The room had gone quiet, except for Allan, who seemed to be torn between rage, laughter, and tears to everyone else.

"So let me get this straight: you did all of this because of some relation you have to the gods, the core worlds, and deathworlds?" Allan asked, his tone sounding as if he were keeping it in check through sheer force of will.

"Yes," Zall said. "That is the most basic way of explaining it."

Allan tossed his spoon into his bowl. Aly placed a hand on his shoulder. She loved her Goddess but knew that Allan had issues, to say the least, with Gods and people, in general, intervening in his life.

"Zall," Aly said, "why don't you tell us what you need to? I'm sure that we would all love to know what is going on."

Zall nodded. "You are right, Aly, so I will begin with the relation of my people to the Gods. The Gods, as you know them, were not always in this realm of existence or even in this multiverse. They were the last to survive the heat death of their prior home. When they came here, they found that the plane they existed on was already inhabited by beings who were infinitely more powerful than them. These beings have no interest in the goings-on of this multiverse, so they bid the Gods to inhabit a lesser plane, this plane."

"You mean to say that the Gods are just normal beings from another reality?" Hilx'Nit said he sounded as if he was being confronted with his death.

"Yes," Zall said, her tone seeming to indicate pity for Hilx'Nit. "The Gods accepted the offer of the beings already here, and those beings sent them to this plane. When they first arrived, there was little to no life that the Gods could find, so they worked together to create one race, my race. Each of the Gods gave us something. Some gave us abilities, others gave us physical aspects. The Gods are immortal and essentially unkillable. They are also incapable of reproducing, so to the Gods, my people are as close to children as they have ever come. They created the gates used to this day and seeded them throughout this reality so that we, their children, could grow and expand to fill their new home."

"That actually explains a lot," Allan said, and Aly nodded. "Anyways, continue."

"I have just described what the Gods wanted to happen, but it is not what came to pass." Zall sounded frustrated at this. "My people, incapable of seeing the Gods as anything but Gods, fell to religious zealotry with a passion that I doubt many would understand. When this began, we inhabited around twenty worlds, each chose a different group of Gods to worship, and then war broke out. My people fought for many years until a peaceful faction was the only remaining group. This faction is the precursor to all current Banker Clan members."

Zall looked around the room expecting more questions but came forth, so she continued. "After this happened, and after years of discussion about what went wrong, the Gods lay down a set of rules. Firstly, no more than two gods may contribute to a race's biology, Gods may not directly influence the course of their creations, And contact with mortals is limited to those not directly associated with a God. There are hundreds of rules, but those three ideals are the basis of their dealings with any race outside the Bankers, as we are essentially their children. The Gods interact with Bankers more freely than others."

"So I'm assuming that this story took place long ago?" Allan asked, and Zall nodded. "So then the story of how you joined the Core Worlds occurred much later in your people's history, and the many years that you have been among the Core Worlds is only the tiniest fraction of your history."

"That is correct, which explains the relationship between my people and the Gods," Zall said. "Next, I need to explain something about the core worlds."

"I think I can see where this is going," Eddy said quietly.

"Same here," Allan muttered back.

"The Core Worlds, or more accurately, the twelve races that comprised the original core worlds, are, for all intents and purposes, weak on a biological level. They do not dispute this, as they were made in their Gods' image, but they worry about races that are stronger and more apt at war. They have little desire to give up any power they have accrued over the centuries. To that end, they develop better weapons technologies, armor, and various other things in a mad scramble to enforce the idea that they are the highest power in the galaxy, at least what we know of the galaxy."

"And suddenly, my ass shows up and demonstrates that I can upset that balance, so they want to do something about it. That about right?" Allan asked.

