In a quiet, isolated room in Sickbay usually used for intensive care patients or for occasional temporary storage of the dead (Nova Wildstar had lain there in 2200 when she had been comatose and was expected to quietly die in that room), a rather noisy little "conference" was taking place.

"I said, stop it," pleaded Vorston of Rikasha as he was thrown against the bulkhead again by Space Marine Corporal Vance Diamond. "I meant my surrender."

"Shaddap," snapped Corporal Diamond as he hit the prisoner in the mouth with a fist wrapped in a web belt. "Napoli, you kick 'im again…"

"Right," said Napoli. "This is for the Westhampton Beach, you sonovabitch!" At that, the bare-chested Vorston took a kick in the crotch.

The door whizzed open, and Napoli, Diamond, and Ensign Paul Hemsford, who was supervising the "party" stiffened, ready for battle as Bryan Hartcliffe strode in, resplendent in his Black Tiger uniform.

"No, cool it, lads. I don't mind what yer doin' to 'im…not one bit," said Hartcliffe.

"Why not?" said Hemsford as the door closed.

"Because I just talked with Angie. My suspicions are confirmed, orange boy," said Hartcliffe with an evil grin. "I found out yer mates not only put me wife in harem rags, but your lot also raped her. So, I have to get me licks in, too. Take that, ya orange FREAK!"

Hartcliffe knocked Vorston down and began to kick him in the head. Hemsford followed with a kick to the prisoner's ribs.

"I wanna get in there again," said Hartcliffe. "Move it, Hemsford."

"No…cool it…Wildstar wants this joker alive, not dead."

Hartcliffe smiled and spat on the prostrate Vorston. "Ah think he'd look better dead. How's about we say he fell down a stairwell? Bloody animal…he's worse than the Gamilons."

On the Argo's bridge, Commander Mark Venture stood looking on as Sandor and Royster worked on Homer's communications board. "How much longer will it be until it's fixed?" asked Venture.

"At least another thirteen hours," said Sandor as he pulled his head out from under the console. "We're still getting the damaged circuits out."

"How did this happen?"

"Easy," said Royster. "When the stars went nova in the Pellias region, a burst of energy also traveled through hyperspace…probably having something to do with how this Ekogaru finally destroyed the planet. Every comm unit in the fleet was burned out by this energy surge. We've had to communicate with the Gamilons and Pellians via signal lights"

"The surge was a bit like the one that happened when Trelaina first tried to communicate with us…but far worse," said Sandor. "This Ekogaru's mind-energy must be stronger by far than Trelaina's was."

"Ekogaru's mind-energy, as you call it, isn't simply his own," said a female voice at the aft part of the Argo's bridge.

"Aliscea," said Venture. "What are you doing awake now? I thought you were exhausted from the effort you had to expend to guide us here."

"I can't afford to rest for long," she said. "Ekogaru is still reaching out for us. And his mind-energy isn't one hundred percent natural, either. It's partially enhanced by his Fortress, which has just come about twelve thousand lightyears closer as we've rested."

"How do you know the whereabouts of his…Fortress?"

"Commander Venture, I can probe forth with my mind. I can tell you at the present time that his Fortress is still many millions of lightyears away, far beyond the edge of the Great Magellenic Cloud…."

The lift doors opened again, and everyone was surprised to see Captain Wildstar and Nova emerging onto the bridge in full uniform.

"Mark, I'm reassuming command," said Derek.

"But I thought that Doctor Sane ordered you to rest for twenty-four hours," said Venture.

"He did. But my fever's subsiding, as is Nova's."

"Nova, I thought your job was to keep him in Sickbay," snapped Mark.

"It was," she replied. "But he insisted upon getting up, which I'm not one hundred percent happy about."

"But what about you?"

"When he insisted upon getting up, I insisted upon following him to nurse him," she said as she took back her Cosmo-Radar from Parsons. "What are your orders, Captain?"

"Venture, what sort of information have we received from the Gamilons?" said Derek as he sat down.

