Despite Samara and Maggie’s insistence they needed to deal with the Troika, Blye stepped in and put her foot down. Though her patient was now conscious and on the mend, she was nowhere near recovered, the young Knight refusing to allow her participation in a planning session. There was still swelling in the Protean’s brain and coupled with the fear of a dangerous anaerobic infection she’d not yet replaced the bone chunk she removed from her skull. The wound site was protected to the best of her ability, but that still left the woman vulnerable. Samara was not to be overtaxed while she healed, period end of statement.

But she also could not ignore the facts of their situation, and after some rather frank discussions with Remi and the others, she’d relented...slightly. Samara could take part, but only via monitor, and only two hours at a time. Given the surgery she’d just been through, no one objected to the restrictions.

“They’re gonna come after us,” Sergeant Kai said, “no two ways about it. They want what we know and us out of the picture.”

“Is there some way we could avoid them?” Genvass asked.

“Doubtful,” Remi replied. “With their resources, they could blanket the entire sector with ships. They’ll find us, and after that…” He shrugged in frustration.

“What if we transmitted the data to every system and ship within range?” Prash suggested. “Once the secret’s out, we won’t be a threat to them anymore. The damage will already have been done.”

“Assume they don’t destroy us anyway in a fit of pique, I guarantee you they’ll block the signal,” Alphad scowled. “Which means they’ll have both the information and our location.”

“I’m tellin’ you, there’s only one option that gives us a chance,” Maggie declared, “same trick I’ve been usin’ all these years.”

“Go off the grid? Disappear?” Remi shook his head. “It won’t work. They’ll keep searching until they find us, no matter how long it takes.”

“...unless we give them something else to worry about,” Samara said from the monitor, as the others all turned to her.

“Like what?” Genvass asked.

Samara winced as her skin rippled, displaying various patterns. “There’s only one way we can keep them at arm’s length,” she said, struggling to catch her breath, “and that’s distracting them with an even greater problem...something so big they must respond.”

“Only problem is we have nothing big enough,” Alphad told her.

She started to reply when a series of spasms pulled at her muscles, her arms and legs flailing about. Blye was at her side a heartbeat later, protecting her head as she tried to limit the damage. The others looked away, embarrassed, not wanting to intrude.

“...damn it,” she swore, before shaking it off.

“I think that’s enough for now,” Blye interjected. “You can try again later after she’s…”

“No,” Samara snapped at her, “I need to get this out.” After taking a few breaths to calm herself, she tried again. “There’s only one thing that’ll push the Troika’s buttons hard enough to leave us alone.”

“What?” Rúna said in confusion.

“...the Troika itself.”

A massive blue supergiant blazed with nuclear fury as the shuttle flitted through the barren system, coming to rest a safe distance away from the angry star. Time passed, as the small craft waited, until a much larger vessel swooped in from the distant reaches, halting nearby as it hailed the other ship.

The shuttle’s comm system came online. “I am here,” the voice said.

The image of a furry hamster-like face appeared on the screen. “Was your mission successful?”

The shuttle’s monitor displayed the face of a young human female. “It was,” she answered.

“And the others?” it pressed.

“Eliminated,” she informed him.

“Excellent.” The alien preened itself in contentment. “Prepare for your craft to be taken on board,” the Chell informed her, “so you may inform the Masters what you have learned.”

“I am standing by,” she nodded...as a second ship entered the system.

“...Tu’udh’hizh’ak battlecruiser, by order of the Eleexx Suzerainty you are hereby ordered to disengage from the shuttle, and leave this system immediately,” the interloper demanded, as it closed in for a rendezvous.

“Eleexx vessel, you are interfering in the affairs of the Tu’udh’hizh’ak Empire,” the Chell officer retorted. “I order you to vacate this system at once!”

A creature with a chitinous exoskeleton appeared on the display, its black mandibles gnashing in anger. “It is you who are interfering, minion of the Empire,” it said with contempt. “That creature is our agent, and none of your concern. Leave now, for you have no business here.”

“This human belongs to the Master,” the Chell commander growled. “To claim otherwise is heresy!”

Both ships powered up weapons as they faced one another...when a third craft appeared on their screens.

“So, our suspicions were correct,” the Aggaaddub captain hissed on the comm channel, joining the conversation. “The Empire and the Suzerainty, working in concert against us.” The reptilian’s eyes narrowed to thin slits. “If you think the Hegemony will allow this threat to go unanswered, then you are fools.”

The Chell and Eleexx froze, both incredulous at the announcement. “That is absurd,” the rodent sputtered, “we have no such arrangement with them.”

“And yet here you both are, far from your sectors, conspiring to claim that shuttle for your own,” the Aggaaddub fired back. “Turn over possession to us, and we will forget this insult. Fail to do so...and you will suffer accordingly.”

“Ignorant lizard, the human is ours!” the Eleexx howled. “If you believe for one instant we fear your empty threats, then it is you who are foolish.”

“It belongs to the Master!” the Chell screamed with rage. “No one may interfere!”

