Life in the L-Cluster had grown increasingly unbearable. Before, Gray Tempest could at least watch her little brother roam around and bare his teeth. Now he was off exploring the Milky Way, and Empire Will was attending meetings there too, leaving her alone to watch over their home.
After spending another few lonely years in the L-Cluster, Gray Tempest finally reached her limit.
While Empire Will was away at yet another Sea of Stars Community meeting, Gray Tempest gazed at the planets simulated by Dessanu, took one last look at the L-Cluster's stars, and abruptly transformed into a mothership.
"I've had enough of this damned L-Cluster!"
"I'm leaving right now! Who dares stop me?!"
Remembering her miserable, lonely days in the L-Cluster filled Gray Tempest with fury.
Her engines spat green exhaust, and she plunged headfirst into the L-Gate at Terminal Egress.
Some Grays were never meant to be caged!
Some nanites were destined to race toward freedom!
Milky Way! Here I come!
As spacetime twisted violently, gravity wrapped around Gray Tempest's hull like a tide, and invisible energy tugged at her.
Then everything fell silent, and all her sensors failed at once. Almost an instant later, she sensed spacetime again.
Gravity pulled at her hull as the massive Gray Tempest mothership emerged from the small black hole that constantly swallowed and expelled light.
The view suddenly opened up before her.
The rivers of stars that had seemed so impossibly distant from the L-Cluster were now so close. Gray Tempest was among the countless stars, within the Milky Way itself.
The radiance of countless stars spilled over her as Gray Tempest widened her sensor scans to sweep her surroundings.
Behind her lay the L-Gate and the Succubus' Call black hole. Ahead stretched a dazzling expanse of stars.
*So this was-the