Megla, Soren, and several dozen Kessu stand outside the Bloodbearer's primary medical facility, staring at the frosted glass as if trying to bore holes in it with their eyes. The two Kraktol rub and wring their claws together, anxiously awaiting Umi's announcement.

Of all the creatures present, only little Lele appears unperturbed. The kitten sits on her grandmother's shoulders, lazily flopping over her head with a bored look on her face.

"You guys are so weird. Umi said the surgery wasn't dangerous. Terran bio-implants just slide into their bodies. There's no risk at all."

Soren nods. "Logically speaking, I agree with you. That being said, we've already lost the Admiral once. I won't take any risks."

Megla nods furiously. "Even if there's only a one percent chance of something going wrong, I don't want the Admiral to die alone on that operating table. I'll break through the glass and rush to his side."

Patriarch Nyoor appears at the end of the hall and starts walking toward the mass of Kessu in front of the medical bay. As he approaches, leaning on his walking staff, the old cat meows in surprise. "Mraww! The Great Precursor is still in there? Why, it's been nearly three days!"

"You came at a good time," Soren says, as she waves a datapad in the Patriarch's general direction. "According to the projected results, the Admiral should complete his surgery in fifteen minutes or so."

Nyoor slows to a stop at the periphery of the crowd. He nods slowly. "Mmm, yes. The Machine God spoke to me. She told me the Great Precursor would soon emerge. I look forward to his return! Has he managed to heal the wounds inflicted upon his mind?"

"We don't know," Megla answers, shaking her head. "The Admiral didn't speak to anyone after he left the holodeck. Apparently, he ate some food, went to bed, woke up, and went straight to the medical bay. If I didn't know any better, I might think he was avoiding us."

"I'm sure he is," Soren says. "Can you blame him? The Admiral found out that his species went extinct, he was sent one hundred million years into the future, and now a bunch of unknown aliens walk his ship's halls. He probably felt somewhat vulnerable and wished to restore himself to full combat readiness. If I were in his position, I would make the same choice."

Megla frowns.

"So... he still doesn't trust us."

"We've given him no reason to do so," Soren replies. "But, I believe that in due time, especially while working to defeat a common enemy, we'll be able to restore the Admiral's faith in us. He's the same man he was before, but the circumstances have changed a little."

"Kyargh!" Megla cries. "I hope you are right, sister."

Both crocodiles fall silent, as do the Kessu. Everyone waits with bated breath while twenty-something minutes pass.

Just when the crowd starts to get fidgety, Umi speaks from overhead.

"Attention, all ship personnel and civilian guests. I have successfully completed Admiral Rodriguez's surgery. All of his biomods have been reinstalled, and his body has been restored to perfect condition. No abnormalities occurred during the installation processes."

Soren, Megla, and Lele all breathe sighs of relief. The Kessu, not fully understanding everything Umi said, but still getting the gist that 'the Admiral is just fine,' also exhale happily.

Eventually, the door to the medical bay opens, and José Rodriguez steps out. He arrives amidst fifty or so meowing Kessu, all of them clearly excited to see him. His eyes widen as he instantly surveys the assembled crowd.

The Terran chuckles. "Haha. Is everyone here to see me? I'm fine, guys. Just fine."

"Mraww!" Nyoor meows. "Great Precursor, almighty one! You have made it through the fires of tribulation unscathed! Truly, you are an inspiration to us all."

"Yes!" Rags yells, as the grey-colored Kessu waves to get José's attention. "You are far too hardy a fellow! We are all so glad to see you again!"

More and more Kessu crowd around and hug José's legs, leaving the Terran to scratch his chin awkwardly. Eventually, he leans down and pets their heads, while a genuine smile crosses his face.

"Oh, goodness. You're all too cute for my liking. Fine, fine, come here. I'll pet all of you if it's the last thing I do."

Soren and Megla watch silently from a distance. Megla's expression becomes noticeably more downcast as the minutes pass. Eventually, she murmurs to her sister.

"The Admiral... he likes the Kessu even more than I thought."

"Yes," Soren agrees. "Before his rebirth, he would act friendly toward everyone, but he appears noticeably less reserved toward the Kessu now, and moreso toward you and I."

Megla nods. "Mmm."

...

Some time later, the Admiral and the Kraktol head toward the Bridge. Lele toddles along at José's side, looking up at him with adoring eyes.

"How are you feeling, Admiral?" Soren asks.

"I'm doing well," José answers, before hesitating a moment. "Err...?"

"Soren. And my sister's name is Megla."

"Right, sorry. I don't usually forget, but things have been a bit hectic."

"It's fine. We understand."

Megla listens, but doesn't add anything to the conversation, seemingly content with letting Soren and José speak.

