"What do you need?" Lia asked.

"Do you think you can put me on comms so everyone can hear what we're doing?"

"Of course," she said. "You want to talk to all of them here, or also those who were here?"

That caught my attention and I looked to her. "How can you do those that were here?"

"They're on ship, or close," she said. "It just takes a little work."

"Okay, then anyone that was a part of this before the evacuation. They need to hear the truth from me, and the fact we're all leaving will leave them scared. I want to introduce Matt, and…"

"Instil hope, like they did at Ring-14." Crai's voice was soft.

"What did they do?" I asked.

"I can show you," she said. "We had the best ring side seat going."

"If I may, Captain," a man at her side said and she moved to let him manipulate the screen.

"There was a story that circulated many years ago, about a young man who never gave up when three miners were trapped sixty feet below the surface, he was the closest to respond, and the only one that could. Others were days away."

"That young man shone a light and cut rock away for almost two solid days." Crai added.

"On his own?"

On the screen before us, Ring-14 had one tiny power core, she sat mostly in the dark. And then…we all watched as section by section she lit up.

"On his own," she said.

I looked to Mac, who shrugged.

The power system came online, and shining into the dark echoed those exact words by flashing Last Light in morse code.

"Those miners got out, and the night manager logged it as Hidaba's last light."

Now Mac and I were looking at each other with a deeper understanding of the man we knew.

"Everyone knows this story?"

"Since the day it happened, and more so the day Alex died."

"They know Lev is…"

"Without a doubt." Crai said. "As did we the moment that morse code lit the skies."

"Then we're making a mark in his name?"

"No," she said and lowered her head. "You are making a mark in your name."

"You have with you a man who many trust, for his brother's name and for his own reputation." Tali said by Derek's side, she looked directly at Mac when she added. "And with those two by your side the backing of half the coalition,"

"Frost Enterprises is holding the torch, but you're guiding it." Mac added and lowered his head to me.

I didn't know what to say to them, my mouth suddenly dry. I reached for some water.

"On comms," Lia gently prompted. "Stand straight."

<<They will see you as well as hear you.>>

I didn't know if I could speak at all, after hearing that. "I never said live feed."

<<You can do this, it's better this way. Name and face, makes you real,>> she said.

I coughed, straightened my back and then spoke, my words were soft at first.

"Kepler Station, both past and present. I am Peyton Tachim founder of Frost Enterprises."

I paused, as Lia brought up views across the station, and several ships this side of the universe.

"Three days ago, this facility was a place where nightmares flourished and human consciousness were stolen, Minds were harvested like crops to feed nothing but corporate greed."

They needed confidence, not weakness. "You sabotaged the station systems so a message could get out. You protected each other and held the line. You did what others would not. You never gave up."

I glanced to my friends, my next words would hurt no matter how I tried to word it. "I'm not going to lie to you. My ships are leaving soon. We're carrying research… No a legacy from the woman I loved. We are needed by Admiral Kuba for frontline defences. Don't think we're abandoning you—we're not, we're trusting you."

I sucked in a breath. "Matt is one of our newest team members. He has been transferred to you, he's staying as station manager in my stead. There will also be a team of miners who are staying to secure your mining and shipping operations. Commander Torre's Coalition team will ensure this facility stays safe. These people are trusted and they will guide you over the coming months while Frosts formally acquires the station."

I thought of Alex's story, of miners trapped below ground, though I didn't know it in full, I wanted to, I wanted Lev to tell me. "There's an old story about a light in the darkness. About someone who kept digging when no rescue was coming. You've already proven you won't let people die in the dark. Now I'm asking you to keep that light burning for anyone who needs it."

My voice carried across every speaker in the station. "Kepler Station isn't just infrastructure. It's proof that people matter more than corporate orders. That people will risk everything to save those around them, even strangers. That's what Frost Enterprises stands for. That's what you've already shown you stand for."

I paused, feeling the exhaustion of the last few days, but also the pride within. "We will be back. Until then, as I said, we're trusting you. Keep the light on."

Even Mac was staring at me with something approaching respect.

The comms were silent for a moment, a long moment. Then voices started overlapping from throughout the station. There were acknowledgments, agreements, even a few that sounded like they might be crying. People were hugging each other, shaking hands, it was something else to see, and I… fuck…we'd done this.

<<We did.>> Lia said.

