Chapter 12 – Reapers in Spaaaaaace
AN: Ia! Ia! NaNoWriMo fhtagn!
Ugh. It took a while to try to get this chapter to the standard of ridiculousness needed, but I think I pulled it off. This chapter brought to you by the month of November, and NaNoWriMo. Only a few more chapters to go; I think I can ride this crack train to completion. All references to Andromeda were written before ME:Andromeda was announced (so long ago! T_T)
Since it's been a while, here's a quick list to recap known available forces on both sides
Human side:
Chantry of Mus – size of Portugal, 200 times the size of the Citadel
Chantry of Doissetep – died in a fire
potential Technocracy Deep Umbral exploration fleet – mentioned way back in chapter 4
Additional ME human ships, various sizes and strengths.
Luna, carrying the Wyrm
Tzimisce?
Reaper side:
3 million Reapers
No Harbinger. He's sulking in his tent
Then my enemies will see this, and they will be covered with shame, because they asked me, "Where is the LORD your God?" Now I look at them. They are trampled like mud in the streets.
Micah 7:10, the Christian Bible
London, Alliance HQ. One hour after Operation Overoverlord
Humanity's war leaders gather around a map of the solar system. A small handful of blue dots around earth represented humanity. Pulsing red blotches covered the rest of the display. Admiral Anderson gestured at the Reaper forces.
"There are approximately 3 million Reapers in the solar system. They're in several blocs, and we need to eliminate each and every one of them. A few more Reapers are trickling in through the Relay, but other than that, this is it. If we can destroy the Reapers here, we can end the Reaper threat forever."
Hope. Revenge. Retribution.
Focus intensifies.
Anderson pointed at concentrations of Reaper force in the inner solar system, highlighting them. "Various divinations, stochastic analysis, and auguries all agree that we have to defeat as many Reaper fleets as possible before they combine forces in the outer system if we hope to win. The fastest way to get them to group on our position would be a direct full push to the Relay, so we can't do that."
"So what can we do?"
James, the Order of Hermes liaison, leaned over. "We're going to split the party."
Admiral Anderson nodded. He swiped his omnitool and several arrows spread across the map of the solar system. A larger line curved slowly from earth to Pluto.
"Indeed. We have several key objectives. First, Luna will slowly move towards Pluto directly, while we split the rest of our ships into task forces. Luna's direct assault will indeed draw the outer system Reaper forces together… exactly where, and when we want them. They can't ignore the threat Luna and the Wyrm represent. However, we have several key targets we need to take before rejoining Luna in the push for the Relay. By splitting our forces, we will entice the nearby existing Reaper forces to engage us immediately, instead of allowing them to rejoin the outer system Reapers into a single unified force."
Anderson turned to the other Admiral. "Admiral Hackett, what is the status of the fleet?"
"We've taken casualties." Admiral Steven Hackett replied. "We only have a handful of battleships and dreadnoughts left, but we can still field a full contingent of smaller craft. Normally that would prevent us from utilizing our current forces effectively, but with the chantry of Mus acting as the vanguard and providing transport, we can use it as an aircraft carrier and bring all our sub-space fighters with us. That's the good news." Admiral Hackett sighed. "However, with our current forces, I don't see how we can defeat the Reapers in detail. We lost Doissetep when we engaged 500,000 of them."
Admiral Hackett rubbed his chin. He focused the map on one of Anderson's highlighted Reaper concentrations. "There's almost 700,000 Reapers at Mars. We can probably take that battlegroup down using everything… while taking heavy casualties. But that's just one of these Reaper blocs in the inner system."
He highlighted another large Reaper force.
"What if they get reinforcements from this group near Venus? And even if we win, what happens after that? How can we defeat the remaining groups? Even if we can take on all the Reapers in the inner system, there are over 2 million of them in the outer solar system between us and the Mass Relay. We only have a small window of opportunity to strike. Once they see us defeating them in smaller groups, they will regroup into larger orders of battle. We've never faced such a large concentration. And I don't see a way for us to repel firepower of that magnitude."