"Tell me about the demons we found on Tarus II," José says diplomatically, as he continues the conversation. "Surely, you've developed some conjectures about them?"

"Yes," Soren replies. "A few. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with 'demons' at all. Everything I know about them comes from Umi's databases. Naturally, with her databanks having degraded over time, the vast majority of her knowledge is limited to the memories she's downloaded from you, and various red-level files she wouldn't allow me to access."

Soren hastily adds, "Not that I'm complaining. I don't expect to view any restricted information without permission, Admiral."

"Indeed," José answers, his tone neutral. "So what are your thoughts?"

The Terran, Kraktol, and Kessu approach the Bloodbearer's Bridge, with its entry doors appearing a quarter-mile in the distance.

"The Demon Emperor, Yama, did not appear to be extremely powerful," Soren says. "He did trap us, and... well, he killed you. That being said, his weakness to light was extremely profound. I believe that, had we known of his existence, we would have been able to defeat him soundly."

José nods. "Agreed. Shades and shadow-walkers are deadly adversaries, but only if unseen. Once you notice them, it's easy to counter them. Additionally, the orcs, goblins, and trolls were all low-level minions, easily defeatable under ordinary circumstances. If I hadn't let my guard down, they'd never have stood a chance against me."

The Admiral's words carry a slightly mocking tone, one of self-flagellation and annoyance. This doesn't escape Soren and Megla's notice, although they keep quiet about it.

"Kyargh! Ahem," Soren grunts. "In any case, I believe the fact Yama appears to be working with the Buzor is the most alarming thing we've uncovered. Since when were there Buzor in this region of space? Why would they be hiding underneath Tarus II's surface?"

José glances at Soren out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh? Are the Kraktol enemies with the Buzor?"

"No. We're not enemies, but we aren't allies, either," Soren responds. "To be fair, I've only heard trickles of information related to the Buzor, all thanks to my former commander, Orgon the Unkillable. However, what I always understood to be true was that the Buzor and Kraktol worked together on a few strategic alliances in the past. Now that we've found them under the Kessu's surface... I'm uncertain about what action we should take."

Finally, Megla speaks. "Agreed. Admiral, the Buzor are very different from the Rodaks and Mallali. We Rodaks are hierarchical, with singular monarchs ruling us from the top down, like a pyramid. The Mallali, however, typically form political parties and work together out of necessity, or when their interests align. The Buzor act differently. Every subspecies has its own hierarchy."

"For example," Megla continues. "The Mitteras have a queen who rules from the top. Her worker and military drones follow her orders absolutely and without question. There are many colonies of Mitteras, each one possessing their own world. Each colony has its own queen. They sometimes fight each other, but without exception, all of their differing colonies will instantly cooperate if they discover a common interest."

"Then there are the Wuspa, who similarly have a single queen leading them. However, among the Buzor, the Wuspa are often considered the most aggressive. They feud with other Buzor constantly, and are nowhere near as civilized as the Mitteras."

José listens to Megla's explanation without interruption. As everyone enters the Bridge, Megla continues describing other subspecies of the Buzor, including the Mentii, the Cantors, and the Disperra.

At that last one, José raises a finger. "The Disperra. You said they were the Buzor you observed working with the demons?"

"That's right. If any Buzor would be working alongside these 'demons,' it makes sense they'd be the Disperra. They are among the most treacherous and blackhearted of all the Buzor. Some Disperra family units even eat their own young, as horrifying as that sounds."

Nyoor snorts. "Hmph. The ancient records state many times that you Kraktol did the same thing. You're one to talk."

"Stupid old Kessu!" Megla shouts. "What nasty lies! How could you believe such imbecilic claims?!"

José chuckles. "Methinks thou doth protesteth too much."

"Admiral..."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

The conversation shifts direction as José turns his attention to the Bridge. Inside, a few dozen bio-entities sit at the ship's various consoles, plugging away silently at all the necessary work that needs doing.

"Umi, did you finish collating a list of items necessary to eliminate the Shadow Emperor?" José asks.

"Affirmative, Admiral," Umi beeps. "Under ordinary circumstances, attempting a slay a Demon Emperor would require a full complement of Terran soldiers. In terms of combat strength, Yama is a target we can classify as 'low power, high elusiveness.' This means that, once you don a combat suit, he will be unable to harm you. However, at the same time, anywhere that there is darkness, Yama and his shadow army can hide, eluding our search parties."

"Therefore, this is not a mission that you can perform alone, Admiral. To kill the Shadow Emperor, we will need to encircle him with light-casting devices. Then, we must slowly tighten our borders until he cannot escape. An army of 500,000 may not be enough, let alone the few combat-capable personnel we have aboard the Bloodbearer now."

