Corr was sitting in the conference room with Calla on his lap as Vult entered the room. On the screen was none other than the long lost sniper, clad in a brand new suit of artificial muscle. Plating of Vortian Federal Blue joined with the now familiar artificial muscle structure, but fitted to an Irken body. The Captain nodded to Vult.

"Commander, he finally popped back up on radar."

"And they gave me a stealth shuttle of my own to boot. Suit cradle and all." Kazak seemed visibly in better spirits with the much needed armor upgrade after his experience on Vort. "While I was here, I've been listening to radio traffic in the galaxy. I think I got a bead on a probable location for Zim. Go take that idiot out of the picture before he somehow messes this up."

Corr held up a dataslate with coordinates for a Planetjacker outpost world for Vult. "If you were to approve the mission, Commander, I think I have an idea where we can put Kazak's talents to good use. He scouts for us, we do a false flag attack, all three teams, perhaps the Vortians if they can keep from being spotted on surveillance."

Vult, sitting there with his mug in hand, blinked at the outpouring of information presented before him.

"...I'll come back to that." He began, looking back to Kazak's projection. "What was that about Zim? The Tallest sent him to some planet Irk knows here at the edge of the known universe. Extremely far away from Imperial space. What could he possibly do from there and why is this a concern now?"

"Yeah, never underestimate a wildcard." That was the first concern of his, "The second is I've been hearing traffic going around that Grimm wants to know where he is too. Why? I have no clue. I just know that if he's taking an interest in this, shouldn't we be?"

"Debatable. It could be another one of his ego-fueled attempts to smear Vaukt's reputation. Unsurprising after the debacle at Vylat." The Commander summarized, sampling his drink before setting the mug down. "...but why would the Supreme Commander of the Irken Elite want anything to do with Zim of all Irken? Not exactly the most damaging choices…an improvement, really. Possibly even a favor."

Vult mused over the notion briefly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with a pursed expression of concentration. "...what about you, Captain? Your thoughts?"

"Skrem's information he coaxed out of the Supreme Commander before his…unwilling stay on Hel did show that there's something amiss here. I think the General may have some more information for us. If it's a good time to contact him."

"If he's not knee deep in whoever's guts he's fighting right now." Kazak chuckled.

"That would be the Orenkians." Corr elaborated. "And the campaign is going shockingly well." Corr sent a ping to Vaukt's personal secure channel. Some moments passed before the General's armored visage appeared on screen next to Kazak's. The General sitting on a Chief's throne, his troops outside the throne room searching for intelligence.

"Ah, my two favorite mavericks…and another interestingly armored fellow. How things develop."

The silver eyed sniper nodded to Vaukt.

"We had an update we wanted to alert you to, General. It seems Supreme Commander Grimm is now looking for Invader Zim. We were hoping you might have some reason to know why."

"Yes, yes…and the Commander forwarded me a copy of Skrem's information some time ago. I've been able to review it when I can get away from Zha. That woman is incessant and very much is taken with me." He shook his head, a smile behind his helmet not visible to them.

"You seem terribly broken up about it, Sir," Vult facetiously commented in his usual dry sarcasm before taking another drink from his mug. "As little as I'd like to ever see of Zim again, it is worth looking into if Grimm has taken an immediate interest in the little ankle-biter. It isn't coincidence coming after the disaster at Vylat. Perhaps you can shed a little more light on those affairs, General?"

Vaukt nodded, lowering his helmet to light a cigarette and smoke it. "Actually, there is some history you're not aware of. I was SpecOps from the start, never changed for me. What might interest you, however, is that there's an interesting connection. Red, Purple, Miyuki, Spork, Burgg, Grimm, Zim, they all served together in the Elite, the same unit actually. The First Infantry Division; now, consider recent events since they've all gotten rather tall lately. Miyuki and Spork met their very unfortunate ends in very rapid succession. Grimm was actually supposed to be next in line, but then with a sudden growth spurt, there were some…interesting changes."

"Let me guess," Kazak spoke, "Red and Purple ended up taller than him."

"Exactly," Vaukt nodded before taking a drag and exhaling. "Then there was the added bonus of being beaten out for the position of Warmaster.

