Doreen darted down the ruined street, following the rumble of Sekhmet's fury. It was a joy to have control of her body again, but it would have to take a back seat to the task at paw. Not to mention that glancing bullet wound was beginning to hurt like hell.

Fires blazed all around her, not just from the chaos Sekhmet was bringing to the station, but from militia attacks and, undoubtedly, a few accidents. She was under no illusions; Port Dubrovnik was burning. Was the rest of the station in the same situation?

No time to think about that now, she thought.

An explosion from ahead nearly threw her headlong, but she stayed upright and kept running. The noise of combat was growing louder, and Doreen could make out gunfire and the swish of an ancient and deadly weapon. She rounded a street corner and saw Sekhmet in all her glory, plucking hordes of guards, militia and civilians from the ground and executing them by the dozen.

Doreen ventured into the street, reflecting with some embarrassment that arming herself would have been a good move. In lieu of armament, however, she had the speed and stealth of a Jackal, and, moving as a blur, she darted into the shadows to the right of the street. She made it without attracting the attention of anyone, which, she reflected, was a surprise given that bloody bullet wound.

She hit the nearest wall and flattened herself against it. Well, this is the stupidest thing I've ever done, she mused. I mean, this tops me kissing Jason Ullman at the fifth grade disco.

A heap of rubble concealed Doreen as she sidled towards the scene of the atrocity; still no one had noticed her despite the odd stumble courtesy of the pain in her side. Sekhmet was the focus of a concentrated barrage of grenades and gunfire, none of which was affecting her in the slightest. Doreen was surprised to see both sides of the previous fight now united in their attack on the strident goddess, and considered that one positive thing to come out of today; given that many had died to make it happen, she quickly reversed her view.

She crept around the rubble and climbed onto a lofty piece of masonry that had tumbled from the building above, her claws scrabbling to grab onto the smooth insta-crete, and made it to the top in time to see Sekhmet swinging her weapon in a roundhouse attack that demolished a road-block and whoever was near it. The rubble that Doreen was attached to swayed violently, and she fought to stay attached to it. Her claws, however, didn't share the same impetus, and she fell backwards to land messily and quite hard on the ground.

"Crap," she hissed as she levered herself out of the mound of ash she'd ended face-down in. Well, at least the pain in her muzzle and back lessened the impact of the pain in her side. Small mercies.

She glanced back out at the street, and was surprised at what she saw.

Sekhmet was standing still, one massive paw to her face, and her back was somewhat hunched. Her weapon hung motionless, crackling with unholy power but still inert like its wielder. All around her, guards and serried onlookers and participants had stopped to take in the sight. A second prior, this thing had been ripping them to pieces, but now...

Doreen shook her head. This was confusing her more by the second. She pressed herself to the rubble, still stealthy, and peered at the ongoing spectacle.

Sekhmet stumbled backward, shook her head, and picked up her weapon. Something clicked in Doreen's mind, then. She was prone to these moments of realization, often in a geological capacity, but this wasn't one such moment. Said moment was compounded by a sudden but pallid pulse of light from Doreen's right palm, and she understood. Sekhmet was still attached to her, however tenuously.

Her reverie was interrupted by a paw appearing on her shoulder, and she turned to face its owner. It was Rodolfo Valance, covered in ash and looking somewhat confused. Doreen could identify with that. "Doreen," he panted. "Are you... you?"

Doreen nodded hesitantly. "I hope so," she replied. Rodolfo glanced out on the street, where Sekhmet was trying to resume her assault, and goggled. "What the hell is that?" he murmured.

"Long story," Doreen sighed.

"I take it that's something to do with your recent... condition?" Rodolfo asked her.

Doreen nodded. "And I'm still attached to it." She held up her glowing paw. "If I get injured, so does she. I think she left me without enough power to sustain herself. She promised to kill me when she no longer needed me, so that's my theory."

Rodolfo blinked. "So you've got some kind of symbiosis going on with that monster?" He shook his head. "Doreen, what the hell happened on that asteroid?"

"You saw it," Doreen said.

"I did," Rodolfo conceded. "But all this... it's just too much."

"Tell me about it," Doreen snapped. She looked back out at Sekhmet, who was regaining her composure and getting back to the business of slaughter. "Rodolfo, we've got to do something."

"Like hurting you?" Rodolfo cried. "We can't do that."

