"What do you mean the captain isn't dead?" An angry and frustrated Cashius, snapped at Gerok. "The instructions were easy to follow. Take out the captain during the battle and leave the commander for me. It was so simple!"

"Back off Star boy!" Gerok snapped back, "I told you it wasn't going to work with Andre. He was too preoccupied with his own ambitions and greed. Besides, you're not telling me the fucking truth." Gerok and Cashius circled one another sizing each other up. Cashius knew he needed Gerok's help, especially if he wanted his plan to work. "To me, this shit sounds personal and we can't continue if you can't tell me the truth."

"The truth is he has a big influence on many of the fourth borns, including my love. Killing him will leave a hole in the army." Cashius lied, trying to tell Gerok what hear.

"You're still lying... there's no way the captain has more pull than the commander on Sage. What do I look like someone who believe some shit like that?!" Gerok grew more upset at Cashius. "If you really want to put a hole in the army, it's by taking the commander, the captain and the generals all out of the way."

"Yea you're the expert at that..." Cashius gave Gerok a grim look as he continued.

"You bet your ass I am... For some reason you just want the captain. Why do you think you could kill the captain but not the commander?" Then it hit Gerok. A light went off in his head, putting together all the pieces. He knew something wasn't right about his story. The commander was a female, Cashius wanted her untouched. He figured Gerok wouldn't want to kill his own niece. "You're beloved fourth born isn't just any forth born, is she? The one you're willing to rearrange the whole universe for is 'the' forth born, as in Iya the Commander. It all makes sense now... why you don't want to look like the bad guy." Gerok walked around Cashius as he stood still listening to Gerok piece together his story. "You are so full of shit..."

Cashius quickly got more upset when Gerok was playing detective to his life and plans. "I think Kalvanius and Iya are... together." Cashius looked down at his feet upset. Then he exploded with anger, "He's poisoning her mind! Ok! Yes I want the captain dead because he's in my way of getting Iya. She would have never breaking the rules if it wasn't for him. I know he's the problem..."

"Wait... this girl isn't in love with you? You're telling me the commander and the captain are fooling around?! Oh, the fucking drama!" Gerok was impressed with his niece. "It seems the apple doesn't fall so far from the tree huh?" Gerok laughed as he walked around his desk to sit down. "And you know this for a fact?"

"During the Night of Life, they were slow dancing close and intimate. Then the next morning, I saw him leaving her room. I was waiting for the guards in the Garden of Ospice to come and get me when he dashed by."

"The room closest to the gardens... the one with the balcony. I remember that room." Gerok found this information too interesting. He knew he could use this for his own gain. No fucking way, he thought to himself. "I'll tell you what, I'll take care of your Captain. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. However, I'm upping my price... I don't just want to be King of Sage, I want it all. I want to be ruler of all the ally planets."

Cashius walked up to Gerok's desk and placed both hands face down on the edge. "I can't promise that right now! Once I'm the full Star Lord who knows what's going to happen. If you give me time, it won't be a problem."

"Oh I know it won't be..." Gerok sat back in his chair with his arms folded. "If you want a win-win outcome than you're going to have to do this my way. All the way, my way. Meaning, I'm taking over. You need to focus on getting your full powers of the Star Lord. Oh and Cashius... if I don't get what I want, I'll kill you myself. You won't have to worry about being the bad guy."

Moments later, Samson came running into Gerok's office looking for Cashius. "There you are! Look we have to go soon. Otherwise we won't make it to Stella in time."

Gerok and Cashius stared at one another in silence for a moment. Before Cashius walked out, Gerok said, "When I speak to you again you better be the Star Lord, fully."

Cashius snapped back, turning around, "And Kalvanius better be dead..." He cut his eyes at Gerok while walking behind Samson. When the door closed behind them, one of the Blue Paws generals came through the side door.

The tall muscular Barbarian walked up to Gerok towering over him. In his deep voice he told Gerok, "Sir, the Moonback Clan will be arriving to Mortha tomorrow to join our cause. The leader has agreed to fight with us to defeat the Sagens." He turned his head looking at the door the main door, "What are we going to do about the Star Lord?"

