In the deep darkness of space, there exists a realm that is overlaid over the other like a blanket that skips the distance of our reality. This 4th space covered in rolling clouds of blues, reds, and yellows, a fragment of the survivors forged from the same hell as the blinded dog hunt, near but just out of reach. Woe to the monsters skulking the night, for here there be demons setting fire to the dark.

  Remnant Vessel Arc 5, Captain Price, 4th-dimensional space

  Commander Price stood arms crossed, watching on ARC 5’s bridge. His elevated position afforded an easy view of each station's displays. He was most focused on the two sensor stations at present. The darker blue layer of the 4th-dimensional storm looked smooth and calming at first glance, but was more hazardous than it appeared. ARC 5, affectionately called the Meru by the crew, lost 1% of its hull every hour at the relatively slow speed of 100 meters per second. Price was tempted to bring the Meru up to the orange layer, but he doubted his quarry was in the open space, and if the Enigma ship was hiding in a red layer, it would likely detect them before they detected it.

  “Commander, 4D pulse just lit off. It’s right inside our drop envelope.” Merik reported, his fingers rapidly clacking away at his stations. Before Price asked his question, his crew anticipated him.

  “Signal reads as one of the ones we gave to HDF. Sir?” Whisper said, looking to Commander Price for orders. He didnt need to look across the bridge to know how primed Meru and her crew were for action. Stalking the Enigma ship for three weeks, intermittently losing it. Price didnt hesitate to grab the wired intercom microphone.

  All hands prepare for immediate drop into real space. Prepare for combat, hope for a casual look around.” Dropping the intercom, he addressed the bridge. “Merik, take the helm and maneuver us up to 200 m/s. Whisper, get in your dropship and pack 2nd watch in case Search and Rescue is needed. Pack light but make sure they have teeth.”

  “Sir!” Rang out unanimously across the bridge.

  “And drop a message pulse, let the others know where we are going.”

  HFS Grimoire’s CIC, Selena

  The CIC was mostly intact despite the recent explosion right outside. The room had fallen into quiet, busy work as they efficiently managed the stations and coordinated Grimoire under Selena’s direction. The mood was tense as the unknown ship crept closer and closer. Selena looked around the room to see if anyone from the 3rd or 4th watch had arrived. Not yet.

  “Second 4th-dimensional emergence detected,” Selena shouted, furious with herself for almost missing it. Working sensors while trying frantically to keep up with the command was too overwhelming. She almost missed the readout signs. A black reflective ship leaped out of the rip in space at high speed. Not slowly crawling like the unknown ship.

  “ARC 5 on station. State the nature of your emergency!” said a brusk voice transmitting from the new ship. Everyone cringed as ARC5’s rail guns tore through the black and grey ship that had arrived coinciding with the internal attempted takeover. The unknown ship launched a salvo of missiles at ARC 5 and then another salvo, terrifyingly toward Grimoire.

  Grimoire lurched starboard away from the missiles but only bought a few seconds. 16 missiles were bearing down on them. With a second round of rail gun strikes, ARC 5 broke the hostile ship in two. 4 quad forward-mounted defense turrets fired walls of high-velocity slugs to blanket the missile swarms. Moving at 200 meters per second, they had already passed the broken ship, and in the blink of an eye, blew past Grimoire, decimating the last of the missiles like they were flies in a furnace.

  Silence fell upon the CIC. Everyone was shocked at the last 20 seconds of chaos and its abrupt end.

  ***

  Sara stared at her sensors. Marginal as they were, at least damage control had restored some of the connections to the arrays. She had completely lost focus, like the rest of the bridge, at the ARC 5's emergence. Out of all the reports coming in, there was no indication of any more gunmen or bombs. That gave Sara the impression that Grimoire was hopefully rid of any more threats.

  Sara's hopes that the new ship could help the struggling damage control team get her and the others off the rapidly failing bridge and repair Grimore were dashed.

  “Three slip space distortions 300,000 km aft. Similar sensor pings to the ship that had fired missiles.” Sara called. Unlike fourth-dimensional travel, the new ships used jump drives.

  “Helm, accelerate to 3g. Operations, warn the crew.” Captain Abrams ordered.

  “All hands brace for 3 gravities of acceleration. Repeat 3 gravities, brace, brace, brace.”

