Kron Irk-a was a scientist of the Wayfarers. His nation had devised sub-light interstellar ships to carry him and his race away from the ravages of the Empire System. Kron stood in front of a large spherical projection in the command room.

Beyond the thick metal hull stood the frozen expanse of Martha's World, the moon of the farthest planet of the Empire system.

Kron watched as a fleet of the Swarm-builders approached the base.

"What shall we do? They found us!" a tall man said.

Kron looked him over; he was starting to panic. Behind, a dozen more scientists looked to Kron for guidance. He was lead on this project and at least 10 years their senior.

Kron sighed; he surveyed the metal walls and machinery around him. The base provided shielding from the vacuum of space. The Emptiness, and the cold, and the questions lingering within the caverns of the icy moon below.

He opened a screen, connecting to one of the outside cameras. He turned it upwards, towards the Duke in all his cerulean glory. The ships had begun to decelerate; they would arrive at Martha's World within 30 minutes.

Kron clasped his hands. "We mustn't let them have the object. Cleanse protocol."

Zar, the taller man and the lead on the weight measurements of the object yelled: "You wish to destroy it! Are you mad!?"

A good number of the scientists agreed; they nodded at Zar's words.

"Infinite power within the device… You said so yourself Zar," Kron brought up the scans of the device into the vision sphere. "Infinite power, in the hands of the Swarm-builders? It would be the end of us."

The man approached the sphere in the center of the room; it glowed blue and white with the hologram of a cylindrical object within.

Zar ventured: "We can hide it, blow the cavern below and let it fall inside."

Kron's ears curled. "That would delay them by mere hours. We must do as I have said. This is final."

"Sir, don't do this!" another scientist yelled from their seat.

Kron opened a connection to the base artificial intelligence; he confirmed the necessary credentials and set the desired protocol.

A voice spoke through the base: "Cleanse protocol initiated. Please evacuate immediately." The intelligence forwarded evacuation routes to each scientist. The control room began to empty. The scientists rushed towards their assigned spaces on the spherical escape pods.

Zar approached Kron with a clenched fist. He struck him across the face. Kron steadied himself against a console, as he stared at Zar in shock.

"You struck me!" Kron said, the realisation blooming across his face. "You're a barbarian!"

Kron went to sound the alarm, just as Zar placed a weapon to his temple and fired. The gun used thermal energy to propel molten steel at high velocities. It was designed to work against both flesh and metal.

Two more scientists remained in the room; they had lagged behind the others, trying to transfer some final data to their storage packs. They looked on in shock at Zar's actions.

The woman went to speak but was shot through her mouth before she could. Zar moved the gun, aiming at the last remaining scientist; the man was begging for mercy. Zar fired.

"Oh Saint Sightgiver! Damn it!" Zar yelled, staring at the three Miriani dead by his hand. He opened a channel through the backdoor in the base's systems, directing the connection towards the approaching fleet. He said into it:

"This is Commander Zar-t of the Virus-makers. Please respond."

The connection was accepted, and in the communication sphere, an image of a ship's bridge appeared. The woman on the other side had golden fur dressed in a black uniform. An image of a large blue wrench glowed across her chest. She said:

"My intelligence suggests this is a Wayfarer colony."

"Your intelligence is correct," said Zar and aimed the recorder towards the dead bodies around him. "I am a sleeper agent of the Makers. I hear our nations have established a truce?"

"Tentative truce," the captain responded. A dozen or so Miriani scurried behind her, all in their dark uniforms. The build of the ship was utilitarian, all simple edges and minimalist panelling. This ship, Matrioshka concluded, was mass-produced.

"Then I would like to offer you this research base, as a sign of the Virus-maker's intentions for peace."

The Swarm-builder captain cocked her head: "Ah, peace will not be decided by the two of us, but our betters."

"Please, you don't understand. You mustn't let this base be destroyed; the commander had issued a self-destruct command. Here is the data!" Zar forwarded the totality of the base's memory towards the incoming fleet.

