Admiral Rodriguez laughs emptily. His eyes lose much of their gleam as he gazes at the two curved spires of metal arcing up in half circles atop the shiny warpgate platform. For several seconds, not a thought stirs in José's mind. Instead, he merely looks retrospectively at all of his actions up to now, reflecting silently on how futile they all were.

"...What a waste of time and lives," José mutters. "All my new Kraktol and Kessu friends died for nothing. Now that we know of this Warpgate's existence, we can almost certainly infer that Yama has escaped through it to Hell."

Soren shifts her weight from one foot to another. "Admiral. What is Hell? What is a Warpgate? What does this discovery mean?"

"My explanation isn't complex..." José answers, still looking at the curved pylons. "But it is disheartening. Soren, are you familiar with the most common methods of warp travel?"

His Second Officer glances around at the nearby Kraktol and Kessu, all of whom listen to her conversation with the Admiral eagerly, desperate to understand the significance of their discovery as much as Soren herself.

"I am, Admiral. Before you- err, before that incident with your memory... you explained the methods of warp travel to me."

"In that case, I must have explained Jump Gates to you, correct?" José asks.

"Yes. Ah! I see. This Warpgate is similar to a Jump Gate, then?"

The Admiral folds his hands behind his back, turns to face Soren, and nods.

"It is. Humanity did not invent the concept of Jump Gates. We... appropriated that technology from the Volgrim. Our crude, power-inefficient versions never held a candle to our predecessors, likely due to their several-million-year headstart on us, technologically. Perhaps, given time, we might have surpassed them, but it never happened in my lifetime."

After a momentary pause, he continues. "Jump Gates connect two points in space together across an infinite distance. Even if that distance spans across galaxies, by stepping through a rip in space, one can instantly travel millions of lightyears in the blink of an eye. Warpgates function identically, but also far, far more efficiently."

"What are their differences?" Soren asks.

"Simply put, a Jump Gate requires colossal amounts of power. No matter how small my people tried to build them, the power requirement was always a terrible limiting factor. Surprisingly though, that requirement remained about the same whether the gate was human-sized or planet-sized. Therefore, for efficiency reasons, we would often build Jump Gates in space, somewhere they could draw power directly from a star, and big enough for Juggernaut-class ships, such as the Bloodbearer, to pass through. At that point, the time and cost for construction materials became a much bigger limiting factor, but I digress..."

He continues. "Another terribly limiting factor for Jump Gates: Once activated, they required an enormous amount of time to connect to the other Jump Gate built in a different location. They could not switch jump-targets, and had to remain connected indefinitely, else the deactivation would create a spatial anomaly capable of tearing both gates apart in an instant. Think like a miniature black hole for 1/1000th of a second. Anyway, Warpgates built by the Volgrim never had that deficiency. You can open a portal from one Warpgate to another, provided you know a series of coordinates related to their temporal distances. Their power requirements are minute, which made many Terran engineers theorize that they pulled power from a dimensional anomaly in P-space... but that's a subject for another time."

The Admiral sighs heavily. Without any fanfare, he walks over to the Warpgate and plops down on its steps, taking a load off as he rubs his eyes.

"Simply put, these Warpgates are one-of-a-kind. I cannot build one, nor could any other Terran who ever existed. Only the Volgrim could, and those heretics went extinct long, long before my birth. From what I once heard, the various Terran leaders went out of their way to destroy all of the ancient Warpgates... but perhaps those were merely rumors spread among the lower ranks to deceive us. The fact Terrankind's most well-known prison world has always housed a Warpgate... it just... it confounds me."

"You say 'has always'," Soren replies. "What makes you so certain? Couldn't someone transplant a Warpgate from one place to another? Maybe this one came from a different world."

José throws his hands up in the air. "Yes. Maybe. I don't know. Fuck, none of this matters to me, except for the fact that Yama has definitively escaped my grasp. We can't catch him now."

Soren shoots a glance backward at the surprised Kraktol behind her. Sapphire strides forward while clutching her claws to her chest. "Darling... surely, there must be some way! Can't we open up that portal and go to Hell? Maybe if we give chase-"

"I most certainly will not authorize such a suicidal operation," José interrupts. "Don't be foolish. If the Buzor have access to this Warpgate, and if they've used it, then you can bet a million credits they've infested any other points to which we might travel. I haven't a clue how many other gates still exist in the Milky Way, but if this one leads where I think it does, then the Buzor have likely taken over Hell. Trying to follow them will only lead us into a deathtrap."

