It had never been this hard to leave the ground before.

Adam had often felt out of place, and out of sorts tethered to the ground , gravity was a ball and chain that held him back from blue skies and the starry darkness of space. But now, for once in his life, he was gong to find it hard to force this ship off the ground, and yes, he did mean ground.

It was hard to remember just how big the Empyrean was without the constant reminder of scale to put it into perspective, so for the first time since acquiring the ship, Adam was truly reminded of how colossal she was, at least as tall as the spiral tower, and big enough that the far end of the ship was faded blue with interfering atmosphere. If it had been any other ship anywhere close to her size, and he would never have considered landing her planeside. Taking off would have been a immense waste of energy, not to mention the engines producing the amount of thrust needed would have glassed a good quarter mile of ground.

But Maker energy or Anima energy was a little different.

They didn't entirely understand how it worked, and they didn't really need to. It was jut convenient to stock the ship with everything they would need to embark on this important journey. No one knew how long it was going to be , and that is what worried him.

At the base of the cargo ramp now General Kimball was checking off names from a massive list welcoming the crew aboard as they slowly trickled onto the ramp. A few last minute supplies were being loaded up but otherwise most everything had been packed weeks in advance. Entire teams had taken night and day for a good month to put everything into place to Adam's satisfaction. It was better to be overprepared than underprepared, and the Empyrean had a lot of space. This would be the first time she would fly with a full crew, which was well over two thousand individuals, the most he had ever commanded on one ship at one time.

And that was only counting their human passengers.

Lord Celex had brought with him an entire compliment of Celzex warriors and engineers as a good faith offering from his son Emperor Avex. As small as they were, an entire army of them had easily disappeared into the Empyrean. Adam might have estimated there were over a thousand of the little furballs roaming the ship, but crew members claimed not to have seen a single one since stepping inside. No one was sure where they were only that they were there somewhere.

He walked slowly down the length of the ramp towards where Kimball was standing

"All well?"

"Admiral." Kimball acknowledged before "All is well, so far. All the Celzex have been loaded up including Lord Celex himself. The Lumin and Mike delegations have already boarded and have claimed three of the interior laboratories as based on the agreement. Very polite but weird as hell they are."

"Who else did I miss."

"No one yet." He said, "We just started."

Adam nodded once standing next to Kimball as the crew slowly trickled aboard,

Narobi and Glados were the first to appear walking side by side as they made their way towards the ramp talking animatedly about something or another. Glados did not go unnoticed by the rest of the crew and received plenty of surprised and uneasy stairs as she scuttled past.

Glados had grown to her full height within the last few years, not nearly the size of her mother but still on the large size, she was about as tall and as board as the average horse with a rather bulbus horaz and ten sets of spidery legs. Her wolfish head was covered in a thick layer of blond fur, and her eyes were unsettlingly human.

"Narobi, Glad you could make it." Adam said

The woman held up a finger to silence him before absently adjusting the yellow and red scarf tied decoratively over her tight curly hair, "of course I was going to make it, someone needs to make sure that this ship is taken care of." She waved a hand at him, "If it was up to you yahoos shed be falling apart in under a week."

"Yahoos?"

"Yes pilots, all of you nothing but reckless."

He raised an eyebrow even higher, "I've been flying a ship for over a decade now."

She pursed her lips thoughtfully and gave him a critical once over, "And still I wouldn't trust you with an RC car without engineering assistance." She walked up the ramp past him and Glados followed lowering her head to Adam as she passed, "Father."

He nodded up to her patting one hand against the sharp bristles on the side of her shoulder, "Glad you could come Glados be nice to have some family aboard the ship."

She rumbled softly in her chest before vanishing up the ramp.

She was followed shortly by Etium leading what appeared to be a convoy of cargo trucks. He sat on the hood of the first with his trusty chain gun yelling orders back at the drivers as they made their way up the ramp slowing to a halt when he saw Adam, "Admiral, good morning."

Adam nodded, "Etium." He glanced down at the line of vehicles, "And what do we have here."

"I took a look at your allotment for ammunition and found it to be woefully inadequate." He announced

Adam crossed his arms over his chest, "Is that so." He nodded to Etium's chain gun, "Odd thing to say considering that chain gun is primarily an energy weapon."

