The Long Way Home

*Ehem* Ho...! King Anton Durstheim "The Amberwynne" as tales and legends told! He loves his redheads far and wide, all blondes and brunettes cold...! Heheh! Are you making fun of your King, Ser David Brannigan? Yes, Sire, very much so...! (Snicker) That's it, the next tankard is on the house! Now drink! The King's orders! Much obliged, Your Highness!

So here's to the most humble of knights, a noteworthy comrade in peacetime and out, and the bestest of man whom had prevented me from ditching my own wedding! Cheers! Cheers...! (Gulp) I say that after-party was really something, Ser David! Never thought the primeval lords--I mean--our Kryutopian allies were the most festive of folks! I tend to

Agree! Forsooth Lord Morforoko spared no expenses in co-hosting that merriment, My Lord! And truth be told, they'd be as rowdy as any dwarves in a tavern when it comes to drinking! Heheh, very true, and I believe that was also the first time your Patron (Dragon Councilor Rigel Excelsior IV) made a fool out of himself, correct? Oh Mater Draconis not

(Sigh) Finally we got back what that Klenpathuan stole from us! I swear if we ever get reincarnated remind me to choose our friends wisely, Val! You? Rob? Believe in reincarnation? Well, yeah! Both my parents were Buddhists and they always told me to do good or I'd be reborn a toad!

(Snicker) Yeah, and the galaxy would've been a better place if that toad became a quantum physicist...! Oh, you hurt me Val! How am I gonna get a job then? Well it's better than being that snivelling weasel Kretik Obsalom! Heheh, true that, Vimakta! Well I better get this scratch fixed

Soon or I'm gonna look like a demolition derby racer, heheh...! So...what happened back there, Vimakta? What do you mean? You had that weird look when that Obsalom mentioned the...erm...what's that name again? Akephalos...! Right, that Akey-whats-his-name! Rob's right--you looked

You have no business coming here, Mr President! You've been branded a criminal and I am legally bound to report you in! And a fair days eternal to you too, Great Seer! For we both know the origin of that illustrious mirror of yours...or am I mistaken? (Just like the President's sentient

Sword of Wisdom, the all-seeing Mirror Of Fate is also a gift from Akephalos) Heheheh, you are as high-strung as ever, Saif Mintaka! Forsooth! For even the Headless One will be as clueless as to what transpires from our meeting today...! (Those who received the gift of

Akephalos are forever invisible to his eyes and ears) And you are a good actor, Roygbiv! That's what I like about you, heheh...! So you've heard the news I reckon? Yes...for that headless one's very presence is negatively affecting XNROE's ecosystem, and if nothing is to be done then the

Fair days eternal, Green Keeper Haroun! (Gasp) Lord Sumbuz-Tri, Duke Kuneke, Master Brum, Sage Ruli? This is...this is an unexpected visit! And to what do I owe the pleasure of--Master Haroun, forsooth the Headless One's presence is beginning to sully our world! What? How--The Silver Birds of Time is late for its annual migration! Seven out of

Fifty seven major rivers are being polluted by dark, ominous liquid! And the (usually docile) Meandering Trees of Begellon had started attacking their Tremellin caretakers! Please send some more Green Keepers (Nature Wizards) to tend to these, Master Haroun! And please uproot that vile Akephalos out of this world as soon as possible? My peers

Speak the truth Green Keeper! We and our underlings can contain the detriments for only so long before--Before we'd be looking at a scale of pollution that's second only to the Three Great Wars, Green Keeper! The longer that monster stays in our backyard the more threatened our ecosystem gets! But I can assure you that...everyone in my Order and

(Sigh) Agfarlelazisk...! At least he did get to see his grandson for one last time! I'm glad my Dad passed on with a big smile--he hardly ever smiled ever since my Mom's...!

So...what did he said to Xeqimo before he passed? It doesn't sound Lep-Omarchian as far as I can tell? Okay, so in my tribe's Lehur dialect that's what we called Ifth-Thalasa

Something that roughly translates to "Words of Wisdom!" A time-honored tradition where the Patriarch conveys some cryptic message to his eldest grandson just before he dies...!

Hey Brian, what are you doing out here all by yourself? You're supposed to follow the President back tomorrow morning...! Oh? Hey Donnie, can't sleep so I thought I'd take a walk for a bit...! So are you and Caleb okay? You sounded so stressed just now...! Yeah, we're okay...why wouldn't we be? You sure? Yeah! Then why did I got a CC from Caleb

Just now saying "I'm sorry" a million times? Why did you cut ties with him Brian? Is it because...? (Sniffle) Caleb, him and me we, we grew up together...! He was always there for me and...even after losing his parents he still looks out for me but...! (Sniffle) But now? So what am I supposed to tell him, Donnie? That I'm...I'm an alien...from another planet?

