“No time to dawdle,” Bianca said. “You should be thankful I’m even allowing you here.”

“Why?” Natalya asked as Bianca strode toward a wide, circular door. Colors of red, gold, and white swirled together on the door, coalescing around what looked like a diamond-tipped handle.

A pair of guards stood by the door, one with a golden helmet, the other with a broad shield, also of gold. The two Red Prophets flanked Natalya and Jasper as they approached the door.

“Most Prosperites deny that Sevens even exists,” Bianca explained. “They would rather live in blissful ignorance than view this place.”

“We’re not here to sightsee. We’re here to defend Jasper,” Pul explained.

“Indeed. Since the other witnesses to his crimes are dead, you should be useful. This way. The Sept is assembling as we speak.”

Bianca turned the diamond-tipped handle and opened the round door. They passed through a wide hallway. Natalya barely had a chance to see the paintings on the walls, one of a castle of black steel, another with a round spaceship that looked like an egg with three wings. She didn’t recognize the design from Prosper or its colonies. There was a tapestry with two men shaking hands, a tattered banner, and the bust of a child’s head.

Before Natalya could inquire about these decorations, they reached another round door that opened to a circular chamber.

The black marble floor sparkled with veins of red, gold, and white. Golden walls showcased red-framed mirrors that made the pearly-white dome feel larger than it was. The silvery spire dominated the center of the room, continuing out the domed ceiling. Natalya guessed it went all the way to the ground. Seven chairs sat on the far wall. Two were red, two white, two gold. The one in the middle was onyx black.

Stands with more seating ringed the chamber, but they appeared to be empty. The seven chairs, however, all save one, had occupants wearing formal dresses, robes, and suits. Two other doors exited the chamber at equidistant points, one a golden, rectangular door, the other angled, more like a red gash in the wall than a door. Through this entrance came a man in a brown leather trench coat. His boots clacked as he walked. Natalya focused only on the crimson hatchet at his side. The hatchet-wielder sat in the unoccupied chair, a seat of angular, red metal.

Natalya swallowed, did her best to keep her legs from shaking, and kept her hand in Jasper’s as she approached the chairs.

A woman wearing a diamond-studded, white tiara sat in the onyx chair. Natalya’s footsteps echoed as she walked, her gaze never wavering from the woman in the crown.

“Jasper, Prophet of Gold?” the woman asked.

“Yes, Blesser,” Jasper replied with a slight bow of his head.

“The Sept has convened to hold trial on the charges of murder and Propheticide. You will explain your actions.”

Jasper looked at Natalya. She squeezed his hand.

“Blesser, as you know, I was placed in charge of protecting Lee Xia, Zhou Chairwoman at the time,” Jasper began.

Natalya searched the eyes of the seated Prophets. She had no idea what a Sept was, what a Blesser was, but this was obviously some kind of leadership council. If these would be the judges, and jurors, to decide Jasper’s fate, she’d look them in the eye and prepare herself to defend the man whose hand she held. If that meant fighting, well, she hoped Co had a bomb jammed up her stump. They’d need it.

“She was assassinated. I failed to protect her,” Jasper added.

“The records show that it was you who killed Chairwoman Xia,” the Blesser replied.

“Actually, it was an assassin from the Foundry District in Prosper. He’s very effective and very expensive. I have an invoice showing his payment and summary for services rendered,” Ptolemy said, pulling up a file on his datasheet.

Ptolemy handed the datasheet to Bianca, who passed it to the Sept. The seven seated Prophets examined it.

“An assassin keeps records?” the Blesser asked.

“This one does. He knows the value of information. As you can see, it was Qin himself who paid for the assassination. Not directly, of course. He routed the money through several subsidiaries, but it didn’t take much digging to find out he made the initial order,” Ptolemy explained.

Natalya blinked. “And you never thought to share this before?” she asked.

“Qin would have squashed this evidence in a Prosper court, so it didn’t matter before. Jasper said he didn’t kill her. I believed him, but I made sure to verify his claim.”

“Thank you for your… trust,” Jasper said.

