"Say again?" The floor had just fallen out from under the conversation, and Blake was in free fall.

"With the assistance of anyone that we can gather, we create a faction to achieve Caprea's goals. That faction will compete in—and ideally emerge as the winner of—this so-called "Bannerlords" scenario."

"Conquer the planet," Blake said dumbly. "You're actually serious."

"Wasn't that the entire point of this so-called scenario?" Nomac asked, finally joining the conversation. "The Aeons wanted to see everyone scramble for power. For control."

"I had never seriously considered participating," Blake said. "I really just wanted to help Nahren with Rax."

"And you thought it would end there?" Nomac asked. He was looking at Blake rather intently—as if the answer mattered. Blake had no idea why it would, but he returned the man's eye contact and answered confidently.

"We were helping the scavengers so that they would help us," he replied. "I figured the least I could do was stick around long enough to make sure they didn't get overrun while they were repairing Eland's ship. But no. I didn't intend to stay. I couldn't care less about the scenario. I've lived my life moving from one war to another, and I don't cotton to treating it like a game."

Nomac continued staring at Blake for a long moment after he answered before cracking a smile. He nodded once, but didn't reply. Blake had to assume it meant that whatever he was looking for, Blake had provided it. That was nice for him, but Blake was far from satisfied.

"I had prioritized taking action over getting potentially unrelated intel, but as long as we're all sitting here and flapping our gums, I think somebody might as well tell me: What the hell is so important about that rift?"

As he finished speaking, he felt a pulse of muted regret coming from Kitt. It seemed likely that during her time with Caprea, she had learned the details but hadn't had time to brief him. He made sure that she could feel that he wasn't angry.

'We've had a lot on our plate, and I didn't ask. I'm not mad.' He thought.

'I could have offered, though,' she replied.

Mentally, he rolled his eyes, signalling that it was fine. He'd never been accused of liking diversions when he was on a mission. Getting the whole story hadn't been important. He trusted that if it had directly affected anything, she would have said something.

Now, though, it was context that felt important.

"You truly don't know?" Ulta asked, sounding flummoxed. "You've nearly died more than once, and you don't even know what you're fighting for?"

"I'm not really getting paid either," Blake said, donning a grim smile. "I've got a disregard for my own life that I'm trying to turn into a heroic streak. It turns out the two are pretty similar."

Ulta, still looking a little confused, turned to look at Nomac, and Blake followed suit. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Nomac was wearing a gallows grin identical to the one on his face. He understood. Ulta sighed and turned back to face Blake.

"It might be best for you if you don't know," she said. "It would make it easier for you to walk away if you need to."

"Kitt already knows, we just haven't talked about it yet," Blake replied. "So start talking."

"Understood. The first thing you need to understand is this: that rift is the most important thing on this planet. Had the Endless that we represent not been Outside when it was unearthed, he would have immediately purchased this planet from the Chronicler who previously held the claim."

"What do you mean, outside?" Blake asked, trying not to react too strongly to the idea of people buying and selling the rights to entire planets.

"Outside of the Source's influence," Ulta clarified. "There's little room left for them to grow without venturing out into the Outer Darkness and Infinite Spaces. Unfortunately, such sojourns leave them out of contact for centuries at a time."

"So the same 'outside' as the Outsider?" Blake clarified. Ulta nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, Blake saw Aureon fidgeting.

"Who?" he asked. Ulta shot him a glare, but he returned a look of equal heat and didn't back down. "Tell me."

"Were you sitting there scheming, assuming that I came at the beck and call of one of the lesser Endless?" she asked after another moment of tense silence. "You shouldn't bo—"

"Oaths, Ulta, stop with the melodrama," Nomac cut in, sighing. He turned to Aureon. "It's Mihr."

Blake didn't recognize the name, but he was certain that Aureon did. The string of invectives the man spat wasn't translated for him, but Blake knew cursing when he heard it. Ulta looked torn between enjoying Aureon's antics and looking aggrieved at Nomac.

"I know how you feel about him," he told her, "but we're here for a reason. Now, either continue your explanation or let me take over so you can focus on being petty." Ulta didn't look happy at that, but she eventually nodded at him, ceding the point.

"I apologize for the distraction. Yes, that same 'Outside'. I can tell from your expression that you have questions, but as Nomac says, this isn't the time. We were discussing the rift. Normally, its existence would be well protected, but circumstances are such that it is dangerously exposed."

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"But what is it?" Blake insisted.

"It's a gateway. On the other side of that rift, hidden away from the rest of the universe, is a small solar system." Blake heard the words, but it was difficult for him to make sense of them.

An entire solar system.

Ulta had spoken matter-of-factly, as if such things were normal. Perhaps in her line of work, they were. Blake could sense that even Kitt was shocked. She must not have known all the details herself. Ulta clearly saw the expression on Blake's face, but pushed forward.

"The space itself isn't what's important, Mr. Conover. That rift was one of many, all of which were created for a singular purpose: to allow leviathans to give birth and raise their young in secrecy and safety."

"Oh," Blake said. He got an articulate, proper response, his mind still churning over everything he had just learned.

"The Outsider is only the closest threat," Ulta continued. "The larger threat comes from the rest of the universe discovering what this rift is. Between Caprea's impact and the damage that the Outsider is currently doing to the rift's protections, the Aeons observing this scenario will discover it. The battle for this planet will become a battle for control of that rift."

