„For the Greater Good"
 (a story about Kai, Last of the Brunnen-G)
(by Ramona Deininger ( http://www.crowwings.com) - autum 2003)

Kai is alone somewhere, let's say, it is the cryo chamber on the Lexx. Then Prince is suddenly appearing in front of him.
„Hello there", says Prince, „greetings."
Kai is not exactly surprises, he can't be, but he is acting very fast, and steadies his brace thing and aiming it on Prince. 
Kai asks: „ What are you here for?"
„Oh, you see, since my planet Fire was destroyed, and Xev upset the balance, rules have changed."
„In what ways?"
„Slightly to my favour, actually."
„So our appearance on your planets was a bad thing after all." concludes Kai.
„It was a good thing for me, of course."
„So, what are you here for now?"
„You know, there still is an unresolved issue in this whole thing."
„And that would be?"
„You."
Kai is raising his eye bow. „What do you mean?"
„You are dead, and therefore should be in my range of influence. But yet, you are not. Instead, you turned out to be a pretty bad pain in the ass. You are clearly my enemy. And though, I want to help you."
„How that?" asks Kai.
„I know, that you are not a happy person. I am not even sure, if you are a person at all!"
„What are you trying to say?"
„You once told me, that you want me. If you remember? I was at different 'person' then. Do you remember?
„You were looking differently, but you were still the same person." Kai is referring to 'the key' episode. Season three.
„True, but that was just a game. Now we should start to play our real game. I am sure, that I have something, that you want to have." Prince is approaching him.
„The dead do not have wants." is Kai's cold reply.
„I would agree and most of the time it is true, but only one: to be dead. And though, you are, but not 100 percent. And that's, what I can give you."
Kai is seriously thinking about this whole thing. „What do you mean by 'being dead for real'?"
Prince is grinning. „Well, that is for you to find out. As I said, things have changed. There is no Water or Fire anymore, but there might be, there might be something similar now. You already know, I am good with pain. I can sense pain and suffering, because that is what I'm good at, and that is, what I am supposed to do. Right now, I sense, that you are suffering."
„The dead do not feel pain." is Kai's standard reply. He moves his head sideway.
„Well, physically, that is, but I know, that there are many ways of suffering." Prince is grinning very brightly. - „Look, I know about a lot of things. This is my nature. And though you are not one of mine and not truly dead, you are an issue not solved yet, - and therefore not in my current range of influences, but there is some part of you that is!"

Turning around Prince shouts into the dark corner of the room and a shape suddenly appears there. This figure is heavily worn actually, it is covered in a dirty black T-shirt and the little Lendenschurz, that we saw in season four at the episode 'Puff Daddy'. That figure is not shaved, long, but dark brown hair, falling openly on his shoulders. He is bare feet, and clearly confused from what you can tell. He is carefully approaching the two of them. Prince is waving him to come closer. First he hesitates but then he does. Not taking his eyes from Kai.
„I want you to meet somebody, that you were used to know pretty well." states Prince and is grinning wildly. Kai is twinkling twice, but says nothing. But you can to see him pull his brace thing in, not aiming it at Prince anymore. Then his brace arm falls loose on his side, when he waits for the figure to approach.
„Oh, it is so sweet, to watch two friends finally meet each other again", mocks Prince.
„I know you", says the living Kai to the dead one, mumbling it, and though still carefully and watching and observing his dead part. The actor, the living Kai, is still covered in the same clothes, that he was playing his theatrical role in (Shakespeare's Hamlet)  before Xev turned into a cluster lizard and ate him.
The dead Kai is not acting or replying at all, he just glances intensely back.
„Well, I think, I would like you two turtles get to know each other a little better, before...." and then Prince disappears. 
The dead Kai is asking: „Before, what?" But Prince is already gone.
„I think, I know you", says the living Kai, still suspiciousness is showing in his eyes, but he is not very surprised, when Prince is suddenly disappearing. As if he seems to be used to such.
„We met before, trice." explains the dead Kai, finally answering. „But you were not aware and conscious at the time."
„Am I dreaming this?"
„No, we are not." answers the dead Kai.
„So, you are for real?" and the living Kai is carefully touching the dead Kai's cheeks. „You are cold,"  he finally states.
„And you are alive. How comes?" replies the dead one.
„I don't remember exactly, admits the living Kai. „I suddenly woke up and was."
„What else to you remember?"
„Not much, just feelings, I am confused. What is this all about?" and the living Kai takes a look around the room, the chamber, and trying to figure everything out. „This man, who just disappeared...?" he finally asks.
„That was Prince. He is an 'evil' … person." explains the dead Kai and hesitates at the word 'person'. As if he wanted to say something different.
„I felt, as if I should not trust him." nods the living one.
„That would be sensible." replies the dead Kai in his somehow emotionless way. Though, he cannot express emotions, but he is though somehow stunned and moved. Because, he is colder as he usually is.
„So, I DO know you?" asks the living Kai.
„It is over 6000 years ago, but yes, we were used to be one person."
The living Kai is twinkling when getting this information, you can almost see the thoughts in his head, whirling around, but finally he is nodding slowly. „Though this sounds all totally crazy, but it somehow makes sense. - What happened?"
„We died." The dead Kai is still intensely watching the living part of them for each reaction. What a cold statement again.
„And then? What happened then?" The living Kai is circling the dead one, seems to analyse his whole appearance, clothes, hair-style…, he compares his own hands with the one of the assassin, but the dead just stays at the same place, not affecting at all.
„His Divine Shadow, who killed us, decided to punish us beyond death, he stole our memories, and preserved our body to turn it into a very efficient death machine, almost indestructible and incapable of any own will. And then he set that programmed assassin to assassinating many people in his name."
„That would be you?"
„Yes, I am that dead part of you, your body, that was left behind when we died."
„But if I am the living part, how comes, that you do remember and I don't? And how comes that, if, as you said, he stole all the memories?"
„I got them back,..."
„How?"
„By killing him."
The living Kai fulfils his circle and looks at the dead Kai face-to-face. He is not stunned. Just somehow curious, searching for any signs? Though he nods in understanding.
„So, does that mean, you are not enslaved anymore, got back your own will?"
„Not by His Divine Shadow anymore, that is correct, but though, we are not free yet."
„What do you mean?" asks the living Kai somehow probing now.
„You will see."
„So, what happened after you have killed him? The Divine Shadow?"
„After that I was travelling the two universes with Xev and Stan, the other two members of the Lexx, that's the spaceship you are on now, in the shape of a big bug."
„Wow, sounds like a long and interesting story," the living Kai seems to be impressed.
„Do you remember anything of our former life?"
„As I said, I woke up, that's it. But looking at you, seeing you wearing this weird stuff and your whole appearance, it pulls a trigger in me. It feels somehow 'right'."
The living one is still observing the dead one for any reaction, but there is none, before asking: „Where do we come from?"
„We are the Last of the Brunnen-G, that was a folk of romantic warriors, that got destroyed by His Divine Shadow, over 6000 years ago."
„Tell me about them, I mean, - about us." requests the living one and they both are sitting down and the dead Kai starts to tell.

After a while Prince appears out of the blue again. „I see, you got to know each other better now," he is smiling.
„So what is this all for?" asks the living Kai. 
„Don't you believe in my warm and soft heart? Into joining two parts, that belong together?"
„No," answers the dead Kai and gets up.
„Well, that's correct, I want something in return." Prince is getting serious now.
„In return for what?" asks the living Kai, and gets up as well.
