Morrigan stretched as she yawned, tangled in the sheet she and Nora shared as she looked at the clock on her nightstand, looking to find her partner sprawled out in blissful glory.

She and Nora had spent two and a half blissful hours before either of them was exhausted enough, and content enough, to succumb to sleep. Doing the math in her head, she smiled and stretch again, realizing that she peacefully slept for ten hours; no dreams, no nightmares, just restful sleep; which she could not remember the last time she had sleep that peacefully.

Hehe yeah, I don’t think it’s ever been this quiet in here,

Morrigan flinched with a loud yelp, loud enough to stir Nora from her own post sex coma. “What’s wrong?” Nora asked lifting her head, her eyes barely open in her drowsy state.

Morrigan panicked to think of an excuse for her surprise as she looked around, “umm…. wet spot…” she blurted, embarrassed that was the first thing she could come up with. Apollyon chuckled sadistically at her as she eyed Nora.

Nora chuckled sleepily before readjusting her pillow and letting her head fall back down, “Yeah, they sneak up on ya…” Nora mused as she drifted off to sleep again.

Morrigan let out a sigh of relief that Nora bought her excuse before sitting up, “You were… you saw all that,” she responded in realization as her cheeks flushed.

Hehehehe oh yeah, not as dangerous as she claimed but then again, never been in a body that convulsed like that, so that’s a thing, Apollyon mused.

Morrigan shook her head and covered her face even though Apollyon could not see her, “Kill me now…” she complained.

Eh, don't worry kid, we all have our vices. Yours is burying your face into that pretty blonde of yours and mine is having you rip people apart with your bare hands, to each their own, Apollyon stated with a level of acceptance she found bizarre.

She grunted at that, “I guess that’s fair, weird but fair… just never mention this again.”

Not like I’m going anywhere, just be happy I’m respectful enough to keep my mouth shut! Apollyon snickered.

She sighed as she eyed her sleeping girlfriend, taking in the bare skin exposed between tufts of sheet as the fabric hugged her curves. Her desire to spend the morning making love to her was strong but she had things to check up on and a group of friends she abandoned for half a day. She did give Apollyon its point, the deity was respectful to her private time, so she was certainly grateful for that.

Apollyon chuckled at her thought but said nothing more on the matter as she got up from bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. Her eyes caught the mirror and was startled to find her “tattoo” had grown even more since the last time she checked. It now spread down her chest to about her rib cage as well as down the length of her spine. The intricate line work along her arms stretched down to her mid-forearm too.

“What’s with this Apollyon? Why does this keep growing?” She inquired as she picked at one of the lines with her nails only feeling her nerve endings respond.

I thought I went over that already? The more you come into your power, the more the mark grows.

“Yeah but, what is the mark?” She asked with worry.

Apollyon sighed in annoyance.

Frankly… I don’t know. Like I said before, you’re the first who ever managed to survive the transfer of my power. Every other being received the mark in its entirety before dying a very quick and painful death, leaving me trapped in that damned planet of yours…

Morrigan pursed her lips as she recalled the conversations they shared. “Will this kill me… once it fully forms?” she asked quietly aloud as her heart rate began to rise with panic.

Nah, if you were going to die from my power, you would’ve already. This is an entirely new process; one your body is adapting to. I did say you were evolving, Apollyon noted pointedly.

Morrigan frowned at that as her mind raced through the implications, all of which she could not even fully fathom as she started her shower.

After she dressed, she stepped out of her room to find her to retinue lounging around, unable to refrain from flashing them a guilty smile.

“Ahh! Someone looks like she got a good shaggin’ last night! By the looks of the scarlet on yer face an’ that shiny gob, I reckon it was quite a knuckle buster too,” Sigurd announced to the whole room as he clapped his metallic hands together in embarrassing support, Morrigan’s face turning beet red.

Morrigan shook her head as she covered her face, “Shut up Sigurd!” she said as she laughed, finding an odd comfort in his good humor, despite the perverse nature of his humor all together.

She huffed out a sigh before hunting down the still barely fresh coffee was in the pot, “Sorry, for disappearing on you all yesterday…”

Yekku and Qiote chirped in a lively tone, Morrigan turning wide eyed as she remembered Qiote had still been in the living room of her quarters during her personal time. However, Qiote did not seemed bothered in the slightest; he actually appeared to be doing significantly better the longer he was aboard the Archangel as far as Morrigan could tell.

