(AN: Uh… It is still Friday, somewhere, right? Maybe?)

Slowly making our way to the imperial war room, we did our best not to step on the many refugees lining the halls. Using every square foot of available space, Emperor Syriaca had squeezed every individual he could into his home. While he could have easily slammed the door shut on tens of thousands of people, he chose to protect as many as he could. Moved by his compassion and unwavering loyalty to his allies and people, I made a note to forge strong relations with him and his nation.

“Emperor Syriaca, Emperor Zelevas, and Lady Jenestra Omalfi'Meos have…”, one of the guards outside the war room began. “It... cannot be! Emperor Klordius Aremus, the ruler of the Caspiel Empire, has arrived!

Having kept their heads down until now, refugees began lifting their eyes to see what the guard was going on about. Upon seeing me, people staggered to their feet in utter shock. Trying his best to calm people down, Emperor Syriaca’s words fell upon deaf ears. Blindly rushing toward me, my family and the three leaders were quickly squished up against me.

“Everyone, I must ask you to please calm yourselves.”, I spoke telepathically to all the refugees. “While I am truly humbled by your warm welcome, time is of the essence for your fellow countrymen. Many people, like you a short time ago, are either hostages or trapped. While your leaders get me up to speed, my subordinates are passing out blankets and warm food outside. Please partake of the bounty I have brought and allow yourselves to enjoy some time with your loved ones.”

At the mention of food, the frenzy quickly died down as people’s hunger won out. Profusely expressing their gratitude for saving them, people began shuffling outside to eat. Once the hallway was empty, Emperor Syriaca looked at his men with a frustrated look.

“Next time, I sincerely hope you think more carefully before blurting something like that out.”, Emperor Syriaca said, with an exhausted smile. “A great many people could have been hurt by their overzealous reactions.”

“Forgive me, my emperor.”, the soldier replied, bowing his head apologetically. “I… I was just so surprised to see Emperor Aremus in the flesh that I spoke without thinking. We have been on a downward spiral for years now, but with his return, we have a fighting chance.”

“We have more than a fighting chance soldiers.”, I spoke with absolute confidence. “When we are done, those beasts will be nothing more than a footnote in history. My naval forces have already routed them in this star system and the adjacent systems. I am confident that we will completely eradicate them from this sector within the hour.”

Trusting my words, the soldiers allowed themselves to finally relax. As the unbearable weight on their shoulders fell away, they slumped back against the wall with a long sigh.

“My, your naval fleet must be quite impressive.”, Jenestra Omalfi'Meos of the Lumeris spoke, giving me a side-eye glance. “Not to be rude, but what took you so long getting to our region?”

“There were two main reasons. Firstly, the regions to your galactic north are in disarray right now. You are not the only ones dealing with an invasion force from beyond your shores.”, I spoke, keeping the information close to my chest for the moment. “Secondly, the failure of those experimental Folding Drives hindered our arrival. When they violently detonated mid-transit, it caused a volatile distortion. That distortion hindered our Blink and Folding Drives from working, so we had to find an alternative method to reach you.”

Angrily turning their heads toward Emperor Syriaca, his peers demanded additional details about the ‘experimental’ Folding Drives. Having been led to believe they were tried and tested units, they looked seconds away from strangling the old man to death.

“I apologize for misleading you, but we were completely out of options. If we had not sent those ships out, chances are we would be dead right now.”, Emperor Syriaca spoke, raising his hands in surrender. “How many of our men survived the trip?”

“None of them made it.”, I informed him.

“No… No!! That cannot be!!”, Emperor Syriaca shouted, his face turning pale as a ghost. “I was assured by several New Solar scientists the chance of failure was less than ten percent. My… My poor boys…”

Collapsing to his knees, the emperor clutched his chest tightly as he struggled to maintain his composure. Based on his words, it appeared several of the pilots were his children. Expressing my condolences to the grief-stricken father, I turned to Emperor Zelevas and Lady Omalfi'Meos with a question.

“Who are these scientists Emperor Syriaca is referring to?”, I questioned, hardening my expression. ‘Please do not tell me it is that group of people…’

“They hail from the Space Federation, a small nation of about fifty or so star systems.”, Omalfi'Meos answered, rolling her eyes in annoyance. “Their fledgling country is controlled by two political factions, the Neo Terras and the New Solars. Before the invasion, we had minimal interactions with them, as they are a powder keg. The only ones worth speaking to are Archduchess Maya Cordelia and Commander Alicia Viewstroem.”

(AN: If you know the Prison Battleship series, you are a true man or woman of culture.)

‘Well… I know where the leak is now. The Die Erde organization would readily condemn the region to chaos if it meant they assumed control of what remained afterward. When I find Doug and his ilk, they are dead men…’, I thought, refraining from sharing this intel.