Admiral Anderson sighed. "The short of it is we need to win. We have several absolutely crucial engagements we cannot lose. If we engage sequentially, they will cluster. Hence we split our forces." He nodded at Hackett. "However, we have no intention of allowing the Reapers to defeat our forces with superior numerical advantage; we have several tricks to ensure all our task forces can succeed."
Several mages smiled.
Hackett frowned. "I don't see how mere tricks will overcome the numerical disadvantage we are facing."
One of the mages snorted. "You worry about the fleet. We'll worry about the combined Reaper forces; if we can manage to secure our objectives, the Reapers will have a very unpleasant surprise." Many of the mages grinned. One rubbed his hands together and cackled.
Anderson zoomed in on Mercury, and pointed at the several thousand Reapers nearby, drifting slowly towards the sun.
"This is our first target. We need to secure Mercury and engage this group of Reapers, here. They think they're operating under stealth. Until now, we have let them keep their delusion. These forces have been drifting stealthily towards the Sun; trying to find and disable our solar bombardment devices."
Inner system, near Mercury
#000000 and his hand-picked force of elite stealth Reapers drifted listlessly through space. "There's nothing here. The system's star is just shooting out focused bursts of power on its own. There… there is no mechanism or technology that can do this. How is this possible? No; there has to be something here we can't see. We have to get closer. Keep scanning!"
The assembled mages snickered. "Good luck with that. We got the Major Incarnae of Sol themselves doing the attacks; the Celestines Helios and Ra." Two mages bumped fists. "Spirit magic FTW."
Anderson frowned at the laughter. He highlighted a single alliance ship. "For this operation, a cruiser will suffice."
Hackett frowned. "What good will a single cruiser do?"
"It's not there to fight. We need to install some specialized equipment on it first. It's going to be a lighthouse. And bait."
"Bait? For what?"
One of the mages spoke, "We have additional reinforcements en route. Together, that should be sufficient to purge the several thousand Reapers around Mercury. Once they have successfully secured the planet, the joint forces will sweep outward and join the vanguard for the push to the outer system."
Hackett raised an eyebrow. "Reinforcements? What reserves are we pulling them from?"
Another of the smiling mages leaned forward. "The Technocratic deep ether exploration fleet is back."
Hackett's eyebrow rose higher. "What took them so long? We could have used them earlier."
"They detoured to collect some additional reinforcements."
"What? From where, hell? What kind of reinforcements?"
"Well. What lives in hell? Ghosts and devils." A feral smile. "Ghosts and devils."
Inner system, near Mercury
One of the recon Reapers pinged the rest of the stealth taskforce. "#000000, sensors are picking up a disturbance near the first planet."
The pitch black super dreadnought angled a sensor dish at the other Reaper. "What is it, Clinch-to-Engage-in-Melee?"
"A single human cruiser. It's heading right for us."
#000000 furiously thought for several clock cycles.
"It must be a coincidence. If they knew we were stealthing towards their solar bombardment batteries, they would have responded in desperation with as many ships as possible. However, the presence of a human ship here means there is something valuable hidden." Its limbs tightened into attack mode. "Route more power to stealth systems. It's only one cruiser. Prepare the interdiction field. When it gets too close to escape, we'll destroy it in one massive attack before it can signal anything. Power down all external ports and switch to group text chat."
The Reaper forces drifted, dark and silent.
After a few minutes of ambushing, one of them pinged the group.
Diplomacy-via-Blunt-Force-Trauma: Where did it come from? A cruiser couldn't get this deep into space on its own. There's a war going on!
Outpaces-the-Dawn: It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something.
#000000: Look. It's turned around. Did it notice us? Route more power to motive systems but stay in stealth. We have to catch him.
Always-Shoots-First: Well, it ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us.
Outpaces-the-Dawn: Look at him. He's headed for that small moon.
Clinch-to-Engage-in-Melee: Point of note: there are no small moons in this area of space.
Always-Shoots-First: Even under stealth, we're gaining. I think I can get him before he gets there... he's almost in range.
The small moon begins to take on the appearance of a monstrous twisted thing.
Diplomacy-via-Blunt-Force-Trauma: That's no moon.
Outpaces-the-Dawn: What is that thing? The hull is moving. Is it organic?