Gerok briefly looked up at his general and replied, "Cashius is a desperate fool. He wants the cake and eat it too. If this affair between the Sagen Commander and the captain is true, we'll be able to play that to our advantage. It's the achilles heel we've been looking for."

The large Barbarian wasn't following and looked confused. He shook his head and said, "Sir?"

Gerok bounced up out of his chair, "Love always gets in the way... Don't worry about it, Sirus. Just find out the next place the Sagen army is headed. It's time for me to make my appearance."

"From the looks of it sir, they're on Lotus. They arrived there a day or two ago..."

"Lotus... this could work." Gerok whispered to himself, "Tell Aiko to come here I will need her assistance with this." Sirus nodded at Gerok's request and headed out back to the bar. A few minutes later, Aiko came walking through the office door. She walked around the desk and stood in front of her master. "Aiko, my ace one. I normally don't dip into your personal life but I have a big favor to ask. I need to see what she looks like..."

Aiko already knew what Gerok was going to ask. He wanted to know who Cashius asked her to turn into. He wanted to see this commander for himself. Gerok wanted to know who exactly he was looking for if they ever crossed paths. Aiko put her head down this time, almost like she didn't want to.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Gerok noticed her change in demeanor. He blinked a few times before saying something, "You're not catching feelings for the Star boy are you? Well don't! He doesn't care about you. He's obsessed with the Sagen commander. He's delusional, Aiko. I need to see who I'm up against. I need to see my niece." Aiko looked up shocked. Gerok smirked at her reaction. "He didn't tell you that part, did he?"

Aiko cut her eyes at Gerok. She knew he was telling the truth about Cashius but it didn't stop her from caring about him. Aiko stood back from Gerok's desk and closed her eyes. Her skin scaled up as she thought about Iya. When the transformation was complete, Gerok stared into his niece's eyes. He was taken back for how much she looked like her mother, his twin sister.

He quickly walked up to get a better look. Aiko stood still as Gerok walked around studying Iya's appearance. He hasn't seen his niece since she was a toddler. "So this is 'Iya the Great'? She is very beautiful... I mean, she does come from good genes." Gerok laughed aloud. Aiko wasn't amused, she cut her eyes at him the whole time. "Alright you can change back to yourself... We're going to Lotus, Aiko. It's time for us to stir the pot a little. Do some spying for ourselves."

Aiko changed back into her own skin, "You want me to come with you?"

Gerok smirked and nodded his head, "Oh yes, I need them to believe they are on our trail and to do so we have to get on theirs. Lotus only has two terminals and both are located in the center of two large cities. There will be plenty of people to hide behind so we can plant our seeds." Gerok slammed his fist on his desk, "Damn this is going to be fun! They don't know what's coming to them."

"And the Barbarians?" Aiko knew whatever Gerok was planning was super big. He was trying to accomplish something no one has tried for decades. Reuniting the remaining surviving clans.

He walked over to Aiko and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I told you the Moonbacks would get on board, didn't I? We'll only need the last remaining clan to come out of hiding, the Red Beards."

"They're hiding on Lotus..."

Gerok gave Aiko a big smile. "Now you're catching on... Pack your things for a week or two... we have one more beast to awaken." He leaned down and gave Aiko a hug then kissed her on the cheek. "About the Cashius thing, you know I'll never steer you wrong Aiko... I think of you as someone close to me, like a daughter. My wife, my children and you are my kin. I was just looking out for you." Gerok always had a way with his words. He was good at convincing people to think like him and do things for him. He was so good at it, he was already convinced the Red Beard clan leader could never object to his proposal.

Many of the Barbarian clans scattered after the Sagens took majority of them out. Clan after clan completely wiped out. The smarter and wiser clans retreated into the caves and the wastelands or on some outskirt planets that had little to no life. They chose to live by any means instead of extinction... Three of the biggest clans that went into hiding to regroup were the Blue Paws, the Moonbacks and the Red Beard Clans. Today, if combined would made up an army over sixty thousand Barbarians. Over time their numbers grew and the others forgot about them lurking in the shadows. Not Gerok, however.

