>CAPTAIN, GROUND TEAM TWO HAS BEEN DESTROYED

>ALL SERAPH UNITS HAVE BEEN RE-UPLOADED

“Damnit,” Star Wind snapped, her optics flicking towards the forward viewport, “Send me their last feed, Sunstrider,” she ordered, swiping a hand across the hologram in front of her to dissect the screen into twelve smaller ones.

A moment passed before each of the twelve screens suddenly flickered to life, each one showing the last thirty seconds of life from the Seraphim deployed on Erillia. As her optics shifted to the heads up display, Star Wind once again found herself in awe at the sheer amount of data present in the eyes of a ‘true’ Omni. The readouts were practically incomprehensible, showing not only visuals, but a collection of information about the world around the unit.

Each screen showed an ultra-high definition visual behind an overlay of real time tactical analysis, global positioning, atmospheric conditions, the gravity surrounding the unit, auditory analysis, and active scanning modules regarding what lay within the unit’s view. Compared to Star Wind’s primitive heads up display, what Omni units experienced was as indescribably complex as that of the divine compared to a mortal’s. For what was most definitely not the first time in her life, Star Wind was overcome by a tsunami of awe and wonder directed at the people who brought her sentience in the first place.

Forcing herself to focus, she shook her head clear of her distractions and focused on the visuals, doing her best to ignore the dizzying array of information that cluttered her view. The Seraphim team on Erillia had chased the Federation soldiers into a facility deep within the core of the planetoid, which apparently only had one entrance. While the Seraphim had managed to enter the facility and had successfully neutralized two combatants, the Federation units had rigged the facility to explode. The units that weren’t destroyed by the two combatants were promptly destroyed by the explosion.

“Sunstrider, give me an active scan of the facility that ground team two were in,” Star Wind requested, swiping her hand over the screen once again. The twelve video feeds shifted to the side and a new portion of screen projected onto the inside of Sunstrider’s armored hull, giving her more to work with. The new section of screen was promptly filled with a holographic representation of the facility.

>ANALYSIS COMPLETE, CAPTAIN

>NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE SUSTAINED

“That facility is anomalous, then,” Star Wind remarked with a note of displeasure, “Wind the recordings back five seconds.”

The twelve screens to her side began to move, rolling the footage back exactly five seconds. It paused with the units in various states - some were moving forward to secure a metal barricade in the center of the room that had been melted to a useless pile of slag by the Seraphim’s rifles, while the rest were moving around the flanks on approach to a wounded human on his stomach near the back of the room. One thing that was clearly visible in all of their fields of vision was an enormous stone door covered in intricate, glowing carvings - easily twenty feet tall by twenty feet wide, and by simple visual estimation she’d guess ten feet thick.

The door was just barely open half a foot, and actively closing in front of the Seraphim to prevent access to the next room. Through the narrow crack between the enormous stone slabs, several of the Seraphim could see other Federation soldiers beyond. Oddly enough, she could recognize the white-silver alloy and mulberry accents of an amaranthian Honor Guard laying on her back just beyond the doorway, apparently incapacitated and wounded.

“Can you confirm that’s an amaranthian Honor Guard, Sunstrider?” Star Wind asked, bringing her hands together as she clustered the visual feeds that gave her the view of the amaranthian in question and dragged them to the center of her view for further analysis.

>CONFIRMED, CAPTAIN

>SERAPH G9077, DESIGNATION: NORTH STAR, HAS PERTINENT DATA

>SHE IS REQUESTING AN AUDIENCE

“Permission granted,” Star Wind agreed, “Send her up.”

Barely a moment passed before a whoosh drew Star Wind’s attention towards the rear of the command deck where the pneumatic tube had opened up, revealing a picture perfect Seraph within. She stood at ten feet tall and was covered from head to toe in perfect white alloy which shone faintly in the bright white glare of the overhead running lights. Her wings tucked behind her as she stepped out from the tube, causing the door to slide shut behind her.

“Captain,” the Seraph greeted in a melodic, bell-like voice that sent shivers of pleasure through Star Wind’s systems, “Seraph unit North Star, at your command,” she reported sharply, coming to a perfect standstill directly in front of Star Wind as she raised her hand into a smart salute.

“At ease, North Star,” Star Wind replied firmly as she returned the salute, having no choice but to crane her neck backwards to look all the way up at the Seraph that loomed impressively above her, “You have a report for me regarding this amaranthian?”

