When a phoenix falls

AN: Hey, I was planning on having a more detailed description as to what happened during the battle, but I think that would push it into the M rated category. So I decided to cut most of it. There will be a little information, but not a lot.

Tyber's breath hitched, "From what you've said, the entire plan rode on the fact that the ARK knew you were coming. Without the knowledge that you were coming then…"

Giles nodded once, "It was going to be a bloodbath, and all that remained to be seen was who was going to provide the blood."

Twilight wiped the 'Oh my God how did that happen' look off his face, "That's, horrible."

Giles grimaced, "'Horrible' doesn't even come close as to what happened up there." He glanced at Tyber, "You've seen what happens when you take an enemy force by surprise."

Tyber's eyes widened and he had a sudden intake of breath, "Yeah, I have."

Giles nodded again, "Then you know what it was like."

Tyber simply bowed his head.

Giles sighed, "It truly was a bloodbath, there's no other way to put it."

Tyber cocked his head, "Wait, you say that like there was something hidden…"

Giles nodded, "Command was no longer interested in just having the traitors killed. They wanted them killed, and anyone on the ARK who knew what was planned erased."

G.U.N. shuttle: 5 minutes until landing

Giles did a final check of his Colt M-16 assault rifle and activated his helmet comm. system, "Weapons check."

After everyone on the shuttle under his command responded 'ready', he glanced at the leader of the attack who said, "The mission profile has changed, the ARK has gone renegade, unless otherwise specified, all ARK personnel are considered hostile."

Giles shifted uncomfortably in his seat, until he heard the commander say something over the command channel. "The enlisted soldier's guns are loaded with blanks; let's just hope that Professor Gerald kept up his end of the deal."

A few minutes later a voice went over the primary channel, "Prepare for landing."

When the shuttle docked, the doors opened and revealed numerous scientists who had no idea what was going on. The enlisted men automatically opened fire, somehow killing the scientists. They were the first of many to die that day.

Station Square: current day

Tyber blinked a few times, "Wait, I thought they had blanks, how did they kill?"

Giles sighed, "The ARK not knowing we were coming was only part of the problem."

Twilight's eyes widened in realization, "They weren't blanks, were they?"

Giles shook his head, "No, it was live ammunition. The people who were going to supply the blanks didn't have enough to fill our order, but Command didn't tell us that."

Tyber's eyes narrowed in anger, "So it wasn't just an accident, it was a cover-up."

Giles nodded, "Yes, that's a good way of putting it. Command didn't want anyone to know what happened."

Twilight closed his eyes, "Erasure, I thought that military groups doing that were a myth."

Giles shook his head, "No, it was all too real."

Tyber's eyes widened, "Wait, what happened to the Artificial Chaos? I thought that the cover story was that they were malfunctioning."

Giles nodded once, "Ah, there's the catch. Since the enlisted men were supposed to have blanks, the idea was that the scientists would play dead, and we could mop up after the Chaos security drones started tearing the enlisted forces apart."

Twilight inclined his head in realization, "So when they started firing live ammunition and the Chaos' weren't active…"

"It became clear that we had to figure it out as we went, sadly a lot of people died before we could 'complete' the mission." Giles explained, "And included in that casualty list was of course, Maria Robotnik."

Tyber sighed, "As the world learned a few years back."

"Yeah, they did." Giles said as he shook his head, "If Command hadn't sent us on that mission then she would have lived and most of this never would have happened."

Twilight shook his head, "At the risk of sounding cold, I'm kind of glad it happened."

Giles simply stared at him in confusion.

"Well, if she didn't die, then G.U.N. wouldn't have had to create their version of the Ultimate Life Form. Meaning Mary wouldn't have been changed, she wouldn't have met Robert, and Tyber wouldn't have been born."

Giles nodded, "Which by extension, means you wouldn't have existed."

Twilight smirked, "It's kind of hard to wish for your own non-existence."

Tyber chuckled, "Always the blunt one, but still that makes sense. Why would you wish for something that would remove yourself from existence?"

Twilight nodded and glanced at Giles, "Anything more we should know about Rising Phoenix?"

Giles shook his head, "No, you two know everything."

Tyber got up from his chair, "In that case, I think we're done here."

Twilight got up as well, "Thank you for your time Captain."

Giles simply smiled, "My pleasure, just use this information wisely."

Tyber nodded once and glanced at Twilight, "Let's go."

AN: Sorry for the lack of length, the cut battle scene cut a lot of length, and there wasn't anything more that I wanted to say. I'm a believer of not using a hundred words when ten will work. There's not much here, but there's not much more I can say that's needed for the plot. Please review. Also, I'm not accepting new OC's for the next while.