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Ash's eyes narrowed at the nephilim and, even though what they had just killed were look-alikes, the fact remained that Alarick held powerful violent emotions that could easily be turned against Rhett. Still, Alarick must have known that harming Rhett would have only made matters worse for his own sister. Ash doubted that the thought came to Alarick's mind that, if he had killed Rhett, Ash would have put him down before they ever entered the portal.


Interrupting his thoughts, the fairy who had brought them here had returned stating that they had proven their "drive". Ash glanced down at the lingering corpses. He followed after the fairy and Alarick, wondering what kind of trial Morrigan now faced. Ash took a deep breath, as Arch tried to fill this post with more fluff because Ash's banner is long and needs fluff to keep this space from looking all empty and as if it's all banner and no substance. Fluff fluff fluff fluff.

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Rhett growled lowly at Clarity's sheer level of attitude and, even though he knew she only was trying to keep them alive and out of Cin's grasp, it still annoyed him to no end. Even so, he knew she was far older than he was and decided it would be for the best if he differed to her experience. Better that he send his pack away than allow Cin to make use of them in his personal vendetta. Rhett raised his voice and spoke. "Everyone get ou-"

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Cin used his broadsword to stop Felicia's attack dead in its tracks, lowering the blade to catch her upward swing. She was faster than a fair amount of the other wolves he had faced before but, in the end, he saw that it would not be enough to deal with one who had thrived on centuries of battle. In the middle of his fight with the girl, his ears caught on to what Rhett was planning. He knew well enough what the boy wished to do and had to keep him from sending his pack away. "Call them off and I will kill her." Cin stepped on Felicia's sword, dropping the blade he had used to block her, threw a right hook right at the alpha's face. The knight followed up with a backhand and then another blow to the girl's stomach. Regardless of whether the attacks connected, Cin refused to let up the assault. If Rhett was to believe that he was going to beat Felicia to death if Rhett told the pack to run, Cin was going to have to make his warning look very convincing.

"She is not alone." Ash corrected Alarick, intending to say more when the fake Rhett shouted at him to release Brianne. They were not real. Even as he reminded himself a voice called to his mind cutting through the fog of his thoughts and reminded him of why he was here. The words the fairy girl had spoken to him just before the two were attacked rang in his ears once more. He wanted the test to be something different, for it to be the equivalent of a trick question. But it was not. He had known from the beginning what they had to do and had hesitated for too long now.


With little more than a thought, a bright orb of light materialized inches from the Rhett-doppelganger's face. Ash turned around towards Brianne, ignoring the fury in her eyes as he stepped closer to her while she still struggled against the grasp of his shadow. "I'm sorry." He whispered towards Brianne, his hand glowing red as he raised it chest-height, leaving it slightly off-center towards Brianne's left side. In a single swift movement, a searing hot finger penetrated her chest and pierced the fake's heart. His index finger easily slid back out and his shadow released its grip on the girl.

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Rhett knew this would only end bad. Clarity showing up only meant things would get worse. Even as she told him to stay down, Rhett stepped closer towards the battle with his hatchet in hand. "You stay back. If Ash was here I almost guarantee that he'd be telling you to listen to me instead of the other way around." He did not want to get back into a fight so soon. Not when he had not fully recovered. Clarity hardly seemed to be in any better of a condition to fight and yet here she was wishing to put herself in harm's way. Avoiding a fight was what he wanted but now that it was too late, the last thing he could do was allow Felicia to fight on her own.

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Impressed with the wolf's ferocity, Cin decided that he would make sure to kill her quickly if incapacitating her failed. He raised his sword used the hilt to knock the dagger out of the air before turning the blade ever so slightly to block the incoming blade of Felicia's own sword. "It will be a shame to continue on without you." Cin mused, his sword held steady in his right hand. He clenched his right fist and swung it down towards Felicia's stomach before stepping back and drawing his claymore with his free hand. Out of the corner of his eye he could see both Clarity and Rhett readying to fight him as well, no doubt waiting for him to lower his guard and strike him from a blind spot.

"Shall you all face me at once or will I crush you one by one?" Cin swung the long claymore he wielded in a horizontal arc towards Felicia, his reach extending far enough to reach the pack forcing them to back away swiftly just to escape with their lives.

Ash winced as Alarick stabbed at Rhett despite knowing the werewolf before them to be a fake. He had seen Rhett nearly die once now and seeing even an illusion of him now go through this was not a pleasant sight. And he had seen the worst. "So a weapon is all that makes your sister who she is, is it?" Ash stepped away from the Brianne doppelganger, not wishing to harm her. "I'm surprised that you think so little of your sister, honestly." Ash's black eyes fell to the shadow holding Brianne as it rose from the ground only tightening its vice-grip on her the more she struggled against it.