  “Captain, if I may suggest adjusting the angle down 20° port 5°? It would afford us more space from the Enigma ship with ARC 5, an ideal position for picket defense.” The mysterious Maria suggested, her voice echoing throughout the bridge.

  “Who is Enigma? Helm, down 20° Port 5°.” Captain Abrams ordered. It was abnormal to give course directions through degrees, but with no destination, except away from danger, and avoiding getting hit. This was more random and better for running, or just buying time.

  “As the name suggests, unknown faction, unknown affiliation, hostile intent. Most likely, the gunman was affiliated with the same group as the ships.” Maria replied.

  “Did you just tell me you don't know?” Captain Abrams asked incredulously.

  “We still don't know anything. However, they are the main group determined to be behind the freebird ransoming.” Maria said.

  “Who are you? You're not part of my crew.”

  “On the contrary, I am listed as a service automaton on your ship registry,” Maria said as if anything was normal about her statements.

  “The goat!” Sara exclaimed.

  Remnant Vessel ARC 5, escorting HFS Grimoire, Captain Price

  “Fuck,” Commander Price spat.

  “Two Prontromas have separated from Grimoire's hull,” sensors reported.

  “Is it the kid?” Price asked.

  “Negative. Maria said he’s in critical condition on board HFS Grimoire. She's also requesting aid for the bridge crew as soon as possible.” Operations reported.

  “Status on Whispers drop ship?” Commander Price asked.

  “Wispers' current approach estimates 2 minutes, uh, make that 90 seconds.” Operations corrected themselves as the Valkyrie adjusted her flight plan. Sometimes it was hard to tell which was more insane with their maneuvers, HDF flight officers or Search and Rescue Valkyries.

  ARC 5 thrusters reversed, staying relative with Grimoire. It kept its bow threatening the two corvettes with every one of its superfired forward-focused weapons. The three Enigma ships effectively harassed any time they advanced too close.

  Two Prontromas and his ship between two fast-moving Corvettes and that cruiser. Unlike the first Corvette from earlier, the Enigma cruiser was more durable than the ARCs. They also had better close-in armament. ARC 5 only had four Vulcan area denial flak cannons. Even if each turret fired its flak shell and the rotary cannon, it would make a dent in the cruiser. But it could shred a Corvette.

  Commander Price stuck his hands in the Holo tank, sensation of little more resistance than normal movement tugged at his fingers as he sketched a course outline.

  “Meric, take a look at that and tell me what you think,” Commander Price sent the outline to the helm's console.

  “What's our follow-up?” Meric nodded in approval at the navigation plot.

  “If we can’t target them accurately enough to wound them, then aggro them to draw their fire. Oh, and don't get shot,” Commander Price said. A more tactful way of saying ARC 5 was outmatched.

  2 hours later, Valkyrie Whisper’s Dropship, docking to the aft section of HFS Grimoire, ingressing to aft medical bay

  The bridge crew was still coughing from the smoke inhalation as they exited the drop ship through an airlock, entering one of Grimoire's aft compartments. They were led through the halls to medbay by Sheriff Tomson. Sara didn’t recognize the soldiers from the Search and Rescue dropship that accompanied them. They had black uniforms with blue accents. The SAR Valkyrie pilot was jogging alongside to keep up with the fast walk of the group. She stood out to Sara not just because of her uniform with its distinct Valkyrie guild emblem emblazoned on her shoulders. Her short stature and long, flowing, smooth black hair fell around her waist when she removed her helmet.

  Two hours had passed as Grimoire shifted from 3g burns to normal 1g accelerations intermittently, trying to escape. ARC 5 had fought a grueling 2 hours playing cat and mouse, threatening the Corvettes while the Enigma Cruiser only marginally kept up, menacing the two ships. All the while, ARC 5 maneuvered its thinner front and sides cross-section, while moving laterally to the Enigmas to be harder to hit. Without leaving Grimoire, it was limited, and already, a corvette had scored a hit on one of three engines, impairing ARC 5’s reverse thrust.

  Sara found herself wishing for the Long Walk's help. She immediately cast the thought away, her face flushing slightly at her own selfishness. The Long Walk had gone its separate ways not even a full day earlier, before the explosions on Grimoire.

