It started out simply enough. Just a means to meet people and get to know a little about the city she?d been sent to investigate for the Council. RhyDin, it sounded like some little backwater place that hadn?t thrilled Selys when she?d been pulled away from her assignment working on the high tech spheres, but now that she was here, it wasn?t such a bad place. In fact, it was rather amazing. When she?d landed at Star?s End and walked out of the terminal, she?d been shocked to find people, well, creatures might be more accurate, walking around carrying swords! Swords of all things! She?d spent the next weeks learning her way around town, and discovering that people believed in magic. For Selys, magic was simply someone?s ability to manipulate an energy that she didn?t have a handle on yet, but they believed it was something very different. And in truth, she?d seen some pretty amazing things. RhyDin was truly a fascinating place.

She?d taken a job one night a week hosting the Inn?s patrons on a night when it wasn?t overly crowded and she could get to know some of the locals. And that?s where this story begins.

Deco Tornado showed up one night when it was quiet. There were only 4 or 5 patrons about, and when he walked in, Selys gave him a smile and a greeting. She introduced herself and of course asked if she could get him anything. He was a charming gentleman who wore the oddest armor she?d ever seen. As it turned out, it was fashioned after far Eastern military styles. Deco had a white beard, his double katanas, and his armor. He was gentle, funny, and he made Selys laugh with his antics, but underneath, there was something more about him that drew her back to him time and again. She found it odd that he tried to dance wearing full armor, and teased him about it on several occasions. After several weeks, he showed up one night wearing a dark blue-black armor rather than the red and black that was somewhat lighter and gave him a little more freedom for dancing. She found it odd that he felt the need to wear armor in the public Inn, but for some reason he seemed reluctant to leave the armor behind.

Deco became a regular, and before long, she was looking forward to his arrival and found herself watching the door if he wasn?t already there when she arrived to open. Then one night he presented her with a blue rose. The first serious gift he?d given her. Oh, they?d joked and teased and danced together, and he?d given her several of his beloved floating pet fishes, but the rose was different. It marked a turning point in their friendship. He?d always been sweet, if perhaps a bit shy, but Selys found that she loved his company. He was the one person she discovered that she missed when he wasn?t around.

When she?d left Tau Ceti, she?d been too caught up in her work to have time for the frivolity of a relationship. The memories of the destruction of her first home still ran hot, and she?d thrown herself into her work because one day, they?d have a chance to repay the mechwarriors who?d utterly destroyed Nu Ceti. They?d wrought destruction planet wide, there wasn?t so much as a blade of dried grass, or thorny thistle left alive there. The few survivors who made it to Tau Ceti were all that was left, and for now, they were in hiding, trying to rebuild in a new world that was hopefully off the radar of the invaders.

So leaving had been difficult for Selys. Finding Deco in this little off the star chart world was an unexpected, but very nice surprise. She couldn?t pin point the exact moment that she knew she?d fallen for him, but she knew she had. Until one night, he brought back her nightmares.

It was the Samhain party at the Inn. Everyone had come in costume, and even Icer showed off her dance moves in costume. The frivolity turned into terror though for Selys when Deco transformed into his mechanical identity. Selys dropped the drinks she was delivering at the sight of a long time enemy looming before her in the center of the Inn. She?d had no idea that behind the adorable man she knew as Deco was a Zel warrior capable of transforming into the very monster that destroyed her home. And it got worse from there. Deco transformed back into his humanoid form, startled by her reaction to him. He sought to calm her, and as he sat down with her to talk, she learned that he?d been at the destruction of her world. Deco had been among those who?d decimated the Cetian populace!

Selys? world collapsed around her. The man she loved was one of the enemy. Deco was the very thing she?d sworn to help destroy. How could this happen? How could she fall for the enemy? She and Deco had agreed to go flying together the next day, but that was before she knew that Deco was one of the hated Zel. She didn?t show up for the flight, she needed time to think about what was happening to her.

Deco was ever the gentleman. He never pressed her, and gave her the room and time to think. And in that time, Selys discovered that she needed Deco around more than she needed to hate him for being a Zel. He?d only done what his orders had directed him to do. It hadn?t been personal, and in fact, Deco was now freed from the controlling powers that had sent him to destroy her home, and many others before that. The Hacker had freed Deco, and now Deco was a hunted Zel. Deco, Moxy, Jourdain, they were all partially liberated and because of their freedom, they were sought by the very group they?d escaped from. It wouldn?t do to have Zel escaping and living their own lives as freethinking entities.

Selys paused, Deco wasn?t human, and he wasn?t wholly machine. He was a unique blend of organic and inorganic. She loved the organic Deco, but she was terrified of the machine Deco. ?What a mess? she mused as she headed back to the Inn, knowing that he would be there.

Selys returned home the third night of shutting down Deco in an effort to try to protect Jourdain and herself and to buy the time the needed to get the antivirus. She sat on the settee beside Deco?s inert form, talking to him as if he were there, awake, and paying attention to him. Suddenly, without any warning, his hand shot out and grabbed her arm, crushing down on her painfully. Apparently even in his deactivated state, the fact that she was talking to him could activate minimal reactions, but it also ate up the battery life, shortening their 10 days. But Selys quickly discovered that somehow, Druss was driving Deco?s movements. He had come to reclaim Deco?s body and return him to the AsusX.

Deco animated and made for the doors, but Selys was quicker, locking and sealing the doors. He?d have to break through the house, but there wasn?t enough power there for him to transform into the monster she feared above all others, and she stood her ground before the doors, pleading with the Deco she knew was still inside, desperately trying to reach him, to stop him from escaping and being reclaimed by Druss remotely.

