Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Worm. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial purpose. It is not for sale or rent.
Chapter 16
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Part 7
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15 January 2011
Kayden Anders' apartment
Brockton Bay
Cold fog covered parts of the city while the cold wind howled around the taller buildings carrying the distinct sounds of helicopters. Kayden could see a number of them, most were little more than blurry dots, flying around the city. The distant explosions and gunfire rumbled, distorted by the winds.
The Empire 88 was dying today, and with it, many of her options. More than a few of her friends were fighting and likely dying today, yet there she was, hugging Aster and wondering what the hell she was supposed to do!
A faraway roar carried over the city announcing that Lung was out and about, causing havoc. Tendrils of fear crawled up Kayden's spine. Not for herself, but for Aster.
At that moment, the doorbell rang. The piercing sound stabbed at Kayden's ears, startling her. She nearly jumped at the unwelcome distraction. It rang again and again. Then a fist slammed into metal in a demented parody of knocking.
"Mrs. Anders, this is the Police. Open the door." A harsh voice demanded.
Kayden's eyes widened. She looked at Aster, who didn't take lightly to the loud noises and cried aloud, ensuring everyone would know that they were home. This couldn't be happening! A treacherous voice screamed in her mind. She was home she was supposed to be safe here!
While Aster cried louder at the constant noise, Kayden stiffened as hot fury boiled within her. Whoever was outside, Police or not was a danger to her daughter, and only Aster's safety mattered. A fist slammed multiple times against the armored door. The resulting clangs were deafening to Kayden's ears. She looked wildly around for a way out. Going out as a Cape right now was going to be a bad, bad idea. However, risking Aster by opening the door didn't sound any better.
With what was happening outside, Kayden wasn't sure that the unwritten rules mattered anymore. Not that everyone gave a damn for them at the best of times anyway.
The Empire was dying, and the people outside pointed at Medhall being anything but safe. They had to get out, find safety, and suddenly, that very concept was a very dubious thing.
"Mrs. Anders, if you do not open the door this instant…" an angry voice thundered, one Kayden chose to ignore. Like hell, she was opening that door!
She ran to her bedroom and gently put Aster down on her large bed before going for the safe. Kayden hurriedly opened it and took out the small round device that the aliens gave her during their visit. Then she grabbed another blank for Aster and went for the closest balcony while rapidly pressing the only button on the device.
It suddenly came to life. Kayden nearly dropped it in surprise when a small blue hologram materialized over its smaller side, going straight through her tingling fingers.
It was that blue alien who came to visit, who this time wore a dark painted armor.
"Mrs. Anders?" The alien raised an eyebrow at her.
"Is your offer still valid?" Kayden blurted out.
"It is as long as you haven't been out today trying to get yourself killed."
Kayden hurriedly explained the situation and the alien woman nodded with something that might have been a hint of sympathy briefly running over her face.
"In that case, I recommend you make your way to our compound while avoiding the trouble outside." The alien said and cut off the connection.
Kayden didn't know if going there was a smart decision. What she knew was she couldn't count on either the Empire, obscurity, and potentially any assets they have hidden for rainy days. Not with the Police, or whoever posed as them, at her front door. Kayden gathered her courage, opened the balcony's door, and stepped in the chilled air outside. She took a moment to look around, could see smoke rising from multiple parts of the city as well as even more helicopters racing in various directions.
Brockton Bay was no longer safe in any sense of the word. It was a write-off as far as she was concerned.
A single thought was enough, and Kayden's power warmly enveloped her and Aster, lighting up the nearby buildings. A moment later, she shot up and raced towards the docks. On her way there, she could see streaks of light tear their way through the overcast sky. They scattered away from the gray clouds and suddenly decelerated as they rapidly descended towards her destination. She could recognize their forms from the TV, from Canada. Some had sleek and predatory forms that gleamed silver, while others were boxy shuttles undoubtedly carrying more alien soldiers.
