After a quick meal, the three of them headed off to their quarters for much-needed rest. Savros took his gear off and sat on the bed. It felt like years since he'd rested, and as soon as he sat down, his body gave up, and he slouched forward. Catching himself, he laid back and threw his feet up on the bed.
The next thing he knew, he was waking up in his quarters. The ship was eerily quiet. He listened for a minute before moving but couldn't hear anything. He sat up, slipping his boots on and grabbing his shirt and gear as he stood up.
Stepping out of his quarters, he headed to the bridge. Entering the bridge, he saw Jaen asleep at the console. He went into the galley to get a drink and found Polly's head on the table next to her clean plate. Shin had cleared everything else from the table. The cabinet door squeaked when he opened it to retrieve a hydro-pac. Polly stirred and lifted her head, blinking wearily.
"Oh shit, I fell asleep at the table again. Good ol' table-nappin'," she said, yawning and stretching. She noticed Savros in the corner, staring at her. "Morning Saaa," she said, letting his name lead into a second yawn.
"Good morning," he said, sounding more cheerful than he'd expected. "Have you been out here since we ate?"
"Oh no, I took a nap, but only for about an hour. Then I woke up hungry and came to get a snack." She looked at her plate, the hope on her face turning to disappointment when she saw it empty.
"How long has Jaen been out there?"
She looked up at him. "Jaen's on the bridge? She was still asleep in bed, when I got up for my snack."
"She walked onto the bridge shortly after you began eating. Based on her brain activity, I believe she may have been sleepwalking, or at least she wasn't fully conscious." Shin gave them the time frame and then continued, "We have just arrived at the end of our second jump. Still no sign of our destination on the long range scans. Commencing third jump."
Polly stood and stretched again, following Savros through the galley door onto the bridge. There was Jaen, still asleep in her chair, face smashed into the console. Polly sat in her chair, and thanks to a warped floor panel, it moved Jaen's chair just enough to wake her up. Her eyes popped open, and she waited until Polly, sitting in her chair, came into focus before moving.
"Morning guys," she said as Savros leaned on the console on the other side of Polly.
"Did you sleep walk out here?" Savros asked.
"Haha, no, I wanted to be awake for some of the jumps, just in case we found the source. But as soon as I sat down I fell asleep again."
"If it's off the map, how do we know we're going the right way?" he asked.
Shin responded, "The signal is getting stronger. As long as it's getting stronger, we're getting closer."
That made sense. Savros walked over and sat in his seat. "Hey guys, I wanna say thank you for helping me through this. I didn't know what I was dragging you into."
Polly turned her seat and looked him in the eye, "You're welcome, Savros, but this is happening to all of us. Potentially all of Living Space if the stories are true. I don't know if I'd call it lucky, but personally I'm grateful that I get to be there when my fate is decided. At least we have the chance to fight for our lives."
"Thanks Polly, I just can't hep but think if the assassins had succeeded in killing me, no-one else's life would be in danger."
It was Jaen's turn, "If they hadn't taken it upon themselves to murder your parents and force you to run, and then chased us everywhere, and then unleashed a monster on Living Space, no-one's life would be in danger either. None of this would have ever happened. This is in no way your fault, Savros. The Order brought this on us all. Not you."
"I think it's safe to say the fastest way to ensure a prophecy unfolds is to try to prevent it. And after Gah'Raka, it's only because of you that we even have a hope of success. You are not a villain of this story, Savros, you are a hero. I believe, with this crew, we will succeed."
Polly, Jaen, and Shin had their own points of view and words to say. He had to admit, they each had solid points. They created a situation and then forced him into it. Pitting him and his family of friends against the most ferocious beast that ever existed.
The more he thought about it, the more his confidence grew. He didn't ask for this, but he would not fail. He looked at Polly and Jaen, knowing that even if he did fail, the two of them never would. Between the intellect, experience and knowledge shared between the three of them, he couldn't imagine anything beating them. With them in his corner, success was the only option.
"What are you thinking?" Jaen's voice snapped him out of his train of thought.
