Epilogue: Return

Two years later, and the War was finally over.

Just as had been predicted, the conclusion came with the total destruction of both sides. The loss of their respective homeworlds, combined with the insane single-mindedness of both fleet commanders, had ensured that the only possible outcome was extinction. The remains of the Sigma Narse system would bear silent testament to the passing of two civilizations into oblivion...

Shildy closed her eyes and silently mourned the loss of her people as she and her three companions drifted among the debris of the Final Battle. As they picked their way through the wreckage, any hope of finding survivors transformed into despair at the sight of every ship - from either side - being surrounded by a cloud of corpses that was slowly spreading into the void.

Still – she glanced at her companions and realized that they had, in a sense, succeeded in their mission. They had found Elision, the ancient computer-mind that had kept the records of their past safe. Through it, they had learned of the cyclical nature of history, and their role in the unfolding of the next cycle. It had taught them much of their past, and that this might not actually be an ending for them. During the battle – while each side was focused on exterminating the other, it had transmitted the entirety of its memory to them so that it would not be lost. All of Solnoid history, from their earliest written records to the events that brought about their demise, was now stored on a memory chip that had been loaded into the capsule they were preparing to launch. It would take many thousands of years before it reached its' target – Chaos, moon of Terra, in the Ninth Star System. When the hybrid life they had left on Terra attained a civilization capable of finding their legacy, perhaps they will also have learned to not make the same mistakes that the Solnoid people had.

As she placed her hand on the lever that would send the capsule on its way, the hands of her three friends reached out to cover hers. In a show of complete trust and comradeship, they sent the capsule on its long journey the same way they had began this endeavour – as a team.

My team – Shildy thought as she watched the capsule recede into the distance – how far we've come in such a short time. Her thoughts drifted back to all the people she knew, the ones who had brought them to this moment...

She thought of Captain Nebulart – the Intelligence Division officer and model for their android companion Catty, who had given her the hope that this war would not end in futility... she had sacrificed her life on the planet Embryo in order to ensure that their legacy would survive intact.

She thought of Lufy – the Attacker pilot and most recent member of their little cabal. She had once thought of the War as something that could be won, but eventually realized that nothing good would come out of all that devastation. In the end, however, she had rejoined the fight – unable to alter the course of her destiny, she had thrown herself into the thick of it and gone out in a blaze of glory to give her friends the time they needed to complete their task.

Finally, her thoughts turned to Marcus... the not-quite-alien who had shown her that there were other – better - paths to take. Before meeting him, Shildy had been nothing more than a soldier - as convinced of the rightness of the Solnoid effort as Lufy had once been. His arrival had caused her a great deal of upset, but that upset had set her on a new course which would, she hoped, bring a brighter tomorrow for those left behind.

Absently, she stroked her hair at the remembrance of him – she still warmed to the memory of their bittersweet parting, the tingle she felt as his lips pressed against her cheek remained fresh in her mind. She had desperately wanted to accept his offer, and go with him when he left... but she could not abandon the others to such a bleak fate, so she chose to remain where she was, and fought to preserve what she could.

Wherever you are, I hope that you've found a way to be happy...

Amys' voice snapped her back to reality. "So... what will happen to us now?"

Same question she always asks... Shildy groaned inwardly. "I really don't know, Amy. This ship doesn't have the ability to Jump, so we're stuck in this system. We have food and fuel to last us for a few days – more, if we can salvage anything from what's left of the fleet. But beyond that..." she left the grim conclusion unspoken.

All her energy spent, Amy slumped to her knees onto the deckplates. Tears stained her glasses and ran down her face as she sobbed silently. Spea knelt down and embraced the distraught youngster, comforting as best she could.

With no events to mark the passing of time, they did not know for sure how many days had passed.

Their food had run out, and the air was starting to get quite stale. The three girls spent most of their time asleep – Catty had shut herself down in order to save her energy reserves. Of the four of them, she alone might survive to tell their story...

So none of them noticed the immense vessel that slowly approached, nor did they stir when it activated a tractor beam to pull their shuttle into one of its' landing bays.

The suited figure who boarded the shuttle was met with no resistance as it carried them away.

Shildy groaned as she regained consciousness, interrupting a whispered conversation taking place nearby. She opened her eyes to see Amy, Catty, and Spea rushing towards her.

"You're AWAKE!" squealed an excited Amy. "We're so glad that you're okay!"

Shildy smiled weakly at her friend. "I'm happy to see you, too. But... where are we?" She asked as she used her elbows to lever herself into a sitting position and looked around her. They were obviously in a medical facility, but that raised even more questions. "Did another ship survive and rescue us?"

"In a manner of speaking..." Spea noted.

Shildy cocked an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

Catty took a step forward and continued. "Both the Paranoid and Solnoid fleets were wiped out. Not a single ship survived to come to our aid."

Shildy grew even more confused by this statement. "But... then how are we still alive?"

"Because I had a promise to keep," replied a shadow near the door.

Shildy recognized the voice immediately. "Marcus," she said with a smile, "you came back."

He returned her smile as he approached the bed. "I said I would, didn't I? I feel that I should apologize for the way I left, but I suspect that you now understand why I had to." Shildy simply nodded her head. "I should also apologize for being so late in getting to you – your energy signature was barely readable over the residual radiation of the battle, so I had to find you the old-fashioned way."

Spea placed her hand on his shoulder. "Nick of time, I'd say," she noted with a grin.

Marcus tilted his head and narrowed his eyes for a moment. "Sentinel tells me that your vital signs are now back to normal. I think it will do you some good to be up and about." He offered his hand to her, and she took it without hesitation.

As she swung her legs off the bed, Shildy realized that she was wearing only an infirmary robe. "Ummm... I think I'm going to need to change first," she observed, her cheeks slightly coloured. "Is my uniform... but I guess I won't be needing a uniform anymore, will I?" She had just noticed that the other girls weren't in uniform either – Catty wore a light purple skirt and a yellow sweater, Amy sported grey slacks with a white tank-top beneath a blue jacket, and Spea had opted for a black pseudo-leather pant and vest set that covered a green button-down shirt.

Marcus shook his head in agreement. "Now that your war is over, you don't have to worry about military customs anymore." He pointed to a door at the other end of the room. "Anything you want can be fabricated in the changing room there. We'll wait in the corridor while you're deciding." With that, he ushered the other girls out the door.

Twenty minutes later, the door slid open and Shildy stepped out to show off to her companions. She had chosen a white dress with leggings and a half-jacket that matched the bright blue shade of her eyes. Grinning at them, she performed a quick pirouette to show off her new attire. "What do you think?" She asked. Their smiles and four upraised thumbs was all the approval she needed, and she joined them as Marcus escorted them down the corridor.

"So, ummm, what's going to happen to us now?" Amy posed her eternal question.

"Well," Marcus responded, "our first stop is the lounge. I think you could all use a good meal, and we can watch the stars go by as we tell each other stories about what's been happening since we last saw each other."

Amy showed her disappointment at that answer with a pout. "I meant AFTER that!"

The other three chuckled at her outburst before Marcus answered. "You'll be welcomed into Solnarian society. We aren't at war with anyone, so you can do whatever you want to. The choice is yours."

Shildy walked up beside him and took his hand into hers. She smiled at him as she intertwined their fingers, "I already know what I want to do, and who I want to be."

Marcus smiled back at her, as they walked together into a new universe that was filled with endless possibilities.

-FIN-