Roark went through the doorway into the familiar light gray gray and bright yellow office that had laser burns decorating it. Gampu was sitting at the desk reading a padd leaned back into the chair with intrigue on his eyes. He looked up toward the direction of the Vegan had a short wave that turned into gesturing him toward one of the three white seats. Gampu's office had showed some signs of damage consisting of the entire glass wall behind him was gone and displayed a outlook of the distance on Priplanus. The rails that would normally be behind Gampu were halfway gone, the floor behind Gampu was partially missing, and the computer console was the only thing that seemed to be intact at the center cove to the office. The light fixtures around the room on the cieling were steadily remaining on. Parts of the long, wide side beams that were normally powering orange lights were gone.

"Commander," Gampu regarded Roark with a nod.

"Cadet Roark," Gampu said.

"Given the extent of the damage on the campus. . . I thought you didn't make it," Roark said, earning a nod from the man slowly closing his eyes.

"Rest assured, I made it out alive with some difficulty," Gampu said. "I was very reluctant to let Peepo stay behind."

"Your creation, your friend, and partner," Roark said. "It is difficult to leave those you've known your whole life behind."

"Very difficult," Gampu said. "I wanted to stay but the cadets need me and Peepo was capable of handling the problem at hand without a human on Battle Control."

"The computers and AI's are like that these days," Roark said. "I remember when the robots in my day weren't as advanced as Peepo."

"If I could replicate Peepo just for awhile, I would have taken the chance," Gampu said. He shook his head. "But I won't."

"No one can replace a unique AI," Roark said.

"A dear old friend," He sighed, placing his hands on the arm rest then stood up from the chair. "I heard you wanted to speak with me regarding the battle of Priplanus."

Roark nodded.

"I was thinking of the battle of Vega," Roark said. "The second attack by our Terran counterparts."

"Using their own armada against them?" Gampu asked. "Dragos must have very tight security regarding controls over his drones."

"He may," Roark said. "Or may not. I have intel that his allies are not very secured with their spaceships."

Gampu seemed wary about the proposal.

"That is too dangerous," Gampu said. "That was done when we didn't have cadets in the middle of it."

"We had soldiers back then on that issue," Roark said.

"Soldiers were experienced and prepared for issues where they have to take lives," Gampu said. "Not peace keepers." He shook his head. "How can we be sure that the allies won't try crashing their spaceships toward the academy just to make sure they win?"

"That part is easy," Roark said. "It's risky but it could work. We have to send someone out into the army and connect their computers to the campus."

Gampu frowned.

"They don't let people walk in at their will and change everything," Gampu said. "That would require that they have a prisoner to transport from craft to craft and allow them to check in at their computers. A task like that will not work on them with their knowledge."

"That isn't far off," Roark said.

"You mean to say they'll be willing to?" Gampu asked. "They are too smart for that."

"I haven't figured that part out but it could work if we hammer out the ruse," Roark said. "You were part of that original effort," Gampu lowered his head, ashamed. "Heard you ended up killing some people to keep your cover."

"Casualties of war," Gampu said, raising his head up toward Roark with tired eyes. "I never want to do that again. We need another tactic that could work against Dragos and his allies, cadet."

"The current solution is fortifying the campus, send the cadets and civilians into a vast cave with plenty of seekers to send them out to the rescue ships should the army retreat," Gampu nodded, approvingly. "Someone will man this campus while aiming for the biggest ship that may provide a domino effect could it work," Roark finished. Gampu shook his head, disapprovingly. "I realize this breaks your rules of no one dying but it is the most feasible one where everyone lives because one cadet sacrificed themselves."

"And who would be that reckless to do that?" Gampu asked.

"Lieutenant Prentiss," Roark said, watching the older man grow grim and stiffen before his eyes.

"No," Gampu said.

"He approached me with this idea," Roark said. "Emperor Dragos is not aware that he made it to the academy."

"I said no," Gampu said, facing the Vegan with heavy eyes.

"Then use the landscape to our advantage if Emperor Dragos wants a ground invasion," Roark continued. "Using natives of the planet may help us winning this war against Dragos Evil," Roark placed a padd on the edge of the table. Gampu's hands unlinked behind his back looking down toward the flat, blue padd with bulky buttons below the screen. He scanned the text on the screen picking it up. Gampu's blue eyes looked toward Roark registering that it was his ideas of how to best use the environment. He wanted to laugh at the ideas. These ideas would only work on Earth like planets that didn't have cosmic sand pits. "Just like the Vegans did when Terrans tried invading Vega." Gampu lowered the padd onto the table beside him.

Gampu tapped on his chin, contemplating, as he looked off toward the hole in deep consideration. The wind blew a warm, comforting breeze into the room. Gampu lowered his finger down from his chin then linked his hands hands behind his back. From the distance, everything was just a simple combination of aesthetic and beauty. A scenery that could become a scene of disaster with rising smoke and flames engulfing areas of the land. The imagery alone was enough to shake the man down to his core. The very thought of the planet becoming a war zone was disturbing enough. He squeezed his hands.

