“And here is where we live,” Dodeca drawled on, rolling her eyes, “The Warriors, at least.”

“Water!” Iandi roared.

They were by the largest lake on the plane, a sparkling, silverish gap of water. Sailboats trawled along, nets collecting up fish, a few metahumans with water-based abilities diving below into the depths. One of them, a woman with her bottom half replaced by a dolphin's tail, breached the surface, spun in the air, droplets spraying around her like shards of glass, before she cut back into the lake. A few people were playing on the beach, teenagers with their awkward gaits running into the water like drunken swans, guffawing and splashing their friends. One twisted their hand, producing a firecracker, which they threw at their brother, who let out a mirthful gasp of surprise as it struck his side.

“Nasir,” Iandi said, and his voice was hopeful, “I go...?”

Nasir thought on this, scratching his beard, looking at the groups of metahumans. The old tracker looked at Dodeca.

“He wants to play with them,” he said.

Dodeca looked out, grimacing for a moment, before shrugging.

“He won't hurt them?”

“He won't hurt anyone,” Nasir said, defensive, “He just wants to have fun.”

The metahuman with the firecracker let out a yelp as their brother raised a hand, a wave rippling from where he was, waist-height, in the water. It rolled at his command into his sibling, who was completely subsumed. They came back up to the surface, spluttering and cursing, almost twenty feet from where they had been.

“He can take whatever those are, too,” Nasir said, “He knows this is a safe place.”

“Hmm,” Dodeca said, “Alright.”

“You heard the lady,” Nasir said, “Go have fun.”

Nasir broke out into a wide smile, running full bore towards the water. A few metahumans looked up at him in shock, before the one who had created the wave smiled at him and ran over to greet him.

Dodeca crossed her arms, watching Iandi introduce himself to the teenagers.

“I know those two,” Dodeca said, “Sparks and Wavemaker. They came alone, if I recall.”

“Refugees?” Nasir asked.

“Yes,” Dodeca said, “All of us are. Even the Dorucanthos family.”

Evancar scratched his chin.

“I've heard of you,” he said, “A prominent merchant family, from the Qualladian Paradigm, yes?”

Dodeca nodded.

“Yes,” she said, “My... father, is in charge of the family business. He brought us here, after a few deals went south.”

“New Ludaya's an investment,” Nasir said.

“To be blunt, yes,” Dodeca said, “He brought the entire family here. My siblings. My niece. I'm sure you'll meet them, in time.”

Wavemaker was bringing up another wave, sending it towards Iandi. Iandi laughed as it rippled beneath him, carrying him further out into the water. With great breaststrokes, he swam back to his little grouping of new friends.

“It's a beautiful place,” Aldreia said, “I'm impressed that you found it. And so close to the Silver Eye.”

“Surprised there aren't any ruins,” Evancar said, scratching his chin, “None at all.”

“We were... lucky,” Dodeca said.

Evancar looked over at her.

“How long has New Ludaya been in forecast?” he asked.

“I'm not sure,” Dodeca said, “All I know is that it will leave forecast in about a decade.”

“Ten years, right under the Federation's nose?” Evancar said, “That's a risky business. Especially when the other side is the Silver Eye itself.”

Dodeca glowered down at him.

“I assure you,” she said, “New Ludaya is perfectly safe. Impellia III is in one of the most distant parts of the galaxy. And even if the Federation does come, we will be ready.”

There was a sureness to her voice.

(Though she did not feel it in her heart.)

“...I see,” Evancar said, “You have the Warrior class.”

“All New Ludayans are required to undergo military training,” Dodeca said, “Even the Workers. Even those of us still sleeping.”

“S-Sleeping?” Aldreia asked, tilting her head.

“Those metahumans who have yet to awaken,” Dodeca said, “Ah, those of who don't have their powers yet.”

“Joe used to be like that,” Nasir noted, “When he first arrived. He went meta on his first job.”

Dodeca's nose curled.

“A crass term,” she said.

“Oh,” Nasir said, “Apologies.”

Now Iandi was picking up one of the children now, lifting her onto his broad shoulders. She was letting out squeals of delight as Iandi threw her into the water.

Evancar was biting his thumb, lost in thought. He adjusted his glasses.

“It is so odd,” he said, “This place is pristine. And seems to be on a long-term forecast. You're... you're sure it hasn't ever been inhabited before? Not even an old Fedtek outpost?”

Dodeca's brow furrowed. It took her a long moment before she spoke again.

“...No,” she said, “Not as far as the nation is aware.”