"They'll have their comm systems back up faster than we will…and they'll be able to beam a message to Earth for us before we can communicate with Earth ourselves."

"Once we have our comm systems up, we will have to part company with the Gamilons," said Aliscea.

"Why is that?" asked Wildstar.

"As long as…" said Aliscea as she held herself up with a visible effort by leaning against Paul Rosstowski's chair at the Artillery station…"we and my mother are together, we can be more easily eliminated by the Rikashans or R'Khells. For the moment, we may have made peace with a few Rikashan officers, but they still represent a threat to us at large, since they follow the agenda of their "god"…Ekogaru."

"They worship that maniac?" said Dash. "Great. So I guess it's their "sacred duty" to wipe us, what remain of the Pellians, and the Gamilons across the face of the Universe, right?"

"You put it crudely, but you're essentially correct," said Aliscea. As she spoke, she grasped Paul's hand.

"They can have the Gamilons, but not us," said Homer.

Tell him…said her voice in his mind.

Tell him what? thought Paul, trusting that she could read his thoughts.

"But…we can't," said Paul out loud, aware they were being watched. …not on this ship…anyhow," he thought.. Aliscea…we're married per your people's law…but we're not married according to EDF regulations!

"Then leave it to me…" gasped Aliscea.

"What were you two just talking about?" asked Wildstar.

"A matter of grave importance to both of us," said Aliscea. "But, first, we have to part company with the Gamilons. My mother and I are in accord in this. She is trying to convince Desslok…and I am trying to convince you. She and Desslok will take our people to a temporary place of sanctuary on a planet the Gamilons have established as a temporary provisional capital for what remains of their Empire. However, we must take off on a long quest…to intercept Ekogaru before his Fortress breaks through the Great Magellenic Cloud in two of your months on his way towards your Earth. He will reach Earth by what you call late May or early June of this year if he is not stopped. That is…we have about one hundred and thirty days to stop Ekogaru and his Fortress …or Earth may well suffer the fate of Pellias."

Wildstar, Nova, Venture and Sandor looked at each other in complete shock. One hundred and thirty days to stop a menace that we know very little about…a menace worse than either the Gamilons or the Comet Empire? thought Derek. How in God's Name are we supposed to do that? It'll take a miracle!

The doors to the bridge came open again, and Hemsford came through, accompanied by two Space Marines, and Vorston, the Rikashan officer who had given himself up earlier at the end of the battle.

"Our prisoner said he has somethin' to tell you," said Hemsford. Wildstar gave the Marine a slightly dirty look for a moment…it looked like the Marines (and Hartcliffe, even though Derek didn't know that) had given Vorston a little bit of "special treatment" in the brig and Sickbay that just happened to be in the form of cuts and bruises all over his face.

"Yes…what is it?" asked Wildstar.

"Sir, I must help you brief your crew," cried Vorston. "Notwithstanding…the issues some of them have with me."

"He ain't got no issues," said Hemsford. "He fell in the head, right, Vorston?"

"Right…" moaned Vorston feebly. "You must let me help you."

"What?" said Derek. "Vorston, with all respect, you're a prisoner…a prisoner who has sought asylum with us…but still a prisoner. Remember that. I don't exactly condone the special "welcome" that our Marines have evidently just given you, but, remember, even as a fellow soldier, you were on the side that was trying to kill us not too long ago back there on Pellias. What is it?"

"I know something of Rikasha's plan for your people. It is not pleasant. They have just declared a holy war against anyone in the Milky Way…as you call the Great Galaxy…who will not accept overlordship of our Lord Zaden or the sacred discipline of our R'Khell religious order and the worship of Ekogaru the Great War God they serve. They are planning a great Sweep of the Milky Way to destroy all those who will not them serve. In mercy's name, I beg you return to Earth and warn your people. Ready them for war! It pains me to say so, but my people have become corrupt. They can be beaten if you take the advantage and are ready to strike before the ji'had begins in full force. I know where their bases are. I can help you!"

