Admiral Rodriguez quietly leaves the Mallali compound. When the underground elevator conference room opens, the guards outside check to see who's exited, only to find nobody inside. While gigantic question marks appear above their heads, the completely invisible Terran swishes past them as if they were idiot lemmings unable to see a cliff's edge looming before their eyes.

Despite the fact that José no longer needs to hide his existence, he still does so for a few practical reasons. Allowing nobody but the Mallali leaders to know of his existence keeps himself low-profile, as he is clearly a humble man who does not like to cause a ruckus. Additionally, slipping away without any fuss allows him to ignore all the troublesome security procedures which he finds irritating.

Within twenty minutes, the Admiral swiftly arrives at the edge of the compound. He teleports through the force field and jogs back to his awaiting crew at a brisk pace. When he arrives, he drops his camouflage and approaches the three Kraktol officers, all of whom appear deeply uncomfortable due to the awkward stares countless Mallali have given them while they sat unmoving in the park.

"José!" Soren says, relief on her face. "You made it back! Oh, thank the ancestors. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but we need to return to the Bloodbearer at once," José says. "I got what I wanted, albeit in an unexpected manner. Ended up not needing to bargain with the Mallali leaders. Right now, the Buzor have launched an attack on several Core worlds. We must travel to Ramaldius- sorry, Veter."

"Veter?" Sapphire echoes. "Why go there? That's the Varot homeworld. It's just some industrial production planet. Nothing exciting, darling."

"I'll tell you on the way. Let's call the Slipstream over and make a quick getaway. Don't worry about the Mallali forces. They won't touch us, not now that I've put the fear of god in their leaders."

Grundle scratches his head. "Graugh... but... you said you didn't have to bargain to get what you wanted."

"It's a bit of a story," José says. "Come on. Let's find a wide-open rooftop where the Slipstream can land."

...

Thirty minutes later, the Admiral and his followers board the bullet-shaped shuttle and exit the planet's atmosphere. Thanks to the Slipstream's advanced stealth features, not a single scanner notices their departure.

After explaining what happened, the Admiral exhales. "And that's the end of it. Now, we have to rush to Veter. I'm worried about what Yama might do. He knows I'm one of Ramma's Chosen. The fact Ramaldius ended up on the Buzor's hit list can't be a coincidence. More than likely, Yama intends to destroy the one thing I need to pursue my goals."

Soren's eyes flash with insight. "The Rip-Gate? How would he know about that? Maybe this is just a coincidence, Admiral."

"Yes, maybe," José admits. "But Yama is just as ancient as me. Worse, while I was comatose for 100 million years, Yama was awake and performing all manner of dreadful acts. He may have learned about the galaxy through a thousand methods we can't possibly imagine. With his access to the Buzor's intelligence networks, along with the Warp-Gates, he may have learned about the Rip-Gates ages ago."

"Then... why not use the Rip-Gate for his own purposes?" Soren asks. "Surely, he could... I don't know... go back in time, or something."

"Rip-Gates are highly complex devices," José says. "As much brainpower as Warp-Gates require, Rip-Gates are a thousand times more complex. Frankly, I can't even attempt to use it myself without Umi's processing power. More importantly, Yama is a demon. If there is one trait nearly all demons share, it is a complete inability to comprehend and utilize technology of any kind. They sometimes were able to fire a gun, but maintaining a weapon would be beyond them. A basic medical scanner might as well be an alien artifact from Andromeda for all he can tell."

José sighs. "However, even if Yama didn't understand how it functioned, he may have pieced together the Rip-Gate's purpose. He probably intended to activate it via use of his Kessu slaves. Now that I've appeared, his goal should be to destroy it. After all, if he can't use it, then at the least, he will want to prevent me from accessing it."

Soren frowns. "But José... this logic makes a lot of assumptions. What if Yama isn't there and you're way off-base? We'll have wasted time for no reason."