Prince is kind of ignoring the living Kai and just talking to the dead on. The dead warrior is the one he is worrying about, because he is the one who is strongest and indestructible and not within Prince reach. „I want to make you a deal."
„What for?" asks the dead Kai. 
„I can really join you two again. You belong together, so that you will be a real person again, so that you can really be alive again. Don't you want that, Kai?" asks Prince the dead Kai.
„No. - The dead to do not want to live."
The living Kai is watching the scenery and does not seem to be certain, what is really going on. All you can see is, that he is not very glad about what he is listening to.
„OK, so, what about that? Until you are a real person again, you can't have a real death. But if you would, all that suffering would come to an end." says Prince and opens in his arms in a gesture of invitation, and grins brightly.
The living Kai is shaking his head. But the dead Kai is thinking about this. „What would you want in return?" asks the dead Kai.
„Ah, the fish bites! - Oh, nothing important, really, nothing you haven't done before thousands and thousands of times. I want you to kill two people for me. It is not that difficult for you. It is your special skill, isn't it?"
The dead Kai is not appreciating, what Prince is telling him, but he has to nod, it is his reality. And the living Kai is finally shaken and starts to retreat from the dead one. He in the end seems to get the reality of what it really means to be an assassin of the Divine Order.
„Is that a shock for you?" asks Prince the living Kai. „Well, you should get used to that, that is the other part of you. Your other half. And you will get to know each inch of it as soon as you are rejoined."
„I don't want that!" claims the living Kai and even repels a few metres more from the two of them.
„Well, that is not your decision," Prince says, and turns back to the dead Kai, who is still thinking about the offer. „It is his decision."
„Who do you want me to kill?" asks the dead Kai finally.
„You are not going to do that!" claims the living part of him. „You said it yourself, he is not trustworthy. He is evil. We are not dealing with him. And besides that, I don't think, I want to rejoined with you anyway!"
But the dead Kai is not listening to his living part. He is still watching Prince intensely.
Prince: „Oh, that is very simple, I want you to kill Stanley and Xev. You know, they got in my ways several times, and because they still live for their very first time, I have not any influence on them yet. But as soon as they die, they will be mine. It is that simple, really."
„Two lives for one? That does not sound fair." answers the living Kai.
„Oh, shut up, you don't know anything! You live unconscious, but somehow mentally deranged of not knowing, where your soreness comes from! YOU don't remember. But you do FEEL it, don't you? It is 'two lives for one REAL death', and that is, what this dead body here is longing for over 6000 years now. Don't you think, to fulfil his never ending quest that would be worth two lives? And put you to an rest as well? And besides that, he has all the right to do so, he's saved them so many times. They would not live until now if it wouldn't be because of Kai. They owe him!" says Prince and the dead Kai is still thinking about it.
„If I agree," says the dead Kai, „would you promise to leave the real me alone? To not intervene with me ever again?"
„Well, actually I will be kind of glad to get rid of you. You really were a pain in my ass, you were crossing my plans so many times. I will be glad to get rid of you."
The living Kai is shaking his head in disagreement. But he still speaks nothing.
„If I agree, what will happen to the life essences of Stan and Xev?"
„They will be mine."
„How comes? You were in charge of the life essences of the evil people, who came to Fire. Xev is not an evil person, so how could you be in charge of her life essence after her passing?"
„Well, to be true, the life essences of the good people are still not fully in my range, but I do have some influences. As you can see at your living part here." Prince is stoking the cheek of the living one, that retreats even more, but keeps being silent.
Prince: „And besides that, they have to die anyway, sooner or later they will. You would just shortening that time. It just doesn't really matter that much."
The dead Kai is still thinking about the offer. But the living Kai is pretty upset now: „How do you dare to even think about dealing with him? I will not agree to this."
„You have no choice, it is HIS decision, I already told you so." yells Prince.
„There always is a choice!" - and the living Kai looks like being ready to attack somebody! But before that, the dead Kai intervenes: „He is right, Xev and Stan will die sooner or later. - And he is right, it doesn't really matter, I executed so many people already."
„But they are your friends! You should protect them! Don't you feel anything for them?" The living Kai is very upset with his dead part now and peeks on him!
„The dead to not have friends, and the dead to not feel."
And then he replies to Prince: „Okay, I will agree, but under my conditions."
„And that would be?"
„I will ask Xev and Stanley first. And you will leave now!"
In this second Kai is firing his brace and killing Prince in an instance - so very fast, that Prince is not even able to react in any ways. He is sighing and moaning, and then he collapses on the floor and disappears.
Now the dead Kai is hurrying to the living one, who is still trying to capture all the events, and is retreating from the approaching assassin to avoid the touch with the dead Kai, but the dead one is insisting on. There is no escape for the living part of him. He gets caught just a few metres later.
„Let me go!" the living one protests when the dead one grasps him on his arm.
„Hurry, we have only a few seconds." insists the dead Kai.
„What do you mean?"
„He will return soon."
„How? - He is dead, you just killed him cold blooded."
„But he will return soon. This will not stop him - for long."
„So why did you do it then for?"
„To get a few more seconds. Now, listen!"
 And the dead Kai is holding a little secret conference with the living part of him, who is still very confused and looks very miserable actually. And then just a few seconds later all at once the living Kai vanishes and you can hear Prince laughing from the background, somehow invisible.

Xev asks Kai who is just entering the bridge. 
„Where were you?"
„In the cryo chamber, talking to Prince."
„To Prince? He is here?"
„Not anymore."
Stanley comments: „Prince was here? Did you kill him?"
„Yes, I did."
„Well, so we have a few moments rid of him for this time now," says Xev and asks: „What did he want?"
„He wants to make a deal with me."
„What deal? You kicked his ass, right?" asks Stanley.
„I agreed!"
„WHAT? You can't trust him!" shouts Xev.
„I agree, he's not trustworthy, but he always sticks to his deals." explains Kai motionless.
„What deal was that?" asks Stanley suspicious now. 
„I agreed to kill both of you!" is his dry answer.
Xev and Stan react abruptly very sharp and try to jump away from Kai, at least a few steps. „You agreed?" asks Xev again, not wanting to believe.
Kai nods.
„What for?" asks Xev, and Stanley is also very upset. „How can you do that?"
Xev tries to capture herself a little bit more and is approaching Kai again, and asks him: „Would you really do that? We are your friends!"
„The dead don't have friends. I agreed to kill you, but only if you also agree. That's the deal."
Stanley is finally relieved now: „OK, that is pretty simple, then everything is OK, then you are not going to kill me, because I do NOT agree so."
„Wait a second, Stanley, I think, it might not be so easy, is there a trick?" adds Xev.
„I will not kill you, if you don't agree. It is not for the dead to decide for the living." Kai tries to explain, but Stanley is still suspicious and Xev still doesn't understand.
„Why do you agree to kill us?"
„In return he wants to make me a real person again."
„Does that mean, he wants to make you alive again?"
„He wants to rejoin me with the living part of me, so that we are a real person again."
„So he wants to make you truly alive again, is that it?" asks Stanley also.
„Only a real person can have a real death." explains Kai.
„You are telling us, that you agreed to kill us, so that you can finally die?" Xev is not believing, what she was just told!
„I thought, the dead to not have wants!" mocks Stanley. „So what are you now longing for?"
„Only one: to be dead." answers Kai in a low voice.
Xev is watching him very intensely, then she again approaches him, stops only a few centimetres away. She is softly touching his cheek, and starring into Kai's eyes, then she asks him: „Do you really want that? Even though we do not know anymore what will happen after death? I mean, since we have destroyed Fire and Water, but there still seems to be a life after death, so that is what you want?" She is softly stroking him, but  he catches her arm and fends off it in a hard way. She is hurt a bit and grunts in surprise. That is a new facets of Kai's personality. Xev is swiftly afraid!
