Year 930 of the Silver Millennium
Sailor Pluto calmly reached out from the darkness and, with a swift pull, snapped the Beryl loyalist's neck from behind.
The echoing sizzle of laze fire burned through the air nearby as she let the body limply drop among his dead squad mates. Turning to hurry on along the blast-pitted royal grounds, she summoned shadows to cloak her presence again, in a swirl of darkly glowing rune patterns fading rapidly from solid black to nothingness. Far overhead, an explosion blanketed the night sky in momentary blinding light. Another of the royal cruisers taken down? Or maybe one of the Dark Kingdom's fleet ships this time. She couldn't tell, and didn't bother to check. By this point after so many had died, she could barely summon the will to care. She had greater things to worry about.
A human sized flaming comet landed on a distant roof, instantly leaping off again in a swift flurry of scorching fire. Mars, falling back toward the palace. The defensive line must have fallen; as fierce a warrior as Mars was, she would never give ground unless directly ordered.
But wasn't she paired with another senshi? Setsuna seemed to recall — ah. A dark streak landed on the same roof and stumbled into a clumsy roll with a quiet yelp, the wicked gleam of a flailing halberd flashing a dim reflection. Pluto hastened her pace and with a few enhanced leaps was standing on the same roof, uncloaking her form next to the girl struggling to get up.
"Setsuna?" Saturn's expression was of complete shock on noticing her, eyes wide as she stared at Pluto's fuku. "When did you — ?" she was cut off as a nearby explosion shook the building, toppling her over with another cry of agony.
Pluto stood her ground easily as a blazing hot wind whipped by, unfazed by the shaking. Mechanically her eyes drifted up and down Saturn's dirty form, silently cataloging the numerous wounds and rips to her uniform. Matted blood in hair, possible minor concussion. Ripped skirt and torso piece split, defensive shield emitters likely affected along with life support functions. Her gaze scanning downward, she noted Saturn's leg with pronounced abrasions and bruising, boot almost torn in two. Crushed? Runic circuits in that boot likely completely ruined; useless.
"Setsuna, tell me what happened. Why are you wearing that?" Saturn's voice was pleading as she crawled to her knees, wincing with every pronounced movement.
Pluto ignored her question. "Uranus and Neptune? Where?"
Saturn hesitated, but painfully pointed toward a flickering section of the horizon, where the light of concentrated small arms fire and constant bombing flashed with the highest intensity. "There. Still with the Queen, as you asked."
Pluto nodded, and with a sudden rough yank pulled Saturn to her feet, the small girl biting back a scream of pain. "Palace," Pluto commanded. "Regroup with Mars and the others."
Letting go of Saturn, who stumbled and barely stayed up with the help of her halberd, Pluto strode to the edge of the roof in preparation to leap toward the other two outer senshi.
"Wait!" cried a desperate Saturn, "What about you?"
"I'll bring Serenity. Wait there for us." She turned and glared at Saturn. "Go. Now!" And Pluto was off, racing toward her Queen.
Stay alive, Serenity. Her leaps grew faster and harsher, as the scenery around her began to blur with speed.
I'm coming, so stay alive!