The transport ship decelerated as it approached the Escalore Nebulae. Composed of several nebula mixing together at their edges, the celestial formation was illuminated by nearby stars, making everything glow in vivid colors of red, orange, and gold. Directed silently by the Caretaker, the pilot steered a course through the cloud to reach a world concealed within its depths.

The atmosphere of the planet Sildean was a churning mass of blue-green gasses, and the Lekon, of which the Caretaker was a part, was one of the few species in the galaxy who didn't have trouble breathing it. Everyone else needed to put on environmental gear before the outer hatch opened. Because of the large size of Mavos and Ror-ej, it required two cycles of the airlock before everyone was off the ship as they simply wouldn't fit inside the small chamber all at once.

If the air hadn't been so thick, the lights of the nebulae would've colored the sky in spectacular fashion. As it was, the visitors could barely see more than a few feet in any direction. Since the Caretaker and the Hestelen knew which way to go, they took up the leadership position at the head of the group, walking slowly to allow their companions the ability to keep up without becoming lost in the tinted fog.

The buildings were mostly hidden within the dense clouds, but as the winds shifted, a glimpse could be gained here or there. The structures were bulbous and dark violet in color. The surface material had a smooth and waxy appearance. Doors and windows possessed partitions resembling overly large flower petals covering them, but some petals had been folded back leave the octagonal openings unobstructed.

Members of the Lekon race moved here and there, but they were utterly silent, not even a whisper of their steps could be heard as they passed by the group of visitors. Some were laborers directing hovering cargo carriers while others were builders and maintenance workers with bundles of tools wrapped around their slender bodies. The most noticeable were the Caretakers, carrying the support units of the Hestelen. The glowing jars of alien goo showed up well even in the dark clouds of the thick atmosphere.

The petal shaped door covers on a building at the end of the street pulled back when the Caretaker leading their group stepped close to it and touched it with the tips of his long fingers. A slight creaking similar to an old tree in the wind came from the petal as it moved. When the pathway was open, the Caretaker led them inside.

The interior of the building was just as completely full of the vision limiting gas as the outside. Lanterns of faint green hung from the ceiling and provided some illumination, but it was hardly sufficient for anyone other than the native Lekon. Flickering lights reminiscent of fireflies flashed along the floors to guide visitors through the hallways. Each of the illuminated pathways were of different colors, and the Caretaker guided them along the path lit by red lights and to a door blocked by another of the petal shaped covers. Repeating the process performed outside, the Caretaker activated the touch sensitive controls to shift the cover out of position.

The chamber they were guided into was large; the visitors couldn't tell the size from what they could see but from what they heard. Their footsteps echoed in the room and the little amount of light coming from the hallway showed a slight curve of the wall over the doorway indicative of the start of a dome.

The Caretaker moved over to a console barely visible on the far side of the chamber. The controls were long and slender, resembling golden straws with rings at the ends for the Caretaker's fingers to maneuver. The delicate components were shifted around until the alien computer system was fully activated.

A whirring sound came from the unseen middle of the dome hidden in the gasses above the heads of the group. Projected beams of light lanced into the cloud from a multitude of angles, producing ghostly figures throughout the chamber and across the curving walls to create the illusion the entire room had been transported to a different location.

Insect lifeforms identical to the Representative on Danvers' station were everywhere, scurrying across the floor or climbing the walls in chittering hordes. Perched on five mounds in the center of the alien assembly were three insects of a different variety. Their bodies were longer and larger, nearly twice the size of those surrounding them, and their wings were more pronounced, occasionally fluttering behind them and creating a loud buzzing noise through the communication gear's speakers.

"For what reason do you trouble us at this time?" the central of the five insect queens questioned through the translation device hanging below her head. "We are mobilizing for war."

"We wish to assist you," Virkine offered.

"The Mother Hives require no assistance in this matter," the Queen dismissed.

"The more ships and warriors you send against the space station, the more likely the chance of victory," Virkine pointed out. She gestured toward the people standing with her. "We also have been threatened. Each of our worlds is under the menace of Danvers and his creature. If we combine our efforts, the casualties suffered by any one race will be lessened and the firepower we can bring to bear will be far greater."

"As long as you do not hinder our efforts, you may do as you wish," the Queen relented after a chittering conversation with the other queens nearby. "What do you wish of us?"

"I need time to gather the other allies," Virkine explained. "When will your attack begin and how many ship will be deployed?"

"We will launch every ship we have within the hour," the Queen told her. "You have that long to gather whatever you wish and join us, or we will take the station without you."

"Understood," Virkine accepted. "Thank you."

The communication ended, and the hologram of the Mother Hive vanished as the projected light beams shut off.

"The entire insect fleet is being mobilized," Virkine remarked. "I think that's a good start. Mavos, why don't we contact your people next, and you can make the request to them?"

"Very well," Mavos agreed, lumbering forward to stand in the center of the chamber while the projector of the communication gear powered up again.

One after another, each person had a chance to speak to their homeworld and tell them of the situation while requesting military assistance to deal with Danvers and his station. Faced with the likelihood of extinction, the worlds contacted offered their full support, mobilizing every military asset available. The insects would head straight for the station from Chalos, so a rally point along that line was chosen for the fleet to gather before joining with them for a combined assault.

Such a mighty fleet had never been assembled in the history of the galaxy, but it remained to be seen if it would be enough against the firepower of Danvers' space station and the creature held within.