Chapter 19
Archia, Vestal Planetary Capital
2 Epombria, 20 Zenoheld (1 Xenia)
At noon Capital time, every television and viewscreen on Planet Vestal stopped broadcasting. After a quick "breaking news" message, every available channel displayed the same image of Margrave Demophilus standing before his mother's throne.
"People of Vestal, I am Margrave Demophilus Alexandros of the House Epipuron, son of Princess Regent Xenia Alethina of the Houses Hestia and Epipuron," the transmission began. "As you all know, the Bakugan Brawlers Resistance and the Vexos members Spectra Phantom and Gus Grav returned to planet Vestal three days ago. Over the past few days, we have learned from them that the exiled King Zenoheld, who had been sending increasingly threatening transmissions throughout the planet, is reportedly dead.
"As per Vestal tradition, Regent Xenia has reported King Zenoheld's death to High Archon Geron Hierophanus. Duke Caligo Prove of the Choron Alliance has invoked the law of nomos sarki, challenging my mother's claims and effectively attempting to make himself king. As I speak, my mother Regent Xenia, Duke Prove, and High Archon Hierophanus are investigating the proof of Zenoheld's death. By leave of the High Archon, Speaker Thomas Rutilius of the Astos Coalition is also accompanying them.
"Let us pray for our leaders as we await their safe return."
The Vestal Destroyer
Hopla, Provisional Co-Captain of the Royal Guard, stood at attention as she kept an eye on her charge.
I am basically standing at the crossroads of history. Yesterday, she was a princess by birth and a margravine by marriage. Today, she will be queen, and I will be standing by her side as Captain of the Guard; no more of this "provisional co-captain" nonsense.
Xenia's other guard on the bridge was the other co-captain, Makhaira; he was the Captain of the Royal Guard under Zenoheld. Hopla had been captain of Margrave Epipuron's Guard before Xenia became regent, and was provisionally installed as co-captain after Xenia's rise to power. It was no secret that Makhaira had resented that move—and that some of the incumbent Royal Guards did not look kindly to the other March Guards added to their ranks—but aside from some snide remarks whenever Xenia was out of earshot, nothing happened that merited the regent's intervention.
Hopla and Makhaira were two of fifteen Vestals who were currently on the bridge of the Vestal Destroyer. Four of them—Queen Xenia, Speaker Rutilius, Duke Prove, and High Archon Hierophanus—were gazing at the viewscreen at the front of the bridge.
Also on the bridge were the infamous Spectra Phantom, his right-hand man Gus Grav, and Mira Clay, whom Spectra was acclimating to the bridge controls. At first, Hopla had been surprised to see the former enemies on the bridge together—and even more so to hear that the two were actually brother and sister! Perhaps the Planetary Enquirer had been on to something.
A collection of various security personnel, which included herself, made up the rest of the number on the bridge. Rutilius had arrived at the spaceport that morning flanked by ten of his hired bodyguards. Duke Prove had brought ten of the Amauros Ducal Guard with him, and even Hierophanus had four Temple guardsmen with him. For her part, Xenia had brought ten of the Royal Guard. Each of the leaders chose two members of their respective entourages to stay on the bridge, while the remaining guards were left to patrol the Destroyer and see to the safety of the remaining passengers, namely, the rest of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers Resistance, the coroner, the forensic analyst, and the experts' support teams.
Though no one on the bridge said a word, the tension in the room was palpable. For each pair of guards, one guard would keep a close eye on his charge, while the other kept watch over the entire bridge.
"So, where is this supposed battleground, Spectra?" Caligo sneered.
"We're almost there, Your Grace," Spectra answered.
"About time," the duke replied. "I don't know about you, but I tire of this rumbling flight. Didn't you or your servant do any maintenance on this ship?"
"It's not our fault, Your Grace," Gus replied. "A subspace disturbance is causing the turbulence, but we're unable to figure out what's causing it." He checked the console in front of him. "In any event, we'll be leaving the wormhole in three…two…one…"
The sight that came to the viewscreen stunned the adult observers on the bridge, Hopla included. Large fragments of Vestal architecture were floating all throughout the field of vision. One such fragment passed before the Destroyer, bearing a familiar coat of arms.
"Is that…?" Xenia gasped.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Spectra replied. "That's the wreckage of the Vestal Motherpalace."
"How…? How could this have happened?" Caligo asked breathlessly.
"That was the work of the Alternative Weapon System," Spectra answered. "Professor Clay was building it within the depths of the Motherpalace. When Zenoheld activated the device, it just ripped through it, leaving these ruins."
