Pine knelt down next to his captain and thanked the phantom for its aid. The voice warmed his bones, “Get everyone to the training floor, please.” Pine nodded in confirmation. Checking her vitals he heard the phantom sigh with regret before sensing them fade along with the warmth in the hall. As the lights came up and the hallways returned to simply cold steel, Pine opened one of the service tunnels hidden in the wall, there for those who know to look for it. While the service passages were less welcoming and his movement less swift, he still found every hidden hand hold and false wire that created his paths through the ship. Maps planted systematically through the hidden paths with proper diagrams and status panels. Eventually making his way to where he had lead and hidden the doctor, he placed the captain near her.
The doctor finished her final adjustments to a piece of technology and motioned for him to remove his helmet for a moment. Trusting her, he did as she asked and she adjusted the helmet and attached the device. Moments later she produced another machine that seemed to have an array of his language made of light floating above it. Grabbing his hand, she began to attach that as well. She spoke in words he didn’t know but then he heard within his helmet a voice explaining, “I built this translator for you. Your helmet will tell you what we are saying. If you want to talk to us, use this thing in your palm to write it and the device in your helmet will say it in our language.”
He looked at it, amazed by the discreet but glowing display of the device in his palm. Moving his fingers with great dexterity, the machine said, “A glorious gift. I didn’t know anything like this could exist.” The doctor seemed to bounce with joy at her own success but he was quick to state what the phantom had told him. “We need to gather in the Training Room. I will gather the smaller captain. Please bring the other two.”
The doctor looked at the bandaged and unconscious rogue as well as the captain. She nodded, “Yeah. Dean will be able to explain what happened.” She did a brief check of the two’s health before taking a deep breath and lifting the two out of the maze of tunnels. An elevator would be much better than her own legs. Pine for his part returned to the tunnels and down through the panel that he had previously gathered the intruder.
As he landed among the bright lights, seeking the trail of the smaller captain. Sensing something fast moving from behind, he stepped to the side and jumped backwards to get behind the assailant. When he saw it was the smaller captain he fidgeted with the device on his palm. She took another swing with one of the devices he had used earlier and he jumped away again. Watching her he realized her eyes were closed and the device was not sparking. Realizing how distressed she had become from the events. Striking carefully and with mercy, he grabbed her ‘weapon’ and struck her hard in the sternum. As she fell limp and dropped the weapon, he caught her and carried her out of the chamber on his shoulder, sad that today has carried so much violence against his new family. Asina’s tenants soothed him, that when in the midst of madness, a restraining hand is a mercy.
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As Dean finished his work, he opened the door to the training chamber and was surprised to see Pine and Tak standing there with the other three just beginning to stir. He suspected that it meant something had happened, but before he could say anything, his project spoke, “Alright, Everyone pile in. We have a lot to discuss before I verbally flay Dean.” He felt a chill and turned to stare at the figure who he had thought was a reasonable replica. But hearing that and seeing the state his friends were in, he suspected that this project had been too successful. As everyone stood up, the incapacitated all reacted to Tak. Katsi in hesitant terror, Gavin seemed to ready something in his palm, and Anisa looked ready to pounce. Pine stood between them and Tak, motioning them all to be at peace. Yeah... He probably deserved what came next.
As everyone stepped in, Anisa froze in the doorway, staring at the figure in chamber. The figure shook his head and motioned her in and she slowly cooperated. Dean looked like a defeated child standing next to his father. Tak stared in excited disbelief. The figure finally spoke, “Alright, so. Rookie here was inspired by the clone’s little stunt and figured that if he was going you all could use some help.” He sighed as his long coat flowed behind him, “So, dumbass used the phoenixian crystal and the geo stone along with all the processing power of the entire ship.” He turned and shouted at Dean, almost seeming to grow in size as he did so, “INCLUDING MY COFFEE MACHINE!!” Dean’s posture shrank back from what was obviously not going to be stopping soon, “To make a cheap knockoff of the man who screwed reality and put you all in this position. I’m stuck here in the training room like any other training dummy.”