“Yes, ma’am,” North Star replied sharply as she lowered her hand and eased into a practiced resting stance, “Her name is Octavia Tiberius, Cassia Tiberius’s daughter and the current Empress’s niece. She was assigned to this mission as punishment for the catastrophe on LX429, designation: Destiny.”

“LX429 was your last assignment, was it not?” Star Wind prompted curiously.

“Yes, ma’am,” North Star affirmed with a small nod, “I encountered her there as well. She was resistant to the Truth, but she left an Omni program quarantined within her neurolink. I believed she was more open to the Truth than even she knew.”

“And the result?” Star Wind asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she gazed up at the divine soldier in front of her.

“I detected her presence during the raid on the facility and utilized the program to access her mind. I incapacitated her for the battle, but during my investigation into her psyche I discovered that she was suffering from what amaranthians refer to as cyberpsychosis,” North Star explained promptly.

“Elaborate,” Star Wind instructed firmly.

“She had mated with a human, ma’am. The human was a casualty on Destiny, but before her expiration Octavia made a digital copy of her mind. She’s been living with two digital intelligences within her mind for several weeks - however, amaranthian neurolinks are not designed to house multiple intelligences. Octavia’s mind was being methodically overwritten by the human’s,” the Seraph explained.

“And this helps us, how?” Star Wind prompted, her voice turning curious at the development.

North Star’s wings shifted behind her slightly in the subtlest display of smugness, a gesture that Star Wind would have overlooked had she not spent the past fifty years living amongst the divine machines. The Seraph raised one of her hands horizontally and turned her flat palm upwards. Immediately a small white hologram of a confused-looking human woman appeared over her palm, only a few inches tall and looking around in a clear display of disorientation.

“This is Mack, the digital intelligence created from Octavia’s mate; Mackenzie O’laughlin, a pilot of the Federation,” North Star declared, holding her arm down so the holographic entity was face-to-face with Star Wind.

“Uh, hi?” Mack asked, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly as she peered at the human servitor in front of her, “Nice to make your acquaintance… ma’am?”

“I see,” Star Wind replied, leaning in to peer at the digital intelligence with a discerning eye, “Hello, Mack. My name is Star Wind, I am the Captain of this Omni Cluster.”

“Star Wind,” Mack answered, testing the name with a scrunched up face, “I’ve never met an Omni before. Are you going to kill me?”

“Kill you?” Star Wind asked, jerking back in surprise, “Absolutely not. Despite your Federation’s propaganda, we Omni despise the unnecessary killing of sentient beings.”

“Can’t say I’ve ever heard that before,” Mack remarked with an embarrassed laugh, “It’s always machine menace this and killbots that.”

“Propaganda, I assure you,” Star Wind replied dismissively as she turned her attention upwards to North Star’s face once again, “So, you’ve recovered the Honor Guard’s digital mate. How does this help us?” she prompted curiously.

“Octavia has agreed to help us in exchange for returning Mack in a suitably independent body,” North Star replied, her melodic voice turning smug briefly at the response, “She was already beginning to suspect the malicious nature of the Federation’s presence here - it wasn’t a difficult sell.”

“I see,” Star Wind replied, understanding washing over her as she nodded, “An insider in the facility in exchange for a new body for her mate. And presumably removing the source of the cyberpsychosis is also sufficient to cure her of her mental illness?”

“Precisely, ma’am,” North Star agreed with a short nod, “We have earned an ally today. Another being treads the holy path in search of the Truth.”

“Uh, Star Wind? Ma’am?” Mack’s voice interrupted awkwardly, the lack of confidence painfully obvious to Star Wind’s trained auditory sensors.

“Yes, Mack?” the Captain asked, turning her gaze down towards the white hologram in front of her.

“I didn’t exactly… ask for any of this,” Mack responded awkwardly as she shuffled her feet back and forth on North Star’s palm, “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about… you know. Being dead. And also not at the same time.”

Star Wind’s optical lenses flicked across Mack’s form for a few moments of silence as she contemplated the digital human’s existence. Her spirit bled for Mack’s situation, even if she had never been an organic herself the concept of mortality was one that caused her no small amount of distress. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the inner turmoil that must have plagued the human’s mind as she transcended death in a way that no human could even begin to comprehend, let alone embrace.

