"My finely cut gemstones, how far you have come since you were hewn from the rock. You have made it to the threshold of interstellar travel, only to meet an old enemy of mine," the voice intoned, the volume of it shaking the ship.

"This Tharg creature has chased me for an eternity. It wishes to continue a war that ended before your planet was seeded with life."

It paused briefly, while Saule and the crew floated mutely. Eli held stock still, unsure if the being that spoke knew he was there, or if this speech was meant for the Glint only.

"_I, Rass Misiun Eider Oa'kat, Prime Sculptor of Light, Fleshand Stone, greatest of the Jewellers, will protect you with all my might. I am the last of the Guo'Saphyrn and I will not let my beauty, my art, be destroyed by such an ugly thing as a Tharg._"

With that statement the mechanical arms that held the Mad Dash steady split, and split again into branching arms that began to work upon the ship. One arm positioned itself outside the airlock, it split along the entire length and each split arm was connected with a thin film. It formed a tube that sealed around the airlock with faint hiss. Silence pervaded the ship,the crew breathed only lightly and Eli held still as a rock.

Saule broke the silence, "We need to meet this thing, whatever its intentions are."

He stood and motioned towards Riyn, Yors and Stuhkey, "You three are the most able bodied, come with me in case things go glishtin. Eli, I don't think it knows you're here. What will you do?"

"I think I'll stay here and help Naytani and Flik with repairs," Eli responded, his posture relaxing slightly.

Saule waggled his ears in confirmation as he turned and went with the other three to meet this new alien. Riyn stopped by his quarters, grabbing a bulky parcel of wrapped cloth. As the quartet geared up in pressure suits Saule spoke,

"We just escaped whatever it was that abducted us, and we're about to go meet an alien that refers to itself as our religion's god. I have no idea what to expect and I want everyone to be on the same page. No one speaks unless I give the signal, and under no circumstances do we antagonize it. We have no idea what it's capable of and it just teleported the Mad Dash Jeweller knows how far."

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

Pausing as he latched the suit's helmet on, he continued, "I'll do the talking, Riyn I want you to watch for traps. Stuhkey and Yors, you two are going to grab any mobile gear you have that records data. I want to get us Glint in a leading position in this race and we are so far behind everyone we've encountered so far. Anyone have anything to add?"

Yors and Stuhkey both flicked their ears down as they checked each other's suit seals. Riyn entered after having paused outside the room while Saule spoke.

He unwrapped the cloth parcel he carried and asked, "Who knows how to use a goad? I have three that are for emergencies and this is the time for them. The Commander and I will each have one but the third should be used as well."

"I can, I was in the military when I was much younger. I remember my training," replied Yors, "Besides Stuhkey doesn't have the strength in his arms to carry his gear and use a goad."

"Some of us spend our time learning and researching rather than lifting rocks you sheen!" Stuhkey added, eyes dull in thought, "But you are right Yors, and I've never used a goad before."

Riyn flicked his ears and handed Yors a goad. The goad was a small tube attached to a series of canisters embedded in a molded plastic to fit a Glint's hand. Yors tucked it in a pouch then continued prepping his gear. Saule took the other goad, and Riyn strapped a holster to his chest for his own goad.

After several silent minutes they were ready. Saule opened the hatch and proceeded into the segmented tube. Ridges formed as he went, forming holds for the four of them. Back on the ship, Eli was negotiating with Naytani.

———

"Listen, if you let me follow them and don't tell them about it, I'll let you take scans of my power source," He pleaded, trying to edge past the smaller but somehow more immovable Naytani.

"I already know it's a micro M:E, I want scans of your whole body. We don't have any actuators or propulsion like what you have on it," said Naytani, a quite real gleam in her glowing eyes. "How about you let me scan your arm for now, and after all this is over I give you a full once over."

"Besides, who wouldn't want a mature, smart Glinstish maid going over every detail of their body?" Tittered Flik from her medical gurney. Her back had been burned worse than any of the others.

"I ugh, ladies I'll agree to the arm for now but no more! Just let me go, please…" Eli responded.

"Ok, but you have to keep them safe, and after I get to take apart your arm," replied Naytani.

"Deal, now please scan my arm and let me follow your Commander. I have a bad feeling about this Rass Misiun creature."

———

Out past Gri'oux, the stalemate between the Human fleet and Tharg Tanequal ship continued. Yet Silghen had a reckless plan, he was going to make use of the human's own capital ship to escape them. He had accessed their tactical net and had seen that the humans noticed the EM activity on the first planet as well.

A request had been made for an observation wormhole for further recon. After that however whoever monitored the tac-net noticed his intrusion and encoded further data. Some infernal language of hieroglyphics. His ship's psuedo intelligence couldn't translate it, but he had what he needed. He was going to hijack that observation wormhole for his own ship.

He would wait for the same EM burst that the planet was giving off to come from a different direction, then using his ship's own systems, primarily those that affected daro matter, to alter a few key digits in the wormholes coordinates. Then he would pump some of his own energy reserves to boost the wormhole's size for his ship to slip through.

Now all he had to do was entice the humans to make that wormhole. His lips curled as he thought, then relaxed as he made a broadcast to the humans.

"You're too late humans, my weapon is already deploying from the first planet. Nothing you can do will stop it from cleansing this system!." He snarled, even including video in the transmission.