The billions of stars of the Stellae Creaturix filled the long row of ten-meter-high view panes behind the Sol Throne. The twinkling points of lite seemed to fight for dominance in a living tapestry of blazing white-blue dwarfs, warm golden-yellow suns, and ancient red giants nearing their time of supernovae. An infinite color spectrum that created an unmatched kaleidoscope of glinting dots in every hue and stage of the stellar cycle.

Unique in its scale, the Creaturix was the alpha genesis origin of the quasi-transcendent Star Children. And it was the absolutely proper backdrop for their ruling matron’s seat of authority . . . But right now, the matron was running late—Gaia and her entourage popped into the silence of the receiving chamber. Long ceremonial robes hid her heeled shoes as they hurriedly clacked over the polished floor. Behind schedule, the mother of all in enhanced sight ran to the Sol Throne and plopped down with a frump.

Four days ago, everything had changed . . . But, a person can get used to anything, and I’ll get used to sitting in this chair . . . eventually . . .

Gaia self-corrected her ingrained slumped posture. If Riah had told her once, she had said so ad infinitum, ‘Appearances are important.’ Now sitting attentively, the novice matron raised a hand to make sure her diadem was also straight before the representatives arrived—It’s not there!?

Unfruitfully, she patted her head and thrashed around in the throne to find where she had left the thin circle of office.

Constantly at her side since Riah’s loss four rotations ago, her shield, Machitis, reached up to the rear of the throne with an ethereal arm. Coolly, he grabbed the Sun Fire Diadem, still perched where Gaia had left it. Then gently placed it on her head.

The glowing red swirls of Machitis' eyes in his otherwise empty face inclined toward Gaia. He spoke in his usual kind and guiding tone. “Mother . . . only by keeping our heads can we save those of our people—Time is precious. Are you ready to meet with the cultivators?”

Gaia’s eyes cut sharply. How can I be!? This isn’t my place! I’m the second sister, the spare in case of catastrophe. I’m not supposed to have to do any of this!! Riah’s thing was all this formality! I can't even find the diadem . . . How can Riah be gone? What could have possibly made her choose the path she did?

As if reading her thoughts, Machitis’ ember stare grew more intense, and Gaia settled down. He is right. It doesn’t matter how Riah is gone . . . Just that she is. It is my place to stand where she did and protect them . . . I’m just not sure I know how . . .

Shaking her head minutely for clarity, Gaia narrowed her eyes and focused on the step that was right in front of her. ‘Every journey of a thousand li started with the first step.’ Riah’s oft-spoken words drifted up from near memory. The cultivators are here. That is where Gaia needed to start. And it was no secret how Riah would have reacted to them. Blah! They are always more trouble than they are worth. A swarming mass of jumped-up, self-important transients.’ And that was accurate as far as Gaia could tell. Star Children were born at a level of quasi-transcendence with links to Karma that bound them to the mortal realms. They had a vested interest in fostering and sustaining mortal existence. After all, the Star Children had created most of the mortal races. They are our children.

Cultivators, on the other hand, while absolutely mortal, only wanted to utilize whatever resources they could get their grubby fingers or claws on to achieve their transcendence. All they wanted to do was to outgrow and shed the skin of mortality in exchange for the myth of immortality. Then leave this realm and its occupants behind as fast as possible. In general, it gave them the aura of cold calculation and detachment from the races that the Star Children cared for.

We have very divergent eternal perspectives and are on opposing sides for most long-term plans involving this iteration . . . But, right now, I have no way ahead without them. Not with Sky Commandant Zelviz running amok!

Seething inside but well-trained, Gaia stilled herself and took a calming breath. One micro later, she nodded once to Machitis and signaled herself ready. The protector spun and caught the eyes of the door guards, “We are ready to receive. Open the chamber.”

The ornately carved, ten-meter-high doors swung open, and the guards took their positions to either side.

