Things had come full circle, back to where it all began.
Hogg wasn't like the Emperor, who'd crowdfunded the Great Crusade with buy-now-pay-later schemes, only to get beaten onto the Golden Toilet and spend ten thousand years there. For all his low morals and various flaws, he still had a basic sense of honor when it came to keeping a deal.
"Sera, why don't we just call it off? You and I have gotten to know each other through fighting, and we get along so well. I'll be honest with you: Psionic Energy is a deep, deep pool. Without me here as an Incinerator to burn off negative emotions, you won't be able to handle it.
"We can't recreate what happened with Alpha. For one thing, he had a Warp fragment to neutralize the reaction. For another, I was still weak back then, which was the only reason he could split off and become independent.
"You're powerful enough now to make a name for yourself anywhere. There's no need to cling so tightly to Psionic Energy. I've never misled you about that.
"And there's one more crucial problem. If you want to fully embrace the path of Psionic Energy and become a new host, your psychic powers won't just disappear completely—they'll at least be reduced to an ordinary person's level.
"I have another option. You could do what my brother Magnus did and use replacement organs to wield Psionic Energy while preserving your psychic potential. But you'd have to remain under my control.
"Think it over carefully. I can let you keep those few shiploads of supplies, but once you make your choice, there's no going back."
Through his eyes, Sera could see the sincerity in Hogg's canine gaze. She knew she'd already gotten an incredible bargain, but she still