"Why exactly are you wanting to start jumping ahead like this?" Sarah asked hesitantly. "It sounds dangerous like Carrie says and if something goes wrong we could end up dead before we accomplish anything."

"I said crazy, not dangerous," Carrie spoke up before I could.

"The plan at first was to find and promote two Principalities to Horsemen and send them off with their own Galaxy-Jumpers and fleets to clear more galaxies," I said. "That would also have two others from Kyouka and Julio each, which would bring the total Horsemen numbers from three to nine. After that, those Horsemen would find two more Principalities and the process would repeat exponentially. By then I would have raised Carrie, Kyouka, and Julio to Demigod."

"Knowing now that the idea of me being close to the younger Knights and Paladins can paralyze them, I'm altering how this will all work out," I continued. "If I'm going to have people in the cleared galaxies talking about me and saying all sorts of crazy or false things that become some sort of myth that they want me to live up to, then I'm going to take a bunch of supplies, ships, colonists, and soldiers and I'm going to move out further than they can reach and hear about. Most of them now barely comprehend the sheer distance between Andromeda and the Milky Way and they're only going to get further away as we go. I don't want to wake up in the Milky Way one day with a bunch of kids praying outside my door because their parents told them I was actually the son of a god, or worse a god in my own right."

"I can't control the propaganda machines at this point," I said. "They're too big with their own stories being pumped out of them and if I tried to step in now, then all I'd do is make things worse for everyone. So the best thing I can do for my own sanity and ego, is to go further away and keep going. I'm running away from whatever they say, and I don't expect to be back for several centuries. Hopefully by then, I'll have been forgotten, or details will have changed so much that I won't be recognized. This was never about one person, this was about saving as many lives as possible and as we go further we're doing that. If I'm focusing part of my attention on how to mitigate what the younger generation feels about me, then I'm not going to be focusing everything I can on clearing planets of Scourge, and that will get my Nephilim killed."

"I can't live with that on my conscience," I said quietly, looking down at my desk.

"That's why you want our help," Sarah guessed. "We've helped ground you and Carrie has helped keep your attention on the Scourge. You want us to do that and take up any slack in the line so that you're not overwhelmed by all this."

I nodded. I'd learned many years ago that baring my soul and outlining what I wanted or feared would do more to inform others than just telling them what I wanted, so as much as it hurt at times, I was no stranger to giving voice to my fears and letting the minds of those I was talking to guide them to what I wanted from them.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"What exactly do we need to do?" Bunny asked. "I'm just a Paladin now, but I know there's things you need me for. What am I doing?"

"You will be the face that I show to the younger Nephilim," I told her. "That means that when we go to gather them up, you're the one that will inform them of what they're doing and where they're going. If they have issues, they go to you and you'll handle them as you see fit. Soon, you'll be raised to Wing and that will make your job easier, since you won't have Paladins and Wings trying to go around you. They know that every Wing has been trained extensively and has more than a little combat experience under their belts."

"Sarah," I turned to her. "I want you to act as the day to day captain of the Phoenix. I assign Wings for that because it gives them experience with larger command and prepares them for the different rigors of Principality. In this position, you'll be responsible for more than just making them ship fly from point to point. You'll be in charge of supplies, fuel, shifts, and, eventually, keeping other ships in the fleet from going under or being lost."

"Carrie," I looked over to her. "Are you with me on this?"

"Of course I am," she said as though I'd asked her who her sister was. "I've got problems with this idea and your reasoning, but I signed up for this and every other idea you've had when I signed up as a Nephilim. My job's always been to make sure you know if you lost your last marble. Doesn't mean I won't try to help and lessen the coming disaster."

"Thank you, Carrie," I smiled at her. "That makes me happy to hear. You'll be monitoring the day to day issues that Bunny and Sarah bring to you. If they need a more delicate touch than they can give, take care of it or send it to me. You'll also be responsible for keeping me on the course. We're going after enough planets in each galaxy now to start the snowball that's going to clear the Scourge from them. That means we won't clear anymore than twenty planets before going back for resupply or just moving on."

"Do you all understand?" I asked looking at each of them in turn. They all nodded to me and I felt relief course through me, this is the best time to change details as needed. "Do any of you have anything you want to change or do before we start this in earnest?"

"I think we'll need more squadmembers," Carrie said. "Since you're making us start to take up more of your job, I vote we get to pick them out and you just deal with it."

"I second that idea," Sarah said. "If you're worried about distracting the younger Nephilim, then we're going to need more backup than just one another in the field. You and Carrie might be okay without more people, but I feel better with at least one more person watching my back. Bunny can't look everywhere."

"I like this idea too," Bunny said.

"Alright," I relented. "How many more are you thinking?"

"Ideal numbers would be at least seven more," Carrie said. "But I know you won't like that amount, so I can deal with at least three more."

"I'll greenlight two for active duty in our squad with six more on backup," I said. "That'll give you more than your seven and give us a group that we can rely on watching our backs when someone's out for an injury or we need more than just our squad in the field. Work for you?"

"Very much," Carrie said. "Bunny you'll get to look over the selection criteria this time and help us pick out who we want. Sounds like fun, right?"