Arc 1, Chapter 7: Sanctuary
The space between stars was not, as it turned out, entirely empty.
Stellar stood on the bridge, watching as the Pathfinder followed Sarah Chen's ship through what should have been a void. But his sensors were picking up anomalies, fluctuations in space-time that shouldn't exist this far from any gravitational well.
"Captain, I'm reading multiple gravitational distortions ahead." Clark reported from his station. "They're artificial. Someone's created a network of micro-singularities, carefully balanced to create a stable pocket in interstellar space."
"In layman's terms?" Thorne asked.
"Someone built a gravity well where there shouldn't be one. It's holding something in place. Something big." Clark pulled up the data, his expression shifting from curiosity to amazement. "Captain, this is incredible. The mathematics alone would take centuries to calculate. The engineering required to maintain this kind of structure..."
"Is far beyond anything Earth has developed." Carmelon finished, moving closer to study the readings. Mitchell spread his wings, agitated by something only the eagle could sense. "This is ancient technology. Older than The Confluence, I'd wager."
"How can you tell?" Stellar asked.
"Because The Confluence wouldn't bother." James said from his position near the tactical console. "They conquer and harvest. They don't build sanctuaries. Whoever created this was trying to hide, not to dominate."
The Last Hope ahead of them began broadcasting. Sarah's voice came through the comm, professional now, all business. "UES Pathfinder, you're about to see Sanctuary's outer perimeter. Do exactly as I do. Deviation from my flight path by more than fifty meters will trigger automated defenses, and they don't ask questions before shooting."
"Reeves, stay tight on her." Stellar ordered.
The helmsman nodded, his hands steady on the controls despite the sweat beading on his forehead. "Yes, Captain. Matching her course precisely."
The viewscreen flickered, and suddenly the emptiness wasn't empty anymore.
A structure materialized before them. Vast, sprawling, impossible. It was built from a patchwork of different technologies, different architectural styles, all somehow fitted together into a coherent whole. Stellar could see what looked like sections of ships, entire stations, even pieces of planetary infrastructure, all merged into a single massive construct that hung in the artificial gravity well like a metal moon.
"My God," Hayes whispered. "How many ships went into building that?"
"Hundreds, I'd guess." James said, his organic eye wide. "Maybe thousands. Every species that escaped The Confluence, every refugee who found this place...they brought their ships, their technology, their knowledge. And they built this together. This...is impressive."
"Population?" Stellar asked.
Clark was scanning frantically. "I'm reading at least fifty thousand life signs. Maybe more...there are sections shielded from our sensors. And Captain, I'm detecting power signatures from at least two dozen different technological paradigms. Some of them I don't even recognize."
The Last Hope led them closer, weaving through a maze of defense satellites that tracked their progress with weapon systems Stellar had never seen before. One wrong move, one miscalculation by Reeves, and the Pathfinder would be reduced to its component atoms.
"Sanctuary Control, this is Sarah Chen aboard the Last Hope, requesting docking clearance for myself and one allied vessel. Authorization code: Makinen-Seven-Seven-Theta."
A new voice responded, not human, filtered through the universal translator with an odd harmonic quality that suggested something amphibious. "Sarah Chen, your authorization is confirmed. You are cleared for docking at Bay Seventeen. Your allied vessel will dock at Bay Eighteen. Welcome home."
"Thank you, Control. It's good to be back."
The Last Hope banked toward a section of the station that looked like it had once been a massive cargo freighter, now repurposed with dozens of docking bays. The Pathfinder followed, Reeves's piloting flawless despite the tight quarters.
As they approached, Stellar could see other ships in various states of repair docked throughout the station. Some were sleek and advanced, others looked like they'd barely survived whatever had brought them here. But all of them bore the marks of modification, of species adapting whatever technology they could salvage to keep themselves alive and hidden.
"Captain," Thorne said quietly, "if The Confluence ever finds this place..."
"They'd destroy it." Stellar finished. "Every ship, every refugee, every species that dared to escape them. This isn't just a sanctuary. It's a monument to resistance. And a massive target."
The docking procedure was smooth, automated systems guiding the Pathfinder into a bay that looked like it could accommodate ships three times their size. The bay doors closed behind them, and Stellar watched as atmosphere flooded the space.
"Bay pressurization complete," Hayes reported. "Atmosphere is breathable. Standard Earth-normal mix. Temperature is comfortable. Gravity is..." She paused, checking her readings. "Exactly one G. They've adjusted the local gravity field to match human parameters."