“This evidence seems clear,” the Blesser said after handing the datasheet to one of the Gold guards, who downloaded the information. “We are told these fellows are witnesses to the Propheticide of Erika, Prophet of White. Tell me, how did Erika die?”

“We didn’t witness it,” Natalya admitted. “But Qin confessed.”

“He did!” Sisi answered.

Co nodded.

“Heard it right from his puckered lips,” Augustus added.

“I witnessed it,” Pul said. “I was on that ship. I was there when Qin had his crew torture Jasper and Erika.”

“Why?” the Blesser asked.

“He wanted information. He wanted to know where Duke was.”

“Which Duke?”

“The space station.”

“Hmm. And what of this space station? Duke, you called it?”

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“Space Station Duke,” Natalya said with a nod.

“As in Duke of Farbind?” the Blesser asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s who I am.”

“Hardly the reliable witness,” the Red Prophet with the hatchet scoffed.

“Am I on trial here?” Natalya asked.

“You could be.”

“Then hold my feet to the fire and see what happens.”

Natalya’s crewmen, her friends, nodded behind her while Jasper squeezed her hand.

“We made mistakes. We screwed up,” Natalya continued. “I let my pride start a war. We all let our failings blind us while Qin used our weaknesses for his gain. But we came together, united by necessity. We helped each other, and even those who fought against us joined our cause.”

“And how does this relate to Jasper’s crimes?” the Blesser asked.

“It means Jasper is a good man. It means he has friends who will fight for him, friends willing to die by his side. He didn’t murder Xia, he didn’t kill that Prophet, and the stories about him are false.”

“His stories are false, are they? You say he is innocent, but who is he to you, Duke of Farbind?”

Natalya locked eyes with Jasper and said, “He’s the most important person in the universe.”

The Red Prophet laughed. Co drew a pistol the Prophets had missed. It wasn’t hidden in her stump, but it was up her sleeve.

The Blesser stared at Co, then at Natalya and Jasper.

“Co, no shooting the judge,” Natalya said.

“There’s seven of ‘em. Only need one judge to make a verdict,” Co reasoned.

“That seems logical,” Pul added, powering up his shield emitters.

“There is no need for showmanship,” the Blesser said. “Put that hatchet down, Reginald, you’re just encouraging them.”

The hatched-wielding Prophet lowered his hand. Natalya hadn’t realized he’d readied the weapon until he returned it to his belt.

“Put the gun down, Co,” Natalya ordered. “Everyone, settle.”

Co lowered her gun and Pul powered down, but they continued glaring at the seated Prophets.

“The Sept has reached a verdict. We are dismissing charges of Propheticide. Claims to it were hearsay to begin with, and in light of this evidence it is clear they were nothing more than rumor,” the Blesser said.

Natalya felt the tension lifting in the room as the Red Prophets behind her took a step back. She noticed, only then, that the one with the daggers had kept the blades at Jasper’s back the whole time.

“As for the charges of murder, how does this Sept rule?” the Blesser asked, looking at each of the seated Prophets.

Those in the chairs must have replied telepathically, as only silence answered the Blesser’s words.

“Well?” Sisi asked.

The Blesser’s eyes paused on Reginald, and she nodded.

“Jasper, Prophet of Gold?” the Blesser asked.

“Yes, Blesser,” Jasper replied.

“You have clearly made an impact on an entire galaxy. Chairman Qin is dead. Already those who opposed him vie for the power he leaves behind. Evil, as always, has a way of washing itself clean. However, the damage to the Sevens Prophets has been done. In order for us to continue operations in the Jade Galaxy, you must be seen to have been lost. We hold you innocent of the charge of murder, but ban you from that galaxy.”

“What?” Pul asked.

“Thank you, Blesser,” Jasper replied.

“What are you thanking her for? She just kicked you out of the galaxy!”

“I do not need a galaxy where I am hated. All I need is right here before me.”

Natalya smiled at Jasper and said, “I’m supposed to be dead there too, remember?”

“Indeed. Both of them are pariahs, the rest of us as well. If I might make a suggestion, Blesser,” Ptolemy said. “We have no intention of remaining in the Jade Galaxy. Allow Jasper to return with us to Duke, and we will depart it.”

