EG 3 Ch 36 END (Patreon)

Megumi's ship arrived as fast as her tails could carry her, appearing beside the space station that was absolutely swarming with ships. She stood on the bridge, and the crew swept into the station, even as Megumi stood tall using her bridge as a war room.

"Report," she demanded.

"Right now it seems Belmir holds the station," her comms officer reported, with a slight twitch as she glanced up to read Megumi's face, which she kept perfectly impassive.

"Belmir," Megumi said, her arms crossed behind her back as the man's image appeared in front of her on the main screen.

"It is a tragedy, Megumi." He shook his head. "I'm sorry that this is what has taken us to meet again after so long." It was impossible for her to guess what he really felt.

The Inquisitor waved a hand. "From our days in Project Tomorrow, I have very few fond memories of you. Though I am curious how you beat me here."

"I had a ship in range of the initial distress signal," the nine-tailed man said with a shrug.

"And you were unable to make it in time to apprehend anyone?" She asked.

"No," he said with a shake of his head, and Megumi couldn't help but wish she was with the man in person. She might get more out of the interaction, it was difficult enough to read him, more so when he was comfortable in a room away from her.

If there was anyone that came out of Project Tomorrow that should have gone into politics, it was the man before her. He was one of the handful that had come out of that original group, back when the only thing Project Tomorrow made was nine tails. The very best of the best had been locked together in a decade-long contest, and only five of them had come out the other end alive and with nine tails.

"What is the situation?" Megumi cut to the chase.

He shook his head, a grim expression she wasn't even certain the politician could make. Then again, he was particularly skilled at seeming more empathetic with his base. It was no surprise his acting was top tier as well.

"They killed them all, Megumi. Set fire to the living quarters and the school." He stated.

Megumi paused, unable to believe her ears for a second. "The entire project?" she asked. The words came out in a sudden rush, any intention of hiding behind a smile now firmly gone.

"Yes, Megumi. All of them. Every single child and researcher is gone." Belmir stated.

"Mute the line," she snapped to her bridge, who complied. "What's the situation on the station? Are his words true?"

"The station is still burning and it appears there are divines on board actively suppressing the fires," one of the officers reported, their two tails swishing agitatedly behind them.

"It's still burning," Megumi said in disbelief, and turned back to the screen with a wave of her hand. It was unmuted. "How many were you able to save?" she asked sharply.

He shook his head. "Not a single one. To make matters worse, the equipment used to stock the project has been slagged into unrecognizable bits, and the mainframe completely wiped."

Megumi's concern was rapidly shifting away from the immediate problem into the far-flung one that this represented. Perhaps his grim expression had not been an act. Project Tomorrow was the future that the Unity hinged on.

They had taken the approach of pretending the station wasn’t important to keep it hidden from the many watchful eyes of the galaxy.

"How long will Project Tomorrow be offline?" Megumi hated to be indelicate, but with Belmir, she refused to let herself come off as anything less than professional. The man was a predator of the highest order.

"I don't know. Some of the information exists in redundancies, but it was a fragmented mess. We were too worried about others being able to mimic our process with a leak. We'll need a number of experts to get their eyes on what we do have before we can get a timeframe on how long it might take them to piece it back together."

"Understood," Megumi replied. It was perfectly clear to her that it wouldn't happen in the near future, which made every divine and every tail currently available an absolutely precious resource.

Divines, especially lower tails had been disposable. That would have to stop or their tails would need to be secured.

Her eyes flicked to the station, wondering if there had been any to recover. Most of those who graduated from the project with passable but not fantastic scores did so with three tails or less. There was an obvious divide. Those who would thrive often climbed quickly to eight or nine tails and didn't stop until they reached their end. Those who were just average for a divine might manage to squeeze a tail or two out by the end of their time in the project, but ultimately they wouldn't get more tails until someone like Megumi found a use for them and slowly but surely would reward a few more tails from the small stock of failures in the project.