"They knew we were coming," Clark said. "They prepared for us specifically."
"Not suspicious. Sarah must have contacted them during our flight," Stellar reasoned. "Let them know to expect humans."
"Captain," Lieutenant Hayes called out, "I'm receiving a message from Sanctuary Control. They're requesting you, Commander Thorne, Commander Clark, Professor Carmelon, and Commander James Stellar report to the Council Chamber immediately upon docking. The rest of the crew is welcome to disembark but should remain in the commercial district until cleared by security."
"Council Chamber?" Thorne asked. "Sounds official."
"Sounds like we're about to be judged," James said grimly. "Sanctuary might be a refuge, but that doesn't mean they trust everyone who arrives. They'll want to verify who we are, what we want, and whether we're a threat."
"Or a Confluence plant." Clark added. "If I were running a secret sanctuary, I'd be paranoid too."
Stellar stood from his command chair. "Then let's not keep them waiting. Thorne, Clark, Carmelon, James, you're with me. Hayes, you have the bridge. Nobody leaves the ship without checking in with you first. If anything goes wrong, if you detect any threat whatsoever, you get the Pathfinder out of here. Understood?"
Hayes's young face paled slightly, but she nodded. "Yes, Captain. I've got her."
"Good." Stellar turned to his team. "Now let's go meet our mysterious hosts."
The corridors of Sanctuary were unlike anything Stellar had ever seen.
The architecture shifted every fifty meters. Smooth organic curves giving way to angular geometric patterns, then to something that looked almost crystalline. The walls were a patchwork of materials, some metallic, some that looked like living tissue, others that defied easy categorization. And everywhere, there were beings.
Stellar saw species he recognized from United Earth's limited database of alien encounters. The tall, mantis-like Kresh, the aquatic Murali in their environmental suits, the crystalline Voth who communicated through light patterns. But he also saw dozens of species he'd never encountered, never even imagined. A being made of what looked like living smoke. Something that might have been a collection of geometric shapes held together by electromagnetic fields. A creature that seemed to exist partially out of phase with normal space-time, flickering in and out of visibility.
And all of them stopped to stare at the humans passing through.
"We're attracting attention." Thorne murmured, her hand near her blaster. "Somehow, WE'RE the weird ones?"
"Humans are rare out here," Sarah explained. She'd been waiting for them at the airlock, and now she led them through the maze of corridors with the confidence of someone who knew every turn. "Most species assumed we were still bound to our solar system. Finding out that humans have not only spread to multiple worlds but are also targets of The Confluence... it's news."
"Bad news." James added.
"Very bad news." Sarah agreed. "Because if The Confluence is claiming human worlds, it means they're accelerating their harvest operations. They usually wait centuries between major campaigns. The fact that they're going after Earth, New Titan, and who knows how many other colonies all at once...it suggests they're preparing for something big."
"Like how big?" Clark asked.
"That's what the Council wants to know."
They entered a large chamber that looked like it had been carved from a single massive asteroid. The walls were rough stone, but the floor had been smoothed and inlaid with materials that glowed softly, creating a warm ambient light. At the center of the chamber was a circular table, or rather, a series of platforms at different heights and orientations, each designed for a different physiology.
Seated, or positioned, around this table were twelve beings, each representing a different species. Stellar recognized a few from the corridors, but most were new to him. And all of them were studying the human delegation with expressions that ranged from curiosity to suspicion.
"Council members," Sarah said formally, "I present Captain Bub Stellar of the United Earth Ship Pathfinder, his command crew, and Commander James Stellar, formerly of the UES Prometheus."
One of the council members, a being that looked like an upright amphibian with iridescent skin, spoke first. The universal translator rendered its voice as melodious, almost musical. "I am Councilor Verath of the Quellan Remnant. We welcome you to Sanctuary, Captain Stellar. Though I must admit, your arrival raises many questions."
"I'll do my best to answer them, Councilor." Stellar replied. "And I have some for you."
"Then let us begin with the most pressing: how did you find us?" This came from a different councilor, one that looked like it was made of interlocking metallic plates that shifted and rearranged as it spoke. "The location of Sanctuary is one of our most closely guarded secrets. Sarah Chen is one of our trusted agents, but even she should not have revealed our coordinates without express authorization."
"The Confluence was about to ambush them." Sarah interjected. "They'd compromised the old relay network. I had to make a choice."
