Interstellar space, 3,000 light-years from Earth
The fleet from the former Ares sector has stopped in its tracks; multiple ships are breaking formation, and some are even crashing against each other.
Dionysus is formally in charge of this expedition, and he has no clue whatsoever about what is happening.
Sitting on the captain’s chair, he can only watch the crew being visibly shaken and confused by what they are experiencing. That wouldn’t bother the god in the slightest, but the two topless maidens standing next to him have stopped feeding him grapes and rubbing oil on his chest.
<What’s going on? I didn’t tell you to stop!> he complains, grabbing some grapes and shoving them in his mouth.
<She’s… she’s gone! I don’t feel her in my mind anymore!> one of the concubines rejoices.
<We’re free! We don’t have to obey anyone now!> the second one adds.
Every mortal on the bridge looks around in utter disbelief: they’ve been mindless zombies for months. Most of them don’t even remember how they got here.
The silence is interrupted by a belch.
<Does anyone remember what exactly we’re doing here?> Dionysus asks.
<We’re… supposed to invade Earth?> one of the officers answers.
<Oh. Does anyone here actually want to do that? Be honest!>
More awkward silence. This time it’s broken by an insistent beeping sound coming from the communications console.
<A ship just came within firing range. They’re hailing us.> the relevant officers announces.
<Oh this is gonna be good!> Dionysus exclaims excitedly, leaning forward on his chair and starting to eat grapes like they were popcorn. Then he just keeps staring at the viewscreen.
<Shouldn’t you tell them to accept the call?> one of the concubines reminds him.
<Yeah sure, do that. Why not.> he answers munching on more grapes.
The communications officer shrugs and opens the channel.
<This is the N-01 Ragnarok. Return to your sector and there will be no consequences; if you proceed towards Earth, we will take hostile measures.> the voice of Kari Zel threatens.
She doesn’t hear anything back from the enemy ship.
<Hello? Are you receiving this?> she wonders.
<We should respond in some way.> a concubine reminds Dionysus.
<Like… how?>
<I don’t know, open fire and stuff? I’m only paid to be pretty and feed you.>
The discussion is cut short by someone teleporting on the bridge: three people materialize with a bright light.
<Are they allowed to do that?> Dionysus asks the concubines; both women just shrug.
Kari, Quantum and Torn are now in front of him. Several crewmembers draw their weapons; before they can even fire a single shot, blades made of Blood energy break every single one of them.
<Okay this is just getting ridiculous. What the Hades are you doing!?> Kari shouts at Dionysus.
<What do you mean?> the god asks, honestly completely lost.
<You were supposed to be way closer to Earth! We had this whole plan figured out, drawing you away from the fleet to give Noriko enough time to do her thing… but you were so slow that we didn’t even need to stop you!!!> Kari complains.
<Oh. Sorry, I took a nap before we left; must’ve overslept. You came to fight? I’m not really in the mood: I promised my wife I wouldn’t drink anything until the invasion was over.>
<Now this is just embarrassing.> Torn flatly notes.
<Well you can still wait for me on Earth and we can still fight!>
<Don’t patronize us.> Quantum replies.
<I don’t know what that means.>
<How did THIS GUY scare the s##t out of Hermes and Enyo!?> Quantum laments.
<Hey, I think I remember you! You punched me through a moon at my wedding, didn’t you?> Dionysus recalls.
<It was at my wedding.> Kari corrects him.
<To be fair, I was probably drunk at both. So… now what?> Dionysus wonders.
<Well… I don’t know. This kind of thing never happened before… I mean, usually when we face a god they just try to murder us. We never met one who was… uhm…> Kari says, hesitating to find the right word. It’s Torn, of all people, to find the right one.
<Intoxicated. Dionysus is currently stoned as a kite, as Earth people say.>
<We definitely don’t. You mean he’s high!?> Quantum asks.
<No, he’s not in an elevated position. But he is consuming a great deal of lotus grapes; they are well-known hallucinogens. A single grape can intoxicate a Demon for days, or a human for months.>
<If the invasion is over, I might as well have a drink.> Dionysus happily proclaims, transmuting the grapes in his hands into a bottle of wine.
<I’m really at a loss here. Did we win?> Quantum admits.
<I’ll call Noriko.> Kari replies.
Null Tower, New York City
Noriko Null sits on the couch in front of the massive window overlooking the city, taking in her hands the cup of coffee handed over by Kylon.
<You mean he’s not a threat?> she says towards the holographic screen projected in front of her.
<He’s stoned and drunk. I’m not entirely sure Dionysus knows his own name at the moment.> Kari answers.
<Well, that definitely shaved off a few parts of my plan.>
<So you’re not going to kill him?>
<Not if he can still be useful. Have Torn escort him to Myridia and keep an eye on him; the ships can be escorted back to the Ares… I mean the former Ares sector. Be sure to stick around, I don’t want the Mortal Fleet to show up and destroy them.>
<May I ask why, or why are we taking Dionysus to Myridia?>
<I’d rather not say until I’ve ironed out the last few details of my plan. I’ll meet you on Myridia, now please let me talk to Vesta.>
<She’s still on the Ragnarok. Patching her through.> Kari says, and with a few commands her image is replaced by the goddess of the household fire.