José pauses. An ominous look appears in his eyes.

"Shit."

"What is it?" Soren asks.

"You don't want to know..." The Terran says, as he rubs his face. "Fuck. The situation could be worse than I thought."

He pauses for half a breath, then continues.

"...Yama lives. We've also encountered orcs, goblins, and trolls, to name a few monsters. If I assume the worst... then my mind naturally tilts toward the conclusion that Yama is not the last living demon. There may be others out there. Grunts. Lords. Barons. Dukes. Perhaps even other Emperors."

"Or not," José continues, shrugging. "They might all be dead and Yama might be the last one. But something tells me other demons still walk the mortal realm. If so, then I absolutely will not authorize an expedition to Hell. Dealing with a single Demon Emperor is hard enough, but Ramma guide me if any others still live."

Several Kessu chatter amongst each other, as do the Kraktol.

Eventually, a male Kraktol officer raises his hand.

"Admiral, if I may. I think for the sake of the galaxy we should destroy this Warpgate. Now that we know it exists, we can initiate a galaxy-wide search for other gates in an attempt to break them all down. Any Buzor-controlled world should be a top suspect."

"Hahaha..." José laughs. "Destroy them? You can't."

"You may not like us taking such a bold action, but I insist that we at least try," The male Kraktol says. "If they're as dangerous as you say, then denying the Buzor such a crucial tactical advantage would at least-"

"No, you don't understand," José interrupts. "You can't destroy a Warpgate. I can't, either. They aren't made out of steel, titanium, or any other metal alloy you've heard of. The Volgrim constructed them out of Living Moldanium, the hardest known substance in the universe. Living Moldanium is a legendary alloy, so durable that even if a supernova detonated right next to Tarus II, this gate would almost assuredly survive the blast."

The Admiral's words send a wave of shock through the Kraktol, though the Kessu appear less aware of the ramifications in his statements.

"A supernova?" Soren asks, incredulously. "Admiral, I don't want to say that's impossible, however..."

"I know it sounds absurd," José explains, "but trust me; it isn't. Humanity tried to create Living Moldanium ourselves, but we always failed. The best we could do was come up with a few methods for slowly melting down and reworking Volgrim-era artifacts made of the stuff into other forms. That's it. I don't even know those ancient methods, and Umi probably doesn't either. Do you, Umi?"

Umi replies inside José's brain. "Negative, Admiral. Knowledge regarding the reformation of Living Moldanium is considered an Executive-Level secret. Were they still alive, only three members of Ramma's Chosen would ever have access to that knowledge at any given time."

José nods. "Defensive equipment created from Living Moldanium would make my Dermal Armor look like a pitiful parlor trick. I could fire all of the Bloodbearer's weapons at this gate for ten years straight without denting it. Destroying it is simply impossible."

"So... what do we do then, Darling?" Sapphire asks.

"I doubt I can activate this Warpgate on my own, and not even with Umi's help. We'd need the galactic coordinates of another Warpgate; preferably one located in a place where we wouldn't get instantly killed. Even so, it'd take me hours to hack it. I doubt we can destroy its internal wiring or power source... so, for now, our best bet is to set some mining charges, collapse this entire underground structure, and hope the Buzor can't tunnel their way back at some point."

"...Which they definitely can," Soren concludes. "Kyargh! Admiral, I must say, I think I understand why this discovery is so frustrating for you."

José stands up and walks away from the Warpgate, popping his back as he leaves. "I doubt you know the half of it, but you can probably understand an inkling of my worries. For now, let's continue searching this facility. Maybe we can find some clues, some key information... after we bury it beneath a million tons of earth, we'll regroup at the ship and decide what to do next."

The Admiral starts to walk away from the Warpgate, but Ruuki pitter-patters over to him. "Mraww! Great Precursor, are you sure there's nothing we can do? Maybe we can't go through that gate or break it apart... but don't you think just leaving it here would be a bad idea? The Buzor can dig tunnels, after all. They can probably unbury it pretty easily."