The battle for Deco?s body was on. Druss had control of the animation; Selys had Deco?s heart. Deco?s body tried to go through her, around her, and like a rat caught in a trap, tried anything to get past her. She called up shields to protect her from Deco, and when he battered her too hard; she drew her Eagle and fired, point blank at him. Four rounds made him step back. His own shields protected him, but the energy drain was huge. As Selys was reaching her limits of standing against Deco and Druss, Deco answered her at last. He?d fought Druss the only way he could, and that resulted in damage to his implant. But Deco was free. He could no longer connect with the AsusX, and his shields were weak to non-existent, but he was free!

Selys wrapped her arms tightly around him. She embraced the enemy.

Deco?s functions were impaired. His eyes a faded shade of citron, but he was Deco, and not a puppet of Druss. Selys was worried, they had to find a way to repair his implant because Druss wasn?t going to give up, and Deco without shields was much too risky. But the Hacker had said he couldn?t repair the implant. Deco needed a new implant. Again, they needed to get onboard the AsusX.

Days later, Selys was sitting talking to Deco when a new voice reached across the nets of her telepathy. Her blood ran cold as Druss spoke quite plainly to her, as though he had walked into the room. She went very still, causing Deco to ask her what was happening. She clung to Deco as Druss very calmly told her that he?d decided on a price for Deco, Jourdain, and Moxy?s freedom. Druss wanted Selys to deliver The Hacker to him, dead. If she would agree to do that, he would give her a code that would activate Deco?s second power source, and they could have the antivirus. But, she had to deliver The Hacker?s body in a matter of weeks.

The alternative should she refuse was that Druss would activate Deco?s power source, and the one activating it would be the one to control the commands for Deco. Druss made it quite clear that if he activated Deco?s commands, the command would be to seek and destroy Moxy, Jourdain, and the Hacker.

Selys looked at Deco, he could not hear the conversation, but she knew that a repaired Deco, with programming to kill the others would be something she couldn?t allow to happen. She made the deal with the devil himself and agreed to deliver The Hacker to Druss. He gave her the code, and taunted her. Love, he?d said, had broken the implant, but no matter how quaint Deco?s actions, Selys would now be the one giving orders to the Zel, how did she feel about ordering her ?man? around, and then he closed the connection.

Selys didn?t trust Druss, and she began asking Deco questions about a code and what it might mean. She learned that the code which began with 773 meant that it was directed at a Series 7 Zel, but the 7 series were incredibly new. Deco knew that the 7 Series were designed to be compatible with Cetian DNA, and was in fact derived from the conquered Cetian race. The plan by the Zel?s designers was to find a cheaper means of producing Zel warriors by breeding them instead of making them. Deco was unable to breed any race. He was designed as a warrior, and that meant he was never meant for romantic relationships. His job was finely detailed, but didn?t include mating.

Selys? blood ran cold. Druss had used telepathy to contact her. Was it possible that he had been upgraded to a series 7 and held the innate abilities of her people? Time was running out, if she didn?t activate the code on Deco, Druss would. She had no choice really but to take the chance that she could give him commands that would keep Jourdain and Moxy safe, and try to keep him from ever contacting the AsusX mainframe again. If she could keep him from connecting to their systems, maybe she could keep him from receiving programming that would destroy him, or the rest of them. She spoke the code and instantly Deco went limp. She knew a moment of panic, wondering if she?d deactivated him for good.

Deco moved, and the automatonic voice asked for input commands. Her mind raced and she gave the command to protect Jourdain and Moxy. He accepted the command and requested further parameters to the order. She gave them to him, all the while wondering what loophole she was missing. Then she gave the command to not connect to the AsusX mainframe. Deco accepted the orders, and Selys? heart fell. Was this what life would be like now? Was Druss? parting shot meant to torment her for as long as Deco survived? It was better than letting Druss give the commands!

What Selys didn?t know was that even as she began giving the programming commands, nanobots inside of Deco had been activated by the code. They were busily at work modifying Deco from the inside out. The command activated the programming that would turn Deco into a 7 Series Zel. The latest innovation in the arsenal of destruction.

Over the next days, Deco grew taller. His eyes shone a brilliant cobalt blue, and the clock had been turned back to the day after his original making. His white beard was now jet black and ebony hair covered his once bald pate. He was the picture of perfection. He stopped wearing armor, choosing instead fine suits, designer shoes, silk ties and tailored shirts. This was Adonis come to life. Where once Selys has only been slightly shorter than Deco, he now towered over her like an avenging angel.

The changed didn?t stop with just the external features. Deco?s mannerisms changed. He was more solicitous in trying to make her happy. He knew the right things to say and when to say them, and he knew how to touch her in every imaginable facet. Selys had loved the old Deco. She stood no chance against this new one.

Selys fell asleep wrapped in Deco?s arms. But her dreams were anything but peaceful. Visions of happiness at the news she and Deco were expecting quickly turned into nightmares of being rent open as a fully grown Zel warrior emerged from her dying body. From there, it expanded, she saw thousands of women just like herself being destroyed as a fully developed Zel shredded through leaving bloodied bodies in their wakes. The 7 Series Zel were based on Cetian DNA, and the backdrop for these nightmares was Tau Ceti itself. They?d returned. The mech warriors returned to finish the job of killing every last Cetian. Only this time, they finished it by breeding more of their kind on the unwilling females of Tau Ceti.

