"I get it," Coda said, nodding. "But if I'm going to get any use out of them, I'll have to train them myself."

"What do you have in mind my Lord?" Beatrix asked.

Tapping the armrest of his throne he leaned back whilst tilting his head up.

"Is there any way to enhance them via nanites? Stronger bones, faster healing, that sort of thing?" He asked, turning his head down to Beatrix.

"I suppose there is." She answered, tilting her head. "But why though? They've only just agreed to work for you."

Coda sighed heavily before leaning forward and locking his hands, resting his head on them.

"Call it a show of good faith maybe?" He said, unsure of himself before shaking his head. "No, that's not it. What good are regular soldiers if I have you all. I need a different breed of soldiers. I agree with the notion I should have living people around, but there's no point in recruiting soldiers if they aren't even good enough to rival the Rev's."

Giving a curt nod she replied. "That's logical My lord. We could also just design gear and weapons that fulfill the same role as what you're suggesting."

A wry smile broke out on Coda's face. "Oh, I have some ideas in that department as well."

Standing up, Coda walked towards the massive window in front of his throne. Halfway there he stopped and glanced to both sides, where the cages had been when he first got here before he resumed walking. Coming to a stop at the window he gazed out over the Prometheus. The telltale sign of a hyperspace corridor whizzing past the sides of the vessel.

As Beatrix came to a stop behind him he spoke again.

"What do you think I should do with this universe or galaxy or whatever I should call it?" Coda asked not expecting an answer. Moving his arm as if presenting something out there in space he continued. "Should I go crazy with power and conquer all of it like some misguided dictator? Do I act like a hero and save everyone in some naive hope that I could create a mythical utopia, where everyone is always happy."

Sighing, Coda shrugged. "Or do I just disappear into the stars, never to be heard of again..."

As Coda stood there in silence Beatrix ran through thousands of simulations and answers before arriving at the most simple one. "I and the rest will do whatever it is you want to do My lord. As always."

Coda started chuckling at first, then slowly it transformed into a laugh before he just started madly cackling as he brought a hand to his face. As he stood there madly laughing Beatrix for a lack of a better word started freaking out, concerned that her liege was suffering from something that affected his mind.

Before she could decide on a course of action, Coda stopped. "Whatever I want to do is it?" He shook his head. "That's the problem, isn't it? I have no idea what I should be doing. I didn't ask to be brought here, I was completely fine with living out the remainder of my pathetic excuse of a life and die in obscurity."

"Those... Things whisked me away and decided I should come here." Coda scowled. "I never had a say in it. The more I think about it I find it strange I didn't refuse, the memories are foggy like I was kept in some kind of fugue state. Compelled even. I for some reason thought it was a good idea to self mutilate my god damn soul!"

The more he thought about it the angrier he got. One of the things he hated the most was being manipulated. Before his emotions got more turbulent he put his hand on Apathy and took a deep breath. A silver glow swirled out of it and up to his arm, before settling into his head.

His eyes flashed with silver as he exhaled, calming himself down again.

"At least some good came out of it." A sinister grin broke out on his face. "I now have access to the force, an unrelenting army, and long life."

Turning around to face Beatrix he spoke with resolve. "Regardless of what I choose to do in the future I at least have a plan now."

"I await your orders, my Lord!" She said with conviction.

"If this is just some sick game for them then fuck it! I'll play." A mad glint could be seen in his eyes. "First, we prepare for our return. Second, we destroy this facade of peace these mongrels have built their foundations on. Threats without foundation will not be tolerated."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

As Coda started schooling his expression back into cold indifference he continued.

"Third. I work on putting myself back together. You see, I had this mad idea." Coda smiled wryly. "What if they didn't force me to break myself apart because I needed it, but rather because they knew what kind of person I am."

Beatrix's eyebrow lifted as she replied. "And what kind of person is that My Lord?"

Coda's sinister expression returned as he spoke just one word.

"Vengeful."

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

Two days passed since then. They'd been taking short jumps over and over since they left Watchpoints sphere of influence. Navigating wild space was incredibly dangerous and Vii and his group had no idea how they were pulling it off so fast. Though Rylo thought it had something to do with the droids on the ship, they seemed to be far more efficient than the droids he was used too.

