"Understanding the nature of war is of vital importance to the State. War is the place where life and death meet; it is the road to destruction or survival. It demands study. War has five decisive factors, which you must take into account in your planning; you must fully understand their relevance. First is a Moral Compass; second is a Heaven; third is Earth; fourth is the Commander; fifth is Regulation." - Sun Tzu The Art of War

"....A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up..." - Ecclesiastes 3:3

"Null!" Red snapped as he turned and in one stride was at her side grabbing her arm. "Release him!" 

Jack's face had turned an ugly shade of blue. He gurgled as his hands clawed at the strong hands around his throat.

Her hate-filled gaze swung to him, barely inches from each other and he almost took a step back from her, unnerved. Then she froze, her hands slightly loosened, her face contorting back and forth and he realized that somewhere inside Lars and Null were having an argument. 

Null must have won because she tried to shove Red away from her with both hands, in a move that would have surprised anyone else. Red was not anyone else. 

From his point of view, she moved faster than most people but still slower than he did.

He caught her fist in his hand as she swung into his face. "Do you know what they've done?" She snarled at him. Twisting her free hand she swung at the other side of his face. The rage twisted her features into scorn. "Yet you protect him?"  

He caught that hand with his and shoved her away from Jack. "Yes, I know what they've fucking done. I spent 7 years in Helion 7, remember?" 

Jack hit the floor coughing, his lanky body heaving as he drew in a breath. He eyed Larsson with wide eyes. Never once had Larsson ever laid a hand on him. He'd cursed her name, ordered her out of his office, but she'd never once attacked him. He'd always been in control and no one had ever questioned it. 

Red and Null both ignored him as they faced each other. 

Null sucked in her breath and rushed forward again, her gray eye and black eye bore into him as she moved. She was still slow and Red sidestepped, but one hand disappeared and Red found himself knocked back, not quite off of his feet but against the clear wall. He found his footing, his hand snaked out and he snatched her off of her feet before she could move out of his reach. 

"Sorry Lars," he got out before slamming her into the ground. Her head hit with a sickening metallic crack and she lay still staring at the ceiling, the body quivering. For a moment Red felt a sense of guilt, Lars was in there too after all.

Amy sat up, an odd expression on her face. "Captain--Red, please... Don't hurt her."

Red backed off, his fists still clenched as he forced them to his sides. He turned to Jack and lowered his hand to him, Jack, his eyebrows shooting up took the proffered hand and allowed Red to pull him to his feet.

Red turned away from him back to Lars. "Can she hear me?"

Lars nodded as stood up rubbing the head that had a huge bump starting to swell. "Organics," he muttered as the pain registered. 

"When I met Ember, I had the same reaction to her," he started. "I didn't care if she lived or died. I was going to use her to get her out of there. She cared though, and it's because of her we got out. Dag told me, that her being in there with us, made her one of us. She was resigned to the same fate as we were."

"She asks what's your point?" Lars crossed his arms over his body. 

Red scratched his head, maintaining his distance from Lars. If Lars was holding Null at bay, she might get around him.  He gestured to Jack. "Well so is this asshole."

Lars turned his eyes over to Jack and looked him over. Red held his breath. The last thing he needed right now was for the leadership to fall apart. Whether he liked Jack or not was beside the point. Jack had built New Elysium from the ground up. New Elysium needed him.

Red didn't have to like the fact. 

"This is what they want," Red started. "This guy is a master at this, Lars, what is the first thing we're forced to read at the academy?"

"The Art of War," Lars responded. "I may have simply downloaded it."

"That's not the point though... We can't let them separate us before we even start to fight."

"I'm not a leader," Null was in charge, but gone was the look on her face that said she was going to murder Jack on the spot. She shifted adopting a more serene pose, hands behind her back. It didn't make her look any less threatening but if you knew her, you could at least stand down.

"No," Red agreed, "but right now, you're my second. At least Lars is." He turned to Jack. "And you, as much as I hate to say it are the leader of these people. They trust you..." And I don't want the responsibility.

Jack opened his mouth and started to speak and then snapped it shut. He inhaled and tried again. "You knew I wanted the LR in you because I needed one of two things.  A leader, or a martyr. Maybe both."

"Aww, Jack, I didn't know you cared," Red turned away from Jack again and looked into space. It always had had a calming effect on him, to be able to look out in direction. Red had only seen them through prison bars for seven years. 

"Private channel Lars."

"Yes, Sir."

Lars, give orders to move the ship forward, we'll engage the enemy away from the planet's surface.

A few hours left, that's all they had. He felt the engines, he remembered exactly what they looked like... The whole ship shuddered and then moved smoothly forward on an intercept course.

"Where is Dag?" He directed this question at Jack.

"Dag? He's on the surface, putting people in shelters."

"Good." Red missed Dag and their conversations. Dag was a believer in an almighty God, and while their conversations weren't as philosophical as what he and Lars used to discuss, Dag had spent many nights pushing them through, through talk and prayer alone. 