After he was exiled from Sage, Gerok sought out the Barbarian leader who betrayed him. Zou was a ruthless clan leader, not even his own men cared for him. When he went down, it was easy for Gerok to make himself their new leader. Throughout the years Gerok transformed the Blue Paws to something more structured. He revamped the clan and gave them a sense of purpose. For that, Gerok basically became their king. The

Barbarians willing followed him and his Saijerian loyalists any and everywhere. Gerok's wife believed he had his own army of personal body guards.

The Barbarians weren't regular people, they couldn't mingle nor mix with other populations. They all had their own distinct look and characteristics about them that made them stand out. They were called so many different names like Savages on some planets. From their long and yet muscular bodies, to their ugly and creature like faces. It was easy to point them out. When Gerok and Aiko arrived to Lotus, they already had their plan in order. Walking into the Wastelands on Lotus was no safe place to be.

***

Iya couldn't help but look up at the gigantic bubble that covered the city of Azul. Miles away you can see another bubble over it's sister city, Nego.The force field stretched for miles starting at one of the city and ending at the other. The sun's rays still shined through the clear the force field but nothing else could come through, not even animals. Guards stood at the openings, checking people in as they walked through. Marcus walked up behind Iya as she looked up to the skies wondering it's purpose. She had never seen anything like that before. "It's cool isn't it? The force field bubbles..." Marcus asked his Commander.

"Yea it is, I've been meaning to ask since we've arrived what's the purpose of them? I've never seen anything like it."

Marcus chuckled and replied, "The 'Lotus storms' we call them... The storms are so bad here that sometimes they will last for a really long time. I'm talking about a few days or even weeks. By the time a Lotus storm is over, everything is completely wiped out and destroyed. It got the point the Lotucian people were becoming extinct. The leader here, Queen Amara asked the Star Council for help. Her people were not going to survive underground. Now they all live under the force fields. "

Iya listened closely to Marcus's story, "So the Star Council called us... I recognized the symbols on the door panels on top the generators."

"Yep, our scientists came up with this solution. And you know what, they regenerate during the storms. The generators grab up some of the energy from the storms to regenerate itself. Pretty fancy... The tunnels connecting the cities and farmlands is a new thing. I'm glad they've figured out how to move around."

Iya huffed and shook her head, "We need this on all the planets..." Marcus laughed at Iya as they watched Kal and Jayce escort Amos towards them. With Amos in the middle, Kal and Jayce each took an arm helping him walk. Surra was behind them making sure he didn't fall from behind. Eventually Amos let go and started walking on his own.

Marcus shook his head at his best friend, "I knew you couldn't resist..." He turned to Iya and the others, "This is Amos's favorite planet. Queen Amara and him used to... you know." Marcus rolled his eyes, making fun of Amos and the queen's love affair.

Iya, Kal, Surra and Jayce all let out a disgusted sound together from Marcus's comment. He started laughing hard, throwing his head back while holding his stomach. Amos cut his eyes at his friend while giggling, "You're just jealous my friend she saw me first. You were nothing but a boy when you first laid eyes on her. She wanted a real man not a child..." Amos stuck his nose in the air pretending to act serious. Moments later everyone began to laugh until Amos started coughing. He held his chest and reach out for Kal's shoulder.

Marcus and others came rushing over and snapped at Amos, "Sit down old man! You might have to sit this one out."

"Never... I will always make time for her. I belong to her and she belongs to me. Even though it's only for a short period of time. I haven't seen in a six years and I have to lay my eyes on her... this could be the last time for me. I don't want to die regretting not seeing the love of my life, one last time."

Iya and Kal looked at one another and shared a moment in thought. Jayce caught their stare and quickly became curious. Marcus however, got really upset at Amos, "Don't say that shit! You're going to be fine! We're all going to make it back to Sage, we only have a handful of planets left." Marcus didn't want to lose his best friend and mentor.

Amos turned looked up at Iya and Kal. He was sitting on the ground trying to catch his breath. "My Commander and her Captain... this might be my last voyage. I was going to wait to announce my retirement when we returned home, but now is good as ever. I am not healing as fast as I used to and I don't think I have much time left..." Amos put his head down surrendering to his reality. His wounds were not healing properly and engaging in battle would guarantee death.

Iya walked over to Amos and kneeled down to his level. She placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "We will honor whatever you decide my general. You are more than just a Sagen General, you are a savior, a true Guardian."

