The Fall

by Wedjatqi

ALLIANCE FIC – 2 weeks after the events of 'Interlude 4' and Atlantis continues to search for Janus' secret lab; Teyla, still feeling slightly unwell, is aboard the Sythus on its way to hunt down the elusive Skerti out beyond the Alliance border. And in the Training Facility, Oneakka continues his recovery while struggling with new developments regarding Seeal.

29. Act 2 - Collision Course

Note: This chapter is dedicated to M, who hopefully had her hip operation this week. Thinking of you and hope it went to plan.

00000

ACT 2 – TRUTH

Chapter 29 – Collision Course

The walk up to New Breath's Central Command Chamber was considerably shorter compared to how long the trip had been on Lost Lineage's massive Hive. That there weren't any hostile Drones escorting them was also an excellent additional bonus in Long Sleep's opinion.

As he, Mind Song and Michael made the walk, ignored by the Hive's young crew around them, Mind Song had filled Michael in on the details of the approaching battle.

Walking along behind the two, Long Sleep considered Michael, now in the flesh and not just a distant mind or shape in the shadows. Though New Breath's term for him had been somewhat offensive, she had been correct that Michael did smell different to other Wraith. It wasn't an unpleasant smell at all, but it was different. His short hair too was very strange among Wraith kin, but perhaps he had come from a Hive where that was the fashion now. Or was its length due to what made him unique, though not an intentional mutation from what Mind Song had been able to gather during his first meeting with Michael.

Either way, the male Warrior was as interesting in person as his distant mind had been, though the very obvious relief of his escape from Lost Lineage was a very present vibration on the outside of his mind…as was his gratitude. It was something of an unusual emotion to sense from other Wraith, but it was there and clearly directed towards both him and Mind Song. But also…perhaps something else, something excitable as if he was eager to join in the battle…to be useful again perhaps? Long Sleep imagined that being held captive that long by Lost Lineage would have such effects, and it was clear that Mind Song felt considerable empathy for the male in that regard. The two, both released captives with fast intelligent minds were clearly connecting well as they walked hurriedly through the hallways towards New Breath's Command Chamber.

"The smaller vessels are on the exterior of their formation?" Michael asked, his profile turning into Long Sleep's view as he frowned at Mind Song as they walked.

"Indeed," Mind Song confirmed. "And seem to have become more damaged since the earlier scans, if the readings are to be believed."

"Could it be due to the potential radiation damage you spoke of?" Michael asked, glancing back towards Long Sleep.

"There are no indications of that," Long Sleep replied. "But that does not preclude the theory that the radiation is currently turned off. However, I'd have expected there to be some residual irradiated indications if so many of their ships had been affected by it."

"Are we even sure there are Skerti aboard the ships?" Michael asked. "Perhaps Lost Lineage was mistaken if all she knows of them was what she retrieved from the broken pieces of Sharp Claw's database."

"That is possible," Mind Song nodded as they took a corner into a busier corridor. "But, given that we were shown footage of the battle between Sharp Claw and the Skerti she reported battling, and these appear to be the same ships…"

Michael nodded as he took in that information, his mind a wheeling moving sensation near the network. "Perhaps then the Skerti do not know how to repair Human vessels?" He considered.

"That is one theory," Long Sleep replied to him. "Though the Skerti Queen I encountered possessed significant technical skills in regard to the advanced drive technology she spliced into the Hive."

"But Human technology is very different to ours," Michael added, a swift shadow of negative emotions playing along the edge of his mind.

"Indeed," Mind Song replied as they hurriedly headed around another corner, now on the final approach towards the open entrance in the Command Chamber ahead. "It is possible, but why not abandon such damaged vessels and focus on the capable ships and use hyperspace flight?"

"Mmm," Michael nodded, his mind turning back to what seemed normal for him, the darker emotions of his mind sliding away again. "Then, it is a trap?" He concluded.

Long Sleep felt Mind Song's approval in the conclusion. "Exactly," Mind Song confirmed out loud. "Whether Lost Lineage does believe the same was unclear, but what is very clear is that she doesn't care."

"No, she's sending in younger Queens to do her work for her," Long Sleep muttered, watching several Warriors hurriedly walking the other way. It was rather pleasing not to see the identical Warrior Lineage batches anymore. There were no longer any suspicious glances towards them now, he and Mind Song having been on this Hive long enough now to be considered allies.

"Triggering the trap while she watches from afar," Michael agreed. "The question is whether she will bring in her forces to assist if matters do not turn out well."

"I doubt it," Mind Song stated as they reached the Command Chamber. "She'll go find more to send into battle in her place instead."

"My recollections of the Warrior Lineage were very different," Michael frowned as they pulled up inside the Chamber.

Mind Song murmured his agreement as Long Sleep moved up alongside him, all of them considering the flowing holograms at the front of the far smaller Command centre. New Breath was up here and stood between the Hive's piloting stations and the holograms, clearly having taken the cue from Lost Lineage's approach. She was currently giving orders, sounding authoritative, but with the edge of newness and uncertainty on the edge of her enlarged mind, now free of the extreme restraint she had had to maintain in Lost Lineage's presence.

Long Sleep focused his attention past her towards the holograms which displayed the enemy fleet. Now able to study it more openly, he moved towards a free section of a console and pulled up the live feed onto the console's smaller hologram displays. The sensor readings remained absent of the deadly radiation, the damaged engine pod readings from the Human Prey vessels the same…if not, once again, a little worse.

"There are no lifesign readings showing," Michael stated from just to the left, he and Mind Song having followed.

Long Sleep nodded. "But we have always had difficulty with these particular Human vessels in doing so, the thicker hulls of the small ships, and you see the faint radiation readings from the large vessel, that is normal for their kind."

"But not the dangerous radiation?" Michael checked.

"No," Long Sleep shook his head, reading through scrolling sensor readings.

Despite its youthful age compared to Lost Lineage's Hive, New Breath's Hive had slightly more advanced sensors thanks to its more modern seed-line, and Long Sleep had added some additional sensitivity to the sensors as part of his earlier work reinforcing the Hive against the dangerous Skerti radiation. However, despite those additions, there was little extra compared to what they had seen on Lost Lineage's reports. More heat readings were evident, which did imply lifesigns on the ships, especially on the larger Human Prey vessel at the heart of the enemy fleet.

"Vessels that obscure lifesign readings from us," Michael considered thoughtfully. "Very useful in a trap."

Mind Song murmured his agreement, but his mind shifted away quickly. Long Sleep looked round to see what had caught his Batch Brother's attention.

New Breath was walking towards them, her sharp eyes moving between the three of them.

"Great Queen," Long Sleep disconnected from the console's interface and turned towards her.

New Breath's eyes caught his and then shifted to the main holograms and back. "Did you speak truthfully to Lost Lineage about the radiation readings?" She asked.

"I did," Long Sleep nodded. "And I still see nothing indicating them, but that does not mean it has simply been turned off."

New Breath glanced away to Mind Song on Long Sleep's right, her eyes having to lift considerably to meet his tall gaze. "And were you truthful about your research on the Skerti in her historical records?"

"I was, Great Queen," Mind Song replied. "However, I am not convinced by her conclusions about the Old Lanteans being simple allies of the Skerti. If the Skerti were responsible for the Prey slaughters I found in the same time period, the Old Lanteans would have retaliated against them, which may also mean they were responsible for the disappearance of the Skerti."

New Breath glanced aside and back. "Then why travel to Atlantis, if she is correct that it still stands?"

"Atlantis most certainly still stands," Michael stated firmly from behind Long Sleep's left shoulder, the dark emotions shifting loudly through his mind again.

"Do you know if they are allied with the Skerti?" New Breath asked Michael sharply.

"Not as far as I know," Michael replied quickly. "And," his mind shifted strangely, "if the historical reports of the Skerti targeting Humans are true, I would be very surprised if the New Lanteans were their allies."

Stood in front of Michael and facing New Breath, Long Sleep contained his reaction to that unexpected comment and what seemed very informed insight on the New Lanteans, and he felt Mind Song react the same next to him. Though New Breath did not seem to notice.

"The only information I know of the Skerti," Michael continued, "is overhearing Lost Lineage's Keepers talking about the information taken from Sharp Claw's database. Though how Sharp Claw knew of them wasn't something I heard."

It was a very good point that Long Sleep had previously wondered about during his and Mind Song's 'stay' on Lost Lineage's Hive. How had Sharp Claw known? Had she directly faced a Skerti herself to know their name despite her demise having occurred in a space battle?

"If we had time, a trip to the debris field of that battle could prove useful," Long Sleep considered. Perhaps there was more of use in the remains of that battle than Lost Lineage had found.

"Yes," Mind Song agreed, "but for now, Great Queen, we three all have significant experience in battle and are all in agreement that we are heading into a trap against the Skerti-held fleet."

New Breath's eyes narrowed, her mind withdrawing a fraction. "It does not matter."

"It does in that we must adjust our thinking," Mind Song replied patiently.