Clinch-to-Engage-in-Melee: I have a very bad feeling about this.
Diplomacy-via-Blunt-Force-Trauma: Turn around. Disengage.
#000000: Yeah, I think your right. All ships, full reverse! Lock in the auxiliary power.
The stealthed Reapers shudder, but still drift closer.
Outpaces-the-Dawn: Why are we still moving towards it?
Always-Shoots-First: We're caught in some kind of tractor field! They're pulling us in!
Clinch-to-Engage-in-Melee: It's unfolding. That's never good.
#000000: They know we're here; everyone, go active! Shields and engines to full power! Cycle weapons and prepare for battle.
Clinch-to-Engage-in-Melee: It's still unfolding. Its mass is increasing as well. Flagging current mathematical systems as outdated.
Outpaces-the-Dawn: Look at the size of that thing!
Always-Shoots-First: We're being sucked in to it!
#000000: Stay in formation. Engage with all weapons! Hold the line! Keep firing and hold… Hoooo000101000010001000000000
After the space worm finished devouring the Reapers, the single Alliance cruiser plotted a course towards Luna, driving forward to join the advance on Pluto. Etheric pulsing from the installed entropy generator left a clear siren song; guiding the Nephandi war machines out from hell.
"In the night sky, Mercury rises huge, blazing red - but dwarfed by the twisting, leprous-white form of the unnamable thing that carries the Nephandi to war."
London, Alliance HQ
On the system map, other lines curved towards Mars. Anderson gestured to the red planet, zooming in on the Reaper forces depicted on the plot.
"Our second target is Mars. The largest concentration of Reapers in the inner system is gathered here in a retrograde geosynchronous orbit – they're staying at the antipodal point of Mars; hiding behind the planet where our solar bombardment can't reach." A dry laugh. "How clever."
Dark smiles and chuckles speckled the room.
One of the mages said, "They'll try to ambush us from behind Mars. Don't they know that Mars is humanity's planet of War? And to mages, Mars represents Forces. It's like trying to hide from a soldier by crawling down his gun's barrel."
"Indeed." Anderson zoomed in on the red planet, highlighting part of the surface. "Additionally, they seem highly interested in the Prothean ruins near the Deseado Crater." He shook his head in mock sorrow. "Too bad we already looted it." He zoomed out the view, and added Alliance battle formations. "Mus and half the fleet will slowly move to into position, here and here. The Reapers will stay on the far side of the planet, where they think they're going to be able to engage us on even footing." Anderson gazed across the simulation. "We are going to disabuse them of that notion. By hiding in one spot, they've just hidden themselves in our kill zone. And it's the fleet's job to keep them there.
Admiral Hackett frowned. "Without enough fleet cover, how will Mus prevent the same attack that destroyed Doissetep?"
A tight smile. "The Reapers at Mars are in for a rough surprise. All the fleet needs to do is keep the Reapers trapped against the planet."
Hackett highlighted the Reaper concentrations nearby. "What about Venus? Don't we need to secure the rest of the inner system?"
Anderson nodded. "Reaper forces around Venus will attempt to assist when they see how we've pinned their forces at Mars. We need to ensure our timing and positioning so when they come to assist they'll walk into a trap. If we angle it right, the Reapers by Venus will never know what hit them. If…no. Once we eliminate those forces we will have cleared the inner solar system of Reapers, and can begin our advance to the outer solar system."
He looked at the rest of the strategic staff and smiled. A dark hunger. Anticipation.
Anderson zoomed the display out, back to the system map.
"One additional point of note. So far, we haven't seen Harbinger. Keep an eye out – who knows what he's up to. What he may be planning."
Past the darkness of space, at the far edge of the solar system, Harbinger sat silent. Brooding.
Operation H, Mars
The nation-sized battle chantry of Mus and half of humanity's remaining fleet slowly approached Mars.
The Reaper forces readied themselves behind the red planet; preparing themselves where the human solar death lasers couldn't reach. Almost a million strong. When the humans came within striking range, they will burst out and destroy them all.
What a dumb idea.
"The chantry will clear the planet in 5 minutes."
As the human forces begin to clear the planet's horizon, on the surface of Mars red stones and dirt shift. Shiver. Rise.
