Space politics

The classroom was deathly quiet, each Vagabond sitting in their respective spots. The sheer shock of the assembly burned in their minds, the news still ringing in Nameless’s ears. In his trembling hands, he held Captain Spider’s medal. They had been waiting in the darkroom for hours, impatiently awaiting word from the task-forces that had gone to retrieve the bodies from the Zeta Massacre.

The door opened, and Thaddeus walked in alongside Cirilla.

“Where is he?” Julia jolted up, stomping forward.

Thaddeus hung his head.

“They could not find his body, my dear,” Cirilla said solemnly.

“Then he’s alive,” Julia said halfheartedly.

“Why was he on Zeta?” Nameless growled.

The room looked at him.

“He could still be alive,” Julia stammered. “he-he could be hiding; the little fucker was always so small, there’s no way he would die like that.”

“Why. Was. He. On. Zeta?” Nameless slowly pronounced.

“I don’t know, my dear boy,” Thaddeus sighed.

“Don’t call me that. I said he wasn’t on Zion. I told you that probably a hundred times,” Nameless seethed.

“He jumped from so many worlds, the scryers couldn’t track his location. It’s not my husband's nor yours nor anyone else’s fault that he disappeared.” Cirilla said solemnly.

“Fine. Why was he bouncing around the cosmos?” Nameless asked hotly.

“We don’t know,” Thaddeus exclaimed angrily.

Nameless looked at Lion. The man was sitting on a desk, his hand covering his lower face, arms crossed, his orange eyes studying the professors like slabs of meat. They made eye contact, and Lion shook his head.

“Get out,” Nameless spat.

“Excuse me?” Cirilla snapped.

“I am also a Vagabond lad; his death pains me just as much as you,” Thaddeus said.

“Get,” Nameless said slowly, his eyes glowing gold, “Out.”

The professors looked at each other, then nodded, exiting the room.

“Wanna let us in on whatever that was?” Aj asked.

“They’re lying,” Lion said.

“Carla died with me in a trap I could have prevented. Hera almost died because of my orders. Both of their blood is on my hands, and I will never forgive myself for that. But they were hurt on Martian soil for a just cause. For us all. Now, these Zion fuckers get Spider killed. And they’re lying,” Nameless spat.

“How do you know they’re lying?” Sammy asked softly.

“Fuck boy here, can literally smell lies,” Nameless head nodded to Lion.

“Bullshit,” Julia laughed darkly.

“Everyone, tell him two truths and one lie,” Nameless sighed.

“Fine. I taught Nameless how to read; my favorite flavor of Mars-shine is grape, and my favorite color is red,” Julia spat.

“I built my first rifle; I’m a damn good pilot; my favorite camp girl was Sammy,” Aj said.

“My mother sold me to mama Jockus; I studied medicine with the chapel nurses, and my favorite music is Mars rock,” Sammy sighed.

“I was in trenches since I was a little boy. I killed my first man at age eight. Moder Russia’s sector of Marz is beast,” Anatolievich said.

“My aunt founded the Listeners of Mars; my favorite dish she made was duck; I have a girlfriend back home,” Mai said.

Lion flared his nostrils, inhaling deeply with his eyes closed. He opened them.

“Your favorite color aint red; you didn’t build your first rifle, it’s a no for whatever Mars rock is, didn’t kill your first dude at eight, you commie psycho, and Mai definitely doesn’t have a girlfriend,” Lion shrugged.

“Dear gods,” Julia gasped.

“Holy shit,” Aj said, startled.

Anatolievich grinned while Mai laughed.

“Where was this guy when we were fighting the big city?” Mai chortled.

“What part were they lying about, Lion?” Julia asked softly.

He sighed.

“The scent wasn’t strong, so not outright lying. Best guess if they have a strong theory that hasn’t been proven yet on why he was out there,” Lion said.

“So, you can’t tell what the truth is; just know when someone lies,” Sammy said.

“Yup,” Lion grunted. “This whole place smells like a dump to me. Why do you think I drink so damn much?”

“We need someone guarding Hera around the clock. If Thaddeus and Cirilla don’t even let us in on what’s going on, I don’t trust those nurses,” Nameless said darkly. “Any volunteers?”

“I’ll go,” Sammy said firmly.

“I call the second watch,” Julia nodded.

