AC: I want to thank my Beta-reader for proof-reading this chapter and all the previous ones I forgot to mention.
Chapter 148: Reunion
Sarah was in the helicopter. She had left the battlefield for her own safety and because it was the best way to help Tom. When she heard the news that the battle was over and Milla'iin surrendered. She sobbed. Her boyfriend was okay. Everything was okay now. There was no reason to live in fear of the M'arrillians assault. She cleaned her face and listened to the rest.
She put her hands together. "Thank God this is over."
Tom watched the M'arrillians as they were escorted to a truck. His father already checked if he was fine and he told him that all was good. He got one last glance from Milla'iin before the creature was out of his sight.
"You're okay Tom?" Maxxor asked as he stood by his side.
"I'm good. Not too hurt," he replied as he put his hand on the dried blood from his nosebleed. He didn't know what would come of Milla'iin. He couldn't help but wonder about that.
The creature was broken and there might not be any sight of recovering.
Gal'drad tried too, but didn't succeed.
"Are you sure? You seem to be in your mind?" Maxxor went on.
"Y-yeah. It… it doesn't feel that much like everything is over," he glanced at his hero and friend, "Milla'iin is just taken like that."
The Overworlder let out a small sigh and smiled slightly, "We cannot help everyone Tom. Still, it is impressive that you helped a few M'arrillians."
"Yeah. I just talk to them," Tom admitted.
Aval'par approached the two, "The humans are saying we need to prepare to leave soon."
Tom nodded. He walked towards the truck, "What will happen now? Nothing will go back to what it was before. I know it," he chuckled nervously.
"Of course we won't leave. This is the Cothica. Still, I have no intention to turn this place into a warzone again," Maxxor replied. He put his hand on the teenager's shoulder, "And your family will be glad to see you."
"True."
(I'm glad I didn't fail you this time Tom,) Aval'par said in the mind of the boy.
Tom nodded, (You saved me and Sarah. Thank you.)
(Thank the others who gave me a chance to do the right thing. I… I know the M'arrillians won't come back for, at least, a generation here… If we might have a bright future,) the purple creature went on.
The teenager realized that it might end up like that. The M'arrillians invaded Earth. The tribe couldn't show their faces for a long time. He nodded, (I can visit you in Perim. I have a scan of you anyway.)
(W-when did you get it?)
Tom let out a small grin and didn't answer.
(I'll get that answer one day,) Aval'par replied.
The group reached the trucks and climbed in. Tom went in with Maxxor, his father and a few other Overworlders. They sat in the truck and waited to arrive at the military base.
The helicopter reached the military base. Sarah climbed off the helicopter. She couldn't say or do anything as her mother rushed at her and hugged her.
"Sarah! You're alright?" Her mother cried in relief.
The teenage girl managed to get a glimpse of her family. The three cried in relief. Her older brother gazed to the side when he noticed she stared at him. He blushed. He couldn't say anything until his mother finished ranting her relief.
Pamela kissed the forehead of her daughter, "You're… what happened to you?" She asked when she noticed the bruises.
Sarah sighed as she let out a bit of a worried smile. She saw her mother was pissed and ready to tear down the M'arrillian who did this to her. "We tried to escape a M'arrillian, but he roughed us up. It hurt a bit, but I wasn't hurt like Tom."
"Tom!" Amelia asked as she rushed in, "Hurt how?" She sobbed.
"Nose bleed," Sarah answered. That bit of the attack was a bit confusing and she didn't remember that well what caused that wound.
"Sarah!" Peyton came. He stopped when he couldn't hug her in relief. He had to wait his turn and Pamela wasn't ready to let go of her daughter for a few more minutes it seemed.
"Sarah," Kaz let out a relieved smile.
Remi stood to the side as he watched this. He smiled slightly at knowing that they were safe. He heard the news and hoped his parents were okay. He wanted to check on them, but he had to wait. The great news for him was that no humans were badly hurt. Just enough to restrain them when they attacked the creatures. He tried to avoid thinking back at the dread he felt at the thought of his parents being among them.
"What about Tom?" Sarah asked, "Are they coming back here?"
"Yes. They are on their way," Donald replied as he scratched the back of his head, "He's in a truck, so he will take a bit longer to return here. Some of the prisoners will be brought here too."
Tom sighed in the back of the truck when Intress patted his head like he was a young boy. He was a teenager. His mother didn't treat him that way anymore. Still, he didn't complain. He went through a lot and put the creatures under great stress.
Arias chuckled, "You sure have a lot of guts to just put a hand on Milla'iin's shoulder like that!"
"It was the right thing to do," the black-haired boy replied.
"You showed a lot of courage during this entire ordeal," Maxxor admitted.
"I would have preferred that my son never went through such an ordeal in the first place. He could have died," George said as he patted the back of his son.
"I'm okay dad," he chuckled nervously. He looked at Maxxor, "Maxxor. Dad. Do any of you have an idea what is coming next? I mean, the world surely knows the creature came here. Now what?"