A noiseless sound vibrates through the planet.
Boulders fall into the sky. Wet cracking. Cliffs break away, lifting up.
Hills rip free. Mountains creak. The land buckles. Lifts.
The pouring dirt and stone flying into the air coalesces. The stone and dirt fuse, thousands of kilometers wide.
With an electronic wail heard across the planet, Doissetep reassembles from the red stones of Mars; a corona of elemental fury depositioning into sigils and arcane markings across its extremis.
It's also covered in boiling eldritch green fire.
With a 10 kilometer-wide explosion, it lifts off the surface of Mars. A hammering series of larger and larger explosions pulse it further and further into space. Instead of a thermal heatsink, the underside of Doissetep is configured into a solid plate of metal and stone. A shotgun Orion drive; every second it spews out a dozen nuclear bombs to propel itself higher in the greatest rocket jump in human history.
Over three quarters of a million Reapers immediately rain fire down onto Doissetep as it rises from the planetary gravity well. Chunks of rock explode and burn away, but the risen chantry fires back; destroying hundreds of Reapers.
Finally, more hole than shape, the entirety of Doissetep sunders. Shatters. Stone sublimates and fire turns to sparks.
The fierce electronic wailing doesn't stop, however. And Doissetep 6000 flashes back into corporeality, even bigger. Covered in even more fire. Again and again the Reapers destroy it, and again and again it respawns. Bigger, and more on fire each time.
"The chantry has cleared the planet. Reaper forces visible. Engage at will."
Then Mus and the rest of the Alliance were upon them.
As the Reapers engaged the human chantries and ships on two fronts, tiny figures crested the horizon from the opposite direction. Flying into the Reaper formation, unnoticed until they're amongst the Reaper throng.
Mars is where mages who've been exiled from consensual reality go when they want to blow something up.
PVP builds. DPS builds. And of course, builds too OP for reality.
Six armed Buddhas wielding martial arts powers that stopped time.
The fume knight, his massive blade a solid slab of reality.
A swordsman with a blade made of shadow and moonlight, a thousand miles long.
The ruler of the dreaming city and keeper of the ruby throne.
Choirs turned into a living song that bound and fused reality together.
Wise men in flowing gray and white robes, wielding sword and staff; the Gandalfest.
The Super Londo brothers.
The three who-are-one, known as Dattatreya.
And thousands more.
Venus
The Reapers drifting near the final planet of the inner system turn and dash towards Mars at full impulse speed.
How unfortunate.
Bridge of Alliance dreadnought SSV Orizaba, flagship of Operation H
The Virtual Adept liaison smiled. "Fools."
Vice Admiral Hannah Shepard glanced over. "What?"
"Reaper forces have just left Venus to help their beleaguered brethren. They're walking right into a trap."
Hannah raised an eyebrow. "We don't have any forces in-between Venus and here."
The Virtual Adept smiled and spun up a map of the inner system. "Of course not." A finger traced the path of the Reaper forces, tapping an empty area of space. "See that?"
"Nothing's there."
A flashing grin. "EXACTLY."
Hannah folded her arms, staring silently at the mage.
"That's the location of the portal to Arcadia. The entrance into the Fairy Realms."
Hannah brought up system details for the specified coordinates on her omnitool. She frowned. "But there's nothing there."
The Virtual Adept nodded. "See, the Umbra is based heavily on perception and belief. We call this design feature 'Videre'. A shaman going on a dreamwalk to the upper planes won't see planets or spaceships. You believe that the Umbra is just outer space, so you don't see the flowering gates that lead into Arcadia." A dark chuckle. "But just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that it can't see YOU."
The Reapers maneuvering west of the sun quietly disappeared, never to be seen again.
Mus and the remnants of the first fleet pinched the Reaper forces against Mars. Doissetep rose again and again on the other side, squeezing them. Archmages specializing in Forces twisted through the Reaper forces, untouchable. Caught, the only escape was up and out… until hexagonal portals opened, and ships poured out to complete the trap.
They thundered into real space; thousands strong. Gleaming, sleek ships of Corellian design. Unyielding bulwarks of humanity's might. Festooned with banners. A plethora of insignia and iconography emblazoned across their prows.
