Reports continued to pour in from all corners of the universe, the news stations continuing to push the blockade narrative despite all the legionnaire signals Sasha could feel. Did they really think they were helping anyone? Sasha shook her head.

"Cripes."

Madame Dyre's words seemed to hang in the air.

"The Light Binder. This is really him? He's doing all this?"

She looked to the spider, but she wasn't responding. Nor did anyone else, Cici frantically scrolling through their commpads while Iris was frozen in place. Only one of them managed to keep their calm enough to speak, her voice breaking through all the chaos.

"Madame!"

She snapped Dyre from her trance, everyone else regaining focus as well.

Despite being the smallest among them, Gabriella was the first to jump to her feet, using her commpad to connect directly to the ship's bridge.

"Everyone remain calm and listen up," she said. "Run a full scan of every planet in our vicinity. I want names of what worlds are being hit and where asap. We can't defend them all, but we will protect what's ours no matter the costs."

She looked to Madame Dyre, her gaze more serious than Sasha had ever seen it before.

"We still have a mission to do, Madame," she said. "We've prepared for this. Our people are ready."

The spider glanced at the monitor, her red eyes seeming to regain their intensity. She finally nodded, racing for a panel along her wall.

The monitor disappeared, shrinking back into the ceiling. In its stead, a pillar rose from the ground, holographic projections appearing in what looked to be a model of sorts. Sasha recognized it from Mr. Erin's debriefs. The map of the universe. What parts the AIC had explored, at least.

"Then we'll need to make some alterations," Madame Dyre said, zooming in.

The model split apart, Dyre carving out pieces and sections them off one by one. All of which, began to exude an all-too-familiar purple hue. No doubt the work of the ship's bots marking which planets were being hit. Cripes, it really is all over the cosmos. Madame Dyre's arms moved across the model, the spider's focus solid as she seemed to assess everything.

"Someone care to fill me in here?" Cici asked.

The fox had stopped frantically scrolling, but there was still clear panic in her voice. She was lucky she couldn't feel the universe imploding.

"It's the Light Binder," Iris said. "He's ramped up the invasion. While we're here in warp space, every world is currently under siege."

"What? Are you serious?"

Iris didn't respond, Sasha giving a solemn nod. For a moment, Cici looked ready to go jack a shuttle and go legionnaire hunting on whatever planet she found. But to the fox's credit, the realization did seem to dawn on her as she sat back on the couch, squeezing the edges of the cushion.

"No. You can't be serious."

Iris put a hand on her, the fox growing quiet. As did everyone else. It was Madame Dyre who spoke up again.

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"We knew this day would come," the spider said. "The Light Binder's been amassing power for quite some time. It just seems now he's grown tired of waiting so he's decided to assault all the worlds at once. His doomsday scenario."

Sasha growled. "Since when could that tailbrain do that?"

"He shouldn't be able to," Dyre said. "But the fact that he has means he's gone beyond an intergalactic threat. Or something the AIC can handle. That makes him a target even those spirits above can't overlook."

Which means Elisia will get involved? Sasha frowned at the thought. Was that the reason she betrayed them? So she could prepare for doomsday? Or maybe that was just the excuse she'd give when they were done cleaning up this mess for her.

Gods or not, she fully agreed with what Gabriella said. The plan had not changed. They were still going to take out the Comet Man. And she was still going to rescue her liaisons. A few thousand legionnaires in the way wouldn't stop that. Just as she wouldn't let that goddess getting involved stop her either.

"So what happens to the plan now?" Sasha asked.

"We'll make alterations," Dyre said. "Gabriella, I'm putting you in charge of the AIC assault."

"You still wanna go after them?" Cici asked.

"Until the universe ends I end to preserve it. And that means ensuring the survival of our moles and the deaths of AIC leadership." She looked to Gabriella. "I'll be sending a small squad with you. Which I'd assume my child would wish to take part in."

"You assume right," Sasha said with a smirk.

She nodded to Gabriella, the human smiling back despite the weight of their mission. Getting past AIC security was bad enough. Now they'd have to get past the White Legion and the many graduates planet-side. But Sasha was never one to shy away from a challenge.

"I'm coming-"

"Gonna stop you right there, Sulky," Sasha said, pointing at the wolf across from her.

She could see in Iris's eyes that she'd been second away from volunteering to join. But that wasn't her role in all this. Like she lamented so many times before, her goal was always to put a stop to the Comet Man. And now that the universe was on fire, it was her time to put that rapier to good use.

"Someone's got take out that jerk at source," she said. "Right Madame?"

Though she was looking at Iris, she saw the Dyre nodding from the corner of her eye.

"That's correct," she said. "Everything else we do is fruitless if we don't end that Light Binder before he destroys us all. The AIC managed to get past the Original Stem Portal. Now it's our turn."

Iris still looked unconvinced, her eyes lingering over Sasha's. Even if she knew she meant well, it was a little painful to see just how reluctant the wolf seemed. Was it because she thought she was too weak even now? Cici gave the wolf a nudge, her foxy friend at least seeming to trust her.

"Sash has got her own job to do," she said. "You and me got a date with that Comet Man."

She offered Iris a smile. One full of apprehension, but a smile nonetheless. Iris still seemed reluctant, but she finally relented with a nod.

And much to Sasha's surprise, she suddenly jumped forward, giving her a squeeze. It made the panther turn a tad redder, but she hugged her back anyhow. Neither said a word as they were pulling away. Neither needed to.

Madame Dyre sighed.

"This isn't how I imagined things would turn out," she said. "But an empress must see to the safety of her people. The pirates of the Black Web. And our newly acquired subjects. We will keep the universe intact."

She looked over all of them, giving a final nod. It was as good a cue as any to get going.

Everyone made a break for the exit, Cici and Iris being the first to jump from Dyre's den into the garden. Sasha was just about to do the same when she heard the Madame's voice behind her.

"Sasha."

She stopped, looking back at her guardian.

"When you see that Panda," Dyre said, "tell him he's a fool for getting captured."

Sasha couldn't help but snicker at that. It would be one of many things she'd tell Mr. Xan when she saw him again.

With one final wave, she leapt into the garden with the others, everyone heading straight for the shuttles. Sasha and Gabriella took a slightly different route, though, to contact all the members of their assassination team. And all the while Sasha felt more than a little giddy.

Finally. It wasn't how she'd imagined things would turn out, but it was finally time. She was getting a re-do of her prison break attempt.