It's been a month since our fight with the Imperial Itzli Navy. After we repelled the boarding party I set our course for outside the Itzli Empire into unknown space. Our destination was the signal we'd received from what was, presumably, the Halcyon.

We've stopped now that we're in unknown space, however. The William Cody took a beating in that fight, and we need to make repairs. The hole left where the cargo lift was made for an interesting time getting to the other decks until we stopped to patch the hole. We've holed up in this dead system for now. Nothing but rocks and radiation, but it has the resources needed to get the ship repaired.

We're thinking of making some upgrades to the ship as well and Arvin and Winri have some interesting ideas on that front. The IIN isn't going to leave us alone after what happened, and we need to be prepared next time they find us. Arvin thinks we can tear out the extra crew quarters and mount some actual weapons on the ship. He thinks we'd have plenty of room to run feed lines from the reactors to some pretty potent proton cannons with all the extra space. I'm a bit worried about how exposed they would be in a fight, but he assures me there'd be room for more of those 'Radiant Electron Barrier' generators too. Turns out 'Radiant Electron Barrier' was a fancy way of describing an electron field that 'radiates' waste heat from the ship, but it can also be reversed to absorb incoming energy weapon fire as well.

I know I boasted about not needing anything else when you have graviton-tech, but I have to admit I was wrong on that front. It's far too unwieldy to use in most situations, and if we'd had some actual guns, that assault shuttle would never have gotten close. When I commented on it to Winri though, she got that look in her eye that always meant trouble before taking over one of the workshops. Hopefully, the trouble is for the Itzli or whoever we run into out here.

I've also used the opportunity to get everyone patched up and upgraded with NIL implants and gene therapy. Everyone's feeling a lot better physically and about themselves mentally as well. No more scars or missing chunks of flesh. I thought Winri was going to cry when she first saw her hair starting to come in.

Gericht ended up having to get a cybernetic hand to replace the one that the Kekoan's Maser weapons fried. For some reason the medical scanners can't figure out, his wound is rejecting the cloned replacement. He didn't seem bothered, actually thought his new hand was pretty 'nova and wanted to know if it had a gun installed in it. I'd say he'd seen too many of those spy movies, but I know he's never seen one before. I already regret introducing him and Winri to them. She pretty much locked herself in her workshop for the entire day afterward. I fear whatever insane gadgets she comes up with. Back on The Hab she'd apparently spent all her free time to tinker since she didn't need to work as Gericht made enough to provide for both of them.

Arvin's body thankfully accepted the cloned replacements with no complications. Both his arms ended up needing to be amputated and replaced, the particle burns were so extensive. Thankfully his vest and coat protected his torso for the most part, aside from getting a little cooked from the waste heat they dumped. His face got a little singed too, but some cloned skin grafts fixed that up.

Tayle was actually the worst off of the three because of her head wound. She was laid up in the medical bay for almost two weeks recovering. There's only so much even SUNS tech can do for concussions, and she hit that wall pretty hard. She was pretty upset when she woke up, especially after she heard how badly Gericht and Arvin were hurt. It's done nothing to dampen her determination though, and I always see her with her newly regrown nose in a compad studying, or at the firing range.

The worst thing I had to deal with was some bruises from getting thrown around by that exo-trooper and some heat exhaustion, so I was up and about several days before anyone else was. Whatever the gene treatment did, it has drastically shortened the time it takes me to recover.

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Sadly there is someone who has yet to recover. I'm talking, of course, about Hailey. There's been no change in her condition. The medical bay keep injecting her with that drug cocktail every twelve hours to keep her stabilized, but so far there's been no improvement. I've tried reading up on what the drugs are in the hopes it will help me figure out what's wrong with her and what I can do to help Hailey, but it's so far beyond me I don't have a hope in any hell of understanding it. My only other option for helping Hailey is to find the Halcyon. The SUNS are the ones that did this to her, so they must have a way to help her. That's the hope at least, and I'll onto that hope with both hands as hard as I can.

***** Vyrian Kinneret Class War-Cruiser Ori'Nava*****

"I do not see why we must seek the help of this lizard." Hunter-Adept Shira declared, the felinoid Huntress clad in a gray bodysuit with neon-green trim.

"Agreed, I cannot see how such a savage would be of any use to us, we Vyrians are the greatest hunters the galaxy has ever seen." Hunter-Adept Chana added, whiskers twitching in disdain.

They stood on the central pedestal bridge of the War-Cruiser. The colossal warship was as much a testament to the art and culture of Vyria as it was a weapon. Over a kilometer tall, the silvery hull of the towering spire was trimmed in lines of green crystal. The bridge projected fearlessly from the prow of the cruiser.

Below them in their stepped pedestals, the bridge crew managed the massive warship. The warship had a surprisingly small crew, only a few hundred, but the many weapons and defensive systems demanded a proportionately outsized command crew to oversee their operation. The door behind the command-pedestal opened, disgorging the scarred form of Stalker-Captain Nava onto the bridge.

"How far the Hunters Of Ainur must have fallen if this the best they have to offer, children openly doubting the word of the High-Seer." The two Huntresses snapped to attention, tails coiled and ears laid flat in embarrassment and shame as the green-and-gold-suited captain ran an unimpressed eye over them.

"That was not our intent, elder sister! We are merely confused about what such a simple and primitive species could do that we cannot do ourselves." Shira hurriedly explained, Chana rapidly nodding in agreement.

"Pfeh, such fancy words for a bunch of crying kittens who can't even open their eyes yet. The High-Seer is far wiser than your small mind can comprehend, but it doesn't take one such as her to understand the use of a local guide. Now return to your quarters, we will be crossing The Great Barrier soon, and I have no place for mewling kittens on my bridge." Nava ordered.

The chastened Huntresses quietly left the command pedestal, leaving Captain Nava to oversee her crew's preparations for crossing The Great Barrier. Orders were passed, and system readings were checked and double-checked. Receiving a nod from her second and checking her own display to confirm, she nodded back.

"Set state three, I repeat, set state three." Her Second's rumbling voice echoed across the ship's PA as the crew rapidly secured any loose objects before finding their crash seats.

"Graviton barriers at maximum."

"Contact with the barrier in three, two, one." The ship rocked as if it had run into a small moon.

The lights turned to a dim green, bathing the bridge in shadow as an alarm began to blare. The massive cruiser groaned and creaked under the strain as it pushed through The Great Barrier. The ship rocked again and the lights flickered slightly before steadying. The veteran crew weathered the passage with the calm assurance of experience, while the Huntresses and the rest shivered in fear as the ship felt as if it would shake apart around them.

"Graviton barriers holding within parameters."

"Engine temperatures are inside tolerances."

"We are breaching the far side of the barrier." Another round of shaking and creaking as the ship began to break through.

"Alright, time for the final push, engines to maximum."

"Understood, engines to redline. Injecting anti-proton catalyst. All stations standby for barrier breach." The powerful cruiser groaned and moaned like a thing alive, a massive beast in pain, as it crossed the barrier.

There was a sudden jolt and then they were free of the last layers of the barrier accelerating into open space. Captain Nava turned her attention to their planned route heading south skirting around the galactic core before arriving in Itzli space. Their destination the Izra system, home of the Formless Void Order.