"Do not think I am completely insensitive to the matter, Alarick." Ash's tone lowered as he turned to watch the Shadowhunter struggle against Rhett. He had to remind himself that the image he saw before him was not the real thing despite how convincing the replica appeared. "It is the fault of your customs that she will be shunned by your people." While he felt it was for the greater good that a Lightwood had been turned, he had thought they would have been better served had Alarick been changed instead or, better still, his parents. Being brought down to the level of a Downworlder was the only way to make them understand. "Are you going to allow your family to look upon her with shame or are you going to do something to change that? You can either uphold your flawed traditions or you can help make the world a better place for your sister. For everyone. You don't get to have it both ways." He repeated these words with Morrigan's own voice ringing in his mind, convinced he could get through to Alarick to let go of his own anger and frustration. Ash knew what it was like to feel like he had failed to protect someone he loved. Seeing Alarick's aggression being channeled at Rhett reminded him exactly of how he had been those many years ago. There was a major difference here, however. Brianne was still alive. There was still a chance to set things right.

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Cin glanced at Rhett, seeing that the wolf had fallen silent despite his eyes being filled with distrust towards him. "I do not want power for myself. I simply want Downworlders to rule. I agree, law must be kept, but who watches the nephilim? You speak like a child who has never had a history lesson in her life. Nephilim have butchered the fey, the werewolves, the vampires, and even the warlocks simply because they had given themselves the right to do so." Momentarily, his blade pointed at Rhett. "I know you see the truth in my words, boy."

"You're not wrong. But starting a war is not the way to settle it." Rhett spoke towards the knight.

"And you believe diplomacy to be the answer? The Accords have solved nothing. Shadowhunters can still kill our kind whenever they please in the name of what they call justice." His eyes fixed once more on Felicia. "I admire your tenacity but I have lost my patience with you. Come. Face me first if you are so bold to fight a battle you cannot hope to win." Again, Cin's sword aimed at Felicia. "Your pack belongs to me. Whether you stand beside me or bleed at my feet is the choice of your own."

Can't wait for him to bring down the hammer. Accepted.

​

"I prefer the democratic method, myself. With how stubborn werewolves are I can't imagine how long it'd take to get rid of al...phas...." He trailed off, his eyes catching sight of Cin in the distance. Rhett cursed under his breath and tightened his grip on his hatchet. If Felicia had seen what Cin was capable of she would not have been so aggressive...or perhaps she would have been the same anyways because that's how he felt she would react anyways. "Cin, what the hell are you playing at? What side are you even on you crazy fairy?"

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"Admittedly, fear is a strong motivator but...Vengeance is all the more powerful." Cin clenched his fist in the air in front of him. "You do not need to know who I am. I will likely be dead before long. I am merely an instrument in the symphony of war. You mortals are so easily distracted with small displays of dominance with no greater plans other than to stand above your peers." Cin drew his secondary sword, a one-handed basket-hilt broadsword. "I am one of many who wish to get what is owed to them from centuries of death at the hands of the Shadowhunters. They slaughtered so many of our kind they had to make Accords just to justify their actions. They have sat upon their pedestal long enough. Their whole institution must be burned to the ground."

Cin eyed the two alphas, a small smile crossing his face. "By the looks on your faces, I don't believe you're convinced. Particularly not you, Rhett. But you'll feel the same way as I do before long. Even the docile can only live under the thumb of the powerful for so long." He pointed his sword at Felicia. Rhett's pack tensed further in reaction. "Join me. If we are victorious you can go back to whatever it is that you please. Earn the title of Alpha of New York, whatever you please. You will be able to do so without worry of being cut down by a nephilim's blade when your back is turned. Or you can refuse me and I will take your pack from you by force but I would rather not waste a strong wolf like yourself."

Ash knew these were fakes but the looks in their eyes, the drive to protect each other, was so real. As the carbon copies of Rhett and Brianne spoke, Ash was able to figure out what must have happened. Gaia would not show them something that had no truth to it and with Alarick's words coupled with what he could see of Brianne...he knew what this meant. She had been turned. Likely by Rhett but he could only imagine how such a thing could have even happened. With how much Rhett cared for the girl he obviously never would have done so on purpose.


If Brianne really had been turned that was certainly very interesting. While he certainly did not wish death upon Brianne, the fact that a Lightwood had been brought down to the level of a Downworlder was a very good thing indeed. Even as this copy of Brianne taunted him, it still gave him no reason to hesitate in attacking her. Ash stepped backwards just barely out of the knife's reach, clenching his hand into a fist he smashed it into the back of Brianne's still outstretched hand forcing the knife to fly out of her grasp.


"Is this the trouble you spoke of? I understand your customs but--" Ash's shadow crept underneath Brianne's feet and gripped her by her ankles to anchor her in place just out of arm's length. "You Shadowhunters value your status too highly." As his eyes fixed on Brianne, he could only wonder what this test was supposed to prove. Was it really just to prove that working in tandem with Alarick would be enough to overcome the people they cared about? Or were he and the boy really meant to bond over a fight? Albeit...the circumstances of it were proving to be intriguing.

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"That's my problem I have with the other Alphas. All that matters to them is proving their strength through bloodshed." Rhett glanced at Felicia momentarily, still far from being in the mood to put up with an argument with her or anyone else. "If you want to stick around here and help out, then I'll be grateful for your help." He pulled out Ash's hatchet and turned the weapon over in his hand, tapping his finger against the silver edge to use the burning pain as a distraction.