„I want to be really dead." Kai repeats.
„And therefore you would kill us? That is so crazy, how comes, that you really think, we would ever agree on that?" claims Stanley.
„You could kill us even without our agreement!" adds Xev.
„As I said, the dead should not make decisions for the living. If you don't volunteer to die, I will not kill you. But I promise, if you do, it will be quick and painless." That is the best, that he can do FOR them. With this words Kai turns around and walks to the tunnel that leads back to the cryo chamber and at leaving them he tells them: „I will give you one hour to decide, I will be waiting for you in the moth chamber. If you don't get there after that hour, then I know, you haven't agreed. And I will leave the Lexx forever."
„What do you mean? Leaving us forever?" asks Xev and is so desperate, that her eyes are filled with tears.
Kai nods. „There is no way or the other, we will have to say Goodbye to each other." states Kai and then leaves the bridge.

Xev starts crying silent tears.
Stanley is mumbling: „He's getting crazy, he's going to kill us, you will see! He agreed to kill us! We were supposed to be his friends! How can he do that?"
„I am sure, he has his reasons."
„You HEARD him, he decided to sacrifice us, so that he can die! I would have understood him - somehow -, if he would have decided to do so, to get BACK his life, but he wants to die - without any questions! And he wants us to throw away our lives. Well, this discussion is to an end now, because I do NOT agree, so he will not take my precious life away from me." And then Stan is climbing up the  control blossom and asks the Lexx: „Lexx, please tell me, who is onboard now? Is there any Prince or any other person besides me and Xev and Kai?"
Lexx in his deep voice: „I can see no one else, captain. Yet."
„OK, if you see somebody else, can you please tell me so?"
„As you command, captain."
„OK, so that is that, and now I will return to my bed, and I will take a little nap, before we say goodbye to Kai. Forever. He's going to kill us! He wants to kill us, he agreed to kill us. I can't believe it." is Stan mumbling when leaving the bridge.
But Xev gets him first. „Stanley, we should think about this seriously. He would not ask us this favour, if it were not for a really good reason!"
„Well, he's death is not currently a really good reason for me! Period! He is already dead, so why does he want to have death? Again? No, Xev, end of the discussion, I will not sacrifice myself so that the dead man can be even more dead!"
And Stanley is leaving the bridge and lets a very puzzled Xev behind.

Kai is standing in the moth chamber and watching the moth breeders fulfilling their tasks. Xev is approaching him.
„The hour is not over yet," says Kai, still focused on the self-engaged moth breeders.
„But I had to ask you some questions," says Xev. „Why did you agree to this? It has to be more than just a proper death, right?"
„Though I am not alive, but I am also not fully dead. My living part is still stuck here with me, because we are still somehow connected to each other. Me, his dead body, is holding him back." explains Kai, not looking at Xev, but towards the moth breeders.
„What do you mean? We saw the other life essences of other people on Fire and on Water, that were the only places where the dead souls were able to go after their death. So what are you talking about? Your life essence was on Water, so he was already at a good place, isn't that so?"
„There are other ways."
„What do you mean?"
„I'll show you." he says and then there is a secret conference between them two in the moth chamber as well, you can't get any details, but you can watch Kai tender Xev.

Xev returns to Stanley's chamber, where he is lying on his bed and trying to sleep, but of course, the whole situation is not to sleep over it.
„Stanley, we have to think about this, we have to talk about it." request Xev and is pretty pushy!
„What to talk about? Letting me get killed? That is out of the question! Period!" Stan refuses. But Xev insists: „Let us think about it! Kai might have a really good reason for asking us to die - for him. I mean, how often did HE save our ass? Countless times. We always stuck on him, we always requested him to rescue us, and he did, and he never asked us anything in return."
„Because the dead do not want anything, not even in return, that is why!" replies Stan.
„We owe him. And if he thinks, that this is so important for him, that he wants us to forgo our lives for him, then he has the right to ask us this favour. At least, we should seriously think about it! We OWE him that much!"
„Are you crazy, Xev? Do you want to die?"
„No, I don't want to die, especially not after we saw, what happens after death. I don't want to die, but sometimes you have to put your life on the stakes for a far greater good, for a really good reason. And besides that, he is OUR FRIEND, and all he asks us for is to finally help HIM now!"
„What a FRIEND! He wants us to be dead? He wants to KILL us! - Get real, Xev!" moans Stan!
„No, he doesn't want to kill us, he agreed to kill us, so that he can get, what he really wants so badly for such a long time now. I think, what he really wants, is to be free."
„He is free! He was enslaved by His Divine Shadow, but that Divine Order was 4000 years ago. He destroyed it himself. So he is free to go wherever and whenever he wants."
„No, he is not, because he is dead. And the only way to get real freedom, for him anyway, is to die again. I don't claim, that I would truly understand what's going on here, but I know, that he will not ask us this favour, if it would not be for a really very good and important reason."
„He is not asking us a favour, he is asking us to, to DIE!"
„Stanley, how often did we get close to death, how often did Kai save us, and how many times were we close to be killed by other people, in really cruel ways?"
Stan has to admit that. But Xev continues: „If I have the choice, I would prefer Kai to kill us. He is going to do it in a very quick and efficient, painless way. You can be sure of that. He doesn't want us to suffer. And, no, he does not WANT to kill us! He wants to be free!"
„I am not going to discuss this any further with you, Xev! Leave me alone!"
„Stanley, we do owe him our lives many times! We do owe him!"
„You can't be serious about this, Xev! I don't want to die!"
„Me neither." replies Xev and she inhales sighing, very desperate and drops springing into her eyes. „And I also don't want Kai to be dead for real. And gone forever. I want him to be truly alive and I want to be with him and leading a happy life together."
The tears are freely running now.
„But sometimes, you just can't get what you want. And Kai, - he has but one wish, only one wish. - And if we truly are his friends, than we have to fulfil him this one. Please, think about it, Stanley. Kai wants to be free, and to achieve that he agreed to kill us, if we volunteer so. If there would be any other way, I am sure, Kai would have suggested that one. But there seems to be none."
„Yeah, he saved us many times, but think about it, Xev, what had he to loose?"
„Eternity. Don't you remember, that Kai even entered the core of the planet Fire to rescue you? And that Prince told him, that he would be stuck there forever? And though he did so! He was ready to sacrifice the eternity for YOUR sake!  - Think about it, Stanley, he could kill us easily if he decides to, he could kill us without our agreement, any second, but he wants us to choose whether or not we are helping him to finally get free."
Stan keeps being quiet now, and Xev pauses for a second, to continue breathless: „He never told us so, but I think, he is misery in his current state. Suffering, because he is not alive, but he has to stay here. Though he is supposed to be where the rest of his people are. And though he saved us so many times, though he stayed with us to help us and until now did never ask us anything in return, now we finally have to help him! Even if it costs our lives. Stanley, if we really are his friends, we have to do it! We have to!"
Stan is shaking his head.

The hour is almost over. Kai is still alone in the moth chamber, then suddenly Prince and the living Kai appear in front of him. 
„That was not nice, killing me the last time we saw each other," mocks Prince, but he is not exactly really angry, just a little bit upset. „Well, it looks like, you are still alone here. I think, that means, that your friends don't want to die," teases Prince. „Or did you get rid of them already?"
