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The Hope's Blade slid into real space from the rift. It had been months now, and the twin princesses were anxious to get home and try to repair their world and people. Certainly the corruption of the thing that possessed Angelica was faded by now. As they dropped into real space, their sensor suite lit up. The officer on deck called out that the entire place was showing strange readings and that the dockyards and stations across the empire were all giving off distress calls.

Angelica reached for the comms and her father stopped her. "Wait. We wait for the Tuven ship to arrive. They should be here in just a couple minutes. Until then, we do not try and incite the citizens toward anything," he said softly. The large husky hybrid sighed. Looking at the other stations, his military background kicking in. "Science officer, scan for unusual patterns and flux. Weapons, I want P.D.C.s hot and ready, uncap the ballistics and set the plasma cannons to charge. Defensive only."

Angelica watched her father talk, finding herself calmed enough to slip back into the days she was younger and they hunted demons. "Alright dad. What's the call?" she asked as she shifted her coat around on her shoulders setting the weight better so that she could fight. She was pondering the actions he might order, given that this was a warship.

"Angel, you and Rachel go to the hanger. Get the pilots in their mechs. Have the drones made ready but do not open the launch bays. Asteria, you and Sierra prep us some comms messages. General relay. Hopes Blade authentications codes. We want them to fall under command, not panic and come running. So far the long range sensors are not picking up any fighting," he said. his daughter ran for the door as her sister tried to keep up. The vampire vixen chuckled as she tapped the older German shepherd on the shoulder and pulled him toward the ready room. They could record the messages there easier.

As the crew went about, Billy motioned at his feline companion, "Ben, tell me what do you thing? Anything feel off?" he asked the feline. The cat closed his eyes. his hands spreading as the runes on his body lit up softly. "Confusion. Worry, despair and... what I think is a bit of horror. But no mass death. no fighting... I don't sense much aside from a lot of confusion. The whole empire, all the joined species and even a few of the old enemies seem very confused about what happened," he said softly before opening his eyes.

Billy nodded and held the ship in place. A few moments later the larger Tuven ship appeared, with its twin destroyer escort. "Welcome to Thymion. We are picking up a lot of confused distress calls, so we took a defensive posture only. We wait for your orders." Billy sent that message to the commander of the Tuven group. He didn't wait long before the reply came to move ahead slowly and maintain a relativistic speed that would keep even with the rest of the group.

"You heard them, Helm, match Tuven group speed, maintain safe operating distance. Sensors, full sweep. I want everything we have sweeping actively to find anything before it gets close. Yes, that includes putting a couple pairs of eyes in the observation deck and have them sweep the area with motion sensing. I don't care if you have to use flares. Unless the Tuvenese tell us to stop, keep all eyes and ears open." He said the orders calmly but with tone. The crew moved immediately. They were well trained and set about their tasks. Angelica called up form the docking bay that she had the pilots ready and the drones locked in their launch tubes. She also requested permission to prepare a mech for herself.

Billy thought about it and then shook his head, "Denied. You and Rachel are to remain on ship unless absolutely needed. You are still recovering and your sister isn't a combatant." He said it with a finality to his tone. It was then Asteria came to him and held out a recording disk. Billy took it and then hailed the commander of the Tuven group. "Commander, we have a means to reach out now. A general peace message stating that all ships and stations should stand down from combat alert and remain peaceful."

"Understood Captain Wolfen. You may send the signal. Please keep all channels open, and we will listen for your people's reply," the large feline said. He was calm and quiet, passively listening as the first strings of that sing song like language went out. And instantly he could feel the attention of a trillion minds turn toward them. Like moths to a flame, it got their attention. It wasn't overbearing. However it was unnerving to know this many psychics could reach out this far and instantly lock onto them. They Thymion had a deeper connection than it was originally believed. Perhaps this was something of their species that was hampered by the being that possessed the princess.

The entire group could feel those minds and thoughts and yet, none of them seemed hostile. They were confused, frightened. They were lost in the dark. The commander began to understand now that these beings were still quite primitive and had only been forced into space by that mad entity. Then replies came to the message. Asking for orders, looking for direction, even wanting to know what to just do with themselves until proper contact was established. The commander, a proud Tuven named Manzariatt, pondered just what to tell them. Finally he signaled his comms officer to give him direct vocal signal.