A downwards facing pentagon bearing the words Vigilo Confido.
The Palatine Aquila; a double headed eagle.
A No Ghosts sign with a hasty additional No scrawled through it.
The Alliance Starbird; red circle of defiance.
A downward fig leaf bend dexter, marshaled with the letters NERV.
An orange Lambda in a circle. A crowbar. Black Mesa and Aperture labs logos.
A rounded yellow star with black vertical eyes; a red and yellow circled flower. Speckled mushrooms, white with green or red.
Three golden equilateral triangles joined at the tips
Purple shields bearing faceplates pointed at the bottom with triangle flanges, winged tips and a winged triangle crest. Some ships carried blockier red faceplate-brands instead.
A yellow asymmetrical arrowhead with a MACO five pointed star inside.
A clenched fist holding the hilt of a sword with an upward triangle on a red background.
A lion's head affronté, picked out in blue and gold. A loop with a serrated-edged exterior draped over a diamond, all in crimson.
Triangular shades superimposed over an upwards facing grooved drill.
Three equidistant arrows converging inside a circle, surrounded by a black border.
-ERETHELBERETHELBERETHELBERETHELBER- clearly emblazoned across prows, an ever repeating pattern engraved in bands looping around entire ships.
Banners, proudly proclaiming:
ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US
PRAISE THE SUN
THE ENEMY'S GATE IS DOWN
…and a multitude more.
The Deep Ether exploration fleet of the Void Engineers. The maddest sane scientists to ever exist.
Humanity won the inner system amid the wailing of blazing electric guitars and cacophonies of explosions.
London HQ
Arrows converged on Jupiter.
Admiral Anderson spoke, "This is our third priority target. While half the fleet along with Mus is heading to Mars, the other half will push for Jupiter."
Hackett scanned the order of battle. "What good will the rest of the fleet be at Jupiter by themselves?"
A shrug. "Fighter screen."
Hackett blinked. "There aren't any fighters assigned to that task force. It's the rest of our cruisers and dreadnoughts."
A tight smile. "Like I said, fighter screen."
A Technocrat rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Solar bombardment isn't as effective past the asteroid belt. But Jupiter will be the easiest fight of all." He cackled. The Tradition mages joined in.
Anderson nodded. "Once we have control of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter, our Mage liaisons can bring the really big guns into play."
The mages leaned forward. "The Infinity Railgun."
Anderson said, "With system-wide artillery support, we rejoin Luna and slow march to Pluto, grinding away everything in our path."
Jupiter
Solar bombardment is ineffective against targets far from the sun. Here in the outer system, the Reaper formation drifted confidently in front of Jupiter, ready to meet humanity's ships.
Behind them, rising beyond Jupiter's horizon, something gleamed. Eclipsing the planet, a gigantic polyhedron made of chrome, with approximately 4,294,967,200 sides crests the planet, somehow larger than the planet it just appeared from behind.
London, Alliance HQ
An Alliance technician yelled, "Warning, an unidentified object has appeared from behind Jupiter!"
"What? Where did that come from?" Hackett pointed at the system map, zooming in at the giant blot that appeared next to Jupiter. "Is this thing to scale? It's bigger than Jupiter!"
James nodded. "Autochthonia; the Machine. The Technocracy's horizon realm. It's the Shenti of Stasis. The manifestation of the gift of technology to humanity from the Weaver herself. The Technocracy's ultimate battle station, and a final statement of the power of their beliefs."
Hackett reviewed the sensor logs. "How did it just appear? We don't see any spacial warping triggers. The only sensor readings we have for it are from the fleet's direct active scans."
James sighed. "The Technocracy has turned the whole thing into a giant no-ship. Precognition and extra sensory scanning and perception can't detect its presence."
From the Alliance fleet's position, Autochthonia slipped behind Jupiter, instantly disappearing from the system map. It popped out from the other side of Jupiter, still larger than the gas giant.
"Unbelievable," Hackett murmured.
The Technocrat liaison was supremely smug. "We find your lack of faith disturbing."
It twisted through space, cutting off the Reaper fleet movements before they started changing course. Ixian probes exuded from within the polyhedron, capturing the thoughts of its foes.