„No, I asked them to freely agree on our deal and if so, they will come here to this chamber within the next few minutes." explains the dead Kai. The living one in the meanwhile is taking a closer look around this chamber and then returns to the two of them.
„Do you really expect them to get here?" asks Prince.
„The dead don't expect the living to do anything especially." returns Kai.
„That means, that you will remain just as you are now, both of you, I mean. No real remembrance, no real life, no real identity, not a real death, both suffering in their ways, both somewhere in between, but never getting anywhere! That kind of suits me! But of course only me, it does not suit you." Prince grins again.
„The dead do not suffer."
„Not in any physical ways, I agree, but your living part can. And he will, I will take care of that, I promise." says Prince and laughs out loud. The living Kai is quiet, but he is observing the room and the whole situation and now, that the talk is about him going to suffer, he is little bit more conscious and afraid of this whole situation.
„Are you afraid of me, too?" asks Prince. And living Kai is shrinking his shoulders. But still he is not saying any words.
„So, where are your friends now? Time is almost up!"
„It is not an easy decision." explains Kai, „the living want to live!" There is still no sensation showing on his face, no reaction of any kind of his body being impatient or whatever.
„You know, it really is just a matter of time, - they are going to die sooner or later, they will be mine anyway. So, let's not waste any more time here anymore. Let's get rid of them even without their agreement! It pays for the greater good, and besides that, they owe you their lives, because you saved them SO often."
The dead Kai is not reacting at all.
„They always called you their friend! Real friends would help each other out, but they never returned that to you, and now you asked them to, to help you out. And they let you down. What 'real' friends! Friends, the way I like it!"
The dead Kai is not replying, but you can see, that he is not exactly happy with the whole situation.
„Time is up now," says Prince, „now, I'm getting impatient, I would give you five more minutes, in the meantime I would suggest you, to go and get them, even if they don't agree, otherwise you will loose most surely your one and only chance of a real death. Otherwise you are running out of proto blood one day, and your body will just be destroyed, that's it. You will stop existing, but it will not be REAL death. Five more minutes, you should think about getting them NOW!"
But the dead Kai is not moving at all, he is still waiting.
„Where are your friends now, when you really need them?" Prince asks again! „They are letting you down! You see?"
Only the living Kai is getting tense now. Prince is circling the living Kai like a predator his prey, promising him all the suffering he can imagine, - and the living Kai starts sweating now. He follows Prince with his eyes, trying to work out, how this all is effecting HIM. But still, he is not saying one word. He is afraid, but he is also bravely bearing it.
„Isn't it ironical?" Prince says to the dead man, „OK, you had no choice for your first 2000 years of slavery, but when you got back all your memories and therefore your own will, and you got the proto blood supply and fulfilled the prophecy, after that, you were ready to decompose into your components, you were ready to erase yourself, but for the sake of Xev and Stanley you postponed this and continued to bear your existence for over 4000 years. Isn't that correct?"
The dead Kai keeps being quiet, but the living one finally starts to catch a warmer glow in his gaze, when watching his other part, and listening to Prince list of glorious actions. Prince continues: „I still do not understand, why you made that decision. Did you see anything in them? Or did you think, you could balance some earlier horrible actions as an assassin, if you try to help the living for a while? What was your motivation, to continue your existence for such a long time, though one of the results of this decision was, that the whole light universe got destroyed, - and that was not only a small part, actually very much, your VERY own fault. What was his name again? Mantrid? Oh yes, he was the one you transferred the insect essence to - and, yes, your mistake costs a whole universe of destruction. If you look into the past 4000 years, what do you think, was that worth all your misery during that time? Do you think, Xev or Stanley deserve, what you did for them? And therefore are letting you down now? Look at you now! You not only postponed your own ending, but you also sacrificed, what you were standing for, Last of the Brunnen-G, last representative of your proud and honoured people. Do you really think, Xev and Stanley deserved, what you did for them? Look at you now ! They are not here for you, when you really needed them. Did they deserve you, or did you deserve them? What do you think?"
Prince is finally stopping in front of Kai, closely watching his motionless face. It does not look like as if the dead man is going to answer that question. If he really is disappointed by his friends, he is not showing it. Kai just turns around and is about to leave the chamber. „Are you going to slaughter them now, against their will?" shouts Prince behind him.
Kai is passing his living part on his way out. They are exchanging a mute long look, no words are spoken, and though the dead Kai is not showing any emotions at all, but at the face of the living one you can see little sprinkles of empathy and even sadness. Though nothing is said on their exchange, it is quite clear, that this is supposed to be a goodbye - forever. Then the dead Kai drops his gaze and is about to leave the room.
„I knew, you wouldn't have the guts for it." mumbles Prince to himself.
But on Kai's way out he is stopped by a figure, stating with a firm voice: „I don't know, if we deserved all his support, and I am not sure, if he deserved us in a way, that we were good enough for him, but I know, that he deserves to request us to grant our lives for him. And I am here to accomplish his deal."
The dead Kai stops shortly in front of Xev. Xev is facing Prince and then suddenly she gets aware of the third person next to him, the living Kai. Her eyes begin to shimmer. „You didn't tell me about our second guest." she says to the dead Kai. „I am glad to see you once again." she utters to the living part of Kai and he starts to grin like an idiot. „I am really sorry, that I ate you." She apologizes and the living Kai suddenly looks confused and a little bit buffed also.
„I don't think, that he is remembering anything at all." replies the dead Kai for his living part.
„Oh," she says, „too bad, so you also don't remember the good parts of our little bump-into?" And keeps looking at the living Kai, who shrugs his shoulders and seems to be very unsure, where to look next. He seems to like, what he sees, when studying Xev - from tip to toes. Is he actually embarrassed? To be alive is not such a bad thing after all. Then the living Kai looks at his dead counterpart and sees nothing but coldness towards Xev. Swiftly his smirk freezes.
„Too bad," states Xev and focuses on the matter in front of her.
„Where is Stanley?" asks Prince now, finally intervening. „He is part of the deal, or there is no deal at all!"
„He is about to come," responds Xev. „I am sure of that. - So, Prince, haven't you seen enough death for today?"
„Oh, so sarcastic, my beautiful love slave? - Isn't it a good day to die?" the blond man returns sharply.
„For you is always a good day for death."
„Yeah, that is true! But that is just part of my nature."
„And part of MY nature is," replies Xev, and her gaze is travelling from Prince to the dead Kai, to the living one and then back to Prince, „not to go without any 'fighting'."
Prince finally walks toward Xev, a few steps at least, before she stops him with her 'warning cluster lizard growler' not to approach any further. They are battling each other with their eyes for a while.
„You are here, so you are volunteering, aren't you?" asks Prince.
„I am here to support Kai in any ways that I can, but I am not here to let me slaughter just like that!" - She is snipping with her fingers. - „I am here, because Kai needs us."
„So, what are you going to do now?"
„As I said, I will fight, and IF Kai defeats me, he might take my life, if that is the deal - with you! I owe him that much!"
„Well, I am not exactly surprised by your 'brave' but stupid decision, lovely Xev, but still, without Stanley there is no deal! - And, as Stanley Tweedle is truly a Stanley H. Tweedle, I am also not surprised, that he is NOT here." declares Prince and smiles widely.
„He will come," Xev is replying firmly, „he just takes a little bit longer."
„And how long will that bit take?" wants Prince to know.
„As long as our chase in the meanwhile." answers Xev.
„That was not the deal." insists Prince.
„Then change the rules!" requests Xev.