They'd shared a meal with Coda the day they met him, officially met him at least. After they boarded the massive ship they now resided on but before they set off, just in case they didn't agree to join. The man had seemed eerily composed as the spoke, but they had come to an agreement.

He'd offered them to become his personal team with the caveat that he'd be allowed to train them. If they agreed he'd give them cutting edge tech and some kind of enhancements to their bodies. But if they did agree, there would be no quitting halfway through. They'd be with them for the long haul.

Even though they did end up agreeing, much to Lucival's and Rylo's delight. They were unsure if it was the right choice. They didn't want to be working for some mass murderer. Though the sight in front of them all as they stood on top of a walkway overlooking a hangar that had been converted into a large cafeteria for all the slaves that had decided to join Coda's forces. They had to admit that he couldn't be all that bad.

"I feel like an idiot," Red said, his sunny disposition nowhere to be found. "They were going through hell on the same station as we were on but I had no idea."

The rest of them nodded at his words. It left a bad taste in their mouths. They didn't become soldiers to help people do things like what had been done to those people down there. Of course they knew a soldier wasn't as noble as the recruiters made them out to be, they still knew it wasn't a profession meant to spread misery. At least not in their case.

While most of them looked to be faring much better than when they were found, there was still an overlying cloud of heaviness that permeated the entire hangar. Defeat so dense that you could almost see it. Despite the best efforts of Coda's crew, there had been many suicides and people breaking out in sobs or fits of rage. These people would take some time to recover, but that was to be expected.

It could be considered lucky that most of the members of Coda's order were droids because what they saw when they stumbled upon the med-bay being used to help these people had made their skin crawl. How someone could do things like that to other people boggled their minds. They'd left there quickly feeling hurt, angry and shocked.

While they stood there leaning on the railing they saw a brown-haired woman break away from the group below followed by one of those droids. They walked up the stairs leading towards them. When the two of them came closer they saw the woman was middle-aged and kind looking.

"You guys don't seem to be part of the people rescued from the station." She said. The RG unit standing behind her in silence.

"No, ma'am. We're soldiers that Coda recruited." Vii answered for the group. "And you are?"

"Ah! I'm Scmi." She said while she gestured with her hand to the unit behind her. "And this is Reggie, he's something like my guard and friend I guess." She explained with a shy expression.

Responding with a smile of his own Vii spoke. "It's nice to meet you, Ma'am. Is there anything we can help you with?"

Putting a finger to her chin she replied. "Help me?" She pondered before smiling with a nod. "I guess if you want to help to hand out food, blankets, and clothes to the people down there. While the droids like Reggie here are quite good at helping out they do tend to scare them sometimes."

She looked back at Reggie. "Sorry Reggie, But you know what I mean."

RG1 just smiled back at her. "No need to worry Lady Scmi. It is quite understandable given their experience."

Vii and the guys all drew blanks as their faces might as well have morphed into question marks.

"You're a noble?" Vii asked.

"By the force no!" Scmi explained as she waved her hands in front of her. "That's just the way Reggie and the others refer to me. Though I'm not sure why."

"It's just how we are Lady Scmi," Reggie said in a calm tone. "Lord Coda gave your son his word that you would be treated with the utmost respect. Besides, he seems to enjoy having you around."

Turning back towards the boys she smiled. "There you have it. Now let's go! There's lot's to do and we can't be hanging around here doing nothing!" She said with energy.

Taken aback by her outburst of enthusiasm they all replied instinctively. "Yes, Ma'am!"

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

Four days later. Unknown Planet, Wild space.

Gustaf had been trying to divine a way to help his kingdom for four days now. Usually, he didn't do it many days in a row but the first night he'd felt something. Something from beyond the Ring of God. Something powerful. It was out there, getting closer. He didn't know why his power was leading him towards something not of this world but he was determined to find it.

It was so close. Like something just at the edge of your vision, but everywhere he made that proverbial turn of the head it eluded him. His apprentices had been urging him to take a break recently as well but he was a stubborn man. A determined man. It took a lot of effort to use his gift in this way for an extended period of time and he knew he wouldn't last much longer but he didn't care.

It was a small price to pay for the safety of the kingdom and its people. They were running out of time and they needed something, anything.

Gustaf didn't care anymore if the object of their salvation would end up being a god or a demon. He would find it, he had to find it.