Etium patted the side of his weapon, "That is true, but notably energy weapons are easily targeted by EMPs and that means that it would be stupid of us not to have adequate mechanical backups." He motioned back at the line of trucks, "Guns and ammunition, but don't worry we have plenty of space, I made sure to check the manifests."

Adam just shook his head in amusement and nodded the Tesraki forward onto the ship. The little creature kept yelling orders as they drove on. Others followed closely after, faces both familiar and unfamiliar filtering past one by one.

At one point Adam was surprised to see Dr. Adric making his way up the ramp. He was wearing alight grey suit, no tie, a light set of brown luggage rolling behind him, "Dr. Adric, I wasn't aware you were coming."

The man pulled to a stop to adjust the cuffs of his suit jacket, "I follow the trauma." He gave Adam a critical once over, "And you my friend attract it like dung attracts flies."

"Thanks for that." Adam muttered

The man smiled in amusement as he took Adam's hand shaking once before continuing his way up the ramp.

"You know." Adam called after him, "If I didn't know better, I would say your behavior is indicative of someone who is a self-destructive adrenaline seeker."

Adric laughed, "Can't argue with your diagnosis Admiral." And then he was gone to vanish into the bowels of the ship.

Riss he knew for sure would not be joining them. At least one of them had to make sure to stay behind to keep the triplets from sneaking onto the ship, which Krill was sure would happen if they didn't keep their guard up.

Speaking of krill, the little alien was the next to bustle up the ramp followed closely by doctor Katie ad a sizable contingent of the Arcadian medical staff. With them they brought their own line of trucks absolutely loaded with equipment. Adam raised an eyebrow, "Everything but the kitchen sink I see."

Dr Katie huffed, "Everything AND the kitchen sink since I am pretty sure a sink comes with the sterilization equipment." Krill lifted his head antenna buzzing softly, "I do not plan to come unprepared." He motioned back to his line of medical staff, "I have brought with me a surgeon of every specialty most notably our gastroenterologist who will be primarily responsible for removing things from peoples butts."

The doctor Krill was referring too looked both exasperated and amused, "Dr Krill seems to be under the impression that is ninety percent of my job."

"Is it not?" Adam wondered allowed to the snickering of the rest of the group.

The doctor glanced around in concern, "Do I need to make a ship wide PSA about this.

They continued laughing as they made their way up the ramp.

Yebb followed next ahead of a column of her own kindred. This was the first time Adam had seen a tricar other than Yebb off their home planet, and the group of them seemed more curious than they were nervous. Yebb's hairstyle had started a bit of a trend with her scientific team, who all sported some manner of strange haircut and dyed fur. In a way the Tricar reminded him the most of humanity the curiosity they shared being the main attribute that tied them together.

He waved at yebb and she waved back.

Most every species had pledged at least a team or two of their own to assist in one way or another, and the yebb delegation was followed shortly by a team of bickering Rundi who had made it their mission to run the ship like a roper bureaucracy.

Neither the Iotins nor the Gromm had provided any delegation members, but that was probably for the best.

It was to his surprise that Adam recognized a lone Bran scurrying its way up the ramp.

"Ket!"

The first alien Adam had ever seen, also the first alien Adam had scared to death. Ket had been in hiding for years before Adam saved his life on a distant mining colony. While he had made up for his earlier behavior he certainly hadn't expected to see Ket ever again. The lizard-like creature paused and looked up at Adam tilting its strange head to look Adam in the eye, "The Bran were not planning on sending a delegation, so I volunteered. You never know when you might need a mining expert. I hope my appearance is acceptable to you."

Adam nodded surprise still evident, but grinned, "You're welcome aboard any time, and I even promise not to chase you through the halls."

The Bran seemed amused, though Adam hadn't spent enough time with them to be sure.

He vanished up the ramp

The Vrul delegation was a surprisingly large one. Ever since the fall of the Vrul council they were beginning to show their true colors. Basically most of them would do anything for science, and so they had one Vrul for almost every discipline.

And so came their single Starborn.

Conn was floating along in his tightly tailored black suit giving instructions to Martha, of all people, who would be taking over as head of intelligence while he was gone. Even from here Adam could hear Conn's thoughts projected as a powerful beacon.