"I have seen too many star wars where thousands of people died," Gampu said. "People I called family, friends, and colleagues. . ." he briefly closed his eyes as the faces of people he knew crossed his mind in pain. People that he had lost in wars. He reopened his blue eyes gripping on to what remained of a railing that still stood. "I will be condemned to death before I let another one sacrifice themselves for the good of everyone else." He faced the Vegan. "We are not using innocent civilians to win this war or cadets."

"Sure you're ready to go out there, again?" Roark said.

"It was required of me then and it requires me, again," Gampu said. "If you have better ideas. The natives of this planet are not going to be part of it."

"People will die if we don't act, Commander," Roark said.

"Egos will suffer a short, painful death," Gampu said, with a dismissive wave on the issue. "If the allies intend to pose a ground invasion then we use equipment to test out parts of the planet ahead of the time."

"I prefer we use natives," Roark said. "They know the planet better than we do."

"This is a planet that travelers stop by on and stay awhile," Gampu said. "The only people on here are castaways and alien humanoids who trick people into what they want."

"You are so certain," Roark said.

"We have done scans of the planet," Gampu said. "There is only wildlife and spaceships."

"But how do you know about those shady characters?" Roark asked.

"We have determined that we are in the past of the Alvereze system," Gampu said. "Specifically the planet where two extra moons of Galvan had came from around several thousand years ago and the spaceships line up with species in this century that were not as trusting as they are now. A few of them have the old Federation label on them."

"The void is what I feared," Roark said. "A time warp."

"We can prevent anything we want," Gampu said. "but we're too far away to make a change into your past."

"My family. . ." Roark said.

"Could be related to any of these visitors," Gampu said. "You must not go out and interact with them."

"Understood, Commander," Roark said, with a nod. "That is wise."

"Indeed, it is," Gampu said. "In two weeks, lots of things may change and so may this plan. If you get any better ideas, approach me with it."

"I will," Roark said, with a nod.

"You are dismissed, cadet," Gampu said. "Get some rest."

"Aye, Commander," Roark said.

Roark turned away then made his path toward the door, He waved his hand in front of the panel and the door opened before him. He walked out then the door closed behind him. Gampu sat down into one of the cadets chair melting down into a relieved, troubled Smith. There was a beep from the door then came, "Come in," while rubbing his forehead. Laura and Chris came into the room with bright smiles. Smith leaned himself up halfway up turning his attention on toward the cadets. The man seemed exhausted.

"How did I do?" Smith asked.

"You did a good job," Laura said. "We will determine who's going up there."

"I got a rough idea of how it is going to be," Chris said. "Blue team 1 is going to save the academy and a planet before graduation."

"I am here," Smith said. "Why don't you use me to finish it?"

"It wouldn't be legal," Laura said.

"And it wouldn't be right," Chris said. "Until then, we are going to be very busy repairing the academy."

"Thank you, Doctor Smith," Laura said. "We really appreciate you doing this."

Smith stood up to his feet.

"I need to dissemble my camp and bring my belongings to my temporary quarters," Smith said.

"Gampu's quarters is largely intact," Chris said.

"No," Smith said.

"We're not asking, demanding, or offering," Chris said, shaking his hand. "we're giving you one that is by his room."

"You want me to retain my identity in my off time and not become the mask," Smith said. "A good decision. It's easy to become the mask."

"If we really lost him in that battle. . ." Chris sighed, briefly closing his eyes then turned them on toward Smith.

"You have to end the charade," Smith said.

"After we leave Priplanus," Laura said.

"Gampu would be proud of you, both of you, for going this far," Smith said, placing his hand on their shoulder. "It is tempting to ask a look alike to join you in your time."

"We have a good teacher," Chris said, as Smith let go of their shoulders then walked toward the nearest cadet chair. "A fine one."

Smith sat down into the cadets chair.

"I will be taking a nap before I go out and retrieve my belongings," Smith said, his fingers pressed along the sides of his face. "I will be taking five coins per day for this role."

"Five?" Laura said. "Just five gold coins?"

"Ten if it gets more stressful," Smith added, as his eyes closed and he snored while leaning against the left arm rest.

"We all need some sleep," Chris said, turning toward Laura. "This has been a eventful afternoon."

"Too eventful," Laura said, shaking her head. "Sometimes I just wish. . . I just wish that Emperor Dragos died and his empire ended with him."

"Over the past few hours I have been feeling the same," Chris said. "Seeing friends, family members, and random people hurt from the attack is just--"

"It's heartwrenching," Laura said. "The kind of disaster that doesn't happen every day."

"I get the feeling that we may to anticipate that as the day goes on," Chris said. "Tee Gar and the other doctors are still going through the campus searching for wounded." They walked toward the doors and Laura waved her hand on the console.

"This is preparing us for a ship wide scale," Laura said. "and we will be better at it next time."

"You make it sound we're still learning," Chris said.

"We're cadets, Christopher," Laura said. "The Space Academy isn't done yet teaching us."

"We are," Chris said, looking down toward his twin with a smile watching her leave the room. "We are."

Chris followed her out and the door closed behind him.