"People of the Thymion Empire. Be still and listen. We are the representatives of the Tuven. We have come to assist you in establishing proper government, trade, and relations with the galaxy at large. We understand that there has been war, and confusion for some time. We will explain all. To the nearby systems that boarder this empire, please head our warning. This is now a place under both our investigation, and our protection. Things happened that will be explained in due time. However these beings, these... Wolves are no more a threat than you make yourselves to be. They are primitive, superstitious and confused. They have suffered a good deal and like any species they lashed out in pain. We ask that you politely petition any grievance with our government for direction and possible repayment of losses and damages because of what happened. To any species, peoples, or groups that seek to exploit this empire and its people, know that there is much you can still lose. Tuven is willing to negotiate a peace, however it will not be peace at the point of a knife. You must stay your fang and claw and let proper justice be passed through courts and procedure." He said before sending the message.

He waited, knowing there would be argument from many outside the empire. But what he didn't expect was for the various ships and locations of the empire itself to reply that they would await his commands. They surrendered most easily. There were indeed demands, complaints, and a few dares from small neighboring systems. They demanded repayment in blood and fire. They demanded free goods and slave labor of the wolves. They demanded many things. But they were all silenced when a single message rang out into the abyss. A message from a signal source near the heart of the empire. A signal that held a primal fear in all that heard it. Like the voice of a god would shake the non-believer, all that received this signal understood the short and simple command. "SILENCE.

In the silence that followed, Billy established contact with Thymion Central command. They were making ready a full set of docking bays for the Hope and the Tuven. They also stated that another species had arrived and was rendering aid. They were then given view as he looked at the ship they had come in. A pyramid, perfectly symmetrical and as smooth as glass on all sides. it didn't seem to have propulsion or guidance. No windows or doors. There was no sign of any part of it opening. It was surrounded by hundreds more, though much smaller. What go this attention about the largest one, was the size of a gas hyper-giant. A ship that size baffled his admittedly primitive mind. He knew Thymion made things beyond the Normal size. Most of the wolves were in the 10-15 ft range in height. But this... This was a size he had never believed possible. As he turned to the open comms he had for the Tuven commander to give him orders, he saw the same look on the Tuven's face. A ship of that magnitude would take a star to power

The large feline looked at his own ship's sensor read out. That ship was putting out more energy than the white dwarf star that the wolves called their sun. It was radiating power and seemed to have isolated itself in space and time. It never changed position or direction no matter what came across it. As the small group neared the first station point between them and the home world, they spotted a small pyramid shaped ship. It was roughly a heavy freighter form what their scans could detect. Minimal crew, mostly automated cargo management. The engineering deck seemed to have the most life, and their were not blocking their comms. However the translation matrix squealed in absolute agony at trying to find a single word it could make sense of. After a while the Tuven commander gave the order to stop trying to read the language and just wait for communication.

It was then that Billy said that his Thymion wolves were feeling strange. They did not fear this strange new species. In fact many of them seemed calmer now that they were close to them. They could not explain it, however they felt a sense of warmth and joy as if once more meting old friends. As they passed some of the moons and colonies, it was more of the same. The strange pyramid ships or various sizes and elongation, but all of them seemed to just be openly chatting with nearby wolves or such. They even had live feed of their crew on some. These new beings were jackal in shape, but even the Tuven commander had to admit they were the biggest beings he had ever met. Some of them were at least two of him tall. They were lean built, wearing similar clothing to they Thymion wolves, but their ships just seemed to radiate danger as well. A strange feeling over came the Tuven Commander when he saw the mother ship. It was both terror and awe. As if one had met their god and found the god was beyond kind and loving for them.

Angelica herself, however, seemed unaffected by it. Even as the docking systems came online and all the crew stood down. The weapons and defenses stowed on all ships as the Thymion Military Dock took over the process and settled all three ships into their berths. Once the airlocks were decontaminated and the systems cycled, she was first out and headed into the halls. She wanted answers and her angsty youthful temper flared. Until she ran straight into the biggest thing she had ever met. One of these jackal beings, towering at twenty foot tall and looking down at her as an adult would a silly child that bumped into them. his voice was like velvety and whiskey. Smooth, deep, dark, heavy and warm.

He held a hand to her and smiled. "Welcome home, my child. I have missed you greatly," he said with a tone that suggested familiarity. Angelica accepted the hand but he could see in her face, she did not know him. it stung, to know she did not recognize his face or voice. However, it was when Rachel approached that he saw she did know him. At least in part. She stared at him hard and long, the pink eyes of the wolfess drifting over his features before she whispered a single word, "Father?"