While still speaking to Martha, Conn made a point of leering at him from a distance.

Adam groaned internally as the Starborn approached.

"Won't it be lovely to be stuck in close proximity to me again." Conn said, "The father of my daughter and I back together again."

"I think I might just shoot myself out the airlock." He turned his attention to his mother who smiled sadly at him. She was looking older now, noticeably older, and he hated to think about how long it would be before he got to see her again.

She and Conn stood with him as the rest of the crew followed.

A group of familiar marines followed, Ramirez and Maverick hanging last in line. Something about the way Maverick hesitated gave Adam pause and he stepped aside to speak with her as she approached, "Soemthing wrong?"

She glanced down at her feet, "I don't know if me going is a good idea."

He frowned, "what do you mean?"

Maverick shrugged, "After everything we have learned about my past, I don't know if I can be trusted."

Adam snorted and waved a hand, "Yeah, whatever, just get o the damn ship." His dismissiveness seemed to surprise her, but Ramirez grabbed her hand before she could argue.

"You heard the man, no ifs ands or buts about it."

And then they were gone,

One by one the others followed, burg, and eventually a mass contingent of Drev warriors headed by a small figure in blue. Adam straightened as the Saint of Anin approached at the head of an army, with a small figure curled up in her arms. Pancake and Waffles trotted at her feeet, and to her side adam was surprised to find Naktan strolling purposefully beside her.

Kay reached to him as Sunny approached and Adam took his son, hugging him tight with the realization this might be the last time he got to do so. The Drev marched up the ramp in file with each other, and Adam turned to look at Sunny, "You ready."

"Always."

He glanced at Naktan, "You aren't coming with us are you?"

"Our people are strong, they will do without a prophet for some time. I am more needed here." With silent steps he made his way up the ramp leaving Sunny and Adam to stand with waffles, pancake and Jeffrey.

Adam took a deep breath as his family approached.

The last preparations were being made

Soon it would be time to go.

He looked over at his family, and Sunny's. Martha, Jim, Jeremy, David, Thomas, Dzara, Hijan, and Kanan.

He hugged Kay tight trying to reassure himself he was not abandoning his son. After Sunny had hugged kay as well, he set the small boy down at the base of the ramp and knelt to look hi min the eyes, "Now you be good for Grandma ok." Kay looked up at him and smiled too young to understand what was happening.

Adam dashed a hand across his eyes and stood backing away.

Martha reached down to take Kay's hand.

Both pancake and waffles trotted up the ramp with Jeffery hanging around pancake's neck.

"pancake." Adam ordered.

The dog froze in her tracks. With one hand he directed the dog down the ramp, "stay."

Pancake's tail stopped wagging but she did as told standing at the bottom of the ramp next to kay. Adam had to swallow hard as waffles came to a stand still at his heel looking u pat him with a question in her wide dark eyes.

"Need someone to protect him." Adam said softly.

It was Sunny's turn then to say goodbye to her son whispering something softly to him in Drev before standing and looking at Dzara, "You keep him safe ok." Dzara nodded, and both she and her brother hugged Sunny before she back up the ramp.

Slowly the ramp began to pull up, and Adam waved to the last moment as the doors shut cutting him off from his family.

but now it was time.

And he had to be focused. At least mostly focused, and he did as he wheeled down the hall in his heelies which he had found hiding at the back of his closet earlier I the day. He was a bit out of practice and nearly slammed into a wall much to Sunny's amusement. When he finally managed to make it to the bridge, he took his spot on the main platform.

He closed his eyes feeling the rum of the ship and then spoke.

"Crew of the Empyrean this is your captain speaking, launch to commence in twenty, make sure to strap everything breakable into place, and pray to the architect I launch us in the right direction. Beginning launch in ten, nine, eight."

Below him golden light began pouring into the ship, following channels and groves in the ground as he was slowly lifted into the air. His skin glowed gold and hot, and this time he didn't need a companion as the ship drew energy from him.

"six, five, four."

The ship seemed to hold its breath,

"Three, two."

He pictured Kay in his mind as distant engines rumbled to life.

"One."

Launch