“You have such ability?” the Blesser asked.

“I can neither confirm nor deny what my space station… what our Duke can do, but I assure you, we have no intention of staying put.”

The Blesser looked at the seated Prophets. They nodded in agreement, even Reginald.

The Blesser stood and said, “You will be declared dead. All of you. If you wish to accompany Jasper, if you wish to be allowed to return to your space station, your names will be listed among those who died in this foolish battle. Any record of you having survived or having accomplished anything that would interfere with the peace we are now negotiating will be expunged from all memory. Do you accept this?”

“Yes,” Natalya said without hesitation. The others echoed her, and Natalya felt the comfort of Jasper’s hand in hers.

“Very well then. Jasper, Prophet of Gold, I release you into the crewmanship of one Natalya Frazier, to accompany the space station Duke out of the Jade Galaxy. Go, but never forget, you are still a Sevens Prophet. We will be watching.”

“Thank you, Blesser,” Jasper said.

“And you, Duke of Farbind.”

“Captain Frazier,” Natalya replied. “Farbind is gone.”

“And with it your loyalties have changed,” the Blesser continued. “We have seen your quality.”

“Don’t be a stranger, Captain,” Reginald added. “You’d make a great Prophet.”

Without further warning, Natalya felt a hand on her shoulder. A blinding flash of light enveloped her senses, and Natalya found herself once more in Duke’s command center.

Pul lashed out with his shield emitters and Co leveled her gun. Neither of them found a target as the White Prophets disappeared in another flash.

The crew of Chimera and now of Duke stood in the command center, staring at the holographic display. The Farbind system was completely void of life, the fleets having departed to begin the Prophet-led negotiations. All that remained were pieces of the planet, and the wreckage of hundreds of starships.

Natalya looked at the hologram and frowned, thinking of all the lives that had been lost, both at this battle and during her previous attempt to save the planet.

Jasper placed a hand on Natalya’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he said.

“For what? Thousands of people died because of me,” Natalya said.

“And billions more were saved,” Pul interjected.

“Plus, we have our goal,” Ptolemy reasoned. “While a philanthropic result would have been preferred, I am pleased enough that a utilitarian—”

“Yeah-yeah, love and cookies,” Co said. “I’m glad we made it out alive.”

“Can we hug now?” Augustus asked.

“Why not.”

Co allowed Augustus to hug her.

“Let’s celebrate!” Sisi shouted. She emerged from the other end of the room holding a green bottle. She pulled the cork off and it popped into the ceiling, shattering a glass light fixture. “I can fix that!”

“Ooh, Sisi found the wine. Sparkling, yum!” Augustus said.

“So what now, Captain?” Pul asked.

“Now, we do like we wanted from the beginning. We take this space station out of the galaxy,” Natalya answered.

“I have just the location,” Ptolemy said. “Jasper, if you’ll accompany me to the navigation console.”

Augustus took a position at the controls, holding off on the wine until they were underway. “Engines purring,” he said.

“Opal-plants at full,” Sisi announced, standing at the engineering console.

“Defense systems online,” Co said, standing at the weapons console on the far side of the room. She ensured that no obstacle needed blowing up between them and their destination.

“Communications jammed and coded. We’re running silent,” Ptolemy announced from the communications console on the wall opposite Co.

“All shield emitters reading green light,” Pul said, standing beside Sisi at the engineering console.

“I have the coordinates locked in,” Jasper said, pulling up their destination on the holographic projectors.

Natalya saw the ruins of Farbind zoom out, saw the edges of the Jade Galaxy in a tiny chunk of the universe. Past a vast emptiness of space, another galaxy wholly different from their own came into view. A pair of supermassive black holes swirled at its center. Twin prongs at its edges spun through lightyears of unexplored worlds. A dotted line showed their path between the galaxies, and zoomed in on their destination.

It was empty. A crimson, dead rock. But it orbited a yellow sun at the right distance, and was ready for Prosper-forming.

“We’re all set,” Jasper declared.

“Take us out, Auggie,” Natalya said. She stood beside Jasper.

The Prophet held her hand as Duke journeyed beyond the galaxy.

The End.