Category: The Three Realms (Book 1: Her Highness, the Captain)

Bashoon entered her parent’s restaurant on the Endeavor and got a bar seat. “Hey, Mom,” she called. “Could I get a Galdredan steak as rare as you can make it with Crelima mashed potatoes and a Realmgate City root beer float?”

“Sure thing, sweetie,” replied Mrs. Barmek. She turned to prepare the meal. “So, how’s the job so far?” continued Mrs. Barmek.

“Doing okay, considering recent events,” answered Bashoon.

“Still thinking about what happened at the hands of the pirates?” guessed Mrs. Barmek as she flipped the steak over.

“Well, partially,” replied Bashoon. “The other part is about that cow turd, Yotek.”

“Yeah, I heard about your ex-boyfriend’s involvement with the Splitters,” recalled Mrs. Barmek.

“And the Goblin Imperium STILL hasn’t made a decision on whether or not it made a mistake in liquidating our original assets?” asked Bashoon.

“Sorry, but no,” sighed Mrs. Barmek as she flipped the steak a second time.

“Is it wrong that I still feel angry and betrayed by my own people?” quizzed Bashoon.

“No, your feelings are legitimate,” assured Mrs. Barmek as she added some butter to the potatoes before mashing them.

“I’m just not sure if I WANT to return to Dwelga after my stint in Realmfleet is over,” sighed Bashoon.

“Where will you go?” inquired Mrs. Barmek as she filled a glass with root beer and scooped out some vanilla ice cream.

“I don’t know,” mumbled Bashoon.

“Well, there ARE travelers on this ship alone,” mused Mrs. Barmek as she set the meal in front of Bashoon. Bashoon then took her fork and knife and started eating. “Maybe one of them could offer a place to stay,” suggested Mrs. Barmek.

“I’ll think it over,” declared Bashoon after she swallowed.

“I WOULD suggest that you talk to the Imperium,” suggested Mrs. Barmek.

“Why would I want to do that?” muttered Bashoon as her second bite stopped in front of her mouth.

“Because you will carry your feelings with you forever if you don’t,” warned Mrs. Barmek. “Right now, those feelings are heavy.” Bashoon considered her mother’s words as she ate.

---

Arsha was trying to unwind at Jenthay’s Resort, not THE best in the Over-realm, but certainly ONE of the best. Jenthay, the Sprite running the place, offered a pass to Arsha and her crew when Thengo suggested some relaxation would help. The resort’s beach/pool was in a special part of the tree that gave off natural sunlight so people could naturally tan. It DID bring the risks associated with a beach’s sun, so Arsha lathered up in sunscreen. She smoothed out the skirt of her bikini as she picked up her book. Try as she might, she couldn’t concentrate on the book’s content. She sighed as she gave up and set the book aside on the blanket. She then laid flat on her back as she increased the power to her shades. “Real smart, Arsha,” she muttered to herself. “You survive a harrowing ordeal on an island with a beach and where do you go? To a resort with a beach. What was I thinking?”

“You don’t look like a happy girl,” observed a voice. Arsha sat up and turned to see Hanako!

“Mama!” cheered Arsha as she ran towards her. They hugged for a bit.

“How’s my Precious One?” asked Hanako.

“I’m…doing all right, given what happened,” mumbled Arsha as she broke off the embrace.

“Yes, I heard about what happened from Thengo,” explained Hanako. “I take it this is your first experience with mortality?”

“It’s not mortality that has me feeling this way,” replied Arsha, “it’s the fact that those five crewmembers died because I didn’t screen Melgem enough! I’m not sure if their families will accept that my condolence letters came from the heart!”

“Yes,” remarked Hanako as she laid out her own blanket. “I understand why you would say that but I don’t agree.”

“You do?” asked Arsha, sensing that Hanako understood on a deeper level than she initially thought.

“Arsha, do you know why I moved to the Mid-realm in the first place?” inquired Hanako.

“You were so smitten with Dad,” answered Arsha, “that you couldn’t imagine life without him, just as he couldn’t imagine life without you. This was during the Rooka/Gamfinar incident, right?”

“It was,” confirmed Hanako, “and your father was certainly the impetus. However, I was thinking on leaving anyway. After my parents died, there was nothing left for me. Midiriki became obsessed with trying to keep Mystic Tails afloat to the point of not wanting to see me. No one wanted me or my skill set as an administrator. I couldn’t find a decent job here in the Over-realm, so I was thinking about trying my luck with another Realm. Your dad then offered me a once temporary position on the Endeavor during the Rooka/Gamfinar incident and we hit it off.”

“Wasn’t that incident declared a total disaster after all the casualties were tallied?” quizzed Arsha.

“It was,” conceded Hanako, “but I still wanted to stay with him, thinking the rewards of a Realmfleet Officer outweighed the risks.”

“If the risks CAN be outweighed by said Realmfleet Officer,” sighed Arsha. “Sometimes the loss of life is too much for that Officer.”

“Also true,” replied Hanako, “as the Endeavor’s former Chief Medical Officer can attest to. So, the question is: do you feel as if you’ve lost too many under your command?”

“I don’t know,” mumbled Arsha.

“Well, if you DO feel that way,” continued Hanako, “what kind of Captain will you be in the face of that?” Arsha considered her mother’s words up until her thoughts were interrupted by the tree rocking. Everyone tumbled.

“What in the Depths?” swore Arsha as she snapped her fingers and her bikini was exchanged for her dress. She and Hanako made her way to an Observation Balcony, a hole in the tree that allows someone to see what’s going on outside, to see a Kitsune in full armor attacking the tree. “What the?! I thought Kitsunes were buddy-buddy with ALL Fae subspecies!”

“We are!” insisted Hanako. “I don’t know what’s gotten this one to attack!”

“We have to stop that person!” declared Arsha. She then made her way to Rellmeer’s private Observation Balcony with Rellmeer making a call to the Fae Republic’s Air Force.

“Get the attacker OUT of our territory!” she ordered her troops. “I don’t care how it’s done, as long as the intruder stays alive! Understood, Rantar?!”

“Understood, My Lady,” replied Chief Master Sergeant Rantar of the Fae Republic’s Air Force. Rellmeer then hung up.

“Your Majesty!” called Arsha. Rellmeer then caught sight of Arsha and Hanako.

“Please tell me you have an idea!” hissed Rellmeer, feeling betrayed that a Kitsune would do this.

“Let me talk to the Kitsune!” suggested Arsha. “Whatever grievance it has, I’m sure I can figure it out!”

“…Very well,” replied Rellmeer. She then used her magic to place Arsha outside and restored her to her natural height. Even then, Arsha was still a foot shorter than the Kitsune.

“Identify yourself!” she demanded. The Kitsune replied by swinging a fist at Arsha. “Not in an identifying mood, eh?” quipped Arsha. “Have it your way!” She snapped her fingers, teleporting her hairpiece into its drawer and summoning her armor. She then went on the offensive, managing to push back the intruder. “I repeat, identify yourself!” she commanded. “Why are you attacking the Capital Tree of the Fae Republic?!” The intruder didn’t answer. It used a teleporter spell to get away. “…Right, time to defend the Fae Republic,” muttered Arsha.

Arsha looked out the window of her ready room and sighed. The deaths of her crewmembers during the operation that foiled the Under-Splitters weighed heavily on her mind. This was the first time she came to face mortality of ANY kind. She felt that the whole thing could have been avoided if she screened Melgem better. Her door then chimed. “Come in,” she sighed. Oak stepped in.

“We’re making our approach to the Drelda Forest,” he reported.

“Thank you,” replied Arsha. She left her ready room and entered the bridge.

“Fae escort confirmed,” reported Shalvey. “They’re ready to shrink us.”

“Give them the all-clear,” directed Arsha. Shalvey relayed the go-ahead as yellow light surrounded the ship. The ship then got smaller, smaller, smaller still, and stopped once it was proportional to the Fae escort. Fairies, Sprites, and Pixies led the ship to a docking bay inside a tree. Nazay extended the landing struts and docked the Endeavor safely inside the tree. The ramp lowered as Arsha, Shalvey, Oak, Orthena, and Melandra departed. A Fairy then approached the group with her procession. The procession consisted of her husband, the favorites of her harem, and her guard, the Empress’ guard. Rellmeer Almaydia, the Empress of the Fae Republic, was meeting Arsha personally.

“Welcome,” she greeted in a terse manner. “I understand you require parts for your ship.”

“Correct,” replied Arsha in the same manner as Rellmeer. They stared each other down for a bit…then a snort came from Rellmeer, then a snort from Arsha, then both ladies started laughing as Rellmeer pulled Arsha into a hug.

“So wonderful to see you again, Little One!” cheered Rellmeer. “Let me get a look at Realmfleet’s newest Captain!” She broke off the embrace to get a look at Arsha. “A fine looking Captain, if I do say so myself!” she praised.

“Thank you,” bid Arsha. Rellmeer’s antennae then twitched as they sensed something. She hid it rather well.

“I know you’re just here to collect some parts,” she offered, “but the Fae Republic is perfectly willing to take anyone wanting shore leave.”

“Very kind of you,” replied Arsha, not wanting to refuse the offer. All Fae subspecies are, after all, generous to their allies and friends and refusing their generosity is considered bad luck at best, very dangerous at worst. “I think we’ll take you up on that offer,” continued Arsha.

“Splendid!” cheered Rellmeer. “Come with me! I have a rather tremendous view of the Republic from my palace tower and I don’t believe you’ve seen it yet!”

---

Arsha and Rellmeer arrived in Rellmeer’s bedroom and looked out the balcony to see the Fae Republic going about its business. Fairies and Pixies were preparing their pollination squadrons to help the bees, Sprites were fixing roads, computers, lights, roofs, and other various aspects of life, all working to make the Fae Republic better. A Fairy senator could be seen working a drill for building a road. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” sighed Rellmeer in happiness. “700,000 years ruling the Fae Republic and I never get tired of the view. Progress makes this place better.”

“Yeah,” mumbled Arsha. Rellmeer realized that Arsha’s mind wasn’t on the view.

“All right, what’s eating you?” she asked.

“Hm?” quizzed Arsha.

“I don’t need my antennae to see your sadness,” replied Rellmeer. “You’ve been distracted by grief for a while and I’m guessing this is recent.”

“…It is,” mumbled Arsha.

“…Do you wanna talk about it?” urged Rellmeer. Arsha sighed before explaining.

“My first assignment was to help investigate Lord and Lady Varsek’s murder,” she began. “Next, I led a kingdom of Merfolk into battle. Later, I uncover a plot to cover up abuse towards a sentient people. A few months later, I was kidnapped and held for ransom, then helped uncover a Splitters’ plot and foiled said plot while losing five crewmembers in the process. I attended their funeral and then it all came crashing down how dangerous my life is right now. I’m supposed to be keeping watch over these people, yet five people died under my command.”

“I think I see where this is coming from,” realized Rellmeer. “You’re trying to bring everyone home.”

“That’s my job,” confirmed Arsha.

“Arsha,” replied Rellmeer, “that’s a conceit most captains have.”

“A conceit?” asked Arsha.

“Every captain always believes, early in their careers,” explained Rellmeer, “that they can bring everyone home and let them get on with their lives. It always comes as a shock to them when someone under their command dies. However, they seem to forget one thing after they really experience mortality.”

“Go on,” urged Arsha.

“Those crewmates,” continued Rellmeer, “knew the possibility that they might not see their families again existed, yet they believed the mission of protecting the Realms from any enemy outweighed any risk. To constantly dwell on their deaths would only belittle their sacrifice.”

“You’re saying I should just move on,” guessed Arsha.

“Well, I’d hardly put it like that,” replied Rellmeer. Arsha considered what the Fae Empress just said.

“Not something I do easily,” remarked Arsha.

“A strength AND a weakness,” observed Rellmeer.

“…Perhaps,” sighed Arsha. Rellmeer then hugged Arsha in sympathy.

“Have you at least visited Thengo?” she asked. “I’m sure she can help. She is an excellent counsellor.”

“…I haven’t,” replied Arsha, “but you’re right. I AM overdue for an appointment.”

“You have time now,” urged Rellmeer. “Take advantage of it and talk to Thengo.” Arsha then gave a small grin.

“Thanks for the talk,” she bid.

“It’s what I do,” returned Rellmeer.

---

A few days had passed and nothing interesting was going on, so Arsha decided to watch a bit of a plot compilation of her favorite reviewer, Zadera. He was a Blender, upper torso of a brown-furred Inu with a light patch on his front and the lower body of an aqua-legged Cecaelia. He was waving a scanner over a wrist communicator when he heard a teleportation spell finishing. He looked up to see a clone of him in mad scientist gear and a robot puppet with only a hover-skirt and three-digited claws for hands. “How’d it go?” asked Zadera.

