When Peggy reached the ripe old age of eighty and her hair had turned completely white, I had the brilliant idea of putting her in a stasis pod. Everyone else agreed with me that it was the best way for her to stay with us and see where we were going to end up, except for one person. Peggy. She absolutely refused the offer and claimed that if she went to sleep now and woke up however many years it was going to be later, she wouldn't recognize anyone anyway.

Like Lashina and Kara, Peggy wanted to stay awake and experience life as it happened with the children, and not have to play catch up later. She also didn't want to retire and wanted to keep doing her job to the best of her ability. I had been sorely tempted to just put her in stasis anyway and I could face the consequences later, then she took my hand with her old and wrinkly one and looked into my eyes.

“I can see all the regret there already.” Peggy said. “All these years of me telling you no, and you're still pining over me?” She shook her head. “You have all these women and all those children, and yet you still can't get over the one woman that said no.”

I opened my mouth to argue, then smiled instead. “Does that mean you're saying yes?”

Her bony hand lightly tapped the side of my face and she laughed. “The answer's still no.”

I nodded, because I knew she would never betray her feelings or her beliefs. She was loyal to her long dead husband and she would never do anything that would make her push his memory aside or try to forget about him.

“I don't have to tell you that I love you, do I?” I asked and she shook her head again.

“I will make you a promise.” Peggy said. “When this frail old body is taking its last breaths, you have my permission to kiss me.”

“On the lips?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes, you poor sex-deprived teenager.” Peggy said and everyone around us laughed. “It's not going to be for years, though.”

“You can make me wait for as long as you want.” I said confidently.

It took ten years.

Despite all that futuristic medical technology could to for her, it couldn't stem the flow of time or the human body's natural degradation during that time. Even using Presence Heal only repaired damage, it wouldn't de-age anything. Peggy lay in the medical bay and Hen monitored her closely. When Peggy felt that it was time, she nodded to Hen, who opened the door and let me into the small private room.

I walked over to the bed and took her hand. “You've already said goodbye to everyone else, so I guess you were saving the best for last.”

Peggy barked a laugh and then she coughed several times. I used Presence Heal on her and she relaxed. She stared into my eyes and I stared right back, because I didn't want her to think that I thought she looked horrible. I didn't, not in the least, and I let her see and feel that.

“I suppose... I did.” Peggy whispered, her strength rapidly leaving her.

“I want you to listen and listen well.” I said and leaned over her. “You know, I haven't had a lot of women tell me no over the years, or stay so adamant about it that they fought me off for decades.” I whispered. “I want you to take it to heart that I deeply regret not being able to love you physically as much as I love you emotionally.”

Peggy's breath rasped in her lungs. “I... I know.” She said. “I... I won't... I couldn't...”

“I know.” I said and leaned in close. “It made me love you all the more, Peggy.”

“I... love you, too.” Peggy said and took two quick breaths.

“Don't go yet.” I whispered. “You need your reward for being so loyal.”

Peggy licked her lips automatically in anticipation, so I pressed mine to hers and used Presence to reach in to touch her tiny Presence core. Its waning glow flared to brightness for several seconds and she gasped into my mouth, then her Presence started to fade. I couldn't add any energy to it, despite trying, and it reduced in size for a few moments... then it disappeared.

I broke the kiss and Peggy had a small smile on her peaceful face and her eyes were already closed.

“What a way to die.” Simone said from the doorway.

“It was exactly what she wanted.” I said and stood up. “She could only think about her husband at the end, too.”

“I know.” Simone said with a smile. “She imagined it was him that gave her one last kiss.”

I nodded and looked at Hen. “Do you want me to handle this?”

“If you want to.” Hen said. “The only family she had was us.”

I nodded again and put my hand on the body's forehead, then I dissolved it into nothing.

*

Over the next twenty years as we moved closer to the bit of nothingness that was the center of the new sets of brown dwarf stars, Kara, Lashina, and I trained our children to the best of our abilities. Of course, more were born during that time from any of the women that wanted more children. Kara had another child, a girl this time, Lashina had twins and one was a boy and one was a girl, Gleas had two more children and Sandy and Beatrice had one more each, both girls.

Gleas' daughter Tish was no longer alone. She had gotten together with Jelly's son Kellan and had a child of her own. A beautiful little girl that she loved dearly and she had the same mind-set for technology.

