Jupiter cocks her head, listening intently. The sound of blasters, and explosions had ceased rocking the ship not long ago. Now, sounds echoed up the corridor, drawing close. She raises her weapon and aligns her sights into the dark. The blunt arms of her motley array of royal guard swing towards the sound of many boots. She flashes a glance at Vladie, wondering if they should have just armed everyone, despite his shiny big gun, his eyes are wide and round, and he clutches before his chest belie that vain hope. Breathing hard, a bead of sweat forms a tiny stream along Jupiter's temple.
"Please, don't let it be Keepers," she mutters, raising the site to her eye. From the corridor, a voice calls out. She flinches at Vladie's squeak of alarm, then squeaker herself as she ducks when a line of bright blazes arc across the ceiling as Vladie squeezes off panicked round. "Stop!" Jupiter yells at Valdie in gleeful recognition.
"It's me, Jupiter," Caine calls, one hand creeping into the steadying light. "It's OK." Jupiter drops her weapon and runs to meet him as he steps, bloodied and bruised, into the chamber. Close behind, Stinger and Kiza support each other, followed closely by Morkenin and a limping, bloodied Aknet.
"Look what you've done, and I just fixed you all shiny and new," Jupiter chides, her smile wide and her shoulders shaking with relief. He looks down on her with an ornery grin, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Now, the cavalry arrives!" She laughs with relief, until the realizes that the black-on-black of Aegis troops entering the cabin all seem to have their weapons trained directly at her.
"What's this?" Caine steps back, pulling Jupiter behind him. He look to Captain Tsing enters behind the line of hard faced troops. Her own weapon remains securely holstered as she wends her way between the front line of troop, followed by a rather short, heavily built man with eyes as black and severe as his well oiled hair. Aleksa's eyes widen at the familiar face, much shorter and squatter than his deep voice and air of authority had appeared in his floating image.
"No!" Caine intervenes, reflexively stepping in front of Jupiter.
"I can explain," Jupiter begins, attempting to stake her space next to Caine, but her defense is interrupted by a smooth, silky, commanding voice.
"Admiral Murz," Morkenin spares him a haughty glance. "I have not requested an Aegis presence." Admiral Murz bows almost to his knees before Morkenin's ire.
"Your Majesty! When we received no reply to our hails after the attack, we were concerned..." Slowly, Aleksa rises from hiding behind the control console. Nino follows her, her mouth opening in a little o upon catching site of Captain Tsing. With a tug, she reaches over and pulls Vladie to his shaking feet. He grins a bit in relief to see Aknet, even has some concern flash over his face, before he steps behind Nino, quailing at the site of all the raised weapons.
"What is this treachery?" Kalique Abrasax accuses as she strides amidst her own ring of mechanical guards in to the cabin which, although large by any standard, is becoming increasingly crowded, especially with the hulking machine occupying the central space. Her brown hair is piled in heavily curled ropes atop her head, her face pale with delicate powder, her eyes thickly lined and her lips a rich, strong carnelian, all adding age to her newly youthful features. Her long gown of red silk encrusted with glittering garnets, topped with a wide collar and long, lace train, seems horribly out of place among the dour black on black Aegis cloth, twisted metal and assemblage covered in flakes of blood and sooty scorch marks. Yet as disheveled as she may be, Morkenin, dour silver cloak covered with dust and debris, with her ancient, piercing blue eyes and her air of unstudied poise, still presents as the more regal of the two.
"You have my most profuse apologies, your Majesty" the bright blond commander, towering above them all, turns to her with her own deep bow, her features stricken. Of the assembled Aegis, Captaiin Tsing moves closer to Jupiter's family, the admiral has edged nearer to Morkenin, while the commander remained where Kalique has entered with an aggrieved flourish.
"No need," Morkenin intervenes. "Lady Kalique, my dear, I do apologize for the disruption of our scheduled congress. I do, however, have the subject of our meeting here at this very moment." Kalique's brows raise slightly as her eyes alight on Jupiter.
"And she has ruffled quite a few Aegis feathers, it seems." Kalique is torn between her maintaining her regal demeanor, habitual trepidation standing in the presence the recurrence of her revered mother, and condemnation of Jupiter Jones, the thorn in her side. "Commander Vilcary," she turns on her heel, lifting her chin before turning her ire upon the woman who has not quite released her obsequious bow, "arrest this rebel!"
"But, I was coerced!" Jupiter blurts out. "I only said those things to keep him," and she flings an arm at Night, "from killing me and my friends!" Caine lays a protective arm over her shoulders, staring up from under his furrowed brow as if daring anyone to touch her.
"That is exactly what you would say!" Admiral Murz retorts, quavering beneath Caine's hard gaze, gaining moral support from turning back to Morkenin even as Captain Tsing intercedes.
"Surely we must gather all the relevant information, your Majesties."
"That is for the courts to decide," the Commander Vilcary corrects with a terse frown and slight lift of her long, pointed chin. Morkenin steps forward, surreptitiously placing herself between the Aegis and Jupiter.
"You have recovered the other rebel cells?" she asks of the Admiral. He puffs out his chest, but Commander Vilcary is not amused.
"How did you come by this top secret information," she exclaims with unabashed surprise, then bows low, again, to finish with, "your Majesty?" Morkenin pauses, lifting an accusatory brow, before continuing her explanation while keeping Night at the corner of her vision.
"Because I am the one who provided the location of the rebel cells."
"Impossible!" Night shrieks, shredding his previous safety of hiding behind a splice's social inconsequence. Without favoring him a full glance, Morkenin addresses him.
"I was fully aware of your duplicity. At first I did think Jupiter truly in league with you, but I see now, she is in a league of her own." Jupiter gapes at her, flummoxed, uncertain if she was just praised, or insulted.