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  Sara was getting ready to leave after getting checked out. They were still wrapping a bandage around Captain Abram’s thigh where a bullet had grazed him. Not wanting to interrupt but also not knowing what to do, she looked around the room for direction. She noticed that one of the soldiers and the SAR Valkyrie pilot was gone.

  “Hey! Where did your other search and rescue people go?” Sara asked, not quite buying that all the black and blue uniformed soldiers who saved them were just search and rescue. She couldn't imagine it was common practice to carry body armor and rifles for SAR operations.

  “Whisper asked to check on Canine. Lieutenant Heart and her were being escorted to your forward medbay. We're not going to roam around your ship unattended, ma’am.” The soldier who seemed to be in charge replied. He effectively read between the lines to Sara’s real question. She didn't recognize their rank insignias, but the man carried himself like a leader who was used to herding cats into battle.

  “Wait, check on? What happened to Nick?” She almost forgot her distrust as she remembered Selena, Nick, and all the others onboard during the explosions. She had been so focused on the bridge and her situation that everything else had fallen to the wayside of her thoughts. She felt her heart quicken and struggled to keep her breathing even. Remembering the noise of the gunshot and the smell of electrical smoke, shoving the recent memory of the Gunan shooting, Jean, into a box for her to unpack later.

  “I don't know who that is, sorry.” The squad leader said, shrugging his shoulders.

  Sara stepped toward the door but stopped, looking to the captain. He shrugged, shooing her off. Sara was sprinting down the hall, not a second more of hesitation.

  ***

  Whisper nodded her thanks to Sheriff Tomson, who had guided them. He now leaned against the wall, gesturing to the medbay. Clearly, he was going to wait and keep an eye on them.

  “You go in, I'm going to stay out here for a few minutes. See if I can get their Sheriff up to speed on what's going on. And vice versa?” Lieutenant Heart said, jerking a thumb at Sheriff Thomson, who in turn cocked his head, surprised but gratefully intrigued at the offer.

  Whisper waved over her shoulder, acknowledging as she entered the room. While not often a problem for her, she was noticeably short, only 4’ 8”. She had so far failed to bundle her hair into a manageable bun on the climb up to the forward medical. She worried how badly her hair might get in the way, especially if the ship cut acceleration and entered zero gravity.

  “I'm a colleague of Canine. Might I ask to see him?” She spoke in a soft, clear voice, cool like a smooth river.

  A tired nurse waved at a bed in the corner of the room with the curtain drawn around it. The medbay staff looked haggard. It must have been hectic earlier, she thought.

  Whisper pulled the curtain away, sighing. The entire situation felt far too familiar and frustrating. Canine lay, bright yellow mucus rimming his closed eyelids. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or sedated. She hoped he had learned his lesson and had not forced another med staff to sedate him. Again.

  Leaning over, she moved his hair out of the way, letting out a sigh. He looked bad, but she had seen him far worse before. Not asking for permission, she grabbed his chart and started reading. Concussion, possible nerve damage, and temporary loss of sight from a concussive blast. Already dumbing it down in her head as she read the technical jargon of the tests and the medical shorthand of a doctor's diagnosis. The weight of gravity increasing to 3g made her stumble and grab the bed rail.

  “‘Geeze, what did you do, jump in a box with a grenade?” Whisper said quietly to herself, petting his head. Canine snored, moving his head around as if he were starting to wake.

  “Excuse me, is Nick Jerik here? Can anyone tell me if they know what happened to him?” A woman's voice asked. Whisper almost didn't notice if it weren't for the last name used.

  “He's over there. He was one of the few to get caught in the explosions. They found him in an airlock—” The nurse was cut off.

  “He what?” The woman exclaimed, her voice cracking

  “He will make a full recovery! Child, let me finish. Damn!” The head nurse retorted. Her white and red accented uniform read Meril. Whisper struggled not to chuckle, relating to the overworked shortness that even the most courteous medical staff sometimes succumb to.

  “He's over here,” Whisper said after double-checking his chart to confirm her memory of Canine's last name. For the last 2 minutes, Grimoire’s acceleration was pushing 3 gravities. Despite triple the gravity, the woman might as well have teleported right beside Canine's bed. Whisper recognized her as one of the bridge crew, reading her name on her black one-piece uniform as Sara Michalson. Her breathing heaved from the strain, but her grey eyes were riveted on Canine. She hadn't trudged part of the way here through three gravities, did she? Whisper thought. Whisper stood like a calm statue, casually reading the chart.

