[i]The once Kell stands up. She, it, looks into Ezkor's eyes and screams in pure agony. She looks once more at him and charges.[/i] I dodge to the right and take a swipe with my swords. It cuts her, spilling bright white ether on the floor. She throws a ball of darkness, much larger than any I had seen before. I jump to the left, avoiding it by a fraction of an inch. She dives at me, because she is without weapon. She tackles me to the ground and throws me across the room. I hit the wall and stagger forwards.I am dazed by the impact. She stalks towards me, intent on the kill. She is almost upon me when she freezes, and I feel it. Chains of darkness cut into my armor as I am sucked from reality. [b]A cold voice informs me that I have been taken. It searches the empty space of my mind. Finally, it shows me a shape. It shows me my perfect form of death. It offers me a knife, tells me to cut away my imperfections. I involuntarily reach out for it, but then an image forms in my mind. It is of Kezil, and what she became. I realize that that would be my date if I accept this knife. The voice prompts me to take the knife, but I refuse. "I am Ezkor the Augmented. Baron of the ancient House of Devils. I am not your puppet." I proclaim to the voice. It tells in frustration as I am crushed back to reality. I appear in the room once more.[/b] I see Kezil standing there, ready to pounce. She leaps at me as I draw my sword and stab her through the chest. She leaks pure white Ether as I pull my sword out. She dissolves back to that nightmare realm from whence she came. I notice something on the floor I.mn front of her throne. It is a cloaking device. I put it on and activate it. I stalk through the ship to the bridge. I step up to the Kell's platform and proclaim, " I am Ezkor the Augmented, Baron of the mighty House of Devils. Your Kell is dead by my hand." I shout over the intercoms and to the Eliksni in the room. " I hereby seize control of this vessel. Any attempts to escape or retaliate will be met by my sword." [b][i][u]Devil's Lair[/u][/i][/b] I enter my kell's throne room. He sits proudly atop his throne and looks down at me. " You have done well. " he tells me. " You have conquered this traitorous house and brought me a ketch. " I bow to my Kell. " It was my duty, to my house, to destroy those thieves." I say to him. " You will be rewarded for this feat. " he says to me. " When you killed that "Taken" Kell, she spilled this." He holds up a vial of pure white ether. "Our scientists have concluded this ether is twice as powerful as normal ether." He says swirling the vial. " Your ether rations will contain one tenth of this ether from now on." I bow down to him. " Thank you, my Kell. " [i]Later[/i] I stand at a Holodesk in the strategy room. I have been ordered to investigate this "dreadnaught" that has entered the solar system. I have been given a specialized skiff and a month to prepare.