The stock that was already tight.

While it was a decent system to begin with, when their numbers were thin, they were already in desperate need of expanding the project. That would mean that someone would need to take the lead. However, none amongst those currently in power had been willing to let any faction run it. Instead, the original station had been a compromise. Allowing a few research inclined divines run it as a neutral ground for the Unity to slowly pick tails from its failures. And now that strategy was gone.

She worried how they would keep some of the lower tails in line, and what it would mean for each faction as their power essentially would become immediately fixed. Unless, of course, tails just started to happen to fall off their enemies within the Unity.

Megumi cursed under her breath. This was bad enough it might split them apart. She chuckled darkly. A simple loss of a single resource might fracture the future of their race.

"Belmir, we need to solve this immediately," Megumi came out of her thoughts.

"I could not agree more. If I could, I would sacrifice a few tails to have this done yesterday. But our incessant inability to work together has finally worked against us," the man said with a shake of his head.

Megumi doubted that he was truly sorry. The only thing she could be certain of is he had already determined multiple ways to use this to his advantage. If any of them had a small clone of this project, it was well hidden and would only be that much more important to the faction now.

Though, Megumi doubted such a secret station existed. The Unity had been incredibly difficult with each other over the research to the point she wasn’t sure any one faction had the whole of it save for what was on the station.

"Belmir, we cannot allow this to cause the Unity to fracture." She probed.

"You see the same risk I do. But do you have a solution?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

They both knew that she didn't have one. She had just been informed, and this was a mess that would take time to untangle.

"We'll figure something out shortly, I'm sure of it." She stated.

He hummed and nodded to himself. "My greater concern is the report you shared before. That perhaps this Violet now possesses additional backing from the previous generations of divines, and that you've failed to find her or her crew on multiple occasions."

Megumi's tails twitched.

"For them to discover the station in the first place, do we have someone within the Unity working against us?" He asked, staring off to the side before his eyes slid to her, full of accusation that she was either the traitor or had missed one.

Megumi's eyes shot wide. "No," she said with determination. "While there might be distrust on simple issues like resource allocation, no one amongst the Unity would go as far as to betray the whole."

He grinned. "Megumi, I don't think you understand. I'm implying that you might be compromised. Or perhaps those near you." He hummed, his eyes going over her shoulder and raking along her bridge. "I hate the thought as much as the next, but we can't rule out any possibility after this. Megumi, I don't think you will be the only one continuing this investigation." He laced his fingers together, and the grin that settled on his face filled Megumi with dread.

"Thank you for your perspective," she said as calmly as she could. "We'll remain here, and I'm certain we'll be in touch shortly."

Megumi waved her hand and looked to one of her closest advisors, gave her a calm come-hither, before moving swiftly out of the bridge into her cabin.

"Yes?" her advisor asked, tablet in hand and the smallest but still perceptible quake in her knees.

"Thoughts," she asked without preamble.

The woman stuttered and stumbled through her next few words. "I am uncertain what we do from here. We've been tracking him down, and we certainly haven't been misleading anyone. I don't think anyone's compromised," she stated, her voice sounding weak to Megumi.

"You misunderstand me. That is not why I brought you in here." She injected as much calm as she could into her voice and the situation. "It is the newly formed situation that we need to address first."

"And that would be—" Her advisor hesitated.

"There will be no new tails for the foreseeable future," Megumi said, and the situation slowly dawned on her advisor.

"None?" The advisor asked in shock.

"Unless you have a few hidden divines in your pocket. None," Megumi said.

"Then what becomes more important than anything," her advisor said, looking down at her tablet, not because there was any information there, but because she was afraid to face Megumi, "is who has the current strength, and what quick alliances can be settled amongst the factions."

Megumi closed her eyes. It wasn't the answer she wanted, but it was the truth she needed. The Unity was at the very least about to become a mad scramble for majority by linking up the factions or squashing those who wouldn’t join for their tails.