"Well, we need to think of something," Doreen muttered.

On the street, Sekhmet was being pelted, and it was slowing her down. Doreen guessed that she wasn't exactly immortal, either. "I think they're wearing her down," she remarked.

"She not invulnerable, then?" Rodolfo asked.

"She's meant to be," Doreen said, peering over a boulder. "But she needs that last spark, and I'm not sure if she's figured it out yet."

"Well, let's wear her down, then!" Rodolfo growled. "We can grab a weapon from back there." He jerked a thumb back toward the serried armaments lying across the street that Doreen had recently passed through.

"I've never held a gun," Doreen said uncertainly. "Well, aside from a mining laser."

"It's easy," Rodolfo scoffed. "Aim and shoot."

"Well, when you say it like that," Doreen sighed, joining him as he ran.

Doreen shook ash from the barrel of an assault rifle that had skittered to the kerb. "I hope this works," she breathed, feeling the unfamiliar thing in her paws. She checked the ammo counter and saw that the rifle's mag was full. The poor user hadn't even been able to fire it.

"Me too," Rodolfo added. He picked up his weapon as respectfully as he could from the dead clutches of a luckless guard. "This'll do me." He sighed and nodded to the body. "Thanks."

They sprinted back to the street where Sekhmet still stood, wavering, as she was hammered by guards and militia alike. Doreen braced the stock of the rifle on her shoulder as she approached the stunned goddess and raised the barrel, sighting up any chink in that golden armour. No such flaw made itself known, so she merely aimed the thing point blank and hit the trigger.

The gun vibrated violently in her grip, and she nearly dropped it, but the shots hit home, slamming into Sekhmet's armour and eliciting a blast of energy that made her body shimmer. She dropped her weapon and turned on Doreen, her eyes aglow with hatred.

"Oh, crud," Doreen groaned.

Sekhmet spoke. "I am weakened, she spat through Doreen's mind, but you merely delay the inevitable. I will be strong again!

Doreen fired again, hitting her squarely in the face. "Good luck with that," she retorted.

Sekhmet threw her head back and laughed. Her body suddenly shimmered and became translucent, and her weapon exploded in an angry display of fire.

"Doreen!" Rodolfo yelped as Sekhmet's form collapsed into a swirling miasma of flame and reached out for Doreen's body, enveloping it and imbuing her with the spirit of the goddess once more. Doreen looked to Rodolfo and screamed in horror. "Help me!" she howled.

Rodolfo dropped his gun and ran toward her, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Doreen!"

Doreen felt her mind begin to slip away once more, and terror overwhelmed what was left of her receding consciousness. "Rodolfo..." she gasped. "Help... me..."

Rodolfo had never looked so much at a loss. Then his eyes glinted with what Doreen reckoned he viewed as the best idea his mind could conjure. "Doreen, meditate!" he yelled. "That mystic crap you were doing back on the Mucky Pup – do it!"

Doreen's mouth plopped open at the suggestion. "Meditation? I..."

"Now!" Rodolfo shouted. "I order you to meditate, Mundie!"

With Doreen's free will slipping away by the second, it was hard to comply, but she closed her eyes and breathed out, clearing her head of worry and obstructions; she felt her left leg raise as she balanced her body and mind. A jolt of energy nearly threw her off, but she held firm and continued to breathe steadily.

Sekhmet's voice hammered through. What? No! No! I... must... recuperate... can't!

Doreen felt a smile spread across her muzzle. It was working. Sorry, Sekhmet, she thought with more than a hint of triumph. I can't have any clutter in my head.

Sekhmet's screams of protest began to fade away, and then died altogether. Doreen's eyes fluttered open, and she breathed out in relief. "Oh... she's gone."

Rodolfo's face was set in an expression of joyful disbelief. "Hold on a minute," he gasped. "Did that actually just... work?"

"Yep," Doreen said with a goofy grin.

Her left leg fell back to terra firma – along with the rest of her, and she passed out.

Doreen moaned as her eyes opened to the stark whiteness of a med-lab; her nose picked up scents of disinfectant and rubber apparel, and her ears twittered as they detected the general babble of busy staff and the demands of patients.

She rolled her head to the right and left, seeing IV drips, shelves stacked with myriad items of medical paraphernalia...

