void-and-maintainer

In this chapter set on Crete circa 1300 B.C., Kaby reports a devastating ambush by the Serpents disguised as Cretans, resulting in the destruction of Crete's ships and a dangerous breach of their safe zones by the enemy. She reveals the death of a comrade and the critical mission entrusted to Sid involving a tactical atomic bomb and an operation in northern Egypt to strike back at the Serpents. The chapter explores the tension and fear among the Spiders as they face a new form of attack that threatens their existence beyond the normal bounds of the cosmos.