A few hours later, the sun had set on this side of Sevens. Pinnacle rested below us on the surface, most of the citizens and Prophets asleep. It took a surprisingly long time for us to clean out the escape pod. With Bisha’s help, I was able to locate sheets of data I’d completely forgotten about. My many distractions were actually what caused the cleaning to take so long. Soon enough, however, I had the power from the solar batteries pumping into the little four-person pod and began prepping it for jettison.

“So the plan is for you to drop this thing near Pinnacle?” Bisha asked as I inspected the guidance system and heat binders. “What will that do?”

“This craft is marked with the flag of the United Lands of Prosper,” I noted.

“…and?”

“And what do you think the Prophets are going to think when they see a Prosperin vessel crash land on Sevens?”

Bisha thought about this for a few seconds. “I see. So you’re going to distract them with a potentially disastrous event that could forever alter the relationship between the Prophets and the other six planets?”

“Yeah.” I stepped out of the pod and began turning switches and coding in the sequence to manually separate the pod from Prosperity 9.

Bisha laughed. “So while this pod is distracting them, you plan on just walking in and taking the three weapons here?”

“Not quite so simply, but… yes. You know the names of the three guards in the chamber, right?”

“Yeah. Bijak, Malecheon, and Hanoln.”

“Good. You know the Red, right?”

“Sure. Malecheon is a veteran Red with a mace. Why?”

“Because we’re about to stage a Prosperin invasion.”

Bisha thought about the prospects of this plan for a few moments, looking around at the pod. “Do I get to fly down in the pod?” he asked.

“That was, well, I mean…” I tried to say. “It was what I hoped you would do.”

“Sweet!”

A little less than an hour later, I was walking up the steps on the Pinnacle. A few sleepy-eyed trainees greeted me on my way toward the White compound. The stars shone down on the stunningly clear night. I looked up and noticed how less stunning they were with the planet’s atmosphere blocking my view. About this same moment a streak of red shot across the sky.

“What’s that?” I shouted, pointing toward the falling object. Any person with a slightly cynical nature would discover the faked shock of my exclamation. However, the presence of something actually shocking enflamed and streaking across the black sky gave truth to my astonishment.

Authentically shocked shouts erupted from the Prophets and trainees standing on the Pinnacle. A few seasoned Prophets shouted out for everyone to be calm, that it was only a meteorite. A few trainees shouted that they thought they saw something shoot off from the falling object.

While this was going on, I made my way to the White chamber, maneuvering through motionless Prophets who announced that they swore they saw a flashing light coming from the falling object.

Dozens of Prophets began streaming out of the White chambers, having heard the news of a meteorite from their telekinetic communication with friends. About the time I pushed my way into the White compound, I heard someone shout that they’d seen a parachute deploy from the falling, burning object. I had to smile as they chased it down while I headed toward the entrance to the chamber of the three weapons.

Two Prophets stood guard at the top of the stairs. A man and a woman, one with a gauntlet and the other with a necklace with a jewel. They were talking to each other about the commotion going on outside.

“Okay,” I said with my telekinetic ability, talking to Bisha miles away, “have you landed yet?”

“You didn’t tell me it would land upside down,” Bisha said in my head. “I nearly fell out of these straps and cracked my skull!”

“Calm down, you’re fine. So you’ve landed then?”

“That would be a yes.”

“Good. Has anyone found you yet?”

I waited as Bisha examined the instrumentation I’d showed him how to use. “The proximity sensor, um, thing hasn’t received anything yet. Wait, hold on.” There was a shuffling noise and a loud flop as Bisha fell out of his seat and crawled over to the proximity panel. “There’s a beeping noise. What’s a beeping noise mean?”

“It means there’s something moving near you. A White probably shifted close to the crash site.”

“You’re right. I can hear someone talking. I think they’re talking about the escape pod.”

I walked up the steps, trying my best to remain out of sight of the two guards as they talked to each other, not noticing me climbing around behind them.

“What’s going on?” the male White beneath me asked.

“Shush,” the female said. “Manessa found where it landed.”

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“What did she find?”

“Shush.”

“What’s going on?”

“Shush!”

There was a pause as the female silently communicated with the head of the Sept. I could see through the well-lit entryway in the White chamber that the Prophet guard’s eyes bulged as she whispered, “She says it’s a ship from Prosper.”

“No way!” the male Prophet said, popping the knuckles in his gauntleted hand as he ran toward the door.

“What are you doing?”

“One of the six planets has found Sevens. Don’t you know what this means?”

“It means that you should guard this door like we’re supposed to.”

“But there are Prosperins. Here!”

“I don’t care.”

As they continued to bicker and shout and not notice what was going on around them, I hopped down from the balcony and onto the steps. After nearly breaking my leg and half running, half-tumbling down the steps, I made it past them without being noticed. As I reached the door leading to the chamber of the three weapons, I could still hear them arguing behind me.

“How’s it going, Bisha?” I asked using my telekinetic power.

“They’re knocking on the door. At least they think it’s the door. I’m not really sure either,” the Red replied in my head.

“You haven’t done anything, have you?”

“Nah, just sitting here. They keep going on and on about how monumental it is that a Prosperin ship has found their planet. I think Manessa might actually be writing a peace treaty while she’s waiting for me to come out. If I’d known your plan was going to be this much fun I’d have made us do it years ago!”

