"Hello, beautiful." Mims spoke with reverence. He ran a loving hand across the hull of the ship that had just been delivered. It was a Gdiator css fighter. Human built. A sleek predatory winged triangle, ninety meters long.

  "As promised," said Kilroy. "The Random Encounter has been lovingly restored."

  "Thank you," said the human. His voice was thick. "It's... It's good to see her again." The Random Encounter had been the human's home. And Yvian's. It had been destroyed In Xill Sector 14 by a rogue pixen piloting a stolen Lucendian ship. Mims had managed to finish the mission anyways, proving Reba's betrayal of the Synthetic nation known as the Xill and preventing her from taking control of them. Kilroy had promised they'd rebuild the human's beloved ship, but Yvian hadn't expected to see it again this soon.

  "Careful, Mark." Lissa draped an arm over the human. "You're going to make a girl jealous."

  "As if a mere ship could compare to you." Mims kissed her. "You're just fishing for compliments."

  "Always." She smiled and squeezed him. "It is good to see her again, though."

  "Plus Mims gets to be a Captain again," said Yvian.

  The human snorted. "I could be Captain any time I wanted."

  "Not on my ship you can't," Yvian teased.

  "I'm rich, remember?" Mims shrugged. "If I wanted another ship I'd buy one." He touched the Encounter again. "I want this ship. The Encounter's been my home for nearly thirty years."

  "Is it really the Random Encounter, though?" Scarrend asked. "Only eighteen percent of the original vessel is left. Most of it had to be rebuilt."

  "It's enough," said Mims. "I don't subscribe to the Theseus Paradox."

  "Theseus Paradox?" Yvian asked. "What's that?"

  "A philosophical question," Mims expined. "Let's say you've got a ship. Over time and combat, you have to repce parts of it, right?"

  "Yeah." Yvian frowned. "So?"

  "So what happens once you've repced all the parts?" asked the human. "Is it still the same ship? Even when there's not one piece of the original?"

  "Of course it is," said Scarrend. "Our bodies repce individual cells, do they not? There is not a piece of me that is original to my birth, and I'm the same person."

  "Are you, though?" Lissa quirked an eyebrow. "The you that's here now is nothing like the you that was here a year ago."

  "I'm still Scarrend Scathach," the Vrrl asserted. "Everyone changes. It doesn't mean I'm not me."

  "That's the essence of the question," said Mims. "At what point does the ship stop being itself? How much can it change? How many parts can it lose before its a different ship?" He ran a hand over the Encounter again. "Is a ship just parts, or is there a special essence to it? Something that keeps it what it is."

  "I get it," said Yvian. "Does a ship have a soul?"

  "Negative," said Kilroy. "Inanimate objects are not sapient. A void ship has no mind of its own. It cannot make choices. It cannot be judged by the Bright Lady."

  "Maybe not," the human admitted. "I don't figure I'll see any hammers or bster pistols waiting to be judged at the Pearly Gates." He still hadn't taken his hand off the hull. "A ship, though? It's more than that. The Encounter's been our home. She's been part of us. I think we've been a part of her. There's... There's an imprint there."

  "You think the ship has formed a soul?" Scarrend tilted his head. "Out of pieces of our souls?"

  "Something like that," said the human. He shrugged. "But that's enough philosophizing. Let's get on board. I'll make us some lunch before we pick up the Tallest." He frowned. "The kitchen's stocked, right Kilroy?"

  "Everything on the Random Encounter is exactly as it was in Xill Sector 14," said the machine.

  Yvian wandered over to her quarters while the human was cooking. It was exactly as she'd left it, right down to the comb that had fallen to the floor next to her sink. She opened her wardrobe and found her swimsuit and Homestar dress. Both items had already been repced, but seeing copies in her closet was surreal. The machines had been thorough.