"Is that so?" José asks, his expression darkening. The Terran takes a seat in the Admiral's chair, while Megla, Soren, and Nyoor all sit nearby. "We shouldn't rely on the Kessu for this mission. They're too ignorant with regards to technology. Realistically, our forces will have to consist of myself, Megla, and Soren."

"Ooh!" Lele meows. "I can help! Me, me! I'm a tech-wizard!"

José shakes his head. "Maybe so, but you're just a child, Lele. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but... the battlefield is no place for a kitten."

"Aww... that's no fair."

Lele crosses her arms and grumbles under her breath, but José merely chuckles and returns to his conversation.

"Umi, can you, perhaps, synthesize a drone army? If we can gather a few hundred drones, we might be able to use them for this mission. They can bathe the underground tunnels in light, preventing Yama's escape. Based upon the videos you've shown me, that Demon Emperor seemed incredibly cocky and self-assured. He probably won't expect me to show up again. Perhaps we can catch him in a trap."

"Drones are not out of the question," Umi replies. "However, I will require a significant amount of time to synthesize enough of them to flood the inner caves. If Yama realizes our intentions, he may use an escape route we cannot predict and escape our grasp. Once he goes on the alert, killing the Shadow Emperor will prove all but impossible. By that point, no number of drones will help us."

José falls silent. The Terran Admiral closes his eyes and frowns as he falls deep in thought.

"Yama is no ordinary demon. During the Expansion Era, when humanity fought the Volgrim, the demons united with our alien adversaries and nearly destroyed us. Yama, naturally, was one of the demons we faced on many occasions. He is an expert assassin, a demon capable of silently killing any target in the dead of night. Where there is darkness, he can appear."

The Admiral continues. "I studied records of every ancient Demon Emperor extensively, as did all of Ramma's Chosen. We knew never to take any chances with them. Even after killing them, we knew there were dark, heretic methods capable of reviving them. The Emperor of Legions, Mephisto, for example. He was one such demon capable of bringing the dead under his control. If such a demon arose in secret, unbeknownst to us, then reviving our ancient enemies would always be a possibility."

The Admiral opens his eyes. He looks at Megla and Soren. "Something is bothering me, though. You two hadn't heard of demons until a week ago, when Yama attacked us. Isn't that right?"

Soren nods. "Yes, Admiral."

"And you hadn't heard of Terrans, either?"

This time, Megla nods. "That's right."

"But Yama does exist," José says, his voice low. "He would remember the Terrans. If we assume that to be the case, and if we assume he is working with or alongside the Buzor, then why wouldn't he mention my people, even in passing? Don't you find that strange?"

Megla blinks. "I'm sorry, Admiral. I don't follow."

"Think about it," José explains. "None of us know the extent to which Yama's relationship with the Disperra extends, or if any other Buzor might be involved with him. However, if these Disperra aren't cut off from the galaxy, and keep in contact with the other Buzor, it seems likely someone would know of the demons by now, and potentially even the name of humanity. Yet, you've never heard of demons until finding them on Tarus II. It's almost as if... the Buzor are deliberately keeping Yama's existence a secret."

Soren strokes her chin. "You may be correct, Admiral. But I'd go a step further."

"In what way?" José asks.

"There's something odd about Tarus II," Soren explains. "Something doesn't add up. Over the past several days, I've had a lot of time to think. Why would the Disperra and Yama choose Tarus II, a planet belonging to the Kessu, to settle down? Why go to such great lengths to hide their presence? You can't explain the Trifrancium deposits we found as being a natural formation. Someone placed those deposits deliberately. Might the Buzor be hiding something down there, in the planet's depths?"

José's breath catches. "Hiding something? Like what? You know more about the Buzor than me."

"I do," Soren says, "but not 'much' more. My knowledge is frustratingly shallow. If I had to guess, my first assumption would be that the Buzor and Yama were working together. Perhaps they're planning to use his shadow army for their own purposes?"

"...Hm. I suppose that's possible..." José mutters. "But the ancient records regarding Yama stated that he was a proud and haughty demon. His 'harem' was like an extension of himself. I can't see him lending out his precious converts to someone else, at least not on principle."

"Does Yama possess any abilities that might be useful from a logistical perspective?" Megla asks. "The Buzor might want to use him as a secret weapon. A trump card."

"Yama manipulates shadows and darkness," José answers. "His magic is high-level, but outside of assassinations, I can't see his utility being extraordinarily high."

"Admiral, there is one thing I'd like to mention," Soren says, her voice raising an octave. "The Buzor. Their space-faring capabilities are terrible, the worst of all the factions in the Milky Way. How did they arrive on Tarus II undetected? Is it possible they were here before the Kessu chose Tarus II as their homeworld?"

