And she stomped off. Leaving the both of us to trail behind her.

  “She’s headstrong,” Drofu said. “Whatev’r she’s planned here musta be worth her telling you our namesake, at least.”

  It’s a great sign of trust for many species to know their name, gives you power. To ask for them in person. To speak highly or badly of them, Hiroto confirmed for me.

  I was more than confused when she seemed to take us down. “You said, ship, no?” I asked, looking at her as she stopped by a rather large doorway.

  “That I did. I just didn’t say it was in space now, did I?”

  “Ye didn’t know this was our planet, did ye, boy?”

  I hadn’t. I hadn’t asked any major questions on the location of this planet or the people who ran it; I’d presumed it was Arndale. Even though Hiroto had said it was too busy to nuke.

  Suddenly, once again genocide and this planet became null. I couldn’t do it. It meant I had to pick my ass up off the floor and do what I was here for.

  I worried a little about stepping through that doorway; were they really trustworthy?

  Hiroto piped up. They told you their names, don’t get more trustworthy than that.

  I still felt a little vulnerable.

  The doorway led into a vast metal space. Some kind of lift. Of course, taking traditional fantasy tropes to its limits. We were going down. My stomach lurched as we did go down. My health was still not anything worth noting. I took a quick look.

  KYLE RANZ - HEALTH = 44%

  The deeper I went, the more I thought of Yun. Was he closer to me? I tried to reach out; it was almost as though something down here was stopping me, the cave walls? Something natural?

  I’m not sure either, Hiroto said. The minerals and things down here are very different. I guess that’s why they use this place as their base…

  That did make a lot of sense.

  Where we stopped was somewhere confusing. It was a cavern, and as I stepped out, there was a vast lake before me. On the lake was the largest seafaring vessel I had ever seen. Not that I’d seen much more than a few boats at the local arena, mind you. Holy cow, this was impressive.

  “This is the Chadan, our only seafaring transport.” G’hale stepped away from the lift towards the huge metallic structure that spread up and across the water line.

  “You brought your mechs here on this?”

  “Aye, we did that,” Drofu said as he followed his mate.

  I took in the amazing piece of architecture it was and then ran after the two of them, managing to catch them at a small gangway plank. There were two fully kitted out guards.

  “Ma’am,” one said as we approached, fist to his chest.

  “Am takin’ me new friend ta see Captain Zangrar, won’t be long.”

  She stepped between them and up the walkway. Drofu let me go in the middle, and I stepped onto it meeting the eyes of both guards for a brief moment. I admired their strong sense of duty; they never flinched at my presence. Were more bothered by their mech leads return, I imagined.

  If it’s something they weren’t expecting, yes. Technically, she should be getting ready for tomorrow, just like you should be.

  The inside of the ship was small. I should have expected it. I mean, most ships were, but this one wasn’t built for denti either. I had to walk with a stoop and duck for all the things that protruded through the ceilings my companions walked under with no issues at all. I chuckled on the inside; this was a vastly different structure to Artemis and even that of the Vamire’s spacecraft, for their sheer size.

  G’hale stopped walking eventually, and we joined a waiting queue for a lift, then we went whichever way it did. I had no idea. I was lost on direction in here. Eventually we made our way up. It wasn’t much different then as we approached what I could only think was going to be the bridge. Best place for a captain, right?

  She stopped before the door, looked to Drofu and then me. “I’ll see ‘im first, then ask ye inside. There’s never been a denti aboard this ship. Some of our kind have ner ev’n met one.”

  The door made a short beep, and a deep voice bellowed. “Come!”

  G’hale seemed to straighten herself and then step through, but her posture slipped. She was scared.

  I looked to Drofu. “I’m not quite sure what to make of that.”

  “The cap’n is not to be disturbed, at least most of the trip. I’ve ner known her come here.”

  I had more questions, but we could then hear the shouting from inside the room, and Drofu’s eyes went wide.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I never meant for anyone to get in trouble.”

  “It’ll be what it is, lad. She doesn’t take to shouting s’well.”

  I could hear that; she was giving as much as she was getting. But that was insubordination.

  “I’m not seeing the full story here am I?” I asked him.

  “I’ll let her tell ye,” he said.

  The door opened, and a slightly red faced G’hale stood before me. “Come in.” She beckoned us in.

  The room wasn’t what I expected. Not the bridge—these were private quarters. The dwarf who stood in the centre of the room glared my way. “Show ye self, denti,” he growled.

  I ducked and stepped into the room, finally glad I could at least stand a lot better in here. I stepped forward and stood before him, mostly feeling like I was on show. But he needed to assess me, probably mostly how much of a threat I was.

  “Me daughter has a lot ta say about ye, lad. That does ne mean I hav ta trust ye.”

  I could only nod. That at least explained why we were here and that there had just been a slanging match between them. “I understand, sir. I hope my actions will back up the trust she has already shown me and the generosity of her mate in healing me.”