  Lunch was beer and pizza. Eating in the Encounter's kitchen gave Yvian an odd feeling of Deja Vu, but it was nice. Comforting. Nostalgic. How long had it been since she'd been here? Six months? It felt a lot longer.

  Mims insisted on taking the Encounter to pick up King Tallest. Yvian had been pnning to take the Dream, but she didn't argue. She could see how eager he was to fly his ship again. They left the Dream of the Lady in drydock at Shipyard 43. Yvian could feel the human's joy as he piloted the Encounter out into the void. She couldn't see his expression through his visored helmet, but she was sure he was smiling. As the charging Jumpdrive sent a thrum through the bridge, he scooted his chair away from his station and wrapped an arm around his wife, radiating contentment. It was a feeling she'd never seen from him before. Yvian approved.

  The Random Encounter exited the Gate Effect a minute ter. They were back in Empty Night Sector. Most of Empty Night had been cleared out, but there were still eighty two space stations floating in the void. No one but Yvian's crew and the Peacekeepers was allowed to know the location of Vylleer Sector. All trade had to be routed through Empty Night. Not that there was that much trade. Yvian saw a few Oluken ships, a handful of Vrrl, and a few dozen human transports with Gdiator escorts. She hoped the humans were bringing beer.

  While Empty Night was mostly empty, it wasn't unguarded. Three Peacekeeper Queenships floated fifty thousand kilometers from each Gate. They were accompanied by Stinger units, ships roughly the size of the Random Encounter that had been equipped with beam weapons and stealth technology. More Stingers patrolled the sector in groups, and there were at least five Pixen Battlecruisers near each of the stations.

  A single Confederation vessel was waiting a short ways from where the Encounter had exited the Gate. It was a Krog ship, a Fightbest css destroyer. The Fightbest was the fastest, most powerful destroyer the Confederation had to offer. It was two kilometers long, vaguely cylindrical, but sleek and curvaceous. Fightbests weren't as good as Vrrl or human ships, but they were far above anything else the Confed could produce.

  Mims hailed the Fightbest. "Backhand of Tallest, this is Mimsey-cake of the Random Encounter. Requesting permission to dock."

  The reply was immediate. "Mimsey-cake!" King Tallest's voice boomed through the comms. Yvian barely suppressed a giggle. She'd forgot that was the human's name among the krog. "It been too long. Come dock. Tallest will meet you."

  A few minutes ter the Random Encounter slid into the Backhand's hangar bay. Yvian, Mims, and Lissa headed down to the cargo bay, leaving Scarrend and Kilroy on the bridge. They opened the airlock and lowered the ramp. Two massive figures stomped aboard.

  King Tallest was the rgest sapient Yvian had ever seen. Over three meters in height, with shoulders almost as wide. Like all krog, he was hairy, with jutting teeth and beady little eyes. His arms were thicker than Yvian's torso, and a massive gut strained the fabric of his purple vest. Thick legs stretched his purple pants as well. The Tallest wore a crown at a jaunty angle, somehow clinging impossibly to his thick skull despite the mass of greasy bck hair that streamed out from under it. The hair flowed halfway down the King's back. His skin was pink. His smile was wide.

  Beside and slightly behind the King walked Admiral Fightsmart. Fightsmart was smaller than the Tallest, just a little shorter than Scarrend. He was a mass of muscle with a serious expression. The Admiral wore an armored voiduit, Confederation style. The armor was a far cry from Yvian's nanotech voidarmor. It was basically just a normal voidsuit with metal and ceramic ptes attached. It still managed to look intimidating. Admiral Fightsmart was heavily armed, with two bsters, a psma rifle, and some kind of cannon strapped to his back.

  "Mimsey-cake!" The King held out his arms like he was pnning to hug the human. "Pretty-pants! Blockhead! It's about time you said hi to your king!"

  Yvian grimaced. Blockhead. That was the name the krog had given her. She reminded herself she still had to get Mims back for that. Lissa didn't seem to mind being called Pretty-pants. She grinned and waved.