Admiral Rodriguez nods. "You're right; they can. Unfortunately, I don't have any long-term plans, at least not for now. I've said it before and I'll say it again... I don't plan to partake in any galactic power squabbles between the different sentient species. Whether the Buzor, Mallali, or Rodaks take power is none of my business. My only goal is to kill Yama, and at this rate I won't succeed in that endeavor. I might as well plan for my second phase, which is finding out what happened to my people."

Ruuki lowers his head.

"But... but our world... we can't return knowing the Buzor live right beneath our paws."

"I don't know what to say," José replies. "I'll do what I can to help you out. You're free to stay with me on the Bloodbearer. Maybe someday we'll find a new world for you to colonize."

Rags, not far from the Admiral, loses some of the luster in his eyes. "But Precursor... this world is our home. We don't want to leave it forever."

José hesitates. He glances in the kid's direction and opens his mouth to speak, but at that moment, Megla comes running up from another corridor.

"Kyargh! Admiral! There you are! Listen, we've just found a Kessu survivor! You won't believe who it is!"

The Admiral raises his head to look in Megla's direction. "A Kessu survivor? Do you mean to say that there were Kessu taken underground after all?"

Megla nods vigorously. "Yes! Guess who it is! Guess! Kyargh, I'll tell you; It's Lele's aunt, Lorrie!"

José blinks twice. "Lorrie? Where did you find her?"

"Hiding inside a small air-conditioning vent. The front was all torn up. It looked like she hid there and the Buzor tried to get her, but pulled away and left her behind. She's not hurt at all!"

The Admiral nods. "Good. That's good news, indeed. Alright. Let's head over and see what she has to say. Soren, come with me. Everyone else, stay behind and guard that gate. If it activates, shoot anything that comes through."

"Yes, Admiral," The remaining Kraktol and Kessu reply.

As José leaves, Megla curiously glances at the opened double-doors and the pair of giant pylons sticking up in the air.

"Kyargh! What the heck is that thing?"

"I'll tell you on the way," José replies.

.......................................

Twenty minutes later, José and both of his officers arrive back at the designated meeting point. Megla appears noticeably more alert than before, having learned all about the Warpgates and the threat they pose to the galaxy.

Once he arrives, José sweeps his gaze across the assembled throng of five hundred Kessu and Kraktol, all intermingling here and there, in bunches of five to twenty. It doesn't take more than a few seconds before José picks Drall out of the crowd.

"Lord Drall," José says, as he walks toward the Second Highest Kraktol. "Where's the Kessu you rescued?"

Drall tips his nose respectfully when he spots José. "Right over here, Admiral Rodriguez. She has a bit of dirt on her fur from crawling around in that vent, but otherwise, she's fine."

"Alright, Soren and I will chat with her," José says. "However, Megla needs to fill you in on the details surrounding our big discovery. You won't want to miss this."

Drall's eyes light up with a mixture of delight and apprehension. "A discovery, you say? Graugh! I hope your encounter was fortuitous..."

José curls up his lip. "Not quite. It's pretty terrible news, to be honest. Megla?"

His First Officer nods. "Well, father, it's like this..."

Drall listens to his daughter's explanation on the Warpgate intently while José and Soren walk away, heading off to a large cluster of Kessu. There, they spot a surprisingly tall female Kessu standing in their midst with black fur, though several patches of white dot her face and chest. She wears a dirty white coat with more than a dozen pockets, all of them crammed full of random gizmos and gadgets.

"Oh!" Lorrie says, as José approaches. "Mrawww! You must be the Terran! Thank you for saving me!"

The Admiral doesn't immediately reply. Instead he sizes up the tall, slender kitty-cat. Her five-foot height puts her at the apex of the Kessu present, though she still barely reaches José's hips.

"You are Lorrie?" José asks. "Lele's aunt?"

Lorrie's ears twitch. "Yes. That is me. My apologies, Terran. I did not expect to escape the Buzor's clutches today. I am... a little overcome with emotion."

José rests his hands on his hips. "You know I am a Terran. How?"

"Yama told us," Lorrie says. "Several months ago, Yama spoke of how he slew you in combat. He explained to the Buzor and my fellow scientists what a 'Terran' was and why your death was so significant. Fortunately, it seems he failed to kill you, and now you've managed to save me!"

Soren's eyes twitch, remembering the 'failed' death of her Admiral. However, she says nothing, allowing José to continue his conversation unimpeded.