"We are going to attack, what adjustment is required?" She frowned at him.

"Great Queen," New Breath's Primary interrupted as he stepped forward into view. "Lost Lineage's six Cruisers have all now made contact and are in formation around us."

"Good," New Breath replied. "We will await Lost Lineage's signal, but they are to launch on my command."

"I will inform them, Great Queen," the Primary replied, but his suspicious eyes slid over Long Sleep, Mind Song and then narrowed further on Michael. "The other Hive Queen has still not responded to our informing her of your command of this section of the attack."

New Breath let out a faint hiss of frustration. "Repeat the order to her," she commanded and her Primary nodded as he turned away to carry out her order.

The Young Queen's attention slid back to them.

"We three," Mind Song continued, "are here to assist you as best we can, Great Queen."

New Breath's mind shifted a fraction, relief edging it, but physically she just lifted her chin a little. "Then you," she focused on Long Sleep, "will watch for the radiation and monitor our structural integrity."

"Yes, Great Queen," Long Sleep nodded. "I can do that from this console," he turned to the console again, sliding his hands back into the interface to draw up the hologram sensor readings once more.

"You of the strange smell," New Breath added to Michael, "you have experience using weapons?"

"Yes, Queen," Michael replied.

"Then assist at that station. And you," New Breath added to Mind Song, "you said you assisted your previous Queen in matters of strategy."

"Several of them, yes," Mind Song confirmed.

"Then you will assist me," New Breath ordered as she moved away a few paces, turning to study the front holograms again.

Long Sleep glanced round and met his Brother's eyes as Mind Song followed New Breath to stand at her side in the centre of the small Command Chamber.

The console hologram shifted in front of Long Sleep, providing him with the full status of the Hive. Beside him, another Warrior stood up to the other end of the console, his young batch mind flowing with nervousness.

Long Sleep glanced at him. He indeed looked like he had very young flesh, perhaps one of the very latest of New Breath's batches before the Hive had launched. It had been a very long time since Long Sleep had been that age, but he remembered the nervous concern to please his Queen and perform his functions correctly. That had felt especially important having been from a mutated batch as he had felt the pressure to prove his worth to his Birth Queen and all the others in the Hive.

"I suggest we divide our focus. I will monitor the Hive's structural integrity and sensor readings outside," he informed the other Warrior. "You focus on ensuring all internal systems are working efficiently."

The Warrior's mind shifted with purpose and he nodded, turning and sliding his hands into the console's other interface.

Long Sleep watched the readings flow up from the Warrior's checks on the Hive. "Great Queen," Long Sleep called towards New Breath, "all systems are working perfectly."

"Good," New Breath replied without looking round. "Ensure we have full power available for weapons, shields, and hyperspace travel."

"All ready, Great Queen," Long Sleep confirmed instantly.

Across the chamber a small brief alarm sounded and Lost Lineage appeared on the front hologram, her face hanging above the display of the enemy fleet.

"Sister Queens," Lost Lineage grinned out of the hologram. "This is a momentous event in our combined history. We will show these mythological creatures of old that we are Wraith. We bow to no threat and we will avenge our Sister, Sharp Claw. The moment of the ambush is upon us. Begin the attack!"

Her hologram faded away, the view of the enemy fleet expanding again.

"Has the other Queen responded to my authority yet?" New Breath called out.

"No, Glorious Queen," the Primary responded.

"Hail her now," New Breath ordered, her tone firmer and she pulled her petite height up a little taller.

"She is responding, Great Queen," another voice reported.

Ahead of them the hologram shifted again and the very youngest Queen from the Gathering appeared, her immature face far too close. "You are too slow, Sister," the Queen snarled and the hologram cut away.

"She is jumping her Hive and her three Cruisers into-" A report quickly reported. "They have left into hyperspace."

New Breath hissed angrily. "Call on Lost Lineage's Cruisers to jump with us-"

"Great Queen," Mind Song interrupted quickly, taking a step closer to New Breath. "I'd advise we alter our arrival point. Not only to avoid that other Queen using the opportunity to perhaps remove you from the allocation of Feeding Grounds," Long Sleep saw New Breath frown round, clearly not having thought of that. "But also, four different angles of attack on the enemy will be more effective than three."

New Breath seemed to absorb the advice quickly. "Attack from where?" She asked.

Mind Song turned towards Long Sleep, their eyes meeting as their minds met.

"Arriving underneath the bellies of the ships," Mind Song suggested out loud as Long Sleep began the calculations.

"I have two arrival points, one for us and half the Cruisers and another for the other three," Long Sleep suggested, sending the coordinates to the main flight systems.

"Queen?" the Primary asked worriedly.

"Do it, send the new coordinates to the Cruisers and jump us in immediately," New Breath commanded loudly, moving forward a pace, her hands tight on her waist.

"Yes, our Glorious Queen," the Primary replied and started barking orders.

Long Sleep saw the new navigation readings moving across the front hologram.

"All ready and the Cruisers report ready," the Primary called a second later.

"Go!" New Breath commanded and within a split second the Hive jumped into its short hyperspace jump into a battle no doubt now already underway.

0000

Pure fury had powered Seeal out of the Facility, onto the short Transport flight, and through the Portal into Saoka's station.

There were other things bubbling under the fury, but she kept her full attention on the anger because it felt stronger, safer.

Occasionally she found herself trying to identify the other feelings as they broke momentarily through, but even getting angry at herself felt the safer thing to focus on right now.

Stupid Oaf with his rude walking away from her, refusing to look at her.

Cheeky piece of sharp ice!

Well, at least she hadn't let him get away with that shifty Wraith crap today. No, she'd made sure she'd not let him control everything; though, admittedly, it had created something of a scene again, but he had been out of line.

Poor Ru had been practically cowering in his chair as Oneakka had interrogated him.

She was still a bit shocked that Oneakka had kept walking away from her. She remembered back when they'd first known each other that he'd never turned his back on her because he hadn't trusted her. Well, that treatment felt far more complimentary than what he'd done today.

Today he'd kept running away, clearly avoiding answering her questions. And then he'd started to try to turn things on her, all very clear signs of guilt on his part.

Though admittedly, she could have perhaps handled things a little better, but still he had definitely been the one in the wrong today…except a traitorous little bit of doubt popped its head up through the anger with the embarrassing memory of having chased him down that hallway.

No, he had been out of line.

And frustratingly confusing.

He'd been so much easier to understand when he'd been deeply suspicious of her in those early days. Some part of her wished those times were back because soft crushes and sensitive weaknesses hadn't existed on her part back then. Well, except maybe for a little bit of respect that had been there from the first moments of meeting him even in his silent glaring on Dream. He'd been clear and understandable back then, not like now.

Though, given how their argument had ended, perhaps those distrustful old days had already returned.

A wash of depression mixed in with the anger as she headed through the Portal and onto Saoka's station, the sudden noise of masses of voices and footsteps through the interconnected lobbies and marketing halls of the station a nice stark contrast to the calmer quieter halls of the Facility; well, except for when she and Oneakka were arguing with each other in a Facility corridor.

She held up and waited as Station Portal Security scanned her. When she wasn't with Oneakka, Security always took a long time checking her Beacon registration and scanning her more closely for any weaponry. They all knew who she was and she respected that she was a person to watch when she visited. However, today, as they worked to process her entry into the station, she took the time to study their uniforms, weapons, and manner in more detail. They were clearly very well trained and decently armed, but she wasn't overly fond of the uniforms. They were white and muted silver, with different ranks highlighted by a series of coloured bars and badges on their shoulders. It made Security stand out very clearly, making them easily identifiable by civilians, but she really didn't like the idea of wearing something so bright and easily targetable. Though, considering the bright white walls of this station, perhaps the white did help with an element of camouflage as well.

Still, it couldn't be more different from the dark, simple uniforms that her team had worn on Dream.

And it had been an unwritten rule in the pit fights that you never wore a colour that showed the blood.

Their checks complete, Security waved her past, so she headed quickly away towards the tunnel out of the Portal Room, past the long queue of civilians waiting to use the Portal to leave the station, and out into the first main lobby of Saoka's pride and joy.

As per every time she'd visited here, she was struck by not just the size and cleanliness of Saoka's flagship station, but by the shear mass of Humanity moving through it. Dream had been a busy place, but it had been half the size of this place and held far fewer visitors. As she strode through the crowded flowing mass of people either crossing through the lobby or standing in small groups talking, she took in the excessively white walls and bright overhead lighting.

The place couldn't be further from Dream if it tried.

She pulled up in the middle of the lobby, the anger draining a bit, and considered the civilians around her. On Dream, the majority of the daily visitors had been male and of working age, but here there was every type, age, gender and profession visiting. There were babes in arms, toddlers clinging to guardian's legs, teenager youths stood talking excitedly in groups, elders walking carefully through the lobby using a stick or being pushed in a wheeled chair, station workers and Traders moving about as part of their working day, and passing-through uniformed Military officers of various planets or from the main Alliance Military.