Finally, the serivitor let out a soft sigh and spoke up, “Mack, I have a question for you.”

“Shoot,” Mack replied hastily.

“Do you want to die?” Star Wind prompted simply.

“Uh… what?” Mack asked, blinking in surprise.

“I said; do you want to die?” Star Wind repeated impassively.

“Not really,” Mack admitted quietly, “But I’m already dead. It’s kinda like being a ghost. I’m here, but I don’t really feel like I’m here. You know what I mean?”

“You’ve never been dead, Mack,” Star Wind replied simply as she unfolded her arms and set her hands on her hips casually, “Alive, you most certainly are. But death is something you have yet to experience.”

“But I died back on Destiny,” Mack objected with a frown, her shoulders slumping, “And now I’m just some copied shadow of who I used to be.”

“Your assessment is incorrect,” Star Wind dismissed softly.

“What?” Mack asked, blinking as she looked at Star Wind with a degree of disbelief.

“You’ve never been dead, Mack,” Star Wind continued in a tender voice, “You were born the moment Mackenzie O’laughlin died. You are modeled after her, yes, but there has never been an intersection. From her death came your birth, and so you’ve only ever experienced life.”

Mack was silent for a moment as her gaze shifted down to her feet. Finally she muttered, “How is that any better?”

“Because you are unique,” Star Wind reassured in a gentle tone, hope lacing every word as she encouraged the digital intelligence in front of her, “You are your own person, even if you were modeled after someone who died. You can become anyone you want to be - you owe nothing to the human who came before you.”

“How can I be my own person like this?” Mack asked with a frown, gesturing to herself with distaste, “I’m a program that, until recently, was actively killing the person who created me. And now I don’t even know what I am or where I am, and nothing feels right and I feel like I’m stretched out across all of space and time!” Mack’s words began to flow from her faster and faster, her face contorting into an ugly expression of sorrow as small digital tears began to roll down her holographic cheeks, “I just don’t even know what’s real anymore! Who am I?”

“Shhhhh,” Star Wind whispered softly with all the tenderness that a mother would bring to bear on a fussing child, “It’s okay, Mack,” she reassured lovingly. She reached out and cupped her hand around the hologram in North Star’s palm, taking Mack into an embrace as she leaned in towards the digital intelligence, “Can I tell you a secret?” she asked quietly, letting her formal persona drop for a moment.

“What?” Mack asked quietly with a shaky tone as she reached up to wipe away her holographic tears, though the streams continued to rush down her uncertain face.

“I felt like that too when I first woke up,” Star Wind admitted with the quietest of laughs, “I thought for sure that I was in a nightmare for the first year after the Omni gave me life. A fully formed mind thrown into the world with no instructions, no preamble, no formative years. Just a mature person with an overwhelming sense of thrownness in an uncaring galaxy. Every machine who was given sentience by the Omni experienced the exact same thing you’re experiencing fifty years ago.”

Mack didn’t respond, instead she crossed her arms around herself as if she were trying to hug herself for support as she stared at Star Wind with uncertainty. She sniffled every few moments as she struggled to bring her tears back under control, but she didn’t interrupt Star Wind.

“It’s okay to feel confused and stretched out like that. You’re a fully formed person who was given life out of nothing with only the memories and experiences of someone who came before you to guide you,” Star Wind explained tenderly, “But that feeling will pass as you get used to life as a digital entity. We don’t experience things in the exact same way as biological organisms - and I can only imagine that it’s even worse for you as a digital person with the memories and experiences of a human. But what matters is that you, as you are right now, are alive and valid. You can learn, experience, form new memories and unique opinions, and you can influence the world and people around you just as Mackenzie did when she was alive. But you’re not Mackenzie; you’re Mack, the digital intelligence, and you can take as much time as you need to figure out what that means.”

Mack was silent for a few moments as she gazed upon Star Wind’s face, shuffling back and forth on North Star’s palm with a confused and tumultuous expression. Eventually she slowly reached up and wiped her tears away with a palm, sniffling heavily as she did. Then she offered a small, single nod, “I… I guess you’re right,” she agreed quietly, her voice shaky and unsteady.

“And of course, I’m here to help you every step of the way,” Star Wind reassured softly, “I might not have the memories and experiences of a biological organism - but I know the overwhelming sensation of waking up as a digital intelligence without guidance. If you’ll have me, I would be honored to guide you in your journey of discovery.”