"Burgg being taller than he was, but not by much." Corr added.

"Correct again, Captain. Now how Red and Purple can be so stupid? It beats me, same with Grimm. Burgg actually has some sound strategies about him, which makes me think of why he might be after Zim. I mean think about it, he caused the last mishap in leadership. Why not do it all over again, the finger points to the same culprit, and he ends up cutting out a major loose end in the process, yes?"

"Assuming that's the case, wouldn't that mean Warmaster Burgg is next in succession?" Vult reasoned aloud at this revelation. "...or do you believe he would happen to be caught up in whatever is intended for Red and Purple? This does confirm Skrem's own account in dealing with Grimm, seeking out a loyal Invader."

"I think a recent event just planted a target on the Warmaster's back." Another drag from Vaukt followed.

"What event would that be, General? Vylat's collapse of an invasion?"

"Something like that. Myself, Zha, and Grimm were summoned to Irk."

Vult gave pause from his mug, looking to Vaukt's remotely-viewed form. "All three of you were summoned to Irk? By the Warmaster himself or…?"

"Yes, and everyone's least favorite High Marshal of Internal Affairs was there…the only reason Grimm is still in any sort of command is because of her too."

The Commander's azure gaze tightened into one of confusion and disbelief as he mentally processed his superior's explanation before giving a shake of his head.

"...Xilch…protected Grimm after completely screwing up the Vylat campaign to the point of a total withdraw? Figured she would be the first to sign his death warrant after the debacle on Vort."

"You'd think so. But no, she said Grimm followed the Imperial Standard and so Burgg relieving Grimm of command would have seen him sent to Judgmentia. Apparently the Imperial Standard is now stupidity. More reason to end this nonsense."

"That…makes no sense." Corr blinked.

"Tell me about it. But no, I firmly believe that what we're doing is going to very much result in a civil war. Troopers and SpecOps against Elites and Internal Affairs. I don't know why she would defend an idiot, but I'm sure she might have her own ambitions. Get Grimm on her side, make him a puppet."

"Either way, Grimm technically did his job to the letter even if it resulted in failure is what I'm gathering from this. Brugg trying to strip him of authority is what any sane military in the universe would do and she stopped it because of the rules being the way they are. Incredible." Vult summarized with a sigh, rubbing at his eyes in exasperation. "...and you think Grimm's sudden interest in Zim is tied to all of this?"

"I'm certain of it. Considering what shenanigans took place with the last couple of Tallests we had, why wouldn't he try the same trick again? His political maneuvering is just as bad as his strategies on the battlefield. Though…this one actually makes more sense."

"How so?" Kazak asked.

"If you were to eliminate those you called friends and you wanted to get close, would you choose a total stranger or a friend they would not suspect of stabbing them in the back?"

"Red and Purple wouldn't see a betrayal from Zim coming…nor would Burgg. Not a blatant one anyhow." Corr mused. "That's a very unconventional choice, but could he manipulate Zim's loyalties, I wonder."

"No one expects the useful idiot." The Commander concurred, steepling his digits with elbows to the arm rests of his chair in thought. "...speculation here, but if Grimm and Zim are tied to Tallest Miyuki and Tallest Spork's untimely demise…it makes too much sense for him to use his proven methods if that is what is in play. Grimm requires Zim for something. That is enough probable cause for us to investigate. Kazak?"

"Yeah, boss?"

"Said you know where Zim is located, did you not?"

Kazak pulled up a holographic projection of a celestial map with the coordinates. "Triangulated to this system, based on traffic between himself and the Tallest."

The Commander studied the projection briefly. A quaint, backwater, single-star system hosting primitive beings barely scratching the surface of spaceflight. His gaze squinted at the life-sustaining garden world's designation.

"...Eee-arth? Appears pleasant enough for primitives." Vult reasoned, looking back to Kazak. "Pack your bags for an extended trip, Kaz. Infiltrate, locate Zim, and produce any actionable intel you can."

"Will do, I'll procure supplies from the Vorts and be on my way."

"Sounds like a nice place to hunker down if things go bad." Vaukt mused. "Get us a base of operations."

