The stars vanished, replaced by ink-black darkness. Then a spot of light grew within, as if it were moving toward him.

More likely it’s the other way around, reflected Bregg. They were being pulled in after all—though into what he still had no clue.

Soon the light bathed the bridge, so bright he had to avert his eyes and squint.

“What is that?” he asked aloud, though he was alone.

The floor still vibrated as the ship’s hull creaked. Loud thumps and thuds resonated around him, until finally there was only stillness and silence.

Through the screen, the light dimmed, revealing a vast hangar filled with ships—some bigger than the Horus. There were people here too—or so he assumed. They were so far below they appeared as moving black dots.

Bregg growled. “Is this a joke? I don’t have time for this. Shoot at the walls! Open us a way out.” When nothing happened, he banged on the dashboard. “Are you deaf, ship? Do it, damn it!”

Still nothing.

Straightening, the former colonel turned and marched toward the exit.

“Well we’ll see about that, won’t we Richard? If they think they can keep me restrained... Who do they think they are?”

As he made his way to the gate, he considered all that had happened and things began to click in his mind. His fists clenched.

I’m in one of those alien ships, ain’t I? That has to be it. They must have some form of stealth technology, which is why they disappeared, but they were still there all along. Damn those aliens! I’ll give them a taste of...

He froze and stared at the ground.

What am I thinking? These creatures have technology way ahead of ours. I can’t just go charging out there like a savage.

He suddenly swung around and waved a finger at the empty space before him.

“What are you trying to say, Richard? Do you really think I couldn’t handle some stupid aliens? If anything they are the savages, not me! And just because they have stealth doesn’t mean all their technology is superior. Look at the Horus! And there’s a room in this ship—” He snapped his fingers. “That’s it, Richard! The High Noort may have tried to trick me, but she gave me loads of weapons, didn’t she? Weapons unknown in the Imperium.” A frown as he turned and started marching again, taking a turn at the first corner. “You’re right about that, but I don’t care. It can’t be that hard to use. They have buttons. I’ll just press one. Something’s bound to happen. And stop arguing with me, damn it! I know what I’m doing.”

He fell quiet as he went through a series of halls until he reached a door. It opened when he pressed his palm against the icy surface. On the other side were shelves loaded with strange contraptions. He stared at them for a moment, grumbled, then snatched the one that most looked like a weapon—a triangular device with a handle and protruding tubes on each side. It was green with a streak of red.

With another grunt, he slid it into his belt, next to his phaser, and marched back out.

Now we’ll see who’s the boss!

When he reached the transvex, he hit the ‘exit’ key and a shimmering gateway appeared, floating in front of him. He pulled the odd weapon out as he stepped through.

He materialized under the Horus, in the middle of a crowd.

Of humans.

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The men scurried around, not paying attention to him. Some were busy hooking up cables to his ship, while others hurried away to some unknown destination.

Momentarily startled, he grabbed the first person to walk by and waved the cannon—or what he assumed to be the cannon—under the guy’s nose.

“Hey! You! I want answers. Where am I and what’s going on here?”

The stranger tried to pull away, seeming more concerned about the interruption than the device, but Bregg’s grip was too strong.

“Please,” he whined, “I must hurry!”

“Then answer me! The quicker you do, the quicker I’ll release you.”

The other grimaced but complied.

“You are on the Mother and we are preparing for the next jump.”

“The Mother?”

“Yes, yes. We call it that because it’s the biggest in the fleet. I don’t know what its real name is. Nobody does.”

“What?”

“Can I go now? I don’t want to get into trouble.”

Bregg growled as he pressed the cannon against the man’s head.

“I’d say you are already in trouble! Now answer my questions, damn you! Where are you jumping?”

The man sighed. “You are not helping yourself by doing this, you know. There will be consequences.”

“Where. Are. We. Jumping!”

“I don’t know! Nobody does. You think they tell us? Please, let me go, you’re hurting me.”

Frustrated, Bregg shoved the man away from him. The fellow fell with a thump, but almost immediately jumped to his feet and hurried off without a look back.

What is wrong with these people?

He grabbed another man but did not have better luck.

“How can I get off this ship?” he asked.

The other laughed, though there was no joy in it.

“You think I’d be here if I knew that?”

“What does that even mean?”

“Please, I need to work! I don’t want to get into trouble...”

“Seriously, I’m going to shoot you if you don’t answer!”

“You can’t.”

“What?”

“I mean, you can, but it won’t work.”

“Huh?”

“Please! Let me go!”

Bregg had had just about enough.

It wouldn’t work, would it now? Fine. Then maybe he needed to make an example out of this one. Maybe that’d make those others pay him more respect.

There were four buttons on the left side and two on the right. He decided to press the one closest to his index finger.

A sizzling sound, nothing more.

Bregg stared at the triangular device.

Was this even a weapon?

He pressed another button, much to the same effect. He tried them all, but none of them seemed to do anything more than produce small squeaky sounds.

He’d have to have a serious talk with the High Noort if he ever saw her again.

“Told you,” said the man. “Now, could you please let me go?”

“I need answers, damn you! Who should I speak to? Who’s your boss?”

A hint of fear showed in the fellow’s eyes and for a moment Bregg thought he’d finally gotten through to this one.

“You shouldn’t be in such a hurry to meet them. They’re coming for you. They’ll be here soon enough.”

As if on cue, everything went still in the hangar. Everyone had stopped moving, all gazes turning in the same direction. The moment lasted a couple of seconds, then suddenly there was a new frenzy as they all dashed away, the place quickly emptying.

When he looked at the man he still held, he saw the man’s face had gone very pale.

“Please,” he begged, “let me go! Let me go!”

There was nothing more to get from this one, Bregg figured.

He loosened his grip, and the guy fled like the others had.

The chamber had gone still and quiet.

Bregg was all alone now.

Or maybe not.

He could hear something. Like distant footsteps. Heavy footsteps.

Whatever was coming was big, and this device was useless. He put it back in his belt and took his phaser instead. At least he knew how this one worked.

The sound grew louder until finally he saw the source. A giant beast—at least ten feet high—with bulbous eyes and dark red skin, its pustulous flesh covered with fangs. It stopped a few feet from Bregg and just stared at him.

The former soldier was frozen, staring back with his mouth gaping wide.

A snicker.

“You really shouldn’t be harassing the staff, you know. That is not nice.”

The words snapped Bregg out of his daze. Looking down, he saw a small human standing next to the monstrous creature.

“What is that thing?” he asked.

The man made a dismissive gesture.

“Pay it no heed. It is only here to protect me. My name is Avran Hordan and I will be your host.”

Bregg squinted. “You run this place?”

The little man chuckled. “Depends on who you ask. Or how you look at it. Yes and no. This one, and a few other areas of the ship, are under my supervision. There are others above me, of course. Aren’t there always?”

“There has to be someone at the very top.”

“Well, yes, as a matter of fact, there is.”

“I want to meet them.”

Hordan laughed. “No. You don’t. Trust me. Besides, it wouldn’t be possible.”

“Why not?”

“Because nobody ever meets them.”

“Not even you?”

“Not even me. They don’t like humans.”

“So I am on the alien ship!”

“Of course. Where else?”

“Why am I here?”

“As to that...” Hordan waved at the Horus. “You should be dead, but my masters are magnanimous. Consider your presence here as a reward for returning their property.”

“What?”

The other laughed again. “Who do you think built that ship?”