***

The day turned to night. The sun on New Ludaya wavered and dipped below the mountains. The plane was a geocentric one – the sun orbited the earth, flat as it was, a disc floating in a pool of space. The stars, it had been identified, were glowing beetles that crawled on the inner surface of the plane. Such beetles were native to other parts of the multiverse, were said to infest other similar planes. They hardly moved, these planet-sized beings.

There were discussions in the Council, of eventually moving to settle atop them. The ancient Epochians had been able to do so, once upon a time. So why not now?

But that was a debate for another day.

We should describe Analyza. Small and scrawny, despite being thirty-two years of age. She was dark-skinned, with frazzled hair and eyes with square-shaped pupils, a result of her metahuman power to understand and break down the components of anything she cast her gaze upon. The walls, to her, were not simply walls. They were forty percent wooden and forty percent stone, twenty percent glass, with a few other miscellaneous materials that had no bearing on the structure as a whole. The wind was not simply wind, but rather a mixture of gasses and microscopic debris, oxygen and carbon dioxide and bits of dust and sand and seeds from the many trees on the plane.

She was of the Worker class, and as such was involved in the building of new homes for the New Ludayans. Her metapower was used to great effect here. But it was exhausting work, and she found herself wiped as she got home to her little brickwork home, leaning back on the couch and warming her hands and feet at the fireplace.

She ate dinner alone, though she left some of it for Pocket, when she got home. Soup boiled quietly on the stove, meat and corn floating in a savory broth. Analyza did nothing but wait for her wife to come home, staring intently at the fire, mentally picking at each and every chemical and every gas that the flames created.

Then, at last, the door opened. Pocket walked inside, groaning. She was tall, and her body was covered in a series of slits – individual portals to pocket dimensions. In truth, Analyza's wife was a walking armory, brimming with weapons from across the multiverse, Fedtek plasma weaponry, kinetic rifles, blades and axes, spears and bows, even a Banetech grenade from the now-glassed Umulus Amulus. Analyza heard her move over into the kitchen, ladle out some soup into a bowl. Then, Pocket walked over and sidled next to her on the couch. There were deep rings under her eyes as she ate.

“Long day?” Analyza said.

“Mmm.”

“What'd you do, Pock?”

“Guarded the Traveling Point,” Analyza said, “Ran some scans on the surrounding sectors. The usual.”

She rubbed her temple. Looked at Analyza for a few moments, hesitant about something.

Then…

“...Ana,” she said, “Do you remember Death Valley?”

“Of course I do, ya dummy,” Analyza said, though there was a tremor to her voice, “Who could forget?”

“There was a metahuman there. Joseph Zheng. With Meloche and Oliphant.”

Oliphant. Just the name of the man from Prime sent a ripple up Analyza's spine. She nodded, gulping.

“Yeah. He isn't here, is he?”

“He is. And so is Becenti,” Pocket said, “Just wanted to warn you, in case you run into him.”

“We already ran into Meloche,” Analyza said, “We broke bread with him. We're fine now.”

Pocket was quiet. Analyza knew she was in the past, recalling those final moments facing Oliphant. Her begging Oliphant to spare her wife. The empty look in the man's eyes, this second coming of Silver Arthur. Analyza had grown up on Prime. She knew of Silver Arthur's deeds, his heroism.

She had seen none of that in the new leader of the Silver Knights.

“And how was your day, my love?” Pocket said.

“Oh, it was nothing,” Analyza said, “Worked on building up a few new houses. Had an audience with Lord Freak about a couple samples he provided to me for study. It was fine. Nothing really happened, nothing...”

She let out a heavy sigh, leaned her head against Pocket's shoulder.

“...What are we doing, Pock?” she said, “This whole charade?”

Pocket glanced at her wife.

“Oh?”

“I just...” Analyza sighed, “It feels so weird. I don't like it.”

“You don't like being here, with me?” Pocket mused, smiling.

“N-No!” Analyza said, “It's not you. It's never you. Don't you even joke about that, don't...”

She was working herself up, hyperventilating. Pocket stroked her head, soothing her. After a few minutes, Analyza calmed down. She closed her eyes.

“It just feels weird,” she said, “Being here. Not traveling.”

“We could leave, if you want,” Pocket said.

“But you wanted to stay here,” Analyza said, “Didn't you?”

Pocket nodded. She took a moment to think, taking another spoonful of soup.

“I was tired of running,” she stated.

“I was too,” Analyza said, “But...”

She hesitated. Pocket was staring at the fire now.

“Say your piece, love,” she said.

Analyza sighed again.

“It's just difficult,” she said, “It's like, we're here now, and everyone keeps saying that we're safe. That we're not going anywhere. But I can't shake off the feeling. We talked about it before, right?”

