Coma

"Gen XXII, thanks."

Right at this moment that was all that Emily could say. 

If it was true and there were many others within the legion who were close to completing the final acceleration then this was a nightmare scenario. Emily had to let the senseless deaths go. There were more important concerns right at this moment.

'Unfortunately, I opened my big mouth and announced in a public forum that there might be more than one potential pylon.'

Thinking this Emily contemplated what would happen if the inquisition were to hunt down and destroy the legion. It was a very real possibility. It had been done in the past. One pylon here or there was fine. They could be dealt with. Only a few casualties were a painful tradeoff.

However, when more than one pylon emerged in the same place at the same time entire societies had been wiped out in the past.

Certain groups of peace loving aliens would combine and attack an entire civilization if their cultivation went out of control.

The Athras people would have to take a threat like the legion seriously if it was shown that more than one pylon were accelerating within it.

Emily and Gen XXII looked at each other and then both of them looked at Subrath. Neither one of them wanted to get these women into trouble. They had different reasons for wanting to support Jace and her legion, but in the end maybe they could walk the same road for a little while.

Willing Gen XXII to say something, Emily raised her eyebrows at the AI. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she knew his particular personality module was geared for intuition and empathy. 

XXII would know what was going through her mind. She knew he was focused on her and was trying to also gage the situation.

"I disagree, there is no way more than one pylon could develop within the same legion. Do you know how many resources are required to cultivate even a single pylon?"

After a moment Gen XXII tentatively said something that gave Emily a huge relief.

Laughing out loud she decided to go completely out of character to support XXII.

Hopefully it would put what she had said to bed,

"Ha, ha, ha, I was just checking. Your right! I wasn't thinking there for a bit."

Shameful and embarrassing as it was, Emily wasn't willing to condemn an entire legion. The odds that the planet would survive a Falnali colonization was still minimal, but there was was now a gleam of hope. If Jace scared off the hive mother, then the legion could survive. 

It was too late for Jace, but perhaps her legion could escape the same consequences as its general. Hopefully she would die! Somehow surviving this would be much worse for everyone. At the very least if Jace survived she would be hunted and killed.

There were two pylons living and ruling their own planets, but they were special cases. Allowed to survive not just by Athras, but the surrounding quadrant as well. They served by fighting unfightable battles. And the general feeling in the galaxy was that if certain groups liked fighting, served a valuable function, and they did not threaten the peace then the general tension within the quadrant was to live and let live.

_______

Jace arrived at the space port first. Built within a crater it was rather small as space ports were concerned. This planet seemed to place a high priority on preserving the natural environment. From afar the only part of the spaceport that was visible was the control tower. It rose like a needle above the surroundings.

It wasn't until Jace arrived at the gate that she was able to enter and look down. Arrayed below her were five landing pads as well as three huge hanger bays build into threes sides of the crater. All the buildings were painted with dark colors, brown and green predominating.

'Boring, boring!'

Thinking something Jace realized that she was starting to feel a dry pasty feeling. Instinctively she wanted to act to do anything to resupply herself with blood. It was a false instinct. Pylon's had been studied. After the first rush wore off they would start to experience a state of over stimulation and become extremely sensitive. Pylon instincts were to kill more in order to satiate the feeling.

This was false and she schooled herself. The only thing that would help her now was death or suspended animation. Blood could only provide a distraction from over stimulated sense. As long as she could enter a death like state her body would naturally replenish itself. Actually, it would only do so with the care and help the right injections and nutrients. Which was why she was seeking for something right now. 

Invisible to most she was keeping a few whirlwinds active. Just like always she was relying on her habits to maintain some sort of rationality. Empowering just one whirlwind while also suppressing its effects was not enough anymore. So there were three whirlwinds doing absolutely nothing in the air hundreds of meters above her head. 

She had to get to her ship and fast.

Deciding not to wait, Jace began striding through the airport. People rushed to get out of the way as helpful service employees ran ahead calling out for everyone to get out of the way. 

Soon she saw a man hurrying in her direction.

"Report."

Was all Jace said.

"Pylon, as you commanded the special sensory deprivation tank has been transferred to one of our scout corvettes. Please follow me."

Sweating the man reported and then moved away not looking back to see if Jace followed. There was no telling what a pylon would do. He schooled himself to not make any sudden movements or make any extra sounds. Everyone knew what to do and how to behave around a pylon. It was taught in grade school.

The scout corvette had been flown up and prepped just outside of the terminal. There was only one terminal in a port like this. Serving both air and space traffic the port was more crowded not only because it served both purposes, but also because so many citizens were desperate to leave the planet.

Illegally parked the corvette still stood on the tarmac and waited for Jace. There were many good perks to being a pylon and this was one of them.

By the time she had boarded the little scouting ship her three captains had caught up with her.

Jace's one overriding purpose was to get to her sensory deprivation tank. Once she had entered the corvette and found the tank she turned to the ship captain and her legion captains who and carefully followed behind.

"Put me in a coma, and don't wake me up before we are on approach to the hive queen. I can't guarantee my state when I wake up. So please don't be in the corvette."

Jace explained the most important point. Her patience was wearing thin.

"Pylon, as you wish, an AI will pilot you there."

The captain bowed and withdrew so that Jace could talk to her friends.

"Jace, I, I, don't think I can do this, I, ... "

A woman with bleached blonde hair spoke first. But weakness was the wrong emotion.

"Alexa! Stop! You can do this and you must! Practice combining your magic, Qi, and lightning! You must not accelerate, yet. Stay focused. I need you to lead the legion."

Checking to make sure some of the staff could see and hear her Jace spoke louder,

"I am hereby passing my authority to Alexa. In front of these witnesses."

Everyone around Jace felt the solemnity of the simple words. Their princess was not a flashy sort. She didn't need to say this. There were rules and an order of command, but Jace also knew that it would help a lot for the staff to see it.

"Now, don't accelerate until you have fused your skills. Then choose a worthy enemy. You know the rest. You won't have to make it public like I had to. Prolong your acceleration and protect our legion. I am counting on you. I am counting on all of you."

Tears fell from Jace's eyes. She didn't know why. Disconnected, both full of energy and also itchy like the motor of her brain had no oil and was pounding metal to metal, she couldn't understand what she was feeling.

"We will, each woman will be given the chance to survive and die protecting and preserving our culture, my princess!"

Alexa said and bowed.

"Ha! I am no longer a princess!"

Was all Jace said while climbing into the tank. 

The lid shut, but it was still possible to see synthesized arms extend from the walls of the tank. Connecting diodes and inserting needles into flesh the tank displayed a ready notification when everything was prepared.

Alexa reached out and touched a green light on the display's surface and in a few moments the screen showed a confirmation. Jace had entered a coma.

"Jackson, send the corvette out, but make sure it doesn't arrive for twenty-four hours. Let's give our princess plenty of time to recover."

The new general commanded the ship captain and then left with her fellow legionaries and the staff who gathered.

It was foolish for the staff to come, they could have been killed. However, all of them couldn't resist the urge to witness these last moments. Many of them secretly wished that they could join her.

Clapping her hands Alexa spoke out,

"Come, let us work. We still need to clean up the rest of the Falnali brood and then prepare for the fallout. What comes, will come."

Determination filled their eyes. It was time to act. No one could stand in front of their legion when they moved together. This was how it had been before and this would be how it would continue to be.