When the Reapers realized their escape was impossible, they fired beam after beam of energy, striking both across Autochthonia's surface, and repeatedly smashing down on focused facets for penetration. It ignored incoming fire; magnetohydrodynamic energy shattering on Axlotl plating with a resonating tone and vibrating color that bleeds to irrigo leaving no evidence of attacks.
Billions of weapons covered its brilliant surface. Weapons targeted Reapers and fired. Fired, fired-firedfiredfiredfired.
Wave motion Gatling guns.
Missiles that drive through the anti-universe until they reached their targets and annihilate themselves.
Massive cannons firing ballistic munitions.
Hackett zoomed in on Autochthonia. "Are those mass drivers? What is it shooting at the Reapers? Wait… no. Those aren't bullets. Those are dreadnoughts! Its launching dreadnoughts like they were fighters! How big is that thing?"
The Technocrat mage smiled. "It's the size of reality. Also, you were right. It does have mass drivers; it has dreadnought cannons."
Each of the dreadnoughts fired millions of glowing white ammunition in all directions.
Hackett turned blankly to the mage.
Smug. "It shoots dreadnoughts. Dreadnoughts shooting Wraith cannons."
Hackett opened his mouth, paused, and turned back to the display.
"Bullets haunted by wraiths."
With their own will, each bullet curved into individual paths, drilling though space to strike at the Reapers.
The Technocrat shrugged. "After all, even dead humans want to get in on this."
Humanity began their retaking of the outer solar system.
15 minutes later, London HQ
"Admiral, we have successfully established a safe perimeter on Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. Our thaumaturgic engineering teams on all three planets have given the green light. All systems are go."
Admiral Anderson nodded. "Status on Luna?"
"Luna is nearing Saturn; large Reaper forces are interdicting."
"Perfect. Is your team ready?"
"We are standing by."
Anderson turns to James and nods. "Then it's time. Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready."
"Commence primary ignition."
Mercury accelerated, doubling its orbit speed around the Sun.
Mars churned, dust storms whipping across the entire planet. Vast cracks rip through the surface as tectonic plates lift and fall.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot spins faster and faster, winds at the edge speeding up from their normative speed of 425 mph. 500. 600. 700. A thundering roar shoots across the surface of Jupiter as the winds spin faster than the speed of sound, ripping through the sound barrier. 800 mph. 900. Even faster.
The Eye itself thunders across Jupiter at Mach 50, turning to look at the outer planets.
"Commence primary ignition."
Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter shudder, pulsing in rhythm.
Mercury dopples; flickering in size as compressed and expanded versions of itself superimposed over the same point of reality, and Space itself rippled.
Mars glows as the planet core pumps, pistoning tectonic plates up and down; revealing its molten engine.
On Jupiter, the Eye spins even faster. Lightning crackles across its 240 million square km surface; 3 times the size of earth. Jupiter's hydrogen atmosphere catches fire, turning the Eye a brilliant orange. From its center, with a pyroclasmic explosion, a shaft of hydrogen fusion 1 trillion degrees Kelvin shoots into space. As it rose, it falls away from view in all directions, coalescing to a 0-dimensional point.
Hundreds of thousands of Reapers across the solar system vaporize. Drawn into a straight line by simply folding the space around the fusion bolt travelling near the speed of light, the Infinity Railgun cored each Reaper directly through its head.
Boom, headshot.
Infinite headshots.
Seen from Pluto, and the Mass Relay, the explosions of the destroyed Reapers spell out the words "FUCK YOU".
"Status on the Infinity Railgun after test fire?"
"Everything nominal."
"Very good. Increase yield and cycle to continuous fire mode. You may fire when ready."
"Commence primary ignition."
Oblivious to the panicking Reapers, Harbinger drifts in isolation.
The field is lost. Everything is lost. #FFFFFF's crushed shell has fallen into the Sun. Towering-Resplendency and Towering-Audacity lie broken in the Martian dust and stone. The Reapers are in disarray, fleeing before the battle lines of humanity. Luna, Mus, and Doissetep 6000 advance, anchored by the sweeping Alliance and Deep Exploration fleets on their flanks. Above, Autochthonia rains down ruin. The Infinity Shotgun is inescapable; striking down clusters of defending Reapers regardless of defenses or shields.
