Her ears, once long and slender, had receded into her head, replaced by small, round human ears.  Her jawline, once defined and elegant, was now soft, round and full.  Bella, Tatyana, and Orlova watched in horrified fascination at Nova's completed transformation.  The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the wet, slapping sounds of the tentacles as they squirmed and searched for purchase.

Nova's body, now a grotesque parody, hung limply in the air, supported by the writhing mass of tentacles. Her eyes, still black and deep, met Nigel's gaze, a mixture of pain, humiliation, and defiance shining in them.

"Nigel," she rasped, her voice, while still soft, echoed with a harsh, grating undertone, "You didn't have to do this."

Nigel's expression was grim, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and determination. "Yes, we did, Nova. We couldn't keep living a lie. There's no going back."

"You say that Nigel," Nova hissed, "But I wager your plan is to put me back in that coffin. Oh, the irony of 'no going back.'" Nova's voice dripped with sarcasm, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Nigel. "You think you can just put me back in stasis? After everything I've been through, everything I've done for you and your crew?"

Nigel flinched at the venom in her voice, but his resolve didn't waver. "We can't just let you wander around, Nova. Not like this. It's not safe."

Nova threw her head back and laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed through the room. "Safe? You think I'm the one who's unsafe, Nigel? You're the one who's brought me here, forced me to change, to reveal myself to you. You're the one who's put everyone on this ship in danger." Nova's voice was filled with a bitter, caustic edge, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Nigel, her body still suspended in the air by the writhing tentacles.

Nigel's demeanor was steadfast, "If you won't return to stasis, then you will have to leave the ship; here, now." he stated, his voice echoing through the lab, leaving no room for negotiation.

Nova's eyes widened, her body tensing as she prepared to fight. "You would just throw me out into the Timeless Zone? After everything we've been through?" she snarled, her voice dripping with disbelief and betrayal.

Nigel's heart ached at the sight of her, at the pain and anger in her voice, but he kept his resolve firm.

Nova's resolve matched his, "And if I refuse, how will you force me off..." she started but was cut off by the appearance of Tatyana above and behind her, the ornate hammer raised high. Nova's supernatural reflexes kicked in. She lashed out with a tentacle, catching Tatyana off guard and sending her crashing into a console, the hammer clattering to the floor.

Nova turned her attention back to Nigel, her demeanor was calm, but her eyes betrayed her fury. "It was wise to use the one whose thoughts were silent to me, Nigel. But as you can see, utterly..." she started to gloat, but as she did, she felt a wetness on her neck, her human arm reaching up to touch it, she found it slick with blood. "Futile?"

Tatyana regained her footing. Her chrome armored tail curled in front of her, a spattering of blood dulling its luster. She held the ornate hammer in her hand, her grip steady despite the pain etched on her face. "Not entirely," she replied, her voice filled with a cold determination. "I may not have landed the first blow, but I sure as hell landed the last one."

Nova's eyes widened in shock; her hand still pressed against the wound on her neck. She hadn't even felt her tail connect, her senses dulled by her anger and surprise. She looked at Tatyana, her eyes filled with a mix of respect and hatred.

"You're a formidable opponent, Tatyana. I'll give you that," Nova admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Her body began to convulse, the tentacles thrashing wildly as she struggled to maintain control. "But you've only delayed the inevitable." She raised her other human-like hand, fingers splayed, and a wave of energy pulsed from her, sending Tatyana crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.

Nigel lunged forward, his body moving on instinct, but Bella was quicker. She stepped in front of him, her laser rifle raised and fired.

The beam of light seared through the air, leaving a trail of ozone in its wake. It struck Nova's outstretched hand, cauterizing the flesh instantly. Nova screamed, her body convulsing as the energy pulse she had been channeling dissipated, leaving her weakened and vulnerable.

Doctor Orlova leapt high into the air, belying her age and pacifism, with a hypodermic needle glinting in her hand. However, Nova recovered quickly, her reflexes still lightning-fast despite her weakened state. She lashed out with a tentacle, deflecting Orlova's dive and sending her crashing into a bank of consoles, the needle skittering across the floor.