Mr President said I'll only put...everyone...in danger if I stay here so I think...I think...it's best that...we...stopped...being...! (Hugs) There, there Brian...that's okay, that's okay! I understand...! (Sigh) We'll figure something out...! I know you have to go back to XNROE tomorrow so...just message him saying that you're trying to adjust to a new life here on

Hey Caleb, how are you? Hey Brian, I heard what happened and I'm sorry I couldn't call you up sooner...are you okay? Yeah, I'm okay Caleb, nothing that a full body skin grafting can't fix, heheh! That's not funny, Brian! That gas explosion took out the entire street...you could've gone offline or worse! Sorry Caleb, I'm okay; just some bruises and a high fever

For a couple of days...! So how's your first week in school, Caleb? Have you started learning how to shoot yet? Are you still mad I enrolled, Brian? Maybe...! (Sigh) Like I said it's just like any other highschool except that you'd do basic training after classes...we'll only get to learn the heavy stuff right after graduating, when we became recruits...!

You know you could've told me first, right? I thought we were friends, Caleb? Friends don't keep secrets from each other, okay? Look, I know how you feel about being a soldier but, a part of me is tired from feeling helpless, a victim of some war that shouldn't have happened! But those Faceless Horde don't care how we feel, Caleb! You know that

A penny for your thoughts, sir? (Sigh) I was wondering Ms Wink-Qwem; will this galaxy be worst off when I leave than when I came in? Coming from you it's as absurd as any sane person could ever sounds like! You're the hero of the Milky Way, remember? Ah I'm really going to miss your sharp wit when I stepped down next year, Ms Wink-Qwem!

Here's hoping the next Supreme Chairman would benefit from your company as much as I did...! But why's the sentimentality, sir? You're not...gonna cry on me now are you? Actually Glerkia, I don't think I should just leave everything to some other hands when there's so much to be done! The rebuilding, the fate of the Messenger of Shairo, those

Deviant tech cultists going at each others' throats, this here universe in general? Well you cared too much--that part checked out! But the galactic public will forever remember you as the only Chairman who took office during our darkest of hours--you controlled the army that defeated the Faceless Horde damnit! Why can't you just cut yourself some

Mother Matrix this really feels like a fever dream: a band of Sacred Survivors, hiding in plain sight, on New Hesperia, for more than two decades? And two of them are cyborgs? Hardly a wonder everybody started looking strangely at each other these days; cyborgs, meatballs, Neo Sapiens? We've all started getting wary of each other now, wondering

What if that last person we passed by on the street today was one of them? Heck, so much so that our new pontiff had issued a statement, saying everything is fine but yeah, rumor has it that his own son had befriended one of them since before the Epsilon Call (human/cyborg civil war)! Great, and what about that so-called underground

Gas explosion down in Xian Gan Prime last Tuesday? Eyewitness reports said a cyborg teenager torched down giant bat-like aliens but the authority denied it? (Scoff) Mother Matrix can't believe the things I read on the Interweb lately but hey! Strange things did happen these past four years but now? Everybody has it on tape just to prove it!

(Sigh) This is madness! Thirty skirmishes across the Milky Way all at once? As much as I have seen my share of battles but this? Is overkill! I know that those deviant tech cultists started offing each other ever since the failed invasion but why's this senseless violence? Number One did told me not long ago to watch out for "outside" interventions

But...! (Sigh) He didn't mention Akephalos would be meddling with our affairs! What am I going to tell my clients? A wise, immortal, headless being from the beginning of time is behind all this? How am I supposed to produce a proof of his existence if I can't even see him? Damn it! Things were way easier when we Watchers were still as one

We'd have access to higher powers that we can even watch the movements of higher beings but now? I am severely handicapped as it is; the best I can do is to observe and present my findings to my clients...! At least they haven't made a move on either leaders yet...the Valley City and the Synod HQ are safe for the moment! Soon the Galactic

Oh Ayesha my twice beloved! How I missed thine softest of touch and thine sweetest of embrace! I wish for naught but to extend this here night forever; so as to continue with our lovemaking till kingdom come...! *(Oh Shyair there's not a thing in this great universe and beyond that I'd covet more than to remain in your arms forever, but alas time will always

Envy us!) Forsooth! For both sides took a lot of risks to see us here together--you might lose your crown and mine my life! *(For too long we've been apart, and longer still I've felt like ending it all! But still I'm glad, to feel your everlasting love inside of me tonight...!) The masked politician was true to his words; albeit he himself is a wanted man he...!