"I'd love to believe you," said Wildstar. "However, you were recently fighting against us…and we have an important mission of our own," he said, glancing at Aliscea. "Hemsford, take him to the Intelligence office. He will have to be debriefed with the assistance of our lie detector equipment later today before we can take any strategic decisions based upon his advice. I would also recommend a special private briefing afterwards before we can believe him. I'm sorry Vorston, but this is for our security as well as yours. Take him away, Hemsford. And no more Marine-style briefings with this man for now…got it?"

"Yessir," said Hemsford while he thought, Damnit…just five more minutes with me and my troops, and we'd find out if this dirtbag is lying or not!

After Hemsford left, Wildstar said, "Aliscea, after this man is interrogated by our intelligence force, I was wondering…is there any way for you to probe his mind to tell if he's telling the truth or not?"

"There is…and, then, we must be on our way to confront Ekogaru. Only I know how to stop him…but I must tell you something first…"

"Aliscea…you don't look well…," said Derek.

"When Paul and I were together….we were interrupted by the enemy attack. We were completing a special ritual known as Shalinskar…which forms a mental bond. We must be together in…a private way in the VIP Suite you gave me to finish the ritual…but Paul tells me you must see to it we are married…first….without this…I may well die….we must…"

And, at that, Aliscea collapsed, and so did Paul.

"My God!" cried Nova as she got up to tend to them. "They’re out. Both of them. Derek…we need medics…."

"Right away," said Wildstar, as he thought…We can't let her die on us…she might well know the only way to stop Ekogaru…but how do we stop the Rikashans at the same time?

 II. AN ODD SITUATION

Yvona Josiah, still in her supernally-given changed "shape" as "Nova", walked through the lobby of Earth Defense Headquarters, wearing a white high-collared greatcoat of Nova's over one of her Headquarters Staff uniforms, feeling rather amused by the short skirt and high-heeled pumps she wore with the uniform.

In the commissary, she bought two donuts and a cup of coffee, smiling a little as she left a number of her cult's tracts under a candy box when she was sure she wasn't being watched.

Remembering the map of HQ she had memorized last night, she then found the nearest lift in the lobby and went up several floors. Stopping at a glass office door marked "COMMANDER:EARTH DEFENSE FORCES", she walked through the sliding door into an outer office, laughing to herself as she watched a young woman dressed like herself cleaning out a desk in the outer office.

"Ma'am…you're a bit early," said the young dark-haired Adjutant. "We weren't expecting you until 1030."

"I'm a little…rusty at this," said "Nova". "I thought I'd need to reacquaint myself with my old desk. Did you tell the Commander, yet?"

The door to the inner office opened and Commanding General Charles Singleton came out. He stared at "Nova" for a moment, and then stared at his Adjutant.

"I…I just received your message this morning, Nova," said the Commander. "When did you decide to come home?"

"A few days ago…when I learned I was pregnant," said "Nova". "When Derek said that anyone who didn't wish to fight against Yvona and her crew on the captured Potemkin were free to come home if they liked, I took up the offer…for the sake of the baby. Have you heard from the Argo yet? I've heard you lost touch with Derek and everyone else!"

"No…we haven't heard from them yet," said the Commander after a long pause. "I was hoping you could shed some light into their whereabouts. I've freed up your old office over there. I'd like some star charts as to where they were last, along with a trace on their projected course, as best as you can remember it."

"Sir…if I can ask…why? I'm a bit tired," whimpered "Nova".

"It's easy…so we can make certain to listen to hails from that general area through our solar system comm net. Surely you haven't forgotten something as basic as that, Lieutenant? You used to do course projections like that for me at a moment's notice last year when you were serving here."

"I'm sorry, sir. I…I'll get right on it," said "Nova" who had broken out into a convincing cold sweat…largely because Yvona Josiah had no idea what Singleton was asking for. She was discovering that stepping into Nova's Size Six shoes was not going to be an easy job.