“The rabbit runs,” Pocket said.

“The rabbit runs,” Analyza repeated, “Yeah. Like...”

She looked up at the ceiling. Towards their bedroom on the second floor. The ceiling was eighty percent wood, taken from a few oaks just down the road, along with twenty percent metal produced by a metahuman with the power to transmute wind into steel.

“I haven't unpacked my suitcase, Pock.”

“Ana, we've been here for six months,” Pocket said, her voice soft.

“I know,” Analyza said, “I just... it's been a while, since we've stayed somewhere this long.”

“You aren't scared, are you?”

“Maybe a bit?” Analyza said, “But... it's not that. It just feels like we're going to be leaving any day now. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe give it another week. And then I see that we've built a house and we're at a fireplace and we're sitting here like any other married couple. Next thing you know, my pocket-pocked friend, we'll be talking about having kids.”

Pocket snorted. She covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.

“You know it's true!” Analyza said, giggling.

Pocket put her bowl down, then moved closer and kissed Analyza. It felt like the first time, when they were two lost teenagers on the run.

(It always did.)

“You know I love you, right?” Pocket said.

“Promise?”

“Only if you do,” Pocket said.

They crossed pinkies. Like they had, way back when. They had decided to wear their wedding rings there, too, a decision that they had made, unspoken, on their wedding day.

“I'm not scared, Pock,” Analyza said.

“I know,” Pocket said, “And I know it's an adjustment. It is for me, too. But give it time. I have a good feeling about this place.”

They settled back together. Added a few more logs to the fire. Told each other about the rest of their day. Analyza went to bed early, leaving Pocket alone on the couch. She took out a book from inside one of her pockets, picking up where she had left off.

(Noting, silently, almost as a confession, that she had not unpacked either.)

***

“So, Mr. Zheng,” Becenti said, “What do you think of the place?”

They had eaten dinner separately – Joseph with Fractal and Meloche, Becenti with Luminary up in her room. Two different experiences. Becenti's meal had been cooked by Luminary's personal chef, and was an affair of spicy meats and a far too extravagant soup. Joseph's had a sandwich and fries at the bar.

The two of them were outside now, in the forest, fairy lights dancing among the trees. Music was playing in the distance, and they could hear people laughing around them. They saw the silhouetted form of Iandi as he and a gaggle of children, led by two teenagers, paraded around the forest. Nasir was watching them with Evancar, the archaeologist biting his thumb in thought.

“It's not bad,” Joseph said, “I like the drinks. Everyone I've met has been chill.”

“But...?”

Joseph raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he said.

“You have your reservations,” Becenti said.

Joseph sighed, leaning back on his stump. He scratched his arm, thinking.

“It's just not exactly my speed,” he said, “Like, I get it. For you, this is your dream, right?”

“I have a few... observations,” Becenti said, “The class system here can be turned sideways, but I'm reserving judgment on that for now.”

“Yeah, it's a bit awkward,” Joseph said, “Our guide, Dodeca, seemed to really rankle at it. And if I were to live here, I'd be upset too, if I wasn't able to do the job that I wanted.”

“You'd likely be a Warrior,” Becenti said.

“And that's all well and good,” Joseph said, “I can fight. That's one of the big things I do, isn't it?”

He smiled, though it was a tad forced.

“Maybe it's because the guild got to me first,” he said, “I look here, and I get the vibes. But when I think of home, it's with Rosemary and the others.”

He noted Becenti staring at him.

“...What?”

“Odd, that you mention Ms. Rosemary first, of everyone in the guild,” Becenti said.

Joseph reddened.

“Whatever, man,” he said, and his smile became meek.

Becenti laughed to himself, letting his protege squirm. He settled in as he looked out into the forest.

“It is... beautiful, Joseph,” he said, “I've seen the Council. I've seen what they've built here.”

“And you like it?” Joseph asked.

“There are a couple things that could be worked on,” Becenti said, “The structure of the Council is... odd. Very ceremonial, and not enough voices in the pool, I think. I'll need to ask Luminary how each member was decided.”

“Not very democratic,” Joseph said.

“There was a metahuman, Lunus Oculus-”

“She's here?” Joseph said, sitting up straight.

“Why, yes,” Becenti said, “Do you know her?”

“We met during-” Joseph winced, “...During that time I was out. With Rosemary and Phineas.”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Ah,” Becenti said, “Yes. Well, Lunus Oculus seemed determined.”

“And what'd she say?” Joseph asked.

“She had some concerns over the way the Worker class was being used,” Becenti said, “When you're building a nation, Mr. Zheng, it's healthy to voice your opinion. Everyone should have a seat at the table.”

