"Princess! We have to meet with our people in the common room, my love. They are waiting for us. We need to reassure them that even though your parents are in trouble, everything will be alright." Larnik, the oldest son of the Zu'Lar Emporer, holds out his hand for Ariatha as his cold eyes rake her body. His words sweet as honey, his gaze as dangerous as poisoned daggers.

Ariatha adjusts her position to hide the small bundle that she had just gently placed in the pillows behind her. She will not let her new husband see.

He had tricked her once already. Convinced her he was kind and compassionate and that he had truly wanted only what was best for both their people—only showing her his true nature when it was far too late.

"Coming, my love." She smiles sweetly, taking his hand in hers, bringing it close to her chest, directing him and his gaze out of her rooms.

Her people need the Zu'Lar to make it through the black hole. Their space crafts and energy harnessing capabilities made them a critical necessity for the journey. So for her people, she would let him do with her as he wished.

At least until they had found a new home and her people were more or less able to defend themselves again.

In the meantime, she would figure out a way to control certain things secretly. She had to learn how to manipulate her new volatile husband. She'd be cautious, and her new secret would have to be taken care of immediately. She could not risk Larnik finding out. The future of this new Universe depended on her success.

She made a plan as she walked to the common room hand in hand with her husband. Touching him made her nauseous, especially after the many forced nights he had shared with her, but she would not let her people suffer because of a minor slip-up.

She connected with her K'ai, and it gave her the strength she needed to keep going.

She wouldn't have long. She would have to execute her plan immediately.

As soon as they had travelled through to the new Universe, a Zu'Lar had helped her parents send her new little sister to her through the energy streams.

The newborn had appeared suddenly on her lap just moments before Larnik had entered her room. The Zu'Lar would be contacting her husband to confirm the infant's arrival any time now.

Ariatha scanned the common room, remembering to keep the rhythm of her heart steady less Larnik sense her unease. She knew he could hear it if he focused. It was how he found the liars amongst his men.

Seeing Nef'Tiria, she locked eyes with her, sending her a telepathic message. She made sure no one else heard or saw the exchange.

In the time it took thought to form, Nef'Tiria knew what needed to be done. Without hesitation, she glided silently out of the room, making sure to keep her eyes downcast. This was to be expected of a slave.

When Ariatha came back to her room, thankfully alone, she found a small encrypted note. It was once a fun game she'd played with her nursemaids, now her closest friends. Secret messages were created using a language she had made up herself, humoured by the women who cared for her and her brothers and sisters.

Now it was the safest way to communicate. The translation read two words. "Slave quarters." And that's where she went. Making sure no one saw her.

Upon entering the designated area on the ship meant for the Nefiram slaves, she was directed to a small room near the end of the ship located almost directly above the engines.

It was loud here, but that didn't matter. It would be safe for what needed to happen next. The hum from the engine rooms would help Ariatha focus. She had to leave her body for this.

Nef'Tiria had the room set up perfectly. Ariatha had travelled before through time using her K'ai, but this was different. She would have to use all her energy to bring real biological, physical matter through the different layers with her.

Her K'ai showed her, in her mind, how it could be done, but there was a chance she could lose herself, using every last ounce of energy she had. However, her little sister was beyond exceptional. She was a gift from their dying Universe itself.

The child had been born in between the two different universes, in a rift that was timeless, multi-dimensional and humming with untold energies. Just as the one universe exploded and gave birth to billions more, a babe was born in the rift, absorbing energies no one yet understood.

Her little sister had come screaming out of their mother's womb, and with the cry of a newborn babe and the final explosion of the old universe, their fate had been sealed, along with any options of retreating through the black hole if need be.

The Universe had shared a secret with the babe during that moment. A pattern that had repeated time and time again over the millennia, between the Zu'Lar and the Krog. A pattern that seemed to run through history on endless repeat with races even before their Universe had been born.

It was destined to happen again here soon with the Zu'Lar and Krog once more.

The result would be the death of this Universe as it had with the last. And the one before that, containing the ancestors of the two warring nations.

With the Zu'Lar being able to harvest almost every last energy source and the Krog being able to manipulate the energies to whatever form they chose, a war between them would seal the fate of nearly any Universe.

However, there was a way to break this pattern. Time itself would have to be changed. Ariatha had to take her sister to the exact precise moment in time, at the precise location her little sister had shown her when she had first looked into the babe's eyes, touching her soft cheek.

The connection had been startling at first, information coming almost too fast, but it had only taken Ariatha a second to understand.

Every little detail mattered. According to what their dying Universe, or maybe the Universe had its own K'ai in a way, had shown her baby sister, it mattered right down to the colour of the blanket she wrapped her in. Certain events would only take place if they were perfect.

Nef'Tiria had followed Ariatha's instructions to the letter. It was perfect.

