On the bridge of the Sigwada, Corazon watches the scanner with hidden concern. I wasn't expecting them to be so well equipped… Seems both the new King and that idiot mayor have lent the brats some fancy equipment. No matter: my plans are too far advanced for them to stop me now.
"Something wrong?" Merga asks.
"Nothing I can't handle," Corazon assures.
"Are you sure?" Merga continues. "You didn't handle Carol's escape very well."
"You promised to kill her, and failed," Corazon reminds.
"She was equipped with a short‑range teleporter," Merga explains. "As powerful as I am, I cannot match that."
"That's of no concern to me," Corazon dismisses. "Such a device will necessarily be power‑hungry, and there are only so many crystals one person can carry."
"Does that mean you've factored this into your plan already?"
"Obviously."
"Good."
Corazon's console beeps. "Ah, looks like the so‑called 'Saviours' are within range."
"I'll leave you to your work," Merga decides.
Corazon waits until Merga has left the bridge before opening a connection with her greasemonkey. "You failed to tell me about my sister's teleporter."
"I d‑d‑d‑didn't th‑think it w‑w‑was important," the greasemonkey explains.
"You're lucky I have more important things to concern myself with than my supposedly faithful assistant keeping vital information from me," Corazon growls. "Is the swarm ready to launch?"
"It h‑has b‑b‑b‑b‑been f‑f‑for th‑the l‑l‑l‑last hour, b‑b‑b‑boss."
"Are you saying we could have‑?" Corazon begins. "I don't have time to argue. Launch the swarm and pray I don't kill you when this is all over."
"Aye‑aye, b‑b‑boss!"
Corazon closes the connection and opens a new one to the helicopters. "Corazon to all squadron leaders: do not engage the brats. Repeat: do not engage the brats. Focus your assault on the enemy fleet."
"But they're in range," one of the squadron leaders replies. "Some of us have missile lock."
"Who's in charge of this mission?" Corazon growls.
"You are, captain," the squadron leader answers.
"And what order did I just give?"
A moment's hesitation. "Aye‑aye, captain."
"If anyone else dares challenge my orders, I will discipline them personally." Corazon shuts off the radio without waiting for a reply. Even with the expert training I've given them, they're still idiots.
In the Crab Flyer, Carol opens communications with Lilac and Milla. "Two minutes until we engage. How's everyone doing?"
"Ready," Lilac confirms.
"Nervous," Milla answers.
"Just remember we've done this before and succeeded," Carol reminds. "We'll do it again today. Are the Scarves still in position?"
Lilac looks over her shoulder to see the five Red Scarves in formation below and behind the Holodragon. "All accounted for."
"Enemy inbound!" Milla exclaims suddenly as she spots the enemy support fleet flying directly towards them.
"I see them," Carol acknowledges. "Remember: sever the tail, and the chopper will go down without killing the occupants."
"I wish we didn't have to fight people," Lilac laments.
"This is war," Carol reminds. "No matter how hard we try, there will be casualties."
"There must be a better way," Lilac argues.
"Lilac, silence your conscience," Carol commands. "Now's not the time to preach about morals. If a few must die to save millions, then so be it."
"No‑one should have to die," Lilac protests.
Carol shakes her head. She'll only learn the hard way. "Milla, what's your opinion?"
"I don't want to kill anyone," Milla replies. "But I agree: we need to think about the big picture. We're here to save the future of Avalice, and we should be prepared to do the worst if left with no other choice."
"I don't want to kill anyone either," Carol assures. "But I will if I have to. Sixty seconds. Lilac, stick with using the Fire Storm; the Dragon Beam is too indiscriminate. And remember you're protecting the Scarves."
"Aye‑aye" Lilac acknowledges.
"Milla, you and I will take on the helicopters directly," Carol continues.
"Um… We may not have to," Milla reports.
"How come?" Carol asks.
"The helicopters have changed course," Milla explains.
Carol watches the approaching helicopters change direction and fly around the spearhead. "Uh‑oh."
"I don't like the sound of that," Lilac interjects. "Should we turn and help the fleet?"
"No," Carol decides. "Our mission is to take down the Sigwada and prevent the Bakunawa being awakened. Unless those helicopters turn and assault our rear, we ignore them. Besides, they're going up against an allied fleet led by the Sky Battalion, the strongest aerial force in the Origin Kingdoms. At most, they'll merely stall the fleet's advance."
Lilac looks over her shoulder to see the enemy helicopters aren't turning around. "That means Corazon's got something else in mind for us."
"And she's been building it for years," Carol reminds.
Lilac turns her attention back to the Sigwada, only to see a huge black cloud in front of it. "Um…"
"Now you see why I was worried," Carol remarks.
Below and behind the Holodragon, Maria is the first to spot the black cloud. "That's an awful lot of icky coming our way."
"I see it," Spade acknowledges, then radios Carol. "I assume you've seen what's coming."
"We'll do what we can to protect you," Carol promises.
Spade terminates the connection, then unholsters his pistol and checks it's got a fully charged crystal inside. "Maria, Tai, Danny, Sally, be prepared: we may need to fight our way through."
"Are you crazy‽" Sally exclaims. "We'll never get through that!"
"Stick with me Sal, and we'll get through," Danny assures.
On the bridge of the Sigwada, Corazon allows herself a wicked smile. Goodbye, so‑called saviours. "Open fire."
"Scatter!" Carol cries as the robot swarm fires en masse, hurling a near‑impenetrable wall of plasma bolts and projectiles at the spearhead.
Without waiting for a reply, Carol banks hard left and down, narrowly avoiding the wall of death as it passes overhead. Milla banks hard right and up but is unable to escape the onslaught completely as Kujacker's tail is clipped by a plasma bolt. However, the robotic phoenix absorbs the hit, and the hound continues to roll, dropping low to pick up speed before counter‑attacking.
Lilac is less fortunate. As the head of the spear, she has less time to react. Instinct tells her to unleash the Holodragon's Dragon Beam, the powerful blast blowing a hole through the dense hail of weapons fire just large enough for her to fly through. The hole is also large enough for the Scarves to fly through, but they have other ideas, scattering high, low, and wide to avoid the hail of fire.
With the initial onslaught over, the robot swarm expands, separating into groups to track and hunt down each of the eight targets.
On the bridge of the Sigwada, Corazon watches with interest. There are at least five thousand robots in that swarm. None of you will make it through alive.
On board the flagship of the Sky Battalion, the atmosphere is tense.
"Your Majesty, Team Avalice and the Red Scarves have engaged the robot swarm," the radar operator informs.
"Is there any way we can offer assistance?" King Dail asks.
"Not at this range," the operator answers.
"Then may the Ancients guide them to victory," Dail prays. "Meanwhile, we have a task of our own: defeating the enemy's support fleet." Dail opens communications to the Sky Battalion. "All hands to battle stations. Fire at will."