The Bloodbearer, a ship which once belonged to a military serving under the United Terran Coalition, enters normal space inside the Dragua sector. Its crew and soldiers stand at the ready, some of them aboard shuttles and interceptors, others in the repair bays awaiting the eventual return of damaged ships should they meet enemy resistance.

The Kraktol on the Bloodbearer, with only a handful of exceptions, are all vat-cloned warriors bred primarily for the purpose of fighting on their Admiral's behalf. Raised from birth to follow his, Soren, and Grundle's orders, they hold no allegiance to the old Kraktol Empire. Many of these warriors pace back and forth aboard their shuttles, feeling antsy and hyping themselves up for battle.

"The old Kraktol order nearly wiped out the Kessu. The Kessu are our friends! Nobody hurts our friends!"

"I say we should make Commander Grundle the new Thülvik! The old one was nothing more than a murderous softscale!"

"Graugh! Let us capture plenty of females for Grundle! We will teach them to respect our Commander's masculinity! They will fawn at his feet and our Admiral's, alike!"

Cheers of excitement go up around the Bloodbearer's halls. Nearly every Kraktol stands aboard their designated ships, while only a portion of the Bloodbearer's Kessu crew join them, and those who do are among the best battle-buddies any Kraktol could ask for.

When the Bloodbearer reaches their destination, Umi issues a warning across the entire ship.

"Attention. All crew prepare for battle. Our enemies have assembled a formidable war force exceeding our greatest estimates. According to my calculations, this will be our final battle. No other major resistance force remains in the Milky Way."

Her words stir the hearts of the Kraktol, making them cheer with excitement. After so many disappointingly easy battles, they cannot wait to engage in genuine, blood-pumping combat.

Aboard the Bloodbearer's Bridge, José Rodriguez sits in his command chair, while Soren sits beside him on the right. She deftly pulls up several screens showing a truly terrifying fleet of ships assembled before Dragua.

"Seventeen capital-class ships. Ninety-five cruisers. Three hundred and fourteen destroyers. One thousand, nine hundred and four frigates."

The Admiral nods. "This isn't like before. The Mallali must have realized we would come to Dragua eventually. They likely assembled here a few days ago in anticipation of our arrival. That explains why so many systems we conquered had little to no military presence."

"A few days ago?" Soren asks, before immediately answering her own question. "Oh, right. Sometimes I forget just how little realspace time has passed."

"To the inhabitants of the Milky Way, our campaign has occurred at breakneck speed. More than sixty fallen systems in just three weeks. For us... two hundred and fifty years."

José quiets down. He glances at the display, slightly marveling at the many ships present.

"That one, it's the Black Death. It escaped from Enchillon. Most likely, its commanders rallied the other systems to their aid."

"Admiral," Umi beeps. "You have an incoming hail request."

The Terran purses his lips.

"I've seen war fleets far more terrifying than this during the 50th Era. Still, this is quite an impressive assembly for the citizens of the modern era. Our Bloodbearer, as-is, stands outgunned... we might need to make two... no, three jumps if we expect to win."

Soren nod slowly. "So... another thirty years? Forty?"

"Maybe even fifty..." José mutters. "But after this, based on our intel, there won't be anyone capable of stopping us ever again. We'll have conquered the whole galaxy."

He gestures vaguely in the air.

"Onscreen, Umi."

A moment later, the screen changes, revealing a somewhat short Kraktol, someone who José immediately recognizes.

"Ah. Kilgore, that half-Algaru fellow."

Despite his small stature, Kilgore stands proudly, his expression betraying no fear or worry. He eyes the Terran for a few seconds before speaking.

"Hurgh. Admiral Rodriguez. So... you have come. I hoped you would not. My people hate you... and therefore, I must as well. Still, I hold a great deal of respect for your battle prowess. It saddens me to see that you have shown up with your weapons active."

"I respect you, too." José says. "However, I have a mission. Anyone who stands in my way is my enemy."

Kilgore hesitates. He shifts his weight from one foot to another.

"You... I just want to know... why you would commit such horrible acts. The amount of evil you've unleashed... you once spoke to me about the concept of 'heresy.' To witness the unimaginable pain you have wrought upon this galaxy, it does not match up with the Admiral Rodriguez I met just two short months ago."