Xol gave her a respectful nod as Sigurd waved her off, “Aye no worries, it was grand craic an all,” he said jovially.

“About that, thank you for that. I definitely needed an outlet,” Morrigan admitted with a touch of despondence though her negative feelings about her inability to cope with the stress of unknowing and being unable to handle something right away were still pushed aside in her heart.

Sigurd grinned, the skin of his bruised cheeks and eye tightening, as he toasted with his own cup of coffee, “Cheers to that dove. Just took a page outta me own playbook; if ye can’t wrap yer head around it then beat the shite out of it,” he stated as if the saying was law. Then again, Morrigan assumed it was a saying Sigurd followed adamantly throughout most of his long life.

Regardless, it still made her chuckle seeing how effective it appeared to be as he inserted, “Ye also went ahead and took another page of me book as well; A good shag for a keen mind. So, me hat goes off to ya, lass,” regally flourishing his free hand in wide circles as he slurped his coffee.

“Well, if you’re up for round two, I got two days to kill or so,” she mused, entertaining the idea of a rematch.

“Ye had me at kill lass, ha! But go easy on me face would ya? It may be mostly metal under all these good looks but I still got me feely bits on top,” he joked as he poked at one of his bruised cheeks.

Morrigan furrowed her brows at his comment, slowly piecing together the idea that his skull had at one point been reconstructed with metal rather than bone and still had nerves in his skin, for what skin he had left on his body.

“Who are we killing?” Nora grumbled drowsily as she waddled into the kitchen with the bedding wrapped tightly around her presumably naked body.

Morrigan snickered as her eyes roamed over her love, “Sigurd, if he opens his mouth again,” she said with a knowing smile as she handed her half a cup of coffee to Nora.

Sigurd sputtered and waved his arms in disbelief, “What!? That's not one right bit of fair, lass! How can ye ask a man, whose job it is to murder folk on the reg, to not make a grand joke?!” he complained adamantly.

Morrigan looked at him with a confused yet bemused expression as Nora took the cup from her hand, also eyeing Sigurd questioningly, “That doesn’t even make sense.”

Sigurd chuckled and leaned back on the sofa, “Sure it does, I’m all gallows and pikes, dove,” he stated, rasping his knuckles along the top of his head.

Morrigan just shook her head and returned her attention to someone she could understand, “How are you love?” she asked sweetly, giving Nora a kiss on the cheek as she drained the half cup of coffee in a single swig.

Nora let out a moan of pleasure as she reached for the coffee pot, setting the cup down, “Sore heh, it’s been a long time since someone worked me over like that,” she stated loudly as she cast a sidelong glance at Morrigan and flashing her a seductive smirk.

“Oh come on mate! The lass gives me gold like that and ye expect me to not say anything?! Feckin’ hell, why not just nip off me mick while yer at it,” Sigurd whined which caused Morrigan to start giggling.

Nora turned and summoned one of her ice knives, holding it up between her fingers with a wide, vicious grin, “I’m down with that!”

Sigurd’s eyes went wide and he bolted over the coffee table in a high leap, clearing the other side of the sofa as well as the two S’randin sitting on it before running into the door with a loud thud. He frantically slapped the hand scanner before the door hissed open, dashing out screaming “Every lizard for themselves!”

Xol and Nora both chuckled in their own manner and shook their heads as Morrigan grinned at her mad group of friends before eyeing Yekku suspiciously, “Hey mister, aren't you supposed to be in the lab by now?”

Yekku’s head popped up over the back of the couch giving her wide, worried eyes before snapping his head to the wall clock next to the holo-screen before letting out a noise resembling an inhaled hiss, making his own mad dash to the open door.

He stopped before crossing the threshold before snapping his gaze to Morrigan and sprinting lowly to her, pushing and rubbing his face across her shoulder and cheek with a happy squawk.

“Awe, I love you too buddy, go build something awesome,” she giggled brushing her hand along his frill before he turned to Nora who quirked an eyebrow.