Machitis strode two paces forward and looked back as he spoke to Gaia. “Announcing Qasir of the Tilk Ramadi and his disciple, Zenyak Marztanak, Followers of the Path of One.” Always perfectly proper concerning court demeanor, he paused the necessary beat while turning to face the two cultivators. Then, he spoke in a tone that inspired images of the ever-present rock of ages he was. “The Daughter of Stars and Mother of All bids you welcome. Please come forward and state your intentions.”

The two who came in were a mismatched pair, to say the least.

Zenyak was a tall, solidly built elder human. He strode purposefully with a presence that would be noticed in any setting. Qasir was grey-skinned, short of stature, and reed-thin. He floated on a seated suspensor that covered him to his chest. Sitting over two nasal holes and a tiny slash of mouth, his giant circular eyes looked around the hall with sincere interest. Qasir’s disproportionately large and oblong head bobbed gently on his impossibly slender neck in rhythm with his movements.

As advanced cultivators, they could embody themselves in avatars of peak-strength bandoi grapplers. For some reason, they had decided to play it straight and present as they actually appeared.

The fact that they do not have the time or the desire to play the usual games is worrying in itself . . . Riah’s voice prodded from Gaia’s subconscious.

Sensing that something she couldn’t quite put her finger on was off kilter with the coming audience, Gaia focused on what few things she did know. Humans, as with most species in the iteration, were foundlings originally propagated from the Creaturix. Created de novo by the Star Children as they fulfilled their mission to people the void. As with all other foundlings, they had been seeded into planets over the last several billion cycles of her sister’s reign. On a side note, humans were, as a species, renowned for illogical but very effective actions when least expected.

The Tilk Ramadi as a people were quite different. Though fully mortal also, the Tilk were contemporaries with the Star Children of a sort, being one of the few races that had emerged on their own through spontaneous biogenesis in a far corner of the iteration. Which far corner? Gaia couldn’t recall at the moment. They were ancient and well-established. In general, the Tilk would prefer to fully research a topic before acting or engaging. The two are even more mismatched in philosophy than appearance . . .

Qasir and Zenyak stopped three paces from the Sol Throne and bowed their heads over closed fists. Zenyak spoke. “Mother, our condolences to you and the Star Children for the loss of Matriarch Riah. With heavy spirits, we present to—”

Gaia raised a halting hand and dipped her head slightly as she interjected. “Thank you for your kind words. We are aware that Sky Commandant Zelviz has brought his hordes of undead to the borders of the Creaturix. Our forces have been mobilized in delaying tactics, and evacuations are already underway to save our progeny races from his devastations. However, we are ill-prepared for the relocation of trillions . . .” Gaia shifted her attention to Qasir. “. . . We request your aid and the use of as many of your ARC fleets as possible to assist in preserving the future of the iteration’s spirit beings.”

Zenyak exhaled and cast a meaningful glance at Qasir. His master slowly closed large eyes and nodded as if in agreement with an unspoken conversation. Qasir tilted his head, and Zenyak stepped to the side as the Tilk’s suspensor chair glided to center on Gaia. A pleasant, mechanized voice projected from an emitter on the chair. “. . . Matriarch, there can be no evacuation of the Stellae Creaturix. Your sister’s sacrifice in battle is part of a carefully construed plan she herself put into motion. Her sacrifice gives us a final and last hope of stopping Zelviz before he eradicates all life in this iteration—” The Tilk Ramadi held up a slender but adamant hand to prevent Gaia from stopping his discourse. Gaia did a double take at Machitis, who, for some reason, continued to stare straight ahead instead of enforcing Gaia’s right to overrule in her own court. Unhindered, Qasir continued. “. . . We do not expect you to accept our word on this. Matriarch Riah wished you to see this after she had fallen . . .”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Gaia’s head snapped back to the Tilk in wide-eyed shock as a holovid of Riah sitting in the very Sol Throne she now occupied began. Her sister spoke through a slim smile with a light-hearted chuckle. But her eyes carried the weight of the news she brought, “. . . Greetings from the other side, sister. I’m uncertain where my spirit is now . . . but I know I‘m no longer with you and the other Children . . .”