"People change." José says. "Sometimes willingly. Sometimes unwillingly. As for why I've done what I've done... the reason-"

Before José can speak, a red-and-black scaled giant steps into the frame, brusquely shoving Kilgore aside. A female Kraktol shakes her fist at the screen, as rage burns in her eyes.

"Kyargh! You shut your MOUTH! I won't sit and listen while you spew your poison any longer! How much more will you take from me?! How many more must die before you sate your bloodlust?! My father! My mother! The entire galaxy! You are far worse than the monster they claimed you to be!"

"Kisa." José says, keeping his expression neutral. "I would apologize for all the pain I've laid upon your shoulders, but I doubt you'd believe my words. I never intended for any of this to happen."

"LIAR!" Kisa screams. Her nostrils flare as she glares daggers through the screen. "How dare you lie right to my face! You were never my friend! From the very beginning, you plotted against me! You tried to make me question my own mother and father! You even ate fruit with me, all to weaken my resolve! But no more. I will not swim in your swamp any longer!"

She gestures grandly, sweeping her arms out wide while cackling. "Hahaha!! Look at this mighty fleet I have assembled! I will not let you escape! I will rip you apart before you can flee! I will make you pay for murdering my parents in warm blood!"

José narrows his eyes. "Tsk. Kisa, do you and Kilgore not know what happened? Your mother came to the Bloodbearer with an army. She murdered everyone here except for me and a few others. She killed nearly all of the Kessu and Kraktol! She slaughtered my crew!"

Kisa momentarily falters.

"What? She did?"

After a momentary pause, Kisa shakes her head.

"NO! Again, you lie! Always, you lie! My mother left to help the Mallali fight the Buzor! She had no reason to attack you. Do you think me a fool? KYARGH! My mother feared fighting you from the very beginning. She even told my father to acquiesce to your demands, which allowed you to turn my sister against him thanks to your silver-tongue!"

"I'm not lying." José states. "Your mother lied to you. She lied about fighting the Buzor. I can send you videos, if you'd like. It's all recorded."

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Kisa roars. "I refuse to watch your doctored evidence! When my army destroys your ship, I will bring you to your knees! I will rip you to pieces! Not just you, but Sapphire too! I'll torture that filthy softscale for what she did to my father!"

José's eyes flicker with emotion. For a brief moment, his hardened gaze changes, causing him to look at Kisa with pity.

"...Sapphire is dead, Kisa."

The newly crowned Thülvik finally fully pauses, recoiling in surprise at the Terran's words.

"What? She is?"

"Yes." The Admiral says. "Your mother killed her."

Kisa's expression changes again, shifting to a look of elation.

"Oh? Is that the case? Hahaha! GOOD! Screw Sapphire! Screw her and her evil, father-murdering ways! I always hated that... that mean-spirited bitch! She used to laugh at me, mock me until I cried! I just wish I'd been there to see my mother land the final blow!"

Kisa completely ignores the contradictory evidence that her mother could not have killed Sapphire without coming aboard the Bloodbearer, thus proving José's previous statement to be true. In her eyes, the Terran can only continue to lie, furthering her resolve. Every statement he makes only further confirms her bias, hardening her heart.

Any trace of sympathy vanishes from José's eyes. "Hmm. Earlier, Kilgore claimed that I changed. However, from where I sit, I must say... it is you who has changed, Kisa. And not for the better. You're a good little pawn, still doing what mommy wished. It hurts to see how far you've fallen... but now I know I'm doing the right thing."

"So, we shall fight," Kisa says, as the corners of her mouth turn up in an evil grin. "Good, good. Before you go, Admiral, there's someone who wishes to speak with you."

The viewscreen 'pulls back' slightly, allowing José to see not just Kisa, but some of the other Kraktol aboard her ship's Bridge. An instant later, a hologram flickers into place, making José tilt up his chin.

"So, it's like that." José says. "I already knew your people possessed a brain-synthetization device. I just didn't think you would use it on your own father."

A tall, red-scaled Kraktol stands beside Kisa, appearing just a few inches shorter than her. The fallen male puffs up his chest as his holographic body flickers in place.

"You outwitted me, Terran." Lord Drall says. "I lost my life to you. But, in the end, I will have the final laugh. My daughter will surpass her mother, given time."