"Thank you," Matt said quietly over the comm. "I won't let you down."

"Fleet orders," I announced, switching to our command frequency and making swift decisions. "Medical ships prepare for immediate departure to Ring-14 with Captain Crai's fleet. All consciousness extraction victims are priority cargo. Dr. Chen's medical facilities there are equipped for advanced neural recovery procedures and you will be taking anything you need from here."

"Personnel assignments," Mac added, consulting his tactical display. "Faulkner, Manta-S, and escort vessels Hawk and Meridian continue to Sigma-Seven with the research package."

"Dr. Martinez," I called out. "Final decision—you make the call. Ring-14 for medical oversight or Sigma-Seven for research delivery?"

"I should go with the injured, but," she replied. "If Braker's have other facilities, and are using my research, then I need to stay with the people who can can stop them."

"Commander Torres?"

"As I said, Coalition officer reporting for duty," she replied, "The Coalition needs a representative with you to Admiral Kuba and I can pool all resources needed on the way if we get stuck."

This felt good to solidify everyone and everything. "Dr. Xian," I said. "I know you were coordinating the medical teams, but I need someone who understands the neural damage. Three weeks through hostile space and we might face the same weapons that created these injuries again, but worse."

She looked up from the patient charts she was studying. Clearly considering her options, she then glanced to Dr. Martinez. "Dr. Martinez will need full support staff familiar with all her protocols. If you're really digging in and want to provide countermeasures... you'll need me and my team with you as well. We're with the Fualkner."

"Appreciate it," I said. "Derek. You said you were coming regardless, but I want to make it official. Frost Enterprises is offering you a full status alongside the others, you're not just escort duty, you're with me."

He exchanged a look with his sister on the display. "Feath?"

"Take it," Captain Crai said firmly. "Someone needs to watch Peyton's back while I'm limping home with a shit load of refugees."

I looked around the CIC, seeing the core of what was becoming an actual crew rather than just temporary allies. "Anyone else who wants to volunteer for a three-week journey through space controlled by people who steal minds for profit, speak now."

The silence stretched for a moment, then two men and one woman I'd not met screens flashed. Their Id's at least under their names "Iron Covenant stays with the Chief." Captain Keating said.

"As do Silent Thunder—" Captain Havelock added.

"And Ghost," Commander Bulwark said.

"Between us, you have a pretty heavy escort." Captain Keating smiled.

Mac was already updating personnel rosters. "We can pool the crew gives us full security teams for four ships, medical staff who understand the technology we're carrying, and enough technical expertise to maintain our quantum drives for three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Keating asked. "Sigma Seven is at least six, maybe seven weeks away."

"We'll have special fuel."

"I'll send over two of my engineers," Captain Crai said. "You'll need to implement certain changes as you leave. Your engines as they are will not take the punishment of this kind of full burn."

"Dangerous?" I asked, sudden concern washing over me.

"You'll be fine, we haven't lost a ship yet, but they did with initial testing."

"Details are coming in," Captain Keating said. "That is quite the chemical mix."

Something shifted in my chest, it wasn't quite hope, maybe determination.

"Final crew assignments," I announced. "Dr. Xian and Dr. Martinez on the Faulkner you'll be with us, we've a lot of research to cover. Commander Torres—co-ordinate with the Iron Covenant for assignemnts."

"I'd like to be your personal escort," she said. "You'll have more people around you than you're used to, and people you don't know."

"Escort?"

That was when Lev stepped inside. "I'll assign a team to Captain Tachim." He dipped his head at the screens. "Myers and Armani report to me."

"Okay then," I said. "Let's get this moving and fast."

The fuel and crew transfer took three hours. Through the viewscreen umbilicals connected between each ship, pumping Captain Crai's premium reserves into our tanks while her fleet and the others prepared for a potentially dangerous journey home with little reserves.

But it was the personal farewells that carried the real weight.

I made my way to see her personally and to put our differences behind us. Derek was giving her one last hug, and I held back just long enough to hear their final whispered words. Those of love and hope.

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"Ready for mission impossible?" she asked him.

"Getting used to them," he replied.

"No one ever gets used to them," she said. "But you have some of the best people with you."

Derek glanced at me, and I smiled.

"Your brother's included."

She smiled then, and saluted me. "Keep him safe, Captain Tachim."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," I replied and together we left her to finish her prep.