The first evacuation ships, filled with scientists, had started to lift off, their aid beacons glowing bright against the void of space.

The captain received the data and said to someone off-screen: "Get me a read on this. And fire at the bugs."

The weapons of the Swarm-builders flared hot, and lasers pierced the hulls of the escaping ships. As each pod lifted off, it was plucked from existence by the microwave spears of the Swarm-builder fleet. Zar himself gulped. "They are defenceless…"

The captain smirked. "That was their first and last mistake. Your Virus-maker government seeks coexistence. Ours does not." Her eyes widened as she looked to her left.

"Ancient ones. This is of the Ancient ones," she whispered.

Zar clasped his hands. "You have analyzed what I sent you? Yes, we also believe this is of alien origin."

The captain clasped her hands. "Thank you for the information. Prepare the nuclear repeaters," she commanded to her right.

"What!? You wish to break this moon in half?"

The captain looked at the man: "No. Just remove the germs staining this sacred site."

Zar pleaded: "Please! You will destroy the object!"

The captain smiled: "No, we won't. We have experience with their blessed constructs; they are indestructible."

An officer turned towards the captain of the Builder fleet: "Captain Alm, the repeaters are primed."

"You have experience?...” Zar’s wears twitched, “There are more of them in the star system? Where?"

"Fire," said Captain Alm and terminated the connection to the base.

The repeaters fired nuclear energy towards the base. Energy fell like rain; the light illuminated the fleet. Captain Alm turned towards an officer. "Readings?"

"No survivors, ma'am."

Captain Alm smiled. "Prepare a landing party. I will lead."

Matrioshka appeared above the golden-furred woman, floating in the virtual. Makoe followed, Rhea too.

Damien commented, observing the cooling surface of Martha's World: "The Wayfarers, true name Cordial Union of the Ark, discovered the Precursor technology. A spy among their ranks leaked this information to the Virus-makers, true name Tarian Commonwealth."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Makoe continued: "This information made its way to the Swarm-builders too, the Lordanian Technocratic Union. The Builders arrived… killed all the scientists."

Matrioshka pulled the simulation forward; the group was huddled around PesKal's lattice and Yim's diamond cube. It led them through its data-formed paths to this vision – taking place many thousands of years ago.

The vision focused on Captain Alm and a group of 11 other golden Miriani as they descended towards a collapsed portion of the base. Their small flying vehicles burned the snow away and burrowed a path towards a large cylinder of unknown make – Precursor technology.

The group had managed to reach the object, and Captain Alm commanded her officers to let her through. Everyone made way for the captain to exit the hatch, wearing a tight suit designed for the emptiness of space.

The object was 12 meters tall, and elliptical, halfway between a cylinder and an elongated sphere. It was pale orange and vibrated once every 2.32 seconds.

Captain Alm laid her hand onto the surface of the cylinder. She said: "It feels just like the other one. Alert the Command. We need to move it."

Damien supplied: "The data suggests the artifact was moved to Margaret's World. To an orbital research facility."

"Does the simulation extend that far?" asked Makoe.

Damien shook his head. "The data terminates just now. Alongside the simulation, there is an identification number – suggesting this data diamond was a part of the Wayfarer base on Martha's World – it must have survived the attack and was taken by the Swarm-builders. As its recording terminates just when Captain Alm reached the object."

The scans of the object showed a small circular opening in the top of the cylinder, perfect dimensions for the sphere Matrioshka held in her care. Makoe noted this and nudged PesKal, alerting him too.

Both officers glanced towards Matrioshka. Their captain nodded.

"As you can probably tell, this object - let's call it the prime-cylinder, is the counterpart of Yim's sphere."

PesKal jumped up and down. "Can we see it?"

Matrioshka smiled sadly. "I'd like to keep it away from you all. It's... for your own protection. Precursor technology reacts to computation."

Rhea's eyes widened, Makoe's too.

The pink woman asked: "How is it that in all my time working on Precursor artifacts, I have never noticed any sort of reaction? I was present when a peta-scale mind attempted to crack the puzzle on the Cube of the Four."