“Okay. Talk to them a bit, but not much. You don’t want them recognizing your voice. I’m at the chamber now.”

“Right. Manessa’s in the middle of a speech. Do any of these buttons make a noise or — gah!”

“What? What happened?” I asked, trying to decipher words through Bisha’s telekinetic ramblings. Amid beeping and crunching and other strange noises, I could hear Bisha laughing hysterically. “Bisha, what’s going on?”

“I think I found out where the spare parachute was,” the Red said, laughing. “I’m pretty sure I knocked over half the Sept!”

I sighed with relief, pressing my hands against the massive white door that led to the chamber of the three weapons. “Just don’t hurt anybody, okay?”

“Got it. Have fun. I certainly am!”

I tuned Bisha out and opened the carved and jeweled door to the chamber of the three weapons.

When I saw the black, star-studded floor I had to smile. The chamber always made me feel proud that I was a part of the Prophets. How glorious must we peacemakers be to have built this wonder? Light emanated from the floating three weapons, a glow that shone across its onyx platform all the way up the impossibly high spire and to the sparkling orb at its tip.

Three guards, a Prophet of each color, stood close by the pedestal where the weapons floated. The White one would prevent me from shifting, her energy blocking all use of Prophet powers in the room save those of her two companions standing beside the platform. Her name was Bijak, and I smiled when I saw her.

Since the Ambassador was able to take the three weapons so easily, it had become the rule that no one save the three Prophets guarding the three weapons would be allowed to bring their Blessed weapon into the chamber. I was probably the first in at least a couple of centuries to be able to get a Blessed weapon into the chamber without permission. The thought made me smile.

“What’s going on?” the White asked me as I walked across the floor. She of course assumed that I had checked my Blessed weapon at the door, as I wouldn’t have been allowed down there had I not.

“The Prosperins are here!” I exclaimed. “Come see, quick! The Sept isn’t sure whether this is an invasion or not.”

“An invasion?” the Gold asked.

“Now, Bisha,” I said in my head.

“Now what? You should hear this, Wurn, Manessa is freaking out!” Bisha replied telekinetically, his laughter echoing throughout the escape pod.

“Now! Say something about Bijak!”

“Oh, right. We demand to speak with Bijak! Where is Bijak! She is the only one the people of the United—”

“Bisha.”

“What?”

“You’re still talking to me.”

“Oh, right.”

I tuned Bisha out again so he could speak out loud and got back into the confused conversation going on in front of me.

“If they’re invading, why is there only one ship on the ground?” the Red asked. Bisha had told me his name was Malecheon.

“A better question would be how did a ship from Prosper make it across their galaxy to Sevens? It’s gotta be an immeasurable distance away,” Bijak stated.

“Actually it’s more like—” the Gold said before Bijak interrupted him.

“Hold on a second.” Bijak froze, listening to a telekinetic conversation playing out in her mind.

“What is it?” I asked a little too coyly.

Bijak’s face paled as she stared at the distant wall. “The Prosperins want to speak with me.”

“Really?” That question probably sounded a little too curious.

“They want me to negotiate a peace or… something.” Bijak narrowed her eyes in concentration as she spoke with someone in her mind, most likely Manessa. “I’m not sure about what. They say there’s a lot of laughter and mumbling going on as well.” The White looked blankly to her two companions, unsure of what to do.

“Well what are you waiting for?” I asked. “This could turn into an interplanetary incident.” I looked to Malecheon and the Gold for help. It could have been that I did very well at mimicking sincerity. It could have been that there actually was a Prosperin craft on Sevens soil. Either way, the other two guards believed me and encouraged Bijak to go.

“Okay. Hold things here for me.” With a white flash, Bijak was gone.

“Oh no.” I looked around, rubbing my hands through my hair and trying to look nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Malecheon asked.

“Well, with Bijak gone there’s no one else to block Prophet powers.” I bit my lip and looked around, trying my best to look paranoid.

“We must find another who can block,” the Gold stated. “Can you?”

“Me? No, I can’t block. Plus I was supposed to check my weapon at the door, right? You should go find someone else. The Red and I can keep watch here.”

“Yeah,” Malecheon said, looking nervous about the idea of being exposed to someone shifting in. “Go find someone else who can block.”

“Alright,” the Gold said, and ran toward the stout, golden door that led to the Gold chambers.

Almost before he exited the chamber of the three weapons, I put my hand on Malecheon’s shoulder. “Just in case there is an invasion, we should be prepared. Do you accept shift?” I asked.

“Sure, if—” he said, and that was all the opening I needed.

The Red barely had a chance to look shocked before we both stood in the escape pod, the sounds of shouting and pounding bouncing off the steel hull outside.

“Wurn, you made it!” Bisha said with a big smile as he hugged Malecheon. “And you too, Malecheon. How are things?”

“What… what’s going on?” Malecheon asked, his hand going to his mace.

Bisha grabbed the Prophet’s hand and held him still. “Hold on, Malecheon. Let me explain something to you real quick.”

“Are you okay out here?” I asked.

“We’ll be fine. Won’t we, Malecheon?”

Malecheon’s frightened stare nearly made me laugh as I shifted back to the empty chamber of the three weapons. Without hesitating, I walked over to the pedestal.

A crown. A sword. A dagger. These three glorious objects were the foundation of the Sevens Prophets. I didn’t have long to dwell on them, but quickly took hold of all three, and shifted to my orbiting lab.