“About as well as we thought it would,” reported his mad scientist clone, Doctor Craziloon.

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s all bad,” softened the robot, Bordo. “We feared the lower decks had been totally compacted, but some sections actually are intact for the most part. However, most of the armor is buckled and had been torn to shreds from the impact.”

“Not to mention, the lower towers,” continued Doctor Craziloon, “are scattered across about half a por of the moon’s surface.”

“Just give me the long and short of it,” directed Zadera. “Is it salvageable?” Bordo and Craziloon looked at each other before shaking their heads in the negative with pained looks. Zadera let off an irritated growl.

“I’m sorry, Zadera,” responded Craziloon, “ but, even if the towers were intact enough to generate the fields necessary to raise us off the surface, structural integrity won’t hold in its current state and half the computer systems were fried when the emergency power grid overloaded.”

“If Relegay hadn’t transferred into the Gazer with us,” supplied Bordo, “she’d be dead.”

“There’s lots of material we can salvage,” continued Craziloon. “Most of the cargo bays are still intact and, overall, the ship is there.”

“If we had five years and a team of space-capable engineers,” mused Bordo, “maybe we can do SOMETHING, but those are in short supply.”

“Maybe…” suggested Zadera, “maybe we could ask Dor to help us. The Furious Army Orbital Station has gotta have resources that we can…”

“Bordo is being needlessly optimistic, Zadera!” interrupted Craziloon. “This isn’t something you can slap some magi-tape on and call it a day! Some of the metals used in the ship’s construction are not native to the Realms! Not to mention all the systems that were tied to wholly into Lord Maliz’s presence on the ship! Trying to bypass them would be nearly impossible!”

“DAMN IT!” swore Zadera as he slapped his chair.

“Don’t take it out on us, man!” snapped Bordo. “None of us are happy about this!”

“It got us!” growled Zadera.

“Who got us?” asked Craziloon.

“The Creature!” replied Zadera. “Of course, we didn’t find the Creature in the Realms! It was onboard Revieweron-1 the entire time! And then, when it saw that we were on to it, it attacked and destroyed the ship! Revieweron-1 was the only thing that could hurt it! Of course, it’d try to take it out!”

“Zadera,” interjected Bordo.

“And now, it’s gone and all we’ve got is the Gazer!” continued Zadera. “We don’t stand a chance against…!”

“It wasn’t the Creature,” interrupted Craziloon.

“Oh no,” argued Zadera, “I’m convinced now, more than ever, that…”

“We accessed the flight archive,” reported Craziloon. “We know what happened.”

“…What?!” quizzed Zadera.

“It was a terra-mite,” explained Bordo.

“…Again, WHAT?!” called Zadera. At that point, someone knocked on Arsha’s door.

“Come in,” she bid. Thengo entered the room.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” she asked.

“Not at all,” assured Arsha. She motioned for Thengo to sit. Thengo took to a table designed for a Drider. “Honestly, I should have done this on the way here,” muttered Arsha. She then told Thengo the exact same thing she told Rellmeer.

The pirates and the Endeavor crew had concocted a plan to find out what the Under-realm Splitters were up to. Step one involved finding the base. It was rather easy as a relatively small fortress was made for them. Step two was surrounding the place without being detected. Slightly less easy, but still possible for both parties. Step three, the tricky part, started when Arsha, Nazay, Reb, Melgem, Delga, Morla, and Oak snuck into the Splitter base on a small supply train. A Golem had picked up their box and loaded it, stopping as it examined the weight of the box. It then sneezed before resuming work, muttering about the lack of mana. The train moved into the base, stopping at its destination. The Golems inside then grabbed the boxes and loaded them into a cargo bay. They then left the cargo bay, giving the infiltrators ample opportunity to get out and get fresh air. “I suppose it’d be too much to ask if they could poke air-holes into the boxes,” muttered Nazay.

“They don’t exactly want anything alive in them,” countered Arsha. “All right, let’s locate the command center. If Yotek’s anywhere, he’s there.”

“So, what, we split up?” muttered Reb.

“And let a pirate out of my sight? No thanks!” hissed Arsha.

“Your trust in me never CEASES to warm my heart,” grumbled Reb.

“I’ve seen many a case when Daddy fought Splitters across the Realms,” continued Arsha, “especially his infiltration missions, but I’m positive the layout of ready-made Splitter fortresses have changed. If it hasn’t, I’d say they’ve really become as most citizens of the Realms say they are.”

“What’s that?” asked Nazay.

“Stupid,” replied Arsha. “All right, let’s go.” The team snuck through the halls, making a few wrong turns and narrowly avoiding the Golems. They soon made their way to the shadowy command center. Yotek was pouring over plans on a table. The strike team then snuck around, flanking his sides…then he slammed on the alarm button. Golems appeared and surrounded the place.

“Did you really think I would leave this place unguarded?!” snarled Yotek. “You had cameras locked onto you since you penetrated the borders of my territory! Your entire plan, both inside and out, will be undone! With your deaths, the Realms will finally see that blending them is disastrous!”

“Small flaw in your plan,” declared Arsha, “we’re NOT dead!”

“Soon corrected!” replied Yotek as he drew a sword made for a being his size.

“Keep the Golems at bay!” ordered Arsha. “Nazay, start interrogating! We’ll hold them off!”

“Understood!” replied Nazay. As the group aimed for the Golems’ heads (destroying their heads makes sure that the scroll that powers them is destroyed, causing the Golem to just collapse into a large lump of clay), Nazay pounced at Yotek. Yotek dodged and fired on Nazay with a wand built into the sword. Nazay was forced to keep his distance. “Stupid, trigger-happy…oh!” An idea popped into his head. He remembered what would make a Goblin mad. “Come on and face me, you little Gremlin!”

“…What?!” hissed Yotek.

“You heard me, Gremlin!” taunted Nazay.

“NEVER CALL A GOBLIN THAT!” roared Yotek as he charged. Nazay then lashed with his tail and coiled Yotek up. Yotek struggled to break out of the hold.

“Nice try,” remarked Nazay as his eyes started flashing multiple colors in spirals.

“Do you really think you can hypnotize me, snake?!” hissed Yotek. “Goblins are immune to hypnosis.”

“You’re resistant,” corrected Nazay as he continued the treatment, “not immune. Bashoon was kind enough to let me confirm that. I know a way to get you to surrender to my will.”

“You Mid-realmers,” chuckled Yotek, seeing where Nazay was coming from, “think the Under-realm’s language is too guttural. It might hurt your precious vocal chords. Besides, are you REALLY willing to use ancient magic? It’s dangerous.”

“Considering my instructor was harsh in that regard,” replied Nazay, “I think I can handle it.” He then took a breath and chanted. “Geotu danme koldi rekek bamte. Geotu danme koldi rekek bamte. Geotu danme koldi rekek bamte.” As Yotek heard that, his eyes went wide and he tried harder to escape Nazay’s coils. What Nazay was doing was chanting out the characters that spelled Yotek’s name in the Under-realm’s language, increasing Nazay’s power over the Goblin. Yotek continued fighting but it was a futile struggle. He succumbed after a minute had passed, his eyes spiraling like Nazay’s. “There now,” sighed Nazay in victory. “Was all that struggling necessary?”

“No, Master,” slurred Yotek.

“I didn’t think so,” replied Nazay. “Now, would you mind telling me what the endgame is?”

“Don’t mind at all, Master,” assured Yotek. “We have 5 mana bombs about to detonate on all continents in the Under-realm. We have identified the areas on each continent that has the highest concentration of Other-realmers and will destroy them so only Under-realmers can flourish once they are reclaimed. We have four set up but the one for the Northern Continent, the one being constructed here, is not ready.”

“Would you kindly download all plans and schematics relating to this grand plan onto this?” inquired Nazay as he pulled out a memory crystal.

“Sure can, Master,” replied Yotek as his arm was freed. He then transferred the mana bombs’ locations, their blueprints, the time-delays, and the people involved in the plan onto the crystal. It took five minutes before the download was complete. The crystal flashed green and Nazay took it out of the console.

“Now, when I snap my fingers, you’ll be out of the trance and will remember what you did,” directed Nazay.

“Okay, Master,” answered Yotek. Nazay snapped and Yotek’s eyes went back to normal, as did his attitude. “YOU MID-REALM WORM!” he roared as he pounced for the memory crystal.

“Captains!” called Nazay. “I have all the information we need! We gotta get out of here!”

“I agree with ALL my heart!” answered Reb. Arsha called Oak.

“Are the bombs set up?!” she asked.

“Primed and ready, Captain,” replied Oak, “but we’re sustaining casualties!”

“We have what we need!” declared Arsha. “Activate the bombs and retreat!”

“What about you lot?!” protested Oak.

“We have an exit strategy!” assured Arsha. “Detonate the bombs and get out of here!”

“Understood!” answered Oak. The call ended and Arsha’s team made a mad dash for the exit.

“Lockdown the facility!” roared Yotek. “If we die, we take them with us!” The Golems moved to obey. As they began lockdown procedures, Arsha and her team ran as fast as they could through the exit, dodging magic blasts all around them. They made it into the jungle and rejoined the combined crews. The base then exploded, taking the incomplete mana bomb with it. Everyone dove for the ground and covered their heads. The heat washed over them and the ground shook. Once the rumbling subsided and the heat died down, everyone picked themselves up.

“Well,” sighed Reb, “that WAS fun, but we need to inform Orbak about this HEINOUS plan.”

“Agreed,” affirmed Arsha. “When we get back, get me in contact with Realmfleet command and Orbak.”

---

Orbak was away at the moment, so Elmpam took the call with Rokalla in Arsha’s ready room on the Endeavor. “Good grief!” she breathed. “I knew Splitters from ANY Realm could be vicious, but THIS?! This is beyond what I know about Splitters! Rokalla, do you think Realmfleet will assist the Under-realm Explosives Guild in taking the mana bombs apart?”

“I think Realmfleet will be more than happy to send assistance, Your Majesty,” replied Rokalla. He then turned to Arsha. “That was some impressive work. I don’t think your dad ever stopped a plan this big when he was doing his tour.”

“No, but he’d do it in a heartbeat,” answered Arsha. “I do have to admit, I forgot to arrest Reb for trying to ransom me and my crew and attacking a military force.”

“Much as this would sting her,” countered Rokalla, “Reb Rojam’s a minor inconvenience. We’ll get her next time. Keep up the good work.”

“Will do,” replied Arsha. Rokalla’s image then faded.

“Malnar’s gonna be lavishing you with praise for this,” chuckled Elmpam. She then noticed something in Arsha’s eyes. “Is…everything all right?” asked Elmpam.

“We lost some good people,” replied Arsha. “Some of them I’ve known since training.” She released a sigh. “I have condolence letters to write and a mass send-off to complete.”

“An unfortunate duty of ANY commanding officer, be they a captain or a reigning monarch,” sympathized Elmpam. “I know this is a small comfort but take pride in the fact that they died as they lived, protecting all of the Realms.” Arsha gave a small smile.

“They did, didn’t they?” she muttered. She then sat up straight. “I need to go. See you later.”

“Farewell,” bid Elmpam. The call ended and Arsha changed her clothes to her duty uniform, keeping the hairpiece on. She then headed to the torpedo launch bay and found the crew assembled by torpedoes with the bodies of those that died inside. The names were on the torpedo shells.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” began Arsha. “We’re gathered here to honor the deaths of those that gave their lives to protect the Realms. In all honesty, I wish they didn’t need to, but not every wish can be granted. They died while stopping a Splitter plan that would have killed many more innocent people. There is only one thing to do to honor their sacrifice and that is to continue protecting the Realms as they did. Lieutenant Eltan Sontor of the Under-realm’s Crelima City, Lieutenant Sheendii Eltraa of the Over-realm’s Coliamdii Kingdom, Ensign Drelta Meltrek of the Mid-realm’s Gafinar Cecaelia Kingdom, Lieutenant Commander Blenter Ansii of the Mid-realm’s Borsootha Slime Oasis, and Commander Entran Deltar of the Mid-realm’s capital, Largandra, may you all be received in the loving embrace of the Divine Ones and may your stories be told across time so the future may learn.” She then nodded to Commander Oak.

“Present arms!” called Oak. Everyone drew their wands and pointed towards the sky. Arsha then pressed a button and the caskets were slowly brought into the launch tubes and fired, turning into bright lights as they left.

“Good luck,” Arsha mumbled. The funeral then ended as everyone headed off to grieve in peace. As per protocol, they were allowed five hours to grieve before getting back to work.