Yekku stood nearly at his full height of six feet before lashing his tongue out, the tips of his forked tongue slapping against her cheek before he turned and bolted out the door.

“Awe, I think he likes me,” Nora mused with a sweet smile as she took another sip of coffee, “Almost like having a little kid in the house, or a really awkward pet… I always forget how tall they are since keep such a low profile,” she noted in wonder.

Morrigan nodded in agreement as she looked at Qiote who sat watching the holo-screen, an older Terran movie Morrigan didn’t recognize playing on the screen.

“Qiote, sweetie, would you like to go work with Yekku?” she asked sweetly, feeling bad for him being cooped up in her quarters with very little to do.

Qiote spun his head towards her on his long slender neck, twisting his head to the side as his tongue flicked out in thought. After a moment he let out an inquiring string of chirps.

Morrigan glanced at Xol expectantly, “He asks to work, fixing kêşta,” Xol rumbled.

Morrigan gave Qiote a thoughtful look before nodding, “Sure, we can go talk to the maintenance crews. I'm sure they'd love your help.”

The adorable S’randin sharply bobbed his head and went back to watching the movie. Nora snickered and looked at Morrigan, her silver eyes filled with hope, “What are you doing today precious?”

Morrigan smirked before wrapping her arms around Nora’s silk covered waist, “Well, I’m going to take him to maintenance, then check in with Shepard and if she doesn't need me to do anything, I'm probably going to kick Sigurd’s ass again. You?”

Nora grinned, “Taking a page out of yer book, and get in some sparing time in,” her smile radiating her amusement at mimicking Sigurd.

Morrigan bit her lip to stifle a laugh before kissing her girlfriend, “Sounds like a grand plan,” Morrigan said with smooth seduction into her ear, also mocking Sigurd albeit without the accent.

Nora shivered as Morrigan's breath brushed her ear before she turned to look at Xol and pointed at him in challenge, “You, me, fighting area, one hour,” she hammered out sharply giving him a sinister grin.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Xol gave her his own sharp grin, his full rows of long sharp teeth glistening from the light, accepting her challenge. She pointed at Hi’tet next, “You want in on this action?”

Hi’tet glared at her pointedly before shrugging, clicking his jaw in nonchalant acceptance as if he had nothing better to do.

Morrigan snorted as Nora’s excitement skyrocketed. She pressed her lips firmly against Morrigan's before chirping, “Gunna shower, see you there precious!” before nearly tripping over the sheets that wound around her feet as she disappeared into the bedroom.

Morrigan just shook her as she looked at the rest of her party still in the room, “I think I broke something in her yesterday…” she mused to herself with a blissful sigh. As crazy as Nora could be, she was also one of the biggest sweethearts when it mattered and she loved her inside and out.

Nah, that girl has always been one brain cell away from being a full blown sociopath, Apollyon snickered in her head.

“Not with me,” she responded in kind with a soft chuckle. Apollyon only made a grunted in conceded affirmation in response.

“Alright Qiote, let's get going,” she called out as she stepped away from the kitchen and towards the door. Qiote springing from the sofa in what could have almost been seen as excitement as he squawked happily after her

◇◇◇

For two days, Morrigan and her team spent most of their time sparing as well as Nora and Morrigan taking full advantage of the lull in excitement to feed their own desires for each other. However, the final hour had come for Morrigan.

Xol and Morrigan stepped onto the busy bridge from the elevator in full regalia. Luisa and Gunnar relayed orders to the gun battery crews they commanded in final preparation for possible conflict upon their arrival at Mars while Sarilla gave Avery minor course alterations, verbiage Morrigan had very little understanding of.

Morrigan pushed down the swelling anxiety and desire to get the mission underway as she spotted Shepard at her terminal overseeing the progress of the Archangel’s preparations, the old woman sifted through live video recordings and system reports.

Watching Shepard in curiosity, Morrigan had come to realize that running a ship was no easy task, even with the support of the vast and competent crew the Archangel seemed to have, given how much information she watched Shepard read through.

“How are we looking?” Morrigan inquired as she stood next to her Admiral.

Shepard glanced over to her with her one good eye and nodded thoughtfully, “Everything seems to be going according to plan Mori, the real question is, how are you?”