If Ariatha made it back from this, she would have to hug her dear friend very tightly and promise her endless gifts as thanks.

This wouldn't just mean the survival of both peoples. This would mean the survival of their new Universe. Their new home! It was worth risking everything.

As she sat in the middle of the circle drawn on the floor, with the thirteen pictograms perfectly drawn in the proper locations around it, she felt herself immediately relax.

This was her place. Deep meditation, working with her K'ai outside of her physical form, was her favourite place to be. You could do so much more at once when you didn't have a heavy biological form to constrain you. Help hundreds of more people in a day than the twenty or thirty that maybe you could normally.

You also could help in a way most didn't understand. K'ai to K'ai. Helping them heal and reconnect to their beings. It was where she belonged.

So, she was only a little concerned that she may not come back. Her sister had shown her what would happen if they failed. It would not be pretty.

Nef'Tiria handed her the tiny infant. Ariatha felt herself hesitate. So innocent, so pure. How could she risk her little sister's life?

A little hand shot up, fingers flexing. Without thinking, Ariatha placed her smallest finger into the tiny hand of her little newborn sister. A jolt of energy shot up her arm from her baby finger. Her eyes opened wide, and she felt herself gasp.

No longer did she hesitate. She felt confident and determined. It's going to happen now. They couldn't wait any longer.

For a heartbeat, she saw herself through the eyes of Nef'Tiria, looking at her best friend, fearing for her life but knowing she wouldn't do this unless it were necessary, yet not understanding what you were witnessing.

One minute Nef'Tiria saw her friend sitting tall, legs crossed, baby in her arms, and the next, her head bobbed to the side almost lifeless, and the baby was gone. Blinked out of existence.

Several minutes went by. It was starting to get to Nef'Tiria. Much longer, and someone would notice the Princess wasn't in her room. Then her evil husband would come looking. Everyone would die then.

It was almost half an hour now. Nef'Tiria moved towards Ariatha, set on reviving her beloved Princess when out of nowhere, light exploded from Ariatha's chest.

Blinded, Nef'Tiria fell to her knees with her hands up to block the flare. When she looked up, her friend sat fully awake, staring at her with bright white glowing eyes.

Ariatha had just rode the energy wave that was called time, and it looked like it had been a serious rush. How far had she gone?

Just at that exact second, Larnik burst into the room. He looked at his new bride with so much hate and disgust that Nef'Tiria couldn't help but run and hide when the roar left his throat, echoing through the air.

Pointing a finger at his wife, Larnik bellowed with such ferocity it felt like the ship shook, "Count your day's WIFE, for they are coming to an end!"

With the last echo of his words, the light left Ariatha, and she crumbled to the ground like a bag of sand split open.

"Marshal!" Sica's high-pitched scream shakes me from my trance. Stars, she had a screeching yell. It could make a person deaf or wish they were.

Shit. I just totally gapped out.

I had just relived the vision like a bad flashback. I am glad Sica got my attention before it finished, though. It gets messy after that part. It also gets complicated and somewhat prophetic concerning my near future—nothing I want to think about now.

I turn to her. There has to be a blank look in my eyes. I feel like I just returned to my body or something.

Sica squints at me, obviously assessing my mental state. I would, too, if I was her.

Nekkal looks concerned. So do the Orikai Masters. My old Master appears out of the shadows, as is his style, and silently approaches.

"I think the Marshal needs a moment or two, Lady Secretary, don't you? You have just confessed a lot to her. Having everyone know your story, except you, is rather startling. Surely out of all people, Lady Secretary, you can understand that."

Something wavers behind her feral eyes. She does understand. I almost feel curious.

Ok, not really.

"Fine. I could use a meal myself. Marshal, please check on your objective and send me a full report. Unlike the Lieutenant General, you seem not to appreciate or understand the importance of paperwork. But it needs to be done."

I nod. When had Britt done a report?

Still afraid to speak in case my tongue gets loose on me, I refuse to open my mouth. Sica looks at me warily. I think she is trying to decide something. Shaking her head, she just comes out with it.

"Look, Zea. Sorry I wasn't straight with you. I didn't know how much you knew about your past, and the Orikai said it was important you found your path without anyone's interference. Had you understood your purpose, your fate, it could have changed everything. This is the way it had to be. It's the way it is. Yet, I am sorry.

"Please refrain from putting anything in your report that would have Armada question recent events. We need them to think we lost our objective to the Zu'Lar for now. It's the most believable story. We will modify Britt's report to match yours. From now on, I promise to be straight with you.

"However, if you could, I would appreciate a private report just for myself and the Masters. Keep it handwritten so that it cannot be digitally traced or tracked."

My mouth is hanging open in shock. The Lady Secretary just apologized to me, and it felt sincere. Float me.

I need a drink, and then I will visit Her and do Sica's bloody paperwork.