"Oh, really?" Fay says smiling.


"Don't you?"


"Oh, yeah, yeah!" Fay says, smiling. "I was actually just going to ask you about that. I'm glad you said yes."


Fay smiles, before leaning in and kissing you briefly on the lips. You stare into her bright green eyes, the split-second kiss lasting for infinitely longer, feeling the warmth of her lips flood into you, before she pulls back.


"Well, that was nice. Ideally our next rendezvous is going to take place somewhere where we're not surrounded by our tribe and horrible guards who want us dead," Fay smiles. "Was that it, or was there something else?"


"Yeah, we have something important to discuss."


"Wasn't that important?" Fay asks, smiling.


"Oh no,it was, I just... I meant important for the tribe, not just for us," you say, stumbling over your words.


"It feels nice to see you've become as awkward as I just was," Fay giggles. "Now, stop spitting out words. Take a breath, and tell me what's so important."


"Rebellion."


"Oh?"


"Kyros is mad and paranoid. He's either going to slit our throats or send us on an endless string of suicide missions. We need to do something, and I really need your help. A group of collaborators have planned to rise up, and rid ourselves of Kyros. Then, we take over. I need the support of your Tribals to do so.


"Yeah, totally. Done."


"Done?"


"Yeah. If we don't escape, we die here. Also, they're your Tribals as much as mine. Who else is in on this?" Fay asks.


"Elios, Durge and Elizabeth are all in. No doubt Calpurnia's man will help us," you say.


"What about Cain and the twins?"


"I haven't asked them yet, but we need to get them on board," you say. 


"Do we hae a solid plan yet?" Fay asks.


"Not yet. We need to find out how many people we have fighting for us."


"What happens after we take the ship," Fay asks, raising an eyebrow.


"That is still to be decided. Once we have Cain. Castus and Olive behind us, we'll have bargaining power. So you're in?"


"I'm in," Fay nods. "I'll have the message spread among the tribals."


You notice one of your guards walking towards you, carrying a tray. You motion for Fay to quiet down, as the guard arrives putting the tray down on the table.


"Eat," he says, in a cold voice like the scraping of a blade on rusted metal.


You look at your food. There's a bowl of noodles and strips of thin, cured meat, a small bowl of green jelly with chunks of odd, alien fruit inside, a large plastic cup of wine and a small, dense biscuit-like cake.


"Well, someone's being pampered," Fay says, smiling.


"Clearly I'm just more important than you," you gloat as you have a forkful of noodles and meat. 


Fay grabs the biscuit cake from your tray, taking a bite.


"Hey!" you say in annoyance, as Fay sticks her tongue out.


You quickly eat your meal, polishing off the entire tray and gulping down the wine. Then, Magos Cern arrives.


"Good, you've eaten," she says. "These operations will be safer if you've had a full stomach."


"OK, I'm ready, let's go, you say. "Bye, Fay. See you soon."


"See you later, Fay says, blowing a kiss.


Magos Cern leads you out of the cafeteria and along the halls, off along halls and elevators. Eventually, you pass through the cyro-sleep section, arriving in a large operating room. Dozens of Goliaths are lying on the surgery tables, many halfway through surgery. A half dozen other Tech Priests wander around between the Goliaths, removing and adding flesh, bone, organs, cybernetic implants and other strange things.


"I didn't know there were other Tech Priests," you note.


"This ship is the size of a small moon. Did you think you've seen enough of it to accurately be able to say that we don't have something? I have scores of Tech Priests who followed me into the embrace of the Dark Gods," Magos Cern says.


Magos Cern leads you to an operating table.


"This is yours. Please get undressed and wait here, I need to grab my materials and equipment. Stay here."


Magos Cern turns around, walking off, leaving you alone. You spot Cain, lying on his operating table, his chest cut open to reveal still functioning organs. You wonder how he can still be alive with such a hastily cut-up torso, before you wince as you see his eyes dart towards you and you realize he's conscious. Looking to see Magos Cern hobbling away, you hop off the operating table and walk over to him.


"Commander Karth," Cain grunts. "Need something?"


"I have... an offer."


"An offer? An offer of what?" Cain says, absent-mindedly picking at a cut alongside his... or at least, one of his stomachs.


"Freedom," you say, catching the monster's attention.


"Go on," Cain says, furrowing his scarred brow and causing a thin stream of blood to pour from his horns.


"We're planning an escape. We could use you and your men," you say.


"We?"


"Elios, Durge, Elizabeth, Fay, others," you say. "That's it, I think."


"When?"


"We don't have details, yet. We need a head count before we can start planning it."


"Hmmm... I'm willing to give you control of my... "Goliaths", as you called them. But, I have a list of conditions that I want to be satisfied once we take the ship."


"Go on," you say.


"I want us to get names. Every Goliath who is capable of remembering and answering to a name will be called that instead of its serial number, by you and ALL other members of command. No more cyro-sleep. I want a bed for every single Goliath. I don't care if it's fine cloth or a slab of concrete, as long as it doesn't freeze them, it'll do us. I want free time that's not just killing."


"Anything else?" you ask.


"That's it," Cain says, spitting out a serrated teeth that's fallen free from his jaw. 


Cain's demands are far from unfair. Really, all he wants is slightly more rights for his Goliaths, which wouldn't even take any more resources. Still, you don't want the beast getting a big head. You ARE still in charge of not only his collar, but the collars of every single Goliath. All you need is a few threats, and the Goliaths will be yours.

You threaten Cain

"No."


"No?"


"No. I don't think you understand the nature of the offer I'm giving you. I'm letting you live. Whenever I want, I could have every single man under your command strangled to death by your collars, blown apart or force you to tear each other apart. You're going to follow my orders, or you're going to die."


You prepare yourself for Cain to strike, but he only lets out a low, rumbling growl.


"What was that?" you ask suspiciously.


"An order," Cain snarls.


Suddenly, a massive fist smashes into your back. You fly forward, smacking into the operating table and onto the ground. You let out a pitiful moan, before Cain puts his massive foot on your head.


"What orders do you have for me?" he asks.


Cain attempts a triumphant yet terrifying smile. The corners of his mouth twist unnaturally high, revealing rows of serrated teeth, curved fangs, massive molars and many other weird, odd teeth, protruding from bloody, rotten gums. Cain raises his foot, before bringing it down and crushing your head.