I gave the station the once over with my new escort in tow. That would take some getting used to, but I understood where Lev was coming from. We were, I was surrounded by people we didn't really know anymore. Despite the circumstances, I needed guard detailing.

I made my way back to the CIC while Derek head back to the Manta-S. I sat next to Mac and nodded to Lev.

"All the personnel transfers are complete. Medical ships fully loaded and we're fueled and ready for sustained burn."

Captain Crai's face appeared on screen. "Retribution is requesting permission to leave."

"Permission granted." I said.

"May the dark keep you safe," she said, then she was gone.

They departed first, nice and steady and we watched until they disappeared into jump space.

"Matt," I called, and then promptly yawned. "Station is yours. Keep that light on."

"Copy that, Captain. We'll be waiting for you."

I tapped for our smaller fleet frequency", All ships. Course is set for the Outer Rim facility at Sigma-Seven, Kuba Naval Constructions. We're at full burn for the duration. Keep a close eye on your engines. Any deviation as per the instructions, inform your captain right away."

"Acknowledged," came responses from the four vessels.

The quantum drives engaged with familiar power signatures, accelerating us toward the front lines.

<<You've never even looked at it,>> Lia said.

<<The chip?>>

<<Apart from her first message to you.>>

<<You know what's on it though, right?>>

<<Mostly,>> she replied. <<But I do think you might need to look again, before you let anyone else have it.>>

I glanced at Mac. "You have the CIC," I said. "I'll be in the med lab."

"Are uou okay?" he asked.

"Just a little research to do before we arrive. We'll be likely very busy down there."

"You might need more space with the amount of scientist you have." He smiled.

He had a point. "We'll work it out. Time to destination?"

"At current acceleration burn, looking like Twenty-one days," he reported.

Kepler Station grew smaller and smaller in the viewer until it was almost gone, I turned the viewer off and simply said, "Then let's go save the Coalition fleet, then."

"All in a days work, right?" Mac asked.

Lev laughed and I couldn't help but chuckle with them.

"You off to bed," Lia chimed in as her physical form stepped into the CIC.

"Ugh," I sighed.

"I've got the watch," Lev said. "Both you and Mac, get some rest."

"Not so sure I can," Mac said, but he stood from his chair. "But I'll try before Sorrel kicks my butt and she isn't even here."

That made us laugh even more.

I waited until Mac had left the CIC before I asked. "You good?"

"Can't take it away can I?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Did you tell her the truth?"

"That I'm head over heals in love with her…"

Shit that was real.

"I shouldn't pry," I said and made to move.

"Wait," he said. "Please."

I sat back down and waited.

"You need to hear this because it affects us," he said.

"You mean as a team?"

"As that, and as friends."

"I just want you both to be happy."

"As do I, which is why I put it off for so long."

"I'm not following," I replied.

"Before we met you, she confided in me about falling in love with the wrong person, at the wrong time."

"Oh," I sucked in a breath. "A collegue?"

He nodded. "She swore blind she'd never do it again."

"It put you off?"

"I never thought of her like that till…." It was the way he looked at me. "Till that day in the hospital."

"We all thought we'd lose you," I said, "But seeing her fall apart when you went down, it was clear, there was no doubt in my mind that you were both into each others."

"Just a matter of time."

"Exactly," I confirmed. "It will work out, you'll see. You make this team better the both of you."

He nodded. "We still have a lot to work out," he said. "But thank you."

I dipped my head, and made to leave. "You have the watch chief."

"I'll look after him," Lia said and sat with him.

Instead of heading to my bunk, I made my way to the medbay, and soon to be medlab. The corridors were different now, fuller. Maybe it was the additional crew members or maybe it was because the Faulkner was actually doing as it should, traversing space at breakneck speeds. It was home, and though we were jetting off on another mission. This is what I wanted from life. I nodded to the two mercs Lev had assigned as they moved to shadow me. They maintained their distance but their presence was a constant reminder of how much had changed.

<<You should be in your bunk, not here.>> Lia said.

<<Something I need to do first, before I can rest,>> I replied. The door opened and despite it being late, it was quiet, most of its equipment was powered down for the journey, and those who were still recouperating somewhat now had crew bunks, a real place to sleep.

I found the secure storage compartment where I'd kept Ashley's chip since... since everything had started. My fingers hesitated over the access panel.