"It won't be hard to find proof of what Spectra said," Xenia added. "Many of the palace staff were fortunate enough to make it to escape pods scattered throughout the Motherpalace. The pods are programmed to go directly to Vestal once they're launched. They started landing not too long after the Destroyer landed on Vestal, and every staff member that I've heard from so far agrees that a massive spaceship emerged from the depths of the Motherpalace and ripped it apart."
"That's all well and good, Princess Xenia, but Spectra also said that there was proof of the deaths of King Zenoheld and Prince Hydron—which you need in order to withstand Duke Caligo's challenge," Hierophanus said.
"Not to worry, Your Holiness," Spectra replied. "You'll have your proof very soon."
As the Destroyer began to move away from the wreckage of the Motherpalace, an arrow appeared on the viewscreen. Every few seconds, a ping could be heard. The pings increased in frequency as Mira steered the ship in the indicated direction under Spectra's guidance. After a few minutes, the arrow flashed and the pings were near-constant; the Destroyer had reached its destination.
A small planetoid was floating in front of them, spherical except for a large bite-shaped chunk missing from it. The inside of the bite seethed with molten rock.
"What could have possibly done that?" Rutilius said in awe.
"No vessel in the entire Vestal fleet has that kind of power!" Xenia exclaimed.
"The Alternative did," said Gus. "I believe that Master Spectra mentioned that it could blow up a planet. The system's main gun left that hole we're seeing at only a fraction of its full power."
"And that planetoid is where I kept the remains that I was able to find of King Zenoheld and Prince Hydron," Spectra added.
After the Destroyer landed on the planetoid—on the side opposite from the bite—Spectra and Gus led Xenia, Hierophanus, the faction leaders, all four sets of guards, and the experts and their support staffs towards a nearby cave. From each of the four entourages, a guard was commanded to stand watch at the mouth of the cave. Makhaira was among those commanded to stay at the entrance; Hopla accompanied Xenia with the other remaining Royal Guards.
A few meters into the cave, the opening widened to reveal a large chamber. Near the rear of the chamber was a giant mechanical fist, pockmarked and caked with small blood spatters. On closer inspection, they saw that the fist held the remains of a torso.
"This is the fist of Subterra Dryoid, Prince Hydron's Mechanical Bakugan," Spectra announced. "And the body that Dryoid's holding is none other than that of King Zenoheld."
"Let's let the professionals determine that, shall we?" Caligo remarked.
Immediately, the cave became a hive of activity as the experts' teams poked, prodded, and generally made a fuss around the fist. The remaining Vestals stood in various places throughout the cavern, the four leaders all flanked by their security details.
The experts' teams spent a few minutes prying the fist's fingers loose in order to give the coroner better access to the torso. Afterwards, the forensic analyst and his team focused on the fist itself, while the coroner and his team focused on the torso. After his team made a series of measurements and took copious notes, the coroner took out a device that had a rectangular screen on top of a long, protruding spike: a DNA analyzer. When he stuck the device in the torso, the readout lit up, and a small, cartoony double-helix image began spinning in place.
After a few moments, Xenia asked, "So, whose body is this?"
The coroner scanned the readout. "A few more moments, Your Highness. However, while we wait, much can be gleaned from just looking at the state of these remains."
"Continue," Xenia said.
"There's no question that this Vestal is dead, but notice that the top part of the torso is cauterized shut. The top is also the only part that has bits of molten metal fused to it. Both of these details are consistent with the story that this fist was holding the body when a heat-generating explosion killed him."
The DNA analyzer beeped, signaling that it finished its analysis.
"Perfect timing." The coroner scanned the readout. "And according to the analyzer, the body trapped in this fist … is none other than King Zenoheld."
The guards, Vexos members, Speaker Rutilius, and most of the others bowed their heads in respect. Some of the guards began to cry softly, as did Princess Xenia. Caligo stared slack-jawed at the metal fist.
After a few moments, Caligo finally broke the silence. "And the fist itself?"
"We're still investigating, Your Grace," the forensic expert said. "Please wait a bit longer until I'm done."
"Let's not forget that the issue of Zenoheld's heir is still open," Hierophanus commented. "Indubitably, King Zenoheld is no longer with us, but what of Prince Hydron?"
"Right here, Your Holiness," said Gus. He indicated a rectangular capsule beside him, which had been next to the metal fist. "Unlike King Zenoheld, Prince Hydron was not fortunate enough to have had much of his body shielded from the blast. Master Spectra and I found these body parts scattered all over."
Indeed, inside the capsule were multiple hermetically-sealed bags, each containing some bodily tissue: parts of limbs, bone fragments, pieces of organs, or other assorted viscera. Hopla winced at the sight. She wondered what must have been going through the minds of the incumbent royal guardsmen to see the remains of one that must have been a major part of their lives, second only to King Zenoheld himself. She had been installed into the Magnalba March Guard when then-Count Demophilus was but a child; she doubted that she'd even be able to remain standing if that were all that remained of his body.