“Cool, we’ll make the rotation from there until Hera wakes up. After that, we need to figure out how we’re going to escape Zion,” Nameless grumbled.

“Hold on there, cowboy, you forget about the whole ass terrorist army dunking on our military?” Lion asked.

“I don’t give a fuck about these people. We only came here to better ourselves so we could protect Mars,” Nameless said hotly.

Lion shook his head.

“I wish Rachel was here; she’s better at explaining what happens when planets leave Zion,” Lion grumbled.

“We don’t need Earthers or anyone from Zion telling us how to run our world,” Julia said hotly.

“Okay,” Lion said, “let’s all use our imaginations here, guys. Imagine all those worlds, like yours, out there. Okay? Now, imagine a nice, really, really big brick wall surrounding them. That wall is Zion. On the other side of the wall is all the nasty shit in this big, big universe that wants to skull fuck planets like yours.”

“We can handle whatever is out there,” Aj said hotly.

Lion laughed.

“Buddy, my species is literally a few million year old, type three civilization. Our empire spans hundreds of planets. Wanna know why it took us so long to get to type three? The big nasty shit out there turning our planets into graveyards. If Zion hadn’t come along, I’d probably still be swinging around a stick,” Lion said.

“So, what, we just stay here and keep dying for these people?” Mai asked.

“Nah, but I am saying ‘stay here and get as much as you can out of these people’. Learn their tricks, figure out portals, scrying, particle manipulation, and build your strength. Then tell them to go fuck off. Just like my people.

“The whole point of this operation is to train you guys to stand on your own two feet. That way, you can defend yourselves and help out other worlds too. Just like what my people do,” Lion offered.

A thought crossed Nameless’s mind. A memory from what Thaddeus had told him on Mars.

“What does XM-801 do to you? Physically,” Nameless asked.

“Bro, I ain’t a professor,” Lion chortled.

“In your own words,” Nameless nodded.

Lion shrugged.

“Rewrites your DNA so you can do some crazy powerful shit. Why?” Lion asked.

“How valuable are planets with large deposits of the stuff?” Nameless asked.

Julia’s eyes widened.

“Stupid valuable. If the bad guys find out, they’ll take that shit soon as possible,” Lion said.

Nameless looked at Julia.

“They’re leading us around in circles so they can have Mars,” He said darkly.

“Kill the council of Mars off one by one, so nothing stops them from taking it,” She sighed.

“Am I missing something?” Lion asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Few hundred years back, our planet had a huge war. Nearly wiped us out. But I remember entire units of Particle Manipulators fighting each other over our resources before we got glassed,” Nameless said.

“History repeats itself,” Mai said.

“I’ll bet you my life savings; Mr. Eyes and Mama Jockus were a part of the Dark Axium,” Nameless nodded.

Aj gasped.

“Bro,” He said.

“They could use dark energy, and Thaddeus had been sent there to overthrow them. Our little slave revolt was just their cover. We’re so stupid; I actually thought they just wanted to help,” Nameless spat.

“How much of the dose we talking here?” Lion asked.

“Enough for Zion to intervene twice,” Julia sighed.

Lion whistled.

“Ya know, I still have connections with my people. You need allies beyond your solar system, but who says they have to be Zion?” Lion offered. “The milky way is only a hop and a skip away from Alpha Centauri.”

“Right. The empire of perfect people is so much more trustworthy than the dimension-hopping professors,” Julia scoffed.

“Correction, girly, the empire who beat Zion’s ass five times in wars that almost wiped out all life in the universe are more trustworthy than the dimension-hopping professors,” Lion said, pointing his finger. “You guys don’t remember your past lives, but I fought in those wars. The humans always fought alongside us; if you guys hadn’t been factory reset every few millennia, you humans would probably have a bigger empire than us by now.”

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“What do you mean?” Sammy asked.

“Okay, so we all know that there’s only life on Earth typically in most dimensions with humans, right?” Lion asked.

“There is?” Aj asked hotly.

“Ignore him; continue,” Julia rolled her eyes.

“In my first few lives, you guys weren’t from Earth. You guys came from Venus and her moons. Yeah, each planet in your solar system has varying temperatures and ecosystems, but there used to be life and water on most of your guys’ planets. The warships of the milky way used to drive fear into galaxies merely by passing,” Lion waved his hands.

