To be the third party in the Graedalir war for secession was interesting to say the least. As soon as the Kayaalids had learned of the Graedalirs' offer of resources in exchange for our aid they immediately sent a counter offer, after which the Graedalirs countered that offer and began what was pretty much a bidding war. Every few days there was a promise of even more water, salt, ores, Fae Matter, and all sorts of things we either desperately needed, had use for, or were completely useless to us. If they had it they would sell it. Many among my crew joked the Golden Fleet would gain whole moons, planets, or even the entire Ikkatfo 4 system at the end of this. So preoccupied were the two parties with winning us over to their respective sides that the fighting in the system had pretty much ceased. The addition of the notorious Mezhained fighting power was so profound that everyone retreated from battle in anticipation of our decision.

In this cease-fire we had ended up nestled in an orbit around the outer libration point of Graedalir's sun and its most outward gas giant. We shared this orbit with the Huyiid Integrated Group of the separatists and the 13^th Redeemer Wing of the 6^th Outer Kayaalid Security Fleet. The latter being the thirteenth made them ill omened in my mind. It had been an unlucky number in the 28 years of my previous existence, add to that my constant contact with the superstitious beliefs of a people that had to learn how to live with and in a hostile void made it all the more salient to me. The Redeemer Wing was a standard configuration of vessels common across all of human space and history that basically amounted to a small number of large vessels with a lot of firepower, a larger group of smaller and faster vessels to distract the enemy, and lastly a group of supply vessels. But it was obvious that the 13^th Redeemer Wing was a patchwork of at least three Redeemer Wings of which the 13^th was the one that took command of the remnants of the other two. Even then they lacked the firepower of an intact Wing, not to mention the amount of supply vessels needed to maintain an expedition so deep in enemy territory.

Contrast that with the Huyiid Integrated Group. At the center was the Huyiid proper: a vessel larger even than myself, a platform for a single gravitational beam emitter and a slew of defensive weaponry. It exerted a large and powerful sphere of influence with four smaller vessels within. These reinforced the Huyiid's sphere with their own contract drives and were armed with their own long range ordnance. Couple that with the fact that the sphere was attuned to the system's defense grid allowing superluminal translation where others would be hindered and you had a formidable fighting force that could quickly be deployed anywhere in the system.

Their only drawbacks were their difficulty in construction and a costly upkeep but the advantage in this war had been undeniable. With only two Integrated Groups the separatists had kept the Kayaalids running with almost no losses to their conventional forces, and one of these now stared down a battered collection of vessels that was supposed to be leading the opposing force, absolutely able and willing to decimate them.

Worst of all, we had to choose a side.

The breaks between the trilateral talks became longer and more frequent, birthing a tension that had become obvious to even the dimmest bulb. Either the Huyiid would fire at the 13^th Redeemer Wing, or vice versa, ending the cease-fire and forcing us to ally with one of them.

The Kayaalids were the obvious choice. Our fleet's course would pass through their space for quite a while. Going to war with them while we were being hounded by Shadowstar company and their elusive masters was just about the most idiotic thing we could do.

Suffice to say that lending our support to the Graedalir separatists was not an option. They might've been winning in their own system and could possibly capture Ikkatfo 4 but their future beyond that was bleak. Even resting on their laurels the rest of the Greater Kayaalid Prosperity Sphere was capable of out-producing a breakaway of just two systems and overrun them with enough naval vessels to clumsily win this inevitable war. Securing the connecting Fae Tunnels would spread the separatist fleet too far out, leaving only an option unmentionable to voidbound clades: destroying the Fae Tunnels. Such a terrible thing would naturally be opposed by the League of Nomadic Peoples.

So we ended up in this temporary peace that would soon blow up into full war again and we were the honored guests. Honored guests that would turn the tide in this conflict as per the wish of whoever convinced us to fight for them. Whether or not that would be the Kayaalids was secondary to the certainty that we were going to fight.

All my crew knew how inevitable that was, from the lowest enlisted to the highest officers. Everywhere I felt the weariness of anticipation beyond my own, everywhere I noted a good number of my crew perform little rituals that kept them sane enough to continue to function under this high tension. Everything from polishing tools, to tracing fingers over etchings on talismans, to stating the obvious just to have something to say.

"They've drawn us in," Vakkaidu said. "We're no longer neutral."

"Did that become obvious to you only now?" Adumed retorted. "Why else did the Captain order all those oneiromantic sessions?"

"You two, go practice some shashumel kubil." Ragni's voice momentarily stamped out the flowering enmity to give professionalism a chance. Not that the two officers would learn to rise above their pettiness anytime soon.

Both complied and got up from behind their consoles and made their way for the door pretending to be civil but I could see the glare Vakkaidu leveled at Adumed when he thought she wasn't looking, and so could Ragni.

"In here where I can see you."

They stopped in their tracks and took a moment to look eachother in the eye before Adumed seized the opportunity to take charge. With a nod she indicated a spot for practice and strode over, beaming with smugness when the Head Cartographer acquiesced and followed her.

Shashumel kubil was a movement practice that vaguely reminded me of tai chi. While that forgotten art was often performed with many people in large open spaces, shashumel kubil was meant for two people in cramped spaces and not always under the influence of gravity. The point for the practitioners was to achieve and increase synergy. Consequently, Adumed and Vakkaidu were terrible at even the simplest opening moves.

Ragni couldn't help but share me her thoughts. What an embarrassment, I can't bear to look.

They might just be the worst I've seen. I sent back. Do they not teach kubil at the academy?