  “Is he asleep?” Sara asked as Nick stirred. His skin looked paler than it should, and dark circles under his eyes framed the mucus built up around his eyelids.

  “No, he's sedated. Again!”

  Whisper bit off every word with scorn. Sara looked at her, surprised. Whisper looked at Sara with pale, Hazel eyes that felt cold yet calming.

  “What's the difference?”

  “The difference is they had to sedate him, and if I'm reading between the lines right, he made it difficult before they had to.”

  Sara's shoulder relaxed, and tension visibly released from her body as she looked upon Canine or Nick, as she called him. Whisper could see the weight of shock behind her eyes and wondered how she would cope and for how long. Whisper had helped load the bagged body from the bridge. Surely someone Sara knew. Sooner rather than later, the other shoe would drop for Sara, and she would crash. If Canine wigged out like that other time, her relief would be replaced with just more weight.

  “Hey, excuse me, this guy you all sedated. Was he volatile, or was there another reason?” Whisper asked the room in general.

  Nurse Meril sighed. Confidentiality laws were clear, but the laws weren't the same as in far-gone Earth's days. In this case, especially in a combat zone, it was ok to share.

  “We had to, even the Sheriff couldn't keep him calm. And when he had to leave, we had to have three of us hold the young man down while a fourth sedated him.” The nurse said.

  “I'm sorry for his unruliness.” Whisper half bowed, her presence and poise delicate yet imposing. Mildly overwhelming for such an unassuming appearance.

  “Are you his missis? The nurse asked Whisper.

  “Excuse me, what was your name? I'm Sara. You pulled the rest of my bridge team and me off the bridge. I never got to thank you.” Sara said before Whisper could reply to the nurse.

  “I'm Whisper, and you must know Canine or Nick, as you call him. I never actually learned his first name.” Whisper said.

  “Yes, I’m... I grew up with him.” Sara said, tripping over her words.

  “Sara…oh, you're that Sara,” Whisper said in a soft, quiet voice. Sara flinched, surprised at the recognition.

  “Uh—” Whatever she was going to say was cut off by a soft three-tone beep. The two women looked down at the button in Nick's hand.

  “Nurse, what did you shoot me up with? Does it have any side effects?” Nick said, opening his eyes a little. Whisper looked at the nurse, who was shaking her head. Nurse Meril opened her mouth about to speak, but closed it as Whisper responded.

  “No Canine, just regular booty juice cause you were swinging on the doctors,” Whisper said, her scorn was back but softer. “Again!”

  “Miss, can you speak up a little, and please turn up the lights, it's too dark. You sound a little bit like a friend of mine. Oh God, I'm glad she's not here. I didn't actually hit a doctor, did I?” Nick asked. A different nurse had come over and started checking him, shining a light in his eyes, his pupils barely dilated under the bright glow. She made a few notes in the chart.

  “Oh, and what was she like?” Whisper asked through gritted teeth. Making eye contact with the nurse, all business again, mouthing the words “Does he know yet?” as she mimed, two fingers pointing at her eyes. The nurse shrugged.

  “Mr. Jerik, can you tell me how much you want me to turn up your light?” The nurse asked. Sara looked confused, glancing at the lights that brightly lit the medbay, including the large light right above Canine. His entire bed and the area around it barely cast a shadow.

  “Just a little so I can see, I don't want to bother anyone sleeping,” Nick said, his brow furrowed, and his arm twitched as he started to recall the explosion.

  “Canine, they said your vision will return, but you're going to need a rest—” Whisper began.

  “They're on the ship! We need to—” Nick was cut off by Whisper, squeezing his face.

  “Canine, buddy, I need you to tone it down. There's no more on the ship. What did you say you're glad I wasn't here? You worried what I'm going to fucking do if you start tearing apart another medbay. Most of the crew is safe. Your friend Sara got off the bridge.” Whisper was half on the bed now, talking over Nick, almost like the instructors from the academy drilling the flight officers. It was even more unsettling that, even now, she was whisper-quiet as she lorded over Nick.

  “Can't let them, not again. We have to,”

  “Lieutenant, get over here.” Whisper actually yelled. One of the nurses was preparing a syringe full of sedative, but Whisper waved them off.

