It was the final nightfall in Delta Ridge before the decisive battle in the morning. Aiden offered to make use of the Golden Knight Gear now that they dealt with the android piolet…but his suggestion was shot down. It made the others uncomfortable and they didn't trust the Knight Gear to not go rogue somehow. It was too risky and they made it this far without its help, they could finish the same. So, Aiden and Ano were together in a corner of Echo City. "A shame they vetoed the use of this thing. I think it would've been quite the helpful asset."

"I can see why they wouldn't." Ano responded. He was all fixed up thanks to Sister, but she made it clear that he wasn't out of the woods for what he tried to do earlier. "We don't need it. Making use of enemy tech in the middle of a battle often doesn't have any benefits. It's better this thing stays out of commission until we're done."

"I suppose you have a point." Aiden crossed his arms. "So, what exactly are you doing?"

"Doing what Hermit did." Ano said. "Shutting this thing down for good. Granted, all Knight Gears have an override code to reboot their systems…but that's only given to the original user of the Knight Gear. Considering this android was just a carbon copy of the skilled user, and we took care of them, we don't have anything to worry about."

"You're right. This Knight Gear was one of the biggest issues that plagued the Resistance, but now it's gone…I feel relieved." Aiden gave a smile. Once Ano was done, he turned around. "I suppose we are done here, then. We have a battle to focus on." He then started to walk off.

"…." Ano furrowed his brows. He took a scan of the Golden Knight Gear out of curiosity. Something about it was bothering him, but he wasn't sure what it was…

.

.

It had been two years since Stella had the chance to even step foot into her own house. Ever since Prometheus and Pandora arrived, she lost so much. Her husband, her home, many friends…and now her sister. Her house was in shambles…but it provided a state of comfort. "A lot has changed since I last stepped foot in here…" She could remember it clearly: the androids dragging her husband down while he bought her and Geno time to escape.

"…But you're finally home." The voice came from Medi. She was done treating people for the day. She smiled at Stella. "The fight isn't over yet, but this is one step closer than we've ever managed to be. I'm really grateful that the Eden's Zero and Eclipse Arc landed when they did."

"Yes…they've been a big help." Stella had a sad smile on her face. "More than I could ever be. I've completely fallen apart as a leader. If Aiden weren't here, the Resistance would've crumbled. My sister's death really…"

"Stop that right now." Medi shook her head, placing her hands on Stella's shoulders. "I understand that Sarisse's death hurts you more than anyone else. But it wasn't your fault. How many times have you saved her? How many times have the two of you worked together to save us? You know, if you didn't find the Eden's Zero crew here, we would've lost her and might not even be here right now."

"That was the Blue Bomber…" Stella objected, but Medi wasn't hearing it.

"The Blue Bomber helped us however he could. I wish he would've let us help him…but that's beside the point." The doctor shook her head. "It's like you told us before. It's not about the big picture; it's about the smaller things that got us to that point. A lot of what we've accomplished is thanks to your role as a leader."

"…" Stella didn't respond.

"I'm sorry; I don't want it to sound like I'm hounding you or anything. I just…don't want to see you give up when we're so close to the end." Medi pulled back. "Geno is so hurt too…he's looking to you as the only family he has left. Even if you don't feel as if you can fight, you still have something worth protecting."

"I know. I want to protect Geno." Stella said. "I worry that I haven't been able to do enough for him. He and Asuka have been friends for a long time, but I think that with everything that's happened, they've drifted apart. I don't know if he considers anyone a friend anymore, and he's been so distant since this war started. As a mother, I don't know what to do but protect him the best I can. I don't want this to make him think humans and androids are incapable of getting along…and I'm all the family he has now. I want to do better for my son…"

"…I'll leave you be for now." Medi pulled back. Stella didn't realize it, but there was a glint in her eyes once again. "I have to prepare for tomorrow. We already had our strategy meeting…so everyone needs to be at full strength. Including you."

"Good night, Medi." Stella smiled a little as Medi left.

.

.