“So, Zion has been neutering us every few millennia?” Nameless arched an eyebrow.

“Less neutering, more just letting it happen when they didn’t get their way. Take my hint? Don’t piss these white hairs off. You ain’t ready for that smoke from deep space,” Lion said darkly.

“That’s why Earth mythology has so many floods and doomsdays in their rhetoric,” Julia sighed.

“Bingo,” Lion nodded, pointing his finger.

“These white hairs aren’t human, really, are they?” Mai asked.

“Nah, the professors definitely are. But the actual rulers of Zion? Hell no. They’re a type four civilization that created the portal ladder; now, they just use more primitive species to do their dirty work. That way, they can lay around all day doing whatever hyper-advanced bullshit they get up to. We call them Etherals.

“The humans were the first to revolt against the big guys before Zion. Think of it like the factory workers went past the line boss and went straight to the owners. The Etherals oversee the assembly line. You humans went right past them. And you guys got your shit rocked. That war caused a power vacuum, and the Etherals stepped in, created Zion.

“Then my people, the Laydren, rebelled, and the humans helped. We never forgot that. We’ve been watching y’all and intervening without stepping on Zion’s toes as much as possible. Now, you got the Etherals in charge of Zion, and the big baddies from deep space they hold back, which you humans tried to fight, and failed horribly. They call the shots on all human planets. The Etherals are the hidden hand that guides your civilization, trying to make sure another big ass war never happens again.

“Which is why I’m here. Let’s just say your little vagabond group caught the attention of more than just the council of Zion,” Lion chuckled.

“Bullshit,” Nameless snarled.

“Nothing you said makes sense. We’re just mercenaries from Mars for the Gods’ sake!” Julia said.

“Buddy, your boyfriend over there drank ten people’s worth of XM and didn’t evaporate. And he can remember his past lives, extremely rare for humans. The last time that happened, we were fighting the Gurgen together,” Lion chuckled.

“Okay, I’m confused about this timeline. You said we fought together before Zion. That this place was formed after everything went nuts,” Nameless said.

“Yeah.”

“So where was this type four civilization? The Etherals,” Nameless asked.

“Big dogs fall, the small dogs take the hill, know what I mean? They’ve always been there; they just didn’t like their odds going toe to toe with us. Besides, Type four civilizations rarely leave their little bubbles unless the outcome is absolutely in their favor both strategically and financially,” Lion smiled.

“What constitutes a type four civilization?” Mai asked.

Lion sighed.

“Type one, nukes, spaceships, all the stuff you guys have. Type two, space travel, outer colonies, much longer life span. Type three and four: Dyson spheres, black hole control, time travel, and all the hokey stuff they make movies about. Type five technically has dominion of the multiverse. Only one civilization has gotten that far in recorded history, and they vanished after the collapse.

Anyway, as each civilization evolves, its population shrinks. I’ll bet good money whoever is in charge of Zion is just a bunch of brains in a pool or some kind of single mind A.I hive mind. Who knows, man?” Lion spoke, shrugging.

“This is nuts,” Julia sighed.

“Welcome to space politics!” Lion laughed. “What, did you guys just think it was like the movies? Ships zipping at light speed across the cosmos, big galactic parliament, etc. Nah, hombre, there are pulleys and levers to this. You can’t just cross trillions of light-years with engines; you gotta warm whole that shit, using dark matter as highways. We all just call it portals, but it's way more complex than that.

“The first one there gets to monopolize that; the rest of us get to writhe in the dirt trying to carve out something for ourselves. We got there first, then we fell, and now Zion is the king of the hill. For now.”

“My head hurts.” Aj groaned.

“You guys are handling this exceptionally well,” Lion laughed.

“Well, considering our kid brother got killed on some other dimension, everything you said doesn’t sound completely nuts,” Nameless sighed.

“Look, if you guys don’t believe me, wait until Rachel gets back. Her Earth said fuck you to Zion; she witnessed what happens when deep space pays a visit. That’s all I’m gonna say,” Lion said.

“Can we trust her?” Julia asked.

Lion stared, then roared with laughter.

“Oh wait, you're serious. Hold on, imma laugh harder.”

Lion slapped his knee, holding his stomach as he laughed.

Julia grimaced.

