The pair of Eidolon finally took their leave – satisfied with what each of them had laid the ambush for – and the two Knights who’d been left behind could only wait in quiet confusion at the whole thing.  Once Furion had put his armor into the docking-pod though, Ren could only ask one thing.


    “That was weird, right?”


    “Super weird.” He agreed easily, and reached his right hand out for hers.


    Her head was still swimming from the interaction, but she took the offer – left hand much more sure of itself now - and followed into the elevator.  Just as the door closed, and she leaned against the back wall, she sucked in a breath and loaded her overlay, “…Have you checked your messages yet?”


    “I did when we came out of hypersonic.  Seth’s already here.  I told him to meet us down at your room.”


    “My room?”


    He gave a bit of a coy look, “If Lord Rylen isn’t bothered by us being together, then why make you stay there?  Just move up to the Captain’s cabin and stay with me.  It’ll be your room one day anyway, right?”


    Ren balked a little, “…Seth…doesn’t know about us though.  This’ll be a shock to the system.”


    “You really think he doesn’t?”


    The elevator doors opened again a few floors lower into the ship, and the duo stepped out.  Ren clasped her thumb a little firmer around his, “According to Gabe, anyway.  He was making inquiries apparently.”


    “He’s nosey.”


    “He’s a mediator.  Information is his currency.” She defended, “Figuring out who people are to each other is base-level politicking.  I went from scorning you to spending all my time with you.  I’m sure the whiplash was confusing.”


    The handful of people who’d returned early, and were walking the halls of the upper barracks, turned in surprise to see that pair going by hand-in-hand.  None dared say a word about it though; some even heaved with relief that they were finally out with it.  The look they got from Seth, however, when he spotted them from where he’d been camping at Ren’s door for the last 30 minutes, was…something.


    “What.  What is this.” He gestured at them.


    Ren waved, “Hey.  This is my boyfriend.  You might know him.”


    “Furion!” He puffed, “How long!?”


    “Eight years.”


    “Eight years.” Seth loudly echoed, only to quickly pull his hands over his mouth and look around in embarrassed worry.  His face was red, but he quickly stomped up to them with a finger pointed at his brother’s nose, and whispered adamantly, “Eight years!  You’ve hidden this from me for eight years.”


    “Well, not just you, but…yeah.”


    “To be fair, we did go to great lengths to hide it…from everyone.” Ren added, but since Seth was the same height as her, he could get his own face directly into hers.


    “But it’s me!” He whined, and grabbed her shoulders to shake her back and forth, “Why!?  Now I just feel dumb and blind!  I already have a complex about not being able to see what’s right in front of me, because I’m not afflicted!  But you did this to me on purpose!  At least when Mr. Gabriel told me he could see more than I could, it was a surprise to both of us!”


    Ren let go of her partner’s hand and reached both arms over the perturbed teen’s shoulders, “The only people we ever told were your parents.  The only ones who figured it out were Ravan and Corbin.  Most of the rest of the team suspected but didn’t ask.”


    “But why are you out about it now?  What changed…?” Seth asked; he was clearly upset about the deception.


    “We found out Lord Rylen knew.” She explained, “And he insinuated he wouldn’t do anything about it as long as we continued being effective.  So…there’s no point hiding it anymore.”


    “Is that why my brother asked me to meet you guys here?”


    “Not entirely,” Furion teased, and stepped off to open the door, “We need more arms to carry her stuff.”


    Seth balked at him, but when he looked back at Ren, she just had a sneaky smile on her face.  He threw both arms up then, “Lies and deceptions!  And now abuse!  I’m being abused.”


    “You’re not being abused.” She huffed, and turned the teen around by his shoulders to nudge him inside, “Big ol’ drama baby…”


    .