"Thank you. And if you need to rest…with the baby and all…just let me know," said the Commander sympathetically. "And one more thing?"

"Yessir?"

"Congratulations to you and Derek."

"Thank you, sir," said "Nova". She gave a shaky salute, and stepped into Nova's old office. Or…at least…into what Yvona hoped was her niece's old office. Singleton shook his head a little and hit a code on his intercom.

I don't need anyone listening to this…and I know she could easily eavesdrop if she were so inclined, thought the Commander.

After "Nova" left, the old Adjutant, who was named Vanessa Rodriguez, said, "Sir, if you don't need me, I'll go back downstairs."

"No…not yet."

"Sir?" asked Rodriguez with a raised eyebrow. "You….you have your old Adjutant back…at least until the morning sickness and swollen ankles and all that stuff hits, that is."

"Vanessa, I'm going to be blunt," said the Commander in a very low voice. "Don't you think that what we just saw was a great performance?"

"Sir? Permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"I worked with Nova last year. If that's really her, unless the pregnancy has really flipped her out, than I'm full of crap."

"Minus the profanity, Rodriguez…my thoughts exactly. If the real Wildstar was expecting, I don't think she'd be back here on Earth at all. While she's occupied, you download those retinal scans and compare them against Wildstar's real service record even better than the scanner does. And restrict Lieutenant Wildstar's computer access to all files classified or above. If she asks why, I'll tell her that, given her exhaustion, Intelligence is just asking to have her held back a little from critical work until we vet her health and mental stability. That's another test. Unless she's really sick, the real Wildstar would be as mad as a hornet over this with her work ethic. And one last thing…"

"Sir?"

"Tell Communications to redouble their efforts in contacting the Argo. If I can talk to Captain Wildstar today, and discover the real Nova is back on the Argo, that woman, whomever she is, is going to be under arrest before this duty shift ends. Got that?"

"Yessir."

"Good. And if that is really Nova Wildstar, she will have my sincere apologies before the day is out. You know what to do, Vanessa. Get to it."

"Yessir."

In Sickbay, as the real Nova, Dr Sane, and Captain Wildstar looked on, a now-conscious Aliscea sat on an examining table, sipping at some broth from a cup. Not too far away, Angie Hartcliffe lay in her bed, silent, shutting out the whole world for the time being.

"Does that help?" asked Dr. Sane.

"It does…thank you."

"Then let's get you a real meal," said Nova.

"I'm not hungry," said Aliscea. "Remember, what I just came out of was a healing trance. That's why Paul just woke up a while ago, too," she said, gesturing towards an equally pale Rosstowski on another examining table nearby.

"We see now that you're linked…whatever affects you affects Paul, and vice-versa," said Derek. "It's 1229. Do you think you can hold out until fourteen hundred or so?"

"Why?"

"I've signed some waivers. Rabbi Greenberg is going to be joining you and Paul Rosstowski in marriage at fourteen hundred in front of the whole crew. Then, after a party, you two can have the next day alone together."

"Good…because I think we'll have to be off on our quest soon," said Aliscea.

Derek nodded. "Yes. But…meaning no disrespect…please remember who's in command of this ship."

"Of course," said Aliscea with a slight glare flashing in her dark eyes for a moment.

The phone rang. "Yes?" said Dr. Sane. "Captain….it's for you."

"Yes?" said Derek.

"This is Sandor. The communications system is back on-line. We can talk to Earth again. And, Wildstar, we received a message from the Commander. He wants to speak to you right away…and to have Nova with you if she's available."

"Of course," said Derek. "Nova?"

"Yessir?" she said in a slightly cold voice.

"We need to speak to the Commander…together…as soon as possible. Communications have just been restored."

"Derek, why do you need me there? I have work here, with Aliscea."

"No you don't," said Doctor Sane. "We can handle them without you."

Nova gave Dr. Sane a very dirty look before her eyes settled on her husband. She looked like she wanted to burn a hole straight through him with those brown eyes of hers, and her white-booted foot tapped the deck with suppressed impatience.

