**Bridge of the Molotter, Outpost 12**

Guthan chewed his thin mustache worriedly as he watched the remaining attackers flee from the scene of the battle. Whatever they used as an FTL system it most certainly was different from what the Sakari used. In fact, it seemed markedly similar to the way the reinforcements for the defenders had arrived. The are around the ship seemed to change before it disappeared, no trace of it. Now that he thought about it, most of the readings he had received from both groups of ships appeared to be almost the same. Were they perhaps in some form of civil war? That might have been an explanation had not their ships looked different. Perhaps the two factions had discovered the same cache of technology and that was what sparked the war. Whatever the reason for the conflict, learning the technology of one would be a cornerstone of learning about the other's.

Turning to the ship's cosmoseer, his wife Aradna, he asked, "Do you know where they went or what they used to move faster than light?"

Shaking her head, the cosmoseer responded, "I can make no sense of it, Rear Admiral. It is in a way similar to some forms of faster-than-light travel written about in the Great Record yet I do not know if it is the same. Wherever they are, it is not in this physical plane. My psychic powers can only reach so far outside of the dimension in which we reside and they have disappeared. When they fall back into space, if they do, a psychic tag will resonate from their location. A few hours after that we should know where they exited. It would not hurt to pursue negotiations with both factions, regardless their hostility towards each other." Adjusting her voluminous robes of purple satin, she inclined her head towards him slightly, a show of respect between equals when a formal greeting had no opportunity to be given beforehand.

Sighing, Guthan turned back towards the svicht table. On it, he examined the floating ships. So very different from theirs. What could await the Sakari? If this new state was a power larger than those encountered before then the techniques of the Emergence would have to be adjusted in some way. He did not doubt that the Holy Dominion could overcome obstacles in its path. What he doubted was if the cost of such a war would be worth the cost and impediment to the Emergence for the sake of removing the species. Maybe some day far from now it would be easier but not today.

A beeping sounded again, indicating the reception of an unknown message by the communications suite. The source was not unknown however. A message appeared on his screen: *Message structure is similar to last packer received. Partial encoding- unknown decryption method. Does not match any psych-network technology. Scanning Great Record for reference. Decoding may not be possible.* Deciding to wait as the ship's VI translated the message, Guthan took to establishing psychic links between the rest of the cosmoseers in his fleet. Preparation for eventualities was what had preserved the Sakari thus far.

*Decoding complete, adding to database. Ready to transmit reply.* Listening to the message from the other fleet, he considered his next move. If the coding in which the message had been sent the psych-network translations would not be able to translate into their systems effectively. He could, however, simply work that out later and settle for pre-transmission translation.

"The pleasure is mine. I am Rear Admiral Guthan Erebus. I propose we meet face to face so as to make speaking easier should this be acceptable."
Sending the message, he stood up from his chair, awaiting their response.

---

**Sokalus Station, Deep Space**

Al'za quivered as she stepped out of the teleporter room on her flagship, the *Zornigerech*. Sourvar Mettanii pushed his boundaries too far! If not for the Patriarch's personal appointment of the man to Project Gideon Al'za would have murdered him, damn the consequences! The things he had done to the creatures in holding appalled her. Most were not alive anymore but neither were they dead. Whatever bodies they had left were unimaginably twisted, dislocated appendages common and inside-out body structure only slightly less so. Abominations.

Stalking onto the bridge, she ordered the fleet to begin a jump to the coordinates provided by the scout returning from the 10th front. Deep Space. An uncharted area. Within minutes, the 100-ship strong fleet jumped out of system, heading into the unknown.