    The Aegis loomed heavily overhead, even in spite of only the upper half of it being visible from the connecting bridges.  Gabriel stared at it dubiously, but then looked around to see how many people might be watching him board; he might’ve had his braided hair tucked to the inside of the long-coat he had on, but he couldn’t hide his bangs with anything more than a popped collar, and he knew he’d stick out like a sore thumb.  He swallowed what little pride he had left and went through those open doors


    His overlay made it easy to find his way to the meager quarters that had been assigned to him, but when he found it, it was…significantly less than he was expecting.  The door slid open, and he beheld before him the smallest single-person room that the ship had; it was barely a bed, a desk, and a side-door that he prayed was a bathroom to himself.  It wasn’t.  It was a shallow closet.  He slouched in the doorway and collapsed to his knees, “I’m being punished.  This is punishment.  This isn’t even a Knight’s room…it’s just a crewman’s.”


    “Mr. Gaaaabrieeeelllll!”


    That voice was like a siren’s call, and he lurched backwards to see down the hall, “Seth?”


    The teen came rushing as quickly as he could, but slowed down as he got nearer, “What are you doing down here?  This isn’t even where your room was last time.”


    “How did you even know to find me here then?”


    “I set alert on the ship’s manifest to tell me when you got here.  When it popped, it also told me your room assignment.  I…came to make sure you got here okay.”


    The mediator just blinked at him a few times, then grumbled to himself and pushed back up to his feet.  He dusted himself off and threw his carry-bag onto the cot-like bed within, “Well, I’ve arrived.”


    Seth’s brow furrowed, and he stepped around to look past the man and into the walk-in-closet-sized space, “…I can’t let you stay here.”


    “Sure you can.  This is what’s been given to me.”


    “No, I mean…  You’re the second-highest ranking person in the Fourth Wing.  This has to be an oversight.  Um…” He considered what to do, but then shook his head, “Just grab your bag and come with me.”


    “Heh?” Gabriel stared, perplexed, but the teen nudged his head towards the elevators, and he huffed a sigh and grabbed his bag again.  The elevator took them up four stories, and Gabriel looked down at the teen skeptically, “You know, I could’ve sworn no one was going to be interested to see me.  I’m surprised you’re here at all, considering.”


    “Considering what?” Those eyes looked on quizzically, “Is something wrong?”


    Gabriel had no idea how to answer to that, so he feigned, “…No.  You’re probably right.  Just an oversight.”


    “My brother always gives me one of the unused officer’s quarters when I’m on board.  You can stay with me until we can get you a room more appropriate for your station.” Seth explained, and led the way down a wider corridor than the one he’d found Gabriel in.  The door in was at the end, and when the door opened to reveal the interior, Seth presented it with a gesture, “Home away from home.”The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Gabriel stuck his head in to get a first impression, “It’s near as big as Ren’s room.  It’s a whole small apartment.”


    “Yeah, Fafnir Knights are higher-up on the totem pole, so they get nicer digs.  Command on the Aegis is a bit different from other SkyFortresses.  Just like how you’re ranked higher than a Captain in a unique Negotiator slot of the Fourth, the Fafnir are ranked higher than the regular officers, but below Captain.” Seth explained, and gestured the mediator to come in so he could close the door, “The Fafnir are on the floor above us, and my brother’s up above that, next door to his office.  There are roughly 250 officers aboard, and another 3,800 crew for everything the ship needs to do.  The Aegis is the Council’s most combat-oriented vessel; it has the most guns of any ship, and of course, the Fafnir, and all need a lot of support.” He explained as Gabriel wandered around the space to explore, “We’ll be joined by the First Wing research vessels Fibonacci and Lucas.”


    That got Gabriel’s attention, “Those are Inquisition ships…Fibonacci specifically is a Myrmidon vessel.  Their whole order is made-up of afflicted.  Why did Xanarken need to send me when you’re going to have access to all of them?”


    Seth shrugged, “Probably because they can’t take off their helmets, so no one can see if their eyes are lighting up.  The First does a lot of really dangerous work, and - especially since the development of the SD helmets - have become rather unpopular in certain circles.  Lord Rylen protects them by making sure no one knows who they are.  But, they’re the ones who developed – and continue to make improvements to – our SkyFortress fleet, so they’re coming with us on this mission.  The Myrmidon Corps is here because of-“


    “…The warp core.”


    “Oh, you know about it already?”


    “Xanarken mentioned it briefly, the last time I talked to him…two weeks ago.” He mumbled, “Anyway, thanks for the assist.  Where should I set-up camp?”


    .