"I have no idea," José says. "You two know far more about the Buzor than me. Now is your chance to demonstrate your value."

"The Buzor have virtually no space-worthy vessels," Soren explains. "Instead, certain Buzor have learned to grow void-traversing carapaces. Gigantic fleshy bodies that float around planets. Then, many Buzor of a certain species will enter those carapaces and use them to travel to other star systems."

José frowns. "Pardon my incredulity, but... how?"

"I'm... not entirely certain," Soren lamely replies. "I asked my superiors about the Buzor on several occasions, but the answers I received were mixed. The best I can guess is that the Buzor somehow create wormholes using Trifrancium, or perhaps they control a secret inter-system travel device, such as a Subspace Cannon. That's all I've hypothesized."

"More mysteries," José says. "Delightful. Well, if possible, I'd like to find a Disperra, capture them, and bring them to the Bloodbearer for... 'questioning.' Perhaps then we'll get the answers we need."

Hardly has José finished speaking before Umi beeps from overhead.

"Admiral Rodriguez. I have detected a warp signature at 003-mark-714. In seven minutes, fourteen seconds, a ship will arrive inside Tarus II's gravity well."

Both of José's hearts skip a beat. He sits up straight in his chair and pulls the computer console arm inward to face himself. "What details can you give me?"

"According to the Kraktol database I downloaded several months ago, the incoming vessel appears to be a Fifth Era Diplomat-class starship. Its combat capabilities are negligible, even among other Fifth Era ships. I have identified it as the KRC Red-Tongue, a vessel belonging to the Kraktol empire."

"The Red-Tongue?" Megla repeats. "That's... that's my father's ship. Drall Brighteye."

"Your father? Does that mean he's on our side?" José asks.

"I don't know," Megla says, sheepishly. "He and the Thülvik were once partners. They both sired a daughter, Kisa Kindris, the true heir to the Kraktol empire. By comparison, I'm only a member of Lord Drall's offshoot family. We've never been particularly close."

Soren clears her throat. "Erm. Also, Admiral... Drall was directly involved in planning the attack on Tarus II. He wanted the Kessu dead."

"As did the Thülvik," Megla adds. "To be fair, most Kraktol don't particularly care about the Kessu. Their sins against our forefathers were ages ago. The vast majority of us have long-since moved on from those ancient wounds. However, Lord Drall and the Thülvik were alive during those days, many thousands of years ago. It's likely they both still hold resentment in their hearts toward the Kessu."

José looks at Lele, then smiles.

"I see. It's likely he's our enemy. Well, whether he is or not, his ship is no threat to us. Umi, didn't I order you to erase the memories of all the Kraktol personnel? Also, to erase any knowledge regarding our vessel from their data files?"

"Affirmative, Admiral." Umi replies. "Recovering anything useful would most certainly have been impossible. I am unable to calculate a possibility wherein the Kraktol recovered any knowledge regarding the Bloodbearer. I postulate that Lord Drall, as a top leader of the Kraktol, has come to Tarus II alone to investigate what caused his fleet's return home."

"That's probably the case," José mutters, his tone uncertain. "Just to be safe, let's keep our guard up. Go to yellow alert. Calculate Lord Drall's arrival vectors and prepare to lock onto him with a tractor beam. When he does discover us, I don't want him to pull a fast one and skip away with knowledge of the Bloodbearer in his ship's files."

"Orders acknowledged, Admiral. The Red-Tongue's scanners are greatly inferior to the Bloodbearer's. I can state with a 99% confidence threshold that Lord Drall will not detect our vessel until the moment of his arrival."

"Perfect."

José leans back in his chair and exhales.

"Megla, Soren. I must apologize in advance if I end up harming your father. I hope he doesn't try to fight back, or this could get messy."

"My father is many things," Megla says. "but a fool is not one of them. The moment he recognizes the difference in firepower, he will concede peacefully. If I speak to him, I'm sure he'll listen. At the least, he'll know that Soren and I went missing from the Dragon Breath's bridge crew. He may even expect us to be somewhere on Tarus II."

"That's right," Soren adds. "It's more than likely the reason Lord Drall has come in person is to investigate what happened to my sister and I."

"I thought you two weren't close to him?" José asks.

"Well, we aren't," Megla says. "But you never know. He might be more of the sentimental type than I remember."

"Fair enough. Human parents could surprise their children sometimes, too," José laughs.

The Admiral's laughter fades away, leaving him with a familiar sense of emptiness in his chest.

Mom. Dad. I miss both of you dearly. If only I could have said goodbye.

The Admiral falls silent.

His gaze fixates on the temporal map, where Lord Drall will soon appear.