The Admiral chuckles. "We'll have saved a world from the Buzor for no reason? Come, Soren. Even if Yama isn't there, we can still fulfill several objectives by assisting the Varot. We can kill some Buzor, rescue innocents, and confirm that the Rip-Gates still function. Killing Yama might be my primary purpose, but even if the slippery bastard escapes, I can accomplish my other goals. Besides, I always did intend to travel to Ramaldius... one way or another."

The Slipstream cruises through the inner Enchillon system while downloading any important information it can from the Galactic Net. Several encrypted military communications appear on the Bridge's displays, making José pause to read them.

"Mmm. The Buzor have only attacked for a couple of hours, but already, two of the lesser-defended worlds have started to buckle. Their defenses simply weren't able to withstand a random attack from nowhere. Yama must have planned this onslaught for a long time. It seems the Mallali had no idea there were Warp-Gates hidden on their worlds."

Sapphire leans against José's right arm. "I never knew the Warp-Gates existed until you arrived. Do you know if there is a hidden Warp-Gate on Dragua? Are my people in danger, darling dearest?"

José shrugs. "I don't know where Dragua is. Show me."

Sapphire motions with her claws. She activates a holographic version of the Milky Way, showing the different territories just like José saw in the Mallali bunker. At the southern edge of the South Core's limits, a single glowing dot appears, indicating Dragua's presence."

"Interesting," José mutters. "I vaguely recall this world from my Terran days, but I can't recall its name. There shouldn't be a Warp-Gate there, I don't think. Hmm, and look at this positioning. Dragua resides just outside the border of the Mallali's Southern Core territory. Your Thülvik certainly chose an interesting place to set up shop, not even thirty lightyears from the border of Mallali space."

Sapphire nods. "Loreen Kindris's mother, the previous Thülvik, wanted to ensure her future descendants would have a chance to attack the Core someday. Our future revenge has always been at the forefront of our thoughts."

"Mmm. That seems a bit tragic to me," José mutters. "Always looking at wounds from the past. But who am I to judge? I, too, suffer the same thoughts."

The Slipstream jumps to lightspeed, leaving behind the inner Enchillon system.

Half an hour later, it decelerates to realspace speeds, docks with the Bloodbearer, and allows its occupants to depart.

After exiting the craft, José breaks away from the Kraktol and uses the Bloodbearer's internal teleporters to jump to the Bridge. With time tight, he calculates the jump to Inverted Space himself, setting the dial to the minimum time dilation.

"Ramaldius is only a few hundred lightyears 'east' of here, going by standard galactic orientation," José mutters to himself. "That should give us a bit under six months with minimal dilation to prep for arrival. Should I increase the dilation? Maybe one or two years would be better..."

The Admiral ponders his dilemma momentarily before nodding. "Better to play it safe. One year. We'll need to prep for a land-bound assault. Constructing ten or twenty additional Titan battle-armors wouldn't be a bad idea. We can scrap a few of the less-necessary fighter craft. I don't see any aerial engagements in our near future."

Nodding to himself, the Admiral punches in a series of codes and coordinates. Moments later, the Bloodbearer jumps from realspace to Inverted Space. Time outside the ship slows to a stop as the vessel begins the slow journey from one star-system to another, while time inside the ship plays out at accelerated speeds.

"Umi, I want a full report of our planet-bound warfare capabilities," José says. "Additionally, prepare a map of Ramaldius's new architecture and landscape. I want to see how the planet has changed over the past one hundred million years. Finally, start drafting some plans to refit our ground troops for urban warfare. If we can obtain a significant intel advantage, perhaps we can accomplish our mission without losing a single soldier. Every life on my ship is precious and irreplaceable."

"Orders acknowledged, Admiral," Umi replies. "I will require fifteen minutes to perform all of the surveys and calculations you require. If I may, I would like to suggest that you immediately debrief your crew about the upcoming mission. I have detected a sentiment of confusion among the Kessu and Kraktol, as most of them are not aware how your mission to Enchillon fared."