Nigel, undeterred, charged forward, his combat EVA-suit's propulsion system kicking in. A tentacle wrapped around him, but instead of deflecting his charge, it brought him in close to Nova, who embraced him with her human-like arms. Nigel, taken aback, didn't struggle immediately. Nova's eyes, still black and deep, met his gaze, a mixture of pain, desperation, and a spark of hope shining in them.

"Nigel," she whispered with sadness, "How did it come to this? I thought I had more time. I thought..." she paused as she leaned forward, her cheek pressing against his snout. "That our pairing was providence, that we were meant to be together, to explore the cosmos as one."

Nigel's heart ached at these words, recalling the times they had shared, the laughter, the comfort, the love. He had felt it too, that connection, that spark. But now, looking at her, at the grotesque parody of her true form, he felt a chill run down his spine. He pushed away the memories, steeling himself for what was to come.

"Nova," he said, his voice firm, "That was before. Before I knew the truth. Before I knew you were feeding on the Celestial Engine, siphoning its power to maintain your form. Before I knew you were a danger to my crew, to my daughter, to me."

Nova's eyes widened in shock, her embrace tightening around Nigel. "You... you knew?" she stammered, her voice rising with surprise over its dark undertones.

Nigel nodded, his expression grave. "I suspected. After the engine of the Lupus exploded, it revealed your tentacles wrapping around it, or at least the shadowy energy of your tentacles. So, on Sönder, I had Atlas send crews onto the Titans Pillar when we were docked. They found evidence of those same tentacles, those same energy readings on our Celestial Engine. I put the pieces together, Nova. I know you've been siphoning power from our engine to maintain your form. And Cursed Ancients knows what else."

Nova's eyes widened in shock, her embrace around Nigel slackening. "You... you were just playing along?"

"I had to be sure. That's why I brought you here, to the Astrometrics Lab. To use the pulse from the Titans Pillar to reveal your true form. I needed to see it with my own eyes, to understand the extent of the danger you pose."

Nova's grip on him loosened further, her eyes filled with a mix of surprise, betrayal, and sadness. "Why, Nigel? Why did you have to know? Why couldn't you just trust me?"

Nigel's expression softened, but his resolve didn't waver. "Because, Nova, I'm responsible for this ship, for my crew, for my daughter. I can't just trust blindly. Not anymore, not after..." he paused, his voice heavy with emotion.

That emotion only made Nova redouble her embrace, her eyes searching his. "You mean... after what happened with your wife?

Nigel flinched, the memory of the spy that was his wife, still a raw wound. "Yes," he admitted, with a whisper. "I can't... I won't let anyone put my crew, my daughter, in that kind of danger again."

Nova's eyes softened, understanding flickering in their depths. "I know you're trying to protect them, Nigel. But you can't protect them from everything. Sometimes, danger comes from the most unexpected places." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"And sometimes, it comes from those who claim to love you."

Nigel's breath hitched, her words striking a chord within him. He looked into her eyes, seeing the sincerity, the vulnerability.

"Hussie! Stay away from my daddy!" Tatyana roared as the hammer found its mark, striking Nova squarely across the chest. A sickening crunch echoed through the room, followed by a spray of blood.

Nova's grotesque form recoiled, her tentacles writhing in agony.

Nigel was thrown away from her, landing roughly on the floor. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide with concern and horror at the sight of his former lover.

Tatyana stood tall, the ornate hammer still gripped tightly in her hands, her eyes ablaze with a fierce determination.

As Tatyana brought the hammer down for a disabling blow, it was caught, by the same human hand that was cauterized by Bella's laser blast. Nova's hand, pristine once more, gripped the hammer tightly, her eyes blazing with renewed fury. Tatyana, taken aback, tried to wrestle the hammer free, but Nova's grip was unyielding, her strength prodigious.

"Your concern for your father is touching, Tatyana," Nova hissed, her voice laced with venom. "But misplaced. I have no intention of harming him, because none of you can truly harm me," Nova declared, her voice echoing through the room. She gave a sharp tug, wrenching the hammer from Tatyana's grasp and sending her sprawling.

Dark, shadowy energy rippled from the tentacles through Nova's upper body, as it did, all wounds she had sustained disappeared, her form regaining its grotesque perfection.

Tatyana scrambled back to her feet; her eyes were wide with disbelief. "How... how is that possible?" she stammered, her tail twitching nervously.