"Yes," Zall responded, "that is the essence of what you need to know about the core worlds, so now Deathworlds. There are roughly a thousand Gods. Some have chosen to refrain from creating life, others actively participate in its development. And one, in particular, has dabbled in planet creation on a frankly mind-boggling scale. The Gods have all made at least one planet. Those who are 'accomplished' at world crafting have made between five and six worlds. The God of death, Xulgra, lives as an example of life. He perpetually lives, sometimes for mere moments and other times for eons, and then dies, only to be reincarnated moments later. To try to distract himself, Xulgra has created hundreds of worlds. While the total number of worlds he has created is a fraction of the total worlds in existence, he is not around technically for the existence of the worlds."

"Wait," Allan said, and Eddy nodded; both looked confused and confused. "What does that have to do with anything? Life evolved on Earth through evolution, and I have it on Very good authority that the God of Humanity is long gone."

"You are right on both fronts, but you could say that your base understanding of those two things is slightly off," Zall said and then continued speaking at a wave from Allan. "To put it simply, the god that created all Deathworlds is Xulgra, and for some reason, it is only Deathworlds capable of allowing the process of evolution."

"So a literal God of death is the only one who makes death worlds, and only on his worlds can life form without the guidance or help of Gods?" Eddy asked.

"Correct," Zall said. "Due to the unrestricted nature of evolution and the drastic conditions that Xulgra tends to impose on his planets, the beings that come from Deathworlds tend to be incredibly violent."

"So I take it Humanity is not the first Deathworld civilization that the Core Worlds have encountered? Judging from the rule about glassing any deathworld civilization, I would assume that it is not? Allan asked, raising an eyebrow at Zall.

"That is correct," Zall said sheepishly. "The Core Worlds have tried to have my people and the other Gods reach out to Xulgra and ask where the worlds that he has created are so that any race that is there can be dealt with properly, but every time it comes up Xulgra gets very quiet and tends to disappear."

"Well, no shit Sherlock," Eddy said, looking exasperatedly at Zall.

"Excuse me?!" Zall said indignantly.

"No, I'm with Eddy," Allan said. "So riddle me this: Did this first attempt to ask Xulgra about the other deathworlds happen after the first of his 'children' got glassed?"

Zall nodded, clearly not connecting the dots as Aly and Hilx'Nit had, their faces falling into looks of mixed emotion.

"So what you saying is that you walked up to Xulgra's children, shot them in the face, killing them, and then turned around and said, 'Hey Xulgra, you have any more of these bastards? We want to deal with them.' That sounds about right?" Eddy asked this and watched Zall's face fall into despair.

"Yes," Zall said hoarsely.

"Okay, ignoring the blatant stupidity of whoever the fuck made that decision, I want to know why Elunitra said that our God was gone when clearly he is still around?" Allan said looking at Zall.

"That is probably because he is gone for all intents and purposes," Zall said, taking a breath. "Every time that Xulgra is reborn in his endless cycle, he comes back different. He knows who and what he is, but he has a new body and power. Without getting into a lecture on how Gods enact their power onto things, suffice it to say that if a God's power is a wavelength, then even the slightest difference is the same as the difference between sound and light waves."

"So basically, it's as if Xulgra's dad built our world, and Xulgra was there watching, so he knows about it but didn't and wouldn't do it now?" Eddy asked. He had never been good at understanding waves in science classes.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"That is a poor but accurate analogy," Zall said.

"Okay, so where does that leave us?" Allan asked, looking around the room. "I'm assuming that that is all the info you needed to give us?"

"It is," Zall confirmed.

"So you came here onto my ship and took it over, threatening my family, friends, and the Human to whom I owe practically my life because the Founding members of the Core Worlds are scared?" Hilx'Nit said.

Allan had been watching Hilx'Nit as he had looked like he wanted to throttle Zall since they had all sat down in the mess.

"Yes?" Zall said, hesitation in her voice as she could clearly see that Hilx'Nit was not going to forgive the actions she had taken.

"So, the way I see it, we have three options," Allan said, Thinking for a moment before he continued. "Firstly, we kill Zall, send her corps into the sun, and claim ignorance." The rest of the room was a mixture of surprise and terror. Allan had barely been containing his own anger at the situation himself.