The sight made Kayden falter and slow down, suddenly unsure if going to the aliens was the best of ideas. What she just saw pointed out that they could protect her from the Empire's various enemies. It was just that, if she went to them, there would be no one to keep her safe from the aliens. She slowed down her flight to a crawl, suddenly gripped in by indecision. She didn't notice a second bright figure dash through the air after her until it was too late, and Legend floated in front of her. The Triumvirate member looked speculatively between Aster, who was crying in displeasure with her face red from the biting cold, and Kayden, who was trying to calm down her baby daughter.
"Purity, what the hell?" Legend uncharacteristically cursed. He waved sharply between the two of them and the alien compound behind him. Meanwhile, a loud explosion sounded from the left, followed by an even louder and angrier roar.
Purity chanced a glance that way, and she could see a section of the city that was burning brightly and the ever-growing form of a smoldering dragon.
"I'm seeking asylum!" Kayden hurried to answer before the day went even worse.
"From the Mandalorians?" Legend's voice sounded incredulous.
"Who else? They can get my daughter out of this madhouse and me!"
For endless seconds, Legend floated silently between Kayden and her destination.
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Part 8
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15 January 2011
Brockton Bay
This wasn't a good day. It certainly wasn't one of the worst Legend had experienced. However, it had the potential to rapidly climb up to the top of that list. He knew that for a fact as soon as the Mandalorians dispatched what sounded like a small army to Brockton Bay to reinforce the people they already had here.
The small city was already an open battleground. Lung going on a rampage, despite the Protectorate's precautions to take him out quickly made the situation much worse. Sadly, that wasn't an unexpected development. In his experience, more often than not, everything that could go wrong did. Especially when Parahumans were involved. Case in point, the raging dragon below him.
Legend paid little attention to the chatter coming over his tinkertech communicator and kept doing his best to corral or even neutralize Lung. Knock-out lasers didn't faze the dragon. Freezing beams had a bit of effect a few minutes ago, however, now their primary purpose was to keep everything in the area from spontaneously combusting due to the constantly growing rage-dragon. The good, old-fashioned lasers actually could hurt and slow down Lung, however, they also spurred his conflict drive further so he kept growing. The current plan was to shove him into the bay and let him cool down. That however was much easier said than done. Alex could keep the dragon contained to the same general area through supersonic attacks, while Legend did his best to hobble him. Case in point, so far concentrated laser strikes were enough to cut off Lung's wings and keep him grounded. The last thing anyone wanted was to see him flying over the city and setting the whole Brockton Bay on fire.
That would be a tragedy, not to mention a sure way to make the Mandalorians react.
No one in their right mind wanted them to react any more than they already did.
At that point, Purity decided to make an appearance and beeline straight to the alien compound. Legend found that out through a deceptively calm announced over the Protectorate network.
"We've got eyes on Purity. She's heading straight towards the Mandalorian compound. All available Protectorate members intercept her!"
Legend sent a flurry of lasers that tore into Lung's back, staggering the villain and turned around. His eyes spun around seeking the tell-tale glow Purity and sure enough, he almost immediately noticed a streak of bright light flying over the city.
"I'm in pursuit." He informed mission control and tore off after the villain.
Being faster, Legend soon caught up to Purity and went past her, slowing down, catching her well before she could get into range of the Mandalorian compound. To her credit, she slowed down to a stop as well and floated in front of her.
"Purity, what the hell?!" Legend exclaimed pointing at her and the alien territory behind his back. Attacking the Mandalorians and inviting reprisal, when they had a warship up in Canada and a small army on the ground was beyond insane. Not that it was a good idea to provoke the people with control of the orbitals and potentially no scruples preventing them from conducting unrestricted orbital strikes!
"I'm seeking asylum!" Purity exclaimed and her glow dimmed.
"From the Mandalorians?!" Legend couldn't keep the incredulity from his voice. That was… he was honestly at loss for words, something that didn't happen often to him. He wasn't the public face of the Protectorate just because of his powers after all.