Humanity doesn't stop at Saturn at all, blitzing directly towards the Mass Relay. Harbinger doesn't move.
Uranus and Neptune fall under infinite firepower, humanity not even bothering to send ships to secure the planets. Harbinger ignores the lamentation of his fellow Reapers.
The human forces are almost to Pluto, and the Mass Relay.
Harbinger finally stirs in his solitary darkness, and AWAKENS.
His eyes blaze. Slowly he rises towards the Relay. His momentum increases, and as he accelerates, he pulls. Space stretches, ripping forward in a wave. Behind him, coruscating soul-essence shimmers; lines etching from void, drawn as he tears the fabric of reality. Forming an immense shape; behind, above Harbinger, his Avatar unfurls, manifests. Thousands of kilometers long. A vast emptiness, an absence shaped by the edging of souls; a thousand million years of Reaped civilizations' souls screaming in eternal agony. A black shape of the opened Citadel. The Crucible. A baleful unfolding; a Balor eye. The shadow Citadel is larger than the original Citadel; this is the Truth of the Citadel's essence; superimpressed into existence.
It pulses with Harbinger's arête. An unending tearing is heard throughout the Tellurian. It spins to life, a siphon drinking deep on reality. Powered by the consumption of trillions of souls.
The human planetary cannon fires directly at Harbinger's Avatar… and the bolt dissipates harmlessly against a Prime/Entropy field.
Harbinger bellows, his voice echoing through the solar system. "You think you had us beaten? Pitiful meat sacks! Behold your undoing! Behold the Immutable-Certainty-of-Organic-Superfluousness! BEHOLD!"
From within the pulsing shape of his Avatar, twisted Reapers spew forth. Clawed, segmented. Jagged teeth. Serpentine and insectile. A multitude of forms.
"I have summoned my innumerable Reaper brethren from beyond the galaxy where they have waged war for millions of cycles against the crab-beasts of Andromeda! The Tyranids! The Zerg! From beyond the pale, we have come to strike down your blight of organic filth for once and all! Round two, puny humans!"
Millions of Reapers stream through the shadow Citadel Relay every second.
"AND I AM ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL."
-Chapter End-
The field is lost
Everything is lost
The black one has fallen from the sky
And the towers in ruins lie
The enemy is within, everywhere
And with him the light, soon they will be here
Go now, my Lord, while there is time
There are places below
And you know them too
I release thee, go
My servant you'll be for all time
As you command my king
I had a part in everything
Twice I destroyed the light and twice I failed
I left ruin behind me when I returned
But I also carried ruin with me
She, the mistress of her own lust
Blind Guardian - War Of Wrath
Omake:
Harby: I have summoned my innumerable Reaper brethren from beyond the galaxy where they have waged war for millions of cycles against the crab-beasts of Andromeda! Whole binders full of Reapers!
Omake:
"Now gettai into Devastator!"
Omake
Hue, Due, Lue: "Harbinger, we have an idea!"
Harby is silent
"We'll retreat back through the Relay, and depart from earth!"
Harby is silent
"We'll leave behind a giant wooden Relay, to show we're sorry."
Harby is silent
"The humans will take it to earth, but at night when they're partying, the hidden Reapers inside it will burst out, and kill everyone!"
Harby slowly starts to massage his head with two tentacles.
"What do you think? Huh? They'll never see it coming!"
"GET OUT"
Hue, Due, Lue exit stage right, pursued by a bear
Omake
"We're calling it the Infinite Railgun."
"No! The Infinity Railgun."
"But it's a railgun with infinite range. And it's also like shooting an infinite number of railguns. It's totally an infinite railgun."
"Bah! Since when have we named things after they are, instead of what they could be? We might as well call it a planetary railgun. How plebian. Not enough hubris! The Infinity Railgun!"
"Huh. True. Hmmm. Well, if it's an infinity railgun, it sounds like it's a railgun that shoots infinity at you."
The other mage grinned. "Exactly. That'll be Mk 2."