Selys woke in a cold sweat. She had to warn them! She had to make sure these new 7 Series didn?t pass themselves off as viable mates on Ceti. She started to crawl out of bed only to find Deco?s arms still wrapped around her. She froze, she was unwilling to awaken him, because he?d not want her to go, and she had to; she simply had to warn them before it was too late. But what if it was already too late? What if these new Zel were already there and these nightmares were more than just her imagination? What if these were the last thoughts of women who?d already died so far away and only now was she getting the message?

If she left now, she could be in Tau Ceti in 3 days, assuming she could catch a guild ship. Her shuttle couldn?t get that far, but it could get her to a pick up point. She had to warn them that their nemesis was about to descend upon them in a manner so insidious as to be nearly unbelievable. She?d take the blood sample results with her to show them?. Selys paused. Show them what? That there were nanobots in Deco?s blood that worked on hers and then stopped? She had no proof yet that anything bad would happen. She sighed, still tense as a bow string in Deco?s arms.

Besides, she couldn?t leave now, not with Druss? deadline looming before her. She forced herself to remain where she was, focusing on analyzing what she knew, and what was conjecture at this point. Deco stirred and pulled her closer, as if her racing mind had disturbed his sleep. Given that he could now use telepathy, and she?d not paid any attention to shielding her thoughts, it was possible that she had awakened him. She?d grown lax since arriving in RhyDin about protecting her thoughts. No one around her seemed to possess the talent, and there?d been no need to expend the energy required to keep her mind shielded. Things had now changed. Deco could read her thoughts and her emotions.

The next day saw a lot of excitement when a large yacht was delivered. They had invited Jourdain and Moxy to move onto some of the extra hectares of land, and that day saw a great deal of activity as they prepared a berthing spot for the yacht, and Jourdain moved into the house on the hill. Everyone arrived to christen the yacht and poke around to see what it came with and what was needed. They?d enjoyed some drinks, and broke in the new dance floor on the second level. In general there was a great deal of fanfare as Midnight entertained Kairee in the pool, and Chryrie, Moxy, Deco, Jourdain and Selys relaxed in the lounge. All in all, the day had been pretty full and filled with good company.

As things wound down, Deco went up onto the foredeck, and Selys followed. He stood there in the afternoon light wearing a metallic suit unlike anything she?d seen before. She paused and asked him what it was, but before she finished the question, Deco transformed into the monster of her night terrors. This was the second time he?d done it, and the reaction was no different. Selys staggered backwards as he leapt from the bow of the yacht onto the sand. She didn?t wait to see what would happen next. She ran for all she was worth. The only thought in her mind was to get away. Run! And she did. She fled to the skybox, where Jourdain soon found her cowering amidst pillows, clutching them for all she was worth.

Jourdain sat down gingerly, asking her what was wrong. Wrong? The only thing wrong was that Deco had just become the thing of nightmares and terrors. They hadn?t talked long when Deco arrived, thankfully in his organic form. If he?d come as a Zel warrior, Selys might have leapt from the skybox she was still that mortified by that form. She lost all cognizance of Deco the man when she was confronted with Deco the Zel Warrior.

She?d hurt Deco?s feelings and never even tried to. He was disappointed in her fleeing from him instead of watching him give her the ?gift? he?d planned for her. What Selys missed was the destruction of that form. The Series 7 Zel were not designed for that metallic and composite destruction machine form. Deco had meant to give her the gift of seeing it destroyed, but she?d fled from him in an all consuming terror instead.

He was hurt that she?d run FROM him instead of TO him, and Selys? heart was still racing from the terror of having the warrior appear right in front of her with no warning. She sat as far back as she could, still clutching the pillow and wide eyed in fright as he announced that he?d be sleeping aboard the yacht instead of up in the skybox with Selys. Then he vanished in the transporter, leaving Jourdain alone with her.

Selys was sick. Not only had she been a coward and run from the mech warrior form, she?d hurt Deco. Jourdain tried to make her feel better about it, suggesting that her terror was understandable, and perhaps Deco should have given her some warning, but it didn?t make her feel any better. She loved Deco. She should be able to rely on him for strength and moral support. Instead, she?d fled from him. It was no wonder he was choosing to sleep elsewhere.

Jourdain remained for some time. They talked about setting up the meeting with The Hacker, he had created her new identity that should get her aboard the AsusX. Selys sighed, asking Jourdain if she would be likely to run into any Zel in that form. She gave Selys a level look, ?In the training areas, yes.? Selys frowned. She?d HAVE to get over having a panic attack at the first sight of one of those monsters.

After Jourdain left, Selys paced the skybox for another hour or so. She couldn?t sleep, she missed Deco. And so, with uncertainty, she headed for the yacht. She?d curl up beside him if he?d let her.

Druss? use of telepathy to reach her was strong; too strong for someone new to its use. Selys looked around the Inn at everyone, who?d seen her falter when Druss contacted her, and they?d all come upstairs. They?d all seen him, hovering just off the beach. He was no bad dream, Druss was here, and he knew that she?d not slain The Hacker when given opportunity.

Selys was cold inside. Friday could not arrive soon enough. That was the day that she?d board the shuttle that would take her to the AsusX. Deco drew her beneath his shoulder, wrapping an arm around her. He?d been party to some of the telepathy that Druss had used, and that she?d replied in. It would take him some time to be able to sort out who was speaking and which voice went with which person, but for the moment, he was confused by the jumble of thoughts he?d picked up on from Druss and Selys. The only thing clear was that Druss was charged with returning freed Zel, and he would do everything possible to make sure no Zel remained at large and free. The Hacker had to die since he was the only one capable of hacking into the systems once he cracked command codes and setting Zel free. He was the biggest danger to Druss and his superiors.

