Page 37 of Advance and Retreat (Dark Empire #6)

“I was. As for it being a conceit, Weapons Commander, I’ve already informed the captain how we Earthers view our vessels.

Eventually, all the ships containing my species will end up being named.

You’ll wish you’d dubbed some of them first, because humans can be irreverent on such matters.

For instance, I suggest a communique barring any ship being called ‘Lollipop.’”

The Nobek stared at her, speechless for a change.

“You’ll also hear us refer to each vessel as ‘she.’” Laughter shrugged. “Welcome to your first cultural lesson. I look forward to learning more about your customs as well.”

“The Quest sounds like a good name. I like it,” the thus-far silently watching Negal said. When Signis and Rorix glanced at him in unspoken admonition, he shrugged and offered an impish grin. “I do like it. Besides, it’s just a name. It isn’t as if it’ll affect how it operates.”

Rorix drew a breath before looking at Laughter.

“I’m impressed by your incentive where readying the com stations and their eventual deployment in advance are regarded.

If you’re up for it, we can put your belongings in your quarters, then I’ll take you to the bays the stations could potentially be stored for your consideration. ”

“Thank you, Captain. I’d appreciate it.” Her smile was genuine, and the Dramok blinked, as if surprised by something.

“I have better things to do than babysit,” Signis muttered. He turned his back on them and stalked off...again, silently. It somehow added to his menace.

Negal, still grinning, grabbed the handles of her travel bin. “Hey, the lady travels light. I’d believed I’d be doing you a favor by lugging your luggage.”

“It’s a polite gesture, nonetheless. Thank you.” Laughter didn’t bother to tell him she was in the habit of owning the bare necessities in anticipation of going on an extended journey. The difference was, she’d anticipated it would have happened in the tight confines of a sailboat cabin.

No matter. The goal had been to explore places she’d never been. The locations had always been up for grabs.

You would have jumped at the chance to do this, Dad. Only you would have tried to take the boat along to explore coastlines we have yet to hear of. She glanced at the bin Negal carried for her as she followed Rorix onto the Quest .

After a slight throb of loss, joy burst through her once more. She believed her father was somehow with her, eagerly anticipating the coming journey as she did.

She fairly skipped onto the ship, earning a quizzical look from her companions. She didn’t care. Her heart hadn’t been so light in years.

* * * *

K alquorian Empire Space

Mereta sat on his sleeping mat in his quarters aboard the destroyer. He contemplated the shadowy entity in containment box before him.

He pondered how alone he was in his head absent its presence. He could appreciate the loss the Dark must feel to be separated from first the All, then the Universal Spirit where Mereta had often submerged it.

“You have an advantage over most,” he told it. “The rest of us have to bumble our way to experiencing true peace. I was able to send you there. I doubt any other entity has had as easy an introduction.”

Its tentacles waved gently in response.

His door announce went off. “Enter.”

Admiral Piras came in. He bowed to Mereta. “We’ve reached empire space. It was a running fight all the way, but you’re home.”

“My compliments and gratitude to Captain Zemos and the members of the fleet who made it possible. And especially to you and your clan, Admiral. If you hadn’t come for me, I have no doubt I’d have been killed by the All.

Congratulations on a job well done. If I can ever be of any service to you, tell me. ”

Piras looked haggard despite the good news. His mood was far from celebratory. “We’re a long way from finished, I’m afraid.”

Mereta chuckled. “Actually, we never are, no matter how it looks. There will always be problems to solve, disruption to calm, and fights to be fought. The only serenity comes from within.”

Piras managed a weary smile, no doubt to humor him. His gaze slid to the containment shimmering on the mat. “Sir, I wish you’d let me put that somewhere safe.”

“It’s quite secure, I assure you.”

“I meant, safe for you.”

“I know. Thank you for informing me we escaped Galactic Council space.”

Piras’ eyes narrowed to be dismissed, but he merely bowed...not a very deep bow, Mereta noted...and left.

He turned back to the Dark. His tone was soft, coaxing.

