The shock wave didn't move the station at all, since it was so massive; but, it did set off both collision and damage warnings for the inhabitants. It also sent an alert to every ship in the area for the same thing. A rescue team scrambled and launched on their rescue craft and flew out to the site at their best speed. They searched for quite some time and they only found a few scraps of metal floating away from the area.

Word of the explosion spread throughout the station and everyone was in a panic, because an Order ship had been destroyed in their system and it had killed a high ranking Order member and her prisoner. The only person who wasn't freaking out about it was Nina, the feathered waitress who worked in the restaurant, because she remembered what her one-time lover had whispered to her before he left.

“Don't believe everything you hear.”

*

“I can't believe that worked.” Kara said from inside my Presence Barrier that was just to the side of the docking hatch. We had clasped hands, became invisible with Stealth, and ran back out after we had boarded the ship and before the hatch had closed.

“You're not the only one that can be slick.” I said and she gave me a smile.

“How long are we just going to stand here watching the chaos?” Kara asked.

“We're under Stealth and we ate already, so we can wait until the transport is cleared for departure.” I said and looked across the boarding area to the ship. “The pilot just said they are waiting for final inspection before they can leave, so about another two hours.”

Kara let out a sigh. “You know, I really liked that ship.”

“Well, your pilot wasn't too happy about remote piloting it out to explode, either.” I said with a chuckle.

“I can't believe that alien wanted to kill you so badly that he would kill me and two innocent people to do it.” Kara said. “I will have him censored and brought to justice for that.”

“He didn't want witnesses, I suppose. You saw what his group was prepared to do with witnesses. Now imagine if they had taken me into custody when I first arrived a few days before you did.”

“You wouldn't have been here for me when I arrived and I wouldn't know what they had done to you.”

“There was no way I was going to stand trial or be judged fairly.” I said.

“And you believe you'll get that with me bringing you in?” Kara asked.

“You promised to stand by me when I faced the council.” I said with a crooked smile.

“That was for the other things you did before we went to Relique on a mission for the Goddess.”

“Oh? Does that mean you're going to abandon me to the council's mercy when we get there?”

Kara opened her mouth to speak and I heard her thoughts.

“It's okay if you think you need to distance yourself from me now.” I said and cut her off.

“Hunter...”

“I know.” I said. “I did a terrible thing and you're having a very hard time coming to grips with it.”

“You've killed so many people.” Kara whispered and her hand gripped mine.

“Yeah, and I'm going to kill more.” I said and she gasped.

“Hunter, you... oh, Goddess.” Kara sighed. “You're not even sorry, are you?”

“That depends on what you're asking me to be sorry about.”

Kara didn't say anything else and she also didn't let go of my hand.

When the transport was given permission to leave, we snuck onboard with the two disguised pilots from her ship and went to the two large cabins that had been reserved for our use. It was going to take a little longer to get to The Order's home planet in this roundabout way; but, that was okay.

I wasn't really in a rush, especially after another attempt had been made on my life. The bastards can sit on their asses and wait for me to come and kill them. Except for this alien. I wasn't going to wait for Kara to send someone else or to come back herself. He was still well within my detection range and I 'looked' to where he was. He was alone and was recording a message, so I listened and waited for the perfect moment in the message, which was right after the alien said I had been vaporized with the ship. I used Presence to snap his neck and he gurgled as his head flopped to the side. I let the recording go on for about ten more seconds, then I hit end and sent it.

Let's see how you like that. I thought to myself.

The transport ship undocked and floated away from the station in a different direction, then slowly accelerated. No one wanted a repeat performance of the other ship. Two hours later, it jumped into hyperspace without incident.

*

The scaly alien sat at his personal display and was a little perturbed that his orders had been taken quite liberally and several things had transpired that he hadn't predicted. He knew that there would be significant fallout when people learned of Master Moor's death, so he would have to mitigate as much of it as possible. He would need someone to take the blame...

His thoughts abruptly ended when The Order member on the screen started to gurgle, then the message ended. He played the last thirty seconds back and saw the alien speak about Hunter being killed, paused, then his head tilted to the side and he gurgled. His neck was clearly broken somehow and then the message ended. He watched in again and paid particular attention to the alien's neck, and saw the indentations of fingers.

