Even if that included sacrificing his body for another.
“I’ve faced worse forms of torture.” He opened his eyes and glared at the teal-robed female in annoyance. “You may not be able to comprehend my reasoning. Even if I didn’t feel the way I did toward my master’s Nova, I would still be required to investigate any threat to the Aldawi Empire and determine whether I need to extinguish it.”
Five more ethereal forms appeared, each robed and glowing a different color, each resembling whatever major system of his Abyss they controlled. After losing his title as leader of the Fab Five and being assigned the task of keeping Selena safe, Kaede had needed replacements that succeeded in the set-up he was accustomed to.
Piloting a deadly vessel equipped with novel technology unparalleled throughout the galaxy would have been impossible alone.
This time, he had needed station workers who wouldn’t fight his decisions constantly and take jabs at him as the only male aboard the ship—even though he was now the only solid lifeform in a crew of energy beings.
Violet YUO of communications made sure Kaede didn’t need to figure out whatever poor souls were contacting the ship. YUO could do all the talking for him so he could focus on the bigger picture.
Crimson VYA was his weapons specialist and maintained security both within and beyond the Abyss. While Kaede was fully capable of blowing shit up with his fleet of drones aboard, having another being capable of causing serious damage with the same—if not better—accuracy was useful for their mission.
Sapphire EYN oversaw engineering and all operations of the vessel, which was work he just didn’t care about. He had never envied his sister, Aunya, her assigned position within the Fab Five. Out of all the tasks and responsibilities on a ship, supervising mundane—though important—matters like oxygen levels and waste management was as painful to Kaede as when Z used his aura on a room to make a point. He would rather be pinned to the ground, struggling to breathe, than deal with technical tasks.
Emerald LIU was the ship’s medical officer, fully capable of running a full infirmary by itself. Kaede wasn’t foolish. He didn’t have the skills to treat life-threatening injuries. If anything happened to the crew, he would just throw them in the Cryopod in a healing stasis, hoping that would suffice until he could reach a verified healer. LIU may not have had a physical form, but the robotic arms and levitation technology within the infirmary were all he needed. If anything, they had back-up plans to treat patients, but Kaede didn’t want to make medical decisions for anyone without their approval or knowledge. As it was, he would need to deal with the aftermath of what he had done to Selena whenever he found her.
Silver ZYU was his helmsman and in charge of navigation, which relieved Kaede of any need to enter the bridge the whole time he spent aboard his ship. Having someone else control the piloting meant he could handle other tasks that required his attention, like trying to sense what direction Selena lay in the universe.
“You know we are about to leave the Euph Galaxy,” ZYU announced, pointing to the vessel’s trajectory on the chart. “We don’t know what is out there. Is it wise to stay on course?”
“Our target lies outside the galaxy,” Kaede deadpanned, eyeing the silver-robed advisor. “Where else would we be going?”
“Back to Destima,” VYA replied, pointing at the moon on the star chart. “Or we can take out some of the Quaww ships that were illegally attacking us along the shared border.” Symbols marking where the most recent skirmishes occurred appeared on the real-time projection. “Wouldn’t our resources better serve the Aldawi Empire if we returned our focus to the front lines rather than chasing the absurd idea that we will somehow find this female you are so enamored with?”
“I would like to remind you that this female isn’t some lost soul,” Kaede snarled. “This is the last time I’ll go over this. When I offered you five the freedom to explore the universe, I explained that I would be in charge. I understand that the concepts of love and familial bonds may be foreign to you, but I know that loyalty and honor aren’t. Your moral compass doesn’t allow you to defy me, so you have been trying to convince me to change my mind because you don’t understand why this mission matters. I swore to serve my master, Sovereign Zirene Darcaw of the Aldawi Empire, and through my duty to him, I am bound to that female in more ways than one.
“She is the central star of my constellation. No matter how we crossed paths, our fates are forever entwined. Some ishing fraxes took her, not only from me but from her clan and her children. If that isn’t enough reason for you to stop questioning the lengths I will go to find her, then know this: If we don’t find her, the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
“The Aldawi Sovereign will slowly slip into darkness without his Nova, his light to balance him. With the recent change of power over the Aldawi Empire and the hostile developments with the Quaww, it is only a matter of time before he becomes irrational and declares war against them, thus breaking up the CEG for the first time since the initial Yaarkin invasion.”
“Are you saying that countless lives are on the line because of this Selena?” EYN waved to the collage of her best moments repeating on the multiple displays. “This female demi-human is the center of the galaxy’s problems, and once she is returned to Destima, everything will settle once again?”
“I refuse to give you a definite answer when it’s impossible to know what the Stars and Fates have written for us.” Kaede’s gaze landed on a recording of Selena sunbathing in a bikini while her nestmates played with their cubs in the sanctuary’s