---

On the island, Yotek had managed to avoid the pirates’ notice as they picked through the base’s remains to make a profit. Once he was a safe distance away. He made a call on his communicator. “Operative Yotek to Supreme Under-Splitter Ansark,” he called.

“Report,” answered Ansark. “How soon is victory?”

“There will be NO victory,” reported Yotek. “The operation is a failure. All completed mana bombs have been discovered and are being dismantled. My base is currently being scavenged by the Scarlet Stream Pirates. My Golem forces are destroyed. The mana bomb that was being constructed is destroyed. The people helping us are being arrested. The Endeavor and its crew live.”

“…HOW?!” roared Ansark.

“The Endeavor’s Mid-realm navigator knew how to say my name in our native language,” replied Yotek. “He used it to put me under hypnosis. He managed to get me to copy over all plans relating to this operation and all people involved onto a memory crystal.”

“This is a SEVERE setback to our plans!” shouted Ansark. “You have failed!”

“I offer no excuse, only my life,” muttered Yotek. “I request the use of the Red Strip.”

“Request granted!” snarled Ansark as a small red strip came out of the bottom of the communicator. Yotek took it out.

“May the Under-realm dominate all without me!” he bid before placing the red strip on his tongue. It dissolved and caused cuts to open in his trachea, allowing his blood to fill his lungs. He drowned in his own blood. It is a horrible manner in which to die. Unfortunately, all Splitter branches demand that those who failed would die in such a manner. Once Yotek’s death was confirmed, Ansark ordered a feedback pulse be sent along the transmission to destroy the communicator.

The fight between the pirates and the Endeavor crew continued. Reb and Arsha were dueling atop one of the stronghold’s buildings. “Why don’t you just give up?!” shouted Reb. “It will be MUCH easier!”

“Not a chance!” replied Arsha. She swung her blade but the swing was blocked by Reb’s blade.

“You cannot win this one!” she snarled. “It will bring NOTHING but suffering and DREADFUL misery!”

“And YOU can’t try anything to my ship,” growled Arsha, “without the Master Key!”

“I already have it!” argued Reb. She fished out a key. Arsha smirked.

“That ain’t it!” she laughed.

“…Well, that is just SIMPLY cheating!” sighed Reb. She was then punched in the stomach.

“This coming from a pirate!” snarled Arsha. Reb shouted, then swung her blade with great ferocity.

---

Bashoon was in the middle of a grappling match with a Lamia, a genetic cousin of Nagas, called Drensek. He was trying to get his coils around her but she was too quick. “STAND STILL!” he roared.

“Bite me!” snapped Bashoon.

“I’m TRYING to! Hold still!” hissed Drensek. He finally got his tail around her and squeezed. She tried to get out but the coils squeezed tighter and tighter. Bashoon then opened her mouth and bit into his tail, making him scream and thrash around, causing him to let go of her.

---

“Are you really sure this is…?” asked the guard mermaid into a communicator. The caller interrupted. “No, no, I get that, but…no…understood, Sir.” She ended the call and sighed. She then gathered her skirt collection and dove into the water, her legs fusing and morphing into her tail. She then swam off into a secret Realmgate leading to the Over-realm.

---

“You biting…!” hissed Drensek as Bashoon got ready to grapple him. A shot then flew between them, destroying a wall. A female Frostik joined Bashoon’s side.

“Two against one!” observed the Frostik, Galii, “You’re out-numbered.”

“Galii, tell your people to check their fire!” hissed Bashoon. “I almost got hit!”

“What are you talking about?!” yelped Galii. “That was from YOUR crew!”

“Well, if it wasn’t from us,” guessed Bashoon, “it must be the pirates!”

“Don’t be absurd!” snarled Drensek. “That was a hand-held Punch Cannon! You guys use them!”

“No, we don’t!” snapped Bashoon. “The recoil alone makes them illegal!”

“Not even Frostiks are powerful enough to withstand the recoil!” supplied Galii.

“…You DON’T use them?” asked Drensek.

“No!” confirmed Galii.

“Well, we don’t use them!” replied Drensek. “If neither side has them, then where…?” A horrible thought struck the three of them. “Golems!” realized Drensek.

“Under-Splitters!” yelped Galii.

“We’ve been tricked!” cried Bashoon. All three dashed towards their commanders and stopped them from continuing their fight as Delga entered the fight with Arsha and Reb.

“WHAT IN THE DEPTHS!” protested Delga.

“Ensign, what’s going on?!” snapped Arsha.

“Drensek, you have about TWO seconds to explain your DISGRACEFUL mutiny!” snarled Reb.

“We’ve got Under-Splitters here!” answered Drensek.

“What?!” quizzed Arsha.

“A hand-held Punch Cannon was fired!” explained Drensek. “Only the Golems of the Splitters have such technology!”

“And can withstand the recoil!” continued Bashoon.

“It interrupted our fight!” supplied Galii.

“I require…” remarked Delga.

“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” shouted a voice. A Golem then revealed itself from behind a rock, its massive, featureless, hulking form carrying a large cannon for its four-fingered hands to use. Its eyes were nothing more than holes with a red light and the mud and clay that it was made of was reddish-brown. You could see the red light in its mouth. As soon as it shouted, multiple blasts from the afore-mentioned weapons erupted from the rocks behind the main stronghold, the shouting Golem firing as well.

“TAKE COVER!” shouted all three commanders as everyone scattered. The fight between the pirates and the crew of the Endeavor was halted as everyone fired at the sources of the shots, the Golems. Bashoon then noticed that Yotek was running TOWARDS the Golems.

---

“STOP SHOOTING!” ordered Yotek. “STOP!!” The Golems didn’t stop until Yotek jabbed his wand under a Golem’s chin. “YOU WERE JUST ORDERED TO CEASE FIRING!” he roared. The Golem then waved his hand to stop the others. They all hid behind the rocks as magic blasts struck their cover. “Our orders were clear!” snarled Yotek. “We were to let the others destroy themselves! Who fired first?!”

“I did!” answered the Golem that shouted.

“What position are you?!” demanded Yotek.

“Position Five,” replied the Golem.

“You are now Position Six!” declared Yotek. “You will shroud and return to base camp!”

“I have not had a decent mana infusion,” reported the Golem. “I am no longer able to shroud myself.” Yotek turned to the other Golems who just shook their heads. Yotek sighed. Islands in ANY Realm are poor in terms of natural mana.

“Positions Eight and Two!” barked Yotek. “You will help me provide cover fire as we return to base camp!”

“Understood,” rumbled the two Golems.

“WITHDRAW!” ordered Yotek as he and the two Golems fired on their enemies. It was suppression fire only.

“Grand Yotek,” called Position Six, “I regret my disobedience.” Yotek waved the Golem off as it and its unit ran back into the jungle.

---

“My Ex!” snarled Bashoon. “An Under-Splitter!”

“I’ve had those DREADFUL Under-Splitters RIGHT under my nose,” hissed Reb, “and I NEVER suspected!”

“Looks like we have a new mission,” muttered Delga.

“CEASE FIRE!” ordered Arsha.

“YOU TOO, YOU BILGE-RATS!” shouted Reb. All forces stopped shooting.

“Admiral,” called Drensek, “with Splitters here, I don’t see any reason to have the crew of the Endeavor as our hostages. Now, as our allies, that might make it more profitable.”

“IF we get a Splitter to explain their FOUL operations,” muttered Reb.

“Leave that to Nazay,” replied Arsha. “He’s one of the best interrogators in the Mid-Realm. His hypnosis will make any Splitter spill it.”

“If he interrogates Yotek,” countered Bashoon, “he’s going to have a hard time of it. Goblins are resistant to hypnosis.”

“He’s made a Goblin talk before,” assured Arsha. “Admiral Rojam, if we help you get the Splitters out of your territory, will you let the Endeavor go in peace?”

“You have my most SACRED word,” replied Reb. She expanded her slime-suit into its mound form and led Arsha and Delga to her stronghold to plan the strike against the Splitters.

---

“Operative Yotek at the Scarlet Stream Pirate Fleet Stronghold to Supreme Under-Splitter Ansark,” Yotek called into his communicator.

“Report,” replied Ansark.

“The operation has suffered a hiccup,” reported Yotek. “The stray shots we fired did NOT incite the pirates and the Realmfleet crew into further fighting. A Golem had finally snapped from lack of proper mana infusions and encouraged the others to fire on them. They stopped fighting amongst themselves.”

“What about the spare mana we sent you?” asked Ansark. Yotek winced.

“It was necessary to use it to prime the mana bomb,” he explained. “All of our mana is in it.”

“You have been inefficient,” hissed Ansark. “Fix this mistake.”

“As you command,” replied Yotek. The call ended as Yotek planned his counter attack.

“I think I’ve almost…” muttered Arsha as she used her magic to fiddle with the tumblers inside her chains’ locks. Just then, the chains opened and she was freed! “Got it!” she quietly cheered. She then got to work on Bashoon and Yotek’s chains. “Hm, smart,” she mused. “They used different locks for each of our chains.”

“Well, hurry up!” hissed Yotek.

“Don’t rush me!” snapped Arsha. “Lockpicking is very delicate, even when using magic!” The chains then fell from Bashoon as she rubbed her wrists. Arsha then went to Yotek as Bashoon kept watch. Just then, the cell door slid open. Everyone in the cell stopped and stared at the new entry, scared stiff! The new guy was a disheveled Frostik male.

“Uh oh,” gulped Bashoon. The Frostik then looked at Arsha and grinned. He then held his hand out. Arsha then gingerly stepped forward and held her hand out, then the Frostik lightly touched the back of his hand to hers. Arsha then held her other hand above the hands touching their backsides and the Frostik pressed his other palm to hers. They then clasped hands, twirled, and jumped up, clapping each other’s hands.

“Morla, what are you…?” cheered Arsha before he held his finger to his lips.

“Rescue attempt!” he whispered in explanation. “I’m supposed to take you to ‘Reb’ for ‘interrogation’.”

“Well, don’t just stand there,” whispered Arsha as she put her wrists together. “Take us away.”

“One sec,” urged Morla. He then strode towards Yotek and slapped handcuffs onto his wrists while he cast an illusion spell on Arsha and Bashoon’s wrists.

“Wait, why’s my Ex getting real cuffs?” asked Bashoon.

“It WILL become clear to you, I promise,” replied Morla, “but, right now, we need to get to the Endeavor. This way.” He led the three through the main stronghold. As they walked, Arsha noticed members of her crew being led away in the same general direction.

“You move fast,” she whispered.

“Frigandor Militia operations,” mused Bashoon. “Smart and secret.”

“Not so secret,” countered Morla. When he was a safe distance, he pulled out his wand and fired a flare. The other pirates turned to him.

“SECRECY IS NO LONGER NECESSARY!” bellowed a voice. “ATTACK!” The Militia shed their disguises, tossed wands to the Endeavor’s crew, and they began a massive firefight!

“SECURITY BREACH!” screamed one of the pirates.

---

“Oh, dear Melgem, this whole day has been SO stressful!” sighed Reb as she and Melgem relaxed in a tub filled with her slime. She had positioned herself onto his lap so she would allow his arms to wrap around her. “They simply DON’T appreciate what I’m doing here. All I want is to make my way in this MESSY world. Is that so wrong?”

“Of course not, my Crimson Queen,” assured Melgem as he gave his wife a shoulder massage. A moan escaped Reb’s lips as she shut her eyes. “Realmfleet, for some odd reason,” continued Melgem, “can’t seem to grasp that what we do IS right, making sure our clients are happy in some fashion.”

“Yes, somehow, it has to be by their OUTRAGEOUS standards,” sighed Reb. “Can’t they understand that THEIR methods are just too strict? Too…too…” she tried to find the right word.

“Rigid?” supplied Melgem.

“THAT’S the word,” replied Reb.

“ADMIRAL!” screamed a voice. An Incubus burst into the room, then proceeded to yelp and cover his eyes while Reb and Melgem screamed, turning away from him.

“MARTAKAN! PRIVATE TIME!” shouted Reb.

“We have a rule about Private Time!” snapped Melgem.

“Sorry!” replied the Incubus, Martakan, as he turned around. “But this is too important! The Frigandor Militia’s infiltrated the stronghold! The crew of the Endeavor is free! They’re fighting back!”

“WHAT?!” shouted Reb. She collapsed her slime into a skintight suit with tendrils coming out of the back. Melgem snapped his fingers and his clothes appeared back on his body. Reb grabbed her cutlass and flintlock wand harness. She set her wand into the harness and pulled the hammer back. “Come on!” she ordered as she set her scarlet tricorn on her head.