"Thanks, Doc. Lieutenant Wildstar, the reason why is because it's the Commander's orders…and mine," snapped Derek. "I'm not sure what's gotten into you, but, remember, you are still serving under my command. Got that?"

"Yessir, I've got it," huffed Nova. She felt strangely dizzy for a moment, but then dismissed it as simple lack of rest.

"Listen, Nova, what the hell is your problem?" barked Derek with his hands on his hips.

"If you give me some time in that comm booth…alone…before we call the Commander…I'll be happy to explain it…and maybe we can get it worked out."

"Wildstar, are you having a discussion?" asked Sandor.

"It's personal…has nothing to do with ship's business. Please get that link with Earth up at thirteen hundred hours."

"Of course," said Sandor, choosing to ignore the fact that he had just apparently overheard Derek and Nova having a pretty nasty spat. "Is there anything else?"

"No, Sandor…that's it."

"Very good. Nova, let's go."

"Righto," she snapped, her skirt snapping saucily as she turned on her heel and followed Derek out into the corridor.

"Aliscea, what's wrong with them?" asked Paul. "Is Ekogaru playing with their minds?"

"No. Did you see how pale Captain Wildstar looks?"

"What does that have to do with it? I mean…Nova's treating the Captain sort of like he's dog dirt on the bottom of her boot right now. If I was the Captain, I might have her up for Mast with that kind of behavior."

"He's ill. She thinks he's gotten up too soon and dragged her with him. She's acting this way, Paul, believe it or not, because she loves him. And, because…"

"Because, what?"

"Paul…I can't tell for sure. There's just something weird about this," said Aliscea.

Alone in the Communications booth, Derek asked. "Okay…Nova…what's the problem? This is going to sound awfully charged, but why have you been acting like an idiot with an attitude all morning?"

"Derek, I'll give you the answer in very simple terms," said Nova in an angry but tired voice. "Get up from that chair, and take off your jacket and your shirt."

Derek made sure the Comm booth was locked, and he obeyed Nova's requests, flinging his jacket, ascot, and Star Force uniform top over the back of the chair.

"Undershirt off, too," said Nova.

"Uh…okay…what are you doing?"

"Taking off a boot…what does it look like?" she said with a derisive giggle in her voice. After she removed her left boot and her knee sock, she put her bare foot up on the arm of Derek's chair and said. "Look at your chest. What do you see?"

"A few cuts and bruises."

"And no color. And you're pale…and clammy," she said while touching his chest. "I don't have a thermometer, but I'll bet you twenty credits that you're still running a fever. Now, look at my leg…from thigh to foot. What do you see?"

"Assorted cuts and bruises," said Derek, who suddenly felt very guilty. "And you're pale, too."

"We've got the same bug. I got up in my nightie in the middle of the night last night and took a blood sample from my finger and put it under the microscope," she said. "Luckily, it's running its course and it looks like nothing worse than an influenza virus. And, as you can see, from the events on Pellias, we're both banged up. We need rest. You need rest. I need rest."

"Then why are you up?"

"You stubborn mule…I'm up because you're up. If you insist on being up and about right now, I'll be up to nurse you, even if I think you're the biggest fool on this ship, like I said this morning."

"Nova, the Star Force needs me right now."

"And I need a husband who doesn't persists on sticking one foot into his own grave all the time. Do you know when you were up with that broken leg last year, if you had moved the wrong way, you could have given yourself a damned embolism? Do you want to die on your shield that badly, Captain?"

"Okay…I'll slow down. I won't be at that wedding party, if you think it's too…"

"Derek, I demand you go to that party, maybe dance with me a bit if you're up to it, and relax."

"Nova, Earth has one hundred and thirty days left. I don't know if I can relax."

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself," quoted Nova from memory. "Or, after today, we'll have a hundred and twenty-nine days left. We can afford one day off to recuperate, I think. And Aliscea did ask me to be her matron of honor."

