Waves of nausea swam in Morrigan’s head, turning her stomach as she stepped slowly through the main corridor of the Federation Destroyer, making her way towards the bridge from the primary hanger the Archangel anchored at as dozens of troopers made their final push to steal anything that had not been nailed down.

  Morrigan had spent a day and a half waiting aboard her own ship, patiently counting the hours allowing her crew the chance to feel a sense of accomplishment that would serve to keep morale high. She was also unsure how well she would fair against 20,000 to 30,000 Federation marines and personnel despite her abilities.

  What she did not expect, though realistically she knew better than to think any differently, was the gravity of stepping over or around the piles of bodies that stretched across the gore-stained halls of the ship; some bodies having been moved to the auxiliary hanger to make way for the Archangel crew that looted the ship and yet, even without bodies, the corridors held an echo of what transpired that no amount of cleaning would ever erase.

  Despite everything she had done up until that moment in her life, all of those she had killed with her own hands and all of the blood she had spilled; the wholesale slaughter of an entire ship on her order reached her the most.

  It's a bit wobbly in here kid, you alright? Apollyon inquired, the deity’s voice causing the nausea to hit harder as her head spun.

  To make matters worse, Xol called out behind her, having been sent to find Havoc squad, “Red Death, I bring the slave warriors,” he rumbled, the vibrations of his tone resonated in her stomach the moment she stepped into a pool of coagulation in an attempt to step over a body. Her boot stuck to the floor for a moment before a thick sucking sound followed her rising foot.

  Without warning, she wretched and vomited. Talk about adding insult to injury hehehe, damn, what did you eat? I don’t remember it looking like that, Apollyon mused at her expense as she groaned and spit residue bile from her mouth to find that she had puked on a body, the green and yellow bile creating a more grotesque sight of the dark crimson corpse at her feet.

  “Commander!” Jackson exclaimed, his medical professionalism kicking in as he rushed forward only to get snatched up by the back of his armor by Xol who hissed angrily as he bore his fangs at him.

  Morrigan looked over her shoulder to see Havoc squad eyeing her with subjective curiosity and the team’s medic dangling from Xol’s thick arm before turning away to wipe her mouth, maintaining what little dignity she had left in the moment.

  “You knew I was going to puke, dick,” she growled in her mind at a cackling Apollyon before taking a deep breath as her stomach and head balanced out.

  Of course, you passed up a great opportunity! Did you forget our deal? You kill and I help keep you alive long enough to see your desire made reality and yet, you did nothing but sit on that pretty little ass of yours! I’m bored out of your skull, woman!

  Morrigan let out a low hiss of irritation at Apollyon before turning her attention to the group behind her.

  “First of all, they’re not slaves, Xol. If that comes out of our mouth again and I will kick your teeth in,” she stated, leaving no room for argument as her gaze bore into Xol in near tangible disappointment. Having lived a life of slavery far longer than she had, she would have figured Xol would be more mindful however, was reminded that despite the Marmuro’k being a rather intricately advanced race, their trains of thought were still tribal at best.

  “Second, put Mr. Jackson down and third… I’m fine, Jackson. I appreciate it but I’m just…” she paused as eyed the gore smeared walls and floor of the corridor, “Coming to terms with my decision.”

  She watched as several members looked to one another; casting veiled looks before some of them nodded understanding. Xol complied and set Jackson down gently, refusing to meet Morrigan’s eyes as he returned to his normal stoic stature.

  “Are you sure? I can always give you a quick check up and…” Jackson was cut off by Morrigan raising her hand before swallowing hard, trying to ignore the subtle acidic flavor that coated her mouth.

  “Really, thank you but I’m alright. However, I do want to tell you all that I appreciate with how you handled this mission. I received a report that you were the ones who disabled the automated defenses on top of disabling the FTL drive, meaning you are the reason we… suffered minimal casualties,” she said with a sense of pride in the team yet heartbreak over the near anonymous soldiers who fell in the raid.