Several of the boys got together with normal women and they had children as well. They didn't let it interfere with training, however. We were running out of time and we all needed to be as prepared as possible for what could happen when we reached there. It never occurred to me that when we did reach there, we wouldn't be prepared at all for what was there.

In layman's terms, it was a wormhole.

A stable hole in space and time that would take us from wherever we were and deliver us to somewhere else. Where that was couldn't be determined, because any probes and drone shuttles we sent in didn't come back or delivered the satellites they carried to show us where they were.

“Maybe they aren't working because someone needs to be on board.” Tish suggested.

“You're saying that wherever it's going, the tech might not be working and needs to be rebooted?” Kellan asked and she nodded. “You're not going.” He said, adamantly.

Tish gave him wide eyes for a moment, then she chuckled. “I don't think any of us should go.”

“What?” Sheph asked. She was almost seventy now and still had the sharp mind she always had. “What should we do, then?”

“Leave.” Tish said and everyone looked at her. “I am not going to let you take this ship through there and endanger everyone's lives.”

“No one is suggesting we all go.” Markus said and braced all four of his arms on the hologram table. He had four large Light sword handles hung on his belt.

“Yeah, there's no way I'll endanger everyone that's trusted us for this long, on a hope and a wish.” I said and everyone looked at me instead. “I'll go alone.”

“NO!” They all yelled.

“It's not a discussion.” I said. “I have to go.”

“Dad, you can't just...” Sama started to say.

“You're coming with me.”

“HUNTER!” Noma yelled. “You are not taking my daughter to her death!”

“No, I'm taking her to mine.” I said and everyone gasped.

They were all silent, because the Presence didn't waver.

“N-n-n-no. No.” Sama shook her head, because she didn't want to admit it.

“Can't you all feel it?” I asked and looked at their faces. “This is it. This is what my whole life has been building to. I have to go.” I said and took Sama's hand. “Please, come with me.”

“No, Dad.” Sama said. “You're our father! You've been alive for centuries! You can't die!”

“I can only tell you what I feel, and I feel like this is the end of the journey for me.” I said and the Presence didn't waver. “I also know that I need your help.”

Sama stood there and shook her head. “No, I... take... take mom. She can...”

I shook my head. “You know that's wrong, just as much as I do.” I said. “Sama, you have the training and abilities that your mother doesn't have.” I walked over to her and took her hand. “I've never asked anyone to do what I'm asking you to do now.”

“D-dad, please.” Sama pleaded and let a tear fall from her eyes. “I don't want you to die.”

“I'm so sorry.” I said and put my arms around her. “It's a horrible thing to ask of you, I know.”

“No, you don't!” Sama pushed me away. “You're crazy! Why would you ask me to be there! I'm your daughter! I can't... no, I wont! I won't do it!”

“Would you rather I die for nothing?” I asked and she gasped. “If you don't come with me, I'll just be throwing my life away for no reason.”

“But... no, you... just don't go!” Sama exclaimed.

“I have to.” I said and waved at the hologram of the wormhole. “There's no other point for me to be here if I wasn't willing to toss myself into the mouth of that thing.”

“Like the gaping maws around the portals!” Kara said. “You think it's going to take you somewhere else and you need someone with you that can anchor you.”

“Someone properly trained with Noma's Presence Absorption ability.” Our son Niaga said. “I get it.” He said and walked over to Sama. “I'm going, too.”

“Niaga, you can't.” Sama said. “I'm not going.”

“Yes, you are.” Niaga said. “I'm dragging you along.”

“WHAT?” Sama and Noma yelled at the same time.

“Dad needs you there, so you're going.” Niaga said. “Did you notice, at all, that he didn't ask any of us?” He waved at the others around the table. “Not Markus with his awesome multi-sword fighting techniques, not me or my sister with our supreme Presence Manipulations skills. None of us are going to work. He needs you. Just you.”

“It's not like that.” I said and they all looked back at me. “We trained you all to be the best there is at what you can do, and that was to protect you from anything you could ever face. I'd take you all if I thought it was necessary. Sama's just the only one with the skills and abilities I need access to while I'm fighting.”