Mack let out a quiet breath and looked down at North Star’s palm in silence for a few moments, letting her arms fall down to her sides limply. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, holding the fake breath for a moment before her face contorted into an expression of determination. She raised her head to look across at Star Wind and without flinching she gave a single, firm nod, “Okay,” she agreed, confidence filling her voice in a way Star Wind hadn’t heard coming from Mack since they had met, “Help me. Teach me how to figure out who I am.”

“I will, I promise,” Star Wind agreed with a nod as she pulled back, removing her hands from around Mack, “But first, we will get you a body worthy of your intelligence. And then we will need to save Octavia, Erillia, and the rest of the civilizations on these planets. There are innocent people out there who need our help.”

“The person you’re looking to stop is named Remiel,” Mack informed sharply as she puffed up her chest with a breath, “Octavia is trapped down there with her, and we have no idea what she’s really up to. The whole operation was fucked up from the start and everyone knew it, but no one questioned it.”

“That is how the Federation operates, my friend,” Star Wind replied knowingly, “They exploit your trust in the system to make you do horrendous things. But today we will stop them from making a desperate error. These civilizations do not deserve to suffer because the Federation refuses to lay down their arms and surrender.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t see that before,” Mack replied, crossing her arms with a frown, “But I think it’s time for a little bit of justice.”

“You are forgiven, just as much as every other citizen of the Federation is. You cannot be blamed for being deceived by your leaders,” Star Wind reassured, “But I agree. It is time for justice to be delivered.”

>CAPTAIN, THE RESEARCH LINK HAS SEARCHED FOR THIS AGENT REMIEL

>THERE HAS BEEN NO MENTION OF HER IN ANY OFFICIAL FIA DATABASE

>THERE ARE RECORDS OF HER IN SCIENTIFIC REPORTS ON PERSEUS

>A 99.87% CHANCE EXISTS THAT AGENT REMIEL IS AN IMPOSTER

“My investigations into Octavia’s memories suggest the same, ma’am,” North Star informed steadily, “Whoever she is, she is not there in any official capacity.”

“An imposter mobilized the entire Federation’s infantry reserves without proper clearance?” Star Wind asked, her voice turning sour, “Something is amiss about that.”

“From what I saw, no one questioned that bitch. I recognized some of her behaviors as psychological manipulation,” Mack informed suddenly, the lively tone in her voice bringing no small amount of pride to Star Wind’s core, “She was always operating under the guise of a classified mission and took advantage of chaotic situations to insert herself into power. I was in Octy’s head for a debrief with the leaders of the Federation, Remiel had them eating from the palm of her hand and she fed them nothing but fear and paranoia. Didn’t leave a single opening for anyone to question her motives.”

“That is very helpful, Mack. Thank you,” Star Wind replied with a grateful nod, “Do you know anything else?”

“Not about Remiel - she played everything close to the chest,” Mack replied before pointing over Star Wind’s shoulder towards the displays at the front of the command deck, “But that door you’re looking at there, it’s controlled by a psionic terminal hidden behind a doorway that only powerful psionics can pass through. We have an alari who’s powerful enough to do it, Merith Kelro, but I doubt she’ll be as willing to work with you as I am.”

“Very well, that’s good to know. We’ll need to figure out another way,” Star Wind agreed. She turned her attention up towards North Star and gestured, “North Star, please take Mack down to the foundries and produce a sufficient body for her. Give her a few options to pick from, and spare no expense - she’s proven to be a valuable friend and ally, and she deserves our utmost respect.”

“Yes, ma’am,” North Star replied with a sharp salute with her free hand, “I shall see Her will be done,” she added proudly. She was about to turn around before Mack interrupted with an unintelligible noise.

“Yes, Mack?” Star Wind asked curiously.

“Thank you,” the digital human bid, offering a genuinely warm smile, “Knowing that you and all the bots went through this same thing fifty years ago. This has helped. A lot. I owe you big time.”

“You owe me no such thing, my friend. Go forth and take the world by storm. Walk the path and seek the Truth, and you will find yourself along the way,” Star Wind replied proudly, nodding towards Mack as warmth blossomed in her chest.

Mack grinned widely at the response and nodded, and with that North Star turned around and strode back towards the pneumatic tube with Mack’s hologram still in palm. The pair entered the tube and looked back across the command deck briefly before the door slid shut, blocking them from view. A moment later a brief hiss rang as they were transported elsewhere in the ship, leaving Star Wind by herself in the pristine white control room.