"The second option is we beam world leaders on board, tell them that there is a coalition of races that want to destroy Earth, and watch as Humanity quickly wipes them from the face of the Galaxy." Allan continued.

Zall laughed slightly at this. "How? You do not know how to interface with the Jumpgates. What ships would you even take there?" She demanded, thinking the idea was ridiculous.

"Mine." Hilx'Nit and Aly said in unison.

"Our people value music above all else, and Earth is a treasure trove of millions of new songs," Jalla said, smiling viciously at Zall.

"Correct," Tillia said nodding, "one message from us with a sample of the music available, and I'm sure that at least half the fleet would arrive, more than happy to be paid to ferry the Humans wherever they wished to go, or even to sell the ships."

"And on top of that," Aly interjected, "Allan and Eddy have been instrumental in saving the Quillinar, the Gish, and the Galgax from impending calamities of the medical and political kinds. How many ships would arrive if word were to get out that the race responsible for these feats needed help? How many Clans would turn their all into helping their saviors?"

Zall listened to all this, and as each person spoke, her face grew increasingly horrified.

"All good points, not even mentioning that a fully backed army from Earth would be something that I think a large portion of the Galaxy and probably the Gods would never recover from," Allan said and then looked at Zall. "Which brings me to the third option, compromise."

"Compromise?" Several voices echoed what Allan had said with varying levels of questioning in their tones.

"Well, so tell me this, Zall," Allan said, seeing several faces looking for answers, "Are you now satisfied that I am not lying. That I was telling the truth?"

"No, you are still a Deathworlder, so even if I tell the Core Worlds…" Zall was interrupted by a shriek of wrath that seemed to resonate in the souls of all present.

A being who was head and shoulders taller than Jalla and Tillia appeared. "YOU WILL NOT HARM ANY MORE OF MY CREATIONS!" The voice that cried out was one of sheer rage and pain and held an unnerving resonance that made everyone shiver.

Zall turned slowly to see the being behind her and immediately fell prostrate on the ground. Hilx'Nit fell to his knees, and Aly bowed her head. Yilvar, Jalla, and Tillia were staring aghast. Only Eddy and Allan remained unaffected.

"Who the fuck is this clown?" Eddy asked a weapon in his waistband appearing in his hands and leveling at the being's head.

"I would hazard a guess that this is the God of Death, Xulgra," Allan said, standing to walk over and look up into the eyes of the being.

"Hello, Allan." The God said. "Eddy, while I find the thought warranted and your reaction speed incredibly impressive, I can assure you that the weapon you hold isn't even enough to scratch me, let alone kill me."

Eddy looked at the massive being, then to the weapon, and shrugged, putting it back into his waistband. "Sorry, a force of habit."

"So, Xulgra, what brings you here today?" Allan asked. His tone was not impressed, and he assumed that his dislike for all things' God' was not a secret.

"I am here to stop this one." He gestured to Zall, still sprawled on the ground. "I will no longer stand by and let the cowards of the Core Worlds destroy my creations and harm the worlds that I have created and the life that springs forth from them."

Xulgra looked at Allan and smiled. "You are just as Elunitra described you."

At the mention of her Goddess, Aly looked up surprised. "Oh yeah?" Allan said. "How so?"

"When Aly first found you, and you decided to help her, Elunitra came to me and told me of you. She thanked me for creating a race that was not afraid to help others and capable of putting up a fight." Xulgra smiled as if remembering the conversation fondly. "She was the first one to ever thank me for my creations. In all the millennia that we Gods have been here, no other God has come to me and shown appreciation for what I have created. They congratulate each other endlessly over their creations, but never me."

"Not once?" Eddy said, his tone showed that he felt compassion for the God.