"Make that secondary. Figuring out where Zim plays into all of this and how to prevent Grimm from doing…whatever it is that he has planned takes precedence. I would send one of the teams to assist but questions will be asked why part of my unit is missing indefinitely."

"I can handle one pesky idiot of an Invader." Kazak chuckled.

"Scout sniper, right?" Vaukt asked of the man.

"I was before these guys, yes, General."

"Yeah, he can handle it and put something right between Zim's eyes if it comes to it."

Corr held up his dataslate again. "Commander, while the General's here, perhaps we should run this idea by him."

"Thankful as the universe would be to see us rid of Zim, him turning up dead that far away from Imperial space while Grimm attempts to coerce him into some plot will immediately attract attention to ourselves. He already assumes anything of his undoing is the General's fault as-is." Vult reasoned, reaching for the dataslate the Captain offered, taking it up for a reminding glance of its contents. "How secure is your connection, General?"

"This is one of my personal encrypted channels, securer than most."

Upon Vaukt's affirmation, the Commander plugged the dataslate into the hub, transferring its contents to the General's frequency for his review.

"Courtesy of Kazak on the behalf of our friends. They are eager to start prodding the Empire through misdirection and divide-and-conquer tactics. I applaud their ambition but question their timing."

Vaukt ran over the information, ambitious indeed. A false flag attack against the Planet Jackers? They would be quite an ally to have on their side in the resistance movement. The plan actually elicited a chuckle from him.

"If there's anyone the Empire is actually afraid of out there, it's these guys. An attack on this outpost and killing all inhabitants would end the non-aggression pact with them…and make it possible to bring them to our side. Especially if we can help them with their predicament. They're a highly advanced species capable of stealing literal planets. I'd rather help them and gain their support than having to fight them."

"Morally ambiguous and ethically questionable…but highly effective." Vult sighed in summarization, looking to Vaukt. "The Armada, per the non-aggression pact, is permitted to use their spaceport and refueling facilities. Infiltrating aboard one of those vessels is a non-issue with the right uniforms and spoofed credentials. The challenge becomes ensuring they are very much aware of who is responsible for the attack while not drawing attention back to ourselves."

"Precisely what I'm thinking. Keep this in mind but I'm going to look around and see if I can't make some…creative acquisitions and arrangements. I can contact you once I make progress there. I'm here trying to get the Orenkians on our side now that I've secured Vylatian support for our resistance movement."

"Understood, General. Standby until further notice?"

"For now, yes. Have your man do his scouting if he can, though. Schematics and the like could come in handy for you later."

"Works for me." Vult nodded, leaning to look to Corr. "Who you think's best suited to do some unsupported recon?"

Corr simply gestured to Kazak on the screen.

"I can handle a quick recon mission before heading off to go find Zim if you guys want me to. Your call." The sniper was confident in his abilities. Even without the armor he could handle a recon mission like this.

"Normally, I would agree, but I need you to leave for Eee-arth as soon as possible. Zim did not start transmitting to the Tallest over six months after the conclusion of the Great Assigning. It's a long trip." Vult reasoned, weighing his options. "I would recommend Skrem but Green Team desperately needs his expertise to get up to speed with the rest of us…Zurrak, maybe?"

"Zurrak would be the best choice. He pulled solo going to overwatch back on Vort for us. I think he can handle it." Kazak figured Vult's assessment was spot on. "I'll get going to this backwater once I get supplies from the Vorts."

"Don't have too much fun." Vult commented in jest before remembering. "Oh, one more thing. Unlikely, but be aware…a Sanitation Drone by the name of Tak that is an Invader in everything but title may be present. She has some…revenge ploy against Zim. The one that did this to me." He concluded, pointing to his artificial arm.

"Unlike the Tallest, I am going to give you critical information you need to be aware of."

"Oh, swell, this will be fun. I'll keep an eye peeled. She might be useful…" Kazak was already thinking out loud.

"Keep me posted on your progress. Vult out." The Commander concluded before severing the connection with Kazak, turning his attention back to Vaukt. "I'll have Zurrak report to you after we send him on his way and you can task him further, General."

"I'll try not to keep him too long." He held up a finger as he finished the cigarette, one of his troopers coming in with intelligence. A quick review and a nod followed as the other armored Irken left. "So we found the Chief of Clan Turo. Time to go do what needs to be done. I'll contact you later." With that, Vaukt cut out.