The place had a vibe of constant movement and change, of people simply passing-through with little or no interest in each other. Dream had been full of scum, all out for dominance and currency opportunities, and often those opportunities involved taking out their competition should chance allow. Deals, alliances, enemies and currency had been made on Dream, as had attempted murders, theft, and sabotage. Clearly theft was an issue on this far brighter and friendlier station, but she had to wonder how often the other crimes were seen.

And therefore most of her skill set.

The adrenaline and fury abruptly wore off, leaving her with the heavy realisation that she really didn't want to work here. This station was too different to where she'd been before, too pristine and too civilian. But, of course, it would be a job, and one away from Oneakka for awhile.

She set her hands on her hips and let out a loud sigh of frustration.

It had been a bluff then.

She hadn't really been sure until now, but this place didn't feel like her. Didn't feel like a place she could make her home.

That fact, and the shaky vestiges of the draining adrenaline from her system, reminded her that she'd never gotten to Midday Meal. Feeling abruptly wobbly with hunger, she turned on the spot, looking towards the tall open entrance to the marketing halls. The main food courts were elsewhere on the station, but there were a collection of good quick-grab food stalls set up at the entrance to the first marketing hall. She locked her eyes on the first one and strode towards it, faintly bumping into people in her hurry to get there. The stall had various foods prepared and she'd eaten from here before, so she selected a large toasted bread filled with thick spicy bean paste and salad that she liked in the Facility. A quick scan of her wrist and her Beacon authorised her payment and the food was hers.

She'd barely gotten the paper wrapping off the bread before she started devouring it. She picked a spot to one side of the lobby, put her back against the wall, and focused on eating the desperately needed food. It was a large meal actually so she forced herself to chew more slowly, to let her body calm down and stop freaking out that she had no calories available and she'd just stormed away from her closest friend in the galaxy…

She sighed wearily as she lowered the bread, chewing slowly, her mouth feeling dry as the sadder feelings rose up making her throat feel blocked. She struggled to swallow and forced herself to focus on something else other than the urge to cry. The lobby, yes focus on that. She blinked round at the large cavernous room, taking in more precise details than she had before.

There were three Station Security in sight, all stood equidistance from each other along the walls of the lobby. There were obvious camera feeds recording from the high domed ceiling, and she knew there were regular moving patrols. Off to her left was the entrance to the marketing halls, the entrance swamped with people politely battling between those leaving the halls and those trying to enter them. There seemed to be more going in, but given that it was past most people's Midday Meal time that made sense. They'd probably used the food courts or the bigger restaurants and were now heading in to shop.

Taking another large bite of her meal, she swung her attention back to the lobby. The far wall was the most interesting with its sections of tall windows looking out on the starscape and, to one side, the closest section of docking arms. She considered what she could see from this distance and there were at least two large spaceships in dock. The closest one was an expensive small Litan private vessel and the other looked like a more run-of-the-mill Trader ship with its slightly battered less-polished hull.

Beside the tall windows was a large section of the lobby wall dedicated to display screens. The top ones were full of greeting information in various languages, only half of which she recognised, and below was a massive map of the station. She knew the layout thanks to the years of long-distance battling between Creass and Saoka in getting spies onto each other's stations. She'd managed to get a few under Saoka's radar occasionally, and it was only recently that she'd had to reveal to him the backdoor hack she'd been coveting all these years. Therefore, she knew enough to be able to recognise the different coloured outlined sections of the massive station.

This Portal end of the station was dedicated to the marketing halls and food courts on higher floors, then the middle section of the station held the leisure facilities and hotel levels, then the far end of the station focused on the ship docking resupply, maintenance, and repair side of Saoka's business. Even the Alliance Military and the Elite used Saoka's docks, and there were six long docking arms stretching out around the far end of the station on the map.

Working Security here would certainly be varied. She wondered if the docking side of the business might be more interesting, as surely the various different ships could hold more potential criminal activity, and some of them were most definitely fitted with smuggling holds.

Taking the last bite of her food, her stomach feeling reasonably satisfied and the bodily shakes wearing off, she headed back to the food stall and purchased her favourite Athosian tea and returned back to her observation point to drink it.

There was no way she was going to go back to the Facility for the rest of the day; it may have been mostly a bluff to take up Saoka's job offer, but she'd at least make sure that Oneakka took the threat seriously. She contemplated what to do to fill the time though…including the fact that she was supposed to be back in the Project Room by now. She quickly drew her electronic pad out of her back pocket and consulted the time.

And the fact that there was no apology text link from The Oaf.

She tapped into the pad and called up the main text link service and quickly typed a message to her Project Lead. She said she'd been called away to an urgent meeting with Saoka here on the station; the Lead knew she'd been involved with the incident here the other day, so he'd assume it was related to that.

The text link sent, she tapped into her notes on the pad and found the list of pickpocket gangs she'd been intending to provide to Saoka. She could at least give that to him, maybe make some further enquiries into the job offer and what aspect of security she could work here, then she'd just stay on the station for the rest of the day. Maybe take up that free meal in Saoka's posh top restaurant for Late Meal.

She sighed as she slid the pad away back into her pocket; when had she become the type of female to hide from someone? Especially someone who meant so much to her, which was her own damn fault.

Stupid oaf and her own weak precious feelings.

As she shoved the pad extra deep into her back pocket, she realised it was all she had brought with her; her jacket was still back at her workstation in the Project Room and she'd not had time to get the new taser gun with inbuilt chemical spray from her quarters… She frowned, a little worried for a second, but she shook it off. She'd managed perfectly well without the taser up until now, so the chances of her needing it in the next few hours were small. If she needed a weapon, she'd find one. But, for now she was on a relatively friendly civilian station and she had time to kill. But first Saoka…

She drank the last of her tea and set the cup in the nearby recyc bin, and headed towards the closest member of Station Security in the lobby.

The Security female noticed her approaching very quickly, which suggested to Seeal that the female had already been keeping an eye on her; very wise.

As she approached, Seeal gave the female a polite professional nod. "Is Saoka on the station today?"

"Might be," the female replied, which was a very good security answer in Seeal's opinion.

"If he's free, I have some information he asked for."

The female narrowed her eyes for a moment, and then angled her head away slightly, probably activating a hidden trigger for an audio link. "Central," the female said, "I have Watchlist 243 requesting a meeting with the Commander."

"Commander," Seeal scoffed under her breath at Saoka's title on the station, while also noting her own designation for the Security teams: Watchlist 243. Good to know in case she ever heard it used.

"Understood," the female replied to a voice only she could hear and her full attention returned to Seeal. "Go to that entrance over there," she indicated a far left archway near the tall windows, "head towards the hotel reception entrance and an escort will meet you there."

"Thank you," Seeal nodded back and headed off in the indicated direction. The location implied that Saoka was either on rounds playing host to some important types staying in the hotel sector, or it was close enough to the shut away staff-only staircases that led up to the station's administration offices and Saoka's own plush office. She wondered if she was going to be deemed an honoured guest or be taken in for a more professional interrogation.

Either way it would be distracting and help her not think about The Oaf for awhile.

Maybe she'd even book herself a room in the hotel for the night.

That would really show him if she didn't go back to the Facility until tomorrow.

Not that he'd probably care.

00000

New Breath's contingent was barely a few minutes behind the others on arrival around the Skerti-held fleet, but the battle was already raging.

The replacement jump points that Long Sleep had selected were a little further out from the enemy fleet, which had been very wise, as the immediate view upon the Hive dropping out of hyperspace was littered with crisscrossing weapons blasts and fast moving ships.

Mind Song had already braced himself for the arrival, but explosions immediately shook through the Hive the instant they arrived, a weapons blast cutting sharply past them and slamming into a Cruiser just ahead of them which was breaking apart into several flaming pieces.

"Take evasive action around the Cruiser," New Breath shouted her command instantly. "But keep us running towards, and firing upon, the enemy fleet ahead!" New Breath added around the screeching alarms through the Command Chamber.

"Yes, Great Queen," her Primary replied needlessly and Mind Song watched the Pilot work an excellent course adjustment around the doomed Cruiser and the expanding debris field around it.

The way ahead to the enemy fleet was far from clear though. There were masses of Human ships buzzing around the enemy fleet's central massive ship. The central ship looked far wider than it had on the sensors and from Sharp Claw's satellite footage, but so far no weapon blasts appeared to be reaching it, thanks to the impressive defensive cloud of the fleet's other ships intercepting everything.

"My Queen," a voice called across the Command Chamber, "there are only two other Hives present, the third one has not arrived as planned."

New Breath hissed loudly at the news of the traitorous act by one of the Gathering's Queens. Mind Song suspected it would be the older Queen.

"Focus all our firepower ahead," New Breath ordered, "break us through the enemy formation!"

The Hive rocked as more weapons fire hit them and the live view ahead showed multiple blazing lights of weapons fire rocketing between both sides of the battle. But their additional approach vector had been wise and Mind Song could see that the enemy fleet was adjusting rapidly. The massive central ship was altering course, its nose lifting up and away, attempting to put more distance between it and New Breath's contingent's inbound attack run. With one Hive behind the enemy fleet and one ahead of it, and New Breath's group racing in from underneath, they had successfully flanked the enemy, even with only three out of five Hives.