  In a sudden shifting of gears she sighed, crossing her arms and looking to the floor in shame, “I know it’s hypocritical for me to yell at him for calling you slaves when I essentially gave you an ultimatum that could ultimately end in death either way… though you all agreed to serve the Inquisition you all have proven yourselves both capable and at least having your interests aligned with ours enough to keep yourselves alive…”

  Morrigan looked up to see a group of curious and uncertain faces which caused her to smirk slightly, “I appreciate what you did. Even though I don’t know every single face of those who call the Archangel home, I care for every single person aboard my ship… so, I spoke with the bridge crew and department heads; Between successfully accomplishing the goals I set for you to the best of your abilities as well as performing outstandingly on your first combat mission under my command; I will be granting you all significantly more freedoms aboard the Archangel.” The response was positive as Henry and Aleksei clapped loudly, startling everyone for the moment which made Morrigan giggle.

  “But,” she interjected regaining their attention, “I would like you all to maintain your respective jobs, especially those who have various training classes with the combat crews. Also, I will send a list of off limit areas- as much as I hate to admit it but the level of trust to give you free reign of my ship has not been met, especially for the department leaders.”

  “So, does that mean I can make explosives?” Aleksei asked sheepishly, raising his hand as if in a classroom not that he waited to be called on.

  Morrigan pursed her lips in thought, suddenly uncertain how much freedom she was about to hand out however, she did not have the time nor patience to handle checking into every single one of the 38 departments throughout the Archangel.

  “I’ll leave that up to Danson, while working in the R&D decks he will be your supervisor of sorts,” she stated which seemed to satisfy the giant man.

  To her surprise, Ebony was next to raise her hand. Morrigan shifted her gaze towards her and nodded, giving her permission to speak. “Ma’am, I know this is going to be an odd request but… I was hoping you would allow me to run trials against the ship’s A.I.?” Ebony asked boldly despite the worried undertone.

  Morrigan furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, “What do you mean?”

  Ebony chewed on her lip as she held up her data-slate, “Frankly… the Inquisition’s data-slates are better than what the Federation use, which I do appreciate you giving me a new one but I graduated the top of my class in my academy…” Ebony sighed as she rambled before refocusing her gaze and steeled her nerves, “What I’m trying to say is, I had my ass handed to me by Sister. Though I’m aware I have no chance of ever beating something as sophisticated and advanced as an A.I., I was hoping I could at least have Sister train me and help me improve my skills…”

  The requested surprised Morrigan as she nodded along listening, processing what it was Ebony was asking however, with her lack of expertise in hacking and the capabilities of Sister, she had no way of giving a definitive response to something that convoluted.

  “I’ll consider it,” she stated sharply, “I will have to speak with Sister and see what kind of safety protocols can be put in place, no offense,” she added though she did not hide her contempt for allowing an expert hacker anywhere near the ship’s A.I.

  Ebony did have a point though, Morrigan recalled Sister’s report and ease at overcoming Ebony’s attempts to hack into the ship though that barely put a dent in her worry for something as sensitive as Sister. On the other hand, between having Ebony hone her skills and pass down those skills to more Inquisition soldiers was an added benefit, especially if her troops became skilled enough to hold their own against something like Sister.

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  Ebony however, sighed in relief before nodding sharply, “I understand.”

  Morrigan looked to everyone else, “In the mean time, if you find anything aboard this ship that can be of use for you, feel free to take it. I’m aware not all of the Inquisition’s supplies will work with your gear, or you can requisition new gear if you’d like; if you do, I’ll make sure the quartermasters see your orders filled,” Morrigan ended with finality as she finished her speech.

  Before she could dismiss them, an excited honking squawk came from behind her causing her to turn and find Yekku precariously carrying a box of miscellaneous parts she couldn’t identify as he stepped carefully around the bodies that littered the floor.