  “You want to do this again later? Give us a minute!”

  Lieutenant Heart was at the bedside almost immediately. He stepped on the other side of the bed and leaned on Nick, Whisper nearly straddling him now.

  “I can't, I have to. Get off me!” Nick yelled, arching his back with surprising strength despite his lethargy from the drugs and injury that would have pushed Whisper off if not for the Lieutenant.

  Sara took a step back, not realizing she was impeding the nurses and doctor. Her eyes widened, focused on Nick struggling like a rabid dog.

  “Sinni Jerik! It's me, we made it! Grimoire already got rid of all the borders before we even got here. You hear me? There's no more on board.” Lieutenant Heart grappled Nick's arm, which was pushing the Lieutenant's shoulder, trying to shove him away. Pinning Nick's hand in his. And shockingly, with the grown ass man leaning heavily on Nick while the short Valkyrie gently squeezed his face and speaking repetitive reassurances. Surprisingly, Nick calmed down.

  “I need you to fix your shit and stay in this fucking bed until I or somebody else tells you to get up,” Whisper said. Nick blinked and nodded acknowledgment. His fear ceding to reason.

  “Wojtek?” Nick asked, significantly quieter, still with an undertone of tension in his voice.

  “ARC 5 is flying escort, you have three flight defense Prontromas and a few of us Remnants here on board Grimoire.” Lieutenant Heart said, still holding his arm in camaraderie. Nick shook his head stubbornly.

  “That's not enough,” Nick said.

  “Frankly, that's not our call. Commander Price has the situation under control, and he's the one to decide what's enough or not.” The way the Lieutenant spoke was less disciplinary and more a result of having had to deal with a situation like this one too many times. Even if once was too many.

  “We can't let it happen again.” Nick barely spoke.

  “We won't let it.” Lieutenant Heart said.

  “But we need you to trust us to take care of it. You got lucky the first time you broke out of the hospital. You would just get in the way.” Whisper’s words seemed harsh on the surface, but made some modicum of sense.

  Nick turned towards Whisper more to the sound of her voice than anything else. His lips curled into a sarcastic smile. His head wobbled either from his fatigue-damaged body or the sedatives still wearing off. It was mildly depressing to have felt how weak he was a moment ago. Still, Whisper could see him trying to school his smile into a genuine one.

  “Trust, right, I’ll have to trust the others.” Canine said genuinely. Even if his concern and distrust strangled every one of his words, he knew he trusted them, but struggled to believe in them.

  Whisper allowed a frown to cross her lips. She didn't blame him. She felt the same way. Enough failures still outweighed successes. And it was impossible, if not unfair, for her to ask anyone to trust that one ARC ship and a handful of newly minted Remnant Marines. Then again, they were the best option, most experienced against the kind of deceptive and insidious attacks by Enigma or whatever it was attacking.

  A few minutes earlier, Saras' perspective

  When Nick woke up, a sense of relief washed over Sara, but it was ripped away almost as quickly as it had settled over her. She didnt know about Nick's sight. Sara had smiled reassuringly at him, at first thinking he was looking right at her. Her smile faltered when the reality set in, and a fog settled over her mind. The way his eyes darted as if searching, the bright yellow mucus around his eyes, and the uncanny teal green of his usually deep storm blue eyes. She had covered her mouth, stifling a gasp. The weight of empathetic horror and pain for Nick felt heavier than the 3g’s she trudged through part of the way there.

  The next few minutes were a blur to Sara. Nick struggled to get out of bed, but the valkyrie stopped him with the help of Lieutenant Heart.

  Silently backing away, almost tripping over the nurse and doctors as she did. She stumbled backwards until something solid held her up.

  She didn't know how long her back was pressed against the cold wall, watching the scene unfold. She didn't register the calm that settled after Nick calmed down. She barely even blinked. A blanket of numbness draped over her to protect her from the realities of the past few hours. Her safe little ship, her home, her crew. Everything was shattered and left broken. She slowly sank to the deck, her legs tucked against her chest and her arms folded across her knees. Unwillingly, her body and mind closed up or shut down to protect her from the shock, including Nick's cold, blank gaze, which to her mirrored Jean's cold, dead eyes. She didn't even notice putting her head down or the silent, numb tears welling up as she closed her eyes and fell unconscious. Tucked away in a cocoon of sleep.