Riah stared directly into Gaia’s eyes and tensed slightly as she became more serious. “. . . I’m sorry for the fear and pain that you’re feeling. But I am ok with my choice. What remains of the leadership of this iteration has long known that there is no stopping Zelviz with marshal forces in combat. He’s too powerful. The personal energy reserves that he can draw on from the multitudes of his mobs when he gets depleted or wounded are far too deep. We are uncertain of the exact number of risen undead he can draw upon to directly replenish his undead fire. But we estimate it at approximately 30 percent of the iteration’s population . . . that’s about 72 nonillions—” Riah looked away and held a stalling hand up. “. . . Don’t bother looking it up—it’s 7.2 with thirty-one zeros behind it . . . Yes, a lot.” Riah lightly snorted the continued. “I’ve done much behind your back. I’ve justified this as my own way of trying to shelter you from what was coming for as long as possible. Perhaps I hoped against hope that we were all wrong and you could be spared what I am going to ask you to do . . .” Riah raised her brows, “. . . but it doesn’t look like it if you are there and I am here.” She gracefully pointed at herself with indrawn fingers then raised a single eyebrow in her familiar challenging way. “. . .At any rate, time is short, and we have to get down to business. What is happening in our iteration is being reflected by all of the surrounding iterations of the cuboid. Zelviz has begun communicating with and acting in concert with his counterparts in the surrounding iterations. It is feared that he will soon be able to transfer forces between iterations to overwhelm native iterational resistance that has been more successful than ours. When Zelviz does this, he will obtain majority weight overflow conversion of our cuboid. This cannot happen. All life—not just the life in our iteration—could be lost.”

Riah paused and stared directly at Gaia to nail her point home. “As I know you are aware—at least I have told you enough times . . .” Riah rolled her eyes and smiled crookedly at Gaia. “. . . the Creaturix is one of the very few congruences which is present in all of the known life-bearing iterations. Likely because without Star Children, life fails, and Karma, Balance, and Reality relegate the iterations without the Creaturix to a multiversal position with less significance—be that as it may—we know the Sky Commandant began unifying all the attacks in the cuboid several sept-gyra ago, in this cuboid—and perhaps two aspects beyond that, Zelviz’s legions are bearing down on the Stellae Creaturix right now! He thinks it is more efficient to eliminate us if his counterparts act in harmonious concert . . .” Riah sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “. . . and damn his dead black heart to a soul-crushing abyss . . . he’s right. It is much more effective . . . We are losing and losing big.”

Riah paused again and dropped her gaze. But when she lifted it up again, there was a sharpness that spoke of killing intent. “. . . But predictability is a weakness, and I’m going to make him pay for this one. His slaughter and conversion of my children into undead abominations must end. I will exact his final death in payment for what he has done! Riah took a steadying breath and continued with no less conviction. “. . . Whatever you think of what I am about to ask you, know that it was entirely my idea. I’m responsible for its conception and implementation.” Riah’s gaze was steady and brooked no argument. “I have drawn Zelviz here by my assault on his forces with the intent of laying the groundwork for his destruction.” Riah's pause, punctuated with her unwavering sincerity, left no doubt in Gaia’s mind that her sister fully believed everything she was saying. Then Riah’s image continued. “. . . My friend, Qasir, has only presented this holo to you after it has been confirmed that my falling in battle has gotten Zelviz to fully commit his forces and reserves to take the Creaturix. Not only in this iteration but our entire cuboid!” Now that this is the case, Qasir will spearhead a sacrificial force to draw Zelviz, his legions, and reserves into the nucleus of the Creaturix.”

The hope in Riah’s voice had drawn Gaia to the edge of the Sol Throne. Eagerly, she sat unblinking to hear the culmination of the plan that would bring the murderous obscenity named Zelviz to his fate. But tears began streaming down Riah’s cheeks from wide-open eyes. Obviously, she was unable to hold back the pain of her next words, and the universe shrank around Gaia as her sister continued through her sorrow.