The Eden's Zero was parked outside of Echo City. They couldn't keep the ship in or near the city due to its size, but the crew was using this chance to rest in their own bed before the final battle began. The plan was ironed out and they would go over it in the morning one last time. For now, Rebecca sought Blair out in the Eden's Kitchen. "Hey, Blair."

"…What's up?" Blair looked over at Rebecca, wondering what she wanted.

"I know you know this, but the final battle is starting tomorrow. We're going to liberate this planet and get the Black Moon Star!" Rebecca said excitedly. She was confident in their ability to win.

"Yeah, I know that." Blair said. "I wasn't at the meeting, but Kleene told me. So…why are you telling me again now?"

"Because I wanted to ask if you'd help us." Rebecca said with a gentle smile. "You were incredible the other day. Your actions were able to keep us fighting when we were pinned down. So I thought…"

"…I didn't intervene because I wanted to help. The way the androids were being used just pissed me off. If that Knight Gear didn't show up, I would've ended Prometheus and Pandora right then and there so we could leave." Blair said with an annoyed scoff. "I already said I didn't have any plans to step into your fight with Ziggy. I'm just here for the ride and have done far too much already."

Rebecca's expression fell slightly. She had a feeling this would be the answer, but she wanted to try anyway. Blair's compassion only seemed to go so far… "I see. Well, if you ever change your mind…"

"Don't hold your breath." Blair replied immediately.

"…" Rebecca wasn't sure what to say. She just sighed and walked off, leaving Blair alone. "So much for that…" She'd have to tell the others that Blair didn't plan to help. She was making her way out of the ship and towards Echo City, but…

"Hey." A voice called out to her. A voice that made Rebecca go on high alert. She whipped around only to see Athena Goldstone waiting for her, arms crossed while leaning against a tree.

"You…!" Rebecca crouched down, entering her Overdrive immediately.

"Hey, I'm not here to pick a fight right now." Athena held her arms up. She wasn't even equipped with her usual shield. "I just have a question for you."

"H-Huh…?" Rebecca was surprised, but she kept her guard up. She had no idea if she was in Max's sights, or if Kamara was around the corner. "Oh yeah? What is it? How fast I can kick you before you move?"

Athena kept her hands up to show no ill-will. "No, nothing like that." She then crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I have not had single plan fail since my siblings and I started our business. Every time we set our sights on someone, we kill them without fail. And yet…somehow, you managed to stop us from killing Sarisse, thus forcing us to kill her later than we meant to."

"…What about it?" Rebecca narrowed her eyes.

"Max has never missed a shot." Athena replied. "And moreover…nobody knows they're in his range until it's too late. Sarisse was a dead woman…but somehow, you knew that he was there and when he was about to shoot. Now, that alone doesn't prove anything, but it certainly pissed me off. It could've just been luck, or chance…"

"…What are you getting at?" Rebecca wanted Athena to get right to the point.

"Earlier today, you fought against an android with the ability to self-destruct." Athena crossed her arms. "But you acted as if you knew that and dealt with it accordingly. It was then that I had the clue. Your Ether Gear…it isn't just speed, but it allows you to move back in time, doesn't it?"

Rebecca gasped. Athena knew. "H-How…!?"

Athena's lips curled up into a subtle smirk. "Ah, so my guess was right. I thought it absurd, but it was the only thing that made sense. You know too much."

"What…exactly is your aim here?" Rebecca felt stiff and uncomfortable. Leaper was her ace in the hole in case things went awry. The fact that the enemy knew about her power…

"I just wanted confirmation." Athena shrugged. "If you shooed me away, or tried to attack me to silence me, I think I would've come to the same conclusion. I wonder…how far back can you really go? Because I've had these thoughts for a few days now."

"…" Rebecca couldn't say anything. Athena had her figured out and it was horrifying.

"That's all I wanted!" She turned and flipped her hair, beginning to walk off. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Rebecca. Perhaps for the very last time."

Rebecca's body returned to normal as Athena left. What a terrible situation this was. Athena's careful nature allowed her to deduce Rebecca's ace in the hole. "…She knows…"

.

.