“Look,” Lion wiped a tear. “It ain’t a question of if y’all can trust her; it’s a matter of if she’ll trust you guys. That girl will tear up a professor quicker than your little club can. Luckily for you, she trusts me, and I like you guys. So, if you guys aren’t dickheads about your little VIP Martian circle jerk, everything will be cool.”

“I would be careful about insulting the sons and daughters of Mars,” Anatolievich grunted.

“Shut up, 80s movie villain,” Lion said nonchalantly. “Nobody cares what fucked up place you came from here. Half of these poor kids don’t have homes to go back to, some were made in labs, and others are trying to save their worlds from deep space.

“Shit, you wanna compare dick sizes? I’m a warrior monk who ‘gave up’ being an intergalactic prince so I could come here and eat shit with you whiny mofos.”

“Sure don’t act religious,” Julia snarled.

“I honor my religion by killing badies. So sorry that I like to keep it real and have fun,” Lion chortled.

There was a pause as Lion combed his hair with a black plastic hairbrush. His rich and long blonde hair went down the back of his head to his neck, as he grinned. His silky bright orange eyes danced, like a cat playing with prey. He was in his prime, this was what he lived for. Talking to and working with others, shattering their reality. Nameless could see a deep sense of joy in his eyes, as Lion ripped their collective blindfold off from reality in Zion.

“Look, this isn’t Mars versus Earth,” Lion said sarcastically. “This is us,” he circled his comb in the air, pointing at them all, “against them. And right now, half of them want to kill the other half over some stupid space politics mumbo jumbo. Do you guys wanna protect your home and keep each other alive? Play the game, make friends, learn cool new tricks, and when the time comes, tell Zion to fuck off.”

“If Mars agrees to work with the Laydren, how can you all help?” Nameless asked.

Lion’s face became deadly serious.

“That’s a question for when you all are fully trained, and Rachel is with us. But let’s just say I’m not the only one from back home who remembers their oaths to your ancestors. We like to party, I’m definitely the family embarrassment, and frankly, half of us are probably just as bad as Zion. But we don’t break promises, and we don’t like white hairs getting to decide how primitive worlds work,” The General said.

“I can’t tell if I hate him or not yet,” Sammy sighed.

“Oh, I definitely do,” Julia grimaced.

“I feel like he’s fun to drink with,” Aj chortled.

Lion gave Nameless a sly look.

“Vat is a 80s movie villain?” Anatolievich asked, confused.

“He makes some good points. Frankly, I, for one, find someone who doesn’t mince their words a breath of fresh air in this place. It’s just a matter of if he’s genuine or not,” Mai shrugged.

Nameless massaged the bridge of his nose.

“Do me a favor, Lion, and dial it back to a three,” He spoke.

“Homie, this is a two,” Lion laughed.

“Figures alien royalty can’t take anything seriously or talk respectfully to others,” Julia said.

“Fuck that. We are all grown. So sorry, a room full of cold-blooded killers can’t take some straight talk,” Lion chortled. “Hey, you think I’m bad? Wait ‘til you pull that Martian glory crap around Rachel or Matt. Sapphire might like it, but she’s just as bad as her parents. Nah, way worse. You guys think you’ve seen some shit, you should meet the OGs from taskforce Ishtar.”

“I think he’s acting. I don’t think this is him at all,” Mai said.

They all looked at him.

“I can tell an insertion agent when I see one. I think you did some damn good research on humans and adopted this personality to fit in better,” He spoke.

“This is him fitting in?” Nameless chuckled.

Lion smacked his lips.

“I think you’re the Laydren’s equivalent to a Professor, and your people want to use Mars to undermine Zion during their civil war,” Mai said.

“Yeah, sure, kid,” Lion said.

“Think about it, a group of young people who grew up in a regressed society who spent their entire lives fighting. We don’t follow protocol, and specific human social nuance is completely out the window. He'd stand out too much if he talked or acted any other way,” Mai observed.

The room was quiet.

“He’s got the point,” Nameless said softly.

“Okay, is this the part where I prove I’m legit? Fine. What’ll it be boys and girls, Russian roulette? Wanna know some deep dark secret? Some government classified document?” Lion laughed.

“Deactivate your energy, show us your true form,” Julia said.

Lion blinked, his smile fading.