---

The fight was still going on. All Endeavor crewmates and Militia members were fighting their way through the pirates. “Are we even making any progress?!” muttered Bashoon.

“It’s slow and steady,” remarked Arsha.

“Well, I wish it would hurry!” snapped Bashoon.

“I want this to end too,” replied Arsha, “but rushing it will bring about a whole mess of casualties.”

“Admiral inbound!” called a pirate. Arsha just barely ducked from Reb’s cutlass. She blocked the next swing with her own sword.

“You just couldn’t accept my GENEROUS hospitality, could you?!” snarled Reb.

“You kidnapped me and my crew!” Arsha shouted back. “You stranded my ship! You tried to sell us off!”

“And you would have been FINE!” argued Reb as she shoved Arsha backwards. “Instead, you make a mockery of my fleet AND myself! Your DREADFUL actions are nothing short of RUDE!”

“You want rude?!” snapped Arsha as she ran forward, swinging her sword. “I’ll show you rude!” Their blades clashed as Reb blocked while Arsha tried to find an opening. Bashoon was trying to keep the pirates off of hers and Yotek’s backsides.

“Will you fight back already?!” she snapped to Yotek.

“If I were free, I would!” snapped Yotek.

“Don’t!” urged Morla as he shot a pair of pirates.

“Why not?!” snapped Bashoon.

“Because he’s…!” Morla didn’t complete his sentence as a wand blast hit near his foot. The offending pirate tackled him and the two tussled.

---

“That’s it, keep fighting,” muttered Yotek as he got away. He pulled out a communicator and chanted an unlock spell, letting his chains fall away. “Operative Yotek at the Scarlet Stream Pirate Fleet Stronghold to Supreme Under-Splitter Ansark.” Ansark’s face filled the screen.

“Report,” boomed Ansark.

“Phase 2 is well underway,” reported Yotek. “The Scarlet Stream Pirates and the crew of the Endeavor are engaged in battle.”

“Splendid,” replied Ansark.

“There’s more,” continued Yotek. “The Frigandor Militia is here, led by Delga himself.”

“Delga?” remarked Ansark. “Now this IS a turn of events I can enjoy. How fares the battle?”

“Too much chaos…for them,” reported Yotek. “Phase 3 can commence.”

“Well, don’t keep me waiting!” cheered Ansark. “Destroy them!”

“With pleasure!” grinned Yotek as he cast a spell to disintegrate his chains.

Over in Frigandor, in Delga’s palace, a female Frostik and her harem boyfriend stirred in the bed they shared. This was the beloved wife of Delga, Lady Larbuu Larkentha and her lover, Dorbu, Co-head of the Blue Rose Harem with Enfanti. Dorbu felt his Mistress’s fur brush against his back as she got up. “Good Morning, Mistress,” he murmured.

“Good Morning, Dorbu,” Larbuu softly replied before kissing the back of his neck. She then slowly got out of bed, with Dorbu following just as slowly. “I wonder what Zelpa and Rotem have for breakfast today?” wondered Larbuu as she groomed her fur.

“Something amazing, as usual, I’d wager,” replied Dorbu as he got dressed in his harem outfit, attaching a blue rose to his hip.

“Well, let’s not keep Delga and Enfanti waiting,” mused Larbuu. “Let’s go.”

“Yes, Mistress,” replied Dorbu as they left the room. They made their way downstairs to the dining hall to see Delga and Enfanti entering as well. “Good Morning, Master, Enfanti!” called Dorbu.

“Good Morning, my dears!” replied Delga. “Did you two sleep well?”

“We were safely in the arms of the Dark Divine Ones,” assured Larbuu. “How about you and Enfanti?”

“We slept like dead logs, Mistress,” replied Enfanti as they all sat down. Breakfast was then served and they ate slowly to savor the tastes. “An Over-realm method of scrambled eggs, I would guess,” deduced Enfanti.

“Nothing escapes your notice, does it?” praised Delga. Just then, the door burst open to let a blonde Elf harem-girl with a blue rose in her hair, like Enfanti, run in with a communicator in her hands.

“Master!” she called. “Urgent news from King Orbak and Realmfleet! You need to talk to them at once!”

“Selfa, let me have that,” ordered Delga as the harem-girl, Selfa, obeyed. Delga inserted the communicator in a slot set into the table and King Orbak and Rokalla appeared.

“Delga, did we catch you at a bad time?” asked Orbak.

“Not at all, Your Majesty,” assured Delga. “What can I do for you?”

“Have you heard of Admiral Reb Rojam?” asked Rokalla.

“Only from my wife,” explained Delga.

“What did that pirate do?” asked Larbuu.

“She’s taken the Endeavor and her crew hostage,” explained Rokalla. “We just got the ransom notice from her.”

“Ransom?!” yelped Larbuu. “Sweet Arsha’s being ransomed?!”

“Not in MY Realm, she isn’t!” declared Delga. “Where are the pirates?!”

---

“What to do, what to do, what to do?” muttered Melgem as he paced the cell with Arsha, Bashoon, and Yotek chained to the wall. “I don’t want to kill you, per se. Neither does my Reb. In fact, you seem like decent people, even you, Yotek. Understand, this is just business. Once Reb and I get our money, we can go back to being friends. It’s very simple. Now, try not to complicate things by making another escape attempt, all right?” He exited the cell and re-established the barrier. He then left the cell block, going towards his and Reb’s quarters, when a female Troll, Raltii, approached him.

“Commodore, I have news,” she reported.

“About the ransom?” asked Melgem.

“I don’t think Realmfleet’s paying,” replied Raltii.

“Come on, now,” countered Melgem, “they wouldn’t let one of their precious captains be locked up forever.”

“No, but they didn’t send money,” replied Raltii, “Lord Delga’s mobilized the Frigandor Militia.”

“Now, wait just a minute,” snarled Melgem, “who told him?!”

“We’re trying to figure that out now,” reported Raltii, “on top of readying our defenses.”

“Good work,” replied Melgem. “Has my wife been informed?”

“Captain Rochak’s is telling her and…” Raltii was interrupted by a shrill woman’s voice, Reb’s, to be precise.

“WHAT?!” she shrieked. “OF ALL THE DISGRACEFUL…! DON’T LET THEM THROUGH!” She then appeared in the hall. “Melgem, DEAR, have you heard the DISGRACEFUL news?!”

“Raltii’s just told me about what happened,” confirmed Melgem. “Defenses are being readied as we speak.”

“MOST excellent!” praised Reb. “Now, with that headache assured to go away soon, is there any progress on the MYSTERIOUS pink mist?”

“None so far, Admiral,” reported Raltii.

“Oh, I DO hope you find out quickly,” replied Reb. “It has caused our POOR ships to go haywire!”

---

“Did you hear that?” whispered Bashoon.

“We need to get a sample of the mist,” resolved Arsha.

“And what?” snarked Yotek. “Unleash it on a ship? This is a pirate armada we’re dealing with!”

“I suppose you have a better plan?” asked Bashoon.

“We simply sit and wait for the Frigandor Militia,” replied Yotek.

“Out of the question,” dismissed Arsha. “I don’t know about you, but Bashoon and I are representatives of Realmfleet. We’re bound to do whatever is in our power to make sure our crew is okay and our ship is fully functional, making every escape attempt possible to ensure that.”

“I hardly see any profit in such an endeavor,” hissed Yotek.

“I hardly see any profit in rotting in this cell a second longer!” countered Bashoon.

“I should have pushed for permanent destitution!” growled Yotek. “No chance of ever regaining any assets!”

“You tried, remember?” remarked Bashoon.

“Oh sure, bring up a man’s failure!” snarled Yotek.

“Oh, great, now he’s playing the victim!” snapped Bashoon.

“Well, it IS your fault!” roared Yotek.

“GUARD, HE’S BLAMING ME FOR OUR MISFORTUNE!” shouted Bashoon. “YOU CAN’T KEEP ME LOCKED WITH A PATHETIC MAN LIKE HIM!”

“You know,” remarked Yotek as Arsha shut her eyes, trying to keep her cool in the situation as she guessed what they were doing, “I think I know what else to label as your fault! Joining Realmfleet!”

“GUARD, I CANNOT REMAIN IN THIS CELL! KILL ME NOW!” called Bashoon.

“Go ahead, Guard, kill the traitor!” Yotek called to the guard.

“No, wait, kill him first!” countered Bashoon.

“A true Goblin finds profit in death!” called Yotek. “Murder away!”

“Kill him!” demanded Bashoon. “I’d like to see if he can blame me for his death after you shoot him!”

“Well, if I die,” remarked Yotek, “I know who to haunt!”

“Yes, wasting time chained to our plane of existence!” argued Bashoon. “How else can he continue to be pitiful?! GUARD!”

“GUARD!” called Yotek. The two Goblins continued shouting “GUARD!” over and over until Arsha had had enough!

“WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!!!” she bellowed, having long since mentally transferred her hairpiece to her waist. The Goblins then stopped shouting.

“Thank you!” called the guard. “Hey, you two, have either of you considered, at all,” he then leaned his seat back to reveal his species was the same as Bashoon and Yotek’s, “that, perhaps, the guard tried what you did since he was a cabin boy?”

“Well, darn,” muttered Bashoon.

“Could have sworn he was a Minotaur,” mumbled Yotek.

“What are you two talking about?!” snapped a currently frustrated Arsha.

“Classic Goblin trick,” explained Bashoon. “We squabble and cause a headache for the guard.”

“It would result in a separation and one of us would break out,” continued Yotek.

“…Is that seriously the best you two can do?!” hissed Arsha. “You planned to starve to death in here, squabbling on the vague assumption that the guard didn’t know that trick?!”

“…I’ll tell you one thing,” remarked Yotek, “I’d have lasted a lot longer that her.” Bashoon snorted.

“Really?!” she called out. “I think you’ll find that female Goblins have a certain genetic advantage!”

“Ensign,” barked Arsha, “it is NOT a competition of who would had died slower!”

“It definitely would have been me, though!” replied Bashoon. Arsha cast her gaze heavenwards.

“Delga, get here quickly!” she sighed.

---

The Frigandor Militia was mainly comprised of any able-bodied volunteers who wanted to protect Frigandor and any islands under its protection. As he was a Knight of the Under-realm, Delga was in charge of the Militia. He and his son, Morla, saw to it that the Militia was a well-oiled unit. The boats stopped on Delga’s order, just out of sight of the island. “There it is,” whispered Delga, “Reb Rojam’s island stronghold.”

“Suggestions?” asked Morla.

“Disguise and surprise, my son,” replied Delga. “You will take a squadron and cover the right docks in disguise and I will take the other squadron and cover the left docks. We’ll diffuse ourselves across the island and search for the Endeavor and her crew. Once found and quietly rescued, fire a flare and we reveal ourselves to the pirates, putting them in disarray and making it easy to arrest them.”

“Got it!” confirmed Morla.

---

“Stuck on guard duty again,” sighed Rochak.

“It’s what an idiot like you deserves,” purred Weltam. “Perhaps, with my…influence, I could get you a better position?”

“I don’t need help from someone hailing from a race of prostitutes!” growled Rochak. Weltam’s expression changed to an enraged one.

“Well then,” she snarled, “I suppose a lizard who’s brain has been zapped for too long with his own powers WOULD be mentally deficient!” Rochak then grew into his Bestial form, a yellow, quadrupedal, winged lizard with enormous jaws, and bared his teeth.

“You crossed the line with that remark!” he roared.

“I crossed the line?!” argued Weltam. “Where do you get off calling Succubi a race of prostitutes?!”

“Hardly unfounded!” replied Rochak. “Look in all the brothels and you’ll see that they’re all run by you people!”

“I’m gonna enjoy sucking out your soul for that!” shrieked Weltam.

“Oh, look at this!” jeered Rochak. “Commodore Weltam’s gonna get her hands dirty!” Now, normally, attacking a Dragon is a bad idea. Attacking a Dragon when they’re in their full Bestial Form is considered the worst idea you could come up with. However, when a Succubus or Incubus is enraged, their immense strength is increased a thousandfold, so they could hold their own against a Dragon in either form. Weltam launched herself onto Rochak’s trunk-like neck and managed to suplex him. Rochak electrified his scales and zapped Weltam, making her even more angry. She managed to take to the air and dove right at a wing joint. While it doesn’t render the Dragon incapable of flight when a creature our size manages to do it, it does leave the Dragon with a feeling similar to us being kicked in our privates. He recovered quickly and swung his tail into her, slamming her into the wall of a building. Melgem and a serpentine-looking Rock Dragon in Bestial Form witnessed the fight going on and moved to intervene. The Rock Dragon coiled around Rochak as Melgem managed to wind Weltam.

