"What's changed?" I asked as Carrie and I stepped onto the bridge.

"Not much," Micheal said. "A few ships have taken off and assumed defensive positions around the planet, but it's nothing to worry about."

"How many ships?" I demanded. "If they're filled with explosives, or missiles, they can do more than a little damage with kamikaze runs. If they're filled with civilians trying to flee, then we need to disable them as quickly as we can."

"Right, sorry sir," Micheal said. "Running penetrating scan for Rif'nay'fex starships."

"Anything on your end, Benjamin?" I asked the other man piloting my flagship.

"All starships in the fleet have assumed positions around the constructed planet," he said. "Awaiting orders to attack."

"Let's see what Micheal's scan gives us before we start shooting," I told him.

"Yes, sir," he responded as he turned back to his console and continued his work.

"Sir, I've completed my scans," Micheal said after a moment. "These starships are all Scourge infested. Every single one of them. They also show interesting design choices that appear to allow them to remotely take control of a ship and board it by force."

"Does that mean..." Carrie trailed off.

"Yes, I think it does," I nodded. "When the seeds aren't expanding fast enough to counter us, these ships allow them to create suspicion between us and our allies, or it can be used to cause a secure planet to experience another Scourge infestation. We found the ones who've been taking Warden ships and using them to send Scourge to secured worlds. We end these and the Rif'nay'fex, we end that issue."

"And set the souls of the people lost to rest," Carrie added.

"That's the bonus," I said. "Send word to all starships in the fleet, I want those ships destroyed. Make sure to tag people across the fleet to keep an eye out for the planet trying to flee."

"Sending word, sir," Benjamin said as he began to type out my orders at his console.

"Preparing to lock sensors onto the constructed planet's engines," Micheal said from his own console.

"All starships prepared to fire," Benjamin said. "Will you give the order, sir?"

"Fire," I said, knowing that the word was being sent across all comm lines to all starships in my fleet.

I didn't hear any noises as the rail cannons and missiles were shot at the Rif'nay'fex starships filled with Scourge, but I did see the lights from the missile's propulsion as they all raced to impact their targets and tore them to pieces in a single salvo.

Stolen novel; please report.

As we were destroying the opposing starships, the constructed planet's engines and shields began to draw power from whatever power source it had and moved itself out of the orbital line that it had followed for who knows how long.

"Rif'nay'fex planet appears to be running," Micheal warned me.

"Do we have a lock on their engines?" I asked.

"Currently, we've identified three sets, all set below the outermost layer. We can't destroy them before they flee from us," he told me.

"Send word to all starships, focus fire on key parts of the shield and destroy the emitters in a one thousand mile radius," I ordered before turning to Carrie. "Get me people that can keep this situation under control onto the bridge. Once they're here, we're suiting up. Those engines need to be destroyed and we're going after one of them. Are you with me?"

"Of course," she assured me as she turned and began to leave the bridge. "I've got people on standby, they'll be here in two minutes. I'm sending word to Bunny and Sarah, they'll meet me at the armory; be sure not to leave Mike and Ben behind."

"I'll see you at the shuttle," I assured her before turning back to Micheal and Benjamin. "Send word to the armory that we need stable, high-powered explosives that are capable of destroying an area that is likely to be up to a mile in diameter. Also one of you needs to make sure to leave projected vectors of escape and movement for the Rif'nay'fex and the fleet up on your console. The B-team's going to need them close at hand so they don't make a mistake."

"Yes sir," Micheal said as he made adjustments to his console and marked out those vectors. "You sure it's a good idea to send you and Horseman Applewood to take care of this?"

"I'd like to leave her here to take command," I admitted to him as Benjamin began to send word to the armory about the explosives. "I also know that she'd like me to stay, but I won't stay because I started this whole thing and I mean to finish it. She won't let me do it alone, so she's coming with me."

"Which means that we're going too," Micheal said with a nod as he and Benjamin stood up. "B-team should be here soon. Phoenix won't drift out of line anytime soon. Permission to make our way to the lockers?"

"Granted," I nodded as they made their way to the door and stepped out into the corridor. Once they were gone I sighed.

"Cai, am I making a mistake?" I asked my Cybernetic friend.

"Many would argue that you are, but you have examined all of the data at your disposal and this is the course of action you have decided on," he told me. "I cannot offer any new data that will potentially alter you choice. There is none available."

"I know," I nodded. "I just wish there was a different way that I could see."

Before Cai could answer me, the Principality and Paladins that would be taking over the Phoenix for the manuevers that would be made in the coming fight. Not that it could be called a fight if the opponent was trying to flee.

"Orders, Demigod?" the Principality asked as he approached and his Paladins took their seats.

"Keep the constructed Rif'nay'fex planet here," I told him as I stood and gave up the chair. "Don't let them leave this star system by any means neccessary."

"Yes sir," he nodded. "Where will you be if I need you?"

"On the false planet, attempting to remove its engine capabilities," I told him. "Good luck."

"To you too, sir," he said, still processing what I'd said.

Before anyone could say something else, I moved past him and out into the corridor to make my way to the locker room and into my armor. From there, I needed to grab my weapons and the explosives that we needed to end what was happening. Without the Rif'nay'fex to direct the Scourge and attempt to sabatoge our efforts to remove them from the universe, we'd be able to focus on leading all races back to their homes and into a better age. One meant for peace and prosperity, rather than the dying gasps of a race that had fallen to madness and religious paranoia.