He looked Felicia in the eye and shook his head at her. "I don't have to prove myself to you. The only thing you have to worry about is whether or not you become another Grayson. If you somehow manage to become Alpha from the scraps you've picked up and decide on ruling on fear and intimidation, I'm putting an end to that. Immediately. Why do you think Keller's pack was so quick to fall apart? He offered them protection. He looked out for his own. He settled fights all on his own. Yet the only bond he ever had with them was made out of fear."

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Cináed kept his hand on the hilt of his sword strapped to his side as he watched the Institute come into view. As strong as his forces were, he knew they were nothing but fodder meant to buy time. Everyone would likely die and every second he could take was precious to him. For every knight he could kill, Titania's forces could kill more. Still, he would enjoy slowing her down if it meant she would be put in the ground in the end. Even if not by his hand. And so, he required numbers.

Soon, he neared the Institute, spotting nothing but many werewolves stationed outside. Two of which stood apart from the rest and one of which he recognized. Cin was glad his sources were not wrong about the location of a fairly decently-sized pack. Cin stopped just at the edge of the packs, already drawing attention from wandering eyes and, upon them recognizing him as a fairy, several of the changed wolves began to snarl at him looking ready to pounce at him at a moment's notice.

"I take it you two are the alphas?" Cin's eyes shifted from Felicia towards Rhett. "Your packs, I require them. I have greater need of their numbers than either of you. The Shadowhunters, Titania, and her knights will require greater strength than either of you possess if you are to make a stand against them." He refused to admit that it would take more numbers than even he held at the moment. "Therefore, I invite your packs to work for me until the end of this campaign against the Seelie Queen." Cin tapped his fingers on the hilt of his blade. "Unless you would prefer me to challenge you for your packs." Cin's eyes narrowed at the two. Whatever they chose, he had little time to waste.

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She actually believed him to be an addict. Albeit his actions appeared as such, to him the mere thought of being called that after his decades of training, experience, and self-taught discipline was actually funny to him. The concept was so foreign that it elicited a chuckle from Irrin. If he had found one of his officers abusing when he was still captain, Clarity's response would have been tame compared to his. Given how serious the girl looked, as well as the fact that there was a witness around, he could hardly allow for his reputation to be dragged any lower than it already had been. Pride came before his need for privacy in this matter.

Without saying a word he accessed a nearby terminal to reach his medical file. The computer, recognizing Quint's bio-signature, immediately gave him access to his own highly classified profile. With the tap of his finger, Quint highlighted a portion on the screen that contained nearly a hundred references from doctors ranging from those who belonged to the Coalition Corps, to the specialized Coalition Medical, to private doctors around Coalition space who had all worked to diagnose and treat the condition found on him and the twelve other Elanus survivors.

"Come, look." He motioned for Clarity to stand beside him. The exact details of the disease were not listed in his files but the record of his medication being on the Ouranos was. "I won't have rumors of me being a drug addict circulating around this ship, so I'm going to end that here and now. I am dying. What I have is not contagious and I do not wish to divulge any details while I still have the choice. This container," he motioned to the black box which he had taken medication from, "holds the only thing keeping me standing. I am not going to waste your time with administering shots I can deliver myself. The next time I barge in here, try not to jump to conclusions. Understood, Lieutenant?"

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The communications officer hailed the other orbiting ship. An image of what appeared to be an empty bridge appeared onscreen, replacing the image of the nameless planet. A lone man, his skin a dull red tone, stepped into view as he flattened his hands against the creases of his muddied leather coat. "What?" The man leaned closer, his face enlarging on the viewscreen of the Ouranos to reveal a long scar running from his forehead down to his eye and ending at his chin. "Can't ya see we're busy? Scavenging is hard work, you know." The Varune was obviously annoyed with the presence of a Coalition starship. "Leave us in peace, will ya? We've been harassed enough by your kind and your damn health and safety standards. Who needs a disposal unit when we have an airlock? Go and do your jobs elsewhere."

"So far their weapons systems have not powered on. Curious." RITTER's synthesized voice raised in pitch slightly before continuing with a more urgent sounding warning to the Commander. "Life signs detected on the planet below. They are beginning to converge on an unregistered life form. Commander, they are likely here for the same reason we are. Recommended course of action: Rescue and retrieve."

Ash paused, tilting his head curiously at the fairy's words. She was an illusion. Still, this was not as interesting as the words she had said before vanishing into thin air. Ash felt that he already knew what the fairy meant by her words and as the howling approached the two, he could only be left to assume that this was part of Gaia's test. As he had lent his hatchet to Rhett, Ash was unarmed but not defenseless. Far from defenseless. He looked around, seeing nothing just yet.


"Your time waiting for our threat would be served best by setting new runes, Lightwood." Ash spoke lowly, calmly pacing back and forth as he waited for the wolves to come closer. The warlock made sure to put some distance between himself and Alarick, not wishing to get in the way of the nephilim's bo. The last thing he needed was to watch his back for Alarick's attacks as well. Especially not with how off the boy seemed. "You are distracted. What has got the elder Lightwood twin in such a state? You Shadowhunters are made of stronger stuff than to tense up so much over a little howling."