The jackal thing smiled as he knelt more fully before them. "Yes. I am your father. Though I was not here to raise you. I did sire you. And I see that in my absence, there was much pain and suffering. And I want to make amends for tha..." The creature was cut short by the impact of Angelica's Foot against the side of his face. He was uncertain what had just happened and in his hesitance to distance himself he received a second resounding kick to the fact as the wolfess got herself airborne.

"YOU LEFT US?!?" The emerald maned wolfess bellowed at an octave that made her twin sister crouch and cover her ears. The jackal stood slowly, his height on part with her hovering in the air with her wings. Face to face he did not show her rage or anger. He only showed her sympathy and sadness. Though her own wrath was apparent. Manzariatt could see she was still capable as a fighter. She grabbed the male's robes and pulled him up with her as she hovered higher. "You left us with no guidance, no idea who and what we were. Do you know what happened to us? To our people? DO YOU KNOW?!?" she screamed at him.

"I do now. And I can never apologize enough for this. The pain I caused you is never going to be healed. Be as angry as you want little starlight. I will not resist if that's what you want. But please, hear me out before you do," he said softly. Angelica, for all her massive power and rage was still a child. Lowering back down, she looked up at him and then walked away to her family. Stopping to look at the Tuven, she spoke softly. "I am making for the palace. I will clear you a path there once I am on the ground. You can then move in and set up the way you need too." She spoke with a monotone that the commander understood.

He knew the pain she was in. Lost family, lies, war, trauma. He knew too well the pain she was in and gently put a massive paw on her shoulder. "No little one. You should rest first. We have time. And it seems that the visitors to your world have more than enough information to share. Please, Princess, take a moment to grieve and let this emotion out of you. Do not bottle it up to fester like an infected wound."

His deep voice got through to the woman, as she sagged under the massive paw and began to shiver. As Billy moved her away toward a more private area, the Tuvenese Commander stepped forward. Rachel had remained, trying to make sense of things as the large feline stepped up to speak. "Sir. If I may, I am the commander of the Tuvenese ships that are here. We came to help Thymion break the last yokes of its corrupted rule and form a new government. As well as help establish trade lines and prepare the planet to be terraformed back to their proper standard of living." He spoke it with calm authority. The jackal thing stood fully and nodded to him, giving him a bow.

"I am Anu-bisys. Or as commonly pronounced today Anubis to many cultures. I am the ruler and leader of the Jackeel. We came back to Thymion when news reached us that distress was upon them. However, it was too late I fear," He admitted as he looked around at the confused and frightened wolves and others species. The large feline looked at Rachel as she was looking around as well. She was seeking something, or someone. After a moment he could see the fear rising on her face as she whispered, "Where is mother? she should have come by now. But I do not sense her approach or her mind..." she said. Such a soft voice for one as powerful as her sister.

Manzariatt Felt that sickly feeling creeping up his throat. Bile and anxiety, if he were to put a name to it. But mostly it was just a feeling he got right before things went pear shaped and up someone's rectum. However, he looked at the Anu-bisys and saw the sorrow on his face. "Your mother has taken her own life. When the fog lifted, she was one of the first to realize what happened to her and her people. And seeing what she had done, she chose to make atonement with her life. She performed it in ceremony, with witnesses and we have examined her. She is truly gone my dear. I am so sorry."

He spoke with the weight of having seen this before. Manzariatt could tell this man, this... god had seen this before. Too many times most likely. Looking up at him, the feline spoke, "Is there a ruling council then?" he asked, which earned him a shake of Rachel's head. "It has always been the royal family. As far back as we can remember. Mother, her sons and daughters. Angelica skipped the line, taking over by threat and force. But that wasn't really her. Our older siblings are about as close to council as it gets." She spoke with a certain finality to her voice. Commander Manzariatt understood that tone. She was preparing herself mentally for the end of her line.

However the commander was not here to supplant her and her family. Merely give them new ways to do things. It took a week before the ships could touch down on the ground and begin offloading the things they brought. They were met with a contrast of absolute paradise in small pockets, surrounded by stagnant and decayed swamps and deserts. He could see in the history of the planet that it was once lush, covered in life and while pockets of it survived it would be thousands of years before it was healed. However, given the life spans of the wolves, it was likely they would live to see it done.