Prince is thinking about that for a while. „It kind of is a matter of my curiosity of how this little game will turn out, you know? Of what you are capable of, my little half-cluster-lizard hybrid. - And it is also true that Stanley will sooner or later be mine anyway. We already had that situation." (The beach, third season) - „But to put a little spice on this meal, I only agree to change the rules, and will accept your ONE sacrifice on the stakes - instead of the both of you, - if you, Kai, agree to change your position as well, in the meaning, that you will NOT kill her quick and painless."
The living Kai's eyes are widening in awe, while the dead Kai is not moving at all. Xev is taking in her breath and holding it.
„What do you exactly mean?" the dead one finally asks.
„I mean, if your little chase is over, that you will have to kill her slowly! You are the expert in such matters. I want you to use your experiences, to torture her for at least a few hours. - And of course," Prince adds, „I will watch - the whole time!" And then he looks at Xev. „Are you also willing to do that - for him?"
The dead Kai is not replying but fixing her with his gaze. He makes it to her decision, that is quite clear. The living part of Kai, the actor, also holds his breath.
Xev swallows at the thoughts of such a horrible death, and it takes her a few seconds to gather herself to respond. - She hesitates, but then she nods. „Whatever it takes." she replies boldly.
„Oh, isn't that sweet?" Prince is mocking, „True love, true love! - You know, Xev, it will never be returned. Love never pays, life is not fair and death, death the least of all!"
„Spare me your wisdom," she replies furious. And finally looking the dead Kai deep into his eyes. „Let's get done with it!" And with her ravenous lizard scream she is turning into her cluster roll style and she curls away almost faster as any eye could tell.
Before the dead Kai is starting to follow her, Prince's holding him back. „You know, I can tell if you are giving everything you've got to get her or if you are just stalling for time. I will watch you very closely, even if you don't see me! ALL the time."
Kai wants to break loose of Prince's grip. But still, Prince is not done yet. „If I even have the slightest doubt of your sincerity, he (pointing to the living one) will suffer and the deal is over. Your last chance ever - will be gone. Forever."
Then he lets the dead man do his 'job'.

It is a hard and long chase, Xev is pretty fast when it comes to straight encounter, she has an advantage towards the little bit clumsy dead Kai, as long as she gets enough space for fleeing. But therefore she is losing strength after a while, where Kai does not. It takes a few hours at a very high speed race through the tunnels and corners and secret chambers of the large insect. He follows her through the long tail, she is hurrying through some of Lexx's veins and organs. She crosses 13 of the 30 stomachs. But Kai does have the advantage of being able to haul himself up to the ceilings and over far distances with his brace thing. And he knows the Lexx's blueprints better than any of the other inhabitants. Because he has the memory of the Divine Shadow who led the construction of the ship. So this whole chasing, balanced at the beginning, is turning more and more into Kai's favors. No matter, what Xev is doing or trying.

During this whole race Stanley is not to be seen anywhere. Not on the bridge, nor in his chamber, nor at the bathing- or dining room. When he first caught the message from Lexx, that they had visitors on board, he started to hide himself. And the least place where he would expect himself to be is: inside one of the toilet seats, actually a big mouth with a tongue instead of toilet paper...
Though he is updated of what is happening by Lexx himself, and sometimes even personally, when the two racers are coming close to his hiding place. He does not feel comfortable, where he is, but the fear is stronger than any bad conscience he could ever have. So he stays where he is.

Somewhere, not far away from the moth breeder chamber, where everything started, the dead Kai finally confronts Xev. She was pausing just for a few seconds to gather her breath again. Her long hair is a blond mess now, wet from her sweating, her heart is pumping, her gaze is whirling around, she jumps at every little noise. Yeah, she really looks exhausted and nervous.
But the dead Kai does not make any noise when he is jumping down from the very ceiling of the hugh chamber roof. He does not even bother to use his brace as a lift. Bones might crash, muscles might disconnect when landing, but everything is fine just a few seconds later. To be a de-carbonised assassin has some advantages after all.
He suddenly appears in front of her, only one meter away, and now there's no space to run anymore. At this second Prince and the living part of Kai also appear from thin air.
„The chase is finally over. - NOW comes the fun part!" states Prince and is clearly enjoying himself, while Kai is griping Xev and throwing her towards one of the walls next-by. It is a hard landing, Xev grunts on impact, but she is biting her tongue not to scream out loud. Her shoulder and back hurt, where she hit the wall, but she knows that's just the beginning. She manages to get on her feet again, - barely. Kai really IS a very strong dead assassin! She never had any real chance. And she knew that - from the beginning.
While Kai is closing the gap between them, she keeps searching for a way to escape, for a little hole, where she can crawl in and just forget about this nightmare. But there is none, and she never really expected one to be. So Xev is facing her fate and death approaching her, wearing a oh-so-familiar face , trying to swallowing away her fear.
Her gaze avoids Prince, but she sucks in the sight of the living Kai part, the one she always wanted to be with, - loving her, leading a happy life together. The living Kai she sees now, is not a gorgeous looking warrior leader, he is a torn and wracked theatrical actor, confused by this craziness, with no memory of his former self, his great personality and glorious past, a puppet of Prince ... and now... he is pitying her, ... and the pity in his eyes is more that she can bear. SHE should pity him ! At least, SHE still knows, who she is!  - But not for long: the dead Kai is filling her view finally - the closer he gets. He erases any sight of his living part, until he also fills up all her thoughts.
„You know, Kai," she manages to say before he can start his cruel work on her, „I forgive you. And ..."
Kai stops in front of her. Waiting.
"Thanks for staying with us, thanks for helping us out, thanks for being you, thanks for giving me back my will to live and the believe in goodness in people …" so thousand words she wanted to say, but all she manages is: „I will always love you."
And then the tears start springing from her eyes again. I hope you will get, whatever you wish for, she thinks to herself and starts preparing for even more pain and agony she ever experienced before. It will not last forever, she keeps telling herself, straightening the little courage that is left in her. It will not last forever, only a few hours! Kai will take care of that, Kai will not let her down. He will not let her suffer more than the amount that is necessary to carry out the deal with Prince. Kai will not let her down!

But it is the first cry of Xev that makes Stanley leave his hiding place. Not certain, where he wants to go, but there is this urgent feeling to move more or less consciously toward the place, where Xev is screaming for her life. 
"Stop that", says the living Kai and insists on intervening on this cruel situation. But Prince's holding him back and Prince seems to be so much stronger than the living Kai is.
"It is for the greater good", mocks Prince while the living Kai is struggling in his grip. "It is to your own benefit. And besides that, he might be one part of you, but definitely one, that you don't have under control - at all. If you are messing with him, he will surely kill you, no matter what, and no matter who or what you are. He is truly unstoppable, and as soon as he gets in motion, which rarely happens very often these days, I have to admit, he does what he is set to do."
"Look, Kai, there has to be another way, leave her alone. She's your friend! I don't want this to happen, not this way, not at this costs!" The living one shouts desperately.
"I told you, you will die, when you don't stop this", repeats Prince. "And even if he is not doing it, I will do it for him."
The living Kai stops resisting, but his face is a grimace of anger and rage and hate towards Prince and even toward his dead part is showing in his eyes.
This cruel play goes on for a few minutes, when suddenly Stanley appears from one of the moth breeder chambers, jumping at the dead Kai, trying to stop his hands, that just closed around Xev's neck to strangle her.
"No, no-no-no! Stop that, please stop that, Kai! What are you doing? Are you crazy? Stop that, please, please... I can't stand it anymore." shouts Stanley.