​

Roric blinked at the one that must have been called Kellan and leaned against the pinewood door, his eyes falling towards the corpses that surrounded the man. "Remind me not to get on his bad side." He muttered lowly. Roric raised an eyebrow as Kellan began to call them by their names, albeit, not really by their names unless everyone else had other names he had not heard of yet. He could see why Anthea seemed so uncomfortable around the group. Kellan alone held enough strangeness for the lot of them.

"So, from what I gather, we either go down one corridor and pick a fight with more bandits or we go down another and risk the wrath of a golem?" Scratching the back of his head, he thought the choice was a simple one. "There's more than enough of us for someone to figure out a password." Though he did not wish to brag, Roric believed himself to be intelligent enough to figure out any sort of puzzle. Especially if motivated to get it right by lurking golems. Getting smashed into paste was hardly a pleasing thought.

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Irrin's eyes quickly searched for the storage container he needed, not bothering to turn towards the medical officer who dropped in behind him. He made no attempt to respond to her until the very moment he caught sight of what he was looking for. Pulling the container from its corner while trying not to disturb the others it was pressed up against, Irrin turned his head towards Clarity. Upon taking note of her rank of Lieutenant, he narrowed his eyes at the woman. "Is this any way for a Medical Officer to behave? We are on board a starship, not a playground." His eyes shot up towards the open vent above, often used by engineers to get around to reach hidden panels tucked away in the darkest corners of a vessel. There was no way Clarity could have maneuvered her way through a new ship's vents without having help.

Realizing this to be a common theme, he once more stated the tired old way he introduced himself. "Inspector Irrin Quint. Coalition Intelligence assigned me to observe this vessel and its crew."

"Your engineer friend up there should have known better than to drag you through that." He looked down at the unmarked black container in his hands. "I won't hold disciplinary action against either of you, however. As, technically, only medical personnel is authorized to handle equipment." Quint set the box down on one of the beds and proceeded to open it. "I'm just here for a treatment I can self-administer. I won't call the Captain on you if you don't do the same to me." Resorting to such a tactic reminded him of his old academy days back when the worst infractions he could have committed would have resulted in nothing more than a metaphorical slap on the wrist. Sifting through medical supplies was a far more serious offense but he did not want to allow himself to become subject of the doctor's scrutiny.

"I am glad you seem to have a sense of humor at least. The last Chief Medical Officer I served with was quite prone to hurling curses at whoever so much as teased him. I suppose that's what happens when a Setesh is-" He stopped himself short as images of the very officer he was speaking of flashed into his mind. Speaking of the dead did little to aid his mood. "Anyways, I shall let you get to work." Irrin closed the container, having restocked his supply of medicine, and placed it back where he found it. "And you," Irrin spoke to the engineer he knew to be in the vents, "Get out of there."

​

"I will locate Ensign Rivida at once, Commander." An instant later, a panel located by Aeros lit up. For Ritter to locate anyone on the crew was simple. As the ship held bioscans of every member of the crew from their medical records, preforming a shipwide scan to pick out anyone the AI searched for only took a matter of nanoseconds. "Commander Lightwood has ordered for your presence on the bridge. The matter is urgent, co-pilot. Proceed to deck 5 immediately."

Back at the bridge, RITTER spoke once more to Brianne. "The co-pilot will be on his way now." There was a calculated pause. "Any further orders, Commander?"

One of the bridge officers, a communications specialist, sitting at the back called out toward the Commander. "Do we hail them?"

"I can't argue with you there." Ash mused at Morrigan. "As powerful as she may be, she is not omniscient. We will be able to show her that our bond is not so fragile." Tugging at her hand to bring the fairy closer Ash wished to say more but the moment his name was called, he stopped himself from so much as opening his mouth. A small fey girl began to turn and leave, expecting himself and the other she had called, Alarick, to follow her. He raised an eyebrow, curiously observing as Alarick followed the girl. To call both of them seemed like a random selection.


Ash turned back towards Morrigan, taking a moment to focus on the strength of the fey's own life force amongst the power radiating from Gaia's lingering presence. He had to reassure himself that Morrigan was more than capable of handling herself now. Still, it made him uneasy leaving her side. "Be careful. Snakes can still be found in paradise." He lifted Morrigan's hand to press a kiss to the back of it, showing no signs of considering the fact that other people were around, before releasing his hold on her and turning to follow after the fairy girl. Ash gave one last glance at Morrigan before focusing his attention on what awaited ahead.

​

Rhett wished he could have made the move to stop Brianne but her words of warning were the only thing that prevented him from doing so. She was obviously not going to try something stupid to put herself in further risk but going alone, anywhere, was probably not the best idea either. In any case, he had little option but to allow her to do what she was intent on doing. Whatever it was. He sighed in frustration, feeling useless and up until now having done his best to ignore the shouting going on between Roxanne and Clarity. Well, Roxanne was shouting. Clarity seemed to be doing her best to control her own temper.