Geno was sitting underneath a tree in the moonlight, leaning against it while staring at the sky. He was deep in thought, replaying the events in his mind from the recent days. So much changed, so quickly, and it felt like his efforts were a waste. "…."

Suddenly, Hermit appeared, sitting on the opposite end of the tree. "Are you going to be out here all night?"

"…What are you doing here…?" Geno glanced behind his shoulder. He could see Hermit a little bit, only to let out a quiet sigh.

Hermit was quiet for a moment, also looking up at the stars in the night sky. "…Do you really hate all things non-human?" She recalled the argument he had with Omega. While they didn't know she was there, she heard it all. They both said hurtful things to one another, and she just wanted to know if it stuck.

"I…" Geno clenched his hand into a fist. "…So you heard…?" That meant Hermit knew that together, they were the Blue Bomber. "…I…I didn't mean that. I was just upset. I lost another family member, and all Omega wanted to do was keep fighting! How can anyone just do that after something so heavy happens!? My mom looks so distraught, she couldn't keep fighting. She lost Dad and her sister…so why do I have to keep fighting because he doesn't feel the same way I do? It…It just feels like he doesn't understand that I'm not just something to help him fight." An aggravated huff escaped him.

"…And what about your feelings towards Androids?" Hermit asked. "You look at Sister and I like you don't want us around."

Geno closed his eyes. Why was Hermit getting on his case so much? "…I…I can't say I don't have anything against androids. When Prometheus and Pandora landed, I started losing everything. The androids on this planet turned so quickly and started attacking humans, the humans fight back, lives were lost on both ends and all Prometheus did was laugh. It was that moment, two years ago…that I realized that humans and androids can't ever truly get along. One side will always try and abuse their power over the other, and it just ends in blood and heartbreak. I believe machines have hearts…but all I've seen for the last two years…are evil hearts. Androids took my home, my planet, my father, my aunt, and countless lives…"

Geno's heart had a severe wound in it. All of this fighting and loss crippled his ability to trust others. That's why he hid his identity as the Blue Bomber to everyone. That was something Hermit understood all too well on the other side of the spectrum. The humans that used her, abused her, shattered her heart and left her to rot. "…I know how you feel." She ultimately said, which caused Geno to turn around.

"What…? But…" Geno was shocked.

"Humans broke my heart once." Hermit said, but she wasn't going to go into the details. "I trusted them, worked with them…I was eager. But that all turned on me. When it was all said and done, I wanted nothing to do with anyone. Humans…androids, no one. I just wanted to be alone and I hid myself away. I was more than eager to shut myself off to the world around me."

"…But…?" Geno picked up that it sounded like there was more to this story. In fact, there was more…because the Eden's Zero was a crew composed of humans and androids. "What changed….?"

"Shiki and the others." Hermit responded, a fond smile on her face. "They came looking for me, and despite how I tried to push them away…he was really persistent about it. He wouldn't stop extending his hand to me, no matter what I said or did. Shiki looks serious a lot of the time, but he's a good person. They could've easily abandoned me in that moment, but they didn't. It was in that moment that I realized two important things…"

"Those are…?" Geno was listening.

"The first: I was lonely, but I never wanted to be alone. I was just hurt so badly and was afraid of it happening again. Thanks to that, I got to punch the jerk that hurt me so badly." Hermit said. Geno did have to blink, imagining Hermit punching someone. She was so petite compared to everyone else, the idea of it…it made him snicker. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing…" Geno cleared his throat, trying to play that amusement off. "…What was the second thing?"

"The second: it doesn't matter who reaches out first. What matters is that the other person accepts." She then stood up and walked around the tree, standing in front of Geno with her hand extended. There was a soft smile on her lips, accompanied by a slight tilt of her head, and the light of the moon gently cascading down on her.

Geno was in shock. He wasn't sure what was happening right now. "W-What are you?"

Hermit couldn't believe she was about to say this, but Shiki's influence was really strong. "…Let's be friends, you and me." Geno just stared at Hermit in awe. "You've seen how evil an android's heart can be...time to see how good one can be too."