Corr sighed. "Well, this has been quite a development."

"Indeed it has…but we anticipated this. Little sooner than we expected, but an eventuality we were going to cross." The Commander added with a brief pause. "I personally believe it too ambitious of the VDF a plan but I understand their reasoning. We may not have the luxury of time with whatever Grimm has in the works assuming we aren't being paranoid."

"If we're getting caught up in some higher up political maneuvering, it may be beyond our control. It's good we have the General on our side but…I suppose his own machinations would also have an impact on us, even if we are heading towards the same end of destroying the Empire. I have to wonder if the General wants the same thing as we do."

"And if he doesn't?" Calla spoke up, intently listening into the ongoing planning and strategy throughout the meeting of officers. "I understand all of you trust this General Vaukt, even this Byte fellow…but have you stopped to consider he may be taking advantage of all of you for his own Grimm-esque ploy? Wouldn't be the first time a political movement was sabotaged in history."

"I want to believe he is genuine on how he treats his troops and deals with his own superiors…but there is always the chance it is a facade as well." Vult acknowledged reluctantly.

"All the more reason to be extremely cautious moving forward. You lot have walked to the edge and are staring into the abyss of the plunge you are about to take. The point of no return, if you will. Being certain of who is ally and who is enemy is paramount at this point."

"...You know this does lead me to wonder, Commander." Corr began, "We're fighting to end the Empire and the senseless conquests. That much is clear…but what's our end goal? We're not doing all this and then just going to look around confused at the end I would hope. What are we going to have with the end of the Empire? I'm sure the General already has his own ideas, unless you presented him with one back on Vort."

"Hard to build a house if there's no foundation to work with."

"Essentially that, yes," Vult agreed with Calla's assessment. "I…haven't thought that far ahead, to be perfectly honest. We have a lot of work to do before we can even consider the alternatives. I intended to have a lengthy discussion with our allies about how to proceed on that front with their own experiences. You still have the historical texts Byte provided you, don't you? Glean anything useful from those?"

Calla's vox emitter replicated a clearing of her throat for attention.

"Your music player also lived during a pre-Imperial era."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"Try not to insult her. Soon enough she's going to be here to kick you in the groin when you do and Hesa would be very displeased if you're unable to perform." Corr chuckled. "I suppose some exploration into it. Devos appears to be something pleasant from what Calla told me."

"My recommendation would be to do research into political science. All of these advanced alien civilizations I've never seen are bound to have literature on the subject. Like Vult said though…there is much to be done first before that can even begin to come to fruition."

"I can safely attest that it will not be militaristic in any way, shape, or form. We are not removing the chains of servitude to happily restrain ourselves in others."

"A good start. Take notes, next opportunity you have to speak with your Vortian friends, get their input. Their government seemed…sound until you all but wiped out their civilization."

"Yes…but as to who wiped out their whole civilian government I now have to wonder if it was us or them." Corr thought back to what he heard about the conversation involving the Director of SIS. How even he was augmented according to his own program. What kind of insane man does such a thing? Clearly an ambitious type, for Vortian power maybe? "Whatever the case, we do need the General on side. Let's just hope he's not further along down the path of an alternative to the Empire than we are. His support is considerable and the last thing we need is whatever his faction ends up looking like opposing ours. SpecOps, Vylat, and Orenk as adversaries? No thank you."

"Just be mindful and cautious. He seems genuine, keyword being "seems"."

"Duly noted. We have our work cut out for us. In the meantime…" Vult began, looking to the Captain. "Notify Zurrak of his tasking to aid Vaukt reconning this PJ outpost. Sooner we move ahead, the farther we can stay in front of whatever Grimm is potentially planning."

"Will do, Commander." Corr rose, picking up Calla to carry her as well. "Anything else?"

Vult stood up as well, taking up his mug to follow after the Captain.

"Once that's done, come find me. May need to step in and stop Aren from killing Chavsa if it goes too far."

"The wall to wall counseling shouldn't become a wall to wall homicide, yes…will do, sir." Corr hurried out the door to find Zurrak and alert him to his new tasking.