He released his fist, which had been clenched by now, and tapped his hand against the wall instead of punching it in anger like he wanted. "Calm down, Roxanne. You can tell Brianne everything that's been going on later. But not alone, not while standing close to her, not while you're armed, and maybe not even in the same room." He moved past Clarity and Roxanne, seeing as how Brianne couldn't be seen and was gone. "I know you'll keep an eye on her, Clary. So keep doing what you're doing. I'll be back in a sec. There's still a werewolf outside I need to speak with."

Walking out of the Institute and stopping at its entrance, Rhett leaned against the side of the door to look down the steps at Felicia. "Sorry I was...uh...preoccupied." Rhett avoided eye contact, still sore over the situation with Brianne. Guilt continued to eat away at him. "Looks like you might be allowed to stick around longer. The Clave seems to be turning in on itself. Stay here and fortify, or go and save yourself. Your choice. Sticking around here just might be a big ol' bloodbath."

Ash scratched his chin, watching as Gaia disappeared under the cover of the thick vegetation which sprouted through her great power. With her beauty and strength untouched by time, he wondered what could have driven Gaia from the Seelie Court. Perhaps it was out of shame for the actions and beliefs held by her own daughter, Titania. Given how things were run within the Court, Ash knew things would be much better had Titania not been allowed to take power in the first place. Gaia must have known this, so why did she choose to stay away?


His thoughts were put on hold upon hearing Morrigan speak. "She owes us nothing. It only makes sense that we should have to prove our worth to her. Though..." He lowered his voice so only Morrigan could hear. "She seems fond of you." Ash gently squeezed Morrigan's hand, his mind running over what he had once dismissed as coincidences but only know took it as an emerging pattern. Ash shivered at the consequences of what came to mind, hoping that a far-fetched idea could not be true. Still, so many things did not add up unless he made large leaps of logic with little evidence other than conjecture.


"Her words can be taken in so many ways." He raised his eyebrows in slight amusement at the thought. "To one of her stature, any bonds must seem fragile." Shrugging, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other as his eyes went up towards the clear skies above though it was partially obscured by the thicket which surrounded them. A distinct lack of mosquitoes and the other insects which normally plagued jungles such as these was quite apparent to him and a welcome change to the naturally occurring version of the biome. The only bloodsuckers they had to worry about were vampires and it was not as if those posed a threat here.


"What about you? Thoughts? Feelings?" Ash looked down at Morrigan curiously.

Ash wanted to move on.

​

"Paragon?" Rhett glanced over at Clarity who had stepped back to give Brianne room but he made no such move. "That's the guy who showed up after my fight with Keller." Figuring that was who called him, he wondered why the fairy had not chosen to simply call Brianne directly. A fairy with a knack for technology hardly seemed like a good combination. Rhett could only guess what the man could have wanted. From his own past experience, dealing with the fey in general just seemed like asking for trouble. At least with warlocks you always knew what you were bargaining for. Concrete contracts, an exchange of goods and services, that sort of thing. However, Morrigan seemed like a breath of fresh air compared to the others he had seen.

The werewolf crossed and uncrossed his arms as he idly waited about for Brianne to finish her call with Paragon, impatiently waiting for her to tell him what was being said. A part of him wished to simply step even closer towards the girl to overhear what was being said but he trusted Brianne to tell him what was going on. They were in this together.

​

"I assume you have brought me here to berate me on my previous loss of command." Irrin crossed his arms and leaned against the table at the center of the room, his eyes fixed on the Captain who looked at him with suspicion. Though, upon his words, she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"That is not what I was going to do, Irrin." She took her seat at the head of table and clasped her hands together, looking up at him. "Only fourteen made it off the Elanus, including yourself. One died of injuries during the escape. Why is it then that, as captain, you did not-"

"Choose to stay behind and allow someone else to escape in my place?" Irrin was almost glad to hear this question posed to him. Other officers who had known him chose to believe the worst in him, thinking he had abandoned ship before allowing his crew to get out with their lives just to save his own. "Believe me, I had every intention of dying that day. The only reason I'm here is due to the fact that my First and Second Officers ripped me out of my chair to throw me in a shuttle. They took command of the ship and died in my stead." He shook his head regretfully.

"And just what happened that day? Every report I've seen has been classified by higher ups."

Quint pulled himself from the table and relaxed, knowing exactly where this was going. "You're concerned for the safety of your crew. Don't worry, my being here won't lead to the same attack that doomed my last ship. And I have not lost my mind because of tragedy, despite what others may think." He allowed for a slip of the tongue, knowing that divulging any information without authorization was akin to treason. "Are we done here?"

Almira's expression softened somewhat as she nodded and motioned for him to take his leave. "Thank you for your honesty. Even if you're not able to tell me more." Irrin paused and glanced over at the captain before she said her last words to him. "You did everything you could, I am sure of that. You're part of my crew now so I expect you to be productive, not wallow in self-pity."

Irrin tapped his hand against the door frame and chuckled. "Of course." The door automatically slid open as he walked through, leaving the captain alone to her thoughts.