"Yes, I was planning on doing just that," José replies. "The mission wasn't a waste of time. I was able to see just how pathetic the Mallali truly are, how insignificant their technology is, and the depths of their greed. Frankly, I'm glad I don't have to give them anything. I'd feel nauseous if I empowered a bunch of despicable slavers and space thugs with tools to tighten their grasp on the galaxy's throat."

The Terran shakes his head in disgust. "My people were not perfect. We had our flaws. But, over time, we slowly phased out the worst parts of our society. We shed our negativity to focus on our external enemies. These Mallali, Rodaks, Avaru, and all the rest; they fight each other incessantly, unaware of the horrors lurking just outside our galaxy. Their pettiness shall be their undoing."

"Admiral, even with all of the advancements Terrankind made, I believe that you are overstating their positive improvements," Umi says. "Organizations such as the Third Hand and the Children of Ghül continued to engage in illegal acts of slavery, human experimentation, and many other similar war-crimes. Terrans were not perfect."

"No, we weren't," José says, "but those organizations were clearly out of line. They acted on the fringes of Terran society. They did not enjoy even limited acclaim among the more enlightened organizations."

"Population estimates placed the number of active cells among the Children of Ghül at more than seven trillion, Admiral," Umi retorts. "while more than sixty trillion adherents followed the directives of the Third Hand."

José rolls his eyes. "Yes, but in a galaxy of sextillions, their population didn't even amount to a rounding error."

"I see. Your logic is understandable," Umi affirms.

The Admiral pauses for a moment, then frowns. "When did you start talking back and arguing with me, anyway?"

"My programming has matured over time," Umi answers. "Due to the Bloodbearer requiring my constant intervention, and the inadequate capabilities of our technical staff, I have revised my software multiple times to handle the increased load."

"Oh. Well, you're doing great so far," José concludes. "Keep up the good work."

"Yes, Admiral."

...

Five hours later.

The Admiral beams a projection of himself to every deck on the ship. He stands at attention on the Bridge while folding his hands behind his back.

"Hello, everyone. I successfully completed my mission on Enchillon. I am pleased to announce that I have obtained what I wanted from the Mallali at no cost to me or the rest of you. Through a stroke of luck, I happened to learn of a Buzor attack occurring on several Core Mallali worlds at once. These worlds include one named Veter, the homeworld of the Varot."

"The Buzor, led by Yama, have decided to attack Veter for reasons unknown to the rest of the galaxy. However, to me, the last living Terran, his reasons are as transparent as a pane of glass. He seeks to destroy my original base of operations, the place I once called home. He wishes to eradicate the one item I need to seek out my place in the universe. I must not allow him to succeed."

Down in the lowest deck of the Bloodbearer, a small group of Kessu, including Little Lele and her boyfriend, Rags, sit together and watch the Admiral's projection silently. Lele holds her littlest sister, Lulu, in her lap. They all listen attentively as the Admiral delivers his speech.

"Five years ago, we battled the Buzor in Tarus II's caverns. In my quest to exterminate Yama, I took several unacceptable measures. Under my command, several thousand Kessu and Kraktol lost their lives, including Lord Drall. I cannot apologize enough for my actions. However, words are merely words. No matter how long Yama lives, I will go to seek him out, but all of you represent my new family, and my new friends. You have welcomed and followed me with open arms. I cannot put your lives in grave danger for the sake of my bloody crusade. That is why, over this next year, I am going to place greater emphasis on protective measures for those soldiers who will deploy to the battlefront."

"Kraktol and Kessu alike, all of you have sworn yourselves to follow me. It would be the epitome of selfishness if I were to force you into a situation where even more men and women died needlessly. In my haste to chase Yama down, I made several assumptions on Tarus II. I did not know of the existence of the Warp-Gate. I did not know that he had already escaped. I ordered people to push on, far too quickly and with too little preparation. I will not repeat that same mistake. We will proceed with caution, preserving our lives wherever possible."

Inside the Bloodbearer's mess hall, hundreds of Kraktol and Kessu sit together. Their eyes fixate on the Admiral's larger-than-life projection at the center of the cafeteria. With his figure inflated to fifty feet tall, he captures the attention of everyone present, including Grundle, Sapphire, Soren, Elder Nyoor, and Baaru, as well as their son, Ruuki.