He looked at her, it was going to be nearly impossible for him to remain behind when she boarded the shuttle that would take her into hostile territory alone. He wouldn?t be there to protect her as he?d been so far. Kitty offered to hold him here in RhyDin, but Deco didn?t think she was strong enough to do it alone. But Kitty was Morhedhel and Dragon. Her powers of the mind were quite impressive. Even Selys had never seen her truly angry.

Selys jested with Kitty that perhaps her husband Tass could come in Dragon form and sit on Deco to keep him here. Kitty grinned wickedly, ?I thought you wanted him held here, not squashed.?

Selys shot Kitty a grin, it was unlikely that even Tass in his native form was large enough to squash Deco. He might be able to hold him here, but certainly not turn him into a pancake. But what wasn?t funny was that she?d be leaving Deco behind, venturing into a world that belonged to the destroyers of Nu Ceti. These people took destruction seriously, and had no qualms about killing. If she were caught, she?d be dead before anyone could ever guess.

Deco took her home after her shift and they sat in the front yard listening to the waves roll in behind their swing. He grew quite serious then, ?I need to tell you how to kill a Series 7 Zel.? She peered up at him, the time had come to put the final touches on their machinations to save Moxy, and destroy the AsusX. He continued, ?you can only kill a 7 Series with a ventor blade through the heart, but it must go through the heart into the power unit behind. The death will be slow and painful, but it is the only way.?

Selys cringed; she?d have to face Druss to do this. No dagger in the back, she?d have to look the Zel General in the eyes as she stabbed him. And then there was the part about it being slow. If she wasn?t quick enough, he could grab her and crush the life out of her while he died. She didn?t like that option. And to be honest, Selys had never killed anything that up close and personally. She?d far rather blow Druss up than go toe to toe with him to stick a dagger in his heart.

Friday would be here soon enough.

Selys awoke to find Deco already gone. His ship was decommissioned due to age and the scarcity of parts, and he?d gone to see what he could find for a replacement. That gave her time to pack for her looming departure; which neither she nor Deco seemed inclined to speak about. This was going to be a one shot deal. She wouldn?t get a second chance to take out the AsusX. She packed five of the cerulean membraned spheres. The pale green liquid was the highly refined explosive that she?d use to send the core into meltdown. These were the largest of the spheres at 40mm diameter, but still small enough that they would be difficult to spot unless someone were specifically looking for them. They weighed 94 grams each. Tiny things she mused as she packed them, tiny things that should be the ticket to destroying the AsusX.

She considered next her diversion. She would need to find a way to divert attention to the initial explosions in the core section, and Deco had told her that Zel were pretty much impervious to gaseous attacks, but, they were not impervious to acids or electrical shock. She packed 10 of the purple spheres. These were the acid that would pretty much eat through any metal out there. The red portion was the refined acid and the opaque silvery liquid activated it. Due to the chemistry of the liquids, this acid would travel fast and eat holes through anything metal that it splattered onto. These spheres are 25mm in diameter and weigh 87 grams.

Selys decided to couple the acid with electrical discharge spheres as her diversion. The electrical spheres wouldn?t hurt the Zel per se, but they would be a surprise and cause momentary confusion she hoped. These spheres bore a light teal membrane with a lime green fluid on one side, and clear on the other. Anyone in the shatter zone of this 20mm sphere would receive a nasty jolt of electricity. She took 8 of these with her.

The spheres were actually beautiful to look at, and so far, no one had ever questioned what they were. To almost anyone who saw them, which were few and far between, they looked like oversized children?s marbles. They were a decoration rather than a destructive device to the casual observer. Then as a last minute decision, she added 2 of the 18mm red and silver spheres. While Zel might be impervious to the effects of this sphere, she was not, and if she were captured, she could assure herself a quick end. This one causes all nerve synapses to cease functioning. Death is almost instantaneous as complete system wide nervous failure occurs. She packed them away as a precaution.

Just when she thought things couldn?t get more complex, the afternoon took on a new dimension in trouble. Jourdain arrived in the skybox bloodied and seriously injured. She?d encountered 30 of the new 7 Series Zel, and from what Selys could make out from her words, they?d been sent as a raiding party to begin their breeding trials on human females. She?d taken on the entire group, and lived to tell the story.

Deco was incredulous by her tale. Selys called for Chryrie to come heal her, and as they awaited her arrival, Jourdain revealed that she was a Shadow Zel. Deco had told her that Shadow Zel were a myth. Legends told to frighten other Zel, and yet here was Jourdain claiming to be just such a bogey man.

Deco didn?t believe her, and as she explained that not only was she a Shadow Zel, but so was the Hacker, he disowned Jourdain as his sister. He was furious at her claim, and it seemed that he felt betrayed as well. Secrets! Deco was feeling as though he were naught but a pawn in some sick game not of his choosing. He?d been ?freed? by The Hacker, only to have Druss try to reclaim him, and then Selys had used a code on him to keep Druss from regaining control, but none of this had been his choice. It had all been determined by others. Deco was frustrated and angry, and he took out some of that by denying Jourdain.

Jourdain was hurt by Deco?s behavior, and it took both Chryrie and Selys by surprise. Selys, trying to be a peacemaker attempted to sooth Deco but he was most adamant that the Shadow Zel were the source of all Zel, and that they were the cause for so much of the suffering and experimentation done to the Zel. He said that the Shadow Zel were power hungry and many other hurtful things. But to Selys, Jourdain and The Hacker had been nothing but good for the Zel. And now, on the cusp of her leaving Deco in an effort to get a cure for Moxy?s virus, Deco was alienating the people they needed the most.