“All right, who’s the bilge-rat who started it?!” demanded Melgem. Both fighters managed to accuse the other. “All right, then! Commodore Orsank, throw them in the brig!”

“Aye, sir!” replied the Rock Dragon, Orsank. He carried Weltam away in his claws and kept his tail wrapped around Rochak who was futilely zapping Orsank. Once they were out of sight, Melgem laughed. The rest of the pirates joined in.

“WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!” roared Melgem. “Back to work!” The pirates got the hint and quickly went back to work. A Mermaid took her post at the Dock-Guard building and chanted a small spell, separating her tail into legs. Whenever a Merperson changes species, their fin-belt usually remains. She giggled as she took a few steps in her guard-post and then put on a skirt with a large amount of petticoats. She giggled again at the feeling of petticoats on her new legs and sat in her chair. She then took in the salty air, shutting her eyes for a brief moment, then reopening them to see multiple boats being tied up at the docks. She looked at the manifest to see that all boats had cleared the checkpoints and she should await payment.

“Well, if they passed,” she thought to herself, “they passed.” She stepped out with a cashbox for payment in her hand. However, the people that tied their boats started going past her! “HEY!” she shouted. The disheveled male Frostik leading them stopped and faced her. “From what my manifest says,” began the Mermaid, “you’re all together, correct?”

“That’s right,” replied the Frostik.

“Then, permit me to inform you,” continued the Mermaid, “that it’s 1 Gold from each crew member to tie a boat or ship at our docks and I shall need to know who’s name I put all boats under.”

“What do you say to FIVE Golds from each crew member,” offered the Frostik as he revealed a chest full of gold coinage, “and we forget the name?” The Mermaid indicated to her assistant, a Goblin male, to check if the contents of the chest were genuine. The Goblin did so and confirmed both authenticity and amount.

“In that case,” replied the Mermaid to the Frostik, “Welcome to Plunder Island Stronghold, Mr. Sarn.” The Frostik bowed as the Goblin took the chest away. A female Centaur then approached the Frostik.

“For a minute there, sir,” she whispered, “I thought we’d get caught.”

“Get caught?” the Frostik, Morla, whispered back. “Nonsense!”

Arsha woke up, feeling rather groggy. She moved her hand to her face only to realize that her other hand followed a few inches after. She then realized that her hands were linked in chains. More chains around her waist tied her to something. She saw Bashoon get up and realize she was in the same predicament. “What happened last night?” asked the Goblin Ensign.

“I think the brew was drugged,” muttered Arsha.

“There’s thanks for you!” hissed Bashoon. “We help them get a super soldier under their control and they drug us!”

“I take it you haven’t heard of our host, Reb Rojam,” muttered a male voice. The two ladies turned their heads to see who spoke. The source had chains around his waist and was connected to them by separate links. Bashoon recognized him instantly.

“YOTEK!” she roared.

“You know this Goblin?” asked Arsha.

“He’s my ex-boyfriend,” replied Bashoon, “and the one who reduced my family to destitution before you took us in!”

“You did that?!” snapped Arsha to Yotek.

“It was her family’s fault,” explained Yotek. “They shouldn’t have announced their lack of support for a hero like Garsheek!”

“She funded for the re-enslavement of Trolls!” snarled Arsha.

“Like I said, a hero!” countered Yotek.

“My friends, please!” protested Reb’s voice. “My crew has NOT woken up yet. DO show some decorum and let them take their MUCH deserved rest.” Reb was outside the cell they were in.

“Captain, explain yourself!” snapped Arsha. “Why the chains?!”

“I DO apologize for the chains,” replied Reb, “but I simply can NOT let you escape. Not after you walked right into the trap my beloved husband set for you.”

“Well,” hissed Bashoon, “Mr. Rojam’s going to be incredibly disappointed to hear that you kidnapped a Realmfleet Captain.”

“If it WAS just Arsha,” called a voice, “perhaps some slight disappointment. But, as luck would have it, we have the Endeavor and her crew.” The speaker then stepped into the light.

“Melgem?!” squawked Arsha. “How did you escape?! Reb, you told us he wouldn’t escape that cell!”

“Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t,” agreed Reb.

“However, these aren’t normal circumstances for you now, are they?” asked Melgem. He then gave a loving gaze to Reb. “Perhaps we should explain, Sweet Scarlet Lady.”

“If you INSIST, my Pointy-eared Prince!” giggled Reb. She then turned back to her prisoners. “I wasn’t lying when I said he was an escaped super soldier. He escaped from the AWFUL dreariness that came with the duties of being a Realmfleet Officer. He felt that things were taking too long for him to EVER get the respect he deserved. Poor Melgem was treated like a FREAK!”

“But, my luck changed,” supported Melgem. “I stumbled across this island, one of many for the vast hidden Empire that dealt with business that Realmfleet deemed…undesirable.”

“He proved his EXCELLENT value to me,” continued Reb. “In exchange, I let him live. Over time, a feeling started growing inside the pair of us. A VERY pleasurable feeling!”

“We then married,” finished Melgem, “and I became Rojam Melgem, First Mate and husband to then-Captain Reb Rojam of the Scarlet Stream Pirates!”

“With his help,” supplied Reb, “I went from Captain to Admiral of the Scarlet Stream Pirates as MORE ships joined my crew. He’s still my hubby, but now holds the RESPECTED rank of Commodore!”

“And then Melgem,” guessed Arsha, “disguises himself as a surly Ensign and lures my ship to this island.”

“Not my most brilliant plan, I will EASILY admit,” confirmed Reb, “but, it worked, so I won’t be so VILE as complain about it. Now, usually, that tactic gets us more recruits, but I WON’T do that with you. You, your ship, and your crew WILL return on your merry way AFTER we get the ransom from Realmfleet. I can promise you, whatever damage my hubby had to cause, it IS repaired. Good day, my friends.” They left the cell.

“Well, I hope you’re proud of yourselves,” muttered Yotek.

“Don’t even start with me!” snarled Bashoon.

“Ensign, Sir,” interrupted Arsha, “I know you want to tear each other’s throats out, and you will get that opportunity AFTER we get out of here and raise Realmfleet. But, right now, we need to work together. What abilities can we bring to the table?”

“I’m telekinetic,” replied Bashoon.

“I can cut the chains with my magic when we’re safe,” reported Arsha.

“And I know the layout of the fortress and can bypass the locks,” said Yotek.

“Perfect,” commented Arsha. “Then we can get out of here. Bashoon, can you press the buttons on the lock for our cell?”

“I need to see them,” replied Bashoon.

“There’s a mirror facing the keypad,” reported Yotek. “Can you read the numbers backwards?”

“Easy,” boasted Bashoon.

“Excellent,” praised Yotek. “The keypad uses a binary code. Once one number is used, it cannot be used again. Since the buttons are labelled 1 to 9 and order matters, that makes for 72 possible permutations for the code. Thankfully, we have unlimited attempts on each digit, so we just need to make sure no one’s around.”

“So, in other words,” simplified Bashoon, “I have unlimited attempts for each number in the code and it won’t let me go forward until I get the first number right?”

“And, even then,” continued Yotek, “you would have to start all over when you get the second digit wrong. So, do try and remember the first digit.”

“Got it,” muttered Bashoon. She then used her power to press the buttons from 1 to 9. She got lucky when she hit 8. “Okay, 8’s the first digit,” she whispered.

“Good work, Ensign,” praised Arsha. Bashoon then tried 1 for the second digit but had to start over until she typed 89. The cell then lowered its barrier. They left the cell and sneaked down a hall until they approached another door.

“Okay, this one had nine digits,” reported Bashoon.

“Still the same principle as our cell’s lock,” assured Yotek, “it just has more permutations on it. 362,880, I believe. Allow me.” The current lock took a long time.

“Come on, you’re supposed to be the lock-expert!” hissed Bashoon.

“Captain,” whispered Yotek, “do tell your Ensign to control her insolence so that I can concentrate.”

“Ensign Bashoon,” whispered Arsha.

“What?!” hissed Bashoon.

“Control your insolence,” joked Arsha, “your ex-boyfriend is concentrating.” Yotek rolled his eyes as he continued his work. So far, the correct numbers were 2-5-9-7.

---

“Captain Relkor was right,” giggled Reb as she and Melgem snuggled in her slime while a Lightning Dragon in his humanoid form stood by, “kidnapping a Realmfleet ship and its crew is a BEAUTIFUL stroke of good fortune!”

“And brilliance,” supplied Melgem. “We need to make that man Commodore of the 13^th fleet.”

“An EXCELLENT suggestion!” cheered Reb.

“I can almost smell that zap-spice now!” rumbled the Lightning Dragon. “It’ll be worth twice as much to us now on the black market! But, I say we could have gotten a bigger ransom from the Splitters.”

“ABSOLUTELY not, Rochak!” snapped Reb.

“Sometimes, I wonder why we keep you,” muttered Melgem.

“Precisely!” agreed Reb. “If we tried to ransom the Endeavor off to the Splitters, they will simply sneak in here like cowards and WIPE us out from the INSIDE! Besides, it’s as my DEAR mother always said; ‘Reb, DARLING, if one hostage is good, two are better. Three or more? WELL, that’s just GOOD business!’”

“How much do you think they’ll fetch?” asked the Lightning Dragon, Rochak.

“Don’t you concern yourself with how much,” replied Melgem. “You’ll get your cut. Just see to it that Realmfleet’s ransom gets here.”

“Once we get the ransom for the SHIP,” continued Reb, “then we get the ransom for the CREW.” She then looked to the sky and kissed her fingers. “Thank you, my SWEETEST mother!” Just then, a succubus entered the room. “AH! Beloved Commodore Weltam, SWEETHEART! What can I do for YOU?”

“Members of my crew just stopped Arsha’s escape attempt,” purred Weltam.

“Arsha? Escape? Oh, how DREADFULLY rude!” pouted Reb.

“I’ll take care of this, my Crimson Encased Queen,” assured Melgem as he got out of the slime.

“Such a GENTLEMAN, you are, my Tidal Wave of Love!” purred Reb.

“You’ll find that I’ve ordered them to be chained to the wall, preventing any further attempts,” reported Weltam.

“Excellent,” praised Melgem. “Take me to them.” He was led out of the room.

After the whole affair was over, Bashoon was, as promised, promoted to Ensign and was assigned to the Endeavor. It had been an enjoyable three months so far for the first Goblin in Realmfleet. Because of her ability to estimate how many people it would take to accomplish a task, especially when it comes to security, she worked under Dalengor and Malak. Bashoon approached Dalengor’s office, as was the usual routine since day one, and rang the door chime. “Come in,” Dalengor responded from inside. Bashoon entered and saw Dalengor at her desk and Malak in a chair in front of the desk.

“Good Morning, Ma’am, Sir,” greeted Bashoon.

“Good Morning, Ensign,” greeted Dalengor as she motioned for Bashoon to sit.

“What’s on the docket for today?” quizzed Bashoon as she sat down.

“Four items,” replied Malak.

“The ship’s criminal element has been busy!” joked Bashoon.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” assured Dalengor. “Let’s start from the top, as usual.”

“All right, item one,” mused Malak. “Assault on Lieutenant Jargeth and treatment of broken hand.”

“His wife hit him again?” asked Bashoon. “Why do they stay together?”

“Therein is the transition to item two,” explained Dalengor. Bashoon looked over the contents and raised her eyebrows.

“Lewdness in Engineering?” she said. “A Drider and a Troll…oh wow! That explains why Thangred was scalding everything!”

“The same night Marshii informed me of the circumstances surrounding Leyshana’s broken hand,” explained Dalengor, “I found her and Jargeth in a state of…undress by the engine core.”

“Makes for a rather tenuous relationship if it’s built on just that, in my experience,” muttered Malak. “I don’t think I got a good look at item three, but it looks like it was from you, Ensign, a few minutes before you arrived.”

“Ah, yes,” exclaimed Bashoon as she read the contents of item three, “I caught Ensign Melgem scrawling political graffiti on a wall on Deck 5.”

“You told me that that boy’s always riled up about something!” sighed Dalengor. “What was it this time?!”

“He was protesting King Elgrad’s newest suggestion on money standardization,” elaborated Bashoon. “He believes that trying to unite all economies under one currency would devalue goods. He tried to explain this to me, a Goblin! The Captain arrived and is having Ensign Melgem spend the morning camping out in a cell. I cast an illusion spell so the offending graffiti won’t be seen, but Arsha’s recommended that his last assignment on this ship, before he’s reassigned to another ship, is that he spends some time on sanitation duties.”

