The recovery of Tiger Lily’s assault pods took various forms. Some were pulled into the remaining shuttlecraft hangar bay, the other being occupied with Hope and Needle, others were pulled into bays where the heavy repair and maintenance equipment were stored and the rest were attached to various docking ports.

Lippy, Luthy and OB1’s pod docked at one of the latter ports. In contrast to the purposely haphazard launch from Dragonthorn, the coupling of the pod to its new home was smooth as silk, so much so that all three occupants were standing ready when the hatches opened.

A detachment of five security and two medical personnel met them in the antechamber beyond. Fully expecting bedraggled survivors of a shipboard accident, the members of the detachment were surprised when the trio emerged from the pod in a cool and professional manner. Almost immediately, five pistols were drawn as the medics slinked back out of the way.

The leader ordered, “Halt! Show us your id cards.”

Lippy quietly spoke to him. “You don’t need to see our id cards.”

“We don’t need to see your id cards,” the leader agreed.

“Holster your weapons.”

“Security, holster your weapons.”

“Noone here is injured. All is as it should be. You can return to your posts.”

“Everyone, return to your posts.” After that final command, the detachment split up and went their separate ways, leaving the trio alone in the room.

Luthy said in awe, “That Jedi trick never ceases to amaze me.”

Lippy smiled in response. “It doesn’t always work, but it works often enough. So, everyone ready?”

Luthy and OB1 nodded in unison, “Ready when you are.”

“Alright. Good luck then. Happy hunting!” And, quick as night, she disappeared around a corner.

~/~

With a heavy thud, the remaining extra pod landed on the deck of Maintenance Bay #4.

“Oof! I feel like a James Bond martini.” Issabella reached up with both hands and rubbed the base of her neck.

Budo, dressed in the shortened kimono bearing her name, quickly got her katana ready and stood by the hatch. “Remind me to give you a massage later.”

Issa stood and got her stinger stick ready. “What is it with you and touching me? What’ve you got the hots for me or something?”

“Well, not with that attitude, I don’t. Besides, you know what they say: once you go ‘bot, you’ll do it a lot.” Budo shot him a quick wink before resuming her stance by the hatch.

“You just made that up, didn’t you?”

Budo shot her hand up and motioned to Issa to get ready. “Remember,” she whispered, “Let me do my job.”

Issa nodded and stood ready with her weapon.

When the hatch opened, Budo became a blur and leapt out of the pod. In the quickest minute of her life, all Issa heard were the sounds of meted death amidst two errant laser shots. When Budo’s blood-smeared face reappeared in the hatchway, she nearly jumped.

“We can go now, Issa.”

~/~

She was in her special place, though fear slid around her shell like rain on a glass dome.

“Sondra?”

Go away. I can’t do this.

“Sondra?”

She’d seen too much, felt too much, learned too much. Kenmark was no longer Kenmark, was no longer Feld, was no longer he. And who was she now? Refugee? Her home planet was in ruins. Drifter? Her life was in ruins. Tagalong? Who were these people who took her in and into the maelstrom around them. Disciple?

“Sondra?”

It was not they who’d immersed her into the present cataclysm. It was him, though she’d known of it for months beforehand and still did nothing. She’d had a passive hand in evil’s release and the spirits of all who had fallen into its gaping maw lay heavily on her conscience. Though fear gripped her in its mailed fist, the promise of reconciliation was too sweet. She needed to take her place in the unfolding drama.

“Sondra?”

Sondra opened her eyes and saw Lucretia’s white noise face looking back into hers. Though the sight of it usually upset her, there was a soft purpose in it now that touched her heart. Sondra wasn’t the only one who’d been permanently changed. It had been selfish indulgence to think otherwise. “Is it time?” Sondra asked.

“It’s time,” Lucretia answered sympathetically. Leaving Sondra’s spot on the brig’s cell floor, she went to the bunk, disrobed and lay under her robe to sleep.

Ten minutes later, Sondra suddenly yelled, “I can’t take it anymore!” She then got up and ran full tilt toward the invisible energy barrier across the cell’s only exit. The resulting pyrotechnic display of her body’s interaction with the field was intense, if short-lived. In a smoky heap, she collapsed onto the floor.

“Frell!” One of the guards shouted to her associate, “Get a team from medical up here now!” Running over to the cell’s doorway, she looked into the room to guage the other prisoner’s reaction. Surprisingly, the other prisoner was still sleeping.

“Hey you! Wake up!” When this did not get the expected response, the guard loudly repeated the command, but to no avail.

“Jakka, disable the field. I’m going in.” The guard then drew her pistol and stun wand, but, as soon as the field was deactivated, an invisible force took possession of both weapons. Before she could react, she was stunned into unconsciousness. Jakka, however, suffered a worse fate.

After dispatching the other guard, Lucretia returned to the cell, knelt down by her companion and kissed her lightly on the forehead. After stroking her hair, she said, “Sleep well, my brave sister,” before vanishing into the approaching storm.