Morrigan pursed her lips and glanced around the bridge, observing the kaleidoscopic streams of light bending around the windows of the bridge as the ship sailed through FTL transit.

Shepard scrutinized her for a moment, “Mori? If you’re not ready then we should postpone this endeavor…”

Morrigan’s head snapped to Shepard, her eyes wide with worry and irritation that the idea even entered her head, “No… I’m fine, I’m just… I’m anxious. This whole personal mission is more convoluted than I’d care to admit…” she stated biting her lip nervously.

“How so?” Shepard asked.

Morrigan crossed her arms over her chest and sighed before nervously scratching an itch between her eyebrows, “I love my dad, no matter what has happened in my life I always will but… hearing that he was imprisoned because of me.. it got me thinking,” she stated before shifting her hips to watch somebody do something that could distract her.

However, Shepard was not satisfied with that explanation, “Once again, how so, child?” Shepard asked, amusement at Morrigan’s failure to dodge the question lightly buried within her words.

Morrigan sniffed indignantly at the question, “I just… after I turned 16 we became sort of, estranged? I hated his work, what he did yet I loved his team who also got dragged into my mess by trying to help me escape Denver… ugh! My point is, the last thing me and my father did was get into an argument over me killing a Federation marine who hadn’t been a direct threat in the moment… if this doesn't work then…” Morrigan trailed off biting her lip harder trying not to think of the repercussions of failure.

Shepard nodded in understanding before returning to her terminal, “He was a man of law, yes? I can see why that must have been difficult for him,” Morrigan spinning on her heels to face the old woman but Shepard continued despite her reaction, “Law is order, where as war is chaos. The nuance of threat is very much different between either one because in war, anything and everything is a threat until there is certainty that it is not, where as law has rules for what can be perceived as a threat-although loosely defined. The main difference between law and war is that law is order through and through, while the only order that exists within war is through the higher ranks. Without the ranks that direct the flow of combat, there is just an untamed, savage landscape for all to try to endure.”

The old lady has a point there, Apollyon chimed in.

Morrigan contemplated her words for a moment before nodding in agreement, “How is it everyone seems to know about my life?” she huffed in annoyance.

Shepard chuckled at her question, “The CoU has an extensive database that is shared with the Inquisition. Anyone with high enough clearance can look into all but the most sensitive information, including you.”

Morrigan groaned at that and hung her head, “So much for keeping my life private…”

Shepard grinned at that before giving Morrigan an amused look, “Speaking of, it seems I was right about you finding time,” she stated in a knowing manner.

“What the fuck!? How do you even know about that?” Morrigan asked as she flushed deeply, having taken a moment to recall their previous conversation.

Shepard smiled as she tapped on her terminal, “Oh, it seems that Berserker of yours is quite the gossip,” she said in an amused grandmotherly tone which some how managed to make it all the more embarrassing for Morrigan.

She hissed at that and touched the new comm-bead in her ear that Shepard had given her to distribute amongst her retinue. They were specially designed communication pieces to remain in contact with Sister, the Archangel’s A.I. aboard the ship, even if Morrigan happened to be off the ship, such as being on the surface of Mars, or on Tik’Taq’To.

“Sigurd I will fucking kill you!” she growled into the device, all the while Shepard began quietly, yet still audibly, laughing to herself.

“Hey, woah, come on lass, ye can’t claim all the other lasses aboard our boat! Ye haven’t even met the black haired one on the portside cannons!” Sigurd exclaimed.

“That is not… you know exactly what you did you Irish bastard,” she stated firmly in frustration.

“I told youuu!” Nora sang into the channel from several levels below.

Morrigan’s mouth twitched in appalled irritation, “Nora? You knew what he was saying?” She asked darkly.

Nora giggled on the line and said shamelessly, “Oh yeah, I heard him running his mouth yesterday, tried telling him you'd beat him 50 shades of bloody but he obviously didn't believe me.”

“Sigurd is not here right now, he buggered off to escape a tad painful death. Please leave yer message after the beep,” Sigurd announced on his full Irish lilt before imitating a droning noise.

Morrigan groaned as she released the comm device in her ear, “Why did I surround myself with such perverted assholes!” she whined rhetorically, several of the bridge crew snickering at her self-induced annoyance.