"And Paul asked for Hartcliffe as his best man," said Derek as he relaxed a little. "That was weird."

"Is it? Those two have been fairly close lately," said Nova.

"All right, Nova," said Derek after an uncomfortable silence. "After the wedding, and the reception, I'll give myself shipboard leave until tomorrow morning at eleven hundred for health reasons. You're ordered to join me on that shipboard furlough."

"Thanks," said Nova with her first smile. "Now you're talking rationally, dearest. And you will rest, even, again, if I have to sit on you."

"I don't think I'd mind that…Nova…"

"Derek," she whispered lovingly with a stroke of his chest. She gave him a kiss and glanced at his chrono. "Oh! It's twelve-fifty two. We'd better get presentable before the Commander calls. If we talk to him like this, he’ll think he caught us up to something funny in here."

"Hey, Nova…you can do a lot in six minutes," he said with a wink.

"Oh…you…" she said with a blush as she began to pull her sock back on. "You would want to do it in here. You're depraved!"

"No…just deprived," he said as he got up, pulled back on his undershirt and shirt, and then opened his pants to tuck them in.

Nova had a look at him and grinned. "You poor thing, you're right. I have one prescription for that condition."

"Which is?"

"A second honeymoon tonight while Paul and Aliscea are having their first one, if you're…up…to it."

"Sounds good," he said as he closed his trousers and pulled on his jacket.

"Look at you, now you're blushing! Stop it, sir…stop it," she said, giggling while zipping up her boot.

"I'm trying," Wildstar protested in a strangled sort of voice. The blush only deepened as he tucked in his ascot. "This is nuts, Nova. He'll be on in a minute. What's he going to find if we come on like this?"

"A young couple in love?" said Nova as she gave Derek another quick kiss that only made his blush deeper than ever. Derek looked back at his wife. "Now you're blushing," said Derek.

"Stop it…let's sit down," giggled Nova. "Well…you do it…we've only got one chair in here." Derek then sat down, with Nova holding the chair behind him. Derek tapped a sequence on the control panel of the comm set.

"This is Homer," said a voice through the speakers.

"Is he on yet?" asked Derek. Go away…stop blushing, he thought to himself.

"Yessir…we just brought up the link with Headquarters a moment ago."

"Tell the Commander that…uh… if he's ready, I'd like to report in now."

"I'll let him know, sir." There was a pause, and then Homer said, "He's coming in now, Captain Wildstar. As you know, he asked for you and…"

"Yes, I'm here, too, right behind the Captain." said Nova.

"Great. He'll be on in ten seconds…"

"Ten seconds to visual," said Homer's voice in Commander Singleton's inner office as "Nova" worked in her own office.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," said the Commander. "Please leave this as a private conversation between Captain Wildstar and myself."

"Of course, sir," said Homer's face on the screen on Singleton's desk. A moment later, with the usual bleeping sound, it faded into an image of Captain Wildstar sitting in a chair, with Nova Wildstar behind him in her nurse's tunic. Both of them were holding salutes.

Singleton started a little. Just as I thought, he said to himself.

The Commander returned the salute and cleared his throat. "At ease, you two," he said. "Wildstar, it looks like you and the Lieutenant have already answered my first question. And you look a little flushed…"

"Uhh…sir, the compartment's hot, sir. Your question was…?" asked a mystified Derek.

"Is Nova still on board the ship with you?"

"Of course I am, sir!" she chuckled. "I'm right here." Blushing my tail off… she added to herself.

"Good. The next question I have to ask may embarrass you, but I need an honest answer. Are you pregnant?"

"Heavens, NO!" said Nova with undisguised shock. Well, at least not yet, she added to herself again.

"I'm sorry," said the Commander. "How do we know that?"

"Well…I've been protected," stammered Nova, "and…and…I know my own bodily cycles. Your wife, I'm sure, can tell you what we go through each month in better detail than I can…I'm a little embarrassed about such things…at least where I'm concerned, sir. Why all of the personal questions, sir? Can't you see I'm blushing, Commander?"