“The professors won’t tell us the truth; how are you any better concealing what you really look like?” Julia challenged.

“This is bullshit. I’m literally on y’alls side,” Lion said nervously.

“You’re not a Vagabond, and your voucher from Thaddeus went out the window when he lied to us,” Nameless said darkly.

Lion gave a pained look to Nameless.

“So, fuck me ‘cuz I’m not part of your club?” Lion spat.

“From one warrior to another, drop the disguise. If you do that, we’ll trust you. Shit, anyone who shows their true colors is a Vagabond in my book,” Nameless said.

“Hell no! He hasn’t even fought with us!” Aj barked.

“We’re about to go into a meat grinder. They want us to die, you think they won’t send us on the worst missions and places they can? If he shows his true self and doesn’t back out when it comes time to fight, he’s a Vagabond in my book,” Nameless nodded.

“That’s fair,” Julia shrugged.

Surprise filled Nameless; he expected more resistance from Julia of all people.

“What about us?” Mai asked, pointing to Anatolievich.

“Anatoli vouched for me when we faced the Earthers; that’s good enough for me. As for you, we all wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for your Aunt. So, you’re good on that, but don’t fuck it up,” Nameless said darkly.

Mai shrugged as the Russian grinned.

“That’s a bargain,” Mai nodded.

“Fuck you guys, man,” Lion huffed.

“Tik tok, princess,” Julia sneered.

Lion darted her a murderous look.

“Fine. But not my fault when you guys freak out,” Lion muttered, his eyes fading.

“We’ve seen our fair share of weird shit; you won’t scare us,” Aj said confidently.

Lion deactivated his energy.

Most of the room fell deathly quiet, a golden aura illuminating the room.

Mai fell off the desk he was sitting on, Anatoli backing away furiously. Sammy gasped. Julia’s eyes seemed to pop out of her head as she stood rooted in place. Aj fell out of his chair, scrambling backward. Nameless was giggling in his seat.

“Yeah okay, no litter box.” Nameless chuckled.

“He looks like an action figure,” Aj mumbled.

“Kill it!” Anatoli shouted.

“Dear goddess, he’s not real. Can’t be,” Julia gasped.

“Why does he smell so good? Is that weird? I feel like that’s weird, but holy gods, please tell me that’s just cologne!” Sammy yelped.

Lion held up his middle fingers.

He was, most certainly, not human in the slightest. His perfect skin nearly glowed like glitter; his sharp features seemingly sculpted out of granite without a single blemish. His hair was pure gold and floated as if caught in a light breeze. There was an immense aura of power and intelligence, as if they shared the room with an elder god, or a messenger of the cosmos. The former prince turned warrior monk exuded raw power as he grimaced.

“Why has male doll put glitter on himself?” Anatolievich chortled.

“Your mother liked it,” Lion spat.

“Why is he glowing?” Sammy whispered.

“What part of perfection do you people not get? Laydren do not use particle manipulate, we are the particle manipulation. We evolved beyond organic life and shape our very form to our will. It’s not my fault I’m a gorgeous bastard, born to rule an empire that spans galaxies,” Lion spat.

“You are single handedly the most arrogant thing I have ever met,” Julia scoffed, arms crossed.

“Happy?” Lion growled.

“Oh yeah. We’re square,” Nameless chortled.

“The fuck we are! I’m not going anywhere near that monster!” Julia shouted.

“That’s racist,” Lion grumbled, changing back to human form.

“Hey, you guys agreed. He’s a Vagabond now,” Nameless laughed.

“How would you guys like it if I made fun of Mai for his eyes? Or Aj for his skin? Huh?” Lion grumbled.

“That’s not even remotely close!” Julia growled.

“Kinda is, actually. Not his fault he’s a weird alien, Ken doll, elder human thing,” Nameless laughed.

Lion resumed his human form, his bright glowing orange eyes narrowed as he combed his hair again. He pointed a finger at Nameless.

“Call me a that one more time, and I’m ripping out your throat,” Lion growled.

“Wow, he really did do his research,” Mai nervously chuckled.

“What’s a Ken doll?” Aj asked.

“End of conversation,” Lion roared. “Full stop!”

“Yeah, you don’t wanna know,” Mai said.

“How do you know?” Julia asked hotly.

“My job is intelligence! Plus, the console database here has some odd sites,” Mai said sheepishly.