Amos huffed and got back up to his feet slowly with Iya assisting. "You kids still have much to learn. I'm not dead yet... I'm going to retire and be some teacher or whatever." Everyone laughed as they helped Amos back to his feet. They all made their way towards the palace. Queen's Amara kingdom was the city of Azul. It was a beautiful city covered in natural life, big exotic plants and small trees. Life was able to exist within the force fields. Outside the protection was bare, nothing but desert sands and mountains. Long tunnels connected the cities together. Tunnels led practically everywhere, to the farmlands where they grew their crops. Others led to the hangers where travelers boarded and some to the enclosed water banks. The Lotucian people didn't go out of the force fields ever.

One of Queen Amara's guards approached Iya and her company. His armor looked custom made and was very unique. The royal guard's attire was a blue and gold mixture of colors with a large Lotus flower in the middle of his chest. The armor wasn't only the unique part about the guard. He skin was lime green and his ears were large and pointy. His eyes were jet black with no sclera or white part of his eyes. His fingers were webbed as well as his feet. He walked on two legs and had two arms but looked like a fish. The royal guard was a creature. For Iya, Kal, Surra and Jayce this was another first for them. Kal walked up behind Iya and squeezed her shoulders. They all were so amazed at the mystical land. It was the first planet they saw Human and Creature folk coexisting.

The Lotus flower for this planet meant everything to them. It was their symbol which was peace and unity for them. The flower dominated majority of the open fields and ponds, it bloomed all the kingdom. Hence, how the planet got it's name. Different types of Lotus flowers of all varieties thrived on the planet. Within the bubble created a perfect environment. The soldier turned to Amos and said, "The queen is ready to see all of you now."

There were many different types of flowers and plants on the planet besides the Lotus flowers. Most were used for medical purposes. The main sources of revenue come from the medicines they produce. Amos knew he could find something there in the markets that would heal him. It was the matter of did he want to... Amos walked up to the small pond and scooped up a small pink Lotus flower. He had believed he made his decision about succumbing to his wounds.

Amos stood in front of the courtyard that was before the palace entrance. He remembered the first time he gazed upon the huge pearl white palace that housed the royal family. He remembers the stories he and Queen Amara would share about how and why they chose to call themselves the People of the Lotus Flower. Lotucian in their language. There were large rectangular ponds in between the walk way leading to the front door. The ponds were filled with water flowers and beautiful pink and yellow Lotuses. The pearl white courtyard was also very beautiful and well put together.

The palace doors opened up and Queen Amara's maids and staff came out first followed by more guards. Amos and Marcus walked side by side since they've been there before, many times. Iya and the rest walked behind them looking around amazed by how peaceful everything was. Sage was well known for it's exotic flowers and rare life saving medicines but Lotus had them beat. There were so many different types of flowers and plants everywhere there weren't many that were the same.

After the queen's staff and guards came out of the palace, she made her appearance. She was wearing an all white long dress that fit snug against her curvy body. Queen Amara's hair was blonde, long and silky. Her single braid reached down her back to her bottom and her halo gold crown laid perfectly around her circular head. Her beautiful light brown skin sparkled from the gold glitter flakes. Her eyes were light blue like clear crisp water. She had large gold bracelets with large earrings that reached her shoulders. Queen Amara was fully decked out.

As the queen approached her Sagen friends, a little boy clung on to Queen Amara's dress as she got closer. He kept poking his head out looking at Amos and Marcus, pretending to play. Amos looked down at the boy and quickly returned back to the queen. Iya and the others looked around at each other, put the pieces together once they saw the Lotucian prince.

The little brown boy was dressed in all blue with a gold halo crown on his shaven head. He looked like he was no older than five or six. Eventually, he took off running towards the Sagens acting like he wanted to play. One of the queen's maid grab the young prince and scooped him up in her arms. The resemblance was uncanny, Amos couldn't take his eyes off the queen. Iya put her hand on Amos's arm, giving him support. Amos stood there, still like a statue as the queen and Iya met face to face.