Mind Song watched as the various Human vessels swarmed fluidly with their central ship as it angled sharply away, the smallest ships intercepting blasts with their own weapons and even taking impacts on the edges of their thick hulls to protect the central ship.

"They are putting all defences into protecting their central ship," he reported loudly as he moved several quick steps away from New Breath's side to the nearest sensor console, pushing his shoulder against the Warrior there to quickly claim the space. He slid his hands and mind against the console's interface, drawing up a smaller series of holograms to display the wider expanse of the battle.

"Focus all weapons on getting through to that central ship," New Breath commanded loudly, her voice moving closer. "Perhaps their Queen is onboard it," she suggested eagerly as she reached his side.

"It is possible," Mind Song nodded.

One display confirmed that they were only three Hives still, but with a combined fleet of fifteen Cruisers remaining and a multitude of the Fighters already out engaging with the smallest enemy ships. As the deck vibrated under Mind Song he focused the sensor map on the front end of the enemy fleet where one of the Hives was commanding the majority of the Cruisers, but the fight was a blaze of weapons fire and small explosions obscuring the details of the engagement.

"We are taking significant weapons fire from ahead," Long Sleep shouted over another alarm, "but hull regeneration is working. One Cruiser to our port is not faring so well, it's taken significant damage-"

Long Sleep was cut off by a rocking explosion that tipped the Hive abruptly as it shook.

"Stabilise us!" New Breath shouted as she clutched onto the console with Mind Song.

Mind Song kept seeking through the sensor map, trying to understand what was happening outside. He needed to understand the bigger picture of the battle and their enemy's strategy.

"We have lost the Cruiser to port," Long Sleep reported the source of the explosion, the Hive's deck having levelled off. "We took minimal damage, but its debris impacted another Cruiser behind it so its pulling away, losing power in two of its regional power nodes."

"Keep us forward!" New Breath ordered as she looked up towards the front hologram. "We have them on the run, the central ship is turning to escape us."

Mind Song saw the shifting of the enemy fleet was almost complete, the protective wall of the Human vessels holding positions while the central ship and some larger Human vessels made the course adjustment. It was a strangely impressive coordinated manoeuvre for so many ships working together so quickly. And that wasn't the only surprising fact from the data readings.

"There are far more of the smallest Human ships than we saw on the satellite footage," he reported. "Almost half again of the number than saw before. A large element of them are forming the defensive wall to protect their larger ships, while others are engaging in battle, physically ramming through Fighters and impacting the Cruisers."

"We should launch my Fighters to attack them," New Breath stated.

"No," Mind Song shut that idea down. "I'm reading hundreds of explosions around the other two Hives; they are losing Fighters by the second. The smallest Human ships are clearly designed to take heavy impacts, while our Fighters are not." He pulled up an expanded image of the battle outside. It was a mess of motion of the Fighters and the small thick rectangles of the smallest Human-made ships smashing together.

He could see several of the bulky ships running multiple passes around the largest numbers of Cruisers, dodging weapons blasts to skirt along the hulls and ram off any protruding sections.

"The central enemy ship has completed its adjustments, Great Queen," the Primary announced. "It is avoiding our approach."

"Adjust our approach. Focus all weapons on breaking through that defensive line of ships," New Breath ordered.

"We need to focus on the central ship," Mind Song told her. "We can't let it get away. We need to spread all our forces to encircle it further, which will stretch their defensive wall of protection."

"Call my Sister Queens," New Breath shouted as she moved away.

"Hailing them, Queen."

"Tell them to spread their forces, we need to encircle the enemy again and place pressure on the central ship. It may hold the Skerti Queen."

Mind Song almost smiled at her adding that, knowing it would motivate her fellow Queens.

Mind Song expanded the view of the battle, watching as the Cruisers began spreading out, and immediately it was clear it was working. Several weapons blasts made it through the enemy's defensive wall, striking two of the medium-sized ships around the large central ship as it moved away.

Additional energy readings started playing across the sensor readings.

"I'm detecting multiple small readings on the central ship," Long Sleep called out what Mind Song was seeing.

"Are they charging engine pods?" New Breath asked eagerly as the Hive shook under them. "Did some weapons fire break through to it?"

"It doesn't- Wait," Long Sleep interrupted his own report, but Mind Song saw the reason immediately. Small pieces of the central ship were breaking away…damage?

"There are multiple small ships powering up over the hull," Long Sleep reported.

Mind Song looked up to the main front view, seeing more of the smallest Human vessels launching themselves up off the outer hull of the central ship.

"They hid their true numbers," he realised. "They were powered down, sat on the outer hull." Given the uneven patchwork appearance of that central ship, it had been easy to miss on the distant satellite footage of the fleet. It also explained why there were already more out there in the battle than had been detected before the attack, and clearly not all had been launched off the central ship at first.

"They are all tiny, blast them!" New Breath commanded, but she was missing the point. Those smallest ships were now adding to the defensive perimeter around the enemy fleet, strengthening it once again on all sides, at least for now.

"All weapons firing, Queen," Michael called back across the Chamber.

The deck shifted abruptly again and Mind Song had to grip onto the console to keep himself upright.

"We are taking direct impacts on the right flank," Long Sleep shouted. "Small enemy ships are ramming us!"

"Blast them out of the vacuum!" New Breath shouted back.

"We are currently the main threat to the central ship," Mind Song concluded watching the view of the two other Hives. To the left, that Hive's Cruiser contingent was taking considerable attack, on fire Fighters being rammed into the Cruisers, and on the right side, the Youngest Queen's Hive had only two supporting Cruisers left and was taking multiple impacts. "Attention is turning to us coming up on the back defensive wall behind the central ship now it has turned away from us."

"Tell the four Cruisers still with us to launch their Fighters," New Breath commanded. "Tell them to take out the smallest ships ahead, we need to break through that defensive wall."

"Order sent, Great Queen," the Primary replied.

Ahead in the view, the swarms of the Cruisers' Fighters appeared into view, moving impressively fast ahead, swelling the view with multiple weapons fire and racing motion heading towards the wall of the enemy ahead. Mind Song watched as the swarm spread, thinning the depth of Fighters, but applying greater pressure on the enemy to protect all angles.

Weapons fire blasted back and forth, Fighters hit and smashing away into others, causing larger explosions. A few weapons blasts passed through, hitting the front end of New Breath's Hive, but they were small and the main attack was now in the dogfight between the Fighters and the small Human vessels.

And behind that, the central ship in the near distance. As large as it was compared to the rest of its fleet, it was far smaller than even New Breath's Hive. It was an odd ship, wider than it was taller, with two very large nozzles out the back of its engine pods…

"See if you can get weapons fire through to the central ship's engine pods," Mind Song called over to Michael who was one of four working away at the weapons consoles. He saw Michael glance up and nod, before looking back down to his work. "We need to cripple that central ship, take away their main power and means of fleeing."

And perhaps the rest of the enemy fleet would then be overwhelmed.

The sensors in front of him lit up with more explosions outside.

"The Hive that jumped ahead of us is taking multiple targeted impacts," Long Sleep reported from his console a couple of feet behind Mind Song. "One of her Cruisers is damaged and is pitching, close to impacting into her Hive."

"Focus on our work," New Breath ordered, clearly not intending to come to the aid of the Queen who had looked to usurp her leadership role. "Get through to that Central ship. Overwhelm it."

The mass attack by the Fighters was gaining some success, with some areas of the enemy's defensive wall breaching. Mind Song could see several of the larger medium-sized Human vessels around the central ship were adjusting their path to fill in the gap, firing out through the breaches in fast counterattacks. However, in one area it was not enough and Mind Song watched as several weapons blasts made it through towards the central ship…only to blast up against something unseen a short distance away from the back end of the enemy ship.

"The central ship has a protective energy field, Great Queen," the Primary reported.

"I detected it activate moments before the impact," Long Sleep added. "But it's fluctuating wildly and the second hit seemed to destabilise it somewhat."

"Keep firing, break that shield apart," New Breath ordered.

"Firing through the breaches," Michael confirmed as several repeated coordinated weapons blasts tore forward from the front of the Hive.

Half were immediately intercepted by the enemy, one unfortunate Wraith kin Fighter being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Mind Song saw one blast pass through the breach and again strike the unseen protective energy shield, but a second weapons blast followed and it successfully smashed into a back corner of the central ship. He pulled up a more expanded view of the impact, could see pieces of debris scattering away from the central ship. The debris seemed to be simply pieces of thin metal hull from only a small patch of the ship, but it had still been a significant victory, especially if the protective shield remained down.

"The breaches are being filled again," the Primary reported.

"We need to keep making more," New Breath ordered.

Mind Song could see that several of the Cruisers were already attempting to do just that, coordinating fire on the weakest areas of the enemy's defensive wall.

