An hour passed, and Fauchard’s personnel scrambled to load supplies and offload their unwilling comrades. Meladee found the wait boring. While Camellia planned their route with Commander Rooks, Meladee sat between Benham and Alim on the upper level.

At first, they talked and played a round of card games, but Benham started to get restless, got up, and paced. Alim announced that he knew a few card tricks, and sitting on the floor like school children, he genuinely impressed Meladee with a couple. She was just about to beg for another, but the wait was over.

At just under ninety minutes from arrival, their work was complete, and Commander Rooks stood on her bridge with a satisfied smile. She had just received their drop point from Sten and been informed that the array would have a decoy course within ten minutes. Most importantly, the Cleydef was secured to Corbin. Her little fleet would soon bring aid and colonists to Iruedim.

Rooks stood nice and straight. “If we leave soon, we may have a big enough lead to deter any pursuit. They’ll have no idea where we’re headed, and no way to trace our course. We may not need the course corrector array, after all.” She addressed Camellia, who remained at the Commander’s side the entire time.

As Meladee joined them, she found herself anxious to return to Iruedim. She wanted to know how much of Tagtrum could be found under Ah’nee’thit’s monstrous flesh. Water might help the thing to grow, and Tagtrum had that aplenty.

“Commander? Unknown ships are arriving,” someone called from below.

Benham scowled. “I think you just jinxed us.”

Rooks strode to her display and checked on the ships. From below, people gave Rooks more information, but Meladee tuned them out. She stared at the window and screens. Three medium-sized vessels slowed and shimmered into view. They aimed themselves at Fauchard. Meladee struggled to see them. The ships possessed mirrored surfaces, and although she stared at them, she saw a reflection of the stars, Station, and Rooks’ ships. Meladee couldn’t find the edges or determine the new ships’ shapes.

“Those are not from the Finial,” Rooks whispered to herself.

“Commander, they’re definitely Finial ships. They have Finial identification numbers, but I don’t recognize them.”

“Unbelievable.” Rooks tapped her display. “Secret ships. Why was I never promoted to one of those? I’m sorry for that jinx. We’re going to need some magic to get out of here.”

The mirrored ships fired on Fauchard, but Fauchard’s shields caught the attack. Benham pulled Camellia and Meladee back against the wall. Alim joined them.

Commander Rooks ordered her people, “Get behind the station and return fire. Present as thin a profile as you can. We are going to hide behind that library. No shame.” Rooks tapped her screen, probably working on her plan. “These secret ships are either very fast, or they were closer than other Finial vessels. I certainly hope it’s the latter.” Commander Rooks messaged Sten and Eva. “Get the course corrector array in shape. We may need to drop it fast.”

Sten acknowledged the order.

Rooks glanced back at Meladee. “Magic if you can.”

“Oh, you meant that.” Meladee stepped away from the wall, unsure what spell to cast on Rooks’ fleet. Or, should she cast a spell on the opponents? Or, maybe neither?

“They’re trying to surround us,” someone called from below.

The ships moved quickly, outmaneuvering the bigger Fauchard.

Camellia called, “Meladee, do something.”

Benham said, “There’s only three of them.”

“Commander, we have seven more behind us.”

“And, so far, no effect from our weapons.”

Meladee knew exactly what she should cast. She closed her eyes and tried to picture where Fauchard kept it weapons. Unfortunately, she had no idea. Meladee changed her strategy. She would create a film on the outside of the ship that affected the weapons.

Meladee conjured her circle, a four-ring monstrosity. She held the circle in place and, with her imagination, rearranged runes, redrew lines, and added an element here or there. When she liked it, she let it go.

Meladee exhaled, proud of herself. She heard happy exclamations from below.

“Good job, Meladee,” Commander Rooks congratulated. “Fauchard is scoring hits, thanks to your magic…beams.”

