The shuttle touched down lightly on Grion's moon, it's landing ramp lowering to the lush ground of the dense forest.
Aiming his blaster at Edoxious's back, Dorian forced his hybrid son to step forwards. The man obeyed, stepping out onto the surface as the gentle breeze picked at his tattered cloak.
Somli held tightly to her lover's arm, helping him forwards. The Mystic's healer had saved his life, though the horned man's grey skin was blotted with scars.
"This is it." Dorian said sternly, as Acara pushed a small container down the ramp. "We're leaving you two enough food to last until Somli gives birth. After that, you're more than capable of surviving on your own."
It had been a difficult decision, though it had to be done. Neither Dorian nor The Mystic were willing to see their son executed, leaving Exile as their only option. Edoxious had committed many horrendous acts, yet he was still their blood.
Anoxi squeezed her mother's hand in anger as she watched her brother leave the landing ramp, standing behind Dorian.
Acara joined them after pushing the container of food, placing a comforting hand on Anoxi's shoulder. Though only a week had passed since he had freed Anoxi, Dorian quickly learned that the beautiful pale messenger was his daughter's lover, a fact that she conveniently left out when she slept with him. Acara had revealed to her mate that she was pregnant, while concealing Dorian's involvement. Though angry, his daughter had decided to remain with the woman, supporting each other through their respective births.
Edoxious glanced over his shoulder, giving his father a look of pure hatred. Yet, his voice was calm. "I'll find a way off this moon. I can promise you that."
"If you do, I won't hesitate to put you down. I can promise you that." Dorian replied, echoing his son's words.
Without a glance at his mother or sister, Edoxious faced forwards, and began to walk away from the shuttle with his heavily pregnant mate.
***
"Captain, here it comes." Hex announced through the intercom.
"Very good, hail them over." Dorian commanded, already making his way towards The Chimera's hanger.
After returning The Mystic, Anoxi, and Acara to Grion, Dorian didn't have to wait aboard his ship for long before receiving a message from Empress Zerith. She wished to inform him that she had finally received the data chip, and had dispatched a prod as per their agreement.
The probe touched down inside the hanger, consisting of a large metal sphere that stood as tall as Dorian's waist.
As he approached, a small pressurized compartment in the center of the sphere slid open with a loud squeak. Dorian carefully reached in and removed the data chip.
"The Empire is Grateful for your assistance." An artificial voice rang out from the prob, before closing the compartment. It lifted off of the floor, and sped out of the hanger with surprising speed.
"Bring it to me, let's see which one this is!" Hex announced as Dorian peered at the datachip.
Dorian left the hanger, and began to travel towards The Chimera's inner core. "On my way."
As he walked, he studied the chip, feeling a tingle of excitement. He had FINALLY hunted down and located every single one of his father's mysterious chips. The journey he had begun years ago was nearing its end, yet there was a slight sadness in his heart that mixed with his joy.
So much had changed during his adventures. He had gone from a simple orphan working aboard a mundane cargo ship, to owning a vessel that could easily be considered a moving palace. He had sired thousands of children, traveled strange and exotic worlds, fell in love with dozens of beautiful women, and influenced the course of history. From barely being able to wield an energy sword, to physically bending reality with his mind.
Dorian reached Hex's core, carefully sliding the data chip inside. The boy who had crashed landed on Yarrin had died, replaced with the man he had become.
"Processing..." Hex stated, her artificial mind reading the chip's information. "Oh, well this is strange..."
"What is it?" Dorian quickly asked, feeling as if he had been stabbed in the gut. Things couldn't go wrong now, after all he had done!
"All of the previous chips contained codes to unlock memories in my core. However, this one only contains two sets of coordinates and a message." Hex explained.
"What kind of message?"
"Seek me out."
***
The Chimera drifted through space, orbiting the planet Itir-tal. Located just outside the Varian Empire, the black deserts below were blanketed by thick clouds, rupturing with electricity.
"I'm sorry captain, but we can't land there. The storm will disable any ship that attempts to pass through it, including the landing shuttle." Hex explained.