First Intergalactic Emperor: Starting With The Ancient Goddess-Chapter 493: Change of Plans

"Glassreach Basin."

For a second, nobody spoke. Even the nearby crew stopped pretending not to listen. Lyra stared at him like she was waiting for the rest of the sentence. Reva’s mouth opened slightly, then closed again. Iria turned away from the glass. Only Viola didn’t look surprised, as if she was already aware of this decision.

Jareth frowned. "That’s not how this works," he said. "We can’t just decide that mid-run."

Requiem met his gaze. "We don’t need to reroute the main path."

Jareth shook his head. "You do. Any diversion means rescheduling air lanes, re-registering approach vectors, notifying dock automation. Glassreach isn’t some open patch of dirt. It’s monitored and timed. You miss a slot, you get flagged."

"And flagged ships get held," he continued. "Held ships get searched. Searched ships attract attention I don’t want on my people."

Requiem didn’t interrupt. He waited until Jareth finished.

"We’re not asking you to alter the main trajectory," Requiem said. "We divert at the outer handoff. Minimal burn. No new registry. Same time window."

Jareth narrowed his eyes. "You make it sound simple."

"It is," Requiem replied. "The issues you’re listing don’t apply if the transfer happens where I’m suggesting."

Jareth studied him longer this time, then glanced at Viola. "You knew about this."

Viola nodded once. "Yes."

Lyra looked between them. "You could’ve told us."

"We didn’t want to argue about it," Viola said. "Not until it mattered."

Jareth exhaled slowly. "Glassreach Basin is no safer than Helior Prime," he said. "In some ways, it’s worse. At least in Ashfall I can shield you. I know the people there."

Requiem didn’t back down. "And in Glassreach, I know someone."

That got Jareth’s attention.

"I’ve already spoken to him," Requiem added. "We’re expected. The drop is covered. Transit won’t be questioned."

Reva stared at him. "When did you do that?"

"Just today," Requiem said. "While you were working on the device."

Jareth folded his arms, jaw working as he weighed it. "If you’re wrong," he said, "this puts all of you in the open."

"If I’m wrong," Requiem replied, "Ashfall becomes a trap instead of a refuge."

Jareth looked at Lyra. "You alright with this?"

Lyra hesitated only a moment, then nodded. "If Requiem says it’s safer, I trust him."

Jareth held her gaze, then let out a short breath. "Fine."

He turned sharply toward the control corridor. "Change destination to Glassreach Basin."

Crew members moved immediately, voices calling out confirmations as systems adjusted. Jareth paused once, glancing back at Requiem.

Jareth nodded anyway. "I’ll get you there."

Now, Reva had royally messed up. She had told Xavier where they were heading, but now suddenly their destination had changed. And there was no way to inform Xavier about it. The device she had made, which wasn’t even working as she had intended, was spread apart.

She didn’t know why Requiem had done that and what he had discussed with Viola. However, she didn’t doubt them in the least. Both of them were far more experienced in space adventures than she was, and she trusted them just as much as she trusted Xavier.

’Let’s just hope Xavier doesn’t solve that text and doesn’t leave Helior prime.’

At the same time, Kylus had reached the control center of his ship where he was informed about the location and information regarding Lyra and others from Jareth’s ship.

The control center stayed busy, screens layered with maps, telemetry, and intercepted chatter, but Kylus wasn’t looking at most of it. He stood off to the side with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the same data block that had been looping for the last minute.

He read it again, slower this time, then exhaled through his nose.

"This could be bait," he said. "It’s too convenient. And the timing doesn’t sit right."

One of the officers shifted in his seat but didn’t interrupt. The assistant stepped closer, tablet in hand.

"You think it’s fake?" she asked.

"I think it’s meant to make us commit," Kylus replied. "A rushed signal from Bull’s people, sent just sloppy enough to look desperate. That’s how you pull attention. That’s how you split forces."

He turned slightly, pacing a short line across the floor. "And I don’t trust anything that comes out of that crew. Not Jareth or anyone from his ship."

The assistant watched him carefully. "Then what’s the move?"

Kylus stopped and looked back at the main display. "There’s only one other place that matters," he said. "One place that isn’t Ashfall Verge and still feeds into Helior Prime without tripping every alarm."

He tapped the screen.

"Glassreach Basin."

A few heads turned. The assistant frowned. "If they’re actually going to Ashfall, we’d miss them."

"That’s assuming the ping is honest," Kylus said. "And assuming they’re predictable."

She hesitated. "There’s still a chance it’s real. Someone on that ship could’ve sold them out for the bounty. Ashfall would make sense if they wanted cover."

Kylus didn’t answer immediately. He stood there, eyes unfocused now, attention turned inward.

"It could be real," he said finally. "I’m not ruling that out."

He looked up, gaze sharpening. "But my instincts aren’t pointing there."

The assistant raised an eyebrow. "Your instincts?"

"They’re loud," Kylus replied. "And they’re telling me Glassreach is where things break open. Where this stops being a chase and turns into something else."

She studied his face. "Something else how? What are you even talking about?"

Kylus’ mouth curved, not quite a smile. "The kind of moment people talk about later. The kind that changes how things move. I feel like something big is about to happen there and my destiny would change."

"That’s not exactly tactical," she said. "I am even more confused now. You aren’t making sense."

"No," Kylus agreed. "It’s decisive."

He turned back toward the room. "Set course for Glassreach Basin."

"And what about Ashfall?" she pressed.

"We’ll know soon enough," Kylus said. "If they show up there, we pivot. If they don’t, then this was never about Ashfall to begin with."

The assistant nodded and started issuing orders, voices picking up across the room as engines began to respond.

Kylus stayed where he was, eyes on the map as the route shifted.

"Glassreach," he murmured. "That’s where this ends."