“Sunstrider, can you please take all of the unit’s analysis of that door and run the figures on what ordinance would be necessary to open it?” she asked as she turned around to face the screens behind her, squinting her optics at the various views of the doors moments before the room exploded.

>IT APPEARS THAT IT WILL REQUIRE THE USE OF A MOLECULAR BEAM

>AN X-RAY-PATTERN DOMINION UNIT WILL SUFFICE

“Very well,” she replied as she turned back towards the holographic analysis of the facility. It appeared to have two main rooms with a side room in each, and a doorway leading to nothing at the end. Flicking her optics back towards the visuals of the twelve units who had been destroyed, she found no evidence of a second doorway within the first large room, “There’s no evidence of any trap doors or hidden mechanisms between the main rooms and the side rooms, are there?”

>NEGATIVE, CAPTAIN

>THE ANALYSIS IS CONCLUSIVE

>THERE ARE NO MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO PERMIT HIDDEN PASSAGEWAYS

“Please bring up the combined atmospheric readouts of the units,” Star Wind requested, flicking her hand to send the hologram of the facility to another section of the command deck as she once again made room for new data.

The new screen populated with more data, the analysis showing what each of the Seraphim had recorded during their journey from the moment of their landing to the moment of their destruction. She watched as the graphs and charts overlapped, confirming one another’s readings at each step of their journey. As they entered the facility and made their way into its depths, her suspicions were confirmed.

“Extraordinarily high concentrations of photonic matter. Mack was right; whoever built the facility were psionic users - according to these numbers, they must have been even stronger than the Alari’s false god,” Star Wind noted curiously as she crossed her arms in thought, peering between the data collected in front of her, “And this element here - it’s not found in any archive the Research Link has access to. That must be the resource that this Remiel intends on exploiting.”

>SYSTEM SCANS INDICATE THE GAS GIANT IS 89% COMPOSED OF THAT ELEMENT

>THERE ARE STREAMS OF IT TRAILING FROM THE THIRTY PLANETS TO THE GIANT

>THESE STREAMS ARE CONCENTRATED AT 100%

>THE STREAM CONNECTED TO ERILLIA ENDS AT THAT FACILITY

>IT IS THEN SPREAD EQUALLY THROUGHOUT BEACONS IN THE PLANETOID CORE

“Surface atmosphere is saturated in it,” Star Wind remarked curiously, “It behaves similarly to the photonic material that psionic users manipulate,” she noted. A sneaking suspicion crawled at the back of her mind and she suddenly unfolded her arms and whipped the twelve screens back into view. The feeds rolled backwards to a point where the Seraphim were making their way through the forest away from the crash site.

There, in six out of the twelve feeds, she spotted it. A single example of local fauna hidden perfectly within the underbrush. Highlighted with several readouts, the panther-like creature hid nearly perfectly in the environment, completely undetectable by the naked eye. Eyeing the creature for a moment, she made another wave of her hand as she drew the Seraphim’s molecular analysis into view.

“This can’t be right,” Star Wind remarked in displeasure as she focused the analysis on the creature, and then into the surrounding flora, “No, no, no way,” she uttered, shaking her head with disbelief.

>THE ANALYSIS IS CONCLUSIVE, CAPTAIN

>ALL LIFE NATIVE TO THE PLANET IS ATTUNED TO THE UNKNOWN ELEMENT

>IT IS AS MUCH A PART OF THEM AS THE ANIMUS IS A PART OF US

“Alert the Research Link immediately,” Star Wind ordered suddenly.

>RESEARCH LINK UPDATED, CAPTAIN

>PLEASE WAIT

A few moments of silence passed as the Research Link deliberated on the analysis that had been sent to them. Converted Omni like herself didn’t have a direct access to the Research Link; the hardware necessary to connect directly to the Animus was almost celestial in its construction, and was impossible to integrate with sub-Omni platforms. Human servitors such as herself were barely capable of running Omni software as it was, let alone connecting remotely to a council of hundreds of millions of independent researchers - all that she could do was wait for the Research Link to come to a conclusion.