“Homie is a straight-up freak over there,” Lion laughed.

“It was purely research!” Mai gasped.

“Uh-huh, sure it was, bud,” Lion grinned.

Nameless was dying with laughter.

“Okay, okay. Holy shit, this is great,” Nameless laughed.

“Glad someone is having a good time,” Julia spat.

“Hey, he did the thing we wanted him to. That’s trustworthy in my book,” Nameless shrugged.

“Wow,” Mai pondered.

“What’s up?” Aj asked.

“He’s a perfect specimen, highly evolved elder race, and he calls himself Lion. I retract my accusation; that’s the dumbest name possible for a fake agent,” Mai giggled.

“That’s it. You all get six from here on out. Nah, fuck that, eight,” Lion growled.

“Oooooooooh. What are you gonna do, try to seduce Julia’s cat again?” Nameless chortled.

“Oooooooh, what are you gonna do? Cry about your crush not liking you back?” Lion stabbed.

“Aye, yo!” Nameless stammered.

“Oh, you got a crush now?” Julia sneered.

“Shut up, blondie, it’s you. Nah, you probably knew that. You just like leading men on.” Lion laughed.

Nameless and Julia looked at each other, smiled, then began stomping towards Lion.

“Bring it, apes!” Lion roared happily, balling up his fists.

The three were about to fight when knocking caught their attention. The Vagabonds all turned to see Professor Thaddeus standing in the doorway.

“What do you want?” Nameless spat.

Thaddeus held a finger to his mouth. Behind him, Cirilla entered. She ignited her energy, pure white light flowing from her body. The room’s ceiling, floor, and walls sparkled. Thaddeus sighed.

“Someone pushed Spider into a portal,” Thaddeus sighed.

“Oh great. They were eavesdropping,” Julia snarled.

“Actually, we were far too occupied, ensuring no one else could listen to your squabbles,” Cirilla said hotly. “It wasn’t difficult to guess whatever treasonous things were about to be said, so we jammed the signals from the room.”

Nameless looked at Lion. He nodded slowly.

“What else haven’t you told us?” Nameless barked.

“They won’t release the attack footage,” Cirilla said gravely.

“Which means?” Nameless asked.

“Everything Zion sees they record. Half for analysis, half due to legal purposes,” Lion said slowly.

“Who is they?” Julia asked.

“The council,” Thaddeus said darkly.

“Is Spider really dead?” Sammy asked.

“Most likely. I find it doubtful he would survive such a vicious onslaught,” Thaddeus said.

“But if the Dark Axium killed Spider, why hide the evidence? If anything, he should be martyred,” Mai observed.

Realization crept through Nameless’s mind.

“Because someone on the council is a part of the Axium,” He seethed.

“Several, actually. Or at least, we suspect so,” Cirilla said.

“It was no coincidence that the massacre happened on Zeta. Professor Pops was supposed to send a message to me regarding the names of key Axium members,” Thaddeus said.

“So, you’re the incorruptible, righteous portion of Zion now?” Nameless grunted.

“Actually, Mistress Zion is. Anna has been investigating this matter for some years, hence the reason she sent me to your Mars. That is also why you all have been placed under my charge,” Thaddeus sighed.

“Who are you loyal to?” Julia spat.

“We are loyal to peace, my dear.” Cirilla sighed. “We joined this institution to protect the innocent and safeguard the prosperity of civilizations endangered by the darkness.”

Lion again nodded.

Nameless sighed.

“Sorry for doubting you two,” Nameless said sheepishly.

“We are sorry for not telling you sooner,” Thaddeus said.

“Wait, did you two know about Spider going into a portal?” Julia asked.

“We were aware of an unauthorized portal occurring when you all arrived. Did we suspect it? Sure. But it is hazardous making such claims to people who wish to kill you.” Cirilla said.

“Why Spider? I love the little guy, but he’s the last one someone would want to take out first,” Nameless said.

“Spider has more potential than you may believe, my dear boy,” Thaddeus said.

“If I may, let’s keep negotiations with the Laydren within this room,” Cirilla said.

“Why, don’t you want Mars getting on its two feet without Zion?” Julia jabbed.

“That is literally why you are here, my dear. We don’t want Lion having an accident or becoming a suicide with several bullet holes in his head.” Thaddeus said.

