"Sphere Ho!"
Delvin Warhammer's cry from the muster deck rung out through the bridge. Onestar, sitting in the captain's chair, looked into the rose crystal at the view of Omnispace. Before him was the sphere of his birth, a sphere condemned to death.
Monitor's spell hand had placed them close to the sphere. Since Eloiela had died, the ship was working with only three bards. The samurai ruled against using the backup major helm, so he ordered the three remaining bards to work one shift a day; during the other two shifts, they were confined to studying their spells and getting some rest. Hall argued against this, but Onestar convinced the half-elf it was necessary. Without the bardic helm, the rose crystal viewer wouldn't work (Blaise tried to adapt it to the spare major helm with limited success) and a tactical advantage would be lost.
Hall sat on the helm, guiding the ship closer to the sphere. He could tell the crew were nervous, but were well trained and ready for anything. Blaise stood next to Onestar, while Ville was near Meridian at the starcharts. Every bridge station was manned, and the entire ship was on battle-ready status.
"Meridian," Onestar said, swiveling the chair to see the Kenku, "when we pass through the spherewall, get an immediate fix on our location and plot the quickest course to Omni."
"Understood," Meridian replied.
"Ville, once Meridian has the course, have all gunnery crews ready and on alert. If anyone sees even a fly come toward this ship, be ready to fire a warning shot."
"Aye, captain."
"Remember," Onestar began, "the odds are good Colicor is expecting us. We are no doubt considered enemies of the sphere, and will probably face resistance getting to Omni. All shifts are on alert. Have repelling parties ready for borders."
Around the bridge, nods of agreement were made. Phantom ascended the stairs from below deck, where he had been making a final check on security crews. He ran up the steps and quickly climbed the ladder to the command deck.
"Status, Phantom?" Onestar asked. The spherewall loomed ever closer.
"All stations report ready, cap'n," Phantom replied. "Security has been posted on every deck, all nonessential quarters have been locked, and the all emergency escape systems are go."
"Abandoning ship is the last resort, Phantom," Onestar commented. "But it's a good thing to think about." The samurai looked back down at the muster deck, where Illeria was waiting next to Delvin. Onestar nodded toward her.
The Wanderer's Battle Wizard looked out the port toward the sphere before her, now so close it encompassed the entire area. Closing her eyes and concentrating, Illeria spoke a few words of magespeak and slowly, part of the blackness shimmered. In the distance, a few pinpoints of light began to appear.
Onestar leaned forward in the captain's chair, looking into the slow-to-open portal. He had been brought to Omni once before, against his will, and vowed never to return. Now, he was back to save a sphere from destruction, something a few years back he would not have cared about.
Illeria opened her eyes as the portal opened completely. In the distance, a bright speck of yellow flared slightly. The gases of the Phlogiston dissipated as they entered Wildspace, yet the Eternal Wanderer passed through the opening, from the rainbow ocean to the darkness of night. As the ship moved, it changed colors. It's rainbow-colored shell giving way to a shade of midnight blue, with tiny specks of white intermixed. Completely in Omnispace, the portal closed as slowly as it opened, and the Eternal Wanderer paused momentarily to gage itself in this sphere.
"Got it!" Meridian called. "Heading, 327 by 14."
"How long until we reach Omni?" Onestar asked.
"We're close. Three weeks."
Onestar hit the armrest of the captain's chair, angered over the length of time it'll take to reach their destination. He heard rumors of Te'Ess-Arr's move to Planar travel. Maybe it wasn't so bad, Onestar thought for a moment. If we had planar travel, we'd take a gate and be there in no time. But no, Onestar thought. If we didn't spelljam, look at all we'd miss.
Onestar's attention was stolen by one of Omnispace's galactic phenomena: The Waterfall Nebula. A cloud of multicolored gasses near the spherewall, the Nebula wasn't phlogiston gases, but rather (legend has it) a magical backwash from a powerful, yet failed, spell. From the cloud (as large as a moon), gases fell from it toward the southern part of the sphere, like a waterfall. To some, it was one of the most beautiful parts of Wildspace, one of the most incredible phenomena ever seen. It would be a shame if it was lost, Onestar thought.
Ville snapped the captain out of his thoughts. "Captain, I'd like to go below and secure the ship from flow stations."
"Very well," Onestar replied. "Go ahead, Ville."
Ville Lavonius left the command deck, went down the ladder and made his way below deck. When he reached a lower deck, he made his way toward a storage room. Making sure no one was around, he entered. Once inside, he removed a piece of crystal from his pocket and cupped it in his hands. As he did, an image began to form of a smallish man wearing long robes.
"Yes, my son?" the image asked, it's eyes glowing red.
"Master, we are now in Omnispace. The samurai lives. He was resurrected by Monitor..."
"Monitor!" The image's eyes flared brightly. "Where did you find him?"
"He lives on an island in the flow."
"Of course," the image commented. "He would go there, where he knew I could not track him. I shall send a contingent of attack ships to destroy his new home. Where are you located now?"
"Just on the inside of the spherewall, near a nebulae. We are three weeks outside Omni. Onestar has the crew on alert, all hands expecting an attack."
"The samurai is wise," the image commented. "If he expects an attack, then he shall not find one. Rather, I have another idea. My son, you have been most faithful, but I need more information. Place the crystal against your brow."
Ville slowly took the glowing crystal from his hand and placed it in the middle of his forehead. It flared for a moment as it passed through his flesh. Once beneath the skin, it showed no signs of ever being there.
"You will be my eyes, Ville. Through you, I will know when the best time will be to strike. You have done humanity a great service, Ville. Never forget that. Through you, we shall overcome those who seek to reduce humans to little more than nothing. I leave you, my child, with my love."
At that, the image faded. Ville lost his balance for a second, then regained it. He checked the room, then left, continuing to check the ship.