Red was surprised to find that he missed those conversations as well. 

He'd talk to Lars, but that meant also talking to Null. 

He studied the ships positions as he reached out to the one person he wanted to be here more than anything. Ember, are you on the Aphelion yet?

#######

No, Red I'm not.

Ember shifted in her harness getting one last stretch and then closed her eyes and "opened" her eyes using her ship. She had a rail gun, a working Vesper ship and she was alone. She smiled to herself. This was going to be so much fun.

She winced at her own choice of thoughts. She loved flying, it had given her a life she'd never dreamed possible. Before her future looked bleak, she'd spend the rest of her life being cared for by her mother, a weak-willed woman who had only ever stood up to her husband once in her life. And that was to make sure that her daughter Hannah had lived. 

It was ironic in a way, Hannah had died when Ember had taken up the honor of becoming a Vesper and making a name for herself. She'd not known that she lived in darkness until she opened her eyes after surgery, eyes that could see so many more colors on the spectrum than a normal eye. She had normal vision but she could adjust that way past the 20/20 most humans were born with. She could also switch between heat vision, night vision, and normal.  The sensation of sight had blown her mind at first. And that didn't include her first steps...

A rebuilt spine and leg bones to attach to her muscles to ensure that she could walk, her brother had ensured that she'd look normal... and he'd given her self-defense on top of the ones the Vesper program placed inside, rewiring her, building her up to the weapon they needed her to be. 

She sighed as she opened her hands, the ship responded to her movement, pushing forward, in her mind, it was her body flying around like the Superman from the old movies. 

Ember. Red's voice infiltrated her mind. He sounded resigned, and she loved him for it. She followed behind the Aphelion, in awe of the massive ship Red currently commanded. She danced around the outside, it was like a minnow trying to get the attention of a whale. 

Then she set her sights on the fleet coming at them. They registered in red on her scans. 

Ember? It was Lars this time. His voice linked with hers as he sounded even closer. It was not a direct connection, and she felt the presence of thousands of others; AI and augments with her. She'd never been part of this type of unit before. Vespers could directly connect with any other Vesper at any given time, even more, than one, it could get annoying or helpful when they were patrolling. Or destroying colonies like New Caledonia. You got them here safe, you saved as many as you could, stop feeling guilty about that.

Lars? What's this? 

It's similar to what Red does with his vessels, only I'm connected to all of you and I direct the orders when he gives them. 

I can directly connect to him.

Yeah, but he can't directly connect to thousands of minds at the same time. He's still human, his head would explode. Organics, not as organized as an AI can be. 

Hey, you are the one traveling around in the mind of an organic. How's that working out for you?

Lars didn't answer for a moment, and she wondered if he had gone back to organizing the minds of the masses he was linked to. She darted around studying the underside of the Aphelion. It was the sister ship to the one her father was on. It would have the same strengths, same weaknesses, but no Vespers to defend it from her. If there was a place she could hit it to take it down, or at least make it immobile...

It's painful. Lars's voice startled her. Null can be so unpredictable and her reactions defy logic. She doesn't always understand her own 'feelings' when they come. I don't understand them.

I'm sorry Lars. And she was, she understood all too well that Lars loved Null. She'd seen it when they'd briefly talked before. 

And it's beautiful, he continued as if she hadn't spoken. She's always ready to save so many, conflicted when someone has to be killed. Rationally I don't understand the idea of leaving an enemy behind to fight you again another day. But the killing does something to her soul, I think. 

In a human, reaction to death is usually fear, maybe guilt... Especially if you are the one who killed someone.  You either hardened up, or you carry the guilt... Ember wasn't sure where to go on next. Lars seemed innocent of some things and yet, he rationalized away killing someone and couldn't understand the hesitation...

I fear death, he admitted. 

Most living things do, she responded not sure what else to say. This particular AI's death had affected Red so badly, he changed his whole outlook on life, his appearance, everything about him... Even Ember had harbored a few prejudices against AI, not knowing many at all. Her world had been painfully clear of them. Lars was one of the few she had known. They weren't trusted on Neo-Tokyo.

But Lars was also one of the most honest beings she'd ever met and she could see why Red would have been devastated at his passing. She could only imagine the conversations they used to have. 

Thank you for saying that. There was a catch in his voice, and Ember had the feeling he wasn't used to someone actually considering him alive.  

Your welcome. How is Red?

Diffusing a situation.

A situation?

Null might have not been too happy to discover that Jack is Neo-Tokyan. 

She hates us all then?

Hate is not a strong enough word, let's say it was amplified by their working relationship.

She wouldn't come after me.

Lars didn't answer.

Lars?

I don't think she would, he came back with. I am not sure she'd be your best friend.  

Ember smiled. As long as we're not enemies, I'll take what little bit I can get. 

Be careful out there. Red would be devastated if something happened to you. He's already upset that you are out there. I told him I'd keep an eye on you.

