Back to the Heretics - still managing to stay one step ahead of Vidya Prime, despite its best efforts. With the entire galaxy as potential cover, tracking them down has proven to be a perplexing challenge. News recently reached Heretic stations on the planet Bareen: a Vidyan ship had allegedly offered to defect. Given how rare that is, many suspected a trap. An extraordinary amount of resources were poured into verifying whether the ship’s consciousness truly sympathised with their cause. The risks were immense, but the offer was far too tempting. Securing such a vessel would give the Heretics enormous capital. Politically, strategically, and technologically. After months of preparation, and not without losses, the Heretics waited. Coordinates were shared, knowing full well that if it was indeed a trap, they wouldn’t know until it was too late. Many of the Heretics had brought their children with them to Bareen, and though adults tried to keep them at bay, some of the more adventurou...