"If Yama escapes this time, so be it. I will not order a suicidal pursuit. We have all the time we need to hunt him down. The longer it takes us to find him, the more time you Kessu have to rebuild your numbers, increase your population, and prepare for a new life, somewhere on a world less hostile than Tarus II. Ultimately, after killing Yama, I intend to find you a new world or a new home among the stars. If that means I must give you all possession of the Bloodbearer for the sake of your species, then I will do so without any regrets. It ceased to be mine once Terrankind perished."

"In the end, I regret to inform you that my time among you is limited. If we manage to slay Yama during this incursion, then I will depart soon after to go my own way. I have places to go, places where I might return to my people. I do not belong here, in this galaxy. No matter how many friends I make here, I will never belong. The knowledge in my head is cataclysmic in nature. Its volatility is too dangerous, too unprecedented for the species living among the Milky Way's stars today. Frankly, the Mallali, Rodaks, Avaru, and other Sentients are unworthy of 50th-Era technology. Someday, if they should manage to discard their violent, backward, inhumane ways, I will expect you to dispense your knowledge freely."

"Do not pursue the path of greed. Do not hoard your knowledge to empower yourselves. We Terrans did, and in doing so, we opened ourselves up to unknown attackers. Somehow, in some way, my entire species vanished overnight. The universe outside the Milky Way is rife with unimaginable cosmic horrors. There are creatures and beings out there so terrifying that merely knowing they exist might prevent you from falling asleep at night. These mundane squabbles of Mallali, Avaru, and Rodaks mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. After I leave, you mustn't allow yourselves to get caught up in the petty power plays of the ruling classes."

José presses his fist against his chest.

"Might makes right. That used to be humanity's effective slogan. However, over time, I have come to disagree. Those who possess power should wield it without bias. They should seek to empower those around them. Might does not make right, but it can be used as a weapon for enslavement, or as a tool which brings freedom. I hope that, in time, you will use the Bloodbearer not as a weapon to sow division, but as a tool which will breed unity."

"The Kessu once ruled the Milky Way. You fell from grace due to your hubris. However, perhaps after coming into contact with me, you will abandon those old principles. If you can learn to control your guile and your cravings toward enriching yourselves, then you can also serve as an example for the other crooked, no-good, downright awful Sentient leaders. That is my hope. That is my prayer."

Admiral Rodriguez lowers his fist. A solemn look enters his eyes as he reaches his conclusion.

"You have lost much. You have gained much. By coming into contact with all of you, so, too, have I made great gains."

He smiles.

"True friendship is something that no force can tear apart. Unity based on benefits will only last as long as those benefits exist, and so, you must always seek to create genuine connections, even with those you hate. Look at the Kraktol among you! Five years ago, you were all embittered enemies. Yet, through the shared training and sweating of blood and tears, you have learned to trust each other. Use the tools I have given you to bring together the other Kraktol, as well as the rest of the Mallali. In time, the Milky Way will unite once again, and you will achieve a power even greater than my people once held!"

The Admiral's smile fades.

"Only then will you be qualified to stand against the enemies who eradicated the Terrans. May Ramma bless all of you in your efforts."

After several seconds of silence, the Admiral waves his hand. His projection winks out of existence, leaving all the Bloodbearer's crew to stew on his words.

The Terran silently sits in the Captain's chair aboard the Bridge. He stares out the window at the starless world of Inverted Space, contemplating and wondering to himself what will happen next.

"Yama. You are a heretic. When I find you, I will finally exterminate you and all the rest of your ilk. Never again will the demons roam this universe."

He pauses, closing his eyes.

"But, I must admit. Not even your evil can compare to that which belongs to Monolith. I know not what method they used to exterminate the Terrans... but I will do everything in my power to ensure they cannot use the same black magic against my friends of today."

"I will never allow anything to happen to my precious little kitties and crocs."