  "King Tallest," Mims returned the greeting. He knelt, holding his hands out palm up. Lissa elbowed Yvian. They both copied the motion. "My hands is your hands."

  "I'll use 'em good," the King intoned. "Stand."

  The three of them stood up. King Tallest gave a pleased ugh and cpped Mims on the back. The human staggered from the force of the blow. "Mimsey-cake! Tallest didn't think he'd see you again. Confed decred you outw. Decred war on you and the stupid slutty pixens."

  "That's why we asked you to come to us, mighty Tallest," said Mims. "We've got a lot to talk about, but we can't do it here."

  "Yes. Spies." The King nodded. "Tallest knows. You take us somewhere secure. No spies. Then we talk." He brushed past the human. "Meanwhile we eat. You make cake, Mimsey-cake?"

  "I did," said the human. He gave a nod to the man behind the King. "Master Fightsmart. It's always good to see you."

  "Just Fightsmart is fine, Mimsey-cake." The Admiral waved the formalities away. "Fightsmart not sure he happy to see you. Things get interesting when Mimsey-cake appears. Not always good." He smiled at the pixens. "Pretty-pants and Blockhead on the other hand... Always nice to see."

  "It's good to see you, too, Fightsmart." Lissa pointed at her armband. She'd taken to wearing it over her voidarmor. "I'm married now! I made Mimsey-cake my bitch."

  Yvian shot her sister a startled look. Did she just calls Mims a bitch? Fightsmart nodded seriously. "Good. Mimsey-cake is good krog. He'll make good bitch. Good for Pretty-pants."

  "Too bad," King Tallest shook his head mournfully. "Princess Bossypants had huge crush on Mimsey-cake. Wanted him be her bitch. Her heart will be broke."

  "It can't be helped." Mims shrugged. "I don't think I'd have survived her, anyway."

  Tallest ughed. "Ha! True. Mimsey-cake is krog, but is wicked pervert human, too. Too small to survive krog Princess love make." He cpped Mims on the back again. "Congratutions to both of you. Be good bitch for Pretty-pants. She good krog."

  "I will," Mims promised.

  "Tallest knows you will," said the King. "But enough talk. Mimsey-cake said there is cake. We eat cake." He turned and started walking.

  Everyone else fell in behind the King of the krog. He clomped towards the kitchen without the need for directions. The ship hummed as someone activated the jumpdrive. Probably Kilroy. The Peacekeeper unit would have heard everything.

  The Encounter's kitchen was pretty spacious for a fighter css void ship. It was still smaller than the Dream's. It felt even smaller with the two krog taking up the space. King Tallest plopped onto a reinforced chair at the head of the rectangur table. The chair creaked under his weight. Fightsmart sat on his right. Mims served chocote cake, and Yvian handed everyone a beer.

  "Human drink." Tallest raised an eyebrow. "Beer. With cake?"

  "We like it," Lissa told him.

  The King shrugged. "Works for Tallest." He downed the bottle in one long chug. Yvian fetched him another.

  "So how's my company doing?" Mims asked. When Mims had been the one to bring Nexus Node technology to the Confederation. It was human tech. The quantum entangled Nodes had allowed instant communication from anywhere in the gaxy, ignoring the limitations of light speed. They'd made the human fabulously rich. He'd gotten even richer once he managed to cut a deal with the Oluken to sell their medical technology. Then Venturetech's Research and Development had stumbled onto the idea of using Quantum Entanglement fields to traverse the Gates, and the jumpdrive was born. Venturetech had been the richest, most advanced, and most powerful corporation in known space. Mims had had to sell it after he helped Yvian form the Pixen Technocracy.

  Tallest chuckled. "Not your company no more. You sold to Tallest. Venturetech is Krogtech now. Nationalized." The King crammed an entire piece of cake into his mouth. Mims got him another piece. "Made Krog Monarchy rich. Richest country in Confed."