Giving Emperor Syriaca a few moments to compose himself, the elderly man slowly rose to his feet while wiping the tears from his face. Turning around, he walked over to the door and pushed it open with great difficulty.

“Forgive our delay; we have returned from scouting out the situation beyond the palace walls.”, Emperor Syriaca spoke, motioning back toward me. “This man here is the reason all of us are still alive and breathing right now. Allow me to introduce you to Victor von Stark, descendant of Emperor Aremus and Isabella Fou Bartfort. He has come to our aid and to take his rightful place upon the Caspiel Empire’s throne.”

Recognizing many xenos from Ben 10 and Men in Black, my eyes gravitated toward the Space Federation’s group. As scenes from the visual novel flashed through my mind, I hoped I was not too late to save them.

“Greetings everyone.”, I spoke, entering the room with my best statesman’s smile. “While I wish it were under better circumstances, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Before proceeding, allow us to formally thank you.”, the Petrosapien representative said. “Your arrival here has brought a sense of renewed hope. After our most recent defeat, we had all accepted our grim fates.”

(AN: Also known as Diamondhead’s species.)

While I exchanged pleasantries with galactic leaders, Emperor Syriaca had the guards shut the door to the room. Once I had a chance to speak with everyone, Emperor Zelevas got straight to business. Informing everyone that the Exodus Fleet had been ambushed near the galactic rim, several leaders rose to their feet in shock.

“What do you mean the fleet was ambushed!?”, Commander Yang Wen-li questioned. “The charted route was nowhere near any trade corridors. If they were ambushed… That… That would mean…”

“There is a traitor or traitors among us…”, Emperor Reinhard Von Lohengramm stated, cautiously eyeing his peers.

Over these past few years, their disjointed galactic community has become closer than ever before. Bitter rivals and sworn enemies alike had become brothers and sisters in arms. The mere thought someone would betray all of them now shook everyone to their core.

“If I may, I believe I can help pinpoint where the leak came from. I inherited a plethora of abilities from Aremus and his father.”, I asserted, getting everyone’s attention. “Among the abilities I inherited, one specifically allows me to glimpse potential future outcomes. While I cannot see the routes to those outcomes, I can make educated guesses. Based on what I have seen, the leak may have come from the Space Federation.”

Immediately leaping to their feet, their group vehemently rebuffed my accusation. Raising a hand to calm them, I asked them to let me finish.

“To start, let me be very clear: none of you have knowingly or willingly sold the alliance out. Someone you entrusted yourselves to sold everyone out for their own selfish gains.”, I remarked. “Do you know a captain by the name of Bohgan?”

“Yes, the Battleship Jasant is commanded by Captain Bohgan.”, Commander Rieri Bishop answered, looking at me with visible concern. “What about him?”

“May I look at the base of your skull? It will be quicker and easier if I show everyone.”, I said.

Readily giving her consent, Bishop turned her back to me. Gingerly brushing aside her hair, Azura and Loki gasped in shock.

“What!? Is something back there?!”, Bishop questioned, nearly jumping out of her seat.

“Commander Bishop, do not make any sudden movements or reach back here.”, I said, holding her down. “There is a highly advanced electronic device affixed to the back of your head. Depending on how far along things are, the person you are now could vanish if it is carelessly removed.”

While unsure what I was going on about, Bishop could sense the seriousness in my tone. Doing as I asked, she did her best to regulate her breathing and stay calm. Once she was in a positive headspace, I motioned for her peers to come have a look. Stepping aside for them, the group looked at it with unrestrained dread.

“What in the hell is that!?”, Commander Alicia Viewstroem shrieked, reaching for the back of her skull. “Is there one on all of us too?!”

“Stop it!”, I snapped, grabbing her wrists. “There is a very real chance your personalities are stored on them. If the unit is damaged or you remove it, I cannot guarantee the damage can be undone.”

“That fucking bastard!!”, Elder William Aale Moller roared, clenching his fist in rage. “We had a deal, damn it!!”

Immediately realizing he slipped up, Moller tried to backtrack, but it was too late. Grabbing him by the throat, Boethiah hoisted him into the air with a big grin.

‘I am all for a good backstabbing, but your advanced age has made a mess of things. Sorry, old man, it is time to pay the piper. You had a long run, though!’, Boethiah thought. “The jig is up; start talking.”

“Yes… We would all like to hear about this deal you made…”, Major General Kilia Jech said, drawing her blade.

“I… I will tell you everything!”, Moller choked out as Boethiah’s grip tightened.

Setting him down, his colleagues and subordinates force him to sit at sword point. Telling him to start talking, Moller divulged their original plan to everyone.