“Let this be a lesson to you Mori, on how your decisions can have unintended consequences, funny as they are,” Shepard told her.

Morrigan grunted as she pouted, glaring off into the void of space that brushed by them. Even Xol started hissing in subtle laughter as the nature of her choice of teammates began to bloom.

Avery turned around in his seat, “I don’t know what you’re complaining about really. Your group is one of the liveliest on the ship. I get all kinds of stories from the co-pilot,” he stated in good humor, his European accent only adding to the sincerity of his point.

Morrigan smirked as she let a deep breath out through her nose, “Yeah, I guess you’re right and they are my group of assholes too.”

“Inquisitor, by Navigator Sarilla’s calculations, we should be arriving within five minutes,” Sister chimed over the intercom.

“Thank you Sister,” Morrigan muttered as her nerves slowly began to rise again.

“Warning: long range proximity sensors are detecting another ship above our destination.”

Morrigan and Shepard shared a look before the old woman looked at her terminal, “Can you get a designation?” she asked.

“Negative. FTL transit interference will not allow me to properly scan for build ID,” Sister reported.

Morrigan growled at that, “I’d bet my salary it’s the Federation… would just be nice to know what we’re dealing with,” she complained.

Shepard hummed in agreement as she prepared herself. Luisa poked her head up from her station and gave Morrigan a dazzling smile, “No worries Mori! We’ll be sure to get em!”

Morrigan looked at the other adorable Eskarii woman she knew, the constant streams of light flashing by around them highlighting her red hair and reflecting in the corners of her bright orange eyes, as the memory of her and Nora’s conversation about Mo’Emori surfaced.

She felt her face start to blush as she gave the hybrid Eskarii girl a tight lipped smile, “Thanks Luisa. I know you guys got this handled,” she said sincerely, still appreciating her attempts of cheering her up.

Luisa preened before returning to her final checks, before another thought crossed Morrigan’s mind, one involving interbreeding between humans and Eskarii, “Hey Luisa?”

Her head shot up with intense energy for a girl whose job it was to sit at a computer terminal most of the day,thYeah?” she chirped.

“When this is all over with, there is something I wanted to talk to you about,” she told the peppy Eskarii.

She grinned and gave Morrigan two thumbs up before going back to work.

“Announcement: Leaving FTL transit in five, four, three, two, one…”

Within mere seconds, the whole universe snapped back into place before Morrigan’s, the dusty red marble on prominent display in front of the bridge as she spied the vast multitude of foundries and factories billowing thick clouds of smoke into Mars’s thin atmosphere.

The scene turned dire as her eyes landed on a large Federation ship, a model she did not recognize, but she could easily see how it outclassed her own ship.

The massive starship was nearly twice as long as the Archangel, though half as tall. Long gargantuan bow cannons encompassed the nose of the ship that made Morrigan worry for the safety of her crew.

Admiral Shepard seemed unfazed by the size of the enemy ship, “Sister?” she calmly inquired.

“Target is a Federation Super Frigate Carrier model starship, designated: FSS Wings of Faith.”

“So, a fighter carrier huh? Luisa, Gunnar, have your crews fire up the anti-fighter turrets, Gunnar, also tell the Javelin crew to load,” Shepard ordered.

Morrigan recalled from the schematics that the Archangel that the railgun was nicknamed “Javelin” as she watched the two master gunners relay the orders.

“Inquisitor, Admiral, it appears the enemy ship is hailing the Archangel,” Sister announced.

Morrigan let a deep breath and touched the comm-bead in her ear, “Nora, is the shuttle ready?”

“Two minutes precious!” Nora replied giddily.

“Sister, before you connect their summons, are you able to remotely hack into the enemy ship’s mainframe and pinpoint their primary engines to Gunnar? As well as scan the databases on Mars to determine where exactly my father is being held?” Morrigan asked.

Shepard looked at the young Inquisitor and gave her a surprised yet approving nod.

“Certainly Inquisitor, only with your credentials may my subsystems be unlocked.”

Morrigan nodded, remembering her crash course of Sister’s system restrictions that Solomon had explained to her. She moved to her own terminal and unpinned her Inquisitorial badge, setting it on the scanner next to the primary screen.