  “Hey buddy,” Morrigan said sweetly as the S’randin sidled up next to her and brushed his face against her arm. “What do you have there?” she asked curiously as she peered into the box for a closer look as she pulled his head against her side in a hug. Ever since her promotion to Lord Inquisitor she had seen Yekku less and less, both of them being busy; Yekku worked endlessly as an integral part of the development side of Danson’s department while she handled running the ship within her scope of duties. If anything, it hurt her pride filled heart to see Yekku go from being the obsessive lizard-creature to being nearly independent of her the more comfortable he became on the Archangel, making her miss the quirky alien more than usual.

  Yekku bobbed his head up happily, making sure to brush his snout against her cheek as nearly everyone in Havoc squad stared awkwardly at the S’randin, all but Aleksei, who had seen Yekku around the R&D deck.

  Yekku chirped endlessly as he looked down in the box, explaining everything he found despite Morrigan still having no clue what he had looted and unable to follow his explanation. Regardless, she gave him a tight smile as he chirped excitedly and listened intently to his nonsense, “That’s awesome sweetie, as long as it makes you happy,” she said neutrally, letting Yekku have his moment as she ran her hand along the frill on top of his head like she always had.

  “Hey, its chirping guy!” Aleksei announced as he stepped forward, holding out his massive fist for a fist-bump.

  Yekku went silent with wide eyes as he stared at Aleksei’s fist, processing the motion before curling the tip of his long slender tail and touching it to Aleksei’s knuckles before looking to Aleksei with a cocked head, as if confirming with him that he had done it correctly.

  Both Morrigan and Aleksei laughed as Aleksei’s exuberance began to come to the surface, “Got it, Chirp, wait, are those capacitor casings?” Aleksei asked having noticed the box of contents Yekku carried.

  Yekku bobbed his head in his usual spastic way before warbling at the box before looking back the way he came.

  Morrigan stifled her laugh as much as she could as she watched Aleksei’s face twist in confusion as he struggled to understand Yekku, which was a pointless battle for everyone but Xol.

  However, Aleksei apparently ignored the lack of ability to communicate and leaned down in excitement, placing a massive hand on the slender S’randin’s shoulder, “You must show me!”

  Yekku bobbed his head sharply before turning and, despite the obstacles along the floor, managed to sprint half way down the hall before turning back and squawking. Wasting no time at all, Aleksei bound over the corpses of slain marines managing to keep pace with the agile Marmuro’k as they ran off to loot more items they both found interest in.

  Dismissing the remaining team, Morrigan continued her way through the ship, wandering aimlessly as everyone around her began the final preparations of hauling the last of the spoils of war, returning to her thoughts.

  “Is this what it’s like to be a leader? To make decisions that can lead to, this?” She asked herself more than anyone.

  Right-o, kid. Positions of power always come with power to throw around, especially in war. One command and entire civilizations have been razed to the ground, Apollyon answered, not needing to be asked.

  “But this could have been my crew, couldn’t it? Any decision I make affects more than just my enemies…” she responded, knowing the answer already. Morrigan knew all along what the command of a general can do, having faced a mad man like Amaranthe before as well as being forced into a seat of power of her own, even if it was simply over a single ship for the time being.

  Yep, that’s the weight of responsibility of a leader. Our word, it controls reality-controls the lives of those around you, just as much as the way you control destruction with a single flick of your wrist, Apollyon interjected before sidetracking, Just think about all the great conquerors of time: Khan, Caesar, Augustus, Napoleon, the Catholic Church and that’s just a few yet all of them had one thing in common; thousands upon thousands upon thousands died by their word-their decisions. Sometimes the enemy suffered more or sometimes their own but, in the end, war is a cold-hearted mistress you keep locked in your shed, Apollyon stated with a hint of aroused sass.

  Morrigan’s nose scrunched as she tried not to laugh as she processed what the deity was trying to say, fixating on the random shed anecdote in an attempt to make sense of it. After a moment of walking, she sighed again, stopping and looking into one of many storage rooms one that had seen a very bloody firefight as bodies were piled in a corner while her troops had emptied out the room.

  “I get it but… I caused this. As much as I hate the Federation this seems like… a lot,” she muttered aloud, feeling her nerves settle as the reality of her decision set in as the inevitability it was, which was Apollyon’s entire point.