<<Ahh…You don't have to do this now,>> Lia soothed.

"Yes, I do." I pulled out the small data chip, its surface reflecting the ambient lighting. "I've been carrying this burden around like some kind of talisman, but I haven't actually looked at what she left us bar that first message."

I slotted the chip into one of the medbays main terminals and stepped back as data began streaming across the display. Ashley's face appeared first—not the recording I'd seen before, but something new.

"Piotr, if you're seeing this, it means you've found your way to a secure terminal and probably have some time to actually listen to me." Her voice carried that familiar mix of affection and scientific precision. "I know you probably looked at the first message and then got distracted by... well, knowing you, probably fixing something or other, right."

I found I let out a chuckle and I was smiling despite the tightness in my chest.

"What you're about to see isn't just research data. It's a complete upgrade package for the Faulkner, designed specifically for what I knew my father faced on the frontlines—and after we met, because I knew you'd be running headlong into danger, even if I wasn't there to protect you."

The display shifted to technical schematics. "I've been working on these modifications for months, ever since I realized what Braker Corporation was really doing."

A - Propulsion & mass‑reduction projects

Tag

Upgrade

Effort / Time

Parts & Cost

Pay‑off

Side‑effects / Risk

A‑1 "Gel‑skim" plates

Replace 150 t inner baffles with aerogel‑reinforced nano‑lattice (printer job).

4 days orbital yard

Cr 0.6 M feedstock

‑150 t dry mass → spool 26 s, Δv +3 %

Plates ablate faster (carry spares).

A‑2 Rotor‑radiator sleeve

Collapsible graphite‑foam ring that spins in shadow to dump heat, letting engines run 5 % hotter in stealth.

1 week fab + hull cut

Cr 1.6 M

Stealth endurance +85 %; allows 0.2 G higher silent thrust.

Deploy mech can jam—test often.

A‑3 "Smart" injector nozzles

Kerry prints tungsten‑hafnium venturis with shape‑memory micro‑ribs; Nexus tunes them per‑pulse.

2 weeks engr. bay

Cr 900 k

Exhaust velocity +7 % ⇒ Δv +5 %; fuel / ly ‑5 %.

Needs weekly recal calib.; dirty pellets clog.

A‑4 Hybrid curvature coil

Splice a Guild‑type GaN field lens inboard of coil‑3; Nexus runs live adaptive waveform.

3 weeks, hi‑bay + AI lab

Cr 4.5 M + favours

Hop envelope +0.3 ly; spool ‑1.5 s.

Mis‑phase can burst shield capacitors (test in deep space).

B - Weapons, defence & power

Tag

Upgrade

Effort / Time

Parts & Cost

Combat gain

Caution / Notes

B‑1 Shear‑lance capacitor swap

Replace ageing NbTi banks with graphene super‑rings.

5 days

Cr 700 k

Lance RoF ↑ 40 % (10 → 14 shots per load).

Heat surge: rely on rotor radiator (A‑2).

B‑2 Phaser "triple‑pulse" mod

Nexus programs burst cycle: 0.3 s gap → armour cracks → main beam.

Code only, 1 day test

nil

+25 % penetration vs composite hulls.

Extra barrel wear (+Cr 12 k / year).

B‑3 Doli‑Nexus co‑op firing net

Let both AIs share target lattice (encrypted Q‑bus).

3 days secure‑code

nil

Turret hit‑rate +18 %, flak response × 2.

Requires 99.9 % sync; desync trips safe‑mode.

B‑4 "Mirror‑black" nano‑skin

Replace ⅔ stealth coating with metamaterial layer that bends mm‑radar & red‑shift IR.

10 days vacuum booth

Cr 2.9 M

Sensor lock range vs cruisers halves; laser scatter ‑8 %.

New skin very brittle—avoid micrometeoroids till sealant cured.

C ‒ Medical & life‑support innovation

Tag

Upgrade

Lead

Scope / Time

Cost

Result

C‑1 Auto‑doc Mk IV "DaVinci"

Kerry + Doli

Swap med‑bay cradle for 6‑axis micro‑surgery frame; Doli intros real‑time nanite dosage.

8 days install

Cr 1.2 M

Trauma survival +65 %; heals 6 hrs quicker.

C‑2 Neural‑regen tank

Kerry + Piotr

Repurpose spare cryo‑pod; print electroporative grid; use Nexus for pathway modelling.