The slightest flaw could be used to pry open another faction and loot it for all its fluff.

"How did this happen?" Megumi snapped. "Do we know how infiltration occurred?"

"I—" The woman hesitated.

"Understanding first. Blame comes later. Even if someone managed to wipe every log in there, I refuse to believe there's nothing for us to glean." Megumi’s tails flashed around her in frustration.

"We'll perform an investigation."

"Good," Megumi said, staring off into the distance. "Make sure you empower the investigators enough that they come to me, even if Belmir himself stymies the investigation."

"He wouldn't," she began, and then hesitated.

"It depends how much he has to hide," Megumi said with a bitter smile. "For example, a sudden influx of hundreds of tails in a time they've become the hottest commodity in the universe." Megumi turned to her advisor. "Would you betray me for a tail? For an elevation of power to change your destiny?"

Her advisor was frozen still, not even blinking.

Megumi slowly shook her head, and her advisor didn't even dare answer. The question itself was the cruelest sort of logical trap, and not answering was indeed the best option. She might not have been the top of her class, but Megumi thought she had a decent eye for finding diamonds in the rough.

"Keep an eye on Belmir's people as well. I want a full accounting of the bodies too. We need any way we can determine if their tails were intact when they died." She stated.

"You don't mean that he killed those remaining in the project?" her advisor asked.

Megumi glanced over her shoulder. "I wouldn't put it past him to find the station burning and skin the survivors if it was to keep himself warm." Megumi hesitated. "He would make the best use of that mess he could."

"Should we confirm—"

Before she even finished, Megumi had her hand held up. "It's a theory, one we should test and absolutely keep to ourselves. Even if we have facts, this whole situation has become a pigsty. We're more likely to get covered by mud the more we roll in it. We need a full picture, and to treat this with a far softer touch. The other factions will no doubt be here shortly."

Megumi cautioned her advisor and stared off into the far distance. This was likely Violet. Megumi wondered if chasing down the young divine even mattered. The cornered animal had fought back with a move that reeked of desperation. It crossed far too many moral lines than one would expect from her profile. What concerned Megumi perhaps the most was why she had become so desperate.

Understanding one's enemy was the first and most critical piece of it all. She needed more information.

***

I grinned at the crew and lifted a glass to them all. We had found a keg on the station, and they took great delight in surprising me with it when we returned back to the Griffon.

"Congratulations, everyone, on another fantastic mission." I took a sip of it and coughed. "What is this?"

"Dravariian brew," Melgara answered, sniffing the drink herself and scowling.

"It's strong stuff." I coughed and beat my chest.

"Of course it is. Dravarians would have no greater joy in life than being inebriated and wasting their lives away." Melgara answered.

Lily looked at me as if to ask if she had done the wrong thing, and I gave her a subtle shake of my head.

Melgara sighed. The rest of the crew was very happy to have a celebration.

"Well, I, for one, am excited to try something new," I said diplomatically. "Thank you for the gift, Lily."

"I suppose it is the thought that counts," Melgara hedged.

Brick was already on his second glass, and even the big grogax looked like he was hit hard by it.

"You okay, buddy?" I asked.

"For a second there, I thought we were going to have to kill kids. Kids," Brick insisted with a shudder that ran through all four arms.

I let out a sigh to join him. "You have no idea how happy I was that we had other options."

Brick began nodding rapidly in agreement. "Those poor kids. I know they're being bred to be the enemy, but that place sounded positively awful. It feels bad enough when you don't die for failing a test." He shuddered.

Violet had become incredibly quiet, staring into her drink in contemplation, before she turned to me. "Thank you for sparing them." Violet glanced over at Lily. "I know elimination might have been the more effective route, but sometimes you have to ask yourself if it's really worth the cost," Violet said around the table.

"The captain came up with a meaningful reason." Lily avoided looking anyone in the eyes. "I'm simply following his good sense."

Violet mouthed ‘Thank you’ towards me when Lily wasn't looking.