Treason, or lies?

Matrioshka chose to lie:

"Most Precursor technology is inert – damaged by the billions of years of disuse."

PesKal's fins quivered. "What are we to do?" PesKal looked towards Yim and Omrica; they had gathered around the cube in the workshop. They watched as the aliens analyzed the diamond.

Rui was with Bemri in the kitchen, chatting about a soup Bemri was preparing.

"As hard as it is for me to say," Matrioshka nodded. "We will need to use what the Precursors gave us."

Rhea straightened. "They used the tech to construct the Emperor and Empress – it stands to reason we could use it for the opposite."

Frost interjected. "Putting aside the talking stars for a moment," she grinned. "Your bigger problem is Reaver."

"Agreed," Rhea said, poking at the virtual barrier which made it difficult for her to operate.

Everyone looked toward Matrioshka.

The captain of the Sliver twirled her scarlet hair as she looked between her crew and the Miriani. She sighed and announced:

"Priority one: We need information on Reaver's plans. We should also consider that my brother may be of some help, though the state of his mind could be altered."

"Priority two: Rhea and Damien's minds. What is the nature of the sleeper code within them – what did Reaver add and when is it triggered."

Damien nodded. "I would like that to be priority one, to be honest."

Makoe looked at the man kindly. "We will handle this."

Damien seemed taken aback by the kind words; his eyes flickered to Makoe with uncertainty.

"Thirdly, we need to keep as many Miriani alive as we can. That means disabling the Emperor and Empress – or at least turning them to our side."

"We should help MAR too," added Rhea. "They are innocent in all this."

Frost exhaled. "Fuck… I should have acted sooner."

Matrioshka offered a firm hand on her shoulder. This hit Frost especially hard; the situation with MAR evoked memories of the Reconstruction wars, when Frost oversaw the creation of hunter-killer agents. Millions of artificial minds - sent to the slaughterhouse.

Matrioshka's mind had accommodated the closeness to Frost; the memories of the brown-haired woman tangled with her own.

Is this a mistake? Could she also be an unknowing agent?

Matrioshka moved her hand back from Frost, which caused the other woman to quirk an eyebrow.

"We will need to go to Martha's World most likely. To where the prime-cylinder was discovered."

"Disagree," added Rhea. "Captain Alm mentioned they wished to move the object. We need to seek it out on Margaret's World."

"Assuming it hasn't been moved after…"

"This happened 6 millennia ago. The prime-cylinder could be anywhere…" Damien referenced the data in the diamond, then his eyes widened.

"The Protectorate. They might know something."

PesKal opened his data pack and said: "A quasi-religious organization, has political power roughly on par with the Royal family. They operate in parallel to achieve their own goals. Their past actions suggest a desire to control the Miriani and keep them united."

Matrioshka added the recording of the communion between the stars, the King, and the High-Cardinal. "The stars seem to listen to a 'vessel of their kin' and their 'most dedicated child', the King and the High-Cardinal."

"It stands to reason that the Emperor and Empress operate on some sort of internalized code, likely a Vector Cage. They are influenced by the head of the Protectorate and the highest-ranking member of the royal family?"

"As good a theory as any," concluded Matrioshka. "I shall go to the Protectorate, gather intel. Rhea and Frost, you will take control of the criminal underground – we need the underside of the Miriani society on our side – no revolts, no riots."

Rhea didn't like it, but she nodded.

"Damien. Start working on Adra; I have plans for her."

Damien gulped. "What plans?"

"We need a new figurehead, one who can maintain the unity of the Miriani – as desired by the Emperor and Empress. And one who trusts us – trusts the Imperium." Matrioshka raised her hand. "And I know; we don't know if the stars will accept her. Ergo, Officer Lavigne and Frost's mission."

Damien nodded, turning thoughtful.

Matrioshka turned towards Makoe. "The satellite. How soon?"