"Oh, surprise, surprise, the latest guests are always the best", mocks Prince again. Stanley whirls around. The dead Kai hesitates, and leaves Xev alone for a few seconds, not certain, if Stanley's presents here is changing the situation. Xev is trying to catch her breath again.
"You, it is always you!" puts Stanley towards Prince. "Why don't you just leave us alone? We have done nothing to you..."
"Well, if you don't count, that you destroyed my planet and cruised a lot of my plans, well, then I would agree, that you have done nothing to me, - but surely, you have done nothing FOR me yet either." Replies to Prince and is suddenly enjoying himself. "Actually, you should enjoy our little show here, it will be the last time for you and Xev anyway."
"Oh", says Stanley suddenly stunned, "you are here, too?" And glances at the living Kai. "Why aren't you doing anything?"
"Do I know you, too?" Asks the living Kai, and again feels not comfortable in his own skin.
"No, I don't think so." responds Stanley after a closer look on the wrecked actor and turns around to the dead one and Xev again.
"Please, Kai, don't hurt her anymore. She doesn't deserve it. - Well, no one of us does, … I think. …Are you OK, Xev?"
She nods weakly, actually, there's no visible wound on her, besides a few bruises. Kai hasn't started to use his brace yet.
"What are you here for, Stanley?" asks Prince again.
Xev is catching up her breath and also advises: "You should leave, Stan. Now!"
"I will not let you alone on this." insists Stanley and he looks much bolder than he ever did before. But actually he is kind of surprised by his own courage... 
"Well, Stanley, you are kind of late, and not part of the deal anymore. This decision would have been more appreciated a few hours earlier. But where were you then? Hiding somewhere, I'm sure, at a pretty comfortable place.... "states Prince.
"No-no, I know the deal, it was about dying quick and painless! So what happened?" asks Stanley having no clue at all, as usual.
"Well, YOU happened to be not there, where your friends needed you!" yells Prince. "You let them down, both, and now Xev is paying your bills either. That's what happened, and that's what usually happens, right, Stanley? Over and over again."
"No-no, no-no, I am here, I am here to do the right thing."
"That will cause you to die, Stanley H Tweedle, you... will...die." 
Stanley is shaken.
"What do you fear the most?" asks Prince and answers at the same time: - "Me, Stanley, and you should, because as soon as you die, you will be mine. Forever!"
"I don't want to die", mumbles Stanley.
"Neither does Xev." replies Prince. "But Kai wants and that's what all this is about! What an irony!" A big grinning face again! "So, get on with it, Kai, don't waste our time any longer."
And Kai finally is steadying his brace thing, seeing that Xev's eyes widen in awe. But she keeps being quiet.
"No, please, no!" shouts Stanley almost crying now. And tries to jump on the dead Kai, who is easily able to keep him in bay just by pushing him away, so that the former security guard class 4 falls down several meters away, where he crashes more mentally then actually physically hurt.
"Do something", he mumbles to himself or to the living Kai, "do something, please, you have to stop this craziness."
The living Kai cannot watch it any longer! With an almost frightening calmness he walks towards Stan, helps him up, while still keeps an eye on the dead Kai there, who is also watching him in turn, as usual: cautious, motionless, still aiming with his brace at Xev and with the other hand continuously squeezing her neck. Xev bravely keeps up the struggle still, but is getting visibly weaker by the minute. 
Not that it would do her any good, even at full strength. Assassins of the Divine Order were designed to kill, with superhuman efficiency and strength. 
The tension is almost touchable, when the living Kai retreats from his dead part, taking Stan with him. Stan yarns but doesn't resist, - all his braveness, as small at it was, is sucked away already. And so the living Kai snatches the former security guard 4th class, and takes him with him. Away. Just away.

The dead one glances one long while at Xev, before he starts increasing to force his grip around her throat again.
Prince, who was watching from a safe distance before, finally approaches the cruel scene to get a better view on this drama enfolding in front of him, while Xev's resistance deceases slowly. Stan, hurt at this sight, finally turns away. He can't bear it any longer!
Prince, eagerly approaches Kai and Xev even closer, to not miss the slightest trace of pain on Xev's face. And her now unavoidable certain moment of death. He feels it. It is evident now that her last breathe is about to be taken. Death is near and fills Prince with a fresh excitement. He licks his lips.
"Yes", he grumbles, "yes, sweet Xev, now you are doomed to be mine!" 
Xev's eyes are about to bulge. Her arms tremble and wave aimlessly. Prince gets eagerly closer. And closer.
Suddenly Xev erupts in Kai's embrace as if in the arms of a passionate lover, she opens her eyes, all conscious now, not at all ready to faint and replies weakened but bold: "Never!" 
And the dead Kai releases her from his deadly grip, while the living part of him got into the occupied Prince's back and rams forcefully a syringe in the unprotected neck. Instantly Prince drops to the floor. Not even enough time for astonishment. The mean face gets suddenly calm and peaceful for a change. - He didn't see it coming! No chance!
"Hurry," orders the dead assassin, "the cryochamber!"
Xev: "He is paralysed, he cannot interfere anymore or any soon!"
Living Kai: "We don't know for sure. He is not human! And we can't be certain, how this drug works on him. Or for how long. Better let's hurry!"
The dead one does not wait for the outcome of this argument, takes the action in his hand and just throws the limp body of their enemy over his shoulder, as if it were a minor burden, like a sack of feathers, and heads in the direction of the cryochamber. The three others follow behind, but Xev is painfully slow, her legs are still trembling and weak. So Stan aids her. Concerned he asks: "Xev, are you...?"
"I'm fine, Stan," she reassures him though still feels pretty sick, and starts grinning. 
"But he wanted to,... really intended to..."
She nods: "lt had to be real, as real as to convince everybody ... especially Prince."
Stan is not sure about being upset or relieved: "It certainly convinced me...but you never were in danger, or were you?"
"lt was real!" explains Xev, "Kai really almost strangled me. Prince can sense death, you know that. He had to be totally convinced!"
"But what, what...?"
"Thanks, Stan, that you wanted to sacrifice yourself for me!"
Stan: "Oh well..." 
Xev hugs Stan, gives him a big, wet snuggle on his forehead, grins, Stan blushes.
"It was nothing," he announces shyly though, "we are friends!"
"And friends stick together, even through hard times!" nods Xev, limping forth, following the two Kais.

The living Kai to the dead one, who just secured and froze Prince body in one of the cryopods: "Are we save now?" 
"For the moment," answers Kai, double-checking the pod control unit, "but we have no time to spare..." adds the assassin, and without hesitating whirls around, aims without looking, because he is absolute certain about his target's location, and fires his brace.
In that second Xev and Stan enter the chamber, just in time to watch it destroy the bottle of remaining proto blood, shattering it into 1000 pieces.
The precious liquid spills all over the floor, mangles with the glass chunks, to get finally absorbed by Lexx metabolism, forever wasted and lost without any further chance of retreatment.
Xev cries out loud: "KAI!"
Not at the least impressed fumbles Kai on his chest armour and opens the drain, that leads straight to his heart replacement, the pump for proto blood circulation in his body system.
Kai looks at his living part in front of him.
"There is only this one try ..." and he opens the drain. The golden glittering fluid, sustaining his modified assassin body for over 6000 years, preserving him from decaying and his irreversible death, runs on the floor. It doesn't take long and the dead body drops heavily, fast loosing control and causing a loud ill-sounding thump at hitting the organic floor of the cryochamber. 
"Kai!" stammers Xev, watching in awe the slowing motions of Kai's limps, when his back finally leans at rest on the surface of one of Lexx's piles. His living part bounces over him, watchful and somehow curious, while Kai reminds him: "When I get stiff for the first time ..."