“An excellent suggestion,” affirmed Dalengor. “Ensign, I want you to make sure he scrubs that wall real good. We’re going to arriving in Frigandor soon, and I don’t want Delga to see it.”

“Understood, Ma’am,” complied Bashoon. At that moment, the ship rocked. “What was that?!” yelped Bashoon. Dalengor called the bridge.

“Captain, any idea what’s going on?!” she asked.

“Unknown at this time,” replied Arsha. “Thangred’s investigating.”

“This is Thangred, reporting,” came the Chief Engineer’s voice. “We just lost Maho-flow link K-7. We need to touch down to make repairs.”

“Captain, aren’t we over an island between the central and northern continents?” asked Dalengor.

---

“One that’s uninhabited, yes,” confirmed Arsha on the Bridge. “No tech for miles. At this rate, all Thangred can afford is a patch job until we reach Frigandor.”

“I’m having all available engineers assess the damage,” reported Thangred over the comms.

“Good work,” praised Arsha. “Nazay, get us down.”

“Aye, Captain,” confirmed Nazay. He set the ship down onto the island.

---

“I think I may take this opportunity,” mused Bashoon, “to ensure that Melgem cleans that wall.”

“Good idea, Ensign,” praised Dalengor. “Take a pair of guards with you.”

“Aye, Ma’am,” confirmed Bashoon. She left the office and made her way to the guard post. She made a request and it was approved. A merman with a hydration necklace and a gorgon woman with shades over her eyes were assigned and the three of them headed to the detention area to find blast marks around the door.

“Okay, what could possibly prompt blaster marks around the door?” asked the merman, Lieutenant Raksen.

“Starting with the right questions already,” said the gorgon, Lieutenant Commander Melloo. “Wands out.” The three drew their wands and entered to see the guards knocked out and the bars of a cell broken. They went to check on the guards who had only suffered a mild concussion spell.

“What happened?!” demanded Raksen to the mermaid that was at the desk.

“Melgem had concealed a wand and broke out of his cell, Sir!” moaned the mermaid Lieutenant JG.

“Okay, THAT’S grounds for commission termination!” snarled Raksen. Bashoon opened her communicator.

“Medical team to the brig!” she called. Melloo then opened hers.

“All hands, be advised,” she told the entire ship, “Ensign Melgem has broken out of the brig! He’s armed and dangerous!” The alarm sounded throughout the ship.

---

“All hands, this is Arsha! Melgem is not to leave this ship!” ordered Arsha as she armored up and teleported her hairpiece into its drawer. She drew her wand as she joined the search across the ship. The alarms blared as the crew scoured the Endeavor for the rogue Ensign. While she searched, she got a call from Shalvey.

“Captain, we have a hail from an unknown source,” she reported. “The caller is a Captain Reb Rojam. She wants to talk to you.”

“Can’t it wait?!” asked Arsha. “I’m in the middle of something now!”

“She said she’s looking for someone who escaped her watch,” explained Shalvey. “A Mr. Calzax Melgem.” Arsha stopped.

“Is this Melgem Captain Rojam’s looking for,” she quizzed, “a Sea Elf?”

“She gave a very perfect description of Ensign Melgem,” elaborated Shalvey.

“Tell her we have a common cause and invite her and whatever crewmates aboard the Endeavor,” ordered Arsha.

Aye, Ma’am,” replied Shalvey. The call ended and Arsha took out her communicator to tell the ship, on a secure channel, that Captain Reb Rojam and her crew were coming aboard to aid in the search. The Captain then arrived. She was a human with red, wavy hair, red eyes, an Under-realm Blood Rose adorning her hair, and was in a mound of red slime. The slime wasn’t a full slime, with a core to command all motor and speech functions. Because it was coreless, it needed a host to survive. Evidently, Captain Reb Rojam was its host. The only parts of her body seen were her bare shoulders and head.

“A PLEASURE to see you, Captain Arsha!” cheered Reb. Her slime brought Arsha close to its flamboyant host and hugged tightly. Arsha managed to wiggle her way out of the slimy embrace. “Oh, I DO hope we can catch that AWFUL Melgem!” cried Reb. “He’s simply DREADFUL! My crew has been searching for him nonstop, with NO rest!”

“Ease yourself, Ma’am,” assured Arsha, “we’ll find him and bring him to justice.”

“Captain!” called a female Vampire Commander. “Thangred and Melandra have engaged him in Main Engineering!”

“On our way!” replied Arsha. She turned to Reb. “This way!” They moved quickly to Main Engineering to see Thangred swinging a giant wrench towards a blue haired, pale Elf, Melgem the Sea Elf, while Melandra stuck to the walls, firing stun blast after stun blast. Melgem was resisting the blasts quite well as he managed to grab the wrench and toss it and Thangred into Melandra. They fell from the wall and Melgem summoned a fist of water, slamming it into the two Engineers and causing severe buffeting to the point of bruising. They managed to pick themselves up and cough out the water. Reb then fired a maximum stun spell, knocking Melgem off his feet.

“By the Ones!” swore Arsha. “That could have killed him!”

“No chance,” countered Reb. “Melgem, from what we researched, was HEAVILY modified in terms of genetics.”

“An escaped super soldier?!” yelped Arsha as security dragged him to a maximum security part of the brig. “What’s he hiding?!”

“We have SIMPLY no idea,” replied Reb. “We’ve been tasked with finding this ATROCIOUS man by Realmfleet. He’s caused a LOT of terror for them.”

“So, how did he break out?” asked Arsha as she dismissed her armor and summoned her hairpiece.

“He’s resistant to a lot of pain,” explained Reb. “The barriers that most cells cast simply CANNOT hold him as they set his nerves on fire.”

“Good grief, who made him that way?!” exclaimed Emily.

“An underground ring of UNSAVORY scientists and mages,” replied Reb. “They were all arrested a while back.”

“Captain,” groaned Thangred as he and Melandra were checked over by the medical team, “Melandra discovered something rather disturbing.”

“It was Melgem who sabotaged Maho-flow link K-7,” reported Melandra. “He damaged more systems when he escaped.”

“Oh dear, it’s simply WORSE than I thought!” cried Reb. “He’s had an UNFORTUNATE hatred for ships. He studies their schematics and targets the systems MOST vulnerable! Hopefully, we can offer our aid to you as you helped us capture that BRUTE!”

“We would greatly appreciate any assistance you can give us,” accepted Arsha as she smiled.

“SPLENDID!” called Reb. “We simply MUST celebrate! Come, I will organize a MAGNIFICENT party!”

“Thank you,” replied Arsha.

---

The party was as magnificent as Reb boasted. There was music, dancing, food, and other various avenues of entertainment. Arsha had invited Bashoon to sit with her as they drank. “Well, this was an interesting day,” observed Bashoon.

“Didn’t expect anything like this?” asked Arsha.

“I was just expecting to watch over Melgem as he washed graffiti off the wall,” explained Bashoon.

“Graffiti? Of what?” quizzed Arsha.

“He was protesting your dad’s currency standardization policy,” elaborated Bashoon.

“So THAT’S what the fight was about last night,” exclaimed Arsha. “Perhaps I should have asked what went on. Sorry for snapping that time.”

“It’s all right,” assured Bashoon. “I have to say, out of all the adventures I’ve read about or participated in, this has to be the easiest.” She raised her glass. “Here’s to more of them.”

“Hear, hear,” agreed Arsha. They clinked their glasses together and sipped.

While Bashoon was beamed down to the estate, Marshii arrived at the monastery to speak with Barath. She found out that he was alone in the new chapel and stormed into it. Barath got up from his prayer’s position at the statue of Clompofenta and Bolmola, the respective God and Goddess of Healing. “Doctor Borontho,” he said. “How may I help you? Do you require guidance from our patron Divine Ones?”

“I require you behind bars!” hissed Marshii. “I was one of the people Norvorok brought into the Womb!” Barath sighed.

“I really wish you didn’t admit that,” he muttered.

“You have a lot of gall,” snarled Marshii, “praying to Clompofenta and Bolmola when you’ve long broken your oath. You commit a series of atrocities against those people trapped in the Womb. Thousands of Chimeras die each day on your surgical tables.”

“That’s absurd,” countered Barath. “Besides, even if Realmfleet believed you, they’re our creation. They’re not alive by our standards. They’re just flesh as I have told Norvorok before he was excommunicated.”

“Those people down there are alive!” argued Marshii. “Your research, despite all its brilliance, is based on inflicting pain onto others! You infect these people! Expose them to deadly chemicals! Mutilate their living bodies! Then you alter the memories of the lucky ones and release them like animals to the wild! And you refuse to acknowledge that they have built a civilization! And yet, we reap the benefits of those experiments! Medically, ethically, it’s wrong!”

“So what do you propose to do?” asked Barath as he folded his arms, his views unchanged. Marshii drew in a breath before answering.

“The Realmfleet Medical Board has been notified,” she answered. “Even if they say no, Belnki’s going to order the immediate closure of this place.”

“Closure?!” yelped Barath. “What about our patients?!”

“A new hospital is being constructed,” explained Marshii. “All patients will be transferred there as well as the Chimeras trapped down there! We’re going to use a more humane method of research!”

“No offense,” countered Barath, “but the doctors there will have to look over OUR methods to start their own.”

“…I realize that,” conceded Marshii.

“You’re a physician,” continued Barath. “You know that there’s always a price to pay for the advancement of medical science.”

“Sometimes that price is too high to pay!” countered Marshii. “Torture is ALWAYS too high to pay!”

“Your description of our methods, not mine,” argued Barath. “You were there when the Hardfin Virus was cured. So, these experiments we’ve conducted, logically, helped us devise a treatment. Imagine how many lives would have been lost if we hadn’t eliminated this disease now!”

“That doesn’t justify using people as lab rats!” countered Marshii.

“As was explained since day one of your training,” said Barath, “during its founding, the Order had to improvise. We had to make do with the resources we had.”

“And the ethical considerations meant nothing then?!” asked Marshii. “Do they mean nothing now?!”

“Our Founders learned,” explained Barath, “that ethics, in the grand scheme of things, are arbitrary. How do you suppose your database was developed, hm? My Ones, half of the medical knowledge that you use on a daily basis came through experiments on lower animals!”

“Not life-forms of OUR caliber!” countered Marshii. “And those Chimeras in the Womb ARE life-forms of our caliber!”

“It’s convenient to call animals ‘people’,” sighed Barath, “when they look similar to us, isn’t it?”

“This is the Third Age of Unity, Barath!” snarled Marshii. “Your Pre-union barbarism died long before I was born! At least, it SHOULD have!”

“What does it matter how long ago the research was conducted?” asked Barath. “What matters is that we can use it to help our patients today!” Marshii’s communicator beeped. She looked at her inbox to see an order from the Realmfleet Medical Board. She read it to herself, then turned to Barath.

“It looks like the debate has been taken out of our hands,” she responded. She then fully opened her communicator and a holographic screen with text appeared. She read the text aloud. “‘It is the judgment of the Realmfleet Medical Board and Realmfleet Supreme Admiral Aldarval that the Vorkath Monastic Hospital is to be closed, its research halted and seized, and all patients transferred to Realmfleet Medical Central until the proposed Crossgene Hospital is constructed. In light of recent evidence, Realmfleet cannot, in good conscience, continue funding such research that deliberately ignores Sentience Clause 4, Subsection A, Paragraph III, ‘Any and all artificial life-forms that display the same abilities as life-forms that occurred via natural means shall have all rights granted unto them, including the right of decency.’ We hope and pray that the doctors that read this will understand why we recommend the immediate arrest of all staff members in the Monastery.’” Another message arrived. Marshii read it to herself. “In all honesty, I was waiting for that warrant,” she explained. She then drew out a pair of handcuffs. “That’s why, in good conscience, I brought these.”

“‘In good conscience’?!” hissed Barath. “What about the well-being of the Endeavor’s crew? Doctors are confronted by new forms of illness every day, many of them fatal! You need us, you need ME! Arrest us, and you violate the first oath you took as a physician, an oath you took in THEIR presence!” He pointed to the statue of Clompofenta and Bolmola to emphasize his point. “I believe it says, ‘In thy presence, Oh Divine Ones of Healing, I swear to thee that I will do no harm in my duties!’”

“You have no right to quote me that oath, after what YOU did in their name!” snarled Marshii. “As an Officer of Realmfleet…!”

“You can arrest me,” interrupted Barath, “but you can’t deny the fact that you’ve already benefited from our research!” He paused for effect. “Where was your conscience when Laverda was dying in the Kurontar Sea? Ethics? Morality? Conscience? Funny how they all go out the window whenever we want something. Are you and I really so different?”