2 weeks R&D

Cr 600 k

Can regrow damaged cranial tissue over 4 days; perfect for Academy veterans…

C‑3 "Blue‑veil" quarantine veil

Doli

Shipwide, tie life‑support to bio‑scans; isolate pathogen zones in 3 s.

Code‑push

nil

SEALs med‑hazard decks automatically; doubles as fire damper.

Lia's holographic form materialized beside me. She flicked from one screen to the next. Up popped actual 3d images of the parts. "These are... incredible. Ashley designed integration protocols that work specifically with my neural architecture."

The schematics spun, they were truly elegant. Propulsion upgrades that would reduce the ship's mass while increasing efficiency. Weapons modifications that would let Lia coordinate targeting in real-time. Medical systems that could rival anything in the Coalition fleet, Sorrel would go nuts for this.

"How long would these take to implement?" I asked, scrolling through the project timelines trying my best to figure it out myself. But I was too exhausted.

<<Some of them we can start immediately,>> Lia replied. <<The gel-skim plates, the software modifications for the weapons systems. Others would require a proper shipyard.>>

"She knew we'd need every advantage we could get." I paused at a section labeled 'Neural Integration Protocols.' I tapped it. "What's this one?"

Ashley's face reappeared on screen. "This part is specifically for Doli. I know she's been struggling with understanding human emotions. We've had some long conversations, as I'm sure you have too. I've included some frameworks that will help her process things without losing what makes her so unique."

Lia went very still beside me. "She... she designed emotional processing subroutines for me?"

"Not just subroutines," I brought up the image. Ashley's voice continued from the recording. "Think of them as... training wheels. Ways to understand what you're feeling without being overwhelmed by it. Peyton's going to need you to be strong, but he's also going to need you to understand why he's hurting. And you're going to hurt too, in ways you've never experienced."

It was as if, Ashley knew what she'd say and had the exact response for her. I looked at Lia, seeing something I'd never noticed before—uncertainty in her expression.

"Sorrel and I have been talking," she almost whispered. "I'm trying to understand why I feel... heavy is the only word that fits... I think about Ashley and can't function. I feel lost. Sorrel says it's grief, but I don't know. It… It just feels too much, I don't know how to carry it."

"Ashley always said you were more human than most humans," I replied, my voice cracked. "Maybe that includes feeling things that hurt, and most of us don't know how to carry it."

She looked at me. "But you do carry it, like you have been since that day."

"We do," I said. "It doesn't mean I don't feel it, that it isn't heavy for me."

The display shifted to show even more technical data. I focussed on Lia instead, she needed me. To be honest, I needed her right now too. "You don't have to be perfect, you know." I said and placed a hand over her arm. A gesture. "You don't have to have all the answers."

"But if I don't. How do I help you?"

"By just being here. By being... you." I gestured at the screen. "Ashley designed all of this because she knew we'd be in this kind of situation together. She knew us enough to give us the best possible outcome. She also trusted us to figure all of this out."

"She never expected to join you, did she?"

I shook my head. "No, and that hurts a lot."

"Why didn't she chose a different future?"

"I don't know," I replied, then I shook my head. "That's a lie, sorry. She knew what people were capable of, she knew what lengths they'd go to get what they wanted, and that meant you, and what's on this chip.

That's when a different schematic popped up. Doli's. Her full 3d image, her code, everything. I pointed to it. "That alongside the Faulkner's' blueprints are what will save the frontline, her father. In the wrong hands that would have been catastrophic."

Lia was quiet for a long moment. "There's another file. It includes a note," she said finally. "This one is for you."

Ashley's face popped up again, she looked like…. Fuck she was inside a chamber. These were her final moments. She looked so different. Older? Desperate, and tired. It began to play.

"This is my last message. I need you to promise me something. Use these upgrades. Let Doli help you. Let your friends help you. I know you think carrying everything alone makes you stronger, but it doesn't. It just makes you alone." She leaned forward and ran a hand over her chin. "And for the love of all that's sacred, please take care of yourself. Eat regularly. Sleep. Let someone else take the CIC watch. The universe needs you alive, but more than that, I need you to choose to live. Understand that, live not just survive—live."

The recording ended, leaving us in silence.

"She really did know you," Lia said softly.

"Yeah." I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "So, where do we start with these upgrades?"

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