The Terran Admiral waves his hand. "Excuse me, everyone. I'd like to ask for some privacy with Miss Lorrie, Soren, and I. Would you all give us time alone?"

The Kessu nearby, as well as a few Kraktol, shrug silently and start walking away. It takes a few minutes before a fairly large area opens up around the Admiral and his new Kessu acquaintance. Once he finds his group of three isolated, José casually sits on a nearby weapons locker, as does Soren. Lorrie remains standing, a look of confusion on her face.

"Terran? Meow? Have I said something wrong?" Lorrie asks.

"My name is José Rodriguez," The Admiral replies. "You may refer to me as Admiral Rodriguez or José, whichever you prefer. I don't particularly care about pleasantries or decorum, so use whatever makes you feel most comfortable."

Lorrie fiddles with a random device in her pocket. "Alright then... José. Um, so... did you manage to rescue any of the other Kessu who were trapped down here?"

José shakes his head. "Not that I know of. More importantly, I need to ask you some pertinent questions, Lorrie. There's something that's been bothering me for a while now, and seeing you down here, I feel as if my suspicions were confirmed. How do I put this... have you been working with the Buzor? And if so, why?"

The black-furred Kessu falls silent. She fidgets with her feet for a moment, then lowers her head.

"It... it isn't what you think, José. I can guess some of the thoughts in your head but... I am no ally of the Buzor."

"So they kidnapped you?" José asks. "Forced you to work down here? Build this facility for them? And the Warpgate... somehow, I doubt the Buzor would know how to work such a technologically advanced device."

Lorrie's shoulders sag. Reluctantly, she walks over to another nearby crate, one lugged in by one of José's platoons, and takes a seat. A few moments pass as she collects her thoughts.

"Mraww. You are familiar with the memory erasures of my people, I presume?"

José nods. "I am."

"You've brought a large number of Kraktol with you. Does that mean you are also aware of my people's struggles with their kind?"

Soren's eyes narrow at the mention of her species, but still, she says nothing.

José nods again. "I know about your ancient rivalries, yes."

"Well, they aren't that ancient..." Lorrie says, chuckling. "Thanks to certain types of Precursor technologies, there are a surprising number of beings who lived two thousand years ago and still persist to today. I am one of them."

The Admiral's eyes glow with insight. "Oh? I suppose that next you will tell me you never wiped your own memories?"

"I did not," Lorrie replies, affirming José's observation. "I entered into a... a bargain, with the Buzor. There was a dreadful political ploy pressed against my people's throats, and so, as their leader, I had to do what I thought best for their survival."

"You were the Kessu's leader?" José asks. "Hmm. Why don't we start from the beginning?"

The Kessu laughs daintily. "Mraw-haha. That is, um... that is certainly possible, Admiral. I'd like to ask though, is Lele okay? Is my niece in good health?"

"She is," José answers. "Lele lives on my ship at the moment. She doesn't get along with other kittens very well, though. She prefers to work on all sorts of crazy electronic gizmos. Says you taught her all that stuff."

Lorrie flashes a kitty-smile. "Yes! I taught my niece well. If I were to die of old age, Lele was to be one of the 'future elites' who would supersede me. I am... glad she's doing well. Thank you for taking care of her."

"I take care of anyone under my employ," José says, gruffly. "Men, women, and children, too. Provided you can confirm for me that you are not my enemy, I will ensure your safety, too."

Lorrie's expression darkens. "Your enemy? No, José. I am not your enemy. But... I would not call myself a good person, either. I am merely an individual who fell into a certain role and ended up making many hard choices. Those choices have affected my people for thousands of years. And now, after all this time has passed... well, I feel as if we might finally receive justice."

"Justice?" José asks.

"That's right. Justice for the horrors we, the Kessu, have wrought... and justice for the horrors we've suffered. You may ask me any questions you like, José. I will answer all of them to the best of my ability... so long as you promise to give leniency to Lele and all the other Kessu who had their minds wiped. They aren't responsible for our past. I am. I and the others who lived on, enabling the Buzor in their plan to achieve a total galactic conquest."

"You have my word," José says, smiling. "Besides. I kind of like cute kitty-cats. I'm not about to strike off their heads, you know."

"I believe you," Lorrie replies, showing a toothy smile. "So, José... feel free to ask away."