Deco left, leaving Jourdain, Chryrie and Selys to talk. Jourdain assured her that neither she nor Art had any hold over Deco. She promised her that he was well and truly free, and that she still considered Deco her brother, if not in blood, then by adoption of kindred spirit. Jourdain began to recover, but the color in her eyes and hair bled to white. It was a sign of the tremendous drain on her resources. Art appeared momentarily to check on her, and was gone just as quickly. It unnerved Selys at how readily he appeared inside her home. Home was supposed to be a safe haven, and yet these Zel were able to appear almost at will.

Evening fell, and Selys lay curled against Deco for what might well be the very last time. His use of telepathy was growing, but it taxed him, and was not always well controlled. She?d tried to show him some of the things he could do with it, but it would take practice and time. Time she hoped she?d have to share with him. She?d started putting up barriers to keep him out of some of her darker thoughts, her fears, but only because she didn?t want to worry him more than she already had. Her dark dreams had disturbed him, and he?d seen bits and pieces of her horrors. He?d assured her that he?d sent the blood tests to Art and that while something was being built; Art assured him that the nanobots were there to turn a child into a Zel, but that it would be a slow process, and not the horrific images she?d had of fully grown Zel warriors springing from a dying mother?s body. She hadn?t meant for him to see those nightmares, but he had. He also told her that the nanobot?s work could be undone. She prayed he was right. If they did have a child, she wasn?t certain that she wanted it to be Zel, but they?d not talked about it yet, and she ruthlessly pushed such thoughts away. They might never have the chance to even talk about it.

It was in the early hours well before dawn that Selys awakened. It was too early really to head for the shuttle, but if she left now, while he slept deeply, perhaps she could make the parting easier on him. He?d awaken to find her gone, and know that she was already aboard the shuttle, and that coming after her was unwise. This was something she had to do by herself, despite his angry words the night before when he?d demanded of Jourdain why it was necessary to send her when Jourdain was Shadow Zel and capable of taking on 30 Zel and winning the fight. Selys wasn?t equipped for that kind of fight. In fact, she?d never killed anyone face to face. But they all knew that in reality, it had to be Selys. The others would be recognized.

She slipped from his arms and shivered, suddenly feeling very alone and chilled to her soul.

The AsusX was huge. It is the star of the Zel fleet in the area and for many sectors in all directions. Selys had done her research, and listened to Jourdain and Deco regarding every detail she could glean from them before her departure. The rumors surrounding the AsusX included tales that she was so big that oceans on planets below her would be tugged by her gravitational influence as she orbited like some man-made moon that dropped her evil spawn to the surface below to wreak destruction.

Selys shivered. The analogy had proven all too true for Nu Ceti. The AsusX and her contingent had arrived, gone into orbit and dropped her deadly spawn into a world that was unprepared for the complete annihilation of people and planet. And her world had not been the first, nor would it be the last unless she could find a way to destroy her from the inside.

The AsusX was 11.2654 kilometers long, (7 miles) and shaped rather like a cigar. The center sections spin to create artificial gravity for the millions of plants in the green houses, as well as the approximately 2 million men and women aboard her. Every one of those on board all focused on the same goal, they were hell-bent on taking over the universe. So far, they?d been stunningly successful. Selys hadn?t found a single case where they?d been successfully driven away by those they?d attacked. Now whether that was because they carefully chose only those incapable of fighting them off, or if they were so successful because of superior numbers and technology remained to be seen. She hoped to strike a blow at the very heart of the Zel and their masters by destroying their prize ship.

A quick pang of guilt ripped through her. This was Deco?s home. He knew many of the Zel who lived here, and she was here to destroy his home as surely as he?d destroyed hers. More than that, she?d destroy his brother. A brother he didn?t even know that he had. Selys ruthlessly buried those thoughts. She?d never killed anyone up close and personal, and her conscience was eating at her for what she was about to try to accomplish.

?Missy? found herself taken right to the main power core of the AsusX. Art had managed to create for her an identity that put her precisely where she needed to be to have a shot at destroying the AsusX. How Deco could doubt Jourdain remained a mystery to her, but it was one she could not afford to muse about now. In fact, it would be far better if she tried not to think about Deco or the others right now. There were Series 7 Zel on board, and they were learning how to use telepathy. She needed to remain on her toes. If she portrayed a blank slate, they?d know she was blocking them out, so she needed to keep her thoughts on mundane affairs that they could ?see? and keep her profile low until she had what she?d come for; the antivirus.

The main power core of the AsusX held 6 power cells. Each one was 1.609 kilometers in height (1 mile) and 0.804 kilometers in diameter. These were monstrous cells, each one capable of creating more power in a few hours than most average sized planets could produce in a year. This huge quantity of power was required to create Zel, keep them going, and power their ships to new locations. She made note of the different means of traveling vast distances. The guild used Cronin Lenses to fold space and time to accomplish travelling great distances, but the AsusX used Alcubierre drives to allow for FTL travel. The hum from these giants rattled the teeth in your head, and Selys knew a moment of doubt about her plans to put this much power into an uncontrolled meltdown. Too close to RhyDin, she could destroy the nexus, but too far away and she?d never be able to reach Kitty or Deco for escape.

She stood at the panel that diagrammed the control of the Alcubierre drive. The theory was fairly simple, the implementation was complex. The Alcubierre system stretches space in a wave that causes the fabric of space ahead of the spacecraft to contract and the space behind it to expand. The ship rides this wave inside a region known as a warp bubble of flat space. Since the ship is not moving within this bubble, but is carried along as the region itself moves, conventional relativistic effects such as time dilations do not apply in the way they would in the case of a ship moving at high velocity through flat spacetime. Also, the Zel method of travel didn?t actually involve moving faster than light in a local sense and allowed the inhabitants to interact ?normally? with the ship around them.