"Yes, l know ... " mumbles the living Kai almost impatiently. 
Stan: "Kai?"
Dead Kai: "Yes, Stan?" 
Stan: "Would have you done it, really? Would you?"
d. Kai: "What?" 
Stan: "... been killing us? Not just pretending to do so?" 
The dead Kai does not answer, instead his gaze turns to Xev, his mouth edges slightly upward almost into a grin, mumbling a weak: "Thanks."
Stan murmurs: "I guess that means: the dead don't pretend!"
The living Kai, now concerned, to the dead Kai: "If this does not work ..."
"Then we are just both dead, as we are now."
Stan to Xev: "Would he... ?" 
Xev does not turn her eyes off the wracked body on the floor. The dead assassin is getting weaker as she watches: "You don't want to know.. better stop thinking about it ...!"
Then to the living one, obviously now in charge: "How?"
L. Kai. "The right timing is important."
Xev: "When?" 
L. Kai: "Very soon."
The dead Kai fixes Xev and Stan one last time and mumbles: "Fare well, Xev, - Stan."
"Kai..." mourns Xev sadly. - Then he looses the focus of his eyes, twists them, the white gets visible, and his head descends/ceases slowly down on his chest.
L .K. concludes: "Now..."
He dips his finger in one almost dried trace of the wasted proto blood on the floor, and wets the lips of the dead one with it. 
The dead one quivers, licks his lips off the sweet juice, opens his eyes, his head is rolling uncontrollable. His living ego asks: "Ready?" 
The dead assassin focuses, thinks for a second and then nods weakly.
Because he is too weak to do it himself the living one puts the arms of the dead on his shoulders, they are really heavy, and afterwards his own ones on the dead man's cheek and forehead. Suddenly there appears a flash, some lightning striking the two bodies, playing around them, but mainly floating from the dead one into the head and arms of the living one. lt looks very beautiful, indeed!
Nobody besides Kai was in the chamber of the Devine Precessors, when Kai squeezed the brain of the former Devine Shadow, who had him and his folks killed thousands of years ago. Else this lightning would remind the watching persons of this very moment.
Only this time the living Kai gets hit boldly and stops being able to bear it any longer than a few seconds. The powerful force drags him several meters away from his dead part, separates the invisible link and the breathing body slams into the floor like a sack of meat, where he ceases twitching at all. Just like the dead assassin.
Xev now finally turns into action and hurries to the unconscious body of the living Kai, while Stan wonders about the dead one. Isn't he suppose to be the one, Xev usually cares for?
Anyway it doesn't look well. Xev repeatly calls out Kai's name, over and over again, she shakes the living one like a puppet with no visible effect at all. While Stan approaches the dead one's body, inspecting it somehow closer. 
Stan is confused: 'What was that? - Is he dead?"
Xev: "For 6000 years, you know that!" 
Despaired she finally tries to hit Kai, slamming him in his face, shouting: "Come on, Kai, don't give up! You are a Brunnen-G warrior! Don't give up!"
And she puts her lips on his warm ones. To no use. Then repeats the passionate kiss, finally she starts to think of having lost him forever and hugs his limp body firmly but all so sadly.
Stan points to the wracked body of the assassin Kai, leaning on the wall nearby. "Shouldn't we try to revive him instead? Maybe we could gather some of the stuff from this puddles here on the floor?"
Xev: "No way, Stan!"
Stan: "What?"
Xev: "He would kill both of us immediately!"
Stan astonished: "Kai? Why?"
Xev: "Because, our Kai is dead ... he will not move anymore. The Devine Assassin is switched off forever. There is only this one left here."
Stan: "And what was the purpose of all this then?"
Xev: "Help me! We have to wake him up!" 
Stan: "What for?"
Xev: "Think, Stanley. Haven't you seen the light? This is our Kai, if he ever wakes up again!" And points to the unconscious shape in her arms. 
Stan: "I don't understand ... oh... you mean... ?"
"The same way the Devine Shadow survived transferring his memories from one body to another. For thousands of years! And the same way our Kai got back his memories from one of the Devine Processors, when we left the Cluster for the first time! - Our Kai transferred his memories to his living part. You understand?"
Stan finally hurries to Xev and bounces over the body in her lap. "You mean, he lives? Again?"
Xev watches him breathing in. "I think so!"
Stan: "You mean, our Kai is in this body now?" 
Xev: "That was the plan."
"What plan?" 
"Our plan. Actually Kai's plan. We had to distract Prince first, getting him out of the way, - without killing him, though. Would he have guessed our plan, he certainly had removed the living Kai out of our reach. And that meant our failure!"
Stan: "You mean, everything, the chase, the pleading about what 'real friends are for', that was all a set-up?"
"Not all of it, but Prince had to be convinced."
Stan: "And nobody bothered to tell me? I can't believe it, I went through hell, I was afraid of you!"
Xev: "lt had to look real!"
Stan: "But he strangled you! And I know he is incredible strong!"
Xev with her hand examine her throat: "Yes, that had hurt!"
Stan: "All a set-up?"
Xev: "No, that was real. We had the faint hope, that Prince's attention would have been so distracted, that the rest could happen without him noticing it, behind his back!"
Stan points to the still unconscious body in Xev's lap: "And he?"
Xev: "Naturally he had to be told in. For preparation Kai had to transfer him a little amount of his memories in advance. For knowledge of the precise steps to take."
Stan: "Why not all of the memories at once? Would have saved us quite some trouble!"
Xev: "First: there was not enough time. And second: Kai would not have been our Kai, the Kai we know, anymore, but the lethal Devine Assassin again. - Remember, without his memories of his former life he was just a programmed killing machine, ready to destroy all heretics of the Devine Order, and to cleans all human life-forms of the League of the 20.000 Planets. - He knew that. And so he was stalling for time, as to block all possible interfering of Prince, and to disable the Devine Assassin before the actual and complete transfer."
Stan: "That's why he wasted all his proto blood."
Xev nods.
Stan: "Did it work?"
Xev, almost weeping now: "l don't know!" 
And she starts stroking the sleeping, breathing face: "I hope so!"
Suddenly there is a cracking sound behind them, it originates from the cryopod, which contains Prince's frozen shape,- only this time he is slightly moving, he opens his eyes and the super strong glassy material, from which the pod is cast, starts showing incredible widening cracks on the hull.
Stan: "Oh, oh, that doesn't look promising..."
Xev: "How could that be? Is the pod broken?"
Stan hurries to the control-unit and checks the settings: "No, everything seams to be normal. The pod's content is at absolute Zero, as it should be. Nothing can live or move in there! ...Everything has to be dead."
Kai: "Besides death itself!"
Xev shouts enthusiastically: "KAI!" as she notices his open eyes, and drolls over him. 
Stan: "What?"
The living one glances up to Xev's beautiful, artificially created face and smiles back: "Xev."
Xev: "Are you...have you...?"
Kai tries to get up, stumbles on his feet, touches his head. Xev supports him as much as needed to steady himself. 
"... a terrible headache." answers Kai mildly smiling, "it somehow feels... alive."
Xev can't help but sheds some happy tears about this news, and even Stan looks moved.
Xev: "We really did it then?"
Stan: "Welcome back in the land of the living, Kai."
Adding somehow suspicious: "You are our Kai, aren't you?"
As if not entirely listening the living one walks over to where the dead assassin body collapsed on the floor. Now forever motionless. He bents over it and slightly stubs the cold modified flesh. His face shows no readable expression all the while, almost as a dream walker.