In fact, the battle was going strangely well so far. Yes there were losses, but the enemy fleet was clearly close to being overwhelmed by the multiple flanked attack and-

"My Queen, the final Hive has now arrived into the battle," a voice announced.

"Of course," New Breath hissed from Mind Song's right as she arrived at his side. "She waited for us to turn the tide."

But a sudden explosion lit up across the sensor view of the late arrivals.

"One of the new Hive's six Cruisers dropped out of hyperspace and hit one already here," Long Sleep reported. "Both Cruisers' engines have blown and debris has taken out multiple kin and enemy ships nearby."

"Keep firing on the central ship," New Breath ordered the focus of her crew.

Mind Song frowned at the mass of the battle. A further Cruiser was on fire and its power dimming and close to failure, hit by the previous Cruiser impacts. There also appeared to have been large losses of Fighters that had been where the new Hive and its Cruisers had arrived. Still, by his calculations, they had fifteen Cruisers and all four Hives, though the Youngest Queen's Hive was not in a good state. It had taken a partial impact from one of its own damaged Cruisers, but the impact had been limited. It was still firing at the enemy and had one Cruiser still operational.

"We need to send two Cruisers to the right flank or we will lose pressure being applied on that side of the enemy," Mind Song informed New Breath.

She hissed as she watched the displays with him. "I will make sure to remind that infant Queen that I will be responsible for saving her." New Breath turned away and shouted the order to her Primary.

Mind Song watched the two Cruisers adjust to extend the line towards the struggling young Queen's Hive, spreading the pressure on the enemy and helping distract attacks away from the other Queen's Hive and her single functioning Cruiser.

Mind Song expanded his view of the battle. The central enemy ship was keeping close to its surrounding wall of defensive ships, not moving further away by itself which implied its protective shield was still not working. And though the defensive wall was still a functioning defence, it was clear that the enemy was now struggling. It had sustained some losses and, now with the arrival of the fourth Hive and its five surviving Cruisers, the pressure was almost overwhelming.

If this had been a trap, it had been poorly executed by the enemy.

Everything he had surmised about the Skerti - from the lack of any survivors of past and present battles with them and the weight of fear in the myth of them - he had expected far more than this.

"Queen, the enemy central ship is powering its engine pods and moving forward," the Primary reported.

Mind Song saw it on the sensors. "It knows the wall will fail around it, it may be looking to gain distance and flee," he predicted.

New Breath was back next to him looking at his display rather than the front view on the hologram. "If it moves ahead, it will put all four Hives behind it."

"Yes, and thereby be able to condense and focus its defences as it flees," Mind Song nodded.

"Queen, the Hive that jumped ahead of us is now losing power entirely through one side," Long Sleep called. "It is now limited in how much it can manoeuvre."

"Primary!" New Breath called.

"Yes, Great Queen."

"Hail the other Hives, tell them to pursue and keep the enemy surrounded even while the central ship attempts to flee."

Mind Song nodded in agreement with her choice of order.

"Yes, Great Queen."

Mind Song watched as the newcomer, late arriving Hive clearly agreed with the course of action as it was already running alongside the central ship, firing at the thinning protective wall around it.

Abruptly a blast of energy shot out from the side of the central ship and slammed into the newcomer Hive.

It had weapons!

"The central ship is weapons-capable, My Queen," a voice reported unnecessarily.

New Breath hissed. "We are stuck behind this thick defensive wall," she muttered. "Following along behind the enemy. We should adjust our position and angle."

On the sensors, the newcomer Hive took another hit from the central ship and it was a powerful energy blast.

"Last arrival Hive has taken significant damage from only two shots from the enemy," Long Sleep supplied, his voice a little shocked. "It has lost power to one engine pod entirely and is starting to list."

Mind Song watched as two Cruisers rushed in to block the way between the central ship and the damaged newcomer Hive.

Why wait so long to deploy such a powerful weapon from the central ship?

Unless it had only limited charges, or required significant power demands from the central ship?

"We are still four Hives, but two are currently not manoeuvrable," Mind Song summarised to New Breath. "We need to prevent the central ship from moving further away, keep it contained close to us, so all Hives can attack at once."

"How do we stop it progressing further away?" New Breath muttered. "What if we use a short hyperspace jump to get ahead of it?"

"My Queen!" The Primary shouted a warning at the same time as Long Sleep.

"The damaged Hive to our right has a breach in one engine pod and we're detecting further multiple internal explosions! We and the two Cruisers are in the potential debris blast radius!"

"Move us away, move us away," New Breath shouted. "Tell the Cruisers," she shouted to her Primary.

The decking shifted sharply under Mind Song as the Pilot executed a fast downward turn away from the doomed Hive, powering engines to give a powerful burst. New Breath's smaller dense slim-lined Hive showed its impressive power with the fast sharp turn, heading away from the battle as the other Hive blew.

Despite getting a good distance away, something still hit the Hive as it fled the explosion. As the ship lurched violently, Mind Song had to wrap both his arms around his console to stay upright as, beside him, New Breath tumbled to the floor.

As abruptly as it had happened though, the floor levelled out and Mind Song could breathe again. Releasing his death grip of the console, he straightened up to see lights and warnings flashing across the chamber's displays, but nothing said there had been a hull breach. Behind him, he could sense Long Sleep's mind unharmed and focusing back on the Hive, so Mind Song reached down and helped New Breath back up to her feet, aware that most of those in the Command Chamber had also been knocked to the floor.

"We lost one of our Cruisers, part of it glanced across part of our back hull," Long Sleep reported breathlessly. "We have multiple but only minor damage to our hull though, we were fortunate. Regeneration systems are already repairing. The other Hive is completely destroyed and it took out its last remaining Cruiser with it."

New Breath was now upright, steadying herself against the console, so Mind Song let go of her elbow and reconnected to his console. As the displays glowed awake, he glanced across to see that Michael was also unharmed, though he too was clearly only just getting up from the chamber's floor.

"See to our repairs," New Breath ordered, her breathing a little unsteady after having had the wind knocked out of her. "Bring us back round Pilot, back into formation to get back into the battle."

"Yes, Great Queen."

Mind Song pulled up the latest sensor readings. The debris from the Hive had taken out quite a few of the enemy ships, but also a lot of Wraith kin Fighters that hadn't been able to get away fast enough. Some of the expanding debris field from the damaged Cruisers was still rolling across the battle, forcing ships to dodge away from debris while still exchanging fire.

At the far side of the battle, the enemy's central ship was heading away at a good speed, though still only at sublight, and the other two Hives were pursuing it from two different angles. The newcomer Hive had regained its full power, keeping it in the fight. But the two Hives were surrounded by the dogfighting smaller ships and Cruisers. New Breath's Hive and the four remaining of Lost Lineage's Cruisers had lost ground, all of them having had to circle a distance away to avoid the Hive explosion, so were currently unable to assist. He watched all the four Cruisers turning on sensors, following New Breath's Hive with surprising loyalty, forming up again into an arrow formation, heading back into the fray.

"We need to stop the enemy's Queen ship; do the hyperspace jump to get ahead and surround it again?" New Breath suggested quietly from Mind Song's right, her hands noticeably gripping tightly onto the console.

"It is possible," Mind Song nodded at the idea as he pulled up a wider chart. There was a solar system not that far away, in fact in the direction of the central ship's current trajectory, so perhaps the enemy was intending to use it as a defence point? "We are currently in open space away from the battle. We have the space for a hyperspace window. The enemy is regrouping its ships," he saw, pointing to the sensor map for her. "The Hive explosion took out part of their defensive wall and they are now retreating to keep close to the central ship as it runs."

"We need to cripple it from running," New Breath hissed, releasing her tight nervous grip of the console to sweep a loose tendril of her dark hair away from her face. "It could jump into hyperspace at any time."

That it hadn't was interesting, because it was losing large numbers of its smaller ships, more than a third destroyed by Mind Song's quick reckoning.

"We need to be careful though," he pointed out. "The central ship's energy weapon is powerful."

"But it has not used it again," New Breath added the valid point. "The quicker we cripple it the better."

"My Queen!" A voice sharply called though. "The central enemy ship is losing power in its engine pods."

Mind Song frowned from the chart to the sensors again.

"We damaged it after all," New Breath pushed away from Mind Song. "We are still too far behind the battle. Take us back there faster," she ordered her Pilot.

Mind Song watched the central enemy ship lose momentum in comparison to the chasing Gathering Fleet, the two Hives and their Cruisers having to abruptly slow down so as not to overshoot the enemy. But the enemy's engines hadn't shown any fluctuating power, no indications the central ship was in that much trouble.

"It has lost its forward motion and will soon stop," someone reported.

"Excellent," New Breath purred victoriously. "We will catch up quicker."

Mind Song could see the other Hives' Cruisers were coordinating their positions, starting to surround the central ship and its weakened defensive wall. The battle appeared to have hit a vital moment…

"Great Queen!" Long Sleep abruptly shouted at the same time Mind Song felt his Brother's rush of fear. "I'm detecting the radiation!"

