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Duke Grendel stood looking down at his wife, Catherine.
She looked smaller and more delicate. Yet, her bright eyes stared back at him and she was not sick or corrupted as she was when she was in the hospital.
"Are you sure you should be awake? Maybe you need more rest."
"It was terrible. I couldn't control myself," she said. "I felt like I was going mad."
Duke Grendel didn't want to tell her that she did go crazy and that he was not sure if she was ever going to get better. He was shocked she looked the way she did.
He held her hand. "I'm glad you're feeling better," he said.
They talked at length about Duke Volterus and how he was poisoning the waters and air filters.
"I didn't think about that. But I'm getting better. I wonder if the mutation disease is now eradicated because it has stopped going through our supplies."
His wife's eyes sparkled. Her intelligence shone through her. She was a doctor who was looking for the cure of the mutation disease. She sat up straighter in her bed. She almost looked like she wanted to jump out it.
"Wait," Duke Grendel said, "you still need your rest. Did you speak to Marlena?"
"Yes, but only through the Holo-screen. She is still too busy evacuating the Hive." Dr. Grendel paused and smiled. "She takes after you."
He was taken back by that statement. Duke Grendel had always thought Marlena took after her mom. She was tough and strong.
"We made her together. She will be alright," he said.
Dr. Grendel lay back on her pillows. Her strength had left her. She was quiet for a moment. "So, Duke Grendel, where are we headed?"
He knew, but he didn't want to voice it. Clearing his throat, he finally said, "We are going back to Earth. There is no choice. We need to help the Alpha Mages and Merlin."
"So, it is true about the Vvong?"
"Yes, and I have the evidence to back that up. But I didn't want to believe it," he said.
"You are talking about the evidence you have in your old ship's computer," she said.
Duke Grendel nodded. He felt sad thinking about his second-in-Commander Daryl, who found and analyzed the Vvong debris and then died helping him and Yaddle escape his exploding ship.
"I'm sorry about your crew and ship."
"I haven't had time to reflect on it. Everything was happening too fast. I'm just glad that you and Marlena are safe," he said.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. "So, when is the ceremony going to happen?"
"Oh, I'm not sure. The Elf Queen is not feeling well and I don't know if she has the energy to perform it. Usually, we have the High Council there, but nobody is alive."
"They're all dead?"
"Yes," he said, "they're all dead except the Queen and Duke Volterus. And we don't know where he is."
"Aren't you scared that Duke Volterus will show up somewhere?"
"No, we still have some Mages left from the Magical Conclave. They are creating protective runes over us. Duke Volterus would not be able to transport back," he said. "I had to have a meeting with them. They are going to cast some type of spell over our fleet. I don't think it will work."
His wife turned to the side and closed her eyes. "Will you stay here until I fall asleep?"
"Yes, dear."
She let go of his hand. Her breathing started to get slower.
***
THE CEREMONY WAS PERFORMED after the evacuation of the Hive was complete.
It took longer to get everybody on board the battleships because there was so much chaos after the battle with the Vvong. Marlena had to first find the survivors and then coordinate where to place them. With the help of the Mages of the Magical Conclave, they used their power senses to look for people. It was a disheartening task and she was placed as the Commander to oversee it. Marlena waited on the command center of the Hive for her new orders.
Her trusted crew of a handful of people waited with her. She was also lucky that the Hive had backup systems in place in case this destruction might happen.
She looked at her screen and saw the preparations were ready. The ceremony was being conducted on the Queen's flagship, the Equinox. Marlena was supposed to stay at the main headquarters on the Hive. Everybody on the space station was now evacuated and on the ships. Marlena and her crew were watching space for any signs the Vvong had decided to attack again. There were still enough firepower defense systems to give aid to the military fleet.
Marlena wished she were on board with her father when he received his new title and responsibilities. But as she well knew, she had to do her duty like her father and her mom had. Marlena smiled, knowing that her mom was now walking around and actually helping the other doctors with the wounded.
Captain Romo appeared on the screen. "Hello, Commander Marlena Grendel. How's it looking?"
"We have scanned for several light years around and everything looks clear," she said.
"Good. We will start soon. I wanted to tell you that you have done a great job on evacuating the Hive. Your father is proud of you."
"Aye," Marlena said. "I'm also proud of him."
Captain Romo nodded and then his image faded.
Marlena said, "Dillion, are the Holo feeds working?"
"Yes, we are being connected soon."
"Please keep scanning, and alert me if you see anything," Marlena said.
The screen changed, now showing the main banquet room of the Equinox ship. The group of people they saw sat on a high Dias. The Queen had not yet arrived. She was going to be escorted toward the room by Eastros.
This ceremony had not been performed since the last high Troll was added to the Council. Marlena wondered who would be part of the new Council.
Marlena saw movement coming from the bottom of the steps. It was the Elf Queen, with Eastros close by her side. The Queen walked by herself and she didn't look in pain or hurt. She actually seemed normal. Behind them were her father and mom.
Marlena was surprised her mom was next to Duke Grendel. And behind them was the Captain of the Equinox, and next came the Head of Magical Conclave and several other elves, dwarves, trolls and other dignitaries of the Magical Races.
Her parents and the Elf Queen walked up the steps. The dignitaries waited on the floor.
The Queen gave the oath of office to her father, and Duke Grendel nodded. The Queen, with the help of Eastros, placed the robes of High Council office over her father's broad shoulders.
Duke Grendel took the stage. The dignitaries clapped in the front. Duke Grendel held up his hands.
"Thank you for allowing me to serve the Magical Races. I don't like to give long speeches, but I think we need to hear our plans since we have suffered a disaster and a blow to our world and society." He paused a long moment. "Since I have taken this office, I want you to know that we will live to the ideals our magical forbearers had outlined for this governing body. We will stand for our freedom and vanquish our enemies.
"I know that we had to abandon our home world, Earth, eons ago. But we now have to make a stand and go back to our home world and defend it against the tyranny of the Vvong. I will be asking you for your bravery against such dire tides. But I tell you now, we will prevail, and we will destroy our enemy."
A loud cheer came up from the dignitaries again. Marlena heard hoots and cheers from her own crew, and her heart swelled with pride. She knew they would prevail like her father had told them.