Queen Amara walked up to Iya and gave her a big strong hug. She towered over Iya easily by at least two feet. She was almost the same height as Amos. She noticed Amos's reaction and left him be for the moment, letting him take it all in. "So you're the one they call 'Iya the Great'. It is a truly a pleasure to meet you all. Some new faces and old friends, of course." Iya admired Queen Amara and found her to be really pleasant. She could see why Amos had fallen madly in love with her. If it wasn't her beauty that flattered you, it was a charming and magnetic personality. She moved the down the line hugging all the Sagens one by one.

When she got to Marcus, he bowed and kissed the back of hand. "It's always a pleasure Queen Amara..." Marcus winked at the queen than gave her a big hug.

"And it will continue to be a pleasure as you long you visit, my friend." Queen Amara smiled and winked back.

Last but not least, Queen Amara made her way to Amos. She didn't say anything for a moment as they stared into one another's eyes. The queen slowly and gently grabbed both of Amos's hands as he began to say something, "Why didn't you tell me, Amara? I would have never let you go through this alone."

Queen Amara smiled at Amos and held up his huge hands to her face. She kissed both of them replying, "I know what this would have meant for you... He was a big surprise for me as well..." She leaned in and kissed Amos softly on his lips. He quickly grabbed the queen around her waist pulling her in firmly and strong. Surra and Iya watched happy for the two as the Marcus, Kal and Jayce turned around not caring for the romance. Plus they had never seen this side of Amos.

Amos grabbed the queen by her hand and began to walk back towards her palace. He brought her hand to his chest, "I thought you would have married by now? I must say, I'm happy you didn't..."

The queen smirked and replied, "I need no king by my side, Amos. I already have a soulmate..." They smiled at one another as they walked through the entrance. Inside the Lotucian palace was just as beautiful as the outside. The queen's staff hurried around gathering materials for their guests. She turned around to the Sagens who were walking close behind, "Please make yourself's at home... to my understanding the communication terminals have failed and you all are here to fix them."

Iya and Jayce nodded together. Jayce stepped up and replied, "Yes, Queen Amara. I'm Prince Jayce, the leader of the Third borns. I am responsible for all of the technology that comes from Sage. I have personally been accompanying my sister and her army to ensure they are replaced and working correctly."

Both of Queen Amara's eyebrows rose up after Jayce finished his speech. "Wow, we are blessed with two members of the Sagen Royal family. What a rare and pleasant treat. I am very happy to assist you in whatever you may need Prince Jayce. Without our terminals, we cannot communicate to other planets on the medicines they acquire. Also we ever needed any help..." The queen dropped her head and her mood quickly changed to serious. "We have much to discuss my friends. My servants will bring you whatever you desire. Food, alcohol, whatever you need."

Amos sensed the queen's change and spoke up, "What's wrong Amara? Is there something we need to know?"

The queen sighed deeply at Amos's question, "Well, our force field is losing it's power. I am thinking of turning them off and reserve the power that is left in them. Fortunately, there hasn't been as much storms lately so the generators are not regenerating... Honestly, I'm not sure what to do to keep them going. Maybe you Prince Jayce can take a look but that isn't the real problem. For years, we've known the Red Bread Barbarians have been living in the mountains and in the underground caves. We believed they could never survive out there, especially from the storms and lack of food. It seems I was wrong and they have found a way..."

Amos quickly reacted, "What do you mean?!"

"We've been seeing more of them on the horizon. Its like they're testing the waters or something. Seeing how close they can get, since they don't have to worry. They've noticed the storms have died down too." The queen started to get upset. Iya and Amos made eye contact and she stepped in.

"When was the last time you saw the Red Beards?" Iya stood beside Amos. "What direction are these mountains and caves?"

"My guards spotted them two days..." Queen Amara looked at Iya scared, "Our generators have power for only five more days. Do you think they know?!"

"There's only one way to find out..." Iya looked at her company and they all nodded. The last thing Iya and her people needed was for the Lotucian people to fall after they left. They couldn't leave them with this problem even after fixing the terminals. "If we can find the clan, we can take them out before anything happens. It wouldn't hurt to take a look, just to see how many we can find."

Iya and the others did not know what was in store from. They believed Lotus to a simple and easy mission, a quick fix. Gerok wanted to make their visit to Lotus one of the most memorable.