"You are nothing more than an echo of the past." José says. "You don't belong in this world. Synthminds must never be used to resurrect the dead. The agony your brain will experience as your neural pathways adjust to digitization will hurt more than any physical pain ever could."

"Perhaps." Drall concedes. "But I will 'live' to see my people's rise. I must thank you, Admiral. You have wiped out the Mallali and their allies. With all of the galaxy's remaining military forces here, the Kraktol will rise to power. We alone possess the capability to build competent spaceships. We alone possess enough firepower to protect the remainder of the galaxy's sentients. They will become dependent on us. They will become subservient to us."

José frowns. As he listens to Drall's words, a strange look appears in his eyes.

"This... was this Loreen's plan? If she succeeded in taking my body away, she would have turned me into a synthmind and extracted my knowledge. But, if she fell, her death would fortify Kisa's resolve, turning her into a worthy successor. And if she enraged me, I would take out the Mallali, allowing the Kraktol to thrive? She... couldn't have possibly planned things out this far."

Drall shrugs. "Believe what you will. I think we've exchanged enough words. Nothing here will change. We will fight, and one of us will win. I feel confident in saying my forces hold an edge over yours, but our leadership will decide the ultimate victor."

José nods. "On that, we agree. I'm sorry things had to happen this way. But ultimately, it was your greed which led to your fall."

"We haven't lost yet, Admiral." Drall retorts.

"You will." José answers back.

Kisa crosses her arms.

"Sink to the bottom of the Forbidden Swamp, filthy Terran. Choke on its waters and suffer for all eternity."

She waves her hand, causing the viewscreen to switch off.

Moments later, Umi sounds a warning.

"The enemy forces are advancing upon our position, Admiral. Long-ranged lasers have begun striking our hull. Minimal damage."

"Battle stations," José says. "I wasn't sure if I would actually go through with this until I arrived, but after seeing Kisa now..."

Soren folds her claws in her lap. She stares ahead vacantly at the spot where Kisa's figure once stood, as if waiting for the viewscreen to reactivate and for the current Thülvik to apologize.

"Soren," José says. "Please take control of our space forces."

Three seconds pass, but Soren doesn't respond. The Admiral glances at her.

"Soren?"

She blinks twice.

"Oh. What did you say?"

José frowns. "If you cannot contribute to this mission, I understand."

"No..." Soren mutters. "I just... can't believe it's finally come to this. Kisa looked so angry. She wasn't anything like she was when she left. And now... the Kraktol Empire..."

"I won't destroy Dragua," José promises. "I didn't come here for that. I plan to annihilate its government and place Grundle as its leader. He will take control of the galaxy and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity."

Soren turns to look at José in surprise. "What? That's your plan? You never told me."

"I wanted to see how you'd react and how far you'd follow me," José says, his expression flat. "It's not that I didn't trust you. I just... I don't know. I felt that you would leave me if I pushed you too far, but you didn't. You always stayed by my side, even when we came this far."

Soren stares at her Admiral, a look of betrayal on her face. "This whole time... have you only been treating me as an experimental subject?"

"No." José states emphatically. "I simply didn't know if you'd leave me. It's easy to follow someone if they never threaten anything you value. But when your home and people are on the line... I wanted to know if you'd turn against me, and you didn't. I'm... grateful for that."

Soren continues to feel a hint of betrayal in her heart, but she simply nods. She looks back at the viewscreen, avoiding José's gaze.

"I told you from the beginning that I'd follow you anywhere you went, José. I never lied."

The Admiral smiles, momentarily wearing a genuine expression of warmth.

"Thank you. Now I know, toward you, I feel..."

Before he can finish his words, Umi beeps above.

"Admiral. Another ship is hailing us."

José swallows his words. He looks away from Soren, appearing annoyed by Umi's interruption.

"What? Is Kisa trying to talk to us again?"

"Negative. The hailing signal comes from a small frigate-sized vessel orbiting behind the main battle lines. The identity beacon indicates the sender is former First Officer, Megla Brighteye."

José blinks in surprise. Even as enemy weaponry continue to fall on his ship's hull, their glancing blows indicate it will take a few more minutes before the bulk of the fleet arrives within a more dangerous weapon range.

"I see. Put her onscreen."