The hand is invisible. Either the killer is under Stealth, or... it's just a hand. He thought, and realized who it was. He closed the message and deleted it, then used the shredding program to remove all traces that it even existed. The rumours of your death have been exaggerated, apparently.

He thought about what to do and started to record more orders. He was pretty sure that they wouldn't amount to much, considering that if Hunter was alive, so was Master Moor.

It's been a long time since I've taken a sabbatical. He thought with a smile.

*

Over the next month, during the fairly long and leisurely trip as the transport made its circuitous route to The Order's home planet, Kara seemed to adjust to having me around all the time. I wasn't sure why that was what it felt like, especially since we hadn't been around each other for any length of time, not since the time I was under her tutelage so many years ago. She just seemed more open and frank as we talked about different things and she wasn't as immediately dismissive as she used to be.

I found that I was oddly starting to like this version of her. I knew she was still quite besotted with her goddess, despite everything; but, I also felt that she was starting to see through the 'we only do good' veneer that had been plastered over all of the unscrupulous things that The Order did on a daily basis. That alone gave her a more appealing air about her.

Of course, she would adamantly deny any attempt at staying in the same bed with her, so I spent all the nights sleeping on the couch. She apparently didn't want to tempt me by sleeping in the same bed. I could have reminded her that I had spent a lot of time in bed with women and it never devolved into sex or even a suggestive sexual situation, then decided she knew that already and stayed quiet.

When the ship finally arrived at the planet, only two visible passengers stepped off of the landing shuttle. The pilots of Kara's ship had given up on their disguises during the trip and appeared as themselves. It took the people checking them in a few moments to realize who they were. Scanning their IDs helped a bit as well.

“You're supposed to be dead!” One of the customs people exclaimed.

“On orders by one of the council.” The pilot spat. “Our cargo was too dangerous to bring here and we were considered expendable.”

“That... it can't be true.”

“It is.” Kara said and let her Stealth technique fade. “The Presence didn't waver.”

The customs people gasped at her appearance and they immediately bowed. Kara ignored that and put her own ID into the scanner, then another. When that ID was entered, a signal was automatically sent to the council, to the guard regiment, to The Wise One, and to the compound's security office.

An imminent and dangerous threat had just arrived on the planet.

Order members and guard squads were quickly assembled and sent over to the shuttle landing area to cover the threat. The scaly alien's orders had been very clear.

“I told you.” I said for Kara's ears only.

Kara let out a sigh and let the events proceed as they unfolded. She didn't fight or try to stop anyone from completing their assigned duty, since it wasn't their fault for following such unrealistic orders.

“Where is he?” One of The Order members asked and held their activated Light sword at the ready.

“Who?” Kara asked.

“Don't play coy. We know he just scanned in his ID.”

“I did that.” Kara said and held the card up. “I brought some ashes.” She said and took a small urn out of her robes. It was actually a decapitated flower vase from the ship that I had modified and we had burned some papers and things to add to it. Everyone immediately relaxed and assumed that the ashes were mine.

“So gullible.” I said to her and she smiled.

“The council has ordered you to attend to them immediately.” One of The Order members said.

“That's not possible, considering they all thought I was dead until a few moments ago.” Kara said and all of The Order members frowned. “Unless someone told them that I had survived and left orders for me when I showed up?” She asked and The Order members looked uncomfortable. “So, he did know.”

None of them said anything in response and she tucked the small urn back into her robes.

“You do realize he would have had access to the one responsible for the attempt on my life in order to know I had lived, correct?”

The Order members looked very uncomfortable now.

“Step aside.” Kara ordered and every single one of them did so, even the squads of guards. “Tell the council that I have an appointment with The Wise One and I will visit them when I can.”

Kara walked through the large group and I followed her. She really did have a standing appointment with The Wise One for every time she returned to the planet, so she walked with confidence and purpose across the compound to the proper building and entered it. Nearly everyone froze at her sudden appearance and then there was a loud exclamation.

“KARA!” Her old guardian Enelle yelled, and she ran over to give her a hug. “Praise the Goddess! You're alive!”

Kara gave her a hug back and they held each other for several moments. “It's nice to see you, too.”

“What happened?” Enelle asked sternly, then leaned back to look into Kara's eyes. “It was Aaron, wasn't it?”

“Technically, he was the cause.” Kara admitted.

“I told you to give up on making him your husband.” Enelle said. “He's not the marrying kind and he doesn't have it in him to make such a commitment.”

