Moondancer had trouble following events after that. While she stayed close to Niiue, it wasn't the same as it had been, being with Father. Meanwhile, she had to stay away from Giegue because even his presence upset her own psyche due to the total rejection his disdain represented. Instead, she turned her attention to whatever research she could get her hooves on in a desperate attempt to find a way to save her Father...even though each day left it feeling like that being no longer existed.
A more upsetting encounter - however brief - was when a strange figure with a grey face appeared on the ship, ostensibly to meet with Giegue. While Moondancer recognized him as at least resembling a human, something about the man caused her to develop an instant dislike for him, especially since he burst into the cockpit in an officious manner that disrupted her studies. "Can I help you?" she growled at him as he entered.
Much to her surprise, he seemed to dislike her just as much. "Only if you jumped out the nearest airlock," he snapped out. "Now where's the boss around here?"
"Go down the hall and take the second left," Moondancer responded curtly.
"No he's not!" the grey faced man snapped. "That's the nearest airlock!"
"And that's where you can go," Moondancer taunted before focusing on her studies once more.
"Why you-"
"Can I help you?" Niiue asked coldly, positioning himself between Moondancer and the grey faced man.
The man sneered. "No, but your other half can. Where is he? I have an appointment."
Niiue sighed. He plainly disliked the man, but was unwilling to openly oppose Giegue in anything just yet. "He's down in the launch area," he responded curtly.
The man let out a snort, thumbed his nose at Niiue, then turned and stormed out. "I don't like him," Moondancer growled irritably.
"I don't blame you," Niiue allowed. "I have a feeling Mr. Greyface there is going to be a real problem."
"Is that really his name?" Moondancer asked curiously.
"No idea," Niiue answered worriedly. "I don't even have any idea how a human could find us here, or get here from Earth. They don't have spaceships yet..."
Moondancer frowned worriedly. "We'll just have to keep an eye on his activities...and find out what he wants to talk to Giegue about..." Her irritation faded to sorrow, as it always did when she referred to that being by name.
Niiue laid a comforting hand on Moondancer's back. Knowing he couldn't say anything, he remained silent.
Moondancer's irritability continued since Greyface's visit. He had brought with him a good deal of information that he had offered Giegue as a way to help him complete his endeavors, along with warnings about ancient defenses on Earth against just such an assault. That information had confused Moondancer. Giegue's planned assault involved a PSI force that would overwhelm the human mind...but their information showed humanity had no natural PSI or technology related to it, and that the Geeg had never been to Earth before. Even so, there was evidence of space combat between several planets, each blaming each other for it. And the Starmen data talked about Mars...
Why was Earth prepared for an attack they'd never experienced before? What connection was there between the Starmen, Mars, and space battles with no apparent origins? And why were the Geeg databases that had been so free with information before so conspicuously silent on these subjects? Was there something about the situation that the Geeg deliberately wanted to keep from Giegue?
She was distracted out of her musings as Niiue approached. "Moondancer, the situation has changed, and we need to get moving."
"What?" Moondancer gasped out. "Why?"
"Giegue's making his move," Niiue explained. "He just took a meteor pod to Saturn, in pursuit of the four pieces of the Apple of Enlightenment-"
"The what?" Moondancer interrupted worriedly, her mind flashing back to the dream/nightmare.
"Greyface told him about it," Niiue explained. "It apparently foretells a prophecy of Giegue's destruction. And yes, I believe it's the same Apple you dreamed about. Giegue seeks to gather the pieces - since it fragmented itself specifically to hide from him - so he can hear the prophecy and thus thwart it. There's more to the plans, but I'm afraid I wasn't able to overhear anymore before he left."
"And we need to do what we can to keep him from getting the Apple pieces?" Moondancer clarified.
"Yes, but we can't do it from here," Niiue confirmed. "Not only is this ship too bulky, we wouldn't dare activate the Nightmare Engine even if those systems were working right now. So we're going to have to take a saucer."
Moondancer nodded in understanding. "I hate leaving all this data behind, though..."
"I'll try to bring what we can," Niiue promised. "But first, we're waiting for someone."
"Who?" Moondancer asked curiously.
"Larice," Niiue explained. "You remember him. He's the Starman who took care of you when Giegue went to Earth to find out what to feed you."
"...and then he didn't want to give me back," Moondancer recalled. "Why is that?"
"You can ask him yourself when we meet with him," Niiue explained. "For now, we need to get professional. All the Starmen are going to be here soon, and I'll have orders to give-"
At that moment, the entire ship rocked dangerously. "What's that?" Moondancer gasped as her console went dark.
Niiue rushed to the PA. "Your attention please," he announced calmly. "This is Commander Niiue speaking. We have just undergone a heavy collision. Any survivors on the lower levels should please report upward."
"A collision?" Moondancer gasped out. "We'd better get to a saucer before the ship falls apart and life support fails..."
"Soon as I give everyone their orders," Niiue agreed.