Rooks sounded confused, but she had it right. The beams were manifestations of magic, chaotic energy. Meladee bet the secret Finial ships weren’t prepared for that.

To her people, Rooks ordered, “Fauchard move in front of the other ships. Let’s make ourselves a nice target. Protect Corbin and Cleydef. When I give the order, Corbin, slip away. We’ll follow.”

The ships arranged themselves in Rooks’ requested formation. As Fauchard’s windows turned away from the battle, projections activated over the glass, showing what only cameras could now see. Fauchard shook as it took a beating meant for the smaller ships and the old Cleydef. The small ships sheltered between Fornax station and their larger command ship.

“Meladee? Can I have another spell?” Rooks asked. “Something defensive.”

“You got it.” Meladee closed her eyes.

She could probably make a spell to cover more of the ships, but she wanted to make something more annoying. Something that could protect everyone even if Fauchard was the only one getting hit.

Meladee began to compose a scream shield. She smiled. Anytime Fauchard took a hit, their opponents would hear an ear-splitting scream, lasting a full fifteen seconds. Meladee just had to account for the lack of sound in space. She had to jump the effect from the air to the halls of the enemy ships and their absence of vacuum.

As she arranged the spell, a triple-ringed creation, she listened to the others chatter.

“The ship is on its side?” Camellia asked Benham.

“Yes, but don’t worry. We have artificial gravity. Doesn’t matter how the ship is oriented.”

“How will we slip away?” Camellia asked. “We’re surrounded.”

Rooks answered this one. “You forget that we aren’t fighting on a single plane. We can go up and down. We just need a window, a time when they don’t fire.”

Meladee could provide that. Finally satisfied with her spell, she released it.

“Commander they stopped firing. All of them,” said a disbelieving voice.

“Good. Corbin get away,” Rooks ordered.

From below, someone reported, “More ships and the new ones are closing the gaps.”

Camellia made a sound something like a whimper. “We’re too late.”

Rooks called the Corbin back and nodded. “At this rate, we’re going to be trapped here. I don’t have enough fighters to deal with this. We lost a lot of fighter pilots.”

“We sent out fighters?” Meladee asked, feeling too cool for her technologically inferior homeworld.

“No, the pilots didn’t want to come to Iruedim,” Rooks corrected. “We didn’t have enough to begin with. We need to break away now, all together.” Rooks looked at Camellia. “I need you to reprogram our path. That straight shot to Iruedim isn’t going to cut it. We need a longer route.”

Camellia nodded. She raced to a secondary screen near Rooks, and worked on their superliminal path.

“Make it twist and ensure you pass Eva and Sten’s drop point, just do so a little later,” Rooks said.

Camellia complied.

“Now, while she gets that ready, we need to move.” Rooks gave orders to her people below and those on the other ships.

She picked their exit, which was still blocked by two opponents, but they would try to shoot their way through. The ships formed up and prepared to go, keeping their choice of escape discreet.

Commander Rooks turned grim eyes to Meladee. “If you don’t have another spell, we may need to sacrifice Cleydef.”

“I’ve always got spells.” Meladee knew Rooks’ plan, and she knew the perfect spell to help them get through two ships.

It was a little dark, but she needed to test it anyway. Might as well be here.

Meladee closed her eyes. She concentrated and imagined five sickly brown rings. They appeared around her feet and shimmered with an undertone of red, encapsulating irregular shapes and winding symbols. Meladee held the circle in place as she prepared to spread it over the whole fleet. When she had it just right, and Meladee released it. She opened her eyes and watched the circle expand.

Unlike the other spells, no one wanted to touch this one. Rooks had never looked so uncomfortable, and Alim tried to climb the wall. Benham shivered as it passed. Only Camellia stood. She gave no reaction to the passing circle, except a somber glance.

Damn, Camellia. Meladee wanted to congratulate the dhampir on her descent into the most metal of individuals, but Meladee found she stood on wobbly legs.

Benham and Alim both grabbed her.