...and the grinning faces of Rodolfo Valance and Hachi Sedge.

"Where am I?" Doreen mumbled sleepily.

And then they were on her, hugging, kissing, ruffling hair and fur. "How ya doin', Doreen?" Hachi yelped gleefully.

Rodolfo couldn't stop laughing. "Good to have you back, Mundie," he managed between hoots.

Doreen grinned sheepishly. "Guys..."

"I always say, if you see a mushroom cloud, you'll find Doreen Mundie at the epicentre!" Hachi snorted. She slapped Doreen's blanketed knee and chortled.

Doreen flattened her ruffled hair and yawned into an aching paw. "Where am I?" she repeated. Her head felt like it had been hit by a meteor, and the rest of her felt no different. "What happened to me?"

"Well," Rodolfo said perkily, "we finally got you to Nutbush Medical."

Doreen cast a beady eye about at her surroundings. "I suppose that figures," she said. "How long have I been here?" She worked a clawed finger under the collar of the green surgical gown she had stuck to her; it felt like it had been glued on. "How long have I been wearing this?"

"Three days," Rodolfo sniggered. "Bet you feel like a wrapped ham."

Doreen couldn't help but smile at that.

"They're not too flattering, are they?" Hachi asked her rhetorically.

"Where's everyone else?" Doreen asked him, a feeling of urgency pulling at her. "Please tell me they're all okay!"

Rodolfo smiled. "Relax, Doreen, everyone's fine. The SubTech lot are okay as well."

"Oliver nearly got shot," Hachi tittered. "He's such a high-n-mighty when he's around his doohickeys, but point a gun at him and he liquefies."

Doreen sighed ruefully. "You really don't like him, do you?"

"I don't hide it, do I?" Hachi grinned. "Yeah, we got jumped by those thugs. Lucky the Sedalia Security lot arrived in time."

Doreen groaned as memories of a few days earlier tugged at her head. It all felt like a bad dream. "Is it over?" she asked either of them.

Rodolfo nodded. "From what we've got from local news sources, those bushwhackers were from a corporate militia trying to attack Port Dubrovnik and take it over. Punchline – they failed."

"Good," Doreen said. "So we're okay now?"

Rodolfo nodded once more. "Everything's under control, but the bushwhackers and Sekhmet did cause a lot of trouble. A lot of stuff got blown up, and there's the casualty list, not all of which had anything to do with deities of any sort."

"That's comforting," Doreen mumbled, licking her muzzle. "Anyone get me a drink?"

"I'll get the nurse to bring you something," Rodolfo told her. "Just relax. You're alright. No one's blaming you for what happened."

Doreen had a hard time believing that, but she accepted it all the same. "Sure thing, boss man," she whispered, managing a wounded smile. She knew Sekhmet had been wholly responsible for the carnage that had occurred in the streets of Port Dubrovnik, but she had witnessed much of it and felt attached to it. It would take a long time to unstick, if it ever would unstick.

"Medic says you're good to go tomorrow morning," Rodolfo said happily. "Then we can get back on the Mucky Pup and go home at last."

"Well, I'm not going to say no to that," Doreen smiled. She pulled her sheet back up and lay her head down on her pillow. "Mind if I get some shut-eye?"

"No problem, Mundie," Rodolfo said mock-gruffly. "Sleep well and we'll see you in the morning, yeah?"

Doreen shut her eyes and snuggled into bed. "See you in the morning."

Doreen's eyes opened once more to the same antiseptic smells and sounds of typical hospital bustle, but she felt better and more rested, and her body felt a lot more limber. Her fur was still matted and grimy, and she hoped for a shower before she left.

She sat up, yawned and stretched out, feeling herself wake up in every way. She was incredibly thirsty, and her stomach groaned for something to shove inside it, but otherwise she was alright. Doreen lifted the gown from her hip to see the wound left by the militia bullet, but it had thankfully been treated, and was healing nicely. At least it didn't hurt any more.

She wondered if it was morning. There was no clock in the room.

Her wonderment, however brief, was curtailed as the nearby door hooted for her attention, and it opened to admit Rodolfo. The big Mutt grinned widely as he entered, and plopped himself onto Doreen's bed. "How you holding up, Doreen?" he asked her.

"Better than yesterday, at least," Doreen mumbled, rubbing her eyes and blinking to clear any debris from them. "We going, then?"