She sifted through all the system administration files until she found the A.I. system restrictions, pulling up a modest list of things Sister was not allowed to do without permission from the designated Inquisitor.

She selected the one marked “Invasive capabilities” and switched the lock off with a flick of her finger along the touch screen.

“Okay Sister, you're good to go, patch them through,” she stated as she fixed her badge back into her armor just above her breast plate.

Her terminal projected a large screen that flicked to life, revealing an younger man than what Morrigan had been used to seeing regarding positions of power within the Federation. The man was easily older than her, yet to be dressed in Admiral attire within the Federation seemed quite the feat.

“You are trespassing in Federation Territory. Identify yourself and power down,” the man demanded.

Morrigan’s jaw clenched at the mere idea that anyone in the Federation could tell her what to do. She took a step forward with a scowl, “I am Inquisitor Clarke of the Inquisition, here to investigate reports of rioting within the Mars facilities. If you do not stand down, your engines will be disabled and you will be boarded by force!” she snapped harshly.

There was a look of subtle recognition on the young man’s face, enough to give Morrigan the hint that he knew of the Inquisition as a small smirk grew on her face.

There was incoherent chatter in the background however, the man looked off screen and gave whoever he spoke to a nod. “Do it,” he said before cutting off the transmission.

Morrigan was both surprised and proud of herself at the surprising submission of the Federation admiral, not seeing that Admiral Shepard furrowed her brows as Morrigan called Nora, “On my way down, keep the engines warm love.”

As she stepped towards the elevator, Sister’s feminine voices crackled over the intercom.

“Alert: The enemy ship is preparing to fire, target… Mars Penal Colony five-two-eight.”

“What!?” she turned spun sharply to look out the forward window. “Gunnar! Fire the damned Javelin!” she shrieked as she rushed forward.

“We won't fire in time!” he cried out.

“No-no-no-no,” Morrigan spit out as she watched a few dozen missiles launched from the top and underside of the Federation ship. More than enough missiles to destroy several of the foundries of Mars.

The moment one of the missiles ignited against the surface of the red planet, her heart cracked. Except, what bled from the cracks were not just sorrow or despair, but a torrent of wrath as well.

Morrigan let out a piercing scream as she stood in the center of the bridge; a scream that echoed into the vast void of existence like a cry to the cosmos, one that the cosmos would respond to.

Screens and circuitry popped as sparks showered the bridge, everyone covering their ears as much as themselves from the electrical and vocal assault, the reinforced glass of the bridge view cracking.

Morrigan’s voice resonated, coming from every direction yet from no where at all, as she screamed, “I WILL KILL YOU ALL!” in a haunting tone as her instincts called to the essence of destruction, pulling energy from the cosmos.

Energy visibly bled into the bridge, a mist of red coalescing Morrigan’s body like a billowing cloak as she held her crimson claws forward, the translucent energy around her fingers growing brighter and more opaque as the talons of her fingers grew.

Morrigan groaned and strained, shifting her hands as she directed the energy filtering into her body like conducting a symphony of death for her enemies.

Apollyon shouted and screamed at her,

For the love of God woman you need to stop! You can’t handle this!

Everyone diverted their attention from their Inquisitor as her hands grew so bright, that it hurt their eyes, looking to the enemy ship that had been the focus of her ire instead.

Everyone gasped as crimson claws slowly formed out in the expanse of space, immense in proportion. Her iconic power coming to life as the hands of a god.

Damn it kid! Stop! You’re killing yourself! Apollyon shouted in her head.

She did not hear the deity though, her only focus was to kill, to destroy, to crush, as the titanic crimson claws followed her motion, gripping around the length of Federation ship.

She didn’t feel the blood running from her nose, or out of her ears. She didn’t notice the warmth of her cheeks as her eyes shed crimson tears. All she felt was her enemy between her fingers and against her palms, the metal of the ship straining underneath her crushing might.

With a strain battle cry, she twisted her hands, wrenching them apart in a pained effort before falling to her knees, the energy she held dissipating.

She watched as the titanic claws ripped the Federation ship in two as they too faded from existence, the stern half of the ship floating off into the direction of the sun as the stern of the ship crashed into Mars with destructive force.

A weak smile across her face as she collapsed.