"The future is not the important thing now. Now, it's important to tell your mother, your grandpa, grandma, and your friends that you are okay. Leave that to the adults to screw up," George joked.
The creature grumbled as they felt the jab was aimed at them.
Tom nervously chuckled. That might be true.
"We won't bring our wars into the Cothica. Even Chaor wouldn't do something like that," Maxxor confidently declared.
Arias wasn't that certain as he tapped his knees with his fingers, "Unless this is what he wants us to think. He might be planning something already, but we didn't figure it out yet."
"I'm sure he won't. Kaz won't let him anyway," the teenager declared.
"I guess so," Arias didn't believe those words.
The rest of the ride was spent in silence. After Tom told them what happened to him until his capture by Milla'iin, it was silence.
They reached the military base and they walked out of the truck.
Tom couldn't say a word before his mother was there and hugged him with everything she had.
Not a word was said. His mother cried loudly in relief.
Maxxor chuckled as he watched the scene play out. However, he couldn't stay any longer. He had to watch the prisoners be brought to their jail. Some of them. The others would be sent back to Perim later.
There was a lot to think about to decide the fate of the M'arrillians. They couldn't detain every creature on the Cothica, just in case they tried something else.
"Maxxor, the general is calling you to determine what should be done next," Intress said as she pointed where the leader of the two other tribes went.
The green creature nodded and went into the building.
Once inside, he saw that Aszil was on the screen with Codemaster Imthor.
"Finally, you're here Maxxor," Chaor grunted, sounding impatient. It was obvious he wanted to conclude everything.
"Relax, you can see your Kazzy later on," Maxxor replied.
The Underworlder turned a bit redder, either in embarrassment or anger. None could tell.
Theb-Saar sighed, "No need for such banter. We need to decide what we should do with the M'arrillians right now, because all I got from Milla'iin in the truck was that he doesn't care. That boy sure did a number on him in the end," he gazed at the ruler of the Overworld.
The general nodded, "The mission didn't go as expected, but it was a success. Everyone around the world will be relieved once we announce the news."
"However, what would come afterwards is worrisome, even if many preparations were made in advance," Imthor declared.
"Anyway, we found the other M'arrillians who took shelter outside of the city and are currently being escorted to another military base for their own safety," the general added.
"Non-warriors and children?" Chaor asked.
"From what I heard, yes. Many of them couldn't use any fighting ability to protect their children. Still, it took Gal'drad to convince them to not fight," Aszil said before the human could.
"The city has been badly damaged, but nothing that can't be fixed," the general went on as he glanced at the creatures.
Chaor chuckled, "It was all or nothing. We got their attention and crushed them hard! They won't recover from this for a long time."
"From what the reports said, Tom has been in danger under Milla'iin's tendrils for a while. We Codemasters took a while to discuss how to proceed from now on. For him, I suggest that he is put on a trial on Earth. He is the one who ordered the attack and should be judged by U.S. standards," Imthor said.
Aszil glared at the Codemaster for the simple suggestion that the creature would be there.
The Underworlder grunted, "Why here? He is an extremely dangerous M'arrillian!" He wanted to crush him for what he did to his Kazzy.
"Because he won't have a fair judgment on Perim." the Codemaster answered.
Maxxor sighed, "He is a creature of Perim and should be judged by other creatures."
The general grunted, "He is the one who ordered the attack on the Earth."
"Cothica," Theb-Saar said.
"Earth! He shall be judged by our world. There is a public trial that needs to be done for what he caused here!" The human declared in a way that prevented any reply from the creatures.
The blue Mipedian sighed, "I concede that Milla'iin can be judged here, but the others need to return to Perim where they shall be judged."
"I should also deserve a part of the blame for the attack on the Cothica," Bahrakatan raised his voice above the creatures as he came into the room. His pincer tapped on his shoulder as he went on, "I am the one who created the portal to reach Chaotic and lead to the invasion of the Cothica. Not all of the blame should be put on Milla'iin."
The others looked at the creature. They couldn't disagree.
"You still made amends for your mistake by helping us," the Mipedian king admitted.
"And Milla'iin surrendered in the end. I ask that he get his fair judgment and our tribe gets our own," the Coralsmith concluded.
Maxxor sighed. There would be a long talk about everything. It might take a few days to settle everything.
Chaor grumbled, "Dammit. Fine! We will do it the humans way! Still! We have the right to be in the Cothica! After everything we've been through."
"We reached our goal and we won't just leave," Aszil told them with a small smirk on her face.
The general sighed, "One thing at the time. There is way too much to discuss, and none of that is under my jurisdiction."
Their long talk continued and no resolutions were made. It was a case that might take weeks at best to settle down. Years, if it was really difficult.
AC: This is the end of this chapter. We are now entering the Epilogue phase of the story. It will be a long epilogue as many things need to be done and put in the basis for the sequel.
Epilogue Part 1: Reopening of Chaotic.
After one month, Chaotic was finally fixed and people could return to Chaotic, but it wouldn't be the same. Tom and his friends talked a bit about the changes, while Tom sighed as he had one thing like Kaz now that kindly annoyed him a little.