"If you're ready," Rodolfo told her.

"I think I'm ready to get out of here, if that's what you mean," Doreen said tartly, strongly feeling the urge to do just that. She wanted to spend no more time here; seeing this place recede into the distance would help her greatly. "I just want to get home. I'll figure it all out then."

Rodolfo nodded. "I'll just go get you an out-pass. See you in a sec."

Doreen sighed and lay back down. It was over.

Rodolfo returned with an out-pass for Doreen, along with her OSA vest, pants and boots – all freshly washed. She dressed and followed Rodolfo out of the room – then paused as she stepped into a corridor that was, for all intents and purposes, armoured. "This doesn't look much like a hospital," she said cautiously.

"Well," Rodolfo said quietly, "I was going to tell you before, but you're in the Emergency Quarantine Wing of Nutbush Medical."

"It looks like a reactor," Doreen said pointedly.

"Can't say I blame the local authorities," Rodolfo replied. "I wouldn't exactly lump you in with the trauma patients."

Doreen snorted. "I'm fine, trust me. I got rid of... her."

"Can't be too careful, as they say," Rodolfo went on blithely. "Oh, and you have another visitor."

They reached a reception area that offered access to the rest of the hospital; it was occupied by a classically grumpy receptionist and several Sedalia Station guards – one of whom she recognized.

The guard looked up as Doreen approached, and smiled. "Miss Mundie," he said.

"Landers," Doreen said uncertainly. "What are you doing here?"

The Akita stood and doffed his cap respectfully. "Miss Mundie – may I call you Doreen?"

"Uh, okay," Doreen said, still uncertain.

"I'm here to commend you for extreme bravery and actions under fire," Landers grinned. "I can't imagine all that you went through, and to still be standing upright and sane after it all – I think that deserves something. So..." He reached into his holster, where a gun had at some point previously rested, and produced a small star-shaped object. "I present you with the Sedalia Authorities Medal of Valour." He handed it to Doreen and saluted her; she returned the gesture. "If you ever need anything if you ever return," Landers went on, "ask for Dominic."

He smiled. "That's me, if you were wondering," he added in a lower tone.

Doreen studied the twinkling award and smiled. "Thank you," she said.

As it had been at Nutbush Medical, Doreen received a heroes' welcome back on the Mucky Pup. Captain Hayes had Sally Racket play the best from her music collection, and handed out cans of the finest synthetic Canadian lager.

Doreen couldn't help but chortle throughout, and by the hundredth "Thank you" was ready to leave Sedalia behind. Let them sort it all out, she thought. My time here is done.

Soon after that, the Mucky Pup lifted off from Port Dubrovnik, which was no longer in flames but only smouldering; Doreen imagined people were rebuilding after the attack. Lights were coming back on in some sectors, and rubble was being cleared. She had to remind herself that Sekhmet, not her, had been responsible, and she remained content in that knowledge.

Sedalia Station dwindled to a silvery speck as the Mucky Pup punched into an outbound course, and was soon gone entirely when the ship's outboard FTL drive kicked it toward home.

Doreen sat on her bunk in the ship's sleeping quarters as the Mucky Pup journeyed on. Her scanner lay on the bunk next to her, as did the medal Dominic Landers had presented her with.

Rodolfo was sleeping off a near-fatal amount of lager in the bunk opposite, snoring rhythmically and drooling all over his pillow, and Hachi was fast asleep in the bunk above his. Everyone else was either at their stations goofing off or on the bridge watching the lights of drive-space. Neither option appealed to Doreen right now, so here she was.

She thought of Sekhmet, and what had been back on that asteroid – the strange blue rock that had been fabricated, the crystals that held tremendous energy, the obelisk, and everything else – and shook her head. She was done with it. She never wanted to return to the Varcole System... and yet, she felt infuriated at the answers she had not obtained, the understanding she had not achieved. As a scientist, and a scientist of the OSA, no less, her calling in life was to seek answers and understanding.

She undressed moodily and slid into bed, conflicted and shaken. She did console herself with one thought, however; that, quite possibly, some things were never meant to be understood or answered.

She relaxed and closed her eyes and, not long after, she slept.

Not long after that, her right paw fell from beneath the duvet and hung above the deck, fingers twitching as Doreen dreamed.

A tiny, effulgent spark flew between them.