He checked his coat pocket, searching for his medication. His species were well-known to be immune to many diseases. With the Peras being one of the oldest sentient species in the entire galaxy, and possibly any other, very could affect his kind. His illness had no cure. It had never even been discovered until the Elanus incident and would have likely killed him and the twelve others who suffered from it had it not been for the rapid advances in medicine made just to make the disease manageable. Irrin withdrew a small black case and opened it, revealing a syringe and its emptied vial. He sighed, knowing the only other place where to receive his medicine. Accommidations had been made for his presence and there was sure to be more in stock within the sick bay. Placing his case back in his pocket, he headed off knowing sick bay to be on the same deck.

​

"At this range, I cannot say-" Soon the ship dropped out of Burst, arriving by a planet that appeared to be burnt out. It hardly seemed suitable for life. On the Ouranos viewscreen at the front of the bridge, an image appeared of a ship orbiting the nameless planet. "We have arrived, Commander. The vessel you are seeing is unregistered in Coalition databases but its parts appear to originate from various sources. Illegal weapons modifications have also been detected. On board there is a mixed crew of Maraku and Setesh. 91% probability that this vessel is run by pirates or arms smugglers."

As the portal left behind closed, so too did the markings in the safe house, leaving no traces of ever having existed. Ash could not leave it to chance that someone might stumble upon his spell, even if none but him could have deciphered its runes. Allowing them to be followed would be too great a risk. Pulling his hand from Morrigan, he withdrew his phone to check if there was any signal around. There wasn't. In some ways this was a blessing. Being totally off the grid would certainly make things more difficult for anyone trying to find them but it also meant that he was cut off from Rhett. From Clary. He had to ask himself whether or not it was worth it leaving the two behind. Looking over at Morrigan reminded him of why he was here. There was no other way.

When they arrived, an ifrit was already awaiting them. Of course Gaia would know when they would arrive. Before following after the ifrit, he wished to observe their surroundings just for a moment longer.

Placing his phone back in his coat pocket, shutting it off as it was useless to him now, he took Morrigan's hand in his own once more. "I can feel a presence." He spoke lowly, turning around to look at everything around them. The only other time he had seen such power was... No. That was different. It was an abomination. This was the work of someone who actually had a heart and it showed in every vine, every leaf, and every inch of the fertile soil that surrounded the group. Perhaps the nephilim accompanying them would not understand the raw power and elegance of it all but he did. Surely Morrigan's appreciation for it would only be double that of his.

Ash took a deep breath. For now, Morrigan was safe. "A far cry from the Seelie Court in New York. Everything feels so alive." Seeing it all now made him realize that they might not need to force Titania to stand down but, rather, have Gaia return to set things right. But that posed its own problems as well...

Turning towards the group behind them he spoke, "When we appear before Gaia, Morrigan will speak first. All of you will hold your tongue unless spoken to. You are here as guests and will act as such." His eyes fixed on Alarick who looked preoccupied with somber thoughts of his own. If the young Shadowhunter was so distracted then it seemed the duty of ensuring that the other nephilim behaved would fall on him. Black eyes fell upon Masque for an instant before returning their gaze back on the fairy his own side. Ash decided against making a public warning to the other warlock. What was the point? If Masque harmed Morrigan again, there was absolutely nothing on this Earth that would stop him from killing the warlock.

After he finished speaking, he tugged on Morrigan's hand so that they would follow the ifrit who would lead them to Gaia.

​

Rhett sighed in frustration at the stubbornness Brianne displayed. Perhaps it was out of selfish desire but the only reason he did not choose to knock her out at that moment was her word that she would not forgive him. He could not bare to have her feel such a way towards him. The only thing he could do now was fortify until Brianne was ready to leave. Rhett placed two fingers to his lips and whistled. At least a dozen werewolves came with one of Grayson's own now standing by the door. Rhett raised an eyebrow, not realizing one of the very wolves they had fought against just moments earlier had chosen to follow.

There was no time for him to question the werewolf's presence. "There's an upstairs balcony, take five up to watch it. I want no less than ten at the main entrance, another five by this door, and the rest spread out around the Institute. If anyone breaks anything or shows any form of disrespect to this place I will know and I will personally feed them their own weight in silver. Understood?" Rhett growled lowly, his eyes narrowing at the werewolf who nodded quickly and left to do as he was told. Rhett hated giving orders. He did not even believe he was capable of being threatening toward another being but this was different. Brianne was involved.

"We can't stay here forever, angel." He squeezed her hand gently and looked her in the eye, wishing he could do so much more for her. "But I'll stay by your side for as long as you'll have me, you stubborn girl."

​

Rhett stared at Brianne, understanding why she would put herself in harm's way to defend the Institute but her reasons simply were not enough. "I'm staying by your side whether you're here or not, but you need to understand that this place is just that. A place. There's no one in here to protect. If you die here what would the point in that be? The Institute would still be lost and your brother would to deal with the grief of losing you. I know you want to protect your home, what's left of your heritage, but there's no one here. It doesn't matter what happens to the Institute. It can always be taken back. Rebuilt if need be. You can't." He wondered what Ash would have done in the situation. ...Probably knock Brianne out and take her to safety by force. Rhett was tempted to do it and was beginning to seriously consider it when...