Ships using this drive system are always in a state of a geodesic free fall, and so the travelers experience no acceleration forces. All of those forces are present near the edges of the flat-space volume because of the large space curvature there. There are enormous tidal forces beyond the ship, but the vessel and crew are never aware of their impact.

Selys was directed by the area commander to the power flow meters of the awesome devices with the instructions to report anything strange since she was trained in this job, or so they thought based on Art?s credentials, and she was left to her own devices as an ?experienced? power systems worker. She took up her assigned station and immediately set about learning how the systems were set up, where the monitors were located, what the sensitivity settings were programmed for before alarms would sound. She found the regulators and traced the paths on the control panels. All predictably located and controlled by remote monitoring software that lit up annunciator boards in several locations in the control room. There were auxiliary controls located in three places. She frowned at the back ups and redundancies. They would make it more difficult to assure core melt down and still get away before the AsusX exploded in the vacuum of space.

Everything about the power systems was enormous, and way beyond anything she?d ever worked with before. The concepts though remained the same, so it was a matter of scaling up what she already knew. The thing she worried about was had she brought sufficient explosives with her to trigger catastrophic failure? There were more monitors on these systems than she?d seen before, and it was going to take her some time to figure them all out. She was also going to need someone else?s log in to make sure the modifications were not traced back to her if someone did find her subroutines. She needed the back up programs to fail if a cascade failure were to be initiated. In fact, if she programmed it right, once the cascade began, any attempt to disconnect the system to stop it would result in further cascading failures of other systems. But these steps were going to take time, which was a luxury that she didn?t know how long she?d have.

Selys dragged herself off the end of her bed and in the darkness shed her clothing and crawled into the cold, lonely bed. She was exhausted. Keeping her telepathic shields up and the stress of worrying about being caught were beginning to take a serious toll on her. She wanted to go home. She wanted to feel Deco?s arms around her because he made everything right with her world. She fell into a deep sleep, the kind of sleep that brings down shields, and that makes time vanish. This was the kind of sleep fraught with dreams of strong emotion and needs unmet.

It was Tuesday, and she hurried to the Inn, and upon opening the doors, she discovered Chryrie and Amaltea and General Xenograg there preceding her. The usual banter about drinking the Rhydin water ensued, and Selys wondered if there was any validity to the purported effects of the water. She?d never been one to drink water, but Deco was drinking enough of it to assure they?d sooner or later face the possibility of a child. If there were any validity to the rumors she laughed to herself.

The night was filled with laughter and the recently arrived Lucien was dancing with Jourdain, and discussion turned to Imp. She?d only met the blue skinned one a handful of times, but he certainly was a colorful character. She smiled, this was good company and fun. A wave of warmth rippled through her. They were teasing Midnight about his new look, and the new guy Lucien was dragged, whining onto the dance floor with Jourdain. Deco quipped to Lucien, ?Don?t listen to her Lucien, she got me out of my armor and wearing fancy suits.? And Jourdain admonished Deco not to pretend that he didn?t love every minute of his new suits and silk ties.

Selys poked Deco lightly, ?that was Druss, not me. If you hadn?t been upgraded, you?d still be in that armor.?

Chryrie told Lucien not to stress, that he was among friends here, and Selys had to agree. The friendships were warm and no one needed to worry about a knife in the back, or danger from those around them. Deco agreed, telling Lucien, ?Stress is never an issue here at the RDI.

Laughter abounded until Druss arrived. ?I would say at the RDI, no one ever pays any mind to who is around them?

Selys halted, it was as though mentioning Druss had somehow conjured her nightmare to life. Jourdain hissed at him as Selys moved between Druss and Deco, ?You don?t belong here Druss.?

He gave a smooth chuckle, ?I cam for but a dance, among Zel.?

No one was buying his story, Druss would never come for such a thing, and Jourdain?s eyes bled to black as the first warning of a Shadow Zel. Selys asked Druss what he wanted, and she missed Deco?s hands curling into fists behind her.

?Dancing, what else,? he told her even as Jourdain?s hair took on a fiery orange coloring.

Selys mutters, ?trouble would be my guess.?

Druss continued on with his blas? survey of the Inn, ?Quite a fine Inn this is.?

Selys wanted him gone, and she made no bones about her intention to keep the Inn a fine place, and hinted that it didn?t include Druss? presence. He then looked around the room and then rested his gaze on Selys, ?Your week is up tomorrow Selys. I will be around to collect the body.?

Selys frowned at him, ?You?ll have it.? And then Druss vanished. He?d come to remind her that time was running out. She could hear Lucien repeat the words, and it sent a chill through her, ?collect the body?? Jourdain explained that Druss wanted her husband dead, and that Selys had promised to deliver it to him. It all sounded so very surreal to her and she left the dance floor to return to the bar. She was shaking violently. The body, she?d forgotten all about the body!

Deco moved in behind her, she?d never heard him approach, ?Calm yourself my love, he is gone. I am sure he just did that to annoy us more than anything.? She leaned against the solid wall of his chest. Druss was up to something. The question was what? She wished with all her heart an opportunity to plunge that ventor blade to the hilt within his chest. If she could turn back time, she?d have begged Deco to leave Rhydin and go find a quiet little world with NO Zel in it. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be away from everyone but Deco. She melted against him, ?I want to go home Deco.?