I knew that they had been part of the weapon that was being thrown against us, but they were children. There were some boundaries that were hard to come back from once crossed.

"To good decisions." I lifted my glass, and they all echoed me.

"What's next?" Melgara asked.

"I think that's up for the crew as a whole to decide. While I think this might keep the Unity busy for a while, I don't think it's going to stop their hunt for Violet, in fact they might be a little too aggressive if we pop up again right after this. And it's not as if I have anywhere I'm in a hurry to go back to at the moment. I think we head to Sage Shores to get rid of the cargo. And then perhaps we all should focus on where we want to go from there. If it's up to me, I want to see the universe. And for that, it means getting more star charts."

"There are definitely some that can be bought, but not as many as you might like. You'll need to give someone a good reason to hand them over, or map them out ourselves." Melgara told me.

I rubbed my chin. "No one offers them out for free?"

"For free? No. Well…" Melgara paused and tilted her head as a dangerous smile crept over her features. "There is one location that gives them away for free."

"Oh?" I asked.

"And it's because it's a popular vacation spot with the new JACK drives. They're trying to make the wealthy more able to come vacation by making it free and readily available. In fact, I'm certain as long as we have a JACK drive, we should be able to download those star charts."

"Vacation and free travel?" I smiled. "Count me in." We needed a break from dodging the Unity. Let them burn themselves at both ends while we step away for a few weeks.

Melgara's smile continued to grow wide, and I quickly narrowed my eyes.

"I'm sure you'll love it, Captain. After all, they're some of your favorite people." She told me.

I frowned, trying to think through what I was missing, even as it was on the tip of Melgara's tongue.

"After all, I'm talking about the sanguafae worlds." She filled in.

My eyes went wide, and I did a double take to make sure Lily wasn't about to abscond with me. Though by the expression on her face, she was certainly considering whisking me away.

"Well, Captain does appear to be their captain-nip." Tiri stated, giggling.

Her terrible pun made me cringe, maybe it was time to cut off her drink. "Please don't," I pleaded with her.

"Either way," Tiri laughed, "we do have some money, and I wouldn't mind a vacation. My tail could certainly use it." She fluffed her tail and shot a glance toward Brick.

"Oh, right." He cleared his throat, even though clearly already feeling the drink. "Yes, we should definitely do what Tiri wants."

The green-tailed Kikai grinned, and I couldn't help but shake my head.

"Brick's sudden clarity and priorities aside, I think using some of our spoils is fantastic. I'd much rather find some honest work, even if it's a little shady, over simply hammering at the Unity." I agreed.

When we'd talked with Asteria and the two vampire pirates, we had tried to find the head of the snake, as it were, but neither of them had been willing to give us anything in that regard. The Unity as far as we could learn was a tangled organizational mess.

I glanced at the crew, thinking about what we had just done. A quick trip to the sanguafae worlds might be exactly what my crew needed.

I smiled and leaned over to Lily. "The drink was a very good idea," I said, keeping my voice soft. "And as a captain, it's my job to reward good ideas on my ship."

"I didn't mention a reward." Lily's eyes shifted to me, wide with anticipation.

And I sipped the drink. It must really be getting to me, but that was a problem for tomorrow's me. "We can do the thing, Lily," I said.

Her eyes continued to grow before they began glowing a bright, vibrant pink that threatened to swallow my vision if I stared any longer. Yet I couldn't break her gaze.

"Now?" she asked with a breathy whisper.

"Today," I said. "Maybe not right this second," I added quickly, suddenly worried I was about to disappear in a whirlwind. She was excited enough that it was scaring me, at least a little.

Lily smiled and stared down at my cup before she glanced back at Melgara. "This is a Dravariian drink, you said? I think I quite like it," she said with a smug grin.

"You've barely drunk any," Brick said, confused.