Moments later, a red-scaled Kraktol female appears before José and Soren. She stands alone, her ship's Bridge containing no other crew.

"...José."

She speaks softly, while wringing her claws together in front of her waist.

"Hello, Megla." José says, simply. "It's been a long time."

She shakes her head slowly.

"Not for me, it hasn't. I imagine you've spent a few decades inside inverted space, though."

"Centuries." José corrects. "Why have you contacted me? Do you wish to return to the Bloodbearer, now? I'll still welcome you back."

Megla gazes into José's eyes for several long seconds. Then, she turns her gaze to Soren.

"What happened to the two of you?" Megla asks. "Kyargh! I don't get it. You still seem the same. With all the terror you've unleashed, all the innocents you've killed... I thought you'd both be mad, raving monsters. Instead, you're just as calm and collected as before. You've murdered half of the Sentients in the galaxy! What in the ancient swamp-water has happened to you?! Why have you turned EVIL?"

"Loreen Kindris attacked the Bloodbearer," Soren answers. "She killed almost all of the Kessu, the Kraktol... and she even killed José."

"What! She did?" Megla asks, stunned. "So... you had to clone José again?! That's awful!"

"No, not exactly." Soren says, glancing at the Admiral out of the corner of her eye. "José died, but... he revived. I still don't fully understand how it happened. Loreen turned Sapphire into a living bomb. She blew Sapphire to pieces while she was next to José. He was caught in the blast."

Megla recoils in horror. "Sapphire is dead?"

"Yes. I'm sorry to break the news to you in this way." Soren replies. "A lot of our friends are dead. Nyoor. Baaru. Ruuki. Rags. Even Lele."

"No... not Lele..." Megla whispers. She turns to look at José with a look of sympathy. "I... I didn't realize... I didn't know... you must have been in so much pain, José."

"I was. I still am." José says. "It never goes away. I never forget."

Megla nods slowly, ponderously. She gazes at José with heartfelt pain, empathetically feeling similar emotions to those he's suffered all this time. The fresh shock of learning about the deaths of many of her friends causes Megla's heart to palpitate. After all, she spent more than a few years with them in inverted space.

"So... so that's why you've been... oh, ancestors. It all makes sense, now." Megla says, her shoulders and tail slumping in unison.

José nods. "The Mallali worked together with Loreen. She killed my crew herself, but the Mallali served as her foot-soldiers. Now, I'm simply going around, cleaning up the galaxy's filth."

Megla blinks several times, overcome with emotion.

After a moment, she deeply frowns.

"But... but José! That's not right! You can't expect me to believe that you've killed hundreds of trillions of innocent civilians as part of some grand escapade! This isn't revenge! It's just random acts of genocide. Those people never did anything to you! This isn't right at all! Kyargh!"

José glances at the fleet display, which shows his enemies closing in on the Bloodbearer.

"I know, Megla. What I'm doing is not logical. It's indiscriminate, and frankly, undeserved. There is no justification for my actions, but I don't care. I've stopped caring."

Jose spreads out his hands.

"I'm a killer. My whole life, I followed someone else's orders. Those orders always led to death and destruction, though on a smaller scale. It's all I know how to do. When I have lost everything else, all I will have is the one thing I'm good at, and that thing is murder."

"You're WRONG!" Megla shouts, clutching her claws to her chest. "You're better than this! You're a good person! You're capable of love and kindness! Don't you remember? It was your kindness that turned the Kraktol and Kessu into friends! It was you who spared all of Orgon's crew when you had the justification to kill them! You even spared my father's people after they attacked you! Stop now, José. Stop killing! Kyargh! This isn't you!"

"It is!" José barks, making Megla and Soren both flinch in surprise. "Soren has known me for two hundred and fifty years, while you haven't even known me for ten. In the span of my entire life, those numbers are barely a drop in the bucket! You don't know me! You don't know the real me! You only know the broken shell of a person I became after losing every other person I loved and cared about! When I say I'm a killer, I goddamn well MEAN it!"

José bashes his fist against his chair's arm.

"I'm sick of suffering! I'm sick of enduring and rebuilding! I just want to tear the entire god-fucking-damn galaxy to pieces because it's the one thing I never fuck up! I always kill my target! I never fail my mission! It's only when I try to be a good person and set aside my murderous ways that I fail all at once, so I'm NEVER going to be a good person ever again! Got that?! Don't fucking tell me you know me! You don't know me at all. Nobody does!"