"I know I'm speaking from ignorance here, but is it that important?" Blake asked. "Controlling the rift itself, I mean."

"Travel magics have come a long way over the ages," Ulta replied. "You need look no further than the Concordance and our mastery of warp tunnels. There are individuals of exceptional power and talent who can travel the stars with the same ease with which most people walk. But for the overwhelming majority of us—even among the Concordance—there is no better, safer, or faster way to travel than with the aid of Leviathan. Endless Mihr has birthed many wonders, but his work with Endless Aramazd in creating the Leviathans stands as perhaps the most impactful act of creation in history."

That was another bombshell. The idea that this "Mihr" person who had sent them was somehow responsible for the existence of Leviathans.

"Controlling the rift would mean having access to young leviathans as they leave home for the first time," she continued. "Adolescents, eager to find their first pilot bond and desperate to rove out and explore the universe. There couldn't be a better time for a faction to attempt to bind a leviathan into service. Such naked exploitation of young leviathans does not sit right with Endless Mihr."

Her words transported Blake. You could hear the sounds of sneakers squeaking against the floor, the raucous buzz of teenagers conversing, and the smell of cheap cafeteria food from earlier in the afternoon still lingering in the air. He could see them through the lens of his memory: the men and women trying desperately to get the attention of kids who had better places to be. Electricians, nurses, plumbers, representatives from a dozen trades and professions—and no group more prominent than the recruiters. Army, Navy, Air Force, and even the Coast Guard. They were always there.

Blake knew how many kids they pulled in, and he knew damn well what those contracts looked like. Mihr had a point.

"The goal is to make it so that Caprea can play gatekeeper?" Blake asked. "Has anyone checked with her?"

"Admittedly, no," Ulta confessed. "I'm coming to you with a high-level proposal that demonstrates our willingness to work with you long-term toward goals that we can all agree are worth pursuing. At any point, if you find that our missions have diverged, you can step away, but I promise you that you will be richly rewarded for as long as we are working together."

"Duly noted," Blake said, as he quickly conferred with Kitt. Once he felt her presence slipping away from him and toward her bond with Caprea, he continued. "Kitt and I can't agree to anything until we've spoken with Caprea. If she doesn't like you or your plans, then we're through."

"I appreciate you conferring with Leviathan Caprea for us," Ulta replied easily. "She is, after all, our primary concern."

"Primary? What's your secondary concern?"

"Your bond, the Leviathan Chimera, Kitt," she said. "I made reference to a game being played earlier. The metaphor is a bit distasteful, but it is not inaccurate. The existence of the program that created the Chimera represents a significant loss for our side in that game. Due to a level of celestial politics that I cannot begin to parse, let alone explain, we have been unable to do anything for the other chimera. But Kitt got herself out."

"So you want to help her?" Blake was suspicious, but it did line up with everything else they had said since they arrived.

"She might not be a proper Leviathan," Ulta said, "but she is not the lesser for it. Terrible things were done during her creation, but she has already begun removing some of her shackles. We will not purposefully advance the cause of weaponizing the Leviathans. Still, we can at least help Kitt unburden herself of what was done to her. She deserves the chance to reach her full potential."

That was about as good an answer as Blake could expect.

"So I'm just sort of here as Kitt's plus-one, is that it?" he asked jokingly. Ulta gave a small smile, but Nomac surprised him by stepping forward and answering.

"Best I can tell, you aren't even pushing the limits of her current abilities, let alone trying to exploit her," he said. "Based on the feeds, you treat her well—even as an equal—and are allowing her the time and energy needed to heal herself after what she's been through. If nothing else, you've proven yourself an ally."

"Thank you," Blake said, nodding once in his direction. He was surprisingly taken with the man's sincerity. Before the conversation could continue, however, Kitt returned to her full presence in his spirit. Apparently, seeing that no one was speaking, she broke the silence using the speaker on Blake's armor.

"Caprea tentatively agrees," she said. "Which is going to want to treat with you directly once the situation with the Outsider has been resolved. She has a lot of valid concerns about her ability to heal and what it means for her future."

"We would never make decisions for her without her explicit consent," Ulta responded. "If I came off too strong presenting my plan, I apologize. We possess methods to communicate directly with Leviathans, but if you would be willing to act as a mediator when this is all over, we would be grateful."

Kitt agreed, and she and Ulta began drafting out preliminary arrangements. Blake used the time to continue digesting everything he had learned. His goal since the first night he had woken up on the planet had been to leave. He didn't remember consciously deciding that he didn't need to return to Earth. The conclusion was natural. What life did he even have to go back to there? But leaving the planet? That was a given.

Unfortunately, the type of long-term contract that the delegates from the Concordance were offering was tempting. By all accounts, it really was a chance to do some good, but he didn't want to settle down here among the scrap and the scavengers.

He would deal with the current crisis first. Once that was dealt with, he could sit down with Eland and Kitt and talk. He wanted to follow Eland back to his sect. He wanted to meet the people who were so important to the man who had saved his life. More than that, he wanted to see the stars, to explore new things.

If Eland could wait long enough for him to make things right here for Caprea, he would do it. Anything else would be a hard sell. But right now, none of that actually mattered.

He still had an Outsider to kill.

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