"A choice that could doom us all if you were followed." another councilor said...this one appearing to be made of condensed shadow, its form barely holding coherence. "The Confluence does not forgive. The Confluence does not forget. And the Confluence has been searching for Sanctuary for three hundred years."
"We weren't followed." James said, his mechanical voice cutting through the rising tension. "I served in The Confluence's enforcement fleet for seventy years. I know their tracking protocols. If they'd detected our jump coordinates, they would have already attacked."
The council chamber went silent. Every being in the room was now staring at James with a mixture of shock and suspicion.
"You served The Confluence?" Councilor Verath said slowly. "And yet you stand here, in Sanctuary, claiming to be our ally?"
"I was captured." James explained, his voice steady despite the hostility in the room. "Augmented against my will. Forced to serve for seventy years. And when my term ended and they tried to extend it, I escaped. With crew members who are now dead because they bought time for Captain Stellar's ship to survive. I'm no friend to The Confluence."
Mitchell, perched on Carmelon's shoulder, released a sharp cry that echoed through the chamber. The eagle spread his wings, and several council members flinched at the sound.
"The bird vouches for him." Carmelon said calmly. "Mitchell has enhanced cognitive abilities, including the capacity to detect deception. Commander James Stellar is telling the truth."
"A bird." the shadow-being said disdainfully. "You expect us to trust our security to the judgment of a bird?"
"This bird has rarely been wrong." Carmelon replied, his voice taking on an edge Stellar rarely heard from the professor. "And this bird has more intelligence than some beings I could name."
"Enough." Verath said, raising a webbed hand. "We are not here to debate avian psychology. Captain Stellar, you and your crew are in possession of classified information about The Confluence's operations. You've escaped their enforcement fleet. You've allied with Sarah Chen, one of our most valuable agents. And you claim to have evidence of a conspiracy within United Earth Command. Is this accurate?"
"It is....if I may?" Stellar confirmed. He pulled out a data storage device, one of several copies Clark had made of the Korath database. "This contains records from the Korath civilization. Documentation of The Confluence's methods, legal precedents, and evidence of transactions involving human colonies. Including proof that Admiral Elizabeth Chen, head of United Earth Command, has been facilitating The Confluence's harvest operations for forty years."
He placed the device on the table. None of the council members moved to take it.
"If what you say is true," another councilor spoke, a being that looked like it was made of crystal formations that chimed softly as it moved, "then humanity is not simply a target of The Confluence. You are compromised from within. Your own leadership is complicit in your species' enslavement."
"Yes," Stellar said simply. "Which is why we're here. We need allies. We need information. And we need a way to stop both The Confluence and Admiral Chen before they claim Earth and every other human world."
"And you think we can help you?" the shadow-being asked. "Captain, look around this chamber. We are the survivors. The refugees. The species who escaped The Confluence by hiding, not by fighting. What makes you think we have the capability to stand against them?"
"Because you built this." Stellar gestured to the chamber, to Sanctuary itself. "Because you've survived for three hundred years right under their nose. Because you've managed to stay hidden, to preserve your cultures, to maintain hope. That takes strength. Intelligence. Resources." He looked at each council member in turn. "And because if The Confluence is accelerating their operations, if they're going after multiple species simultaneously, then hiding won't protect you forever. Eventually, they'll find Sanctuary. And when they do, you'll need to be ready to fight."
The council chamber erupted into chaos. Council members speaking, or communicating through whatever means their species used, all at once. Some arguing for caution, others for action. The debate raged in multiple languages, the universal translator struggling to keep up.
Verath raised both hands, and gradually, the noise subsided. "Captain Stellar makes a valid point...We've discussed this before. The Confluence's aggression has been increasing. In the past decade alone, we have seen a thirty percent increase in harvest operations. If this trend continues..."
"Then we are all at risk." the crystalline councilor finished. "Not just humanity. All of us."
"Which is why we must consider Captain Stellar's proposal." Verath continued. "Not just for humanity's sake, but for our own survival. However," the Quellan looked directly at Stellar, "we cannot make such a decision lightly. The Council requires time to debate, to consult with our military advisors, to assess the risks. Captain, you and your crew are welcome to remain in Sanctuary while we deliberate. You will be given quarters in the residential district. Your ship will be refueled and supplied. But you will not be permitted to leave until we have reached a consensus."
"On Earth, that makes us prisoners." Thorne stated.
"You are guests." Verath corrected gently. "Guests who could potentially lead our enemies to our doorstep if you leave prematurely. Surely you understand our caution?"