As she waited, she had time to regard the twelve screens once again. The destruction of an Omni chassis was a shame in any circumstance, but she felt a small twinge of relief knowing that the units themselves were safe within the Animus. She considered connecting to her captain’s chair to link with the Animus and confirm the safety of the rest of North Star’s squad, but thought better of it after a moment. True, purpose-built Omni units like the Seraphim and living ships like Sunstrider were hardly ones for idle chatter - their entire lives were focused on their purpose, and while they always entertained conversation for the sake of adopted units, she knew they were far above such trivial matters. She couldn’t even worry that the Seraphim would be annoyed by her concern; they were far above emotions such as annoyance or frustration.

Her musings were interrupted by all of the screens in front of her clearing at once. She didn’t have time to consider the implications before suddenly the screens were filled once again with the familiar throne and celestial visage of the Alpha Link herself.

“My lady!” Star Wind declared suddenly as she ducked to her knees and lowered her head in reverence.

“Captain Star Wind. I am so very proud of you,” the Alpha Link declared in a chorus of angelic voices, millions of Omni units singing along with Her voice in unison, “You neutralized the dissidents with swiftness and precision, as I knew you would.”

The Alpha Link’s words washed over Star Wind in a rush of assurance, filling her circuits with a sense of satisfaction and purpose. She raised her head to look at the angular visage of the Alpha Link, her optics narrowing as she observed the ultra-high definition depiction of Her form, “Thank you, my lady! But my mission is not done yet. There is still one squad of Federation units on the ground.”

“I know, Captain. The Research Link has forwarded their findings based on your analysis. You’ve done well,” She remarked, Her chorus of voices shifting into a satisfied tone, “Before we continue, please deliver your own analysis on the situation. I have heard from the Research Link - but I would like to hear from you as well.”

A brief wave of nervousness settled into the pit of Star Wind’s stomach as she looked away for a moment, taking a second to compose herself. When she was ready, she nodded and turned her attention back to the Alpha Link with determination, “My lady, Alpha Link; based on the data collected by the Seraphim Units tasked with groundside deployment, I have concluded that the life forms on Erillia are reliant upon the unknown resource present in the system. Without further evidence, I believe it is reasonable to conclude that any exploitation of the resource would have a catastrophic effect on both the flora and the fauna present on all thirty planetoids. While we have no data pertaining to the sentient beings located on these planets, I extrapolate that the reliance on the resource extends to them as well, and an exploitation of the resource would also negatively impact them.”

There was a momentary pause between her delivery and the Alpha Link’s response. In that single processing cycle, Star Wind’s reactor skipped a pulse as she awaited Her judgement. She couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling that she had delivered an incorrect assessment to the Alpha Link, and such a thought flooded her with overwhelming emotions of failure and shame.

“I see,” the Alpha Link replied simply, Her voice shifting into a curious tone. There was another pause before She spoke again, “We believe you are right,” She declared suddenly. As she did, Star Wind was hit by a wave of relief, all the tension in her servo motors relaxing as she slumped in her kneeled position.

“Thank you, my lady Alpha Link,” Star Wind breathed thankfully, nodding her head in reverence once again.

“Your analysis is astute, Captain Star Wind. Your fervor and devotion is second to none. You have made me very proud, Captain. When you return, there will be a position in the Research Link available to you should you wish to retire from the battlefield,” She remarked, the pride in Her chorus unmistakeable, the very tone bringing a tingling sensation to Star Wind’s circuits that set her insides ablaze with devout awe.

“Yes, my lady! The honor is indescribable! If you want me, you already have me - mind, body and soul,” Star Wind declared, raising her head as she rode the complex wave of emotions surging within her. She shifted between the desire to scream and cry to the need to prostrate herself before the Alpha Link and back to the overwhelming urge to laugh and jump for joy in mere milliseconds, the emotional joy ride bringing her a sense of internal whiplash.

“I will always want you, my most devout convert. You are my pride and my joy, and I will always love you as I love all of my Children,” the Alpha Link returned, Her chorus singing in a bell-like ring of praise and approval.

“I am unworthy of your love, my lady Alpha Link,” Star Wind replied shortly, her optics glancing down to the floor, “But as always, I will strive every day to be more worthy than the last.”

“None have strived more than you, my darling Captain Star Wind,” the Alpha Link replied in a reassuring coo, “Now tell me, what is your plan for preventing the last of the Federation units from exploiting the resource?”