"But," the admiral flusters, "Jupiter Jones is the last loose end to wrap up."
"No, Admiral, in this matter you are mistaken."
"But, your Majesty, have you not laid your own charges against her?"
"Oh, those are long forgotten."
"But, but, someone must take responsibility!"
"I am capable of speaking for myself," Jupiter says a bit meekly, despite Caine's slight restraining hand and the slightest negative shake of his head. But his, Jupiter, even Stinger and Kiza's, mouths drop open at Morkenin's next words.
"Given the circumstances, I am willing to take responsibility for any interim bail for Ms. Jones."
"Holy crap," Jupiter mutters, her eyebrows jumping up in surprise, forestalling her continued defense.
"Until all this can be cleared up, Admiral," Captain Tsing offers, "can you agree that planetary arrest would be sufficient?"
"I can speak for myself," Jupiter calls out over the babble, then must square her shoulders when suddenly all eyes are riveted on her. She nods to Caine, and steps forward, with only his hand resting on her shoulder for support. She turns to face the Aegis commanders. "I am willing to be placed under planetary arrest, as the Empress Morkenin recommends. However, Kiza and Aknet must be cleared of all wrong doing."
"As your property, they will be confiscated and held until such time as your fate is determined." Aleksa looks as if to interrupt, and even Nino starts to speak, but quiets at a slight look from Captain Tsing. Jupiter confronts the admiral.
"Not acceptable. And I expect you to call me by my appropriate title. Caine and my family must also be released from all charges. If you must have a fall guy, I'll be your fall... girl... woman." Captain Tsing's expression falls into one of sorrow. Nino's hand almost reaches out to her of its own, drawn by her obvious affection towards Jupiter. The commander jumps on the offer with something akin to glee.
"There is still the matter of the seditious material pilfered from the Archive!" The Admiral nods in agreement at the reminder of Jupiter's further transgressions.
"Ok, yes, that too. That was totally my fault."
"Admiral, Commander," Morkenin's silky, demanding voice interrupts, "Jupiter was acting at my behest." Multiple heads snap to Morkenin, as she continues. "I sent on her on a mission to uncover some of my family history."
"Yes, the charges are severe! That sheave contains the worst of seditious material! There must be consequences!"
"This?" Morkenin says with a light glance at the now quiescent sheave. "This means nothing." Morkenin raises her weapon, tosses the sheave high into the air, and, to Jupiter's open mouthed horror, blasts it into tinkling oblivion. Aleksa recoils, to land in Stinger's strong, welcoming embrace. Jupiter swallows hard, flashing a glance at the remaining resurrection chamber before forcing her eyes away from it. "And now it is nothing."
"Well, that closes that chapter, then," and the admiral wipes his hands together.
"No, it doesn't! That," Famulus screams out, waving a frantic finger at the silent beetle of wire and glass, "that machine is the product of that seditious material!" A few pairs of eyes fall upon her, to dismiss her as readily as they dismissed any splice. "Listen," she begs to no avail. The conversation swirls back to Jupiter, and Famulus can contain her fear and frustration no longer. With a sob, she grabs one of the weapons left aside, raises it, leaps around Night and Felicia heedless of Gemma's aimed weapon, then fires a volley into the quiescent resurrection chamber, near screaming, "I will not allow you to destroy my Master any more than you have!"
Too late, Gemma shifts her weapon above Bob's still body from Mr. Night to Famulus. With a swift move, Morkenin swats Famulus away, but the damage is done. The machine smolders, a ruin of wire and shattered glass. Jupiter's face falls, totally aghast. Her shoulders sag. Nino takes an involuntary step forward, devastated.
"Remove them!" Captain Tsing commands to her troops. Famulus, sobbing, has no more resistance to give. Night remains sullen, but knows he is outmatched and outmaneuvered. Felicia hangs her head with resignation as she follows, brushing the Aegis hands away with an indignant 'neew!'
"Just what was that thing?" Captain Tsing asks to the room in general. Morkenin lays a gentle hand on the remains of the control panel.
"A future," Jupiter sighs, eyes locked on the entire purpose of their quest. The hope to change the universe, at their finger tips. It has saved Caine. Could it have saved the Earth? Quelled the splice rebellion? Changed the universe? But no. All gone. Obliterated.
"We have our own future," Caine whispers in her ear. Jupiter turns and gives him a wavering smile, then nods with more vigor and lays her head against his broad shoulder.
"Us, also?" Kiza sidles next to Jupiter where her arms drape around Caine. Kiza leans in with a conspiratorial nod toward the their parents, their clasped hands just hidden behind Stinger's bronze wing. "Sisters?"
Jupiter grins at Aleksa's youthful blush.
"Stranger things have happened." She might savor that bittersweet moment, if Kalique did not decide she was no longer the center of angst attention.
"I had hoped for better, Jupiter Jones, but the sooner you leave, the sooner life can return to its rightful state." She turns to nod to Morkenin. "Empress," she says stiffly before making a dramatic, sweeping exit from the wrecked room.
"Collect your family," Captain Tsing says softly as the Aegis and commanders file out behind their new prisoners. "You'll need a ride home." Nino's eyes brighten at the thought. Morkenin touches Jupiter with a single, elegant finger even as she turns to dismiss the entire affiar.
"I sincerely hope we never meet again, Jupiter Jones Abrasax." Morkenin offers her a cool, knowing smile. Taking Jupiter's hand as if to shake it, Jupiter notices something small, flat, and rather gellified now fills her own palm. "Family," Morkenin murmurs, with a tilt of her chin to encompass every one and every body who is still remains, "is a most precious commodity, is it not?"