"Captain…Lieutenant…it's because in your old office, a woman is sitting there working who looks exactly like you, sounds like you, is dressed in one of your Administration uniforms, and is wearing your particular kind of African Violet perfume. However, she is acting like some tri-vee actresses' very bad impression of you. She said she was pregnant and that Captain Wildstar relayed her an offer to come home with Captain Josiah if she didn't care to fight Yvona and her band on the hijacked battleship Potemkin for family reasons. I did make that offer, but didn't expect Nova to take us up on it."

"As you can see, sir, she didn't accept the offer."

"That's what I thought. And I haven't been able to reach Josiah to ask him. But, that'll confirm it. I'll have that impostor arrested in the next hour. Then, we'll find out who she is and why she's running around imitating you."

"Spy, maybe," volunteered Nova. "Did you cut my computer access code off?"

"Yes, with regard to classified data…I'll have it shut down altogether in a few minutes. Now, Captain… why were you out of touch? And what happened at Pellias?"

"It's a long story, sir," said Wildstar. "It was like this…"

And, on that note, Derek Wildstar finally began his report to the Commander on Aliscea and the menace of Ekogaru the Great.

In Nova's old office in Headquarters, in the meantime, "Nova" finally figured out how to open the needed program on the computer. Now, how do I perform this damned scan? she said to herself. The little whore's job is harder than I thought it was!

"Yvona," said a deep voice in her mind.

"Lord! You've answered me."

"I know the Argo's coordinates. They are PX-123 by NG-225, Galactic Standard. Enter in those figures and let the computer plot the rest of the curve," said the voice of Ekogaru in her mind. "Then, show the Commander the printout, and then stab him once with your knife in the jugular and then escape before he can call for help. Then, use the map Nova herself left you. There is a way to a shuttlecraft bay beneath the President's residence that can be reached by an underground tram from Headquarters. There you will find a ship. Leave Earth behind in it tonight and rendezvous with the R'Khell space sub that brought you to Earth."

"Yes, M'Lord," said Yvona. "Nova" began to run the printout. When she was done, she hid the small knife she had stolen from the real Nova's kitchen in her jacket and walked out into the Commander's office while Singleton continued to talk to an image on his desk.

"So, that's the situation?" asked the Commander.

"Well, the Gamilons said that they'd be leaving in the next few days for their Provisional Capital of Miralden in the Small Magellenic Cloud. They said they'd be evacuating many of the Pellians there," said Derek.

"Where's that?"

"Sir, do you remember the charts we were given based upon what we could gather of Gamilon intelligence at the beginning of our mission to Iscandar?", asked Captain Wildstar. "It appears that Miralden is the Gamilons' name for what appeared on our old charts as 'The Gamilon Outer Space Base' at the point far off at the edge of the Small Magellenic Cloud where their Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Defense Lines met."

The Commander quickly opened a computer graphic. "Yes. Now I see where you mean…right there."

"As I said, Aliscea would like us to head towards the Great Magellenic Cloud…she believes the Technomugar Fortress is going to pierce the Great Magellenic Cloud in about seventy-five days from now, right near Iscandar."

"Iscandar," said the Commander. "On the ninth, less than a week ago, I discussed the possibility of the Star Force heading there. I know that it took you two hundred and two days to accomplish the journey to Iscandar when you left in 2199, with a much less capable wave motion engine and heavy opposition from the Gamilons. You would now be proceeding to Iscandar and back without any opposition from the Gamilons, but with possible opposition from the Rikashans and R'Khell, as you described. Since you've said that, according to Vorston of Rikasha's best preliminary guess, Rikasha may be attacking us in a massive fleet action in about one hundred and thirty days from now, I have a question, Captain. Do you think it will be possible for you to head to Iscandar and back in about one hundred and twenty days and possibly find some way for Aliscea to forestall Ekogaru, possibly by consulting with Starsha?"