Xulgra shook his head. "When she did that, I began watching. I saw everything that happened: the battles fought, the victories won, the pains felt. And for the first time, I felt pride. Pride in you, Allan, Eddy, Troy, and All the others. I felt proud that I had finally created a planet that could be home to such a magnificent race. I know I had little to do with Humanity in general, but the world you inhabit I crafted lovingly over thousands of years."

"Sorry, we are kind of fucking it up," Allan said awkwardly.

Xulgra chuckled. "It is not a concern, Allan. Your race is still young, with so much to learn and without guidance. For that, I am sorry."

"So why did you reveal yourself now?" Allan asked.

"To tell you all something. Please, everyone, stand." Xulgra said, and everyone else quickly rose to their feet. "Firstly, Allan and Eddy, I would ask that you refrain from revealing the wider galaxy to the rest of Earth. Let your plans play out as you have set them in place with your friends. The time is not yet ready for the Earth to become part of the galaxy."

Allan and Eddy nodded to Xulgra.

"Next, Aly," Xulgra said, smiling at her, "I have no words for you but the ones that your Goddess, Elunitra, asked me to pass along." Xulgra rattled off a string of Quillinar that the translators did not translate, and tears began to form in Aly's eyes.

"Thank you, Xulgra," Aly said, smiling to the God as she bowed.

"The rest of you," Xulgra said, addressing the rest of the room, pointedly excluding Zall, "I can say nothing but thank you. Thank you for being such fine friends and allies to the children of my world. You all have my gratitude."

The room fell silent as Xulgra turned to Zall. "As for you, I know that you are one of the Children of the Gods, that there is some part of my former power in your body somewhere. I want you to deliver a message, tell them there is no lie, tell them that Allan was telling the truth."

Zall nodded vehemently.

"But also tell them," Xulgra continued, "that any move to destroy Earth will be resisted by all those present and that I will personally deal with any Gods that push for the removal of Earth. Tell them to instead prepare to welcome the first children of a Deathworld when the time is right."

"Understood God, Xulgra," Zall said, bowing. When she stood straight, she looked into the God's eyes that seemed to glow like smoldering coals. "I swear upon my heritage and all the Gods that created me to do my utmost to ensure your message is received and followed."

"Good," Xulgra said, seeming to look through the walls. "I must go, but for what it is worth," he turned to look at Allan, "Zall truly did appreciate the invitation and would have snuck away from her work to attend your wedding if she had not been ordered to do this. Do with that what you will." As quick as he had arrived, Xulgra, the God of Death, was gone.

"Welp, that was a fucking experience," Eddy said, sitting and slumping in the chair.

"So, Zall, I hope you meant what you said," Allan said, and she nodded frantically. "Good, well then, Aly, would you teleport Zall to her ship so she can be on her way?"

Aly nodded and began walking through the door to the ship's bridge. Zall moved to follow and paused, looking back at Allan. "I really am sorry, Allan."

Allan nodded, and she turned away. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I need a stiff drink and more sleep afterward." The consensus of nodding around the room made Allan smile. He gestured for them to follow and led them all to the bridge.

After sending Zall on her way, Aly teleported them all down to the hall where the wedding had been held. Eddy got behind the remains of the open bar and poured them all something to drink. They sat in silence, drinking for several minutes.

"Well, I should return to my ship and ensure everything is in order with my family and crew," Hilx'Nit said. "Ready Yilvar?" He asked the Gish man, who nodded.

"I'll come. Got nothing else to do." Eddy said, and Hilx'Nit nodded before tapping his wrist. They disappeared, leaving Allan, Aly, Jalla, and Tillia at the bar.

"More sleep?" Allan asked the three women.

"More Sleep." Agreed Jalla.

"Well, we could do something else," Aly said coyly as she activated the transporter, sending them straight to the sleeping pit chamber.

"I could be up for something else," Tillia said equally coyly.

"Ohh, screw sleep, let's do something else," Jalla said, her voice dripping with sex.

"Well, I guess I can't say no to that, can I?" Allan said and grunted as he was bodily tackled into the sand of the sleeping pit by all three women.