“Yeah,” Joseph said, “That's all a bit beyond me.”

“Is it?” Becenti said, and he leaned in, “Tell me, Joe. What are your thoughts?”

“I'm not a philosopher, Becenti.”

“But you are alive,” Becenti said, “That means something, doesn't it?”

Joseph looked at him, then sighed.

“I don't know,” he said, “All I want is to make sure the people I... that the people I love-”

(He stumbled over this word, for it was still difficult for him to voice it.)

“That the people I love are safe,” Joseph said, “That they're able to, I don't know. Wake up. And eat breakfast. And laugh. Play games. I don't know.”

“It's a good start, Mr. Zheng,” Becenti said, “Sometimes freedom is just being able to do what everyone else does, and not being killed for it.”

Joseph nodded at that.

“...If the Federation comes here,” he said, “What will you do?”

It was a question that he knew had been in the back of the older metahuman's head. Becenti pursed his lips, and there was an uncharacteristic bob to his knee as he thought.

“I'll negotiate with them,” Becenti said, “Talk to them. Make Valm see sense.”

“That didn't work out last time, did it?” Joseph said.

Becenti looked hard at him.

“I did what I could,” he said, “I got a bunch of us out before Old Ludaya was glassed. I begged Valm to let them go. For the most part, he allowed me to.”

Joseph studied Becenti's face. In the distance, Nasir was approaching Iandi.

“Alright, kid,” he said, “It's getting to be late. Let's get to bed.”

“Oh, no!” Iandi said, “I don't like bed.”

“Look at the sun, it's gone now,” Nasir said, “And you know the rules. Five hours after sundown, then it's bedtime.”

Iandi gave Nasir a sorrowful look.

“One more?” Iandi said, “Please, one more.”

The old tracker grimaced, looked at his guildmate, then to the children surrounding him, climbing him like a jungle gym. Then, he sighed.

“Alright, kid,” he said, “Just one more.”

Becenti and Joseph watched as Iandi let out a guffawed “Hooray!” and started ambling with his new friends.

“Someone's having fun, at least,” Becenti said.

“Are you not... having fun, here?” Joseph asked.

Becenti smiled, though it did not hide the flash of misery on his face.

“It is good to see Luminary again,” he said, “But it comes with hard memories, Joseph. The last time I saw her was at Old Ludaya.”

Joseph was quiet, letting his mentor continue.

“...This isn't the first time she's tried this, you know,” Becenti said, “This business of building a nation. We tried building something, during the war.”

“Back when the Sons of Darwin were invading the Silver Eye.”

“Invading everywhere, Mr. Zheng,” Becenti said, “It seemed like every plane back then was under his influence, to some level. I didn't just fight as a soldier back then. I was a guerilla fighter on some planes. A naval commander on others. I even flew biplanes on Kelstonda.”

He looked up at Joseph.

“And I did so under the flag of the High Federation.”

“Shit,” Joseph said. He had known of this, of course, but to hear the old man say it…

“It was logical,” Becenti said, “The High Federation was – is – the most powerful state in the known multiverse. They were the ones fighting the Darwinist threat, and they were organizing other planes in order to stop his advance across all of reality. It was there that I met Luminary.”

“She was a soldier, too.”

“Yes,” Becenti said, “We fought together, along with Captain Kristandi, Rhunea, and Oliander, throughout the multiverse. And when we did, it was as though the High Federation didn't exist. That it was just us against a thousand worlds.”

He let out a dry laugh.

“And you drafted up Ludaya back then, right?” Joseph asked.

“It was her idea,” Becenti said, “Luminary, she and I talked long into the night about the old kingdoms. About Epochia. Much of my knowledge about metahuman history and culture, comes from her.”

“She gave you her books, didn't she?”

“A few,” Becenti said, “The ones that mattered. She helped me with translating the old languages. She's not like me, Joseph. She was born in the knowledge of Epochia. She knew, from the day of her birth, what kingdom she was descended from. When she came to me with the idea of Ludaya, I was ecstatic. We found a plane, an uninhabited one, far from the eyes of the Federation. We started bringing people in.”

He smiled.

“Old Ludaya was beautiful, Joseph. In its way. It was primarily a desert, though we stuck to a series of oases that marked the plane. That's what 'Ludaya' means, in First Epochian. 'Oasis.'”

He drew silent, and Joseph knew that Becenti's mind was turning elsewhere. To darker memories.

“...What happened?” Joseph asked.