Lion chuckled.

“They can try,” He grinned.

“They will succeed. They can simply expedite you back to the Laydren if nothing else.” Thaddeus warned.

“Fucking bureaucrats,” Lion spat.

“If Spider is alive, I am sure he will find his way back to Zion. If he is truly dead, then we shall avenge him,” Thaddeus nodded.

“How?” Nameless asked.

“The Axium shall be ousted in time; we must all be patient. In the meanwhile, we have to all be on guard. Every mission we go on, we must be prepared for a trap.” Thaddeus nodded.

“When Rachel returns, we shall be at full strength. An entire task force, dedicated to the loyalists,” Cirilla said confidently.

“Can’t wait to meet this amazing Rachel everyone talks about,” Julia rolled her eyes.

“You jealous?” Lion quipped.

“I will fucking stab you!” Julia spat.

“Try me, hoe!” Lion laughed.

“When is she supposed to return?” Nameless shook his head.

“Her team was due back an hour ago. It’s not uncommon to be late for a return from such a long jump,” Cirilla said nervously.

There was a long pause.

“How long do we wait before assuming they got ambushed by the Axium?” Nameless asked.

“Another twenty-four hours,” Thaddeus said wearily.

“Great, we deploy in twenty-four hours,” Aj grinned.

“We can’t go anywhere unless authorized,” Cirilla sighed.

“That’s bullshit! Isn’t she your daughter? Who the fuck cares what Zion says, we should help her!” Nameless said angrily.

“Sapphire,” Cirilla said firmly, “is a competent scholar; I am sure whatever unexpected circumstances they ran into, they can handle quite easily.”

Nameless’s head spun from all of this. Space empires, dimensions at war, far advanced civilizations shepherding less advanced people. He was a gun for hire, a warrior from Mars. He had no business talking about any of this. His head throbbed as he sighed.

“Everyone square?” he asked the room.

“We have no issue with you returning to Mars un-accosted by Zion,” Thaddeus nodded. “As long as you help us deal with the Axium.”

“Great, and we’re fine keeping a cordial friendship with you two and Anna.” Nameless nodded.

“What about this type one civilization? I don’t think they’ll like Mars and the Laydren forming an alliance, when the time comes,” Mai observed.

“The Masters of Zion have their own concerns that overshadow such trivial events,” Cirilla spoke.

Lion snickered.

“So, what’s the next move?” Aj asked.

“We train and make ready for whatever comes our way,” Thaddeus said grimly.

“Fine, but no more half-truths. We deserve to know everything you do when it concerns a Vagabond,” Julia said.

“We will brief you all in private areas such as this with full transparency. But past these walls, please remember that not all Acolytes have your best interest in mind,” Cirilla said.

“Guess the only non-Vagabond here is Cirilla now,” Sammy said lightheartedly.

Cirilla put her hands on her hips.

“Young lady, you are gravely mistaken if you all think you can question my integrity and insult me in your own classroom but not include me in your little party,” Cirilla scolded.

The Vagabonds looked at each other.

“Fine. But when this is all over, you guys are coming back to Mars with us,” Nameless laughed.

“Most certainly not!” Cirilla said.

“My dear boy,” Thaddeus started.

“Part of the ship, part of the crew!” Aj barked happily.

“Hey, you guys wanted in on this shit show; here you go,” Lion laughed.

“You’re stuck with us now,” Nameless chuckled.

Cirilla and Thaddeus looked at each other.

“We did always want more children, darling,” Thaddeus sighed.

“Yes, children, not ungrateful little brats,” Cirilla said.

“Love you too, grandma!” Aj laughed.

Cirilla stammered, anger in her face. She seemed far younger than Thaddeus, in her thirties, perhaps. But at this point, it was likely she changed her appearance to her liking, just like Lion.

General Lion pulled out his flask, smiling and taking a swig.

“To Captain Spider. May he return a conquering hero, or may he rest in peace. The kid sounded like a little badass to me; it would have been an honor to meet him,” The general nodded.

“Oh, he would have loved you,” Julia sighed.

Thaddeus snapped his fingers, a glass of brandy appearing in his hand. Cirilla sighed, materializing a bottle and handing out drinks to everyone else.

The Vagabonds all held up their drinks.

“To Captain Spider,” The room toasted.