“All right. You remember how it felt to be one with the Universal Spirit. Bring that feeling to the forefront of your consciousness. You know you’re never truly alone.

You’ve been where peace and tranquility reside.

Where you belong. You can return through your own efforts. Concentrate...”

* * * *

K alquor

Cassidy hummed a gentle song as she worked.

The Dark, in its nearby containment, moaned a pained accompaniment.

A piteous sound, but better than its earlier telepathic screams, which had set off Jackie’s sympathetic cries.

Egilka had been kind enough to whisk her from the lab until Cassidy’s nano had finished taking a large skin sample.

When the Dark had calmed, the emperor had brought the baby back in.

Egilka’s clan had been scheduled for a meeting to greet Secretary-General Mereta, who’d arrived on the planet a few hours before. He’d hesitated to go. “I could take Jackie if you feel exposing her to the Dark while you work will be a problem.”

She’d smiled at his kindness as she snuggled the sleeping baby in her blue cloth sling, which Cassidy wore across her abdomen.

“I’m done taking tissue for today. I can always put the Dark away if it acts up.

I’m only leaving it close on the off-chance I’ll need an additional sample before I leave this evening. ”

“All right. I’ll see you later.”

He’d left. For whatever reason, the Dark hadn’t gone out of its way to be troublesome.

It muttered half-hearted threats in between groans, the volume of its complaints low.

Perhaps it feared Cassidy would retaliate.

Maybe it was simply glad to be out of the loneliness of the room where it and its fellow captive Darks were kept, where the fully powered containments kept them from communicating.

Cassidy supposed the company of an enemy was preferable to no company at all.

As she examined the tissue depicted on the microscope via the vid, the Dark sent another petulant comment her way. The All hates you. You and your child. The All hopes you both die in excruciating agony. Especially the baby.

Yes, I suppose you do. These experiments aren’t pleasant. If I could anesthetize you, I would.

It retreated to its anguish again. The Dark seemed to dislike her reluctance to engage in vicious dialogue, as she’d done in the past.

For all the Other’s lack of basic humanity, her interactions with it had made her rethink her stabs at vengeance on the Dark specimens.

After the accusations she’d leveled at the entity, she’d realized she’d acted inhumane herself.

She hadn’t changed her mind that the All had to be eliminated for the good of her dimension’s myriad inhabitants, but she recognized it was no small act to destroy the entirety of a lifeform.

The All was a mentally sick creature. Under normal circumstances, Cassidy would hope something could be done to heal it.

Kalquor, Earth II, and their allies didn’t have the luxury of time to attempt such an intervention.

Even so, she could respect it was a sentient lifeform, a fact she’d decided to keep uppermost in her mind as she interacted with the Darks.

Eradicating the All didn’t mean she had to stoop to its level of mindless hatred.

The Dark offered an angry squeal, making Jackie grimace as she slept. Make it leave!

Cassidy looked at the shadowy form and noted movement in her peripheral vision. She turned her head to face her doppelganger.

Hush while I get rid of it. I don’t want to see the Other either, she told the prisoner as she gave her likeness a level stare. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“So you explained at our last encounter.” The second Cassidy had returned to her unflappable, neutral demeanor. “The situation has changed.”

“If you’ve come to justify your past actions, or rather, your lack of action—”

“We’ve considered your arguments claiming we bear responsibility for the All’s destruction of the sentients in our dimension. We find some truth to them.”

“Glad to enlighten you.” Cassidy turned her back on her visitor. “I take it you’ve gotten over your regret, if you’re capable of feeling such a lower being’s emotion.”

“There is regret. We thought ourselves separate from the concerns of fellow sentients, since we believed we had no need for community. However...” the Other paused for a moment.

Cassidy, leery of taking any sort of bait to engage and perhaps be goaded into an entreaty for understanding, refused to look at her double.

Presently, the Other resumed, the tone placating. “We are part of life, as you are. As those we failed to come to the aid of were. We were wrong and don’t wish to be guilty of the same mistake again. We’ll help you defeat the All.”

Cassidy couldn’t stop the sudden surge of hope coursing through her as she swung toward the Other. “How?”