“What do you think?” Becenti said, “The Federation had known about our project. It turns out, they had always known. Someone must have let it slip. We must have made some sort of mistake. But they allowed us to build our little nation for the duration of the war. And then, when the war was over, when the Manticore was imprisoned and the Darwinists were scattered...”

He took a shuddering breath. Had to control himself, his shaking hands.

“The Federation returned back to its old status quo. Old Ludaya was glassed. Almost everyone there was killed, save for those we could pack onto Kristandi's ships.”

He looked to be on the verge of tears. Becenti stood up, started pacing. In the distance, someone was crying. One of the children had accidentally fallen off of Iandi, and they were on the ground holding their leg. Iandi was kneeling over them, scooping them up in his arms to bring them to their nearby mother.

“Fuck,” Joseph said, “I'm sorry.”

“It was long ago, Joseph,” Becenti said.

The child's mother took them into her arms, and her voice caught on the wind, her soothing song as she looked at the bruise on her child's leg.

“What can we do, Mr. Zheng, but try again?”

***

The night wore on.

…

…

There was a hole in the ground in the middle of the forest. Deceptively hidden, it in truth led to a natural stone ramp that curved deep into the earth, almost fifty feet down.

Thankfully, it was not vertical, and although it could potentially be dangerous, if one were to fall in, they would not have too much trouble climbing back out. What mattered for Lunus Oculus's little gathering of friends was that no one ventured this deep into the wood, or those that did, did not know of the cave's existence.

The ramp led down towards a shallow underground pool, with a short roof only around four feet above the water's surface. In order to get to the next part of the cave, which was a large cavern, one had to go onto their hands and knees and crawl through the frigid pool, keeping all but their head underneath the water. It was harsh work, though there was a small fire that was kept eternally going by Glow, who made this place their home. They also possessed a few magic spells, collected from their travels across the multiverse, to dry people off as they arrived.

They were perhaps the oldest of the gathering. Their metahuman awakening had converted them into a being of bioluminescent moss, humanoid in shape, and were it for their DNA still reading the metagene, one would be remiss in dismissing them as something non-human altogether. They hardly ever spoke, and it was rumored that they were older than Luminary, who was among the oldest members of New Ludaya.

Beside them was Lunus Oculus herself, and the drink she had was a bitter wine that Tallneck had brought with him. Tallneck himself sat a ways from them. His metahuman power was to have a giraffe's neck – but not its head – leading to an awkward man whose head brushed the ceiling of the cavern. Getting here was misery for him, but he did it, nonetheless, for the sake of secrecy.

Dodeca was there, too, freshly away from giving the newcomers their tour. She sat sourly against one of the walls, sharpening a combat knife. Cowering next to the Dorucanthos was the Giant Northern Termite Queen. Despite her name, she was slight and scrawny, constantly shaking like a chihuahua. She was wearing her usual backless dress, revealing a pockmarked back, for the Giant Northern Termite Queen's back was where her children grew, and ate their way out of her skin. A few of them were in the cave now, crawling on the ceiling, on the walls of the tunnel to the pool, keeping an eye out for newcomers.

She lifted her head.

“Someone approaches,” she said in a soft hiss.

They, as one, looked up. Indeed, if Lunus Oculus strained her ears, she could hear the sound of swishing water coming from the tunnel, the telltale sign that someone was pushing their way through it. Dodeca, despite herself, held her knife ready.

A reptilian metahuman trudged up from the tunnel. Shook himself off, beady eyes looking to and fro, his vision adapting to the darker environment. Glow, for their part, whispered a few words, drying him off.

“Eksonis,” Lunus Oculus said, “You made it.”

“Sorry I'm late,” Eksonis said, moving up to join them by the fire, “Baby's having trouble getting to sleep most nights. I probably shouldn't stay long.”

“Is Kehaulani doing alright?” Lunus Oculus said.

“She's as well as can be,” Eksonis said, and he smiled, “Baby's eating fine. She rests a lot. Says she wishes she were here.”

“Oh, gods, no,” Tallneck said, “You tell her, she can only join when we move to a less miserable meeting place.”

“Tallneck,” Dodeca warned.

“I know, I know!” Tallneck said, “It's for safety, and all of that bitter nonsense, but I tell you, I think I'm coming down with something. There's a chill here that isn't in the rest of the plane. I've already gone to the infirmary three times today, I'll have you know-”

“Not a cold, not a cough,” the Giant Northern Termite Queen said.

“It could be!” Tallneck said.

“Hey, guys, that's enough,” Dodeca said, “We're all here now. And we don't have much time.”

Eksonis gave the Dorucanthos a grateful look, settling in by the fire, bringing a hand up to warm scaled skin. He took a deep breath, before looking at Lunus Oculus.