"I…I don't know…" Geno looked down, conflicted. The truth was, he did feel lonely… "I don't…have friends anymore." He pushed them all away.

"I don't think that's true." Hermit shook her head. "You have Omega, right?"

"…You heard how things ended with us. The Blue Bomber is dead and…" Geno was going to keep going, but Hermit cut him off.

"I can't say I know everything about what Omega things, since I barely know him. But I will say this…I think he wanted you to fight because he wanted to keep you strong." Hermit said. "When you fight with someone as long as you two have…"

"Keep me strong…" Geno stared at his hands. "But I…I'm not strong…"

"…Maybe he feels the same way." Hermit said. She didn't know, honestly. But it was something for Geno to consider. "So…are you going to leave me hanging or what? We're both introverts, so you should know how hard this is for me!"

"Ack." Geno closed his eyes. If the Eden's Zero could be a crew composed of humans and androids, maybe, just maybe…he could find it in him to trust Androids again. So he held his hand out and Hermit took it for a handshake. "…I'm still unsure about this. I want to apologize to Omega, but…I don't even know where to find him."

"He'll come to you…probably." Hermit was still uncertain. She wasn't the best at this pep talk thing the longer they went on. She pulled her hand back from Geno's. "…How strongly do you want to protect the people close to you?"

Geno answered immediately. "I want to…I just don't know if I'm strong enough."

"…Then I think you're okay." Hermit said. She then took a seat next to Geno, looking up at the night sky with him. "You have more friends than you realize, Geno."

"…Why'd you come and talk to me, Hermit?" Geno asked. It still didn't make sense.

"I saw a bit of myself in you. It wasn't a path I enjoyed being on, so I had a feeling you didn't like it either." Hermit replied. The two sat in silence for a moment, until Geno finally spoke.

"…I had another reason for keeping the Blue Bomber's identity a secret." Geno said. Hermit looked at him curiously. "When Mega and I first met, he told me something. Since he's a living radio wave, he detected a transmission leaving the planet shortly before it was attacked. A transmission that said 'you can land now'."

"…Someone was contacting Prometheus and Pandora…?" Hermit's eyes widened. This added to the traitor theory.

"Mhm. He said…not every human on this planet wants the same thing. But he could barely detect it or make out who it was." Geno continued. "But if they knew who I was, he was certain they would try and target me and my family. I had to keep it a secret so this traitor couldn't know. But I just don't know who it could be…"

"We'll focus on one thing at a time, Geno. Tomorrow, we're going to liberate your planet." Hermit told him.

"…I'll do what I can to help…" Geno was less certain of himself. He didn't know how he could, but…that was just a bridge to cross when they got there. "What are you going to do?"

"…I'll stay here a bit longer. This is a nice spot." Hermit replied.

.

.

"They'll be coming." Pandora told Prometheus. "Tomorrow is the day everything gets settled."

"That's right." Prometheus let out a small laugh. "It's been fun watching them get this far! But Ziggy's orders are absolute. We still stamp out the Resistance and the Eden's Zero before the sun sets. They won't live to see the next moon."

Pandora glanced at the Black Moon Star piece they had in their possession. "This little piece of the Black Moon will help us ensure total victory."

.

.

Morning rolled around and it was nearly time for the final battle to begin. Asuka slammed her hands on the table and shouted. "I want Kamara!"

"Calm down…" Tristan said with a sweat drop. "We know…but you can't just rush in. We have a plan. Which we are going over…but where is Aiden?"

"He said he was going to scope the area out." Percival replied lazily. "So…what are we doing again?"

"The plan is simple. I'll remind everyone what we discussed once more so everyone is certain about their roles." Hermit laid out the blueprints of the Communication Tower that Stella gave her. "We are going to break off into several teams and assault the tower all at once. We have multiple objectives we need to clear before we can obtain total victory. First, Rebecca and Weisz will be heading to the power station located within the lower floors. This is the location of the core that we need to shut down so the androids will be freed from Ziggy's influence. Secondly, Ano and I will be tasked with hacking into the Tower's functions and shutting everything down, making sure that it's under our control. Lastly, the most important part…Shiki and Casey will be the ones that make their way to the top to challenge Prometheus and Pandora."