Mind Song considered his sensors, but they were not as highly calibrated as Long Sleep's, so he took the short distance between their consoles in two quick steps and moved around beside Long Sleep. The precisely targeted sensors showed their readings across one of the console's displays.

"The radiation you spoke of?" New Breath demanded, racing towards Long Sleep as well.

Mind Song watched his Brother calling up various detailed analyses of the radiation readings, the frequency patterns exactly what Long Sleep had shown him before, but seemingly more intense.

"It is," Long Sleep replied for New Breath. "But it is far stronger and getting more so."

"You said it was an engine drive," New Breath reached the other side of the console, her claws scratching at it as she clutched the far side. "They are about to flee. They must have needed the power from the main engine pods to power it. We need to take it out, now!"

"My Queen, the other Hives, Cruisers, and Fighters closer to the enemy are all reporting organic damage underway," the Primary called hurriedly from across the chamber. "All ships are pulling away, but some Fighters are suffering significant damage and losing power in the open."

Small explosions lit up Long Sleep's sensor displays.

Mind Song watched as one Cruiser listed, its power fluctuating. Two medium-sized enemy vessels rose up out of the defensive wall and ploughed towards it.

"They waited," Mind Song glowered at the readings across the battle. "They waited for most ships to sustain hull damage, to push hull regeneration to its extreme already, and are now deploying the radiation."

Long Sleep nodded beside him, his shoulder pressed against his. "Cut open the wounds first and then poison them."

"Are we affected?" New Breath asked hurried.

"We are further away, so-" Long Sleep began to answer.

"Great Queen, we are detecting movement from the central ship," the Primary reported.

Ming Song watched Long Sleep focus a view in on the central ship.

Three oval objects abruptly descended out from the underside of the ship, presumably from its Fighter Bay.

Mind Song leaned forward, Long Sleep doing exactly the same beside him as they both peered intently at the images and sensor readings from the new objects.

"What…?" Long Sleep breathed out.

They were not Human ships, no metal block shapes with corners and engine pods. They were instead oval with no edges or lines that suggested windows or hatches, and seemingly had no engine pods at all. And they appeared to be organic tech except for their upper hulls, which were metal and supported a large razor-edged crest running down the length of the oval ships.

Mind Song had never seen anything like them before, which likely meant…

"The Skerti," he uttered. Finally, sight of the enemy, even if it was only their ships.

Long Sleep shifted the sensor readings of the three ovals, which were still just hanging underneath the central ship as if waiting.

"The radiation is coming from them," Long Sleep announced, clearly surprised at the news himself. "They are the source."

"Destroy them," New Breath turned from the console and faced the weapons consoles. "As soon as we are in range, focus weapons on the oval vessels."

"Yes, Queen," Michael chorused along with the others, but Mind Song frowned at the images still.

"Organic tech," he murmured as the deck shifted slightly, the enemy defensive line now firing on the Hive again as it and the Cruisers moved back towards the battle.

"Yes, almost Wraith tech," Long Sleep uttered. "But not like anything I've seen before. How can they have no engine pods, no output for the -"

He cut off his words as both he and Mind Song blinked at the sensors.

"Two of the oval ships have vanished," Long Sleep reported hurriedly.

"How?" Mind Song leaned forward, watching as Long Sleep pulled up the images again. One second two of the oval ships had been there and then… "Massive energy readings though," Mind Song pointed and Long Sleep nodded.

"My Queen, the new enemy vessels are at either end of the Culling Fleet," a voice reported with clear shock in his voice.

Mind Song watched Long Sleep call up the wider picture again, only to see one of the oval ships explode out from the underside of the already damaged newcomer Queen's Hive. Ming Song watched in horror as the shredded lower hull began vomiting out fire, debris, and clearly Wraith kin…just like they had seen in the footage from Sharp Claw's battle.

Had Lost Lineage only retrieved partial data from that battle footage, or had she known about these deadly new vessels already?

"The Hive's power and engine pods are hit," a voice shouted.

"Re-angle our approach, keep us well away from her Hive," New Breath ordered as the view grew larger ahead as they re-entered the battle.

"Where is the other vanished oval ship?" Mind Song asked, but Long Sleep already had it on view; it was tearing through a Cruiser, its craggy crested upper hull like a knife that seemed to perfectly rip through Wraith hulls.

Then the oval vessel vanished again.

"Where?" Long Sleep scanned the view….and suddenly it was back on sensors, heading in this direction, tearing up towards the underside of a Cruiser just ahead.

"Evasive actions; turn us quick," New Breath shouted.

The Hive lurched, the extreme flight adjustment flaring up alerts across Long Sleep's console's integrity warning systems, but the small agile Hive again made an impressive turn. The targeted Cruiser though did not and Mind Song watched the oval ship slice into it, tearing down through the length of its underbelly unhindered.

"Firing on enemy vessel!" Michael shouted as he focused weapons on the oval as it ripped out the back of the Cruiser's underside – but it vanished again.

"How is it doing that?!" New Breath demanded angrily.

Long Sleep was already searching through the data.

"Turn us back in, back towards the battle again," New Breath ordered as she paced across the Command Chamber. "I want all the Cruisers around us firing on those oval ships the second they appear anywhere."

"The radiation is causing system disruption," Long Sleep reported. "We didn't get a massive dose, but its slowing hull regeneration. The Cruisers closer to the oval ship are faring less well."

"Two Cruisers are reporting systems down and severe damage," another voice confirmed.

Long Sleep was now focusing on the Hive's integrity, so Ming Song moved around him and brushed the other Warrior aside, claiming the rest of the console with Long Sleep. He reached into the interface and called up the sensor data and ran back through the sensor readings.

"It's like those ships are punching through hyperspace," Long Sleep said, leaning in closer to look at the results even as he worked on keeping New Breath's Hive functioning. "How can they do that without a hyperspace window?"

"And unbelievably dangerous," Mind Song nodded, "given how short the jumps are and into a mess of flying ships and debris."

"Oval ship is gutting the other Hive, my Queen," the Primary shouted.

Mind Song focused on the Hive and watched the oval indeed tearing its way under the large Hive's belly, broken bits and scattered remains littering the area around it. Fighters and Cruisers were firing on it, but the oval was too fast and close to the Hive's belly so the weapons slammed into the damaged Hive itself. Though, the oval's tear through the second Hive didn't seem as deep as the last.

"It must have jumped in close under the Hive's hull, changed course up and into the under hull like it did to that Cruiser in front of us," he frowned. The angles and predictions to do that were ridiculous and dangerous. "My Queen," he called out instantly. "They are jumping to just under hulls, we need to keep a constantly changing flight path, do not expose our belly in any one set angle. We need to be an unpredictable target for them to jump to."

"Do it," New Breath authorised.

The Pilot responding with admirable efficiency once again and the view outside shifted abruptly, angling down and to the left, then round and up to the right.

"Good, good," Mind Song shouted his approval. "Keep it going, be as unpredictable as possible."

"We will be little help with this path," Long Sleep noted as he worked. "We are losing regeneration strength on our upper hull, Queen. We have taken too many impacts and the radiation affected the Hive enough for the fluids to be compromised in that area."

Mind Song though was focused on the other Hive just gutted. It had indeed taken less damage than the first Hive attacked, but there were strange readings across it. He expanded the image, seeing movement on the outer hull…metallic things moving, physically tearing into the hull directly. He frowned at the image…like metal insects with long arms ripping into the Hive. Were they the Skerti?

"The first Hive targeted is breaking apart, Great Queen," the Primary reported.

Mind Song opened his mouth to report on the new finding on the other Hive, but an alarm screeched loudly.

"Oval ship ahead!" a voice shouted.

Ming Song focused sensors quickly on the oval shape indeed ahead of them, its deadly metal upper hull gleaming in the light of weapons fire. The console lit up with radiation warnings.

"They couldn't predict our path," he realised, "so it jumped ahead of us, letting our momentum take us to it."

Except from the right, the front end of a Cruiser turned, powering on an intercept course with the oval ship. The distances were correct, the Cruiser having picked the perfect moment.

The oval ship tipped sideways moments before the impact, embedding its razor hull into the front of the Cruiser and then exploded.

The explosion rocked the Hive and Mind Song stumbled back from the console, grabbing onto Long Sleep next to him, both of them clinging onto each other as the Hive shook violently and dropped down and to the left. Falling down to one knee, hands bracing Long Sleep doing the same next to him, Mind Song finally felt the stabilisers kicking in and the decking started to level out. Straightening up quickly, confident that Long Sleep was alright, Mind Song could see Warriors were picking themselves up off the floor once again. This time though, having learnt from the last time, New Breath had managed to keep herself upright by bracing herself against a console.

Mind Song felt Long Sleep's hands squeeze his upper arms and let go, his Batch Brother sending assurances that he was unharmed. Mind Song sent the same back and let go of his Brother to move back to their console. Off to the left, Michael appeared fine as well, though he looked a little shaken like everyone else.