He hugged her tightly, ?Then home we shall go.? They left the Inn and before she knew it, they were standing in the main hall of their skybox. She had both arms wrapped around him, and he put his strong arms around her body, hugging her to him tenderly. He was overjoyed to have her with him, but at the same time, he seemed most confused as to why she was with him and not on the AsusX. Selys rested her cheek against his shoulder content simply to stand there wrapped in his warmth. ?Why did he show up Deco? ?

He pulled her tightly against him, ?Because he knows when we are together. He knows when we are happy. I am unable to control the part of me that is like you. I let my feelings for you spin off into the cosmos, and he can pick them up quickly, and then he comes to hurt us both.?

Selys frowned at that and clung tightly to Deco. ?Is he using telepathy, or something else?? She tried to remove the lace gloves she was wearing, but wrapped in his arms, she couldn?t manage to remove them.

Deco pulled her toward him even tighter, ?Why are you here Selys, did something happen on the ship, or did you destroy the Asusx? Are you even here, or is this a figment of my imagination??

She frowned, searching for how she?d come to be here with Deco. ?I cannot stay?..I?m real, for tonight I?m yours.? She reached for his hand, placing it over her heart, ?Do you not feel my heart beat? I am really here.? Selys was confused, she couldn?t remember how she?d returned to Rhydin, did it matter?

?That is good enough for me Selys.? His fingers grew warm on her skin as his other hand slid behind her skull and he leaned down to kiss her lightly. She tipped her head up to kiss him back, her words softly murmured against his lips, ?I need you to hold me.?

She shuddered. She was locked in a small room with Druss, this was going to be her one and only chance to sink Jourdain?s blade into his heart, could she be fast enough? ?Children are something we?ve not had time to consider, if you knew anything about organic life, you?d know that it takes time.? While that was not strictly true, it only took once to create a child, she and Deco hadn?t come to that point in their lives yet. And what did he mean ?they? were shocked? She felt like they were trapped in some kind of experiment and she was in a glass fish bowl. ?There?s more to children than sex Druss?. Much, much more.?

He smirked, ?It has been Decided that since you have been unable to create life with Deco, that I shall have to try and fill his shoes.?

Terror sent a shudder through her. She could never out muscle him, and her only chances lay with reasoning. ?You?ll never fill his shoes, not ever Druss. You?re not half the man he is, and there won?t be a child even if you forced me, so forget that idea right now!? She stiffened her spine, ?Besides, you?ve already said you?ve been unsuccessful. Do you want to continue to be unsuccessful??

Druss turned those dead eyes on her, ?The nanobots in my system work a little differently than Deco?s. He is a natural Type 7, his nanobots will alter the child after it is born. Mine will attack your insides, pulling your DNA right from the egg and then creating life in your fertile womb. You have mated with Deco, you have some of his nanobots within you. They have been rolling around in your blood stream collecting data, thus making it easier for us to understand your kind. This child will be born.? He started to stand slowly, his hood and cloak falling from his shoulders.

?GET AWAY FROM ME!? She backed up to the door, clutching her pants as she went. She felt the dagger buried inside the clothing as she came up hard against the locked door. ?You should have learned from the hundreds of failures that you?ve had that your method won?t work!? She threw it at him with as much loathing as she could muster.

He turned to face her, his hands out like a large net to entrap her within, ?I will enjoy hearing you moan under my strong body, as I?ve heard you do for my brother. Most intriguing. My other females were usually too busy crying or wailing pitifully.?

?I?ve studied these nanobots, mine are quite dormant.? She ducked low and made to skirt below the radar as she sought more distance between them. ?The only moaning you?re going to hear is your own agony!?

Druss? smile was anything but comforting, ?Your nanobots will come to life when my seed is inside of you.? His hand lashed out reaching for her neck. He was so fast that the air at his fingertips crackled the air as if they were moving a few times faster than the speed of sound.

She yelped in shocked surprise, clinging to her clothes and the precious dagger inside. She choked as his fingers tightened, ?We ? we won?t find out Druss? stop this insanity!? Each word was gasped through his choke hold on her as he pulled her off her feet like she was nothing. He took a few steps in the tiny room and tossed her onto the lower bunk, and then proceeded to remove his shirt, which was tossed carelessly to the floor. Selys scrambled away from him, dragging her clothing with her. ?Get out before it?s too late?. You want the Hacker, you won?t get him like this,? She was grabbing at any straw she could to buy time.

?He will be found in time. Right now, you have nothing to worry about Selys. I will be sure to make you climax.? He gave her a sick imitation of Deco?s beloved smile, ?Don?t I look just like Deco, that should be a comfort to you. I?ve learned from him you see how to pleasure you.? His hand snaked out and grabbed her foot, he pulled her toward him very slowly, in fact, it was painfully slowly, ?Make this easy on the both of us, you?re not going to stop me.?

Selys kicked at him with her free foot, and her hand closed around the hilt of the dagger wrapped in her trousers. ?I have everything to worry about, and no, you don?t look like Deco! You?re a pale shadow of him!? She?d never killed anythingn up close, never, but he?d tipped his hand with his speed. She was only going to get one shot at this, and it would have to be when he committed himself to raping her. She wanted to cry, but she couldn?t afford such a luxury. One shot, one chance, it was all she was going to get. He was just too quick.

Her kicking did nothing, she couldn?t hurt him with bare feet, and soon he was standing before her, a naked, and fully aroused male intent upon having his way with her. He placed her legs on either side of him, then leaned over her struggling body slightly, ?I have always wondered what you felt like inside Selys. Seems I am going to find out the fun way.? His references to having watched she and Deco many times made her blood turn to ice.