“You talked to the Council.”

Lunus Oculus nodded.

“I did.”

“What'd they say?”

“The same thing we thought they'd say,” Lunus Oculus said, “They heard my concern, debated about the role of Workers, about the projects under the Seat of War, and then they moved on.”

“Any motion on someone from the Workers being given a seat?” Tallneck asked.

“They said they would talk about it,” Lunus Oculus said.

Dodeca snorted.

“Which is the same thing as a 'no,'” she said, “Trust me, I know my old man. It's the same words he uses when he wants to politely reject a deal.”

They all deflated. Tallneck shook his head, which was obscured by the shadows high above. Eksonis stretched, his maw a thin line. Lunus Oculus took another drink of her wine. Dodeca looked at it.

“What is that stuff?” she asked.

“Tallneck brought it.”

“Ah,” Tallneck said, “It's a wine I managed to trade for, apparently was brought by one of the recent arrivals from Gastronomis.”

“Explains the taste,” Lunus Oculus said, her nose curling.

“Mind if I...?” Dodeca asked.

Lunus Oculus tossed her the bottle. Dodeca unstoppered it, taking a sip. She grimaced.

“Gods,” she said, “Yeah, no, Tallneck, bring the good stuff next time.”

“I happen to like it,” Tallneck said, “It's not my fault you have no taste.”

Dodeca snorted, again.

“We're getting off topic,” Eksonis said, “Lunus, did they say anything else?”

“Not much more,” Lunus Oculus said, “Not anything related to my meeting, anyways. I'll talk with Pauldros about it-”

“Like that will help,” Dodeca grumbled.

“-See if we can't keep pushing them,” Lunus Oculus said.

“See, that's not going to do anything,” Dodeca said, “You know that. Pauldros is like the rest of them. He talks a good game, but he's just going to toe the party line.”

“That's unfair,” Lunus Oculus said, “You can tell that he's listening to our concerns.”

“Is he?” Dodeca said, “Or maybe he's just full of shit, and is out of useful things to do except build more rooms in that godforsaken mountain.”

“Well, it's either him, or Nomatrius,” Lunus Oculus said, her voice a tad heated.

“Right,” Dodeca said, “My dad, the capitalist. He's already thrown in his lot with Luminary. He'll be no help.”

“Then, and you know this, I have to keep pressing Pauldros,” Lunus Oculus growled, “He's the only one who'll move for us!”

“I'm telling you, Lunus,” Dodeca said, “That ain't gonna happen. We have to find other solutions.”

“What other solutions are there?” Lunus Oculus said, and she was standing up now, “What, work outside the system?”

Dodeca gave her an exasperated look.

“Yes!” she said, “Empower the Worker class to make their own decisions, to stand up for themselves. And, if it comes to it, inspire them to stop working. That'll get the Council's attention.”

“You're talking about a general strike,” Eksonis said.

“A general strike that won't work!” Lunus Oculus shouted. The Giant Northern Termite Queen recoiled at the sound.

“Hey, maybe it won't, maybe it will!” Dodeca said, standing, “We won't know until we've tried! It's a hell of a lot better than whatever you've been doing, your groveling to the Council, asking for just a crumb, sir, please, of-”

“Enough,” Glow said.

Lunus Oculus and Dodeca were both standing, glaring, when they stopped. They both turned to Glow, who was simply sitting, a knee against their chest, staring at them.

“You are friends,” they said, “You are comrades. Remember your work. Passion is only useful when it is used well.”

They both grimaced.

“Right,” Lunus Oculus said.

“Sorry, Lunus,” Dodeca said, “...Stressful day.”

They both sat back down. Lunus Oculus let out a heavy sigh.

“We can start talking to others,” she said, “Maybe... Maybe getting more support isn't such a bad idea. Put our general thoughts out to the populace.”

“I can help with that,” Eksonis said, “Kehaulani knows most of the mothers around here. She can start organizing them.”

“I’ve been talking to the other teachers,” Tallneck said, “Meloche and the others. I'm sure they'll come 'round. I'm surprised he's not here, himself.”

“That'll work,” Dodeca said. She slumped against the wall again, flipping her knife in her hand. Lunus Oculus studied her.

“...Long day?” she said.

“Been giving out a tour to a bunch of newcomers,” Dodeca said, “Some fucking guild. Most of 'em aren't even metahumans, except for some old man and a guy named Joseph.”

“J-Joseph?” Lunus Oculus said.

Dodeca looked over at her.

“What, you know him?” she asked.

“I... I met a metahuman named Joseph Zheng awhile back, at St. Malendia's,” Lunus Oculus said, “Same name. He seemed lost.”