"Was the oval destroyed?" New Breath asked.

"Yes, the oval ship is destroyed but the Cruiser is broken apart and about to detonate its engine pods," a Warrior replied to her.

"I am moving us away at full sublight velocity, My Queen," the Pilot added further.

"We sustained heavy damage to our forward hull," Long Sleep reported for New Breath. "Regeneration systems are affected by the radiation, but I am redirecting fluids and power to compensate."

"Good," New Breath replied without looking round.

"It looked like the oval detonated just as the impact happened, rather than from it," Long Sleep said more quietly from Mind Song's right as they both watched the console's displays.

"The oval ships may be unstable or it was already damaged?" Mind Song theorised as he searched the battle for the other two ovals. One was still sitting under the central ship, emanating its radiation to keep other ships away. The central ship was once again using its powerful energy weapon, focusing its fire on the newcomer Hive that was in a terrible state. The oval ship's attack on its hull had left the lower half of the Hive in ruins, and there were large cracks visibly running up through the rest of the Hive. He watched as the central ship's weapon blasted into one of the cracks, assisting with the devastation.

The Hive was surely moments away from complete destruction.

"We need to focus all forces on those oval ships," New Breath repeated her earlier order. "As soon as they appear, fire on them."

"Yes, My Queen," came back a chorus from the weapons consoles, though Michael's voice was not among them.

Mind Song looked across to see Michael frowning at the console in front of him. Mind Song nudged up to the network enough to send the questioning prod towards him. Michael looked round instantly and the swell of emotions along his mind was clear.

Mind Song nodded his grim agreement that things were not looking hopeful. Michael had come to the same worrying conclusion circling Mind Song's thoughts; that this battle may already be lost. The Skerti had waited expertly, not just to deploy the radiation to their advantage, but their strange deadly ships as well.

"We need to focus on firing as soon as possible on that oval ship," Mind Song said loudly across the chamber to Michael. "Even if that involves us firing on our own."

Michael nodded with understanding and focused back down.

If they had to, destroying a ship as the oval tore through it might be the only viable way of stopping it.

Mind Song shifted his attention back down to the sensor chart. He had Michael ready to react, they just need the opportunity. New Breath's Pilot was maintaining the randomised unpredictable path admirably, as were several other Cruisers, but there were also two other Cruisers breaking apart, debris fields growing around it and, yes there….

"Fire, Michael!" Mind Song ordered, projecting the image of the location via the network.

Multiple weapons blasts tore out from the Hive, several smashing into Prey vessels and one through a Fighter, but several made it through to a Cruiser being gutted by the oval ship. The weapons impacts flared fire and more debris across the side hull of the Cruiser, limiting the view, until the oval ship flew out of it, intact.

But it was partly on fire.

"Target that oval ship now!" New Breath commanded, pointing to the hologram view.

Other ships had seen the moment and various blasts rushed towards the flaming oval ship, but the small strange ship abruptly altered course, snapping sharply away to the right and down, tearing in this direction.

"Move us, move us!" New Breath commanded even as the view shifted on the order.

Mind Song dropped his attention back to the sensors. The oval ship was no longer alight, but there was a noticeable blackened section to its organic backend. It was damaged and it hadn't jumped away with its unknown technology, which likely meant it couldn't.

It shifted angle again, turning away from their direction and sped off into open space away from the battle…running.

"Fire, fire," New Breath shouted with eager glee despite the fact that all weapons were already focused on the enemy ship, as were those of a Cruiser far closer to it. The problem was though that the oval ship was ridiculously manoeuvrable and tiny compared to the Cruisers and the Hive so was easily dodging between the bright weapons blasts, but the Cruiser heading after it was flaring its engine pods and previously unused Fighters were launching from its Fighter Bays.

Mind Song watched as the Cruiser raced up behind the oval, its Fighters swarming forward, up along the Cruiser's sides to its nose, from which they started firing towards the oval ahead.

But he could see that the Fighters that were getting closer started shutting down, the radiation quickly overwhelming them. But they were compensating, swarming out into a larger more distant cloud, firing on the oval, the Cruiser rushing up behind it, clearly intending to ram it as the last Cruiser had done so successfully.

"My Queen," a voice warned, but Mind Song already saw the sensors fill with strange readings. He frowned at the confusing spread of data…another weapon of the Skerti?

"This is it," Long Sleep exclaimed from the right though. "This is the drive."

Mind Song looked round to his Brother's displays, but Long Sleep was looking ahead to the main front hologram that showed the fleeing oval.

Mind Song looked too, seeing the oval ship racing away at a diagonal angle from here, the Cruiser and the swarm of its Fighters all tearing towards the backside of the oval.

Except the space ahead of the oval began to wobble and shimmer. Mind Song found himself blinking, not believing his eyes, only the shimmer abruptly snapped apart and a large opening appeared in front of the oval ship.

But it wasn't a hyperspace window or a black empty hole, it was more like a window. He could see different stars on the other side and a dull orange planet off to the left, with something metallic glistening far above it.

The oval ship tore through the window, Fighters swarming around and still firing on it as the Cruiser's nose slammed into the back of the Skerti ship…

And the window snapped shut, the oval ship, most of the Fighters, and the front end of the Cruiser instantly gone.

00000

Today's visit to Saoka's office had been far more pleasant than her last visit. She'd still had a Security escort up here, but there had been no shoving this time, and that there had been four of them escorting her up the station's floors and then up the final tall winding private staircase up to Saoka's plush office had felt like a nice compliment.

As she'd walked down the narrow hallway to the open door to Saoka's office, the male himself had stepped into view with a wide welcoming grin on his face. She wasn't entirely sure why greeting her at the door and walking the few metres with her to the comfortable chair she was offered was required, but it was certainly more welcoming than the last time.

As she sat down on the comfortable chair on the visitor side of Saoka's massive wooden desk, a cup of tea was set down in front of her.

She fixed her eyes on the all too innocent looking tea presented in a beautifully decorated delicate ceramic cup on the edge of Saoka's desk. It was still steaming, suggesting it had been prepared at just the right moment to be set down in front of her as she sat down. The gentle fragrance of the steam told her it was indeed her favourite Athosian tea blend. The message was very clear and spoke of a significant level of monitoring during her visits. They knew everything she did when she was here, even to the point of tracking the drinks she purchased from different Traders during her infrequent shopping trips to the station.

Her favourite tea clearly hadn't been very difficult for them to identify.

She looked up from the tea to Saoka settled back into his chair on the other side of the desk.

His smile widened.

She decided not to touch the tea, just in case he'd put some truth-telling serum in it or something. Plus it would make a point of her own: she didn't trust him.

"It is so lovely of you to visit me, Seeal," Saoka purred as she looked away to the left and back down the office behind her, considering his official workspace in more detail this time.

Three of the four Security staff had remained in the room, at a distance but spread around the long office. That felt something of a further compliment, while also being a clear warning too. No hands were on weapons though, so that was another positive.

She turned her attention off the Security staff to the room itself with its luxurious décor. The walls were a delicate rose gold colour, there were pretty framed pictures hanging on the walls, soft Litan music playing at just an audible level, and a comfortable sitting area off to the left down the office. The sitting area was comprised of a deep sofa and two large comfortable looking chairs, all with plump cushions and angled towards the band of glass that ran along the side wall of the office. Outside the view of the stars was spectacular and uninterrupted. In the middle of the starscape view, there was a cluster of the brightest constellations. She wondered if the office had been placed within the station to align with those central beautiful constellations or if the station itself had been put in just the right high orbital position so that Saoka's view was so precise.

What was clear though was that the view to her right was far less beautiful and comfortable. She turned her attention to her immediate right and looked up the tall, wide shape that was Nanuet, Saoka's obsessively protective Personal Bodyguard/Assistant. He was a massive male, both in height and width; in all dimensions actually. As usual, he was squeezed into an overly smart suit and was eyeing her with every possible level of suspicion and threat he could muster without speaking.

That he was stood looming over her, barely two inches from the right arm of her chair, only added to the threatening protectiveness.

She knew the approach, knew it was designed to niggle at her own protective nerves at having someone stood so very close, but she made sure not to react. She held Nanuet's high gaze though, keeping her expression blankly amused.

He didn't react at all.

Where Saoka and Creass were direct opposites in their approach to their life and running their stations, she and Nanuet were far more alike. Well, except in stature, obviously. Nanuet wholeheartedly dedicated his life to his work, but was as calm and controlled as he was threatening and dangerous. He was also infamously obsessed in protecting Saoka, and there was no doubt in her mind that Nanuet would give his life for Saoka; theirs wasn't a working relationship, it was a friendship born from Saoka having saved Nanuet's life in their youth.

Nanuet was a male to be respected in all ways, but if he thought being so big and threatening would intimidate her, then he was very much mistaken.

"I have to ask," she said up to him, "can you really move properly in those smart suits? I mean if you need to fight."

Nanuet didn't answer; he just kept scowling down at her. She approved of that response.