  The captain looked to Drofu, who physically paled. I gathered I wasn’t supposed to say anything and cringed. I hated not knowing customs, and even though I had lost some faith in Xirob and what happened, I missed him even more now. Without his inside knowledge, I felt much more vulnerable. “Your daughter’s a formidable fighter. She recognised I wasn’t actually there to participate. She witnessed me handing control over to my second.”

  The captain then turned on her. “Is this tru? You beat ‘im because he was’ne there?”

  She lowered her head, fiddled with the braid falling by her hand. She looked like any child being chastised in front of a parent. I felt my heart twinge for her. “Yes, Father.”

  “And what is your honour telling ye’?”

  That’s when she stood straight and met his gaze; she was sure of her answer here. “My honour is solid, as ye raised me. Tha’s why I sought Kyle out. And we’re now here. He needs to see the front lines, father. They’re going to hit the Denti homeworld.”

  “Wha?” the captain said, his eyes almost crossing when he tried to look at us both at the same time.

  And instant fear swept through me. Front lines?

  The captain then faced me. “My daughter had one last chance to get the equipment we need for the front lines. And she lost because of you, because she believed what…”

  “I believed what my brother told me.”

  “It seems ye don’t know a lot about us. The way ye hold your head, your stature, and the fact you have a true shade brain is telling me ther’s more to ye then we all know. I have not met anyone who does’ne know whats goin’ on the front lines.”

  I felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”

  The captain turned around and moved out of the centre of the room towards a desk at the back. I could see the room wasn’t lavish, just functional. A little more modest than some of the crew barracks I knew we had on the Razor or even Artemis, but it seemed in line with his rank at least.

  “Here, laddie, I’ll open ye eyes for ye.”

  Within moments, there was a screen before me, and what I saw on it floored me. I thought feeling sick in the lift turned me.

  There were no words for what I was witnessing.

  The battlefield stretched on and on.

  “Where is this?” I managed to croak out.

  “You’re at the forefront of the war here,” the captain answered simply. “This is the other side of the planetary system you’re now residing in.”

  Hiroto?

  I’m analysing everything now. This isn’t visible from space. There’s no nites down this far for us, for you to see.

  I felt myself physically wobble. “I don’t understand.” I moved in closer. I could see the merged mechs, literally hundreds of them, splayed out and fighting for their lives.

  I took in every detail, their sheer size, the weapons, some of their details and stats flashing up. Health falling, just as they were. They were in pure defence mode, weapons and kenosi lighting up the enemy with tremendous force, and although they were suffering for it, they were taking the enemy out.

  The enemy—I couldn’t see them. I tried. But something was stopping me.

  Then I noticed and was drawn to one spot, one mech. It was the command, the leader of it all.

  The name flashed up before me, and her stats.

  Name - Ohara Veti

  Mech General

  Full Mech Merge Compliant

  Level 166

  Kenosi 217

  That was Xirob’s sister? The one he’d fallen out with? Was this why? I had so many questions, so many more on top of what I already had. My mind spun.

  Then I noticed something else, someone beside her as she ordered and defended, and I watched as some kind of energy blast made its way through their defences. This mech stood forwards, raised its fist, and shielded them with one massive kenosi display. The power to this one mech, the force—I was in awe.

  Then I saw.

  Name - Xirob Veti

  Mech General

  Full Mech Merge Compliant

  Level 220

  Kenosi 330

  I nearly fell over. Xirob was alive? How? What? Why hadn’t he tried to contact us? What was this? I scrunched my fists together, felt the blood pooling at my fingertips, my nanites going bonkers. I wanted to scream at him, to call him out on everything he’d ever said, done. What the fuck was all of this? A trick? A trap? Nothing here made sense anymore. He knew, he knew much more than he told me, more than anyone. I felt more and more betrayed. Why?

  “This is what you don’t see from your side of space,” the captain said. “We keep it pretty sectioned away from the people and the species over there. That’s for their protection. Your protection.”

  Hiroto sank back inside my mind. Just as I reached forward to touch the screen, I heard the door behind me, but my eyes were glued to the full-frontal battle going on.

  “Kyle,” a voice said behind me.

  I turned to see a creature so stunning I struggled to look at them. No...I didn’t know the sex; it wasn’t obvious from what I was seeing, what they were. When they spoke, I recognised the voice, yet I couldn’t place it. They almost glided towards me, their long hand out, stretching towards me. They upturned their palm, kenosi sparking. “It is good to see you once again, Kyle.”

  I almost reached for their hand. But as I moved to take theirs in mine, I managed to stop myself. “You?” I said. “You’re the reason I’m here…”

  The hand shimmered in gold and yellows. I recognised it. From a vision, from my past. From the time I had been missing in space. Before I was dropped off on KronoS.

  “You should’ne have come up, your Highness.”

  I swallowed, not able to take my eyes off her. “I felt the energy shift. I knew things had changed in a way that needed intervention.”

  I glanced to the captain, who had actually shied away from us. So had G’hale and Drofu, their heads lowered.

  “I really don’t understand any of this,” I said. “The war’s real? If so, what the hell am I trying to do in bringing Arndale down? Everything in my head is a lie.” I smacked the side of my face. Nothing but frustration took hold.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The creature before me stepped in close and took my hand from smacking me in the face. That’s when I felt something, energy. Pure and very needed.