“Seemed fine when I talked to him,” Dodeca said, “Split off to meet up with Meloche. It was mostly me babysitting some supersoldier with the mind of a toddler.”

She shook her head.

“The work they put me up to,” she growled, “At least you lot get to use your hands for something.”

They were quiet. Dodeca handed Lunus Oculus back the wine, and the yellow-eyed metahuman took another swig.

And then...

“Someone is coming,” the Giant Northern Termite Queen whispered.

They all started at this, for all of their number were accounted for. But yes, they could hear someone swishing across the claustrophobic tunnel to their meeting place. Dodeca rose, brandishing her knife. Glow began peeling off moss from their arm, molding it into a ball. Lunus Oculus swung the wine bottle around, holding it by its handle, ready to dash it against the wall and brandish it like a shiv.

A figure climbed through the tunnel and rose. He had short hair and was in a sleeveless vest, revealing glowing, rainbow-hued fish scales that shimmered and shined as though they were mirrors to Imagination. He considered them all with an inscrutable look.

“Rainbowfish,” Lunus Oculus said.

“Hey, Lune,” Rainbowfish said, “Nice place you got here.”

Glow whispered a few words, and a spell washed over the Warrior, drying him off. Rainbowfish smiled.

“Thanks, Glow,” he said, “You're looking good.”

Glow shrugged. Rainbowfish looked out at the rest of the cavern.

Noted the positions of everyone there. The scales on his arm shimmered as he walked out of the water.

“What do you want, Rainbowfish?” Dodeca said, “This isn't your usual patrol, is it?”

“No, it's not,” Rainbowfish said, “Just... thought I'd come by, see a few old friends.”

Lunus Oculus smirked at him. Flipped the bottle over to him in offer. Rainbowfish took it, sniffed the lip, then took a drink. He nodded in satisfaction.

“Good stuff,” he said.

“Finally,” Tallneck said, “Someone gets it.”

“What do you want, Rainbowfish?” Dodeca repeated.

Rainbowfish looked at her. Then sighed, relaxing a bit.

“All business, then?” he said, “Is that what your little group's all about? Even with the drink?”

They had quieted down. Were staring at him, none of them daring to say a word. Dodeca was still flipping her knife.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Rainbowfish said, “Look, I'm not here on anyone's orders. Luminary didn't send me, or anything like that.”

“That's well and good,” Lunus Oculus said.

“But... they did mention something to me,” Rainbowfish said, “Something about you causing a stir at the moot today. You said some pretty interesting stuff, from what I hear.”

“And you hear a lot,” Lunus Oculus said.

“I do.”

“How'd you even find us?” Eksonis asked.

“Followed you, actually,” Rainbowfish said, “I know that y'all've been meeting in secret. Lunus and I have had our little talks. I knew y'all were organizing something big. So I decided to tail you, Eksonis.”

The reptilian metahuman let out a low hiss. Rainbowfish shrugged.

“Sorry,” he said.

“Then what are you here for?” Dodeca said, “You, what, want to join us?”

“I want to warn you,” Rainbowfish said, “Listen, when I say you caused a stir, I don't mean it in the positive sense. Word got out. To the Shadow of the Giant and the rest of them.”

“Why would the Warriors be upset?” Eksonis said, “We were merely presenting concerns.”

“Because it's getting in the way of their work, apparently,” Rainbowfish said, “They're drawing conclusions that you might be about to do something drastic, like a general strike, or something.”

They were quiet at that. Rainbowfish took their silence as answer, his eyes widening.

“Oh, you bastards,” he said, “You are, aren't you?”

“It's...” Lunus Oculus chose her words carefully, “It has been suggested.”

“Oh for god's sake, Lune,” Rainbowfish said, and he started pacing, “Really?”

“Rainbowfish, you know that it’s not a good situation out there,” Lunus Oculus said, “You talked to the Shadow of the Giant during the initial move-outs from the lake. You spoke on our behalf.”

“I did,” Rainbowfish said, “But this... this goes beyond that.”

“It'll get their attention,” Dodeca said.

“It'll get the Warriors on you, is what it'll do,” Rainbowfish said, “It'll pull vital resources away from our defense networks. Networks designed to make sure the High Federation doesn't know about us until it's time.”

“...Until it's time?” Lunus Oculus asked.

Rainbowfish grimaced, looked away.

“Slip of the tongue, slip of the voice,” the Giant Northern Termite Queen murmured.

“You think that the High Federation is going to find out about New Ludaya,” Lunus Oculus said.