The Tuvenese set up a simple reactor to help power the first terraforming tower, and showed the wolves how to operate it. Though it seemed that wolf was a loose term now. The Princesses seemed to consider any being that flew their flag to be their kin. Billy helped where he could, his soldering helping him understand. Bojo creeped out the Tuvenese too much for them to interact with him, however they did appreciate that he could help produce raw materials for them to use at will. Angelica and Rachel were fairly secluded but their surviving brother and sister were more open. Welcoming and offering the Tuvenese any place they wanted to set up an embassy.

As the days flowed forward, Commander Manzariatt soon found himself enamored by these backward but resilient people. But the wrench in the gears was this Jackeel fleet. They moved well out of the way of others. But even the hardest, most direct scan failed to return any data, and most irritatingly received no reaction. It was as if these beings didn't consider an active destroyer to be a threat. However, the Tuvenese had scans of the Hope's Blade in full detail. The alloy making it up made almost all of their weapons useless unless they were just point blank range and well within the kill zone of the destroyer. It absorbed kinetic and energy weapons discharges at a rate unseen before. It did, however, have a glaring weakness. It was susceptible to nuclear, anti-matter, and exotic particle based weapons. The kind many warships carried normally. And compounding that was the wolves' refusal to use such weapons purely on religious beliefs alone.

He sighed as he set his data pad down and looked at the other end of the table. He sat here, in the former throne room across from the four siblings of the royal family. Rachel seemed to be taking more charge now. Her status as the most religious of them seemed to garner the attention of the others. Angelica, her battle prowess unmatched by her kin garnered the most respect. The brother, Amadeus Wolfen, was more of the governing type. He had a grasp of things that this younger sisters did not. The last sister, Delaria, was a very strange wolfess. She was more minded about things such as supplies and transit. She was so logistical that talking to her was almost impossible without one of her siblings to translate her thoughts. Manzariatt was thankful that Angelica willingly let his empaths scan her mind and use her as a sort of go between.

The commander then cleared his throat. "I believe that we can certify these new laws then. You seem agreeable to the restitution plan and your treasury has more than enough. Is there anything else you want to discuss?" he asked. He was hoping to urge them to sign it and move on. They seemed to enjoy debating every detail between themselves only to come to the same agreement.

Angelica looked to him, her eyes dulled from their usually sparking green. "Your payment. We need to pay you for the supplies. That was agreed before we left Tuven," she whispered. He paused a moment, before nodding and indicating she could speak. "You don't have the ship capacity to care the full payment. however we can give you another of our tugs. It will make up the difference and has dimensional displacement for cargo capacity. She is no warship, but she should prove useful to your government and research. We... Don't actually understand how any of its tech works. We did when that.. thing was in charge. But we can't connect like we did when it was in charge and understanding how any of this works is going to take us a long time..." she admitted.

Manzariatt understood that, knowing that they had been forced to jump ahead at least four centuries in technology for no reason aside from blood and war. Now that they were back to themselves, he understood that they would need time to adapt to all this technology. He was actually hoping to help them incorporate it in a way that it did not bury the aesthetic and art of their culture. He could see it in everything they made. Even their warships were beautiful. It wasn't just utility, it was design. It had to have beauty in its purpose. Nodding, he took a slow breath and then spoke softly. "I understand. We will maintain and embassy here with educational services. And as I understand it, your Father's people... "

"Don't call him that... hes just... hes one of mother's friends, nothing more," Angel said curtly. Manzariatt understood instantly that she was not going to accept that man was her father yet. She needed time, and space.

"The Jackeel have agreed to maintain a presence here as well. They are offering educational services and protection in addition to our own," he said. He was irritated at having to talk to a child like this. But she was quite literally a demi-god. His medical officer had taken a sample of her DNA before they left Tuven. His analysis proved she has properties to her body that exceed any other species they had encountered. Her body recombined its old DNA to adapt to anything new thrown at her. She was resistant to disease, temperatures reaching hotter than the surface of a star, impervious conventional weapons fire, and able to regenerate degraded DNA inside her own body faster than his own cells would divide to make new ones.

He had managed to have her siblings checked as well. Rachel was identical to her, except that she seemed a bit weaker physically. However, the other two were from different fathers. Their abilities were less so, though still formidable in one on one combat. However, they were also both a million years older than their siblings. And fortunately Amadeus was level headed and able to round his siblings up if needed. That was why they suggested making him Regent. It was mostly just a title but the others believed it game him greater claim to the crown. A crown he rejected in favor of something less gaudy.