Minnie smirked. "I don't think it's her. I think she's enjoying it a little more indirectly," the dragon said, her black lips wrapping around the edge of her cup as she looked over it and into my eyes.

"Dangerous stuff," I murmured, glancing down at my drink and then back up at Violet, as she suppressed a smile and gave me a coquettish look.

"So, vacation. I assume that means dates?" Violet asked, glancing over at Lily whose eyes went wide.

"Yes. Dates," Lily emphasized the plurality of it. "I'm certain we'll all get a chance to spend some quality time together."

I glanced around the table and tugged at my collar, feeling like the pressure amongst the ship was heating up.

"Yes, maybe I'll be able to observe the mating rituals of the helivore," Melgara teased.

Lily shrugged. "I'm mostly mimicking what I understand of the human mating practice. I assure you it is quite fun."

I was ready to bury my face in my hands, but I had another option. "Why don't we do the thing," I told Lily, and she was up out of her seat in an instant, grabbing me by the arm and smiling at the rest of the crew.

"I'll be borrowing the captain for a little bit."

Violet took another big swig of her drink. "Return him in one piece," she said, her face absolutely bright red, even though she managed to get the words out. "Sharing is caring, after all."

The group began laughing behind me, but I didn't have time to consider anything more as Lily dragged me out to the hallway before I pinched her ass to stop her long enough to pull her into a kiss.

"I love you, Lily," I said, staring up into those hungry pink eyes. "Every single bit of you," I emphasized.

Lily's smile was a mile wide, and she kissed me again, catching my lower lip between her teeth. I managed to deepen the kiss, our tongues intertwining until it was hard to tell where hers ended and mine began. Though perhaps that had something to do with the Dravariian brew.

I cupped her cheek. "I hope you know, Lily, you are incredible. Everything I could have possibly wanted but never knew. Before waking up here, I was an idiot who just worked all day, in love with science. I had no idea what I was missing. And now that I have it, I'm never letting go."

Lily smiled back and kissed me again, before a small, confused frown marred her face. "I thought you weren't even allowed much education before," she said. Her words were not accusing. They came across more like someone being presented a puzzle and immediately trying to figure out how the pieces fit together.

"Oh, it's just a saying," I tried quickly, even knowing the attempt was incredibly weak.

Lily shrugged. "You are you, and I love you," she said. "But I don't believe you want to do it in the hallway, do you?"

I cleared my throat. "Room. Now."

***

"Mistress." A man stepped in and bowed to the powerful sanguafae before him. "We've received word that the Griffon and its crew approach. There was a question of if you would like to prepare another meal between him and you."

Asteria didn't shift her gaze from where she'd been staring at the wall. "Tell him that I apologize, but I won't be able to meet him on this visit. I'm watching for a payment to a future interaction." Asteria smiled. "He's gone and kicked the hornet's nest enough that I should be able to watch a few fly back to their hive."

"Of course, Mistress. And any other requests for their stay?"

"No. Just that they not kick up any more dust for a time. I need to watch the most recent round settle and see where we have landed. As for their business, do your best to help them fulfill it," she said, holding out her hand only for a drink with a straw to be placed in it as she continued to stare at the wall.

“They also seem to be interested in star charts for the Sanguafae worlds…” The man said.

Asteria twitched, a smile flashing across her face. “Send them with my regards and recommendations.” Asteria waved a hand and smiled as her servant left.

She was very content watching the drama unfold between the Kikai divines. It had been too long since there had been enough change happening in the galaxy. The Kikai were all beginning to pitch a fit, squirming around and trying to settle debts, subtly shifting as much as they could around. It was much like watching a hive swarm around in confusion.

And most importantly, she could see the pieces falling into place that would remove the power of the divines that kept Asteria trapped. She grinned and bit her lip excitedly. Soon she would be free. Or at least far freer than she'd been for the last several hundred years.

It was just a shame that her people had stopped warring. Though, it didn't have to stay that way. She smiled, thinking about shifting a few pieces to lean more in her favor.