“Look, it makes logical sense,” Rainbowfish said, “The primary Traveling Point is on a planet in the Silver Eye itself, and I know everyone keeps going on about how it's located at the ass-end of the Outer Reach, but I think they're trying to convince themselves. The Federation will find out. They've got the technology, and the Silver Eye's their home turf.”

He looked hard at them.

“They will find out. And you... riling people up, it's going to keep us divided when that time comes. We won't be a unified nation facing off against our old enemy. Just a bunch of squabbling metahumans, as they've always seen us.”

He sighed.

“As we've always been,” he said.

Dodeca muttered a curse. Lunus Oculus looked hard at Rainbowfish, her old friend. Tallneck shook his head, his entire neck rippling with the movement.

“Then why even come here?” he said, “Why choose this plane at all? Why not go far away, far away from everything, and hide ourselves away? Why are we so damned close to the Federation, if we know they'll come?”

“I...” and Rainbowfish faltered, “I don't know.”

“I mean, it feels foolish,” Tallneck said, “Here we have a nation, one that is growing day by day, a safe haven for metahumans to come to. A place where the High Federation will not harm us. Why, then, did we set up shop in our oppressor's backyard?”

He bent his neck down, lowering slowly, like a crane, so that they could see his face, morose and sad and with sunken cheeks, purple rings beneath the eyes.

“You say that our actions will divide the nation?” he said, “Why not take it a step further. Why do we need to have such rigid defense at all? Not saying that a healthy defense is good, but this... division of ourselves, into Warriors and Workers, this absolute emphasis on a militant lifestyle-”

“-You don't think people should be able to defend themselves?” Rainbowfish said.

“Perish the thought,” Tallneck said, “We have a right to defend ourselves. But this isn't that. This is making militancy a core part of our culture. This is overriding any complaints people will have in the name of the nation's defense. In the short term, perhaps, this is fine. In the long term, this will cause problems, and I think you know this, my good man.”

He moved in closer.

“Which begs the question, why would we choose to be here, in this place that will be discovered, which forces us into the role of haves and have-nots? Why this plane, specifically?”

“It's a virgin plane,” Rainbowfish said, “Pristine and new.”

“Ah, that phrase,” Tallneck said.

They were silent, for a long while. Tallneck continued staring at Rainbowfish, as though challenging him.

“There are the ruins.”

This came from Glow. They were scratching at an arm, not looking at anyone, instead their gaze was on the wall. Rainbowfish broke his gaze from Tallneck, looked over at the old metahuman.

“The... ruins?” he said.

“That's conjecture, Glow,” Lunus Oculus said.

“There are ruins,” Glow said, again, “They are there. This plane is not new. It was inhabited once before.”

“Where did you find them?” Rainbowfish asked, “What are they?”

Glow looked over at him.

“I...” they said, “I don't consider you trustworthy enough to reveal them.”

“Glow, please,” Rainbowfish said, “It's me. It's Rainbowfish. You know me.”

“I know that you are a Warrior, and I am a Worker,” Glow said, “That part of our friendship was severed by coming here.”

Rainbowfish looked like he had been sucker-punched. Lunus Oculus rose, walked over and put a steadying hand on his shoulder.

“Is that it, then?” he said, “Is that... after everything?”

“We are what this nation makes us,” Glow said, “We are-”

“The guild has an archaeologist,” Dodeca said.

They looked over at her.

“Evancar Morandus. He's not a metahuman,” Dodeca said, “But we could take him there. See what he has to say.”

“And you trust him?” Glow asked.

“I think he's annoying,” Dodeca said, “But he's classically trained. Wouldn't stop asking me question after question about this place. He's obviously interested.”

She sighed.

“And... I don't think he believes that this place is 'virgin,' either,” she said, “Ugh. I hate calling it that.”

“And if it's not?” Rainbowfish said, “What then?”

“Then?” Lunus Oculus said, “We go from there.”

She looked hard at Rainbowfish. Her old friend. They had spent a few years traveling together, back when they were younger, two Far Travelers against the multiverse. Her yellow eyes twinkled in the half-light of the cavern.

“I know you may think we're dividing people,” she said, “But division always comes from injustice. And what we see is the beginnings of an unjust system. And we're only a year and a half into this project of nation building.”

“And... you think that finding these ruins, will change anything?” Rainbowfish asked, his voice small.

“If they are ruins, it means the Council is lying to us,” Lunus Oculus said, “What are we, without the truth? Why shouldn't we seek out answers?”

She looked at him hard. Above, the moon shifted. And her eyes changed, from deep yellow to a burning, scarlet red.

“Will you join us?” she asked.

Rainbowfish bit his lip. Considered. Then, nodded.

“I will,” he said.