Back in Iro's youth, perhaps. These days the families that can afford to send their children over there are more concerned with them gaining prestige or connections. Most of them have their careers and marriages planned out for them before they can even walk. I don't envy them.

So the old practices ended up being neglected at the academy because knowing the right people and getting a good job were more important?

Exactly my impression of the place.

Should we send Vakkaidu and Adumed to an illustrious sibling? Kaludemmel's initiates are showing the most progress with the advanced moves.

There was a distinct mirth in her next response. If I didn't need them here I would gladly lock them up in a store room with her and wait until three blazing souls come out.

For now they'll have to waste their time with us here until the fighting starts.

That might be soon, Shishi.

Huh?

I turned to her and followed her gaze to Hekkamuk's spearhead. Sparks of magenta and violet popped in and out of its otherwise pale flame.

Out in the void I could sense the change in tension, like putting my finger on a string that was rapidly oscillating into a bigger shape, overflowing with the force that came before it would snap.

The Huyiid and its support vessels were changing positions within their sphere as if something had taken over and was struggling to learn how to control them.

"They're being forced to fire first..."

Ragni looked at me with concern. "What do you mean, Ship?"

"The separatist vessels are moving, but not of their own volition."

I saw her violet eyes widen and pause in confusion as she tried to figure out the next course of action. "All right, you two!" A demanding glare pointed at Vakkaidu and Adumed. "You've embarrassed yourselves long enough, back to your stations!"

Vakkaidu complied, followed by Adumed, who had to take a moment to parse that her performance was as embarrassing as Vakkaidu's.

"Now, Ship," Ragni turned all her attention to me. "What did you mean when you said they're not moving on their own volition?"

I was about to explain when the throughline of the separatist vessels' maneuvering brightened into a new clarity in my mind, veering from the predicted flow in a major way. "They're firing at us!"

It took a moment for the shock to wash over the Command Center, Kanmurdi reached the relevant display just in time to see my prediction become reality. "That— Ship is correct. Multiple particle beam flashes detected! And... Coilgun fire..?"

"It is coilgun fire," Vakkaidu confirmed. "The firing patterns are very erratic, like they don't know what they're doing."

My Captain's order followed immediately. "Evade!"

"Yes!" I fired my mundane drive. A simple acceleration forward would suffice for now but I could see the patterns slowly get more sophisticated.

"Adumed! Open communications with the Huyiid. Let's give them the opportunity to explain themselves."

"Huyiid, this is Adumed serving Vulilognan Shissurna. Power down your weapons and clarify your actions."

No answer.

"Keep at it," Ragni said. "We're supposed to be on a diplomatic mission here."

"Captain!" Kanmurdi's voice held a resonance of terror. "They're increasing their firing rate and accuracy."

"Can you handle that, Shishi?"

"Easily," I said. "Just about now their cannons should be overheating."

Ragni's eyebrows angled in confusion. "Overheating? Are they that desperate?"

"Thermal imaging just confirmed what Ship said: their cannons have powered down but they are taking their time deploying their radiator fins." Watching my prediction unfold had calmed Kanmurdi's nerves quite a bit.

"It's still learning," I said cryptically.

"'It?'" Having had just about enough of this, Ragni turned her attention back to Adumed. "Void's knife— What is going on there? Have they still not responded?"

"No, ma'am."

"Open all radio frequencies and broadcast the following on repeat." Making sure her posture was straight and correct, Ragni gave voice to the sentiment felt all around my Greater Self. "This is Captain Shubesh Velteragni serving Vulilognan Shissurna to Commander Vingsi Darduga of the Huyiid Integrated Group: Explain yourself. We have repeatedly made clear our wish to not exchange fire. Cease fire now or this course will lead your separatist movement to certain doom."

Short and open enough to allow them the option of negotiation even after we started firing back, which appeared increasingly likely. On all decks there was a continuously higher state of readiness. Energy consumption spiked with the need for coffee, dials were eyeballed more frequently, toolboxes were brought out of storage. Rushimaan, who was on duty of worship for his minute was ahead of everyone, cranking the wheel of the ceremonial darirom—the strange wheeled harp-like instrument that helped evoke yamurduk. A slap at the back of the head brought him out of it.

"What gives, Milk?" he said rubbing his occiput.

"Too soon, you idiot," she said. "All you needed to do for now was to tune it."

"Sorry, couldn't deny myself that awesome reverberation of the drone strings. It really goes into the gut, you see."

"Just put it away for now."

"That won't be necessary," I said through the secondary of that shrine. "I have a feeling we will be firing back soon enough."

No sooner had I said that than Kanmurdi pulled away from her display and shouted: "Captain, their coilguns are firing again!"

"They've gotten rid of their waste heat?" Ragni said. "Then it won't take long for their particle beam cannons."

"That is correct, ma'am. Particle beam flashes have just been detected."

"Has their heat management improved?" Salukam's voice surprised most of the command crew, giving him looks ranging from confusion to even mild abhorrence. 'Why is the demon wrangler interfering with what doesn't concern him?' they thought.

"Well, you see." He stammered a little. "If the Ship is thinking the same then I know what's making the Huyiid group fire at us."

"That'll have to wait," Ragni said before turning to me. "Can you handle their patterns, Shishi?"

"Easily," I told her. "My shielding power is more than they can handle."

The fact that standard evasive maneuvers wouldn't guarantee our safety gave her pause. Her violet eyes darted over to the flame of the same color that danced on Hekkamuk: they had almost completely driven away the ghostly flames of peace.

"I see." Having made her decision she calmly steeled herself for what she had to say. "Prepare for a Sholaidon maneuver."