigantic bird… a phoenix of pure energy.
The Regess gasped in joy while the bird extended its wings, climbing and soaring into space, heading for a higher level of existence. This vision of her race's future filled the Regess's heart with wonder and happiness.
The couple's passion climaxed, flowing over and rippling through the hive. In that moment, the Regess sensed the spark of life, and The Shapings showed her a glimpse of what was to come. Another satisfied smile filled her face, seeing the future of the Invid assured.
While the Regess and the Invid witnessed what was occurring in orbit around Earth, they were not the only ones noticing something monumental happening…
oOoOo
Hidden from the outside world, The First Evil contemplated the failure of its agents and plans. Disbelief and denial filled the being's thoughts while trying to comprehend its reversal in fortunes.
With all its plans lying in ruins, anger and the desire for revenge consumed The First. As it contemplated its next moves, there was some solace in knowing that one of its adversaries was dead.
He thought he would end me! That fool didn't have any idea what he was up against!
A jolt of energy, surging through the being, cut short any further exultation over Paul Coleiro's death. The surge faded, leaving the non-corporeal entity with a strange, puzzling sensation.
The First Evil had no idea what had happened, but it could sense that something was now different. A tense foreboding now gripped it.
Thrown off its equilibrium, The First Evil quickly considered what steps it should take. It decided on taking a wait-and-see approach, using its remaining servants and followers to be its eyes and ears to search out this change. All the while, The First Evil would have to be patient, biding its time until it could strike and remove this potential threat.
oOoOo
Light streaming through the cabin window cast soft shadows across the room. The view was a spectacular one of Earth, the ships and stations in orbit around the planet.
Faith, stirring and quietly sitting up in bed, noticed none of it. The sleeping form next to her in bed was the focus of her thoughts. Panic gripped her while staring at the person next to her, thankful he was still asleep.
My god! What I have done!
A mix of guilt, regret and indecision washed over her. After what seemed an eternity, she decided she needed to move. Using moves and skills gained from much experience, she stealthily slid out of bed and gathered her scattered clothes.
All the while, she silently prayed he wouldn't wake up while an inner voice chided her for making another stupid decision. She sighed, adding this latest "bad life choice" to her life's long list of stupid decisions.
Stupid! Stupid! Really, really stupid!
She gazed at the sleeping form, recalling everything they'd done. The tingling and lingering desires only caused her shame to grow. The sex had been great, but she chalked up her "extreme enthusiasm" to this alien being a dead ringer for Paul. Memories of how he touched her in all the right spots only added to her shame and guilt.
What have I done? What am I going to do?
Thoughts of betraying Andy brought on a sickening sensation, filling her with revulsion and self-hate for having given into the lie.
Andy, I so wanted to believe it was him… Please forgive me!
She glanced again at the bed, shocked by a sudden rising wave of desire. Despite the teasing memories of the sex, she got her desires and urges under control. The craziness of her situation now came rushing in as she grasped what she'd done.
All I did was screw an alien that looked like my dead lover!
Her only course of action was to slink out of the cabin, yet as she headed for the door, she paused. Out of reflex, her hand went to the pendant around her neck as she gazed at the bed. The urge to stay caught her by surprise. All she had to do was give into the tantalizing lure of the lie dangling in front of her.
He's dead… I can't go back!
She took the pendant off, staring at it in her hand for a long moment. The pendant was now only a reminder of the past and what could have been.
She turned back to the bed. A twinge of sadness reverberated through her, glimpsing the man's face while placing the pendant on the pillow next to him. Quickly, she slinked from the cabin, trying to put the past behind her.
In the corridor, a surprising sense of regret filled her. For a moment, she questioned if she was making the right decision. But a sudden bout of common sense brushed any regrets aside as she headed down the corridor towards the hanger bay and home.
oOoOo
The closing cabin door woke the Regent. The object on the pillow next to him caught his eye as he sat up. He recognized the pendant. There was no confusing the symbolism and the message Faith was leaving him.
A voice screamed inside his head, telling him to go after her. The urge to tell her what he was feeling and that he wanted her to stay pulled on him.
Yet, always on the edge of his thoughts were the voices of the hive. They asserted themselves, reminding him who and what he was, silencing those urges.
She thought I was him…
This was small comfort to the desires and wants weighing on him. He rolled onto his back, his thoughts churning while staring at the ceiling.
If he'd wanted to, with the power at his command, he could try to stop her from leaving, forcing her to stay. Yet, the reality was the decision to stay or go was hers, and there was nothing he could do to change the situation. He grasped the pendant tightly, staring at the cabin door.
"Goodbye, Faith…" he whispered.
oOoOo
"Regent…? Sir?"
The Regent's attention, focused on the pendant in his hand, caused him to not hear Captain Wright speaking to him.
"Sir?"
The Regent finally noticed the Captain and returned his attention back to more important matters.
Wright hesitated, eyeing the Regent with concern and noting the pendant in the Regent's hand, "Are you alright, sir?"
The Regent took a deep breath, grasping the pendant tightly, trying to shake off the relentless memories, "I'm fine, Captain… What's the status of the fleet?"
"All ships report they are at 'Condition-One'. The fleet is ready to fold to the Freyeon System!" Wright reported.
The Regent acknowledged the report with a nod. He glanced around the bridge of the SDF-4, now his flagship of the newly christened Alliance Grand Fleet.
Recent repairs had brought the SDF-4 up to a more battle-ready condition. They still hadn't installed the spacefold system and finished the ship's engines, so the cruiser Fantoma was still providing the SDF-4's propulsion and spacefold capability. Despite this limitation, the SDF-4's weapons systems were now fully operational along with her shield system. To give the ship an even nastier bite, she now had her full air wing onboard.
There had been some consternation and extensive debate among Alliance Command when the Regent asked for command of the newly created fleet to lead the attack on the Freyeon System. Their reticence was due to how much power the Invid now wielded.
With the history of the other universe's Invid, from the Arcadia's records, well known. Alliance Command worried about the Invid causing problems. This was especially worrisome considering the Regent displaying similar leadership traits and combat skills as Admiral Coleiro.
It took General Coulson to convince Alliance Command and the Alliance Council that it was in everyone's best interests to let the Regent lead the fleet.
He argued the Invid should take the lead, especially because they would now carry the burden of the fighting along with suffering the ensuing higher casualties. Plus, with the Regent apparently gifted with the same level of tactical and strategic skills as Admiral Coleiro, then it made sense to use those skills against the enemy. Coulson added, because of his close working relationship with the Regent, he trusted him to do what was in everyone's best interests.
The Regent's gaze shifted between the bridge deck's observation windows and the scanner displays, tracking his fleet. With hundreds of capital and support ships supported by thousands of Invid carriers able to launch millions of mecha, he now commanded the most powerful fleet in the galaxy.
The knowledge of the power now at his disposal resurrected old memories of T.R. Edwards's traitorous plots and schemes to become a Robotech Master.
That bastard Edwards would have sold his soul for a fleet like this! Even though we're not up to Zentraedi Grand Fleet size, we're nothing to laugh at. The Haydonites will be in for a shock when we arrive…
The Regent decided it was time to leave, "Captain, inform the fleet to begin fold operations for the Freyeon System. Inform all ships we will use operational plan 'Faith-Two'."
"Yes, sir!" nodded Captain Wright before turning to leave.
The Regent, his thumb rubbing over the jade pendant's carved symbol grasped tightly in his hand, watched the Captain and the bridge crew go about their duties. The spacefold field forming around the ship snapped him out of his quiet introspection, focusing him back on the moment.
"Good fortune to us all…" the Regent whispered as the ship folded.