    Ren’s legs trembled slightly; pulses of intense sensation coursed through her.  Her knees came up and pinched together slightly as she tried to hold herself up, balled-up hands pressed to the front of the chest below her.  Sweat beaded on her hazel skin, but she managed a laugh anyway; larger hands slid up and down her thighs, and she lowered down until she could slump down into the blankets.  Not wanting to deny her partner though, she turned onto her side and pressed her back to his front, and relaxed into his movements until he, too, felt the same intensity.


    She felt the man’s face press into her hair, and she reached one hand up to caress his cheek and ear, “It’s different…now that we know neither of us has to leave after…” She said between breaths.


    Furion drank in her scent for a moment longer, but then he wedged an arm under her waist – and the other over it – to pull her into a hug, “Definitely…”


    “And you’re okay with me being up here now?” She wondered, turning to look back over a shoulder at him as he nestled his chin into the crook of her neck, “Like…full-time?”


    “Yeah, absolutely.” Furion answered easily, “It’s a big change, but I welcome it.”  He drew in another breath, exhaled, and pushed up onto his elbow in an effort to sit up.  Forearms perched on his upturned knees, and he glanced down at the woman still in the sheets.  With breath caught, he was able to speak more normally again, “Lord Rylen told me you were going to be coming with us on the mission.  It’ll be good to have you back with us like before.  Your team will be relieved to see you at your post.”


    Ren rolled onto her back, and lifted her arms up above her head.  One knee lifted under the blankets, and she rocked it slowly back and forth, “…Kind of feels like I’m not going back to the Fourth at all.”


    “That’s because the Fourth is coming with us.”


    “Yeah…that’s what Lord Xanarken said.” She affirmed, “Do you already know the details of what’s going to happen?  What we’re going for?  I was told it was an intact colony ship.”


    Furion nodded.


    With hands on a podium, in a briefing room large enough for all of the Fafnir, some of the higher-level officers of the Aegis’ crew, Inquisitors, Myrmidon, a Knight-cadet of the First, two Eidolon, and one uncomfortable mediator, Furion looked out at the crowd.  Multiple rows of theater-style seats went to the back wall, and nearly every one of them had a butt in them.  The room dimmed, and Furion looked back at a digital display above the stage he stood on.


    “Th Aegis – accompanying First Wing vessels Fibonacci and Lucas – are on our way south, headed past the equator and into the lower hemisphere.  It’s a voyage that will take us until tomorrow afternoon, but we’re going…here.” He pointed at a cross-hair on a 3D projection of Hadira; the entire globe rotated and zoomed in on the location, “About five weeks ago, a satellite scanning the area located a colony-class vessel wedged at the bottom of a canyon.  Against all odds, from what we’ve been able to gather of it since, the ship is more-or-less in one piece.  There’s one engine that was shorn-off the side and is lodged in a crevasse about a klick east.  We’re not interested in it though.  As many of you may know, each SkyFortress in the Council’s fleet is equipped with the warp core of one of these colony-class ships.  It augments our weapons, enhances our shields, and gives a boost to the engines that enable us to keep these things in the air.”


    The map shifted to show a schematic-level view of the colony ship, and zoomed-in on the center-rear, where a large chamber was located, containing a sphere.


    “Getting this core means someone’s getting a new ship.  But not just that; it brings one more core into the possession of the Council, rather than any nefarious parties which may use it against us.  Given that the fleet was in the care of the Eidolon before the events that brought the colony-fleet to Hadira, and had thus been entrusted with that care to endure even after, it makes logical sense that these warp cores rightfully belong to the Luminary Council that they founded.  But there’s one particular detail about these cores that isn’t widely known, and may not even be known by Sargon or Kitez, who are in possession of three altogether that we know of.”


    The imagery zoomed in on the core again, but instead of showing a schematic, it showed…a photo.


    “This is the secret of the warp cores.  They weren’t entirely mechanical designs.  They were chambers…for the Warp Magi whose job it was to channel to Limitless energy of the Progenitor Warp Talent known as Caeros.”


    Ren’s eyes turned towards her Eidolon.


    ‘Caeros’ full name is Caeros Vor’antiss…he was Lord Rylen’s son.’  The words echoed in her head.