"Within the hour," said Makoe and forwarded the vision of the satellite, a small device capable of connecting the minds of the crew with the Imperial network – their minds would soon be safe once more.

"PesKal."

"Yes, captain!" PesKal saluted.

"Bring Yim up to speed on the Imperium; he was a member of the New World Society – an informal cabal of the smartest and richest scientists and engineers in the 11th kingdom. We will need their support."

PesKal smiled as hard as possible for his Ankrahi body. "Yes, captain!" The man twiddled his webbed fingers, and added: "Does the captain of the Swarm-builders have any relation to Yim? They share the last name."

"The data is inconclusive," answered Damien, pointing at the bundle of code within the diamond. "It does not extend to the Swarm-builder systems – this was recorded from the side of the Wayfarers."

Rhea nodded. "We might be able to reach further conclusions should we find Swarm-builder data."

"Anyone have anything to add?" Matrioshka asked the room.

Nobody spoke up, so she turned and said: "Dismissed."

Damien nodded and vanished back towards the academy, now that Matrioshka controlled even more of his lattice. His nanites would be sluggish, his attention would be dulled and forced into a single place.

Rhea was the same; she walked towards Omrica, Frost by her side.

"So…," said Frost.

"Yeah?" Rhea quirked an eyebrow.

"The captain is hot when she's in charge."

Rhea looked down at the woman; both Frost and the neon shark on her head smirked. Rhea rolled her eyes. "Lovely..."

"Hey," Matrioshka called out to Makoe quietly. "Do you have a moment?"

Makoe nodded. Half her attention divided between finishing the satellite and Matrioshka's words.

"I uh- is this better?"

Makoe did a double take, and smiled. "You're asking me?"

"Well yeah. You uh- you filed the complaint." Matrioshka winced at her words.

Makoe floated up in the virtual and hugged Matrioshka tightly. "You're doing great. Sorry for everything, I'm just so drained." Makoe floated back down, and Matrioshka immediately missed the contact. "I have never been in so many stressful situations in such a short amount of time."

"Yeah- I haven't either, at least for a long time. The uh- the kiss…"

Grand megastructures. Why am I this awkward!?

"What about it?" asked Makoe, her eyes sparkly.

"It was nice…"

"You remember what I said after it?"

Matrioshka nodded. "Don't overthink?"

Makoe cocked an eyebrow, waiting.

Matrioshka veiled herself and the shorter woman; to the others, they would appear motionless. She leaned down and grabbed Makoe's head for purchase. Their second kiss was as nice as the first. Both Matrioshka and Makoe found themselves relaxing, so much so that their shared lattice faltered.

Bringing themselves back to concurrency, their lips parted and Makoe asked:

"Want to watch me launch the satellite?"

Matrioshka nodded, and the two of them spent the next half hour or so in peaceful silence. Matrioshka watched as Makoe operated her nanites with picometer precision – assembling the nano-scale thrusters and relays suffusing the small disk-shaped device.

It would be permanently cloaked, allowing for small changes in its surrounding fields to receive and transmit data. Makoe added the signatures for the crew of the Sliver, and added Frost.

Makoe held the disk in her nanite arms and threw it upwards, like releasing a sparrow. The disk whirred, traveling with an acceleration of 55 g's. It would reach its desired location in 14.91 seconds. As it travelled, Makoe asked:

"Should we also transfer Temri and her friends?"

Matrioshka smiled. "Of course. Just be sure to add instructions for them not to be rebooted until further notice. Who is your lattice provider?"

"Nyxelios."

"Good. They are trustworthy."

Matrioshka sent a similar query to Rhea, and the other woman was grateful; she accepted the proposition.

The satellite came to a halt above the skies of Rosamond's World. It would move with the moon, staying in its shadow – away from the gaze of the stars. Gracefully, the connection was established to the Imperium, and all the data collected since the destruction of the Sliver was tunneled towards the Imperium.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, it would take as much as 7 days before the earliest response could be received from the Imperium. They were on their own still, trapped on a world with a murderous mind, and in a system ruled by genocidal stars.