*(Indeed he is, but there's nothing I could do if both of you gets caught, Shyair! So please be careful; I could almost feel the perverted gaze of that headless being as we touched!) Akephalos will remain mortal for as long as he's on XNROE, my love; the entire Hall of Wizards are let loose upon him as we speak! Hence why we could even be here tonight...!

(Smooch) *(I wish this night would never end as well but alas! It's almost dawn and the Knights of the Red Wind (Imperial Guards) they'd as soon sense my absence!) (Sigh) I know, so give my thanks to your sister Fatima for arranging our meeting tonight; I still remember our adventures from days long past--bless her golden heart! (Smooch) Fair days eternal...my twice beloved! (Sniffle)

(Sigh) Finally we're able to transport the Preseglin Daiti Crystal (the Psi-Being Order's most sacred relic) safely down, maybe now I can breathe while our Brothers and Sisters meditate before it, settling it down in its new home...! The Order of The Blessed had endured so much it seems

Starting from the time when Gus accidentally murdered hundreds (while trying to release his brother Ted), the departure of our beloved Patriarch and...! (Sigh) And our helping the galaxy win over the Faceless Horde two years ago; all at the cost of losing several thousands of our...!

I know we Psi-Beings should not have material desires but...maybe it's better that we didn't go in over our heads once the news got out (they played a huge part in the galaxy's fight against the Kltua-Lymonzs but chose not to make it public) but now? About this Wise Headless One

(Sigh) So they're still going to launch the Messenger of Shairo starship, Mr President? Despite knowing very well that the Final Prophecy is no longer valid? I'm afraid so, Your Eminence! And with my connection to Akephalos is made public on that sacred planet, the news stopped coming from my formal sources...! But what I want to know is

Did those hostile tech cultists have aligned themselves with this...headless being? Unconfirmed Mr Sharpe, but according to reports from my local agents, several factions seemed to have "supernatural" backings; these are closely monitored so we'll know exactly when they'll strike again...! But how reliable are your info Mr President?

Our Supreme Chairman can vouch for me, as also The Synod's Madam Chancellor...! Reports have been sketchy at best Mr Sharpe, but recent activities seemed to center around Xian Gan Prime and its immediate vicinity...! And from what I've gathered, they're occupied in finding a recent refugee from that sacred planet

Simeis 147: Supernova Remnant

Mother how could you do this!? Allowing the people from XNROE to come and stay in our world? Now it's only a matter of time before the Ja-annites or what else would come to our world and--You needn't worry, Rembrandt! For I know about your fight against the Dark Legion, and I know the Ja-annites were far worse than them! But I can't let those refugees roam aimlessly in the universe while their headless enemy bides his time in capturing them! Remember that nothing comes in and out of our galaxy without my prior knowledge Rembrandt

And to whomever that I decided to reach out and welcome, nothing in this galaxy could stop me! Forgive me Mother, for the memory of the Dark Legion is still fresh in my mind...! So tell me, are these two children flesh and blood or...? They were trans-humanoid when i first saw them, hence I had deduced it would be easy for them to live amongst the cyborgs of New Hesperia! So I gave them new identities and separated them as requested by their elder...! So Melvin had been in contact with one of them all these while! (Melvin and Donnie met before joining

East Esplanade's cyborg gangster The Mean Streak; later on Melvin rose in rank to become their leader and Donnie his second), if I only knew--You're a wanted man at that time Rembrandt, and New Hesperia was on the verge of another Epsilon Call (human/cyborg civil war)...! But, how come it took Akephalos this long as to realized where those children were hiding? My husband (former Kltua-Lymonz leader Moiko-Stitska) blessed those two so as to shield them from that monster's eyes, but he knew that his protection has limits! And now with the

Dang blasted! That Klenpathuan scratched my finish! See, I told you that Dr Obsalom's craftier than he looks; we wouldn't have spent two years after him if he didn't give us the slip! (Groan) This scratch'll cost me a thousand creds to fix! Rob have you got a fix on his position? Yep, but I got some bad news Val! (Sigh) Don't we ever...? He's gone

Down the Plekostomos Tube (a VIP level underground train service), we needed at least a Gold Clearance to acess it! Then we go down the maintenance...! I know how to jump that creep before he reaches the next sub-junction! If we missed that one he'll be on that other planet and--And another two years of cat and mouse...! Rob, have you

Started cooking our bodies yet? Yep, in case he bombed us to kingdom come like last time...! (Rob and Val have Lep-Omarchian blood serum vats back home that would clone them each time they died--they've been using them repeatedly for the past four years!) Alright, he's going down this time! But, but this tunnel ran halfway across the