<Noriko, what happened with Harmonia?> she immediately asks.
<I killed her. Ripped her mind to shreds from the inside.> Noriko reveals, without hiding her pride.
<I’m sorry it had to be this way. What do you need me for?>
<I’m sending you to Hebe’s world. You must convince her to come to Myridia, in secret, to hold a private meeting with me and other major players.>
<She’ll want to know what you want to discuss.>
<The fate of the Galaxy. I give my word that I will not try to harm her in any way; if she hears it from you, she’ll believe it.>
<And is it the truth? You’re not planning to kill her too, right?>
<Hebe is one of the few gods I know that seems to be willing to listen to reason; I’m not throwing away the chance of an alliance. So no, I’m not planning on killing her.>
<Glad to hear that, she’s one of the good ones. Who else is going to be there?>
<I can’t reveal it yet. But you can tell her Helen will join us, I’m sending Quantum to free her.>
<I’ll tell him to call you back once he’s helped Torn take care of Dionysus.>
<Seems fair. See you later, Vesta.> Noriko concludes, shutting down the channel.
She takes a deep breathe and blows on the coffee cup to lower its temperature, then she notices that Kylon is staring at her.
<What?>
<Nothing. I was just thinking… Hera now probably thinks that you’re the one running the sector you liberated from Harmonia.>
<I guess.> she admits.
<And you’re not worried about what she’s going to do? Correct me if I’m wrong, but that trick you pulled against Harmonia is not going to work a second time.>
<Actually I’m not all that sure about it, but I’m focusing on more important stuff than dealing with Harmonia’s mess.>
<Noriko… you do have a claim to her sector. That’s a lot of planets.>
<I know.>
<There’s an immense power vacuum there. If you don’t take action quickly, somebody else is definitely going to conquer what Harmonia left behind. In fact, I’m expecting President Aura to call me at any moment to discuss the possibility of…> Kylon says, pausing when his phone rings.
Nobody on Earth has his number, but it’s connected to the rest of the Galaxy through a series of tachyon relays. And the emblem of the President of the Mortal Senate shows up on it.
<What’s that local expression, “speak of the devil”?>
<Gimme that.> Noriko says, practically snatching the phone from her boyfriend and answering the call herself.
<Hello, Aura. I was just about to call you.> Noriko lies.
<And I was trying to talk to one of my ministers. Or are you dropping the pretense of not being in charge of whatever he does?> Aura asks. She’s never liked Noriko, but as the power balance has shifted in the past few months she’s grown to hate her.
<I thought you wanted to hear from me the news about Harmonia. She’s dead.>
<I know. Half the galaxy felt that. What I want to know is what we’re going to do about her sector; we don’t have much time to conquer it.>
<Aura, stop thinking like a space pirate for once. There’s nothing to “conquer” here: that sector is in complete disarray. If the Mortal Republic simply absorbs it, you’ll only get its problems and none of its advantages.>
<And if we don’t act now, someone else will do the same. Either Hera or Athena.>
<Don’t worry, doing nothing is not an option on the table. Here’s what we’re gonna do: we’re having a summit on Myridia to settle this. It’s important that Hera doesn’t learn anything about it, though, so it has to remain a secret.>
<Who are we settling this with? Who is going to be there?>
<Other than us? Helen, Hebe, Dionysus, Hermes and Enyo for sure. I’m also hoping to have…>
<Dionysus and Enyo!? Are they going to surrender or…>
<I’d rather not talk about it through a tachyon relay. There’s a risk Athena might intercept the call.>
<So she’s not invited. Glad to hear you still have some sense.>
<Will you be there or not?>
<Under one condition.>
<Of course you have one. What is it?>
<Once the summit is over, whatever we decide, I want to be the one to announce it publicly.>
<Still trying to stay relevant with the public, uh? Okay, I don’t have a problem with that.>
<Then it’s settled. I’m leaving for Myridia right now.>
<No rush. We have a couple of days before the summit.>
<Are you insane? There’s no time to waste!>
<Have you ever killed a god with your mind while simultaneously preventing a planetary catastrophe and telepathically shielded half the Galaxy, Aura?>
<…no.>
<Then trust me when I say it’s not something you recover from without some sleep.> Noriko answers, abruptly ending the call.
<You enjoy antagonizing her way too much for your own good.> Kylon warns her.
<You’re probably right. But I do need some rest.> Noriko admit, yawning.
<Does that mean you’re going to sleep?> he wonders.
Instead of answering, Noriko taps the couch’s cushion next to her. Kylon takes the hint and sits by her side; she doesn’t say much, leaning against his shoulder and staring out the window.
<My world just got too big to comprehend. Saving a planet, saving a galaxy… it’s hard to get attached to those things. Sometimes I just need to remind myself the little things I’m working to keep safe. You know what I mean?>
<I guess. So this is not the ideal moment to discuss the position of the Mortal Fleet on…>
Kylon stops talking: the instant Noriko closed her eyes, she immediately fell asleep astonishingly fast. And as the person who holds the fate of the galaxy in her hands rests on his shoulder, Kylon recalls the words she used to describe herself just earlier in the day:
<Just an ordinary girl.>
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