"Who else? They can get my daughter out of this madhouse and me!"
At that point, her glow dimmed just enough for him to see a small bundle Purity held protectively in her hands. He could barely hear the baby crying in distress.
The surprises kept coming, keeping him at the back-foot. This whole stunt didn't make any sense! Why would she seek the Mandalorian's protection? Purity was a Nazi! At best, the Mandalorians and the Empire were human supremacists. They were unlikely to care about such stupid things as skin color! The fact that the leader of the Mandalorians in Brockton Bay was clearly an alien too should have ensured that they wouldn't mesh well with the local Nazis of all people!
For Purity to seek asylum from the Mandalorians, that made no sense at all!
"Can we talk about this?" Legend tried. His words sounded hollow to his ears. He shook his head rapidly in an attempt to force the world to make sense again. "Who do you need protection from? Why? We can help you as well and, well, we aren't alien warlords…"
Purity laughed bitterly at that. "Protect us? Is that why you sent people to arrest me in my civilian identity? You can't protect me, Legend. The Mandalorians know who we are. They already visited me at my home to make me an offer."
"What? Purity I can assure you, the Protectorate doesn't know your civilian identity! Neither we nor the PRT sent people to your home!" Legend exclaimed, all the while he furiously demanded that mission control dig up some answers yesterday.
Answers like if anyone was stupid enough to blatantly break the unwritten rules and try arresting Purity in her home… That was, unfortunately, something that made a disturbing amount of sense. There were too many hands stirring the boiling pot that was Brockton Bay right now and not enough time to properly plan. Legend wouldn't be particularly surprised if this was merely a case of one hand not knowing what all the others were doing.
On the other hand, as far, as anyone knew, Purity was a card-carrying Nazi. Putting anything beyond them or assuming there was something that they wouldn't do in the name of their insane ideology, well doing so would be a bad idea at the best of times.
"I can't let you approach the Mandalorian compound at this time. Doing so could end up disastrously for everyone involved."
"I already received an invitation from Aria Veil!" Purity snapped nervously. She flinched when another thunder came from the battlefield where the Protectorate and Alex did their best to contain Lung.
Legend narrowed his eyes at the villain when she began to rummage over her outfit. Due to her glow, he couldn't clearly see what she was doing. Probably nothing good, or particularly wise given the circumstances. Running to the aliens with a baby in tow wasn't the brightest of ideas in the first place.
"Here! They left me a communicator!"
Legend could see Purity waving her hand but not what she held. If she held anything.
Damn it, this job had made him even more paranoid than he suspected it already did!
"May I suggest we land, away from the biting wind, and discuss this calmly?" Legend tried his best to be reasonable. The last thing he wanted was a dogfight with a baby's life in the middle!
"Mrs. Anders, do you need help?" A painfully familiar voice came from Purity's arm.
So much for secret identities and all those unofficial agreements that kept the world from descending into complete chaos.
"Legend from the Triumvirate is blocking our way to you. I would prefer not to engage him while carrying my baby girl!" Purity sounded more and more distressed with every word and that was anything but a good development.
"I'm merely attempting to avoid a potentially disastrous misunderstanding!" Legend spoke aloud.
"In that case, may I suggest you escort Kayden and Aster to our FOB?" The Sith politely suggested.
Her voice was unmistakable. Legend hand watched all available recordings of her multiple times, like just about everyone in the PRT, Protectorate, and military.
Legend judged his available options, while mission control sounded more and more frayed around the edges. The situation unfolding all around the city was less than ideal even without a rage-dragon trying to burn down everything.
"It would be my pleasure to escort Mrs. Anders and her daughter." He decided, hoping he could take her down fast enough if she was up to no good.
"That's excellent." Legend could hear the satisfied smile in the alien's voice.
This was going to end in tears one way or another, wasn't it?
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