The coroner and his team immediately took samples and swabs, and tested each one. After several minutes of checking, re-checking, and conferring, the coroner announced, "We've finished our analyses. Each of these tissue fragments has come from either of two Vestals: the late King Zenoheld … or Crown Prince Hydron. Goddess grant them rest."
The cave was dead silent as the hearers processed the news. After about a minute, Hierophanus said, "So indeed, King Zenoheld and Prince Hydron are both dead."
"But before we start hailing our new queen," Caligo interrupted, "the identity of Zenoheld's killer is still in dispute, as far as I'm concerned. The analyst seems to be done with the fist now, so let's see what he has to say."
"So headstrong," Hierophanus sighed. "Fine, let's hear the results."
The forensic analyst said, "Given the pattern of the tear, as well as the pockmarks on the fist itself, it is safe to say that it was forcefully separated from the rest of its body by an explosion."
"And can you confirm that this fist is indeed that of Subterra Dryoid?" Caligo asked.
"Not at the moment, Your Grace," the analyst replied. "We would have to send it back to Vestal for testing; there may be identification marks that could point to its maker. To be honest, I wouldn't have even considered that it could be a Bakugan's fist if I hadn't been told that mechanical Bakugan existed.
"However, my team and I do know where it couldn't have come from, if that helps."
"It may. Continue," said Xenia.
"Given the nature of His Grace's suspicions, I and my team made sure to familiarize ourselves with the last known specifications of Pyrus Helios and Subterra Vulcan yesterday," the analyst continued. "This fist is Vestaloid rather than reptilian, so that rules out Helios.
"You can also see here that this fist is colored black. We made sure to look at the paint itself; the black is the original and not a coat added to cover the original color."
"How is that important?" Rutilius asked.
"It's important because Vulcan's hands are brown," Gus said.
The analyst nodded. "Exactly. I've never seen Subterra Dryoid on Vestal before, so I can't say whether this is his. But since it doesn't belong to Pyrus Helios or Subterra Vulcan, Spectra and Gus should be ruled out as suspects."
Silence once again filled the cave.
After a while, Xenia said, "All of this is indeed quite the burden to bear. To think that a partial corpse trapped in a fist would be what is left of my brother. While we still cannot confirm that Hydron was indeed the killer—much less fathom why—it is at least some closure to have definitive proof of their fates."
Tears started to pool in her eyes again. "Recent memory will decry my brother as a power-hungry deceiver, but I pray that history will eventually remember that King Zenoheld skillfully ruled the people of Vestal for twenty years, and even in these last few years, he acted in what he thought was the best interest of our crowded people. I only hope that I prove myself worthy to follow in his footsteps."
Scattered shouts of "hear, hear" could be heard throughout the cave in reply.
Hopla frowned in confusion. It might have just been the echo, but she was sure she had just heard laser fire amidst the cheering. She looked around the cave and noticed that five members of the Astos group were missing.
Hierophanus, standing between the leaders' entourages and the fist, didn't notice anything, but waited until things had quieted down to begin. "Congratulations, Princess Xenia. Your claim to the throne has been upheld. Of course, the official proclamation and full ceremony will have to wait until we return to Vestal, but as the saying goes, 'Monarchy travels faster than light.'"
Hopla scanned the crowd more intently in search of the shooter. Barely visible due to the shadows, a man stepped out from behind the remaining Astos guards and pointed a small laser pistol at Xenia.
Meanwhile, Hierophanus continued: "Therefore, in the presence of Mother Vesta and these witnesses, be it now known that you, Xenia Alethina—"
"Your Majesty, DUCK!" Hopla shouted, tackling Xenia to the ground. And not a moment too soon, as a laser blast shot across the cave, going through the spot where Xenia's head had just been.
Upon hearing the gunfire, the experts and their support staffs fled the cave. Meanwhile, four of Xenia's entourage immediately took defensive positions around Xenia and Hopla.
"Oof…thank you, Hopla," Xenia said as she stood up. She noticed Makhaira heading towards her with his pistol in hand. "Makhaira, did you see the man who fired on me?"
"Of course I did, Your Highness," Makhaira replied, raising his pistol. "Pity that I missed."
Xenia gasped. "Guards! Seize hi—!"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Caligo interrupted, coming to stand beside Makhaira. "Look again, Your Highness: you're surrounded."
Caligo and Makhaira were flanked by Caligo's guards, who all had their weapons trained on Xenia. Worse, four of the royal guard stood alongside the ducal guard, encircling Xenia and her entourage. The Astos bodyguards and Temple guards were all outside of the circle of Caligo's followers.