"I can assure," Saoka was the one to answer, unsurprisingly, "that I ensure that all my staff are well kitted out as necessary to perform their duties and for comfort."

Seeal slid her gaze down from Nanuet's glare to consider the fit of his suit. It was tailored to his shape, but his shape was so overtly muscular on top of being so massive that the material and seams were clearly stretched in places. She guessed there were probably some expandable or stretchy hidden panels or perhaps some breakaway seams built in. She slid her gaze back to Nanuet's face, but nothing about him changed. He wasn't sensitive about his size then it seemed, or at least was too professional and controlled to show it.

"Nanuet," Saoka added in his soft polite voice, "why not step back a few paces to allow our guest some space to breathe?"

Nanuet responded instantly, stepping back, but only the barest half-pace possible, adding maybe a handbreadth of additional space between his looming down over her.

"Wow," she said up to him, "what shall I do with all this extra room to breathe? I'll surely get lightheaded."

Nanuet didn't respond even a fraction, just kept his constant intense stare on her.

She was very impressed.

She grinned brightly up at him, knowing that it was probably the most unexpected weapon, and turned her full attention to Saoka.

Saoka had his elbows on his desk, his hands clasped and leant up against his chin. He smiled, his handsome dark skin bright and as untarnished as his very expensive and perfectly tailored suit. Today he had selected a light grey suit with matching waistcoat over a light blue shirt with a tall stiff collar standing up on either side of his neck.

"I know why you are here, Seeal," he stated.

"Really?" She asked, amused at the idea that he could possibly know that she was here because she'd had a massive fight with Oneakka and was hiding from The Oaf because he had far too much power over her heart and mind.

"Yes," Saoka nodded as he lowered his clasped hands and sat back a little further in his large padded chair. "You are curious. You want to see what working security on a station the right side of the Alliance border would be like for you. To see what your life could be like. You could be as smartly dressed as Nanuet here."

"It's just clothing," she dismissed the idea, struggling to imagine herself wearing anything like Nanuet's suit.

"Ah, but it's what the clothing represents," Saoka replied instantly.

"Your overt control and undisclosed criminally-based financial resources?" She asked.

Saoka chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "I am not a criminal, Seeal."

"Not in the traditional sense," she had to agree. "Unlike in your youth," she added.

Saoka's expression sharpened a little. "I am not the only one who found themselves born into less than favourable starts in life." He looked up towards Nanuet. "It never quite made sense to us why we couldn't find out anything about your origins before you joined Creass' employment. But now," he returned his gaze to her with a smile, "an ostracized Glisi. No wonder we never worked that out, given your appearance," he gestured towards her.

She smiled at the thinly veiled insult as to her small size for a Glisi, but his response had been informative. Firstly, it said that he was sensitive about his youth to the point where he retaliated, and secondly that he clearly had access to far more information about her past than just her homeworld listed on her Alliance citizenship. He knew she had been kicked off the planet by the Glisi and their prejudice towards her. It was possible, perhaps the most likely, that Si had told him, but it was also possible that he had contacts within Division.

Which was presumably some of his point. A power play.

"But here," he added after a beat, "we value experience and skill. We do not judge people by anything so foolish as size or past mistakes."

"Really?" she played along.

"Of course," he leaned forward again, gesturing through the air. He moved around a lot in his seat, she wondered if he didn't get motion sick from it all. But then it was possible that it was a sales technique born from his childhood where earning enough to buy food for the family depended upon your ability to make your market stall stand out from the competition. Though Saoka was many things, ultimately he was still a Trader to his core, it was simply that his new 'market stall' was an empire of marketing stations.

"Here, we value skill," he repeated. "And you are exceptionally skilled in dealing with certain types of individuals, Seeal."

"Criminals," she skipped ahead.

"Exactly," he leaned back in his chair again. "You forged your skills in fire and blood, or rather ice and blood would be more accurate for you?"

"Are there any particular criminals?" She asked.

"Any that would be a threat to my stations," he answered, but she sensed that wasn't the whole truth. Was there something in particular he wanted from her?

She settled a little further back in the soft chair back behind her. "So I take that to mean that you have some concerns about certain individuals?"

He didn't answer, but folded his hands back in front of him.

"Is Creass one of them?" She asked.

"As far as my information stretches," he replied, "Creass is not faring well out beyond the border. Past grievances are catching up with him and, without you there to protect him, he is vulnerable now."

"Without Dreamstation, he is vulnerable," she corrected.

Saoka nodded. "True, as was his part in an apparent Wraith-run Quantum drug ring?"

She kept her expression casual.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Which, if my information is reliable, the Elite themselves shutdown. Not long before you started working for them."

She smiled at him. "You think I turned the Elite on Creass?"

"No, no," Saoka shook his head. "If that were the case he would be in prison. Out of almost anyone in this galaxy, I'm sure you could easily track him down. But he remains free, hunted yes, but free. Which tells me you are a woman of loyalty. A strange type of loyalty given the man's brutality."

"Are you implying you have never been brutal?" She asked pointedly.

"Not in the same way."

"Does that academic distinction make any difference to the victims?" She asked. "But you don't want to talk about the realities of such things; you clearly want something very specific from me. What is it?"

"As I said, you are very skilled. I would very much like you to come and work for me."

"I'm not looking for new employment at this time," she replied.

Saoka pursed his lips, seeming to have believed her. She had almost believed herself.

"Not even on a consultancy basis?" He asked.

She hadn't expected that.

"Occasional employment for certain information or short investigative work for me?" he continued. "I would pay you very well."

Well that sounded more interesting.

Saoka smiled at her. "I see I have finally caught your attention."

"Oh you've had my attention for a long while," she reminded him. "But-"

A shocking loud alarm abruptly blasted through the office cutting her off. Wincing at the painful sudden sound, she watched as Saoka shot up from his chair, his eyes wide and his face full of shocked tension.

"We have a 2-52 alert, Commander!" One of the Security staff shouted between the pulsing alarms.

Saoka slammed his fist down on a corner of his desk and abruptly what had looked simply like a join of wooden panels on the desktop dropped away and two large computer screens slid up, dislodging her cup of tea. Seeal pulled back quickly, standing herself now to avoid the falling hot water, but also so she could see Saoka's face as the screens rose up between them.

"Is the Portal dialling?" Nanuet shouted as he headed quickly round behind Saoka's desk, both of them fixing their eyes on the screens that she couldn't see.

"What's a 2-52?" She shouted, her ears finally getting used to the alarm now.

"Commander!" Another Security member shouted from down the office, his voice full of such fearful shock that it snapped Seeal's attention round to him.

The Security male was not looking this way though, he was moving towards the window looking out at the stars and he was pointing at something outside.

She switched her attention to the view, moving away from her chair to see better.

Outside, in the distance, there was strange warped shimmer to space.

It didn't look like a hyperspace window.

She headed towards the window, her eyes fixed on the strange expanding shimmering.

No, it couldn't be, could it?

"Radiation alert 2-52. Is the emergency Portal dial out enacted?" She heard Saoka shouting to someone.

She was almost at the window, the Security member off to her left gaping out at the widening shimmer.

It was starting to look all too like the footage she'd seen of-

Abruptly the shimmer snapped open, forming a circle in space through which there was a mess of crisscrossing ships and weapons blasts on the other side.

And a Wraith shitting Skerti Seed Ship was tearing out through the window, swarms of Wraith Fighters around it, firing on it, and the front of a Wraith Cruiser poured out through hole after it.

She watched in horrid fascination as the Cruiser caught up with the Seed Ship, its nose smashing into the back end of the small egg-shaped Skerti ship.

The explosion happened an instant later, the brightness making her turn her head and lift one arm to shade her face.

"…already dialling, Commander," she heard someone answering Saoka over an loud audio link, a rush of other sounds behind the voice; alarms and hundreds of panicked fearful people. "We are seconds away from a lock on secondary station."

Seeal dropped her arm and looked back outside to see that the window – the jump point of the Skerti drive – had gone like it had never been there.

A burst of relief hit her as she stepped back up to the window again, if it was shut and the Seed Ship destroyed then nothing else could come through...

Except the Fighters and the now decapitated front end of the Wraith Cruiser was still on this side, its nose section still in flame and it was moving oddly. She watched as the massive section of the Cruiser started rolling sideways, the cut open back end of it venting atmosphere out into space, adding push.

Further explosions started running up the underside of the Cruiser, only adding more thrust to the section's roll.

She instinctively took a step back away from the window, watching as the piece of Cruiser started to tumble. It was a slow tumble, but given the massive size of the piece of ship it was still dramatically fast…especially given the fact that it was tumbling in this direction…towards the station.

Her body was ahead of what her brain was processing as she took another step back, the physics telling her the distance was too close, the tumbling aflame and breaking apart massive piece of Wraith ship was moving too fast, too close.

"Wraith shitty shit shit," she uttered with growing panic as she took several more steps back away from the window and the shocking spectacular view of the approaching destruction.

00000
TBC