“Dad, you don't even know what you'll be fighting!” Sama said. “Plus, there's no guarantee that once we go in there, we won't be instantly killed!”

“If it was a black hole, then yes. That would be true. This is a wormhole, though. Not only will we survive, we can come back.” I said. “There's a reason it's stable and we are going to use it.”

“Dad...”

“Please, Sama. Do this for me.” I pleaded, and she gave me sorrowful eyes, as did her mother. “I need you there by my side.”

“Take one of the warships.” Markus said. “At least you'll have some firepower along.”

“I volunteer.” Opina said over the intercom. “Let me show you that I can still be useful to the family.”

“Opina, that's not necessary.” I said. “You've been plenty useful so far, and I'm sure you will definitely be needed when...”

“I'm going with you, Grandpa.” Opina said. “You can't leave this ship on some brainless shuttle...”

“HEY!” Monna yelled.

“He would never take you in there, Monna.” Opina said. “Right, Grandpa?”

I sighed. “No, I wouldn't take her. Her skills aren't right for this mission.” I looked around at everyone. “I did only want to take a normal shuttle.”

“Then Opina has the job.” Markus said.

Everyone else was quiet and no one spoke.

“So, that's it then? You're forcing me to go on a death mission?” Sama asked a few moments later.

“Yes.” Niaga said and the tension rose in the room. “It's what he's been training us for.”

Sama looked at her mother. “Mom...”

“I've gone with your father on hundreds of missions and he has always relied on me.” Noma said. “I can see why he would need you this time, though.”

“Because I have some of him in me.” Sama said.

“No, because you will survive when I wouldn't.” Noma said. “I can't do the things he's shown you. I have a normal body and I can easily be hurt.” She touched her daughter's face. “You have his constitution and you have a better chance of surviving whatever happens.”

“So, I either lose both of you or one of you.” Sama said.

“I know it's unfair for you to choose which of us...” I started to say.

“Let's go.” Sama said and left the compartment.

“I guess it wasn't that hard of a choice for her.” Markus said with a chuckle.

“At least I don't have to drag her kicking and screaming.” Niaga said and followed her, then the rest of the kids went with them.

“Hunter.” Kara said, barely above a whisper, now that the only people left in the compartment were the adults.

“Yes, this will be the last time you will see me.” I said and gave her a kiss.

“Keep our son safe.” Kara said.

“I promise.” I said and went to each mother of my children and gave them a final kiss goodbye, even Sandy and Beatrice. I left them in the compartment and ran after Sama. I caught up with her in the main shaft at Opina's main hatch.

“I'm glad you're coming along.” Sama said to Niaga as they sat down in the cockpit and strapped in.

“Yeah, I'm glad he offered, too.” I said and put the both of them to sleep, unstrapped Niaga, and carried him out through the hatch and handed him to Markus. “Hold this for a minute.”

“Sure, Dad.” Markus said with a smile.

“Thank you all for being my children.” I said and went to each of them and gave them a hug, then I stepped back onto the ship and the hatch closed.

“He's not coming back out, is he?” Markus asked.

“N-no.” Tish said, tears in her eyes. “No, he's not.”

They stood there and watched the ship move over to the middle of the shaft, then it shot down the long shaft and exited the ship.

*

“Ugh.” Sama groaned. “What... what happened?” She opened her eyes and looked around. She saw Niaga was gone from beside her and her father was in the seat in front of her.

“I couldn't let him throw his life away, even though he loves you more than life itself.” Hunter said and the ship did a barrel roll.

Sama's eyes widened at the gaping maw of the wormhole. “DAD! How am I supposed to get back?”

“Don't worry, sweetie.” Hunter said and reached for the hyperspace controls. “I've got friends in high places.”

“DAD! NO!” Sama yelled. “YOU'LL KILL US!”

“It's the only way.” Hunter said and the ship jumped into hyperspace just as it entered the wormhole.

*KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

The Ark, the colossal ship that had hundreds of thousands of people on it, shook as the wormhole they were all staring at collapsed in on itself and a wave of Presence rocked the ship. Screams and shouts of disbelief echoed throughout the ship as well, once they realized that the man that had done everything for them, had just annihilated himself.

In the control room where the adults still stood, the pain and the loss hit them the hardest, especially Noma, because she had willingly let the man she loved take their only child to die.