Derek and Nova looked at each other. "Somehow, we have faith that if anyone would know how to stop Ekogaru, this Aliscea might know how," said Nova. "If she can consult with Queen Starsha beforehand, I would like to think that, given all the mysterious things they know, they could probably find some means to stop Ekogaru. It's my feeling that if we can stop the Dark Lord, perhaps we can stop this Fortress which seems to be an extension of himself."

"Very well," said the Commander. "Captain Wildstar, prepare the Argo for a second voyage to the Great Magellenic Cloud, at her best speed."

Yvona seethed outside the door. I hear them! I am found out! she thought. He…he's speaking with my whore niece! And they are blaspheming my Lord and plotting against Him! INFIDELS!

For a moment, "Nova" wanted to run…until she remembered the knife in her left hand.

I must do this, she said to herself. I must! For YOU, LORD!

At that moment, "Nova" came into the office, with a hand behind her back. "Sir, …here's…here's that printout."

"Ah, yes," said the Commander. "I'll take that printout…and…if you'd kindly put up both hands, please," he said as he slowly raised his right hand, leveling an Astro-Automatic straight at "Nova."

"Sir?" squeaked "Nova" with her eyebrows going up.

"Whoever you are, we can end this charade right now," said the Commander as he pushed a red button on his desk. "Have a look at this screen. The real Lieutenant Nova Wildstar never left the Argo. I'm sure you heard her through the door. Now, would you kindly put up your hands and wait for the Marines? I'm sure you don't want to be shot, even if you are serving Yvona's cult. I believe you left these on my desk, under the blotter?" said Singleton as he waved some of Yvona's tracts at her, unaware, of course, that it was really Yvona he was speaking to.

"You won't shoot ME!" screamed "Nova" in a yell of rage that chilled the real Nova to the bone (and made the Lieutenant turn as white as a sheet, with the blush suddenly gone). "RRRRRRRAAAGGGHHHH!"

She jumped over the desk at the Commander with her knife flashing and a foot thrust right towards Singleton's chest.

Singleton squeezed the trigger and fired, but "Nova's" foot in his chest made the shot go wide, grazing Yvona in the shoulder rather than piercing her heart as was intended by the Commander.

Yvona fell on the Commander with a scream, thrusting her knife down towards Singleton's chest.

Luckily, despite his forty-eight years, the Commander had kept in shape. He used a martial-arts move to strike "Nova's" wrist so that the blow went wide, with the knife just piercing his right shoulder rather than his chest.

Singleton pulled his gun away and prepared to fire again, but "Nova" retrieved the bloody knife from his shoulder and slashed at his hand as, on the screen, the real Nova screamed, "Please, SIR! Get up and deal with her!" from over 17,000 lightyears away.

The slash hit the Commander's fingers, making him drop his weapon. "Nova" took it, fired wide at the Commander, and ran out of the office armed with both a knife and a pistol.

"SIR!" yelled Derek.

"I'm…I'm all right," said the Commander as he struggled up, trying to staunch the bleeding in his right hand with his white ascot. At that moment, the "intruder alert" sirens began to sound in Headquarters.

Ignoring the sirens, the Commander hit a switch on his desk with his good hand and intoned, "Security Forces, this is the Commander. You are to converge on the 47^th floor, near my office. A woman resembling Nova Wildstar just attempted to assassinate me with a knife and she grabbed my weapon. She is NOT Lieutenant Wildstar but an impostor. She is to be captured, dead or alive. Also, get medics to my office…ASAP!"

"I’m all right," he gasped, looking at Derek and Nova across the lightyears. "I've survived worse than this. Once, Avatar and I got a ship home together when we were both wounded. Ask old Pat Orion about it…he was our engineer on that mission. I'll make it…and so will you. When do you expect to leave for Iscandar, Captain Wildstar?"

"Within a week," said Derek.

"Good luck on your cruise. I'll be all right. And, don't worry, Nova…we'll find that impostor and find out what she's up to."

"For Earth's sake…I hope so," said Nova.