    “It’s been 78 years since we found one of these cores, so none in this room save the Eidolon know what that moment was like.” Furion continued, displaying the individual faces of the three afflicted pioneers who’d been tasked with sitting inside that spherical capsule, “That ship is going to be littered with the victims of that accident.  These three, however, are of utmost importance.  From the reports created in the chaos of the fleet’s crash-landing, void gates opened inside each of these cores, as well as outside and all around those ships.  As such…while the Fafnir were originally going to be there to provide extra muscle in the recovery effort, we are now also going to be providing security to the Inquisitors.  The report we got from Knight-Cadet Setharion Rydell – from his mission into Kitez – has given us all reason to reconsider the safety of being around these cores.  To that end, we also have afflicted mediator Gabriel Lugios here to act as a warning system; if things flare-up, so will his eyes, and we’ll back off.  Moving on…”


    Gabriel snorted quietly to himself and slouched a little further in his seat, far off to the right side of the front row – and finally back in his reds, Yeah, an oversight indeed…


    “Now, we have no reason to believe that any of these void gates are still open anywhere.  In every core that’s been recovered so far, the hatches were opened and bodies recovered without incident.  But, there’s no reason to not be especially cautious.” Furion went on, “This particular vessel is one of the most intact we’ve found that didn’t reconnect with the main fleet after the crash.  We know it’s dormant, and there’s no evidence that any attempt at colonization took place, so we’re expecting a rather large tomb.  I expect everyone on this mission to treat this site with the reverence and respect it deserves.  These people were our family.  They could’ve been our ancestors, under better circumstances.  They didn’t deserve what happened to them.  …Questions?”


    Crickets.


    “Then I’ll turn it over to Lord Xanarken.” Furion finished, and stepped aside to wait in the wings.


    The Fourth Eidolon stepped up, “The information I’m about to give to you is for the ears in this room only.  …We believe this warp core is active.”


    Concerned murmurs rose throughout that space.


    “When Cadet Setharion was working on the feral void gate in Kitez, there was an incident preceding his departure that gave us pause.  The gate not-only reached out at him and those others nearby…it also swallowed-whole Fafnir Knight Issak ‘Ianori’ Noardin.  When it spat him back out, however…he was changed.  Something came back with him.  Immediately before the gate evaporated though, it sent a burst of energy directly into the sky that could be seen from miles around…and was spotted by our orbital satellites.” He explained, and showed a short clip of that happening from the satellite’s perspective…but then created a split-screen where the same clip was shown a second time, alongside a similar circumstance where the colony ship could be seen lighting-up from the inside, at the exact same time.


    Seth grabbed-hold of Ren’s right arm, and she pet his knee reassuringly.


    Rylen stepped up beside his brother then, since authority over the Aegis was his to wield, “All Fafnir Knights will be on stand-by while the Inquisitor Corps attempts to open the core.  Wing Team One, led by Commander Ren Nibasai, will be protecting Gabriel Lugios.  Wing Team Two, led by Commander Donivan Parker, will be protecting the Inquisitors.  If all goes as it has, like so many times before, those three Warp Magi will be extracted from the core, the core will be secured and removed, the bodies of those innocents who perished will be collected for proper burial in the north, and the ship will be demolished.”


    Seth couldn’t help but raise his hand.


    Rylen looked his way, “Yes, Cadet?”


    “Sir…  Were there any other locations on Hadira where the activity-phenomenon was noted?”


    “We simply have no way of knowing.  Even now, we lack the instrumentation necessary to detect this kind of thing.  We only saw it in these cases because we were already monitoring the areas.  Our best and only source of advanced notice that anything is happening…is in the eyes of the afflicted.” Those orange irises case their gaze over towards Gabriel, and he tried to make himself look as small as possible, “Since you were unfortunate enough to lose all of your data in your attempt to escape Kitez, this is the next-best possible way for you to gain some of it back.  To that end, I hope this means there’s still a void scar inside that core…although in all likelihood, it vanished at the same time yours did.  If you have any insight about what to look for though, my Myrmidon are at your disposal.  I highly encourage collaboration.”