He smiled. "I was just thinking how the four of us annihilated the assassins. We beat Gah'Raka, and now we're going to stop Gah'Tak and stop a prophecy at the same time. They should have written prophecies about the four of us."
Jaen laughed, "Well maybe someday they'll tell stories about us." She raised her eyebrows.
"At the very least, we'll still be in the history books for farthest distance traveled from the Center. It doesn't have that much impact, but, you know. It's something." Polly's confidence wavered about halfway through and completely faltered at the end.
"That's true, we'll be known for something, one way or another." He was going to return to Living Space as an adventurer, an explorer, a hero, they all were.
"Thanks, guys. I'm lucky to have you by my side. I'm gonna get some more rest before we get there. You guys should too. You might as well sleep in bed if you're just gonna sleep in your seat, or sleep on the table, anyway. Goodnight." He headed for the door.
"Best idea I've heard all day!" Polly was not far behind him.
"Yeah, yeah." Jaen brought up the rear, "Good night Shin. Wake us up if we're still asleep when our destination shows up."
"Will do. Goodnight guys."
Savros woke up, sweating. He couldn't remember the dream, and the more he tried, the fuzzier the images got. All he was left with was the image of an empty, dark void and an empty cold feeling creeping up his spine.
"Your heart rate is elevated; bad dream?" Shins' voice was calm and soothing as Savros regained his bearings in the real world.
"Yeah, I guess, can't remember. I think I was in space again. It was dark and cold and I couldn't breathe." Savros frowned, unable to remember more.
"Exposing yourself to the vacuum of space like that had to be traumatic. It's most likely your mind, working through everything that's been going on." Shin's explanation made sense to Savros. He had been through a lot lately. They all had. Physically, he'd taken the brunt of it. He saw to that when he popped off the ship without thinking. But now that he was thinking, he realized something else. Shin had taken the most physical damage out of all of them. He'd been nearly destroyed right away and continually beat on at every step.
"Probably." He swung his feet off the bed. "Hey Shin, was it traumatic for you when the assassins almost destroyed the KaiStar?"
"I suppose you could call it that. It was incredibly stressful, and even knowing Polly's timing and timing the attacks from the other ships, I wasn't sure we would make it. That was the first time I faced my own demise. But it wouldn't be my demise alone. With you, Jaen and Polly aboard, I am responsible for all of our lives. Losing my own is one thing, but costing you your lives is something else entirely."
"I'm sorry Shin, you guys keep telling me that we're in this together, but I guess I couldn't really see it. We're all in this together, and none of us can bear to let the others down. Maybe that will be the key to our success. My father always told me that there is more power in helping others than helping yourself. Hopefully, he was right and hopefully, it will be enough."
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"I believe he was. And I believe it will be more than enough. You've proven you are willing to do what is necessary. Even at the cost of your own life. Jaen and Polly have been protecting and looking out for each other their whole lives long before I came along. I've never heard of two people more in sync. And because I was born of their minds, the three of us are able to read each other very well. The four of us are kindred spirits, or birds of a feather, or well, family."
Savros was quiet for a while as he sat there. It wasn't easy walking into, almost certain, doom. His new family at his side, somehow, made it both easier and harder at the same time. He recognized that without them, he would have no chance at all and reminded himself that without his actions, they wouldn't have the Kalibal as a tool or weapon.
"I just hope we all make it through this and things can go back to normal." He was quiet again for a moment. "I guess it would be for the best if no one ever knows why we came all the way out here. If people knew the truth, they'd never leave us alone."
"True," said Shin, "and there would be others looking for the First World and the Kalibal."
"You know, I always wanted to be a famous hero. But now? Now, I just want a quiet life. Traveling through the stars of Living Space in the KaiStar with you guys.. I don't even want the fame or attention."
"If we're successful, I have a feeling we'll get a sample of both. We'll be famous at the Center and among groups in-the-know. I imagine there will be quite the fanfare at the Center if we return victorious. But Across the stars, most will have no idea the threat ever existed."