Stellar did understand. But he also knew that every hour they spent waiting was an hour closer to The Confluence's adjudication session. Twelve cycles remaining. Less than two weeks until Earth's fate was decided.
"How long will your deliberations take?" Stellar asked.
"Three days," Verath replied. "Perhaps four."
Too long. Far too long. But Stellar could see no other option. They needed these allies, and pushing now would only create more resistance.
"Then we'll wait. We'll accept your hospitality and we'll wait." Stellar said. "But Councilor, I would ask one thing. My crew has been through a lot in the past few days. They've committed mutiny against their own command structure, learned that their government has been compromised, and followed me into the unknown on faith alone. They deserve some answers, some hope. Is there anything you can share about Sanctuary's capabilities? About whether fighting The Confluence is even possible?"
Verath exchanged looks, or whatever passed for looks among beings with such varied physiologies, with the other council members. Finally, the Quellan nodded.
"Sarah Chen will give you a tour of Sanctuary. She will show you our defenses, our technology, our resources. Perhaps seeing what we have built will help you understand both our capabilities and our limitations." Verath stood, or rather, adjusted its position on its platform. "This session of the Council is concluded. We will reconvene in three days to deliver our decision."
The council members began to leave, disappearing through various exits suited to their different forms of locomotion. Soon, only Sarah, the Pathfinder crew, and a few lingering guards remained.
"Well," Clark said, breaking the silence, "that went better than expected. We're not dead, and we're not in a cell. I'm calling that a win."
"We're not free either." Thorne countered.
"No," Sarah agreed. "But you're safe. And in this part of the galaxy, safe is a luxury." She gestured toward one of the exits. "Come on. Let me show you what three hundred years of desperation and ingenuity can build."
As they followed Sarah out of the council chamber, Stellar felt his grandfather's mechanical hand on his shoulder.
"You did well in there." James said quietly. "Better than I did seventy years ago when I first encountered The Confluence. You didn't threaten, didn't demand. You asked. You appealed to their self-interest. That's how you survive in this galaxy, understanding that everyone is looking out for themselves first."
"Is that what you learned in seventy years of service?" Stellar asked.
"That, and that hope is more valuable than any weapon." James looked around at the mismatched corridors, the patchwork architecture, the diverse beings going about their lives in this hidden sanctuary. "These people haven't given up. They're still here, still fighting in their own way. That matters."
"Hope is important...but we could really use a giant weapon right now." Smirked Stellar.
Mitchell chirped softly, and Carmelon smiled. "The bird agrees. And he's detecting something else...excitement, I think. He's curious about this place."
"So am I." Stellar admitted. "Three hundred years of collected knowledge from dozens of species, all focused on survival and resistance. If there's any way to fight The Confluence, it'll be here."
Sarah led them through a circular doorway that adjusted its size and shape as they passed through. Clearly designed to accommodate a wide variety of physiologies. They emerged onto a observation platform that overlooked Sanctuary's main district.
And Stellar's breath caught in his throat.
The district was enormous, a space the size of a small city, carved from the heart of the station. Buildings rose at impossible angles, defying conventional gravity. Markets bustled with beings of every description, trading goods, services, and information. Gardens grew in designated areas, plants from a hundred different worlds coexisting in carefully controlled environments. Children, or juvenile members of various species, played in open areas, their games transcending language and form.
"This is just one district." Sarah explained. "Sanctuary has seventeen others, each designed for different environmental needs. Methane-breathers have their own section. Beings who exist at extreme temperatures have theirs. Even incorporeal species have spaces designed for their needs." She smiled, and for the first time since they'd met, Stellar saw genuine warmth in her expression. "It's chaotic. It's messy. Half the technology shouldn't work together, and the other half probably violates a dozen physical laws. But it works. It survives. And everyone here has one thing in common...they refused to surrender to The Confluence."
"How many species are we talking about?" Carmelon asked, his scientific curiosity clearly piqued.
"Forty-three at last count. Though that number changes as new refugees arrive and others... well, some decide to risk leaving, try to return to their home worlds or find new ones. Not all of them make it."
"And your military capabilities?" Thorne asked, ever the tactical thinker.
Sarah's expression darkened. "That, Commander, is going to take a longer tour. Follow me."
She led them through the district, pointing out various features. The medical complex where different species' physicians shared knowledge, the engineering workshops where impossible collaborations created hybrid technologies, the educational centers where children of all species learned together.