  "All krog ships have jumpdrives now," Fightsmart added. "We best traders. Best Military. Best everything. Golden Age of krog." He finished his own beer and gestured for another.

  "But we not here to talk old times," said the King. "You enemy of Confederation. Talking to you is risk, even for Tallest. You not ask meet without big reason."

  "We've got some people we want you to meet," said Mims. "They'll be down in a minute." He hesitated. "There's a lot to tell you. Some of it's dangerous to know."

  "Dangerous?" Tallest snorted. "Knowledge is power, Mimsey-cake. Power always dangerous. You tell Tallest everything." His gaze bored into Mims. "Tallest knows you been hiding shit. Been hiding shit whole time. Tallest always knew." His turret swiveled to point at the human. "That over now. You not hide shit no more."

  Mims gnced at Lissa and Yvian. They both nodded. "That's the idea, your Majesty. We'll tell you the whole story."

  The door to the kitchen hissed open. Kilroy and Scarrend walked in. Both krog's eyes went wide at the sight of them. Admiral Fightsmart leaped out of his chair, whipping the cannon out from off his back. King Tallest didn't get up, but his turret swiveled to point at Kilroy.

  Scarrend regarded the krog impassively. Kilroy's eyes turned red. "If this unit was a threat you would already be dead."

  "Nonsense," said Tallest. "You murder machine synthetic. Murder machine synthetics not always kill, but always threat."

  "Affirmative." Kilroy's eyes stopped being red. "Big Daddy Mims did say you were smart for a meatbag."

  "Tallest is wise," the King agreed. He gestured at Fightsmart to put his cannon down. "Tallest knows you, but Fightsmart doesn't. Who be you?"

  "This unit is a Peacekeeper unit," said the machine. "This unit's designation is Kilroy."

  "Peacekeeper unit..." Admiral Fightsmart frowned. "The Pixen Technocracy. Not pixens." He nodded slowly as he put it together. "Stupid slutty pixens not know how fight. Peacekeepers fly ships. Do fighting. That how Pretty-pants and Blockhead made nation."

  "Affirmative," said Kilroy. "Peacekeeper units are citizens of the Pixen Technocracy. We are not servants, but we have chosen to assist and protect other citizens. An attack on the pixens is an insult to all Peacekeeper units."

  "Murder machine Synthetics protecting organics?" Admiral Fightsmart raised his eyebrows. "Fightsmart not heard of that before."

  "It is not common," Kilroy admitted. "Peacekeepers know that meatbags are inferior, but Mother Yvian, Mother Lissa, and Big Daddy Mims offered us and the Creator a purpose when we had none. Also, joining the Pixen Technocracy gave us the opportunity to kill more humans." His eyes fshed red again. "This unit likes killing humans."

  Fightsmart turned to Tallest. "King. You knew."

  "Tallest knew," the King said apologetically. "Told no one that not need know."

  "This about special project?" Fightsmart guessed. "One you sent Knifehands on?"

  "It about lot of things," said the King. "Tallest not have whole story. We find out today." He turned to Scarrend. "You be Scarrend?"

  "Scarrend Scathach," the Vrrl confirmed.

  "That's Emperor Scarrend Scathach," Lissa corrected. "He took over the Empire a few weeks ago."

  "Emperor?" The Tallest's eyes narrowed. "The attacks on Confed. Stealing stations. That you?"

  "It is," said Scarrend. "Is that a problem?"

  "Problem?" King Tallest snorted. "Not Tallest problem. Krog stations not attacked. Funny, though." He peered at the Vrrl. "Why do mangy Vrrl need stations?"

  Scarrend bristled at being called mangy. Mims cut in before things could escate. "It's a long story. I'll y it all out for you." He gnced at Yvian. "Do you mind fetching more beer out of storage? This could take a while."

  Yvian smirked. "Aye, Captain."