“Yes,” declared Marshii as she slapped the cuffs onto his wrists. “Because, unlike you, I consider all variables before treating people and conducting potentially harmful research on a life-form. You’re being charged with torture and exploitation of an entire species. As an Officer of Realmfleet, I’m placing you under arrest. This way.” She then led him out of the Chapel and into the waiting arms of the Vorkath Police so he could be taken into custody until Aldarval arrived. Arsha approached her.

“Rooshee’s just been taken into custody,” she said. “This whole affair is going to trial. Unfortunately, Realmfleet believed that ALL members should be arrested, that included Norvorok.”

“The kid’s innocent in this!” protested Marshii.

“I raised such an objection,” explained Arsha. “However, he offered no resistance while being arrested, saying, and I quote, ‘I may not have cut any Chimeras in the Womb open, but I still delivered the results to the respective Monks. I have aided in evil and must seek forgiveness somehow. I will not argue with Realmfleet.’”

“Stupid kid!” muttered Marshii. “Throwing away his entire livelihood like that!”

“It was his choice,” countered Arsha. “He feels guilty and wants to atone.”

“I guess that’s his choice,” sighed Marshii. “I can only hope the Judicial Branch can grant him mercy.”

“I think they will,” replied Arsha. “Belnki’s been pushing for the lightest sentence possible with him.”

“So, he DOES have support, good,” sighed Marshii. “Captain, if you don’t mind, this whole affair’s shaken me. I need to see Thengo.”

“All right,” said Arsha as she stepped aside. Marshii then made her way to the Endeavor and entered it.

“Computer, locate Counselor Lortora,” she commanded.

“Counselor Thengo Lortora,” replied the computer, “is in her quarters.”

“Thank you,” acknowledged Marshii.

“You’re welcome, Doctor,” reciprocated the computer. Marshii made her way to deck 17, Starboard Bow. She approached a room and rang the chime on the door.

“Come in!” cheered a peppy voice. The door opened and Marshii entered to see Thengo touching up the webbing that lined her room, the PINK webbing. Thengo then caught sight of Marshii. “Doctor!” she cheered. “Come in! It’s so lovely to see you! I don’t think you’ve ever graced my quarters with your presence!”

“True, this IS my first time in here,” admitted Marshii. She looked around in confusion. “How did you make pink silk? I’ve never known Driders to make colored silk.”

“Special silk dye that we can drink,” explained Thengo. “Non-toxic, otherwise I wouldn’t have pink silk.”

“I see,” murmured Marshii. Thengo then noticed her distraction.

“I can see you came here for another reason,” she observed.

“I need your help,” explained Marshii. “My emotional state is all over the place, and that’s not good for a doctor, especially the…” she then rubbed her eyes, trying to hold back tears in frustration.

“Oh dear!” exclaimed Thengo. “Please, sit down. I’ll make you some tea.”

“Thank you,” mumbled Marshii. As Thengo scuttled off to make some tea, Marshii sat down on a couch, allowing a few tears to come down her face. Thengo came back, allowing the water to boil.

“It’s about this whole business with the Monastery, isn’t it?” guessed Thengo.

“Not just that,” explained Marshii. “Barath and I went to the same classes together. We both took an oath to do no harm! Right in front of Clompofenta and Bolmola’s statue, no less! When I confronted him about the Womb, he insisted he was doing the right thing! He blinded himself to what kind of harm he had wrought!” The kettle then whistled.

“Please, continue,” encouraged Thengo as she went to prepare the tea. Marshii then told her what happened in the Chapel. Thengo came back with a couple of tea cups. Marshii continued as they took their tea. She noticed something about the taste.

“Belsnath Black?” she said.

“You said it was your favorite tea,” explained Thengo.

“I didn’t think a youngin’ like you would remember this old-timer’s favorite tea,” chuckled Marshii.

“I find that familiarity helps people with their emotional state,” said Thengo. “Marshii, correct me if I’m wrong, but, as you spoke, I noticed some self-anger in your voice.”

“You ain’t wrong,” muttered Marshii. “I should have been there more for him. He had a bit of trouble with right and wrong.”

“I don’t think there was anything you could do,” countered Thengo. “I know the phrase isn’t a pleasing one to hear, but it’s the truth. The most wonderful thing about life-forms like us is that we’re all different in terms of mental processes. That can be a blessing and a curse. In this instance, it’s more of the latter. Some people honestly believe that others must be sacrificed for the greater good of society. You and I both know that better than anyone else.” Marshii’s mind flashed to an incident that both she and Thengo were privy to.

“The difference is,” she sighed, “that the guy back then wasn’t in his right head. Barath is mentally stable. And what if what he said is true? Are we really so different?”

“Doubting your own words?” asked Thengo. “That’s not like you.” Marshii was confused. “You said so to Barath,” Thengo explained, “you consider all variables before treating people and conducting potentially harmful research on a life-form. You ARE different from Barath. I don’t think you’re going to go down his path.” Marshii smiled.

“I suppose I needed to hear someone say that and mean it,” she whispered.

“It’s the truth,” explained Thengo. Marshii finished her tea.

“Thanks, Fuzzylegs,” she chuckled.

“Yep, there’s the Marshii we know and love,” snickered Thengo. “If you ever want to talk again, my parlor’s always open.”

“Thank you,” said Marshii. She left the room and the door shut. Thengo grinned.

“Well, what do you know?” she asked herself. “Marshii FINALLY asked for help.”

“So why am I being dragged into this again?!” griped Marshii as she, Bashoon, Malak, Belnki, and Dalengor approached the Monastery.

“Because I may need a medic’s help,” countered Bashoon.

“You don’t expect a fight, do you?” asked Dalengor.

“These are monks!” said Malak. “As well as Doctors! They’re not gonna fight!”

“I’d rather be safe,” replied Bashoon, “than sorry.”

“Fine, whatever flies your ship,” sighed Marshii. Novice Norvorok appeared with Falnii. He was in traditional brown monk’s robes and had his hood up, only revealing his glasses-adorned face. His face betrayed worry.

“Are you the ones investigating the Monastery?” he asked.

“We are,” confirmed Dalengor. “I am Lieutenant Commander Dalengor, the Chief Security Officer. This is Lieutenant Commander Malak, our Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Junior Grade Marshii, our Chief Medical Officer, and Cadet Bashoon. You already know King Belnki.”

“Hello, young Novice,” greeted Belnki.

“I am Novice Norvorok,” the young man introduced as he bowed to Belnki. “Please, this way.” He led them through the hospital. They searched the entire database but came up with nothing. Even then, Norvorok’s access was limited, being only a Novice.

“What else can we do?” asked Falnii. Norvorok then started thinking about something.

“There is ONE thing we can do, but it’s a breach of my vows,” he finally told the group.

“What’s that?” inquired Bashoon.

“We may need to enter the Womb itself,” said Norvorok.

“…The Womb?” asked Bashoon.

“I only know its location,” explained Norvorok. “I don’t know anything else, even why it’s called that.”

“How secure is it?” inquired Falnii.

“Very,” answered Norvorok. “Novices like myself are not permitted entry until we have become full-fledged monks.”

“Then how will we enter it?” asked Malak.

“Well, Brother Mogan is here,” revealed Norvorok. “Perhaps you can gather information from him.”

“Mogan?” quizzed Dalengor.

“My brother,” explained Malak. “He joined the Order some time ago. Where is he?”

“He’s always at the entrance to the Womb,” explained Norvorok. “I will take you there, but you must remain hidden until he is dealt with.”

“…Okay?” said Dalengor, not entirely sure why. They headed down to the lower levels.

---

“Ugh, what a day!” moaned Admiral Rooshee. She was projecting her hologram over to Father Barath’s office.

“We’re just going through a rough time, Admiral,” assured Father Barath. “Everyone knows you will lead us through this and prevent sensitive information from being spread.”

“Tell that to the Realmfleet Intelligence Committee,” muttered Rooshee as she sipped her coffee. “Father Barath, Realmfleet has been a major influence for my family for five generations. I would do ANYTHING to keep our good name.”

“So would I, Admiral,” affirmed Barath.

“…Say!” Rooshee exclaimed once she got an idea. “I could use your help with something!”

“Anything, Admiral,” said Barath.

“You see, this whole incident might reach the Judicial Branch,” explained Rooshee, “and frankly…I…well…I…”

“You think it’s gonna paint you in a bad light?” guessed Barath.

“It’s gonna bring Sector 4 down!” corrected Rooshee.

“Uh oh,” gulped Barath.

“I was thinking, maybe, you could increase security around the catacombs,” requested Rooshee.

“I can certainly try,” said Barath, “but I’m not sure how well it will go down for the rest of my staff. Besides, if Arsha has a warrant…”

“I don’t care if the Realmfleet Supreme Admiral herself is investigating!” snapped Rooshee. “The catacombs are to be off limits!” Barath stepped back at the sudden snap. “…Sorry,” apologized Rooshee. “That was unbecoming of a Realmfleet Admiral. But, if word gets out of what’s going on in the catacombs, your hospital is finished.”

“I understand,” replied Barath. “I’ll have Mogan post a guard immediately.”

“Excellent!” cheered Rooshee. “I’ll be there in an hour to end this whole mess. Rooshee out.” Once the transmission ended, Barath sank into his chair, running his hands over his face. He then pressed a button on his intercom.

“Brother Mogan, could you please post a guard around the catacombs?” he asked. “No one is to be admitted unless on research business. All passes are revoked.”

“Er…Father,” Mogan replied with his usual gruff voiced tinged with squirminess, “that may be a problem.”

“Why!?” demanded Barath.

“Novice Norvorok had obtained a pass and is in the Womb itself,” explained Mogan. “And I’ve detected Non-Monk life signs! I think he snuck them in! You need to come down here NOW!” Father Barath wasted no time in leaving his office post haste.

---

Norvorok led his group deeper into the catacombs, towards a shielded door. He was about to open it as you or I would open a usual door, but Belnki stopped him with a mere hand to his shoulder. Belnki pointed towards the keypad next to it. Everyone guessed what it was for. “I’m going to guess,” surmised Belnki, “that Novices don’t know the password.”

“Probably only Father Barath has it,” guessed Norvorok.

“Er, may I try it?” Falnii asked in her usual soft voice. “I mean, I DO have some experience with code-cracking. I can open it for you if that’s all right.”

“I think we’ll take you up on that,” said Norvorok. “If you please?” Falnii nodded, then got to work, her fingers flying until the door started moving.

“Holy…SOME experience?!” exclaimed Marshii. “You’re selling yourself short.”

“Not really,” responded Falnii. “I mean, I’m not the BEST at code-cracking.”

“Not even the best coding experts of Realmfleet could crack a code as fast as you just did,” countered Bashoon. The door stopped moving and they entered what was called the Womb. It was a circular room, multiple levels and walkways lining the walls of cells. The cells were acid-green and covered with doors of the same color. “Did anyone else feel a buzz?” asked Bashoon.

“A continual buzz?” quizzed Malak.

“That’s an immunity spell,” explained Marshii. “I usually cast it whenever I’m in a hazardous environment.”

“I’d guess the door is laced with one,” said Norvorok. “We can touch things here and not get sick, nor pass it on to others.” He pressed a button near a cell. The door opened. What everyone saw horrified them. There was a Chimera woman in there. She had the legs of a goat, a mermaid’s tail, a tiger’s torso, talons for hands, and a pair of tiny horns on her head, just barely visible under her hair. She was covered in all sorts of warts and cracks in whatever exposed skin she had. Her eyes were covered in a film of white as she opened them to look at the group. “By the Realms!” breathed Norvorok. He shut the door and opened the one beside it. Another Chimera inhabited it. It was a male with bird feet, bat wings between the arms and torso, a shark fin on his head, a beak for a mouth, and a lion’s mane. He was in the same condition as the Chimera woman. Norvorok shut the door as Marshii’s hands trembled in rage.

“So many sick,” whimpered Falnii.

“What are they sick with?” wondered Dalengor.

“Everything,” snarled Marshii.

“Everything?” asked Malak. “Then, how do they get treated?”

“They don’t,” stammered Norvorok.

“But, they’re sick!” protested Bashoon.

“That’s the idea,” guessed Belnki. “That’s why it’s called the Womb! This is where Chimeras are created! We were meant to be sick! We were born sick! We existed to be sick!”

“…The Chimeras were created to be lab rats!” gasped Falnii.

“No wonder you’ve got a cure for everything!” Marshii snarled at Norvorok. “You’ve got the ultimate research center! A Chimera farm!”

“Marshii, enough!” snapped Dalengor. “Norvorok didn’t know.”