“Did it work?” Meladee asked.

Beside Rooks, Camellia watched the screens. She saw beam weapons skitter across Fauchard’s forward hull. Falling leaves seemed to flutter in their wake.

Other ships reported the same effect. Meladee’s spell encompassed the entire fleet, and the smaller ships finally got a taste of magical aid.

“She’s outdone herself,” Rooks whistled. To her fleet, she called, “All ships, follow Fauchard. Point our nose ahead. Corbin in the center. Bardiche and Guisarme to Corbin’s port and starboard respectively. Voulge and Ranseur bring up the rear. Strengthen your outward facing shields, especially where you observe leaf-like debris. Fauchard, concentrate fire on our exit point.”

As Fauchard forged ahead, beams of light led the way. They raced past Meladee’s shield. Some carried leafy threads and made contact with the ships in their path.

Camellia glanced at Meladee. Meladee lay unconscious, and Alim tended to her. Camellia was proud of Meladee – a five-ringed spell and it protected the whole fleet. Camellia prayed Meladee would be okay.

“Camellia, how is that path coming?”

Camellia turned back to her screen and answered, “Like tangled string.”

The computer displayed Camellia’s work as a red path. It curved and swooped all over a section of Girandola.

“I’m not quite done. I have to double check for obstacles.” Before Camellia began the process, she asked, “I’m just wondering. Won’t they be able to follow our trail and catch up to us when we stop to drop the array?”

“They will.” Rooks nodded once. “But we’ll drop the array during superliminal flight. The roundabout path will give us time to elude them. Time to try again if we fail. That’s why I want you to make it long.” Rooks peeked at Camellia’s work. “You’ve been busy. That’s perfect. Just make sure it’s safe.”

Camellia nodded and instructed the computer to run a final check. She watched as the computer compared her route to its map of large obstacles. During flight, Fauchard’s sensors would detect smaller obstacles and warn them ahead of time. Then, they might have to adjust their path, but Camellia programmed some backup stretches. Fauchard could switch to one of those. Otherwise, the computer pronounced her route and all its loop de loops safe.

Camellia glanced back at Meladee and found her woozy but awake. Benham and Alim took care of her.

Fauchard flew slow enough to give the mirrored ships enough time to scoot aside. They didn’t. On Rooks orders, Fauchard rushed forward and collided lightly with two ships, sending fluttering flakes of rust across their hulls.

The enemy ships started to break apart. Camellia’s mouth fell open.

“Don’t collide with any more ships,” Rooks warned. “The decay looks slow, but we don’t want to kill everyone. Just get through these two and get away.” Rooks glared at Meladee.

Lucky for Meladee, she was barely conscious.

Rooks turned to Camellia. “What is this?”

“I think…it’s Agaric magic. Some kind of decay shield,” Camellia said. “It’s gruesome. I’m surprised she did it.” Camellia wanted to sink through the floor, but she forced herself to face Rooks.

“You and me both. Camellia, this is sick. Even against the Finial.”

“This is what we might have to do to Ul’thetos. That’s why Meladee created it.” Camellia studied the Commander.

Rooks was mad, conflicted. If they added any more surprises to the equation, Rooks might lose her trust in them, and it was still such a new thing, like a young bird, just able to fly.

I need to warn her. I need to warn her now.

Camellia stepped forward. “I need to tell you...that protection spell Meladee cast on your fleet...it protects against spies. It’s going to trigger once we head to Iruedim. No one on this ship will be able to give away Iruedim’s location or navigate there with bad intentions.”

“I see.” Rooks narrowed her eyes.

“Are...are we still going to Iruedim?” Camellia asked.

“Yes.” Rooks shook her head at the devastation. To her crew, she ordered, “Keep going ahead. Those ships will try to avoid us now. Camellia, send your course to the other ships.”

Camellia nodded and did as Rooks asked.