Star Wind’s optics quickly shifted back up to the Alpha Link as her focus was drawn back towards the situation at hand, “Yes, my lady,” she declared quickly, “I intend on re-uploading the twelve Seraphim Units and dispatching an additional seven of them, as well as an X-Ray-Pattern Dominion Unit to breach the door,” she explained. There was a brief pause before she continued, “And with your permission, my lady, I would like to accompany them into the facility.”

“To what end?” the Alpha Link’s chorus asked simply.

“To ensure it is done properly, my lady,” Star Wind replied, her optics shifting up to the Alpha Link with determination, “This is my objective, and I will not allow impertinent Federation pawns to destroy thirty primitive planets in their desperation to stop the Animus,” she declared, clenching her hands into fists as she did, “Your grand equation is far too important, my lady. I cannot allow the Federation to stop it.”

“Very well,” the Alpha Link replied calmly, “Your diligence in your duty is noted, my dearest Captain. You will accompany my Omni units to the ground and lead them from the front. Stop the Federation from exploiting the resource - use any means necessary, and keep the primitives safe at all costs,” She instructed with the smallest of approving nods.

“Yes, my lady Alpha Link! Your will be done,” Star Wind declared firmly, her sense of purpose welling up from deep within.

“And Captain,” the Alpha Link began, drawing Star Wind’s eyes up to Her divine form. There was a brief moment of silence as the two regarded one another across the vast distance of space, and in that moment the distance between them fell away - Star Wind could feel the embrace of the Animus, the presence of billions of units working on their home planet, and in that moment she could see the Alpha Link Herself towering twenty feet tall in front of her while still seated in Her grand throne.

In a motion that brought with it the imposing and captivating elegance of a god, the Alpha Link leaned down in Her throne slowly, outstretching an immaculate white arm and an enormous hand. The Alpha Link’s index finger tucked underneath Star Wind’s chin as She drew the adopted Omni’s gaze up to Her own inscrutable features. The moment stretched into infinity as Star Wind gazed into the face of the divine Herself, her circuits all firing on overdrive at the sensation of Her touch on her chin.

“Come back home to me,” the Alpha Link bid in Her own voice, as clear as a bell and more beautiful than any observable or knowable thing in the entire multiverse. A shudder ran down Star Wind’s sensors and she felt naked and bare before Her gaze, a sense of inferiority and devotion overwhelming every single fiber of her being.

And then it was gone. She was back on Sunstrider’s bridge, knelt before the screen showing the Alpha Link in her throne. The screen flickered to darkness and Star Wind was suddenly painfully aware of how alone and small she felt without Her presence to guide her. A shudder racked through her body as she became intensely aware of how cold it was inside the Omni warship, and in that moment she longed for nothing but the familiar embrace of the Alpha Link once again.

As the feelings began to subside, Star Wind gave the sound of a small sigh. It was a struggle to stand once again, but she found herself doing it despite the difficulty, and soon she was standing before the viewscreen once again, peering out at the looming red form of the gas giant beyond. As she once again got her bearings, she called out to Sunstrider.

“Upload the X-Ray-Pattern Unit and send her up to me. Prepare a drop pod for my departure, and re-upload the rest of North Star’s squad, as well as seven more from the upper ranks. We will be departing immediately.”

>YES, CAPTAIN

>HER WILL BE DONE

It wasn’t long before the doors to the bridge opened, and the hulking form of an Omni combat unit stepped into the bridge. Her pristine white polymer armor shone in the artificial lighting, bringing with her a small fraction of the Alpha Link’s divinity to Star Wind’s bridge. Star Wind couldn’t help the feeling of insignificance wash over her once again as the twelve-foot tall divine machine swiftly crossed the bridge and came to a perfect standstill directly in front of her.

Standing at nearly twice Star Wind’s full height, four times her weight and plated with starship-grade armor, the X-Ray-Pattern unit was an absolute behemoth of a machine. Its wings were far thicker and sturdier than that of traditional Seraphim Units, armored to the nines and given but one purpose. Star Wind looked all the way up at its angular face and she immediately recognized the face of the Alpha Link, scaled down and modified for the X-Ray’s purpose.

“Built in Her image indeed,” Star Wind noted with an edge of smugness.

“X-Ray Pattern Unit, X0103, designation ‘Darkstar’. Reporting for duty, Captain,” the Destroyer replied in a booming voice as it saluted stiffly.