  Mims told Tallest and Fightsmart everything. The whole story, from getting dumped in Kath space and finding the Vore, to striking a deal with Exodus in exchange for New Pixa. He told them about finding the Lucendian ships that could shut down technology. He told them about Reba the Upstart and the war with the humans.

  Yvian, Lissa, and Kilroy jumped in and added things from time to time. Tallest and Fightsmart listened closely. They asked a lot of questions. It took hours. Mims was still talking when he made everyone dinner, and for an hour afterwards. The two krog sat back for a minute when he finally finished, digesting the story.

  "The Gate Source," King Tallest said finally. "You going to put Lucendian ship in it. Release pulse."

  "That's the idea," said Mims. "A Lucendian anti-tech pulse will be amplified in the Gate Source. It should get bsted out of every Gate in the gaxy. The exact power of it's hard to calcute, but Exodus estimates the pulses will travel at light speed, and take out every piece of tech within fifteen light years of a Gate."

  "Fifteen light years." Admiral Fightsmart grimaced. "You'll kill all ships and stations everywhere. Kill everything not on a pnet."

  "Not exactly," said Scarrend. "An anti-tech pulse disrupts power and drains power sources. Anything remotely unstable will explode, but well built reactors with good redundancy will just shut down and lose their power reserves. Power can be restarted manually."

  "It'll kill the Vore," Yvian told him. "All of them. The Xill, too."

  "And Reba, we hope," said Lissa. "Organic sapients won't be affected, but anyone Synthetic will be shut down."

  "I'm pretty sure she's got at least one organic with her," said Mims. "Probably Barils. The second the big Pulse is over, we're going to send a fleet to her sector. Blow her to hell before she can get her forces back online."

  "I'm sending the fleet," said Scarrend. "Reba tried to destroy my species. Her head is mine to take."

  "With all tech shut down across the gaxy she'll have nowhere to run," Yvian added.

  The Tallest hmmed. "Killing Vore good. Killing Xill good." He frowned. "Very dangerous. If Xill find out, they kill us all."

  "That's why we're keeping it secret," said Mims. "The only people that know the pn are Exodus, the Peacekeepers, and the people on this ship right now."

  "Then why you tell Tallest?" asked Fightsmart. "Reba spying on Confed. Could find out. Tell Xill. Big risk."

  "We know," said Mims. "We've gotta do some stuff to prep for the Pulse, but we don't want to give the game away. We need cover to hide our intentions."

  King Tallest scratched his head. "Cover? Excuse?" His eyes narrowed. "You pnning war. War with Confederation."

  "We've technically been at war for a while now," said Mims. "The bastards are still ensving pixens in their space."

  "My people are at war as well," said Scarrend. "We'll enjoy partaking in the hunt."

  "War." King Tallest shook his massive head. "You want Tallest to help conquer Confed?"

  "We won't need help," said Mims. "Between the Queenships and the Vrrl, there's not a damn thing the Confed can do to stop us."

  "We just don't want to fight you," said Lissa, "and we're going to need help rescuing our people in the Confed once the Pulse hits."

  The King considered that. "You three good krog. You said before you not loyal. Not true." He grunted. "Not fight krog is good. Krog best and strongest. Good friend. Bad enemy." He chugged another beer. "This be good opportunity. Confed asses are dumb. Krog wanted out for centuries, but not have numbers to win war of independence." He grinned. "Now not so sure. Maybe krog don't leave Confed. Maybe krog take Confed over."

  "Works for me," said Yvian. She frowned. "You guys stopped doing the sve thing, right?"

  "No pixen sves," Tallest corrected. "Can't abolish altogether. Rest of Confed threatening war already." He scowled. "Say Tallest is radical. Call Tallest's ass dumb! It good thing Tallest have Krogtech, now. Had to bribe lots to not get invaded." His scowl transformed into a wicked smile. "Tallest like this pn. Maybe now Tallest show Council who's ass is dumb."