"Nobody."

"Not even... me."

The Admiral grits his teeth. He exhales repeatedly, with hot air firing from his lungs as he suppresses an intense bloodlust built up within his chest.

After several seconds, he calms down, returning his expression to a neutral state.

"Nobody does."

Soren and Megla both look away, unable to meet his gaze. They fidget uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.

Eventually, though, Megla forces herself to look at the Admiral once more.

"...Maybe you're right, José. Maybe I don't know you, and maybe I never did. But... I do understand you. It's a different thing, though it might seem the same at first. I understand your actions and why you keep doing them."

She crosses her arms and assumes a defiant stance.

"Maybe you are just a killer, but I don't believe you. So, I'll let you prove it. I'm not rejoining your crew. Not now, and not ever. Instead, I'm going to fly down to Dragua's surface. Do whatever you want. Carpet bomb my world. Blow up our sun. Spread a pathogen. Whatever! But just know that when you do, you'll have to kill me. If you hurt my people but try to avoid hurting me, then I'll kill myself in retaliation. From this moment forward, if you kill a single other person in this system, I'll commit suicide. If you want to kill my brothers and sisters, you'll have to kill me too, José."

She stares at the Admiral evenly.

"Let's see if you're the monster you claim to be. I don't believe you are, but if I'm wrong, then I'll have no reason to live, anyway. You'll have already taken every last thing I care about."

José blinks.

"Megla..."

She shakes her head. "No more words. Talk is cheap. Let your next actions be your answer."

Megla reaches toward a button on the console before her. Just before pressing it, she pauses and takes one last look at her former Admiral.

"I love you, José. Maybe you don't love me back, and perhaps you don't feel even a drop of emotion toward me at all, but that doesn't matter. I'm doing this because I care, not because I want to hurt you. Whatever your choice, I'll always love you. Right to the bitter end."

The viewscreen deactivates, causing Megla's image to fade away.

The Admiral stares ahead silently, unblinkingly, for ten long seconds.

Soren, too, remains motionless. Her breath catches in her chest.

"José. She's... she's serious."

When the Admiral doesn't reply, Soren glances at him.

"José? José?"

The Terran gazes into the abyss. Thousands of thoughts roil in his mind. His eyes swirl as strange, once-thought-lost feelings swell in his chest.

A tear builds up in his eye, then slowly streams down his face.

"Admiral. The Mallali fleet will arrive within the optimal long-range-weapons engagement area in T-minus fifteen seconds," Umi beeps. "What are your orders?"

José doesn't reply.

He continues to stare ahead, still grappling with his thoughts.

"Five seconds until the Mallali arrive," Umi continues. "Three seconds. Two. One. Multiple hits reported on the outer hull. Minor damage sustained. Automatically returning fire."

The moment Umi finishes speaking, José's hand moves, as if on instinct.

His fingers press several buttons on his chair's command console.

"Admiral. Do you intend to exit the Dragua system?" Umi asks, as the Admiral's commands transmit from his chair's console. "Victory is still within reach."

The Terran's lip trembles.

"...Victory. Is that what you call it?"

He presses two more buttons.

"Engaging the warp-drive." Umi beeps. "Preparing to exit Dragua space in T-minus five seconds."

As Soren watches, the viewscreen shifts from a monitor full of battle-ready combat carriers to a complete void of blackness, infinite and never-ending.

The Bloodbearer jumps to inverted space, leaving behind the fleet of warships hot on its tail.

Once it successfully completes the jump, José stands up. He remains in place for a few seconds, saying nothing. Then, he starts to walk toward the Bridge's exit.

Soren rises to her feet and follows after him.

"José. José! I'm glad you made that choice. I know it was hard on you, but-"

"Not now, Soren." José mutters. "No talking. I want to be alone."

Soren falters. "I... oh. Okay. Where are you going?"

The Terran pauses after he steps through the doorway.

"To my quarters. No visitors."

The Admiral walks away, leaving his First Officer behind. Once he leaves, Soren's shoulders slump.

She stares after his disappearing shadow, long after he's departed.

"You... did the right thing. I'm proud of you, José."

She heaves a quiet sigh.

"I'm... proud of you."