But eventually, they reached a heavily guarded section marked with warning signs in multiple languages. Sarah approached the guards, two beings that looked like they were made of living metal, and spoke quietly. The guards nodded and stepped aside.
"This is the military district." Sarah explained as they entered. "It's where we design, test, and deploy our defenses. It's also where we train for the day The Confluence finds us."
"This is want to see." Thorne looked actually excited for the first time in a while.
They emerged into an enormous chamber...a hangar bay that must have taken up a significant portion of Sanctuary's volume. And inside were ships. Dozens of them. Fighters, frigates, even a few larger vessels that looked like they could go toe-to-toe with Confluence enforcement cruisers.
But what caught Stellar's attention was the variety. No two ships were exactly alike. Each one was a hybrid, combining technologies from multiple species into unique configurations.
"These are our defense fleet." Sarah said. "Two hundred and seventeen vessels, each one crewed by volunteers from various species. They train constantly, run simulations, prepare for the attack they know is coming eventually."
"Two hundred ships against The Confluence's fleets?" Thorne said skeptically. "That's not enough."
"No," Sarah agreed. "It's not. Which is why we don't plan to fight them head-on. Our strategy is asymmetric...hit and run, guerrilla tactics, exploiting the fact that Sanctuary is mobile. We can move the entire station if we need to, though it takes weeks of preparation."
"Mobile?" Clark's eyes widened. "You can move this entire construct? How?"
"The same ancient technology that created the artificial gravity well. We don't fully understand it. We found it here, left by whatever species originally built the foundation of Sanctuary. But we've learned to use it. Slowly, carefully, we can shift our position in interstellar space."
You're using 'found' technology? Who could have built this?" Stellar both curious and concerned.
James was studying the ships with a professional eye. "These designs...I recognize some of the weapon systems. Confederation pulse cannons. Vorthan shields. Kelesh propulsion. You've taken the best technologies from every species and combined them."
"We've tried." Sarah corrected. "Not everything works together. Some technologies are fundamentally incompatible. But when we do find combinations that work..." She pointed to one ship in particular, sleek and dangerous-looking. "That's the Defiance. Our flagship. It combines human, Quellan, and Kresh technology. In simulations, it can hold its own against a Confluence enforcement cruiser for approximately seven minutes."
"Seven minutes?" Thorne asked disappointingly.
"Seven minutes is a lifetime in combat." Sarah replied. "Long enough to extract refugees. Long enough to cover a retreat. Long enough to matter."
Stellar walked among the ships, his mind racing. This was impressive, more than he'd dared hope for. But it wasn't enough. Two hundred ships, crews of mixed species with varying levels of combat experience, technologies that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. Against The Confluence's thousands of enforcement cruisers, their three-billion-year history of conquest, their perfectly refined legal and military systems.
It was David versus Goliath, except Goliath had orbital bombardment capabilities.
"Captain," a voice called out. Stellar turned to see a being approaching. Humanoid in basic form, but with skin that shifted through colors like an oil slick and eyes that seemed to contain entire galaxies. "I am Commander Vex, leader of Sanctuary's defense fleet. Sarah Chen told me we had visitors who might be interested in our capabilities."
"Commander." Stellar said, extending his hand in a human greeting gesture. Vex looked at it curiously, then reached out with a limb that approximated a hand. The texture was indescribable, and Stellar tried not to think about the fact that he was shaking hands with something that might not have hands.
"You're human." Vex observed. "We don't get many humans here. Sarah is the only one in permanent residence."
"There weren't many humans outside the solar system until recently." Stellar explained. "The Confluence is changing that."
"Yes, Sarah briefed me on your situation. Earth under claim. New Titan under claim. An admiral within your own government facilitating the harvest." Vex's colors shifted to darker hues...distress, perhaps, or anger. "Your species is in a dire position, Captain Stellar."
"Agreed. Which is why we need help."
"And what makes you think we can provide it?" Vex's eyes, if they were eyes, fixed on Stellar with an intensity that was uncomfortable. "We are survivors, not warriors. These ships, this fleet...they exist to protect Sanctuary, not to wage war across the galaxy."
"What if protecting Sanctuary means stopping The Confluence before they accelerate their harvest to the point where they find you?" Stellar challenged. "Commander, Sarah told me The Confluence has increased their operations by thirty percent in the past decade. They're getting more aggressive, more efficient. Eventually, that efficiency will lead them here."
"Perhaps," Vex said. "Or perhaps we will remain hidden, as we have for three hundred years."