Ember didn't respond but flew up to the front of the Aphelion, it took her some time to do it but soon she set herself to fly just to the right of the nose, it seemed like the most logical place for Red to be. 

Can you see me? She called to him.

Yes.

Just put me where you need me, Red.

You only have one rail gun. 

Well, I got what you promised me.

Geez, one rail gun and you are the savior of the universe. 

I love you Red. Just use me like you would any other weapon here. I'm built for this, just like you are.

No, not like me. You deserve New Elysium or at least what it's supposed to be. Right now it doesn't deserve you.

Ember's throat constricted, and momentarily she wished she had done as he asked and set The Ember aboard The Aphelion. What he really meant was that he didn't deserve her.

Just get us through this, she sent back. The other fleet was in range. Ember hesitated as she felt more than saw The Aphelion surge forward, she flew with it, rising above to move in its wake. 

No quarter, Ember, he sent, his tone half apologetic. He meant her father, there was no other explanation needed.

I know. 

##########

Red was more annoyed than surprised by Ember's actions. He should have known she wanted to fly and be in the heat of battle again. He did know that. He'd just wanted to be with her when she did it, not stuck on the Aphelion leading an army he barely understood, for people he barely knew, and be a figurehead for one man that he was growing to hate. 

He ground his teeth in frustration as the tension in the room swelled behind him. Jack was back at his station monitoring in silence. Lars stood at the opposite with his back to him playing the role of augor. And Ember, she would be in the thick of things, which was fine when he was with her, not so much when he was stuck on the Aphelion.

The enemy fleet in front of him was highlighted in red. His own ships were highlighted in blue. He flicked his hands and pushed his fleet behind him and studied the Neo-Tokyan vessels. He spread them out in front of him, aware that he was going on 10+ hours with very little sleep. His body would keep him awake, shoving adrenaline through his system when he got tired, but at some point, he would need a serious rest time. The scouts could target and harass the forces before they reached them, it would be like a mosquito, but even a mosquito could deliver a stinging bite. And any creature that survived and spread out with humanity in space was worth further study to see how they did it. 

He knew that Ember's father would be doing the same thing, scrutinizing their forces for size. There was always the hope that he would underestimate them but Red had to account for the fact that he might not. The man was a fanatic but he'd maintained his position at the top. 

The Perihelion stood out amongst the ships as the largest. Red knew it would have the same weaknesses as the Aphelion. Ember, I'm going to need you to guard the bottom of the Aphelion.

What? No...

It's not a request, and it's the most vulnerable part of the ship.

You know how I feel about orders, Red...

I'll make it up to you later. You can order me around all you want...

You can make it up to me now by sending me to the underside of the Perihelion, I can always take out the drive from there.

Red mulled it over, she was right in a way that he did not want to admit. He used to be able to do this job without a thought. Making hard decisions, but he had had no one then, and he wasn't sure what his reaction would have been. Solitary had been easy. What he had with Ember, he wasn't sure what it was but he didn't want to live without it... And if he lost her now...

Stay under the Aphelion until I tell you, then we'll shoot for the underside of the Perihelion. Lars will let you know when...

He cut the connection and focused on the enemy fleet. He needed to stop thinking of Ember right now. She was right about one thing, she was a weapon, built to defend or attack just as he was.  She wanted him to use her as such, but he didn't have to like it. 

The game would be played between himself and Darius, for he knew without a doubt that's who was commanding the forces. He doubted the previous Captain Greer was even still alive. Anyone who had known him personally was probably dead. That's how it worked, anyone with an opposing voice would have been silenced one way or another. 

Red closed his eyes and focused on the expanse before him. He let his concern for Ember fall away as he reached out through and checked on his fleet one last time. All 23 of his Tiburon ships were launched in formation. They would have to do for now. Ember would guard the underbelly till it was time. 

Several other larger vessels were formation to the right of the Aphelion, and Red noted their positions before focusing on the enemy. Ember had taken a number of the smaller Tiburon fighters out just driving them in and around their own vessels. Even if Darius had managed a considerable show of force, chasing down his daughter would not have given him the authority to bring a whole armada. How he'd managed to take the Perihelion was anyone's guess.

When Red opened his eyes again, the black was before him, the rest of the room was gone, he was back in the room where he had stood moments before with Darius Dawson. He pushed Aphelion forward and knew as he did so, the fight would take place in open space, there would be nowhere to run for either side. Mentally he had to break it down to just a huge game of galactic chess. It was the only way he was going to be able to do what he had to do and stay sane. 

 He was in effect Captain Scott again in all but name. 

Lars, engage.

Star Trek, really Captain? Some things don't change at least. Lars sounded amused, but it was a conversation they'd had many times and for once, he didn't have to cross Null to speak with him.

He stared across the divide and waited, holding his breath as they moved closer. He could see the Perihelion with the naked eye. He shook his head. Time to kill. He moved his first piece.