'I won't let them get away with their evil deeds anymore." Shiki said firmly. Prometeus and Pandora damaged this planet enough already. The people were suffering and it was time to set them free.

"You make it sound easy." Lowell said with a faint laugh. "But…"

"The Goldstones, I know." Hermit said. "We had a plan for that. With our remaining forces, we will strike the Goldstones. Homura, Lowell, Asuka, and Kleene are responsible out Kamara; G, Percival, and Jin are to take on Max, and Lluvi, Tristan, and Laguna are to take on Athena. We have no doubt that we will be met with enemy forces inside, so that's up to the rest of the Resistance members to take on." Those nameless members in the background made noises that said they were ready.

"If you guys get hurt, that's what Medi and I are here for." Sister said. She did dislike having to play battle nurse, but it was for the good of the mission.

"This battle is finally coming to a close." Casey clenched his hand into a fist. "That Black Moon shard will be ours." That was his crew's goal in landing on this planet in the first place.

"We will get revenge for Sarisse." Homura said firmly.

"We won't let them beat us again." Lluvi added.

"…It's the turning point." Stella placed a hand on her chest. She desperately wished Sarisse was here to see this. "I…I will join you all. I won't get in your way, but I'm still a Leader of the resistance. Geno told me he was going to stay back…"

"Tch…" Asuka huffed.

"It's for the best; he's a noncombatant after all. Blair said last night she wasn't going to be joining us either." Hermit said. "Is everyone ready?"

"Of course." Weisz said with a grin. "It's time to shut this place down once and for all."

"We won't fail!" Kleene exclaimed.

"We'll do this right." Laguna nodded. "We've knocked down all obstacles in our way thus far. This will not be any different."

"I will do my best to support!" Pino lifted her arm into the air.

"Then let's do this!" Shiki lifted his fist into the air and most everyone cheered. They were ready to bring this battle to a close once and for all!

.

.

The Resistance Army was going to simply just rush in with Shiki leading the charge. Casey and Asuka were following right behind him, neither one of them wanting to fall behind. Just as they were approaching the entrance of the Communications Tower, they saw Aiden up ahead. They slowed to a halt. "Aiden, there you are!" Stella said. "We were wondering why you weren't back yet. You were scouting, right? How does it look?"

"Terrible, I must say." Aiden had his arms crossed behind his back. His words confused everyone. "I was just notified of multiple enemies making their way towards the entrance. So I had to try and stop them."

"…Aiden?" Medi blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

Tristan narrowed his eyes. Aiden's stance felt…strange. Like he was acting as a wall. "Aiden, why are you standing there? You should've just returned to us when you were done."

"Hm…that would never have worked. I have no intention of returning." Aiden said calmly. The air shifted and everyone was aware of it.

"Something about this is not right…" Homura stated.

"Are you trying to stand in our way?" G lifted a brow. "That doesn't make sense."

"…Unless…?" Ano furrowed his brows.

Aiden calmly snapped his fingers and an ether trap appeared. He had no powers himself, but it was set up the night prior. A purple bubble appeared over the entire Resistance. Stella was the only one who was barely able to avoid being caught. "I can't have you running around freely."

"What's going on!?" Rebecca was trying to use Leaper, but her Ether was completely cut off.

"Our Ether Gear…" Lluvi grimaced.

"You won't be able to use your Ether Gear while in that bubble." Aiden snapped his fingers once again. "And that's rather troublesome for me, so I would like to get you out of the picture as soon as possible."

"A-Aiden…what are you saying!?" Stella couldn't believe what was happening. Neither could anyone else.

There was a low rumble in the sky as the Golden Knight hovered in the skies above them. Despite Ano having shut it down, it was fully functional once again. It landed behind Aiden and a number of skeleton army androids started to flood from the Tower up ahead. "I am saying that the machines are right. Humanity needs to be wiped from this cosmos."

"No…" Stella's eyes went wide. A horrifying realization struck her in this moment. The traitor…

"It's you…."