The Ballad of St. Germain: Civil War II Chapter Eighty-One

The battle ended, and repair work soon began. This part of London Below was all but destroyed, and many hundreds had died trying to defend it.

The man who had led the forces with the High Wolfman introduced himself to St. Germain as the Marquis de Carabas. It was a grand name, if ever there was one. He told St. Germain that London Below was and always had been his home. St. Germain couldn't help but think that the Marquis was keeping something back from him and not telling him everything.

In the middle of the cleanup, St. Germain called a halt to the proceedings. He held a remembrance service for Robert Picard, the man who had saved his life. Internally, he vowed to tell Picard's wife and child himself what Robert Picard had died for, if they were still alive. Perhaps there was no way of finding out if they were or not.

Afterwards, Lestat finally caught up with St. Germain. The two old friends were pleased to see each other again; they hadn't done so since the Khitomer Conference.

"It's typical, isn't it?" Lestat said. "I go to all this trouble to rescue you, come halfway across the galaxy, and someone else beats me to it!"

"Is that the only reason you came, Lestat?" St. Germain asked. "You have no other motives here?"

"None. I came back to Earth to take you back to Monstron!"

"I doubt if the High Council would welcome me there, after what I did before! Besides, look around you, Lestat! These people need me!"

"For what? For you to prey on them? For you to feed upon them?"

Then, the High Wolfman approached them.

"Talbot has just been in touch," he said. "A Star Destroyer is entering orbit near his position. He would like us to return."

"He will have to wait," said Lestat. "You must come back with me, Louie! You will be safe with me on Monstron!"

"I can't do that, Lestat! These people need me. They need me as their leader if they are to ever survive."

The Wolfman tugged on Lestat's sleeve.

"We must hurry, Lestat, before the Imperials detect our ship!"

Lestat looked deep into St. Germain's eyes, as if he was reading his thoughts and his deepest emotions. He could tell what the Admiral was going through. A man had died saving his life, and he wanted to repay that debt by carrying on his work.

"Contact Talbot," said Lestat. "Tell him he'll have only one passenger to take back to Monstron."

"One?" said the Wolfman. "Are you...?"

"The Earth Resistance needs all the help it can get," said Lestat. "I am from this world, after all."

The Wolfman nodded. He knew what Lestat was thinking. He activated his communicator, contacting Talbot on the ship.

"Before you go," said Lestat, "try and keep Monstron together. Like Earth, it needs all the help it can get!"

"Good luck to you, Lestat!" the Wolfman smiled. "And to you, Admiral!"

Moments later, the transporter beam was around him, and he was back on board the ship.

Lestat turned to his old friend. "Come on, Louie. We have a lot of work to do."