Selys clutched the dagger?s hilt; the cold inside of her grew as he faced her, intent upon his path. ?Don?t do this Druss, it won?t work, you know it won?t work.? His words had been a horror of nightmares, only she?d never imagined anyone other than Deco touching her as Druss intended to do? but that couldn?t happen, it couldn?t. If she couldn?t kill Druss, she could kill herself and deny him that way.

?It may or may not. At this point, I just want to mate with you.? Druss was enjoying this now. He toyed with her as he baited her further. She felt his member brushing her inner thigh, and soon, it would be inside of her unless she could stop him.

She had to get him to commit, the best way to get that dagger buried in his heart was when he committed himself to that first moment of descent onto her body. ?Then do it right Druss?..? she?d made her decision. She?d get this one shot. She opened for him in invitation, ?You want to replace Deco? Come to me.? She was poised, and she took a deep breath.

Druss leaned down, over her then, his next move would make Selys his, and she felt the tip of him probing for it?s sheath, ?This is going to hurt, I assure you,? he purred to her cruelly.

As Druss leaned over her, she shoved upward with everything she had. Jourdain?s blade aimed for his heart as Deco?s words echoed in her mind, ?through the heart, and into the power source behind it.? Reflexively she wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn?t afford to, and she locked her eyes on Druss, ?Yes, it?s going to hurt.? Deco had told her death would be slow and painful, and she thought she?d have trouble killing this close, but right now, it was all she wanted. Her sole focus was in ending Druss? existence.

She?d indeed placed the dagger into his heart, and then deeper still into his power core. However, the room shifted and she was not blanketed by his naked form. He was sitting in the very chair that he had been and Selys was standing in front of him holding the blade in place in his chest. Blood rolled down the corner of his mouth, and his eyes locked onto hers. ?It seems my psychic powers were greater than you thought young Selys. Now, I am free of my masters. I am free of this war.? He attempted to draw a breath, ?I will die free because of you. Thank you Selys, for this gift.? A single tear rolled down his cheek and dropped onto her hand, the hand that held the ventor blade. ?The antivirus is at the Inn. The AsusX will be nothing but a memory by tomorrow. Beta core is going to have some issues. Tell my brother I am sorry for all of the hurt I have caused. I wanted to be free.? Druss? hand came up, he placed it on her cheek and his thumb rubbed her chin, ?It was the only way a type 7 like be can be free? in death.? With that, he slumped forward.

Selys stood frozen in a mixture of shock, fury, and horror with her hand still clenched around the blade. She wouldn?t risk pulling it free. His words now painfully etched into her mind. Could she tell Deco that she?d killed his brother? ?Damn you!? Her words were whispered as he embraced death, and she waited for the Type 6 Zel outside to burst through her door.

Red warning lights began blinking in her area. ?Warning, Beta Core 20 minutes until self destruct.? The message began a repeating warning with count down and she finally released the hilt of the dagger and dove into her trousers. She nearly screamed when Druss spoke again, ?The two Zel are too?. Take you to your shuttle.? Blood gushed forth and rolled down his face into his lap. It had been a painful death, but now he was finally at peace.

The door burst open to her cabin and the two large Zel warriors looked at her for a moment, ?Missy Dogling, you are to come with us? quickly!?

The warning alerts finally burst through to her reasoning mind, ?DECO! KITTY!? She reached out with her telepathy for them both, and with a last look at Druss, she turned to flee the room. ?18 minutes until?? The core failure warning continued it?s countdown to disaster. She looked at the two Zel, ?I?m Missy.,?

?Quickly Dogling!? They turned then and began to escort her toward her shuttle. Chaos had erupted in the halls. ?We are to take you to your shuttle. Then we will die with Druss,? they informed her as they killed anyone who was foolish enough to get in their way. She ran trying to keep up with them and for a moment, she thought the one behind her had picked her up to move faster still.

Home! She was going home!

They stopped at a hatch, one punched in a key code while the other kept at least 12 other Zel at bay with his blade. The door opened and the one at the keypad grabbed her and tossed her like a sack of potatoes into her shuttle. The door slammed shut, and the shuttle was jettisoned away from the AsusX. The main engine turned on, and began to move her away as a speed that slammed her against the far bulkhead. The last thing she?d heard was 5 minutes to core failure.

She was terrified, she couldn?t get far enough in this shuttle to clear the blast zone, and her shuttle didn?t have shields strong enough to keep the blast from crushing her little vessel like it were made of aluminum. She was still pinned against the wall from the acceleration forces when Deco?s thoughts burst into her mind, ?Selys! What?s going on???!!?

Pain radiated from several places where she?d been thrown against the cold metals, and the only thing she could think was ?Home!? Deco?s demand to know what was happening made her focus on something other than pain, ?Finished, it?s finished my love.? All she could do now was wait for the shockwave of the blast that she knew was about to happen. She couldn?t tell him that she was about to die.

Deco?s thoughts were jubilant, ?Finished? You have the antivirus!! I love you Selys, from the bottom of my soul!!? He couldn?t keep the connection, it was too far and too draining? she closed her eyes, a smile on her face. He loved her.

The shuttle began to decelerate, and she could move away from the bulkhead. She glanced at the read outs, the AsusX should have exploded by now, but there it was, the remains of the Albierre drive warp compressions. The AsusX had gone into supralight speed before it exploded. She wasn?t going to be crushed!

The shuttle?s engines powered down and the lights dimmed. The computer had indeed been programmed. As she sat into the pilot?s seat, the synthesized voice spoke up, ?Go back to my brother. Go back to his home, and take his love with you.?

Home. It had a new meaning.