One by one, Rooks’ ships cleared the attackers. First, Fauchard, and then the others. Before it could initiate superliminal travel, Fauchard tapped two more opponents, sending them into a state of decay. The first two casualties now had openings in their hulls, but the decay had stopped. Smaller ships and escape pods streamed from the injured vessels.

Commander Rooks watched in horror. “What a terrifying spell. Those ships have definitely lost people. If I’d known...” She looked back at the unconscious Meladee.

Fauchard initiated its superliminal drive and sped away.

Camellia sighed. That magic is just what Ah’nee’thit wants for Ul’thetos. Camellia imagined a free but barren Lurren, decayed like the enemy ships – Ul’thetos gone in the most painful way Camellia could imagine. She shuddered. Did Ul’thetos deserve that? After three-thousand years in a trap? Maybe, Ul’thetos had it coming, but Lurren didn’t. Camellia recalled Ul’thetos’ memory of its first prison. What if we could target just the brain? Then, only one area of Lurren would be destroyed.

Camellia glanced at Rooks.

The Commander seemed stoney.

Camellia couldn’t leave the situation alone. “I’m so sorry. I don’t want to break your trust. We just didn’t want to take any chances.”

Commander Rooks’ eyes flicked to Camellia. She put her hand on Camellia’s shoulder. “We’re okay. And, by we, I mean you and me. Eva and Meladee planned to keep that spell a secret. We’ll see about them.”

Camellia nodded. “Right. I’m just going to take a break.”

Rooks waved her off.

Camellia walked away, but she couldn’t escape the sounds of the bridge.

Rooks hit her com. “Sten? Eva? I need you to finish the setup for the course corrector array. We have to drop it while traveling at superliminal speeds.”

“Wonderful. I worried we might. We’re working on it,” Sten answered through ship-wide communications.

Camellia reached the wall and sank to the floor.

Long before their drop point, Sten and Eva completed the array’s detour. The array would send the detour to anyone who pursued their superliminal path. Now, with the array closed up and ready for ejection, they waited by the catwalk stairs. They stayed close to the array, just in case they needed to perform a manual release.

“Have we run out of words?” Eva asked Sten.

Both synthetics leaned on the catwalk railing.

“I believe so. I need rest before I’ll form any more sentences.”

Eva nodded her agreement and thought about the things Sten had told her about his creator. She couldn’t believe that such an egotistical man had created Sten. The man’s stunts appalled Eva, from his uncensored critiques of others’ work to tight lipped secrets and procedures that prevented knowledge flow.

Eva wondered if Cereus had kept her processes secret. No other nanite-grown androids exited. Could Cereus have kept it that way?

It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to start questioning my dead creator now. Clearly, her processes are not the only reason that I have a soul. Sten has one too.

Eva raised her eyes to Sten and found him staring at her.

He merely said, “Very expressive” and gestured to her face.

A device beeped.

“Yes?” Sten answered, holding his com to his mouth.

“We’re winding through Camellia’s wild ride and approaching the drop point you designated,” Commander Rooks warned.

Sten pressed his com button. “Drop it when you need to. We’re standing by in case the track doesn’t release. If everything goes well, we can get clear quickly.” Sten grabbed Eva’s arm and pulled her onto the catwalk stairway.

“Dropping the array in three, two, one,” Rooks called back.

A forcefield flashed into existence, sealing the course corrector behind it. Ahead, the array’s special door opened, showing a dizzying view of space. The course corrector began to slide along its track, passing Sten and Eva. It didn’t need manual release.

Sten jumped over the catwalk stairs to the next landing below, skipping the first flight. He waved Eva to do the same.

She narrowed her eyes, calculating whether she could absorb the impact. She liked to conserve her repair nanites as much as possible.

Sten held out his arms, and Eva took the invitation. She jumped over the side, and Sten caught her. The two ran down the remaining catwalk stairs, reaching the bottom, just as the course corrector shot out to its designated location.