“Once Zelviz has committed to chasing Qasir’s forces to the center of the Creaturix . . . I . . .” Riha dry swallowed to control her emotions. “. . . I need you to detonate all the stars simultaneously. There can be no broad-scale evacuations or spared areas. For Zelviz to believe that this is not a trap, for his reserves to be crippled, all must be sacrificed. It will be Qasir and his force's job to prevent Zelviz from evacuating at the last micro.”

The words now out, Riah sat straighter. “. . . Understand that this is not designed to kill Zelviz. To do so is currently impossible.” Riah’s face screwed up in bitterness, and she spat out the frustration of their current reality. “We are doing this . . .” Riah’s image splayed its hands to indicate the current situation. “. . . to make him killable. When we succeed, Zelviz will have lost enough of his reserve strength to give what remains of life’s forces in our iteration a chance to wear him down and eventually eliminate him.”

The holo sat back on the throne and appeared to scrutinize Gaia from beyond the grave. “. . . This is our last hope . . . It has to be enough to give our children a chance to continue!”

A silent moment passed, and Riah’s projection sniffled and straightened. Then she was half successful at giving Gaia a tight smile. “I understand that what I am asking of you is far harder than what I have to do . . .” Riah’s head nodded in sympathetic agreement. “I understand that there are millions of trillions of lives that will be extinguished at your command. Lives that we have given existence to and who are all loved by you . . . But know that I loved them first! You might be tempted not to sacrifice the Creaturix. Instead swearing to fight valiantly to the last of you . . .” Riah clenched her jaw and leaned in, speaking hoarsely. “. . . If you do this, you will fight and die to the last . . . and you will have doomed all of our children in this iteration and the multiverse to that same fate!”

Silence hung in the audience chamber as Riah straightened again in her Sol Throne.

“I know that this will be the end of the Star Children’s main purpose of being. Without Creaturix, you and your international sisters will no longer foster the introduction of new life and races to the multiverse . . . giving up royalty to become homeless wanderers. . .” Riah’s face softened, and her voice became emphatic. “. . . You will find another way to bring our life! For sure, many will blame you for this loss. Small-minded people only ever see what they take issue with. Not the unavoidable causes or the actual reasons for them. You can do nothing for those who think like this. Take solace that our way of life isn’t ending by your decision. . . It ended when the elders of my generation failed to stop Zelviz from becoming what he is! This truth resounds in me, and I must prevent it.”

Riah’s hologram stood and pivoted to leave. She turned back, wiping at the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand. “. . . And just on the off chance you think this is an elaborate hoax, I’ve recorded this in the presence of Machitis.” The projection panned back, and Machitis stood in his usual place to the right of Riah’s throne. “. . . He will confirm everything that I have said. Know that he argued so convincingly to stand at my side against Zelviz, I had to forbid him from speaking to me further.” Riah’s cast a pained look of love and respect to Machitis rigidly at attention. She then threw her shoulders back and smiled one last time. “Farewell, my sister, now Mother of the Star Children, choose well.” The projection turned and walked out of frame without looking back as the holovid ended.

Head spinning and tears she hadn’t remembered crying streaming down her cheeks, Gaia sat perfectly still on the Sol Throne.

Qasir spoke through his emitter. “Mother . . . If it brings you any solace . . . know that nothing could stand before Riha on the field. She drained three blue hypergiants into smoking cinders . . . When Zelviz himself moved against her, she was actively channeling the polar emissions of a binary pulsar system to guarantee our escape. A single yellow tear ran from Qasir's unblinking eye as his emitter paused briefly before continuing. “. . . She detonated both of the neutron stars under her to prevent him from raising her against us . . . I have never seen such feats of determination and power. I doubt any mortal ever will again . . .”

Qasir trailed off, and Machitis turned to face Gaia. The fledgling Mother of Stars closed her eyes and dipped her head. She felt in her spirit his words before they had been voiced,

“Mother, there is no time. What are your commands?”