"That's actually a relief. Best of both worlds kind of thing." He said, standing and stretching. "Thanks Shin, I think I'm ready. Are the other's up, already?"
"My pleasure. Thank you for talking and sharing with me. They are both still sleeping. I should be able to get a fix on our destination when we land this jump."
"How long have we been out here?"
"It's been about eight hours Galactic Standard since arriving at the edge of Living Space. I've put out some cold foods and warm drinks in the galley. I'm about to wake the others. We could arrive very close to our destination and we don't know what will be waiting for us."
"Thanks, Shin, I could use a warm cup." Dressed, he headed toward the galley. KaiStar was eerily quiet while jumping and even more quiet with everyone asleep. Savros wandered into the galley. The smell of roasted beans drew him in. He poured a cup and sat at the table, holding it in both hands and blowing on it. He couldn't help but think of the cold mornings, camping with his uncle, holding his cup the same way, shivering and grateful for any warmth. Even though it was a pleasant temperature on the KaiStar, a chill ran through his body.
"Morning, Savy," Polly came in, yawning and making a beeline toward the same scent that had caught his attention.
"Good morning," he said as Jaen came through the galley door, rubbing her eyes. She followed the same path both he and Polly had taken towards the intoxicating aroma.
"Morning!" she said cheerfully, pouring a cup before sitting down.
"Wow, well JaeJae's feeling chipper this morning! How about you, SaeSae?" Polly looked at him, grinning.
"I feel pretty good too! Thanks to Shin and both of you, I'm so sure we're gonna win that I'm kinda bored." He looked around the room in mock boredom.
"Oh what, saving the universe isn't exciting enough for you? Facing the biggest bad guy ever to exist doesn't do anything for you? Well yeah, when you say it out loud, it's kinda boring. You're right, it's really not even a contest," she kicked back, putting her boot on the table, an untied lace falling into her cup, "maybe we should pull hairs to decide who gets to go smack Gah'Tak around."
Jaen laughed at the sarcasm, "It's strange, even though we have no idea what we're walking into, I have confidence in us."
"Me too!" the reply came from Shin, Polly, and Savros.
"Landing and expected destination location in three, two, one." Savros could hear the excitement in Shin's voice as the three of them took their seats and buckled their harnesses.
"Energy source located, engaging drives."
Savros' heart was beating faster the closer they got. He thought he was ready, but now that they were here, he found himself wishing he could put it off a little while longer. Looking up at Polly and Jaen, he remembered why he felt ready before. He wasn't ready for himself, but he would always be ready to help defend his family. His courage returning, he focused back on the screens.
"Do we need the twins?" he asked.
"I don't think so. There is no movement or signal of any kind other than the tryptic energy emanating from a point ahead of us."
"Well, so far, no sign of Gah'Tak. That's got to be a good sign. Is that the tryptic energy I can feel in my bones? Do you guys feel that?" Savros' whole body felt like it was vibrating.
"It has to be. I've never felt anything like this before." Jaen looked at Polly for confirmation.
"It's new to me, too. It doesn't hurt, but it's damn, it's intense!" Polly looked back at Savros as the feeling grew in all of them.
Just when Savros was beginning to fear if it got more intense, it would break his bones, it stopped. All was quiet again as KaiStar continued toward the source of the strange power.
The crew squirmed in their chairs, getting used to the sudden cessation of sensation. Savros looked at the screen and couldn't help but feel like something was not right with what he was seeing. He watched it for a while but couldn't place the problem. As the last unsettling feelings of the tryptic energy faded from his body, it suddenly hit him, what was missing from the view.
"Look, the stars are gone!" he said, pointing at the screen.
Polly and Jaen's eyes opened wider as they took it in as well. The inky darkness of space, illuminated by nothing. Just darkness in every direction they looked. Shin displayed the views from the scanners on the aft of the KaiStar. Only a handful of stars could be seen. Their light was the only thing battling the unending darkness surrounding them.
Even those few stars brought a sense of comfort to Savros and the others. Knowing they had a route home made him not feel so far away.