His phone rang. He drew out the phone quickly, frustrated that someone would call him only to find that he did not recognize the number. It wasn't Ash. Morrigan did not have a phone. Felicia did not have his number. Brianne and Clarity were both here with him so...there was no one worth answering for. But how did this person get his number? For a moment he considered answering just to find out but concentrating on Brianne was more important. He turned his phone off, not wishing to be bothered. "Brianne, I am staying with you whether you listen to me or not. But a building is not worth dying for. It never will be." He stepped closer to her, taking her hand in his once more. "Please. Just leave with me and we can figure out a better way." He looked at her with desperation in his eyes. He had already made one mistake that costed Brianne dearly. He could not allow her to put herself in further danger. Rhett wouldn't lose her. "Please."

​

By now, Downworlder presence on the streets was beginning to decline. Communication always had to be kept secret. Technology was unreliable. There were too many listening ears. Too many wandering eyes. Magic on the other hand could be far more secretive and given that he had learned from the best, there was no way for anyone to have ever known of his plans until now. The Queen had brought shame to his people by working with the nephilim. One could never put complete trust in their spies. Their allegiances were always kept loose when the fear of death was placed upon them, as evident by their willingness to abandon their former master.

With Ash and Morrigan's plot to rid themselves of Titania, all he had to do was buy some time. Gather more forces. He had spent an entire century dedicated to just that and only just now was the time right for his bloodlust to finally be satisfied. He looked onward from his position in the shadows, hidden to even his own allies through his invisibility as they flocked to his meeting place. Nearly every vampire clan in New York had knelt before him. Several dozen werewolves had already arrived, their alphas looking to act as if they were still in charge. Only a handful of fairies had arrived but he had already anticipated this.

Cin folded his arms, taking a moment to soak in the satisfaction he had over having waiting for so long. Justice was a meaningless word to him. It was a word for the weak. He was here for vengeance against all his people and the thousands who had suffered at the hands of the nephilim.

Soon.

Beam me up, Sparky.

Obviously, accepted. Don't make me super regret this.

​

With the Ouranos taking off from its dock, Captain Altius made sure to keep a close eye on Yvette as she piloted them out. Everything went smoothly, just as she expected. There was no doubt in her mind that Ygritte would have no trouble with such a basic task but it was how the young ensign handled it that intrigued her. The girl was a natural and would have no issue acclimating to her position on board the Ouranos. The takeoff was smooth and, with the inertial dampeners in effect, it was impossible to tell that they were even moving were it not for the sight of the station soon leaving their view.

Almira turned in her chair towards her First Officer, Brianne, and sat forward. "I agree, Commander. However, the Coalition has given us so little data to work with that I do not know why this is our first assignment." She turned her head towards Quint, raising an eyebrow. "Perhaps you would be able to enlighten us, Inspector. You are from Intelligence, after all."

"Unfortunately, Captain, I am in the dark the same as you. However I can pull some strings to get you the answers you need." Quint paused for a moment. "But it will require delaying our arranged conversation."

"No need for delays. I trust Miss Lightwood to take the bridge in my place." As the ancient sea captains would have said, this would be "smooth sailing". There was little need for her to hover over her crew when there were no issues to be found. Almira rose from her chair, freeing to leave Brianne to take seat if she chose to do so or stand if she preferred. "You have the bridge, Commander. Inspector, follow me." She started towards the lift and stopped for a moment before glancing over at Brianne and Yvette who would be the primary crew watching over the bridge. "Don't scratch the paint on my ship."

With that, Almira and Irrin left the bridge, taking the lift up towards Deck 2. The brief trip towards the Briefing Room was silent. The Captain had much to say but she knew better than to speak over sensitive matters in public. Still, that did not make the ride up any less awkward.

​

Just as Captain Altius and Inspector Quint left the bridge, the screen attached to the Captain's chair flickered on. A synthetic voice came on, speaking up to Commander Lightwood. "Pardon me Commander." The seat turned towards Brianne almost as if asking her to sit on it. "As we approach our destination, I have picked up a signature of a starship exiting Superluminal Burst. They have arrived in the star system we are headed towards. I have detected readings of high powered Tachyon Drives. From their output, I calculate a 71% chance of this ship being heavily armed. However, there should be no Coalition vessels in the area."

The chair swiveled in place waiting for Brianne to sit. "I realize I have not introduced myself yet, Commander. I am the Ouranos AI, designation RITTER. I have been supplemented with a personality approximation in order to best interact with bridge officers." There was a brief pause, intentionally timed to wait a set number of milliseconds to simulate a biological being taking a breath. "As you have the bridge, I believe this would be a good time to test your mettle. What are your orders, Miss Lightwood?"

​

Roric raised his eyebrow at the mention of Anthea's master which only reminded himself of the apprenticeships he had taken when he was younger. "I've been in that position before. I know how it is. No one takes you seriously just for taking on the role of the student. Working outside the comforts of the classroom truly is the best way to learn." He shifted his weight to his other foot, finding himself at a loss on how to continue the conversation without making the mage more uncomfortable than she already looked. Just before the awkward silence grew to be too much, Aston spoke towards him seemingly glad that Roric was now part of the team. The bunch seemed more welcoming than he anticipated.

