The door to Pirra's office opened, but she did not look up.

Kessissiin dropped his satchel just outside the door and stepped in, snapping to attention. He said nothing.

Pirra made him wait for nearly a minute before acknowledging his presence.

She saw how his eyes went over her, trying to discern her emotional state. He had been inquiring about her in apparent concern over the last week.

But aside from bleaching the feathers of her crest white in mourning, she had shown little to others since Kiseleva had found her questioning the two Resource officers.

"Lt. Commander," Kessissiin finally said.

She was glad how softly he said it. He wanted to demand her attention, but he hadn't been bold enough.

"You will wait as long as I require," she told him.

It was not pure pettiness. She wanted to make quite clear to him where they stood, and that it was not positive.

Kessissiin nodded slightly, and continued to wait.

Finally, when she was ready, she saved her files and focused on him.

She nodded to him, and he finally was able to drop his salute.

"Private Kessissiin, you are to be transferred to the Starbase 2117 in Dessei Republic space. As the Craton will not be traveling that way, you will be transferring off the ship immediately onto the Relief Base, and from there join the supply convoy in one week's time. The details of the rest of your trip have been sent to you."

Kessissiin hesitated, his crest twitching in anxiety. He nodded then.

"Will I have a mark on my record?" he asked.

"I have decided against such an action," Pirra told him.

She felt almost too kind for doing it that way, and part of her still felt she should put a black mark in his log.

But his actions in the field had always been borderline heroic. He had saved lives, and that alone kept her from despising him completely.

"Your transfer has been marked down as being due to personal disagreements with another officer, who shall remain unnamed. You and the other officer have agreed amicably to your transfer, and the details are sealed." She paused for emphasis. "Unless future inappropriate behavior of yours causes a need to open it. Do you understand?"

And would he agree? She had simply written this for him.

But she knew he would not argue it.

"I understand," Kessissiin answered, his words flat, lacking any of the body or crest movements to impart emotion.

"I must add, though," he said suddenly. "That I am sorry for your-"

"That will be all. You are dismissed," Pirra said.

Kessissiin's words died off. He gave one last salute, then turned and left her office.

Pirra returned to her work.

----------------------------------------

"Your disobedience has cost us much, Cathal."

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Cathal kept his face set in calm lines. Though his father's words were not said angrily, he was clearly disappointed. It took effort to keep his composure in the face of that.

"I know, father," Cathal replied. "I felt that-"

"Enough," Zyzus said, chopping his hand through the air to bring an end to it. "What is done is done. Where once Apollonia would have supplied the last of what we needed, we are now two short."

Zyzus reached up, running his fingers down his short beard. "And with Farland's CR disappearing in the temple, we have no other options available to us here."

Cathal struggled to keep all composure. His body was beyond exhausted, every moment bringing fresh pain. He'd been beaten before, had broken bones, in his more feral youth, but it had never felt as bad as this. All from the ritual, what he had done. The effort involved was taxing on his weak, mortal shell.

This time just still demanded of him, and for the sake of all that mattered - the eternal soul of humanity - he would have to be strong.

"I am sorry for losing the takwin," he said.

"It cannot be helped. It is always a risk to use them, and you were at least fortunate it did work this time."

"A miracle," Cathal said softly.

Zyzus did not respond, turning away, lost in thought for a time.

"Had Apollonia died," Cathal ventured. "Captain Brooks would have been suspicious. He holds her in a special regard - he would not have accepted that it was merely an accident. He would have looked deeper."

"And found nothing," Zyzus snapped. "The man is a fool, blind to what is in front of his face. The only wild card was the Shoggoth, but he is blinded by his arrogance."

"It was a success in that Apollonia has been awakened," Cathal persisted. "She could become a useful ally."

"She could," Zyzus replied. "And it only cost us two tulpas and a takwin. We were close, Cathal! So close." Emotion bled into his words, and Cathal again felt the weight of his failure.

No, not failure, he thought. His decision.

"The time and place were perfect," Zyzus continued, nearly mumbling to himself. "Though, it must be said that we did not count on the appearance of the Old Masters. They may have caused problems, they are unpredictable and sometimes inimical to us . . ."

"And the arrival of the Advent Forces," Cathal added. "I fear that they might have overwhelmed us. We are not strong or numerous enough yet, father."

"In this, at least, you are right," Zyzus said. "We do not find fertile ground here, though this is where we must sow. The people of the Union have little faith, and few are even desperate enough to need it as a crutch."

Cathal bowed slightly. "I know that I have failed in this task of converting the faithless. I have no excuses, father, I am not the man you trained me to be - who you need me to be. I accept any punishment you deem necessary."

Zyzus turned, and Cathal could feel the weight of his True Gaze upon him. He shivered, unable to help it in his weakened state.

"You are my son," Zyzus said gently. "I would give anything for you. You do not need to abase yourself. Your guilt has been your punishment. Get up."

Cathal felt a great relief as he was forgiven.

He had not felt that he had failed, keeping Apollonia alive. Zyzus's belated acceptance of this only heightened Cathal's sense that he had made the correct decision.

"I am unworthy of your forgiveness, father, but it moves me all the same."

"You are correct in that Apollonia could be a great ally," Zyzus told him. "Let us hope that we are able to take advantage of that - to bring her into the fold. And you did pull off another coup! Jaya Yaepanaya is now ours . . . you were wise to choose to save her, though it is always painful to lose a true faithful like Shaw."

Cathal nodded, though he felt no pride in that decision. It had been the right one, but Alexander had been a good man, and he would miss him. He had been his friend.

"Perhaps even with the loss of her husband, we can leverage this into making inroads with the Dessei woman," Zyzus mused. "We shall see."

He waved Cathal away. "Return to your cabin and rest, my son. This 'exam' is already lasting too long."

"Yes, father. Thank you, father."

Cathal left, limping noticeably. Zyzus watched him go thoughtfully.

His system chirped that a call was incoming.

He felt on alert immediately; surely no one could have pried into this room, and they had not been so long as to draw immediate suspicion!

But years of living his double life had made him wary.

The caller's identity was given as Nadian Farland. The man was not even on the Craton anymore, he'd left somewhere with the thrice-accursed Advent Forces.

It was only a message; not even Nadian Farland could afford to make an interstellar real-time call.

"Gamman Zyzus," the man began. "We didn't get a chance to talk at the temple. But I've found out a few things since then, and I have to admit you're a lot more than I thought you were the last time we met. I think there's a lot of things for us to talk about."

Zyzus began to smile, and then to laugh.

Sometimes blessings came in unexpected ways.