Xev: "You got all your.... l mean...?"
Suddenly he replies as if talking to himself: "I remember, watching the supernova of Brunnis with the both of you. Or the collapse of the light-universe. By Mantrid's drone arms." (now fixing Xev) "...and the kiss, after the Devine Shadow, the Cluster and the Giga-Shadow got destroyed."
He touches his lips with his fingertips as if in an afterglow of this past moment. Xev smiles. 
And he resumes: "...and me, watching you turning into a Cluster Lizard and consuming this all-living body."
Xev's grin freezes.
Kai: "I still have the memories of all the victims of the two Devine Shadows, which I destroyed....so many lives, in one brain...too much for one alone..."
Xev: "You are not alone, Kai. We are with you! We are your friends! And for the first time we were finally able to prove it to you!"
Kai replies: "I know," but keeps on smiling somehow sadly.
Xev: "Finally we are really together! There is so much we can do now!" 
"I don't think so," and with Prince's words the pod gives way and cracks entirely open and the former ruler of the planet Fire steps out.
"Nice plan you had there," admits Prince, "l bow my head. But of course I always have a counter-strategy at hand."
790: "Only the two of them. The warm stiff is all for me, you promised!"
Prince: "And I always keep my promises! But in the end, everybody is MINE!"
Xev: "790?"
Kai concludes: "He remote controlled the cryo-unit and woke him up."
790: "Exactly!"
Stan: "790, I will ..."
Unimpressed strives Prince strains of ice from his coat: "Nice try." Then he takes a closer look at the living Kai in front of him, even starts sniffling on him. 
"I see... you have not even needed me. - I should never underestimate a Devine Assassin!" 
And whirls around to glance towards the dead body on the floor.
Prince grins evil: "Well, not anymore, I would guess. One problem less. That means, you have nothing under your sheets anymore to hold me at bay. Your wild card was played for the last time!"
And to all the three of them: "You are all mine!"
Kai interferes boldly: "We had a deal!" 
Prince: "Oh yes, and who screwed it? I don't feel obliged!"
Prince takes a step closer and wants to get Kai, but Xev screams wildly enraged and rolls in with her lizard style!
Xev: "You seam to have entirely forgotten about me! Big mistake." 
She pushes Prince away from Kai and tries to protect him instead.
790 protests: "Kai is mine. Keep your dirty fingers by yourself, trash-bitch!"
Dead Kai: "Who would you want me .....want me to cleans for you, Devine Shadow."
790: "Xev and the useless security guard 4th class, Stanley H. Tweedle! Of course!"
The dead Kai, now the assassin in his fullest and not as disabled as hoped, obeys like a machine and weakly aims with his brace arm in the general direction of Xev and Stan. He fires.
The weapon weeps in a curve towards the group, but the living Kai is the first to react, he jumps at Xev and Stan, pushes them away, knocks them down and all fall to the ground, while the brace weapon swirls by, passes, and returns to the assassin on the floor, where it finally clings down beside the now ever motionless corpus.
All happened as fast as an eye-blink! 
Prince astonished: "Tzzz... dead assassins - always good for surprises."
And shakes his head almost amused.
790 cheers.
Kai, Stan and Xev lay on the floor, when Kai first breaks the silence: "Are you okay?" he carefully asks.
Stan slowly sits up, taps himself up and down and suddenly remembers others around him: "Xev?"
Xev, who got most of Kai's pushing-force and carries all his weight on her, gets up puzzled.
"Are you okay?" adds Stan. 
She inspects herself as well. And suddenly notices blood: "I don't know."
She smells on it, shakes her head. Then her gaze turns to Kai who is not getting up at all! 
Prince laughs out loud. "Caught in his own web", he cheers. And waves a happy: "See you soon, cheerio!"
Then he disappears in his typical thin like air style!
Xev: "Kai ? KAI? ... Are you hurt?"
Kai looks up, weak but almost grinning. He seams not half as upset as Xev is. He replies: "Everything is all right - finally!"
Xev: "But you are, ... you are ..."
Stan finally seams to wake up und notices the blood on Xev's hand.
Stan: "Xev, you are injured!"
Xev shouts out despaired: "Not me!"
She turns Kai on his back and now even Stan notices the fast widening blood stain on Kai's chest. The assassin never failed on hitting his victims! And his very last one is no exception! 
Xev: "No. NO! Not now! When we finally had you back!"
Stan: "Prince, who did he mean? -You?"
Kai hushes for breathe: "No, there is another ... way ... listen to Xev .... she knows."
Kai presses Xev's hand. Grins mildly at her. "6000 Years ... enough."
Xev : "Don't say that!"
Stan: "The dead should stay dead? ... Is it that?" 
Kai: "They should be allowed to ... die ... properly and for real." His voice is only a whisper now: "l am sorry, Xev, that I wasn't able to love you the way ... you wanted me to."
It breaks her heart, but she repeats: "Don't ...say that."
Prince suddenly appears again and triumphs loudly: "Finally! Victory! I always win in the end..."
But Kai just looks up and still keeps smiling mildly and as if peacefully set and centred within himself.
Prince: "Defeated! Now you are really mine! - Forever and always!"
Xev and Stan are shocked. Could it be? But Kai keeps his silence, then a dry croak shakes him. A stronger one follows, combined with a rasping, wet sound from deeper down and inside.
Then suddenly it turns out to be a very free and loud laugh.
Prince stops suddenly disrupted and disturbed. But Kai continues, and within an eye-blink - just disappears! Without any further trace.
Xev looks down at her empty lap and cries silently.
Prince: "What?"
Stan: "Xev?"
Prince: "To where?" 
Xev: "If you really are, who you claim to be, then how comes, you have never wondered, why you never encountered any other members of the Brunnen-G, Kai's folks? The destruction of his whole planet of origin happened over 6000 years ago. Millions of his people died then at once. You should have met them, at least a few of them, shouldn't you?"
Prince trembles!
Xev: "Kai was left behind. But not any longer. - I think, he is with his people now." 
Stan: "I remember. The maestro of the theatre at the end of the light-universe said, that the Brunnen-G defeated their greatest enemy: Death itself."
Xev nods: "And though they went down with their planet. But their souls were not doomed to the planets Fire or Water, they took the emergency exit! Now, after 6000 years, Kai was enabled to follow them, after the reunion with his life-essence. After being whole again. And dying for real."
Xev triumphs: "Take it, Prince, he defeated you. He and his whole race. There is an exit! Stan and I will use it, too. We will never be yours! Kai's victory, and - ours too!" 
Stan: "Yeah, exactly!"
Prince: "lt can't be! It can't be!"
he shouts, enraged, turns around and disappears!
Stan stars at the point, where Prince vanished, then back to where Kai disappeared. Then back to the decarbonized body of the assassin still on the floor.
Stan: "Xev? - How?"
Xev: "By leading the right life, Stan! Taking the right way even into death. ... it is not an easy road to take, and We still have to work hard on us. But some day we will be read to follow. And might see him again."
Stan: "Aren't you sad? Won't You miss him?"
Xev: "That's what he wanted all along, to be FREE, Stan. I think, it was not possible without us. He would have been destroyed in the supernova of Brunnis, or dried off proto blood. We helped him back into his real life and into his real death. To set him free! That's what he was longing for. But I wished, we had more time ..."
Stan: "We had 4000 years ..."
Xev: "I mean 'alive'! - But he left something behind for us: eternity and victory over death, Prince himself! I hope we will not disappoint him, and are worthy of his legacy!"
But though she shades some tears.