“No, but I still participated in this evil!” countered Norvorok. “And these people will be the last to die, given that they were born as plague carriers! What have I done?!”

“Guys, I think you need to see this,” called Belnki. He had found a computer terminal. On it were records of which Chimeras died of their illnesses in the Womb and which were cured. “It looks like the lucky ones, the ones that were cured, were wiped of their memories here and released into the city.”

“That’s why the Protestors are so riled,” guessed Bashoon. “They know, in the back of their minds, that their origin was NOT what the Monastery told them.”

“Well, I no longer see a need to oppose them,” declared Belnki. “When I get out of here, I’m going to order a complete shut-down of this vile place, Monastery and all. We’ll find a more humane and quicker way to get the results needed to cure illnesses. I intend to cure these poor people and help them adjust to a healthy life.”

“SH!” hushed Malak. “Someone’s coming!”

“You lot find a way out!” whispered Norvorok.

“What about you?!” hissed Dalengor.

“I’ll hold them off,” whispered Norvorok. “I’m going to be excommunicated for this. Best to end my career here fighting against evil. I NEED to atone. Now GO!”

“This way!” urged Belnki as he led the group, sans Norvorok, out of the Womb. Father Barath and a Troll a few feet higher than Malak, Brother Mogan, arrived.

“Where are they?” demanded Barath.

“Detected other life signs besides mine?” guessed Norvorok.

“Novice Norvorok, where are they?!” Barath demanded a second time.

“I refuse to say,” defied Norvorok.

“Tell us,” bargained Mogan, “and your career here is safe.”

“I’m not saying!” Norvorok defied again.

“This is a severe breach of your vows!” Barath pointed out. “Remember that what we do here is for the greater good!”

“When I took my vows,” countered Norvorok, “THIS wasn’t even CLOSE to what I had in mind for helping people!”

“Our Order,” replied Barath, “is sworn to help!”

“By killing?!” roared Norvorok.

“They’re not real people!” countered Barath. “Chimeras are specially grown. They have no proper existence.”

“What’s the percentage of cured versus ill, hm?” quizzed Norvorok. “0.1%? 0.01%? 0.001%? How many have died before they had a chance to be Chimeras of Belnki’s caliber?! And how many years have you done this?! HOW MANY?!”

“Realmfleet needed us,” explained Barath. “The REALMS needed us! We learned of so many illnesses, both natural or otherwise. We couldn’t cope!”

“We DID try,” supported Mogan. “We’ve tried everything. We’ve used homunculi and animals, but the results weren’t coming fast enough.”

“That’s when my predecessor,” continued Barath, “found a way to successfully grow a creature from different genetic material. That’s all Chimeras are, just flesh.”

“They’re not just flesh, they’re alive!” argued Norvorok. “They’re people!”

“But think of those out there, across the Realms,” countered Mogan, “happy and healthy, because of us.”

“If they live because of this,” hissed Norvorok, “then life isn’t worth living!”

“Who are you to decide that, Novice?” growled Mogan.

“That rank is in question right now,” said Barath. “Norvorok, if you tell us where your friends are, I promise you, your career will be safe.”

“I’m not saying,” Norvorok stubbornly responded. “I’m afraid it’s the hard way for you.”

“Mogan, take him to the Private Chamber,” ordered Barath. “He will await excommunication there.”

“Yes, Father,” said Mogan. He grabbed Norvorok by the arm and took him out of the Womb. Barath sighed to himself.

“Rooshee, get here fast!” he prayed.

---

The group avoided detection from the Monks as they escaped the hospital and made their way to the Endeavor. Belnki and Falnii had decided to speak to the people in front of Belnki’s estate. The rest met with Arsha in her quarters and contacted Rokalla about their discovery. “Of all the clinically BRUTAL acts I have witnessed as a Realmfleet Officer…!” he snarled. “And Rooshee departed for Vorkath a few hours ago! Most likely to bury this even deeper! Arsha, I’ll have an arrest warrant for her ready. Prepare to receive it once it’s finalized.”

“Aye, Sir,” complied Arsha. The transmission ended. “Marshii, I need you to confront Barath about this.”

“Aye, Ma’am,” confirmed Marshii. She headed off to obey.

“Captain,” said a worried Shalvey’s voice over the comms, “the Rampage is making a beeline towards Belnki’s estate!” Worry seized Arsha’s heart.

“After it!” she ordered over the comms. “Malak, Bashoon, Dalengor, with me!” She put her hairpiece into its drawer and they hurried to the bridge. “Time to intercept?” she requested once they arrived.

“Two minutes,” responded Nazay.

“We’re within communications range!” reported Shalvey.

“Open all hailing frequencies,” ordered Arsha. “I want to make sure Rooshee knows we’re on to her.”

“Hailing frequencies open,” replied Shalvey.

“This is Captain Arsha of the Endeavor,” Arsha said on all ship-to-ship channels. “Rooshee, we know about the Womb. We have figured out what the mutiny on the Windscar was about. If you come clean, I can personally request that the Judicial Board make your sentence as light as possible.” She waited a few seconds.

“No response,” reported Shalvey.

“Check that!” countered Malak. “They’re charging rear weapons!”

“Raise shields!” ordered Oak.

“Target their engines,” ordered Arsha.

“Engines targeted,” confirmed Malak. A beeping sounded at Shalvey’s console.

“That woke them up,” she said. “They’re hailing us.”

“On screen,” ordered Arsha. The bridge of the Rampage appeared with Rooshee in the Captain’s Chair.

“Targeting me, are we?” she asked.

“You targeted us first,” countered Arsha. “Turn around immediately!”

“I don’t TAKE orders, I GIVE them,” snorted Rooshee. “If you attempt to intervene, your ship will be destroyed.”

“Rokalla is obtaining a warrant for your arrest!” snapped Arsha. “You can’t bury this anymore!”

“This is a Sector 4 operation,” snarled Rooshee, “one that I will complete personally. You WILL stay out of this!” She terminated the call.

“Captain,” said Malak, “someone’s beamed down to the estate from the Rampage.”

“Identify them,” ordered Arsha. Malak keyed in the necessary commands.

“It’s Rooshee and a few of her crew,” he reported.

“She’s bent on keeping this buried,” guessed Nazay.

“Captain,” Bashoon piped up, “I have an option that requires the sneakiness Goblins like myself are known for.”

“I’m listening,” said Arsha.

---

Bashoon was beamed down to Belnki’s estate and followed Rooshee. The Admiral was flanked by two Elves, one Wood Elf and one Dark Elf, going straight towards the ballroom. She was giving orders to the Elves. “As soon as they’re caught, activate the quarantine dome,” she ordered. “The incident will still be kept secret and the Intelligence Committee will be restructured for allowing a terrorist group to transmit false data.”

“What about Rokalla?” asked the Dark Elf. “He’s not going to take this without a fight.”

“And there’s Captain Royana to consider,” said the Wood Elf.

“Arsha’s career is about to be cut short,” said Rooshee. “Leave Rokalla to me. Once he’s taken care of, whatever support Arsha has will vanish and she will be stripped of rank.”

“Great!” Bashoon whispered to herself. “The biggest scandal in Realmfleet and it has to happen while I’M a cadet! Now what can I do?!” She didn’t have to wonder long as an idea formed in her brain.

“Galleen,” Rooshee said to the Wood Elf, “you are to seize control of the main computer core.”

“An amateur like her?!” said a voice that sounded like the Dark Elf’s. Galleen then turned to what she believed to be the source.

“Who are you calling an amateur, Relkek?!” she snapped at him. “You’d have flunked out of computer class without me!”

“I didn’t say a word!” protested Relkek.

“You most certainly did!” snarled Galleen’s voice.

“Are your ears even working?!” Relkek snarled at Galleen!

“I heard you the first time!” snapped Galleen as she crouched ready to pounce. “You know, it’s this sort of thing that keeps you in the bush league!

“Bush league?!” roared Relkek.

“Yeah, wanna make something of it?!” Galleen roared back.

“Maybe I do!” shouted Relkek. “Come here, you pointy eared monkey!” The two Elves then got into a grappling match with each other.

“RELKEK! GALLEEN! ATTENTION!” barked Rooshee. The Elves weren’t listening. “Ugh, Realmfleet’s finest,” muttered Rooshee. She put her hands in her pockets, then realized something was missing. She patted her pockets several times until she heard a pot break behind her. Turning around, she saw Bashoon trying to sneak away with a memory drive containing the relevant data on this incident and the mutiny 2,000 years ago. That was the last straw. Rooshee roared and gave chase. Minotaurs and Goblins are usually rivals in speed, so Bashoon could lead Rooshee on a merry chase if her stamina allowed it. Sadly, Goblins aren’t as high in terms of stamina stats as Minotaurs, so Bashoon had to find an endpoint quickly. “CADET!” bellowed Rooshee. “GIVE ME THAT MEMORY DRIVE!” Bashoon then got an idea and cast a flash spell. Rooshee stopped and tried rubbing her eyes to clear the spots from them. Once she got her vision back, Rooshee noticed a foot disappearing around a corner and pursued it. She then saw Bashoon at the entrance to Belnki’s office. “DON’T DO IT!” ordered Rooshee. “DON’T GO IN THAT ROOM!” Bashoon didn’t listen and shut the door behind her. Rooshee then ran up and punched the door. Bashoon was stuck in the middle of an empty office. “Cadet Bashoon,” snarled Rooshee, “this has gone too far!”

“There are people in Realmfleet who know about this now!” countered Bashoon. “Just give up already!”

“I can’t do that!” replied Bashoon. “There’s too much at stake here! You and your Captain have done too much snooping!”

“It doesn’t have to be this way!” argued Bashoon.

“I have no choice!” countered Rooshee. “Times have changed! New diseases are popping up every year! We must eradicate them!”

“At the expense of people like the Chimeras?!” shouted Bashoon. “Using them as lab rats?!”

“I’ll experiment on a thousand Chimeras before I let people get sick!” resolved Rooshee. “And, I’ll silence anyone who gets in my way!” Bashoon then grinned and snapped her fingers. There was a slight electric buzz in the air as a spell was cancelled, specifically, Bashoon’s spell as Belnki, Falnii, and Supreme Admiral Aldarval, a Troll and the woman who controls ALL of Realmfleet, appeared. Aldarval was in the office via hologram.

“I don’t know about you,” quipped Bashoon to the onlookers that appeared, “but I spotted several big mistakes in Rooshee’s actions.

“But…but how…how did…?!” stammered Rooshee.

“Computer, replay footage after Bashoon’s last line,” Belnki ordered. Holographic footage popped up looping on Rooshee saying “I’ll experiment on a thousand Chimeras before I let people get sick!”

“Supreme Admiral,” gulped Rooshee, “I can explain…!”

“No, you can’t!” snapped Aldarval. “As far as I’m concerned, I have all the explanation I need. Belnki, I must ask that she be held in one of your maximum security prisons until my ship arrives to collect her. She is under arrest for obfuscating the truth of the Vorkath Monastic Hospital.”

“ARREST?!” yelled Rooshee. Belnki buzzed someone on the intercom.

“Guards! Take Rooshee to Vorkath Max! Make sure she is properly secured!” he ordered. A pair of Chimera guards came into the office and slapped a pair of draining cuffs around her wrists. Her strength was now lower than theirs.

“Come with us,” said one of the guards.

“What are you doing?!” she demanded. “Take your hands off of me! You can’t arrest me!” She then turned to Bashoon. “I hope you’re satisfied, Bashoon! You’ve destroyed the people’s faith in Realmfleet! Sector 4 itself is dead! How can our secrets be guarded now?! On top of that, people will only get sicker because of you!” She was led out of the office and the doors shut. Bashoon breathed a sigh of relief.

“Your Majesty,” she asked, “may I use your comms? I need to tell Arsha ‘Mission Accomplished’.”

“Of course,” said Belnki as he moved aside to let her do so. The call with Aldarval was made into a three-way one as Arsha’s hologram joined Aldarval’s. Arsha was surprised.

“Ma’am!” she yelped, saluting.

“At ease, Captain,” assured Aldarval. “I know about the whole situation. Bashoon has proven herself to be clever.” They told the story of how Aldarval knew what was going on in the hospital. “I will need to have a talk with Saverk about this,” mused Aldarval.

“And, the hospital?” asked Arsha.

“It’s going to be shut down,” declared Belnki. “All research will be turned over to the new hospital being constructed and we will find a more humane method of research. All infected Chimeras still in the Womb will be treated to the best of our abilities and we will insure no one does something like this again.”

“I don’t think, after they hear about this,” guessed Aldarval, “that the Realmfleet Medical Board will be so broken up about the hospital shutting down.”