I chuckled and rubbed the 'H' symbol engraved into my chest above my heart.

“He's...” Kara was about to say that I had changed, then smiled instead. “...I know he can't make that kind of commitment to me.”

“He doesn't realize how special you are, that's why.” Enelle said. “If he knew how much you doted on him as a child and then understood how important it was for you to have taken him on as your apprentice...”

“Enelle.” Kara said a bit sternly, and the older woman let out a chuckle.

“Yes, I know. I shouldn't speak ill of the dead.” Enelle said, then she gasped. “He is dead, isn't he?”

Kara didn't answer the direct question and Enelle's face went from normal to shocked. “I need to see The Wise One.”

“He's in his private space, as always.” Enelle said. “I'll call ahead and...”

“He knows I'm here.” Kara said and gave her a quick hug, then walked off towards the right hallway. I followed her and she led me all the way to The Wise One's office.

“He's expecting you.” The secretary said and looked right at me. Apparently, she had the same ability to see the absence of Presence around her.

I stepped close and took her hand. “It's nice to meet you again.” I said and shook the hand.

“You remember me?” The secretary asked, surprised.

“I met you just before meeting The Wise One for the first time, so yes. I remember you.”

“Thank you.” The secretary said, quite flattered.

“Kara said I wasn't allowed to pick up another woman.” I said to her and she blushed.

“You do know that he's killed millions of people.” Kara said in frustration.

“Yes.” The secretary said and her blush didn't fade. “It's... quite an achievement.”

I chuckled at her point of view and leaned down as I put my mouth by her ear, then I whispered to her a few things that we could do if we were alone. She giggled like a schoolgirl, despite being about forty years old, give or take about five years.

“Let's go.” Kara spat and grabbed my shoulder and walked past the secretary's desk.

“Oh, no! Envy takes me from you!” I said loudly to the secretary and let her hand go as Kara dragged me away, and the secretary laughed.

“You don't have to do that every time we meet someone.” Kara said and let my shoulder go.

“It's not my fault she saw what I did as an achievement and not a blight on the living beings of the universe.” I said. “I had to flirt with her after hearing that. You know I did.”

Kara didn't respond, except with a long exhale, and led me into The Wise One's office. Not surprisingly, there were two chairs in front of his desk.

“You can drop the Stealth technique, Hunter.” The Wise One said. “We all know you can be seen here.”

I let it fade and The Wise One looked me over and saw that I wore a basic outfit and robes.

“You're not all armored up?” He asked, a little surprised. “Where's your blast shield and Light sword?”

“Stashed away.” I said with a chuckle. “Do I need to explain myself to you or do you know it all already?”

“Just assume that I don't know anything.” The Wise One said with a coughing chuckle. “Please, sit and tell me everything.”

“Do you want the data now or later?” I asked and adjusted my robes and sat down.

“Later is fine.” The Wise One said. “Kara, please sit. You will find this enlightening.”

Kara looked at me for a moment, then she sat as well. I could almost feel the disbelief flowing off of her and smiled, then I started to talk.

*

Lashina hugged herself and did her best to stop herself from using all of her abilities to storm into The Wise One's office to get to Hunter. She had received the same notification and set of orders from Kralish after the destruction of Kara's ship and her apparent death with her prisoner. She had ignored the orders as nonsense... then a month later, Hunter appeared on the planet's surface.

Lashina knew she was suffering from a lack of both sex and intimacy, because she hadn't been with anyone since Hunter, and no one else she met since then had been even close to his ability to share Presence. She was like an addict that had been clean for decades, then had one taste. It had been a long time since that taste and she had almost convinced herself that she didn't need it.

Now, with the object of her addiction so close... so very close... both her mind and body yearned for him. She used several mental techniques to calm herself and slowed her breathing down. She knew that she just had to be patient and she had been prepared for that. The problem was that he had shown up again, decades before she had expected or planned for, and she hoped that it didn't mean what she thought it meant.

He wasn't there for her.

The thought gave her a little bit of a panic attack and she squashed it before it blossomed. She was an expert at mind abilities, after all. She wasn't sure why she was having such a difficult time with her urge to go to Hunter, and that was another problem. She couldn't fix what she didn't understand, so she sat in her office and wallowed in her desire as she waited for him to leave the protection of The Wise One's private area.

I will get to him before he goes to see the council. Lashina promised herself.