In the heat of their argument, the shuttle itself had been all but forgotten. The image of the young woman remained in place, awaiting orders...when the tiny craft exploded without warning, the blast sending debris in all directions.

The response from the three alien craft was immediate, as each ship opened fire on the others, the sudden engagement descending into a bloody melee. Missiles and energy beams clawed and sundered, ripping into the hulls of the mighty ships as the Troika tore itself apart in a battle for supremacy.

“Take us out of here, Xuilan,” Remi ordered, observing the carnage from a safe distance. Gyrfalcon lay hidden behind a gas giant’s rocky moon, powered down and cold.

“Aye aye, Captain,” she nodded, powering up the ship so as not to appear on the alien’s radar, before slipping away into the dark, using the massive planet for cover as they escaped like a thief in the night, while all those aboard held their breath as they waited to see if their withdrawal had been spotted by the alien craft. The minutes ticked by as they fled until the gunner sighed in relief.

“We’re out, Captain,” he informed him. “No sign they spotted us.”

“Thank Terra,” Remi answered, in a rare moment of spiritual fealty. “Even though it cost us the shuttle, it was worth it and then some.” He looked up at the monitor. “Well done, Samara.”

“I can’t take all the credit,” the Protean smiled from her sickbed. “Without Maggie’s help in setting up the communications link and the remote controls, I would have had to do it myself. Not my first choice.”

From her place on the Bridge, the Tinker shrugged. “Team effort,” she said offhand. “I’m just glad it worked.”

“How did you know it would work, Samara?” Prash asked.

“We had a couple of things in our favor,” she replied. “This was the system the Tu’udh’hizh’ak Master ordered us to meet up with them, and even though Maggie and Genvass don’t remember that after their Ketamine treatment, I still do. As for the Eleexx, I was their asset. All I had to do was signal them for a pickup.”

“And the Aggaaddub?”

“That was a guess,” she admitted. “But after the attack on Freya and our escape, I knew they’d be patrolling this region hard, looking for us. Plus, I was certain they’d be keeping a close eye on the other two, just in case. I bet all three watch each other’s moves constantly.”

“Well, it’s not over yet,” Sergeant Kai warned. “We’ve bought ourselves some time, that’s all. Sooner or later they’ll realize we conned them.”

“I’m hoping for ‘later’,” Alphad smirked. “I can’t imagine there will be much left of them after this little Battle Royale of theirs, especially if they holler for reinforcements.”

“Hope all you want, but don’t count on it,” Blye warned from the monitor. “We’re already over our limit this trip for miracles.”

“She’s right,” Maggie agreed. “You get optimistic, you start takin’ stupid risks. Better to assume the worst.” She looked over at the Corsair. “Don’t forget, they know this ship. Right now they think Samara sabotaged it, but if they find out different…”

“I know,” Remi nodded. “There’s a few out of the way places where we can alter her profile and signature. Won’t be the first time,” he grinned.

“So...what happens now?” Genvass asked. “Where do we go from here?”

“Up to you,” the captain replied. “We’re heading back to Beta Canis Majoris, to see if there’s any sign of Freya. I suspect there’ll be some, at least, and it’s the last place in the galaxy the Troika will come looking for us. You should be able to make passage there, or you can stick with us til we get to one of the hidden spacedocks I have in mind.” The Dharmist nodded his thanks, mulling over his options.

“There’s still somethin’ we need to talk about,” Maggie pointed out. “Terra Nova.”

“Yeah...what do we do about that? Who do we tell? Do we tell anyone?” Rúna asked.

“We gotta be careful,” Maggie warned. “You heard what me and Samara said, there're humans out there workin’ for the aliens. Maybe not by choice,” she said in deference to the Protean, “but that don’t change anythin’. Word gets out to them, we got major problems.”

“They’ll find out eventually, no matter what we do,” Alphad cautioned her. “It’s too big and important a secret to keep for long.”

“We need some breathin’ space,” the Tinker explained, “as much time as we can to get our Clans onboard...and to find that planet. So be damn careful who you tell. Make sure you can trust ‘em, or else everything we’ve gone through will be for nothin’.”

“So we scatter then,” Alphad said. “Each goes our own way.”

“Better odds if we do,” Remi agreed.

“I guess so,” Blye shrugged, “but...you know, it’s strange. I didn’t want to come on this mission; wouldn’t have, if Maggie hadn’t twisted my arm and pulled a few strings.” She and the Tinker shared a wry smile as she continued. “But now that it’s over...I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

“One for the record books, that’s for sure,” Kai agreed.

“You know...I just realized something,” Rúna chimed in, turning to Maggie. “Does this mean I’m ‘Rúna Al-Hajjah’ now?” she grinned.

“If you want it,” the Tinker nodded. “Felt like an anchor around my neck though. Maybe it’ll be different for you.”

“Huh...maybe I’ll table that for a while then.”

“All right,” Remi interrupted, “first thing’s first. I suggest you all think about your travel arrangements, because our next stop is Beta Canis Majoris...and hopefully Freya. Xuilan? Plot a course and get us out of here.”

“Aye aye captain,” the pilot acknowledged, as the frigate disappeared into the black.