Tak asked, her excitement fading somewhat, “So is this like a live feed or…”
He shook his head, “An emotional snapshot. I’ve got all his memories and feelings at the exact moment I was replicated. But I’m just that. A replica. Still, when this ship was saturated with the energy from the crystal I was able to visit each of you. Problem was only two of you were receptive, and one of you only due to deep seated trauma. While watching you and the various status panels on the ship, I’ve come to a decision.” He said firmly, as though it was undeniable fact, “You are all children who need training.”
Dean moved to speak in their defense but was motioned silent. Gavin scoffed, “Buddy, I’ve been smuggling around the galaxy for years and-”
“And you have been running the entire time.” Gavin froze at the statement when the man said with immense force and weight, “You got jumped by a girl with a hammer and all you could do was run away?”
The smuggler growled, “I was trying to get my equipment. She hit me in the head by surprise-”
“Yes. But you were running towards all kinds of hiding places. Even if you grabbed a weapon you would have done nothing to save this ship or your friends. You would have protected yourself. Hidden until you could escape and then find a new life. That is weakness.” He pointed at Katsi, “And you! Your sister you claim to love, that you traveled into deep space with, who you have never stopped trying to reach out to. You see her kill someone as a monster and you breakdown crying? It is no wonder you lost so many friends! You never fought to save them!”
Katsi charged the figure and attempted to slap him only for her arm to be grabbed before she was thrown to the ground. Dean took a swing at him only to get a mule kick to the gut. Before anyone else could act to defend her he growled, “If you had shown this same spirit back then instead of playing, you wouldn’t be blaming yourself for their deaths.” She glared at him, tears streaming down her face. He looked at Anisa and spoke firmly, “I understand better than either of you two do, but speaking to the beast within you, if you value nothing but your goal then all your sacrifices mean nothing. As for Ani, you don’t have the strength to live the life I gave you. We will fix that.”
Staring at Tak, she shrunk back, worried about what he would say about her. He did something worse. Simply shaking his head in disappointment at her. Approaching Pine, he placed a hand on the young warrior and seemed to be trying to get a read on him. Pine bowed respectfully again and used the device mounted in his palm, “Thank you again, phantom.”
He sighed in annoyance before saying, “You are untouched snow. Unmarked and without bias.” He then turned away, “All of you, this young man has no focus. No aim for his mind and heart. And yet he dealt with this situation better than any of you. Do you know why?”
Gavin growled, “Because he is sheltered and naive.”
He waited to be corrected, but Shawn seemed to nod in unexpected approval. “Not a bad word for it. Not entirely accurate, but in the ballpark.” Gavin shook his head in disbelief when Dean stood up, checking on Katsi as he nodded in agreement. “This man may lack focus but he knows who he is. He has certainty. When the world throws the impossible his way, he remains certain of himself and his ideals. All of you are entering into a larger world. From what Dean has said, it seems that you have people chasing you who have certainty. They know what you have. They will be where you are going. If you do not free yourself of doubt, your journey will end at your next destination. Full stop.”
Gavin looked ready to debate him but Dean stood up and explained, “This may be a replica and he will kick my ass into a supernova if he ever finds out I did this, but this is the man who inspired those who founded the Original Cosmic Patrol. He is the man who slayed the original Falos Emperor in moments. He is the man who fought a shuian invasion to a standstill. He has fought Batta for literal days without rest. Pirates feared him and countless heroes idolized him.” He sighed, the projection’s expression telling him to be honest with them, “And no one knows more about letting your doubts and pain getting in your way then him. He is a jerk, an ass, and I don’t think he even knows what manners are. He lived every day asking himself if he was doing the right thing. So when he tells you this, it is from experience.”
The projection nodded, “And before any of you get too defensive, I need to revisit Dean’s training as well. Because if he brought me into existence, he clearly is struggling as well.” His face softened some, “Look, I’m not the real deal, but for what it matters, I’m sorry if my decision made the cosmos a worse place. I would like to help you put it right.”