  “I just, I worry that I will end up making the wrong decision and get everyone killed… I wasn’t lying when I said I cared about everyone on my ship-you know how I feel about everyone after all… the Eskarii, the Marmuro’k, the CoU, the Inquisition. What happens if one of my decisions gets them killed? What happens if they suffer because of my ridiculous dream of unifying the masses and bringing down the Federation? What if this is all just pointless?!” Morrigan’s voice rose as she ranted, reaching a crescendo aligned with a shout into the near empty, blood-stained room as her breathing became haggard the more her anxious doubt crept into her heart.

  First of all, if it was pointless, I wouldn't be helping you. Sure, yeah, your dream is a bit too touchy feely for me but if it was pointless and unobtainable, I wouldn’t bother wasting my time guiding you in the right direction. If you want the Federation to fall and unite your precious little species, fine, but war is the only solution. Gather your allies and spread as much chaos for your enemies until you are ready for the grand old showdown at high noon, then you make it hurt in a way they will never forget.

  “Yeah, but you get freedom from your prison…” Morrigan muttered as a cynical counterargument.

  Apollyon sighed in contempt when she interrupted its lecture about second guessing herself before continuing, Sure, freedom is nice but I could have lived listening to you all kill each other as well. You, though, are the something that transcends the little moral dilemma you’re having, the living essence of a primordial force that is judge, jury and executioner of reality. Who are you to doubt yourself, and who is anyone dumb enough to doubt you? As annoying as it is, your intentions are pure and your methods, with my guidance, brings the results you need.

  Apollyon chuckled to itself for a moment, But to answer your question, fuck “what” and tell “if” to suck your… well I guess that phrase doesn’t work with you but in the end it doesn’t matter! Power demands sacrifice just as much as peace demands! Those who believe in your dream will fall upon the sword of war with or without your order, Mori. So, sacrifice what you must to gain and hold your power and sacrifice for the sake of peace, girl, for power and peace will be the two sides of the same coin in your future. Now, would be the time to leave a very distinct message for your enemy to see, something to seed fear into their spine before you rip it out of them.

  Morrigan swallowed hard as her eyes darted around the room, her anxiety swelling as she considered what Apollyon said. She knew, deep inside, that Apollyon wasn’t lying to her. In a very Apollyon-like fashion, it was telling her what she needed to realize about herself as well as her future yet to come, and yet, she struggled with the idea of being okay with the deaths of those around her for the sake of the greater goal, something she knew would be inevitable if it were to ever come to fruition.

  She bit her lip nervously as she turned back towards the hall, letting the familiar crimson energy dance between her fingers as she watched each spectral claw wrap around one of her fingers like an extension of her being, forcing herself to watch the abnormality of her existence within the universe.

  She focused on the space between her fingers, watching the energy warp the air as it eliminated the artificial oxygen and atmosphere as the bright red energy arched from one finger to the next before a single claw apparated and faded as she desired, the subconscious and conscious working together to warp reality with the most destructive element in existence, Apollyon… or was it herself? She wondered.

  An hour passed as she leaned against the corridor wall, losing herself deeper within, and feeling the core of herself as an amalgamation of the essence of Apollyon with that of her humanity; or what she considered her humanity to be. The more she watched the abnormality the more it began to feel normal, not just physically but psychologically, metaphysically and emotionally.

  “Oi, lass!” came the familiar voice of Sigurd from down the corridor.

  She looked up to see the gore-stained Berserker striding up the hall with a bright grin reflecting his contentment as he approached.

  “Please tell me we get to do this again!” he asked with enthusiasm, raising his arms as he did a brief, twirling jig as he came close enough for her to see the dried, sticky blood crack across his cheeks.

  A small smile of appreciation crept across her face before Morrigan looked back to her open hand, closing her fingers around the crimson energy in her palm, “Yes,” she said with certainty, her decision made; the Federation would fall in time, no matter the cost and peace would be paid in blood.

  The erasure of existence; death; it was the key to everything she wanted, or so Apollyon said, and reality felt inclined to agree.