"Or perhaps," James interjected, "The Confluence already knows about Sanctuary and is simply waiting for the right moment to strike. That's what I would do if I were them. Let the refugees gather in one place. Let them believe they're safe. And then harvest them all at once."
Vex's colors shifted rapidly. Stellar guessed that was the equivalent of agitation or fear. "You speak from experience, augmented one?"
"Yes. Seventy years of experience." James confirmed. "The Confluence doesn't think in terms of immediate threats. They think in centuries, in millennia. They're patient. They plan. And they don't forgive."
"Which is why," Stellar added, "we need to hit them first. Not with ships. Not with weapons. With their own system. Find a way to beat them legally, or at least expose them politically. Make it too costly for them to continue their harvest operations."
"And how exactly do you propose to do that?" Vex asked.
"I don't know yet." Stellar admitted. "But I know someone who might. Someone who's been studying The Confluence for three hundred years. And I don't want to wait three days."
"The Council." Sarah said. "You want access to the Archive."
"The Archive?" Carmelon perked up, his academic senses clearly tingling.
"Sanctuary's collective knowledge." Sarah explained. "Every piece of information every refugee species brought with them. Every encounter with The Confluence, every legal precedent, every tactical analysis. Three hundred years of accumulated wisdom, all stored in one central database." She looked at Stellar. "If there's a way to fight The Confluence, it'll be in there."
"Then that's where we start." Stellar said. "Commander Vex, thank you for the tour of your fleet. It's impressive. But these ships and weapons won't win this fight, knowledge will."
Vex's colors shifted again...respect, maybe, or curiosity. "You think like a survivor, Captain Stellar. Most species think in terms of military might. But The Confluence has more military might than all the free species combined. They win through systems, through laws, through making resistance seem futile." The commander gestured to the ships around them. "These are our insurance policy. But you're right, they won't save us. Only outsmarting The Confluence will do that."
"Has anyone ever done it?" Clark asked. "Outsmarted them?"
"Not to our knowledge." Vex admitted. "But that doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means no one has found the way yet."
Mitchell suddenly released a loud cry and launched from Carmelon's shoulder, soaring up into the hangar bay's vaulted ceiling. The eagle circled once, twice, then dove back down to land on Stellar's shoulder, something the bird had never done before.
"Captain," Carmelon said, watching Mitchell with fascination, "the bird just made a decision. He's chosen you as his primary. That's... significant."
"What does it mean?" Stellar asked, feeling the eagle's talons grip his uniform.
"It means Mitchell trusts you completely. It means he's declaring his allegiance. And in my experience with enhanced animals, it means he senses something about you, some quality that makes him believe you're the one who can lead this fight."
Mitchell clicked his beak once, a sound of affirmation, and nuzzled his head against Stellar's cheek.
"Welcome...Private Mitchell." Stellar said half-jokingly."
Sarah laughed. The first genuine laugh Stellar had heard from her. "Come on. I'll show you to your quarters. Then tomorrow, if you want, I'll take you to the Archive. Fair warning though...it's overwhelming. Three hundred years of information is a lot to process."
"We have three days before the Council makes their decision," Stellar said. "And twelve days before The Confluence's adjudication session. We don't have time to be overwhelmed. We have time to find an answer."
As they left the hangar, Stellar could feel Mitchell's weight on his shoulder, a physical reminder of the responsibility he'd taken on. Behind him, his small crew followed: Thorne, ever vigilant; Clark, already making mental calculations; Carmelon, curious about everything; and James, carrying seventy years of knowledge and regret.
Somewhere in Sanctuary's Archive, there had to be an answer. A precedent. A loophole. Something that could stop The Confluence without sacrificing millions of human lives.
They had three days to find it.
And then they'd have to convince an entire council of refugee species to risk everything they'd built in three hundred years on a plan that might not work.
"Captain," Hayes's voice came through his comm, "checking in from the Pathfinder. Everything okay down there?"
"We're fine, Hayes. Hunker down. Get some rest. Tomorrow we start research that might determine the fate of humanity."
"No pressure then." Hayes replied, and Stellar could hear the nervous humor in her voice.
"No pressure." he agreed, and closed the comm.
Mitchell chirped softly on his shoulder, and Stellar reached up to stroke the eagle's feathers.
Three days. Twelve days. A crew of seventeen against a galactic empire.
They'd faced worse odds.
Actually, Stellar realized, they probably hadn't.
But they'd face them anyway.
Because that's what humans did.