"On your way to rushing towards this Kellan fellow, do be careful to watch where you step. The last keep I visited was quite prone to...collapsing." He took a step after Kellan before glancing over at the mage beside him. He lowered his voice before speaking again towards Anthea. "Don't worry. I'm sure this one is much more stable." Though, given his recent luck which had been swinging from wildly unlucky to incredibly fortunate, he knew he had to way of guaranteeing anything. He knew nothing of Fogwarden Keep and for all he could have guessed, it just might as well have been a giant deathtrap waiting to be triggered. Or it could be filled with snakes. Damn cute little danger noodles.

Spoiler

2011

"Come to celebrate my fifteenth year of captivity? Tell me you've brought some reading material." The Greater Demon grinned as he spoke revealing heavily yellowed teeth, the tips of his fingers being worn to the bone from years of trying to claw his way out of his cage. "What now? Come for more of my blood? Going to practice that damn bonding ritual again? What what? Spit it out, boy. I don't have all day. I'm a very busy man." He looked around his cage, seemingly meaning his words as if he truly did have something better to do than speak to Ash.

"A werewolf has just come into my employment. It reminded me of one of our earlier conversations. You are disease. A plague on this world. I was curious if you knew anything about who created werewolves. Or vampires for that matter."

"Oh? Really? Just a matter of curiosity is it?" The bone of his index finger scratched against his chin as he pondered Ash's query, purposefully taking his time despite obviously knowing the answer. "Maybe it was me. Maybe it wasn't. Too long ago to remember and not important enough to care."

"So it wasn't you. You would be taking credit for it by now."

"Believe me, Ashy-boy, if it was me I still wouldn't remember. You mortals are too narcissistic to believe that you are anything less than the center of the universe to those of a more...celestial origin."

"Do you realize I am immortal too? As are the vampires."

"No. Both of your kind are simply too stubborn to die the easy way. Let me out and I'll prove it to you. Everyone is equal in death."

"I don't care for your version of equality." Finding nothing of value in their conversation, Ash left his father to continue rotting away in his prison. Had the demon found a way out, he knew that nothing would matter as everyone would be too dead to care about anything.

"I am surprised that I could not find knowledge of her existence in the Spiral Labyrinth. The greatest source of magical knowledge and still no accounts of Gaia. Perhaps I did not look hard enough during my time there. Or perhaps there was never any knowledge of her outside of the fey." He stopped painting, going lost in thought over the source of potential learning that was Gaia. Given her age, it was unlikely that any lies he told her would be able to shield the truth. Ash almost wished he could say that he would not be able to imagine a creature of such power walking this world but, unfortunately, he had already seen one such being before. Meeting Gaia would, at the very least, be a much more pleasant experience than his encounter with a Greater Demon.

He wondered if--Ash flinched, being pulled out of his thoughts and back into reality when Morrigan marked him, having been tricking into thinking she would have done something else. The warlock rubbed the oil off his face and shook his head at Morrigan, glad to see she was well. "It's a human idea. Settling down when one is past their prime to watch their children's children grow." Saying it out loud only made the whole concept sound foreign, strange, and quite...stupid. Neither of them would ever leave their prime and, unless he found the means through some miracle, warlock simply could not have children. For once, Ash felt like he had chosen his words poorly and it was all because he was far too out of practice with this.

Ash remained silent as he began to place the some of the last runes on the wall before he stepped back to take a long look at the work he and Morrigan had completed. "It is certainly turning out better than it did on paper." He eyed Morrigan before turning his attention towards Valister. "It is almost done. Once the others who will be accompanying us return, I shall put the finishing touches on the portal. Then we will be off."

​

Rhett shook his head slowly, thinking of all the ways he could try to approach the situation. Going in strong to force Brianne into accepting her situation did not seem appropriate but neither did repeating an apology over and over. The fact remained that she was going to change whether she liked it or not.

"It isn't taking everything from you. Nothing can take away what's most important. Who you are. Not a Lightwood, not a Shadowhunter, but just Brianne. You are more than the position you hold." No matter what he said, no speech of his could have made for an instant fix for Brianne and he knew it. As much as he desperately wished, he did not believe he could make things better with just one moment. "Don't feel sorry for me. You don't have any reason to."

Hesitantly he reached for her hand, his mind playing out images of her slapping him away, and took her by it. His gaze kept on the blackened veins on the back of her hand with Rhett not once looking Brianne directly in the eye. He was afraid that if he looked he would see nothing but hate, disdain, or a cold empty stare in her eyes and he could not bare to see her look at him in such a way. "First thing we need to do is get you out of here. This is the first place anyone will look of they're gunning after us. After that...we take things in baby steps. It's only the end of the world if you let it be. Please believe me, you haven't lost everything." He placed his other hand over Brianne's to clasp it gently. Coupled with the guilt now came the reminder of responsibility. He had to be the one to guide her through this ordeal. No one else could understand what she was going through more than he did. Rhett knew he could never leave her side. He would not.