The commander looked up as the Jackeel ruler himself stepped in. For the sake of brevity, he agreed to be called by Anubis. Though the commander didn't want to admit it, this was as close to a god as things could get. He was, according to scans, 15 trillion years old. Older than the universe as far as anyone knew. However he claimed there were older species than his own and that the universe was in fact much older itself. He was also much more calm and easy to talk to. He understood the concepts the commander wanted to communicate. And he was able to translate it for the wolves easily enough. However there was something so unnerving about the being. He exuded an aura that was like a mix of calming finality and existential dread.

Shaking it off, Manzariatt cleared his throat and motioned Anubis to sit with them. "We were almost done. I was explaining to the royal family that education and protection is a priority from both of our governments." He spoke clearly, but with a hint of nervousness. The Jackeel nodded and sat in one of the chair, though at his size it was comically tiny. Even the massive throne that had once served as the seat of Thymion power was absolutely dwarfed by his stature. How he had mated with the wolfess that once sat there was a mystery. Manzariatt had seen holograms of Mariana. She was a towering three or so meters tall and easily had a wing span of over four meters. And this male dwarfed her by a good meter and half. There should be no possible way a species could reach this size normally. Angelica and her twin were a more acceptable size, just over a meter and a half each. Their siblings were closer to two meters. There were other wolves, larger and broader. Vary by subspecies and such. Manzariatt shook his head to clear away the day dreaming. He could get lost in the biology of it. But now they had of greater importance.

"Your majesties, are we in agreement of this?" he asked, needing them to agree to it for things to move forward. All four nodded and verbally agreed, which he thanked the fates for. As they began to close their tablets and folders, Anubis spoke in that deep tone of his.

"Rachel, Angelica. A moment if I may. I have words if you would hear them," he said it with all the patience of a saint. Commander Manzariatt was half expecting the green haired wolfess to explode on him again. She had done so three times by this point. But she only nodded at him as she took a slow breath. "I... I hurt you. I did not even know of your existence until I returned and I hurt you with my ignorance. I am aware you likely do not see me as any form of parent. And I understand that. All I ask is that you understand, your mother hid your existence from me. If I had known I would have come to the aid of Thymion, even as its against the rules I agreed too. I would have broken them for you. And even now, I skirt the line to try and help. The others know I am here, and they only approve because you are of my blood. If you weren't, they would have come to take me away and set a new ruler of the Jackeel." he said.

Manzariatt understood that some species and conclaves had rules about interfering in other species. Rules for first contact, uplifting, even trade and such. A species this old likely had rules in place with its other conclave species to make sure no one uplifted someone too early or made contact with the wrong species. However since Anubis bred with the Thymion wolves it blurred the line. Likely the others would have demanded the death of the infants or having them pulled into the fold properly. however that was neither here nor there for the Tuvenese. They were concerned only with the current situation and as things were progressing the wolves would be able to man their own ships again in just a year. His thoughts were disrupted by Angelica's words which cut like a knife.

"Im not going to pretend to forgive you. Nor am I going to lie and say I knew mother's intentions. But I will find out what was on her mind. And I intend to reveal it to everyone. We are not a pacifist species. We might be graceful and loving. But there is no other species in our galaxy that matches us in physical standing. No other species here can dead lift tonnage, nor can they fly at speeds exceeding the sound barrier. We have a hive mind of sorts, psychokinetic powers over various elements and a mastery of melee combat unseen in most. We took to warships and weapons development too easily. Even with that... thing possessing me. It only turned on what was already there. Something is hidden from us. And I will make it my mission to uncover the truth." She spoke with the conviction of a person furious with pain of the heart.

Manzariatt sighed as he looked at the others, whom seemed disappointed in her. She was angry. He understood. He would train her in controlling that anger better. But at a later time. For now, he wanted to get some food. Thymion had offered them a bountiful new menu and he was enjoying indulging in it. Their supplies of food were more abundant than he first thought. The stores of preserved food that his people had brought were actually unneeded but accepted readily. He knew the look of a being that was starved. They never would starve again.

As he nodded and stood, he spoke, "Then this meeting is adjourned. Your majesties, I take my leave for the day. Please, take your time to access and examine the information i provided you." Turning he departed for the market district. His people had set up a temporary Embassy there. And he wanted to get some chow before heading for bed. He knew that it was going to be a long year at least before his group could return home. But at least while here, he would accept the unusually open hospitality of the wolves.