  “Take what you need, Kyle. I give it freely.”

  I didn’t need to take anything; it was like my body just absorbed everything she was. Her kenosi flowed directly into me, filling everything I was.

  KYLE RANZ – HEALTH = 100%

  I didn’t think I’d ever reached this high, it was euphoric.

  “We had to let you believe something, to drive you,” she said. “I am sorry for that.”

  I fought tears, the frustration, everything. Was even…Lyndsey?

  “Why?” I shook her hand off and waved it to the screen. “What is this?”

  “We need you to take Motaki down. And Arndale. We need the denti homeworld out of their control.”

  “I don’t get it.” I really didn’t.

  “You have inside you the knowledge, Kyle. You know the reasons. I know you do.”

  Captain Zangra was going to speak, but she held up a hand to him, her energy still snaking around her. “He has to come to the conclusions himself. You will not interfere.”

  “You’re losing the war. You’re the one in command of all of it?”

  She didn’t acknowledge me at all.

  “You moved all of us into place. Tyto, Borix, Xirob, you knew there was a fresh batch of people coming from Earth.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “Go on.”

  “I was going to die when I killed Nehi, wasn’t I? You stepped in again…”

  “Why, Kyle, why do we need you?”

  Hiroto’s mind whirled as much as mine; he was trying everything to find me an answer in the system. But there wasn’t one, and I remembered the one thing I had kept consistent through all of my time here. “Because we’re stronger together.”

  She smiled. “Yes. Yes, you are.”

  “You need us, us together. Denti and human. But not as they have us. You want us both working together like I was with Xirob?” I moved to the view of the battle raging on. I felt manipulated, hurt. I wondered who else knew the truth. Did Borix? Wherever the hell he was, did Tyto?

  I don’t think he does, Hiroto said. I don’t think anyone on our side knows the real truth. I don’t even think Motaki and Arndale have accepted they’re losing the war, that the people are rebelling because they let it all fall apart.

  I glanced to the time. “We have to go,” I said. “I have to go. I have a fight to win.” I looked to G’hale. “Thank you. For letting me see the truth. I have so many questions and no time. I…”

  I didn’t have time to process it all. I wanted to. I needed to. But there wasn’t. If I didn’t show to that fight, Motaki would win, and I’d be…dunno, dead. Would the system kill me off?

  “What are you going to do?” the captain asked.

  “We will talk again,” I said to the creature that had started all of this rolling. Then to the captain, “I’m going to complete my missions, and then I’ll decide what I want to do.”

  I moved to walk away, and the captain was going to stop me, but once again the creature before me blocked him, and she allowed me to leave.

  When I got outside of their doorway, I sucked in a breath. Hiroto, I said. Get me the hell out of here, back to the surface.

  There was a little arrow flashing before me, and I followed it out of the ship, back up to that strange lift and up to the station and the area I knew. The flag vanished as soon as I was able to walk faster than it.

  I reached our ring and placed my hand to the shield stepping through it.

  Naylar ran over to me. “Thank God. We all thought they’d kidnapped you. You’ve been gone all night!”

  “I’m okay,” I said and looked around the mech area. The M-Wolf mechs were out of the Vamire device. They looked intense, standing in the lights of the arena. “I have a lot to tell you all, but not now.”

  “Understood,” Naylar said.

  “Are we ready for this?” I asked, looking to the ten people who had my back, looking to the mech tech unit and engineers that had our backs.

  “Yes, sir!” came the resounding chorus of voices.

  “Then let’s go get some.”

  Quill and Tyto moved first, heading to their mech. I watched as they expertly climbed in, and then so did the others.

  Spike came to stand next to me. “You’re going to command it all?”

  I hadn’t tried it. I hadn’t had the strength before. But looking inside myself now, I knew I had more than the strength to lead it on my own. I knew through everything we’d been through it was inevitable I would be here now. About to make the final delivery to our plans. At the back of my mind, the view of that war. I pushed the thoughts aside, right aside. To the back of my mind. They couldn’t know.

  Hiroto’s worry came through. You’re going to keep it from them?

  Yes, for now. I built up a couple of walls and sealed the last few hours off from everyone, even myself. I knew once inside the full kenosi wolf mech merge without it, they’d see it all. Even with doing that, I wasn’t sure it could work in the midst of battle. I need them to think as we all complete each task here today that we were winning. I don’t want them to know this isn’t the end.

  I felt his sadness then. I understand.

  I glanced to Spike. “Thank you again. Be ready. These mechs might be needed to keep the peace on this station. When Motaki’s down—”

  “We have a plan. We’ve been talking about it with your general and your team. You have more backing on this station than you know. We just need the word.”

  I looked away from him back to the wolf-mech. Then I stepped in, reached up, and climbed inside. Closing the cockpit around myself, I sparked my Kenosi, feeling it running through the systems and around me.

  “I’m sure the others filled you all in on what to expect when I initiate this merge. It is going to feel very different. You need to follow your partners’ instructions. Let the energy flow around you. I will thread it all together, and we will become one.”