"Kind of comforting, aren't they? Other than telemetry, those few stars are all we have to find our way back. But they are more than enough. But before we go back we have to deal with this," he switched the screen back to the bow sensors. The faint spot of light was much close now, larger but still not very bright.
The light vanished from view entirely. "What happened? Where did it go?" Savros asked, suddenly sitting upright, fearing this marked the emergence of Gah'Tak.
"The source of the energy seems to be on a mid-size rogue planet. Whatever rotation the planet maintains has hidden it from our view. However, the readings are just as high. It's definitely still there. This is the place. We'll be in orbit soon. I'll scan the surface and bring us into sync above the anomaly."
Polly laughed anxiously, "That's a relief, I thought maybe we were too late!"
"Me too!" Savros and Jaen said.
"I guess we're all a little jumpy." Savros rubbed his head, smiling.
"Hey jumpy is better than sleepy." Polly winked back at him.
He shrugged, "True."
"Calm and focused would be best, but I don't see any of us, except maybe Shin, pulling that off. And you know, inside, he's as jumpy as the rest of us." Jaen watched the screen while she talked. "Do you guys see that?" she asked.
They looked at the screen but didn't see anything. Then a faint halo of light appeared in front of them. They stared, trying to figure it out. As the image slowly came into focus, Shin explained what he saw.
"It's the rogue planet, the First World. The source of the energy is on the opposite side of the planet. In such extreme darkness, the reflection off the surface is acting as a back light. Creating a halo of light around the dead planet."
"It's beautiful." Savros stared, slack-jawed, as the ring of light grew in brilliance, reaching a peak before slowly beginning to fade. By the time they had begun an orbit descent, they couldn't see it at all anymore.
"Still no signs of life or activity, bringing us into orbit." Shin was being cautious, and his tone reminded all of them of the severity of their situation.
"Entering counter rotational orbit. Beginning scans of the surface." The crew watched the screen as Shin flew them around the planet. Suddenly, the horizon ahead of them started glowing again, growing brighter rapidly as they raced toward it. With the horizon continuing to grow brighter, it looked like a sunrise unlike any other.
As the source of the light broke the horizon, a blinding white light pierced the darkness. Shin dimmed the screens as they continued their route toward it. It was so bright they couldn't make out anything around.
As they grew nearer and the source of the light moved into position below them. Shin began descending directly over the source, "Scans reveal no life of any kind. And only a single structure on the entire surface. In position, scanning structure and energy source."
It felt like an eternity before the scans showed anything, but then the structure below appeared on the screen. Shin rendered a three-dimensional model of the structure.
A tall, slender pyramid with a power source at the very top. The scan revealed an entrance at ground level, but they were unable to penetrate the walls into the interior of the pyramid.
Well, this is it, he thought to himself.
"Well, this is it," Jaen said, looking over at Polly.
"Yep, this has to be the place. It's the only place." They each stood up as Polly was speaking.
"There is no atmosphere worth mentioning, and no way of knowing what you'll find inside. Good luck, you guys. I will monitor comms, but based on the scans, I doubt the signal will make it in or out of there. Also, it's quite possible you will need to get yourselves outside of the structure before your teleporters will work."
The three of them stood there, looking at the structure on the screen. It reminded Savros of the lighthouses used to warn water vessels of dangerous waters on his home planet. Standing there looking at it, he hoped it would be as easy as taking the Kalibal to the light source.
Polly and Jaen turned at the same time to face him. Both looked as determined as he was.
"Are we ready?" Shin asked.
"Ready." They said, still looking at each other. Savros hit the button on his holo-suit, and when he saw their faces, he felt a little silly, but he didn't turn it off.
"What? I'm not going through that again." He smiled.
"Well, at least you learned your lesson." Said Jaen, activating her holo-suit as well.
Polly laughed, "It never takes more than once to learn that lesson." She smacked the button on her holo-suit.
Savros picked up the Kalibal from the console, and the three of them stood on the bridge of the KaiStar holo-suits active, taking one last look at the available information on the screen. Without another word, the three of them each reached up and teleported out at the same time.